Family Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Family Law - Essay Example an equitable portion of the property.4 This essay will examine these inequities. Marital and Cohabitation Law – Before White v. White White v. White5 was a case that focused upon married persons. In this case, the court decided that financial need was not a basis for the distribution of finances. Moreover, the case was the first to establish that the distribution of property upon divorce should be divided up equitably, without discrimination. That way, the wage earner would not be entitled to more than the child-carer. In other words, the non-financial contribution of the parent who cares for the children is recognized in property division. The White case represented a landmark, in that the court was ordered to divide marital property equitably, regardless if one contributed financially towards to home or not. Before White, the cases in the UK were decided against the non-working spouse who did not contribute financially towards the house, either towards the purchase price or towards the mortgage. For instance, in the case of Pettit v. Pettit,6 the couple was married and the husband did not work outside the home. Therefore, he did not contribute financially. Moreover, the home was in the separate name of the wife, and the wife used her own funds to buy the home. The husband contributed labour towards the home – decorating the home, building a wardrobe, laying a lawn and constructing an ornamental wall and garden side wall. However, the Pettit court found that the husband was not entitled to a beneficial interest in the home. Therefore, prior to White, the court presumptively did not award property to the non-working spouse. White represents an improvement upon this, as discrimination against the non-working spouse is not longer acceptable. That said, there is not a statutory provision that dictates that property needs to be divided equitably, although the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 states that, essentially, courts have discretion in that there is no determined order of priority in the distribution of assets in every case. Although the marital property law has evolved to give equal rights to the non-working spouse, the law regarding co-habitating couples has not similarly evolved. Prior to the White case, the courts decided a number of co-habitation cases against the non-working spouse. For instance, in Gissing v. Gissing,7 the non-working spouse was the man, and the man did not contribute financially towards the home. The husband did buy furniture and also did chores, such as lawn-mowing. The husband did not have an interest in the home. This was the same case with Lloyds Bank v. Rosset.8 In that case, it was the wife that did not work. She claimed a beneficial interest in the property when the Lloyd's Bank tried to foreclose on the home after the husband took a loan against the home and defaulted. The Lloyd's court found that the only way for the woman to have an interest in the home is if the parties agreed that she would have interest, or if there

Fun at School Essay Example for Free

Fun at School Essay Is a conspiracy theory defined primarily by its internal narrative characteristics or by its external discursive position? The answer to this quote is because the term â€Å"conspiracy theory† is not a neutral descriptor; it is commonly deployed as a term of disqualification for narratives that may, on their qualities, deserve thought. Further, when attached to a writer or thinker, the label â€Å"conspiracy theorist† can carry a shame similar in kind (if not degree) to that suffered by those designated â€Å"mentally ill. † I dont think that I am paranoid that much because I dont have to believe what other people say about their theories. I see others paranoid though every day. I think some conspiracy theorist could have a bad rap because people do not like what they have to say. For example 9/11 people say terrorist flew into the twin towers. Conspiracy theorist say there where bombs planted throughout the building and that the attack was plotted by our own government. Of course this is going to give these people a bad rap. If our society believes our own government is attacking us and they dont want to believe its true then it falls back on the conspiracy theorist giving him a bad rap. I do agree America is more paranoid then other countries because of the hype of conspiracy theories like sandy hook, 9/11, and all the deaths of famous people like Tupac, and JFK. Other countries may have more problems than us like war and food and water and they need more help than us, so why are we the ones paranoid and they are not. To me this shows America has only a few things to believe and one of those things being conspiracy theories. other countries have to worry about sustaining a life and living when Americans are thinking is Tupac really dead? Is this right for us to think like that? Do we really have problems here in the U.S.?

Commercial Warfare :: essays papers

Commercial Warfare In the presidency of Thomas Jefferson, continuing through Madison’s term, the United States initiated a policy to retaliate against the seizure of ships by the British and French. These three dominant nations entered a period between 1806-1810, known as Commercial Warfare. The Commercial War was a response by Americans to maintain their right of neutral commerce. The Acts by the United States, the Decrees by the powerful Napoleon I, and the Parliamentary orders, throughout the period of Commercial Warfare directly led to the start of the War of 1812, and helped build the commercial future of the United States. The Peace of Amiens did not last long after it’s signing on March 27, 1802, to end the European wars between the allied France and Spain, and Great Britain, with the United States now neutral due to the coup of the French monarchy. Neither France, nor Britain upheld the treaty, and hostilities were reassumed. In 1805, Britain seized and condemned the US vessel Essex, engaging in trade with French West Indies. A year later, it was reported that Britain had seized over 120 American vessels. In April of 1806 Congress passed a non-importation act excluding trade with many British products. Britain and France engaged in decrees and counter-decrees against one another between 1806 and 1807. In May 1806 Britain established a naval blockade on the entire northern coast of Napoleon’s empire. Napoleon’s Berlin Decree in November 1806 declared a state of blockade on the British Isles, and disallowing any commerce with England. Britain retaliated in January and furthermore in November, condemning all ships engaging in trade with France, and to only give warning to those who’s engagement was prior to the Order. Napoleon countered with the Milan decree, stating that any nation’s ship that has traded with, searched by, or in anyway engaged with Britain, is denationalized, and was then considered to be flying the British flag. The United States, while mostly standing by, as its interdependent commerce was being virtually destroyed, took actions in 1807. The United States trade was highly dependent upon the nations of France and Great Britain, but by the Decrees and Orders of Council, the United States was refused trade with each nation. In 1807, the United States established an Embargo Act, preventing all trade. The Embargo Act had been a costly miscalculation.

How the Environment Benefits from Recycling Essay -- How Recycling He

Care for a snack? Try the chocolate bar that comes in recyclable packaging, or maybe pick up a package of sustainable wood-fiber-filled baby diapers, or a no-animal-testing sunscreen, nontoxic spray cleaner, an entry form for a Prius giveaway or a cloth grocery bag for your shopping (Layton, 2014). Many products have become useful in so many ways that not recycling is harmful as well as unwise and uneconomical. There’s not enough room to throw trash all over the place, pollute, and simply not recycle. In order to understand the importance of recycling, people must first understand what recycling is, what it involves, and how it works. It is also important to know not only the effects of recycling but benefits as well. There are benefits to recycling paper, plastic, glass and aluminum; such as saving energy, saving money, reducing air pollution, and even creating jobs – which not only benefit the environment but the economy as well. Recycling is not a new concept; it has been around for years. Even in the times of war and the hard times, when famine, and widespread illness occurred, that’s when recycling of waste were made necessary because new materials were scarce. Recycling metals, jewelry, and coins were melted for weapons and other necessary goods (History of Recycling, 2014). By the late 1960s, the air, rivers and forests of North America were in serious disrepair as a result of massive industrial development. Rivers were catching fire, the sludge and debris dumped by factories igniting with the slightest spark. In a midsize city like Portland, Oregon, people were breathing air that polluted their lungs at the same level as smoking two packs of cigarettes a day (Layton, 2014). Forests were being leveled at an ala... ...of recycling - RecyclingCenters.org. (2014). Local Recycling Centers and Recycling Information and Statistics. Learn How to Recycle and Live Green -RecyclingCenters.org. Retrieved December 7, 2014, from http://www.recyclingcenters.org/history_of_ recycling.php Watson, S. (2014). HowStuffWorks "How did Earth Day start?". HowStuffWorks "People". Retrieved December 8, 2014, from http://people.howstuffworks.com/culture- traditions/holidays/earth-day-qotd.htm West, L. (2014). Glass recycling - Benefits of glass recycling - Why recycle glass? Environmental Issues - News and Information about the Environment. Retrieved December 11, 2014, from http://environment.about.com/od/recycling/a/benefits_ of_glass_recycling.htm What Is a BTU? (2014). wiseGEEK: Clear Answers for Common Questions. Retrieved December 8, 2014, from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-btu.htm

Billboard Advertising Essay

In the event of choosing the most effective way to market your company, I believe that using billboard advertising is the best way to invest your money. Do you ever wonder if you’re really getting the most out of your marketing campaign? In all of those mediums, your ad is there one day (or month) and gone the next†¦with little lasting impression unless you remarket through that medium. In our technology-driven media environment in which the consumer has access to satellite radio, cable or satellite TV, the internet and numerous print media outlets, the visibility of outdoor advertising allows the advertiser’s message to stand out. Further, even those who no longer commute still spend time on the road in order to run errands, attend events or dine. The cost of putting up a billboard ranges anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000 a month depending on the company, the road the billboard is on, the traffic, and the market. If this sounds like a lot of money to you, think again – because a running a full-page newspaper advertisement for a single day in any major newspaper will cost you the same amount – and it is not nearly as effective. 1. Billboard advertising grabs the attention of potential customers like no other form of advertising can. 2. One of the most cost-effective mediums of advertising 3. Brand awareness and strong name recognition  4. Colorful, creative and eye-catching ads have more impact 5. Reaches out to thousands of people on a daily basis 6. Targets a specific audience according to location 7. Ads are not lost in the mix of competitors and editorials 8. Messages are delivered continuously and frequently 9. Directs potential clients and customers to your place of business. These are but a few of the many advantages that billboard advertising has. With so many benefits, it’s no wonder that so many business owners are using billboard advertising today. From putting them up at airports to sticking them on car or truck wraps to even showcasing them at movie theatres, billboard advertising makes it possible for you to advertise your products and services anywhere.

Free Essays on Purpose Of Music

Music is not just black notes on a page. Although I have always tried to live a balanced life, music has become one of its priorities. I keep myself active, I indulge in reading quality literature, and I strive to sustain a social life. In my experiences of teaching and observing others, music education is not an easy profession. It is very clear to me that teaching music will entail long hours of planning and stress. My willing sacrifice is key. Music, like none other that I have experienced, satiates my palette of teaching and learning. Originally, I believed that living in the Philippines limited my exposure to a quality music education. I thought that living in a third world country would not be beneficial to a music education. Yet, in reflection of my memories, I can clearly see what influenced me to become inclined to music. It was not until my junior year in high school that I learned about the Orff school, but this system had a substantial part in my early years of music. Movement was a large part of our exercises. As I danced to folk music, I gained self-expression, rhythm, and coordination. I remember feeling scared. Although everyone was doing the same exercises, my performance anxiety was an early problem. Fear of humiliation and mockery always haunted my thoughts. Music had already taught me a lot at a young age and soon, the movement exercises would help me with my fear of expression. My immigration into the United States definitely changed my life. America is the land of the free and the home of the brave. My family believed that my chances of becoming successful would be increased if I lived in the United States. I was nine. I had the faintest idea that I wanted to become a music educator, but of all influences, I can narrow the list to three- (in no particular order) the city of Ferndale, Roger Smith and my great uncle, Jose Rizal. Fr. Jose Rizal is my great uncle. Every summer vacation I had un... Free Essays on Purpose Of Music Free Essays on Purpose Of Music Music is not just black notes on a page. Although I have always tried to live a balanced life, music has become one of its priorities. I keep myself active, I indulge in reading quality literature, and I strive to sustain a social life. In my experiences of teaching and observing others, music education is not an easy profession. It is very clear to me that teaching music will entail long hours of planning and stress. My willing sacrifice is key. Music, like none other that I have experienced, satiates my palette of teaching and learning. Originally, I believed that living in the Philippines limited my exposure to a quality music education. I thought that living in a third world country would not be beneficial to a music education. Yet, in reflection of my memories, I can clearly see what influenced me to become inclined to music. It was not until my junior year in high school that I learned about the Orff school, but this system had a substantial part in my early years of music. Movement was a large part of our exercises. As I danced to folk music, I gained self-expression, rhythm, and coordination. I remember feeling scared. Although everyone was doing the same exercises, my performance anxiety was an early problem. Fear of humiliation and mockery always haunted my thoughts. Music had already taught me a lot at a young age and soon, the movement exercises would help me with my fear of expression. My immigration into the United States definitely changed my life. America is the land of the free and the home of the brave. My family believed that my chances of becoming successful would be increased if I lived in the United States. I was nine. I had the faintest idea that I wanted to become a music educator, but of all influences, I can narrow the list to three- (in no particular order) the city of Ferndale, Roger Smith and my great uncle, Jose Rizal. Fr. Jose Rizal is my great uncle. Every summer vacation I had un...

The concept “Lifting the veil of incorporation” essay

The concept â€Å"Lifting the veil of incorporation† essay The concept â€Å"Lifting the veil of incorporation† essay The concept â€Å"Lifting the veil of incorporation† essayBy using real life examples, discuss and explain why the concept of  «Lifting the Veil of Incorporation » is of imperative importance.Legal entity is separate, independent from its founders (the ability to own property, enter into commitments and act as a plaintiff, defendant in court). Immanent feature of independent nature of the legal entity defines limited liability of its founders: they are not liable for the obligations of a legal entity (ie, under the veil). Development and complication of civil law led to the need of development of a list of exceptions to this principle, mainly to counteract the abuse of law. This doctrine is known as the doctrine of lifting the veil of incorporation or piercing the veil of incorporation and is present in the corporate law of many countries, including France, Germany, the UK and the USA. English law is one of the most developed in this sphere. Basic principles of the indepen dence of the legal person were laid at the end of 19th century and since then they have been constantly actively developed and refined.In the UK, the concept of joint stock company, which is separate from its shareholders, was first introduced to the law by the Act of 1844 (Maltby 1998). Companies received limited liability later in 1855 (Cameron 2013). In 1862, there was adopted the first Companies Act (Pulbrook 1865), which has become a progenitor of Companies Act of 2006 (The National Archives 2007).Under the current law, companies are separate legal entities, and the responsibility of their participants may be limited (Bishop , Kleinberger 2008). That means that the company is not liable for the obligations of its members and directors, and members, as well as director – for the obligations of a limited liability company.There are few legislative exceptions to this rule. Thus, the insolvency law provides certain cases, when the director of the company or other responsibl e person may be compelled by a court to contribute to the assets of the company as a punishment for his illegal actions (Wormser 2001). In addition to regulations, rules established by case law are an important part of English law.  Content and origin of the doctrineThe doctrine of lifting the veil of incorporation admits the fundamental possibility of imposing liability for companys obligations to its controlling person. There can be an opposite situation, when the penalty for a person or entity is drawn to the assets the company under control. Sometimes shareholder himself requires piercing the veil of incorporation. This usually it concerns not obligations, but the rights of company, which shareholder wishes to have.Lifting the veil, in fact, means that for the purposes of the dispute (and only for this purpose), the Court acknowledges that the company is not separate entity from the controlling person, and attributes obligations and (or) rights of company to this person (Macmi llan 2000). However, lifting the veil is allowed only in certain exceptional circumstances, which are discussed below.Perhaps for the first time at a high judicial level the issue of removing the corporate veil was discussed in 1897 in the classical case of Salomon v A. Salomon Co Ltd from (Vast Blue Sky 2011). Majority owned 20001 share of the company, and his wife and children owed six more (under the law of time, company had to have at least seven shareholders). Despite the fact that the majority shareholder was in full control of the company (shoe factory), which later went bankrupt, the House of Lords, acting as a court of last resort, refused liquidator to entrust the shareholder liable for the debts of the company. The court took quite a formalistic position, stating that all the requirements of the law regarding the establishment of a limited liability company had been met, and the court had no right to add any additional requirements (Mann 2012).Present state of the issueS peaking about more modern precedents, we should remember the case of DHN Food Distributors v. Tower Hamlets London Borough Council (Kershaw 2002) in 1976. It was quite unusual in the sense that it controlling person of the company demanded lifting the veil. The parent company wanted to take the place of its sub-company. In this case, a piece of land in London was a subject for the compulsory buy for public needs. The land was formally owned by the company, which was part of DHN group holding company that owned grocery stores. Warehouse of DHN store was just on that land, and, by agreement with the sub-company, DHN had a right of perpetual lease. Its withdrawal led to the cessation of DHN business, and it could claim for damages if it owned the land. DHN applied to the court for lifting the veil of incorporation, referring to the fact that it completely controlled its sub-company. Namely, (1) it participated in the capital of the sub-company of 100%, (2) the directors of both compan ies were the same people, and (3) sub-company was used exclusively for holding land and did not conduct any independent activity. The Court agreed with the arguments of the plaintiff and the lifted the veil, allowing DHN receive compensation for withdrawal of the land instead of its sub-company (Dine 2005).Woolfson v Strathclyde Regional Council from 1978 was a very similar case, which ended with an opposite result (Talbot 2008). Commercial property in Glasgow, where there was a wedding dress shop, was forcibly bought for public use (highway construction). Since the case took place in Scotland, the trial courts were not British but Scottish, and the House of Lords became final authority. If the court recognized that the property belonged to the same person, leading retail business, that person would receive additional compensation for the deprivation of business. However, the plaintiff, who really controlled the whole business, organized asset ownership in a too complicated way. His share in the company, which owned real estate was 50%, while the share in the company leading business 99.9% (the remaining shares were owned by the wife of the plaintiff). Those circumstances did not allow the courts, following the logic of DHN case (it was not formal precedent for the courts of Scotland), pronounce judgment for plaintiff (Talbot 2008).In the important case of Adams v Cape Industries in 1990 (Thompson 1991), the Appeals Court considered the issue of lifting the veil of incorporation for jurisdictional purposes, ie for the purpose of determining the competent court. British company sold asbestos in the United States (before 1970) through its affiliated corporations in the United States. Subsequently, the workers of American factory sued a number of defendants including the British company for damages caused to the health of the plaintiffs when working with asbestos. Lawsuit for millions of dollars was satisfied by Texas court. However, the English court refused to enforce the decision of the American court, finding that the British company, which is not active in the USA, does not fall under the jurisdiction of the US court. And the reasons for lifting the veil (ie to make British company responsible for the obligations of American sub-company) were absent, because the affiliate in the United States was not a facade of the British company.In the same case, there was discussed the possibility of prosecution parent company to the liability for the obligations of its subsidiary on several other grounds, when the subsidiary is recognized as an agent of the parent company. Indeed, parent company is responsible for transactions made in his interest by the agent. However, you must prove the actual existence of the agency relationship, which, according to the Court, in this case has not been made. Control of one company over another does not mean the presence of the agency relationship between them. The court in this case distinguishes lifting the v eil of incorporation and imposing responsibility for subsidiary. In the latter case there is no need of deprivation status of a separate legal entity, ie the corporate veil remains in place.The present state of the doctrine of lifting the veil in England can be found in pretty exotic case of the High Court of England and Wales Hashem v Shayif in 2008 (Bainbridge 2010). It was between a citizen of Saudi Arabia and one of his wives under sharia law about real estate in England. Although the dispute relates generally to family law, it also touches issues of corporate law. The family property legally belonged to a legal entity a company in Jersey. The question was whether the wife after divorce could take that property, as if it belonged to her husband directly. The court eventually found that she could not. The main role was played by the fact that her husband owned only 30% stake in the company, and 70% were issued for his children (Mann 2012).This case describes in detail the ground s for applying the doctrine of lifting the veil of incorporation. Judge James Manby formulated the following items of the case law applicable to this case (Bainbridge 2010).Ownership and control are not sufficient criteria to remove the corporate veil.The Court can not remove the corporate veil only because it is in the interests of justice.Corporate veil can be removed only if there is impropriety.Impropriety itself is not enough. It should be associated with the use of the corporate structure to avoid or conceal liability.In order to remove the corporate veil, it is necessary to prove the presence of control, and the presence of impropriety, that is, the use of the company as a facade to hide violation of law (Gevurtz 2006).The problem of transition contractual obligationsDoctrine of lifting the veil received further development in the case Antonio Gramsci v Stepanovs (2011) (Nyombi 2014). The principle of lifting the veil of incorporation is often used for transition tort liabili ty from the company to its owner. In those cases there was an issue of transferring contractual obligations the same way. English courts have traditionally carefully treated the principle of privity of contract, according to which no one other than the parties of the contract have rights or obligations under this contract. Can a private nature of the contract be removed together with corporate veil? The courts in these two cases gave the opposite answers to this question, and ultimately it had to be addressed in the UK highest court (Nyombi 2014).The essence Antonio Gramsci v Stepanovs is the following. Latvian businessman S., being one of the directors of the Latvian Shipping Company leased the ships of his company through an offshore company, which was controlled by him and other directors of the shipping company. The offshore company accumulated profit. Subsequently, the Latvian Shipping Company initiated a lawsuit to recover lost profit. Freight agreement between shipowners and offshore companies contained prorogation clause that disputes had to be considered by the courts of England. The plaintiff appealed to the High Court to apply the doctrine of lifting corporate veil and bring to justice not only offshore companies, but also the entrepreneur based on solidarity.Judge Michael Burton determined that the removal of the corporate veil provides an opportunity to recognize an individual responsible for contractual obligations of the company he controlled. As a result, the judge found that the Latvian businessman is a party of contract signed by offshore company. The court found it possible to consider a claim for the entrepreneur, though he didn’t sign prorogation agreement (Palmiter 2006).Criminal legal contextAbove we discussed the principle of lifting the veil of incorporation only in the context of civil proceedings. Criminal cases have their own specifics. In the case of R v Seager (Bishop    Kleinberger 2012) (2009) the dispute was about whet her to consider the entire income of the company illegal and subject to confiscation income of its director, if the latter ran the company in spite of an injunction. Judge of Appellate Court Richard Aikens formulated the following specifics.In the context of criminal cases, courts have identified at least three situations when the corporate veil can be lifted. First, if the offender is trying to hide behind the corporate facade, or a veil to hide his crime and benefits from it. Secondly, if the offender commits an act on behalf of the company, which constitutes criminal offenses leading to his conviction. Third, if the transaction or commercial structures are device, cloak or sham, ie it an attempt to disguise the true nature of the transaction or structure to defraud third parties or the courts (Kershaw 2002).ConclusionDevelopment of civil law led to development of a list of exceptions to the principle that legal entity is separate and independent from its founders. This doctrine i s called lifting the veil of incorporation. It is present in the corporate law of many countries, including the UK, the USA, France, and Germany. English law is one of the most developed in this sphere. Basic principles of the independence of the legal person were laid at the end of 19th century and since then they have been constantly actively developed and refined.In the paper, we considered real life examples from the history of law and the cases of recent past. They show that the concept of  «lifting the veil of incorporation » is of imperative importance. And it is used not only in civil law, but can have criminal legal context too.

Life After Death †Personal Essay

Life After Death – Personal Essay Free Online Research Papers Is there life after death? In my upbringing thru the years, I always felt there was life after death. Listening to the older relatives who were some time on their deathbeds, they would drift in and out and say what pretty lights they see and the people are having so much fun. Some people tell that they see their loved ones urging them to come on and join them on the other side. I remember an old saying is when one person dies a new life is created in the family. When my grandmother past, nine months later my grandson was born. Can I say this was my grandma coming back, who knows? Some on my grandson’s mannerism when he was born reminded us of my grandmother, the way he used to move his hands and stare at a person sideways to try to believe what they were saying. As for what happens after physical death, I think each person afterlife is their perception of what the afterlife is. You believe in re-incarnation, youll be re-incarnated. If you believe in the concept of heaven based on the strength of your faith you will go there. If you spend your whole life apologizing for sin and living in a kind of shame maybe you go to hell and feel that shame for eternity. People will tell you the way you live your life here on earth is just a test of faith for what is to become of you in the afterlife. I believe we are all tested in one way or other every day. A lot of the afterlife believes comes in different religious believes also. Some religions believe once you die and are buried your body turns to ashes and your soul is returned to heaven and that is it. Other religions believe once you die if you have lived a Christian life you are re-born again. Many assume that after receiving Christ, a joyful entrance into heaven is all that remains. Scripture teaches that Jesus will reward us according to how we lived our life on earth. He taught this principle in the parable of the talents in Luke 19. Each servant was entrusted to administer the talents the master gave him. Upon the return of the master, each servant had to give an account for his stewardship. The wise servants were rewarded doubly, while the wicked servant was removed. Hundreds of people from all around the world have experienced what is now called Near Death Experiences. Each story is different, but they also share a lot of things in common with each other. Nearly all experience feeling wonderful and warm and thinking that they would rather be there than back on earth. People die and are reborn every time they experience a change in their life. There have been a number of very strange things that have happened to people who have flat-lined and been clinically declared dead. Some people can remember discussions in the room that occurred after their death and recite them later with accuracy. Does that validate death and life for certain? To me, it tells us there is a spiritual world beyond our own realm of life. Bottom line the power of the human mind cannot be underestimated, we create our own lives and realities, and we also create our own afterlife. Research Papers on Life After Death - Personal EssayThe Gnostic JesusThe Damnable Life of FaustAlbatross and Rimm of the Ancient MarinerTartaros A Place of Ultimate PunishmentHenderson the Rain KingThe Story of Beatrix PotterHow did Humanity Begin?The Rise and Fall of Napoleon BonaparteImpact of Breast CancerEmmett Till Biography

Managing Talents Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managing Talents - Essay Example the company started its business with just 2  aircrafts offering services to its clients between Brisbane and Sydney. However, now the company is the second largest airlines in Australia is a well known name for efficient and cheap  flyer  across the country.  Ã‚  Recently, the company management has made a deal to work together with the Regional Express (Rex) to cater a larger section of clients. Other business partners of Virgin Blue are Virgin Atlantic, United Airlines, Malaysian Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines.  The airline company provides air flight services in 28 cities in Australia, with Brisbane Airport as its hub, with the help of a fleet of 75 narrow-body  Boeings  and  Embraers.  Ã‚  Originally contributing seven return flights every 24 hrs, between  Brisbane  and  Sydney, the company now covers almost every major city and holiday destinations in Australia. Virgin Blue Airlines has attracted a huge pool of talent to its organization and the management is consistent in its efforts to introduce trademark management style, skills and experience in its employees. The Virgin Blue Airlines management has been enough skillful in retaining large pool of talent in its organization by productively shaping out large partnerships with people to coalesce the knowledge, skill and tap the market presence globally. The objective of the essay is to offer attentiveness on a variety of issues that can be faced by the Virgin Blue Airlines HR team while going for a global recruiting plan. Talent management is one of the main drives of effective and strategic  HRM  development in a company. Talent management related to the process of  developing and incorporating new employees, preserving the existing work force, and attracting expertise from the market towards the organization.  Talent management integrates the process of selecting, attracting, training and promoting bright employees to achieve higher performance for the

Dave and Buster's Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dave and Buster's - Essay Example In various places, Dave and Buster’s restaurants are constantly packed with guests; both regular and new. While days are usually fun packed with events and activities, nights have proved to be busiest as most patrons have enough time to spend unwinding after work. The company’s revenues have grown significantly over the years. By 1998, its revenues topped 13.2 million US dollars and the company achieved an average growth of 6% from the previous year. As of 2008, the company earned close to 536.4 million US dollars in revenues and employed about 7,500 people in different states and locations. Many commentators have noted that Dave and Buster’s original concept of providing a quality environment for relaxing with food and drink was indeed brilliant. From an initial capital investment of three million USD, the organization has managed to grow and out do many of its competitors including Hard Rock Cafà © international incorporated and Planet Hollywood International Incorporated. The company has also managed to gain international presence by trading its concept with overseas organizations through agreements and area licensing. Apart from engaging in business generating activities, Dave and Buster’s contributes to the community. This it does by sponsoring different events including Bowling for Soup rock band concert tour, World Wrestling Entertainment, and Dave Bevan’s Children funds drive. The organization also encourages people to visit its venues by posting commercial adverts on several television networks.

Media archeological analysis of a technological Essay

Media archeological analysis of a technological - Essay Example s and valve amplifiers are low current and high voltage devices that normally operate at relatively lower voltages and higher currents for a similar level of power. The trait of high voltage makes the tube and valve amplifies to be suited for radio transmitters. The valves amplifiers are used in the contemporary society in instances such as high power radio transmitters. Experts argue that valve amplifiers shall reduce noise that is typically experienced in Wi-FI systems, without losing their musical and the treble details. Various transistor amplifiers sound harshness and they emphasize the loud sound that is found in the CD players. The transistor amplifiers have a tendency of emphasizing the sibilance of the soft sounds. The valve amplifiers are classified into different classes. The class A amplifiers lack crossover distortion at the lowest levels. Moreover, the valve amplifiers permit an individual to heat the â€Å"silence† amid the notes, followed by silence (or the note dying echo in the concert hall) immediately followed by silence (or dying note echo in the concert hall. The classes â€Å"A† valve amplifiers have significant â€Å"silence† amid the instrument and notes that create an exceptionally stereo image on quality loudspeakers, If the volume of the valve amplifiers is adjusted. Valve and tube amplifiers are used mainly in guitars as well as in high-end-audio as a result of the sound quality that they produce, and as a result of their linear nature that results from their low distortion. Valve and tube amplifiers are vastly out of date in other places as a result of their higher consumption of power, weight and reliability when compared to other transistors. Telephony is another application where valve and tube amplifiers are used. This is for the reason that a solitary valve repeater amplifier can increase various calls at one instance, and thus it is cost effective. In the present society tube and valve amplifiers are mainly used for musical

Conversation between men and women Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Conversation between men and women - Essay Example This is because men and women do not interpret things the same way. They react differently during conversations. This in turn creates a lot of conflicts and misunderstandings. The question that arises is as to whether men do not listen to women as they claim or is it that women do not understand men and how they participate during conversations. It is as to whether people can understand and appreciate each other despite of their gender differences and hence walk out of conversations feeling listened to and well understood. In this essay, my main focus will be on the reasons why men and women communicate the way they do and what can be done so that there may be effective communication across the gender divide. It will be argued out that the way we talk is largely influenced by the kind of values that are instilled in us especially o by our parents and the society we live in and not necessarily the way we choose or want to. We need to understand each other when we are communicating in order to avoid instances where conflicts arise due to miscommunications. We needlessly blame "others or ourselves------ or the relationship" (Tannen pg. 17) instead of identifying the gender differences that we have among us and try to understand and accommodate them. Boys and girls essentially are instilled with different sets of cultural values hence it seems that when men and women converse it is like people from two different cultures conversing. Obviously, there will be conflicts due to cultural differences. (Tannen pg. 18) shows that "because boys and girls grow up in what are essentially different cultures...talk between women and men is that of cross-cultural communication" .The fact that the society teaches males and females differently makes them relate differently to one another hence the need to understand each other. Men naturally strive to seek for competition in their conversation so that they are not seen to be losers. They need to show that they are competent and therefore the best in every issue that arises in a conversation. That is why they always give details even on what they have not been asked. The society has taught them to strive to be always dominating and never to appear like they are being controlled. She calls this kind of conversation from men as "report talk". Women on the other hand tend to communicate with the intention of obtaining acceptance in a relationship so that they get the feeling that they belong. According to women, "talk is the glue that binds or holds relationships together" (Tannen pg.85), thus women try to confirm that they are supportive to men by listening keenly so as to establish a good relationship with the men. According to Tannen, women see the world as a network of connections that need to be supported and accepted. They struggle to maintain closeness a nd hence enhance relationships. She calls this "rapport talk". Another problem that occurs on conversations between men and women is consultation. Most women will complain that men do not try to ask about something before they endeavor to undertake it even when they do not have knowledge about it. Tannen gives an example of how women try to consult the husband before inviting someone to their home. This is to ensure that her relationship with the husband remains good. On the contrary, men choose to bring a visitor home without consulting the wife if they sense the visitor will

Week 2 response papers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week 2 response papers - Essay Example sidering that controlling people’s values and temperance is difficult, this may not be the ultimate solution to the current and impending environmental problems. In agreement with the student post, teaching people and making them aware of the consequences of their actions can play a lot in changing people’s negative behavior. As the student notes, people may end up being less wasteful as they understand the kind of situation that may result due to their actions or inactions. While laws help in bringing sanity, they alone too reduce people’s freedoms as noted by the student. A world with numerous freedoms taken away is not a healthy world in my personal view. The world would indeed be a better place if sustainability was upheld without necessarily imposing prohibitions or restrictions to such things as procreation as noted by Dasgupta (2007). As suggested b the student, it would be a noble idea to start teaching people about the issues of sustainability and environmental conservation at a tender age, giving them the opportunity to make informed choices about their preferences and actions. The second student has presented very strong and interesting ideas. The notion that there are already too many laws, regulations and prohibitions is only the truth. However, these laws are broken every so often; even by the very same people who enact them, in some cases. Furthermore, individual freedoms are reduced or altogether abolished with almost every single law that is enacted. Considering the above facts, education seems to be a better option in dealing with issues related to sustainability. When people are educated, they are in a better position to use their common senses to solve or avoid problems (Heal, 2009). Yet another commendable suggestion by the student is the idea that experimental tests should not be conducted in the atmosphere but under simulated conditions. It is common for scientists to simulate how things would work under certain circumstances

Conversation between men and women Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Conversation between men and women - Essay Example This is because men and women do not interpret things the same way. They react differently during conversations. This in turn creates a lot of conflicts and misunderstandings. The question that arises is as to whether men do not listen to women as they claim or is it that women do not understand men and how they participate during conversations. It is as to whether people can understand and appreciate each other despite of their gender differences and hence walk out of conversations feeling listened to and well understood. In this essay, my main focus will be on the reasons why men and women communicate the way they do and what can be done so that there may be effective communication across the gender divide. It will be argued out that the way we talk is largely influenced by the kind of values that are instilled in us especially o by our parents and the society we live in and not necessarily the way we choose or want to. We need to understand each other when we are communicating in order to avoid instances where conflicts arise due to miscommunications. We needlessly blame "others or ourselves------ or the relationship" (Tannen pg. 17) instead of identifying the gender differences that we have among us and try to understand and accommodate them. Boys and girls essentially are instilled with different sets of cultural values hence it seems that when men and women converse it is like people from two different cultures conversing. Obviously, there will be conflicts due to cultural differences. (Tannen pg. 18) shows that "because boys and girls grow up in what are essentially different cultures...talk between women and men is that of cross-cultural communication" .The fact that the society teaches males and females differently makes them relate differently to one another hence the need to understand each other. Men naturally strive to seek for competition in their conversation so that they are not seen to be losers. They need to show that they are competent and therefore the best in every issue that arises in a conversation. That is why they always give details even on what they have not been asked. The society has taught them to strive to be always dominating and never to appear like they are being controlled. She calls this kind of conversation from men as "report talk". Women on the other hand tend to communicate with the intention of obtaining acceptance in a relationship so that they get the feeling that they belong. According to women, "talk is the glue that binds or holds relationships together" (Tannen pg.85), thus women try to confirm that they are supportive to men by listening keenly so as to establish a good relationship with the men. According to Tannen, women see the world as a network of connections that need to be supported and accepted. They struggle to maintain closeness a nd hence enhance relationships. She calls this "rapport talk". Another problem that occurs on conversations between men and women is consultation. Most women will complain that men do not try to ask about something before they endeavor to undertake it even when they do not have knowledge about it. Tannen gives an example of how women try to consult the husband before inviting someone to their home. This is to ensure that her relationship with the husband remains good. On the contrary, men choose to bring a visitor home without consulting the wife if they sense the visitor will

Enforcement action of the commission against EU member states Assignment

Enforcement action of the commission against EU member states - Assignment Example ‘Economists certainly argue that reducing trade barriers will improve economic welfare or, at least, potentially so depending on whether losers can be and are, in fact, compensated by those who gain.’(Bob 2003) The law and legislation of the European Union is actually a whole body that regulates and governs a 28 member body. ‘The European law already has some sort of a constitution’ (Jurgen 2011). The law has its backbone on three main sources; the primary law, which composes different treaties, secondary comprising of regulations and different directives that are in tandem with such treaties The European Union was put in place by treaties from the member. Raisch (2007) posits that treaties form the backbone of the laws of the European Union. February 1992 welcomed the ‘Treaty on European Union.’ Up to date, this is a very important treaty. This is because; it realigns institutional arrangement as well as political systems. According to Raisch, â€Å"It added a new treaty alongside the Treaty Establishing the European Community.† (1992) Another important treaty that institutes the European Union is the â€Å"Treaty of Nice.† 2003 was the year the treaty received its approval. This treaty provided a complete amendment into other treaties. This treaty boosts the role of the parliament as a partner-legislator and establishes fresh legal arrangements. It mandates the council to drop regulations presiding over political parties at the level of the European Union. With an expectation of an increase in members of the European parliament, the treaty restricts membership to 732 and reserves seats for member states as well as countries represented as candidates. This is not all, we have several treaties that have been ratified and accepted at different times in order to improve the functioning and progress of the

History of Sport Essay Example for Free

History of Sport Essay The effect of sports on today’s world, particularly in the United States, is indeed profound. The history of sport has the potential to teach us a great deal about social changes and the nature of sport itself. Over the past twenty-five years or so, the field of history has expanded, embracing a broader view of historical topics and going far beyond political and military history in refiguring the historical paths of this and other nations (Nelson). Throughout the many years during the Pre-Colonial era, Colonial era, Industrial Revolution, Post Civil War, and the Twentieth Century, the sports industry was created with several factors affecting its formation. The Pre-Colonial era consisted of the time prior to 1500’s. During this time in North America, the land had been consumed by the Native Americans and their culture. Population was spreading widely across the continent. The people of this era were found to be genuine and quiet. Daily activities such as hunting, farming, running, and warfare slowly turned into more of physical activity and competitive games for leisure. Recreational play was seen as an outlet. Physical activity and games, more often than not, were linked to spiritual beliefs. Staying â€Å"fit† was essential. Common sports known during pre-colonial time were lacrosse, archery, and running. Colonial America started with the Puritans bombarding America during 1600-1800 A. D. to break away from the churches, religions, and beliefs. The Puritans were found to be extremely hard working which was a result from the motivation of staying alive. The Puritans were also widely known (and still to this day) of being very religiously involved. Games were considered to be â€Å"wicked† or sinful; such as gambling and drinking. Aside from the Puritans, sport marketing started to make an appearance during the Colonial era, leading to the growth of interest and participation in sports. Tavern owners were the first known sport marketers on record. Taverns would announce games and sport through posters and word of mouth. During this time the common sports were found to fit the lifestyle and culture; such as horse racing, running, arm wrestling, rifle, cockfighting, and boxing. Colonial America was the start to our sporting industry. The Technological Industrial Revolution occurred along with the Post Civil War era during 1800-1900. Throughout these one hundred years the sport industry was growing rapidly along with technology, factories, immigration, companies, and educational systems. Due to the growth in technology and factories, citizens had more time and more money; therefore recreation was used to fill downtime causing our sport industry to grow further. Faster modes of travel started to develop and be more convenient, helping organized sports form. Immigrants added to the industry by introducing their sports to America as well. Modern spectator sports were on a rise such as boxing, running, and horse racing. However, the Civil War era negatively affected sports by slowing sport activities due to the lack of men and overall population in society. Once men started leaving for war more and more women took jobs that had once belonged to men, which was a huge impact on society as this was the first sign of equality between men and women (Nelson). The working structure was seen as â€Å"feminizing† society, sports helped to â€Å"masculine† society. Wealth was on the rise after the war forcing sports to become very class specific, and the upper class tried to exclude lower classes; Class and race were a deciding factor for accepted participation in sports. The first known organized sports team; New York Knickerbockers’ were a baseball club created in the 1840’s and Intercollegiate Athletics first event occurred in 1852, Harvard and Yale competed in a rowing contest. Society was soon hooked on sports. The era of Twentieth Century made the most dramatic century of growth yet for the sports industry. Sports became part of our educational system as organizations formed to work together creating codifications for different sports, improving equipment, and increasing social involvement. Sports were taken to a very serious level in the early 1900’s. In 1904 the NCAA was founded to hold conferences, regulate rules along with player eligibility, and made coaches from educators. Competitive sports led to changes in our educational system when it established physical education positions. These positions forced research into sports because of the need for better and newer physical education curriculum. At first, Females were allowed to be involved in sports at a noncompetitive level or to promote health. The participation of women in sports grew over time however, with society being the critical factor. Upper-class and middle-class women were absolutely restricted from playing sports as it was thought to not be â€Å"proper. † The National Football League was created in 1911 which turned out to be a major step in the development of sports as entertainment. In 1941 society’s values of class, sex, and race was evident when Joe Namath signed a contract for $400,000 while Curt Flood, a slave had a salary of nothing. In 1972, Title Nine was put into act guaranteeing no discrimination regarding sex for sport institutions. Transportation was even more advanced helping organized sports teams compete against one another. Television and newspapers impacted sports by airing sporting events, criticizing and critiquing each play, as well as displaying the opinion of the program broadcasters. The most popular, known, and leading sports network ESPN aired its first national NFL broadcast in 1987 (Giordano). ESPN started offering magazines, national sports radio, and satellite radio in 1992 in attempt to curve the educational desire of the sporting society. ESPN changed the culture of sports. The history of sport is most likely as old as the existence of man. Physical activity, games, and daily activities contributed to the creation of organized sports with codification. Throughout the many years during the Pre-Colonial era, Colonial era, Industrial Revolution, Post Civil War, and the Twentieth Century, the sports industry has proved several, very different, and unexpected factors affecting its formation. The sports industry is continuing to grow rapidly year after year, changing with society’s values and lifestyle. Works Citied Giordano , Peter. The Evolution of ESPN. SOP: News, Interviews, More.. (2007): n. page. Web. 14 Sep. 2011. http://thesop. org/story/sports/2007/04/29/the-evolution-of-espn. php. Kindred. Century is over get the lights. Sporting News 224. 1 (2000): 63. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 14 Sept. 2011. McClung, Lisa R. , and Nancy E. Spencer. Women and Sport in the 1990s: Reflections on Embracing Stars, Ignoring Players. . Journal of Sport Management 15. 4 (2001): 318. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 14 Sept. 2011. Nelson, Murry. Sports History as a Vehicle for Social and Cultural Understanding in American History. Social Studies 96. 3 (2005): 118-125. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 13 Sept. 2011.

Kicking Performance and Kick Co-ordination Training

Kicking Performance and Kick Co-ordination Training The effects of a strength and kick co-ordination training programme on lower limb velocity, ball velocity and knee extensor strength: Differences between male and female football players. Football (also known as soccer) is one of the most popular team sports worldwide (Katis Kellis, 2007) with hundreds of millions purported to play (Masuda et al, 2005) and in accordance is watched on 6 continents (Ekstrand, 1994). Due to this popularity, football is a widely researched area with the volume of literature extensive. Various research programmes have been undertaken in the area of football kick biomechanics with a range of parameters being measured and analysed, in an attempt to understand the fundamental skills required by the sport, especially the maximal soccer kick (Lees Nolan, 1998). Although the field is widely researched gaps still transpire. One of these gaps is gender differences; little research is documented on the kick biomechanics of womens football as said by Barfield et al (2002), who states the rapid rise in female participation in soccer worldwide has not been followed by a corresponding increase in the number of studies biomechanically that target fema le kicking patterns to determine if differences exist between males and females. Lee and Nolan (1998) state that success in football depends on kicking performance, with new aspects of this being identified (Kathis Kellis, 2007). Shan and Westerhoff (2005) believe that the scientific understanding of the sport is not yet on the same echelon as its practice, subsequently its partakers acquire their skills not through research based instruction but through individual experience; suggesting that biomechanical feedback may facilitate an athlete further. Kicking performance and kick co-ordination Biomechanical kicking success in football has been measured predominately by maximum ball velocity (Markovic et al, 2006) with Dorge et al (2002) stating it could be this speed that is particularly important when kicking towards goal. When kicking a ball, players will use the most appropriate form dependant on the intent and nature of the outcome (Numone et al, 2002) and according to a study by Grant et al (1998), who analysed data from the 1998 World Cup, the instep kick (IK) (see figure 1) and sidefoot kick are the most commonly used techniques to score. The ball velocity of the maximum IK is the main indicator in kicking performance (Orloff et al, 2008) and has been said to be the result of various factors including technique (Lees and Nolan, 1998), gender (Barfield et al, 2002), muscle strength and power of players (De Proft et al, 1988; Dutta Subraminium, 2002). The IK is a fundamental skill that is used on many occasions during football (see figure 1), with Orloff et al (2008) stating that the mechanics in instep kicking are critical in determining kick performance. Transfer of momentum from the thigh to the leg is believed to play an important role in instep kicking, however these claims have not been conclusively quantified (Dunn Putnam, 1988). The IK involves a sequence of momentum from proximal (thigh) to distal (shank and foot) body segments in the kicking limb as it is a swing action (Barfield et al, 2002) that should be a natural fluid motion (Clagg et al, 2009). When a kick is performed the proximal segment initiates the movement taking the kicking leg backwards, with the distal segment lagging behind, forward movement of the leg occurs when the proximal segment has reached its potential at backswing and is brought forward whilst the knee continues to flex (Wickstrom, 1975; Dorge et al, 2002). This is followed by a deceleration of the proximal segment due to motion dependant moments from the shank (Putnam, 1991); upon ball impact the proximal segment is almost stationary, at which point the distal segment is accelerating and vigorously extending about the knee to almost full extension at ball impact (Wickstrom, 1975) (see figure 2). At the point of contact, of instep to ball, powerful kickers keep the foot/ankle compl ex locked and plantarflexed, as a consequence the forces that propel the ball are maximised (Hay, 1996; Tsaousidid and Zatsiorsky, 1996). Lower limb velocities (Levanon Dapena, 1988) are said to be an important determinant of ball velocity. Manolopoulos et al (2006) state that a greater shank velocity is indicative of a more powerful shot, the study conducted by Manolopoulous et al (2006) concluded that a strength and kick co-ordination training programme over a ten week period can cause an improvement in angular velocities of segments. A study conducted by Barfield et al (2002) found that a greater ball velocity was found with greater angular velocity of the distal segment (in male footballers). From this literature it can be assumed that a person with a high lower limb velocity should have a high ball velocity. It has been theorised that the length, speed and angle of approach are the most important aspects of the preparatory phase, before movement transpires, having a significant effect on football kick success (Isokawa Lees, 1988; Kellis et al, 2004).When a football kick is performed the athlete may kick the ball from a stationary position or approach the ball from a certain distance (Kathis Kellis, 2007), Opavsky (1988) states that higher ball velocities are established when there is a running approach, of at least two to three steps, to the ball in contrast to a stagnant approach. Another important point is that a ball will in most cases be moving towards the player; consequently the player will not be hitting a stationary ball as is often the case in laboratory conditions, supported by Tol et al (2002). Kellis and Katis (2007) state that higher ball speed values have been during competition in contrast to a laboratory setting. Isokawa Lees (1988) concluded that on average maximum swing leg velocity occurred at an approach angle of between 30 ° and 45 °, with a maximum velocity ensuing at 45 °. From this finding it can be alleged that 45 ° is the optimal approach angle for a maximal velocity instep soccer kick (Clagg et al, 2009). Maximum ball speed and its relationship with accuracy is one which has been investigated with interesting results. Asami et al (1976) reported that by demanding both speed and accuracy from players, an 80% drop of the maximal value occurs as a result, this is a considerable reduction; however is further supported in literature stating that accurate kicking is achieved through slower ball velocities and kicking motion (Katis Kellis, 2007; Lees Nolan, 1998; Teixeira et al, 1999). Katis Kellis (2007) deduce that a defined target, such as a goal, will determine the actual constraints on accuracy, with its manipulation leading to a trade-off between speed and accuracy of ki ck. Another factor that could inhibit a maximal velocity IK is the kicking limb chosen. Many studies have found that higher ball velocities are found when football players kick with their dominant limb as opposed to kicks with the non-dominant limb; this has been attributed to higher foot speeds and a better inter-segmental pattern (Numone et al, 2006; Dorge et al, 2002); Manopoluous et al (2006) state that ball speed is the result of several segmental actions of the body during a kick, figure 3 illustrates the movements of the body segments during different phases of the kick. Female and Male footballers Studies regarding male football performance in relation to kick biomechanics is a well researched area, however this does not correlate to the lack of knowledge gained when researching for female information. This statement is supported by McLean et al (2005) and Hewett et al (2006) who both acknowledge that few studies have characterised or examined female athletic performance in specific sports such as soccer, along with the assertion from Barfield (2002) that the rapid rise in female participation in soccer worldwide has not been followed by a corresponding increase in the number of studies biomechanically that target female kicking patterns to determine if differences exist between males and females. It is thought that the identification of kinematic differences between the sexes could potentially play a critical role in the teaching and training of aspiring female soccer players (Barfield et al, 2002). Consequently it can be assumed that female studies should be regarded to be o f high importance and those found could help to eradicate huge differences between the sexes. With this said there are a few studies that have compared male and females, and studies that have solely looked at females. A study by Barfield et al (2002) investigated differences between elite female and male soccer players. The study concluded that males kick the ball with greater ball velocity on the instep kick than women (see table 1 for mean ball velocity achieved in this study) and the differences in kinematic variables investigated were significantly different between the sexes, although this was small. However in this study there was one exception to the case, as it was found that one female generated greater ball velocity on two of her three kicks than the males on her dominant side, suggesting that not everyone follows the trend. A study by Tant et al (1991) supports Barfield et al (2002) findings, as it was found that male players produce greater ball speeds than their female counterparts, they attributed this finding to greater strength that males recorded; as tested on an isokinetic dynamometer. In contrast to these findings, a study by Orloff et al (2008) comparing the kinetics and kinematics of the plant leg position between males and female collegiate soccer player during an instep kick, found that ball speed did not differ significantly between the two sexes as was hypothesised. Table 1 illustrates mean ball velocities, ranging from 15 to 30 m.s-1, achieved during a number of studies most of which occurred with the instep kick. Only one study shown provides details of a mean female ball velocity once more indicating the lack of research on female football participation. Strength training It has been stated that kicking performance when measured by means of maximal ball velocity, can be improved by strength training (DeProft et al, 1988; Jelusic et al, 1992; Taiana et al, 1993), relating to Wisloff et al (2004) who states that maximal strength is an important factor in successful soccer performance; this is because of the apparent demands visible from the game. Strength has been defined as the integrated results of several force producing muscles performing maximally, either isometrically or dynamically during a single voluntary effort of a defined task (Hoff Helgerud, 2004); Schmidtbleicher (1992) states that strength influences all other components and thus it is located in an upper hierarchal level. The use of strength training is a common means of improving muscle function and has been said to develop performance of kicking skill through apposite training (Masuda et al, 2005). Gomez et al (2008) believe that the coalescing of strength training with technical training involving motor tasks is required for improvements in performances to occur, this relates to the traditional training principle of specificity; Behm Sale (1993) and Sale (1992) support this principle as they believe that training is intended to correspond to specificity in sport itself, this is in terms of contraction type, contraction force, movements and velocity. This can be related to football training, since the fundamental aspect of football is kicking and this involves a complex series of synergistic movements of the lower limbs, which in essence would be extremely complex to imitate with simple strength-training movements (Bangsbo, 1994). Therefore strength training should be integrated into football training with several types and speeds of training involving the actual movement pattern in order to increase performance (Masuda et al, 2005). If a relationship between muscle strength and performance exists then it can be assumed that positive effects should become perceptible when measuring ball velocity, if these performance enhancing training benefits are not evident then athletes may not be motivated to participate in strength training (Myer et al, 2005). Myer et al (2005) conducted a study that explored the effects that a comprehensive neuromuscular training programme had over a period of six weeks. The investigators measured performance and lower extremity movement biomechanics in female athletes, it was concluded that female athletes who trained with this six week programme could gain performance enhancements and significant improvements in movement biomechanics. Myer et al (2005) states that female athletes may especially benefit from multi-component neuromuscular training, as females often display decreased baseline levels of strength and power when compared with their male counterparts. The previous statement is supported by Kraemer et al (2003) and Kraemer et al (2001) who believe that a comprehensive training programme may significantly increase power, strength and neuromuscular control and therefore decrease gender differences in these measures. Campo et al (2009) conducted a study over a period of 12 weeks on female soccer players; this involved the undertaking of a plyometric program. It was found that this program produced improvements in explosive strength in the female athletes and consequently this improvement could be transferred to soccer kick performance in terms of ball velocity; this study also lends evidence to the use of plyometrics in a strength training program. Studies by Aagaard et al (1996) and Trolle et al (1993) found similarities within their results, since no significant improvements in kicking performance were established after knee-extension strength training. However De Proft et al (1988), Gomez et al (2008) and Monolopoulos et al (2006) all conducted strength training programmes that combined strength with another form of training, football training, plyometric exercises and technique exercises (kick co-ordination) respectively, found significant improvements in kicking performance (maximal instep football kick). The studies by Gomez et al (2008) and Myer et al (2005) took place over a 6wk period, with the study by Monolopoulos et al (2006) taking place over 10 weeks and Campo et al (2009) over a 12 week period, suggesting that the length of a training programme is interchangeable to gain relevant results. Hoff Helgerud (2004) state that research based on strength training is often not conclusive; this may be due to the variances in measurement techniques. Knee muscles Various studies have examined the muscle activation patterns that arise during a football kick; one of the findings to come from studies is the high activation of knee muscle groups (De Proft et al, 1988). To examine this further, maximal isokinetic data has been undertaken to study the moment of force of the knee extensors and flexors, this has been investigated in male players (Brady et al, 1993; Oberg et al, 1984; Oberg et al, 1986), female players (Reilly Drust, 1997) and in relation to football kick performance (Cabri et al, 1988; Poulmedis, 1988; Reilly Drust, 1997). Rapid knee flexion and extension is an important part of a football kick as the knee flexes then extends at impact, this movement is accompanied by a stretch of the knee musculature during backswing ensued by immediate shortening during distal segment movement (Katis Kellis, 2009). The action of the proximal segment being brought forward whilst the distal segment lags behind (as the knee is still flexing) serves to stretch the extensor muscles of the proximal segment before shortening of them is needed, this necessitates the generation of large end-point speed (Lees Nolan, 1998). It can be assumed that if the knee extensor muscles are powerful then they should facilitate in large end point speed (greater ball velocity). Isokinetic muscle testing is often used to evaluate strength within sport, with a range of data obtainable from its use (Ozcakar et al, 2003) however controversy surrounds its application. Wisloff et al (2004) believe that isokinetic tests do not reflect the actual movements of the lower limb segments during a football kick, and Dvir (1996) states that this is due to the nature of testing knee extensors, as it is a single-joint configuration, it is limited in functional scope. A study by Reilly Drust (1994), have reported results for female soccer players that show a high correlation between ball speed and knee extensor strength, this is supported by McLean and Tumilty (1993) who state that maximal strength of knee extensor muscles is an important determinant of kick performance. Asami et al (1982) report that the ball velocity and knee extensor strength relationship of the kicking limb may well depend on the skill level of the players, suggesting that the strength of the muscles in the knee has less input on ball velocity in football players whom are more skilled. This statement implies that less skilled players rely more on their muscular strength than skill. De Proft et al (1988) conducted a strength training programme for footballers and found a 25% increase in concentric muscle strength of extensors. Studies have shown that knee extensor strength and kick performance however did not have a positive relationship, as for example Masuda et al (2005) found that knee extension/flexion strength was not correlated with the ball velocity and Aagaard et al (1996) conducted a 12 week training programme on the isokinetic strength of the knee extensors and flexors, with an increase in isokinetic and concentric strength found, but it was concluded that this gain did not help facilitate improvements in performance. Expectations and hypotheses From current literature it is expected that the use of a strength training programme integrated with technical game play, will have a positive significant improvement from pre-test to post-test on both females and males as previous research has shown that a strength training programme improves performance (Manolopoulos et al., 2004; De Proft et al., 1988; Dutta Subramanium, 2002), however the female group are expected to have a bigger improvement as they often have lower level of strength to start (Myer et al, 2005) leaving more room for improvement, and men will have a better kicking performance determined by ball velocity as they possess more power (Barfield et al, 2002; Tant et al, 1991). It is also expected that an improvement in knee muscle strength, limb velocity and foot velocity at ball contact will lead to an improvement in ball velocity as it can be said that kicking performance can be related to leg muscle strength as it is the muscles which are directly responsible for t he increasing speed of the foot and therefore resultant ball velocity (Lees Nolan, 1998). This information leads to the hypotheses for this study. It is hypothesised that after a strength training and kick co-ordination programme both men and women will find significant improvements in their kicking performance and knee extensor strength, females will have a greater improvement in the pre to post test results than their male counterparts, men will have greater ball velocity both pre and post test than women, improvements in knee strength, limb velocity and foot velocity will lead to an improvement in ball velocity. Materials and methods Pilot testing Before any real data collection commenced two pilot tests were conducted. This was to enable any aspects of the testing procedure to be checked, allowing areas of weakness and uncertainty to be enhanced and/or changes needing to occur to be implemented before actual testing transpired. The first pilot test involved kinematic analysis data collection, using Qualysis Oqus 3D motion capture system, at a sampling rate of 500 Hz, under laboratory conditions. A participant was marked up with a lower limb marker set (see figure 7 and 8), a warm up and relevant instructions were given. 5 maximum velocity kicks were performed with the dominant foot at a target (1.82m x 1.2m) set 6 metres away from the position of the ball, a 2metre approach distance of self selected approach angle was allowed and a Sports radar precision gun (SRA 3000) was positioned behind the target. Uncertainties regarding target size, approach distance and quality of data collection were put under scrutiny. Collaboration with the participant allowed for uncertainties such as target size and distance of approach to be modified. Quality of data was checked and it appeared not all parts of the movement were captured or markers visible at all times (see figure 4). Due to these findings the pilot testing res ulted in changes to the planned protocol, such as approach distance (an extra metre allowance was given), bandage size (was halved to prevent covering of markers), calibration technique in regards to area dynamically covered was increased (to cover all movement performed) and appropriate marker placement took place (incorrect palpitation had previously taken place). The second pilot test was an extension of the first, relevant changes were made as noted in pilot test 1, with testing on the isokinetic dynamometer (ISOCOM- isokinetic technology, eurokinetics) included for strength data. A warm up was conducted prior to use, with the involvement of dynamic movements to help replicate the movement on the isokinetic dynamometer, once completed 5 practice trials took place followed by 3 trials that were collected as the data. This allowed for any time restraints for the two conjoined to be noted. It was found that the testing on the isocom took longer than the kinematic data, as it was expected that this would be roughly the same time; so implementation of a suitable time system could occur. Marker issues previously noted in pilot 1 were not problematic; this could be due to the increased area of calibration and anatomical landmark markers not being covered by bandages. Figure 5 shows that most data was captured and tracked, giving evidence to improve ments made being effective, when comparing figure 4 and 5 against each other. The extra metre approach distance allowance proved successful with collection of data running more smoothly. Participants Sixteen amateur football players volunteered to participate in this study, eight females and eight males. Participants were split with regards to gender and assigned to either the female control group (FCG) (n= 4 females; age 20  ± 0.8 years; height 169  ± 5.8cm; body mass 68.9  ± 11.1 kg; all mean  ± std), the male control group (MCG) ( n= 4 males; age, 21  ± 1 year; height 177.5  ± 7 cm; body mass 77  ± 10 kg; all mean  ± std), the female strength training experimental group (FTG) (n= 4 females; age 20  ± 1.3 year; height 160  ± 1.8 cm; body mass 58.1  ± 4.3 kg; all mean  ± std ) or the male strength training experimental group (MTG) (n= 4 males; age 17  ± 1. 2 year; height 174.9  ± 4.1 cm; body mass 73.1  ± 13.7 kg; all mean  ± std). All females were right foot dominant, with 6 males being right foot dominant and 2 left foot dominant. Foot dominance was self selected based on the players reply to which foot they preferred kicking with to gain a maxi mal ball velocity outcome. Subjects were informed about the requirements, benefits and risks of the study, and completed an informed consent form and Par- Q prior to any testing (see Appendix). Kick performance test / Biomechanical testing In accordance to the study of Masuda et al (2004) kick performance was evaluated by measuring the maximal and mean velocity of the ball, by the use of Sports radar precision gun (SRA 3000), and a set number of trials in which the ball hit the target (5 times). Other measurements from this maximal kick were also taken by means of Qualysis Oqus 3D motion capture system, this uses multiple cameras (an eight camera system) to reconstruct three dimensional movement data; this was captured at a sampling rate of 500 Hz for 5 seconds. This enabled human movement analysis during the execution of a motor task (instep kick) to be traced via the use of reflective markers, gathering quantitative information (Cappozzo et al, 2005). The calibrated anatomical system technique (CAST) marker set was used (Cappozzo et al, 1995), each participant was instrumented with 44 retroflective markers (see figure 7 and 8). All markers and clusters used when capturing the data was with the aim to: not significant ly modify the performance being captured and measured as stated by Brand and Crownshield (1981). These markers were placed on anatomical landmarks (medial and lateral side of proximal and distal end of segements) by palpation using guidance from Croce et al (2005), and on segments using clusters in accordance with Manal et al (2000) who state that a rigid shell with a cluster of four markers is the optimal configuration for a cluster set. Specific shoes were provided for all participants, with the anatomical landmarks placed on these prior to testing (figure 6). Before data collection of each participant commenced, the motion capture system was calibrated (see figure 9a) to allow information gathering of spatial location of anatomical landmarks in regards to a known frame of reference (Cappozzo et al, 1994). This occurred by the use of a wand, which carries two markers of a given distance (750.5mm), and is made to coincide with the target anatomical landmarks by moving dynamically through the volume of cameras (Cappozzo et al, 2005; Richards, 2008) over a calibration frame placed in the data collection area (see figure 9b), this is removed so data for the intended activity (instep kick) can be performed and recorded. A static of each participant with clusters and anatomical markers was then taken (see figure 10) asking participants to gain a posture where anatomical markers can be seen by two or more cameras for at least a frame. Once this was achieved only tracking markers were kept on (thigh and shank clusters, anterior superior iliac spin e (ASIS), posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS), greater trochanter, iliacs, foot markers except 1st and 5th metatarsals), as Cappozzo (1984) states markers used for identifying anatomical landmarks should be removed before physical movement is performed. Qualysis Track Manager (QTM) was the software used to capture the data including statics, dynamic movement and calibration. The set-up design for the kick performance test can be seen in figure 11. Specific instructions were given to participants regarding their kicks, it was stated that although the kicks that missed the target would be repeated, they should not sacrifice speed in order to improve accuracy. A ball of standard size and standard inflation (Fà ©dà ©ration Internationale de Football Association, FIFA, standard) was used. A warm-up was conducted, this took place on a treadmill (5-10 mins) followed by stretching, once the candidate felt they had been sufficiently warmed up practice trials took place. 2-3 practice trials were implemented allowing participants to acquaint themselves with test equipment and kicking conditions. Participants were allowed to self select their approach angle to the ball (between 0 ° to 60 °), the only restraint utilised was the approach distance to the ball; participants were allowed a run up of between 2 to 3 metres this distance was marked and made noticeable to the participants. 5 successful trials were recorded on the dominant leg, a successful trial was classed as one which hit the target and the motion capture data was seen to be adequate, only 3 of these trials were analysed (data deemed as poor quality was discarded). This testing took place both pre and post intervention. Once data collection had been completed in QTM, the information was used and markers labelled; including both static and dynamic data. For dynamic data, this took place through naming the markers in a dynamic frame and processing this to the corresponding data. An aim model was built, this was then generated and batch processed to all the dynamic trials, the checking of each anatomical frame ensued to ensure all markers were labelled correctly. Once this procedure was completed data was then exported to Visual 3D for further analysis and model building. Data from QTM (see figure 10) was built in to actual body segments that could be visually seen and recognised; this occurred through model building on Visual 3D. Figure 12 shows some examples of how the right hand side of the body was built; the same was done for the left side. Once model building had been completed, all trials were checked and different pipelines were put in place (a set of commands that can change or produce data wa nted). An interpolation pipeline was conducted on the data to fill in missing data points, a ten frame gap fill was instrumented, filling in gaps more than this suggest that data is of poor quality. A low pass filter (using Butterworth filter) pipeline was put in place on the data, to smooth and remove noise that could be due to relative and absolute errors (soft tissue artefacts) (Richards, 2008), with a cut of frequency of 6 Hz used. Cut off frequencies previously used in other literature are between 6-18 Hz (Andersen et al, 1999; Dorge et al, 2002; Nunome et al, 2002; Teixeira, 1999). To determine heel strike of the non-kicking leg at placement the event minimum pipeline was used on the non-dominant leg (heel), to find the lowest point of the heel in the z axis (see figure 13). For information between a range of movements to be determined, the event ball contact was defined (see figure 14). Segment velocity (in x axis) of the thigh, shank and foot was extracted from the data, in the reports section, using the range of events previously defined (non-dominant leg heel contact and ball impact) to visually see data between and up to those chosen points. Muscular strength test Isokinetic concentric peak torque of the dominant leg was measured using an isokinetic dynamometer (ISOCOM- isokinetic technology, eurokinetics) see figure 15. The strength test involved movement of the knee (extension and flexion) to detect muscular strength in the knee extensor muscle groups. The angular velocity used for the movement was 60 ° s-1; this angular velocity has been used by many investigators to evaluate knee muscular strength of football players (Kellis et al, 2001; Ergun et al, 2004; Dauty et al, 2002). Prior to undergoing the test a warm-up was conducted, consisting of a 10 min warm up of cycling and 5mins of dynamic stretching, completion of this lead to the familiarisation process of the test protocols for the isokinetic movements that were tested including practice trials. Three maximum voluntary repetitions of flexion and extension at 60 ° s-1 took place in a seated position, with five familiarisation trials taking place beforehand, the participants were war ned as to when the real trials were about to commence. The peak torque value was used to represent muscular strength; this is considered to be the gold standard in isokinetic measurement (ISOCOM testing and rehabilitation user manual). This testing took place both pre and post intervention with the same protocol applied for both testing. Training programme The training programme undertaken in this study was a synthesis of findings derived from published articles for example training books and journals (Manolopoulous et al, 2006; Zatsiorsky Kraemer, 2006; Chu, 1998). The FTG and MTG followed a 6-week training programme consisting of 1 session per week (each session consisting of up to an hour and a half) including a warm up and main activities. The main activity consisted of a circuit style fashion plyometrics, kick co-ordination and strength work ensemble, with exercises such as; lunges, squat jumps, resistance band work, core stability ball work and hurdle work included. Technical game play was incorporated into each session at the end of the circuit; with the aim of improving k

Blood, Sweat, Tears and Oil: The mistreatment of the Ogoni People by R

Blood, Sweat, Tears and Oil: The mistreatment of the Ogoni People by Royal Dutch Shell and the Nigerian Government Introduction Nigeria, located in West Africa, is a densely populated nation of over 100 million people. Since the nation’s independence from Britain in 1960, the country has been in the hands of various leaders ranging from religious to staunchly militant. Nigeria is the sixth largest producer of crude oil in the world and it has one of the largest deposits of natural gas (Wiwa, 2001). Oil accounts for ninety five percent of Nigeria’s foreign exchange earning and one-fourth of the country’s Gross Domestic Product comes from oil. A large percentage of this oil is located in the Niger Delta. The Niger Delta, located in eastern Nigeria, is the third largest wetland in the world covering 70,000 square kilometers and accounts for 7.5% of Nigeria’s land mass (www.nddconline.org). About twenty million of Nigeria’s one hundred million people reside in the Niger Delta and forty different ethnic groups live in the region. Oil development by large industries, such as Shell, and lack of support from the Nigerian government has left many people in the Niger Delta at a severe disadvantage. Most notably the Ogoni people, who are the minority in the region, have suffered from devastating exploitation. Oil was discovered in the Ogoni region in 1958 and after an estimated 900 million barrels with an estimated value of $30 billion were extracted in the area, there is very little to show for it in the Ogoni community. Economic loss, environmental loss, exploitation and murder are all direct consequences of the occupation of major oil companies, namely Shell, in the Ogoni region. This paper aims to bring to ... ...d. Austria: OPEC Fund, 2003. Amanyie, Vincent. The Agony of the Ogoni in the Niger Delta: A Case Study. Nigeria: Horizon Concepts, 2001. Azaiki, Steve. Inequities in Nigerian Politics: The Niger Delta, Resource Control, Underdevelopment and Youth Restiveness. Nigeria: Treasure Books, 2003. Civil Liberties Organization. Ogoni: Trials and Travails. Lagos, Nigeria: Civil Liberties Organization, 1996. Douglas, Oronto and Ike Okonta. Where Vultures Feast: Shell, Human Rights, and Oil in the Niger Delta. San Francisco: Sierra Club Books, 2001. Niger Delta Development Commission. www.nddconline.org Wiwa, Diana. â€Å"The Role of Women in the Struggle for Environmental Justice in Ogoni.† Delta, No.3 , October 1997: 11 Wiwa, Ken. In the Shadow of a Saint: A son’s journey to understand his father’s legacy. Canada: Alfred A. Knopf, 2001.

Crap Music :: essays research papers

The essay I read suggested that people of low intelligence/class (i.e. teenagers) use â€Å"junk† music to try and drown out their supposedly harsh reality. The author also suggests that the more intelligent people in the world do not listen to loud music because the decibel level at which you listen to music somehow indicates your intelligence. I cannot agree with that statement because I have talked to my friends and aquaintences and they told me that music helps to lift their spirits and some even said that music helps them to cope with their reality. In addition, studies have shown that some people who listen to music while they study actually do better on the test the next day, because the music relaxes them. In the aforementioned essay, the author also mentions the â€Å"two slack-jawed young assistants.† This was quite obviously stating that the repairmen were of lower social standing, and that the â€Å"junk† music they were â€Å"blasting† was em phasizing their low class. The author continues on to mention â€Å"elevator music† and how it is alright to play it in factories and restaurants so that the personnell do not fall asleep or â€Å"brood on the essential monotony of their jobs.† I thought that the whole point of the essay was to complain about low class people trying to escape reality through music, and then he contradicts himself. He also said (essentially) that the young workers had no interest in the serene setting in which they were working, and the same goes for all low-class people. I find that laughable, as some of the greatest painters and artists, poets and writers were lower class citizens in their time. He states his opinion that people play such â€Å"junk† music not to bring something in, but to shut things out. Supposedly, people do not want to hear the music for sheer enjoyment, but rather we use it as a narcotic of sorts, blocking out reality and dispelling the thought-provoking silence that accosts us when we are alone. The author continues to get off topic by mentioning society’s so-called â€Å"televsion addiction†, the â€Å"sports mania†, and the â€Å"intense prioccupation with trivia†, which according to the author, which are all supposed factors in creating the vacuum that makes up people’s (mostly teenagers’) heads. Mr. Harris concludes with the statement, â€Å"†¦this great gift has been turned against itself, creating a cacophony to dull and deaden and dehumanize the soul.

Examining The Implications Of Process

Modern decision-making support system (DAMS) technology is often also needed for complex SAD, with recent research calling for more integrative DAMS approaches. However, scholars tend to take disintegrated approaches and disagree on whether rational or political decision-making processes result in more effective decision outcomes. In this study, the authors examine these issues by first exploring some of the competing theoretical arguments for the process-choice-effectiveness relationship, and then test these relationships empirically using data from a crisis response training exercise using an intelligent agent-based DAMS.In contrast to prior research, findings indicate that rational decision processes are not effective in risks contexts, and that political decision processes may negatively influence both response choice and decision effectiveness. These results offer empirical evidence to confirm prior unsupported arguments that response choice is an important mediating factor betw een the decision-making process and its effectiveness. The authors conclude with a discussion of the implications of these findings and the application of agent-based simulation DAMS technologies for academic research and practice.Keywords: Agent Software, Agent Technology, Decision Support Systems (ADS), Distributed Decision Making Systems, Knowledge Management, Security Management, Strategic Planning Introduction Strategic decision-making (SAD) involves the methods and practices organizations use to interpret opportunities and threats in the environment and then make response decisions (Shirtwaists & Grant, 1985). Modern decommissioning support system (DAMS) technology is DOI: 1 0. 4018/just. 0100701 01 often also needed for complex SAD, with recent research calling for more integrative DAMS approaches (Moral, Foregone, Cervantes, Carried, Guppy, & Agleam, 2005; Phillips-Wren, Moral, Foregoing, & Guppy, 2009). Such DAMS technologies offer the type of rich and powerful research tec hnology littorals with a high degree of external and internal validity as well as reliability required for integrated decision support (Moral et al. , 2005; Ill, Duffy, Whit- Copyright 0 2010, GIG Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of GIG Global is prohibited. International Journal Of Decision Support System Technology, 2(3), 1-15, July-September 2010 field, Bayle, & McKenna, 2009; Linebacker, De Spain, McDonald, Spencer, & Clottier, 2009; Mustachios & Susann, 2009; Phillips-Wren et 2009). Conditions of uncertainty in highly turbulent environments (e. G. , crisis espouse), by nature, further complicate the SAD process, and may limit decision making effectiveness (Ramirez-Marquee & Afar, 2009). At issue is the presumed need for speed of response where logic dictates that a satisfactory decision that is made quickly is superior to an optimal decision made too late.Two of the most commonly accepted, and widely employed decision makin g processes in these contexts are political behavior and procedural rationality (Frederickson & Mitchell, 1984; Hart, 1 992; Eisenhower & Kickback, 1992; Dean & Sherman, 1993; Hart & Binary, 1994; Reader, 2000; Hough & White, 2003; Elba & Child, 2007). ROR research advocates that ‘political' processes will be more effective in these contexts, and that ‘rational' decision processes will be less effective in unstable environments (Frederickson & Mitchell, 1984).Subsequent research considered the effectiveness Of processes in ‘high velocity environments and advocated that rational decision-making processes will allow for faster response and will be more effective than political decision-making processes in these contexts (Bourgeois & Eisenhower, 1 988; Eisenhower, 1989). Hart (1992) later expanded on these arguments to develop a framework for session-making processes involving a variety of forms stemming from political or rational bases, and also argued that ‘ra tional' approaches should relate positively to effectiveness, while more ‘political' approaches should not.Collectively, the literature on the effectiveness of these SAD processes across a variety of settings is in conflict as some studies suggest that rational decision-making processes will be positively related to effectiveness (Bourgeois & Eisenhower, 1988; Eisenhower, 1989; Hart, 1992) and political decision-making processes will not be effective (Hart, 1 992), while Others advocate for political decision- aging processes and against rational decision-making processes (Frederickson & Mitchell, 1984).Given this conflict, and the fact that these differences are largely unresolved empirically, one contribution of this study is that we examine the effectiveness implications of political and rational SAD processes. Through doing so, we offer some clarification and resolution of the conflicting predictions and findings of Frederickson and Mitchell (1984), Bourgeois and Eisenhowe r (1988), and Hart (1992). Further, while the inclusion off mediating role for response choice is well theorized, it is also largely untested empirically in prior work.Therefore a further contribution of this study is that we also seek to take into account this mediating role of choice on decision effectiveness. In this study we address several specific research questions: 1) Does variation in the decision-making process result in variation in response choice; 2) Does variation in response choice result in variation in decision effectiveness; and 3) Can we also trace the effectiveness of different SAD processes as mediated through particular response choices?Since management can influence the SAD processes, question three is likely to be of more interest than question woo. However, if we only look at the direct relationship between SAD processes and effectiveness (I. E. , Dean & Sherman, 1996), we might be attributing differences in effectiveness to process variation when these vari ations did not actually influence choices. Thus, we need to adequately discern which SAD processes are more effective in these situations and produce the most effective outcomes.Addressing these questions helps to clarify the integrated influences of process and choice on strategic decision-making effectiveness. This paper proceeds as follows: 1) We review related research on SAD, and leverage prior theory to develop hypotheses for an integrated process-choice-effectiveness SAD model; 2) We examine the model and hypotheses through empirical analysis of data from a crisis response training exercise using an agent-based simulation decision support system technology; 3) We present and discuss the results Of our analyses in relation to the model and hypotheses; Copyright 0 201 0, GIG Global.Copying or distributing in print or electronic September 2010 3 and 4) We conclude with a discussion of our findings along with implications for practitioners and future academic research. Theory' de velopment Prior work by Dean and Sherman (1993, 1 996) offers an integrated decision-making model, for framing this study of SAD process-cooperativeness's. Their work examines the assumptions underlying the relationship between decision- making processes, response choices, and SAD effectiveness.The model proposes that variation in decision-making process (political or rational) will produce different response choices, which result in variation in SAD effectiveness. However, empirical testing of their model is limited to the relationship between political and rational decision-making processes and variation in effectiveness alone, excluding the intermediate response choice arable.As the potential mediating implications of the response choice intermediate variable are thereby unexamined, we extend and examine Dean and Chairman's (1996) model to clarify the conflicting arguments in the prior SAD literature. We do this through examining the full model with the inclusion of the mediating relationship of response choice through our application to an extreme decision-making context (crisis response).Our approach is as follows: 1) We extend Dean and Chairman's (1996) strategic decision-making relationship and effectiveness model of variation in process, response choice, and effectiveness by expanding heir effectiveness model to include the potential mediating effects of intermediate choices; and 2) We then examine the competing arguments for process effectiveness in this context from Frederickson and Mitchell (1984), Bourgeois and Eisenhower (1 988), and Hart (1992). In Dean and Chairman's (1996) model variation in the strategic decision-making process (e. . , Political or Rational approaches) produce variation in response choice, resulting in variation in effectiveness. The effectiveness outcomes therefore depend on the following: 1) The strategic decision-making process utilized, and 2) The response strategy choices implemented. In order to clarify the conflicting d ominant arguments in the literature for process effectiveness under uncertainty, as well as test the theorized mediating role of choice, we develop several base-line hypotheses to be roughly consistent with the previous literature.Replicating Dean and Chairman's (1996) model: Hypothesis 1 : Variation In strategic decommissioning process will be related to variation in effectiveness. Examining the sub elements of the implied Dean and Sherman (1996) model: Hypothesis 2: Variation in strategic decommissioning process will be related to variation in response choice. Hypothesis 3: Variation in response choice will be related to variation in effectiveness.To examine the full model as proposed by Dean and Sherman (1996), which proposes a mediating relationship but only examines the direct relationship, we distinguish between the direct effect of SAD process on effectiveness (HI) and a mediating relationship acting through response choice. Whereas, Dean and Chairman's (1996) original model has choice as endogenous to the strategic decision-making and effectiveness relationship, we model response choice as an intermediate step and consider this as an expansion of the strategy decision-making and effectiveness relationship.We therefore derive hypothesis 4 to examine whether response choice has both a mediating and direct effect Examining the full Dean and Sherman (1996) model: Hypothesis 4: Variation in strategic decommissioning process and variation in response choice will be related to variation in effectiveness. Copyright C 2010, GIG Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic 4 International Journal of Decision Support System Technology, 2(3), 1-15, To examine the conflict in the literature regarding the inconsistency among the Frederickson and Mitchell (1984) andBourgeois and Eisenhower (1988) propositions for uncertain and high velocity environments, as well as the Hart (1992) propositions for effectiveness by type of decision-making process, we develop hypotheses AAA and b: Hypothesis AAA: In highly turbulent environments, Rational decision-making processes should be positively related to effectiveness, while Political decommissioning processes should not have a positive relationship with effectiveness (Bourgeois & Eisenhower, 1 988; Hart, 1992).Hypothesis b: In highly turbulent environments, Rational decision-making processes should be negatively related to effectiveness, while Political consummating processes should have a positive relationship with effectiveness (Frederickson & Mitchell, 1984). Analytical considerations Study context Crisis events (I. E. , natural disasters, terrorism, etc. ) are environments characterized by varying levels of turbulence and ambiguity (National Commission on Terrorist Attacks, 2004).While government organizations differ from those in the private sector, research in the management field on SAD may be applicable to government organizations dealing with crisis events. For example, the core task o f organizations is the creation and/or maintenance of a fit between the organizations' internal strengths and capabilities and the demands placed on them by their environments.Government organizations must also draw upon unique resources and capabilities across various departments and levels of government to respond to challenges in their environments. Similarly, the levels of turbulence and ambiguity present in a government agency operating environment may also be direct contributors to the difficulties inherent to SAD in these contexts. The nature of the environmental pressure, turbidity, and outcome implications make this a unique and challenging operating environment.Prior related work on this topic from other fields includes the development of homeland defense strategy for the White House (KUDUS, 2004), the modeling of disease outbreaks (Ravager & Longing, 1985; Kurd & Hare, 2001; Kaplan, craft, & win, 2002, 2003; Bank, Gull, Kumar, Marathon, Cravings, Tutorial, & Wang, 2004; C raft, Win, & Wilkins, 2005). Further uses have included numerous academic, government, and practitioner publications on epidemiological, terrorism response, and homeland security and defense strategies (Deutsche, 1 963; Hoffman, 1981; Hugh & Selves, 2002; Ramirez-Marquee & Afar, 2009).Sample data We test our model and hypotheses using data collected from a multi-step approach consisting of an experiment (a U. S. Department of Homeland Security training exercise called Measured Response (MR.)) in conjunction with an intelligent agent-based simulation. We use this data to examine the extended Dean and Sherman (1996) model and the associated hypotheses for variation in SAD process, choice, and effectiveness. We use a computational experimentation methodological approach to do this.This approach consists of two steps: 1) Using a validated survey instrument to collect data on strategy process and choice from a lab experiment with actual practitioners grouped into several response teams; and 2) An intelligent agent-based simulation utilized in the exercise to produce data on the effectiveness of the groups' SAD processes and response choices. We test our model and its hypotheses through empirical analysis of a sub sample of 268 combined observations from the survey and simulation data collected from the exercise. Better 2010 5 Measured Response Exercise. The MR. Homeland Security training exercise consisted of nine teams of human agents comprised of three to five individuals each (representing their actual functional responsibilities in most asses) to play the roles of the Departments of Homeland Security (DISH), Health and Human Services (DISH), and Transportation (EDT) at the local, state, and federal levels.These human agents operated In a â€Å"Joint Operations Center environment where they were able to execute a variety of decisions and respond interactively to changes in the simulated environment the rough the exercise. Simulation Model. The Measured Response training exercise utilizes a synthetic environment as the decision support system technology for the exercise. This system uses a dynamic virtual computer simulation environment to simulate the outbreak ND dispersion of a biological agent on a mid-sized city in the United States.This outbreak affects tens of thousands of computer-based intelligent agents. These agents approximate the diversity of behavioral characteristics and demographics of the actual modeled population for the city. Additionally, we utilized pathogen-specific data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in the simulation model to ensure the attack takes place in a realistic manner on the virtual population of intelligent agents. Further, the organizational aspects of the simulation model incorporate data from actual DISH and CDC response plans.The simulated scenario therefore replicates the actual characteristics Of a real-world attack in which the decommissioning process and response strategy choice can sign ificantly affect outcomes in terms of infection rate, contagion spread, population death rate, and public mood. Given these factors, these types of decision support system technologies offer a rich and dynamic simulation environment, which largely alleviates the common concerns previously associated with using simplistic homegrown or off-the-shelf simulation tools in academic research (Linebacker et al. 2009; Mustachios & Susann, 2009). Specifically, our training exercise utilizes thousands of different participant decisions on a variety of teams, at multiple levels, which affect thousands of computerized agents who respond dynamically to the collective participant inputs, as well as each Agnes response behavior to the inputs (See Structured, Meta, & ornerier, 2005; Harrison, Line, Carroll, & Carrey, 2007 for more detail on simulation modeling).Additionally, conflicting criteria prevent exercise participants from â€Å"gaming† the system and drive the multiple measures of eff ectiveness. Thus these types of decision support system technologies offer the type of rich and powerful research technology littorals with a high degree Of external and internal validity as well as reliability required for integrated decision support (Lie et al. , 2009; Linebacker et al. , 2009; Mustachios & Susann, 2009). Measures Dependent variables. The dependent variable in our study consists of an integrated composite measure for decision effectiveness.This approach is consistent with recent research advocating integrated process and outcome measures for decision-making support system evaluation (Moral et al. , 2005; Phillips-Wren et al. , 2009). While the decision objective is to contain or control the outbreak and minimize totalities, the need to maintain acceptable levels of public mood complicates this objective. Therefore the decision makers must consider the outcome of their decisions choices in terms of containing the outbreak and impact on public mood. Examining The Implications Of Process Therefore a further contribution of this study is that we also seek to take into account this mediating role of choice on decision effectiveness. In this study we address several specific research questions: 1) Does variation in the decision-making process result in variation in response choice; 2) Does variation in response choice result in variation in decision effectiveness; and 3) Can we also trace he effectiveness of different SAD processes as mediated through particular response choices?Since management can influence the SAD processes, question three is likely to be of more interest than question two. However, if we only look at the direct relationship between SAD processes and effectiveness (I. E. , Dean & Sherman, 1 996), we might be attributing differences in effectiveness to process variation when these variations did not actually influence choices. Thus, we need to adequately discern which SAD processes are more effective in these situations and produce the most effective outcomes.Addressing these questions helps to clarify the integrated influences of process and choice on strategic decision-making effectiveness. This paper proceeds as follows: 1) We review related research on SAD, and leverage prior theory to develop hypotheses for an integrated process-choice-effectiveness SAD model; 2) We examine the model and hypotheses through empirical analysis of data from a crisis response training exercise using an agent-based simulation decision support system technology; 3) We present and discuss the results Of our analyses in relation to the model and hypotheses; Copyright C 2010, GIG Global.Copying or distributing in print or electronic September 201 0 3 and 4) We conclude with a discussion of our findings along with implications for practitioners and future academic research. Theory development Prior work by Dean and Sherman (1 993, 1 996) offers an integrated decision-making model, for framing this study of SAD process-cooperativeness's. Their work ex amines the assumptions underlying the relationship between decision- making processes, response choices, and SAD effectiveness.The model proposes that variation in decision-making process (political or rational) will produce different espouse choices, which result in variation in SAD effectiveness. However, empirical testing of their model is limited to the relationship between political and rational decision-making processes and variation in effectiveness alone, excluding the intermediate response choice variable.As the potential mediating implications of the response choice intermediate variable are thereby unexamined, we extend and examine Dean and Chairman's (1996) model to clarify the conflicting arguments in the prior SAD literature. We do this through examining the full model with the inclusion of the mediating allegations of response choice through our application to an extreme decision-making context (crisis response).Our approach is as follows: 1) We extend Dean and Chairm an's (1996) strategic decision-making relationship and effectiveness model of variation in process, response choice, and effectiveness by expanding their effectiveness model to include the potential mediating effects of intermediate choices; and 2) We then examine the competing arguments for process effectiveness in this context from Frederickson and Mitchell (1 984), Bourgeois and Eisenhower (1988), and Hart (1992).In Dean and Chairman's (1996) model variation in the strategic decision-making process (e. G. , Political or Rational approaches) produce variation in response choice, resulting in variation in effectiveness. The effectiveness outcomes therefore depend on the following: 1 ) The strategic decision-making process utilized, and 2) The response strategy choices implemented.In order to clarify the conflicting dominant arguments in the literature for process effectiveness under uncertainty, as well as test the theorized mediating role of choice, we develop several base-line hy potheses to be ugly consistent with the previous literature. Replicating Dean and Chairman's (1996) model: Hypothesis 1: Variation in strategic decommissioning process will be related to variation in effectiveness.Examining the sub elements of the implied Dean and Sherman (1996) model: Hypothesis 2: Variation in strategic decommissioning process will be related to variation in response choice. Hypothesis 3: Variation in response choice will be related to variation in effectiveness. To examine the full model as proposed by Dean and Sherman (1 996), which proposes a mediating relationship but only examines the erect relationship, we distinguish between the direct effect of SAD process on effectiveness (HI ) and a mediating relationship acting through response choice.Whereas, Dean and Chairman's (1996) original model has choice as endogenous to the strategic decision-making and effectiveness relationship, we model response choice as an intermediate step and consider this as an expansio n of the strategy decision-making and effectiveness relationship. We therefore derive hypothesis 4 to examine whether response choice has both a mediating and direct effect Examining the full Dean and Sherman (1996) model: Hypothesis 4: Variation in strategic decommissioning process and variation in response choice will be related to variation in effectiveness. Copyright 0 201 0, GIG Global.Copying or distributing in print or electronic 4 International Journal of Decision Support System Technology, 2(3), 1-15, July-September 201 0 To examine the conflict in the literature regarding the inconsistency among the Frederickson and Mitchell (1984) and Bourgeois and Eisenhower (1988) propositions for uncertain and high velocity environments, as well as the Hart (1992) propositions for effectiveness by type of decision-making process, we develop hypotheses AAA and b: Hypothesis AAA: In highly turbulent environments, Rational decision-making processes should be positively related to effectiv eness, while Political decommissioning processes should not have a positive relationship with effectiveness (Bourgeois & Eisenhower, 1 988; Hart, 1992). Hypothesis b: In highly turbulent environments, Rational decision-making processes should be negatively related to effectiveness, while Political decommissioning processes should have a positive relationship with effectiveness (Frederickson & Mitchell, 1984). Analytical considerations Study context Crisis events (I. E. , natural disasters, terrorism, etc. Are environments characterized by varying levels of turbulence and ambiguity (National Commission on Terrorist Attacks, 2004). While government organizations differ from those in the private sector, research in the management field on SAD may be applicable to government organizations dealing with crisis events. For example, the core task of organizations is the creation and/or maintenance of a fit between the organizations' internal strengths and capabilities and the demands placed on them by their environments. Government organizations must also draw upon unique resources and capabilities across various departments and levels of government to respond to challenges in their environments.Similarly, the levels of turbulence and ambiguity present in a government agency operating environment may also be direct contributors to the difficulties inherent to SAD in these contexts. The nature of the environmental pressure, turbidity, and outcome implications make this a unique and challenging operating environment. Prior related work on this topic from other fields includes the development of homeland defense strategy for the White House (KUDUS, 2004), the modeling of disease outbreaks (Ravager & Longing, 1985; Kurd & Hare, 2001; Kaplan, craft, & win, 2002, 2003; Bank, Gull, Kumar, Marathon, Cravings, Tutorial, & Wang, 2004; Craft, Win, & Wilkins, 2005).Further uses have included numerous academic, government, and practitioner publications on epidemiological, terroris m response, and homeland security and defense strategies (Deutsche, 1 963; Hoffman, 1981; Hugh & Selves, 2002; Ramirez-Marquee & Afar, 2009). Sample data We test our model and hypotheses using data collected from a multi-step approach consisting of an experiment (a U. S. Department of Homeland Security training exercise called Measured Response (MR.)) in conjunction with an intelligent agent-based simulation. We use this data to examine the extended Dean and Sherman (1996) model and the associated hypotheses for variation in SAD process, choice, and effectiveness. We use a computational experimentation methodological approach to do this.This approach consists of two steps: 1) Using a validated survey instrument to collect data on strategy process and choice from a lab experiment with actual practitioners grouped into several response teams; and 2) An intelligent agent-based simulation utilized in the exercise to produce data on the effectiveness of the groups' SAD processes and resp onse choices. We test Our model and its hypotheses through empirical analysis of a sub sample of 268 combined observations from the survey and simulation data collected from the exercise. Copyright C 201 0, GIG Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic September 2010 5 Measured Response Exercise.The MR. Homeland Security training exercise consisted of nine teams of human agents comprised of three to five individuals each (representing their actual functional responsibilities in most asses) to play the roles of the Departments of Homeland Security (DISH), Health and Human Services (DISH), and Transportation (EDT) at the local, state, and federal levels. These human agents operated in a â€Å"Joint Operations Center environment where they were able to execute a variety of decisions and respond interactively to changes in the simulated environment throughout the exercise. Simulation Model. The Measured Response training exercise utilizes a synthetic environment as the dec ision support system technology for the exercise. This system uses a dynamic virtual computer simulation environment to simulate the outbreak ND dispersion of a biological agent on a mid-sized city in the United States. This outbreak affects tens of thousands of computer-based intelligent agents.These agents approximate the diversity of behavioral characteristics and demographics of the actual modeled population for the city. Additionally, we utilized pathogen-specific data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in the simulation model to ensure the attack takes place in a realistic manner on the virtual population of intelligent agents. Further, the organizational aspects of the simulation model incorporate data from actual DISH and CDC response plans. The simulated scenario therefore replicates the actual characteristics Of a real-world attack in which the decommissioning process and response strategy choice can significantly affect outcomes in terms of infection rate, contagi on spread, population death rate, and public mood.Given these factors, these types of decision support system technologies offer a rich and dynamic simulation environment, which largely alleviates the common concerns previously associated with using simplistic homegrown or off-the-shelf simulation tools in academic research (Linebacker et al. , 2009; Mustachios & Susann, 2009). Specifically, our training exercise utilizes thousands of different participant decisions on a variety of teams, at multiple levels, which affect thousands of computerized agents who respond dynamically to the collective participant inputs, as well as each agent's response behavior to the inputs (See Structured, Meta, & ornerier, 2005; Harrison, Line, Carroll, & Carrey, 2007 for more detail on simulation modeling).