Nothing Gold Can Stay Interpretation

Taylor Sims Interpretation of Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost is a poem that means as wonderful as any life is, it cannot continue forever. That no matter what is gold in one’s eyes, such as loved ones, young stages, innocence, or one’s treasures, it can only carry on for so long. That perfect cannot remain perfect. No golden times or moments can stay. Once a flower blooms, it must die and that bloom will never be seen by eyes again.The same goes for life, once a person reaches the final stages of living, they will become only a memory. Nature’s first sprout of life is pure as gold. â€Å"Nature’s first green is gold†. Nature may attempt all she may, but it would still be fated to leave. â€Å"Her hardest hue to hold†. A flower then sprouts from the Earth. The fragile and soft petals grow and grow thus completing the blossom. â€Å"Her early leaf’s a flower†. Then, Frost tells us that the beautiful flower is not to last for long. If one had a choice, the flower would last forever.Yet, it would have to go away. â€Å"But only so an hour. † Sadly, as marvelous as the green might seem, it slowly droops and departs its’ life. â€Å"Then leaf subsides to leaf†. Because of this, Eden mourns over the death of the pure. Eden, something that people thought was going to stay perfect and holy still went down. â€Å"So Eden sank to grief†. The day goes on, and with it goes the life and beauty of the flower. â€Å"So dawn goes down to day†. Hopefully one savors the beauty of it because â€Å"nothing gold can stay†.On the whole, something or someone that is great or pure as gold cannot stay for a long time. One must treasure the golden times and moments because of just that. They are moments, and are not meant to last. However, memories can last a lifetime. The golden memories can continue to live in one’s heart. Life is a cycle , and like in any cycle there is a beginning and an end. Nature is ephemeral, and fleetingness enhances human nature. As Frost wrote, nothing gold can stay. Words: 375

Beer Wars Strategic Marketing Management Essay

Introduction The market dynamics of the Australian beer market is given in the case study. The beer market in Australia is extensive due to high consumption by Australians. In the early 1800’s, there existed numerous independent breweries. Due to excise laws and better transport systems large breweries started acquiring smaller ones, and through widespread inorganic growth, by 1985 the industry became dominated by two corporate conglomerates, Elders IXL(CUB) and Bond Corporation. Both used aggressive marketing strategies for increasing market share. Top highlighted reasons for beer consumption were mixing with others, relaxing, allowing social drinking and enhancing appetite and the concept of beer being equal to ‘liquid food’. Women in general did not like the beer taste and contributed to only about 12% of the total sales volume, whereas 37% of the 54% adult drinking population admitted to be regular drinkers. Only 10% were ‘ocker boozers’ who contributed to 60% of the volume. Hotels/pubs and retail outlet routes formed the bulk of the sales. Standard beer was the most consumed at 70% followed by light beer at 24%. Males across all age groups equally represented beer consumption with little higher consumption in the 31-40 age group. The marketers strongly believed in the ‘beer image’ having a strong influence on beer brand preference. So the marketers started projecting the alcohol content by way of which they used to segment variants in different ways each brand being targeted at a specific segment. Several different brand imageries have been created. Lastly the several brands and variants that had been created with the hope of creating market share seemed to have fallen flat. A failed attempt in the same direction in the form of Swan Gold trying to entice consumption by women also failed. Problem: Due to increased competition, there was a flux of introducing new products continuously, which put in peril the older products of cannibalisation. The major objectives that the beer companies had were †¢Increase market share by acquiring customers †¢Maintenance of existing customers by ensuring no cannibalisation †¢product positioning and launch strategies for the newer brands and phasing out older brands Solution: Increase the beer market, instead of just market share The consumption of beer has been steadily increasing over the years (from around 5% in 1900 to 12% in 2000). But also around the same time, the consumption of Coffee and other milk based drinks had been exponentially increasing (from around negligible % in 1900 to around 20% in 2000). Therefore instead of eating into each others’ market share, the industry should try to increase consumption of Beer among the non-Beer drinkers and hence increase the whole pie. Encourage successful brands and terminate lagging brands Instead of keeping a huge number of brands which is leading to cannibalisation, the brands which are doing well must be encouraged and marketed well, on the other hand those that are not bringing in much profits should be discontinued. This would simplify marketing and would make it focused. Phase in brands tailored for women The exhibits show that women prefer non beer alcohol, in part due to the image of beer as a male bonding drink. Thus certain brands of beer that can be positioned as less bitter, and more female oriented can be launched. The marketing and advertising of these brands should be done in such a way that the women are targeted. Increase light beer Brands offering light beers and beers with less alcohol would serve two purposes. They would attract customers who do not drink, and also are better served in restaurants according to the exhibits given. Launching beer brands over considerable spans of time 2 versions of Power’s were launched in the same month (February 1991) while Forex Gold and Forex Light Bitter from Lion Nathan were launched with only a month separating them. Because of this no single brand is properly marketed and does not get the time to build itself in the minds of consumers. This also leads to cannibalisation.

Business Structures Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business Structures - Assignment Example of the sole proprietorship form of structure is that the individual enjoys decision making and being an own boss while the demerit may involve the business not having enough capital to operate (Nkwocha, 2014). On the part of partnership business forms, the major advantage is that it is not expensive to set up while a major demerit involves sharing of losses with other partners regardless of the situation. Trust form of business is very expensive to start as well as operate. However, this form of business guarantees protection of the assets in question. The company enjoys limited liability but incurs higher costs for setting up (Nkwocha, 2014). Prior to choosing a form of ownership, an entrepreneur should consider factors such as the amount of capital required, ownership and control of the business, license and the volume of work (Nkwocha, 2014). Some of the laws that might need to be considered when determining a business structure include licensing laws that explain on tax registration and license, the disclosure agreement laws that touch in confidentiality matters and even zoning laws that involve the location of business (Steingold,

Selenium and vitamin E deficiency as risk factors for animals' Research Proposal

Selenium and vitamin E deficiency as risk factors for animals' infertility, epidemiological evaluation - Research Proposal Example Saudi Arabia is among the largest producers of beef meet in the world because of the extensive livestock projects in the country. However, effective production in the country is limited by the prevalence of infertility cases among the livestock. In addition, most farmers in Saudi Arabia rely on the traditional approaches of livestock, which hinders effective disease prevention and cure in the livestock. Livestock farming in Saudi Arabia entails cattle, sheep, camel and goat. The farmers supply their products to various industries in the country for processing and export. Most of the animal products in the country have poor quality because of the poor livestock production and upkeep techniques used by the farmers. Infertility among livestock in Saudi Arabia limits the growth of the farming sector in the country. In addition, the Saudi Arabian government is implementing various initiatives to control the rate of infertility in the country (Al-Khamees, 2010). Deficiency of particular minerals in the diet of the livestock leads to infertility conditions. Selenium and Vitamin E are essential elements that are essential in controlling infertility in livestock in various countries across the world. The minerals and vitamins are incorporated in different animal feeds in order to promote hormonal balance and strength of the uterus (Andrews, 2004). Deficiency of Vit E and se in the livestock causes Brucellosis in the livestock, which leads to infertility. In this case, the animals fail to retain the pregnancy for the normal period. Moreover, the occurrence of stillbirths among the animals increases rapidly because of the effects of the disease on the animals reproductive system. Cases of infertility due to Brucellosis effects in Saudi Arabia are on the rise because of the poor agricultural techniques used in the country. The initiatives to introduce modern techniques of farming in

International marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 8

International marketing - Essay Example This article aims at addressing the various styles used by organisations in building relationships as well as providing a comparison between Britain and India with some recommendations concerning the best practice for dealing with cultural differences for an international marketer. The various reasons for entering in B2B relationships influence the style used by the organisation in building the relationship. These styles may take the form of partnerships, strategic alliances, joint ventures, interlocking directorates, trade associations as well as the establishment of trade networks (Bagdoniene & Zilione 2009). Currently, because of the process of globalisation of world trade, most companies tend to diversify their operations and operate in more than one country and hence the establishment of networks continues to gain more popularity over the other methods. However, the organizations that intend to establish networks require the skills required for building and maintaining such networks. This means that the ability and the capability of establishing networks depend largely on the knowledge and experience of the management team. An organization deeply rooted in a country like Britain where the labour is more skillful is thus likely to develop networks more eas ily than an organisation deeply rooted in India where labour is less developed. This means that the necessity to acquire more skills in Britain is less than in a country like India. This means that in Britain, the move to acquire more managerial skills is lower and hence less likely going to engage in partnerships with the aim of gaining knowledge and skills. While organizations operating in India are most likely going to collaborate with a substantial organisation to acquire skills to deal with the managerial problems, it faces in the current globalised economy in which intense competition is the most describing feature (Ghemawat &

Transformational leadership compare articles Essay

Transformational leadership compare articles - Essay Example ose of this study is examine the relationship between transformational leadership in a business environment in France and how employees perceive fairness in terms of distributive, interactional and procedural fairness. This study is important, according to the authors because there exists very little if any, information about the relationship between leaders and other factors such as trust and satisfaction among followers. This study is very significant because it aims to tap in to this area and reveal important information that can help organizations improve relationships between leaders and employees (Bacha, and Walker,2012). The other article is ‘Ethical Preferences of Transformational Leaders: An Empirical Investigation’, written by Krishnan Venkat and Banerji Priyanka. The main objective of this article is to study the relationship between four main factors of transformational leadership and the individual preference of leaders regarding unethical behavior. According to the authors, this study is important because it aims at studying the impact that leaders have in managing unethical behavior in organizations through transformational leadership. The study examines five different ethical scenarios in an attempt to determine how transformational leadership can be used to manage such scenarios (Banerji, & Krishnan, 2000). In the first article, Bacha and Walker (2012) focus on filling the gap in research with regard to transformational leadership by studying the relationship between transformational leadership and the perceptions of employees on the concept of justice or fairness. This area has been overlooked in most scientific studies and these authors aim at revealing substantive information to improve the relationship between employees and their leaders (Bacha, and Walker,2012). The main research question for this article therefore is to find out how transformational leadership can be used to improve the employees’ perception of the concept of justice

The Prediction Of Company Failure Using Financial And Non-Financial Essay

The Prediction Of Company Failure Using Financial And Non-Financial Information - Essay Example Studies have shown that financial difficulty arise mainly due to as a result of series of errors and misjudgment on the part of management. Moreover, interrelated weakness can also be attributed to management. Ratio analysis can be used to predict whether a firm will go bankrupt or not, because the sign of potential financial distress are generally evident in a ratio analysis long before the firm actually fails. How often businesses fail in United States? A good number of businesses fail each year. One thing is very important to note here that the failure rate per 1,000 businesses fluctuates depending upon the economy, but the average liability tended to increase over time. Though business failure is more common among smaller firms, large firms are not immune to it. But, some firms are too important or too big to be allowed to fail. So governmental intervention or mergers are often used as methods to avoid failure. For example, the US government gave aid to Chrysler in the 1980s to avoid its failure. Another example is that of merger of Goodbody company with Merril Lynch to avoid the former’s bankruptcy which would have frozen the accounts of 2, 25,000 customers while bankruptcy settlement was being worked out. WorldCom, Enron, Kmart, Global Crossing, Arthur Andersen, Polaroid, Qwest and Xerox are a few of the reputed companies which failed. Some of the above mentioned companies are fortune 500 companies that were not supposed to collapse. The question to be answered is â€Å"why companies fail?† Market turbulence, bad economy, a weak dollar, competitive subterfuge forces etc are some of the readymade answers which a CEO of the failed company would generally offer. A company can fail due to both financial and non financial reasons. Some of the financial reasons for company failure are low liquidity, low profitability, lower value of shares, inability to meet current debts, high ratio of loan capital compared to equity

Gallery Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gallery Paper - Essay Example The contrast makes every item stand out. The artist has also used light colors in painting parts that get exposure to light and darker colors for parts that do not meet light. The artist has also used colors that characterize the items in real-life. For example, the skin of the people in the artwork is brown just as in real-life. Shape. The art entails many shapes that combine to form the people and objects on the picture. Since this picture is a representation of natural objects, the writer mostly uses freehand shapes. Such shapes, usually, consist of curved lines that are drawn or painted without the help of drawing instruments. Texture. The artist does not lose the texture of the objects despite the art being visual. It is full of visual impressions of texture. The clothes the two human beings are wearing have crescents and valleys that are not tactile, but visual. On the other hand, their bodies and the objects in the background also appear very smooth. Space. The artist creates an illusion of a third dimension by manipulating light, shading and overlap (Prince 13). The crescents on the clothes of the two human beings appear to overlap each other. Every crescent appears to be on top of the preceding one. The artist also creates a third dimension through using dark and light colors on different parts of the painting. For example, the woman’s forehead is bright while her cheeks are dark. Apart from shading, overlap and lighting, linear perspective also helps in the creation of the third dimension. For example, the windowpanes in the background vary in size depending on the proximity to the main picture. Harmony. The work has an extensive amount of harmony. The colors appropriately combine with each other. There is harmony between the colors of the clothes the two people are wearing. Besides the harmony in color, the shapes of the items are very consistent. In the background, the windowpanes are similar in size and color. The

Architecture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Architecture - Essay Example Defining the various methodologies and looking at the research required then provides a different level of insight into creating the right approach in understanding and evaluating the architectural topics that are required. Qualitative Methods of Research The basis of qualitative methods of research is to associate with people or objects at a given level to collect data. Instead of using hard data, such as statistics and other formats of numbers, there is a relationship to the social aspect of data and how this alters in given situations. Social sciences, such as psychology and the arts, are able to use qualitative methods for specific interpretations and observations that are required. Surveys, interviews, observation and informal methods of collecting data are often combined with creating a relationship to various variables required. This is furthered with types of research that are used with qualitative studies. For instance, grounded theory takes the ideology of qualitative metho ds and proposes ways to move through the research process. This is inclusive of observing and gathering data as well as finding specific ways to analyze and interpret the method that has been used. This helps to explain the statements and actions with specific individuals while building meanings out of the observation. For this to work, there is the need to have grounding with theoretical ideologies, combined with the capacity of coding information into data that creates meaning (Charmaz, 2006: 3). For architectural alternatives, there is the ability to observe and analyze a variety of movements, actions and theories with the theory. This is combined with analyzing the outcome and observations associated with this. The strength in this is based on creating meaning for a social and cultural observation of society. However, there is also a specific interpretation which is made according to the researcher and the defining points of the observations made, as opposed to being based only on facts. A basis that is a part of research philosophies in architecture comes with the main topic area and how this influences the availability of studies. Architecture is considered a component of both the social sciences and an art form, both which create a broad range for study that can be considered. To further the research that is done according to subject matter is also the need to have a specific type of research to identify the architecture. Theory based data analysis becomes one of the main approaches to those studying the architectural forms. The theory data is provided with past theories of architecture, social movements, cultural affiliations and philosophies which are attributed to the buildings that are studied. The overview and observation that occurs with the form of theory based data analysis then offers a broad viewpoint of the architectural forms and how this links to the buildings and subjects that are a part of the research. In relation to this are formats suc h as the focal relationship, which takes at least two independent theories and compares them to identify the relationship with architecture to given theories. This provides a cause and effect theory, which shows the cause for building the architecture and the effect which this has had within the social sciences (Aneshensel, 2002: 11). The theoretical observation that takes place has strength in looking at the past theories and relating these to dependent

Managing Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Managing Change - Essay Example Customers tend to prefer those retail stores which serve them quick. Although, ASDA is one of the largest UK retail organisation, but the research has revealed that customers have to wait longer at ASDA as compared to Waitrose and Sainsburry (Mirror, 2006). ASDA is at the third number in the UK retail industry on the basis of customer waiting time. This situation is a serious issue for any retail organisation. The management of ASDA should take considerable measures in order to reduce the customer waiting time and to make sure that the company has lowest possible customer waiting time in the UK retail industry. For this purpose, the management has to change some of the working standards and procedures and along with this has to incorporate new technologies. This change is important in order to provide the customers with valuable shopping experience and make sure that there is high customer satisfaction. This in turn will facilitate the organisation in the process of attracting more c ustomers and retaining the current ones, thus increasing the customer base. In order to incorporate this change it is first important to measure the current performance, set new standards for the performance and compare the current performance with the new standards. For this reason, the management of ASDA has to first measure the current queuing time and set the new queuing time. ... To consolidate improvements and produce still more change 8. To institutionalise new approaches The management of ASDA has to first communicate to the employees the importance of this decision and the implications for the whole organisation. Secondly, the organisation will have to identify and formulate a group of people who can lead the change process. Their organisation will have to come up with a proper vision which should be communicated to the employees and the employees should have the required empowerment in order to take the necessary steps. The organisation will have to create short term milestones and wins and work on required improvements. Apart from this the organisation should enforce a system of proper control and monitoring for the continuous improvement. There are several internal and external factors which will either support the change or resist the change. It is important for the organisation to incorporate the appropriate change management strategies in order to m inimise the negative forces and enhance the positive forces (Markovic, 2008). One major element in the process of change management is in regard to the management of the resistance. Most of the changes or transformation fails because of the increasing resistance (Atkinson, 2005). It is importance for the organisation to manage the resistance effectively and efficiently. In this particular case the high resistance will be from the employees of the retail organisation. In order to reduce the resistance on the part of the employees, the management of the organisation should involve them in the process and implement the method of participatory communication (Russ, 2008). Apart from this the management of ASDA should also start the training and development program for the employees

Napoleon was successful because his enemies were incompetent Essay Example for Free

Napoleon was successful because his enemies were incompetent Essay Napoleon was successful because his enemies were incompetent and divided. How far do you agree? Napoleon was one of the most successful military leaders Europe has ever seen; his leadership of the French army saw him control much of continental Europe. Napoleons enemies did give him a great advantage during his success through their incompetence and divisions. However the weaknesses of Napoleons opposition was not the only reason why he was so successful. One must also look at other reasons to why Napoleon had so much success. Napoleons enemies had old-fashioned, slow and immobile tactics when fighting Napoleon, this made it easier for Napoleon to defeat them, as his army was quick and mobile. This inability to produced new tactics was exposed at the Battle of Ulm in 1805. The Prussians were fighting Napoleon, they were slow and immobile, and as a result lost 45,000 men, Napoleon was able to easily expose their immobility. Napoleons enemies showed were divided and not united together as they failed to join together and forge a successful alliance against Napoleon. The Second Coalition of 1799 is an example of their incompetence to join together against Napoleon. It was between Britain, Russia, Austria and the Ottoman Empire. However it was made up of a series of separate alliances, which meant there was no single aim. Soon there was political fallout between Russia and Britain over Malta, which meant the coalition was effectively disbanded. The fallout allowed Napoleon to interfere and get Russia on side, and then bully Austria into the Peace of Luneville. Although it can be seen that Napoleon was successful in divide and rule as he was able to split the allies and forge a separate alliance, this failed coalition also shows the incompetence of Napoleons enemies to united against him. Napoleons enemies also saw him as infallible and this meant they would enter a battle against him with fear and often gave him too much respect. Evidently Napoleons enemies incompetence and divisions did play a part in his success, they had poor tactics and could not unite against him. However in order to analyse how far his enemies incompetence and divisions led to Napoleons success, one must also look at other factors which led to Napoleons success. Napoleons himself and his leadership of the French army is a key reason for his success. When Napoleon took command of the French army, he reorganised it and took lead of the whole army himself. The army was divided into corps of 25,000 to 30,000 soldiers, which increased the armies mobility. Napoleon controlled the whole army and decided every move on the battlefield. This along with the mobility of the army, allowed him to make fast decisions and his army were able to respond quickly. To increase speed and mobility Napoleon also introduced living off the land which meant his soldiers carried a limited supply of food and clothes and were encouraged to loot as they marched. This meant his men could travel from 12 to 15 miles a day. In another effort to increase mobility Napoleon also used horse artillery. Napoleon had great qualities as a military general; he would formulate a general plan of action before any battle and calculate all the possibilities. He did this at Austerlitz in 1805 to great effect. He engaged the Russians, but kept a large reserve, which allowed him to roll to victory. Napoleon was also a quick thinker and was able to improvise by using his mobile army to take advantage of enemy mistakes. This can be seen at the Battle of Ulm in 1805, where he improvised by making a quick decision to send marshal Murat in pursuit of the Austrians, which reduced their numbers from 70,000 to 27,000. Napoleon possessed great charisma. Wellington said of him his presence in the battlefield is worth an extra 40,000 men. He would fight alongside his men, which inspired his men and gained him respect. He did this at the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805, when times got hard for his soldiers. He also used emotional, theatrical language in his Daily Bulletins, to inspire and arouse the passions of his troops. This ability to inspire his troops meant he got the best out of his men at all times, increasing his chances of victory. Napoleon also understood the importance of paying his men in coin money as appose to paper money, as it did not depreciate in value. He also allowed them to loot as they conquered new lands. This boosted morale as his soldiers were payed well and it also meant they respected him. Napoleon would also play to his strengths, and as he had a weak navy, he never fought naval battles. Another skill of Napoleon was his ability to incorporate other peoples tactics into his own army with great effect. For instance he took military thinker Guiberts tactic of mixed order (a combination of lines and columns of men), and incorporated it into the army. It had a great impact as it increased mobility and meant they were less vulnerable and predictable. Although it was not his idea, Napoleon did incorporate into his army to great effect. Evidently Napoleons military skills and leadership of the French army was another reason for him been so successful. He possessed great skills such controlling the whole army, planning ahead and improving to take advantage of enemy mistakes. He was also brilliant at getting the best out of his troops through his charisma and incorporating other peoples tactics to great effect. Another reason that must be analysed in order to establish why Napoleon was so successful is the strength of the French army he inherited when he came to power. Due to conscription introduced in 1793 before Napoleon was in power, the French army was by far the largest in Europe. By 1805 it consisted of around 600,000 men. This was an obvious a great advantage to Napoleon, it enabled him to change the nature of warfare to levee on masse. The size of the army allowed him to surround enemies as he did at the twin battle of Jena-Auerstadt where by surrounding the Prussians, made them face on the wrong way when battle began, as a result they lost 45,000 men. Napoleon was also able to take huge losses himself, as on average he took on 73,000 new conscripts. Napoleon also inherited the experienced soldiers that had fought in the Grande Armee during the French revolution; these men were of great value. So evidently Napoleon was assisted in his success, as he inherited a huge army, which gave him the edge against the smaller, weaker armies of his enemies. So although Napoleon was assisted by the incompetent and divided nature of his enemies, other factors also had a great contribution in his success, particularly his military skills and leadership. Without possessing great skills he would have not been as successful. It was his skills, which allowed him to take advantage of the weakness of his enemies, and the army he inherited and as a result have so much military success.

Effect of the Traditional Practices on Modernization

Effect of the Traditional Practices on Modernization Effect Of The Traditional Practices On Modernization: Roaring Dragon Hotel (RDH) and Hotel International (HI) Executive Summary In this paper in working the proposal for smooth transition of organization from tradition workspace culture in case of Roaring Dragon Hotel (RDH) and Hotel International (HI). I will address major issues which effected the modernization of the one of the largest and famous hotel in southwestern china. (Grainger, 2008). Transition of the well establish and tradition organization from the routine style of the work culture is difficult and required well understanding of local sentiment and cultures, transition can successful when respect is paid to local work culture and making the people to realize need of the this transition and make transition working together. In case of RDH well established and well reputed hotel which had tradition and local custom kind of the work culture. When the HI tried to modernize RDH irrespective of the employee’s interest and without knowledge of the workflow of the hotel caused failure (Grainger, 2008). Introduction: Modernization of RDH The RDH is famous and one of the original three start hotel in southwest china is a state owned enterprise (SOE). Employees are working for long time with hotel and new employees are transferred from other SOE, by following guanxi connections. Work culture is grounded to more toward native work culture, with lazy managers, unorganized work manners, unprofessional employees. State government decide to modernize the hotel and they hired HI to implement the modernization (Grainger, 2008). Work environment was more relaxed and casual, with more benefits and less stressful workload compare to other organization, and more leisure time for worker to relax and even some manager are running private business by leaving the work place in mid of the shifts. With market economy slowly growing in china doesn’t concerned the RDH management in fading reputation and slowing profits, still management doesn’t want to practice new work culture, nor think how to improve hotel in growing competition. In 2000, Provisional government realizing the concern over RDH and declining the popularity and profit, decided to modernize the hotel and starting searching for well reputed and experienced international management for modernization of RDH. After deep research they decided the Hotel International is best choice for implementing this process. In 2001, after series of agreement they appointed HI to take over the management from 2002 (Grainger, 2008). . Background : Knowing market is Important China is one of the largest and fastest growing economies in the world, it is experiencing a great deal of change in the management style and organization culture (Yipeng, Woywode Yijun, 2012). Provisional government realizing this fact and concerned about the declining quality and profit, hoped that appoint international reputed and experiences HI can bring modernization in to RDH (Grainger, 2008). Paul Fortune GM of HI has appointed for implementing the modernization of the RDH, after taking up management from SOE in 2002 (Grainger, 2008). Problem: Making Connections Fortune realized in modernization of RDH involve massive change in the current work practices, educate the employees for regulated work environment, increase the professionalism in the workplace and takeout the irregularity in the employees day to day activities. Major change he proposed to sidetrack the guanxi hiring process by introducing two month training and hiring process and reducing the staff size as demolition of part of hotel decrease the serviced rooms in hotel which caused over staff (Grainger,2008). This actions without proper understanding the local traditions and belief had cause dissatisfaction among the employees caused in decrease in productivity from employees. Failed to retain longtime customers further decremented the profit caused the shortage of money (Grainger, 2008). In the transformation influenced by culture may cause the misinterpretation among the management and employees being with the organization long time and well incorporated in current organization culture (Yipeng, Woywode Yijun, 2012). Guanxi rooted deeply in to RDH, which in positive side increase the satisfaction rate in employees and kept trust in the organization. Guanxi â€Å"refers to personal ties between individuals as well as to an individual’s whole network of personal relationships† (Olwen Hwang, 2013). According to Bedford and Hwang guanxi play key role in career success, because it improve ability to maintain connection in and out of a circle which ultimately increase circle and contact with resources needed for development (p1). In case of the Guanxi this connection are ignored which broke the relationship factors (Grainger, 2008). Other factor which effect in this transformation is trust. While cutting down the resources, employees were mentioned about their termination after leaving the workplace, thinking they may steal the property of RDH in angry (Grainger, 2008). This broke the trust factor between the management and employees who are working trustfully for year with RDH. Opportunities: Future is important HI had started the implementing the modernization for change the status of the RDH with current reputation and putting it in to future economic market. It focused on the improving in long term prospective, it motive was exactly the RDH needed but failed to see the consequences while this implementation. It made strict work place but lacked the motivation (Grainger, 2008). It had seen the negative effect of the guanxi, but it forgot see the positive side. While the factor of globalization coming in to picture connection play major role in flow of knowledge the across which help in the growing not only one domain but in all the prospective domain (Xiaoying, 2013). If you consider case of guanxi in RDH if it had utilized in efficient way it would have increase the reputation of the RDH across the globe. Recommendation: Communication, Teamwork, Leadership Communication is key factor is any organization. When we come across cross culture migration like case study of the RDH, it is important that the continuous communication is establish between the low level and high employees, where in this case it is lacking. Poor communication creates a gap vacuum between the layers and cause the breakage in the flow (Malcolm Pegg, 2012). Utilizing the current guanxi process and building from the strong is important, in concept the guanxi builds strong relationship between the individual’s breaks the barrier in the teams and bring everyone in to one roof. Guanxi serves as median team building and access to other group with strong relationships â€Å"Guanxi should play a critical role in influencing team interaction processes and members’ effectiveness† (Chou, Cheng, Huang Hung-Yueh, 2006). Leadership is other factor which is lacking the RDH case. RDH lack proper leadership which is ready take up the responsibility, they took the things for granted. RDH required an authentic leadership who have â€Å"self-awareness, internal regulation, balanced information, authority, relational transparency† (Kinsler, 2014). A strong leader who can integrate his idea in to present system, able to express and pass the message strong across the organization and taking barrier away (Kinsler, 2014). Conclusion: Understanding Understanding the process is important part, making every one understand the process is challenge task and important task. HI need to understand the importance of the interpersonal connection and utilize them to benefit of the RDH rather than pushing out. As Guanix is rooted deep in to the Chinese culture it can’t be uprooted in a short span (Liu, Woywode Xing, 2012). HI need to incorporate the connection in and out circle. References: Bedford, O., Hwang, S. (2013). Building Relationships for Business in Taiwanese Hostess Clubs: the Psychological  and Social Processes of Guanxi Development.Gender, Work Organization,20(3), 297-310. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0432.2011.00576.x. Grainger, S. (2008). Roaring Dragon Hotel. Western Ontario, Canada: Ivey Publishing. Hill, M. L., Jones, P. (2012). Measures and Metrics Shape and Sustain a Cultural Change Initiative in a  Global Research Division.OD Practitioner,44(4), 34-41. Kinsler, L. (2014). Born to be mewho am I again? The development of Authentic Leadership  using Evidence-Based Leadership Coaching and Mindfulness. International Coaching Psychology Review, 9(1), 92-105. Li-Fang, C., Bor-Shiuan, C., Min-Ping, H., Hung-Yueh, C. (2006). Guanxi networks and members’ effectiveness in  Chinese work teams: Mediating effects of trust networks.Asian Journal Of Social Psychology,9(2), 79-95.  doi:10.1111/j.1467-839X.2006.00185.x Qi, X. (2013). Guanxi, social capital theory and beyond: toward a globalized social science Guanxi, social capital  theory and beyond: toward a globalized social science.British Journal Of Sociology,64(2), 308-324.  doi:10.1111/1468-4446.12019. Liu, Y., Woywode, M., Xing, Y. (2012). High technology start-up innovation and the role of guanxi : an explorative  study in China from an institutional perspective.Prometheus,30(2), 211-229. doi:10.1080/08109028.2012.661558

Potential of Wine and Pumped Storage for Energy Security

Potential of Wine and Pumped Storage for Energy Security Introduction Energy security is making sure there is enough electrical supply for demand based on a price which is not too volatile. In order to make certain of the energy security for the future governments around the world are introducing new plans to reform their current strategies. In the UK it has an Electricity Market Reform which is said to attract 100 billion GBP. (DECC, 2016a) Increasing energy efficiencies, maintaining reliable networks, and increasing connectedness of nearby countries will all lead the way to making sure we are sufficient for the future. Commitments from governmental commitments further strengthen this resolve for example the EU renewable energy directive of 15% energy consumption of 20% by 2020. Wind Energy This form of renewable energy uses the flow of air from the wind to rotate a turbine which generates electricity. The equation to calculate the power through a square metre is given below which in turns shows that the power is proportional to the velocity of the wind and as shown by Coley (2008) as you increase in height above land the faster the wind speed is which is why wind turbines are increasing in size: From DUKES (2016), it states a total electrical generation from Wind in 2015 for the UK was 83550 GWh as which Wind contributed to 18965 GWh (18.965 TWh). The total wind generation has increased by 26% from 2014 to 2015. DECC (2013) are predicting an annual growth rate of 13% for onshore wind over the next decade with 11 GW capacity currently under or awaiting construction and in planning phase. For offshore up to 18 GW could be available by 2020. Figure 1: UK coverage of wind turbines (RenewableMap, 2016) Wind can be predicted with a margin of error but is difficult to store so other technologies are needed to compensate it. Pumped storage hydroelectricity (PSH) This renewable source stores energy in the form of gravitational potential energy of water with two reservoirs. During high demand water from the top reservoir is released and goes through a turbine which generates electricity. The top reservoir is recharged during times of low demand. It can be used to reduce the amount of start-ups and shutdowns and maintain a steady balance between supply and demand. Pumped Storage hydro is the most flexible source of power generation available, it can meet demand within minutes. The main countries with the highest pumped storage capacity are Europe, Japan, and the US. The total pumped hydro capacity worldwide was 136 GW in 2010 compared to 98 GW in 2005. The installed small hydro was 61 GW in 2010. (IRENA, 2012) According to Owens (2013), there are around 50 pumped storage hydro plants that have a capacity of ~1GW. The worlds largest is Bath County Pumped Storage Station which has a capacity of 2.7 GW. Unlike a dam a PSH has little damage to an ecosystem in comparison. The flooded area would be best suited in a low organic content area. Figure 2: Example picture of PSH According to DUKES (2016), the total electrical generation from hydro in 2015 for the UK was 6.3 TWh. 7.5% of the renewable generation was from large scale hydro. Figure 3: UK coverage of hydro projects (RenewableMap, 2016) PSH is one of the few large scale renewable sources which gives an affordable means for storing while generating low cost electricity carbon-free. It has the ability to generate electricity based on demand instantaneously. 23 GW of PSH capacity is undergoing construction with 8.3 GW announced for the future in the UK. (Scottish Renewables ,2016) In the US there are currently 40 PHS plants in operations totalling a capacity of 22 GW which accounts for 95% of all the energy storage in the country. 50 more PSH projects have been proposed which could increase the total capacity by 40 GW. (U.S Department of Energy, 2015) Global Energy Storage Different storage systems have been used in other countries like pumped hydro energy storage (PHES), thermal, battery, and hydrogen storage. Pumped storage has been found to be the leader due to its high capacity, flexibility, and availability. (Al Zohbi, et al., 2015) Scottish Renewables (2016) shows that 97% of world storage capacity is from PSH. Figure 4: Installed global capacity of energy storage (Scottish Renewables, 2016) Wind and Pumped Storage Combination The are several other methods of which can be combined with wind energy (e.g. hydro, conventional thermal, gas). Pumped storage has the advantage of always having available power even during dry period. (Montero Pà ©rez, 2009) Figure 5: Hybrid wind and pumped storage plant (Anagnostopoulos Papantonis, 2007) Example 1 According to Ingram (2016), Germany are currently undergoing a pilot project for wind and pumped storage hydro. There will be four wind turbines installed and a 16 MW pumped storage unit on the Kocher river. This will give a fast response to the grid and reduce costs of electricity for the consumer. The 4 wind turbines will be commissioned by the end of 2017 and the PSH plant will be operational by 2018. Figure 6: Pilot project combining wind and pumped storage hydro in Gaildorf, Germany (Ingram, 2016) Example 2 A pumped storage system composed of 4 turbines and a 11MW wind farm has been built in one of the Canary Islands which will meet 80% of electrical demand. (Al Zohbi, et al., 2015) Figure 7: Pumped Storage Plant (Montero Pà ©rez, 2009) Example 3 The concept of a 10MW wind farm installed in the Faroe Islands combined with a pumped storage plant. The reservoirs will be connected at Miovatn (upper reservoir) and Vatnsnes (lower reservoir) which could give a capacity of 10MW. The cost of the storage plant is estimated to be 5.7 NOK/kWh. (Nordon Energy Research, 2013) Figure 8: Catchment area in the Faroe Islands. (Nordon Energy Research, 2013) IRENA (2015) shows an increase in both Wind and Pumped Hydro capacity by 2030 compared to 2013: Figure 9: Total installed renewable capacity between year 2013 and 2030. (IRENA, 2014) A disadvantage with PSH is it is very capital intensive with long development and construction times. The main contributors being the infrastructure of the hydro plant and second to this is the electro-mechanical equipment. According to IRENA (2012), the total installed cost ranges from $1000 $3500/kW. This may also increase by an additional $3500/kW due to the cost of connecting to existing transmission networks; this depends from location to location. Energy Interconnectedness An electrical system which can become more flexible could save the UK consumers billions per year. Flexibility can come from interconnection of other electrical systems, for example wind and pumped storage hydro (PSH). The European Commission has set a target of 10% electricity interconnection for 2020. They are building towards a more integrated, competitive and sustainable common energy market. They have put forward a European Energy Programme for Recovery (EEPR) mainly because of the economic crisis and with this have identified interconnection projects across the EU and to date spent 650 million EUR. (EuropeanCommission, 2015) The UK currently has an interconnector capacity of 4GW with France, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland. (Ofgem, 2016) According to Becker (2015), there is a further 7.3 GW proposed interconnector capacity from for example Belgium, Denmark, and Norway. The German Advisory Council requires 42 GW transmission capacity between Norway and Germany by 2050 to make PSH able to balance renewable electrical generation in Germany. Germany has a goal of 80% renewable electricity by 2050. (Ingebretsen Johansen, 2014). Norway possesses ~50% of the reservoir capacity in Europe. Norway provides 98% of its electricity from hydroelectric plants. Stone (2015) says that Norway could be a potential Green Battery for the EU but is restricted due to political and social issues. However, it has been announced that a 1.4 MW 740 km link will join UK and Norway costing $1.64 billion which will be operational in 2021. The Global Energy Interconnection Development and Co-operation Organization (GEIDO) is a Chinese group with a goal of an Asian super grid by 2050. There are now agreements between energy companies in China, Russia, Japan, and South Korea. They have highlighted geopolitics as a main obstacle for grid interconnected stability and assumed that there will be access to the newly developing ultra-high voltage lines which operates at 1000kV AC and 800 kV DC over 1000kms. (New Atlas, 2016) Figure 10: Global Energy Interconnection (GEIDO, 2016) A disadvantage of interconnectedness between countries is shown in Andrews (2015). During the summer time our demand is assured however during winter time when electricity demand is at its highest there is a potential for other countries to take the supply leaving another without electricity (such as brownouts, blackouts, and overloads). Conclusions Wind and PSH will prove to be a necessity for providing energy security in the future. Wind is given an added benefit when combined with PSH of increased electricity usage by transferring energy at times of low demand. PSH is a mature and proven technology and gives the ability of supplying electric on demand within minutes. The future of energy security also relies on the interconnectedness of nearby countries; connecting to Norway is seen as the most beneficially for supply of renewable electricity in the EU. However, on a global scale the geopolitical and social aspects between countries could be deemed as problematic and will need to develop if interconnector capacity between countries is to prosper. Appendix Figure 11: European Wind Atlas, onshore (EWEA, 2009) Table 1: Technical wind energy potential in the EU (Dursun Alboyaci, 2010) Table 2: Worldwide hydroelectric storage potentials (Dursun Alboyaci, 2010) [1600 words] References   Ã‚   AL ZOHBI, G. et al. (2015) Wind-hydro pumped storage systems to meet Lebanese electricity demand. Revue des Energies Renouvelables. [Online] 18. (September). p.375-397. Available from: http://www.cder.dz/download/Art18-3_3.pdf [Accessed: 19th December 2016] ANAGNOSTOPOULOS, J. S. PAPANTONIS, D. E. (2007) Pumping station design for a pumped-storage wind-hydro power plant. Energy Conversion and Management. [Online] 48. (August). p.3009-3017. Available from: http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0196890407002063/1-s2.0-S0196890407002063-main.pdf?_tid=9e097eee-c637-11e6-a2e7-00000aacb35facdnat=1482185465_9948b3b6017d5ca57015e6a48dc377ff [Accessed: 19th December 2016] ANDREWS, R. (2015) UK Electricity Interconnectors a Double-Edged Sword. [Online] Available from: http://euanmearns.com/uk-electricity-interconnectors-a-double-edged-sword/ [Accessed: 22nd December 2016] BECKER, S. (2015) The role of interconnectors in GB adequacy planning. [Online] Available from: https://www.iea.org/media/workshops/2015/esapworkshopvi/Becker.pdf [Accessed: 21st December 2016] COLEY, D. (2008) Energy and Climate Change: Creating a sustainable future. Chichester, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell (an imprint of John Wiley Sons Ltd). DECC (2013) UK Renewable Energy Roadmap. [Online] Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/255182/UK_Renewable_Energy_Roadmap_-_5_November_-_FINAL_DOCUMENT_FOR_PUBLICATIO___.pdf [Accessed: 19th December 2016] DECC (2016a) 2010 to 2015 government policy: UK energy security. [Online] Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2010-to-2015-government-policy-uk-energy-security/2010-to-2015-government-policy-uk-energy-security [Accessed: 22nd December 2016] DUKES (2016b) Chapter 6: Renewable Sources of Energy. [Online] Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/547977/Chapter_6_web.pdf [Accessed: 21st December 2016] DURSUN, B. ALBOYACI, B. (2010) The contribution of wind-hydro pumped storage systems in meeting Turkeys electric energy demand. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. [Online] 14. (March). p.1979-1988. Available from: http://ac.els-cdn.com/S1364032110000924/1-s2.0-S1364032110000924-main.pdf?_tid=5ec049be-c639-11e6-aed4-00000aab0f27acdnat=1482186218_81556fe3a59c4150108d199e7b2bc998 [Accessed: 19th December 2016] EUROPEANCOMMISSION (2015) Energy Union Package: Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council. [Online] Available from: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:a5bfdc21-bdd7-11e4-bbe1-01aa75ed71a1.0003.01/DOC_1format=PDF [Accessed: 21st December 2016] EWEA (2009) Wind Energy The Facts: A guide to the technology, economics and future of wind power. London, UK: Earthscan. GEIDO (2016) Home: Global Energy Interconnection. [Online] Available from: http://www.geidco.org/html/qqnycoen/index.html [Accessed: 22nd December 2016] INGEBRETSEN E. JOHANSEN, T. H. G. (2014) The Profitability of Pumped Hydro Storage in Norway. Master of Science in Energy, Natural Resources and the Environment. Bergen: Norwegian School of Economics INGRAM, E. (2016) Pilot Project Combining Wind and Pumped Storage Hydro Under Construction in Germany. [Online] Available from: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2016/10/pilot-project-combining-wind-and-pumped-storage-hydro-under-construction-in-germany.html [Accessed: 19th December 2016] IRENA (2012) Renewable Energy Technologies: Cost Analysis Series. [Online] Available from: http://www.irena.org/documentdownloads/publications/re_technologies_cost_analysis-hydropower.pdf [Accessed: 22nd December 2016] IRENA (2015) Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2014. [Online] Available from: https://www.irena.org/DocumentDownloads/Publications/IRENA_RE_Power_Costs_2014_report.pdf [Accessed: 22nd December 2016] MONTERO, F. P. PÉREZ, J. (2009) Wind-Hydro Integration: Pumped Storage to Support Wind. [Online] Available from: http://www.hydroworld.com/articles/print/volume-17/issue-3/Articles/wind-hydro-integration-pumped-storage-to-support-wind.html [Accessed: 19th December 2016] NEW ATLAS (2016) Super Grid the first step towards a global, interconnected, renewable energy grid. [Online] Available from: http://www.hotandbotheredinthekoots.org/single-post/2016/11/15/%E2%80%9CSuper-Grid%E2%80%9D-the-first-step-towards-a-global-interconnected-renewable-energy-grid [Accessed: 22nd December 2016] NORDON ENERGY RESEARCH (2013) Wind power based pumped storage. [Online] Available from: http://www.nordicenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Wind-Power-Based-Pumped-Storage_Pre-Feasibility-Study_Suduroy-Faroe-Islands_2013.pdf [Accessed: 22nd December 2016] OFGEM (2016) Electricity Interconnectors. [Online] Available from: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/electricity/transmission-networks/electricity-interconnectors [Accessed: 21st December 2016] OWENS, M. (2013) Is pumped storage hydro power the answer to storing wind and solar? [Online] Available from: http://www.fairfaxclimatewatch.com/blog/2013/07/is-pumped-storage-hydro-power-the-answer-to-storing-wind-and-solar.html [Accessed: 22nd December 2016] RENEWABLEMAP (2016) Interactive Map of Renewable and Alternative Energy Projects in the UK. [Online] Available from: http://www.renewables-map.co.uk/renewable%20energy.asp?Status=1 [Accessed: 21st December 2016] Scottish Renewables (2016) The Benefits of Pumped Storage Hydro to the UK. [Online] Available from: http://scottishrenewables.com/publications/benefits-pumped-storage-hydro-uk/ [Accessed: 19th December 2016] STONE, M. (2015) Norway Could Provide 20,000MW of Energy Storage to Europe. [Online] Available from: https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/Norway-Could-Provide-20000-MW-of-Energy-Storage-to-Europe [Accessed: 22nd December 2016] U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (2015) Pumped Storage and Potential Hydropower from Conduits. [Online] Available from: https://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2015/06/f22/pumped-storage-potential-hydropower-from-conduits-final.pdf [Accessed: 22nd December 2016] VARKANI, A. K., DARAEEPOUR, A. MONSEF, H. (2011) A new self-scheduling strategy for integrated operation of wind and pumped-storage power plants in power markets. Applied Energy. [Online] 88. (July). p.5002-5012. Available from: http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0306261911004326/1-s2.0-S0306261911004326-main.pdf?_tid=133d350e-c636-11e6-ae64-00000aacb35dacdnat=1482184803_c9d2b7c9ed21b898c1d50d549eded1f1 [Accessed: 19th December 2016]

Poes The Masque (Mask) of the Red Death :: Mask Masque Red Death Essays

The Masque of Red Death People don't really have that much in common, but they do have one big thing in common, that is death. Death is the one thing that no one can stop. The short story "The Masque of Red Death," by Edger Allen Poe shows how that statement is true. Poe was a man who had had many experiences with a disease that killed many people in his life, in his story "The Masque of Red Death," he uses a lot of symbolic messages to express his views and feelings on that disease. Edger Allan Poe stated out with a home life that wasn't very stable. His blood father left when Poe was about one. His mother was an actress that moved Poe's sister, brother , and himself around a lot. Then when he was three she died of tuberculoses. After his mothers death Poe was separated from his sister and brother. Poe was sent to the Allen family. Then when Poe was in his early twenties Mrs. Allen also died of tuberculoses. At the age of twenty-six Poe married his cousin Virginia. She later died of tuberculoses. His brother died of tuberculoses also. In "The Masque of Red Death," Poe uses color as a symbol. He used the colors red, blue, purple, green, orange, white, violet, and black. In the story red stand for the death that comes over everyone in the story. In Poe's life it stands for the diseases that has killed everyone important to him, tuberculoses. Blue is the color of the first room, in Poe's life it is supposed to be him. The second room in the story is the color purple, this color is for Poe's mother. Then there is a green room, this room is for his brother. There was also an orange room for Poe's foster mother, Mrs. Allan. The white room was for his wife Virginia, and the violet room for her death. Last there was the black room, which was for Poe's death. What is time? Is time something that people just made up ? Poe seems to think that it means life. In the story a clock symbolizes life. In the story every time the clock would time the hour the party would stop,

Juveniles and Drug Abuse in America :: Substance Abuse Essays

Juveniles and Drug Abuse in America A drug is a substance that modifies one or more of the body’s functions when it is consumed. Therefore, many common foods qualify as drugs. According to this definition, some of our most cherished beverages such as tea, coffee, and cola are drugs. However this paper focuses on drugs that are abused by teenagers. Surveys show that cocaine, marijuana, heroin, and inhalants are the most commonly used drugs among teenagers age thirteen through eighteen. One of the most startling findings from recent data is the degree to which to which teenagers are now involved in drug use. This drug abuse problem has gotten worse. Perhaps our society must hit â€Å"rock bottom† before changes can occur. According to the Michigan Institute for Social research, reported the results of their 1992 and 1993 national survey of nearly fifty thousand American high school students across the country ages thirteen through eighteen. Studies show that a gradual decrease in the use of most illicit drugs by younger people. The peak year for illicit drug use by high school seniors was in 1980. The 1992 and 1993 surveys reported an alarming shift, a modest but statistically significant increase in the use of several drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, heroin, and inhalants. This survey attributes the increase in drug use to students’ perceived risk or danger in using a particular drug. In 1992, thirteen year-olds were less likely to see cocaine, crack and marijuana as dangerous. But in 1993, there was a significant increase in marijuana use by seventeen and eighteen year olds and a significant increase in marijuana use by thirteen year-old students. Cocaine use by seventeen and eighteen year o lds declined in 1992. However there was a significant increase in cocaine use by thirteen year-old students between 1991 and 1992. In 1993, cocaine use increased for all ages thirteen through eighteen. Every teenager has used drugs at least once in their life. The literature review confirmed that teenagers engage in drugs on a daily basis. According to the National Survey on Drug Abuse conducted in 1997 and 1998, more than one-fourth (28.2 perecent) of the youth aged thirteen to eighteen report that marijuana experiences, and about four percent used cocaine, 1.1 percent admits to using heroin, and nine percent used inhalants. These statistics are about the same as the statistics in 1992 and 1993. Youngsters take drugs for many different reasons.

Blood Red Horse Essay

When you think of advisors most people think of old nurse, Brother Randolph, and other found in the book Blood Red Horse bye K.M. Grant. However, most people don’t think about Baha Adin or Gavin de Granville. They might have not been such great advisors at first, but have became wonderful advisors later on. Many things in their life and what they went through must have had an effect on who they became. Gavin de Granville and Baha Adin both had many similarities. They both went through hardships. Gavin lost his arm, as stated in page 275, paragraph 2, and sentence 6.† With the loss of his arm†¦.†. Baha Adin went through hardships as well. He saw many of the Saracen soldiers killed and bloody, as stated in page 127, ending to page 128 beginning,†Baha Adin was standing by the flap, looking out at and listening to messengers. Wounded soldiers were streaming past.† Another similarity was that they were good advisors/supporting characters. Gavin was a good advisor to king Richard that, King Richard made Gavin count of Hartslove stated in page 275, paragraph 3, and sentence 3, â€Å"I also bequeath to my faithful councilor Gavin de Granville, now count of Hartslove†¦.†. Baha Adin was as loyal to Saladin as Gavin was to King Richard. As stated in page 71, paragraph 7, sentence 2, â€Å"†¦ By Baha Adin, a councilor whose advice Saladin particul arly valued†¦Ã¢â‚¬  . A big difference between Gavin and Baha was their religion. Baha Adin was a Saracen, as you can infer from this statement found in page 127, paragraph 4, â€Å"Only ten miles away in the Saracen camp, Saladin was striding around his tent angry and worried. Baha Adin was standing by the flap†¦.† . Gavin was Christian as you can infer from this statement in page 232, â€Å"the brothers embraced. God, the king and Hosanna, William whispered. Gavin tried to reply. He got far as god, the king but could say no more.† Gavin and Baha did show good advisory. Let’s see if they still share a good talent in the next book Green Jasper by: K.M. Grant.

Obesity Is a Disease

Obesity Is A Disease Obesity is a disease that affects one in three members of the American population. The trend of obese Americans has continually increased since 1960, and is not showing signs of slowing down. More than half of the adults in America are considered overweight or obese, and about thirty-four percent of the total population in the U. S is either overweight or obese. One is considered â€Å"overweight† if the body mass index, or BMI, is twenty-five to twenty-nine kilograms. â€Å"Obese† is any number thirty or greater (Hateweight. com). Obesity is the cause of at least 300,000 deaths in the U. S every year, second only to smoking (American Obesity Association). There are many causes of obesity, some of which are environmentally related and others are geneticly related. Genetics from an obese relative can be passed from generation to another; this form of obesity is hard to control without proper treatment (Hateweight. com). The American culture has been the biggest cause of obesity. All of our surroundings and social environments have greatly influenced obesity. Most social events revolve around food or drinks, which are usually unhealthy for the body. Food itself has become a reward; young children are often rewarded for good behavior with a â€Å"treat† (American Obesity Association). This treat is often a child’s favorite candy or sweet. Adults also use food as a reward. Successful business transactions between companies are often celebrated with food and drinks. Employees often stop after work to have drinks and possibly dinner to celebrate. Alcoholic drinks are very high in fat and have no nutritional value. Also, most restaurant food is high in fat and calories. Another factor which is the cause of this disease is lifestyle. People are no as physically active as they should be. They have become more dependent on someone else to do their work for them. An example if this would be fast food restaurants. Why make dinner when you can go up the street and have someone else cook it for you? Most meals from fast food restaurants have almost fifty percent, if not more calories than a person needs for one day. Another cause of obesity would be a person’s mental state. People cope with life changing experiences differently, such as a death of a family member or the loss of a job. These types of events cause some people to over-eat and, over time, become overweight. Obesity has many effects on a person both psychologically and physically. Psychologically, obesity may cause a person to become depressed and even become suicidal. Not only that, but it can also cause low self esteem (Hateweight. com). Physically, obesity has a greater effect, because it is known to cause many other health related issues. Arthritis may occur in the hands, hips, back, and knees from the extra weight a person would be carrying around. Seventy-five percent of people with hypertension are obese. The risk of developing hypertension is five times greater in an obese person than compared to a non-obese individual. Obesity is also the leading cause of cardiovascular disease, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic venous insufficiency, daytime fatigue, deep vein thrombosis, diabetes type 2, infections following wounds, infertility, liver disease, lower back pains, obstetric and gynecologic complications, sleep apnea, stroke, and surgical complications(American Obesity Association). Not only does obesity cause all of those diseases, but it also increases an individual’s chance of getting many different types of cancer. Breast cancer, esophagus and gastric cardial cancers, colorectal cancer, endometrial cancer, and renal cell cancer all have been linked to obesity in one way or another (American Obesity Association). Treatment for obesity comes in many forms. One form is called dietary therapy, were a doctor will devise, a diet which an individual should follow to lose weight. The diet usually consists of more healthy foods with low calories and smaller portions. Along with a diet plan the doctor recommends physical activity, which is another treatment. Physical activity could be anything from working out at a gym or playing sports to just moving around the house more. Behavior therapy is a combination of both dietary and physical therapy in which the doctor comes up with new diet and physical activity habits to promote weight loss (Hateweight. com). The treatment with the biggest risk is surgery. An individual may have their stomach stapled so they will eat smaller portions of food and, which causes the body to burn the fat cells faster because there are fewer calories coming in. Obesity is a serious matter because of all the risks that follow it. The only way to stop obesity is to become more informed and more knowledgeable of the foods we consume, and to become more physically active. Obesity is the second leading cause of unnecessary deaths in the U. S. Despite its death toll is has not received the attention it needs from the government. Bibliography www. hateweight. com www. obesity. org www. nlm. nih. gov/medlineplus/obesity. html http://www. obesity-online. com/ http://www. cdc. gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/

A Research Study On The Basic Positive And Negative Effects Of Gaming Essay

Abstract The purpose of this study emphasizes on both, the positive and the negative impacts of playing video games on the teenagers. Over the last 30 years video games have made an impact on the way teenagers spend their leisure time. This research hypothesizes that social interaction, psychological, in particular aggressive behavior, health and academic performance is greatly affected by the extensive use of video gaming. The research proposal is further supported by the literature review of various articles including an article by Brandon T, which states that video games influence the beliefs and self esteem of children. In another article by Steven J Krish, it was proven that a positive relationship prevails between video gaming and self aggression, among the age groups of 11-17. In order to prove our hypothesis, both the primary and secondary research was conducted. The primary research was followed by questionnaires that were distributed among the targeted group and also an interview was conducted with a gaming technical. Our secondary research consisted of various articles. The information narrowed down brought very sensitive issues into the limelight. It was observed that almost 72 % of the teenagers suffered from acute aggression, bad grades and health issues, thus proving our hypothesis correct. However only strategic games were given a positive response as they sharpen the minds of the players but on the whole the negative effects overshadow the positive side of playing video games. Video Games and Teenagers: A Research Study On The Basic Positive And Negative Effects Of Gaming A video game is an electronic game that involves human interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. It has been one of the most preferred leisure activities by the teenagers . The history of video games goes as far back as 1940s, when in 1947 Thomas T. Goldsmith, Jr. and Estle Ray Mann filed a US patent request for an invention they described as cathode ray tube amusement device. This patent which the United States Patent office issued on December 14, 1948, details a machine in which a person uses knobs and buttons to manipulate a cathode ray tube beam to simulate firing at â€Å"air-borne† targets. Video gaming would not reach mainstream popularity until the 1970s and 80s, when arcade video games, gaming consoles and home computer games were introduced to general public. Since then video gaming has become a popular form of entertainment and a part of modern culture in the developed world. There are currently considered to be eight generations of video game consoles. The most common consoles used by the teenagers nowadays include Xbox, game boy, play station and Nintendo Game Cube. There are numerous genres of video games that have been available to the consumers for the past 30 years. One of the oldest genres of video game is the classic shooter. Shooters are games that require the player to blow away enemies or objects in order to survive and continue game play. Another of the first video game genres, especially from the computer platforms, was the adventure game. Another preferred genre is the strategy or the tactic games. These games attempt to capture a sense of realism for the game player to experience. However, these titles are often turn-based as opposed to real-time and they give the player a greater sense of specific control over a situation. Video games are a unique form of entertainment which encourages players to become a part of the game’s script. Our research will focus on the following issues: What appeals teenagers to play video games? What do teenagers experience while playing video games? How does playing video games effect teenagers positively? How does playing video games effect teenagers negatively? Should parents show concern regarding their children playing video games? Douglas A. Paul J. Lynch et al (2004) Gentile, in their article â€Å" The effects of violent video game habits on adolescent hostility, aggressive behavior and school performance† have discussed the effects of video games on teenagers. Their research stated that in 2000 the revenue generated by the gaming industry was $20 billion. Teenagers contributed the most in the consumption of the gaming consoles. Also 54 independent tests on relation between video game violence and aggression were conducted ; five consistent results of playing games with violent content were retrieved through this research i.e. playing violent games increases aggressive behaviors, aggressive cognitions, aggressive emotions , physiological arousal and decreases pro-social behavior. In the article â€Å" Perceived influence of negative and positive video game† , Shu .F .Lin (September 2010) stated the perceived effects between self and others in terms of both negative and positive video game. According to the researcher, the games were promoted through the mode of entertainment media in an array of content like sports, fighting, stimulation and role-playing etc. The positive impacts include increased socializing , controlling and cognitive skills, while negative effects were depression , anxiety and psychological disorders among teenagers. Steven J. Kirsh (1992) in his article â€Å"The effect of violent video games† found a positive association between video game play and self and teacher reported aggression in the age group of 11-17 years. In their study Anderson and Dill (2008) demonstrated a relationship between violent video games and lab aggression in college students .It has been found that children and adolescents play video games on average between 1.2 to 7.5 hours per week. It has also been suggested that psychological and biological factors are also correlates of aggression. Moreover the Anderson and Bushman’s (2002) General Aggression Model (GAM) has been successfully developed to further stress upon the effects . GAM can be used to explain the birth of aggression in the adolescents and the difference in vulnerability to the influence of violent games for every individual. In the article â€Å"The impact of video games on children† , Rick Missimer has put forth positive aspects of playing video games. He proposed that most of the video games are creative and fun intended. It is a medium that serves to get rid of stress by diverting their attention towards fun and entertainment. It reinforces the confidence level of children when they start mastering the games. It provokes innovative thinking and strategic thinking skills. Some games also aid children in their educational curriculum and help them get more familiar to technology. Kimberly Young ( 2004), Peter Laurie (1981) [1967], Jennifer Seter Wagner (2008) researchers conducted a research and discussed about the concepts of digital games and its application in forms and shapes. Being keen towards their research they illustrated about the history, symptoms, addiction, side effects ( physical, social ) benefits, and prevention against digital game playing. They further discussed about the addictive theories and how it impacts young brains. The study showed that addiction could be of many kinds and gaming is a negatively charged one, the symptoms of addiction are that youngsters feel depressed, restlessness and lack of self control between themselves, which is further supported by the side effects that they become victims of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, weight gain and migraines, social problems which occur are Withdrawal, Lose touch with reality and misuse of money in form of extra hours of playing. The benefits were that the teenagers enhanced superior ‘ visuospatial’ abilities, ‘Wiihabilitation’ and ‘Exergaming’. They concluded their research with prevention against video gaming that were unimaginable like few treatment centers specializing in against game addiction and training for enhancement of social skills. Another researcher (Roni Caryn Rabin, 2011 ), a reporter of New York Times has discussed in her article Video games and the Depressed teenagers , one of the major concerns regarding video game playing i.e. depression in teenagers. He has talked about the study which was conducted on a large group of teenagers. The results were published in the Journal of Pediatrics. The study found that children who spent most of the time playing video games were very impulsive and were hesitant while socializing. Their school grades were also affected and most importantly they had worse relationship with their parents. This study was supported with another research conducted on Chinese teenagers. The results of this research were published in the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine. It indicated that teenagers who used internet excessively ended up being depressed. Most of them used internet for playing video games. But Dr. Gentile , an associate professor of psychology at Iowa State University negated this study . The reasoning he provided was that teenagers who were socially isolated and impulsive are more likely to indulge themselves in activities such as video games. Once they become gamers , their school grades are likely to be affected and their relationship with their parents deteriorated. Dr. Gentile said that when teenagers start playing excessively , they are more likely to become depressed and isolated. One other author (Donna St. George, 2008) a reporter at Washington Post discussed about the behaviors of kids after playing mature games. The writer gave the reference of three researches held in USA and Japan. The results were almost same in both the countries, and this showed that video gaming and violence in teenagers was not the problem of USA only. Though, people used to believe that aggression due to violent video games was only the problem of an American teenager but now it was thought of as a general phenomenon that occurred across cultures. In USA, the researches focused on large groups of teenagers 364 and it was concluded that there was an increasing likelihood that a child would indulge into a fight or get physically aggressive after sometime of playing a game with violent content, as compared to other children. As compared to USA, the researchers were more curious in Japan. So, they conducted their research on more than 12 hundred people, and they focused on children as well as on adolescents. The results were quite same as were in USA. The researcher also talked to the parents of teenage gamers. Some parents did not allow their children to play mature games but despite that their children played and were found to be aggressive. On the other hand some parents were not uncomfortable with their children playing mature rated games but they didn’t find their children aggressive or hostile. The researcher suggests that it is important for parents to pay attention to the nature of games their children play and keep a check on the behavior of their kids after playing such games. A reporter at a magazine (Rebecca Scarlett, 2010) discusses very important beliefs of people, that games only portray a picture of violence and physical disorders. However just like two sides of every story it’s true that a large number of games do depict violence and useless themes, but a large number of games are now focusing on more constructive niche like physics games or math games or puzzles that provoke strategic thinking. Interestingly enough these niches are becoming rapidly popular among teens. These games help the kids and teenagers learn the complex and rather boring equations and formulas in a fun way which also develops logic skills as well as visual-spatial manipulation skills. Recently many parents have wished that they could get their children off the games to spend more time reading. Successfully the gaming industry has provided children with such Role-playing games. These games involve long quests with plots that are as Intricate as any novel, and these plots are revealed mostly through dialogue. Such that it becomes impossible to play the game successfully without a good deal of reading The author further explains that studies have shown even better results that kids who play more video games have better hand-eye coordination and they react on time. The speed of most video games demands quick decision-making in response to what appears on the screen, and many kids become so lightning fast while playing them. Even though video games have been demonized, there are many games out there that, when played in moderation, can actually have beneficial effects. (Mark.D.Griffiths,1998), another researcher discussed that video game playing is a leisure activity for most of the adolescents. He said that the literature provided by Loftus and Loftus (1983) and Griffiths (1991,1993) clearly indicated that teenagers took videogames as a source of entertainment. Furthermore, he also stated that boys play more videogames on average as compared to girls. He has also put forth the common argument regarding videogames i.e. it is potentially addictive. He has discussed the study regarding the computer games addiction by Shotton (1989), where he stated that most of the adolescents were addicted by computer games for than five years. He also pointed out a positive aspect that these people were intelligent and motivated, but they were often misunderstood. Our research methodology was designed to get the most accurate answers. Research Design Our primary research included survey method. Questionnaires were given to the respondents. Participants We have targeted teenagers (13-19 years) and their parents. Our sample size was 25. Our secondary research included articles from the web. Measures Questionnaires were designed such that they were divided into two sections; the first section has demographic questions and the second section is based upon the statements regarding our variables. Procedure Participants were of two kind, both teenagers and their parents. They were asked to answer the questions in the two different types of questionnaires. One was designed to collect the responses of the teenagers and the second one was designed to collect responses from the parents. Later on these responses were further analyzed to conduct our research. Like other related forms of media, video games have been a subject of controversy and our study focuses on the impact (positive and negative) of video games on teenagers. Discussion One of the major goals of our research was to know the factors that motivates teenagers to play games. According to our research, the greatest chunk i.e. 72% of respondents said that either they played videogames to avoid boredom or took it as a mode of entertainment. Few individuals also said that videogames help them to stay active. Whereas, a small percentage of the sample either played games to release frustration or as a hobby. The data is quantified visually through the following pie chart: Another important question is that despite having numerous substitutes available to videogames like physical sports etc, why do teenagers choose videogames as a source of leisure activity. Most of the teenagers said that it took their mind off their problems and the feeling of mastering the game is addictive. Furthermore, in this era of competition teenagers are in a constant pressure from their peers, so they have two options; either they face it or they don’t . They choose not to face it and just to take their mind off such problems; they take video games as a source of distraction. When the teenagers were asked about the hours they spend on gaming and for how long have they been playing, most of them play for approximately 3 hours on a stretch and have been playing for more than 2 years. Most of the parents too gave the same answer that their children play for so many hours (3 hours) without taking any break. Even our interviewee Mr. Waseem Yousaf said that children become too addicted after they start coming to gaming zone. The numbers of hours they play keep on increasing gradually and they start visiting on frequent basis. When asked about the genres of games that were preferred, most of the respondents replied in favour of action, strategy and sports. Even our interviewee said that the most popular games in gaming zone are action, sports and strategy. Another important aspect of video gaming is the effect of the violence depicted in video games. 72% played violent video games and 64% of our respondents (teenagers) feel that such games greatly influence their mood. More importantly 72% teenagers find themselves quite aggressive. Now let’s have a look at the health issues associated with video game play. Most of the parents said that their children have become negligent of their heath due to video games; they become so engrossed in it that they do not take care of their health and their children face health problems. Most of the teenagers also said that they have health issues because of playing video games. 24% of the respondents experienced backache, headache and eye strain, 36% had headache or backache out of which 24% had headache once in a month. 16% did not have any heath issues. The ones who did not have any health issues had an active life style and played physical sports regularly. The following pie chart depicts the above mentioned statistics graphically. When asked about the influence of videogames on schooling and grades, it was found that the parents and teenagers negated each other’s answers. Most of the children said that their grades were not affected by video game play but the parents said the opposite. It was also found through our study that many children became very defensive when they were asked about their gaming habits. It was deducted that 72% of teenagers lie about their gaming habits/hours to their parents. This shows that the teenagers are very supportive of video games unlike parents; they want to play as much as they want but parents have a genuine concern regarding it. They do not want their children to become addicts of games and neglect important things like studies. Our research shows that teenagers have equal preferences for outdoor sports as well as videogames; but still according to our research teenagers are more inclined towards video games as compared to the outdoor sports. However, with the introduction of Consoles like Nintendo Wii and Xbox Kinect ® the level of physical activity has increased. This is because these add-ons ensure that there is handsome amount of physical movement while playing games. Our interviewee said that places like gaming zones have a very healthy environment and teenagers prefer coming here and use gaming consoles that require physical exercise as well. Another thing worth discussing is the money teenagers spend on video gaming. Our interviewee said that on average a teenager spends an amount of Rs.500 for 3-4 hours which includes gaming rent as well as money spent on snacks. This has been a matter of concern for parents because teenagers have started demanding an increase in their pocket money more often now. Most of the parents have been unsuccessful in reducing the amount of time that their children spend on video games and many parents said that their children start to play significantly more than what they have been playing if they are asked to reduce the number of hours they play. This shows that children retaliate if they are asked to change their gaming habits. Hence, we can say that parents should not impose restrictions on the amount of time they spend in front of video games, instead they should try to logically convince them. Lastly, we would shed some light on the positive effects of video gaming. As discussed earlier most of the teenagers prefer playing strategic video games. About 52% respondents (teenagers ) said that due to such games they feel they can make decisions efficiently. Similarly, 64% believe that these games have sharpened their minds. Even our interviewee says that players who usually prefer playing strategic games are seen to be sharper and they grasp and master games quickly as compared to other players. Teamwork, working in collaboration, and cooperation is also another important positive outcome of videogames. Most teenagers play games which involve one or multiple players. When we asked our interviewee about the attitude of gamers, he said that players show team spirit and they play in collaboration. He also discussed that gaming zone and such venues provide a very healthy environment for teenagers; mostly teenagers from good family backgrounds come here. and it also provides an easy way of socializing with others. Conclusion & Recommendations The information narrowed down brought very sensitive issues into the limelight . It was observed that almost 72 % of the teenagers suffered from acute aggression , bad grades n health issues, thus proving our hypothesis correct. However only strategic games were given a positive response as they sharpen the minds of the players but on the whole the negative effects overshadow the positive side of playing video games. Parents should monitor video game play the same way you need to monitor television and other media. Be a loving, attentive parent who disciplines their child well. An aggressive child is more a product of dysfunctional parenting than anything else, including violent games and TV. According to Los Angeles-based psychotherapist Robert Butterworth, PhD, dysfunctional parenting, children with little guilt, and accessibility to firearms with little parental supervision can create violent children. â€Å"Most children who commit violent crime show an early combination of personality and family factors that include having trouble getting along with playmates in preschool,† Butterworth says. â€Å"By second or third grade they’re doing poorly in school, and have few friends. By the age of 10 they’re picking fights and getting labeled by their peers as social outcasts.† What’s more â€Å"they typically come from families where parents are poor at disciplining because they are indifferent, neglectful, too coercive or they use harsh physical punishment with little love.† Although playing video games can be a learning experience, give your kid a variety of entertaining things to learn from, so your kid will not be addicted to just one thing. Be sure to make him read books, play sports, interact with other kids, and watch good TV. Everything should be taken in moderation. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children not spend more than one to two hours per day in front of all electronic screens, including TV, DVDs, videos, video games (handheld, console, or computer), and computers (for non-academic use). This means seven to fourteen hours per week total. Limit the amount of time they could play and also used the video game ratings to limit the content of the games have children who do better in school and also get into fewer fights. Monitor the effect of video games on your child. Observe their behavior. If it appears that they’re becoming more aggressive with his siblings or friends during the period that they’re playing violent games, stop them from playing the games. If they become interested in history after playing historical games, then the game is beneficial to them. References Perceived influence of negative and positive video game by Shu Fang Lin Journal of Media and Communication Studies Vol. 2(10), pp. 208-214, December 2010 ISSN 2141 – 2545  ©2010 Academic Journals The effects of violent video game habits on adolescent hostility, aggressive behavior and school performance by Douglas A. Paul J. Lynch et al (2004) Gentile Journal of Adolescence 27 (2004) 5–22 The effect of violent video games on adolescents by Steven J. Krish Aggression and Violent Behavior 8 (2003) 377 – 389 The impact of video games on children by Rick Missimer from the website www.healthguidance.org Video Games: Effect on childhood Development by Brandon T. McDaniel 146 E. 800 N. Provo, Utah 84606 http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/18/video-games-and-the-depressed-teenager/# http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/02/AR20081102023 92_2.htm Can Video Games Actually Have Positive Effects? By Rebecca Scarlett, Effects of violent games on aggressive behavior, aggressive cognition. Anderson, C. A., & Bushman, B. J. (2001). Impact of entertainment violence on children. American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, & American Medical Association (2000). URL http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/jstmtevc.htm Hostility, Type A behavior , and stress hormones at rest and after playing violent video games in teenagers. Lynch, P. J. (1999). Psychosomatic Medicine, 61, 113. The physiological and psychological effects of video games. Paschke, M. B., Green, E., & Gentile, D. A. (2001). Poster Presented at the 36th Annual Minnesota Undergraduate Psychology Conference, St. Paul, MN, April 2001. What Do Teens See in Video Games?† By Barbara Geller, MD Published in Journal Watch Psychiatry March 25, 2004 Haninger K and Thompson KM. Content and ratings of teen-rated video games. JAMA 2004 Feb 18; 291:856-65. â€Å"Video Games and Depressed Teenager† By Roni Caryn Rabin The New York Times, January 18, 2011. Appendix Interview Questions 1. What types of games do you have in your game zone ? 2. Which age group mostly and regularly come to play games ? 3. What is your view about kid’s attitude towards games ? 4. Do teenagers become addicted to games , if they start coming regularly ? 5. Do teenagers spend a lot of money on games ? 6. What is the attitude of parents towards gaming? 7. Which class (elite, middle, or poor) mostly come to play games in gaming zone ? 8. What is the affect of gaming zone’s environment on kids (especially on teenagers) ? 9. Do you consider that places such as gaming zone is a good source for socializing? 10. What is your opinion regarding teenagers indulgence in video games these days? Interview What types of games do you have in your game zone ? We have many types of games in our gaming zone but the most preferred are strategy, action and sports. Which age group mostly and regularly come to play games ? We have a lot of customers who visit us on frequent basis. People as young as 8 years and as old as 40 years come and play games here. But it is the teenagers who mostly visit the gaming zone regularly. What is your view about kid’s attitude towards games ? Different kids have different attitudes towards games. (Pause) Mostly children who play action games become more aggressive while playing and become impatient and hostile on losing. But children who prefer playing strategic games are quite quick in grasping the techniques of playing other games. Do teenagers become addicted to games , if they start coming regularly ? Yes, teenagers become quite addicted if they start coming on regular basis. The number of hours they stay in gaming zone keeps on increasing gradually. And most of the teenagers come straight from their schools and stay with their friends for too long playing games. Do teenagers spend a lot of money on games ? Yes, they do. On average, a teenager spend Rs.400 for 3-4 hours in gaming zone. We usually charge Rs.90 per hour for a game but kids prefer snacks along with the games so they end up spending a considerable amount of money on this activity. What is the attitude of parents towards gaming? Usually parents accompany young kids who are aged between 8 to 13. They seem to enjoy games along with their kids but they do not visit us on frequent basis. Parents of adults and teenagers do not visit gaming zone. They are maybe negligent of the gaming habits of their children because these teenagers spend a lot of money as well as time in our gaming zone and are never accompanied by their parents. Which class (elite, middle, or poor) mostly come to play games in gaming zone ? Mostly it is the elite and middle class who visit gaming zone. What is the affect of gaming zone’s environment on kids (especially on teenagers) ? The environment of gaming zone is very good. Teenagers from good family backgrounds come here and enjoy playing games. I think it creates a good impact on teenagers. Do you consider that places such as gaming zone is a good source for socializing? Yes, of course it is. It provides a healthy environment where people from different age groups come and spend quality time together playing video games. Most games involve multiple players and in such games the teenagers are seen to play as one team. They show team spirit as well as play in collaboration. What is your opinion regarding teenagers indulgence in video games these days? I believe that video games is a good source of entertainment. I know most of the teenagers prefer it over other leisure activities but at the same time I would say anything done excessively is not good. Teenagers need to have a balance in their lives regarding fun and studies. As far as they are able to maintain that balance I would support video game play. QUESTIONNAIRE 1 This is a research study on video games by BBA/BSc.I students of Lahore School Of Economics. Do not feel obligated to answer all questions if you are uncomfortable to do so. Thank you for your participation. Demographic information 1. Name ( optional ) _____________________ 2. Gender: 3. Age: 4. Occupation: Please choose the desired option Q5. How many child/children do you have? a) 1 b) 2 c) 3 d) More than 3 Q6. Your child is aged between: a) 8 – 10 b) 11 – 15 c) 16 – 20 Q7. Are you a single parent? a) Yes b) No Q8. What is your occupational status? a) paid employment fulltime b) paid employment part-time c) supported employment d) self employed Q9. Does your child show signs of video game addiction? a) Yes b) No Q10. On an average weekend, your child plays video games for: a) 0 – 1 hour. b) 2 hours. c) 3 hours. d) 4 hours. e) 5 or more hours. Q11. How many times have you unsuccessfully tried to reduce the amount of time that your child spends on video games? a) Never b) One time c) Two times d) Three times e) Four or more times Q12. If you fail to set a limit to video game time, your child would play: a) About the same amount as he / she does now b) Somewhat more than he / she does now c) Significantly more than he / she does now d) Far more than he / she does now Q11. Does your child have access to video game in his / her room? a) Yes b)No Q12. Does your child have interests outside the world of video games? a) Never or rarely b) Occasionally c) Often d) Always Q13. Does your child seems to have few friends outside the gaming world? a) Not at all b) Maybe c) Most certainly Q14. Does your child lies about the time he/she spends on video games? a) Yes b) No Q15. Does your child prefer playing video games over going out with friends? a) Never b) Occasionally c) Frequently d) Always Q16. Have your child’s grades been suffering from excessive video gaming? a) Not at all b) Somewhat true c) Definitely true Q17. Is your child permitted to play video games before the completion of homework? a) Never b) Occasionally c) Frequently d) Always Q18. Is your child an active member in the formal school activities or clubs? a) No, none at all b) Yes, one activity or club c) Yes, two activities or clubs d) Yes, three or more activities or clubs Q19. Does your child neglects his/ her health because of excessive video gaming? a) Never b) Occasionally c) Often d) Always Q20. Is your child employed as a part time worker? a) No, he / she is too young to work , or I prefer that he / she does not work b) No, he she is too involved in other activities (not including video games) c) No, I would like him / her to work but he / she refuses to do so d) Yes, but he / she has difficulty holding onto jobs e) Yes, and he / she successfully holds onto jobs Q21. Does your child becomes irritable or anxious if he/ she cannot access his/her favorite video game? a) Never b) Rarely c) Often d) Always Q22.Does your child becomes angry or defensive if asked about his/her gaming habits? a) Never b) Occasionally c) Often d) Always Q23. As a parent, do you decide what kind of video games does your child plays? a) Never b) Occasionally c) Often d) Always Q24. Will your child have difficulty giving up all of his/her video games for a week? a) No, not at all. This would be very easy for my child b) My child wouldn’t like it, but he / she could do it without too many complaints c) My child would have great difficulty giving up video games for one week d) It would be entirely impossible for my child to give up video games for one week Q25. Does your child plays video games at the first available opportunity? a) Never b) Rarely c) Sometimes d) Always Q26. Does your child gets headaches, red eyes, sore fingers or wrist pains from playing video games? a) Never or very rarely b) Sometimes c) Often Thank you for your co-operation! QUESTIONNAIRE 2 This is a research study on video games by BBA/BSc.I students of Lahore School Of Economics. Do not feel obligated to answer all questions if you are uncomfortable to do so. Thank you for your participation. Demographic information 5. Name ( optional ) _____________________ 6. Gender: 7. Age: 8. Education Level: 9. Institution: Please choose the desired option 10. How often do you play video games? Daily Once a week Twice or thrice a week Once a month 11. What gaming technology do you have in your house? PS-2/3 X- box Gameboy Laptop/Pc Others 12. How long have you been playing video games? 6 months year 2 years more than 2 years 13. How did you started playing video games; who or what motivated you? Self interest Friends Advertisements ( magazines, TV) Others 14. What is the longest you have ever played without taking any break? 3 hours 4 hours 5 hours More than 5 hours 15. What genres of game do you play? Action Sports Puzzle Strategy Others 16. How many players participate with you? One Two Multiple players e.g. online gaming Myself only 17. Do you play violent video games ( usually rated 18 + )? Yes No 18. Do you think that the result of the game has a direct effect on your mood after playing? Yes No 19. Would you consider yourself an aggressive person? If yes then rate yourself on a scale of 1-5? 1 20. What would be your major reason to play video game? Keep yourself active at home To avoid boredom Hobby Entertain or spend time with your friends Frustration Other 21. What is it you like best about video game? The feeling that I am in the control of the situation It takes my mind off my problems The feeling of mastering the game Other 22. Do video games improve your ability to make decisions quickly? Yes No 23. Do you feel video games have sharpened your mind? Yes No 24. Do you have any health problems after playing video games? Yes; backache, headache, eye strain etc Sometimes I get a headache or backache I get headache once in a month No, I don’t have any health issues 25. Have you had problems at school that are related to gaming? Yes; I am tired all the time and never get my homework done I had turned in late assignments because I was playing games instead of doing homework No; I have never let games interfere with my schoolwork 26. Do you play any sports? Only video sports I split my time between sports and video games I play only one sport I play more than one sport 27. Are your parents comfortable with your gaming? Yes No 28. Have you ever tried to quit playing video games? Yes; but I always start playing again No; I play as much as I want and it isn’t a problem for me No; I don’t play enough for it to be a problem Thank you for your cooperation! Graphical Data