Alcuin and Charlemagne

Charlemagne was the king of the Franks from 768 to 814. He was known to be the most powerful Christian ruler and brought success to his country. Charlemagne was well educated and good looking. His strong voice allowed him to express what he had to say in a very eloquent manner. He was most famous for doubling the territory that his father had previously conquered. With his determination and persistence, Charlemagne became one of the most dignified rulers of the early middle ages. Charlemagnes determination allowed him to expand his empire.He undertook 54 military campaigns during his rule. He also lead his armies into Italy to conquer the Lombard State. His army also invaded the land of the Bavarians and took them under control. During his rule, Charlemagne insisted the Saxons convert to Christianity and soon took them over. In turn, adding more land to the growing Carolingian empire. (Speilvogel p. 138) An interesting characteristic of Charlemagne was his strong desire to learn. He studied foreign languages such as Latin and Greek. He learned from excellent scholars such as Peter of Pisa and Alcuin of York.Charlemagne established a palace school and encouraged other scholars from across Europe to come to the Carolingian court. He focused learning about liberal arts also took lessons in grammar. Charlemagnes love of learning inspired others to obtain educations and maintained the intellectual life of the Catholic church. (Speilvogel p140-141) (Einhard: Life of Charlemagne) Not only was Charlemagne good at conquering land but he also did very well at governing the land he conquered. He was a clever ruler and knew he had to keep the nobles in his service.To do this he granted part of the royal lands as lifetime holdings to nobles who assisted him. Charlemagne also knew that he could not let the counts gain more power then him. To hold more control over his kingdom, Charlemagne required counts to serve outside their own family lands. He also sent out â€Å"messen gers of the lord king† to check on the counts and make sure they were following the kings demands. One last thing that Charlemagne realized was the valuable assistance that the Catholic church could provide for him. He decided to create new bishoprics and archbishoprics while restoring old ones. Speilvogel p. 138-139) Charlemagne made many accomplishments during his rule. His first and biggest accomplishment was increasing the Frank Kingdom. His territory stretched over the majority of Europe. Charlemagne was able to subdue the barbarous tribes in Germany which was something other Kings could not accomplish. He also made good relationships with emperors of Constantinople. Being a devote Christian, Charlemagne built the beautiful church at Aix-la-Chapelle. Finally, Charlemagne took care of the poor in his country and sent money to the poor in other countries. (Speilvogel p. 139)As you can see, Charlemagne had many characteristics of a successful ruler. He was determine expand h is empire and he did. He also was good at governing his people. Charlemagne was very well educated and it showed through when whenever he spoke with eloquence. Also, Charlemagne was able to make constant accomplishments such as working on the Church reform, taking care of the poor, and building good relationships with other countries. Charlemagne was so respected that even the Pope called upon him to help during the Roman rebellion. All of these things are what made Charlemagne one of the greatest Kings of all time.

Gender Roles In Macbeth Essay

It is important to understand the role that gender plays in today’s society, as compared with the gender roles portrayed in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Gender can be seen as a bias both today and in the time in which Macbeth takes place. Masculinity is a strong symbol used within gender throughout the play, and is a parallel with icons today. Today, gender can be played as a bias in jobs, job interviews, political systems, and social classes. Women are typically labeled as the weaker sex, and the same applies to Macbeth’s time. Women tend to have a harder time today when trying to get jobs that were previously only held by males, for example, the president of the United States. The president is seen as powerful, and a symbol of strength representing the U.S. Unfortunately, because the stereotypical woman is seen as weak, women typically aren’t voted into high-ranking offices. The same unfair balance of gender is seen the same way in Macbeth. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are striving towards masculinity. The importance of masculinity to the both of them is an issue of power. Lady Macbeth aspires to be a man so that she can show supremacy and be more of a ruler. Macbeth has a mental struggle with his masculinity, mostly because Lady Macbeth convinces him of it. Because Lady Macbeth cannot really become a man, she has to work vicariously through Macbeth, making him become king. To control Macbeth, she must use his aim to become more masculine, to drive his killing of Duncan. In Act I, Scene I, on line 51, Macbeth affirms, â€Å"I dare do all that may become a man. Who dares [do] more is none.† Macbeth is replying to Lady Macbeth when she asks if he is afraid to do the task of killing Duncan. It is important to see how Lady Macbeth uses her husbands strive for masculinity to achieve her virile nature. When identifying the roles that gender plays today, and contrast them to the way gender is depicted in Macbeth, we can see the two of them are very similar. To date in the United States, we have not had a female president, the highest-raking political office in America. In Macbeth’s time, no women were allowed to be king, which was the highest symbol of power during the time the play took place. Lady Macbeth faces problems with the gender roles,  because she wants more power than she is allowed. To work around this, she needs to do her work through her husband, provoking him using his struggle with manhood.

Discuss Question Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discuss Question - Assignment Example ability of the mobile application, Zara mobile application is a weak application since it does not support other operating systems such as Android and windows, on the other hand this application does not have enough detail of what is being sold and instead displays a single picture of the clothing items and the other crucial details do not exist anywhere. In the real sense it better to opt for a window shopping than actually buying anything using the mobile application. Also the updates released for the Zara mobile application do not seem to address any problem of the mobile application efficiency and instead the updates makes the mobile application weak for `the major countries. Mango mobile application is a marketing mobile application which operates with the Ios operating system that runs on I pads and I phones. This application is used in marketing clothing online through advertisements on I pads and I phone. This application gives clear details and pictures of what the seller has in stock. It also enables the user to view different clothes with their prices indicated clearly for good purchasing. Unlike the Zara mobile application, this application can be used for window shopping as well as for purchasing clothes since it gives in details the prices, sizes and brand of the clothes as well as the pictures of different clothes. This is a mobile application that is used to market various clothing products in the internet market. It is a mobile application that supports I pad and I phone gadgets using the Ios operating system from MAC (Skepys, 2013). This application is the best application compared to the rest; it gives information of various clothes in details and in wide selection. Clothes displayed by this application are displayed in categories and thus makes it easier for one to make a good decision and so far so good it is the best application for the clothing industries in terms of advertisement. I t displays pictures of the products clearly and has

An Investigation into A Particular Operation on a Set of 100 Numbers Essay

An Investigation into A Particular Operation on a Set of 100 Numbers - Essay Example (Determinants and Cramer's Rule for Linear Equations, Undated) Both A and B are square matrices and thus the laws of determinants are applicable to them. Definition: There is no stand-alone definition of a determinant but it is defined in terms of a series of matrices as is evident hereafter. The determinant of an n x n matrix is defined as a sum of +/-1 times determinants of (n - 1) x (n - 1) matrices. (Determinants and Cramer's Rule for Linear Equations, Undated) Now that the technique of calculating determinants of matrices of any order has been somewhat explained a singular property of A is being touched upon. A's Singularity Any 2 x 2 matrix derived out of any set of numbers in adjacent rows and columns of A has the same determinant. Example: Suppose, E = 78 79 88 89 Then, DetE = (78 x 89) - (79 x 88) = 6942 - 6952 = - 10 This proves that all determinants of 2 x 2 matrices comprised of numbers in adjacent rows and columns are the same (-10) in the large 10 x 10 matrix A. This allows a general formula to be derived for the terms of all such matrices where N is a 2 x 2 matrix within A. N = n n+1 n+10 n+11 Here the numbers in the left diagonal - n and n+11 - have a periodicity of 11 while the numbers in the right diagonal - n+1 and n+10 - have a periodicity of 10. This is true of all 2 x 2 matrices comprised of numbers in adjacent rows and columns within A. And, detN = [n(n+11) - (n+1)(n+10)] = ( + 11n) - ( + 11n + 10) = - 10 This singularity gives rise to another that is mentioned in the calculations section and these two will make it easier to calculate the determinant of A... For an n x n matrix if the 'i' order row is considered and the (n-1) x (n-1) matrix derived by crossing out the row and the column is also considered then the determinant of the original n x n matrix is as below. For the matrix A it is noted that all values of , where 'i' is the 1st row and the matrix is a 2 x 2 one, is -20. It is considered for the essay that is the difference and not the true determinant value. This assumption is now being checked out in the essay for any term. Thus, for calculating the value of the determinant of A it is also found that the value ofis alternately negative starting with the second term. This makes it extremely easy to calculate the required value. Also, the operation has to be on a (n-1) x (n-1) matrix - a 9 x 9 matrix, as mentioned in the formula. This signifies that all numbers from 1-89 have to be considered. It is noticed on the right hand side of the equation that all even numbers are negative and all odd numbers are positive. Using the summation formula for series' in arithmetic progression - n/2[2a + (n - 1)d] - where n is the number of terms in the series, a is the first term and d is the common difference. (Arithmetic Series, MathWorld, 2006) The singularities revealed by the investigation allows us to determine that any square matrix of any order n x n constituted of the particular sequence of numbers belonging to the set of all positive numbers starti

History of African Americans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

History of African Americans - Essay Example In order to represent the black population, a number of terms have used in the history of United States such as Blacks, Africans, Afro- American, colored, Negro and the African American. Actually the accurate proportion of these African Americans is not known in the existing population of United States. During past three centuries a remarkable racial mixture took place in United States, not only with the people having African ancestry but with other ethnic backgrounds as well such as Europeans and Indian descents. In times gone by, the major approach about ethnic group association within the United States was that people bearing some colored African descent were believed to beAfricanAmerican. Laws have also been formulated in some parts of United States just like in antebellum South, in order to define ethnic association in this regard, by and large, to the disadvantage of non- Caucasian. Notably, though, those physical traits and descent backgrounds are merely a fraction of actual r easons that have placed African Americans separately as a diverse group. (Gilbert, 2009) Over a period of about 350 years, from the early 1500's to the mid-1800, slave traders forcibly transported approximately 12 million Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas. Of this number, about 8 percent, or approximately 1 million, were brought to North America (after 1619). The rest went to the islands of the Caribbean and the shores of Central and South America. European slave traders working out of western Africa collected the slaves. They took millions of Africans in exchange for guns, iron, beads, silks and other cloths, knives, basins, mirrors, and the like. The slaves were sold to colonial plantation owners in the Americas. (Baldwin, 2008) Outcomes The outcome of this phase was that even without the legitimate status and negative impacts of the local trade of slaves, the African American Families managed somehow to retain the conventional aspects of the ways which arranged the relationships between the elders and children. The influences of the African religious beliefs, customs and traditions were quite obvious, which were reflected by a prominent level of religious activities among the slaves, this also helped to distinguish their point of view about themselves from their owner's. These deep rooted relations with the religion enabled the blacks to establish a number of churches outside the South and later created the black Baptist churches due to the further divisions within Protestantism. Apart from the above the another significant quantifiable measure was the African Methodist Episcopal Church, founded by Richard Allen in Philadelphia and 1787, which was previously referred to as the Free African Society. (Baldwin, 2008) Religious Intolerance The religion in 17th century was a comprehensive power that assisted community to suffer the adversities and forfeits of everyday living in community. Moreover, colonial religiosity

THE EFFECTS OF MOTOR PROCESS ON REACTION TIME Essay

THE EFFECTS OF MOTOR PROCESS ON REACTION TIME - Essay Example Consequently, it has been postulated that the principal anatomic structures affected by these disorders, namely, the cerebellum and basal ganglia are important in the effective running of the timing apparatus for these functions. The involvement of the cerebellum and the basal ganglia in the motor and perceptual timing has been documented by imaging of brain while performing various timing tasks, such as, repetitive and tapping maneuvers. This involves other parameters such as duration discrimination, velocity discrimination, rhythm discrimination, temporal discrimination, and time production and reproduction. Voluntary movements are prepared before they are executed. If there is an instruction stimulus, before the go cue, there would be a delay. With this concept, the reaction time can be defined as the latent period or time interval from the go cue to time of onset of movement. Reactions times are shorter when the delays are longer, suggesting there is some time-consuming preparatory process that is given a head start by this delay. Delay-period activity is typically tuned for the instruction and is therefore predictive of reaction time, and it is suspected that delay period activity is the substrate of motor preparation occurring at that time. A neural activity, if at all it is designed to generate movement must rise above a threshold to trigger the motor activity (Akkal, D., Escola, L., Bioulac, B., Burbaud, P., 2004). If there is an instructed delay, that could allow activity to attain threshold leading to reduction in the subsequent reaction time. If the motor system takes some time to rise to threshold, as is expected, higher firing rates would lead to shorter reaction times. Alternatively, the produced movement is a function of the state of preparatory activity after the trigger. For each probable movement, it is necessary that there would be a firing rate in the subspace that is optimal, optimal in the sense that it would be appropriate and sufficient to generate a sufficiently accurate movement. The time given for motor preparation thus therefore essentially is optimization that brings firing rates from their initial state to the appropriate subspace. This allows for a wait time for execution of the movement, and this wait time may lead to subtle drifts in the activity, but as long as firing rates remain within the optimal subspace, the motor preparation would remain complete. It can be predicted consequently that the delay period firing occupy a smallish subspace that is different and unique for each instructed movement. The reaction time is the time between the onset of a stimulus and the motor response to it. As a result, there would be a perceptual latency that is denoted by the time from stimulus onset to time of stimulus detection as well as in the motor time, which is the time it takes to perform the motor task. The motor process can vary from one to another individual depending on type, intensity, and the background of the stimulus. Subjective variations in motor process have been observed between individuals based on subject age, sex, educational levels, socioeconomic status, affective state, and attentional and arousal states (Doherty, J.R., Rao, A.,

Tennessee WilliamsCat on a Hot Tin Roof Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tennessee WilliamsCat on a Hot Tin Roof - Essay Example The author develops a series of both intrapersonal and interpersonal conflicts, which sustains the story to completion. The plot begins with the Brick trying to recapture his glory days as an athlete. He is in a drunken state and therefore loses his control and fall thus obtaining an injury that leaves him dependent on crutches. This depicts underlying conflicts in the life of the play’s main character. The scene reveals his dissatisfaction with his marriage a major trend that compels him to alcoholism. Meanwhile, Big Daddy, Brick’s father, is being discharged from the hospital and the event coincide with his sixty-fifth birthday thus prompting his extended family to organize him a grand birthday party. The grand birthday become s major issue in the play as every character becomes absorbed in the organization thus concealing the underlying differences among the characters. The author does not develop a tragedy in the story; he appreciates the difference among the character but simply develops conflicts from such. The author strives to maintain a jovial mood in the play with the characters enjoying themselves. At first is Brick having a fun moment on the track trying to relive his high school years then the scenes shift to the organization of the grand birthday party for Big Daddy. The party is a great success and manages to conceal the disease the old man is suffering from. By covering the disease in deceit, the characters seek to maintain the jovial mood of the play, which is unlike in tragedies where characters live sorrowful lives. The conspiracy is revealed and the entire family later learns that Big Daddy is suffering from cancer. The news depresses the family for a while but they eventually heal. In fact, the news compels Brick to reconcile with his father thus solving their differences. By reconciling their differences, the two characters liven the mod of the play

Managing, Evaluating and Developing Human Resources Case Study

Managing, Evaluating and Developing Human Resources - Case Study Example However, owing to rising stiff competition the company has had to rethink its strategies. The senior manager, Sam Mulgrew, faced challenges integrating performance management into achieving the strategic direction of the company as his area of expertise is accountancy. Performance management came into focus as an aspect of Human Resources in the 1990s and can be said as being responsible for rating, rewarding, monitoring, developing and planning of employees in order to ensure their efficient and effective performance (Armstrong &Baron 2005). Because performance management process is a broad domain that encompasses various levels along with functions within an organization, performance management is a process that calls for managers to look into its individual components and integrate them into the strategic goals of the organization accordingly. Its individual components essentially bring out the fact that performance management is associated with improvement; this implies that one must undertake an assessment and receive feedback to identify which areas need improvement and how this improvement would occur (Grote 2005). Nonetheless, the process is much wider than merely carrying out an assessment and receiving feedback, as there are other steps including the manager tasked with performance management having an understanding of the organizational context. This means that even before the manager begins carrying out an assessment of how employees are performing and receiving feedback from managers, he must understand the organizations’ strategic objectives as well as its core values. Once the manager has grasped these contextual factors, he begins by finding out if the right employees have been brought on to the organization (Cardy &Leonard 2011). Sam Mulgrew has been tasked with lifting the performance management standards at Money4U to make it more meaningful and

Components of Consumer Information Processing Case Study

Components of Consumer Information Processing - Case Study Example As a consumer, I consider myself a more of utilitarian than hedonic. This mean whenever I am shopping I always aim at maximizing utility. I view shopping as a task which I have to program first, then conduct a proper search in order to get the a product or a service with desired specifications to satisfy my need. I normally seek functional, instrumental, and practical benefits. A recent Study on why people go shopping has revealed that shopping experience can provide to the consumer with a combination of both utilitarian value and hedonic value. Utilitarian value is task oriented and cognitive in nature. On the other hand, hedonic value is tied to the emotional aspect of the shopping experience. A consumer perceive a utilitarian value if they acquire they acquire product that necessitated their shopping trip, while at the same time perceive hedonic value if they enjoyment of the shopping experience. For these reason although I put more emphasis on maximizing a product utility, I also enjoy a shopping experience that offer both utilitarian and hedonic value satisfaction. The components of the consumer information processing are important to the business in various aspects. First, it is important to note that the volume of sales as well as the profitability of the business depends on the consumer buying behavior. These components include the exposure stages, retention, yielding, comprehension, and the attention. The exposure component triggers the stimuli of the consumer to acquire the product. The information processing is important to the business in that attracts the attention of many consumers hence the customer base of the organization is bound to increase significantly (Roy and Ian 372). It facilitates the provision of the necessary information to the consumers and thus, helps the consumer in making decision to buy the product. It provides the clear image of the product whilst providing the consumer with information regarding

The Development and Acceptance of Labor Arbitration Essay

The Development and Acceptance of Labor Arbitration - Essay Example The regulations set in this case do not allow for concessions, therefore it sets clear guidelines to ensure that the bargain is done in good faith and to the benefit of both parties. Arbitration process involves the appointment of a third neutral party (an Arbiter) who will be charged with the duty of holding formal and informal hearings concerning the differences. The Arbiter will then from the facts drawn from the hearings make a conclusion that binds the two warring factions. His decision must be respected as it is enforceable by the law (Coleman, 1997, pp.36-38). This research paper will look into the historical context of the development and acceptance of the arbitration process in the labor field, particularly during the period and prior to WW II and through the war. The paper will also look at one significant case (Morse's Leadership) which resulted into a great impact on the management of labor relations in the past. Arbitration is as old as humanity and has been used in the world over to settle disputes between people and even among nations at war. This paper will zero in on industrial labor arbitration between employers and employees prior and during World War Two. The concept of arbitration was used to prevent the differences between the parties from escalating into chaos and turning tragic due to workers' strikes. The concept became a vital requirement in the 20th Century with the rapid industrialization and formation of labor unions (Hinchcliff, 1991, p.231). In the United States, it started in1935 with the passage of NLR (National Labor Relations) Act and proceeded into and during the WWII. President Roosevelt Franklin saw the need to help iron out the differences in industries that produced steel and other war materials so that the ensuing labor differences may not escalate and lead to shortage war paraphernalia (Hinchcliff, 1991, p.251). Far much more than the World War One, the World Wa r Two involved aggressive commitment of all nations in the globe. The whole human resources as well as the economic resources were directed to combat the vice. Both combatants and the non-combatants were affected and the expansion of the battle field to cover the enemies' boarders dealt a big blow to the world economy. The ability of a country to survive the war was therefore determined by its capacity to handle industrial and personnel requirement during the Great War. These two sectors which were already strained the war only aggravated the situation. There was a need to keep the human capital under control and at the same time produce enough to run the demands of the war. At its infancy, the law was never at all friendly with arbitration of any form. It was viewed by many as a means of overshadowing and usurpation of the judiciary. The courts were very hostile with it establishment. Their view was that the system was geared to drive them from the office and be rendered jobless through complete ousting of the jurisdiction process (McKelvey, 1957, p.14). To counter the new development, the courts declined to order specific performances of an executor for arbitration and also refused to allow for anything over the nominal damages for a breach of an

Eu Law Synopsised Judgment of Marshall Essay Example for Free

Eu Law Synopsised Judgment of Marshall Essay The case of Marshall v Southampton and South West Hampshire Area Health Authority (Teaching) (Marshall (No.1)) [1986] 1 C.M.L.R. 688 arose in the United Kingdom. It concerned a Miss Marshall who had been employed as a Senior Dietician with the Southampton and South West Hampshire Area Health Authority (Teaching) from the 23rd of May 1974 until her dismissal on the 31st of March 1980, that is to say four weeks after she reached the age of 62. Since 1975 the Southampton and South West Hampshire Area Health Authority (Teaching) had a written policy of that in general, its female employees should retire at 60 while its male employees should retire at 65. The policy stated that â€Å"the normal retirement age will be the age at which social security pensions become payable†. The policy was an implied term of Miss Marshall’s employment contract. Miss Marshall’s employers waived this general policy in the case of Miss Marshall. If her employers had not done this, then she would have been dismissed on the 4th of February 1978 (upon reaching the age of 60) but was in fact employed until the 31st of March 1980 (four weeks after she reached the age of 62), therefore her employer waived they’re general retirement policy in respect of Miss Marshall for two years. The applicable pension legislation in the United Kingdom at the time of the dismissal stated that men were eligible to receive a state pension at the age of 65 and that women were to receive state pensions from the age of 60 (Section 27 (1) of the Social Security Act 1975). However this legislation does not impose any obligation to retire at the age at which the state pension becomes payable and when a person continues in employment after the date when their state pension becomes payable, the payment of the pension is deferred. According to the order of reference, the sole reason for the dismissal of Miss Marshall was the fact that she was a woman who had passed the retirement age applied by her employer to women. In view of the fact that she suffered financial loss consisting of the difference between her earnings as an employee of her employer and her pension and also since she lost the satisfaction she got from her work, Miss Marshall instituted proceedings against her employer in the Industrial Tribunal. She contended that â€Å"her dismissal at the date and for the reason indicated by her employer which was that she was a woman who had passed the retirement age applied by her employer to women constituted discriminatory treatment by her employer on the grounds of sex and ,accordingly, unlawful discrimination contrary to the Sex Discrimination Act and Community law†. Her claim was dismissed by the industrial tribunal as it was based on the â€Å"infringement of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, since section 6(4) of that Act permits discrimination on the grounds of sex where it arises out of provision in relation to retirement ; the Industrial Tribunal took the view that the employers general policy constituted such provision† but her other claim that the principle of equality of treatment laid down by directive 76/207 had been infringed was upheld by the industrial tribunal. Miss Marshall appealed this case to the Employment Appeals Tribunal and they upheld the decision of the Industrial Tribunal as regards that the claim was based on the infringement of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, since section 6(4) of that Act permits discrimination on the grounds of sex where it arises out of provision in relation to retirement but in relation to the second question, the Employment Tribunal set aside the question of whether the dismissal violated the principle of equality of treatment laid down by Directive 76/207, because although it did violate directive 76/207, the Employment Appeals Tribunal said that an individual could not rely on an infringement of a directive before a United Kingdom Court or Tribunal. Miss Marshall appealed the decision of the Employment Appeal Tribunal to the Court of Appeal of England and Wales. The Court of Appeal stated that Southampton and South West Hampshire Area Health Authority (Teaching) was â€Å"constituted under section 8(1)A(b) of the National Health Service Act 1977 and was therefore an â€Å"emanation of the State†Ã¢â‚¬ . The Court of Appeal of England and Wales referred two questions to the Court of Justice for a preliminary ruling, for an interpretation of European Union law. These questions were; 1. Whether the dismissal of Miss Marshall after she was sixty and on the grounds that she was a woman who had passed the retirement age applied by the Southampton and South West Hampshire Area Health Authority (Teaching) to women was discrimination which was prohibited by the Equal Treatment Directive 76/207. 2. If the answer to question one is yes, can the Directive 76/207 be relied upon in this case in national courts or tribunals in spite of the fact that there may be inconsistencies between the Directive and section 6 (4) of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975. The appellant (Miss Marshall) and the European Commission considered that the first question must be answered in the positive. The appellant argued that the said age limit falls within the term â€Å"working conditions† within the meaning of articles 1 (1) and 5 (1) of Directive 76/207. Furthermore the appellant argues that the discrimination on the grounds of sex is one of the main reasons for having fundamental human rights and therefore the general principles of EU community law, and the exceptions to these principles must be interpreted strictly, moreover the exception provided for in Article 7(1) of Directive 79/7 is not relevant. The respondent (Southampton and South West Hampshire Area Health Authority (Teaching)) maintains as regards the first question, that the laying down of different ages at which you can compulsory terminate a contract just reflects the minimum ages stated by the State Social Security Scheme in the U.K. The respondent also considers that the state pension does not fall under directive 76/207 but is an aspect of social security and therefore falls under the directive 79/7 in which member-states can impose different ages to entitlement. The Court of Justice decided on the first question that the directive it fell under was Directive 76/207 as the question it was referred concerns the fixing of an age limit as to when to terminate employment following a general policy of dismissal. The question therefore relates to the conditions and rules governing dismissal. The court further stated that Article 5 (1) of Directive 76/207 provided that men and women are entitled to equal treatment in working conditions which includes conditions governing dismissal meaning that men and women are guaranteed the same working conditions without discrimination on grounds of sex. Following a policy of compulsory dismissing workers even if they get a retirement pension still falls under the term â€Å"dismissal†. The Court summed up the answer to the first question in saying that article 5 (1) of Directive 76/207 must be interpreted in meaning that having a policy whereby you dismiss a person for the reasons being that she is a women who has reached the age of qualifying for a state pension, when the age is different for men as it is to women, constitutes discrimination on the grounds of sex, contrary to Directive 76/207. The Court of Justice realised that since the answer to the first question was yes, then it is necessary to consider whether the appellant can rely on Directive 76/207 specifically Article 5 (1) of that directive in national courts and tribunals (Direct Effect). The appellant stated in their argument that â€Å"directives are capable of conferring rights on individuals which may be relied upon directly before the courts of the member-States; national courts are obliged by virtue of the binding nature of a directive, in conjunction with Article 5 of the EEC Treaty, to give effect to the provisions of directives where possible, in particular when construing or applying relevant provisions of national law†. The appellant also stated that articles 2 (1) and 5 (1) of Directive 76/207 was sufficiently clear to let the courts apply them, a view which the commission shared with the appellant. The respondent stated in its argument that the directive should not have direct effect as directives can never impose obligations on individuals and that it can only confer obligations on a member state in its capacity as a public authority and not as an employer and finally it would be improper to put persons employed by the state in a better position than those employed by a private employer. The respondent also stated that the articles in Directive 76/207 were not clear and unconditional enough to give rise to direct effect. In answering the second question, the Court of Justice stated that it does not matter whether the state is an employer or a public authority when an individual is relying on a directive against a member state in legal proceedings. This is necessary to prevent the state taking advantage of its own failure to comply with community law. The Court of Justice stated that the articles in the Directive 76/207 are sufficiently precise and clear in that they prohibit â€Å"any discrimination on grounds of sex with regard to working conditions, including the conditions governing dismissal, in a general manner†. Where a state fails to implement a directive by the end of the time period given, and if the provisions of the directive are unconditional and sufficiently precise, the Court of Justice ruled that the directive may be relied upon against the state, because otherwise it would not be compatible with Article 189’s binding nature on directives. The Court of Justice answered the second question in saying that Article 5 in Directive 76/207 which â€Å"Prohibits any discrimination on grounds of sex with regard to working conditions, including the conditions governing dismissal may be relied upon as against a state authority acting in capacity as an employer†. The Advocates General’s opinion concurred with the judgement of this case. The legal significance of this case is that an individual may only rely on a directive in a national court when suing a public body but the term public body has been given a wide interpretation by the European Court of Justice. Although Direct Effect was founded originally in the Case 26/62,Van Gend en loos [1963] ECR 1, in the Marshall case we have just looked at, the vertical nature of the directive meant that Marshall could take advantage of it, although an employee in the private sector would not have been able to. This would seem to give public sector employees an unfair advantage over their private sector counterparts, but this glitch in EU law was fixed by the subsequent Case 14/83 Von Colson Kamann v Land Nordrhein-Westfalen which established the doctrine of Indirect Effect which is a mechanism of effectively using indirect means, to give a directive horizontal effect for all employees. Bibliography Cases 1. Judgement of Marshall v Southampton and South West Hampshire Area Health Authority (Teaching) (Marshall (No.1)) [1986] 1 C.M.L.R. 688 [ 1 ]. Judgement of Marshall v Southampton and South West Hampshire Area Health Authority (Teaching) (Marshall (No.1)) [1986] 1 C.M.L.R. 688 page 3, line 11. [ 2 ]. Judgement of Marshall v Southampton and South West Hampshire Area Health Authority (Teaching) (Marshall (No.1)) [1986] 1 C.M.L.R. 688 page 11, line 37. [ 3 ]. Judgement of Marshall v Southampton and South West Hampshire Area Health Authority (Teaching) (Marshall (No.1)) [1986] 1 C.M.L.R. 688 page 11, line 36. [ 4 ]. Judgement of Marshall v Southampton and South West Hampshire Area Health Authority (Teaching) (Marshall (No.1)) [1986] 1 C.M.L.R. 688 page 11, line 51. [ 5 ]. Judgement of Marshall v Southampton and South West Hampshire Area Health Authority (Teaching) (Marshall (No.1)) [1986] 1 C.M.L.R. 688 page 15, line 37 [ 6 ]. Judgement of Marshall v Southampton and South West Hampshire Area Health Authority (Teaching) (Marshall (No.1)) [1986] 1 C.M.L.R. 688 page 17, line 2. [ 7 ]. Judgement of Marshall v Southampton and South West Hampshire Area Health Authority (Teaching) (Marshall (No.1)) [1986] 1 C.M.L.R. 688 page 17, line 19.

Supervision Notes Essay Example for Free

Supervision Notes Essay A1. A duty of care effectively means that as a carer it is our job to always act in the best interests of those individuals that we provide care for. This not only includes treating them how they like to be treated but also protecting them from harm, even if thats from themselves. As long as you are competent in the roles that you are being asked to perform it is the carers obligation to protect service users and remove them from harmful situations. A2. As a carer you not only have a duty of care to the service user you support, but also other staff, your employers and members of the public. When you act in persons best interests you must do so with that persons consent unless they lack the capacity to understand that it is in their best interest to comply. For example when you support a service user to a doctors appointment and they will not allow the doctor to inspect their injuries, your duty of care to that individual dictates that you act in their best wishes and so may have to go against what the individual wants in order for them to get treatment. You should follow company policies and procedures concerning your duty of care and follow/write up risk assessments for any perceivable risks. You should also ensure that you always act to the best of your ability to be trustworthy, respecting service users dignity, with compassion and integrity to ensure they are safe. A3. The care providing companys duty of care is to both the service users and the staff who work for them. They should ensure your knowledge and skillset are suitable and updated regularly and that you are fully trained and competent at tasks that are expected of you. This would include writing and updating polices and procedures for staff to follow as well as responding to any complaints or reported risks, then taking corrective action to keep everyone safe. The company must keep accurate and up to date records of the care and support that is being provided, including any assessments of a persons capacity and the rationale for decisions taken on their behalf. They should also protect all individuals confidentiality  unless some details directly effect the duty of care over another service user, staff member or the public. Overall the companys duty of care must ensure that they are assisting/enabling you as a carer to complete your duty of care towards your service users and do all that is reasonable to ensure both staff and clients are kept safe at all times. A4. In our role as a carer we have a duty of care to protect service users and ensure all safeguarding issues are raised with our employer or government agency. To ensure effective safeguarding we should raise any health and/or safety concerns we notice at work such as poor working practises, lack of equipment or training and suspicion of abuse or neglect. Even if these complaints are aimed at the company we work for, it is the carers duty to notify the authorities or the carers themselves could be accused of neglect or incompetence by failing to act. If carers take their duty of care seriously, as we all should, by following legislation, the polices and procedures and respecting those we provide care for by protecting them from harm we ensure the service users are safeguarded. Task C Guidance notes C1. Your company should have a Complaints Procedure in place and will often be found within the policies and procedures file. The main purpose of it is to ensure that the complaints procedure is properly and effectively implemented and that service users feel confident knowing their complaints and worries are listened to and acted upon promptly and fairly. This should correspond to meet the minimum standards when processing complaints as outlined in the laws that govern it. When dealing with complaints companys are to ensure that service users and their representatives, carers and visitors are made aware of how to complain and that the company makes it easy for them to register such complaints. A named person is responsible for administration, processing and investigating any complaints received. Once a complaint is lodged it should be acknowledged in writing by the company and state what will happen next. Complaints should be dealt with promptly, fairly and sensitively with due regard to the distress that may be caused to both staff and service users involved. If the company believes that the  complaint is best dealt with and settled at a local, in house level between the complainant and the accused then it may chose to do so. However if either of the parties are not satisfied by this process the case could be referred to the Care Quality Commission. Either way the company must do all it can to fully investigate any complaints and ensure that all preventative and/or disciplinary procedures are followed to prevent it reoccurring. The legal requirement for dealing with complaints include the Health and Social Care Act 2010, Freedom of Information act and National Minimum Standards complaints policy. These standards require care home managers to have clear procedures that enable service users to make their views, concerns and worries known, and to reassure them that appropriate action will be taken. Policies and procedures for dealing with suspicion or evidence of physical, financial, psychological or sexual abuse, neglect, self harm or degrading behaviour should also be put in place. These standards should ensure that every care home has clear and effective complaints procedure, which includes the stage of, and time scales, for the process and detail what will happen to look into and prevent further incidents. Everything should be documented and kept on record for further study to ensure an efficient service and that any potential similar incidents can be prevented. C2. Taking both the legal and organisational requirements into consideration, we must respond openly, calmly and appropriately to any comment or complaint made to us. When a complaint is made to you then you should ensure that the individual making it understands how to follow the correct complaints procedure. This includes explaining how the system works, what they can expect as a result of their complaints and when they hear back from the company. You may need to support individuals completing the process and you should remain objective , professional and act with integrity throughout. You should make no promises to those who complain but reassure them and ensure that all complaints are taken seriously, that it will be investigated properly and that they are kept informed throughout the process. You should also inform your manager as soon as is possible so that any safeguarding issues can be put into place straight away. We should never discourage individuals from making a valid complaint and never discuss any concerns raised with any staff members other  than your manager. Complaints procedures are to be followed because they allow people to express their concerns and ensure that all accidents, claims of abuse and risks are identified and acted upon. Complaints allow the company and staff to ensure they are working safely, that they make necessary improvements and that all service users are happy and safe when accessing care services. It is the service users, staff and family members right to complain when they feel something is not right and its our legal duty to ensure we take their concerns seriously and find a solution.

Service Quality Dimensions That Affect Customer Satisfaction Commerce Essay

Service Quality Dimensions That Affect Customer Satisfaction Commerce Essay The objective of this chapter is to formulate the research question and develop the conceptual framework for the study. A detailed overview of how the research was conducted, the operationalisation of the variables, hypothesis formulation and the research methodology used which covers data collection methods used, sample selection and method used for data analysis are discussed. 3.2 Research Question Based on the review of literature and the research problem, the following question has been formulated in order to determine the relationship that exists between the various dimensions of customer expectation and the service quality by the insurance companies for motor insurance policy holders. It is important to understand this relationship as it would enable the companies in the insurance sector to improve their service quality and to match and to exceed customer expectations and create a knowledge base in order to stay ahead in the market. The following research questions were derived from the research problem and the review of the literature. What are the Service Quality Dimensions that affect customer satisfaction in the Motor Insurance industry in Sri Lanka? What is the extent to which customers are satisfied with the services received from the Motor Insurance Industry? What are the gaps between customer Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction of Motor Insurance policy holders? 3.3 Conceptual Framework Service Quality Dimensions Dependant Variable Independent Variables [Source: Developed by the Researcher] 3.3.1 Rationalization of the conceptual framework Conceptual framework was replicated based on Zeithaml, Parasuraman Berry (1991), to test this study in the Motor Insurance Industry in Sri Lanka. On the detailed literature review, the research identified five factors that impact value delivery to customer of Motor Insurance services. These five service quality dimensions of SERVQUAL Model by Parasuraman and Berry et el (1985), have been derived as independent variables. These variables fall under Service providers Perspective in the conceptual framework. The dependent variable was identified as Customer satisfaction. The gaps in quality of service will be identified by using these five dimensions. This is the gap between the Customers expectation and experience of the Motor Insurance service delivery, which will subsequently have an impact on customer satisfaction. Rust Oliver (1994) and the Nordic Model (Gronoos, 1992) too emphasizes the importance of meaning of the gap between expectations and the experience in service industry. Hence all these have been included in the conceptual framework. 3.3.2 Definitions for Variables Tangibles Modern Equipment and Technology, Visually appealing physical facilities neat appearing employees and agents, visually appealing materials associated with services. Appearance of physical facilities, equipment personnel and communication material (Parasurman et.al,1998 and 1990). Reliability Keeping promises when promises to do something by a certain time , offering products and services of utmost quality, issuing contracts with clear, transparent and non ambiguous terms, settling customers claims with no unnecessary delays, ,showing sincere interest when solving customers problems, offering services right the first time without unnecessarily discomforting customers, providing services within the specified contract time limits, issuing error free bills, statements, receipts, contracts, claims and other documents. Ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately (Parasurman et.al,1998 and 1990). Responsiveness telling customers exactly when the services will be performed, doing their best to give prompt service to customers, always willing to help customers, never being too busy to respond to customers requests . Willing to help customer and provide prompt service (Parasurman et.al,1998 and 1990). Assurance Customers feeling safe in their transactions, behavior instilling confidence in customers, being consistently courteous with customers, having employees and agents with the necessary knowledge to give professional services to customers. Knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to convey trust and confidence (Competence, courtesy, creditability and security of the service), (Parasurman et.al,1998 and 1990). Empathy Giving customers individual services, operating hours convenient to all customers, giving customers personal attention, having the customers best interest at heart, understanding the specific needs of customers. Caring, individualized attention the firm provides its customers (Access to organizations representatives, communication and understanding the customer), (Parasurman et.al,1998 and 1990). As presented in the above conceptual model, the independent variable of dimensions of service quality will be studied. Price is also a relevant variable. However, the focus of this study is on service quality attributes and therefore is not within the scope of this study. Theoretical research has presented several different service quality definitions. However, Parasuraman et al. (1985) definition of service quality, which has been used in many industry studies before, was adopted. Service quality is defined as the degree of discrepancy between customers normative expectations for the service and their perceptions of the service performance. The SERVQUAL model developed by Parasuraman et al.(1998), is therefore used for this study. Hypotheses Formulation Hypothesis is a testable speculative statement delineating the relations between all the elements of a theory (Page Meyer, 2000). The development of hypothesis was categorized into two sections based on insurance companies customers. Accordingly five hypotheses were developed. The source for all hypothesis development was based on the conceptual framework. Furthermore, the hypotheses based on insurance companies were primarily related to the importance of each expectation. The hypotheses developed for customers were based on the service quality of obtaining Motor insurance policies. When developing hypothesis, Literature review under section 2.18, according to the study carried out in Greece and Kenya by Rand, (2006), it was proved that there is a relationship between service quality dimensions and expected and experienced service quality by the customers in the insurance industry. 3.5 Hypothesis Rationalization Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Reliability dimension in motor insurance According to Parasuraman et al (1985) Reliability dimension measures the ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately. As per the research carried out by Rand (2006) , it says that the Reliability has a huge impact on the service quality in service industry. Especially in a industry like Motor insurance it has a huge effect. Consumers satisfaction choice of service provider and service quality evaluation are influenced by the expectations of the consumer, (Trinh et al.2000). As mentioned above in the research carried out in Kenyan Insurance industry by Rand (2006), it is noted that most of the researchers (Rand, 2006; Trinh, 2000) have identified that Reliable service always has a positive impact on the service quality provided by the company. Therefore it is worthy to investigate the relationship among Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Reliability dimension in motor insurance. It could be hypothesized that, H 1 0 There is no relationship between Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Reliability dimension in motor insurance H 1 There is a relationship between Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Reliability dimension in motor insurance Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Responsiveness dimension in motor insurance The Dimension Responsiveness explains about willingness to help customers and provide prompt service. Responsiveness factor significantly has a positive effect on Customer satisfaction. Quality service provision, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty has recently been emerging as important parameters for both researchers and practitioners in turkey. This has been proved through a research carried by Yale University in Turkey (2009) on Service Quality in healthcare. This research was also based on the service quality. To provide superior service quality responsiveness is a very important factor since service providers should always willing to help customers. Especially in an industry such as insurance it is a very decisive factor since the customer is expecting a prompt action for their problems. So responsiveness factor effectively contributes to reduce the gaps between the Expected Experienced Service quality by the motor insurance policy holders. Therefore it is worthy to identify the relationship between the Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Responsiveness dimension in motor insurance. So it could be hypothesized that, H 2 0 There is no relationship between Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Responsiveness dimension in motor insurance H 2 There is a relationship between Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Responsiveness dimension in motor insurance Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Assurance dimension in motor insurance Assurance dimension is all about, the knowledge, competence, and courtesy of service employees and their ability to convey trust and confidence. Ducker (1991) defines service quality as What the customer gets out and is willing to pay for rather than what the supplier (of the service) puts in? Hence, service quality is often conceptualized as the comparison of service expectations with actual performance perception (Bloemer, Ruyter et al. 1999; Kara, Lonial et al. 2007). Service science literature often relies on SERVUQAL as an instrument to measure quality of service provided. SERVQUAL scale was developed based on a marketing perspective with the support of the Marketing Science Institute (Parasuraman, Zeithaml et al. 1986). It is very important to keep the assurance on the agreement made the company to their customers. Specially in the insurance industry, it is crucial factor to offer the assurance of the services provided. Therefore it is worthy to identify the relationship betwee n the Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Assurance dimension in motor insurance. So it could be hypothesized that, H 3 0 There is no relationship between Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Assurance dimension in motor insurance H 3 There is a relationship between Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Assurance dimension in motor insurance Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Empathy dimension in motor insurance Empathy dimension is about caring individualized attention provided to customers. According to the expectancy disconfirmation model, customers satisfaction is a function between his/her service performance perception and expectation (Pizam and Ellis, 1999), and illustrated as Satisfaction=f (Perception-Expectation). It is very important to offer individual attention to the customers specially in the service industry. Trustworthiness is one of the critical factors in any industry for the customers. Empathy factor defines that. Keeping the customer complaints and criticisms is very important in the motor insurance industry as the competition is very high. If the organization looses one policyholder that may affect the organization immensely. Therefore it is worthy to identify the relationship between the Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Empathy dimension in motor insurance. So it could be hypothesized that, H 4 0 There is no relationship between Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Empathy dimension in motor insurance H 4 There is a relationship between Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Empathy dimension in motor insurance Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Tangibility dimension in motor insurance Tangibility is all about appearance of physical facilities, equipment, ambience, personnel and communication materials. The rewards to firms that establish a loyal customer base have been well documented (Armstrong and Symonds, 1991: Heskett et al. 1994: Reichheld amd Sesser, 1990). In general, increased loyalty leads to lower cost of servicing the firms customers, reduced marketing expenditure, increased business from the existing customer base and greater profits. The internal appearance and the facilities is also affecting the service quality. It in turn helps the company to retain their customer and reduce the unnecessary costs such as saving costs. Therefore it is worthy to identify the relationship between the Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Tangibility dimension in motor insurance. So it could be hypothesized that, H 5 0 There is no relationship between Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Tangibility dimension in motor insurance H 5 There is a relationship between Expected Experienced Service Quality in relation to Tangibility dimension in motor insurance 3.6 Operationalization Based on the SERVQUAL scale and using five service quality dimensions. Concepts Variable Indicator Measure Reliability Price/Premium Reasonable Premium rates In order to evaluate customer expectation and experience , a 5 point scale was used. To measure customer perception the rating scale , for 1 Not important and 5 Very Important . And to measure customer experience the rating scale, for 1 Not Experienced at all , to 5 Experienced at a high level Product Range Range of products offered, to suit individual requirements Physical Access Availability and convenience of facilities and branch network Electronic access Availability of Telephone and online facilities Service delivery Level of service as expected/promised Responsiveness Waiting time Average time taken to process a claim after an accident In order to obtain data on average time spent with the Insurance providing company to get an service rating scale from 1 to 5 was used . for 1 Not Experienced at all , to 5 Experienced at a high level . In order to evaluate customer expectation and experience , a 5 point likert scale was used. Level of responsiveness of the Insurance staff Time taken to respond to an issue Assurance Stability The guarantee of safety when making a claim In order to evaluate customer expectation and experience, a 5 point likert scale was used. Safety of the investment Making the actual cost Convenience to the holder Confidentiality Maintenance of confidentiality Product Knowledge The knowledge of the product/features by the staff members Empathy Benefits Special benefits and features for the customer In order to evaluate customer expectation and experience, a 5 point likert scale was used. Attention Personal attention to customers and recognizing regular customers Caring Helping customers in a pleasant and caring manner Approachability Easy to approach staff members Tangibles Environment Pleasant ambiance inside the company In order to evaluate customer expectation and experience, a 5 point likert scale was used. Facilities Facilities provided to the policy holders Parking Availability of adequate parking at the Insurance company Number of repair centers in Sri Lanka Directional signs and information Availability of adequate instructions and directions of counters and procedures and easy directions when filling forma and other documents Appearance of Staff members Staff members are dresses appropriately Layout Convenient layout of the company interior Customer Satisfaction Level Satisfaction Level of satisfaction of the insurance company in relation to each service quality dimension A 5 point likert scale was used to measure the likelihood of these indicators ranging from Very Likely to Highly Unlikely. In Order to measure the time length of the relationship the respondent has with the Insurance provider , 5 time slots were presented where by the respondent could select his/her most relevant time slot. Study was carried out to ascertain the validity and Reliability of the Questionnaire. This was done as the instrument to use collected data was not tested previously. 3.7 Research Methodology The Research methodology is the way research is conducted. Research methodology refers to the theory of how research should be undertaken (Saunders, et al 2005). The first step of the study is to assess the service quality gaps in relation to the customer expectations and experience among five leading Insurance Companies which deals with Motor insurance in Sri Lanka and with each of the five SERVQUAL dimensions. This study helps to determine the average service quality gap score (between customers expectations and experience) for each service quality dimensions and how it affects the overall customer satisfaction. The second step each Insurance companys gap scores for each service quality dimensions. This is to examine the differences within each insurance company when providing services to the customers and to compare the differences of the overall satisfaction of customers in each insurance company. Stage three measured the level of satisfaction of the customers and the fourth stage examines the relationship between the expected and experienced service quality gaps by the customers for each dimensions. The final Stage integrates the data obtained from the five insurance companies and conclusions were prepared in accordance to the findings. Based on research problem, preliminary data was the main source of data used in this research. Consistent with the deductive research method, data collection through questionnaires has been a long proven method to collect valid and reliable data (Page Meyer, 2000). The deductive method refers to the use of a theory to generate prepositions or hypothesis that can be tested. Thus, the research method has been chosen for this study is based on deductive method. 3.7.1 Method of Data Collection In this study the primary data was collected through a self completion questionnaire from customers of the selected five Insurance companies. The study followed the Quantitative method to gather and analyze the data. The secondary data was collected from secondary source such Government publications (IBSL Annual Report 2010 Central Bank Annual Report 2010), Company Annual reports and from other publications. 3.7.2 Selection of Sample For the purpose of gathering data on customer expectation and customer experience, a total number of 250 questionnaires were distributed, from which a total of 224 valid Reponses were received and selected for data analysis. Individuals within a sample are chosen by chance rather than by the researcher or by being self-selected (Page and Meyer, 2000). A simple random sampling technique was used for this study, so that each unit of the population will have a known and equal chance of being selected. The sample was spread across Motor insurance policy holders of Five different Motor insurance providing companies in Sri Lanka. A brief description of selected five companies are given below, Aviva NDB Insurance PLCPLC Aviva NDB Insurance PLCtook wing as a leading player within Sri Lankas insurance landscape in the late 1980s. Over the years, the Companys good governance practices, ethics and innovation have helped it to soar to new heights. The dynamism and creativity of the Aviva NDB Family has been the engine of its evolution into a superior entity in the insurance and financial services sector. The Company has recorded a Consolidated Revenue of Rs. 7, 265 million with an impressive growth rate of 23.7% over the previous year. The Revenue reported for the current year includes Rs. 171.2 million being the gross-up of tax withheld at source on Government Securities. Excluding this, the growth for 2010 stands at 20.8%. Union Assurance PLC Union Assurance is a composite insurer transacting both Life and General business including personal insurance, in operation since 1987. A Public Quoted Company, UA entered the insurance arena at the time the private sector was permitted to set up in insurance, following the enactment of the Control of Insurance (Amendment) Act No. 42 of 1986. Committed to pursuing the highest standards of service and security, UA is backed by the corporate might of blue chip companies John Keells and Carson Cumberbatch. UAs reinsurers are world leaders, chosen for their dependability and total security. In short, they are the best in the business. The companys paid up capital as at 31 December 2009 is Rs 250 million and net asset base, Rs 1.6 billion, also indicates the companys  Ã‚   financial stability and strength, and places it firmly at the apex off private insurance service providers in Sri Lanka. Asian Alliance Insurance PLC Within a very short time period, Asian Alliance Insurance PLC has achieved what every company yearns for; it has touched the hearts of its customers with outstanding levels of professionalism and service. Asian Alliance commenced operations in December 1999 with 50 employees. Today the company has grown from strength to strength to become one of Sri Lankas leading players in the insurance industry. The company caters to an ever-growing client base that consists of corporate and individual clients. The secret behind the Asian Alliance Insurance success story lies in its ability to offer tailor-made insurance solutions to its customers. Sri Lanka Insurance Cooperation Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation which was established in 1962 as a State Owned Corporation was converted to a Limited Liability Company for a brief period of 6 years and was re-instilled in the state sector on the 4th June 2011, further strengthening the Corporation as the strongest and the largest Insurer in the Country. Sri Lanka Insurance is now backed by government protection and service excellence on par with the best in the private sector. At present Sri Lanka Insurance has over 120 Branches Island with an unparalleled assets base under management of over Rs.64.8 billion with a Life fund of over Rs.39 billion and over one million policies in force. The Motor Insurance Department has branched off into unrelated areas such as Theft only, Fire Only, Fire and Theft, 3rd Party Fire and Theft and Act only; once again, offering covers aimed at satisfying their clientele to a maximum. Ceylinco Insurance PLC From a solid and innovative start in 1939, Ceylinco Insurance Company Limited has faced numerous changes and challenges and has successfully weathered them all. Registered as Ceylinco Insurance Company Limited in 1987 and commenced business on the 14th of January 1988, in the spheres of Life and General Insurance, we have grown from strength to strength. Today, they have become the leading insurance company in Sri Lanka, with the largest network of branches and agents in the insurance industry. Their goals include becoming the leading provider of protection and financial security in Sri Lanka and in select international markets. 3.7.3 Structure of the Questionnaire Part one of the questionnaire focuses on demographic features of the respondents. Part two focuses on the dimensions. Questions from 1.14 entail in Reliability dimension and thereafter, based on Operationalisation, 10 questions focus on Responsiveness dimension 16 questions represents the Assurance dimension and 9 questions on Empathy dimension. Final dimension which is Tangibility has 10 questions. Each dimension has 2 columns to rate expected and experienced using a likert scale of 1.5, not important at all being No.1 and Very important being No.05. For the study, questionnaire was designed in accordance with the research objectives. The Questionnaire is based on the five SERVQUAL dimensions presented by Parasuraman et al (1985) and the Gap 5 which is also known as the Customer gap (the gap between customer expectation and experience) of the SERVQUAL mo del presented by Parasuraman et al (1985) , modified and tailored to specific service quality requirements of the Motor Insurance industry. Table 2: Structure of the Questionnaire Questionnaire Variables Measurement Items Section 1 Personal details Section 2 Measure Service quality perceptions of five insurance companies in general from individuals Section 3 Measure Service Quality dimensions separately to find out Expected Experienced service quality by each customer. 3.1 Reliability 3.2 Responsiveness 3.3- Assurance 3.4 Empathy 3.5 -Tangibility 3.7.4 Method of Data Analysis The Data was collected through a Questionnaire. The study was carried out using Descriptive statistics as well as Inferential Statistics. Under Inferential statistics an ANOVA analysis and paired sample two test were carried out. Descriptive Statistics Descriptive statistics  are used to describe the main features of a collection of  data  quantitatively. Inferential Statistics Inferential statistics are used to draw inferences about a  population  from a  sample. T-Test This test is used to compare the means of two samples (or treatments), even if they have different numbers of replicates. ANOVA test The Analysis Of Variance, popularly known as the ANOVA test, can be used in cases where there are more than two groups. The following methods have been used to analyze the data obtained from the study. Gap technique The gap technique will be used to analyze and identify the service quality gaps between expectation and experience of customers. Comparative Analysis A comparative analysis will be conducted in relation to the gap technique between the five Insurance companies using graphs and tables. Relationship Analysis Under Inferential Statistic analysis paired sample two test will be conducted to analyze the relationship between Expected service Quality and Experienced Service Quality by the customers. 3.7.5 Pilot Study Pilot study was carried out to ascertain the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. The instrument used to gather data in a research should be valid and reliable (Page Meyer, 2000). 3.8 Summary The purpose of this chapter was to explain and formulate the research questions and to provide a conceptual framework. The research question was formulated and thereafter the conceptual framework was designed using Service Quality as the independent variable and Customer Satisfaction being the dependent variable. Thereafter, the operationalization for the study was designed in accordance with the features/qualities of motor insurance industry. Given this, the methodology for the researcher was presented which included methods of data collection, selection of the sample, the questionnaire design and the methods of data analysis. Finally the limitations of the study were mentioned.

What is the Price for Keeping the American Public Safe from Diet Supple

What is the Price for Keeping the American Public Safe from Diet Supplements? Being overweight and being in sports is a hard aspect of the game to overcome. Many of the athletes in different sports go through tough training and conditioning. Some athletes are under great pressure to make a certain weight in order to stay on the team. If the players are overweight they might be fined or even benched for the certain events. All of the sports that are out there have a lot of competition for staying on teams. There are the athletes that struggle each week to keep their job from younger stronger players coming in. So it is a question of were they turn to get an extra edge over the other player. Most of the time it is with diet supplements or performance enhancers. Congress needs to be more ethical in providing enough research and funding towards dietary supplements research because the cost is greater than loosing a few pounds or getter a better edge in the game. It comes down to being able to keep the American public safe and keep athletes from dieing. Even thou gh the entire dietary supplement industry is a big corporation the companies can not be just out there to make money, when it can harm people. From being an athlete myself I am deeply concerned with the issue of all the muscle enhancers and what is being done in congress and the FDA. The entire diet supplement industry is worth $20 billion dollars. Most of the products that are out on the market are available do have benefits towards different features of performance. There are complaints being given in to the congress that the drug companies are being put in hold for distributing their product in the market. If a company comes out with a new product that could save li... ...and then leaving the person feeling dehydrated and weak. From looking at all of the effects of all of the diet pills and muscle enhancers it is clear that the congress needs to help the FDA more in order to keep the American public safe. Counterarguments may pose that the industry alone makes more than the FDA budget combined so it is not worth it. Most of the companies claim that their product is helpful to the needs that most of the athletes need. It is more than just giving a person an extra edge or making them loose weight. The effects of these pills and powders are not worth the risk. Even if a product says it is herbal and all natural does not give it the right to not go through the right scientific testing. It is based on all of these reasons and being an athlete myself I want there to be more protection on all of the diet supplements and muscle enhancers.

The Glamorous Spy in Films Such as Casino Royale and Mission Impossible

Introduction - Content Films such as Casino Royale and Mission Impossible are both culturally significant to how people’s general opinions of spies and the profession of espionage. Ian Flemings Bond movies are the longest running film series ever and this helps the perception and opinions of the films to be passed on from generation to generation. So far six actors have taken on the role of James Bond and all were significant super fit good-looking and popular actors. This only helps to increase the popularity of the films and now that the cinema is public it means people of all ages go to watch these films with family and friends. Many films and actors have taken on similar storylines and characters to that of the Bond films such as Johnny English and the Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery films put a lighter, humorous side to the real life dangers that spies face in reality. Also films such as the Alex Rider books based Stormbreaker and the agent Cody Banks films attract a different audie nce than the Bond films in a way because they use young actors and actresses to put across a more understandable and sometimes more watchable film for the younger audience. The Mission Impossible films were based on a 1960’s television show of the same name. Tom Cruise would have been deliberately chosen to take the lead character role in these films. Like the Bond actors this increases interests in the film and also makes the general view and activities of espionage seem glamorous but yet action packed. These films also use the public’s great anticipation and fear of terrorists in these films to engage people and also the films often cleverly use the publics sensitive fear of modern day terrorism to make the films more serious, ... ... violent chase scenes and almost unreal stunts to attract the audience to the films. He uses glamorous gadgets and good looking women also to give the impression that the spies live a fault free life full of wonderful assets. The music used in espionage films is very suited to the style and pace of the films themselves. Every theme tune is very fast, dramatic and striking and makes the audience feel on edge at the start of the film. Often the theme tune is repeated in some form throughout the main action scenes in the film. Many of the signs such as the gunshots, explosions and police sirens make these films suspense action thrillers. I think that the way that the directors use the certain signs to help glamorise the life of spies is clever and very appealing to the audience. This is why these espionage thrillers are so popular among people of different ages.

Comparing Obsession in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Aldous Huxley’s

Comparing Obsession in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Aldous Huxley’s After Many A Summer Dies the Swan Authors leave fingerprints on the works they write. Underneath the story, hidden amidst the words, lies a worldview, a concept of humanity, a message. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is an entertaining story meant to give the reader goose bumps late at night, but the telling of the story also reveals Shelley’s concept about the basic fabric of human nature. In the same way Aldous Huxley in After Many A Summer Dies the Swan weaves a tale that is part story and part commentary on how humans interact and think and self- destruct. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley portrays obsession as an anomalous aspect of human behavior resulting when people move away from their basically good nature, while Aldous Huxley portrays obsession as the most intrinsic of all human qualities. This paper will contrast the basic views presented in each book about the origin of obsession and its relation to human nature, giving examples of how the authors’ views are embodied in their characters. In the novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley presents a view of human nature that is largely positive so long as it does not wander into the dangerous realm of obsession. She speaks of human endeavors and discoveries as being valuable and good. The young Victor is enchanted by scientists who have â€Å"performed miracles† by â€Å"penetrating the recesses of nature† (45). The discovery and contemplation of the natural world is a means by which characters find serenity and calm, and thus come in tune with the beauty of their humanity. In the midst of the sublime wilderness, even Victor contemplates â€Å"divine ideals of liberty and self-sacrifice† (1... ...nts human nature as basically good aside from the selfish obsession perpetuated by withdrawal from normal society and human behavior. Huxley offers a bleaker view, portraying self- obsession as an innate quality ensnaring all of his characters unless they are freed to transcend their humanity and seek another level of consciousness. If Shelley and Huxley were here today, debating the merits of their stance, Shelley may might utter the words of Pete Boone, â€Å"I suppose I’ve been too optimistic.† And Huxley, adjusting his thick glasses, might reply as Propter did, â€Å"Too optimistic in certain directions, and at the same time too pessimistic in others† (188). Works Cited Huxley, Aldous. After Many a Summer Dies the Swan. Mattituck, New York: American Reprint Company, 1976. Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. New York: Barnes and Noble Classics. 2003.

Happiness and Humor Group Promotes Life Satisfaction for Senior Center Participants Essay

Abstract The effects of a Happiness and Humor Group in the promotion of life satisfaction in an elderly center were examined. Fifteen participants in the beginning of the study were given a self-rated 32-item Life Satisfaction Scale Survey. After which they engaged in a once a week, 10-week program for the Happiness and Humor Group. Although the number of participants increased throughout the sessions, only the 15 original participants were administered the same test after completion of program. Introduction The purpose of the study is to address former findings conducted by the same researcher. A year ago, the researcher performed a qualitative study on stress. In the earlier study, there were 54 participants, ages 65-100 years, all of whom are members of several Southern California senior recreation programs. It was learned that the primary stressor among older adults was loneliness. As a follow-up to this, the researcher deemed it necessary to develop a group program that would address coping skills for the stressor. In late adulthood, people experience a lot of stressful moments when they face everyday with pessimism and regret about the past. In the opinion of the researcher, the psychological and over all well-being of the elderly is being neglected as the world faces many innovation and continued progress in technology, basically banking on younger people. The elderly continues to be an important part of society and their concerns have to be addressed. Since most of them, especially those living in senior centers, face loneliness as they are already far from relatives and family, the researcher thought that something should be done to ease the pain of being lonely. The Happiness and Humor Group was offered once a week for a 10-week period and was held at a local California Senior Center. An initial test, Life Satisfaction Scale (Lohmann, 1976) was conducted to the original 15 participants. The same is done after completion of program. The Happiness and Humor Group should improve the lives of the participants and increase their satisfaction for their present living status. They should be healthier and more psychologically balanced and score higher in the written scale survey after they finish all the sessions in the program. Review of Related Literature Old age in some books is concretely defined as the stage of a person’s life after 65 years (Burgess, 1949). However, there are people younger than 65 years that tend to manifest those characteristics that encompass being of old age (Burgess, 1949). To clearly define old age, it is the last period of a person’s life terminated by death. According to some books (Papalia, 2002), aging is divided into two stages: Primary and Secondary aging. Primary aging is said to be the time when the body inevitably deteriorates and this process continues through out the years. On the other hand, Secondary aging results from the abuse the body receives through the years. These abuses are often avoidable and are within the control of the human person (Papalia, 2002). Along with other indications of aging is the manifestation of psychological changes. Depression, for one is seen as one of the psychological problems faced by the elderly today. It also affects the biological aspect of living, how organs in our body work, blood flow, etc. Depression is said to speed up physical decline of aging and cause problems internally (Papalia, 2002). As much as there are negative and problematic aspects to aging, like all other stages of development in a person’s life, there is also a positive light to this. Erik Erikson’s Theory on Human Development indicates that at this late period of adulthood, a person experiences a conflict between ego integrity versus despair (Papalia, 2002). One has to get past the troubles of yesterday, get over regret and what-could-have-beens and learn to accept the wholeness of one’s life and the coherence of learning picked up throughout the years. Nonetheless, there are different ways to measure a person’s life satisfaction in aging. There are scientists who measure this through health conditions, cardiovascular functioning, brain activity, psychological well-being, economic stability, etc (Papalia et al). Nevertheless, all of these play a role in a healthy person’s life. Although, in different studies, other people, for example, give more importance to their health or economic stability as their basis for an accomplished or successful aging. In the end, it may still depend on a person’s priorities in life that could help him or her achieve optimal aging. There are different theories that deal with aging. One is the Disengagement theory (Papalia, 2002), which simply states that at this particular stage, people tend to disengage themselves with society and focus more on themselves. They tend to be more in touch with their thoughts, feelings and emotions as they look back at the past and realize what they have learned, gone through—both positive and negative. On the other hand, there is the activity theory (Papalia, 2002) that indicates that to achieve better aging, one must engage him or her in different activities. Another important theory that should be taken into account when dealing with better aging is the Continuity Theory (Papalia, 2002). This states that there is a great need for the elderly to relate the present and the past. For them to be satisfied, they have to be able to continue doing what they are used to when they are younger. It could mean that a once healthy youthful man who is active in sports should not be hindered by age to play his interest. Activities should be present as it was when they had the energy to do it. Of course, one should strain themselves so much to the extent of injury. However, being able to do what one can do before, is an encouragement in itself and provides opportunity for proper aging. Aside from exercise and being active, humor and laughter help a lot in the aging process. As earlier mentioned, the elderly tend to be more serious as they reflect on their lives. This may produce a lot of negative feelings as they face regret and sorrow at losses. Negative feelings do not only affect mental health but also the entire functioning of the human person. There are a great number of studies and literature depicting humor and laughter as greatly influential to the improvement of a person’s over-all well-being. It improves the immune system, heart functioning and mental health, among others (Du Pre, 1998). According to studies, cortisol, a hormone secreted by the body during times of stress suppresses the proper functioning of the immune system making humans more inclined to getting sick (Du Pre, 1998). To counter this, studies have been made to show that laughter, in fact, acts against the negative effects of stress. (Du Pre, 1998). In a study made by Dillon, Minchoff and Baker (1985), participants were made to watch humorous videos. They have found that those who watched the videos had a significant increase in an Immonoglobulin A (IgA) level. This substance is a virus-fighting chemical made by the immune system (Du Pre, 1998). Studies like this show that indeed laughter and humor contribute a great deal to improving a person’s immune system. Laughter can be achieved through social interaction and other forms of entertainment such as videos and film viewing. Another study by Adams and McGuires (1986) showed that through a 6-week period observation of elderly participants watching funny videos, there had been a significant decrease in requests of pain-relieving medication (Du Pre, 1998). The social interaction portion of laughter is very much helpful, as well. Unfortunately, for the elderly, as they try to disengage themselves and focus more on â€Å"self†, they forget to interact and the importance of sharing and relating with others. Such is the importance of group psychotherapy. According to Yalom (1995), group psychotherapy brings about instillation of hope, interpersonal learning, group cohesiveness and universality. People become more hopeful as they see that there are others who are in the same boat. They find out that there are those who can relate to them and that they are not the only ones who are going through the things that they are experiencing. The same is true for its universality. Group dynamics brings natural concern and care for others. They become more mindful of their surroundings and helpful, allowing themselves to be useful (Yalom, 1995). Interpersonal learning is picked up as each one involves him or herself in discussions. As they share their feelings and work out their problems they become more cohesive as a group and help in the development of the social skills that they thought they do not need anymore. Indeed, humor is a powerful force with the psychological and physiological effects on the body similar to the health benefits of aerobic exercise. The National Council on Aging promotes quality of life as an important factor for successful aging and a major component in one’s perception of happiness. In a study involving 182 participants, Vilaythong, Arnau, Rosen & Mascaro (2003) saw a relationship between humor and hopefulness. The researchers discovered an increase in the state of hopefulness after exposure to humor. Moreover, Wooten, (1996), stated â€Å"Finding humor in a situation and laughing freely with others can be a powerful antidote to stress and gives us a sense of perspective on our problems. † Of course, in all this, there is a mind set that should be taken into account. One must be optimistic about things and their outlook in life. At the age nearing death, it could be said that this is somewhat very difficult. The elderly is typically viewed as people who are not as functional as they were in their youth (Cox, 1993). The people or family surrounding a senior person should not automatically think that an elder needs his or her assistance. When an elderly feels that he or she has to be assisted in everything and could not perform independently, this may lead to a feeling of low self-worth and they become more pessimistic about things (Cox, 1993). If people can trust elders to carry out tasks, not to difficult for them to perform independently, then they learn to build confidence on what they can do. Furthermore, doubts about themselves, reservations and other unhealthy beliefs that maybe they cannot have purpose anymore, gradually disappears (Dryden, 2001). Here, one can see the effect that positive thinking or optimism provided by the environment, and later on re-learned by self, helps in healthy and a higher satisfaction in aging. Putting all this together, one could see that there is a right way to age. The elderly can get maximum satisfaction in aging if they conserved their energy and strength, if they are able to adapt to challenges and losses, and finally, if they could spend their time productively and wisely (Papalia, 2002). Method Subjects 17 men and women ages 65-89 years who volunteered were administered a pre- and post- self-rated 32-item Life Satisfaction Scale Survey (Lohman, 1976). The form used did not ask for the individual names of the participants. Rather, they were asked to put a fictitious name to ensure honesty and validity of results. The initial testing was conducted during the first session of the Happiness and Humor Group, and the final testing was done on the 10th and final session. Materials A scale survey called Life Satisfaction by Lohman (1976) was conducted. The Happiness and Humor group consisted of a 10-session program which was carried out once a week in a span of 10 weeks. Film viewing was used, this includes DVDs brought by the participants themselves and a few episodes starring Ellen DeGeneres. Lively music was also used in some of the sessions where there was dancing and exercise. Whistles, candies and other paraphernalia were also used in different sessions, serving different symbolisms and purpose. Procedure The first session of The Happiness and Humor Group at their senior center included 15 participants. They were given a test to measure their Life Satisfaction. They were not prompted for real names, rather they were asked to put fictitious names. Afterwards, the first activity began. Each participant was asked to pick a candy or energy bar which best suited or represented his or her personality. The session was ended by the researcher giving a lecture regarding pessimists and optimists. The second session included additional participants. The researcher welcomed the larger group with an activity â€Å"Lighten Your Load† in which everyone shared a way that they could lift pressure from their lives. An intense discussion took place following the introduction of the topic, â€Å"The Typical Wants and Desires of Human Beings†. An activity of light exercise to lively music concluded this session. More people joined during the third session. The importance of Exercise, Nutrition, Recreation and Attitude (ENRA) , and how these all added to a happier and healthy life was discussed. Exploring the ENRA principle of Attitude consisted of an activity â€Å"Count Your Blessings† where the participants wrote down and shared three positive things that happened to them during the week. They were also asked to share with the group how they think they were able to contribute to the positive things that happened to them. At the end of this third session, group members, not the instructor, began to tell jokes which enabled them to connect with each other through shared humor. Similar activities followed after this session, at the same time, more people joined in. Group psychotherapy happens as they share with each other ways to cope with loneliness and how they started thinking more positively. On the seventh session, a discussion was initiated regarding how guilt blocked happiness. Film viewing was also then started. A brief episode that starred Ellen DeGeneres was shown to the group. The video was followed by a laughter prescription issued by the researcher. This entailed all the participants to have a daily dose of 15 minutes of laughter everyday. The session ended with the prescription papers actually signed by the researcher. The eighth session was composed of 25 participants. There was exercise and the researcher introduced an international folk dance. Such activity enforced the ENRA principles. Kazoos and whistles were distributed with the instructions to â€Å"blow the whistle on themselves† when they got too serious. The session again, ended with a summarization of what they have learned that day and group sharing. The sessions that followed were characterized by more film viewing, exercise and dancing. The participants were encouraged to bring their own DVDs or videos should they want to share with the other group members. Later in the session, ENRA principles of Nutrition and Recreation were discussed as they were related to community availability. The researcher offered directories to farmers’ markets nearby and ideas for low cost activities and entertainment around the community. The participants were often reminded that happy people eat healthy foods, exercise, play, and most importantly, have a positive attitude toward life. At the tenth and last session, each participant received a certificate of achievement for being a part of Happiness and Humor Group. They celebrated their success with each other at a healthy buffet which consisted of fresh and healthy food that they themselves purchased from the local farmers’ market. The session ended with humorous stories, ones that they could share with friends or recall for their own 15 minutes of laughter just had been prescribed. Results n=17 Mean SD Pre: 42. 605 54. 256 22. 6 Post: 65. 828 72. 883 13. 7 Difference between tests 5. 6 Table 1. Results for Life Satisfaction Scale Survey (Lohman 1976) Table 1 shows the mean and standard deviations of the group before and after the intervention. Specifically, the mean before the intervention is 54. 256, and this has increased to 72. 883 after the happiness and humor sessions. Significance Level 0. 5 Table 2. T-Tests Variable Method Variances DF t-Value Pr>[t] Score Pooled Equal 32 2. 90 0. 0067 Score Satterthwaite Unequal 26. 3 2. 90 0. 0074 The conduct of the t-tests for dependent groups show that the post-test score is significantly higher than the pre-test score (t=2. 90, pF Score Folder F 16 2. 73 0. 0528 The insignificant F-value shows in Levene’s test for equality of variances (F=2. 73, p>. 05) suggests that both score distributions (pre and post) come from normally distributed score populations. Discussion From the statistical results above, one can see that there is significant change in the participants. Also, qualitatively, their outlook has changed significantly and they have become more optimistic. In the beginning, it was evident that group dynamics and sharing are really effective tools. One member, Cam, 75, shared eagerly during the first session that her selection of the candy bar reminded her of growing up in an orphanage in Scotland. Another, Abraham, 82, told about how he would eat a bite-sized candy bar and relax in the afternoon. The verbal and nonverbal connections were being established between group members, even reaching out to the silent and timid ones. Participants also felt more at ease because of the environment that was presented to them. Jokes are highly welcomed and encouraged. In fact, more than once, the researcher would tell a joke, reminding the participants of the group the theme of happiness that is the program. Also, it encouraged people to show and share parts of their lives through funny and touching anecdotes. Group cohesiveness was noticeable by the fourth session and continued throughout the remainder of the sessions. Participants served each other coffee, listened without interrupting, and best of all, made plans to socialize outside of the weekly group meetings. Edna, 68, stated that she felt like a kinder person. She mentioned that she called friends and invited them to her apartment, equating to a more confident and more sociable outlook in life. Another participant, Keiko, a timid, more quite 83-year-old, cried at the end of one of the sessions when she shared that she allowed her son to drain her of happiness. She declared that she was going to put into practice what she had learned in the group. Sharings were always rewarded and welcomed eagerly by other participants. They have learned to become more open to one another’s concerns and have become greatly supportive of one another. Both participants and researcher saw how popular the Happiness and Humor Group grew. People came in wanting to join because they say that â€Å"they want to be happy. † Even during the course of the program changes and positive results could already be seen in the participants. They themselves would say how much they are already evolving. For instance, Sam, 82, disclosed that he was easily annoyed by many people and he wanted to learn a better way of relating to those who bothered him which showed a shift in his attitude. Many other observations and learnings came from the members themselves. There were observed comments such as a time when it was noted how appointments are made with doctors and dentists for specific health concerns, but one never sets a meeting for life-renewing recreation and leisure. This realization came about during the session when they were given laughter prescriptions. In the latter part of the program, one could easily detect that people are greatly more confident to share personal matters as compared when they were just starting. They were able to vent out concerns and this made them feel really better, emotionally, most especially. One member, Dixie, brought up during one of the sessions the issue about families. The participants spoke of family traditions and ritual, children and parents playing together, laughter and honest, open communication without retaliation. Dixie, once an abused spouse, went on to say that the group has empowered her to be happy and feel less guilty. After evaluation of all these, the researcher feels confident that the Humor and Happiness Group program indeed served its purpose. The elderly felt more comfortable to socialize and felt less lonely, seeing that there are those around them who can relate with their feelings and emotions. They think more positively and are more accepting of where they are now, hopefully, looking at the past with less regret. They are equipped with knowledge of adequate exercise, varying forms of it, to keep them fit, proper nutrition to keep their minds healthy and working. Researchers in gerontology, leisure services, social work and related disciplines are eager to discover how to increase the quality of life for older adults, particularly those stressed by loneliness. Furthermore, many researchers have followed a line of investigation comparing the relationship between possessing a sense of humor and good health. Leslie Gibson, a hospice community liaison, has observed that the more developed the sense of humor, the more graceful the acceptance of physical change and deterioration associated with aging. The Happiness and Humors Group developed for an aging population demonstrated that humor was a significant part of increasing their life satisfaction. In part, it was made possible by connecting the participants with others during the ten sessions in order to create a bond, a sense of belonging through humor and laughter. The researcher encourages administrators and practitioners to explore the possibility of launching a similar group within their own communities to help promote greater life satisfaction among the older adult populations that they serve. Lastly, a further study could be conducted similar to the Happiness and Humor Group. Other activities such as one on one consultations with psychologists and patients could be conducted to maybe reach out to those who are really having a hard time opening up in big groups. Frequency of the session could also be improved, making it twice to thrice a week, instead of once a week. The total length of the program could actually be considered enough to host all needed activities for the participants. However, if such program would be revised, adding more that could specifically cater to the needs of other elders in other cultures, a longer program period is advised. Another improvement could be made by asking the participants who just later joined the Happiness and Humor Group to provide feedback and have them accomplish surveys as to how the program actually enriched their lives. Family support could also be added to the curriculum, although this may be hard for those who have relatives or family far from the center where they are in. All in all, the Happiness and Humor Group could be considered a success on its own and in the future when it would actually be implemented in senior centers, the researcher hopes that more elderly would be able to participate and experience the life-changing process the program offers. References Alpert, J. E. & Fava, M. (2004). Handbook of chronic depression:Diagnosis and therapeutic management. New York: Marcel Dekker. Anastasi, A. & Urbina, S. (2002). Psychological Testing (7th Ed.) New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Arnau, R. C. , Rosen, D. H. & Vilaythong, A. P. (2003). Humor and hope: Can humor increase hope? International Journal of Humor Research. 16-1, 78-89. Ayres, V. E. , Mackenzie, K. R. , Weisman, M. M. , Welch, & R. R. , Wilfley, D. E. (2000). Interpersonal psychotherapy for group. New York: Basic Books. Bernard, M. E. , & DiGuiseppe, R. (1994). Rational-emotive consultation in applied settings. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Burgess, E. W. , Cavan, R. S. , Golhamer, H. , & Havighurst, R. J. (1949). Personal adjustment in old age. Chicago: Science Research Associates. Boyle, G. J, & Joss-Reid, J.M. (2004). Relationship of humour to health: A psychometric investigation. British Journal of Health Psychology, 9, 51-66. Cox, C. (1993). The frail elderly: Problems, needs and community responses. Westport, CT: Auburn House Paperback. Dryden, W. (2001). Reason to change: A rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) workbook. New York: Brunner-Routledge. Du Pre, A. (1998). Humor and the healing arts: A multimethod analysis of humor use in health care. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Elmes, D. G. , Kontowitz, B. H. , Roediger III, H. L. (2001). Experimental psychology (7th Ed. ). Singapore: Wadsworth. Macfarland, K.(2005). Battling late-life depression: Short term psychotherapy for depression in older adults-A review of evidence based studies since 2000. Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association. 8(4). Papalia, D. E. , & Olds, S. W. (2002). Human development (8th Ed. ). New York: McGraw Hill. Pinel, J. P. J. (2003). Biopsychology (5th Ed. ). Boston: Pearson. Roeckelein, J. E. (2002). The psychology of humor: A reference guide and annotated bibliography. Westport, CT: Greenwood. Szabo, A. (2003). The acute effects of humor and exercise on mood and anxiety. Journal of Leisure Research. 35(2). Turnbull, M. & Wolfson, S. (2002). Effects of exercise and outcome feedback on mood: Evidence for misattribution. Journal of Sport Behavior 25, 4. Wooten, P. (1996). Humor: An anecdote for stress. Holistic Nursing Practice. 10, 49-55. Yalom, I. D. (1995). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy. New York: Basic Books.   Plagiarism Report Generated by EVE 2. 4 7/3/2007 11:46:32 PM Document: Humor 1. doc Amount of document detected to be plagiarized: . 54% (less than 1%) Please Note: Because plagiarsm on this paper is below 15%, please check these results carefully to make sure plagiarism has in fact occured. Matching material was found on these sites: http://www. sp. uconn. edu/~yian/frl/26sptrel. htm Student essay with matching content underlined for easy detection: Running Head: LIFE SATISFACTION FOR SENIOR CENTER PARTCIPANTS Happiness and Humor Group Promotes Life Satisfaction for Senior Center Participants Abstract The effects of a Happiness and Humor Group in the promotion of life satisfaction in an elderly center were examined. Fifteen participants in the beginning of the study were given a self-rated 32-item Life Satisfaction Scale Survey. After which they engaged in a once a week, 10-week program for the Happiness and Humor Group. Although the number of participants increased throughout the sessions, only the 15 original participants were administered the same test after completion of program. Introduction The purpose of the study is to address former findings conducted by the same researcher. A year ago, the researcher performed a qualitative study on stress. In the earlier study, there were 54 participants, ages 65-100 years, all of whom are members of several Southern California senior recreation programs. It was learned that the primary stressor among older adults was loneliness. As a follow-up to this, the researcher deemed it necessary to develop a group program that would address coping skills for the stressor. In late adulthood, people experience a lot of stressful moments when they face everyday with pessimism and regret about the past. In the opinion of the researcher, the psychological and over all well-being of the elderly is being neglected as the world faces many innovation and continued progress in technology, basically banking on younger people. The elderly continues to be an important part of society and their concerns have to be addressed. Since most of them, especially those living in senior centers, face loneliness as they are already far from relatives and family, the researcher thought that something should be done to ease the pain of being lonely. The Happiness and Humor Group was offered once a week for a 10-week period and was held at a local California Senior Center. An initial test, Life Satisfaction Scale (Lohmann, 1976) was conducted to the original 15 participants. The same is done after completion of program. The Happiness and Humor Group should improve the lives of the participants and increase their satisfaction for their present living status. They should be healthier and more psychologically balanced and score higher in the written scale survey after they finish all the sessions in the program. Review of Related Literature Old age in some books is concretely defined as the stage of a person’s life after 65 years (Burgess, 1949). However, there are people younger than 65 years that tend to manifest those characteristics that encompass being of old age (Burgess, 1949). Ergo, to clearly define old age, it is the last period of a person’s life terminated by death. According to some books (Papalia, 2002), aging is divided into two stages: Primary and Secondary aging. Primary aging is said to be the time when the body inevitably deteriorates and this process continues through out the years. On the other hand, Secondary aging results from the abuse the body receives through the years. These abuses are often avoidable and are within the control of the human person (Papalia, 2002). Along with other indications of aging is the manifestation of psychological changes. Depression, for one is seen as one of the psychological problems faced by the elderly today. It also affects the biological aspect of living, how organs in our body work, blood flow, etc. Depression is said to speed up physical decline of aging and cause problems internally (Papalia, 2002). As much as there are negative and problematic aspects to aging, like all other stages of development in a person’s life, there is also a positive light to this. Erik Erikson’s Theory on Human Development indicates that at this late period of adulthood, a person experiences a conflict between ego integrity versus despair (Papalia, 2002). One has to get past the troubles of yesterday, get over regret and what-could-have-beens and learn to accept the wholeness of one’s life and the coherence of learning picked up throughout the years. Nonetheless, there are different ways to measure a person’s life satisfaction in aging. There are scientists who measure this through health conditions, cardiovascular functioning, brain activity, psychological well-being, economic stability, etc (Papalia et al). Nevertheless, all of these play a role in a healthy person’s life. Although, in different studies, other people, for example, give more importance to their health or economic stability as their basis for an accomplished or successful aging. In the end, it may still depend on a person’s priorities in life that could help him or her achieve optimal aging. There are different theories that deal with aging. One is the Disengagement theory (Papalia, 2002), which simply states that at this particular stage, people tend to disengage themselves with society and focus more on themselves. They tend to be more in touch with their thoughts, feelings and emotions as they look back at the past and realize what they have learned, gone through-both positive and negative. On the other hand, there is the activity theory (Papalia, 2002) that indicates that to achieve better aging, one must engage him or her in different activities. Another important theory that should be taken into account when dealing with better aging is the Continuity Theory (Papalia, 2002). This states that there is a great need for the elderly to relate the present and the past. For them to be satisfied, they have to be able to continue doing what they are used to when they are younger. It could mean that a once healthy youthful man who is active in sports should not be hindered by age to play his interest. Activities should be present as it was when they had the energy to do it. Of course, one should strain themselves so much to the extent of injury. However, being able to do what one can do before, is an encouragement in itself and provides opportunity for proper aging. Aside from exercise.