The Dangers of Concussions in US Sports Essay Example for Free

The Dangers of Concussions in US Sports Essay Concussions in Sports Given the potential for life threatening brain injuries or career ending head shots, concussions have become a growing problem in sports around the world. A phrase all too common in sports today is, he got his bell rung. This is, of course, referring to a big hit or gruesome body check sustained in a football or hockey game. Currently, there is a lack of suitable evidence to support the recommendations for the management of traumatic cerebralor brain injuries. Recognizing and managing the effects of concussions is especially important to those involved in the health care of athletes (Sports Related Concussions). Head injuries are inherent risks that can occur in any sport, not just football and hockey. The question is, how can we prevent these grim and life threatening injuries from happening? I believe neurocognitive research and on the field testing are among the most vital ways to manage concussions as well as benefit the health care of athletes. Background: In the United States, you have a 19% chance of suffering a concussion while playing a contact sport; moreover, over 300,000 sports related concussions occur annually. Among college football players, 34% have reported at least one serious head injury during their career; additionally, 20% of these injured athletes have sustained multiple head traumas. Concussions often cause significant and sustained neuropsychological impairments in information-processing speed, problem solving, planning, and memory, and these impairments are worse with multiple concussions (Sports Related Concussions). Definition: The brain is made of soft tissue cushioned by spinal fluid, and is encased in the hard, protective skull. When a person gets a head injury, the brain moves around inside the skull and bangs against it. This can lead to bruising of the brain, tearing of blood vessels, and injury to the nerves (Quinn). A concussion of the brain results in transient loss of consciousness or memory in many cases (Dictionary.com). NeurocognitiveTesting: Concussions and brain injuries are among the most difficult to identify. Very few athletes actually lose consciousness, which is one of the most common symptoms. Many athletes are simply fervent to return to the field, which could cause even more harm. Returning to play too soon after a brain injury or concussion, may lead to serious life-threatening complications. A computerized neurocognitive test, combined with a thorough medical exam, may better assist a trained physician with the return-to-play decision (Computerized). One particular evaluation tool, the ImPACT test, has become renowned among all professional sports teams. Developed by Dr. Joseph Maroon, a Pittsburgh Steeler neurosurgeon, the ImPACT test utilizes a twenty minute quiz involving words, pictures, and colors. Medical doctors analyze the results and compare them to a baseline test taken in the beginning of the athletes season (Yahoo Sports). With the increase of attention to sports related head injuries, doctors are seeing more and more tests and products that claim to identify or prevent head injuries. According to Dr. Lovell, mouthpieces, ear pieces, and helmets are great for research purposes, but they cant tell if someone has been injured or if they should be playing (Yahoo Sports). On-Field or Sideline Evaluation: When an athlete is suspected of having a concussion, one of the best ways to detect a serious head injuryis through the evaluation of symptoms, neurocognitive functioning, and balance immediately after the injury occurs. The National Athletic Trainers Association suggests a checklist such as, the Graded Symptom Checklist, should be used when evaluatinga head injury. By checking off symptoms and watching the athlete over a period of 72 hours, you can greatly reduce any chance of reoccurrence. Another suggested method of evaluation is the Standardized Assessment of Concussion Exam; this test utilizes four graded sections, which include: orientation, immediate memory, concentration, and delayed recall. This 30 point test can be completed in about five minutes and is easily given right on the side line during a game. Another test, the Balance Error Scoring System, can easily be performed by a trainer of coach. The athlete stands in three different positions and is timed for 20 seconds each; ultimately, the less coordination the player shows, the higher the risk of a concussion is evident (kch.illinois.edu). How do Concussions occur? Concussions can happen in any sport, at any time. They can occur during drills in practice, as well as in games. In fact, injuries during practice can be just as serious as those that happen during a game. Although more prevalent in contact sports, they may result from a fall, or when a moving object strikes a persons head. A blow that twists the head is more likely to result in loss of consciousness (Familydoctor.org). Mechanism of Injury: Studies show the most common mechanism of a concussion is when an athlete is moving at a high rate of speed and collides with another object (Quinn). Immediately, the brain shifts inside the skull and strikes the bony surfaces. A direct impact to an athletes head causes shock waves to pass through the skull to the brain. This violent impact creates acceleration which may lead to shear, tensile and compression forces. On average, three to five percent of all sport and recreational injuries are head injuries (Quinn), Signs and Symptoms: The signs of a concussion do not always immediately appear. Headache, amnesia, and confusion, dizziness, slurred speech, and fatigue are the most common symptoms of concussions. In addition, the duration of time that symptoms are present is often indefinable, and depends on the extent of the injury (Mayoclinic.com). Even a minor blow to the head can result in a concussion; if left untreated, it can result in a life-threatening complication (Internationalbrain.org). Sidney Crosby, a National Hockey League super star for the Pittsburgh Penguins, is currently not playing this post season after a concussion he sustained on New Years Day. Unfortunately, he was cleared to play the very next game, and suffered another blow to the head. Sidney was symptom free after the first hit, and apparently, he did not show signs of concussions until the second hit. Had Crosby been given a better on-ice evaluation, he would not have been cleared to play, and could have evaded the second concussion all together. Additionally, the problem is just as prevalent in the National Football League. At the University of North Carolinas Center for the Study of Retired Athletes, studies of brain injuries were performed on more than 2,500 former N.F.L. players. These studies found that cognitive impairment, Alzheimers-like symptoms and depression rose proportionately with the number of concussions the former athletes had sustained (Quinn). N.F.L. player, Andre Waters committed suicide in November 2004, and an explanation for his death has remainedunknown for years. He left a suicide note stating he would like to leave his brain for science to further study the effects of concussions. A Pittsburgh neuropathologist, Dr. Bennet Omaluh, was given permission to perform such tests. The doctor concluded that Mr. Waters had sustained brain damage from playing football, and said this led to his depression and death. The doctor determined that Mr. Waterss brain tissue had degenerated into that of an 85 year-old man with similar characteristics as those of early stage Alzheimers victims. Dr. Omalu said he believed that the damage was caused by successive concussions (neurosurgery.pitt.edu). I believe there needs to be congressional help in combating this difficult issue of athletic concussions. Wearing a good quality helmet, a mouthpiece, and strengthening the neck muscles can help prevent concussions; however, much responsibility lies on the doctors, coaches, and surrounding medical staff. Also, although athletes may be eager to return to play, they need to be honest with the examiner, telling him or her exactly how they feel (EHow.com). On the field baseline neurocognitive test may be our best hope for the time being, that is, until more research on concussions and the equipment players use can be conducted.

Role of the Line Manager and Devolved Responsibility

Role of the Line Manager and Devolved Responsibility Understanding how HR function equips line manager to deal with devolved responsibility Literature review: Government deregulation, strong competition and big pressure in domestic and overseas market have led many organisations to concentrate on the management of employees in order to meet increasing demands for quality goods and services. It was posited that HRM represented an opportunity for the function to improve its status by making innovative and positive contributions to corporate goals and business success (Tyson, 1987) There is however general agreement over one structural change that has taken place, many organisations have devolved manpower responsibility from a function personnel office to line manager ( Hutchinson and wood,1995) In order to maintain competitive advantage, companies have been forced to come up with a new strategic innovation and devolved some HR responsibility to line managers to keep the business on track and to achieve the overall HRM strategy and thus the business strategy. This new vision of bringing HR task to the line has been dictated by the fast changing business environment, keenoy (1990) tend to see HRM as an instrumental approach to people management, driven by market oriented activities that affect the business as a whole. Cunningham and Hymans (1999) noticed that personnel function was being removed from departments and devolved to line managers because it has consistently failed to achieve results in the past, but other causes that helped to build up a new way in how hr function and line managers work together, many changes in the corporate environment like competition, decentralisation, and privatisation has reformed HR function. Another problem is that HR profession does not control access to personnel job, a non HR manager can become an HR manager when the employers decide so. The rational of why line involvement has become more frequent following the idea of (Brewster, Larsen.2000.p196) is mainly because of five factors: To reduce cost To provide a more comprehensive approach of HRM. To place responsibility for HRM with managers most responsible for it. To speed-up decision making. As an alternative to outsourcing the HR function. Defining line managers role : The literature make a distinction between line and staff function, line function are those who have direct responsibility for achieving the objectives of the organisation (Stewart ,1963). Dalton (1959) said that line officers are lacking skills when translating staff advice into effective working practice. We can notice different layers of line activity within organisations but for the purpose of our research the term line managers refers to section or area heads that exists above supervisory level but doesnt include senior position within the hierarchy (Noreen, Michael, 1995) Drucker (1974) views that the management job consist of five basic  operations: Setting objectives Organising Motivating and communicating Measurement People development March and Gilies (1983) said that industrial relation and day to day personnel activities lie with line and staff manager and subordinate supervisors. A useful typology of senior/middle line manager was proposed by storey (1992), this typology give us better view about different roles that a manager can do in the organisation, he used two key dimension of the line manager described in the matrix figure 1. Source : Storey 1992 , Typology of middle line managers . The first dimension is when a manager is commercially oriented or technically oriented and the second dimension is measuring whether a manager is taking a proactive or reactive attitude. storeys typology is useful because it let us know different role that a manager can do in the area of HRD which is part of the devolved task to line managers. The HR role : We understood from the previous that line manager have the responsibility of HR task in their area, in the other side HR department is responsible for HRM across all the organisation (Henrick , Brewster .2003). Tyson and fell 1992 proposed a conceptualised classification of three models of personnel management as follow: From 1960s clerk of works doing routine works. From 1970s as a contract manager From 1980s as an architect business manager who is responsible of planning , Tyson and fell concluded that personnel managers facilitate other management task to occur, and their most important skills depend in their timing of applying techniques and their ability to sell their services to client line managers. Storey (1992) came up with the intervention /non intervention dimension and a strategic/tactical axis and he presented four main types of personnel practitioner : advisers , handmaiden(reactive, client/contractors of line manager), regulators (intervene to monitor the observance of employment rules) , and last the highest position which is strategic and interventionary change makers, storey findings explain that personnel in the majority of companies wasnt the main drivers of the change wanted , because the regulator still outnumbered the change makers in most of the companies. Source : Storey J 1992, four roles of personnel managers. The HR function is responsible of giving guidance and taking initiative, in order to support and solve all the problems associated to the organisations employee. HR function is a very important part in an organisation providing the advice and services that facilitate organisation to get the job done through people. The HR function is in place to make sure HR strategies, policies and practices are known by everybody in the organisation and maintained, but also providing the support for everything concerning the employment, well being of people and their development and the existent relationship between management and employee. It plays a major role in creating an environment that encourage employee to realize their potential to the benefit of the company and themselves (Armstrong, 2010) HR function, line management set up : Many researchS have been done to prove the consensual relation between hr function and line managers , (Guest 1987) presented a framework which resulted in an HRM approach, according to him the adoption of an HRM should result in an organisational pay-off designed to produce a strategic integration, high commitment , high quality , and flexibility among employees . guest said that integration as a concept is composed of four aspects, firstly the integration of HR policy making and corporate strategic planning process, second HRM policy should be integrated with one another and with other business strategy in the organisation like finance and marketing, the third one is that it should be an integration between attitude and practices of line managers within the organisations HR policies, the fourth aspect is the integration of the employees with the interest of the organisation by showing a high commitment to the organisation. The leadership behaviour and HR practice of line managers will affect the employees commitment, the commitment could be to the organisation or more likely to the line manager as proved by the team at bath university and supported by CIPD, the research showed where people feel positive about their relationship with their front line managers they are more likely to have higher levels of job satisfaction, commitment and loyalty which result in better performance. Sisson (1994) emphasise that the first two aspect of integration are difficult to achieve unless they are seriously managed by top and middle managers in the organisation. Storey (1992) as well refers to three key elements and suggested to associate them with a distinctive approach of HRM, the first element is that the HRM of an organisation is the one that makes the difference. The second element is that in order to make the difference , HRM needs to be managed in a strategic way . The third element is the one that requires line managers to know the link between HRM and the strategic direction of the organisation designed by its top managers. This third element matches the third aspects of integration , and (guest 1987.p514) add that in order to achieve the third outcome of flexibility , managers need to have change agent skills. Hutchinson examined the involvement of line manager in HR and found that HR manager do consult line managers, and some other managers are working in partnership. The empirical evidence from Hutchinson and wood study (1995) shows a joint working between personal and line managers and also an increasing role for line manager in the HR function. Another study from Cunningham and Hymans noted that more line manager are getting involved in HR work, an evidence from Saragota study suggested that the extent that line management were involved in HR task was wide with the line doing around third of core HR department roles.(IRS,1995). Torington and Hall (1996) found HR specialist work in partnership with line manager when they design the HR strategy, the study showed that personnel function was involved in strategy at some point and was developed in cooperation with line managers, the conclusion was that the approach was small rather than holistic and personnel was reactive rather than proactive . the impact of this devolved responsibility to the line was that some line managers supported the move, but others taught that it starts people problem which is the responsibility of HR to deal with , because line managers didnt have the skills to take on these new tasks , some other problem was lack of consistency and inadequacy of train ing and support provided for line management. Pool and Jekins (1997) analysed the extent of line management responsibility for HR practices concluding that line managers were far more responsible than might have been supposed with a central pattern of line dominance in operational responsibility on most personnel HR matters. Mc Govern et al (1997) study of line management practice discovered the reluctance of some managers to take on personnel responsibilities, believing that its not their job but personnels job, as a result many HR department were afraid or reluctant to devolve responsibilities to the line as there was lack of knowledge and ability to take it on. They identified a model of line managers getting involved directly in HR activities with the support of the HR function and personal motivation was the factor motivating the line , but some obstacles were facing them like the quality of practice by line managers, short term managerial approaches another big problem was that the line couldnt devote much time to HR activ ities as their return on effort was not directly quantifiable and they concluded : The prospect for full-blown devolvement to the line are not promising given the current priorities of these business , attempts to devolve HRM to the line may be possible but only by providing support from HR specialist (McGovern et al ,1997 , p 26) Other researcher report a joint working arrangement at two different level, the first one is at director level between HR and other directors, and the second at a subsidiary company level between line managers and personnel managers (Genard, Kelly , 1997) and this resulted in business driven partnership to improve performance and a big importance was given to the influential role that HR director has to play . Tornhill and Saunders (1998) came up with the worst scenario for the HR specialist known as The absentee specialist which suggest the complete devolution of HR task to line managers and could result in negative implication for successful HR outputs. Other researcher argued that overall the personnel function is still vulnerable even though line manager work in managing subordinates could help the presence of personnel to assist the line in less than a strategic function. Some researchers even suspect devolution of HR responsibilities to the line came from the desire to cut cost and the companies wish to free themselves from some responsibilities. Thus the claim (Guest, 1987,P.51) could mislead the reader because to achieve a successful HRM practices within an organisation a qualified HRM specialist is needed and line managers need the appropriate designed HR practices to use in their management activities. (Purcell , Hutchinson , 2007, p .57) However there is an alternative that a close participation between line management and hr function can have a mutual benefit and could help to solve business problems. (Gennard, Kelly , 1997) Partnership between HR and the line : Its argued that people responsible for HR are those directly responsible for supervising staff that there primary purpose is to manufacture products , sell goods or equipments or deliver a public or customer service , but the problem could be that these line managers have a lack of knowledge and skills to supervise staff effectively (Sisson , storey , 2000) and this is why it would be more rewarding if HR specialist and line managers work together in partnership (Witacker , Mick, 2003) Tyson and Fell (1992) noticed that there is no clear communication between management and employee of their personnel function, this gives the opportunity to act as partners with senior line managers to create orderly change storey 1992 called that as full team member where the running of the business is shared between line manager and personnel . Tomlinson (1993) describe partnership as being where HR needs to get involved in more supportive, collaborative relationship with managers. Other researcher described the partnership approach between HR executives and line managers to be an ideal situation, but recognise that we dont find this partnership happening in all companies. The idea of HR professional acting in partnership with senior line managers was raised by (Ulrich , 1997) to identify HR practices that achieve business strategy (figure 2). http://www.stw.de/typo3temp/pics/c98097d6bc.jpg The HR Business Partner (based on an idea by Dave Ulrich, 1997) he says that line managers and HR professionals working separately cannot be HR champions, this is why they have to form a partnership and in this partnerships line managers will have authority , power and sponsorship , and have the overall responsibility for the HR community, and HR professional will bring technical expertise which show a competence credibility, Ulrich (1997,2005) pointed four new HR roles which are as follow ( business partners, change agent, administrative expert and employee champion ) those new roles lead to three important HR function : Centres of excellence. Shared services. Business partners. But this redefinition of roles and reorganisation of HR function was seen by (CIPD 2007) as having some difficulties to define the new roles, to make change, to deal with skills gap and resources deficiency. Maxwell and Watson (2006) argued that the dominant model for HR operation within organisation is the partnership between HR specialist and line managers. We can understand that the concept of partnership is a good one if everybody is making the effort in the same direction for the benefit of the organisation , we can describe this relation as a reciprocal one , where line manager has to do some HR task but in order to do it properly the right support and training is needed from the HR specialist , but for this partnership to be successful a lot of work need to be done and specially a lot of communication is needed to act fast and solve problems quickly, finally getting the line more involved in HR tasks is not a threat for the HR specialist , because the need of specialist is real and their presence is very important to supervise , help and support the line but also their job will be more strategic. Line manager role for devolved responsibility and the obstacles facing them: First of all let see how line manager are involved in making the policy , ( Hutchinson , wood,1995. P. 17) found that HR specialist are the one responsible for making the policy across all area, they noticed that line managers are not leaders in making the policy either on their own or in consultation with personnel colleagues, but in HR practice they found that line managers are more involved in resourcing and employee relation , however in employee development and employee reward the HR specialist had a major role to play . Hall and Torrington (1998) found that a bigger role is played by HR manager in issues relates to pay and benefit , and the least in appraisal , health and safety , quality initiative and communication . It appears that HR specialist have higher involvement when its a matter of consistency and specialist expertise and lower when line managers are dealing with every day responsibilities. Storey (1992) concluded after doing a survey of fifteen companies that the responsibility of line managers are becoming more important in human resources and their task can include : pay award , training and development , motivating teams , appraisal , on the job coaching , reducing cost , improve the quality , respond to customer service needs , continuous improvement and deploying labour. Another research from Renwick (2002, p. 262) has studied three big organisation which has an HR director on the top team management or board of director and has noticed that the most devolved HR task to the line include : Grievance management, performance appraisal, redundancy selection , pay award , communication with employee , recruitment , employee development and handling sickness absence . CIPD (2010) supported a research made by team of researcher from bath university and describe area where line managers make the biggest difference in people management are as follow : Performing appraisal Training , coaching and guidance Employee engagement ( communication between line management and employee ) Openness ( how easy is it for employees to talk about problems ) The devolution of some HR task to the line is a fact but many research has identified some difficulties facing line managers while handling performance management system , and Gratton et al (1999) said that managers dislike the bureaucracy involved in this process , in the other side there was a reluctance to accept responsibility for decision and adjustment taken by line manager from HR managers, and Redman (2001) found that where line managers are doing performance appraisal they are doing it poorly . another research has shown managers attitude to employee involvement and describe it as no more negative than those of senior managers , and in case of failure of the employee involvement , line manager will be the one to blame (Fenton , Ocreavy , 2001) another research concentrate on line management handling of grievance and discipline, the outcomes shows that line managers are more involved than before but not as much as HR managers and this is because of the complexity of the task , and this task being time consuming and the fear of failing in this task which can have a huge impact in the finance of the company (IRS,2001) Cunningham and James (2001) found that line managers handling of sickness and disability was limited and that was because line managers didnt want to attend training session. Many constraints face line managers in achieving the goal of this devolution because of many reasons , even though there are a positive aspects of devolving HR task to line managers as described in Renwick (2003) as a career enhancer for them in doing HR work but also line managers are the one who apply the HR strategy in practice and bring the HR policy to life (Hutchinson .Purcell 2003) One of the major problem is the workload that the line have to perform especially if they know that they are not expert in doing HR tasks, and this workload leads them to be reluctant on doing HR tasks (Brewster, soderstrom.1994). Another big issue is a lack of training because if line managers have a lack of understanding of HR practices it will prevent the organisation from developing a strong learning culture. This lack of support and training show a bit of confusion because if an organisation devolved HR task to the line , it is to be more efficient and more profitable , but if the line lacks the necessary skills as McGovern et al (1997) describes it that a lack of training can lead to a failure in implementing HR policies, and exposing the organisation to tribunals and this is why the line should be equipped with the right tools to enable them to perform the devolved HR tasks properly which means that continuous and well designed training is needed to be able to achieve the goal set by the organisation. And to be able to achieve the goal , the organisation need to put a special budget for training and development of manager and not leaving them to develop themselves on their own. (McGuire et al 2008) Another big problem is the lack of specialist expert to support managers when dealing with HR tasks, this is happening because of the downsizing of the HR departments in most organisations ignoring the precious need of the line to the specialist and just focusing on reducing cost , but as Renwick and Brewster (2003. P. 231) noticed that reducing the size of HR department could reduce the cost but could also increase it, if managers make inappropriate and wrong decision. (Henrick, Brewster , 2003 . p30) noted that when an organisation has an HR department with a high number of specialist it is more likely to be able to influence line management practice directly , there is a case study evidence that shows how important and influent are HR specialist and they were given the name of strategic change makers (Gennard , Kelly 1997.p35) Many of the criticism concerning the lack of contribution from HR specialist to organisational performance were from line managers, firstly personal practitioner are far away from the commercial realities, and its difficult for them to understand the business , the customer and the corporate target. Secondly HR stops line manager to make decision that they feel are in best interest for the company. Third HR manager act slowly and always want to check how many options do they have rather than making a series of appropriate actions (Marchington ,Wilkinson , 2003.p248) The role of line managers in implementing HR policies was not taken seriously by senior managers, or taken for granted by many companies and there is a small evidence of companies that provide a formal training to equip their line manager to undertake the role of facilitating HRM outcomes. (Cunningham , Hyman. 1995) , Brewster and Larsen has identified three main reason for this : Senior managers presume that line managers already knows the technical aspects of HRM to base their decision. Senior managers do not offer appropriate training before delegating tasks. Senior managers believe that line managers will learn HRM by practising it. Lack of training is a negative factor that make line mangers weak when dealing with devolved HR tasks, but also they are very important for delivering a good HR practice because they are working on the shop floor and they are the one that can make change, which means that an HRM strategy without the line playing a major role would never succeed, in the other side HR specialist will have to equip them with the right training to develop their capacity to deal with people management and excessive stress because of the workload. Another negative aspect is reducing the number of HR expert that can provide the line with precious advise and help and equip them with the right training, this partnership will give HR specialist to concentrate more on making positive change in the organisation, another important question which is worth to research in the future is whether reducing the number of HR experts really reduce the cost in organisation or is it just wrong and cost more money to the organisation? Hutchinson and Purcell (2003) proposed the following suggestion on how line manager can better deal with people management: Provide them with time to carry out their people management duties . Pay more attention to the behavioural competencies required while recruiting manager. Support line managers with strong organisational value in relation to leadership and people management. Develop a good working relationship with different level of management. Make sure the line receive sufficient skills training to enable them to perform their people management activities appropriately.

Partytime Equals a Lifetime - Original Writing :: Papers

Partytime Equals a Lifetime - Original Writing Tears roll down my cheeks as I lay staring at my bedroom ceiling. Memories of the previous week, still haunting me. The distorted image of his face appearing everytime I close my eyes, the smell of his breath still tickles my nose, the thumping of the base still bangs in my head as I can feel the weight of his body pressing against me. Even the hairs on my arms stand to attention as I remember my 17th birthday party. The alcohol concoction that my best friend Kelly handed to me from my dad's overtowering cupboard; burnt my throat as I swallowed! The taste of the sharp, acidic solution that created this burning sensation, that I know believe was whisky; passed my lips more times than I remember. Everything then turned hazy! My stomach began to churn. Colours blurred. The room began to spin. The music became one humongous buzz. I stumbled to the stairs. Slumped on the stairs, head in my hands I struggled to breathe. A tall dark shadow was then cast over me. Confused, I slowly raised my head. Twinkling in the light the figures belt buckle stung my eyes. Blinking to refocus, a bright white shirt caught my eye, blending perfectly with the figures pale skin. Two dark brown eyes stared right at me like needles piercing my skin. Immediately I became agitated and rose to my feet. The room began to spin again! My breathing shuddering as the contents of my stomach was churning like a boiling cauldron. Loosing my balance I fell forward. The figure reached out and prevented me from hitting the floor, at the time I was so appreciative; I just wish I had fallen now. A couple of bruises would be nothing compared to the torture I'm suffering from now! After not receiving any bruises but still in the stranger's arms, my feet left the floor. Quite relieved to not have to try and balance anymore I didn't think to complain. I just gently floated upstairs and

The Role of Women in The Zoo Story Essay -- Zoo Story Essays

The Role of Women in The Zoo Story Although the women characters in "The Zoo Story" are never front and center staged, they have leading roles in shaping the conditions and sensibilities of Jerry and Peter. The women referred to by each of the male characters affects, or has affected, their perceptions and routines in life. Jerry has had many encounters with various women, while Peter speaks only of three. The quantity of women roles in each man's life is not the dominate cause of their behaviors; it is the quality of the women. In "The Zoo Story" the women "backstage" are unseen influences that cloud reality for Jerry and Peter. The few women in Peter's life keep him relatively tamed. He is the male underdog of the household, surrounded by a wife and two daughters. Indicated by the dialog, Peter does not appear to be an assertive man. The women of the house are the dominate decision-makers. . .cats instead of dogs, two parakeets (one for each daughter), two television sets (one for the children). They represent the middle-class, happy family, ...

Technical Report The Construction of Alloy Wheels :: Design and Technology

Technical Report The Construction of Alloy Wheels Introduction Aluminium alloy wheels are now used in all branches of Motor Racing, ranging from Touring cars and Rally cars to Formula One cars. The Alloy wheels offer far superior mechanical properties than the conventional steel wheels formerly used. These benefits include reduced un-sprung weight, i.e. not held by the suspension, providing more precise steering input and improved responsiveness. Alloy wheels also improve acceleration and braking due to the reduction of weight. The added strength of a quality alloy wheel can significantly reduce wheel/tire deflection in cornering. This is particularly critical with a vehicle equipped with high performance tires where lateral forces may approach 1.0g. The metals in alloy wheels are excellent conductors of heat - improving heat dissipation from the brakes - reducing risk of brake fade under demanding conditions. Additionally, alloy wheels can be designed to allow more air to flow over the brakes, this can help cooling. The alloy used in the finest road wheels today is a blend of aluminium and other elements. The term "mag wheel" is sometimes incorrectly used to describe alloy wheels. Magnesium is generally considered to be an unsuitable alloy for road usage due to its brittle nature and susceptibility to corrosion. Nowadays, there are basically three ways in which alloy automotive wheels are constructed. The three types can be referred to simply by cast, billet and forged. Casting is a relatively inexpensive way to produce a high-quality, fairly strong alloy wheel; many aftermarket alloy wheels designed for street use are made this way. Billet wheels are machined from a solid chunk of material and forging uses intense heat and pressure to transform a slug of alloy material into the final shape of a wheel. This report will focus mainly on the casting processes used. Casting Processes The most common process of constructing alloy wheels is One-Piece Casting, there are a number of methods to do this, and the most basic is Die Casting, this process is used world wide throughout the casting industry and is not exclusive to alloy wheels. The Die Casting process uses a permanent mould usually made of metal, which generally means that there is high tooling costs compared to other methods of casting, but this high tooling cost is combined with low production costs. This means that die casting is suitable for products with a large production number. There are four main processes in the die casting family, these are: Gravity Die Casting Pressure Die Casting Low Pressure Die Casting Squeeze Casting Gravity Die Casting This process is the most simple of the four, the mould or die, which is generally made in two halves, is filled with molten metal, in the

Comparative Public Administration Essay

The Arab Spring has created opportunities for countries across North Africa and the Middle East to redesign their constitutions. There are ongoing debates on whether these countries will adopt the Anglo-American model or look at other paradigms. Political leaders and scholars have turned to a number of academic fields such cultural studies, sociology, economics, and political science in attempt to answers some of these questions. However, no other field of study will provide more insight into the development of these new government structures than comparative public administration (CPA). Simply put, it is the study of comparing two or more public administrations by using multiple disciplines. This definition, however, does not sufficiently describe the complexity of this field or its contributions to other academic areas, government employees, and country leaders. Perhaps the area in which CPA provides the most aid is in its cross-national analysis. Through this research, countries are able to learn from one another. CPA is not limited to cross-national comparison though as it evaluates different administrative processes and systems within countries. To fully appreciate CPA, however, it is necessary to understand how politics factors into it, its progression over the years, and its analysis towards delineating future challenges to public administration. Politics in CPA The study of comparative public administration challenges the notion that public administration and politics are separate entities. Specifically, it has recognized that bureaucrats, pressure groups, and elected officials are all political actors in the policymaking process. In Germany, for example, politics influence policy formation because the law requires public agencies to consult with interest groups before making legislation and regulations. In other countries like the United States, public administrators and pressure groups engage in clientela politics which are mutually dependent relationships. Agencies rely on interest groups not only to shape policies but also for their survival. The interest groups lobby politicians and gain public support in order to help the agencies compete for government resources. At the same time, pressure groups benefit by gaining access to the decision-making process where they are able to represent their interests (Peters, 2010, p. 182). Nations w ith a single dominant party, in contrast, use politics to develop parantela relationships. The Chinese Communist party, for example, works with the bureaucrats on behalf of the interest groups, thereby ensuring policies decisions do not steer away from the party’s ideology. CPA also researches politics between public administration and other formal institutions, and it investigates the political strategies each side uses to assert their power and control over policies and budgets. The bureaucrats, for example, have technical knowledge and information which they use to their advantage. In Norway, civil servants collect and analyze vast amounts of data to develop complex plans and budgets which politicians do not have skills or the time to understand. The overwhelmed political leaders have little choice but to accept the administration’s plans. Another useful device that civil servants use in Japan and France are advisory bodies. Although these advisory boards are attached to the ministries, the members are usually civil servants or interest group associates co nnected to the government agencies. Thus, the bureaucrats determine many of the final outcomes of policies (Peters, 2010, p. 219). Nevertheless, political institutions have their own devices to counter the bureaucrats. Political leaders create their own specialized institutions and counterstaffs to gain independent sources of information. The president of United States has the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to monitor public expenditures while the Congressional Budget Office oversees the national budget on the legislative side (Peters, 2010, p. 220-221). Executive leaders also hire their own experts such as the Executive Office of the United States and the Office of the Chancellor in Germany. Since civil servants’ positions are permanent, elected officials exert their policy goals through political appointees as in the United States, Belgium, and France. In Germany, however, the minister may directly replace the senior civil servants with their own personnel (Peters, 2010, p. 226). Changes in CPA Traditionally, the field of comparative public administration focused on â€Å"public administration† aspects such as the bureaucratic structures and systems. In recent years, academics have shifted to the theme of â€Å"public management† where CPA identifies best practices to enhance the performance of bureaucracy. The theory of â€Å"New Public Management† (NPM) emphasizes generic management and market-based principles. It favors loosening bureaucratic rules to allow more creativity and flexibility, thereby â€Å"letting the managers manage† (Peters, 2010, p. 329). Moreover, NPM encourages competition by privatizing government services. An alternative approach to NPM is the participatory concept of governing. The participatory model streamlines the hierarchy found in traditional administrative system by empowering the lower echelons of civil servants (Peters, 2010, p. 334). Government workers become more productive through involvement in policy decisions (Peters, 2010). Other managerial reforms have included performances measures on the managers themselves and on the organization as a whole. This new tactic focuses on â€Å"making managers manage† (Peters, 2010, p. 335). Since employment is typically permanent in most agencies, leaders recognize that this status have made some civil servants comfortable and unmotivated in their jobs. CPA evaluates different methods to measure employee performances and explores different strategies to encourage them to work, including a variety of rewards and punishments (Peters, 2010, p. 336). Organizational performance reviews are challenging since there are many factors outside the agencies control that impact its successes. CPA aids in this process by identifying the indicators of poor performances in organizations, while also taking into consideration the external influences (Peters, 2010, p.341). Notable Challenges to Public Administration The study of CPA emphasizes a comparative approach to identify new challenges that public administration will face in the 21st century. One such challenge will be the issue of accountability. As mentioned above, many countries have transferred public services to the private sector. However in their attempts to increase efficiency, they have lost accountability. Transparency and ethical standards are no longer guaranteed. In order to solve this dilemma, a restoration of some form of government control is necessary. The challenge will be to find new models that balance efficiency and accountability (Peters, 2010). Yet, the biggest challenge will be finding long-term economic solutions in the face of demographic changes. In many societies, the over-65 population is increasing more than twice as fast as the overall population (Peters, 2010, p.8). Unless policy changes are made, this demographic shift will create unsustainable public expenses leading to budgetary deficits which could compromise pension programs and health care systems. By comparing public policies, governments can analyze policy options and understand the implications of their choices. Some countries have already changed their pension plans by increasing the age of eligibility for retirement; however, they may soon have to make difficult decisions regarding austerity measures such as benefit cuts. Conclusion It is important to understand that CPA does more than recognizing similarities and differences. CPA provides descriptive analysis and theories that help advance government institutions, improve government performance, and expand policy options. Before CPA can achieve its purpose, politics must be recognized as an influential factor in the research. In every aspect, politics is involved in the governmental decision making processes, especially policymaking. CPA research explores alternative strategies to improve public management and helps anticipate future challenges. As new regimes are formed, the field of CPA will be a valuable source of information to aid leaders in the process of nation-building. In return, existing CPA theories will likely be changed and new theories emerge through the research of the new governments in the Middle East and other parts of the world. Reference Peters, B. G. (2010). The Politics of Bureaucracy: An Introduction to Comparative Public Administration (6th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

Compare and Contrast Parliamentary Essay

Parliamentary and Presidential democracies are forms of government that similar in some respects and differ in others. The Parliamentary system like the Presidential is divided into three separate arms of Government, the Legislature, Executive and the Judiciary. Both democracies have a bicameral legislature, often referred to as the House of Representative and the Senate. The House of Representative is elected and the Senate is appointed by the Head of State on the advice of the Prime Minister in a Parliamentary type while both houses are elected by the people in the Presidential system. In the Parliamentary System, the Head of Government, referred to as the Prime Minister, is appointed by a vote of confidence from the House of Representative firstly along with the Attorney General and subsequently followed by the members of Cabinet. In a Parliamentary Democracy there is also a figurative head of state, normally the Queen or an appointed Governor General. In the Presidential System, the President who is separately elected by the people is both the Head of State and Head of Government. Presidents serve a fixed term and may not be removed except for cases where he does something illegal; while in Parliament, a Prime Minister may be removed by a vote of no confidence by his executive members or he may call an early election at any time and dissolve the house. Although the three branches exist in both types of government, it is evident that power is fused between the Executive and Legislature in the Parliamentary type. The Presidential System is otherwise well known for the separation of the Executive and the Legislative Agencies, with the President nominating and appointing his executive team of which no members of the elected legislature can be a member thereof. A Parliamentary Legislature makes and passes laws easily by virtue of always having a majority in the House. In the Presidential System, the Legislature and the Executives are able to create laws but must have a two thirds vote of the Legislature. The President also had the right to veto laws. Overall, the Caribbean should adapt to the Presidential Democratic System. Although it may seem very expensive to fund such type of government, it may cost less in the long term. The check and balance that a presidential system offers allows for less corruption and Executives to be held acc ountable of their actions. Policies and laws would be more accurate and  better evaluated having two separate Agencies in review of such nature. The Presidential system allows for more transparency which is one of the ultimate objectives of a democracy. References Read Also:   Compare and Contrast Essay Examples for College Parliamentary democracy is the type of government where the public vote government into power and parliamentarians are representative of the people. While a Presidential Democracy is when there is a system of government that has a president acting as the nation’s head of state and active chief executive authority. The similarities between the Presidential and Parliamentary model are: both are representative democracies, both have a head of state, both have a bicameral form of government and both are rule by constitution. There are also differences between the Presidential and Parliamentary model. In the Presidential Model, the president is the Executive body and is separated from the Legislature. President is voted by the people and also the Legislative Branch that is composed by theHouse of Representative and the senate. This means they have two elections. A president can only serve two four years term and is answerable to the people. In the Parliamentary Democracy there is an Executive power but is interdependent on the Legislation. The Prime Minister is appointed by the majority ruling party. Therefore there is only one election. The Prime Mister does not have a term limit as long as he has the support of it members. The Prime Minister will answer to Parliament. The Presidential Model has a head of state which is the President; for example in the United State it would be Obama. While the Parliamentary Model has a Head of State and Head of Government; for example in Belize the Head of State is the Governor General which represent the queen Sr. Colville Young and Head of government is the Prime Minister Dean Oliver Barrow. In Presidential Model dual political parties can exist in congress and on Parliamentary Model one political Party hold the majority party power. I believe that due to our history a nd the fact most countries in the Caribbean were once a colony of England the Parliamentary Model is best suited. Reference: What is a parliamentary democracy. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ask.com/question/what-is-a-parliamentary-democracy What is the definition of presidential democracy?. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ask.com/question/presidential-legislative-democracy? ad=SEO&an=SEO&ap=google.com.bz&o=102140 What is the difference between a parliamentary and presidential system of government?. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is- the-difference-between-a-parliamentary-and-presidential-system-of- government.htm