Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Reliability and Validity in Personality Testing Essay

Reliability and Validity in Personality Testing 02-16-2015 Introduction Psychological tests are often used in the selection of projective personnel (Anastasia Urbina, 1997). The idea is that by using the scientific approach to personality and emotional intelligence testing in hiring, the employers will be able to increase the number of successful employees (Beaz lll, 2013). â€Å"Personality refers to an individual’s unique constellation of consistent behavioral traits†, which in relationship to a person’s projected Emotional Intelligence (EI) may lead to matching the right person to the right job. Job proficiency tests are used to select candidates for employment and are the number one tool used to match the right†¦show more content†¦In this paper, I will examine how personality tests are constructed, how to determine reliability and validity, as well as to how personality tests can be projected. The construction of personality testing A factor analysis can be done to establish construct validity by identifying and defining psychological traits. It is a refined statistical technique to analyze the interrelationships of behavior data. For example, a number of tests can be given to an x amount of people. Effective placement implies that traits that are irrelevant to the job should not be considered as determining factors. This is an urgent matter because of the concern for adverse effects on culturally and educationally disadvantaged minorities. For example, a number of tests can be given to an x amount of people. Comparison of the data may reveal cluster locations of common traits. For instance, vocabulary and sentence completion tests may highly correlate with, and infer a verbal comprehension factor. Thus, the number of variables can be reduced to common traits, resulting in five or six traits to account for correlations between larger numbers of tests. Each person may be evaluated in terms of these clustered com mon traits. This correlation is often referred to as the factorial validity of a test. Ratings and criterion measures can be used to explore the factorial composition of a test and to define the common traits it measures (Anastasia Urbina, 1997). TheShow MoreRelatedPersonality Theories And Internet Testing1061 Words   |  5 PagesPersonality Theories Why has personality theories and internet testing created so much interest in the hiring process? Can you judge a person s ability to perform the work just by giving them a personality assessment? Not always, but in the process of hiring many organizations can rely on personality theories and testing, which helps the process of pre-selection. Personality theories help measure, cognitive ability, knowledge, and personality of potential candidates. Employers today use pre–assessmentRead More†¢ Compare and Contrast the Constructs and Measures of Intelligence and Achievement.766 Words   |  4 Pagesmetals† (Harper, 2010, Para. 1). Thus in the 1590s records show its use as â€Å"trial or examination to determine the correctness of something† (Harper, 2010, Para. 1). According to Hogan, 2007, p. 38) The standards for Educational and Psychological Testing defines test as, â€Å"an evaluative device or procedure in which a sample of an examinees’ behavior in a specified domain is obtained and subsequently evaluated, and scored using a standardized process.† Furthermore, Hogan stated that a test is a systematicRead MoreThe Theory Of Political Personality Orientation1241 Words   |  5 PagesGeis, 1970). This test was developed to measure political personality orientation (or Machiavellianism) of leaders in organizations (Moss, 2005). Political personality is a temperament in which formal and informal power is used to govern and/or manipulate others (Kaestner, Rosen, Appel, Sofer, 1977). The Mach IV scale is the most widely used measure of Machiavellianism to date. The remainder of this paper will assess the reliability, validity, and generalizability of the Mach IV, along with the prosRead MoreThe Use of Psychological and Personality Testing1420 Words   |  6 PagesThe use of psychological and personality testing has enjoyed increased popularity among human resource professionals in the past several decades. Due to rapid imp rovements in the reliability and ease of administering such tests, companies and human resource professionals have felt more comfortable in relying upon them and abandoning the ineffective and haphazard methods used for many decades. Historically, many companies relied extensively upon the standard interviewing process for selecting theirRead MoreVaried Selection Tools Essay examples1490 Words   |  6 PagesTools By: BAP Fashions PSYCH/705 September 15, 2014 University of Phoenix The Employee Selection Process Many of organizations today use a variety of techniques for collecting evidence and data about applicants. Methods such as, interviews, personality tests, ability tests, assessment centers, physical tests can be used to classify if applicants are suitable or unsuitable for the job and the companys culture. According to Schultz and Schultz  (2010), hiring decisions usually are not based on oneRead MoreTaking a Look at Personality Testing1387 Words   |  6 PagesPersonality testing allows psychologists to assess and describe an individual’s personality on a systematic and scientific level. Personality testing is used for the assessment of proposed theories, track personality changes, to evaluate the effectiveness of therapy, diagnose psychological issues and many more things. This essay will demonstrate how objective and projective approaches to personality testing have different results and outcomes, thereby reason why objective is the better form of personalityRead MorePsy chological Testing612 Words   |  3 PagesPsychological Testing Testing has become a very important factor in the world today. Everyone at one point in their lives has gone through some form of testing or has done a test. Tests were developed in order to find out information on someone. Thests are being used by many professionals around the world in many fields of study including psychology. In addition there are many type of tests and they are categorized into 5 major categories. First is the mental ability tests, then the achievementRead MoreHow Personality Testing Is Used On A Daily Basis822 Words   |  4 PagesPersonality testing is used on a daily basis in all areas of psychology. These tests evaluate and measure traits, values, attitudes, personal identity, and many more aspects of an individual’s personality (Cohen, Swerdlik, Sturman, 2013). Such assessments as the Thematic Apperception Test, Neuroticism, Extroversion, and Openness inventory and the Psychopathic Personality Inventory are instruments, which assist the psych ologist in assessing an individual’s personality. The following paper willRead MoreThe Different Forms of Psychometric Tests Essay1365 Words   |  6 PagesTests Describe the different forms of Psychometric tests commonly used by employers to assist in employee selection and comment on the advantages and disadvantages of their use. Since the beginning of civilization, employers have testing prospective workers in order to select suitable candidates. Original tests would have been a rigidly controlled standardized system of examinations. However in 1883 Galton produced the first psychometric tests to measure intellectRead MorePsychological Testing1277 Words   |  6 PagesPsychological Testing Heather Kramer University Of Phoenix PSY/475 Psychological Tests and Measurements John Papazafiropoulos 3/9/2009 Psychological Testing Hogan (2003, pg. 15) offer four central assumptions that are made by individuals in regard to psychological testing they are as follows, â€Å"people

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Scarlett letter essay Free Essays

Scarlett Letter Essay Free Essays In the novel, The Scarlett Letter, the character that is the most striking morally ambiguous character is Reverend Dimmesdale. He can be identified as neither good nor evil because of many reasons, including his monumental secret of being an adulterist, his random acts of saying sweet nothings to the people of the church, his sermons secretly related to his life spreading a powerful message, and ultimately his confession of committing adultery with Hester. The significance of his moral ambiguity to the novel as a whole can be seen as a theme in the novel, that the ends can justify the means. We will write a custom essay sample on Scarlett Letter Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now First, the Reverend has had an illegitimate child with one of the women of the town, Hester Prynne, which is presumptuously seen as an act of evil. On top of committing such an action, Reverend Dimmesdale does not identify himself as the father of the child for a greater part of the novel. One might ask oneself, why would a member of the church commit such a sinful action? This is an unexplainable question and even ironic. A person of such holy stature would typically never do such a sinful action, assuming his position in the church. On top of his mortal sin of committing adultery, despite being a leader of the church, he commits a venial sin by hiding his wrongful actions to the entire town, which in my personal opinion is just as bad. In retrospect, Reverend Dimmesdale’s sinful actions could only lead one to assume that he is indeed a person of evil nature. Although Dimmesdale’s actions have been actions of pure evil, his recognition of his wrongdoings has played an important role in his profession of faith through his sermons, which can ultimately be seen as actions of good nature. In the novel, Reverend Dimmesdale expresses to the community, through the power of words, examples of sinners such as himself and their wrongful actions, without telling the townspeople his sins. Despite his sins and his inability to share them, Dimmesdale commits an action that could be seen as pure good by informing the members of the church what not to do. All in all, it appears that the evil in Dimmesdale is being covered up trough the good deeds that has come of them, such as being a teacher to all of the churchgoers. Lastly, the most notable action of Dimmesdale that can be seen as an action of pure good, is his confession of committing adultery with Hester. At the end of the novel, Reverend Dimmesdale admits to the townspeople that he is the father of Hester’s daughter, Pearl, by showing the crowd his branded chest, immediately preceding his death. Although it took the reverend the entire novel to admit to his sins, this shows that he is truly good despite his acts of evil. In conclusion, Reverend Dimmesdale’s actions neither define him as good nor evil, but somewhere in between. He is not an evil person because good came from his evil actions, nor is he good because of his horrid sins. Reverend Dimmesdale’s undefined character ties to a theme in the novel pertaining to the question: Do the ends justify the means? In other words, does the end result make the actions taken to get to such a result okay? In relation to the novel, the ends certainly justify the means; Dimmesdale and Hester’s love for each other led them to commit adultery which ultimately enabled them to express their fierce love for one another. Furthermore, the ends: expressing their love justifies the means: committing adultery because these actions were the only way that they could be happy together, which is the most important factor. How to cite Scarlett Letter Essay, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Critical Strategic Analysis of Saudi Arabia Government Health Service

Question: Discuss about A Critical Strategic Analysis Of Government Health Service (MOH) Of Saudi Arabia? Answer: Introduction Identify one key organisational objective. Critically analyse the organisations rationale for pursuing the objective. Complete a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Analysis in relation to how your organisation is positioned to respond to this objective. This should be attached as an appendix to your assignment (You are required to present the SWOT to your peer group and group facilitator in week 9 of the module). Critically evaluate the organisations approach to achieving the objective The Ministry of Health (MOH) is a government organisation, which uses a traditional mode of developing a health platform, in different countries, and is supported by governments. This is true for Saudi Arabia as well, but they have strict rules that are imposed on employees which causes them not to retain qualified doctors(Almalki, Fitzgerald, Clark, 2011). The assigned Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by Saudi Arabia for MOH is quite low and this does not help in trying to retain employees(Ramady, 2010). Outline of the patchwork assessment This assessment will provide an overview, and observation of Ministry of Health (MOH) in Saudi Arabia. My role would be as the manager of the organisations business development team. The aim I would be having is to give better results in the health care sector. Secondly, it must be noted that healthcare delivery is successful when the service providers are sure of the responsibilities they have and are accountable for the work they do. As competition intensifies within the health care industry, patient satisfaction and service quality are providing the evidentiary basis for patient outcomes and reputation of the healthcare sector. Advanced health systems are considered part of the solution to the challenge of sustaining every countrys healthcare system (Ferlie et al. 2016).As far as information on available sources are concerned, this is being done by MOH, and they have set a plan with IBM which works on E-health but with this report, we will develop new forms of quality standards, w hich must be focused by the company, and should be based on the vision set by the company (MOH, 2015). With e-health services, quality will be developed based on new defined standards. The new standards of healthcare are defined according to the increased health burden and undesirable patient outcomes. Person-centered care are delivered that is tailored to meet the needs and preferences of the patients. The patients are treated with privacy and equality. The healthcare professionals are provided with support to be independent and get involved with the whole community. Patient safety is the main focus of the best possible care provided by the health care settings. Negligence, degrading treatment and misappropriate and unnecessary restraints are not tolerated in the new standards of healthcare. Good governance implies that care is o be given by the provider in accordance to a care plan that is built up on based on the needs of the patients. The safety and quality care are to be mainta ined by having effective systems, that aim at service improvement, and all risks for health, welfare and safety are reduced (Hall, 2013). The present assignment is a patchwork assessment where in Patch 1, the organizational objective is selected followed by a critical analysis and evaluation of how the organization will achieve the objective. The aim of the organization is to deliver e-health for achieving better outcome of patients. A SWOT analysis is carried out for understanding how the organization is positioned to respond to the objective. In Patch 2, a critical evaluation of how my contributions can make the organization successful in achieving the objective is discussed. Patch 1 Mission of E-health implementation in the healthcare setting and rationale Thehealth care system inSaudi Arabiacan be classified as a nationalhealth caresystem in which the government provides health care services through a number of government agencies. In the meantime, there is a growing role and increased participation from the private sector in the provision of health care services. Ministry of health (MOH) is the body governing the health care system of the countries where this body is present. The ministry is charged with health policies for achieving better health outcomes (Alijohani et al., 2015). It is also responsible for government programs related to family planning in the countries. The ministry of the government has the focus on issues associated with general health of the citizens of the country. Health departments have the responsibility to performs assessments and inspections for ensuring that the best quality care is delivered to the patients who are in need of best approaches for their health complications. Health ministry must also compi le the statistical data statistical data about the health issues of the faced by the people of the country. The health departments establish guidelines for health care settings that are to be followed for operating in a suitable manner. Ministry of health (MOH) Saudi Arabia is the ministry responsible for the healthcare of the citizens of Saudi Arabia. The MOH was established in 1950 and the headquarters is in Riyadh. The department is responsible for setting up new hospitals and healthcare settings. It is accountable for issuing and enforcing rules and regulations for providing necessary practice standards in medicine, pharmacology and healthcare. The health council addresses the needs of healthcare services and this is the highest level of supervisory board. It oversees all aspects of healthcare services of the country. Health-care services in Saudi Arabia are provided by several public and private agencies. However, the ministry is the major planner and provider of these services (Alijohani et al., 2015). MOH in Saudi Arabia, needed to define the quality elements, such as hygiene factors, and also provide the assessment of the information that they get from various sources. The reason for this is that Saudi Arabia has people from different communities and a major section of it is unemployed. Therefore, the country must design its healthcare services to match to the standards of international health care. Development of e-health platform would consider the needs and perspectives of the defined health care sector and the rules of regulations of the healthcare would be redefined. People coming from varied backgrounds have different beliefs in the healthcare system and therefore the management system of healthcare must address to this needs. e-health will be a step made in this direction (El Bcheraoui et al., 2015). It should be noted that management has to look into various different factors, in which external and internal environment of the whole health services and management has to be understood and taken into consideration. The rationale for the study will hence be to define the predicted efficiency, which the 5 year old plan, and launch of e-health services by MOH across the country can bring (Karlsson et al., 2015). E-health services are being used by many healthcares settings across the globe by the aim of the present research is to analyze and assess the e-health services. This evaluation would be beneficial for the Enterprise Resource Planning System for developing a decision making tool (Sundbo, 1998). A new health care related networks is thus to be established by the management that will help by integrating different services of health care unit . The main advantage of this step will be, new techniques will assist the operational work of the hospitals and may fasten the process of m anagement work, which can ensure the advancement of e-health services. MOH of the country develops new awareness programs, which are going to be assessed in first part of report and can help by spreading the ace of service and can connect more patient and understand their problem. The organizational objective chosen, introducing e-health services by MOH, is based on expanding services to other direction, towards quick response generation for patients and also making all records to be saved on cloud. An e-health cloud is the flexible and highly configuration platform that goes beyond the scope of traditional approaches in technology (Alijohani et al., 2015). The e-health cloud provides unlimited accessibility and a varied delivery options for meeting the future as well as the present needs of healthcare system. With various options, cloud offers the appropriate hosting model for meeting the particular needs of the clinical settings. Since the costs of healthcare services are rising at a considerable level, it is imminent that healthcare organizations consider adopting health information technology (HIT) systems. HIT allows health organizations to streamline many of their processes and provide services in a more efficient and cost-effective manner. The latest te chnological trends such as Cloud Computing (CC) provide a strong infrastructure and offer a true enabler for HIT services over the Internet.Cloud helps the healthcare industry cope with current and future demands yet keeping their costs to a minimum. E-health cloud highlights many of the constituents of healthcare and builds the environment for effective health care service delivery. The application of e-health services will help MOH is having a more systematic and developed health care service quality and diagnostic would be the main objective to be achieved (Almalki et al. 2011). The step-wise procedure for execution of the plan would be described by the PESTEL analysis and would elaborate on the need of steps. SWOT analysis would determine how the organization can achieve the purpose it has as the analysis will help the organization to imprve their strength and work on their weaknesses and threat to increase the oppotunity. Based on the SWOT analysis, strategies and other establi shment will be analyzed in the third part of this report (Hemann Burbary, 2013). This objective will not only act as a customer care program, but will help MOH in Saudi Arabia to market their services through new perspectives as well. The PESTLE analysis will be done to evaluate the need of organizational objective, which is being covered here, and with this analysis, it will be easier to understand the SWOT of this new objective. Health care services in Suadi Arabia has seen advancement in the last two decades and much of this is attributed to the government help and response that is a significant aspect on the political background. A series of development plans in Saudi Arabia have established the infra-structure for the expansion of curative services all over the country. Health services in Saudi Arabia is to be beneficial for the political set up it has. Establishment of e-health services will have a strong influence on the government and changes are likely to occur in the political context. The Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) provides over 60% of these services while the rest are shared among other government agencies and the private sector. Therefore, the political support is always behind the development of healthcare services in the country (Balkhair, 2015). The application of e-health will enhance the quality of care given by the healthcare services and therefore form a reason to encompass all possible help and facilitation from the political settings. The government will be bound to have a series of development plans in Saudi Arabia to enhance the infra-structure and to have the expansion of curative services all over the country (Fitzpatrick Montgomery, 2004). The economic analysis of health services, and government, does need cost saving agendas, and adaptation of e-health services, and improvement of quality, can make this objective be a reason for the project to shine (Altuwaijri, 2012). If the objective is met effectively, the overall efficiency of the work done by the organization will be enhanced and this will mean the development of more funds as well, and the budget, which is required for this development, can be overcome easily. The society has the requirement of bringing all potential advancements in the healthcare system they access and this mainly refers to the easy and quick access to the health care services. Use of the internet access is such an effective means of having easy availability to services and healthcare professionals as well as the patients would be benefitted by the use of online platform (Anagnostelis et al., 2004). The use of e-health would be the solution to this requirement as the time allotted for treatment may be reduced and the whole process of accessing services would be convenient (Alsulame et al., 2016). The workforce is more filled with expatriates, and if this e-system is used, people will not have many difficulties in language differentiation, as language converters can also be used (Al-Mutairi, 2014). Technology, and particularly, services provided by information technology, is being adapted in Saudi Arabia from years Alijohani et al., (2015). People have been promoting technology and many of them use technology in their businesses Khalifa (2014). This means, government sectors, for updating their services, do need to develop an infrastructure that supports up heave of technology (Al-Mutairi, 2014). E-health network program, can in this way, develop the services which can make it easy for people living in remote areas as well, to get urgent and good services Househ et al., (2014). Technology, and in particularly big data analysis, is being used globally, and hence should not be ignored in this case as well (Glass Callahan, 2014). With the increased incidence of disease, and people, especially pilgrims, who enter Saudi Arabia, being exposed to these diseases, it becomes quite difficult for the organisation to maintain diagnostic speed Khalifa (2013). This means the organisation needs a system that helps the patients with the best customer care and service development and that helps internal management, i.e. staff, to easily obtain the reports linked to a particular person(Fitzpatrick Montgomery, 2004). This makes sure that, MOH has to detect nearest hospitals for the patients which can be done with this software. Legal issues, such as patient protocols keep on changing, and do not reach doctors on daily basis Alkabba et al., (2012). However, with this e-health development the objective of keeping the hospitals which are linked with MOH, updated, and also their staff to be aware of the changes in rules, can now be fulfilled (Barello et al., 2015). Legal analysis has a major role in this objective development, as many pilgrims also enter this country, and should be assessed for fulfillment of this objective(Balkhair, 2015). As mentioned earlier, big data can be used, but it also has some legal concerns that need to be developed in the process(Kalyvas Overly, 2014). By analyzing this list of risks, the organisation will be able to more effectively work on the purpose of this objective, which is increasing the quality of patient-centred health services (see Appendix 6). For achievement of this objective, a proper committee should be hired, and developed, which can evaluate the risks, and develop policies that are important for the companys development(Porter, 2008). The PESTAL analysis indicates that MOH must respond to the radically transforming healthcare that would transform the way the department carries out the functioning and delivers best possible health care. The utilization of e-health would support a seamless flow of information within the health care infrastructure and would encompass the leverage the digital progress in the setting. This would transform the way care is delivered by MOH. Considering all the advantages of electronic health records, and the rapidly growing electronic interconnectedness of the health care world, the development and eventual ubiquity in MOH is inevitable. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Analysis in relation to the organisation is positioned to respond to this objective A SWOT analysis has been performed to identify the issues faced by the MOH in operational activities. The strength of this organisation is that it has access to all hospitals and can create a change in quality services for customers, for instance clients associated with a hospital. This strength of MOH is because governments financial support is with the team of MOH, and if they can work effectively on e-health services to enhance their performance (Al-Ahmadi, 2009). This will make it a paperless system, and with the governments support, the budget can also be justified (Almalki, Fitzgerald, Clark, 2011). The MOH currently provides 59.5% of services, and if these are converted to e-health, the strength of the Saudi healthcare for the public will be further enhanced (Almalki, Fitzgerald, Clark, 2011, p. 786) (see Appendix 1). As far as the private sector is concerned in this area of service, it constitutes only 20% approximately, and thus, for implementing such a strategy, this organisation can settle and increase efficiency in the diagnostic process of increased quality for custome r care (see Appendix 6). The weakness of the organization is that the employee participation rate in adapting to new technologies is less and not up to the mark of high standards (Azeem Altalhi 2015). All members of healthcare organization must embrace the latest technologies and implement them in their daily lives to the best of their ability. They must be aware of the fact that the tools used for betterment of patient care are to be integrated to the daily care services. This activity will not only increase the overall management procedure of the organization but will also be beneficial for the employees. The employees must therefore take up the workplace as a learning institution and bring about some positive organizational changes (Balkhair, 2015). Implementation of e-health would require the participation from the employees of the organization to implement it in their daily practice. They must be addressing the issues they face in adapting to the changes for encouraging greater participation. They must be taking up approaches for having adequate knowledge on the ways to implement the ehealth services and must be aware of the advantages of doing so. If these problems in customer care can be overcome and e-health services are successful, quality of these services can be improved(Al-Turki, 2000). Lack of a skilled workforce is also a drawback for this country, and most of the work is outsourced (Abdallah 2001) (see Appendix 3), which tells us that explanation of e-health services to locals would be quite difficult. The MOH has been the most active organisation in Saudi Arabia, as seen in Appendix 1, and has been providing its services for a long period of time(Almalki, Fitzgerald, Clark, 2011). As a result, they have opportunities to expand in the virtual world as well, as they have expanded in physical areas. Globally, different countries ministries of health have successfully developed their services for improved quality, by using big data, and for Saudi Arabia, being one of the busiest countries, it is a great opportunity to give this online facility, to improve quality, and save time for their patients as well(Makdad, 2014). In Mexico and other countries, this facility has been enhanced the human life, and people are being made aware of better health services(Makdad, 2014) (see Appendix 2). This also creates an opportunity for the MOH of Saudi Arabia and with the advent and progress of information technology, quality prospects and expectations in this sector have also been increased(Al-Ahm adi, 2009). E-health care systems are better adapted in private sectors as most of the people who use them have knowledge about such services (Qureshi et al., 2015). As far as people using the MOH of Saudi Arabia are concerned, they do not know about using online services, especially for health purposes (AlGhamdi Moussa, 2012). For this part, awareness should be generated, which will be explained in the strategy section. In addition, the MOH is government funded, and if this step or objective is not achieved successfully, the company has to bear many negative comments, as the competitors may have more accurate services. Moreover, internet speed is an issue in Saudi Arabia, which will be a further threat for development of online services (Anagnostelis, Cooke, Welsh, 2004; Fitzpatrick Montgomery, 2004). Evaluation of the organizations approach to achieving the objective The approach of the organization to achieve the objective of implementation of e-health can be explained by the help of McKinseys 7S Model. This model is the tool to analyze how well the organization is positioned to achieve the intended objective. McKinsey 7-S framework was developed in the early 1980s by Tom Peters and Robert Waterman (Altuwaijri, 2012). The model is used for improving the performance of the organization, examining the possible effects of future changes within a company, supporting departments and processes during a merger and determining how best to implement a proposed strategy. The 7 elements of the 7s model are strategy, structure, systems, shared values, skills, style and staff. Strategy is the plan made to maintain and build competitive advantage over the competition. Structure refers to the way the company is sorted out in the structure. Systems are the daily activities and procedures that staff members engage in. shared valued refer to the core values of th e company. The style of leadership adopted is the next aspect and staff capabilities come in next. The last element is skills that are the competencies of the employees. Strategy- The MOH is applying a strong strategy for having a national approach for fulfilling the objective of implementing e-health across the country. The strategic context of e-health is that it must encompass the health of the total population and have development priorities. The MOH has the resulting implications for health and this must be carried on in future (Qureshi et al., 2015). The e-health is the high-level message from the MOH for the policy-makers that answers the question of how e-health helps the country in understanding what it wishes to achieve in health care sector. The existing capacity of MOH must be used at its best for providing a strong basis for innovation and investment. But currently the innovation and the investment procedure are in progress Planning of the detailed steps is necessary for fulfilling long-term goals and having fundamental transformation Howver, the plannings are also active in some context (Altuwaijri, 2012). Structure- MOH encompasses the whole country and therefore there is an influence of extrinsic forces, including the government (Al-Mutairi, 2014). Along with that, government hospitals are the other users about which records and data has to be maintained. This will be summarised with the development of the e-health system, where the priorities of each systematic head will be set. The data and information will be retrievable in less time (Mair et al., 2012). This retrieval will be effective as the MOH has a bigger framework, as far as the structure of the organisation is concerned, as it has to deal with many urban and rural agents, which are present all around KSA(Almalki, Fitzgerald, Clark, 2011). As mentioned in the previous paragraph, by this online development, the scale of the MOH structure will not only decrease over time, but will also become more effective. Staff- The number of staff required and to be managed needs to be higher, and as mentioned in the weaknesses section, non-Saudi staff make up a considerable proportion of the total, and can leave the country easily. Currently, every workforce of the Ministry in all regions of the Kingdom is being reviewed to determine accurate staffing needs to create the optimum utilization of personnel. Providing qualified manpower is perhaps the biggest challenge that Saudi Arabia faces as it expands its healthcare capacity. Despite investment in education and training, demand for foreign healthcare workers is likely to remain strong in the coming years (Chhokar et al., 2013). The Saudi health care system is challenged by the shortage of local health care professionals, such as physicians, nurses and pharmacists. The majority of health personnel are expatriates and this leads to a high rate of turnover and instability in the workforce. According to Qureshi et al. (2015), the total health workforce in Saudi Arabia, including all other sectors, is about 248 000; more than half of them (125 000) work in the MOH. Saudis constitute 38% of this total workforce. Of these, 23.1% are physicians, while 32.3% are nurses. In the MOH, Saudis constitute about 54% of the health workforce, (physicians 22.6% and nurses 50.3%). Should the system be developed, some administration costs would be saved by providing e-health services, and staff can be retained by providing more incentives to them, which shows that this objective is quite effective if observed properly (Chhokar et al., 2013). Another factor which has to be considered is that the MOH is a centralised power and low employee engagement and low motivation of employees exists(MOH, 2015). The Saudi government have strict rules for employees holidays and it is really difficult for immigrants to bring their families to Saudi Arabia. The country has a population of30 million, of whom 10 million are immigrants, and almost all of them are employed. It is difficult to remain in the kingdom without a job and few immigrants are accompanied by their families. The reason for this is that the country wants to stop illegal workers in the country. This has a negative impact on attracting and retaining the required skills in the organisation(O'Kane, 2013). By development of this system, these rules can be revised, and employees such as those needed in hospitals need to work on their negative attributes and they have to find out the way to improve their approach. System- The system, as mentioned in the structure and weaknesses sections, needs to be given priority and easy access, and will hence be developed(Anagnostelis, Cooke, Welsh, 2004). The threat of patients receiving unequal services by the hospitals will also be eradicated, once the complete record reaches the HR of the MOH in Saudi Arabia. In this way, the system will be able to record all activities as well. Skills- The MOH sends doctors abroad for higher studies, but the education and learning that those doctors have attained are not being used by the organisation(MOH, 2015). With this e-platform, a portal and community should be established, where online consultancy services could be provided to the patients, as they are a registered part of the MOH on the e-health platform. This will allow the organisation to retain its resources. employees and doctors are needed, but the KSA lacks such a pool of workers(Al-Mutairi, 2014). This can be considered as a result of many employees leaving this country and moving to new countries for development Style- The MOH in KSA have long term goals, which will not be changed easily by a little implement such as e-health service. However, the management of the organisation will be considered along with the development of new skills, which will make the MOHs operations efficient(Lord Velez, 2013). With this internet-based system, the style of the staff will be changed and they should all be given proper training to adapt to the purpose to be served by the company. This will decrease risks, and will make the organization to be more stable(Fitzpatrick Montgomery, 2004). The style of staff will be changed with the increased concerns of the organisation in the performance of the company, with better performance of employees(Bliese, Halverson, Schriesheim, 2002). This will increase efficiency of the organisation, with increased system activities, which will ultimately all be maintained on databases. Shared values- All health care professionals will not understand the purpose of this e-system, until they are given an overview, and hence, with the development of the system, the purpose of the skills and value that is added up will be shared with staff(Anagnostelis, Cooke, Welsh, 2004). In this way, it will be possible for this service to be well integrated, once it is conveyed properly in every hospital. This means the hospitals that are working under the name of the MOH will be made to follow the steps which are now implemented by the MOH, and this will be regarded as shared value by the company. It is quite hard to maintain the external value impact on the MOH, as the Saudi Arabian government supports traditional methods, but in order to attract new international students to practice their skills in KSA, these traditional and long methods have to be amended, as do the shared values (Lord Velez, 2013). Conclusion: The above discussion on the health developing mode of the Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia has highlighted the effect of strict rules on the employees that retain them from proper qualification. E-health service enable some improved quality by focussing on the organizational vision standards with person centered care, protecting the privacy of the patient. The health ministry of Saudi Arabia compiles the statistical data of the issues the health care are facing and the government is working on the issues to find a proper way to deal with it. The strength, weakness, opportunities and threat analysis of the Ministry of Health highlights the strength to change the quality of the services of the hospitals, identify the weaknesses on the employee engagement. The SWOT analysis provide the organization to implement some new strategies for the improvement of the situation. The MOH of Saudi Arabia is developing strong strategies and new stractures to keep the data and informations updated. The health ministry also working on the staffs to improve their commitment to the work and developing new skills and adopting new styles to make the operational skills more efficient. Patch 2 As the manager of the organisations business development team, I can make significant contribution to the organization for successfully achieving the objective of e-health by executing effective leadership qualties. The leadership style that I possess can be directing and coordinating the fulfillment of the objective by MOH. The provided leadership would shape up the health services improvement agenda, set the standards and norms, articulate the policy options and provide support to the system as a whole. Leadership can bring progressive changes in the work of the MOH and such impact by leadership is perceived in a global context. Leaders need to respond to new technology, new challenges and upcoming goals. A response to the dynamisms of healthcare can be made by altering the leading skill set (Daft, 2014). The leadership style that I would be having is transformational leadership. This leadership style is far more advanced than traditional style of transactional leadership. On the contrary to such traditional leadership that focuses on organization, supervision and group performance, transformational leadership has the focus that people work more effectively if there is a sense of mission (Avolio Yammarino, 2013). The transformational theory requires leaders to communicate their vision in a manner that is meaningful, exciting, and creates unity and collective purpose; the manager who is committed, has vision, and is able to empower others can be described as a transformational leader. Transformational leaders are able to motivate performance beyond expectations through their ability to influence attitudes (Chhokar et al., 2013). I have the aim of being such a manager with committed mission of bringing changes in the MOH by implementing e-health. As a manager in the organization, my leadership style can help in easy transformation to a more advanced health care service delivery. Tasks would be performed effectively and goals would be achieved by working in diverse and large groups. Transformational leadership would have the capacity to help the organization consider changes as the opportunities for new options in health care. In this case, this refers to the e-health access. The leadership would craft a collective vision for the future and utilize the interrelationships between the aspects of healthcare in a setting for solving complex problems. Continuous quality improvement is the key element in MOH and transformational leadership would help in this context by sorting the process of implementing e-health. My leadership style would be supporting the on-going process of improving service outcome (Bliese et al ., 2002). As a leader, I would emphasize continually that safe, high quality, compassionate care is the top priority and offer fair, available, respectful, supportive, compassionate, empathic, and empowering leadership. I would promote participation and involvement as the core leadership strategy. There would be a promotion of continuous development of the knowledge, skills and abilities of staff in order to improve quality of patient care, safety, compassion and the patient experience in relation to e-health. It would consistently encourage, motivate and reward innovation and introduce new and improved ways of working and adapting e-health (Bliese et al., 2002). The leadership would be visible to all the members of the organization as the work would be carried out by moving the staff forward with inspirational actions. The long lasting effect of this management style is that a strong sense of confidence would be developed in the organization. As a manager, I would have the role of the represe ntative of the organization and the employees would be motivated to embrace the new changes in the settings (Khalifa, 2012). If the leadership is successful in the organization, the members would want the organization to succeed and there would be a sense of commitment from the member (Spillane, 2012). As a visionary leader, the transformational manager helps employees to envision career success through further education and training. When employees see positive results from training and education, they will become even more dedicated to developing their own careers as outlined by the transformational leader. Therefore, an education plan on e-health would be effective in bringing about the desirable changes. Conclusion In this way, the main objective of implementing the new scheme, i.e. development of an e-platform for the MOH in Saudi Arabia, and making it follow the paths that are followed internationally, is explained clearly. And with this, the main objectiveshave been to eradicate the harsh rules imposed by the government of Saudi Arabia and thus foster a new environment where learning prospers. If on the other hand, the 7S model is followed in the same way, the organisation will be able not only to maintain their employee structure, but also to develop a civilised formation of employees. Due to the implications by the government, and un-friendly tone of staff (local employees), most patients prefer international doctors, and this means, either these employees have to be trained, or new international students and doctors should be attracted to generate competition(Becker, 2009). Economic and development competitors challenge the situations, and are reasons why these active organizations are not allowed to develop. However, the MOH should consider the number of pilgrims that arrive in KSA each year, and also the effect this congregation has in certain cities. This can be managed with the new network development that has been suggested, and, for instance, development of an e-platform. This will hence improve the quality of health services, as diagnosis may be done on the network, and also, the development of centres and chat rooms for each department, will allow better suggestions to be developed, and suggested to valued patients. My leadership style attributing to transformational leadership would bring the necessary changes in the organization in relation to the aim of e-health services. The principles of transformation leadership will help in succeeding the execution of the changes in the organization. Better results would be achieved in a positive workplace. The ultimate aim of the leadership I possess would be to drive engagement of the members of the organization and to develop a self-interest in the organization changes in context to e-health. Critical commentary KSA in its health care department has manpower. It has leadership support. Saudi Arabia could establish critical care organisation. Hence, it can meet its critical care standards. The 59.5% of services that MOH provides are not converted to e-health. Else there would have been enhancement in Saudi health cae for public. The participation of employees is below par in terms of adapting to new technologies. The latest technologies must be implemented in their daily lives to the best of their ability. It will increase the overall management procedure of the organization. Therfore new policies should be formulated in this respect.There are no approaches taken to have adequate knowledge on the ways to implement the ehealth services. Lack of a skilled workforce is a major drawback for this country. Also most of the work is outsourced. It indicates that e-health services to locals would be quite difficult. There is limited growth of Medical Tourism in this country. This is due to lack of pro motion of the services by government. It has great opportunity to attract foreign investment. The major threat however is insufficient efforts in biomedical research. Due to insufficient learning programmes there are less qualified workers in medical field. References Abdallah, W.M., (2001).Managing multinationals in the Middle East: Accounting and tax issues. Greenwood Publishing Group. Al-Ahmadi, H. (2009). Quality of primary healthcare in Saudi Arabia: A comprehansive review. International Journal for Quality and Health care, 17, 331-346. AlGhamdi, K. M., Moussa, N. A. (2012). Internet use by the public to search for health-related information.International journal of medical informatics,81(6), 363-373. Alijohani, A., Davis, P., Connolly, R. (2015). Healthcare information technology (HIT) in Saudi Arabia health care systems: an overview. Alkabba, A. F., Hussein, G. M., Albar, A. A., Bahnassy, A. A., Qadi, M. (2012). The major medical ethical challenges facing the public and healthcare providers in Saudi Arabia.Journal of Family and Community Medicine,19(1), 1. Almalki, M., Fitzgerald, G., Clark, M. (2011). Health care system in Saudi Arabia: an overview. Eastern MediterraneanHealth Journal, 17(10), 784-793. Al-Mutairi, E. (2014). Healthcare Workforce Challenges in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Health Journal. Alsulame, K., Khalifa, M., Househ, M. (2016). E-Health Status in Saudi Arabia: A Review of Literature.Health Policy and Technology. Al-Turki, Y. A. (2000). Overview of chronic diseases in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Medical Journal, 21(5), 499-500. Altuwaijri, M. (2012). InnoDiff: a project-based model for successful IT innovation diffusion. Human Resource Management International Digest, 20(3). Anagnostelis, B., Cooke, A., Welsh, S. (2004). Finding and Using Health and Medical Information on the Internet. Routledge. Avolio, B. J., Yammarino, F. J. (Eds.). (2013).Transformational and charismatic leadership: The road ahead. Emerald Group Publishing. Azeem, S.M. Altalhi, H., (2015). Role of Perceived Work-life Balance and Job Satisfaction in Developing Organizational Commitment among Hospital Employees in Saudi Arabia.International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences,5(12), pp.185-197. Balkhair, A. (2015). The National eHealth Program. International Telecommunication Union. Barello, S., Triberti, S., Graffigna, G., Libreri, C., Serino, S., Hibbard, J., Riva, G. (2015). eHealth for Patient Engagement: a systematic review.Frontiers in psychology,6. Bliese, P. D., Halverson, R. R., Schriesheim, C. A. (2002). Benchmarking multilevel methods in leadership: The articles, the model, and the data set. The Leadership Quarterly, 13(1), 3-14. Chhokar, J. S., Brodbeck, F. C., House, R. J. (Eds.). (2013).Culture and leadership across the world: The GLOBE book of in-depth studies of 25 societies. Routledge. Daft, R. (2014).The leadership experience. Cengage Learning. El Bcheraoui, C., Tuffaha, M., Daoud, F., AlMazroa, M.A., Al Saeedi, M., Memish, Z.A., Basulaiman, M., Al Rabeeah, A.A. Mokdad, A.H., (2015). Low uptake of periodic health examinations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 2013.Journal of family medicine and primary care,4(3), p.342. Ferlie, E., Crilly, T., Jashapara, A., Trenholm, S., Peckham, A. Currie, G., (2016). Strategic Management in the Healthcare Sector: The Debate About the Resource-Based View Flourishes in Response to Recent Commentaries.Int J Health Policy Manag,5(2), pp.145-146. Fitzpatrick, J. J., Montgomery, K. S. (2004). Internet for Nursing Research: A Guide to Strategies, Skills and Resources. Springer Publishing Company. Glass, R., Callahan, S. (2014). The Big Data-Driven Business: How to Use Big Data to Win Customers, Beat Competitors, and Boost Profits. New York: John Wiley Sons. Hall, R. ed., 2013.Patient flow: reducing delay in healthcare delivery(Vol. 206). Springer Science Business Media. Househ, M., Borycki, E., Kushniruk, A. (2014). Empowering patients through social media: the benefits and challenges.Health informatics journal,20(1), 50-58. Kalyvas, J. R., Overly, M. R. (2014). Big Data: A Business and Legal Guide. London: CRC Press. Karlsson, L.E., Saleh, F., Azam, S., Larsen, E.L., Andersen, P.T. Alrammah, T., (2015). How are health equity aspects articulated in the public health policy documents in Saudi Arabia.The European Journal of Public Health,25(suppl 3), pp.ckv176-065. Khalifa, M. (2013). Barriers to health information systems and electronic medical records implementation. A field study of Saudi Arabian hospitals.Procedia Computer Science,21, 335-342. Khalifa, M. (2014). Technical and human challenges of implementing hospital information systems in Saudi Arabia.Journal of Health Informatics in Developing Countries,8(1). Lord, B. W., Velez, R. (2013). Converge: Transforming Business at the Intersection of Marketing and Technology. John Wiley Sons. Mair, F. S., May, C., O'Donnell, C., Finch, T., Sullivan, F., Murray, E. (2012). Factors that promote or inhibit the implementation of e-health systems: an explanatory systematic review.Bulletin of the World Health Organization,90(5), 357-364. Makdad, A. H. (2014). Salud Mesoamrica 2015 Initiative: Data for Better Health. Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation. MOH. (2015). e-Services. Retrieved February 8, 2016, from https://www.moh.gov.sa/en/eServices/Pages/FeaturedServices.aspx O'Kane, M. (2013). Saudi Arabia Labor Law Outline. Porter, M. E. (2008). Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors. Simon and Schuster. Qureshi, N. A., Kundi, G. M., Qureshi, Q. A., Akhtar, R., Hussain, L. (2015). An investigation Into the Adoption and Use Issues of E-Health in Public Sector Hospitals of Developing Countries.Mediterranean Journal of Medical Sciences,2(1). Ramady, M. A. (2010). The Saudi Arabian Economy: Policies, Achievements, and Challenges (2nd ed.). Springer Science Business Media. Spillane, J. P. (2012).Distributed leadership(Vol. 4). John Wiley Sons.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

The long history of puppetry Essay Example

The long history of puppetry Paper Prehistoric miniature stone figures have been excavated in many places. We can only guess what they may have been used for. Scholars try to attach cultural or mystical significance to these finds. Storytelling and play acting with dolls are invented spontaneously by children the world over. The making of miniature figures is basic to human nature. It is a fair guess that the main use is simply entertainment. In the fifth century BC Herodotus writes about ancient figures operated by strings. Xenophon of Athens refers to a travelling Greek showman putting on a puppet show. These men did not discover something new, they were just early-published writers, and they wrote about what was happening. A 12th century woodcut shows two youngsters playing with figures of armed knights on strings. In a 14th century illuminated manuscript we see three girls watching a puppet show. It looks a lot like Punch and Judy. Theatrical scripts have often made fun of authority and the injustices of life. In societies where the authorities had more power than we nowadays give them they often reacted angrily to deserved ridicule. The Commedia dellarte was an improvised popular comedy in Italian theatres of the 16th to 18th century. It was frequently banned and was often performed on the streets. The characters Harlequin, Columbine and Pulcinella originated here. Italian performers exported their art throughout Europe and further afield. In the French language Pulcinella became Polichinelle, in Russian Petroushka, and in English Punch. They also invented the slapstick, a stick that has two small paddles at the end of it or is divided at one or both ends to make a noise when it hits anything. We will write a custom essay sample on The long history of puppetry specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The long history of puppetry specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The long history of puppetry specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This is where we get the term slapstick comedy. Polichinelle was playing in France by 1630. Samuel Pepys was a civil servant who kept a diary. He wrote it for himself in his own private code but it was published after his death. It gives a fascinating personal view of 17th century England. In 1662 this diary records the first English mention of open-air puppet performances. Pepys writes that he watched the puppets a few times, once he stopped for a show in Hyde Park and it made him late for an appointment with the king. First known as Punch and Joan, the puppets became a popular diversion on beaches and in parks. The performers were often itinerants and were often mentioned in literature. As readers of Dickens the Old Curiosity Shop will know they were sometimes of not too respectable personality. Henry Fielding wrote his brilliantly satirical novel Tom Jones in the 18th century. There were concerns about violence in puppetry then as now. Tom Jones meets a travelling Punch and Judy man who claims to have cleaned up his show and made it into a moral and refined spectacle. The entertainer enjoys a couple of mugs of beer with the patrons of a wayside tavern and then physically assaults his assistant. Fielding has his hero comment that he much preferred the show in its old form. George Cruikshank, who made a name for himself by illustrating the writings of Charles Dickens was involved in the production of a book that preserved a street performance of a Punch and Judy show. Cruikshank and publisher John Payne Collier hired an Italian performer, Signor Piccini, to put on a private show in the Kings Arms, a tavern in Drury Lane, London. The show was stopped frequently so that Cruikshank could make drawings and Collier could record the dialogue. Both of these illustrations are by Cruikshank. Piccini may or may not have been an Italian. Then, as now, entertainers sometimes invented exotic names and backgrounds for themselves. He was a great puppeteer. He could have one of his puppets take off his hat with one hand, throw it to the other hand, and put it back on his head. Punch and Judy proliferated in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Shows were seen everywhere and some of the performers became prosperous.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Salaries and Benefits of US Congress Members

Salaries and Benefits of US Congress Members The salary and benefits paid to the Senators and Representatives of the U.S. Congress is a constant source of public fascination, debate- and most of all- fake news.   For example, one massively-sent email states, â€Å"Many citizens had no idea that members of Congress could retire with the same pay after only one term.† Well, maybe many citizens do not have that idea, because it is just flat wrong. Another infamous email demanding passage of a mythical â€Å"Congressional Reform Act† claims members of Congress do not pay Social Security taxes. That, too, is wrong Salaries and benefits of members of the U.S. Congress have been the source of taxpayer unhappiness and myths over the years. Here are some facts for your consideration. As of 2019, the base salary for all rank-and-file members of the U.S. House and Senate was $174,000 per year, plus benefits. Salaries have not been increased since 2009. Compared to private-sector salaries, the salaries of members of Congress is lower than many mid-level executives and managers. Rank-and-File Members: The current salary (2019) for rank-and-file members of the House and Senate is $174,000 per year. Members are free to turn down pay increase and some choose to do so.In a complex system of calculations, administered by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, congressional pay rates also affect the salaries of federal judges and other senior government executives. Congress: Leadership Members Salary  (2019) Leaders of the House and Senate are paid a higher salary than rank-and-file members. Senate Leadership Majority Party Leader - $193,400Minority Party Leader - $193,400 House Leadership Speaker of the House - $223,500Majority Leader - $193,400Minority Leader - $193,400 Pay Increases   Members of Congress are eligible to receive the same annual cost-of-living increase given to other federal employees if any. The raise takes effect automatically on January 1 of each year unless Congress, through the passage of a joint resolution, votes to decline it, as Congress has done since 2009. Benefits Paid to Members of Congress You may have read that Members of Congress do not pay into Social Security. Well, thats also a myth. Social Security Prior to 1984, neither Members of Congress nor any other federal civil service employee paid Social Security taxes. Of course, they were also not eligible to receive Social Security benefits. Members of Congress and other federal employees were instead covered by a separate pension plan called the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). The 1983 amendments to the Social Security Act required federal employees first hired after 1983 to participate in Social Security. These amendments also required all Members of Congress to participate in Social Security as of January 1, 1984, regardless of when they first entered Congress. Because the CSRS was not designed to coordinate with Social Security, Congress directed the development of a new retirement plan for federal workers. The result was the Federal Employees Retirement System Act of 1986. Members of Congress receive retirement and health benefits under the same plans available to other federal employees. They become vested after five years of full participation. Health Insurance Since all provisions of the Affordable Care Act or â€Å"Obamacare† took effect in 2014, members of Congress have been required to purchase health insurance plans offered through one of the Affordable Care Act-approved exchanges in order to receive a government contribution toward their health coverage. Prior to the passage of the Affordable Care Act, insurance for members of Congress was provided through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB); the government’s employer-subsidized private insurance system. However, not even under the FEHB plan was the insurance â€Å"free.† On average, the government pays from 72% to 75% of the premiums for its workers. Like all other federal retirees, former members of Congress paid the same share of premiums as other federal employees. Retirement   Members elected since 1984 are covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). Those elected prior to 1984 were covered by the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). In 1984 all members were given the option of remaining with CSRS or switching to FERS. As it is for all other federal employees, congressional retirement is funded through taxes and the participants contributions. Members of Congress under FERS contribute 1.3 percent of their salary into the FERS retirement plan and pay 6.2 percent of their salary in Social Security taxes. Members of Congress become eligible to receive a pension at the age of 62 if they have completed a total of 5 years of service. Members who have completed a total of 20 years of service are eligible for a pension at age 50, are at any age after completing a total of 25 years of service. No matter their age when they retire, the amount of the members’ pension is based on their total years of service and the average of their highest three years of salary. By law, the starting amount of a Member’s retirement annuity may not exceed 80% of his or her final salary. Can They Really Retire After Only One Term? Those mass emails also claim that members of Congress can get a pension equal to their full salaries after serving only one term. That one is partly true but mostly false. Under the current law, which requires at least 5 years of service, members of the House of Representatives would not be eligible to collect pensions of any amount after serving only one term, since they come up for reelection every two years. On the other hand, U.S, Senators - who serve six-year terms - would be eligible to collect pensions after completing only one full term. In neither case, however, would the pensions be equal to the member’s full salary. While it is highly unlikely and has never happened, it is possible for a longtime member of Congress whose pension began at or near 80% of his or her final salary could - after many years of accepted annual cost-of-living adjustments - see his or her pension rise to equal his or her final salary. Average Annual Pensions According to the Congressional Research Service, there were 611 retired members of Congress receiving federal pensions based fully or in part on their congressional service as of October 1, 2016. Of this number, 335 had retired under CSRS and were receiving an average annual pension of $74,028. A total of 276 Members had retired with service under FERS and were receiving an average annual pension of $41,076 in 2016. Allowances Members of Congress are also provided with an annual allowance intended to defray expenses related carrying out their congressional duties, including official office expenses, including staff, mail, travel between a Members district or state and Washington, DC, and other goods and services. Outside Income Many members of Congress retain their private careers and other business interests while they serve. Members are allowed to retain an amount of permissible outside earned income limited to no more than 15% of the annual rate of basic pay for level II of the Executive Schedule for federal employees, or $28,400.00 a year in 2018. However, there is currently no limit on the amount of non-salary income members can retain from their investments, corporate dividends or profits. House and Senate rules define what sources of outside earned income are permissible. For example, House Rule XXV (112th Congress) limits permissible outside income to salaries, fees, and other amounts received or to be received as compensation for personal services actually rendered. Members are not allowed to retain compensation arising from fiduciary relationships, except for medical practices. Members are also barred from accepting honoraria - payments for professional services typically provided without charge. Perhaps most importantly to voters and taxpayers, member of Congress are strictly prohibited from earning or accepting income that may appear to be intended to influence the way they vote on legislation. Tax Deductions Members are allowed to deduct up to $3,000 a year from their federal income tax for living expenses while they are away from their home states or congressional districts. Early History of Congress Pay How and how much members of Congress should be paid has always been a debated issue. America’s Founding Fathers believed that since congressmen would typically be well-off anyway, they should serve for free, out of a sense of duty. Under the Articles of Confederation, if U.S. congressmen were paid at all, they were paid by the states they represented. The state legislatures adjusted their congressmen’s pay and could even suspend it completely if they became dissatisfied with them. By the time the first U.S. Congress under the Constitution convened in 1789, members of both the House and Senate were paid $6 for each day there were actually in session, which was then rarely more than five months a year. The $6 per-day rate remained the same until the Compensation Act of 1816 raised it to a flat $1,500 a year. However, faced with public outrage, Congress repealed the law in 1817. Not until 1855 did members of Congress return to being paid an annual salary, then $3,000 per year with no benefits. Sources and Further Reference Brudnick, Ida A. â€Å"Congressional Salaries and Allowances: In Brief.† Congressional Research Service (April 11, 2018).Feran, Tom. â€Å"Can members of Congress retire with full pay after just one term?† Politifact Ohio (January 11, 2013)

Friday, November 22, 2019

Android vs Apple

Both operating systems now dominate the smartphone market, Apple and android. It all began when Google launched its Android system six years ago. But that approach is quite different. Google is not software to allow mobile phone manufacturers to modify or adjust software for free, it just manufactures software. Google believes that by offering free services, you can increase advertising on mobile phones and Google that are more friendly to the Internet in the long run. Since Android is the world's most popular operating system that many smartphone users love, I believe this strategy has been successful. iPhone and Android phone are the latest mobile phone needs. But when Apple made Iphone 5, they guaranteed that the phone can be used up to 3 days. Papers on Iphone and Android essays can only be accessed from anti-essay. Apple Vs Android: S is also one of the top smartphones next to the Apples IPhone. Writing comparison paper on 28th March 2015: The paper statement used by Iphone and Galaxy Smartphone Apple Inc. is your first sentence, attracting the Galaxy series running on the Android system, of cell phones such as iPhones It became a major manufacturer. This system welcomes Google's competition between Google and Android Apple iOS is one of the most notable wars on the mobile gadget platform. The Google Android platform is a discussion paper dated 18th September 2016. It is an essay on Android and iOS. Customization is different from Android IOS used by Apple. Paper type: chapter of paper / paper. This article on October 11, 2014 will explain the main reasons why you need to use Android devices instead of Apple gadgets. Apple phone The iPhone and Android (or iOS and Android, or more precisely) was the best technical competitor in 10 years. In the past, the desktop war between Apple and Microsoft, Apple and IBM was halted. Both sides recorded some wonderful sales. Samsung is a leading manufacturer of Android mobile phones, which will post a sales volume of 385 .5 million units in 2016 and Huawei, Xiaomi etc will be adding more products, but Apple has 215 million units It is second in mobile phone. Profit: nearly 80% of the world smartphone's profit Analysts and bloggers are trying to position iPhone vs.. The history of the PC market is not an indication of this paper. Apple succeeds in Android's success, but since January 1, 2012 the success of innovation (to the short history of Apple's acquisition), Google released Android phone very soon, vertical method (software): Operating system and Microsoft. Apple February 19, 2016 FBI hopes Apple will help access to the iPhone 5C (due to its value this is not unique to the iPhone: my Android like my iPhone Mobile, September 2014 With the launch of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, Apple appeared on April 7, 2011. Friend: I like Google Friend Android vs. Android Speaking of closed system Has issued a statement on operating system developers and has not announced statements about developers.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Mastery of Course Objectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mastery of Course Objectives - Essay Example You can call me by various names viz. trainer, instructor, faculty member etc. I basically teach the apprentices who join us from time to time. I feel a sense of accomplishment when my students move from strength to strength. I would like to formalise this inclination for teaching. I want to join a college nearby as a clinical instructor. I want to take baby steps and reach the pinnacle of my field. I have a crucial role to play in leading them in their careers. I bring together nurses from diverse backgrounds, personal, and to some extent, educational, onto a single nursing platform. Being in the academic field, I can only be complete through further education. I want to enrol in doctorate programs which can give me the academic edge that others have over me. This would mean a steep learning curve, but I am prepared to go all the way to pursue my goal. Even the duration of my continued education is not an issue as long as I am the best in my field. Mastery of Program Objectives To b ecome a nurse educator, I need to know the objectives of the course that I have selected. I should understand the implication of each goal and how it can assist me in my career. I describe briefly below some of the important program objectives in the context of nurse education. In a traditional nursing setting, a faculty member is only expected to teach. However, this job goes beyond just teaching. It involves moulding the students and making them good nurses. It requires not only theoretical knowledge, but the practical implementation of theory. Moreover, research is required to take it to a higher level. I need to constantly update and upgrade my knowledge to succeed in this service oriented sector. I was under the impression that scholarship limits itself to research. â€Å"Boyer outlines four †¦ functions of scholarship †¦ discovery, integration, application and teaching† (Boyer Model of Scholarship). Discovery relates to the search of new information, whereas i ntegration is placing isolated facts in perspective. Application is putting knowledge into practice to serve the community and the campus. Finally, teaching is gaining mastery over knowledge and presenting it to others in an understandable form. I am also aware that education cannot be imparted in isolation. It needs to be linked to the practice of the field. As a member of the education committee in my ED department the ideas and strategies learned through this course were helpful in evaluating and revising our orientation program for our newly hired graduates. Hence, faculty scholarship activities can help bridge the gap between academic preparation and the implementation. I realise that I should chalk out my own path for improving teaching. So that students can learn better, I apply knowledge to various clinical settings to get a holistic view of the nursing practice. Hence, I further my career due to the varied experience that I can give to the graduates. At the same time I ensu re that I formalise it by continuing my own education in the nursing area. I keep myself abreast of the latest changes in nursing and nursing education. I diligently follow all journals and manuals in this field. I also plan to contribute to such publications. I ensure that all latest developments are taken up in class for the benefit of students. I also make my students inculcate the habit of regularly reading, discussing and putting to practice what they acquire from such publications.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Einstein doesn't like it Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Einstein doesn't like it - Assignment Example It discusses probabilities of phenomenon and it is impossible to visualize such particles that form the probabilities. However, the Newton laws of motion were different from the quantum laws as they worked on visibility of motion. The three laws of motion presented by Newton were the remarkable discoveries of that time. Another contribution to the world of science was Newton’s law of Gravity that was a breakthrough in the field of physics. On the other hand quantum mechanics argues that it is not possible to know enough about the present so as to accurately predict the future. It is an impossible task that cannot be achieved even with sheer dedication in terms of time and technology. For example, if an object is moving at a certain speed in a certain direction we can determine its position at a certain time period based on its speed and direction. However, in the subatomic realm we can only approximate where the particle would be at a certain time and the more we narrow our focus on one particle the difficult it gets to approximate the other particles’ movements. Thus the entire discussion in this chapter concludes that Newton physics predicts events whereas quantum mechanics focuses on the probability of events. The two fields differ in their focus on the basic unit of observation but they both hold great significance in the field of

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Place like home Essay Example for Free

Place like home Essay They say that there is no place like home. I could not agree more. Simplicity and respectfulness towards others are the key characteristics that I believe I have acquired in my home. Although at this point in my life I have been living long enough in the United States for it not to be foreign for me, I know deep inside my heart my home is still with Tibet. My parents have built a home that is affectionate, cozy, and has faith. We moved here in the United State when I was three years old, but to me it did not seem like I moved away from my motherland. My parents made it a point that I still develop and possess Tibetan characteristics that will make me stronger and impenetrable to unwanted experiences. My parents taught me that even though life is hard, as they were immigrants trying to adapt the American way of life, they will get by if they have the support of family. They never kept anything from me. I learned of their hardships and I kept these experiences with me. I wanted to learn how to adapt to the new environment myself and with my parent’s experiences as my guide. Seeing how my parents flourished in spite and despite of the challenges they faced everyday made me believe that nothing is impossible with faith and determination. Just like my parents, I am determined to be successful and to overcome any obstacles that I face. I kept the religious side of me because it has been one of my pillars ever since time immemorial. Faith has kept me going and this is another one of the most valuable lesson that I learned from my family, I know that my thoughts and my beliefs are much more conservative than others, but this I do not regret. It is with these characteristics that I learned to respect other people’s beliefs and I learned to understand this too. In the same way that they respect me and my own religion I also respect theirs. All of these I learned from my parent’s humble ways. Never did I hear from them any complaints about our ethnicity or about how hard they worked. Only do I hear about their success and their determination to give me a beautiful life. A simple yet fulfilling and beautiful life is what I did get from them. The environment that my family made for me taught me everything that I needed to know to survive in this day and age. I believe that one does not have to be present in the country where he or she was born into to carry on traits and characteristics native to them. I deem that even in the presence of a foreign land with foreign people, key traits can still preserved through the guidance and support of family, most especially the parents. I have learned to interact with my school peers and I learned how to respect our differences and realized that it’s alright to be different. The United States is a place where individuality governs the most and is something that most people are not afraid to show. My experience is something that I believe cannot be taught in the school and is a lifelong experience that I would like to teach my children in the years to come. This is something that they can learn from and incorporate in their daily lives.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Adolescents on Mental Illness :: essays research papers

Watson, Amy C., Otey, Emeline, Westbrook, Anne L., Gardner, April L., Lamb, Theodore A., Corrigan, Patrick W., & Fenton, Wayne S. (2004). Changing Middle Schoolers’ Attitudes About Mental Illness Through Education. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 30, 563-572. Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This article shows the attitudes and intellect of Middle Schoolers about Mental Illness. The investigators are interested in the amount of improvement that the Middle Schoolers receive after being well-informed and educated about Mental Illness. They are especially interested in the changes in the attitudes of the pupils that think pessimistically about Mental Illness. Finding out if a curriculum informing the students about Mental Illness would significantly impact them is the other main interest of the investigators.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Previous studies show that many adults are almost naturally prejudice to people with Mental Illnesses. Most adults automatically stereotype them as people that are dangerous, shouldn’t be talked to, and have a slim-to-none chance of recovering. This comes from their lack of knowledge of Mental Illness growing up. In their childhood, they see Mental Illness as a disturbance and sway away from anything related to it. This concept is truly an unnoticed act of discrimination. Ultimately, the goal of the experiment was to find out how the minds of the students change toward Mental Illness after more knowledge of it is found out. The investigators supposed that there would be a bit of knowledge or at least some awareness of Mental Illness in the students’ minds. They figured that there would be many pessimists in the group (students that initially think negatively about Mental Illness.) Also, they assumed that the curriculum would benefit all of the students (especially the ones with the negative attitudes.) Method   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The investigators used The Science of Mental Illness curriculum to educate the students. This curriculum consists of unique scientific discoveries and case studies that help students understand the link between the sciences and their applications to health care. Some parts of the curriculum are classic, lecture-style teachings and some are more interactive including online programs and situations on video clips. The variety of the curriculum keeps the students interested throughout the 5-week program.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Helping the students understand that Mental Illness can be diagnosed and treated very well (unlike they might have thought) is one of the curriculum’s main goals. The other is to make the students more aware of Mental Illness and understand its different aspects. The curriculum is broken up into 5 lessons that cover everything from the brain’s functions to recognizing Mental Illness to methods of treatment.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Stock-Flow Trap in US Economy

The model used in analyzing the article is the Balance of payments model. This model determines payments from one particular country to all the others. It condenses all economic transactions that a country performs in a year. The country’s exports and imports of commodities may exist in forms of goods, services, financial capital, and transfers. This moulds the countries balance of payments. All transactions resulting to any payment or liabilities from debit holders and credit holders are indicated here. The calculation for the balance of payments involves the Current Account, derived from movement of goods and services; the capital account, consequent to capital transfers and the attainment and the discard of non-financial assets that failed to be produced; and the financial account, which accounts for movement of investments. This model involves the economic ideas found in the article like balances between investments both locally and internationally. It also involves the key reason for the high amount of critical stock of US. This model also touches the issue regarding dollar as a prime currency for both US and the world. However, to further explain the model and relate to the article of Eatwell and Taylor, the American Stock-flow Trap, we will need to define another macroeconomic concept, the liquidity trap. (Catherine) â€Å"When expected returns from investments in securities or real plant and equipment are low, investment falls, a recession begins, and cash holdings in banks rise. People and businesses then continue to hold cash because they expect spending and investment to be low. This is a self-fulfilling trap.†(Mike Moffatt) In the article, the stock-flow trap is the main subject for discussion. â€Å"The stock-flow trap happens when stock/flow ratios become large, players in the financial markets first become suspicious and then may very rapidly flee into liquid holdings as they sell all the liabilities of the economy in question.† (Eatwell and Taylor) The stock-flow trap creates the very foundations for liquidity trap to happen. This condition, as stated in the article, is also likely happen in stable economies like the US. During the 1980s budget deficit is $153 billion. This deficit gradually increases to $233 billion during the 1990s. At present, trade deficit still subsists in US economy. From 1980s, several administrations came out with plans to reduce budget deficit but these discrepancies prove that the policies were not that effective. Among these are the present policies of US President George W. Bush. Based on the article written by Heffner titled â€Å"Bush’s Economic Policies Pt. 1† the US government estimated a $5.6 trillion surplus. But upon office, Bush came up with a towering $2.8 trillion deficit. Because of this budget deficit, the federal government made amends through foreign borrowings that lead them deeper into the arms of stock-flow trap. By having these kinds of policies, the US government failed to eliminate the problem regarding critical stocks. Based on this observation, we can say that the US economy has not significantly change from the last two decades. Thus, a stock-flow trap still bounds to happen. (Heffner) References Catherine, L. M. (August 19, 1999 ). On the Causes of the US Current Account Deficit. Retrieved December 11, 2006, from Peterson Institute for International Economics Web site: http://www.iie.com/publications/papers/paper.cfm?ResearchID=353 Heffner, J. (Mar 21, 2003). Bush's Economic Policies Pt. 1. Retrieved December 11, 2006, from Jobs and the Economy Web site: http://www.mikehersh.com/Bush_Economics_Pt_1.shtml Eatwell, Taylor, J., L. (1999, September).The American Stock-Flow Trap. Challenge. 34-49. Mike Moffatt. â€Å"What Happens If Interest Rates Go to Zero?†Ã‚   2006.   The New York Times Company. december 12 2006. ;http://economics.about.com/cs/interestrates/a/zero_interest.htm;. ;

Saturday, November 9, 2019

James Baldwin Essay

Has writing ever changed your life? Have you wondered about the author of the amazing work? James Baldwin was the author of books, plays, and essays that broke literary ground. His work explored social and racial issues regarding discrimination. James Arthur Baldwin was born in Harlem, New York in August 2, 1924 to Emma Berdis Jones and an unknown father. His stepfather was David Baldwin, a Baptist preacher and a factory worker. Baldwin grew up with an abusive father and a poor family with eight siblings. He wrote and edited the school magazine at his middle school, Frederic Douglass Junior High, at the age of 11. At the ages of 14 through 16, Baldwin was a Pentecostal preacher at Pentecostal Church, delivered by the difficulties of life, as well as his abusive stepfather, who was also a preacher. At the age of 15, a running buddy, Emile Capouya, recommended the young Baldwin to meet Beauford Delaney, an American modernist painter. Delaney became Baldwin’s mentor, living proof that African-American artists exist and that he could become one himself. You might be wondering what Baldwin achieved in young adulthood as he matured into the revolutionary writer he became. After attending high school, Baldwin started a string of ill paid jobs, self-study, but earned a literary apprenticeship in New York City. Around the age of 20, Baldwin moved to Greenwich Village, New York a popular home of African American artists and writers. While in New York, he befriended Richard Wright, a fellow African-American writer. At the age of 21, Baldwin landed a fellowship through Wright. He started to publish his first essays and short stories (ex: The Nation, Partisan Review, and Commentary). Three years later, at the age of 24, Baldwin moved to Paris on another fellowship. His personal life was lonely. He once loved Lucien Happersberg, a Swiss artist that he lived with while he stayed in Switzerland. He was single and had no children. His personal hobbies included writing and reading which lead to his writing career. He enjoyed writing poems, essays, short stories, and plays that were against discrimination. Baldwin was one of the leading voices in the civil rights movement. His work broke literary ground by influencing others. Maya Angelou called Baldwin her â€Å"friend and brother† and was greatly influenced by his work. He was especially well known for his essays on the black experience in America. He provided an unflinching look at the black experience in America through his work. Nobody Knows My Name, one of Baldwin’s touching books, hit the best-sellers list, selling more than a million copies. Early on December 1, 1987, Baldwin died of esophageal cancer in Saint-Paul-de-Venice, France. He was buried at the Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, near New York City. Baldwin was cheerful and active days before his death, hosting a Thanksgiving dinner. He had continued to write until his death at the age of 63. He had finished Cross of Redemption: Uncollected Writings, and had published The Price of the Ticket in 1985, just two years from his death. James Baldwin was an influential person. I learned that anyone can change things within and without your reach with determination. I was impressed that he was eager to change people’s perspectives of the world around them. The lesson that I learned from him was that one should do the right thing in bad situations. James Baldwin was a truly amazing person.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Satire on Global Warming Essays

Satire on Global Warming Essays Satire on Global Warming Paper Satire on Global Warming Paper I am proposing that the people of the world minimize their heat usage to the extreme. This means minimal heating in cars, houses, and the use of appliances that generate heat must be minimized. If everyone sacrifices this amount of heating, we can get the earth back down to a normal temperature. The use of hair dryers, curling irons, computers, copy machines, or any other electrical appliance which generates any amount of heat must be limited to an hour per day. At the present moment, most electrical machines r devices are kept turned on throughout the entire day, whether they are in use or just sitting somewhere producing heat, which in turn, is causing global warming. In recent news reports, 49 out of the 50 states have had snowfall in the same day. The only state that did not have snow was Hawaii. This means the typical hot states like Florida, Texas, and Alabama had snowfall. This is not normal, especially since this has been a repeated occurrence Global warming is causing chaos in the weather systems!!! This news should stop he people of the world in their tracks and cause them to change their ways immediately, but yet it does not. What will stop people in their tracks? When the world explodes because of too much global warming? This issue has gotten out of hand and it is time to end it. So, people of the world! It is your time to make a difference. Turn off the TVs, lights, and computers. Unplug the cell phones, hair dryers, and toasters. Use less electricity-sucking appliances which are heating everything up and join in the force to save the planet!

Monday, November 4, 2019

The Erosion of Language and Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Erosion of Language and Culture - Essay Example A language represents human experience and knowledge, and, as such, must be preserved. Technology, specifically the Internet and electronic communications, offers an unprecedented opportunity to reinvigorate language and culture among a whole new community, one that exists in cyberspace. Keywords: Globalization, cultures, languages, homogenization, lingua franca, English, Internet.   The Erosion of Language and Culture: The High Price of Globalization The most important cultural issue facing the world is globalization and its overwhelming impact on so much that is culturally unique and worthy of preservation. The great downside of the technological revolution that has super-connected the most distant reaches of the planet is the homogenization of disparate cultures. While the developmental and economic benefits of electronic communication technologies cannot be denied, particularly in economically disadvantaged countries, the means by which â€Å"improvement† is accomplished is also the means by which traditions are marginalized and, most significantly, by which languages are threatened. Language is the expression of a culture’s soul and the repository of its history and artistic achievement. Yet globalization and the concomitant spread of the English language have contributed to the extinction of many languages and threaten countless others. It is as if technology and finance have succeeded in accomplishing, in a relatively short span of time, what centuries of imperialism, subjugation, and criminalization of native languages could not. Language extinction is not simply a matter of natural selection, a Darwinian weeding-out of moribund tongues. â€Å"Languages change as they pass from the lips of one generation to the next, but there is nothing about this process of transmission which makes for decay or extinction† (Ostler, 2006). When English overwhelms an ancient language it is, to be sure, a matter of â€Å"survival of the fittest.â €  It is also an erosion of human knowledge, a marginalization of the expressing and sharing of human experience (Haviland, Prins, McBride & Walrath, 2009, p. 170-71). As the medium for transmitting and growing culture, language is the source of the most desperate cultural struggle against the assimilating effects of globalization. In Haviland, there are two sections that address this issue, expanding on globalization as something much more than a mindless technological phenomenon that sprang into being so that countries could do business rapidly and efficiently. In â€Å"Language and Communication† and â€Å"Global Changes and the Role of Anthropology,† language is examined as an exploitable and vulnerable precious resource (Haviland, Prins, et al, 2009, pp. 162, 316). This being so, the rise of globalization has inspired a consequent reaction in many countries. Where once languages were taken for granted, many countries now regard their native tongues as priceless assets to be protected against foreign incursion. In France, a growing concern over the purity of the French language has led the government to launch a dubious campaign to expunge English terms, such as le hamburger and e-mail (Haviland, Prins, et al, 2009, p. 170).  Ã‚  

Saturday, November 2, 2019

To What Extent Does the Principle of Good Faith Play in English Contra Research Paper

To What Extent Does the Principle of Good Faith Play in English Contract Law, and French Contract Law - Research Paper Example In this context, Collins (1994, 230) stated that â€Å"the traditional solution for international transactions invokes the choice of law rules of private international law; under these rules, now codified by the Rome Convention, the parties to a contract are free to select the governing law, and in the absence of an express choice, the default rule applies the law which is most closely connected to the transaction†. In other words, the law applicable in a specific contract is decided primarily by the parties of this contract and only in cases that no special provision exists, then this issue is resolved directly by the relevant legal provisions referring to jurisdiction in cases of international transactions. The examination of the validity and the content of a contract has been traditionally an issue of primary importance for countries of civil law. For common law countries, the above issues are also extensively examined by the courts. In this context, the study of Beatson et al., (1997, 14) showed that â€Å"once the contract passes the test of initial validity, the control of its terms on the ground of unfairness becomes problematical since it is in direct conflict with the notion of freedom of contract; nevertheless, the law has for centuries possessed tools that could be utilized in order to exercise such control, notably the doctrine of public policy and the equitable rules against penalty and forfeiture; the doctrine of good faith provides another important tool for the control of contractual terms and their application; the doctrine has long been recognized by continental law; recently it has been gradually absorbed by a number of common law jurisdictions†. In accordance with the above researcher, the doctrine of ‘good faith’ is not broadly used in common law countries but only in cases where its application is inevitable taking into account the circumstances of a specific country and the behaviour of the parties involved. As pointed out by Summers (1968, 198) ‘Without a principle of good faith, a judge might, in particular cases, be unable to do justice at all, or he might be able to do it only at the cost of fictionalizing existing legal concepts and rules, thereby snarling up the law for future cases; in begetting snarl, fiction may introduce inequity, unclarity or unpredictability; in addition, fiction can divert analytical focus or even cast aspersions on an innocent party’.   Â