Thursday, December 19, 2019

Accounting and Small Business - 1030 Words

Accounting / Small Business Accounting / Small Business The Australian economic business sector is growing at a high rate hence; some reforms are required in the applications of some of the rule to be used in the entities that are being run. This essay will discuss the entities and their applications in the IASB and FASB boards and the IFRS for SMEs in Australia. The Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB) prepared the publication in accord with the IFRS for SMEs. Consequently, recommendations on the improvement of IFRS are necessary (IFRS Foundation , 2012). The reporting entity concept brought issues since the societal sector utilizes similar accounting standards likewise to the private sector in which it has only focused on the for-profits and has thus brought a large difference in disadvantages than advantages (Berrington Bhandari, 2011, p 742). The reporting entity concept is a project summary of activities and decisions prepared by the staff of IASB and FASB in the urge of gathering information for the boards conveniences. The differential report is, however, deemed to dilute the report effect because of the need to prepare General Purpose Financial Reports. The subsequent requirement to apply full IFRIS to such reports will be deemed less effective because the proposed document provides a second tier of GPFS reporting requirements (RDR) instead of the IFRS for SMEs that was proposed under ITC 12. It elaborates why the RDR is more efficient than the IFRSShow MoreRelatedEffective Accounting Practices on Small Business1032 Words   |  5 Pages You see the world of business industry, how it operates, the way it goes, and then you would consider walking into that world. Then you took that first step inside the industry and success is what you’d see. So you would wonder how everything turned to be a big thing. Different fields show achievement, may it be a clothing line, Fast Food Chains, even online shopping is on the hit. Then you realize, they are succeeding for a reason. What reason could that be? Hardworking that goes along in followingRead MoreSecurity Threats Of Small Business Accounting902 Words   |  4 PagesSecurity Threats to Small Business Accounting Small business accounting becomes increasingly difficult for owner/operators to handle personally or delegate to untrained employees. As your business grows, accounting becomes more complex, and savvy business owners often consider hiring a professional accounting service instead of one or more employees to do the work. There are many advantages to doing so that include generating tax savings, ensuring that reports are filed correctly and on time andRead MoreSmall Business Accounting: A Dilemma During Start-Up Operations779 Words   |  4 PagesSmall Business Accounting: A Dilemma during Start-Up Operations Small businesses oftentimes want to save on cost by not hiring professional accountants when they initially start their operations. They buy the latest accounting software, with small business accounting methodologies, and do the bookkeeping themselves by keeping track of their sales and expenses. When things get complicated, where taxes need to be paid and financial reports prepared for loan purposes, only then will they realize thatRead MoreCase Study : Quickbooks Software, Company Management And Tax Preparation Solutions For Personal Finance And Small Business Accounting1365 Words   |  6 Pagesdeveloper of financial management and tax preparation solutions for personal finance and small business accounting. QuickBooks is one of the most widely-used small business accounting information systems in the world. QuickBooks accounting software lets people manage their business with little or no experience. QuickBooks is designed to facilitate financial division in creating, recording and tracking business transactional records that are necessary for producing financial statement analysis reportsRead MoreAccounting Software Bridge Gap For Small Businesses1607 Words   |  7 PagesAccounting Software Bridge Gap for Small Businesses Small Businesses face more challenges than large corporations, it is often difficult for small businesses to remain competitive in a constant changing economy. Many small businesses lack the capital, know how, and budgetary allocation that helps small businesses build and expand. Therefore, small businesses depend on accounting software to narrow the gap between large corporation and small businesses by reducing cost, boost efficiency, reduce manualRead MoreAccounting Software For A Business Essay1257 Words   |  6 PagesIndividual Assignment Name: Altaf Gohar Roll no: EAB2389 Accounting Software/Packages used in Australia Accounting  is referred as an art of collecting, classifying, and manipulating financial data for organizations and individuals.  It  is also used to determine financial stability or financial health of organizations. Accounting is the language of business and figures and is widely used as a means of communication for financial world, without it businesses cannot survive. It is important becauseRead MoreKnowledge of Accounting System as Effective Tools in the Decision-Making of Micro Enterprises1343 Words   |  5 PagesRecently, on July of year 2009, the International Accounting Standards’ Board (IASB) released the International Financial Reporting Standards for Small and Medium-Sized Entities (IFRS for SMEs) . Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) encompass 99.6% of all registered business in the country and occupy 70% of the labor force (Department of Trade and Industry [DTI], 2010). This makes them an essential unit in the economical aspect of the country. Also, according to DTI, their major role entailsRead MoreAccounting And Payroll Application Software Packages Essay1494 Words   |  6 PagesThe accounting software, is a computer software that records and processes accounting transactions within practical components such as accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll and trial balance. The software may be developed by the organization using it, may be purchased from a third party or may be a combination of both. Today’s packaged accounting software not only records financial transactions and produce accounting reports, but they include functionality for managerial decision makingRead MoreWhat Is In I.T. (Information Technology) For Me? Enrolled1084 Words   |  5 P agesmajor in accounting and a recent interest in a minor in information systems; my career plans are working with some of the systems accountants are using today. Which, consequently, could place my career in either an I.T. department for an accounting firm or I could be a private accountant. The I.T. I plan on covering in accounting is software, and the different categories and types of accounting software that accountants work on. Andy Walton, in his article â€Å"The Importance of Accounting Software†Read MoreThe Importance Of Accounting Standards For Business Affairs1049 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction IFRS is a general global financial language for business affairs that’s understandable globally and comparable across the international boundaries. IFRS initially was formed to harmonize accounting across European Union, but the value of harmonization was so overwhelming and attractive around the world that became a benchmark globally. Importance of Accounting Standards In this assignment I want to explain the importance of the Accounting standards. As the world economy is becoming integrated

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

International Human Resource Manager

Question: Discuss about the International Human Resource Manager. Answer: Project Context International Human Resource Professional Few market commentators consider the Human Resources function as being the last bureaucracy bastion. Customarily, the function of theHuman Resourceexpert within several companies has been to function like the regulating, controlling arm of executive management (Gaburro and OBoyle, 2003). Moreover, their function was more closely relate to administration and personnel tasks, which were considered by the company as paperwork. When one considers that the primary function of HR, within several corporations, arises from finance or administration department due to hiring staff members, paying staff members and handling advantages were the companys foremost HR needs (Storey, 2001). However, the role of HRM has expanded to great level and now includes different positions such as human resource manager, HR consultant, non-profit Human Resources Expert, International Human Resources Professional, Training Development Manager, Human Resources Executive, Employee Education Consultant, Executive recruiter, HR Entrepreneur and lastly, Human Resources IT Specialist. Moving ahead, I choose to become international human resource professional. The chief reason behind my decision is the growing importance of globalization and internationalization among companies. For anybody studying human resources there are a number of areas to select from with respect to career. The chief task of the international human resources professional involves recruiting applicants into worldwide positions, development and training standards across a global company, executing benefits plans as allowed by national regulations, labor relationships, staff programs and others (Winstanley and Woodall, 2000). Moreover, this HR track takes in the similar types of operations, which a state human resources expert might involve in, nevertheless with a wide range of cultures, locations and languages part of the mix. Additionally, international HR is considered as being an ideal sphere for individual who prefer travelling, speaking different languages and are skilful at involving eff ectively with different individuals who follow diverse customs (Kandol, 2006). Taking a step ahead, the duties of international human resources managers normally involve: Planning as well as directing an organizations employees for ensuring most appropriate application of employees talents Relating an organizations management with the employees Planning and overseeing staff advantage programs Serving like a consultant with other supervisors instructing them regarding human resource concerns, like equal employment opportunity as well as sexual harassment Coordinating and administering the experts task and assist Looking after an organizations recruitment, selection, interview along with hiring practices. Handling staffing concerns, like intermediating disputes as well as directing disciplinary processes. All organizations want to motivate, attract and retain competent staff members and match them with tasks they are suitable for. International human resources managers achieve this through guiding the administrative tasks of human resource division (Waters, 2001). Their task takes in administering staff relationships, regulatory compliance, along with staff-associated facilities, payroll, training, and lastly, benefits. The international human resource managers supervise the division experts and assist employees and make sure that all procedures are carried out in timely manner (Winstanley and Woodall, 2000). Further, they also consult withtop managementwith respect to the companys strategic planning. Issue The issue of cultural diversity faced by International human resource managers Background of the Issue International human resource management has gained high importance in almost every work sphere (Gaburro and OBoyle, 2003). With a large number of companies going global, the need for international human resource managers is also increasing. However, at the same time international human resource managers are faced with few challenges that need to be properly managed for ensuring effectiveness in operations (Storey, 2001). A chief issue faced by international HR managers is maintaining as well as understanding cultural diversity. Functioning with individuals belonging to different regions or from diverse cultural backdrops involves adapting the work style of the business to latest ideas, latest communicating means and unacquainted social procedures (Kandol, 2006). For instance, in case if the manager hires a staff member from England, the staff member might have diverse perceptions about the way of managing staff members or on the way how to run technology procedures grounded upon the experiences back home. Moreover, being open to latest work practices and cultural disparities is considered as being the hallmark of cultural diversity within HR (Winstanley and Woodall, 2000). Proposed Aim The chief aim of the project is to examine the issue of cultural diversity faced by International human resource managers. Research Objectives The research objectives associated with the chosen area involve: Examining the impact of cultural diversity on international human resource manager Examining the way how international human resource managers deal with the issue of cultural diversity. Literature Review All organizations want to motivate, attract and retain competent staff members and match them with tasks they are suitable for. International human resources managers achieve this through guiding the administrative tasks of human resource division (Mulholland et. al., 2005). Their task takes in administering staff relationships, regulatory compliance, along with staff-associated facilities, payroll, training, and lastly, benefits. The international human resource managers supervise the division experts and assist employees and make sure that all procedures are carried out in timely manner (Waters, 2001). Further, they also consult withtop managementwith respect to the companys strategic planning. The speedily changing business arena implies towards the fact that there are presently a number of human resource management issues that would persist to evolve for upcoming years. In such a situation it is highly believed that the HR departmentsmust add real business value to the companies (Kandol, 2006). Even though, the limitations of the downturn are not still over, corporations are identifying that they would require taking steps for retaining their workforce (Mulholland et. al., 2005). Moreover, this could be by way of an augmented focus upon engagement and training programs or through making investments in areas, which would enhance expenditure, like integrated technology systems or enhanced applicant attraction and retention schemes. Moving ahead, managing human resources across cultural and geographic limits could frequently prove to be problematic for business owners as well as managers (Thomas, 2004). However, with the prevalent application of technology, the capability of communicating with anybody around the globe and admittance to latest and diverse marketplaces, global HR concerns are vital to consider (Collings and Wood, 2009). A chief issue faced by international HR managers is maintaining as well as understanding cultural diversity. Functioning with individuals belonging to different regions or from diverse cultural backdrops involves adapting the work style of the business to latest ideas, latest communicating means and unacquainted social procedures (Mulholland et. al., 2005). For instance, in case if the manager hires a staff member from England, the staff member might have diverse perceptions about the way of managing staff members or on the way how to run technology procedures grounded upon the experiences back home. Moreover, being open to latest work practices and cultural disparities is considered as being the hallmark of cultural diversity within HR. Information Sources In order to ensure that the research topic is explored in most suitable manner and good amount of information is gathering to examine the stated research objectives information would be gathered from different secondary sources. The secondary sources involve books, online journals, articles, past research studies and others. The research would also involve primary data sources. The primary data would be collected by interviewing and surveying employees involved in international human resource management. Analysis The data and information collected through secondary and primary sources would be analysed by adopting rich data analysis technique. Timeline Timeplan helps ensure that the best results are achieved with the available time and resources (Gardiner, 2005). The research would follow a timeline and all activities would be divided according to that. References: Blaxter, L., Hughes, C. Malcolm, T. (2006). How To Research. Berkshire: Open University Press.Collings, D. G. and Wood, G. (2009). Human resource management: A critical approach. In D. G. Collings G. Wood (Eds.). Human resource management: A critical approach, London: Routledge.Gaburro, G. and OBoyle, E. (2003). Norms for Evaluating Economic Globalization. International Journal of Social Economics, 30(1/2): 95-118.Gardiner, P. D. (2005). Project Management: A Strategic Planning Approach. Free Press Kandol, A. P. (2006). Managing diversity (2nd Ed.). CIPD toolkit, London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Mulholland, G., Ozbilgin, M. F. and Worman, D. (2005). Managing diversity: linking theory and practice to business performance. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Thomas, D. A. (2004). Diversity as strategy. Harvard Business Review, 82(9): 98-108. Storey, J. (2001). Human Resource Management: A Critical Text (2nd ed.), London: Thomson Learning. Waters, M. (2001). Globalization (2nd ed.). London: Routledge. Winstanley, D. and Woodall, J. (2000). The ethical dimension of human resource management. Human Resource Management Journal, 10(2): 520.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Lost Boy Essays - English-language Films, The War At Home

Lost Boy Dave Peltzer the author of ?The Lost Boy? tells his story from the time he left his abusive mother and alcoholic father, through his experiences in five foster homes and juvenile detention, and how he eventually made it into the Air Force. He was a defiant, rebellious boy who, despite his background and personality, managed to endear himself to many guardians, social workers, and teachers. Pelzer writes in an honest, sometimes rambling, style; he is never bitter, and his story will find many sympathetic readers. The main purpose for Dave to write this book is to show at what lengths children and adolescents have gone to over come the unmentionable hardships of and abusive family. The three most valuable things I have learned from this book are very hard to choose. The book was full of many things to help me in my everyday life. Ranging from how to deal with kids who have be through abusive situations to how kids of abuse act in general. The first one has to be, Dave was very tactful in how he handled his thoughts and feelings. Many children his age are running around chasing girls and hanging with the guys. Not him he was studying hard and trying to be better than his parents were. He would always squander away what he had, so no one could take what was rightfully his and that includes his life. The second thing that was useful was how Dave was never angry with his situation he would just look at it as another challenge. Many times through out the book Dave would have to change foster homes after being fairly settled in the way of living there. Most teens his age can't handle a great deal of change but Dave would just go with the flow and never bat an eye lash. The third most valuable thing has to be his willingness to help. I would think that since no one would help him he would not help anyone else. On the contrary, Dave was always helping with chores, making dinner, and doing little extra things he didn't have to do. I later found out through reading the book that Dave's willingness to help stems from his need to feel loved and wanted. I can honestly say that I could never have gone through the painstaking trials and tribulations Dave went though while he was in his teen yes. It take a special person to do that and Dave is that special person. PARENTING TECHNIQUES Dave's mother was a very troubled woman who for some unknown reason liked to target Dave and blame him for any and all bad things that happened. His mother was and Authoritative and neglectful at the same time. Some may say how can one parent be on both extremes of things but there are a few instance with in the book which shows both. For example Dave's mother would make him do all the chores and never was aloud to play. For some reason even if Dave finished what he was told to do in the time he was told to do it he would not be fed or worse he would be part of his mother ?Games and Test?. His mothers ?Games and Tests? range from putting him in freezing cold water for 5 hours at a time to making him sit on the garage steps with his hands under his bottom head strait a head for up to 36 hours at a time no food, bathroom, shower or other needs to live. Dave was saved from this horror when he was 15 but he was in foster care and the parenting techniques ranged from authoritarian to indulgent, but anything was better than what he had endured at his mothers house. DELINQUENCY Dave in his teen years was for the most part a very well behaved boy. He was working hard in school and kept to himself for the most part. Although Dave did have a small problem he like to take things with out asking or stealing. Dave's stealing habits stem from his basic survival needs that he instinctively put up when his mother would make him go with out food, water, and basic sanitation. Dave at times would also lash out at his foster families so that they would not get to close to him. In some cases when Dave would lash out he would be put into another foster home and have

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Counseling Processes essays

Counseling Processes essays Counseling - the act or process of giving counsel - the process of assisting and guiding clients, especially by a trained person on a professional basis, to resolve personal, social, or psychological problems and difficulties - a generic term that is used to cover the several processes of interviewing, testing, guiding, advising, etc. designed to help an individual solve problems, plan for the future, etc. Process - a systematic series of actions directed to one end - a continuous action or series of changes taking place in a definite manner In counseling, there are many processes used by a counselor in his sessions with a client. These may be done in a specific order or however which way the counselor sees them to be appropriate. Listed below are the different processes that may be undertaken during a counseling session. 1. Before meeting a counselee, the counselor tries to find out as much as he can about the former. This is done so that he may discern what will help the client most. Also, he has to fathom the counselee's past so that he will know beforehand how he can help him. 2. The counselor and the counselee take some time to get to know each other. This is a process that works both ways, as does the entire counseling process upon which they are about to embark. In the process, the counselee's needs are assessed and appropriate therapy may be chosen. 3. Questionnaires or tests may be given to the counselee to prove or disprove the counselor's initial findings. It may be too early to judge the counselee right away but this may help the counselor in the totality of the sessions. 4. The counselor needs to determine, with greater accuracy, the nature of the emotion and experience that is behind the counselee's current difficulties by further detailed examination of the latter's history. Some of the issues and patterns raised in the ...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Careers in Lodging and Food and Beverage Industries Essay - 4

Careers in Lodging and Food and Beverage Industries - Essay Example Lodging is basically a form of residential accommodation where people who travel and live away from home for some times can rent to sleep and perform common household functions. Publishing (2009) states that, lodging is mainly done in hotels, private homes, hostels, tents among others. In the lodging industries there are numerous management careers which eligible employees in the sector can engage in, these careers include; general management , events coordination, housekeeping, sales management , purchasing , security management, accounting and finance among others. General management is concerned with the conduct of activities in the lodging and ensuring that everything in all areas is in accord with what is planned. The house keeping career entails maintaining order in lodging facilities and ensuring that rooms are keep tidy all the time. Housekeeping managers are charged with the responsibility of ensuring that customers are comfortable in the rooms of residence. The lodging indu stry involves a lot of money transaction between customers and the lodge management. In this regard accounting and finance mangers are required in order to supervise these money transactions. Therefore, accounting and finance career entails booking keeping, preparation and interpretation of financial statements for proper decision making. Millions of people secure job vacancies in the food and beverages industry every year (Ojugo, 2010). Management careers that may be offered in the food and beverage industry include operations management, catering, consultant, events management, human resource management, accounting and finance among others. Operations manager is required in order plan and organize the way work should be done. In fact, operation management requires individuals with credible administration skills in order to ensure that guidelines are given accordingly. Catering

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

DQ-4-Sheila Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

DQ-4-Sheila - Essay Example All these implying that organizations are to start getting ready to adopt the advanced internet applications that are expected to rise soon. Due to these many benefits, organizations incorporating this change will have to clearly choose its operational strategies on whether or not to align its internet use at both departmental levels and organizational levels aiming at yielding high production levels. Internet use at any organization ought to be decentralized. To elaborate this, we need to put into consideration on how organizations were like before the advent of internet technology. During the genesis of internet use at various organizations, almost every other employer at different departments was hardly in a position to have any of the internet related computing devices at their disposal (Bullmore & Sporns, 2012). The type of data usage was determined by the mainframes run by the organization where the center staffs were having control over the input and output at each and every step of the whole process. Upon request, the trained personnel that were able to program these mainframe machines were able to generate data along with information needed by the organization, for example in the processing of payrolls. It is essential to note that most of the staff at different departments was ignorant when it came to this new way of processing data as it was only a task left for the In formational Technology (IT) departments in the organizations. As a result, the ignorant individuals became frustrated on the usage of this new technology. Recently, internet use at organizations has been shown a decentralized trend contrary to the later where it was centralized. As internet hardware and software became more cost efficient and reliable, organizations realized the need to make this process of internet use to be of independent in nature (Petter&DeLone, 2013). The inquiry, therefore, is to whether internet use may be

Sunday, November 17, 2019

The Good of Diversity Essay Example for Free

The Good of Diversity Essay Ever you compare your culture with the other culture? There are some cultures that have a lot of similarities that make the culture hard to be differentiated. If we talk about culture, means that we talk about communities. In this world there are a lot of communities. Every community that lives in different place need to adapt with their surroundings in order to life, that adaptation process automatically makes their culture different and unique from the other communities. One member of a community maybe will not aware about that uniqueness, but when they go outside he community to the new community with different surrounding, they start to know and aware the diverse of the culture. I am one of those who experienced that kind of thing. Since I was small, I life in the middle of community that embrace a certain culture. As time goes by, I grew up and should get out of that community because the place I grew up cannot accommodate my needs anymore. And when I go outside of my community I have to meet a lot of people from different culture. Especially in Indonesia, a country with a lot of ethnic with their own uniqueness, of course it will e hard to interact with some people that have different culture in order to keep the harmonization. To keep that harmonization between people that have different culture is one of the purposes of the existence of cultural diversity as a part of learning subject in some multicultural educational institution. In this globalization era, people have to open minded to accept and respect the differences of the other people even though that people is different from us. It is because if we cannot accept and respect that every cultures are diverse, it will hard for us to continue our life. In order to fulfill our daily needs we need to interact with the other people. For example in the work place, now a days it will hard for us to find any company that embrace the monoculture in their company. So, to prepare people to face their future, cultural diversity subject is being taught in President University. After taking cultural diversity course, I become more aware about the uniqueness of some cultures that exist in the president university, learn how to act in front of diverse people and how to use that iversity for a better result when we work together. The first advantage that I get from taking cultural diversity course is I become more aware that every culture has its own uniqueness. That is right than every culture is different, but that differences is not something bad to know and learn. There are reason why that culture should be like the way it is. That is one thing that I get from culture diversity subject. If I meet with some people that have different culture, at first maybe I will feel uncomfortable when I interact with them. After I know the reason why the like that, I start to respect their culture even I also started to feel interested to learn more about the others culture. So before I know the reason why the other culture does something a bit unacceptable for me, I will not Judge it as a bad culture. The secondly, I also learn how to act in front of people that different culture with me. I know that there are some actions that I must not do in front of another people that have different culture with me because not every action can be acceptable for them. So thats why, I always be careful to choose my action and word in front of them, so I need to learn about their habit first. For example, if I speak with a Javanese, I will not speak too to the po nt. I is because it I speak too to the point and witn a loud voice, they will teel we offend them. So, I need to speak softly and with a long speech. The last advantage is I learn how to use that diversity to get a better result when I work together with some people that have different culture with me. There are always een a purpose why God make every culture different and unique. That purpose is to cover each other weakness when we work as a team, Just like a puzzle. Every piece of puzzle have its own shape that different from piece of puzzle, but if that pieces putted in the right place they will complete the picture. Just like in the society, every person come from different culture that make them have different habit and specialty. If that people find the right place and the right group, surely they will con cover each other weakness with their own uniqueness as their strength. That also means that that diversity can be used as a way to bring people from different culture together. As the conclusion, we know that every culture is different and unique. That unique will show up because the community needs to adapt with their surroundings. Then when they go outside the community, they will aware that every community has its own culture. It is also hard for the member from a certain community to keep the harmonization with the others because of those differences. That is the reason why he cultural diversity becomes one important subject to learned. By learning that subject, we also prepare ourselves to face the globalization era. I also get some advantage by learning this subject. That advantages are I become more aware and respect about the uniqueness of every cultures. I also learn abot how to act in front of a diverse group of people. The last advantage is I know that that diversity can be used to get a better result when we work together. So, by lean cultural diversity I learn how to face my future in this globalization era.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Nature, the Environment and their Uses in Art

Nature, the Environment and their Uses in Art â€Å"I name that man an artist who creates forms†¦ I call that man a craftsman who reproduces forms.† Malraux is talking about artists and craftsmen, but might as well be talking about artists and designers. The audacity of the lowly â€Å"reproducers† was penalised by the iconoclasts, and perhaps we harbour the same fundamental suspicions about designers, people paid to build and sell us dreams just as frequently as they build and sell us houses. Yet it strikes me that there are two ways of dodging the suspicions of the public- the use of the imagination, and the use of Nature. If the two can be happily married then this superior union ought to germinate a magic all its own. â€Å"Moreover, a taste, not to say a passion, for building must be engrained in the child. Mechanical toys and mechanised entertainment kill his imagination and initiative; the feat of putting building blocks on top of each other hardly taxes the brain of a monkey† So the designer presents himself as a kind of sub-originator, and defers his symbolism to the greater origin. There is an individual and a more cosmic interest at work at the same time. The artist grows like a tree, developing, spreading, the ideas rising from the mysterious soils and falling like leaves. But the broader picture, a fluxing creative rhythm bridged by moments in time, demands a grander theory of unification. Nature is as synonymous with decay as it is with growth. The ephemera of modern life is as temporary, inevitable, immediate, as nature itself. Our cities have become sort of flaking, dying, layered forests, with their own dangers and rhythms of life and death. Everywhere we find reminders of our own impact on our surroundings- it is human nature, we cant help trying to clothe our hairless bodies and modify everything around us to make our lives more comfortable. But for some this seems to be a source of almost biblical guilt, and people go to extraordinary lengths, for their own reasons, to cover their tracks and paint their human presence out of the landscape altogether. Hundertwassers house in Vienna , and his designs for the â€Å"Eye Slit house† spring immediately to mind. Are we guilty enough to try to make our impact completely invisible? There can be no contention over the point that man has a negative impact on his environment and it may be that one solution is hiding mans impact altogether, (to enfold ourselves in natures arms, camouflaging ourselves in Her) while another might be to try to disguise our impact by turning our constructions into impersonations of Her. Is this really any different to the fearful icon building of ancient times, and do the â€Å"uglier†, modernist, construction-stating buildings represent a sort of iconoclasm- a return to buildings being made for human functionality rather than as a fearful acknowledgement of natures power as a constructor? Most of the architectural structures which are intended to resemble nature draw attention to the similarities between buildings and plants. Both are subject to a functional rhythm, both have access points, layers, a projectile dynamic- in other words, a sense of growth and promise. Yet plants are transcient, not concrete: they grow and bloom and fade and die, like people. They nourish and protect and reproduce and crumble away. The contrast with sturdy, permanent building materials used for, say, gothic cathedrals, Romanesque churches, the Eden Project, the Golden Gate Bridge, presents a sense of wonder and beauty in itself. Because plants are not like buildings. Buildings are sturdy and static and monumental. It is a fantastic thing to see a grand self-generating plant-beast made of concrete, it is alien and dreamlike and mesmerising but it is all these things because it is impossible. It enchants us because its beauty comes from a faraway, magical land, not from a world we know ab out but from one we would like to know- one in our dreams. Designs based on nature not only solve our problems, sate our yearnings and answer our questions, they also create new problems, new yearnings, and new questions. 1) Ecology since the 17th Century: historical relationships with Nature In the preface to â€Å"The Origins of form in Art†, Herbert Read references Henri Focillon, who suggested that life itself is a creator of forms, that theres no real distinction between art and life: â€Å"Life is form, and form is the modality of life. The relationships that bind forms together in nature cannot be pure chance, and what we call â€Å"Natural Life† is in effect a relationship between forms, so inexorable that without it this natural life could not exist. So it is with art†¦constitute an order for, and metaphor of, the entire universe.† Nature is uncontrollable and unpredictable- it is an ancient metaphor for uncontrollable intervention and for everything we cant accurately forecast. There is even an ancient Japanese treatise on archery which details the way in which the hardest part of the entire sport is waiting for the natural release of the string- a moment of serenity and detachment; total absence of striving. The flow of inspiration to the artist is analogous to this although it is unclear whether the creators inspiration rises from this or rises like it. Theorists have long been aware of this ambiguity and have thematised it themselves. Michael Fried interprets the woods, rocks and glens in Courbets paintings as faces or symbols or metaphors. Christopher Wood finds terrifying anthropomorphised trees looming over the subjects of Altdorfers exquisite scenes. The point is that those people who look at art, who are also interested in using it as an expression of themselves, consistently seek reflection in the pools provided by nature, natural imagery provides the perfect apparatus, somehow, for the admirer of human creativity to integrate the object into their own field of experience. When Paul Klee wrote that â€Å"The creation of a work of art is compared to the growth of a tree- its roots in the earth, crown in the air.† he is presenting an image of flow, as if an artist stands near the tree to allow the sap to rush in. This flow, though, occurs without conscious effort and the artist, crucially, experiences a transformation. â€Å" The idea that art is not a mirrored reflection of a given reality, but also a transformation of one element (which has its roots underground, in the unconscious) into another (made conscious in time and space). The artist is merely a channel whose function it is to transmit the forces of nature into forms of art.† Vivantes assessment that â€Å"art, far from being non-conscious, is a conquest of consciousness† is revealing, but wisely countered by Read, â€Å"Admittedly, the artists themselves may not always know when they are merely exploiting the unconscious, rather than â€Å"letting loose the riot of tender shoots†Ã¢â‚¬  As nature and art are so closely related, almost counter intuitively, so words and nature and words and art, are sometimes indistinguishable. All are concerned with abstraction, with roots, with origins, â€Å"we establish†¦our sense of reality by creating, for each experience, a clear and appropriate symbol- vocal sounds which were eventually stabilized as words. Every words was once an original work of art.† Whenever anything becomes too prevalent, too integrated into our consumer vocabulary, we scarcely notice it anymore and it loses its impact. In becoming part of our environment, ourselves, the clichà © ceases to become something desirous to us. Designed solutions respond to an expression of specific desire or need, and so become a meta expression of the same need. While design solutions sate specific hungers, art is an expression, and not even necessarily a resolution of, thematic desires. Poetry and the visual arts dance around the clichà © while occasionally retaining originality (Poussins Dance to the Music of Time is a delightfully literal example of this)- art finds a janus-faced simultaneity, a place for both the clichà © of nature and the pure artistic drive of â€Å"artisticness†. Design, however, is trapped in the problem solving one-dimensional rationality of the prevailing zeitgeist. Perhaps nature is a way of side-stepping the clichà ©, but it can also present itself, maddeningly indistinguishably, as the alluring siren. Maybe there is a link between the mechanised production of imagery and forms and the predominance of natural imagery in the products and lifestyles consumed by people nowadays. There could well be a relationship, yet unexplored, between the unnatural production of natural images and the homogeneity of the images themselves. If the origins are authentic and essential then we should expect products to be more persuasive, more reflective of their origins, more transparent. Mechanisation has allowed for imagery to â€Å"ride the zeitgeist† and generate a new kind of language of â€Å"natural† iconography- perhaps where once there was religious iconography. In Poussins Dance to the Music of Time we find Arcadia, the natural utopia, being equated to male/female synthesis, and then, on another level, the gender synthesis standing for a synthesis of heaven and earth in the familiar conceit of rhythm. In Peter Blakes extraordinary work, The Arcadian Cipher pentagram shapes are located everywhere as a kind of unification symbol: Blake is anxious to synthesise traditionally opposing forces, and make sense of illogical harmonies through the imposition (or uncovering, in his terms) of this particular hypograph. His choice of symbol is less important than his- and other academic semiosticians impulse towards holism. I have already suggested that artists are involved in a janus headed effort: always trying to channel pure nature and represent her in a familiar language- to experience and the represent the clichà © at once. Blakes assessment of the Dance describes the duplicity: â€Å"For where the other two pentagrams represent the Jesus figure and Pan, this definitely connects them with a female element. Through it we are able to establish a male/female partnership both in heaven and on Earth and between heaven and Earth, and it is one which symbolises the poles upon which the Earth spins. The painting depicts Hermes playing his lyre – music was his method of communication between two worlds- and a group of earthly figures dancing to his celestial tune. On the left hand side of the work is a column on which is mounted a carving†¦of two heads facing away from each other.† Theory of this sort, while certainly in constant danger of toppling into quasi-science, superbly exemplifies the inextricability of Nature and Geometry. Theories of Arcadia are saturated with geometric semiotics; art writers constantly trace and re-trace paintings, covering them in layers and layers of â€Å"mathematical† justification. Whether any of these theories have any real use or even make any sense outside of their own self-imposed rules is not my point. I am interested in the relationship between the powers of nature and the powers of men, the irresistible urge to explain the mysteries of nature, her circadian rhythms, her life giving and life stealing properties, her silent chthonic swell and the threat and awe experienced by the bewildered humans that observe her. As one of the most evocative and symbolically potent plants on the planet, the cactus has played many roles in South American tradition and folklore. As with any hostile climate, indigenous species that seem to offer solace will inevitably acquire mystical significance as the protection they offer is associated with promise. To the parched population of parched landscapes, cacti are life-giving, life-saving, surprising, mysterious, frightening- divine. Cacti started off on American continents, and are still most associated with these places- but they have experienced a massive geographical distribution over the centuries, and cacti have been able to instigate habitats around the world. One rumour says that Christopher Columbus was the first person to have taken the first cactus to Europe, presenting this peculiar plant to Queen Isabella of Spain, however this is of course apocryphal. During their explorations on the American continents, the Spanish Conquistadors found, among many other things, these strange vision inducing plants that were utilised ceremonially by the natives as a religious sacrament and was revered as virtual gods. The native South American name for their spineless dense-shaped cactus (Lophophora Williamsii) was peyoti. It is a plant native to Mexican and south west US with button like tubercles which may be eaten fresh or dried as a narcotic. Initially, Cacti (peyoti) were employed for healing purposes, for attempting to divine the future and for generating hallucinogenic visions during scared rites. Although these hallucinations often appear to be compared to LSD trips, the peyote â€Å"acid† is 4000 times less potent, only briefly affecting the chemical balance and activity of the brain. The Spanish chronicler, Fray Bernardino de Sahagun, claimed that natives used a certain plant to induce hallucinatory state and estimated that peyote was widely used at least 1890 years before the arrival of Europeans. The earliest European record dates from around 1635 with the first column of Historia de las Indias Occidentales by Gonzalo Hernandez de Oviedo y Valdes appeared with illustrations of what we would now classify as Cereus and Opuntia. In 1886 that the German pharmacologist, Louis Lewin, published the first systematic study of the cactus, to which his own name was subsequently given- Anhalonium lewinii. The cactus was already well known and loved by primitive religions and the Indians of Mexico and the American Southwest. One of the early Spanish visitors to the New World wrote, they eat a root which they call peyote, and which they venerate as though it were a deity. It became clear why this plant was venerated as a god, when such eminent psychologists as Jaensch, Havelock Ellis and Weir Mitchell began their experiments with mescalin, the active principle of peyote. Mescalin research has continued, and now chemists have not only isolated the alkaloid; they have learned how to synthesize it, so that the supply no longer depends on the sparse and infrequent crop of desert cacti. Neurologists and physiologists have spent years investigating the mechanism of mescalins action upon the central nervous system, and at everyone from philosophers to writers- notably Aldous Huxley- have taken mescalin in the hope that this mystical cactus extract may shed some light on such ancient, unsolved riddles as the place of mind in nature and the relationship between brain and consciousness. It is surely no coincidence that the peyote cactus, so ubiquitous, so loved and feared, is also identified as the solution to ancient problems of human displacement. We identify with the cactus perhaps. It projects intelligently, like an alien from the sand, while we wonder how we are supposed to best relate to our surroundings. When we look at the cactus we see ourselves done better. If anything on the planet holds the key to mans reconciliation with his estranged mother nature, it is surely the cactus. It is too alien to be part of our problem, we reason, so it must be part of the solution. 2) Taoism and Nature â€Å"Humans model themselves on earth, Earth on heaven, Heaven on the Way, And the way on that which is naturally so.† Lao Tse Daodejing (Tao te ching) #251 This simple but sententious dictum was delivered by an Chinese ancient sage, Lao Tse, the founder of Taoism. The saying suggests a means of building a harmonious relationship between beings and nature. Taoist ideas about conservation and ecology, with nature as the inspiration and conclusion to all things, reflect and resemble new philosophies of industrial design, to some extent. Alongside Buddhism and Confucianism, Taoism is one of the three great religions of China. It can be roughly translated into English as â€Å"path†, or â€Å"the way†- that is, the way of correspondence between man and nature, and the way that is a kind of path of nature the course of natural world. The term Tao describes a power that envelops and flows through all things, both living and nonliving. As such, it serves to regulate natural processes and encourage a cosmic balance of all things in the Universe. Tao suggests that the answers to lifes problems can be found through inner meditation and outer observation. Taoist ideas and images may have nurtured or inspired a love of nature in the Chinese, so that they have traditional felt a need to protect it, and have had many ways of cultivating an affinity with it. The Chinese have always seen nature as a companion, a place of security and support to which they could retreat from the cares of the world to rest or heal themselves. Nature, through Tao, is also sincerely life-affirming. Nature can be unfathomably brutal and Tao constantly reminds that the external world is explicitly on-ideal: in fact, according to Tao, the ideal world can only be found through a spiritual path. The only thing that might compromise ones eternal happiness, in Tao as in Buddhism, was a state of mind, an attitude. Both Tao and Nature are associated with a non-materialistic attitude to life, a spiritual approach to living which many perceive as a possible answer to the social issues of today: the problems of sustaining a unified and healthy social order. Taoists believe their religion holds the answers, as it advises its followers to emulate nature, with its simplicity and relaxed, non-intellectual approach to life. Tao seems to suggest that many of the environmental problems of today have arisen from a materialistic human attitude that has overwhelmed mans spiritual relationship with his natural environment. Rather than coexisting with our living space, people have begun challenging it, and it has even become a respectable achievement to be seen to â€Å"conquer† nature. An estimated 42 million acres of tropical rainforest are destroyed annually, an area the size of Washington State. Around 50,000 species of plants and animals are condemned to extinction every year, an average of about 140 species a day. There are more people than ever, and these people routinely pillage resources, destroy or change natural processes arbitrarily and are support the production of thousands of products that lead towards the destructive path of the environment – contradicting the Taoist path. Increasingly materialist in their lifestyles, most people believe that only matter exists, leaving no room for spiritual beliefs. Our quest for pleasure corresponds to a demand placed on the Earth for immediate gain. The visible world takes precedence over any spiritual or psychological activities and ultimately a form of materialism becomes the only truth and belief. Natures force is unknowable in its essence but observable in its manifestations. With the crisis of energy a nd resources, the crisis of ecology and environment, the crisis of belief and mortality we experience force in the form of natures lamenting reactions. We believe in the formless and eternal Tao, and we recognize all personified deities as being mere human constructs. We reject hatred, intolerance, and unnecessary violence, and embrace harmony, love and learning, as we are taught by Nature. We place our trust and our lives in the Tao, which we may live in peace and balance with the Universe, both in this mortal life and beyond. Creed of the Western Reform Taoist Congregation The recent revival of instinctive desires preserve the health of our planets life without compromising human comfort is the task of ecological attitudes in art and design. Those ecological design solutions that take on board Taoist philosophies link nature, culture, and technology to resituate social human requirements in an environment where the balance of nature receives precedence. Artists and designers must of course work within the constraints imposed by their clients, including the practical and material demands made by every stage of production. Classical Taoist philosophy, formulated in part by Laozi (the Old Master, 5th century B.C.), in part by the editor of the Daodejing (Classic of the Way and its Power), and in part by Zhuangzi (3rd century B.C.), represented a reinterpretation and development of an ancient nameless tradition of nature worship and divination. Laozi and Zhuangzi, living at a time of social disorder and great religious skepticism developed the notion of the Dao (Tao way, or path) as the origin of all creation and the force unknowable in its essence but observable in its manifestation that underlies the mechanisms of the natural world. These men saw in Dao, Nature, and in Nature, Dao. In both these Ways lay the secret to harmonious living. According to these early teachers, the order and harmony of nature was a model for human structures, so much more stable and enduring than either the power of the state or the civilized institutions constructed by human learning. The early Taoists taught the art of li ving and surviving by conforming with the natural way of things; they called their approach to action wuwei (wu-wei lit. no-action), action modelled on nature. As one writer explains, â€Å"Their sages were wise, but not in the way the Confucian teacher was wise, learned and a moral paragon. Zhuangzis sages were often artisans, butchers or woodcarvers. The lowly artisans understood the secret of art and the art of living. To be skillful and creative, they had to have inner spiritual concentration and put aside concern with externals, such as monetary rewards, fame, and praise. Art, like life, followed the creative path of nature, not the values of human society.† Chinese history is dense with stories of people who have grown tired of the pretensions and desperation of social activism increasingly aware of the fragility of human achievements, and whose response has been to retire from the world and turn to nature. Such people have traditionally retreated to a countryside or mountain setting to commune with natural beauty, often composing poetry about nature , or painting interpretations of the scenes surrounding them, as they attempted to capture the creative forces at the heart of Natures vitality. Such people might share their excursions with friends or family, drinking a bite of wine, enjoying the autumn leaves or the evening skies. The literature of Chinese utopians often had a Taoist slant: Tao Qians famous Peach Blossom Spring told of a fisherman who happened across an idyllic Chinese community who had fled a war-torn land centuries earlier, and lived in perfect simplicity and harmony ever since, blissfully oblivious to the turmoil of history beyond their idyll. While the inhabitants urged him to stay, the fisherman departed and shared his discovery with a local official. However hard he tried, he never found a path back to the grove. The fisherman never found a route back because he had failed to understand that he had discovered an abstracted, ideal, world – and one which was to be found not via an external path, but a spiritual one. The utopia was a state of mind, a unique attitude. Laozi and Zhuangzi had reinterpreted nature worship and belief in esoteric â€Å"magical† arts as something both more abstract and more tangible, but the ancient methods and beliefs crept back into the tradition as ways of using knowledge of the Dao to enhance and prolong life. Despite its pragmatism, for some Taoism would always go hand in hand with magical belief. Some Taoists poured their energies into a search for isles of the immortals, or for herbs that could unlock the secrets of immortal life. Many Taoists were interested in health and carried out many studies of herbal medicine and pharmacology, in fact entailing significant advancements in these arts. Taoists even worked out the principles of macrobiotic cooking and other supposedly new and healthy diets. Sensitive to natural processes, they recorded gymnastic mechanisms and studied the effects of massage on keeping the body strong and youthful. Taoists were, then, both magicians and of proto-scientists: they represented the sector of Chinese culture that most closely studied and communed with nature. Some Taoists held that nature was filled with spirits however, theosophically, such spirits were simply many manifestations of the one Dao, something impossible to represent as a single image or in one discreet form. â€Å"The Tao of Heaven operates mysteriously and secretly ; it has no fixed shape; it follows no definite rules; it is so great that you can never come to the end of it, it is so deep that you can never fathom it.† The Huai Nau Tzu The central theme of Taoism is a relationship, and as such contradicts the general western attitude to nature. Nature should not be considered as something passive, awaiting mans masterful control, but as an equal or even superior partner be mastered in a relationship. The aim of the Taiost is to rediscover and eventually merge with the ordered origin of the universe and the only way to do so is the Tao – the path shown to us by nature. Early Taoist philosophers set out from their civilised worlds to take expeditions into the natural world, where they hoped to learn from primitive people living in remote mountain villages. Initially they aimed to introduce the benefits of human civilization to the mysteriously rhythmed order of nature. According to the Tao, nature is â€Å"infinitely wise, infinitely complex, and infinitely irrational. One must take a yielding stance and abandon all intellectual preconceptions. The goal is wu wei, doing nothing contrary to nature. Nature does not need to be perfected or improved. It is we who need to change; we need to come into accord.† Contrary to one possible interpretation of Yin/Yang, Taoists rejected all dichotomies, including the fundamental existence/non existence one, since it is their belief that both stem from the same source, â€Å"Athe deep and the profound. Rather, Taoisms goal is to use consciousness of duality and wisdom about it to reach the stage before any dualities existed. There is only one path to this source, then – the observation of nature. As one writer explains, â€Å"The Tao is a divine chaos, not a random accident. It is fertile, undifferentiated, and teeming with unrealized creation. It is the mother of everything in nature; it is a great darkness that operates spontaneously to give birth and life to all things.† 3) Ecological thinking in contemporary art and design Are we really moving towards a common lexicon of human creation and natural creation? Alan Power cites Steiners â€Å"startling prediction†, â€Å" Buildings will begin to speak. They will speak a language of which people have as yet not even an inkling,† Yet I wonder how startling this really is. Buildings are indeed more â€Å"scientific†, more complex with less obvious evidence of human intervention. Many buildings nowadays appear to have been designed and built by aliens, no longer made to be lived in but impenetrable to our rational human minds. Again, they resemble complex organisms in their initially baffling structure, their illogical shapes and apparent preference of shape and form to practicality. But they are still made by humans, albeit humans employing a dozen layers of technology to translate abstract geometry into audaciously confusing formulae. They are still constructed by and for humans to use, and to that extent are utterly comprehensible, at least to the humans that use them. Where there is room for gratuitous aesthetic treatment in a design, designers, consciously or not, grasp the zeitgeist, construct from fashionable and available materials, and exploit their artistic freedom as far as their unconscious n otions of the â€Å"aesthetic† will allow them to. These notions, I am attempting to argue, are controlled by biologically ingrained forms of the organic. It doesnt matter if a building is technically accomplished to exhibit skeletal forms, as with the giant domes of the Eden Complex in Cornwall, the Brooklyn Bridge in New York and the Mildred Cooper chapel in Arkansas or swollen like the pregnant belly of the Guggenheim, NY . Nature can be found in all design, both rational and irrational, and the more we try to escape it, to avoid mimicking it, the more we are forced to study its base rules, its gravity and its ebb and flow, the tensile strength of its spider-webs, the effects of its uncontrollable eruptions and tidal waves and tornados. Nature is absolutely full of potential metaphors for ways in which we can improve our lives. Today, apple peels are being used by scientists at the University of Clemson as a metaphor for edible packages disolvable pouches like boil in the bags that add protein to a macaroni and cheese dinner, or packages that act as a booster for laundry detergent. Theres certainly a human instinct to perceive products inspired in obvious ways by nature, as being somehow â€Å"good† for us, or â€Å"good† in a moral sense. Of course, human instincts are not to be trusted blindly, and it doesnt follow that because a kind of packaging is inspired by an apple core it is environmentally friendly, inspirational, beautiful, or better for us or the world. But I suppose it has a slightly higher chance of being one or more of these things, our instincts are not too wide of the mark and do control the things we want to buy and sell. A study entitled â€Å"Trees in Small City Business Districts: Comparing Responses of Residents Potential Visitors† begins, â€Å"This study tested whether public response to trees in the downtown business districts of smaller cities is comparable. Research methods included interviews and mail-out surveys. Survey respondents prefer having large trees in retail streetscapes. Trees are also associated with reported increases in patronage behavior (such as travel distance and visit frequency), and willingness to pay more for products. Few differences in response were detected between small city residents and potential visitors who reside in large cities.† What is it about natural organisms that make us want to part with our money? Marketing strategies state such things as fact, using careful example to â€Å"prove† what we â€Å"intuitively† want to believe is true that â€Å"good product and package designers have known for centuries- that the best inspiration for new products comes from nature. The camera mimics the human eye. Helicopters, like hummingbirds, can hover and fly backwards. Velcro brand fasteners were inspired by prickily burrs attached to a Scottish inventors boot.† They get away with this because nature is, and has always been, such an alien force to us humans, as we have seen. Like an alien from another planets, we hope it will be benevolent and, through its own irrepressible character, its mysterious and enviable immortality, hold the secrets to our own improved lifestyles and lifespans. Of course our relationship with nature has changed slightly as we have changed, as a race, but our view of H er remains essentially the same as ever. We still need to imitate and control what we see outside us, in the hope that we can sypher off a little of the magic and mystery for ourselves. In the developed world these harmless, yet irrepressible rhythms are increasingly invisible. It is possible to spend months in a city dwelling, never seeing a dead animal, a nesting bird, a tree in blossom. Nature has become more promising, more mysterious, more magical, and more frightening through its real invisibility, but nature is not wilfully elusive or coy, this is an invisibility we that have imposed. Inevitably, the packages and products that are environmentally superior that are kind to nature also resemble it: they might be inherently efficient, easily recycable, and often they use recycled materials made from renewable resources. One organisation creating such products, back in their 1990s heyday, was â€Å"Zerosm†, and they identified several techniques fo

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

“The Boogeyman” – Stephen King (1978)

Summary: Lester Billings, the father of three children is talking to a shrink. He seems mentally disturbed. His first two children died of mysteriously courses, but both of the children had cried boogeyman right before their death. After Lester had his third son, one night the son screams and Lester sees that a boogeyman is killing his son, but Lester doesn’t help his son, instead he runs away and when he returns his son is dead. When Lester Billings leaves his shrink, he sees that the shrink is actually the boogeyman. Their marriage: Lester and Rita Billings' marriage has probably never been characterized by equality. He is the kind of man who believes that women's station in life is to follow their husbands. (page 5. ) When Rita denies that she has taught Denny the word â€Å"Boogeyman†, he calls her a liar and feels like â€Å"slapping her around. † This certainly indicates the opposite to a marriage based on mutual confidence, love, and support. Lester does not have very much respect for Rita. I think he has married her out of necessity. Now he tries to imagine that their marriage is happy, perfect and like his mother wanted it to be. Lester actually thinks that Rita is a jellyfish. I think he sees every woman as jellyfish -something, which is inferior. He has to control Rita: â€Å"She still wanted to do what I told her. That’s the wife’s place, right? This women’s lib makes people sick. The most important thing in life for a person is to know his place. † Page 5. Time Seen in a perspective of time the majority the American population regarded pregnancy before marriage as a grave matter. The marriage between Lester Billings and his wife does not seem to be the happy ending of some love story. They were both very young, and the reason why they got married was the unexpected pregnancy, LB left college to get a job and support the little family. The marriage was, somewhat, a solution to the situation at the time, a solution to keep an acceptable position in society. Lester billings Charact. : He is against women’s liberation, which takes place at the time. He wants to appear powerful and to possess the leading role of his marriage The way in which he has been raised has probably inspired him to develop this attitude. One attitude caused by the mother is the one towards his children concerning where they are to sleep. Billings believes that his mother has been too over-protective with him, and this has had a negative influence on him. He mentions the episode from the beach. Lester Billings does not really take notice of the rest of society. He does not choose a position in the matter of the Vietnam War or the black Americans' civil rights movement. He and Rita isolate themselves in the little family. He thinks highly of himself. He believes that his decisions and methods are the right ones because he is the man of the family. Lester Billings is not a soft family man. In the beginning of the story he claims that children tie a man down. He is not very gentle towards his first son Denny. He hits him if he does not stop crying. He says that it is actually impossible to remember your kids when they are lost at a young age because you have not come to feel very attached to them yet. This is an enormously cynical idea in my opinion. Dr. Harper: The psychiatrist is portrayed as a passive spectator. He only replies to Billings' story with a few comments. However, he makes Billings talk and perhaps he realises something from this monologue. The ending could symbolise the victory of anxiety, fear that he maybe have realized what he was afraid of realizing. Interpretation: I think the ending is a simple clue to the reader that suppressed anxieties and frustrations create these hidden boogeymen that are able to scare ourselves as well as others. They take many shapes and perhaps everybody has got one. Perhaps the doctor simply wears the mask of the boogeyman in the end, as a representative of LB's personal internal conflict. The boogeyman lives in our subconscious mind, it lives in children’s minds- in their fantasy. Small children are the most sensitive about fear. They need their parents’ protection and you cannot get too overprotective to children at that age. Lester cannot realise this. That is why he has to pay with the most precious in life- his own children and finally his own life. â€Å"I started to think, maybe all the monsters we were scared of then we were kids, Frankenstein and Wolfman and mummy, maybe they were real. Real enough to kill kids that were supposed to have fallen into gravel pits and drowned in lakes or were just never found. Maybe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The Boogeyman represents many things, such as, anger, fear and paranoia. You think that it is only children who are afraid of â€Å"boogeymen†, but in this story we see that also adults get afraid and paranoid and believe that there is something in the closet, under the bed, down in the basement etc. It is fear of the unknown and the superstitions, which every human being has thought about, but some gets very paranoid and they think something is out to get them. I think King’s stories also appeal to the female readers and not just to men. I think that women would understand the stories just like men. But it is right to say that King uses Women like subordinate parts in his stories and it is mostly men who has the leading parts. The boogeyman represents Lester’s fear of being the father who gives his children a bad upbringing. I do believe that Billings has killed his children himself. Some of his statements indicate this. â€Å"Christ, kids drive you crazy sometimes. You could kill them. † (Page 4) The frustrations from his own childhood may have affected him so deeply that he kills his children.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Term Paper For Computer Shop

INTRODUCTIONAs the popularity of internet continues to grow at an exponential rate, easy and affordable access is quickly becoming a necessity of life. Public wants access to the methods of communication and volumes of information now available on the internet, and access at a cost they can afford and in such a way that they are not socially, economically, and politically isolated. Computer shop business is one of the most in demand businesses here in Rizal. Nowadays, internet cafes are really in demand because of the fast changing technology that the people embraced, just like here in the Philippines.Most of students and professionals and students depend on the internet for research and projects, social networking sites and others. Some have their own laptops and bring it to coffee shops so that they could relax and at the same time prepare their assignments and paper works, and also, the number one reasons for computer shop for being in demand nowadays is the network and on-line ga mes where many people specially students were inclined. And for that, there is a stiff competition in the said business. For you to have edge over the other shops there are some key factors you need to consider; first is the stability and reliability of your connections/network and innovativeness of your shop.These studies discuss necessary things you need; standards you need to follow to attain that connection/network reliability and stability. And also these studies discuss common problems and solutions encountered by shop owners, problems that happen because of the ignorance for networking standards and malpractice in structured cabling.STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMJDB Computer Shop encountered different problems on their daily operations, problems from their connections, hardware and software issues and the convenience of their customers. Listed below are the following problems that need to be resolved. 1. How will JDB Computer Shop attains reliability and stability of their network and internet connections? 2. How will the establishment resolve those connection lag that leads to disconnection? 3. How will the establishment resolve hardware and software issues? 4. How will JDB Computer Shop maximize their space without compromising the convenience of their customers?SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDYInvesting in a computer shop business is a risk but analyzing and studying your business will lead you nowhere but to success, and this study will show the economical, technological and educational significance of that.ECONOMICAL SIGNIFICANCEInitial investment for a computer shop is very expensive; you need huge amount of capital depending on the size of your shop. Computers and software took most of the capital, followed by network infrastructure. Using the proper equipment’s, cables, network devices, computer hardware and software, and following the standards in structured cabling will give additional costs. Initially it will cost you more –compare to not fol lowing those things; but in the long run you will benefit from it; economically speaking; because following standards will never go wrong. Example; according to network standards; network infrastructure life-span is upwards of 16 years; using generic type cables, low-end computer units and software tends to break every now and then; but using proper materials and devices will save you a lot from those repairs and maintenance.EDUCATIONAL SIGNIFICANCEThis study will be very beneficial educationally because it discuss common computer shop problems, discuss solutions to those problems and discuss specific standards regarding computer networking which will benefit those people who wants to establish this kind of business ventures. And also this study will serve as a guide for students that will conduct the same study like this.TECHNOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCEIn technical side of this study; the study show different approach on how to give solutions for some technical problems regarding compute r networking and structured cabling. It also features some latest technological innovation when it comes to information technology which will be significant for JDB computer shop owner and also the users.SCOPE AND DELIMITATIONSCOPEThe scope of this study is listed below:1. Structured cabling of the existing network setup. 2. Hardware and Software upgrade for workstations and server. 3. Physical arrangement of workstations.DELIMITATIONThe study does not the cover following: 1. Reconstructions of the existing location. 2. Additional Units.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Free Essays on The Meaning Of Life

how do you "translate" what life is? "Translation" means to explain in simple terms. What is it supposed to be about? There are different answers for different people at different times in their lives. A person's lifetime is filled with self-examination. Why am I here? What am I doing? Is this as good as it gets? You have a beginning. You're in the middle, and your story hasn't ended yet. If one would recognize the greatest things we have in life, they would not be asking this question. These great things are faith, hope, and love. Faith is the one that can keep one from asking questions. If God wanted us to know something, then we would know it. In most religions, Christian ones in particular, the question of meaning in life is inextricably wrapped up in a relationship with God. Living in, for, with, and through him. Therefore, how one answers the meaning of life question bears directly the existence of God. Soren Kierkegaard said to be the "father" of existentialism maintains that there are three basic answers to the question of the meaning of life. He called these "stages" of life, because he believed that people "progressed" from one stage to the next. Whether or not that is true, there do seem to be at least three fundamental outlooks on life. One is a life devoted to pleasure. This value perspective can be shown by a person whose only concern is for what they are doing now. They would rather gain from pleasures in life without any regards to how they might affect their future. Another stage is those choosing ethical and moral paths. People who are honest and loyal demonstrate this in their everyday lives. Finally, there is a live religiously. This has been the popular way of life for many of us. It is going to church and... Free Essays on The Meaning Of Life Free Essays on The Meaning Of Life The Meaning of life What is the meaning of life. The meaning of our lives, the purpose, and the dreams both dashed and realized, and the expectations forced upon us by others. In other words how do you "translate" what life is? "Translation" means to explain in simple terms. What is it supposed to be about? There are different answers for different people at different times in their lives. A person's lifetime is filled with self-examination. Why am I here? What am I doing? Is this as good as it gets? You have a beginning. You're in the middle, and your story hasn't ended yet. If one would recognize the greatest things we have in life, they would not be asking this question. These great things are faith, hope, and love. Faith is the one that can keep one from asking questions. If God wanted us to know something, then we would know it. In most religions, Christian ones in particular, the question of meaning in life is inextricably wrapped up in a relationship with God. Living in, for, with, and through him. Therefore, how one answers the meaning of life question bears directly the existence of God. Soren Kierkegaard said to be the "father" of existentialism maintains that there are three basic answers to the question of the meaning of life. He called these "stages" of life, because he believed that people "progressed" from one stage to the next. Whether or not that is true, there do seem to be at least three fundamental outlooks on life. One is a life devoted to pleasure. This value perspective can be shown by a person whose only concern is for what they are doing now. They would rather gain from pleasures in life without any regards to how they might affect their future. Another stage is those choosing ethical and moral paths. People who are honest and loyal demonstrate this in their everyday lives. Finally, there is a live religiously. This has been the popular way of life for many of us. It is going to church and...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Reflective Management Journal Nursing Essay

Reflective Management Journal Nursing Essay Effective Management in Health Industry Nursing Essay Effective Management in Health Industry Nursing Essay The aim of this reflective management journal is to critically analyze the incident, which occurred in my clinical practice where I work as a senior nurse in a team of staff nurses. Using Gibb’s (1988) model, the emerged feelings, thoughts and corresponding themes connected with the incident will be identified, and finally, possible solutions will be generated. It is an undoubtable fact that emotions can demonstrate what a person really thinks and what attitudes he/she holds. Therefore, by utilizing the aforementioned reflective model, my intention is to become more self-aware and reflective. In addition, critical thinking is supposed to improve personal strengths and success and that of my followers. As Horton-Deutsch (2013) states, â€Å"it is important to be aware of one’s thinking in order to understand oneself, and to make informed and logical decisions when working with others. In turn, attending to the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of others facilitates prog ress toward achieving professional and organizational goals.† After generating possible solutions, the most appropriate one will be discussed and selected. Considering a conflict as an opportunity to discover new sides of personalities and foster change for the better, it will be wise to reveal my particular goal, which is to improve communication and enhance collaboration between all the team members as well as promote their personal and professional growth. REFLECTIVE MANAGEMENT JOURNAL Consequently, reflective judgment and elaborated analysis of the conflict will establish constructive relationships among all the participants. Moreover, the conflicts constantly arise in the working process; they result from various types of contradictions that ultimately lead to the corresponding change and evolvement. The task of an efficient leader is to productively manage any type of conflict and turn it into a constructive experience and motivator of progress due to the reflective practice. In this study, by utilizing Covey’s (1990) theory, an attempt to solve an interpersonal issue that occurred in the respective team of nurses will be made. Moreover, the negative experience will be turned into a development means of both the followers and me personally. Journal of the incident (15 May, 2015) To start the management journal, it is reasonable to state the factual information concerning the incident, which happened at the workplace and which presents a specific interest as it is related to my goal to improve the teamwork. Further, the thoughts and feelings provoked by the conflict will be reflected; this stage corresponds to Description, Feelings, Evaluation, and Analysis phases in Gibb’s reflective model (Gibbs 1988). The incident happened between a middle-aged experienced nurse (she is one of the staff nurses, though not a senior one) and a young nurse who had just started her practice. The older woman provoked a conflict and expressed her irritation at the younger one in a rude manner. Moreover, she shouted at the young colleague in front of the patients and other workers who were present in the department. When the crying nurse informed about the incident, it raised a range of strong emotions. It is necessary to state that first I felt annoyed, desperate and even furious. Furthermore, I had fear because despite the fact that I was a senior worker in the team, this nurse was older and more experienced. Consequently, this difference in age produced additional complications. First I decided that it was better not to initiate any conversation with her, since it was her usual behavior and the staff seemed to accept her as she was. Analysis of Journal Continuing analysis, the following themes may be distinguished: issues in the interpersonal relationships within the team, bullying the young personnel, negative emotions and stress at the workplace, and heightened level of anxiety in young nurses due to unhelpful behaviors of their seniors. Moreover, I noticed the problem in this experienced nurse’s motivation: regardless of her age, she was a staff nurse without any senior responsibilities. The next step was to discuss the emerged situation with witnesses, both medical workers and patients. In such a way, it was possible to gather enough data in order to create a vivid picture of what had occurred. After analyzing all the circumstances, the conclusion was made that it was vital to engage in problem-solving with the nurse who demonstrated unhelpful behavior. It was important to determine and identify the specific problem (or problems) together as well as generate its possible solutions and choose the most appropriate one. It seemed that it was the most constructive way of dealing with the conflict. Reflection and Linking to Theory To make a reasonable and evidence-based decision, I collected relevant information first via observations, reports presented by others in the clinical unit, and communicating with the nurse herself. Having obtained the objective judgment, I noted all the circumstances and made an attempt to create a vivid and true picture of the emerged situation. From the personal observations, combined with reasonable arguments, logical inferences and conclusions, it was possible to get sufficient evidence for the further decision-making process. Thus, it appeared that this nurse’s disruptive behavior was noticed repeatedly in her practice. Moreover, her unhelpful behaviors were directed not only at the younger nurses but also at the patients. Consequently, this issue raised the severity in the clinical environment. It is also reflected in the research as a looming problem of practice settings in regard to the concepts of nurses â€Å"eating their young† (Hamric et al 2014) or â€Å" incivility† in nursing (Clark Olender 2011). Taking into account Covey’s (1990) imperative to â€Å"be proactive†, my decision was not to ignore the unpleasant situation, but to deal with thoroughly and productively with the problem. In order to act promptly and produce an anticipated reaction to a stimulus seems ineffective and simplistic. According to the typical behavioristic formula â€Å"Stimulus – Reaction† (described by famous psychologists like Thorndike and Skinner), the mode of behavior is neither productive in the human relationships and performance nor in all humans (Hjelle Ziegler 1992). As Frankl (2006) described in his famous book, a person in any circumstances has still the choice to rise over them and choose own reaction and attitude. Then, having made a decision, one becomes responsible for his choice and life in general. Moreover, neither external circumstances, nor subconscious instincts and any other mechanisms are able to determine his behaviors and thoughts. It is important to become conscious and self-aware as well as to choose one’s own way (Frankl 2006). To be a proactive person, I decided that the solution of this issue was within my circle of influence (Covey 1990). I felt my responsibility for the outcome of this conflict, since it happened within my team. Therefore, simple reactive behavior was not appropriate and contradicted my values connected with the features of an effective leader. I agree with Covey (2006) that the eternal values and principles must be of the first priority, such as â€Å"trust, fairness, service, courage, humility, integrity, human dignity, contribution, growth and empowerment† (Covey 2006, cited in Govier Nash 2009, p. 24). It was decided to act in accordance with the afore-mentioned values. Moreover, I decided to make them apparent to the nurse so that she could acquire these values in her own attitudes, behaviors, and interpersonal relationships. Regardless of the grave nature of the incident and my ardent initial emotional reaction, I managed to control and avoid the feelings so that they do not prevent constructive solution to the conflict. Taking Covey’s (1990) Habit 2 â€Å"End in mind† as a guide while taking a decision how to deal with the nurse, I had a clear target, which was to achieve positive outcomes for all the participants and the whole organization. In other words, it was urgent to promote personal development, transformation, and maturation of the nurse as well as ultimately improve the efficiency of the whole team. To use conflict as a means of development is another important idea revealed in the respective research (Govier Nash 2009). In this regard, it was impossible to suppress any emotions. Being determined to become a transformational leader (the concept of transformational leadership will be discussed later in the paper), I must learn to deal with any type of complexities, evolve stronge r and more accomplished from adversities, as well as inspire my followers to accept negative incidents as opportunities to grow (Bass Steidlmeier 1999; Oliver 2006; Givens 2008; Brown Mitchell 2009; Frankel 2009; Hamric et al. 2014). In this concern, I made a decision to utilize the ideas of the strength-based approach in order to engage the nurse in a more productive and solution-oriented dialogue (Gallagher 2007). Moreover, the position of mutual respect and endeavoring to make a person feel comfortable while communicating with me are in compliance with my personal philosophy of interpersonal relationships. Therefore, in order achieve the goal of engaging the nurse into the discussion and make her feel safe, open, and ready to solve the general issue for the common positive outcomes, I started from expressing some neutral observations. Applying the so-called â€Å"Neutral Zone† at the beginning of any dialogue allows one â€Å"to remove the threat stimulus†, and â€Å"an innate survival instinct† of an individual does not switch on and does not induce him/her get defensive (Gallagher 2007). Consequently, in order to solve the raised conflict between the nurses, I decided to analyze the situation with objectivity and justice as well as listen to the both parties carefully. It is considered that such leadership style promotes justice and equality in the work setting and is close to the notion of â€Å"action learning, which is about reflection and experiential learning. It is a balance of support and challenge.† (Govier Nash 2009, p. 23). During the process of decision-making, I also tried to account for the peculiarities of her personality. As Covey (1990) states, within the personal Production Capability paradigm, it is necessary to enhance all the four personality domains: physical, mental, social / emotional, and spiritual. Discussing various sides of her life, I aimed at realizing her motives, attitudes, feelings, and values; her general set of beliefs and meanings that influence her choices in everyday performance and interactions. While following such a plan, I considered the 5th habit by Covey (1990) and tried to listen attentively to the nurse’s arguments as well as demonstrate empathy. In other words, my approach in communication with her was first to understand and then seek to be understood (Covey 1990). It frequently occurs that angry behaviors and reactions do not necessarily result from the associated conflicting type of the personality. Within the framework of emotional intelligence, it is vital to become aware of own thinking processes and feelings. McQueen (2003) states that emotional intelligence, which includes interpersonal and intrapersonal skills or the skills of social analysis are part of the nursing work. On the one hand, the nurses must be able to interpret and understand feelings, motives, and concerns of the patients. Additionally, McQueen (2003) asserts that negotiating skills, high performance in human interactions and relationships are required for excellent teamwork of the nurs es. Therefore, we discussed different aspects of her life and her relationships with the family members. I consider that my initial approach of focusing on strengths (Gallagher 2007) allowed me to create a positive cooperative attitude of the nurse. She was ready to share her troubles with me because she realized that our common goal was to assist her in the difficulties she faced. In turn, analyzing her reports, I realized that the nurse had considerable problems with her interpersonal communication and decided to make a plan for her improvement in this sphere. The necessity to enhance her both interpersonal and emotional intelligence (McQueen 2003) was evident. Thus, in various spheres of communication (except for colleagues, also family and friends) she demonstrated emotional immaturity, incapacity to control her initial inadequate reactions, lack of the ability to understand and co-operate with people. In addition, a low level of intrapersonal intelligence did not allow her to recognize and judge own feelings, be aware of her own self. As McQueen states, â€Å"an accurate picture of one’s self . . . [is necessary] to operate successfully in life† (p. 102). Finally, I was able to arrive at such conclusions on the basis of the objective observations, her reports and those presented by other people in the clinical unit. Consequently, it was possible to make reasonable decision grounded on the substantial evidence. Finally, we tried to create a mutually beneficial solution to the problematic situation, bearing in mind Covey’s (1990) win-win dimension. The nurse agreed that behaving polite and civil with others, she can gain positive personal outcomes. First, she will attain respect from the team members. Moreover, it will bring positive emotions at the workplace and promote the feeling of job satisfaction. In addition, she will be able to get the opportunities for her professional realization by teaching younger nurses and mentoring them. In particular, it is hard to overstate the role of mentorship for the young personnel. Many researchers stated its importance in their studies (Oliver 2006; Frankel 2009; Clark Olender 2011; O’Grady 2011; Hamric et al. 2014; Linette Sherman 2014). Consequently, we included the development of the mentoring characteristic of the APN leadership competency into our common plan. Specifically, these elements included shared vision, serving as a mentor, willingness to share the power, empowering self and others, and self-reflection (Hamric et al. 2014, p. 278). The final unit of the plan comprised two more objectives, namely time and stress management. The respective reason was that the nurse acknowledged that she often felt annoyed and desperate due to the enormous workloads combined with insufficient time for its completion. From my side, job satisfaction of my followers is my major purpose since it can promote their effective performance at work. The current research has shown the interrelation of high performance, job satisfaction of subordinates and ethical, transformational leadership style (Bass Steidlmeier 1999; Brown Mitchell 2010). In order to achieve a shared goal, a good leader must be able to â€Å"to explore personal and team motives/beliefs in accomplishing a change or perceived vision of successâ€Å"(Oliver 2006, p. 39). Having chosen the leadership concepts and styles mentioned above as a guide in my professional evolvement, my principal target is to support reflection in my followers, inspire confidence in them, and their desire to become more professionally accomplished. In such a way, as a senior nurse, I will be able to achieve high outcomes for our clinical unit. The current research has defined the concept of leadership as a â€Å"multifaceted process of identifying a goal or target, motivating other people to act, and providing support and motivation to achieve mutually negotiated goals† (Porter-O’Grady 2003, cited in Frankel 2009). In fact, scientists in leadership domain present a large number of theories, including: great man, trait, contingency, engaging, transactional and transformational leadership theories (Bass Steidlmeier 1999; Govier Nash 2009). In accordance with my inclinations and principles, transformational (which is also inspirational and ethical) framework seems to be the most appropriate foundation for creating my own authentic leadership style. Considering its four key components, being idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration (Bass Steidlmeier 1999), transformational style grounds have a great impact on the leader’s ability to motiva te the follower to accomplish more than what he planned to accomplish. Charismatic transformational leader achieves high personal and organizational outcomes because he/she succeeds in making the followers’ and the organization’s values become congruent (Givens 2008). The most important concept of the transformational leadership deals with the morality and ethical beliefs ruling leader’s behavior (Brown Mitchell 2010). Bass Steidlmeier (1999) assert that only a leader with morally uplifting values can be considered transforming and influence his/her followers’ high standards of moral ideals. Brown Mitchell (2010) add that people are likely to conform to the ethical values of their leaders and follow his/her role models. Moreover, ethical leaders are perceived as approachable as well as ready to deal with the individuals’ problems and concerns. Moreover, the followers tend to reciprocate with beneficial work behavior when they feel beneficial attitude of their leader (Brown Mitchel 2010). I consider that completely supporting the view of the ethical transformational leader, it is critical to navigate through the conflicts and adversities with absolute norms and principles in mind, which are called â€Å"a compass† by Covey (2009) (cited in Govier Nash 2009). The only directing force that controls one’s decisions, attitudes at work and any interpersonal relationships must be morality and justice. Finally, to be able to navigate the change in a dynamic world, a nurse has to be ready to constantly transform and be open to the new experience. Moreover, these qualities enable one’s creativity and innovation in the organizations. Combining personal integrity and eternal values as well as distinct and unambiguous understanding of the health care system standards, it is possible to lead constructive change in the health care environment. Finally, the capacity for innovation is perhaps the most vital in today’s changing world. As stated in the report by the Institute of Medicine, â€Å"Creating innovative care models in the patient’s setting and throughout the healthcare community is an essential requisite of contemporary practice.† (O’Grady, 2011, p. 35) In case with this unhelpful nurse, prone to conflict with patients and younger colleagues, one of the ways to deal with her disruptive behavior was just to apply some type of disciplinary punishment. However, I consider that such motivation is ineffective as well as causes additional stress and negative factors in practice. In addition, it is my task to mitigate stress of the staff nurses at the clinical setting because a true leader should â€Å"role model professionalism and utilize effective communication skills† (Clark Olender 2011, p. 325). Extrinsic motivation, which is more the characteristic of transactional leadership, cannot fully involve the individual and force him/her to develop, improve, and achieve the higher goals. Amabile (1997) asserts that motivation can be of two cardinally different types, namely intrinsic and extrinsic. The first one is more efficient since it implies a person’s â€Å"deep interest and involvement in the work†, as well as à ¢â‚¬Å"curiosity, enjoyment, or a personal sense of challenge† (Amabile 1997, p. 44). In contrast, extrinsic motivation is associated with the goals, which are not connected with the work itself, for example, achieving reward or avoiding a punishment. It is clear that only task intrinsic motivation and precise goal-setting can inspire a person to grow. For this reason, I have chosen these concepts in my own performance as a leader. In particular, together with my nurse, we created a concrete plan how to achieve better results for her personal good and more effective communication with the team members. According to Albert Bandura’s social-cognitive theory (Hjelle Ziegler 1992), goal-setting is valuable due to its ability to promote self-efficacy and resilience at the workplace. Distinct goals help envision the picture of a desired result and identify the next actions. On the contrary, the absence of distinguished aims makes a person spend all energy in his attempts to focus the attention. Therefore, goal-setting can increase motivation, concentrate attention a nd efforts by creating the images of desired proficiency outcomes in the mind of a person. Consequently, one spends all energy and efforts only on fulfilling the exact plan, which consists of the set goals. To summarize, I utilized the reflective management journal for the development of my reflection and critical thinking skills. Reflective models used in the health care research, following Gibb’s (1988) model, present a helpful set to manage complexities at the clinical practice since they promote understanding and unbiased perception of the problem’s components. It appeared that Covey’s theory is effective in producing the most appropriate decisions and productive solutions. In my practice, I aim at acquiring all the essential characteristics of an authentic transformational leader, with the goals of bringing success to my organization, team, and its every member. My values and principles are in accordance with the absolute moral foundations, the most important value being a human, his personal well-being and multi-faceted development.