Biology questions with citations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Biology questions with citations - Essay Example ed causing nutritional deficiencies; secondly, cystic fibrosis may cause a form of intestinal blockage known as meconium ileus in babies born with the disease (Genetics Home Reference); thirdly, thick mucous may block the bile ducts in the liver causing swelling, inflammation and eventually, cirrhosis; and lastly, the thick secretions may block the gall bladder. These digestive problems may also cause a variety of nutritional problems including anemia, rickets, bleeding disorders and even diabetes (Cedars-Sinai). The reproductive system is also not spared from the deadly effects of cystic fibrosis. In men, the mucous blocks the vas deferens, or the tubes that carry sperm (Genetics Home Reference), thus causing sterility in about 95% of the men (Cedars-Sinai). An endoscope is an optical instrument with a camera at the end and is inserted into the urethra, mouth, anus or a surgical cut in order to get a closer look at the internal organs such as the throat, esophagus, lungs, bladder, ovaries, or colon (MedlinePlus). Metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors that are believed to increase one’s chances of having a heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Besides abdominal fat, four other problems associated with metabolic syndrome include damage to the lining of the coronary artery and other arteries, thus greatly increasing the risk of heart disease of stroke; an increased incidence of blood clot formation causing arterial blockage and eventually causing heart attacks and strokes; changes in the efficiency of the kidney in removing salt, causing high blood pressure; and a reduction in the production of insulin, thus signaling the start of type 2 diabetes (Cleveland Clinic). Besides abdominal fat, two other factors believed to increase the risk of metabolic syndrome, according to the WHO, include high insulin levels, which refer to elevated post meal glucose or elevated fasting blood glucose (Medicine.net); and HDL level of less than 40 mg/dl for men or below 50

The History of the Blue Hen Chicken Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The History of the Blue Hen Chicken - Essay Example Ben Botkin (1938) stated, every group bound together or by common interests and purposes, whether educated or uneducated, rural or urban, possesses a body of traditions which may be called its folklore. Into these traditions enter many elements, individuals, popular, and even â€Å"literary,† but all are absorbed and assimilated through repetition and variation into a pattern which has value and continuity for the group as a whole. (New York Folklore Society, 2009) Knowledge, information, inspirations and traditions are transferred to people through sharing and informal exchange of ideas and stories. Folklores symbolize the identity and meaning of a certain culture and the past exchange of such information. Delmarva has got rich culture and past giving rise to numerous folklores and legends. Delmarva is a large peninsula located on the East Coast of United States of America. It is occupied by Delaware and portions of Virginia and Maryland. Delaware is divided into three counties; New Castle in north, Sussex in south and Kent in center of Delaware. General Assembly of Delaware officially adopted â€Å"Blue Hen Chicken† as state bird on 14th April 1939.Historical events of Delaware are associated with blue hen chicken during Revolutionary War which gave them an edge over other esthetically beautiful birds, for example, scarlet Cardinal. Before its adoption as state bird, it was unofficially used as a symbol in campaigning for political reasons. Now, the University of Delaware mascot is modeled after this bird and also recognized as YoUDee. The state bird, Blue hen, is a breed of rooster with blue feathers. However, only about half of the chickens have blue feathers, others may have black or white. It is a local and not very recognized breed as it goes back to the pioneers of Delaware. University of Delaware arranges organized breeding for them and has for its mascot the Fighting Blue Hens (Howard, 2007). In some cases, it is

What Is Beauty Essay Example for Free

What Is Beauty Essay She is so beautiful, the girl said as she gazed in awe- and with a slight trace of jealousy- at the woman walking down the street. Beautiful. What does it mean? Is beauty a synonym for pretty or does it connote something else entirely? Who defines what is beautiful? The definition of beauty has been contended with for centuries and across many continents. Many have concluded that, Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Although this saying does contain truth, the definition of beauty is more specifically influenced by history, by cultural norms, and by universal standards. Each classification has contributed to the overall definition of beauty. The definition of beauty has been manipulated by history within many different countries. This definition has evolved over time. During the European Renaissance between the 14th and 17th centuries, certain traits such as high foreheads, voluptuous figures, and pale skin were considered beautiful (Sherrow). These traits were considered high class and characteristics of royalty. Mary Queen of Scots doesnt look beautiful to us Beaky nose, beady eyes, small, pursed mouth. Yet in many letter and accounts of the time, she was described as the most beautiful princess in Europe, with glowing details of her amber-colored hair, milky white complexion and so on (Shulman) In distinct contrast to the descriptions defining beauty during the European Renaissance, modern day culture in America dictates beauty defined through slender bodies (Burnell and Gold), tan skin (Donohoe), and youthfulness (Newman). The definition of beauty has continuously developed, and has been directed by evolving history. Beauty during the European Renaissance is a far from the way beauty is defined today. As times change, so does the definition of beauty. Not only has the definition of beauty been persuaded by evolved history, history has influenced the development of modern beauty practices that contribute to the description of beauty. Beauty products and practices have always been used; they have simply progressed in order to fulfill current standards of beauty. The article in Elle Magazine discusses LOreals new book series, which accounts the history of many beauty products and practices. One beauty product that has been developed through the guidance of history, and has influenced the definition of beauty, is foundation. Foundation has been used for centuries. In 200 B. C. Greek and Roman women would apply a powdered white lead to their skin. Although this lead makeup was toxic, it was commonly used until the 1800s. During the Elizabethan-era (1558-1603), women used a cosmetic known as ceruse (composed of white lead and vinegar) to create the ideal of creamy-white looking skin. From the 1920s to the present, foundation has evolved. By 2010, makeup was often enhanced with sunscreen protection and proteins. (Long) For a long period of time, pale looking skin was considered beautiful. As modern society began to recognize the deadly toxins in the lead used in the makeup to achieve this look, new forms of foundation were developed. As history progressed, and society became more aware of health concerns, the definition of beauty was influenced as well. Another example of a beauty practice been influenced by history is hair-dye. The Greco- Roman women first introduced hair-dye in 100 B. C. They would bleach their hair using carbonized beechwood and goat fat. Women with darker hair would use fermented wine to hide their gray hairs. During the 1500s, a strawberry shade known as Venetian blonde was popular in Renaissance Italy. This color was prepared by combining twigs, barley, licorice bark and lemons. In 1909, Eugene Schueller, the founder of LOreal, produced the first commercial synthetic hair dye. This presented a more easily accessible and practical way to dye hair. (Long) History influenced the development of modern beauty practices. As changing historical times influenced the definition of beauty, products and practices that form beauty further developed to resolve modern ideals. The definition of beauty is also influenced by the current events of that specific era. To begin with, historical events influenced the definition of beauty. Depending on what was occurring at that particular point in history influenced the way women interpreted beauty, and functionally described beauty. For instance, during the Colonial Period late 16th century, many Europeans settled in America. When arriving in colonial America, European settlers changed their mode of appearance due to the new way of life. To be specific, many men and women stopped wearing wigs and certain cosmetics that symbolized the despised British Monarchy. The settlers dressed in simpler styles of hair and clothing that reflected the changing attitudes towards a more democratic society (and less class-conscious based). These clothing also enabled them to work more easily. (Sherrow) As times changed, the practical (and sometimes political) definition of beauty was influenced by the events of that time period. Another point in history that had a tremendous influence on the definition of beauty was the 1920s to the early 1930s in Harlem, NY. The Harlem Renaissance celebrated African American beauty in comparison to the constricted European standards. During this movement in the 1920s, black authors praised the African American beauty by comparing their skin colors to cinnamon, honey, ginger and other appealing things (Sherrow). The Black Pride of the 1960s reinforced these ideals in contrast to European ideals that segregated beauty from others cultures. Sherrow) This time period introduced the beauty of other ethnicities and influenced society by widening the definition of beauty. The history of the fashion industry also influences the definition of beauty. Throughout the decades, the fashion industry has had a strong opinion that has impacted societies definition of beauty. As the outlook of the fashion industry transforms, the attitude of society fluctuates as well. To illustrate, Marilyn Monroe famously became the sex symbol of the 1950s. She was a singer, model and dancer who epitomized the definition of beauty at the time (Sherrow). It is amusing that if Marilyn Monroe would walk into Weight Watchers today, no one would bat an eye- theyd sign her up (Newman). During this period in time, an hourglass figure was admired. Later, the 1990s ushered in a whole new beauty aesthetic. Kate Moss was a rule breaking waif and the face of a new age of fashion(Shulman). She was famous for her size zero- an influence to the rest of society. This contrasted to the 1980s when supermodels like Naomi Campbell had the bodies and polished stance that had been so fashionable (Shulman). The change in fashion forcefully influenced the definition of beauty. Each decade had been assigned a unique personality by the fashion world. The standards the fashion world set throughout history have had a tremendous influence on the definition of beauty. In addition to history, another classification that plays an immense role in defining beauty is cultural norms. What is considered beautiful is partly unique to specific cultures. On the reality TV show, The Price of Beauty, Jessica Simpson travels to different countries around the globe to investigate the definition of beauty defined by each culture (Albers). In these cultures there are specific standards of beauty. While in Paris, France, she spoke to women struggling with anorexia. She also interviewed women within the fashion industry about the pressures to maintain a thin silhouette (Albers). The culture pressure in Paris, one of the worldwide capitals of fashion, is one that influences beauty to be defined and dictated by the fashion community. On the other hand, while traveling in Uganda, Simpson noticed that women face a complete opposite issue. In Uganda, not only is a fuller figure more beautiful, it is a symbol of status and a source of pride for men(Albers). Before women get married there are sent to the fattening hut where they are required to consume large quantitates of food in order to gain a sufficient amount of weight. The bride they interviewed drank several jugs of milk (around 5,000 calories) a day, which led who to gain 80 pounds over the course of a couple months. (Albers) The juxtaposition between the culture in France and the culture in Uganda serves as clear evidence that cultural standards have a significant impact on the definition of beauty. What is categorized as beautiful is also defined through specific practices within individual culture. For instance, the Surma and Mursi women of Ethiopia wear large lip plates in order to stretch out their lips (Saad). The size of the plates indicates levels of status. Another example is the Kareni and Padaung women of Myanmar who use metal rings to elongate their neck and raise their chin. The elongated neck resulting of this practice is viewed as the ideal beauty. (Saad) While each one of these practices would be considered foreign and outlandish to many societies, they are a precise definition of what is considered beautiful in these unique cultures. Cultural practices clearly contribute to the overall definition of beauty. Furthermore, within a specific culture, there are distinctive descriptions of beauty. The fashion industry and the media promote very definite standards of beauty. For me, beauty demands a kind of originality that makes you stop and look again. Francis Bacon, the 16th century philosopher, put it this way: There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion. (Shulman) This quote describes the basic philosophy of the high fashion industry. The fashion industry does not define beauty through proportional, standard features- this world is interested in different, exotic and unique features that stand out. Along with the trends in the fashion industry, the media also tends to promote a specific definition of beauty. The media tends to focus on defining beauty as thin and fat free, leading to many problems revolving around negative body image. The National Eating Disorders Association states that 81% of 10-yr-olds are afraid of being fat (Brunell and Gold). The fashion industry and the media represent one portion of a culture. They are businesses and industries that dictate very specific opinions that will benefit their purpose. In comparison to the fashion industry and media, the definition of beauty amongst the average population within America differs. Contrary to the fashion worlds opinion, the average American public has an entirely different approach to beauty. Judith Langlois, professor of psychology at the University of Texas composed a study to determine facial attractiveness. College students rated a collection of photographs of faces that would be used in this study as attractive or unattractive. The factor that determined attractiveness was the symmetry and proportions of the face. The more average and positional the facial features were, the more attractive the photo was rated. (Newman) In comparison to the criteria of beauty in the high fashion industry, this is completely hypocritical. Within the population of a culture, the definition of beauty may vary. Similarly, the image the media projects are not considered beautiful across the board. The average American women is 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 140 pounds, according to the National eating Disorders Association. That adds to a body mass index (BMI), the standard measurement of doctors and nutritionists or assessing healthy body size, of approximately 24 when calculated using CDC standards. A normal BMI falls between 18. 5 and 24. 9, according to the CDC. (Brunell and Gold) At 5 foot 4 inches, weighing 140 pounds, many women would consider themselves beautiful. Compared to Angelina Jolie- the epitome what the media presents as beautiful- these numbers are very high. She measures at 5 feet inches tall and weighs approximately 105 pounds: Jolies BMI would be at about 16, and she would be considered underweight. Michael Cunningham, a professor and psychologist at the University of Louisville comments: Now the average voluptuous five-foot-four women may feel inadequate, especially when she compares herself to the celebrities on screen and in beauty magazines. (Brunell and Gold) What is considered average, and no less beautiful, in one part of Americas culture is vastly incongruent with another percentage of the society. Not only is the definition of beauty influenced by history, and by cultural norms, it is also influenced by universal standards. One of the universal standards is the biological influence that serves as contribution to the definition of beauty. To be specific, in all cultures, symmetric faces are interpreted as more beautiful than asymmetric faces. You can visit the Bedouins in the Middle East, the Yanomamo in the Amazon, and the Inuits in the Canadian north, and the will all agree who is beautiful based on facial features(Saad). In Langlois study, she tested babies by showing them the photos selected by college students, and then timed how long the baby would gaze at each picture. At the end of the study, she concluded that the baby was more likely to stare longer at the attractive people in the photos. What is attractive? It is a symmetrical face. People with symmetrical and averaged proportions are more pleasant to look at (Newman). Gad Saad, an evolutionary behavioral scientist, explains that due to the insufficient cognitive development of the baby, and therefore the inability to be socially influenced, this reaction is biologically programmed. People are universally, biologically inclined towards symmetrical faces. Don Symons, an anthropologist at University of California at Santa Barbara concurs: Beauty is not whimsical. Beauty has meaning. Beauty is functional. He argues that beauty is not only in the eyes of the beholder, but also in the brain circuitry of the beholder. (Newman) The definition of beauty is universally distinguished through biological instinct. Studies by psychologists Victor Johnson of New Mexico State University, and David Perrett of St. Andrews University in Scotland, show that men consistently show preference for women with larger eyes, fuller lips and a smaller nose and chin. Symons explains that all these traits symbolize youth, fertility and good health. (Newman) This form of beauty is universal due to the biological implications. Across the globe, men will biologically gravitate towards specific traits that symbolize the ability to reproduce. Beauty is health. Its a buildboard saying: I am healthy and I can pass on your genes, a psychologist says (Newman). Although biology is not everything, it does play a significant role in determining what is categorized as universally beautiful. There are also non-physical definitions of beauty that are universal throughout. The emphasis on specific forms of beauty transcends acquiring a certain look. Cleise Gomes is a native of Brazil and founder and owner of Cleise Brazilian Day Spa in Chicago. Gomes remarks, In Brazil our concept of beauty is relative to the whole body and mind. There need to be a balance. We all see people who are striking on the outside, but as they reveal themselves, our perception changes. In the long run, the inner beauty wins out since outer beauty will fade. (Brunell and Gold) Jaclyn Siegel, a girl who struggles with body image agrees: Beauty is not a surface thing. Its not physical. It is definitely more inside than out. A beautiful person is someone who is caring, kind, thinks of others and has a positive outlook on life (Brunell and Gold). Through her individual struggle with body image, and her road to recovery from bulimia, she was able to come to the conclusion that beauty is more than skin deep. Personality traits affect the way one is perceived. A perfect physiognomy can be ugly if a person exhibits arrogance Conversely, physically unattractive individuals with warm and outgoing personalities can appear beautiful (Donohoe). Gomes and Seigel both describe the importance of this form of beauty. Just as the definition of beauty is influenced by universal standards, the quest to obtain beauty is universal. The amount of money spent on beauty, beauty products and more serves as indisputable proof that the pursuit to attain beauty is universal. In the United States last year, people spent six billion on fragrances and another six billion on make-up. Hair and skin-care products drew eight million dollars each, which fingernail items alone accounted for a billion. In the mania to loose weight 20 billion was spent on diet products and services- in addition to the billions that were spent on health clubs and plastic surgery. (Newman) Around the globe, a tremendous amount of time and money is spent to achieve the desired form of beauty. Throughout the world, women search to obtain beauty. Depending on the specific culture, there might be a different focus of what is considered worthy of achieving, but the quest to obtain that beauty is universal. A world famous plastic surgeon, Dr. Ivo Pitanguy says that in Brazil, women get liposuction at 18 and breast reduction at 16-22 years old. Brazilian women prefer smaller breasts and bigger derrieres, whereas in America a breast augmentation in more common (Newman). Though the specific standard of what is considered beautiful is different between the two countries, the demand to attain the desired beauty is universal. Not only will people around the world do almost anything to obtain beauty, the cost of obtaining beauty globally has gone far beyond financial concerns. One specific example is the rise in eating disorders worldwide. Because societies around the world today, mostly influenced by the media and the fashion industry, have promoted thin as beautiful, many women feel a pressure reach a certain number on the scale in order to be classified as beautiful. In Japan anorexia was first documented in the 1960s. It now affects an estimated one in one hundred Japanese women and has spread to parts of Asia including Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong. In the U. S. , according to Menniger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas, the proportion of females affected by eating disorders is around 5 to 10 percent. (Newman) People will harm their bodies and themselves i n order to achieve the ideal form of beauty. Another example of the acts that are committed to obtain beauty is the use of hazardous beauty products. The search for beauty could be deadly. Vermilion rouge used in the 18th century was made of a sulfur and mercury compound. Men and women used at the peril of lost teeth and inflamed gums. They sickened, sometimes died, from the lead in the white powder they dusted on their faces. In the 19th century women wore whalebone and steel corsets that made it difficult to breathe, a precursor of the stomach-smooshing Playtex Living Girdle. (Newman) Throughout history, people took part in beauty practices that would cause disease, illness and suffering in order to conform to a desired fashion of beauty. Throughout history, and across the world, there is an intense desire to be beautiful. The ultimate description of beauty is highly intricate and immensely complicated to describe. This definition has been in the making for hundreds of years and is influenced by history, by cultural norms and by universal standards that each has a unique affect on the definition. One person, one thing, or one place does not define beauty. As she watched the women disappear around the corner, she realized that she too was beautiful.

Essay --

Steven Nosti Mrs. Manatos English III 14 January 2013 â€Å"Macbeth: Issues of Masculinity† Throughout the play Macbeth the male characters are constantly told to â€Å"act like a man† or â€Å"feel it as a man.† It seems as if, through this play, Shakespeare is trying to convey a central message of how men should act. So therefore the question is, â€Å"How is the idea of manhood developed throughout the play Macbeth and what does Shakespeare think being a man means?† In the play Macbeth, Shakespeare’s interesting definition of manhood and the evolution of it can be seen in how Malcolm, a young boy, is told to mature and grow up to be a noble king, in how the Macbeth is told by his wife to â€Å"be a man† and kill Duncan, and lastly in how Macduff, the man of his household, has to revenge his slaughtered family in order to have peace. To start off with, Malcolm, who is young boy, is faced with the death of his father and being called a traitor of the realm. First, imagine how Malcolm feels. He knows that someone has killed his father, and that there is nothing in this world that could bring his father back to him. Also Malcolm is not stupid, he knows that the person who killed his father is mostly likely going to try and kill him next. Next, imagine how Malcolm feels having to run from the country which he has called home since he was a babe—the country that was supposed to be his when he grew up. Now in this moment Malcolm has to make a choice. â€Å"Will I weep over my father’s death or will I rise up, be a man, and take back the throne?† Luckily for Malcolm the choice was easy, considering he had a wise man like Macduff on his side. As known to all who have read Macbeth, Malcolm chooses to be man and take back his father’s kingdom. However, he still ha... ...t best thing is to avenge his slaughtered family. This is the final quality that a man must possess according to Shakespeare. In the play Macbeth, Shakespeare’s interesting definition of manhood and the evolution of it can be seen in how Malcolm, a young boy, is told to mature and grow up to be a noble king, in how the Macbeth is told by his wife to â€Å"be a man† and kill Duncan, and lastly in how Macduff, the man of his household, has to revenge his slaughtered family in order to have peace. Therefore, putting these together one can understand what it truly means to be a man. To be a man one must take the steps from boyhood to manhood. Once he is a man, he has to be tough and unbending. He must stick to his word—even if it’s something tough to do. And lastly, a man must protect his family—and if he cannot he must avenge them. That is the true meaning of being a man.

Employee Engagement Essay

They are more profitable, more customer-focused, safer, and more likely to withstand temptations to leave the organization. In the best organizations, employee engagement transcends a human resources initiative — it is the way they do business. Employee engagement is a strategic approach supported by tactics for driving improvement and organizational change. The best performing companies know that developing an employee engagement strategy and linking it to the achievement of corporate goals will help them win in the marketplace. Unleashing the Potential for Growth World-Class Average 33% 67% Engaged 49% Not Engaged Actively Disengaged 26% 7% 18% 9. 57:1 1. 83:1 Ratio of Engaged to Actively Disengaged What’s Your Engagement Ratio? Gallup’s engagement ratio is a macro-level indicator of an organization’s health that allows executives to track the proportion of engaged to actively disengaged employees. The average working population ratio of engaged to actively disengaged employees is near 2:1. Actively disengaged employees erode an organization’s bottom line, while breaking the spirits of colleagues in the process. Within the U. S. workforce, Gallup estimates this cost to the bottom line to be more than $300 billion in lost productivity alone. In stark contrast, world-class organizations that have built a sustainable model using Gallup’s approach have an engagement ratio of more than 9:1. As organizations move toward this benchmark, they greatly reduce the negative effect of actively disengaged employees while unleashing the organization’s potential for rapid growth. Copyright  © 2008, 2010 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 1 Gallup’s Research-Based Approach Gallup’s employee engagement work is based on more than 30 years of in-depth research involving more than 17 million employees. This research has appeared in many business and scientific publications, including the Journal of Applied Psychology and the Harvard Business Review and in our bestselling books First, Break All the Rules and the sequel 12: The Elements of Great Managing. 12 Elements of Engagement Gallup has developed and identified 12 core elements that link powerfully to critical business outcomes. These 12 statements emerged from Gallup’s pioneering research as those that best predict employee and workgroup performance. The 12 Elements of Great Managing I know what is expected of me at work. I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right. At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day. In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work. My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person. There is someone at work who encourages my development. At work, my opinions seem to count. The mission or purpose of my organization makes me feel my job is important. My associates or fellow employees are committed to doing quality work. I have a best friend at work. In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress. This last year, I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow. Copyright  © 1993-1998 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.. 2 Copyright  © 2008, 2010 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. Adding Elements In addition to the 12 elements, Gallup recommends adding questions that address your company’s unique culture or address business issues facing your organization. Gallup’s expansive item bank includes key indices to help organizations measure their strength in areas such as innovation, change management, customer orientation, leadership, and inclusiveness. Gallup’s latest meta-analysis (an analysis of data from more than 152 organizations) shows dramatic differences between top- and bottom-quartile workgroups on key business outcomes. It is through this meta-analysis that Gallup continues to validate the 12 elements. Beyond the dramatic difference engaged workgroups show in productivity, profitability, safety incidents, and absenteeism versus disengaged workgroups, Gallup has proven that companies with world-class engagement have 3. 9 times the EPS growth rate compared with organizations with lower engagement in their same industry. Linking Employee Engagement to Critical Business Outcomes Employee Engagement and Critical Business Outcomes 30% 20% 10% 0% -10% -20% -30% -40% -50% -60% -70% -37% -49% -49% -60% -25% -27% -41% Turnover High Absenteeism Turnover Orgs. Low Turnover Orgs. Safety Incidents Patient Safety Incidents 18% 12% Quality (Defects) Shrinkage 16% Customer Productivity Profitability Top decile companies have 3. 9 times the Earnings Per Share (EPS) growth rate Difference Between Top and Bottom Quartile Performance Copyright  © 2008, 2010 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 3 Systematically Improving Employee Engagement Improving engagement goes beyond simply asking the right questions. Engaging employees requires a year-round focus on changing behaviors, processes, and systems to anticipate and respond to your organization’s needs. From the leadership team to the frontline employees, all levels within an organization must commit to making these changes. A Sustainable Approach Gallup approaches employee engagement with sustainability in mind, and thus, provides managers and leaders with tools to help drive performance on an ongoing basis through a combination of measurement, reporting, learning, action planning, and strategic interventions. Using the latest technology and cutting-edge research, Gallup continually provides clients with innovative solutions that drive change. From state-of-the-art organizational mapping software and online tools to first-class instructional designers and consultants, Gallup’s approach to employee engagement reduces the amount of time needed to move from measurement to improvement. The world’s top-performing organizations recognize the critical role managers play in achieving business objectives. As a global leader in the area of employee ecruitment and selection, Gallup has a proven method for hiring managers and employees with the talent to build engagement. After reviewing nearly 10,000 validated pre-employment questions and the global Q12 database, Gallup uncovered a subset of questions that enables organizations to assess whether a job candidate, if hired, will boost engagement levels. This engagement selecting approach will help hiring managers find candidates who have more potential to drive engagement in the workplace. Selecting for Engagement 4 Copyright  © 2008, 2010 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. What the World’s Best Organizations Do Differently Gallup drives organizations to systematically improve employee engagement using proven interventions at the local and enterprise level. Beyond setting the proper strategy, interventions include finding the right performance metrics that drive accountability, creating a comprehensive communication strategy, and designing development opportunities for every employee, manager, and leader. While partnering with many of the world’s best organizations, Gallup has observed that world-class organizations make employee engagement a priority by focusing on the following: Strategy World-class organizations develop a formula for success by looking objectively and rigorously at the business problems they face and by focusing on finding the right employees and keeping them engaged. For these organizations, an employee engagement strategy is not only fundamental to the way they do business, it is critical to their success. Accountabil ity and Performance The top-driven companies focus on outcomes. They define and rigorously measure success at every level in the organization. These measurements ultimately help focus each person, team, department, and business unit on driving performance and results. Communication Within the best performing organizations there is a cultural alignment between the employees and the company, paired with a strategic alignment between activities and company goals. These organizations use their corporate communication touchpoints to reinforce their commitments to employees and customers. Development As the struggle for talent intensifies, organizations face a continual challenge to build and grow their leadership capacity. The world’s top-performing companies have comprehensive leader and manager development programs, but they also go one step further — these programs are performance-driven and incorporate a comprehensive succession plan throughout the organization. They make it a priority to not only identify leadership potential, but also to focus intently on the creation of developmental paths for current and future managers and leaders. †¢ †¢ †¢ Copyright  © 2008, 2010 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 5 Proven Return on Investment Increasing employee engagement directly correlates with a positive effect on key business metrics. A partnership with Gallup enables your organization to design, implement, and execute an employee engagement strategy, and at the same time, your organization will have concrete evidence of the effect of this strategy on the bottom line. Gallup’s proof of ROI goes beyond the case study level. By continually validating the effect of increasing employee engagement through meta-analyses and business impact studies, Gallup can observe ROI trends across hundreds of clients. The observed net gain in key business outcomes for business units that grow employee engagement is a direct link to ROI. Typical Net Gain at the Organizational Level 8. 0% 7. 0% 6. 0% 5. 0% 4. 0% 3. 0% 2. 0% 1. 0% 0. 0% Median Growth in Engagement (. 15 GrandMean) m A Tu r Think about the cost to replace an employee, attract a new, loyal customer, or pay workers’ compensation. Using quick and simple math with the net gain values provided, your organization can begin to model the ROI it is capable of attaining. 6 Tu r Pa t Pr od er uc tiv ity Pr o? ta bi lit y Copyright  © 2008, 2010 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. h y et af Q ge ow ty eis ka -H fe -L ua lit C ig te rin Sa tS en ve r ve r no no ien bs Sh us to y Performance Optimizationâ„ ¢: Managing the Employee-Customer Encounter Taking employee engagement one step further, Gallup’s Performance Optimization approach offers an innovative, research-based approach to one of the toughest challenges businesses face t oday: how to drive success by effectively managing the moments when employees interact with customers. This approach brings employee and customer engagement on to a single management platform. It combines a proven method for assessing the health of the employee-customer encounter with a disciplined process for improving it. Gallup is unique in its ability to design and execute this aligned approach because our expertise and global capability in marketplace consulting practices is as deep as our expertise and global capability in workplace consulting practices. e Impact of Performance Optimization HIGH TM CE11 CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT Boost 70% 240% Boost 1. (Baseline) LOW LOW Boost HIGH 70% Q12 EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT Our meta-analysis of engagement and financial performance in companies across multiple industries reveals that business units that score above our database median on customer and employee engagement significantly outperform units that rank in the bottom half on both measures. Organizations employing Performance Optimization principles have outperformed their competitors by 26% in gross margin and 85% in sales growth. Their customers buy more, spend more, return more often, and stay longer. Blending strategic analysis with hands-on, practical steps and advice, Performance Optimization changes how leaders view their work, their employees, and their customers. Copyright  © 2008, 2010 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 7 Gallup’s Global Reach Gallup’s 2,000 professionals deliver services at client organizations and from 40 offices around the world. Benchmarking World-Class Organizations Gallup maintains the world’s most comprehensive historical and comparative employee engagement databases. The historical database contains data collected in 67 languages from more than 17 million respondents in 175 countries worldwide. Gallup updates the comparative database annually, which enables clients to benchmark their organization’s employee engagement levels against the most recent data Gallup collects from around the world. Gallup’s most recent database, covering the past three years, includes data collected from more than 6. million employees representing more than 815,000 workgroups in 16 major industries and more than 70 sub-industries in 170 countries worldwide. Gallup understands the importance of timely data and relevant comparisons in the competitive landscape of today’s fast-paced marketplace. As a result, your organization can compare its engagement data with Gallup’s global, world-class, industry-specific, or custom database segments. Change That Drives Outcomes Transformation does not occur instantaneously. It takes a lot of energy and effort to initiate change, and it takes even more energy to build on that momentum. It takes focused attention to drive engagement. A partnership with Gallup will help your organization influence and inspire engagement by building a â€Å"people† strategy that holds people accountable for performance, aligns communication, and builds development opportunities for leaders, managers, and frontline employees, giving your organization a competitive edge. 8 Copyright  © 2008, 2010 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. Copyright  © 2008, 2010 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. 9 â€Å"Best Buy has already had success in connecting improved employee-engagement scores to store performance: it found that for every 10th of a point it boosted the former, its stores saw a $100,000 increase in operating income.

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Grog executive team. Understand that you face the possibility of shutting down operations in Tentacle and I want to lend some help and financial expertise. After much deliberation, I believe it is the best decision to keep the Tentacle plant open and not outsource to China. There are many costs associated with outsourcing to China and I do not believe the positive aspects of outsourcing outweigh the Increase In costs. Cost Analysis Labor Costs Labor is by far the most important factor in this decision. One of the biggest draws to China is their cheap labor.The relevant labor cost in China right now is $0. 91 per hour with an expected increase of 40% in the next 10 years. In comparison, relevant labor cost in Tentacle right now is $16. 25 with an expected increase of 3% per year (Exhibit 4). Assuming each of Tempura's 195 employees works 40 hours per week and 50 weeks per year, that totals a labor cost for this year of $6,337,500 compared to $354,900 in China for the same amount of em ployees. I understand that the cost differential is staggering. However, I would like to point out hat there are many ways to offset these costs without outsourcing to China.One huge factor in this is worker productivity. Workers are much more productive in the united States and perform tasks at a more efficient rate than in China. The new hand spreader used to require six people to assemble it and we have redesigned the components so that only four people need to work on it. With more advancements like this and making your Tentacle plant as automated as possible, you can cut costs In Tentacle by the hundreds of thousands of dollars. By hiring an outside labor force In China, you would be lengthening the company's Information gap.It might take Scoots-Millrace Grog one day to figure out a problem In Tentacle or perform certain testing, when It could take up to two weeks to have that done In China. Keeping your production workers close to your R&D department Is vital for research and product advancement. The only other way Is to have a supply chain manager fly to China frequently to keep up with outsourced operations and make sure they understand the Improvements that need to be made. Supply Chain Costs By looking at Scoots-Miracle Grog's incoming statements and balance sheets, we can e that the company is steadily increasing revenue each year.Scoots-Miracle Grog 0. 35, and a Return on Equity of 0. 12. All of these calculations set the company up for a successful transition into China via outsourcing. However, we must take into account the various supply chain costs that will arise if this decision is made. The biggest changes are freight and operational cost. This is an expense that is essentially $0 in Tentacle. Now, it would be around $8,000,000 each year. Since we would only be saving $5,982,600 in labor costs, this does not Justify acquiring a freight expense of $8,000,000.In addition, Scoots-Miracle Grog would need to hold an additional eight weeks of safe ty stock in Tentacle at a cost of $460,000 and spend much more on quality managers who can assure that the product arrives in the United States in the perfectly desired form. I do not believe Scoots-Miracle Grog outsourcing to China maximizes its capability to be a leader in the three major utilities: time, form, and place. While $2. 7 billion in revenue is admirable, I do not believe Scoots-Miracle Grog has enough need (domestically or internationally) to Justify outsourcing. Loss of KnowledgeMore than anything, I think Scoots-Miracle Grog needs to more fully comprehend the information and knowledge gap that will arise by distancing operations. New production workers will be given the responsibility of understanding Scoots-Miracle Grog products and meet the executive team's exact specifications. In order to do this, managers will need to fly out frequently, train other managers, and constantly monitor quality among shipments. If the company were willing to expand international oper ations and sell to the Chinese people, then the information and knowledge gap would not be so large.However, going there to simply save costs would present an array of new problems and costs. Keeping the company knowledge as close to the domestic market is the safest and smartest thing to do. Conclusion If you are looking to compromise with the executive team, you might consider outsourcing for one year while simultaneously scaling down production and operations in Tentacle. This would, of course, be a short-term plan in order to get the company back on its feet. There would be considerable setup costs for the China production, but the executive team might like this idea in order to save as much as possible now.

John H. Ostrom - A Profile of the Famous Paleontologist

John H. Ostrom - A Profile of the Famous Paleontologist Name: John H. Ostrom Born/Died: 1928-2005 Nationality: American Dinosaurs Discovered or Named: Deinonychus, Sauropelta, Tenontosaurus, Microvenator About John H. Ostrom Nowadays, pretty much all paleontologists agree that birds descended from dinosaurs. However, that wasn’t the case in the 1960s, when John H. Ostrom of Yale University was the first researcher to propose that dinosaurs had more in common with ostriches and swallows than with snakes, turtles and alligators (to be fair, the heavyweight American  paleontologist Othniel C. Marsh, who also taught at Yale, had proposed this idea in the late 19th century, but he didnt have enough evidence at his disposal to carry the weight of scientific opinion). Ostroms theory about the dinosaur-bird evolutionary link was inspired by his 1964 discovery of Deinonychus, a large, bipedal raptor that displayed some uncannily birdlike characteristics. Today, its (pretty much) an established fact that Deinonychus and its fellow raptors were covered with feathers, not a popular image a generation ago, and one that even current dinosaur enthusiasts have difficulty accepting. (In case you were wondering, those Velociraptors in Jurassic Park were really modeled after the  much bigger  Deinonychus, disregarding the fact that they were portrayed with green reptilian skin rather than feathers.) Fortunately for him, Ostrom lived long enough to learn about the trove of indisputably feathered dinosaurs recently discovered in China, which cemented the dinosaur-bird connection. When he discovered Deinonychus, Ostrom opened the dinosaur equivalent of a hornets nest. Paleontologists werent used to dealing with muscular, man-sized, predatory dinosaursas opposed to familiar, multi-ton carnivores like Allosaurus or Tyrannosaurus Rexwhich prompted speculation about whether an ostensibly cold-blooded reptile could engage in such energetic behavior. In fact, Ostroms student Robert Bakker was the first paleontologist to forcefully propose that all theropod dinosaurs were warm-blooded, a theory thats currently on only slightly shakier ground than the dinosaur-bird connection. ​By the way, he wasnt responsible for either discovering or naming this dinosaur, but the type species of Utahraptor (U. ostrommaysorum) was named after John Ostrom and Chris Mays, a pioneer in animatronic dinosaurs.