The Evolution of the Value-Added Service Concept

The value added service concept has become popular recently although it has been existent for the past few decades. The concept was formally introduced by the telecommunication industry, a term they used for non-core service offerings that they were offering consumers in order to provide the consumers an incentive for purchase and as a differentiation factor for their business.Some of the characteristics of value added services are that they are usually the non core service or product offering for the business. However it is still possible for the value added services to stand alone operationally and be offered as a separate product. Another important characteristic for a value added service is that although it enhances the basic product/ service offering it should not attempt to cannibalize the main product/service offering for the business, i.e., take the customers away from the main product.The most commonly used value added services include the following:Offering different types of packaging and sizes for the productProviding specific service levels for the products with specific service level agreements for services Rewarding the consumers for their loyalty to the brand by giving them gifts and developing frequent buy programs Providing specific training and education for the product and service or a value added service center like a help line or a customer support center for the clients. â€Å"They are about performing all of those activities as close to the end consumer as possible.† (‘Impact of Value Added Service Center’, 2002)  Provide different types of qualities for the product according to the requirements of the consumer. Premium pricing can be charged on these quality levels.  Providing efficient and speedy delivery service with order tracking facilityIn the recent years however the concept of value added services has changed. Previously consumers expected the core product to be the product itself, but now consumers tend t o expect the product to have specific type of additional services and characteristics in them which were previously only considered value added services. These value added services have now become rudimentary in nature and the consumers now expect the product to have the value added services.Moreover the value added characteristic has also changed talking form of customization for the consumer. An example explaining this change is previously we used to have mobile phone with the basic capability of dialing for calls and receiving calls on a mobile device. Then the SMS, a VAS, was introduced which enabled consumers to send text messages to other people. Now the mobile phone have digital camera, mp3/mp4 players and an operating system which also were introduced as Value added services but now have become an integral feature of the product it self.The reason for the change in the dynamics relating to value added service offering has been mainly due to the consumers’ perception o f the products and their expectations. They have come to expect certain kind of vale added services to be a component of the product itself, even though it is actually a value added service. This has lead to customization for many consumer goods taking place where business are using niche marketing strategies to provide products and services which are very specialized and customized and in natureThe value added services offered have evolved largely also due the technology available to the companies as well. They have tried to differentiate their product/ service offering by making their operations more efficient and investing in technologies which have let them achieve comparative advantage. One of such technological investment has been in the packaging industry.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Evolution isn't a theory in packaging; it's a fact of life. Corrugated and folding carton converters stake their survival on evolving their menu of value-added services to meet the changing needs of their custome rs. That can require a substantial investment in technology.† (‘The Evolution of Relationship Selling’, 2005)In the future as well as the dynamics of consumer consumption decisions and purchase decisions change the value added services offered by corporations and businesses will tend to evolve and change in order to respond to the latent and apparent needs and requirements of the consumer.References:(2005), The Evolution of Relationship Selling, Paperboard Packaging.Mylonopoulos, N. A., Sideris, I. A., (2006), Growth of Value Added Mobile Services Under Different Scenarios of Industry Evolution, Electronic Markets (2002), The Impact of the Value Added Services Center, Warehousing Management Dupin, C., (2002), Sales Evolution, JoC Week

Costco

The average Cost customer is found to be a college graduate earning an estimated $100,000 a year, twice the national average. This shows that their customers are ones ho can afford the yearly membership fee and to spend as they please in the warehouse as most customers find that they tend to overspend as they shop about Cost. Cost is able to create value for its customers by creating a sense of adventure and mystery for the customer who relates a shopping experience at Cost as akin too â€Å"treasure hunt†.Another value Is the low prices of items that customers can buy at no more than 15 percent mark ups as compared to departmental stores that mark up merchandise by 50 percent and supermarkets that mark up their Items by 25 percent or more (Lutz 2013). At times, Cost has special deals for customers by selling branded goods Like Pravda handbags, Carrier watches, Kristin Kelly wedding gowns, barrels of whiskey or even engagement rings, all at specially discounted prices (Lulling 2014). The first area of Cost's value-chain analysis will be the primary activities of inbound logistics and marketing and sales.Cost is extremely proficient and efficient in their procurement system, integrating a mix of human and technical skills and capabilities. One such instance is the development off competent technique of delivering inbound cargo to their designated warehouses within the pan of less than a day to ensure there is no time and cost wastage of leaving the items in the delivery trucks (Cost Wholesale 2010). This leads to higher sales and enables Cost to achieve quicker inventory turnover. As of June 2014, Cost Wholesale Corporation Is reported to have an Inventory turnover of 1 1. Times the national average (Bloomberg Businesswomen Bibb and compared to Wall-Mart Stores Inc which has an inventory turnover of 8. 1 times of the industry average (Bloomberg Businesswomen 2014). Cost is unique because they do not advertise but prefer to save that two percent of he budg et and channel it into more productive areas like employee benefits (Greenhouse 2005). Sales and service-wise, as mentioned previously Cost does not mark up its prices by more than 15 percent and it achieves this by buying in bulk and stocking only a limited assortment of products.A typical supermarket may have about 50,000 different Items for customers to choose from; Wall-Mart has an enormous selection of about 100,000 products but a typical Cost wholesale outlet stocks only about 4000 Items, of which most can be bought In bulk, a small portion as compared to competitors. Castoffs low merchandise count means It carries only choice brands and items and often only in one size. The executives at Cost believe making and confusion and eventually they walk away without purchasing, thus Cost only provides the best brands for each product (Logan and Abeyant 2012).The only gripe about Cost's service is that the lines are always taking too long, seeing as most customers end up over-spending and buying most items in bulk. Procurement is an essential aspect of support activities in the value-chain analysis of Cost. Cost builds strong relationships with its suppliers and tries to ensure that TTS suppliers are providing the best and lowest prices in order for Cost to do the same for its customers. Potential suppliers have to go through long dealing periods and stringent tests are carried out on their products to ensure it suits the needs and wants of Cost's customer base.An example would be thousands of toys waiting for the Cost team to hand-pick over five days the hundred fifty or so final products that will make the cut onto Cost's end-of-year holiday shelves for children. In the name of providing the best prices for its customers, Cost sometimes resorts to hardball arraigning when dealing with the suppliers such as in 2009 when Cost temporary ceased inbound shipments of Coca-Cola beverages as it stated on its website and shelves that Coca-Cola had not provided Cost wit h competitive pricing and Coca- Cola products would not be available until prices were lowered.Coke beverages returned to Cost's shelves in a few prices, but this shows Cost's procurement strength even when dealing with a main supplier (Harvard Law School 2010). The Cost Collaborative Retail Exchange (CRUX) program is a real-time software that allows Cost and selected suppliers to update the inventory anytime anywhere, especially when inventory for an item falls below a reorder point, the supplier is notified and stock is sent out to ensure it meets market demand.Once a product is scanned, the program is updated and inventory managers are notified if the product is close to the reorder point (IR 2013). For the demographics of Cost's customer base, it is divided by income, household size and age. A research done on Cost by a New Zealand market research firm finds that a whopping eight-five percent of wholesale club shoppers belong to the upper income market that are either â€Å"liv ing comfortably' or â€Å"affluent†.Subsequently, seventy-two percent of wholesale club shoppers are typically from a two to four person household. It is also noted that about three-quarters of female wholesale shoppers are younger than 55 years. (Acropolis Research Ltd. 2004) In conclusion, Cost Wholesale has a strong reputation and brand name, provides value through its low prices and for creating an adventure for its customers. With a large market share, it has considerable procurement strength but maintains relationships with suppliers.

Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 25

Economics - Essay Example 80% CR means the four largest firms produce 80% of the total output while the small firms produce only 20%of the output. Hence, the first and second cases can be described as monopolistic competition and oligopoly respectively (Auerbach, 1998). 2. A high CR for an industry shows that a high concentration of the industry is held by the four largest firms. In other words, the industry is concentrated. At the same time, low CR shows that there are many rivals in the industry while none of them have significant market share. This means that there is high competition in the industry. The reasons for the differences in concentration ratio are identified as economies of scale, entry barriers, compliance with an acceptable code of conduct, mergers, government policy, technological change, vertical integration and market growth (Hay and Morris, 1991).Based on these factors, the market for one industry has low CR and other has high CR. In the high CR industries , the entry barriers will be high, there will be established brands and high product differentiation as well as high profits .In the low CR industries, the entry barriers will be low and under favorable price conditions, newcomers will be encouraged here. 3. In the case of industry with 30% CR, when the demand for the product rises and pushes up the price of the good, new firms will enter the market in the long run. This is because the industry is monopolistically competitive. The production will increase and there will be cost stabilization at the initial levels. Consequently, there will be convergence of the profit rate of firms to same competitive return on capital with differences in risk aside in the long run. Thus, in the long run, there is a tendency to move towards perfect competition in this case with CR being very low (Oster, 1994). 4. In the case of industry with 80% CR, when the demand for product increases and pushes up the price, there will be an

Relationship Between SES and Child development in the United States Essay

Relationship Between SES and Child development in the United States - Essay Example Many organizations are collecting funds from common people to provide education to these children’s. These societies are putting their best effort for saving child from the condition of homelessness. They also invite donations from different people so that these children can also live like normal human beings. The main aim of these societies is to save homeless children from various serious diseases because most of the homeless children die because of these serious diseases. These hardworking teams are also spreading awareness of homeless children. Many help lines are also provided by these organizations so that if any person fined any child who is begging for basic necessities, then he can immediately contact on these numbers to give the information in right hands so that the child can be saved from every danger. Objective: The primary objective of this thesis is to figure out the main problems the homeless children in Florida and United States are facing. What are their livi ng status, what they do expect from us and finally what we can do for those children? Concise Review: As a responsible citizen it is our duty to be sensitive regarding the homeless children. As a civilized society we all should have to contribute our services in terms of funds, physical help or whatever we can do. Concise Review of the Literature If we make estimation then there are more than one million children in United States who are surviving without shelter. The lives of these children are prone to various serious diseases like speech problems, asthma attacks, problem in stomach due to improper digestion and many more. Many of these children die because of high depression. Many of these children are threatened by their family because the family of these children suffers from low budget due to losses in business or due to some other reasons. These children’s are forced to abandon their houses. But after that the life of these people become worse and they reduce their lea rning capabilities. The worst part in this action is that most of the children are under the age of 6 years. And the lives of the children under the age of 6 years affect more. Researches form â€Å"National Center on Family Homelessness (NCFH)† claimed that within a single year there are 30% children who are dispossessed from their houses, 22% children get separated from their family, at least 25% of children faces act of violence from their family. So for these children there are many societies and organizations like â€Å"Homeless Children America† who are working for these little kids. These organizations aimed at saving lives and for providing basic necessities to these children’s (Natalie Thompson, 2011). These organizations are focusing to eliminate child’s homelessness from United States. They are negotiating with the government for shifting the families living in motels into permanent houses. These organization members are collecting funds to sup port education, food, clothing and other necessary things of children. These organizations are also working on various policies for these children. Some of these policies are federal policy which is implemented by state government. When this policy is funded appropriately by the state government then these funds are used in improving the condition of little children. Government is also helping for eliminating homelessness from the United States. For this they have made 10 years

Business Performance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Performance - Assignment Example Barclays provides such a service for charities and fundraisers. The goal was therefore to convince Barclays of the publicity and prestige it would gain from helping us. - Find sponsors for the X-Box360, the V3 pink razor and the VIP tickets. Our targets were large electrical companies such as Comet, Currys and Dixons. We will have to bargain and negotiate with them as successfully as possible because obtaining the prizes for free would allow us to save the funds that we have raised. - Marketing the raffle as efficiently as possible in order to raise interest for our cause and seduce the potential participant with the prizes. However, we will need to be careful not to spend an important amount on marketing and not target a too important group. - Distributing the tickets to the target market i.e. the 1.500 students who compose the school. We will need to make the students aware of the cause we are defending to make the cost of a raffle ticket worth spending. Ali was the team leader elected by the members. Unfortunately, he did not show leadership as he did not establish any contingency plan, budget or strategy. He also failed to allocate tasks to other members. As a member he had to research and print advertising flyers. All the team members were asked to pay 20.00 for a total payment of 120.00 for 5000 flyers when the target market was composed of 1500 students. Ali has to work on his communication skills to reach a better understanding within the group and should really consider planning his actions as it resulted that he produced 3 times the flyers needed. Sukhdeep was charged to go negotiate the scheme with Barclays. He only went once to the bank and claimed that it was a success even if there was not written proof of the agreement. He often proposed marvellous ideas which could never be put into practice, he frequently arrived late at our meetings and was very aggressive when selling the tickets. I believe Sukhdeep should be more committed and professional in his work by showing that he can complete the tasks given to him. Also, he should really work on his sales skills. Umer was responsible of the administration work: making memo's to be sent out to all teachers with form classes as reminders, buy raffle ticket books, to set out the proposal that was to be presented to the bank manger and head teacher, which proved to be very important. (sorry but you did not comment on Umer so please could you complete this part as I don't have any information) Tauseef was tasked to create and produce the flyers and posters. Though very optimistic, Tauseef's ideas were not very creative and he was not able to complete his task within a reasonable budget.

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 120

Summary - Essay Example a guideline to those who may have developed interest in understanding student’s behaviors, conduct and development patterns while still under the experience of the campus life. The paper mainly focuses on family theories and characteristics based on their evolutionary-life in relation to student’s affairs, practices and mental development (Nilson, 2010). In essence, a doctor attempted to treat a psychiatric patient who failed to respond to services offered until her medical history was traced, and it has been clarified that there is a need to have a glimpse of patient history and absorb her experiences. Another psychological scholar Nilson (2010) illustrates that it is critical to understand the history of anybody suffering from mental disposition before treatment is administered. Moreover, majority of expatriates who are concerned with student affairs often believe in direct observation of patients other than listening to stories. Some theories include Cognitive development theory concerned with psychological issues, it allows for the synthesis of information thus enabling an individual to make a variation from very simple encounters to bigger events. Cognitive theory is mainly used in students to govern moral development. In addition, there is social identity theory that plays a critical role in giving contrast to different memberships that are claimed by an individual within a specific framework of representation. The most common social identities theories include ethnic identity or racial identity. Consequently, there is psychosocial development theory that focuses mainly on ho w a person relates to the social environment. Psychosocial development theory clarifies about the developmental period of a person based on his identity, value, career and family among other elements within the environment. The above article gives an evaluation and comparison of several theories associated with the development of a child. Despite such theories having been developed

Anthropology 11 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Anthropology 11 - Essay Example He illustrates his stand with the examples of the theories surrounding the evolution of man by starting with the rather shocking theory that we all as humans originate from the continent of Africa This topic is very important to biological and physical anthropology because it explains why we are all so different racially and genetically and seeks to explain with the help of many theories whether Darwin's theory is actually right in saying that as humans we have only recently evolved from apes. He compares the "originate in Africa thesis" with the "out of Africa thesis" where he is trying to explain the origin of our genetics and evolution. The author uses the technique of taking up many hypotheses and theories and assessing their truth and in the end he gives his verdict in the favour of the theory given by Darwin, the Out of Africa hypothesis. " This theory maintains that modern humans evolved in Africa and then spread around the world. Boiled down to its essence, the hypothesis states that modern humans are both relatively recent (100,000 to 200,000 years old) and African in origin. A major prediction of this hypothesis is that the earliest remains of modern humans will be found in Africa, dated to an appropriate time period." The author goes on to discuss the " Multiregional hypothesis" which he argues depicts that we as modern humans evolved from different locations and hence our racial and genetic differences. According to this school of thought "these regional populations evolved along parallel paths and reached modernity at roughly the same time. Because the populations were largely isolated from one another, they developed distinctive regional features, which people recognize today as "racial" differences." ( Multiregionalists believe that Neandertals, originate from the European continent.) He then goes on to say how there are three different recent researches go in the favour of the Darwinian view and oppose the Multiregionalists view which he addresses one by one as: The east african population has been found to be so diverse that the genetic composition of the population" shows that these lineages are very diverse and humans did evolve from these areas.Most of the worlds oldest lineages were found there d 170,000 years ago. Secondly because of the discovery of the "African Herto skullsthe Herto specimens (are) the earliest modern Homo sapiens yet found-direct ancestors of people living today." He concludes that the Neandertals' DNA was not closer to that of the modern Europeans. "The work was a strong blow to the theory that humans evolved in several places simultaneously. "Neandertals cannot represent a regional European transition from Homo erectus to modern Homo sapiens" 4. Did the author address any contrary evidence or the opinions/work of others that run counter the author(s) claims Although he devotes his entire discussion to proving the multiregionalists wrong he does refer to the possibility of " mtDNA contamination from researchers or others who have handled the fossils" but he is quick to provide evidence to suggest otherwise. He does give the multiregional theory its fair share of discussion though.. 5. What were the strengths and/or weaknesses of the author(s) argument

Make up one Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Make up one - Essay Example As mentioned in the review, delay in time affects â€Å"jury’s decision† which prolongs a victim’s agony. A recent example of this is illustrated in the recent news report by New Haven Register : â€Å"A backlog at the state forensic laboratory is contributing to a delay in the case against a 33-year-old West Haven man accused of raping and killing a 7-year-old girl, a judge said Thursday†( Tinley, 2010) The second recommendation that should be done is to simply establish the right procedure for forensic requests. The first-come first-serve basis must be observed along with a system that thoroughly evaluates the importance of a request. This recommendation shows that the crime lab has difficulty in providing timely forensic results which deters catching criminals. â€Å"All labs have to be accredited, which costs money. But ask police and prosecutors and they will tell you it is the best expenditure that they ever made. Nobody hates bad lab work more than a prosecutor does, thats how cases get lost. They hate it. It is another win-win proposition for the criminal justice system†(Lyons & Burton, 2001, p. 10) A serial killer may be able to escape and continue to commit crime in other states as a result of this delay. Again, implementation of this depends on the managers of the crime laboratory. They may not be wanting in forensic skills, however they need to be trained about management so they can evaluate, and assess their current policies. The third recommendation that must be implemented the least is developing a system of notification for cross-over requests. Again, the recommendation I chose is all about establishing a system which can be delivered by the Technical Assistance Section. It is ironic that while victims are suffering and perpetrators are on the loose, evidence is ready but no one is fully aware of that. Its implementation depends on how the management of the

An Evaluation of the Recent IEEE 802.11ac Wireless Protocol Term Paper

An Evaluation of the Recent IEEE 802.11ac Wireless Protocol - Term Paper Example These tests will be done basing on a coding that was made using the MIMO technology. Regardless of the significance steps in technology, the wireless used today, LAN cannot present a sustained bandwidth of the same level with those of other wireless technologies. Therefore it was seen necessary to design another technology that was to be improved on its speed and efficiency. The main objective of the IEEE and the other organizations that are involved in drafting standards. Its aim in expanding the capabilities of 802.11n so that the speed for Wi-Fi can be improved according to the demands of those who use Wi-Fi. To improve the Wi-Fi efficiency it is proposed that the best way will be to break the barrier of the 1GB, which will be seen as the greatest achievement. For the many technologies that have come up to improve the Wi-Fi efficiency, 802.11ac is one of them and it is being adopted as the best in the consumer space. The suggested improvements that are to be made on the 802.11ac will enable it to have multiple streams of high-definition video on the Wi-Fi network s that are used at home. Other devices that will use the Wi-Fi for high resolution videos are the smart phones that are increasingly being put on the market and the new design of tablets. This article also discusses the security matters of using the wireless techniques. It views the : IEEE 802.11ac is one of the wireless networks that need to be approved by the international standard for it to start offering the wireless network services. This network is expected to take over the existing 802.11n. as it is planned, 802.11n is supposed to support the operations in the 2.4 GHz band. Using the network system is both advantageous and disadvantageous. The advantage is that it is fast and can be used anywhere there is the network, but the disadvantage is that the personal information is not guaranteed security and most of the time information is leaked

Effect of Docosahexaenoic Acid in Dog Food Essay

Effect of Docosahexaenoic Acid in Dog Food - Essay Example Dog foods are designed to give the proper nutrition and specific requirements of these pets. Recently, the importance of Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and fatty acids were highlighted by dog food makers. Fish oil, a rich source of fatty acids, was demonstrated in various uses such as improving dull coat of dogs, remedy for allergies, relieving inflammation, supporting brain and eye development. While there are specific studies that scientifically explain the functions of individual fatty acids, effects of doses of fatty acids, specifically DHA, in dog foods are not clear. DHA was proven to have beneficial effects on the brain development of young dogs and on the retina of growing and ageing dogs. There are claims of such benefits with the use of some dog foods but the methodology and results were poorly documented. This proposal aims to determine the effects, if there are any, and the extent of effects of DHA as a component of dog food on the health and intelligence of dogs. The objectives of this proposal includes 1) to determine the effects of different levels of DHA in commercial dog food (Hill's Science Plan) on learning and training ability of dogs, 2) to determine the effects of DHA in dog food through health indicators such as dog fur or coat and c) to determine the effects of DHA in dog food on eye functions of dogs. Fatty acids are forms of polyunsaturated f... Those that they cannot produce but are instead obtained through external sources such as food are called essential fatty acids (Ackerman 1148). Omega-3 fatty acids include Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) deficiency of which is related to skin disease development, Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) which is involved in vasoconstriction and related cardiac function and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) which is essential for brain and retinal functions. ALA is convertible into EPA and EPA is considered a major mover of the omega-3 fatty acids and is found in the cell membrane (Leaf 197-198, Kenny et.al. 660, Giron et.al.198). Omega-6 fatty acids on the other hand include Linoleic acid (LA) which is found in the skin, Gamma linolenic acid (GLA) and Dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA) which are forms of LA, and Arachidonic acid (AA) which is involved in prostaglandin synsthesis. LA can be transformed into GLA. DGLA can be converted from GLA in the skin. LA is vital for optimizing skin's water permeability. AA in large amounts is detrimental to other fatty acids (Pitas 470, Campbell & Roudebush 82). DHA Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a major constituent of brain phospholipids and serves an important function in sustaining structural and functional properties of membranes. DHA is coupled in glycerophospholipids generally with palmitic acid and stearic acid and with an additional long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid which builds up in phosphatidylethanolamines. Adequate supply of DHA has been postulated to promote maximum neurological growth, information processing, the capacity to conduct electrical stimuli of nerve cells, and cognitive ability. There is consensus among experts that mammalian brain produces its own DHA during particular stages of intrauterine and

Vocational Education and Training Needs Analysis Essay Example for Free

Vocational Education and Training Needs Analysis Essay Training methods used to stimulate learning can be classified in three ways, one of which is †¢ CONFERENCES †¢ LECTURES †¢ ON-THE-JOB TRAINING †¢ INTELLIGENT TUTORING 2. In evaluating training programs, it is important to distinguish _____ from data-collection methods. †¢ ORGANIZATIONAL PAYOFFS †¢ COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS †¢ INDIVIDUAL PARTICIPATION †¢ TARGETS OF EVALUATION 3. The evaluation phase is one phase of the process for effective training to occur. Which of the following IS NOT A PART OF THE EVALUATION PHASE? †¢ SELECT TRAINING MEDIA †¢ DEVELOP CRITERIA †¢ PRETEST TRAINEES †¢ MONITOR TRAINING 4. _____ analysis is helpful in determining the special needs of a particular group, such as older workers, WOMEN, OR MANAGERS AT DIFFERENT LEVELS. †¢ INDIVIDUAL †¢ ORGANIZATION †¢ DEMOGRAPHIC †¢ OPERATIONS 5. Which of the following is an example of an on-the-job training method? †¢ UNDERSTUDY ASSIGNMENTS †¢ ROLE PLAYING †¢ INTELLIGENT TUTORING †¢ CASE METHOD 6. Which of the following is an example of the simulation method of training? †¢ JOB ROTATION †¢ ORIENTATION †¢ CORRESPONDENCE COURSES †¢ IN-BASKET 7. The level of training needs analysis that attempts to identify the content of the training is _____ ANALYSIS. †¢ ENVIRONMENTAL †¢ OPERATIONS †¢ ORGANIZATIONAL †¢ INDIVIDUAL 8. _____ refers to the material that is rich in association for the trainees and is therefore easily UNDERSTOOD BY THEM. †¢ PYGMALION EFFECT †¢ TRAINING PARADOX †¢ ORIENTATION †¢ MEANINGFULNESS 9. Which theory is founded on the premise that an individual’s intentions regulate his or her behavior? †¢ CORRESPONDENT INFERENCE THEORY †¢ GOAL THEORY †¢ GROUNDED THEORY †¢ ATTRIBUTION THEORY 10. The impact of training on _____ is the most significant, but it is the most difficult effect to DEMONSTRATE. †¢ ORGANIZATIONAL RESULTS †¢ DEMOGRAPHICS †¢ ACTION LEARNING †¢ TRAINEE SELF-ESTEEM 11. When trainees are given the opportunity to practice far beyond the point where they have performed a TASK CORRECTLY SEVERAL TIMES, THE TASK BECOMES SECOND NATURE AND IS †¢ OVERLEARNED †¢ IRRELEVANT †¢ REPETITIVE †¢ BORING 12. The level of training needs analysis that focuses on identifying whether training supports the COMPANY’S STRATEGIC DIRECTION IS CALLED _____ ANALYSIS. †¢ OPERATIONS †¢ INDIVIDUAL †¢ ENVIRONMENTAL †¢ ORGANIZATION View as multi-pages TOPICS IN THIS DOCUMENT Vocational education, Training, Practice, Skill RELATED DOCUMENTS Vocational Education and Training THERE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN VOCATIONAL ASPECTS TO SCHOOLING IN AUSTRALIA. HOWEVER, IN RECENT TIMES THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASED EMPHASIS ON THIS ASPECT OF SCHOOLING WITHIN BOTH THE GENERAL CURRICULUM AND THOSE AREAS THAT HAVE A PARTICULAR VOCATIONAL FLAVOUR. IN WHAT WAYS DOES THIS EMPHASIS PROVIDE A BROADER OR NARROWER CONCEPTION OF EDUCTION FOR SCHOOL STUDENTS? YOUR RESPONSE NEEDS TO REFER TO: (I) THE AIMS OF THE ? NEW VOCATIONALISM AND HOW IT IS 297   Words | 7   Pages READ FULL DOCUMENT TRAINING NEED ANALYSIS ? Training Needs Analysis and Skills Audit Easy seven step plan – covers: Who received training in your organisation last year? Does anyoneneed a refresher course? What about your staff’s career aspirations – do you know their capabilities? Step 1 How should I consult? It is recommended that employers consult with all staff on an annual basis to assess organisational training and development 297   Words | 6   Pages READ FULL DOCUMENT Training Needs Analysis Library Get Custom Help eBook Library About BrainMass Expert Profiles Blog Free Quizzes Videos Business  » Management  » Problem #416292 sample solutions faq Case Study: Training Needs Analysis Case ALL IT TAKES IS FOR GOOD MEN TO DO NOTHING In 1987, Ms. Dillman was hired by IMP to work in Hangar 3 at North American International Airport as a seamstress in their fabric shop. 297   Words | 4   Pages READ FULL DOCUMENT Training Development Need Analysis

Human activity causing climate change

Human activity causing climate change Climate is changing in a horrid way. The change is influenced both by natural reason and human activities. El Nino, the Earth surface temperature increased, acid rains and many phenomenons are damaging the environment. Experts are worried about the rapid changing climate, because the change may fetch people many big disasters. Worldwide people are trying to find the solution and save humanity. This essay will discuss how human activities contribute to climate change, and give some advice how to prevent the Earth. Human activities in causing climate change It is clear that human activities accelerate the climate change. The first part of essay will canvass 2 human activities that effect climate change. Burning fossil fuels The earth surface temperature increasing owe to greenhouse gases, because they carry the short-wave radiation from the Sun to the Earth (NSW Department of Primary Industries, 2008). Obviously, more greenhouse gases mean severe climate change. Before showing the reasons of greenhouse gases growth, people need to understand what greenhouse gases are. The reason why people call these gases greenhouse gases is because they work like a glass greenhouse that heats up with the radiation trapped by the glass (NSW Department of Primary Industries, 2008). Greenhouse gases are not just one kind of gas, actually it includes water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide (NSW Department of Primary Industries, 2008:2). Obviously, because of the high-level greenhouse gases concentration, the temperature became higher than before. However, burning fossil fuels are the arch-criminal of rising greenhouse gases in atmospheric has accelerated. Excessive human emissions also caused 1.4 ÂÂ °F gone up in the past century (Pew Centre on Global Climate Change, 2008b). Burning fossil fuels not only cause greenhouse gases to contribute to climate change, but also sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides contribute to climate change because of their ability to create acid rain. Acid rains which have baneful influences on buildings, trees and animals are also bad for climate (John, S et al. 2006). Overuse of the natural resources Apart from burning fossil fuels, the reason why climate change in such a fast way is overuse of the natural resources. The natural resources on the Earth are limited, no matter non-renewable resources or renewable resources. It seems that the growing population of mankind does not realize the facts; people always exploit more resources than peoples requirement to make sure the trend of growth. Conspicuously, overuse the nature resources becomes one part of causation led to climate change. People knows that many daily supplies made from wood, such as papers, some clothes and furniture, ordered more and more trees felled. As previously mentioned, greenhouse gases are bad for climate, and one of the methods to decrease is more plants. Tress can absorb carbon dioxide, and mitigate the consistency of greenhouse gases. However, the bad news is that the solution is dissatisfying for overusing the natural resources. As a result, deforestation exacerbates the climate. On the other hand, defor estation also conduces to desertification which contributes on climate change. Land degradation can also lead to environmental degradation, poverty, migration and the cycle of conflict, but also often affected countries and regions, political stability risks (UNCCD: United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, 2009). People who live here need to deforest to earn money to make live. Outline further deterioration may be prevented After discussing the human activities, the second part of essay will bring forward 2 solutions that may protect the environment. Government regime As mentioned above, burning fossil fuels is one of the human activities that contribute to climate change. Factories create electricity by burning fossil fuels. To solve the problems, government regime seems to be an indispensable method. Nowadays, there is an effective policy that is accepted in Australia and some European countries, which named cap and trade (Minter-Ellison, 2007). The regime relate to electricity generation, transport, industrial process, forestry, agriculture and waste (Minter-Ellison, 2007). The policy means government will cap the greenhouse gases emissions for every factory or else. For instance, a factory has to pay for the emissions if it emit more greenhouse gases than the cap, also a factory can sale its emissions if it emit less greenhouse gases than the cap. With government regime, people and factories are encouraged to reduce the measure of burning fossil fuels. This is a good example for government to constitute some policies, order emitters prevent en vironment on their own inititiative. Exploit new energy and find how to use the new energy The second solution is to exploit new energy, and find how to use the new energy. Because people is used to manufacture some fuels by wooden, deforestation is hard to avoid. Account for the problem, to exploit new energy is imminent. Actually some new energy like wind and solar power have been found for many years, but for the limit of science, people can not use the new energy well. For example, people have no idea about solar power when it is cloudy. Fortunately, PSEG Global, a company found the method to use wind and store wind. According to their announcement, when wind power beyond the need of consumer, they will store the wind in underground caverns or in tanks. During the peak hours, the stored wind will release and become energy (Davidson, P. 2008). Besides, scientist also exploited some other new energy and found how to use. E-Coal is one kind of new energy which substitutes for coal. E-Coal was called no greenhouse gases emission fuel, because it was made by biomass, though E-Coal liberate carbon dioxide when burning, E-Coal can absorb equal carbon dioxide during their life (Davidson, P. 2008). In conclusion, human activities like burning fossil fuels and overusing the natural resources changed climate a lot. Only nowadays people are aware of the importance of environmental, and start to solve the problems. Government and scientists have been working to find the solution. Everyone lives in the Earth, so everybody has to do their best to protect environment. References Davidson, P. (2008) Energy Innovators: 4 creative solutions to energy problems (abridged). USA Today. Available at: http://news.tnanytime.org/energy/node/1074 John Slaght, Paddy Harben and Anne Pallant (2009) Acid rain in Norway. In: Reading Writing Source Book, UK, Garnet Publishing Minter-Ellison (2007) News alert New Zealand Government outlines its climate change solutions Available at: http://www.minterellison.com/public/connect/Internet/Home/Legal+Insights/Alerts/NA-NZ+Government+outlines+its+climate+change+solutions NSW Department of Primary Industries (2008) What is climate change? Available at: http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/research/topics/climate-change/causes Pew Centre on Global Climate Change (2008b) The causes of global climate change. Science Brief, Number 1 Available at: http://www.pewclimate.org/docUploads/global-warming-science-brief-august08.pdf UNCCD: United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. UNCCD Thematic Fact Sheet Series No. 1 Climate change and desertification. Available at: http://www.unccd.int/documents/Desertificationandclimatechange.pdf last accessed 28 October 2009

Musics Effects On The Brain Music Essay

Musics Effects On The Brain Music Essay Music is a world renowned language that all can understand. From Australia to the deepest jungles of Africa, music is associated in peoples everyday lives. Music can be heard anywhere and everywhere: the grocery store, the gym, in the car, at work, at school, on the television, etc. Not only is music applied for entertainment but it can also be used for story telling, learning, religious rituals and medical therapy. Today, it is not uncommon for music to be used as a medicine for Parkinsons, Alzheimers, depression, anxiety, stroke-victim recovery, stress, memory loss, and mental well-being. Musics effect on the brain is a very profound and mysterious topic. It is said that music influences the process of thinking and analyzing, making work more enjoyable and efficient. Studies have shown that music increases the amount of endorphins (a chemical released in the brain to reduce pain and provide a good feeling state) in the brain, initially, jump-starting the bodies healing process. As it distracts the attention from pain, it concurrently generates chemical behaviors that promote healing. Along with physical healing and mental effects, music impacts human emotions. Often, someone will listen to music when they are distraught, happy, need to focus, exercising, etc. Experiments show that music in a major key will cause a person to be happy, while the music in a minor key will bring sadder, depressed emotions. This paper will discuss how the music of major and minor keys differently effect human emotions. Emotions Throughout an average day, humans will experience one emotion after the other: sadness, happiness, frustration, anger, guilt, remorse, etc. But when one is asked the question what is an emotion? most find themselves dumbfounded. The answer to what is an emotion is not an easy one to answer. For centuries great minds have studied to answer this question but have yet to receive a definite answer. There are many reasons for this state of affairs. One reason is that emotions are difficult to define and measure. (Juslin and Sloboda 73). To be able to define emotions, theorists must know where emotions come from and how they are detectable. From a scientific perspective, emotions can be concluded from three types of evidence: self reports, expressive behavior and physiological development (Juslin and Sloboda 74). Self reports are a variety of surveys people will take to measure their emotions. Although this method is a first hand account of emotions, it still includes many problems such as the imperfect relationship between emotions and words that denote emotions, and the problem of choosing which words to include on checklists or scales (Juslin and Sloboda 74). The second type of evidence is expressive behavior which is the study of peoples emotion by their facial expression, vocalizations or body language (Juslin and Sloboda 74). The difficulty with this procedure is that not all emotions are visible by expressive features. The third type of evidence used to decipher emotions is physiological kinds of measurement; this includes measuring heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension and much more. Many theorists have suggested definitions of emotions based off the previous three types of evidence. Based on a review of these definitions they proposed the following consensual definition (Kleinginna Kleinginna 1981, p. 355): Emotion is a complex set on interactions among subjective and objective factors, mediated by neural/hormonal systems, which can (a) give rise to affective experiences such as feelings of arousal, pleasure/displeasure; (b) generate cognitive processes such as perceptually relevant effects, appraisals, labeling processes; (c) activate widespread physiological adjustments to the arousing conditions; and (d) lead to behavior that is often, but not always, expressive, goal-directed and adaptive (Juslin and Sloboda 75). As seen in the previous definition, it is almost impossible to define emotions simplistically or even in one sentence. Tonality Like emotion, tonality is not an easy concept to grasp. For one, it is used in many different senses and areas of music. Also, tonality has been widely discussed amongst theorist as to what it is and its significance in Western music. One simple definition of tonality is a system for interpreting pitches or chords through their relationship to a reference pitch, dubbed the tonic. Once the tonic is established the relationship of this pitch to other pitches can be designated using scale-degree names or numbers (Huron 143). In other words, tonality is the organization of pitch. Referring to Western theorists, there are two types of tonalities: major and minor. The theory and use of major and minor tonality dominated Western culture between 1650 and 1900 (Forney 20). The tonality of a piece of music is determined by the scale used for the foundation of the music (Forney). A scale is a series of tones in ascending or descending order; may present the notes of a key (Forney A20). Because of the combination of intervals between notes in a scale, each scale has a special and unique sound. Major scales promote a feeling of happiness and cheerfulness while minor tones sound sad and dark A composer would not be likely to choose a minor key for a triumphal march, nor a major key for a lament (Forney 21). As stated earlier, the first note of the scale, the tonic, is used as a starting place Affects of Major Tonality on Human Emotions Musics effect on humans has been a hidden phenomenon for thousands of years. The emotional experience one has with music has always been enticing and misunderstood. Still, it is probably true that most people experience music-somehow, somewhere-everyday of their lives, often with an accompanying affective response of some sort (e.g. nostalgic recognition of a favourite song on the radio while driving a car, frustration directed at the music at the shops, joy while listening to an excellent performance at an evening concert, a sad mood created by the soundtrack of a late night movie) (Juslin and Sloboda 3). The goal of this section is to describe how the music from major tonalities influence human emotions. To sum up the affects of major tonality on human emotions is the results of David Hurons, author of Sweet Anticipation, experiment on the feeling evoked from listening to major scale degrees. Huron conducted his experiment by asking ten experienced Western-cultured musicians to describe the emotions they incorporate with different scale degrees from the major key. All ten musicians were given the following instructions: For each of the following scale degrees describe as best you can the distinctive quality or character of that tone. Describe how the tone makes you feel in as much detail as possible. Imagine the tones for the major key only. Please think of pitches rather than chords (Huron 144). The table below is the result of Hurons responses as displayed in his book Sweet Anticipation. Scale Tone Common Descriptors Sample Responses Tonic Stable, pleasure, home, contentment Stable, extremely satisfying, centered, foundational, solid, resolved, strong Raised tonic Strong, upward, bold Edgy, unstable, uncertain, upwardly, mobile, mildly precarious Lowered supertonic Surprise, abruptness, pause Somewhat dark, a sense of almost inevitable further descent, murky, unexpected richness, mild surprise Supertonic Solid, movement, resolve Hanging, dangling, transitory, moderate expectancy of more to come, part of a flow Raised supertonic Longing, unstable Needling, moderately harsh, jarring, unstable, off balance Mediant Bright, love, warmth, beauty Light, lifted, bright, point of many possible departures, yet also strongly restful, peaceful and calm Subdominant descending Akward, tentative, strong sense of being unfinished, Now what? no clear expectation of future, hanging feeling, would be happy to fall by half step Raised subdominant Intentional, motivated Moderately anxious, interrupted flow to dominant, somewhat curious about possibilities, fluidity, transitory Dominant Strong, muscular, balance, possibility, pleasant Strong, towering, height, sense of looking down from a tall building and being comfortable, but knowing youll eventually take to elevator back to the street level Raised dominant Leading, aspiring Leading to something, sense of implication, unfinished, leaning, mildly uncomfortable Submediant Balance, open, lightness Airy and open, temporary suspendedness, neutral, evokes mild curiosity in regard to direction Subtonic Falling, lightness, drifting downward, shifting Heavy, like walking with a limp, unexpected, open new possibilities, sheds a new light on things Leading tone Unstable, pointing, restless Sense of inevitably, highly unstable, uncomfortable, squirmy, itching, restless Hurons table provides direct and professional examples of emotions accompanied by scale degrees in the major key, now the question is what links these emotions to these particular scale degrees? Huron clusters the results into seven categories of the responses he received, certainty/ uncertainty, tendency, completion, mobility, stability, power and emotion (Huron 163). The certainty/ uncertainty category is the easiest to explain through statistical properties of music. Two scale tones were described as unexpected, surprising or abrupt- the lowered supertonic and the subtonic pitches (Huron 163). Because the supertonic and subtonic pitches appear the least out of all the scale tones the feeling of surprise or abruptness is normal. The category tendency describes the scale tones level of continuation, in other words, the tones ability to carry on with the melody or song at hand. The raised dominant and the leading tone were both described with words associated with tending or leading, -both tones that are statistically limited in their possible continuation tones (Huron 163). The completion category can also be described using statistical properties of music with relevance to the tonic and mediant pitches. Both pitches were described as restful indicating the pitches connection to the end or closure of musical phrases, allowing the listener to feel at rest or home-like. The fourth category, mobility, involves the supertonic and subtonic pitch. The supertonic was depicted as modern expectancy of more to come and the subtonic as like walking with a limp. Both pitches portray the act of moving but do not hold the same leading value as the tonic. The category of power, however, can not be easily described through the statistical properties of music. The raised tonic and dominant pitches were connected with words like jarring and harsh, creating the effect of power to the listener. The last category Huron describes is emotion. Terms like pleasure, beauty, and warmth, love, bright and pleasant are used to describe the tonic, mediant and dominant pitches. Negative hedonic terms like harsh, jarring, uncomfortable, and anxious were applied to tones such as the raised supertonic, the raised subdominant and the raised dominant (Huron 164). As made apparent from the table, positive emotions seem connected to frequently occurring tones with closure (Huron 164). A peculiar fact about tonality is that different tones can suggest different and specific emotions. Even a tone in one given context can have a completely different effect in another context. There are several factors attributed to why scale degrees in the major scale cause the listener to feel a variety of emotions, one of them being the predictability of a tone. When a tone has a high rate of predictability, the experience for the listener is more positive The most predictable tones and tone sequences tend to be experienced as the most pleasant- especially if listeners are not consciously aware of the high predictability (Huron 173). The most predictable structural feature in music is cadences. Cadences are the place of rest in a musical phrase. A cadence can either end in the middle of a melody, called an inconclusive cadence, causing the ending to feel dissonant. Meanwhile, a cadence can also end at the end of a melody, creating a consonant ending call a conclusive cadence. Music theorists have long observed that cadences tend to be organized in a stereotypical fashion. It is not simply the final note of the cadence that is predictable; the final note is often approached in a characteristic of formulaic manner (Huron 154). Cadences, however are not the only feature that increase the feeling of uncertainty Another feature is the increase in uncertainty that commonly follows after the closure point (Huron 156). So not only is there high predictability before the cadence but after as well. Listeners are more apt to forebode predictability with points of disruption or closure. Music in Silent Movies (To be changed) Silent Movies In todays movies there is barely ever a silent moment. For example, while actors are walking down the street multiple sounds can be heard: the actors dialogue, the sound of footsteps, cars screeching down the road, birds chirping, etc. There is constant noise in current movies, never allowing for one second of silence. In 1890s to the late 1920s silent films were prominent among towns and cities in the United States. Although they are called silent movies, they are far from silent. Characteristics of silent films include: little or no dialogue (if there was dialogue it was written in pamphlets and given to the audience), usually black and white, live orchestras and sometimes live narrators or actors. Because there was no recorded dialogue, silent films relied heavily on the acting of actors and the music to set the mood and tone for the film. Most actors were required to over act to be able to convey the emotions across the camera without verbal help. Actors like Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Clara Bow, and Blanche Sweet were all prominent in silent films and were used to portray the emotions the audience longed for. Genres of silent films include comedies, westerns, horror, science fiction, documentaries, series, animates, epics and experimental films. Like the actors in silent films, music played an essential role in this movie era, As silent cinema developed, and especially after c.1912, music came to play a crucial role in shaping and conditioning the viewers response to moving pictures (Cooke 5). Musicians were needed to write scores for the films that would effect peoples emotions the same way words would. The music was needed to take the audience through the story emotionally, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..music, by its very physical presence, created a sense of three-dimensionality singularly lacking in the projected image: while the film was projected from the rear of the hall to the screen at the front, so music played at the front was projected backwards over the audience and through a kind of transference or slippage between sound and image, the depth created by the sound is transferred to the flat surface image (Kalinak 1992, 44). (Cooke 6). Silent films were seen as an art form that had never been tried before. It was new technology that everyone was fascinated in learning and perfecting The silent era was a period of immense creativity, and there seems to be no end to its surprises (Brownlow XI). Silent films have been and will be longed cherished as timeless classics. Unfortunately, ninety percent of the films made during the silent era have disintegrated due to the use of nitrate film (Scorsese IX). Organizations like the National Film Registry and the Library of Congress work to preserve these movies and prevent any further losses. Charlie Chaplin As stated previously, Charlie Chaplin was a famous actor and director of silent films. Charlie Chaplin was born on April 16, 1889 in London, England. Charlie was born into fame, both his parents being renowned vocalists and actors. Appearing in small rolls for films like The Eight Lancashire Kids and Sherlock Holmes, Chaplin began his career before the age of fourteen I went home on the bus dazed with happiness, and began to get the full realization of what happened to me. I had suddenly left behind a like of poverty and was entering a long desired dream-a dream my mother had often spoken about, had reveled in. I was to become an actor! (Chaplin 78). Chaplin continued his career through vaudeville, which brought him to the United States where in 1913 he signed with the Keystone Film Company, making thirty-five films. From 1915 on, Chaplin directed his own movies and the popularity of his baggy-trousered tramp character earned him a million-dollar contract with First National in 1917 (Cooke 27). While working under First National, Chaplin made the films Shoulder Arms in 1918, The Kid in 1921 and The Pilgrim in 1923. In his later years, Chaplin focused away from directing and dabbled in music, sports and writing. Charlie Chaplin was a self-taught musician and wrote music for many of his films, for example Sing a Song, Eternally and With You Dear in Bombay. Chaplin also authored four books: My Autobiography, My Trip Abroad, A Comedian Sees the World and My Life in Pictures. Charlie Chaplin died Christmas day in 1977 at the age of seventy-eight. Over Charlie Chaplins career he was able to convey to the audience any character he wished Chaplins range of characters was extraordinary: he could be a waiter, a down-and-outer turned cop, a hapless immigrant, a vagrant violinist, a soldier- all with equal conviction (Kobel 59). Being the chameleon that Chaplin was, he spoke to the audience through his characters; appealing to peoples emotions and desires. (More sources and information to be added) How Major Tonalitys Effect on Human Emotion is used in Chaplins Movie

Effective Use of Dialogue in All the Pretty Horses Essay -- Pretty Ho

Effective Use of Dialogue in All the Pretty Horses All the Pretty Horses, by Cormac McCarthy, is, among other things, an exploration of its main character, John Grady Cole. The author chooses words carefully and sparingly when creating dialogue for Cole. In doing so, McCarthy creates poetic effects and rich meaning from limited verbiage. This novelist lets his readers get to know his main character largely through dialogue instead of through direct description. In this way, readers find the techniques used by McCarthy similar to those used by Ernest Hemingway in many of his books and short stories. Like the dialogue of Hemingway's protagonists, Cole's speech is sparse, but it is indicative of a great deal of meaning. In Cole's brief discourse, wise readers can find many individuality indicators that help us to understand this stoic character. The first verbal exchange of this novel only requires 17 words of Cole. The first twelve words tell us a great deal considering the limited number of words used: I appreciate you lighting the candle, he said. Como? La candela. La vela. (4) On the first line of Cole's dialogue, he shows his appreciation of a kindness done for him. This act suggests some goodness in his character. This sentence is in English. The person speaking with Cole in this scene replies in Spanish, and we find that our protagonist is at least bilingual in the next line when he replies to the other speaker in Spanish. The fact that Cole knows two different Spanish words for candle suggests a more extensive understanding of his second language. Readers will find that this is not the only example of individuality indicators expressed in Cole's speech. McCarth... ...r He decides" (60). John Grady Cole clearly does not state that the end of the world, or anything about the end of the world, will be effected by anything he does. Cole's God is in charge. Some readers may judge by word-count that Cole doesn't say very much in this novel, but such is not the case. Cormac McCarthy's protagonist, John Grady Cole, tells us a great deal about himself through his dialogue. The author of this book, like many contemporary writers, expects a lot of his readers, and rewards close examinations of his work with deep insights about his characters. The near-poetic density of the language of John Grady Cole helps the author to speak volumes without having to beat the reader over the head with obvious conclusions. "Evocal to the intelligent alone--for the rest they need interpreters." --Motto Pindar, Olympian Odes, 2:85-6

Revenue Determination: Pricing and Contracting Essays -- Business Reve

Over the last twenty years health care prices for the general public, because of this continuous rise in prices hospitals and health care facilities have given much attention to improving their communication of prices to the public. Most people of the general public are unaware that hospital costs and hospital prices are two different things. Hospital cost is the dollar amount the hospital pays in order to provide patient care. Hospital price is the dollar amount designated to the specific procedures performed in order to provide said â€Å"patient care†. This dollar amount is what the hospital bills the insurance company and/or the patient for their care (Cleverly & Cameron 2007). It is important for health care facilities and hospitals alike to provide a sense of reasonableness within their bills so that their patrons do not get the feeling that they are being â€Å"ripped off†. Many people feel that the reason their health care bills are so high is because hospital s feel they can charge whatever they want for a product people have to have. In general, sick people will not turn down a life saving treatment because it is too expensive, because the health care industry is aware of this, they charge whatever price they can get away with, like charging the patient’s insurance three times the base price (Cleverly & Cameron 2007). What the general public always seems to overlook is the fact that even hospitals need to turn a profit in order to keep their doors open and keep providing genuinely good health care to their patients. There are three generic factors that influence the way any firm, including health care facilities influence their pricing. These three factors are, the desired net income of the firm, the firm’s competitive positio... ...They are held to â€Å"reasonableness of charges† and it is important that the public knows the facts before speaking out against their local hospital. Health care costs money, therefore like any business hospitals must charge for their services, plain and simple. Works Cited Devers, K, Casalino, L, Rudell, L, Stoddard, J, Brewster, L, & Lake, T. (2003). Hospitals negotiating leverage with health plans: how and why has it changed? Health Services Research, 38(1), 419-446. Cleverley, W. O., & Cameron, A. E. (2007) Essentials of health care finance. Mississauga, Canada: Jones & Bartlett Long, R. (2002). Long: financial turnaround focuses on revenue cycle, managed care contracts - executive insights - ronald r. long, outgoing chairman of healthcare financial management association national board of directors - interview. Healthcare Financial Management

Essay on Role of Women in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart :: Things Fall Apart essays

Women in Things Fall Apart The position and image of women in Things Fall Apart is an important topic. Unfortunately, people have not paid much attention to it beyond going along with the assumption that this novel presents women as a sadly oppressed group with no power. This assumption may appear to be right, but there is much more to think about. Women in Things Fall Apart are the primary educators of children. Through story telling and other forms of discourse, they educate and socialize the children, inspiring in them intellectual curiosity about social values, relationships, and the human condition. The stories the women tell also develop the artistic consciousness of the children, in addition to entertaining them. The women bear children, cook and take care of the household in many other ways. Through their labor, they are an important pillar of the society. The presence of Chielo, the priestess in Things Fall Apart is instructive. She is a spiritual leader, whose authority is unquestioned. Grace Okafor comments on the Igbo view of women's ritualistic power: The ritualistic function of women emanated from belief in the ritual essence of women as progenitors of the society. The idea is that women know the secret of life since they are the source of life. Because of their biological function in the life-giving process, the society looks on them to safeguard life. Thus, it is the biological role of women that influenced belief in their power. (Okafor, 9-10) There is a memorable question that old Uchendu asks, which emphasizes the position of women in Things Fall Apart in a dramatic way: Can you tell me, Okonkwo, why it is that one of the commonest names we give to our children is Nneka, or "Mother is Supreme"? We all know that a man is the head of the family and his wives do his bidding. A child belongs to its father and his family and not to its mother and her family.

Creative writing Belonging

His bony elbow protruded from beneath a thin brown layer of skin, its leathery texture coated with blistering sweat sparkled underneath the unmerciful sun as he leant against his cab. We exchanged glances and spoke in native tongues. As he spoke his skeletal fingers flick the sweat soaked hair from his eyes. Pointed towards the trunk and flung my Pravda luggage beneath the hood. He turned on the radio to a soft Vietnamese melody and headed towards my grandmother's home.I sat in the back, watched the passing sceneries In an alarm- conditioned cab as if they were a movie. I watched as the pale clouds enveloped the sky, engulfed the sun and swallowed my everyday worries. Below on the grassy paddocks kids aged around 6-7, with bent backs and lifted buttocks, worked for their daily meals, knees deep in muddy water, fingers groping pitifully against the blood sucking leeches. Their ‘among la', straw hats, hung over their eyes, their dark pupils dilated and fingers numbed at each plun ge they made Into the murky water.As the driver pulled over at a gas station, got out and headed towards one of the teenage rockers an old man limping with a twisted leg, held raffle tickets In one hand while the other hung mutilated and broken by his side. He begged and begged with a cracked voice choking on each word that sipped from his lips, â€Å"Plea, please I beg of you. Leap me, MME poor. I have nothing. † HIS elongated fingers slipped through the window and begged for money. I stared at his desperation In disbelief, and handed over 100,000 dung, five dollars Australian money.He bowed and bowed as he walked off, glancing back with thanks In his eyes. As he left, more and more beggars started to crowd the car, In pure panic I rolled up my window and watched In disgust as they slammed and rocked the car begging for money. They were Like zombies In an apocalypse. I hate this. I hate this place. I held both hands over my ears, shut my eyes and started humming. The driver emerged from the crowd and made his way towards the front seat. We drove off leaving the Image of poverty behind us. The driver turned and called out to me.HIS deep vibrant voice contrasted against his outward appearance, he tapped me and told me that we had arrived. The vivacious azure colored wall winked at me, welcoming me through the door. There grandmother stood with open arms, she brushed back my fringe and gave me a warm reassuring kiss that wiped away my Jet lag and provided me with the comfort that I missed. The warm embrace made me forget the poverty that was Just on the other side of the wall. It made me realism that even If I worried about the poverty that existed outside, I could do nothing to help It.And soon the worry had disappeared. Nothing but the lingering warmth remained. Grandmother's home. I sat in the back, watched the passing sceneries in an air- dilated and fingers numbed at each plunge they made into the murky water. As the workers an old man limping with a twisted leg, held raffle tickets in one hand while you. Leap me, MME poor. I have nothing. † His elongated fingers slipped through the window and begged for money. I stared at his desperation in disbelief, and he walked off, glancing back with thanks in his eyes.As he left, more and more gears started to crowd the car, in pure panic I rolled up my window and watched in disgust as they slammed and rocked the car begging for money. They were like zombies in an apocalypse. I hate this. I hate this place. Made his way towards the front seat. We drove off leaving the image of poverty behind us. The driver turned and called out to me. His deep vibrant voice contrasted other side of the wall. It made me realism that even if I worried about the poverty that existed outside, I could do nothing to help it. And soon the worry had disappeared.

Necessary Convergence Communication Essay

A Theory of Dyadic Social Interaction and Meanings Michelle Miller-Day In this paper, the author proposed and describes a theory of the social construction of meaning in dyadic communicative interaction. The author argues that necessary convergence communication is a theoretical framework useful for explaining how power may influence the process of meaning construction in interpersonal communication. This essay describes the features of this theoretical framework and provides theoretical suppositions for future empirical testing. Child:Mom, look at the blue package! Mother: It’s not blue, it’s teal. Child:It looks like blue to me. Mother: It’s not though. It’s got green in it too, so it’s teal. Later that day Friend: Oh, that’s a pretty package. The blue matches your shirt. Child:It’s not blue, it’s teal. To many of us this scene is not unusual. Children often learn from elders what any given symbol â€Å"means† and once children learn these meanings they incorporate them into their cognitive schemata. According to Piaget’s (1972, 1954) theory of cognitive development, from approximately ages 4-7 children are in an intuitive phase where they can grasp logical concepts, but reality is not yet firm and is often dictated by authority figures. The role of authority figures to shape constructions of reality certainly does not end in childhood. Social constructionists such as Berger and Luckmann (1966) argue that individuals â€Å"together produce a human environment, with the totality of its socio-cultural and psychological formations and understandings; social meanings are a human product â€Å"(p. 52). It is not unusual, say, for an abusive romantic partner to convince his or her partner that the abuse is deserved or symbolic of care or even love. The dyadic construction of acts of abuse as signifying love or care may not e clearly understood by others outside the relational dyad, yet perceptions of abusive behavior as acts of love are common in abusive interpersonal relationships, along with sacrificing one’s own interpretation of events so as not to lose the affection of the partner (Woods, 1999). In fact, in a recent episode of the popular television show Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (Denoon & Platt, 2004) a teenager was placed in foster care due to a mother’s complete and utter dominance over t he child, with the episode focusing on the control the mother had over how her offspring interpreted the world around him. The psychologist in the episode did not have a name for this process of maternal domination, but compared the teenager to a â€Å"puppet,† merely appropriating his mother’s interpretations of the world out of fear; the fear of losing her love, protection and their relational structure. Although this essay does not focus on children or abusive relationships specifically, it outlines a theory addressing the social construction of meanings in dyadic communicative interaction wherein there is disequilibrium between members in that process. Berger (2005), in his review of the interpersonal communication up until the 21st century, pointed out that very few interpersonal communication scholars have developed theories addressing this central tenet of communication –meaning. His review argued that for the field to move forward interpersonal communication researchers should look more at interaction routines and the process of meaning-making between interactants. Around the same time as this review was being written, Koerner and Fitzpatrick (2002) published an article in Communication Theory arguing for a similar need for research examining intersubjectivity, meaning, and interactivity in the area of family communication. They argued the following: â€Å"†¦ a complete explication of family communication needs to consider both intersubjectivity and interactivity (Fitzpatrick & Ritchie, 1993). Intersubjectivity refers to the sharing of cognitions among participants in a communication event, whereas interactivity refers to the degree to which the symbol creation and interpretation are linked. ,Interactivity refers to the way that a family maintains its own structure through patterns of family members’ responses to each other’s communicative acts† (p. 73, Koerner & Fitzpatrick, 2002). Correspondingly, Miller-Day (2004) also presented a Necessary Convergence Communication (NCC) theory which focused on both intersubjectivi ty and interactivity in family member interactions, while addressing issues of power and dominance involved in the process of meaning-making between communicators. At this junction, in response to these calls for theoretical development in the area of meaning construction and dyadic social interaction in the fields of interpersonal and family communication, and building on the ideas introduced by Koerner and Fitzpatrick (2002), this essay will briefly review the original ideas of Miller-Day’s (2004) Necessary Convergence Communication (NCC) theory, elaborate on them, and then discuss how this framework might be a workable mid-range theory to assist communication scholars understand how the construct of power or dominance may influence the meaning construction process in interpersonal communication. A theory is a lens through which to examine human interaction and theories have four functions–description, explanation, prediction, and change (Griffin, 2000; Littlejohn & Foss, 2005). The foundation of a theory is description and as Wood (2004) points out, â€Å"before we can figure out how something works, we must describe it† (p. 32). Therefore, the first task of building new theory is to describe its features. This essay provides a description of necessary convergence communication and identifies specific features that may be empirically tested. An Introduction to Necessary Convergence Communication Miller-Day (2004) argued that necessary convergence is a form of intersubjectivity that occurs during a pattern of interactivity when one communicator is dominant and the other submissive. When convergence of meaning occurs, meaning coordination tends to be coercive rather than cooperative with the dominant partner’s interpretive frame privileged over the submissive partner’s, leading to unequal contributions to the process of meaning coordination. Author Ayn Rand (1993) referred to this type of process in her novel The Fountainhead. Rand argued that some individuals tend to be â€Å"second-handers†Ã¢â‚¬â€people who don’t judge for themselves, who just repeat what others close to them say, embrace it, and make it their own. Miller-Day’s (2004) argument suggests that when the relational schema for the submissive partner is based on conditional regard—that is, she or he believes that acceptance in the relationship (e. g. , receipt of emotional resources) is contingent on meaning convergence; the submissive partner will converge with the dominant partner’s meanings for relational maintenance purposes. As discovered in Miller-Day’s family communication research (2004) and Miller (1995) and illustrated in the Law and Order episode mentioned earlier in this essay, not to converge with a dominant partner’s interpretation of symbols or events in any transaction would risk already precarious acceptance and approval in the relationship. An interpretive frame is defined here as cognitive structure that contains mental representations of meanings; the process of constructing meaning activates interpretive frames. Necessary infers that convergence is perceived as essential to achieving a certain result, and convergence indicates a tendency toward one point (Miller-Day, 2004). Thus, to obtain relational approval and avoid rejection, the submissive partner will accommodate the dominant partner by assimilating his or her interpretive frame. Within this model, convergence is relationally adaptive. This introduction to NCC as a theoretical framework offers an overview. But, to fully understand how this theory may be applied more generally to interpersonal relationships, I will elaborate on this theoretical framework, present the assumptions linked to it, describe its characteristics, and provide some theoretical statements for empirical testing. A-Priori Theoretical Assumptions Communication Is an Emergent, Creative Activity through Which Meanings are Coordinated Via Interpretive Schemata People approach the world through processes of interpretation. As human social animals we are in a constant state of interpreting and managing meanings, and interpreting meanings is an interdependent process. The assumption is that meanings are not inherent in objects, but instead arises out of social interaction. During social interaction, meanings are coordinated through interpretive schemata—mental structures consisting of organized knowledge about relationships. Interpretive schemata represent accumulated knowledge—the sum of past experiences—which help an individual interpret, understand, and predict the outcomes of interactions with others (Burleson, Metts, ; Kirch, 2000; Cragan ; Shields, 1998; Koerner ; Fitzpatrick, 2002). Moreover, interpretive schemata include expectations about what should happen in a given situation and serve to guide behavior. Interpretive schemata specific to relationships—relationship schemata—influence the â€Å"encoding and decoding of information, the inferences and evaluations people make †¦ and ultimately their interpersonal behavior† in relationships (Koerner ; Fitzpatrick, 2002, p. 80). This assumption presumes that the process of â€Å"making meaning† activates interpretive frames. Communicators then coordinate their meaning systems as filtered through these frames and then negotiate agreement. Understanding between the members builds intersubjectivity and hopefully leads to consensus (Crotty, 1998; Solomon, Dillard, ; Anderson, 2002). Implicit in this assumption are claims of coordination and negotiation. Coordination implies a state of equal rank, equal power, and harmonious order, whereas negotiation suggests that communicators confer with one another in order to reach an agreement. Coordination involves collaboration of all communicating partners. Communication Enacts Relationships The state of being in a â€Å"relationship† is inherently a communication process and must be understood as a series of transactions in which messages are exchanged. Relationships are formed across repeated transactions, with each new transact adding new information to the one that came before, building a cumulative database of information about the relationship (Burleson et al. 2000; Duck, 1992; Guerrero, Anderson, ; Afifi, 2001). Transactions are units of interaction affecting both interactants and carrying commentary on the interactant’s relationship. As Watzlawick, Beavin, and Jackson (1967) pointed out, each message (both verbal and nonverbal) carries information at two levels—the content level and the relationship level. The relationship level enacts the current state of the relationship and provides information about how the communicators see each other, t hemselves, and their relationship. Communicative Transactions in Close Personal Relationships Have Implications for Personal and Relational Identities Relational members encode and decode information about themselves as well as for their partner, extrapolating this information to the relational unit (Aron ; Aron, 1986). Within this framework, the self is conceptualized as inseparable from dynamic interaction, with each transaction contributing to both self- and relational knowledge. Early work by Mead (1934) identified the centrality of essage exchange in personal identity management. More recent work in relational communication points out that both personal and relational identities are cocreated communicatively within the context of relationship (Wilmot, 1995). Personal identity development is really the unfolding of the self while retaining relational ties; identities are constituted and managed through relationships, not to their exclusion (Adams ; Marshall, 1996). Relational Culture Shapes Interpretive/Relational Schemata Relational cultures consist of shared meaning systems, routinized patterns of interaction, and norms that structure members’ roles and behaviors (Wood, 2000). These cultural norms shape relational schemata (Koerner ;Fitzpatrick, 2002), and these schemata are socialized across the developmental trajectory of the relationship. Socialization involves the â€Å"social and communicative processes through which cultural knowledge, resources and practices are made available and internalized† by cultural members (Burleson et al. , 2000, p. 35). As Entman (1993) demonstrated, culture is the stock of commonly evoked interpretive schemata and culture might be defined as the â€Å"empirically demonstrable set of common interpretive frames exhibited in the discourse and thinking of most people in a relationship† (p. 53). Relational schemata are the mental structures that are socialized within a relational culture, organize knowledge about relationships, and are used to process information relevant to these relationships. Therefore, relational cultures will share common schemata and should be reflected in the communication practices of relational members. Interpersonal Scripts Emerge From Relational Schemata Scripts are one form of communication practice enacted within relationships that emerge from relational schemata (Koerner ; Fitzpatrick, 2002). Relational scripts direct interaction, exemplify relational work, and dictate normative ways of issuing directives and responses. Scripted interactions are often routine, habituated, and overlearned through repetitive practice in the family culture (Sillars, 1995); however, these scripts are useful in directing the â€Å"typical† ways in which an interaction should be handled given the particular relational schema. When relational members become practiced in these roles and memorize their lines, these enactments become scripted. That is, partners may not think about their day-to-day ways of interacting with each other on a conscious level, but they may still tend to communicate in patterned ways with well-defined scripts that enact â€Å"appropriate† relational behavior. These a-priori assumptions are implicit in the theoretical framework of NCC. In summary, they presuppose that relational culture shapes partner’s knowledge of relationships; each partner’s accumulated knowledge of relationships helps her or him to coordinate meanings; patterned or scripted communication behavior emerges from relationship schemata; and this communication behavior is consequential for interpersonal relationships. Characteristics of Necessary Convergence Communication Necessary convergence communication can be captured by describing its three separate characteristics, equilibrium, weighted proportion of meaningfulness, and motivation, and two process dimensions, degree and chronicity (Miller-Day, 2004). These characteristics are illustrated in Fig. 1 and can be assessed in terms of their valence and intensity in any given interpersonal relationship. [Insert Figure 1 about here] Equilibrium When necessary convergence occurs, there tends to be disequilibrium in the relational coordination of meanings. Equilibrium refers to an equality of distribution; however when disequilibrium occurs, there is unequal power to determine meanings in interpersonal interaction. Power is a person’s ability to control valuable resources and is often tied to status. Any type of power such as expert power, legitimate power, or coercive power is relevant to equilibrium as long as the person is in control of resources considered valuable. Control of resources provide the potential for the exercise of power in most relationships, with resources being all knowledge, skills, emotions, words, actions, and materials that are at the disposal of the person. Given the distribution of resources within any specific interpersonal relationship, power might be evaluated by its outcome, which is dominance. Dominance refers to the degree to which a person can influence and impose their will on the other; its counterterm, submission, refers to the degree to which a person gives up influence or yields to the wishes of the other. I think it is important to keep in mind that dominance itself is determined by the submissive response of others. Moreover, as Burgoon, Johnson, and Koch (1998) pointed out, â€Å"While power enables the display of dominance, and dominant behavior may solidify power—though correlated—dominance and power are not interchangeable concepts† (p. 10). According to Miller-Day (2004), when NCC occurs the relational member who has higher status or more power in the relationship (e. g. , parent, teacher, boss, or romantic partner) would be dominant in imposing, rather than cooperatively negotiating, meaning in the relationship. Moreover, as one person’s power to determine meanings increases, the other person’s decreases, this then leads to an unstable situation in which the importance of one partner’s interpretive frame outweighs the partner’s. Weighted Proportion of Meaningfulness The second characteristic of necessary convergence occurs when one partner submits to the unequal distribution in the power to construct meanings in interaction. Dominance requires submission. Consequently, when a lower-status partner submits, she or he affords the dominant partner’s meanings more weight—more significance—in the transaction. Developmentally, as most individuals begin to acquire personal authority they naturally become differentiated from parents and others in their life, even as they remain emotionally connected (Nadien ; Denmark, 1999). However, as adults form unique relational cultures, they will develop new connections with others. Some times these relationships are purely social and require accommodation of meanings for social management purposes; for example, in the classroom where a professor does not encourage critical thinking but mandates rote memorization and resists any challenge of information. In this case, students are required to accommodate the professor’s meanings into his or her own understanding (and repeat that on the exam! ). Anyone who has ever been in a classroom with one of these instructors may empathize with students placed in a setting where there is a low tolerance for differentiation in thinking among members. But the case of relational partners where one partner is dominant in most realms of the relationships and the other submissive, there is both a social and emotional connection between partners. In this case, the dominant partner will typically closely monitor any behaviors that signify the submissive partner’s movement toward differentiation (uniqueness outside the relationship), regardless if emotional ties remain undisturbed. If the less powerful partner resists the imposition of meaning and challenges her partner’s construction of meaning in the dyadic interaction, then necessary convergence communication has not occurred. It is the absence of resistance –the convergence–that is a key feature of this kind of communication. According to NCC, the less powerful partner will be motivated to converge because he or she feels it is necessary. Motivation Motivation is a reason for action, an incentive. This theory argues that when there is a compelling reason for convergence, such as is to avoid undermining the relationship or to secure relational acceptance, there is increased motivation to converge with the higher-status partner. When acceptance in the relationship is perceived to be conditional on that convergence, then convergence is perceived as relationally adaptive and the lower-status partner is more likely to perceive convergence as necessary. Necessary convergence, then, might be viewed as a form of secondary control. According to Rosenberg (1990), â€Å"Secondary control is an attempt to accommodate to objective conditions in order to affect a more satisfying fit with those conditions† (p. 147). Although convergence tends not to be explicitly demanded, lower-status partners will perceive it as a condition for relational acceptance. Manipulation of resources in a relationship, such as support, regard, or inclusion, emerged as a significant contributor to asserting dominance in the family relationships observed by Miller-Day (2004). As a form of psychological control, higher-status family members offered and withheld these resources contingent on the convergence of the lower-status member. The manipulation of emotional resources, therefore, was used to assert psychological dominance with the provision or withdrawal of resources providing a compelling motivation for lower-status partner’s convergence. According to NCC, once convergence is perceived to be necessary, and one accommodates the dominant partner’s interpretive frame at the expense of one’s own, two additional characteristics become important when assessing necessary convergence: degree and chronicity. Process Dimensions Degree. The relative intensity or amount of convergence in any given dyadic interaction is important to the process of NCC. The following illustration captures different degrees of convergence. Example: An adult woman and a friend are talking. The friend comments that she likes the woman’s new hairstyle, pulled up on her head with a hair clip. The woman comments that she likes the style too. Soon the adult woman’s mother walks into the room, looks at her adult daughter, and with a tone of disapproval says, â€Å"What have you done to your hair? It looks awful† Under conditions of high convergence, the lower-status woman would change her hairstyle extensively as a result of her mother’s comment, converging with her mother’s interpretation that the style was indeed horrible and altering her original interpretation to â€Å"fit† more closely with her mother’s. If asked by another, she would explain that the hairstyle looked awful so she altered it. Under conditions of moderately high convergence, the lower-status woman would significantly change her hairstyle as a result of her mother’s comment, but just to please her mother or to reduce conflict. The lower-status woman would not alter her own interpretation to fit with her mother’s interpretation; she would merely accommodate the alternative interpretation. Under conditions of moderately low convergence, the lower-status woman might make minor alterations in the hairstyle to integrate both perceptions of what was attractive into one style. Finally, under conditions of low convergence, the lower-status woman might listen to her mother’s comment but keep the style anyway because she likes it. As Miller-Day (2004) comments, there are times when we all perceive that it is just easier, necessary, or politically astute to adjust our interpretations to others’ view of the world. However, when there is extensive accommodation and convergence, obliterating personal interpretative frames constitutive of self, this might negatively influence personal identity. Chronicity. Convergence may be chronic or the pattern of convergence may occur across time and contexts. When lower-status individuals experience repeated failures in negotiating meanings in transactions with a partner across time (e. . , across the life course) and contexts (e. g. , attitudes, values, behaviors), this may instill a generalized expectancy of learned helplessness and â€Å"giving in. † Miller-Day’s (2004) data revealed that women who chronically engaged in necessary convergence had an undefined sense of self and lower self-esteem than women who did not engage in convergence. When boundari es between individuals blur in personal relationships, identities may become undefined and convergence communication becomes the modus operandi. Piaget’s (1972) theory of cognitive development points out that in normal development, both assimilation and accommodation processes are used simultaneously and alternately throughout life. Assimilation being the process of using or transforming the environment so that it can be placed in preexisting cognitive structures and accommodation being the process of changing cognitive structures in order to accept something from the environment. Necessary convergence communication offers an explanation for those interactions where accommodation becomes the primary means of making sense of the world. Theoretical Suppositions of Necessary Convergence Whereas theoretical assumptions are claims already supported in the research literature, suppositions are considered true or existing but not yet proved. Miller-Day (2004) provided the groundwork for this theory development and I seek to build on that by offering the following suppositions about NCC. I believe these suppositions may provide the necessary building blocks for theory development and offer future directions for empirical testing. Supposition #1 Interactants with more power (e. g. expert, legitimate, reward) in a dyadic social interaction will exert more influence in the construction of meaning than interactants with less power. Coordination of meaning involves power and control and according to this theory meanings can be hijacked. When both partners share moderate levels of power in the relationship, it would be predicted that they would enjoy the equilibrium and co-construction of meaning–shared cognitions with a relatively high degree of match between symbol creation and interpretation. But most theories assume co-construction and equilibrium in sharing cognitions. According to NCC, we need to factor in power status of the interactants in the dyadic construction of meaning. Although studies exist that explore social stratification and power in terms of race, gender, and larger cultural hierarchies (see, e. g. , Altheide, 1995; Lyman, 1994), rarely do scholars explore interpersonal dominance and perceptions of status in their attempts to understand meaning construction. Supposition #2 Under conditions where there is disequilibrium—unequal power—in determining meanings in dyadic social interaction, both partners will afford the dominant partner’s meanings more significance. If one participant in the communication event is dominant in the dyad then it is predicted that connections between symbol and interpretations can be coerced, and the interpretations of the dominant partner are privileged in that communication event. Supposition #3 Converging with a higher-status partner’s assigned meanings will function to maintain the relational identity. The act of convergence is relationally adaptive. The act of convergence in any given interaction will serve to protect the entangled identity of the participants and function to maintain the relational status quo. Partners in dominant-submissive relationships will maintains their relational culture through this patterns of responding to each other’s communicative acts–by one requiring convergence and the other converging. Supposition #4 Among submissive partners, necessary convergence communication will be positively related to an undifferentiated self. Relationships demonstrate varying degrees of tolerance for intimacy and autonomy through interactions. In differentiated relationships partners are provided with autonomy, while maintaining respect and intimacy. In undifferentiated relationships boundaries are regulated, with high demands for connectedness, and ultimately impeding individual identity (Skowron ; Schmitt, 2003; Skowron, 2005). Supposition #5 The manipulation of emotional resources by the dominant partner in relationship with an undifferentiated partner will positively predict necessary convergence communication. It is posited that a communication partner who encourages emotional and psychological dependence through the manipulation of emotional resources (e. g. , love, acceptance) will also coerce a high degree of convergence in the communicative interaction. Respectively, a communication partner who is undifferentiated and submits to the dominant partner will perceive that convergence–or a shared interpretation–is necessary to maintain the relationship. Supposition #6 The more chronic and the greater the degree of convergence, the more likely the submissive partner will have a generalized expectancy of learned helplessness predicting increased risk for depression. The theory of learned helplessness (Seligman, 1975) offers a model to explain human depression in which apathy and submitting to more dominant others prevails, causing the person to fully rely on others. This can result when life experiences cause the individual to understand that their own cognitions are irrelevant. Summary This essay introduced necessary convergence communication as a theoretical framework to help explain how meanings can be hijacked by others in interpersonal relationships. Under certain conditions it is predicted that dominant members in interpersonal relationships may be able to control the coordination of meaning in the relationship, subverting the interpretations of the submissive communication partner. Outlining characteristics of NCC (equilibrium, weighted proportion of meaningfulness, and motivation), two process dimensions (degree and chronicity), and posing 6 testable suppositions about NCC, this essay argues that this mid-range theory may be useful in understanding intersubjectivity and interactivity in dyadic social interaction where one partner is dominant and the other submissive. Whether that partnership is interpersonal or relational, there are implications for this kind of communication in understanding interpersonal influence and possibly even mental health outcomes such as depression. Future Directions There are criteria by which theories are judged to be effective. According to Shaw and Costanzo (1970) and Wright (1998), the following criteria may be used for evaluating theories and future research should examine this theoretical framework to assess if it meets these criteria. First, there is explanatory power—do the suppositions of the NCC theoretical framework enable scholars to explain as much of the communication phenomenon as possible? Next, is the theoretical model parsimonious—does it contain as few suppositions as possible, is it as simple as it can be? Is NCC internally consistent, that is, do the suppositions contradict each other? Does NCC have heuristic potential; does it suggest hypotheses to be tested through additional research? Finally, does NCC promote new understanding and have societal value? This essay outlines the features of NCC and proposes suppositions for empirical testing. Future research should test these suppositions with the potential to falsify and/or delimit this theoretical framework.