World Wrestling Entertainment

WWE, Inc. The WWE is not just the biggest wrestling company in the United States, but it is also the biggest in the world. The company has gone about this by spreading the WWE name and logo all over the world through international expansion. The expansion of the WWE product into overseas market was more of a necessity considering the current situation of the wrestling industry in the United States. Linda McMahon, CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. outlined her reasoning behind the push to expand globally in a press conference held on August 23, 2004.The main reason being an increased demand for the WWE product abroad, as well as impressive attendance numbers when events were held internationally. Additionally, attendance at live events or house shows, were very low. Linda McMahon said that by providing more shows overseas to fans that normally do not have the chance to see the WWE live, they will be satisfying a need as well as covering for a declining market in the United St ates (wwecorporate. com 2011). Due to the increase in live events overseas, the WWE also hired more international staff members in order to handle and continue the expansion.Another aspect that helped the WWE expansion internationally is their television presence in many countries. On their corporate website, the WWE lists thirteen countries in which they have television deals. Included are the United Kingdom, Japan, France, Mexico, and others. Obviously, this is important because their push to increase live events overseas would not be successful if they did not have television deals in place. Otherwise, the people in these international markets would have no clue as to who the wrestlers are and no reason to want to pay money to see them live or purchase WWE products.The WWE also has licensing agreements with about 75 licensees worldwide. The licenses use the WWE logo and its trademarked wrestling characters on all types of products and merchandise. This licensing program has expan ded internationally to include the United Kingdom, Italy, India, Japan, South Africa, and Australia. (www. wwe,inc. com) World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. used horizontal integration in 2004 with the purchase of their rival, World Championship Wrestling. With the acquisition of World Championship Wrestling, it allowed World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. o be the only major wrestling company in North America. WWE had monopolized the wrestling industry. With World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. as the only big name in town, the wrestlers were in an awkward position. If the wrestlers were let go by the WWE or had a dispute with management over their contracts, their only alternatives would be to work for a much smaller company that could not match the kind of wages the WWE offered, or to find a new line of work. WWE Superstars do not have a union to represent them.The biggest asset in the acquisition of World Championship Wrestling wasn’t the company and all intellectual proper ty that went with it; rather it was the video tape library it possessed. The WWE went on to acquire the video tape libraries of other defunct promotions like the AWA, ECW, and Jim Crockett Promotions. Collecting a majority of the wrestling video tape library in existence gave the WWE a competitive advantage. Linda McMahon has publicly said that the video library â€Å"is a leading growth project for the company†.The library of video footage allowed them to test the waters of an on demand channel featuring all of the classic material. At her press conference on August 23, 2004, Linda McMahon said that the WWE 24/7 On Demand service is being counted on to provide the company a strong source of revenue in the future . The exciting news for fans of the WWE is that they have so much footage that only a portion of what they have now has been digitalized (November 4, 2010 – World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc). When Vince McMahon and Linda McMahon decided to buy out all other wrestling corporations they united the sport under their own belt and logo and gained all monetary compensations. When Linda McMahon decided to start WWE On Demand 24/7, the WWE, Inc. struck gold by making wrestling able to be seen overseas via cable networks. This globalized the following of WWE fans. Now merchandise created through the many forms such as music, merchandise, movies, pay per views and live events, and video tapes or DVDs could be sold anywhere in the world and be profited from WWE, Inc. , their suppliers, creators and merchandisers.WWE can have a show in any of these countries and have a sold out venue and also be welcomed into these poorer countries with open arms because of the job availability WWE created for them. WWE also sent venues overseas to support our troops, who were serving in the Iraq war, and this also established an emotional empathy type connection with some of WWE’s followers. Because the WWE, Inc. is such a huge corporate conglomerate it is made up of an extensive board of directors and an independent audit committee. Vincent Kennedy McMahon is the Chairman and the CEO of the WWE, Inc. The board is consists of mutual family members and loyal friends.George Barrios is the Chief Financial Officer and oversees the WWE’s financial, accounting and investor relations, strategies and their activities. Jim Connelly is the Senior Vice President of Consumer Products and oversees the WWE’s global licensing, home entertainment and book and magazine publishing’s. Kevin Dunn is the Executive Vice president of television productions and manages a state of the art television studio with 140 wrestlers and he also sits on the Board of Directors. Donna Goldsmith is the Chief Operating Officer, sits on the Board of Directors and is part of the Chief Executive Committee for the WWE.Brian Kalinowski is the Executive Vice President of all global digital media initiatives through web and mobile interactive technologies, content production and electronic commerce. John Laurinitis is Executive Vice President of talent relations and promotes all wrestlers appearances outside the venues. Stephanie McMahon is the Executive Vice President of Creative Development and Operations. Stephanie McMahon oversees the creative process for all television and pay per views as well as directing and producing WWE televised live events.Stephanie also oversees all aspects of other talent management, branding, booking live events, and marketing for the WWE, Inc. Stephanie McMahon is also the daughter of CEO and Chairman, Vince McMahon, and has been raised in this industry, including having her own wrestling persona. Andrew Whitaker is the Executive Vice President, International. Andrew is responsible for determining the strategic direction and revenues for the WWE, Inc. outside of the United States for all business units. Michelle D. Wilson is the Executive Vice President of Marketing and Integrated Brand Initiatives.Mic helle oversees the strategies and financing for pay per views, advertising, promotions for the WWE and its wrestlers, research and demography for the company to keep it innovative, all creative services deemed needed for the company to flourish, and maintains and scripts all public and government relations. Michelle also oversees the WWE’s integrated sales and sponsorship business (WWE,Inc Corporate. com). All of these people are the geniuses behind the success of this company. Without any one of them the company would struggle in that field. These people have served on this committee throughout the lifespan of the WWE.There are so many Vice Presidents and departments because the WWE is a national and international success with their hands in every means of entertainment, merchandising and promotions that are possible. Because each of these members has their own stakes in the business and independent audit committee of the board of directors is required to make sure that ever ything is running smoothly and within a budget. The independent audit committee consists of at least three directors. These directors can have no ties, directly or indirectly, with any board member, family member, worker, or wrestling persona of the WWE, Inc. o ensure that everything is maintained fairly and unprejudiced. With the auditors having no gain or stock in the WWE all audits are accurate and financially sound statements. The audit committee assists the board in overseeing: * The accounting and financial reporting practices of the WWE, Inc. * The audits of the WWE’s financial statements including the WWE’s internal controls and internal auditing functions * The reality and accuracy of the financial statements put out from the WWE, Inc. * The WWE’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements (www. wwe,inc. om) The WWE’s system of their disclosure controls and system of internal controls regarding finance, accounting, legal compliance and the ethics that the management and Board of Directors have established within the company. This company promotes corporate citizenship through many means but choose to call it corporate social responsibility instead. â€Å"WWE has a strong philosophy to give back to the communities and lives that we touch. † (WWE, Inc. corporate website page) The WWE carries its corporate citizenship or responsibilities by having a PG rating on all shows and at all venues to promote a family orientated atmosphere for all ages.WWE also is host to numerous charities and programs, such as literary programs to help children read, WWE in Your Corner, and WWE also contributes to the military members by hosting shows here and overseas to military members serving our country. WWE also implements types of programs for helping retired, current or want to be wrestlers. It seems here that the WWE does try to uphold laws and contributes back to everyone in one form or another. The WWE is so extensive that it is its own United States citizen and has even had members run for senate, like Linda McMahon, and governor, Jesse â€Å"The Body† Ventura.Some win, some lose, no different than when a wrestler enters the ring or the WWE trying its hand in the restaurant industry. Linda McMahon stepped down as CEO of the WWE, Inc. on September 16, 2009. Linda McMahon officially announced her candidacy to run for the United States Senate for Connecticut. During this time others in office put the WWE, Inc. in the spotlight for political tirades against Mrs. McMahon and her qualifications. The WWE headquarters is based out of Stamford, Connecticut and this is also where the McMahons live. On November 1, 2010, President Obama and his wife Michelle visited Stamford, Connecticut and Mrs.Obama paid a visit to the WWE headquarters. After the President left the WWE, Inc. was told they were under investigation for distributing merchandise near select polling locations. The Secretary of State for Connec ticut, Susan Bysiewcz, stated that if anyone turned out to the polls wearing any type of WWE merchandise, including a simple wrist band that the voters would be told to either remove it, cover it up or to go home and change and come back. The WWE, Inc. took this to federal court and won because there is no law on what attire a voter should wear to vote. (Time Magazine, November 2010).On November 8, 2010 Linda McMahon lost to Richard Blumenthal and says she feels that there was corruption in the way the polls were run. Linda McMahon contributed fifty million dollars to her own campaign in the senate race. Linda McMahon is not going to return to her position of CEO at WWE, Inc. but plans on running again for a political party in the future. With Linda not returning to WWE, Inc. this leaves Vince McMahon as the chairman and now the CEO of WWE, Inc. The community that surrounds WWE, Inc. stands behind the WWE for the majority being that the McMahons contributes too many charitable facto rs in the community.With the President and his wife visiting Stamford it opened up many economical doors in the community promoting tourism and the trickle effects from the tourism and notoriety of the situation. No matter what changes the United States goes through in our economy WWE, Inc. still sells out every wrestling venue and almost all merchandise with their logo on it is a top seller and carries high demand for the public. Vince McMahon has received deals with people like Walt Disney to lease his wrestlers, like Duane â€Å"The Rock† Johnson, to star in their movies.Billions of people worldwide have an avid and loyal following of the WWE. The WWE has reached many countries outside the United States through television airing and internet access. Once again WWE is sending a wrestling venue for Christmas to our troops to show their dedication and gratitude to the men and women serving our country. â€Å"This will be the first Christmas though that the WWE will take it t o the troops in the United States instead of flying to Iraq (www. wrestlezone. com)†. WWE, Inc. has gotten the four factors of the marketing mix down to a science and the right marketing team behind them to do so effectively.The market researchers for WWE seem to be highly into utilizing environmental scanning as well. The marketing researchers have studied all the factors, such as global, technological, social cultural, and economic. WWE, Inc. really has no competitive factors to study at the moment, because there is no other competition right now; therefore, WWE dominates the industry. It seems everything that the WWE has its logo on is in mass market production throughout the world. The WWE may have started out as niche marketing but it quickly grew into a mass frenzy. The WWE logo and name brand is now worldwide.Vince McMahon and his marketing research team are genius. They have definitely done their market segmentations to a science and have even made merchandise availabl e for the poor to be able to purchase their products. The demographic segmentation is analyzed before the WWE even enters an agreement to bring their show to that arena. Everywhere they have a show it is a sellout every time. With the WWE, Inc. branching into television, music, movie theaters, magazines, clothing, internet, and other merchandise they have extensively covered every means of technology to appeal to audiences and consumers.World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is committed to conducting its business fairly, honestly and in accordance with law. All officers, directors and other employees (collectively, including outside directors in their capacity as WWE directors, referred to herein as â€Å"employees†) should read this Code of Business Conduct carefully. This Code is not meant to be all inclusive, and in many cases, employees will be required to sign additional acknowledgement forms that they have read and understand various Company policies. www. wwe,inc. com) W WE, Inc is more extensive than what I thought it would be. This corporation is a citizen in itself that started as a small business and evolved into a worldwide corporation. I do not think that Vince McMahon ever imagined the take off and demand his company would acquire. Vince McMahon was smart enough to hire tech and business savvy individuals to help ensure that he stayed on top of the game. Without his Vice Presidents in each area, this ompany would not have been able to overtake the wrestling market and branch out into every form of marketing, selling, technical areas, and merchandising that the WWE has done. This corporation is definitely one of the best in the world. Everything it touches, besides the restaurant venue, has turned to complete profit. REFERENCES www. wrestlezone. com retrieved 5/31/12 www. wwe,inc. com retrieved 5/31/12 www. wwe,inc. com/corporate retrieved 5/31/2012 November 4, 2010 – World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. magazine Time Magazine, November 2010 http://graphjam. memebase. com/vote/page/1184/ retrieved 5/31/12

The Contemporary Life in Xijing, An Ancient Chinese City

In 1993 China was hit with an â€Å"event that caused a great literary and publishing earthquake†¦ † The Abandoned Capital hit bookstores in late July of 1993. This novel is Jia Pingwa†s graphic and sexual explicit insight on the contemporary life in Xijing, an ancient Chinese city. The novel never indicates time references but it is understood by readers that it is right after the Cultural Revolution. Jia is a well-known novelist that was famous for writing â€Å"pure literature. † So it was to everyone†s amazement that Jia wrote a novel that was so pornographic. The novel is about a middle-aged writer that engages in sexual immorality, deceit, and corruption. Many critics say it†s autobiographical but Jia denies all accusations. The Abandoned Capital was written in a way that Chinese readers have never seen before. During the Cultural Revolution self-indulgence was looked down upon, thus so was sexuality. The result of this was the ignorance of sexuality for the Chinese for years to come. To some, the sixty detailed sex-scenes in the novel were the first time they encountered sex. Jia, a peasant from the ancient capital of Xian, admits that he put the sexual content to keep readers interested but says his novel was really about the corruption of China. He further confesses that he got all his research from maopians, porn videos. Another reason for the shock from the novel was the fact that Jia had broken the three rules that they were so accustomed to by Chinese readers. 1) He downplayed the hero describing him as a â€Å"sexual pervert† with no power, no money, no influence and sex was the only way to escape his empty life. 2) He wrote explicitly about sex and 3) he did not offer a happy ending. Jia also said that he chose a writer as the main character because he knew them best. Not too many people see the novel†s true statement, which is the clear description of the â€Å"Chinese social system from the inside out. † Most critics see The Abandoned Capital as a novel with â€Å"unbearable vulgar sex scenes. † Yet I believe that bad press is always better than no press, and boy did Jia receive plenty of bad press. Actually the over all reception of the novel was pretty much fifty-fifty. Most of the elders and elite†s of China demanded if Jia was going to write about sex freely, why couldn†t he write it with some â€Å"beauty and depth. † Even Jia†s fellow writers poked at his writing saying â€Å"he wrote exactly the way he f***ed. † And then of course there are the feminists. They see the novel as an obvious â€Å"male chauvinistic† view of women. They say that in Jia†s eyes â€Å"women are playthings, having no business in life except being the object of male appreciation and pleasure. † They also added, â€Å"it†s as if Jia has never stepped into the twentieth century. Even the author of China Pop, Jiangying Zha comments on her distaste of the novel saying â€Å"all that dirt†¦ † As I said before, not everyone disliked the novel. Evident fans of the novel were merchants at local bookstands. The first print run of 480,000 copies was completely sold out within two months! By the end of 1993 the novel had sold over a million copies. The following summer rumors of a ban on the novel began going around. This of course gave the novel even more publicity and made Chinese readers even more curious. Other fans of the novel compared D. H. Lawrence†s Lady Chatterly†s Lover, which also contained sexual scenes, to Jia†s novel. One Beijing graduate student said reading both may cause a young man to masturbate but â€Å"with Lawrence he may feel a but ashamed of himself afterwards, but never with Jia! † And some bluntly say, â€Å"there is absolutely nothing perverse in this novel†s sex scenes. † A friend of Jiang adds that Jia is describing China†s current social system. With the â€Å"daily transactions of power, how people manipulate at all levels, the bribing, the networking, and the giving and receiving of favors. He further adds that people in the social system â€Å"know the invisible rules, and they know they can†t beat the system. They also know they can play along with this old game. † It is said that no other Chinese novelist has ever illustrated this picture so well as Jia. Another friend of Jiang†s is a business lawyer that agrees with the fact that The Abandoned Capital is the Chinese society in a â€Å"nutshell. † He even describes his encounters with taking advantage of the system. The Cultural Revolution left China with numerous changes. However, as noted earlier, the Cultural Revolution left China as uneducated about sex as a ten-year-old child. In the seventies sex and romance disappeared from Chinese arts and literature. During these times men and women stayed single while displaying interest only in the revolution. The children of the revolution grew up in a vacant environment. They were not taught sexual education like the U. S. Jiang herself had not learned about the birds and the bees until she was nineteen. It was so bad that movies with kissing scenes were censored for children. During the mid-eighties the reform years were in full swing. With it came the market of pornography. Guangdong, Fujian, and Hainan Island were the first mainland provinces to acquire the market. The flood of pornography astounded the Chinese government. There was nothing they could do to stop it. If they closed down one pornography ring a number of others would take its place. Every city and province in China has felt the effects of the flood of pornography. Some incidents include a television station worker that was so caught in his porno movie that he actually connected the wrong line and aired the movie to the entire city. Some companies award clients with porn videos. By far the most disgusting display is children under ten were among the audience in cinemas showing porn. The lack of sexual educational programs will just keep this industry booming. Where else will the Chinese â€Å"fill in the blank spot important to millions? † Some parts of the population watched their farm animals mate for their education. This led one couple to have â€Å"eight years of anal intercourse†! I believe without proper education on any subject leads to uninformed versions of that subject. Being a man I don†t totally think pornography is bad, but it shouldn†t be used for sexual education. Growing up in a Chinese family I know very well how the red children of the revolution felt. However, living in America, there were so many ways to be educated on sex. I myself learned the facts of life through television and friends. I also was privileged to receive sex education in high school. Taking sex ed really removed a lot of myths about sex for me. The times have changed and China has to change with it. China is always playing catch up to the rest of the world. Today sex is a freely talked about subject and China should realize this. Without proper sex education teenagers of China will be misled and probably endanger themselves. I believe Jia Pingwa didn†t write his novel to emphasize sex. I myself haven†t read the novel but I do truly believe that he wrote the fictional novel to describe his feelings toward the Chinese society today. Most bold writers are often misunderstood and this case is no different. Maybe living in America all my life has given me the freedom to think this way but if China would lighten up a little it would be only then the real learning begins.

Blood Promise Chapter Sixteen

Denis and his two unpromised friends, Artur and Lev, were ecstatic that I was going to be part of their posse. But if they expected me to share their crazy enthusiasm for reckless Strigoi hunting, they were about to be sorely disappointed. In fact, it didn't take long after I joined them before they realized that I was approaching the hunt very differently than they were. Denis's friend Lev had a car, and we took turns driving to Novosibirsk. The drive was about fifteen hours, and even though we stopped at a hotel for the night, it was still a lot of continuous time to be cooped up in a small space with three guys who couldn't stop talking about all the Strigoi they were going to kill. In particular, they kept trying to draw me out. They wanted to know about how many Strigoi I'd slain. They wanted to know what the battle at the Academy had been like. They wanted to know my methods. Anytime my mind turned to those topics, though, all I could think of was blood and grief. It was nothing I wanted to brag about, and it took about six hours on the road for them to finally figure out that they weren't going to get much information from me. Instead, they regaled me with tales of their own adventures. To be fair, they'd slain several Strigoi-but they'd lost a number of their friends, all of whom had been in their teens, like these guys. My experiences weren't that dissimilar; I'd lost friends too. My losses had been a result of being outnumbered, though. Denis's group's casualties seemed to have been more due to rushing in to without thinking. Indeed, their plan once we got to Novosibirsk wasn't really that solid. They reiterated that Strigoi liked to hunt at places that were crowded at night, like dance clubs, or in remote places like alleys, that made for easy pickings. No one noticed as much when people disappeared from those kinds of places. So Denis's plans mostly involved trolling those hot spots in the hopes that we'd run into Strigoi. My initial thought was to immediately ditch this group and strike out on my own. After all, my main goal had been to simply get to Novosibirsk. With everything I'd learned now, it seemed logical that Siberia's largest city would be the next best place to look. Then, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that jumping into the Strigoi scene alone would be as stupid as one of the unpromised gang's plans. I could use their backup. Plus, since I didn't actually know where Dimitri was yet, I had to come up with a method of getting some information. I'd need help for that. We made it to Novosibirsk at the end of the second day of driving. Despite hearing about its size, I hadn't imagined it would be anything like Moscow or Saint Petersburg. And true, it turned out to be not quite as large as they were, but it was still just as much a city, complete with skyscrapers, theaters, commuters, and the same beautiful architecture. We crashed with a friend of theirs who had an apartment downtown, a dhampir named Tamara. Her English wasn't very good, but from the sounds of it, she was another unpromised one and just as excited as everyone else to rid the world of Strigoi. She was a little older than the rest of us, which was why she had her own place, and was a cute brunette with freckles. It sounded as though she waited until whenever the guys came to town to hunt, which I took as a small blessing. At least she didn't go out alone. She seemed particularly excited to have another girl around, but like the others, she quickly picked up that I didn't share their enthusiasm. When our first night of Strigoi hunting came around, I finally stepped up into a leadership position. The sudden change in behavior startled them at first, but they soon listened with rapt attention, still caught up in my superstar reputation. â€Å"Okay,† I said, looking from face to face. We were in Tamara's tiny living room, sitting in a circle. â€Å"Here's how it's going to work. We're going to hit the nightclub scene as a group, patrolling it and the alleys behind it for-â€Å" â€Å"Wait,† interrupted Denis. â€Å"We usually split up.† â€Å"Which is why you get killed,† I snapped. â€Å"We're going as a group.† â€Å"Haven't you killed Strigoi by yourself, though?† asked Lev. He was the tallest of the group, with a long and lanky figure that was almost Moroi-like. â€Å"Yes, but I got lucky.† That, and I also just thought I was a better fighter than any of them. Call me arrogant, but I was a damned good guardian. Or near-guardian. â€Å"We'll do better with all five of us. When we find Strigoi, we've got to make sure we take care of them in an isolated place.† I hadn't forgotten Sydney's warnings. â€Å"But before we kill them, I need to talk to them. It'll be your job to restrain them.† â€Å"Why?† asked Denis. â€Å"What do you have to say to them?† â€Å"Actually, it's what they have to say to me. Look, it won't take long. And you'll get to make your kill in the end, so don't worry about it. But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This next part went against my grand plans, but I knew I had to say it. I wouldn't get them killed for the sake of my own quest. â€Å"If we get ourselves in a situation where you're trapped or in immediate danger, forget the talking and restraining. Kill. Save yourself.† Apparently, I seemed confident and badass enough that they decided to go along with whatever I said. Part of our plan involved going â€Å"undercover,† so to speak. Any Strigoi who was close or got a good enough look would immediately recognize us as dhampirs. It was important that we not attract any attention. We needed a Strigoi scanning for victims to pass right over us. We needed to look like other human club-goers. So we dressed the part, and I was a bit astonished at how well the guys cleaned up. Denis, crazy or not, was particularly good-looking, sharing the same dark gold hair and brown eyes that his brother Nikolai had. My few changes of clothes weren't quite up to partying standards, so Tamara delved into her wardrobe for me. She seemed to take a lot of delight in finding things for me to wear. We were actually similar in size, which was kind of amazing. With her tall, super-slim build, Lissa and I had never been able to share clothes. Tamara was my height and had a similar body type. She first offered me a short, tight dress that was so similar to the one Viktoria had worn that I just shook my head and handed it back. The memories of our argument still hurt, and I wasn't going to relive that night or in any way play blood whore dress-up. Instead, Tamara settled for dressing me in black jeans and a black tank top. I consented to hair and makeup too, and studying myself in the mirror, I had to admit she did a good job. As vain as it was, I liked looking good. I especially liked that the guys looked at me in a way that was admiring and respectful-but not like I was some piece of meat. Tamara offered me jewelry too, but the only thing I'd wear was the nazar around my neck. My stake required a jacket, but she found a sexy leather one that didn't take away from the rest of the outfit's appeal. Setting out around midnight, I couldn't help shaking my head. â€Å"We're the goddamned hottest vampire hunters ever,† I muttered. Denis led us to a club where they'd found Strigoi before. It was also apparently where one of their unpromised friends had been killed. It was in a seedy part of town, which I guess added to its appeal for Strigoi. A lot of the people there were middle- and upper-class young people, apparently drawn in by the â€Å"dangerous† aspect. If only they'd known just how dangerous it was. I'd made a lot of jokes to Dimitri about Russia and Eastern Europe being ten years behind in music, but when we entered, I discovered the ground-thumping techno song playing was something I'd heard in the U.S. just before leaving. The place was crowded and dark, with flashing lights that were actually a little annoying to dhampir eyes. Our night vision would adapt to the darkness and then be blasted when a strobe light kicked on. In this case, I didn't need my sight. My shadow-kissed senses didn't feel any Strigoi in the area. â€Å"Come on,† I said to the others. â€Å"Let's dance for a while and wait. There are no Strigoi nearby.† â€Å"How do you know?† asked Denis, staring at me in wonder. â€Å"I just do. Stay together.† Our little circle moved to the dance floor. It had been so long since I'd danced, and I was a bit surprised at how quickly I found myself getting into the rhythm. Part of me said I should have stayed ever vigilant, but my Strigoi alarm system would immediately snap me awake if any danger came. That nausea was kind of hard to ignore. But after an hour of dancing, no Strigoi had appeared. We left the dance floor and started circling the club's edges, then moved outside to sweep that area too. Nothing. â€Å"Is there another club nearby?† I asked. â€Å"Sure,† said Artur. He was stocky, with close-shaved hair and a ready smile. â€Å"A couple blocks over.† We followed him and found a similar scene: another secret club hidden in a run-down building. More flashing lights. More crowds. More pounding music. Disturbingly, what started to bother me first was the smell. That many people generated a lot of sweat. I had no doubt even the humans could smell it. To us, it was cloying. Tamara and I exchanged looks and wrinkled our noses, needing no words to convey our disgust. We moved to the dance floor again, and Lev started to leave to get a drink. I punched him in the arm. He exclaimed something in Russian that I recognized as a swear word. â€Å"What was that for?† he asked. â€Å"For being stupid! How do you expect to kill something that's twice as fast as you while drunk?† He shrugged, unconcerned, and I resisted the urge to hit him in the face this time. â€Å"One won't hurt. Besides, there aren't even any-â€Å" â€Å"Be quiet!† It was creeping over me, that weird stirring in my stomach. Forgetting my cover, I stopped dancing, scanning the crowd for the source. While I was relying on my senses to feel Strigoi, spotting them in the crowd was a bit harder. I took a few steps toward the entrance, and my nausea lessened. I moved toward the bar, and the feeling increased. â€Å"This way,† I told them. â€Å"Act like you're still into the music.† My tension was contagious, and I saw the anticipation sweep them-as well as a little fear. Good. Maybe they'd take this seriously. As we headed in the bar's direction, I tried to keep my body language oriented toward it, like I was seeking a drink. All the while, my eyes swept the crowd's periphery. There. I had him. A male Strigoi was standing off in a corner, his arm around a girl close to my age. In the dim lighting, he almost seemed attractive. I knew closer examination would reveal the deathly pale skin and red eyes that all Strigoi had. The girl might not have been able to see them in the darkened club, or the Strigoi might have been using compulsion on her. Probably both, judging from the smile on her face. Strigoi were able to compel others just as well as a spirit user like Lissa could. Better, even. Before our eyes, I saw the Strigoi lead the girl down a small, unnoticed hallway. At the end, I could just make out a glowing exit sign. At least, I presumed it was an exit sign. The letters were Cyrillic. â€Å"Any idea where that door goes?† I asked the others. The guys shrugged, and Denis repeated my question to Tamara. She answered back, and he translated. â€Å"There's a small alley out back where they keep trash. It's between this building and a factory. No one's usually there.† â€Å"Can we get to it by going around the club?† Denis waited for Tamara's response. â€Å"Yes. It's open on both sides.† â€Å"Perfect.† We hurried out of the club by the front door, and I divided our group into two. The plan was to come at the Strigoi from both sides and trap him in the middle-provided he and his victim were still out back. It was possible he could have led her elsewhere, but I thought it more likely he'd want to subdue her and get his blood right there, particularly if it was as deserted as Tamara said it usually was. I was right. Once my group had split off and peered around behind the club, I saw the Strigoi and the girl lurking in the shadow of a trash can. He was leaning over her, mouth near her neck, and I silently swore. They didn't waste any time. Hoping she was still alive, I came charging down the alley, the others on my heels. From the alley's other side, Denis and Lev also came running. As soon as he heard the first footfall, the Strigoi reacted instantly, his staggeringly fast reflexes kicking in. He immediately dropped the girl, and in the space of a heartbeat, he chose Denis and Lev over Artur, Tamara, and me. Not a bad strategy, really. There were only two of them. Because he was so fast, he probably hoped to incapacitate them quickly and then turn on us before we could flank him. And it almost worked. A powerful hit sent Lev flying. To my relief, a couple of trash cans blocked him from the building's wall. Hitting them wouldn't feel good, but if I had the choice, I'd rather hit metal cans than solid bricks. The Strigoi pounced on Denis next, but Denis proved remarkably fast. Unfairly, I'd assumed none of these unpromised had any real fighting skills. I should have known better. They'd had the same training as me; they just lacked discipline. Denis dodged the blow and struck out low, aiming for the Strigoi's legs. The hit landed, though it wasn't strong enough to knock him over. A flash of silver showed in Denis's hands, and he managed to partially swipe the Strigoi's cheek just before a backhanded slap knocked the dhampir into me. A cut like that wouldn't be lethal to the Strigoi, but the silver would hurt, and I heard him snarl. His fangs gleamed with saliva. I sidestepped Denis quickly enough that he didn't knock me over. Tamara grabbed his arm, holding him so that he wouldn't fall either. She was fast too and had barely steadied him before leaping up at the Strigoi. He swatted her away but didn't manage to hit her hard enough to push her far. Artur and I were on him by that point, our combined force knocking him against the wall. Still, he was stronger and the pinning was brief before he broke free. A responsible voice in my head-that sounded suspiciously like Dimitri's-warned me that that had been my window to kill him. It would have been the smart and safe thing to do. I'd had the opening, and my stake was in my hand. If my crazy interrogation plan failed, the others' deaths would be on my head. As one, Artur and I leapt out again. â€Å"Help us!† I yelled. Tamara threw herself against the Strigoi, landing a swift kick to the stomach as well. I could feel him starting to shake us off, but then Denis joined in too. Between the four of us, we wrestled the Strigoi down so that he lay back-first on the pavement. But the worst wasn't over. Keeping him down wasn't easy. He thrashed around with incredible strength, limbs twisting everywhere. I heaved myself up, trying to throw my body's weight across his torso while the others restrained his legs. Another set of hands joined us, and I looked up to see Lev lending his strength too. His lip was bleeding, but his face was determined. The Strigoi hadn't stopped moving, but I felt satisfied he wouldn't break away anytime soon, not with all five of us holding him. Shifting forward, I placed the point of my stake at his neck. It gave him pause, but he soon resumed his struggle. I leaned over his face. â€Å"Do you know Dimitri Belikov?† I demanded. He shouted something incomprehensible at me that didn't sound very friendly. I pressed the stake in harder and drew a long gash against his throat. He screamed in pain, pure evil and malice shining out from his eyes as he continued swearing in Russian. â€Å"Translate,† I demanded, not caring who did it. â€Å"What I said.† A moment later, Denis said something in Russian, presumably my question since I heard Dimitri's name in there. The Strigoi growled back a response, and Denis shook his head. â€Å"He says he isn't going to play games with us.† I took the stake and slashed at the Strigoi's face, widening the gash Denis had made earlier. Again, the Strigoi cried out, and I prayed club security wouldn't hear any of this. I gave him a smile filled with enough malice to match his own. â€Å"Tell him we're going to keep playing games with him until he talks. One way or another, he dies tonight. It's up to him whether it happens slowly or quickly.† I honestly couldn't believe those words had come out of my mouth. They were so harsh†¦ so, well, cruel. I'd never in my entire life expected to be torturing anyone, even a Strigoi. The Strigoi gave Denis's translation another defiant response, and so I kept on with the stake, making gashes and cuts that would have killed any human, Moroi, or dhampir. Finally, he shot off a string of words that didn't sound like his usual insults. Denis immediately translated. â€Å"He said he's never heard of anyone named that and that if Dimitri's a friend of yours, he'll be sure to kill him slowly and painfully.† I almost smiled at the Strigoi's last effort at defiance. The problem with my strategy here was that the Strigoi could be lying. I'd have no way of knowing. Something in his response made me think he wasn't. He'd sounded like he thought I was referring to a human or a dhampir, not a Strigoi. â€Å"He's useless then,† I said. I leaned back and glanced at Denis. â€Å"Go ahead and kill him.† It was what Denis had been dying to do. He didn't hesitate, his stake striking hard and swift through the Strigoi's heart. The frantic struggling stilled a moment later. The evil light faded from the red eyes. We stood up, and I saw my companions' faces watching me with apprehension and fear. â€Å"Rose,† asked Denis at last. â€Å"What are you hoping to-â€Å" â€Å"Never mind that,† I interrupted, moving over to the unconscious human girl's side. Kneeling down, I examined her neck. He'd bitten her, but not much blood had been taken. The wound was relatively small and bled only a little. She stirred slightly and moaned when I touched her, which I took as a good sign. Carefully, I dragged her away from the trash can and out into the light where she'd be most noticeable. The Strigoi, however, I dragged into as dark a place as I could, almost completely obscuring him. After that, I asked to borrow Denis's cell phone and dialed the number I'd kept crumpled in my pocket for the last week. After a couple of rings, Sydney answered in Russian. She sounded sleepy. â€Å"Sydney? This is Rose.† There was a slight pause. â€Å"Rose? What's going on?† â€Å"Are you back in Saint Petersburg?† â€Å"Yes†¦ where are you?† â€Å"Novosibirsk. Do you guys have agents here?† â€Å"Of course,† she said warily. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Mmm†¦ I've got something for you to clean up.† â€Å"Oh dear.† â€Å"Hey, at least I'm calling. And it's not like me ridding the world of another Strigoi is a bad thing. Besides, didn't you want me to let you know?† â€Å"Yes, yes. Where are you?† I put Denis on the phone briefly so that he could explain our specific location. He handed the phone back to me when he finished, and I told Sydney about the girl. â€Å"Is she seriously injured?† â€Å"Doesn't look like it,† I said. â€Å"What should we do?† â€Å"Leave her. The guy who's coming will make sure she's okay and doesn't go telling stories. He'll explain it when he gets there.† â€Å"Whoa, hey. I'm not going to be here when he arrives.† â€Å"Rose-â€Å" â€Å"I'm out of here,† I told her. â€Å"And I'd really appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone else that I called-say, like, Abe.† â€Å"Rose-â€Å" â€Å"Please, Sydney. Just don't tell. Or else†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I hesitated. â€Å"If you do, I'll stop calling when this happens. We're going to be taking down a few more.† God, what next? First torture, now threats. Worse, I was threatening someone I liked. Of course, I was lying. I understood why Sydney's group did what they did, and I wouldn't risk the exposure. She didn't know that, though, and I prayed she'd think I was just unstable enough to risk revealing us to the world. â€Å"Rose-† she tried yet again. I didn't give her the chance. â€Å"Thanks, Sydney. We'll be in touch.† I disconnected and handed Denis the phone. â€Å"Come on, guys. We're not done tonight.† It was clear they thought I was crazy to be interrogating Strigoi, but considering how reckless they were sometimes, my behavior wasn't quite weird enough for them to lose their faith in me. Soon they grew enthusiastic again, high on the idea of our first kill on this trip. My uncanny ability to sense Strigoi made me even cooler in their eyes, and I grew confident they'd pretty much follow me anywhere. We caught two more Strigoi that night and managed to repeat the procedure. The results were the same. Lots of insults in Russian. No new information. Once I was convinced a Strigoi had nothing to offer us, I'd let the unpromised go in for the kill. They loved it, but after that third one, I found myself growing weary both mentally and physically. I told the group we were going to go home-and then, while cutting around the back of a factory, I sensed a fourth Strigoi. We jumped him. Another scuffle occurred, but we eventually managed to pin him as we had the others. â€Å"Go ahead,† I told Denis. â€Å"You know what to-â€Å" â€Å"I'm going to rip your throat out!† the Strigoi snarled. Whoa. This one spoke English. Denis opened his mouth to begin the interrogation, but I shook my head. â€Å"I'll take over.† Like the other Strigoi, he swore and struggled, even with the stake against his neck, making it hard for me to talk. â€Å"Look,† I said growing impatient and tired, â€Å"just tell us what we need to know. We're looking for a dhampir named Dimitri Belikov.† â€Å"I know him.† The Strigoi's voice was smug. â€Å"And he's no dhampir.† Without realizing it, I'd called Dimitri a dhampir. I was tired and had slipped up. No wonder this Strigoi was so pleased to talk. He assumed we didn't know about Dimitri turning. And like any arrogant Strigoi, he was happy to tell us more, clearly in the hopes of causing us pain. â€Å"Your friend has been awakened. He stalks the night with us now, drinking the blood of foolish girls like you.† In a split second, a thousand thoughts raced through my head. Holy crap. I'd come to Russia thinking it would be easy to find Dimitri. I'd had those hopes dashed in his hometown, nearly causing me to give up, and I'd swung the other way, resigning myself to the near impossibility of my task. The thought that I might be close to something here was staggering. â€Å"You're lying,† I said. â€Å"You've never seen him.† â€Å"I see him all the time. I've killed with him.† My stomach twisted, and it had nothing to do with the Strigoi's proximity. Don't think about Dimitri killing people. Don't think about Dimitri killing people. I said the words over and over in my head, forcing myself to stay calm. â€Å"If that's true,† I hissed back, â€Å"then I've got a message for you to deliver to him. Tell him Rose Hathaway is looking for him.† â€Å"I'm not your errand boy,† he said, glowering. My stake slashed out, drawing blood, and he grimaced in pain. â€Å"You're anything I want you to be. Now go tell Dimitri what I told you. Rose Hathaway. Rose Hathaway is looking for him. Say it.† I pressed the point to his neck. â€Å"Say my name so I know you'll remember.† â€Å"I'll remember it so I can kill you.† The stake pressed harder, spilling blood. â€Å"Rose Hathaway,† he said. He spit at me but missed. Satisfied, I leaned back. Denis watched me expectantly, stake poised and ready. â€Å"Now we kill him?† I shook my head. â€Å"Now we let him go.†

Poverty in the USA Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Poverty in the USA - Article Example So there are statistical and social definitions of poverty, as well as a mixture of both methods. Social definition includes the concept of empowerment and human development (Think Quest, 2006). In other words, â€Å"...objective measures of poverty present numerous problems in terms of identifying the poor, but succeed in providing the aggregate statistics policy makers desire† (Maxwell, 1999, p. 3). Most of the time emphasis is made on defining and measuring poverty thresholds and poverty lines, but some researchers argue that policy makers should define and measure poverty in terms of â€Å"self-sufficiency† (Mutari, 2001) or the level of income that a person or a family really needs to live a life free of worries about economical and human development issues. In the United States poverty began to be measured in the 1950s based on a survey that showed that families spent about one-third of their incomes on food. Mollie Orshansky, an economist from the Social Security Administration, set the poverty threshold at three times the cost of an economy food plan defined by the Department of Agriculture (University of Michigan, 2001). The thresholds are updated yearly and vary according to the size and age composition of a family (US Census Bureau, 2009). Frank states that â€Å"using these income levels, the Census Bureau reported that 12.7% percent of U.S. residents and 17.8% of U.S. children lived in poverty in 2004. Black Americans experience poverty at nearly double these rates: 24.9% of all Blacks and 33.3% of Black children live in households with incomes below the poverty line† (Frank, 2006). Most of the researchers and experts agree that the poverty line is â€Å"far too low for a household to survive on in most parts of the United States† (Frank, 2006). Researchers Pearce and Brooks found that â€Å"a single parent living in the Bronx with two children, one in school and one in daycare, would need a gross income of $3,684 per month

Fundraising Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Fundraising - Coursework Example Sudden cardiac arrests causing sudden death have mainly occurred due to incompetency and ignorance of individuals witnessing cardiac arrests. Thus, if more people are aware of cardiac arrests and know what to do in case they are around a person having cardiac attack, more chances would be to grant those suffering their survival. VSF is one organization, whose aim is to raise awareness of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome and cardiac arrests. However, there are some other charity organizations involved in raising awareness Sudden Adult Death Syndrome and developing action guidelines. NHS and Raising Awareness of SADS Although logically would be to suggest that the major organization to raise awareness of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome and ways to prevent or diagnose it early would be National Healthcare System, the truth is that NHS establishments are preoccupied with a vast variety of diseases and their treatment. Consequently, less attention is paid to the problem of Sudden Adult Death Syndr ome solely. ... Organizations involved in raising awareness of SADS Despite that NHS is not actively involved in raising awareness of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome and developing guidelines on how to act, there are charitable organizations that are devoted to the cause. These organizations were established majorly by relatives of those who died in result of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome. Among such organizations are Sudden Death Support Association and SADS – Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (http://www.sads.org.uk/), who raise awareness and provide support for families, and Ashley Jolly Sudden Adult Death Trust (http://www.sadsuk.org/), Cardiac Risk in Young (CRY: http://www.c-r-y.org.uk/) who raise awareness of the disease, support the families who have gone through deaths of loves ones, and are involved in fundraising for the cause to equip local communities, colleges, schools with automated external defibrillators (Patient UK, 2011). Awareness of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome is also raised thr ough booklets and events from British Heart Foundation, which provides information on cardiac illnesses including SADS. SADS UK – The Ashley Jolly Sad Trust According to the official website, â€Å"The Ashley Jolly Sad Trust (SADS UK) is a voluntary organization that exists to raise awareness about little known heart conditions in young people and provides information and support to families who have experienced the sudden unexpected death of a loved one due to such a condition. The Trust fundraises to purchase and donate heart monitoring equipment to detect potentially fatal heart conditions in order that once a condition is identified the patient can be referred to a cardiologist for treatment, to minimize the risk of sudden premature death.†

Knowledge management, social networks and innovation Coursework - 2

Knowledge management, social networks and innovation - Coursework Example Knowledge Management (KM), in this regards, is considered the sole requisite to enhance innovation that would act as an added advantage for organisations to maintain their dominance in the global environment. Hence, organisations in the present era are maintaining its competitive edge based on the efficient handling of strategies, such as OL as well as KM (Prange, 1999). Hence, with the developments in the concepts of practice and technology orientation, the organisations are illustrating, the general concepts sustained within the diversified business world (Argyris, 1999). In this context, the paper convolutes on creation of knowledge as well as transfer within organisation. The organisational dynamics will be duly elaborated based on the needs of social dynamics and engendered innovations. Furthermore, the paper inclined towards addressing the complex problems that are prominent within the business domain to enhance the ability of the organisation to assess knowledge. Correspondingly, by addressing the development within the domain of technology, the paper develops a better understanding of the diverse applications of changing business needs. With changing environment and dynamic needs of business, OL has become a major area of interest among business personnel that might help them to develop the quality of operation. Continuous development within the research and development field, as well as in the technical field has in turn acted as a stimulus for integrating OL into the system of business operation (Argote & Miron-Spektor, 2005). With the need to maintain a continuous process of growth and sustainability within the global edge, the organisations are fostering continuous learning process too (Schulz, 2011; Torlak, n.d.). It must be noted in this context that learning is often attributed as a prerequisite for developing the ability of employees in general by enhancing their capacity to perform within the global domain. OL herewith refers to a

Consumer behaviour report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Consumer behaviour report - Essay Example Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 List of Figures and Tables 4 Introduction 5 Problem Statement 5 Research Background 5 Research Limitations 7 Literature Review 8 Theory of Planned behaviour 8 Automobile Industry 8 Key Insights 11 Research Methodology 12 Research Design 12 Research Methods 12 Data Collection 12 Primary Research 13 Secondary Research 14 Findings and Analysis 15 Findings 15 Primary Research 15 Secondary Research 19 Proposed Marketing Strategies 21 Conclusion 25 Reference 26 Appendix 1 Questionnaire 28 List of Figures and Tables Figure 1 Theory of Planned Behaviour 8 Figure 2 Age 15 Figure 3 Gender 16 Figure 4 Source of Information 16 Figure 5 Factors influencing buying decision 17 Figure 6 Preference of Hybrid car 18 Figure 7 Reasons of hybrid car selection 18 Table 1 Secondary Desk Research 14 Introduction Problem Statement To understand the factors affecting consumer behaviour and consumer decision making process for the hybrid car products. Research Background A utomobile market is flooded with various choices of models to cater needs of consumers of different categories. There are many companies like Toyota, Ford, GM, Honda, Suzuki and others operating in the global market place and serving varying needs of consumers and markets. ... Ford is a well established brand name in the premium segment. The trend of manufacturing of environment friendly hybrid cars which reduces the level of pollution resulted from the traditional cars and engines have increased. Increasing awareness created demand for such environmental friendly products. Toyota has launched maximum number of successful variants in this category. At the same time other companies are following Toyota to gain from this growing segment by developing their own hybrid products. Lesser carbon di-oxide emission and higher environmental friendly nature increases the social acceptance of such cars. However there are technical limitations of these cars where researches are continued. The main hybrid variants available in the market place are the Toyota Prius, Honda Insight, and the Honda Civic Hybrids. Research Aims Research aim is to study consumer behaviour of the prospective automobile buyers for the hybrid cars in the Australian automobile sector. Research obj ectives: To understand the factors that affects the consumer decision making process To explore the marketing mix strategies adopted by the marketers in the marketing of different hybrid cars. Research Rationale This research helped in studying various aspects of the consumer behaviour for the hybrid car segment and developing a better strategic approach for the marketing of these products. Research Limitations Time, resource and location based restrictions are the primary set of limitations. Within the scope of study, researcher tried to fulfil the research aim and objectives. This study can be furthered for in-depth study on deep analysis of the focus of companies in hybrid car segment and capturing changing trends in

Elliott West Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Elliott West Analysis - Essay Example Therefore, west systematically presents an account of how geography, animals, weather, and climate shaped the life and experience of both the Euro- Americans and the natives of this region. West introduces the text by explaining how the history of these Great Plains is much more than â€Å"changing the Indians and the gold rush.†1 Rather to offer a broader experience of the people in the Great Plains, West critically examines the physical biological and environmental factors, and the effects which resulted from the interaction of these issues. Therefore, West offers a more broad account of the events in the Great Plains, and how these events interplayed to define the lives of people in this region; not only the rush to exploit the gold by gold seekers, in the Great Plains. â€Å"The contested plains are a significant contribution to the growing field of environmental history.†2 The conflict in the Great Plains was a remarkable event, which would later have a remarkable account on environment in history. This is well portrayed when West takes the reader through many centuries through different adaptations to the central Plains while at the same time stressing on the physical and biological constraints of the inhabitants of these plains. However, West puts some emphasis on the environment, and cultural impact of the Colorado gold rush, which marked several instances of clashes between the American military forces and the Cheyenne in 1857 at Solomon River and 1869 at Summit Springs. 3 The native inhabitants in the plains had well established trade patterns throughout the plains, battling constantly with the drastic climate and severe environmental changes. The people were remarkably successful, and established a â€Å"sustaining way of life.†4 The diverse cultures in this region, which formed a complex ecological complex,

The public should legally be able to view the sex offender registry to Research Paper

The public should legally be able to view the sex offender registry to protect their family - Research Paper Example Sex offender registry is where the people who have been convicted of sexual offences are recorded. The records are normally held in police offices, courts or the sheriffs’ offices but are nowadays available in a national registry as well online in the National Sexual Offenders Public Registry. They are also available in the Federal Bureau of Investigation websites by county and state. Any individual can conduct a search of the sexual offenders by state, address, and name among other search criteria. The information on this registry is updated as frequently as the information is got from the sexual offender who has to be reporting to the nearest police station and update his or her information at least once every year. Debate has risen over the sex offender registry all around the country with some people advocating for its removal from public visibility while others want it to remain and even keep on being updated so that they can remain alert and aware of their neighbours and friends. The pros and cons of this debate are discussed below in detail and they include issues such as stigmatization, family breakups, trauma to children, living in fear and forever being regarded as a criminal for the cons. The pros of having a sex offender registry are: knowledge, caution, and self-protection, early prevention among others (Tofte and Jamie 46). The sex offenders’ registry remains to be among the greatest protection and prevention mechanism parents have against sex offenders and sex predators. Parents especially with younger children are better able to protect their children against sex offenders once they have a better knowledge of whom they are. Research has indicated that majority of the people who commit sex offences are not strangers but are family friends or neighbours (Maddan, 54). Having a registry where the parents can be able to verify whether their neighbours or family friends are sexual offenders is

Literature Review Saudi Stock Market Research Paper - 1

Literature Review Saudi Stock Market - Research Paper Example In most cases, this volatility is caused by unavoidable risks. It is therefore not surprising that any investor would want to anticipate the amount of unavoidable risks they are exposed to. As such, the Saudi Arabian stock market has been of great interest to economic researchers. Factors that affect volatility will also be referred to as market influencers in this paper. Studying market influencers will promote the market as a viable opportunity to external investors and globalize the securities for better market performance. This means market stability (Ibp Usa & USA International Business Publications, 2005). Despite being exposed to major turbulent and market-moving events, the Saudi Arabian stock market has shown tremendous improvements. A reflection of this can be seen in the share price movements and the flourishing economy. The peak of this performance was in February 2006, but this was affected by the severe global and economic downturn in the late 2008. Another factor that fuelled this backdrop was the unprecedented unrest in the Middle East during almost the same period. The market has however shown improvements in the past several years to become one of the best in the region. In an attempt to study the market stability and progression of the Saudi Arabian stock market, several researches were done. While some research has focused on the quantitative and qualitative data, others have focused on external influences and comparisons made against stock markets in a bid to explain the performance of the Saudi Arabian stock market. Stock market indexes of specific companies in that country are used for purposes of this study. Consequential studies have unearthed that the Saudi Arabian stock market has distinct and clear cut differences with other markets. Firstly, the shares are traded through commercial banks. Secondly is the absence of bourse makers and thirdly is the liquid characteristic of the market (Mohamed, 2010). Both

The queen of spades by pushkin, and The Shining Movie Research Paper

The queen of spades by pushkin, and The Shining Movie - Research Paper Example When the story unfolds the life of Hermann, an officer of the engineers in the Imperial Russian Army, and his attempts at the fortune of cards by some fouls means and, the movie revolves around the writer, Jack Torrance who takes a job as an off-season caretaker at an isolated hotel with his wife and son. The movie portrays the mysterious and the crucial series of incidents that took place in the life of Jack and his family during their stay at the hotel which is believed to be the abode of ghosts and evil souls. While going through both the story and the movie, one can see that both deals with ghosts to create an atmosphere of horror. Both Hermann and Jack suffer as a result of false imaginations. When Hermann in the story suffers from sleeplessness and horrid images of the ghost of the dead Countess as an outcome of his greediness to hoard money through gambling, Jack in the Movie The film ‘The Shining’ has almost all the features of a horror movie. ‘‘The Shining is set in the apotheosis of the Bad Place: not a haunted house, but a haunted hotel, with a different ‘real’ horror movie playing in almost every one of its guest rooms and suites’’ (254). The presentation of the characters and the scenes also conjoin with the nature of the movie. ‘King places a family which is already in crisis in this evil setting. People and place interact to create horror which is both natural and supernatural’ (Sharon 46). Stephen King, whose novel ‘The Shining’ has been filmed with the same title, states, â€Å"Horror allows us to penetrate the mystery of death: horror, on the one hand, shows a way to cope with death and, on the other hand, even suggests what might happen beyond death† (Heidi 119). The novel and the film provide so many instances establishing this fact through the life of the central character Jack. It was his attempt to penetrate into the mystery of "crazy woman in one of the rooms" creates all the troubles in his life (Heidi

Impacts of Negative Leadership Essay Example for Free

Impacts of Negative Leadership Essay Leadership carries considerable influence and responsibility within any organization. Leaders are challenged daily with how to manage this influence effectively. Communication plays a key role in this approach and can have significant impacts to the leader and their staff. The purpose of this paper is to explore the impacts of negative leadership behavior regarding communication and effects on the team as well as the overall organization. Experience with Negative Leadership Behavior Over my career, there have been negative leadership behaviors experienced with both direct mangers and senior management. One of the most destructive is lack of communication. Recently, an executive manager was going to be out of the office for an entire week. This leader has four direct reports of which three are group leaders. The executive manager casually mentions to one of the direct reports that she will be out of the office the following week at a seminar. The direct report appropriately relays this information to their team supervisor to address any concerns or open issues in advance of this absence. The same communication was not made to the remaining three direct reports, in any form, by the executive manager. As the business week of the absence began, the other three direct reports incur an issue require assistance from the executive manager. These managers were rendered unproductive and left wondering when the leader was going to be in the office so that they can discuss the problem at hand. During subsequent discussions, the team supervisor aware of the absence is the one to notify the other three direct reports that their direct manager was out for the week. The gap in communication impacted the teams noted but also other service partners and finally the client due to the delays in resolving the issue timely. It is also important to note that this is not an isolated incident but had happened previously having similar impacts to the same parties noted above. Analysis of Leadership Behavior The leadership behavior described in this experience appears straightforward at the surface but is far reaching in its impact to the firm. The leader showed consistent lack of personal integrity as well as respect and empathy for her staff by not relating her accessibility on a regular basis. It impacts the morale of the direct reports and deteriorates their working relationships ability to collaborate. The leader did not inform all direct reports of her absence. Without a collective knowledge, a subset of the larger reporting team was less effective and efficient during this time. This also created a gap in escalation when issues arose. Lastly it weakens the culture of inclusion. By being excluded, part of the management staff experienced a decrease in satisfaction subsequently affecting their overall performance. Attrition is a by product as well of this negative behavior. Supporting Research of Negative Leadership Behavior â€Å"For it is character through which leadership is exercised, it is character that sets the example and is imitated in turn†¦. The more successfully tomorrow’s manager does his work, the greater will be the integrity required of him†¦. No matter what a man’s general education or his adult education for management, what will be decisive above all, in the future even more than in the past, is neither education nor skill; it is integrity of character† stated Drucker (1954) reiterating the important of reliability in leadership positions. Leading by example creates the ability for the team to tangibly see this character on a daily basis. Additional leadership duties like consideration and management of emotions are becoming more important in the leader-membership interaction per Meike, Jacobs Soares (2012). As these duties increase so will the need for leaders to develop empathetic skills with regard to their staff. This will include appreciation, trust and open communication. Per Fuller and Green (2005), leaders are responsible for embedding strategy in the organization by developing an excellent team, picking the right roles and allowing the rest of the team to make the strategic moves. This requires teams that can function in unison with high level of collaboration. Lack of communication will cause a disjointed approach affecting the vision of the organization ultimately impacting the firm’s success. Hoffman, Bynum, Piccolo and Sutton (2011) noted that transformational leaders are able to articulate a vision that emphasizes the way in which collective goals are consonant with follower values, causing followers to regard organizational goals as their own and submit extra effort toward goals and accomplishments. This sets the groundwork for a culture of inclusion within an organization. When strong unified behavior, values and beliefs have been developed, a strong organizational cultures does emerge per Tsai (2011). Leaders have a primary role in growing and upholding the firm’s culture. It encourages performance and leads to long lasting job satisfaction. When this is not present, organizations will see increased conflict, reduced dialogue between managers and teams and a progressively dysfunctional environment. According to social identify theory, unfair treatment from supervisors may arouse a negative identification which in turn leads employees’ negative behaviors in organizations as outlined by Duan, Lam, Chen and Zhong (2010). This emphasizes the pattern of negative leadership behavior that has the ability to funnel throughout the entire organization is not addressed. Recommendation for Strengthening Leadership Behavior Leadership is a dynamic, ever changing role and requires the leader to be aware of her own behavior and the potential impacts of this behavior on the team. In this situation, the leader needs to understand the value of leading by example. For the team to utilize the leader for her depth of knowledge and broader perspective, a level of reliability needs to be established. From a time management standpoint, simple steps like sharing the leader’s calendar with direct reports could alleviate this issue on a go-forward. This type of planning and organization will benefit the leader as well as the staff’s perception of her abilities and character. Interpersonal skills like active listening, feedback and conflict resolution are critical as well for any leader. Being able to engage her direct reports and the larger staff in a meaningful way will allow for the team dynamic to shift to a positive state. These relationships can be developed through mentoring and engaging the direct reports in projects or other work the leader is responsible for providing insight to her managers of the next level and current challenges of the firm. This end to end view develops the direct reports as well as building a more full bodied relationship with the leader. The impact to the organization also needs a voice n acknowledging the effects of this negative behavior. The leader is accountable for the resulting impacts of any action they take while representing the firm. In this case, the lower performance and higher attrition are concrete costs to the organization. The leader needs to answer for the consequences ofher behavior to a higher power like senior management, stock holders or similar. Conclusion Negative leadership behavior comes in many forms and lack of communication is one of the most pervasive. This paper provides an example of this type of negative leadership and the effects to the staff and organization. It also provides an outline of productive steps to modify the leader’s behavior and limit the adverse impacts in the future. References Duan, J. , Lam, W. , Chen, Z. , Zhong, J. A. (2010). Leadership justice, negative organizational behaviors, and mediating effect of affective commitment. Social Behavior and Personality, 38(9), 1287-1296. doi: 10. 2224/sbp. 2010. 38. 9. 1287 Drucker, P. (1954). The practice of management. New York, NY: Harper Row. Fuller, J. N. , Green, J. C. (2005). The leader’s role in strategy. Graziadio Business Review, 8(2). Retrieved from http://gbr. pepperdine. edu/2010/08/the-leaders-role-in-strategy/ Hoffman, B. J. , Bynum, B. H. , Piccolo, R. F. , Sutton, A. W. (2011). Person-organization value Congruence: How transformational leaders influence work group effectiveness. Academy of Management Journal, 54(4), 779-796. Meike, S. , Jacobs, K. , Soares, M. M. (2012). Emotions and leadership. Reason and impact of emotions in the organizational context. Work, 41, 5671-5673. doi 10. 3233/WOR-2012-0915-5671 Tsai, Y. (2011). Relationship between organizational culture, leadership behavior and job satisfaction. BMC Health Services Research, 11(1), 98-106. doi: 10. 1186/1472-6963-11-98

Globalization Literature

Globalization Literature AHONARUOGHO YEWANDE Globalization is an undeniable phenomenon, which is rather hard to put into words and as a result can be explained in various ways. Globalization which encompasses variant aspects of the modern world, bringing nations of the world closer into a single society through culture, economic transactions, politics, technology and social interactions; is making an ever changing world. GPF (online) [n.d] According to Beck (2000) [online] Globalization regardless of how it is individually interpreted gives the implication of the deterioration of a state’s sovereign poewer and the structures that guide the territory. â€Å"The world-wide interconnectedness between nation-states becomes supplemented by globalization as a process in which basic social arrangements (like power, culture, markets, politics, rights, values, norms, ideology, identity, citizenship, solidarity) become disembedded from their spatial context (mainly the nation-state) due to the acceleration, massification, flexibilisation, diffusion and expansion of transnational flows of people, products, finance, images and information† this states that due to the increased flexibility and ease of mobility of many factors in an economy that social arrangements have become disembedded from their nation states, all of which is known as globalisation. beerkens (2004) [online] â€Å"The characteristics of the globalization trend include the internationalizing of production, the new international division of labor, new migratory movements from South to North, the new competitive environment that generates these processes, and the internationalizing of the state making states into agencies of the globalizing world.† This quote is informing about the concepts and characteristics that make up globalization focusing on the internationalization of many aspects of economies. Cox (1994) [online] Nations tend to come together in form of global unions, these unions are economic to some extent, and such exist within trade blocs. Trade bloc is an agreement which is formed between states, regions or countries in order to reduce the trade barriers which make trading inconvenient, amongst the regions involved. A well know example of this form is NAFTA, which is a trade agreement between the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Opponents to trade blocs view such agreements are harmful to free trade on a global level Investorwords (online) [n.d]. Trade blocs have rules that guide their interaction with nations within the economic union as well as those that are not members of the union. Manish (2012) [online] Trade blocs are of different varieties, requiring different levels of commitment and arrangements from the members of the union. To be of the view that globalization is purely an economic union would be false and incorrect as just trade blocs show globalization as six different forms of unions. Manish (2012) [online] Trade blocs have certain objectives goal which they aim to achieve, one of which is to remove the restrictions to trade among the members of the union, there by promoting free trade and faster movement of resources between members. BMS (2013) [online] Trade blocs aim to improve the social, economical, cultural and political relationship between its members through the integration of economies, social programs could encourage this promoting peace in the region. BMS (2013) [online] Trade blocs have the objective of achieving an increase in economic growth amongst its members. As a result in the reduction in trade barriers, it puts firms in a position to produce at lower prices, which would in turn increase demand and lead to a large scale of production. This can result in economic growth and attract investment. BMS (2013) [online] A Preferential Trade Areas is also a type of trade bloc, interconnecting the nations of the world on an economic level, this is the least committed to trade barrier reductions. In this union members lower but do not eliminate trade barriers amongst themselves and no set arrangement is agreed about their interactions with non- members. Manish (2012) [online] Free Trade Area is the next stage after, the Preferential Trade areas, all trade barriers are eliminated for members when relating with each other, so all the members are able to import and export goods and services amongst themselves. An example is the ‘North American free trade agreement’ of 1994 between the Canadians, Mexicans and the US; these members establish independent trade policies when relating with non members. Manish (2012) [online] another free trade area example is the European Free Trade Area. Shahid (2010) [online] Customs Union is the third trade bloc. The member states remove internal trade barriers as well as also agree to implement the same set of common policies when dealing with non member states. Customs union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, which was initially created in 2010, is a custom union; other custom unions include European Union Custom Council, East African Community. Manish (2012) [online] The Common Market is a trade union where member’s internal trade barriers are removed, common policies/ barriers are implemented for dealing with trade involving outside parties and free movement of resources such as ‘labor’ exist. Examples of common market include â€Å"Mercosur (Southern Cone Market)†, East â€Å"African Common Market†, European Economic Area and â€Å"West African Common market†. Manish (2012) [online] An economic union is one of the trade blocs that exist between nations that further make the nations of the world more integrated and connected. It requires members to remove internal barriers and agree to use common barriers for externally, allowing free movement of resources and adopt a unified set of economic policies. The European Union is an example of such; with one currency they have adopted one monetary policy. Manish (2012) [online] An economic union such as the European Union speeds up the process of globalization, increasing trade amongst the members of the EU as well as increased labor and capital mobility such as migration of Poland citizens to the United Kingdom and Ireland. The EU has expanded its sphere of influence to over 20 countries, making for over 356 million in population. Pettinger (2008) [online] Other economic unions include CEMC (economic and monetary community of central America), OECS (organization of eastern Caribbean states), UEMAO (west African economic and monetary union).shahid (2010) [online] In addition to the integration of the nations belonging to the trade blocs it is also seen that globalization is further aided by trade blocs which make negotiations easier on a global level. An case relating to trading negotiations is, the European Union bargains as one singular bloc making it easier and faster to push through practices which increase free trade. Pettinger (2008) [online] Full Integration is the final stage, coming after economic union. The members become fully integrated; an example is the United States. Manish (2012) [online] When viewing the definition, principles and aims of both globalization and trade blocs, they complement each other, both resulting in interdependence and increase in trade; Wang (2010) [online]. As a result it is easy to assume that globalization is purely an economic union formed by trade blocs. However, it should be noted that trade blocs can be seen as a hindrance to globalization because it promotes regionalization and not global elimination of trade barriers, causing conflicting parties to fight for regional interest; thereby building trade barriers for the rest of the world and preventing the importation of goods from other countries; Wang (2010) [online].This contradicts with globalizations purpose of one world and interlinking of all nations and â€Å"free trade† amongst all; Wang (2010) [online]. For example, the EU’s CAP placed high tariffs on importation of food and the dumping of surplus food items onto world markets. Pettinger (2008) [online] Trade blocs especially at its most integrated economic level when a common currency is established and a common fiscal policy within the union exists among the members- economic union- it leads to reduction of the power and sovereignty of a national government over its own territory. Although the states can take independent decisions to influence the total demand, income allocation and the level of production of their economies through the use of simple fiscal policies unless common fiscal policy is implemented in the economic union. As a result monetary and fiscal policy integration is the basis for an economic union and the application deepens the integration of its members, making it a single economic union and removes all kinds of economic borders. Hashimov (2013) [online] Trade blocs provide a larger market for exportation of goods, this creates a forum for the global products which can be linked between nations of the world, and this creates the possibility for more revenue for nation states. Admin (2012) [online] Trade blocs due to the integration of markets leads to increase in competition and productivity on the part of the nations belonging to the same trade bloc, ensuring to produce quality goods while the consumers had increased choice and lower prices due to the size of the market and number of competitors. Admin (2012) [online] Trade blocs make for a higher and increased rate of investment due to the larger market available as market is expanded. Admin (2012) [online] Trade blocs however have the negative effect, for example they undermine the efforts of WTO (world trade organization) because there is a possibility that the whole world would become regionalized and that would prevent trade liberations due to the rules and norms associated with trade blocs. Trade blocs would deter the WTO goals and undermine international trade laws. Admin (2012) [online] Trade blocs have the negative effect to globalization of creating unfriendly political tension and â€Å"hindering diplomatic relations† between members of a trade bloc and non member through discriminatory policies. Admin (2012) [online] Other factors unrelated to the trade blocs are important and significant to globalization. The main contributing factors to globalization could be argued but these are some factors that are contributing: Improvement in technology which enable global transport and communication to be carried out much easier, which also helps reduce the barriers of distance. Pettinger (2008) [online] the level of improvement in technology of transport and communications has led to a reduction in the prices for transferring goods, service and factors of production as well as making it easier and cheaper to communicate economically useful knowledge and technology. Mussa(2000) [online] Information technology is a main contributor in the process of globalization in form of a catalyst, it increases the accessibility of information and economic potential. Enabling for efficiency in the economies of nations as political and commercial information can be transferred easily and at a fast rate. Information technology encourages the creative use of resources to promote and advertise new products and ideas across borders and cultures regardless of its geographical location. Technology is now the leading factor of the modern world creating employment, new ideas, and networking sites which enables global connection and communication.globalisation101 (n.d) [online] The growth of multinational companies. Pettinger (2008) [online] Globalization is also a political union of nations around the world, there are military-political blocs existing which is a union among states that have agreed to unite, cooperate and have unified actions and responses to address common political, economic and military tasks. Encyclopedia(1979) [online] an example of a political union is NATO. G. Bertucci and A. Alberti , wrote an article â€Å"Globalization and The Role of the State: Challenges and Perspectives†, in which it was stressed that economic globalization is in actuality as a result of political decisions made my nation. Stating that the expansion of international trade as well as finance and investment Transactions do not radically influence the role of nations while the high level of collaboration and joint active show states exercising their sovereign authority over their territories. Thus the authors are of the view that collaborative action instead of weakening their authority over their state reinforces their authority by creating a more secure global environment and greater possibility for exchanges in different areas. Hashimov (2013) [online] Globalization is also an economic union, it impacts employment, working conditions, income and social protection. Beyond the world of work, the social dimension encompasses security, culture and identity, inclusion or exclusion and the cohesiveness of families and communities. Todayszaman (2010) [online] In conclusion, globalization is an economic union of nations after all globalization is generally referred to as â€Å"economic globalization† as it brings nations of the world together and forms a more integrated and interdependent world. Economic union has led to increased flow of information and ideas, and had led to a change in the way nations interact amongst themselves. However it should be noted that economic unions can be seen as a hindrance to globalization itself which contradicts the view that globalization is an economic union and in addition globalization is also a political and social phenomenon not solely economical. Bibliography Electronic devices Admin (2012) [online], advantages and disadvantages of trading blocs, available at http://wisebrain.info/explain-the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-joining-a-trading-bloc-international/, [accessed on the 3rd of February] Beck (2000) [online], what globalization represents, available at http://www.beerkens.info/files/globalisation.pdf, [accessed on the 1st of February] Beerkens (2004) [online], How globalization is affecting the world, available at http://www.beerkens.info/files/globalisation.pdf , [accessed on the 1st of February] BMS (2013) [online], objectives of trade blocs, available at http://www.bms.co.in/objectives-of-trading-blocs/, [accessed on the 3rd of February] Cox (1994) [online], understanding the chaacterisyics of globalization, available at http://www.beerkens.info/files/globalisation.pdf, [accessed on the 1st of February] Encyclopedia (1979) [online], definition of political blocs, available at http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Military+Bloc, [accessed on the 3rd of February] GPF (online) [n.d], globalization definition, available at http://www.globalpolicy.org/globalization/defining-globalization.html, [accessed on the 2nd of February] Hashimov (2013) [online], economic globalization and the role of nation-state in economy, available at http://www.academia.edu/3721679/ECONOMIC_GLOBALIZATION_AND_THE_ROLE_OF_NATION-STATE_IN_ECONOMY_THE_CASE_OF_EU, [accessed on the 2nd of February] Manish (2012) [online], compositions of trade blocs, available at http://financetrain.com/trading-blocs-common-markets-and-economic-unions/, [accessed on the 3rd of February] Mussa(2000) [online], driving factors of economic integration, available at http://www.imf.org/external/np/speeches/2000/082500.htm, [accessed on the 2nd of February] Pettinger (2008) [online], The significance of economic blocs to globalization, available at http://www.economicshelp.org/blog/1019/economics/trading-blocks-and-globalisation/, [accessed on the 2nd of February] shahid (2010) [online], trading blocs and globalization, available at http://www.slideshare.net/Abdullah2012/globalization-trading-blocks, [accessed on 3rd of February[ Wang (2010) [online], relationship between regional trading blocs and globalization, available at http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/ijef/article/viewFile/4955/4119, [accessed on the 2nd of February] Todayszaman (2010) [online], social and cultural impact of globalization, available at http://www.todayszaman.com/columnists/dogu-ergil_204938-social-and-cultural-impacts-of-globalization.html, [accessed on the 3rd of February] 1

Effect of the Outdoors on Mental Health

Effect of the Outdoors on Mental Health Topic: Mental Health Big Ideas Overview Mental health disorders are known to affect most people at some point in their lives (Government Office of Science London 2008, as cited in Barton 2010). Indeed, rates of depression and other psychological illnesses (e.g. anxiety, etc.) are predicted to increase in the future (Maller et al. 2005, as cited in DFH 2008). Over the past several decades, research has shown that contact with nature aids mental health and restoration. Mental health improvements resulting from exposure to natural environments include increased positive emotions and mood, decreased negative emotions and stress, and increased mental balance, energy, and revitalization. Systematic literature reviews conducted in the past five years continue to show a consistent beneficial relationship between exposure to green, natural environments and mental health. Environmental contexts examined in these studies varied from urban to rural, and compared natural and synthetic environments. Exposure to natural environments might include exercising in natural environments, being within a natural place, or even looking at a view of trees from a window. For example, in a hospital, views of nature are associated with a faster recovery, decreased painkiller use, shorter hospital stays and fewer postoperative complications (Dijkstra 2006). Outdoor space and views at a workplace is associated with decreased stress (Singhal, Paney and Pandy 2013). Regular interaction with nature is connected to lengthened lifespan and decreased risk of mental health illnesses in seniors living in megacities (Takano 2002, as cited in Barton 2010). There is also mixed evidence that exercising outdoors in natural environments could have mental and physical benefits above and beyond exercising indoors. Green exercise for as little as 5 minutes has been shown to improve self-esteem and mood (Barton 2010). There is some evidence that people enjoy exercising outdoors more than indoors, and have a greater intention to repeat the activity, and improvement in social connections (Coon et al 2011). If exercising outdoors is more likely to be maintained in the long term, then motivating people to be active outdoors (e.g. gardening, walking, and biking) could be an important means of staying active. If exposure to outdoor green spaces has immediate positive mental health outcomes, then inaccessibility to such spaces could promote health inequalities. Given the associations between mental health and proximity to green spaces, there is an inherent opportunity for planning and designing both public and private open space. What the Research Says Things for Certain (or semi-Certain) Exposure to green outdoor spaces improves mental health. Examples: Barton and Pretty, 2010: The article concluded that exposure to green has positive health impacts. Coon et. Al, 2011, 1762: â€Å"Experimental research has demonstrated that exposure to views of nature can improve people’s health and wellbeing by providing restoration from stress and mental fatigue,12† Design for Health, 2007, 1: â€Å"A strong research base has continued to demonstrate how direct contact with nature (water, trees, bushes, flowers, and other vegetation, whether cultivated or wild) leads to increased mental health and psychological development.† Lee, A.C.K., R. Maheswaran, 2010, 212: â€Å"Physical and psychological benefits have been linked to green spaces through their purported effects on physical activity.7 †¦It also improves mental functioning, mental health and wellbeing16– 22 and may have long-lasting psychological benefits.23 Benefits on longevity have also been reported.24† Even just a view of nature is beneficial to mental health. Examples: Design for Health, 2007: For example, in a hospital context views of nature are associated with a faster recovery, decreased painkiller use, shorter hospital stays and fewer post-operative complications. Since older persons use hospitals more, views of nature are especially relevant to this population. Dijkstra, 2006: Sunlight and views of nature out the window had positive effects on patients’ mental and physical health. Having a sunny window with a view of nature may have a positive impact on aging patients staying at healthcare facilities. It should be noted that some varied effects happened for patients with dementia or depression. Singhal, Paney and Pandy, 2013: Green space surrounding a work environment reduces stress and benefits mental health. This has been demonstrated consistently in the literature, and anecdotally in this article. Things up in the Air General significance for public health. Example: Bowler, 2012: Overall, the studies are suggestive that natural environments may have direct and positive impacts on well-being, but support the need for investment in further research on this question to understand the general significance for public health. If greater biodiversity in nature increases mental health benefits. Example: Dean, van Dooren and Weinstein, 2011, 878-879: â€Å"Based upon this review, we identified only one original research paper that directly investigated the link between biodiversity per se and mental health allowing the authors to specifically argue that their results ‘indicate that successful management of urban green spaces should emphasize biological complexity to enhance human well-being in addition to biodiversity conservation ([33, p. 390]).† How different user groups, subcultures and types of outdoor environments differ in impact. Example: Design for Health, 2007: â€Å"†¦ more limited knowledge on aspects of nature most relevant, maintenance importance, and different user groups/subcultures. Varied definitions and types of outdoor space make it difficult to compare studies.† Whether there is a causal relationship between green space and mental health. Example: Lee, 2010, 212: â€Å"Most studies reported findings that generally supported the view that green space have a beneficial health effect. Establishing a causal relationship is difficult, as the relationship is complex. Simplistic urban interventions may therefore fail to address the underlying determinants of urban health that are not remediable by landscape redesign.† If exercising outdoors (or with a view of nature) has mental and physical benefits above and beyond exercising indoors. Examples: Coon et al., 2011: found exercising outdoors did have greater mental and physical benefits above and beyond exercising indoors, whereas Lee 2010 found mixed results at best. Implications Standards Mental health benefits can come from very little exposure to natural spaces. Just a glimpse of green will do. Example: Design for Health, 2007, 5: â€Å"Working thresholds for HIA: Provide views of green spaces, with canopy trees, from all buildings. These can be trees at the street level or, for upper-level situations, views to parklands, etc. Tree densities with greater than 22 trees per acre have a positive effect in terms of presence and sense of safety in a population of low-income, public housing residents (Kuo et al., 1998, 45). This is not a very high density of trees.† As little as 5-minutes of activity outside is enough for mental health improvements. Example: Barton and Pretty, 2010: A quantifiable exposure to green was set as a threshold. As a result, greatest changes come from 5 min of activity, and thus suggest these psychological measures are immediately increased by green exercise. Insights Exercising outdoors may be easier to stick to than exercising indoors. Example: Coon et. Al, 2011, 1762: It might be argued that physical activity in health club gyms is a viable alternative to outdoor exercise, but the failure to persevere with indoor exercise initiatives on a long-term basis is well recognized. For example, 40-50% of individuals terminate gym membership within a year of joining.19 Anecdotal evidence suggests that long-term adherence to exercise initiatives conducted in outdoor natural environments or urban green spaces may be superior to that of indoor exercise interventions.20 Urban Chinese migrants have worse mental health than non-migrants. Example: Lin et al., 2011: Rural migrants in China’s cities experience more discrimination and this discrimination is connected to worse mental health. Sources Jo Barton and Jules Pretty, What is the Best Dose of Nature and Green Exercise for Improving  Mental Health? A Multi-Study Analysis, Environmental Science and Technology, 2010 May  15;44(10):3947-55. doi: 10.1021/es903183r. Bowler, Diana E., et al. A systematic review of evidence for the added benefits to health of  exposure to natural environments. BMC Public Health 10.1 (2010): 456. Coon, J. Thompson, K. Boddy, K. Stein, R. Whear, J. Barton, and M.H. Depledge. 2011. â€Å"Does  Participating in Physical Activity in Outdoor Natural Environments Have a Greater Effect on  Physical and Mental Wellbeing than Physical Activity Indoors? A Systematic Review.†Ã‚  Environmental Science and Technology 45:1761-1772. Accessed February 20, 2014. doi: 10.1021/es102947t. Dean, Julie, Kate van Dooren, Philip Weinstein. 2011. â€Å"Does biodiversity improve mental health  in urban settings?† Medical Hypotheses 76: 877-880. Accessed February 20, 2014. doi:  10.1016/j.mehy.2011.02.040. Design for Health. 2007. Key Questions: Mental Health. Version 2.0. www.designforhealth.net Dijkstra, Karin, Marcel Pieterse, and Ad Pruyn. 2006. â€Å"Physical environmental stimuli that turn  healthcare facilities into healing environments through psychologically mediated effects:  systematic review.† Journal of Advanced Nursing 56 (2): 166-181. Accessed February 20,  2014. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2006.03990.x Lee, A.C.K., R. Maheswaran. 2010. â€Å"The Health Benefits of Urban Green Space: A Review of the  Evidence.† Journal of Public Health 33(2): 212-222. Accessed February 21, 2014. doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdq068. Lin, Danhua, Xiaoming Li, Bo Wang, Yan Hong, Xiaoyi Fang, Xiong Qin, and Bonita Stanton. 2011.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Discrimination, Perceived Social Inequity, and Mental Health Among Rural-to-Urban  Migrants in China.† Community Mental Health Journal 47:171-180. Accessed February 21,  2014. doi:10.1007/s10597-009-9278-4. Singhal, Vijai, Deep Pandey and Pushp Deep Pandey. 2013. â€Å"Workplace Green Space for Health  and Happiness.† Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board, Jaipur India.