Management Perspectives Essay Example for Free

Management Perspectives Essay A questionnaire was sent to a member of top management of seventy-six firms that have adopted EVA? type performance measures, forty of these firms having included the measure in their incentive compensation. Based on the respondents’ answers, EVA? erformance measures appear to help align the interests of management with those of the firm’s shareholders with the emphasis shifting from bottom-line earnings to earning more than the cost of employed capital. The responses are compared with prior empirical work. In most cases, the observed results of management actions is consistent with the responses from this survey. This paper resulted from work done for my dissertation from the University of Washington. I wish to thank my committee members Gary Biddle, Robert Bowen, Eric Noreen, Terry Shevlin, and Naomi Soderstrom.

Art Therapy: Helping the Mind and Body :: Health, Treatment

Can art imitate life and healing? The use of art therapy began in the early 20th Century, used by a myriad of education and mental health practitioners, as a means of therapy for children and, eventually, adults (American Art Therapy Association, 2011). Art Therapy is beneficial in treating victims of illness from mental issues, including sexual abuse and schizophrenia, to physical disease like HIV/AIDS and fertility in women. Used in association with group talk therapy, art therapy has been proven to be effective with sexually abused children and with those patients who suffer from more severe mental disorders like schizophrenia. In a study of South African girls, Natascha Pfeifer found that art therapy helped girls who had been victims of sexual abuse to improve self-esteem and with symptoms of anxiety. Pfeifer evaluated 25 sexually abused girls from 8 to 11 years old. The program was based on Gestalt’s client-centered and abuse-focused principles (Pfeifer, 2010). â€Å"The Solomon four-group design was used to investigate the efficacy of the intervention, the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children and Human Figure Drawing were used as measures for assessing symptom change† (Pfeifer, 2010). The girls were asked to explore feelings associated with the abuse they had experienced. In addition, they were asked to draw different feelings and discuss them among the group. â€Å"They were then ask ed to draw or paint a ‘happy box’ and an ‘unhappy box’ in which their feelings could be stored. Hereafter the children drew the person who abused them (as an animal, shape or colour) and their feelings toward the perpetrator. In order to further address any unfinished business regarding the abuser, the girls were given the opportunity to verbally or physically express their feelings, which could then be placed in the happy or unhappy box. This was followed by a discussion on how it felt to express these feelings† (Pfeifer, 2010). The results showed that the girls in the experimental group had lower levels of depression and anxiety than those girls who were in the control groups. Self-esteem seemed flat for all groups, according to Pfeifer. â€Å"The findings of the present study suggest that the programme does not target low self-esteem as successfully as depression and anxiety. Alternatively, the findings may reveal that the HFD is not sensitive to changes in self-esteem symptoms† (Pfeifer, 2010). In targeting s chizophrenia, art therapy has had more promising results in aiding with rehabilitation and socialization. In 2003, Virginia R.

Assess whether ‘God exists’ is a testable hypothesis Essay

Ultimately, God’s existence cannot be classified as a ‘testable’ hypothesis. A hypothesis is a proposal, which can be tested and then either confirmed or rejected. God’s non-physical state makes this virtually impossible, as we are unable to use our senses to confirm his presence or absence. Anthony Flew and Ludwig Wittgenstein’s theories provide a considerable amount of evidence, which suggests that there cannot possibly be a religious hypothesis. Good introduction. Firstly, Anthony Flew’s parable of the gardener is highly vital in the quest to prove that God’s existence is not a testable hypothesis. The scenario includes two explorers, who discover a humanly made clearing, yet evidence suggests that it occurred naturally. Both explorers have contrasting views, one favours natural causes and the other favours human intervention. Subsequently, no evidence of the gardener is present, however is invisible. Flew’s claim hinges on falsification,and if a religious claim cannot be falsified it is essentially meaningless, as the claimant hasn’t allowed themselves to be proven wrong. The hypothesis of God’s existence is relatively similar to this case, as God is ‘transcendent’ and beyond our experiences, which by Flew’s logic makes the religious hypothesis meaningless, as it is not testable. Good. William Paley’s ‘watchmaker analogy’ is instrumental in the argument for the claim that God’s existence is a testable hypothesis. Paley’s analogy consists of a watch, which possesses parts, which ultimately fulfils a purpose. Paley’s bold claims are plausible, as he likens the watch to the universe. Evidently, a watch’s sole purpose is to tell the time. Therefore, there must be a watchmaker. This links together with the human analogy, which implies that human beings must have a creator, who is in this case God. Essentially, Paley’s view is that due to the complexity and order of the universe, it is a requirement that a supremely intelligent being must exist. That being is supposedly God. Critics would say that this is far from the truth, and that we have not empirically witnessed the presence of God and it is safe to presume that we will never be able. Therefore, we can assume that God’s existence cannot be likened to that of a watch, because the process of making a watch is a testable hypothesis, whether the creation of the world is not and never will be. Good use of the analogy. Flew argues that religious believers hold onto God’s existence regardless of any evidence brought forward to suggest otherwise. Subsequently, Flew’s proposal is that the religious hypothesis must be rejected, due to the unfalsifiable nature and the undying support by religious believers, who are unable to allow their religious beliefs to be deemed meaningless. However, Flew’s approach is not widely accepted, and Basil Mitchell is one of many, who expressed their criticisms. Mitchell disagrees with Flew’s view that religious beliefs are unfalsifiable. Mitchell suggests that when religious believers encounter suffering such as evil, they are bound to question their faith, which makes it falsifiable. How plausible is this claim? Also, numerous believers do lose their faith, therefore, Flew is misguided in his attempt to show that believers see their religion through rose tinted glasses.So,while Mitchell may not be claiming that God is indeed a religious hypothesis, he still possesses the belief that religious belief can be falsified via trials of faith. Good. In addition, the verification principle is often used to support both the claim that God exists and that God does not exist. John Hick acknowledged that the religious proposals cannot be falsified, however can be verified therefore making the hypothesis testable.Ultimately,John Hick ‘s suggestion is that in the afterlife, religious statements can be verified, and can prove whether God’s existence is a religious hypothesis. Hick proposes that, an observation is best assessed, if it can be verified, with the removal of rational doubt. Hick accepts that religious propositions cannot be falsified, because if God doesn’t exist, when we die we will be un able to confirm or deny this. Hick uses the parable of the Celestial city to illustrate this. It includes two men, who are travelling to the same destination, yet have contrasting expectations of what they will find. This parable hints towards Eschatological verification, which relates to Hick’s argument that many claims are reliant on the presence of the afterlife. Nevertheless, critics suggest that we will never be able to truly verify our experiences. This essentially applies to the existence of God and heaven if God is a figure beyond our thoughts, it is hard to envisage how we will be able to identify that we are experiencing God and heaven, rather than merely a illusion. Moreover, ‘Logical Positivists’ possess the belief that all knowledge is derived from our senses. Therefore, if knowledge is not empirically gained, it is meaningful. God’s alleged characteristics hint toward him being non-physical, making it impossible to empirically witness his existence. This led to logical positivists claim, that God’s existence is not testable and the claim is meaningless, as it is empirically not verifiable and cannot be tested. Equally, the flaws within the verification argument are highlighted regularly. History and Science exploit the weaknesses for all to see. An example from science is the existence of atoms, which cannot be verified, but almost certainly exists.Therefore,this example highlights the out-dated nature of the verification principle, as issues are more complex than the verification principles allow. Also, the example of Julius Caesar is one which resembles that of God. There are no longer witnesses for the existence of the roman leader and documentary evidence is limited. This leads you to believe that, if Caesar’s existence cannot be verified but still be true, then maybe the same can be said for the existence of God. Strong analysis. Furthermore, Ludwig Wittgenstein, who was one of the most decorated philosophers of his generation, rejected the possibility of a religious hypothesis, basing it on the fact that the meaning of words hinge on the context that they are used in, and whether we are a part of the specific group. Wittgenstein claims that there cannot be a religious hypothesis, because the context will vary depending on whether it’s religion or science. Wittgenstein rejected the single theory of meaning, and all words can be used in a variety of context. Wittgenstein’s claim is that all statements are meaningful as long as they are understood by other language users. Regarding religious statements, we must be a part of the game and share the beliefs in order to understand the religious statements. Therefore, religious statements cannot be a hypothesis as they are too subjective ,unlike, scientific claims. This accounts for why Atheists do not possess the same faith and beliefs, because they do not interpret language in the same way as the religious believers, when it comes to the existence of God. However, Wittgenstein’s theory is far from flawless, and this is evident. A meaningful statement no longer has to be connected to the real world, as it is associated with a language game, which renders the truth of it to be irrelevant. For example, a group of priests could talk meaningfully about non-existent objects, and this wouldn’t affect the meaningfulness of the language game. This sparks anti-realism, which is detrimental ,as to an extent religious claims often involve claims about what exists in reality. The religious language game is applicable to society, and not such members of the religious language game. In addition, Evidentialism is a theory, that suggests it is irrational to believe in something without sufficient reason. Faith allows someone to simply state their belief, without explanation or defence. Kierkegaard’s infamous quote, ‘when I pray, I hear silence, therefore God exists’ Kierkegaard suggests that faith can provide solace in a meaningless world. The supposed silence that Kierkegaard hears would indicate to an atheist that God didn’t exist. But, for Kierkegaard, faith is more important than reason, and belief in God is required, which makes is God’s existence a religious hypothesis a meaningless discussion. How plausible is this claim? Despite this, faith is not without it’s faults. Believers often require a purpose in life, which hey gain from a supernatural being.Ultimately,our faith in God may well stem from our own insecurities and the desire to feel that there is an afterlife waiting for us if we abide by God’s rules. To conclude, ultimately, the existence of God’s is not and will never be a testable hypothesis, for an array of reasons. The main issues arise from the fact that God can not be empirically proven, due to his non-physical state, making it far from testable, which makes it hard to provide support for the case of it being a hypothesis. The case brought forward by Anthony Flew and Ludwig Wittgenstein is compelling to say the least, as they highlight several issues, which back up claims that God’s existence is not a testable hypothesis. The inability to falsify religious claims essentially makes them meaningless, as there is no possibility of the clamant being proved wrong, therefore since God’s presence cannot be empirically know, we cannot test his existence. Wittgenstein highlights the subjective nature of nature, which prevents you defining a term, and he claims that hypothesis are scientists rather than believers. Therefore, we cannot label the God’s existence as a hypothesis, as we’re unable to gain access to it empirically or otherwise. Meaningful conclusion.

Inhibition Of Direct Light Affects Elodea s Co2...

Name: Diana Monyancha Date: 10/02/15 BIOL 1441-014 Lab Instructor: Audra Andrew Lab Partners: Sydney Censullo Monica Mendoza Saul Longoria Inhibition of Direct Light affects Elodea’s CO2 production during Photosynthesis. Abstract Plants rely upon photosynthesis to acquire their energy and make food. To determine exactly how important light energy is in the process of photosynthesis, we decided to conduct an experiment in which an Elodea plant was exposed to different light intensities. One Elodea plant was placed inside CO2 saturated water and under full light exposure while the other was covered with mesh clothing. The solutions to this plants were then neutralized and compared to a control group beaker which had no Elodea to see the†¦show more content†¦2014). Various researchers have conducted numerous experiments to examine if altering light energy will have an effect on photosynthesis. One particular research found that under high intensities of light, a specific plant, R. Nathalie had greater amounts of CO2 uptake (Rakic et al. 2014). Another found that a sugarcane plant increased its productivity with higher rates of CO2; it was able to photosynthesize more by 30% (De Souza et al. 2008) To det ermine the effect of light on CO2 production for photosynthesis, the amount of light an Elodea plant received was inhibited with a mesh cloth while a second beaker of the same Elodea plant was exposed to the full light intensity. The purpose of this experiment was to then compare and determine if CO2 production would be decreased if direct light was inhibited. Methods Equal amounts of water saturated with CO2 were divided into three separate beakers each 50ml. Elodea plants were then added into these two beakers, each plant weighed 1.5g. A separate beaker, which was the control group contained none; it also did not receive any light. Both beakers with Elodea were exposed to a light source 30cm away. One beaker was covered with a mesh cloth to reduce that amount of light that its Elodea plant received. The plants were then left in their respective beakers for an hour. After this time period, three drops of