Population Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Population - Essay Example e recommended the change of the language since the consideration used in MDI was too broad for them to comprehend what the term â€Å"considered† actually  meant. According to Sharon Nelson, the only way to help patients and physicians is to eradicate or reverse the confusing language that make many users to thing that they are doing the right thing, yet they are not following the rules (Hall, 2003). C: Compared to MDI, patients and physicians find the use of nebulizers friendly as it can be easily manipulated. However, according to Letson, the MDI is affordable. The use nebulizers contain (R)- isomers has the only active drug making it more suitable for patients after it was discovered that most patients have developed resistance to albuterol. O: Some physician and inhaler providers say that MDI will only be effective if levalbuterol is added to it. The implementation of these developments will also increase the efficiency  thereby  reducing side effects of MDI that include the effects to the lung (â€Å"Aerosol technology†¦Ã¢â‚¬  2004). Aerosol technology from TTP set for wider use in inhaled liquid and dense suspension medication delivery. (2004, Nov 22).Business Wire. Retrieved from

The Business Ethics Used At Nike Commerce Essay

The Business Ethics Used At Nike Commerce Essay Lets take Nike for example. Founded in 1964, and the brand name created in 1971, head office in Oregon USA, it is the biggest manufacturer of sportswear in the world, selling footwear and apparels and related sports equipment. Also outsourcing contracts to 500 factories that operate in 160 countries, they employ nearly 1 million people directly or indirectly (Business-humanrights ; 2009). According to NIKE, A good name and reputation result in large part from their collective actions. That means the work-related activities of every employee must reflect standards of honesty, loyalty, trustworthiness, fairness, concern for others and accountability. They are expected to be sensitive to any situations that can adversely impact NIKEs reputation and are expected to use good judgment and common sense in the way to conduct business'(nikbiz ;2010). NIKE is one brand which achieved the top in world class by setting high standards and following the business ethics by forming a code of conduct. This code of conduct was mandatory and was to be followed by all of the team members of NIKE whether they were the Sales Agents, Consultants, Representatives, independent Contractors or even external temporary workers. NIKE understands that in order to obtain optimum performance from an employee, they must provide them with an environment void of harassment and discrimination of all sorts such as that related to age, gender, religion, disability, ethnic group, marital status, veteran status or any other similar status relative to class or caste. Sometimes people feel harassed and this harassment doesnt come against the protected law. Human acts which cause hurt and emotional strains like rude abusive, insensitive impolite behavior shown to people is against the companys code of conduct and will fall in the act of harassment against a person or group of people. Incase of any complaints, the harassed must report to the concerned manager. This code of conduct also applies to all the business partners who manufacture NIKE products. Harassments of any sort is strictly forbidden whether pertaining to legal laws or company policies. But in any case if such a situation may arise, NIKE has made sure of an effective complaint process through the Employee Relations or Human Resources Department. On the social responsibilities, NIKE further adds, NIKE is committed to socially responsible sourcing practices. We are driven to do not only what is required by law, but also what is expected of a leader. We expect our business partners to do the same. We do this through the NIKE Code of Conduct, which covers contractors who manufacture NIKE product. (SampleBusiness ;2009.)This code calls for our partners management practices to respect the rights of all employees, to minimize the impact on the environment, provide a safe and healthy work place, and promote the health and well being of all employees. As a member of the NIKE team, when presented the opportunity, you have a responsibility to promote compliance with the NIKE Code of Conduct and to report any instances of non-compliance, of which you become aware, to the Corporate Responsibility Compliance Group. (nikebiz.com). That being the social interpersonal issues of the company, NIKE claims to also comply with the health and safety rules and regulations. They feel that their duty is to not only provide innovative products to their clients but also be finite in knowing that the products supplied are safe and non-hazardous in all ways. This not only helps gain public confidence but also grants a better competitive ranking in the lucrative market. And the certainty of the safety does not end here. They also emphasize that the employees be an environmentally responsible citizen and so if they feel that a condition may cause a potential impact to the surroundings either socially, scientifically or economically, they report to the authorities immediately. (Schwartz, J. ; 2010) Like with all organizations, NIKE also expects its customers to be sincere and loyal by protecting the Nike info, ideas intellectual property. Every now then, a companys strategic plans, sales figures, financial info, product designs, negotiations, software, employees personal info, trade secrets, patents, trademarks and similar info is brought into the notice of one or several members of the organization and since the market is competitive, NIKE employees are prohibited to share or sell out any piece of detail, either manually or electronically . The employees must also safeguard the assets and records present under the ownership of the organization. Nike prioritizes privacy and hence it is committed to giving respect to all the rights of their customers. All the departments handling the confidential information have to be on one foot at all times. That said because, no company can afford mishandling of information. Incase data is ever lost or misplaced, or even otherwise, the new records must never be made up or false statements, misleading, misinterpretations, or material omissions. Even more special care has to be taken with financial transactions. They should be accurate, fair and transparent. NIKE expects their work related activities to reflect extreme standards of trustworthiness, concern for others and accountability. Acts of fraud theft, or cheatings in anyway are strictly forbidden. NIKE relies in making relationships based on integrity. It is NIKEs policy to compete fairly anywhere and everywhere and expect their product and service developments, manufacturing and sales to conform to highest ethical standards. These anti-trust competition laws, if violated could result in mega fines or even imprisonment. Even though NIKE requires its members to be strictly sincere and loyal, however, at the same time NIKE does respect the rights of their employees to participate in other business opportunities outside of the NIKE Organization (Peter;2000). But care must be taken, keeping in mind all the rules regulations of the company policies, which pertains to non-confliction of interests with Nike. That may include situations such as a team member exploiting opportunities for himself which were actually discovered through NIKEs assets and information (nikbiz ; 2010). Moreover, an employee is not allowed to accept a gift, gratuity, entertainment or favor over a certain limited amount and that also in non-cash form. An amount of $200 is considered a threshold limit over which, it is considered as a bribe. He is forbidden to give or take cash at any time. The bribery is not only unacceptable between a member and clients but also to government officials, civil servants or, as a matter of fact, anyone at hand in order to influence them. An action shall be taken and employees will be taken into charge if they use any deceptive methods or abuse the confidential information to have an unjust exploitation over competitors, suppliers, or customers. Laws, rules and regulations are not only limited to the organizations and affiliated parties within the USA. NIKE is very strict in complying with the laws of the country they do business with, even if it means losses on their part of the organization. Like majority of the US companies, NIKE is also governed by the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) according to which, It is illegal for anyone at NIKE to offer, promise, or pay money or anything of value, directly or indirectly to any foreign government official or employee, political party, or candidate for public office for the purpose of obtaining or maintaining business or for any other business advantage.(nikzbiz ;2010). The FCPA only allows payments under some specific circumstances for which, if the need arises, the team member can consult the NIKE legal department. (Schwartz;2010). Other than these rules, NIKE also has certain boycotting laws, with which NIKE complies strongly. For instance, if a certain Country A has boycotted a certain Country B, and if NIKE is doing business with Country A and that Country is asking for a certification that supplies not be made in Country B, then NIKE is not liable to accept the request of Country A, as it is against the USA Anti-Boycott law and NIKE will eventually be reporting it to the US authorities. A summarized view of NIKEs Ethical code of conduct: Keywords The Nike Code of Conduct Memorandum of Understanding. Obligations of subcontractors/suppliers Basic principles Principles governing the conduct of business: trust teamwork honesty mutual respect Nike expects compliance with the same principles by its trading partners Human rights Respect of human rights Forced labour Forced labour prison or otherwise must not be used at any stage of production Non-discrimination Nike is a company made up of persons of all origins, which appreciates individual diversity and is dedicated to equal opportunity for each individual No discrimination in hiring, salary, benefits, advancement, termination or retirement on the basis of gender, race, religion, age, sexual preference or ethnic origin Safety and health In accordance with local regulations Health insurance, life insurance and workerscompensation In accordance with local regulations Responsibility of a global enterprise To do what is expected of a leader by participating in the betterment of peoples lives through sport and fitness Legal requirements In accordance with local trade legislation as regards: minimum wages overtime child labour leave, public holidays mandatory retirement benefits Compliance with: local regulations practices established by Nike A Nike representative is responsible for the day-to-day application of the Memorandum in each subcontracted factory. Nike production managers update the Memorandum every two years. Nike may request an independent monitoring of plants at any time. In the event of non-compliance with the Memorandum, Nike may require that the situation be corrected or it may terminate its trade relations. All subcontractors must: keep any documentation which may be necessary to prove the correct application of the recommendations contained in the Memorandum; and agree to provide these documents to Nike for any inspections required by the company Environment To minimize impact on the environment. Implementation of the three Rsof environmental action: Reduce, re-use and re-cycle (Sajhau ; 2010) NIKES LEGAL BATTLE FOR VIOLATION OF ETHICS: The criticism was started in early 90s about Nike being involved with child labor issues, employees suffering from safety and health problems and physical harming of employees. One of the major issues that was raised at NIKE in 1996, which put NIKEs integrity at risk was the child labor issue in Pakistan. Young children aged between 9 to16 years were made to work and pictures of hand sewn footballs were splashed all over the net. NIKE was accused of labor and human rights violations. A lawsuit had been filed and NIKE appealed legally. On the personal upfront, NIKE responded with labor codes, personal letters, campus visits and newspaper releases. The US Supreme Court decided 5-3 to postpone ruling on NIKE vs. the prosecutor. NIKE made a charity settlement, giving $1.5 million to the fair labor association. (Canizares;2001). That experience forced us to decide who we were when it comes to corporate social responsibility, and forced us to really figure it out,(nikbiz ;2010) confessed EITEL, one of the business executive remembering the difficult time the company faced. EITEL not only had to reassure the external bodies who were criticizing the goodwill and ethics of the corporate dealing but she also had to deal with the question and queries of 500,000 employees in 58 countries. Through a hard learned lesson, EITEL believes that the code of ethics is not to be put on shelf and forgotten about, but has to be embedded by the executives in the roots of the corporate and make it THE culture. In this way the corporate can up guard their moral values under any difficult timing and can be up to face any legal or moral challenge (Cr; 2009). It has been an enormous change in a decade that NIKE has come forward by charting a different course in corporate citizenship and all other aspects of their dealings from the face of a corporate villain where laws of child labor were dusted. NIKE, in their newly-published Corporate Responsibility (CR) Report for fiscal years 2007 to 2009, commented on its new strategy which is, Reaching a closed-loop business model where the goal is to achieve zero waste in the supply chain and have products and materials that can be continuously reused no pre- or post-consumer waste. NIKE CEO Mark Parker writes in the reports introduction, We see sustainability, both social and environmental, as a powerful path to innovation, and crucial to our growth strategies. (Connor ; 2010). At present, the main concern of the brand is to watch for labor human right violation. The company has three main product lines- footwear, apparel and equipment. Nearly 60 percent of the work force is in North Asia and 31 percent in South Asia. One major difficulty is that contract apparel factories generally produce for multiple brands, making it very difficult to maintain standards. NIKE insists that monitoring the contract factories for working conditions, wages and overtime and several other issues, including possible unionization is not a piece of cake. While we can point to many examples of improvements, challenging issues remain for our company and our industry in systemically identifying and tackling how to affect long-term system-wide change,(nikbiz ;2010) the company says. (Canizares;2001) In evaluating where our targets fell short, we saw a consistent pattern: a focus on auditing against a set of criteria sometimes results in on-the-ground improvements for workers, but it rarely produces systemic change in the area of concern, (Canizares;2001). NIKE says. On further reflection, we realized that, if we want to make sustainable improvements for workers, we need to significantly change the way we engage and interact with our supply chain as a whole(nikbiz ;2010). One subject that NIKE shows loads of concern towards is a workers overtime. Asking factories to manufacture too many styles is one of the highest contributors to factory overtime in apparel. We have an opportunity to reduce this pressure by reducing the number of apparel styles and partnering with the factories to improve efficiencies through lean production method.(nikz ;2010). Recently, NIKE took a very ambitious initiative. That is, A goal of reducing excessive overtime for workers in their supply chain by 2011 (nikbiz;2010). This reminder came in response to the criticism that NIKE received frequently, which eventually lead the way to innovative solutions to labor rights challenges. NIKE was the first to make its list of affiliated factories public in 2005 for open inspection for anyone who felt the need to spy for violation of any labor and human rights. By doing this they provided another ethical example of protecting human rights by elimination of overtime work and by altering their own internal buying practices(.Icmrindia; 2002). NIKE also undertook a very Eco-Friendly approach by launching a shoe called CONSIDERED in 2005 (Icmrindia; 2010). This was a step towards a more healthy and safer product line which was devoid of harmful adhesives and more of re-used materials. It also eliminated sulphur hexafluoride (a very harmful chemical to health) from its shoes called NIKE AIR(nikzbiz ;2010). It also started making sports surfaces from recycled shoes and manufacturing waste. It further started worldwide collaboration with NGOS to reduce the damage to the environment through its human and monetary resources and to eventually reduce the effects of Global Warming. The concept was further extended to be used in apparel and sports equipment that the company produced. NIKE had developed an index called Considered Index using which NIKEs designers could get a ranking based on the environmental friendliness during the design phase before they went for commercial production. Nike aimed at making its own facilities and b usiness travel climate neutral by 2011. (-1.htmlSporting Goods Business ;2009). It had set a target of making all its footwear meet the minimum standard of Considered Index by 2011 ,its apparel by 2015, and sports equipment by 2020(nikbiz ; 2010). In other words, NIKE truly took a step to fulfill their code of ethics to support and safeguard the health and safety of every person associated with them. (Schwartz ;2010) NIKE has been on the list of the most ethical companies in the world from 2007-2010 every year, along with several other mega awards (Canizares ;2001). Even though NIKE tries its max to set the best possible ethical standards, there are two noted watchdogs, the Oxfams NIKE Watch and TeamSweat, who constantly find loopholes with NIKEs performance and other agendas. (Connor ; 2010). But NIKE has not been defied by such activists and they are continuing to lay examples of how the process of good reporting can lead to data being gathered, metrics developed and performance benchmarks set. NIKE has learnt a great deal from its past experiences, and it has not been deterred in its work but only grown stronger in every way possible. Says the CEO Parker, We learnt to view transparency as an asset, not a risks (Connor ; 2010). This document depicts the Pros and Cons of NIKEs Organization, and this only proves that No body is free of the unethical code of conduct. Yet, there are ways to improve under good intentions or even improvise if needed. In conclusion, just a reminder for us all: THE ETHICS OF EXCELLENCE REQUIRES A SENSE OF PERSPECTIVE. LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE : IF YOU LIVE FOR THE MOMENT, DO YOU MORTGAGE THE FUTURE? WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU PUT YOUR REPUTATION AT RISK..à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ LOSE THE BET? Reference:- Sajhau, J.P; 2010. Business ethics in the textile, clothing and footwear (TCF) industries,Sector Publications (SAP 2.60/WP.110 ).Available at: http://www.ilo.org/public/english/dialogue/sector/papers/bzethics/bthics7.htm[Accessed 12 March 2010]. Bradley, G.O ;1998. A World of Nuclear Giants Available at: http://www.gzcenter.org/leaflets/mar_leaf.htm.[Accessed 10 March 2010]. Ethicalcorp ;2009. Ethical Corporation. Nike and sustainability Making the running for business ethics Available at: http://www.ethicalcorp.com/content.asp?ContentID=5421. .[Accessed 02 March 2010]. Sporting Goods Business ; 2009. Nike endorses Global Reporting Initiative Available at: http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/miscellaneous-retail-miscellaneous/4458064-1.html .[Accessed 6 Feb 2010]. Icmrindia ; 2010. Nike Considered An Environmental Sustainability Initiative. Available at: http://www.icmrindia.org/casestudies/catalogue/Business%20Ethics/BECG111.htm.[Accessed 16 Feb 2010]. Connor, M.;2010. Nike: Corporate Responsibility at a Tipping Point Business Ethics. Available at: http://business-ethics.com/2010/01/24/2154-nike-corporate-responsibility-at-a-tipping-point/[Accessed 23 March 2010] Canizares,K ;2001. NIKE Failed On Sweatshop Reform Promises.Availabe at: http://www.albionmonitor.com/0105b/copyright/nikereport.html . [Accessed 16 April 2010]. [Accessed 29 March 2010]. Cr; 2009. 100 Best Corporate Citizens 2009. Available at: http://www.thecro.com/100best09[Accessed 13 March 2010]. Business-humanrights ; 2009 http://www.business-humanrights.org/Categories/Miscellaneous/Ratingsindexes/100BestCorporateCitizensUSA[Accessed 13 March 2010]. Bized ;2005. Business Ethics. Available at: http://www.bized.co.uk/dataserv/chron/news/2331.htm [Accessed 12 March 2010] Slideshare; 2009. Nike Ethics. Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/eonemo/nike-ethics [Accessed 01 March 2010] NikBiz ; 2010 Ethics, Governance and Responsibility Available at: http://www.nikebiz.com/responsibility/cr_governance.html [Accessed 12-30March] Icmrindia ;2002. Nikes Labor Practices Available at http://www.icmrindia.org/casestudies/catalogue/Business%20Ethics/BECG018.htm[Accessed 16 Feb 2010]. Peter; S. 2000. Panorama: Gap and Nike no sweat? Available at: http://www.allbusiness.com/management/3496230-1.html[Accessed 30 March 2010] Schwartz, J. ; 2010. Business Ethics Fortnight Available at: http://www.ethicsandbusiness.org/Photo_gallery/montgomerygroup.htm [Accessed 30 March 2010] SampleBusiness ;2009. Available at: http://sample-business.com/nike-business-ethics[Accessed 28 March 2010] Cascio, J.;2005. World changing Starbucks Nike, Doing the Right Thing Available at: http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/002534.html [Accessed 09 March 2010] Willian, S. 2002. Its not just a Code, its a Culture Available at: http://www.savvypr.com/iabcethicscolumn2.html[Accessed 09 March 2010] Ceruleanangela ; 2007. Business ethics, Nike Compliance Life Cycle Available at: http://ceruleanangela.10.forumer.com/a/business-ethics_post2.html[Accessed 09 March 2010]

Give Children the Vote? I Vote No Essay -- Essay Critique Children Vot

Give Children the Vote? â€Å"What I suggest is that children be allowed to grow into their own right to vote at whatever rate suits them individually,† argues Vita Wallace as her major claim in the essay â€Å"Give children the vote† (1998, p.147). This is a thoughtful argument by Wallace, but I disagree with it. In this essay, Wallace presents her opinion, but the major claim could also be presented as a fact, judgment, or policy (McFadden, 2003). Throughout the essay, I see the interesting approach Wallace takes to try convince the audience. In my opinion she is unsuccessful. Wallace’s major claim, giving children the vote, is a good one and something many kids cringe about these days. She presents this argument in defense of kids, including herself, which she feels are being discriminated against. Wallace was home schooled, so she believes children should not be punished for choosing not to attend school. She continues saying, â€Å"Learning about discriminatory laws preventing high school dropouts from getting their driver’s licenses†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1998, p.145) made her think about the unfair treatment of kids. Realizing all the rights children miss out on, Wallace focuses on the right to vote. She was 16 when she wrote this essay and feels ready to vote. In fact she states, â€Å"I think I would not have voted until I was eight or nine, but perhaps if I had known I could vote I would have taken an interest sooner† (1998, p.147). The qualifiers also play a big role in â€Å"Give children the vote.† A qualifier is a word or two that modifies the claim (McFadden, 2003). Wallace does a good job with the qualifiers, and makes the claim stand out a little better. Wallace’s major claim, again, is children should have the right to vote. But ... ...-election depends on the well-being of the voters† (1998, p.146). Here, again, she uses a statement that has no evidence and more importantly, doesn’t even focus on the issue of kids voting. Wallace has worthwhile ideas, but I believe she needs to develop her research methods and legitimate arguments. Unfortunately, she uses her own examples, reasoning, and analysis to argue for the claim to allow kids to vote. Credible sources or harder evidence might be more useful in Wallace’s case. References Clark, I. L. (1998). The genre of argument. Boston: Thompson-Heinle McFadden, J. (Sept. 12 & 14, 2003). The toulmin method: From classical logic to modern argumentation. Lecture. Buena Vista University. Storm Lake, IA. Wallace, V. (1998). â€Å"Give children the vote.† The genre of argument. Ed. Irene L. Clark. Boston: Thompson-Heinle. p.145-48

Examining the Impacts of Regular Bikram Yoga Practice on Health, Stress and Anxiety

EXAMINING THE IMPACTS OF REGULAR BIKRAM YOGA PRACTICE ON HEALTH, STRESS AND ANXIETY By DiAnne Garza Email: dianne. [email  protected] com Final Version Submitted to Dr. Luz Romay in partial fulfillment of the requirements for class Organizational Research and Assessment, ORGD 6330 December 7, 2011 Executive Summary Bikram yoga was developed thirty years ago by Bikram Choudhury, a renowned Hatha Yoga Master. It is a specific yoga practice that is carried out in 105? F at 40% humidity for 90 minutes.Some studies and practitioners have suggested that Bikram yoga practice has positive impacts on physical health as well as decreasing stress and anxiety. There were certain inclusion criteria for participation in this study. Age was not an exclusion and participants ranged in age from 18 to over 60 years of age. This study sought to interview active students of Bikram yoga who have been practicing consistently for at least the last eight weeks, at a minimum of three times per week.Student s meeting the requirements at the Bikram yoga studios in San Antonio were invited to complete the survey instrument from November 16 through November 26, 2011. Seventy-five students responded to the survey. The results indicated that there are significant positive results from regularly practicing Bikram yoga. Since Bikram yoga encourages students to hold poses in a â€Å"hot† room it increases heart rate and acts as a cardiovascular exercise without the high impact normally associated with cardio exercises.The results of the survey instrument yielded over 50% of respondents reporting an answer of â€Å"somewhat better† for all of the questions, indicating that most respondents see a benefit in their practice. Additionally, stress and anxiety decreased with over 80% of respondents reporting somewhat to much less anxious and stressed. Improvements to physical fitness were observed with over 90% reporting improved physical fitness and improvement to flexibility and balan ce. There was a decrease in weight with 51% reporting a weight loss and 49% reporting that they ate somewhat less.Therefore, Bikram yoga should be considered by the medical community as the first option for improving physical fitness including overall strength, balance, flexibility and decreasing weight. Introduction to the study Background of the Problem The main topic of this research was to determine the effect, if any, of Bikram Yoga on perceived stress and its impact on physical fitness. Bikram Choudhury developed this yoga thirty years. Choudhury was born in Calcutta and he began studying yoga at the age of four.By the time he was 14 he had won the National India Yoga Contest and there he remained undefeated for the next three years (Choudhury, 2007). Choudhury went on to weight lifting and eventually set a world record for weight lifting in the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. As he continued his weight lifting practice he experienced a serious knee injury and was told by doctors he w ould never walk again. This led Choudhury back to his original yoga teacher to once again pursue yoga. Through regular practice he became completely healed and established what is now known as Bikram yoga.Although an exact number of Bikram yoga studio locations could not be identified, studios can be found in Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, Nicaragua, Chile, Spain, Ireland, Norway, Finland, Italy, Austria, France, and Germany as well as all over the United States including Texas with three studios in San Antonio (â€Å"Studio Map View†, 2011). The main purpose of this study was to assess the post perceived stress levels of Bikram yoga students who have been regularly attending for at least eight weeks and at least three times per week.The study also intended to asses the impacts of practice on physical fitness level and general health of these students after regular practice. The topic of this research was to determine if Bikram yoga helps one manage anxiety and stress better and if it actually decreased perceived stress after a session. The Problem People experience stress from various aspects in their lives, at different levels and intensities. This stress contributes to feelings of anxiety as well as overall physical wellbeing.Additionally, many people have injuries, weakened muscles, experiences of shortness of breath during high cardiovascular activities, and many other ailments that prevent them from doing regular exercise. There is a form of yoga called Bikram Yoga that does not require high cardiovascular activity, yet it produces the same effects as if it did. The problem statement was: Does a regular practice of Bikram Yoga decrease stress and anxiety for people with uncomfortable levels of stress and anxiety as well as improve physical fitness? PurposeThe purpose of this research was to examine how people who practice Bikram yoga perceive its impact on decreasing their level of stress and increase physical fitness. It helped determine if regular prac tice of a 90 minute Bikram yoga session at least three times per week experienced in 105? F temperature with 40% humidity was beneficial or detrimental to the body. Initial Research Questions This initial plan included three research questions that represented the main objectives of the study. The three questions were: 1. What changes can one expect to see in their body as a result of regular and consistent Bikram yoga practice? . Does regular Bikram yoga practice significantly decrease weight? 3. How has perceived stress level been impacted or changed by regular and consistent Bikram yoga practice? Organizational Access The organization that was used for the study was Bikram Yoga – San Antonio. There are three studios in San Antonio of which the researcher had access to. At the end of each class email addresses were collected for those interested in participating in the survey and that met the requirements. Students received the study via email from SurveyMonkey. com.Schedul e of the Process The high level timeline was: †¢ November 13, 2011Completion of survey †¢ November 16 – 23, 2011Distribution of survey †¢ November 27, 2011Analysis of survey Assumptions There were two main assumptions in the study. First that the Bikram yoga studios in San Antonio would continue classes and the room would remain at 105? F and at 40% humidity. It was also assumed that participants responding to the survey were honest in meeting the requirements. Limitation The scope of the study was limited to students practicing in the San Antonio locations.Additionally, the medical condition and fitness level of those students participating in the study could not be determined in this study. Definitions Asana Defined as a physical posture. A yoga session is composed of various standing, seated, and lying asanas; Bikram yoga is a series of 26 asanas. Bikram Yoga A specific series of yoga asanas assembled by Bikram Choudhury (2007). A Bikram session is comprised of a series of 26 postures including two breathing exercise, requiring 90 minutes to complete, and takes place in a temperature-controlled room (approximately 105 degrees Fahrenheit, 40% humidity).Perceived Stress The degree to which situations in one’s life are appraised as stressful. Psychological stress has been defined as the extent to which persons perceive (appraise) that their demands exceed their ability to cope. Physical Fitness The participants’ level of general fitness (a state of health and well-being), and specific fitness (a task-oriented definition based on the ability to perform specific aspects of sports or occupations). Sanskrit The classical language of India and Hinduism. Yoga Literally means ‘to yoke’, to join mind and body.Yoga is an ancient Indian practice that couples physical postures with conscious attention to breathing, and meditative practice. Review of the preliminary research To understand what was already known about the im pacts of Bikram yoga on physical health a literature review was conducted on three current journal articles. The first article was entitled Yoga Effects on Stress and Health and was written by Dr. Tiffany Fields in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. Dr. Fields conducted a research effort on the effects of yoga poses on a human being with regard to many factors.Many existing empirically-based research efforts and studies were utilized to reach the conclusions in this research effort. Psychological conditions were examined including anxiety and depression, cardiovascular fitness and physiological levels. This included the effects on heart rate, blood pressure, weight loss and muscle strength. Dr. Fields cited several studies that yielded an enhanced mindfulness and a reduction in job stress. People who attended only two weekly 90 minute yoga sessions experienced a noted decrease in stress, anxiety, fatigue, depression, head and back pain with an increase in well-being.The e ffects of the yoga were found to be immediate, following only one session. At the end of one year of yoga cholesterol was reduced by 23% compared to 4% for those in standard treatment. A decrease in anginal episodes was observed in addition to decreased body weight. Surgeries were less frequently required in the group who practiced yoga. In each and every condition yoga was found to be of some benefit in varying degrees, but always noticeable. The physical effects were also reviewed which consisted of weight loss, balance and flexibility and leg strength.This study suggested that regular yoga practice can have amazing impacts on the human body and can also be considered a part of a prescription plan for various ailments. Regular yoga practice can help alleviate various forms of pain and symptoms of disease as well as feeling ill at ease. A Review of Yoga Programs for Four Leading Risk Factors of Chronic Diseases was the second article reviewed written by K. Yang found in Evidence Ba sed Complementary and Alternative Medicine. This research effort focused on four major risk factors in the human body that most contribute to chronic diseases and yoga’s impact on affecting those risk factors.Since there are four common medical conditions that lead to chronic disease in the United States the study sought to identify if yoga would help mitigate those conditions. The four risk factors noted are weight, blood glucose level, blood pressure and cholesterol level. The research included a review of thirty-two articles published between 1980 and April 2007 that were related to yoga and the four risk factors. The practice of yoga yielded an overall improvement in every one of the four risk factors. The improvement increased over time; as the yoga practice continued on a consistent basis the risk factors would measurably decrease.Of all of the articles and studies reviewed by Yang they all show that, â€Å"yoga has beneficial effects on body weight, BP, blood glucose level and cholesterol level. † (2007, pg. 489). Yang proposed that because of these benefits yoga intervention programs should be developed as a means to combat the four factors contributing to disease in the United States. Incorporating yoga into one’s lifestyle and as a part of a medical prescription plan can help one live a healthier life for a longer period of time. The treatment of chronic disease should take the benefits of yoga practice into consideration.The final article reviewed was An Examination of the Effectiveness of an 8-week Bikram Yoga Program on Mindfulness, Perceived Stress, and Physical Fitness conducted by Zoe Louise Hewett at Boise State University in 2010. Ms. Hewett set out to monitor participants in an eight week Bikram yoga practice to understand the impact of the practice on mindfulness, perceived stress and physical fitness. The participant’s consisted of fifty one men and women between the ages of 20-54 years. The students had to atte nd three Bikram yoga sessions per week, however they were encouraged to attend five.The results were measured two weeks into the study and again within one week of completion of the program. In the three areas of focus, that is mindfulness, perceived stress and physical fitness, all were improved by regular Bikram yoga attendance. This study revealed that Bikram yoga can improve one’s body in as little as eight weeks with a regular practice of only three times per week. Bikram yoga has been proven to positively affect psychological and physical health. Furthermore, regular Bikram yoga practice can measurably improve one’s physical fitness in the matter of eight weeks with an attendance of three times per week.Method of research The participants were from the Bikram yoga – San Antonio locations. To collect the data email addresses were collected from students after each class to disseminate the instrument via SurveyMonkey. com and the survey was also posted on th e Facebook page of the Bikram Yoga – San Antonio studio. Within one day there were over 60 respondents so the response rate was more than double what was hoped for. Once 75 respondents completed the survey it was closed. The data captured on SurveyMonkey. com with regard to Bikram yoga was transcribed into Microsoft Office Excel version 2003.This application was used to capture all of the survey questions with their respective responses and optional comments as they were entered by the respondents. Furthermore, Microsoft Office Word version 2003 was utilized to analyze the open-ended response to the last question on the survey. This allowed an easy way to highlight key words in each open ended response and classify them into various categories. Survey results The total number of responses was 75 total, 60 female (80%) and 15 male (20%). The age group of respondents ranged from 20 & under to 60 and above.The respondents have been practicing Bikram yoga for varying time frames. |1. Gender |   |Percent |Count | |   |Female |80 |60 | |   |Male |20 |15 | |   |   |  100 |75 | |2.Age Group |   |   |   | |   |20 & under |2. 7 |2 | |   |21 – 29 |22. 7 |17 | |   |30 – 40 |45. |34 | |   |41 – 50 |18. 7 |14 | |   |51 – 60 |6. 7 |5 | |   |60 & above |4 |3 | |   |   |100. 1 |75 | |3.Number of months/years practicing   | |   |1 – 3 months |16 |12 | |   |4 – 9 months |12 |9 | |   |9 – 12 months |12 |9 | |   |1 – 3 years |30. |23 | |   |3 – 5 years |13. 3 |10 | |   |Greater than 5 years |16 |12 | |   | |100 |75 | Figure 1 – Gender, Age & Length of Time Practicing Fifty percent or more respondents reported an answer of â€Å"somewhat better† for all of the questions, indicating that most respondents see a benefit in their practice. 4. Has your stress level changed since you have been practicing Bikram yoga? | |   |Much less stressed |58. 7 |44 | |   |Somewhat less stressed |34. 7 |26 | |   |   |93. |70 | |   |   |   |   | |5. Has your anxiety level changed since you have been practicing Bikram yoga? | |   |Much less instances of anxiety |49. 30% |37 | |   |Somewhat less instances of anxiety |33. 0% |25 | |   |   |82. 60% |62 | |   |   |   |   | |6. Has your physical fitness changed since you have been practicing Bikram yoga? | |   |Somewhat more physically fit |45. 0% |34 | |   |Much more physically fit |46. 70% |35 | |   |   |92. 00% |69 | |   |   |   |   | |7.Has your flexibility and balance changed since you have been practicing Bikram yoga? | |   | |Much better |Somewhat better | |   |Flexibility |66. 7% (50) |29. 3% (22) | |   |Balance |50. 7% (38) |40. % (30) | |   |   |   |   | |   |   |   |   | |8. Has your weight changed since you have been practicing Bikram yoga? | |   |Weight is not more or less since starting |28. 0% |21 | | |Bikram yoga | | | |   |Weight has somewhat decreased |50. 70% |38 | |   |   |78. 70% |59 | |   |   |   |   | |9.Have your eating habits changed as a result of practicing |   |   |   | |Bikram yoga? | | | | |   |Eating habits have not changed at all |32. 00% |24 | |   |Eat somewhat less |49. 30% |37 | |   |   |81. 0% |61 | Figure 2 – Improvement Indicators The first theme noted was stress and anxiety decreased with over 80% of respondents reporting somewhat to much less anxious and stressed. [pic] Figure 3 – Stress & Anxiety Level Improvements The second theme noted was an improvement to physical fitness with over 90% reporting improved physical fitness and improvement to flexibility and balance. [pic]Figure 4 – Physical Fitness Improvements The third theme was a decrease in weight with 51% reporting a weight loss and 49% reporting that they ate somewhat less. [pic]Figure 5 – Weight Loss & Eating Improvements The final theme is an overall fe eling of improvement as indicated by responses to the last open-ended question. Participants reported a deep sense of physical and mental calmness after yoga sessions and feeling less stressed overall. A deeper understanding of oneself and awareness of strengths along with feelings of happiness was also reported. The last question in the survey was, â€Å"What is the best or worst thing that has happened to you as a result of your Bikram Yoga practice? † All seventy-five responses were copied into Word.The responses were analyzed for general tone and themes as recommended by Church & Waclawski (p. 198). The first category, â€Å"healthier† is related to responses indicating a general healthier body while â€Å"major health benefit† is strictly related to responses indicated a major medical improvement. These open ended responses include cures of insomnia, elimination of back pain, spine pain relief that surgery did not cure, complete healing of injuries, sciatic a healing, neck pain removal that a chiropractor could never heal and others that were beyond the simple idea of being healthier. Please refer to the Appendix for a list of all open ended responses). The break down of responses was as follows: [pic] Figure 6 – Open Ended Responses by Category Conclusions and recommendations Results from the literature review and survey responses suggest that using yoga as a solution for medical issues, weight loss and overall feelings of well being and as a medical intervention is worthy of further research. Based on the results presented from the survey the following is a summary of the conclusions reached: 1. Practicing Bikram yoga yields many medical benefits that provide visible improvements. 2.Literature reviews combined with the survey indicate that practicing Bikram yoga can reverse negative medical diagnosis in many areas including physical, mental and alleviate serious conditions such as heart disease risk factors. 3. Bikram yoga can be a non-invasive holistic approach to curing dis-ease. Based on the above, a series of recommendations are offered: 1. A psychological context of the impacts of practicing Bikram yoga should be conducted. Investigate any parallels of slower, regulated breathing combined with increased mindfulness and a gentle physical exercise and focus with a more consistent relaxed state of mind. 2.Conduct a study to see if values change after a year of Bikram practice. Shifts in values may lead to a more relaxed and accepting state of mind. 3. Develop a series of intervention programs using Bikram yoga for specific problems or symptoms. Plan of Action Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years to improve physical and emotional well-being. Empirical research on yoga has been going on for quite some time as revealed by the literature reviews. The literature reviews and the survey results point to yoga being a benefit on many levels to include physiological and physical. Due to these results t he plan of action is: 1. To develop a prescription plan for the San Antonio medical community that includes Bikram yoga practice. Development of protocols should be conducted with medical doctors and practitioners along with Bikram yoga studio owners and advanced practitioners of Bikram yoga. 2. ) Conduct a pilot on a select number of candidates identified from the medical community and execute the prescription plan. Conduct analysis on the pilot to validate prescription plan’s effectiveness. 3. ) Develop various protocols based on results from the pilot for analysis and prescriptions should be developed for those symptoms related to balance and lexibility, stress and anxiety, depression as well as the need for weight loss. The results of this study have practical implications worthy of further research. This study has implications that the benefits of using Bikram yoga as a mind and body based exercise program are evident, and future research is essential for a more in depth medical understanding and appreciation for this form of yoga. References Bikram Yoga and Bikram's amazing story. (n. d. ). http://www. bikram-yoga-noosa-australia. com/WhatisBikramsBeginnerYoga. htm. Retrieved October 28, 2011, from http://www. bikram-yoga-noosa-australia. om/WhatisBikramsBeginnerYoga. htm Choudhury, B. (2007). Bikram Yoga. New York, NY: Harper Collins. Church, Allan H. , & Waclawski, Janine. (1998). Designing and Using Organizational Surveys: A Seven-Step Process. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Studio Map View. (n. d. ). Bikram's Yoga College of India. Retrieved October 29, 2011. Dale, Kathleen. , & Fox, Marilyn L. , (2008). Leadership Style and Organizational Commitment: Mediating Effect of Role Stress. Journal of Management Issues. (pp. 1-18). Retrieved January 29, 2009 from http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_hb6703/is_1_20/ai_n29422403 Field, T. 2011). Yoga clinical research review. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice,  17(1), 8. doi:10. 1016/j. ctcp . 2010. 09. 007 Retrieved from http://www. ctcpjournal. com/article/S1744-3881(10)00079-4/fulltext Fiorito, Jack. Bozeman, Dennis P. , Young, Angela. & Meurs, James A. , (2007). Organizational Commitment, Human Resource Practices, and Organizational Characteristics. Journal of Managerial Issues. (pp. 1-14). Retrieved January 29, 2009 from http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_hb6703/is_2_19/ai_n29358398/pg_1? tag=content;col1 Hewett, Zoe Louise, â€Å"An Examination of the Effectiveness of an 8-weekBikram Yoga Program on Mindfulness, Perceived Stress, and Physical Fitness† (2010). Boise State University Theses and Dissertations. Paper 112. http://scholarworks. boisestate. edu/td/112 Park, Yang-Kyu, Lee, Chul-In, Kabist, Rudiger. (2008, July 1). â€Å"Human Needs as Predictors for Organizational Commitment and Job Involvement. † Management Review. (pp. 1-18) Retrieved January 29, 2009 from http://www. allbusiness. com/labor-employment/worker-categories-women-workers/11 729925-1. html Yang, K. (2007). A Review of Yoga Programs for Four Leading Risk Factors of Chronic Diseases.Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 4(4), 4. doi:10. 1093/ecam/nem154 Retrieved from http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pmc/articles/PMC2176145/ Appendix A Survey Questions & Response Options 1. Select your gender. 2. Select your age group. 3. Select number of months/years practicing. 4. Has your stress level changed since you have been practicing Bikram yoga? 5. Has your anxiety level changed since you have been practicing Bikram yoga? 6. Has your physical fitness changed since you have been practicing Bikram yoga? 7. Has your flexibility and balance changed since you have been practicing Bikram yoga? . Has your weight changed since you have been practicing Bikram yoga? 9. Have your eating habits changed as a result of practicing Bikram yoga? 10. What is the best or worst thing that has happened to you as a result of your Bikram Yoga practice? Response Options Gender options: Female and Male Age group options: 1. 20 & under 2. 21 – 29 3. 30 – 40 4. 41 – 50 5. 51 – 60 6. 60 & above Number of months/years practicing options: 1. 1 – 3 months 2. 4 – 9 months 3. 9 – 12 months 4. 1 – 3 years 5. 3 – 5 years 6. Greater than 5 years Stress level changes since practicing Bikram yoga: 1.Much less stressed 2. Somewhat less stressed 3. Neither more or less stressed 4. Somewhat more stressed 5. Much more stressed Changes to anxiety level since practicing Bikram yoga options: 1. Much less instances of anxiety 2. Somewhat less instances of anxiety 3. Neither more or less instances of anxiety 4. Somewhat more instances of anxiety 5. Much more instances of anxiety Changes to physical fitness since practicing Bikram yoga options: 1. Much less physically fit 2. Somewhat less physically fit 3. Neither more or less physically fit 4. Somewhat more physically fit 5. Much more physically fitChanges t o flexibility and balance since practicing Bikram yoga options: The following are options across rows: 1. Flexibility 2. Balance The following are options across columns: 1. Much better 2. Somewhat better 3. Neither better nor worse 4. Somewhat worse 5. Much more worse Changes to weight since practicing Bikram yoga options: 1. Weight has significantly increased 2. Weight has somewhat increased 3. Weight is not more or less since starting Bikram yoga 4. Weight has somewhat decreased 5. Weight has significantly decreased Changes to eating habits as a result of practicing Bikram yoga options: . Eat much more 2. Eat somewhat more 3. Eating habits have not changed at all 4. Eat somewhat less 5. Eat much less The final question, â€Å"What is the best or worst thing that has happened to you as a result of your Bikram Yoga practice? † has an open ended form box for a response. Additionally, questions five through nine have an optional 50 character form field for a comment. Responder may only select one in each question. All questions have required responses. Appendix B The Bikram Yoga Sequence & Asana Names [pic] Figure 7 – The Bikram Yoga Sequence Appendix C Photos [pic]Figure 8 – Bikram Choudhury, born on February 10, 1946 Students are in Pose 13: Savasana [pic] Figure 9 – Pose 16: Bhujangasana [pic] Figure 10 – Pose 17: Salabhasana Appendix D Screen shot of Facebook invite for the survey [pic] Appendix E Open-ended responses |10. What is the best or worst thing that has happened to you as a result of your Bikram Yoga practice? | |Category |Response | |Healthier |Worst thing is when I miss a class or am unable to attend for some other reasons/obligations. | |Best thing Well, to be completely honest, Bikram has been the abolute best thing that could've | | |ever happened to me. I was going down a really bad path, and i have to say i feel that Bikram | | |has truly saved me life. Of course, I have to thank my God for that. But anywa y, I hope this | | |helps. Best of luck! | |Healthier |New experience in total body workout, see that there is something better than traditional gym | | |rat, sweat like never before†¦ ll good stuff. | |Mental improvement |Getting out there and trying something new and loving it! It has given me the confidence to try | | |new experiences | |Mental improvement |I learned about how my body responds to stress. I am a medical student and on the weeks where we| | |have testing blocks I found that I am generally unhealthy (lack of sleep, eat little and make | | |poor choices with food, and I allow stress and fear to be main motivators).These are all things| | |I learned about myself through my yoga. My ability to focus and balance declines and I am | | |overall an unhappy person. Life will always bring time of intense stress; however, our bodies | | |deserve our best regardless of the situation. Bikram opened my eyes to this stress habit and I | | |am beginning to make healthier choi ces during moments of heavy stress. | |Mental improvement |Best thing is that I have a new passion in my life.I cannot imagine my life without my | | |practice. | |Happier |Happiness and Peace | |Weight loss |Although I have always been taught the importance of water, I have never embraced and felt the | | |need for it as much as I have since practicing Bikram. I think that is a reason for some | | |weightloss, of course in addition to the torture chamber! | |Healthier |Feeling great overall! |Major health benefit |Hope, that my life was not over because of debilitating pain in spine due to degenerative disk | | |disease, that is now mostly gone. Hope that even after cervical spine surgery, I can stay fit | | |and and continue to practice and improve my practice as long as I live. Joy, appreciation for | | |life and health every day with a consistent practice. | |Mental improvement |Improved attitude. | |Happier |Realize what is really important in life. |Healthier |Fewer injuries running. Toned body. More patient. Realization that pain is temporary and makes | | |me stronger. I can do anything for one minute. | |Healthier |Bikram has become a practice I look forward to all day. I know I can leave my stress at the door| | |and will feel amazing when I leave. Bikram has given me much more energy and is forcing me to | | |hydrate my body. Loving this new way of life. | |Mental improvement |I notice that I am more disciplined. |Major health benefit |I suffer from migraine headaches 3-4 times a week. So long as I practice Bikram Yoga at least 3 | | |times a week I am completely headache free. It helps lower my stress and let my mind release the| | |tension of work. | |Major health benefit |I have been able to successfully get off of both anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medication. I| | |was on a slew of medication for about 4 years due to severe panic attacks and depression. |Weight loss |Besides the weight loss, it would have to be that I do focus more on my b reath and focusing on | | |how my body reacts to different situations. | |Happier |I feel so much better and energized after a session and I just have this glow that makes me so | | |much happier after a class! | |Healthier |The best thing is being able to focus on myself for 90 minutes and to push myself to new limits. | | |And, the teachers and students are exceptional.I have learned to love the heat too! | |Major health benefit |it has healed my neck better than any chiropractor has been able | |Happier |Best thing is the way I treat my students thanks to Yoga†¦ they deserve that†¦. :). | |Happier |Better peace of mind. Good Too much time away from family. Worst | |Mental improvement |I feel amazing in the hot room, which has increased my confidence outside the room.The worst | | |thing- I have developed an addiction 🙂 | |Major health benefit |My back is stronger overall, but I seem to frequently be working through some ache, pain, or | | |injury. Could just be my age†¦. | |Healthier |Has vastly improved my life. | |Major health benefit |Since starting 5 yrs ago, I have gone from 5'7†³, 167 lbs to 136 lbs! I no longer have sciatica. | | |Old sports injuries have healed.Flexibility has improved. Overall health has improved. I eat | | |way better than I ever have. I stopped drinking alcohol. I feel great and have more confidence | | |that I did before Bikram. | |Weight loss |best thing is that i have lost 15lbs†¦.. i LOVE my body now | |Mental improvement |Best thing. Met some wonderful people and my daughter and I have a common challenge | |Mental improvement |Best is more ability to clear my mind and just do it. |Mental improvement |I love the me time I get. I love the challenge of facing myself in the mirror for 90 mins. When | | |is the last time you watched your body move for 90 mins? It is empowering, amazing, and allows | | |me to love my body. My only regret is that I didn't find it sooner. | |Healthier |I've practice d yoga for a long time and bikram yoga has changed my yoga practice tremendously | |Healthier |The muscle toning in my legs and arms is very visible. |Mental improvement |Finished the 60 day challenge which was super gratifying. A nice goal to work towards and | | |achieve. | |Major health benefit |I began to practice Bikram yoga to rehabilitate my ankle. After 6 months my ankle was healed. I | | |am intrigued by Bikram yoga, as a biochemistry major you can imagine the amount of research I | | |have done on Bikram yoga. I would like to know what you find. [email  protected] om | |Bad reaction |I got CA MRSA – superbug staph infection! | |Major health benefit |Almost complete elimination of back pain that I have suffered for approximately two decades. | |Healthier |The best thing is that is a great stress reliever and awesome facial moisturizer! | |Mental improvement |Best- friends, connections with the Bikram family. Worst- must carve out time for Bikram, or | | |else†¦. I'm grumpy!!! | |Spiritual improvement |Through yoga, I started to reconnect with my spiritual nature. |Healthier |The best thing is that I feel hopeful that I can be healthier and more comfortable in my body. | |Major health benefit |My runs of A-fib have stopped. | |Healthier |Energy up, stress down! | |Major health benefit |improved range of motion in arthritic joints. better balance and focus. Too many benefits to | | |list! | |Major health benefit |I have insomnia. Meds are the only things that, prior to Bikram, helped me fall asleep.After | | |the 8:15pm Bikram class, I crash and am out for at least 8 hours. | |Mental improvement |Just an overall better outlook and feeling positive about daily occurrences | |Healthier |I feel amazing practicing bikram yoga. My body feels cleansed | |Mental improvement |I have become addicted†¦ but to a good thing. I feel better, am in great shape, and am a much | | |happier and patient person because of Bikram. |Mental improvement |I l ike who I am becoming | |Spiritual improvement |I'm addicted to Bikram Yoga. It has been a Permanant Part of my life. The best thing that has | | |happened to me is, My Meditation has elevated to a deeply spiritual level&I crave this Yoga. I | | |can't miss a class. | |Mental improvement |My self confidence is improving. |Mental improvement |I like to tell people â€Å"I got me back†, bikram Yoga was introduced to me at a time when I pulled | | |myself out of a controlling & very unhealthy relationship. My sense of independence & security | | |was wiped out. As a result I stressed over every little thing because I was made to believe I | | |couldn't do anything without â€Å"him†. Bikram Yoga is a blessing because slowly I've been able to | | |let go of fear, stress, misery & depression.In short†¦ I found my smile! Thanks to BYSA! | |Healthier |The BEST thing that happens from practicing Bikram Yoga is how much more AMAZING you feel and | | |enjoy life even better ! | |Weight loss |Weightloss | |Healthier |It has contributed to improved attention to multiple aspects of fitness with overall gains | | |resulting. | |Healthier |Keeps me in great shape!! |Major health benefit |I got off of blood pressure medication after 3 months of practice. | |Mental improvement |Peace in mind, strength, balance, focus. | |Mental improvement |Best thing that happened is that I learned more self control. | |Weight loss |when I stop, I tend to gain weight and stress. | |Healthier |I flinally found my type of exersice since I stopped dancing ballet at 20 years, I? m 37 now | |Healthier |The best thing is that overall I feel better and stronger. |Mental improvement |I pay a lot more attention to what my body is telling me in all situations. | |Major health benefit |I am able to bend my knee better than in months prior. Also, the yoga has forced me to drink | | |more water throughout the day. | |Mental improvement |my self image and confidence has increased so much. this has spread to other areas of my life | | |and made so many things improve. i'm amazed daily at the positive effects of this yoga. | |Healthier |I am more physically confident. |Major health benefit |Everything changes!!!! My back pain has gone away, it provides me discipline when spending $, it| | |allows me to quiet the mind & sleep better, my joints start yelling at me when I don't go, my | | |core stands straighter, my shoulders are more defined, I am able to open my back & shoulders | | |more than ever before, it took away soreness after I ran a 1/2 marathon last year plus it was | | |the only way I trained for it, it keeps away sickness such as colds†¦ s that enough reasons? It| | |keeps my life happy & balanced. | |Mental improvement |Feel younger | |Mental improvement |I've noticed myself becoming more confident in poses creating better posture. I can feel a major| | |difference in how my posture has strengthened. | |Mental improvement |It makes me feel strong.When I get through a class I feel like I did something good for myself | | |which in turn allows me to be better for others. | |Happier |I feel healthier and happier than ever when I maintain a regular practice! | |Healthier |Im more flexible and I fell awesome. | |Healthier |Best-Not worrying about swimsuit season Worst-I sweat really easily.Even my shins sweat. | |Happier |I found happiness | |Happier |Feel better | |Mental improvement |Feel less stressed |

Organisation and Control of Computer Operations Essay

The organisational structure of the company is quite straight forward and to the point and easy to understand. The company is split into two departments the computing department and Contracts team. Taira Zeb is the overall is the director of the company. Martin Gates is the Transport Manager of the daily operations team. He liaises with other companies to A2z Travel Uk Ltd can offer when they book with them. He explains to companies what special rates they can offer them if they book association or company booking outings. If the Company’s or associations are happy to sign any contract or booking with A2z Travel Uk Ltd he passes the contact details to the contract manager make them sign a contact or booking. The people working in Martin Gates team include: – * Wendy Gates (Contracts Manager) – the main role of Wendy Gates is to secure contracts and bookings also introduce discount under the authorisation of Martin Gates the Transport Manager. * Sandeep Uppal (Health & Safety Manager) – Bashir deals with health and safety issues within the company, and also liability issues whilst vehicles are in use by companies and groups. * Mohammed Zafreen (Head Mechanic) – deals with the vehicles checking them on a weekly basis checking for problems before they go to the outing it is booked for. Mohammed Zafreen is charge of checking if the all transport coaches are safe to drive on roads and all the paper work is up to date for example MOT, Car Tax before they are let out. Mohammed Zafreen also deals with daily maintenance for vehicles when he has the time to do so. * Asan Fazal (Assistant Mechanic) – deals with daily maintenance of the coaches on a daily basis. * Sandeep Uppal (Health & Safety Manager) – Sandeep Uppal deals with health and safety issues within the company, and also liability issues whilst its coaches are in use by A2z Travel Uk Ltd * Julia Wilson (Health & Safety Co-ordinator) -Julia Wilson works under Sandeep Uppal and deals with training in-house staff on health and safety issues under the guidance of Sandeep Uppal. The computing department is run by Asian Fazal who is the IT Manager. He deals with overall matters regarding hardware and software requirements for A2z Travel Uk Ltd, and is involved with all purchasing of hardware and software but before funds can be released to him the director must be with agreement with him. The people working in Asan Fazal team include: * Ahmed Hussain (Technician) -Tony deals with maintaining hardware/software with the company and resolve any network problems. * Andrew Dales (IT Security Manager) – deals with security producers and deals with viruses and have creped thought the network. * Praveen Patel (Backup Manager) – responsible for making sure all data has been backed up successfully the backup manger responsibilities ensure all backups are done daily and weekly basis and enforce backup procedures with in the company. The backup manager must ensure all backups kept in a safe place in a different location if for example all data was lost due to fire. * Wajid Gahni (Database Administrator) responsibilities include, database design, co-ordination and use of data integrity, up keep of data, and data maintenance to see if the data passed thought the database is not garbage. * Azard Amera (Security Assistant) she deals with daily security issues or given daily task to complete by the IT Security Manager * Frank Dean (Backup Assistant) responsible for backing up data on a daily basis every evening and reports back to the backup manager if he occurs any problems. He will contact the backup manager when a daily backup is co The Structuring 0f Computing Jobs Within The Organisation. IT Department Structure IT Manager – Asan Fazal Asian Fazal in A2Z Travel UK Ltd is of that to give support and guidance to the IT department on all computing issues within the organisation also chasing up things that the IT department need to do. Asian Fazal is responsible for work on internal projects and teams such as IT Security policies, hardware, software and backup policies. Asian Fazal has to enforce see policies otherwise there could be major Problems within the company. His job involves analyzing security requirements, evaluating safeguards, vulnerabilities, threats also opportunities. Asian Fazal job entails: – * Identify integration issues and develop solutions of computing systems within the company. * Coach and develop skills within a project team. * Lead project teams within the computing department. * Run the IT department to the highest standard. IT Security Manager – Andrew Dales Andrew Dales is responsible for all IT security integration issues within the computing network in the company, which include data Protection act, computer misuse act, IT security and privacy. Andrew Dales to deal with security breaches that has taken place also making high security risk into a low security risk. Andrew Dales ensures all passwords are used coherently and in accordance to the A2Z Travel UK Ltd IT Security and privacy policies. Andrew Dales deals with any seen or reported act of computer misconduct, and she ensures the company’s regulations of carrying out these procedures. Security Assistant – Azard Amera Azard Amera job involves assisting the Security Manager in security related issues. Azard Amera keeps on top of all the latest security, and virus software. Azard Amera has a list of jobs to do on a daily basis that he must complete. Azard Amera can take over the security manager role if he is sick or he can not attend for work Technician – Tony Seagull Tony Seagull who is the company technician manages, maintains and supports the company’s fundamental IT infrastructure. He is also responsible for the development of a completion of training programs for the users of the computer systems within A2Z Travel UK Ltd. Tony regularly comes to check the computers in working order on a weekly basis are as well as coming. He is also responsible for the hardware and software problems and any network issues that arrive. When the organisation decides to upgrade any of the hardware or software used the technician is responsible for carrying with the backup assistant if the work load is too much for him. The technician inputs ideas for what the company needs to the IT manager. Backup Manager – Praveen Patel Praveen Patel is responsible for backing up of all data used within the system. Back ups are carried out on a daily basis. (Every evening) These back ups are stored at the main site location. Weekly back ups are also taken from the system, these back ups are taken to a secure location off site. This is done so that if data is lost or corrupt at the main site, only a weeks worth of data is lost. Backup Assistant – Frank Dean Frank Dean is responsible for backing up data on a daily basis, and ensuring all security procedures are met. Database Administrator – Wajid Gahni As the database administrator Wajid Gahni has the responsibility and the role of: – – Co-ordinating the use of data in database management systems. – Providing support to the other departments. – Any changes made to the database must be approved by DBA. – Controlling access, performance, monitoring and tuning of the database. – Working with other computing team members to make sure the database is working to the highest performance. – This DBA gives different users different access rights to the system – The DBA resolves disputes that can occur with the Database. Privacy and Security Privacy â€Å"Privacy is the claim for individuals to be left alone, free from surveillance or interference from other individuals, organisations or the state†. (P59 lauden and lauden.) A2Z Travel.org has about 10 computers, which they use to keep personal data about all drivers, coaches, routes and customers. Therefore all access to customers and staff information within the company is restricted to those authorised to see it. There are formal procedures that are followed for the allocation of access rights to users such as using a secure password, never telling anyone your password, changing passwords regularly and making sure that no staff members write their passwords down, such data should be memorised. At A2Z Travel.org a single password is used so that users can log on to the system, this is secure as only members of staff have authority can log on to the system. An improved way of using passwords would be to assign each user with their own unique user name and password so that all unauthorised access is prevented. These passwords should be confidential and users removed from the system they leave the company. The company plan to implement a more secure password system in the near future to improve security. The use of data encryption would also be of great benefit to A2Z Travel.org, as this would prevent any data being accessed from any other software applications, this would also be necessary when setting up individual unique passwords to access the system. Privacy Software The most interesting thing that we found out while we were at A2Z Travel International was that the two directors, have their own computers, which they work on. The computers have a lot of software installed on it but the most interesting software that we found installed on the computers was the Privacy Guardian 3.2 for Windows. When we asked the directors why they only have this installed on their computers they told us simply because they do not want anybody to know which internet sites they use and visit. Apparently this is something to do with the contracts they have with other companies. The directors admitted that occasionally they would view the contents on colleague’s hardware, including cache, cookies, index.dat and history. Privacy Guardian ensures that all traces of Internet and computer activities are permanently erased and unrecoverable from the PC. â€Å"Privacy Guardian is a safe and easy-to-use privacy protection tool that securely deletes online Internet tracks and program activity records that are stored in your browser and other hidden files on your computer†. SECURITY The Security of a system is a combination of its ability to support: * System Availability * Data Integrity * Data Confidentiality It is essential that all information must be protected against unauthorised access, theft and physical damage. Access to data should only be allowed to members of staff with authority, there might also be certain levels of security so that particular members of staff can only access certain data. Therefore all data in A2Z Travel.org is kept in a secure locked office, with limited access. Backups of data are also kept on secure location off site for security reasons. Data protection act – The main objectives of the act are to make sure that any personal data stored in any computer related to a member of staff is accurate, used for only the purpose registered, kept up to date, and only available to those who are entitled to use the data. Any member of staff may ask for a copy of the data held in their record. It is a legal requirement to meet with the data protection act in any organisation, staff are also made aware of this and are given a copy of the companies data protection policy when they are recruited. CCTV – A2Z Travel.org is a 24-hour coach service and therefore all gates are kept opened for drivers to enter and emerge, and so the need for CCTV is essential. CCTV is also used within the office; this can help to audit users activities on p.c’s. For instance if there was a problem experienced and it could not be confined to a particular member of staff the CCTV system could be used to view who was using the system at a particular time. There is CCTV placed in several places such as inside and outside the office and in the coach yard where the coached are parked. Equipment security – In order to minimise the loss or damage the equipment within the company is protected from security threats and environmental hazards. Regular backup copies of data are taken on a daily basis, which is done by Charles Stewart (Backup Assistant). Master software and backup data diskettes are kept in locked cabinets when not in use and they are also stored in a different location. It is vital for master copies to be kept elsewhere as data that is corrupted or destroyed in case of fire or theft, which will result in losing weeks/months of work, cannot always be replaced. Any computer is at risk from damage or theft. Theft is becoming more and more common amongst companies and organisations. To avoid losing thousands of pounds on buying more equipment to replace the ones that have been damaged or stolen, A2Z Travel international have insured all their equipment in the company. This insurance cover will compensate for the repair or replacement of the equipment and software. The use of security ties and lock help to protect the companies’ hardware, this is necessary as a number of drivers are continuously entering and emerging from the office. Security tags are also used on all of the hardware so that the equipment is identifiable in the event of theft or loss. All of the equipment is also registered with the manufacturer so that they are identifiable from the serial number. To further improve security the use of metal casings and security locks on devices such as printers to prevent any other member of staff apart from the technician from changing consumables etc, this helps maintain equipment as members of staff without I.T knowledge may damage the equipment when attempting to change consumables etc. Viruses – A large risk faced by A2Z Travel.org is the possibility of downloading or receiving harmful viruses. There are a number of ways in which it is possible to contract a virus including the use of floppy disks, downloading data from the Internet or email. To reduce these risks it is the role of the I.T security manager to have an up to date anti virus software subscription. Even more important is the task of regularly updating this software as new viruses are regularly generated. Another security step taken by the organisation is to implement firewalls on all of the P.Cs used within the company. This helps to protect data and filter out any harmful files. The role of the technician includes updating all of this software and carrying out regular checks on all of the computers. Another precaution taken by the company involves completing regular windows updates on all machines used within the company. This keeps all Microsoft software up to date so that there is less risk of contracting any viruses or experiencing any problems with any software. Technical Security – This considers the security requirements, which are related to the technology within A2Z Travel.org in particular IT networks, systems and equipment. Topics that are involved include: Hacking – This is an act to penetrate computer systems to gain knowledge about the system and how it works. A hacker is someone who is interested in computer programming and things that are related to the technical side of a computer. The damage a hacker can do is change a password so legitimate users are denied access, can smuggle another program onto the P.C, can steal credit numbers to obtain goods and services and can crash a system. A2Z Travel.org uses up to data virus protection and Microsoft firewall applications to prevent any unauthorised access to the system. Bibliography http://www.indianest.com/computing/security/020.htm http://www.itbusinessedge.com http://www.etechb.co.uk/education/Docs/Technician_Phase1-summary.pdf Carroll, John Millar, (1987), Computer Security 2nd Edition, http://www.iseek.org/sv/13000.jsp?id=100047 http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk/eventual.aspx?id=34 http://www.pctools.co.uk/privacy-guardian http://mtechit.com/concepts/security.html http://www.pctools.co.uk/privacy-guardian

Studying The Novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist English Literature Essay Essay Example

Studying The Novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist English Literature Essay Essay Example Studying The Novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist English Literature Essay Paper Studying The Novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist English Literature Essay Paper The Loath Fundamentalist is a fresh by Mohsin Hamid, immature celebrated author who had really elaborately woven the narrative around a immature Pakistani, Changez, who faces a station 9/11 state of affairs in the United States. The novel is his soliloquy: a softly told, smartly constructed fabrication of infatuation and disillusion with America, set on the fallacious mistake lines of east/west dealingss, and finely tuned to the sarcasms of bias and deceit. This gives an penetration into the station 9/11 scenario and what the Muslims had to confront in the United States. It is a profoundly provocative, first-class add-on to the station September 11 novels. But it would be an understatement to simply term it that. The novel is rich in sarcasm and intelligence. It is attractively written and wonderfully constructed. It is more exciting than any thriller I ve read since long, every bit good as being a subtle and elegant analysis of the province of our universe today. It seems that Mohsin Hamid would hold us understand the novel s rubric ironically. It has a dual significance likewise the rubric has one individual with two different characters. We are provoked to oppugn whether every critic of America in a Muslim state should be labeled a fundamentalist, or whether the term more accurately describes the capitalists of the American upper category. Yet these questions seem blunter and less interesting than the fresh itself, in which the fundamentalist, and possible bravo, may be sitting on either side of the tabular array. Even at the terminal of the novel the author closes with the narrative, He writes: I hope you will non defy my effort to agitate you by the manus. But why are you making into your jacket, Sir? Therefore, it can be gauged that the American even after all the cordial reception does non shrug off the intuition he had in the beginning. The author starts the sentence in the 2nd line which is self explanatory of the perceptual experience of Muslims in the United States post 9/11. It says: Make non be frightened by my face fungus: I am a lover of America. Throughout the novel we will come across cases where the author tries to set up how the Americans perceive the Muslim universe no affair how and what their parts and emotions have been towards The United States. Writer s Background: This book is written by Mohsin Hamid, born in 1971 in Lahore. After analyzing at Princeton and Harvard Law, he worked in New York and London, foremost as a direction adviser with McKinsey and so as pull offing manager of Wolff Olins. He now lives and writes in Lahore. His first novel, Moth Smoke- 2000, dealt with sex, drugs, and category struggle in 1990s urban Pakistan. It inquires the reader to judge the test of an ex-banker and diacetylmorphine nut who has fallen for his best friend s married woman. Moth Smoke became a cult hit in Pakistan. It was besides the victor of a Betty Trask Award and a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award. This 2nd novel, The Reluctant Fundamentalist -2007, explored the fright and intuition that followed the 9/11 terrorist onslaughts. In it an American, encounters a barbate Pakistani who has left behind a high-flying calling and love matter in New York. The novel became an international best seller, won legion awards, and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Mohsin besides writes essays and news media for the Guardian, Time Magazine, The New York Times, Dawn, La Repubica, and other publications. Mohsin Hamid started composing the novel in 2000 before even 9/11 struck and so after it stuck he weaved the narrative around the same adult male Changez who went to analyze in America and built it in the wake of the autumn of the twin towers. Because the author has been populating in the United States and besides studied at the same institutes that he has mentioned hence there is a likeliness that his personal observations would hold come into drama excessively. Target Audience: The audience that the author caters is general public. The autumn of the twin towers in the United States shook the universe and a war was inflicted in the name of War on Terror conveying Muslims under its crunch. Therefore this book particularly focuses on the young person, as the station 9/11 state of affairs affected largely the immature working and analyzing in the US. Summary: The novel begins a few old ages after 9/11. Mohsin Hamid has really elaborately woven the narrative around a immature bearded adult male, Changez who happens upon the American in Lahore, invites him to tea and tells him the narrative of his life in the months merely before and after the onslaughts. In 2001, as he explains, Changez was barely a extremist, as he now appears, non from within, but from without. That soliloquy is the substance of Hamid s graceful and formidable novel. Fresh out of Princeton, Changez was populating in New York City and working as a Financial Analyst. At Princeton he was one of merely two Pakistanis in his category who did exceptionally good at that place: I reached my senior twelvemonth without holding received a individual B . The adult male who hires him is besides something like a wise man: Jim is an American who rose from hapless fortunes to go a really successful adult male, and he sees a similar hungriness in Changez, though Changez does nt believe they are that similar. The cardinal motive is somewhat different: I did non turn up in poorness. But I did. His indoctrination, nevertheless, was neer entire. Get downing with his occupation interview at Underwood Samson to a post-graduation trip to Greece with friends from Princeton, Changez maintains an foreigner s dual position. On the trip he is infatuated with Erica, one of the other travellers, but is besides bothered by his rich friends extravagancy and the haughtiness with which they give orders to anyone they ve paid for a service: I found myself inquiring by what distinctive feature of human history my comrades many of whom I would hold regarded as upstarts in my ain state, so barren of polish were they were in a place to carry on themselves in the universe as though they were its opinion category. Yet even as he recognizes the defect of that governing category, Changez, who comes from a high-status household, traveling downwards, besides aspires to fall in it. Give his oft-mentioned phenomenal aptitude for his new occupation and a endowment for winning over other people, th at end seems all but guaranteed. Has he sacrificed his individuality in chase of his position? Is he an nescient maestro or a astute subaltern? Changez has already begun to inquire himself these inquiries when he sees the towers fall. And in the aftermath of the onslaughts, as tensenesss escalate between India and Pakistan, and the United States is caught up in loyal shows that strike Changez as a unsafe signifier of nostalgia, he loses involvement in his work. Assigned to assist measure a publication company in Valparaiso, Chile, he spends his clip sing Neruda s house and lunching with the publishing house, who compares Changez to a janissary one of the Christian young persons captured and so conscripted by the Ottomans, compelled to make conflict against their ain civilisation. He appears to conceal himself and his emotions wholly, until his reaction to the onslaughts through the sudden smiling, pierces the shell. It seems to hold come as a surprise even to him and while barely endearing, it sets his narrative in gesture. Changez has a peculiar manner with words, particularly sing the American. Rather than saying the obvious, he offers a more agreeable alternate 1 that permits both him and the American to go on their pretence. And that it is a parody right from the beginning. Come, state me, what were you looking for? Surely, at this clip of twenty-four hours, merely one thing could hold brought you to the territory of Old Anarkali and that is the pursuit for the perfect cup of tea. Have I guessed right? In the last lines of the 1st page the author pens the American mentality, he writes: You prefer that place with your back so close to the wall? He so adds satirically explicating to the American that the Pakistanis are non all terrorists and to be feared: You would hold been surprised by the sugariness of his ( Waiter s ) address, if merely you understood Urdu. Mohsin Hamid besides talks about the quandary of the Pakistani society and narrates: Status in any traditional, category witting society declines more easy than wealth. He besides talks about the intuition with which the Americans view the Pakistanis, he tells him that the nutrient is non poisoned and hence offers an exchange of tea cups besides to shrug all intuitions. The author continues reflecting on the American head and how they view the Muslims and adds to the narrative: The American says: Although I like Pakistanis but the elite has raped that topographic point good and good, right? And fundamentalism, you guys hold some serious job with fundamentalism. The author through the head of Changez feels bridled but accepts that there was nil overtly obnoxious in what he said. But the offense that he took made him curtail his response to Yes there are challenges but my household is at that place and I can guarantee you it is non every bit bad as that . Readers may be led to believe that the conversation over tea and dinner is simply a framing device, and that the true bosom of the novel is the life-story Changez recounts, but that narrative is interrupted excessively frequently. Changez s life-story holds hints to what brings these two work forces together here for what is certainly meant to be a fatal brush which the author pulls that off to some extent. Two things follow the turning point in the novel: Changez begins his self-contemplation about America s hegemony and power and the metropolis he had embraced with such joy merely a few months before Begins to see him with misgiving and intuition as the public temper and clime alteration. Changez s life begins to unravel rapidly. Erica slips off from him, is confined to a mental refuge and finally disappears. He is fired from his occupation. He returns to Lahore, bitter and disillusioned about the United States, and begins to learn at a university. His expounding of US behaviour in its grief-crazed, wounded province offers a kind of PS to this novel. As a society, you retreated into myths of your ain difference, premises of your ain high quality. And you acted out these beliefs on the phase of the universe Such an America had to be stopped in the involvements non merely of the remainder of humanity but besides in your ain. Changez does non allow on precisely what he does to halt America one time he is back in Pakistan though he admits that is his mission. Hamid keeps the stoping of the fresh unfastened and faintly baleful. It is difficult to state how dependable a storyteller Changez is. Analysis: Mohsin Hamid is a immature celebrated author. A less sophisticated writer might hold told a short narration of an immigrant s experiences of favoritism and ignorance. But Hamid s novel is distinguished by its portraiture of Changez s category aspirations and interior battle. For, to be an American is to see the universe in a certain manner. Erica s compulsion with the past engineered to dovetail with America s nostalgia and with Changez s longing for a lost Lahore while her disappearing neatly parallels his going from America. Hamid, who himself attended Princeton and worked in corporate America, competently captures the ethos and lip services genuinely and elaborately. We neer learn the American adult male s individuality, yet Changez on a regular basis interrupts the narrative to turn to him. Possibly he had been prosecuting Changez, who has become a leader of anti-American protests. Apparently, the adult male is on a mission and he may be transporting a arm, as indicated in the last lines. The usage of soliloquy in The Reluctant Fundamentalist allows the author confidant entree to his cardinal character s head. Not without its restrictions, soliloquy is used here with great effectivity, peculiarly in assisting to construct suspense. Changez s tone, which is sometimes hyperbolically polite, sometimes darkly menacing, is laced with the acrimonious sarcasm. The precise, instead classical orchestration of symmetricalnesss and reciprocalities is both a strength and a failing in the book. It fosters the sort of concentratedly sharp cultural observation at which Hamid excels. At frequent intervals the narrative executes a nice flourish in the signifier of some dumbly symbolic image or compendious comment. Changez meaningfully summarizes, for case, the experience of every happy Manhattan graft when he declares: I was, in four and a half old ages, neer an American ; I was instantly a New Yorker. Decision: The nature of fiction here is closer to world. The east/west scenario, the find of one s nationalism and a morally superior set of values foliages Changez with a sense of determination to go forth the United States in the aftermath of September 11 onslaughts. He, hence becomes a potentially absorbing character, what his Godhead would hold intended. This is doubtless a great novel written out of the tormented stuff of these sorts of east/west brushs. This book and its writer ( who won a Betty Trask award for his first novel, Moth Smoke ) surely has the possible to bring forth more universe category novels. It gives an penetration into the American head and how the universe in a station 9/11 fortunes view the Muslims. It besides enhances feelings of nationalism when the other party s purposes become apparent. My critical analysis of The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a testament to its truly provocative nature, and it remains, at the really least, an intelligent, extremely prosecuting piece of work.

How to Manage Freelance Writers A Stress-Free Guide

How to Manage Freelance Writers A Stress-Free Guide The position of â€Å"managing editor†Ã‚  has evolved in a crazy way since the advent of digital publications and blogs. And whether you consider yourself an editor or not, the chances that you do some  managing editor tasks as a content marketer are high. Every marketer is working with content creators. Every marketer is making sure the words and images make sense. You may not consider yourself an editor, but if you manage other content creators, publish content using specific guidelines, or even proofread on a regular basis, you are  an editor †¦ at least in part. But even though many of us are editors in our own ways, we still get questions like, â€Å"What does an editor really do these days?† For me, these kinds of questions bring up irrational feelings of frustration as I think to myself, â€Å"What don’t  I do† But it’s a valid point- we are no longer in the days of traditional print media, where spelling errors are corrected with a big red pen and paragraphs are picked up and put down like weights in the gym. Instead, our jobs are digital and they’re evolving. The myriad tools we have at our fingertips  are at once saviors and curses as we attempt to navigate all the tasks and words competing for our attention. Being an editor comes with a lot of responsibilities, and requires a pretty wide range of skills. Not only do editors need to understand advanced writing techniques, they also need to be a superb manager of people and projects. The writers that create the content for our publications to thrive need leading! Being an editor comes with a lot of responsibilities, and requires a pretty wide range of skills.Now, this can prove to be extremely challenging, especially because most writerly folks tend to be introverted and prefer to work alone. When you’re an editor, and especially when you’re an editor of a digital publication and managing multiple writers, you must learn and master four specific foundational elements to be successful: Business Strategy (notice I didn’t just say marketing strategy!) Project Management Editing Writing Techniques Leadership Relationship Management As you can see, editing writing are only one part of being a successful managing editor. In fact, managing freelance writers starts way before we even hire the writers. Recommended Listening: How to Implement a Guest Blogging Process With Jess Ostroff from Don't Panic Management [PODCAST] Connect Marketing Strategy to  Business Strategy I could spend all day talking about why every piece of marketing needs to be rooted in your overall business strategy, but the short version is this: If you can’t attach your content marketing activities to the bottom line, you’re not going to have any content marketing activities. That means no writers, no editors, no graphic designers, no programmers, and certainly no social media managers to share your content. I’m not trying to scare you, but it’s important to see the forest for the trees here, especially if you want to take your editorial duties to the next level. So, how can you put bottom-line growth in the forefront of your content marketing activities? Start here: Understand Your Audience When working with and speaking to marketers, I often pose a question that looks something like this: â€Å"Are you a fiction writer? Or are you a marketer?† Fiction writers write for themselves. They’re novelists, and they get to pick the subjects and the characters that make them happy. Not the case for marketers! We have to write for our audiences, not ourselves. So, the first thing to be crystal clear about is who is your audience?  What do they need to know? What problems are they looking to solve? How are they getting their information? What format of content do they prefer to consume? Marketers have to write for our audiences, not ourselves.Now, you may need to do some serious digging to develop a clear picture of who your audience is. And I always recommend creating an avatar or persona so that you can put a face and name to the audience, even if it’s fictional. Creating several personas is fine, too. I know many companies target different audiences along the way. But the important thing is to KNOW. And I can’t tell you how many clients and colleagues I come across who really don’t have any idea who their audience is and what they care about. This is a huge problem. Having a deep understanding of your audience allows you to craft your message and hone your story to reach your goals. After all, it’s the audience that ultimately determines your destiny. A little scary when you think about it, right? But more importantly, why does this matter? Why am I talking about audience in a post about managing writers? Tip: If you need help creating personas, try using Xtensio's Free Persona Creator Tool. Because when you deeply understand your audience’s needs, you can clearly communicate that with your writers, who can then create content specifically for your audience, who then, through their behavior, help you reach your goals. It’s a win for everyone, and it’s where every managing editor must begin. Set Measurable Goals Goals come from the top down. They’re determined by the manager, the c-level executive, or even the owner of the business. That’s because they’re related to bottom-line revenue for the entire business, not just the marketing department. Depending on the structure of your company, you may or may not be a part of the decision-making process when it comes to goals. Regardless, it’s important that you or someone on your team provides some historical metrics so that you can develop future goals for your content marketing efforts. Your goals may look similar to these: Increase website pageviews by 50% Increase email newsletter subscriptions by 100% Increase social media referrals by 30% Increase organic traffic by 25% Increase publishing schedule by 20% Pick the goals that you can track over time and don’t be afraid to refine them as you go. Even if you’re not in charge, it’s your job to inform the decision makers with actual data and results. Inform your decision makers with actual data and results.Develop Clear Guidelines Style Guides The great thing about guidelines is that you can always change them. Okay, that sounds a little nuts to say right away. But it’s my favorite part. Because your tools, your resources, and your goals are always changing, it seems reasonable to accept that you can change your guidelines. But I’ve seen a lot of editors become terrified of creating guidelines and style guides because they think they’re writing them in stone. Not the case! I want to mention this up-front so my type A perfectionists don’t get scared away. Guidelines are important. But they’re not permanent. Make them. Use them. Adjust them. Use the feedback loop to always be making improvements. At the very minimum, make sure your guidelines include: Audience information Goals of your publication Expertise you’re looking for Tone Topic ideas Recommended word count Instructions on how to submit posts Any rules or restrictions If you want to have a little more fun with your guidelines page: Make a video to supplement the written ideas Provide incentives for submitting posts Hide an Easter egg Use humor (if it fits with your tone and style) Make the process fun Embed a form (instead of simply providing an email address) Be a human Here are some awesome guidelines pages that I’ve seen recently, from which you can borrow ideas: Hubspot’s Marketing: Note how they share what they will and will not  consider. Also note how clear they are about their process. Four Hour Work Week: Note how Tim keeps a conversational but direct tone, explaining exactly what to consider when submitting, what format he wants posts in, and some helpful tips to keep in mind. Convince Convert: Note how Jay developed a custom video to explain the audience and type of content, plus the submission form is embedded directly on the page. Okay, now you understand the basic business principles that your editorial strategy should adhere to. It’s time to get to the nitty-gritty. Recommended Reading: How to Write a Pitch Email That Will Get Your Guest Post Accepted Pay Attention to Project Management Topics and deadlines and word counts, oh my! Don’t let a long list of to-do’s get in the way of publishing amazing content. Set up a project management system that you can follow throughout your publishing schedule, from communications and deadlines to publish dates and URLs. Recommended Reading: The Complete 16-Step Marketing Project Management Process That Will Get You Organized Use (and Stick To) a Master Editorial Calendar Some of my favorite publications create certain days of the week for certain types of content, but you don’t have to have to create featured content every day to find value in an editorial calendar. There are tons of tools you can use for this (  being my personal favorite, I’m serious!) but you can also start with a simple spreadsheet. Tip: If you're interested in trying , you can sign up for a free 14-day trial. At Don’t Panic, we have a master editorial spreadsheet in Google Drive for all of our clients. On the first tab, it includes a link to the writing guidelines we’ve developed for our writers so that no one has an excuse for not having them. It also includes a key that shows what each color means and where everything is in the process (more on process in the next section). We have a tab for each client and a column in each tab for the writer assigned, the title of the post, any notes about the post from the writer or the client, and various deadlines. There is also a column for status, which is where the color-coding comes into play. When a post is delivered or published, the rows get hidden so that the spreadsheet isn’t cluttered with old work. You can adopt a variation of this spreadsheet for your own writer-tracking purposes. Create a Workflow That Works Even if you’re the only person who manages your editorial process, you need a workflow to stay productive (especially on those days when no amount of coffee can keep you motivated). The best way to do this is to set up an easy, foolproof, step-by-step system that doesn’t require you to think about it every time. Work backwards from publish dates to determine what your process and deadlines will look like. I love to have all posts for the following week edited and scheduled by the Friday before if possible so I don’t have to be panicking about them every day. It’s not always possible, especially if we have timely or sponsored posts to run, but you can corral your writers to meet the deadlines you set out if you plan out your own workflow first. Some  tips for that: Have all posts come in the same way, in the same format, to the same place.  That may mean that you have a form that accepts attachments, a Google Drive folder where everyone uploads their finished pieces, or you use a tool that allows writers to drop their drafts right into your CMS. Make sure deadlines are clear and are followed. Don’t keep writers around who can’t meet deadlines. There are many reasons for this, but for me, the main reason is because late drafts mean that I have to adjust my workflow. I like to set designated times for review and editing, and I can’t do that if I’m missing content. This goes for initial drafts and any re-written pieces. You must set deadlines for everything! Set aside specific time for editing.  Editing in batches is often much more productive than editing in piecemeal. Use a color-coding system.  Perhaps blue means received, yellow means in review, red means awaiting re-write, green means approved, and grey means scheduled. This is especially helpful if you’re working with a team, but even if you’re on your own, it takes the guesswork out of where in the process you are for each piece so you can stay on track. Overcommunicate. Writers need a certain level of herding because they’re often working on a lot of different content at once. Make sure that you’re being abundantly clear about where you’re at in the process and what you need from them. This keeps everyone happy and on track. Are you a blog editor? Here's how to corral your writers. If you have other elements in your process that need to be done, such as graphics and social media messaging, include them in your writer management process even if it means bringing in other designers or social media managers. Having fragmented processes for different teams is ineffective. Create a cohesive process for all of your editorial tasks, even if they involve people outside of your freelance writing team. Overall, the workflow creation is really about knowing yourself. And as the manager, you have a certain level of authority over what the process is. So please think deeply about what will work best for you, roll out the process to your writers, and stick to it if you can. Trouble comes when you’re always reinventing your process and forcing writers to do the same. Set Up a Separate Mailbox If your submission process looks anything like mine, the emails and attachments and questions I get in my email are enough to drive a person mad. And I get it. Writers work hard on their posts, so if you don’t get back to them with approvals right away, they get antsy. But setting up a separate account (such as submissions@ or guestposts@ or editor@) to deal with your articles can help set the expectation among writers (and make you feel a little more sane in the process). You have my permission to set up the process that works for you, and that includes looking at, reviewing, and scheduling content when you have the time and are in the mental space to deal with it. And to make this even easier, consider setting up a separate email box just for your editorial management duties. That will allow you to compartmentalize and batch the work you do with your writers so you don’t get bogged down and pulled away from your other duties. Because I know that if you’re anything like me, you wear many hats and need to focus on different tasks at different times! Recommended Reading: The 101 Marketing Time Management Strategies You Need to Succeed Nail Your Editing Writing Techniques Being a decent writer is really the first thing you need to become an editor, but as you can see it’s not the ONLY thing. And while writing rules change over the course of time, there are several important ones that you should always look out for: Passive voice Apostrophe misuse Unclear/incorrect pronoun usage Fragments Extra/missing commas There are also always those pesky effect/affect issues, problems with semicolons, and the en-/em-dash debate. If you’re not clear on what you should be editing or simply want to brush up on your editorial chops, I recommend browsing Grammar Girl’s posts  or listening to her podcast. also has some editing tips  from the writing perspective that will help guide great content. It behooves you to review your expectations with writers from an editing perspective. It behooves you to review your expectations with writers from an editing perspective.Cut, Cut, and Cut Some More Many editors follow the 10-15% rule, which means that 10-15% of every article is superfluous and can be cut. Consider what pieces of your articles either don’t add value or are superfluous and get rid of them. Writing more for the sake of a word-count requirement is not effective, and generally lowers the quality of the piece. If you’re having trouble getting writers to produce enough about a certain topic, then they either don’t know the material or the topic is too narrow to be covered as an article. If the latter is the issue, try other types of media (like video) to explore that topic instead. #Editing Tip: Cut 10-15% from every article.Understand Leadership Relationship Management Fortunately (or unfortunately for some!), being a managing editor means you have to work on, well, managing people! That means that you have to refine your leadership and relationship skills, whether you like it or not. Managing relationships is a craft that must be fine-tuned over time, but I wanted to share some ideas that you can start implementing immediately to become a better manager. Managing relationships is a craft that must be fine-tuned over timeBe Honest About Approvals and Edits Everyone takes a different approach to being an editor. Some focus mostly on grammar, spelling, and general formatting edits. But some of the best editors are the ones who are really great at making sweeping edits within each piece of content to make it sound intelligent and cohesive. Let your writers know what sort of approach you like to take and how that will affect their final written product. This way, they can be prepared for the changes†¦ and their ego doesn’t run the risk of being bruised! Recommended Reading: How to Save 10 Hours a Month Like Convince Convert With Marketing Project Management Software Provide Ongoing Feedback No one likes to receive criticism, but you can lessen the blow of negative feedback by simply providing some  sort of feedback, both the good and the bad, every time. That way, your writer doesn’t fear hearing from you (which happens if you’re only getting in touch with bad news) and you’re able to put them in the position of receiving and implementing feedback on an ongoing basis. Now I know this puts more of a burden on your as the editor because it means you have to take the time to craft some feedback for each deliverable, but you don’t have to write an expose every time. Even a simple, â€Å"Great article, I loved those creative examples you used!† or, â€Å"Don’t forget to put compelling subheads to break up your text!† or something as basic as, â€Å"You ROCK!† keeps your writers engaged and gets them used to hearing from you as you build the relationship. Good editors give writers positive encouragement.Receive Ongoing Feedback The chances that your current editorial system is perfect are slim†¦ because nothing is perfect! Create a calendar for yourself where you’ll check in with your writers and ask them how it’s going. I recommend asking two simple questions: If you could change anything about our work together, what would it be? What new features, tools, or systems would you implement (if any) and why? These questions allow you to get to the point quickly and open up the dialogue faster than something like, â€Å"How is it going for you?† It also puts context around the ask and encourages writers to think critically about how they’re really feeling so they can be honest. Now, I caution to be careful not to lose sight of the fact that when you ask for feedback, you’ve got to be prepared to hear things you maybe didn’t want to hear or weren’t expecting. You’re in charge, so take each piece of feedback with a grain of salt, but I don’t recommend asking for feedback unless you’re prepared to listen and potentially make changes as a result. Don't ask for feedback unless you're prepared to listen.Provide Incentives for Great Work The worst thing in the world for a manager is losing a great team member. In order to encourage retention among the writers you love, consider finding creative ways to reward them for a job well done. Consider putting a rewards system in place where you celebrate the success of your team when original business goals are met. For example, if you had one breakout article that contributed to a massive increase in pageviews, give that writer something as a thank you. It doesn’t have to be in the form of monetary payment (although everyone loves a little salary bump once in awhile!), but it can be small things like: A â€Å"writer of the month† award A shoutout on social media A Starbucks (or other) gift card A homepage placement If the incentive requires a small monetary compensation, make sure to include that in your editorial budget so you can maintain the rewards program. Nurture the Relationship The hardest thing about being a freelancer is the lack of consistent work. At the same time, good writers have their pick of the crop when it comes to opportunities as the market for great content grows. In addition to providing some sort of small incentive program for your writers, don’t forget about the human element of working with them. Ask them about their day. Say happy birthday. See how their kid is doing after she was out with a cold. A little personal touch goes a long way, especially in what can be a lonely virtual existence as a writer. Recommended Reading: How to Write Great Content: 20 Tips from Famous Writers Pay Your Writers (and Pay Them Well!) Good writing is truly an art form. And the lack of education on clear communications and writing only makes that art form more valuable. The easiest way to encourage your writers to do good work for you is to compensate them fairly for their services. Now, I understand that many publications provide incredible exposure and that outweighs the prospect of a cash payment. However, the largest and smallest publications alike may consider securing a budget for their writers. This helps develop loyalty among writers and keeps them coming back for more, which is really what you want in this day and age where â€Å"writers† are a dime a dozen, but finding great writers is like finding a needle in a haystack. Finding great writers is like finding a needle in a haystack.So, there you have it! You see, managing freelance writers isn’t just about knowing how to edit and set deadlines. It’s about truly understanding business objectives, having a detailed process, and perhaps above all else, developing great, lasting relationship with the people you work with. What has made you successful (or unsuccessful) in managing your writers (and yourself!) throughout the editorial process? I’d love to hear what’s working for you or answer any questions you have.