Climate Change On Food Security Environmental Sciences Essay

Climate Change On Food Security Environmental Sciences Essay Roughly a billion people around the world live their life in constant fear of what to eat at night or how to provide for their familys and humanitys failure to give them better improvement has been one of its most uncontrollable flaws. This research paper talks about the negative effects of climate change on food security. Long term change in the earths climate especially a change due to an increase in the average atmosphere is what we call climate change, and many people are affected by it right now all around the world. Food security is a scenario that prevails when all individuals, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to adequate, safe, and healthy meals that fits their nutritional needs and meals choices for an effective and healthy life, but the negative effect, the adverse external effect changes these situation for people. Climate change has severe significance for food production and availability of food all over the world. Trying to view the overall impac t of climate change on our food can be tough. Constant Changes in the climate change like, drought and floods could pose as a challenge for farmers and fishers. Right now climate change is already having a great influence to the quality and to the quantity of food produced causing it to increase malnourishment. The topic of climate change and food security is a very sensitive issue to touch upon since food is one of the most important parts of our daily life. Imagine a year where there is no rainfall, or a cold weather in a wrong time of year, or even floods, they all can have a great deal of impact on local crop yields and livestock production. However not everyone around us is aware of these issues, therefore this paper informs people to realize that climate change can affect every part of food production like the impact of climate change on food availability. This paper manly focuses to inform people about the changes that climate change can bring to food production and what are the consequences of not being able to produce food. Impacts on Food Production and Availability Joseph Schmidhuber and his associates examined the effect of climate change on food security all around the world. The article reviews the impact of climate change and how it has a big impact on food production and food price. Climate change is most definitely to affect the manufacture of food in several ways. The more known impact of climate change on the volume and quality of food produced is the effect of weather patterns that are constantly changing over time, in addition these changes are varied based mainly on location and the effect might be greater in different populations (Schmidhuber et al., 2007). Worldwide the weather conditions are to become more unreliable than present, with the increase in the rate and asperity of intense events such as cyclones, floods, hailstorms, and droughts. By providing greater changes in crop yield and local food resources and greater threats of landslides and erosion damage, they can adversely affect the balance of foods resources and thus food s security (Schmidhuber et al., 2007). Liliana Hisas (2011) looks at the issues by assessing and collaborating population growth, food development, nutrition and undernourishment, and connecting these factors to climatic change, to measure the effects on food development. Recuperating more area fit for farming production is unlikely. Hisass research has shown that globally the amount of area that is useful for farming will remain the same in 2080 as it is today, because increases in useful land in some regions will be mostly balance by failures in others. It is the other two elements, water and different climate conditions which would most significantly affect food development globally due to climatic changes. The expected effects of climatic change on food development are farming in low-latitude areas, due to reduced water accessibility and adverse water balances; and water resources in mid-latitude and dry low-latitude areas, due to changes in rainfall (Hisas, 2011: 16). Wulf Killmann (2008) investigates in the article paper a wider view and examines the multiple effects that global warming and climatic change could have on food systems and food security. It also explains the adverse effect of not having enough food and not being able to produce food to feed a nation. Greater temperature ranges lead to heat pressure for vegetation, improving sterility and decreasing overall development. Greater temperature ranges also increases water loss from vegetation and dirt, enhancing water supplies while decreasing water accessibility. In many locations, growing seasons are changing, environmental locations are moving, and rain fall is becoming more unforeseen and not reliable both in its time and its volume. This is leading to greater doubt and increased risks for farm owners and potentially deteriorating the value of traditional farming knowledge such as when to plant particular crops (Killmann, et al., 2008). Agriculture is important for food security in two ways, it generates the food people eat and it provides the main earnings for 36 % of the globes total employees. In the intensely booming nations of Japan and the Hawaiian, this share varies from 40 to 50 %, and in sub-Saharan Africa, two-thirds of the working population still earns a living from agriculture. If farming growth in the low-income developing nations of Japan and Africa is seriously affected by global warming, the earnings of huge numbers of the non-urban inadequate will be put at danger and their access to meals uncertainty will be increased. Effects on the food production will impact food supply at the international and regional levels. Worldwide, higher results in in moderate areas could balance out lower results in in exotic areas. However, in many low-income nations with limited financial capacity to trade and high dependency on their own development to cover food requirements, it may not be possible to balance out p roblems in regional supply without increasing dependency on food aid. Effects on all forms of farming development will impact the earnings and access to foods. Manufacturer groups that are less able to deal with climate change, such as the non-urban inadequate in developing nations, risk having their safety and wellbeing composed (Killmann, et al., 2008). To be food secure, a nation, family, or individual needs regular access to adequate food resources. The concept of food stability represents the accessibility and availability to food. Climate uncertainty is an important aspect in a constant food supply. For example, the expected improvement in rate and asperity of intense events such as flooding and droughts can create significant changes in crop and local food resources. In addition, agriculture workers and others who rely on farming earnings in a region where extreme weather activities are increasing would be at high chance of losing their income and, their ability to purchase food (Hisas, 2011: 23). It also will lower the lifestyle conditions of farm owners, fisherman and forest-dependent individuals who are already inferior and food insecure. Hunger and lack of nutrition will increase. Non-urban areas reliant on farming in a weak environment will face an immediate chance of increased crops failing and lack of livestock. Mostly a t danger are individuals living along shorelines, in floodplains, hills, dry areas, and the arctic. In general, the inadequate will be at probability of food uncertainty due to lack of resources and lack of sufficient insurance policy (Killmann, et al., 2008). Climate change will have a great effect on all aspect of food security, like food availability, food stability, and food consumption. The value of the many matter and the overall effect of climate change on food security will be different across areas and over time and, most of all, is identified by the overall position that a country has achieved as the effects of climate change has set in.

High Performance And Energy Efficient Homes Construction Essay

High Performance And Energy Efficient Homes Construction Essay An energy efficient home combines state-of-the-art, energy-efficient construction and appliances with commercially available renewable energy systems to reward its owner with significantly reduced energy consumption. An energy efficient home like any other home, is connected to the utility grid, but overall it produces as much energy as it consumes. With net metering, the homes electric meter runs backward when the home is producing more power than it is using. With its reduced energy needs and solar energy systems, an energy efficient home can, over the course of a year, produce as much energy as it uses. Such homes are thought to have a number of advantages, including improved comfort, protection against electricity price spikes, reduced peak load on the utility grid, and environmental sustainability. Diffusion-of-innovations theory has guided much research in public acceptance of solar energy and energy efficiency innovations (Rogers and Shoemaker 1971; Rogers 1995). The theory is based on numerous studies of national, regional, and statewide populations that involve a myriad of innovations. Diffusion-of-innovation theory is widely accepted in the energy analysis community. HIGH-PERFORMANCE HOMES AS AN INNOVATION: The high-performance homes are innovative for several reasons. Although the concepts of whole-building energy efficiency have been implemented by builders in various parts of the world, the resulting homes did not necessarily contain solar water heating or solar electric systems. On the other hand, many custom homes are energy efficient and contain either solar water heating or solar electric systems, or both, but they have generally been built one-at-a-time, and most are not tied to an electricity grid. The high-performance home project is innovative because it offers homes that approach the energy efficient home concept for both nuclear and joint families living in Tamil Nadu. Thus, the innovation of focus in this study is the high-performance home as a precursor of near-zero energy homes. These homes contain four key elements namely: (1) They are highly energy efficient; (2) Their water is preheated by the sun; (3) They produce electricity; and (4) They can supply electricity to, store, and take electricity from a utility grid. The significance of such an offering will be realized when they become routine rather than unique specialty commodities offered only by custom builders.3 The successful reutilization of energy efficient homes will ensure higher quality homes that are widely available, less expensive than conventional homes to operate (all other things being equal), and environmentally friendlier than conventional homes. INNOVATION ATTRIBUTES: HIGH-PERFORMANCE HOME: Five most important attributes of novelties are thought to influence their rate of adoption, namely: (1) Comparative Benefits (2) Complexity (3) Compatibility (4) Observability (Rogers, 1995) (5) Ability of trial Each of these can be examined in turn for their potential relevance in the acceptance of high-performance homes. In this case, there are two levels of adopters: (1) Builders who must adopt these kinds of homes before (2) Home buyers have the opportunity to do so. The diffusion of innovations in the form of best building practice applies to the voluntary spread of innovative practices through networks of builder companies. ENERGY: The IEA report on key world energy statistics, has projected that India alone uses primary energy of around 24.9 EJ of the total 503.5 EJ used by the world. With a population of 1123 million as of 2009, each Indian uses an energy equivalent of 22.2GJ/ person/ year. Further the estimated amount of electricity spent by each Indian is 543/ capita/ year (IEA, Key World Energy Statistics, 2009). The goals outlined for the Indian energy sector include: providing affordable access to convenient energy services, making new technology attractive to investors and developing sustainable energy systems. WATER: In the twenty first century safe water has become one of the most important need of the hour and developing countries have started to feel the pinch on public health. The year marked 2005 is the beginning of International Decade for Action: Water for Life along with the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) has proposed a reduction to half the proportion of the worlds population with the focus of giving viable access to sanitation and safe drinking water by the year 2015. It is estimated by United Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization (WHO) that around 2.6 billion people lack adequate sanitation and an average of 1.2 billion people lack access to improved water supplies. It has been estimated that diarrheal morbidity can be reduced by an average of 6-20 per cent with improvements in water supply and by 32 per cent with improvements in sanitation. In India, approximately 72.7 per cent of the rural population does not use any method of water disinfection and 74 per cent have no sanitary toilets. The key to providing microbiologically safe drinking water lies in understanding the various mechanisms by which water gets contaminated, and formulating interventions at critical points to decrease and prevent contamination of drinking water. Geographic information system (GIS) tools can be used to demonstrate spatial relationships for a clearer understanding of problems and possible solutions. TAMIL NADU HOUSING: AN OVERVIEW: Tamil Nadu is located in the southern tip of India alongside Kerala. It is the Eleventh largest state and it covers more population rate and also contributes the 5th place in GDP (Gross Domestic Product). It has a population of 62405679 people, residing in an area that spans 130058 sq.km. The energy requirements of the state are not met indigenously. Requirements of water are met from the dams in Karnataka and Kerala and water shortage is the name given for the game that is been played for a very long time. Now a days researchers have found out that the ground water table column or aquifers level are dropping down and in over some years there would be no water found in the aquifers. This is mainly because people in India use water from ground water column for their domestic purposes. Each house in India have their own deep bored wells from which water is drained either physically or mechanically via motors, these practices causes an impact towards the aquifers or the ground water tab le column in India leading to face draught condition in the nearest future. India also faces problems like frequent power cuts for more than 8 hours a day. Indian Government has taken a decision to have hourly power cuts in each area to conserve electricity but, electricity is one of the major resources, which we need daily to lead a compatible life. Frequent power cuts are a norm throughout the state also as the consumption of electricity exceeds production on any given day. It is hence vital that homes be designed to be energy efficient so that the consumption of power and water is regulated in such a way to contribute to make the state self sufficient in terms of energy and water requirements. Maximizing personal prosperity aligned with ecological effects of a lifestyle has become a noticeable fact for a very long time now. There is always a change in the climate. There is very frequent occurrence of tornadoes and earth quakes and it has become the order of the day and a natural phenomenon. There are simultaneous occurrences were, polar caps and melting and the glaciers have started to retreat. There is also an increase in the number of natural disasters day by day, reaching to an unknown level till now. Drought and flood on the one hand have started to cost millions of lives year after year. The whole atmosphere is polluted with bad air, and fine dust has loaded the surface of the earth, which in turn has a telling effect on ozone and this in turn raised CO2 levels on earth. The greatest challenge of the millennium is the protection of climate and there is a worldwide alarm and awareness spread across to make the earth livable. Hence it is both prudent and agreeable to st art with the four walls of our house. EFFICIENT HOUSING REDEFINED: An energy efficient house is just defined by its inner values. The energy efficient house implies a standard stating that no active energy is need to make the house get heated or cold. In energy efficient houses the main heat sources would be the sun, and the main cooling source will be the wind. This can be achieved by using energy efficient components. For example, the window that has a thermal insulation helps with efficient insulation and heat exchange systems. The standards to fulfill todays energy efficiency requirement for tomorrow has become the energy efficient house standard. The energy consumption of a house is indicated by its typical energy values. The potential to save energy on an energy efficient house has almost raised its energy saving efficiency to 90% which would be the average energy cost of an existing residential and corporate building which has no restrictions for it architectural design. Further studies that were done by Dr. Wolfgang Feist in May 1988, has brought to its fore front triumphant advancement into construction of ecological housing, with thousands and thousands of examples explaining in detail on the energy efficient housing standards. Whether building complex, row house or detached house, which has been already built, is entitled to adjudged excellence and also be moved into an energy efficient structure. The freedom to architecturally manipulate a design is basically unlimited as there is no fundamental difference in the structure of an energy efficient houses and a conventional building. Research and Evaluations that are done on building project have proved that an energy efficient house will always results in extensive energy saving and also has put a benchmark for improving the quality of construction. The future of housing and shelter are houses that are designed to increase the energy efficiency and environmental performance. The long-term objective is to transform the housing market to one in which a majority of residential new construction in the state is net zero-energy i.e. extremely efficient buildings whose low energy needs can be met by on-site renewable energy generation. It is vital to support the transition to a residential new construction energy code that favors energy conservation standards to ensure a better tomorrow. There are a lot of market barriers in constructing a new energy efficient house, namely: conflicting design criteria, lack of knowledge transfer with regards to the benefits of an energy efficient house and the ecological performance on the part of builders, consumers, appraisers, lenders, realtors and others, limited technical skills on the part of some of the builders and their subcontractors to address key elements of efficiency; and the lack of ability of consumers, appraisers, lenders and others to differentiate between standard and efficient homes. MARKETTING ENFFICIENT HOMES: Single family and joint-family homes can both benefit if the home is designed to be energy efficient. An important limitation is building Affordable Housing regardless of their location. Larger homes as in homes designed for joint families are likely to inherently use more energy, and promoting energy efficient housing allows total home energy use to grow with size. A cooperative marketing offer for participating builders will drive homebuyer demand for qualifying homes. An aggressive consumer focused marketing campaign will be essential to maintain builder participation (and therefore market share). Areas for research in residential new construction may include the performance metering of program homes and optimized new home designs for significant reduction or elimination of cooling energy requirements.it is also vital to consider opportunities to solicit creative proposals for pilot-scale promotions associated with the development of energy efficient homes. Energy consumption mete rs and monitoring will be built into these homes to enable future tracking of actual performance. To meet the challenges of a slow residential new construction housing market, increased energy standards, reward high performance homes, transition to a market-based, home energy rater network, the following program strategies and tactics are being proposed: Carbon footprint labeling for high performance homes, creating consumer awareness and demand, differentiating builders in the growing green building consciousness of consumers. It is vital to attract media attention to relevant projects and associated savings realized by residents, especially for home projects, which incorporate both energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. Further, it is important to build relationships with residential builders through educational seminars and training to increase higher performance building practices and to help build a Green Workforce. Energy-efficient homes help lower energy costs, increase affordability, increase durability, and improve health and safety. High performance homes reduce impact on the environment. It is a call for every home to be a part of the solution for sustainable living to help combat global warming. Feature stories focusing on energy and financial savings, new technologies (solar), and environmentally sound building practices herald a new era of efficient homes. Homes that feature new energy-saving technologies, renewable energy, and very high performance homes, in terms of their energy rating and reduced environmental impact give us a promise for a better life in the future. AWARENESS IS THE KEY: Increased awareness of green and sustainable living practices, and impact of carbon footprint reduction, greater awareness of residential indoor air quality, health and safety issues for better living, promotion of energy saver plans to reduce energy use 20% supporting the increased development of a green workforce by promoting green job training are vital steps towards achieving an ecofriendly building culture. The current economic uncertainty may suppress numbers of energy efficient homes, particularly if residents are not well educated on the benefits of such homes. As such, the awareness of energy efficient homes among realtors and residential home buyers/builders remains relatively low. Along with endorsing for energy efficient homes comes the responsibility for ratings. It is incumbent upon the program to assure that a robust system for identifying and communicating quality issues exists to manage the credibility of the savings and certifications offered. Not only must the design of the house be energy efficient but also the appliances used within the house. For this, it is important to promote the purchase of efficient home heating, cooling and water heating equipment, and the quality installation of such equipment. Its long-term goal is to make the high quality installation of high efficiency residential equipment the norm in the market. BARRIERS TO ENERGY EFFICIENT HOME CONSTRUCTION: The program must continue to address several market barriers to achieve its goals such as, the consumers inability to differentiate, and therefore value, the difference between a poor quality construction and a good quality construction and installations, the consumers lack of information on the benefits (both energy and non-energy) of quality installations, efficient equipment and low value perception of contractor and the sense of difficulty to program participation. These barriers can be overcome by endorsing the use of: ENERGY STAR-qualified energy-efficient water heaters and gas heating equipment; high efficiency electric cooling and heating equipment; installation of solar domestic water heating systems; accurate analysis of building cooling and heating loads and the proper sizing and selection of cooling and heating equipment according to established industry standards. WATER CONSERVATION: Water conservation is another vital component of an energy efficient house. There are various principal designs for rainwater harvesting system but the general outlined over is that it collects water from a roof top which is linked with a roof pipe which is then directed to a storage tank which is either outside or inside the building. These designs for storage of water ranges from simple rain barrel which is placed at the bottom fitted with a motor, which helps in watering the plants to extensive water tank systems that can provide an adequate quantity of the water that someone uses. It has also come up with new treatment and filtration technique to make rainwater harvesting easy relatively. DESIGN OF RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEM: Rainwater harvesting systems can either be incorporated into a new construction or be installed in existing buildings. A basic system that is used of rainwater harvesting includes a basic roof, roof drains, gutters and a piping system to transport water to the storage tank or from the storage tank or cistern to meet the required need. Storage tanks can be either outside or inside, below or above the ground, or partially below the ground or partially above the ground. The best place to fit the storage tank will be the basements as this helps the water get its gravity and also be protected from freezing. There is a huge variety of rain water collection systems and individual components available commercially in the market. CRITEREA FOR SELECTION OF HARVESTING SYSTEMS: Each rain water harvesting system is unique and should be evaluated separately. Proper sizing is important when designing rain water harvesting systems. It is essential to know how much rainwater is expected to collect and how much water is expected to be used. Determining the right sizing will affect installation cost, operation, and on-going maintenance. CONCLUSION: The average family spends about 2000 to 4000 rupees per month on electricity. Knowing where exactly this money goes can help plan usage and reduce the power bill. Electricity provides many of the conveniences enjoyed every day. Making informed decisions about how electricity is used can help meet the need for energy better without having to build additional power generating plants. The Energy efficient housing plans have established ambitious goals for energy efficiency. Currently available efficiency measures, and the initiatives that deliver them, will not be able to achieve these goals. AIM: In concern, with the above factors the aim is to build a virtual, energy efficient house for a nuclear family with moderate rooms and room sizes. In this virtual house, energies like water, electricity, domestic waste and environmental impacts will be prevented and shall be maintained properly. These energies can be maintained by adopting automatic lights in some areas of the house and having automatic taps in bathrooms also by adding up renewable energy like solar energy and by encouraging some new techniques from home exnora. Since, India is not contributing for renewable energy in a high level each houses can be built with renewable energy source with the individual interest of the people so, there will be no power cuts in future. EXNORA Excellent Novel Radical, home exnora includes many techniques in maintaining a good environment. They also have several techniques to recycle and reuse domestic waste water and wastes. Such techniques can be used in the virtual house to sustain a n energy efficient house in Tamil Nadu.

A Separate Peace :: Free Essay Writer

What point of view does each character show in regards to their attitude to the war? The war is a symbol of how things are not always what they seem. Recruiting posters and propaganda to join the army convinced many boys into thinking the war is an exciting adventure. â€Å"The characters Gene, Finny, and Leper are used as opposing forces struggle between that cold reality of war and a separate peace†(Brian, Gatten), A peace away from the real war and all the terrible things that come. The attitudes towards war of Finny, Gene and Leper reflect their approach to life. Finny does not face the reality in life nor the war, Leper (stands on the sidelines) is isolated from life and the war, while Gene is a follower in life and the war. Finny does not face the reality in life nor the war by, finny first begins to create games. Because Phineas cannot face the reality of the real war. For him, these games are representative of the war. Finny made up these games and he made it so that he could be in control. This is just like Finny ‘s world of separate peace. Also finny does not fully understand the impact of war on people. He does not understand that war kills people physically and mentally. He also does not understand how it affects a person’s life. Finny is not present for the beginning of the fall session at Devon and as a result, the statement â€Å"Peace had deserted Devon†(knowles, pg. 132). Is true indicates the lack of peace†¦Ã¢â‚¬ the peace that the school had come to know when finny was present.†(Brian, Gatten) â€Å"With the lack of this peace, the door is open for the reality that is war, to enter†. (Brian, Gatten) Finny has his own reality, about the war. That is why he created the games to the substitute for the war. Leper’s attitude towards to the war is that he feels that was does not affect him. Leper is much like Finny because of his innocent, romantic view of the world, he loves nature and especially skiing during the winter. Leper is not popular at Devon due to his oddities, but he does not give any attention to such things. He joins the army after seeing a film about their ski troops although he is not even fighting is the war; he is shocked to find military life to be much different from what he expects.

The Theme Of Death In Othello and A Dolls House Essays -- compare cont

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The theme of death is present in many works of literature. It is given metaphors and cloaked with different meanings, yet it always represents an end. Every end signifies a new beginning, and every death gives rise to a new birth. Physical death â€Å"...is mere transformation, not destruction,† writes Ding Ming-Dao. â€Å"What dies is merely the identity, the identification of a collection of parts that we called a person. What dies is only our human meaning† (49). Figuratively speaking, death symbolizes a change, an interruption or cessation of regular routine. In this sense, death can be viewed as a more positive occurrence, because change leads to new experience, which, in turn, leads to knowledge and a better understanding of life. The plays Othello and A Doll House both encompass the theme of death. While the former deals with physical death, the latter depicts a change, a transformation of a period of time and a way of life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shakespeare’s Othello is a tragedy. The villain gains trust by appearing honest and, taking advantage of being undoubted, implants false ideas into Othello’s mind, causing him to believe in an illusion that portrays the opposite of reality. Shakespeare shows, by setting his plays in either antiquity or modernity, the evolution of human thought. His characters in antiquity acquire things through war and conquest, and are hasty in action and judgement. In modernity, however, the characters live in a regime that practices acquisition through trade and commerce. Logically, the characters in modernity are superior to the ones in antiquity. They prefer trade to war, and display logic through their actions. Because Shakespeare set his modern plays in Italy or England, Othello can be classified as a modern play. However, there are some elements of antiquity present in it, such as Othello’s murderous act. Not being logical, Othello looks at the imposed circumstances only through Iago’s perspective, and is completely overtaken by the lies. Emilia’s opinion on the matter doesn’t make any difference, because his mind is already made up by the time he speaks to her. Thus, Othello’s ability to reason is not very well-developed. How strong was he really, when his faith in groundless implications created such a rift in his character during the temptation scene, that he ended up murdering his... ...d fallen in love with her image of him. With this realization, Nora â€Å"dies† in the sense that she is reborn with a new understanding of herself. Death is symbolized through the end of her ignorant days, her marriage to Torvald, and the life she had known. She is reborn through enlightenment, with a desire to discover and understand herself, before anything else.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Whether physical or figurative, death adds a new dimension to Othello and A Doll House. Its presence gives the reader an eerie feeling and intensifies the depth of the plays. As readers, we wonder about the significance of death, and muse over what went on in the heads of Nora and, especially, Othello during the moment of truth. Nora believed in the illusion, whereas Othello was fooled into believing in it. They both went through a transformation, a step higher in consciousness, to a new beginning. Death is a link in the chain of life. Death as change or demise is often feared, because one doesn’t know what to expect. It is said that the best way to banish an enemy is to make it a friend. The concept of death, if understood, will unleash immortality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Kite Runner + Great Gatsby Thoughts

The portrayal of his loyalty towards Emir, how he values their friendship despite Emir's betrayal, his appreciation towards Emir's father, his obedience towards his father, his difficulties, his love towards the wife and son, his well treatment towards his mother who used to abandon him, his dreams and how they shattered, and his ending fate, are Intensely heart-breaking to me. I can't help but sympathies with the character.Nevertheless, the way Hosannas carries himself, through his speeches, actions and his final letter to Emir do not show that he wants the readers' sympathy or compassion. Symbolically, he wants us to know and understand that he still chooses goodness and sincerity, In the midst of the hatred and lies. Despite having his own problems, he still hopes, wishes and wants the best for the people he loves and cares – and he does all that unconditionally. He has a very pure heart and soul. In the story, he may be seen like a victim, yet symbolically, he is the hero. The ending is beautifully inspiring. He ends it by giving Emir a light of hope – telling the readers, that despite anything, there is some hope. No matter how hard circumstances are and were, hope for something better is always there. The Great Gatsby: I've read the Great Gatsby more than a dozen times. It's one of books that I find I can come back to it again and again and learn something new each time. As a story there is nothing that amazing about The Great Gatsby. It's so simple and in many ways eradicable, yet works so wonderfully well, making it irresistible.It's constructed as a series of ticking time bombs that make you simultaneously want them to go off to relieve the pressure, but not go off, so you can enjoy the way things are slowly unraveling for as long as possible. My favorite part is definitely the first person narration, and how easy Fitzgerald makes it seem to put internal thoughts and commentary between plotting, dialog and observation. Though there were ma ny moments that made me feel uncomfortable: moments of anti-smelts and racism, which, on afterthought, were probably appropriate for asses America.

Boston Beer Analysis

Matthew Schreck Management 511: Financial Decision Making Boston Beer Company April 18, 2013 Amelia Drobile Boston Beer Company History and Financial Position Boston Beer Company (SAM) is a brewery in Massachusetts most commonly known for its Samuel Adams line of â€Å"craft† beers. The Samuel Adams line of beer was introduced in 1985. Since then the company has grown to do over 580 million dollars in revenue each year. 580 million is a very small piece of the food and beverage industry but the amount of shareholder wealth they are providing is impressive.Boston Beer Company has been named one of the top publically traded businesses to watch in 2013 by Forbes. Boston Beer Company is actually part of two markets. In the overall U. S. Beer market they have a mere one percent of the market. However, they own 22% of the craft beer market. In their industry, 66% of those competing in the craft brew market are brewpubs, which generally do not do mass distribution giving Boston Beer Company an edge. (Smith, 2011) Boston Beer Company has one major difference from its competitors. The company has no debt.The entire company runs on cash even though they have a 50 million dollar line of credit available to them, which they have never used. The company purchased Diageo’s Pennsylvania Brewery in June of 2008 for 55 million dollars cash so that they could produce 100% of their product without having to subcontract larger orders out. Boston Beer Company is capitalized with no bonds or preferred stock, only 13. 6 million shares of common stock. (Smith, 2011) Boston Beer Company’s cost of capital is 6. 60% since their weighted cost of equity is 6. 60% and their weighted cost of debt is 0. 00%. Market Grader Inc. , 2013) Price to Revenue Ratio (Price to Sales) Boston Beer Company’s price to revenue ratio (TTM) is 3. 54 The price to revenue ratio is usually applied in place of the price to earnings ratio. This ratio is usually applied to companies with in the same industry, however it excludes debt and expenses so the information the ratio provides is limited. Price to Cash Flow Ratio The current price to cash flow ratio for Boston Beer Company is 25. 76. The price to cash flow ratio is used to evaluate the price of a company’s stock as compared to the amount of cash flow it generates.The price to cash flow ratio is important for one main reason, it allows the comparison of companies from different jurisdictions because it removes depreciation (which may vary by country) and other non-cash factors. Therefore, it would allow an investor to compare Boston Beer Company’s stock to that of AB InBev along similar financial values. Price to Book Ratio (MRQ) The price to book ratio for Boston Beer Company is 8. 34. The price to book ratio measures a company’s market value in comparison to its book value.The price to book ratio indicates whether or not a company’s asset value is comparable to the market price of it’s stock. Because the price to book ratio for Boston Beer Company is well over one it may be an indicator that the stock is overvalued. An over valued stock for Boston Beer Company could imply the rapid decline in stock value in the near future, especially since the stock has climbed almost 25% in the last quarter alone. With the book value ratio as high as it is, a drop in stock price seems likely in the near future. Current Ratio (MRQ) Boston Beer Company’s current ratio is 1. 83.Current ratio is defined by a company’s current assets divided by is current liabilities. A company’s current ratio is a liquidity ratio that measures a company’s ability to pay short-term obligations. This ratio also takes into account inventory as current assets, although it may easily be converted into cash quickly. Because Boston Beer Company’s ratio is well over one, it means they have the assets and cash flows available to pay off any immediate debt shoul d it be made due. The company’s amount of inventory provides a great deal of assets that makes the company much more liquid when this formula is used.Quick Ratio (MRQ) The quick ratio for Boston Beer Company is 1. 33. A company’s quick ratio is an indicator of a company’s short-term liquidity. This ratio is a more conservative form of the current ratio because it does not take into account inventory of the company when determining its current assets. Boston Beer Company still has a favorable ratio well above 1. 0. While their current ratio is much better with all the inventory, Boston Beer Company is still a reliable company that can pay off its short term debts if need be. Measuring ReturnsPrimary Stakeholders Boston Beer Company has five primary stakeholders within company, Martin F. Roper (President and CEO), C. James Koch (Founder and Chairman), William F. Urich (CFO and Treasurer), John C. Geist (Vice President of Sales), and Thomas W. Lance (Vice President of Operations). Of the five of them C. James Koch holds more than 34% of the shares and is the sole holder of the class B common stock that gives him the right to appoint five of the eight members that are chosen to be on the board as seen in the following quote from the 2013 Proxy Statement. At the Annual Meeting you will be asked to elect three Class A Directors and cast an advisory vote on executive compensation. As the sole holder of Class B Common Stock, I will elect five Class B Directors and cast a vote to ratify the selection of our independent registered public accounting firm. † (Boston Beer Company, Inc. , 2013) While Koch may have stepped down from CEO in 2001 he has maintained a great interest in his company and has positioned himself to have great control over the Company with his position as Chairman of the Board.His actions and goals are seen laid out in all of the company’s press releases and the company is continuing to be grown and maintained the sam e as it always has been with the exception of Boston Beer Company running its own breweries instead of subcontracting out their orders. Capital Budgeting Boston Beer Company runs just like any cash business. They have no money tied up in debt and any investment they make is paid for in cash. There is an upside and downside to this method of running a company.On the upside, the company is very liquid, meaning they can pay for most investments on the spot without accruing any debt. However, no debt might deter some investors from buying into the company. Having no debt throws off a company’s ratios in comparison with other companies within the industry and can make it difficult for investors to trust in the company. A typical investment for Boston Beer Company would be opening a new brewery or purchasing an existing one to help the company keep up with the demands for their products.The acquisition of the Diageo brewery 60 miles outside of Philadelphia in 2008 was the companyâ €™s most recent investment. Since the purchase, Boston Beer Company has been pouring tens of millions of dollars into the facility that used to employ 220 people to make Smirnoff and now employs 260 people to brew Sam Adams. â€Å"Boston Beer's Breinigsville facility employs 260, up from 220 workers when the plant was purchased from Diageo. † (Richardson, 2012) Boston Beer Company now has three breweries.They are located in Cincinnati, Ohio, Breinigsville, Pennsylvania, and Boston, Massachusetts. Boston Beer Company has been weary to invest in the western half of the U. S. because they believe the craft beer market is oversaturated and they will not have much success, however, some market specialists believe they should do a trial batch with a brewery in the western market and measure real results. The only real measure of value for Boston Beer is the volume being sold. Boston Beer used to lease brewery locations in order to brew according to their demand.Within the last five years the demands for craft beers have grown significantly especially among the younger alcohol consuming demographic that is looking for something more the generic beer taste of the three big beer companies, Anheuser Busch InBev, MillerCoors, and Pabst. Boston Beer Company no longer has the need to lease other breweries after the purchase of the Diageo brewery. Now that they have the capacity to brew their own beer and staff accordingly Boston Beer Company has not only added value to the company, but have positioned them self to expand as the demands for their products continue to increase.The only place that Boston Beer Company seems to be struggling with is the money that they are leaving sit idle. While the company is very profitable and is run as a cash business, some of their cash flows could be invested to generate a better return than they are currently getting. Strategy and Governance The Boston Beer Company is currently governed by a board consisting of eight members. The board consists of C. James Koch, David A. Burwick, Pearson C. Cummin III, Cynthia A. Fisher, Jay Margolis, Martin F. Roper, Gregg A. Tanner, and Jean-Michael Valette.The board has a committee that reviews the current members of the board at least annually and determines what characteristics and skills should be sought in new board members to be elected. Board members for the Boston Beer Company board members are asked to limit the number of boards they are on in order to keep them focused. â€Å"The Chairman of the Board and the Chairman of the Nominating/Governance Committee should be advised in advance of a director’s intention to accept an invitation to serve on another board† (Boston Beer Company, Inc. , 2013) ManagementBoston Beer Company’s executives have deep roots within the company. C. James Koch founded the company in 1984 and was Chief Executive Officer up until 2001 when he stepped down and became Chairman of the Board. Martin F. Roper the Presi dent and Chief Executive Officer replaced C. James Koch as CEO in 2001. Martin F. Roper has been with the company since 1994 when he was hired as Vice President of Operations. In 1997 he became Chief Operating Officer and in 1999 he became the President of Boston Beer Company. William F. Urich is the CFO and Treasurer since 2003. Before joining Boston Beer Company Mr.Urich served as Vice President of Finance and Business Development for United Distilleries & Vinters from 1998 to 2000. From 2001 to 2003 Mr. Urich was Chief Financial Officer for Acirca, Inc. John C. Geist, the Vice President of Sales has been with the company since 1998 when he was first brought on as the National Sales Manager. He was made Vice President of Sales in February of 2007. David L. Grinell has been the Vice President of Brewing since 2008. Prior to that he started working as the Manager of Brewing Operations in 1988 before being promoted to Director of Brewing and Quality in 2001.The Vice president of Oper ations, Thomas W. Lance, joined the company in 2007 after leaving the Executive Vice President of Operations position at Ken’s Foods. A position which he held for five years. Ai-Li Lim is the Vice President of Human Resources. She joined the company in February of 2012 after leaving Vistaprint USA, Inc. as Senior Director of Human Resources. Robert P. Pagano, the Vice President of Brand Development joined the company in 2011. Prior to joining Boston Beer Company Mr. Pagano was the Managing Director at the brand strategy firm, Red Sky Insights, LLC, for five years. Kathleen H.Wade is the Vice President-Legal and Corporate Secretary. She joined the company in 1999 as Corporate Legal Director and Corporate Secretary. She became Secretary of the company in 2010 and was appointed to the vice president position in 2012. Average Ceo Compensation In This Industry Industry Range Salary686. 8K Bonus871. 2K Total Short Term Compensation1. 0M Total Value of Options4. 9M Key Executive Com pensation Boston Beer Company, Inc. SAM Name/Title 20082009201020112012 Key Executive Compensation10,037,7063,868,6674,181,5019,897,5693,718,707 Martin F. Roper/President and Chief Executive Officer ,415,9181,049,3031,094,238933,8181,052,493 William F. Urich/Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer 834,313766,768938,3183,437,998599,363 C. James Koch/Chairman of the Board 589,496546,005836,895754,163817,949 Thomas W. Lance/Vice President, Operations 449,636858,643479,857693,401721,454 John C. Geist/Vice President, Sales 748,343647,948832,1934,078,189527,448 *A publicly-traded company is only required to disclose information concerning the amount and type of compensation paid to its CEO, CFO, and the three other most highly compensated executive officers in a given year.Information about compensation for these individuals may be unavailable in prior years if they were not in their current roles or did not qualify as among the most highly compensated officers at the time. (MorningStar, 20 13) For the most part Boston Beer Company pays below the industry average with the exception of the executive bonuses that certain members of upper management received for reaching certain sales goals. Boston Beer Company is not nearly as large as the other beer conglomerates so it is expected that their executive compensation would be to scale.Corporate Social Responsibility Boston Beer Company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) is heavily mandated by the government. Because they deal in the alcoholic beverage industry there are numerous amounts of taxes and laws restricting their advertising and sales. â€Å"The alcoholic beverage industry is regulated by federal, state and local governments. These regulations govern the production and distribution of alcoholic beverages, including permitting, licensing, marketing and advertising, distributor relationships, sales, environmental, and occupational health and safety issues.To operate its breweries, the Company must obtai n and maintain numerous permits, licenses and approvals from various governmental agencies, including the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, the Food and Drug Administration, state alcohol regulatory agencies and state and federal environmental agencies. † (Boston Beer Company, Inc. , 2013) Growth and Opportunity Boston Beer Company has grown significantly in the last decade. It has grown organically through increasing sales and demand from their marketing campaigns.It has also grown a great deal through acquiring two more breweries, one in Ohio and one in Pennsylvania in addition to the original Massachusetts brewery. Boston Beer Company is known primarily for its Samuel Adams line of â€Å"craft† beers however they also compete in other segments of the alcoholic beverage industry for those that don’t prefer beer. Boston Beer Company also makes Twisted Tea and Angry Orchard Cider. The concept of making several types of beverages allows Boston Beer Company to be more diversified and attract more sales by appealing to a larger demographic by providing a wider selection of products.Boston Beer Company has what most market analysts would call a â€Å"niche market†, meaning they will never produce a large scale generic beer like the big three beer companies (Anheuser Busch InBev, Miller, and Coors). So the need to diversify is not a necessity for survival or growth for the Boston Beer Company. Of the three major lines of alcoholic beverages the company produces, there are 56 varieties of them combined. Boston Beer Company essentially has it’s own market because 66% of their competitors are brewpubs that do not mass distribute. The only thing limiting Boston Beer Company other than its sales are it’s distribution network.Since the firm operates entirely on cash the value of the company has skyrocketed. Boston Beer Company has plenty of capital to reinvest in itself and increase shareholder wealth all while maintaining a balance sheet with minimal debt. Boston Beer has grown by leaps and bounds over the last decade, which is reflected by their total sales, volume of product produced (measured in barrels), and price per share, which is currently leveling out around $166. 00 per share. While companies like Anheuser Busch InBev have a much larger market cap (157. 93B) compared to Boston Beer Company (2. 1B), Anheuser Busch InBev’s price per share is only $98. 78. The overall value to the shareholders for Boston Beer Company is much greater because of the way the business operates and finances its investments. The company finances everything without debt controlling the company’s resources carefully and allowing rapid growth. Boston Beer Company will be one of the premiere firms to watch over the next decade to see how they will combat the much larger competitors within the industry as they try to compete in the craft beer market. References Smith, B. (2011, August 30). Buffett-Munger S creener Highlight – Boston Beer Company (Sam).Retrieved from Guru Focus website: http://www. gurufocus. com/news/144123/buffettmunger-screener-highlight–boston-beer-company-sam Market Grader Inc. (2013, March 30). Boston Beer Co. , Inc.. Retrieved from Market Grader Inc website: http://www. marketgrader. com/MG. Services/servlet/pdf. PDFServer? ticker=SAM Boston Beer Company, Inc. (2013). Proxy Statement 2013. Retrieved from Boston Beer Company website: http://www. bostonbeer. com/phoenix. zhtml? c=69432&p=irol-overview Richardson, T. (2012, January 27). Boston Beer pouring millions into Lehigh Valley. Retrieved from The Morning Call Website: http://articles. mcall. om/2012-01-27/business/mc-allentown-boston-beer-20120127_1_craft-beers-samuel-adams-beer-yuengling Boston Beer Company, Inc. (2013) Corporate Governance Guidelines. Retrieved from Boston Beer Company website: http://www. bostonbeer. com/phoenix. zhtml? c=69432&p=irol-governance MorningStar. (2013, April 18) . Boston Beer Company, Inc. Class A (SAM). Retrieved from MorningStar website: http://insiders. morningstar. com/trading/executive-compensation. action? t=SAM Boston Beer Company, Inc. (2012) 10-K Annual Report 2012. Retrieved from Boston Beer Company website: http://www. bostonbeer. com/phoenix. zhtml? c=69432&p=irol-overview

Conflict Resolution Essay

Merriam-Webster (n.d) defines conflict as, â€Å"the opposition of persons or forces that gives rise to the dramatic action in a drama or fiction†. Interpersonal conflicts, whether they are between family members, students and teachers, employees and supervisors, or groups, have certain elements in common. Coser (1967) asserts that conflict is â€Å"a struggle over values and claims to scarce status, power, and resources, in which the aims of the opponents are to neutralize, injure, or eliminate the rivals.† (p. 8) Coser’s definition grew out of the cold war, when conflict between the United States and the former U.S.S.R. dominated Western method to conflict. Conflict was viewed as a win-lose solution. According to Dana (2001) there are only three ways to resolve any conflict; power contests, rights contests, and interest’s reconciliation. Power contest is based on Coser’s (1967) win-lose situation. Each party views their point as right each wanting power over the other. Rights contest is an orderly system which has rules, regulations, policies, precedents and a hierarchy of authority which is used in order to â€Å"win† again this model is a win-lose resolution. The solution to conflict resolution is interest reconciliation. This approach enlists support from both parties to find the best solution. All parties win with interest reconciliation model as their solution. Conflict in the workplace is a condition between or among two or more workers whose jobs are independent, who feel angry, who perceive the other(s) as being at fault, and act in a way that causes a business problem. Conflict has three elements feelings (emotions), perceptions (thoughts) and actions (behaviors). â€Å"Psychologists consider these three the only dimensions of human experience. So, conflict is rooted in all parts of the human nature† (Dana, 2001, p. 5) some confuse conflict with indecisi on, disagreement, stress, or some other common experience that may cause or be caused by a conflict. However, those elements are not best handled by conflict resolution. The question many ask, is conflict normal? Conflict is a fact of any organizational life. On the job, â€Å"conflict is a stubborn fact of organizational life† (Kolb and Putnam, 1992, p. 311). Rather than seeing conflict as abnormal, Pondy (1992) suggests we view organizations as â€Å"arenas for staging conflicts, and managers as both fight promoters who organize bouts and as referees who regulate them† (p. 259). In addition, Pondy states that in the company, agency, or small business, conflict may be the very essence of what the organization is about, and if â€Å"conflict isn’t happening then the organization has no reason for being† (p. 259). One study surveyed workers and found that almost 85 percent reported conflicts at work (Volkema and Bergmann 1989). With an increasing awareness of cultural diversity and gender equity issues, it is essential that employees become familiar with issues surrounding promotions and harassment. In fact, one can see tra ining in organizations as a form of preventive conflict management (Hathaway, 1995). The recognition of the frequency of conflict at work has led to books on mediating conflict in the workplace (Yarbrough and Wilmot 1995), showing how managers can learn conflict management skills to intervene in disputes in their organization. As employees, daily work with clients, customers, co-workers, or bosses can be a struggle. Conflict is as Wilmot (1995) wrote, â€Å"What determines the course of a relationship . . . is in a large measure determined by how successfully the participants move through conflict episodes† (p. 95). Conflict resolution has five styles, giving in, avoiding, fight it out, comprise, and work together style. No style is right or wrong; however some do work better than others. Accommodation, giving in to the other’s wishes or smoothing waves sacrifices one’s own goals for the sake of the other person. Accommodators often use phrases like: â€Å"Whatever you want is fine with me.† When one party in a conflict genuinely does not care about the outcome of the conflict, accommodation may be the right choice for that situation. However, if accommodation is the only style a person utilizes, he or she is advised to learn more skills. Avoidance is characterized by behaviors that either ignore or refuse to engage in the conflict. While avoidance is by some consider a negative style that shows low concern for both one’s own and the other party’s interests, there are sometimes strategic reasons to avoid conflict. For example, when the relationship is short-term and the issue is not important or when the situation has a potential to escalate to violence, avoidance may be the prudent choice. Fight it out, competition, or win/lose, style maximizes reaching one’s own goals or getting the problem solved at the cost of the others goals or feelings. While always choosing competition has negative repercussions for relationships, businesses and cultures, it can occasionally be the right style to choose if the other party is firmly fixed in a competitive style or there are limited resources. While competitive strategy is not necessarily dysfunctional, competition can easily slip into a destructive situation. Understanding the methods and strategies of others who use competitive styles can assist conflict managers in neutralizing the negative consequences of competition and work toward a mutual gain approach. Compromise is a give and take of resources. The classic compromise in negotiating is to â€Å"split the difference† between two positions. While there is no victor from compromise, each person also fails to achieve her or his original goal. Finally, working together to collaborate is when parties cooperatively team up until a mutually agreeable solution is found. Compromise and collaboration are win-win solution where as the other styles are win-lose. Why do people avoid dealing with conflict? People have a natural instinct of fear and some let that fear overpower them. The fear of harm causes people to fight-or-flight. Individuals will choose the flight option when in a dangerous part of a city that they have never been in before in order to avoid danger, it shows wisdom or strength to get out a of physically abusive relationship, commendable to stay out emotionally abusive relationships. In spite of this, in some cases people have the response to flight to a false perception of harm. People overstress in their minds the emotional harm that someone can cause harm. The same is said for conflict in the workplace, people will avoid conflict for fear of being harmed by others. Some avoid conflict because of a fear of rejection from others. These individuals feel others will withdraw their friendship or push them away causing more hurt. People have the perception if they do not risk rejection they can suppress their needs and feelings. Loss of relationship is the fear of rejection taken up a level they fear totally losing a relationship. Others avoid conflict to mask their true desires because preserving a relationship is more important than getting what they want. These individuals are trapped into believing their worth is dependant on another accepting them. People avoid conflict for fear of anger. These people do not like listening to someone who is angry. They believe another will hurt them, reject them, or leave them, and they just cannot stand to witness anger. However, anger is just anger and it is not necessarily directed toward them. Individuals do not want to be seen as selfish. In some situations people are not afraid of others reactions, but rather their interpretation of the situation. They fear that they will appear selfish. However, is it wrong to have a need, feeling, or want and to express it? Society has sometimes had it seem that way. Although, there is nothing wrong with asking for what individuals want versus feeling they are entitled to always getting what they want. The truth is if one never asks, then they are depriving people around them from being able give to them effectively. Still, people who feel their wants should not be fulfilled, regardless of what others want, fall into the selfishness category. Sometimes people avoid conflict for fear of saying the wrong thing or something they will regret. Individuals will avoid conflict rather than risk putting â€Å"their foot in their mouth† they contain their anger and frustration which often leads to that which they fear. When people have conflicts in the past that have failed so they avoid future conflict for the fear of failing those too and begin to believe the confrontation is not worth the emotional energy it takes to deal with others. The fear of failing can impact other aspects of ones life. The fear of hurting another is more than just saying the wrong thing. These individuals are extremely sensitive and caring. They would rather hurt themselves than risk hurting another. The fear of success is a fear that most over look. However, it is much like the fear of failure. Some people are afraid to get what they want; they believe they will never get it. These people feel they do not deserve what they want, the consequences of getting of what they want is regret, or the responsibility is more than they need or desire. The fear of intimacy is the most subconscious of the fears. People do not want to share their dreams, desires, and wants with others. They feel they are private and do not want to be exposed. People do not want to appear weak. If resolution involves giving in, avoiding, or compromise they may feel they appear as though they do not have confidence. People do not want the stress of confrontation. They feel it is better to avoid conflict rather than deal with the stress it will cause them in the workplace between co-workers. Our society tends to reward alternative responses to conflict, rather than negotiation. People, who aggressively pursue their needs, competing rather than collaborating, are often satisfied by others who prefer to accommodate. Managers and leaders are often rewarded for their aggressive, controlling approaches to problems, rather than taking a more compassionate approach to issues that may seem less decisive to the public or their staffs. Conflict resolution requires profound courage on the part of all parties: It takes courage to honestly and clearly express one’s needs, and it takes coura ge to sit down and listen to one’s adversaries. It takes courage to look at one’s own role in the dispute, and it takes courage to approach others with a sense of empathy, openness and respect for their perspective. Collaborative approaches to conflict management require individuals to engage in the moment of dialogue in thoughtful and meaningful ways, so it is understandable if people tend to avoid such situations until the balance of wisdom tips in favor of negotiation. People have certain perceptions in conflict when dealing with different situations. Culture shapes and frames each individual’s interpretation of appropriate behaviors during conflicts. Conflict across cultures, whether across nations or across the diverse cultures within a country, exacerbates the routine difficulties of conflict management (Fry and Bjorkqvist, 1997). There is no clear conclusion about whether men and women actually behave in different ways while conducting conflicts. However, gender stereotypes do affect conflict behaviors when in dividuals act and react based on stereotypes of how men and women will/should act rather than selecting behaviors appropriate for the individual one is communicating with (Borisoff and Victor, 1997). Parties respond to conflicts on the basis of the knowledge they have about the issue at hand. This includes situation-specific knowledge and general knowledge. The understanding of the knowledge they have can influence the person’s willingness to engage in efforts to manage the conflict, either reinforcing confidence to deal with the dilemma or undermining one’s willingness to flexibly consider alternatives. The person sharing the message is considered to be the messenger. If the messenger is perceived to be a threat (powerful, scary, unknown, etc.) the message can influence others responses to the overall situation being experienced. For example, if a big scary-looking guy is yelling at people they may respond differently than if a diminutive, calm person would express the same message. Additionally, if the people knew the messenger previously, they might respond differently based upon that prior sense of the person’s credibility. People are more inclined to listen with respect to someone they view more credible than if the message comes from someone who lacks credibility and integrity. Some people have had significant life experiences that continue to influence their perceptions of current situations. These experiences may have left them fearful, lacking trust, and reluctant to take risks. On the other hand, previous experiences may have left them confident, willing to take chances and experience the unknown. Either way, one must acknowledge the role of previous experiences as elements of their perceptual filter in the current dilemma. These factors, along with others, work together to form the perceptual filters through which people experience conflict. As a result, their reactions to the threat and dilemma posed by conflict should be anticipated to include varying understandings of the situation. This also means that they can anticipate that in many conflicts there will be significant misunderstanding of each other’s perceptions, needs and feelings. These challenges contribute to our emerging sense, during conflict, that the situation is overwhelming and unsolvable. As such, they become critical sources of potential understanding, insight and possibility. How do people respond to conflict? There are three responses to conflict emotional, cognitive and physical responses that are important windows into our experience during conflict, for they frequently tell people more about what is the true source of threat that is perceived; by understanding the thoughts, feelings and behavior to conflict, a better insight into the best potential solution to the situation. Emotional (feelings) are the feelings we experience in conflict, ranging from anger and fear to despair and confusion. Emotional responses are often misunderstood, as people tend to believe that others feel the same as they do. Thus, differing emotional responses are confusing and, at times, threatening. Cognitive (thinking) are our ideas and thoughts about a conflict, often present as inner voices or internal observers in the midst of a situation. Through sub-vocalization (self-talk), people understand these cognitive responses. Physical (behavior) can play an important role in our ability to meet our needs in the conflict. They include heightened stress, bodily tension, increased perspiration, tunnel vision, shallow or accelerated breathing, nausea, and rapid heartbeat. These responses are similar to those we experience in high-anxiety situations, and they may be managed through stress management techniques. Establishing a calmer environment in which emotions can be managed is more likely if the physical response is addressed effectively. Dealing with someone unwilling to negotiate can be difficult for the person who is trying to resolve the conflict. However, the â€Å"8 Step Model† can be very beneficial, by focusing first on listening to the other person, and seeking to understand the sources of their resistance, the stage can be set for clarifying the conditions he or she requires in order to talk things out. This is not about being ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ in the situation, but a practical strategy for getting the other person engaged as a partner in the negotiation process. Another alternative is to focus on things we can do to influence conflicts in the future, rather than putting initial energy into understanding (or solving) problems we have had in the past. By remaining relatively flexible about the agenda – taking on topics individuals care about, but not necessarily the most pressing issues – thus, creating an opportunity to reduce the fears associated with resistance. While the conflict may not be able to be truly resolved, some key issues that exist will be managed and will help to prevent the issues from getting worse. Power is an important and complex issue facing anyone seeking a negotiated solution to a conflict. Before negotiating clarify the true sources of power in the room: The boss has position power, associated with the â€Å"carrots and sticks† that come with the role. She or he may also have coercive power, supported by contracts or statute that compels employees to behave in certain ways and do certain tasks associated with the job. Some may have a great deal of expertise power, accumulated from doing your job over a period of time. Either conflict participants may possess normative power, through which they know â€Å"the lay of the land† in their department and, therefore, how to get things done. And either may possess referent power, through which others show respect for the manner in which the employee conducts themselves. Generally, referent power accrues to those who demonstrate a mature willingness to seek collaborative solutions. An impasse is the sense of being â€Å"stuck†. Impasse is the point within a dispute in which the parties are unable to perceiv e effective solutions. People feel stuck, frustrated, angry, and disillusioned. Therefore, they might either dig their heels in deeper, anchoring themselves in extreme and rigid poitions, or they might decide to withdraw from negotiation. Either way, impasse represents a turning point in our efforts to negotiate a solution to the conflict. As such, rather than avoiding or dreading it, impasse should be viewed with calmness, patience, and respect. Multi-party disputes are complex situations, and they require careful attention and persistence. However, the same â€Å"8 Step Model† can be applied to the disputes. In spite of using the same process expect everything to take a bit longer than if there where only two or three people. Patiently make sure that all points of view are heard, that issues are clarified for all to see, and that all members in the group accept the agreements being negotiated. If there are limits to the group’s decision-making power, then it is important to acknowledge those limits and understand how they are perceived by all members of the group. There are many different ideas of the steps for resolution, some claim five steps while others claim six or seven for the purpose of this paper Weeks (1992) eight step resolution style is identified. Step one – Create an Effective Atmos phere Creating the right atmosphere in which the conflict resolution process will take place is very important, yet most overlook its importance. The atmosphere is the frame around the canvas which will be painted the negotiations and building of better relationships (Weeks, 1992). Step two – Clarify Perceptions Perceptions are lenses through which a person sees themselves, others, their relationships, and the situations they encounter. Perceptions have a great influence on behavior of people. Once people perceive something in certain way, even if the perception is wrong, in the mind it is that way, and often base behaviors on that perception (Weeks, 1992). Step three – Focus on the Individual and Shared Needs This step builds on the previous step as needs as the conditions people perceive they cannot do without, those conditions critical to each persons wellbeing and relationships. However, step three focuses more on skills involved in the conflict partnership approach. There are several key points to keep in mind in this step. 1) Needs are the foundation of relationship and are an essential part of that foundation. 2) People sometimes confuse needs with desires. 3) Personal needs in relationships perceived by individuals must allow for respect of the needs or the relationship (Weeks, 1992). Step four – Build Shared Power Power is a part of every relationship. However, the way people perceive and use power is seen frequently as a dirty word. Such as when people use power as means to control or to manipulate some else to get what they want. Although, power is and of itself not corrupt, it is the way in which people use their power and whether they allow such power to corrupt. Developing positive self power through a clear self-image means that we base our perceptions of ourselves not on what others expect of us or want us to be but what we believe to be our own needs, capabilities, priorities and goals (Weeks, 1992, p. 152). Step five – Look to the Future, Then Learn from the Past. All relationships and conflicts have a past, present and future. Resolving conflicts requires dealing with all three. The conflict partnership process encourages the use of positive power to focus on the present-future to learn from the past. The past experiences people face set the landscape for present and future decision making and how relate to others (Weeks, 1992). Step six – Generate Options People have the ability to discover new possibilities in their relationships as well as conflict resolution. However, both are often impaired by the packaged truths and limited vision people hold onto in times of stress, insecurity, and conflict. Generating options breaks through the predetermined restrictions brought into the conflict resolution process. Generating options imparts choices which specific steps to resolve conflicts and enhanced relationship can be agreed upon (Weeks, 1992). Step seven – Develop â€Å"Doables†: the Stepping-stones to Action Doables are the necessary stepping-stones taken along the way to resolve conflict. Doables are explicit acts that stand a good possibility of success, meet some individual and shared need, and depend on positive power, usually shared power to be carried out. Working on and accomplishing some doables can help the conflict partners see more clearly where they need to go. Many conflict partners have changed their preconceived definitions of both the conflict itself and the expected outcome due to the lessons learned and clarified perceptions through working with doables (Weeks, 1992) Step eight – Make Mutual-Benefit Agreements Mutual-benefit agreements are the next step on the pathway to conflict resolution. Conflict resolution agreements must be realistic and effective enough to survive and the potential to develop further as challenges arise in the future. Mutual-benefit agreements replace the need or want for demands, see the others needs, shared goals, and establish a standard wherein power is identified as positive mutual action through which differences can be dealt with constructively (Weeks, 1992). Conclusion Conflict is an unavoidable aspect of everyday life whether it is with family, teachers, students, friends, or an organization. The best approach to resolving conflict is interest reconciliation. It joins both parties of the dispute to find the best solution. In so doing, all parties win. People respond to conflict in three ways emotional (feelings), cognitive (thinking), and physical (behavior). All are important to the conflict experience. They allow a better awareness to best furnish a solution to the situation. An important tactic to conflict resolution is to develop persuasion skills with the ability to clearly explain one’s point of view and to argue for their conclusions and convictions. Week’s Eight-Step Process is a valuable tool in helping people to become more strategic about resolving conflict. References Borisoff, D., and D. A. Victor., (1997). Conflict management: A communication skills approach, 2nd ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Conflict, (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conflict Coser, L. A. 1967. Continuities in the study of social conflict. New York: Free Press. Dana, D. (2001). 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