Facts About Mount St. Helens

Mount St. Helens is an active volcano located in the United States Pacific Northwest region. It is positioned about 96 miles (154 km) south of Seattle, Washington and 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Portland, Oregon. Mount St. Helens is found within the Cascade Mountain Range, which runs from northern California through Washington and Oregon into British Columbia, Canada. This range, as part of the curved stretch of extreme seismic activity known as the Pacific ​Ring of Fire, features many active volcanoes. In fact, the Cascadia Subduction Zone itself was formed by plate convergence along the North American coast. Today, the land surrounding Mount St. Helens is rebounding and most of it has been preserved as a part of the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. Geography of Mount St. Helens Compared to other volcanoes in the Cascades, Mount St. Helens is fairly young geologically speaking because it was formed only 40,000 years ago. Its top cone, which was destroyed in the 1980 eruption, began developing only 2,200 years ago. Due to its rapid growth, many scientists consider Mount St. Helens the most active volcano in the Cascades within the last 10,000 years. There are three main river systems in the vicinity of Mount St. Helens. These include the Toutle, Kalama, and Lewis Rivers. These were all significantly impacted by the eruption of 1980. The nearest town to Mount St. Helens is Cougar, Washington, which is around 11 miles (18 km) away. Gifford Pinchot National Forest comprises the rest of the immediate area. Other nearby but much farther cities such as Castle Rock, Longview, and Kelso, Washington were affected by the 1980 eruption because they are low-lying and near the regions rivers. 1980 Eruption On May 18 of 1980, the eruption of Mount St. Helens removed 1,300 feet of mountaintop and ravaged surrounding forests and cabins in a destructive avalanche. In addition to avalanches, the area endured the aftermath of earthquakes, pyroclastic flow, and ash for several years. Activity on the mountain began on March 20, 1980, when a magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck. Steam soon began to vent from the mountain and by April, a bulge appeared on the north side of Mount St. Helens. This bulge would cause a historically catastrophic avalanche. When another strong earthquake struck on May 18, the entire north face of the volcano tumbled into a debris avalanche that is believed to have been the largest in history. Reawakening This massive landslide caused Mount St. Helens to erupt in a violent explosion on the same day. The volcanos pyroclastic flow—a swift river of hot ash, lava, rock, and gas—leveled the surrounding area almost instantly. The blast zone of this deadly eruption spanned 230 square miles (500 sq km): rocks were hurled, waterways flooded, the air poisoned, and more. 57 people were killed. Ash alone had disastrous effects. During its first eruption, the plume of ash from Mount St. Helens rose as high as 16 miles (27 km) and moved east until it spread upwards of 35 miles. Volcanic ash is highly toxic and thousands of humans were exposed. Mount St. Helens continued erupting ash from 1989 to 1991. In addition to the spread of ash, heat from eruptions and force from numerous avalanches caused the mountains ice and snow to melt, which led to the formation of fatal volcanic mudflows called lahars. These lahars poured into neighboring rivers—the Toutle and Cowlitz, in particular—and caused widespread flooding. This devastation blanketed miles and miles of land. Material from Mount St. Helens was found 17 miles (27 km) south  in the Columbia River along the Oregon-Washington border. Five smaller explosions, accompanied by countless eruptive episodes, would follow this reawakening in the next six years. Activity on the mountain continued until 1986 and a giant lava dome formed in the newly-developed crater at the volcanos summit. Recovery The land around this volcano has almost fully rebounded since 1980. The area that was once completely scorched and barren is now a thriving forest. Just five years after the initial eruption, surviving plants sprouted through the thick layer of ash and debris and flourished. Since 1995, biodiversity within the previously damaged area has even increased—there are many trees and shrubs growing successfully and animals that inhabited the land pre-eruption have returned and resettled. Most Recent Activity Mount St. Helens devastating 1980 modern eruption was not its most recent activity. The volcano has continued to make its presence known. Since its historic explosion, Mount St. Helens experienced a period of much smaller eruptions lasting from 2004 to 2008. During this four-year period, the mountain was again very active and eruptive. Fortunately, none of the explosions were particularly severe and the land has not suffered too greatly because of them. Most of these smaller eruptions only added on to the growing lava dome at Mount St. Helens summit crater. In 2005, however, Mount St. Helens erupted a 36,000 foot (11,000 m) plume of ash and steam. A minor earthquake accompanied this event. Ash and steam have been visible on the mountain several times in more recent years. Sources Diggles, Michael.  Mount St. Helens–From the 1980 Eruption to 2000. U.S. Geological Survey, 1 Mar. 2005.Dzurisin, Daniel. â€Å"Mount St. Helens Retrospective: Lessons Learned Since 1980 and Remaining Challenges.†Ã‚  Frontiers in Earth Science, Volcanology, 10 Sept. 2018.â€Å"Mount St. Helens Area.†Ã‚  Gifford Pinchot National Forest, United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service.â€Å"Mount St. Helens Information Resource Center and Visitor Guide.†Ã‚  Welcome to Mount St. Helens, 2019 Mount St. Helens Discovery LLC, 2019.Volcanic Hazards Program. â€Å"2004-2008 Renewed Volcanic Activity.†Ã‚  Cascades Volcano Observatory Mount St. Helens, United States Geological Survey | U.S. Department of the Interior.

African Literature Colonialism And Communal Disintegration

African Literature: Colonialism and Communal Disintegration In the eyes of many Africans, colonialism have been seen as a wretched, forceful, and brutal integration into their lives, lands, and culture. During the late 17th and 18th century, European imperialist countries pursued lands to great ends such to be seen as a powerful country. Africa was seen as a popular option, as massive droves of colonists poured into the untapped and pristine, yet unprepared country. However, this aggression and unadulterated speed severely punished its very own inhabitants. These â€Å"liberators† thought that these African natives were uneducated and thought they brought light to this new world. Few of the colonists had attempted to remotely understand the nature of the culture around them, but overwhelmingly imposed their own thoughts and beliefs. New governments and laws were levied, and the natural order of religious rites were interrupted if they were seen as treacherous or unfit to be do ne. In addition, the introduction of a new religion, more commonly as Christianity, wrecked havoc among even the most native born believers. The unity and strength of many families and friends were struck with an unfamiliar blow as this new culture threatened to tear the very fabric that tied them as a community. This quickly created an uncanny rift that brought many communities to their knees. These deep conflicts are presented in the widely acclaimed stories of Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and DeathShow MoreRelatedDifferences Between Phonetics and Phonology2519 Words   |  11 PagesUNIVERSITY OF LIVINGSTONIA LAWS CAMPUS-FACULTY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGES amp; LITERATURE STUDIES FROM: PENJANI M. K. GONDWE-BED/008/10 {STUDENT} TO: MR. J. M. W. ZIMBA {LECTURER} {SUBJECT}: ENGLISH {COURSE TITLE}: INTRODUCTION TO PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY {COURSE CODE}: EENG 2401 {YEAR OF STUDY}: TWO {SEMESTER}: FOUR {TASK}: DISCUSS THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY {SUBMISSION DATE}: 29TH MARCH, 2012 According to Firth (1930) phonetics and phonology are the two fieldsRead MoreThe Sacred in Things Fall Apart and No Longer at Ease2411 Words   |  10 Pagesthe implementation of masking as obscured by colonialism presented a unique opportunity for Europeans to reconfigure established perceptions of reality.   In traditional Igbo society, it was the role of the artist to affirm a sense of the sacred within the community.   Specifically, the egwugwu, one who impersonates an ancestral spirit of the village while hidden by a mask, provided an affirmation of identity through the sacred phenomenon of communal suspension of disbelief--faith in the sacredRead More The Marxist Formula in Emechetas The Joys of Motherhood Essay4895 Words   |  20 Pagestriggered vast change within the tribal civilizations thriving on the continent prior to European occupation. For the Africans, these changes altered every level of their culture: language, religion, as well as ancient tribal custo ms. But one of the most devastating aspects of the British colonization in Africa was the European economic system: capitalism. Capitalism left many Africans reeling from its destructive impact on tribal economies. Nowhere is this more evident than in The Joys of MotherhoodRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesINTRODUCTION whole, treats the two wars and their prehistory and aftermaths as genuinely global phenomena, not as conflicts among the great powers of Europe, the United States, and Japan, which has been the obsessive focus of most of the vast literature on this subject that defined much of twentieth-century history. As Carl Guarneri argues cogently in his contribution to the collection, which provides the fullest bibliographic references, the emergence of the United States first as one of the

If I Were a Teacher Free Essays

If I were a teacher I would be a wise and the best teacher. A teacher who teaches his/her students things that are difficult but meant to be taught in such easy ways. A teacher who makes his/her students learn the lessons fruitfully. We will write a custom essay sample on If I Were a Teacher or any similar topic only for you Order Now If I were a teacher I would be a Great Listener. Because before you teach, it is a good thing that a teacher also knows how to listen, like Jesus. If I were a teacher I should be compassionate and thoughtfulThough it might be taken for granted, I still would continue to befriended to my students and show them that someone is adding up her name in his/her family. :)) If I were a teacher I should be forgiving a teacher who knows the word accept. Because a good teachers knows how to accept his/her students as what they really are. And if mistakes are to be done, forgive and forget are the best way then erase their mistakes after. If I were a teacherI would be a teacher who NEVER GIVES UP Because like God, though forgotten left time after time, He still follows His students and continues to love and teach them in any way He could. If I were a teacher I would like to be like J E S U S A teacher that is wise and the best A teacher that is a GREAT LISTENER A teacher that is compassionate and thoughtful A teacher that is forgiving and knows the word accept. A teacher who has never gives up (on me). -Hadhaza G. Salvo – How to cite If I Were a Teacher, Papers

Acceptable Risk free essay sample

Each year there are millions of people who die or are injured all around the globe due to the fires at work. Although, it is not just the loss of life that a country has to deal with, it is the damage to land and property and loss of businesses. Once a fire breaks out on a fertile agricultural land, the land becomes infertile for quite some time. Such incidents reduce the production and the output of the country per year, reducing the compensation of the employees, whose income is highly dependent on agriculture. This is just one trivial example of how such events destroy land and take away lives. When it comes to responsibility of such events, it is not just the government that is to blame. Every citizen is responsible for his own actions. In this report, I shall be covering some of the incidents that have taken place after 9/11 and all the preventive measures that can be taken to avoid these fire events. There is a lot that can be done to prevent all the fire events that take place. There is no doubt that not a lot can be done, but, the number of casualties can definitely be decreased. In this research report we will be discussing some of the main incidents that have taken place after September 9, 2001, which depict the structural loss and loss of lives caused due to the fire events that have taken place in the world. In addition to that, in the end we shall be discussing what strategy the government has come up with, in order to reduce and avert such tragedies. The government has come up with a five-step process called Risk Assessment. In which each individual and each event is dealt with separately. This enables the people to have a clear-cut idea of as to how to deal with such situations. (Henry, 2001) Let’s see what really caused the collapse of the World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001. We all know that, the two hijacked planes which were heading in totally different directions were made to crash the two towers. This crash caused a fire and the towers were like a lit candle for quite some time. And then the building collapsed. There is something that is bizarre about this situation. How is it possible for a building, so well-developed, a multi-million dollar project, estimated to be standing for more than 20 years without repair – fell and collapsed, causing a cloud of dust and smoke? This is not the only thing, there were fire extinguishers and fire alarms in the building which go off whenever there is a smoke of fire or if the office appliance catches fire. But none of that happened. Now, the official reason that is given by various observers is that the fire caused the building to heat and the temperature was rose way above 800 °C, which caused the building to collapse. The laboratory director who came up with this figure and statement was fired after the actual temperature of the building was found to be no more than 500 °C. One of the eye witnesses said that the real damage that was caused to the building which caused it to collapse was the â€Å"size† of the fire. Although the building had an efficient fire protection system in place, the plane 767 crashed through the wall, inside the building, destroying the main fire protection devices inside the building. This witness was present in the first tower of the World Trade centre, who witnessed and survived the collapse. The other witness that was present in the other World Trade Centre tower also claimed that the fire spread in World Trade Centre II was due to the size of the fire and also claimed that the fire spread inside the building within seconds burning everything that was in its way. Because of the fire, the building’s iron rods started to melt and poured down inside the building melting the office supplies and the rest of the things that were inside the building, ultimately destroying not only the infrastructure of the building which caused the collapse of the building but, it also destroyed the fire protection systems. It was later estimated that the heat that was produced by the fire caused by the plane crash is approximately equal to the heat produced by a nuclear generating station. But the real mystery is that, despite all this, the building was suppose to be standing still, at last it was a very strong building, but it collapsed. This is how destructive a fire event can be. This mystery of as to why the fire caused in building collapsed, despite the fire protection systems, is still unknown. (Frankel,2001) Above described is just one incident, which is pretty much known through out the world not as a collapse of two great towers but as 9/11. After 9/11 a lot of incidents took place, that could have been prevented, but the effort of the fire extinguishers again resulted in vain. On October 18, 2004, in the city of Venezuela, the tallest building that was standing in Venezuela, caught fire and collapsed. It was the tallest skyscraper in Venezuela and was a very important government building. The cause of the fire was reported to be an inflammable materials present inside the building, ignited and caused the collapse of the tallest building there. The ignition caused the explosion of the windows, and the tallest skyscraper was like a lit candle for more than 17 hours. By this time, all the floors from the 34th floor to the top of the building were burnt. No fatalities were caused do to the ignition, but the people present inside the building and especially the fire extinguishers, suffered from toxic inhalation problems. There were a lot of witnesses that were interviewed, which included eye witnesses and the survivors of this incident.

A Common Bound essays

A Common Bound essays The Homeric Code of Honor is that every Greek lived for. The aim was for immortality through fame. This fame could only be earned three was, one excellence by fighting or words. Second, time through honor or respect and Avoidance of shame. We are going to compare how Oedipus, Lysistrata and Agamemnon reached this goal of stardom. Oedipus is the ruler of a city called Thebes in Sophocleas Oedipus the King. In this story Cadmus was the founder of the city by fighting and defeating the dragon. After the dragons death cadmus decided to take the dragons teeth and sow them into the ground. By doing this Cadmus had built a heroic name for himself and for the people that were the first residents with him. Oedipus looked at this as a challenge for him and his people that he rules over to also make the heroic code just as Cadmus. Oedipus decided that his journey would be the Sphinx. The difference between this Cadmus and Oedipus is that of the Gods. Oedipus experiences throughout his journey no cooperation from the Gods or Goddesses. Lines 1282 1288 show an example of how Oedipus felt gods treated him: What is there now to love? What greeting can cheer me? Lead me away. Quickly, quickly! O led me out of the country to a distant land! I am beyond redemption accursed, beyond hope lost, the one man livin g whom all the gods most hate. Here we see Oedipuss arrogance throughout the play causes him the trouble with the all the gods. Though sheer determination and hard work Oedipus was able to crack the Spinxs riddle. Aristophanes Lysistrata deals with the Peloponesian War, and how the women are fed up with it and take action to stop the war. Each woman from both sides to come together and locked themselves up in the Acropolis for five days. The women told the men that this is a sex strike and until they both stop fighting they will stay locked up. The leader of the ...

Veterans Disability Benefits Resources

Veterans Disability Benefits Resources National Veterans and Military Families Month: Veterans Disability Compensation Resources Disability Attorneys of Michigan would like to thank all current military members and veterans for their service to this country. In honor of National Veterans and Military Families Month, we outlined the benefits available to those who become disabled during service. A detailed overview of Veterans Disability Compensation requirements is available through the National Veterans Foundation (NVF).Defining DisabilityVeterans Disability is a tax-free benefit the Veterans Administration (VA) pays those who are disabled as a result of disease or injury sustained during active duty, during training or under other conditions. The VA assigns those who are disabled due to service-connected conditions with a disability rating. Depending on severity, veterans may qualify for:Priority Medical CareVocational RehabilitationState/Local Veterans BenefitsDisabled Veterans InsuranceSpecially Adapted HousingAdaptive Automobile EquipmentClothing AllowancesFederal Employment PreferencesExchange/Commissary PrivilegesComparing SSDI to VASocial Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Veterans Disability differ in how the programs are funded. Veterans Disability is not considered to be insurance. It is funded by the VA, not through taxes paid by military personnel. In contrast, SSDI is insurance funded through taxes workers pay under the Self-Employment Contributions Act and the Federal Insurance Contributions Act.Are You Eligible?According to the VA, those with a disability rating for an in-service, pre-service or post-service disability claim who served in active duty, active duty training or inactive duty training may be eligible. Compensation depends on the number of dependents and the severity of your disability.You should consider having a Veteran Service Officer review your application before you submit it, to help ensure the VA receives all required information. Please remember to attach the following documents in your application, if available:Discharge/Separation PapersDepend ency RecordsMedical EvidenceWe Can HelpIf you are disabled and unable to work, call Disability Attorneys of Michigan for a free confidential consultation. We’ll let you know if we can help you get a monthly check and help you determine if any money or assets you receive could impact your eligibility for disability benefits.Disability Attorneys of Michigan works hard every day helping the disabled of Michigan seek the Social Security Disability and Veterans Disability benefits they need. If you are unable to work due to a physical, mental, or cognitive impairment; call Disability Attorneys of Michigan now for a free consultation at 800-949- 2900.Let Michigan’s experienced disability law firm help you get the benefits you deserve.Disability Attorneys of Michigan, Compassionate Excellence. Michigan Veterans Disability Lawyer, Veterans Disability Benefits, Veterans Disability lawyer, Veterans Disability Resources

Relevance of Management Accounting in Today's Society Research Paper

Relevance of Management Accounting in Today's Society - Research Paper Example Other departments such as production, quality, technical, marketing, engineering, purchasing etc had little information about the accounting procedures and information. However, the development of scientific management techniques in the corporate world stressed the importance of spreading accounting information to the entire departments of an organization to improve the efficiency of the organization. Earlier financial accounting, cost accounting etc were some of the renowned terms in the corporate world; however, at present apart from these accounting systems, management accounting is also gaining prominence. What is Management accounting? Management accounting combines accounting, finance and management with the leading edge techniques needed to drive successful businesses. It advises managers about the financial implications of projects, explains the financial consequences of business decisions, formulates business strategy, monitor spending and financial control, conduct internal business audits and explain the impact of the competitive landscape (What is Management accounting?) Man, material, machine and money are the major resources of an organization which should be managed properly to raise the productivity and efficiency of an organization. All these resources were earlier managed by concerned employees and department managers alone. For example, production workers and managers were responsible only for the production management whereas purchasing manager and employees were responsible only for the materials management. In other words, all the managers and employees were bothered about their assigned duties alone earlier. They never thought about the consequences of their activities. For example, earlier production people often stopped their production activities even for silly problems of the machineries since they were unaware of the impacts of such stoppage of production to the organization. Even an hour long production loss may cause substantial damages to the organization. After the development of scientific management principles in the 1990â€℠¢s and the subsequent development of management accounting, production workers also started to get the exact information about the losses incurred by the organization even for an hour long delay in production. In other words, the production workers started to realize the depth of problems caused to the company due to their deliberate production delaying activities. The above awareness force production employees to avoid such unnecessary delay or stoppage in production thus the company would be benefitted immensely from that. Not only the production department, all the other departments can also improve their efficiency and productivity if they get accounting information. â€Å"Management accounting systems were made in conjunction with scientific management movement† (Johnson, 1991, p.10) and moreover, it succeeded in revealing the importance of sharing accounting information to other departments in order to make the employees aware of the consequences of their activities and to improve the productivity of the organization. According to Johnson (1991), â€Å"management accounting system serves as a two way communication link between the senior and subordinate managers†(Johnson, 1991, p.4). It is impossible for the top managers to take decisions based on the data available to them alone. Data may not guide the manager always in the right direction. Feedbacks from the top and bottom are necessary for the managers to take sound decisions. Employees often twist the information before passing it to the top management,

Criminal justice-Deterrence theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Criminal justice-Deterrence theory - Essay Example The Deterrence Theory explains that punishing the criminal will make them not to repeat the crime, and will discourage the public from being engaged in similar criminal activities. On this base, it follows that the level of punishment should match the impacts of the crime in question. Certainty operates in Deterrence Theory in that when people are accused of a crime, they must be punished to avert repetition of the crime (Vito, Maahs, and Holmes, 66). Severity implies that punishment because of a crime should be as severe as the affects it had on those it affected. Severity relates to deterrence theory in that criminals should be punished in accordance to the crimes they did, and the punishment should stop them from repeating the crime. Celerity refers to the speed at which punishment is given to a criminal, and it operates in Deterrence Theory in that criminals should be punished as soon as they commit the crime so that their memory is still fresh of the actions they committed. The most significant of the three is certainty as it refers to the surety that a criminal will be caught and be punished (Wright, pp 5). Severity and celerity would not be in existence if certainty did not operate since if the criminals were not caught and punishment would not be guaranteed. This stops people from engaging in crime since they know the consequence of their actions is punishment. Persistent thieves do not operate in accordance to crime as choice model since they know the consequence, which is punishment to stop them from repeating the crime, and they still engage in theft (Vito, Maahs, and Holmes, 69). Increasing the length of jail terms for criminals who have been caught stealing under the influence of drugs will be crucial in their correction since they will be deterred from repeating the crime. In most cases, they steal because they want to buy the

Emily Dickinson Poem Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Emily Dickinson Poem - Assignment Example As she grew up, she became indifferent to members of her family. As the film’s act begins, Emily introduces herself to her audiences by acknowledging that her middle name was Elizabeth. However, she reiterated that she no longer uses her middle name because first, the name belonged to her father’s sister, and secondly because she was a poet. In this context, the emotional trauma experienced by Emily during her childhood heightened her disinterest towards her immediate family. Primarily, The Belle of Amherst revolves around the element of anecdotally narrated trauma, coupled with observable arrested emotional development. In an effort to explain her peculiarity and the necessity for her social seclusion, the audiences could inevitably perceive the element of crippled emotional growth, especially in the childlike manner in which Emily narrates her heartbreaks and setbacks. In fact, the entire play, illuminates the life of Emily Dickinson as one characterized by a disproportional blend of childish humor and grief. Apparently, Emily’s queer behavior and her love for seclusion can be attributed to her moody childhood. Technically, the lack of emotional support from her parents caused a severe impact on the poet. The dramatic portrayal of a depressed Emily indicates that emotional trauma in childhood can significantly cripple the social and psychological well-being of victims in their adulthood (Dickinson and Smith 23). At this juncture, the sense of de pression, childish humor and emotional turmoil narrated by Emily in The Belle of Amherst will be related to central themes of other poems written by Emily. One iconic poem by Emily is Hope is the Thing with Feathers. In her poem, Emily narrates about her struggles with her times in solitude. The main theme in the poem ‘Hope is the Thing with Feathers’ is confusion with self identity. Emily questions God on numerous

Leadership And Motivation Of Organizational Members Commerce Essay

Leadership And Motivation Of Organizational Members Commerce Essay Leadership, the process of inspiring others to work hard to accomplish important tasks, comes from Steve Jobs and the other managers. Leading is a large part of the management process in Apple, as it builds the commitments and enthusiasm for people to apply their talents to help accomplish plans. Jobs is a visionary leader because he has a clear understanding for the future as well as an understanding of the actions needed to get there successfully. He is able to communicate his vision to all necessary employees, getting them motivated and inspired to pursue his vision in their daily work. In the organization, management uses power to influence their staff. Reward power and legitimate power are used within Apple, and some employees have stated that coercive power has also occurred. Based on research of the leadership within Apple, I believe the organization has a democratic style. They are committed to task and people, getting things done while sharing information, encouraging employ ees to participate in all aspects, and helping others develop their skills and capabilities. The contingency leadership approach Apple Inc. appears to follow is Houses Path-Goal Leadership Theory, which is where the leader clarifies paths through which followers can achieve both task-related and personal goals. Steve Jobs motivates employees to move along these paths, removing barriers along the way and providing appropriate rewards for task accomplishments. The four leadership styles of the path-goal theory stated in the text book that Jobs and other management possess are: Directive leadership- letting subordinates know what is expected; giving directions on what to do and how. Supportive leadership- doing things to make work more pleasant. Achievement-oriented leadership- setting challenging goals; expecting the highest levels of performance. Participative leadership- involving subordinates in decision making. Jobs and other managers use whatever leadership style is necessary for the current situation. Value is added through this leadership approach by contributing things that are missing from the situation or that need strengthening. Motivation is the forces within the individual that accounts for the level, direction, and persistence of effort expended at work. Apple Inc. produces highly motivated individuals who work hard at their job. Managers within the organization, including Steve Jobs, lead through motivation to create conditions where employees constantly feel inspired to work hard. Apples highly motivated workforce is one of the major reasons for their high-performance results. The company is rich in both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards for people whose performance helps accomplish the organizations objectives. Extrinsic rewards are provided by someone else, usually a supervisor or higher-level manager. At Apple, extrinsic rewards have included: additional vacation time, all employees receiving an iPod Shuffle, and in 2007, all full-time employees (21 600 of them) received a complimentary iPhone. Jobs is great at celebrating his teams accomplishments which includes: opening champagne to mark milestones, and educational trips to museums or exhibits. He has taken employees on retreats to expensive resorts and thrown parties at popular locations in the cities Apple operates in. The rewards vary in size from large pay bonuses to verbal praise, and recognition. In contrast, intrinsic rewards occur naturally as a person performs their job. The sources of intrinsic rewards such as feelings of competency, personal development, and self-control are all experienced by the staff at Apple. Employees have described how they enjoy and are motivated by the high calibre of people they work with, and being able to work on the cutting edge of technology. Due to stock option grants, employees who have worked at the company for many years have large amounts of money tied up with Apple. For majority of the staff, this is a key motivator to protect the companys interests. In regards to motivational theories, it does not appear Apple Inc. focuses as much on individual needs as do the content theories of motivation, but more on pursuing task goals as does one of the process theories of motivation and the external environment consequences regarding the reinforcement theory of motivation. The goal-setting theory, which is one of the process theories that applies to the organization, focuses on the motivational properties of task goals. Employees within the organization are highly motivated to accomplish task goals, which give direction to people in their work. The proper setting and management of goals within Apple helps clarify performance expectations in the organization. They provide a foundation for behavioural self-management, which helps motivate employees work performance and job satisfaction. Apple applies to the reinforcement theory of motivation because it focuses on the external environment and the consequences it holds for the individual. The organization mostly applies to the positive reinforcement strategy which strengthens or increases the frequency of desirable behaviour by making a pleasant consequence contingent on it occurrence. Examples of positive reinforcement at Apple include the rewards given by Jobs as mentioned above (opening champagne, vacations, company parties). All employees are motivated to do their best work to accomplish goals because of the rewards they can receive. Apple has also been known to use incentive compensation systems to motivate employees. This includes bonus pay, which provides one-time payments to employees based on the accomplishment of specific performance targets. They also have an employee stock ownership plan as mentioned earlier. An ownership share in ones place of employment links directly with a performance incentive. Employees holding stock options are motivated to work hard to raise the price of the firms stock. Many of Apples employees have to deal with stress on a daily basis, which is the state of tension experienced by individuals facing extraordinary demands, constraints or opportunities. Much of their stress comes from working factors which includes, long working hours, too many demands, the rush of developing the next big product, and the fear of losing their job for those who cannot meet objectives. Stress can also come from personal factors which includes the Type A personality and from non-work factors which include: family events, economics, and personal affairs. Jobs believes in putting a lot of stress on his workers as it acts in a positive way to increase effort, stimulate creativity, and encourage great work; known as constructive stress. The stress employees face can also have negative effects, known as destructive stress, which impairs the performance of an individual. A great example of this was recently, in July of 2009, a man who worked at an iPhone plant in China committed suicide. This was after the worker lost a fourth-generation iPhone prototype that he was responsible for. Employees who deal with Apples new products face great pressure in maintaining a high-level of secrecy over their products. Many of the organizations employees are constantly dealing with the stress of their job and non-work factors; therefore Apple has come up with a few strategies in dealing with stress. The organizations strict role clarification helps reduce job uncertainties, conflicts, and work overloads. Employees assistance programs are offered, which include: financial education seminars, tuition assistance, personal and family counselling, wellness programs, an onsite fitness center, and commuter programs. Areas Where Improvement Could Be Made: At Apple, areas of improvement could be made by eliminating the use of coercive power within the organization. Coercive power is influencing an individual through punishment. Employees have reported that they have coerced to do something through verbal reprimands. This only hurts the organization by making employees not want to work for management out of liking for their job, but out of fear they are going to be punished in some way (pay penalties, termination). In regards to leadership and power, I believe Apple can improve in empowering other people. Empowerment is the process through which managers enable and help other individuals to gain power and have more influence within the company. This would improve the organization by not making it a one genius that leads the company model. It would help relieve Steve Jobss work and when people are empowered to act, they are generally more committed to their task and producing high-quality work. It would show the confidence management has in their employees, and their respect for the talents and creativity they possess. Apple Inc. can improve its motivation of employees by not only following process theories and reinforcement theories of motivation, but also content theories of motivation. Content theories explain the behaviours and attitudes of people at work based on individual needs- the unfulfilled physiological or psychological desires. Having managers and leaders that establish conditions where it is possible for people to satisfy important needs through their work is important, as needs cause tensions that influence attitudes and behaviour. Eliminating obstacles that interfere with the satisfaction of important needs help in improving motivation at Apple. I believe Apple could improve stress management by not putting as many demands on employees, decreasing the amount of work hours a week and not putting stress on workers to increase effort and encourage great work. As it is hard for an organization to limit personal and non-work factors of stress, Apple can improve in reducing the amount of work factors of stress. The organization needs to focus on maintaining constructive stress, but eliminating destructive stress. Detailed Plan of Improvement Content Theories of Motivation Hierarchy of Needs Theory As mentioned in Part D- Leadership and Motivation of the Members of the Organization, Apple Inc. does not focus as much on the individual needs of their employees, which relates to the content theories of motivation, but more on the accomplishment of task goals and the external environment consequences, which relate to the process and reinforcement theories of motivation. This leads to room for improvement in following the content theories of motivation, which explain the behaviours and attitudes of people at work based on individual needs. This would improve the organization because needs are the unfulfilled physiological or psychological desires of an individual, which cause tensions that influence attitudes and behaviour. This is why it is important for managers and leaders to establish conditions where it is possible for employees to satisfy important needs through their work and to also eliminate obstacles that have the potential to interfere with the satisfaction of important n eeds. Fulfilling these individual needs will further help in improving the motivation at Apple. One of the content theories of motivation, the Hierarchy of Needs Theory developed by Abraham Maslow, is a great theory to implement into the organization to improve motivation. This theory states that there are two categories of needs: Lower-order needs- include physiological, safety, and social concerns, and higher-order needs- include esteem and self-actualization concerns. The fulfilment of lower-order needs, which desire social and physical well-being, and higher-orders needs, which desire psychological development and growth, leads to great behaviour and attitudes of people at work. Maslows theory describes two principles explaining the affects of needs on human behaviour. The first is the deficit principle, which states that a satisfied need is not a motivator of behaviour. The second is the progression principle, which states that a need at one level does not become activated until the next lower-level need is already satisfied. The goal of Apple in implementing this theory would be to allow all employees to advance through the hierarchy until they reach the level of self-actualization. At this level, employees begin to be motivated by opportunities of self-fulfillment. If managers within Apple followed this theory, employees would not have deprived needs which result in negative attitudes and behaviours, which in turn affect the organization in many different aspects. There are many different ways managers can use Maslows ideas to better meet the needs of their staff. A detailed plan to implement this theory would first begin by looking at the order of the needs in the hierarchy. The hierarchy of human needs is, from first to last: physiological, safety, social, esteem and lastly self-actualization needs. Below is an example on how Apple can fulfill each of these individual needs. Physiological needs: Providing reasonable work hours, rest and refreshment breaks, and physical comfort when working. Safety needs: Apple already does a good job in providing for some of these needs, such as safe working conditions, base compensation, and benefits. It could still improve in job security, which is eliminating the threat many employees feel of losing their jobs because of their performance. Social needs: Improving the group atmosphere between managers and workers, by having friendly co-workers and pleasant supervisors. Allowing all individuals to feel a sense of belonging is important. This need is important to fulfill within the Apple organization as it has many team-based projects. More social events could help improve the fulfillment of this need. Esteem needs: Apple can fulfill employees esteem needs by giving them more responsibility for important jobs, allowing the opportunity for promotion to a higher job status, and more praise and recognition from Steve Jobs and other managers. Ensuring workers know their contribution helps in reaching the organizations goals and making certain they receive recognition for what they have done results in good self-esteem, leading them to be more productive and effective. Self-actualization needs: As Apple already provides creative and challenging work through the products they develop, and participation in decision making, they could further help in fulfilling this need by allowing more job flexibility and autonomy. Apple should allow employees to feel that they have reached the place they want and by fulfilling the self-actualization need more and more, the individual is suppose to grow stronger. With Apple Inc. being one of the top companies in the world, it is hard to say what they should improve on because of their success, the great individuals they have working for them and their size. This plan to implement the Hierarchy of Needs Theory may benefit the organization but because of the organizations size and the expertise of the individuals that run the company, including Steve Jobs, I am sure they have looked to all aspects of the organization for ways to improve.

Reader Reaction to John Cheevers The Swimmer Essay -- Cheever Swimmer

Reader Reaction to John Cheever's The Swimmer One of the main ideas that is conveyed in John Cheever's The Swimmer is the way in which life consists of different mental stages and how they each affect the consciousness of the mind. In The Swimmer, Neddy goes through different swimming pools and this represents the different journeys in his life. He progresses from boundless optimism to endless despair as the seasons go by. The times when Neddy is in or out of the water also represents the emotions he is going through and perhaps can correlate to the emotions felt throughout the duration of ones life. For example, when Neddy is not swimming, he tends to feel down or aggravated. During this sad period, he is usually in search of alcohol. Even after he has had a drink or two, he is always ready to go back into the pools, which shows a lot about Neddy's ambitious character. Neddy's journey through the pools is longer than an afternoon. In fact, we see this when he mentions the "storm passing" and the season change is shown through the phrase "red and yellow leaves." When Neddy finally reaches home, he is tired and weak. This displays aging through life and how one becomes fatigued easily as life goes on. When he sees that no one is home, it is obvious that Neddy's journey has come to an end and it seems as though Neddy has died, because his home can symbolize the heart and the soul, and since no one is home, Neddy's heart and soul is dead. Although The Swimmer and the recent American film "A Beautiful Mind" both have differing plots, their main characters have some commonalities. Russell Crowe, the young mathematician who becomes a natural code ... ...xpected of him with his wife and kids having left him. It was clear that Neddy was also annoyed at this point in time, however before he blew up at Mrs. Biswanger, she suddenly became nice to him once again. This part in the story goes to show how cruel society can be, and instead of helping out Neddy in his poor state, he is disrespected and furthermore, abandoned. It is also evident that friends can be betraying and deceiving and that one can never be too sure about their status. I feel that the society in which Neddy is living is quite shallow and irrational. Neddy is an unfortunate character and his treatment from Mrs. Biswanger shows her nature of thinking that friends are expendable which in my opinion is quite irrational. It also shows that the status in ones culture weighs heavily on their association with certain people.