What Do Ivy League Schools Think of the ACT

What Do Ivy League Schools Think of the ACT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips As an ACT tutor, I often fielded questions about whether the test would be looked down on by admissions officers, especially those at Ivy League schools. Because the SAT was the dominant college admissions test for so long, many students and parents worry that- at least in the Northeast- schools still prefer the SAT over the ACT. However, that time has definitely passed, and schools will now accept either test equally. Read on for a more in-depth explanation of how Ivy League schools view the ACT today, and learn the differences in testing policies that might affect your decision to take the ACT or SAT. Ivy League Schools' Official Policies on the ACT Officially, all of the Ivy League schools accept both the ACT and SAT,as does every other school in the US.Harvey Mudd was the last no-ACT holdout,but it began accepting the test in 2007. â€Å"Since it’s a choice you can make, it has the feeling of being a significant choice, fraught with implication, but I don’t think it does matter,† Marlyn McGrath-Lewis, director of admissions at Harvard College, told the New York Times. â€Å"Either is fine with us, and we don’t have a feeling that either favors students with any particular profile.† According to ACT, Inc., "The ACT test is the nation’s most popular college entrance exam accepted and valued by all universities and colleges in the United States."The "most popular" comment is just marketing spin, but the basic point stands: every school in the US accepts the ACT and SAT equally. How These ACT Policies Actually Work As you now know, the Ivy League schools claim to view the ACT as equivalent to the SAT, but does that mean they actually do? It's impossible to be 100% sure, but I strongly believe the Ivy League schools treat the two tests equally. For one, I was unable to find any evidence that admissions officers have a preference for one test over the other. Moreover, there is no logical reason for admissions counselors to discriminate against students who take the ACT,especially since doing so is likely to cost them some exceptional students who happened not to take the SAT. If you examine the statistics on ACT and SAT scores among admitted students, some differences in how schools treat scores from the two tests do appear, but they're mostly meaningless. It's been said that there is a slight SAT advantage for students scoring on the low end of schools' accepted score ranges. So if you have the same percentile score on both tests (i.e., you do better than the same percentage of students who took the test), your SAT score will be more likely to get you into a college than your ACT score will be. However, this analysis is somewhat misleading because it doesn't take into account the fact that many students who don't plan ongoing to college take the ACT as part of statewide assessments, increasing the number of low-scoring students and slightly skewing the percentiles. Looking at the data for Ivy League schools, you'll also see that more admitted applicants submit SAT scores than they do ACT scores.However, this trend seems to be evening out. For example, when it comes toCornell's class of 2018, 79.7% submitted SAT scores while only 41.4% submitted ACT scores. Yet for the class of 2021, 63.7% submitted SAT scores and 55.9% submitted ACT scores. As you can see, even with these slight changes in percentages, the SAT is still a little more popular than the ACT is among Ivy League applicants. Although this might seem like evidence of bias, this difference is easily explained by regional preference:more than 50% of both the 2018 and 2021 Cornell classes hailed from the Northeast, where the SAT is much more common than the ACT. Yale University (in the winter, obviously) Ultimately, there's no compelling evidence that any schools, including members of the Ivy League, judge the ACT more harshly than they do the SAT.As such, you should ignore this perceived bias when deciding between the two tests. Instead, focus on determining which test is better for you. Since most students score similarly on the two, it's usually just a question of which test you feel more comfortable with. Alternatively, you might want totake both the ACT and SAT. Next up, let's go over the two differences in testing policies that might affect your decision of which test to take! Schools' Testing Policies: Superscoring and SAT Subject Tests Though colleges accept the ACT and SAT equally, schools can still have slight differences in what supplementary tests they require and in how they calculate your final score depending on which test you took. SAT Subject Tests Rarely, at some schools, if you submit ACT with Writing scores, you don’t have to submit SAT Subject Test scores. However, since many top-ranked schools no longer require SAT Subject Test scores, this policy has begun to disappear. At present, no Ivy League schools have this policy in place. That said,Duke is one selective schoolthat does allow applicants to submit an ACT with Writing score in lieu of SAT + two SAT Subject Test scores. For many students, SAT Subject Tests offer the opportunity to exhibit deep knowledge of a topic. Especially for the extremely competitive Ivy League schools, these tests can be a valuable part of your application (assuming you do well on them). Superscoring Superscoring- the process by which your highest component scores among multiple test dates are combined to create a new composite score- is a common practice for SAT scores. Generally speaking, though, admission committees don't superscorethe ACT.(This rule holds among all schools and not just the Ivy League ones.) While schools will still look at your highest ACT scores and some will consider individual section scores, few will combine ACT section scores from multiple test dates into a single superscoredcomposite. Though this policy might seem like a huge disadvantage to the ACT, it doesn't actually make that much of a difference. Policy by School This table breaks down the Ivy League schools' policies on SAT Subject Tests and superscoring. The second column indicates how many SAT Subject Tests the school requires/recommends. The third column explains the school's superscoringpolicy, which can be one of three options: Doesn't superscore at all Superscores the SAT but only looks at yourhighest composite ACT score Superscores the SAT and looks at your highestACT section scores Note that even schools that claim to superscore the ACT usually look at your highest ACT section scores withoutactually combining them to create a composite superscore (as they do with the SAT). School # of SAT Subject Tests Recommended/Required Superscoring Policy Brown 2 recommended Superscores SAT; considers highest ACT section scores but does not calculate superscore Columbia None Superscores SAT and ACT Cornell Varies by program (usually 0 or 2 required) Superscores SAT but not ACT Dartmouth 2 recommended Superscores SAT; considers highest component ACT score Harvard 2 recommended Superscores SAT; considers highest component ACT score Princeton 2 recommended Superscores SAT; considers highest component ACT score UPenn 2 recommended Superscores SAT and ACT Yale Recommended (no # specified) Superscores SAT; considers highest component ACT score What You Need to Know About the Ivy League and the ACT No matter what you might've heard, Ivy League schools have no preference between the ACT and SAT.You can submit scores from either test or from both of them withoutworrying that your application will be dinged. Ultimately, choosing between the SAT and the ACT comes down to personal preference.There will occasionally be a large difference between how a student scores on the SAT and the ACT(a difference of more than 100 points once the ACT is converted to its SAT equivalent). Most students, however, score similarly on both tests. Nonetheless, the styles of the two tests are different enough that you may find the ACT easier than the SAT, or vice versa. Perhaps you struggle with the ACT's less generous time limits, or maybe you think the SAT's evidencequestionsare particularly confusing. What's Next? Planning on applying to Ivy League schools? Get a handle on what kind of SAT score you really need, and check out this in-depth guide tohow to get into the Ivy League, written by a real Harvard grad! Trying to decide whether to take the SAT or ACT? Read our guide to learnthe 11 key differences between the two teststo help you decide which is better suited to your strengths. Want to improve your SAT score by 160points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Tips for Educators With Wheelchair-Bound Students

Tips for Educators With Wheelchair-Bound Students Dont assume that the student in the wheelchair requires assistance;Â  always ask the student if they would like your help before giving it. Its good to establish a method of how and when the student would like your assistance. Have this one-to-one conversation. Conversations When you engage with a student in a wheelchair and youre talking with them for more than a minute or two, kneel down to their level so that youre more face-to-face. Wheelchair users appreciate same-level dialogue. One student once said, When I started using a wheelchair after my accident, everything and everyone in my life got taller. Clear Paths Always assess the halls, cloakrooms, and classroom to ensure that there are clear paths. Indicate clearly how and where they access doors for recess, and identify any barriers that may be in their way. If alternate paths are required, make this clear to the student. Make sure desks in your classroom are organized in a way that will accommodate the wheelchair user. What to Avoid For some reason, many teachers will pat the wheelchair user on the head or shoulder. This is often demeaning, and the student may feel patronized by this movement. Treat the child in the wheelchair the same way you would treat all children in your classroom. Remember that the childs wheelchair is a part of him/her, dont lean or hang off a wheelchair. Freedom Dont assume that the child in the wheelchair is suffering or cant do things as a result of being in the wheelchair. The wheelchair is this childs freedom. Its an enabler, not a disabler. Mobility Students in wheelchairs will need transfers for washrooms and transportation. When transfers occur, dont move the wheelchair out of reach from the child. Keep it in close proximity. In Their Shoes What if you were to invite an individual who was in a wheelchair to your house for dinner? Think about what you would do ahead of time. Always plan to accommodate the wheelchair, and try to anticipate their needs in advance. Always beware of the barriers, and incorporate strategies around them. Understanding the Needs Students in wheelchairs attend public schools more and more regularly. Teachers and teacher/educational assistants need to understand the physical and emotional needs of students in wheelchairs. Its important to have the background information from parents and outside agencies if at all possible. The knowledge will better help you to understand the students needs. Teachers and teacher assistants will need to take on a very strong leadership modeling role. When one models appropriate ways to support students with special needs, other children in the class learn how to be helpful and they learn how to react with empathy versus pity. They learn too that the wheelchair is an enabler, not a disabler.

Chinese foot bingdings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Chinese foot bingdings - Essay Example The Manchu Sovereign Kangxi attempted to boycott foot binding in 1664 however failed. In the 1800s (nineteenth century), Chinese reformers tested the practice yet it was not until the early twentieth century that foot is tying started to vanish, somewhat from changing social conditions and mostly as a consequence of against foot tying campaigns. Foot-tying brought about long lasting incapacities for the greater part of its subjects, and some elderly Chinese ladies still survive today with handicaps identified with their bound feet. The mincing steps. The affecting hips. The little nubbins at the closures of ladies legs painstakingly tucked into smaller than normal, fancy shoes. For 1,000 years, minor, bended feet were viewed as a definitive standard of ladylike magnificence in China, heading about 3 billion Chinese ladies to tie their feet throughout this time, regardless of the way that foot tying was a long, greatly frightful process that brought about seriously disfigured feet forever (Ross 2013). A few stories exist regarding how the practice began, however, the most prominent and sound says it started with Ruler Li Yu, who ruled throughout the Southern Tang administration (937-975 A.D.). In 970, the sovereign allegedly saw his most loved associate moving on a brilliant lotus platform and was spellbound by her feet, which she had wrapped in pieces of material - much like those of a dance artist moving on Pointe - so her moving showed up more lovely. Seeing the heads pleasure, other court ladies correspondingly wrapped their feet. Before, long privileged ladies received the design, and in the end it spread to all ladies, regardless of their societal position. Just a couple of locales opposed, in the same way as the Manchu and the individuals who hailed from Guangdong in southern China (Holman, Ross 2013). Shockingly, as the custom took hold it

Effective leadership in SKC Ogbonnia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Effective leadership in SKC Ogbonnia - Essay Example My team simply put everything on hold. I see that if no one step up and push the project along and come up with alternative plan, we will drop the ball and lose the client. I called up my team for a meeting to come up with plan for actions to complete the project. We had a long discussion and come up with a plan of action. I delegated each specialists their tasks and regroup everyone to follow up the progress. I asked each specialist to cross check each other’s work and the work’s integration into the presentation as a whole. I asked everyone to think in my director’s shoes, keeping the client’s goals in mind. As a result, we completed the presentation by the deadline and send them to our marketing team. This aspect of teamwork can translate all bounds of transformational leadership in that each person worked together in order to achieve a common goal that not only enhanced their productivity, but also their ability to work together as a team even with con flicting personalities.Moreover, I set up a new brief meeting between my team and the marketing team regarding this case. I set up the meeting between my team and the marketing team for the first time to brief on the case. During the meeting, we prepped the marketing team on what was to be expected and how to manage the client’s expectations according to our plan. The marketers were able to ask the specialist questions and understand the plan in depth. This sense of teamwork in the transactional leadership setting was beneficial.... We had a long discussion and come up with a plan of action. I delegated each specialists their tasks and regroup everyone to follow up the progress. I asked each specialist to cross check each other’s work and the work’s integration into the presentation as a whole. I asked everyone to think in my director’s shoes, keeping the client’s goals in mind. As a result, we completed the presentation by the deadline and send them to our marketing team. This aspect of teamwork can translate all bounds of transformational leadership in that each person worked together in order to achieve a common goal that not only enhanced their productivity, but also their ability to work together as a team even with conflicting personalities. Moreover, I set up a new brief meeting between my team and the marketing team regarding this case. I set up the meeting between my team and the marketing team for the first time to brief on the case. During the meeting, we prepped the market ing team on what was to be expected and how to manage the client’s expectations according to our plan. The marketers were able to ask the specialist questions and understand the plan in depth. This sense of teamwork in the transactional leadership setting was beneficial to the creation of a solution to the problem. In the end, both of the teams were able to meet their mutual to goal in order to seal the deal before the director returned. This clearly exemplifies the ideals and processes associated with adaptive leadership. The director was impressed how I proactively move the case along during his trip. He was able to see that I understand how different departments as well as the in’s and out’s in regards to how the company works. This not only shows how I act as a

Two Factors Theory Essay Example for Free

Two Factors Theory Essay The organization in question has been completely evaluated based upon Herzberg’s motivational theory the results were astounding.   According to Herzberg’s theory much of the dissatisfaction in the environment can be eliminated with regular care and maintenance.   The company policies and procedures are weak; therefore, employees do not feel the practices implemented communicate the company’s vision and expectations in a solid manner.   The quality of supervision is low, as our leadership staff has not been fully trained to support the company vision.    As a result of poor supervision and weak company policy, employees feel they are unable to develop a working relationship with their direct superiors. Keeping the above in mind as well as the physical surroundings, working conditions can be improved so that employees feel they are working in a supportive and safe environment.   Salaries are low, compared to our competition and need to be increased in order to obtain quality employees.   The result of the conditions described above, it is almost impossible for employees to develop relationships with their peers. In order to properly function as a company we must satisfy our employees’ needs by not only improving the conditions listed above, but also implementing several motivators.  Ã‚   Employees must feel a sense of achievement daily, as well as receive recognition for their hard work.   Implementing something as an employee of the month program and having some type of goal setting for performance will give the staff a way to measure their productivity and feel recognized for their efforts. Employees must also enjoy their work and many are unable to do so due to lack of training and poor supervision. Our employees also feel that there is no room for advancement and personal growth within the company. Implementing a training program for new employees as well as our long-term employees will improve morale.   The new employee training program will ensure that staff is given the right tools to perform their duties and the proper training to perform them efficiently. Training programs for the long-term employees will open the doors for advancement.   Through effective employee training programs we will be able to accurately measure performance, improve morale within the teams, develop positive working relationships between team members and provide various opportunities to our staff. References Stroh, Linda K. (2002).   Organizational Behavior:   A Management Challenge. Mahwah, NJ, USA:   Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Incorporated.

Real Food for The Hungry Essay -- Food Science

How often do children who whine about eating their peas and carrots at the dinner table hear from their mothers, â€Å"You should appreciate the food on our table, there are starving kids in Africa.† Although parents use the preceding phrase as a guilt mechanism to trick their children into eating their veggies so they too can consume the vitamins and nutrients they need to grow, the reality behind the phrase is much deeper than most realize. People are starving in almost every part of the world and the solution to that problem has yet to be discovered. A solution that has been considered for some time now but recently has sparked more interest is the use of genetically modified foods to feed the hungry. Should genetically modified foods be trusted to be fed to the hungry? As in most arguments, there are two sides to the production on genetically modified foods. On one hand of the argument, scientists are trying to argue that GM foods are natural, grow faster, and yield a larger amount of crops during harvest. Whether or not genetically modified foods can provide more food for the hungry than a natural crop could, they come with a list of problems. Not only do they cost poor farmers a ridiculous amount of money, but they also have unsafe chemicals that affect their surroundings and, more importantly, the bodies they would be digested in. Therefore, I believe genetically modified foods are a danger to humans. Multi-national companies are pushing the engineering and selling of genetically modified foods consciously for the purpose of gaining profit. Food policy analyst Dennis T. Avery asserts that â€Å"the development of GE foods is not being driven by farmers, consumers or less-developed countries but by large multinational chemical comp... ... Modified Foods Are Not the Best Way to Feed the Hungry." Africa. Ed. Laura K. Egendorf. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Better Dead than GM-Fed?" Seedling (Oct. 2002). Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 14 Apr. 2012. Smith, Jeffrey M. "Genetically Modified Food Threatens Human Health." Humanity's Future. Ed. Louise I. Gerdes. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Genetically Engineered Foods May Pose National Health Risk." www.seedsofdeception.com. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 23 Apr. 2012. Union of Concerned Scientists. "The Safeness of Genetically Modified Foods Is Unproven." Genetic Engineering. Ed. Louise I. Gerdes. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Risks of Genetic Engineering." 2007. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 23 Apr. 2012.

Communication Structure of Standard Chartered Bank

A report submitted to the Department of English in part-fulfillment of the requirements of the Final Examinations in Business Communications, Fall 2008 Prepared and submitted by SUNSHINE Section: c Tazrin Mst. Nazia Zohora Fatema tuz Islam Md. Atikul Miah Abu Kausar Course teacher Professor Faizur Rashed Gullu Date of submission 4 December 2008 North Global University of Dhaka Page 1 of 25 4 December 2008 Prof.Faizur Rashed Gullu Course Instructor Business Communication North Global University of Dhaka Subject: Submission of our report Dear sir, We have the pleasure to submit our report titled ‘Communication Structure of Standard Chartered Bank’. This was a good opportunity for us to understand and deal with the problem. The study was aimed at knowing the communication structure of Standard Chartered Bank. If any lacking is found, the organization will be able to improve performance. The study will find a chance to know the system of the organization and its communicatio n system which will increase our knowledge and experience.They have very effective communication system. By removing the communication barriers between higher level managers and lower level managers they can do it better. We once again thank you for giving us the chance to do the report. Yours sincerely, Zohora Fatema tuz 08-10489-1 Tazrin Mst. Nazia 07-08937-2 Islam Md. Atikul 07-09137-2 Miah Abu Kausar 07-08446-2 Page 2 of 25 Preface This report is made based on the communication structure of Standard Chartered Bank. Based on case study of some employees of Standard Chartered Bank, the report was made.This report contains the communication structure of Standard Chartered Bank. It also has some suggestions for the Standard Chartered Bank to make their communication process more effective and to make their organization’s performance better. This report has some concept of communication, the process of communication, communication channel, mass communication, communication bar riers, altogether, the concept of organizational communication. And the implications of them in The Standard Chartered Bank that if they are using them properly and what should be done if they are not using them properlyPage 3 of 25 Acknowledgement At first, we take the opportunity to thank The Almighty. Then we express our thanks to our department and authorities for granting us such opportunity in this level. We are very pleased to accomplish the assigned task given by our revered course instructor Prof. Faizur Rashed Gullu sir. While completing this report we faced different problems such as shortage of time, information, convincing the employees of the bank etc. But we have been able to overcome the problems with direct and indirect assistance from our course instructor. We are really thankful to him.Above all, we have to thank the people at the bank who provided us with valuable information, gave us their valuable time and helped us in every way possible. Finally, we are please d to complete the report on the given subject properly and authentically. Page 4 of 25 TABLE OF CONTENTS Forwarding letter Preface Acknowledgement Table of contents List of illustrations Abstract 1. 0 Introduction 1. 1 1. 2 1. 3 1. 4 1. 5 1. 6 1. 7 1. 8 What is communication The process of communication Necessity of communication Barriers of communication Introduction of the organization Objectives Scope Research methodology 1. . 1 Sample 1. 8. 2 Case study 1. 9 Limitations Page no. i ii iii iv v vi 01 01 02 08 08 09 10 11 11 12 13 13 14 14 14 15 16 17 18 19 vii 2. 0 Organization of the report 2. 1 Case studies Case study 1 Case study 2 Case study 3 Findings 2. 2 3. 0 Conclusion 4. 0 Recommendation Bibliography Page 5 of 25 List of illustrations Figure 1. 1 The basic communication process Figure 1. 2 Flow of communications Page-4 Page-6 Page 6 of 25 Abstract The transference and understanding of meaning is communication. No groups can exist without communication: the transference of meaning among its members.It is only through transmitting meaning from one person to another that information that information and ideas can be conveyed. The key parts of the communication process are (1) the sender (2) encoding (3) the channel (4) decoding (5) the receiver (6) feedback. There are three types of communication: upward, downward, lateral. The study was aimed to know the communication structure of Standard Chartered Bank. If any lacking is found, the organization will be able to improve performance. The study will find a chance to know the system of the organization and its communication system which will increase our knowledge and experience.The study has been done with the method case study. The study was done with the help of random sampling. The sample size of the study was 3. Their communication style is very rich. They have very effective communication system. By removing the communication barriers between higher level managers and lower level managers they can do it better. They should enrich their formal communication system. We think that after doing these things they will be improved. Page 7 of 25 1. 0 Chapter 1 : Introduction 1. 1 What is communication? The transference and understanding of meaning is communication. Communication is more than merely imparting meaning.It must also be understood. In a group in which one member speaks only German and another one do not know German, the individual speaking German will not be fully understood. Therefore must include both the transference and understanding of meaning. Research indicates that poor communication is probably the most frequently cited source of interpersonal conflict. Because individuals spend nearly 70 percent of their walking hour’s communicating-writing, reading, speaking, listening-it seems reasonable to conclude that one of the most inhibiting forces to successful group performance is a lack of effective communication.No groups can exist without communication: the t ransference of meaning among its members. It is only through transmitting meaning from one person to another that information that information and ideas can be conveyed. Communication, however, is more than merely imparting meaning. It must also be understood. In a group in which one member speaks only German and the others do not know German, the individual speaking German will not be fully understood. Therefore, communication must include both the transference and the understanding of meaning.An idea, no matter how great, is useless until it is transmitted and understood by others. Perfect communication, if there were such a thing, would exist when a thought or an idea was transmitted so that the mental picture perceived by the receiver was exactly the same as that envisioned by the sender. Page 8 of 25 Communication serves four major functions within a group or organization: control, motivation, emotional expression, and information. 1. Control member behavior. 2. Foster motivati on for what is to be done. 3. Provide a release for emotional expression. 4. Provide information needed to make decisions. . 2 The process of communication Before making too many generalizations concerning communication and problems in communicating effectively, it is needed to know the level of communication and communication process 1. 2. 1 Levels of Communication: †¢ Intrapersonal Top level management mainly takes internal decision, so internal decision depends on them on many sectors †¢ Interpersonal Middle level managers are sometimes allowed to make some effective organizational decision †¢ Extra personal Communication between human & nonhuman being †¢ Organizational In organization higher level employees take decision.In this bank most of the decisions are taken by top level management †¢ Formal Language Those languages which are used inside office. In this bank they usually use to talk one another they simply use brother or sister. †¢ Cross-cult ural In a cross-culture there are two divisions high and low context Page 9 of 25 †¢ Mass: Print Media Electronics Media Organizational Website Before communication can take place, a purpose, expressed as a message to be conveyed, is needed. It passes between a sender and a receiver. The message is encoded and passed by a way of some medium to the receiver, who decodes the message initiated by the sender.The result is transference of meaning from one person to another person. The key parts of the communication process are (1) the sender (2) encoding (3) the channel (4) decoding (5) the receiver (6) feedback. The sender initiates a message by encoding a thought. The message is the actual physical product from the senders encoding. When we speak, the speech is the message. When we write, the writing is the message. When we gesture the movement of our arms and the expression of our face are the message. The channel is the medium through which the message travels.It is selected by the sender, who must determine whether to use a formal or informal channel. Formal channel are established by the organization and transmit message that are related to the professional activities of members. Other forms of message, such as personal or social, follow the informal channel in the organization. These informal channels are spontaneous and emerge as a response to individual choices. The receiver is the object to whom the message is directed. But before the message is received, the symbol in it must be translated into a form that can be understood by the receiver.The step is the decoding of the message. Noises represent communication barriers that distort the clarity of the message. Examples of possible noise sources include perceptual problems, information overload, semantic difficulties, or cultural difference. The final link in the communication process is a feedback loop. Feedback is the check on how successful we have been in transferring our message as original inten ded. It determines whether understanding has been achieved. Page 10 of 25 The communication process model: Figure 1. 1 The basic communication process Communication can flow vertically or laterally.The vertical dimension can be further divided into downward and upward directions. 1. 2. 2 Downward communication Upper level managers are friendly communal to the down level employees. Top level management directly gives any kinds of instruction to the down level manager are called downward communication. Smoothly working down level communication must have needed. Communication that flows from one level of a group or organization to a lower level is a downward communication. When we think of managers communicating with employees, the downward pattern is the one we are usually thinking of.It’s used by group leader and managers to assign goals, providing job instructions, inform employees of policies and procedures, point out problems that need attention and offer feedback about per formance. But downward communication does not have to be oral or face to face contact. When management sends letter to their employees home to advise them of the organizations new sick leave policy, it’s using downward communication. Page 11 of 25 From the team leader to the member of her team, reminding them of an upcoming deadline, is also downward communication 1. 2. 3 Upward communicationGround level officers communicate with the mid-level managers. Mid-level manager communicate with their Divisional Directors. Employees can frankly communicate with upper level managers. When communicated with the Upper level all over observing the rules & regulation. Upward communication flows to a higher level in the group of organization. It’s used to provide feedback to higher–ups, inform them of progress toward goal and really current problems. Upward communication keeps managers aware of how employees feel about their jobs, coworkers and the organization in general.Man agers also rely on upward communication for ideas on how things can be improved. Some organizational examples of upward communication are performance reports prepared by lower level of management for review by middle and top management. Suggestion box, employee attitude surveys, superior – subordinate discussion, and informal ‘gripe’ sessions in which employees have the opportunity to identify and discuss problems with their boss or representative of higher management. 1. 2. 3 Lateral communication Similar level employers also well communicated. Employees freely communicate with colleague’s very casual language, normal behavior.Grapevine is strictly prohibited Political conversation is restricted When communication take place among member of the same work group, among members of work groups at the same level, among managers at the same level or among any horizontally equivalent personal we describe it as lateral communication. Page 12 of 25 Lateral communi cations are often necessary to save time and facilitate coordination. In some case, these lateral relationships are formally sanctioned. More often they are informally created to a short circuit the vertical hierarchy and expedite action.So lateral communication can from management’s view point, be good or bad. Lateral communication can be beneficial, in such case they occur with the knowledge and support of superiors. 1. 2. 4 Crosswise communication Top level management can communicate directly with the ground level. Monthly performance review meeting. Everybody can communicate with everybody in this organization Figure 1. 2 Flow of communications Communication Channel Communication channel means the way of transmitted any kinds of information about this organization. Page 13 of 25 There are two types of communications: a. b.Internal communication channel External communication channel. †¢ Internal communications are: (a) Oral: Telephone, Intercom, Meeting, Presentation , Face to face, meeting (b) Written: Memo, report, graph, e-mail, letter, notice †¢ External Communications are: (a) Oral: Telephone, intercom, Meeting, Presentation, Face to face meeting, Press Briefing (b) Written: Memo, report, graph, e-mail, letter, notice, invitation, annual report, leaflet 1. 3 Necessity of communication The communication shortcoming of employees and the importance of communication in business explain why one should work to improve communication skills.Whatever position one has in business, performance will be judged largely by his/her ability to communicate. If one can communicate well, he/she is likely to be rewarded with advancement. And higher the advancement, more necessity of communication ability. The evidence is clear; improving communication skills improves chances for success in business. Communication is very much important in business; businesses want and need people with good communication skills. Evidence of the importance of communication i n business is found in numerous surveys of executives, recruiters and academicians conducted in recent years.Without exception, these surveys found communication ranking at or near the top of the business skills needed for success. Page 14 of 25 1. 4 Barriers of communication A number of barriers can retard or distort effective communication. Some causes for barriers are, purposely manipulating information for getting more favor, presenting the information based on personal understandings etc. Barriers are 3 types: 1. Intrapersonal 2. Interpersonal 3. Organizational 1. Intrapersonal barriers: Wrong assumptions Varied perceptions Differing background 2. Interpersonal arriers: Limited vocabulary Incongruity of verbal and nonverbal messages Communication selectivity 3. Organizational barriers: Information overload Emotions Language 1. 5 Introduction of the organization Standard Chartered Bank started its business in Bangladesh in 1948, opening its first branch in the port city of Chitt agong. The bank increasingly invested in people, technology and premises as its business grew in relation to the country’s thriving Page 15 of 25 economy. At present the bank has 6 offices in Dhaka Chittagong and Sylhet, including the country’s only offshore banking unit inside the Dhaka Export Processing Zone at Savar.Extensive knowledge of the market and essential expertise in a wide range of financial services underline our strength to build business opportunities for corporate and institutional clients at home and abroad. Continuous upgrading of technology and control systems has enabled the bank of offer new services, which include unique ATMs and Phone banking. Standard Chartered’s services in Bangladesh, ranges from Personal & Corporate Banking to Institutional Banking, Treasury and Custodial services. 1. 6 Objectives The study was aimed at the following objectives: A.Primary objective: To learn about the communication structure of Standard Chartered Bank B. Secondary objectives: To identify the communication strategies of Standard Chartered Bank To find out the internal communication barriers (if any) of Standard Chartered Bank To find out their awareness level of the barriers To suggest remedies for improvement To find out the mass communication style or strategies To found out the impact of gender differences inside the organization To find out the impact of cultural differences inside the organization 1. Scope After making the report some benefits will be there for both the organization and us. Page 16 of 25 17. 1 Scope for Standard Chartered Bank: If any lacking is found in their organization the management will find a way to solve their problem after studying our report. They will be able to make their organization’s system of communication more effective and the organization will be able to improve performance. 17. 2 Scope for the researchers: The study will find a chance to know the system of the organization and its communication system very well which will increase our knowledge and experience.Thus it will help building our career. 1. 8 Research methodology of the report Report is a place of factual writing based on evidence, containing organized information on particular topic o Formal in nature and written for specific audience o Discusses the topic at depth and contains conclusions and recommendations if required The study has been done with the method case study. Rather than using samples and following a rigid protocol to examine limited number of variables, case study methods involve an in-depth, longitudinal examination of a single instance or event: a case.They provide a systematic way of looking at events, collecting data, analyzing information, and reporting the results. As a result the researcher may gain a sharpened understanding of why the instance happened as it did, and what might become important to look at more extensively in future research. Case studies lend themselves to bot h generating and testing hypotheses. As we did not have sufficient time to go for questionnaire survey, we followed the method case study. Page 17 of 25 1. 8. Sample Small segment of the total population which is considered to be the representative of the total population is called the samples and the process through which the samples are selected is called sampling or sampling procedure. There are two types of sampling: 1. Random: To take the interview of the person available 2. Purposive: To take interview of people whom one wants to The study was done with the help of random sampling as because purposive sampling was not possible due to unavailability. The sample size of the study was 3. 1. 8. 2 Case study We took face to face interviews.We went to Standard Chartered Bank Islamic Banking Centre Branch which is situated in Gulshan Avenue. We talked to the three people of personal loan section individually. We asked them the same questions and got answers. After getting their answe rs we organized the three cases and studied the cases to reach the decision. 1. 9 Limitations The study was done in a very short time when we and the employees of The Standard Chartered Bank both were very busy. They at first denied talking to us but after assuring that minimum time of them will be taken they agreed to meet.So, we were unable to ask them many questions which might be important for the valuation and proper conclusion of the report. Page 18 of 25 2. 0 Chapter 2 : Presentation of Cases We did three case studies based on the three interviews of the employees of Standard Chartered Bank. The cases are given below: Case study 1 Md. Sajjadur Rahman Product marketing officer B. Sc. & M . Sc. in Mathematics Unsecured loan consumer Banking Division He works in standard charted bank for two years before coming here he worked as a marketing officer in HSBC bank for two years.In this study they said their all communications is face to face. They contact with their higher level bo ss with e-mail and they also said they contact their immediate boss face to face. When they send any e-mail to their boss it just like a SMS there are no unnecessary thighs there. But when they send any e-mail to their boss its takes time to get the reply . In this study they also said they call their male employees as brother and female employees as sister. There is no sir or madam addressing through the whole organization.In this study we also see that they follow the communication channels are up ward, down ward and lateral. Most of time they use the verbal communication to their employees and it is face to face. He also said there is no non verbal communication use their company. But sometime they use only e-mail for their boss in urgent situation. Some time they go for tour in different countries but every one does not get chance. The person who fill a minimum credits only they can join the tour. In 2006 he tour in Thailand. He is satisfied of there communication style. Page 19 of 25Case study 2 A. M. Sadeeque Hassan Product Marketing Officer BBA, MBA Major in Marketing Unsecured loan consumer Banking Division In this study they said there are very little bit barrier to their company for example they do not call their boss with unsuitable time. Higher level boss reply their e-mail very late. In this study we also known female are more active than male. Even female work on Friday when male are relax there time by visiting or gossiping. In last month one female are getting award by doing her best performance. She process 454 file in one month.It is a friendly work environment as a result it plays a significant role in communication process. There are also some internal communications to employ to employ like face to face, telephone, mobile. He was also fill the credits as a result he could join the tour of Thailand in 2006 . He is also satisfied of there communication style. Case study 3 Md. Fayssal Hossain Assistant Product Marketing officer Honors Masters in Marketing Unsecured loan consumer Banking Division In this study they said that they can talk to their higher level authority direct face to face or phone. There are also down ward, upper ward and horizontal communication.In standard charted bank all work has been done by group work and every group join as a team. There are a leader of each team and all the group follow the leader. Page 20 of 25 Some time they arrange picnic or party and the entire members attend the party or picnic. It helps to communicate with other and remove the communication barriers with upper level and lower level employees. In this time boss are free with their employees. That recreation system is effective for better employee employer relationship He was also filling the credits as a result he could join the tour of last year in china with there official tour.He is also satisfied with there Communication style. Page 21 of 25 3. 0 Chapter 3: Analysis After studying the cases we came to know about the org anization’s communication structure. Their communication style is very rich. They have very effective communication system. All of them agreed with their answers. That symbolizes their unity and effectiveness of communication. They all agreed that their organization follows face to face communication most of the time. Telephone is also a main communicating element. Oral communication is used more that’s why they are freer.They use face to face communication they also said their male employees as brother and female employees as sister. There are no sir or madam addressing through the whole organization. Most of the time they use the verbal communication There is also downward, upward, and horizontal communication. It is a friendly work environment as a result it plays an important role in the whole communication process. Some time the organization arrange picnic or party the entire member attend the party. The recreation system is effective for better employee employer relationship.Some they go for tour in different countries. Although they are satisfied with their communication style but still there are some barriers to communicate with their higher level boss. Their formal communication style is not perfect through which they communicate with their boss. Page 22 of 25 4. 0 Chapter 4 : Conclusion The report on ‘The Communication Structure of Standard Chartered Bank’ was very useful to us for our experience. We came to know about the communication structure of a renowned organization. Their communication style is very rich.They have very effective communication system. The communication style of every public organization should follow the structure. We are grateful to our course instructor for giving us such an opportunity to do the report and enrich to our knowledge to a great extent. Page 23 of 25 5. 0 Chapter 5 : Recommendations Based on our findings, we now recommend the following†¢ They should remove the communication barrie rs between higher level managers and lower level managers †¢ Their men should work equal to their women †¢ They should enrich their formal communication styleBibliography Raman, M. , & Sharma, S. (2004). Technical Communication: Principles and Practice. New Delhi: Oxford University Press Research. (2007). Retrieved on December 3, 2008 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Research Robbins, S. P. , & Judge, T. A. (2007).Organizational Behavior. New Delhi: Prentice Hall. StandardChartered Bank (2004). Retrieved on 3rd December 2008 from http://www. standardchartered. com/bd/ Page 25 of 25

This Cody

â€Å"This Cody† Comparison Essay â€Å"What I wanted, I know now, was just to say our son’s name out loud. The crisp â€Å"c† and the rolling â€Å"o† and the slight flick of the tongue for the â€Å"dy†Ã¢â‚¬  (Anderson 5). This quote comes from the story â€Å"This Cody† by Lauri Anderson. It states how the narrator misses being able to say her sons name for he died not too long ago because he was kidnapped in a park. The husband feels as though his wife is a shame to him and she believes that the reason he does not look at her the same anymore is because the son looked exactly like her.Every time he looks at her face he sees his son and misses him so much. Although the author talks about many different types of scenes that the wife talks about in this story, Lauri Anderson portrays the narrator as a static character. I say she is a fixed character because her beliefs stay the same throughout the entire passage. For instance, she thinks t he dam is going to break constantly, she thinks her husband does not love her anymore because it was her fault for their son dying and also she tells the cops three bold face lies about her son.The narrator has dreams about the dam breaking throughout the entire short story. In these dreams, the author has the narrator use imagery to describe her dreams and how intense they were. For example, â€Å"I have dreams about it. They all start the same way. We wake to water two inches deep and the dogs whining, backed into their corners. All night we sweep the water out, but by morning, we’re wading waist-deep in the cold, fishless shallows, filling our buckets† (Anderson 4).The river that used to go through their neighborhood is not being stopped by the dam and the wife gives the river and the dam human characteristics, which is personification, and says that the river is mad and wants to destroy everything that is now in its path. â€Å"What I have learned is that when the river returns, it won’t be the same river. All that time pushing against a wall will make you desperate. All that time, you won’t care about this tidy home or that. If you are the river, you will say, show me a thing I can’t destroy, and if you are the dam, and you are tired of pushing back, you will secretly want to let go† (Anderson 6-7).The narrator also says â€Å"Sometimes I can hear a humming that seems to come from two places at once: from far down the creek and also somewhere inside me, as if the dam is as much aware of me as I am of it. As if I need only to step onto the porch and open my arms† (12). This is an example of personification. The wife thinks that the dam knows as much about her as she knows about the dam. She thinks that the dam is going to spill all of her secrets and make everything worse than what it is now between her husband and herself.The dam is also an example of a symbol because it represents the relationship between the wife and the husband. â€Å"The dam is holding back every drop it was built to contain. Its concrete walls are eight feet thick. It is designed to collapse in and not out† (Anderson 16). All of the lies that she told the police and her husband are hidden behind the dam and the moment that the dam breaks is the moment when the entire world will know that she was selfish. â€Å"I told myself that he was fine, the park was safe. I told myself I deserved a few minutes alone with the sun and with the trees moving overhead† (Anderson 16).She was selfish in thinking that she needed time to rest her eyes in a public place instead of looking out for where her son was and knowing exactly where he was. Instead of thinking he is just in one of his hiding places or sitting on the ground right in front of her, she should have been going everywhere that he went. The wife’s husband did not start getting mad at her and being disgusted with her presence until their son died. The wife lied to the cops three times when their son died so that the blame was not on her and the husband would not leave her. On the day I lost our son, I told three lies. First, I said he had only been missing for fifteen minutes, when it was really more like an hour. Fifteen minutes still sounded hopeful, I thought† (Anderson 6). She thought that the lie would make herself feel better and it did for a while but she eventually started feeling bad about lying to the cops about something that was her fault. â€Å"The second lie I told on that day I lost my son was about a hat. I told the detective he was wearing one-a blue baseball cap with an orange fish on the front.I said this because it was a hot day, nearly ninety degrees in the city, and when we arrived at the park, I saw all of the kids were wearing hats and even tiny pairs of glasses† (Anderson 10-11). The wife did not want to seem like a bad mother because she lost her own son, although later it would be estab lished that she was, so she lied to the cops about her own son wearing a hat and watched the man write it down on his notepad without even flinching or showing regret on her face. There were a number of things that the narrator confesses to the audience about what she did not tell the cops at the end of the story. I’ve never said that I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. I’ve never said that that I’d forgotten my sunglasses, and that the sun threw dappled shadows on my eyelids. No one knows that for maybe half an hour before I faded into sleep, I listened to my son playing nearby with another child, the sound like birds chasing each other in the trees† (Anderson 15). This quote is an example of dramatic irony in that the husband does not know that it was the wife’s fault for their son being kidnapped. We the audience knows that she was the reason that her son was stolen at a park and kidnapped and had God know what done to him.The narrator also uses imagery to show how much the husband changed the way he looked and how different and difficult her life is now that their son died. â€Å"Some days I don’t recognize him. He’s grown out his beard, and the paunch I so lovingly stroked is now all muscle, his abdominals like flat stones stacked atop one another† (Anderson 4). The narrator’s husband changed the way he looked after the death. â€Å"I’m different two. Our dogs, two purebred Heelers Brian insisted we buy to go with our new life, won’t come when I call. The chickens peck my head when I reach for the eggs. The garden dies all at once, overnight.Last night, I found a scorpion on my pillow, his dancer’s arms poised to strike† (Anderson 4). This quote states how much the place that she is living now does not like her and she feels as though they are all out to get her, including her own husband. The author of the story â€Å"This Cody†, Lauri Anderson, uses di fferent types of figurative language and imagery to portray the narrator as a static character. The wife is constantly thinking that the dam is going to break and all of her secrets will be revealed to her husband and the rest of the world and she everyone would know how bad of a mother she is.Throughout the story the narrator believes that her husband does not love her anymore because he blames her for his son’s death. He can not stand to look at her for their son looked exactly like her and every time he looks at her he sees his dead son. Also she continuously tells lies to the police and her husband about their son and what really happened that day at the park when he went missing. Works Cited Anderson, Lauri. â€Å"This Cody. † The Greensboro Review. 91. Spring (2012) : 4-16. Print.

Free Essays on Journey

For most of my life I have been horribly afraid of the dark. I have, for as long as I can recall, slept with a night light burning brightly in the socket next to my bed. I'm not comfortable sharing my total reason with many people, only my boyfriend and two people I have considered best friends really know. One main reason I am afraid of the dark is because without my glasses or contacts on, my vision in the dark is almost none. Even with them in the dark I haven't got the ability to see things in any kind of focus. Another reason may be that I have a severely overactive imagination (which is okay until the sun goes down). My boyfriend and some of my closest friends love the dark. They love the warm fuzzy feeling you get when you have your eyes open in a totally dark room, seeing nothing with open eyes. This has always driven me nuts, I hate not seeing with my eyes open. They began to pester me, tell me I could get rid of this fear, that in the future it would be good to not freak out if the power goes out. I brushed them aside, saying that I could be afraid of the dark if I wanted, humoring my paranoia harmed no one. But after a while of them whining about me with my flashlight, I decided that I could break this "irrational fear of the absence of light". I started simply, shutting off the light while I was in a group of people. Then I began to shut off the light for short periods of time in my room at night. Then I took a huge step I shut off my night light and tried to go to sleep. Lying in bed I listened to sounds, opening my eyes when one startled me. I did this several times, closing my eyes again quickly against that horrible fuzzy feeling. Then I began to pick up my glasses to check the time every two minutes. I pulled the covers over my head when I heard the goblins crawl out from under my bed. Then pinned the blankets under my pillow when I heard the vampire in my closet sneak out. When I heard the spidergnomes come... Free Essays on Journey Free Essays on Journey For most of my life I have been horribly afraid of the dark. I have, for as long as I can recall, slept with a night light burning brightly in the socket next to my bed. I'm not comfortable sharing my total reason with many people, only my boyfriend and two people I have considered best friends really know. One main reason I am afraid of the dark is because without my glasses or contacts on, my vision in the dark is almost none. Even with them in the dark I haven't got the ability to see things in any kind of focus. Another reason may be that I have a severely overactive imagination (which is okay until the sun goes down). My boyfriend and some of my closest friends love the dark. They love the warm fuzzy feeling you get when you have your eyes open in a totally dark room, seeing nothing with open eyes. This has always driven me nuts, I hate not seeing with my eyes open. They began to pester me, tell me I could get rid of this fear, that in the future it would be good to not freak out if the power goes out. I brushed them aside, saying that I could be afraid of the dark if I wanted, humoring my paranoia harmed no one. But after a while of them whining about me with my flashlight, I decided that I could break this "irrational fear of the absence of light". I started simply, shutting off the light while I was in a group of people. Then I began to shut off the light for short periods of time in my room at night. Then I took a huge step I shut off my night light and tried to go to sleep. Lying in bed I listened to sounds, opening my eyes when one startled me. I did this several times, closing my eyes again quickly against that horrible fuzzy feeling. Then I began to pick up my glasses to check the time every two minutes. I pulled the covers over my head when I heard the goblins crawl out from under my bed. Then pinned the blankets under my pillow when I heard the vampire in my closet sneak out. When I heard the spidergnomes come... Free Essays on Journey Journey’s come in many different forms, some being lengthy in duration while others may be just hours long. On occasion, one’s path to self-knowledge may be found in doing the same things as one used to do in a whole new environment and finding that the ways of the past are inadequate for the ways of the present. This concept is shown in the untitled narrative by Sara Chase, where the discovery is that her study habits from high school no longer correlate with what she will need to do to be successful in college. Failure is a common fear for almost everyone. It is something that we try to avoid as much as possible. In the narrative, the author panics when thoughts of failure flood into her head. The author states â€Å"†¦the confidence that I acquired early slipping away and fear filling its place.† â€Å"All this over one little question?† we ask ourselves. This made me wonder: Is what we strive for as the vision of self-knowledge actually perfection or is self-knowledge realized when we finally accept the fact that perfection is unattainable? The crucial element, in my opinion, was not a paragraph or a single sentence; it was one word that was repeated numerous times throughout the narrative: confidence. Is confidence what leads us to self-knowledge- the confidence to continue on, to try new ways when old ways fail? Is confidence a pre-indicator of a successful journey or can you claim self-knowledge without possessing confidence? The past serves as a useful reference for the present and the future. In this case, the past could not compete at the same level as the present. But this fact was only realized after failure, disappointment, and self-pity, as the author states. The past, in someway, develops who you are and what experiences and life lessons we take from the past and use in the present create a future that brings us closer to self-knowledge. This narrative is like Sir Gawain and the Green Knight i...

How to Make a Flammable Gel or Jelly

How to Make a Flammable Gel or Jelly Use three common household ingredients to prepare a gel or jelly that you can set on fire. This is an easy fire chemistry project that you can do at home. Flaming Gel Ingredients Antacid tablets (must contain at least 1000 mg calcium carbonate per tablet)Vinegar (weak acetic acid)Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) - 90% or higher is recommended* 70% isopropyl alcohol will work, but you will need to allow let the mixture from step 3 evaporate until it is a little more concentrated to make up for the extra water in the alcohol. Prepare the Flaming Gel Crush 5 antacid tablets into a powder.Stir 50 ml (~10 tsp) of vinegar into the powder (10 ml per tablet) to make a slurry.Allow the slurry to evaporate until it is less than half its original volume. This could take about a day. If you accidentally evaporate all of the water, you can reconstitute the slurry by stirring in a small amount of water.Fill a container with about 2x the volume of however much antacid slurry you have at this point.While stirring, slowly add slurry to the alcohol to form a thickened gel. Do this slowly: If you add too much slurry, the mixture will liquefy and you wont get a gel. So, once you have a gel, dont add any more of the calcium tablet slurry mixture.Scoop up a ball of the gel and ignite it. Disclaimer: Please be advised that the content provided by our website is for EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. Fireworks and the chemicals contained within them are dangerous and should always be handled with care and used with common sense. By using this website you acknowledge that ThoughtCo., its parent About.com (a/k/a Dotdash), and IAC/InterActive Corp. shall have no liability for any damages, injuries, or other legal matters caused by your use of fireworks or the knowledge or application of the information on this website. The providers of this content specifically do not condone using fireworks for disruptive, unsafe, illegal, or destructive purposes. You are responsible for following all applicable laws before using or applying the information provided on this website.

Critical thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Critical thinking - Essay Example In our case, the child is so young to face such kind of situation where one of his hands is injured and he has to go for radiographic tests. The radiographer needs to make the child feel relaxed and stress-free in order to do radiography. Some of the nonverbal ways which radiographer can use to provide comfort o the child include putting a hand on the back of the child while explaining him the procedure of tests, giving smiles to the child, using hands in order to explain the procedure more effectively, and maintaining eye contact during communication. Use of kinesics and paralanguage can be very helpful for the radiographer to make the child feel comfortable with the procedure. Sending of nonverbal signals plays a very expressive, meaningful, and effective role in communication (Ehrlich & Daly, 2008). Therefore, use of nonverbal communication along with verbal communication can be very effective for the radiographer to make Adam feel comfortable and ready for the test. There can be a number of urgent situations, which may require a doctor or a medical professional rapidly retrieve information from the patient’s chart. â€Å"A Patient Chart is opened using the Patient Selection process, or by selecting a patients name from the Calendar or the Patient Tracker† (Anonymous, n.d.). Doctors need to provide proper treatment to the patients based on accurate analysis of the medical history of the patients. Without sufficient information or proper analysis of information, a doctor cannot provide required treatment to a patient (Ehrlich & Daly, 2008). In these urgent situations, a doctor really needs to retrieve information from the patient’s chart as soon as possible in order to avoid the occurrence of any kind of risk to the health of the