Creating Tension With Sound

Creating Tension With Sound In my own work I am exploring the psychological impact caused by a break-down in a relationship. The use of sound to create tension is of great importance to support what is happening on screen in order to reflect upon the viewer the emotions felt by the characters. As someone who is creating a film which relies on sound to enhance atmosphere, the work of David Lynch is an unavoidable resource because sound is just as important as imagery. He uses sound in order to create moods and atmosphere which propel the stories of his films forwards. The works of Lynch have covered many genres such as murder mystery and science fiction, with each film being very different from another. However each film is distinctly recognisable as a David Lynch film in that his films are unique auditory and visual spectacles full of symbolism. Lynch employs an almost perfectionist approach to every aspect of his films. It seems the unique captivating power of his films stems from this attention to detail in both the visuals and sound. This essay is an investigation into an important characteristic of Lynchs films; the use of sound and its relationship with the imagery. I will use examples from Lynchs major film projects focusing on three films in particular in order to investigate this relationship: Eraserhead, Blue Velvet and Inland Empire. Firstly I will explore how sound is used as a narrative force in conjunction with on-screen imagery. MAIN BODY Sound as narrative David Lynchs first foray into mainstream cinema was with his first feature film Eraserhead. It established him as director but also demonstrated his understanding of sound as a means of narrative within film. Sound is 50 per cent of a film, at least. In some scenes its almost 100 per cent.. This statement by Lynch himself underlines the importance of sound in his films, to me, suggesting that the sound is what carries the narrative forward in a continuum. For example, in Eraserhead the viewer is subjected to an almost nonsensical visual narrative, leaving one feeling bemused as to what is actually happening in the film. However, as Michel Chion states Sound has a precise function, propelling us through the film, giving us the sense of being inside it, wrapped within its timespan. He goes on to argue that although there is a lack of visual narrative the sound makes up for it. If we take this into hand it is as if the sounds that we are hearing in the film creates a sort of audio narrative, that can be heard throughout, but never seen, creating a dense atmosphere of tension and loneliness. An example of this can be found in the introduction of Eraserhead (00:00:00 00:05:50), where the viewer is subjected to sounds of machinery working, seemingly industrial rumblings. However we dont actually see any visual representation of any kind of machinery. What we see is something which appears to be out of a sci-fi film with a close up shot of Henry Spencers head (the films protagonist). Behind him is what appears to be a mass of rock hanging in empty space devoid of any stars. As the camera zooms into this rock we are presented by a grotesque figure of a man sitting by a broken window and some levers. This is followed by a shot of Henry again, as what appears to be a deformed sperm exits his mouth and floats in space. The scene then moves back to the man by the levers, and as he pulls one of the levers, seemingly sets the sperm into motion which eventually plummets into a fluid of some kind. It is as if what you are seeing and hearing is the journey of the sperm on its way to fertilise an egg. The visuals accompanied with the sounds convey the feeling that you are inside Henrys mind experiencing his thoughts, Eraserhead has often been thought as a portrayal of a nightmare. The scene eventually ends with the camera coming out of the darkness through a hole in the ground into the world of Henry. The continuous sound acts as a seamless link between the introduction and the next scene (which is essentially the beginning of the film). With the choice of sound one cannot help but feel a sense of distress and isolation, feelings that are synonymous with Henry throughout the film. This introduction seems to be a precursor as to what happens later on in the film, though the viewer is not aware of it. David Lynch also uses silence as a narrative tool by creating an instance for the viewer to think and ponder. He refers to this silence as room tone saying Its the sound that you hear when theres silence, in between words or sentences.. In Eraserhead these instances of silence do not contain natural sounds of any kind, just the constant ambient sound of the industrial droning, creating tension and a sense of isolation. This ambient sound of machinery is heard throughout the film, acting as a constant, bringing the imagery together. Another example of room tone is in Lynchs latest film Inland Empire where one of Laura Derns characters is sitting opposite an unknown man in a small dark room (01:18:00 01:20:45). Derns character begins talking, and pauses every now and then as she speaks to the man. The man in turn does not respond and merely sits listening. The character is talking about a gruesome incident that has occurred, which appears to be completely irrelevant to what has taken place so far in the film. Yet the silence in between the dialogue carries an almost electric buzzing sound which creates tension and discomfort, drawing the viewer further into the scene. Use of music and song Music is the primary instrument of emotional direction in film it tells us what to feel about a character, a place, a situation. Although sound is the primary element in Lynchs audio-scape, he also uses music and song as a means to create mood and to reflect emotional states of his characters. It was the teaming up with the composer Angelo Badalamenti during the filming of Blue Velvet, which caused Lynch to be liberated musically. Badalamentis ghostly musical scores often complimented and enhanced the dream like visual imagery of Lynchs films. Badalamentis score in Blue Velvet is gloomy and daring and often compliments and contrasts the harsh sound effects created by sound designer Alan Splet (a long time collaborator of Lynch) and the on-screen imagery. An example where the musical score heightens the atmosphere of a scene in Blue Velvet is when Isabella Rossellinis character Dorothy Vallens walks over to her closet, in which Jeffrey Beaumont (played by Kyle MacLachlan) is hiding. Dorothy is holding a knife and the music rises in tempo and volume creating an almost stifling tension as she opens the closet and discovers Jeffrey (00:38:00 00:38:19). In a number of Lynchs films elements of the musical film create startling contrasts as characters suddenly burst into singing, or a song is playing over imagery that it does not quite belong to. There is almost a feeling of abstract fantasy about these instances just as there is in musicals, however these songs serve a purpose to transform visual imagery, uphold narrative and to give an added dimension to the characters themselves. The writer Chris Rodley comments on this use of music as something that alters how the on-screen imagery of the the films is viewed, but as a result takes on a new meaning itself causing both to become intertwined0. In the opening scene of Blue Velvet we hear Bobby Vintons song Blue Velvet (from which the film apparently gained its name),a 1960s hit song reminiscing about love which is now lost. Accompanying this song is on-screen imagery of idyllic picket fenced middle America, focussing on a man watering his lawn. At this point nothing seems to be out of the ordinary, however after having trouble with his hosepipe the man suddenly collapses squirming clutching his neck. The scene ends with a close up of the lawn as the camera seemingly goes into the dirt, with the song fading, revealing a scurrying mass of beetles(00:01:40 00:03:45). This stark contrast between what the viewer is seeing and hearing, creates a sense that not all is as it seems in Lumberton, the imaginary town in which the action of the film takes place. Later in Blue Velvet we have an example where the song In Dreams by Roy Orbison is given double meaning when mimed by the antagonist Frank Booth, played by Dennis Hopper. Frank is an extremely foul mouthed and violent character who deals drugs and can be viewed as the essence of evil in the film. What the song does is to give an insight into the subconscious workings of Franks mind, as it shows him in a very different light to how he usually is throughout the film. In Dreams also serves as a narrative to the hopeless situation which Jeffrey has got himself into, being held captive by Frank and his men,as well as getting punched.

Essays --

Rachel Toby 1/14/14 Research Paper â€Å"Homelessness In America† ‘Homelessness’ is when an individual or family cannot afford permanent housing. Homelessness is a common problem in human history. There are many reasons why people reached the state of homelessness such as; physical, economic, social and political. These problems continue to interfere with people’s lives. In the early stages of the American colonial settlement, homelessness became a huge problem in America. Most recently homelessness has been caused by the high cost of housing, alcoholism and drug addictions, mental health issues, joblessness and military veterans coming home. Many people who have jobs here in America still cannot afford permanent housing because the minimum wage which is $7.25 is not enough money to make a good living. The people who gets pay $7.25 an hour struggles because by the time they’re done paying all their bills they have very little to buy groceries, so most of the times people buy food for them and their family which means even tually they’re going to owe a lot of money for rent, which is going to lead to eviction. The United States needs a comprehensive plan to end homelessness in the richest country in the world once and for all. Homelessness in the United States has been a problem for at least 200 years. â€Å"In the early 1800s, the rank of homelessness increased for many reasons such as; Migration to the frontiers, displacement caused by the Civil War, immigration from Europe, seasonal employment patterns in agriculture, construction and mining, and severe economic slumps in the 1870s and 1890s† ( Macmillan). This shows that homelessness started to become a huge problem in the 19th century. To help the situation, â€Å"Cities developed shelt... ...step up to take care of their responsibilities, then a lot of young women wouldn’t be homeless. Also there’s not enough affordable daycares. The solution require strong government action and the help of private enterprises. The government can help by building low cost housing for poor people. Veterans need jobs when they return from serving for their country. The government can help with job training. Businesses can help by making the hiring of vets a priority. We also need more centers for treating drug addicts and alcoholics. Homelessness is a huge problem in the United States. The richest country in the world should solve this problem. Low-cost housing, jobs for veterans, centers for addicts and alcoholics and low-cost daycares are all plans that would allow the young women to work or go back to school. If America had the will, we could fix this growing outrage. Essays -- Rachel Toby 1/14/14 Research Paper â€Å"Homelessness In America† ‘Homelessness’ is when an individual or family cannot afford permanent housing. Homelessness is a common problem in human history. There are many reasons why people reached the state of homelessness such as; physical, economic, social and political. These problems continue to interfere with people’s lives. In the early stages of the American colonial settlement, homelessness became a huge problem in America. Most recently homelessness has been caused by the high cost of housing, alcoholism and drug addictions, mental health issues, joblessness and military veterans coming home. Many people who have jobs here in America still cannot afford permanent housing because the minimum wage which is $7.25 is not enough money to make a good living. The people who gets pay $7.25 an hour struggles because by the time they’re done paying all their bills they have very little to buy groceries, so most of the times people buy food for them and their family which means even tually they’re going to owe a lot of money for rent, which is going to lead to eviction. The United States needs a comprehensive plan to end homelessness in the richest country in the world once and for all. Homelessness in the United States has been a problem for at least 200 years. â€Å"In the early 1800s, the rank of homelessness increased for many reasons such as; Migration to the frontiers, displacement caused by the Civil War, immigration from Europe, seasonal employment patterns in agriculture, construction and mining, and severe economic slumps in the 1870s and 1890s† ( Macmillan). This shows that homelessness started to become a huge problem in the 19th century. To help the situation, â€Å"Cities developed shelt... ...step up to take care of their responsibilities, then a lot of young women wouldn’t be homeless. Also there’s not enough affordable daycares. The solution require strong government action and the help of private enterprises. The government can help by building low cost housing for poor people. Veterans need jobs when they return from serving for their country. The government can help with job training. Businesses can help by making the hiring of vets a priority. We also need more centers for treating drug addicts and alcoholics. Homelessness is a huge problem in the United States. The richest country in the world should solve this problem. Low-cost housing, jobs for veterans, centers for addicts and alcoholics and low-cost daycares are all plans that would allow the young women to work or go back to school. If America had the will, we could fix this growing outrage.

Chinese Economic Reform :: Economics Economy China Essays

Chinese Economic Reform Two years after the death of Mao Zedong in 1976, it became apparent to many of China's leaders that economic reform was necessary. During his tenure as China's premier, Mao had encouraged social movements such as the "Great Leap Forward" and the "Cultural Revolution" which had had as their bases ideas such as serving the people and maintaining the class struggle. By 1978, China’s leaders were searching for a solution to serious economic problems. Hua Guofeng, the man who had succeeded Mao Zedong as CCP (Chinese Communist Party) leader after Mao's death, had demonstrated a desire to continue the ideologically based movements of Mao. Unfortunately, these movements had left China in a state where agriculture was stagnant, industrial production was low, and the people's living standards had not increased in twenty years (Nathan 200). While the gross output value of industry and agriculture increased by 810 percent and national income grew by 420 percent [between 1952 and 1980] ... average individual income increased by only 100 percent (Shirk 28). However, attempts at economic reform in China were not solely due to generosity on the part of the Chinese Communist Party to increase living standards. It had become clear to members of the CCP that economic reform would fulfill a political purpose as well since the party felt that it had suffered a loss of support. (Shirk 23) This movement "from virtue to competence" seemed to mark a serious departure from orthodox Chinese political theory. Confucius himself had said that those individuals who best demonstrated what he referred to as moral force should lead the nation. Using this principle as a guide, China had for centuries attempted to choose its leaders by administering a test to determine their moral force. After the Communist takeover of the country, Mao continued this emphasis on moral force by demanding that Chinese citizens demonstrate what he referred to as "correct consciousness." This correct consciousness could be exhibited by the way people lived. Thus, by demonstrating their expertise in a more practical area of competence, the leaders of the CCP felt they could demonstrate how they were serving the people. Economic reform came about as a result of an attempt by CCP leaders to demonstrate, in a more practical way than Mao had done, their moral force. Chinese Economic Reform :: Economics Economy China Essays Chinese Economic Reform Two years after the death of Mao Zedong in 1976, it became apparent to many of China's leaders that economic reform was necessary. During his tenure as China's premier, Mao had encouraged social movements such as the "Great Leap Forward" and the "Cultural Revolution" which had had as their bases ideas such as serving the people and maintaining the class struggle. By 1978, China’s leaders were searching for a solution to serious economic problems. Hua Guofeng, the man who had succeeded Mao Zedong as CCP (Chinese Communist Party) leader after Mao's death, had demonstrated a desire to continue the ideologically based movements of Mao. Unfortunately, these movements had left China in a state where agriculture was stagnant, industrial production was low, and the people's living standards had not increased in twenty years (Nathan 200). While the gross output value of industry and agriculture increased by 810 percent and national income grew by 420 percent [between 1952 and 1980] ... average individual income increased by only 100 percent (Shirk 28). However, attempts at economic reform in China were not solely due to generosity on the part of the Chinese Communist Party to increase living standards. It had become clear to members of the CCP that economic reform would fulfill a political purpose as well since the party felt that it had suffered a loss of support. (Shirk 23) This movement "from virtue to competence" seemed to mark a serious departure from orthodox Chinese political theory. Confucius himself had said that those individuals who best demonstrated what he referred to as moral force should lead the nation. Using this principle as a guide, China had for centuries attempted to choose its leaders by administering a test to determine their moral force. After the Communist takeover of the country, Mao continued this emphasis on moral force by demanding that Chinese citizens demonstrate what he referred to as "correct consciousness." This correct consciousness could be exhibited by the way people lived. Thus, by demonstrating their expertise in a more practical area of competence, the leaders of the CCP felt they could demonstrate how they were serving the people. Economic reform came about as a result of an attempt by CCP leaders to demonstrate, in a more practical way than Mao had done, their moral force.

Empowerment supports organisational objectives at the expense of the individual worker Essay

Introduction Companies today are designed in someway, at some level, to develop individuals either for their own sake, the company’s sake or hopefully for both. The team has become a sophisticated structure. I t is ‘finely engineered, maintained to a high standard, and when running smoothly it is highly productive’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 63). It provides an environment in which energy can be maximised towards corporate needs, which also allows the individual to satisfy his or her own needs within work, rather than only outside of it. So often seemingly dull unimaginative and uncreative employees surprise their companies when they reveal the depth of their energy outside work. However it is the ‘corporate attitudes’ (Legge, K, 1995: 104) that stifled them, and when released companies recognise they have a pool talent, a wealth of resources, at their fingertips. In the ‘1980s and 1990s rationalisation and downsizing’ (Legge, K, 1995: 53) were very much the order of the day therefore empowerment became a business necessity. Empowerment has been in the ‘forefront of quality improvement efforts’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 23). Several businesses worldwide have been and still are currently closely watching quality the ability to produce superior and distinguished goods and services to meet customer needs. The commitment to quality today is very present in ‘service industries, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and educational institutions’ (Mabey at el, 1998: 48). Total Quality, also known as Total Quality Management (TQM), is seen differently by different people. Organizations are reportedly introducing ‘soft and hard’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 67) employee relations policies associated with the shift to human resource management (HRM). Softer aspects of HRM, based on the encouragement of employee commitment in support of management aims, have received particular attention given their proposed linkage with ‘improved organizational performance’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 67). This has, in turn, led many organizations to adopt schemes designed to encourage employee involvement. The concept of empowerment has been identified as a ‘recent and advanced manifestation of employee involvement’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 68). Empowerment has been defined in different ways. Some have claimed it is ‘a fundamentally different way of working together’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 271) and ‘quite different from the traditional notion of control’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 94). Cole (1997) is able to define the concept of empowerment as an application to ‘none managerial roles’ such as team members. However, he argues there are several possible meanings. These can range from having ‘increased authority’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 53) and therefore their ability exercise a wider range of choices at work and to be given a more varied and interesting job in the form of job enrichment. At best empowerment increases individuals discretion over how they do their work. It may also provide additional opportunities for group problem solving on operational issues. Empowerment is seen as ways of giving people more opportunity or ‘power’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 38) to exercise control over, and have responsibility for, their work. It is intended to encourage individuals to use their abilities by enabling them to take decisions. According to Potterfield (1999), empowerment will be best defined as a way of bestowing upon employees ‘the power to use more judgment and discretion in their work and to participate more fully in decisions affecting their working lives’ (Legge, K, 1995:84). Others are more sceptical. Armstrong (1996) points out that ‘Empowerment, for example, may mean little more than giving employees the opportunity to make suggestions for change’ (Armstrong, 1996: 76). In practice, empowerment is intended to release active employee engagement only so long as it falls within the parameters for which it was selected as a strategy. In most organisations it is ‘management which defines and adjudicates and ultimately exercises control’ (Armstrong, 1996: 78). The concept of empowerment ‘is based on the belief that to be successful, organisations must harness the creativity and brain power of all the employees not just a few managers’ (Graham & Bennett, 1995: 3). The idea that everybody in the business has something to contribute represents a radical shift in thinking away from the old idea that managers managed and the workforce simply followed orders. The fact that empowerment does represent a radical shift in thinking explains why, in many organisations, the initiative has failed. Empowered organizations are composed of empowered persons, although it is not necessarily true that a group of empowered persons automatically creates an empowered organization. Organizations that are ‘truly empowered have moved out of the old paradigm of competition and beliefs in limitation and scarcity’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 291). The face of the contemporary workplace is drastically changing. More and more companies are realising the value of more ‘flat democratic organisational structure’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 23) over the traditional autocratic, hierarchical management styles. In contrast to empowered workplaces, disempowered workforce suffers from poor self-esteem, lack of a personal vision and a feeling of hopelessness. These ‘attitudes and beliefs form inner barriers that block growth and proactive development’ (Legge, K, 1995: 63) and manifest in the worker in the form of reluctance to accept responsibility, hesitance to communicate openly, lack of commitment and ownership and, ultimately, in below average performance. Such employees ‘become passive passengers who are more focused on having their personal needs met than on contributing fully’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 82) so that the company can grow. Because they feel afraid, uncertain and insecure, they will unconsciously sabotage new interventions and approaches. An example of this is the resistance management often experience when implementing a ‘quality management system’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 82). In this way employees become a stumbling block to progress instead of much-valued assets. In companies where managers make a concerted effort to delegate and share power and control, the ‘results are not always impressive’ (Graham & Bennett, 1995: 93). The reason for this is either a lack of understanding of the nature of empowerment, or a greater focus on applying a set of managerial techniques than on creating conditions that are essential for empowerment to thrive. Where empowerment does not work it is because ‘people do not think it through’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997: 83). To avoid such failures it is important to gain commitment for the senior management team, and then to cascade this down to other levels of management. The hardest group to convince about empowerment are ‘middle managers’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 92), because it is their jobs that are most likely to be affected. It is because these managers often have the most to lost that they may have a tendency to undermine or delay implementation of a new policy. The implementation of empowerment in organisations instead of the traditional hierarchies means a ‘flatter organisational structure’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 57), which can give rise to considerable resentment and individual resistance. There are, naturally, many problems that can arise in the empowerment process. Many workers may ‘resist these new responsibilities’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 23); they in fact like having their decisions made for them and will resent the extra burdens (and work). There still may be those workers who resent the implications of greater self-direction, possibly even arising from an obvious fear. There is an interesting theory underlying this reaction. Maslow has called this the Jonah Complex, ‘the fear of one’s own greatness’ (Maslow, 1971: 34). While Maslow discussed this term in a more mystical, spiritual context, it is associated as a sort of classic block to self-actualisation. Since empowerment speaks to the same sort of needs as self-actualisation, it could be drawn that there is the possibility of a collective sort of Jonah Complex at the heart of many conflicts in organizational transitions. Employees may also be ‘cynical and suspicious of this approach’ (Gennard & Judge, 1997: 235, Hitchcock and Willard, 1995:27) as another way to get more work out of them for less money. However allowing employees to take an active part in the change process from the very beginning, and showing them that their organization is truly changing will remove some of their wariness. There is also the danger of the ’employees feeling too empowered’ (Legge, K, 1995: 57); in feeling so independent of other facets of the organization that there might also be troubles in transitioning to teams. Empowerment supports organisational objectives at the expense of the individual worker to ‘speed up the decision making processes and reducing operational costs’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 293) by removing unnecessary layers of management such as staff functions, quality control and checking operations. In retrospect empowerment is usually advocated to ‘release the creative and innovative capacities of employees’ (Armstrong, M, 1996:386), to provide greater job satisfaction, motivation and commitment and giving people more responsibility enables employees to gain a great sense of achievement from their work therefore. The reasons for ’empowerment emerging as a concept for our time’ (Armstrong, M, 1996:385) is the need to generate energy release in employees by providing them with visionary leadership and a supporting environment and by treating them as a valuable asset to be invested in rather then as a cost despite the fact that organisatio ns are driven by profit generating, cost reduction and market pressures. Empowerment at workplace level has ‘greater justification for management in HRM terms’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994:582). Management needs to decide how much power to delegate to employees while controlling their levels of creative energies and at the same time ‘not undermining managerial prerogatives’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 582). TQM (total quality management) ‘suggests a system whereby worker empowerment is restricted very much within the boundaries set by the management’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 582). Training can provide ‘an opportunity to empower and motivate employees’ (Honold, L, 1997). Empowering workers in this small way (i.e., schedule the training sessions) during the actual implementation of the organizational change can provide workers with a small degree of control over what is essentially a change in process over which they have no control. Empowerment can be argued ‘as an objective in its own right as a means of extending worker satisfaction’ (Gennard & Judge, 1997: 211). This can be related to the concept of Quality of Working Life (QWL). It refers primarily to how efficiency of performance depends on job satisfaction, and how to design jobs to increase satisfaction, and therefore performance. The early psychological basis of QWL and of justifications of empowerment relating to increased worker motivation was Herzberg (1968). Herzberg developed a theory called the two-factor theory of motivation. Herzberg argued that ‘job factors could be classified as to whether they contributed primarily to satisfaction or dissatisfaction’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992 : 64). There are conditions, which result in dissatisfaction amongst employees when they are not present. If these conditions are present, this does not necessarily motivate employees. Second there are conditions, which when present in the job, build a strong level of motivation that can result in good job performance. Management very rarely discusses the practical problems in attempting to apply empowerment through ‘quality management’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997:34) therefore employee views and feelings are unheard. The argument in supporting quality management requires an increase in ‘workers skills and results in genuine employee empowerment’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997:34). However, in contrast to the optimistic approach is the argument that empowerment through quality management results in the ‘increasing subordination of employees in return for little or no extra reward’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997:35). Recently, empowerment has become ‘an important Human Resource Management tool’ (Graham & Bennett, 1995: 93) in many organisations. It has been portrayed as the ultimate tool to access unleashed potential and help leaders get the best from their people. In reality, however, organisations that are trying to empower people may be fighting an uphill battle. Managers who harbour a fear that affirmative action may jeopardise their jobs, may be more worried about keeping their jobs than about empowering others. With the rationalization of layers of management, promotion is becoming less realistic and, therefore, middle managers share with non-managerial employees ‘growing feelings of cynicism as well as a heightened sense of estrangement from the predominant goals and values of their employing organizations’ (Denham, N et al, 1997). According to Maslow (1998), people need a sense of ‘self-determination, autonomy, dignity, and responsibility’ (Legge, K, 1995: 221) to continue to function in a healthy, growth-motivated way. When placed in an environment where any or all of these qualities are removed from them and they are instead ‘forced to submit to another’s will and think and act under constant supervision’ (Legge, K, 1995: 221), their sense of esteem and self-worth is robbed from them. The implementation of empowerment can be used successfully as a HRM tool as it provides a competitive advantage ensuring ‘organisational survival’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997:25) and at the same time protecting employees jobs. However, employee’s maybe compelled to work harder and more flexibly ‘for their own good’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997:25) otherwise they might be made redundant for the greater good. The aim of empowerment is to ‘enable employees to actually have to deal with problems to implement solutions quickly and without recourse to supervisors’ (Gennard & Judge, 1997: 71) and or higher levels of management. This is increasingly necessary as large and bureaucratic organisations ‘delayer’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 91) management hierarchies in the search for administrative efficiency and lower costs. Employee empowerment is a very important aspect when considering human resource management. The failure of employers to give employees an opportunity to participate in decisions affecting their welfare ‘may encourage union member ship’ (sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 53). It is widely believed that one reason managers begin employee involvement programs and seek to empower their employees is to ‘avoid collective action by employees’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 83). Employee empowerment offers the employers and the employees the chance to be on the same level, so to speak. Empowerment allows them to help make decisions that affect themselves, as well as, the company. Basically, through empowerment, employers and employees are in a win-win situation. The ’employees feel like they are needed and wanted, while the employers gain satisfaction through their prosperity’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997: 64). Employee empowerment can be a powerful tool. The now advanced leadership style can ‘increase efficiency and effectiveness’ inside an organization (Graham & Bennett, 1995: 13). It increases productivity and reduces overhead. Overhead expenses are those needed for carrying on a business, i.e. ‘salaries, rent, heat and advertising’ (Mabey & Salaman, 1997: 39). It gives managers the freedom to dedicate their time to more important matters. Managers can highlight the talents and efforts of all employees. The leader and organisation take advantage of the ‘shared knowledge of workers’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 64). Managers at the same time ‘develop their own job qualifications and skills attaining personal advancements’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 38). Empowered employees can make decisions and suggestions that will down the line improve service and support, saving money, time and disputes ‘between companies and their customers’ (Gennard & Judge, 1997: 291). Empowerment of qualified employees will provide exceptional customer service in several competitive markets; therefore it will ‘improve profits through repeated business’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 76). Customers prefer to deal with employees that have the power to manage arrangements and objections by themselves, without having to frequently inquire of their supervisors (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 76). Empowerment is a strong tool that will increase ‘revenue and improve the bottom line’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 280). Empowerment is also the best way to ‘promote a good long-lasting employee-customer relationship’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998:32). Empowerment also brings benefits to employees. It makes them feel better about their inputs to the company; it promotes a greater productivity, and provides them with a ‘sense of personal and professional balance’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 91). It exercises employees’ minds to find alternative and better ways to execute their jobs, and it increases their potential for promotions and job satisfaction. It results in ‘personal growth’ (Mabey at al, 1998: 174) since the whole process enlarges their feelings of confidence and control in themselves and their companies. It is a process that makes workers utilize their full potentials. This enables them to stay behind their decisions, assume risks, participate and take actions. It is a ‘win-win situation’ (Wilkinson, A, 1998); customers benefit from sharp employees; organizations benefit from satisfied customers and sharp employees; and employees benefit from improving their confidence and self-esteems. Benefits come with changes in the organization’s culture itself. Benefits require ‘changes in management and employees’ (Mabey at al, 1998: 54). For empowerment to succeed, the ‘management pyramid’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 54) must be inverted. Old-fashioned managers must take a step back and for the first time serve their subordinates and give up control. Old-fashioned employees must also agree to changes. They could see ’empowerment as a threat’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 147), especially if they became use to the convenient old style of management structure where the ‘rules and decisions always came from above’ (Legge, K, 1995: 94). Employee involvement and participation schemes are to ‘enhance job responsibility’ (Legge, K, 1995: 24) by providing individuals with more influence over how they perform their tasks (employee empowerment). Each individual can make a personal decision on how to perform his or her task instead of being instructed on how to do so by management. When employees are involved, they have some influence on how they perform their job. This in turn is likely to ‘increase their contentment with the job’ (Mabey at al, 1998: 134), the probability that they will remain in that job and their willingness to except changes in the task that make up the job. Individual employees are more likely to be ‘effective members of the workforce’ (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998: 76) if management taps into their knowledge of the job by seeking their opinion on how the job should be performed and how it can be organised better. For employees, the greater empowerment and control given to frontline staff and to their teams has meant a great degree of freedom than ever before in controlling their own working lives (Sparrow & Marchington, 1998:166). The power that managers have, the capacity that managers have to influence the behaviour of employees and work responsibilities, must be ‘now shared with employees’ (Gennard & Judge, 1997: 73) through the creation of trust, assurance, motivation, and support for competitive needs. Work-related decisions and full control of the work is being pushed down towards the lowest operating levels (Armstrong, M, 1996: 58). Self-conducted teams have also emerged, which are groups of empowered employees with no or very little supervision. These groups are able to ‘solve work problems, make choices on schedules and operations, learn to do other employees’ jobs, and are also held accountable and responsible for the quality of their outputs’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 12) Guest (1987) argued under ‘high commitment management’ workers would be committed to management’s vision, and that management would favour individual contracts over collective agreements as a mean of furthering worker commitment and dependence, thus making unions redundant. Employees who feel they are in a stable work environment ‘will feel more secure and empowered’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 94). Advancement opportunities and rewards/incentive programs should also be implemented, as they feed into how committed and employee feels to making positive contributions and whether or not they are recognised for their efforts. Morale, too, provides a good measure of the culture of the organisation. Organisations with a ‘restrictive, secretive environment where information is tightly controlled’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 162) will have less informed less empowered employees. Organisations with a more open environment, where ideas are encouraged from all levels will have a freer flow of information, better-informed employees, and thus higher empowerment. Through the process of employee empowerment, ’employees feel more valued’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 40) because they are able to participate in the planning process and the decision making process. Empowerment gives employees the opportunity to contribute to the company’s overall success (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 40). This helps an employee feel that he/she is truly valued, rather than that they are just a back to be stepped upon by those trying to reach the top. All in all, if the employee is happy with their job, than a paying customer will see that and want to return. Empowerment allows an employee to find ‘new ways to express their creativity’ (Armstrong, M, 1996: 161). Through creativity, employees are able to make sales or transactions an unforgettable and pleasurable experience for customers, thus ensuring the customers return. Employee empowerment can have a ‘profoundly beneficial impact on the bottom line if used correctly’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 18). Empowerment allocates responsibility to an employee and creates the motivation to surpass customer expectations. In order to keep customers for life, employers must empower their employees to make their own decisions. Empowerment gives ’employees the opportunity to make decisions and suggestions’ (Cole, G, A, 1997: 39) that will down the line improve service and support, saving money, time and disputes between companies and their customers. Empowerment is an aspect, which must be considered in ‘negotiating an effective team contract’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 69) .The team must be empowered to seek and find information across the existing management structures. The communication aspect of empowerment means that the team must be clearly shown where their work adds value to the company, where their effects will show results and where their work fits in with the company’s objectives. ‘Organizations wishing to instil a culture of empowerment must find a way of establishing systems and processes that do not restrict employees. By concentrating on what behaviour is considered optimal for the employees and what they do well, management can adapt, develop and change the organizational structure to produce the sought after behaviour’ (Erstad, M, 1997). Culture changed programmes are ‘commonly promoted’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 132) to increase the power of the worker, through empowerment. However, critics have argued empowerment is a means of increasing work intensity and gaining greater managerial control over labour (Brambell, 1995, Legge, 1989). Conclusion Work place attitudes such as ‘praising teams for success and punishing teams for failure are inherent in our society’ (Mabey et al, 1998: 32) where winning and survival have become synonymous. Businesses are installing empowerment into their organisations to ‘give people more responsibility and asking them to test the corporate boundary limits’ (Graham & Bennett, 1995: 91). A t the same time, organisations are asking staff to be more entrepreneurial, and take more risks. It can be argued employees who empower themselves can be called troublemakers and those who take entrepreneurial risks and fail are referred to as failures. The business ethic which condemns failure as a bad thing is going to ‘restrict its best people’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 12), force them to avoid taking risks that may one day be beneficial and will prevent the team experiencing the excitement of the empowerment which is vital to motivation and team dynamics. The advantages gained through empowerment are numerous. Employee empowerment allows an organization to unleash the vital, untapped forces of employee creativity and motivation to solve business problems (Legge, K, 1995: 50). Empowering employee also allows them to make decisions on the spot. This is very important when you work in an industry where you work directly with a paying customer. When employees are empowered, the employer enables them to offer full service to their clients and protect them from the competition. ‘The rewards of empowerment outweigh the risks of losing the employees themselves’ (Spencer & Pruss, 1992: 203). The retail industry is a perfect example. Managers are ‘learning to give up control’ and employees are learning how to be responsible for the actions and decisions (Cole, G, A, 1997: 34). It is fundamental that management shares information, creates autonomy and feedback, and trains and creates self-directed teams for empowerment to work properly. Managers often prefer not to ‘communicate with employees, and not to share some extremely important information’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 247) with them, but an effective leader must have no hidden agendas. They must treat employees as ‘stakeholders for the road of success’ (Beardwell & Holden, 1994: 247). Employees must have a clear vision of success, because if they are not aware of what success means to the company and where the company is heading, there is no way they can feel empowered to help accomplish this success. ‘Empowerment is not something, which can be passed over from management to employees as a pen is handed from one person to another. It is a complex process, which requires a clear vision, a learning environment both for management and employees, and participation and implementation tools and techniques in order to be successful’ (Erstad, M, 1997). Â   Bibliography Armstrong, M (1996) ‘A Handbook of Personnel Management Practice’, Sixth Edition, Kogan Page Beardwell, I & Holden, L (1994) ‘Human resource Management- A contemporary perspective’, Pitman Cole, G, A (1997) ‘Personnel Management’, Fourth Edition, Letts Denham, N, Ackers, P & Travers, C (1997) ‘Doing yourself out of a job? : How middle managers cope with empowerment’ , Employee Relations; Volume 19 No. 2; Erstad, M (1997) ‘Empowerment and organizational change’, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management; Volume 9 No. 7; Gennard, J & Judge, G (1997) ‘Employee relations’, Institute of Personnel & Development Graham, H, T &Bennett, R (1995) ‘Human Resources Management’, Eight Edition, M+E handbooks Honold, L (1997) ‘A review of the literature on employee empowerment’, Empowerment in Organisations; Volume 5 No. 4 Legge, K (1995) ‘Human Resource Management-Rhetoric’s & Realities’, Macmillan Business Mabey, C & Salaman, G (1997) ‘Strategic Human Resource Management’, Blackwell Business Mabey, C, Skinner, D & Clark, T, (1998) ‘Experiencing Human Resource Management’, Sage Sparrow, P & Marchington, M (1998) ‘Human Resource Management-The New Agenda’, Pitman Spencer, J & Pruss, A (1992) ‘Managing your team’, Piatkus Wilkinson, A (1998) ‘Empowerment: theory and practice’, Personnel Review; Volume 27 No. 1

To What Extent Did the Russian Economy Improve in the Period 1894 to 1914?

The Russian economy is universally declared to have been a thoroughly backward prior to 1890s therefore it is highly likely that there was economic improvement in the given period; however the extent of this is difficult to define due to the varying manifestations of economic improvement and the independence with which they may occur. The finance minister during this period was Sergei Witte, and to him the majority of the improvements are credited, yet the improvement was not universal. Whether this was him personally or simply a product the awful conditions which the Russian economy rose from is to be decided. In 1897, 82% of the Russian population were peasants, leading one to the believe that any economic improvement must be both partially caused by and result in improvements in this area. This is because generally the greater the economic improvement the greater the amount of people are involved in bringing it about and the greater the number of people it affects for the better. The situation in 1894 was a mass of peasants that owned small and mainly subsistence farms. This meant that they sold very little of their produce and therefore had very little money. This was bad for two reasons. Firstly if they sold little then the state would have very little to sell to other countries, meaning that no extra wealth was coming in to Russia. Secondly, if the peasants had little money than they would not be able to buy much. If we acknowledge John Keynes’ theory of demand as true, this lack of it can only be seen as a severe impediment to the Russian economy. To answer the question, one must therefore decide if either the peasants started producing enough to sell or if less people were peasants. There is evidence to suggest that between 1890 and 1910 there was an increase of 38 million tonnes of cereals produced. One could argue that this shows economic improvement because they were working the land more efficiently, and therefore selling more so getting richer, the extra wealth generated would be pumped into other areas such as manufacturing due to the rise in demand. In addition the extra grain acquired by the government could be sold to other countries, and this money could then be spent on industry, improving the economy. This theory is complemented by the fact that between 1897 and 1914 Odessa, the major gain exporting port, saw a rise in population from 403 thousand to 499 thousand, which would lead one to believe that more eople lived there because there was more work to be done because there was more grain to export. On the other hand it could be believed that this does not show an improving economy firstly because it 74 million tonnes in 1910 is actually a lot less per hector then more developed countries were able to produce. They were still poor in comparison with other countries s uch as England which had experienced the industrial revolution and therefore had more efficient farming. In addition it must be taken into account that the population of Russia was rapidly increasing at this time, it doubled between 1861 and 1914 to 130 million people, therefore this increase in food production would not have lead to a vast amount of either overseas income or surplus money because they needed to eat most of it. This argument would lead one to the belief that on both an international and internal scale the agriculture of Russia shows very little economic improvement. It is, however commonly acknowledged that a failing of Witte’s was his lack of action in the agricultural department. The fact that in 1914 four-fifths of the population were still peasants that we have already asserted helped very little towards an economic improvement puts into great doubt the scale of such an improvement. Nevertheless it is possible for large change to be implemented by few people therefore instead of passing judgement based only on Witte’s weakest area of economic reform the others must be examined. Transport is highly necessary for a good economy because it allows workers to move to where there are jobs, business to trade goods with ease and ideas to spread quickly. Witte was aware of this and therefore undertook a massive project of railway extension going from 19510 miles of track in 1891 to 43850 miles in 1913. This included the Trans-Siberian railway which stretched from Moscow to Vladivostok and was meant to encourage the migration of workers from remote area to the manufacturing centre. Unfortunately this project was a disappointment internally as east-west migration did not increase significantly, which perhaps in explained by the fact that in 1914 sections were still incomplete. One could argue that the smaller scale railways were just as important because they allowed peasants to move from the overcrowded agricultural land to the cities where they could benefit the economy by working in factories. This may have happened to a small extent however we have already concluded that the majority of the peasants stayed peasants, besides by law peasants had to gain permission from village elders to move , stifling the desired rural to urban migration and therefore economic improvement. It must therefore be decided that internally the transport revolution helped to improve the Russian economy to an unexpectedly small amount. However the railway system in its vastness attracted international attention that was to improve the economy in other ways. The Trans-Siberian Railway was seen by other countries as a symbol of Russian enterprise and advancing society; this positive attention encouraged them to trade with Russia, therefore bringing in money, which in the long term would create demand and subsequently improving the Russian economy. Figures to back this are those of the comparative industrial output which rose from 109. 5 in 1904 to 163. 5 in 1913. As four fifths of the population were virtually incapable of buying this, we can only assume that the excess was either sold abroad or used on the railways. This will have brought money into Russia, improving the economy. One must then decide if the benefits of the foreign trade and the kick starting of industry was worth the massive amount the railways would have cost the government. In the long term it must be considered so, as without both something and someone to trade with the Russian economy would have taken much longer to improve. In addition, although the intended benefits were not seen within the given period, they may have appeared later, if the country had not been disrupted by war. However in the given time span economic improvement due to the railway was limited to the sector of foreign trust and therefore sales. The actual production of goods is often a good indicator of the success of an economy. There is no doubt that this happened in the years 1894 to 1914. For example between the years 1890 and 1913 the annual production in millions of tons rose from 5. to 35. 4 in coal, 0. 89 to 9. 1 in pig iron and 3. 9 to 9. 1 in oil. This is proof that in the industrial sector there was economic improvement. However it is known that much of this improvement was state directed, which would be fine if it were not for the fact that this direction was financed heavily by overseas loans. This meant that though the economy did improve, it was not strong in the way the France and Britain’s were because it firstl y needed state intervention to keep it going and secondly could not finance itself. If the improvements in this period in the economy could be continued over another twenty years, then it is probable that the loans would have been paid off and state intervention no longer necessary to such a large degree, however in this time period such drastic improvements were not possible. Therefore it must be understood although the industrial part of the economy did improve in measurements such as output and turnover during the given time period, it did not stabilise in a way that would make it strong. The improvement of an economy is all comparative, as well as comparing the Russian economy to how it way at the start and finish of the given period we must also compare it’s improvement to that of other countries, so as to create a more contextual answer. Of the five great powers, Russia shows the least increase in national income between 1894 and 1913 at 50% however its growth in national product between 1898 and 1913 is the highest at 96. 8%. The latter figure shows that Russia’s production of goods had gone up by fa more than its rivals, showing that the economy defiantly improved. After our inspection of both the industrial and agricultural sides of the economy it is possible to say that this improvement was almost entirely in industry. Never the less this shows great economic improvement. On the other hand the fact that Russia’s national income had increased the least shows that the people of Russia were not richer in comparison with the rest of the world. This may be firstly explained by the great increase in Russia’s population. Although production may have increased, the profit from it had to be shared out between more people. Therefore as a country the economy had improved but for the individual it was hardy better. Although this is still economic improvement it is far more precarious as unhappy individuals may lead to economy damaging strikes such as the 3574 in Russia, in 1914. The fact that other countries such as Britain invested in Russian economy supports the idea that the country as a whole was improving economically, as these advanced countries would not risk their money otherwise. The reason for this was firstly the railways, as has been discussed but also the fact that in 1897, the Russian currency was put on the Gold standard. This gave it strength when exchanged with other currencies, again helping Russia in the international climate but making it harder for Russian inhabitants to buy anything as prices naturally increased. Although putting the Russian rouble on the gold standard helped to stabilise the currency itself, it was not so powerful a move as to stabilise the economy and in fact added to the instability by further decreasing home sales. Therefore the Russian economy was improving greatly in comparison with its rivals in overseas sales and production, but this improvement was limited by domestic instabilities that Russia’s rivals had to a much lower degree. In conclusion the Russian economy did improve greatly between 1894 and 1914 however this improvement was confined to a very small sector of the economy. That sector was industry on a national scale. On an individual scale this improvement of the economy amounted to very little, with wages not allowing a significant growth in home demand. The agricultural side of the economy also improved very little, meaning that by 1914 four fifths of the people were not involved in the economical improvements to any great extent. The fact that the economic improvement was restricted to one area meant that it was unstable. On the other hand, although it must then be assumed that this improvement was greatly superficial in 1914, Russia was starting from the very bottom and therefore it is unlikely that a vastly improved in all areas and stable economy was possible in 20 years. If Russia’s economical improvement was extended at that rate for another 20 years then it would have had time to both gain security and reach out into other sectors that were overlooked in 1914, such as light industry. Therefore it must be concluded that between 1894 and 1913 there was great improvement in one area of the economy, which, due to its confinement was superficiality in an economic overview, yet due to the awful conditions in which this improvement operated in, it must be deemed substantial.

Dietary Supplements and Muscle Growth

Dietary supplements or food supplements are an important source of nutrition which do not usually form an essential part of our daily food intake. They can be rightly termed as life-sustaining elements, for they are almost indispensable for a balanced health regime. Dietary supplements can offer significant health benefits. Broadly the dietary supplements are products that contain fatty acids or amino acids, vitamins, botanical plants, minerals, herbs, and other herbal extracts or a combination of any of these ingredients. These food supplements come in the forms of powder, capsules, pills or liquid.Some of the dietary supplements which are considered to be extremely beneficial for muscle growth are Weight Gainers, Creatine, Vitamin E, Protein powders, Vitamin C, and essential fatty acids. Our main focus here will be Proteins and Creatines. Protein: Derived from the Greek work proteios, meaning first, Proteins are a group of organic compounds, forming an integral constituent of every living cell. The food which we consume contains proteins which are further broken down into amino acids by the digestive juices present in the stomach and intestine.The resulting amino acids can be reused by the body to maintain muscles, bones, body organs and blood. Forming an inherent component of skin, muscles, hair, ahrmones, cartilage, antibodies and enzymes, Proteins activate, regulate and defend the body chemistry. (Fillmore. 1999) Thus they serve as the essential life blood of a healthy structure and healthy system. The major kinds of proteins are Hemp seed, egg white, Soy protein, and Casein protein. Whey protein isolate is a catalytic protein to rev up the repair and growth of muscle tissues after an intense physical activity.Casey protein as compared to others of its kind is a slow acting protein which works best if taken while going to bed, supplying the body with an uninterrupted flow of amino acids for repair and during the sound sleep at night. (Driskell, 2000) Prote in Intake: The decisive factors for the ideal amount of protein intake are the total calorie consumption (particularly the consumption of sufficient fats and carbohydrates for energy), and the person’s fitness targets. The maximum amount of protein, processed for tissue building is approximately 0. 9 g protein per pound of body weight.  (Fillmore. 1999)No more protein can be stored in the body in anyway. The unprocessed or the remaining protein is either used for producing energy by converting to carbohydrates or stored as fat. Since protein-rich foods are more expensive as compared to carbohydrate-rich foods, eating lots of extra protein instead of adequate carbohydrates is not advisable. Side Effects: Just as excess of anything is not healthy; the same idea works in case of protein intake also. Excessive proteins can be detrimental to one’s health and physical performance in the following enumerated ways.†¢ Contrasting to the carbohydrates or fats, the breakdo wn of proteins into energy results in the production of nitrogen waste products, such as urea, ammonia, uric acid, etc. Excretion of these waste products by Kidneys is fundamental. Excessive production of urea can lead to exhausted and fatigued kidneys and they may start to fail. This is why some researchers advise that the protein consumption should be restricted to 1g/lb per day. (Driskell,2000) †¢ A lot of protein can lead to dehydration, for excessive water is required to excrete the excessive urea.†¢ Protein-rich food intake (especially from animal sources) paves the way to acid generation in the body. Consequently the bones start releasing calcium as a fender to the overmuch acid load. High calcium loss occurs, when finally both the acid and calcium get excreted in the urine. (Driskell,2000) †¢ Several animal proteins (such as whole fat milk, cheese, chicken with skin and red meat) are enriched with saturated fats, the absolute determinants of high blood cholest erol level as well as heart disease.Further more, many protein bars contain palm oil (another highly saturated ingredient) and hydrogenated vegetable oils (a source of Tran’s fat) which further increase the high cholesterol level and heart health risks. †¢ High protein intake may mean inadequate intake of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the only vital source of fuel during intensive anaerobic exercise (for e. g. weight training). Undue accumulation of protein is bound to deprive the muscles of all the carbohydrate, and thus the individual will not find himself capable of exhaustive training.Muscle growth will inevitably be affected. Creatine: Creatine is an organic acid, naturally present in the body, comprising of three amino acids: methionine, glycine and arginine, that is responsible for the provision of short energy bursts to muscle cells. Scientific studies have provided significant evidences that creatine tends to increase strength, energy and muscle mass. Even mo re, recent studies have shown that creatine accelerates brain function and beats down mental fatigue. Are Creatines Beneficial?Various researchers have found out enough supporting evidences for the beneficial functions of creatine, it carries out its function most effectively and that is to retain water in the muscles, so crucially needed for muscle growth. (Becque, 2000) When creatine phosphate is abundantly stored in the muscle, the muscle is likely to retain more water in its cells. The more hydrated a muscle is, the better will be the production of protein as well as its breakdown. The retention of water in the muscles is an indicator of its readiness for building new muscle. Hydrated muscle will even lead to enhanced level of Glycogen synthesis.Adequate protein synthesis along with effective training is bound to boost up muscle growth. However it should be remembered that increased muscle growth can only be attained by consuming creatine as well as working out. Side effects: â € ¢ Use of supplements may lessen the body’s own creatine synthesis; however has a reverse effect when its consumption is cut off. †¢ The personal experiences of some athletic trainers suggest that creatine users are often susceptible to muscle cramps, muscular spasms as well as pulled muscles. (possible reasons might be dehydration or over training)†¢ There is also a growing regarding kidney and liver damage as well as the risk of restraining body’s natural synthesis of protein. According to one case report, a healthy young man of around 20 years, developed severe nephritis (Kidney inflammation) after the consumption of 20 g of creatine every single day for four weeks. However the ideal recommended dosage of supplement is 20 g for 5 days, followed by the dosage of 3 g daily. People with inherited kidney disease, those with already existing kidney troubles and the other susceptible individuals (such as people with diabetes) should either curb or avoid creat ine supplements.  (Becque, 2000)Androstenedione: Androstenedione: also termed as â€Å"andro†, is a food supplement cited to pose substantial health risks, usually linked with steroids. Marketed mostly for athletes and body builders it has been advertised as an ultimate source to catalyze muscle growth and reduce fat. Among women users of this supplement, it increases the risk of breast cancer and endometrial cancer. Children as users of this supplement, suffer the risk of early puberty and premature stoppage of bone growth.In March 2004, 23 companies were requested by FDA to stop marketing and supplying androstenedione constituting dietary supplements. (U. S food and drug admin, 2004) Conclusion: Everyone has an inborn desire to look great and everyone wants an easy way out. As a matter of fact, there is no easy way out. There is no shortcut to achieve physical fitness, a sturdy and well proportioned body except salubrious nutrition and out-and-out hard work. Supplements w ork, but they cannot replace nutritious food and vigorous training. Eat well and work out, that’s the only way to attain your desired result.

Enrollment System Essay

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First of all, I would like to say â€Å"Thank God†, for giving me the health and strength in doing this project work until it done. Not forgotten to my family for providing everything, such as money, to buy anything that are related to this project work and their advise, which is the most needed for this project. Internet, books, computers and all that as my source to complete this project. They also supported me and encouraged me to complete this task so that I will not be procrastinate in doing it. Then I would like to thank my instructor, Mr. JoeySuba for guiding me throughout this project. We had some difficulties in doing this task but he taught us patiently until we knew what to do. INTRODUCTION Interest in information system has increased during the recent years not only in education but also in all areas where resources are managed. Two main reason account for this- the increasing population and the need for improved problem-solving tools. Student information system has always been a difficult task, but it is more so today than ever before, where administrators uses the traditional way of filing records on a cabinet. As the population of the students goes up, it is becoming more complex. Data should be stored in safer places, and can be retrieved easily and fast when someone needs it. Administrator’s task has becoming more complex, there have been efforts to improve the effectiveness of problem solving and central to this are quantitative techniques and electronic devices such as computers. In the field of education, researchers and theorists have focused intensively in recent years on examining the concepts and use of information to assist administrators, teachers, students and parents. Others have raised and discussed fundamental issues and uses of school information system to facilitate judgment and decision-making in schools. Schools, like any other organization used to manage all sorts of data and information to ensure attainment of its goals and objectives. The emerging needs in most schools for accurate and relevant data and reliable information strengthen the Student Information System. PROBLEM DEFINITION: This study attempted to identify the quality of information system in San Simon Integrated School . Based on my observations during the interview, i found out that on the manual system that the school is presently using, information and records were not kept accordingly that causes lost of important papers and documents. The student’s Form-137 was kept by the present teacher of the student as well as birth certificate or baptismal certificate, which has no assurance of safety keeping. Another problem identified is when the entries of names in the student’s lists are not updated, where some are complaining when records are incorrect if someone needs the documents. One respondent said that lists of classes were not produced immediately upon the start of the school year, that’s why it takes 2 to 3 days to know what the student’s section. ANALYSIS: Student information system has enhanced the quality of information generated in terms of precision or accuracy of data. Important things must be specified and considered for the proper usage of the system. This is designed to create a user-friendly program. The system must be kept in place that is well ventilated to avoid any risk of damage to the system. It must also be password protected to avoid from viruses and computer crime such as information theft. The system includes a manual that can be used by the authorized personnel to operate the program correctly. It must have a pleasing design and should be right coded for the benefit of the user. Audiences involved in the system must be secured and restricted. Proper maintenance and regular check-up of the system must be done to avoid any failures of it. ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED Because of the rapid growth of the student’s population in San Simon Integrated School, there are lots of problems encountered by both parents and the school administration. By using the manual enrollment system, problems such as time consuming production of information, unable to make corrections in student’s record, and tracking of student’s profile were not done fast and effective. Here are some alternative solutions that can be proposed to the school to avoid these kinds of problems:  · Provide a computerized enrollment system that has the ability to track records, make corrections and that can generate data fast and effective.  · Provide a system that can secure all the information and record of the students.  · Provide a software that will lessen the workloads of the teachers and the administration.  · To have a system that can give the students a successful enrollment system. RECOMMENDATION: Because of the problems encountered by San Simon Integrated School, we recommend to the administration to have another Enrollment system that is useful in many ways, and that is the computerized enrollment system. An enrollment system that has the ability to store students information, that can easily be retrieved and printed when needed. This enrollment system also can be able to make corrections of entry easily and fast. Through this, we can be sure that all the information will be kept in a single database so that we can minimize some problems like lost of records. It is recommended to the San Simon Integrated School that the detailed specification and implementation of the system would ensue as long as the administration approved the computerized enrollment system. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY San Simon Integrated School is a public school in San Simon Pampanga. Based on the investigations conducted, the school uses the traditional manual enrollment system. Data and information were kept on a filing cabinet, which finds difficulty and time consuming in retrieving the documents when needed. Grades were also kept by the present teacher of the students, which has no assurance of safe keeping. It also takes a long time to process the billings, lists of students, and correction of entries. During the first day of school, the students finds it hard to locate their names in a list posted on the doors of the classroom. Because of this, we are proposing the computerized student information system. This software has the ability to keep student’s records in a single database. This system can be the solution to some of the problems encountered by the school as defined previously. It is recommended to the school to provide a computer where we can install the system. And also, a committee which can be headed by some teacher must be organized to operate the system. This software can be acquired in a very minimal cost. Free seminars and trainings will be given to the person who will operate the system, and manuals will be provided. Some of the benefits that can be acquired in this system were: * easy correction of entries * effective and efficient production of data * grades can be kept in a database for future use * upon enrollment, students can immediately know their designated sections * will lessen the workloads of the teachers and staff * effective enrollment processing This proposed system is guaranteed to use, and will not be useless. Alternative solutions should be considered to make their enrollment system improved and progressive.