Personal Development in Human Relations

Personal Development in Human Relations Robert McGregor Section I Is Human Relations (HR) an art or a science? Personally, I believe that HR is a science that must be artfully managed to utilize lessons learned and best practices for improving the well-being and effectiveness of employees within the organization. As our planet becomes interconnected, via satellites and the internet, it is now just as easy to communicate with someone across the globe as it is someone across the street. Therefore, it becomes increasingly important to gain a better understanding of the different people and different cultures that enrich our every shrinking planet. HR professionals have the very important task of gathering, training, and organizing the human assets who make the difference for an organizations success or failure. According to DeCenzo and Silhanek (2002) Human Relations is the composite of interactions that exist between people in all aspects of their personal and professional lives (p. 2). This broad and all-encompassing definition provides a general baseline for the study of HR and its guiding principles. However, it is necessary to dig deeper in order to understand the connections and relationships between the people and the organization. In doing so, it becomes possible to unlock the maximum effectiveness of both. The history of Human Relations, or Human Resources, can be traced back to England, where masons, carpenters, leather workers, and other craftspeople organized themselves into guilds They used their unity to improve their working conditions (Ivancevich, 2010, p. 5).ÂÂ   The industrial revolution brought about a significant change to the work environment and shifted the demand for the workforce. The introductions of machines in manufacturing propelled the need for workers, supervisors, and employers to build the complex new society. Time, efficiency, and productivity became the only metrics of concern in the workplace. As the population increased so did the demand for mass produced products which propelled the demand for the labor force. The people moved from rural and agricultural areas to fill jobs in the growing cities. The economic growth spurred the production requirements. As a result, in 1878, Fredrick Taylor, an engineer in Philadelphia began to study worker efficiency in an attempt to find the fastest and best way to do a job. His efforts summarized scientific management, the focus of job efficiencies (DeCenzo Shilhanek, 2002, p. 12) The manufacturing processes brought about bigger organizations which required increasing the number of workers. The workers, in turn, organized and formed unions to communicate their needs to the managers and owners for better pay, benefits, and working conditions. Ivancevich (2010) observed that in the 1920s, more firms began utilizing personnel departments to bridge the gap between management and workers. Researchers from Harvard, Elton Mayo, and Fritz Roelthisberger, started a series of experiments to research how physical working conditions affected worker productivity. Over the course of a decade, their observations led them to shift their focus to interpersonal relations among workers and management. Sundstrom et al. (2000) documented the Hawthorne studies research and found that employees needs and desires to belong to a group proved more influential than monetary incentives and good working conditions at improving employee productivity. This investigation into human factors and the work environment began human relations movement. Much like the advent of machines during the industrial revolution, todays technology pushes change to organizations and the labor force they employ.ÂÂ   The need for HR is vital now more than ever for firms that want to remain relevant in the global economy. Globalization has forced the business environment to evolve, thus strongly influencing the organizational behaviors of managers and workers of today. Laptops, iPads, and smartphones have mobilized the workplace. In addition, the immediate ability to connect has abolished the notion of managing locally. Firms now have offices around the globe and supervisors, are no longer limited to their geographic location. They must know and understand their new workforce who live in different countries, practice different religions, and come from vastly different cultures. The HR professional is key to bridging the new geographic, cultural, communication gap that now separates employer and employees. The valuable human relations information necessary to aid organizational communications both linguistically and culturally, flow is the responsibility of the HR team who must shape and develop the most valuable asset to the firm; people. Technology is forever advancing and pushing economic growth. Therefore, change will always be a part of the organizational structure. This means future workplace will be vastly different than what previous generations could have ever dreamed. Meister (2010) predicts that the next decade will usher in companies and business models that are unimaginable today, and will dramatically change how we live, work, learn, communicate and play. However, people will still be at the core of the company. HR will be needed to continue aiding in the interpersonal relationships necessary to make everything and everyone work together. Section II My coursework in Human Relations provided a solid foundation of the three primary areas of study. I found the organizational module particularly interesting and selected it as my literature area of emphasis. The organizational aspect of Human Relations provides a significant challenge to the HR professional. Large or small, simple or complex, the HR department must understand completely the company and its mission in order to recruit, train, and employ the best most efficient workforce needed. Ultimately, people make the organization and it is the job of the HR team to fit people into work an environment that will motivate them to work together harmoniously. As a field of study, there are many different facets to the organizational setting that must be considered. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has developed a competency model which details the knowledge requirements the HR professional needs to help meet the needs of the company (SHRM, 2016). The organizational behavior, structure, culture, strategy, diversity, and quality of life are just a few of the areas of competencies the HR team provides guidance on to the management team when they are strategically managing people as business resources. According to author Stephen Robbins (2014), the goal of studying organizational behavior is to understand and predict human behavior in organizations.ÂÂ   Several different specialties, such as psychology, sociology, and anthropology, contribute to the comprehensive literature for human behavior. While they are not as concrete as the laws of physics or chemistry, understanding these disciplines allow the HR professional to generalize about human behavior and how it will impact the organization. The organizational structure is identified by Hitt, Ireland, and Hoskission (2015) as the formal reporting relationships, procedures, controls, authority, and decision-making process. The U.S. military has a very ridged and formal chain of command organizational structure; however, human behavior still drives the culture and customs. If change is to be made within the organization, it must begin with the people. HR is one of the central vehicles for creating culture change (Grundy and Brown, 2003, p. 171). Many organizations focus on changing the organizations culture in order to improve performance and becoming more competitive in the marketplace. This is best accomplished by aligning the HR strategy with the organizations overall strategy for the business culture. Edgar Schein (2010) defines culture as A pattern of shared basic assumptions learned by a group as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, which has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems. An organization determined to change their current culture will often release a large number of employees such as CSX laying off 1000 managers or Hershey terminating 2000 employees (Utermohlen, 2017, Wattles, 2017) These drastic changes should be made with the HR team in full understanding of the personnel requirements desired for moving forward. They must get the people part right; then the strategy and execution will happen. A diversity strategy is another important consideration for todays global organizations. As companies branch out into new developing countries, it is important to consider the idea of differentiation and integrations. Morgan (2006) refers to this as requisite variety; the internal regulatory mechanisms of a system must be as diverse as the environment in which it operates (p. 44). Basically, the employees of a multinational company should reflect the suppliers with whom they work and customers whose business they wish to attract. Humphrey and Stokes (2000) predicts that twenty-first-century caliber supervisors must understand the purpose of building a dynamic team is to enhance performance and to grow a successful organization of the future. Diversity is a complex and challenging strategy for the HR leader to manage. Some of the employees within the company will be unwilling to see the need to integrate as well as to see the discriminatory nature of their actions. HR must be proactive in protecting the organization from individuals who fail to understand Federal Employment Laws and potentially jeopardizing the company with potential litigation. Employers must be careful when they treat similarly situated employees differently because discriminatory intent can be proven by either direct or circumstantial evident (Muller, 2013, p. 152). Legal ramifications due to discriminatory practices can destroy an organization. The HR professional should be proactive in training all staff members on the importance of diversity, acceptance, and inclusion as well as the dangers of discrimination. Organizations often depend on human resource professionals to help maintain positive relations with employee (Noe et al., 2016, p. 10). I believe the art of human relations management relies on the knowledge, experience, and competence of the HR team and it is a major function of what makes a business work. A stable and appealing workplace with a content workforce are more likely to attract and retain the best employees, maintain loyal customers and adjust to the ever-changing marketplace. These concepts were very apparent in the organization I was fortunate to work for during my internship. The personnel were very well trained, the work environment provided a comfortable place to work with challenging tasks that made a difference on the world stage. The communication both up and down the chain was clear and effective without being condescending or overbearing. Workers were allowed to have meaningful input on assignments and feedback from supervisors was timely and on target. The training and skills I learned both through my classroom literature and my internship experience, prepared me very well for the international relations challenges that I will discuss in the next section. The HR professional must be prepared to utilize a wide array of skills, techniques, and competencies to meet the organizations needs for a stable work environment. They should also continually add to their toolbox by remaining current in new trends in the human relations field. However, they can never forget at the end of the day, it is all about the people. The human talent that makes the company great.ÂÂ   Authors Sartain and Finney (2003) noted that companies depend more than ever on the unique contributions, passion, commitment, and heart of every single individual within them (p. 104). I am excited about the HR community and its future. Section III This country recently completed a presidential election that will have social repercussions for years to come. The shift in our new government is having a tremendous social impact, both domestically and abroad. It reverberates around the globe as so-called enemies and allies work to determine exactly how to reestablish their relationship with America. During my internship, I experienced first-hand Americas political and social interactions with many other nations; learning how critical the human element is to the negotiation and agreement on issues important to the national security of our country and its allies. Understanding and relating social theory to actual social practice is critical when working with the delicate intricacies of human relationships in a highly charged political environment. This is perfectly illustrated by the situation faced by former National Security Advisor Mike Flynn. He ultimately resigned because he allegedly overstepped in his discussions Russian leaders, and his behavior potentially violated the Logan Act (Miller Rucker, 2017). This will be discussed later. Over my 26-year military career, I have held a wide range of positions; from Dental Assistant to Helicopter Pilot. However, my brief internship in the Foreign Affairs Office for the Commander of Naval Forces Europe has had a profound impact on my understanding of human relations. In my primary function as a pilot, I naturally held leadership positions that correlated with the rank that I held. My aviation units did not have HR departments to hire, train, and help manage workers. As leaders, we simply did it all. I grew accustomed to taking care of my people and for the most part always giving orders. When a new person reported on board, I reviewed their records and arranged for the training they needed. If they had pay or benefits problems, I sent them to our administrative department to get them fixed. All basic HR functions were handled in-house. Although we had general leadership training, we did not have formal training in human social relations. I gave orders and they were obeyed, if not then the offender was disciplined. Sounds a little draconian, but military units are focused on accomplishing a mission that often puts lives in danger, not for sensitivity groups wanting to get in touch with our feelings. So I grew accustomed to dealing with people in a certain way. This mentality would rapidly change as my internship progressed. Lacking a formal HR department, I chose to do my internship with the local Foreign Affairs Office. The Foreign Affairs Officer (FAO) is a specific career path in the U.S. Navy. The officers are specially trained to for a variety of diplomatic assignments around the world. Navy FAOs maintain knowledge of political-military affairs; familiarity with the political, cultural, social, economic, and geographic factors of the countries and regions in which they are stationed; and proficiency in one or more of the dominant languages in their regions of expertise. (Navy Personnel Command, 2017) These skills I would have to learn through on the job training. The function of the FAO office in Europe is to plan and execute operations, provide liaison with foreign militaries operating in coalitions with U.S. forces, conduct political-social-military activities, and execute military-diplomatic missions. This is known as Theater Security Cooperation. I was assigned to help in the Black Sea department of the FAO office during a unique time. Russia had recently annexed the Crimean Peninsula by force from the Ukraine. Many of our NATO allies were deeply concerned that President Putin would not stop there and continue to push his forces into other neighboring nations and eventually occupy the entire Black Sea region (Treisman, 2016). The FAO office was tasked with coordinating meetings and activities to reassure our allies of Americas commitment and support to NATO. In the beginning, my role was to coordinate simple maritime interactions with Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania. I learned to work with our embassies in those countries to set up port visits by U.S. ships. Having our troops in their cities was a big boost of confidence to our partner nations. I also organized Passing Exercises (PASSEXs), these are maneuvering drills that the ships do together to render honors to each other as they pass. This seemingly simple activity required considerable coordination as numerous messages must be sent back and forth from our commanders to our embassy over to their embassy to their commanders. However, these engagements provide a sense of comradery. In my opinion, it is reflective of the findings from the Hawthorne studies mentioned in earlier which show the strong intrinsic desire for human beings to belong to a group. We continued to plan activities to reassure our allies. I took on the daunting task of arranging and organizing a Secretary of the Defense to visit Constanta, Romania. Another task that sounds simple, however, requires a tremendous amount of preparatory work to execute smoothly. The diplomatic coordination required was astounding to me. Especially in light of the recent Russian and Ukraine hostilities. The detailed attention to social protocols and customs were particularly challenging. The visit extremely well, projecting the desired effect of NATO unity. However, I was admonished by my supervisor for failing to delegate. Due to the sensitive nature of the information, all the details were reviewed by the senior officers before approval. Trying to do everything myself, and lacking formal diplomatic training, I happen to miss a few necessary items that could have impacted the trip. Fortunately, my supervisor caught my errors before they became an issue. Official diplomatic negotiations were another aspect of the FAO liaison duties I was able to observe. The United States and Romania agreed to build a U.S. military installation in Romania. The specific details required for construction had to be discussed at length in very formal diplomatic meetings. I was fortunate to attend two of these meetings. The process is long and drawn out with extensive cultural activities that must be considered and observed. Our European hosts enjoyed visiting and drinking coffee before a meeting started. It would be offensive if we did not partake in this ritual before getting down to business. This was a big part of the social theories that I had to put into practice. It was interesting that while a lot was said during the official meeting, the real agreements were worked out during the breaks when counterparts could talk offline and come to an understanding. However, as Mike Flynn learned, you have to be very careful what you discuss during these moments. The Logan Act basically forbids any citizen of the United States, from promising or influencing any foreign government or agent thereof, any disputes or controversies without proper authority (Legal Information Institute, 2017). Our partners always want more than we are able to give and it is imperative that we refute them without insulting them. Communicating skills are vital for building successful professional relationships. My final major event was planning, directing, and executing all aspects of the Eurasian Partnership Dive exercise (EP Dive).ÂÂ   EP Dive is a multilateral interoperability event, involving over 30 Officers and Sailors from Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Romania, and Ukraine. The goal is to promote Theater Security Cooperation as well as increased maritime stability within the Black Sea Countries. This exercise demanded all of my leadership, communication, and human relations skills without being in a combat environment. I led a team of 4 junior officers. We obtained approval and funding, then planned the facility, the equipment, the translators, and the rooms. We enabled over 30 divers from different countries, with different languages, and different cultures, to conduct coordinated, military, deep sea dive exercises for a week without incident or injury. The EP Dive engagement exemplified the purpose of the Foreign Affairs Office; to build cooperation and interoperability while enhancing theater security. This is done by engaging the human element in the spirit of friendship and not battle. As an organization, the FAO office faces many challenges, however, through creative use of human relations skills, they work to resolve issues in the European community. Cooperating with diverse international staffs, U.S. Embassies, and U.S. State Department personnel, the organization meets the ever changing demands of our partner nations. It is difficult to be critical of this organization as I was completely impressed the FAO department. They are well suited to meet the needs of the international community with whom they work. The staff is exemplary, and they are managed and trained very well in the art and science of human relations.ÂÂ   It was a pleasure getting to know some of the smartest people I have ever met. I was immediately accepted as part of the team even though I lacked their formal training and language skills. My supervisor provided solid guidance while still allowing me to learn and operate independently. The demands of the job are never ending as the political climates around Europe change almost day to day. They must continually adapt to fluctuating needs of the partner nations. Therefore, my only recommendation would be for more exceptional personnel to help relieve the stress. Otherwise, they are successful at accomplishing a difficult mission. I truly enjoyed learning by doing. I made my fair share of mistakes, but I learned from them. Fortunately, the lessons I learned in Grad Studies, the techniques acquired in Stress Management, and the understanding I gained in Organizational behavior helped me adjust quickly to the international relations community. I interacted well with foreign counterparts and gained a breadth of experience in relating to a diverse community. I did not cause an international incident, so I would say this internship was a very successful venture. I can now see myself potentially working for the State Department in the future by using the human relations skills that I have learned in this program to make difference help our allies. The European Foreign Affairs Office for Commander of Naval Europe is an organization I would be happy to work for again and one that I would highly recommend as an internship opportunity to future Oklahoma University HR students. REFERENCES DeCenzo, D., Silhanek, B. (2002). Human Relations: Personal and Professional Development (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Grundy, T., Brown, L. (2003) Value-based Human Resource Strategy. Burlington, MA: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann. Hitt, M., Ireland, R., Hoskisson, R. (2015). Strategic Management: Competitive and Globalization Concepts. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. Humphrey, B., Stokes, J. (2000). The 21st Century Supervisor: Essential Skills for Frontline Leaders. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer. Ivancevich, J. (2010). Human Resource Management (11th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Legal Information Institute. (2017) 18 U.S. Code ÂÂ § 953 Private correspondence with foreign governments. Cornell University Law School. Retrieved from https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/953 Meister, J., Willyerd, K. (2010). The 2020 Workplace: How Innovative Companies Attract, Develop, and Keep Tomorrows Employees Today. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers. Miller, G., Rucker, P. (2017, February 14). Michael Flynn resigns as national security adviser. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/michael-flynn-resigns-as-national-security-adviser/2017/02/13/0007c0a8-f26e-11e6-8d72-263470bf0401_story.html?utm_term=.64e02686f459 Morgan, G. (2006). Images of Organization. Thousand Oak, CA: Sage Publications Ltd. Muller, M. (2013). The Managers Guide to HR (2nd ed.). New York, NY: American Management Association. Navy Personnel Command (2017, February). Foreign Area Officer (PERS-473C). Retrieved from http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/officer/Detailing/FAO/Pages/default.aspx Noe, R., Hollenbeck, J., Gerhart, B., Wright, P. (2016). Fundamentals of Human Resource Management (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Robbins, S., Judge, T. (2014). Essentials of Organizational Behavior (12th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Schein, E. (2010). Organizational Culture and Leadership (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Sartain, L., Finney, M. (2003). HR from the Heart: Inspiring Stories and Strategies for Building the People Side of Great Business. New York, NY: AMACOM. Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). (2016). The SHRM Body of Competency and Knowledge 2016. Retrieved from https://www.shrm.org/certification/about/ bodyofcompetencyknowledge/pages/default.aspx Sundstrom, E., McIntyre, M., Halfhill, T., Richards, H. (2000). Work groups: From the Hawthorne studies to work teams of the 1990s and beyond. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 4(1), 44-67. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.lib.ou.edu/docview/614355706?accountid=129464 Treisman, D. (2016 May/June). Why Putin Took Crimea. The Gambler in the Kremlin. Retrieved from https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/ukraine/2016-04-18/why-putin-took-crimea Utermohlen, K. (2017, February 21). CSX Corporation (CSX) Layoffs: Company to Cut 1,000 Management Jobs. Investor Place. Retrieved from http://investorplace.com/2017/02/csx-corporation-csx-layoffs/ Wattles, J. (2017, February 28). Hersheys bitter news: Cutting more than 2,000 jobs. CNN Money. Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/2017/02/28/news/companies/hershey-job-cuts/index.html

Ancient China Essay -- essays research papers

One of the most important inventions of all time was the invention of gunpowder. â€Å"Imagine their enemy's surprise when the Chinese first demonstrated their newest invention in the eighth century AD. Chinese scientists discovered that an explosive mixture could be produced by combining sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter (potassium nitrate). The military applications were clear. New weapons were rapidly developed, including rockets and others that were launched from a bamboo tube† (Franklin Institute). The Chinese are known for their inventions that still are used in the modern day. Those inventions are paper, gunpowder, books, and much more.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gunpowder was discovered in the tenth century by Chinese medicine men that were looking for the secret to immortality. They thought that gunpowder could be used as a medicine of some sort. â€Å"The invention of gunpowder gave the Chinese a distinct advantage over their enemies, changing the nature of warfare† (Ken Hsu, Willy Hsu, Micheal Lu).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At first gunpowder was used to blast rocks apart and to make fireworks, later to be used as warfare. To medieval Chinese it was simply an aid to esthetic pleasure. By the 10th century, gunpowder began to be used for military purposes in China in the form of rockets and explosive bombs fired from catapults. The first reference to cannon appears in 1126 when oil bamboo tubes were used to launch missiles at the enemy. Eventually bamboo tubes were replaced by metal tubes, and the oldest cannon in China dates from 1290. From China, the military use of gunpowder appears to have spread to Japan and Europe. â€Å"It was used by the Mongols against the Hungarians in 1241 and was mentioned by Roger Bacon in 1248. By the mid 14th century, early cannons are mentioned extensively both in Europe and in China.† (Jack Kelly). In China as in Europe, the use of gunpowder to produce firearms and cannons was delayed by difficulties in creating metal tubes that would contain an explosion. This problem may have led to the false myth that the Chinese used their invention only for the manufacture of fireworks. In fact, gunpowder powered cannons and rockets were extensively used in the Mongol conquests of the 13th century and were a feature of East Asian warfare afterwards. â€Å"The short squat and thick city walls of Beijing for example, were specifically designe... ...emoved by hand. The fibers are beaten in a blender or by hand to a creamy pulp. At this stage, dyes can be added to create colored papers. The pulp is poured into a large tub and the fibers are suspended in the water. The artisan dips a framed screen into the water and with great skill, lifts it to the surface catching the fibers onto the screen. The screens can be left in the sun to dry, or be transferred to boards, pressed, smoothed and then dried. â€Å"It wasn't until the invention of paper that information could be recorded and passed on cheaply and in greater quantity† (Paper Trading International).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Over the many years of experimenting it has paid off for the Chinese. I researched two great masterpieces from it. But there were many more inventions, like the compass, medicine, printing, embroidery and silk. When trying to find the secret to immortality they made gunpowder with a bang! When getting bored trying to make something to send messages on they made the great paper. Both of these inventions are still used this very day, maybe it will be used for a lot more in years to come.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Science Assignment

To investigate whether the ripening of bananas will speed up when placed with already ripe bananas in a brown paper bag. Hypothesis: The brown paper bag and already ripe bananas will ripen the unripe banana quicker. Investigation Design: The control of the experiment will be a pair of two unripe bananas which will not have any interference with their natural ripening process until the end of the experiment. The independent variable will be the presence of ripe bananas in one scenario, as well as a brown paper bag in the second scenario. The dependent variable will be the ripening of the banana.Everything else, the room temperature, type of banana, etc, will remain common to ensure the experiment is valid and reliable. To increase reliability, the experiment should be repeated. Method: 1 . Collect six unripe bananas, four ripe bananas and a brown paper bag 2. Set one pair of unripe bananas on a bench/table 3. Set down a pair of unripe bananas as well as a pair of ripe bananas, alongsi de the first pair, making sure they are at least 1 Com away from the first pair 4. Set down the remaining four bananas (two ripe, two unripe) another Com away from the previous bunch; place these in a brown paper bag. 5.Take photos of each of your three bunches, separately 6. Record your observations in a table 7. Wait a day before repeating step 5 and 6. 8. Repeat step 7 until all bananas are ripe. Risk Assessment: Be careful where you Step, there may be bananas on the floor, or other obstacles. Be careful with the paper bag, this is to avoid paper cuts. The main component of the experiment is edible; keep family members and other observers away! Results: Daly – Friday 14th June Bananas were purchased and the experiment was set up. The ripe bananas came from the same hand, as did the unripe ones. The experiment will be conducted indoors.Day 2 – Saturday 15th June The unripe bananas in all three bunches have shown a slight change in color, they are becoming more yellow . The lone pair of unripe bananas are very slightly behind the other 2 bunches. Day 3 – Sunday 1 6th June Both bunches of bananas that weren't in the brown paper bag showed that they did ripen. The bunch of bananas in the brown paper bag did show a slight, but certain, difference to the others, they are ripening quicker. Day 4 – Monday 17th June The difference between the bunch in the brown bag and the other 2 bunches is starting to become more noticeable, although this is only by close analysis. Front, they are still all fairly alike. Day 5- Tuesday 1 8th June The brown bag bananas have shown a massive difference in their ends, not so much their middle parts. The others are ripening too, but not at the same rate. Day 6 – Wednesday 19th June The lone bananas are ripening naturally and are now a satisfying yellow. The mix of ripe and unripe bananas is very slightly more yellow than the first bunch. The bunch from inside the bag is ripe too, with the already ripe bananas beginning to rot. Day 7 – Thursday 20th June Within the week, the plain bananas have ripened quite well to produce a well pipe and ready to eat fruit.The next set of bananas is just as ripe; with the originally ripe bananas starting to rot (this may be simply due to natures course). The bunch from the bag are definitely more yellow, with the originally ripe bananas getting quite a few brown marks to show the beginning of them rotting. Day of Observation Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Bunch 1 (2 unripe bananas) Green (no change) Green slight yellow tinge Green -> yellow tinge Green -> almost completely yellow Green yellow except for each end Green yellow Green -> completely yellow Bunch 2 (2 unripe and 2 ripe bananas)Green and yellow (no change) -Green -s slightest tinge -Yellow haven't changed -Green -> yellow tinge -Green -> almost completely yellow -Yellow are becoming a darker shade of yellow -Green yellow except for each end -Yellow are slowly browning -Green -> yellow -Green completely yellow -Yellow are beginning to show brown dots Bunch 3 (2 unripe and 2 ripe bananas in a brown paper bag) -Green slight yellow tinge -Green almost completely yellow -Yellow are not beginning to brown -Green yellow except for tiny part on each end -Yellow are browning -Green yellow -Yellow are beginning to rot -Green completely bright yellow Yellow are now major brown and rotten Research and Analysis: RESEARCH When bananas are harvested they are placed in a ‘ripening room' to replicate the climate conditions of heat and humidity. These conditions are constant, much like those of my experiment. Due to the set temperature of these rooms, the bananas start to respire. The ethylene given off by bananas, as well as other fruits, helps to kick start the ripening process. This is somewhat like my experiment in the sense that the brown paper bag was holding the ethylene in. This ethylene may have also effected the second bunch, although to as much be cause they did not have a bag to confine the ethylene in. The natural ethylene of bananas is the same as the ethylene artificially produced in these ‘ripening rooms.To delay ripening may remove ethylene gas, which cannot be completely done as they do contain ethylene. Placing a banana alone may help support the delay of ripening it; this is much like bunch 1 in my experiment. Even though it was indoors, the varying temperature made the ripening process differ to that of a temperature controlled room. Although this may replicate bananas ripening in a natural way to an extent. ANALYSIS Strengths: The experiment contained a control which helped with comparisons. All the controlled variables were kept the same. The 3 bunches allowed more conclusions to be made about the effects of not only a brown paper bag, but also the presence of other bananas.The photos were taken at the same time of day, to increase reliability of results. Weaknesses: Naturally, bananas ripen under sunlight, which we did not carry out. Only color, not taste, was assessed as an indicator of ripeness. The bananas may not have been sufficiently spaced to properly isolate them from each others' paving off of ethylene gas. Comments: The already ripe bananas showed a more noticeable change, which was not expected. The bananas ripened quicker than expected, which made the experiment have a shorter duration time. The difference between the three different bunches was not as significant as I expected. Conclusion: The results support the hypothesis, and the research also backs up this.

Can breastfeeding prevent childhood obesity - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 11 Words: 3274 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Medicine Essay Type Analytical essay Tags: Childhood Essay Childhood Obesity Essay Obesity Essay Did you like this example? Can breastfeeding in the first six months prevent childhood obesity? Childhood obesity is becoming a worldwide concern given the potential health implications in the future. Obese children are more likely to suffer physical and mental health problems and are likely to develop into obese adults (Labayen, Ruiz et al. 2012), thereby increasing the long term risk of developing chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Can breastfeeding prevent childhood obesity?" essay for you Create order The cause of childhood obesity is multifactorial, including hereditary factors, comorbidities, dietary habits and physical activity. There is much debate as to the impact of breastfeeding during the early stages of life and how it correlates with childhood obesity compared with formula-fed newborns. Breast milk is nutritionally balanced to provide infants with all dietary requirements during the early stages of life. It also provides antibodies to reduce infection risks in newborns. Breast milk constitutes the appropriate amounts of protein, water, fat and sugar for a newborn and changes composition over time to adapt to a growing child’s needs. Formula tends to be higher in protein and fat than the baby actually requires and this excessive intake has been linked with adiposity (Hernell 2011). Marseglia et al have reviewed the potential impact of key breast milk constituents thought to play a role in reducing obesity risk (Marseglia, Manti et al. 2015). There hav e been a number of recent reviews discussing the association between breastfeeding and childhood obesity, all of which have concluded that breastfeeding confers a protective effect against childhood obesity and being overweight (Horta and Victora 2013, Aguilar Cordero, Sà ¡nchez Là ³pez et al. 2014, Lefebvre and John 2014, Yan, Liu et al. 2014). The largest reduction in obesity risk was 81%, reported in a study of females aged 11 years of who had been breastfed for more than three months compared with controls who had never been breastfed (Panagiotakos, Papadimitriou et al. 2008). The males in the same study had a reduced risk of 72% and both results were statistically significant. However, other literature reports either no association between breastfeeding and childhood obesity (Burdette, Whitaker et al. 2006, Huus, Ludvigsson et al. 2008, Jing, Xu et al. 2014), or an increased risk of obesity following breastfeeding of 9% (Kwok, Schooling et al. 2010), 10% (Novaes, Lamoun ier et al. 2012), 11% (Buyken, Karaolis-Danckert et al. 2008), 14% (Sabanayagam, Shankar et al. 2009), 18% He (2000), 29% (Al-Qaoud and Prakash 2009), 34% (Neutzling, Hallal et al. 2009), 40% (Toschke, Martin et al. 2007) and 83% (Araà ºjo, Victora et al. 2006), although none of which were statistically significant. Some studies suggest that there is a dose-response relationship, with increased duration of breastfeeding resulting in a decreased prevalence of being obese in childhood (von Kries, Koletzko et al. 2000, Fallahzadeh, Golestan et al. 2009, Griffiths, Smeeth et al. 2009, Yan, Liu et al. 2014). In contrast, other studies have reported no significant association between breastfeeding and its duration and obesity prevention (Burke, Beilin et al. 2005, Al-Qaoud and Prakash 2009, Sabanayagam, Shankar et al. 2009, Vehapoglu, Yaz?c? et al. 2014). One meta-analysis analysed the association between breastfeeding duration and obesity (Yan, Liu et al. 2014). As eligible s tudies reported different durations, the review categorised breastfeeding duration into less than three months, 3-4.9 months, 5-6.9 months and seven or more months. Those exclusively breastfed for at least seven months had a 21% decrease in the risk of childhood obesity, whilst those fed for less than three months only showed a 10% decrease. They concluded that the duration of breastfeeding was associated with a decreased likelihood of childhood obesity and reported a stepwise gradient of decreasing risk with increasing duration of breastfeeding. Single studies report a significant protective effect against childhood obesity when breastfeeding is done for at least one to three months (Goldfield, Paluch et al. 2006), three months (Twells and Newhook 2010), 13-25 weeks (McCrory and Layte 2012), four months (Scholtens, Gehring et al. 2007, Griffiths, Smeeth et al. 2009, Chivers, Hands et al. 2010), nine months (Nelson and Sethi 2005), 12 months (Burke, Beilin et al. 2005) and two or more years (Rathnayake, Satchithananthan et al. 2013). However, the differences in study design make it difficult to directly compare findings as the comparator groups can be formula-fed babies or babies’ breastfed for short durations. For studies investigating the impact of breastfeeding for at least six months on childhood obesity, the comparator group can be either newborns breastfed for less than six months (i.e. mixed feeding of variable durations) or newborns exclusively formula-fed. Additionally, the age of the children being assessed also differs in studies. When comparing those breastfed for at least six months with those breastfed less than six months, studies report a reduction in obesity risk of 60% when assessing two year olds (Weyermann, Rothenbacher et al. 2006), 54% and 43% in four year olds (Komatsu, Yorifuji et al. 2009, Simon, Souza et al. 2009), and 67% in six year olds (Thorsdottir, Gunnarsdottir et al. 2003). This suggests that the age of assessment affects the degree of risk reduction observed. However, when comparing against formula-fed newborns there are studies reporting reductions of 14%, 28% and 67% for three year olds (Poulton and Williams 2001, Armstrong, Reilly et al. 2002, Taveras, Rifas-Shiman et al. 2006), 6% for four year olds (Moschonis, Grammatikaki et al. 2008), 45% for seven year olds (Yamakawa, Yorifuji et al. 2013), 60% for nine year olds (Toschke, Martin et al. 2007), 64% for 11 year olds (Poulton and Williams 2001), 21% for 21 year olds (Poulton and Williams 2001) and 6% for 45 year olds (Michels, Willett et al. 2007). This data suggests that observing adults to determine the impact of breastfeeding on obesity is not advisable. Only one study reported an increased risk of obesity for newborns breastfed more than six months compared with formula-fed newborns, reporting a non-significant 40% increased risk of obesity in nine year olds (Toschke, Martin et al. 2007). Interestingly, very few detailed, for those breastfeeding for at least six months, whether the feeding duration was exclusively breastfeeding or mixed. Only two studies (Simon, Souza et al. 2009, Yamakawa, Yorifuji et al. 2013) reported on exclusive breastfeeding. There is evidence that exclusive breastfeeding also results in a decreased prevalence of being obese in childhood (Fallahzadeh, Golestan et al. 2009, Simon, Souza et al. 2009, Lefebvre and John 2014). Mayer-Davis et al (2006) compared exclusively breastfed newborns with exclusively formula-fed newborns and found that the breastfed children were significantly less likely to be overweight (34%) and that the results were not affected by maternal weight or diabetes status (Mayer-Davis, Rifas-Shiman et al. 2006). When exploring the differences between studies who defined breastfeeding as â€Å"Never – ever† and those reporting â€Å"exposure† to breastfeeding (implying mixed feeding practices of different types), a sy stematic review found a reduced likelihood of obesity in the exclusive feeding group of 20% and in the mixed group of 27% (Yan, Liu et al. 2014). This was supported by another review comparing â€Å"ever† breastfed with â€Å"exclusively breastfed for a specific number of months†, the latter showing a 27% decreased risk compared with the former at 21% (Horta and Victora 2013). That review postulated that if there is no critical window effect, but rather a cumulative effect of breastfeeding, studies that compared ever vs. never breastfed subjects will tend to underestimate any association. Any observed association between breastfeeding and later obesity does not prove causality (Butte 2001). There may be any number of potential confounders impacting on the relationship including geography, social deprivation status, parental weight status, smoking, marital status and education, ethnicity, gender, number of hospital admissions during the early stages of life, di et, sleep duration and physical activity. Whilst a number of studies discuss their impact, very few studies actually provide control for these factors in their analysis. The issue of geography is a potential confounder of any association between breastfeeding and obesity. In high-income countries, the babies usually receive formula, whereas many non-breastfed infants in low and middle income countries receive whole or diluted animal milk (Horta and Victora 2013). However, Hancox et al have reported that whilst breastfeeding reduced the risk of obesity slightly, there was no evidence that an association between breastfeeding and body mass index (BMI) was different in lower income countries compared with higher income countries (Hancox, Stewart et al. 2014). The socio-economic status of the mother may also contribute to the child’s weight status in childhood. The World Health Organisation (WHO) review analysed obesity risk in studies also controlling for social de privation and found a further 3% decrease in the risk of obesity to 37% compared with studies which did not (34%) (Horta and Victora 2013). Armstrong et al reported that the reduced prevalence in obesity for breastfed children also persisted after adjustment for socio-economic status, birth weight and gender (30% reduction) (Armstrong, Reilly et al. 2002). The impact of gender was prominent as Nelson et al reported that breastfeeding for at least nine months reduced the risk of being overweight more in girls than in boys (Nelson and Sethi 2005). A similar gender inequality was reported by Panagiotakos et al with girls breastfed for more than three months having a larger reduced risk of obesity than the boys (Panagiotakos, Papadimitriou et al. 2008). Sibling studies have been unable to rule out the impact of confounders on childhood obesity. One study which controlled for this as part of a sibling study reported the adolescent BMIs were 0.39 standard deviations lower in th e breastfed sibling than the non-breastfed sibling (Metzger and McDade 2010). However, another study of sibling pairs was unable to prove a protective effect for breastfeeding (Nelson and Sethi 2005). As well as the lack of control for confounders, other study limitations may affect the results reported. Definitions of obesity vary from a BMI of ?90th to ?97th, making any direct comparison of the outcome problematic. During their meta-analysis Yan et al investigated the association of breastfeeding and obesity, stratifying by the definitions of obesity and found a lower adjusted odds ratio for the BMI ? 97th group (25%) than the BMI ? 95th group (22%) (Yan, Liu et al. 2014). Most studies varied in the time when obesity was measured. As the definition of childhood can extend from one year olds to adolescents, there is an increasing influence of external and genetic factors on a child’s weight as potential confounders for any weight gain. When Scholtens et al looked at children breastfed for at least four months they reported a significantly lower BMI at age 1 compared to children not breastfed, but at age 7 this difference was no longer significant (Scholtens, Gehring et al. 2007). The WHO review reported a 38% decreased risk of obesity when assessing 10-19 year olds compared with 23% for 1-9 year olds and 11% for adults aged 20 and over, suggesting that endpoint for analysis is critical in determining the impact of breastfeed on obesity at various stages in childhood (Horta and Victora 2013). Finally, study design and follow up can affect the findings as high dropout rates affect long term follow ups, and the methodology used to analyse the results can produce unreliable results. Beyerlein et al investigated the impact of breastfeeding on children’s BMI in Germany but was unable to make any firm conclusions as the results differed according to whether they used linear or logistic regression (Beyerlein, Toschke et al. 2008). To summarise, there is a wealth of literature reporting the decreased risk of childhood obesity for newborns who are breastfed, although there was limited literature exploring those breastfed for at least six months. 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