Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Chance and Hot Air Balloons free essay sample

When was the last time you considered the odds of your life panning out in the exact way that it has? Most of the time, the role of chance in our lives goes completely unnoticed, even as it shapes every aspect of our lives and our world. People are hardwired to assign blame or credit to one particular person or event that we think â€Å"caused† something to happen. In reality, causation is not a straight line, leading from one cause to one effect to one aftereffect. It’s more like a huge spider web, with causes influencing many effects and effects further influencing many causes, and once in awhile a big helping of chance is thrown in just to complicate matters more. We would much rather think in straight lines than in spider webs. It’s much easier. But it is immensely important to realize the sheer force of chance in influencing our lives, because it gives us a much deeper appreciation for all the miracles they contain that are so often taken for granted. We will write a custom essay sample on Chance and Hot Air Balloons or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I was confronted by an event that left me with an immense appreciation for chance just a few weeks ago. I was working outside on my family’s farm when I saw a hot air balloon rise over the tree line. It began to descend as it passed over the farm and I followed it, wanting to see it land. I was not disappointed. The two pilots managed to first set their basket down in the middle of a line of thirty-foot pine trees, then, after extracting themselves, collide with the side of my neighbor’s house before finally landing in the neighbor’s yard. While I watched this whole odd debacle, I realized how incredibly unlikely it was. Had I been busy that day, as most other days, I would not have been home and would have never realized a balloon had been there. Had the wind blown just slightly differently, the balloon would have avoided its collisions. Had the FAA realized that these particular pilots were so completely inept, they could not have obtained a license to fly the ir balloon in the first place. Had my mother not planted that line of thirty foot pine trees as saplings twenty years previously, or chosen not to water them through the drought that came right away after, the balloon would have had no problem landing in what otherwise was a flat, wide open field. The spider web of all these unlikely circumstances added up to produce one truly odd event, and because I was there to see it, I was reminded of how many unlikely, even miraculous events occur unnoticed every single day in the lives of every single person on the planet. Having an appreciation for such events prevents us from assigning as much undeserved credit and blame and frees us to think about the big picture. Such thinking can only propel ourselves, our society, and, ultimately, our world forwards.

Friday, May 1, 2020

Planning The Strategic Goals And Objectives Of The Organization

Question: Discuss about the Process Of Planning The Strategic Goals And Objectives Of The Organization. Answer: Introduction: Operations management is considered as that area of management which mainly design and control the process related to the production and redesigning of business operations while producing goods and services. Operations management mainly ensures that business operations of the organization conduct efficient use of resources for the purpose of meeting the business objectives and requirements of customers. Operation section related to the business plan reflects the picture of what generally goes in the day to day activities of the business (Sanders, 2014). This report mainly creates an operational plan or process map for a coffee shop named as Beans Beans, and for this purpose this report focuses on three areas which are stated below: First area identifies the critical components related to the functions of the operation management in different organizations, and also states their relationship with the decision making and value chain. Second area define the principle and quantitative methodologies for the purpose of assisting the decision making in operation process such as operational planning, scheduling, and inventory management. Last section evaluates the role of operations management in the strategic management of organizations and supply chains. Lastly, paper is concluded with brief conclusion which state key points of the report. Brief overview of company: Beans Beans coffee house will be the place for coffee lovers and this caf serves high quality coffee with the trendy snacks, and a soothing ambience to its customers. Customer oriented strategy of the company includes convenient location and excellent customer service for the purpose of building strong customer base. Owners of this caf possess long term management experience in the food service industry. Main products of this coffee house includes gourmet coffee products such as espressos, cappuccinos, latts. Coffee shop also serves different types of snacks which also includes healthy alternatives. Operational plan: Operational management is not an individual process, and it is more concerned with the complete transformation process which means complete business. It reflects the changes occurred in the competitive environment, and what operations have to be conducted for the purpose of meeting the future challenges. It is related to the long term development of its operation resources and processes so that they can provide the basis for a sustainable advantage (Geoffrey, 2000). Functions of operation management: Operations management is considered as that business function which mainly manage the process of creation of goods and services, and it involves different functions such as planning, organizing, coordinating, and controlling all the resources of the organization which are required for producing goods and services of the organization. Critical components: Following are critical components of the operational management functions which also support the decision making and value chain process: Design of goods and services: operational management of caf mainly focus on the premium design for goods and services offered by them to the customers. This area of operation management reflects the high-end brand image of the firm. Main character of the caf is linked with the differentiation generic strategy of the company, and also with the premium pricing strategy. Quality management: Beans Beans use best component in context of quality management, and for this purpose company take its source coffee beans directly from the farmers who meet the quality standards stated by government. Process and capacity design: this area of the operations management ensure effectiveness in cost by providing efficiency in the workflow and other process. It is considered as one of the important contributors to the success of caf. Process of the caf must be highly efficient, and for this purpose caf improves its capacity utilization by designing such process which meets fluctuating demands (Kattering University, 2016). Job design and human resources: human resource management is the most important function of any organization. Culture of caf involves such attitude of employers which ensures cares for the workers of the caf, and it also involves functional positions and positions for management of inventory. Supply chain management- supply chain of this involves process in which caf directly contact with the farmers for the purpose of getting coffee beans. Strategy of the caf also involves diversification of the suppliers for the purpose of ensuring stability in the supply. Therefore, it can be said that in this area of operations management, caf ensures ethics and meet its corporate social responsibility. Inventory management: inventory management at the caf is directly related with the supply chain of the firm and also with different facilities. Inventory management of the caf involves office automation and manual monitoring of activities (INC, n.d.). Relationship with value chain and decision making: In 1985, porter introduced the concept of value chain for the purpose of examining the functions of the performance of the company and their relations with the source which ensures competitive advantage. It considers the caf actions in context of activities and also analyzes the importance of different activities which are helpful for producing and delivering final product or service (MHED, n.d.). Above stated components play very important role in the value chain and decision making process of the caf. Through these components caf develop competitive advantages and create value for shareholders. It works as separate system and conduct different actions which create value for business. It not only create value for business but also provide support in decision making, as they provide relevant information related to the different processes of the organization to the management, and this information is used by management while taking the decision. These components also help the caf in achieving the competitive advantage over their competitors. These components help the organization to ensure that process and activities conducted by the organization meet the requirements of the customers. T can work as a framework which assesses the performance of the organization, and also assess required changes to achieve the objectives set by the caf. Value chain activities of this caf includes following characteristics (Linkedin, n.d.): Inbound logistics Outbound logistics Operations Marketing sales Service Caf get its raw materials from the suppliers, and they mainly focus on maintaining strong and best relationships with its suppliers. Caf sell its products through store and all its stores are licensed. Ready products of the caf are shipped from its warehouse to its retailed stores. Caf purchase, roasts, and sells high quality coffee beans other products related to coffee. Beans Beans roast there for more period of time as compared to other coffee makers. Marketing and sales are considered as most important process of the brand value chain, and this process add lots of value to the business. Caf mainly give attention to the customers service and it is considered as most important area of the value chain. It must be noted that for providing better services to the customers caf also provides online services to its customers and these services are provided through website of the caf and mobile app. Process map for the same is stated below (Choi, 2007): Process map for online orders Decision making in operation process: Operation process is considered as branch of management science which defines the factors contributes in organization success while conducting day to day operations of the business. It develops and applies those methods and techniques which help in designing and implementing such systems which are effective and efficient while conducting activities in the organization. There are number of operational issues which range from purchasing to the final distribution of the products and services. From last few years, organizations witnessed increase scope of operations management and how this function contributes in the growth and profitability of the organization. Caf develop the capability to deliver its products and services as fast speed and ensures cost cutting in the production process. It provides competitive advantage to the caf and improves production efficiency. Before conducting any activities in the operation management, it is necessary for caf to ensure successful decision making. Decision making is considered as most important process of any organization and complete process of the organization is based on this single process. It includes evaluation of alternatives for the purpose of identifying the best solution related to the problem. While making the decisions, management also analyzes the pros and cons of every alternative solution. Application of operations management must be run in smooth manner and achieve the goals and objectives of the organization. Following are some principles which must be taken into account while making the decisions of the organization: Planning- planning is considered as base of any area of management, and on this framework related to the operations management of the organization is built. In this administration assess the present stage of the caf, and where it wants to be in the upcoming future. In this management of the caf determine the appropriate course of action and then find out the way to implement them for the purpose of attaining the objectives set by organization. Implementing- implementation is also considered as most important function of the organization, and in this function caf conduct, manage and monitor the activities planned by the management. Effective implementation helps the staff of the caf in achieving the goals of the organization with their personal or career goals. It ensures motivation of the employees, communication with employees, department dynamics, and department leadership. Scheduling- Beans Beans generally use automated and manual scheduling process for conducting different business activities in the organization. Caf applied such schedules for managing the human resource which are flexible in nature. This area of operation management directly related with the objectives of the process with streamlining processes, as it allows some degree of flexibility in the management positions of the caf. Quantitative approach to the management of the organization involves the use of quantitative techniques such as statistics, information models, and computer simulations, for the purpose of improving the decision making. Quantitative approach of operation management include following components: Computers models can be used by the managers for the purpose off determining best way to do something, and this saves both money and timing of the caf. Caf can also use mathematical forecasting as it helps in making the projections and these projections are useful in the process of planning. Inventory modeling helps the organization in controlling inventories by mathematically determining how and when to put order for a product. Management can use queuing theory for the purpose of allocating services to human resource or workstations for the purpose of reducing customer waiting and service cost (Cliff notes, n.d.) Cafs operations management use different types of strategies in context of productivity criteria, and some of these strategies are stated below: Average order filling duration for the productivity of caf. Coffee beans weight processed on the basis of time. Duration of equipment repair. Role of operations management in the strategic management supply chain: The main purpose of the operations strategy is to provide a plan for the operations management for the purpose of ensuring best use of its resources. Policies and procedures are specified by the operation strategy for the purpose of using the resources of the caf and support its long term competitive strategy. In this caf frames the effective framework for the purpose of supporting operation plan of the organization and also link the operational plan with the main objectives of the organization. It must be noted that, operational plan of the caf is responsible for managing the resources which are required for producing the goods and services. Operational strategy is considered as that plan which mainly specifies the design and use of resources for the purpose of supporting the objectives of the organization. It includes various factors such as locations, size, type of the facilities, skills of the worker, technology, processes needed, and quality control methods. It is necessary to link the operational strategy with the business strategy of the organization, and it must be of such nature as it helps the organization to achieve its long term plan of the organization (CSCMP, n.d.). On the other hand, supply chain management also play important role in the operation management, as it is considered as most integral part of most businesses and considered as important part of the organization success and satisfaction of the customer: It ensures delivery on right time, as customers expected organization deliver the products on time. This can be understood through example, if caf does not deliver its products on time then it reduce the satisfaction of the customers. Generally, customers expect that caf served the products quickly even before the time they commit. Supply chain management also reduces the operating cost of the organization in different ways: It helps in reducing the purchase cost by ensuring quick delivery of the costly product for the purpose of avoiding hold of costly inventories. It helps in reducing the production cost by ensuring cost efficiency (Florida tech, n.d.). Conclusion: After considering the above facts, it can be said that Beans Beans caf can ensure effective operation management in the caf by including all the critical components in the strategy. This report provides a plan for the operations management which ensures best use of its resources. Inventory management at the caf is directly related with the supply chain and value chain of the firm and also with different facilities. References: Choi, K. (2007). The value chain's use for the service industry. Retrieved on 19th March 2018 from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10941660108722094. Cliffs Notes. Quantitative School of Management. Retrieved on 19th March 2018 from: https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/principles-of-management/the-evolution-of-management-thought/quantitative-school-of-management. CSCMP. The Importance of Supply Chain Management. Retrieved on 19th March 2018 from: https://cscmp.org/CSCMP/Develop/Starting_Your_SCM_Career/Importance_of_SCM/CSCMP/Develop/Starting_Your_Career/Importance_of_Supply_Chain_Management.aspx?hkey=cf46c59c-d454-4bd5-8b06-4bf7a285fc65. Florida tech. Supply Chain Management vs. Operations Management. Retrieved on 19th March 2018 from: https://www.floridatechonline.com/blog/process-improvement/supply-chain-management-vs-operations-management/. Geoffrey, C. (2000). Managing in the Info Era. Fortune, pp. F6F9. INC. Operations Management. Retrieved on 19th March 2018 from: https://www.inc.com/encyclopedia/operations-management.html. Kettering university, (2016). 10 Critical Decisions of Operations Management. Retrieved on 19th March 2018 from: https://online.kettering.edu/news/2016/09/21/10-critical-decisions-operations-management. Linkedin. Porters Value Chain - Does it serve the service industry?. Retrieved on 19th March 2018 from: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/porters-value-chain-does-serve-service-industry-rajesh-bhadwal. MHED. Introduction to Operations Management. Retrieved on 19th March 2018 from: https://www.mheducation.co.uk/he/chapters/9780077133016.pdf. Sanders, N. (2014). Operations Management Defined. Retrieved on 19th March 2018 from: https://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=2167438.

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Great Tips For Composing Music College Essay Samples

Great Tips For Composing Music College Essay SamplesIf you are unsure of the type of music college essay samples that would best suit your particular needs, then it is time to stop and take a good look at how well you are doing on your assignments. In most cases, if you have a less than stellar grade average, you might be in need of some practice with music college essay samples.A lot of people have trouble when it comes to composing their literary prose, but when it comes to composing musical pieces, they seem to be perfect. This is because there is such a vast amount of information out there for a person to choose from. Even though the majority of music college essay samples are generally in the jazz, rock, or classical categories, there are plenty of other genres that you can use as well.One common type of music college essay sample is an instrumental piece. With this type of essay, you will be tasked with writing about a certain subject. The composer of the piece will be somewhat hidden in their composition, and the point is to deliver a variety of different words that will serve as the basis for the overall composition. Composing a score from beginning to end will most likely take a great deal of time, but the end result will be very satisfying.Another type of music college essay samples is a piece that is about people. It will usually consist of more complex compositions, and you will be using lines, lyrics, and even music in order to create a cohesive text. When composing a score for this type of essay, it is critical that you do not use any less than four different paragraphs in order to make it easy for the reader to comprehend what is going on.The third most common type of music college essay samples is one that has been written in a rock/pop category. This can often be a difficult task, as the majority of the composition will be a series of bars and notes. A simple step that you can take is to record yourself reading the material over a metronome, wh ich will allow you to be able to compose great bars of writing as well as provide some measure of control over the tempo that you want to achieve. Remember, the key is to keep it easy for the reader.The fourth most common type of music college essay samples is one that is commonly written by contemporary composers. This is often used in cases where a musician has to write a work that is related to their specific area of expertise. Keep in mind that when composing this type of composition, you will be using a metronome, which will help you ensure that the tempo is not too fast or too slow.Music college essay samples can also be used as a tool for writers who are trying to create a successful novel. Writing a novel is very similar to composing a piece, except with many more steps. What works well is to create your own novel from a long list of different genres that you can select from.Make sure that you really enjoy writing music college essay samples, and that you try to remember wha t works best for you. If you find that you are having a hard time, then it is recommended that you utilize a music college essay samples tool, which will keep you focused on a particular genre and ensure that you are able to complete a good length of essay.

Saturday, March 21, 2020

The Money Question Should You Include Prices in Your Marketing Materials - The Writers For Hire

THE MONEY QUESTION: SHOULD YOU INCLUDE PRICES IN YOUR MARKETING MATERIALS? Should businesses include prices on their marketing materials, landing pages, websites, etc? One school of thought says no – get customers in the door with free offers or discounted pricing, then, once they understand the value of the product or service, hit them up with the prices. That theory can work †¦ sometimes. But hiding prices can often have the opposite effect on consumers, especially online buyers. I’m going to illustrate one reason why hiding prices doesn’t work for me. It starts with a personal story about trying to buy a magazine. Why I Didn’t Buy a Magazine Subscription Last week I was reading the online version of an industry publication (I won’t say the name, but it’s a very genre-specific writing magazine). I liked one of the articles so much that I decided right then and there that I wanted to buy the print subscription. So I clicked on the â€Å"Subscribe† button. The next page that came up was a registration page. I looked all over the registration page for the price of a 1-year subscription. Nada. I clicked back a page and looked for a price. No luck. I turned to the â€Å"FAQ† page, thinking that maybe pricing options would be available there. Still nothing. It seems that, before I could find the price of the magazine and make an informed decision about whether or not to buy, I had to register with my name, email, and mailing address first. Then, presumably, I would be taken to a checkout page where I’d input my credit card info. In short, that particular publication lost my business. I gave up without buying my subscription, and I haven’t regretted it since. I was frustrated that I couldn’t find a price ANYWHERE on the website and nervous, too: while most magazines cost around $25 for a year’s subscription, I know all too well that some magazines can cost upwards of $100. Plus, I didn’t want to add my name, email, and mailing address to the company’s marketing database (and endure the many emails and postcards that were sure to follow) if I didn’t know if I could afford to subscribe to the magazine in the first place. The Consumer Dilemma About Pricing Should you include your prices †¦ or not? In most instances, there aren’t a lot of ethical problems with underscoring your prices. But there are plenty of reasons why hiding your prices can hurt your conversions for potential customers. Here are four of the reasons why I opted not to buy when I couldn’t find a price: If there’s not a price, I probably can’t afford it. This was my very first thought about the magazine – there must be a reason they don’t want me to know the price. Were they scared that I’d suffer a bad case of sticker shock? Is their magazine priced way above their competitors? I really can’t say, but my general mentality is this: People who opt in to buy something must have tons of disposable income, or they don’t care about their money. I’m neither one of those. By not including any prices, this magazine alienated me, made me hyper-aware of my bank account balance. Newspaper headlines started flashing in my mind: unemployment, foreclosure, bankruptcy. I became a nervous, self-conscious consumer, and ultimately decided to hold on to my money instead of spending it. The company must be hiding something. I’m all about transparency – especially in this day and age, when my consumer confidence in even the largest and seemingly trustworthy businesses is at zero. Hiding prices doesn’t necessarily mean that a company is trying to rip off their clients, but it also doesn’t boost my confidence in the company. After searching for a price for 2-3 minutes, the warning bells went off in my head: I thought to myself, What else aren’t they telling me? I immediately became suspicious. And suspicious people don’t buy anything unless they’re comfortable. I don’t feel informed enough to make a financial decision. Sure, I liked the magazine a lot – it was interesting, relevant, and up-to-date. But when it comes down to it, without a price, I just couldn’t make the commitment to buy. I still don’t know the price of the magazine – I didn’t care enough to do any additional research. But if I had found the price of the magazine on the website – even if it IS out of my budget – at least I’d be informed. It might be something I file away in the back of my mind, something I’d budget for or come back and buy if I fall into a little extra money one month. In this case, though, since I never found a price, I don’t see myself doing that. I’m frustrated. I had questions that I wanted answered, and I wanted to know the answers immediately. But because the website didn’t give me what I needed, I gave up. Many companies make the mistake of thinking that their product is invaluable – but it’s not. As a consumer, I generally have a lot of options – other ways of spending my money, other companies that offer similar services. The reason this magazine failed to convert me into a paying customer was because, quite frankly, I never found the information that would have made the sale, and a magazine subscription isn’t any kind of life necessity that I can’t do without. Of course, there’s a flip side to this argument. It’s not necessarily bad or deceitful business practice to omit prices from marketing materials – some marketers would even suggest that prices are omitted or underscored in some instances.  And for some businesses – like luxury services or products with a wealthy target market – it may actually enhance the appeal of your company if you don’t include prices. But for me, the bottom line is this: I consider myself a pretty savvy consumer. And any consumer knows that everything in life – from cars to coffee – has a price. I’m only going to buy something from a company that makes me feel smart, informed, and like I’m getting a great value. I want a company to make me feel comfortable and reassured about my purchasing decision – and for me, that only comes when I see the numbers.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

The Difference Between Native and True Cedars

The Difference Between Native and True Cedars Cedar (Cedrus), also called true cedar, is a coniferous genus and species of trees in the plant family Pinaceae. They are most closely related to the Firs (Abies), sharing a very similar cone structure. Most true, old-world cedars seen in North America are ornamentals. These conifers are not native and for the most part have not naturalized to North America. The most common of these you will see are Cedar of Lebanon, deodar cedar, and Atlas cedar. Their native habitats are on the other side of the planet -   in Mediterranean and Himalayan regions. The Common North American "Cedars" This group of conifers, for the sake of taxonomy and easier identification,  are considered cedars. The genus  Thuja, Chamaecyparis, and Juniperus  are included because of their confusing common names and botanical similarity. Still, they are not taxonomically true cedars. The Common North American "Cedars" Atlantic white cedarNorthern white cedar  (eastern arborvitae)Port-Orford cedarAlaska cedarEastern redcedarIncense cedarWestern red cedar Major Characteristics of the Cedars Cedars have very typical scale-like leaves that can grow on flattened sprays or all around the twig. These small leaves are persistent, decussate, less than 1/2 inch and can be prickly on some species. Cedar bark is often reddish, peeling and vertically furrowed. When considering both our native cedars and old world cedar, bark identification  should be confirmed by using other botanical characteristics. Cedars have cones that can be variable in size, some are woody while others are more fleshy and berry-like. The cones can be oblong to bell-shaped to rounded but typically are less than one inch in size.

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Would you have signed the Constitution of 1787 Essay

Would you have signed the Constitution of 1787 - Essay Example purposes of the Constitution is posted at the exact beginning of the document, stating, â€Å"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity [†¦].† That in itself is a set of rules that the government can follow. It lists aspects that they should be aware of when they make decisions, and the people that should be considered during the decision-making process. The Constitution of 1787, as opposed to any other government-based documents, is the best plan for the government because it focuses on the more important aspects of the government system itself. The important positions are pointed out, as well as their tasks and duties. There are numerous positions in the government, each with varying jobs and tasks. The Constitution helps to keep people on track with what they need to be doing. It goes into heavy detail about what a member can or cannot do, as well as the specifics of each branch. This document is perfect for the government as it can keep things from going completely out of control, and it centers in on the things that are most important to the people. The Constitution also goes into the process by which a bill is considered, created, and enforced, which most definitely proves helpful when large groups of people are at ends with what to do. There are other â€Å"how-to† instructions in the Constitution, adding further to the fact that the Constitution can be viewed as appropriate guidelines for running a stable government. How one votes and how someone is chosen for a specific job is also mentioned throughout the document. The Constitution is the perfect set of guidelines to be looked at for any government system, really. It is something that really suits the workings of the United States of America. However, if I were around during the signing of it, I

Monday, February 3, 2020

Meta-analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Meta-analysis - Essay Example 1 The purpose of this study was to identify and synthesize published research on the effectiveness of EMLA cream in reducing VE and IV insertion pain. A meta-analytic approach was used to answer the following questions: 1. What is the magnitude of the effect of EMLA cream on VE and IV pains 2. Is the effect size of EMLA cream on VE and IV pains moderated by the following variables: study publication date, sample age, sample size, sample health status, anatomical puncture site, duration of application, method of pain measurement and research design (Fetzer,2001).Research question 1 is direct and useful clinical question as it encourage/discourage clinical use of EMLA in VE & IV whereas question 2 tends to encourage/discourage such use via evidence on several other variables important among them being sample size, sample health status, premedication, anatomical puncture site and duration of application. The topic had immediate relevance for nursing profession as both IV &VE are widely practiced nursing techniques. While substantial agreement was achieved on coding of the substantive variables, methodological variables and miscellaneous variables; resolution of disagreements was not elaborated and two raters were not identified. 2 The meta-analysis ... 2 The meta-analysis clearly defined the inclusion and exclusion criteria for selecting primary studies. The databases used by the reviewers were identified and were appropriate. All of the keywords were identified and were adequate. The reviewers documented the use of adequate supplementary efforts to identify relevant studies, including non-published studies. The Sample 3 The search strategy yielded an adequate sample (number) of studies-19. Though it was not clearly stated if the sample size in each included study was adequate nevertheless there was substantial agreement on 'sample size' methodological variable. The reviewers did not attempt to contact the original researchers for additional information. For instance several studies failed to report test statistics or raw data, in these cases conservative estimates of study outcomes were made from the provided raw data. Rationale for excluded studies was clearly provided. 4 Quality Appraisal 5 A quality index for each study was calculated based on the criteria used by Beck (1995). Reviewers did not indicate that all reviewed primary studies were of high methodological quality though they coded 8 methodological variables and two raters had 97% agreement on coding of such variables.Interrater agreement percentages were reported for all categories of the coded variables but resolution of disagreement(though minor )was not reported. The methodological comparability of the included studies was specified by means of coding 8 methodological variables as above and coding agreement thereupon. As the inclusion criteria was well defined to have comparable clinical situations and since the coding of substantive variables