Ethics and Business Success Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethics and Business Success - Essay Example They seek ways to improve their productivity, efficiency, and the way their company functions as a whole. Two of the articles printed in the Journal of Value Based Leadership offer ways to improve businesses in two very different ways. The first, "Secrets of Your Leadership Success-The 11 Indispensable E's of a Leader," by M.S. Rao, essentially offers a positive, team friendly approach that will give a path to strong leadership. The second, "The Conscious Organization: Prospects for a Self-Actualized Workforce,† by John Renesch, supports developing your business using the ideas of psychological theorists, Andrew Maslow and Carl Jung, treating the business as you would a person. It places the value on the needs of the whole company, but less on its individual parts. Renesch’s approach to gaining success within a business is mixing the principles of Maslow’s self-actualization and Jung’s â€Å"shadows,† which are things that block a person from achievi ng their highest potentials. The author believes that by viewing businesses in the same way that you look at a person you can make the best of it; pretending that a business has the same need to self-actualize as a person does. He, also, focuses on a tightly structured organization within the business. He explains that anything that gets in the way of the success of the business it should be eliminated for the sake of the business. This is the basis of a â€Å"Conscious Organization,† which the author created in the 1990s. The author promotes that a successful business and successful people are those who are willing to evaluate themselves, their values, and relationships all of the time. â€Å"Living this sort of self examined life is what brings meaning and worth (Renesch 74-77). In the second article, Rao takes a different approach. He discusses how any successful business needs strong leadership if they hope to be successful. He suggests that the â€Å"11 E’s† are those traits or behaviors that can guarantee that someone is on the right path towards leadership, and they are easy to remember as they all start with the letter â€Å"E.† It is the combination of these elements, he says, can and will develop into the best kind leader in the best kind of business. Both articles are very interesting in their approaches. However, Rao’s article offers such a positive way of creating a happy work environment and good teamwork, while Renesch’s view is very cold. It does not seem to care about the needs or issues of the workers. Renesch want to treat the business like it is a living person and the people are like replaceable parts. The two writers are very different. For example, if there was an employee who was not working to their best possible ability; Rao would work to encourage that employee to do better, but Renesch would call this employee a â€Å"bad† employee and want to get rid of them. In this context, there is no room for anything except what is good for the business. Rao’s article appears to value the employees and Renesch’s does not really feel like that. His article feels like he sees individual people are just parts, when one is no good just throw it out and replace with a better one. This kind of heartless business practice does not always make for a good business to be a part of, even if the profits are high. People, I think, will work harder for people and for goals when they feel that they matter and the contribution that they make is important. When I enter into the business world I want to make the best choices that I can. I agree with Renesch when he explained how important being able to change and grow in the business industry, but it is Rao whose article I think will benefit me the most when I enter into my career field. Having a good way of becoming a strong leader

The achievement of civil rights so slow in the period 1954-1957 Essay Example for Free

The achievement of civil rights so slow in the period 1954-1957 Essay Why was the progress towards the achievement of civil rights so slow in the period 1954-1957? From 1954-1957 significant legal progress in the field of civil rights was made, thus instilling confidence in the black community, however due to a number of factors putting these achievements into practice was halted and so civil rights progressed at a slow rate throughout this period of time. In 1954 Brown Vs Topeka was brought before the Supreme Court, with Brown winning the appeal with a unanimous vote. This was a landmark verdict, due to the fact that the judge, Earl Warren had been newly appointed by President Eisenhower and was a Southern Republican, therefore he disobeyed Eisenhower with the decision. Eisenhower was later stated as saying, The biggest damn fool mistake I ever made. Therefore demonstrating the Presidents lack of support for the ruling. It was a triumph for the NAACP who had provided the lawyer Thurgood Marshall and had pushed the case through. It overthrew Plessy Vs Ferguson and so was expected to bring about a dramatic change for black civil rights. Although in principal Brown should have brought about a significant change, the progress from the court decision, to putting desegregation in schools into practice was very slow. This was partly due to the court hearing, as no date was set for when the desegregation of schools must be completed, this resulted in the whites ignoring the court hearing, so maintaining the same ignorant attitude as before. However the court decision had empowered the black community and so Brown II was brought before the courts in 1955, again however this did not result in a definite result. President Eisenhower was also a significant reason for the slow progress of civil rights. When he took over from President Truman, he inherited the beginnings of a strong civil rights campaign, however Eisenhower did not share this same drive. He failed to take substantial leadership towards enforcing the verdict, as he was afraid of stirring up opposition, resentment and disorder in the South. He also did not believe that it was appropriate to interfere in individual state matters, although general consensus suggests that if he had shown strong leadership then the bill would have been put into practice at greater speeds. He believed that race relations would gradually improve on their own accord. Although Brown Vs Topeka overthrew Plessy Vs Ferguson, after the ruling no steps were taken to desegregate public places, again showing the slow progress. However the black community were fed up and so decided to take the matter into their own hands with the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The black community in Montgomery was organised through the NAACP and led by Martin Luther King. Originally they only intended to boycott the buses for a day in order to achieve a more polite service from the bus drivers, employment of black drivers and the end of blacks standing when the bus was not full. However they met opposition from Montgomerys all white officials. This represents why progress was slowed down, as all decisions were met by substantial opposition from whites, forcing any actions to be dramatic, in order to get them to accept their views. This resulted in a yearlong boycott of the Montgomery buses in order to receive total desegregation on the buses. Within this time the White Citizens Councils membership doubled from 6000 to 12,000 from February to March. The boycott attracted national media coverage, showing that the greater publicity that the blacks attracted, the more the whites stuck together in order to create a strong opposition and prevent change. However in this case the blacks economic power was stronger than the white resistance and so in December 1956 the boycott was called off. This shows how much effort it took to achieve progress, however even then it was limited, as the success was only limited to the buses in Montgomery, however it acted as an example for other departments and cities, to what could be achieved through non-violent protests. This was also demonstrated in the case of Emmett Till. When the 14-year-old boy was murdered his mother decided to bring his body home to Chicago and have an open casket. This attracted 100s of the black population that dominated Chicago and the national press to attend. This mass of media coverage, not only united the blacks, and made the moderate whites aware and sympathetic of the cause, but it also ruined any chance of a fair trial. This is because the whites accused the NAACP of using the case as propaganda, so creating a Northern backlash. The southern population then closed ranks, making it harder to prosecute. This again shows that the more publicity that black civil rights was given, the greater the white opposition that they had to face. However this only made the black community more determined. The case of Emmett Till was significant as at first it showed some progress towards a fair trial, with the men accused of lynching arrested, usually they would not have been prosecuted, and a black man standing up and accusing a white man in court. However the jury was composed of 12 white males, and in the defences closing speech he said, I hope every last Anglo-Saxon one of you makes the right decision. Therefore again showing how when accused the whites stuck together. Again throughout this case Eisenhower gave no leadership and did not intervene, as he did not think that federal intervention was appropriate, and did not want to or aim to do anything to alleviate black problems, even when Emmett Tills mother requested his help. Showing again how little progress had been made. Throughout this time, there were strong black leaders, Martin Luther King, and people that The NAACP used for test cases, Rosa Parks and the 9 children in Little Rock. These set examples to the black community, that through courage and determination, slowly change was possible. However many were not willing to make this commitment, like the 16 children who changed their minds about attending Little Rock High School after passing the exam. This was due to the increasing white resistance and discrimination that they faced. Martin Luther King was arrested for doing 30mph in a 25 mph zone, and his house was bombed. As well as this death threats were sent to the childrens houses and they were spat at as they walked down the street. White resistance included the establishment of the Southern Manifesto, which was drafted by Senator Sam Ervin and promised to fight the Brown verdict by legal means. Showing that there was still huge resistance to change, and integration. So making it difficult for progress to continue. As well as this the establishment of the White Citizens Council, which was used as opposition in the Montgomery bus boycott. It was formed to protest the federal government acting dictatorially and seeking to impose its values and opinions on others. This acted as an excuse for Eisenhower, who had little intention of interfering anyway, again slowing down progress. On 3rd of September 1957 9 black children, who had sat and passed an entrance exam, attempted to enter Central High School. However they were met by a hostile crowd of white adults who blocked their way, while shouting abuse such as Nigers go back to the jungle. This was the first significant step towards putting the Brown decision into practice and so attracted a lot of criticism. It signified that the ruling met tremendous grass-roots resistance when put into practice. And so although blacks tried to push segregation, it was clear that it would take a long time for the whites to accept it. On top of this neither local nor national authorities were keen to enforce Brown, which was shown by Governor Faubus. He decided to exploit white racism in this situation, in order to ensure re-election. In this way he stirred up the crowd and ordered the Arkansas National Guard to bar the school, sending a strong message of hatred to the black students. The images of harassment and violence towards the children by aggressive white adults, again, like in the case of Emmett Till acted as propaganda. This was a victory for the NAACP as it created a wide spread moderate opinion. However Faubus who closed all the schools in Little Rock in1959, preventing black or white from attending, in order to prevent integration, again showing that more than a court decision was needed in order to establish desegregation, again slowed progress down. As a result of the crowds and harassment of the children at Little Rock Eisenhower was forced to act. He had attempted to negotiate a settlement with Faubus, however the children were still not allowed to enter the school and the white violence in the streets became more aggressive, so Eisenhower sent in 10,000 troopers of the Arkansas National Guard. This was significant, as he had said that he could never envisage sending in federal troops to enforce federal court rulings. This was the only time in the 1950s that Eisenhower used his federal authority to intervene in the Brown decision. In this way the children were permitted to enter the school, signifying how the process could have been sped up, if he had acted sooner. However his actions were due to an, inescapable responsibility for enforcing the law, rather than a belief in integration. Again showing his lack of leadership and commitment to the cause, meaning that it was hard to put the brown decision into practice. In 1957 a Civil rights bill to ensure the black vote was proposed, however again this met criticism. Democratic senators worked to weaken the bill, as they thought it would damage national and party unity. Again Eisenhower showed little leadership, claiming that he did not really know what was in the bill and so did not fight to keep it intact. Along with the filibustering by Storm Thurmond, it resulted in a much weakened bill, not allowing blacks to exercise the right to vote as those who were prosecuted with obstruction would be tried in an all white jury and let off. This shows that from 1954-57 little progress was made, as although ideas are initially passed when put into practice it takes along time for them to be accepted, and so slow progress is made. To conclude from the evidence above it is clear that the building blocks of a strong civil rights campaign were begun between 1954-57, with the shocking legal decision of Brown Vs Topeka. However it is shown that although a decision was made in court, it does not mean that putting it into practice will be quick or easy. It shows that the more united the black community was and the harder that they pushed for change, the more stubborn the whites became, so making the changes impossible to implement without a fight. This case was not helped by the lack of leadership from Eisenhower, as his silence was interpreted as a lack of support for the cause, so discouraging other whites to back it. The lack of progress is shown by the fact that by 1964, a whole 10 years after the Brown decision, only 2/3 of the USAs black high school students attended de-segregated high schools. Therefore it is clear that between 1954-57 the achievement of civil rights progress was slow.

British Foreign Relationships :: History

British Foreign Relationships Beginnings The first time that the British came into contact from outside people since the disappearance of the land bridge connecting the British Isles to mainland Europe occured in the year 43 A.D. This was the year that Ceasar send a Roman expeditionary force under the command of Aulus Platius to the British Isles. Although the indigenous Celtic tribesmen put up heavy initial resistance, superior armed and trained Roman Legionnairies were able to subdue them and successfully occupy Great Britian all the way up to the border of modern day Scotland. Over the course of the next 367 years, Great Britian experiences an era of relative peace under Roman rule. Celtic and Roman culture coalesced into a unique society, and Christianity was introduced to Britain. The year 410 A.D. brought about great change though, when Rome withdrew all of its occupation forces from Britain in order to fight the Goths in western Germany. This abandonment left the British people very vulnerable, and almost immediately afterwards various Scandanavian and Germanic tribes began raiding the seemingly defenseless British Isles. Three of these groups, the Anglos, the Saxons, and the Jutes, began establishing permanent settlements along England's southern coast (the word England actually descends from the country's ancient name Angliland, or Anglo Land.) After years of widespread ethnic conflict, the Anglo-Saxons had driven the indigenous Britons back to modern day Scotland and Wales, and came to dominate most of the main island. Towards the end of the first century another group begins to plunder the British Isles, they called themselves the Vikings but were known as the Danes to the Anglo-Saxons. Violent conflict erupted as the Vikings pillaged, looted, and terrorized coastal Britain. At one point, the Vikings under the leadership of King Harrod came close to actually taking over the entire island but were defeated at the battle of Dover. The British people, now united under a single government, continued to repel Viking invasion attempts until 1066, when William of Normandy defeated an exhausted and ill equiped British army at the battle of Hastings. William went to London and made himself the new king of Britain. Massive change resulted from Norman rule, establishing a new ruling class. During this period, King William, and King Henry II expanded their empire into France and Britian became a powerful nation in Europe. After the death of king Henry though, social unrest arose, which eventually manifested itself into civil war, causing British holdings in mainland Europe to erode away in a period of time known as "The war of the Roses".

The Cognitive Dissonance Theory by John L. Cotton :: Cognition Psychology Essays

The Cognitive Dissonance Theory by John L. Cotton When I hear Cognitive Dissonance, I say to myself, "Cogna Who?" I could barely say the word let alone be able to explain the theory to someone else who has never heard of it. So I took it upon myself to get schooled up on the Cognitive Dissonance Theory. Doing this was no barrel of laughs. But one night while I was sitting by the fire having some wine and cheese I was reading Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, there was an article by John L. Cotton that explained the Cognitive Dissonance Theory. To my surprise the article which was named "Cognitive Dissonance in Selective Exposure." After reading the article several times so that I would not miss a single bit of information, I think I have a clear understanding of Cognitive Dissonance. Now for all that know me, I would never keep this information to myself, but I am going to share Cognitive Dissonance with all you web surfers out there. Are you ready? Well, ready or not get ready to set sail and ride into the world of Cognit ive Dissonance! Research Probably the best quote that Cotton gave was that everyone "selectively seek, choose, and screen the information that we use." How true is this in your day to day lives? Think about it, we are constantly making decisions that we think that are beneficial to us and the people around us. For instance, if all of the boys want to got to the bar and have a few smoothies, you are more inclined to go along with everyone else because you do not want to ruffle anyone's feathers. Let us dig a little deeper into this theory and break it down. First off, what is cognition? I was not too sure either until the article explained what cognition was. Cognitions are "attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge about one's behavior, or any other knowledge about oneself or the environment." So basically all of our actions and feelings that we have are cognitions. Understand the cognitive part of it a little better? Do not worry we will be back to explain this further. How about we tackle the dissonance part of th is theory and see where we can go with it. Dissonance is the concept that when a person becomes "aware that two or more of these cognition's are contradictory, dissonance is created.

Elements of Design in the Green Mile Essay

The Green Mile is an exceptional film that was created in the year 1999. This film was nominated for four academy awards: Best Supporting Actor, Best Picture, Best Sound, and Best Adapted Screenplay. This movie teaches us how different the times were back in the 1900s compared to the way it is now. The movie is set in 1935 which was during the times of the Great Depression. It also illustrates death row and how execution is still a problem to where it is not just and fair. There are several well-known actors that cast in this film. Each actor plays a very unique role and elements of design have a role where it puts everything about this movie into perspective. The cinematographer that helped to create this film had a vital role in putting all of his screen shots together to generate the perfect lighting, images that are seen by the camera, and images that the audience sees upon completion of the film (Goodykontz & Jacobs, 2011). The director, producer, screenwriter, and composer all played important roles in putting this film together to show its exceptional potential at being nominated for four academy awards. The elements of design in the Green Mile are a form of art which cannot be duplicated in a way that they have come together to create this finished product. There is a scene in this film called â€Å"Miracle Worker†. In this particular clip, illustrates how the actors are placed into the scene and positioned on the set. You will see how well their costumes and makeup are done which is part of what makes up the mise en scene. The mise en scene is all of the elements in a film that the audience sees such as the setting, make up and costumes, as well as the movement and placement of the actors. The director, Frank Darabont, is responsible for shooting many different versions on a scene (Goodykontz & Jacobs, 2011). The director will then create the final film based upon the best of those elements. Some directors will allow improvisation which is when actors come up with their own lines that they feel will fit into a particular scene. The production designer, who is also sometimes called the art director, is responsible for maintaining the sets, props and the costumes so that they are in sync with the story and the character’s role (Goodykontz & Jacobs, 2011). Production designers are head of the department on film crews and they are responsible for the art department. Basically, they may be asked to look at scripts to decide how much time the art department needs to spend on films. They also calculate the budgets to figure out how much money will be spent as well. Furthermore, they will provide their design sketches expressing detailing mood, lighting, composition and color to the art directors who oversees the production (Anonymous, 2012). In this scene, the â€Å"Miracle Worker†, the lighting is low because it is night time, but there are lights on inside of the house in the bedroom where the warden wife is lying in bed. The lighting is very dim which evokes a depressing and gloomy mood. It draws the audience into the scene to where they can feel the same pain and sorrow that the actors feel. John Coffey places his lips over the warden’s wife’s lips to retrieve the sickness of the cancer from her body. The chandelier begins to brighten and the sound of the music increases as the scene becomes more intense. There is a sign of bright lighting coming from the woman’s mouth illustrating the cancer leaving her body and going into Coffey’s body as his mouth brightens as well. That lighting is symbolic for the cancer that Coffey took away from her. Then he closes his mouth and the light goes away. However, there is still a bright light on the woman’s face for a couple of seconds as she lies there with her eyes closed, but now her face looks healthy and so young. The lighting in this scene affects the overall story of what the director is trying to tell the audience because it tells you without words what the characters in the film are feeling. It tells you that they are saddened when the light is dim and then in awe and disbelief as it brightens. The warden was in tears and was in disbelief from what he had just scene. So were the rest of the guards. Although, they were in disbelief, they also displayed a sign of relief in that the sickness has left the woman’s body. The film setting was the summer of 1935 when Hanks was a corrections officer in charge of death row inmates at Cold Mountain Penitentiary during the Great Depression days. This is during the time where unemployment was very high. It only got worse in time before it got better. Even taxes had increased which made it that much more difficult for people to survive. During this period of time racism still existed in this culture. John Coffey was beaten, convicted and sentenced for execution all because he was a black man suspected of raping and killing two little white girls with no valid proof. Costuming can tell us almost everything we need to know about a character. The costuming of the woman showed a great deal of sickness within her face. The makeup on her looked so believable that it almost looked like she was a rotting corpse. Then the costuming took a turn as she was healed from the sickness. She became beautiful and peaceful. Elements play a significant role in affecting the film’s plot. For example, Coffey was dirty and sweaty because it was hot. So this illustrated that he was not clean and did not have any clean clothes. He did not come from a place where he had nice attire. Now if he was clean and had on fresh clothes, the scene would not be as emotional. Nobody really expected Coffey and the way he looked to have such supernatural powers except for Hanks because he had already experienced it for himself. Hairstyle and makeup can help tell the story by showing how the character may feel at that point and time in a scene. It can also set the tone of the scene and the audience can feel exactly what the characters are feeling based on how they look. As the warden puts his hand over his mouth, and the screen zooms in on his face, you can see the stress and pain in his eyes when they start to tear up. The three guards are well dressed in uniform. They have ties and hats. They all look very sharp like they’re about to conduct a ceremony. They are well groomed with no facial hair just like military service members in uniform. The guard’s hairstyle and make up tell the audience that they care about their appearance and how they carry themselves as correction officers. They guards display a sense of caution because Coffey is a convicted criminal, but at the same time they display hope as Coffey talks to the warden’s wife and begin to use his supernatural power. In my personal opinion, I think that the mise en scene was very well put in this movie. The use of color which made the room dim definitely heightened the suspense of the film especially during the particular scene where the light goes from dim to bright and then dim again. The warden and the guards were in well placed positions while Coffey sat on the bed and performed his supernatural miracle to cure the warden’s wife from her sickness. The mise en scene was done very well by illustrating that the woman was sick and then healed by a miracle performed by a black man who was wrongfully convicted and sent to death row while he awaited death by electric chair. All of the elements flowed in a harmonious way because the music went well with the lighting when it was dark, and then became bright when Coffey used his super natural powers to heal the sickened woman. The audience is easily drawn into the film because of the cinematography that takes place in the movie. The actors, lighting, music and setting go hand in hand together. Therefore, it is not discordant at all. The design elements are definitely in sync with Frank Darabont’s vision. From the beginning of the scene, the elements in the film were symbolic to his vision. He wanted the audience to feel every bit of emotion that the characters were feeling. The intensity as Coffey spoke to the warden’s wife grew as he introduced himself to the time he ridded her from the illness. Not only did it make the warden cry and the guards emotional, but I’m sure that the audiences who watched this movie were just as emotional as everyone in the film. So Darabont did a great job by piecing everything together to get the right vision for the scene. The Green Mile had great chemistry as everyone played key roles in making this film. The film could not have been accomplished without the help of everyone coming together and doing their part, from the directors to the actors. The elements of the mise en scene were symbolic throughout the movie so that it really touched the audiences. It placed the viewers in the film as if they were part of the script. The director and the cinematography of the film gave it the extra edge that was needed aside from the actors. The elements worked so well together harmoniously that once the film was put together, it couldn’t be done again the way it was the first time around. References Anonymous (2012). Production Designer. http://www.media- match.com/usa/jobtypes/production-designer-jobs-402758.php Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From Watching to Seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. https://content.ashford.edu

Alcoholism Essays - Alcohol Abuse, Twelve-step Programs, Free Essays

Alcoholism Essays - Alcohol Abuse, Twelve-step Programs, Free Essays Alcoholism Alcoholism is a disease of epidemic proportions, affecting 9.3 to 10 million Americans, and many professionals believe the figures are closer to 20 million (Weddle and Wishon). Alcoholism is a "physiological or physiological dependence on alcohol characterized by the alcoholic?s inability to control the start or termination of his drinking"(Encyclopedia Britannica 210). It consists of frequent and recurring consumption of alcohol to an extent that causes continued harm to the drinker and leads to medical and social problems. Alcoholism, however, does not merely cause harm to the alcoholic, but to the entire family as well, affecting an estimated 28 million children in this country (Weddle and Wishon). These children grow up in the unhealthy and abnormal family systems harmed by alcoholism, carrying the negative effects of this environment with them into adulthood. Consequently, adult children of alcoholics are the innocent victims of a disease which has shaped thei! r personalities and behavior as children and will, if not treated, promote their personal disintegration as adults. Most alcoholics don?t fit the stereotype of the lying in the gutter drunk. Alcoholics are likely to be persons of intense, if sometimes brief, enthusiasms. They often try to do too much too fast. They tend to demand perfection in themselves and in others. Frustrated, they may become painfully depressed or overly aggressive. There is a lack of inner stability with which to face life?s problems in a realistic manner (AL-Anon). As the disease of alcoholism sets in, the family is forced to make an unspoken decision?to leave the alcoholic or to stay and adapt to his illness. Because they do not want to disrupt their own lives or leave a love one, they deny the problem and try to adapt to the pressures and problems that alcoholism brings. Typically, as alcoholism takes over, the alcoholic becomes increasingly preoccupied with drinking. This can lead to spending less time at home, and neglecting their responsibility to the family. The following are symptoms of alcoholism (Alateen 5): Loss of control. The loss of control is usually progressive. At first the alcoholic can control his drinking most of the time. But he sometimes gets drunk when he doesn?t wants to. Eventually, he loses control more and more. Progression. The alcoholic may not drink more, but he gets drunk more often. He becomes less dependable. He becomes more and more obsessed with drinking and less and less concerned about his responsibilities. Withdrawal symptoms. When the alcoholic stops drinking he may suffer nausea and vomiting, headaches and the "shakes." He is usually is very irritable. He may even hallucinate. This is known as the DT?s (delirium tremens). Personality change. The alcoholic seems to have a Jekyll and Hyde personality. When he drinks, he is very different from the way he is when he is not drinking. Blackouts. These are a form of amnesia. The alcoholic really does not remember what has happened. Blackouts can even occur when the alcoholic isn?t drunk, lasting a few minutes or entire days. At first, we may think alcoholism is called a family disease because it seems to run in families. Most Al-Anon members are spouses of alcoholics. But they are often the children of alcoholics as well. They may have brothers or sisters who have the disease or are married to alcoholics. Doctors have observed that there are often more than one alcoholic in a family; for this reason they have said that there is a family tendency to develop alcoholism, just as there is a family tendency to develop diabetes ( Alateen 6). According to a recent study, if you are raised in an alcoholic home you have one chance in four of growing up to marry an alcoholic (Porterfield 120). The reasons are simple. Children of alcoholics learned to tolerate behavior that other people consider abnormal or bizarre; they have memorized how to live with an alcoholic. Most kids of alcoholic parents do drink, even if just socially. According to Coping with an Alcoholic Parent: Ninety-three percent of high school seniors have tried alcohol. Seventy percent use it once a month. One out every five high school seniors drinks daily. Some researchers think that as many as one third of the teenagers can

Internet Intervention essays

Internet Intervention essays The Internet is a method of communication and a source of information that is becoming more popular among those who are interested in, and have the time to surf the information superhighway. The problem with much information being accessible to this many people is that some of it is deemed inappropriate for minors. The government wants censorship, but a segment of the population does not. Within this examination of the topic of, Government Intervention of the Internet, I will attempt to express both side s of this issue. During the past decade, our society has become based solely on the ability to move large amounts of information across large distances quickly. Computerization has influenced everyone's life. The natural evolution of computers and this need for ultra-fas t communications has caused a global network of interconnected computers to develop. This global net allows a person to send E-mail across the world in mere fractions of a second, and enables even the common person to access information worldwide. With th e advances with software that allows users with a sound card to use the Internet as a carrier for long distance voice calls and video conferencing, this network is the key to the future of the knowledge society. At present this net is the epitome of the F irst Amendment: freedom of speech. It is a place where people can speak their mind without being reprimanded for what they say, or how they choose to Recently, Congress has been considering passing laws that will make it a crime punishable by jail to send "vulgar" language over the net. The government wants to maintain control over this new form of communication, and they are trying to use the protect ion of children as a smoke screen to pass laws that will allow them to regulate and censor the Internet, while banning techniques that could eliminate the need for regulation. Censorship of the Internet threatens to ...

Definition and Examples of Monologues

Definition and Examples of Monologues A monologue is a  speech or composition  presenting the words or thoughts of a single character. (Compare with dialogue.) Someone who delivers a monologue is called a monologuist or monologist. Leonard Peters describes a monologue as a dialogue between two people. One person speaking, the other listening and reacting, creating a relationship between the two (Demystifying the Monologue, 2006). Etymology From the Greek, speaking alone Examples and Observations It was the first day off in a long time, and all of us were trying to get a little rest and relaxation out by the pool at this big, modern hotel that looked something like a prison. If I had to call it anything I would call it a pleasure prison. It was the kind of place you might come to on a package tour out of Bangkok. Youd come down on a chartered bus - and youd probably not wander off the grounds because of the high barbed-wire fence they have to keep you in and the bandits out. And every so often you would hear shotguns going off as the hotel guards fired at rapid dogs down along the beach on the Gulf of Siam.But if you really wanted to walk on the beach, all you had to learn to do was pick up a piece of seaweed, shake it in the dogs face and everything would be hunky dory.(Spalding Gray, Swimming to Cambodia. Theatre Communications Group, 2005)A monologue is a predominantly verbal presentation given by a single person featuring a collection of ideas, often loosely assembled ar ound one or more themes. Note that I do not define it as a strictly verbal presentation; many, though certainly not all, successful monologuists also employ nonverbal elements to great effect, such as, their use of facial expressions and hand gestures, along with a variety of props and stage devices.(Jay Sankey, Zen and the Art of the Monologue. Routledge, 2000) Monologues and Dialogues A conversation is a dialogue, not a monologue. Thats why there are so few good conversations: due to scarcity, two intelligent talkers seldom meet.​  (Truman Capote)There is no such thing as conversation. It is an illusion. There are intersecting monologues, that is all. We speak; we spread round us with sounds, with words, an emanation from ourselves. Sometimes they overlap the circles that others are spreading around themselves. They they are affected by those other circles, to be sure, but not because of any real communication that has taken place, merely as a scarf of blue chiffon lying on a womans dressing table will change colour if she casts down on it a scarf of red chiffon.​  (Rebecca West, There Is No Conversation. The Harsh Voice, 1935) Two Versions of Hamlets Famous Monologue (Modernized Spelling) 1603 Version (Bad Quarto) To be, or not to be, aye theres the point, To die, to sleep, is that all? Aye, all. No, to sleep, to dream, aye, marry, there it goes, For in that dream of death, when we awake, And born before an everlasting judge, From whence no passenger ever returned, The undiscovered country, at whose sight The happy smile, and the accursed damned. But for this, the joyful hope of this. Whod bear the scorns and flattery of the world, Scorned by the right rich, the rich cursed of the poor? The widow being oppressed, the orphan wronged, The taste of hunger, or a tyrants reign, And thousand more calamities besides, To grunt and sweat under this weary life, When that he may his full quietus make, With a bare bodkin, who would this endure, But for a hope of something after death? Which puzzles the brain, and doth confound the sense, Which makes us rather bear those evils we have, Than fly to others that we know not of. Aye thatO this conscience makes cowards of us all. 1604-1605 Version (Second Quarto)To be, or not to be, that is the question:Whether tis nobler in the mind to sufferThe slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,And by opposing end them. To die, to sleep - No moreand by a sleep to say we endThe heartache and the thousand natural shocksThat flesh is heir to! Tis a consummationDevoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep - To sleepperchance to dream: ay, theres the rub,For in that sleep of death what dreams may comeWhen we have shuffled off this mortal coil,Must give us pause. Theres the respectThat makes calamity of so long life:For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,The oppressors wrong, the proud mans contumely,The pangs of despised love, the laws delay,The insolence of office, and the spurnsThat patient merit of the unworthy takes,When he himself might his quietus makeWith a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear,To grunt and sweat under a weary life,But that the dread of something after dea th,The undiscovered country from whose bournNo traveller returns, puzzles the will,And makes us rather bear those ills we haveThan fly to others that we know not of? Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,And thus the native hue of resolutionIs sicklied over with the pale cast of thought,And enterprises of great pitch and momentWith this regard their currents turn awryAnd lose the name of action.(William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act Three, scene 1) The Lighter Side of Monologues You know, there are some things that are actually harder to do with two people. Like, monologues.(Tina Fey as Liz Lemon in 30 Rock, 2006) Pronunciation: MA-neh-log Also Known As: dramatic soliloquy Alternate Spellings: monolog

Situation Audit & TimeLine for UNILEVER FOOD SOLUTION Essay

Situation Audit & TimeLine for UNILEVER FOOD SOLUTION - Essay Example uilar (1967) was the first academician to discuss business analysis through a tool he called ETPS (Economic, Technological, Political and Social factors). According to him these external environmental factor influenced business decisions. From then onwards this has changed names to PEST, PESTEL etc and used extensively as an external analytical tool. (Aguilar 1967). Politically conditions and policies for companies dealing with food, even pre-cooked food are favourable and there are few barriers posed except for stringent health concerns. Therefore worldwide there is acceptance for Unilever foods. The economic factors are favourable too as with globalization of trade and industry more work is being created and incomes, specially of the middle class that consumes most of the pre-cooked foods, is rising. This is creating new markets for such products. Speaking of social factors it must be said that with the advent of industrial and trading activity, people of all classes, from executives to workers, are more actively engaged with work and have less time for cooking at home. This makes pre-cooked food a preferred item for its ease and ready to serve capability and is also less expensive than eating out. According to van Wylick (2007, pg. 1), Porters Five Forces model represents an ideal situational analysis of an industry. The central force is competitive rivalry that exists within the given industry. The other four forces that Unilever must deal with are the bargaining power of suppliers, the bargaining power of customers, the threat of new entrants, and the threat of substitute products. In this time of economic turmoil, suppliers can have quite a bit of bargaining power over Unilever. A good supply chain can offset this problem. The bargaining power of customers is also strong in this unstable economy and drives the pricing of the products. The threat of new entrants is unlikely since the market is fairly saturated and the economy does not favor new

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Executive MBS Program Objectives - Essay Example As the report stresses working with limited capital has necessitated that the author takes a lower risk approach to business which often offers less return on investment. His plan has been to carefully assess the downside potential and creatively formulate a plan which will identify areas open to realistic growth potential. This has been successful in producing modest gains and the author plans to continue this business model until such time that he accumulates the capital required to engage in higher risk ventures. This will require him to have a better understanding of the calculation of the risks associated with his desired returns. A commitment to hard work can often be the difference in the return on a low risk investment. However, a high-risk venture will also require a deeper understanding of the science behind the business. This paper declares that the organizational skills learned through the Executive MBA Program will be vital in understanding how people function within an organization. The management of people is the management of human nature. Eliciting the most reasoned and sound decisions from people without the limits of emotionalism is primary to running a successful business. The tools required to gain exposure in these areas are acquired in the classroom through academic study, and the continued deliberate structuring of a sound business plan. This assures that people are able to work together to elevate the level of the group beyond any individual's performance. His desire as a manager is to obtain the training necessary to allow me to gain the experience to accomplish the running of a larger, corporate organization.

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Fundamentals of Macroeconomics - Research Paper Example Real domestic product however defines the value of a country’s total production in goods and services at constant base prices of the commodities. Such a basis may be each commodity’s price in a given year (Mankiw, 2011). Purchasing of groceries reduces amount of money among the purchasing households and increases amount of money held by businesses. It also increases government revenues through tax on the groceries. It however has no economic value on households and business because it involves exchange of similar values. The government however derives economic gain in the taxes (Mankiw, 2011). The layoff reduces households’ revenues because of its unemployment effect on members of households. It also adversely affects businesses through reduced revenues because of households’ lower spending power. Layoffs also affect the government through lost revenues in income tax. The government’s revenue is further reduced because lower purchasing power into reduced demand results in low revenues from value added tax (Mankiw, 2011). Decrease in tax has the effect of increasing households’ money reserves from both direct and indirect taxes. A decrease in direct tax results in higher income and a decrease in indirect taxes leads to lower commodity prices that allows for more savings by households. The effects of reduced tax on households also mean their increased purchasing power that suggests an increase in sales and revenues among businesses. The government however losses revenues that it would however earn at higher taxes (Mankiw, 2011). Purchasing groceries has no net economic flow between households and businesses because it is a mere exchange of equivalent values between the two parties. Money, however, flows from both businesses and households to the government in taxes (Mankiw, 2011). Lowering taxes identifies a virtual transfer of

Different Societies have Different Moral Codes and Ethics Essay

Different Societies have Different Moral Codes and Ethics - Essay Example Therefore, ethics is the main framework that guides actions of people in the society since it encompasses the actions that people should do or avoid doing.1 People’s concepts of ethics are acquired from religion, philosophy and culture, and the three will establish the ethical standards of any community. Different communities will have different ethical standards, and this bring the question of if ethics is relative to society and that there is no basis for saying that acts are right or wrong, independent of what this or that culture says. Cultural Relativism Mary Midgely explains that people find it hard to understand the moral values of other cultures since they will have different values. For example, in Africa, some communities practice female circumcision and the belief is that all women should undergo this procedure. However, this is exceedingly rejected by other communities, and in the United States, this is strictly prohibited. She explains that people need to understa nd their own culture in order to appreciate what their own culture expects them to do. The ethical standards in a community will be guided by the values that custom has placed on society. However, since there are societal disorders, some people deviate from the customs and this cause the evils in the society. On this basis, cultural relativism explains that the meritorious deeds are those that a majority of people in society approves. For this reason, morality is a product of culture since it will determine what people approve of or do not accept. Proposers of cultural relativism argue that there is no basis for deciding good or evil and that the cultural perspective will determine what is right and what is wrong.2 Since different cultures will have varied opinions, the decision of what is wrong and what is right by viewing different cultures is an issue of significant concern, as no group of people will let go of their heritage to take up another one. Therefore, cultural relativism threatens harmony among people of different cultures since the different groups of people will have varied values, which will dictate how they associate with one another. It creates the notion that there is no other way of determining good or bad other than the cultural beliefs f people. Cultural relativism will make people judge one another on the grounds of their cultural practices, and this may bring a lot of disorderliness in the society. Since the values of different cultures are diverse, finding one central procedure for judging actions becomes hard when cultural relativism comes into play. Conducts that are appreciated by one culture may not be accepted by another culture, and the idea of defining morals by considering the cultural beliefs of people will not be instrumental in making judgments of good and bad. Since ethics is concerned with what other people will say about their actions, there needs to be a universal procedure for determining what is right or evil. Relying o n culture to decide this will bring a lot of controversy as people will have varied moral codes depending on their heritage. Edward Westermarck in his book the sources of moral ideas explains that ethics is a normative science used to formulate the validity of the actions people do. In this regard, he explains that deciding what is good or bad cannot merely be judged by what people think. Therefore, judging actions by what a certain

Language Learning, Bilingualism and Assimilation Research Paper

Language Learning, Bilingualism and Assimilation - Research Paper Example One of the major factors that has seen the growth of multilingualism, is the ease of access to information as made possible by the establishment and growing use of the Internet. Indeed people are today getting more exposed to a variety of languages which has in essenc also triggered the need to learn new languages. Some quarters have argued that the learning of second languages has is associated with assimilation. This paper will argue that the learning of a second language is not necessarily part of assimilation. In spite of the potential differences in meaning of the terms bilingual and multilingual and their derivatives, this paper will use the two interchangeably. Every human society or culture communicates to a large extent through spoken word. What this means that language has played and continues to play a major role in communication. One may wonder how much backward the world would be without language. Arguably, the world would have developed faster if all humans used the sam e language to communicate. Although this is not the case, it is evident that humans are trying to overcome communication barriers by learning new languages and cultures. Bilingualism has beome a ommon phenomenon with many countries introducing foreign languages in school curricular. The spoken or written word is today more appreciated that ever before especilly considering the effects of successful and unsuccessful negotiations. Indeed, the power of language and word is beyond desription. Multilingualism The definition of the term multilingual is subject to much debate. While some scholars argue that a multilingual person is one who can passively or actively ommunicate in a language different from their first language. Others however argue that a multilingual person must acquire a first language during childhood through formal education (Kaplan 12). There are cases where a person learns two languages simulteneously which essentially makes one a simulteneous bilingual. Yet again, oth er sholars argue that a multilingual speaker is one who can accurately communicate in a second language almost as much as they an speak in their native language or mother tongue. People learn different languages in different ways according to Wolff (11). While some may acquire a new language during childhood by interacting with people who speak the second language, others learn by attending formal education (The Linguistic Society of America 2). A child may learn to speak two languages if both their parents speak different languages or if their signifiant others consistently communicate with them in the second language. In the United States of America, for example, most bilingual people are either immigrants or hildren of immigrants as noted by Richard and Victor (67). It is common to find an American child speaking English while in school and their mother tongue when at home. This also applies to other countries. While people can also learn a new language in old age, it is a fact t hat it becomes more difficult to acquire the new language as much as a native speaker as age progresses. The learning of a new language depends to some extent on the similarity between the two languages. Languages that are cloely related or that have similar syntax are easier to learn compared to their counterparts. Yet again, second language learning depends to a great extent on the urrent knowledge and previous experience of the learner in relation to the new language. Advantages and Disadvantages of Multilingualism Although many people

Different Societies have Different Moral Codes and Ethics Essay

Different Societies have Different Moral Codes and Ethics - Essay Example Therefore, ethics is the main framework that guides actions of people in the society since it encompasses the actions that people should do or avoid doing.1 People’s concepts of ethics are acquired from religion, philosophy and culture, and the three will establish the ethical standards of any community. Different communities will have different ethical standards, and this bring the question of if ethics is relative to society and that there is no basis for saying that acts are right or wrong, independent of what this or that culture says. Cultural Relativism Mary Midgely explains that people find it hard to understand the moral values of other cultures since they will have different values. For example, in Africa, some communities practice female circumcision and the belief is that all women should undergo this procedure. However, this is exceedingly rejected by other communities, and in the United States, this is strictly prohibited. She explains that people need to understa nd their own culture in order to appreciate what their own culture expects them to do. The ethical standards in a community will be guided by the values that custom has placed on society. However, since there are societal disorders, some people deviate from the customs and this cause the evils in the society. On this basis, cultural relativism explains that the meritorious deeds are those that a majority of people in society approves. For this reason, morality is a product of culture since it will determine what people approve of or do not accept. Proposers of cultural relativism argue that there is no basis for deciding good or evil and that the cultural perspective will determine what is right and what is wrong.2 Since different cultures will have varied opinions, the decision of what is wrong and what is right by viewing different cultures is an issue of significant concern, as no group of people will let go of their heritage to take up another one. Therefore, cultural relativism threatens harmony among people of different cultures since the different groups of people will have varied values, which will dictate how they associate with one another. It creates the notion that there is no other way of determining good or bad other than the cultural beliefs f people. Cultural relativism will make people judge one another on the grounds of their cultural practices, and this may bring a lot of disorderliness in the society. Since the values of different cultures are diverse, finding one central procedure for judging actions becomes hard when cultural relativism comes into play. Conducts that are appreciated by one culture may not be accepted by another culture, and the idea of defining morals by considering the cultural beliefs of people will not be instrumental in making judgments of good and bad. Since ethics is concerned with what other people will say about their actions, there needs to be a universal procedure for determining what is right or evil. Relying o n culture to decide this will bring a lot of controversy as people will have varied moral codes depending on their heritage. Edward Westermarck in his book the sources of moral ideas explains that ethics is a normative science used to formulate the validity of the actions people do. In this regard, he explains that deciding what is good or bad cannot merely be judged by what people think. Therefore, judging actions by what a certain

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System of Inquiry Essay Example for Free

System of Inquiry Essay In an age where truth is relative and compromise is the norm , where people are afraid to take a stand on the thorny issues like Bioethics , Euthanasia , Racism , Abortion etc that clutter our daily horizons – it’s high time now to face these vexing issues boldly and set – up a firmer Code of Ethics at the conscious level of a human . No matter how many laws you make but unless it is dwelled at the conscious level it won’t be that effective ; as ethics is not limited to specific acts and defined moral codes , but encompasses the whole of moral ideals and behaviours – a person’s philosophy of life to be precise . A high performing compliance and ethics program is best organized as an integrated capability assigned to the individuals with overall accountability. As far as the ethics in the system of inquiry goes – reflection , decision making under circumstances of complexity , skills of analysis , synthesis and evaluation as well as communication skills are some of the hallmarks. An ethical system of inquiry program supports the organization’s business objectives, identifies the Ethical and legal boundaries to establish an alert management system. Once an issue is detected, management must be prepared to respond quickly and appropriately . It will enable the organization to better prevent, detect and respond to similar problems in the future. An effective systems of enquiry should include reasoning and conclusions that can be reduced to a form that can be effectively communicated plus a systematic approach that goes a long way in handling any sort of inquiry. Appreciative Inquiry seeks what is right in an organization. It is a habit of mind, heart, and imagination that searches for the success, the life-giving force, the incidence of joy. Every system of inquiry needs to be ethical and ethics is not the same as feelings. Feelings provide important information for our ethical choices. Some people have highly developed habits that make them feel bad when they do something wrong, but many people feel good even though they are doing something wrong. And often our feelings will tell us it is uncomfortable to do the right thing if it is hard. Ethics is not religion. Many people are not religious, but ethics applies to everyone. Most religions do advocate high ethical standards but sometimes do not address all the types of problems we face. Ethics is not following the law. A good system of inquiry does incorporate many ethical standards, but law can deviate from what is ethical. Law can become ethically corrupt, as some totalitarian regimes have made it. Law can be a function of power alone and designed to serve the interests of narrow groups. Law may have a difficult time designing or enforcing standards in some important areas and may be slow to address new problems. A robust system of inquiry should have mechanisms for making good ethical decisions which further requires a trained sensitivity to ethical issues and a practiced method for exploring the ethical aspects of a decision and weighing the considerations that should impact our choice of a course of action. Having a method for ethical decision making is absolutely essential. When practiced regularly, the method becomes so familiar that we work through it automatically without consulting the specific steps. The more novel and difficult the ethical choice we face, the more we need to rely on discussion with others about the dilemma. Its only by careful exploration of the problem, aided by the insights and different perspectives of others, can we make good ethical choices in such situations. Work ethics is relative to the time period in which it is measured and the variables are not independently predictive. We must redefine work ethics to reflect the attitudes, desires, and behaviors of today’s employed if we are to develop pedagogy that will foster changes in worker behavior that will be sustained as situations change. Most contemporary research focuses on teaching skills and knowledge, and not attitudes. Work-related social skills and habits are the most important entry-level skills sought in employees. As business, industry, and education face challenges to produce workers and students who perform at optimum levels, all are faced with the issue of the work ethics. Nearly all discussions with emphasis of linking or improving businesses and education captures work ethic somewhere in the discourse. Underlying questions concerning work ethics is the development of an acceptable definition that is current with today’s environment, the determination of whether work ethics is a teachable characteristic, and the development of acceptable and practical pedagogy.

Big five personality inventory with academic success

Big five personality inventory with academic success Many validation studies have been performed to test the validity of the Big 5 personality inventory with academic success and performance as well as which personality is predictor of good grades. In particular studies have found that contentiousness and openness especially correlated with academic performance. This essay will examine and evaluate the usefulness of the big 5 personality inventory and will be discussing its validity and implications. Conscientiousness personality traits lead students to be organised, disciplined and motivated to succeed. This in turn has a positive effect on their ability to study and on their effort and commitment they put into their work (Maltby et al 2007 p.387) a trait referring to individuals level of dutifulness, achievement striving and organization. Bratko, Chamorro-Premuzic Saks (2006) also have documented and argued that the Importance of Conscientiousness in educational settings is self-explanatory: Being organized, disciplined and motivate d to succeed has no doubt beneficial effects on students study habits, affecting their level of effort and commitment with the course (Bratko, Chamorro-Premuzic Saks 2006). Research indicates that the Big Five Traits (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Conscientiousness and Agreeableness) reflect core aspects of humans personality and have strong influences on behaviour (Costa McCrae 1992 in Komarraju Karau 2005). Conscientiousness has consistently and positively predicted examination performance as well as grade point average and academic success. Openness is positively related to final grades with high scorers using learning strategies that emphasize critical thinking. Neuroticism is related to reduced- academic performance. Agreeableness is positively associated with grades. Entwistle and Entwistle (1970 in ibid) found that stable introverts using good study methods achieved higher performance than extroverts or emotionally unstable students, whereas Furnham and Medhurst (19 95 in ibid) showed a significant positive correlation between sociability and performance in a seminar class (Komarraju Karau 2005). Paunonen Nicol (2001 in Durham 2004) found the Big Five traits among the significant predictors of grade point average (GPA) in a population of college students. Similarly, Lounsbury, Loveland, Sundstorm Gibson (2003 in Durham 2004) found that Big Five traits significantly predicted cumulative GPA among adolescents in high school and middle school. Lounsbury et al (2003 in Durham 2004) found that the Big Five constructs of conscientiousness, openness and agreeableness were positively related to course grades and grade point average. Durham (2004) therefore argues that these results suggest that students who are more open to new learning, discovery and exploration, higher on self control. More orderly, higher of achievement striving and lower on anxiety, impulsivity, hostility, and vulnerability will have higher GPA. Durham (2004) furthers his argume nt by saying that students who sit in the front of the class (conscientiousness) prepare their assignments (conscientiousness), follow the directions given (agreeableness) and ask questions (openness) and usually better students; high levels of openness, conscientiousness and agreeableness and low levels of neuroticism are an ideal combination (Durham, 2004) Hypothesis The hypothesis of this literature review is that Big 5 personality traits of Openness, contentiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism are significantly related to academic performance and predicting grades. There have been many studies documented which have investigated the relationship of the five personality traits namely, openness, contentiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism with academic achievement. For example, in studying the relationship between the big five personality traits and academic performance, Komarraju Karau (2005) developed the following specific hypotheses. First, as Neuroticism is characterized by emotional distress and poor impulse control (Komarraju Karau 2005), Komarraju Karau (2005) expected students high in Neuroticism to have difficulty in coping with academic challenges and dealing with setbacks. There, Komarraju Karau (2005) predicted that Neuroticism would be positively related with the academic motivation factors of debilitating anxiety, withdrawing, disliking school, and discouraged about school. Extraverted individuals are warm, socially-oriented, and assertive (Komarraju Karau 2005). Agreeable individuals tend to be trusting and co operative, and may be receptive to collaborative learning (Komarraju Karau 2005). Therefore, Komarraju Karau (2005) predicted that Extraversion and Agreeableness would both be positively related with approval and affiliating motives. Komarraju Karau (2005) argue that because assertiveness is an element of Extraversion they predicted that Extraversion would be related with influencing motives. Individuals high in Openness seek novel experiences, are intellectually curious, and may be more receptive to novel educational experiences Komarraju Karau (2005). The researchers therefore predicted that Openness would be positively related with thinking and desire for self improvement. Finally, conscientious individuals are generally organized, disciplined, and hard working, and have been found to achieve greater academic success (Komarraju Karau 2005). Therefore, the researchers predicted that Conscientiousness would be positively related with persisting, achieving, and desire for self- improvement. Komarraju Karau (2005) found that avoidance was positively related with both Neuroticism and Extraversion, and was negatively related with both Conscientiousness and Openness, with Neuroticism explaining the most variance. Komarraju Karau (2005) argue that these results may suggest that neurotic students tend to avoid many aspects of academic life and view education as a means to an end rather than an intrinsically fulfilling enterprise. Similarly, Komarraju Karau (2005) argue that extraverts may be more concerned with social aspects of college life. In contrast, conscientious and open students are less likely to be avoidant in their motivation. Komarraju Karau (2005) found that students with higher levels of Openness and Extraversion were more engaged in learning, with Openness explaining the most variance. Komarraju Karau (2005) further their argument by saying this suggests that students who are sociable and enjoy exposure to new ideas are likely to be engaged i n the educational experience and may benefit from discussion and interactive learning. Finally, Komarraju Karau (2005) found that students who were more conscientious, neurotic, and open to experience scored higher on achievement with Conscientiousness explaining the most variance. Komarraju Karau (2005) argue that these results suggest that students who are responsible and intellectually curious may be more achievement oriented, hard-working, and competitive. Komarraju Karau (2005) noted that neuroticism was related with achievement, and this relation between Neuroticism and achievement may be because of compulsive preparation Komarraju Karau (2005). Correlation of subjective responses and objective assessment and confirmation of the validity of conscientiousness trait with relation to academic achievement Discussion section There may be narrower personality traits that could add to the incremental validity of the Big 5 inventory with relation to academic success and predicting grades for example. Lounsbury, Sundstorm, Loveland Gibson (2003) investigated and examined the narrow traits in addition to the Big Five in predicting academic success among adolescents. Lounsbury et al (2003) investigated individual grade point average (GPA) and scores from the Adolescent Personal Style Inventory among 220 seventh-graders and 290 tenth-graders, including agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, extraversion, and openness, plus four narrow traits, aggression, optimism, tough-mindedness, and work drive. Lounsbury et al (2003) found that all traits correlated significantly (P The validity and reliability of the NEO PIR in terms applicability: discussing the issue for the professional development of the teacher in schools and also for the positive feedback and educational development of the child, analysing the practicality of the learning style Personality tests that are to predict academic achievement and success are not only for the professional development of the teacher, lecturer but also for the personal and educational development of the student or pupil at school or university. These personality tests therefore they need to be such that the teacher and student can interact with them for the teacher to perhaps to alter his or her teaching style and approach and more so for the student to be aware of his or her subjective and predominate learning style and how these are contributing to many cognitive aspects such as information processing, retention of information, memory or indeed knowledge acquisition. Research has testified that from the NEO PIR the trait that is predominately applicable is conscientiousness as we have seen, although the other four have also contributory effects for academic achievement, however the practicality of using it may still be questionable because if the trait of conscientiousness is the p redictor of academic success then will it be easy for the student to develop these traits within him. How easy will it be for the teachers to aid and support the students in developing a conscientiousness personality is questionable. An easier way for both the student to understand for his or her own academic development and also for the teacher to support the student may be through the education of personal learning styles. Learning styles in particular is a model which pinpoints and highlights the cognitive abilities necessary for learning, which is a cognitive process. The tools of learning style can enable the student to completely understand which styles may aid him or her and according to that style of learning, the teacher will be able to help and support the student developing a interactional system between the teacher and the student in an academic environment and discussing cognitive variables in relation to learning styles rather than broad personality traits which maybe far difficult to generalize towards the students learning process. Therefore learning style approach and assessment may not only be a cognitive and academic achievement predictor most importantly on the basis of individual differences but this will enable both the teacher and student to interact with them for the professional development of the teacher and for the academic and cognitive development of learner. A well known and documented approach to learning is presented by Kolb (1984 in Maltby 2007) in which he discusses the learning processes such as concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization and active experimentation. Other than the Big Five traits of conscientiousness, openness, agreeableness, extraversion and neuroticism, there are other traits or, motivation related traits as argued by Lounsbury (2003 in Durham 2004) which can add incremental and predictive validity to the NEO personality inventory in the domains of education success. For example, Lounsbury (2003) found that traits such as aggression, optimism tough mindedness and work drive can not only significantly correlate with grade point average but moreover add incremental validity to the existing NEO Five. (Durham, 2004) In line with Lounsbury (2003) Durham (2004) is also for the inclusion of the factors of aggression, optimism and tough mindedness. Durham (2004) argues that these traits of optimism, aggression and tough mindedness could be better predictors of academic performance and grade point average. Optimism, Durham (2004) argues is a tendency to maintain positive expectations about the future and Prola and Stern (1984 in Durham 2004) found positive correlations between optimism and grade point average. Optimism is an important assessment because it influences task-orientated behaviours (Durham 2004). With regards to conscientiousness there will a consensus that it is correlated with academic achievement and performance through Meta analysis and self and other assessed approaches, however with regards to openness, although it has been acknowledged that it refers to academic intelligence, agreeableness, neuroticism, extraversion there is far lesser consensus how it refers and relates to academic achievement. For example Bratko, Chamorro-Premuzic Saks (2006) have found that some argue that high neuroticism is detrimental for academic performance on school examinations but others suggests that higher levels of worry and perfectionism that characterize neurotic individuals may lead to better and higher performance. The trait of extraversion is also debated with academic achievement as some have argued of negative correlation and other have argued of positive correlation (Bratko et al 2006). Bratko et al (2006) also argue that alternative explanations indicate in the direction of deve lopmental changes in the ability-extraversion correlation, such that brighter individuals become more introverted over time. Some traits of the BIG 5 such as extraversion, conscientiousness and openness which all relate to motivation, striving and academic self fulfilment have been correlated with certain measures but have not been correlated with other measures such as the IQ tests. Psychologists have argues that the NEO Big 5 personality inventory predominately reflects a persons motivation and in particular motivation to self actualise in academic domains but does not take into consideration specific academic cognitive abilities which is predominately related and correlated with academic success and achievement. For example, Ones Schmidt Viswesvaran 1993 (in Gagner Pere 2001) have established no correlation between motivational factors and IQ ability for academic progress. The psychologists argue that the tests such as the NEO PIR which may measure or take into consideration the motivation factor of conscientiousness and disregard cognitive abilities may not be highly valid in predicting achievement in comparison to higher validity and reliability of cognitive and IQ measures of predicting achievement, and the results obtained from an IQ test maybe useful for the professional development of the teacher with relation developing cognitive constructs of the child such as numeracy but also important for the development of the learner to know which areas in academia need to be concentrated upon. Gagner Pere (2001) assessed the unique contribution of motivation to academic achievement. Over 200 high school students completed two IQ tests and three motivation and conscientiousness related measures twice during a semester. The results revealed that IQ and motivation were not correlated; cognitive abilities were by far the best predictor of school achievement. The psychologists argue that these results question the belief of most educators about the crucial role of motivation as a determinant of scholastic achievement these findings may in invite the educators to not only consider moti vation and conscientiousness as an important factor of achievement but to also concentrate on the cognitive abilities of the learner and ways to enhance them perhaps by working with the learning style of the learner considering the VAK (the visual, auditory or kinaesthetic individual differences) and modifying educational resources to support all types of learners and by working within the unique learning style of the individual with the belief that by working within the cognitive framework of the individual this will improve the cognitive performance and abilities of the learner such as problem solving, information processing, logical and rational thinking which will enhance the IQ and therefore academic achievement. Komarraju Karau (2005) also acknowledge that students who are taught in a way that matches their learning style and ability are likely to achieve at higher levels. In light of the findings that there are less or no correlations of motivational factors such as conscien tiousness with academic progress Bratko et al (2006) argue that empirically, evidence is mixed with some studies indicating personality has incremental validity over ability in the prediction of academic progress but others showing it doesnt (Bratko et al 2006). Bratko et al (2006) also argue that personality inventories such as the NEO PIR use self ratings of traits. Whilst Bratko et al (2006) acknowledge and argue that most investigators have used self report personality inventories and academic progress as they are convenient and because they believe that people have a unique perspective of their own experiences and history of behaviour, however Bratko et al (2006) also maintain that self ratings can be inaccurate because people may present themselves in an unrealistically positive light or their position of an actor can bias their perception of their own consistent personality attributes other-rating data can be less susceptible to distortions caused by defensiveness and self-pr esentational strategies (Bratko et al 2006). As studies have shown that peer-ratings consistently show a substantial correlation with self rating data and their validity widely demonstrated (Bratko et al 2006), Bratko et al (2006) suggest that adding to peer-rating to self-rating can enhance the incremental validity of personality tests such as the NEO PIR further. Although some studies did not find a link between motivation and academic achievement some other studies did. For example Komarraju Karau (2005) investigated the relationship between personality characteristics and academic motivation. Their research examined the link between the Big Five personality traits and individual differences in college students academic motivation. Students were asked to complete the NEO Five Factor Inventory and the Academic Motivations inventory and the facets of both the academic motivations inventory and NEO big Five were correlated together which supports their academic motivation hypothesi s and its importance with success (Komarraju Karau 2005). This study not only indicated the importance of administering tests to examine academic motivations with relation to individual differences but also confirms the validity and reliability of the NEO Big Five. Personality or intelligence tests: independence of personality tests from intelligence: understanding the correlations of ability intelligence tests and personality tests Although studies have testified to the theory that measure of intelligence is valid and reliable for prediction of academic achievement some other studies have discovered the importance of personality tests independently from intelligence which adds to the validity and reliability of personality testing in relation to academic performance and achievement. For example Bratko et al (2006) analysed the relationship of self and other-assessed personality with school grades in 255 pupils. Conscientiousness was the strongest personality correlate of school grades for both self and peer-ratings. That is, the scores of self-rating and peer-rating for conscientiousness significantly correlated. It was interesting to discover that grades were negatively correlated with self assessed extraversion and emotional stability (neuroticism) and positively correlated with peer-ratings of autonomy. When cognitive ability was partialled out correlations between personality and school grades showed little change indicating that the effects of personality on academic performance was independent of intelligence. The investigators not only argue of the independence of personality to academic performance and therefore stressing its validity in domains of education but also argue that self ratings had only marginal incremental validity (3%) over peer-ratings in predicting school grades while incremental validity of peer-over self -rating was larger (9%). Therefore this study supports the notion that testing personality in domains of education and academic performance is indeed valid. In this study the self-rated assessment or rating compared to the peer-rated (observer) assessment and rating is thought provoking because there was a difference in both ratings and their correlations significances. In the study of Bratko et al (2006) noted that the relationship between. In the study Bratko et al (2006) found that the predictive power of conscientiousness increased substantially when assesse d by peer ratings as opposed to self-rating and there Bratko et (2006) argue that this suggests that socially desirable responding may undermine that validity of self rated conscientiousness. Their results also indicated that combining measures of conscientiousness with intelligence are likely to be advantageous when it comes to predicting academic progress (Bratko et al 2006). Bratko et al also argue that students may also want to look conscientious and autonomous in the eyes of personality tests and therefore Bratko et al (2006) recommend that investigators include social desirability alongside both peer and self-ratings of personality to explore determinants of success and failure (Bratko et al 2006). Another way to avoid distortion and therefore validity in applied educational settings is for participants to respond anonymously possibly by mail as argued by Schinka (1997). Schinka (1997) suggests that these techniques of anonymity will minimize conscious motivation to distort pe rsonality profiles. Psychologists studied how the Big Five personality traits may relate to individual differences in academic motivation. Alongside the achievement and academic success, motivation is very important to reach academic success and this area also needs to be considered for students. Komarraju Karau (2005) also reflect upon an interesting meta-analysis in support of the personality tests such as the NEO PIR for academic performance and success as well as for convergent and predictive validity. For example, Komarraju Karau (2005) argue that Ackerman and Heggestad (1997 in Komarraju Karau 2005) found some modest relationships between personality and intellectual ability measures. In their study Openness was positively related to intellectual ability, whereas Neuroticism was negatively related to intellectual ability. Komarraju Karau (2005) argue that these investigators concluded that intellectual abilities, interests and personality are interrelated and that intellectual ability level an d personality traits determine success. The validity of personality tests and their application in academic prediction of ethnic and culturally different students Durham (2004) acknowledges that studies have established differences in the scores between African American Students and White students on personality measures, as well as in the educational domains including. Ethnic students bring their values and in particular ethnic values to the learning environment. Therefore, when assessing personality and correlating with grade point average it is important to consider and acknowledge different cultural and racial differences which may affect an individuals learning style and development (Durham 2004). Therefore, generalising the significances of the results on populations this issue also needs to be considered thoroughly. Durham (2004) argues if there are differences in the personality traits scores of black and white students the applicability of these assessments to ethnic populations in doubt. Using the MMPI may be appropriate for use with ethnic and racial students The validity and reliability of the NEO-PIR or Big Five inventory and its applicability across races and cultures Worrell Cross (2004) investigated the reliability and validity of Big Five Inventory scores in a sample of African American college students as performed on the Big Five Inventory. The investigators discovered that reliable measures could be developed from the Adjective Q -sort and that there are no perceived predictive validity differences between White and Black students using the NEO PIR (Worrell Cross 2004) The use of other measures especially the inclusion and applicability of the Assessment of Academic Self concept and motivation (AASM) Assessment of Academic Self concept and motivation was developed according to the motivational systems theory. The uniqueness of this assessment is that it postulates that motivation is the patterns of gaols, emotions and personal agency beliefs (self -concept) which is consistent with the socio-cognitive theory of personality development proposed by Albert Bandura. Durham (2004) argues that this model and assessment four aspects of self concept- ability, environmental responsiveness, control and value or importance it also assess four dimensions of the education environment: cognitive, social extracurricular and personal (Durham, 2004) validation studies have been performed by Rouse Cashin (2000 in Durham 2004) and have found support for this assessment as well. Durham (2004) argues of the advantages of this measure with ethnic clients because it measures internal locus of control and the motivation aspect can measure academic success. With regards to values and race and cultural d ifferences, John (1989 in Goldberg 1998) examined judges classifications of the 300 terms in the Adjective Check list into the Big Five Categories to examine its validity and argues that traditional values and individuation/ autonomy adjectives closely related to the persons self -concept and cultural determinants may lie outside the Big Five. Goldberg (1998) argues that other personality factors that are not included inside the Big Five are religiousness, sexuality, introspectiveness, maturity, gender roles thrift and suppression and repression (Goldberg 1998). As there lays other aspects beyond the Big Five it would be interesting to see these influences for academic achievement as well. Paunonen Jackson (2000) had also investigated into the NEO PIR and the Big Five traits and after a thorough investigation and analysis they found that a) Religious, devout, reverent b) sly, deceptive manipulative c) honest, ethical moral d) conservative, traditional, down-to-earth e) egotistical, conceited, snobbish and f) thrill seeking behaviours were independent from the Big Five Factors as they did not correlate. This finding is important to establish the internal consistency validity and what differences it would make if these traits are also examined along with cultural values as discussed to evaluate the impact it has on education success and achievement because these traits such as masculinity-femininity, religiosity, are also determinants of human behaviour and also academic motivation. These recommendations will improve the internal consistency of the NEO PIR personality assessment as argued by Paunonen Jackson (2000)

Toys :: essays research papers

Toys"R"Us INTRODUCTION In this assignment I have chosen to focus on explaining what kind of company Toys"R"Us is, giving a brief, short summary of the firms history, their corporate responsibilities, what their competitive advantages are and how they implement their strategies through retailing and merchandise. I also found it relevant to explain the market situation in the toy-industry and what the trends are, for understanding what other difficulties that are important to consider in order to survive. SHORT HISTORY In 1948, a company which totally dedicated themselves to children and their needs, was formed by Charles Lazarus in Washington DC. This was a perfect timing in relation to the post-war baby boom period, the demand for accessories for children was high, and the main purpose for the company was to carry furniture for babies. After some time, he heard customers saying phrases like "I need a toy for my baby", so he began selling toys aswell. Mr.Lanzarus tried to give his customers what they wanted he understood early that this was the best way to keep his customers. In 1957, he opened his first toy supermarket, and with specialized retailing and the off-price positioning, he revolutionized the concepts in the pre-mall and discount days. After this success, he sold his business to Interstate, which later went bankrupt. Mr.Lazarus rejoined the company and made it profitable, and in 1978 it became a public company; Toys"R"Us,Inc. DIVISION OF THE COMPANY Today, Toys"R"Us is a $11 billion dollar company and they have over 1500 stores over the whole world. The company is divided into six different divisions: Toys"R"Us US Strongly focuses on strengthening the shopping experience by providing better service and better merchandise. There are around 680 locations of Toys R Us in the US. Toys"R"Us International Is licensed, franchised and operated through over 570 locations in 29 countries outside the US Kids"R"Us Consists of more than 375 locations where children ´s clothing and toys are all under one roof, and oughts to offer all of the latest fashions and of course high quality merchandise. Imaginarium Toysrus.com Developed in alliance with Amazon.com in order to offer an online shopping service. Babies"R"Us Offers everything parents need for their babies, like furniture, bedding, car seats etc. All products can be purchased under one roof By organizing their organization into these different divisions, it gives them a competitive advantage because it makes it easier to focus in the certain areas. These divisions are very different from each other, and needs specialization in all the different aspects.

Az Pride :: essays research papers

AZ PRIDE STREET CLOSURE: Central Avenue from Osborn to Thomas Road will be completely closed to traffic at 7:00am on Saturday, April 21. This will allow us to mark off the street for entries. STAGING BEGINS: Entries may begin entering the staging area at 7:30am. If you have a vehicle there prior to 7:30am, please stay on a side street or parking lot before checking with the volunteers up near Osborn & receiving your POSITION CARD. ALL ENTRIES CHECK-IN: 7:30am to 9:30am on the corner of Earll & Central. Please make arrangements to check-in, and have your entire entry on-site and ready to march by 9:30am.Step Off will be promptly at 10:00am. We will not have time for check-in after 9:30am. OFFICIAL ENTRY NUMBERS: We are NOT assigning entry numbers in advance this year. You will receive your official entry number at "Parade Check-In" that morning. There will be a large (poster-size) line-up list and diagram posted at the corner of Earll & Central (the street entrance into Park Central). Walking participants can check there to see where their group is lined up. You MUST display your OFFICIAL ENTRY NUMBER to the judges as you pass By them. So have someone display it on the left side of your entry. ALL VEHICLES/FLOATS: (PRE-STAGING & STAGING) (Unless you have been specifically instructed otherwise.) Enter parade PRE-STAGING from Osborn, turning south onto Central Avenue. Stop there to check with the parade volunteers (in bright ORANGE t-shirts) stationed in that vicinity, to receive your position in the staging area & to receive your POSITION CARD. Then look for other volunteers further down Central in your particular staging areas For more detailed directions. ABSOLUTELY DO NOT ENTER STAGING AREA WITHOUT A POSITION CARD! JUDGING: Will take place again this year along the parade route. Winners will be announced at the Festival Main Stage at approximately 1:00pm. TICKET SALES: Will be available near the check-in table on Saturday morning for $10.00 per ticket. Have any of your participants that don't already have a ticket buy them there & they will save some time & standing in line at the Festival admission gates. Information to pass on to your friends & family who will be watching along the parade route: There will be personnel along the parade route (probably towards McDowell) selling Festival admission tickets for $10.00. Hopefully this may alleviate some of the bottleneck that immediately follows the parade for admissions.

Health and Social Care induction Booklet

Check these details with the people you care for and stick to them. Rights We all have rights and just because we can no longer kick after our selves this goes not mean all our rights disappear, the right to go to bed when we want. The right to decide what to wear and which room we want to sit in. Choice If you were unable to choose anything for yourself ask yourself would you be happy if these choices were taken away from you! The answer I'm sure is no! Then why would the people you are caring for be any different. Rivalry If everyone just walked into your house without asking would you be happy, NO. Knock on the door before entering a room; make sure the door is closed when carrying out personal hygiene. Protect the private information Of the people you care for as if it was yours. Independence Allow the people you care for to do things for themselves, you are there to support them to be independent Dignity To treat someone with dignity is to treat them as being of importance, in a way that is considerate of their diversity, as valued individuals.When dignity is present people feel in control, valued, confident, comfortable and able to make decisions for themselves. Respect Respect involves valuing the people you care for, acknowledging their value. This will express itself in certain behaviors for example extending common oratories, expressing concern for others and their well-being taking their feelings and experiences seriously. The Guidance and standards that is relevant to your role – Human Rights Act There are 16 basic rights in the Human Rights Act. Each one is called an Article.They are all taken from the European Convention on Human Rights. They affect everybody. They are also about your rights in everyday life. What you can say and do. Your beliefs. The right to life Freedom from being tortured or killed The right to marry and a family life The right to liberty and security Freedom of expression Protection from discrimination in respect of th ese rights and freedoms UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Protects the rights of all children to an education, to be healthy, to a childhood, to be treated fairly and to be heard.These included the ‘Right to life The right to family life It forbids capital punishment General Social Care Council Code of Practice Provides a clear guide, for those who work, in health and social care. Setting out the standards of practice, responsibilities and conduct for employees and their employers to follow. Employee should- Protect the rights of the service userRespect the rights of the service user Promote the independence of the service user Establish and maintain Be accountable and take responsibility for your actions Employers should- Ensure that the people they employ are suitable and understand their role and responsibility Provide appropriate training and development for their employees to strengthen their skills Have policies and procedures in place to cover any dangerous or di scriminatory behavior Nursing and Midwifery Council code of Practice You must make the care of the person you care for your primary concern.You have a duty of care always to them. You are personally accountable for your actions or inactions in your work life always. Valuing and Respecting Service Users Values guide the way we live our lives and the decisions we make. A value is defined as something that we hold dear, those characters or behaviors which we consider to be of importance. Everyone has the right to be valued and respected for their own individuality. We should take the service user's feelings, needs, thoughts, ideas, wishes and preferences into consideration. It means taking all of these seriously and giving them worth and value.Giving money respect seems similar to valuing them and their thoughts, feelings, etc. It also includes acknowledging them, listening to them, being truthful with them, and accepting their individuality and differences. Treat others how you would want yourself or a relative to be treated. Valuing Adults Listen to the service user, ask them what they want and how they want to do it, then help them to achieve it. Do not automatically do things for the service user; allow them to do things for themselves and aide when required Be flexible allow service user to decide when they want to do things such as eating, going to bed, getting up.Valuing children Acknowledge them When you communicate with a child come down to their level Treat them as equals Encourage them to do things for themselves Be patient The importance of a person-centered approach is to ensure the service user is thought of first before anyone else. Also it makes sure that the knowledge that a service user has about what they want and need, then provides information about what is the best thing to do. As a career you should focus on the wants, wishes and needs of the service user.