The 21st Century Management Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The 21st Century Management Practice - Essay Example It includes holistic thinking as borrowed from disciplines such as sociology, biology, natural sciences, and control engineering. Therefore, this was an important course in providing critical systems thinking that brings coherence to varied system approaches, advising managers on their use in an organizational setting. One of the most crucial aspects of management I have learned from this course is that management is political and organizations are political fields. As indicated by Bolman and Deal (2013), managers do not have all the powers they would wish to and as such would have to deal with organizations’ political issues. Successful leaders would use politics for the benefit of the organization. They set the agenda that would address concerns of all stakeholders, map the political terrain to identify power resources, interests and major players and network and build coalitions to influence and facilitate negotiations. Additionally, the political aspects of managers would enable them to make ethical and effective choices and bargain and negotiate to ensure win-win situations (Ferris & Treadway, 2012). I now appreciate political skills as critical skills for successful managers. This is what gets them the desired performance. This acknowledgment of managers as being political further made me understand the perception of organizations as political fields. This is because of the contest among various agendas and interests, with each aimed at a given purpose. Managers have their own agendas which could be to lead the employees successfully and impress the shareholders with better returns on their investments. Shareholders look at an opportunity to make wealth from the organization while employees look at earning a living. Other stakeholders, including debtors, creditors, and advertisers among others, also have their interests in their organizations. With these interests interacting, there tend to be contested, thus the political nature of organizations. Thus, Bolman and Deal (2013) encourage managers to appreciate their role in shaping this political field, the contestants and the way the game would be played. To do so, managers need to be firm and accept conflicts, while attending to ethics and values. Furthermore, I learned that management requires creativity in viewing problems in management and finding ways to resolve them. Through creativity, problems in management would be perceived as being interdependent hence a more wholesome approach to the problem. This allows for a combination of various approaches to solving management problems. It provides a divergent approach to thinking of an organization from that of the hierarchical structure to the adoption of various images representing the organization. These metaphors include organizations as psychic prisons, machines and flux and transformation (Jackson, 2003). Other metaphors include organism, culture, carnivals, instruments of domination and brains. This course provided an insightful understanding of the importance of human resource in an organization. It provided the knowledge of investing in people in an organization through empowering and constantly developing employees. This course also made me appreciate the importance of participation and autonomy of employees in their roles and responsibilities (Bolman & Deal, 2013).

Exploratory Research on Pizza Heaven Essay Example for Free

Exploratory Research on Pizza Heaven Essay 1. Exploratory research is a form of research conducted for a problem that has not been clearly defined. It helps determine the best research design, data collection method and selection of subjects. Even from the definition of exploratory research we can see, that it is done in order to define the problem and to help understand in which direction the further research should go. Exploratory research is preliminary, and is not conclusive, the quality of information provided is not perfect, and also the focus group chosen(40people) was not really representing the whole of the students at West coast. Therefore they should not yet implement the findings, because the data provided by 40 students might not be applicable to all student at West coast. 2. The problem Pizza Heaven has faced is that their sales have slipped. That could be due to competition from national chains such as Pizza Hut or Dominos, so questions about competition should be asked. (Because potential clients might like something about the competitors more e. g.pizza itself, delivery, atmosphere in restaurants) also, they noted that the selection was often poor Sales could have slipped, because of the range of products Pizza Heaven offers, so that topic has to be covered as well, including questions about new possible pizzas. (Because it may be that competitors are offering some types of pizza that Pizza Heaven dont have) A decrease in sales can also be due to poor customer service, so that topic should also be covered. People said that pizzas were usually dry and cold why? maybe delivery took too long, that should be explored in more details. 3. Step One: Establishing the Need for Marketing Research The need is already established, as there is a decrease in sales Step Two: Defining the Problem So the problem is a decrease in sales, due to what ? Step Three: Establishing Research Objectives Hard Competition? Poor range of products? Need better customer service? those are the questions to ask. Step Four: Determining Research Design. Descriptive and Causal Research should be done. Step Five: Identifying Information Types and Sources Primary data should be collected, but also secondary data could be of a little use, for example if the sales dropped overall and not only by Pizza Heaven, due to crisis or some other reason Step Six: Determining Methods of Accessing Data We should have people asking the question, and also questionnaires coming with each pizza could help. Step Seven: Designing Data collection Forms Can be questionnaires(must be worded objectively, clearly, and without bias in order to communicate with respondents), surveys, or both can be done through email (although there is only a 5% response rate) Step Eight: Determining Sample Plan and Size Sample Size should surely be more than 40 people from one location. Also a sample should be representative, e. g. not only student of age 18-20, but also every other age groups. Step Nine: Collecting Data Step Ten: Analyzing Data Step Eleven: Preparing and Presenting the Final Report.

Women in a Mans World in Eliza Fenwicks Secresy :: literature eliza fenwick secresy gothic fiction

Women in a Man's World Eliza Fenwick's Secresy In examining how women fit into the "men's world" of the late eighteenth century, I studied Eliza Fenwick's novel Secresy and its treatment of women, particularly in terms of education. What I found to be most striking in the novel is the clash between two very different approaches to the education of women. One of these, the traditional view, is amply expressed by works such as Jean-Jaques Rousseau's Emile, which states that women have a natural tendency toward obedience and therefore education should be geared to enhance these qualities (Rousseau, pp. 370, 382, 366). Dr. John Gregory's A Father's Legacy to His Daughters also belongs to this school of thought, stating that wit is a woman's "most dangerous talent" and is best kept a well-guarded secret so as not to excite the jealousy of others (Gregory, p. 15). This view, which sees women as morally and intellectually inferior, is expressed in the novel in the character of Mr. Valmont, who incarcerates his orphaned niece in a remote part of his castle. He asserts that he has determined her lot in life and that her only duty is to obey him "without reserve or discussion" (Fenwick, p.55). This oppressive view of education served to keep women subservient by keeping them in an ignorant, child-like state. By denying them access to true wisdom and the right to think, women were reduced to the position of "a timid, docile slave, whose thoughts, will, passions, wishes, should have no standard of their own, but rise, or change or die as the will of the master should require" (Fenwick, 156). Opposing this view is the radical, or feminist, version of education, echoed in the works of such authors as Mary Wollstonecraft and Hester Chapone. Chapone, a member of the feminist bluestockings, writes in her Letters on the Improvement of the Mind, Addressed to a Young Lady that young girls should "seize every opportunity of improvement" through the study of "those persons, and those books, from which you can learn true wisdom." In her Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Mary Wollstonecraft presents the idea that women could be on par with men if they were given an equal education. This idea is clearly expressed in the character of Sibella Valmont, Mr. Valmont's niece, who at one point tells her learned friend, Caroline Ashburn: I feel within the vivifying principle of intellectual life.

From History to Modern Era Essay

The great virtue of this estimate of Zionism is that it seems to succeed in providing the modern movement with a long history of which it is the heir. Zionism is made to stand in an unending line of messianic stirrings and rebellions against an evil destiny which began right after the destruction of the Temple by the Romans, with the Bar Kokba revolt in the next century. This theory highlights the story of frequent â€Å"ascents† of small groups of pietists from the Diaspora to the Holy Land, occurring in every century of the medieval and pre- modern age, as expressions of a main theme — indeed, of the main theme — of â€Å"return,† which gave meaning to Jewish experience in the exile. The bond between the people and its land, which it never gave up hope of resettling, was thus never broken, and Zionism is, therefore, the consummation of Jewish history under the long-awaited propitious circumstances afforded by the age of liberalism and nationalism. Despite its neatness and appeal, this construction, which is chiefly identified with the name of the distinguished Israeli historian, Ben Zion Dinur, must be subjected to serious criticism. In the first place, it is really a kind of synthetic Zionist ideology presented as history. The assumption of being in the midst of an â€Å"end of days,† of a final resolution of the tension between the Jew and the world, is as yet unprovable. To date, even after the creation of the state of Israel, Zionism has neither failed nor succeeded. The position of the Jew is still unique in the world, and only those who are certain that their theories foretell the future can be convinced that, for example, the Diaspora will soon be dissolved. This may, indeed, be true, but an interpretation of the meaning of Zionism in Jewish history which boldly asserts that it must come to pass — as this theory does — is suspect of being doctrinaire. Much more could be said in detail about the implications of this theory that Zionism is Jewish messianism in process of realizing itself through this-worldly means. This description fits that stream of Zionist thought which remained orthodox in religious outlook, and therefore limited its tinkering with the classical messianic conception of the Jewish religion to the question of means; but this thesis pretends to apply to the main body of the movement, and, as such, it is artificial and evasive. What is being obscured is the crucial problem of modern Zionist ideology, the tension between the inherited messianic concept and the radically new meaning that Zionism, at its most modern, was proposing to give it. Zionism: Messianic Era Religious messianism had always imagined the Redemption as a confrontation between the Jew and God. The gentile played a variety of roles in this drama — as chastising rod in the divine hand, as the enemy to be discomfited, or, at very least, as the spectator to pay homage at the end of the play — but none of these parts are indispensable to the plot. In the cutting edge of Zionism, in its most revolutionary expression, the essential dialogue is now between the Jew and the nations of the earth. What marks modern Zionism as a fresh beginning in Jewish history is that its ultimate values derive from the general milieu. The Messiah is now identified with the dream of an age of individual liberty, national freedom, and economic and social justice — i. e. , with the progressive faith of the nineteenth century. This is the true Copernican revolution which modern Zionism announced — and it patently represents a fundamental change not merely in the concept of the means to the Redemption but in end values. Every aspect of Jewish messianism has been completely transmuted by this new absolute. So, classical Judaism had, for the most part, imagined that at some propitious moment an inner turning by the Chosen People would be the preamble to evoking the saving grace of God. Zionism, too, knows that the Jewish people must be remade in order to be redeemed — indeed, its sweeping and passionate demands lent themselves to being spoken in language reminiscent of the prophets — but it is supremely aware that its millennium is out of reach without the assent and co-operation of the dominant political powers.

Qualitative research Essay

Abstract This paper is the first of a series of three articles relating to a case study conducted at Fairfield University to assess aspects of the rapid introduction of Information Technology at the institution. This article deals with the nature of the problem faced by Fairfield University, the characteristics of the case methodology, and lays the foundation for the selection of this research technique for the current study. The paper begins with an Introduction section to familiarize the reader with the case organization. The following section on Case Methodology explores the history, and some of the applications of the technique. The section ends with specific research protocols for researchers. Introduction Fairfield University is a private liberal arts institution of about 3,000 full time undergraduate students and about 1,000 graduate school students. The undergraduate students are distributed through the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business, and the School of Nursing. The graduate students are in the Graduate School of Education, the School of Business, and the School of Nursing. There are also part time students in the School of Continuing Education and the BEI School of Engineering. As with many other private institutions of higher education, Fairfield University faces many challenges. These challenges come from the declining population of college age students and the growing cost of running the institution. The literature will support the preceding statement (Crossland, 1980), but provide little comfort to the institution. One of the areas of greatest concern to college managers is the continuing cost of information technology. With the constant need to increase staff salaries, it is like salaries, inadvisable to reduce the outlay on information technology. Interviews that were conducted by this researcher with the deans and managers indicated that some of the peer institutions of Fairfield University are in fact doing as much if not more in this area. Hence any interruption in the effort to maintain technological currency would result in a competitive disadvantage for the institution. Therein lies the administrative financial challenge. The expense on information technology must be maintained at a time of declining revenues (Nicklin, 1992). The field of information technology at a university is very broad and could encompass many technologies hitherto not considered within its purview. However, there has been a relentless and indeed accelerating pace of convergence of the technologies in telecommunications, library services, and video services. The current study is concerned only with the aspects of information technology as it relates to academic computing and will focus on instructional and research computing. The goals of this study include an examination of the (a) managerial and (b) economic aspects of the rapid acquisition of information technology. The objectives deriving from those goals are: An assessment of the categories of computer use in higher education. An evaluation of the managerial issues of computing, including the centralization/decentralization of computing, client/server computing and the aspects of the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) Establish a basis for understanding the current and future economic aspects of information technology acquisition. The research questions arising from the above objectives were as follows: Objective 1 above is addressed by the question: â€Å"What patterns of acquisition emerge from the current computing environment and the perceived needs for computing? † Objective 2 is addressed by the question: â€Å"What characteristics of the categories of computing use contribute to the patterns of acquisition? † The five categories developed by King and Kraemer (1985) and adapted for use by Levy (1988) in his study at the University of Arizona, are used in this study, to examine the computing use at Fairfield University. Objective 3 is addressed by the question: â€Å"What managerial issues arise from the rapid acquisition of information technology and how important have those technologies become to the organization? † Objective 4 is addressed by the question: â€Å"How will the institution balance the need for technological changes with the need to continue the accomplishment of routine tasks?. † Samuel Levy (1988) conducted a study of instructional and research computing at the University of Arizona. This study replicates and extends the Levy (1988) study, and was conducted at Fairfield University. The current study extends the Levy (1988) study in its examination of aspects of the Internet, the World Wide Web, and Client/Server computing. Levy (1988) established the use of the case study as appropriate for the research project, and this researcher also used the literature to confirm the use of case methodology in the study at Fairfield University. The history and development of case methodology is reviewed, in support of the current case study at Fairfield University. There have been periods of intense use followed by periods of disuse of this technique, as documented by Hamel, Dufour, and Fortin (1993) as well as others. The relevance of that history to this study is important in that it establishes the known advantages and disadvantages of the methodology. The particular technique of a single-case study is reviewed, since that is the specific implementation of a case study at Fairfield University and was also used by Levy (1988). Case Study Methodology The history of case study research is marked by periods of intense use and periods of disuse. The earliest use of this form of research can be traced to Europe, predominantly to France. The methodology in the United States was most closely associated with The University of Chicago Department of Sociology. From the early 1900’s until 1935, The Chicago School was preeminent in the field and the source of a great deal of the literature. There was a wealth of material in Chicago, since it was a period of immigration to the United States and various aspects of immigration of different national groups to the city were studied and reported on (Hamel et al. , 1993). Issues of poverty, unemployment, and other conditions deriving from immigration were ideally suited to the case study methodology. Zonabend (1992) stated that case study is done by giving special attention to completeness in observation, reconstruction, and analysis of the cases under study. Case study is done in a way that incorporates the views of the â€Å"actors† in the case under study. The field of sociology is associated most strongly with case study research, and during the period leading up to 1935, several problems were raised by researchers in other fields. This coincided with a movement within sociology, to make it more scientific. This meant providing some quantitative measurements to the research design and analysis. Since The Chicago School was most identified with this methodology, there were serious attacks on their primacy. This resulted in the denigration of case study as a methodology. In 1935, there was a public dispute between Columbia University professors, who were championing the scientific method, and The Chicago School and its supporters. The outcome was a victory for Columbia University and the consequent decline in the use of case study as a research methodology. Hamel (Hamel et al. , 1993) was careful to reject the criticisms of case study as poorly founded, made in the midst of methodological conflict. He asserted that the drawbacks of case study were not being attacked, rather the immaturity of sociology as a discipline was being displayed. As the use of quantitative methods advanced, the decline of the case study hastened. However, in the 1960s, researchers were becoming concerned about the limitations of quantitative methods. Hence there was a renewed interest in case study. Strauss and Glaser (1967) developed the concept of â€Å"grounded theory. † This along with some well regarded studies accelerated the renewed use of the methodology. A frequent criticism of case study methodology is that its dependence on a single case renders it incapable of providing a generalizing conclusion. Yin (1993) presented Giddens’ view that considered case methodology â€Å"microscopic† because it â€Å"lacked a sufficient number† of cases. Hamel (Hamel et al. , 1993) and Yin (1984, 1989a, 1989b, 1993, 1994) forcefully argued that the relative size of the sample whether 2, 10, or 100 cases are used, does not transform a multiple case into a macroscopic study. The goal of the study should establish the parameters, and then should be applied to all research. In this way, even a single case could be considered acceptable, provided it met the established objective. The literature provides some insight into the acceptance of an experimental prototype to perceive the singularity of the object of study. This ensures the transformation from the local to the global for explanation. Hamel (Hamel et al. , 1993) characterized such singularity as a concentration of the global in the local. Yin (1989a) stated that general applicability results from the set of methodological qualities of the case, and the rigor with which the case is constructed. He detailed the procedures that would satisfy the required methodological rigor. Case study can be seen to satisfy the three tenets of the qualitative method: describing, understanding, and explaining. The literature contains numerous examples of applications of the case study methodology. The earliest and most natural examples are to be found in the fields of Law and Medicine, where â€Å"cases† make up the large body of the student work. However, there are some areas that have used case study techniques extensively, particularly in government and in evaluative situations. The government studies were carried out to determine whether particular programs were efficient or if the goals of a particular program were being met. The evaluative applications were carried out to assess the effectiveness of educational initiatives. In both types of investigations, merely quantitative techniques tended to obscure some of the important information that the researchers needed to uncover. The body of literature in case study research is â€Å"primitive and limited† (Yin, 1994), in comparison to that of experimental or quasi-experimental research. The requirements and inflexibility of the latter forms of research make case studies the only viable alternative in some instances. It is a fact that case studies do not need to have a minimum number of cases, or to randomly â€Å"select† cases. The researcher is called upon to work with the situation that presents itself in each case. Case studies can be single or multiple-case designs, where a multiple design must follow a replication rather than sampling logic. When no other cases are available for replication, the researcher is limited to single-case designs. Yin (1994) pointed out that generalization of results, from either single or multiple designs, is made to theory and not to populations. Multiple cases strengthen the results by replicating the pattern-matching, thus increasing confidence in the robustness of the theory. Applications of case study methodology have been carried out in High-Risk Youth Programs (Yin, 1993) by several researchers. The effects of community-based prevention programs have been widely investigated using case methodology. Where the high risk youth studies assumed a single case evaluation, these studies have typically used a collection of cases as a multiple-case study. This has been true in the various substance abuse prevention programs that are community-based (Holder, 1987; Sabol, 1990; Yin, 1993). Numerous such studies sponsored by the U. S. General Accounting Office are distributed in the literature between Evans (1976) and Gopelrud (1990). These studies have gone beyond the quantitative statistical results and explained the conditions through the perspective of the â€Å"actors. † Thus case study evaluations can cover both process and outcomes, because they can include both quantitative and qualitative data. There are several examples of the use of case methodology in the literature. Yin (1993) listed several examples along with the appropriate research design in each case. There were suggestions for a general approach to designing case studies, and also recommendations for exploratory, explanatory, and descriptive case studies. Each of those three approaches can be either single or multiple-case studies, where multiple-case studies are replicatory, not sampled cases. There were also specific examples in education, and management information systems. Education has embraced the case method for instructional use. Some of the applications are reviewed in this paper. In exploratory case studies, fieldwork, and data collection may be undertaken prior to definition of the research questions and hypotheses. This type of study has been considered as a prelude to some social research. However, the framework of the study must be created ahead of time. Pilot projects are very useful in determining the final protocols that will be used. Survey questions may be dropped or added based on the outcome of the pilot study. Selecting cases is a difficult process, but the literature provides guidance in this area (Yin, 1989a). Stake (1995) recommended that the selection offers the opportunity to maximize what can be learned, knowing that time is limited. Hence the cases that are selected should be easy and willing subjects. A good instrumental case does not have to defend its typicality. Explanatory cases are suitable for doing causal studies. In very complex and multivariate cases, the analysis can make use of pattern-matching techniques. Yin and Moore (1988) conducted a study to examine the reason why some research findings get into practical use. They used a funded research project as the unit of analysis, where the topic was constant but the project varied. The utilization outcomes were explained by three rival theories: a knowledge-driven theory, a problem-solving theory, and a social-interaction theory. Knowledge-driven theory means that ideas and discoveries from basic research eventually become commercial products. Problem-solving theory follows the same path, but originates not with a researcher, but with an external source identifying a problem. The social-interaction theory claims that researchers and users belong to overlapping professional networks and are in frequent communication. Descriptive cases require that the investigator begin with a descriptive theory, or face the possibility that problems will occur during the project. Pyecha (1988) used this methodology to study special education, using a pattern-matching procedure. Several states were studied and the data about each state’s activities were compared to another, with idealized theoretic patterns. Thus what is implied in this type of study is the formation of hypotheses of cause-effect relationships. Hence the descriptive theory must cover the depth and scope of the case under study. The selection of cases and the unit of analysis is developed in the same manner as the other types of case studies. Case studies have been increasingly used in education. While law and medical schools have been using the technique for an extended period, the technique is being applied in a variety of instructional situations. Schools of business have been most aggressive in the implementation of case based learning, or â€Å"active learning† (Boisjoly & DeMichiell, 1994). Harvard University has been a leader in this area, and cases developed by the faculty have been published for use by other institutions. The School of Business at Fairfield University has revised the curriculum so that in place of the individual longitudinal courses in the areas of Management, Marketing, Operations, Finance, and Information Systems, students take one course. That course is designed around cases that encompass those disciplines, but are presented in an integrated manner. The students are therefore made aware of the interrelatedness of the various disciplines and begin to think in terms of wider problems and solutions. Later courses add the international dimension to the overall picture. Case studies have been used to develop critical thinking (Alvarez, et al. , 1990). There are also interactive language courses (Carney, 1995), courses designed to broaden the students’ horizons (Brearley, 1990), and even for technical courses (Greenwald, 1991), and philosophical ones (Garvin, 1991). This investigation is a case study of the aspects of Information Technology that are related to client/server computing, the Internet, and the World Wide Web, at Fairfield University. Thus this paper examines issues that will expand the reader’s knowledge of case study methodology as it relates to the design and execution of such a study. Yin (1994) recommended the use of case-study protocol as part of a carefully designed research project that would include the following sections: Overview of the project (project objectives and case study issues) Field procedures (credentials and access to sites) Questions (specific questions that the investigator must keep in mind during data collection) Guide for the report (outline, format for the narrative) (Yin, 1994, p.64) The quintessential characteristic of case studies is that they strive towards a holistic understanding of cultural systems of action (Feagin, Orum, & Sjoberg, 1990). Cultural systems of action refer to sets of interrelated activities engaged in by the actors in a social situation. The case studies must always have boundaries (Stake, 1995). Case study research is not sampling research, which is a fact asserted by all the major researchers in the field, including Yin, Stake, Feagin and others. However, selecting cases must be done so as to maximize what can be learned, in the period of time available for the study. The unit of analysis is a critical factor in the case study. It is typically a system of action rather than an individual or group of individuals. Case studies tend to be selective, focusing on one or two issues that are fundamental to understanding the system being examined. Case studies are multi-perspectival analyses. This means that the researcher considers not just the voice and perspective of the actors, but also of the relevant groups of actors and the interaction between them. This one aspect is a salient point in the characteristic that case studies possess. They give a voice to the powerless and voiceless. When sociological studies present many studies of the homeless and powerless, they do so from the viewpoint of the â€Å"elite† (Feagin, Orum, & Sjoberg, 1991). Case study is known as a triangulated research strategy. Snow and Anderson (cited in Feagin, Orum, & Sjoberg, 1991) asserted that triangulation can occur with data, investigators, theories, and even methodologies. Stake (1995) stated that the protocols that are used to ensure accuracy and alternative explanations are called triangulation. The need for triangulation arises from the ethical need to confirm the validity of the processes. In case studies, this could be done by using multiple sources of data (Yin, 1984). The problem in case studies is to establish meaning rather than location. Designing Case Studies Yin (1994) identified five components of research design that are important for case studies: A study’s questions Its propositions, if any Its unit(s) of analysis The logic linking the data to the propositions The criteria for interpreting the findings (Yin, 1994, p. 20). The study’s questions are most likely to be â€Å"how† and â€Å"why† questions, and their definition is the first task of the researcher. The study’s propositions sometimes derive from the â€Å"how† and â€Å"why† questions, and are helpful in focusing the study’s goals. Not all studies need to have propositions. An exploratory study, rather than having propositions, would have a stated purpose or criteria on which the success will be judged. The unit of analysis defines what the case is. This could be groups, organizations or countries, but it is the primary unit of analysis. Linking the data to propositions and the criteria for interpreting the findings are the least developed aspects in case studies (Yin, 1994). Campbell (1975) described â€Å"pattern-matching† as a useful technique for linking data to the propositions. Campbell (1975) asserted that pattern-matching is a situation where several pieces of information from the same case may be related to some theoretical proposition. His study showed, through pattern-matching, that the observed drop in the level of traffic fatalities in Connecticut was not related to the lowering of the speed limit. His study also illustrated some of the difficulties in establishing the criteria for interpreting the findings. Construct validity is especially problematic in case study research. It has been a source of criticism because of potential investigator subjectivity. Yin (1994) proposed three remedies to counteract this: using multiple sources of evidence, establishing a chain of evidence, and having a draft case study report reviewed by key informants. Internal validity is a concern only in causal (explanatory) cases. This is usually a problem of â€Å"inferences† in case studies, and can be dealt with using pattern-matching, which has been described above. External validity deals with knowing whether the results are generalizable beyond the immediate case. Some of the criticism against case studies in this area relate to single-case studies. However, that criticism is directed at the statistical and not the analytical generalization that is the basis of case studies. Reliability is achieved in many ways in a case study. One of the most important methods is the development of the case study protocol. Case studies can be either single or multiple-case designs. Single cases are used to confirm or challenge a theory, or to represent a unique or extreme case (Yin, 1994). Single-case studies are also ideal for revelatory cases where an observer may have access to a phenomenon that was previously inaccessible. Single-case designs require careful investigation to avoid misrepresentation and to maximize the investigator’s access to the evidence. These studies can be holistic or embedded, the latter occurring when the same case study involves more than one unit of analysis. Multiple-case studies follow a replication logic. This is not to be confused with sampling logic where a selection is made out of a population, for inclusion in the study. This type of sample selection is improper in a case study. Each individual case study consists of a â€Å"whole† study, in which facts are gathered from various sources and conclusions drawn on those facts. Yin (1994) asserted that a case study investigator must be able to operate as a senior investigator during the course of data collection. There should be a period of training which begins with the examination of the definition of the problem and the development of the case study design. If there is only a single investigator, this might not be necessary. The training would cover aspects that the investigator needs to know, such as: the reason for the study, the type of evidence being sought, and what variations might be expected. This could take the form of discussion rather than formal lectures. A case study protocol contains more than the survey instrument, it should also contain procedures and general rules that should be followed in using the instrument. It is to be created prior to the data collection phase. It is essential in a multiple-case study, and desirable in a single-case study. Yin (1994) presented the protocol as a major component in asserting the reliability of the case study research. A typical protocol should have the following sections: An overview of the case study project (objectives, issues, topics being investigated) Field procedures (credentials and access to sites, sources of information) Case study questions (specific questions that the investigator must keep in mind during data collection) A guide for case study report (outline, format for the narrative) (Yin, 1994, p. 64). The overview should communicate to the reader the general topic of inquiry and the purpose of the case study. The field procedures mostly involve data collection issues and must be properly designed. The investigator does not control the data collection environment (Yin, 1994) as in other research strategies; hence the procedures become all the more important. During interviews, which by nature are open ended, the subject’s schedule must dictate the activity (Stake, 1995). Gaining access to the subject organization, having sufficient resources while in the field, clearly scheduling data collection activities, and providing for unanticipated events, must all be planned for. Case study questions are posed to the investigator, and must serve to remind that person of the data to be collected and its possible sources. The guide for the case study report is often neglected, but case studies do not have the uniform outline, as do other research reports. It is essential to plan this report as the case develops, to avoid problems at the end. Stake (1995), and Yin (1994) identified at least six sources of evidence in case studies. The following is not an ordered list, but reflects the research of both Yin (1994) and Stake (1995): Documents Archival records Interviews Direct observation Participant-observation Physical artifacts Documents could be letters, memoranda, agendas, administrative documents, newspaper articles, or any document that is germane to the investigation. In the interest of triangulation of evidence, the documents serve to corroborate the evidence from other sources. Documents are also useful for making inferences about events. Documents can lead to false leads, in the hands of inexperienced researchers, which has been a criticism of case study research. Documents are communications between parties in the study, the researcher being a vicarious observer; keeping this in mind will help the investigator avoid being misled by such documents. Archival documents can be service records, organizational records, lists of names, survey data, and other such records. The investigator has to be careful in evaluating the accuracy of the records before using them. Even if the records are quantitative, they might still not be accurate. Interviews are one of the most important sources of case study information. There are several forms of interviews that are possible: Open-ended, Focused, and Structured or survey. In an open-ended interview, key respondents are asked to comment about certain events. They may propose solutions or provide insight into events. They may also corroborate evidence obtained from other sources. The researcher must avoid becoming dependent on a single informant, and seek the same data from other sources to verify its authenticity. The focused interview is used in a situation where the respondent is interviewed for a short period of time, usually answering set questions. This technique is often used to confirm data collected from another source. The structured interview is similar to a survey, and is used to gather data in cases such as neighborhood studies. The questions are detailed and developed in advance, much as they are in a survey. Direct observation occurs when a field visit is conducted during the case study. It could be as simple as casual data collection activities, or formal protocols to measure and record behaviors. This technique is useful for providing additional information about the topic being studied. The reliability is enhanced when more than one observer is involved in the task. Glesne and Peshkin (1992) recommended that researchers should be as unobtrusive as the wallpaper. Participant-observation makes the researcher into an active participant in the events being studied. This often occurs in studies of neighborhoods or groups. The technique provides some unusual opportunities for collecting data, but could face some major problems as well. The researcher could well alter the course of events as part of the group, which may not be helpful to the study. Physical artifacts can be tools, instruments, or some other physical evidence that may be collected during the study as part of a field visit. The perspective of the researcher can be broadened as a result of the discovery. It is important to keep in mind that not all sources are relevant for all case studies (Yin, 1994). The investigator should be capable of dealing with all of them, should it be necessary, but each case will present different opportunities for data collection. There are some conditions that arise when a case researcher must start data collection before the study questions have been defined and finalized (Yin, 1994). This is likely to be successful only with an experienced investigator. Another important point to review is the benefit of using rival hypotheses and theories as a means of adding quality control to the case study. This improves the perception of the fairness and serious thinking of the researcher. Analyzing Case Study Evidence This aspect of the case study methodology is the least developed and hence the most difficult. As a result, some researchers have suggested that if the study were made conducive to statistical analysis, the process would be easier and more acceptable. This quantitative approach would be appealing to some of the critics of the case study methodology. However not all case studies lend themselves to this type of analysis. Miles and Huberman (1984) suggested analytic techniques such as rearranging the arrays, placing the evidence in a matrix of categories, creating flowcharts or data displays, tabulating the frequency of different events, using means, variances and cross tabulations to examine the relationships between variables, and other such techniques to facilitate analysis. There must first be an analytic strategy, that will lead to conclusions. Yin (1994) presented two strategies for general use: One is to rely on theoretical propositions of the study, and then to analyze the evidence based on those propositions. The other technique is to develop a case description, which would be a framework for organizing the case study. Lynd conducted a widely cited â€Å"Middletown† study in 1929, and used a formal chapter construct to guide the development of the analysis. In other situations, the original objective of the case study may help to identify some causal links that could be analyzed. Pattern-matching is another major mode of analysis. This type of logic compares an empirical pattern with a predicted one. Internal validity is enhanced when the patterns coincide. If the case study is an explanatory one, the patterns may be related to the dependent or independent variables. If it is a descriptive study, the predicted pattern must be defined prior to data collection. Yin (1994) recommended using rival explanations as pattern-matching when there are independent variables involved. This requires the development of rival theoretical propositions, but the overall concern remains the degree to which a pattern matches the predicted one. Yin (1994) encouraged researchers to make every effort to produce an analysis of the highest quality. In order to accomplish this, he presented four principles that should attract the researcher’s attention: Show that the analysis relied on all the relevant evidence Include all major rival interpretations in the analysis Address the most significant aspect of the case study Use the researcher’s prior, expert knowledge to further the analysis Stake (1995) recommended categorical aggregation as another means of analysis and also suggested developing protocols for this phase of the case study to enhance the quality of the research. He also presented ideas on pattern-matching along the lines that Yin (1994) presented. Runkel (1990) used aggregated measures to obtain relative frequencies in a multiple-case study. Stake (1995) favored coding the data and identifying the issues more clearly at the analysis stage. Eisner and Peshkin (1990) placed a high priority on direct interpretation of events, and lower on interpretation of measurement data, which is another viable alternative to be considered.

The Idea of Political Realism in the International Relations

The Idea of Political Realism in the International Relations Introduction When speaking about international relations, one is to keep in mind that in this aspect the key notion is considered to be the idea of political realism.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Idea of Political Realism in the International Relations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More They say that political realism is mostly associated with liberalism. As far as national politics seems to be based on the authority of law, the characteristic feature of an international politics seems to be injustice, as different states have different views concerning the same ethical norms or standards. When speaking about the roots of the realist tradition, it becomes obvious that at different times the basic points of politics were interpreted differently. For instance, one of the most well-known political theorists Thucydides considered politics as a branch which main aim was to resolve certain moral issues. However, there is a need to point out that the ideas of famous classical political theorist impacted on general features of realism in international relations. Thus, human nature is recognized to be one of the most important points in realism. Nonrecognition of authority seems to be a determinant factor of the outcomes of international politics. So, ‘The lack of a common rule-making and enforcing authority means, they argue, that the international arena is essentially a self-help system. Each state is responsible for its own survival and is free to define its own interests’1. Security as one of the basic issues and the relevance of morality are also recognized to be important elements of realism in international politics. International Relations: Conventions and Challenges When speaking about conventions and challenges in international relations, one is to keep in mind that it is conceptual introduction of global politics, which is to be considered. The most important events of the 2 0th century are also to be touched on.Advertising Looking for essay on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thus, it is necessary to remember World War I and World War II, Cold War between the USA and USSR, the appearance of the United Nations and global political economy formation. The above-mentioned events are the primary events the world experienced. Of course, these events impacted on the development of global economy as well as international relations. International relations consist of numerous spheres, including diplomatic, political and educational relations. When speaking about the effects of global communication, which seems to be an integral part of international relations, one is to keep in mind that broad challenges took place. For instance, cultural, economical and technological boundaries were expanded, ‘Economically, separate industries that had developed around each of thes e technologies are combining to service the new multimedia environment through a series of corporate mergers and alliances. Politically, global communication is undermining the traditional boundaries and sovereignties of nations’2. Film industry, computer technologies, photography and many other fields appeared. Marxism, realism, liberalism, postmodernism, and communitarianism were the most widespread schools of the so-called international relations theory. The central objects of international relations were the states, as ‘States decide to go to war. They erect trade barriers. They choose whether and at what level to establish environmental standards. States enter international agreements, or not, and choose whether to abide by their provisions’3. The states are to ‘implement relevant international Conventions, including the harmonization of their domestic legislation with those Conventions, and conclusion of mutual judicial assistance and extradition agre ements’4.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Idea of Political Realism in the International Relations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The most serious global or international challenges include transmitting diseases, climatic changes, hunger, ecological problems, pollutions, etc. The most important International Conventions which were held include ‘an International Conventions for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism and an International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings’5. The Conclusion Still, when speaking about communication technologies on the military arena, it becomes obvious what effects of global communication are. For instance, in 550 BC communication and control systems included postal system equipped by relay stations with fresh horseman (Persian Empire); in 500 BC there was postal system manned wazzu by postal runner (Chinese Empire). In 350 BC voice and fire signaling were known (Greek Empire); BC – 476 AD road system from center to peripheries appeared (Roman Empire); in 632 – 1259 AD surface mail by horses and airmail by wazzu pigeon carriers appeared (Islamic Empires). In 1500-1970 print was known (European Empires); 1844-1914 telegraph appeared (British Empire); 1900-1945 radio broadcasting was invented (Competing Empires); 1945-1989, TV, satellites, computers, and the Internet appeared (Bipolar System); 1989 – present Strategic Defense Initiative (Star Wars), Cyborgs appeared (Globalist System). Generally, global challenges facing humanity include sustainable development and climate change, clean water, population and resources, democratization, long-term perspectives, global convergence of IT, rich-poor gap, health issues, capacity to decide, peace and conflict, status of women, transnational organized crime, energy, science and technology, and global ethics6.Advertising Looking for essay on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They say that, ‘Smart chemists. Innovative thinking. That’s the key to solving global challenges of the 21st Century’7. Bibliography Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions. n.d., retrieved  http://jennadavis.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/CNBP_025823.pdf Inventory of International Nonproliferation Organizations and Regimes. Draft  Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism. Center for  Nonproliferation Studies, 2010. Retrieved  http://cns.miis.edu/inventory/pdfs/intlterr.pdf Inventory of International Nonproliferation Organizations and Regimes. International  Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings. Center for  Nonproliferation Studies, 2010. Retrieved  http://cns.miis.edu/inventory/pdfs/bomb.pdf Korab-Karpowicz, J. Political Realism in International Relations. Stanford: Stanford  Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2010, p. 1. Retrieved  http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/realism-intl-relations/ Lake, D. The State and Internationa l Relations , n.d., p. 1. Retrieved  http://dss.ucsd.edu/~dlake/documents/LakeOxfordStateessayreview.pdf Tehranian, M. Clobal Communication and International Relations. The International  Journal of Peace Studies, 1996, p. 1. Retrieved  gmu.edu/programs/icar/ijps/vol2_1/Techrenian.htm The Millennium Project. Global Challenges for Humanity. 2010, retrieved  millennium-project.org/millennium/challenges.html Footnotes 1 J Korab-Karpowicz, Political Realism in International Relations. Stanford: Stanford  Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2010, p. 1. 2 M Tehranian, Clobal Communication and International Relations. The International  Journal of Peace Studies, 1996, p. 1 3 D Lake, The State and International Relations , n.d., p. 1 4 Inventory of International Nonproliferation Organizations and Regimes. Draft  Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism. Center for  Nonproliferation Studies, 2010 5 Inventory of International Nonproliferation Organizations and Regimes. Inte rnational  Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings. Center for  Nonproliferation Studies, 2010 6 The Millennium Project. Global Challenges for Humanity. 2010, retrieved  millennium-project.org/millennium/challenges.html 7 Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions. n.d., retrieved  http://jennadavis.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/CNBP_025823.pdf

What Comes With a Continental Breakfast Sample Menu

What Comes With a Continental Breakfast Sample Menu SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you're going somewhere that's offering a continental breakfast, you may be confused by the term. What is a continental breakfast, really? Should you be excited for or fearful of it? As someone who has eaten hundreds, if not thousands, of continental breakfasts throughout the world, let me guide you through the ins and outs of this specific meal. I'll explain the continental breakfast, break down a typical continental breakfast menu, and detail the differences between the very worst and the very best continental breakfasts. What Is a Continental Breakfast? A continental breakfast is a light morning meal. It’s served buffet style, and it typically has fewer offerings than a traditional breakfast at a restaurant. Normally, it consists of bread products, fruit, fruit juice, coffee, and tea. Most often, you’ll find continental breakfasts at hotels, motels, and events. As a rule of thumb, a continental breakfast usually doesn't have hot food like eggs or sausages. Products will usually be cold or room temperature. The hotels or motels that provide continental breakfasts will usually offer them for free for their guests from 6-9 or 6-10 in the morning. If you go on vacation, I wish you luck in your attempt to wake up in time to take advantage of the the free continental breakfast. How Did the Term â€Å"Continental Breakfast† Originate? It’s unclear exactly when the term â€Å"continental breakfast† originated, probably in the mid-19th century, but the â€Å"continental† in â€Å"continental breakfast† refers to the countries of continental Europe where light breakfasts were the norm. Makes sense, right? A continental breakfast is supposed to stand in contrast to a standard English breakfast, which is extremely heavy. The standard English breakfast includes eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, and coffee or tea. Additionally, it can include fish, beans, and English pudding. That's a whole lotta food to start your day. The continental breakfast consists of lighter fare and is based primarily on bread products. Continental breakfasts became common at American hotels as more Europeans traveled to the US in the late 19th century, and the hotels tried to meet the tastes and expectations of the tourists. Now, â€Å"continental breakfast† typically refers just as much to the price as the food options. Meals used to be included in the price of traditional American hotels; however, tourists began opting out of the hotel meals, but they still wanted breakfast. Thus, the free continental breakfast was born. What Items Does a Continental Breakfast Include? Here's a rundown of the food items you'll often find in a continental breakfast: Bread Products At the traditional continental breakfast, bread products reign supreme. You can often find donuts, muffins, bread, bagels, croissants, cereal, and pastries. At nicer continental breakfasts, you may be able to feast on waffles, pancakes, or french toast. You'll also have the necessary condiments to enhance your bread products, including butter, cream cheese, and jam/jelly. Fruit Most continental breakfasts provide fruit as a healthier option. Typically, there will be apples and bananas, so you'll be able to get your fiber and potassium. If you're lucky, you'll be able to indulge in melon, pears, grapes, and an assortment of berries. Fruit Juice Another continental breakfast staple is fruit juice. Generally, you'll be able to choose between orange and apple juice. Other possible fruit juice options include cranberry, grapefuit, and grape juice. Coffee and Tea Most continental breakfasts will provide coffee and tea. Ideally, your coffee will be freshly brewed. If you prefer tea, you'll probably have to get yourself some hot water and a tea bag. There should be cream and sweeteners to add some flavor to your hot beverages. Miscellaneous Items Here are some other foods that you'll sometimes see at continental breakfasts: Yogurt Oatmeal Eggs Bacon Sausage Cheese What Makes a Good Continental Breakfast? The quality of a continental breakfast is dependent on the quantity and quality of its offerings. Basically, how many products does it have, and how good are those products? Here are your different levels of continental breakfasts: Bad Continental Breakfast I’ve seen some pretty sad and gross continental breakfasts. The worst ones I’ve seen only provided stale bagels and old cereal. There was no milk (was I expected to eat dry cereal?), no fruit juice, and no freshly brewed coffee. It was obvious that the continental breakfast wasn’t well-maintained and the very limited products weren’t regularly replaced. Standard Continental Breakfast The standard continental breakfast will be well-organized and provide mostly fresh products, but there will be limited offerings. The standard continental breakfast will have some combination of fruit, muffins, bagels, cereal, bread, croissants, pastries, waffles, yogurt, juice, milk, tea, and fresh coffee. Additionally, there will be butter, jam/jelly, cream, and sugar available. Here’s a pic of a standard continental breakfast: You can see the cereal, milk, fruit, and coffee. In the right corner of the pic, it looks like there may be a waffle maker. Most often, you'll have to make your own waffles at the continental breakfast. Good Continental Breakfast The primary factor that separates a standard continental breakfast from a good one is the number of food options. A good continental breakfast looks more like a breakfast buffet at a restaurant. The most impressive breakfast spreads include eggs, bacon, sausage, french toast, and pancakes, in addition to all of the options at a standard continental breakfast. You may even get some fancier breakfast entrees like quiches, omelets, or Eggs Benedict. (To be fair, at this point it stops being a traditional continental breakfast and becomes more of an Everything breakfast.) Look at all these options: Bev Sykes/Flickr How to Do a Continental Breakfast Right As a connoisseur of continental breakfasts, let me advise you on how to make the most out of your free breakfast experience. Step #1: Arrive On Time For many people (myself included), the biggest obstacle to taking advantage of the free continental breakfast is waking up in time to partake in the breakfast fun. Some continental breakfasts end as early as 9:00 AM, and if you're on vacation and have a rare opportunity to sleep in, you may not want to get out of bed before noon. I recommend arriving to the continental breakfast at least 20 minutes before it's supposed to end. If you show up at the last second, hotel staff may be taking away items as you're trying to serve yourself. You also want to give yourself enough time to get seconds. If you love breakfast, but you aren't ready to start your day during the designated breakfast hours, you can always grab your continental breakfast, take it back to your room, eat, and then head back to dream land. That's a savvy move. Step #2: Survey Your Options Before grabbing food, see what’s available and briefly inspect your options. Even though continental breakfasts are all-you-can-eat, it’s better not to take food you’re not going to eat or won’t like. For example, you may typically like bagels and fruit, but often, the bagels and fruit at the continental breakfast are far from fresh. I’ve seen some continental breakfast bananas that look a few months old and bagels that were hard enough to break a car window. I love eggs, but there are continental breakfast eggs that are as rubbery as car tires. You’ll probably have the most enjoyable meal by selecting the highest quality products available. Step #3: Consider Your Goals Think about what you’re trying to get out of this meal. Do you want the tastiest meal possible? Generally, this is my goal at the continental breakfast. I want to satisfy my hunger and enjoy my food. If you’re like me, you’ll probably want to look for the muffins, donuts, or pastries at a standard continental breakfast. If you have the patience, making your own waffle is also a good call. If you’re at a good continental breakfast, you’ll want eggs and meat. My ideal continental breakfast is eggs, bacon, sausage, two muffins, a donut, and apple juice. Yummy. Are you trying to gain muscle or lose weight? If you’re looking to add muscle or lose weight, go for lean protein and fruit. Hard boiled eggs, turkey bacon, oatmeal, yogurt, and fruit would be ideal options for you. Do you want a combo of healthy and tasty? For healthy and tasty, I recommend a moderately-sized balanced meal. As an example, you can do a bagel with low-fat cream cheese, fruit, eggs, and yogurt. For your beverage, try to stick to water, but if you need some caffeine, take it easy on the sweeteners. Step #4: Take a Little Less Than You Plan on Eating I think we’re all guilty of letting our eyes be bigger than our stomachs. If you hit up the continental breakfast when you’re rather hungry, you’re likely to get too much food. You don’t want to waste food, and you don’t want to eat so much that you feel bad when you’re done. Admittedly, I’ve been guilty of gluttony and needed to lay down after five donuts, six sausage links, and five pieces of bacon. Remember the continental breakfast is all-you-can-eat. If you’re still hungry after your first plate, you can always return for seconds. Step #5: Lower Your Expectations Because the continental breakfast is usually free, don’t expect world-class food. If you’re a food snob who can only enjoy the finest of foods, you’ll undoubtedly be disappointed at any continental breakfast. If you go in just hoping for bread that isn’t stale and food that tastes better than stale bread, you have a good chance of being pleased with your continental breakfast. If the food is free, remind yourself that free food is the most delicious. It’s very possible to get a satisfying meal with pretty good food at a continental breakfast, and it’s free and all-you-can-eat. Nothing wrong with that.

The Invention of Clothing

The Invention of Clothing It is not certain when people first started wearing clothes, however, anthropologists estimate that it was somewhere between 100,000 and 500,000 years ago. The first clothes were made from natural elements: animal skin, fur, grass, leaves, bone, and shells. Garments were often draped or tied; however, simple needles made out of animal bone provide evidence of sewn leather and fur garments from at least 30,000 years ago. When settled neolithic cultures discovered the advantages of woven fibers over animal hides, the making of cloth, drawing on basketry techniques, emerged as one of humankinds fundamental technologies. Hand and hand with the history of clothing goes the history of textiles. Humans had to invent weaving, spinning, tools, and the other techniques needed to be able to make the fabrics used for clothing. Ready-Made Clothing Before sewing machines, nearly all clothing was local and hand-sewn, there were tailors and seamstresses in most towns that could make individual items of clothing for customers. After the sewing machine was invented, the ready-made clothing industry took off. The Many Functions of Clothes Clothing serves many purposes: it can help protect us from various types of weather, and can improve safety during hazardous activities such as  hiking  and cooking. It protects the wearer from rough surfaces, rash-causing plants,  insect  bites, splinters,  thorns and prickles  by providing a barrier between the skin and the environment. Clothes can insulate against cold or heat. They can also provide a  hygienic  barrier, keeping infectious and toxic materials away from the body. Clothing also provides protection from harmful  UV radiation. The most obvious function of clothing is to improve the comfort of the wearer, by protecting the wearer from the elements. In hot climates, clothing provides protection from  sunburn  or  wind  damage, while in cold climates its thermal insulation properties are generally more important. Shelter usually reduces the functional need for clothing. For example,  coats,  hats,  gloves, and other superficial layers are normally removed when entering a warm home, particularly if one is residing or sleeping there. Similarly, clothing has seasonal and regional aspects, so that thinner materials and fewer layers of clothing are generally worn in warmer seasons and regions than in colder ones. Clothing performs a range of social and  cultural  functions, such as individual, occupational and sexual differentiation, and social status. In many societies, norms about clothing reflect standards of  modesty,  religion,  gender, and  social status. Clothing may also function as a form of adornment and an expression of personal taste or style. Some clothing protects from specific  environmental  hazards, such as  insects, noxious chemicals, weather,  weapons, and contact with abrasive substances. Conversely, clothing may protect the environment from the clothing  wearer, as with doctors wearing  medical scrubs.

Lin200 tut Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Lin200 tut - Assignment Example Content words refer to words that hold meaning or content of a sentence. They are words that are known as open class words in that they allow for the adding of new other words by derivation, compounding, inflection, borrowing or coining of these other words. On the other hand function words refer to the words that contain ambiguous meaning and are used to put across grammatical relations with added words within one sentence. While content words are open class, functional words are closed class. b. Antonyms refer to two words with opposite meaning for example the words â€Å"clean† and â€Å"dirty†. Gradable antonyms refer to a single word pair with differing meanings and occur when the two meanings are in on an uninterrupted range. An example is in the pair of words â€Å"light heavy†. Complementary antonyms refer to a single word pair with conflicting meanings, and exist when the words meanings do not lie on an uninterrupted range. An example is the pair of words â€Å"dead and alive â€Å".Relational antonyms on the other hand refer single words pair with differing sense, and occur in a situation or a certain context of the relation in the words pair. An example is the words â€Å"patient and doctor† (Baker, 2012). The first is the narrowing semantic change from the subordinate to the super ordinate level to level. For example the word â€Å"skyline† was earlier referred to as â€Å"horizon†. The second semantic change is the widening change where specific words are used to mean a general thing for example the word â€Å"vegetables† and â€Å"tomatoes†. Another semantic change is hyperbole, which is a change from a strong to a weak meaning for example â€Å"†slaughter and â€Å"torment† referring to the process of killing (Baker,

Context of Professional Practice Assignment 1 Guidelines 1000 words Essay - 1

Context of Professional Practice Assignment 1 Guidelines 1000 words - Essay Example The independent sector has assisted the NHS minimize waiting time and increase capacity (NHS Partners Network 2011; Royal College of Psychiatrists 1999). The introduction of patient choice and the creation of independent sector treatment centres in 2008 lead to minimization of waiting times to as low as the 18 week target. Despite its small share in the market, the independent sector in the UK has had a significant effect on the NHS. For instance, it has helped ensure that NHS preserves the quality while minimizing costs. Debate concerning the independent sector indulgence in NHS regularly gives the image that the sector’s portion of activity in NHS is more crucial in scale than it is in the case (NHS Partners Network 2011). Presently, the independent sector indulgence (excluding mental health, dentistry, and GP practices) remains principally static at approximately 5% of the conventional clinical services. In elective care and diagnostic services, approximately 3.5% of the procedures are done by the independent sector. In the fiscal year 2009/10, the independent sector’s share of supply in the mental health services was approximately  £1.33 billion. This is a representation of 9% of all community and mental health hospital services (NHS Partners Network 2011). Independent providers have an important role in the quantity of other specialist areas of care. For instance, the independent hospice movement’s function in the end-of-life care sector. In the community and primary services, the independent sector offers close to 1.5% of the care. The aforementioned figure does not include GP and dentistry practices. It is important to note that GP practices are privately owned small business and they conduct 98% of NHS general practice activities despite regarding themselves as a portion of the NHS. Study conducted recently indicates that there are close to 315 independent GP practices of the total 8,300 practices in England

How does the Welfare system negatively impact black males Research Paper

How does the Welfare system negatively impact black males - Research Paper Example cioeconomically weak fathers cannot fulfill the responsibility of raising their children in a normal, healthy, and positive environment when living conditions appear to be the most acrimonious for them. Therefore, the purpose of this welfare program targeting black American fathers is to identify such fathers who due to lack in resources, education, finance, and social support find themselves unable to connect with their children. Certainly proof is required to certify if such a program could be considered substantial or not and should African American fathers who lack resources be helped financially, educationally, and socially to help them connect with their children or not. For that purpose, this research paper strives to bring up evidence regarding what effects factors like incarceration, single parent households, and low socioeconomic status have on black males in America and what role do such factors play in estranging the suffering fathers from children. Often, children born in underprivileged black communities get to live without fathers, are exposed to myriad bad social experiences very often, and their connection with fathers is ultimately totally broken over time. â€Å"Father absence in the African American communities, across America, has hit those communities with the force of 100 hurricane Katrinas† (Jackson, cited in Kelly, 2007). Both parents need to be present in a child’s life during all those critical years when mental and emotional grooming starts and progresses. The welfare programs aim at rehabilitating the underprivileged fathers by supporting them in their efforts of finding employment and attaining self-sufficiency. An educationally poor father can seldom support a good job and maintain livelihood. In this regards, a range of programs inside and outside prison are also necessary for black incarcerated men to â€Å"prepare them for release, to make referrals and provide services when they return to t he community† (McKean, 2004, p. 5).

Sustainability and built environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sustainability and built environment - Essay Example This human-caused earth warming is rising as one of the most important environmental, social, economic, and technological problem of the present century. (Todd, 1997, p. 99) The consequences of the problem are apparent in every part of the world (Johansen 2002, p. 01). The problem involves melting down of glaciers and ice caps at an accelerating rate higher than normal resulting in a dramatically increased rate of typhoons, tornados, and the hurricanes (Silverstein et al, 2003, p. 06). This has not only induced significant damage all around the world, moreover it has caused disturbance in the global ecosystem (Jabbra & Dwivedi, 1998, p. 26). Increase in earth climate, greater amount of acidity in oceans, accelerated rate of wildfires, heavy rain falls, are some other drastic results of the global warming (Oxlade 2006, p. 22). It is evident that global warming is not only an environmental threat, for instance, coastal areas are apt to remission, the rate of water consumption gets higher than the rate of water supply, and the land for agriculture turns into a waste by soil erosion (Houghton, 2004, p. 322) (Valsson, 2006, p. 116). Around the world, people are trying to find the solution to the problem of global warming and finding the techniques to mitigate its effect (Jones, 1997, p. 04). The best illustration of global collaboration against the disasters induced by global warming is that of the International Panel on Climatic Change. The organization consists of skilled and potent experts from the globe that keep an eye on climatic modeling and changes, and monitor every single alteration in the global ecosystem. IPCC is a perfect embodiment of global strives for a better and healthier mother earth (Williams, 2002, p. 15). The organization appreciates the part people around the world play in this regard, bring issues to the table, and attempt to solve the issues. Had there not be any IPCC we would not have any Kyoto Treaty or the Copenhagen Summits (Clarkson

Appian Way Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Appian Way - Research Paper Example The Appian Way in Rome has been always accounted as one of the earliest roman construction works, which has remarkable significance even in this modern day context. This pathway construction found its existence during 312 B.C. and was constructed by ‘Appius Claudius Caecus’ who during that period held the position of a powerful political figure. This political figure was also known for the construction of the primitive aqueduct structures within Rome so as to provide consumable water to the entire nation. The entire pathway spanned around a distance of 563 kilometers connecting Rome and the Brindisi, Italy. In terms of historical significance, this road till date represents the preliminary phase of traditional human engineering. Apart from just being a sign of historical significance, the Appian Way consistently served multiple other purposes as well1. One of such purposes was found to be the provision of a fighting advantage to the roman army during situations of war ou tbreak. The Roman army during that period utilized this pathway in an extensive manner for supplying ration, reinforcements and armaments to their front line fighting troops. After their expansion within Italy, the Roman Empire invested significant amount of time and finance in terms of developing and mastering the procedures of distant roadway construction. Eventually with time, such pathways emerged as significant connective lines between Rome and its acquired domains. As a result of all these roman developments, multiple underdeveloped cultural civilizations also had the chances of developing and marking their existence in the history of mankind (National Geographic Society, â€Å"Rome Walking Tour: Ancient Appian Way†)2. The utility of the Appian Way again formed a factor of historical significance as a result of Rome’s victory against Samnite tribes between the period of 343 & 341 BC. As a matter of fact, the

Management Restructuring Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Management Restructuring - Assignment Example The development stages discussed in the case represent restructuring in many areas such as communication and customer management. The basic aim of the restructuring is to increase competence as the overall environment is very agile and firms need to compete at the max level is order to attain their position in the market or industry. The design tactics discussed herein are mostly related to competency based planning for the replacement of the management. The knowledge base is to be kept for future assistance and this is why knowledge management is gaining popularity in the current context. Knowledge is the most precious asset a firm has and it will try to keep it at almost every cost. The core competency driving forces assumed are The case also highlights the importance of feedback that is vital for the expansion/continuity of the business. The technique being focused over here is the dominant 360 feedback technique in which all can evaluate each other. Next discussion is about the communication within the organization. Communication is regarded as an important role player within the system and clear n concrete communication is all that is required for success. The communication process is to be designed in a more attractive fashion, unlike from the same routine based system. The system development is to be focused on the point that the candidates involved should be able to show their extent of interest in follow

Appian Way Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Appian Way - Research Paper Example The Appian Way in Rome has been always accounted as one of the earliest roman construction works, which has remarkable significance even in this modern day context. This pathway construction found its existence during 312 B.C. and was constructed by ‘Appius Claudius Caecus’ who during that period held the position of a powerful political figure. This political figure was also known for the construction of the primitive aqueduct structures within Rome so as to provide consumable water to the entire nation. The entire pathway spanned around a distance of 563 kilometers connecting Rome and the Brindisi, Italy. In terms of historical significance, this road till date represents the preliminary phase of traditional human engineering. Apart from just being a sign of historical significance, the Appian Way consistently served multiple other purposes as well1. One of such purposes was found to be the provision of a fighting advantage to the roman army during situations of war ou tbreak. The Roman army during that period utilized this pathway in an extensive manner for supplying ration, reinforcements and armaments to their front line fighting troops. After their expansion within Italy, the Roman Empire invested significant amount of time and finance in terms of developing and mastering the procedures of distant roadway construction. Eventually with time, such pathways emerged as significant connective lines between Rome and its acquired domains. As a result of all these roman developments, multiple underdeveloped cultural civilizations also had the chances of developing and marking their existence in the history of mankind (National Geographic Society, â€Å"Rome Walking Tour: Ancient Appian Way†)2. The utility of the Appian Way again formed a factor of historical significance as a result of Rome’s victory against Samnite tribes between the period of 343 & 341 BC. As a matter of fact, the

Reports Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Reports - Essay Example The case study is supposed to help managers make working strategies that go beyond forecasting. According to the authors, managers have to do more than forecasting when coming up with new strategies (Kaplan & Orlikowski, 2014). After eight months of studying the strategy making process in CommCorp, the authors argue that strategy is more than just forecasting. The authors argue that is important for managers consider the past, present and the future of the company when coming up with strategies. By interpreting and reinterpreting the past, future and the present of the company managers can be able to come up with new workable strategy narratives that can steer their companies from uncertainty. The authors argue that strategy making does not revolve around making accurate forecasting. This is due to the fact the future is unpredictable. Secondly, it is imporant to consider the past when coming up with new strategies. The past can help predict the future and ensure that there is continuity from the past. Thirdly, managers should focus on coming up with a strategy narratives that will help the company in times of uncertainty. This means that the narrative should not be perfect but rather be good enough for no w. Lastly, breakdowns in the strategy making process should not be considered as a failure but rather a way of provoking thinking that will produce workable narratives (Kaplan & Orlikowski, 2014). The backbone of any company revolves around making workable strategies whenever when faced with uncertainty (Hill, & Jones, 2012). Managers have to know and understand how to come up with workable strategies during these crucial moments. The article offers priceless information on how managers can come up with strategy narratives. Backed with evidence from a case study of CommCorp, the author lays a foundation on which managers can use to come up with workable

The Compulsory Process Clause Of The Sixth Amendment Essay Example for Free

The Compulsory Process Clause Of The Sixth Amendment Essay The sixth amendment to the U. S. Constitution guarantees the defendant â€Å"compulsory process. †1 For this provision was ignored, until the Supreme Court gave it life in Washington v. Texas, 388 U. S. 14 (1967). One night, Jackie Washington learned a girl he was dating, Jean Carter, was seeing another boy. Angry, Washington and Charles Fuller got a shotgun and drove to Carter’s house. Leaving others in their car, Washington and Fuller got out, with Washington carrying the shotgun. Moments later, the shotgun was fired, killing Carter’s boyfriend. Fuller and Washington ran to the car, with Fuller now holding the shotgun. Fuller was charged with murder, convicted, and sentenced to 50 years in prison. Texas then brought Washington to trial for murder. At his trial, Washington testified that as he approached the house, he realized that what he was doing was crazy, and decided to go back. Fuller, drunk, grabbed the shotgun, saying he was going to shoot someone. Washington tried to get Fuller to leave, but Fuller insisted on going on. Washington then ran towards the car. He was running away when the shotgun was fired. At the trial, Washington then tried to call Fuller as a witness to corroborate his story, but the prosecution objected. Under a Texas law, if the prosecution had called Fuller as a witness against Washington, he could testify, but Washington was barred from presenting Fuller as a witness. Fuller, who was present in the courtroom, was not allowed to testify. Washington was convicted of murder. Washington appealed, arguing that he had not been accorded his right to compulsory process. Texas responded that Washington had been accorded all compulsory process entitled him to. Because Fuller was in prison at the time of the trial, Washington’s attorney had issued a subpoena to have him appear in court to testify. Texas authorities had complied with the subpoena. They had brought Fuller from the prison to the court, so that he was in the courtroom, though barred from testifying. Texas insisted that this was â€Å"compulsory process. † The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that this was not constitutionally sufficient. Compulsory process would mean little if it gave the defendant only the right to bring to the courtroom persons who could not testify. The Constitution did not make such hollow gestures. For the compulsory process clause to be meaningful, the defendant had to have the right to have his witnesses appear and testify, so that the jury could hear what the witness had to say. Texas justified its rule by arguing that its statute was meant to protect against witnesses who would lie for one another. In this instances, Fuller had been convicted. But what if Fuller had been found not guilty and then in Washington’s trial confessed his own guilt while exonerating Washington. However persuasive this argument seemed, the Court rejected it, insisting that issues of the believability of a witness were for the jury to decide. A rule which denied a defendant a right promised in the Bill of Rights could not stand where it was based on the unproved and unprovable presumption that any given class of defense witnesses were presumed to be unbelievable. If Fuller was such an unbelievable witness if he was testifying for Washington, why was he presumed truthful if testifying against him? The better policy, the Court insisted, the policy which the Constitution required was to allow all witnesses who had relevant and material evidence to testify, letting the jury find the truth. This case, Washington v. Texas, made the concept of compulsory process as guaranteed by the sixth amendment an important part of a modern justice system.

Essay --

â€Å"There is a way to be good again† (2). This thought repeats through Amir's mind over and over throughout Khaled Hosseini's novel, The Kite Runner. This is the story of a boy who struggles to find redemption. The author illustrates the story of Amir and how it is not possible to make wrongs completely right again because it is too late to change the past. In this novel, Hosseini shows that redemption is obtainable. Hosseini shows that guilt is the primary motivation for someone who seeks redemption. In this novel, redemption is not when things are justified, but when the wrong has been done and cannot change to be right. As defined in a letter to Amir by an old family friend, Rahim Khan, redemption is when the guilt from something wrong leads to something good (302). Because of events that Amir is faced with, Hosseini illustrates a story where a big part of guilt plays in the desire for redemption. Guilt is a strong incentive in a quest for redemption. Rahim Khan says to Amir â€Å"there is a way to be good again† in the beginning of the novel, insinuating that there was hope and that there was a way for Amir to have peace with himself. This phrase was something that continuously repeated in Amir’s mind throughout the novel which was a reminder that there was a way to be rid of the guilt; a way to be good again. Amir begins his story by saying â€Å"I became what I am today at the age of 12† (1). It is noticed that he says â€Å"what I am today† rather than â€Å"who† and finishes the chapter leaving the reader with a slightly bitter feeling that the narrator has a dark past that he can not forget. He gives the idea that he is not happy with who he has become, and it was his wrongdoing that made it that way it was. Amir basis his guilt through his mem... ...his needs and his lack of standing up for himself. Another character who was searching for redemption in this novel was Amir's wife Soraya. Before they got married, she confesses to him about the time she ran away with someone as a teenager and clears up her past which had also haunted her (164). Even after she confessed to Amir, people still talked down about her because of her past (178). Amir, like Baba, Rahim Khan and Soraya, sinned by what he had done wrong, or rather what he didn’t do right. This caused guilt that he attempted to hide, but the memories and the past continued to haunt him, nag at him, and remind him of the person who had loved him so much. This guilt of betrayal weighs on Amir throughout the story, and pushes him to seek out redemption. He longs to â€Å"be good again† and get rid of the guilt that he has carried since he was just twelve years old.

Stagecraft :: essays research papers

Sunrise in my Pocket, an American folk drama originally written by Edwin Justus Mayer, but adapted by Jeffrey Hayden for the Playmakers Repertory Company recounts the epic adventure of Davy Crockett, Tennessee statesman and frontiersman and his subsequent journey to Texas. Davy Crockett, portrayed effortlessly by Playmaker’s leading actor, Kenneth P. Strong, is accompanied by his faithful companion, Crawling Caterpillar, the gallant ex-pirate Hardin, the woman hating Thimblerig, and the man-hating Annie; each part was played respectfully by Douglas Spain, Mike Regan, Jeffrey Blair Cornell, and Jamie Rose.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The success of Jeffrey Hayden’s production should be attributed to the talented cast and their professional zeal that was evident in each individual performance. The main plot, the actual journey and the carefully woven sub-plots, between for example Thimblerig and Annie became the foundation for fun-loving adventure and perhaps in the imagination of the audience greater adventure upon arrival in the Texas.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The audience and thus the play greatly benefited from the use of the thrust stage, extending beyond the proscenium arch, the stage was surrounded on three sides by the audience. The thrust stage moved the action into the crowd; the audience became an extra, part of the play, no longer an audience removed, but an audience part. The stage was also raked, or maintained a permanent slope atop a level auditorium floor. The sloped stage increased the effectiveness of the thrust stage, further projecting the action into the audience.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The task of simulating the American frontier was given to scene designer Narelle Sissons and lighting designer Mary Louise Geiger. Sissons created a beautifully naked set, backed by a grove of trees that was brought to life by Geiger’s gentle moonbeams, water reflections, and campfire light. Not nearly as empty as Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot; however, both sets allow the imagination to improvise and individually interpret the play. Sissons and Geiger created an appropriately classy set and lighting scene that added to the plays performance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Costume Designer, Marianne Custer, continued with the idea of simplicity while selecting the worn frontier clothing. Annie became the notable standout however, with her tight fitting buckskins. The costume only added to the character, a frontier feminist, Annie could compete with the bravest of males, but was still very feminine and had the beauty only a woman could.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sound Designer, M. Anthony Reimer, provided the audience with a subtle, yet effective portrayal of backcountry sounds.

Employee of the Month

â€Å"EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH† – from a HRM perspective THE PLOT: Vince Downey is the head cashier and winner of 17 consecutive Employee of the Month awards at Super Club. If he wins one more Employee of the Month, he will be put in the Super Club's Hall of Fame and win a new car. Zack Bradley, who is the ultimate slacker, has been working at the Super Club for 10 years, and is still at the bottom job, working as a box boy. Then Amy enters the picture; she is a new cashier transferring in from another Super Club store. Amy has a reputation of dating men who have won Employee of the Month at the other store, so Vince and Zack want to date Amy. Situation at the Company: Other employees are jealous of Vince's success, possibly as a result of his aggressive behavior. An autocratic and fear-based style of leadership prevails in the company, with the corporate manager, Glenn Ross, being a bully to his younger brother, the bureaucratic store manager. Vince Downey’s character portrait goal-oriented even at the cost of ethics and office relationships aggressive towards co-workers disliked by most other employees of Superclub very motivated towards promotions and incentives. Zach Bradley’s character portrait well-liked by colleagues doesn't mind breaking office rules for benefit of customers and colleagues uses office property after office hours for personal purposes low motivation towards structured goals rebellious towards establishment (possibly due to past failure). His friends are work-shirkers like himself, although they portray surly attitudes towards customers, while Zach doesn't. HRM CONCEPTS FOUND IN THE MOVIE: Maslow's need hierarchy theory Source: http://www. abraham-maslow. com The company aims to improve employee performance through need for self esteem. Zach initially aims for the award in order to win the affections of his female co-worker, Amy (physiological needs). Zach's friend Iqbal advises him to aim for the employee of the month award not just for physiological motives, but for self actualization. This advice is what motivates Zach and helps him overcome his rebelliousness towards the establishment in the end. Employee Initiative During the course of the month, a sea change is visible in Zach’s attitude towards his job. He shows initiative by volunteering for the vacant post of cashier at short notice. He also volunteers to solve management problems by finding storage space for mistakenly received goods. However, these activities, as well as his new perks, estrange him from his old colleagues. Leadership Skills He also shows leadership at the softball game at the end of the month, by motivating his team to win the game. But he breaks a promise to his colleague in doing so, which results in a loss of friendship with his old colleagues. Ethical Conduct In the end of the story, Zach wins the Employee of the Month award through ethical means, and Vince is fired for his unethical behavior in course of aiming for the award. CONCLUSION: The movie portrays the work relationships and attitudes of Theory X motivated workers in a company, in a funny and entertaining way. However, a lot of crude humor and language, as well as sub-plots that demean women, are included in generous quantities, so feminists better find other alternatives to identify their HRM concepts in real life situations! Employee of the Month â€Å"EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH† – from a HRM perspective THE PLOT: Vince Downey is the head cashier and winner of 17 consecutive Employee of the Month awards at Super Club. If he wins one more Employee of the Month, he will be put in the Super Club's Hall of Fame and win a new car. Zack Bradley, who is the ultimate slacker, has been working at the Super Club for 10 years, and is still at the bottom job, working as a box boy. Then Amy enters the picture; she is a new cashier transferring in from another Super Club store. Amy has a reputation of dating men who have won Employee of the Month at the other store, so Vince and Zack want to date Amy. Situation at the Company: Other employees are jealous of Vince's success, possibly as a result of his aggressive behavior. An autocratic and fear-based style of leadership prevails in the company, with the corporate manager, Glenn Ross, being a bully to his younger brother, the bureaucratic store manager. Vince Downey’s character portrait goal-oriented even at the cost of ethics and office relationships aggressive towards co-workers disliked by most other employees of Superclub very motivated towards promotions and incentives. Zach Bradley’s character portrait well-liked by colleagues doesn't mind breaking office rules for benefit of customers and colleagues uses office property after office hours for personal purposes low motivation towards structured goals rebellious towards establishment (possibly due to past failure). His friends are work-shirkers like himself, although they portray surly attitudes towards customers, while Zach doesn't. HRM CONCEPTS FOUND IN THE MOVIE: Maslow's need hierarchy theory Source: http://www. abraham-maslow. com The company aims to improve employee performance through need for self esteem. Zach initially aims for the award in order to win the affections of his female co-worker, Amy (physiological needs). Zach's friend Iqbal advises him to aim for the employee of the month award not just for physiological motives, but for self actualization. This advice is what motivates Zach and helps him overcome his rebelliousness towards the establishment in the end. Employee Initiative During the course of the month, a sea change is visible in Zach’s attitude towards his job. He shows initiative by volunteering for the vacant post of cashier at short notice. He also volunteers to solve management problems by finding storage space for mistakenly received goods. However, these activities, as well as his new perks, estrange him from his old colleagues. Leadership Skills He also shows leadership at the softball game at the end of the month, by motivating his team to win the game. But he breaks a promise to his colleague in doing so, which results in a loss of friendship with his old colleagues. Ethical Conduct In the end of the story, Zach wins the Employee of the Month award through ethical means, and Vince is fired for his unethical behavior in course of aiming for the award. CONCLUSION: The movie portrays the work relationships and attitudes of Theory X motivated workers in a company, in a funny and entertaining way. However, a lot of crude humor and language, as well as sub-plots that demean women, are included in generous quantities, so feminists better find other alternatives to identify their HRM concepts in real life situations!