Solar Energy is not a Solution to the American Energy Crisis

Solar Energy is not a Solution to America’s Energy Crisis With the growing cost of fuel for cars and the rolling blackouts of last summer, the need for an alternative, cost-effective, environment friendly energy source is escalating. Many possible solutions have been presented, such as nuclear power, wind power, and hydrogen fuel cells; prevalent among these is solar power. Solar cells directly convert photons from the sun into electricity (Wikipedia). Solar cells that convert both solar and non-solar light are called photovoltaic cells (Wikipedia 2006). They are made of semi conducting materials, most often silicon (Aldous 2006). The simplest photovoltaic cells power watches and calculators while larger, more complex systems can add†¦show more content†¦Boron only has three electrons in the outer tier, so instead of having extra electrons it has holes. These holes are just the absence of electrons so they have a positive charge and can move about similarly to electrons. (Aldous 2006) An electric field forms when N-type and P-type silicon are put in contact. The free electrons on the N side see the holes in the P side and try to fill them in. All the free electrons of the N-type silicon do not how ever fill up all the free holes in the P-type silicon. At the junction between the two sides the electrons and holes mix and form an electric field as a barrier. This causes the electrons to be able to flow from the P side to the N side but not in the other. (Aldous 2006) When light hits the solar cell, the energy frees the electron/hole pairs. Each photon will free one electron and create one hole. When this happens close to the electron field or if a hole and an electron wander into the field’s range of Solar Energy 4 influence, the field sends the electron to the N side and the hole to the P side. (Aldous 2006) If an external current path is provided then electrons flow to their original side (P) doing work on the way. 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Myths Surrounding Innovation Free Essays

string(68) " took and killed himself deliberately’ – David Stanley\." â€Å"There are myths surrounding creativity. The intangible nature of creativity does not lend itself to easy definition†. Introduction The intangible nature of creativity does not have a specific definition for it. We will write a custom essay sample on Myths Surrounding Innovation or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, creativity can refer to many things that differ and which also over laps many other elements. Joanna: 2003). â€Å"Creativity is defined as the tendency to generate or recognize idea, alternatives, or possibilities that may be used to solving problems, communicating with other, and entertaining ourselves and others†(Robert E. Franken: 2002). It also depends on the nature of the person what are his/her characteristics, hinging power and the artistic ability. It is said that managers equate innovation with creativity, but creativity comes with innovation; creativity is Just an idea and innovation is carrying out the idea and turning it into a business and providing It to the market (Visas governing]an: 2010). There is not a one specific definition for innovation. â€Å"Technically innovation Is defined merely as Introducing something new† (Jeff Dance: 2008), it does not concern how well or admirable the Innovation Is as long it is better than what it was. It is most likely that innovation Is a narrower incept than creativity. I believe If there Is no creativity then there Is no Innovation. It is the human nature than make them feel they are not creative enough that Is why there are different myths and MIS-understanding and have failed to provide one convincing definition. It Is proven that creative people are complex as It also states creativity is complex; people who are complex have the habit of showing thoughts and actions that others set apart (Scoot Barry Kauffman: 2011). The seven myths discussed In this essay are: the smarter you, the more creative you are, If u don’t express creativity ate a certain age It’s too late, alcohol and drugs will make you more creative, time pressure fuels creativity, money Is a creativity motivator, creativity come from creative people, creativity Is Just one eureka moment. The first myth states â€Å"The smarter you are, the more creative you are† (Constantine Indianapolis Patrick Dawson: 2009 peg 19/20) this Is not necessarily true; you don’t have to be smart however you need to have certain knowledge. There Is now Instant access to any Information through the Internet, but to Innovate something ND create something you need to be highly educated and smart they say (Amiable: 1996). An example would be of the greatest clients Albert Einstein who had proved the theory of relativity. He was not from a very educated background and was experiencing speech difficulties In his early days. He used to work SIX days a week on his scientific theories at the age of 26 Kneeler Rosenberg: 20th century). The other example Is of Michael Angelo who was a well known painter, sculpture, architect and a poet; he had no Interest In schooling neither any Interest In his formally financial business. He used to go vaults the church and see the people planting and drawing that gave him some knowledge about It (w. NM. Bibliography. Com/melancholies). These they were doing that made them so creative. Whereas Michael Angelo is concerned he didn’t need to smart to paint all he needed were a little knowledge and an idea to express it through art. The second myth states that â€Å"If you don’t express creativity by a certain age it’s too late† (The ©r ©SE Actor: creative minds). This is clearly not true; there is no age to show what your creative about. Although some people find out their inner ability of being retrieve a little late, but it does not mean they cannot express it when they pass a certain age. For egg: Anna Mary Robertson Moses also known as ‘Grandma Moses’ who was a well-known artist, she became a public attention in 1940 at the age 80, where she has started painting in a natural way, drawing from her memory and painting on Americans rural sceneries. Furthermore, she had no training and did it because she enjoyed doing it, all this started after she had retired from a career in embroidery because of arthritis (Silent Reed: 2013). However I believe people tend to realize their retentiveness after a certain age, when they are free are figure out what they enjoy doing enables them to bring out their creativeness and draw up a picture in their mind. People get De motivated after listening to people saying ‘it’s too late or you have passed that age’ which makes them even more less confidence which does not let them become creative. One is never too old to succeed in life† – Anna Mary Robertson Mosses The third myth states that â€Å"Alcohol and Drugs will make you more creative† (The ©r ©SE Actor: creative minds). I personally don’t believe that’s true: people have a psychological effect that makes them feel that when they are under the influence of drugs and alcohol they becam e creative. It is proven to be shown that people under the influence of drugs and alcohol become creative only because the stimulants creates the illusion of creativity (Mark Smith – 2010). This makes people feel that they are creative and this creativity of theirs does not remain for long and can stifle. I believe the idea of being creative after consuming alcohol and drugs tempts musicians and artists to try and instead results in an early loss of life or when they re under the influence of drugs and alcohol their behavior changes and also takes them into deeper thoughts convincing them to suicide or overdose themselves. A clear example would be of the famous Elvis Presley who was known as the king of rock and roll, who had died of overdosing himself with drugs on the 16th of August 1977. At first people thought it was Just a heart attack, later it was found that the reason of his death was because of a massive drug overdose (wry. Unsolved. Com/ Elvis Presley). â€Å"Elvis Presley woke up on the 16th of August, premeditated, planned, took and killed himself deliberately’ – David Stanley. You read "Myths Surrounding Innovation" in category "Papers" Nevertheless, there are celebrities who have overcome these dug problems and are still creative and famous. For instance the famous rapper Ben Hagglers also known as Mackerel who had also started drinking and dabbling into drugs, he also claimed â€Å"l don’t have moderation when using drugs and alcohol. It got to the point where it was hurting my life, my potential†. He then entered rehab and sobered himself up in 2008 and now his having the Auk’s biggest- selling single (Siam Growing: 2013). Celebrities easily get which is clearly untrue, thus a myth. The Fourth myth states that â€Å"Time pressure eels creativity’ (Bill Breed: 2004) this is clearly made up from someone. I cannot think of anything creative when there is time pressure. People tend to take bad decisions in hurry which leads bad consequences and I feel are the least creative. In one of the research it is shown that people who work under great pressure fail to be creative on that day and also the next two days as well (Bill Breed: 2004). This does not allow people to engage in the problem properly and are unable to come up with a better idea. To be creative it is necessary to concentrate on the particular problem, et the problem soak into your brain completely and then let the ideas flow out, thus creativity need preparation time (Bill Breed: 2004). An example to support this myth would be of Sir Isaac Newton who was one of the greatest scientists; he also impressed many people with his knowledge on bible. His most famous theories he discovered was the motion and gravitation, thus known as the â€Å"apple story’. He was able to discover his theories when he had the eighteen months gap when his school was shut due to the plague in the summer 1665 (Chris Pinnate: last visited 2917/13). Therefore, no expert can be creative under time pressure even the world’s renowned scientists took eighteen months to discover his theories on motion and gravity. The fifth myth states that â€Å"Money is a creativity motivator† (Bill Breed: 2004) this myth is also very much untrue. Creativity comes from within one’s self and the only motivation for creativity is by verbal motivation. A person presenting his creativeness and ideas should be recognized by others and supported in order to be motivated. Studies suggest that many people said that money isn’t everything and it is not elevate on a daily basis. For those who want to show their creativeness’s they do not need any money all they need is a little confidence to show what they are capable of. Individuals who work towards money feel that their works performance will affect their compensation are most likely to be less creative. They should be happy with their compensation they receive and research has also shown that workers are more creative when they are interested on their work and are able to extend their skills (Bill Breed: 2004). An example to illustrate this myth would be of the website Flicker. Ludicrous the inventors of flicker had before started a online multilayer gaming software in the year 2002-3, after about an year they realized on the software they had created there was this chat that enables gamers to share pictures and videos and they thought even though they got this big gaming software, they decided to get rid of it and make the sharing of pictures and videos into a big business so that’s how flicker was invented (Scott Bergen: 2008). So the above example clearly states that although ludicrous was making profits out of the gaming business, but still decided to o ahead with their creative idea and started the flicker business with confidence. Therefore money was not a motivating factor that had driven them to start flicker. â€Å"Creativity takes courage† – Henry Matrices The sixth myth state that â€Å"Creativity comes from creative people† (Bill Breed: 2004) is not true at all. Everyone has the capabilities to become creative; it takes knowledge, skills and experience. This specially happens in organizations where the managers feel that only certain employees in the organization are creative like in marketing and research and development departments and the rest of them aren’t like in the retrieve enough then there are barriers to creativity in which the employees are unable to tap their creative potential, thus reducing the success of the business (Bill Breed: 2008). People also Judge people in not being creative if they are not from a creative background and not anywhere in the creative field. There instances where somewhere is doing something creative and a very negative comment is given towards that creativity which results in that persons potential being dropped and loses confidence, but not all people lose hope after being rejected some keep trying until they where they want to be An example to challenge this myth would be Steve Jobs who is a university dropout and was not anywhere creative neither had a creative background until he started at Hewlett-Packard. While working there he came up with this idea of personal computers and shared his idea with Hewlett-Packard and wanted them to build the personal computer unfortunately they had rejected his idea. What so ever, he never gave up on his idea and started with his friend Steve Waking to build the personal computer and came up with apple (Scott Bergen: 2008). Therefore, no matter how negative comments and rejections you get about your creativeness or idea , Steve Jobs never gave up on his idea and passion and had his company apple bigger and better than Hewlett-Packard. â€Å"Be a yardstick of quality, some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected† – Steve Jobs. The seventh myth â€Å"Creativity is Just one eureka moment† (Harold Evans: 2005) this is the type of myth that people have a strong belief in. They tend to wait for an eureka moment to come rather than tapping their creative side and bringing out the artistic within them. When an individual is working on a particular work and is unable to solve it, working for days and keeps thinking about the work in order to find a solution to it and finally when the brain realizes what that work process was all about and in the end the solution for that work problem is all clear in your mind, that is when the eureka moment happens (Wisped). Although Archimedes did have is eureka moment that was not true, he was already an intelligent person and he was already working on finding a solution. He simply kept his mind open and was thoughtful and observing and taking time to connect the puzzle when he finally unconnected the puzzle he screamed eureka (Andre Duran: 2013). An example to confront this myth is Henry Ford although he did not have his eureka moment, but he was creative enough to come with the assemble line idea after failing twice with two automobile companies (Robert Greene: 2012). How to cite Myths Surrounding Innovation, Papers

HRIS at Qantas-Free-Samples for Students-Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Identify how technology is currently being utilised in your chosen HR functions, how it may be used in the future, and apply your findings to the Organisation of your choice. Answer: HRIS at Qantas Human Resource (HR) is an important component of every organization that contributes to its overall success. In order to continuously improve the processes that are part of HR, technology is increasingly being embraced. This gives rise to Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) that are technologically driven. Qantas is the leading airline in Australia with more than 28,000 employees as of the year 2015. The airline undertook several HR changes in its recruitment and selection of staff and in managing its occupational health and safety. Qantas used a HRIS system from Taleo to manage its recruitment and selection of its flight engineers and RMSS Suite to manage its occupational health and safety. Background of Qantas Qantas was founded in 1920 by three aviation pioneers in Australia: Fergus McMaster, Hudson Fysh and Paul McGinness (Qantas Case Study, 2014). The airline started as a passenger and mail courier company within Australia and was later nationalized in 1974. The company was operating globally by 1999 and joined the global airline alliance, Oneworld in the same year. The company experienced varying operational challenges from 2000 to 2010 and posted fairly weak earnings during this period. The airline currently offers the most comprehensive international and domestic coverage in Australia with over 70 international destinations. HR is important within the company and covers everyone from cleaners to the pilots. Current Use of Technology in HR Qantas currently uses Cloud based talent acquisition human resource software provided by Taleo to manage its recruitment and selection process (Oracle, 2017).This replaced the earlier approach which was based on paper work. This system makes the recruitment and selection process smoother as well as directly accessing the labour market. Recruitment times have been cut in half while time taken to make the decision to hire has gone down by a third. The Oracle Taleo Cloud service allows Qantas to manage the recruitment process with software that has rich data on talent management which is socially engaging. AHB (2012) states that this streamlines the resource allocation for the process and cuts down costs associated with hiring. The company engaged Risk Management and Safety Systems (RMSS) to develop an enterprise safety management system (RMSS, 2014). This system covered the components covering safety such as occupational health. The new technology based system replaced the manual paper based system which was cumbersome. The earlier system used Microsoft spreadsheets databases based on Access. This format was unintuitive and complex, expensive to track and not easily accounted for. The new system was customized to fit in-house specifications and reduced identified hazards from 300 to 20. The new technology availed more data once operational and has reduced the injuries that were occurring at Qantas. Future Application Fehling (2014), states that the future application of the current technology systems of HRIS will be Cloud and App based and Software as a Service Applications (SaaS). This will result in a hybrid relation in employment that is agile and improve organizational performance (Sarina Wright, 2015). The current trend will require greater use of Cloud services in order to make the system cost effective and easy to manage. Apps will be the main format of targeting potential employees through mobile devices. This will require leveraging on Social Media sites in order to post vacancies. SaaS applications such as LinkedIn will provide a rich data base from which the company can recruit professionals that require technical competencies such as engineers. Google Docs and Forms will also be increasingly important for the HR department in collecting and collating feedback from employees. Effect of HRIS on flight engineers. The recruitment and selection process has been shortened and made easier for flight engineers as most of the requirements are posted online (Qantas, 2017). The application is done using the company website and this eliminates the paper work of attaching certificates and testimonials and posting them through the mail. Essential requirements of citizenship and age are posted through the company portal. Criminal checks and pre-employment medical check requirements are also shown and this concisely and unambiguously spell out the requirements. Interlinking the website with different social media and professional websites makes the application process much easier. Screening on behavior and technical competency is done online and is followed by a telephone interview for shortlisted candidates. This reduces the time taken for the potential employee to know whether they are successful or not. The system on the portal is able to grade the results of the candidate doing the online technical competency test without bias. This helps to make the recruitment process fair without human input that is biased. This improves the chances of successful application by minority group applicants. This has the effect of making the recruitment process meritorious and transparent. Organizational loyalty is therefore enhanced by the process that is open and fair using technology. Selection is done after a one-on-one interview at the 4hr Assessment Center and is then followed by the training process. The interview process follows on the core requirements of technical and behavioral competencies. The web based process simplifies the whole format of interviewing and gives real time results and feedback to the potential employee. The flight engineer benefits by knowing beforehand the full job description required in terms of technical competency and certifications needed. The detailed requirement helps the flight engineer to pinpoint the daily tasks they are expected to undertake and this prepares them in advance to fit in within the department they will eventually join. The flight engineers have benefited from the RMSS safety management system in several ways. Preflight audits can be done by the engineers and logged into the system. The data that has been input into the Crew Resource Management system helps to reduce human error before flight (MacLeod, 2016). The safety department can then track the logs for purposes of accountability in cases corrective action is not taken. The personnel responsible for taking action can then be held accountable for not undertaking the appropriate actions as recommended in the log. This reduces incidences likely to result in catastrophe due to individual errors (Hampson, Junor Gregson, 2012). This reduces the probability of the flight engineer missing to perform important preflight checks. Human Resource is a component that plays an important role in the management process of most organizations. New technology in the form of software is important in improving this process through appropriate information systems. Qantas has embraced technologies that have improved and changed its recruitment, selection and safety management processes. The recruitment and selection process enables the company to directly access the labour market and provide the procedure that is transparent. Then safety management system has helped in reducing injury at the workplace and providing accountability that is easily tracked. These sets of information system usage have had an overall positive outcome in managing human resources at Qantas References AHB. (2012). Airline Crew Resource Management Systems. Airline Buzz Hub. Retrieved from https://www.airlinehubbuzz.com/airline-cabin-crew-resource-management-systems/ Fehling, C. (2014).Cloud computing patterns: Fundamentals to design, build, and manage cloud applications. Wien: Springer. Hampson, I., Junor, A., Gregson, S. (2012). Missing in action: aircraft maintenance and the recent HRM in the airlines literature. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 23(12), 2561-2575. doi:10.1080/09585192.2011.633278 Howarth, B. (2010). AHRI: Send in the Cloud. People Management. Retrieved from https://www2.cipd.co.uk/pm/peoplemanagement/b/weblog/archive/2013/01/29/ahri-send-in-the-cloud-2010-08.aspx MacLeod, N. (2016). Building Safe Systems in Aviation : A CRM Developer's Handbook. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. Oracle. (2017). Oracle Taleo Cloud Service. Retrieved from https://www.oracle.com/applications/taleo.html Qantas Case Sudy. (2014). Qantas. Business Studies Resources. Retrieved from https://www.acehsc.net/wp-content/uploads/Business_Studies_Resources_-_Case_Study_-_Qantas_Operations.PDF Qantas. (2017). Qantas Careers. Retrieved from https://www.qantas.com/travel/airlines/careers/global/en RMSS. (2011). Qantas. Retrieved from https://www.rmss.com.au/upload/RMSS%20Case%20Study%20-%20Qantas.pdf Sarina, T., Wright, C. F. (2015). Mutual gains or mutual losses? Organizational fragmentation and employment relations outcomes at Qantas Group. Journal of Industrial Relations, 57(5), 686. doi:10.1177/0022185615590905

What History Is To A Nation, Memory Is To The Individual. Both Serve T

What history is to a nation, memory is to the individual. Both serve to locate us, to tell us who we are by reminding us of what we have been and done. And both, as Kazuo Ishiguro suggests, are open to selection, repression and revision. The Remains of the Day, Ishiguro's third novel, examines the intersections of individual memory and national history through the mind of Stevens, a model English butler who believes that he has served humanity by devoting his life to the service of a great man, Lord Darlington. The time is 1956; Darlington has died, and Darlington Hall has been let by an American businessman. As Stevens begins a solitary motor trip to the west country, traveling farther and farther from familiar surroundings, he also embarks on a harrowing journey through his own memory. What he discovers there causes him to question not only Lord Darlington's greatness, but also the meaning of his own insular life. The journey motif is a deceptively simple structural device; the far ther Stevens travels from Darlington Hall, it seems, the closer he comes to understanding his life there. But in Stevens's travel journal Ishiguro shapes an ironic, elliptical narrative that reveals far more to the reader than it does to Stevens. The butler believes, for instance, that he makes his trip for professional reasons, to persuade a former housekeeper, Miss Kenton, to return to Darlington Hall. But through deftly managed flashbacks and Stevens's naive admissions, the reader sees instead that the matter is highly personal: Stevens had loved Miss Kenton but let her marry another man; he now wishes to make up for lost time, to correct the mistakes of his past. More important than that veiled love story--but intimately connected with it--is the matter of Lord Darlington, and the degree to which Stevens's sense of self is founded upon his belief in Darlington's greatness. It becomes clear enough to the reader, though Stevens is long in admitting it to himself, that Darlington h ad been a political pawn of fascism and the Nazis--unwitting perhaps, misguided no doubt, but hardly the great man that Stevens had deceived himself into believing he served. These revelations are made through a delicate and powerful process: as Stevens's journal shifts between travelogue, personal memoir and reflections on his profession, his memory slides continually between Darlington Hall in the ruined, empty present, the height of Darlington's influence (and Stevens's pride) in the 1920s, and the tense, disturbing pre-war 1930s. Carefully elided from consideration, repressed and hidden, are the war years themselves and their immediate aftermath. We know they are there, of course, and we may guess what they meant at Darlington Hall, but Stevens's memorial archaeology leaves that particular tomb unexcavated. In the end, Stevens must come to some sense of resignation and resolution, both about Darlington and about himself. The source of Stevens's pride is also, after all, potentia lly the source of his shame. He was willing enough to shine in the light of Darlington's greatness, and now must either share in his disgrace, or--what is perhaps more difficult--admit that his own dedicated and deeply considered professionalism has had no real part to play on the stage of world history. Like all great novels, The Remains of the Day is an organic work, its parts perfectly integrated, every scene imaging the whole. In his carefully controlled prose, so perfectly suited to his narrator, in his effortless movement among several different time settings, in his almost magical evocation of simultaneous humor and pathos, Ishiguro proves himself a masterful artist in full command of his elements. And in this novel, those elements combine to form a profound psychological and cultural portrait that reveals the author's great abiding theme: the art and artifice of memory

THE PROGRESSIVE ERA

THE PROGRESSIVE ERA THE PROGRESSIVE ERATo many, it seemed as if America's development was too good to be true. Immigrants flooded in hoping for a better life and a new start. Politicians ran for office all with a better platform than the last. By the early 1900's though, reality struck American cities. Labor in the cities was tough, with unsafe conditions and long hours, all for a minimum wage that could only afford for the increasing slum apartments. Different companies took advantage of the same working class of the cities, usually overcharging them for services and lying to them whenever possible. With all this going on, the public turned to the government, but realized the corrupt system would never be able to help much. The government was filled with unqualified officials whom, after being banned from the spoils system, were still being bribed by companies, criminals, etc. for special treatment. Americans desperately waited in disappointment for the change they needed.English: Jane Addams in a carT he laborers for these large businesses worked in poor conditions filled with safety hazards and minimal pay. The laborers also crowded to these factories in the overpopulated cities such as New York City and Chicago. When fired immigrants would take over the job for less pay. Such events brought upon great strikes and violence. Something had to be done. When all of American society was affected in the way businesses the people banded together to stop the chaos. The progressive movement was all about the regulation of business, no labor exploitation, federal intervention to help out the rest of America.Inventors, philosophers, social theorists, and historians led the progressive movement laying down the groundwork for the future. They believed that intelligent disciplined people should lead America into its new age. Being methodical in their ways, they used scientific methods to solve...

Common Spelling Mistakes Should You Use Lose or Loose

Common Spelling Mistakes Should You Use Lose or Loose Do you know the difference between the words â€Å"lose† and â€Å"loose†? Do you wonder each time you write one of these words whether you’re spelling it right? Today I will not only give you examples of how to know whether to use lose or loose, but I will also give you a trick to remember forever which spelling is correct. Lose is Always a Verb Some of the most common meanings for the word â€Å"lose† are to come to be without something, to fail to keep track of something, to have someone die, or to fail to win. Here is a list of some things you can lose: keys; money; a job; 25 pounds; loved ones; a game of pool, your virginity, or your mind. Before you get lost in thought about all the things you might lose, let’s move on to our next word. Loose is Usually an Adjective â€Å"Loose† can mean free, unfettered, unbound, or lacking in restraint; a few of its antonyms (opposites) are firm, bound and tight. It can also be used as a VERB meaning to let go of, let shoot or fly, or set free. Examples of Things that Can Be Loose Some things that can be or get loose are: Hair, knots, zoo animals, a sexually promiscuous person, a structure, an interpretation, vegetables in the grocery store, and teeth. There are many idioms that use the word â€Å"loose† such as â€Å"let loose,† â€Å"break loose,† â€Å"cut loose,† â€Å"hang loose,† â€Å"turn loose,† and â€Å"on the loose.† And are any of you â€Å"footloose and fancy free†? I hope the difference between â€Å"lose† and â€Å"loose† is clear. Now, how will you remember which is which? Knowing When to Use Lose or Loose It’s easy. Whenever you find yourself loosely throwing a double letter â€Å"o† into the word loose, ask yourself, â€Å"Should I *lose* the â€Å"o†?† Here are a few tricks to help you remember which word to use. Lose If you want a verb that means â€Å"to be without something,† then be without the extra â€Å"o†! If you want to say you â€Å"didnt win,† imagine the loser paying the winner the extra â€Å"o.† If you misplace something, misplace the second â€Å"o.† Loose If on the other hand, if you want your word to mean free, unbound, or anything loosely in that category, be free with your â€Å"o†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s! Dare I say, â€Å"Use them or lose them?† If you have questions about this or any other spelling/grammatical issue, ask The Essay Expert. You can also sign up for Brendas Grammar Writing Tips List for tips on how to communicate more professionally.

The Life in Thailand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Life in Thailand - Essay Example My native country is Thailand, which means â€Å"freedom†, and we call our country â€Å"Prathet Thai†. Buddhism and other religions and beliefs have a great influence on Thai art and way of life. In Thailand, the two main cultures are the ‘court one’ and ‘Ramvong.’ The court one culture is based on Buddhist values with the elements of Hinduism. Ramvong, on the other hand, is a folk culture with traditional songs and dances about the belief in spirits, tales, ceremonies of the agricultural cycle and the cycle of human life. This type of culture also includes crafts like the manufacture of household goods, wood processing, home silk weaving, wickerwork, rattan, and many others. The court culture is represented by Thai classical theater also known as "Khon". The performance is accompanied by traditional Thai music orchestra called "Phi Phat†. Typical Thai architecture is represented by Buddhist monasteries, frescoes in the temples and statu es of the Buddha. The culture in Singapore resembles a mixture of primarily British, Chinese, Indian, and Malay cultures. For a long time, Singapore was a colony of Britain, because of this the European culture got a great prevalence within this land. There are four state languages in Singapore: English, Malay, Chinese (Mandarin), and Tamil. The most interesting and unusual thing about Singaporeans is their obsession with food. Food is the main topic that people discuss during small talks. A lot of festivals, exhibitions, and excursions are devoted to food.

Internet and Technology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Internet and Technology - Research Paper Example As such, this paper shall briefly discuss the functional and social benefits of the Internet, and then move on to elucidating its social disadvantages. In the end, this paper aims to reinforce its thesis that while the Internet has its positive social benefits, it should not be replaced with real, face-to-face social interactions. Benefits of the Internet The primary advantages of the Internet are rooted in its nature as a digital communication medium. In this regard, it can be claimed that the common benefits of the Internet may be grouped either as functional or social. There are three common functional benefits of the Internet. Firstly, the Internet allows for an easier and more comfortable access to a vast number of information second (Brey 4). As an example, through the presence of various search engines like Google and Yahoo! Search, people from all over the globe can access pertinent information about any topic in less than a second. This helps in enhancing people’s cog nitive skills. Secondly, The Internet makes it possible for people to efficiently and effectively transfer information (Brey 4). For example, with the increasing popularity of blog sites and social networking sites, almost anyone can create or disseminate online contents to their contacts or subscribers. Such maintains high level of awareness and interest on the most pressing societal issues. Lastly, the Internet facilities various communication formats among individuals from all parts of the globe. Examples of these formats include one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many communication. Through this, freedom of expression is protected and practiced by giving every user a chance to impart his or her insights on the common societal happenings. On the other hand, there are four common social benefits of the Internet. Firstly, it helps develop and maintain good social relations. This usually happens when the Internet is used as a tool of communication for those who wish to maintain th eir closeness with their loved ones. For example, Skype is bridges communication gap by ensuring real-time communication. Secondly, the Internet contributes in the community formation and social organization by uniting people with same interests and likes. For example, there are various websites that cater to ‘passion groups’ like dancers, painters, and what not. As such, it often provides a fresh new approach for individuals to build and enhance social movements. Thirdly, the Internet also assists in one’s identity formation and psychological development by helping them ‘be what they really are’. In this sense, Internet’s capacity to allow for anonymity gives more freedom to the users. Lastly, the Internet paves the way for a better understanding not only of one’s culture, but of the culture of others, too. In this regard, through the vast information that are present in the Internet, anyone can search about history and art, allowing o ne to appreciate various cultural symbols and norms. Disadvantages of the Internet The Internet also has its share of negative effects to people and societies at large. Obviously, depending on the intention of its users, the Internet may be used to destroy one’s reputation and dignity. The primary disadvantage happens when online interaction is being replaced with tangible, face-to-face relationships. For example, when a person decides to engage more in online communication rather than real communication, he will slowly develop

Kolcaba’s Theory of Comfort Essay Example for Free

Kolcaba’s Theory of Comfort Essay Within the context of theory illustrates a demanding yet creative shaping of plans, structured requirements, and prediction of a provisional, determined, and systematic sight of phenomena (Chinn, 2011). Nursing theory is a crucial function within the nursing practice. Theories afford nurses with the distinctive facets that are in encompassed within patient care and the nursing profession. Clarification of practice governance, and expectations are also integrated within contextual framework of nursing theory. It bestows various manners to acquire data, examine and study, and foresee the practice of nursing and the outcomes of patient care (Parker, 2010). Kolcaba’s middle range theory of comfort captivated my interest because my impression of comfort curtails that of positive patient outcomes. Comfort is not solitary to just physical ailments, but emotional and psychological measures in addition. Throughout my experiences and years as bedside registered nurse, I can attest that patient requests stem largely from the factor of being made comfortable. As stated above, this not only embraces physical comfort, but something unassuming as a comforting touch or positive attitude to render the positive outcome and a content patient. Absorbing how theory influences practice has been an impediment that I have recently overcame. I was unmindful that certain situations and decision making were reinforced through the use of theory. Examination of the importance of nursing theories, more in depth review of Kolcaba’s theory of comfort, and theory of comfort in nursing practice, education, and research will be reviewed further. Importance of Nursing Theories Separately from the governance of practice and foundation for the practice of nursing, theories furthermore propounds opportunities for nurses in the sense of practical application. Measurable changes and enrichment of the profession occur when nursing theories are incorporated into practice. The benefits of having a defined frame of theory in nursing produces superior patient care, heightened professional repute for nurses, progressed interaction among nurses, and direction for exploration of the practice and education. Theories also illustrate the quality of the nursing profession, and serves as a reservoir of knowledge with the examination of the essential requirements of patients and necessary interventions. In addition, specialized rationales are provided. Succeeding medical doctors orders are not exclusively to the context of nursing care. Nursing care incorporates not only a compassionate attitude but passion for care of patients. The caring component of nursing cannot be measured, rather dissected through theory within the clarification of what nurses do. Systemically this is all supported through abundant theories and theorist. The nursing profession emphasizes on holistic care which is defined as treatment of the whole person. Within this skill is the admittance of problems that are biomedical but also opportune clarification of the well-being and health of a human that introduces added indicators of disease that are non-visualized (Powers, 2011). Kolcaba’s Theory of Comfort The origination of Kolcaba’s theory of comfort stemmed was first established in the 1900’s. Founder, Katherine Kolcaba, concluded that for a positive patient outcome to accomplished, comfort is a crucial obligation. Katherine organized a representation for exploring, analyzing, and gauging the care of the patient. Historically, she believed that the product of the profession of nursing is comfort. According to Kolcaba (2010), comfort is achieved in a few diverse ways to include transcendence, relief, and ease. Transcendence represents the aptitude to overcome the lack of comfort sensed by patients through their awareness to cease. Patients are able to rise above their challenges. For example, a post-operative below the knee amputee patient may experience great physical pain from the surgery as well as psychological trauma from the intervention. Pushing forward to regain strength and independence would be an instance of transcendence. Relief constitutes any ordered analgesic medication that can be given to the patient or  non-pharmacologic interventions such as distraction or repositioning. This structure of comfort is experienced as relief. Anxiety reducing measures such as anxiolytics or inducing expression through conversation or other forms of communication can be facilitated. These actions can be constituted as placing the patient at ease. In my day to day professional practice experiences, I come across different situations where comfort may be the only measure to take in a particular patients care. Pharmacological therapy interventions are important for adequate relief, but non-pharmacological interventions are just as imperative. A simple caring touch and tone conditions the patient to an enhanced state. This particular theory affords nurses a better comprehension and obligation to comfort in the practice setting. Nurse are the forefront of healthcare. We have the ability to promptly identify the demands the needs of the patient. Kolcaba’s theory of comfort conforms into the nursing metaparadigm with relation to the three concepts presented: transcendence, relief, and ease. There is a clear consensus about the concepts which includes health, nursing, person, and environment of the metaparadigm. Kolcaba elaborated on the four various experience backgrounds that comfort is achieved. These include environmental, physical, social, and psychospiritual (Kolcaba, 2010). Theory of comfort in nursing practice, education, and research Kolcaba’s theory of comfort guides research in assorted ways. It challenges the nurse to examine the correlation among holistic interventions and different comfort measures. It also imposes a contention between comfort and â€Å"health seeking behaviors†. If the product is positive, than it enhances future endeavors and postulates additional motivators to provide comfort. Institutional outcomes are also examined (Koehn, 2000). References Chinn, P.L., Kramer, M.K. (2011). Integrated theory and knowledge of development in nursing (8th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby/Elsevier Koehn, M. (2000) Alternative and complementary therapies for labor and birth: an application of Kolcaba’s theory of holistic comfort. Holistic Nursing Practice. 15(1):66-77 Kolcaba, K. (1992). Holistic comfort: Operationalizing the constructs as a nurse-sensitiveOutcome. Advances in Nursing Science, 15(1), 1-10, p. 6. Kolcaba, K. (1994) A theory of holistic comfort for nursing. Journal of Advanced Nursing 19: 1178-1184 Kolcaba, K. DiMarco, M.A. (2005) Comfort theory and its application to pediatric nursing. Pediatric Nursing, 31(3), 187-194 Parker, M.E., Smith, M.C. (2010), Nursing theories and nursing practice (3rd ed.) Philadelphia, P.A.: F.A. Davis Company Powers, B.A., Knapp, T.R. (2011). Dictionary of nursing theory and research (4th ed.). York: Springer Publisher Company

Reports of Gods Death Are a Bit Premature Essays -- Philosophy essays

The Reports of God's Death Are a Bit Premature      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Arguing the death of God is a debate that will last until eternity. Regardless of exploration or religious zeal there are far too many human viewpoints leaning towards the idea of and the strong need for faith. Believing in God for some is as natural as walking upright and it would seem that through such unquestionable faith God would somehow still be alive. But perhaps He is only surviving with the help of life support.    For example, it would be difficult to tell a passionate Fundamentalist Christian that God was not alive in his or her heart. Therefore, Nietzche's claim of God's demise would fall on deaf ears, for he or she would, in a sense, be keeping God alive with their faith. However, for the sake of Nietzche's favorite subject and perspectivists everywhere, suppose God has in fact died. According to the "madman" we are all responsible (Kaufman 126), but how did it happen and what do we do to solve the problem? Even more curious, is it a problem? So there they are, like some sort of bad movie, standing around with a body lying on the floor. It is nighttime and the classic storm is occurring outside complete with pouring rain, thunder and lightning. Those present stare at the figure in disbelief. Some, however, are not surprised. Others shake their heads at the inevitability of it all. A few cry, but what is on all of their minds is this: who is it?! His death has left him slightly disfigured, n ot in a morbid sense, but just enough to make him hard to identify, not only for who he is, but what place he held in all of their lives. There is no question that he once held a position of great power and esteem, and that he once had a profound effect on generatio... ... the first time ever, we as humans hold God's fate in the balance. Perhaps this is not only Nietzche'sperspective, perhaps this is truth. We are all, in fact, responsible for His survival. But like Mark Twain's famous quote about himself, the reports of God's death are a bit premature.    Works Cited Kaufman, Gordon D., God the Problem Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1973. Nietzxche, Friedrich. The Gay Science: With a Prelude in Rhymes and an Appendix of Songs New York: Vintage Books, 1974. Beyond Good and Evil: Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future New York: Vintage Books, 1989. Soloman, Robert C. and Kathleen M. Higgens. Reading Nietzsche . New York: Oxford University Press, 1988. Spinoza, Baruch. The Collected Works of Spinoza   Edited and translated by Edwin Curley. Vol. 1, The Ethics   Princeton: The Princeton University Press, 1985. Reports of God's Death Are a Bit Premature Essays -- Philosophy essays The Reports of God's Death Are a Bit Premature      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Arguing the death of God is a debate that will last until eternity. Regardless of exploration or religious zeal there are far too many human viewpoints leaning towards the idea of and the strong need for faith. Believing in God for some is as natural as walking upright and it would seem that through such unquestionable faith God would somehow still be alive. But perhaps He is only surviving with the help of life support.    For example, it would be difficult to tell a passionate Fundamentalist Christian that God was not alive in his or her heart. Therefore, Nietzche's claim of God's demise would fall on deaf ears, for he or she would, in a sense, be keeping God alive with their faith. However, for the sake of Nietzche's favorite subject and perspectivists everywhere, suppose God has in fact died. According to the "madman" we are all responsible (Kaufman 126), but how did it happen and what do we do to solve the problem? Even more curious, is it a problem? So there they are, like some sort of bad movie, standing around with a body lying on the floor. It is nighttime and the classic storm is occurring outside complete with pouring rain, thunder and lightning. Those present stare at the figure in disbelief. Some, however, are not surprised. Others shake their heads at the inevitability of it all. A few cry, but what is on all of their minds is this: who is it?! His death has left him slightly disfigured, n ot in a morbid sense, but just enough to make him hard to identify, not only for who he is, but what place he held in all of their lives. There is no question that he once held a position of great power and esteem, and that he once had a profound effect on generatio... ... the first time ever, we as humans hold God's fate in the balance. Perhaps this is not only Nietzche'sperspective, perhaps this is truth. We are all, in fact, responsible for His survival. But like Mark Twain's famous quote about himself, the reports of God's death are a bit premature.    Works Cited Kaufman, Gordon D., God the Problem Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1973. Nietzxche, Friedrich. The Gay Science: With a Prelude in Rhymes and an Appendix of Songs New York: Vintage Books, 1974. Beyond Good and Evil: Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future New York: Vintage Books, 1989. Soloman, Robert C. and Kathleen M. Higgens. Reading Nietzsche . New York: Oxford University Press, 1988. Spinoza, Baruch. The Collected Works of Spinoza   Edited and translated by Edwin Curley. Vol. 1, The Ethics   Princeton: The Princeton University Press, 1985.

Comment on Shakespeare’s portrayal of Othello

In Shakespeare's time black people were classed as second-class citizens. They were often looked at as devil-like and evil. This was, however, a stereotypical view, often accepted by the people of Shakespeare's day. People looked at the Bible to show that black people were devil-like and evil. The Bible tells the story of Noah and the Ark. In the Ark it was forbidden to have children, as there would not be enough food. However, Ham, one of Noah's sons, decided to disobey these rules, as he wanted to have the son who would be ruler of the world. When Noah found out and they returned to land, Noah banished Ham to Africa. Ham had committed sin and was evil and devil-like because he had disobeyed his father for his own self-interest, risking the lives of others in the Ark. As black people were said to have originated form Africa, where Ham was banished, they could be descendants of Ham, who was evil, and therefore black people were evil and devil-like too. Black people were also said to be over-sexed, unstable, irrational, suffer from fits, and be devil-like. In the prejudiced mind, Shakespeare presents Othello to match all of these stereotypical categories that black people were said to be. People with an open mind, however, can simply see that Othello is a man in love. In Act 4, Scene 1, line 40, Othello has a fit. This matches with the stereotypical view that back people have fits. However, Othello has a fit because he was in a rage. The reason being that he had become so disturbed by the stories of his beloved wife having been unfaithful. It is possible for anyone, white or black, to have a fit if they were as distressed as Othello was. Othello may be seen as over-sexed. He talks in a very passionate manner. Shakespeare presents Othello to have a glorified situation of his and Desdemona's affection for each other. It is more likely; therefore, that Othello is infatuated in their love than over-sexed. The depth of his passionate language, in which you can see that his love is more than a hallucination, is shown throughout the beginning of the play. â€Å"Amen to that, sweet powers/ cannot speak enough of this content/ it stops me here: it is too much joy†(II i 188). Othello declares this after he and Desdemona are reunited after their journey to Cyprus. Othello is talking passionately to Desdemona, however, this does not immediately prove him of being over-sexed, it shows the love he is sharing with Desdemona. Othello could be seen as irrational when he kills Desdemona by smothering her, Act 5, Scene 2, and Line 85. Iago, however, is far more irrational then Othello ever could have be seen to be and Iago is white. Iago's irrationality can be seen in one of his soliloquies. † I'll have our Michael Cassio on the hip, / Abuse him to the Moor in the rank garb-/ For I fear Cassio with my night cap too-â€Å"(II i 286-288). Here Iago is saying how he believes his wife has been sleeping with Cassio, of which he has no verification. He says in effect that he wants Cassio dead. This shows Iago's irrationality because he has no reason to have Cassio dead, or to even contemplate that he has slept with his wife. Iago provokes many deaths, without remorse, which shows that he has extreme irrationality. Being devil-like was another typical view people had of blacks. Othello while he is in a rage could be seen as devil-like. † Therefore confess thee freely of thy sin;/ For to deny each article with oath/ Cannot remove nor choke the strong conception/ That I do groan withal. Thou art to die† (V ii 54-56). Othello speaks these words to Desdemona before he murders her. Othello has no prove of her infidelity, except from what Iago has told him. Othello is in a huge rage as he is about to kill her and therefore could be seen as devil-like. Iago is also very devil-like, more than Othello and he is white. This contradicts the stereotypical view of black people in Shakespeare's' time. Act 5 Scene 2 Line 235 Iago kills his wife Emilia for speaking of Desdemona's faithfulness, therefore showing Iago's deceitfulness. Shakespeare cleverly presents Othello stereotypically, but also as a normal person. He could have done this to suit the different audiences, but he may have used these contradictions as a way of making people less prejudiced. Shakespeare thought carefully about the presentation of Othello's character as it shows two sides of a black man. Othello is a great general who has also won the affections of a white woman. Shakespeare was not the first to have presented a black man on stage. But he was the first to have not presented that black character as beastly and ferocious. He presents a warrior with great passion. Othello's language throughout the play is full of great passion. â€Å"All's well now, sweeting; come away to bed†(II i 234). This is one example of Othello's passion. At this point in Othello his passion is only towards Desdemona in a loving way. As Othello develops, Othello's passion changes as he becomes wrapped in a passion of jealousy. Othello then becomes an uncontrollable, violent man. Othello never stops his passionate loving for Desdemona but feels it his duty to kill her before she breaks more men's hearts. â€Å"Yet she must die, else she'll betray more men†(V ii 6). Othello says these words to himself while Desdemona is sleeping, before he is about to smother her. At the beginning of Othello you would never have thought that anything could ever come between a couple bearing so much love for each other. However, all that was needed to break this loving couple apart was Iago, gently introducing ideas, mentioning, just little things like Cassio's quick departures from Desdemona. â€Å"Cassio, my lord; No sure I cannot think it/ That he would steal away so guilty-like, / Seeing you coming.†(III iii 38-40). Iago keeps slipping in comments about Desdemona, until Othello becomes so caught up with jealousy that he is convinced of his wife's unfaithfulness. As Othello has so much passion, his anger is brewed into a huge mental tornado, which takes time to build up, but when at full strength can destroy even what seem like the strongest things, Othello and Desdemona's marriage, and resulting in the death of Desdemona.

Barack Obama: Greatest Moral Failure

Of his early childhood, Obama recalled, â€Å"That my father looked nothing like the people around me—that he was black as pitch, my mother white as milk—barely registered in my mind. â€Å"[20] He described his struggles as a young adult to reconcile social perceptions of his multiracial heritage. [21] Reflecting later on his formative years in Honolulu, Obama wrote: â€Å"The opportunity that Hawaii offered—to experience a variety of cultures in a climate of mutual respect—became an integral part of my world view, and a basis for the values that I hold most dear. [22] Obama has also written and talked about using alcohol, marijuana and cocaine during his teenage years to â€Å"push questions of who I was out of my mind†. [23] At the 2008 Civil Forum on the Presidency, Obama identified his high-school drug use as his â€Å"greatest moral failure. â€Å"[24] Following high school, Obama moved to Los Angeles in 1979 to attend Occidental College. [25] After two years he transferred in 1981 to Columbia University in New York City, where he majored in political science with a specialization in international relations[26] and graduated with a B. A. in 1983. He worked for a year at the Business International Corporation,[27][28] then at the New York Public Interest Research Group. [29][30] Chicago community organizer and Harvard Law School After four years in New York City, Obama moved to Chicago, where he was hired as director of the Developing Communities Project (DCP), a church-based community organization originally comprising eight Catholic parishes in Greater Roseland (Roseland, West Pullman and Riverdale) on Chicago's far South Side. He worked there as a community organizer from June 1985 to May 1988. 29][31] During his three years as the DCP's director, its staff grew from one to thirteen and its annual budget grew from $70,000 to $400,000. He helped set up a job training program, a college preparatory tutoring program, and a tenants' rights organization in Altgeld Gardens. [32] Obama also worked as a consultant and instructor for the Gamaliel Foundation, a community organizing institute. [33] In mid-1988, he traveled for the first time in Europe for three weeks and then for five weeks in Kenya, where he met many of his paternal relatives for the first time. 34] He returned in August 2006 in a visit to his father's birthplace, a village near Kisumu in rural western Kenya. [35] In late 1988, Obama entered Harvard Law School. He was selected as an editor of the Harvard Law Review at the end of his first year,[36] and president of the journal in his second year. [37] During his summers, he returned to Chicago, where he worked as a summer associate at the law firms of Sidley Austin in 1989 and Hopkins & Sutter in 1990. [38] After graduating with a Juris Doctor (J. D. magna cum laude[39] from Harvard in 1991, he returned to Chicago. [36] Obama's election as the first black president of the Harvard Law Review gained national media attention[37] and led to a publishing contract and advance for a book about race relations,[40] which evolved into a personal memoir. The manuscript was published in mid-199 5 as Dreams from My Father. [40] University of Chicago Law School and civil rights attorney In 1991, Obama accepted a two-year position as Visiting Law and Government Fellow at the University of Chicago Law School to work on his first book. 41] He then served as a professor at the University of Chicago Law School for twelve years; as a Lecturer from 1992 to 1996, and as a Senior Lecturer from 1996 to 2004 teaching constitutional law. [42] From April to October 1992, Obama directed Illinois's Project Vote, a voter registration drive with ten staffers and seven hundred volunteer registrars; it achieved its goal of registering 150,000 of 400,000 unregistered African Americans in the state, and led to Crain's Chicago Business naming Obama to its 1993 list of â€Å"40 under Forty† powers to be. 43] In 1993 he joined Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland, a 13-attorney law firm specializing in civil rights litigation and neighborhood economic development, where he was an associate for t hree years from 1993 to 1996, then of counsel from 1996 to 2004, with his law license becoming inactive in 2002. [44] From 1994 to 2002, Obama served on the boards of directors of the Woods Fund of Chicago, which in 1985 had been the first foundation to fund the Developing Communities Project, and of the Joyce Foundation. 29] He served on the board of directors of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge from 1995 to 2002, as founding president and chairman of the board of directors from 1995 to 1999. [29] Political career: 1996–2008 State Senator: 1997–2004 Main article: Illinois Senate career of Barack Obama Obama was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1996, succeeding State Senator Alice Palmer as Senator from Illinois's 13th District, which at that time spanned Chicago South Side neighborhoods from Hyde Park – Kenwood south to South Shore and west to Chicago Lawn. 45] Once elected, Obama gained bipartisan support for legislation reforming ethics and health care laws. [46] He sponsored a law increasing tax credits for low-income workers, negotiated welfare reform, and promoted increased subsidies for childcare. [47] In 2001, as co-chairman of the bipartisan Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, Obama supported Republican Governor Ryan's payday loan regulations and predatory mortgage lending regulations aimed at averting home foreclosures. [48] Obama was reelected to the Illinois Senate in 1998, defeating Republican Yesse Yehudah in the general election, and was reelected again in 2002. 49] In 2000, he lost a Democratic primary run for the U. S. House of Representatives to four-term incumbent Bobby Rush by a margin of two to one. [50] In January 2003, Obama became chairman of the Illinois Senate's Health and Human Services Committee when Democrats, after a decade in the minority, regained a majority. [51] He sponsored and led unanimous, bipartisan passage of legislation to monitor racial profiling by requiring police to record the race of drive rs they detained, and legislation making Illinois the first state to mandate videotaping of homicide interrogations. [47][52] During his 2004 general election campaign for U. S. Senate, police representatives credited Obama for his active engagement with police organizations in enacting death penalty reforms. [53] Obama resigned from the Illinois Senate in November 2004 following his election to the U. S. Senate. [54] 2004 U. S. Senate campaign See also: United States Senate election in Illinois, 2004 In May 2002, Obama commissioned a poll to assess his prospects in a 2004 U. S. Senate race; he created a campaign committee, began raising funds and lined up political media consultant David Axelrod by August 2002, and formally announced his candidacy in January 2003. 55] Decisions by Republican incumbent Peter Fitzgerald and his Democratic predecessor Carol Moseley Braun not to contest the race launched wide-open Democratic and Republican primary contests involving fifteen candidates. [56] In the March 2004 primary election, Obama won in an unexpected landslide—which overnight made him a rising star within the national Democratic Party, started specu lation about a presidential future, and led to the reissue of his memoir, Dreams from My Father. [57] In July 2004, Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, Massachusetts,[58] and it was seen by 9. million viewers. His speech was well received and elevated his status within the Democratic Party. [59] Obama's expected opponent in the general election, Republican primary winner Jack Ryan, withdrew from the race in June 2004. [60] Six weeks later, Alan Keyes accepted the Illinois Republican Party's nomination to replace Ryan. [61] In the November 2004 general election, Obama won with 70% of the vote. [62] U. S. Senator: 2005–2008 Main article: United States Senate career of Barack Obama Obama was sworn in as a senator on January 4, 2005,[63] at which time he became the only Senate member of the Congressional Black Caucus. [64] CQ Weekly characterized him as a â€Å"loyal Democrat† based on analysis of all Senate votes in 2005–2007. The National Journal ranked him among the â€Å"most liberal† senators during 2005 through 2007. [65] He enjoyed high popularity as senator with a 72% approval in Illinois. [66] Obama announced on November 13, 2008 that he would resign his Senate seat on November 16, 2008, before the start of the lame-duck session, to focus on his transition period for the presidency. [67]

Universal and Diagnostic Screening in Setting SLO Goals

Universal and Diagnostic Screening in Setting SLO Goals Teacher evaluation programs require that teachers set student learning objectives (SLOs) using data that can help target instruction for the academic school year. Teachers should use multiple sources of data in developing their SLOs in order to demonstrate student growth over an academic school year. One source of data for teachers can be found in the data that is collected from screening in Response to Intervention (RTI) programs. RTI is a multi-tier approach that allows educators to   identify and then support students with specific learning and behavior needs. The RTI process begins with the use of a universal screen   of all students.   A  universal screen  is an assessment which has already been determined to be a reliable assessment of a specific skill. Universal screens are designated as those assessments that are: Accessible to all studentsGiven to all studentsSkill and concept specific  Easy to administer and scoreQuick turn-around time (1-3 days) of aggregated and disaggregated data to classroom teachersRepeatableReliable (Note: A â€Å"teacher-made† assessment cannot be referred to as reliable if it has not been analyzed by a psychometrician) Source: State of CT, Department of Education, SERC Examples of universal screens used in education at the secondary level are:  Acuity,  AIMSweb, Classworks, FAST, IOWAs, and STAR; some states, such as NY, use the DRP as well. Once the data has been reviewed from universal screening, educators may want to use a  diagnostic screen  to measure students understanding of a subject area or skills base  after a universal screen has revealed specific areas of strength or weakness for a student.   The characteristics of diagnostic assessments are that they are: Given to selected students  Reliable   Valid  (Note: A â€Å"teacher-made† assessment cannot be referred to as reliable or valid if it has not been analyzed by a psychometrician) Source: State of CT, Department of Education, SERC Examples of diagnostic assessments include  Behavior Assessment Scale for Children (BASC-2); Childrens Depression Inventory, Connors Rating Scales. NOTE: Some results may not be shared for the purposes of developing SLOs for the classroom teachers, but may be used for education specialists such as school social worker or psychologist. The data from universal screens and diagnostic screens are critical components of the RTI programs in schools, and this data, when available, can help in refining developing teacher SLOs. Of course, teachers may create their own benchmark assessments to act as a baseline. These benchmark assessments are used frequently, but because they are often teacher created they should be cross-referenced with universal and diagnostic screens if available. Teacher created materials are imperfect or may even be invalid if students underperform or if skills are incorrectly accessed. At the secondary level, teachers may look at quantitative  data  (expressed in numbers, measurable)  from prior years: Standardized test results (State, SAT, ACT, NAEP);Report card grades (letter value or percentage);Attendance records. There may be qualitative  data  (expressed in description, observable)  also in the form of recorded observations by teacher(s) and  support staff or in prior report card comments.This form of comparison through multiple measures that are qualitative and quantitative is called triangulation: Triangulation  is the process of using multiple data sources to address a particular question or problem and using evidence from each source to illuminate or temper evidence from the other sources. In triangulating data to develop a SLO, a teacher make an informed decision on the student learning objectives that to help improve either an individual student or group of students performance.     All of these forms of assessment including those from the prior year, which may include universal or diagnostic screens, can provide teachers with the data to begin to develop well-informed SLO goals at the beginning of the school year in order to target instruction for multi-tiered student improvement for the entire academic year.

6 Things to Consider Before Early Application Deadlines

It’s autumn again, and for high school seniors applying to college, that means early application deadlines are fast approaching. Many competitive colleges have Early Action (EA) or Early Decision (ED) programs with deadlines of November 1st or November 15th. Hopefully, if you’re planning to apply early, you’ve already done your research, and you understand all the rules and requirements. However, it’s worth double-checking your application and thinking over your decision once more before you actually hit submit. Are you almost ready to turn in your ED or EA application? Take a moment to consider these tips from first. Before you submit any applications, make sure you know what type of early application program you’re entering and what the rules of that program are. Basically, ED programs are binding and single-choice. EA programs are non-binding, but they may or may not be single-choice or â€Å"restricted† ( SCEA or REA ) programs.   ED II programs have a later deadline, but as ED programs, they’re still binding. Depending upon which schools you apply to and under which plans, this can get confusing. It’s useful to think about what will happen under different combinations of circumstances and make sure you’re prepared — you don’t want to get stuck at a school you’d rather not attend. For instance, if you apply ED to a college and are deferred to the Regular Decision or RD round, you’re released from your binding ED obligation. Among other things, this means that if you then apply to another school in the ED II round and are accepted, you’re bound by your agreement to attend the ED II school, even if your original ED school accepts you in the RD round. ED and EA programs are the major options you’ll find among competitive colleges, but there are other possibilities in the realm of early college admissions, including rolling admissions, earlier consideration in athletic recruitment , and â€Å"likely letters† sent to certain students who will most likely be admitted. Check with your school for specifics, and read our posts ED vs EA vs REA and ED I vs. ED II: Frequently Asked Questions for a more detailed explanation of the process. If you’re depending upon financial aid to make college possible for you, this can make early applications a bit more complicated. Applying early gives you fewer opportunities to compare aid awards from different schools and potentially negotiate more aid from your preferred school. In particular, applying through a binding ED program can put you in a tough position if you’re accepted, but aren’t offered enough aid . If it’s truly financially impossible for you to attend your ED school, you may be able to convince the school to release you from your ED agreement without further consequences, but it’s better to avoid that situation if possible. Applying early based upon your hopes of getting enough aid comes with a certain amount of risk, and you should consider this risk before applying. If your financial situation is especially tricky, it may be a better idea to apply in the regular admission round and get a better look at all your options at once . Also, keep in mind that applying to college early often means applying for financial aid and scholarships early as well. Make sure you have your financial documents in order and are ready to take care of these requirements by the deadlines.   Even colleges that have been around for hundreds of years change all the time. New policies are adopted, campus facilities open or close or undergo renovations, and faculty members leave or arrive. Before you submit your application, do another quick round of research to check if anything major has changed since you decided to apply. Think about the ways in which changes at your college might affect your plans there. For example, if a faculty member you’d been particularly excited about working with has just announced that they’re leaving the school, you might no longer be so sure that this school is your first choice. On the other hand, if the college just received a generous donation to expand undergraduate internship opportunities, this new resource might reinforce your decision to apply early. Staying up to date regarding any changes or major events at your ED or EA college can also be helpful when it comes to your future interview . Your research will suggest natural topics for that conversation, and your knowledge of the school will reflect your genuine interest in attending . If you haven’t visited your early-application school yet, now’s the time to do it. A visit can give you a much better idea of what everyday life is like on campus and whether that environment suits you. If you’re applying through a binding ED program, it’s even more important for you to feel sure about your choice. Of course, it’s not always possible to visit a college, particularly with deadlines coming up so soon. If you can’t visit, check out the college’s admissions website for alternative ways to get to know the campus better . Some colleges even offer virtual tours. For ’s advice on planning an effective visit to your college of choice, check out our post How to Make the Most of a Campus Visit . If you’re not able to visit, we go over some alternatives in our post How Can I Figure Out a School’s Culture Without Visiting the Campus? Estimating your chance of getting into a college is not easy in today’s competitive environment. Thankfully, with our state-of-the-art software and data, we can analyze your academic and extracurricular profile and estimate your chances. Our profile analysis tool can also help you identify the improvement you need to make to enter your dream school. A college’s website and advertising materials can tell you a great deal about that school, but talking to a student, whether current or former, is the best way to get a personal, unfiltered perspective on what attending that school is really like. Many important factors in your college decision can’t be adequately expressed by numbers and statistics, but should still be considered before you commit to an early application. Use your connections to find a student who can talk to you. Your family, friends, or guidance counselors may have a useful connection, or the college’s admissions office may be able to match you up with a student. Near-peer advising programs like the Mentorship Program can also help you connect with current students at the school where you’d like to apply early. If you get to talk to a student, ask them about their likes and dislikes, the things they enjoy most about their school, and the things they find most challenging about attending. Encourage the student to talk about all the pros and cons, including the factors that aren’t flattering to the school, and to be open and honest about their opinions. Deciding to apply to a binding ED program is a serious commitment. If you’re accepted, you’re required to attend, even if you’ve changed your mind. You can only be released from this commitment under extraordinary circumstances, such as in the case of a family emergency or if you’re absolutely unable to afford it. Similarly, in both ED and SCEA or REA programs, you’re only allowed to apply to one college in that early round, regardless of other schools’ policies.   Colleges reserve the right to reject your application if you violate the terms of your early application agreement. Since college admissions offices often do communicate with each other, the news may spread to the other colleges where you’ve applied. It’s possible that those colleges will choose to reject you as well; even if other colleges aren’t directly involved, they may worry about your commitment and dependability.   Stick to your agreements as they’re written. If you’re not sure whether your early application plans comply with these agreements, talk to your guidance counselor and/or the college’s admissions office. It would be a shame for you to be rejected from a school you love because you’ve made a mistake — or because you’ve tried to game the system. Here’s a quick guide to early application types and deadlines for the top colleges in the United States, based on the newly released 2018 U.S. News and World Report rankings . As always, check with your college’s admissions office directly for the most up-to-date application details. Early college applications can be especially stressful — the early deadlines give you less time to perfect your application materials, and since you’ll generally apply early to your first-choice school, the outcome will be all the more important to you. It can help tremendously to get feedback from people who are knowledgeable about this process and can guide you through all its details. ’s experienced near-peer mentors aren’t just trained to help with the college application process; they’re also backed up by the power of ’s database of admissions trends, and best of all, they have personal experience getting accepted to prestigious colleges.

Poverty and Economic Devastation in Jamaica Essay

Poverty and Economic Devastation in Jamaica - Essay Example This essay analyzes not only positive changes that independence gave to Jamaican people, but also the negative role of multinational corporations, that was foreseen as early as 1776 by the father of Economics, Adam Smith. In his ground-breaking book, â€Å"Wealth of Nations† that was discussed in the essay and set the foundation for the field of modern Economics, Smith wrote that corporations would eventually work to cleverly escape the laws that govern the market, they would narrow the competition, raise their profits and try to meddle with setting of prices and control of trade. Such negative role of the corporation in the country's history happened in Jamaica as well. amaica’s problems began in 1962 when it secured independence from England. This essay focuses on effects of struggling economy that is characterized by chronic debts, illiteracy, and an ancient medical system. The researcher describes that the country badly needed finance to address its problems and app roached private banks, but only got the cold shoulder treatment. The researcher also describes Jamaican government policies on social topics and refers to cultural features of modern Jamaica and it's citizens through examples such as movies, books on the topic of economic devastation and poverty in the country. The Rastafari movement, that emerged as a platform to fight local poverty and disenchantment also is mentioned in the essay. In conclusion, the researcher hopes that proper boost in tourism can generate much needed revenue to Jamaica and its beleaguered citizens.

Binding Performance Management System Changes and Organisational Essay

Binding Performance Management System Changes and Organisational Culture - Essay Example The packaging industry has become increasingly lucrative, but local and international competition intensified. By the late 1990s, the global sales of the industry reached $400 billion, with the U.S. making up $115 billion, followed by Asia and Western Europe. Consumer packaging accounted for 70% of sales, followed by industrial packaging revenues at 30%. The influence of packaging on marketing products cannot be undermined. For traditional retailers, packaging is seen as more influential than advertising in affecting purchasing decisions and customer loyalty. The industry trends are increased corporate consolidation, market segmentation of domestic consumer packaging markets, and vertical integration of packaging business models. The challenges for Sonoco come from its ability to respond to external threats and opportunities by managing its internal weaknesses and strengths. The opportunities are one-stop packaging business models with high flexibility and customisation levels, the c ontinued demand for market-oriented packaging, especially for consumer markets, availability of global talent, and becoming more receptive to diversity and environmental issues at national and international levels. ... Hence, the primary challenge for Sonoco is using its strengths to reduce its weaknesses, and to ultimately handle the opportunities and threats in the packaging industry. The main tasks of Hartley are as follows: 1) to reduce HR cost by 20%; 2) to improve the linkage between HR functions and business strategies; and 3) to standardise HR systems and functions. Overall, Hartley is in charge of transforming the HR structure and organisational culture. Hartley’s total approach included professionalising the HR system and making it more business-oriented. She designed policies that shaped compensation, performance management, employee development, and succession planning. In order to support these policies, she created an advisory HR council that was comprised of divisional HR heads and key individuals from corporate HR. She also formed an advisory team of divisional GMs to help attain high buy in. This study discusses the theoretical framework of the main concepts and issues of th e case. Performance management (PM) is a critical aspect of Sonoco’s HR change efforts because it is linked with its organisational issues of compensation, employee development, and succession planning. The vision of the PM system must be distinct, clear, and compelling. This vision can be connected further to the corporate vision, so that management levels and personnel understand how PM affects the overall direction of the company. Hendry et al. (2006) stressed the link between company vision and HR functions (51). Greer and Virick (2008) asserted that diversity management is connected to successful succession planning. Furthermore, PM changes must be

Employment Law for Managers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Employment Law for Managers - Essay Example However, this does not occur at the company since the employees consider Sam too young to manage them and therefore make it hard for Sam to operate (Emir & Selwyn, 2014). Failing to control the employees is not just a portrayal of Sam’s incompetence but also a breach of a contract he signed with the Frills and Spills Lingerie Company. Creation of a contract is always voluntary but binds both parties legally. Sam accepted the job after understanding the challenges he would meet. Furthermore, the position gives him authority over the employees. As such, he must control his team thus enhance the productivity of the company as he promised to by signing the contract. Among the implied terms of the contract that Sam beaches is his basic role at the company, which is to control the team of twenty employees thus ensuring the productivity of the company. Sam refuses to handle the employee despite the presence of appropriate ways of dealing with uncooperative employees. The twenty employees just as Sam are employees of the company. This gives the company direct authority over the employees. The company must therefore create a conducive environment for Sam to operate. Organizations have organizational cultures, which help harmonize the behavior of the employees. Through the organizational culture, an organization sets effective values to guide the behavior and interactions of the employees. Sam alone cannot create the culture. Such is a function of the company. By creating an effective organizational culture, the employer would create a favorable environment for Sam to carry out his duties. This implies that the employer is partially responsible for Sam’s predicament. Failing to instil discipline in the employees is a breach of the contract between the company and Sam since this results in a hostile environment, one in which Sam cannot operate thus meet his obligations. Key among the major defenses in a

Overview and Analysis of Research Methodologies

Overview and Analysis of Research Methodologies INTRODUCTION This chapter presents the research methodologies adopted for the research. A combination of both qualitative and quantitative methodological approaches was adopted by the researcher in order to attain a realistic result from the research. Specifically, the chapter discusses the range of methods used by the researcher for the research, research philosophy, research strategy and research methods used to gain data and data analysis. RESEARCH PHILOSOPHY Research philosophy is about the system in which the research problem should be fundamentally approached, and this includes: positivism, realism and interpretivism. (Davies, 2007) Positivism: The roots of positivism lie particularly with empiricism, which works with observable facts. The basic philosophy behind positivism is that, all factual knowledge is based on the positive information gathered from observable experience, and that any idea beyond this realm of demonstrable fact is metaphysical. Only analytic statements are allowed to be known as true, through reason alone. (Davies, 2007) Interpretivism is a view that believes that the world and reality are not objective and external, but are socially constructed and given meaning by people. This view is usually referred to as the qualitative approach and is based on an inductive procedure (Rea and Parker, 2006).(why appropriate to use) Saunders et al (2003) defines realism that is based on the belief that a reality exists that is autonomous of human thoughts and beliefs, and that can influence their perceptions either consciously or unconsciously. Management and Business research is often a mixture between positivist and interpretivist, perhaps reflecting the stance of realism. (Scheurich, 2007) The research issues will try to find out, the extent of employee involvement in the implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM) in PZ Industries (NIG.) PLC as a case study. What they do well or not in this regard. Thus, the research philosophy is interpretivism rather than positivism. Deciding which research method will be adopted depending on what research philosophy is adopted is relevant in a research, Rea and Parker, (2006). For positivism, a deductive process involves the development of a conceptual and theoretical standpoint prior to its testing through empirical observation while for interpretivism, it involves an inductive procedure which is the reverse of deductive process. Interpretivism involves reflecting on recent and past experiences (Davies, 2007). Realism accommodates the use of both deductive and inductive processes (Scheurich, 2007). The research philosophy for this research is interpretivism; therefore, an inductive procedure is adopted.(why is it appropriate) RESEARCH STRATEGY A research strategy is the plan for the researcher to carry out his research. The main research strategies include experiment, survey and case study etc. The chosen research strategy for this research is the case study. According to Davies, (2007), case study is the development of detailed, intensive knowledge about a single case, or a small number of related cases. The advantages of using case study include: the detailed observations surrounding the case study method, allow us to study many different parts, scrutinize them in relation to each other, view the process with its total environment and also utilize the researcher’s capacity for versatility. As a result, case study provides us with a greater prospect than other available methods to obtain a holistic view of a specific research; this is not to say that researches based on case study have no shortcomings. A common criticism of case study is that it provides a limited basis for the traditional â€Å"scientific generalisation†. (Gomm, 2009)(explain what it means and introduce your company briefly and of what benefit will it be to the organisation) DATA COLLECTION Data collection is the most crucial process in a research or study and it comprises of two types: the primary data and the secondary data (Scheurich, 2007) SECONDARY DATA (Cancell this section entirely, it is not necessary) instead put multi-method approach i.e, why have you choosen questionnaire and interview methods) expantiate with reasons in your own words According to Scheurich, (2007), secondary data is that which the author has not been responsible for gathering ‘first-hand’. It therefore includes all the data gathered by someone else and presented in a variety of forms, such as journal articles, reports, archive materials, companies annual reports, newspapers and magazines, conference papers, internet and books etc. For this research, the secondary data collection related to TQM and employee involvement in the implementation and the objectives of this research mainly come from books, journal articles and internet search. PRIMARY DATA According to Scheurich, (2007), primary data is any data which the author has obtained ‘first-hand’ from its original source as part of the ‘applied’ aspect of his research. It therefore, does not include any data previously gathered by anyone else. Hence, primary data sources include: individual enquiry in the form of observation, conversations, questionnaires, interviews etc. For this study, telephone interview and questionnaire will be used for collecting the primary data.(why is it useful and possible barriers to it in your own words opinion) QUESTIONNAIRES Questionnaires are one of the most widely used data collection strategy. It provides an efficient way of collecting responses from a large sample prior to quantitative analysis, because each respondent is asked to respond to the same set of questions. (Saunders et al, 2003). Questionnaires can be associated with both positivism and interpretivism approaches of research. The response rate, the reliability and validity of data collected are two key criteria to a good questionnaire. (Scheurich, 2007) According to Davies, (2007), three main techniques exist in exploring peoples’ opinion and attitudes. These include: Closed questions: the respondent is required to select between a limited numbers of answers. Open-ended question: the participant is allowed to use his discretion in providing any answer to the questions and it’s either written down, verbatim or the researcher is armed with a list of probable pre-determined responses. Scales: limited choice of answers has been chosen to measure an attitude, an intention or some aspect of the participant’s behaviour. The key to designing scalar questions is to decide on what should be measured and then to select the relevant attributes by which they can be rated. In this study, closed questions and scalar questionnaire will be used.(explain why you used it properly in your words opinion) Questionnaire design is important to quantitative data collection. Most of the style of the quantitative method is attitude scaling. There is an example question ‘Reward system’ below Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree I am satisfied with the organisation’s reward system 1 2 3 4 5 The advantages of choosing questionnaire method are time saving for participants and guarantee the accuracy of questionnaires, because the pattern of questions are the same .The next stage is to identify the number of sample(say how you encouraged them to do so). The questionnaire will be designed with 25 questions in four A4 papers(because†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.). There are about 400 people in PZ Industries (NIG.) PLC head office in Lagos, comprising of 5 departments and the questionnaire will be distributed to 100 people who are working in different departments and holding different job positions (managers and employees). Based on the number of people working in each department, the questionnaire will be distributed in the following order: HRM department = 30 Purchasing department = 20 Product department = 15 Finance department = 10 Marketing department = 25 Before this explain the rationale behind your choosing this departments and how they were encouraged to participate) Because of the long distance, the distribution and collection of questionnaires will be e-mailed to the researcher’s friend who is equally a manager in one of the branches of PZ Industries (NIG.) PLC at IIupeju, in Lagos state. He will print 100 questionnaire copies and help the researcher to distribute and collect these questionnaires, then post to the researcher.( more on question design like objectives and questions that answers them) INTERVIEWS According to Scheurich, (2007), interviews are associated with positivist and interpretivist philosophies. This is an approach where the selected respondents are asked questions about what they do, think or feel. A positivist method suggests ‘closed questions’ which have been designed prior to distribution. An interpretivist method suggests ‘unstructured questions’, where the questions have not been designed in advance. There are five different interview styles: structured interview, semi-structured interview, focus group interview and telephone interview.(which did you choose and reason because , reason problemstec) Although the questionnaire has provided the researcher with the main data about what PZ Industries (NIG.)PLC does well or not in the involvement of employees in the implementation of TQM from the participants, the reasons and thoughts of their opinion cannot be ascertained. Thus, four telephone interviews will be utilized in this research (the CEO who is very familiar with the organization, HR manager who knows the employees needs and wants and their level of motivation in doing their job, the marketing manager who well know marketing and front- line employees, Product manager who well knows about quality of their products and back-line employees). The purpose of the interview is to find out what is, in the mind of the interviewee that cannot be known directly (Scheurich, 2007). The interview method is a very good complement to the questionnaire. Telephone interview allows interviews sometimes with individuals otherwise not accessible because of one reason or the other. It therefore involves speed, access and lower cost. There are also disadvantages with interview method for qualitative data. This particularly relates to the complexity in establishing the needed trust, usually so important for obtaining this type of data (Davies, 2007). However, in this research, the researcher is quite familiar with these interviewees, so this eliminates the problem associated with trust when interviewing people over the phone. The findings from above analysis will be linked to theories and opinions with the intention of drawing a conclusion and making adequate recommendation. data requirement table with how each objective each objective is been meant ie.like the one you did befor but put obj I : question so and so 1 ,7 ,8,23) (what questions dis you ask and why ,link to objectives) and refer to interview schedule appendix that you have prepared and refer to them) SAMPLING Whatever your research questions and objectives, you will need to collect data to answer them. If you collect and analyse data from every possible case or group, it is referred to as census, but for many research questions and objectives, it will be impossible for the researcher ,either to collect or analyse all the available data, owing to restrictions of time, money and often access (Saunders et al, 2003). According to Saunders et al,( 2003), sampling technique provide a wide range of methods that enable the researcher to minimize amount of data the researcher need to collect, by considering only data from a subgroup, rather than all possible cases or elements, and which can be categorised into two broad groups of probability sampling and non-probability sampling. Probability samples, are notable by the fact that each population element has a known, non zero chance of being selected in the sample, but with non-probability samples, the reverse is the case, where there is no way of estimating the probability that any population element will be included in the sample, and thus, there is no way of ensuring that the sample is representative of the population. This study will be based on non- probability sampling because the sample size is not critical. The size of the interview is 4 persons, and for the questionnaire, it is 100. The choice of interviews within the sample will be based on managers holding different job positions in the organisation and whose ability to contribute meaningfully to the topic under research is not in doubt. DATA ANALYSIS Quantitative data analysis can be categorized into two types: descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics deals with quantitative data that are summarised or displayed in the form of charts, tables, percentages and averages. This type of statistical method is commonly used in management research for analysing data obtained from investigations of a limited nature (Davies, 2007) Inferential statistics may involve the application of descriptive statistics, but have the main aim of drawing results from the data with regard to a theory, model or body of knowledge. Also, this frequently involves reaching a conclusion from a ‘sample’ to generalize to the ‘total population’. This type of statistical method is therefore important to those whose research undertaking is based on positivism (Davies, 2007) The research philosophy for this research is interpretivism, thus, an inductive process is adopted. Therefore, the descriptive statistics is adopted in this study, because the questionnaires are to be collected from limited respondents and using SPSS (Statistical package for social sciences) or Excel to analyse the data. A percentage table will clearly show the results of the same sort of questions. Take sample question as an example Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree Reward system n=100 1 1% 3 3% 7 7% 64 64% 25 25% From the above table, it can be seen that most of the employees at PZ Industries (NIG.)PLC are not satisfied with the reward system in place in the organisation, thus, the organisation is not doing well in this aspect to motivate employees to put in their best, in the implementation of TQM strategy.(how did you you analyse the qualitative data like†¦giving iterpterations to what was said duing the interview session†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. and quantitative data Ms excel (reason and why talk more please) LIMITATIONS The results from 4 interviews and 100 participants in PZ Industries (NIG.) PLC may not be representative of what would be found in the larger number of employees. The people invited to take part in the questionnaire, may influence the outcome, because some respondents may respond in a way that the organisation want them to respond, rather than giving their genuine opinion, because of fear of repercussions. The researcher would have preferred to interview more of the employees at PZ Industries (NIG.)PLC by himself, instead of relying on the marketing manager and product manager to give the opinion of front-line employees and back-line employees respectively during the interview, but this was not possible because of distance problem. Sample distribution was also limited by distance; the researcher could not personally distribute and collect the questionnaires, so, maybe respondents to the questionnaire at PZ Industries (NIG.)PLC may not cover all departments as intended. (ETHIC CONSIDERATIONS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..ONE OR FOUR PARAGRAPHS) EXAMPLE : SPEAK ON CONFIDENTIALITY AND GIVE REASON MAYBE TO REASSURE THEM ETC AND LOOK FOR OTHER REASON YOU CONSIDERED LIKE †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦THEN GIVE REASON †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.LOOK AT APPENDIX 1) *** Generally ,put every thing in past tense as if you have done it) ****(your data anlysis should be change to findings and conclusions as chapter four as in the paper she gave you in discussion @ office) **** conclusions and recommendations as chapter 5 *** write an action plan and reflective statement(5 pages of refective statement) like u did with hrm in context despite u telling them u don’t need cipd , she said it’s a requirement) (multi method approach) Multiple Methods in ASR by Jerry A. Jacobs, Editor, American Sociological Review In recent years, the American Sociological Review (ASR) has featured papers based exclusively on ethnographic research (e.g., Timmermans, 2005), interview data (e.g., Tyson et al., 2005), and sociological theory (e.g., Frickel and Gross, 2005). However, a series of papers that combine different types of data and approaches in the same study are especially noteworthy. One quarter of the papers I have accepted for publication in ASR since becoming editor in 2003 draw on more than one research method. This brief essay highlights some of the ways that authors have employed such multi-method1 research to provide a more informative account of the social world. Interviews and Surveys Several authors of ASR papers have conducted interviews in order to refine the questions employed in a subsequent statistical analysis. In this approach, the qualitative investigation helps to clarify the nature of the issues under investigation, but the â€Å"real proof† is presented in the statistical analysis. For example, Benson and Saguy (2005) interviewed 150 journalists, politicians, activists, and academics in their study of the media coverage of social problems in the United States and France. However, the empirical heart of their article was a statistical analysis of 750 articles on immigration and 685 articles on sexual harassment in these two countries. Similarly, Uzzi and Lancaster (2004) conducted in-depth interviews with a small number of lawyers and clients before embarking on a study of social ties and pricing patterns in large U.S. law firms. Qualitative data play a more central role in the research of Cherlin and his colleagues (2004) on abuse in families. After conducting a survey of more than 2,000 families, Cherlin et al. followed up on 256 of these families with a series of repeated, open-ended interviews over a period of 12-18 months. They found that reports of abuse surfaced increasingly as respondents came to know the researchers over this extended series of interviews. Thus, in this study, qualitative data played a key role in obtaining a more complete and accurate measurement of the phenomenon under investigation. Qualitative data are also sometimes used to help clarify the meaning of the responses to survey questions and to better understand the social processes that might produce broad outcome patterns. For example, Edgell (forthcoming) and colleagues interviewed respondents in four cities to follow up their national survey of attitudes toward atheists. The qualitative data helped establish that attitudes toward atheists are not generally the result of face-to-face encounters but rather represent a symbolic affirmation of the role of religion and skepticism about the moral standing of those who would reject a role for religion in their lives. Similarly, Giordano and colleagues (forthcoming) conducted a survey of more than 1,000 adolescents and then asked more detailed, open-ended questions of a subset of 100 respondents. They drew conclusions about gender differences in confidence, engagement, and power from both types of data. Multiple Quantitative Approaches Multi-method studies are not limited to the blending of qualitative and quantitative research but can also appear in the artful combination of different quantitative methods in the same study. Pager and Quillian (2005), for example, combined a social experiment with a follow-up survey in their study of racial discrimination in hiring practices. The first portion of their study uses an â€Å"audit† methodology, sending â€Å"testers† to apply for jobs at various employers who had advertised positions. This experiment is designed to compare the success of Black and White applicants who are portrayed (fictitiously) as having or not having criminal records. Pager and Quillian returned to the same employers six months later to conduct a survey of the employer’s attitudes about hiring different types of employees. In addition to uncovering discrepancies between employers’ deeds versus words, this follow-up survey allowed a comparison of the insights that can be gained from survey versus experiment. In another case, You and Khagram (2005) combined aggregate national data (i.e., one data point per country) with a multi-level statistical analysis of survey data from 30 countries. They used the survey data to bolster their claim that countries with more inequality have more corruption because there is a higher normative acceptance of corruption in countries characterized by higher levels of inequality. Historical Analyses Historical studies often combine various types of data. For example, Somers and Block (2005) principally examined historical documents in their investigation of welfare reform in Great Britain in the 1830s and the United States in the 1990s. They supplement this qualitative analysis of political texts with a statistical portrait of welfare expenditures before and after reform in both countries. Similarly, Riley (2005) draws on archival, statistical, and spatial data in his study of the connection between civil society and the rise of fascism in Italy and Spain. Wilde’s (2004) study of the success of the reform movement during Vatican II is primarily a qualitative analysis of archival documents, but her summary of the vote counts is an indispensable element in her story. Molnar’s (2005) study of debates among Hungarian architects drew on interview data as well as historical documents and supporting statistics. The 1950s time period she studied is recent enough that parti cipants were still alive and available for interviews. Schwartz and Schuman’s (2005) paper, â€Å"History, Commemoration and Belief,† draws from an especially broad range of sources. They show that while the reputation of President Lincoln as a great leader has remained strong, the basis for this belief has shifted from Lincoln as the â€Å"savior of the union† before the Civil Rights movement to Lincoln as the â€Å"great emancipator† since that time. They support this claim using data from surveys conducted over a 50-year period, as well as analyses of history textbooks, the writings of leading historians, and cultural symbols such as statues and memorials. Their theoretical point is that the study of commemoration as portrayed in statues and celebrated in parades should be accompanied by research on how these commemorative activities are received, as tapped by surveys and other measures of popular beliefs. Thus, in their view, a complete assessment of issues of collective memory requires multiple sources of data. Obstacles While multi-method research can be a fruitful research strategy, this approach is neither necessary nor sufficient for completing a high-quality study. Designing, collecting, and analyzing data from across diverse methodological styles is often only possible under the aegis of a large research project. Dissertation writers, for example, may wish to combine methods but may lack the time and money to complete each facet of the study effectively. Many seasoned investigators also face obstacles that put this strategy out of reach. Moreover, the presentation of different types of data in a single article presents its own challenges. For example, space constraints may prevent the full presentation of qualitative findings. It can be difficult to achieve a substantive and stylistic balance between diverse genres of research. And sometimes different sorts of data speak to somewhat different issues. In short, multi-method papers present their own challenges and thus require at least as much skill and insight to be effective as do single-method studies. Many sociologists view the social world as a multi-faceted and multi-layered reality that reveals itself only in part with any single method. While there are precedents for most if not all of the approaches described above, their use by so many scholars is striking. Multi-method research is more common in the context of journal articles than was the case a decade or two ago. It is also significant that so many sociologists are combining methods rather than trying to herald a single approach as the right way or the best way. Notes 1 I use â€Å"multiple-method research† to refer to studies that draw on data from more than one source and present more than one type of analysis. Such research often, but not always, combines quantitative and qualitative data.Hierarchical linear models typically draw on data from different sources but combine them in a single statistical analysis. Studies that exclusively rely on this very useful method would not qualify as multi-method. Of the 66 papers I have accepted for publication thus far, nearly 26 percent (17) fit my multi-method definition. References Benson, Rodney and Abigail C. Saguy. 2005. â€Å"Constructing Social Problems in an Age of Globalization: A French-American Comparison.† American Sociological Review 70(2):233-259. Cherlin, Andrew J., Linda M. Burton, Tera R. Hurt, and Diane M. Purvin. 2004. â€Å"The Influence of Physical and Sexual Abuse on Marriage and Cohabitation.† American Sociological Review 69(6):768-789. Edgell, Penny, Joseph Gerteis, and Douglas Hartmann. Forthcoming. â€Å"Atheists as ‘Other’: Moral Boundaries and Cultural Membership in American Society.† American Sociological Review. Frickel, Scott and Neil Gross. 2005. â€Å"A General Theory of Scientific/Intellectual Movements.† American Sociological Review 70(2):204-232. Giordano, Peggy, Monica A. Longmore, and Wendy D. Manning. Forthcoming. â€Å"Gender and the Meaning(s) of Adolescent Romantic Relationships: A Focus on Boys.† American Sociological Review. Molnar, Virag. 2005. â€Å"Cultural Politics and Modernist Architecture.† American Sociological Review 70(1):111-135. Pager, Devah and Lincoln Quillian. 2005 â€Å"Walking the Talk? What Employers Say Versus What They Do.† American Sociological Review 70(3):355-380. Riley, Dylan. 2005. â€Å"Civic Associations and Authoritarian Regimes in Interwar Europe: Italy and Spain in Comparative Perspective.† American Sociological Review 70(2):288-310. Schwartz, Barry and Howard Schuman. 2005. â€Å"History, Commemoration, and Belief: Abraham Lincoln in American Memory, 1945-2001.† American Sociological Review 70(2):183-203. Somers, Margaret and Fred Block. 2005. â€Å"From Poverty to Perversity: Ideas, Markets, and Institutions over 200 Years of Welfare Debate.† American Sociological Review 70(2):260-287. Timmermans, Stefan. 2005. â€Å"Suicide Determination and the Professional Authority of Medical Examiners.† American Sociological Review 70(2):311-333. Tyson, Karolyn, William Darity Jr., and Domini Castellino. 2005. â€Å"It’s Not a Black Thing: Understanding the Burden of Acting White and Other Dilemmas of High Achievement.† American Sociological Review 70(4):582-605. Uzzi, Brian and Ryon Lancaster. 2004. â€Å"Embeddedness and Price Formation in the Corporate Law Market.† American Sociological Review 69(3):319-344. Wilde, Melissa. 2004. â€Å"How Culture Mattered at Vatican II: Collegiality Trumps Authority in the Council’s Social Movement Organizations.† American Sociological Review 69(4):576-602. American Sociological Review 70(1):136-157. (ANOTHER ARTICLE) THE POTENTIAL AND THE PROBLEM An extraordinary surge in the methodological diversity of clinical research studies has occurred during the past 2 decades, with a recent dramatic rise in the scope and sophistication of mixed methods designs.1,2 Mixed methods (also known as multimethod) research involves integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches to generating new knowledge3 and can involve either concurrent or sequential use of these 2 classes of methods to follow a line of inquiry.4,5 Combining methods activates their complementary strengths and helps to overcome their discrete weaknesses.6 Increasingly, integrated mixed methods designs allow researchers to follow emerging questions, rather than limiting their research to questions that are amenable to a particular method.7 Multimethod research brings together numbers and narratives, description, hypothesis testing, hypothesis generation, and understanding of meaning and context to provide fuller discernment and greater transportability of the phenomenon under study. In the past, proponents of quantitative and qualitative methods have been divided into separate camps with different skills and world views.8 The benefits of integrating these methods, however, are increasingly recognized and acted on in the medical and health care arena,1,2,6 as they have been for a longer time in the ethnographic tradition from anthropology and the case study tradition from educational research.7,9 Among many examples, a 1999 National Institutes of Health task force issued guidelines for rigorous qualitative and multimethod research.10 Two years ago, the (US) National Cancer Institute hosted a conference on mixed methods research that identified multimethod research as an important approach to solving some of the most intractable problems in cancer control research. An article by the Medical Research Council on the design and evaluation of complex interventions to improve health11 identified the use of mixed methods as essential. Even so, the dramatic advances in the scope and sophistication of conducting mixed methods research have not been met with parallel progress in ways of disseminating the results of mixed methods studies. From our point of view, a major dilemma is that the results of multimethod studies often are segregated in different publications that reach limited and often nonclinical audiences. For example, Wilson and colleagues12 reported in JAMA on the ineffectiveness of nicotine gum in smoking cessation, while in Social Science and Medicine, Willms13 reported qualitative findings from the same study that the meaning patients attributed to their cigarettes was more influential in stopping smoking than either counseling or nicotine gum. Both articles have important messages, but the JAMA article does not reference the other, and they are published in journals with very different readers. Thus, different fields only come to know part of the research—reminiscent of the story of the 4 blind men each feeling a different part of the elephant and thus unable to develop a coherent idea of the whole. REFERENCES Davies, M., B., (2007) Key Concepts in Social Research Methods, New York, Palgrave, Macmillan LTD Gomm, R., (2009) Doing a Successful Research Project, New York, Palgrave, Macmillan LTD Rea, L., M., and Parker, R., A., (2006) Designing and Conducting Survey Research, San Francisco, Jossy-Bass Saunders, M., Thornhill, A., and Lewis, P., (2003) Research Methods for Business Students, 3rd edition, London, Pearson Education LTD Scheurich, J., J., (2007) Research Methods in the Postmodern, London, Falmer Press