Critically assess whether ecological modernisation is essential, or Outline

Critically assess whether ecological modernisation is essential, or not, for the achievement of sustainable development - Outline Example much agreement among all stakeholders that this is a necessity that cannot be overlooked.2 The problem however arises when talks of approach to attaining sustainable development is made.3 This is the core problem that the research paper will seek to address, by outlining the place of ecological modernisation as an important modern day approach to achieving sustainable development. Ecological modernisation is selected as the approach to sustainable development due to the clear and distinct differentiation the concept makes between ecology and economy, and how these two cannot be used together if sustainable development can be achieved.4 A. The evolution of sustainable development shall be taken from the perspective of the Brundtland Report, which defines sustainable development as a state of â€Å"Global economic development sufficient to meet current needs while allowing future generations to achieve their needs†.5 B. The need for an evolution on the approach to sustainable development has largely been influenced by rising activities of humans that pose great threat to the sustainability of the environment and for that matter the economy of the future.6 The evolution of sustainable development shall also stress on various global interventions that have been put in place to achieve sustainable development. Examples of such discussions include the Stockholm Declaration Principle 1, Nairobi Declaration (1982), World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg (2002), and Rio +20 (2012). C. From the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development, 3 pillars of evolutionary sustainable development are identified, which are economy, environment and social7. All these pillars shall be discussed by the writer in the evolution of sustainable development. B. An underpinning claim and pragmatic approach to ecological modernisation emphasises that economic growth and environmental protection are not compatible and thus the need to use a modernised approach that

Transcendentalism Quotes Essay Example for Free

Transcendentalism Quotes Essay It looks poorest when you are richest. I: People who have enthusiasm in material possession usually can not suppress their endless desire of chasing wealth and fame, however, it shows the extreme poor inside of their spirit. They only pay attention on external possessions but never realize that the depth of thoughts and independence of lives reflect the real rich. The suitable simplicity is spirituality. Do not trouble yourself much to get new things, whether clothes or friends. Turn the old; return to them. I: Complexity bleeds only dissatisfaction. When people want more than they get, their desire will never be fulfilled and develop into greed. Get back to the original of the nature and life, have the simplicity of everything whatever friendship or possession, always remember the best is the original. Envy is ignorance; imitation is suicide. I: Individual is unique in the world, everyone has his own way to go and can’t be duplicated. Envy only brings hatred and ignorance of inherent talent through comparison. Others’ ways are broad road to them but thorny path to different person. Blind imitation likes putting a lotus into the desert; it never works and leads to death. Wise people trust themselves, choose their way and walk carefully step by step and realize their dreams. Whose would be a man must be nonconformist. I: Society is a framework that limits individual’s ability. To discover the inner capacity we should trust ourselves, jump out of the conformity and express the real thoughts. The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried. I:You will never know the result unless you try it. Everything begins with trying so trust yourself and just do it. Where there is a desire you should get up and try. If you have the courage to try that undoubtfully you can continue finishing it. Man is born to try, a step, a drink and a touch. The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed, If you  try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of believing yourself.

The Human Genome Project Essay -- Genetics DNA Science Essays

The Human Genome Project The human genome project is something that I have been very interested with ever since first learning of it. I had heard bits and pieces of what it is about, but my interest was greatly stimulated by Dr. Whited in basic genetics 311 last spring. The discussion that we had regarding the project left me with several ideas and questions about not only the process and ethics involved, but the future of the study of genetics as a whole. To begin discussion about the HGP, we first must understand what it is. It is a massive undertaking of collaboration of geneticists that begin in 1990. Their goals are to identify all the estimated 80,000 to 100,000 genes in human DNA and determine the sequences of 3 billion bases composed of adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine. The project is being funded jointly by the Department of Energy and the National Institute of Health. This massive undertaking is estimated at a cost of three billion dollars, with the most current target date for the project's completion at the year 2003. They will then store this information in a centralized database so it can be used as tools for their analysis. Also as a first for science, they are going to address the logical, ethical, and social issues that the project will give rise to. What is a genome and why is it important? A genome is the DNA that an organism possesses. The DNA is made up of combinations of the four bases (A,T,C,&G) that I listed above. The sequence of these bases code for proteins that determine how an organism looks, it's viability, and sometimes even how it behaves. That is why this project is so important. The possibilities of what we can learn about ourselves are endless. The benefits of this project ar... ...ts of what the public can handle. If tomorrow the scientific community released the first genetically perfect human, how would people respond? If 25 years from now the first genetically perfect human were to be introduced, how would we respond? I do have a fear of mimicking the movie "Gattaca". That is why I believe in a panel of geneticists and nonscientists to constantly monitor and review just how far we are taking our advanced knowledge. I know that when I have children, I don't want a doctor asking me to select everything about my child. I prefer to leave it up to chance. References http://www.ornl.gov/TechResources/Human_Genome http://www.ornl.gov/hgmis/resource/info.html Consulting Resources Corporation Newsletter. Spring 1999. http://www.geneletter.org Gattaca. 1998 Whited, D.A. Genetics 311. North Dakota State University. Spring 1999.

By using computers in schools, do students become smarter? :: Essays Papers

By using computers in schools, do students become smarter? Schools all over the world have computers in their classrooms that are used everyday. With greater technology available, many people believe that students learn more by using computers and the internet. There are people on the other hand though, who think that schools would be fine without the use of computers. Students of all ages use computers to learn new things. People have different views on whether or not students become smarter by using computers in school. Henry Jay Becker, an education professor at the University of California has been evaluating how schools and teachers use computers for classroom instruction for over 20 years. He believes that computers should be integrated into classrooms for students to use so they can have more skills. The constructivist philosophy that Becker supports stresses student interest and teachers see themselves more as facilitators rather than sources of knowledge for students. Teachers with more computer knowledge are more likely to use several different software types in the classroom. In his research, Becker has found out that students who use the computer daily in the classroom have better word processing skills than those who do not. They also are more likely to use a computer when not in school. Larry Cuban, an education professor at Stanford does not believe in the use of computers in the classroom. Cuban supports the traditional teaching philosophy in which the teacher goes over material in a structured way and assigns practice of material. In this teaching style, the teacher follows exactly what the curriculum says and makes sure all students know that material. He believes that teachers should teach students so they can be prepared for real life. Larry Cuban states this in one of his articles, â€Å"The primary purpose of public schools is to prepare students academically for a workplace that keeps our economy productive and competitive throughout the world.† Cuban stresses how school systems spend millions of dollars for schools to get computers, internet, etc. but rarely use them. Most teachers use their computers more at home than at school.

Advantage and disadvantage of globalization Essay

Innovation ideas, which are suitable to adapt changeable customers’ preferences. With the development of technology, customers preferences are always updated due to global information transmit. Global Managers are capable to create more inventive products to keep and expand global markets. 2. Localization, which can avoid cultural conflict between local customers and global company, avoid future failure of investment of subsidiary of local company. Global managers must consider customizing products to comply with local national traits and policies. On-time follow-up, which is necessary to find and solve customers’ problems, renovate and meet their requirements, to update and improve the level of global marketing. Global managers are responsible for timely feedback to customizing products. Market segment, which is flexible for global manages to make differential marketing strategy for different products in different markets. Some products with lower price and higher frequency usage can be adapted standardization strategy, which some products with high price and lower frequency usage can be adapted customization strategy. High manufacturing costs. In order to adapt different customers preferences in different markets, global companies must put their products into different manufacturing process, or different testing system, or different package operation, etc. so that the products can be customized to sale in the global market. Unavoidable national barriers. Almost every country set national trade barriers or policies to protect local companies business. And some of countries have their own cultural and religious, own living habits, global companies are difficult to enter inside without any risks or discourages. Redundant market researches. Global companies have to contribute themselves into lots of market surveys and researches, because it can influence decisions among subsidiary market. However, without local questionnaires or face meeting, data collect and calculation, case study and comparison, etc. , global managers cannot finalize a new investment program carelessly.

Description and Care of the Monkey Puzzle Tree

Description and Care of the Monkey Puzzle Tree Monkey-Puzzle Tree is a wild, scary evergreen with open splaying and spiraling branches. The tree can grow to 70 feet tall and 30 feet wide and forms a loose, see-through, pyramidal shape with a straight trunk. The tree is so open you can actually look through it. The leaves are dark green, stiff, with sharp needles that cover the limbs like armor. Monkey-Puzzle tree makes an attractive, novelty specimen for large, open yards. It is seen in large numbers in California. Specifics Scientific name: Araucaria araucanaPronunciation: air-ah-KAIR-ee-uh air-ah-KAY-nuhCommon name(s): Monkey-Puzzle Tree or Puzzle TreeUSDA hardiness zones: 7b through 10Origin: Chile (national tree) and the Andes of South America.Uses: garden specimen; indoor tree specimenAvailability: somewhat available, may have to go out of the region to find the tree. Monkey Puzzles Range There are no native monkey puzzle trees in the United States. The natural monkey puzzle tree is now found in two small areas in the Andes and on the coastal mountain range. It is a highly fire-adapted species, occurring in an area where fires have long been caused by volcanic activity and, since the early Holocene, by humans. The tree can grow in North America along the coastal zone from coastal Virginia, down the Atlantic, west through Texas and up the Pacific coast to Washington. Description Dr. Mike Dirr in Trees and Shrubs for Warm Climates says: The habit is pyramidal-oval in youth, later with a slender bole and ascending branches near the top....cones are about twice the size of hand-grenades and hurt even worse. Tolerates extremes of soil, except permanently moist. Etymology The origin name Monkey-puzzle derives from its early cultivation in Britain in about 1850. The tree was very popular in Victorian England. Legend has it that an owner of a young tree specimen in Cornwall was showing it to a group of friends, and one made the remark, it would puzzle a monkey to climb that. The popular name became, first monkey-puzzler, then monkey-puzzle. Prior to 1850, it had been called Joseph Banks Pine or Chile Pine in Britain even though it is not a pine. Pruning The Monkey Puzzle needs to be isolated from other trees for the best display of its graceful and natural limb sweep. Maintain a central leader and do not top for best effect. Branches should be protected and only pruned if dead wood appears. Dead branches are hard to work on but will cause the tree to decline if not removed. Monkey Puzzle in Europe Monkey-puzzle was introduced to England by Archibald Menzies in 1795. Menzies was a plant collector and naval surgeon on Captain George Vancouvers circumnavigation of the globe. Menzies was served the seeds of the conifer as a dessert while dining with the governor of Chile and later sowed them in a frame on the ships quarterdeck. Five healthy plants made it back to Great Britain and were the first plants to be planted. Culture Monkey puzzle tree does best where the summers are cool and humid, and they are popular landscape oddities in England.Light: Full sun to partial shade.Moisture: Likes a moist, but well-drained soil and regular watering.Propagation: By seeds or by tip cuttings from vertical shoots. Cuttings from lateral-growing shoots will develop into sprawling shrubs. In-Depth Description Monkey-puzzle prefers well-drained, slightly acidic, volcanic soil but will tolerate almost any soil type provided drainage is good. It prefers temperate climates with abundant rainfall, tolerating temperatures down to about −20 Â °C. It is far and away the hardiest member of its genus and the only one that will grow in mainland Britain, or in the United States away from the extreme south. In Canada, Vancouver and Victoria have many fine specimens; it also grows on the Queen Charlotte Islands. It is tolerant of salt spray but does not like exposure to pollution. It is a popular garden tree, planted for its unusual effect of the thick, reptilian branches with a very symmetrical appearance. The seeds are edible, similar to large pine nuts, and are extensively harvested in Chile. A group of six female trees with one male for pollination could yield several thousand seeds per year. Since the cones drop, harvesting is easy. The tree, however, does not yield seeds until it is around 30-40 years old, which discourages investment in planting orchards.

Janus by Ann Beattie Essay Example

Janus by Ann Beattie Essay Example Janus by Ann Beattie Essay Janus by Ann Beattie Essay Essay Topic: The Things They Carried In the short story â€Å"Janus†, by Ann Beattie, the central character is not a real character at all, but in fact is an inanimate object. The cream colored ceramic bowl serves as the main character throughout the story, and is correlated to the Roman God â€Å"Janus† that is identified primarily with doors or other places of passage, and is also represented as being two faced. Janus is one of two characters with names, which is also evident of her importance throughout the story. The author uses the character of Andrea to give life to Janus through discussing the bowls importance to her. In many cases the primary character of a story is simply an object that is symbolic of an ideal or underlying meaning through which the author uses to convey their message. Throughout the story Beattie uses the bowl in many ways to convey different meanings to the reader. In the beginning, its sole purpose in the story is simply a tool that Andrea uses to sell houses. She places the bowl in homes she is trying to sell, along with house plants and even her dog at times. There is a strong connection made between Andrea and her bowl, and it becomes evident that Janus means much more to her than just an aesthetically pleasing piece of ceramic art. When Andrea is trying to sell a home, she essentially tricks people into buying them by creating these setups where she brings in her own props. Beattie also uses the bowl to show the weak relationship between Andrea and her husband. There are times when it is clearly obvious that Andrea cares more about the bowl than she does her own husband. It is implied when she wakes up in the morning next to him and feels guilty; it is understood as her feeling guilty for her deeper connection to the bowl, and almost as a betrayal to her husband. There is no passion in their relationship, they simply get along fine and live together. Janus reveals another aspect of their relationship that is nonexistent, â€Å"She had asked her husband to please not drop his house key in it. It was meant to be empty†, (113) their sexual life as well as their everyday life is not passionate either. The request not to drop house keys in the bowl can be viewed this way, and it is another way to demonstrate the parallel of relationships that Andrea has. The extremely weak and non meaningful marriage to her husband, who is left nameless throughout the story and the deep seeded connection she feels towards the cream colored ceramic bowl. Beattie also reveals through the bowl another meaning it could possibly take on. At the end of the story we are told about the first day Andrea sees the bowl. She is at an arts and crafts fair with her lover when she sees Janus. When she decides she doesn’t really need the bowl she leaves it, but her lover saw something in Andrea sparkle when she saw it, so he buys it for her anyways. Not only is this man her lover, but he is also the man she is having an affair with behind her husband’s back. It is clear that Andrea and this other man are truly in love, and have a passionate romantic relationship, but Andrea cannot bring herself to leave her husband and in turn her lover grows tired of waiting and leaves her. This brings another possibility to the table of Janus’s symbolism, it could possibly be representative of the true love and passion Andrea once had in her life, but let escape. Now she doesn’t want to let it go, it has become Janus. Many authors have used the same approach to emphasizing their true message in a story. For example, in â€Å"The Things They Carried,† by Tim O’Brien, (1098) the main character is Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, but in the story the letters and pictures he carries of a girl back home become more meaningful than anything the he actually says. The fact that he carries these around with him is meaningful in itself because he is a soldier on the battlefront, and anything he packs around must have significant importance to him. He carries these letters and pictures because he believes he is truly in love with this girl, even though it is an unrequited love. He wishes for her to feel the same about him, but knows that she does not. He finds himself becoming obsessed with looking at these pictures and re-reading the letters multiple times. The notes and pictures are also symbolic of the outside world, the normal life that is going on outside of the battlefront. Jimmy finds himself getting lost in his own imagination, and thinking about home life more and more often. One day, one of his men is killed, and he believes it is his own fault for not paying enough attention to his surroundings and the situation his troop was in. He in turn decides that he must get rid of the letters and pictures so he burns them. Essentially this is symbolic of his maturity and realization that this girl does not and will not love him, and that his troop of men depends on him and looks to him for leadership and guidance. The use of the letters and pictures is like Janus because it is used to reveal more about the characters that go along with them, but also is used to portray many different shifts in the stories overall meanings. Another great story that correlates is â€Å"The Necklace,† by Guy De Maupassant. This story further continues with this theme because the main character, Mme. Loisel, is shaped by the pearl necklace that comes into her life. When she borrows it from her rich friend, she assumes that it is a real pearl necklace. It comes to mean to her then that if she wears it to the ball it will be seen as a sign of her wealth, and people will see her as a more refined person. Time goes on, and when she loses it she becomes desperate to replace it. Her and her doting husband work years to gain back the money to buy another set of expensive pearls for her friend. It turns out that the pearls were a fake, but it also makes Mme. Loisel more respectful in the sense that she has finally had to work for something in her life. The necklace was the main tool that gave her a reason to be proud of herself for working hard and earning enough money to buy a set of real pearls as a replacement for her friend. This resembles Janus because the author shows character traits and development through using an object that is symbolic for a deeper meaning. Janus† is a story that is a great example of an author characterizing her characters through using symbols and objects. The effectiveness of this writing is great because it is easy as a reader to indentify the connections between the characters and the symbols that they identify with. Using objects to form characters creates a more versatile story, this means of writing is able to take on many forms and thus develop many different underlying meanings that the author is trying to convey.

Target Case Essays

Target Case Essays Target Case Essay Target Case Essay This type of consumer is labeled as Targets core guest for whom Target advertises the slogan of expect more. Pay less. Target guarantees a shopping experience that features a store dcord and pleasing ambiance that provides the core guest with a satisfactory shopping experience. Discussion Gopher Place- this store is a $23 Million investment to build a POP store that has a positive NP of and IR of 12. 3%. The area Gopher place is located in is considered to be an important market. The population growth rate of 27% coupled with a median family income of $56,400 and expected competition from its competitors makes this a vital area for potential growth. Consequently, of the adults living in the surrounding area of Gopher Place only 12% meet Targets core guest criteria of having four or more years of college education. Whalen Court- is a $119. 3 million investment to build a unique store to help capture the metropolitan area that is populated by 632,000 people where 45% of adults have obtained four or more years of college education. Advantages of this area include Targets largest NP of $25,900,000. Unfortunately, Target will have to lease this property instead of purchasing the land on which to build the store. The Barn- the cheapest of all capital expenditure requests, The Barn was a $13 Million investment that has the opportunity to have a large ROI because of the small initial investment. This store will not share a market with other Target customers as the closest Target stores are 80 to 90 miles away. Consequently, due to the rural area there is a low median income of $38,200 accompanied by a small 17% of college educated adults. Soldiers Square- Constantly Soldiers Square was to be a Supermarket store costing $23. 9 Million. Target will share this square with other retail stores that share the same target audience, which includes an affluent, educated crowd that is growing rapidly. The $300,000 NP is the lowest of all five project requests and also has the lowest IR of 8. 1 % which requires a larger sales volume in order to reach the prototype NP. Stadium Remodel- A store that has been vital to Target since 1 972, the stadium remodel is a $17 million request to upgrade a Supermarket. There has been a decline of $7,854,000 in sales, but this could be attributed to the deteriorating facilities. This area has the highest median income of $65,931 compared to the other options and has NP of project Rankings 1. Stadium Remodel- With the second cheapest investment, this would be an important store to remodel due to its deteriorating facilities. This is a stop that is surrounded by Targets core guest due to the high median income AR percentage of educated adults.

Who Own's History Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Who Own's History - Research Paper Example Reference to history is part of humanity. It is quite hard for the society to move without visiting the history of yester years in developing policies today. Historians define history as events or scenes that occurred in the past. Past is not distinct, thereby leading to the question who determines history. The question may look cheap but quite nagging. Politicians make their references from historic events. They take there time to study historic events which had greater influence to human life, develop the event to suite their current conditions and unroll it to the society. This reason has led many people argue that history would reoccur in ones lifetime. Largely, the statement makes great sense in human life. The society owes a lot to history because the governance of the day depends on the governance of the previous day. Many people have taken their time to study what took place before their existence because the life of a man is history. Some documentation about history argues t hat a man would be ignorant if he does not take his time to explore what happened before he was born. The progress that the society boost of could only be realized when history is tabled. For instance, how would a person know his great grand father who died before he was born if history does not exist? Some people fear to study history arguing that historic events are past, yet they fail to recognize that history has influenced their lives today. This paper seeks to answer the question who determines which history is anointed as the true history. The quest for who determines which history is anointed as the true history leads to explorations of events that took place in the past. Eric Foner took his time as an historian to evaluate and determine who own history. He came out with his argument, which indicated that each individual in the society has a role in creating history. Studying history provides an opportunity for owning history. The study of the past helps in shaping the futur e by dictating the actions of today. The validity of this statement lies on the role that the government plays in the society. The government has its powers upon the people, yet it cannot exist without the people. Mr. Foner’s book who own history explores the nature of life in American history, South Africa and Soviet Union. His book provides an insight why there is no socialism in America. He goes a head to point out the importance of history in the community and the world. In the beginning of his book, Foner describes his early life in communist family. He started seeing the social and political gap that existed in America, though people claim that America is a land of liberty. The communist fight against racism influenced his life. Foner’s family had portrayed concern to the blacks whom the American white neglected or viewed as second-class citizens. Foner learnt that a person’s commitment in pursuing social justice would infuse the person’s view into history. Many articles and books that people read provide some element of truth to Foner’s view. Rising in the societal rank would expose a person to be remembered in history. Foner took this opportunity as an insight into studying history and changing the society. He took the road to academic success a means that would bring him to the limelight of history. Foner provides the history of America in his book by pointing out the social issues in the American society. He paints America as a nation that has condoned racialism under the guise of the western styles (Foner 157). His history is against the American, capitalists and democratic zeitgeist. The book portrays Foner as a left thinker. The book points the rise of Ronald Reagan and failure of the government to sustain the economy. He points the

Should life imprisonment without the possibility of parole replace the Research Paper

Should life imprisonment without the possibility of parole replace the death penalty in California - Research Paper Example Proponents of the Death penalty believe that people fear death and if death is the punishment for killing someone, they would refrain from it. They believe that in order to have a just system in place where the victim’s family is put to ease it is important to have an eye for eye approach. The criminal is guilty of taking someone’s life so he is liable to give up his. If the person is mentally unstable to have done so it makes him more dangerous to the society’s well-being and putting him to death is the only way to ensure such crimes do not take place through his hands again. However, opponents of the death penalty have a strong viewpoint as well. They believe that every life is precious and shouldn’t be given up on. If taking a life is a crime, no one should be allowed to do it, including the government. If a criminal is guilty committing of capital offense he should subjected to punishments that take away his life figuratively, not literally. Also, many believe that taking away a criminal’s life is too easy on him, the real punishment would be him leading a hard life that prologs his sufferings for the crime he committed. Executing a death penalty is costly for the governments as such cases are tried for a long time resulting in jury expenditures and security arrangements for the courts. Lastly and most importantly, it is morally wrong to take a life to stop crimes when the same purpose can be achieved through other means effectively like life without parole. The enforcement of death penalty is highly dependent on the society’s co nstruct and the public opinion (Wood 63). If a society holds strong political and ideological interest, it is likely that capital offenses are awarded strict punishments like death penalty to keep up the societal balance and sanctity of its socio-political ideology. Secondly, public opinion is a determinant of having the death penalty in place. Where many people have a humanitarian approach with a soft spot for life in general, whether a convict’s or a victim’s, many people still believe that the death penalty is the only way to keep crimes at their minimal and bring relief to the victims’ family. In the developing world, death penalty is seen to be an active form of justice, but the developed countries also have a hard time putting it to an end. As far as the US is concerned, 31 states out of 52 states in the U.S. still practice the death penalty, including California. In 2006, the District Court judge declared that the death penalty was against the eighth amen dment of the United States constitution that states that the federal government is liable to refrain from cruel punishments including torture and unusual punishments. The then governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, took this declaration

International hospitality management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International hospitality management - Essay Example This was followed by hotels, motels, and Inns. The first hotel can be traced to City hotel in New York City in 1794 which started with 73 rooms (Schonwalder, 2000). Apart from accommodation, the hotel offered meetings rooms and soon became the social center of the city. This was the first building in America built especially to be a hotel. The first five star hotel was the Tremont House in Boston, built in 1829, which marked the beginning of first class service. The Hilton International The Hilton International started its journey in 1919 by Conrad Hilton when he took over a property in Texas. Its international arm, Conrad Hotels, had locations across Australia, England, Ireland, and Egypt among many others. By 1940 the group owned a chain of premium hotels worldwide but in 1960 it sold its international operations. In 1989 it also relinquished interests in its gaming companies and focused on core hotel business. Focusing on contracts and franchising, today Hilton Hotels Corporation is a leading hospitality company that owns, manages, and has franchised over 2000 hotels the country (Funding Universe, n.d.). The well-known brands under its chain include Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn, Homewood Suites, and Harrison Conference Centers. Marriott International Marriott International, Inc., with the spirit to serve, was formed in 1993 (Funding Universe1, n.d.). Before this, they were in the restaurant business but in 1993 they split the company in two – lodging and contract services company, thus marking the beginning of Marriott International, Inc. Marriott International manages and franchises more than 1350 lodging properties under ten different hotel brands across the world. These include the Fairfield Inns and Suites, the Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, and New World brands. Its strategy to manage rather than own property has been found to be paying the Group rich dividends. Global Hyatt Corporation Global Hyatt Corporation, one of the leadin g luxury hotel companies in the world, operates in major and secondary cities, at airport locations and leading resort areas throughout the world (Advameg, 2011). It specializes in deluxe resorts with meeting facilities and special services for the business traveler. The Group manages or licenses the management of more than 210 hotels and resorts (with a capacity of more than 90,000 rooms) in 43 countries around the world. In addition to its core Hyatt Regency brand, it has developed other special concepts like the Grand Hyatt, the Park Hyatt, and Classic Residence. With its property in 1957, Hyatt grew to a chain of 13 hotels by 1969. Conclusion Hotels and chains have grown and developed due to mergers and acquisitions (M&A), which is a common form of strategy and growth in every sector. This is used as a strategy to enhance profitability and survive in the competitive growth environment. Several major mergers and acquisitions took place in the hotel industry between 1979 and 2004 (Quek, 2011). However, M&A activities in the sector need financial support because of the high capital costs involved. Deregulation in the industry helped to generate funds easily which benefited the hotel companies by allowing them easier access to capital. As borders across nations blurred and visitors started traveling overseas for work, the demand for excellent facilities increased. Acquisitions in the hotel sector were done with the

Globalisation - Challenges and Opportunities in China Essay

Globalisation - Challenges and Opportunities in China - Essay Example It is under the prevailing circumstances that the behavior of Chinese market is studied in context with latest confidence building measures being taken up by the Chinese government, the trend of international investments, views of the international community and the ‘threat’ perception from the cheap Chinese manufacturing sector. Having inspired the marketers, with a vision of billion people consuming international brand in downtown, China is now recognized as a capable global competitor in its own right. And it has ambitious expansion plans - not only for Asia but also for the Europe, United States and elsewhere. Traditionally, the problems of doing business in China, in general, can be categorized into four main categories;It is under the prevailing circumstances that the behavior of Chinese market is studied in context with latest confidence building measures being taken up by the Chinese government, the trend of international investments, views of the international c ommunity and the ‘threat’ perception from the cheap Chinese manufacturing sector. Having inspired the marketers, with a vision of billion people consuming international brand in downtown, China is now recognized as a capable global competitor in its own right. And it has ambitious expansion plans - not only for Asia but also for the Europe, United States and elsewhere. Traditionally, the problems of doing business in China, in general, can be categorized into four main categories.

Effects of Quality Management on Domestic and Global Competition Paper Research - 1

Effects of Quality Management on Domestic and Global Competition - Research Paper Example Japan is the home of most of the world’s best motor producing companies like Toyota, Nissan, Suzuki, and Mitsubishi among others. General Motors Corporations is the world’s largest automaker whose headquarters are in the United States, but has branches in about one hundred and fifty seven countries across the globe. The ownership of the general motors is majorly by the United States government, which owns about sixty-one percent of the total shares. Others entities that have ownership of the general motors are the united Autoworkers, the Canadian government, and bond holders from the old company. General motors once experienced financial crisis in the late 2000s such that it threatened closure of most of its branches in North America (Kennedy, 2005). The American government however came in and funded the corporation. On the other hand, Naza is a Malaysian based industry whose main objective during formation was marketing and distribution of motor vehicles. It was not un til 2003 when the firm started production of bikes then motor vehicles in the year 2005. The company founded by a mogul Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin of Malaysia in 1975 was intended to import reconditioned cars. The company established itself and became an importer of luxury vehicles. The business expanded and in the late nineties, it franchised with South Korean carmaker thus expanded its portfolio of distribution. General motors is credited as the world’s number one automaker, and absorbs as many as hundreds of thousands of people across the world. Naza has absorbed hundreds of people, but the expectations are that it will recruit more members in the near future. The indulgence of the company into the manufacturing sector and mergence with other firms has seen its growth to a recognizable status. General motors has been generating a profit of about 4.7 million US dollars excluding the pensions cost and other expenses. In ranking as per income generation, the general motors took th e second position in the United States after Toyota (Cooney & Yacobucci, 2007). General motors have expanded globally and has gained worldwide recognition. It has main branches in North America, Asia, and Africa. For instance in Africa, General motors ventured back in 1920s but it grew and started assembling vehicles in1950. On arrival in Africa, the first situation of general motors was Egypt, which up to date is the only producer if traditional general motors branded vehicles (Kennedy, 2005). Apart from this, the industry has other branches in Tunisia, which assembles mainly Mazda and Isuzu models. In Kenya GM is situated in Nairobi and it assembles a wide variety of trucks and buses. General motors have its stations in other East African countries like Uganda, Tanzania, and central Africa. Naza on the other hand has its demand locally based though it has entered into contract with worlds distributors that make Naza the hub of their products specifically in Malaysia. In 2010, Gene ral Motors Corporation assigned Naza as the sole distributor of Chevrolet model in Malaysia. Naza also entered into contract with Piaggio group to distribute its main brands in Malaysia. According to Cooney & Yacobucci (2007), the products of general motors have repeatedly participated in the worlds racing championship winning many races. The recent invention from general motors, Cadillac V-series has also ventured in the racing championship. General motors did many research programmes for the market demands. This led to its mergence with various companies to

Globalisation - Challenges and Opportunities in China Essay

Globalisation - Challenges and Opportunities in China - Essay Example It is under the prevailing circumstances that the behavior of Chinese market is studied in context with latest confidence building measures being taken up by the Chinese government, the trend of international investments, views of the international community and the ‘threat’ perception from the cheap Chinese manufacturing sector. Having inspired the marketers, with a vision of billion people consuming international brand in downtown, China is now recognized as a capable global competitor in its own right. And it has ambitious expansion plans - not only for Asia but also for the Europe, United States and elsewhere. Traditionally, the problems of doing business in China, in general, can be categorized into four main categories;It is under the prevailing circumstances that the behavior of Chinese market is studied in context with latest confidence building measures being taken up by the Chinese government, the trend of international investments, views of the international c ommunity and the ‘threat’ perception from the cheap Chinese manufacturing sector. Having inspired the marketers, with a vision of billion people consuming international brand in downtown, China is now recognized as a capable global competitor in its own right. And it has ambitious expansion plans - not only for Asia but also for the Europe, United States and elsewhere. Traditionally, the problems of doing business in China, in general, can be categorized into four main categories.

My Head and My Hear by Maria Cosway Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

My Head and My Hear by Maria Cosway - Article Example From this discussion it is clear that  the heart admits that it is in grief and regrets all the actions t has done before. The counter argument is presented in a genius way by the heart implying that the heart can correct all the past mistakes. The head claims that the heart condemns others but still goes back to embrace and welcome them. On defense part, the hearts admits the mistakes and asks the head to provide any solution if any exists. The head fails to provide this demanded solution and it marks a failure on the part of the head.This essay stresses that another argument is raised relating to the moment when the head and the heart visited Legrand and Molinos. The head claims that it preferred the hearts opinion was not present when making decisions implying that the heart provided a wrong opinion contributing to a wrong decision. The head also claims that it was busy concentrating on constructive ideas while the heart was busy making friends and not contributing to meaningful development. The head claims that many friends took advantage of the hearts weakness to lie and pretend before the heart. The heart takes a chance to mock the events of the day that the head claimed to have done meaningful activities. In its mockery, the heart mocks the beautiful cities and the beautiful sceneries they both witnessed. According to the heart, the head did not do anything meaningful for that day.

Test essay on whig reforms Essay Example for Free

Test essay on whig reforms Essay (a) Comment on the term Reforming to preserve in the context of the Whig reforms 1830-1841. The term Reforming to preserve means that the government needed to give the people some reform so as to stop them revolting. If they did this it would mean that the people would settle down because for the moment they were content. An example of this is where the government gives in to the will of the people and gives them some basic reforms. (b) Explain why there was opposition to Whig reforms in factories and education. The church opposed reform in education because reform would mean that the Church of England would no longer be in charge of all education. This meant that some schools would not teach the children that the Church of England was that important. When the Church of England was in charge of education, children learned that the church was the most important part of their life. The Church of England also feared that if other religions were able to run schools then more people would change their religion, and become for example Roman Catholic or Quaker. The middle class also opposed reform in education. This was because they felt that if working class people were allowed to be educated then that would make the working class the same as them on some level. The middle class used their education to further themselves in social circles, and if the working class had this as well then it would bring the working class up to the same level of education as the middle class, which was not in the interests of the middle class. There was opposition to reform in factories because at the moment wages were cheap because women were cheaper to employ then men, and children were even cheaper then women. There was also the danger that any change in the factory system could mean a downfall in output, which could have severe implications on the economy. (c) What factors influenced the Whig government in carrying out their programme of reforms 1830-1841? The Whig party itself had members who thought that reform was pragmatic and needed. The 1832 Reform Act was regarded by the Whigs as a final settlement and was done to preserve rather than escalate the situation. The Whig motivation for reform came from a belief that the duty of the government brought a responsibility to try to improve social problems. The Whigs also may have used the issue of reform to get the people on their side. At the time there were a lot of disturbances and the government thought that if they introduced reform then that would calm the situation down. The major force behind the implementation of the reforms of the 1830s were a group of politicians whose main test of any government was its accountability and efficiency. Leading Utilitarians such as Edwin Chadwick were on many of the commissions set up by the government. This group did have an impact on the Whig government in the 1830s. There were also a number of pressure groups trying to influence the government. The main two were the Humanitarians who were a cross-party group of individuals committed to the improvement of working conditions, especially in the mines and factories. By the 1830s the full scale of industrialisation had produced terrible working conditions, especially in the textile industries, and this pressure group demanded basic human rights such as a ten-hour day for adults. Closely linked to the Humanitarian group were the Evangelicals. They took a religious and moral interest in social conditions. William Wilberforce was the leader of this party and he had support from all parties because of his moral standpoint.

Group work in Primary Schools

Group work in Primary Schools Group work, known to others as collaborative or cooperative learning, is defined as a situation in which, two or more people learn or attempt to learn something together [Wikipedia Contributors, 2010]. This paper focuses on how working collaboratively impacts both teaching and learning in primary schools. It describes the background to the development of collaborative learning and highlights the techniques often employed. The principles to effective group work are explained, with both advantages and disadvantages noted. Collaborative learning is a pedagogical strategy which utilizes a variety of learning activities to enhance a students understanding of a particular topic. This is an improvement to traditional learning models also defined as non-interactive lectures, where knowledge is gained from direct lectures or the reading of books and articles. Traditional learning commands very little interaction or participation from the students, therefore a lot or very little may be learnt depending on the individual. Collaborative learning consequently stands as a constructivist approach to learning, and is identified as originating from a constructivist epistemology, as students are asked to participate and contribute to their own learning and development. The ideas of scholars such as Burner, Kohlberg, Piaget and Vygotsky are used in the development of collaborative learning, which essentially implies that both the student and the environment are actively dynamic entities in the learning process as the student tries to impersonate the lessons. This process requires that knowledge be discovered and translated using language and other learning aides to which the students can actively relate. Lawrence Kohlberg researched the moral decisions made by children. His investigation is such that he developed an interview process offering a number of scenarios, each with a moral dilemma for which he had pre-determined answers. He realized that six stages of moral development existed and that some people are unable to reach most advanced levels of ethical interpretation. He thereby concluded that; the development of moral reasoning happens in a particular sequence, and that each step of the way is a precursor to the next [KidsDevelopment.co.uk, 2010]. Jean Piagets theory of Cognitive Development suggests that individuals go through a series of stages on their way to independent thinking. Piaget states that all knowledge concerning reality results from actions or operations upon it, which makes it change, revealing its stable and variational properties (Piaget, 1980 p222). Lev Vygotsky believed that socialization increases knowledge and often time changes a childs thoughts and behaviours. Vygotsky suggests that learning is achieved in three ways; imitative, instructed and collaborative. Imitative learning involves the student simply copying what was taught and instructed learning involves the student following directions previously given. Vygotskys work was focussed on two important ideas. First being the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD); this describes the level of differentiation between a problem that a student can solve independently and a problem in which a student will require the assistance of others. ZPD is often identified as an individuals level of actual competency relative to their level for potential development. The second idea is known as scaffolding and describes the aspect of support given to students when it is desired. Group work allows students to work together in small teams, combining people with varying backgrounds, experiences, technical and intellectual competencies, towards the attainment of a specific objective. Each member of the team has the responsibility of learning the material for himself, while also helping other members to clearly understand the lesson thus creating an atmosphere of achievement (Palmer, Peters and Streetman. 2008). Students thereby gain both knowledge and social skills. The use of group discussions helps students to explain concepts and ideas by providing immediate feedbacks. Students learn how to troubleshoot cooperatively in order to find the best solution to a problem. When students formulate their own solutions in this manner, they are truly thinking critically (Davis, Mahler Noddings, 1990). Swortzel expresses that there are two major theoretical approaches to group work Motivational and Cognitive (Swortzel, 1997). Group work is seen as motivational because students recognize that their success or failure in the attainment of the specified goal is dependent on them being able to work together as a team. They thereby encourage each other to get the assigned tasks done properly and on time, in so doing cooperative learning increases students motivation to do academic work (Johnson, Johnson Holubec, 1986). The cognitive approach suggests that through group work students become more critical with their thinking. Students are stimulated to think outside the box, thus acquiring increased levels of perception, awareness, and reasoning and judgment abilities. Group discussions are very interactive with each individual expressing their viewpoint. Within a diverse group, there will be undoubtedly varying opinions consequently highlighting approaches to the same topic. A collaborative framework must first be established before the implementation of collaborative learning techniques. The teacher should research collaborative learning and observer other teachers who have already implement the use of group work. The teacher should grasp a good understanding of the advantages and disadvantages to group work and must develop a keen appreciation for the technique of scaffolding. The teacher then needs to decide if collaborative learning is ideal for the subject being taught, the type of students and take into account classroom restrictions, if any. Teachers implementing collaborative learning are expected to be competent in the following areas: Specifying instructional objectives Determining group size and assign students to groups Determining Group Size and Assign Students to Groups Classroom arrangement Planning instructional materials to promote Interdependence Assigning group roles Assigning tasks Structuring positive interdependence and accountability Explaining the criteria for success Specifying desired behaviours Before implementing collaborative learning the teacher should explain to the students their decision for the use of group work and explain the advantages and disadvantages. The determination of group sizes may vary depending on the nature of the task and the workload. Groups can be homogeneous or heterogeneous, grouping students with similar interests and strengths or they may be totally randomly selected. Once groups are established they usually do not change very often, so as to allow students to develop a constructive working relationship with each other. It is important that the furniture in the classroom be organized in a way which allows the students to work as a unit, preferably facing each other, whilst allowing for their flexible movements. Teachers should take into account the existing resources needed for successful task completion and ensure that they are readily accessible by the groups. The instructions and materials a teacher chooses for a group should ensure that each member of the group makes a meaningful contribution and that individual assignments within the group will be evenly distributed. Teachers should structure positive interdependence and accountability by regularly testing both the groups and the members of the group for understanding of the subject matter. Members should be encouraged to be able to actively defend the stance of the group and their own. The criteria for success of the group should be clearly communicated and measures put into place to evaluate the groups performance as a unit as well as the individual performances of the members. Once the groups have been established, teachers need to monitor the behaviour of the students and assist with needs while monitoring. In so doing, teachers may assist with the answering of questions and provide and alternate point of view or opinion. Teachers may also provide feedback on the work completed or the progress made. Should conflicts arise within the groups, teachers should intervene to ensure that such conflicts are quickly resolved and explain the implications of undesirable behaviours. It is also very important that teachers provide approbation and, or motivation where it is deserved. Students play the most important role in the art of collaborative learning. Their roles include and are not limited to, working together, actively listening to each other, keeping records of work and progress, questioning each other, assuming personal responsibility and completing the assigned task. An article written by Dillenbourg and Schneider states that there are a few mechanisms to collaborative learning: Conflict or Disagreement, suggesting that when peer to peer conflicts arise, social factors cause learners to ignore the disagreement and to some extent forces them to find a feasible solution to the problem. One aspect of this theory states that diverging viewpoints usually lead to academic gains, while the other states that when conflicts are not verbalized they do not predict positive outcomes (Dillenbourg and Schneider, 1995). This article draws two conclusions relative to this mechanism one being that slight misunderstandings can be as efficient as a clear conflict between two agents who respectively believe P and not P and the second being that verbal interactions generated to solve conflict are related to learning outcomes (Dillenbourg and Schneider, 1995). Alternative Proposal also referred to as the confirmation biases by Dillenbourg and Schneider (1995). In so doing students actively develop ideas that support their suggestions and completely disregard ideas that do not. They often times cannot abandon their idea or suggestion because another suggestion may not be forthcoming; however other group members make alternate suggestions. (Self-) explanation; the Self-Explanation effect, as it is in known in many cognitive science literature, describes that in a situation where one student is more knowledge that the other, the latter will automatically learn from the form, and also that the former will grasp a better understanding of the topic being explained as he endeavours to translate into to terms to with the latter student can actively relate. Having successfully explained the more knowledgeable student would have improved upon his skills to interrelate and gained improved confidence. Had there been any uncertainties in the explanation, someone even more knowledgeable might be able to clarify. Internalization; the article explains this mechanism as one in which students explain or justify their suggestions to each other, the verbalization of such impacts all involved and that the concepts communicated are integrated into the listeners reasoning. Thinking is viewed a discussion that one has with oneself and which develops on the basis of discussions we had with others (Dillenbourg and Schneider, 1995). The article also states that for this mechanism to be effective a few conditions must be met, One condition is that subjects can only assimilate concepts which are within their zone of proximal development, i.e. within the neighbourhood of the current cognitive level. Another condition is that the less able peer is not left as a passive listener, but participates into the joint problem solving strategy (Dillenbourg and Schneider, 1995) Appropriation, this is explained as one student observing the ideas or explanations of another and taking those ideas or explanations and building on it to make their own. Learning is two-fold as the first student reinterprets his actions relative to that of the second, and the second student got a sound foundation on which to build. Shared Cognitive Load, this involves the distribution of tasks which will come together to achieve the overall objective of the group. When the workload is even shared between students, each student can work meticulously on the assigned task, thereby eliminating redundancies and improving the efficiency of the group. Mutual Regulation, by employing any of or a combination of the mechanisms previously described, students often have to regulate the actions of each other to ensure that the stipulated guidelines are adhered to for the attainment of their goals. Social Grounding, described lucidly by Dillenbourg and Schneider as the mechanism by which an individual attempts to maintain the belief that his partner has understood what he meant, at least to an extent which is sufficient to carry out the task at hand (Dillenbourg and Schneider, 1995). This mechanism requires the speaker to check for understanding, and where misunderstand is visible to clarify, thereby building a share understanding of the problem. George W. Gagnon. Jr., and Michelle Collay developed another design for collaborative learning and in this model teachers develop a series of steps that their teaching structure follows as listed below: They develop a situation for the students to explain (Gagnon and Collay, 2004) They select a process for groupings of materials and students (Gagnon and Collay, 2004) They build a bridge between what students already know and what the teachers want them to learn (Gagnon and Collay,2004) They anticipate questions to ask and answer without giving away an explanation (Gagnon and Collay, 2004) They encourage students to exhibit a record of their thinking by sharing it with others (Gagnon and Collay, 2004), and They solicit students reflections about their learning (Gagnon and Collay, 2004). A comparison of there collaborative techniques, is illustrated in Appendix 1. Johnson, Johnson, and Smith (1991) highlights three key tasks teachers should follow for the evaluation of the efficiency and effectiveness after there group work is completed. Firstly, teachers should provide a closure through summarization. That is, to summarize the lessons important points or to have each group explain their work and the points they found of most significance. Secondly is to evaluate the students learning, by assessing how they have attained or failed to attain the desired outcome and providing the feedback required, allowing students to improve on their ability to work as a group and hence personal development. Thirdly, teachers should make note of the techniques that worked and why they worked and if necessary adjust their lessons. A popular definition of constructivism is that Constructivism is a theory of knowledge which claims that knowledge is not passively received but actively constructed by the learner, and that the function of cognition is adaptive, serving to organise experience, rather than discover reality(online, 2010) Group work has academic, social and physiological benefits to both students and teachers. Academic benefits include: the development of critical thinking and the active involvement of students in the learning process. The social benefits include: the development of social learning systems for students and builds diversity understanding among students and teachers. The physiological benefits include: increased self-esteem through peer-to-peer instructions and it reduces the anxiety of students. Although collaborative learning seems to be dependent on the actions and willingness to learn, which should for many be a natural process, there are many disadvantages as there are advantages to is implementation. A few of the obstacles faced are; some students prefer to work competitively rather that collaboratively, teachers lack the ability to readily assess the work produced, teachers sometimes do not know how to measure the effectiveness of their teachings in a collaborative setting, sometimes the assigned tasks are not applicable to a students goals or abilities, and sometimes the tasks are not difficult enough to challenge but not so difficult as to stonewall a conversation. Some groups may be comprised of slow learners who may be viewed as others as invaluable, thereby promoting superior behaviour by the fast learners. Table 1, Appendix 2, illustrated various group structures and the advantages and disadvantages to these groups. Nigel Hastings and Karen Chantrey-Wood from Nottingham Trent University explores the many strategies teachers utilize in group work activities, many of which are strongly endorsed by a committee known as the Plowden Committee. By spending time with groups of children, teachers could adjust their teaching to the needs of the individuals of that group to a greater extent than when working with an entire class of students as a whole. This also ensures that all children have a reasonable amount of direct contact with their teacher regardless of the fact that they are working in groups [Hastings Wood, 2002]. This suggests that collaborative learning enhances the occurrence of individualized attention given to students, by introducing one-on-one interactions between students and peers and students and teachers. The article also illustrates that classroom arrangement is very important in ensuring that collaborative learning is efficient and effective. It shows that collaborative learning in widely accepted and very commonly practiced across the globe; In primary classrooms throughout the UK, it is standard practice for children to sit around grouped tables usually with four to six children in each group. Such arrangements are also common in primary schools in other English-speaking countries, Australia and USA for example. Precisely because this configuration is so normal and so well established in our schools, it is unusual to ask about its rationale or to question its appropriateness [Hastings Wood, 2002]. An abstract written from an experiment conducted by Gillies and Ashman, One hundred and ninety-two Grade 6 children participated in a study which compared the effects on behavioural interactions and achievement of (a) cooperative learning in which group members were trained to collaborate to facilitate each others learning, and (b) cooperative learning in which members were not trained but were merely told to help each other. Stratified random assignment of participants occurred so that each gender-balanced group consisted of one high-, two medium-, and one low-ability studentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(Gillies Ashman, 1999). The observations showed that the students who worked in the Trained groups where more responsive and helpful to each other, giving explanations where necessary to assist as they worked together. It showed that students in the untrained groups were a lot less helpful towards or cooperative with each other. From the results it was also concluded that the children in the trai ned groups exercised more autonomy with their learning and obtained higher learning outcomes than untrained peers (Gillies Ashman, 1999). This study is one of the many to attest to the success of group work. Despite some drawbacks Collaborative learning has numerous benefits, as is explained, ranging from academic to physiological and it implementation in primary schools is quite a positive move. Students at the primary school level are quite impressionable and there is no better time for them to develop the very valuable competences that working in a group has to offer. At the primary school level they are mature enough to have an understanding of what group work requires. Many of the studies conducted were centralized around childhood developments. Students who can successfully work in groups from the primary school level are usually better equipped for when entering higher level learning institutions. They would have learnt to comfortably relate with peers and adults, such as teachers or other authority figures, they would have learnt the value of self-expression and self-explanation, actively listen and respect the views of others. These students realize that as individuals we have d ifferent backgrounds, experiences and traditions and as such may have diverging approaches to the same problem. These students will also be better able to differentiate between the need to work collaborative and the need to work competitively and in so doing will know when best to apply the respective approaches. This research has revealed that both the teachers and the students play a pivotal role in the success of collaborative learning. Teachers are not expected to only assign tasks and sit back while the students work on their own. Teachers must play an active role throughout the process. They must plan for the assignment with clearly structured tasks that will promote collaborative interactions, promote interdependency and stimulate cognitive thinking among students. Teacher must monitor the process providing ongoing feedback and be readily able to resolve conflicts should they arise. Teachers should be able to actively scaffold their students, knowing when their support is needed and that it should gradually be withdraw. Students in order to successfully achieve their objectives in groups must appreciate the benefits of group work. They must have a clear understanding of the desired objective and the sub-task requirement to successfully achieve the objective. They must be able to actively and reflectively listen to each other and utilize creativity and objectivity to work positively together. In so doing they will learn to foster positive work attitudes with others, thereby improving on their interpersonal skills as they prepare for the work world. Appendix 1 Three Constructivist Design Models [1] 1. The Learning Cycle 2. The Learning Step developed by George W. Gagnon. Jr. and Michelle Collay 3. The Information Construction (ICON) model created by Robert O. McClintock and John B. Black, and is very similar to Dillenbourg and Schneider. Appendix 2 Table 1: Forms of Cooperative Groups[2] NAME OF GROUP WHAT IS THIS? WORKS BEST FOR BENEFITS DRAWBACKS Pair-share 2 students with one problem share their ideas or questions. Each person speaks, listens, gives feedback. Content that requires discussion, reflection, or explanation. Increased engagement time, Helps those who are shy Fewer perspectives and solutions Jigsaw Each member of the small group researches one part of the question /content for a certain amount of time. The members of the group come back together. Each member teaches his/her part to the rest of the group. Content with four or five parts to research. Students gain teaching and research skills Some students feel pressured by a time limit Split-class discussion The class is split into half. Each side discusses /debates their knowledge /beliefs, etc. Debates or discussions Students may change their opinion or develop a different perspective Some students may speak less with such a large group. Random groups of 3 Class is split into groups of 3. The groups discuss the topic. Predicting what will happen, responding to a situation. Receive a variety of feedback, group members are accountable Easy to leave out or team up against a shy student or one who has a different opinion Ability/Interest/Friendship Group Students are divided into groups based on some quality that they all have in common. Creating plays/skits or an activity in which students must work together outside of class. Students can work at a pace that best suits them, students are rarely bored and often motivated It is unrealistic to find a completely homogeneous group, weaker or unpopular students may be excluded. Diversity Groups Students are formed into groups where they come from a wide variety of backgrounds, interests, etc. Exploring geography, history, and diverse lifestyles. There are many opportunities to gain different perspectives Minorities may become alienated Multi-aged groups Students are divided into groups in which there are a mixture of ages Older students teaching younger students (i.e. science experiments). Older students- there is less pressure to compete with peers, Younger students fell important that an older person is spending time with them Older students may be a bad influence; Older students may not know how to work with a younger child or an at risk student Peer-led Conferences Students prepare and lead a discussion of material with parents, instructors, students, etc. A major project in which students set up stations for several intelligences. Students get the opportunity to authentically teach, students learn self confidence. Students whose parents are inactive in the school may be alienated from those whose parents participate; some students may not be involved in interactions. Notes: These diagrams were obtained from: http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/constructivism/implementation_sub1.html This table was obtained from: http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Cooperative_Learning#Frequently_Asked_Questions_about_Cooperative_Learning

The Great Gatsby: The Integrity of Nick Carraway :: essays research papers

The Great Gatsby: The Question of Nick Carraway's Integrity In pursuing relationships, we come to know people only step by step. Unfortunately, as our knowledge of others' deepens, we often move from enchantment to disenchantment. Initially we overlook flaws or wish them away; only later do we realize peril of this course. In the novel "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the journey from delight to disappointment may be seen in the narrator, Nick Carraway. Moving from initial interest to romantic allure to moral repugnance, Nick's relationship with Jordan Baker traces a painfully familiar, all-to-human arc. Nick's initial interest in Jordan is mainly for her looks and charm. Upon first sight of her at the Buchanan's mansion, he is at once drawn to her appearance. He Notes her body "extended full length" on the divan, her fluttering lips, and her quaintly tipped chin. He observes the lamp light that "glinted along the paper as she turned a page with a flutter of slender muscles in her arms." He is willing to overlook her gossipy chatter about Tom's extra- marital affair, and is instead beguiled by her dry witticisms and her apparent simple sunniness: "Time for this good girl to go to bed," she says. When Daisy begins her matchmaking of Nick and Jordan, we sense that she is only leading where Nick's interest is already taking him. It is Jordan, then, who makes Nick feel comfortable at Gatsby's party, as we sense what Nick senses: they're becoming a romantic couple. As they drive home a summer house-party, Nick notes her dishonesty but forgives it, attributing it to her understandable need to get by in a man's world. She praises his lack of carelessness, tells him directly "I like you"--and he is smitten, After Jordan tells him the tale of Gatsby and Daisy's past, Nick feels a "heady excitement" because she has taken him into her confidence. Attracted by her "universal skepticism" and under the influence of his own loneliness, Nick-- overlooking this time her "wan, scornful mouth"--seals their romance by planted a kiss on Jordan's lips. But the attraction can't last and is, by summer's end, replaced by repugnance. The smallest of details, at first, heralds this falling-apart: "Jordan's fingers, powdered with white over their tan, rested for a moment in mine." Here Fitzgerald has dropped a subtle hint that their liaison is to be the matter of only a moment, and that Jordan's "integrity" may be a matter of mere cosmetics. But it is Jordan's failure to feel the gravity of the real falling- apart--among Tom, Daisy, and Gatsby--that most rankles Nick, and he reacts with

Reinhold Niebuhr :: essays research papers fc

Reinhold Niebuhr Theologian, ethicist, and political analyst, Reinhold Niebuhr was a towering figure of twentieth﷓century religious thought. He is well known and is appreciated for many reasons among American theologians. Niebuhr had a very strong opinion and much to say when it came down to man and violence in regards to peace and war. Although he thought of himself as a preacher and social activist, the influence of his theological thought on the field of social ethics and on society made him a significant figure. Reinhold Niebuhr was born in Wright City, Missouri, on June 21, 1892 as the son of Gustav and Lydia Niebuhr. His father, Gustav was an immigrant from Germany and became an ordained minister of the German Evangelical Synod after graduating from Eden Seminary at St. Louis, the training school for ministers of the Deutsche Evangelical Synod of North America. His mother was a daughter of German Evangelical Synod missionary, Edward Hosto. Gustav and Lydia had four children, Hulda, Walter, Reinhold, and Helmut Richard (who is as famous as Reinhold in theological circles). Thus Reinhold grew up in a religious atmosphere in his parents’ parish of St. John in Lincoln, Illinois. His father considered himself as an American and a liberal. It is not surprising that Reinhold aspired to have such liberal values and follow in his father’s footsteps to Eden Seminary in 1912. With a strong impression from his father’s ministry, Reinhold, the favorite child of his father, decided to be a minister. By his decision, Reinhold studied in the Evangelical pro-seminar, Elmhurst College, near Chicago, which provided him with foundations of liberal arts and languages, from 1907 to 1910, and then he moved to Eden Seminary at St. Louis, following his father’s path. After graduating from Eden Seminary, he encountered a serious money problem because of his father’s sudden death in the spring of 1913. In the same year, Niebuhr became an ordained minister of the German Evangelical Synod. Then he attended Yale Divinity School with a scholarship and received a Bachelor of Divinity in 1914 and his final degree of Master of Arts from Yale University in 1915. His professional life began with the ministry. In 1915, the mission board of his denomination sent him to Detroit as pastor where he served for thirteen years. The congregation numbered sixty-five when he arrived and grew to nearly seven hundred when he left. His witness of working class life in his ministry with American automobile industry laborers in Detroit gave him a critical view of capitalism and made him an advocator of socialism concerning social and economic reality.

Dr. Debra Fischer Astronomer

Maryssa Buffano Miss Arnold Science – Current Astronomer Essay 4/12/2011 JMJ Dr. Debra Fischer – Astronomer An astronomer is an astrophysicist who studies stars, planets and galaxies. Astronomers use the laws of physics to investigate the matter and energy of celestial bodies. They then apply the research findings to solve space navigation and communication problems and even discover new planets and stars. In 1512, Copernicus theorized that the planets orbit the sun and the race to uncover new planets began.Historically, most of the famous astronomers have been men, such as Galilei Galileo and Johannes Kepler. Other men have made planet discoveries. For example, William Herschel uncovered Uranus, and Clyde Tombaugh found Pluto. Recently, there has been a new â€Å"man† on the planet hunting team, and she is a â€Å"woman†. Dr. Debra Fischer is a professor of astronomy at San Francisco State University. Her quest is to find planets orbiting around distant s tars. Debra Fischer completed her undergraduate work in science and physics at San Francisco State.Her search for planets began when she was a graduate student in astrophysics at the University of California, Santa Cruz. While there, she worked with astronomer Geoff Marcy. Marcy co-founded the California and Carnegie Planet Search Project with Paul Butler in 1983. The purpose of this planet hunting team was to discover extra-solar planets orbiting nearby stars. Swiss astronomers discovered the first extra-solar planet in 1995. Marcy’s team validated the existence of three more planets and a multi-planet system in 1996.Debra Fischer joined the project as a post-doctoral fellow managing the Lick Observatory in 1997. Through her work there, Fischer discovered more three planets herself by 1999. In order to unearth extra-solar planets, Fischer and her team at the Lick Observatory use a method known as the Doppler technique. By using an observation procedure that measures the meta l content of stars, a star’s velocity can be monitored. Fluctuations in the star’s velocity that signal the presence of the gravitational pull from an orbiting planet.Once a potential planet is identified, it is studied for a full orbital cycle. This process can take days or years depending on the planet’s distance from the star. Over 300 exoplanets have been confirmed using this methodology. Fischer is credited with over 200 of them. She brought the world’s first robotic telescope completely dedicated to finding new planets to the observatory in 2004. She still continues her work at the Lick Observatory today. Fischer’s work discovering of exoplanets has led a search to find earth like planets.She has been a strong force behind the Kepler space telescope. In 2009, NASA launched a spacecraft from Cape Canaveral to search the galaxy for planets that could possibly support life. After three years of orbiting, the Kepler telescope observations should provide a reliable number of earth-like planets that can be further studied. Fischer says the Kepler project, â€Å" will chart a course toward one day imaging a pale blue dot like our planet, orbiting another star. † Even if extra-terrestrial life is not found, its implications are profound.Is life common throughout the galaxy or is earth the only living planet? Debra Fischer is an amazing astronomer and woman. Her quest for knowledge never ends. Her latest efforts include detecting Hot Jupiters and Neptunes and writing computer programs modeling orbits and star velocity. Her pursuit of study continues today not only planet hunting, but also in educating others. Fischer teaches at several universities and travels as a guest lecturer. She encourages everyone she meets to reach for the stars.

Interview With A Human Resource Middle Manager Essay

Employee performance appraisals are no longer novel practices in the human resource management field. According to Arthur Sherman, George Bohlander and Scott Snell, employee performance appraisals have been around since the nineteenth century and were routinely administered to federal employees in the United States (303). The activity gained considerable commendation enough to make it increasingly popular both among small and large, and public and private organizations. It was not until after World War II, however, that performance appraisal became widespread and became accepted as a regular part of organization check-up and maintenance (Bohlander). Longenecker and Goff, on the other hand, summarized the oft-cited purposes of performance appraisals in literature. As stated by them, performance appraisals are used to motivate employees, provide a basis for salary or wage dispensation, facilitate discussion regarding employee concerns, provide data for human resource decision and serve as communication tool of managers towards their employees. Performance appraisals are response to the ever more competitive pressures in the nature of employment (Murphy and Marguiles 2). There are various other functions of performance appraisals explained in literatures, yet overall, they generally refer to the fulfilment of administrative as well as development purposes. I was able to get an interview from the Middle Manager of a firm and I was able to get her opinion regarding their policies in the company and how she treats her people. She explained furthermore that she employs performance appraisal as a logical part of running their organization, and a means of appraising, developing and maximizing the knowledge and abilities of employees—the organization’s greatest wealth. It is a basic part of managing human resource in that most practitioners consider it an indispensable part of maintaining or improving organizational effectiveness. Emily McGregor, a Human Resource Deputy Manager of the _____________ stated that the main objective of their performance appraisals is to provide logical judgments so that they can back-up salary increases, promotions, transfers, and terminations. She also mentioned that performance appraisals are tools of informing a subordinated about the quality of his work and how he can improve in the areas that need change. Lastly, she emphasized that performance appraisals are venues where coaching or counselling sessions between a boss and a subordinate can take place. Those were great words, I guess, and I was awed at the keen intellect this woman possesses. During the course of the interview I was able to record the exact words she said such that I got to listen to it again and looked at how her comments were person-centered or position-centered. When one shifts from talking about the topic to talking about the person, then she is engaging in person-centered comments. These comments are more often than not, negative ones. Also, the shift can result from a most reasonable discussion into a bitter argument. Most of these focus on the word â€Å"You. † I also got to look at how she engaged in position-centered communication which emphasized rules and norms that apply regardless of whether or how others are affected by the behavior. The manager told me that she has slowly developed specific communication strategies that help in conflict management and resolution. Her early learning experiences seem to establish the more generalizable patterns she has used in later years. She states, â€Å"As I watch and hear my parents manage their own interpersonal and intrapersonal, I have slowly learned through imitation. Moreover, my conflicts are inevitable in any management methods used in these conflicts set patterns for later development. In the course of coping with these conflicts, I have reinforced certain coping styles, often on a partial reinforcement schedule. Thus, I am reinforced for compliance while others are reinforced for defiance, some for cooperation and some for the expression of hostility, some for disengagement. † Thus, she continued by saying that she confronted one of her supervisors who was not doing well with her job even after several confrontations. I told her, ‘When we hired you for this job, I was emphatic in letting you know that we are a struggling small company. If you are not successful in bringing in cash, we night as well not be able to make payroll and our other expenses. † Thus, after some time, I found out that there was no more motivated collection person than an employee who was convinced that every non-paying debtor is keeping food out of the mouths of her babies. Certainly, hiring someone to manage receivables and make sure people got paid was a fabulous way to improve cash flow. But other tricks can be used over the past years which have also achieved substantial success. For example, Ms. McGregor can be ruthless about cash management. All expenditures must be justified and â€Å"smart. † All large purchases must include some measure of bargaining or looking for the best deal. † She tells me that she would tell her people about simply denying credit. She said that as a practice they just simply deny credit on smaller orders. They were willing to lose some customers to make sure that they were fully paid. Looking closely at this interview, one is able to pinpoint the person-centered comments which she used. She comments again when she said that â€Å"If you are not successful in bringing in cash, we night as well not be able to make payroll and our other expenses. † She was actually stating a fact, but this seemed emphatic and too direct as if the person to whom she was saying it to was to blame for the small cash collections. Her other comments though, were a little bit more position-centered as he told the employee in an objective way that, â€Å"All expenditures must be justified and â€Å"smart. † All large purchases must include some measure of bargaining or looking for the best deal. † REFERENCES Longenecker, Clinton and Nick Nykodym. â€Å"Public Sector Performance Appraisal Effectiveness:A Case Study. †Public Personnel Management. 25(1996) Longenecker, Clinton and Stephen Goff. â€Å"Performance Appraisal Effectiveness: A Matter of Perspective. †Management Journal. 57(1992) Murphy, Terrence and Joyce Margulies. â€Å"Performance Appraisals. † ABA Employment law Section. Proc. Of Equal Employment Opportunity Committee Mid-Winter Meeting. 24-27 Mar 2004.

Electrical design for a new leisure centre Essay

Electrical design for a new leisure centre - Essay Example Thirdly, the system design is justifiable because of the quality of lighting that comes from the bulbs and tubes provided. The brightness of the various lights and the colors are friendly to the eyes of the customers in the Leisure centre. The transmission voltage ranges are low, ranging from 2 kV to 35 KV because of the step down and step up transformers within the power system of distribution. Combined centre and the Ice rink areas consume more power units than the rest of the leisure centre. The final justification of the power distribution system design was that the continuous monitoring of the electric meters and circuit breakers. There are primary distribution lines, which carry the medium voltage power to the distribution transformers at the customer premises. Voltage is lowered to the utilization voltage through the transformers to suit the house hold appliances. At this voltage, power is transmitted through the secondary distribution lines. Residential and commercial customers are connected to the secondary distribution line while non-residential buildings and customers demanding larger amounts of power are connected to the primary distribution lines. Leisure centers have a large electrical load than residential buildings; therefore, electrical equipment installed should be more robust and larger. Leisure center’s owners should purchase electricity at large voltages since it comes in a cheaper rate. Owners, in this case, provide and maintain their own step-down transformer mounted in a transformer room inside the building or on a pad outside the room. . This is made to ensure the reduction of volta ges to their required levels. Electricity is therefore transmitted to switchgear, whose role is to distribute electricity efficiently and safely to various electrical closets within the building. Safety features contained in the switchgear include circuit breakers. In this system, circuit breakers allow power disruptions downstream, which may

Freemark Abbey Winery Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Freemark Abbey Winery - Case Study Example Hence, Freemark Abbey Winery might be better off harvesting immediately before the storm and eliminating the risk of the rain spoiling the grapes. The not-so-ripe grapes could yield wine that sells for $2.85 per bottle. If Jaeger decided to harvest later and the storm did not strike, there is a high chance that the acidity of the grapes would not fall below about 0.7 percent. In this case, the resulting wines would still sell at a higher price than wine produced from the not-so-ripe grapes harvested now, regardless of what the weather condition is like. However, there is a slight chance that the acidity of the of the grapes would drop below about 0.7, in which case the resulting wine would sell at a slightly lower price of $2.50 per bottle. To make this decision, a decision tree, Michael Porter's (1997) five forces analysis, and SWOT analysis are used to aid in the decision making process. Both five forces analysis and SWOT analysis reveal that Freemark Abbey Winery should pursue a differentiation strategy. From the decision tree in Appendix 1, it can be seen that there are 3 possible decision alternatives and 7 possible outcomes. The first possible decision alternative is to harvest after the storm and sell thin wine should the storm strike and the botrytis mold not form. The second possible decision alternative is to harvest after the storm and sell the wine in bulk should the storm strike and the botrytis mold not form. The third possible decision alternative is to harvest immediately. The first decision alternative has the highest expected revenue per bottle of wine but is inconsistent with a differentiation strategy. The second decision alternative yields the next higher level of expected revenue and is consistent with a differentiation strategy. The third decision alternative yields the least revenue and at the same time is inconsistent with a differentiation strategy. However, the third decision alternative is the least risky. Prioritizing the criteria, it is felt that the revenue and differentiation criteria are more important. Hence, it is recommended that Freemark Abbey harvest the grapes later. Should the storm strike and the botrytis mold not form, it is recommended that Freemark Abbey sell the wine in bulk or the grapes directly. Both the expected value and the rollback analyses yield the same recommendation. 2. DECISION PROBLEM Should the grapes be harvested immediately or after the storm If Jaeger waited after the storm, there are some chances of a warm, light rain, which will result in the formation of botrytis mold yielding the botrytised Riesling. The quantity is 30 percent lower than the normal wine but it sells for $8 per bottle. However, a storm just before the harvest is more likely to produce rain-soaked berries, yielding a thin wine that would sell wholesale for only about $2.00 per bottle and costing Freemark Abbey Winery its reputation. It could sell the wine in bulk or sell the grapes directly to preserve its reputation but these options would bring only half as much revenue, which is the second decision problem. Hence, Freemark Abbey Winery might be better off harvesting immediately before the storm and eliminating the risk of the rain spoiling the grapes. The not-so-ripe grapes could yield wine that sells for $2.85 per bottle.

The Primary Function of Human Resource Management Term Paper

The Primary Function of Human Resource Management - Term Paper Example Programs such as those that rotate employees between different kinds of units within the organization and those that encourage directed learning as well as promoting inter-agency communication across the entire company are being increasingly viewed as having paramount importance. Furthermore, Human Resource department must develop a system of recognition and reward for the staff in regards to their contributions to the agency. While there is still some truth to the image of the HR department as keeping track of birthdays and other events for the betterment of the morale of the staff, HR is now developing into a much more sophisticated part of the overall business network. In fact there is bound to eventually be a complete split between the duties of the â€Å"file clerk† aspect and the duties of the director of the department. †¦the Society for HR Management (SHRM) Global Forum report on "The Maturing Profession of Human Resources Worldwide" (2004) showed that over half ( 54.8%) of HR professionals say the most frequently encountered obstacle to career advancement is HR's not being held in high esteem by the organization. One thing is certain, HR is evolving and the profession will either be driven reactively by external changes or will more proactively define its own future. (Vosburgh, 2007, p. Talent, for lack of a better term, is one of the most strategic parts that HR is playing in the current business model. â€Å"Talentship† is a term being used to describe this new paradigm in the creation.... One of the first steps in bringing HR into a more productive and strategic part of the business model is to make the same type of paradigm shift in separation of functions. While many HR professionals today still struggle to get a seat at the business table, the HR profession in the future should continue to evolve and take more responsibility for overall organizational effectiveness. To do this the HR professional will need to become better at utilizing systems thinking and systems measurement. (Jamrog, and Overholt, 2004, p. 54) Talent, for lack of a better term, is one of the most strategic parts that HR is playing in the current business model. â€Å"Talentship† is a term being used to describe this new paradigm in the creation of a more far-reaching strategy for Human Resource Planning. Similar to the roles between finance and marketing, HR is now also being asked to help companies’ research and locate another critical component, the market for talent. Using the sa me analogy, a company cannot succeed if their finance and accounting team is not successfully pared with their sales and marketing team. In fact over time there have been regulatory and best practice applications that have helped to further cement this finance-marketing relationship. However, in HR the guidelines are a little fuzzier, and in fact are usually only to be found in individual policies and procedures and certainly in some academic and business journals. â€Å"Organizational decision processes and tools employed in the talent market are far less mature and refined than those used in finance or marketing† (Boudreau, 2005, p. 18). Now more than ever companies need professional practices in place in order to align their business needs with greater

Just by Faith Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Just by Faith - Term Paper Example It is clear that many religions find commonality in that they believe that it is faith that drives them to believe and stand fast in their belief. Most religions such as Islam, Judaism and Christianity believe in a sense of morality and justice; but the idea of a human being divine and one with God is considered to be pagan and contrary to the foundation of many religions. No one can reach God’s status, not by works, nor by faith. Humans are at a certain standing and God determines and dictates their outcome. Even in the Christian sect, there are people who oppose the notion that Jesus was both human and God. Does a leader who possesses such religious knowledge need to be sanctioned in order to be of any value to the human race? Is following Jesus and rejecting his divinity contradictory in nature? â€Å"Love Wins,† a quote often used by a pastor from Grand Rapids Michigan, named Rob Bell says it all. In his teaching, and his preaching, he teaches the congregation that it does not really matter what the details say, what matters in the end is Love. The Bible says that God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only son that whoever believed in him, would not die, but would have eternal life. Do they believe that God gave his son to the world, or do they believe that God loved the world so much? There are many faces to this one verse that is loaded with meaning. Pastors try to decipher its essence but find it difficult to â€Å"speak for God.† John piper says â€Å"If the Bible is coherent, then understanding the Bible means grasping how things fit together. Becoming a Biblical theologian means seeing more and more pieces fit together into a glorious mosaic of the divine will. And doing exegesis means querying the text about how its many propositions cohere in the author's mind.† The Bible is up for interpretation and God speaks into words to make understanding easier. In the Christian realm, Jesus is Lord. (Maier) Jesus is God but in the flesh. As sinners, it is believed that our sin was paid for by Jesus dying on the cross. Could there have been any other way? God himself says that He is Lord and there is no one higher than He. But why so much controversy on this particular issue? All three religions; Christianity, Judaism and Islam believe in Jesus. They just believe that Jesus had a different purpose. The details of each religion varies greatly, neither are good or bad, they just are. (Jesus: The Islamic and Christian views of comparison: compared)Christians believe that Jesus is God in the flesh. Jews consider Jesus to be a prophet and in the long run, â€Å"missed the boat† when he came to earth to save His very own people. However, what is Jesus and is it important that he be ordained from above to make a difference in this world? It is clear that this is not the case. Jesus walked and breathed scripture. He knew scripture by heart but he had to learn it. We have little account of Jesus w hen he was a young child and a teenager. The Bible is vague in that it speaks of his miracles but fails to explain the surrounding text. The Bible itself is written in a way that it allows people, common and theologians to interpret it. Pastors spend years and years attempting to make sense of written scripture that was present long before they were even born. Biblical scholars and Scientists use their academic credentials to bring what they feel to be the truth, alive in their minds. Geologists study rocks dating back to the time that Jesus supposedly walked the earth. In addition, the common people attempt to depend on what little they have. What they do know is that their Faith has carried them thus far. If we compare a divine being, anointed or not, to a school teacher, you can find much similarity. It is assumed that this person would