Educational Theories And Learning Styles On Teaching Practice

The procedure of thought and acquisition has proved to be absorbing and interesting for many philosophers, faculty members and scientists for centuries. Due to psychological and neurological research, grounds has been gathered about usage of intelligence and the encephalon ‘s operation. Learning, both formal and informal, occurs every twenty-four hours and there are many definitions depicting its procedure. These definitions vary harmonizing to theoretician ‘s ain positions and attacks towards larning ( Pritchard, 2009 ) . When acquisition, persons frequently choose to utilize or accommodate a preferable acquisition manner. There are many defined acquisition manners and one manner of happening out which manner is the 1 that an person prefers, is by replying and measuring a learning manner questionnaire. Depending on consequences, scholars are being described in assorted footings such as ocular, reflector, pragmatist and many more. Not all theories provide questionnaires or trials to place learning penchants. These theories, for illustration Gardner ‘s Multiple Intelligences, are, however, utile tools assisting recognise countries of strengths and failings. In this assignment I discuss assorted larning theories and how they are relevant to professional and personal pattern. I present a scope of larning styles/theories and sketch their chief points, for illustration Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Visual, Audio, Kineasthetic acquisition manner, Gardner ‘s Multiple Intelligences and Goleman ‘s Emotional Intelligence. I contrast assorted larning manners and look how they are implemented into the national course of study. I assess how realistic it is to use the acquisition manners in pattern and I besides reflect on my ain pattern and experiences. Learning manners and theories A acquisition theory, possibly more associated with grownup acquisition and staff employment, that identifies and classifies assorted personal types, is Myers-Briggs Type Indicator ( MBTI ) . The theory originates from thoughts of Carl Jung and it identifies four penchant graduated tables, they are: Extraversion ( E ) / Introversion ( I ) , Sensation ( S ) /iNtuition ( N ) , Thinking ( T ) /Feeling ( F ) and Judgement ( J ) /Perception ( P ) . By uniting the four letters of each penchant the personality type is established. In entire, there are 16 whole types that describe single penchants ( Myers, I. Briggs, 1995 ) . Some critics of MBTI are speedy to indicate out that the descriptions of different personal types are excessively obscure, general and some convergence ( Bayne, 1997 ) . Additionally, assorted factors that can act upon persons when replying inquiries need to be considered, such as: Have they got old experiences of specific state of affairss when depicting their behavior and actions? How many experiences can they compare? How do they experience that peculiar twenty-four hours? Is at that place a possibility of a wages when falling into a certain class? ( For illustration publicity ) . Who is traveling to be reexamining questionnaires, employer or an outside bureau? Are consequences traveling to act upon any alterations in current occupation place? Are persons traveling to be stereotyped? Are they traveling to be encouraged to work with their strengths and non given chance to better their failings? Despite the defects, the MBTI enables people to derive a better apprehension of themselves and how other people think and interact with each other. It is besides of import to retrieve that each peculiar personal type is as of import and utile as the remainder of them, and that there is no right, incorrect or better type. Another theory, strongly promoted by the Department for Education and Skills ( 2004 ) , is the Visual, Audio, Kinaesthetic ( VAK ) larning manner. One manner of happening out which manner is the 1 that an single prefers is by replying and measuring a learning manner questionnaire. These penchants can be ocular, audile, kinesthetic, or sometimes a blend of two or three manners. The VAK acquisition manner is supported by many pedagogues who are provided with valuable apprehension of what larning manner is preferred by an person, which larning environment enables the pupils to spread out their acquisition and, which learning schemes provide a balance of chances for the pupils. However, there are besides many professionals who argue that formal VAK trials are misdirecting for instructors. Alternatively of pulling attending to how kids learn and how assorted facets can act upon their acquisition, the theory has led to pupils being labelled as peculiar types of scholars. Many theoreticians, including Dunn and Dunn and Gregorc, use the VAK attack. Although, Gregorc ‘s theoretical account was ‘theoretically and psychometrically flawed ‘ and both of their manners should non be used at schools ( Coffield et al, 2004, pp. 31, 33 ) harmonizing to the Department for Education and Skills ( 2004 ) , both theories should be considered by schools. The writers of the ‘VAK or VAK-uous? ‘ demonstrate, based on their study, that: Rubing beneath the surface of it all, we find a instead challenging universe of accelerated and brain-based acquisition, a universe of pseudoscience, psychobabble and neurononsense. ( Bowker et al, 2008, p. 311 ) Some of the theories take into history other intelligences apart from lingual and mathematical accomplishments. Howard Gardner ( 1993 ) recognises assorted intelligences, originally there were seven: lingual, logical/mathematical, musical, spatial/visual, kineasthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal. He is right to believe that intelligence is non linked with IQ but some of his ‘intelligences ‘ can be viewed as endowment. His theory encourages pedagogues to look beyond reading, composing and mathematics, and to reflect on and accommodate their patterns. Teachers are persuaded to concentrate on pupil ‘s countries of strengths, to detect their accomplishments, and utilize them to actuate and raise self-pride of pupils who are otherwise classed as ‘underachievers ‘ . The Department for Education and Skills ( 2004 ) recommends Gardner ‘s model of multiple intelligences to be applied to be after lessons and activities guaranting that they are inclusive fo r all kids, taking into history a scope of larning manners identified by instructors. However, Gardner ‘s theory lacks research and grounds to back up this. His critic John White ( 2006, pp. 82-83 ) openly says that because it is ‘backed by authorization of a celebrated Harvard professor ‘ does non intend that it is accurate and even Gardner himself admits that ‘it is merely by opportunity that he ( Gardner ) decided to name his classs ‘intelligences † . Another theoretician that focuses on intelligence separate from IQ is Daniel Goleman. In his work he speaks of Emotional Intelligence ( EI ) . EI has become omnipresent and is widely used in assorted countries, which proves that many grownups, every bit good as kids, can profit from utilizing Goleman ‘s rules in pattern every twenty-four hours. Goleman ( 2004 ) identifies five cardinal rules: ego and other consciousness, temper direction, self-motivation, empathy and direction of relationships. The term 'emotional intelligence ‘ is known worldwide and closely associated with working environment. Goleman ( 2004 ) argues that EI is more of import than IQ. For illustration when sing using a baby's room practician, emotional and societal accomplishments are more of import than academic accomplishments as the practician needs to be able to associate to parents, kids, co-workers and other professionals involved in a kid ‘s attention. Additional preparation, to guarantee t hat the practician has appropriate making, can be provided by employer or sought by an employee. One of the cardinal points of Goleman ‘s response to criticisms is that he is non showing a new theory but a topic that has been studied for old ages under personality research. The theory was originally introduced by Jack Mayer and Peter Salovey, whom Goleman seldom references in his work. He uses the term emotional intelligence excessively loosely as he besides includes facets of personality and behavior. Even so, many schools in the United States of America have successfully incorporated programmes on emotional intelligence in their course of study and have been running them for a decennary ( Gilbert, 2008 ) . Both, Goleman and Gardner, suggest that non merely academic accomplishments, such as authorship and reading, but besides other intelligences are portion of the acquisition procedure. They suggest the intelligences are every bit of import, and need to be considered when organizing inclusive acquisition environment for kids and grownups. With the Department for Education and Skills ( DfES, 2004 ) and the Office for criterions in instruction ( Ofsted, 2006 ) advancing personalised ‘tailored ‘ larning for all pupils and raising criterions, pedagogues are put under force per unit area to guarantee that larning demands of all pupils are met. DfES ( 2004, unit 19, p. 2 ) provinces that theory of larning manners is based on ‘tried and tested techniques and draws on academic research and the experience of rehearsing instructors ‘ . However, the unit 19 was withdrawn in 2007. Assorted larning theories offer their ain account of a learning manner, their point of position and frequently besides a formal trial or questionnaire. They all promise positive consequences and an account why a scholar prefers a peculiar acquisition manner. It is so up to a instructor to happen ways how to implement the national course of study that best suits the scholar. However, harmonizing to Susan Greenfield ( 2007 ) the pattern is ‘nonsense ‘ from a neuroscientific point of position and she stresses that after 30 old ages of educational research, there is no independent grounds that any learning manner stock list has any direct educational benefits. Evaluation of my pattern and past experiences For me, the most important facet of this assignment was the whole construct of larning manners and theories. Initially, I did non cognize much about the topic and I found it more and more absorbing as I continued in my reading. Previously, I realised that kids ‘s larning penchants can be monitored through elaborate observations and ratings, I was able to concentrate on kids ‘s strengths and failings. I think that observations are every bit of import as questionnaires but I besides realise that they are more clip consuming, which was seldom an issue for me as I have merely antecedently worked with little groups of immature kids. Having analysed assorted larning manners I now wonder how utile they are to my pattern. I realise that kids ‘s different attacks to larning demand to be recognised. However, I am non confident about benefits of assorted larning manners to kids ‘s acquisition, particularly after reading Coffield ‘s critical points of position that arose from his research. In my pattern I have ever believed that advancing empathy and positive attitudes amongst kids would understate unwanted behavior, hence, supplying a composure and exciting learning environment. As kids grow they become cognizant of their ain feelings and responses they receive when exposing a peculiar emotion. By furthering empathy, instead than sympathy, kids and grownups can derive a better apprehension of each others feelings and emotions, what triggers them, how to command and cover with them. I would non travel every bit far as stating that these facets should be classed as ‘intelligences ‘ , they are, in my sentiment, more associated with personal/social accomplishments and behavior, therefore holding an impact on larning attitudes. A theoretician who recognised empathy as an of import portion in kids ‘s acquisition and development was Carl Rogers. He identified that non merely kids but besides grownups need to experience valued, respected and treated with fon dness. Rogers ( 1989 ) speaks of unconditioned positive respect, intending that parents and others, who play of import portion in a kid ‘s life, accept and love a child/person for what they are no affair their actions and behavior. To make emotionally warm environment where all kids are accepted but besides going more effectual in interpersonal relationships, instructors need to expose empathetic apprehension and communicate openly and candidly. Learning manner questionnaires and my acquisition attitudes By finishing one of VAK self-assessment questionnaires I identified that my preferable learning manner was a ocular 1. On contemplation, I can see elements of this manner in the manner I learn and organise undertakings as I do work best from lists and written waies. I besides write down notes and slug points when reading, fixing lessons and activities for kids or be aftering staff meetings. I frequently use different symbols or colorss to associate up topics. I have discovered that seeing something written down enables me to do connexions quicker and retrieve information better. Harmonizing to MBTI on-line study my personality type codification is likely ESTJ or possibly ESTP. After carefully reexamining the results I agree with most of the consequences. I ever plan in front, I have got really good organizational accomplishments and I use them good in my professional and personal life. Although, I prefer undertakings to be done in a certain manner, I am besides willing to accept new suggestions ( see appendix A ) . Having analysed results of other trials I undertook, such as Belbin ‘s Self-perception Inventory and Honey and Mumford questionnaire, I discovered new facets of myself and I identified forms that are dominant in my personal penchants. Furthermore, it confirmed that I am efficient and dependable, and I like construction and modus operandi. However, I am introspective, I do non like role-play in forepart of looker-ons, I am loath to depute ( which was commented on in an assessments by my old employer ) and sometimes I do non react to new thoughts. Additionally, I do non like being rushed though I seem to work better under force per unit area. I besides stand by my determination or position if I am certain that I can back up it with a valid statement. The rating was helpful as it made me cognizant of my preferable learning mode but besides encouraged me to admit, see and develop other manners, as on many occasions I have expected people to portion my acquisition penchants. As a following measure, I need to utilize the cognition of my larning attitudes in my surveies and implement my ‘study program ‘ . I have devised a new structured timetable and monthly program, which enables me to clearly see my marks. I made certain that I allowed myself a sufficient sum of clip for library research, visits and reading and I besides took into history clip that I spend set abouting online research. Equally, I made certain that I took regular interruptions and I besides allocated clip for regular exercising. It has been a twosome of old ages since I completed degree three in Children ‘s Care, Learning and Development, and the return to instruction was exciting but besides a nervous measure. I was cognizant that the surveies were traveling to be more demanding. Rather than roll uping grounds and information, edifice portfolio and being assessed at work every bit required in the yesteryear, future surveies would be based on thorough grounds based research and personal and professional contemplations. Having acknowledged strengths and identified failings, I now feel that I can utilize them to my advantage. In the past I learned how to cover with unfavorable judgment, which I did non ever take good, but being cognizant of this encouraged me to work on my accomplishments. Now I use unfavorable judgment to my benefit and expression at it from a positive angle as a tool to better myself. Decision In decision, the chief rule that we are all different to each other, and that we develop and learn in a different manner is still core. The cognition of assorted larning manners provides instructors and practicians with utile information on how to heighten kids ‘s acquisition. The instructors are so able to be after lessons and organise activities suiting assorted larning manners that consequences in a lesson that engages all of the pupils in the category. Pritchard ( 2009, p. 43 ) provinces that ‘Learning manners are non fixed traits which an person will ever expose ‘ . There are many factors that can act upon scholar, therefore do a alteration of a learning manner. As this assignment shows, every acquisition manner and its theory have its dedicated protagonists and house critics. It is up to pedagogues to happen a balance and guarantee questionnaires and trials do non overpower kids. When utilizing questionnaires to set up acquisition manners, it is of import to retrieve that consequences are non one hundred per cent accurate and some questionnaires are easy to forge. Nevertheless, they are practical tools to assist persons happen out more about their strengths and failings. However, clip and resources should non be wasted on measuring consequences that may hold an insignificant or no impact on pupils ‘ acquisition. Besides there is a certain sum of hazard of kids being confused with assorted labels and attacks, which may alter as students leave school scenes. Alternatively, a broad assortment of learning methods and an apprehension of an person ‘s needs consequences in a category environment that is inclusive, appealing and that makes scholars aware of their ain qualities. Most significantly, kids should come out of a school system as whole ‘complete ‘ scholars able to dispute and accommodate assorted attacks to larning. They should derive an apprehension of what their strengths are and how to utilize them so they can maximize their possible, and be cognizant of their failings and how to better and better themselves.Word count: 2706

Achilles as the Anti-Hero in Homer’s “Iliad” Essay

From beginning to end of Homer’s The Iliad, Achilles is portrayed as a man stagnant in his ways. He is arrogant, impatient, unforgiving, vengeful, and extremely stubborn, and these awful attributes never cease. Achilles’ lack of compassion perplexes the present situation involving the Achaens and the Trojans by making it difficult to figure out which side is truly good and evil–both sides have good reason to fight. Even though Achilles is set in his ignorant ways, he does manage to do some good at the end of the story. However, even though he displays this act of unselfishness, the fury within Achilles causes him to remain the unchanging, selfish man that he truly is. Agamemnon has just insulted Achilles in front of all the Achaeans, and, because of this incident, Achilles decides to return home rather than stay and fight with his own people. Returning to his tent, Achilles calls upon his mother, Thetis, a goddess, to beg Zeus for one favor: ‘Persuade him, somehow, to help the Trojan cause, / to pin the Achaeans back against their ships, / trap them round the bay and mow them down. / So all can reap the benefits of their king– / so even mighty Atrides can see how mad he was / to disgrace Achilles, the best of the Achaeans!’ (1.485-490). Rather than put his anger aside and continue to help in the battle, Achilles, being the best warrior, not only stops fighting, he summons his mother to ask Zeus to make his people suffer. His pride and arrogance overrun his rational thinking, and his attempt to make his own people suffer as he watches makes his disgusting behavior incomprehensible. Zeus complies with Thetis’ request, and the Trojans eventually force the Achaeans back to their ships. After many great losses, Agamemnon sends messengers to Achilles to ask the great warrior to rejoin the battle. Reviewing the gifts of Agamemnon, Achilles replies, â€Å"‘I say no wealth is worth my life!'† (9.488). Although this is a noble statement, Achilles answers more out of anger and haste. His inability to listen to reason and understand the full scope of the Achaean’s dreadful situation allows a transparent look inside the workings of a mind consumed with revenge. Achilles begins The Iliad with anger, and that anger within him never ceases. After hearing Achilles’ pitiful excuses for not returning to battle, Ajax retorts, â€Å"‘Achilles– / he’s made his own proud spirit so wild in his chest, / so savage, not a thought for his comrades’ love– / we honored him past all others by the ships. / Hard ruthless man'† (9.768-71). Ajax’s words represent the solidity of Achilles’ ways. Due to his stubbornness, Achilles has now lost the respect of the men that once worshipped him like a god. Ajax concludes his speech to Achilles: ‘You–the gods have planted / a cruel, relentless fury in your chest! All for a girl, / just one, and here we offer you seven–outstanding beauties– / that, and a treasure trove besides. Achilles, / put some human kindness in your heart’ (9.778-81). This statement by Ajax is extremely important because he draws upon the fact that Achilles is the offspring of the immortal goddess, Thetis. Although Achilles is mortal he exudes god-like qualities that are envied and worshipped by his friends and enemies. The fact that Ajax has to remind Achilles to act human focuses the attention to the irrational behavior of the gods themselves. Achilles’ actions are no more irrational than those of the gods, and he continues to emulate their vengeful behavior until his demise. The most important turning point in The Iliad is the loss of Achilles friend, Patroclus. After plunging his spear into Patroclus, Hector mocks the orders of Achilles: ‘Now don’t come back to the hollow ships, you hear?– / Patrolclus, master horseman– / not till you’ve slashed the shirt around his chest / and soaked it red in the blood of man-killing Hector!’ / So he must have commanded–you maniac, you obeyed (16.482-86). Although Hector believes that Achilles sent Patroclus to drive the Trojans back to their city walls, some truth lies within his statement. Achilles  realizes that the Achaens need his presence and fighting ability in order to win the war over the Trojans, but once again he stubbornly refuses to assist in what he views as Agamemnon’s war. He agrees to lend his armor to Patroclus instead, and by not parting with his vengeful feelings against Agamemnon and joining the fight, he becomes responsible for the death of his friend at the hands of Hector. The death of Patroclus forces Achilles to put his differences with Agamemnon aside and fight once more. The acts of Achilles after the death of Hector offer a glimpse inside his horrible nature: So he triumphed / and now he was bent on outrage, on shaming noble Hector. / Piercing the tendons, ankle to heel behind both feet, / he knotted straps of rawhide through them both, / lashed them to his chariot, left the head to drag / and mounting the car, hoisting the famous arms aboard, / he whipped his team to a run and breakneck on they flew, / holding nothing back (22.465-72). Realizing he was about to die, Hector begs Achilles to allow his body to remain with his people for proper burial. Achilles shockingly mocks and scorns Hector, then, after brutally killing him, drags his naked body at the walls of Troy for all Trojans to witness. Although it is common for armies to take their dead enemies and display them as a sign of victory, the fact that Hector takes a moment to ask Achilles to be respectful of his dead body reveals much about the two warriors. Achilles is now being compared to Hector, whose deep feelings for family and love greatly contrast the shallow concerns of Achilles. Even after he agrees to give Hector’s body back Troy, for a price of course, Achilles remains as he did in the beginning of the story–uncompassionate to the human condition. The Iliad is the story of Achilles’ fury, but Homer’s attempts to show character development and maturity fail, and what is left is a broken shell of a man who chooses to die on the battlefield rather than marry, settle down, and be content with himself. Achilles’ feeble attempt to show compassion for Hector’s father, Priam, is an act that is spawned only by the  threats and commands of the gods. If Achilles had made the decision by his own free will to do an act of decency, perhaps then some sympathy for him would be in order. The Iliad offers insight into the mentality of men who are driven by greed, lust, anger, and revenge–themes that will run throughout the course of history until this very day.

Stella Artois

Stella Artois was a beer brand who in 2006 received a reputation to being known as â€Å"a wife beater brand† due to domestic violence cases involving the brand. To turn this perception around the company begin emphasizing the history and values of the Artois brewery. To help with communication they created an online experience for the consumer, with short films, interactive film and gaming as well as 3D gaming. This allows the visitors to be introduced to the origins and heritage of Stella Artois and help erase the negative associations. What are the communication benefits of building a â€Å"brand narrative† in the way Stella Artois has? Do you think this is the best way to improve dialogue with the target audience?There are many communication benefits of building a ‘brand narrative’ in the way Stella Artois has. In this day and age consumers have become more engaged and are much more in control of receiving and interpreting brand messages. As a result co mpanies must be able to grow and adapt to their target audience, and Stella Artois decided to do just that. Individual Brand CongruityWhen Stella Artois decided to reimage their brand to get out of the negative perception of being the beer of ‘wife beaters’ they decided to go back to the basics. They decide to â€Å"distance the brand from its ‘lager lout’ image and shifting people’s perceptions of premium quality.† (Smith, 2010) The company decide to go back to its roots, by branding the origin of the Artois brewery which was established in 1366. They also used a feminine aspect to branch away from the rough masculine wife beater persona with the Artois-branded ‘feminine’ stemmed chalice glasses. Individual brand congruity is when â€Å"essence and core value of the brand resonate with the memories and emotional connections of the audience† (Smith, 2010) and with the brand narrative of the Artois Heritage the company estab lished just  that.To effective communicate to consumers, how the message is carried is really important. â€Å"Mediascape is the array of channels available which will carry the message† (Smith, 2010) Stella Artois utilized online resources by putting their site as the Centre of marketing communication. They created an online experience including a short film movie name La Bouteille to a 3D interactive experience Le Dà ©fi where â€Å"players challenge their friends to rescue a fresh-poured goblet of Stella Artois by engaging in a number of complex puzzles.† (Smith, 2010) Their method of communication gave them a global audience and engage their target audience with the impact of technology. Improve DialogueI believe that Stella Artois utilized the best way that they can to improve the dialogue with their target audience. One way that they used was with going back to their roots showing the heritage of the brewery. Artois relaunch of its products under the ‘la famille Artois’ helped enhance and promote the quality of the product. And with the feminine touch twist with the chalice glasses and the classy point-of-sale materials it promotes a premium product and discourages the audience of heavy drinkers and young males. Another tool used that was the best way to improve the dialogue was with their website promotions.With the constant change of technology consumers have access to multiple lines of products available as well as information anytime and anywhere. And using the technology reflecting the brewery gets the consumers engaged and allows them to interact with the company. For Stella Artois to launch a global, through the line campaign driving traffic to an international website I believe was the best way to improve the dialogue and find more of their target audience.

Business strategy. Strategies aren't worth the paper they're written Essay

Business strategy. Strategies aren't worth the paper they're written on Discuss - Essay Example According to MacMillan and Tampoe, each business must have a business strategy and, thus, multiple of business enterprises must have a number of strategies (2001, p. 171). Yet, at the same time, the situation implies that there is a need to appropriately define the scope of each business (MacMillan and Tampoe, 2001, p. 171). According to MacMillan and Tampoe (2001, p. 172-173), in addition to the four content pointed out earlier, a business strategy document should also contain the following: 1) a statement of intentions; 2) the principal findings of a strategic assessment covering analyses of the business environment and capabilities of the enterprise; 3) the strategic choices that have been made and the reasons for each strategic choice decision; 4) articulation of goals and objectives; and 5) identification of key initiatives that the enterprise would take. Perhaps, a good indication that the use of strategy is not on the way out is a key document from the United Kingdom’s Her Majesty’s Court Service or HMCS. A 2006 document of Her Majesty’s Court Service or HMCS outlined a â€Å"business strategy†. ... † written in 2006 described what the business organization of the HMCS will be like and articulated a business model, defined priorities, and defined a strategy that covered effective case management, modernisation, simplification of procedures, and ensuring compliance. From the 2006 HMCS document alone, it is clear that the use of business strategy is not on the way out. Organisations such as businesses and government units use business strategy to articulate both to their personnel as well as clients how they intend to conduct their business or how each personnel should behave as they conduct their business. Big business corporations employ strategy. For instance, this fact is indicated in a 2008 document of the Coca-Cola Company. The importance of a business strategy document is highlighted by a statement on the 2008 document of the Coca-Cola Company. The Coca-Cola Company (2008, p. 2) document says, â€Å"Simple ideas backed by constructive action can change the world. As we set out to create a more sustainable world, we begin by imagining what it might look like. Then, in collaboration with our associates and partners around the world, we embark on joint efforts to make that vision a reality. Because nothing important was ever conceived without imagination or accomplished without effort.† Of course, while strategy involves imagination, it is not equal to imagination. It is, at the same time, imagination and a lot more. It involves an assessment of the situation and, as mentioned earlier, the identification of basic choices that must be made and the decisions taken on those choices to steer the enterprise given various types of anticipated scenarios in the future. The Cocal-Cola business strategy or strategy (the word â€Å"business† is written off because

Why swimming is the best form of exercise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why swimming is the best form of exercise - Essay Example It increases the body’s metabolism which ultimately results in the burning of fats. Exercise has always been very important part of the human body. It not only keeps one in better shape but also reduces the risks of heart diseases, strokes, various cancers and high blood pressure. In the modern era the need to exercise has increased significantly. People today feel the need to stay and look fit more than ever before. Over the past few years various exercising machines and fitness units have been introduced some of which comprises of state-of-the-art technology e.g. calculating pulse rate, calories burnt and speed range etc. But swimming has always been a conventional way to stay fit and healthy, with the main reasons being that it is a simple and non technology oriented form of exercise delivering some very effective results. Swimming is an aquatic sport. It is the art of self- movement in water with the help of upper and lower limbs. Swimming is the best form of exercise as i t is easy on the body, it works all muscles, can be used by people who are limited in the exercise they can undertake, is varied Unlike many exercises which prove to be very monotonous and harsh, swimming refreshes both the mind and body. It eases the body without giving jarring effects. Water has some very effective and soothing effects. Athletes use water to rehabilitate after an injury.

Slip Sliding Away Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Slip Sliding Away - Assignment Example These issues are equally important because ethics underlies any kind of good behavior that the society may require. It is therefore equally important to consider teaching the students ethical behaviors before any other thing. 3. The instructors or the administration should ensure that the students are trained on how to engage in ethical behaviors. The instructors should train the students on steps to take if they want to be good. It will require participatory learning and application of personal examples. As such, the students should be encouraged to apply real-life examples or experiences as they try to learn the steps towards ethical behavior. The instructors and the administration are advised to stop assuming the problem and take action. There must be a need to inform the students of the seriousness of the problem and the schools must set guidelines on how the instructors should conduct exams. 1. The last two paragraphs in this essay form a successful conclusion of the writer’s argument. The writer started with introducing his argument by using relevant examples. He gave a long history of Haiti using relevant historical occurrences as the examples for his argument. Therefore, the writer has effectively used the technique of inference from relevant examples to build his argument. He introduces the nature of the problem he wants to discuss first and follows it with a long narration of these relevant examples in a clear and logical manner. The second last paragraph summarizes his argument as he brought it out in his examples. He restates his main point and argues it out in summary. This paragraph also gives an alternative solution to the Haiti, thus it becomes a very important part of the essay in that instead of just arguing against an idea, the writer also gives his point of view of what can be a better approach to Haiti’s problems.  

Critically assess the extent to which discrimination law at European Essay

Critically assess the extent to which discrimination law at European and domestic level has improved the position of women in the workplace - Essay Example Much has been said about this problem, but it seems there is still much to be done to solve it. To my mind, this problem can hardly be ignored; there are a lot of means of softening and minimizing it, as much as it is possible. The work is devoted to the discussion of the effectiveness of legislation, concerning the problem of gender discrimination, and the present situation in the society in terms of this problem. The work touches main theoretical aspects of gender discrimination in the workplace from psychological and ethical points of view. The European Employment Strategy (EES), created in 1997, implies that European countries prepare National Action Plans once a year. The plan will reflect the changes at the labor market made in accordance with the common goals. The plan was to make 60% employed by 2010 and provide females with equal rights and opportunities. Some European countries including France and Spain try not only to eliminate cases where women are not given a job because of many male candidates, but also to set equal salaries for men and women. In England and Sweden the situation is regulated by the Equal Opportunities Act and the main attention is also paid to equal salaries (Kersten, 2004). Though many people believe that gender discrimination is no longer relevant, it should be noted, that still among the 500 Fortune best companies, only five are headed by women, and other 495 are managed by men. In some job categories there are $10,000 differences in salary between men and women. Though the portion of women in the labour force is growing each year, and now equals to 48 percent of the total labour force, in some areas, as law, the sums women earn constitute only 59 percent of mens salaries in the same area for the same type of work. While studying the theoretical basics of the problem, it should be admitted that there have been outlined a number of so-called forces, that is the characteristics of human nature, which contribute

PD Plans and PD Portfolio Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

PD Plans and PD Portfolio - Assignment Example However, after reviewing all the options that are available in the field of marketing, I have decided to pursue my career as the head of brand and product management department and I want to render my services in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods Industry. My aim is to work in any of the well-reputed Multinational Corporations and for that I will definitely incorporate all the necessary skills and knowledge achievements in my PDP.  I have decided about the objectives that I want to achieve through my PDP so that I can enter the professional world equipped with all the mandatory skills to make a prospering career in my selected profession. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand of marketing professionals will continue to increase at an accelerating rate.  Therefore, the field of marketing will be more competitive in near future and in order to get qualified for the best positions in the well-reputed organizations, the graduates will have to make sure that they h ave competitive edge over their competitors. Hence, the graduates will have to prepare themselves for their career well in advance by developing their PDP during their academic years so that they can give a tough competition to other graduates (Moon, 2004).When I was considering the options for my career, I never gave a thought of making my career in the marketing field. Initially, I wanted to enter the field of Arts as I love to do a lot of creative works and it helps me to do something innovative on my own.... The best job options in the field of marketing are advertising, product development, brand and product management, global portfolio management, business to business marketing, international marketing, retail management, project planning, new product planning, marketing research, Sales and sales force management and marketing management science and systems analysis (All Business Schools, 2009 and Eller College, 2010). However, after reviewing all the options that are available in the field of marketing, I have decided to pursue my career as the head of brand and product management department and I want to render my services in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods Industry. My aim is to work in any of the well-reputed Multinational Corporations and for that I will definitely incorporate all the necessary skills and knowledge achievements in my PDP. I have decided about the objectives that I want to achieve through my PDP so that I can enter the professional world equipped with all the mandat ory skills to make a prospering career in my selected profession. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand of marketing professionals will continue to increase at an accelerating rate. Therefore, the field of marketing will be more competitive in near future and in order to get qualified for the best positions in the well-reputed organizations, the graduates will have to make sure that they have competitive edge over their competitors. Hence, the graduates will have to prepare themselves for their career well in advance by developing their PDP during their academic years so that they can give a tough competition to other graduates (Moon, 2004). When I was considering the options for my career, I never gave a thought of making my

Employee Relations and Employee Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Employee Relations and Employee Law - Essay Example The latter was largely unpopular with employers and some employees but provided a lot of billing time to the legal fraternity due to its intricate and indefinite procedures that were wrought with problematic clauses. An Associate at Mogers Associates, Tim Gofton observed that, ‘The complexity of the SDRP and the wide interpretations given by Tribunals to important areas of the SDRP (such as supposedly straightforward issues such as what constitutes a ‘grievance’) pushed employees towards seeking legal advice. This in itself pushed parties further away from resolution’ (Gofton, 2009 p.2). For the second time in five years, dispute resolution between employers and employees will be radically overhauled through an introduction of a process that has less stringent measures to the defaulting persons or entities when compared to the earlier process. While a majority of the players have welcomed the new forum for resolution of grievances, others have questioned the ambiguities encompassed in the new code which might lead to further escalation of grievance claims like in the earlier process (an increase by 40 - 65 percent within the last two years). Tynan (2009), however asserts that ‘the code is certainly less prescriptive than the old statutory dispute resolution procedures (SDRPs) that promoted fixation on procedural compliance rather than working actively to resolve the dispute.’(Tynan, 2009, p. 1). The formation of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) in 1975 was preceded by a period of great turmoil in the relationships between employers and their staff. Large-scale industrial unrest in the late 1970s and 1980s was widespread due to lack of an agreeable dispute or grievance resolutions mechanism between the employers and employees. The government as a result formed ACAS through the Employment Protection Act to act as the arbitrator in the many highly volatile national strikes that were paralysing the nation hence sabotaging

Market Research for Zara Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Market Research for Zara - Essay Example Zara currently caters to fashion clothes for Men, Women and Children. It includes both under wears and outer wears. Besides these it also provides fashion accessories for all the categories. We will be specifically targeting our study on the women’s under wear section in our report. In this category Zara has the following products available – various varieties of shorts, briefs, Underwired plunge bras, G strings and some varieties of basks and corsets. They do not have much choice in this segment though. Most of the products are made to order and most of the clothing is stand alone. You have the option of mix and match but nothing is available in lingerie sets. Zara’s pricing is more commensurate with quality. Most of the products are on the higher side as compared to the other stores; however, they are one of the best in quality. Since many of the products are made to order, the pricing is based on the flexibility available to the customer to get products as per their choice.

Care Provision in Long Term Conditions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Care Provision in Long Term Conditions - Essay Example This work aims to identify the effect of such a condition on the individual, their families and carers, and identify the elements of a successful strategy in which their capability of self care is promoted. The patient here is Mrs. Gladstone, a 60 year old lady with breast cancer. She is a widow, retired, and lives with her son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren. This patient is fictional so that it does not breach confidentiality. Mrs. Gladstone was diagnosed with stage II infiltrating ductal carcinoma. In this case, the tumor is larger than 2 cm in size and has reached the lymph nodes under the arms. Macmillan Cancer Support (2013) points out that more than 500,000 people in the UK are suffering from a number of debilitating health conditions caused by cancer. Some of the problems mentioned are pain and discomfort, gastrointestinal problems, lymphoedema, chronic fatigue, and mental health issues (Cancer.Net). While the number of people living with chronic fatigue as a result of cancer is estimated at 350,000, approximately 240,000 people suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and moderate to severe anxiety or depression. Furthermore, nearly 200,000 of the cancer-survivors face moderate to severe pain after curative treatment, and 90,000 face gastrointestinal problems. Lastly, nearly 63,000 of them suffer from lymphoedema. Additionally, there are body image issues, persistent hair loss, swallowing and speech problems, nausea and vomiting, heart diseases, fatigue, and social and financial difficulties to be addressed (Carver et al. 2006). Mrs. Gladstone’s life is considerably influenced by the disease. The diagnosis of breast cancer was shocking for her. She felt too confused, powerless, and fearful because of the large number of negative effects on her life. Firstly, she was worried as she felt hot flushes and palpitations. Moreover, Mrs. Gladstone found the diseases

Charles Dickens Essay Example for Free

Charles Dickens Essay In The Signalman, however, speed is conveyed through motion used in the story, mostly by the travelling train. Once again, the opening of the story uses dialogue, and all is written in first person creating immediacy and close tension. And though movement is both slow and quick, both speeds are used to create an air of mystery and surprise in the way they link with areas which many would not prefer to pass through. When the narrator describes his descent to come into contact with the Signalman, his zigzag decent is pictured as becoming oozier and wetter as he went down and is reluctant to come down for this stranger, resembling a decent to the unknown or to Hell. The precision of the narrators detailed descriptions was an element of surprise for this detail was not normal, and reflects the characteristics of the Signalman in his daily job as perfectionist and precisionist. He is described with many words linking to a dark motif, such as being a dark sallow man, having a dark beard, heavy eyebrows and was in place solitary and dismal. Description used by Dickens seamlessly flows from the man to the setting as if the man was part of the landscape, merged like a ghost is to its surroundings. He is also described as being lonesome, which may depict an image of insanity when his thoughts and sightings of paranormal existence are merged. The cutting itself is then described as if the narrator had left the natural world, creating an air of mystery in the situation where the tunnel has a barbarous, depressing, and forbidding air and these metaphors put emphasis on the mystery in the setting. Use of speech is varied in this short story, as opposed to The Red Room only using direct speech, whereas The Signalman uses both direct and reported speech to help flow with the descriptive elements of the story. Time is therefore important in how it is conveyed in speech, and in various sections of dialogue, Dickens uses reported speech and direct speech to help us understand which point in time we are following: the past or present. In the most part, the direct speech is used to describe the present situation, and reported speech often used to provide exposition for the reader. In the first instance, the Signalman seems to be a quiet man, where he replied (but without sound), Yes , and his speech being one of his own as to have formed his own crude ideas of its pronunciation is a suggestion that he was from a poor upbringing or one with no education. Description using reported speech also suggests that happiness and leisure in spare time is not a frequent occurrence in the Signalmans life, where he had only under certain conditions or in certain hours of the day would he be able to do anything other than attending to the bell. It is also as if the Signalman is reliant on the electric bell, where is sometimes redoubled with anxiety if he is away from the bell and thus would be less happy than as expected. Repetition of speech is also effective in the story, with the first instance being the introduction of the short story with the words Halloa! Below there! used by three entities the narrator, the spectre and the train driver towards the end of the story. It is with this repetition that Dickens uses it to drawn in a supernatural surrounding and a sense of mystery, suspense and surprise when the Signalman asks the narrator to return, but dont call out and asking whether the narrator was not compelled by any feeling or conveyed to you in any supernatural way, changing the atmosphere to one of hope and a farewell which will result in them meeting again, into a sense of doom and one farewell which may be their last. In The Red Room, repetition is used in the first room with the elderly, seemingly disfigured people to show age. Many elderly people are portrayed as being hard of hearing a connotation of their age but can also, in this short story, imply a sense of danger about the Room. The solitary description of habitat is also key, where the small box his very little associated with non-work related media and objects. The extract describing the box is also different in literary effect to The Red Room in that it describes the focal point of mystery as the Signalman, where as the Red Room is the focal point of mystery in the short story. Frequent use of commas also break up the speech, allowing reader to pause and think while the passage flows on slowly, whereas more often in The Red Room it is used to make a switch to fast-paced movement. Detail to attention is also important in describing the reason for the solitude of the Signalman, where he relies on the bell to begin his duties and twice broke off with a fallen colour to attend to the Line outside, even though no train was passing and the bell did not ring. In the text itself, the word not is emphasised in small capital letters: NOT. This emphasis provides an image whilst the reader continues to follow the passage, and if read aloud the emphasis on the word would be clearly stressed to show importance and significance. Being solitary is also a sense of timidity and lonesomeness, which seems to be descriptors of the ghost: left arm is across the face, and the right arm is waved violently waved. The use of present tense in that clause is as if he had recently come across another sighting of the spectre, or as if the presence is never-ending and thus mysterious in the situation of the unknown. Other times are described as being signs to the Signalman of other deaths which later arrived, such as the girl on the train. Look out! Look out! and Below there! give a sense of fast-paced movement because of the short clause use, and does not say who is to be looking for danger. In The Red Room, the quietness of the elderly people, the repetition of their speech, and how they seems to reside in the first room is solitary, but brings with it also a sense of mystery, as does here in The Signalman. Resisting the slow touch of a frozen finger tracing out my spine is another example of metaphorical device used by Dickens to illustrate the presence of a supernatural being or an omen of some sort. But a sense of contradiction is evident in the narrators part, where he describes himself as being unsure of ghosts and supernatural beings. He states that the Signalman seemed to make the place strike colder, implying that the man is not one indeed or has something within him, which he also earlier describes as something that daunted him. In The Red Room, however, the spectre is known to be seen as around him in the space of the room, even though he describes the spirit as being fear. Contradiction could also be seen as being evident in The Red Room, where the senior people are left inside the first room by the narrator to explore the castle further, despite them telling him not to go, yet the return to give a helping hand towards the end of the story. Both stories seems to have a sense that truth is always hidden, whether it be in lies, for example when the old people in The Red Room ask and you have seen it to the narrator; in The Signalman, the truth is hidden in the silence of the ghost and the worry from the Signalman which surfaces as a result, affecting his judgement and post. The last paragraphs of the two short stories differ in many ways, however. Though the two stories are similar in the way mystery and surprise is conveyed, the stories end in either one or the other. The Red Room concludes with a greater sense of surprise, whereas The Signalman does so with a greater sense of mystery. Surprise is conveyed in the final part of the story when it is the man with the shade who speaks last. His words utter there is Fear in that room of hers, with the female body referring to the wife of the deceased man who tried to jester her, and that this fear lives on in that room, which is an ending of surprise, not well known to many ghost stories of the time. The Signalman, however, ends in a sense of great mystery as repetition is explained and further examined by the narrator, where the gesticulation he had imitated can lead us to imply that the Signalman was indeed troubled and the precise actions were so alike in those three image shown to us through the writing by Charles Dickens as being of significance, and does not reference other coincidences. This focus poses mystery upon the whole story, but more so in this focal point, and a sense of helplessness to a solitary man seems no use and a dreadful time as described by the driver of the train. It could also be seen that the description of emerging from the tunnel is likewise to similar descriptions of near-death experiences being of a tunnel with a light at the end, or descriptions of Purgatory where the mind can be cleansed of illness, just as the Signalman was cleared of his daunting thoughts. In The Signalman, the sense of mystery is greater emphasised in the entirety of the story with the bleaker setting, whereas The Red Room owes more descriptive elements to the sense of surprise, mostly due to use of frequent punctuation and pause in the sentences. Both short stories are equal in effect for conveying, but The Red Room is more efficient in sustaining a sense of mystery and surprise in that the use of vocabulary and repetition and motifs are far more effective, as well as more literary techniques being used more frequently in this text and the Dickens text. In The Signalman, the descriptions of place and events convey separate areas of mystery and surprise, but not sustain as clearly as H. G. Wells, and the use of speech breaks up the sense of mystery as it can sometimes be misleading in the events. Matthew Chew 10P Name: Matthew Chew Form: 10P Set: 2 Date: 21st December 2009 Title: With detailed reference to The Signalman by Charles Dickens and The Red Room by H. G. Wells, compare the ways in which the two writers sustain/convey an air of mystery and surprise in the two short stories. Texts: The Red Room by H. G. Wells; The Signalman by Charles Dickens. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Miscellaneous section.

Situation Of Mcdonalds KFC

Situation Of Mcdonalds KFC McDonalds is one of the best international retailers in providing fast food services to its customers. Providing world class fast-food in more than 100 countries is the core idea of McDonalds. McDonalds provide its services in whole of the world. Mc Donalds are local and independent franchisee which is owned and operated globally. In the globally popular restaurant industry in approximately all the countries where it is operating its services McDonalds holds a major part of the share. COMPANY B : KFC Kentucky Fried Chicken is called as KFC. It is a fast food restaurant chain whose headquarteres is in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, which specializes in fried chicken and even in burgers and wraps. KFC secondz over Mcdonalds as an American icon, it is the the worlds largest fried chicken chain and the second largest restaurant chain, with over 17,000 outlets in 105 countries and territories. Founder of KFC is Harland Sanders, who began to sell fried chicken from his roadside restaurant in Corbin, Kentucky during the Great Depression. The pioneer of the restaurant Sanders is the one who brought in franchising concept, with the first Kentucky Fried Chicken, the franchise opening in Utah in the early 1950s. Its rapid development saw it grow too large for Sanders to handle, and he slowly sold the company to a group of investors. Even after that also Sanders image was still used for branding; Sanders had been made a Kentucky colonel after the success of his first restaurant, and he worked as a goodwill representative for the company until in a while before his death. KFC had mixed success in 1970s and 1980s at home as it went through a series of corporate owners who had little or no familiarity in the restaurant business, although it continued to expand in overseas markets. KFC was sold to the spirits firm Heublein in the early 1970s, who were taken over by the R.J. Reynolds corporation, who sold the chain to PepsiCo. PepsiCo transformed its restaurants division by also including Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, as Tricon Global Restaurants, which was later called as Yum! Brands. The chain primarily sells fried chicken pieces and variations such as wraps,chicken burgers and starters, as well French fries,coleslaw, desserts and other soft drinks, often supplied by PepsiCo. Its most famous product is fried chicken pieces, seasoned with Sanders 11 herbs and spices Original Recipe. The precise nature of these ingredients are unknown, and represent a remarkable trade secret has been kept on this delicious recipe. The famous slogan for KFC is finger lickin good, which has later been replaced by So good, and Nobody does chicken like KFC. China and US,its home country together contain around half of its outlets which are KFCs two major single markets. INTRODUCTION OF LEADERS COMPANY A: JIM SKINNER James Alan Skinner was born 1944 in Illinois. He is an American business executive. He was the Vice Chairman and CEO of McDonalds Corporation. Skinner began his career with McDonalds in 1971 as a restaurant manager trainee in Carpentersville, Illinois. Skinner graduated high school in 1962 at West High School in Davenport, Iowa,[2] he went on to start serving nearly ten years in the United States Navy, Skinner began his career with McDonalds as a restaurant manager trainee in Carpentersville, Illinois in 1971, and since then has held numerous leadership positions. He never graduated from college.[3] He started out like so many other teenagers, working as an entry-level crew person at the old McDonalds on Brady Street in Davenport.[4] Prior to becoming CEO, Skinner was President and Chief Operating Officer of the McDonalds Restaurant Group with corporate management responsibility for Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA), and Latin America. Prior to that, he was responsible for McDonald s Japan Limited, their second-largest market. Skinner held numerous positions in the U.S. Corporation, including Director of Field Operations, Market Manager, Regional Vice President and U.S. Senior Vice President and Zone Manager. LINK: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Skinner COMPANY B: ROGER EATON Born in South Africa, Eaton moved to Australia in 1984.[2] Prior to becoming President and Chief Concept Officer of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), he was Senior Vice President/Managing Director of YUM! Restaurants International South Pacific from 2000 to 2008.[1] In April 2009, he appeared in an American commercial promoting the introduction of Kentucky Grilled Chicken to the KFC menu.[3] In May 2009, he appeared again in an American commercial to announce the ending of the free Kentucky Grilled Chicken that was promoted earlier. Due to overwhelming success, the company could not afford to honor the coupons, and Eaton had to announce later compensation for the coupons.[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Eaton Roger Eaton became President of KFC Corporation in early 2008. Eaton is an international restaurant industry veteran and has been with Yum! Brands for 12 years. Prior to taking on the top job at KFC, Roger was Chief Operating and Development Officer for Yum! Since 2000, he has served as Senior Vice President/Managing Director of Yum! Restaurants International South Pacific (SOPAC). Earlier in his career, Eaton was Regional Operations Director of KFC SOPAC, General Manager of KFC New Zealand and Finance Director of KFC SOPAC. Under his leadership, SOPAC has had 27 consecutive quarters of profitable same store sales growth, as well as a consistent above target new restaurant builds. http://topics.wsj.com/person/E/roger-eaton/802 Roger Eaton serves as Yum! Chief Operations Officer, a position he has held since late 2011. Roger has also served as Chief Executive Officer of KFC U.S. after serving as President of KFC Corporation. Eaton is an international restaurant industry veteran and has been with Yum! Brands for 12 years. Prior to his roles at KFC U.S., Roger was Chief Operating and Development Officer for Yum! Brands. He has also served as Senior Vice President/Managing Director of Yum! Restaurants International South Pacific (SOPAC). Earlier in his career, Eaton was Regional Operations Director of KFC SOPAC, General Manager of KFC New Zealand and Finance Director of KFC SOPAC. Under his leadership, SOPAC had 27 consecutive quarters of profitable same store sales growth, as well as consistent above target new restaurant builds. http://www.yum.com/company/srofficers.asp CURRENT SITUATION OF THE COMPANYS COMPANY A: MCDONALDS http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com/content/dam/AboutMcDonalds/Investors/Investors%202012/2011%20Annual%20Report%20Final.pdf first paragraph COMPANY B: KFC http://www.yum.com/annualreport/ first paragraph meaning of a leader: A leader is a person who influences a group of people towards the achievement of a goal. http://www.vtaide.com/gleanings/leader.htm LEADERSHIP IN COMPANY COMPANY A: MCDONALDS Truly a charismatic and transformational leader, many attribute McDonalds turn-around in the past few years to the efforts of Skinner; not only did he revitalize the organization, but he reinvented the fast food business with a new vision and direction (Hume, 2007). Early in the turn-around, he was one of the architects of the Plan to Win initiative which renewed McDonalds core focus of store operations. His election to the CEO post provided some stability and faith for the organization. Hume notes that one of the key elements to his success was his vast experience with overseas markets that gave him great diversity exposure which was crucial for the global corporation. This diversity has definitely helped giving McDonalds a competitive advantage, and was paramount in the global communication between employees and customers (Daft, 2008, p. 334). One of his noted achievements during his tenure in regards to leadership was fighting the McJob stigma; he made employees feel important and began to promote the various positions in a brighter light through advertising campaigns (Hume, 2007). In terms of Mr. Skinners philosophy, he is primarily focused on customer satisfaction. He believes that is necessary to first meet customer expectations and then focus on the restaurants themselves. The philosophy also includes keeping things simple and manageable for each store while making sure that everyone is aligned around that one idea. The idea is directed towards making a good appearance, caring about how the restaurant looks and how you present yourself. Another important aspect of his philosophy is the fear of complacency. Therefore, he encourages creativity, but also wants to make sure that people do not lose track of the chains primary objectives (Hume, 2007). Thus, there is a strong focus on coming up with good, creative strategies, and then putting the full effort into successful execution. For Mr. Skinner, a companywide initiative is always a must, and never a maybe. Skinner is also a man of values and ethics: When McDonalds was blamed for the obesity problem, he helpe d direct the company to take responsibility and help create a solution rather than pass the blame. Thus, Skinner can be seen as a moral leader and symbol of doing the right thing for McDonalds (Daft, 2008, p. 169). Finally, one of Skinners continuing main goals is talent management and leadership development (Hume, 2007). This involves critical tasks such as reorganizing individuals into different roles and identifying potential leaders to be awarded additional responsibility. While many of the Mr. Skinners values are not easily discernable on surface, his leadership was seen at the restaurants observed. The care regarding customer satisfaction was most obvious, employees were always polite and the restaurant was very clean. During some observations, employees were seen talking with regular customers beyond the normal service interactions, demonstrating some level of intimacy between them. In addition, almost all employees seemed well mannered and presented themselves well. There seemed to be a high level of morale, even with the more menial and custodial positions, which was unexpected in a fast food restaurant. In many of the locations visited, there were employee recruitment signs on the door that listed benefits; however, the application process was online. While more efficient, perhaps a stronger focus on in-person recruitment would help improving morale and result in more applications. Improving Employee Effectiveness One may initially believe that there is not really much that can or even needs to be done in order to improve efficiency in McDonalds restaurants; however, good leadership involves constantly reinforcing a brighter vision of the future and increasing value for both customers and employees. An employee should not think that just because they cook fries or flip burgers, that they cannot make a difference. Rather, by encouraging creativity and leadership even at this lowest level, the next great executive may emerge. It is important to turn each restaurants employee into a productive team member. In order to increase productivity and employee commitment, we propose several measures. The first measure would be to create a program to encourage creativity among restaurant managers, owners, and operators. In fact, the iconic Ronald McDonald was not developed by Ray Kroc or anyone at corporate, but by the owner of a local franchise (Walker Scott). Rewards should be available for coming up w ith new ideas at the restaurant level. As owners and managers are the ones who are actively involved with the day-to-day operations, they have a greater vantage point for implementing successful changes. In order for such a program to be successful, there must first be some educational programs like workshops. At the regional level, managers and owners can be brought together and taught about creative ideas. This will encourage thinking outside of the box, and furthermore can introduce individuals to the practice of creative swiping, which is a process of copying the best ideas whether they be from within your industry or from completely unrelated fields (Peters, 1987). After properly motivating the owners and managers, there should be a trickledown effect to the restaurants employees. In addition to the trickledown effect of targeting the managers, we would take steps to directly motivate individual employees as well. On this front, one of the first steps is to truly understand each and every employee. Some employees may only be working at McDonalds temporarily, but for others this may be the only available job opportunity. For such individuals, they want to maximize their job satisfaction. We would implement a program similar to those in large corporations where employees are able to set specific goals and explain their rationale for working at McDonalds and what they expect from their employment. This process would show employees that they can do more than flip burgers, for example develop leadership and management skills which can be invaluable regardless of future career plans. Managers and/or owners would apply Vrooms Expectancy Theory in this case; the attention and treatment of each employee should be personalized (Daft, 2008, p. 235). Managers would theref ore develop a plan with each employee to increase his intrinsic satisfaction, while at the same time increasing that employees productivity. Building on our focus on individuals, we would also implement a scholarship and education program. We want our employees to represent us well within our restaurants and throughout the world. We would offer high school and college aged employees a greater number of college scholarship opportunities in return for quality work and demonstration of leadership potential. Younger workers are often harder to motivate directly, but the opportunity to have someone else paying for your education is always a great motivator. The program would reward quality work such as customer service and punctuality, as well as creativity and the ability to dream like a leader. Employees must be sponsored by a manager or owner and would have to write an essay answering a question that instigates them to think creatively about how we as a corporation could improve. This would motivate even the youngest and most inexperienced ones. In fact, this could create an upstream effect on the whole restaurant or corpor ation, increase team cohesiveness and help encouraging those who are older or in higher positions to also think about making the entire organization better (Daft, 2008, p. 239). The winners would make a positive impact on the organization and earn the extrinsic reward of a scholarship. In subsequent years, this would encourage other young employees to also pursue this opportunity, be a first-class worker and think creatively about the organization. http://www.managementparadise.com/forums/foundation-human-skills-f-h-s/221122-leadership-style-mcdonald-s.html COMPANY B: KFC

Three Gorges Dam :: China Nature Essays

Three Gorges Dam Director Owen Lammers calls it one of the "largest and most environmentally and socially destructive projects on Earth"(Maier, 1997). One of China’s oldest dreams is becoming its newest reality. Since 1914 the idea has arisen of damming the Yangtze River. China plans to do this with a 600-foot, cement wall which will take eleven years to complete and costs could rise to over 75 billion dollars. The dam is claimed to have many advantages for China and the Chinese. Three Gorges is expected to produce around one-tenth of the nation’s energy, without the use of coal, improving air quality. Also, the natural floods that occur with the Yangtze river will be stopped, supposedly saving thousands of lives in the future. The first thing needed to keep the project going is money, and many United States senators see this as a great opportunity for jobs, but it is also viewed as a good investment. Fortunately, the U.S. Export-Import Bank, (for the first time), "†¦denied financi ng solely on environmental grounds"(Giaccia, 1997). These advantages are easily outweighed by the disadvantages of this proposal; this monument threatens the environment, but construction will ensue. If the dam is so beneficial then why is it that all public debate on the issue has been banned since 1989, even for "†¦scientists and specialists"(Faison, 1997). This has probably been done to slow the process of or eliminate any opposition that may arise to this project. There are a few questions or "What if’s" about the dam, such as "What if the dam collapses?" or "What if during a war or conflict a bomb is dropped on the dam?" and since the dam is built on many seismic faults, will earthquakes be a problem? Besides all of these questions, there are numerous facts that should dissuade any proponent of the dam to insist on its construction. The dam besides hurting the environment, will also "†¦displace 1.3 million people."(Giaccia, 1997). These people were not asked to leave, they were told, and many of them still have not been compensated for their trouble, but this goes deeper than financial burdens. Individual rights have been violated, the government simply forc ed these people off their land and out of their homes and this affects children, families and livelihoods. Looking at the dam’s environmental harm specifically, it is clear that this project should immediately cause. "Environmentalists warn that sewage will back up and destroy the precious habitats for river dolphins, giant pandas and other rare animals.

The Bridge Of San Luis Ray Essay -- essays research papers

Thornton Wilder (1897-1975) The Bridge of San Luis Rey The Bridge of San Luis Rey, by Thornton Wilder, presents the ancient dilemma of whether tragedy is the result of chance or a manifestation of divine intervention. It explores the lives of five people and reveals their internal struggles for survival. The sadness that is created by the undying love of the Marquesa de Montemayor for her daughter, Esteban for his twin brother, Manual and Uncle Pio for the vain actress, Camilla Perichole, is so overwhelming in its enormity, that when tragedy strikes, we feel relief that their suffering is finally over. The scene is set in Lima, Peru, in 1714. One afternoon, an ancient bridge broke sending five people to their deaths. Brother Juniper, a Franciscan monk, witnesses this catastrophe and believes he can prove the existence of divine intervention. The first person is the Marquesa de Montemayor along with her servant and companion, Pepita. The Marquesa’s love for her daughter is not returned which sends her into a state of borderline psychosis. She begins to drink heavily and neglects to take care of the most important things in her life. One night while Pepita lay sleeping, the Marquesa is struck with the realization that her love for her daughter is a selfish love and she decides to renounce this love and begin a new life. Esteban and Manuel are orphaned twins found on the steps of a convent and raised by Maria del Pilar. When Manuel dies of an infection, Esteban is in despair and is about to embark on a new life with Captain Alvarado when he crosses the bridge. Camilla Perichole did not die on the bridge but was a victim nonetheless. Uncle Pio, friend and confidant of the Perichole, takes her son to educate him in the Arts and literature. The two never make it across the bridge. The Perichole is a famous actress who plays an important role in the story. â€Å"She is the axis, as it were, around which everything turns†(Stresau 23). She weaves the threads of the story together with her â€Å"passions and perversities†(Fadiman 338). The Perichole is a very selfish woman who indirectly causes the death of Manuel, Esteban’s brother, by destroying his will to live. When Manuel falls in love with the Perichole, the love the brothers' share becomes tainted and is forever destroyed. The only time that Manuel admits this is when he is in a state of such pain, he lashes out: ... ... of tragedy and lets her be the diamond in the rough. She is the one person whose vision is unaltered from the very beginning of the book and to her the other survivors draw their own courage. Camilla Perichole was in such pain over the loss Uncle Pio and her son Don Jaime, that she could no longer live in solitude. She desperately wished to be able to tell them one last time of her love for them. She sought out Maria del Pilar who accepted her with open arms and without judgment. â€Å"I fail everybody,† she cried. â€Å"They love me and I fail them†(Wilder 143). The Marquesa de Montemayor’s daughter, Dona Clara, also came in search of redemption. Her guilt of not returning her mother’s love was consuming her and she wished to be punished. Dona Clara and Camille Perichole began to find new meaning in their lives by helping Maria del Pilar take care of those less fortunate them themselves. The question still remains. Was it an accident or by design? It is best to leave the mystery in place, for to answer it dissolves the meaning of the book. Just knowing that some good came out of a catastrophic event brings pleasure to one’s heart and leaves us believing that it really does not matter.

Life :: essays research papers

Life; A Work In Progress The average person has a grand total of 2 billion seconds to live out their existance. For those of us lucky enough to live out this time in relative health, or to exceed it, shouldn't we be trying for something more? It ends, people. Life ends. There is coming a time when your heart stops beating and you lie dead and cold on the floor somewhere--and that is it. No redo's, no timeouts, no second chances. Only the bittersweet what-ifs that you will have plagued yourself with for the remaining moments of life. 2 billion seconds doesn't seem nearly as long as my life feels, and I am still a kid. And yet we waste time bickering over the television, fighting over the computer, and resenting each-other over petty quarrels. A saying comes to mind when you consider how sad people can be; when you honestly consider that they would throw their time away on such things. It is a classic case of not being able to see the forest, through all the trees. When infact, those trees that you are so desperately trying to see around are the forest. You are trying to get past that next tree and then, then the forest will be in plain site. Only, it isn't there, and one more tree is in the way. First the tree of graduation is in your way and soon the tree of college jumps behind it. The tree of mediocre jobs blocks your view for years as you try and see around it it. The tree of midlife, or of retirement get in your way as you try and see the trees of contentment, happiness and fulfillment that affirm that 'yes, you have made a difference', and that when your two billionth second chimes to a close, and your eyes glaze over, you will not have been forgotten. That is all we want, people. That is it. One simple goal that will push every American until they die. That one goal of having meaning. Trying to hold on to the fact that, "if I make a difference in someone else's life, then mine will have mattered." So the question is, if making a difference to someone else's life is so important, and they are trying for the same goal you are, then why isn't making a difference in your own life just as important.

“Visiting Hour” by Norman Maccaig

Rewrite – â€Å"Visiting Hour† The poem â€Å"Visiting Hour† was written by the Scottish poet Norman MacCaig. In the poem, MacCaig shows the central idea is loss and death. This central idea is achieved through the use of various techniques such as imagery, structure and narrative stance. The poem is about a visit MacCain makes to a dying relative in a hospital. Throughout the poem, MacCaig gives his thoughts and feeling to how he fails to cope with the situation. The poet also uses enjambment, metaphor and imagery at the beginning of the poem when MacCaig hints at the central idea. Vanishes heavenward†, with the use of enjambment the poet introduces the idea of death. The quotation emphases the theme of death and how MacCaig may not be able to speak to his loved one again. With the use of a metaphor and imagery, as the lift physically rises up, the mood of depression associates the journey to heaven. The â€Å"corpse† represents death. The person he is visiting could easily be a corpse. The poet is occupied of images of death and sees the patient in a negative way. Though not mentioning the word death, his mind automatically makes this assumption.At this point the reader just assumes the central idea is death. Repetition is used as the poet emphasises the central concern of his loved one but also of his admiration of the nurses. â€Å"So many deaths†¦. so many farewells† emphasises how â€Å"miraculous† the nurses seem to him and they are not overwhelmed by the emotion of grief unlike him. MacCaig uses structure as he first mentions the patient, â€Å"Ward 7. She lies†. The four word line immediately links the woman with the hospital. The non-sentence â€Å"Ward 7†³ draws attention to the reality of the situation the poet is in. In a white cave of forgetfulness†, though suggesting a white curtain around the bed, it creates the impression of emptiness. The vivid colours of â€Å"green and yellow† are not present. This suggests the patient's life slipping away and a fear from MacCaig that they will not remember him. A Metaphor is used once again as the poet recognises that while he can physically touch the patient, she is dying and he is alive. â€Å"And between her and me distance shrinks till there is none left but the distance of pain that neither she nor I can cross†, he has entered the hospital, found her ward and reached her bedside but cannot â€Å"touch† her.The central idea is made clear to the reader in the last stanza where the poet writes, â€Å"books the will not be read†. MacCaig notices the uselessness of the gifts brought for the patient. The patient's inability to eat the fruit or read the books reveals their lack of life. In conclusion, the poet achieves the central idea of death and loss by the use of metaphor, imagery, enjambment and structure. By using all of those techniques made the central idea is clear.

Slumdog Millionaire

Athos, Porthous and Latika ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ directed by Danny Boyle is about a young boy growing up in the slums of Mumbai, India. The idea of hope is developed throughout the film by using visual and verbal features as Jamal Malik faces a life in the slums and working child labour, until he finds love with Latika but the power of corrupt India splits them apart and now only destiny will bring them back together. Jamal to get Latika back goes on the Television show â€Å"Who Wants to be a Millionaire† hoping she will be watching.Colour was used very well in the costumes of Latika and she was often seen wearing a very bright yellow. This is happened at very significant events and was very symbolic. At the start of the movie amongst the riot Latika (Rubina Ali) is about 6 years old and is seen in yellow this symbolises her innocence as she doesn’t know what is happening around her and has no hope of surviving until Jamal and his older brother save her an d run away. Yellow symbolises hope and innocence and makes her stick out amongst the crowd drawing attention to her, she is seen in yellow when she has hope to be set free and be with Jamal.When Latika was forced to work with Javed she wore dull cream colours that were scruffy giving the idea she was trapped and as if she had no hope to be with Jamal. When Jamal’s brother Salim helps her escape and gives her a car to go look for Jamal so they can be together she puts on her yellow scarf symbolising hope. Setting throughout the film developed an important idea about the purpose of the film to show the audience â€Å"the real Mumbai†.The geographical setting of the film largely took place in the slums of Mumbai, India. This showed the audience â€Å"the real Mumbai, India†. The real Mumbai India was shown by Jamal, Salim and their mother sifting through rubbish, washing their clothes in dirty water and selling anything worth money including selling spots in line a t the toilets. All of this showed the audience the poverty in India in reality with 45% of the Indian population living in poverty and the dramatic change Jamal had to go through to get Latika back.However it was this poverty in his childhood that gave him the answers to the TV show who wants to be a millionaire and his destiny to get Latika back. Once Jamal is grown up he is on top of a high raised building where the slums used to be this is a contrast to how much Jamal has changed since he was young and in the slums to now how he is a millionaire, the buildings have changed from slums to high raised buildings. Diegetic music was used a lot throughout the film developing the ideas of hope and freedom.A good example of this was when the two boys were running away from Maman (child slave labourer) and they were traveling by train the lyrics of the song were in contrast â€Å"they cant even catch me† helped give a happy mood as the boys were laughing that they had gotten away. Another use of sound was that of the game show â€Å"Who Wants to be a Millionaire† and its theme music that created tension this helped give the idea of hope in every episode and Latika once said â€Å"It’s the perfect opportunity to start again† talking about the game show it was Jamal’s only chance to get Latika.Throughout the film the idea of hope and freedom was shown by visual and verbal features from the costume worn to create the idea of hope between Latika and Jamal. The setting portrayed â€Å"the real India â€Å"to the audience and showed what it was like for Jamal and gave him the answers to â€Å"Who wants to be a Millionaire† which gave him the hope to be with Latika when he won. Diegetic sound created tension and showed the hope like on the game show. Slumdog Millionaire Athos, Porthous and Latika ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ directed by Danny Boyle is about a young boy growing up in the slums of Mumbai, India. The idea of hope is developed throughout the film by using visual and verbal features as Jamal Malik faces a life in the slums and working child labour, until he finds love with Latika but the power of corrupt India splits them apart and now only destiny will bring them back together. Jamal to get Latika back goes on the Television show â€Å"Who Wants to be a Millionaire† hoping she will be watching.Colour was used very well in the costumes of Latika and she was often seen wearing a very bright yellow. This is happened at very significant events and was very symbolic. At the start of the movie amongst the riot Latika (Rubina Ali) is about 6 years old and is seen in yellow this symbolises her innocence as she doesn’t know what is happening around her and has no hope of surviving until Jamal and his older brother save her an d run away. Yellow symbolises hope and innocence and makes her stick out amongst the crowd drawing attention to her, she is seen in yellow when she has hope to be set free and be with Jamal.When Latika was forced to work with Javed she wore dull cream colours that were scruffy giving the idea she was trapped and as if she had no hope to be with Jamal. When Jamal’s brother Salim helps her escape and gives her a car to go look for Jamal so they can be together she puts on her yellow scarf symbolising hope. Setting throughout the film developed an important idea about the purpose of the film to show the audience â€Å"the real Mumbai†.The geographical setting of the film largely took place in the slums of Mumbai, India. This showed the audience â€Å"the real Mumbai, India†. The real Mumbai India was shown by Jamal, Salim and their mother sifting through rubbish, washing their clothes in dirty water and selling anything worth money including selling spots in line a t the toilets. All of this showed the audience the poverty in India in reality with 45% of the Indian population living in poverty and the dramatic change Jamal had to go through to get Latika back.However it was this poverty in his childhood that gave him the answers to the TV show who wants to be a millionaire and his destiny to get Latika back. Once Jamal is grown up he is on top of a high raised building where the slums used to be this is a contrast to how much Jamal has changed since he was young and in the slums to now how he is a millionaire, the buildings have changed from slums to high raised buildings. Diegetic music was used a lot throughout the film developing the ideas of hope and freedom.A good example of this was when the two boys were running away from Maman (child slave labourer) and they were traveling by train the lyrics of the song were in contrast â€Å"they cant even catch me† helped give a happy mood as the boys were laughing that they had gotten away. Another use of sound was that of the game show â€Å"Who Wants to be a Millionaire† and its theme music that created tension this helped give the idea of hope in every episode and Latika once said â€Å"It’s the perfect opportunity to start again† talking about the game show it was Jamal’s only chance to get Latika.Throughout the film the idea of hope and freedom was shown by visual and verbal features from the costume worn to create the idea of hope between Latika and Jamal. The setting portrayed â€Å"the real India â€Å"to the audience and showed what it was like for Jamal and gave him the answers to â€Å"Who wants to be a Millionaire† which gave him the hope to be with Latika when he won. Diegetic sound created tension and showed the hope like on the game show.

Affirmative Action Racism And Discrimination Essay

America is called â€Å"the land of opportunity† however, most of the countries citizens are not able to enjoy the benefits that the title provides. Being able to accomplish scholastic goals, attend a four-year college, and to have an influential career, are not obtainable for many, even though they work hard. Our nation has long been plagued by an ugly occurrence. An occurrence that finds its origins at the very core of our society. It is a problem familiar in some ways to all of us regardless of which side of the argument we find ourselves, and yet it remains unsolved. To verify that a problem exists, as Beverly, Tatum explains, we must first understand, racism as a system of advantage based on race, and white privilege as unjust enrichment through racial oppression,(Tatum,pg 10, 115). Next we must look at the steps taken to level the playing field of advanced racial groups. In America racism and discrimination is a cruel reality. For centuries now, local, state, and federal governments have been proactive in protecting or expanding the system of racial discrimination. White government officials and programs have often favored the racial and political-economic interests of white Americans. Government programs historically provided much access to homesteading land and numerous other valuable resources exclusively to white Americans (Feagin, 2010, p. 143). In an affords toward concern for equality, Affirmative action was created. It was designed to counteract the effect that discriminatory practices have embedded in the American culture. Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including â€Å"race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin† into consideration in order to benefit an under represented group â€Å"in areas of employment, education, and business†, usually justified as countering the effects o f a history of discrimination. The term â€Å"affirmative action† was first used in the United States in Executive Order 10925 and was signed by President John F. Kennedy on 6 March 1961; it was used to promote actions that achieve non-discrimination. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson enacted Executive Order 11246 which required government employers to take â€Å"affirmative action† to hire without regard to race, religion and national origin. In 1968, gender was added to the anti-discrimination list. A lively debate with sparks flying within racial group exists over the importance of the Affirmative action process. Some would argue that affirmative action undeservingly rewards minorities, and takes away from whites in effect causing reverse discrimination. Not long ago, Senator Bob Dole, a Republican presidential candidate, spoke in a television interview of â€Å"displaced† white men who compete with black workers because of affirmative action. He said that he was not sure that â€Å"people in America† (he meant â€Å"whites†) should be paying a price for discrimination that occurred â€Å"before they were born†. (Feagin, 2010, p. 15). Taking this evidence into consideration, should this influence the direction taken regarding affirmative action? University of California Regent Ward Connerly believes that affirmative action is used as a crutch that is ruining the relationship between blacks and whites. If this were true, would this be a good reason to halt government involvement in affirmative action programs? Would people identify these issues and take steps to make changes? Historically this has not been the case. Affirmative action programs have been successful in making social change. Minorities that have previously been excluded from opportunities have been afforded opportunities to achieve through affirmative action programs. Initially, affirmative action was a policy primarily aimed at correcting institutional discrimination where decisions, policies and procedures that are not necessarily explicitly discriminatory have had a negative impact on people of color. Affirmative action policies address and redress systematic economic and political discrimination against any group of people that are underrepresented or have a history of being discriminated against in particular institutions. Beneficiaries of these programs have included white men and women, people with disabilities, and poor working class people, but their primary emphasis has been on addressing racial discrimination (Kivel, P) If our goal is to eradicate discriminatory practices, then our government must continue to mandate legislation, and fund programs to address these issues. Following this conclusion it is clear to see that all evidence supports the benefits of affirmative action. What we have before us is a society with the possibility to make great strides in regards to changing the system of inequality. It is important that government lead in the direction that supports affirmative action programs. Government needs to see this as the biggest problem on their social agenda, and it will take a significant effort to mandate change, but the benefit for everyone will be extraordinary. References Feagin, J. (2010). Racist America Roots, Current Realities, and Future Reparations New York: Routledge Press. Tatum, Beverly Daniel. (2003). †Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? New York: Basic Books. Executive Order 11246. (2012, July 2). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 17:23, October 30, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Executive_Order_11246&oldid=500344831 Montgomery, A. (2000, march 27). A â€Å"poison† divides us, salon.com, Kivel, P. (1997, November,17) Affirmative Action Works! Motion Magazine

Germaine Greer Essay

GERMAIN GREER HAD NO FEAR In the early 1970s, a woman’s role in society was still set by male expectations. While women were expected to work and be educated, it was considered more important that they marry and become housewives. Women were also paid less than men for the same work, and denied many opportunities because they were women. In 1970, Australian-born author Germaine Greer wrote The Female Eunuch, a book that challenged a woman’s traditional role in society, and provided an important framework for the feminist movement of the 1970s. The Female Eunuch called on women to reject their traditional roles in the home, and explore ways to break out of the mould that society had imposed on them. It also encouraged women to question the power of traditional authority figures – such as doctors, psychiatrists, priests and the police – who at the time were not used to being questioned, and to explore their own sexuality: Women have somehow been [†¦] cut off from their capacity for action. It’s a process that sacrifices vigour for delicacy and succulence, and one that’s got to be changed. – Germaine Greer, New York Times, 22 March 1971 Source There had been other books published on Women’s Liberation – most famously Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex and Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique – but Greer’s book was written with a naughty sense of humour and a directness that the others lacked. This witty honesty made the book accessible to a very wide readership, and was perhaps the reason for the book’s enormous success. Greer hoped that her book would inspire women to see themselves as powerful when it came to their own roles and sexuality. In many ways she was successful. The Female Eunuchcertainly did push the Women’s Liberation Movement forward, and it became one of the world’s most influential books on the subject. QUOTES BY GERMAINE HERSELF * ‘’The house wife is an unpaid employee in her husband’s house in return for the security of being a permanent employee’’. * ‘’Yet if a woman never lets herself go, how will she ever know how far she might have got? If she never takes off her high-heeled shoes, how will she ever know how far she could walk or how fast she could run?’’ * ‘’ If a person loves only one other person, and is indifferent to his fellow men, his love is not love but a symbiotic attachment, or an enlarged egotism.’’ * ‘’ All societies on the verge of death are masculine. A society can survive with only one man; no society will survive a shortage of women.’’ By SHANNON JONES

Benefits of Data Mining

Data mining is defined as â€Å"a process that uses statistical, mathematical, artificial intelligence, and machine-learning techniques to extract and identify useful information and subsequent knowledge from large databases, including data warehouses† (Turban & Volonino, 2011). The information identified using data mining includes patterns indicating trends, correlations, rules, similarities, and used as predictive analytics. By employing predictive analytics, companies are actually able to understand the behavior of customers. Predictive analytics examines and sorts data to find patterns that highlight customer behavior. The important behavioral patterns are those that indicate what customers have responded to and will respond to in the future. Also, patterns can indicate a customer base that is in jeopardy with the company, customers that are not company-loyal and are easily lost. Predictive analytics of customer behavior can be of great benefit to the business (Turban & Volonino, 2011). Companies are able to build specific marking campaigns and models such as direct mail, online marking, or media marking based on customer preference and are better able to sell their products to a more targeted customer base. Knowing what the customer wants, what they will respond to, and which customer base to focus on takes the guesswork out of marking and product development. Taking the information retrieved and using it correctly will only increase profits (Advantages, 2012). Association discovery using data mining provides a huge benefit to companies. Association discovery is finding correlations or relationships between variables in a large database. For example, in terms of a supermarket, it is finding out that customers who buy onions and potatoes together are also highly likely to buy hamburger meat. These correlations where one set of products predict the buying of another is referred to as associations. Data mining can employ association discovery allowing business to predict buying patterns and allow for more effective operations management and can better pinpoint marketing strategy of coupons and incentives (Association Rule 2012). Web mining is another aspect of data mining. Web mining uses the data collected on the Internet to analyze customer data and gather information beneficial to the company. Any time someone visits a website, uses a search engine, clicks on a link, or makes an electronic transaction data is generated subject to analytics. Companies use web mining to gain customer preference and insight. The information gathered is used to improve websites and create a better user experience for the customers. Web mining can also be used alongside of predictive analytics. For example, on e-commerce sites every transaction is analyzed. When a customer clicks on a product, web mining tools can present a list of products he/she may also be interested in because of other customers with the similar buying interests/habits. This tool can be extremely effective in gaining business intelligence of the buying habits and preferences of customers (Turban & Volonino, 2011). Data mining also employs clustering to find related customer information and to provide valuable information to the company. Clustering gathers information and designates clusters of similar products and objects. In data mining, clustering is usually the first step. It identifies similar information and groups them to be further examined. Customer information and demographics are an example of these clusters. The group characteristics are analyzed against desired outcomes to understand the buying habits of customers and what marketing campaigns will enhance customer response (Ali, Ghani, & Saeed). Reliability of Data Mining The benefits of data have been examined, but it is important to look possible implications as well. Data mining uses algorithms to predict patterns and customer behaviors. Constant measures are needed to make sure the algorithms are working correctly, but the issue of reliability stems a little deeper. Algorithms and data analysis can only be as reliable as the actual data analyzed. Data gathered from different sources can potentially be t or even conflicting. This greatly affects the validity and result of algorithm, especially predictive analysis. It could alter the customer’s historical purchases or demographic information rendering the information useless and even costly. Data mining is a useful tool and should be trusted up to a point. It should not be the only solution. Companies should not only use data mining for marking and operations decisions. The costs of mistaking customer preference and predicting behavior could be catastrophic (Data Mining). Privacy Concerns of Data Mining. One of the major disadvantages of data mining is the privacy concerns associated with the technique. Three major privacy concerns raised by consumers are identity theft, misuse of personal information, and the â€Å"big brother is watching you† feeling (Orwell, 1954). The first concern is identity theft. With the increasing trend of e-commerce and electronic funds, identity theft has been a huge issue. The sheer amount and speed of information processing through data mining has led to a rise in identity theft making this valid concern. The information could easily fall into the hands of anyone (Exforsys Inc, 2006). The second concern is the misuse of personal information. Companies gather information as specific to customer purchases, names, phone numbers, addresses, and other information then store it in a database. Once obtained, copies can be made with little effort. Companies can easily sell this information to other companies. This is the exact concern of consumers. Consumer information can certainly be misused, exploited, or for discrimination making this a valid concern (Advantages, 2012). The last concern addressed in this paper is the total loss of privacy, feeling controlled or watched. The government uses data mining to track patterns of criminal activity have considered using the technique to track the movement of people. Some people feel this goes too far, and not giving the consumer the choice of having his/her information in the database takes away personal freedom. This concern is tied into the misuse of information because what stops companies to selling information to governmental or private agencies with the sole purpose being to control or watch an individual. With the volatile nature of crime, and the increasing use of technology by government agencies, this concern is also valid (Advantages 2012). Measures have been taken to alleviate these concerns. Companies that utilize data mining are required to take certain actions that protect their customer’s privacy. One of these actions is to remove and identity related attributes from each customer record before the data is transferred to analysts. Also banks allow for identity theft protection services to alleviate the concern of financial security. All of these concerns are still important and steps will have to be continuously made and adjusted to protect the security and privacy of personal and financial information (Li & Sarkar, 2006). Real World Examples of Predictive Analytics Predictive analysis and how it is beneficial to companies has been discussed above in theory. To completely understand how predictive analysis is used is to look at real world examples. The first example is how a fast food restaurant used HyperActive Technologies to predict what customers might order. HyperActive Technologies developed a system that allowed cameras to track vehicles pulling into the parking lot and track customers through the entire ordering process. Using predictive analysis of the data gathers from the cameras, the restaurant was able to conclude that at lunchtime; approximately twenty percent of cars entering the parking lot would order at least one cheeseburger. With this information, the cooks were able to get a head start in food production cutting down on wait time for customers and increasing overall productivity (Turban & Volonino, 2011). Another example of a company that uses predictive analysis is that of INRX, the leading provider of traffic information. INRX uses data mining by evaluating real time traffic measuring traffic problems and congestion. This data is collected from road censors, toll tags, traffic incident data, and commercial vehicles equipped with a GPS that continuously report their speed and location. Using predictive analytics, the data is studied to determine traffic patterns at certain locations and times. Drivers now have access to real time traffic information. This information has proven to be extremely effective and useful to drivers allowing them to make better decisions and avoid unnecessary delays (Turban & Volonino, 2011). The flower company, 1-800-FLOWERS. om, has also used data mining techniques, specifically predictive analytics. The company collects and analyses data at all contact points. Data collected includes historical purchases to discover trends, anticipate customer behavior, and meet customer needs and preferences. This technique has proven to be an effective way of increasing the response rate to customers, identifying profitable customers, and establishing customer loyalty. Customer reten tion increased by over fifteen percent after the implementation of predictive analytics solidifying its effectiveness (Turban & Volonino, 2011). As shown through academic research and real world examples, data mining is a real and effective way of predicting customer behavior and buying patterns. Measures need to be taken not only to overcome the stigma that data mining is unsecure and takes away personal freedom, but to make sure individual information is, in fact protected. If these measures are taken, data mining is a win-win for both businesses and consumers. Consumers will feel heard, understood, and taken care of. Businesses can actually focus resources on building that business-to-customer relationship and will be able to give the people what they need. References Advantages and disadvantages of data mining (2012). Retrieved December 9, 2012 from http://www.dataminingtechniques.net/data-mining-tutorial/advantages-and-disadvantages-ofdatamining/ Ali, R., Ghani, U., & Saeed, A. (n.d.) Data clustering and its applications. Retrieved December 5, 2012 from http://members.tripod.com/asim_saeed/paper.htm Data mining: issues. (n.d.) Retrieved December 7, 2012, from http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/faculty/jason.frand/teacher/technologies/palace/ issues.htm Exforsys Inc. (2006). Data mining privacy concerns. Retrieved December 5, 2012 from http://www.exforsys.com/tutorials/data-mining/data-mining-privacy-concerns.html Li, X. & Sarkar, S. (2006) Privacy protection in data mining. Retrieved December 6, 2012 from http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1245621 Turban, E., & Volonino, L. (2011). Information technology for management improving strategic and operational performance (8th ed.). New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.