Competitor Analysis for Conserv-A-Store Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Competitor Analysis for Conserv-A-Store - Essay Example a. Unlike Conserv-A-Store which is web retailer of green products for business and home and also acts as information resource dept for those attempting to practice greener way of life, many of its direct competitors only focus on lifestyle items such as yoga mats, items directed at women for the home, organic bedding and are not heavily on hard goods. The competitors are also poor when it comes to energy saving items. In categories such as rubber mulch mats,company has few direct competitors such as Gemplers and Gardeners Supply. All competitors apart from Greendepot.com have a similar weakness of a relatively smaller market share hence reaping little benefits.a. Unlike Conserv-A-Store which is web retailer of green products for business and home and also acts as information resource dept for those attempting to practice greener way of life, many of its direct competitors only focus on lifestyle items such as yoga mats, items directed at women for the home, organic bedding and are no t heavily on hard goods. The competitors are also poor when it comes to energy saving items and have limited selection of alternative energy items. In categories such as rubber mulch mats, Conserv-A-Store has few direct competitors such as Gemplers and Gardeners Supply. All competitors apart from Greendepot.com have a similar weakness of a relatively smaller market share hence reaping little benefits.Letsgogreen.biz has a competitive advantage since it is a one-stop web superstore that sells eco-friendly green products.

Scientific and Critical Management Theories Article

Scientific and Critical Management Theories - Article Example The slaves were simply organic tools fed just like cows or horses in order to create more tools or goods. Through coercive compulsion, subjugation is attained; through cultural conditioning, subjugation is maintained. These few examples show that while the Homo Sapiens create and command tools, they also possess the uncanny instinct to exchange and thereby evaluate their own kind as tools. That notion of human beings considered as tools and valued more for his or her productivity than anything else is the compelling force behind Critical Management Studies (CMS). Its is hinged on the overarching framework of Critical Studies, which seeks to dismantle hegemonic structures in society by first stripping them of their seemingly-benign coverings. Critical legal studies (CLS), for instance, a branch of Critical Studies, does away with the all-too-convenient givens of a legal system - that there is but one set of "correct" rules and that legal decisions are but logical outcomes of tested principles that are empirically-replicable (Altman, 1986). It aspires to expose the ideological content of the law obscured by layers upon layers of social conditioning by demonstrating how the large areas of legal indeterminacy provide fertile ground for the cooptation of the legal system to reinforce existing power arrangements. In like manner, Critical Management Studies attempts to unmask and expose the ideological agenda behind traditional management structures, obscured and sterilized by such terms such as "scientific" and "objective". Such school of thought in the words of Grey and Willmott is nothing more than "a recycled version of the thinking of elite groups institutionalized as received wisdom." (2005) The crux of Scientific Management Theory (SMT) is that the interests of labor and capital are one and the same, and that any antagonism between the two could only result in detriment for production. To quote Frederick W. Taylor (1911), "No one can be found who will deny that in the case of any single individual the greatest prosperity can exist only when that individual has reached his highest state of efficiency; that is, when he is turning out his largest daily output." This paper will analyze these two divergent schools of thought - Critical Management Theory and Scientific Management Theory - in terms of how it affects the hegemonic structures of organizations and society with an end in view of determining which school of thought can provide the better lens by which society at large can be viewed, analyzed and, it is hoped, reformed. Ontology and Epistemology of Scientific Management Theory "Scientific Management Theory" was coined in a social milieu wherein the benchmark of success of a business organization was the size of its assembly line. Work was

Enterprise Resource Planning of Nike

Enterprise Resource Planning of Nike Nike was founded by Mr. Phil Knight and his past coach Bill Bowerman in 1964 and they started Blue Ribbon Sports. Knights first shoe was called Tiger and then began distribution of shoes. Blue Ribbon got great success in 1971 and Knight changes the company name Nike. In 1971 it introduced Nikes first brand line. Nike launched its product line in 1979. The new version of its Air shoe which was very successful and it was known as Air Jordan; introduced in 1985. Nike opened its first retail outlet in Portland, Oregon in 1990. In 1991 the company was very successful and its revenue reached USD $3 billion. Company began selling its products directly to customers from its website. Nike is the worlds leading sports and athletic shoes. Nike is the major manufacturer of sports equipment with $18.6 billion USD in the year of 2008. Nike has 30000 employees in worldwide. (Nikebiz:company overview, 2010) Nike Mission Statement To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world * If you have a body, you are an athlete. (nike, 2010) Introduction Nike had generated profits of $97.4 million and its profit dropped down by 50% in February 2001. Nike said that it was because of the failure of supply chain software produced by i2 technologies. Both companies blamed each other. This failure also effected Nikes reputation. The supply chain software was the first segment of NSC (Nike Supply Chain) project from SAP and also customer relationship management software from Siebel System. Analysts pointed out the fault of customization of the software and over demand forecasting. (Koah, 2004) Company successfully implemented (NSC) Nike Supply Chain project by 2004. The (NSC) Nike Supply Chain project is centralized planning moving and manufacturing. At last Nike got success in Implementing ERP and it became the desired approach for those who want to implement the ERP systems in their company. Christopher Koch (Editor of CIO Magazine) stated that If it was easy, everyone would just do it. In the late 1990, most companies avoided to adopt ERP because of the huge cost of ERP systems. (Koch, 2004) The lesson of Nikes failure and subsequent rebound lies in the fact that it had a sound business plan that was widely understood and accepted at every level of the company. Given that resiliency it afforded the company, in the end the i2 failure turned out to be just a speed bump. (Koah, 2004) Products Range Nike has wide range of sports equipment, running shoes, and jerseys and may other products as shown in figure 1. ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) ERP entitles a companys information system which can bring more closely the companys departments and functions like human resources, finance and inventories. It also creates the link between customers and producers. Introduction of ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) Enterprise Resource Planning is the enterprise system tool which manages demand and supply. It has the ability to make link between customers and suppliers. ERP also provides the high degree of integration between purchasing, manufacturing, marketing, sales, logistics and marketing. ERP is the tool which can provide high level of customer services and productivity and also lower the cost. (Wallace Kremzar, 2001) Enterprise Resource Planning is a company which increase it sales by 20% because of ERP. The vice president states that ERP has provided the key to becoming a truly global company. Design can be made with the accurate data and with the process that concretes demand and supply across border and oceans. This change is worth billion to us in sales worldwide. (Wallace Kremzar, 2001) The Director of ERP For the first time ever, we have a good handle on our future requirements for components raw and materials. When our customer demand changes, weà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ourselves and our suppliersà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬can manage changes to our schedules on a very coordinated and controlled basis. I dont see how any company can do effective supply chain management without ERP. (Wallace Kremzar, 2001) Origin of the Term ERP The Enterprise Resource Planning ERP developed from Manufacture Resource Planning (MRP). The ERP was introduced by an analytical firm Garner. Enterprise Resource Planning has all the functions of an enterprise except organisation business or charter. Many organisations like IBM, Dell and HP Microsoft, Intel and many other organisations are now using ERP systems. The ERP systems are typically for large and more broadly based applications although it is also used in small and medium sized businesses. The ERP systems provide standardization, lower maintenance and it can store all data in one database. So, we can say that it has greater reporting capabilities. ERP includes other applications like Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP), Financials Resource Management (FRM), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Human Resources Management (HRM). (Leon , 2008) Overview of ERP Many organisations choose to implement one part for ERP systems and stand-alone systems for the other ERP applications need to develop an external interface to the other ERP system. Because in an organisation one vendor choose to use human resource management system and the financial system choose another and integration between those systems. It is very common in midsized retailer and the retail sector will have a point of sale (POS) and financial application then they have a specialized application to handle other business requirements like logistics and merchandising. (Leon , 2008) The quality of ERP system is that it provides a single database which contains all the data for the software module also shown in figure 3: Manufacturing Supply Chain Management Financials Projects Human Resources Customer Relationship Management (Leon , 2008) Reasons for Buying ERP Software In these days when the business environment is increasingly complex and highly competitive then the organisations need the IT system which is highly competitive with time management. The organisations need the outstanding performance in their business by utilizing the time in the correct way. Enterprise system utilize the company time correctly. Enterprise Resource Planning is the planning in which the business resources like material, employees and customers moved from one state to another state. An ERP system maintains the data which connects with the business functions like manufacturing, supply chain, Management, finance, human resource, customer relationship management. (Leon , 2008) Reasons of ERP projects Failure Sometimes ERP projects fail if you do not implement them well. There are some of the reasons for the failure of ERP failure. The company selected the wrong software of ERP for the company. The training of employee is also very important and some organisations dont train well their employees. Some software is heavily customized and if these are not match with the companys IT infrastructure then there can be problem. If we do not implement the effective change management strategies then it can be the result of failure of the project. If the business merger leaves out the work in the process then it can be also a big loss.(Glenn, 2008) There are also some factors from where we can achieve the successful ERP projects by selecting the right software for the company. Give the right training to employees. For implementing the ERP we have to manage each approach and utilize the best practices for implementing ERP software. (Starinsky, 2001) I found some important realities about ERP are that there is no perfect ERP system exists. We cannot say that any ERP implementation is ever perfect. If two companies have the same ERP software but the implementation cannot be the same because every company has its own style of implementation. (Leon , 2008) SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Supply Chain Management is a network that is involved buying, making, moving, selling and distribution. (Hugos, 2006)

Get Back to Work! :: essays research papers

A couple of months ago, my company installed a system to record the phone calls of certain employees. They set the recorder to record only the employees who have outside contacts with customers, regulatory boards, or contract personnel. The company implemented this system to resolve conflicts, clarify positions, protect the integrity of the company’s contracts and verbal commitments, and provide for sales and customer service training. Naturally, this did not go over well with some of the employees who thought this was an invasion of their privacy. Some of the employees started using their cell phones or other company phones to make their personal calls. Others would complain to their coworkers and supervisors about the company’s disrespect for their privacy. I believe that employees should not be bothered by the fact the company is recording their phone calls because the phones are company property and employees are being paid to work. Employees seem to believe that their assigned phone is their phone and they can do with it as they please. It is a privilege to have a phone and employees seem to take their phones for granted. The company is paying for the phones and providing them to their employees for business purposes. It follows the same principles of the computer; employees should not browse certain types of web pages and the company can actually record Internet activity and other computer activity quite easily. Legally, nothing employees do on their phones is private and privacy is not implied. Employees also should not be making personal calls that are not appropriate. If an employee is talking about inappropriate subjects they should not be talking about it at work, period. If the employee does not want their conversations recorded, they should not have them at work. Employees could use their cell phones to negate the recording system, but people will know that they are on a personal call. They can also go to another desk to make their personal phone calls, but this would mean that they are not working. While at work, employees should be working on their assigned tasks. Of course, I am not saying that they should not be able to do some personal activities. Employees should be able to take breaks, gossip with coworkers, take care of personal business, and make personal phone calls, but these activities should be limited and should not disturb an employee’s performance.

List of countries with unique cultural traits related to education Essay

1. JAPAN Every class has its own fixed classroom where its students take all the courses, except for practical trainings and laboratory work. During elementary education, in most cases, one teacher teaches all the subjects in each class. At public elementary and junior high school, school lunch (kyuushoku) is provided on a standardized menu, and it is eaten in the classroom. Nearly all junior high schools require their students to wear a school uniform (seifuku). A big difference between the Japanese school system and the American School system is that Americans respect individuality while the Japanese control the individual by observing group rules. This helps to explain the Japanese characteristic of group behavior. 2. BHUTAN The usual school day in Bhutan varies based on the population of the school and whether it is a boarding school or not. Typically, boarding school teachers will have additional duties such as overseeing meals, dorm life and evening study. The school day begins at 8:00 am with the overseeing of â€Å"Social work† which is a time for the students to clean the school and campus grounds. Morning assembly follows at about 8:30 am which consists of Morning Prayer, songs, speeches by students and announcements. First period begins at roughly 9:00 am. There are about seven to eight classes throughout the day, with a break for lunch. After classes each day there are various activities such as club meetings, sports and evening studies. Every classroom has two captains, one male one female, each house has two captains as well, there is a meals captain, sports captain, overall captain, and who knows how many other captains. These students take care of attendance, not just for class but for all scheduled program during the day, they organize many weekend activities, and they take care of all of the details of the school. The teachers teach, attend and oversee many of the activities, but the details are taken care of by the captains. Bhutanese culture is such that these students do get a lot of respect and response from the student body. 3. THAILAND Thai culture helps contribute to some intriguing differences. These range from simple things such as shoes not being allowed to be worn in the school buildings to the annual Wai Kru Ceremony where all of the students bow down low in obeisance towards their teachers. They also have quiet hour. Quiet hour is when they sit with their eyes closed facing a statue of Buddha. 4. AUSTRIA In Austria the relationship between students and teachers is quite laid back. The students address their teachers by their first name and they are not required to stand up when a teacher enters the room. 5. ITALY One interesting and very successful aspect of Italian schools is how the entire system works to promote social unity among the students. In public high schools, each class – by law – has two elected representatives, to protect the students’ interests within the institution. Each class may use two class periods per month for a class meeting in which to discuss class business, unencumbered by the presence of teachers. The representatives refer any complaints, troubles, or suggestions to their teacher committee or, if they think they won’t get a fair hearing from their teachers, to the principal. Class representatives meet regularly with their class’ teacher committee, and once each semester there’s an assembly of all class representatives in the school, headed by a pair of â€Å"institutional† representatives elected by the entire student body. Class representatives also attend the biannual parent-teacher meetings. This gives students some direct and useful experience with leadership, representative government, and bureaucracy. The elected leaders learn to deal with authority (we hope in a constructive manner). Class government helps to unite the class: they must act together to find solutions to problems, and elect leaders who can carry through those solutions effectively. 6. FINLAND Students address teachers by their Christian names, do not wear uniforms, and are encouraged to relax in their surroundings. Finnish schools don’t assign homework, because it is assumed that mastery is attained in the classroom.

Snow Falling on Cedars

How is the concept of the conflicting perspectives represented in the texts you have studied? In your answer refer to Snow Falling on Cedars and ONE related text of your choosing A conflicting perspective is a point of view of either one or more people that is generally subjective which presents a form of opposition in opinion. The novel, ‘Snow falling On Cedars’ composed by David Guterson in 1995 and the film ‘Crash’ composed by Paul Haggis in 2005 represents the concept of conflicting perspectives in different ways. Both the film and the novel convey the ideas of the social, judicial and interpersonal concepts in their texts through their characters and experiences such as Ishmael Chambers in Snow falling On Cedars and Jean from ‘Crash’. In ‘Snow Falling On Cedars’ Guterson addresses the idea of conflicting perspectives through a court case and then relates other people’s perspectives to the core plot of the novel while ‘Crash’ tells several different stories and then melds them together. Therefore through each composer’s use of sub plots, setting in the strawberry fields and techniques, the concept of conflicting perspectives is represented. The novel, Snow Falling on Cedars is a crime fiction novel which reveals a story about an investigation and trial into the death of a local islander on San Piedro. The book in itself characterises many sub plots such as the relationship between Ishmael Chambers and Hatsue Imada as well as the main plot of the murder trial. Guterson uses setting as a technique in order to reinforce his representation of conflicting perspectives in the novel. One of the main conflicting perspectives which are represented in â€Å"snow Falling on Cedars† is the concept of racial heritage due to World War II. This is political conflict which in turn causes distress in the everyday life of the characters within the book. The racial hatred between the Japanese and the Americans fuels many of the conflicts which occur in the book including the prejudice and urged conviction of Kabuo and also separating those in society who have different opinions. The war seems to change peoples’ perspectives on everything and Guterson represents a latent mistrust of the different. This can be seen in the novel as the repercussions of the attack on Pearl Harbour cause minor abuse of residential Japanese ‘traitors’ who are being arrested ‘in Hawaii and other places- and the FBI’s in on it†. Guterson represents the conflicting perspectives through the personalities of Arthur and Ishmael chambers who through their newspaper voiced reason and unbiased information over the war ‘Let us remember†¦ hat prejudice and hatred are never right and never to be accepted by a just society (Arthur) and this caused great criticism from the fellow islanders. â€Å"Seems like your favouring the Japs Art†. This can be contrasted with the characters of Etta Heine who sold off the land promised to the Miyamoto’s while they were in internment camp and also the boatman Dale Middleton who comments to Ishma el ‘suckers all look alike’ referring to the Miyamoto’s. The use of the strawberry fields within the novel highlights Guterson’s representation of the concept of conflicting perspectives. The fields are a superficial union of all the islanders with growers, pickers and packers working off the farm and the rest of the island attending the Strawberry Festival in town each year. The strawberry field represents one of the main themes in the film which is the idea that not everything is as it seems. The fields are symbols of richness and fertility and hold a sense of beauty in the fruit it produces however, at the same time the fields are cold and bitter to work on which becomes symbolic of the characters on the island. In ‘Snow Falling On Cedars’ there is a sub plot which revolves around the relationship of two islanders and this relationships represents the concepts of conflicting perspectives. The relationship between Ishmael Chambers and Hatsue Imada becomes highly significant as not only is the responder able to see the conflicting perspectives between Ishmael and Hatsue but also the conflicting perspectives which occur within Ishmael later in the book. Ishmael loves Hatsue and the loss of the relationship between them results in the hatred of Hatsue and a loss of compassion from Ishmael. They both have different perspectives on their relationship and therefore it was destined to fail, not only because of the racial differences but also because she doesn’t love Ishmael. This revelation is revealed to the responder through the hidden scene in the cedar tree. ‘It came as an enormous shock to her, this knowledge, and at the same time it was something she had always known, something until now hidden’. This quote also becomes quite significant as the relationship between Ishmael and Hatsue was kept a secret with their love filled meetings kept within a hollowed out cedar tree in the forest. Ultimately the idea that the relationship was kept a secret damned it because in order for their relationship to continue they need to be open about it but the relationship can only exist in secret. â€Å"†¦ we can’t go out, Ishmael. We’re trapped inside this tree†. The end of the book gives Ishmael the opportunity for Ishmael to resolve many of the conflicting perspectives in the novel with the evidence he discovered at the light house which would clear Kabuo’s name. However, the personal cost to him is enormous and it takes away something in himself when he comes forward to resolve it. The use of the cedar trees within the novel becomes an important technique when considering the representation of the concepts of conflict in the novel. The cedar tree is a place where Ishmael and Hatsue are able to pursue their relationship because it offers them a place away from cultural values and rules and gives them the opportunity to pursue their feelings. The tree offers them a protection from the realities of the outside world. The tree, like the strawberry fields is a symbol of tenderness and beauty. The tree however is hollow and has something missing and this becomes symbolic of Hatsue’s and Ishmael’s relationship because it signifies that it was never meant to be and that there was something missing from their relationship. It was hollow. The tree is symbolic of the two’s love as this is the place where they lose their virginity to each other. However, moments after this takes place Hatsue asks Ishmael to pull out as she feels that their relationship is over. She does not love him. The cedar tree is as much of a symbol of Ishmael’s love as it is of Hatsue’s love in cultural blood. The film, ‘Crash’ composed by Paul Haggis in 2005 represents the concept of conflicting perspectives. At the beginning of the film the responder watches several different characters in different sub plots creating several different stories which have no correlation to each other. As the film progresses the several different sub plots begin to meld into one and ultimately revolve around a single car crash. The film ‘Crash’ displays several different meanings of conflicting perspectives from the point of view of different characters and then displays how these perspectives can change when subjected to different experiences. This can be seen through the character of Jean who due to a car-jacking earlier in the film, has a conflicting perspective on race. This perspective becomes ironic in that she feel that ‘whites’ are more superior and do not commit themselves to such abhorred acts as that of coloured people. However when she takes a fall within her own home and none of her ‘white’ friends come to help her, it is in fact her Hispanic maid Maria who helps her. The responder is able to see the change in Jeans perspective when she comments to her maid Maria â€Å"you’re the best friend I’ve got†. This can be related to the character of Ishmael in ‘Snow Falling on Cedars’ as he too changes his perspective towards the end of the novel when he discovers evidence which could change the course of his ex-lovers husbands court trial. The 12th chapter in ‘Crash’, Protect and Serve, captures the films essence of the representation of conflicting perspectives where two characters, Officer Ryan and Christine are forced into a situation where they are both forced to face their conflicting perspectives towards each other. In the beginning of the film, Officer Ryan assaults Christine, a black women based on his external conflict of racial prejudice. Scene 12 â€Å"Protect and Serve† forces both characters to acknowledge their conflicting perspectives, giving them the opportunity to resolve this as Christine is trapped in her overturned car and Officer Ryan tries to free her. The scene uses several pan shots, non- dijectic and music sounds to create a surreal sense, as though the crash is a dream. This becomes important as the Haggis transforms the surreal sense to an immediate and high risk situation using mis-en-scene to create the emergency of the situation. As Officer Ryan reaches the car, the responder is able to see a series of shots which show the scene from not only Officer Ryan’s perspective, but also Christine’s. This scene forces Christine to face her internal conflicting view of Officer Ryan as an abuser screaming â€Å"no, not you. Anyone but you† at him when she realises who he is. The idea that Christine is ultimately forced to face her internal conflicts by accepting Officer Ryan can also be seen in the novel Snow Falling on Cedars as Ishmael is forced to face his internal conflict in order to be able to present the evidence to save her husband, Kabuo from conviction. Overall the 1995 novel, ‘Snow Falling on Cedars’ and the 2005 film, ‘Crash’ represents the concept of conflicting perspectives through the use of characters, setting and technique. The use of the characters Ishmael, Jean and Christine creates conflicting perspectives within themselves outlining how perspective are created and changed throughout the course of the text. Therefore In ‘Snow Falling on cedars’ composed by David Guterson and ‘Crash’ composed by Paul Haggis the concept of conflicting perspectives is represented.

Condolence Letter to Business Colleague for Lost Job

Condolence Letter to Business Colleague for Lost Job For any type of loss, including job loss, even if you feel a little awkward, I recommend you err on the side of kindness and connection, and send a condolence note or email. So often in business communication, we forget that it’s really human to human connection. Your colleague will feel acknowledged at a difficult time. You may forge a stronger relationship that will benefit you later. What to write when a colleague has lost a job? When you work for the same company, and are still employed, and willing to recommend your colleague: Dear Sandra: I was so sad to see your office empty when I returned from my trip. I know you were hoping to avoid the impending layoffs, so this must be challenging for you. I will so miss your wise insights, energy, and creativity. The office will be far quieter, and less interesting, without you here. If I can help with a letter of recommendation, referrals, or to just to lend an ear, please know I want to help. Best wishes finding a new position. With your can-do attitude and skills, I have no doubt your job search will be short. Please let me know how I can help. Best regards, Dimitri To a colleague from another company, with whom you had regular, but superficial contact: Dear Javier: I was so sorry to receive your email message that you are no longer with Federated Company. I will miss our monthly status reports. Thank you for letting me know your current contact information so we can keep in touch. Best wishes finding a position that matches all your talents. No doubt, there is a lucky company about to hire a very skilled project manager. Best regards, Doreen If a colleague leaves under conflict or duress: Hi Carmen, David told me this morning you are leaving Federated. I know the past months have been challenging for you, and I’ve admired your grace and professionalism. I wish you well. I hope your search is a short as possible. Sincerely, Dora Some tips: Don’t mention the poor economy. The news is full of this, so you would only be underscoring an obvious worry. Two recently unemployed friends told me they were very annoyed when people told them, â€Å"I’m sure something will appear.† Be truthful. A new job doesn’t just appear. It’s a lot of work, and transition, to find new work. Don’t minimize their loss. Do offer to make connections or write a letter of recommendation, if you are willing. Do wish your colleague well. Remember: Job security is tenuous for everyone. Each of us can lose a job, so it’s a smart career move, as well as kind, to reach out when a colleague loses a job. Sadly, each of us can find ourselves in the same position. Stay connected. Don’t forget to thank those people who helped you find a new job, once you are hired.

Government of France

Government of France The government of France is a semi-presidential system based on the French Constitution of the fifth Republic, in which the nation declares itself to be "an indivisible, secular, democratic, and social Republic". The constitution provides for a separation of powers and proclaims France's "attachment to the Rights of Man and the principles of national sovereignty as defined by the Declaration of 1789."The national government of France is divided into an executive, a legislative and a judicial branch. The President has a degree of direct executive power, but most executive power resides in his appointee, the Prime Minister. The President's choice for Prime Minister must have the confidence of the National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament; also the Prime Minister is always from the majority party in that house.Parliament comprises the National Assembly and the Senate. It passes statutes and votes on the budget; it controls the action of the executive through formal questioning on the floor of the houses of Parliament and by establishing commissions of enquiry.President Wilson and President Poincare of FranceThe constitutionality of the statutes is checked by the Constitutional Council, members of which are appointed by the President of the Republic, the President of the National Assembly, and the President of the Senate. Former Presidents of the Republic also are members of the Council.The independent judiciary is based on a civil law system which evolved from the Napoleonic code. It is divided into the judicial branch (dealing with civil law and criminal law) and the administrative branch (dealing with appeals against executive decisions), each with their own independent supreme court, the courts of cassation. The French government includes various bodies that check abuses of power and independent agencies.France is a unitary state. However, the various legal subdivisionsthe r ©gions, d ©partements and communeshave various attributions, and the nationa l government...

A Critique Of Inside The Brain Essay

, Research Paper A review of the book: Inside The Brain The first thing that must be said for the book Inside The Brain, is that it made for really easy reading. Even though the book concerns itself with some subjects that, easy, can be confounding due to their proficient or medical nature, the text flows easy. The book was written to be read, non to be a mention or text edition. The content of this well written book was besides first rate. The beginnings quoted in the book were rather impressive, and the research that went into the undertaking was seemingly rather thorough as good. There is information contained in this book that should be had by all. If all prospective parents were to be given a transcript of this book, and if they were to really read it, the hereafter of our state, and our universe for that affair, would be a much brighter one. Some of the points made, including the demand for kids to be stimulated mentally get downing at an early age, are important. Armed with this information, any parent would be probably to pass more clip with their kids in an attempt to guarantee their ultimate success in life. It is a parent # 8217 ; s duty and duty to supply their kids with the strongest mental armament available in order to come in the rational battleground that will be their hereafter. Those who are non decently intellectually prepared for life will fall to the underside of the socioeconomic strata. They will populate a life of discord including deficient instruction, deficient wellness, substandard wealth, and substandard kids. This will perpetuate a rhythm of this type of individual from coevals to coevals. The writer of the book seems to concentrate on the immediateness of the job through the usage of some really startling statistics. His deduction is that if something is non done to do parents better at the ma nner they prepare their kids for the hereafter, we, as a society, will necessitate to be constructing many more prisons in order to manage the overpowering sum of social misfits that we will be bring forthing. The book does travel on to supply some hope for tomorrow every bit good as fright. The latter chapters focus more on the organic structure # 8217 ; s abilities to mend and mend the encephalon and head. Much attending is given to possible interventions and therapies for those enduring from enfeebling hurts and diseases. Along with explicating how the encephalon and associated tissue can mend themselves, many new avenues of intervention are discussed. Again these issues can be, due to their really proficient and scientific nature, really obfuscated with tech nical slang. Kotulak does an first-class occupation of avoiding these booby traps and delivers the intended information with every bit small immaterial proficient slang and academic prose as possible. He does non exclude necessary information, but instead he explains briefly and compactly what is being referenced. This once more makes the book educational piece at the same clip makes it an gratifying book to read. The lone defects that gave a sense of uncertainty to the content of the book can non be attributed to the writer but to some of his beginnings. Many of his beginnings, while being quoted, appeared to be back-pedaling from their finds. After any mentions to a specific racial group or ethnicity, in footings of correlational informations, were made, the quoted person seemed to add a statement intended to further a feeling of political rightness. This seems incorrect from a scientific position. When a scientist completes a survey, the informations can talk for itself. Equally long as the methods used for the survey are clearly outlined, the scientist should experience no duty to explicate the consequences of his survey in footings of political rightness. It is possible that these statements were made in order to forestall any feeling of animus from being directed toward the scientific community by any one ethnic or racial group. Other than this one spot of take awaying information, the book itself was great. Tax dollars would be good spent by supplying a transcript of this book to every citizen of the state. Baring that, it should be made standard issue to all parents taking their neonates place from the infirmary. A few hours spent reading this book, could assist parents raise a kid who could transcend all outlooks. The information contained in this book implies that a kid # 8217 ; s hereafter mentality is non predicated by his parents # 8217 ; familial make-up. A kid could excel the successes of his parents if his parents give him the right start in life. After all, is it non the dream of all parents to do their kid # 8217 ; s life better than their ain, in every bit many ways as possible. The book besides offers hope to the many victims of encephalon hurts and their households. Stoping short of denoting a remedy for these medical catastrophes, the writer offers hope in the signifier of many new discoveries in the countries of pharmacotherapies and encephalon imagination. The ultimate feeling that the writer of this book leaves his readers with is a sense of hopefulness, and if one accepts some of the premises of this book, everyone who reads it is, to some extent, better off merely for holding read it and holding exercised their head.

Accounting Information System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Accounting Information System - Essay Example The company is in the process of determining the advantages and drawbacks of automatic feeding of data by the use of the GL software. Data extraction- this is the act of mining raw data from the accounting information system in use by the company. The question is whether the data can sustain numerous needs of the company and the accuracy of the data. Data analysis- after data has been extracted from the system, the company has to enter into the analysis stage where the details of the customers are identified to determine how they could be applied to increase the sales volume of the company. Taking Orders- customers who demand the company’s products were to make order manually, either via telephone or online ordering. This means that the activity of ordering had to be undertaken by the company staff that had to capture the requirements of the customers. Processing orders- after taking the orders, the customer service personnel of top burger had to process the customer orders to ensure that the customers received exactly what they required at the nearest stores. Delivery- burger undertook the activity of delivering their goods to the customers at their doorsteps as a way of gaining competitive edge against their competitors and as a means of increasing their sales volume. Preparation of daily sales- restaurant managers were charged with the obligation of preparing daily sales summaries that were to be electronically submitted to the company administrators the next day. The activity assists in determining the level of sales of the company. System management activities- these are the activities, which involve the maintenance of the IT system to ensure it, worked effectively and smoothly. It also ensured customer integration in the transaction processing system. Promotion activities- promotion is one of the strategies that businesses use in marketing their products to the target market. To achieve this, top burger promoted amateur athletics and other communit y groups to win the loyalty of the community. Question 2 I think that Top Burger business strategy drives the development of its information system. Top burger has the growth strategy that entails increasing their customer base and their lines of products. Growth strategy also involves the improvement of their number of processes. This can be justified as follows: Bob is worried on whether the increasing number of orders could be sustained by the company current systems. This means that the developments in the system is compelled by the increased number of customers i.e. the high activity during peak season require enhancement of information system. The growth in the number of sales propelled the acquisition of new equipment. Bob argued that a new machine would make automatic feeding of data possible and this would increase the pace and quality of service delivery. The multiple activities also made the management review the ability of the information system to facilitate the diverse needs (Roman, 2008). The growth in the number of activities therefore called on the need to develop IT infrastructure. A look at the companies timeline also shows that it was because of the growth record that the company decided to begin making online ordering through the internet in 2003. The first prototype was also opened as the growth continued. Moreover, Bob’s worry is on the ability of the IT system in supporting the business strategy. He is concerned with the limitation of the current system to provide sufficient internal controls, improvements because of the integration and the use of software in supporting

Fiscal Policy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fiscal Policy - Assignment Example This system allows for control of discount rates in the various district banks thereby protecting consumers. In addition, the system can be able to control money supply through easing the monetary policy through sale of financial assets to increase money supply. It can also tighten monetary policy through selling financial assets hence reducing money supply. Control via the Federal Reserve System is hence greater in terms of money supply to the economy. The Federal Reserve System monetary policy often influences the levels of spending, prices and employments through a number of means. The Reserve System main goal entails regulating money supply in the economy in order to keep unemployment and inflation low plus to promote steady economic growth. In case of inflation, purchasing power of people reduces and leads to more unemployment in a given economy. The Federal Reserve System in such instances often increases discount rates accorded to banks in an attempt to reduce the money supply in a given economy. It can also reduce money supply through buying of government bonds. In an attempt to increase spending and employment in a given economy, the Federal Reserve System often lowers the interest rates it gives to various banks. This hence results in people remaining with more money hence increasing spending. When more people spend money in buying goods and services, indicates that producers will concentrate in producing goods and services thereby creating more employment

Is school incentive programs works for students Essay

Is school incentive programs works for students - Essay Example Currently, many schools have initiated incentive programs that provide prizes to students in the form of money when they score well on their exams. These prizes have shown improvement in overall test scores and children’s performance (Medina). The notion of incentive programs in schools is quite controversial and brings up the significance of temporary academic accomplishements in comparison to long-lasting behavorial changes in children. Many schools in United States are increasingly adapting the idea of incentive programs. They have observed that paying for performance is an effective method of improving the students’ attitude and behavior in school. In New York alone, more than 200 schools are experimenting with provision of one or more incentives for both students as well as teachers (Medina). Children who score good, are provided with money as prizes. Children are not the only ones profitting from these incentive programs. Teachers are also provided with bonus mone y who achieve improving their students’overall scores. Up till now the New York city has spent more than $500,000 on 5,237 students in 58 different schools. Money is not the only form of rewards; meal gift vouchers, gift certificates, food parties at school are some other forms of incentives for the students (Medina). The overall reaction to this new concept is mixed. Many consider it as worth trying and experimenting upon to observe the positive outcomes. Teachers also find it as a good opportunity and are motivated due to the rewards received by them as well. However, the critics consider it as an inappropriate stimulus for the students. Knowledge should be acquired for one’s own sake of learning and self-development rather than a source of money-making and business. Behavorial sciences show that although rewards are somewhat better than punishments but they produce a similar outcome of temporary compliance. Children only show improvement in their behavior until they are receiving the reward. They stop when the incentive is no longer provided. Extrinsic motivators are not helpful in altering the emotional and cognitive commitments of behavior, and even if achieved are not desirable or aimed (Kohn 1,2). The rewards only pursue the acheivment of goals and fail in many cases to induce good values and the sense of â€Å"what type of person I want to be†. Many studies have shown that people who are expecting a reward do not perform well than those who are not expecting anything. Rewards do not produce an intrinsic motivation of performing a task and interest of doing it for one’s own sake. Rewards are just a method of controlling a person which ultimatley also alters the relationship between children and adults (Kohn 2,3). Rewards are a way of bribing the children. Children do not acquire any personal interest or internal motivation for the task rather, they are only doing it for the incentive, which affects the quality of their work, their sense of creativity and their sense exploring new ideas. Rewards and incentives are just a method of achieving what a teacher or parents want from the child. Rewards are an obstacle in the way of creating a nurturing, creative and experimental environment for the children, where they learn for their own sake and interest. Providing incentives and rewards cannot produce good values in a child

Answer chapter 8 question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Answer chapter 8 question - Essay Example While listening, we must, concentrate on the meanings of the speaker, sustain eye contact, be quiet, send acknowledgement. While reading someone’s message, even then try your best to decipher the meaning of writer. Do not assume anything or draw conclusion if some word is confusing. Just write back for clarification. When speaking, try to keep listeners engaged through gestures and postures and make your meaning and words clear for listeners. Answer: Emotions are driving force. How to handle emotions intelligently is called emotional intelligence. Do not take anything personally. You would face a lot of conflicts but you need to manage conflicts by controlling your emotions by taking deep breath and trying to see the outcome of your would be action as a result of emotions. Answer: We write all the day: on cell phones, on the internet, in a class, etc. This demonstrates the importance of writing. Getting ready to write, writing a first draft and revising your draft are three phases of writing best practices. Following these phases make us write effectively. Answer: Academic writing papers and report are designed to make you do your own work that transforms your skills. But copying the works of other serves no purpose. It is unethical, it is a theft and it is a bar in the way of learning. So we must try to just use the research of other with proper citation and to prove our thesis

Declining bee populations and its global impact Research Paper

Declining bee populations and its global impact - Research Paper Example â€Å"The findings place a massive question mark over the increasingly controversial compounds, now the fastest growing family of insecticides in the world† (McCarthy). Exposure to the neonicotinoid insecticides is harmful for both the wild bumble bees and the honey bees. The compounds affect the bees by attacking their central nervous system. The quality of neonicotinoids that makes them potentially harmful for the bees is that these pesticides are systemic in nature, which is why they are consumed up by every part of the plant rather than just sitting on the plant’s surface. Like every part, the pesticides are also absorbed by the plant’s pollen as well as nectar. Accordingly, the bees ingest the pesticides as they carry the pollens despite they were not meant to be the original targets. Over the last decade, use of these compounds has caused a â€Å"colony collapse disorder† in the USA which is a condition that causes full beehive population to vanish i n no time. One of the two studies was conducted by the researchers from the University of Stirling. In the year 2010, almost 30% of the total cropland in the UK was treated with pesticides. The second study was conducted by the researchers belonging to the National Institute for Agronomic Research in Avignon in France under the leadership of Mikael Henry. These researchers studied the effects of the bees’ exposure to thiamethoxam which is a neonicotinid product. As a result of their research, the team found that even sub-lethal doses of the neonicotinid product have a serious impact on the homing abilities of the bees of the level that the bees developed a two to three times higher tendency of dying as compared to the untreated bees. The French researchers said, â€Å"Non-lethal exposure... causes high mortality due to homing failure, at levels that could put a colony at risk of collapse† (The French researchers cited in Rose). Since the researches are very recent and no subsequent results have surfaced to support or contradict the findings of these studies, this stage is preliminary to develop an utmost belief in the fact that neonicotinids are harmful for the health of the bees. Nevertheless, they should be avoided until proven harmless by future research. Professor David Goulson from the University of Stirling shares his view about this matter in these words, â€Å"I personally would like to see them not being used until more research has been done. If it confirms what we’ve found, then they certainly shouldn’t be used when they’re going to be fed on by bees† (Goulson cited in Zimmer). Many biologists attribute the decline of bee population to the increase in global warming as it creates the environmental conditions suitable for the growth of such pathogens as fungi, mites, and viruses which are potentially harmful for the bee colonies. In the recent years, frequent fluctuations between the hot and cold weather have been experienced. These weather fluctuations wreak havoc on the bees since they are used to living in the patterns of consistent seasonal weather. The weather sensitive bees cannot survive in the rapidly changing environment. More research is being conducted in order to find the causes of decline of the bee population. According to Galen Dively, an entomologist from the University of Maryland, â€Å"We’re going to see a lot of money poured into this problem. What we’re looking for is some commonality which can lead us to a cause†

Is school incentive programs works for students Essay

Is school incentive programs works for students - Essay Example Currently, many schools have initiated incentive programs that provide prizes to students in the form of money when they score well on their exams. These prizes have shown improvement in overall test scores and children’s performance (Medina). The notion of incentive programs in schools is quite controversial and brings up the significance of temporary academic accomplishements in comparison to long-lasting behavorial changes in children. Many schools in United States are increasingly adapting the idea of incentive programs. They have observed that paying for performance is an effective method of improving the students’ attitude and behavior in school. In New York alone, more than 200 schools are experimenting with provision of one or more incentives for both students as well as teachers (Medina). Children who score good, are provided with money as prizes. Children are not the only ones profitting from these incentive programs. Teachers are also provided with bonus mone y who achieve improving their students’overall scores. Up till now the New York city has spent more than $500,000 on 5,237 students in 58 different schools. Money is not the only form of rewards; meal gift vouchers, gift certificates, food parties at school are some other forms of incentives for the students (Medina). The overall reaction to this new concept is mixed. Many consider it as worth trying and experimenting upon to observe the positive outcomes. Teachers also find it as a good opportunity and are motivated due to the rewards received by them as well. However, the critics consider it as an inappropriate stimulus for the students. Knowledge should be acquired for one’s own sake of learning and self-development rather than a source of money-making and business. Behavorial sciences show that although rewards are somewhat better than punishments but they produce a similar outcome of temporary compliance. Children only show improvement in their behavior until they are receiving the reward. They stop when the incentive is no longer provided. Extrinsic motivators are not helpful in altering the emotional and cognitive commitments of behavior, and even if achieved are not desirable or aimed (Kohn 1,2). The rewards only pursue the acheivment of goals and fail in many cases to induce good values and the sense of â€Å"what type of person I want to be†. Many studies have shown that people who are expecting a reward do not perform well than those who are not expecting anything. Rewards do not produce an intrinsic motivation of performing a task and interest of doing it for one’s own sake. Rewards are just a method of controlling a person which ultimatley also alters the relationship between children and adults (Kohn 2,3). Rewards are a way of bribing the children. Children do not acquire any personal interest or internal motivation for the task rather, they are only doing it for the incentive, which affects the quality of their work, their sense of creativity and their sense exploring new ideas. Rewards and incentives are just a method of achieving what a teacher or parents want from the child. Rewards are an obstacle in the way of creating a nurturing, creative and experimental environment for the children, where they learn for their own sake and interest. Providing incentives and rewards cannot produce good values in a child

Declining bee populations and its global impact Research Paper

Declining bee populations and its global impact - Research Paper Example â€Å"The findings place a massive question mark over the increasingly controversial compounds, now the fastest growing family of insecticides in the world† (McCarthy). Exposure to the neonicotinoid insecticides is harmful for both the wild bumble bees and the honey bees. The compounds affect the bees by attacking their central nervous system. The quality of neonicotinoids that makes them potentially harmful for the bees is that these pesticides are systemic in nature, which is why they are consumed up by every part of the plant rather than just sitting on the plant’s surface. Like every part, the pesticides are also absorbed by the plant’s pollen as well as nectar. Accordingly, the bees ingest the pesticides as they carry the pollens despite they were not meant to be the original targets. Over the last decade, use of these compounds has caused a â€Å"colony collapse disorder† in the USA which is a condition that causes full beehive population to vanish i n no time. One of the two studies was conducted by the researchers from the University of Stirling. In the year 2010, almost 30% of the total cropland in the UK was treated with pesticides. The second study was conducted by the researchers belonging to the National Institute for Agronomic Research in Avignon in France under the leadership of Mikael Henry. These researchers studied the effects of the bees’ exposure to thiamethoxam which is a neonicotinid product. As a result of their research, the team found that even sub-lethal doses of the neonicotinid product have a serious impact on the homing abilities of the bees of the level that the bees developed a two to three times higher tendency of dying as compared to the untreated bees. The French researchers said, â€Å"Non-lethal exposure... causes high mortality due to homing failure, at levels that could put a colony at risk of collapse† (The French researchers cited in Rose). Since the researches are very recent and no subsequent results have surfaced to support or contradict the findings of these studies, this stage is preliminary to develop an utmost belief in the fact that neonicotinids are harmful for the health of the bees. Nevertheless, they should be avoided until proven harmless by future research. Professor David Goulson from the University of Stirling shares his view about this matter in these words, â€Å"I personally would like to see them not being used until more research has been done. If it confirms what we’ve found, then they certainly shouldn’t be used when they’re going to be fed on by bees† (Goulson cited in Zimmer). Many biologists attribute the decline of bee population to the increase in global warming as it creates the environmental conditions suitable for the growth of such pathogens as fungi, mites, and viruses which are potentially harmful for the bee colonies. In the recent years, frequent fluctuations between the hot and cold weather have been experienced. These weather fluctuations wreak havoc on the bees since they are used to living in the patterns of consistent seasonal weather. The weather sensitive bees cannot survive in the rapidly changing environment. More research is being conducted in order to find the causes of decline of the bee population. According to Galen Dively, an entomologist from the University of Maryland, â€Å"We’re going to see a lot of money poured into this problem. What we’re looking for is some commonality which can lead us to a cause†

A Teacher Essay Essay Example for Free

A Teacher Essay Essay Being a public school teacher is certainly one of the most challenging careers, but it is absolutely the most important profession there is. After all, without teachers, there wouldnt be any other professions! As a teacher, you create the foundation for your students upon which they will build the rest of their lives. You are not only influencing the future of your own students, but you are affecting the collective future of all of humanity for generations to come. You may not be able to see the long-term affect that you have on your students, but you are writing on the pages of who they believe they are, what they believe they are capable of, and who they will choose to be and become. This will determine what they choose to contribute to the world, which will have an impact on shaping the world of tomorrow for all of us. We each touch and affect countless others throughout the course of a lifetime. Everything we say, feel and do has a ripple effect that influences the present and the future of the collective consciousness on Earth. As a teacher, you have the ability to have a profound impact on your students lives in the present and far into the future. Think back on the teachers you had in your youth, and think of the ones that had the greatest impact on your life, both positively and negatively. How did they help shape your ideas about yourself and about the world? Did they contribute to your self-esteem, or to your self-doubts? Being a teacher takes great patience, strength, courage, stamina, compassion, intelligence, humor, kindness, caring, heart, generosity, etc. It often involves a great deal of self-sacrifice as well, because unfortunately, our present society greatly undervalues this most noble of professions. Those who choose a career of being a teacher do so knowing that they will face great challenges with little financial reward. You must therefore find the rewards of this career in other ways, by knowing that you are giving your students the tools with which they can succeed at life. Our present educational system in North America, and in other parts of the world, is antiquated and stale, leaving most students and teachers feeling  uninspired. Memorizing facts for tests is not learning. Knowledge is a living, growing thing, and in order to truly learn, the mind must be engaged with passion and interest. The ideal teaching environment is one in which the students are able to think, ask questions, and explore the relevance that the information has in real life, and the impact it may have on their own lives. Young people must know why it is important for them to know what is being taught to them, otherwise it will simply feel like a waste of time, and they will be bored and disinterested. In North America, we have developed a terrible apathy toward education, and many students feel that school is not cool. In Africa, children are begging to have an opportunity to go to school, because they know that education is the key to the future. Oprah Winfrey recognizes how important education is: she honors teachers everywhere as unsung heroes, and has been funding the building of schools in Africa because she believes that education and knowledge empower people to create a more successful life. In our present North American school system, being in a classroom can be very tiring and draining for both the teachers and the students. As a teacher, you keep giving energy continually to your students, but if nothing is coming back to you, it can feel demoralizing and even depressing, which can lead to burnout. It is important for you as a teacher to find ways to keep you and your students motivated and inspired. Most people do not realize the full impact that teachers have on students. Teachers have the ability to support a persons self-esteem, or to destroy it. Many young people may be experiencing devastating pain at home, either physically, emotionally, mentally or even spiritually, so school may be the only place where they can receive support and encouragement. This is particularly true of bad kids, who are often suffering greatly at home, and as a result, they begin to live down to other peoples expectations of them. If they are labeled as bad, then they will feel bad and will do bad things because that is who they have come to believe they are. As a teacher, you can foster and encourage your students (and yourself) to  have a strong desire to succeed in school, and in life. The ideal classroom environment is one that inspires co-operation, rather than competition. In life, as each one wins, we all win, because the joy of one raises the vibration of the collective consciousness for us all. We have a situation in schools today, particularly in public schools, where everyone wants to be the same, and no one wants to stand out. Therefore, we must try to encourage them all to be outstanding! One of the ways you can do this is to encourage your students to be stars. This can be challenging with older students because they will act like everything is stupid and they dont care, but they really do care. You can create a board with the name of everyone in your class, including yours, and have gold stars that you can stick on the board next to each persons name as they accomplish any positive achievement, including teamwork and positive effort. Although you may have to pay for this out of your own pocket, it is very inexpensive and will repay great rewards for all concerned. Perhaps the students can even give stars to each other, to you, and to themselves for any positive accomplishment. You can give stars out for grades, but also for class participation, for effort, for improvement, for attitude, for citizenship, for extra credit, etc. You could even further motivate the students by having a play day or pizza day when the class collectively gets a certain number of stars. You dont have to pay for this yourself, you can have a collection jar where the students can contribute their own money to such a reward celebration. Ideally, you want to make teaching fun and rewarding for you, and have learning be fun and rewarding for your students, so be as creative as possible. Rewards dont have to require money, but feeling like a star can create infinite rewards for life. You can encourage your students to make a star chart for themselves at home, or better yet (with their parents permission), to put gold stars on their mirror whenever they have a sense of accomplishment or overcoming challenges that way they can start to see themselves as a star on a daily basis. I would recommend this for you as  well, and for everyone. A positive, inspiring and encouraging environment has infinite positive ripple effects. You can make your classroom into an oasis where I and my students can all feel good about yourselves. This will create positive energy that keeps growing, which will energize you instead of draining you. If you inspire your students, you will feel inspired, and vice versa. Likewise, if you motivate them, you will feel motivated, and vice versa. Encourage your students to work together and to be self-motivated, so that all the energy is not just coming from you. Foster group work and group discussion, where each person has a sense of making an important contribution to the whole. The more fun and interesting you can make it for you and your students, the more you will all put into it, so you will all get more out of it and want to be there. As a teacher, you are the cornerstone of our society, and you make the greatest contribution there is to changing and affecting our world. I applaud you, and everyone in your profession. May you be inspired to inspire, motivated to motivate, and encouraged to encourage.

Educational Interview With A Professor Of Psychology

Educational Interview With A Professor Of Psychology Interview 9 (40mins) What percentage of your work time is spent on research? 40% What is your highest educational qualification? PhD in Applied Psychology What is your primary discipline or field of study? Department of psychology, Faculty of arts and social sciences What is your position? In-charge/Assistant Professor I: Could you please give me some details of your background and research experience? S: I did graduation from Lahore College for Women University and MSc in Psychology from Government College. I was awarded K.B. Nanak Buksh Silver Medal, Roll of Honor and Certificates of Merit for standing first in MSc Psychology. Recently I have completed PhD in Applied Psychology from the University of the Punjab. I am teaching undergraduate and MPhil Classes. My research work is in developmental, educational and on social issues, and currently working on psychological articles and also conducting seminars. I am doing teaching and research for 15 years and my administrative responsibilities include being an advisor of psychological society, BSc Coordinator, member of the departmental undergraduate committee, member of the departmental purchase committee and In charge of departmental computer lab. Due to the extensive load of administrative responsibilities my research work has become stagnant. Our department creates opportunities for individuals to apply the knowledge that they gai n out of their academic experiences. I: How is the research work important to this University? S: I think it is the role of a university and the university is in the process of motivating researchers in doing research, but within this institution, I may not put more emphasis on the quality of work, as no one would do research. But if someone can produce a qualified research, it is quite appreciable. When a research is carried out it is important that the researcher should be put under supervision of the relevant faculty member. It is our job to facilitate them with all the essential directions and strategies. I: How is the research environment at this University? N: Our department of psychology gives sufficient chances to work together with the international community. We encourage our students and faculty members to take part in the seminars and workshops it is arranged at both the levels i.e. at national and international every year you can say I: What is the distribution of your responsibilities towards research? N: I have published 20 articles in the HEC recognized journal of social and clinical psychology and currently my two books are in the pipeline for publishing. In my opinion, having publication is a good thing because it can be an evidence for promotion. It is good to realize how these researches can be utilized in the practical way. Some researchers don’t publish their works. Having said that actual is administrative responsibilities, we as professors have high work load so it gets difficult to finish our research work that is why publications are due for quite some time. I: How much incentives you have available for conducting research? N: As social science is a dynamic system, it gives us more opportunities to do research because of its changes. Our thoughts right now may be changed in the future. Therefore the change of ideas can be the research topic itself. We should not limit our projects for studying current events in Pakistan, but look forward to the future or backward to the past, as well as observing other mysterious parts. In fact, the restriction of research is how people utilize research results for their monetary benefits. Some people understand that research in social sciences produces no monetary advantages. Therefore, we do not receive as much incentive as for other disciplines. I: How important is the collaboration with the international scholars? N: International exposure is very important if we want to excel as a nation. We do get opportunities to interact with foreign faculties for academic and research purposes. There are few universities abroad that have collaboration, capacity building and research development association with our university. I: How being an instructor, you judge the research work? N: Research plays a part in everything and we have projects to enhance research knowledge. The dean and administrative staff also support research activities. We have training programs about classroom research for developing teaching and research activities. Academics, which have no time to do research during working hours, have to do research as an overtime job. We encourage academics to do classroom research by beginning with small projects then moving to bigger ones later. We set classroom research training in the year 2004 and gained good response from our staff. We invited a qualified person to be a guest speaker and also did assessments after we finished the training course. We did this after 6 months to see whether academics had any research outcomes or not. We have never stopped helping academics to prepare for research funding. Moreover, at the beginning of May 2005, we provided training courses about how to write a qualified research proposal. We invited a national research er from the research fund regional office to teach and to inform us about the sources of funding. There were so many academics participating in this training course, and at least 10 lecturers who planned to submit their research proposals. I: What are the changes in the research situation from the past to the present? N: I think there is no difference between the levels of education. The level of education academics have, if they are interested in doing research, searching for answer, and utilizing the knowledge, then they have the ability to do research. The level of people’s ability to do research may differentiate because academics have inadequate fields of experience. Individuals who have more experience can see the world wider than the less experienced one. Therefore, the doctoral graduates usually have more knowledge than the lower qualified individuals because they have more opportunity to discuss with their advisors and other people. It drives those individuals to produce more research work, on the other hand when examining the quantity of work we cannot justify the claim that the doctoral graduates have more amount of work than the lower one. It depends on personal interest thus, it can be concluded that lecturers who have different levels of education may have different level of r esearch. Doctoral graduates do research for finding new knowledge, while the lower graduates may do research for utilizing knowledge and researching something that surrounds them. I: What is the impact that you think research can eventually make on your professional development and your institute? N: Psychologists are needed where there is a human factor involved. Our industry needs psychologist to ensure extended support, counseling and to encounter conflicts and then providing resolution. The researcher should not stop creating ideas because if he stops, he may not reach the desired destination of contributing to knowledge. This institute has two main responsibilities. Research is the most important task in introducing new technology and new knowledge, and this can then be shown to the public in the form of academic service. Our institution supports and encourages lecturers to do continuous research projects that bring benefits to institution, agriculturists, other people, and specific private companies who are interested in technological development. Therefore, research is a main duty for institutional development.

Cookies Vs. Doughnuts :: essays research papers

Cookies and doughnuts are both yummy treats, but they also have their advantages and disadvantages. Cookies for instance can be produces with relative ease in any kitchen using flour, water, sugar and eggs. Doughnuts on the other hand are not usually made at home, hence all of the doughnut shops. This is one disadvantage to doughnuts; they are relatively difficult to produce. Doughnuts are made from the same ingredients as cookies, but they also have east in them to give them a more beadlike quality than unleavened cookies. Cookies are traditionally made by combining the ingredients listed and adding something like chocolate or nuts. The cookies are then baked at around 375 degrees for about eight minutes or until they are golden brown. They are then allowed to cool and then they are served. Doughnuts are not as simple as coolies. The dough must be prepared using flour, water, eggs, and then another ingredient; yeast, to add the tiny air pockets that make the dough rise and to make them so edible. After the dough has risen, it can be shaped into the familiar ring shape either by rolling it into snake-like portions or, more commonly, spreading the dough thickly over a flat surface using a device not unlike a cookie cutter. The popular doughnut shop, Krispy Kreme  ® has developed a doughnut extrusion process that results in their distinctive rosette shape with curved vertical ridges on the sides. After the dough is shaped, it is cooked using hot oil or fat. This oil is at a much higher temperature than that used to bake cookies. The dough is then cooked to produce a golden-brown crust on the outside while still maintaining a soft core. Sugar may then be applied. This consists of little more than putting sugar and flavoring on the outside of the doughnut in the form of icing, powered sugar, or a glaze which is which is a shell of sugar coating the doughnut. Cake doughnuts are also produced this way using fewer eggs to give them a less airy, more cake-like texture. Adding fruit or nuts to the dough before cooking can change this process, or jelly or custard may be added after cooking through injection.

Oppression and Resistance in Jamaican Reggae and Afro-Brazilian Music A Comparative Study of Race in Music and Culture :: essays papers

Oppression and Resistance in Jamaican Reggae and Afro-Brazilian Music A Comparative Study of Race in Music and Culture Cultural expression frequently serves as a lens to the conditions, historical and contemporary, of a society. Film, music, and literature often serve as an extension of oral traditions and can provide us not only with a glimpse into history but can also share with us the cultural impact of the past and give us a greater understanding of the present. In the countries of Brazil and Jamaica with similar histories of oppression, from slavery, to genocide, to crushing poverty and systemic racism, it is not surprising to see a similarity in the heightened consciousness in their music. Through analysis of the histories of Brazil and Jamaica, from slavery to the institutionalized systems of oppression, one can understand how such seemingly different musical traditions frequently share a common theme, resistance. "†¦a good part of the attraction of reggae music to its metropolitan audience is the anger and protest of the lyrics. We obviously face a contradiction between the message of urban poverty and protest which reggae conveys and that of pleasure and relaxation inherent in our holiday product. In short, when we promote reggae music we are promoting an aspect of Jamaican culture which is bound to draw attention to some of the harsher circumstances of our lives." -- Jamaica Tourist Board Memorandum, October 10, 1975 (Davis and Simon, 1977, p. 1) Jamaican reggae is music of protest that carries an angry message of poverty. Listeners worldwide often simply enjoy the swaying upbeats and melodies of reggae while giving little thought to the importance of the lyrics or the ‘harsh circumstances’ that have given birth to the music. Similarly, the music of Brazil has been neglected. Musical prejudices commonly lead to the association of subtle rhythms and light, casual melodies with bland music and not profound expression (Byrne, 1989, p. 2-3). However, the music of both cultures caries with them strong traditions of resistance. They both pay homage to their leaders and mythic figures and work to carry on in their tradition of resistance. The Maroon States In contrast to the thirteen colonies which were to become the United States of America, which were colonized by settlers seeking a new life in the West, the majority of the new world colonies were established to be financial ventures based on the exploitation and exportation of natural resources and the running of massive plantations.

Questions Regarding Darwin’s Theory Essay

Darwin’s theory of natural selection is revolutionary and he himself is aware of the many difficulties that critiques might throw at him. In his book, â€Å"The Origin of the Species,† he explored these difficulties beginning with the question as to why there are often no intermediate or middle forms between species that are closely related. His answer to this is that the tough competition in nature combined with the small number of intermediate forms often led to their extinction. Only the well-adapted species survive in the wild, and so intermediate forms that don’t have the most adaptive characteristics are easily wiped out from nature. One of the key ideas in Darwin’s theory is that adaptive characteristics in animals are formed through time by numerous tiny modifications. He then posed the question whether it is possible for an animal to acquire certain characteristics that don’t fit its requirements for adaptation. He cited the fact that in most cases, animals have intermediate features that are adaptive to their needs. Thus, for example, flying squirrels may have evolved from simple squirrels and bats may have evolved from flying lemurs (Wichler, 1961, p. 35). There are also invertebrates with very simple eyes that consist of nothing more than pigment-coated optic nerves. Animals with more complex eye structures could have evolved from these creatures with very simple eyes. Darwin stated that his theory could be debunked if it could be illustrated that there are complex organs in nature that did not develop through numerous slight modifications through time (Wichler, 1961, p. 55). He concluded that since he couldn’t find such a case in nature, then his theory still was still true. Evolution does not only manifest in the physical characteristics of organisms, but also in their behavior. Darwin addressed the question of the development of complex behavior by discussing the behaviors of slave-making ants and honey bees that construct hexagonal cells in their hives. He explained that there is a wide range of patterns of behavior among different species. Ants that depend on slavery to survive may have evolved from ants that don’t need such behavior to exist. Similarly, honey bees that make hexagonal cells in their hives may have evolved from honey bees that make circular cells in their hives to reduce the use of wax. He concluded that the behaviors or instincts of organisms are not specially created, but rather result from the process of natural selection where, in a population with varied behaviors, only the fittest survive and the unfit, perish (Wichler, 1961, p. 60). During Darwin’s time, the primary belief is that hybridization is not possible because species have features that prevented fertile and viable hybrids from existing, which preserved the separation of species. Darwin argued that this was not the case, and that the difficulty of producing fertile and viable hybrids differed from one species to another, especially among plant species. There are cases where what were believed to be completely different species resulted in fertile viable hybrids, and cases where organisms that were believed to be varieties under the same species couldn’t easily produce hybrids. Darwin concluded that his theory of natural selection supported the idea that there are no fundamental differences between varieties and species (Arthur, 1987, p. 12). Supporting Research on Darwin’s Theory of Evolution Since Darwin’s time, a lot of progress has been made regarding his theory of evolution through natural selection. Today, biologists all over the world have synthesized the developments that were made for many years, resulting in the new synthesis of evolutionary theory. This synthesis draws ideas from the many branches of the discipline of biology, namely: paleontology, ecology, morphology, botany, systematics, cytology, and genetics (Arthur, 1987, p. 9). The new synthesis became possible because of the introduction of a reliable model of heredity, and the reconciliation of this model with models of natural selection emphasizing gradual evolutionary modifications through time. Scientists accepted many facets of Darwin’s theory and rejected some. Thinkers like August Weismann and Alfred Russel Wallace advocated neo-Darwinism which heavily emphasizes natural selection as a tool of evolution. They rejected Darwin’s claim that acquired characteristics also play a part in evolution. Today, the core concept of neo-Darwinism is understood as natural selection driving evolution with variations generated by recombination and genetic mutation (Arthur, 1987, p. 32). The search for a reliable model of heredity consistent with Darwin’s theory of natural selection led to a long debate by proponents of two schools of though: Mendelism and biometrics. Mendelians believed in Gregor Mendel’s research which was previously conceived to be incompatible with Darwin’s theory of natural selection. They believed that Mendel’s conclusions are compatible with saltationism however, which demonstrated evolution through jumps or big mutations. Karl Pearson and other biometrics opposed the Mendelians claiming empirical evidence pointed to the fact that variation was evidently continuous and not discrete in many organisms. Thus, Mendelism couldn’t be combined with Darwin’s theory during that time, and the Mendelians and biometricians debated hotly for about 20 years (Arthur, 1987, p. 40). Synthesis between Mendel’s and Darwin’s work only became possible through research conducted by RA Fisher, Sewall Wright and JBS Haldane. Fisher demonstrated how continuous variation observed by biometricians could result from the actions of several different genetic loci. Through this research, Fisher was able to establish that contrary to popular thinking, Mendelian genetics was consistent with Darwin’s idea of evolution through natural selection. JBS Haldane supported Fisher’s work by applying mathematical analyses to instances of natural selection in the real world. Haldane concluded that natural selection may work at a faster rate in the real world than Fisher assumed. Sewall Wright’s work further facilitated the synthesis of evolutionary theory by demonstrating genetic drift through the interactions of genetic combinations and inbreeding in small isolated populations (Gould, 1979, p. 20). Work on evolution by field naturalists and population geneticists was synthesized by Theodosius Dobzhansky. In his work, Dobhansky showed that populations in the real world had more genetic variations than many population geneticists assumed. Dobzhansky demonstrated that Darwin’s natural selection maintained genetic diversity in the population and drove changes in the forms of species (Gould, 1979, p. 25). Dobzhansky’s work was complemented by another researcher, Edmund Brisco Ford. Modern ecological genetics draws heavily from Ford’s work that showed how natural selection worked in nature. Ford studied populations of wild moths and butterflies in nature, which verified Fisher’s predictions. Ford was also the first to define and describe genetic polymorphism and its role in human populations to provide protection against diseases (Williams, 2001, p. 45). The correlation between variations in different populations and environmental factors like climate was first established by Bernhard Rensch, a German biologist. Rensch’s work influenced Ernst Mayr who emphasized the significance of the geographical isolation of sub-populations in evolution (Williams, 2001, p. 50). The modern or new synthesis of evolutionary theory was further explored by George Gaylord Simpson who showed that paleontology was compatible with evolution. Simpson’s research was crucial because at that time, many paleontologists disagreed that natural selection was the driving force of evolution. Simpson explained how fossil records were consistent with the synthesized theory of evolution which depicted evolution as having irregular branches, instead of linear. Research on natural selection did not only focus on animals through the years. G Ledyard Stebbins, a botanist, contributed to the new synthesis by showing hybridization’s effects in some types of plants. After the many advances made in the 1930s and 1940s, the new evolutionary synthesis was refined even further by the works of John Maynard Smith, George C. Williams, and WD Hamilton. These scientists took Darwin’s ideas and refocused them to a view of evolution that concentrated on the genetic level. Today, the new synthesis, with Darwin’s discovery of natural selection at its core, encompasses other scientific fields and concepts such as genetics and DNA. New discoveries like these allow Darwin’s concepts to be analyzed mathematically, producing vital information on selection, speciation, and altruism. Darwin’s theory is continuously being reviewed by evolutionary biologists today. One interpretation of the theory is by Richard Dawkins who asserted that the only real unit of selection is the gene. Dawkins also applied Darwin’s idea of the survival of the fittest to realms outside biology. For instance, he utilized the concept of natural selection to analyze cultural memes. Scientists and experts from different fields are continuously reviewing Darwin’s theory to explore its usefulness to biology and other disciplines. Conclusion Charles Darwin’s seminal work on evolution through natural selection is very important in understanding how species attained their physical forms and specialized behaviors in nature. It debunked the belief that the forms of species are constant because they are reflections in the mind of god. Instead, Darwin showed that species are forever changing through tiny modifications in their physical aspects and behavior through time. Darwin was also the first to explore the fact that there are no significant differences between variations and species. While many thinkers of the time believed that different species cannot produce hybrids because they have characteristics that prevented them from doing so, Darwin showed how the difficulty of hybridization differed from one species to another. Thus, the tiny differences in the forms and behaviors of organisms are the essential driving force of evolution. Darwin’s theory was not solid however because of the lack of a reliable model of genetics to aide his observations. For this reason, Darwin accepted Lamarck’s view that acquired characteristics can also drive evolution. Darwin thought that the use and disuse of animals of their certain parts had effects on the evolution of a particular species. This flaw however, did not discredit Darwin’s more important observations on how natural selection drives evolution. The theory of natural selection is also important in understanding variations in organisms that exist today. Darwin was able to demonstrate how one species could have evolved from another to adapt to their environment. For instance, flying squirrels may have evolved from simple squirrels to get the food that they need to survive more easily. Complex structures of organs, such as a human’s hand, for instance, could have developed from the simple hands of a creature which other primates share ancestry with. Today, the concept of the survival of the fittest is not only important in the field of evolutionary biology but also in other disciplines, such as social theory and economics. Scientists today are continuously exploring Darwin’s ideas to develop more sound concepts. These concepts should be helpful in understanding how nature works and how humans might respond to its mechanisms. Humans can base agricultural and conservation practices on the many facets of Darwin’s theory to produce useful results in the real world. Evolution today is continuously happening and Darwin’s theory is a vital scientific tool to understand this process and apply it to real-world problems. References Arthur, W. (1987). Theories of Life: Darwin, Mendel, and Beyond. London: Penguin Books. Cuvier, G., et al. (2003). The Evolution Debate, 1813-1870. London: Routledge. Darwin, C. , et al. (1996). On evolution: the development of the theory of natural selection. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing. Endler, J. & A. Endler . (1986). Natural Selection in the Wild. New Jersey: Princeton University Press. Gould, S. J. (1979). Ever Since Darwin: Reflections in Natural History. New York: Norton Wichler, G.. (1961). Charles Darwin: the founder of the theory of evolution and natural selection. London: Pergamon Press. Williams, G. C. (2001). Adaptation and Natural Selection. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.

European Government and Politics Essay

The political system in Britain has seen the dominance of two parties and hence traditionally, Britain has a bi-party system. The Conservative Party, also known as the ‘Tories’ has existed since the 17th century while the present Labour Party has existed since the 20th century. Earlier, the principal opposition to the Conservatives was the Liberal Party, which later merged with the Social Democratic Party, forming the Liberal Democrats. Although Britain has a bi-party system, there are a number of other parties and the Liberal Democrats form the third largest party. The Conservative Party has been extreme rightist in political terms, in favour of complete privatization. This was particularly prominent during the Prime Minister-ship of Margaret Thatcher who came to power defeating the Labour Party in 1979. Under the Conservative leadership of Thatcher and subsequently John Major, the government followed policies of privatization and monetarism. The two policies were together known as Thatcherism. The Labour Party on the other hand belongs to the leftist orientation. In recent years however, it is adopting a more centre-left approach. Although the Labour has functioned since 1906, it came into prominence in the post World War II scenario with electoral win in 1945. however, the Labour went into opposition during 1951-1964 and 1979-1997. the Social Democratic Party was formed as a break away party by right-wing Labour MP’s. under the leadership of Tony Blair, the policies of the Labour Party were changed considerably. Political parties first appeared in Britain during the English Civil Wars of 1640 and 1650. among the first political parties in Britain were the Royalists and Parliamentarians, after that came the Tories (who were the patriotic party) and the Whigs (who wanted to reduce monarchical powers). The Conservative Party holds the claim to being the largest political party in the world. Apart from the two dominant parties and the third largest party, there are a number of other parties that function within the political milieu of Britain. These parties are – the UK Independence party, the Green Party, the Plaid Cymru (belonging to Wales) the Socialist Nationalist Party, the Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionist Party. However, it is the Labour and the Conservatives who are taken into account broadly, during the elections. The party which secures a majority of the votes polled is called upon to form the government and the leader of the winning party becomes the prime minister of Britain. Since the parliamentary form of government prevails in the UK, there is one real executive, the prime minister and the one nominal executive, the monarch. Also, the executive works in close collaboration with the legislative, with the prime minister’s Cabinet being formed by people who are members of the legislature. The grounds on which the major parties share similar views are – a free market economy, rule of law, nationalized health services and regarding Britain’s membership of the European Union and the NATO. However, the factors on which these parties are divided are taxation laws, dealing with poverty, the extent of state intervention in the economy and how to strike a balance between individual and collective rights. Although the politics and electoral process of the UK appears to be simple and straight forward, there has been one or two occasions when things were not as simple. For instance, in the 1951 and 1974 elections, the party with the fewer votes secured more seats in the polls. It shows that politics is unpredictable even in an apparently straight-jacketed political system having a political tradition that goes back hundreds of years. Germany : Politics in Germany or the political system in Germany is very different from that existing in both Britain. While there is a bi-party system in Britain, Germany is largely a multi-party system. However, unlike the multi-party political systems existing in other countries of the world, the German one is a ‘dominant multi-party system’, that is, politics is dominated to a great extent by two parties despite greater representation provided by other parties. Also, where as the political system in Britain has been in existence for centuries with minor changes over the years, the German political system is rather recent. The political system in Germany has been through two major shifts. Firstly, since its inception in its present form in 1949, German politics was dominated by the communist forces in the area under Russian control and the non-communist forces in the area jointly held by Britain, France and the US. The second shift occurred in 1990 when Britain, France, US and Russia withdrew from the country. Despite the second shift, the dominance of the Socialist Democratic Party and the Christian Democratic Union often in alliance with the Christian Socialist Union, both in existence since 1949, is there still. Nevertheless, since there are other parties and fragmented or multi-party representation, it has never been possible for either the SDP or the CDU/CSU to win a complete majority in the elections. It is at this juncture that the role of the other parties assumes importance because the support of these parties to either the SDP or the CDU helps form the coalition government. Germany therefore, is an example of perpetual coalition politics. The other parties include the Free Democratic Party, the Left Party and the Alliance 90 or The Greens. The centre-right is represented by the CDU/CSU and the centre-left by the SDP. The SDP and the Greens were in a coalition government from 1998-2005, after a sixteen year long government of Helmut Kohl, which was toppled by the grand coalition between the CDU/CSU and the SDP since 2005. SDP registered its lowest results since World War II in the wake of sweeping labour reforms that were announced in Agenda 2010. One important characteristic of German politics is the fact that funds for elections are essentially drawn from the public purse. The current Chancellor of Germany is Angela Merkel who had become the first female chancellor after winning the 2005 elections. France : The French political system is probably one of the most colourful political systems in the world in that it has a vibrant history. The left wing in France has gone through several phases starting with the Anarchists, Revolutionaries and Reformists of the early 19th century giving way to further splits in the post World War I period. Three broad divisions of the Old Left, the New Left and the Centre-left can be drawn today. The New Anticapitalist Party has been the culmination of the fragmented left in France and seeks to bring about a unity between the various bifurcations of the French left. The right wing can also be classified into three broad clusters of the Legitimists, the Orleanists and the Bonapartists. The dominant issue in French politics is that of the extent of government intervention in the economy. Naturally, the liberals are in favour of free market while the socialists prefer a limited governmental intervention and a welfare society. The political sphere comprises two parts – the left wing represented mainly by the French Socialist Party and the right wing represented previously by the Rassemblement pour la Republique (RPR) and presently by the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) which is neo-Gaullist in approach. The constitution of the Fifth Republic has transformed to a great deal over the years with further institutional reforms on the cards. The people have been influenced by the left wing for years but following trends of globalization, the left has found it difficult to hold its ground. Like in Germany, coalition governments have more often than not been the order of the day. In the end, one can conclude that while multi-party systems offer more representation, bi-party systems are more stable. Also, ideological differences are in most cases not rigid as has been demonstrated over time and can become accommodative according to the demands of the day. References Curtis, Michael & Ammendola, Guiseppe. (2002) Western European Government and Politics. Longman.