Saturday, August 31, 2019

Professional Growth Development Essay

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In every profession it is essential for an individual to develop and grow professionally. Leaning is a ritual aspect in professional development. Each day presents new demands that call for specified techniques in solving them. This paper studies career development for registered nurses working in the ICU.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first step an individual needs in personal growth is to personally understand themselves that is creating and having self-awareness. This involves an understanding of ones self what an individual is and where they are their own environment as well as their perceptions. When a person understands what and where they are the benefits he or she is likely to get one various like, it would enable the individual to establish the essential steps they need to take so as to be more competent in certain particular situation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In essence by establishing myself as an individual; I am able to establish the aspects within me that require development in order to be competent (Johnson 2003). This would also help me professionally, and as well to become the person I desire to be. Self-awareness offers a launch pad and foundation from where I can charter and enhance my development and thus the probability of becoming the nurse I want to be. The other benefit of self-awareness is that it enhances my individual sense of sensitivity and aids me to present myself in the way that I wish to as well as create the kind of impression I desire.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The other significant benefit about self-awareness is that an individual like me is able to communicate effectively (Johnson 2003). In view of the rational nature of the nursing profession as relates to practice; patients, families as well as the interdisciplinary health care organizations self- awareness is crucial as it provides me with a foundational knowledge of my self- understanding as well as self- knowledge. My individual familiarity with myself as a nurse that is born out of the realization of my self- awareness is a basis for self-acceptant as well as self-appreciation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  However for me as an individual to attain a high level of self awareness I have   to overcome certain personal factor that, become a barrier bas a tutor (nurse tutor/speaker) the fear is an emotional response that the nurse has to learn to deal with to achieve the full potential of self awareness. As a nurse I have to understand my personal fears as this would enable me get the support I need to progress and how to change to be the person I want to be. Additionally as a nurse I must be ready to change so as to be the person I want to be. I must abandon the â€Å"old† ways which have or were hindering me from being the teacher /speaker I want to be.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The individual nurse has to build within him/her as high level of self-esteem so as help develop the process of self-awareness. High self esteem makes an individual feel great about him/her self which makes it easy for self-exploration.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order to expand the level of my self-awareness as a nurse I should be able to involve myself with others through conversations so as to learn more about my personality. For instance a nurse I can engage myself with colleagues to understand who I am, and what the teaching professional is all about. She can also engage with students too. This I can achieve by; asking questions then sharing the response I receive with my colleagues. I can also adopt the approach of self-interrupted, where I periodically challenge the participants to offer examples as well as concepts learned up to that point (Jeff Menguin 1968).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The effect of dialogue is that it can help me to develop my self –awareness in two broad categories, when the nurse is expressing her/himself, she or he begins to develop the speech skills as well as self-understanding is raised to a new lever. The process of dialogue enhance the aspect of clarity that is needed both in speech and teaching skills similarly suggestions as well as observations the colleagues as well as students together with others would promote the level of awareness as relates to aspects of themselves that were initially unknown to them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second aspects for the nurse to consider while trying to develop his/her speech/teaching skills is the theory of critical thinking critical thinking can generally be defined as the intellectually disciplined process that an individual employs actively and skillfully to analyze, synthesize with the aid of concepts to evaluate information generated by observation or experience. Thus critical knowledge presents the individual with an integral competent in the development of self-awareness and its addition to reflection as a nurse enables them to understand their encounters. For instance as an nurse educator who has a problem of too much â€Å"teacher talk† and I make proposals to her colleagues as well as others is likely to find better solution to my discussion skills. The critical thinking process would enable me nurse to understand the other aspects that coalesce to form situation during my speech or teacher talk sessions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to Brookfield (1987) critical thinking involves first identifying as well as challenging the assumptions the nurse educator is likely to make. The nurses should then consider the significance of the context under which she operates and then explore as well as be very imaginative to find other alternatives. I can then engage in what is known as reflective skeptism. However it does not have to be in this sequence   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the best ways an individual may best achieve the best approach toward great critical thinking would be through reflections. As an individual nurse educator, I should try to flashback on my past experiences that helped my speech or teaching skills growth and those that as well as changed the speech /teaching skills, however these aspects could either be personal or professional. I should then analyze as well as evaluate my response to these situations like the kind of approach I took. Further I should look at what I normally do when attempting growth or change as relates to my profession as well as personal life. I should then consider the various results of my approach and whether the approach elicits the desired change or growth and finally consider the various steps I took to make the approach work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The third option involves the theory of envisioning, that is trying to imagine what may be. This theory presents the nurse teacher with a look and understanding at what they wish to be and therefore a chance to grow. For instance an individual who wants to change but engages in the same process to obtain the desired change will always have the same results and thus be in the same familiar position he or she does not want to be in. thus it is essential for one to reflect on their past experiences of growth as well as change in their lives to determine the degree of changes as well as growth envisioned and at the same time achieved was aided or influenced by their sense of recognizing the possibilities of the outcome.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In most cases the nurses’ educator may view the chances of growth as a result of her or his life experience. However it is prudent for the individual nurse educator to find ways to expand this vision of growth to become something achievable and desired.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In essence an individual’s thought process offers an essential component to expanding their vision as the thinking patterns greatly affects the process of vision. Creative thinking thus presents a very effective as well as efficient means to development growth and change if well incorporated to the critical thinking concept as well as that of reflection. The integration of these three processes is vital as they help to broader the individual’s vision and equal aids him or her in understanding as well as referring their options and or possibilities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The focus of creative thinking is usually based on â€Å"exploring ideas generating possibilities† as well as finding various correct answers instead of first a single answer (Harris, 1998). According to Harris (1998) creativity is the ability to appreciate new ideas and change and be ready to play with ideals as well as Charles, possibilities. In view of this definition a nurse educator may be able to develop my speech/teaching skills through the exploration of newfound ideas. Like in instances when I engage in discussions with my friends or colleagues both at personal and professional level I am able to find new ways to which I can make my presentations. This new developments may serve to enhance the educators speech /teaching skills   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are about five principle ways in which the creative thinking process is able to manifest itself; firstly there is the evolution process where the already existing ideas are broadly expanded as well improved on. This can be summarized as â€Å"a work in progress† in essence the nurse should by has learned or as well mastered. She can thus begin the process of synthesis that involves choosing an idea from two or more ideals. The chosen is an integration of the other thoughts resulting in a better way which she can present during her speech and at the same may be a best way to approach and make presentations to her audience. The third step of revolution process where a new idea that is considered best but is totally different from the previous one may be developed. For this case I can as a nurse during my presentations should look for new innovation ways even if they involve radically changing the already learned ideas. This may involve a new approach to new audience that she has not handled before to enable her meet their expectations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The fourth aspect of creative thinking involves reapplication of â€Å"old† ways to new situations for instance if in a previous speech certain phrases or processes worked and she or he is faced with a similar audience, she can reapply the same processes used. The final aspect would involve change of direction. This entails the speaker/teacher shifting attention for one perspective to another to fix the demanding situation.      References Combs A, 1962: Perceiving, Behaving A New Focus for education Association for   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Supervising and Curriculum Development, Washington DC Lemin K, 1947. Group Decision and Social Change in Reading In Social Psychology.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Holt, NY. Mentoring Relationships   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mark came up to me last week and broached the subject of mercy killing of terminally ill patients by medical staff. He explained how painful he is finding it attending to such patients feeling their pain, hearing them groan in pain and breaking the bad news to the kin. As an intern, this had taken toll on him and with time he would become disillusioned. We talked over the issue and discussed what the consequences would be. We have developed a tight professional bond since he was assigned to me as his mentor. We reinforce each other when the pressure is too much. Mostly, he draws from my large experience to find solutions to his problems while I rely on his youthful vigor that makes me feel rejuvenated at times when am hopeless. Our relationship is therefore complementary. Mentoring involves two individuals where a person acts as the guide who is more knowledgeable in a certain filed to a new entrant in that field. As the mentor I provide my protà ©gà © with source of information and advice. The protà ©gà © presents me with questions, observations and ideas for scrutiny and recommendations. This relationship is beneficial to us both in terms of profession growth. The protà ©gà © can always walk up to me whenever encountered with a problem. He or she is guaranteed of my accessibility and availability to discuss professional issues. In my interactions with my protà ©gà ©s, I recount to them the various instances my protà ©gà ©s have saved the day for me. I once overlooked a skin rash when diagnosing a patient only for my protà ©gà © to point it out to me. It later proved to be the key to our treatment. Some of my mentorship relationships are long-term others short term. They usually end once the protà ©gà © has gained enough knowledge. I usually wean off my protà ©gà © in terms of assistance or help with time as he or she gains more experience. Our relationship will continue till the point where the protà ©gà © is fully assimilated in that field. My mentoring relationships therefore are temporary processes with the aim imparting knowledge on new nurses in our hospital. Through this mentorship program we are able to enhances the ability of new employees to exercise their full career potential. (Developing mentoring)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Theoretical approach taught in schools cannot be fully relied on in the real world especially in the nursing world. A new nurse will need hands-on experience to learn how to carry out various delicate tasks. Instead of leaving a new nurse to grope in the dark, I provide him or her with tested and proven solutions or workable plans. As the protà ©gà © internalizes these skills, I gradually fade further into the background. I let him or her more freedom to work on his or her own without close supervision. The protà ©gà © is developing new knowledge and applies his or her original ideas to it. Over time, he or she acquires knowledge that would be useful in advancing his or her career. Mentorship does not necessarily come at the onset of one’s work life. It can also apply where an experienced individual in one field decides to practice in a different field. He or she will look for guidance from those who preceded him or her in that field. (Developing mentoring). When I decided to switch to being nurse educator ten after becoming a Registered Nurse, I armed myself with an MBA. But even with this theoretical base, I would not have matured into all rounded educator if the senior educators did not mentor me. They guided me on how to handle and motivate student nurses. Usually, the mentor will have undergone the protà ©gà © stage at a point in his or her life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Our mentorship program helps individuals achieve potential growth in their nurse careers. Inexperienced entrants gain confidence through our mentorship. When they start out, they fear that they will fail to live up to the professional expectations. They want to deliver but are not given full chance to prove their abilities. This is especially so in fields that requires maximum care in handling work. That is, when work involves delicate procedures such as nursing. Through our mentorship programs however, a person who has been through it all guides the new nurses through the operations of the hospital. We also give the protà ©gà ©s support in delicate organizational operations. We push for the protà ©gà ©s case to the hospital’s administration to ensure that the protà ©gà © is allocated more satisfying roles in the hospital. Our mentorship program also provides the protà ©gà ©s a forum to present their ideas.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  New entrants after observing operations and by applying knowledge learnt elsewhere may develop ideas to improve our operations. He or she will present these ideas to his or her mentor putting forward all major points of the idea, its merits and demerits and other issues such as cost. Together we brainstorm the issue to see how workable it is. We as the mentors straighten out any assumptions that the protà ©gà ©s may have wrongly made drawing from our advanced knowledge and our wealth of experience in that field or organization. This would give the idea a more realistic and workable face. We as mentors are also able to easily gain audience with the administrators to push for the adoption of the idea.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As a mentor, I also provide psychological support to new entrants who find the hospital environment to be too hostile. The first few days at work are usually frustrating to the point that some may consider quitting. Most of the workforce will not care how well a new nurse has adapted to the job. They expect speedy service and will grumble at the slow service offered by a new nurse. Some of the seniors are even very hostile to the new nurses.   We step in to reassure the protà ©gà © and make him or her (protà ©gà ©) to feel appreciated and welcome. I also provide an opportunity for the new nurses to make friends especially with my colleagues. This makes the new employee feel welcome. (Developing mentoring)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My mentorship services can either be formal or informal. Formal is the sense that its start can be traced to a particular time. Both my protà ©gà © and I know that we are getting into a mentorship program and both approve of it. Our roles are set out clearly for both of us. This mentorship program is mostly assigned in that the faculty allocates the protà ©gà © to me. It can also be self-appointed. Here, the protà ©gà © approaches and arranges with me for a mentorship services. This relationship is usually long and its results measurable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mentorship relations that are informal do not have a specific beginning time. It just happens that I find myself in a mentor-protà ©gà © relationship with another person. Rather it is not what we had set out to do. It’s the situation that makes one of us to rely on the other for guidance and counseling. This relationship develops due to another relationship in place between us. When it’s evident to both of us that we are in a mentorship relationship and approve of our roles we continue to play them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A new nurse may be inducted in to a hospital through an organized mentorship program usually by assignment. He or she learns the hospital’s style of doing things. Such a program ensures a new nurse fits in and is able to deliver quality service. It boosts his or her confidence and job security. Whenever I offer mentorship services, I achieve self-gratification and also strengthen my leadership skills.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What my protà ©gà © and I settle for depends on the issues at hand.   Different people will have different needs. As mentor I sometimes determine future job my protà ©gà ©. I usually encourage the protà ©gà © to raise his or her level of education to achieve faster rise through the ranks. I also provide guidance to my protà ©gà © on what line specialize in depending on his or her strengths. I also advise the protà ©gà © on how to avoid certain mistakes in their careers that would hinder their rise. (Developing mentoring)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My mentorship relationships are built on key individual characteristics found in both of us. We must have adequate understanding of each other. Only then can we help each other out. Only with good understanding of each other can we combine to set up goals. Both of us are more comfortable with each other and can open up more easily if we are familiar with each other. Another key characteristic is respect. I should not look down at a new nurse as incapable rather should see him or her as an individual with a potential to be exploited. I must believe in my protà ©gà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s abilities and treat him with dignity. Communication between us is key. Without a functioning communication, neither the protà ©gà © nor I would be in a position to put across ideas, questions or recommendation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We start by identifying the needs and determining our end goal. Then we put in place a clear plan indicating the specific roles of each party, and the formula for achieving our end goals. Then we develop the framework by which to adopt the plan. The program is then set up with regular appraisals done to determine its effectiveness. (Canadian Nurses Association, 2004)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The cost of a mentorship program is forbidding. It requires a lot of resources to set up. It is also prone to sabotage by either parties. The mentor may also take advantage of the protà ©gà © either financially or sexually. To prevent such problems I usually insist on meeting normal our meetings and in my office. Workplace Violence In my career so far, the worst experience I have had was to work under a menacing senior nurse as a greenhorn. She had a bad tempered and I took the worst of it. She would constantly shout and gesture at me. I could no right thing in her eyes no matter how hard I tried. She heaped blame on me on things that were even beyond me as an intern. What hurt me most was when I did a good job and expected praise only to get a reprimand for a certain commission. I started feeling that I was in the wrong career and almost quit in frustration. Only after I talked to another senior nurse who was my mentor did I regain my interest in my vocation. She told me to stand my ground and engage my senior in a reasonable controlled argument. She also told how to report the issue to the administration if the harassment did not stop immediately. When I did not back off when the bully came at me, it took her by surprise and she ended up breaking down. She explained her fears and hardships to me, which she wa s passing on to me. The behavior stopped immediately and my job became more fulfilling to me. When Rose, one of my protà ©gà ©s, approached me with the same problem, I related my experience to her. I told her that she should neither give up on her vocation nor accept bad treatment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Workplace violence is violence meted against employees of an organization. It could be across employees of the same rank who unite and make life hard for others or it would cut across different ranks. Here, the seniors mistreat the junior rank employees. Work place violence could be verbal or physical. It includes sexual harassment, racial slurs or mere rudeness. It can also occur from the customer being served. Some customers are very rude to the new employees when being served. Some jobs have higher risk of workplace violence than others.   Social work services and cab drivers are examples of work groups, which face a lot of hostility from customers.  Workplace violence meted to a junior officer by a higher rank officer is very prevalent. It even passes off as effective management. This is especially in high-tension work environment such as a theater in a hospital.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I always address the problem of work place violence when mentoring my protà ©gà ©s. I spell to them what is work violence, how to recognize it and the options open to the protà ©gà ©Ã‚  Ã‚   Nurses are usually the recipients of verbal onslaught and physical attacks b physicians. Nurses are also victims of attacks by their colleagues who gang up to victimize a targeted member or their workforce. The victims of these bullies have to deal with many accusations and insinuation that are untrue. The bullies usually blackmail their victims or just use threat of violence to stop them from reporting. When they zero in on a target, they are sure that they will not get punished making them bolder in their attacks. The victims recoil further unable to take any action.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bullying of nurses by fellow nurses is most unfortunate as this is supposed to be a team that functions together in provision of health care. Most of these attacks are prompted by jealousy especially where senior nurses see new recruits as having had an easier time when joining the profession. They brand them demeaning names and  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   withhold information from them. They sabotage their work and heap blame on the young entrants. The poor attitudes of the senior nurses are passed on to the physicians who also ridicule and harass the new recruits.   The new nurses are criticized at the slightest of mistakes. The bullies may make crude remarks or use non-verbal language to hit out at the recruits. They make work environment for the new nurses very hostile. (O’Reilly, Pauline, 2005)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I usually present to my protà ©gà ©s the effects of this violence on new nurses in the long run.  When faced by continued bullying, most nurses want to quit. They were previously enthusiastic about the vocation and had great ideas in mind on how to care for their patients. Not being given a chance to develop into fully skilled careers frustrates them. They become disillusioned and want to leave. Constant intimidation and humiliation leaves them greatly dissatisfied. This leads to high turnover of nurses as more nurses quit causing acute nursing shortages. Most of them will quit at the first opportunity o getting on their job. Others will even opt for a lower paying job than nursing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bullying also harms the victims both bodily and mentally. New nurses feel unappreciated and disliked for their hard work. The constant reminders about their failures get to them. They cannot get an outlet from constant pressures and threats. The workload is made much more difficult by withholding of some necessary information. Hospital administrations do not provide an avenue for them to air their grievances. In fact they are supposed to forward their complaints through the same nurses who oppress them. Pushed to a corner, they develop escapist tendencies such as drug abuse, alcoholism and depression. They also exhibit other characteristics such as insomnia, general unkemptness, irritability and sheer timidity. They experience burnout and may suffer from nervous breakdown. Some may even turn suicidal due to the frustration.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some victims of bullying internalize the inferiority complex. They see the whole process as a rite of passage that everybody must undergo. They take the abuse in their stride and will act timidly lest they provoke the bullies. They feel that at one time it will be over. Instead of actively fighting the oppression, they expect that through their passiveness they will gain acceptance and be spared from further attacks by the bullies. (O’Reilly, Pauline, 2005)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To the hospitals, they get reduced productivity from their nurses. There is huge nurse turnover as more nurse’s walk away. High turn over leads to high cost of training and recruitment affecting the hospitals bottom line. Nurses who remain have a big workload and this hurts the quality of service delivered. This is serious having in mind the sensitivity of healthcare provision. The hospital also misses out on creative ideas and innovation that the new nurses would have implemented. They are not only denied a chance to air them but it is also constantly drummed into them how useless they are. If some of these ideas had been considered, hospitals would make huge steps towards achieving better service delivery and cost cutting and increase efficiency. When the hospital administrations allow the vice to go on unabated, they are killing growth opportunities that would have otherwise been available to them at very low cost. Nurses cannot attempt anything new for fear that it does not take off, it would lead to further attacks and humiliation or even loss of jobs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most bully nurses are arrogant, inhumane and selfish. They fall back onto threats and intimidation when running their workplaces. They fear new nurses who might have better qualifications and who might replace them at some point. To wad off this threat, they attack the perceived rival. They are not open to any different point of view and will enforce their view on everybody.   They usually hold a key supervisory role earned through domination of those under him or her. They expect everybody to rise through the ranks slowly just as they did no matter the qualifications. In their roles they use coercive force. Victims of bully attacks are usually new nurses who are very enthusiastic about putting skills they learn in to use. They are ambitious which the senior nurses interpret as a threat. (O’Reilly, Pauline, 2005)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In general, the patient stands to loose when bullying is allowed to escalate. Bullying kills team effort among the nurses of different ranks. These nurses and physicians are supposed to operate as a team in order to save lives. Disharmony among nurses would have negative impact on quality of health care. It may even lead to loss of lives. This would spark off another blame game, which would most probably point at he new nurses.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To overcome bullying in hospitals, the administration should put a stop to the vice. They should put in measure that allow for reporting and prompt penalizing of bully attacks. They should put it clearly that all workers of the hospitals should be treated with dignity and respect.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The administration should also organize for effective communication avenues for the hospital staff. Junior nurses should access the hospital management at all times. The hospital administration should enhance communication between the various work groups. Bonding sessions and team building activities should be organized. The hospital should make the nurses to feel appreciated and wanted not as free riders that should be admonished. Higher ranks of hospital staff especially senior nurses should be made to be supportive of the junior nurses in their early period of the careers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another strategy to overcome bullying in hospitals would be to encourage the victims to take up Non-Violent Communication. This means that while they do not absorb the vilifications and abuses, they do not react in the same manner used by the bullies. They counter them by calm firmness and engaging them in controlled argument. The victims should maintain a record of the attacks and keep on reporting to the authorities. In this endeavor victims should come together in a one non-violent but firm voice. (O’Reilly, Pauline, 2005)   Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  References O’Reilly, Pauline, RN, MN, 2005. Professional Growth: Fostering Psychologically Health Professional Relationships. BCIT, School of Health. Developing mentoring Canadian Nurses Association, 2004. Achieving Excellence in Professional Practice: A Guide to Preceptorship and Mentoring. Developing Programs for preceptorship and Mentoring. Retrieved on 10/24/07 from http://www.cna-nurses.ca/CNA/documents/pdf/publications/Achieving_Excellence_2004_e.pdf

Friday, August 30, 2019

Philosophy of Education Idealism

The Philosophy of Education Ideals A standard by which we Judge things In our existence. Simple apprehension our intelligent apprehends or understands the nature or substance or essence of things. The essence is represented by an idea in the mind by the mind. Once an idea is formed, we compare it with another idea and pronounce their agreement or disagreement of one idea with another idea and we come up to Judgment. A philosophical approach that has as its central tenet (belief, view) that ideas are the only true reality and the only thing worth knowing.Emphasizes the study of man more and more because man is endowed with higher intellectual powers and show greater level of intelligence and discrimination and by his own moral and spiritual activities he has created. Idealism recognizes Ideas, feelings and Ideals more Important than material objects and at the same time emphasizes that the human development should be according to moral, ethical and spiritual values so that he acquires the knowledge A philosophical belief and outlook that material things do not exist Independently In the physical world but only In mind.A father of Idealism A Greek philosopher, who was remarkably equipped with natural endowments Plato did not think that man created knowledge. Rather, man discovered knowledge and always have stressed the Importance of mind over matter Plat's method of dialogue engaged in systematic, logical examination of all points of view†¦ Plat's idea was that the philosopher-king must be not only a thinker but also a doer. Dialectic (Socratic Method): A method of reasoning In which the conflict or contrast of Ideas Is utilized as a means of detecting the truth. Christian philosopher to formulate the doctrines of his religion in the most comprehensive and enduring manner take the position that matter might exist, but in a generally detrimental way. The search for truth is a search for God, and a true education leads one to God George W. F. Hegel A Gamma Heg el was sensitive to change. Change, development, and movement are all central and necessary in Hedge's logic. Ralph Wald Emerson An American Developed a variety of idealism known as transcendentalism Frederica Forbore based on kindergarten theory of idealism.

Book summary of “Montana 1948” Essay

Race, social status and gender are three factors, in which society uses to judge people. Although many people do not agree with this aspect, our society embraces it by categorizing all people under theses three factors. Those who consider themselves to be better then others, attempt to belittle those whom they consider to be weaker. These people are often known, as the Fringe of society. Montana 1948 is an excellent example of this struggle between the weak and the strong. Montana 1948 is a very good example of what it was like to be part of the fringe of society. The author does an extraordinary job at depicting certain struggles of power between the characters in the book. The reason these struggles are so easy to pick up on is because the narrator describes the characters to full detail. This allows for a further enhancement of the book to which you can become more acquainted with the characters. There for you can predict the struggles between characters. One of the main struggles in this story is between the Fringes of society and those who have power. By power I mean those who are able to speak for themselves and defend themselves. Good examples of power, in the society of Montana 1948, are the white men. Those who would be considered a fringe would be the Native Americans, women, and children. It is obvious, in the story, that men had the power. The male characters in the book prove this; such as Wes, his father, and Frank. Each character has a certain overpowering attitude over the other. Wes being the character, which most frequently shows up in all the scenes, is able to take over the scene with his overpowering attitude. This is true because several occasions in the book demonstrate the wife’s reluctant ness to make decisions on her own there for always seeking Wes’s approval; † If my mother said it, it was so, yet my father’s confirmation was still necessary† page 43. This demonstrates the superiority that Wes had over the family, hence putting the wife on the fringe of the household. Frank on the other hand is more of an easy going character, but since he was a doctor and was his fathers favorite, he is given more liability and credit over Wes. â€Å"Frank was witty, charming, at smiling ease with his life and every thing in it. Along side his brother my father soon seemed somewhat prosaic. Oh, stolid, surely, and  steady and dependable. But inevitably, inescapably dull. Nothing glittered in my father’s wake the way it did in Uncle Frank’s†, page36. In this case Wes has always had to struggle with Frank over favoritism over their father. This favoritism is apparent when their father gets up in front of a large crowd to address his son Frank as a war hero, † Now I’d like to bring my son up here.† Page 37. The favoritism is also imminent in the way the father addressed the speech, † He simply said â€Å"my son.† And why wouldn’t the county sheriff be called on to make a small speech?† page37. The last character, which is considered to be the most powerful in the book, and a scene-stealer, is Grandpa. Obviously as the head of the family he has power over his sons, but his high social status and wealth also puts him above and beyond most people. This power to which he attains allows him to do most anything he pleases, without having any confrontations from the towns people. â€Å"He didn’t call for silence. That wasn’t his way. He simply stood there; his feet planted wide, his hands on his hips†page37. â€Å"He assumed that once people saw him, they would give him their attention. And they did† page37. This example clearly demonstrates the Grandpas superiority over all the people. These where the main characters, in the story, and they demonstrated what it was like to be above the Fringe. Being part of a fringe, means that you do not have much say around others. Native Americans are a common example of what a fringe is like. They isolate themselves from the town, because white people put down Native Americans due to their race. Native Americans are not the only people part of the Fringe. At times women may be considered that also. For they are not described by the narrator as much as men, hence showing favoritism of men over women by the author. It is true that Native Americans and women are not as socially high as men.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Crime By Social Norms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Crime By Social Norms - Essay Example Psychological defect refers to undesirable elements like anger, greed, lust, envy or jealousy, pride, sloth or laziness, gluttony or over-indulgence and over-consumption of food, drink, or intoxicants, to the point of waste. Each of these undesirable elements are like people fighting each other to gain control of the ego or sense of individual existence; which is why some people become greedy, lustful, paranoid because jealousy, and dependent on others because of laziness. These defects can be compared to the hidden faces of the moon, that is, when this hidden part is lighted, the defect manifests. This is why some become greedy, lustful and envious. Despite this, it is important for these defects to manifest in order that a person can learn how to control or suppress them. These psychological defects are usually hidden in the consciousness. They are the source of pain and suffering, like jealousy that divides home and family, lust that generates adultery, rape, sexual harassment (es pecially against women), betrayal and polygamy, greed which can lead to exploitation of employees, and lastly, anger and impatience which leads to harm of either to self or to others. These defects can be suppressed or reduced if self-control or discipline is increased. These major sociological theories of crimes explain that crimes are based on the social environment, e.g. family, peer group, school, workplace, community and the society itself. These theories are strain, social learning, and control theory. Other social theories of crime include labelling, social disorganization, and critical theory. Each of these theories differs from each other because they focus on specific or individual factors which results to a criminal act. The strain theory of crime posits that crimes are committed in order to decrease or escape from the strains a person experiences like financial problems, as defense from physical and psychological stressors, like sexual abusers. There are two general categories of strain that contribute to crime. First is, when another person prevents you from achieving your goals, and secondly, when another person takes valuable things from you with a negative or noxious stimuli. An example of this theory is, a man who is broke who robs a woman in order to reduce his financial problems. Another example would be a woman who kills her husband in order to end his abuse to her. In this situation, psychological defect becomes a source of the crime. In the situation of a woman killing his husband, her hatred, and a psychological defect pushed her to kill his husband to end his abusive acts to her.Social learning theory of crime says that crimes are committed by a person who learned criminal acts by assoc iating with other people engaged in criminal activities. According to this theory, people associated with certain group of people engaged in criminal activities are prone to commit a crime and have positive beliefs in committing crimes. They view crimes as something desirable or at least justifiable in certain situations. These people commit crimes in order to get attention, for money, pleasure derived from drugs, and approval from friends or peer groups. An example of th

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Essay for Univerisity Masters Application on Myself and why i want to

For Univerisity Masters Application on Myself and why i want to apply - Essay Example In taking a Bachelor of Arts in Global Management, my eyes have been opened to the world of possibilities that are really out there. Learning from my instructors and fellow classmates has been the most enjoyable experience of my time so far because I get the opportunity to learn each day, which is something I think that only a rare few of us ever get to take advantage of. My time in education so far has instilled a strong work ethic that was not previously as strong before. The results that I have achieved pay testament to a new change of mindset, and it is something that I will look to carry on well into the future now that I have witnessed firsthand the benefits of implementing such a change. Although university has been great from an analytical point of view, it has been the opportunity to gain real world experience that has done wonders for my knowledge and confidence. I secured my first notable employment in 2011 at Siza Holdings, where I learnt the various aspects of office administration. At first I felt like I was thrown into the deep end, but in hindsight this was actually a positive step for me because it forced me to grow up very fast. I quickly learnt how to deal with mail and filing and also to respond to emails. The two years that I worked at Siza gave me a solid working base from which I have added to further. Over the summers of 2012 and 2013, I was fortunate enough to diversify my working experience with Club Interiors and interning with Royal Spades. These opportunities showed me a different side of the management field. Although I was only there for a short time, Club Interiors was invaluable for me both personally and professionally because I was working as a personal assistant to a junior designer there. While I was not actively involved in discussions with clients, I was able to observe and ask many questions of the PA who I was working alongside. The following year at Royal Spades was a great time for

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Politics of contemporary Middle East & North African Essay

Politics of contemporary Middle East & North African - Essay Example A historical perspective The history of Egypt was changed after the Arab conquest of 641. The military commander Amr ibn al As initiated the processes of the Islamization and Arabization. From the ninth century Egypt was ruled by strong autonomous dynasties and the destiny of the country was in the hands of hereditary dynasties (History of Egypt). Adelson stated: The Middle East, if I may adopt a term which I have not seen, will some day need its Malta, as well as its Gibraltar; it does not follow that either will be in the Persian Gulf. Naval force has the quality of mobility which carries with it the privilege of temporary absences; but it needs to find on every scene of operation established bases of refit, of supply, and in case of disaster, of security. The British Navy should have the facility to concentrate in force if occasion arise, about Aden, India, and the Persian Gulf (Adelson, 1995). North Africa underwent substantial changes in the 5th century. Tunisia was invaded by E uropean tribes. Starting from 7th to 15th centuries Tunisian population experienced numerous migrations and Jews and Hispanics Muslims entered this country. Tunisia as Arab cultural center was known as the Turkish Ottoman Empire until it was protected by France in 1881. Starting from 1956 this country gained independence, but there is still a close connection with France on political, economic and cultural levels (History of Tunisia).   According to John Foster Dulles,  the Middle East is "the area lying between and including  Libya  on the west and  Pakistan  on the east,  Syria  and  Iraq  on the North and the Arabian peninsula to the south, plus the  Sudan  and  Ethiopia" (Davison, 1960). Sir Ignatius stated that  Middle East  means "those regions of Asia which extend to the borders of  India  or command the approaches to India" (Adelson, 1995). Current events The main common feature between Tunisia and Egypt is a repressive regime, which is appr opriate for other Middle Eastern autocracies (Egypt and the  Middle East:  revolution  or evolution?) In spite of a social turmoil, it is relevant to note that Tunisia is â€Å"an economically successful state† (Dunne 2010). In accordance with data of the World Economic Forum's  Global Competitiveness Index 2010  Tunisia  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœgained the lead’ in comparison with Poland,  Italy and  Spain. In 2010 Tunisia was â€Å"a country for tourism, not terrorism† (Burger 2010). Social support of the government enabled pregnant women to receive prenatal care; there were favorable conditions for businessmen to start their business in 11 days (Burger 2010). In spite of the mentioned data, an oppressive regime of President Zine el-Abidine Ben Alikept has been an issue of a great concern for Tunisian society. 90s were marked by imprisonment of more than 10,000 political opponents, Islamists, or ‘suspected enemies’ (Burger 2010).  There was no cha nce to criticize Tunisian government. Tunisia was known as the country with the most repressive regime. Among Middle Eastern dictatorships,  Tunisia  was considered one of the most repressive. Thus, a current protest of public in Tunisia is often compared to a ‘dog who barks in a desert’ (Burger 2010). Voiceless people are not afraid and finally express their ideas versus their government, their real

Monday, August 26, 2019

Social Inequalities in US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Social Inequalities in US - Essay Example John Adams fully comprehended the paramount principles of equal natural rights and he reckoned with the question with the inequalities in a constitution of a people. It was achieved through the careful institutional arrangement. However, Massachusetts’s citizens criticized and rejected the constitution that excluded Negroes, Indians and mulattoes from the state voting process. He realized the need to distinguish the nature’s unequal distribution of activity from the artificial inequalities that subverted the foundation of liberty and a people’s decency. Given the inevitable nature of inequality the statesman’s though was directed at reducing its effects and promoted the conversion of â€Å"natural aristocracy† to betterment of the society. This has greatly facilitated for awareness and fight for equality. Racism is less predominant among the Americans in recent times in comparison to earlier times. Earlier in the United States’ history, racis m resulted in African Americans being treated as second class citizens, and denied the rights to do many things including vote and go to school with white children and lived in slavery or servitude for a significant proportion of American history. There have been marked changes in the way that races have been treated as American history has progressed, and African Americans as well as other races are now legally considered equals to whites. This is evident by the recent election Barrack Obama, an African American as their 44th US president. His election on the contrary has not ended racism but has propagated its transformation However, a survey conducted by a prominent writer and educator at Harvard, wise, shows that 11 percent of the whites in America still are slaves of being racist, treating people differently because of their race. Another aspect of equality is the issue of class. People exist in different classes, such as those who are wealthy and the poor, and those who come f rom different social background. It is common for people of a higher class to consider themselves superior to others. For example, even in the present time, many people who have enough money to own a house and live well look down on people who are not able to do this, often refusing to associate with them. Nevertheless, class relations have become better throughout American history, as people of lower class are no longer treated as slaves or servants, and are no longer prohibited from knowing or marrying those of a higher class. The recent improvement of security improvement among the middle and low class has greatly equalized the social class problem. Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the most profound civil right movement’s spokesmen and asserted for civil rights for African Americans on constitutional grounds. He emphasized on the legitimacy of the constitution in relation to the civil rights demonstrations. As the civil rights movement gained victory it revealed the vict ories in the terms of equality that were fought by the African Americans. Introduction of rights into the composition discourse is an example of a successful fight for equality to further develop racial equality by addressing literary issues. In the United States there has been a major improvement on issues regarding gender equality. Most women, in the 21st century, have benefited greatly from gender equality. Nevertheless some women still experience increased equality as a threat as imposing costs on them are augmenting. Post World War II has provided the necessity for

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Remote Sensing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Remote Sensing - Assignment Example The assignment "Remote Sensing" talks about the topography maps and what colours are used to describe different areas on this kind of maps. The bright color of the area A on a map shows an area on the earth surface without vegetative cover. Featured area A is possibly a snow-capped area in the landscape. Featured area A may also represent a well that has liquids such as natural gas or body of water. The feature A is visible around mountain areas in a streaming shape that shows the flow in the direction towards low altitude areas. Featured area A reflects light to produce a different color from the area B and C. Assuming Landsat scale resolution of 1800 by 1200, the length of the feature at A is 3 miles. The Bright dots beside B show areas of that do not have vegetation cover. Exposed areas appear brown in the satellite image compared to areas at B that have vegetation cover. Although the bright spots do not appear very similar to feature A, they depict relations. Bright dots are a small representation of feature A. The white color suggests C is an area at the mountaintop; the bright color is because of sunlight reflection. The area at the tip of the mountain has no vegetation. The region consists of bare rocks that reflect back sunlight. The topography of the area is mountainous the altitude rises towards C with region C suggestively mountain top with no vegetation characterized by the bright colors. Towards regions A and B, the altitude falls with regions B representing a flat base of the low altitude region.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

The PROS and CONS ofImplantingInformation Chips in Humans Essay

The PROS and CONS ofImplantingInformation Chips in Humans - Essay Example Due to reason, several eras has come in healthcare practice to improve the medical record system of patients to the highest logical point. As the debate rages on how medical record system can be improved, scientists have been swift in incorporating technology into the whole system. With something that started with the need to switch from paper records of patients to computer database software in keeping records of patients, we today have proposals on implanting chips in people to keep their medical records. The device is known as the implantable medical ID. Stein (2004) explains that the device is â€Å"a microchip that can be implanted under the skin to give doctors instant access to a patient's records.† Already, the proposal to implement the implantable medical records has won government approval. For now, the best thing to do is to continue detain on the pros and cons of the device and technology to come to a logical conclusion on whether or not the system would be helpful in the discharge of medical duties. Pros Already, there are health gurus who have approved of the use of the implantable medical ID and have started using them already. ... Therefore if there is the need to switch hospital at any point in time or travel inter-state, the records of the user will be ready as and when they are needed. The second point has to do with the safety of the system. Clearly, papers get burn or soaked with water and computer software gets corrupted or crashed. Any of these situations temper with the safety of records. With the implantable medical ID however, the records remain intact as long as the patient is alive. Yet again, the implantable medical ID is very reliable in emergency situations. Indeed medical emergencies come unannounced and therefore make the need to going to get a person’s records in times of medical emergencies very difficult. With the implantable medical ID however, a patient does not have to worry about emergencies because the device caters for that. It is always available and reliable. These points are supported by Merrill (2009) who states that the implantable medical ID â€Å"was designed to provide his identification and immediate access to his medical history in the event of an emergency.† Cons The beautiful advantages discussed above notwithstanding, the implantable medical ID come with a number of cons or disadvantages. There are commentators who argue as to whether or not the implantation and its removal themselves do not pose health risks and threats. There are many critics who are of the view that even though it is easier implanting the chip, removing it can be very complicated. John Halamka, MD, CIO at Harvard Medical School and CareGroup in Massachusetts, for instance laments that â€Å"it’s easy to insert but challenging to remove. I have no plan to have mine removed† (Merrill, 2009). The second demerit has to do with the cost involved in

Friday, August 23, 2019

MACROECONOMICS Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

MACROECONOMICS - Assignment Example In economics, the guiding principle is to never lose, every amount of money leaving ones coffers must always earn more to the business. This increased influx of money is likely to lower the interest rates in the current market. Interest refers to the additional value that money earns especially from debtors. Money lending is a big business opportunity for banks; they give out money and retain a security which could be in the form of a motor vehicle logbook or a land title deed. When the debtor pays the money back to the bank, he pays a little more, the additional amount is referred top as the interest and is the profit that the banks get from such risky undertakings. Incase the debtor fails to re-service the loan; the security is sold to meet the defaulted amount. The policy is aimed at making the bank having more capital base and liberalizing ther money market. By increasing the amount of money the economy becomes more stable, however, this must be done very cautiously to avoid instances of devaluation. Devaluation of currency is a case in which the value of an amount is lowered. This is different from recession in which more money equally purchases very little in that this is done by the government knowingly with an aim of later strengthening the economy from some of the benefit it tags along. Recession has no benefit whatsoever and is in fact a portrayal of an economic crisis (Miller 133). The figure represents some miss-measurements since just as stated; the resultant figure should be zero. The economies in the world are self fulfilling, some could be very poor like that in Zimbabwe while others could be very strong such as the American but when al these are totaled up, the resultant figure is a zero and a failure to get a zero reflects discrepancies. The pattern is very clear, the developed countries are lending while the developing countries are borrowing. Borrowing is a sign of weakness and plays an integral role in the

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Family Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Family Issues - Essay Example Marriage is one of the most fundamental and indispensable social institutions present in human society. This main purpose of an institution of marriage is to satisfy the sex needs of the individuals in a socio-cultural and legal manner. When I think of getting married, my mind cares about my parents, because I want my wife to deal with my parents as I deal with them or better. My parents are very important to me for many reasons. For instance, my mother carried me for nine months in her womb. Secondly, my father cared about me and paid for everything I needed. As such, when I think of getting married, the first thing I will worry about is my parents. I will live in my parents’ house. Therefore, I will do my best to find the wife who is going to respect and deal with them in an ideal way. The sexual intercourse is one of the most important factors in family’s life. Undeniably, no family can live without it. In absence of sexual satisfaction, the couples will turn immoral. In some cases, it leads the wife or the husband to find another sexual partner. There are many positions some of which are pleasant, painful, and others tedious. I will also try other suitable positions as advised by a private medical doctor when my wife is pregnant. Some are however specific to pregnant women and during menstruation. Others are specific for diseases, and stress positions for heart patients and back pain. I believe having a new sexual experience and techniques will make the sexual intercourse more interesting, spiritual, and fun for both of us.

Taste - Guangdong Essay Example for Free

Taste Guangdong Essay All over the world every culture has a unique and special cuisine. Each cuisine is very different because it can range from the different tastes to the different methods of cooking the food. However Chinese cuisine and American cuisine stand out the most because they are completely different and value different things. Chinese cuisine is a very versatile type of cuisine because there are many styles of Chinese food that make up the Chinese cuisine. These styles of Chinese food originate from the many provinces in China. Like the Chinese cuisine, American cuisine is also very diverse, but most of the cuisine is a combination of many different culture’s food styles because America was the melting pot for many ethnic backgrounds. Therefore American cuisine is made up of many other culture’s cuisine. Because of these varieties, both these cuisines are able to attract a great group of people which makes them favorites of many people all over the world. In China many of the people love eating different styles of food because they offer so many different tastes. There are a total of 8 styles of culinary arts; a few are Cantonese, Szechuan, Hunan, and Zhejiang. Cantonese style comes from the Southeast Coast next to Hong Kong and the cuisine is the most popular of all because the chefs value the sweetness of their dishes. Cantonese cuisine is so popular because when Chinese immigrants came to America they introduced it to the western world. Another popular style of cuisine is Szechuan and it attracts many people with a love for spicy food. This style originated from the middle part of China, and values the use of spicy sauces and spicy pastes to create dishes that give the people’s taste buds a sensation. The next style is Hunan which originated from the East part of China, and is most known for its spicy food too. This style is very similar to the Szechuan style, but the chefs tend to use fresh and dried peppers rather than sauces. Also Hunan dishes appear to be more attractive than Szechuan style because most of the dishes are not covered in sauce and paste like the Szechuan style. Overall both of these spicy styles are equally as delicious. One last style is the Zhejiang style which comes from the East Coast of China, and known for its freshness, tenderness, softness, and crispness dishes. Because this style originated from the coast, most of the food is seafood. There are many traditions to Chinese cuisine. All the dishes are served separately either on a plate or in a bowl. Never is one’s food served all on one plate. Then there is an empty plate for you to put your food. Another tradition is that it is ideal to eat more of the dishes than rice because rice is a complimentary item during each eating course. The main utensil for eating Chinese cuisine are chopsticks, and it has many uses ranging from grabbing food to drinking soup. All in all, Chinese cuisine is very unique and something worth trying. Because America was the melting pot, American cuisine includes Latin, Asian, and European tastes. Latin styles of cooking introduced the use of beans and flour. With flour, the American cuisine produces a lot of breads and wraps. Asian cooking introduced the sweet and sour taste and rice became one of the major sources for Americans to get their daily need of whole grains. Also, Asian cuisine introduced soy and the many uses of fish. Lastly European styles of cooking introduced delicacy of luxurious pastas and desserts. Like Chinese cuisine, there are also many traditions. American cuisine is usually served on a plate with all the dishes. The utensils used are mainly a spoon, knife, and a fork to pick up and cut the food. In conclusion, American cuisine is diverse because of America being a melting pot for many cultures to combine and form this type of cuisine.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Industrial Disturbances in Cities: Case Study of Nigeria

Industrial Disturbances in Cities: Case Study of Nigeria THE PERCEPTION OF INDUSTRIAL DISTURBANCES IN NIGERIAN CITIES: A GEOGRAPHICAL APPRAISAL OF  BENIN- CITY A. 0. Atubi Abstract The major aim of this research work is to determine the perception of industrial disturbances by Benin City residents. This refers to the disturbances created by the availability of heavy manufacturing industries around residential areas of the city. For this purpose, a total of 158 residents were sampled, to generate the data for this research. Multiple correlation analysis was used to test for the significance between the perception of residents who live close to industrial establishments and those who live far off. This revealed that 58% of residents in the study area perceive industrial disturbance as caused by industries around their neighbourhood, leaving 42% unaware to ignorance, indifference etc. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistics and chi-square test were also used. The overall findings of this research bring to the fore the fact that a high percentage of Benin-City residents are not aware of industrial disturbances. Introduction Although the level of industrialization in Nigeria is still very low, its growth rate in the recent past has been significant. This growth rate was largely due to the availability of a large investible capital in the mid 70s (owing to oil revenues) and a growing commitment on the part of government to planned economic growth. Industrial growth is not likely to diminish drastically because of the growing awareness of the need to produce most essential commodities locally and more recently the ban slammed by the Federal Government of Nigeria on the importation of goods, which can be produced locally. Consequently, industrial expansion is likely to continue, in spite of, or even because of the present economic depression. The industrial establishments arising from these processes are located within the framework of a low level and primate pattern of urbanization. Industries spring up in tens annually and most of these are located alongside residential areas in most state capitals and urban centres where women spend 3/4 of their time engaging in various economic activities (Uchegbu, 1998). Consequently, the few urban centres in Nigeria have tended to be the monopolistic locations of these industries. There are now more than 3,000 industries of various categories in the country with about half of this number located in Lagos metropolis alone (Uchegbu, 1998). Perhaps, a more compelling reason for examining the mental images or perceptions people hold of the emerging industrial environment in our cities relate to one underlying assumption regarding the attitude of developing countries to environmental issues. The view is widely held that a major concern and pre-occupation in most developing countries is with economic growth and development and that people are indifferent to and place low premium on environmental quality. This attitude arises from a perception that economic growth and environmental quality are mutually exclusive. Environmental problems/disturbances can be in form of soil erosion, pollution, flood, deforestation, bio-diversity loss, and degradation, quarry and mining problems etc (Adedibu, 1997; Ajayi, 1997 and Odetunde et. al., 1998). Environmental degradation, in general terms, refers to the process that may act to force the condition of a part of the earth’s surface of its surrounding atmosphere to become unpleasant or less useful to man (Akinyele, 2000). The natural environmental settings covers the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere (Olorunfemi and Jimoh, 2000). Within these spheres are a number of interactions that propelled the different types of human related activities. The term environment literally means surroundings, circumstance or influence (Ajibade, 2000). Environmental pollution is a diverse problem experienced all over the globe today, this experience cuts across both the developed and developing worlds. In 1985, the Polish Academic of Sciences described heavily industrialized Poland as the most polluted country in the world (Miller Jnr, 1994). Air, water, and soil are so polluted that at least 1/3 of the people risk contracting environmentally induced respiratory illnesses, and a host of other diseases. Coal supplies 80% of Poland’s energy most of the country’s industrial and power plants have no pollution control technology whatsoever or, at least ineffective controls. Satellite photographs show that the biggest clouds of smokes in Europe hang over southern Poland, partly because large coal burning plant’s have shutdown their pollution control equipment to save power and money (Miller, Jnr, 1994). Adeoti (2004), stated clearly that, industry has been reckoned to contribute much to environmental pollution in developed countries and much research has been done to proffer technological solutions. So far, work on this area has been largely limited to developed countries. However, there has been increasing advocacy that developing countries need not follow the environmentally unfriendly development path of industrialized countries (Adeoti, 2004). Aghalino (2000), asserted that the impact of oil exploitation on the oil mineral producing communities are in three folds. First, it leads to environmental pollution. Secondly, it destroys the ecosystem and the ways of life of the people and lastly, the oil producing communities are generally underdeveloped. Jimoh (2000), made a factual assertion on the interaction between man and his environment. â€Å"Man is a product of the environment as the latter is also an important component in the life of the former. Thus, protecting the environment of man from destruction is inevitable†. Many industrialists have viewed industrial progress and environmental protection as mutually exclusive, but Odiete (1993), advocates that industrial progress and environmental protection must be complementary rather than mutually exclusive. Although Benin City has no major processing industries such as oil refineries, iron and steel or metallurgical industries that usually contribute heavy pollution to the ecosystem, there exist nevertheless other industries like pulp and paper, aluminium, breweries, rubber processing, plastic, livestock feeds, non-alcoholic beverage etc, which generate pollutants. Some of these industries produce noise and thermal changes. Plants and heavy machines used in factories/industries make a hell of noise during their production period (Uchegbu, 1998; Ozo, 1988). Materials and Methods of Study The data on which the study is based were collected through questionnaire survey in 2005 from four zones to which Benin-City was divided. These are Ekenhua road area, Ihama-Boundary road area, Oregbeni quarters of lkpoba hill, and upper Siluko road area (see fig 1). 158 questionnaires were used in this study and the number of questionnaires that were administered in each sampled area depended on the population of that zone. Based on the population, 39 (thirty nine) questionnaires were administered in Ekenhuan, 39 (thirty nine) were also administered in Oregbeni quarters, while 38 (thirty eight) questionnaires were administered in upper Siloko area. In the course of the administration of the questionnaires, the streets and houses were chosen using the systematic sampling techniques. Two questionnaires were used in every eight houses in each street. Responses from the questionnaires were used for data analysis. Averaging model and percentages were used to summarise the data while multiple correlation was used to determine the individual and overall contributions of industrial disturbances in the study area. The analysis of variance was used to examine the variability in industrial perceptions; while the chi-square test was used for testing whether the variables are independent or related. Study Area Benin City plays a dual function of being the capital of Edo State and the headquarter of Oredo Local Government Area. The 1991 census puts the total population of Benin City at 762,717. It lies approximately between latitude 6 °16’N and 6 °33’ North of the equator and longitude 5 °3l’E and 5 °45’ East of the prime meridian. It covers an area of l,2158q.km. Benin City is bounded to the north and west by ovia North East Local Government Area, to the North East by Uhunrnwode Local Government Area, to the East by Oriohwon Local Government Area and to the South by Ugbenu village in Delta State (see fig.2) FIG 1: MAP OF EDO STATE SHOWING STUDY AREA Source: Ministry of Journal of Cartography and G.I.S, (2002) FIG 2: MAP SHOWING BENIN CITY IN EDO STATE Discussion of Results and Findings Table 1: Educational status Source: Fieldwork, 2005 A megre 30.4% of the total respondents are equipped with tertiary education as against a majority of 55.1% of respondents who posses only secondary education. This to a large extent, brings to fore the low level of education in Benin City and in third world countries in general. Table 2: Reponses to listed disturbance Source: Fieldwork, 2005 Key 1 = Very Serious 2 = Slightly Serious 3 = Not Serious From table 2, only columns I and 2 are relevant for this analysis. This is because; these are the respondents that perceive some level of seriousness associated with the industrial disturbances they experience in their area. The responses from column 3 is however not relevant because these respondents do not consider the disturbances as serious and as such do not see the disturbances as posing any danger to human and animal life and to the ecosystem in general. In order to ascertain whether the variables are independent or related, the chi-square test was applied. A calculated value of 34.7 and a table value of 26.30 was obtained. This implies that, the industrial disturbances in the study area is significant enough to attract attention. This also shows that there is a significant difference between those who perceive industrial disturbances and those who do not, in Benin City. Table 3: Awareness status from each area Source: Fieldwork, 2005 A good number of respondents in the different study locations were aware of the disturbances posed by heavy industries. Others were totally unaware. The combination of the respondents who are not aware and indifferent to industrial disturbance shows that a larger proportion of the respondents are ignorant of industrial disturbances. To re-assess the respondent’s premium placed on environmental quality, the question â€Å"Do you consider the environmental impact of your daily activity† was asked. The responses are tabulated below in table 3. Table 4: Premium placed on Environmental quality Source: Fieldwork, 2005 The above analysis clearly shows that the majorities, represented 87.38% of the total respondents, do not consider the environment in their daily activities. One of the research hypotheses, which states that â€Å"there is no significant difference in perceptions between residents who are aware of industrial disturbances and those who are not aware† is tested with the analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistical technique. Since the table value of 19.4 is less than the calculated value of 665.78, the null hypothesis is rejected. The alternative hypothesis which states that â€Å"there is a significant difference in perception between residents who are aware of industrial disturbances and those who are not† is thus accepted. This implies that there is a significant variability between those who perceive industrial disturbances and those who do not, between and within each area. (See Appendix A for all necessary computations). Table 5: Magnitude of disturbance Area-by-area Source: Fieldwork, 2005 Here, only residents who perceive the problem as very serious and slightly serious was considered. This is so because, those who do not perceive the disturbances are not relevant in determining the correlation. Table 6: Perceived Industrial disturbances and data for multiple correlation analysis Source: Fieldwork, 2005 Appendix B contains details of the correlation among the four variables. The relationship between the variables is 0.024 (see Appendix B for all necessary computations). The percentage variation of perception of industrial disturbances in the different areas of the study area is 58%. This implies that 58% of the residents in Benin-City perceive industrial disturbance as caused by industries around their neighbourhood, leaving 32% unaware to ignorance, indifference and other reasons. Policy Implications/Recommendations Laws and policies guiding land use should be formulated. This should be done to specific areas of the city or town, which is meant for different uses. Areas for residential, commercial, industrial, administrative recreational, etc. purposes should be well spelt out. Also, such laws should he reviewed periodically to meet up the dynamic nature of human society. Where laws guiding the pattern of the land use in a state, town or city exist they should he effectively implemented and enforced to see that the aim of formulating such laws are achieved. We have a society today where the majority is lawless and as such indiscipline prevails. Environmental Auditing, sometimes called post impact Assessment should be carried out on industries from time to time to make sure that they comply with the environmental safety rules. It should be done especially For industries, which are located around residential areas. This is to check environmental degradation. Both residents and industrialists should be properly educated citizens who wish to develop residential houses should be educated properly in order not to site the building in an industrial layout or close by. Also, industrialists should be oriented on how to keep their factories only to the laid-out areas for industrial purposes in order to avoid future environmental problems. Conclusion This study has x-rayed the perceptions of Benin-City residents towards industrial disturbances. This was evident, as areas, which were delimited for residential purpose have been enveloped by industries and vice versa. This study has also enumerated some of the disturbances caused by industries and suggested possible ways of averting and possibly correcting the ugly trend. References Adedibu, A. A. (1997). Trends in environmental management of drainage, sewage and solid waste in Kware State. A Paper presented at a workshop organized by Kwara State environmental protection agency. Ilorin. Agahlino, 5. 0 (2000). Troleum exploration and environmental degradation in Nigeria. In Jimoh, H. I. And Ifabiyi, I. P. (Eds) contemporary issues in environmental studies, Ilorin; Haytee Press and publishing Co. Ltd. Ajayi, P. S. (1997). Overview of environmental problems in Kwara State: Priority for Action. A paper presented at a workshop organized by Kwara State environmental protection agency, Ilorin. Akinyele, M. A. (2006). A GIS approach to the study of land degradation Journal of the Nigerian Cartographic Association. Vol. 1(1), pp. 7 26. Ajibade, L. T. (2000). The environmental systems In Jimoh. H. I. and Habiyi, I. P. (Eds) Contemporary Issues in Environmental Studies, Ilorin Jimoh, H. 1. (2000). Man-environment Interactions In )irnoh, H. 1. And Ifabiyi, I. P. (Eds). C’ontemporary Issues in Environmental Studies, Ilorin: Haytee press and publishing Co. Ltd. Miller, G. T. (1994) Living in the Environment. California: Wadworth Publishing Company. Odetunde, 0. J. and Ayeni, A. E. (1998). Environmental protection Salako, W. A et al., (Eds) In: Citizenship Education, A concise Approach. lbadan: Lad-od Publishers. Odiete, W. 0. (1993)Environmental Impact Assessment for sustainable Development.† Environmental News October December, Olorunfemi, J. F., and Jimoh, H. I. (2000). Anthropogenic activities and the environment. In Jimoh, H. I. And Ifabiyi, I. (Eds). Contemporary Issues in Environmental Studies. Ilorin: Haytee press and publishing company Ltd. Ozo, A. O. (1988). Perception of Industrial pollution: A case study from Benin City. In Sada P.O. and Odemerho F. 0. (eds) Environmental Issues and Management in Nigerian Development. Evans Brothers (Nigeria Publishers) Limited. Uchegbu, S. N. (1998). Environmental management and protection. Enugu: Precision Printers and Publishers. Appendix A Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) Calculations Sum of squares within and between groups SSW=26+266+416+290.67 SSW=998.67 SSb= Ekenhaun=3(13-13.2)2 = 0.12 Ihama/boundary=3-13.2 Oregbeni =3(14-13.2) = 1.92 Upper Siluko=3(12.3-13.2)=0.75 Means sum of squares within (MSW) MSW=SSW N-M MSW=998.67=998.67 12-39 =110.9 ≈111 MSb=SSb M-1 MSb=2.91=2.91=1.453 3-12 =1.5 F ratio=Greater variance estimate Lesser variance estimate =998.67=665.78 1.5 Calculated value=665.78 ANOVA TABLE APPENDIX B Multiple Correlation Calculations r11=1.00Suggesting a perfect correlation r12=-0.268Suggesting a negative correlation r13=-0.084Suggesting also a negative correlation r14=0.01Suggesting a positive but weak correlation r22=1.00Suggesting a perfect correlation r23=0.38Suggesting a positive correlation r24=0.651Suggesting a positive and strong correlation r34=0.668Suggesting a positive and strong correlation r44=1.00Suggesting a perfect correlation

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

The Successful Business Of Google Inc Commerce Essay

The Successful Business Of Google Inc Commerce Essay The aim of this study is to explore the features of an organization that contribute towards successful technological innovations. We would use a case study approach to analyze the same, with company in focus being Google Inc. We would use the book Managing Innovation by Joe Tidd and John Bessant as the base for our literature review. This would be supported by the following articles: The Innovation Value Chain, The Ambidextrous Organization, Innovation Management in context: Environment, Organization and Performance, Managing Innovative RD teams and Leadership and Innovation: Relations between Leadership, Individual Characteristics and the Functioning of RD teams. The study showcases that there is no single best structure that facilitates innovation. An organization needs to develop the most suitable fit between the structure and the operating contingencies. There are numerous things that affect the innovative performance of the company and innovation should not be looked at in isolation but as a whole cross-functional system. Literature Review and Case Study: Tidd and Bessant (2009) state that an innovative organization needs to align itself with the external environment and build internal structures, processes and culture that enable innovation to flourish. Innovation depends on a range of factors and the innovation process should change itself with changes in the business environment. There is no single best measure of innovation and some indicators work well for certain sectors while others dont. In short, fostering innovation is a lot more complex than it sounds. A set of components, which appear to be linked with success, have been drawn out by Tidd and Bessant (2009). Let us examine these components in greater detail. Shared Vision, Leadership and the Will to innovate: Leadership is perhaps the most critical ingredient in any successful company. Without this, an organization cannot move forward. Not everybody is able to recognize opportunities. Leaders need to have an alert mind to spot them and have the risk taking ability, ability to motivate others in the team and the will to innovate and exploit the opportunity. Stoker et al (2001) state that the role of leaders keeps changing according to different stages of innovation. The leadership style also keeps evolving, from being visionary at the initial stage and take the first step, to involving employees and then to facilitating self-managing teams. A leader has to exercise a style that fits not only the team, but also the environmental characteristics and individual characteristics of the team members. It has been observed that empowering people is directly related to the quality of work and it also enhances the loyalty of employees. Top managements commitment and shared sense of purpose among the employees/team members are key features of a successful organization. The founders of Google Inc., Larry Page and Sergey Brin, had the mission to organize the worlds information and make it universally accessible and useful (Corporate Information). It is this mission of theirs that motivated them and provided them with the courage to take it forward. They struggled quite a lot to get initial funding to get the venture started (Casey, 2007). It was due to their will and leadership qualities that Google took off and now adds value to the whole world. Appropriate Structure: If an organization wants to thrive, its structures and processes need to enable technological change. As innovation does not happen in isolation, smooth flow of information and cross-functional co-operation are required to foster innovation. An innovation is like a fragile flower that needs right kind of environment to flourish. It does not take long for a potentially great innovation to simply die out. Tidd (2001) argues that complexity and uncertainty of the environment affects the degree, type, organization and management of innovation the greater the fit between these factors, the greater the performance of the innovation. Organizational structures are influenced by the nature of task to be performed and by the business environment. Increasingly, innovation is becoming a corporate-wide task, involving not only RD but also production, marketing, administration and other external entities such as customers, suppliers, consultants, etc. It is important to note that not always do loose models/structures for innovation work and appropriate balance needs to be sought between the flexibility and rigidity of the structure. Thamhain (2003) states that the key challenge is not so much of generating ideas in the RD department, but effective transfer of technology from the inception to the market. Here, an appropriate structure is required to enable the transfer. One of the toughest challenges faced by companies is to balance current/present opportunities with future ones (OReilly Tushman, 2004). Under such circumstances, it is suggested that an organization has separate structure/process/culture for new innovations as the existing system might cause hindrances for the new ones. According to the book, The Google Story, the initial employees of the company were actually friends who studied at the Stanford University with Larry Page Sergey Brin. Due to this, the environment in Google was always casual and had little hierarchies. Even though the environment has always been casual, the co-founders still hold a tight grip on many of the companys decisions (Smith, 2007). It is this casual atmosphere and horizontal management style that forms an appropriate structure to foster innovation. Key Individuals: As there are various uncertainties and complexities involved with innovations, it is helpful to have a key individual (or a group) who is passionate and enthusiastic about the innovation and is willing to take it through the organizational system. These key individuals may be product champions or the leaders of the organization. Through their passion, they motivate others in the organization to look at their innovative idea / invention that could add value not only to the customers but also the organization. They have to have the ability to solve problems that could arise during the development / commercialization process and should be committed towards it. Even if they do not have detailed technological knowledge, they need to strongly believe in the potential of the innovation. Key individuals would also need to face other issues such as procuring resources, convincing skeptical or hostile critics elsewhere in the organization. Their faith in the potential should be so strong that they manage to overcome all the barriers. Larry Page Sergey Brin have been the leaders and key individuals behind Google. They had a complete understanding of the technology. They faced a lot of challenges initially, especially with regards to funding, but they stuck to what they believed in and overcame all the barriers. Now, they encourage their employees to embrace the role of key individuals with regards to their respective innovative idea (Weldie, 2009) and take their ideas forward. High Employee Involvement in Innovation: Just like the saying, The more the merrier, the more the number of people involved in an innovation, the chances are that feedback and suggestions provided by them would help to improve the offering. Innovation is no longer confined to specialists in RD, Marketing or IT departments. It should be realized that creative skills and problem-solving abilities are possessed by almost everybody in the organization. Although each individual may only be able to make limited, incremental innovations, the sum of these efforts can have far-reaching impacts. Continuous improvements, involving large number of motivated individuals and taken over an extended period of time, has the potential to significantly impact the strategic development of the organization. This could also turn out to be an inimitable source of competitive advantage over the long term. Effective Team Work: The only factor that equals Leadership of the organization to achieve successful innovation is an effective team work. It is the team that is at the heart of the innovation activity. If innovation is primarily about combining different perspectives in solving problems, then teams/groups have more to offer than individuals in terms of fluency of idea generation and in flexibility of solutions developed. Cross-functional teams can bring together different knowledge sets required to take the innovation forward. They also represent a forum where deep rooted differences in perspectives can be resolved. As an innovation is not confined to a single department, a cross-functional team can help other departments understand different perspectives and help facilitate smooth flow of information and integration between different departments. With this in mind, teams are increasingly being seen as a mechanism for bridging boundaries within an organization and in solving inter-organizational issues . In order to develop an effective, high-performance team, tasks and objectives must be clearly defined, there should be effective team leadership, there should be a good balance of team roles and it should be matched to the individuals behavioral style and a continuous interaction with other factors that could affect the innovation. It should be noted that such teams rarely happen by chance. They result from a careful selection which is aligned with the needs and requirements of the innovative idea in hand. An effective team is a critical determinant of the projects success and the corporate management should be responsible for putting together a capable, cross-functional team. As the team members may come from varied backgrounds, a mechanism should be in place to resolve conflicts as soon as possible so that the speed of the innovation process is not hindered. Soon after launching, the founders realized that if they want to grow, they need to bring in professional management. In 2001, they appointed Eric Schmidt as the CEO to bring to table the capabilities that they lacked (Casey, 2007). It was then they stared their process of building professional/experienced team with defined tasks. Creative Climate and Culture: Creativity of individuals needs to be fostered through the right environment. An organization needs to set up conditions within which innovative ideas can flourish. Under this, a firm needs to put its people at the heart of innovation. The structures and processes should be designed around people and not the other way round. In the knowledge economy, it is about managing the minds of individuals by providing them with right infrastructure suited for growth. Culture is a complex concept which mainly refers to shared values, beliefs and agreed norms which shape behavior of individuals. Changing the culture of an organization is one of the toughest things for the management as it is path dependent. But by bringing about alterations in the structure or processes, an organization can gradually move towards the desired culture. However, this is a time consuming process and requires acceptance by the employees. One way to facilitate this is by rewarding / incentivizing employees based on the new structure. In an organization with a supportive and innovative culture, individuals with bright ideas can progress them with support and encouragement from the system. Management needs to ask itself whether the current structure is supporting or acting as a hurdle to innovation. Also, do employees have all the resources and freedom required to innovate. Innovation is inherently uncertain and will often involve failures as well as successes. The management needs to understand this and build a culture where people take risks and failures are accepted as an opportunity for learning and further development. The biggest barrier lies in the minds of individuals, who are reluctant to innovate due to risks associated with failures. Failures should not be looked down upon and the senior management and leaders should clearly communicate this to the organization. Managerial leadership style, both at RD and senior management, has significant impact on creativity (Thamhain, 2003). Googles organizational culture provides enough space for employees to learn, experiment and grow. The casual and friendly environment promotes interaction between employees which results in enhanced knowledge base and thus promotes innovation. In each of its offices, Google has a big cafeteria with large tables and maximum seating capacity. Managers have observed that people like to talk while having their food. People from different product teams sit together for meals and interact with each other. As people from different product teams come together, the interactions become quite diverse. This mechanism of knowledge sharing leads to collective learning and thus benefits the organization as a whole (Merrill, 2007). Looking Inwards and Outwards for Innovative Ideas: An organization can no longer just look inwards for innovative ideas. As innovation is increasing becoming an open process, collaboration with external parties is gaining importance. This includes associations with suppliers, customers, consultants, etc. the top management needs to ensure that the organization does not face the Not invented here syndrome (Hansen and Birkinshaw, 2007) and looks forward to exploit relevant innovative ideas thrown at them by the external partners. The leaders also needs to provide opportunities for its employees to be part of various conferences, seminars, networking events, etc and tap into the knowledge base of those outside the organization. Knowledge accumulation is a slow and steady process and idea generation does not happen overnight. Keeping this in mind, the management should not pressurize it employees to come up with innovative ideas just after being a part of a single workshop, for example. Hansen and Birkinshaw (2007) argue that companies need to assess whether they are sourcing enough ideas from outside the company or even outside the industry. Many firms do this poorly, resulting in missed opportunities. Clear Understanding of User Needs and User Involvement: The base of every business is its understanding of user needs. It is this point that determines the success or failure of the organization. Any user-focused innovation needs to know exactly what the user wants, how he wants it and how much is he willing to pay for it, among others. Having the end point in mind, the organization can draft its strategies accordingly, in order to meet the customers needs. Increasingly, companies are involving customers in the innovations process. This sort of arrangement is helping organizations develop more personalized offerings while creating a sense of loyalty in the minds of the customers. Involving the users also provides great insights into how the user uses the product or service, how is their experience like, what they expect at the end of the usage journey, etc. All these insights can highlight areas that require further innovation and this can be a source of competitive advantage for the company. Understanding of the Macro and Micro Environment: An organization needs to analyze it Macro environment in order to understand the changes that are taking place in the Political environment, Economic situation, Society, Technological arena, Ecological and Legal frameworks. This would provide a sense of direction where the world is heading, and based on this, potential areas of innovation can be explored. Analysis of the Micro environment is useful in providing a clear picture of the industry the company operates in. It would showcases the position of competitors in the market, bargaining power of customers and suppliers, threats from substitutes and threats from new entrants into the market. Based on this, an organization can draft it differentiation strategy and establish a foot hold in the market. Conclusion:

Monday, August 19, 2019

Physics in Volleyball Essay examples -- physics sport sports volleybal

Physics is used in almost everything we do throughout our everyday lives. Sports are almost entirely composed of the physics of the human body in order accomplish the performed action. Volleyball is a sport which has physics at the heart of the game, understanding the physics of the game actually allows a player to improve and become more efficient and effective in his or her game. This essay gives insight into how the rules of physics can be used and are essential in the game of volleyball in all aspects of the game including serving, passing, setting, hitting, and blocking. Volleyball is a game of constant projectile motion with various types of contacts involved in each aspect of the game. In volleyball when serving one must stand behind the end line, which is 30 feet from the net. The net measures 90 inches, or 96 inches for men, from the ground. The goal is to get the ball across the net with as little time as possible so that the other team has less time to react and handle the ball. Traditionally serving has been done from the floor where the server has to create a parabolic motion path for the ball to travel so that it will clear the net and then land within the boundaries of the court. In modern volleyball the game has progressed to more of a vertical game, with jump serving. The advantages that jump serving gives have to do with the physics of projectile motion. The angle in which the server’s initial velocity has to start from is smaller, because as the height increases the slope of the parabola in the motion of the ball decreases. As the height of contact increases the path that the ball follows becomes line like as it crosses the net and if the contact height is high enough and the ball is contacted correctly... ...ember 2004 Zobel, Edward A. "Projectile Motion, General Solution" 2001. 23 November 2004. . Western Washington University."Projectile Motion" .22Novemeber 2004 Bixby, Sarah.University of Alaska Southeast."The Physics of Volleyball" 2004. 23 November 2004 Anon. Science 306(5693) 42-42. "Engineering of Sport- In Volleyball, Crafty Players Serve Up an Aerodynamic crisis. 2004. 23 November 2004.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

The Hypodermic-Syringe Model Essay -- science

The Hypodermic-Syringe Model The hypodermic syringe model suggest that the media is alike a magic bullet and when an audience is targeted it will immediately be knocked down when they are hit. The hypodermic-syringe model also suggests that society is passive and the media â€Å"inject† their media influence into society and manipulates it. The Frankfurt school envisioned the media as a hypodermic syringe, and the contents of the media were injected into the thoughts of the audience, who accepted the attitudes, opinions and beliefs expressed by the media without question. This model was a response to the German fascist’s use of film and radio for propaganda, and later applied to American capitalist society. The followers of the hypodermic model of Effects adopted a variant of Marxism, emphasizing the dangers of the power of capitalism, which owned and controlled new forms of media. Researchers in the fifties also supported the Effects model when exploring the potential of the new medium of television. Researchers were particularly concerned over increases in the representation of violent acts on television, which related with increases in violent acts in society. In the nineties, there was considerable concern over what were called "video nasties". The tabloid papers created a moral panic over whether particular violet films could influence child behavior – and whether Childs Play 3 influenced the child killers of Jamie Bulger, but there was no proof that they had watched it....

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Euro Disney

Case Study: 1 The Not-So-Wonderful World of Euro Disney BONJOUR, MICKEY: In April 1992, EuroDisney SCA opened its doors to European visitors. Located by the river Marne some 20 miles east of Paris, it was designed to be the biggest and most lavish theme park that Walt Disney Company (Disney) had built to date – bigger than Disneyland in Anaheim, California; Disney World in Oralando, Florida; and Tokyo Disneyland in Japan. Much to Disney management’s surprise, Europeans failed to â€Å"go goofy† over Mickey, unlike their Japanese counterparts.Between 1990 and early 1992, some 14 million people had visited Tokyo Disneyland, with three-quarters being repeat visitors. A family of four staying overnight at a nearby hotel would easily spend $600 on a visit to the park. In contrast, at EuroDisney, families were reluctant to spend the $280 a day needed to enjoy the attractions of the park, including les hamburgers and les milkshakes. Staying overnight was out of the ques tion for many because hotel rooms were so high priced.For example, prices ranged from $110 to $380 a night at the Newport Bay Club, the largest of EuroDisney’s six new hotels and one of the biggest in Europe. In comparison, a room in a top hotel in Paris cost between $340 and $380 a night. Financial losses became so massive at EuroDisney that the president had to structure a rescue package to put EuroDisney back on firm financial ground. Many French bankers questioned the initial financing but the Disney response was that their views reflected the cautious. Old world thinking of Europeans who didn’t understand U. S. -style free market financing.After some acrimonious dealings with French banks a two-year financial plan was negotiated. Disney management rapidly revised their marketing plan and introduced strategic and tactical changes in the hope of â€Å"doing it right† this time. A Real Estate Dream Come True : The Paris location was chosen over 200 other poten tial sites stretching from Portugal through Spain, France, Italy, and into Greece. Spain thought it had the strongest bid based on its yearlong temperate and sunny Mediterranean climate, but insufficient acreage of land was available for development around Barcelona.In the end, the French government’s generous incentives, together with impressive data on regional demographics, swayed Disney management to choose the Paris location. It was calculated that some 310 million people in Europe live within two hours’ air travel of EuroDisney, and 17 million could reach the park within two hours by car – better demographics than at any other Disney site. Pessimistic talk about the dismal winter weather of northern France was countered with references to the success of Tokyo Disneyland, where resolute visitors brave cold winds and snow to enjoy their piece of Americana.Furthermore, it was argued, Paris is Europe’s most-popular city destination among tourists of all nationalities. Spills and Thrills: Disney had projected that the new theme park would attract 11 million visitors and generate over $100 million in operating earnings during the first year of operation. By summer 1994, EuroDisney had lost more than $900 million since opening. Attendance reached only 9. 2 million in 1992, and visitors spent 12 percent less on purchases than the estimated $33 per head. If tourists were not flocking to taste the thrills of the new EuroDisney, where were they going for their summer vacations in 1992?Ironically enough, an unforeseen combination of transatlantic airfare wars and currency movements resulted in a trip to Disney World in Orlando being cheaper than a trip to Paris, with guaranteed good weather and beautiful Floridian beaches within easy reach. EuroDisney management took steps to rectify immediate problems in 1992 by cutting rates at two hotels up to 25 percent, introducing some cheaper meals at restaurants, and launching a Paris ad blitz tha t proclaimed â€Å"California in only 20 miles from Paris. An American Icon : One of the most worrying aspects of EuroDisney’s first year was that French visitors stayed away; they had been expected to make up 50 percent of the attendance figures. A park services consulting firm framed the problem in these words; â€Å"The French see EuroDisney as American imperialism – plastics at its worst. † The well-known, sentimental Japanese attachment to Disney characters contrasted starkly with the unexpected and widespread French scorn for American fairy-tale characters.French culture has its own lovable cartoon characters such as Asterix, the helmeted, pint-sized Gallic warrior who has a theme park located near EuroDisney. Hostility among the French people to the whole â€Å"Disney idea† had surfaced early in the planning of the new project. Paris theater director Ariane Mnouchkine became famous for her description of EuroDisney as â€Å"a cultural Chernobyl. † In fall 1989, during a visit to Paris, French Communists pelted Michael Eisner with eggs. The joke going around at the time was, â€Å"For EuroDisney to adapt properly to France, all seven of Snow White’s dwarfs should be named Grumpy (Grincheux).Early advertising by EuroDisney seemed to aggravate local French sentiment by emphasizing glitz and size, rather than the variety of rides and attractions. Committed to maintaining Disney’s reputation for quality in everything, more detail was built into EuroDisney. For example, the centerpiece castle in the Magic Kingdom had to be bigger and fancier than in the other parks. Expensive trams were built along a lake to take guests from the hotels to the park, but visitors preferred walking. Total park construction costs were estimated at FFr 14 billion ($2. 7 billion) in 1989 but rose by $340 million to FFr 16 billion as a result of all these addons. Hotel construction costs alone rose from an estimated FFr 3. 4 billion to FFr 5. 7 billion. EuroDisney and Disney managers unhappily succeeded in alienating many of their counterparts in the government, the banks, the ad agencies, and other concerned organizations. A barnstorming, kick-the-door-down attitude seemed to reign among the U. S. decision makers. â€Å"They had a formidable image and convinced everyone that if we let them do it their way, we would all have a marvelous adventure. One former Disney executive voiced the opinion, â€Å"We were arrogant – it was like ‘We’re building the Taj Mahal and people will come – on our terms. † STORM CLOUDS AHEAD Disney and its advisors failed to see signs at the end of the 1980s of the approaching European recession. Other dramatic events included the Gulf War in 1991, which put a heavy brake on vacation travel for the rest of that year. Other external factors that Disney executives have cited are high interest rates and the devaluation of several currencies against the franc.EuroDisney also encountered difficulties with regard to competition – the World’s Fair in Seville and the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona were huge attractions for European tourists. Disney management’s conviction that it knew best was demonstrated by its much-trumpeted ban on alcohol in the park. This proved insensitive to the local culture because the French are the world’s biggest consumers of wine. To them a meal without unverre de rouge is unthinkable. Disney relented. It also had to relax its rules on personal grooming of the projected 12,000 cast members, the park employees.Women were allowed to wear redder nail polish than in the United States, but the taboo on men’s facial hair was maintained. â€Å"We want the clean-shaven, neat and tidy look,† commented the director of Disney University’s Paris branch, which trains prospective employees in Disney values and culture. EuroDisney’s management did, however, compromise o n the question of pets. Special kennels were built to house visitors’ animals. The thought of leaving a pet at home during vacation is considered irrational by many French people. Plans for further development of EuroDisney after 1992 were ambitious.The initial number of hotel rooms was planned to be 5,200, more than in the entire city of Cannes on the Cote d’ Azur. Also planned were shopping malls, apartments, golf courses, and vacation homes. EuroDisney would design and build everything itself, with a view to selling at a profit. As a Disney executive commented, â€Å"Disney at various points could have had partners to share the risk or buy the hotels outright. But it didn’t want to give up the upside. â€Å"From the time they came on, Disney’s Chairman Eisner and President Wells had never made a single misstep, never a mistake, never a failure,† said a ormer Disney executive. â€Å"There was a tendency to believe that everything they touched w ould be perfect. † The incredible growth record fostered this belief. In the seven years EuroDisney opened, they took the parent company from being a company with $1 billion in revenues to one with $8. 5 billion, mainly through internal growth. Telling and Selling Fairy Tales: Mistaken assumptions by the Disney management team affected construction design, marketing and pricing policies, and park management, as well as initial financing. Disney executives had been erroneously informed that Europeans don’t eat break fast.Restaurant breakfast service was downsized accordingly, and guess what? â€Å"Everybody showed up for breakfast. We were trying to serve 2,500 breakfasts in a 350 – seat restaurant (at some of the hotels). The lines were horrendous. And they didn’t just want croissants and coffee, they wanted bacon and eggs. † In contrast to Disney’s American parks where visitors typically stay at least three days, EuroDisney is at most a two- day visit. Energetic visitors need even less time. One analyst claimed to have â€Å"done† every EuroDisney ride in just five hours.Typically many guests arrive early in the morning, rush to the park, come back to their hotel at night, and then check out the next morning before heading back to the park. Vacation customs of Europeans were not taken into consideration. Disney executives had optimistically expected that the arrival of their new theme park would cause French parents to take their children out of school in mid-session for a short break. It did not happen, unless a public holiday occurred over a weekend. Similarly, Disney expected that the American-style short but more frequent family vacation, usually taken in August.However, French office and factory schedules remained the same, with their emphasis on an August shutdown. In promoting the new park to visitors, Disney did not stress the entertainment value of a visit to the new theme park; the emphasis was on the s ize of the park, which â€Å"ruined the magic. † To counter this, ads were changes to feature Zorro, a French favorite, mary Poppins, and Aladdin, star of the huge moneymaking movie success. A print ad campaign at that time featured Aladdin, Cinderella’s castle, and a little girl being invited to njoy a â€Å"magic vacation,† at the kingdom where all dreams come true. Six new attractions were added in 1994, including the Temple of Peril, Storybook Land; and the Nautilus attraction. Donald Duck’s birthday was celebrated on June 9 – all in hopes of positioning EuroDisney as the No. 1 European destination of short duration, one to three days. Tomorrowland: Faced with falling share prices and crisis talk among shareholders, Disney was forced to step forward in late 1993 to rescue the new park. Disney announced that it would fund EuroDisney until a financial restructuring could be worked out with lenders.However, it was made clear by the parent company, Disney, that it â€Å"was not writing a blank check. † In June 1994, EuroDisney received a new lifeline when a member of the Saudi royal family agreed to invest up to $500 million for a 24 percent stake in the park. The price has an established reputation in world markets as a â€Å"bottom-fisher. † Buying into potentially viable operations during crisis when share prices are low. The prince’s plans included a $100 million convention center at EuroDisney. One of the few pieces of good new about EuroDisney is that its convention business exceeded expectations from the beginning.MANAGEMENT AND NAME CHANGES Frenchman Philippe Bourguignon took over at EuroDisney as CEO in 1993 and has navigated the theme park back to profitability. He was instrumental in the negotiations with the firm’s bankers, cutting a deal that he credits largely for bringing the park back into the black. Perhaps more important to the long-run success of the venture were his changes in m arketing. The pan-European approach to marketing was dumped, and national markets were targeted separately. This new localization took into account the differing tourists’ habits around the continent.Separate marketing offices were opened in London, Frankfurt, Milan, Brussels, Amsterdam and Madrid, and each was charged with tailoring advertising and packages to its own market. Prices were cut by 20 percent for park admission and 30 percent for some hotel room rates. Special promotions were also run for the winter months. The central theme of the new marketing and operations approach is that people visit the park for an â€Å"authentic† Disney day out. They may not be completely sure what that means, except that it entails something American. This is reflected in the transformation of the park’s name.The â€Å"Euro† in EuroDisney was first shrunk in the logo, and the word â€Å"land† added. Then in October 1994 the â€Å"Euro† was eliminated completely; the park is now called Disneyland Paris. In 1996 Disneyland Paris became France’s most visited tourist attraction, ahead of both the Louvre Art Museum and the Eiffel Tower, 11. 7 million visitors (a 9 percent increase from the previous year) allowed the park to report another profitable year. THEME PARK EXPANSION IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY With the recovery of Disneyland Paris, Disney embarked on an ambitious growth plan.In 2001 the California Adventure Park was added to the Anaheim complex at a cost of $1. 4 billion and Walt Disney Studios Theme Park was added to Disneyland Paris. Through agreements with foreign partners, Disney will open Disney-Sea in Tokyo and plans are underway for a theme park in Shanghai that Chinese officials hope will open in time for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and a park in Hong Kong is to open in 2006. A decade after being slammed for its alleged ignorance of European ways with EuroDisney, Disney is trying to prove it’s go tten things right the second time around.The new movie-theme park, Walt Disney Studios, adjacent to Disneyland Paris, is designed to be a tribute to moviemaking – but not just the Hollywood kind. The Walt Disney Studios blend Disney entertainment and attractions with the history and culture of European film since French camera-makers helped invent the motion picture. The park’s general layout is modeled after an old Hollywood studio complex, and some of the rides and shows are near replicas of Disney’s first film park, Disney-MGM Studios.Rather than celebrating the history of U. S. Disney characters, the characters in the new theme park speak six different languages. A big stunt show features cars and motorcycles that race through a village modeled after the French resort town of St. Tropez. Small details reflect the cultural lessons learned. â€Å"We made sure that all our food venues have covered seating,† recalling that, when EuroDisney first opened, t he open-air restaurants offered no protection from the rainy weather that assails the park for long stretches of the year.On the food front, EuroDisney offered only a French sausage, drawing complaints from the English, Germans, Italians, and everyone else about why their local sausages weren’t available. This time around, the park caters to the multiple indigenous cultures throughout Europe – which includes a wider selection of sausages. Unlike Disney’s attitude with their first park in France, â€Å"Now we realize that our guests need to be welcomed on the basis of their own culture and travel habits,† says Disneyland Paris Chief Executive.Disneyland Paris today is Europe’s biggest tourist attraction – even more popular than the Eiffel Tower – a turnaround that showed the park operators’ ability to learn from their mistakes. The root of Disney’s problems in EuroDisney may be found in the tremendous success of Japanâ₠¬â„¢s Disneyland. The Tokyo Park was a success from the first day and it has been visited by millions of Japanese who wanted to capture what they perceived at the ultimate U. S. entertainment experience. Disney took the entire U. S. theme park and transplanted it in Japan. It worked because of the Japanese attachment to Disney characters.Schools have field trips to meet Mickey and his friends to the point that the Disney experience has become ingrained in Japanese life. In the book, Disneyland as Holy Land, University of Tokyo professor Masako otoji wrote: â€Å"The opening of Tokyo Disneyland was, in retrospect, the greatest cultural event in Japan during the ‘80s. † With such success, is there any wonder that Disney thought they had the right model when they first went to France? The Tokyo Disney constitutes a very rare case in that the number of visitors has not decreased since the opening.While Disney Japan was a success the company also admitted making a major fina ncial error when the park was launched. It had licensed its name and image to another company that actually owns and operates the park as well as the land where it sits. Disney collects only a small fraction of the revenues that run into hundreds of millions of dollars every year. Since they were not certain of the success of the first international venture, it was the price they were willing to pay; however, it vowed never to repeat that error and to never have its hands tied again.As a consequence, when they began the jParis Park, they were fanatically intent on owning and controlling the park as well as enough adjacent property for its own exclusive hotels – â€Å"they were sure they had the right model and they were going to own it all. † Thus, they began planning EuroDisney. QUESTIONS 1. You as Disney’s Chairman Eisner Present the Euro Disney project as success of Global marketing. 2. To what degree, you as Eisner,consider the disturbing factors were (a) fo reseeable and (b) controllable by the parent company, Disney? 3. What then you think as the factors that stop standardized marketing practice.