Essay on 2015 S1 Assignment - 636 Words

BEO2264: Microeconomic Analysis Semester 1, 2015 ASSIGNMENT _________________________________________________________ Due Date: The week beginning the 11th of May, 2015. The completed assignment must be submitted to your lecturer during your scheduled seminar. Value: 20% of Total Assessment You should attach a cover sheet, and do not submit the assignment in folders or plastic protective covers. The assignment to be done in groups of two. Late submission will incur a penalty of 10 per cent per day. Question 1 (5 marks, 200 words) (a) Thomas Malthus reasoned that because the amount of land is fixed, as population grows and more and†¦show more content†¦(a) In what sense taxing food is a ‘good’ way to raise tax revenue? (b) In what sense is it not a ‘good’ way to raise revenue? Marking Reference Grade (%) Criterion 80 - 100 Demonstrate thorough understanding of the relevant concepts. Information from appropriate sources is integrated with analysis. Information is accurately referenced using Harvard System, including in text referencing if applicable. Demonstrated ability to draw conclusions with appropriate justifications. Explanations are clear and concise. Well formatted, edited, and minimal grammatical and spelling errors. Timely submission. 70 - 79 Demonstrate good understanding of the relevant concepts. Information from appropriate sources is integrated with analysis. Information is accurately referenced using Harvard System, including in text referencing if applicable. Demonstrated ability to draw conclusions and attempts some justification for position with explanations. Formatted and edited to good standard, minimal grammatical and spelling errors. Timely submission. 60 - 69 Demonstrate above average understanding of the relevant concepts. Information from appropriate sources is integrated with some analysis. Accurately reference resources using Harvard System, including in text referencing if applicable. Timely submission. 50 - 59 Demonstrate limited understanding of the relevant concepts. CanShow MoreRelatedAssignment Questions On Economic Principles1049 Words   |  5 PagesKoo Weng Liang Written Assignment 1 (Microeconomics) for DB106 Economic Principles Assignment Questions Question 1 A) An opportunity cost will arise when economists using between alternative ways of allocating scarce resources. The opportunity cost is for economists to make decision of the alternative use of scarce resources. By using production possibility frontiers (PPF) can be illustrated the opportunity cost to result a clear simple way to effects of making economic choice. 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Ethnic Violence And The Rwandan Genocide - 959 Words

It took a while before the Rwandan Genocide was put to a halt and by then, the damage was beyond repairable. In the span of 100 days, the RPF started to â€Å"make gains on both the battlefield and in the negotiations led by Tanzania†. In the beginning of July, the RPF gained authority over the majority of the country and many Hutus left the country to go to Zaire, which is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. After the genocide, the RPF created a coalition government with a Hutu, Pasteur Bizimungu as president and a Tutsi, Paul Kagame with the role of vice president and defense minister. Eventually, due to conflicts Pasteur Bizimungu was jailed because he encouraged ethnic violence and then Paul Kagame became president in the aftermath.†¦show more content†¦At the end of 2014, the ICTR shut down. Clearly, the aftermath of the Rwandan Genocide could have been avoided and prevented. Even though, the Hutus were the main perpetrators, the United States and other international countries are just as guilty and play a role in the Rwandan genocide. From the start of the genocide, they knew about the danger and disorder in Rwanda, yet they didn t intervene. Also, before the genocide occurred General Romeo Dallaire, the commander of the UN Peacekeepers in Rwanda, provided a infamous â€Å"genocide fax† to warn them about the â€Å"anti-Tutsi extermination† plot. The media provided extensive eyewitness accounts and stories from missionaries about their Rwandan friends who were in the hands of death. In the Washington Post and the New York Times, the stories were there on the first page and there were descriptions about six foot piles of corpses. However, nothing was done and the entire situation was ignored and denied as a genocide. Not all this, there were Defense Intelligence Agency reports, which said the killing were â€Å"administered by the governmen t and intelligence memos that reported the ringleaders of the genocide†. Regardless, President Clinton attempted to not get the U.S. involved because U.S. interests didn t lie in Rwanda, so as a senior U.S. Official described it, it was â€Å"a foregone

Public Relations Errors in United Airline Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.c

Question: Discuss about the Public Relations Errors in United Airline. Answer: Introduction Public relation is a superior tool towards convincing individuals and portraying the right image to persons in a given situation to increase or protect the reputation of a company or a product. The practice is used by managers, individuals, and talk experts in driving a positive image whenever engaged in a crisis or discussions with clients as it seeks to create a good rapport with people. Public relation works by getting the attention of individuals to a given issue, stimulating their interest towards a given matter thus creating the desire and intention for them to act and take part in a decision process. As such, it remains a voluntary action which targets a specific objective where the participants are not forced into an action but rather persuaded into one. Failure to observe proper public relation practices can result in failures and a possible distortion of reputation which leads to the creation of a negative impact on an organization. The case looks at the PR failures registered in the event where the United Airline forcefully removed a passenger, Dr. Dao from a flight awaiting departure due to overbooking. Report The Case Passengers awaiting departure from Chicago to Louisville were treated to a shocking event when the flight manager and a few guards arrived and asked individuals to volunteer four seats so that their staff could board to avoid delays on the other end. The case occurred due to overbooking, which saw people take their reserved seats and only the team missing the seats, which apparently had not been reserved for them previously (Seldin Johnson, 2017). Some of the passengers chose to voluntarily leave and have them catch the next flight at the expense of the airliner as the crew continued to persuade others into the act. However, the type of public relations used in the event was not sufficient, as one Mr. Dao was forced to leave the flight despite his reluctance to doing so. In his defence reason on declining the volunteer noted that he was a doctor who had patients to attend to the following day. However, the officers could hear none of his sentiments and forcefully dragged him on the floor out of the plane as e screamed all the way out of the flight. Later, he was seen coming back with blood oozing out of his mouth due to the damages suffered in the process. A few passengers recorded the scene using their cell phones and had the same leak to the media which went viral thus causing severe damages to the Airline Company (Seldin Johnson, 2017). A lot of PR errors arose from the exercise that would have otherwise been handled soberly to avoid the poor reputation registered and dignity for its passengers. Communication Errors Communication is an important aspect in public relation where information flow has to remain at its best and serve the core purpose of a process. In this respect, the sender has to make a message clear and package the message in a special way that would persuade the recipient to respond positively. At the same time, the medium used must remain clear and appropriate to serve the intended purpose. On the other end, the recipient must receive and decode the message and render a feedback to a given situation to deliver the same to the sender. The process has to go until satisfactory agreement is reached in public relations. However, the case of the flight failed to observe the same. It is normal for airlines to at times overbook, and seek passengers to volunteer and have their travel rescheduled Ravich, 2002). In spite of that the staff must persuade individuals into doing so through proper communication. The team sought for a volunteer who failed to reach the maximum number of four which led to the selection of individuals for the pullout. As a result, it led to a disastrous process that tainted the image of the airline. Instead, there was a need to communicate the necessity of doing so to the passengers and convince them towards volunteering to have later traveled to save the situation. Security and convenience reasons should have been used which could have seen more riders sacrifice their travel for the sake of the airlines concern. Response to the Outrage The firm made several errors in public relation creation with their response to the case after the outrage in the media. The communication team ought to have worked with the CEO in coming up with the most probable reason and an apology to the client that would sound compensative to the damages done (Smudde, 2005). Instead of defending the clients interest which remained at stake, the firm chose, in the first case to support its workers on the basis that the client was going to be re-accommodated in the next flight. The type of PR used in the case was inappropriate based on the information the public wanted to hear after the substantial damage was done to the client (Bowen, 2007). In the view of creating a good image, the management would have carefully crafted a response that would promote the public on relevant actions to be taken by the persons responsible for the act. Further, it should have apologized and offered a direct compensation in a bid to remove the wrong impression registered. In so doing, the management would be promising its client of excellent service by dissociating itself from the act of the security personnel and the manager who called in to have the passenger dragged (Berger, 2015). Self-defence in a time where the need for concern for the passenger is necessary distorts the public image of firms, and, thus acts negatively in such a situation. Persuasion versus Manipulation Persuasion refers to the attempt to influence an individuals action through the act of an appeal meant to lure individuals into a specific act or response. On the other hand, manipulation theory refers to the act of coercion aimed at tricking or forcefully driving an audience into an act which can end up in loss of credibility. The theory is relevant towards the situation of the passenger being pulled out of the airline after failing to volunteer the seat for the staff that was catching the flight to avoid delays on the other end of work. Instead of persuading and respecting the reasons and decision of the passenger, Mr. Dao, the security officer, called in by the manager decided to use forceful means which amount to the theory of manipulation after failing to sacrifice the seat for the staff (Grunig, 2013). The case resulted from the absolute error of overbooking, which, in any way was not the mistake of the passengers. In such a case, there was a need to communicate the issue with the passengers and seek their consent, through an appeal to have the situation rectified. Therefore, the theory of manipulation occurred rather than the persuasion which would have prevented the public relation error from happening. Management Address to the Issue In response, the CEO of the airline Oscar Munoz shared their sentiments and apologized for the event noting that no one deserves the type of treatment registered. At the same time, he promised to take full responsibility for the matter and approach all relevant channels towards rectifying and preventing similar occurrences in the future. He pledged to review the crew movement and the policies in place towards incentivizing volunteer passengers in such a situation. The CEO was quoted acknowledging the situation as unfortunate and apologized for having to re-accommodate the customers and further reaching the client to address the issue. The type of response in the first place seemed appropriate given the apologetic tone it took in addressing the issue. However, it failed by not holding its employees responsible publicly for assisting the firm to disassociate itself from the act about its policies on passenger handling (Holtzhausen, 2013). It was inappropriate for a passenger to be pulled out of the flight as it displayed a negative image of the flight which led to the subsequent decline in bookings in the next few weeks after the event. A lot more had to be done to save the flight from the said event that was fast spreading on the social and mainstream media. Forceful Eviction The airline reserves the right to ask for volunteers in such a situation but contravenes the same in forcefully evicting individuals who booked and took their seats according to the schedule and time. The action of forcing passengers out of a plane plays contrary to public relation policies of transparency and handling of clients (Seldin Johnson, 2017). Besides, the reasons registered by the doctor were authentic enough to have him retained in the flight as he was on a sole purpose to save lives, having booked an appointment with patients whose delays would be catastrophic. Moreover, the handling within the plane was a poor PR process which saw all the passengers witness the case and possibly having their sentiments released to the public and their immediate families. It is unprofessional and out of PR ethics to conducts acts that may distort individuals from implying a particular service in business due to fear of forceful eviction that would damage the service delivery of clients (Parsons, 2016). Each client in the plane must have been worried because the same could potentially occur to them at one time given the random selection and lack of particular reason for selecting persons for eviction. At the same time, the client, who was a Chinese-American, was heard shouting that he was being evicted because he was of a Chinese descent sounds negative in the PR perception given the wake of racial profiling (Parsons, 2016). The crew team should have considered the same before engaging in the act as it raises serious questions on racial issues that have hit the continent in the recent times. The crew was aware that the action would turn negative given the fact that clients had cameras onboard and that the same event would leak thus leading to serious damage to their business. Conclusions Public relation remains essential in attracting and retaining clients to businesses owing to the creation of positive messages. In this respect, it is important for people to employ the policies and procedures leading to a decisive action that favors public image on a given business. The airline committed several PR errors in the event and the addressing of the same afterward in a bid to protect and distance itself from the blame. Necessary measures according to the PR approaches had to be considered which could lead to the avoidance of the adverse events. Besides, it is necessary to select the clients for eviction while considering their race to avoid raising eyebrows on the depression of the minority who might pick offense and associate an isolated event to racial profiling. Public relation calls for adequate communication which is essential in making sure people are persuaded rather than coerced into action. Thus, it remains evident that the PR errors committed by the firm were responsible for the widespread outrage due to the videos doing rounds in the social media which had serious repercussions on the companys image and profitability. Recommendations Public relation consideration remains essential in handling crisis in businesses. In this respect, there are several considerations on the steps that should have been taken by the firm. First, within the flight, it was necessary to the manager and the crew to communicate the need of having volunteers. Substantial reasons had to be given to the clients to have them weigh the same against their urgency for travel to come up with a decision on whether to comply or decline the request. At the same time, upon failure to reach the numbers, the crew staff should have selected carefully the person to evict based on reasoning and judgment based on racial and ethnic considerations. Selecting from the majority category would save the perception of racism in the case which raised more uproar among the population. Thirdly, it would have been prudent for the firm to select a response which would distance itself from the forceful action by the employees. The exercise would assist in restoring confidence to the airline given the assurance that the persons involved would be taken to the task thus safeguarding passengers from future similar events. Lastly, it was necessary for the firm to reach the victim in person and apologize, compensate, and re-accommodate the passenger. More incentives can be offered such as free family travel for a vacation to appeal to the individuals after the incident. After that, the firm managers can take videos and photos demonstrating their apologies and possible good relation with the client who can give address the media on the issue and register agreement with the steps and compensation accorded. References Berger, A. A. (2015).Media and communication research methods: An introduction to qualitative and quantitative approaches. Sage Publications. Bowen, S. A. (2007).Ethics and public relations. Gainesville, FL: Institute for Public Relations. Grunig, J. E. (Ed.). (2013).Excellence in public relations and communication management. Routledge. Holtzhausen, D. R. (2013).Public relations as activism: postmodern approaches to theory practice. Routledge. Parsons, P. J. (2016).Ethics in public relations: A guide to best practice. Kogan Page Publishers. Ravich, T. M. (2002). Re-regulation and airline passengers' rights.J. Air L. Com.,67, 935. Seldin, M., Johnson, L. (2017). How United Airlines Analytics and Algorithms Can Help to Save American Democracy.World Journal of Social Science,4(2), 52. Smudde, P. M. (2005). Blogging, ethics and public relations: A proactive and dialogic approach.Public Relations Quarterly,50(3), 34.

Npa of Thane Bharat Sahakari Bank free essay sample

Scope of the Study ( Concept of Non Performing Asset ( Guidelines ( Impact of NPAs ( Reasons for NPAs (Preventive Measures ( Tools to manage NPAs Scope of the Project (Study of NPAs in Indian Banking sector ( Involves study of sector not particular bank ( focus on NPAs not Banking Sector ( will not inculd any amendment after Feb. 2005 Introduction NPA. The three letters Strike terror in banking sector and business circle today. NPA is short form of â€Å" Non Performing Asset†.The dreaded NPA rule says simply this: when interest or other due to a bank remains unpaid for more than 90 days, the entire bank loan automatically turns a non performing asset. The recovery of loan has always been problem for banks and financial institution. To come out of these first we need to think is it possible to avoid NPA, no can not be then left is to look after the factor responsible for it and managing those factors. We will write a custom essay sample on Npa of Thane Bharat Sahakari Bank or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Definitions:An asset, including a leased asset, becomes non-performing when it ceases to generate income for the bank. A ‘non-performing asset’ (NPA) was defined as a credit facility in respect of which the interest and/ or instalment of principal has remained ‘past due’ for a specified period of time. (With a view to moving towards international best practices and to ensure greater transparency, it has been decided to adopt the ‘90 days’ overdue’ norm for identification of NPAs, from the year ending March 31, 2004. Accordingly, with effect from March 31, 2004, a non-performing asset (NPA) shall be a loan or an advance where; i( Interest and/ or instalment of principal remain overdue for a period of more than 90 days in respect of a term loan, ( The account remains ‘out of order’ for a period of more than 90 days, in respect of an Overdraft/Cash Credit (OD/CC), (The bill emains overdue for a period of more than 90 days in the case of bills purchased and discounted, ( Interest and/or instalment of principal remains overdue for two harvest seasons but for a period not exceeding two half years in the case of an advance granted for agricultural purposes, and (Any amount to be received remains overdue for a period of more than 90 days in respect of other accounts. As a facilitating measure for smooth transition to 90 days norm, banks have been advised to move over to charging of interest at monthly rests, by April 1, 2002.However, the date of classification of an advan ce as NPA should not be changed on account of charging of interest at monthly rests. Banks should, therefore, continue to classify an account as NPA only if the interest charged during any quarter is not serviced fully within 180 days from the end of the quarter with effect from April 1, 2002 and 90 days from the end of the quarter with effect from March 31, 2004. Out of Order status:An account should be treated as out of order if the outstanding balance remains continuously in excess of the sanctioned limit/drawing power. In cases where the outstanding balance in the principal operating account is less than the sanctioned limit/drawing power, but there are no credits continuously for six months as on the date of Balance Sheet or credits are not enough to cover the interest debited during the same period, these accounts should be treated as out of order. ‘Overdue’:Any amount due to the bank under any credit facility is ‘overdue’ if it is not paid on the due date fixed by the bank. Types of NPA: A] Gross NPA B] Net NPA A] Gross NPA: Gross NPAs are the sum total of all loan assets that are classified as NPAs as per RBI guidelines as on Balance Sheet date. It can be calculated with the help of following ratio: Gross NPAs Ratio ( Gross NPAs Gross Advances B] Net NPA: Net NPAs are those type of NPAs in which the bank has deducted the provision regarding NPAs.

Whats Eating Gilbert Grape essays

Whats Eating Gilbert Grape essays Personal Identity in Whats Eating Gilbert Grape Personal identity is much like the blueprint for mankind, like a house, it is built and shaped after its design. If not built properly the house will eventually fall apart from how it was built or by the causes of nature. In the case of someone's identity if built properly by an individual it will last and stay strong, however adversity acts like a force of human nature and can either take a positive rebuilding role on a persons identity or a negative destructing role. In the film, What's Eating Gilbert Grape and from the excerpt in the novel of the same title, the director and author directly suggest personal identity as a key issue in the story. Whats eating the good Gilbert is laid out for us, like a feast. The title from the author further suggests we consider not only whats eating Gilbert (the forces preying on him) but also whats eating at him his ways of handling those forces. Living in Endora is like dancing to no music. The lame tone of Gilberts voice over creates a feeling of nothingness and the movie opening, with a track back along the road, suggests a sense of withdrawal. If Endora itself is nothingness, what is life out in the sticks, at the Grape house? Life at the Grape house is very depressing for all. Bonnie feels she has burdened her children and because of this Gilbert is forced to play the role of dad; Arnies retardation makes it hard for the rest of the family to deal with him because he is so hard to look after. All of this has a major impact on Gilbert. Over the course of the film Gilbert undergoes deep change. He is at first embarrassed by his mother, speaks disparagingly of her and even, at o ne point, lifts a small child to the window to peek at her. Yet in the final scenes, with Bonnie on her bed, there is love, tenderness and respect in his face. He has released all hi ...

Barack Obama - Terms as President

Barack Obama - Terms as President President Barack Obama served two terms in the White House and ended up being more  popular than his predecessor, George W. Bush, at the the time he left office, according to public opinion polls. But Obamas popularity didnt mean he  could have run for a third term, as some conspiracy theorists suggested. U.S. presidents have been limited to serving only two four-year terms in the White House since 1951, when the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was ratified.   Obamas terms as president began on Jan. 20, 2009. He served his last day  in office  Jan. 20, 2017. He served eight years in the White House and was succeeded by Republican President Donald Trump. Obama, like most ex-presidents, hit the speaking circuit after leaving office. The Third Term Conspiracy Theory Conservative critics of Obama began raising the prospect of a third term early in his tenure in the White House. Their motivation was the raise money for conservative candidates by way of scare tactics. In fact, subscribers to one of former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrichs email newsletters were warned of a specific scenario that must have seem rather frightening President Barack Obama running for, and winning, a third term as president in 2016. Conspiracy theorists believed the 22nd Amendment limiting presidents to two terms in office somehow would be wiped from the books by the time the 2016 campaign rolled around, after Obama had won re-election to a second term in 2012. That, of course, never happened. Trump pulled off an upset against Democrat Hillary Clinton. Spreading Rumors About a Third Term The email from Gingrich Marketplace, which is managed by the conservative group Human Events, claimed Obama would win a second term and then go on to win a third term that would begin in 2017 and last through 2020 despite a constitutional ban on such a thing. The truth is, the next election has already been decided. Obama is going to win. Its nearly impossible to beat an incumbent president. Whats actually at stake right now is whether or not he will have a third-term, wrote an advertiser to subscribers of the list. The message itself was not written by the former 2012 presidential hopeful. The email neglected to mention the 22nd Amendment, which reads in part: No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice ... The Notion of a Third Term in Wartime Still, even some pundits writing in the mainstream media raised the question of whether Obama could serve a third term, depending on world events at the time a second term would expire.  Faheem Younus, a clinical associate professor at the University of Maryland and founder of the website Muslimerican.com, wrote in The Washington Post that attacking Iran could give Americans reason to keep Obama as president for a third term. Wartime presidents can sell a Double Whopper to a vegetarian, Younus wrote.  As the festinate decision of bombing Iran turns into a global conflict, dont expect our constitutional law professor turned president to decline his partys suggestion: if it can be ratified; it can be repealed. Repealing the 22nd Amendment - which some argue was never vetted publicly - is not unthinkable. The notion of a third term was not unthinkable at one time. Before the ratification of the 22nd Amendment,  Franklin Delano Roosevelt  was elected to four terms in the White House - in 1932, 1936, 1940, and 1944. He is the only president to have served more than two terms. Other Obama Conspiracy Theories Obama critics spread numerous conspiracy theories during his two terms in office. At one point, nearly one in five American wrongly believed Obama is a Muslim. Numerous widely circulated emails erroneously claimed Obama  refused to recognize the National Day of Prayer. Others believed his signature accomplishment, an overhaul of health care in the United States, paid for abortions. The most nefarious of the conspiracy theories, one propagated by Trump himself, was that Obama was born in Kenya and not Hawaii, and that because he was not born here he was not eligible to serve as president. So maybe a third term for Obama wasnt such a crazy idea, all things considered.

Argument style essay based on Judy Brady's argument in I want a Wife

Argument style based on Judy Brady's argument in I want a Wife - Essay Example At present, both women and men have equal roles in marriages. Women no longer have an inferior role in marriage. Women empowerment is largely seen in the societies around the world today. Several changes have taken place regarding the role of women in marriage since the time that Brady wrote this article. Harris and Firestone in 1998 stated that â€Å"the documented shift away from traditional gender role attitudes among women of different race and ethnic groups in the United States may produce changes in typical gender power dynamics† (479). They stated further that at the macro level, solutions could include creating programs that focus on social norms that favor female power in relationships. These findings prove that women are no longer considered second-class citizens; thus, their roles in marriages have undergone several changes. Even in the field of politics, the roles of politician’s wives have significantly changed. Michelle Cottle in her article â€Å"The Rea l Running Mates† stated, â€Å"Let's blame it on feminism! With women empowered to do more than nurture their husbands, political wives--in whom women often seek a more polished version of themselves--are increasingly expected to be more than just the perfect helpmeet.

Declaration of Independence Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Declaration of Independence Evaluation - Essay Example It has several similarities with the work of John Locke’s second treatise of government. The first cause of the document that states that all men are created equal with inalienable rights of liberty, life and the pursuit of happiness is in conjunction with the Locke philosophy. Locke point of view was that all the power and jurisdiction is reciprocal with no one having more than the other does. The document further proceeds to emphasize that government is established through the consent of the citizens to protect their rights. Finally, it states that in case the government fails to address and protect the rights of the people then it will be the right of the people to abolish or alter the government. The Locke’s philosophy is well enshrined in the declaration of independence. Hobbes counter declaration mimics the ideologies of declaration of independence and the Hobbes ideas was to justify the kings action in England as perfectly legitimate. Hobbes perception and beliefs allowed the people to elect sovereign once and after that, the people should be obedient to the government without questioning. The sovereign as called by Hobbes decides the successor and the rules. The perspective was seen the United States founding fathers that this method will leave the government vulnerable to corruption. With the idea they opted to apply Locke’s’ philosophy. Hobbesian counter declaration saw the need for the people to dissolve any political bond that have connected them and take the power of the earth. He further expounded that opinion of the humankind necessity declaring the cause that impel them to the separation. His ideologies were evident that all men are created equal and endowed with life by the creator and securing these rights the governments were to be instituted among men. Hobessian perspective on the declaration of independence could have stated that

The division of labour Essay Example for Free

The division of labour Essay But with five men specializing in their respective trades, they are not only able to provide sufficient pins for themselves, but also a surplus is generated from the mass production of the pin. As a result, manufacturers are able to keep up with the demands of a populated society. The division of labour clearly serves as an advantage to the economy. Smith reasons that the division of labour originates from mans tendency to barter (317). Smiths saying, Give me that which I want, and you shall have this which you want (318), accurately expresses mans method of attaining his needs. Man trades in self-interest but depends on others co-operation and assistance (318) to do so. The more man trades, the more wealth he acquires. Since the division on labour allows man to produce large amounts of surplus, he has the advantage to trade his surplus for a wealth of personal items. For example, a farmer who cultivates an excess amount of apples trades part of the surplus to a baker who in turn, provides the farmer with fresh bread. He also trades a large amount of the surplus to a grocer who pays him back with a large sum of money. The farmer becomes wealthy. The quantities produced through the division of labour multiply exponentially. According to Karl Marx, the division of labour occurs between the bourgeois and the proletarian. The bourgeois are a wealthy, dominant class interested in the trade of markets. European colonization during the Middle Ages allowed new markets (like Chinas gunpowder market or East Indias salt market) for the bourgeois to trade with. In Europe, the dominance of the Modern Industry caused the demands of the population ever rising (449). Consequently, the markets kept ever growing (449). The bourgeois, experienced in international trade, were able to handle the growing European economy. Wealthy from their international trades, the bourgeois set up giant factories using proletarians, low class workers, for the manual labour of the production of goods. The large amount of accumulated labour allowed the bourgeois to keep up with the populations growing demand. The influence of the modern industry forces the proletarians to work with machinery, [obliterating] all distinctions of labour, and nearly everywhere reduces the wages to the same low level (454). To the bourgeois, the poor labourers who must sell themselves piece-meal, are a commodity (452). Due to the low wages paid by the bourgeois, the proletarians can only support their existence. Neither luxuries nor freedom are affordable. For example, culture-a luxury-is a proletarians loss which he laments (459). Without it, these labourers without option are forced to act as a machine (459). While the bourgeois have independence because of their wealth, the poor proletarians are dependent and [have] no individuality (458). With their freedom denied by the bourgeois, the proletarians congregate nation-wide into a Trade Union to revolt against the selfish bourgeois-The abolition of bourgeois individuality, bourgeois independence, and bourgeois freedom is undoubtedly aimed at (458). The bourgeois, threatened by the proletarians, have no choice but to grant them better living conditions. From the division of labour between the proletarians and the bourgeois, various characteristics of human nature are illustrated. A main characteristic is the dependence which humans have for one another, no matter their societal status. In Communist Manifesto, we witness the bourgeois depend on the proletarians. The proletarians in turn depend on the bourgeois for a source of income. Another characteristic is the greed shown by the bourgeois. In an attempt to accumulate as much wealth as possible, the bourgeois pay the proletarians a smaller amount of what they deserve. The bourgeois care only for the proletarians existence because they provide the bourgeois with wealth. Humans also need freedom to live. The consequences of denying freedom are dangerous, as witnessed with the proletarians-they destroy imported wares that compete with their labour, the smash to pieces machinery, they set factories ablaze until they restore by force the vanished status of the workman of the Middle Ages (453). Dependence, greed, and freedom are characteristics of human nature. If these characteristics are manipulated or ignored, destructive events could occur, as described by Marx in Communist Manifesto. The men, in search of an effective ideology, present their different views on human nature. Human nature is the basis upon which the men reason the causes of the division of labour. Since their perspectives are not identical, their reasons of the causes of the division of labour also are not identical. Rousseau sees human nature as progressive. From basic instincts come the ability to reason, and from reason comes the division of society. The inequality in the division then leads to the slow corruption of the society. Smith, on the other hand, sees the division of labour as an advantage to the economy because it stems from an innate tendency to trade. Marx sees the presence of the division of labour due to the innate vices that plague society. Out of greed, the bourgeois gain from the poor proletarians whom they depend on. But the proletarians retaliate and regain their essential freedom. While the men fail to seek a suitable ideology that gladly accommodates the vices of human nature, we witness the true power of its vices as it persists to plague man. Work Cited Cohen, Mitchell and Nicole Fermon, ed. Princeton Readings in Political Thought. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1996.

Personal Strengths and Weaknesses Essay -- essays research papers

Personal Strengths and Weaknesses What are my personal strengths and weaknesses? When I think about this question, the first thing that comes to mind is a job interview. I, like most people, find this simple question to be the most stressful moment of any interview. I want to give an answer that is imaginative but does not give the interviewer a bad impression of myself. In this paper, I will describe my strengths and weaknesses as I would to a job interviewer. I will give specific examples of my strengths and place a positive spin on my weaknesses. When deciding which strengths you want describe to an interviewer, you should make a list, choose three to five of those strengths that match the job posting, and give specific examples of that strength (Martin, 2005). I can easily tell you that my greatest strengths are the core values that I was instilled with during my service with the United States Air Force. Integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all [I] do (USAF, 1997); these are my strengths that I bring to every job or task I do. Integrity first refers to a willingness to do what is right, even when no one is looking (USAF, 1997). Integrity also means optimizing your job tasks and assisting coworkers in optimizing their job tasks. For a manager, integrity is motivating your team so that they understand the importance of their job so that they are willing to do their jobs, even when you are not looking. Service before self refers to the fact that professional duties take precedence over personal desires (USAF, 1997). In the business setting, service before self means finishing tasks or jobs before you go home at the end of your shift and not leaving them for someone else to finish up. If it is Friday afternoon and I have been given a task, I will always finish my job then, even if it means starting my weekend late. Service before self also means that you should never call in to work just because you do not feel like coming in. I have never taken a personal day at any job I have ever worked. Excellence in all [I] do refers to the development of a sustained passion for continuous improvement and innovation (USAF, 1997). One example of this is my attending the University of Phoenix; I wish to improve my job skills and marketability. In the business setting, this also means that if there is ever a task that I did not complete to the stan... ...eople for the first time. Interpersonal skills, like any skills, will only improve with practice and feed back. One nice aspect of my current position is that it requires me to speak with new people on a daily basis to accomplish my job assignments. I also get a chance to practice my interpersonal skills while attending the University of Phoenix. With every new class I enter, I am required to deal with new people in different settings. In summary, assessing strengths and weaknesses during a job interview is something that no one should take lightly. By giving my interviewer a well thought-out response, I can let the interviewer know more about myself and help he or she see that I am the right fit for the job. By letting my interviewer know about my weaknesses, I let him or her know that I am not perfect but that I am continually working to improve myself (Martin, 2005). References Martin, L. (2005). What Are Your Greatest Strengths and Weaknesses? Retrieved on June 5, 2005, from http://interview.monster.com/articles/biggest/. United States Air Force. (1997). United States Air Force Core Values. Retrieved on June 5, 2005, from http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/cv-mastr.htm.

Assignment task

When working we must all understand our duty of care. We have a responsibility towards our Service users and must remember we have a duty to respect them, their opinions and treat them with dignity. This Includes working In a way which protects them from harm, danger and abuse whilst acknowledging their choices and preferences. Our Duty of Care affects our role as we have to be familiar with and follow all risk assessments and policies and procedures In place whilst continuing to respect the pollens and decisions of the Service User.For example, you may have a Service seer who refuses to wash and dress when offered assistance which creates a consummately being that we have a Duty of care and the service user has a right to refuse. Sometimes you may be able to gently encourage the Service user to change their mind and they may allow you to assist them, however at times you may need to ask Senior Members of staff to have a gentle word with the Service user as sometimes a different pers on, maybe someone in authority or someone they have known a lot longer and have a rapport with can help.A Service User must know that their rights and opinions are respected. Sometimes if a Service User refuses help or assistance this can be upsetting for the Social Care Worker as they may feel that they have not carried out their Job properly however we need to remember that the Service User has the right to refuse personal care. The Care giving Organization must adhere to the Duty of Care in a setting such as a residential care home.This ensures that the Service Users are protected as well as the staff. This is possible because all codes of practice are carried out and this makes the home a safer environment. This ensures that correct procedures are followed such as, all mandatory training is carried out and up to date, all equipment is regularly checked and chemicals are stored correctly. It Is our Duty as Social Care Workers to ensure that our Service Users are safe.Our Duty of Care contributes to safeguarding our Service Users by ensuring that we am able to understand signs of neglect/abuse – as a Social Care Worker, we have a duty of care to all vulnerable adults and If we should notice any signs/landscapers of abuse or neglect that we report It the relevant third parties to protect the Service User. It Is Important that we understand and that we are able to recognize these signs/ Indicators. These may Include rapid weight loss, this may be due to neglect and malnutrition.We may notice sudden changes In behavior, loss of concentration, disturbed sleep pattern, we may notice pain, bruising and bleeding In the genital area. This may be due to sexual abuse. There are many signs of abuse and It Is our responsibility to safeguard our Service Users at all times. Assignment 304 task a By caddishness towards our Service Users and must remember we have a duty to respect them, their opinions and treat them with dignity. This includes working in a way which protectsOur Duty of Care affects our role as we have to be familiar with and follow all risk assessments and policies and procedures in place whilst continuing to respect the opinions and decisions of the Service User. For example, you may have a Service User who refuses to wash and dress when offered assistance which creates a conflict/dilemma being that we have a Duty of Care and the Service User has a right to refuse. Sometimes you may be able to gently encourage the Service User to need to ask Senior Members of staff to have a gentle word with the Service User as It is our Duty as Social Care Workers to ensure that our Service Users are safe.Our of care to all vulnerable adults and if we should notice any signs/indicators of abuse or neglect that we report it the relevant third parties to protect the Service User. It is important that we understand and that we are able to recognize these signs/ indicators. These may include rapid weight loss, this may be due to neglect and malnu trition. We may notice sudden changes in behavior, loss of concentration, disturbed sleep pattern, we may notice pain, bruising and bleeding in the genital area, this may be due to sexual abuse. There are many signs of abuse and it is our

Emerging Standards Essay

Diversity is exhibited in many ways, including a multiplicity of upbringing, dress, thought, lifestyle, values, food preferences, family relationships, and in gender, ethnicity, and age. These factors exist throughout the gamut of health care patients and the interactions designed with the nurses who care for them. Diversity in healthcare refers to the cultural setting in how the patient lives and in some measure defining their connection to healing, health, and their own role in the nurse to patient relationship (University of Phoenix, 2012). In many ways, the United States landscape is changing, especially in the health care field. The Baby Boomers are reaching an age where they are going to need and use more health care assistance, Generation Y and the Nexters are entering into the ages to begin working careers, and are bringing different behaviors and value sets with them. In the middle of all of these changes are the nurses and their care. Factors that play an influential role i n the delivery of nursing care to the ever changing landscape are not only the diversity of the patient but the ability of the nurse to provide effective and culturally competent care (University of Phoenix, 2012). Standards of Cultural Competence American nurses are predominately made of white females and does not honestly indicate the diverse population they serve. The push for more minority students to be recruited into the schools of nursing is big, but because of the culture of the profession being made up of middle class, white values, the minority nursing students are facing a barrier; racism. In nursing education, there is an emphasis on cultural competence. Being culturally competent means having the ability to care for patients with different cultures and backgrounds competently. This is otherwise known as transcultural nursing. An essential part of the nursing syllabus, transcultural nursing eliminates the racism shadow that has been portrayed  all these years as normal. Transcultural nursing emphasizes nursing capabilities in providing culturally specific care to a diverse patient population. Cultural competence refers to studying and practicing nursing, focusing on the similarities and differences among the cult ures with respect to nursing care and patient health. Cultural competence can also be defined as â€Å"the ability to provide effective clinical care for a particular ethnic or racial group and is seldom seen as the ability to reach a culturally diverse student population with varying perspectives on health and illness and female roles† (Wilby, 2009, p. 58). Culturally competent standards in healthcare are set as ethnic or racial differences in the quality of care not discriminated against. There are two levels of non-discrimination. The first is within the operation of the healthcare system and the way the system functions following regulatory and legal pathways. The second is at the provider-patient level, or the individual’s levels. Discrimination is described as the way care is given based on prejudices, biases, and stereotyping. Another type of discrimination is on the patient level with the provider. An example, a minority patient refuses service recommendations based on the result of a cultural mismatch between the patient and the care provider. This type of behavior can also result from misuse of clinical services such as when a test is not clinically indicated but given anyway (a pregnancy test on all females over the age of 12 regardless) (Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, 2003). Culturally Competent Care within Memorial Hermann Healthcare Systems Memorial Hermann Healthcare System (MHHS) is dedicated to the purpose of assisting the communities, patients, employees, and physicians they serve in a responsible, legal, and ethical fashion. Furthermore, they are loyal in rendering aid to their community, staying in full conformity with appropriate guidelines, laws, and regulations, in addition to their own procedures, policies, and processes. They are especially aware of the obligations appropriate to federal programs and correct billings submission. MHHS provides culturally competent, holistic care that directs with due respect, the physical, psychological, spiritual and social needs of their patients. The system has high ethical values and expects respect, integrity, and fairness in all their relationships, employer, employee, and patient. MHHS provides culturally competent care with respect to the individual dignity of the patient,  responding to needs, questions, and concerns in a sensitive and timely fashion. They evaluate and monitor on a continuing basis, the way care and any other similar services is being delivered to make sure that their mandated and customary set standards are being met. They take pride in the non-discrimination of the patient for any basis regardless of their ethnicity, race, upbringing, dress, lifestyle, values, gender, disability, or age. These same standards are upheld for the employees also. There is no discrimination when it comes to training, promotion or compensation, and employees are encouraged to frequently evaluate their current methods of care delivery in hopes of learning more effective ways of providing patient care and showing support (M emorial Hermann Healthcare System, 2012). Populations: Served and Vulnerability Cultural minorities have more of a tendency to get an inferior quality of care than the non-minorities, even with controlled access-related factors, such as income and insurance status. There are many sources to this disparity; contemporary and historic inequities, and involving many players; health care systems along with their bureaucratic and administrative processes, case managers or utilization reviewers, the healthcare professional, and the patients themselves. Studies have shown that uncertainty, biases, and stereotyping done by the professional contributes to this unequal treatment. Minorities also experience other barriers to accessing care, even if they carry the same level of insurance as whites, including cultural familiarity, geography, and language barriers. Furthermore, the hospital and clinic financial arrangements of a health care system, as well as the regulatory, policy, and legal environment in which the system operates, may have a negative effect on these vulnerable populations’ ability to acquire quality health care (Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, 2003). Delivery of Nursing Care Nurses need be aware of how barriers such as racial, ethnicity, and gender can be related to health care access, and problems with underutilization are present causing disparities and affecting the communities in which they serve (University of Phoenix, 2012). Transcultural nursing has become a lead role player in the delivery of healthcare and is a necessity for the nurses  of today because of the steadily increasing multicultural trend happening within the American population. One out of three people in the United States make up a portion of various ethnicities other than the average White. Because of this swift growth of the multicultural society, transcultural nursing is vital to nursing care, requiring that nurses are practicing cultural competence in their day-to-day patient care areas. Culturally competent nurses are knowledgeable about other cultural beliefs and ideas and are trained in being able to identify particular patterns in order to formulate a personalized care plan that meets all the needs and goals of the patient. Culturally competent nurses also provide holistic care. This approach focuses on the spiritual, emotional, social, psychological, and physical needs of the patient. Being able to provide holistic care to the individual patient also means that the nurse can also relate to the patient’s cultural differences. In other words, in order for the nurse to perform care for their patient at the optimal level, the nurse must be culturally competent (Maier-Lorentz, 2008). Solutions Multi-level and comprehensive strategies are needed to eliminate barriers of cultural competence. The gap between ethnic and racial groups and healthcare (providers, payors, patients, insurance plans, and society as a whole) must be made known in order to reach a solution. The healthcare workers and their competence to provide superior care to ethnic and racial minorities can be enhanced significantly by expanding the ratio of ethnic and racial minorities among healthcare professionals. Also, both the providers and their patients can profit from education. Patients can profit from culturally and customarily suitable instructional programs to enhance their knowledge of how to obtain competent health care and their capacity to share in their outcome and making decisions. The providers, however, carry the larger educational burden. Cultural competence courses should be incorporated from the beginning of their career, for any upcoming healthcare professional, and case-based, realistic, and meticulously assessed training exercises be offered through continuing education courses. Lastly, monitoring, collecting, and reporting of core measure and meaningful use data to health insurers and state and/or federal entities should be supported as a way to evaluate improvement in eradicating disparities, to  assess mediation attempts, and to gauge conceivable civil rights breaches (Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, 2003). Implementing the Solutions The health care professional who develops a detailed viewpoint of the association between health and culture; values respect for inclusiveness, social justice, equity, and differences; and uses their ability to authorize these standards in their areas of influence, personally and professionally, are capable of improving care for patient diversity (Getzlaf & Osborne, 2010). Studies such as the â€Å"Sullivan Commission’s Report on the Diversity in the Healthcare Workforce suggests that increasing the diversity of healthcare professionals† will rally healthcare equality and quality for racial and ethnic minorities who go through the most disparities in health results (Edwards, 2009, para. 3). As the number of non-white people increase in the United States, the workforce of professional nurses needs to reflect its persons to strengthen quality and access of healthcare for people from culturally diverse upbringings (Edwards, 2009). Conclusion Diversity in healthcare refers to the cultural setting of how the patient lives and in some measure defining their connection to healing, health, and their own role in the nurse to patient relationship. Most nurses are performing in multicultural settings where the patient brings his or her own set of values and beliefs. Being able to understand the nurse’s individual cultural viewpoint of the community, the client, and one’s self is central to giving culturally and suitable care (University of Phoenix, 2012). In collaboration with others, MHHS is committed to assessing and creating health care solutions that meets the needs of the individuals in their diverse communities. This healthcare system believes in treating everyone with the respect and dignity as they themselves want, creating an environment that is unique to each individual who enters their doors, making each patient feel special and well-cared for, no matter what (Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, 2012). Nurses must continue to practice cultural competence daily in their practice in order to impart in each patient the feeling of being cared for and known of as an individual in a multifaceted healthcare system and the culturally diverse society (Maier-Lorentz, 2008). References Edwards, K. (2009, Summer). Promoting quality care by increasing the diversity of the professional nursing workforce. Journal of Cultural Diversity, 16(2), 39. Retrieved December 4, 2012 from University of Phoenix Library, CINAHL Plus with Full Text. Getzlaf, B.A., & Osborne, M. (2010). A journey of critical consciousness: an educational strategy for health care leaders. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 7(34), 1-15. Retrieved December 4, 2012 from University of Phoenix Library, MEDLINE with Full Text. Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. (2003). Unequal Treatment. Confronting racial and ethnic disparities in health care. Washington, D.C. The National Academies Press. Maier-Lorentz, M.M. (2008, Spring). Transcultural nursing: its importance in nursing practice. Journal of Cultural Diversity, 15(1), 37-43. Retrieved December 4, 2012 from University of Phoenix Library, MEDLINE with Full Text. Memorial Hermann Healthcare System. (2012). Standards of con duct. Retrieved December 4, 2012 from http://www.memorialhermann.org University of Phoenix. (2012). Read me first. Retrieved November 6, 2012 from University of Phoenix, NUR/531 website. Wilby, M.L. (2009). When the world was white. International Journal for Human Caring, 13(4), 57-61. Retrieved December 4, 2012 from University of Phoenix Library, CINAHL Plus with Full Text.

A Brief Timeline of Events in America - 1626 - 1650

A Brief Timeline of Events in America - 1626 - 1650 1626 Peter Minuit arrives in New Netherland and later buys Manhattan from the Native Americans for items worth approximately $24. He then names the island New Amsterdam. 1627 Plymouth Colony and New Amsterdam begin trading.A shipload of approximately 1500 kidnapped children is sent from England to the Virginia colony to increase the number of settlers in the colony. 1628 A group of settlers led by John Endecott settles at Salem. This begins the Massachusetts Bay Colony. 1629 The Massachusetts Bay Colony is given a royal charter.The Dutch West India Company begins to give land grants to patrons who will bring at least 50 settlers to the colonies.John Winthrop is elected the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.King Charles I grants Sir Robert Heath a territory in North America that is to be called Carolina. 1630 John Winthrop leads over 900 colonists to settle in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.John Winthrop also begins writing the History of New EnglandBoston is officially established.William Bradford, Governor of Plymouth colony, begins writing History of Plymouth Plantation. 1631 Despite the Massachusetts Bay Colony charter, it is decided that only church members are allowed to become freemen who are allowed to vote for colony officials.Sir Ferdinando Gorges is given a land grant and begins to settle what will eventually become Maine. 1632 In the Massachusetts Bay Colony issues such as no taxation without representation and representative government are beginning to be addressed.King Charles I grants Lord Baltimore a royal charter to found the Maryland Colony. Since Baltimore is Roman Catholic, the right to religious freedom is granted to Maryland. 1633 The first town government is organized in the city of Dorchester within the Massachusetts Bay Colony.The first school in America is founded in New Amsterdam. 1634 The first settlers for the new Maryland colony arrive in North America. 1635 Confrontations occur between Virginia and Maryland based on boundary disputes between the two colonies.The charter for the Massachusetts Bay Company is revoked. The colony refuses to yield to this, however.Roger Williams is ordered banished from Massachusetts after criticizing the colony and promoting the idea of separation of church and state. 1636 The Township Act is passed in the Massachusetts Bay general court giving towns the ability to govern themselves to some extent.Thomas Hooker arrives in Hartford Connecticut and founds the first church of the territory.Roger Williams founds the present-day city of Providence, Rhode Island.Open warfare begins with Pequot Indians after the death of New England trader John Oldham.Harvard University is founded. 1637 After numerous encounters, the Pequot Indians are massacred by a force of Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay, and Plymouth colonists. The tribe is virtually eliminated.Anne Hutchinson is banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. 1638 Anne Hutchinson leaves for Rhode Island and founds Portsmouth with William Coddington.Peter Minuit dies in a shipwreck. 1639 The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut are enacted.Sir Ferdinando Gorges is named the governor of Maine by royal charter.New Hampshire Colony settlers sign the Exeter Compact. 1640 Dutch colonists settle in the Delaware River area. 1641 Massachusetts Bay Colony takes over the jurisdiction of New Hampshire. 1642 New Netherland fights against the Hudson River Valley Indians who have been making raids against the colony. Both sides will later sign a truce that will last a year. 1643 The New England Confederation, also known as the United Colonies of New England, a confederation of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Plymouth, and New Hampshire, is formed.Anne Hutchinson is murdered by Indians on Long Island. 1644 Roger Williams is granted a royal charter for Rhode Island. 1645 The Dutch and the Hudson River Valley Indians conclude peace after four years of warfare.The New England Confederation sign a peace treaty with the Naragansett Indians. 1646 Massachusetts becomes increasingly intolerant as they pass a law making heresy punishable by death. 1647 Peter Stuyvesant assumes the leadership of New Netherland.Rhode Island General Assembly drafts a constitution allowing for separation of church and state. 1648 The Dutch and the Swedes compete for the land around present-day Philadelphia on the Schuylkill River. They each build forts and the Swedes burn down the Dutch fort twice. 1649 King Charles I of the House of Stuart is excommunicated in England. Virginia sides with the house of Stuart.Toleration Act is passed in Maryland allowing for religious freedom.Maine also passes legislation allowing for religious freedom. 1650 Maryland is allowed to have a bicameral legislature by order of Lord Baltimore.Virginia is blockaded by England after declaring allegiance to the House of Stuart. Source Schlesinger, Jr., Arthur M., ed. The Almanac of American History. Barnes Nobles Books: Greenwich, CT, 1993.

Structure Dependency and Grammar

Structure Dependency and Grammar The linguistic principle that grammatical processes function primarily on structures in sentences, not on single words or sequences of words is termed structure-dependency. Many linguists view structure-dependency as a principle of universal grammar. The Structure Of Language The principle of structure-dependency compels all languages to move parts of the sentence around in accordance with its structure rather than just the sheer order of words. . . .Structure-dependency could not be acquired by children from hearing sentences of the language; rather, it imposes itself on whatever language they encounter, just as in a sense the pitch range of the human ear restricts the sounds we can hear. Children do not have to learn these principles but apply them to any language they hear. (Michael Byram, Routledge Encyclopedia of Language Teaching and Learning. Routledge, 2000)All speakers of English know structure-dependency without having given it a moments thought; they automatically reject *Is Sam is the the cat that black? even if they have never encountered its like before. How do they have this instant response? They would accept many sentences that they have never previously encountered, so it is not just that they have never heard it before. Nor is structure -dependency transparent from the normal language they have encounteredonly by concocting sentences that deliberately breach it can linguists show its very existence. Structure-dependency is, then, a principle of language knowledge built-in to the human mind. It becomes part of any language that is learned, not just of English. Principles and parameters theory claims that an important component of the speakers knowledge of any language such as English is made up of a handful of general language principles such as structure-dependency. (Vivian Cook, Universal Grammar and the Learning and Teaching of Second Languages. Perspectives On Pedagogical Grammar, ed. by Terence Odlin. Cambridge University Press, 1994) Interrogative Structures ​One example of a universal principle is structure-dependency. When a child learns interrogative sentences, it learns to place the finite verb in sentence initial position: (9a.) The doll is pretty(9b.) Is the doll pretty?(10a.) The doll is gone(10b.) Is the doll gone? If children lacked insight into structure-dependency, it should follow that they make errors such as (11b), since they would not know that the doll is pretty is the sentence to be put in the interrogative form: (11a.) The doll that is gone, is pretty.(11b.) *Is the doll that (0) gone, is pretty?(11c.) Is the doll that is gone (0) pretty? But children do not seem to produce incorrect sentences such as (11b), and nativist linguists therefore conclude that insight into structure-dependency must be innate. (Josine A. Lalleman, The State of the Art in Second Language Acquisition Research. Investigating Second Language Acquisition, ed. by Peter Jordens and Josine Lalleman. Mouton de Gruyter, 1996) The Genitive Construction ​The genitive construction in English can . . . help us illustrate the concept of structure- dependency. In (8) we see how the genitive attaches to the noun student: (8) The students essay is very good. If we construct a longer noun phrase, the genitive s will come at the very end, or edge, of the NP, independently of the category of the word: (9) [That young student from Germany]s essay is very good.(10) [The student you were talking to]s essay is very good. The rule that determines the genitives construction is based on the Noun Phrase: s is attached to the edge of the NP. (Mireia Llins et al., Basic Concepts for the Analysis of English Sentences. Universitat Autà ²noma de Barcelona, 2008) Also Known As: syntactic structure-dependency

Compulsory Radar Basics Seminar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Compulsory Radar Basics Seminar - Essay Example The new radar technology known as Same Direction Radar or SDR was put into place long AFTER rule 15B was approved and implemented on the roads of Florida. There has been many complaints from traffic enforcers in Florida that have been operating under the old laws and also under the old training techniques. Both of these situations are now inappropriate with the new radar technology. Florida has now purchased new radar speed measuring equipments thereby new radar related speed measuring laws have to be put into place. In the famous State of Florida v. Aquilera in 1979 known widely as the Miami Radar Trial, the local television reporter showed a house had reached 28 mph and a tree reached 86 mph, the radar was less than accurate. This Dade County Court sustained a Motion to Suppress the results of radar units in mover than 79 speeding ticket cases. The court's opined that the reliability of radar speed measuring devices has not been proven reliable beyond reasonable doubt and it did not meet test of reasonable scientific certainty. We will discuss around 20 Florida speed violation cases during the seminar in order to help you in court appearances. We will also discuss the Florida laws on speed limits as the Florida law 3

Management of information technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Management of information technology - Essay Example That same ability raises the specter of nightmarish Orwellian scenarios in which consumer purchasing behavior is captured in databases that are manipulated by corporations and government as a tool for spying. RFID utilizes a tag containing a computer chip that stores data relating to the tagged item, such as color, size, brand, warranty information, etc. Tags can also be affixed to pallets and cartons to identify contents of shipments during the distribution process. An antenna in the tag transmits and receives data through radio waves, which are picked up by a reader (Carlson 2006). In one type of RFID system known as passive, a signal is sent out by the reader creating a magnetic field, which is broadcast by its antenna to create a sensitive detection zone. When a RFID tag enters this zone it picks up the reader’s signals, which turn on the microchip’s transmitter, thus informing the reader of its presence. Passive RFID is a short range system in which the reader must range from one inch to a few feet from the tag in order to engage a signal (Kasavana 2006). Another type of RFID technology is known as active. This is a longer range system because both the tag and reader have power supply units and are capable of sending and receiving signals. The transmission range may be up to one hundred feet due to this mutual transmission. The data on active RFID microchips can also be rewritten (Kasavana 2006). Active tags are far more expensive than passive tags (up to $40 as compared to 15 cents for passive tags) and are therefore less attractive and appropriate in a commercial retail environment (Carlson 2006). Nevertheless, given their long range scanning potential, active RFID has a broader range of potential applications. It also drives greater concerns regarding potential abuse. RFID is considered to be more effective at inventory tracking than traditional bar codes for several reasons. First, it is

Dumpster diving is a big deal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Dumpster diving is a big deal - Assignment Example After the mails are read and the mail receiver has responded to these mails, they usually throw them in garbage. The problem is that there can be people in workplace that may have criminal intentions and may obtain the information from dumpsters at work and use this information in order to conduct identity theft. According to a research cited by Pope in his book, around 50% of the individuals who are involved in identity theft are people who work in the same organization (Pope 62). Other than identity theft, individuals may even throw away important information in garbage that another individual within the workforce may not have the authority to access. This information may include product designs and new products that the company may be thinking of launching. The probability is that those who dumpster dive can benefit from this information by sharing this information with competitors in exchange of rewards and

Dividend Payout in Consumer Product Industry, Malaysia

Dividend Payout in Consumer Product Industry, Malaysia 2.0 PROBLEM STATEMENT There is a large volume of work in the area of dividend payout policy across many developed countries (Gugler, 2003; Kallapur, 2004; Ferris et al., 2006; Denis and Osobov, 2008; Eije and Megginson, 2008; Engsted and Pedersen, 2010). However, less work has been done in developing countries and researchers have started to study the dividend policy, as well as the behaviour of the company within the countries (Pandey, 2003). In addition, studies that examine the dividend payout policy focus more on the general category (Kallapur, 2004; Denis and Osobov, 2008; Eije and Megginson, 2008). Limited work has been done in category based on industrial grouping (Ferris et al., 2006). As such, my study seeks to address the gap in literature review and thereby stresses on the dividend payout, in term of ratio and pattern of companies within the consumer products industry in Malaysia. 2.1 RESEARCH QUESTION What is the trend of dividend payout in companies within consumer products industry in Malaysia? 2.2 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES To identify the dividend payout ratio of the consumer products industry in Malaysia and its changes across years. To determine the percentage of companies paying dividend in the consumer products industry in Malaysia. To determine the dividend payout pattern of companies within the consumer products industry in Malaysia. To identify if there is a difference of dividend payout ratio within the consumer products industry in Malaysia. 3.0 LITERATURE REVIEW (GAPS FILLED) There is vast literature in the area of dividend payout policy across countries including US (Gugler, 2003; Denis and Osobov, 2008; Eije and Megginson, 2008) and non-US such as EU countries (Eije and Megginson, 2008; Denis and Osobov, 2008; Engsted and Pedersen, 2010), Japan (Ferris et al., 2006; Denis and Osobov, 2008) and Taiwan (Kallapur, 2004). The finding shows that payout policy undergoes changes and fluctuates across year, especially in the recent year of 1992 to 2004 (Renneboog and Trojanowski, 2010). According to Kallapur (2004), many studies agree that dividend payout ratio is a signal indicating the firms future growth. Firms pay attention to the consistency of dividend payout as studies show that investors put premium on the firms with stable payout policy and firms are reluctant to cut dividend (Gugler, 2003). Besides, a study by Ferris et al. (2006) shows that firm with negative earning (negative growth) in UK is less likely to pay dividend. This is consistent with the finding that dividend payout ratio is related to the firms growth. Study by Gugler (2003) reports that large firms with good investment opportunity in US are less likely to pay high dividend to the investors. However, their payout is relatively more stable and they are rarely cut down on the dividend (Allen and Michaely, 1995). Besides, study by Eije and Megginson (2008) shows that younger companies in EU are less likely to pay dividend and the payout is less than those older companies. According to Eije and Megginson (2008), dividend payout ratio has increased over years. They also report that the payout ratio in US has increased from year 1970 to year 2001, and the total dividend paid is increasing among firms in EU countries. From previous studies, Ferris et al. (2006) and Eije and Megginson (2008), find that the number of firms paying dividend in US is decreasing despite the increasing of dividend payout ratio across years. Eije and Megginson (2008) also report the same finding in EU firms and suggest that the dividend payout policies are quite similar between the two. According to Denis and Osobov (2008), the decreasing trend is driven by the failure of new listed firms to initiate payout when they are expected to do so. However, there is a contrast finding from the studies done in Taiwan and Japan. Study from Kallapur (2004) shows that dividend paying firms in Taiwan has actually increased since year 2000, while Ferris et al. (2006) reports that the percentage of firms paying dividend in Japan remains highly stable. Ferris et al. (2006) also suggests that the decreasing trend does not seem to affect Japanese firms. This is an interesting area that worth for study, especially in developing country such as Malaysia. Horngren et al. (2008) notes that dividend payout ratio different across industries and it is commonly used to compare companies in the same industry. However, there is limited work done specifically within an industry (Ferris et al., 2006). According to International Business Center (2010), consumer products industry plays a major role in the world economy as it acts as a driver for other industries. Besides, it reports that consumer products industry contributes to the two-thirds of the world trade volume and accounts for significant portion of the gross domestic product (GDP) in many countries. As such, my study would stress on the dividend payout, in term of the ratio and pattern, of consumer products industry in Malaysia. 4.0 METHODOLOGY The methodology that will be applied has been chosen in order to obtain data and compare the dividend payout, in terms of ratio and pattern, within consumer products industry in Malaysia. 4.1 DATA COLLECTION For the purpose of this study, data will be collected using the secondary source. Annual report of respective company will be obtained from the link given in the Bursa Malaysia website. 4.2 SAMPLING FRAME The sampling frame for this study would be the public listed companies in Malaysia. The list can be obtained from Bursa Malaysia or The Star website. 4.3 SAMPLING STRATEGY For the purpose of this study, non probability purposive sampling is selected. As the study only focus on one industry, and 5 years data is assumed to show a general trend of the dividend payout, thus the sample chosen need to meet the following criteria, Companies that fall under the consumer products industry. Companies with at least 5 years of annual report available on the company website. By searching through the companies website, only 89 out of 142 companies in consumer products industry fulfill the mentioned above criteria (as in Appendix 2). 4.4 DATA ANALYSIS In this study, hybrid method (both quantitative and qualitative) will be used to analyze the data. Generally, it can be divided into 3 parts as following, For dividend payout ratio, percentage of firms paying dividend and the percentage of company using certain payout pattern, SPSS (descriptive statistic) will be used. To determine if there is a difference of dividend payout ratio among companies within the industry, SPSS (One-Sample T-Test) can be carried out as the sample size is more than 30. Yearly dividend payout ratio obtained from a) will be used as the test value in SPSS. To determine the trend of dividend payout, in term of ratio and pattern across years, qualitative method will be used as it involves more on the interpretation of data. 4.5 ROLE OF THEORY In this study, the role of theory would be theory generation. It involves the new finding of dividend payout ratio, as well as the payout pattern among companies within the consumer products industry in Malaysia. 5.0 CONTRIBUTION EXPECTED It is intended that the finding of this study will give a clearer picture of the dividend payout in consumer products industry as it is the major contributor to the countrys economic. Besides, it can be used by potential investors that desire a certain cash flow (dividend) instead of incurring transaction cost from periodically selling shares of stock. Last but not least, it seeks to provide a better understanding for Chief Financial Officer (CFO) towards the dividend payout ratio and its pattern within the consumer products industry in Malaysia. 6.0 SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE STUDIES Due to time constraint and limited information that is available on the website, only 5 years of annual report is obtained for this study. Thus, it is suggested that a longer time series of data, for example 10 years should be taken in future to provide a better understanding of the dividend payout in Malaysia. Besides, future researchers can study on other industries and ultimately compare the dividend payout ratio and its pattern across all industries in Malaysia.

Cybernetic Immunology :: Essays Papers

Cybernetic Immunology In the traditions of 'Western' science and politics--the tradition of racist, male-dominant capitalism; the tradition of progress; the tradition of the appropriation of nature as resource for the productions of culture; the tradition of reproduction of the self from the reflections of the other - the relation between organism and machine has been a border war. The stakes in the border war have been the territories of production, reproduction, and imagination. This chapter is an argument for pleasure in the confusion of boundaries and for responsibility in their construction. (Haraway 150) Cartesian circularities of self-identitical participants in a phallocratic order and ripples in a huge urban puddle renamed ‘lake’ from a fallen body, the machines may have already won. We know it was they who scorched the sky. Oshii Mamoru’s anime, turned American 1995 â€Å"Japanimation† classic, plays cyborg science fiction with flashing lights, outbursts of violence, and a plot fit for cyborgs to understand in a political world of simulations transferred without effluvia directly by air-port cybernetworking into unannounced awareness in each celluloid thin character, and on their demihuman coworker’s early 90’s military computer monitors. The narrative tries to entangle itself so thoroughly in a political rationality of an omnipresent culture of technicism devoid of scientific explanation on every green, glowing, digitally exported, and unrefined urban street corner that its revealing of the â€Å"real† puppetmaster/s uper-villain (a tool of someone still further up, â€Å"our heroes† presume) begs a sigh about technology coming to master itself without a care in the world for humanist restraint, much like the mostly good natured civilians who, it seems, don’t really mind an almost comically violent thug police presence that tears through their markets, melons, and minds chasing charlatans only it can see armed with overpowered bullets in outdated guns without any of the pleasant trappings of the polite police forces we imagine secure our very ability to sit in front of a glowing screen with electrically replicated pitches and decibels projected into right-angled chambers of passivity, and reflected in photons and waves to our media outlets - the doors of techno-perception. Calling Ghost â€Å"a film about† already misses that it is a film to as well. Mistaking cause for consequence, watching animated

Human Resource Management in Canada Essay

The human resource department of any company plays a significant role to the advancement of its employees as well as the increase of the company’s profits and improvement of the manner of production. Although the process of hiring employees may appear to be a simple task, the execution thereof as well as the complications and intricacies involved in the process is not that easy to counter. The job of the human resource department, according to Dessler and Cole is two-fold. First the human resource is responsible for the handling of the hiring of employees. They assess the qualifications of the employees and determine if their skills and capabilities are suited for the job that they are applying for. It is essential that the human resource adequately match the capabilities and educational attainment of the applicant as this will benefit the company in the long run. Hiring employees who cannot deliver the expectations of the company from them will not only be problematic, it will also unjustly drain the resources of the company. Another role of the human resource is to employ individuals who will meet the strategic goals of the company. Going over the qualifications of an applicant is not enough in order to complete the task of hiring. There must be a suitable position for him and the placement of this individual to such position should be made not just because of pure discretion but also in order to meet the goals of the company. There should be human resource planning in order to anticipate the future needs and demands of the company. Without this process, it will be more difficult for companies to combat the different challenges that may hamper their path to success. Having strategic goals mean evaluating the available resources of the company and the needs thereof. This is important so as to avoid the creation of redundant positions and it will also allow the employees and the management to maximize their skills and resources respectively. There are several ways and means in order to plan for the human resource needs of a company. Among these ways are the quantitative techniques for forecasting and the two qualitative techniques which are utilized for forecasting demand. Aside from setting the strategic goals of the company, there is also a need for the human resource department to go through job analysis. Through the job analysis, the people from the human resources department of a company will investigate and collect data regarding the needs of the company. Dessler and Cole have indicated six steps in order to complete the process of job analysis and they are as follows: determining the information that will be assessed, collecting background information, selecting the positions as well as the jobs that will be analyzed, collecting the available data, reviewing the information which are collected with the superiors, and developing the specifications of the job as well as the job descriptions. After the creation of a plan, recruitment and the assessment of the qualifications of the applicant, the human resource department goes through reference checking. This is very essential as the process will spill relevant information about the applicant. Once the human resource is satisfied with the qualification and the information gathered about the applicant, the latter will go through a training period. This process will show whether or not the applicant is capable of meeting the expectations from him. Orientation follows after the hiring. Through the orientation process, the newly-hired employee become knowledgeable with the do’s and dont’s in the company and for them to be fully aware of the systems and procedures. The job however of the human resource does not end in the hiring of the employee. Just like a guardian, the human resource continuously oversees the performance of the employee. Such performance will be used as the basis of the employee is entitled to a promotion or to the assignment of different tasks. Overseeing the performance of the employee is not limited to his work productivity. Other factors such as work ethics and the way the employee deals with his superiors, subordinates and other co-employees will also be assessed. The information gathered in this process may be instrumental in deciding issues which may concern the employee in the future. In addition to the task of overseeing the employees, it is also the job of the human resource to determine the ways and means to motivate employees and improve their performance. Among these methods are the appraisal and giving of additional pay or benefits to those who have exhibited excellent performance. Coming up with effective incentive plans may increase the productivity of the employees and yield to the increase in profits that employers are looking for. In the creation of such plans, the interests and needs of the employees should be taken into consideration in order to attain the greater success rate. In order to determine what the employees desire, it is important that the human resource make an effort to establish good communication relations with them. Good communication as well as the imposition of proper and fair treatment may help the company in avoiding labor cases. The human resource should take an extra effort to make sure that the employees are short changed by the company or the other way around. The human resource should make sure that the employees’ rights are not being violated. The role that the human resource undertakes is very important to the advancement of the company since they handle all matters which concern the employees–the life blood of every company. Without the human resource, the company may face great difficulties in attaining the progress that it desires.

Managing Groups in a Multicultural Setup

Surviving and succeeding in today’s global competitive business environment is obviously difficult. Cross-cultural working, managing changes, technological advantages give the much needed edge to set organizations apart. Our progress and approach strategies clearly defines our success. Developments in recent years have reinforced the view that we are moving from a world in which we determined our destination to one in which we must learn to navigate a path between myriad future possibilities (Stickland,1998).I had been assigned to a study group, which I was to work with, during the first semester. The group members met each other for the first time in the lecture theatre and decided to meet after class. The meeting was informal and we all introduced ourselves, exchanged e-mail addresses and phone numbers. All five team members talked about their backgrounds and I seemed to like the team from the beginning.Everyone seemed humble. As we kept on talking, it became apparent that s ome team members were more talkative than others. Team members, A and B were very talkative and kept asking questions while C and D were more quiet. I was more like an average participant, but in the end I too talked less. A and B looked at each other and me but not at C and D; C and D were thus not included in the conversations. I noticed this, but decided to ignore it for the time being. I thought I need to only change it later.The five members came from different countries across four continents. A was from India and from experience I knew that Indians would talk a lot and have strong opinions. B was from Honduras whom I thought would be talkative and easy going like my friends from Nicaragua and other Central American countries. While C was from Georgia, a country I did not know much about, D was from the US whom I thought would be a hard working, self-centered and confrontationist.The team was truly diverse. Having lived in Asia, North America and Europe, working with several m ulticultural teams for over a decade; I knew from the beginning that I had to learn more about their cultures and backgrounds. This was perhaps the only way I could interpret their behavior and adapt to them, while they could adapt to me too. I believed that judging people even before you get to know them was wrong, while at the same time I was sure that my assumptions about certain cultures and the norms within these cultures, were mostly right.We were assigned the first group task in management science. I walked into the assignment with a positive attitude and everyone else in the group did, too. After all, the first get-to-know meeting had been positive. Once we had gathered, we decided on where to work. We sat down and focused on the task that had been given to us. We read the assignment and were ready to discuss the task.Here things started to go wrong. As group members are not much familiar with each other, there is a certain amount of uncertainty and suspicion, when interpret ing each other’s conduct and action. Lack of positive relationship carries opportunities for development of serious conflicts. These may not only be difficult to resolve, but also decrease team performance, particularly when a relationship conflict is not differentiated from task disagreements. (Pamela and Sara 2002)As we had not established a hierarchy structure, there was no leader. It was an equal platform for all to put forth their contributions, at an identical level. I come from a consensus driven society and thought that it was the right approach. I believed that everyone knew how dynamics in a consensus driven group works. However, I was proven wrong. People were not listening to each other! People would not let each other talk. Instead they interrupted each other!I could not overcome the feeling that some people wanted to prove that they were intelligent and knowledgeable. We did not have a dialogue. The task’s problems and scope were not discussed. We did not talk about how to solve the task at hand. Instead people presented their solutions!. The team found it hard to keep up the schedules, and inefficient communication was taking its toll.I have worked as a management and strategy consultant in many countries and even founded companies in cultures foreign to me and I had never seen such chaos and unstructured behavior. In fact, gradually the team structure itself broke down and began functioning like two divided teams working on separate agenda. Did this have to do with some people’s inexperience?! Or was this peculiar only to me?.I went along with what was happening in the group, always trying to pull people back to discuss the task’s scope. The group agreed that we needed to look at the scope and understand it. However, people continued to argue their causes defending their ideas. We were not getting anywhere. Time was running out and I knew that we did not have a good solution. This was confirmed when we saw what other groups presented. Now, I wondered whether the other people in the group saw it the same way? But I never asked them. We had talked to each other in the first assignment but not with each other now . We were not communicating well.Several days later, the second assignment was given to us. We went back to the same room we had used earlier. We read the task and, to my surprise, nobody’s approach had changed. Everyone was talking and no one listening. D who had been quiet in the first meeting tried to explain his idea which I thought was good. I wanted people to listen to D and they did after I specifically asked them to. D has only studied English for four years and he had a hard time expressing his thoughts, lacking the necessary vocabulary.Everyone else in the group speaks English fluently. I believed this might be the reason why no one listened to him. Anyway, after D had talked, they resumed their unconstructive debating, ignoring D’s ideas. After I initiated a secon d attempt to get D back into the discussion without any success I must admit that emotions replaced my otherwise logical and rather rational thinking. The other group members’ ignorance upset me. I decided not to participate anymore. Instead, I decided to observe what was going on in the team, making mental notes and checking my initial assumptions about each others’ attitudes.I then realized that initiating a groupwork successfully is very important and difficult. Perhaps the task or objectives at hand need to correspond to an initiation level too. Not much has been said or written on tasks, which are more suitable for groupwork, particularly at the initiation level. But it has been widely accepted that group work must be established in defined stages or steps, so that there is a better sense of direction and focus at the early stages. It would also be more beneficial if the topics and activities are initially focused at a simpler, straightforward and interesting agen da, gradually moving on to complicating issues. (Elisabeth 1990)Once again, we ran out of time without having completed the task, we returned to the lecture theatre only to find that our solution was substandard. At this point, I thought we have had enough and decided that we need to have a team discussion to analyze why we were under performing and how can we improve?. I sent out an e-mail to the group on this and to my surprise the team agreed with me, and we met the next day. During the subsequent meeting everyone admitted that we have been under performing.We also agreed that an important problem was that we were not letting everyone speak up and that some members dominated the discussions. We had to change this. This is when we created a â€Å"Group Work Guidebook† and work structure guidelines. We established guidelines on courtesy, respect, conduct and criticism, which are to be exhibited by all, in the course of our groupwork. We also took certain strategic initiative s like sharing our strengths and weaknesses and setting up a roadmap for achieving our objectives.Even though we did not have specific roles I soon became the facilitator, with many suggesting that I take over as a secretary. I made sure to empower others in the group as we went along but also made sure that discussion went smoothly without getting stuck in details. When emotions started to come up in discussions I tried to intervene usually with humor. I had to skip a meeting as I was sick; however it gave me an opportunity to understand how the team performed in my absence. I was surprised to note that the team was indeed more receptive to each other than before. Meetings were however becoming more hectic due to time constraints caused unnecessarily by professors, and at times we felt like we were slipping off as before.What made me uncomfortable at times was that some group members started to see me as the leader, which I did not like. Group members would look at me when there wa s an argument or when they had questions. I felt like a judge! I did not want this because I felt that it would hold the group back from having open and productive discussions. I believed that we could have â€Å"new leaders† every time depending on what we talked about. The leader would naturally emerge and it would obviously be the one who knew the most about the matter at hand. When I received for example questions, and people looked at me.I would give my opinion but then make sure that I asked everyone else what they thought. It was a time consuming process and ate into our efficiency but it was worth it. We ended up with good results and everyone felt involved. However, not everyone felt that they had been involved every time we met. C had never worked in a multi-cultural team before and likes task-focused approaches. C took over the role of coordinator without us noticing.A says that she comes from a passive culture and thinks she is helping us which isn’t. . In the session, A mentioned that she was not feeling that everyone understood her and she had a hard time expressing her feelings in the group. I spoke to A about it, who needed more reassurance when she worked in groups. She had a tendency to talk a lot and many group members found it distracting and I sensed that she was being kept outside the team a little bit. We had agreed on some guidelines but, especially A and C wanted to work the way they were used to, unwilling to accept others’ ways of working. We started to prepare slides so that we could hit the ground running and it took a long time before we felt comfortable with dividing tasksThe initial phase helped us to bond. As we went along, the group worked harmoniously with some few interruptions. The group bonded more and more as we went along. Mostly, because we now understood each other’s needs and how everyone liked to work. Our team outing also contributed to this bonding, giving us an opportunity to talk on so mething personal. Also, we started to split tasks and worked in small groups. The objectives and approaches were discussed with the team.Then tasks were delegated. We were able to work faster this way. This also satisfied C who wanted a more task oriented approach. However, we did not exaggerate the task focus. A admitted that she in general has problems to express feelings, and we as a team assured her that everyone does have it, but that it is better to talk to us, so that we can support her as we work together almost every day. We were here to learn, try new things and have fun. In the â€Å"group therapy† session, the team agreed that efficiency was an issue although, it had improved over the past weeks. The question now was how quickly we could improve our efficiency and how?. We decided, especially during our project, to pick up the pace and set more deadlines.As we continued to progress well, it was becoming obvious that some team members missed a hierarchical structur e. The more experienced members however, were fine with not having one, while the less experienced ones looked for guidance and at some time even thought that they had turned into leaders as they tried to enforce a hierarchy or assigned themselves tasks such as structuring meetings, etc. I believe this helps them tackle their insecurity.The younger members showed that they could not handle stress very well. When we had client meetings C would get nervous and start bossing people around. I laughed at it initially, but pointed it out to him. Even other group members pointed it out to him and he improved. As we entered the final phase of the project I discovered that the younger members liked to talk in the â€Å"I† form more and more. When I had put together a model with A or C they would still say â€Å"I created XYZ† in the group. B picked up on this and it irritated her as well as me. I explained to them the importance of teamwork and made it clear that it should alwa ys be ‘We’ and not ‘I’.The study group bonded more and more. Even C who in the beginning thought that dinners were simply a waste of time now started to enjoy them and even initiates them. He felt comfortable with the team and the team in general spoke openly about everything. Today, we are still improving our organizational skills and efficiency. However, we are very comfortable with each other, joking and laughing more than we work at times. This slows down work, but we still achieve good results and most importantly we discuss things outside the assignment, which is also a way of developing.The project presentation went very well. C talks and jokes more than he has ever done before – not just with the group. D has found a humorous side as well and has been very calm throughout the process. B is very involved sometimes at a level that is too detailed but she keeps everyone positive. A is motivated again after the Management Science debacle when we scored lower than we had expected. I am more structured in my approach and communicate much clearer (harder) than before pulling the teams back to the essential problems, when needed. And, yes, I still spend much time talking to group members outside the group, helping in any way that I possibly can. Did it require much energy and time? Yes! But it was worth it.I look forward to working with this group again, because we are now working well together, learning more and faster; being adapted to each other’s working style and body language. There are people in the MBA with whom I do not want to work with. These are people who do not understand integrity, honesty and respect. Selfishness does not go well with me. I have understood and realized this only in the past few weeks, more than ever before. I continue to believe that my passive leadership style in which I try to make people discover their flaws themselves is good. Sometimes I have to be more direct, or there will be misun derstandings leading to potential conflicts.Creating a group and implementing a working plan or road map is a difficult and time-consuming task. The planning stage is very crucial for the effective working of the group, however it is also essential that we do not hold on completely to the plan. The group and leader must react to situations impulsively. (Linda 1997). I see myself more of a transformational type leader who set goals and inculcate awareness on the setting and achieving of goals by others to pull them from unworthy preoccupations.Transformational leadership elevates levels of morality and motivation among others and are more effective, It has not been possible to relate their leadership with demographic, social or personal characteristics (Linda et al). I have indeed been benefited by this groupwork experience, a benefit that will remain with me, contributing to whatever I would be involved in.REFERENCESLinda et al., 2001;Organizational Behavior; A Management Challenge, Lawrence Erlbaum AssociatesLinda. F. Groupwork in Occupational Therapy. Nelson Thornes (1997)Elisabeth D. Talking and Learning in Groups. Routledge (1990).Pamela J. and   Sara. K Distributed Work   MIT Press, (2002)Stickland, F.; The Dynamics of Change. Publisher: Routledge, London (1998).