Compensation and Benefits Strategies Recommendations Essay

In this scenario, Team A has agreed to work with a small business, Landslide Limousine. Bradley Stonefield is our client whom we must develop some compensation and benefit recommendations. Landslide Limousine is a small business with approximately 25 employees that is located in Austin, Texas. First, Team A will conduct a market evaluation by researching what companies in the relevant market are providing to employees from a total compensation perspective. Second, recommend a compensation structure. Third, recommend the position in the market. Fourth, create a total compensation and benefits strategy. Fifth, consider the use of performance incentives and merit pay to recognize and engage employees. Lastly, identify laws related to the benefits and pay program. Market Evaluation On account of the tight competition in Austin Texas, it will be challenging as a small business owner starting out to be competing with the larger companies in the market. Luckily, Austin’s average pay for a limousine driver is 6% lower in this city than the national average which will be a benefit to Landslide Limousines. Austin has over 400 different competing companies in the area so having an upper hand on the total compensation of its employees will be highly beneficial. When looking at the area of competitors many do not offer health insurance or offer very little coverage to its employees. Between these companies very few allow the drivers to take all of their tips or compensation for these services. Along with these lacks of benefits, problems that could also occur in this market is the high turnover rate due to low wages. By offering these additional benefits that other competitors are not, it allows Landslide Limousines the ability to find the best drivers and retain them. Over time, retaining drivers will  save the company a significant amount of money not having to train new employees from constant turnover. In addition, being able to retain those that are experts in their fields, the customer satisfaction for the company will continually bring in new business allow the company to expand to 25 employees in the near future. Recommendation for Compensation Structure Based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average pay for a limousine driver in Texas is $10.95 a year or $22,770 based on a full time. This standard includes tenured and new drivers. The minimum wage is for Texas is $7.25 or $15,080. After looking at these statistics, it is recommended that you come up with a hiring structure based on experience and duties for the role. Also consider offering a premium pay for peak or late night hours. Keep in mind if it is decided to provide health insurance it is recommended to keep the wage slightly lower than if it were not to be offered. A business needs to keep a financial balance and by offering both a higher wage along with health benefits it could put Landslide Limousines in more than the fifty thousand in debt than expected. Since the company decided to allow drivers to keep ninety percent of their tips, it is recommended that the starting pay for the driver with 5 years’ experience be slightly below the Texas average given all the additional benefits the driver will receive. By giving drivers the ability to have ninety percent of their compensation pay, it gives them a high incentive to work at their best. It also allows the company the ability to track their best/most profitable drivers. Using this data will be significant when offering annual reviews and raises. Recommendation for Position in Market When looking at compensation and benefits one must look at their main competitors. Knowing one’s competition gives a view of whom in their market might sway or temp employees to the said organization. Landslide’s main competition is Big as Texas Limousine service and Austin Black service. These companies are currently operating in the Austin, Texas marketplace and are a large competitor. In addition, the market can easily offer skilled workers and great benefits. Landslide must offer a benefits package to keep up with their competitor, and if they wish to stay in business, keeping their employees satisfied amongst competition is a must. Team A recommends  that Landslide must offer similar or improved benefits to their employees. Further, Landslide should offer a training program to entry level employees so that the service is exceptional and customers will continue to utilize their business. Compensation and Benefits Strategy When running an organization, managers and other members of leaders needs to take a look at the compensation and benefit strategy. A strategic plan for employee compensation determines how much you want to pay employees and what type of employees you want to attract. Your compensation plan entails a variety of aspects including pay scales, reward programs, benefits packages and company perks. A successful strategic compensation plan allows your business to compete in the market for the best employees in your industry (â€Å"Strategic Plan for Employee Compensation and Benefits†, 2014). Here are a few recommendation I would make to help with the creation of a compensation and benefit strategy plan. Attracting Quality Employees Your strategic plan for compensation plays a large role in attracting competent employees. Paying wages at or above the prevailing wage in the market for your company’s industry allows you to demand workers with more experience and positive work histories. Employing more qualified workers leads to better results, including higher productivity and customer service interactions. This can increase your company’s revenue and help your business establish its identity with consumers (â€Å"Strategic Plan for Employee Compensation and Benefits†, 2014). Rewards for Performance A compensation strategy may also include rewards for employees based on workplace performance. This may include a commission-based system that rewards employees for total amount of sales or for consistent positive feedback from customers. A reward system should be easy for employees to understand and attainable enough at its lower levels to encourage employees to work harder to reach higher goals. A reward system with performance levels too high for employees to reach early on in the process won’t encourage harder work because employees will simply ignore it (â€Å"Strategic Plan for Employee Compensation and Benefits†, 2014). Perks and Benefits Perks and benefits can make or break your company’s ability to attract the best and brightest in your industry. Offering health insurance benefits to full-time workers should be a goal of your strategic compensation plan. You can combine health insurance with other company perks, including paid holidays and guaranteed paid vacation time, to attract more qualified workers to your business. Your decision to offer these benefits is also contingent on the success of your company. You may choose to add health care coverage and paid time off to your benefits package only after your company is showing profitability or makes it past the first year (â€Å"Strategic Plan for Employee Compensation and Benefits†, 2014). Incentives and Merit Pay Subsequently as this is a new limousine service, primarily driven by customer satisfaction. We must consider how to engage staff, by introducing performance incentive plans that support the key business objectives of the Limousine Service; motivating staff into achieving the goals set by management and providing cost-effective rewards for performance. Helm and Holladay (2007) stated, â€Å"Effective performance management involves a complete system of goal setting, training, communication, and ongoing feedback from a practice† (p. 4). Considering the current performance management strategic plan for the business, we will have 25 employees to begin the infrastructure. So we can reasonably consider implementing annual, quarterly annual, and end of year special incentives in addition to merit pay for every employee based on the company’s performance rating. Where the individual performance appraisal is described as â€Å"an important means to achieve goals set by the comp any’s top management, not just a way to change wages,† (Robbins & Judges, 2013, p. 254). The company will outline the quarterly objectives on the 3rd day of the first month of each quarter based on categories such as, leading happy people and driving out risk. Notably each department will have concrete and measurable key performance indicators(KPI)that will align with the Limousine company’s goals; also some defined employee’s will be responsible for multiple areas, and will have specific KPI’s or management by objectives( MBO) unique to their position. The annual portion of the incentive plan will be based on the execution of targets in the following categories; profit before taxes, customer service (gallop score) and service level scores, also marketing our stuff which the  total percentage of all groups equaling 100%. Additionally, an individual incentive will be paid to individuals that exceeded expectations in the customer service. Plus all the regular full-time and part-time employees are eligible, and those working less than 40 hours will receive prorated payments for all plan types. But in order to remain eligible to participate in the incentive scheme, employees must be given a performance rating of ‘fully met expectations’ and nothing less on their annual appraisals under the corporate performance evaluation program. Considerably, the implementation of incentives plans in addition to the performance management plan will create success for the company, and bred a culture of happy people. Related Laws to Benefits/Pay Program Team A has put together a few laws that pertain to Landslide Limousines. These laws will assist in the protection of business assets, employees, and customers. Understanding the laws and what one needs to do to stay in compliance is extremely vital in the success of a business. Otherwise, it can become a detriment and soon it will become the ultimate downfall of one’s brand and company. Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) of 1985 If an employee terminate employment or reduce their hours of employment, they will usually have the right to temporarily continue their health and dental coverage through their employer. This law requires that most employers sponsoring group health plans offer employees and their families the opportunity for a temporary extension of health and dental coverage (called â€Å"COBRA coverage†) at group rates in certain qualifying instances where coverage under the plan would otherwise end. If you are an employee of CWRU and are covered by one of the group health and dental plans, you have a right to choose COBRA coverage if you lose your group health coverage because of a reduction in your hours of employment or the termination of your employment (for reasons other than gross misconduct on your part) (â€Å"Laws Affecting Benefits†, 2011). HIPAA Privacy Rule The Office for Civil Rights enforces the HIPAA Privacy Rule, which protects the privacy of individually identifiable health information; the HIPAA Security Rule, which sets national standards for the security of electronic protected health information; the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule, which requires covered entities and business associates to provide notification following a breach of unsecured protected health information; and the confidentiality provisions of the Patient Safety Rule, which protect identifiable information being used to analyze patient safety events and improve patient safety (â€Å"Health Information Privacy†, n.d). Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998 Also known as â€Å"Janet’s Law,† the WHCRA requires health care benefit plans to provide certain coverage following a mastectomy. The law also requires annual notification to all plan participants and their covered beneficiaries (â€Å"Laws Affecting Benefits†, 2011). Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) prescribes standards for wages and overtime pay, which affect most private and public employment. The act is administered by the Wage and Hour Division. It requires employers to pay covered employees who are not otherwise exempt at least the federal minimum wage and overtime pay of one-and-one-half-times the regular rate of pay. For nonagricultural operations, it restricts the hours that children under age 16 can work and forbids the employment of children under age 18 in certain jobs deemed too dangerous. For agricultural operations, it prohibits the employment of children under age 16 during school hours and in certain jobs deemed too dangerous (â€Å"Summary of the Major Laws of the Department of Labor†, n.d). Conclusion In closing, Team A’s recommendations for Landslide Limousines will assist in the success of the company as Bradley Stonefield strives to become the top competitor in the market. Team A has put together a market evaluation. In addition, Team A has provided recommendation for compensation structure and position in market. Further, an outline of compensation and benefits strategy and a merit pay structure for employees. Lastly, laws that pertain to Landslide Limousines that can ultimately protect small businesses, their employees, and customers. References Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2013, May). Retrieved from Occupational Employment Statistics: http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes533041.htm Cascio, W. F. (2013). Managing Human resources (9th ed.), New York, NY the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Experienced Limo Driver Salary in Austin, Tx. (2014, December 6). Retrieved from Indeed: http://www.indeed.com/salary/q-Experienced-Limo-Driver-l-Austin,-TX.html Health Information Privacy. (n.d). Retrieved from http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/ Laws Affecting Benefits. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.case.edu/finadmin/humres/benefits/laws.html#hippa Strategic Plan for Employee Compensation and Benefits. (2014). Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/strategic-plan-employee-compensation-benefits-15613.html Summary of the Major Laws of the Department of Labor. (n.d). Retrieved from http://www.dol.gov/opa/aboutdol/lawsprog.htm

Everyday Use by Alice Walker Essay

I would like to share this wonderful story that I had chosen for my English class research‘s paper â€Å"Everyday use† by Alice Walker. The story of â€Å"Everyday Use† is about a single mother and her two daughters, Dee and Maggie. Dee is the family’s proud. She is beautiful, smart and educated, on the other hand, Maggie is simple, low confident and her skin burned severely in a house fire. The author Alice Walker uses Mama as the narrator in the â€Å"Everyday Use† to describe these two characters, Maggie and Dee, to show us two different views of culture and tradition heritage during 1970’s. My thoughts on the story were drawn from personal experience with my own grandmother’s by entrusting their granddaughters with valuable heritage connections. This story also taught me how to value more my family. I also like this story because applies to every young person, and especially to all the young women who do not attempt to understand to respect the women who made them. I enjoyed reading it and symbolized the life of a family that is learning what their heritage really is and how to use it. I love the person I have become and I often scorn my grandparents, in their education and values. Today Most of us do not think about passing things down from one generation to another, either objects or traditions and I think is a valuable to understands the importance of cultural heritage and the story suggests that children should appreciate their heritage as it is passed down.

Are US policies toward the Middle East likely to succeed Discuss with Essay

Are US policies toward the Middle East likely to succeed Discuss with relation to to either democratization or Iran - Essay Example he following will discuss Middle Eastern perceptions of American foreign policy and ask the question, are US policies toward the Middle East likely to succeed? Democracy has been at the forefront of stated American ambitions in the region and the decision by the United States to invade Iraq and overthrow Saddam Hussein in 2003 was perhaps the most controversial event in recent Middle Eastern history. Seen by many as an attempt by the United States to exert its global hegemony and dispose of a dictator not for the benefit of the Iraqi people, nor due to the supposed cache of weapons of mass destruction, but to obtain access to the vast oil resources of Iraq, this invasion is arguably the most controversial aspect of American foreign policy within the past quarter century. The US invasion of Iraq was controversial for a variety of reasons, the not least of which was the fact that the invasion did not first receive United Nations Security Council approval: an important condition in inte rnational relations which effectively legitimizes decisive political action. Opinion polls, conducted in the Middle East prior to the invasion by both the British Broadcasting Corporation and global pollster Ipsos Reed, effectively demonstrated how different Arab (and Iranian) perceptions of the War were in comparison to those of Americans (who were divided, albeit less opposed, to the invasion). We now turn to an analysis of unilateralism in the 21t century, the driving force of American foreign policy in the Middle East since the attacks of September 11, 2001 (Reynolds 2008). According to Drake University Professor of Politics and International Relations, David Skidmore, American unilateralism developed into an explicit and implicit policy of the present Bush Administration since the aftermath of September 11th 2001. Although the United States, historically committed to multilateralism, collective decision-making and international rules of law, has rejected foreign policy

Comunication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Comunication - Essay Example It is apparent that he uses Ethos very well in criticizing the current government and its proponents, showing all its failures and lack of commitment to serve the interest of the common American people. He does not only attribute this to the government as an institution alone, but also draws a closer relationship of these failures to the Democrat party, which he perceives unfit for the people. This, he does in the following observations that he makes, which he believes had an alternative way out that would have seen the circumstances and occurrences become more favorable. The failure of the government was in the tax burden that was bestowed on the people that was a third of the National income; the nation had a debt amounting to one and half more than the debt of all the countries in the world combined and there were many deaths of the American soldiers in the Vietnam War. He accused the members of the current government, the president inclusive of disrespecting the American people and the Nations constitution, through speeches and utterances that were imbibed with sarcasm. He observed that the government had referred to the American people as the â€Å"Masses† and the constitution as this â€Å"Restrictive document,† only to later refer the people as the â€Å"greater society† (Michael, 3).All this was meant to show that the current government did not uphold the interest of the people at its core principle and only considered them important when they wielded the immense voting power. The disrespect of the country’s constitution was something that was tantamount to abuse of the people’s freedom and liberty that had been hard won by their forefathers in the American war of independence. He cited the inability of the government to control the economy, with an example of its involvement in farm economy, in that the cost of this farm economy program had almost doubled. He accused the opponent of Barry Goldwater, who was from the Democrat

Violence on children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Violence on children - Essay Example However, the other perspective is that corporal punishment is nothing more than violence against children masked as discipline. It is a crucial debate, and a complex issue that affects everyone. Although there are well-developed arguments for both sides of this topic, corporal punishment is sometimes necessary for children to become well developed, and it is not a form of behavior that should be considered the same as violence against children or physical abuse. Using corporal punishment on a child is often considered to be a form of violence, and some consider it to be a particularly bad form of punishment. This consideration comes from the fact that the offender is the person that the child looks to for protection, and as such, the act of violence directly breaks the trust the child has. The use of corporal punishment on children has been the subject of substantial research, as people attempt to determine whether this type of discipline has negative repercussions on children. A study published in Pediatrics provides persuasive evidence that shows the short-term benefits of using corporal punishment on children does not outweigh the long-term negative consequences. The authors found that children who were physically punished more often at the age of three was likely to be more violent than other children of his or her age by the time the child reached five years old. Not only were the five-year-olds who had been physically punished more vi olent and aggressive towards people, animals and objects, they were also more demanding, rebellious and become frustrated easier than children who were physically punished less often or not at all (Taylor 1057-65). It can be argued that this occurs because hitting a child results in fear, which does not help the child to understand the proper methods of behavior. It also has the potential to teach children that violence is the solution to the problems of adult life, leading them to turn to violence themselves

CASE STUDY - AMAZON Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

- AMAZON - Case Study Example The featured organization remained engaged in selling DVDs, CDs, VHS cassettes and a lot of electronics before it can actually became capable of developing and commercializing Kindle Fire tablet. The introduction of Kindle acted like a lucky charm for the retailer and things initiated to look improved ever since the product was launched in the year of 2011 whereas, its predecessor Kindle e-book Reader was launched in 2007. The improved version of the formerly mentioned product was released in 2012 (History & Timeline, 2014). The company produces products by outsourcing their manufacturing to countries that can produce them cheaply. The apparels are made in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The technological products are either made in China or US. The products are distributed through chain of warehouses, fulfillment centers and third party distributors (Kucera, 2014). Jeff Bezos had incorporated Amazon.com as an organization in July 1994 and the website was made available for customer use in 1995 after intensive tests and beta version releases. However, the concept worked and worked great indeed. The initial name of the company was Cadabra and it was replaced with Amazon after getting inspired with the title of Amazon River which is one of the most spacious water masses located on the face of the Earth. The Amazons is a term that was used to refer to great nation of female warriors known to exist in the traditional Greek mythology. Amazon managed to vend its subsidiary websites to England, America, France, Canada, Italy, Germany, Spain, Australia, Brazil, Japan, China, India and last but not the least Mexico. In 2011, the company was in plans to launch its websites in Poland, Netherlands and Sweden. Jeff Bezos did not engage in internet business in the period of early development of the industry but he made up for his misgivings in this regard an d introduced Amazon in 1994. Amazon as a

Data exchange Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Data exchange - Essay Example 3D-XML format supports seamless integration with a number of office productivity software and popular web browsers; for example, 3D-XML files can be embedded into a Word or PowerPoint document by a simple drag-and-drop operation (James 2006). 3D-XML technology makes 3D data accessible to the extended enterprise as a whole, hence, enabling users to add extra dimension to their documentation as well as improve their collaboration with others (James 2006). 3D-XML allows incorporation of PLM (Project Life Cycle Management) information into various forms of communication such as technical documentation, maintenance manuals, marketing brochures, websites, emails and many others. (Dassault Systems n.d.) According to Leondes (2002, p. 379), ‘IGES is a standard used to exchange graphics information between commercial CAD systems’. He further described that IGES includes four sections: the Start Section that provides a human readable prologue to the file, the Global Section that contains information describing the preprocessor and information needed by postprocessor to handle the file, the Directory Entry Section which provides an index and contains attribute information and topological information about each entity, and the Parameter Data Section that contains geometrical parameter data associated with each entity (Leondes 2002, p. 379 – 380). Ball, A, Ding, L & Patel, M 2008, ‘An Approach to Accessing Product Data across System and Software Revisions’, Advanced Engineering Informatics, vol. 22, no. 2, pp.222-235, viewed 7 November 2008, http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/projects/grand-challenge/papers/ball.etal2008aap.pdf Leondes, CT 2002, Database and Data Communication Network Systems: Techniques and Applications, vol. 2, viewed 7 November 2008,

Critically appraise the Joint Law Commission proposals for the reform Essay

Critically appraise the Joint Law Commission proposals for the reform of the law relating to Business Insureds, considering furt - Essay Example Business Insureds can be divided into their components so the Commission’s proposals can be critically analysed. Duty of Disclosure The law of disclosure is famously referred to in the section 18 of MIA. It states that the insured must provide every material circumstance that it knows or ought to know in the ordinary course of its business (Joint Law Commission Report, 2012, p. 7); both the insurer and the insured owe a duty of utmost good faith to each other (Brook, 2012, p. 21). In Goshawk Dedicated Ltd v Tyser & Co Ltd it was held that utmost good faith was not free standing but formed the basis for implicating a term (Gurses, 2013, p. 77). The need for change (proposal) arose from the 2007’s section that a business insured only needs to provide volunteering facts that an insurer would want to know (Palmer, Mackie, Davies & Marris, 2012). To rectify this, the Commission’s proposal retains duty of the insured for providing all material facts that any reasonable insurer would want to know. ... For instance, in practice, strict adherence to MIA can sometimes produce results that are unjust or inappropriate for the insurer (Joint Law Commission Report, 2012, p. 38). Although the Consumer Insurance (Disclosure & Misrepresentation) Act 2012 has addressed these issues in its proposal but concrete reforms in this regard are yet to come. Proposals for Non-disclosure and Misrepresentation The original Act of 1906 suggests that an insurer can only avoid the contract in only those areas where the insured is guilty of non-disclosure or misrepresentation (Joint Law Commission Report, 2012, p. 24). This does not do justice to the insurer as the losses by misrepresentation or failure to disclose material information can range from minimal to catastrophic (Joint Law Commission Report, 2012, p. 179). For this reason, the Commission’s proposal suggests defining this dishonest conduct (Joint Law Commission Report, 2012, p. 213). Two options in this regard are; either going for delibe rate or reckless, or the common law test of fraudulent conduct (Joint Law Commission Report, 2012, p. 213). So this is what the new picture looks like. If the misconduct on insured’s part is innocent or negligible then the remedy for the insurer is only proportionate to the amount of damages. This ‘leniency’ is because not all damages arise out of deliberate fraud or misrepresentation. In Economides a 21-year-old man placed the contents of his flat below their market value when his parents moved in with him, the Court of Appeal considered his statement an opinion rather than a fact. As it was made in honest good faith it did not have to be reasonable (Summer, 2013, p.

Process Paper Essay Example for Free

Process Paper Essay One of the most important skills that we must learn in life is to change a flat tire.   When riding a bike, it is also important to carry all the tools at all times.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When removing the wheel from the bike, use a bike wrench to loosen the nuts or the quick release mechanism.   Loosen the brakes to get the front wheel off.   For the rear wheel, the wheel must be clear of the chain.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Remove the tire from the rim by wedging the tire lever underneath the tire and pry the lever upward to lift the tire away from the rim.    Keep the lever in place and slide another lever underneath the tire and work your way around the rim until one edge of the tire comes free of the rim.   Locate the metal valve that is used to inflate the tube. Push the valve stem up until it no longer protrudes through the rim.   Hold the valve stem and the tube and pull it out of the tire.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Insert the valve stem of the new tube into the hole of the rim.   Insert the edge of the tire onto the rim.   Use your fingers to slide the tube between the rim and the tire as you work around the rim.   Use the tire levers to put the last part of the tire onto the rim.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Once the entire edge of the tire is inside the rim, use the pump to inflate the tire to the recommended pressure. Put the wheel back on the bicycle by reattaching the nuts or quick release mechanism.   Reset the brakes and replace the chain.   Check if the wheel is properly aligned by spinning the wheel hard and allowing it to turn freely.   Lastly, when the wheel spins cleanly, give it a test ride. Reference: Fiedler, D. (2007).   How to Change a Flat Tire.   Retrieved January 18, 2008 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://bicycling.about.com/od/bikemaintenance/ss/flat_fix.htm

Effects of Alcohol Abuse Essay Example for Free

Effects of Alcohol Abuse Essay Alcoholism means addiction of alcohol; it could explain as a person who could not stop to drink and craving for it. In fact, alcohol abuse can damage a person’s health and life. Alcohol would affect a person’s mind and body that causes the person did wrong thing. Besides, when a person drunk, he or she might not know what they had done. Which mean, when they are drunk, they could not judge what are right and wrong. Consequences, there are many cases happened because of alcohol abuse since alcohol would impact a person’s mind and cause them loss of control and do wrong things. Signs and symptoms of alcohol abuse: †¢Slurred or incoherent speech. †¢Poor balance and clumsiness †¢Delayed reflexes †¢Stomach pain, vomiting and nausea †¢Blacking-out †¢Redness of the face during or after periods of consumption Slurred or incoherent speech When a person is drunk, he or she might not be able to speak fluently. In the other words, the person who is drunk might not know what they are talking about because the impact of alcohol. Thus, those people who are drunk are usually slurred or incoherent speech. Poor balance and clumsiness The person who is drunk will get injured easily. It is because alcohol would affect our brain and cause us become clumsiness that we could not balance our body. Furthermore, when we could not control our mind and balance our body, we might fall down or bang the wall easily. As a result, the effect of alcohol abuse will cause us become poor balance and clumsiness. Delayed reflexes Alcohol will make people blur and delayed reflexes action since it impairs our brain driver. Therefore, those people who are drunk might not be able to give respond immediately since the alcohol effects. Hence, alcohol abuse could cause a person delayed reflexes action. Stomach pain, vomiting and nausea The other obvious signs of alcohol abuse are stomach pain, vomiting and nausea. Stomach pain might a sign of stomach cancer which cause by alcohol abuse. When this sign occur, it means the cancer already progressed. It is impossible to get cancer easily, only if the person is an alcoholism victim. Alcohol abuse might cause gastritis which is an inflammation of the stomach lining. In a long run, it will become stomach cancer if the person who ignores the sign. Moreover, drinking too much might also lead to serious effect like vomiting blood. As a result, alcohol is harmful to our health. Blacking-out Black-out happened when an alcoholism victim consumed a large amount of alcohol in a long period. Black out is a serious â€Å"disease† in biological that we categories as brain damage. There are 2 types of blackouts. First of all, inability to recall any memories from the period of intoxication is called â€Å"en bloc blackout†. Which mean, the person who could not remember at all what he or she had done when they drunk. In addition, the second type of blackout is called â€Å"fragmentary blackout† which has ability to recall certain part of intoxication period. It means the person who just can remember certain part of his or her memories when they took a large amount of alcohol. Redness of the face during or after periods of consumption Why people who drunk their face will red? It is because alcohol will enlarge the blood vessels whenever we drink. In addition, alcohol will enlarge the blood vessels until they lose their quality or tone then caused those people who drunk will get a redness face. Furthermore, water in our body and skin will evaporate after a long period of alcohol abuse that cause skin wrinkles. Besides that, alcohol abuse will also reduce the level of vitamin A in our body which is an important vitamin can support skin health.

Theoretical Framework for Research Study

Theoretical Framework for Research Study Chapter 3 Research Methodology 3.0 Overview As chapter 1 had discussed about the introduction to the research and chapter 2 had provided an insight into the literature review, chapter 3 would be focusing on the research methodology that would be carried out during the course of the research. In essence, it is the foundation of how data would be collected and analyzed. Chapter 3 would begin by discussing on the theoretical framework designed specifically for this paper, encompassing and providing an overview and relationships of all the variables present in this research. From then on, 3.2 would discuss about the different forms of hypotheses development and the chosen method for the researchers hypotheses. Proceeding through, 3.3 would discuss about the sampling design, or in other words, how the researcher intends to represent the target population. This section also gives detailed steps on the researchers planned implementation of a pilot test, the sampling design method used and the sampling procedures that would be initiated. Section 3.4 would then touch base on the data collection methods that would be used by the researcher, both secondary and primary sources. The data analysis section would be under 3.5, where techniques regarding the methods of data analysis and hypotheses testing would be discussed. Chapter 3 would then conclude with a chapter summary at 3.6. 3.1 Theoretical Framework The theoretical framework has been created to be a â€Å"conceptual framework of how one theorizes or makes logical sense of the relationships among the factors that have been identified as important to the problem† (Sekaran, 2003). It is developed to have an insight into the inter-relationships among the variables that exist in this research. Throughout this research, there are three set of variables have been identified to be of utmost importance to the researcher and can be categorized as the dependent and independent, and moderating variable. The dependent variable is the variable of primary interest to the researcher, in order to predict its variability. This variable is often known as the outcome variable. In this research, the dependent variable refers to the purchase of luxury goods by Generation Y. The independent variables on the other hand, are the factors that influence the dependent variable in a positive or negative way or in this context, the factors that influence the purchase of luxury goods. Figure 3.1 provides an insight into the relationship between both set of variables. 3.2 Hypotheses Development A hypothesis can be defined as â€Å"a supposition made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation† (www.askoxford.com). Generally, reference group influence is a group of people influences the individuals behaviour. They give the information and provide the awareness to specific brands or products. The reference groups influence can be affected through peer, families, celebrities and others are the key that etermine the purchase decision of Generation Y. â€Å"People tend to behave in accordance with a frame of reference produced by the groups to which they belong† (Bearden and Etzel 1982). Therefore, this study believes that the association exits between reference groups influence and purchase of luxury goods. To empirically proven this association, the first hypothesis of this study is formed as followed: H1: There is a significant relationship between reference groups influence and purchase of luxury goods. The conspicuous consumption is used to display wealth, power and status. Veblenian consumers attach a greater importance to price as an indicator of prestige because they wan to impress others. Price of the products determine the quality of the products which used by the consumers to judge the products. The researches show that â€Å"conspicuousness of a product was positively related to its susceptibility to reference group influence† (Vigneron and Johnson, 1999). Besides that, identity or self concept also has been display from the consumers to show the status and wealth. The conspicuous consumption had dominated in numerous researches, and it can be stated that conspicuous is important to be identify as perceived value (Vigneron and Johnson, 1999). Thus, the following hypothesis is formed for the association between perceived conspicuous vale and purchase of luxury goods. H2: There is a significant relationship between perceived conspicuous value and purchase of luxury goods. The perfectionist effect exists when â€Å"consumers purchase luxury items and expects superior products and performance as well as quality† (Vigneron and Johnson, 1999). The research conducted by Barnier, Rodina, Florence (2005) found that quality is the main criteria lead to luxury purchase. According to Luong Thi Bich Thuy (2008), â€Å"the consumers quality perception would play a positive role over his or her perception of prestige over the same brand if the consumer perceived the brand as having an excellent level of quality†. Thus, the following hypothesis is formed for the association between perceived quality vale and purchase of luxury goods. H3: There is a significant relationship between perceived quality value and purchase of luxury goods. Brand image can be defines as â€Å"perceptions about a brand as reflected by the brand associations held in consumer memory† (Keller, 1993; Cheng, 2006; Rio, Varques, Iglesias, 2001). It influences consumer perception and crucial to purchase choice. Consumers able to evaluate the products, lower the purchase risk, obtain experience and recognize the product differentiation through brand image. According to Grewal, Krishnan, Baker, and Borin (1998), â€Å"the better a brand image is, the more recognition consumers give to its product quality†. Thus, the fourth hypothesis of study is as follow: H4: There is a significant relationship between brand image and purchase of luxury goods. Aesthetics have strong influence on purchase of luxury good and it should always be the case according to Dubois, Laurent, Czellar (2001). Aesthetics reflects a sensory response in an audience such as satisfaction, pleasure or affect. â€Å"The aesthetics dimension is composed of design, colour and style that create beauty, they are of primary importance† (Barnier, Rodina, Florence, 2005). The research also proved that French, Russian and UK consumers have a hedonic approach for luxury derived from aesthetics which Aesthetics dimension in France earned the highest position, 29%, in comparison to Russia, 19% and the UK, 15%. Hence, the fifth hypothesis is formed for the association between aesthetics and purchase of luxury goods. H5: There is a significant relationship between aesthetics and purchase of luxury goods. 3.3 Population and Sampling 3.3.1 Population â€Å"Population can be defined as total number of inhabitants constituting a particular race, class, or group in a specified area.† (http://www.answers.com/topic/population, no date). With reference to the topic at hand, the researcher has set that the target population for this research would be the Generation Y in Malaysia. Even the generation Y has been defined as born in between 1977 and 1994 by Horovitz (2002) and Sriviroj 2007, the study would survey specifically generation Y who are aged between 20 and 29 which focus on the college students, university students and young working adults. 3.3.2 Pilot Test for Questionnaire â€Å"Pilot test is a smaller version of a larger study that is conducted to prepare for that study to ensure that the ideas or methods behind a research idea are sound, as well as to â€Å"work out the kinks† in a study protocol before launching a larger study.† (http://ms.about.com/od/newsresearch/g/pilot_study.htm, no date). In this research, the researcher intends to conduct a pilot study containing 10 questionnaires to university students in Multimedia University Melaka in order to justify the content and reliability of the questionnaire. This is done as the researcher feels that the students in the University campus serve as a just representation of the intended target population. The feedback from the respondents will be corrected before distributing to the targeted respondent. 3.3.3 Sampling Design Method A sample of the population can be drawn from one of two ways, either in the form of probability sampling or non probability sampling. Sekaran (2003) described that â€Å"when elements in a population have a known chance of being chosen as subjects in the sample, we resort to probability sampling design†. There are several forms of probability sampling. The first is simple random sampling which also known as unrestricted sampling. In a simple random sample (SRS) of a given size, all such subsets of the frame are given an equal probability. Each element of the frame thus has an equal probability of selection. Simple random sampling is also known as unrestricted sampling. The other form is known as restricted or complex probability sampling. â€Å"The main difference between the two is that efficiency is improved in that more information can be obtained for a given sample size using some of the complex probability sampling procedures† (Sekaran, 2003). Example of this form of sampling is the stratified random sampling method where the population is divided into subgroups and subsequently sub samples. On the flipside, Sekaran (2003) stated that non probability sampling designs are those where â€Å"elements in the population do not have any probabilities attached to being chosen as sample subjects†. One popular mode in this kind on sampling is the convenience or accidental sampling method. It is one â€Å"that is simply available to the researcher by virtue of its accessibility† (Bryman and Bell, 2003). The selection of units from the population is based on easy availability and/or accessibility in convenience sampling. The researcher intended to proceed with the convenience sampling method based on two reasons. First of all, the data can be collected easily which is the main advantage and another advantage is that it is much cheaper to implement than probability sampling (Jankowicz, 2005). 3.3.4 Sample Size The question of how many people should be in ones sample depends on the form of sampling adopted. â€Å"Convenience sampling, sometimes called grab or opportunity sampling, is the method of choosing items arbitrarily and in an unstructured manner from the frame†. (www.wikipedia.com, no date). A total of 200 Generation Y would be surveyed in Malaysia. 3.3.5 Sampling Procedure The sampling procedure would start once the feedback from the pilot study and the questionnaires for the survey is finalized. The questionnaires would be by printed handouts of by the researcher to the general public who fall under the age range of 20 to 29 years of age. This would typically be done in the State of Melaka, Kuala Lumpur and Pulau Pinang. A total of 500 printed questionnaires would be given out in the process. 3.4 Data Collection method 3.4.1 Secondary Data Through this research, secondary data is collected from mainly journals especially in those area concerning consumer behavior and luxury goods, informational website, articles, and books. Previous researches from a variety of authors were found from databases that include Emerald, Google Scholar and others. These sources of data provided useful background information on the luxury goods market, as well as indicating investigations that had already been taken place. 3.4.2 Primary Data Sakaran (2003) stated â€Å"data gathered for research from the actual site of occurrence of events are called primary data†. The questionnaire will be used as the primary method to collect primary data on the factors that influence Generation Y on purchase of luxury goods. 3.5 Data Analysis There are 3 objectives in the usage of data analysis. â€Å"Getting a feel for the data, testing the goodness of the data and testing the hypotheses developed for the research† (Sekaran, 2003). The first objective of getting a feel for the data is to get an idea of how the respondents reacted to the questionnaires and how they are answered. The second objective of testing the goodness of the data is to test the reliability of the data gathered. Lastly, is to test the hypotheses of the research with various research tools. 3.5.1 Descriptive Analysis Descriptive analysis will be conducted to examine the background of the respondent and the pattern of their responses. Frequency analysis will be carried out to study the background of the respondents that contribute in this study. The mean, range, standard deviation and variance would also be calculated using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) to show the variability of the data and gauge the pattern of the questions answered. 3.5.2 Hypotheses Testing After the data is ready to be analyzed, the testing of the hypotheses would be the next logical step. There are many frequent hypothesis testing modules used by researchers to test their hypotheses. The researcher has decided to use the ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and Reliability Analysis for this research. 3.6 Chapter Summary In this study, the framework has been developed to meet the objectives of the study. Hypotheses have been developed from the framework and questionnaire has been designed to collect the primary data for the study. Next, the sampling design and methods to obtain data were considered and discussed for this study. The results of the primary data will be analyzed by using SPSS. Results of the analysis and interpretation of the results are presented in the next chapter.

Against Making Flag Burning Illegal Essay -- Patriotism Freedom essays

Flag Burning There is a great travesty going on in America right now. Everyday, people are fighting to stop one of America’s greatest freedoms, the freedom of speech. Even this way of exercising America’s greatest amendment, freedom of speech, is not liked by all people it is still protected under our nation’s law. The act of publicly burning an American flag is something that is deemed disgraceful by many Americans, but it should not be outlawed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people are offended by the act of publicly burning an American flag and feel it should be outlawed based on the fact that it is offensive to the citizens of this country. Although this may be true, people still have the right to protest. This was upheld in a Supreme Court case Texas v. Johnson, where the defendant Mr. Johnson was arrested for publicly burning a flag outside the Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas. After being arrested Mr. Johnson was convicted of setting fire to a flag during a protest and chanting with other protesters; â€Å"America, the red, white, and blue, we spit on you†(Texas v. Johnson). He appealed his claim to the Texas Supreme Court of Appeals where they overturned the conviction based on the fact that he was exercising his first amendment right. One of the Supreme Court justices went on to say, â€Å"If there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that the government may not prohibit the e xpression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive o... Against Making Flag Burning Illegal Essay -- Patriotism Freedom essays Flag Burning There is a great travesty going on in America right now. Everyday, people are fighting to stop one of America’s greatest freedoms, the freedom of speech. Even this way of exercising America’s greatest amendment, freedom of speech, is not liked by all people it is still protected under our nation’s law. The act of publicly burning an American flag is something that is deemed disgraceful by many Americans, but it should not be outlawed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people are offended by the act of publicly burning an American flag and feel it should be outlawed based on the fact that it is offensive to the citizens of this country. Although this may be true, people still have the right to protest. This was upheld in a Supreme Court case Texas v. Johnson, where the defendant Mr. Johnson was arrested for publicly burning a flag outside the Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas. After being arrested Mr. Johnson was convicted of setting fire to a flag during a protest and chanting with other protesters; â€Å"America, the red, white, and blue, we spit on you†(Texas v. Johnson). He appealed his claim to the Texas Supreme Court of Appeals where they overturned the conviction based on the fact that he was exercising his first amendment right. One of the Supreme Court justices went on to say, â€Å"If there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that the government may not prohibit the e xpression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive o...

Receiving the proper training :: essays research papers

Athletes throughout the United States have so much devotion and dedication to their sport than anything else in the world. For most people their sport comes first even over their families and school. In order for me to enhance in the sport of swimming, training had to be my number one priority, and school and family was no where in my mind. Competing as a swimmer at Conference Championships representing Golden West College to try and earn a spot on the State Championship team was my major goal for the year. I knew I had my races handed to me, just that fact of being placed as the top seed of all of my races, but knowing in the back of my head, the intense workouts and pain to be standing here but not receiving the right taper from my coaches cost me to earn a spot. At the beginning of the season training was just conditioning for your body to get into shape for the grueling workouts ahead. The coaching staff doesn’t really have much enthusiasm to motivate their swimmers. For example, cheering us on while swimming is a major factor because it paces your race while you swim and also gets your adrenalin up and that’s what they lack. The coaches just like to sit in their chairs and jot down times and rarely respond to you about your swim whether it’s good or bad. If you’re ahead of the pack they say you could have done better, they reply the same statement to the losers, so their comments are meaningless. Well soon enough Conference Championships comes around which consist of the local colleges of our surroundings. (OCC, RCC, Saddleback etc..) Once this starts training becomes much and much easier for some athletes who have a less chance to earn a spot on the State team. But for the remaining of the athletes training stays the same. For some of us that didn’t suit to well with our performances. For some swimmers they need to have a longer taper then others because of the amount of muscle they have. So our coaches asked if you truly believe in having a long taper then let us know before workout today so we can plan your schedule. For me, throughout my swimming career I have had two to three week tapers and my performance is at the top.

In order to change a baby’s diaper a person needs the following

There are two things to ensure before the process of changing a baby’s diaper can actually begin. The first is to make sure the baby is securely placed on the changing mat wherever, it may be placed. Some parents prefer a changing table while others prefer a mat on the floor. The second is to have all the things needed to change the diaper within hands reach. (Brown, 2008)Changing a baby's diaper is a simple process. First lay the baby down on his or her back on a changing mat. Now take off the baby's old diaper and slide it out from under his bottom. This can be done by holding the baby's ankles with one hand and lifting his bottom up softly. Roll the soiled diaper up so that the stick-on tabs close the diaper completely. Set it aside out of the baby's reach.Now use wet wipes or damp cotton to wipe the baby's bottom and tap it dry softly with a towel. When completely dry slide a fresh diaper under the baby's bottom with the stick-on tabs going on the underside. You can at thi s stage put on baby lotion or anti-rash cream if needed.Hold the front of the diaper close to the tummy of the baby and pull the stick-on tabs lightly across the baby's side and stick them onto the front of the diaper. They should look equal from both ends and not make the diaper too tight. Stick your index finger into the top of the diaper on the tummy and if it goes in easily the diaper is just right.The process of changing a diaper is simple and parents and caretakers who are accustomed to it can do the whole process is seconds. If you do it enough times it becomes a conditioned reflex. However, for those who have never changed a diaper this process can be a challenge.While it may seem simple there are many ways in which things can go wrong. When someone is changing a diaper for the first time he or she may think that they have a lot of time or enough time to make the change.They may think this and live to regret it. If a baby boy's diaper is being changed then the consequences o f taking one's time once the diaper is off, can be anything from being sprayed with his urine to have the room sprayed with it. It is something like Murphy's Law, if the diaper is off, you will be sprayed. So being quick and efficient is the only way to avoid being drenched.Another person changing the diaper may realize that the baby is not a motionless being. Holding the baby by the ankles is easy. Keeping the baby there so that the diaper can be slid under the baby while trying to ensure that the baby remains on the changing mat is another matter altogether. Only an octopus could manage this feat, some would have you believe. That is why many parents prefer the changing table where they can safely strap the baby in one place and change the diaper without having to worry about the baby sliding off the table.Some babies simply do not like having their bottom wiped. That means the baby that is being changed will be crying hysterically and struggling to get off the changing mat. In th is situation a person changing the diaper might find it hard to take the soiled diaper off, much less put a new one on. The baby’s comfort is first priority and this change of diapers has to be done as quickly as possible.The baby does not like the cold air touching his or her bottom and does not like the wet wipes or cotton on it either. So keeping the hands clean while simultaneously cleaning the bottom and keeping ones sense of sanity, amidst the hysterical screaming is a challenge not all can handle.Changing a diaper is easy. Changing it properly is a whole thing altogether. Parents and caretakers of babies develop a technique which is simple and efficient but to people who have never changed a diaper it’s an alien experience. It is fascinating to watch the faces of individuals who have never performed this feat. You first hear the cooing as they stand by the person changing the diaper. A baby lying on the changing table can be very cute.Then when the diaper comes off soiled and smelly, the expression changes from one of fascination to one of horror. The nose gets wrinkled and the individual inadvertently takes a step back from the table or place where the bay is being changed. Eyes are averted and the stress coming of the body is easy to read. Then when the wiping process is done and the fresh diaper is on the individuals body can be seen to relax and the pent up breath, is released.The funny part is when these very people have babies they become pros in no time. The fact is it is the poop of somebody else’s baby that makes one cringe, not the poop of one’s own fruit of the loins. The diaper is an object of revulsion and fascination all at the same time.There are two groups of people in the world, one who have changed diapers and one who have not. The two can easily be recognized when they come close to a baby and hold him or her. It’s with a tentativeness that is as much awe as fear of what the diaper may bring to them. Changing a baby’s diaper is a process better left to the experts, if the amateurs will insist on performing this feat-they should go in armed, with an extra pair of clothes and time for a shower when all is said and done!References1. Brown, S. (2008) How to Change a Diaper. About.com retrieved from http://babyparenting.about.com/cs/diapering/ht/changediaper.htm on September 17, 2008

Cognitive Methods and Cognitive Theories Essay

After reading the article, in my opinion this is an analysis of a professional issue? This article is basically a guide line of information for researchers and students, who have issues with understanding the cognitive process, how these methods interfere or contribute with our daily lives. The main purpose of this article is to explain how the Cognitive methods and Cognitive theories is bidirectional. Cognitive methods now being used in social-psychological research is what is being describe in this volume. Some methods that are poplar is social psychology are affective priming, response interference paradigms, mathematical models, connection-ist simulation and the list goes on. Klauer, K, C, Voss, Andreas, Stahl, Christopher (2011). As stated the aim in this book is to provide researchers and students of social psychology with accessible information to these different cognitive methods. Each of the chapters will focus on different methods rather than on one specific method. So basically the book breaks the chapter so that the students and the researchers who are confuse or not sure about a specific method, can better understand what they’re reading and be able to translate to the information to another. One of the major finding was realizing, how much Attention plays a role in the cognitive process. According to the article, people don’t realize, Attention process are fundamental and play a critical role in a variety of what mechanism that determine what we notice, what remember, and what parts of our environment we respond to more actively. It also goes on to say that Attention is actually not a single entity; rather the word is a catchall phrase that refers to a variety of brain process involved is a range on cognitive, perceptual and motor tasks. Explain how this article fits into the overall field of psychology.

How the Prologue in Romeo and Juliet Prepares the Audience for the Play Essay

The prologue to Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ prepares the audience by making a short summary of the play so it gets the audience thinking about what the story is about. The prologue is a sonnet which is a 14 line poem, it is also known as an english, elizabethan sonnet which contains 3 quatrains and a rhyming couplet. A sonnet is usually a love poem and that is exactly what ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is about. The first quatrain of the sonnet is about the feud and conflict between the two families. Both of the families have the same status ‘ both alike in dignity’ but they seem to be holding a ‘grudge’ against each other, we aren’t told what causes the hate within the two houses but it is there and drags the households into fights this is particulaly shown in line 4 ‘where civil blood make civil hands unclean’ the word ‘blood’ is meaning that death and injuries occur due to the feud the families have. ‘Civil’ is meant to mean poliet or fair which is a bit ironic since there isn’t any politeness. The second quatrain is about the lovers, Romeo and Juliet, and their deaths. ‘From forth the fatal loins of these two foes’ this line is saying that the two household enemies have produced a pair of lovers, this is mainly emphasised in the phrase ‘ fatal loins’ this implies that these being in love is deadly and they are also involved with the feud of their parents. It also means that their fate has been decided and that death will be their destiny. The second line ‘A pair of star cross’d lovers take their life† this is implying that the stars which is meaning their destinies, since they believed that stars told their destiny like horoscopes, so being star cross’d lovers means that their destinies are entwined but they are also against each other due to the feud. The last line of the second quatrain ‘doth with their death bury their parents’ strife’ this shows that in order to end the feud the deaths of Romeo and Juliet seem to take affect on their parents. The next quatrain is about both love and hate. The first line ‘The fearful passage of their death-marked love’ this means that all the events that they go through will lead them them to their destinies of death. The second line says that their parents anger is something that isn’t easy to take away but in the next line ‘which but their children’s end, nought could remove’ this means that the only thing they can’t stop is their children’s death and it was caused by their hatred to one another. The last line ‘is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage’ this implies that the events that they have mentioned will now take place on the stage by the actors. The rhyming couplet is the last to lines of the sonnet. ‘The which, if you with patient ears attend, what here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.’ These two lines are now directed to the audience and that now they are going to show them the play if they are willing to stay. The phrase ‘patient ears attend’ show that because they are on a stage they don’t usually use scenery so you have to listen and use their imagination to help what is happening. In conclusion the prologue to Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ prepare the audience for the play by mentioning the key facts to the play so they know what to expect when that particular event is being performed also it helps to explain the parts of the play which seem to be a mystery like the parents hatred, the audience would not know that the two families are meant to be sharing the same status just that there are two groups who don’t like each other. It also prepares the audience like a warning saying that death will occur in the play as well as love and hatred.

Emotions and Moods Essay

When we try to understand what makes a good leader, or behaviors from leaders that drive positive performance and results in an organization, traditional personal attributes such as intelligence, toughness, determination, vision and technical skills, though are very much required for success, it is not sufficient to be a truly effective leader. As employees go up the ladder emotional intelligence play more important roles on performance than other personal or technical attributes As a leader, it is of utmost importance that you manage and build relationships with many people, be well connected and be genuinely interested so that people want to help you in tough times or when in need of a critical resource or expertise. So the Social Skill of a leader helps a long way in building positive performance. A leader also needs to be self-aware of his behaviors and moods, it is a skill of knowing ones true self and how that could affect people around him, so that he can self-regulate himself and ensure that in any given situation, he always responds positively and does not react. This calmness and maturity the leader brings in to the team, will build confidence and trust in his subordinates and will make them work harder and smarter to not repeat mistakes and give their best to achieve higher results. A leader need to empathize with other people, this is extremely important when working with cross cultural teams where understanding of each other’s behaviors could make or break projects. This is a skill of treating people as per their moods, behaviors and reactions to specific situations. This can go a long way in avoiding conflicts, retaining talent and bringing in a sense of understanding with the superior which could lead to sharing new ideas, beliefs etc. and thus opening up a plethora of opportunities to tap in to their ideas and additionally help in good involvement from them which will feed growth. Human beings are biologically designed to be influenced by external environment. An upbeat manager makes everyone feel energetic, while a sour-spirited manager makes work grueling. A manager’s upbeat mood, which is optimistic, sincere and realistic, will be contagious and one erson’s energy transmits signals that can alter the overall wellbeing of others which would drive up their mood. Better mood always results in better performance if channelized in the right way which a good leader is capable of doing. The most effective leaders show mood which is apt for the given situation with a mix of optimism which enables the organization to drive forward with hope. The inner work life system, which is the combination of how our perceptions about things around could drive emotions, coupled with our motivation to work could drive positive performance in our everyday life and eventually lead to organizational success. Therefore it is very important as a leader to be aware of his reactions and approach to everyday work events, so that he doesn’t adversely affect any team members but always drive positivity and bonding which drives performance. Overall we can state that emotions and moods play a vital role in a behavior of a leader and if the leader wants to be successful, he needs to self-aware, drive positivity with his optimistic mood and be high on emotional intelligence, so that he can tackle any given situation in the rightful manner and in turn see his organization maturing and growing by leaps and bounds.

Argumentative Essay - Being Awkward Sucks Laughter, Joke, Pet Shop Bo

Growing up in a large strict family that limited outside interaction when I was growing up has in turn made me fairly introverted and awkward. I do not do well in social situations and try to avoid them at all costs. See unlike most people, who can strike up a cordial conversation about sports, business, or common interests with people they have just been introduced to; I on the other hand, turn to jokes and sarcasm to break the ice. Sometimes it is well received and I am dubbed â€Å"the funny one† other times it leads to nervous laughter and â€Å"what the hell† looks from everyone. It’s like Russian roulette every time I enter a new situation with a few sarcastic ice breaker comments in the chamber. Take for example, my cousin had a certain type of party that has become pretty common now-a-days. I won’t drop any names but it entails certain battery operated devices commonly used in a romantic nature. A party like this is awkward enough as it is. So let’s take that and layer in my a bunch of people whom I have never met before and for fun, let’s talk about which vibrato...

Cause and Effects Diagram Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cause and Effects Diagram - Research Paper Example The nature of programming is such that it is quit complex with so many concepts and programs. In addition, it consists of several pieces of details connected together. Thus, programmers when developing a new corporate website must have the capacity to pay attention to the tiny details involved in programming and development. Similarly, good memory and the ability to abstract play a crucial role as some of the specific skills that programmers should have. Programming entails a lot of information that needs to be remembered. For example, there is the syntax language with a set of functions prewritten that require to recall and identify the parameters that they would take, as well as the variables and functions associated with them in a particular program. Hence, one needs to have a good memory in order to remember all that stuff and more, as well as their applications. On the other hand, ability to abstract is the most imperative skill in programming, which involves compartmentalizing information into little black box. This technique performs useful tasks, but keeps away some details such that a programmer does not have to remember them all the time. In programming activities such as website development. There are several issues that arise during the process; thus, effective problem solving skills comes in handy when such circumstances arise. Another skill is knowledge of programming languages. This is important because one cannot perform a website development without the knowledge of programming languages (Dudley & Butte , 2009). However, this does not mean knowing all the languages, but knowing just one or two of the programming languages is appropriate in achieving a perfect website development. Knowing programing languages allow programmers to evaluate where a language should be applicable, and where a particular language should not be applicable. New things come up in the information and technology field, which requires advancements in our knowledge, skills, and abilities. Therefore, a good programmer must be open and ready to learn new technology in order to enhance his skills and stay on top of the game despite the changing world. Similarly, entrepreneurial skills highly apply in this field because of the opportunity to grow and expend businesses. Entrepreneurial skills among programmers helps them to see beyond the functions of mere development, and incorporate certain features that may enhance business operations (Brian, 1999). Finally, in the category of personal skills social skills and even social networking skills play a crucial role in programming. Working as a tem to develop a new website, members need have social skills in order to help them understand the issue. Naturally, humans are social beings, and this is one of the factors that improve team performance and leads to success of the development. In addition to the individual skills, there are team skills that programmers must ensure they utilize towards the as developing a successful corporate Web site. This involve manage development time, which ensures that the development everything that you need is according to the stipulated time schedule. In addition, the programmers must

Organizations and Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Organizations and Management - Research Paper Example In addition to the basic four functions of management, managers strategize and control the activities within the organization. Each category of skills enables management in an organization to perform its primary function of ensuring internal activities are in alignment with the groups’ goals. The organizational goals targeted by the shareholders for the organization are the objectives management must design the work flow to accomplish. Management has the responsibility of ensuring the organizational goals are met and the directives of the executive leaders are executed. Management uses the organizational goals to design the work flow and identifies the skill sets needed to perform the tasks to accomplish the goals. Decision-making involves developing strategies that will achieve the group’s goals. Management has the responsibility of overseeing the internal systems and ensuring the processes within the various work units are in alignment with the organizational objectiv es. Planning coordinates the functions within the various departments and distributes resources effectively to produce the goods and services of the organization. As a function management organizes and coordinates the organization’s material, equipment, employees, schedules, and uses authority to ensure the activities within the internal environment are in alignment with the organizational goals. In the process of planning and organizing management recruits employees. Staffing or human resource management includes selection of workers, developing ongoing training programs, establishing, and maintaining an internal culture of cohesion in which the efforts and activity within the organization accomplish the group’s goals. Managers have the task of overseeing and controlling an operation’s processes to fulfill the organization’s strategic plans and goals. Whereas, leaders formulate or chart the direction in which an organization travels to reach specific goa ls, managers work to ensure the goals materialize using the resources available. Distinctly different, yet overlapping and dependent on the other, managers and leaders each have the responsibility of directing, guiding people, and implementing plans in efforts to accomplish strategic targets. 2. Explain the importance of history and theory to management, and highlight the pioneers of management theory: The study of the science of management is relatively young, however management has existed from ancient times The societal transition from that of an agrarian society to an industrialized one helped to create the need for knowledge of how to manage people in factory settings. Management theory evolved as a result of workers moving from farm communities into cities and working in offices and manufacturing plants. The ability to effectively coordinate workers’ efforts and efficiently use machinery was essential in keeping up with social change, progress, and consumers’ dem ands for products and services. The gradual development of systems of work has been one of the most significant factors that have prompted the need to understand the internal relationships within the organizational culture. The First Industrial Revolution (1712-1830) gave birth to the inventions of the steam engine, spinning jenny, and improvements to the machinery in general. Because of the steamboat and

Nurses' Responsibility in the Prevention of Medication Errors Essay

Nurses' Responsibility in the Prevention of Medication Errors - Essay Example In case of the medication error emergency nurses should be prepared to tackle with it. Keywords: medication error, emergency, injuries. Introduction It is true that field of medicine and bio technology is playing an important role in our lives. Several new medicines have been designed for specific diseases. And they are working efficiently, but the importance of prevention can never be denied. In some cases prevention is the only solution and also prevention is a lot easier than the medical surgeries offered. Prevention is not only necessary to safeguard our body from further diseases but it is also very necessary in the hospital environment to save the patients from any type of medical emergency. Therefore it is the responsibility of an individual, a nurse and a doctor to block the path of the undesired medical emergencies by preventing the medical errors. Medical Errors Are Nurses Responsibilities Since nurses are intimately involved in the health care delivery and are ultimately r esponsible in acute phases of the disease, it is important for nurses to understand the factors contributing to errors for effective prevention error (Lyer & Aiken, 2001, p.171). Improving safety at the point of care is the most important aspect of error prevention. Incorrect drug calculations, lack of individual knowledge and failure to follow established protocol, time pressures, fatigue, understaffing, inexperience, design deficiencies and inadequate equipments create opportunities for error (Carlton and Blegen, 2006, p. 25). A medical error is the type of error that occurs while offering medical services to a patient. â€Å"It can be defined as the error rose due to the wrongfully taken medical step or the incorrect treatment offered to the personal error, which can further result in medical emergency.† (Bootman, 2006, p. 25).There are many types of the medical errors. Nurses and Medical Error A lot of medical errors occurred in hospital by hands of the nurses. These erro rs are sometimes minor and sometimes major. Major errors can lead to a medical emergency or even death. Minor errors can be corrected by giving anti dote or other immediate medical treatment. On the one hand when nurses are the reason behind some of the major medical errors, at the same time they have the ability to prevent the same errors. A special type of training is given to nurses to ensure the medical safety of the patients and safeguard them from any emergency by any mean (Cima, 2007, p. 35). Why are the Nurses behind Most of the Medical Errors? After doctor, nurse is the only responsible body in the hospital and she should ensure the patients’ safety by any mean. Unfortunately a lot of medical errors are made by the nurses; this could be due to their extended presence in the hospital or more duty coverage as compared to the doctors. A lot many actions come under the duties of the nurses and they have to fulfill them without any delay or excuse. Errors Made by Nurses: Several types of errors made by the nurses are observed. Following are the most abundant errors. Read and Write: Reading the wrong drug name or other treatment instruction and applying them without any confirmation. Taking the wrong drug route or failing to give proper treatment with time. Writing the poor patient information, missing the medical condition in the report and giving half information are some read and write errors. Moreover

Art & science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Art & science - Essay Example The artist for the first time precisely recorded their mathematical observations through their graphical paintings and illustrations, which gave the people a pictorial representation that became the basics for mathematical studies. Nineteenth century has seen major breakthroughs in the domain of natural sciences. One of the fundamental concepts in this field is the survival of animals, which is an elementary unit of living things. On the other hand, it was for the first time in the history of arts that concept of realism came under implementation through the artwork of Audubon’s World (AAU, 2011). Artists (Shlain, Chapter 12) focused on drawing the real life and nature images of animals, specifically, birds; portraying their observations and experiences without making alterations based on their imaginations. Realism also focused on architecture, music, dance, and literature. Man’s insatiable thirst for knowledge has lead to innumerable inventions and discoveries in the twentieth century and is in continuation to date. In particular, light remained a significant notion of attraction during the nineteenth century. In contrast, the scope of art embraced a new form of painting namely Earth art (AAU, 2011). This form of art facilitated the artists to paint down mysteries and different aspects of Mother Nature (Shlain, Chapter 13), as it do not require figures and shapes. Considering the trends of scientific discoveries and artistic creations, it can come under conclusion that next key discovery in the area of science might come from the branch of health sciences in the form of cure for lethal diseases. In the field of arts, the next invention can be in the form of paintings, which can mark an end to the biggest enormity of present time that is terrorism. AAU. â€Å"Outline.† The Art of Science, the Science of Art, 2011. Retrieved on May 21, 2011:

Comparison and contrast between lasagna and a pizza Essay

Comparison and contrast between lasagna and a pizza - Essay Example Lasagna and pizza are two of the most popular foods made traditionally in oven. While there are other ways to make both lasagna and pizza that obviate the use of oven, yet the best results are achieved only with the use of oven. Although they are lasagna has many layers while pizza has only one layer unless there is a special kind of pizza. Layers of lasagna are repetitive. The basic form of lasagna has tomato sauce at the base of the dish over which lasagna strips are laid. They serve as a bed for the meat over which white sauce is drizzled. These layers are repeated till almost the top of the dish is reached. Lastly, grated cheese is laid on the top. On the other hand, a pizza is not made with such repetitive layers of ingredients. In the case of a pizza, there is a base that is known as crust. The sauce is poured over the base, and different sorts of toppings are laid over it. Like lasagna, a pizza is also topped with cheese. The purpose of cheese on the top both in the case of a lasagna and a pizza is to develop a thick and crunchy crust after the dish is grilled. The fundamental element that differentiates between lasagna and pizza is the basic white flour bread. The thickness of that base, its texture, and taste greatly differs when the two dishes are compared. While lasagna strips are only few millimeters in thickness i.e. normally 5 mm each, pizza crust is anywhere from 1 to 2 cm. The thickness of lasagna strips is mostly standard and varies only by 1 or 2 mm., there exists a great variety of thicknesses of pizza crust e.g. there are thin-crust pizzas and thick-crust pizzas. Most people use factory made lasagna strips because the machine used in making that uniform thickness is not used in most homes. In contrast to that, most people make pizza crusts at home by kneading white flour with yeast. Lasagne strips and pizza base also differ in that lasagna strips are cooked once they are boiled before the dish is placed in the oven whereas pizza crust is raw outside and only gets baked once the pizza has been placed inside the oven. On one hand , lasagne strips are like compact sheets of white flour and have no pores in them. On the other hand, pizza

Humanities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Humanities - Essay Example As the paper outlines arts played a major role especially in the urban society leading to a progressive and dynamic growth. With growth, intellectual innovations and spiritual tensions in the Church there emerged new and creative styles in architecture, visual arts, literature and music. The three relationships of art during the Middle Ages that I would like to discuss with my students would be on architecture, literature and music. On the architectural front, an artistic renaissance emerged and was supported by both religious and secular patrons. Islamic and Byzantine civilizations created an impact resulting in Romanesque architecture that involved magnificent cathedrals with round archways and intricate stone carvings. Following this was the Gothic architecture with its flying buttresses and vaulted ribs such as used in the Notre Dame in Paris. Secondly, Literacy flourished during the Middle Ages. Latin was the dominant language in which many books were written but were also trans lated into other languages such as English, German and French. Lyrical poetry played an important role by celebrating the love between knights and ladies in the court. Epic tales of chivalry, love and heroism were exemplified in wonderful literary works such as ‘Beowulf’, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Canterbury Tales. Enlightening literature on Religion on the biographies of saints and their miracles were beautifully drawn and painted on handwritten manuscripts in gold and other brilliant colors. Thirdly, during the Middle Ages, music was considered to be an integral part of their lives and as it evolved, it increased in complexity with the monophonic Gregorian chant and interesting ballads that involved the complex weaving together of polyphonic musical lines.

Changing Roles and Responsibilities of HR Manager in Globalized Essay

Changing Roles and Responsibilities of HR Manager in Globalized Business Environment - Essay Example In order to cope up with such external environmental problems, adoption of globalization has become one of the one of the suitable options for different business organization. However, the proper application of this strategy is not an easy task for the management of the organization as there are a number of different issues related with the handling cross cultural business practices. This expansion of business at international level also enforce the organization to face some critical issues related with its human resource management such as conflicts among its employees, decreased morale and productivity of the employee, lack of proper co-ordination and team work within a culturally diversified team, and so on (Harzing, and Pinnington 2011). In regards to above discussion, the paper aims to find the role of a HR manager in managing and appreciating well diversify workforce render by an organization in existing highly globalized business environment. The paper work is focused on check ing the viability and effectiveness of different HR related perspectives related with cross cultural workforce management in the success and sustainability of the international business of a business organization.... e to liberalization across the world’s economy and increasing usage of advanced information technologies, the international business expansion has become quite preferable strategy undertaken by business organizations for addressing different business related issues. However, adoption of international business expansion strategy has also bring some intensive changes in the human resource related practices and strategies of the organization. Nowadays, the span of HR practices and responsibilities has become quite comprehensive. The main reason behind this trend is the increasing diversity in its workforce (Boone, and Van Den Bosch 1997). When a business organization expands its operations in a new geographical region, it becomes quite essential for them to use the local resources as it helps the management to be acclimatized with new business environment and reduce the total operating cost. In this context, the organization also has to hire human resource from the domestic marke t to undertake a better management and commencement of different business activities. The prime problem faced by the organization in this cross cultural hiring is that the working style, and cultural norms pursued by hired employees from local market is quite different with that pursued by the organization. As there are significant differences between organizational culture and practices followed by the employees, it becomes the prime aspect of HR practices to fill this gap. Due to the differences between what employees do and what the organization wants from them, the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the organization hampers quite intensively. In this regard, it becomes an utmost responsibility of HR department of the organization to manage the internationally diversified work force in

Dynamic Tension Through Compression and Expansion Essay Example for Free

Dynamic Tension Through Compression and Expansion Essay Elements with a directional quality placed in contrast to a static enclosure can infuse energy and drama. The implied energy can be manipulated to excite or surprise the perceiver while giving directional cues or emphasis to elements in space. Directional cues can clarify circulation, making navigation through space more comprehensible. Strong emphasis on elements in space can be achieved through contrasting the static with the dynamic. Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475-1564) * master of the use of dynamictension. The space is entered by ascending a monumental set of steep stairs to the summit of a hill overlooking Rome. B. The perceiver is received in a trapezoidal piazza defined by three palaces symmetrically placed. C. The main building, Palazzo del Senatore terminates the axis approach. D. Palazzo dei Conservatori and Palazzo Nuovo flank the axis and frame the main building by widening toward the dominant facade forming a wedge-shaped space. The three rooms were to contrast sharply in shape and articulation to reinforce their purposes. The vestibule is square in plan, the reading room rectangular, and the rare books room was planned to be triangular. The constructed library was composed of the two parts: A. Reading Room B. Vestibule The tall square vestibule contains a large monumental stair that leads to the reading room. The stair spills from the entrance of the reading room with a robust exaggeration of forms splitting in to three stairs at the landing. The stair fills the room, creating a strong directional quality in contrast to the non-directional square room. The accentuation of the tension between the enclosure and stair is by positioning the entrance to the room at ninety degrees to the directional thrust. Tension is introduced in the room by the treatment of the elaborate walls. Paired columns supported rather weak volute brackets are recessed between the plaster walls, giving the impression of great compression. The purpose of the said transition space is to establish a prelude experience of tension and compression in contrast to the restful reading room. Aubette (Strasbourg) PLAN Interior View : Right Side Elevation Interior View : Left Side Elevation The building originally dates from the 13th century and between  1765  and  1778  substantially rebuilt by architect  Jacques Francois Blondel  and then to serve as a military building. In the 19th century had the military share the building with a cafe, which was later covered. Use elements in the consideration of having dynamic tension in the interior: Dynamic Elements 1. Walls – by means of colors, shapes and diagonal lines 2. Ceiling – by means of colors, shapes and diagonal lines Static Elements 1. Floor – by means of color 2. Seating – by means of placement of object The collection of paintings in 1803 founded the city of Strasbourg in 1869 in the Aubbette housed. Only the outer walls were preserved. Dynamic tension is achieved by the use of the rectangular shapes patterns placed in the wall accompanied y the use of different colors.

Advantages And Disadvantages Relying On Field Notes English Language Essay

Advantages And Disadvantages Relying On Field Notes English Language Essay At the first step of this assessment I have to answer what the advantages and disadvantages are of relying solely on field notes, in comparison with producing a transcription of an audio or video recording. During the second half of the twentieth century, there was a huge growth in the amount of educational research and the emergence of a substantial methodological literature on how best to pursue it. The educational research became quite diverse, not only in the topics examined but also in the methodological and theoretical approaches that are used. Perhaps not surprisingly, disagreement is closely associated with such diversity, and there are even differences of opinion over what is and is not research, and what is and is not educational research(E891 Educational Enquiry, Study Guide, p. 63). Field notes or transcription of an audio or video recording are characteristics of reflective practice and of what is often referred to as action research. Nevertheless, a great deal of educat ional enquiry is carried out as a separate task from educational practice, even when it is designed to inform practice directly. In this matter, the researchers may not be educational practitioners themselves, although they frequently are (E891 Educational Enquiry, Study Guide, p. 63). Concerning the range of strategies that can be used to pursue educational research it is a wide range of issues such as laboratory and classroom experiments, large-scale surveys of the behaviour, attitude, etc. The results of the research, i.e. the data may be the product of direct observation on the part of the researcher or it may be produced by others, and can take a variety of forms, such as answering questionnaires by ticking in boxes on interview or observational schedules, numbers as recorded in published statistics, text from published or unpublished documents or from field notes written by the researcher during the course of observations or interviews, audio-or video-recordings and transcripts of these(Research Methods in Education, Handbook, p.26). A common way of conceptualizing this diversity is the distinction between quantitative and qualitative approaches and it is necessary, however, to emphasize that it is a very crude distinction and one that is potentially misleading. The most obvious distinction between the two sorts of research is that the former deals with numbers whereas the latter does not or does to a minor degree. Going back to the main point of the question I have to deal with the qualitative research since field notes or audio video recording are within this category. As interview transcripts are made and field notes of observation compiled the researcher continuously examines the data, by highlighting certain points in the text or making comments in the margins. The important points are identified by the researcher noting contradictions and inconsistencies, comparisons and contrasts with other data and so on. At this point the researcher is not just collecting data, but thinking about it and interacting with it. Much of these first attempts at speculative analysis will probably be discarded, but some ideas will no doubt take shape as data collection and analysis proceed. Much of this early activity may appear chaotic and uncoordinated, but such `chaos is a prolific seed-bed for ideas (Research Methods in Education, Handbook, p. 68). However, sometimes, because of the pressure of time, the notes the researcher makes may be little more than a scribbled comment, or a one-word `indicator particularly as the research goes on, one might write longer notes or memos or summarize parts of data that go together and that could be one of the disadvantages for the field notes. On the other hand, by writing the notes down, the researcher has the advantage of memorising better the outcome of the interview. Concerning though the audio video recording as it used to happen in the past, qualitative researchers relied primarily on written field notes as a source of data. However today, they use audio or video recorders, although they often supplement these recordings with field notes in order to provide additional information that may not be evident in the recordings which is one of its disadvantages. In addition, this might include such things as the layout of the setting, what happened before the recording began, talk that was too quiet to be picked up by the microphone, who was speaking to whom, non-verbal behaviour of various kinds, and behaviour that may be obscured on the video recording. Generally speaking, the aim when writing field notes is to provide as detailed and accurate an account as possible of the nature of a setting, and of what was said and done while the observation was being carried out (E891 Educational Enquiry, Media Guide, p. 8). Another advantage of the audio video recording is the opportunity the researcher has to play over and over the interview and clarify more what he hears. In contrast, by audio video interview, the interviewee loses his own privacy since an interview is more or less a confession. (824 words) Question 2 During the second half of the twentieth century, educational research has moved away from the use of the quantitative method and the associated reliance on positivist ideas about methodology, and towards various kinds of post-positivist approach although neither quantitative research nor the influence of positivism disappeared completely. Educational research came increasingly reliant on relatively unstructured forms of data, such as audio and video recordings, open-ended field notes, and published or unpublished documents even using material from the internet. This data was analysed in ways that did not rely on quantitative method, being designed instead to produce accounts that are similar in basic character to those written, for example, by historians (E891 Educational Enquiry, Study Guide, p. 81). As a result, qualitative researchers work mainly with relatively unstructured data which is not framed in terms of analytic categories at the point of data collection. Researchers are using observational data produced in the form of open-ended field notes describing what is observed in plain and concrete language, and/or through audio or video recordings which are then transcribed. In addition researchers may use data from relatively unstructured interviews in other words, those that do not involve asking a set of pre-specified questions, or offering informants a choice from pre specified answers. Instead, for the most part, their aim is to encourage informants to talk in their own terms about matters that may be relevant to the research. Once again, the data is recorded by means of field notes, and/or more usually by audio recording and transcription (E891 Educational Enquiry, Study Guide, p. 104). Moreover, observation as a source of data uses most kinds of documents, observation requires the researcher to record the data by means of field notes, audio or video recording. Whenever electronic recordings are used, these usually must be transcribed, which in a sense are time-consuming activities that must be carried out before the even more time consuming activity of analysis starts. Very often observation in qualitative research uses audio or video recording which usually provides a more accurate and detailed record than the use of field notes. However, these techniques still do not record everything. For example audio recordings omit nonverbal behaviour that may be very significant in understanding what is being expressed. On the other hand, camera angle will make some things visible and others obscure or out of focus. Furthermore, both audio and video recordings need to be transcribed, and errors can be introduced here. Even transcription involves inference (Ochs, 1979, p.2). The researchers have to be very careful when interviewing people and collecting data. In other words, they reject the idea that interview data can be used either as a window into the minds of informants or as a source of information about the social worlds in which they live. At this second part of my assignment the question which is needed to be answered is what would be lost by relying on audio recording rather than a video recording. Up to now, I have tried to analyse the usage of the audio video recording by the researchers and pick point advantages and disadvantages of this method. There is a need for more time to be consumed when we do the transcription of an audio instead of a video recording due to the fact that we can only listen to the audio instead of listening and watching a video recording. In addition, with the audio recording we lose important non-verbal and contextual information. Unless we are familiar with the speakers we may also find it difficult to distinguish between different voices. Wherever possible, supplement audio-recordings with field-notes or a diary providing contextual information. Moreover, audio recordings omit nonverbal behaviour that may be very significant in understanding. What is happening while a researcher is asking someone something that could be seen in the video recording is easier to be interpreted. Laughter or coughing could be very important on the ground of what it is said but is missing from the audio recording since both need to be transcribed and errors can be introduced here easier with audio recording since transc ription involves inference. Moreover, the usage of the audio recording may mislead the researcher since he only has the voice and not a picture of the interviewee. However it is more intimidating to video record an interviewer and it goes without saying that permission should be sought before any audio or video recording. (736 words) Question 3 Coming to the third part of the assignment, I have to point out the advantages and disadvantages of the structured interviewing. Structured interview falls into the educational research. According to Stenhouse A research tradition which is accessible to teachers and which feeds teaching must be created if education is to be significantly improved.(An introduction to Curriculum Research and Development, 1975, p.165). Furthermore, David Tripps words are very significant as he mentioned the importance of the educational research by saying that there is no doubt if educational research seeks to improve practice it needs to be grounded in educational events and not in academic theories (Critical Incidents in Teaching, 1993, p. 152). From my own experience, this is very important to me, since I recognised the fact that I had been very successful in the classroom while being ignorant of what academics considered knowledge essential to teaching. I actually became aware of the difference betw een knowledge of academics and knowledge of teachers after I had taken educational lessons in pedagogy as part of the compulsory pre service course so that I could continue teaching. Additionally, improving teaching is by grounding in educational research in realities of teachers everyday experience. We are all familiar with interviews from everyday life which basically the interview is an interactional format that consists of an interchange between one or more people by asking questions and a person (or a number of people) answering them. An interview can be distinguished from a test or an oral examination in that the aim is for the person questioned to provide information or opinions, while the interviewer does not usually make any explicit evaluation of the answers beyond what might be required for the sake of politeness (E891 Educational Enquiry, Media Guide, p. 10). Even though interviews are described in broad terms, we also recognise when an interview is taking place and it is also important to understand the considerable variation in their character. This is not just about differences in purpose but even research interviews may vary considerably in a number of ways. As it was mentioned before, it is possible to interview one or more persons simultaneously thus marking the distinction between individual and group interviews. Another significant difference concerns where an interview takes place on whose territory, for example. In structured interviews characteristic of survey research, interviewers in general, reveal as little as less possible about themselves, in contrast of what can be read from their appearance and behaviour. However, this is the case during the formal part of the interview; there is more to be disclosed in informal interchanges before or after the interview. However, in qualitative interviews, with their more unstructured format, it is common for interviewers to provide more information about themselves. In addition, some commentators have argued that they are obliged to do this, as part of an appropriate reciprocity that ought to operate between researcher and researched (E891 Educational Enquiry, Study Guide, p. 234). Another fact that the researcher should take into consideration when he or she is preparing a structured interview is the design of the interview. To avoid mistakes piloting is very necessary. Observation schedules and the way the researcher records observations also ne ed to be reliable, since it needs to mean the same to others as it does to you. You need to make sure that you negotiate with each other to arrive at mutually agreed definitions of the behaviours and situations you want to concentrate on. As Coolican points out: We know that each persons view of a situation is unique and that our perceptions can be biased by innumerable factors. An untrained observer might readily evaluate behaviour which the researcher wants reported as objectively as possible. Where the trained observer reports a hard blow, the novice might describe this as `vicious' (Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology, 1990, p.63). Coming back to my working experience, as an assistant head master, I experience structured and semi structured interviews almost every day. Being with young students from 15 to 18 years of age as educators we are in constant discussion with them. While I was studying for the structured interview my mind always goes back on the first days of each year for the first year students in school. Every assistant head master normally is responsible for at least 25 first year students; as a result, I always have freshmen at school that I have to interview them so I can have a brief idea about them. The interview is developed as a structured one and many questions could be answered by either answering yes or no or by filling in with a few words. The most important for me is to drain as more useful information as possible. Furthermore, based on the given participants answers to my questions, I have to determine not only the students personal problems, hobbies and interests but also oral fluency, vocabulary strengths, and general communication skills. This assessment target, which in a sense is not part of the structured interview it is a tool which I have to develop so that I can comment at the end of the interview for myself. As it is obvious, the interviewees are often nervous and sometimes are shy. I usually put a lot of effort to get as more as possible from the interviewee and this sometimes becomes more and more difficult for me. As Mcnamara mentioned the interviews are particularly useful for getting the story behind a participants experiences and the interviewer can pursue in-depth information around the topic but it is also useful as follow-up to certain respondents to questionnaires, e.g., to further investigate their responses. (General Guidelines for Conducting Interviews, 1999, p. 12). Whenever I come to the end of the interview, a lot of thoughts go through my head. The fact that I learn more about my students could become an advantage or a disadvantage for me or any interviewer. However, this part should stay with me or any other interviewer and I should explore more strengths or weaknesses of this method. As a starting point for the advantages of an interview I should mention the fact that all participants are getting equal chances to answer on the same questions and present themselves as best as possible since all the questions are set up in such a way to give them the opportunity. Face-to-face structured interviews are quicker to conduct and they give better opportunity to assess the interviewees meaning and interpretation of the questions. They also help to identify any confusion that might come up from the so asked question or answer, more easily and efficiently. In addition, they allow the chance to present material to interviewees and get their reactions. Furthermore, face-to-face structured interviews are generally better than mail questionnaires with interviewees with unknown educational skills that may not be clarify for the questions asked. They are also helpful when sensitive information is looked for since interviewers normally can establish a trust with the interviewee and they are able to drain answers to questions that the interviewee may otherwise be negative to answer or to answer truthfully. In addition, where less is known about the way in which interviewees think about an issue or about the range of possible answers to a question, structured interviews has the chance for interviewers to ask additional questions, if needed to get reasonable answers. Moreover interviewees are asked the same questions in the same way. This makes it easy to repeat (replicate) the interview. In other words, this type of research method is easy to standardise and provides a reliable source of quantitative data. On the other hand, there are also disadvantages from the structured interview such as the associated one with obtaining data from tests, questionnaires and structured interviews. These methods are often aimed at capturing dispositions, such as respondents abilities, attitudes or tendencies to act in particular ways. However, peoples responses to particular questions or test items on particular occasions within the research context may be different from what they would typically say or do in other circumstances. In other words, their responses may be generated by particularities of the research context, and may not apply more generally. Even where the responses are the product of a disposition, researchers will not know exactly under what conditions this disposition is acted on (E891 Educational Enquiry, Study Guide, p. 148). However, interviews also develop the dynamic for an interviewer to intentionally or unintentionally influence results and violate consistency in measurement. The survey interviewees are very sensitive to cues given by the interviewers verbal and non-verbal behavior. As well, an interviewer has the opportunity to ask further questions or give clarifications and may undountefully influence the expected answers. Although they are faster to conduct than mail questionnaire surveys, face-to-face interviews are costly due to the amount of staff time required to conduct interviews and to the cost of travel. Coming to my interviews, I am, however, generally able to make fairly accurate judgments about students background and abilities. In most cases, I also get feedback as interviewer. Many participants said they found my tone of voice and my encouraging approach very helpful. That kind of feedback certainly helped me as the interviewer. (1540 words) Coolican, H. (1990) Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology, London, Hobber and Stoughton. E891 Educational Enquiry, Media Guide, (2007), The Open University. E891 Educational Enquiry, Study Guide, (2007), The Open University. McNamara, C., (1999), PhD. General Guidelines for Conducting Interviews, Minnesota. Ochs, E. (1979) Transcriptions as theory in Ochs, E. (ed.) Developmental Pragmatics, New York, Academic Press. Research Methods in Education, Handbook, (2003), The Open University. Stenhouse, L.(1975) An introduction to Curriculum Research and Development, London, Heinemann. Tripp, D. (1993) Critical Incidents in Teaching, London, Routledge.