The West Essay Example For Students

The West Essay The West was a form of society rather than an area. It is the term applied to the region whose social conditions result from the application of older institutions and ideas to the transforming influences of free land. By this application, a new environment is suddenly entered, freedom of opportunity is opened, the cake of custom is broken, and new activities, new lines of growth, new institutions and new ideals, are brought into existence. The wilderness disappears, the West proper passes on to a new frontier and, in the former area, and a new society has emerged from this contact with the backwoods. Gradually this society loses its primitive conditions, and assimilates itself to the type of the older social conditions of the East; but it bears within it enduring and distinguishing survivals of its frontier experience. Decade after decade, West after West, this rebirth of American society had gone on, and left its traces behind it, which reacted on the East. The history of our politi cal institutions, our democracy, is not a history of imitation, of simple borrowing; it is a history of the evolution and adaptation of organs in response to changed environment, a history of the origin of new political species. In this sense, therefore, the West has been a constructive force of the highest significance in our life. The West, as a phase of social organization, began with the Atlantic coast, and passed across the continent. But the colonial tidewater area was in close touch with the Old World, and soon lost its Western aspects. In the middle of the eighteenth century, the newer social conditions appeared along the upper waters of the tributaries of the Atlantic. Here it was that the West took on its distinguishing features, and transmitted frontier traits and ideals to this area in later days. On the coast were the fishermen and skippers, the merchants and planters, with eyes turned toward Europe. Beyond the falls of the rivers were the pioneer farmers, largely of no n-English stock, Scotch-Irish and German. They constituted a distinct people, and may be regarded as an expansion of the social and economic life of the middle region into the backcountry of the South. These frontiersmen were the ancestors of Boone, Andrew Jackson, Calhoun, Clay, and Lincoln. Washington and Jefferson were profoundly affected by these frontier conditions. The forest clearings have been the seed plots of American character. Here then, is the problem of the West, as it looked to New England leaders of thought in the beginning and at the end of this century. From the first, it was recognized that a new type was growing up beyond the mountains, and that the time would come when the destiny of the nation would be in Western hands. The divergence of these societies became clear in the struggle over the ratification of the federal constitution. The interior agricultural region, the communities that were in debt and desired paper money, opposed the instrument; but the areas of intercourse and property carried the day. The most obvious fact regarding the man of the Western waters is that he had placed himself under influences destructive to many of the gains of civilization. Remote from the opportunity for systematic education, substituting a log hut in the forest clearing for the social comforts of the town, he suffered hard-ships and privations, and reverted in many ways to primitive conditions of life. Engaged in a struggle to subdue the forest, working as an individual, and with little specie or capital, his interests were with the debtor class. At each stage of its advance, the West has favored an expansion of the currency. The pioneer had boundless confidence in the future of his own community, and when seasons of financial contraction and depression occurred, he, who had staked his all on confidence in Western development, and had fought the savage for his home, was inclined to reproach the conservative sections and classes. To explain this antag onism requires more than denunciation of dishonesty, ignorance, and boorishness as fundamental Western traits. Legislation in the United States has had to deal with two distinct social conditions. In some portions of the country there was, and is, an aggregation of property, and vested rights are in the foreground. That in the conflict between these two ideals the government has always held an even hand would be difficult to show. But free lands and the consciousness of working out their social destiny did more than turn the Westerner to material interests and devote him to a restless existence. They promoted equality among the Western settlers, and reacted as a check on the aristocratic influences of the East. Where everybody could have a farm, almost for taking it, economic equality easily resulted, and this involved political equality. Western democracy included individual liberty, as well as equality. The frontiersman was impatient of restraints. He knew how to preserve order, e ven in the absence of legal authority. If there were cattle thieves, lynch law was sudden and effective: the regulators of the Carolinas were the predecessors of the claims associations of Iowa and the vigilance committees of California. But the individual was not ready to submit to complex regulations. Population was sparse; there was no multitude of jostling interests, as in older settlements, demanding an elaborate system of personal restraints. Society became atomic. There was a reproduction of the primitive idea of the personality of the law; a crime was more an offense against the victim than a violation of the law of the land. Substantial justice, secured in the most direct way, was the ideal of the backwoodsman. He had little patience with finely drawn distinctions or scruples of method. If the thing was one proper to be done, then the most immediate, rough and ready, effective way was the best way. It followed from the lack of organized political life, from the atomic condi tions of the backwoods society, that the individual was exalted and given free play. The West was another name for opportunity. Here were mines to be seized, fertile valleys to be preempted; all the natural resources open to the shrewdest and the boldest. The United States is unique in the extent to which the individual has been given an open field, unchecked by restraints of an old social order, or of scientific administration of government. The self-made man was the Western mans ideal, was the kind of man that all men might become. Out of his wilderness experience, out of the freedom of his opportunities, he fashioned a formula for social regeneration, the freedom of the individual to seek his own. He did not consider that his conditions were exceptional and temporary. Under such conditions, leadership easily develops, a leadership based on the possession of the qualities most serviceable to the young society. In the history of Western settlement, we see each forted village follow ing its local hero. Clay, Jackson, Harrison, Lincoln, were illustrations of this tendency in periods when the Western hero rose to the dignity of national hero. The Western man believed in the manifest destiny of his country. On his border, and checking his advance, were the Indian, the Spaniard, and the Englishman. He was indignant at eastern indifference and lack of sympathy with his view of his relations to these peoples, at the shortsightedness of eastern policy. The closure of the Mississippi by Spain, and the proposal to exchange our claim of freedom of navigating the river, in return for commercial advantages to New England, nearly led to the withdrawal of the West from the Union. It was the Western demands that brought about the purchase of Louisiana, and turned the scale in favor of declaring the War of 1812. Militant qualities were favored by the annual expansion of the settled area in the face of hostile Indians and the stubborn wilderness. The West caught the vision of t he nations continental destiny. It is important to bear this idealism of the West in mind. The very materialism that has been urged against the West was accompanied by ideals of equality, of the exaltation of the common man, of national expansion, that make it a profound mistake to write of the West as though it were engrossed in mere material ends. It has been, and is, preeminently a region of ideals, mistaken or not. It is obvious that these economic and social conditions were so fundamental in Western life that they might well dominate whatever accessions came to the West by immigration from the coast sections or from Europe. Nevertheless, the West cannot be understood without bearing in mind the fact that it has received the great streams from the North and from the South, and that the Mississippi compelled these currents to intermingle. Here it was that sectionalism first gave way under the pressure of unification. Ultimately the conflicting ideas and institutions of the old se ctions struggled for dominance in this area under the influence of the forces that made for uniformity, but this is merely another phase of the truth that the West must become unified, that it could not rest in sectional groupings. For precisely this reason the struggle occurred. In the period from the Revolution to the close of the War of 1812, the democracy of the Southern and Middle States contributed the main streams of settlement and social influence to the West. Even in Ohio the New England leaders soon lost political power. The democratic spirit of the Middle region left an indelible impress on the West in this its formative period. After the War of 1812, New England, its supremacy in the carrying trade of the world having vanished, became a beehive from which swarms of settlers went out to western New York and the remoter regions. These settlers spread New England ideals of education and character and political institutions, and acted as a leaven of great significance in the Northwest. But it would be a mistake to believe than an unmixed New England influence took possession of the Northwest. These pioneers did not come from the class that conserved the type of New England civilization pure and undefiled. They represented a less contented, less conservative influence. Moreover, by their sojourn in the Middle region, on their westward march, they underwent modification, and when the farther West received them, they suffered a forest-change, indeed. The Westernized New England man was no longer the representative of the section that he left. He was less conservative, less provincial, more adaptable, and approachable, less rigorous in his Puritan ideals, less a man of culture, more a man of action. As might have been expected, therefore, the Western men, in the era of good feeling, had much homogeneity throughout the Mississippi valley, and began to stand as a new national type. Under the lead of Henry Clay they invoked the national government to break do wn the mountain barrier by internal improvements, and thus to give their crops an outlet to the coast. Under him they appealed to the national government for a protective tariff to create a home market. A group of frontier States entered the Union with democratic provisions respecting the suffrage, and with devotion to the nation that had given them their lands, built their roads and canals, regulated their territorial life, and made them equals in the sisterhood of States. At last these Western forces of aggressive nationalism and democracy took possession of the government in the person of the man who best embodied them, Andrew Jackson. This new democracy that captured the country and destroyed the older ideals of statesmanship came from no theorists dreams of the German forest. It came, stark and strong and full of life, from the American forest. But the triumph of this Western democracy revealed also the fact that it could rally to its aid the laboring classes of the coast, then just beginning to acquire self-consciousness and organization. The next phase of Western development revealed forces of division between the northern and southern portions of the West. With the spread of the cotton culture went the slave system and the great plantation. The small farmer in his log cabin, raising varied crops, was displaced by the planter raising cotton. In all except the mountainous areas, the industrial organization of the tidewater took possession of the Southwest, the unity of the backcountry was broken, and the solid South was formed. In the Northwest this was the era of railroads and canals, opening the region to the increasing stream of Middle State and New England settlement, and strengthening the opposition to slavery. A map showing the location of the men of New England ancestry in the Northwest would represent also the counties in which the Free Soil party cast its heaviest votes. The commercial connections of the Northwest likewise were reversed by the r ailroad. The West broke asunder, and the great struggle over the social system to be given to the lands beyond the Mississippi followed. In the Civil War the Northwest furnished the national hero, Lincoln was the very flower of frontier training and ideals, and it also took into its hands the whole power of the government. Before the war closed, the West could claim the President, Vice-President, Chief Justice, Speaker of the House, Secretary of the Treasury, Postmaster General, Attorney General, General of the Army, and Admiral of the Navy. The West had furnished the leading general of the war. It was the region of action, and in the crisis it took the reins. The triumph of the nation was followed by a new era of Western development. The national forces projected themselves across the prairies and plains. Railroads, fostered by government loans and land grants, opened the way for settlement and poured a flood of European immigrants and restless pioneers from all sections of the Uni on into the government lands. The army of the United States pushed back the Indian, rectangular Territories was carved into checker-board States, creations of the federal government, without a history, without physiographical unity, without particularistic ideas. The later frontiersman leaned on the strong arm of national power. We are now in a position to see clearly some of the factors involved in the Western problem. For nearly three centuries the dominant fact in American life has been expansion. With the settlement of the pacific coast and the occupation of the free lands, this movement has come to a check. That these energies of expansion will no longer operate would be a rash prediction; and the demands for a vigorous foreign policy, for an interoceanic canal. For a revival of our power upon the seas, and for the extension of American influence to outlying islands and adjoining countries, are indications that the movement will continue. The stronghold of these demands lies we st of the Alleghenies. In the remoter West, the restless, rushing wave of settlement has broken with a shock against the arid plains. The free lands are gone, the continent is crossed, and all this push and energy is turning into channels of agitation. Failures in one area can no longer be made good by taking up land on a new frontier; the conditions of a settled society are being reached with suddenness and with confusion. The West has been built up with borrowed capital, and the question of the stability of gold, as a standard of deferred payments, is eagerly agitated by the debtor West, profoundly dissatisfied with the industrial conditions that confront it, and actuated by frontier directness and rigor in its remedies. For the most part, the men who built up the West beyond the Mississippi, and who are now leading the agitation, came as pioneers from the old Northwest, in the days when it was just passing from the stage of a frontier section. And now the frontier opportunities a re gone. Discontent is demanding an extension of governmental activity in its behalf. In these demands, it finds itself in touch with the depressed agricultural classes and the workingmen of the South and East. The Western problem is no longer a sectional problem; it is a social problem on a national scale. The greater West, extending from the Alleghenies to the Pacific, cannot be regarded as a unit; it requires analysis into regions and classes. But its area, its population, and its material resources would give force to its assertion that if there is a sectionalism in the country, the sectionalism is Eastern. The old West, united to the new South, would produce not a new sectionalism, but a new Americanism. It would not mean sectional disunion, as some have speculated, but it might mean a drastic assertion of national government and imperial expansion under a popular hero. .uea207aaad634a88cce0bda166b46ee1e , .uea207aaad634a88cce0bda166b46ee1e .postImageUrl , .uea207aaad634a88cce0bda166b46ee1e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uea207aaad634a88cce0bda166b46ee1e , .uea207aaad634a88cce0bda166b46ee1e:hover , .uea207aaad634a88cce0bda166b46ee1e:visited , .uea207aaad634a88cce0bda166b46ee1e:active { border:0!important; } .uea207aaad634a88cce0bda166b46ee1e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uea207aaad634a88cce0bda166b46ee1e { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uea207aaad634a88cce0bda166b46ee1e:active , .uea207aaad634a88cce0bda166b46ee1e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uea207aaad634a88cce0bda166b46ee1e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uea207aaad634a88cce0bda166b46ee1e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uea207aaad634a88cce0bda166b46ee1e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uea207aaad634a88cce0bda166b46ee1e .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uea207aaad634a88cce0bda166b46ee1e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uea207aaad634a88cce0bda166b46ee1e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uea207aaad634a88cce0bda166b46ee1e .uea207aaad634a88cce0bda166b46ee1e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uea207aaad634a88cce0bda166b46ee1e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: I Have a Dream Essay We will write a custom essay on The West specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now

Bottled water Essays

Bottled water Essays Bottled water Essay Bottled water Essay The term market research is the systematic problem analysis, model building and fact finding for the purposes of improved decision making in the marketing of goods and services, this basically means that through research companies are going to try and give customers what they want. In my assignment I too will use market research, and will be carrying out a research on bottled water. I intend to find out how pupils of my school feel about the idea of bottled water, and how the feel about certain brands, flavours etc.I also would hope to explain why bottled water has become the success it has, and why pupils of my school prefer it to a bottle filled with ordinary tap water. I have decided to use a questionnaire as part of my primary research. The questionnaire will set out to investigate our schools knowledge of water and well see how many people are consuming it daily. Through the questionnaires I will discover various different aspects in order to find out if it affects the market positively or negatively.Primary Research is a type of data which you find yourself albeit through* Discussions with people* Direct observation* Questionnaires and surveys* Sampling* Testing through pilot and field trialsFor my research I have decided to use the questionnaires and surveys method, combined with a method of sampling. This is to ensure the complete reliability of my research. I have chosen these methods mainly due to the fact that the project is based in school, therefore I must select the quickest methods available, this however will not deflect from the amount of effort needed in order to compile the questionnaire and to distribute them to the correct people.The two main types of data are collected by market research are* Quantitative This is generally numerical data, E.g. Statistics. This kind of data is collected using questionnaires and surveys* Qualitative This kind of data where people give ideas, this research is used most significantly for investigation purposes, E.g. Why people are buying a certain productI previously said I would be using a method of sampling, but first I would like to explain what sampling is. Basic sampling is a representation of a large body by a smaller body. The advantages of this are that the company saves much more time, and it gives them the opinions of their customers. However the downside is this, not all people may have the same opinion, this therefore means that they wont get their say as to how the company produce its goods. It is important with sampling that enough people are chosen to give confidence in the result. A sample size can be as low as 100 but obviously the more people asked, the more accurate the result obtained is.Here are the various different methods of Sampling:* Stratified Samples Choosing people from a specific group in the population.* Quota Samples Selected on the basis of the characteristics of customer profile.* Cluster Samples People are chosen from a spec ific area.* Systematic Samples Every Nth person within a group is chosen.* Random Samples Everyone has an equal chance of being picked.Of course, it is possible for an incorrect result from a questionnaire, this is could happen because of the wrong type of sample chosen or even because of poor facts and statistics. When compiling a question you should always* Show clarity and purpose to your enquiry* Show understanding to all sides of community; try to word questions so that everyone can understand.* Avoid misleading questions.* Good presentation and structure.The questionnaire is going to be made up of around 8 or 9 questions, and in it, it will include questions such as,Where do you buy your water?How much do you spend on water per week?Is water your preferred drink now?Is drinking water really healthy?Of course these are only example questions and I would expect to have varied them a little in my final questionnaire.To start of compiling my questionnaire I firstly drew up a rou gh page of ideas then begun work on Microsoft Pin point. Here I was able to lay down a question, and provide boxes for the reader to tick. I decided that a basic lay out was needed, so I ended up having a page with a border around, inset was the text of questions asking pupils about bottled water. The questionnaire had various different changes to be made, mostly because of the amount of space to provide for pupils to give their own ideas. Also the font was changed quite a bit from the original. After all the nit picking my questionnaire was finally ready, the next stage was the sampling. I decided that random selection was the fairest method so I randomly picked out two boys, and two girls from each class and stopped when I had reached a desired total. I handed them out to the selected people. Each of them filled out the questionnaire and gave it back to me. I then programmed all of my results into the computer.In order to get a clear view of each opinion I decided that graphs, pie charts would be the fastest and easiest way to access the information. All graphs and a copy of the questionnaire are printed on separate pages. There are 3 graphs in total, the first graph is outlining the most popular flavour of water, graph two is outlining the most popular brand of water and the final graph is showing the results for how often water is drunk/purchased by the pupils of Castlederg high school. Overall there were no surprising results.GRAPH ONE This graph showed that the most popular water was flavoured water. It had around 43% of the vote; still water was second with 30% with sparkling water third on 27%.GRAPH TWO This showed river rock as the most popular brand with almost half of the votes.GRAPH THREE This showed the popularity of water when everyone said they drink water often or at least on a regular basis, no one said that they never drunk water.Secondary research is data, which is published, either on hard copy or through an electronic source, which has been picked up by others for their own use. This kind of data must be taken with care, after all it is data, which has been used for a different purpose, and this may have affected the data analysis and presentation. When using secondary research companies should find out* Whether source is accurate* TrustworthyThere are various kinds of secondary research, desk research is a quicker method than field research, and it is also less expensive. However the problem is that findings are not as accurate as field research. Secondary research can be obtained from internal or external sources.The different forms of external research are:* Government statistics* Media* The internet* Market research companies such as key note, retail business* Market surveysThe different forms of internal are:* Databases of computers* Sales invoices* Complaint letters* Sales information* Financial informationExternal is probably a more important method of research as it doesnt affect the companies performance to its competitors, but internal offers a snapshot view of the company as a whole and is information that is already held within the company. I have used external, mainly because of Internet research. Through external research I was able to go through different companies websites and find out information on their water. Classic water is used within our school and although it is a popular seller, the pupils decided that river rock was their favourite bottled waterIn conclusion I feel that my research into bottled as went well, and have answered the questions I initially asked, why has it become more popular? The reason being pupils of my school think it is a healthy way of living. My results have shown many things, in particular the popularity of river rock within our school. Also showing that flavoured water is most preferred kind of bottled war.Need help on conclusion, dont know what to write!

Involvement of Parents in Early Years Setting Dissertation

Involvement of Parents in Early Years Setting - Dissertation Example †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..5 The Barriers†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..7 Probable Solutions†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..8 Research Methodology†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.10 Research Design†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..10 Research Approach†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦11 Data Collection†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.11 Ethical Consideration†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦13 Findings and Discussions†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.14 Findings from Parents’ Questionnaire†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦... †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..20 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..26 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.27 Fig 1 14 Fig 2 15 Fig 3 17 Fig 4 18 Fig 5 18 Fig 6 19 Fig 7 25 Introduction The involvement of parents in the education of their children, in all stages, is recognised as a crucial paradigm shift in contemporary education (Carlton & Winsler, 1999). It creates a learning environment that is not bounded by structures, but it enhances and encourages the formation of a collaborative learning environment between the home and the school (Parker et al, 1999). This approach is needed, as education is one first step towards helping children in developing themselves, defining their future career and enabling them to becoming responsible citizens (Smit et al, 2008; U.S. Department of Education, 2010). In this regard, laws and policies of almost all countries all over the world embrace the importance of parental involvement in education (Smit et al, 2008). Parental involvement is synonymous with ‘parental partnership’, ‘parent participation’, school-family relations’ and ‘educational partnership’ (Macbeth, 1993; Smit et al, 1999). Nonetheless, all th ese terminologies refer to parental involvement as the collaborative effort and support given by parents, carers, the teachers, school, and other stakeholders with the purpose of improving, motivating, developing and helping children in their education (Davies & Johnson, 1996; van der Wolf & Beukering, 2001). However, parental

Enterprise Resource Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Enterprise Resource Planning - Essay Example Finally, a key goal for the use of the ERP by the army is to help the army streamline its operations, practices and process, making them more efficient (Real-World Case, 183). The key implementation considerations made include the sources of failure in the process of transformation. The failure by an institution to forecast and thus plan for the likely organizational and cultural changes that comes with the transformation, which entails the introduction of the ERP in the army can easily cause a failure to the implementation process (Real-World Case, 184). Leadership and sponsorship consistency is also a major consideration, since the introduction of ERP requires the consistency of leadership and supervisors, which is rarely the case in the army. Stakeholder alignment is also an essential consideration, since all the stakeholders in the army should be aware and supportive of the transformation. Cost considerations should also be made, since the implementation of ERP requires substantial resources, which should always be supplied, for the success of the process (Real-World Case, 184). The change management was incorporated in the process through the change of the army process into business-like, since the ERP could not fully address the army system, which is quite different from the normal business transactions and processes. These changes entail the incorporation of some traditional aspects of the army systems such as cost and performance measures into the ERP system, while introducing new concepts such as the measurement of effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction, both internal and external (Real-World Case, 185). Additionally, the change management process was incorporated into the system through the reconfiguration of the ERP, to include a new code, other than change the existing one, a process known as extension. This is essential to include some of the army processes, which cannot

Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Management - Research Paper Example If keeping a dog soothes him to the extent that he can overcome his daily anxiety at work, it will not only improve his performance manifolds, but will also encourage him to work harder since he would realize that I, being the employer, respected his feelings. Furthermore, I do not think it would be a matter of big concern for Karla since she works at the top floor while Poochey Pie will remain in the basement of the building. However, I shall tell Harry to be specially cautious about not bringing the dog ever in front of Karla. Unions, today, are majorly facing a decline all over the world. (Kochan and Verma, 2010). This concept basically strengthens as more workers are moving to the foreign countries for job. (Weisenthal, 2007). Despite the fact that the role of union has somewhat recessed as more organized management has been emphasized upon globally to lead the organizations, unions today can play an important role in solving workers’ issues. They can practically develop a better link with workers in the present age by making use of the information

Business Essays Environmental Management System

Business Essays Environmental Management System Environmental Management System Abstract The number of enterprises certified an Environmental Management System due to the Eco – Management and Auditing Scheme (EMAS) and to other Environmental Management System raised in the last few years. Especially companies from the industry sector realized how important it is to be certified. The majority use and implement environmental management systems due to the Eco – Management and Auditing Scheme (EMAS) or due to the ISO 14001 regulation. Lots of them prefer to implement the ISO 14001 regulation because of the worldwide acceptance but others prefer the EMAS norm because the ISO 14401 certificate is absolutely contained into the EMAS regulations. The EMAS certification seems to be very interesting for entrepreneurs because of the incorporations of all employees of a company. This can result that employees could get more ambitioned and the employee loyalty could rise. Additionally, companies often get subsidized by the European Union. Organisations have to pass several stages to achieve the certification, the EMAS registrations and to benefit from it. Chapter 1 Introduction Implementing an environmental management system (EMS) is one of the best ways to show how an enterprise can act environmentally interested and efficient (Emilsson, 2002). An EMS due to EMAS regulations shows to clients and the public that entrepreneurs take care about environmental impacts which are caused by the productions of goods. Additionally, the implementation of efficient environmental management systems improves a company’s processes and brings other economic benefits. Now more and more companies realise how important an EMS is and how much they can profit from it. The two most important and famous regulations are the international standard ISO 14001 developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the regulation the Eco-Management and Auditing Scheme (EMAS). The majority of the companies certified their EMS under these two systems because of the worldwide acceptance of the ISO 14001 regulations and the European Union regulation EMAS, which was developed by the European Union. The EMAS regulation is European wide accepted but the included ISO 14001 regulation is as mentioned before worldwide into force. Because of the additional cost and the additional time which is needed to implement an EMS due to the EMAS regulation a lot of companies decide to implement an EMS due to the ISO 14001 norm. The purpose of the following study is to demonstrate how an EMAS EMS should be constructed in small and medium-sized enterprises (SME). In order to get a better overview the current Business and Environment will be defined and Environmental Management Systems will be elucidated with the corresponding literature. The Stages of an EMS due to the EMAS regulation will be shown with its relevant literature in the literature review chapter as well. In addition, the differences between the EMAS regulation and the ISO 14001 norm also were examined and are being treated in the literature chapter review. Followed with the methodology chapter in which the author presents how the corresponding research is done by using the relevant literature research in the secondary research area and by doing a questionnaire in the relevant primary research part. In chapter Four the author presents the results which where discussed in the preceding research and analyses the results which where worked out with the help of the primary and secondary research. Chapter Five considers the research and a conclusion can be worked out. 2 Literature Review 2.1 Business and Environment 2.1.1 Identification of Business Business has experienced dramatic change since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution which took place in Western Europe two hundred years ago (Blair, 2001). New businesses appeared such as chemical industry, motor industry, and retail industry; new technology was applied in everywhere; and new market was opened all over the world. All these changes of business area caused environmental impacts which totally different from two hundred years ago. In order to discuss the environmental impact of business we have to answer a basic question: what is business nowadays? Strictly speaking, business is the range of commercial organizations and their activities that characterize the way in which trading is conducted in a capitalist economy (Blair, 2001). However, commonly the words â€Å"industry† and â€Å"business† are used interchangeably and this is the case in this article. Business with the same meaning of industry which is seen as the collection of firms who operate essentially the same series of processes that result in a related set of products (whether tangible products or services) that a third party wishes to buy (Blair, 2001). By convention, industries are divided into primary, secondary and tertiary industries. Primary industries include fishing, forestry, agriculture and the extractive industries (essentially, the quarrying and mining of minerals). They involve the collection, harvesting and exploitation of resources directly produced by physical processes. Secondary industries are the manufacturing industries. They take raw materials and by a variety of processes produce tangible goods by adding value to the raw materials. The tertiary industries produce services, for either individuals or for other organizations. The way in which primary, secondary and tertiary industries effect the environment are seen as being sufficiently different to warrant separate analysis. 2.1.2 Environmental Impact of Different Businesses The environmental impacts of different industrial sectors vary enormously (Welford, 1998). For example, the oil industry may cause serious environmental impacts while the retail industry has less direct impacts to the environment. This is because the oil industry belongs primary industries while retail industry belongs tertiary industries and the characteristics of these two industrial categories are totally different. Because of their intimate relationship with the environment, the primary industries have a widespread and significant environmental impact. Firstly, they cause high pollution. For example, oil and gas flares, which happened in oil industry, contribute to global warming. Additionally, oil spills can cause great localized harm to marine ecosystems. Secondly, the primary industries generate considerable wastes. The fossil fuel and mining industries are the main culprits in waste generation. However, the wastes of factory farming also should not be neglected. Thirdly, farming and forestry of the primary industries have the greatest overall impact on habitats because they occupy the greatest areas of land. The type of farming or forest has a profound influence on the nature of flora and fauna of a region. Finally, farming and forestry also has significant landscape impacts because they form important landscapes in much of the developed world. Manufacturing is the core of the secondary industries. Raw materials and components are brought together and manufactured into either end product or a component for some other manufacturing process. Manufacturing processes consume huge amount of energy and inevitably produce waste products and pollution. Waste is seen as part of the process, whereas pollution is seen as an inevitable consequence of the process that should not happen in the perfect industrial process but which, in practice, results in the degradation of some physical resource. This is most usually the air, watercourses or the ground. Sound and visual impact may also be included under the broad banner of pollution. In addition to the manufacture process, the products itself also cause environmental impact during its delivery, use and disposal. Tertiary industries or so-called service businesses received relatively little attention on their environmental impacts. This may be because in comparison to primary or secondary industries they appear to depend far less on physical resources and they often deal with a more intangible product. However, the environmental impact of tertiary industries is less obvious but does not mean that it does not exist. For example, compared to an oil refinery, a supermarket seems to be much less environmental impact but it is not without impact. The transfer of goods within the supermarket chain, and the customers travel to the store especially those suburban stores all cause air pollution. Other environmental impacts which tertiary industries cause include energy consumption in heating, lighting and equipment, pollution through the travel of their employees and clients, produce waste from canteens, consume waster and materials and certainly produce large volumes of paper waste. 2.1.3 Strategy Towards Environmental Impacts Since the 1960s, there has been a growing interest in the environment, or more specifically in the damage being done to the environment (Welford, 1998). During the first two decades, it was felt that growth and development and protection of the environment could not go hand in hand. Hence most of the theories that developed during this period were anti-growth. However, the 1980s witnessed a shift in thinking. The concept of ‘zero growth’ was replaced by sustainable development which has been broadly accepted nowadays. Sustainable development, in its simplest form, is defined as development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987). It implies that it is possible to make development and environmental protection compatible. However, the old ways of development which cause pollution and atmospheric damage, disrupts traditional ways of living, destroys ecosystems and feeds more and more power into international oligopolistic industrial structures must be changed into sustainable ways (Welford, 1998). The Brundtland Report, commissioned by the United Nations to examine long-term environmental strategies, argued that this would require quite radical changes in economic practices throughout the world. As an ultimate objective, the concept of sustainable development is immensely valuable. However, strategies are needed to translate conceptual theories of what sustainable development means into practical ways of achieving it over time within the corporate context. Firms clearly have a role to play in the development of substitutes for non-renewable resources and innovations which reduce waste and use energy more efficiently. They also have a role in processing those materials in a way which brings about environmental improvements. Additionally, firms have the opportunity for considering both the use and disposal of the product during the design period. In order to achieve these goals, companies must seek to develop management strategies which will improve their environmental performance (Welford, 1998). 2.2 Environmental Management Systems Many companies have adopted environmental policies and carried out environmental audits or reviews in response to legislative pressures, green marketing opportunities, increased public pressure, ethical concerns and the commitment of local and central government (Netherwood, 1998). However, companies still be faced with a problem of finding a systematic way of implementing commitments to environmental management within their existing organizational structure. In practical, one tool which companies have generally accepted to facilitate implementation of environmental policy is an environmental management system (EMS). An EMS is defined by the British Standards Institute (BSI) as: the organizational structure, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes and resources for determining and implementing environmental policy (Netherwood, 1998). Similar definitions are found in the EU eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS) and ISO 14001. Not like legislation, EMS is a voluntary tool which can help companies to control environmental impact caused by their operations (Roberts, 1998). Despite the fact that different companies may develop different environment management system, usually there are some common steps can be found in these EMSs. This is because most of them were designed based on the steps of quality management system such as ISO 9000 (Netherwood, 1998). Therefore, it is possible to create a standard for environmental management systems in order to ensure a certain quality for the EMS, and to encourage organizations to improve their environmental performance. In the last few years a number of voluntary environmental management schemes have been developed. The standard-BS 7750- was published by BSI in March 1992 and was the world’s first environmental management system standard. At the same time that BSI began work on BS 7750, the European Commission was setting out its proposal for an eco-audit scheme and it was from this proposal that EMAS eventually emerged in 1993. In the same year of EMAS publishing, the activity relating to environmental management system standardization began on the international scene. And after a development time of a little under three years, ISO 14000 series were published in October 1996. The standardized environmental management systems are voluntary and are designed to be externally verified by nationally accredited bodies, in a similar way as the quality standard ISO 9000. It is argued that companies which register with the schemes, gaining the EMAS and ISO14001 accreditation, will experience added value such as market advantages, and legal compliance (Netherwood, 1998). 2.2.2 Stages of Standardized Ems Environmental management systems are very much related to quality management systems. They are mechanisms that provide for a systematic and cyclical process of continual improvement. As can be seen in Figure 1, the cycle itself begins with planning for a desired outcome (i.e. improved environmental performance), implementing that plan, checking to see if the plan is working and finally correcting and improving the plan based on observations form the checking process. Logically then, if the original outcome desired remains the same, a system of this nature will, by default, generate increments of progress that continually move toward the desired outcome (Roberts, 1998). In order for a company to achieve environmental performance through a management loop as mentioned above, it will need to define responsibilities for environmental management, deploy resources to ensure that action is taken on environmental issues, train staff to become aware of their environmental responsibilities, monitor environmental performance and audit and review the system of achieving environmental improvement. The basis of all of this activity is an organizational commitment to continual environmental improvement and an environmental policy (Netherwood, 1998). The stages of a typical environmental management system were shown in Figure 2. 2.2.3 Why Develop an EMS? Develop an EMS within a company will definitely cost resources such as time, human resource, and money (Bansal, 2002). Such costs become more apparent when a company applies certification for their EMS. Furthermore, it has been suggested that EMS and the standards will just add another layer of bureaucracy for the company. So why do a company need an environmental management system? The answer is creating a successful EMS could bring more benefits than the costs. The advantages of improved environmental management can be divided into two broad categories (Roberts, 1998). The first category addresses the fact that improved environmental management is good for our planet and a fundamental requirement of global sustainability. This is because respecting that present business patterns are fundamentally unsustainable, improved environmental management will serve at least to move our business patterns towards sustainability. The second category, which seems have a more direct relationship with companies, addresses the fact that improved environmental management could benefit the company a lot. The table 3 lists some of the benefits. 2.3 ISO 14001 2.3.1 Background Information of ISO 14001 ISO 14000 is a series of international standards for environmental management. In order to satisfy the increasing demand of establishing international environmental management standard, International Organization for Standardization (ISO) started to develop it in 1993 and after nearly three year’s development, ISO published this series of standards (ISO 14001 and ISO 14004) in October 1996. It is the first such series of standards that allows organizations from around the world to pursue environmental efforts and measure performance according to internationally accepted criteria (Roberts, 1998). The 14000series consists of over a dozen separate standards. But all these standards are fallen under two categories: specification standards and guidance standards (Krut, 1998). ISO specification standards are prescriptive documents: they describe what a company must do or not do in order to get certification. ISO 14001 is a blueprint for the company’s environmental management system, and it is the only specification standard in the ISO 14000 series. It describes how a company might manage and control its organizational system so that it measures, controls and continually improves the environmental aspects of its operations (Krut, 1998). ISO 14001 is intended to be applicable to ‘all types and sizes of organizations and to accommodate diverse geographical, cultural and social conditions’ (ISO, 1996). The overall aim of both ISO 14001 and the other standards in the 14000 series is to support environmental protection and the prevention of pollution in harmony with socio-economic needs. ISO 14001 applies to any organization that wishes to improve and demonstrate its environmental performance to others through the presence of a certified environmental management system (Roberts, 1998). With the exception of requiring the commitment to continual improvement and commitment to comply with relevant legislation and regulation, ISO 14001 does not prescribe environmental performance requirements. ISO 14001 specifies the requirements of the management system itself, which, if maintained properly, will improvement environmental performance by reducing impacts such as air emissions and wastewater effluents (Roberts, 1998). 2.3.2 Stages for Implementing ISO 14001 2.3.2.1 Environmental Policy Environmental policy is a formal and documented set of principles and intentions with respect to the environment. Essentially, the environmental policy is the guiding document for corporate environmental improvement and adherence to it is fundamental to the integrity and success of the entire EMS (Roberts, 1998). A policy must contain commitments to: Continual improvement; Prevention of pollution; and Complying with relevant environmental legislation and other relevant requirements. 2.3.2.2 Planning The company must then set itself objectives and targets relating to its three policy commitments and devise a plan to meet these objectives and targets. Here the environmental objectives are the broad goals that your organization sets in order to improve environmental performance while environmental targets are set performance measurements that must be met to realize a given objective. All environmental objectives must have at least one target (usually more) and all targets must relate directly to a stated objective (Roberts, 1998). 2.3.2.3 Implementing and Operation Having devised its plan, the organization must then put in place the various elements necessary for its successful implementation and operation. 2.3.2.4 Checking and Corrective Action Having implemented its plan, the organization must then check to see whether it has been successful in meeting its objectives and targets. If any have not been met, then corrective action must be taken. The entire management system must be periodically audited to see that it meets the requirements of the standard (Welford, 1998). 2.3.2.5 Management Review Management must periodically review the system to ensure its continuing effectiveness and suitability. Changes are made to the system as and when necessary. 2.4 Eco-Management and Auditing Scheme (EMAS) 2.4.1 Background Information of EMAS EMAS the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme, is a voluntary initiative designed for companies and other organizations to evaluate, report, and improve their environmental performance. It should be highlight that EMAS is a European Union Regulation, which applied within the European Union and the European Economic Area (EEA) — Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. An increasing number of candidate countries are also implementing the scheme in preparation for their accession to the EU (EMAS, 2004). The scheme has been available for participation by companies since 1995 (Council Regulation (EEC) No 1836/93 of 29 June 1993) and was originally restricted to companies in industrial sectors. The aim of EMAS is to recognize and reward those organizations that go beyond minimum legal compliance and continuously improve their environmental performance (EMAS-UK, 2004). In addition, it is a requirement of the scheme that participating organizations regularly produce a public environmental statement that reports on their environmental performance. It is this voluntary publication of environmental information, whose accuracy and reliability has been independently checked by an environmental verifier, that gives EMAS and those organizations that participate enhanced credibility and recognition. In June 1997 The Commission undertook a 5-year review of EMAS, taking into account experience gained during its operation. The final revised Regulation (Regulation (EC) No 761/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 March 2001) published in April 2001, is often referred to as EMAS II. This new Regulation has been open to all economic sectors including public and private services. In addition, EMAS II was strengthened by the integration of EN/ISO 14001 as the environmental management system required by EMAS; by adopting an attractive EMAS logo to signal EMAS registration to the outside world; and by considering more strongly indirect effects such as those related to financial services or administrative and planning decisions. 2.4.2 Stages for Implementing EMAS The objective of EMAS shall be to promote continual improvements in the environmental performance of organizations by (EMAS, 2001): (a) The establishment and implementation of environmental management systems by organizations as described in Annex I (b) The systematic, objective and periodic evaluation of the performance of such systems as described in Annex I (c) The provision of information on environmental performance and an open dialogue with the public and other interested parties (d) The active involvement of employees in the organization and appropriate initial and advanced training that makes active participation in the tasks referred to under (a) possible. Where they so request, any employee representatives shall also be involved. 2.4.2.1 Conduct of an Environental Review Consider all environmental impacts of the organization’s activities: production processes, products and services, assessment methods, the legal framework as well as existing environmental management practices and procedures. 2.4.2.2 Establish an EMS Based upon the results of the environmental review, establish an effective environmental management system aimed at achieving the organization’s environmental policy as defined by the top management. The management system needs to define responsibilities, objectives, means, operational procedures, training needs, monitoring and communication systems. 2.4.2.3 Carry Out An Environmental Audit Assess the management system in place and the organization’s environmental performance in light of the organization’s environmental policy and programme as well as of legal requirements. 2.4.2.4 Prepare an Environmental Statement The environmental statement should specify the results that have been achieved against the environmental objectives of the organization. It should also lay down the means by which the organization plans to continuously improve its environmental performance. 2.4.2.5 Get Independent Verification By an EMAS Verifier An EMAS verifier accredited with an EMAS Accreditation Body (UKAS in UK) of a Member State must examine and verify the environmental review, EMS, and audit procedure as well as the environmental statement. 2.4.2.6 Register With The Competant Body of the Member State The validated environmental statement must be sent to the appropriate EMAS Competent Body for registration and be made publicly available. 2.5 Drivers and Barriers of EMS Implementation In SMEs SMEs face internal and external barriers when seeking to address their environmental issues and adopt and implement EMSs, but it is the internal barriers that initially have the more significant role in impeding progress (Hillary, 1999). Negative company culture towards the environment and the disassociation between positive environmental attitudes and taking action cause the uptake of environmental performance improvements and EMS adoption to stumble at the first hurdle (Hillary,1999). On top of this general culture of inaction on the environment, SMEs are also very sceptical of the benefits to be gained from making environmental improvements (Hillary, 1999). In many cases, especially for the smaller organisations, low awareness and the absence of pressure from customers (the most important driver for environmental improvements and EMS adoption) and insufficient other drivers mean that no efforts are made to address environmental issues (Hillary, 1999). SMEs also face the problem of locating, and having the time to locate, good quality advice and information. Once a SME has embarked on EMS implementation the process is often interrupted and resources are frequently diverted to core business activities (Hillary, 1999). It is the lack of human resources, not financial ones, which SMEs find most difficult to secure and maintain for EMS implementation. The more multifunctional the staff, as is common in micro and small companies, the more likely the process of implementation will be interrupted. Some studies indicate that SMEs, once on the route to certified EMSs, face inconsistency and high charges in the certification system. SMEs are subjected to a variety of stakeholder pressures related to their environmental performance and their adoption of EMSs. Customer and supply chain are also prominent in driving SMEs environmental improvements (Hillary, 1999). However the regulator and local authorities exert greater influence on the general environmental performance of SMEs, in particular medium-sized enterprises, than customers. 3 Methodology 3.1 Introduction This chapter provides a detailed explanation of the research methods used by the author in order to complete the study. White (2000) stated that â€Å"research should be focused, not general† therefore the research conducted for the study will be to specific objectives. Academic theory is used to explain the advantages and disadvantages of research methods. The study will also aim to outline research limitations at the end of the chapter. 3.2 Quantative Approach In this thesis a study is applied to gain information and to fulfill the purpose: â€Å"how can small and medium sized enterprises profit from environmental management systems†. Questionnaires are made with people from 12 different German companies. Two types of methods can mainly be used in the scientific research, they are positivism and hermeneutic. Positivism starts with one well defined knowledge as an ideal, while the hermeneutic methods relate to different knowledge (Proctor, 2003). Conclusively can be said, that the hermeneutic method is about the interpretation and the usage of feeling and understanding when interviews are performed, which is also known as qualitative approach (Thomas, 1997). Thus the quantitative approach has received some critique, mainly when the data is collected. The risk is that the researcher could handle the topic to much facile way, without being aware of it (Thomas, 1997). 3.3 Why Qualitative Approach? The choice of the research of the core and the structure of environmental management systems has led to the discretion of the quantitative approach which was essential due to the interpretation of the environment and the experiences of several companies (Deacon et al, 1999). Furthermore, since the authors wanted to examine the meaning of environmental management systems on different levels, it is preferably to use a quantitative research method (Casell Symon, 2004), given that environmental management systems have potential exploration. What differs a qualitative method from a quantitative method is that the qualitative method a first qualitative perceptive of the fundamental motives and reasons is received, in the quantitative method the researcher is generalizing data from a sample to the population. To enhance the reason of using a qualitative method in this thesis the quantitative approach will help to develop a good definition and a highly topical view of environmental management systems. This is due to the fact that the author will have a better understanding of the different definitions that exist today. 3.4 Literature Study The process of gathering data starts with the secondary research existing of the study of literature such as articles, books and journals. The author chose to use literature resources of the library of Northumbria University and furthermore literature such as articles and journals via databases like Emerald, Ebsco Host, Business Source Premier, FT.com (Financial Times), Science Direct and Nexis. The usage of keywords was as follows EMAS, ISO 14001, sustainability, environmental management systems and continual improvement, thus several gave more hits than other. In order to cover other aspects, in especially the theoretical framework the author tried to use other keywords connected to the specific area. Also sources more connected to the entrepreneurial part of marketing have been used in order to get a broad and specific picture of environmental management systems due to the EMAS and ISO 14001 regulation. The author pointed out that the literature parts into primary and secondary sources. Primary resources are written by an author that also took part in the research behind it. Secondary sources are literature that covers a certain topic but without a specific research behind it. Secondary literature sources do not always give enough

Ieoh Ming Pei Essay -- People Pei Biography Papers

Ieoh Ming Pei Ieoh Ming Pei is a brilliant, Chinese-American architect. He combines learned skill with his gift of knowing what works both functionally and aesthetically. Early Life He was born in Canton, China, on April 26, 1917. Art and commerce were both ingrained in Pei's upbringing. His family had lived for more than 600 years in Suzhou (formerly Soochow), a city in the Yangtze basin northwest of Shanghai. The history of Suzhou goes back some 2,500 years,, but it became prominent during the Sui Dynasty (A.D. 581-618) with the completion of the Grand Canal, which linked several major trading cities. Suzhou was an important city in the rice and silk trades. It was also known for its many craftsmen, scholars, and artists. People considered the city so wonderful that there was a saying about it and its neighboring city: "In heaven there is paradise; on earth, Suzhou." Around the time of his birth, fighting among local warlords made life dangerous in Canton. The political turbulence that Pei witnessed seems parallel to Einstein’s experience with political turbulence in Germany, and Ghandi’s experience with India under British rule and the loss of Hindu identity that came with the ruling of a different culture. In 1918, the bank told Tsuyee (I. M.’s father) to move with his family to the safety of Hong Kong, which was then governed by Great Britain. Sometimes on that long journey Ieoh Ming’s nurse, or "amah," carried him on her back. The Pei family lived in Hong Kong for nine years. During that time, three more children were born: I.M.'s sister, Wei, and his two brothers, Kwun and Chung. In 1927, I.M.'s father was made manager of the bank's main office in Shanghai, and the family returned to C... ... Science Center, at Boston, Massachusetts References: Dell, Pamela. I.M. Pei Designer of Dreams. Chicago: Childrens Press Inc, 1993. "I. M. Pei" Grolier’s Multimedia Encyclopedia, 1996. Wiseman, Carter. I. M. Pei: A Profile in American Architecture. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc, 1990. http://www.greatbuildings.com/gbc/architects/I._M._Pei.html http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/chap1/im_pei.htm http://www.mit.edu/people/bei/www/page4.html http://www.mit.edu/people/bei/www/Pei/Masa2.gif http://www.mit.edu/people/bei/www/Pei/Johnson2.jpg http://www.mit.edu/people/bei/www/Pei/NGArt2.jpg http://www.mit.edu/people/bei/www/Pei/Dallas1.jpg http://www.mit.edu/people/bei/www/Pei/BankChina4.jpg http://www.mit.edu/people/bei/www/Pei/Louvre1.jpg http://www.mit.edu/people/bei/www/Pei/Rockhall2.jpg

Kate Chopin Analytical Essay †the Story of an Hour Essay

The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin is a short yet complex story, describing Mrs Mallard’s feelings. It focuses on the unfolding emotional state of Mrs Mallard after the news of her husbands death, and has overflowing symbolism and imagery. It is an impressive literary piece that touches the readers’ feelings and mind and allows the reader to have a connection to Mrs Mallard’s emotional process. Although the story is short, it is complete with each word carrying deep sense and meaning. It is written in the 19th century, a time that had highly restrictive gender roles that forbade women to live as they saw fit. Mrs Mallard experiences something not everyone during this time has the luck to have; the happiness of freedom that the reader only understands at the end of the story. The author unfolds Mrs Mallards feelings in three stages; firstly moving quickly to grief, then to a sense of newfound freedom, and finally to despair over the loss of that freedom. To create the story, Chopin uses an abundance of literary elements, including imagery, personification, and similes, and also makes use of the social expectations of her time. In the beginning of the story the reader is told that Mrs Mallard suffers from a heart condition, and news of her husband’s death is brought to her â€Å"as gently as possible† (158). Mrs Mallard’s sister, Josephine, and her husbands friend Richards break the news, believing Mrs Mallard would be upset and that the news could make her condition worsen. During the 19th century, most women when in Mrs Mallard’s situation would wait until they were in private before breaking their composure. Mrs Mallard however, â€Å"wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment† (158). The reader expects Mrs Mallard to be upset at the news of her husbands death, and worries that with her heart trouble the sad news may worsen her condition. However, her reaction to the news is just the first emotional response to the news, without deep comprehension of what has happened and how it will change her life. Chopin shows us how Mrs Mallard, little by little, comes to realise it and what helps her to understand it. After composing herself Mrs Mallard goes to her room and â€Å"there stood, facing the open window, a comfortable, roomy armchair. Read Also:  Analytic Rubric for Essay Writing Into this she sank† (158). Reading this readers realise something turns the story to a more positive and reassuring way. How does Chopin create this effect? Chopin uses imagery and creates the comfortable setting so that the reader can become more in tune with Mrs Mallards situation and feelings. By allowing thereader to see two things â€Å"a comfortable, roomy armchair† which symbolises security and comfort in spite of Mr Mallards death, and â€Å"the open window† that symbolises a connection to the world and life continuing. In the fifth paragraph Chopin emphasises the feelings of comfort and security even more, and creates more details and fresh elements for the new and positive turn in the story. The reader is told that Mrs Mallard, through the window, can see â€Å"tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life,† (158) and that â€Å"the delicious breath of rain was in the air. In the street bellow a peddler was crying his wares. † (158). These parts, also an example of imagery by setting the scene outside of the house, show the reader that Mrs Mallard is reconnecting with the world. Sitting in that armchair she starts to hear sounds and smell scents that she didn’t before; things we take for granted and only appreciate when we’re happy. Did she really not notice these everyday occurrences until after her husband’s death? In the next paragraph Chopin gives us more details of these changes, emphasizing it but not telling the reader why she didn’t notice until now. Careful readers, however, understand the deep sense of the words about the â€Å"patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds that had met and piled one above the other† (158). These words aren’t there just to take up space. They are details that make the reader feel the growth of Mrs Mallard’s excitement and let us understand that the blue sky is a symbol of the freedom and future life for Mrs Mallard. In paragraph eight, Chopin begins to use personification as well as imagery. Mrs Mallard â€Å"young, with a fair, calm face† (158) is sitting in the armchair with a â€Å"dull stare in her eyes† (158) which â€Å"indicated of intelligent thought† (158). Reading this, the reader can form an idea of what Mrs Mallard looks like, and we understand that there’s something going on in Mrs Mallards head, something changing everything in her mind. Mrs Mallard is still struggling to figure it out but â€Å"she felt it, creeping out of the sky, reaching towards her through the sounds, the scents, the color that filled the air†. From this we understand that she is beginning to realise it, and her soul is beginning to fill with happiness of freedom, which is in all the sounds, smells and things she sees. For one moment, however, she is somewhat afraid of feeling happy about her freedom and â€Å"she was striving to beat it back with her will† (159). This shows that Mrs Mallard is a â€Å"product† of her time, and is striving to feel what is socially accepted. She realizes that society would determine her thoughts of freedom inappropriate, but she can’t stop herself from feeling that way. However, â€Å"she knew that she would weep again when she saw the kind, tender hands folded in death† (159), but it’s just a reaction, one that society expects her to have, and one that many have when dealing with the death of someone they know. Chopin makes it quite clear that Mr Mallard loved Mrs Mallard, â€Å"the face that had never looked save with love upon her† (159). Mrs Mallards own feelings are also described, and it’s clear that she doesn’t share her husbands feelings â€Å"she loved him – sometimes. Often she did not† (159). This kind of direct and simple language is used to describe things that Mrs Mallard isn’t emotional about, thus the language would indicate, as much as the actual words do, that Mrs Mallard didn’t have strong feelings for her husband. After all, what can compare to â€Å"a long procession of years that would belong to her absolutely† (159). This is where Chopin finally gives a reason as to why Mrs Mallard feels this way about her husbands death. â€Å"There would be no one to live for her during these coming years: she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose† (159). This shows the reader a picture of Mrs Mallards family life. She was unhappy with her husband because she couldn’t have her own opinion and she couldn’t show her own will to do something, which is why she is happy to be free of her marriage. Back in the 19th century, society would not accept a divorced woman, but it would accept widows. Mrs Mallard is estatic, realising that she was now free from her husband, and still has a place in society. â€Å"Free, body and soul free! † (159). Reading these words the reader shares with Mrs Mallard her feelings, excitement and hopes. At this point the readers have fixated mostly on Mrs Mallard and the sudden reintroduction of Josephine, brings the reader back to reality. Josephine, kneeling outside the door, now looks ridiculous to the reader as she implores Mrs Mallard with her words of â€Å"open the door – you will make yourself ill† (159). Because Mrs. Mallard, who is a woman, who had numerous years under her husband’s will, finally gets an absolutely freedom, a miraculous freedom, which she even didn’t hope to get the day before, but her sister is far from understanding it, and is in fact worrying that her sister is grief stricken. Mrs Mallard eventually gives in to her sisters worried begging, and expecting â€Å"spring days, and summer days, and all sorts of days that would be her own† (159), leaves the room â€Å"a goddess of Victory† (159). Here Chopin uses a simile to describe how calm and happy Mrs Mallard is now, free of all the negatives of her marriage. This point, at first look, seems to be the highest culminating moment of the whole story. And this is where Chopin’s creativity truly comes into play. Chopin prepared the main culmination right at the end, in the three final paragraphs. Mrs Mallards husband opens â€Å"the front door with a latchkey† (160). He enters â€Å"a little travel-stained, composedly carrying his gripsack and umbrella† (160). He is carrying it â€Å"composedly†, because although his name is on the list of those who died, he is unaware of the train accident reported at the beginning of the story. Adding to the irony is â€Å"Josephine’s piercing cry† and â€Å"Richards’ quick motion to screen him from the view of his wife† (160). It is said that Mrs Mallard dies â€Å"of a joy that kills† (160). These words carry the complete opposite meaning than they read. The reader understands that the doctors are wrong, thinking that she dies from happiness of seeing her husband alive. Rather, the reader feels that she dies from total disappointment of the loss of the freedom she so recently gained and experienced, even just for an hour. This hour, spent in a comfortable armchair in front of an open window, made her feel happy and free, and made her understand the sense of her being, and it was the only real hour of her life. In The Story of an Hour, Kate Chopin used many subtle literary elements to create depth in her story. By using imagery she allows the reader to get a sense of the characters surroundings while adding to the story. In using similes Chopin can express the characters feelings in different ways, instead of just telling the reader how Mrs Mallard feels. With her use of personification, Chopin allows the reader to better understand what Mrs Mallard looked like, while keeping her physique vague and without going into too much detail. By creating a sudden and a strong ironic twist at the end, Chopin allows the story to contradict itself in ways the reader wouldn’t expect. In the beginning, the readers are worried that Mrs Mallard’s heart condition will worsen at the news of her husbands death, but in the end it’s disappointment of the fact that he doesn’t actually die that causes her heart to fail. The main theme of the story, longing for freedom and how it felt to finally feel free, is expressed in a  way that is both entertaining and allowed the reader to feel connected to the character. By having Mrs Mallard die of a â€Å"heart disease†, it symbolises that Mrs Mallard felt of marriage as a â€Å"disease† and that it was constraining. The main point of the story is that freedom is a prize possession in Mrs Mallards life and that to loose it again so quickly after gaining it is more than she can bare. Bibliography: Charters, Ann â€Å"The Story and Its Writer: An Introduction to Short Fiction, Seventh Edition (2009 MLA Update)†, Boston, Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007.

Customer Service Training

Customer Service Training Introduction Customers are the most important aspect of any business, firm, or organization. Employees deal with customers on a daily basis. Therefore, it is necessary for them to know how to deal with customers appropriately. Many organizations create customer loyalty by offering quality customer service (Bonomo, 2002). Quality service increases organizational value and develops customer loyalty that increases revenue.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Customer Service Training specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Customer service training refers to a process of teaching employees how to increase customer satisfaction by imparting necessary knowledge and skills (Bonomo, 2002). New employees are the main target of many organizations for customer service training. The content of a typical training course includes communication styles, listening, giving feedback, appropriate use of language, and handling different types of customers (Bonomo, 2002). Training for employees is recommended because it improves customer loyalty, improves an organization’s efficiency, motivates employees and makes them feel valued, and improves organizational value (Bonomo, 2002). Use of a needs assessment in the training The main objective of a needs assessment in an organization’s training program is to identify performance weaknesses and necessary knowledge and skills needed to eradicate the weaknesses (Barbazette, 2006). It identifies the gap between current levels of performance and desired levels of performance. A needs assessment directs organizational resources to areas that have weaknesses and others that need improvement. A needs assessment should address existing weaknesses and identify resources necessary to eradicate the weakness in order to improve service delivery (Barbazette, 2006). A needs assessment exposes performance deficiencies in several ways. First, it identifies capabilities of each employee and their ability to handle different or new tasks and responsibilities (Barbazette, 2006). Individual assessments determine which employees need training, and in which areas. The needs assessment helps an organization evaluate the skills and knowledge of individual employees in order to determine how to improve their performance and productivity (Barbazette, 2006). Secondly, it helps determine level of organizational performance (Barbazette, 2006). Such assessment determines the skills and knowledge needed by an agency to achieve desired outcomes.Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Needs assessment helps solve the agency’s weaknesses and enhance its strengths. Such an assessment puts into consideration factors external to the organization such as state of economy and market forces. Thirdly, needs assessment helps expose performance deficiencies by conducting task analysis (Barbazette, 2006). Task analysis involves evaluating knowledge and skills needed by occupational groups to achieve organizational goals. For example, it helps find out if an organization has employees with skills and knowledge required to create customer loyalty through quality customer service. Moreover, it helps identify performance gaps that might have resulted from changes in organizational policies (Barbazette, 2006). Identification of performance gaps is followed by development of ways to eradicate the gaps. Fourthly, needs assessment helps expose performance deficiencies by evaluating customer needs and level of customer satisfaction (Barbazette, 2006). Customer satisfaction implies that employees possess necessary skills and knowledge to satisfy customers. This is evident from customers’ positive feedback. However, if customers give negative feedback, then they are not satisfied with the organization’s service delivery. One of the c auses of customer dissatisfaction is performance deficiency (Barbazette, 2006). This necessitates development of customer service training for employees to improve quality of customer service. Customer service training implementation plan Implementation of customer service training will involve four main steps. The first step is identification of customers’ needs. Identification of customer needs and expectations is the most important aspect of implementing the customer service training (Kamin, 2012). This will be achieved by collecting information from customers using questionnaires and interviews. In addition, customers will be requested to leave reviews of their experiences with employees on the organization’s website. Alternatively, the organization could hire a survey firm to conduct a customer satisfaction survey (Kamin, 2012). If this option is explored, the survey will include information about customer satisfaction and interaction with employees. The second st ep will involve evaluation of individual employee’s knowledge and skills. This will be achieved through methods such as observation, questionnaires, interviews, documentation, and use of focus groups (Kamin, 2012). Employees will be observed to evaluate how they interact with customers, and the quality of customer service they provide.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Customer Service Training specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Employees will also participate in interviews in order to give management a chance to evaluate their customer interaction skills. The third step is design and implementation of an appropriate training method (Kamin, 2012). Available methods of training include presentation, case study, simulation, modeling, role-play, on-the-job training, and discussion. In this case, the most appropriate training method is blended training method. The fourth step is reevaluation of employee service delivery to determine whether the training was useful or not. Employee evaluation will be administered every three to four months. Many organizations evaluate employee performance twice a year. Evaluation will involve collecting and analyzing responses from employees on effectiveness of training. In addition, it will involve study of how customer service delivery improved due to employee training. Evaluation is necessary because it will help the organization determine employees’ level of compliance with the organization’s protocol on customer service (Kamin, 2012). Employees are likely to work harder with the awareness that their knowledge and skills are under constant evaluation by management. This is one of the strategies employees use to increase chances of retaining their jobs by increasing their knowledge and honing their skills. Training method The preferred method of training is blended learning method. This method is based on the fact that employees have differ ent learning abilities and it would be limiting and ineffective to use a single training method. This approach will incorporate several methods into the training program. These methods will include role-playing, group discussions, and use of multimedia materials. Role-playing is a very effective training method because it involves rehearsing situations that are likely to happen at the workplace between employees and customers (Kamin, 2012). This training method will help employees learn how to virtually handle different situations before they encounter them in reality at the workplace. The method will involve formation of groups comprising two employees each. One of the employees will pretend to be a customer and the other one will play the role of an employee. They will then rehearse different situations such as how to deal with a pestering or angry customer. Group discussion is another effective training method that will be used. It is an effective method because it facilitates op en sharing of information and knowledge (Sims, 2007).Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This method is effective in cases where some employees possess more knowledge and skills than others. In such cases, skilled and more knowledgeable employees pass knowledge to other employees and thus improve effectiveness of the training (Kamin, 2012). This method promotes active participation of employees in the training. Moreover, use of discussions encourages exchange of feedback between learners and the trainer (Sims, 2007). The trainer is able to know whether learners are grasping the content of the training. This enables the trainer determine which areas need more attention and which areas need less attention. Some employees are shy or uncomfortable when working in groups. Therefore, use of multimedia materials is necessary to cater for the learning needs of such employees. Multimedia training materials provide graphics, demonstrations, animations, and sound. Research has shown that this training method is very challenging and therefore more stimulating than other methods (Si ms, 2007). Advantages of this method include ease of customization and use, cost-effectiveness, flexibility, and efficiency (Sims, 2007). Multimedia is an example of a computer-based programme that has several benefits. In addition, it is flexible because learners learn at their own pace. Different employees have different learning capabilities and needs. Therefore, all employees undergo training without being rushed. Moreover, the instructor can easily determine what each employee has learned at certain periods during the course of training. This is possible because it is easy to monitor progress of employees. Finally, multimedia materials improve learning and participation (Sims, 2007). Some learners are shy and do not participate in discussions. Multimedia materials that incorporate interactive activities such as answering questions and making critical decisions eliminate fear and shyness. Employee motivation There are many ways of motivating employees who lack interest in attend ing training classes. Two common ways include funding the training course and making it a requisite component for promotion and remuneration (Sims, 2007). Many employees fail to attend training programs because many organizations usually expect employees to pay for training. However, this discourages employees from attending because they consider such training a waste of valuable time and money. Organizations should set aside enough resources for such training. Employees are more willing to undergo training when they know that the organization is responsible for costs incurred. Secondly, the organization could motivate employees to undergo training by making such training a requisite for promotion or as basis for remuneration increase. Many organizations increase employees’ wages based on skills and knowledge possessed (Sims, 2007). Customer service training is one source of such skills and knowledge that contribute towards promotions. With knowledge that promotion depends on such training, all employees choose to undergo training in order to increase their chances of promotion. A survey to collect feedback from employees After implementing a training program, it is important to evaluate the training in order to determine its effectiveness in increasing employee knowledge and improving customer service. This is achieved by conducting a survey that collects information related to employee training. A survey to collect feedback from employees on the effectiveness of training will contain 10 questions. Employees who participated in the training will be required to answer ten questions based on personal experience. What was the most important aspect of the training? How was the training of help to you? Did the trainer achieve the goals of the training? How has the training helped you serve customers better? Has the training changed you in any way? How could the training be improved for better results? Did the instructor cover all parts of the training prog ram? Was the method used for training suitable? Would you consider attending similar training in future? How do you think the training benefited you and the organization? Employees will be required to answer these questions based on personal opinion and experience. The questions are open-ended and give employees opportunity to give honest answers that will help the organization improve training in future. Conclusion Customer service training is used by many organizations to improve service delivery in order to create customer loyalty and improve organizational value. Such training imparts knowledge on certain aspects of customer relation such as proper use of language, how to deal with different customers, use of body language, and adoption of appropriate communication skills. Customers are the most important aspect of an organization’s operations. A training program incorporates a needs assessment in its list of activities. The main aim of a training needs assessment in an organization is to identify performance weaknesses and the knowledge and skills needed to eradicate the weaknesses. It helps direct organizational resources to areas that have many weaknesses and thus in need of improvements. Assessment is conducted at various levels that include organizational level and individual level. Several methods are available for use during training. However, the most effective training method is the blended training method. This approach incorporates several training methods in order to serve the learning needs of all employees. Many employees fail to attend training because of lack of motivation. Two ways to motivate such employees include funding the training and incorporating the training as part of requirements for promotion and wage increase. Many employees shun training programs because organizations expect them to cover training expenses. However, organizations should take it as their duty to improve the skills and knowledge of their employees. Refe rences Barbazette, J. (2006). Training Needs Assessment: Methods, Tools, and Techniques. New York: John Wiley Sons. Bonomo, T. (2002). Customer Service: Aiming for Excellence. New York: Trafford on Demand Publishers. Kamin, M. (2012). Customer Service Training. New York: Routledge. Sims, R. (2007). Human resource Management: Contemporary Issues, Challenges, and  Opportunities. New York: IAP.

The French Verb Conjugations for Aboyer (to Bark)

The French Verb Conjugations for Aboyer (to Bark) The French verb  aboyer  means to bark. If you want to say the dog barked or the dog is barking in French, then you would need to conjugate the verb. This is a relatively easy conjugation, but you do need to watch out for the stem change. How to Conjugate the French Verb  Aboyer Aboyer  follows the verb conjugation pattern of other  stem-changing verbs. This means that the Y changes to an I when paired with certain subject pronouns. Other than that minor difference,  aboyer  uses the same endings as other -er verbs. Using the chart, you can find the verb conjugations for  aboyer  as they apply to the different subject pronouns (the  j, tu, nous,  etc.). Simply match that up to the present, future, or imperfect past tense and youre on the way to completing a sentence. For instance, to say I bark, you will say jaboie. Dont worry,  aboyer  can also be interpreted as to scream or to cry out if youre not actually barking like a dog. Subject Present Future Imperfect j aboie aboierai aboyais tu aboies aboieras aboyais il aboie aboiera aboyait nous aboyons aboierons aboyions vous aboyez aboierez aboyiez ils aboient aboieront aboyaient The Present Participle of  Aboyer The equivalent to the English ending -ing  in French is -ant.  This is called the  present participle  and for aboyer, that is  aboyant.  This can be used as an adjective, gerund, noun, or verb. The Passà © Composà © of  Aboyer You can use the imperfect past tense for  aboyer, though youll find the  passà © composà ©Ã‚  to be a bit easier. This can be used to express barked no matter the subject pronoun. You will need to use a helping verb and the past participle in order to conjugate in this way. For  aboyer, the  auxiliary verb  is  avoir, which does need to be conjugated to the correct subject and tense. For the  past participle, you will simply use  aboyà ©. Lets put that together. To say he barked, you would use the French il a aboyà ©. More Conjugations for  Aboyer We are not done conjugating  aboyer, though those are the most important forms for you to learn. As you speak and write more French, you may also find a need for the following verb forms. The passà © simple and imperfect subjunctive are used mostly in formal writing. Its likely that you may not need to use these. Yet, you should know the subjunctive and conditional forms of  aboyer  as they may be useful. The subjunctive is a verb mood that expresses uncertainty. The conditional is used when the verb is dependent on certain conditions. Both moods have a degree of maybe to their meaning. Subject Subjunctive Conditional Pass Simple Imperfect Subjunctive j aboie aboierais aboyai aboyasse tu aboies aboierais aboyas aboyasses il aboie aboierait aboya aboyt nous aboyions aboierions aboymes aboyassions vous aboyiez aboieriez aboytes aboyassiez ils aboient aboieraient aboyrent aboyassent The imperative verb form may be very useful with  aboyer. Its used for short, direct commands and requests. The thing to note with the imperative is that you can skip the subject pronoun. Instead of saying tu aboie, you can simply say aboie. Imperative (tu) aboie (nous) aboyons (vous) aboyez

Media literacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Media literacy - Essay Example Following several clashes with swords in series of fierce mortal combats, the duo, Jack and Will attempt to recapture the Black Pearl Ship, relinquish a fortune in forbidden treasure and save the British navy thereby lifting the curse of the pirates, (Solway, 2008). Redbank (2007) affirms that the film’s complexity was achieved following a number of production technicalities. With numerous shootings, the first one being on October 9, 2002 in which Jack Sparrow steals the interceptor, the production team constantly changed the script to achieve their primary objective; a pirate movie with comical characters and a comical storyline with violence and politics incorporated. Trimble (2007) further documents that the film’s computer generated forms of the cursed crewmembers are relatively convincing, a feat achieved by the visual effect integrated by the production team. According to Wiratmoko (2009), the film’s production unit uses a series of filmic conventions and mythological images of characters like the masculine pirate Jack Sparrow to achieve the film’s objectives. Supplementary characters also supports the main character for example, Elizabeth Swan asks ‘Whose side is Jack on?’ to depict the ambiguity in Jack’s loyalty. Will replies, ‘at the moment?’ thereby depicting Jack’s unstable, contingent, ever changing and heterogeneous character, (Solway, 2008). Trimble (2007) however reveals that, a deeper analysis of Jack’s character reveals a strange aspect of piratical freedom and liberty from political manipulation. Comparative to the life on port Toruga, the society in Port Royal is too structured, lacking in freedom with all inhabitants obeying the preset political standards. Trimble (2007) notes that, the movie manages to bring out the free lifestyle which majority of civilized individuals seeks, a life in which individuals are allowed wild random adventures. According to Wiratmoko