Poor marketing strategies at Bedaya center Research Paper

Poor marketing strategies at Bedaya center - Research Paper Example From the research, it can be comprehended that Bedaya center has a clear vision which clearly states that it helps individuals to discover more about themselves and available career options, but unfortunately marketing strategies are not aligned with the vision of the company. The effectiveness of marketing strategy decides a company’s position in the market; any lacking in the marketing strategy can reduce the effectiveness of service and can slow down the pace of growth and development. Bedaya’s mismatch of marketing strategy and company’s vision is affecting the overall image of the company. Bedaya also needs to focus more on students preference on courses offered, the duration of the courses can be one the reason as short time period courses are more preferred among students; flexibility of hours can also be an effective approach as time flexibility creates ease for them to manage educational and vocational studies. Promotional strategies are also not effecti ve to the acceptable level; Bedaya needs to adopt effective internet branding strategies to position the product rightly in the customers’ minds. Bedaya needs to add more information about the company and services offered on the internet. Only the use of social networks doesn’t determine the effectiveness of branding strategies but the content also matters. It is important for any organization to clearly define its marketing objectives and strive to fulfill the needs and demands of the customers.

Comparison of Editonals Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Comparison of Editonals - Research Paper Example However, up to the end of the entire article, this desire is not brought out clearly as being achievable. It is stated that the elimination of Osama may, to a great extent, fail to end the terrorist threat or even weaken the ideological motivation held by the Al Qaeda’s supporters. The strongest argument found within the article states that in the future, the death of Osama Bin Laden may bring much encouragement to the Al Qaeda. The argument points out that more threats shall come from the local affiliates which had already been designed to operate largely independently to organize attacks on America and other places (Clarke, 2011). Their network no longer required Osama and it had been strong with minimal or no directions from Bin Laden for many years. This directs us to a conclusion that the death of Osama Bin Laden did not bring much impact to the Al Qaeda network and that they are more likely to accomplish their goals. The second article points out the life of Osama Bin Laden as a sacrificial life. He is depicted as a leader of a certain sect in the Muslim religion who gave up his luxury life to fight a holy war (Soufan, 2011). Besides being the leader and the founder of the Al Qaeda group, Bin Laden had also been an idea to them. He organized the terrorism idea which according to the Al Qaeda had appeared the correct version for Islam (Lüsted, 2012). This article has its premises that the death of Osama would be championed. It would be welcomed and celebrated as martyrdom while songs and videos were to be composed. The Al Qaeda would consider him a more effective propaganda tool when dead than while alive. This argument does not come into line with the conclusion. At the end, the article brings into light the suffering of the Al Qaeda after the elimination of its leader. The group no longer had its best fund-raiser and recruiter. Its new leaders lacked charisma and good connections. This come s out as the best argument in the article since it

Technical And Vocational Education

Technical And Vocational Education The development of Technical and Vocational Education and Training has clearly been seen as a key to national poverty reduction and socio-economic development in Cambodia, as defined in the Rectangle Strategy of the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) and the five-year National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP) 2006-2010. These show a commitment to skills development. The National TVET Development Plan, 2006-2011, also identifies the TVET sector as an important element in alleviating poverty, promoting peace, conserving the environment, improving the quality of life for all, and helping achieve sustainable development in Cambodia. However, Cambodias current TVET system is facing several critical issues such as: lack of access to formal training on a national basis, weak links with industry, lack of entrepreneurial focus, poor quality control, inadequate institutional financing, low rates of information and communication technology (ICT) usage and low capacity of TVET teachers, which h ave limited the quantity and quality of system outputs for years (e.g., Asian Development Bank [ADB], 2009; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO], 2004b; International Project on Technical and Vocational Education [UNEVOC], 1997). With the critical importance of the TVET sector, the TVET curriculum must be well prepared for the success of students at the workplace. It can mean the difference between success and failure for TVET students in terms of theoretical knowledge and technical skills as well as being abreast with new technologies in the workplace (African Union, 2007). Similarly, Ben-Peretz (2009) specified the school curriculum as one of three critical domains of education, which should prepare students for their future success. As reported by United Nations Development Program (UNDP) (2011) one of the most vital aspects of education is to produce a workforce which is skillful and able to gain returns on their education and for the overall economy when they are in their careers. Therefore, the education system must be able to understand the needs and necessities of the economy and prepare learners for their economic lives (UNDP, 2011). However, TVET curricula have not focused their relevance to the requirements of the labor market in many countries; and in other nations, for various reasons, employers or managers may prefer to hire unskilled workers or academic graduates and provide on-the-job training programs (Maclean Lai, 2011). There do not seem to be strong gains and work advancement in Cambodia (UNDP, 2011). Additionally, the balance between theory and practice has shifted in recent years. There seems to be a case about the (under)graduates perceptions of the relevance of TVET curriculum to their existing jobs. However, this anecdotal information was only heard second-hand from employers. That is, many employers in Cambodia have complained about the curriculum mismatch that most graduates from universities and technical schools are not well equipped with knowledge and skills needed at workplace, especially soft skills (ADB, 2009; UNDP, 2011). Actually, the importance of survey of (under)graduates perceptions of their study programs helps to improve the quality of TVET curriculum, and could be important for TVET curriculum reform as conducted in many countries (e.g., Lubasha Tripathi, 2012; Singh Singh, 2008). Indeed, the value of surveying the perceptions of students on the relevance of the study program is something that the school committee should consider as being of practical importance to our own educational institution. The lack of feedback from students may probably have been problematic to the school curricular that were intended to offer knowledge and skills for the world of work. Since there is little information about students perceptions on the curricular in Cambodian TVET especially at my workplace, my study on this topic will serve as a helpful source for TVET curriculum development and improvement and brings the school to success in filling gaps between the curriculum mismatch and the needs of the industr ies. The study of student interests will focus on graduates of a TVET institution, which is located in Phnom Penh and offers educational and training services from certificate levels to bachelor degrees in business and engineering studies. The study will be conducted in Phnom Penh, and a group of graduates of civil engineering field between the academic years 2011-12 will be contacted for questionnaires and individual interview. Those graduates work in different job positions and in different companies. The survey research will help to inform the leaders of the institution to look at the importance of student survey on the relevance of TVET curricular and the result will best serve for the school curriculum reform. Statement of Problem The mismatch between education and employment is critically concerning to many related stakeholders. They are also concerned that most universities and TVET institutions have provided knowledge and skills, which are not relevant to industries (ADB, 2009; UNDP, 2011). Therefore, as in many countries, Cambodian graduates find it difficult to deal with the jobs available in labor market when their knowledge and skills are far different from what they have experienced in schools (e.g., Lubasha Tripathi, 2012; Singh Singh, 2008). The perceptions from students are often neglected by many universities and TVET schools in Cambodia; that is why study programs are often found out of date in the current world of work where graduates find it hard to enter. The student voice is often silenced, but it can be regarded as a key mirror to reflect the good match of school curriculum and the industry needs. Moreover, the irrelevance of school curricula is the critical issue faced by many educational institutions in Cambodia (ADB, 2009; UNDP, 2011). Therefore, the knowledge and skills needed by employers cannot be matched when employers hire graduates to perform the jobs. Thus, there are some frustrations for employers to employ graduates who have the knowledge and skills which are irrelevant to their needs. Many employers have complained about the knowledge and skills provided at schools while graduates have expressed their discontentment about what they have learned from schools. Research Question Given this background to the study, the research study will propose the following research question, in order to explore and examine undergraduates perceptions of the relevance of TVET study programs toward their current jobs: What perceptions do graduates in a civil engineering degree (the academic year 2011-12) at one Cambodian Institution hold in terms of the relevance of their studies to their current jobs? Significance of the Research Study The focal findings of this research study will contribute to the quality of school curriculum development, and to the determination of the relevance of the study programs in terms of providing students with skills and knowledge required in the world of work in the field of civil engineering. Specifically, the study will be a helpful reference for the development of TVET quality improvements. Furthermore, the result will provide important information to relevant stakeholders in the TVET sector in order to help create the TVET stream as a main tool for equipping people with high knowledge, skills and competence for their employment and employability in the competitive world. Data in the study will hopefully be utilized for the improvement of curriculum and will also be used to determine areas of weaknesses. The findings can be used as a tool to provide instructors to better master their teaching practices and to aid TVET institutions to create a database on students perceptions of thei r study programs. In order to make effective changes in offering any study programs, it is vital to receive feedback from students who are involved in the specific programs. Hopefully, this survey study will be a valuable asset, and its findings will also serve as a supportive document for researchers from different fields of study to use and build their foundation knowledge of TVET students perceptions of the quality and relevance of study programs to job industries in the TVET system. Chapter Two Literature Review By using the search engine Google Scholar and the James Cook University Library search engine with key terms including: the perceptions of TVET students, the purpose of higher education and further education, the use of student feedback and survey, the quality of higher education and further education, the role of higher education (HE) and TVET, the relevance of study programs to industries, and TVET, I have found and downloaded many useful materials for my literature review of my topic. Although some materials seem to be out of date, they are still useful for the research study, because they can give an overview on the topic, and they can work as a foundation of knowledge to support the literature review. The Role of Higher Education in Preparing Undergraduates for Workforce The international context. An article by Haveman and Smeeding (2006) stated that most Americans expect the nations colleges and universities to promote the aim of social mobilization to make it possible for a student with capability to succeed. According to Mortese (2003), higher education can serve as a model of sustainability by fully integrating all aspects of campus life that students have experienced for their future lives. Furthermore, higher education has become a major driver of economic competitiveness in an increasingly knowledge-driven global economy when the world has faced many matters (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development [OECD], 2010). To improve employment skills calls for quality teaching and holistic approaches within universities (OECD, 2010; Ben-Peretz, 2009). National and transnational discussions like the Bologna Process, regarding state regulations and incentives, as well as competition among private and state-run institutions all urge universities and educational and te chnical providers to put quality teaching on their agenda (OECD, 2010). In addition, national quality assurance agencies push for reflection on the subject, even if their influence is controversial. Since higher education systems are increasingly diversifying, society is increasingly concerned about the quality of study programs offered to their consumers. This is not only the case in the academic stream, but is the case in the TVET stream. As many relevant stakeholders have recognized the importance of the study program in preparing students for jobs, Lauglo (2006) explained that TVET curricular refer to deliberate interventions to bring about learning which would make people more productive (or simply adequately productive) in designated areas of economic activity (e.g., economic sectors, occupations, specific work tasks) (p. 11). This is because TVET has its great potential to enhance human capabilities and enlarge peoples choices (Ayuba and Pascal, n.d.). Therefore, the education system must be able to understand the needs and necessities of the economy and prepare learners for their economic lives (UNDP, 2011). Additionally, Klimek (2010) noticed that a skill refers to an ability to perform a particular mental or physical activity that may be developed through vocational training or practice. Klimek (2010) also noted that vocational education and training provides people with occupational or work-related knowledge and skills. TVET also includes programs which provide the basis for subsequent vocational programs (p. xxviii). Therefore, TVET curricular are designed and developed as an education alternative to prepare students for the world of work (Klimek, 2010; Ayuba Pascal, n.d.). The changing demands of the workforce in the 21st century have created great challenging problems for TVET providers to respond quickly and efficiently to the continually changing skills requirements of the industries (Rafik, Treadwell, Triki, Gupta, Najah, n.d.). This is important if developed countries are to stay competitive and challenging but it is even more important for developing countries to catch up and fill the gap with the industrialized world (Rafik et al., n.d.). These challenges have resulted in growing debates and demanding solutions on developing better and more effective TVET systems that satisfy the national needs (Rafik et al., n.d.). The Cambodian context. The state of the higher education system in Cambodia, consisting of both university education and vocational and technical training, is largely formed by three factors: very disparate organization mechanisms, poor quality output, and low enrolment (UNDP, 2011). These three factors are greatly slowing down the advancement of higher education and more capable human resources in the whole country, and there should be a major concentrated point when undertaking reforms in education. A total number of eleven ministries and agencies which provide higher education service thus have access to the public education budgets of Cambodia (UNDP, 2011). The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS) and the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MoLVT) are the two most important ministries regarding higher education in Cambodia, and while the Cambodian Education Law states that MoEYS is responsible for general, higher and vocational education, it does not provide any explanation for the r ole of MoLVT, which has resulted in a high level of challenges, and hardship in developing strong cooperation links between these Ministries in providing educational and training services to learners (UNDP, 2011). Understandably, this makes coordination of the higher education system very difficult for the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) to take actions on this issue. There are 38 public TVET institutions spread over 24 provinces of Cambodia under the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training; and many NGOs, large-and-small enterprises, local centers, and other relevant stakeholders also operate TVET practice on a very small and localized scale with few exceptional cases (National TVET Development Plan, 2008). However, NGOs move in and out of skills training, depending on donor funds availability and/or donor interest. At present, there are approximately 12 national NGOs that run institution-based skills training courses (National TVET Development Plan, 2008). The public TVET provision does not fully meet the need for basic and mid-level skills in the formal and informal economies, of NGOs and other local private centers, like Don Bosco schools, TAYAMA Business school, and EDC Training Center help to fill gaps. Lack of access to formal training on a national basis, weak links with industry, lack of entrepreneurial focus, poor quality control, and inadequate institutional financing continue to limit the quantity and quality of system outputs. Pich (2010) indicated a number of students are smaller in the TVET system than that in the academic stream while the employers need technical knowledge and skills for their business practices. This is the mismatch between higher education and the needs of industries, concerned by many stakeholders if the availability of solutions is not at hand (UNDP, 2011). In summary, we can say that the quality in TVET in Cambodia is low. There should be coordination amongst these ministries to link the educational services to match the requirements of the industries while the relevance of curricular seems to be low when graduates tend to work (UNDP, 2011; ADB, 2009). The Use of Student Feedback for Curriculum Development in Higher Education The international context. Authorities in higher and TVET education often use student feedback as a mechanism to improve course content and delivery. In the TVET sector internationally, survey questionnaires have been used to explore stakeholder perceptions of the quality of TVET education and of the match between the skills of graduates and the needs of industry. For Munro (2008), it is ideal that feedback results are used to assert the strengths and find out areas of improvements in organization. As the practice of survey research is important, Lubasha and Tripathi (2012) surveyed stakeholders perceptions in VET programs in Tanzania, which are relevant to the quality all stakeholders may think, while Singh and Singh (2008) mainly focused on employability skills in Malaysia. Both studies have aimed at the improvement of study programs offered at educational and training institutions in order to perceive the quality of education and training as the key for graduates to be employable after they graduate from schools (Lubasha Tripathi, 2012; Singh Singh, 2008). In the study, Lubasha and Tripathi (2012) found that the determinants of quality in the VET programs such as the quality of VET programs, the relevance of VET programs to employment trends and entrepreneurship, and the perception of delivering the quality VET programs, which are critical for improving the quality of education provided by VET programs in Tanzania. The survey result of Singh Singh (2008) indicated that si gnificantly employers tend to hire local graduates from public universities to non-public graduates. This is because they believe that public graduates have the knowledge and skills they need for their business. Another survey study of 434 TVET graduates in Ghana which was done by Dasmani (2011) indicated that limited teaching and learning facilities for instructors and learners, large class sizes, and weak linkages with employers can lead to poor training and education of students. Dasmani (2011) added that this lack of preparation for the job entries put more pressure and working place difficulties to those graduates. This means that the survey finding is not only important for universities, but it also helps to inform TVET institutions about the perceptions of employers and students whether the TVET programs are at best quality to fill the gaps. It can also serve as an informant in offering better quality TVET programs. Therefore, many countries (e.g., Australia, England, Wales, and so forth) have created specialized research centers for VET and HE (Chalmers, 2007) and many international conferences are organized each year to disseminate and share the results of research in this area, in order to help the TVET sector to be flexible in the world of work (Rafik et al., n.d.). Rafik et al. (n.d.) also added that the main aims of this survey research are: (a) to investigate the current skills gaps in the Libyan manufacturing sector; (b) to make recommendations to the national TVET providers to enhance the skills they provide; and (c) to make recommendations to establish systems that improves the responsiveness of the TVET providers to the emergent needs of the industry (p. 1). Like the above points by Rafik et al. (n.d.), Chalmers (2007) claimed that experience, satisfaction and engagement of each student can be reached through using survey practice. Additionally, Chalmers (2007) recognized that using national student surveys are intended to demonstrate trustfulness and worthwhileness of study programs, and to explicitly articulate a particular view on what constitutes the quality of teaching and learning through student perceptions. Therefore, how the survey results can be used for the evidence-based curriculum development and improvement (Chalmers, 2007; Rafik et al, n.d.). The Cambodian context. As discussed in the global context, the survey of student feedback or perceptions is a useful tool in order to make school curricular change in according to the needs of industries. However, at this Cambodian TVET institutions, the survey of students perceptions and feedback is not yet conducted although survey research can give the school a great deal of information from labor market and industries. Because no surveys have been done or published on student perceptions in Cambodia, it is difficult to find the literature review to support the research study. As seen recently at the Cambodian TVET institution, the school management team has used the telephone survey on graduates whether those graduates hold job positions. The result of the telephone survey has been kept secretly. Furthermore, student surveys on teacher teaching have been done, but no survey on student perceptions on the relevance of the study program. Although information from student feedback can help the school make reform the school curriculum in order to keep abreast with the needs of industries, this case is absent from the school. The action of keeping old curricular is the weak point that should be urgently considered if the school is in the competitive world of providing technical services to students. Chapter Three Methodology As the topic of this study suggests, the study is a type of a survey research. Survey research is sometimes used by schools or other stakeholders of the related fields in order to get feedback from graduates, and which can be excellent vehicles for measuring opinions and orientations in a large population (Rubin Babbie, 2011). In order to get a deep understanding of perceptions of TVET graduates through survey research, this study will use the qualitative and quantitative data collection methods to get both primary and secondary data. The use of mixed methods is to build the synergy and strength that exists between quantitative and qualitative research methods to understand a phenomenon more fully that is possible using either quantitative or qualitative alone (Gay, Mills Airsian, 2009, p. 462). Creswell (2009) also highlighted that most researchers use a mixed methods design because they want to enlarge understanding by integrating both qualitative and quantitative research, or th ey want to better understand, explain or build the results from this approach. In this research, the following sampling methods, data collection methods, limitations of methods, data analysis, ethical issues, and other cases will be raised and discussed in detail in order to capture the practice of the whole research methodology of the study. Sampling Methods Berg (2009) indicated that the rationale of using of subjects is to make inference about some larger population from a smaller one-the sample (p. 48). That is, it is important in quantitative research that researchers keenly consider the probability sampling method (Berg, 2009). However, for qualitative research, sampling is the process of selecting a small number of individuals for a study in such a way that the individuals chosen will be good key informants (e.g., collaborators, co-researchers) who will contribute to the researchers understanding of a given phenomenon (Gay et al., 2009, p. 135). Since a deep understanding of participants perspectives creates the very core of a qualitative research study, the researcher will use a purposive sampling method (one of nonprobability sampling techniques); that is, the researcher relies on his or her expert judgment to select a typical sample of the population (Gay et al., 2009; Singleton Straits, 2005). This is also because each participant is believed to be thoughtful, informative, articulate, and experienced with the area of research topic (Gay et al., 2009, p. 135). Therefore, the researcher will use homogenous sampling which is selecting participants who are very similar in experience, perspective, or outlook; this produces a narrow, homogeneous sample and makes data collection and analysis simple (Gay et al., 2009, p. 137). As indicated above, the participants are ex-students who graduated with a civil engineering degree in the academic years 2011-2012, and they are currently employees holding various positions at different companies. Thus, the researcher can purposefully access the participants in order to get the deep understanding of their opinions about the quality and relevance of their study program of civil engineering and the needs of knowledge and skills from the employers. As the purpose and importance are clearly explained by the researcher, the participants will be asked to volunteer in the research study. With this regard, they are believed to have a deep understanding of the relevance of their study programs to their current jobs. With the purposive selection of a group of graduates with a civil engineering degree in years 2011-2012, the participants with their current jobs are strongly believed to be best for the research topic. The researcher hopes that the participants will be able to give the truths about their study program relevance to the needs of employers. However, the limitation of this selection method will not be able to make a wide generalization of the whole population of the school because a number of participants will be small and limited to the field of engineering (Gay et al., 2009; Berg, 2009). Data Collection Methods The survey research method is sometimes used by many schools in order to get feedback from graduates, and it can be an excellent tool for measuring opinions and orientations in large populations (Rubin Babbie, 2011). With the purpose of getting the views of undergraduates about the relevance of their study program to the needs of employers, the following research methods will be used in order to gather important data from the field. Questionnaires. A questionnaire method is widely useful to many researchers in both the private and public sectors because questionnaires can conveniently be given or sent to relevant individuals to answer or complete a number of questions, and respondents are asked to return questionnaires (Kothari, 2004; Singleton et al., 2005). They are convenient because questionnaires can easily be offered to the respondents, and the respondents can answer the questions on their own when they have enough time to complete the whole questionnaires. Many researchers have also used the questionnaire method because questionnaires are low-cost, accessible to larger participants, extensively geographic, and free from bias from researchers (Kothari, 2004; Creswell, 2009). Kothari (2004) and Gay et al. (2009) showed that a survey is a vehicle for collecting data describing one or more characteristics of a specific population by asking members a series of questions using questionnaire forms. In spite of the wide use of questionnaires, Kothari (2004) pointed out the main limitations of using questionnaires as follows: (a) low rate of return of the duly filled in questionnaires and bias due to no-response is often indeterminate; (b) it can be used only when respondents are educated and cooperating; (c) the control over questionnaire may be lost once it is sent; (d) there is inbuilt inflexibility because of the difficulty of amending the approach once questionnaires have been dispatched; (e) there is also the possibility of ambiguous replies or omission of replies altogether to certain questions; interpretation of omissions is difficult; (f) it is difficult to know whether willing respondents are truly representative; and (g) this method is likely to be the slowest of all (p. 101). In light of the above reasons, the researcher will carefully prepare the general form, the question sequence, and question formulation and words in the structured questionnaires as the researcher is not experienced with the use the survey questionnaires (Kothari, 2004). In the questionnaires, the researcher will focus on the following points: demographic data, the quality of study programs, the relevance of the study programs to the jobs, and the participants perceptions of their jobs in terms of study programs. These points will help the researcher to answer the research questions about understanding the perceptions of undergraduates about the relevance of their study programs to their current jobs. With help of a lecturer from Civil Engineering Department and a list of graduates of civil engineering degree in years 2011-2012, the researcher will contact graduates through phone calls and emails in order for volunteering for answering and completing the questionnaires. According to Gay et al. (2009), the sample size for survey research is common between 10% and 20% of the whole population because the population of this research is about 250. However, the researcher will ask 120 graduates who have jobs, and they will be given questionnaires to voluntarily answer and complete the questionnaires with their honesty and kindness in case that some of respondents will not return questionnaires. The participants themselves will administer the questionnaires. Nonetheless, an explanation of some questions will help the participants answer with clarity and accuracy. The questionnaires will be written in Khmer language that all the participants can fully understand and answer those questions clearly. Individual interviews. After the researcher uses the questionnaire method, the researcher will employ the interview method that is another alternative to collect data survey. The interview method involves presentation of oral-verbal stimuli and reply in terms of oral-verbal responses (Kothari, 2004; Rubin Babbie, 2011). Furthermore, it is a tool that allows the researcher to flexibly move beyond the line of question, and it is helpful if the participants can be observed directly, and allows the participants to give more information (Creswell, 2009). With the analysis of the questionnaire results to find out the main themes of responses, the researcher can identify who the participants are for personal interviews in the second step of the research. Thus eight participants will be carefully selected through the results of questionnaires. They are representatives for civil engineering graduates because they are believed to answer the questionnaire questions accurately and have a deep understanding of the relevance of their study programs to their current jobs. Time for each participant to be interviewed will be during time break in order to avoid work interruptions. The interview method can be structured, unstructured, or semi-structured, as to allow the flexibility of questions and answers in order to fully understand graduates perceptions on the curriculum relevance to their current jobs (Williman, 2011). However, the researcher will choose to conduct the personal interview with a small number of graduates with a structured interview model. This is because the research has less experience in the research field. On the other hand, the researcher will gain a clear understanding of information from respondents when respondents understand the purpose of the interview (Kothari, 2004). Despite the advantages of using the method to go beyond simple responses from the participants, there are the limitations of this method (e.g., indirect information filtered by the views of participants, information is gathered in an arranged site rather than in a natural setting, the presence of the researcher which can bias responses, and not all the participants having equal thoughts, feelings and understanding of the same questions and topics) (Creswell, 2009). Similarly, Okojie, Okojie-Boulder and Boulder (n.d.) also added that a limitation of this method is that it can be time consuming and the truth of participant responses will be limited. Therefore, the role and art of the researcher is vital in using the method when the in-depth interviews are the key to get a full understanding of the research topic (Berg, 2009; Creswell, 2009). Ethical Considerations There will be ethical problems in research when the research deals with humans. As Williman (2001) stated that there are two aspects of ethical issues in

Urging Educators to Accept the Internet as a Valuable Research Tool for Students :: Teaching Education

Urging Educators to Accept the Internet as a Valuable Research Tool for Students On the evolutionary scale of importance, minnows occupy a seemingly menial state: they are small, they are unimposing, they are relatively slow, and they are inept. In the face of danger from larger and more physically dominant fish, minnows flee. When a fisherman’s net scoops them from their environment, they are defenseless. Even as the fisherman grasps a minnow’s meek body, and plunges a hook into its back, the best a minnow can do is stare vacantly. Despite these ostensibly inauspicious characteristics, however, minnows do possess some value. If they are physically adept, and fortunate enough to not succumb to the aforementioned hazards, they develop into larger fish, which are capable of avoiding the more mundane dangers of their environment. Still, a minnow would not be the ideal choice for a fresh body if one exalted the forces of reincarnation. Plus, in our secularized state, most creatures do not admonish the minnow as a divine creature worthy of respect. Humans especially do not lavish the minnow with attention: not in art, not in literature, nor in religious lore. After all, images of Moby Minnow eluding an enraged Ahab would probably not wet the tastes of dilettantes or casual readers of literature. Yet, all kidding aside, the minnow evokes a fabulous metaphor for educators imploring their students to learn. Although teachers by no means â€Å"hook† students and use them for â€Å"bait,† they do have the ability to educate their students about the dangers of the real world. Physical dangers, albeit different from the perils faced by minnows, do pose threats to students in obtrusive and visible forms: alcohol abuse, drug abuse, peer pressure, and violence amongst other things. To exacerbate matters more, some of these dangers overlap each other, which makes the job of adult intervention even more irksome and problematic. Moreover, another danger exists for students: the Internet. Suddenly red flags and whaling klaxons emerge in the minds of some readers! This paper does not purport to advocate a fundamental rationale for adolescent Internet use; nor does this paper unleash philippics about the immoral decadence attributed to the Internet. Urging Educators to Accept the Internet as a Valuable Research Tool for Students :: Teaching Education Urging Educators to Accept the Internet as a Valuable Research Tool for Students On the evolutionary scale of importance, minnows occupy a seemingly menial state: they are small, they are unimposing, they are relatively slow, and they are inept. In the face of danger from larger and more physically dominant fish, minnows flee. When a fisherman’s net scoops them from their environment, they are defenseless. Even as the fisherman grasps a minnow’s meek body, and plunges a hook into its back, the best a minnow can do is stare vacantly. Despite these ostensibly inauspicious characteristics, however, minnows do possess some value. If they are physically adept, and fortunate enough to not succumb to the aforementioned hazards, they develop into larger fish, which are capable of avoiding the more mundane dangers of their environment. Still, a minnow would not be the ideal choice for a fresh body if one exalted the forces of reincarnation. Plus, in our secularized state, most creatures do not admonish the minnow as a divine creature worthy of respect. Humans especially do not lavish the minnow with attention: not in art, not in literature, nor in religious lore. After all, images of Moby Minnow eluding an enraged Ahab would probably not wet the tastes of dilettantes or casual readers of literature. Yet, all kidding aside, the minnow evokes a fabulous metaphor for educators imploring their students to learn. Although teachers by no means â€Å"hook† students and use them for â€Å"bait,† they do have the ability to educate their students about the dangers of the real world. Physical dangers, albeit different from the perils faced by minnows, do pose threats to students in obtrusive and visible forms: alcohol abuse, drug abuse, peer pressure, and violence amongst other things. To exacerbate matters more, some of these dangers overlap each other, which makes the job of adult intervention even more irksome and problematic. Moreover, another danger exists for students: the Internet. Suddenly red flags and whaling klaxons emerge in the minds of some readers! This paper does not purport to advocate a fundamental rationale for adolescent Internet use; nor does this paper unleash philippics about the immoral decadence attributed to the Internet.

Our Obligation as Leaders Essay

The role of leaders anywhere is primary to lead the way. Leaders are supposed to be visionaries, those who chart the course. In any organization or any establishment, there are some abilities or functions that are required of a leader. Primary out of all these is the unique ability to see far, envision the people and make them see things from the right perspective; separating illusions from realities. As leaders, we should hold the idea that if we have knowledge of things that others are in the dark of; we are supposed to make them see the light. This is because by so doing, we are not only helping this people see the light, we are actually helping ourselves. Knowledge itself should make us act and the best thing we can do is to help eradicate darkness that comes with ignorance and make these people see the light. In Plato’s allegory of the cave, those people who are fortunate to see the sun owe those in the cave an obligation. This is because we were once like them. Apart from this, we are nothing better if we just keep mute about what we know. A knowledgeable person in the midst of ignorant people can not really be said to be knowledgeable. This is because soon enough, if we don’t change them, they will change us. Moreover, the question here is that since we have established the fact we have an obligation to the people in the cave, can it be said that we also have an obligation to those people we meet outside the cave? My answer to this question is yes. This is because if we have not met them, we would not have had an idea of the truth that we now know. They served as a torch to our darkness and on this very basis we owe them an obligation. Such an obligation might be that we also impart knowledge to other people who we meet on our way who are like we were before we gained knowledge. Therefore, we must act. We must embark on a mission to illuminate the cave with knowledge. We must strive to convince them of what we know. At first, they might see us as fools but as we insist on what we are saying, they would begin to see sense in what we are saying. Our knowledge is nothing without imparting other people.

Moral Self-Knowledge in Kantian Ethics Essay

In the article titled, Moral Self-knowledge in Kantian Ethics, Emer O’Hagan discusses Kant’s views and ideas concerning self-knowledge and the role it plays in duty and virtuous action. O’Hagan first introduces a key feature of Kant’s ethical theory which is its recognition of the psychological complexity of human beings. O’Hagan uses this recognition of psychological complexity by Kant to dive into Kant’s feeling on self-knowledge. Once a basic understanding of Kant’s attitude towards self-knowledge has been established, O’Hagan then uses Kant’s ethical theory to show how self-knowledge can be used as a means to help determine the goodness of an action. The arguments presented by O’Hagan are logical and clearly supported and verified through the presented evidence. Kant is shown to have recognized the psychological complexity of the human being in recognizing that, â€Å"judgments concerning the rightness of actions are vulnerable to corruption from self-interested inclination† (O’Hagan 525-537). Kant is saying that that even though an action may start out as from duty, our internal feelings as human beings can create a beneficial end as a means for the action, thus rendering it not from duty. Kant also recognizes that our own judgments about us may not be accurate. Moral self-development is a practice to develop accuracy for our self-judgments and takes into consideration one’s motives for action. O’Hagan tells us that this moral practice requires moral self-knowledge which is a form of self-awareness disciplined by respect for autonomy, the theoretical foundation of Kantian ethics. According to Kant, the first command of the duties to oneself as a moral being is self-knowledge. This is the ability to know yourself in terms of whether your heart is for good or evil and whether your actions are pure or impure. Kant describes duties of virtue to be wide duties, in that there is not a clear standard for how one should go about performing action for an end that is also a duty. O’Hagan tells us that Kant’s duty of moral self-knowledge is the duty to know one’s own heart. Kant tells us that moral self-knowledge is quite difficult because it involves abstracting, or taking a non-biased analysis of one’s self. Because we are bound to our own feelings and inclinations, we cannot completely separate ourselves from our own bias. The power of self-knowledge is the power to see things in objectivity instead of subjectivity. The final step of the argument is relating self-knowledge to determining the goodness of an action. O’Hagan tells us that developing self-knowledge will develop one’s self-understanding and will develop guards against self-deception. Using these skills to truly understand one’s heart allows for one to know one’s motives, and thus practical stance in action. According to Kant, the goodness of an action is determined by one’s motives, so the goodness of one’s action can now be evaluated. O’Hagan clearly demonstrates the importance of self-knowledge in Kant’s theory of ethics and validates its importance by describing application for use of the practice of self-knowledge (O’Hagan 525-537).

The Scopes Trial essays

The Scopes Trial essays The Scopes Trial was a constitutional trial in the courts. The major issue was that Mr. Scopes believed he should be able to teach evolution in schools even though there were laws passed against it. Fundamentalists did not believe this because they had Christian beliefs that said evolution was wrong. This controversy started the famous Scopes Trial. Mr. John T. Scopes was the man that started this whole trial. Mr. Scopes was a science teacher that taught in Tennessee. He thought the laws of evolution were unconstitutional and decided to test the laws in court. One may think of this a little awkward but he asked a friend to file suit against him for teaching evolution. This started the original Scopes Trial. One of the greatest lawyers in the country, William Jennings Bryan, volunteered to prosecute Mr. Scopes. Mr. Bryan was a devoted fundamentalist and a former candidate for the president of the United States. Bryan was an expert on the Bible and believed in it strongly. This expertise that Bryan had of the Bible helped him tremendously against the one and only Clarence Darrow. Mr. Clarence Darrow, also on of the best lawyers in the country, was Scopes defense. Darrow believed in Scopes view also, therefore, he volunteered for the job. He was famous for his past defensive trials for political and labor activists such as Eugene v. Debs. Fundamentalism is basically the belief that the Bible is literally true. Fundamentalists believed that the Bible was God inspired and was exactly right. The believed it was not controversial and that it contained no errors. They believed that the Bible was perfect and that every story written in it had taken place in the past already. Fundamentalism became very popular in the 1920s. When fundamentalists heard of evolution they did everything that they could to ban it forever. They worked very hard to pass laws to prevent it from being tau ...

The Grimké Sisters, Abolitionists From South Carolina

The Grimkà © Sisters, Abolitionists From South Carolina The Grimkà © sisters, Sarah and Angelina, became leading activists for the abolitionist cause in the 1830s. Their writings attracted a wide following and they drew attention, and threats, for their speaking engagements. The Grimkà ©s spoke out on the highly controversial issues of slavery in America at a time when women were not expected to become involved in politics. Yet the Grimkà ©s were no mere novelty. They were highly intelligent and passionate characters on the public stage, and they presented a vivid testimony against slavery in the decade before Frederick Douglass would arrive on the scene and electrify anti-slavery audiences. The sisters had particular credibility as they were natives of South Carolina and came from a slave-owning family considered part of the aristocracy of the city of Charleston. The Grimkà ©s could criticize slavery not as outsiders, but as people who, while having benefited from it, ultimately came to see it as an evil system degrading to both masters and slaves. Though the Grimkà © sisters had faded from public view by the 1850s, mostly by choice, and they became involved in various other social causes. Among American reformers, they were respected role models. And there is no denying their important role in conveying abolitionist principles in the early stages of the movement in America. They were instrumental in bringing women into the movement, and in creating within the abolitionist cause a platform from which to launch a movement for womens rights. Early Life of the Grimkà © Sisters Sarah Moore Grimkà © was born November 29, 1792, in Charleston, South Carolina. Her younger sister, Angelina Emily Grimkà ©, was born 12 years later, on February 20, 1805. Their family was prominent in Charleston society, and their father, John Fauchereau Grimkà ©, had been a colonel in the Revolutionary War and was a judge on South Carolinas highest court. The Grimkà © family was very wealthy and enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle which included the owning of slaves. In 1818, Judge Grimkà © became ill and it was determined he should see a doctor in Philadelphia. Sarah, who was 26, was chosen to accompany him. While in Philadelphia Sarah had some encounters with Quakers, who were very active in the campaign against slavery and the beginnings of what would become known as the Underground Railroad. The trip to a northern city was the most important event in her life. She had always been uncomfortable with slavery, and the anti-slavery perspective of the Quakers convinced her that it was a great moral wrong. Her father died, and Sarah sailed back to South Carolina with a newfound belief in ending slavery. Back in Charleston, she felt out of step with local society. By  1821 she had moved to Philadelphia permanently, intent on living in a society without slavery. Her younger sister, Angelina, remained in Charleston, and the two sisters corresponded regularly. Angelina also picked up anti-slavery ideas. The sisters had inherited slaves from their father, which they freed. In 1829 Angelina left Charleston. She would never return. Reunited with her sister Sarah in Philadelphia, the two women became active in the Quaker community. They often visited prisons, hospitals, and institutions for the poor, and had a heartfelt interest in social reforms. The Grimkà © Sisters Joined the Abolitionists The sisters spent the early 1830s following a quiet life of religious service, but they were becoming more interested in the cause of abolishing slavery. In 1835 Angelina Grimkà © wrote an impassioned letter to William Lloyd Garrison, the abolitionist activist, and editor. Garrison, to Angelinas surprise, and to the consternation of her older sister, published the letter in his newspaper, The Liberator. Some of the Quaker friends of the sister were also upset at Angelina having publicly announced a desire for the emancipation of American slaves. But Angelina was inspired to continue. In 1836 Angelina published a 36-page booklet titled An Appeal to the Christian Women of the South. The text was deeply religious and drew upon Biblical passages to show the immorality of slavery. Her strategy was a direct affront to religious leaders in the South who had been using scripture to argue that slavery was actually Gods plan for the United States, and that slavery was essentially blessed. The reaction in South Carolina was intense, and Angelina was threatened with prosecution if she ever returned to her native state. Following the publication of Angelinas booklet, the sisters traveled to New York City and addressed a meeting of the American Anti-Slavery Society. They also spoke to gatherings of women, and before long they were touring New England, speaking for the abolitionist cause. Popular On the Lecture Circuit Becoming known as the Grimkà © Sisters, the two women were a popular draw on the public speaking circuit. An article in the Vermont Phoenix on July 21, 1837 described an appearance by The Misses Grimkà ©, from South Carolina, before the Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society. Angelina spoke first, talking for nearly an hour. As the newspaper described it: Slavery in all its relations - moral, social, political and religious was commented upon with radical and stern severity - and the fair lecturer showed neither quarter to the system, nor mercy to its supporters. Still she did not bestow a title of her indignation upon the South. The Northern press and the Northern pulpit - Northern representatives, Northern merchants, and the Northern people, came in for her most bitter reproach and most pointed sarcasm. The detailed newspaper report noted that Angelina Grimkà © began by talking about the active slave trade conducted in the District of Columbia. And she urged women to protest the governments complicity in slavery. She then spoke about slavery as a broadly based American problem. While the institution of slavery existed in the South, she noted that northern politicians indulged it, and northern business people invested in businesses which depended on slave labor. She essentially indicted all of America for the evils of slavery. After Angelina spoke at the Boston meeting, her sister Sarah followed her on the podium. The newspaper mentioned that Sarah spoke in an affecting manner about religion, and ended by noting that the sisters were exiles. Sarah said she had received a letter informing her she could never again live in South Carolina as abolitionists would not be allowed within the states borders. Theres little doubt the sisters would have been in peril had they visited South Carolina. In 1835 abolitionists, sensing it was too dangerous to send emissaries into the slave states, began mailing anti-slavery pamphlets to southern addresses. The pamphlet campaign resulted in sacks of mail being seized by mobs in South Carolina and the pamphlets being burned in the street. Controversy Followed the Grimkà © Sisters A backlash developed against the Grimkà © Sisters, and at one point a group of ministers in Massachusetts issued a pastoral letter condemning their activities. Some newspaper accounts of their speeches treated them with obvious condescension. In 1838 they stopped their public speaking, though both sisters would remain involved in reform causes for the rest of their lives. Angelina married a fellow abolitionist and reformer, Theodore Weld, and they eventually founded a progressive school, Eagleswood, in New Jersey. Sarah Grimkà ©, who also married, taught at the school, and the sisters kept busy publishing articles and books focused on the causes of ending slavery and promoting womens rights. Sarah died in Massachusetts on December 23, 1873, after a long illness. William Lloyd Garrison spoke at her funeral services. Angelina Grimkà © Weld died on October 26, 1879. The famed abolitionist Wendell Phillips spoke of her at her funeral: When I think of Angelina there comes to me the picture of the spotless dove in the tempest, as she battles with the storm, seeking for some place to rest her foot. Sources Veney, Cassandra R. Abolitionism.  New Dictionary of the History of Ideas, edited by Maryanne Cline Horowitz, vol. 1, Charles Scribners Sons, 2005, pp. 1-4Byers,  Inzer, Grimkà ©, Sarah Moore.  American Women Writers: A Critical Reference Guide from Colonial Times to the Present:  A Critical Reference Guide from Colonial Times to the Present, edited by Taryn Benbow-Pfalzgraf, 2nd ed., vol. 2, St. James Press, 2000, pp. 150-151.Byers, Inzer, GrimkÉ (Weld), Angelina (Emily).  American Women Writers: A Critical Reference Guide from Colonial Times to the Present:  A Critical Reference Guide from Colonial Times to the Present, edited by Taryn Benbow-Pfalzgraf, 2nd ed., vol. 2, St. James Press, 2000, pp. 149-150.

American Persona

A persona as commonly known to many people is a social role played by a character. With all the kind of immigration that continuously takes place in America it is not easy to clearly distinguish who is an American. An American persona in a general perspective refers to someone whose origin is America. In history an American refers to the Red Indians; now they are refered to according to the political nomenclature Native Americans. Ironically, they have been reduced to almost an extinct community in their own country. Is it possible for one to clearly define an Italian, a British or a German? The America we live in has a Paris in Texas, a Moscow in Idaho and a Birmingham in Alabama. Even bigger cities and states in the world have changed their old cities names to others like New York, and New Jersey. Several Asian and American countries have changed the names adopted during the colonial era to others which match their customs and traditions. This is not the case to American personalities. After a whole 200 year period of being a free Nation, America is really content to remain residing to the areas where their parents, grandparents and other relatives had left behind. They are not destined to come up with other names that are not American. When someone talks about an American it is almost obvious that an ethnic prefix will be added before the word American for instance: Italian American, Russian American and Polish American. The single ethnic group who do not use these prefixes include the one whose ancestors were originally from British. That is why it is rare to here that one is an English American. The United States of America is a land that is known for its richness in diversity and cultures. In American history the natives, settlers and immigrants have learned a lot and passed through several challenges here and there. Generalising the nation for specific characteristics may not be very simple. The reason as to why this is so is because this society has several other communities in it with which have their own distinct characteristics. Whereas the Native American society has a tendency of being hardy, the settlers introduced versatility in the utilization of America’s rich resources and the colonists are uniquely associated with the introduction of scope for restraint and amalgamation of the diverse nature of America. The other source of uniqueness of Americans include the size of the nation and its climatic changes; ranging from winter, autumn and summer. The variation of the geography of the region has a great impact on the ethnic communities in the region. If variety is the secret answer to spicy life then America has it. The range in diversity goes all the way from the Atlantic region up to the Pacific area. Americans are known to the whole world for the value and respect of their individuality. The kind of spirit they poses that can never be doubted in the eye of the storm of the worldwide contradiction. People of America embrace resilience and equality among themselves and even other people with whom they live. Even though they did not adopt these aspects as a result of suffering and forcefulness, but they learned them very fast in a quick and thorough way. Like they battled with American civil war and colonisation, they also fought to bring down racial differences with strength and vigour of character. Their decisions always relied on the fact that they respect the underlying unity of thought, deeds and actions. In regard to fearlessness, they believe that as a nation they establish their own destiny. They have never acted in fear when they want to speak up. They have in various circumstances voiced their values and opinions freely. The attribute of not fearing anyone makes them able to express their opinions regarding politics without fear and abide by the liberties bestowed upon them as a society by the US constitution without fear or favour. The fact that they are fearless makes them able to refrain from collecting class distinctions or conscience (Burnett et al. ) According to their concern attribute, they are friendly to everyone in nature and can take their friendship to the next level genuinely. That is why they take part as forerunners in the United Nations. On the attribute of being informal and realistic, Americans are most comfortable when they are informal; this is not only confined to dress code and manners, but to all aspects of their lives. They are known for being able to break the fetters and find their way to the rooftop. In terms of being realistic they may or may not assume that their acquaintances are also their close friends. It is obvious that their variation in English language is strange all over but this does not hinder people from accepting them the way they are. The differences in spelling and pronunciation make more sense. It is not easy for a person who is not born in America to develop a system that is distinctly American. America’s foreign policy affects each and every person in the world in terms of prices, taxes, supply of gasoline, and the lives of our soldiers also depends on how we associate with US. This country can bring hope to the lives of the poorest people in the world. It is because of their persona that they are able to respect the lives of others who are not even their own. Most American citizens believe in embracing their values, justice, fairness, democracy, a helping hand when there is need and hard work. Their values are applied from their households, to community and to the rest of the world. The middle path of foreign policy requires that people work together with their allies, reward individuals who share American values and join arms against hatred (Alan and Steve). It would not be right to say that the American persona needs to be changed and not adopted, yet it is embraced by all Americans and is composed of very good attributes that should apply to every other nation in the rest of the world. Americans may be guided by the fact that ‘time is money’, though when they decide to unwind, it is difficult to compare to any other. To them being punctual is a virtue and a form of professionalism and life is as easy as a personal one. They accept that they are materialistic, but accept it and do not shy away from that. Works Cited Rebbecca, Burnett. , Elizabeth, Foster. , and Judith, Stanford. American Persona: A creative approach to writing. Littleton, MA: Sundance Press. 1998. Print. Alan, Dobson and Steve, Mash. US Foreign policy since 1945. New York: Routledge Press. 2002. Print.

Wellness project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Wellness project - Essay Example First, the physical dimension refers to the physiological state of the body system, ensuring that a person is free from illnesses and maintains physical activity through exercise and healthy diet. If a person is physically healthy, he can function well in the society and make significant contribution to the community. As such, being involved in one’s community also entails responsibility with the surrounding environment. Environmental dimension of health means that a person is able to take responsibility over his environment through protection and conservation of nature. Doing one’s part for environmental conservation also means involving one’s self in the community. As such, a person who builds good relationship with the people in the community shows a healthy social dimension (Corbin et. al., 2008). In a way, building relationships in one’s community is related to emotional dimension because person is capable of recognizing his and other people’s personal feelings. Aside from this, emotional dimension includes the ability handle stress and copes with life’s challenges. While emotional dimension deals with feeling, mental dimension of health deals with cognition or thought. A person is in good mental health if he does not suffer from anxiety and depression. Lastly, if one able to establish inner peace and find deeper purpose in life, it means that the individual is in good spiritual health. Spiritual dimension refers to one’s inner values and realization that we exist for a reason and that each of us has a higher purpose in life. It is only when an individual is able to develop his spiritual dimension, along with other five health dimensions, that we can say one

Factors that Influence the Occurrence of Crimes Essay

Factors that Influence the Occurrence of Crimes - Essay Example It is rare for people to drink intoxicating liquor. It is uncommon to see several teachers drink intoxicating liquor inside the classroom. Likewise, it is uncommon to see people drinking intoxicating liquor during church services. It is also rare to find people drinking intoxicating liquor during cooking class. Crimes occur in places where gangs control. Crimes occur in places where there are more guns or deadly weapons. There are more murders and rape crimes committed outside school buildings compared to murder and rape crimes committed inside school buildings. The presence of security guards inspecting the presence of deadly weapons prevents or reduces the occurrences of students or other persons carrying deadly weapons or guns inside the school premises. Sacco and Kennedy reiterated (2008) some crimes occur within guardianship environment. Often crimes occur between family members. Husbands may kill wives for cheating or having an affair. Parents may violate the rights of their ch ildren. Stealing small coins of things from family members is a normal part of growing up in many families. Some fathers rape their daughters inside their home. Sacco and Kennedy reiterated (2008) insist some street crimes are due to gangs. This category also falls under victims and offenders intersecting in time and space. Gangs often fight each other for control of territory. The street gang victims people passing through their territory. Some gangs do not think twice when they plan to inflict damage on the persons passing through their territory. In addition, many gangs also prey on stores and other establishments within their community. Compared to streets having no gangs, the crime incidence is generally lower. Logic dictates that eliminating the gangs will reduce the gang-related crimes. In terms of income, Sacco and Kennedy  reiterated (2008) proposed there are more crimes in communities classified as poor when compared to communities composed of people having above average income or salary.  

Seismic Hazards In the Region of Japan and Indonesia Essay

Seismic Hazards In the Region of Japan and Indonesia - Essay Example ‘Seismic Hazards’ and ‘Seismic Risks’ are often confused with one another. Seismic hazards may also be defined as any physical phenomena (for example, ground shaking) that are associated with an earthquake and that may produce adverse effects on human activities. It is restricted to the study of likely earthquake ground motions at any point on the earth. Seismic risk constitutes the results of a seismic hazard analysis, including both the consequence and the probability. Seismic risk is used to describe earthquake effects that include ground shaking, surface faulting, landslide, and economic loss and casualties (Algermissen 1). The following statement may help to distinguish between a hazard and a risk: Â   Â  A building located in a region of high seismic hazard is at lower risk if it is built on the basis of sound seismic engineering principles; whereas, a building located in a low seismic hazard zone is said to possess a high risk if not built in accord ance to the seismic engineering principles applicable to that zone.‘Seismic Hazards’ and ‘Seismic Risks’ are often confused with one another. Seismic hazards may also be defined as any physical phenomena (for example, ground shaking) that are associated with an earthquake and that may produce adverse effects on human activities. It is restricted to the study of likely earthquake ground motions at any point on the earth. Seismic risk constitutes the results of a seismic hazard analysis, including both the consequence and the probability. Seismic risk is used to describe earthquake effects that include ground shaking, surface faulting, landslide, and economic loss and casualties (Algermissen 1). The following statement may help to distinguish between a hazard and a risk: A building located in a region of high seismic hazard is at lower risk if it is built on the basis of sound seismic engineering principles; whereas, a building located in a low seismic hazard zone is said to possess a high risk if not built in accordance to the seismic engineering principles applicable to that zone. Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis (PSHA) PSHA quantifies the probability, rather the rate, of exceeding the level of various ground motions at a site given all possible earthquakes (Field). Cornell was the first seismologist to develop this numerical approach to PSHA in 1968. PSHA involves three steps: 1. Specification of the seismic-hazard source model. 2. Specification of the ground motion model. 3. The probabilistic calculation. Hazard curves developed through PSHA show the likelihood of exceeding the various ground motion values at a specific site; on a typical hazard curve 10% probability of exceedance in 50 years is considered as one point. Actually, there is no alternative for a hazard curve to compare hazards at different locations. These curves are crucial in helping us to understand different types of ground motions. Not only this, the hazard c urve helps to determine the expected losses. Losses can occur from both frequent smaller events or from less frequent large events. An annual rate of exceedance versus peak ground acceleration (PGA) is defined as a hazard curve plot. An example is shown below: Seismic Hazard Analysis of Japan A group of island arcs related to various subduction zones constitute Japan. These islands stretch from the Kurile Islands in the northeast to the Ryukyu chain in the south. Japan uses its own seismic scale, in units of Shindo, to measure the strength of earthquakes. The JMA scale differs from other seismic scales in the way that it describes the degree of shaking at a given point on the Earth's surface. The magnitude of JMA scale is measured between 0 and 7. The JMA reports of earthquake level are based on the peak ground acceleration (PGA). A relationship of Shindo Number along with PGA and the effects on people, Ground and Slopes and Outdoor Situations (JMA) is represented in the Table below : Shindo Number Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) People Grounds & Slopes Outdoor Situations 0 Less than 0.008 m/s? Imperceptible to people. 1 0.00

Corporate-Level Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Corporate-Level Strategies - Essay Example Most of the firm’s activities concentrate on its major brand, the Mexican Grill, which generates approximately 95% of Chipotle’s revenue. The firm couples the strategy with the slogan ‘food with integrity’ to imply its commitment to offer customers a unique experience at its restaurants while considering the local community, animals and the environment. By so doing, the company creates a good reputation thus maintaining its customers. The company engages in effective financial management to ensure that the company can fund its operations without using debt financing. The company maintains a debt ratio of 23% that implies that the value of assets is higher than liabilities. The situation means that the firm can easily offset its debts without debt financing that would otherwise increase costs (Paiz et al., 2011). Chipotle hires highly qualified and talented staff with a broad array of professional skills to execute the company’s objectives. A motivated human resource forms strong competitive advantage for the company. One of the strategies to motivate employees include the â€Å"people first† culture that extends to granting leave to employees during public holidays when competitors are open. From the analysis, it is evident that Chipotle corporate strategies work and enable it to survive the fierce competition from well-established companies such as Yum! Brands and McDonalds. Strategies such as differentiation, financial management and good human resource strategies are responsible for its

Ethics, Sustainability & Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Ethics, Sustainability & Culture - Essay Example Many times in life, people ignore and underestimate the importance of moral values in attaining happiness and the well-being of the society. However, Kant has put forward two concepts entirely independent and he thinks that they are the heart of ethical life. Despite severe criticism, he notes that moral principle and moral obligation concepts are rational in the understanding of ethical life. Kants objective was to deduce the ethical theory using a priori reasoning from the concept that refers human beings as a rational agent (Aluchma, 2008). The ability of human beings to utilize reasoning in decision-making expresses the basics of the metaphysical principle under which Kants ethical theory has been built. Kant argues that, "Nothing can be conceived in the world, or even out of it, which can be called well without qualification, except a â€Å"good will."Kants argues that in life, there are those things that people seek and those that they avoid. Those things, that they dearly seek, can be said to be "good" while those things they dislike and tries to evade are called â€Å"bad.† The good things are classified into two; the first class is for things that are means to some further end and the others are good being ends in themselves. Thus, he further adds that different personalities are motivated by different ends, so they find different things either good or bad (depending on the needs that they have).For example, eating a lot of food is good for malnourished person, but it is â€Å"bad† for a person who is obese (Arvidsson, 2014). For something to be considered as good â€Å"without qualification†, it is not compulsory for it to be merely "good" that is merely meant to one end but "bad" as means in another end. The meaning is that something should be sought as good and being independent of acting as anything else but being "good in itself.† A particular thing

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Leadership - Essay Example ept of leadership from the perspective of leader-follower exchange theory is that followers follow because they get something from being followers and leaders provide some value that benefits followers. Followers respond in ways that benefit the leader. Current approach has a few dimensions that shape the concept of leader and leadership. Leaders provide vision and direction to their followers. They provide answers to the questions, â€Å"Where are we going? What are our objectives? What are we trying to achieve?† In some cases these objectives are modest and concrete, but in others the vision is quite grand. Some authors (Collins & Porras, 1994) have described the vision as a BHAG, a â€Å"big, hairy, audacious, goal. † It is a vision that says we are here to do more than meet our numbers or to pass the next inspection. We are here, in this group or organization, for a far grander purpose. So the vision not only provides a sense of direction, it can also provide â€Å"meaning, † or an answer to the question, â€Å"Why are we here?† A second benefit that a leader can provide is security and protection for followers. This is an important function in military contexts and also in corporate and political domains. In extreme cases leaders can place themselves in harms way to protect followers. Less extreme versions of this type of behavior can be seen when executives put their own careers in jeopardy to argue against laying off subordinates, or when political leaders take risks to protect the interests of their constituencies. In hostile environments, be they military or economic, leaders place their personal wellbeing at risk to shield their followers. Through the completion of group or organizational tasks, leaders allow their followers to achieve goals that would be difficult or impossible to achieve by one person alone or by a group without the leader. The need to be effective is one of the frequently overlooked human motives. There are many goals that can only be

Ethics, Sustainability & Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Ethics, Sustainability & Culture - Essay Example Many times in life, people ignore and underestimate the importance of moral values in attaining happiness and the well-being of the society. However, Kant has put forward two concepts entirely independent and he thinks that they are the heart of ethical life. Despite severe criticism, he notes that moral principle and moral obligation concepts are rational in the understanding of ethical life. Kants objective was to deduce the ethical theory using a priori reasoning from the concept that refers human beings as a rational agent (Aluchma, 2008). The ability of human beings to utilize reasoning in decision-making expresses the basics of the metaphysical principle under which Kants ethical theory has been built. Kant argues that, "Nothing can be conceived in the world, or even out of it, which can be called well without qualification, except a â€Å"good will."Kants argues that in life, there are those things that people seek and those that they avoid. Those things, that they dearly seek, can be said to be "good" while those things they dislike and tries to evade are called â€Å"bad.† The good things are classified into two; the first class is for things that are means to some further end and the others are good being ends in themselves. Thus, he further adds that different personalities are motivated by different ends, so they find different things either good or bad (depending on the needs that they have).For example, eating a lot of food is good for malnourished person, but it is â€Å"bad† for a person who is obese (Arvidsson, 2014). For something to be considered as good â€Å"without qualification†, it is not compulsory for it to be merely "good" that is merely meant to one end but "bad" as means in another end. The meaning is that something should be sought as good and being independent of acting as anything else but being "good in itself.† A particular thing

Women Essay Example for Free

Women Essay In the persuasive paper, the issue of abortion through a Feminist perspective and ethical lens will be looked into. Much controversy surrounds the issue but looking at feminist theory, more specifically, radical feminist theory, the decision for a woman to abort should be available if needed. Not only that, but the decision should be left up to the pregnant woman and the pregnant woman only, as this is seen as a form of escaping male dominance in society. The main arguments that will be used within the paper are: most importantly the feminist perspective of abortion, a feminist perspective of a woman’s control over her sexuality and how this relates to abortion, birth control, and lastly the reasoning behind why women may choose to abort. The writing style the persuasive paper will follow is APA style, and the following are a list of scholarly sources that will be used: 1.Himmelweit, S. (1980). Abortion: Individual choice and social control. Feminist Review, 5(1), 65-68. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/fr.1980.13 is one of the sources that will be used in the persuasive paper. The journal informs and a report on original research, as well as it provides an analysis of issues specific to the discipline. These two reasons demonstrate a purpose of publication which clearly indicates that this is indeed a scholarly source. 2. Zampas, C., Gher, J. M. (2008). Abortion as a human right—international and regional standards. Oxford Journals, 8(2), 269-294. doi: 10.1093/hrlr/ngn008 is another source chosen to be used within the paper. Frequency of publication is often a good indication that a source is in fact scholarly. Often quarterly is a good forewarning of a scholarly source, which Oxford Journals is credible for. 3. Bridgeman, J. (2011). Wise women in community: building on everyday radical feminism for social change. Interface, 3(2), 288-293. Retrieved from http://www.interfacejournal.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Interfac

Why Do Youth Join Gangs?

Why Do Youth Join Gangs? Why do teens join gangs? This is a question many parents ask themselves. There are several reasons why teens join gangs, but ranging from; to fit in or to feel accepted, come from a broken home, being rebellious, these are the most common. Peer pressure is a major influence on some teens decision to join gangs. Teenagers in the world today face more peer pressure than ever before. Gang involvement has been higher in the last ten years. While doing research on teens, I came across a website called Peer Pressure During Adolescence (www.mc.maricopa.eduept/dev/Fall99?peer_pressure/index.htlm). In this reading it states; Two major concerns about the influence of peer pressure are gang involvement and the use of alcohol and other drugs. It also goes onto say that gangs provide a sense of safety not just belonging. The youth are searching for anyone who will listen, even if it means giving in to join a gang. We as parents need to speak with our children and actually listen. The teens of todays generation seem to b more aggressive and persuasive than ever before. We as parents may even feel intimidated by our own children. Can you just imagine how intimidated the children must feel when approached by a gang member? According to the TUSD Department of School Safety, it states that the primary age of gang members ranges from 13-21years of age. It also indicated some common reasons teens join gangs, which listed as: Identity Gang members cannot achieve an identity in their larger community, so they gain culture. They often visualize themselves as warriors against the outside world, protecting their neighborhood. Protection Joining a gang in a community with several gangs offers considerable protection from violence and attack from rival gangs. Fellowship Studies indicate that a tight structure tends to be lacking in the homes of gang members. Gang activity offers that closeness, that sense of family that is often lacking in the home. Intimidation Pressure to join a gang can become very dangerous. New members may be forced to join by threats, violent beatings, and initiations in order to increase gang membership. (www.tusd.k12.az.us/contents/deparment/safty/general.htl) Another reason to be address for teens joining gangs is fellowship. Many would refer to this as a broken home. Maybe the parents got a divorce, or another family member raises the child. Fellowship for instance, as listed above gang activity offers that closeness, that sense of family that is often lacking in the home. This is actually something that parents/guardians can correct in their own household. If people would communicate with the youth there maybe less number of teens, joining gangs. Having a good communication with your children will not only be less likely to join gangs but the drug use and violence standard for teens could also be lowered. Another reason why some teens might join gangs would be to make fast money. There are several reports of gangs robbing people, banks, and other locations. Another thing would be the usage and selling of drugs. If a teen comes from an underprivileged home or even if he/she comes from an extremely wealthy home, the selling of drugs in a gang could bring them fast cash. There are still going to be reasons for the increase number of teens in gangs due to various situations. The excitement factor can be considered. Teens may feel a thrill in the rebellious acts that gangs perform. They may feel as if they are living in a movie or fantasy world when actually it is reality. While belonging or claiming a certain color that their enemies do not like, that can spark interest in a young youths eyes. To have a rush in the crimes gangs commit or just the whole lifestyle in general can capture some teens minds. There are several movies that portray the cool kids as rebellious teens. The wanting to be cool can lead to many troubling situation including joining a gang. It is time for all the reasons and excuses to be done away and have the youth pulled back to reality, in so do by, show them the after effects of the gang life style, and the other options they have in life. In my research, I found a website informing people of their decisions to live the gang lifestyle. The writer Rob Gallardo indicates, One joins a gang for various reasons. However, choosing to continue to live out the gangster lifestyle always involves a series of choices. .choices we make now always correlate to consequences immediately or just down the road. (Operation No Gangs, www.operationnogangs.org) What Rob is saying is that there may be a lot of reasons for teens joining gangs ,the greater concern would be the consequences that could take place resulting in that reason . We need to step up and reach out to the youth of today. The youth will be the next president, vice president, or even a counselor for teens that join gangs. I have a stepson who had a good life growing up, or we thought he did. When he became a teenager, he went down the wrong path so to speak. He stole cars, robbed people, shot at peoples homes while people were inside. Let us just say he was not the same boy we knew. He spent all his teen years in and out juvenile facilities. He came out with several tattoos, and his vocabulary included gang slang. He claimed to be in the MS13 (one of the worst gangs in Texas). When he came out one time, my husband asked him why he was do all the stuff he was doing, his response was a very emotional one. He mentioned the fact that his mother and my husband were not together. My husband tried to explain everything to him. That was one indicator that the choice he made was for coming from a broken home. He now has a son and recently came out of the c ounty jail for breaking probation. Now the choice he makes has a much worse consequence. If we were to interview all the former teen gang members, I am sure there will be several reasons for their choice to join a gang. Peer pressure, fitting in, and coming from a broken home will be the top answers that will be given. Lets try to eliminate these reasons for our youths sake and encourage a positive way of life for them. Do Customers Want a Standardised Product? Do Customers Want a Standardised Product? â€Å"Customers no longer want a standardised product and their expectations determine quality, Differentiation and Customisation should therefore replace standardisation as the way to meet those expectations in the hospitality sector† – To what extent do you agree or disagree this point? It can be seen that customers wants standard quality of commodities and facilities they consume in their day to day life. Change in their needs may sometimes create discontent to the customers and absence of delightfulness can be seen. Along with the product being standardised it is mandatory for that to also be of approved quality. This statement falls true in case of â€Å"High Quality Product attracts more Number of Customers†. One can get benefited by adopting the Standardisation policy as the rules and regulations of the particular company will be the same and hence the procedure of the company runs smoothly as the policies are determined as per the rules. Standardisation helps in getting expected quality of commodities to the customers and their expectations determine the quality which they want to perceive. The importance of Standardisation can be understood by linking it with quality of service perceived by the customers. Customers want better quality of service at standardised level. For example, if in a pizza hut restaurant, one table gets proper personalised attention with quick service and the other table does not get the same level of service when compared then this leads to high quality of dissatisfaction amongst the customers getting poor quality of service. This factor will not create delight to the customers and would not meet their expected standards as well as their expectations. It is not every time that customization proves to be better but also standardization helps customers to fulfil their requirements in their day to day life. Though it is rightly said that customisation means to modify the things as per the customers individual requirement and choice but standardization is to keep the uniformity of the product designed and maintaining its standards. Standardisation means to conform to a uniformly pre-described set of norms, repeatedly by standardizing any product. Standardized product gives better quality of service. As the products and commodities are standardized it becomes easy to provide service in accordance of the same. In other sense customization means making changes in particular product as per the customer’s requirement and desires. This helps customers making their own choice about any standardized product. Customization and Standardization either of two satisfies customers needs in their own terms and services. Considering all such factors customization and differentiation can be replaced by standardization based on some norms and policies. One of the benefits of standardization is the cost effectiveness leading to high price. Compared to pizza hut one can notice the price effectiveness of the restaurant. There are costly dishes in the restaurant which are not actually afforded by lower class of people even if they desire the pizza hut food. Further, if the products and commodities are standardized consistency and uniformity is maintained and it becomes easy to work so the management runs smoothly and efficiently. Adding to this, it is also necessary for a restaurant to plan its future uncertainties and certainties affecting the business. Similarly on other note, there are some disadvantages of standardization affecting the creativity of a personnel working in a particular sector. Referring to Pizza Hut restaurant, it can be observed that as all the procedures and recipes are standardized, this shows death of one’s own personal touch and also kills their creativity. Also for that, to make workers and employees un derstand their work properly it becomes mandatory to provide them with required training and for that high cost is imposed on such activity which leads to increase in labor cost factor. As all the work and the procedures are standardized lack of motivation is being provided to the employees, somehow leading to dissatisfaction for the employees. On other side adopting standardization policy fails to satisfy customers based on their needs and wants as all the things are standardized and no further changes can be made as per their own choice but comparing this to pizza hut, they help us customizing the product we want to some extent. The base of standardization is the policies determined at the time of formation of the standardized products and services. Companies marketing their products and services overseas are faced with the decision of whether to standardize or adapt their product offerings. The standardization of products across cultures is increasingly becoming an important issue nowadays that is difficult to follow for some company. Standardization policy means to sell the same product throughout the world making no changes even at one particular place, as this maintains the uniformity over the world of such company or brand. Adding to this, as all the products are standardized it becomes easy for the manufacturing and production committee to manufacture the products uniformly as per the requirements throughout the world. Doole and Lowe (2008), mainly advocate product standardization. In their observation, Doole and Lowe (2008), point out that the standardization discussion leads at one extreme, a global approach in which everything in the international marketing activity is standardized in all countries as standardizing the various elements of the marketing process has the aim of scale economies in production thereby leading to improved efficiency. As the world becomes smaller and the markets are seen as being the same, others have been advocating a standardized product strategy as they view the market to be the same as it is increasingly becoming homogeneous. Further, Doole and Lowe (2008) point out that if the product is not attractive or appealing to the customers, then no amount of sales promotion, appropriate channel of distribution or reduction in price will help to achieve the marketing target. Hence, physical design, brand name, quality, packaging, durability, taste and services attached to the product are very important from the marketing point of view. It is an obvious thing that a product’s appearance, function, and support make up what the customer will actually buy. Therefore, it is vital for managers to pay close attention to the preferences and tastes of their product packages in addressing their customers. Further, in managing product components, product planning and development entails careful planning with the customer in mind. Thus suggesting that, the decisions are required to be taken regarding product range, packaging, branding, quality, labeling and other features of the product. In the question as to whether to standardize or adapt, a product manufactured for market should be according to the needs and expectations of consumers. Comparing this to pizza hut, it can be seen that if the product is attractive it creates delight to the customers and make them desire about the particular item. A customer gets attract seeing the marketing strategies of the restaurant providing facilities perceived by the customers ful filling their individual desires and wants. In pizza hut we can see that the menu at different branch of it differs and is attractive which attracts more customers and also the advertising element plays a vital role for the same. It is also mandatory for such brand to check whether the qualities of the products they are using are of standard quality or not. According to the understanding of the authors, standardization is a practice of setting identical characteristics for a particular good or service. Lundeteg, A. (2012) also suggests a standardized approach as a â€Å"one size fits all† approach. It can be seen that the standardization of products across cultures is increasingly becoming an important issue that the managers of global firms are facing today. Adding to this, Valdez (2011) points out that those firms following a standardization strategy enter foreign markets using the same advertisements, packages and presentations that were used in the domestic market. Because making new advertisements, packages and product lines is expensive, standardization requires less investment as compared to other such policies of the company. Pizza hut brand also follows these norms, as in our day to day life we can see that the brand is trying to achieve success more by offering affordable offers to the customers also by delivering their desired product at home and also by announcing new products and strategies in the market by attractive advertisements and publicity for the same. Thus, such adoption of strategy helps more customers to attract towards such facilities. According to Kustin (1994) in making a marketing plan, the type of market is important to be considered and additionally the degree of standardization must be thought well. Later on it is indicated that the product standardization plays more of a big role in durable and nondurable consumer goods. Kustin notes that standardization of strategies is better off in markets that are categorized with similarities. He mentions that global marketing attempts for success and competence in standardized product strategies, where products are sold in global markets at reasonable prices and same country strategies are set to be same for all markets in the world. Therefore, it is worth noting that from a company’s perspective it is strongly recommended to reflect standardization strategy when wanting to develop a global product strategy while considering the market characteristics. There is continuous competition in the global market about the better quality of service and commodities provid ed by the different brands like pizza hut, dominos, etc. as the taste, presentation, procedures and the policies differ from one and the other type of brand. The standardization policy in India and foreign countries may differ because of the eat pork. This problem has no solution yet until the approval of permission is done. unavailability of some products in India which are used in foreign countries. For example in India, ban on beef and ham fails to satisfy the needs of the customers desiring for the same which causes dissatisfaction to the customers to some extent, so to overcome this problem an alternative measure has to be taken instead of not delivering the desired product change the design of the product and deliver to the customers making some innovation and creativity. This somehow creates delight to the customers by not fully dissatisfying them. The products offered in pizza hut in India is different from the product being offered in pizza hut of USA because such unavailability of resources in the market. The major issue in the McDonalds standardized products was beef. Hence the biggest challenge to any food business in India de finitely was about balancing the diversity and the product offerings. As such, cow being sacred and worshipped, beef could not be served and in the same vein Muslims did not eat pork. This problem has no solution until the permission for the same is being approved. It is said that there have been international companies, which have introduced their product line across borders using the standardization strategy and have been successful. Standardization helps in achieving the pre described set of goals by following some pre determined policies and the procedures. However, Customization helps in getting the customers what they actually want and in which manner but Standardization comes to a limitation to this which somehow stops customer’s to get what they want and desire for their needs. Thus it makes clear that the motives of standardization should be adopted for smooth and accurate running of the business or a firm. It also becomes easy to follow the norms and policies if everything is standardized. The implicit argument in this article is that whether to replace standardization with differentiation and customization and if, then to what extent it should be replaced. Here, standardization proves to be better than that of customization and differentiation in the products and the commodities. The biggest benefit of adopting standardized procedures is that the work becomes easy and ease of management can be seen which in case of customization does not follows the same. Many problems are faced when the procedures are to b customized as per one’s own requirement at every level of service. Standardization is more beneficial as there are many restaurants or such brands adopting same policies and procedure throughout the world which creates uniformity in following such rules. In other hand, customization does not proves to be this much convenient as standardization because it demands variations in many ways which is not possible for a world wide spread company to follow different procedures at different places. Hence, emphasis is laid more on standardization than on customization. Hence the degree of Pizza Hut’s standardization of their products is greater as compared to any other company. Here by, all the companies should follow the standardization policy for their ease and smooth running of their business. List of References: Doole, I and Lowe, R. (2008), International Marketing Strategy: Analysis, development and Implementation, 5thed. London, Thomson Learning. Lundeteg, A., Knowledge Management: Standardization Vs. Adaption in MNCs, unpublished thesis, (Sweden: Uppsala Universitet, 2012). Kustin, R.A (1994), Marketing Globalization: A didactic examination for corporate strategy, The International Executive (1986-1998), 36(1), pp. 79-79.