Applications of Nanocellulose

an overview of the recent research on the fundamental and applied properties of nanoparticles extracted from cellulose, the most abundant polymer on the planet and an essential renewable resource. Given the rapid advancements in the field and the high level of interest within the scientific and industrial communities, pioneered the use of cellulose nanoparticles (cellulose nanocrystals or whiskers and cellulose microfibrils) in nanocomposite applications. n the life sciences and bio-based applications, biological, chemical and agricultural engineering, organic chemistry and materials science. Cellulose has great potential as a nanomaterial as it's abundant, renewable and biodegradable. It can be used in paper for its superior strength properties and can also be used as a wet-end additive to enhance retention in coating and packaging applications. Nanocellulose can form transparent films with excellent barrier properties, allowing it to be competitive with petroleum-based plastics in food packaging. Due to its reinforcing properties, nanocellulose can also be used in bio-composites and other matrix materials. 6. 9 Concluding remarks Natural fibres, cellulose and other constituents of natural fibres are very promising materials for the future, having the capability to replace current synthetic materials. ith the rapid developments in nanotechnology, nanocellulose brings many new insights to the materials world, such as its modulus value of 160 GPa, which is much greater than metallic materials. Considerim the challenges mentioned earlier, it is rational to predict that immediate applications of nanocellulosic materials can be formulated from water-based polymer matrices, like polyvinyl alcohol, starch/polyvinyl alcohol blends and latexes, by which two major problems can be eliminated. Here, the dispersion is done in the aqueous phase, so the additional step of drying can be omitted and the hydrophobic modification of the nanocellulose materials is not required. However, the main limitation is that this will give a product that can be used only tinder dry condition like This paper provides an overview of recent progress made in the area of cellulose nanofibre-based nanocomposites. An introduction into the methods used to isolate cellulose nanofibres (nanowhiskers, nanofibrils) is given, with details of their structure. Following this, the article is split into sections dealing with processing and characterisation of cellulose nanocomposites and new developments in the area, with particular emphasis on applications. The types of cellulose nanofibres covered are those extracted from plants by acid hydrolysis (nanowhiskers), mechanical treatment and those that occur naturally (tunicate nanowhiskers) or under culturing conditions (bacterial cellulose nanofibrils). Research highlighted in the article are the use of cellulose nanowhiskers for shape memory nanocomposites, analysis of the interfacial properties of cellulose nanowhisker and nanofibril-based composites using Raman spectroscopy, switchable interfaces that mimic sea cucumbers, polymerisation from the surface of cellulose nanowhiskers by atom transfer radical polymerisation and ring opening polymerisation, and methods to analyse the dispersion of nanowhiskers. The applications and new advances covered in this review are the use of cellulose nanofibres to reinforce adhesives, to make optically transparent paper for electronic displays, to create DNA-hybrid materials, to generate hierarchical composites and for use in foams, aerogels and starch nanocomposites and the use of all-cellulose nanocomposites for enhanced coupling between matrix and fibre. A comprehensive coverage of the literature is given and some suggestions on where the field is likely to advance in the future are discussed.

A Study of the Speaking Ability of Second-Year Students

Speaking is one of the language skills which are important for second language learners to be developed. Capability to speak English is the priority for many scandalmonger or foreign language learners. Therefore, this research was aimed at knowing the speaking ability of the second year students of SAM N 2 Sick Hull.The students may tell their experience after preparation before performing in front of the lass. This is the important part in developing their memory to make a well-arranged story. Their speaking will be analyzed through five components: pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. This research needs three raters in order to avoid subjectivity in evaluating the test. Keyword :Descriptive Research, Speaking ability, telling experience INTRODUCTION Speaking is a productive skill with which people produce words or send a message orally. This skill is closely bound up with the listening.Harmer (2001) states that in many situations productive skill is comb ined with the practice of receptive skills. The communication between two or more people is a blend of listening and speaking where the comprehension of what has been said is necessary for what the participant says next. Productive skills include speaking and writing, two critical components of the complex process of communication. There are countless reasons for communication between individuals: they have something they wish to express, there is something they wish to learn, and the list goes on and on.Speaking requires a greater degree of fluency and thinking â€Å"on the spot†, and requires practice and exposure to the language over time. While productive skills are the skills that involve the process of language production either in oral or written forms. Speaking as one of the productive skills should be learned by the students in order to carry out a communication with other people easily. Speaking plays an important role in social communication. Perhaps, this is becau se we can deliver our ideas and information to other people with oral communication.According to Martin Begat (1987) People speak to make interactions with other people, we often need confidence to speak in order to carry out many of our basic interactions. Consequently, improving your English speaking skills will help you communicate more easily and effectively. Furthermore, speaking is good for motivating the students to learn the language in their school. Speaking is designed to enable the students to communicate and interact to other people in order to gain and enrich their knowledge. Essentially, the goal of language learning is to enable the students to communicate in the language.Therefore, the main purpose of learning is aimed at increasing the students' skills in communicating English well. Definition of immunization mentioned is to understand and express information, mind, feelings and develop science, technology, and culture by using the English language (Depending, 2003) . English achievement in the future expected by learning English can develop their knowledge to all people in the world. Harris (1969) stated that speaking ability has five components which are generally recognized in analyzing speaking.They are as follows: a. Pronunciation includes the segmental features of vowels, consonants, stress, and intonation patterns. B. Grammar correct use of language with respect to word form and word order at the sentence level . Vocabulary is one of words include in language, have many words that must mastery to make the acquisition of an adequate vocabulary as essential for successful second language use. D. Fluency is probably best achieved by allowing the air stream of speech to flow then as some of this speech spill over beyond comprehensibility. E.Comprehension in brief speaking requires that not only knowing how to produce it well but also understanding when, what, and why to produce the language. The ability to speak cannot be separated from thes e five components. A good speaker will deliver the topic to make listener understand it easily. In some cases, students get problems in speaking. It is the fact that to be a good speaker or able to speak becomes a problem for most of students. Teachers always give lessons Just with old teaching techniques without give the students' chances to speak or deliver their ideas; students might be shy to make mistakes in speaking.In fact, students are not interested in studying more about English because of lack of motivation in classroom learning, students only receives materials, write, and follow all the teachers command. According to Joanna Baker and Heather Western (2003), there are many reasons why dents may find learning and using English difficult such as cultural differences, personal differences, and lack of confidence, no time for speaking when studying for examinations, preparation for speaking, and interest in topic.This can lead to real barriers to communication, and can contr ibute to poor motivation in learning. Whereas, we know that the purpose of learning English especially in speaking is to enable the students to use English well both accurately and fluently. In a language lesson, students need to spend time on becoming more accurate. But they also need o practice using the language fluently. 2 METHODOLOGY The population of this research is the second year students of SAM N 2 SICK HULL academic year of 2012-2013.The number of the students is 315. Because the population is large enough, it is necessary to have sample. According to Gay (2004), sampling is the process of selecting number of individuals for a study that represented the larger group from which they were selected. There are several appropriate techniques for selecting a sample which is suitable in certain situations. In this research, the writer use cluster random sampling technique. Cluster random sampling is sampling in which groups, not individuals, are randomly selected.The reason for choosing this technique is less time and easier to obtain permission to use all the students in certain class than several students in many classes. So, the writer takes only one class out of 9 classes as the sample of this research. There are 35 students who took the speaking test. The process of choosing the class is by using lottery. In this case, the writer uses the research instrument of speech in telling experience (recounting events) to collect the data. Each student will speak about their experience in front of the class one by one as a performance test.In order to get the data needed for this research, the writer had administered a test. The test was conducted to know the students' ability in speaking. Three raters checked the result by listening to the students' recorded speech and checking the pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension aspects. The raters give scores for each student. Finally, the scores of the raters are totaled and then divided by th ree. In scoring the students speaking ability, the writer uses the scoring which found in Harris (1974). All the aspects of speaking is divided by 5.Analyzing the students' speaking ability can be done as follows: 5 In order to know the level of ability of the students' speaking ability can be classified as follows: Test Score Level of Ability 81-100 Excellent 61-80 41-60 Mediocre 21-40 Poor 0-20 Very Poor Harms (1986) 3 RESULT AND DISCUSSION There are 35 students who took the speaking test. The students' score has been analyzed by three raters. After calculating the real scores of the students from each rater, the writer computes the students' scores from each rater to know the regenerates of the students who get excellent, good, mediocre, poor, and very poor level in speaking.The result of it can be seen as in the following table: Table 1 . The Percentages of the Students' Ability According to the Three Raters No 2 4 Score Range 81 -100 61 -80 41 60 21 -40 Total Frequency 9 17 35 Percentage 0. 00% 25. 71% 48. 57% 100% From table 1, the result of the test is mediocre. It is calculated by combining the students' scores from each rater and it divided by three. It shows that none of the students is in excellent level, 9 (25. 71%) students are in good level, 17 (48. 57%) dents are in mediocre level, then 9 (25. 1 are in poor level, at last, there is none of the student who got very poor level. By this, the writer concluded that this speaking test is not difficult for the students. After getting the score of the students from the raters, the writer classified the students' scores based on each component of speaking as shown in the following table: Table the Students' Average Scores for Each Aspect of Speaking According to The Three Raters Rater 1 The Aspects of Speaking Pronunciation Grammar Fluency Vocabulary Comprehension Rater 2 x 89 79 102 2. 26 2. 54 2. 57 2. 91 72 78 7 107 Rater 3 2. 06 2. 3 2. 49 3. 06 85 91 101 2. 29 2. 43 2. 60 2. 89 The Average Scores of Three Raters 44. 0 48. 0 47. 4 49. 0 59. 0 49. 5 Table 2 shows that the students' average scores for each aspects of speaking according to the three raters. The average scores of Pronunciation aspect is 44. 0. It means that 4 the most difficult aspect in speaking is pronunciation. Few students can say the words correctly and some of them frequently use wrong words. It can be shown in the following table: Table 3. The Percentages of the Students' Pronunciation Score Range Level of Ability Frequency 15 42. 86% 12 34. 29%

Defining Leisure and Recreation Essay

Leisure is a general term and just like an umbrella, covers the terms, sport, recreation and play. Leisure is the overall term. Below is a diagram to help explain the relationship between leisure, recreation, sport and play: On the continuum between play, recreation and sport, there are a varied level of effort and seriousness. Play is a non-serious form of leisure and sport is very serious. Leisure can be very difficult to define. It is said to be the time spent outside of working commitments and other daily necessities. It can be spent doing anything that an individual would like to do. It is said to be called ‘free choice’. It is our ‘free time’ and is a complete opposite to work. There are many characteristics of leisure including your state of mind. Your state of mind is how you decide to spend your leisure time whether it is shopping or whether it is playing sport. Leisure may not always be relaxing but it has an aftermath of relaxation and a good feeling. Leisure may be active or passive depending on our state of mind. An example of a passive leisure activity is watching television. You are not active as you are only sat down watching television but it is a very popular leisure activity. An example of an active leisure activity is football. You are very active and you are running around. Leisure activities can also be home-based or away from home. An example of a home-based activity can be listening to music in the home and an example of an away from home activity could be going to the pub. Leisure is enjoyable and can be done anywhere. A quote from Collins Advanced Vocational textbook of Leisure and Recreation says, â€Å"Leisure can be defined as the time that an individual sets aside for activities or pastimes outside work or other necessities such as sleeping.† A-Z OF LEISURE ACTIVITIES ARTWORK NATURE SEEKING BIRDWATCHING ORIGAMI CAMPING PUB DANCING QUIZZES EXCURSIONS READING FAMILIES SHOPPING GARDENING TELE HOLIDAYS UNDERWATER ACTIVITIES INTERNET VISITS JOGGING WATERSPORTS KNITTING XYLOPHONE PLAYING LISTENING TO MUSIC YOUTH CLUBS MUSEUMS ZOOS All the above activities are activities that are done in our leisure time. They are taken out when we do not have work, or everyday duties like sleeping and eating. Recreation is also a free choice activity and is often active. It is more structured than leisure and is not usually done at home. Recreation implies enjoyment and the skill level does not matter. Recreation has a flexibility of rules and is very purposeful as it ‘re-creates the individual’ or ‘re-charges the batteries’ ready for work. Hobbies are usually productive with skill levels increasing with more practice. Recreation has a moral element and has a good attitude about it. Examples of recreation are swimming, stamp collecting and gardening. They are all ‘creating’ something, hence the word ‘recreation’. Swimming creates a stronger person, stamp collecting creates a larger stamp collection and gardening creates a nicer garden. Recreation is defined as, â€Å"the type of activities undertaken for enjoyment or relaxation during a person’s leisure time.† There are physical and passive recreational activities. Physical activities are playing sport, playing music instruments and gardening. Passive activities are watching television, listening to music and playing computer games. ‘Home-based’ recreational activities are cheaper, for example, reading library books is free and eating at home is much cheaper than eating out. It is also non-dependent on anyone else whereas going to a restaurant would involve other people. A quote from Kaplan in 1975, says, ‘Activity voluntarily engaged in during leisure and motivated by the personal satisfactions which result from it†¦a tool for mental and physical therapy.’ This is a very good quote to describe the definition ‘recreation’. Play can also be very hard to define as many people have different views on what play is. Although a major football team play football every Saturday, competitive football is actually counted as sport. An example of play is ‘tig’. ‘Tig’ is a game that can be played anywhere and does not have certain rules or boundaries. Play is very spontaneous and can be done on the spare of the moment. It can be played in the garden and is not competitive. It is make-believe and is often done to get away from the real world. There are no age boundaries and adults and children can play. Play is not very important and has a low level of skill. It is not compulsory and is a free choice what an individual decides to play. Playing does not have to be physical. An example of a non-physical game is playing cards. Whilst playing, no certain skills are being taught but people can learn new things whilst playing. Play can be defined as, ‘Activities from which you get immediate pleasure without ulterior motive.’ This quote was taken from There are many skills learnt by children through play such as physical skills like how to pass a ball properly in football. Other skills are cognitive skills, environmental, social and moral skills. An example for a cognitive skill is where you decide on a decision quick enough to react to it, for example, when an opponent comes towards you dribbling the ball, it is a cognitive skill that is used to decide whether you go and tackle them or not. An environmental skill is where you pick up from people what is the best way to care for the environment and the area around you. Social skills are how you learn to react around each other, how you learn to be friendly with one another and learn how to communicate in the appropriate manner, for example, a social skill learnt through play is shaking the opponent’s hand after a game. Moral skills are the way you act to other people and the manners use. For example if someone gives you something, you say ‘thank you’. You know it is morally correct to thank the person. This is an example of a moral skill. Play is the opposite of sport. Sport has many characteristics and can be defined as the most physical of leisure’s field of study’s. It can be very successful and competitive. Sport has a high level of skill and a high level of fitness. There are strict rules on and off the pitch. For example, on the pitch, one rule in football is that you are not allowed to tackle an opponent from behind. A rule off the pitch is that players are not allowed to take drugs. In sport, the outcomes are important as it may be for a league, cup or tournament. There are qualified officials that have an important role in the game. There are many people who play sport as a job, therefore, are professional sports players. In sport there are tangible rewards such as the F.A. Cup in football. Sport is formal as it has organised dates and times when sport is going to take place. There is a lot of effort put into sport and a lot of work is put into practising for the sport. For each sport, there is a National Governing Body just like the Football Association in football and the Sports players do still find it enjoyable as it is rewarding and fun to participate in. The word ‘sport’ stems from the Latin word, ‘disportare’ which means ‘to carry away’. Sport across the world is seen very serious and top sports players even put themselves through pain and emotion to succeed. A definition of sport is, ‘Any physical activity which has the character of play and which takes the form of a struggle with oneself or involves competition with others is a sport.’ This quote was taken from There are many factors that affect the participation of people in leisure and recreation activities. One of the most important factors are our peers. They can have a big influence on whether we do or do not participate. For example, if our friends really enjoy playing sport, you will be more influenced to take part also. But if our friends have the attitude that playing cricket is boring and we would be much better going to the cinema instead, you would be influenced in thinking the same. Other influences can be by your parents. If your parents are behind you in playing sport and buy you equipment and transport you, they will be influencing you into deciding to play sport. If you decide you would like to play football for your local team and need some football boots and your parents will not buy you them, you may decide not to play as you do not possess the equipment to play. A big influence on participation can be the opportunities you have around you. If the school you go to has a very good range of extra-curricular activities and has contacts with clubs in the area, you will be more influenced in taking part. If you have a higher opportunity to participate then there is a higher chance that you will participate. The area in which you live will influence you as well as there may be great facilities in the area or there may be none at all. A big influence in which activity we decide to participate in can be role models, such as Michael Owen in football, Steve Redgrave in rowing and Paula Radcliffe in running. These are all professional and very successful sports players that have a big influence on what sport we participate in. They are all very good at there own activities and our skill level can also influence us in our participation. For example if you know and feel you are good at an activity, you will want to take part in it more often that in an activity that you are not so good at. Some people have a lot of leisure time whereas other people have very little, this can also influence us on our participation as there may not be activities going on at the time you want to participate in. Our culture can also have a big influence on what activity we decide to take part in. For example, if your Granddad, Uncle and Dad all were good footballers, you may decide to take part in football, as it is a ‘family tradition’. Other influences in our participation can be our medical conditions and our disabilities. For example, a person in a wheelchair would not be able to play in the Premiership. A major influence on our participation in leisure activities is our wealth and our disposable income (our money we have left after we have paid for all our necessities), Many leisure activities cost money to participate in so if we do not have much money to append, this may affect our decision in what we do. There are many things that influence our participation such as our sex. Netball is seen as a women’s sport and men do not play. Although women play football, their status is nothing compared to men’s football. There are rules that say men and women cannot play football together from the age of 11. The lack of men’s netball teams and the lack of women’s football teams can influence our participation in certain leisure activities. Our level of fitness can also influence our choices as if we were very tall and very fit, we may decide to play a sport like basketball but if we had very strong arms, we may decide to choose to take part in rowing. Media can have a very big influence in our participation as it has a big influence in our lives. When you read the back pages of tabloid newspapers, you usually find that most of the pages are about football, because there is so much talk about football, you may be influenced in participating, just like if on the news, they say that it is bad to take part in basketball because you can hurt your ankles, you may be influenced in taking part in another sport. The marital status of an individual can also influence participation. If you are married with children, your leisure time will be reduced as you have more daily necessities like picking up the children and caring for them. Car ownership can have a major influence in participation also as if you have a car, it will be easier to access places that you cannot get to by public transport. As shown above, there are a great number of influences in participation, whether it is friends or medical conditions.

Ethical approval Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethical approval - Essay Example There should be one for the patients and one for the nurses. I have attached a copy of the participant information sheet which you are expected to use and which you will need to amend to reflect your study 3: You still need to include the interview schedules – there should be one for the patient and one for the nurses. These should detail the questions you will use to guide your semi-structured interview I confirm that I have read and understood the information sheet for the above study titled â€Å"Acute Pain for Postoperative Patients in Kuwait: A Study of How Surgical Nurses Assess Postoperative Pain† and what my contribution will be. I deem it a great privilege to seek your invitation to be part of the present research study. It is crucial that you understand the purpose of the research and what your role would be as a participant. I therefore ask that you make time to critically study the information provided below. Please feel free to ask any questions if any portion of the information appears unclear to you. Finally, you are free to decide whether or not to be part of the study. It is good to note that the research seeks to fulfil three major health related purposes which include the need investigate what the knowledge of nurses are on pain assessment; outline the various perceptions that nurses and patients hold on pain assessment; and find out what the risk factors associated with patients response to post-operative pain are. The major reason for including you as a participant for the current study is for you to provide experience based data on your experiences with pain as a patient who has gone through surgical operation in a Kuwait medical setting before. The major line of data that will be needed from you will include your experience with pain and how you assessed pain, before and after the operation. The major reason for including you as a participant for the current research is for you to provide evidence based data

Causes and Effects of Air Pollution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Causes and Effects of Air Pollution - Essay Example This paper illustrates that natural pollutants include volcanic eruptions, forest fires, wind erosion, natural radioactivity, and organic compounds evaporation, dispersal of pollen and wind erosion. Although these natural events have proved to cause a measure of air pollution, their frequency is very low. The main sources of air pollution are human activities. Industries are among the leading sources of air pollutants of numerous gases such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Other pollutants from industries are organic compounds, especially from petroleum refineries. The burning of fossil fuels in different locomotives is an additional cause of air pollutants with the increasing reliance on vehicles, trains, and motorcycles. These pollutants include gases such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, and particulates. Household and farming chemicals form the third source of air pollutants. These pollutants emanate from activities such as fumigating ho mes, dusting crops, and pesticide spraying. Air pollution has multiple detrimental effects on the environment and humans. Gases such as sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen usually mix with rainwater forming the acid that destroys vegetation and pollutes water. Moreover, some pollutants find their way into the soil through rain and cause eutrophication. Other pollutants have led to the formation of ground-level ozone that has affected people’s health adversely. Air pollution also involves particulate matter such as lead and presents multiple effects. Such particulate matter may cause respiratory disorders and long-term effects such as cancer, heart disease, and kidney disorders.

A review of academic research undertaken in relation to Small and Essay

A review of academic research undertaken in relation to Small and Medium Sized Enterprises - Essay Example In the study, United Kingdom’s SMEs have been observed. It has been identified that SMEs also have a role to play in the economy of the UK. However, there are underlying challenges and problems that the country’s SMEs face which need to be addressed by the government and other stakeholders involved. The paper intends to identify the current academic research into small and medium sized enterprises and the major issues faced by these firms. It also tries to present the role of SMEs in the UK. The paper will try to provide a brief summary of the overall scenario at the end and will provide recommendation based on the challenges that the SMEs in the UK face so that significant improvements in the SMEs can be introduced and better opportunities created. Table of Contents 1 Executive Summary 2 Introduction 4 Critical Review into Current Academic Research 5 Challenges of SMEs 7 Role played by SMEs in the United Kingdom 8 Conclusion and Recommendation 12 References 14 Introduc tion Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are those firms that do not have any subsidiary and are independent in nature thus employing a certain number of employees. The number of employees may be different in different countries. In European Union, the limit set for employing the employees has been set to 250 for SMEs. However, certain countries lay down the limit of employing 200 employees. The use of the financial assets is also evident in order to define SMEs. A new European definition of SMEs came into existence in the year 2005. The new definition offers increase in the financial upper limits and therefore it states that the turnover of medium-sized enterprises must not be more than EUR 50 millions. Similarly, the turnover of small enterprises must not be more than EUR 10 millions and for the micro firms the turnover must not go above EUR 2 million. Consequently, the balance sheet of the medium enterprises must not surpass EUR 43 millions. The balance sheet of small and m icro enterprises must not go above EUR 10 million and EUR 2 million respectively (OECD, 2005). The SME sector comprises a wide range of firms such as recognized conventional family businesses that utilize nearly hundreds of workers. The SME sector also makes use of â€Å"survivalist† self-employed workers functioning in unorganised micro enterprises (International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2004). The main aim of the paper is to identify the role of the SME in the economy of the United Kingdom. The study will try to focus upon the current academic research on SMEs. Theories on SMEs will be identified and the role of SMEs in an international context as a mechanism for job creation, innovation and long term growth will be studied in detail in the sections below. Critical Review into Current Academic Research Small and medium-sized enterprises can avail innumerable behavioural benefits in comparison to their larger counterparts in the process of innovation. However, it has been identified that they also face certain material disadvantages. The problem they face has been evident in the process of developing suitable network of contacts with outside sources of both mechanical and technological expertise as well as advice (Rothwell & Dodgson, 1991). It is quite difficult to measure the importance of SMEs. However, it is a well known fact that small and medium enterprises are considered as the basis of most of the economies, generally in relation to influences on employment as well as

Exam3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Exam3 - Assignment Example This is followed by the table of content that gives a listing of the key sections of the document. This is then followed by an executive summary, which in most cases, is written last after the whole document has been prepared. It usually helps refine and polish the key message of the writing. This is then followed by body the document’s body, which is usually an in-depth explanation of a writer’s ideas. Coming last is the conclusion that provides a summary of the key ideas presented in the body paragraphs. This process involves a preparation that often involves establishing the purpose of the document, assessing the audience, determining the scope of writing as well as selecting the appropriate medium of conveying the message. Research and literature review then follows where the writer seeks to understand the work before he conveys it. Organization follows, and this is where the writer considers options of how best to convey his message and what to convey in his message. The writer then writes a draft where he expands the outline into paragraphs not worrying about the grammar. The final phase is the revision phase where he checks for completeness and accuracy, spelling checks, review mechanics as well as acronyms and abbreviations. Being capable of preparing and delivering a public presentation has more advantages over giving a spontaneous one. It has the advantage of knowing who your audience is, which helps the speaker establish issues of importance such as how many they are, what they already know to avoid duplication of information, why they are there, what they think, and who they really are. It also gives the speaker the advantage of knowing when the occasion will be occurring, the exact timing of the occasion, as well as the duration it will take. In addition, it also enables the speaker to carry out a reconnaissance of the presentation venue

Risk Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Risk Management - Research Paper Example Having seen the danger posed by this kind of storing cash within a business, strategists came up with a number of ways to prevent cash theft by employees (Fennelly 39). One of the most fundamental ways of preventing employee theft while operating a cash drawer is to employ honest and trustworthy personnel. Another crucial method of preventing employee theft while operating a cash drawer is to always be aware of the cash in the inventory, store, security, and staff behaviors at all times. In this way, an employer is able to prevent any sort of losses through employee theft since security is intensive (Fennelly 50). Thirdly, an employer can prevent employee theft by monitoring their access. Generally, managers should find it necessary to always be informed of what is happening in the business’ cash drawer. In this way, the managers are able to know which employees have codes and keys to the cash drawer; therefore, in case of any loss they know who is accountable. Fourthly, havin g cash handling processes that does not give room for mistakes can aid in preventing employee theft cases (Ramsey and Ramsey 57). Fifthly, being always present and available for the team is very substantial in preventing employee theft. ... Apart from that, maintaining employee monitoring after undergoing an intensive training is very important when it comes to preventing shoplifting when using a cash drawer. Immediately after the newly employed staff concludes its training, setting up measures that will see proper monitoring of the staff is a sure way of preventing any sort of shoplifting, especially at times when the store is using a cash drawer system. There is also the method of establishing single or simply individual cash drawers for every employee, which have similar balancing procedure at the end of every single day (Wallace and Larry 55). Moreover, initiating a management sign offs in each refund, void, and refund deposit in a store that employs the cash drawer system of storing money is relevant and can help prevent shoplifting. Such strategies are suitable for preventing large-scale losses that may result from possible â€Å"pay outs† (Fennelly 77). In addition to that, a manager can help prevent shopl ifting in a store that uses a cash drawer by putting into place a regular inspection program that goes through register journal tapes and finds out if there are any irregularities. Piecing together a system that allows advent and regular inspection of largely what goes around the store facilitates security and prevents shoplifting in places where they use cash drawers (Ramsey and Ramsey 68). Disaster and recovery plan Commonly, a disaster and recovery plan is planning of a business that seeks to ensure its continuity even after the occurrence of disruptive event that may be in the form of a hurricane, snow, and/or even a simple power outage that may occur anywhere next or close to the business. In a disaster and

Compares and contrasts the interpretations of McClellans generalship Essay

Compares and contrasts the interpretations of McClellans generalship - Essay Example It is known that the common view in most books depict that the victory of the North in the Civil War is something inevitable due to mismanagement on the part of the South. Only few authors tackle the Civil War and the victory of the North in a perspective which emphasizes the North's dominance in terms of supplies, industrial infrastructure, and manpower. Thomas Rowland's George B. McClellan and Civil War History: In the Shadow of Grant and Sherman and James McPherson's Ordeal by Fire The Civil War and Reconstruction are two books which completely covers the Civil War and McClellan's generalship. Thus, it is interesting to know which information about George McClellan in the two books contradicts and which facts correspond with one another. Thomas Rowland's book revolves around George B. McClellan as a general and his contribution and role in the Civil War. Since the story revolves around him, the book covers his beginning--- from his previous work in the railroad to how he landed the position of a general in the Civil War. Initially, McClellan immediately attempted to get in touch with Winfield Scott, commander in chief of the American army, sending him several messages in which he suggested that the states between the Alleghenies and the Mississippi be organized as a military department under a head. On May 13, 1861, he received an order (dated May 3) appointing him to the command of the Department of the Ohio, consisting of Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois, with later additions of western Pennsylvania and western Virginia. On the other hand, McPherson's book tackles the Civil War as the focal point of the story, discussing only McClellan as one of the major contributors in the battle and North's victory. It covers all the facets of the war itself. Hence, the story covers the start of the Civil War which depicts the philosophical, social, political and economic political arguments that lead to the battle. Also, the book includes post-war events which include reuniting the nation and specifying the rights of the slaves from the South who have just gained freedom. In conclusion, the major difference between the two books is its approach on discussing the Civil War and McClellan's generalship. Rowland's work utilizes the inductive method of discussion as it focuses on McClellan while broadening the topic to the Civil War as it tackles McClellan's contribution to it. On the other hand, McPherson's work uses the deductive method ofdiscussion as its central subject is the Civil War and discussions of McClellan's generalship were only emphasized as the story narrates deductively from the Civil War to the figures who played important roles in it. Concerning McClellan's generalship, there are several points of agreement in the two books. Most importantly, both books confirm McClellan;s position as a general of the Department of the Ohio, which consists of Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois, Pennsylvania and Western Virginia and his contributions toward the Civil War. Also, the **other parts to follow Dec 31st, the

FIN MOD 2 SLP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

FIN MOD 2 SLP - Essay Example However, given the pace of economic growth and the fears of double dip recession in US, the price increase may not be sustainable. Thus prices may decrease by some percentage, but it may not change by great percentage due to fears of double dip recession. The movement in stocks indicates that the stock prices have relatively swung over the period of last five years. Though it remained in stable zones for some period of time, however, most of the time, it remained volatile given the fact that the overall performance of the firm was volatile also due to the financial crisis. However, its recent performance has seen the firm’s revenue to sky rocket again and its prices also swung upward due to higher performance of the firm. However, given the strong fundamentals of the firm and its strong financial performance and industry dominance, stock may not be entirely termed as risky. Theoretically, any firm with strong fundamentals and unique industry position may not be termed as a risky business because of the stability in the earnings. It is, however, also important to note that FedEx may still be considered as going through its growth stage given the fact that means of logistics are continuously changing i.e. e-mails and social networking has now become a norm, and consumers prefer to use free methods of communication. However, in other segments of the business such as parcel delivery and logistics, FedEx still leads the way. Some of the alternative investments that may be available include investing in mutual funds, saving accounts, etc. The normal rates offered by the banks on savings account range of 4.5% to 3.5% depending upon the term of the deposits. However, this return may be good enough to force the investor not to go for equity futures as given the recent performance of the stock, the investor may lose money on the futures as price of the futures may go down. Based on

Integration Efforts in Latin America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Integration Efforts in Latin America - Essay Example Considerably, several Latin American countries were successful after the World War and established scientific, industrial and technical infrastructures, in generating organizational and managerial capacities, training workers and in developing multinational industrial structures. The Latin American countries’ economies grew spontaneously and soon they were competing with the strong economies in the world (Balasa et al. 1986, p. 34). Regional integration has had a momentous responsibility in the design of global and prolific policies in Latin American states. Balasa et al (1986, p. 36) notes that the conception of unity and integration among the Latin countries has existed since the wave of independence movements that swept the continent in the early 19th century. Spanish Empire Leader, Simon Bolivar, had dreamt of a united Latin America. Today, notable advances have been made towards regional integration. The success of the European integration prompted the Latin American coun tries to merge to form a regional block. This move was faced with development challenges (Iglesias, 2000, p. 24). The discussion on integration is a deep process delineated by efforts to harmonize policies between countries and yield dominion to a supranational body. Integration is described as an incessant learning and approximation process susceptible to crisis. Capannelli et al (2009, p. 10) notes that integration is typified by more integrated political, economic and social policies. Because of the colonial rule, dependency and underdevelopment, Latin American countries have been economically susceptible. Reliance on the exports of primary export products and the importation of manufactured goods resulted to competition to the domestic industries which prevented their development. The integration efforts made emerged to curtail the impacts of the unequal global economy relationship. In spite of the momentum for integration, diverse objectives among countries, vulnerability to in ternational crisis and lack unity and trust among the member states have inhibited the integration process (Tiefenbrun, 2012). The Latin American Integration emerged after the great depression after the World War. These countries wanted to liberate themselves from the world superpower countries. With industrial subsidies and lofty tariffs, the Latin American countries believed that domestic companies and industries would have an opportunity to develop and reduce the over dependence on manufactured imported items (Hughes & Singh, 1991, p.78). To some extent, Latin American integration succeeded and failed. This paper outlines the failures and successes of the Latin American integration and the factors that caused them. Failures of Latin American Integration and the causes Because of the pressures of the first evolving world, Latin American countries have come up with many sub-regional integration organizations (Balasa et al 1986, p. 34), fundamentally to promote economic integration and trade liberalization. Unfortunately, most of them could not go beyond rhetorical political statements. For this reason, most of the regional integration processes failed. The primary argument is that the different goals and political systems by different Latin American countries brought about economic failure (Fishlow, 1991, p. 36). This is attributed to domestic causes other than international economic forces.

An Influenced Life Essay Example for Free

An Influenced Life Essay An Influenced Life As people grow and develop in their lives, many factors influence their trajectories. These factors manifest themselves in many ways, but some are more prominent than others. I believe that every person, depending the factors that influenced them most strongly, would place more importance on some factors than others. In other words, my essay will be different than other classmates, because I was raised differently than most of them and different things had impacts on my development. Individuals also probably think some are more important factors than others, and these viewpoints depend solely on their lives and their development thus far. My personal view is that some of the most important factors that influence an individual’s development are their innate temperament, the parents they are born to, the consequent family role they possess, the anxiety they bear in life, and the relationships they make – both forced and by their own volition. Read more: Essay explain how children and young people’s development is influenced by a range of personal factors. Although I believe these are some of the most important factors, they are by no means the only things that influence a persons’ development over time. Also worth noting is the fact that these all impact each other as well as singularly influencing an individual. When combined, many factors cause other factors and all influence a persons’ development trajectory. One of these influences is inborn, not decided by outside forces. Temperament is something every human is born with, and it is shown from the moment they start breathing. My sister and I, for example, have somewhat opposite temperaments. As a child I was very loud and loved to talk (which hasn’t changed), and my sister was much quieter and listened much better than I ever could. She was more patient from birth than I will ever be. This chasm between our personalities provides some definition for our life development. Her calm, quiet manner led to little misbehavior and consequent punishment. My quick, sarcastic temper led to much conflict with parents and occasionally teachers, and required containment. This put me in a different trajectory than my sister, as she became easy to deal with, and easy to please. My parents had to take a different approach with me, as my temperament led me to be harder to discipline, please, and control. The temperament of any individual greatly influences a person’s future life development. It influences the way a person reacts and relates to other people, the way they act alone and in company, and their view on the world. Parents are one of the influences I think most would agree impacts development most. Even people who had parents that were not present might agree that the absence itself influenced their life and development. The techniques parents use vary and are quite different from family to family, and occasionally even within families. Parenting impacts development and views of the world because they restrict or allow activities, and provide moral ideas and values in differing strengths, passing on much to their children. As we grow out of childhood, impressions of our parents from a young age remain with us and impact the way we live, act, and interpret others’ behaviors. The two spectrums for parenting styles measure how demanding a parent is, and how responsive a parent is. To me, these can make or break a child’s development. If either is too low, the child will have problems later in life, but if either is too high, there will also be consequences. High responsiveness may produce a needy, incapable adult, while low responsiveness will result in anxiety about love, and mattering. High demanding parenting may result in a high-strung, over-achieving stressed adult, while low demanding will produce an adult with little motivation and drive. Clearly, parenting impacts development and, if possible, should be controlled in order to help children develop correctly and well. As parents begin to treat children differently due to temperament, and children learn more about their parenting styles, the kids in the family begin to learn their roles in the family. These roles can range from simply the â€Å"quiet one† to â€Å"loud one,† or from â€Å"instigator† to â€Å"peace-maker.† Some of the roles can make children feel guilty, unworthy, or bad about themselves, while others make childr en feel proud, confident, and pleased. These differences start at a young age and continue through their lives, even into adulthood. This will also influence relationships and life plans, causing each person to have a different filter per say, which they view the world through. If an individual follows these family roles into adulthood, individuals follow whatever mold they were shaped into as a young person. This can obviously impact development in frightening ways. One can imagine a forty year-old still following his instilled role of a meek, rule-following, shy six year-old, or a twenty-one year-old still behaving as a reckless, authority defying teenager, but with much more damaging and dangerous rebellions. The types of anxiety that a person deals with on a frequent  basis derive from many sources. These factors come from both developmental sources and environmental sources. While environmental sources are inevitable and cannot be avoided, like natural disasters and wars, the developmental sources can be somewhat traced to other developmental factors. If a person carries too much anxiety, they can then begi n to develop harmful relationships and tendencies. Some anxieties that can hurt a persons’ development are worrying about trust, competence, and mattering. All three of these concerns can come from the way an individual is treated and affected by people close to them, and society as a whole, along with some of the traits they were born with. These main three concerns make or break relationships, another developmental factor. However, they also impact the way we develop in all strains of life, especially cognitive development. If someone has anxiety about not mattering or being competent, and this anxiety is reinforced by their relationships, they may truly begin to believe these things. This will begin to impact their work and productivity, starting to truly render them incompetent. Relationships also play a large role in development over time. Of all the factors discussed, I think this may be one of the most obvious, but also one of the most influential. Depending on the individual someone is relating to, and the impacts other developmental factors have on them too, relationships are the dynamic culmination of influences on human devel opment. Relationship models range from secure to insecure, and someone who forms insecure relationships is unlikely to trust anyone, and consequently bear even more anxiety than what led to the insecure relationship. I think relationships influence development because relationships give us friends, role models, and comfort. Relationships make life worth living, but if they are not healthy and secure relationships, the zeal for life may degrade. There are many factors that impact development in many different ways. These influences can have physical, social, cognitive, and emotional consequences, and help us to become the adults we do in life. They eventually all do interrelate and combine to influence each other and our development in many ways. This being said, it is crucial to development to have consistent, good, controlled factors. Although temperament cannot be controlled, parenting styles, family roles, and relationships can be objectively considered and helped, in order to ensure proper development and a productive, competent adult. If every child had these factors controlled  and watched, in order to help them develop the best they could, there would be much less anxiety, unhappiness, and idleness in our society.

Leadership As Construction Of Meaning Philosophy Essay

Leadership As Construction Of Meaning Philosophy Essay As human beings it seems necessary for us to try to put meaning on things to have a better understanding of our world. This process of making sense fulfills our fear (conscious or not) of not controlling our life. Sensemaking is a natural, ongoing and endless process. It implies trying to structure the unknown (Waterman, 1990, p.41) or making something sensible (Weick, 1995, p.16). Sensemaking requires three basics elements: frame, a cue and a relation between these two. Frame of references represents the past moments of the socialization whereas cues are the present moments of experience. The relation between these two must be plausible to extract meaning. Because sensemaking is not just a process as understanding, interpretation or attribution, it requires grasping the seven properties of sensemaking. Indeed, Weick sees sensemaking as a process that is grounded in identity construction, retrospective, enactive of sensible environments, social, ongoing, focused on and by extracted cues, and driven by plausibility rather than accuracy (Weick, 1995, p.17). Identity is a dynamic concept in continual redefinition. In fact, depending on the situation, we adapt our identity. For instance, my identity with my teachers is not the same than the one that I adopt with my friends. As a result, my identity is different according to the different sensemaking of the situation. However, all of those adjustments develop my frame of references. We extract meaning from cues by regarding our frame of references. In this way, sensemaking is a retrospective process: how can I know what I think until I see what I say? (Weick, 1995, p.18). If I take for example the situation where I hear the ambulance siren on the street, I will suppose that there is an accident in the neighborhood. Thus, I understand this stimuli (the siren) by isolating the cue and put off meaning from it. Nevertheless, it is only because I have already experienced it (and so it is on my frame of references) that I can make sense of it. Despite of it, we have to be also conscious that our attention of past events is influenced by what is occurring now, by the new situation and what I am now. This process is reinforced by social interactions. Human being is social so we need a common understanding to interact with each other. Those interactions influence our frame of references because we need a shared meaning to understand each other. One other interesting fact on Weicks theory is the role of interruptions. Since sensemaking is an ongoing process, we always find ourselves in the middle of complex situations which we try to disentangle by making, then revising, provisional assumptions (Weick, 1995, p.43). Consequently, we need interruptions on our projects to understand. Interruption is a signal that important changes have occurred in the environment (Weick, 1995, p.46). So, it forces and facilitates a time of reflection. A focus on environment is also necessary. In fact, we often forget that we are a part of our environment. Of course our environment influences our sensemaking but there is no single fixed environment. In other words, we also influence our environment by our actions. More than that, we create environment when we try to adapt ourselves to it. It is a mutual influence. To conclude, what is extracted as cues is not pre-given, but is contingent on context, frames of reference and actions. However, sensemaking is not about truth; sensemaking is about the embellishment and elaboration of a single point of reference or extracted cue (Weick, 1995, p.57). We just need something plausible, that makes sense for us. What is necessary in sensemaking is a good story (Weick, 1995, p.61). question 2: Management of meaning Leaders are entrepreneurs of meanings (Popper, 2011). This expression illustrates the main leaders role in the organization; leader must be a sensegiver. Also called the management of meaning, this activity consists in trying to influence followers understandings. Leader must convince his or her followers to embrace a new vision. In order to fulfill this mission, the leader should first provide directions, which could disconfirm the existing understanding. Consequently, the leader has to create a picture, as inspiring as possible, to motivate them. It is necessary that the followers integrate that the current position is wrong or not enough, and that they need to move in another direction. The leader would personify the guide to this desirable future. In spite of it, the leader could also use the bracketing process in order to enhance the followers perception of the organization. This could take the shape of labeling which convey the meaning of competition with other organizations. This strategy will improve the team spirit within the followers. The other solution for the leader could be using symbolic actions. In other words, by the management of meaning the leader legitimate his or her position. However, the main purpose remains to communicate a message to the followers. Those who succeed are the one who frame and define the reality of followers. As a result, those who fail are the one who did not communicate effectively. Several raisons could be mentioned. First of all, the leader and the vision are interrelated. That implies that if something goes wrong, that is the leaders responsibility. Nevertheless, in this particular case, the leader did not fail in sensemaking, just in business decision. So the real failure in management of meaning occurs when followers do not accept to be led by the leader or when they abandon him or her. The main mistake in this situation comes from the communication of the message. Indeed, the leader did not embody correctly the story that she or he relate to his or her followers. Moreover, it could also stem from that the new vision is too much in opposition with the collective frame of references. Consequently, there is no more shared meaning, necessary for a shared action. Indeed, all organizations depend on the existence of shared meanings and interpretations of reality, which facilitate coordi nated action. The actions and symbols of leadership frame and mobilize meaning (Bennis and Nanus, 2004, p.37). In those circumstances, it is quite impossible for the followers to extract the meaning of this new vision. As Bennis and Nanus express: the management of meaning, mastery of communication, is inseparable from effective leadership (2004, p.31). More than that, you lead by voice (Bennis and Nanus, 2004, p.137). If nobody could hear you, nobody will follow you; that is why management of meaning is necessary to lead effectively. question 3: Role of the followers in leadership The relationship between the leader and followers is dynamic. This relation illustrates an implicit contract between these two; the leader assumes all responsibilities if followers accept to be led and the other way round. This contract cannot exist without the mutual consent of both parts. Each of them needs the other to exist; and consequently each of them influences the other. Both are active sensemaker and sensegiver. As a result, leadership comes out as the product constructed by the leader and the followers. Though followers are often underestimated in the leadership, according to this dynamic relationship, they seem to have a role to play. Followership appears as an active role of followers play in shaping the interdependency of leader/followers interactions (Crossman Crossman, 2011). Any leader could exist without followers and no action is possible without followers. The role of leader is, in this way, to influence followers to move into action; but to reach this goal, lead ers need to make sense. This process is called the management of meaning. An essential factor in leadership is the capacity to influence and organize meaning for the members of the organization (Bennis and Nanus, 2004, p.37). As consequence, leaders are responsible to manage meanings into the organization, express it. Since followers have their own frame of references, they will not follow any type of vision. They require finding meaning in the leader vision. In other words, followers influence the way of the leader makes sense and so the leadership. Consequently, the leader has to adapt himself or herself to the collective frame of references; and so fit to followers expectations. To be in harmony with followers expectation, the leader should reflect about the main motivations of the followers to be led. Three principal explanations are formulated: the search for safety, someone responsible of the consequences, and/or someone as a prototypical of the group. As a result, the leader must shape structure to comfort followers, enunciate goals to motivate them and finally take all the responsibility (and so the risk) to fulfill the requirement of safety. In other words, leader has to act as a guide. The only way to embrace this role is to create a picture as inspiring as possible. Leader has to provide a plausible meaning in a complex environment and so he must make sense of an uncertain situation that initially makes no sense (Weick, 2009, p.9). To reach this goal, leader owns several supports as symbols, using cues and bracketing them or fit with the collective frame of references. Those will help him or her to get going the collective action. Indeed, since sense making is social, shared understanding is required to a shared action. To conclude, followers practice an important influence on the leadership. In fact, leader has to convince followers to be led. Consequently, followers appear as the judge of the leadership and allocate the legitimacy of the leader. As a result, leader has to remain in harmony with the collective frame of references in order to provide a common meaning and so to enhance the collective action. Leadership involves just three things a leader, followers and a common goal (Bennis and Thomas, 2007 p.137). qUESTION 4: Leadership as a multi-communicative activity We are living in a complex world where any situations could support a multiplicity of meanings and counter stories. The circumstances are the same in an organizational level. (FACE A) Face to this condition, leaders create meaning out of events and relationships that devastate nonleaders (Bennis and Thomas, 2007, p.17). Leaders are expected to give sense in those situations; we see them as sensegivers. To reach this purpose, leaders have to bracket the experience. In other words, they isolate small piece of experience (called cues) and put off meaning from them. After that, leaders can suggest a meaning. Leaders articulate and define what has previously remained implicit or unsaid; then they focus for new attention (Bennis and Nanus, 2004, p.37). To reach this purpose, leaders own a toolbox to convey effectively this new meaning. The most common tool remains speaking. Most of the great leaders that we know were famous for their ability to speak. In fact, leader and orator are often confused. Linguistic intelligence (Gardner, 1996) appears as a necessary skill. However, master rhetorical speech allows leaders to convince people with words but also with the way of delivering the speech. In fact, in this type of speech, the ton of the voice fit the state of mind of the leader and so attention of the message. The aim is to convey emotions and feeling in order to give life to the leaders vision and so motivate followers in their way. To be as convincing as possible, leaders have to embody the story. That implies relating personal stories, full of example and illustrations. Because they truly believe in what they say, leaders are authentic and so more convincing. They are a prototypical of the group and an exemplification of the message which suppose a strong identification to them. This would increase leaders legitimacy. Leaders could be seen as an actor who embodies perfectly the story. In fact, a lot of comparisons are made between performing leadership and theatre. This tool of performing is often assimilated to drama. In this way, metaphors are required to create stronger meaning. Indeed, metaphors highlight certain interpretations and in the same way hide others. Consequently, theories, building on unspoken metaphors, guide our perception and understanding. Performing also suggests enactment of leaders. Moving, use gestures, screaming but also use the silence is required to create emotions to the audience. Performing is a co-production between leaders and followers; each of them has a special role to play. So, highlight the main points of the message makes the audience react to it. Consequently it will improve the audiences involvement. Finally, using symbols adds power to the message. In fact, the message must be clear and easily understandable in order to touch everyone. Pictures, illustrations and symbols make it more shareable; and collective action is only possible with a shared meaning. All things considered, leadership is a multi-communicative activity. Leaders have choice concerning the way they want to convey their message. However, one important thing needs to be kept in mind: communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy (Rollo May). question 5: Frames of references both enables our sensemaking but in the same time restricts our sensemaking Frames enables people to locate, perceive, identify and label occurrences in their lives and world. Frames of references are shaped by experiences, values, education, knowledge and interaction with others. Sensemaking is an endless process because of the continuous flow of experiences. Thus, our frame of reference is modified and developed all the time. More you see, more you know express that frames of references enable our sensemaking. In fact, as I have said before, sensemaking is a retrospective cognitive process. More you experience, more developed is your frame of references and so more you put meaning off different situations. In the organizational life, frame of references has several functions. It could act as unwritten rules. It is a way of control because it implies all the shared assumptions about expected norms of organizational behaviour. But it could also be a cognitive structure which shapes theories of action, the appropriate way of doing business. Moreover, frame of reference in the organization could reflect the tradition and consequently bring the vision of the society and its values. All of these aspects of organizational frame of references enable our sensemaking because of a shared meaning. It allows order and to work efficiently within the organization. But, on the other side, frames of references could also restrict our sensemaking. In fact, it directs our attention. The way we percept stimuli appears biased. So, frames of references influence how we bracket cues and how we extract meanings from it. In short, frames of references limit our search for alternatives which constraint our expectation; and so restrict our sensemaking. Plus, our frames of references are more often reinforced than reformed. Indeed, more your frame of references is developed, harder is to question your behaviour and so think differently. Unfortunately, it works exactly the same on an organizational level. That explains why a lot of companies are afraid of taking risks. Risks imply change in the frame of references and so could decrease the legitimacy of the leader if it goes wrong. However, in our complex world, companies have to think different. Nowadays, the aim is not just profit anymore, but more stay competitive. In fact, the competition is harder than ever and crushes the ones who did not adapt themselves quickly. As Porter said: the firms must take out a distinct position from its rivals. Imitation almost ensures a lack of competitive advantage and hence mediocre performances. But, in so many cases, leaders forgot that they could also influence their environment. In short, by thinking different (and so make the difference) companies influence their environment and so their competitors behaviours. As a conclusion, frames of references are essential and necessary for order and clarity in any type of organizations. They represent shared, relatively coherently interrelated set of emotionally charged beliefs, values, and norms that bind some people together and help them to make sense of their worlds. Frames of references enable our sensemaking but, on the same time, can restrict it. To avoid it, we have to learn thinking outside the boundaries. We have to keep in mind the Albert Einsteins quote: Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. question 6: Clintons Human Rights Day Speech Rhetoric in the most general sense, is the energy inherent in emotion and thought, transmitted through a system of signs, including language, to others to influence their decisions or actions (Kennedy, 1991, p.7). Based on this concept, I will proceed to a rhetorical analysis of Hilary Clintons Human Rights Day Speech. Nevertheless, I want draw attention in the fact that it is a personal analysis. In fact, because of my own frame of references, I have particular expectations and interpretation of this speech and its subject; and it must bias the meaning that I could extract from it. I have also to take into account that is a celebrative speech. The point of it is to celebrate a special event, so it will influence the style of arrangement. However, Hilary Clinton has decided that is a good occasion to go over a simple celebration and argue also for the LGBT rights. In fact, just the first part of her speech is about celebration. Generally speaking, this speech is well written and arranged. In fact, it follows the fundamental aspects of rhetoric with differentiate parts as the exordium, the narratio, the probation, the refutation and the peroratio. Moreover, she decides to appeal to the audience by using pathos which awakening the emotions of the audience by employing the violence vocabulary and the protection and progress vocabulary. Hence, her speech is based on opposition. First of all, I could observe the introduction (or exordium) at the beginning of the speech. This part must be shortly and create sympathy to the audience. Here Hilary Clinton expresses it by some salutations as good evening and with humbleness deep honor and pleasure. She also explains the reason of her speech: the anniversary of one of the great accomplishment of the last century. It is a direct introduction since it is not a sensitive subject to talk about, just a celebrative speech. Consequently she has no need to present the subject in a more subtle way, nor introduce herself because she is already known by the audience. Secondly, her statement of facts (or narratio), remains the background of the speech as a story chronologically ordered and strongly based on the WWII. She also employs some metaphors as step by step or barriers and some illustrations full of details to make it spirited. This war is the collective symbol of a real trauma concerning the Human Rights, so she uses it to arouse the interest of the audience and emphasize the importance of the subject. Furthermore, everybody recognizes how terrible some people were treated during this period and sees it as a violation of Human Rights. Thirdly, there is the opinion and proof (probatio). I find it interesting how she changes her way of speaking. Indeed, I can see that she speaks more directly because she now uses I and no more speaks about the past (the word now is often used). She is no more subtle and she expresses clearly her point. From now on, the vocabulary used is stronger and the ton more convincing. She also uses a lot of comparison which is a good way to bring out arguments. She adopts an inclusionary vision, in other words she wants to demonstrate that everyone should join the movement: this challenge applies to all of us. I have noticed some particularities in her probatio. First, she divides it with five strong arguments, clearly identifiable thanks to catchphrases as the first issue, the third or a fifth. But the most surprising point is that she mixes the probatio and the refutatio (refutation). Though it does not disturb the general comprehension, some extracts of the refutatio are too much accusing according to me and can reverse the expected effect of it because it goes against her request of tolerance, in some extent. Another important aspect of this part is situated at the end of this part. The last three paragraphs of the probatio are addressed to a certain part of the audience: to the leaders, to people of all nations and to LGBT men and women. In each paragraph, Hilary Clinton acts as a real leader and gives special directions. The point of that is to show that everyone has a particular role to play in this fight. None the less, I find it regrettable that she seems to reduce the implication of the LGBT population. In the last paragraph of her probatio, Hilary Clinton tries to comfort them with people around the globe are working hard to support you and to bring an end to the injustices and dangers you face. However it is unfortunate that she does not motivate them as she motivated the other parts of the population. Because of that, the LGBT must feel considered as powerless although it is mainly their fight, even if they need help from the others. Finally the conclusion (or peroratio) is one of the most important parts of a rhetorical speech. It is the occasion to sum up the arguments and request the audience to do something. As it is the crescendo of the speech, the way of speaking must be more dramatic. Hilary Clinton does not respect totally this aspect of the peroratio. One the one hand, she asks the audience for acting in favor of Human Rights and do not stay immobile. Plus, the fact that she employs us during the latest sentences highlights that it is a collective fight, and that team spirit is required. But on the other hand, the explanation of the implementation of current policies disturbs the rest of her speech. She requests for fight but also explains that a lot of policies adopted, as the situation is almost fixed now. To my personal point of view, this part of the speech would be more effective on the narratio, just after the background history. She could express after it that a lot of progress should be necessary to a full achievement. Moreover, her way of speaking appears a little confusing. In fact, she is now using an exclusionary vision by repeating several time right side as if there existed a wrong side on this fight. This change of vision obscures her message and what she expects from the audience. Essay: Based on the description of the two leaders as persons and their leadership, what I have learned myself that I would like to bring with me in my following career as a potential leader?

The Acts Of The Apostles A Book Report Religion Essay

The Acts Of The Apostles A Book Report Religion Essay INTRODUCTION In this book report, I am going to write on the Acts of the Apostles written by, Marshall I.H. I am also going what view point and character Marshall used to write on the Acts of the Apostles. THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES In this book, Marshall presents the Acts of the Apostles through the eyes of Luke, who was travelling companion of the apostle Paul. Lukes desire in writing the book of acts is to give a true historical account of the events, that took place in the early church. Marshall, states that acts has been confirmed as a source to be depended on historically. EYE WITNESS The book of acts, and the acts of the Apostles were written by an eye witness. Marshall, notes that from Acts 16:10 onwards, Luke writes in the first person plural form. Marshall, mentions in his book, that Lukes mention of individuals, their positions in society, their tittles and surrounding have been proved to be true archaeologically. ACCURATE INFORMATION There is a reference, in Acts 12:12 of a prayer meeting place in the house of Marks mother, it is assumed thats where the believers and the apostles met for prayer. Luke, also writes about the life of Paul, from Pauls position as a Pharisee to an apostle of Christ. Luke, in his writing would often give a good account of the events that were taking place in the lives of the apostles and because the information is so accurate and has been proved to be true, Luke being present to watch and learn from the Apostles. Therefore, Lukes writing proves that it was not imagination or fiction but true and significant. Marshall, notes that even Mark new a lot about the growth of the church and the council of Jerusalem, Mark also was a travelling companion of Paul. Since the writer of acts is Luke, who knew the disciples from their positions in society before they called to be apostle. When Luke interacted with the apostles, he found out a lot of information about the apostles and their individual life stories. Luke, also mentioned the names and positions of different people governing Israel and the surrounding areas, people like Gallio who governed Greece. Luke also writes about Agabus, who prophesied about a great famine, that would take place all over the world and this prophecy was fulfilled during the reign of Claudius Caesar. COMMERCE Lukes writing, also shows that commerce was truly present in the days of the apostles. Acts16:11-15 tells us of Paul and his companions, sharing to a woman by the name Lydia who was a purple merchant from the city of Thyatira. Lydias name is a reminder that Thyatira was located in the ancient kingdom of Lydia, a place that manufactured purple dyes. ANALYSIS Any examination of the book of Acts is incomplete without some reference to Lukes original purpose for writing as recorded in Luke 1:1-4. Lukes first volume, the Gospel of Luke, is actually the real preface to Acts as well as the Gospel itself. The first thing that should be observed is that Luke does indeed claim to be writing an accurate historical account of the life of Christ in the preface to his Gospel, and there is general agreement amongst scholars that Luke intends this statement to extend to his second volume. Carson, Moo and Morris have observed how some scholars say that those who claimed to be historians in ancient times were well known for writing from their own biased agenda and therefore cannot be trusted to give an accurate historical account, but it should be noted that although it is true that some historians did write more fiction than fact, the best ancient writers were careful to give an accurate presentation of the facts in much the same way that would be expec ted of modern historians. Luke deserves to be placed amongst these ancient historians and only differs from modern historians because he does not set out to present every historical detail but is deliberately selective, choosing to concentrate only on events relevant to the growth of the Church. Like the Gospel, the second volume of Lukes history is dedicated to Theophilus who is addressed as most excellent 1:1-3. Bruce observes how it has been suggested that because the name Theophilus means dear to God, it is simply being used by Luke to refer to the Christian reader in general, and not to a specific historical individual as such.10 However, Bruce continues to point out that this is unlikely for two reasons. Firstly, the use of the title most excellent suggests an individual c.f. 23:26; 24:3; 26:25, and secondly, the literary style in which Luke writes his dedication bears striking resemblance to other historical documents of antiquity. Those who regard the book of Acts as non-historical often point to the difficulties between the council of Jerusalem in Acts 15:1-29 and the writing of Paul in Galatians 2:1-10.19 Although Lukes account of the council is straightforward, the main difficulty arises when it is compared with what appears to be the same event as described by Paul in Galatians.20 In Galatians Paul is speaking about his second visit to Jerusalem after his conversion, but in Acts Luke says that it was his third.21 This difficulty has long been recognised by biblical scholars and there are several explanations offered to resolve it.22 Bruce considers that the difficulties arise because the authors are actually speaking about two entirely different occasions. He arrives at this conclusion by observing how the discussion reported by Paul in Galatians differs from Acts because it centres around missionary activity; the issue of circumcision is only marginally alluded to; and no mention is made of appeasing tabl e fellowship amongst Jews and Gentiles.23 Probably the most significant difference between the conference of Galatians 2:1-10 and council meeting in Acts 15:1-29 is that the former was held in private while the latter was held publicly, before the Jerusalem Church.24 Wainwright also agrees with Bruce in these differences and recognises a more consistent pattern with Galatians 2:1-10 in Acts 11:27-30.25 CONCLUSION In my report of this book by Marshall I H, I agree to what the book says about the author of the book of acts that the author was Luke. I also agree to the fact that the information Luke gave about the lives and events surrounding the apostles is true and because he was a travelling companion of Paul, he knew a lot about the apostles from their position in society to their positions in the church.

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s All the Sad Young Men Essays -- Fitzgerald Sad Y

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s All the Sad Young Men F. Scott Fitzgerald’s All the Sad Young Men was his sixth book. The work was composed of nine short stories that had been published in magazines such as the Saturday Evening Post over the course of the previous year. The work was Fitzgerald’s third short story collection and followed the Great Gatsby in publication on the 26th of February 1926. To most, this book signaled Fitzgerald’s staying power as many of his seniors had believed that his initial success as a writer was lucky. They did not take Fitzgerald seriously as an author. On the whole, critics valued the work and praised some of the stories as the best Fitzgerald had written to date. The collection of short stories in All the Sad Young Men included: â€Å"The Rich Boy,† â€Å"Winter Dreams,† â€Å"The Baby Party,† â€Å"Absolution,† â€Å"Rags Martin-Jones and the Pr-nce of W-les,† â€Å"The Adjuster,† â€Å"Hot and Cold Blood,† â€Å"The Sensible Thing,† â€Å"Gretchen's Forty Winks.† Of these, â€Å"Absolution† was widely considered to be the best as it was an artistic piece as opposed to the ones that the critics claimed Fitzgerald wrote to sell. â€Å"Absolution† is a story about an eleven year old boy and a priest; even those who did not like this collection wrote favorably about this story. One critic said of â€Å"Absolution,† â€Å"Yet, it must be said, immediately, that ‘Absolution’ is a penetrating and profound effort to articulate life in primal and dark conflict. It is simple and stripped of all artifice. The poet and humanist in Fit zgerald is in this counting of the search of a boy and an elderly priest for absolute truth, in the conflicting presence of the demands of daily life with its common everydayness of people and trivial affairs.†[1] ... ...cal jazz age mold and reached new audiences. Fitzgerald also received the common criticism that he was writing to sell; many critics felt that â€Å"Absolution† and â€Å"The Rich Boy† with a few others from the selection were the only works of merit. Bibliography ed. Bryer, Jackson R. F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Critical Reception. Burt Franklin & Co., Inc. 1978. http://www.people.vcu.edu/~bmangum/asymcr.html. (This site is not very informative.) http://www.sc.edu/fitzgerald/collection/dustjackets/sadmen.html. (Dust jacket) [1] Bryer, Jackson R. Pg. 258. [2] IBID. Pg. 259. [3] IBID. Pg. 253 [4] IBID. [5] http://www.georgetown.edu/tamlit/collections/fitzwrks.html#dreams [6] IBID. Pg. 260. [7] IBID. Pg. 258. [8] IBID. Pg. 259. [9] IBID. Pg. 261. [10] IBID. Pg. 261. [11] IBID. Pg. 270. [12] IBID. Pg. 269.

Basic Discription Of Microbiology :: essays research papers

BASIC DISCRIPTION OF MICROBIOLOGY They’re out there! You can’t see them but they can see you. Right at this very moment they are living on and in your body, and there is nothing you can do about it! This may sound like the beginning of a horror movie, but it isn’t. It is actually a very basic description of a very broad subject: microbiology. Microbiology is a complex subject that spans out into a variety of areas. I am a person who is entering the health care field, and it is inparitive that I know the subject of microbiology and how if effects the world in which we live. Part one of this essay will deal with defining bacteria, viruses, fungi, microbes, and pirons. Part two of the essay will focus on indigenous micro flora that is on and in the body, and part three will describe the structure and replication procedure of viruses. Part one As stated by Prescott, Harley and Klein (1990) microbiology is the study of organisms that are usually too small to be seen with the naked eye. According to Jenson and Wright (1989) a pathogen is a disease-producing organism. They also describe microbes as organisms that are often too small to be seen without the aid of a microscope. Microbes, also known as microorganisms, can be broken down into four classifications that are bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. Prescott, Harley & Klein (1990) describe bacteria as prokaryotic cells (cells that lack a true membrane enclosed nucleus). Bacteria are both small and simple in structure; they usually are between o.5 and 5cmm yet they have many characteristic shapes and sizes. Some bacteria are circular or oval shaped, they are known as cocci bacteria. Other bacteria are rod-shaped, they are known as bacilli bacteria, and some bacteria are spiral and coil-shaped and it is know as spirilla bacteria. Engelkirk & Burton (1979) state that bacteria can reproduce asexually by simple division of cells and some bacteria reproduce sexually by conjunction. A bacterium is a waste producer of products and secretions. This allows pathogens to invade their hosts to cause disease some of these harmful diseases are Scarlet fever, an acute illness, characterized by a reddish skin rash, which is caused by systematic infection with the bacterium streptococcus. St. Anthony’s Fire is another bacterial disease. â€Å"St. Anthony’s Fire which is an acute superficial form of celluitus involving the dermal lymphatic, usually caused by infection with streptococci and chiefly characterized by a peripherally spreading hot, bright red, oedematous.

Modules on skills and materials Essay

â€Å"Well prepared teachers have a large repertoire of activities for their classes. They can organise preparation and controlled output practice; they can direct students in the acquiring of receptive skills and organise genuinely communicative activities. This repertoire of activities enables them to have varied plans and achieve an activities balance.† â€Å"The Practice of English Language Teaching† Harmer Which of the techniques outlined in this module, and elsewhere in the modules on skills and materials, would you use in order to achieve genuine communication in the classroom? This task should refer to other areas of the course. You should aim to write about 750 words. The ultimate aim of teaching English to speakers of other languages is to achieve genuine communication by limiting teacher talking time and maximising student participation. Simply standing in front of a class and telling things to the students does not guarantee they will learn them. Students need to be actively involved in the lessons. A vital step in establishing a class of active learners is classroom management. There are many techniques which can be implemented in order to achieve genuine communication within the classroom. Communication should take place the minute the class begins. Getting into the habit of ‘chatting’ to the students at the start of a lesson gives them the chance to take part in natural conversation. This can be achieved by greeting the students and allowing five minutes to go around asking what people did at the weekend, for example. This gets students speaking before they have had a chance to worry about getting involved. In order to create an open learning environment and aid the flow of communication, the furniture in the classroom should be arranged appropriately. Ideally, the furniture should be  arranged in a circle as it allows all the students to be involved and creates a sense of equality. However, if this is not possible, a semi-circle or some form of group arrangement is best. A semi-circle ensures the students are able to see any visual aids clearly and as many students as possible have eye contact with the teacher. A group arrangement allows for a huge degree of interaction and can be useful in mixed-ability classes, where groups of students can concentrate on different communication tasks according to their ability. Another great way of rousing communication is to show interest in the students by getting to know about their interests and backgrounds. This allows teachers to make conversation before and after class using personal information. How is your new cat? Is your husband feeling better? It is encouraging for the students and they are more likely to want to speak about themselves, their families, etc. Getting to know the students also allows teachers to personalise lessons and set up relevant discussions. This increases student involvement by allowing them to express opinions about their environment and personal experiences. A similar technique is to talk about current affairs or news stories. These are subjects that the students are likely to have knowledge of and will be able to discuss amongst themselves. This will encourage students to find interesting stories or anecdotes they can share with the class or to keep themselves informed so they can have meaningful input in class activities. Current newspaper and magazine articles can be cut out and used to prompt discussions. These techniques can allow the students to take control of the conversation, reducing teacher talk time and consequently further their learning. Relevant and realistic practise of language is important in spurring meaningful communication from students. Teachers should focus on elements of language and communication that are necessary for the student’s goals or are of personal interest. The types of activities utilised in a lesson can give more or less opportunities for communication. The most obvious way to get someone talking is to ask them questions, but teachers should really think about the kinds of questions they ask. Closed questions are simple direct questions that can be useful for checking understanding or reviewing language, whereas open questions do not always have a single or right answer and get the students thinking. Both types of questions are useful in the classroom and teachers should establish a good balance between  the two. Furthermore, questions should be directed to the whole class initially, rather than a named individual, as this ensures all students are alert and thinking about the answer should they be chosen to respond. Another technique to keep students focused is avoiding asking questions in a fixed order. Teachers should mix it up by darting around the classroom, keeping the students on their toes. Asking questions can be rather limiting in the degree of communication it fosters and it involves a lot of initial input by the teacher. In order to encourage genuine communication between students so they get the most out of the experience, teacher talking time needs to be limited. Group or pair-work activities are a great way to do this. They generate conversation and communication flows more naturally. Well prepared group or pair-work activities should require students to maintain communication in order to complete the task. They dramatically increase the amount of speaking time each student gets in the class and allow students to interact independently without guidance of the teacher. This promotes learner independence and more spontaneous communication. Role-plays, dialogues, sketches, etc. can be a great way to reduce anxiety about speaking. Students may be embarrassed at first, but become less self-conscious as they concentrate on the character or role they are required to carry out, thus produce more natural language. In addition, prompts, such as role cards and realia can be provided as an aid for the students to use during their performance. It is important for the teacher to continue monitoring groups during fluency tasks to ensure English is being spoken. It is imperative that the use of the mother tongue language is limited in the class. If the class are of differing nationalities, this aids communication as the students have no choice but to use English to communicate. Thus, there are many techniques that can be adopted to ensure genuine communication is achieved in every lesson. It is important for teachers to really think about all aspects of the lesson, including the introduction, seating arrangement, the delivery of activities, materials used, etc. prior to teaching in order to maximise student talk time so that each individual gains the most out of their experience within the classroom. TASK FOR SUBMISSION TO YOUR TUTOR TASK 2 You are working in an ESOL school with class sizes of 14-18. Your boss does not like your school’s current way of testing spoken English. At the moment it is tested in a one-on-one, 2 minute speaking test at the end of course with a mark from 0-10. It does not seem to be working well and takes up a whole lesson from the course. He has asked for suggestions as to how to change the system. With reference to what you have studied in this and other modules, and to your own experience and reading, make some suggestions to your boss as to how the school could assess the spoken English of the students in a more accurate and less pressurized way. You should write about 400 – 500 words to send as an email setting out your ideas. Dear ______, In light of your recent request for ideas as to how to change the current way of testing spoken English, I would like to propose the following suggestions. Rather than a one-on-one end of year speaking test, we could adopt a task approach and assess the students speaking ability in a variety of ways throughout the duration of the course. We could create tasks that require the students to use the language in ‘real-life’ communicative performances. This type of testing is advantageous as it can be conducted with more than one student at a time, reducing the amount of time dedicated to the testing. It allows the students to use their language knowledge and competence in ‘real-life’ communications with their peers. It is a more realistic and accurate measure of their abilities. Not only do these tasks test accuracy and fluency, they also test how creatively the students are able to use language and whether they are able to communicate effectively with each other . It is likely to reduce the pressure they feel about a single ‘interview’ with the teacher, particularly if they get to perform the  tasks with other students so the focus isn’t solely on them. Adopting this kind of testing approach will allow us to carry out a number of different oral tests throughout the course, assessing a variety of skills. There are a number of different tasks that could be used such as role plays, debates and presentations. Role Plays: We can give them a specific situation and roles to play that utilise the language they have learnt. Role plays can be used informally throughout the course so the students get lots of time to practice for a formal assessment. Debates: We could split the classes into groups and have each group debate an argument relating to different topics they have studied. Each group would be split into two smaller groups, one to represent each side of the argument. The students can be given time in or out of class to prepare their side of the debate. Each side could be allocated a specific time for giving their initial argument in which each student has to contribute the same amount of time. Again, debates can be used informally throughout the course to practice language, allowing students ample of practice before the formal assessment. Class Presentation: We could assign group projects for the students to carry out in or out of class. The students will have a deadline to complete the project, at the end of which they will be asked to give a group presentation. We can provide them with guidelines of what to include and what skills they will be individually tested on. Another way to test students individually that takes away the pressure of ‘performing’ in front of the class is to ask them to make a recording. In a previous school, we had students read a short story and then asked them to imagine they were one of the characters. They had to record themselves giving an account of what happened according to their {the characters} personal experience. The students were allowed time to think about what they wanted to say before making the recording. After assessment, the students listened to each other’s recordings and gave constructive feedback to their classmates. This type of assessment was carried out a number of times throughout the course, with notable improvements across the board. Although this approach is less realistic, it gives the students a chance to hear themselves speaking and pinpoint their own mistakes which they can work on in the future. I hope these suggestions are of use and we are able to implement a more successful way of testing the oral skills of the students.