Wednesday, October 30, 2019

The Two Dominant Political Parties in the United States of America Essay

The Two Dominant Political Parties in the United States of America - Essay Example The federalist also insisted that the government should be run by "best people" or the elite and not by the common people. They supported the executive branch of the government. The Republicans wanted strict and inflexible interpretation of the institution and opposed central government. They proposed that the government lessen its intervention to economy and give the power to the state because they desired more involvement of the people. They also support legislature to formulate laws in governing the populace. Federalists admired the British and wanted to copy the aristocracy of Great Britain. The Republicans favored France. The Federalists' suppression of freedom of press and speech was strongly opposed by the Republicans. There were some similarities of these two political parties. To promote their policies and ideologies, the Federalists created Gazette of the United States and the Republican set up the National Gazette. This increased the involvement of the people, dividing further the Americans. Both parties supported foreign countries: the Federalist for Great Britain and the Republican for France.

Monday, October 28, 2019

Fishbone Diagram Essay Example for Free

Fishbone Diagram Essay Fishbone diagram allows Hotel Escargo to turn the problem upside down working through the roots so that the issue is fixed. It is also easier to fix the smaller problems that lead to the main problem. Looking at the check-in delays, there are a lot of small issues that have led to this occurrence. The first issue is computer malfunctions. Often times, computers tend to freeze due to glitches in the used software causing them to lose customers entering information. This issue causes customers not to get their room which is a check-in delay. Another issue is not having valid and filed credit cards. When checking in, some customers enter the hotel with credit cards that are either expired, maxed out, or not in service. This leads to customers not being able to check-in their room which is another check-in delay. Not having rooms prepared for guests because of a slow cleaning crew leads to check-in delays. Having no available bellmen due to them assisting other customers also leads to check-in time delays. This results from having a shortage of bellmen. Bad front desk service due to them being slow, unorganized, and having a shortage of workers leads to check-in delays. Last but not least, not having a pre-reserved room also leads to check-in delays because individuals have to go through the reservation process the day they try to get a room. If all of these issues are taken care of, check-in delays will be eliminated.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

M.C. Escher :: essays research papers

The Dutch artist Maurits C. Escher (1898-1972) was a draftsman, book illustrator, tapestry designer, and muralist, but his primary work was as a printmaker. Born in Leeuwarden, Holland, the son of a civil engineer, Escher spent most of his childhood in Arnhem. Aspiring to be an architect, Escher enrolled in the School for Architecture and Decorative Arts in Harlem. While studying there from 1919 to 1922, his emphasis shifted from architecture to drawing and printmaking upon the encouragement of his teacher Samuel Jessurun de Mesquita. In 1924 Escher married Jetta Umiker, and the couple settled in Rome to raise a family. They resided in Italy until 1935, when growing political turmoil forced them to move first to Switzerland, then to Belgium. In 1941, with World War II under way and German troops occupying Brussels, Escher returned to Holland and settled in Baarn, where he lived and worked until shortly before his death. The main subjects of Escher's early art are Rome and the Italian countryside. While living in Italy from 1922 to 1935, he spent the spring and summer months traveling throughout the country to make drawings. Later, in his studio in Rome, Escher developed these into prints. Whether depicting the winding roads of the Italian countryside, the dense architecture of small hillside towns, or details of massive buildings in Rome, Escher often created enigmatic spatial effects by combining various -- often conflicting -- vantage points, for instance, looking up and down at the same time. He frequently made such effects more dramatic through his treatment of light, using vivid contrasts of black and white. After Escher left Italy in 1935, his interest shifted from landscape to something he described as "mental imagery," often based on theoretical premises. The lavish tile work adorning the Moorish architecture suggested new directions in the use of color and the flattened patterning of interlocking forms. Replacing the abstract patterns of Moorish tiles with recognizable figures, in the late 1930s Escher developed "the regular division of the plane." The artist also used this concept in creating his Metamorphosis prints. Starting in the 1920s, the idea of "metamorphosis" -- one shape or object turning into something completely different -- became one of Escher's favorite themes. After 1935, Escher also increasingly explored complex architectural mazes involving perspective games and the representation of impossible spaces.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Indian Relations in Chesapeake and New England Essay

In the 1600’s English settlers came to America seeking refuge, and land. Upon coming to America the settlers crossed paths with the natives and eventually lead to a variety of relationships. There were various factors that shaped the relations in certain regions such as the Chesapeake Bay and New England. The events that lead up to tension between the natives were the settler’s lust for new land, diseases and the on-going disputes between the natives and the settlers. In the Chesapeake Bay the Powhatans were originally the dominant power among the Native Americans. The Powhatan tribes flourished under the Powhatan Confederacy until the arrival of the Europeans. Tension arouse between the natives and the settlers as the new colonist began establishing their town and had a scarce amount of food leading them to raid the Powhatan’s food source. The natives fought back and attempted to restore their supply of foods when Lord De La Warr declared war against the Powhatan’s therefore marking the beginning of the Powhatan war. The Powhatan villages were raided, burned and the cornfields were torched down cutting off their main food source. A peace treaty ended although it was shortly broken after the Powhatans attacked the Settlers due to them further expanding and into English territory. Like many wars the gain of territory is one of the fundamental reasons as to why many people start a war. The Powhatan were defeated due to lack of unity despite of their confederacy while they were attacked by diseases and the Europeans advance weapons which gave the Europeans the upper hand. Unlike the Powhatans and the English Settlers in the Chesapeake region, the relation between the Puritan Colonist and the natives started in mutual respect. The natives were first attacked by a new set of diseases causing nearly three-quarter of the population to die. Although the natives were introduced to diseases they befriended the Quakers. They formed an alliance and established the treaty with the Plymouth pilgrims in 1621 and aided the Quakers in celebrating the first thanksgiving. Despite the treaty and tension began when new English settlers began to migrate to America further settling inland to the natives’ region. Like the Powhatan Indians the Pequot Indians were attacked where their homes were burned and the fleeing natives were shot. The Puritans then pushed forward to converting the natives into Christianity further creating tension through resistance from the natives. The Indians final form of resistance was the alliance between tribes in the war against king Phillip. Roughly about 52 puritans towns were attacked at the end of the war where the English won. In conclusion the English Settlers came to America in search of land. The land-hungry settlers caused tension that arouse from the colonist moving into natives’ land as well as diseases and constant attacks to each other. The two regions share the commonality that both shared hostility between the natives and English settlers.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Following Conditional Construction Following Conditional Construction

ZERO CONDITIONAL A. Sample sentences If interest rates fall, company profits rise. If prices don't go up, people buy more. B. Form (condition)(result) If sales increase,we make more profit. ZERO CONDITIONAL C. Uses The sentences of Zero conditional are general facts or things that are always true, i. e. the consequence always follows the event. Statements in this form commonly appear in factual discussions or scientific and technical material. In the condition clause there can be a variety of present forms. †¢When you fly business class, you get much more legroom. present simple)   Ã¢â‚¬ ¢If interest rates are rising, bank loans become more expensive. (present continuous) †¢When you’ve finished the course, you get a certificate. (present perfect). ZERO CONDITIONAL In the result clause there can be a present simple (last examples) or an imperative. †¢When you fly business class, don’t drink too much of the free alcohol. Notice that we can use either if o r when(ever) where the meaning is every time. CONDITIONAL   I A. Sample sentences †¢If I do an MBA, I’ll improve my job prospects. †¢If our main competitor goes bankrupt, we’ll increase our market share.B. Form (condition) (result) †¢If you increase your order,we’ll give you a bigger discount. †¢If anyone from Head Officesay I’m in a meeting. calls, CONDITIONAL   I C. Uses 1. In Conditional I the speaker sees the event as a real possibility, i. e. , if-clause is used to talk about future events that are reasonably likely and their results. The if-clause states the condition, and the other clause states the result: †¢If sales don't go well this year (condition), we won't increase our profits. (result) With all types of conditionals the if-clause can come second. We’ll make more profit if sales increase. CONDITIONAL   I 2. if and unless Unless often replaces if †¦+ negative expression:†¢If you don’t wea r a suit and tie, you won’t be allowed into the club. †¢You won’t be allowed into the club unless you wear a suit and tie. Conditional statements can function as either promises, warnings or threats. But note that unless cannot be used to make a promise. †¢If you order now, you’ll get a free gift. (promise) †¢We won’t be able to do business with you unless you comply with our ethical policy. warning) †¢Unless we receive payment by the end of the week we will be forced to consider legal action. (threat) CONDITIONAL   I 3. In Conditional I, the imperative, or modal verbs can be used in the main clause, e. g. may, can or must, instead of will + infinitive: †¢If you hear from Anne today, tell her to give me a call. †¢If the traffic is bad, I may miss the appointment with our supplier. †¢If we sign the contract today, we can start production at the end of next week. †¢If Mr. Porter rings, you must ask him to leave his number.CONDITIONAL   I 4. We do not use will in the if part of the sentence even when the meaning is future: †¢If the goods will arrive tomorrow, I will collect it. (? ) †¢If the goods arrive tomorrow, I will collect it. (? ) Will is only possible in such cases if it is used to express not future time but willingness or invitations (the style is formal), e. g. †¢If you will sign this agreement, I will let you have the money at once. †¢If you will come this way, Mr. Jones will see you now.CONDITIONAL   I 5. In formal written documents, e. g. egal contracts or agreements, one may find the following conditional construction in Conditional I: †¢Should the agent default on the contract, we will take legal action. †¢Should the unions accept new productivity agreements, the employers will meet their wage demands. †¢Should + infinitive is an inverted construction in place of â€Å"If the agent defaults†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or, â€Å"If the unions acceptâ₠¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ . †¢!!! Note that only should, never would, is used in this way. CONDITIONAL   II †¢Sample sentences †¢If trains were more reliable, more people would use them. †¢If I had as much money as Bill Gates, I would retire.B. Form †¢If you wanted a quantity    you would have to order discount,    at least 1,000 units. †¢If I knew her number,      I would send her a fax. CONDITIONAL   II C. Uses 1. We use the Conditional II to refer to an action or state we imagine, i. e. , the speaker sees the event as a remote possibility: †¢If these machines were not so expensive, we would buy them. (But they are expensive, and we are not going to buy them. ) †¢If he lost his job tomorrow, he would move to London to find another one. (He doesn't think he will lose his job, but he understands the possible consequences.CONDITIONAL   II 2. It is also possible to use could or might instead of would: †¢If we hired a factoring agency, we coul d recover our debts more easily. †¢If every piece of mail was personalised with your company logo or message, your customers might be very impressed. CONDITIONAL   II 3. We do not use would in the if part of the sentence: †¢If trains would be more reliable, more people would use them. (? ) †¢If trains were more reliable, more people would use them. (? ) But, in the sentences †¢We would be very grateful if you would send us the information as soon as possible. I would be very grateful if you would put your address on the back of the cheque. would is not part of a conditional tense here. It is a modal verb, and represents a more polite form of will as used in conditional clauses in Conditional I. It introduces the idea of â€Å"yourâ€Å" agreeing, or being willing, to do what is suggested.CONDITIONAL   II 4. In formal written documents, e. g. legal contracts or agreements, one may find the following conditional construction in Conditional II: †¢Were the agent to default on the contract, we would take legal action. Were Alice to apply for the post, she would get it. †¢Inverted constructions are in place of â€Å"If the agent defaulted†¦ † and â€Å"If Alice applied for†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Conditional II ?What would you say to a friend who asked you which faculty to go to? ?What would you do if you were ?the Prime Minister ?the Dean of the Faculty of Economics? CONDITIONAL   III †¢Sample sentences †¢If I had done an MBA, I would have had more opportunities. †¢If we had anticipated the crash, we wouldn’t have lost so much money. B. Form If the price had been lower,sales would have been higher.If we had made a better offer,we would have won that contract.CONDITIONAL   III C. Uses †¢We use Conditional III to imagine the opposite situation. If what actually happened was negative, we use a positive form, and vice versa. If what actually happened was positive, we use a negative form: ?We didn't put up our prices (-), so we kept our market share (+). ?If we had put up our prices (+), we would not have kept our market share (-). ?We promoted him (+) and he didn't give his notice (-). ?If we hadn't promoted him (-), he would have given his notice (+).CONDITIONAL   III . In Conditional III the speaker recognizes that the event is an impossibility, i. e. cannot be fulfilled: †¢If we had waited a few more months, we would have saved a great deal of money on the new faxes. (But we didn't wait a few more months; so, we didn't save money on the faxes). †¢If you had sent the letter by airmail, it wouldn't have been delayed. (But, you didn't send the letter by airmail, so it was delayed). CONDITIONAL   III 3. We can use could or might instead of would: †¢The merger could have succeeded if the management styles hadn’t been so different. The presentation might have been better if she had felt more confident.CONDITIONAL   III 4. You may find the following con ditional construction in Conditional III: †¢Had we made a better offer, we would have won that contract. †¢Had the shop packed the goods properly, they wouldn't have got damaged. Inverted past perfect is in place of â€Å"If we had made †¦Ã¢â‚¬  and â€Å"If the shop had packed †¦Ã¢â‚¬ . !!! We do not use would in the if-clause. †¢If the interview wouldn't have been a success, they would not have given me the job. (? ) †¢If the interview had not been a success, they would not have given me the job. (? )

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

War Letters essays

War Letters essays War Letters is evidence of the heroic contributions and astonishing literary voices of common soldiers, marines, airmen, and sailors, as well as war nurses, journalists, spies, and chaplains. Andrew Carroll began with the belief that soldiers letters sent home during wartime were important as both historical documents with detailed descriptions of battles and as personal reminders of what war really is. He received over 50,000 war letters, from attics, basements, scrapbooks and old trunks. Carroll founded the Legacy Project with the idea of remembering Americans who have served this nation in wartime by seeking out and preserving their letters. The best of these letters are assembled in this book, giving us a look into the Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korea, the Cold War, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf. Most of these letters are dramatic accounts of combat written immediately after the most horrific or hardest battles American troops have faced. Many love letters from husbands and sweethearts; humorous anecdotes and complaints about bad conditions; thoughtful reflections on the nature of warfare; and perhaps most devastating, a startling number of last letters penned just hours or days before the sender was killed. War Letters, written by Andrew Carroll was a very emotional book. I enjoyed reading it very much. These historic letters capture the full fury and intensity of warfare, and they reveal in great detail what the servicemen and women of America have experienced and sacrificed on the front lines. It is a tribute to those who have fought for this country, and a celebration of the enduring power of personal letters. Andrew Carroll assembled a collection of previously unpublished letters that show the emotion of wartime. It made the emotions very real to me. I cannot think of a better way to understand the horrors of war than to read the words of those who were caught in its grasp. These letters offer some of...

Monday, October 21, 2019

The Faber Book of Beasts Essays

The Faber Book of Beasts Essays The Faber Book of Beasts Essay The Faber Book of Beasts Essay Essay Topic: Poetry Analysing poetry is not an easy task; poetry is a complex and complicated subject. To begging with, we have to consider that these two writers worked in different time period. Thom Gunn worked through the 20th century while Thomas Flatman was a writer from the 17th century. The way they write is different, by analysing both poems we can see that Thom Gunn uses a free verses and little rhyming The Girls wake, stretch, and pad up to the door. / They rub my leg and purr (Muldoon, 1997, p. 5). On the other hand, the use of rhymes is clear in Flatmans poem, Only cats when they fall / From a house or a Wall (Muldoon, 1997, pp. 5-6), according to the evidence provided is possible to say that Thomas Flatman is using rhyming couplets, where it usually consists of two lines that rhyme and have the same meter. Gunn uses a freer usage of structure in his poem, but his lineation is essential to the flow of the verse. This is clear in the opening line of Apartment Cats, and pad up to the door (Muldoon, 1997, p. 5) it plays a monosyllabic mimicking of the cats paws. Gunns poem consist of longer lines with ten syllables and shorter lines with five syllables, where in Flatmans poem most of the lines are made of eleven syllables. Gunns poem Apartment Cats is composed with shorter lines comparing with Flatmans An Appeal to Cats in the Business of Love. Even comparing the titles of these two poems, we get to the conclusion that Flatmans title is more related to anthropomorphist, in the way he uses the words Cats in the Business of Love, it made me wonder at first, if he was really writing about cats? But after I read his poem, where he mentioned the old Lady Grimalkin, and the way she came alive in his poem with the line Puss! Puss! Last no long, but turn to Cat-whore! (Muldoon, 1997, pp. 5-6). I can therefore, confirm that he was writing about cats. In both poems the cats have been subtly personified, where in my own opinion we can say that Thom Gunns poem Apartment Cats is an anthropomorphist poem, in this case he describe the cats with a human attitude She abruptly rises, knowing well / How to stalk off in wise indifference (Muldoon, 1997, p. ), in these lines he contrasted the liberty by humans, and the freedom of choice. In Thomas Flatman poem An Appeal to Cats in the Business of Love, he gives us the sense that he is comparing cats with humans, in a sexual way. Both poets sexualize the cats, we can see in Gunns poem which is highly charged with sexual imagery, when he mentioned their eyes get wild, their bodies tense'(Muldoon, 1997, p. ) giving us the sense that two people, in this case the Girls from his opening line are sexual attracted to each other. As we know Gunn wrote apartment Cats in the 1970s, where his verses were associated with drugs, homosexuality and sex. In Flatmans poem is clearer the way he sexualizes the cats Man ride many miles, Cats tread many tiles (Muldoon, 1997,pp. 5-6), it suggests that cats have sex only for the pleasure of having sex, therefor we can see the clearly comparison with human beings.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Using the Spanish Conjunction Y

Using the Spanish Conjunction Y Although the Spanish conjunction y usually is the equivalent of the English and, it also can be used in a few ways that arent exactly the way and is in English. Keep in mind that y  changes to  e when it comes before certain words. Basically, it become e when it precedes a word that begins with the i sound, such as iglesia. Using Y To Link Similar Grammatical Units Most of the time, y is used to connect two sentences or words or phrases that are the same part of speech or fulfill the same grammatical function. Thus, for example, it can join two or more nouns as well as two or more direct objects. Grammatically, y in this usage is known as a copulative. Un perro y una vaca son los protagonistas del libro. (A dog and a cow are the books main characters. Y joins two nouns.)Tà º y yo sabemos lo que es vivir tan lejos. (You and I know what it is to live so far away. Y joins two subject pronouns, although it could can join a noun and a pronoun if they are both subjects.)Cantbamos y tocbamos mejor que nadie. (We sang and we played instruments better than anybody. Y joins two verbs.)Es el mejor regalo para à ©l y ella. (Its the best gift for him and her.) ¿Por quà © ese idiota es rico y yo no? (Why is that idiot rich and Im not?)El presidente y el vicepresidente tienen un mandato de cuatro aà ±os. (The president and vice president have a four-year term.)Vi la pelà ­cula y la encontrà © buena. (I saw the film and I found it to be good.)Me duele mucho y estoy preocupada. (Im in much pain and I am worried.) If y is used to join a series of three or more entities, a comma is not used before the final entity unless needed for clarity. This is in contrast with English, where the comma is optional or a matter of; when it is used in English, it is known as the Oxford comma. Tà º, ella y yo vamos a la playa. (You, she, and I are going to the beach.)El leà ³n, la bruja y el armario fue escrito por C.S. Lewis. (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was written by C.S. Lewis.)Venimos, comimos, y nos fuimos. (We came, we ate, and we left.)Esa idea es estereotà ­pica, incorrecta e inautà ©ntica. (That idea is stereotypical, incorrect and inauthentic.) Y in Questions To Mean ‘What About?’ In beginning questions, y can carry the idea of what about? or how about? Although the and of English can be used the same way, the Spanish usage is much more common. No puedo nadar.  ¿Y tà º? (I cant swim. How about you?)No sabà ­a que David estaba enfermo.  ¿Y Casandra? (I didnt know David was sick. What about Casandra?) ¿Y quà ©? (So what?) ¿Y si mi hijo no se toma la medicacià ³n? (What if my son doesnt take the medication?) Y as an Indication of Contrast In some contexts, y can be used to indicate a contrast in a way that the English and standing alone doesnt. In these cases it usually can be translated by and yet or and still. Estudiaba mucho y no sabà ­a nada. She studied a lot and still didnt know anything.Juan es asesino y lo amamos. Juan is a murderer, yet we still love him.Antonio y Casandra son hermanos, pero à ©l es alto y ella es baja. (Antonio and Casandra are brother and sister, but he is tall even while she is short.) Using Y To Suggest a Large Amount As with the English and, when y connects a word or phrase that is repeated, it suggests a large, indefinite amount: Corrieron y corrieron hasta llegar a casa. (The ran and they ran until they arrived at home.)Es una ciudad muerta desde hace aà ±os y aà ±os. (It has been a dead city since years and years ago.)Mi madre estudiaba y estudiaba a todas horas. (My mother studied and studied all the time.) Key Takeaways Y is most often the direct equivalent of and, being used to join two or more works, phrases, or sentences that have the same grammatical status.Y can also be used at the beginning of a question to mean what about.In some contexts, y emphasizes the contrast between two or more grammatical entities.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Atypical Behaviors Reflection Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Atypical Behaviors Reflection - Movie Review Example This fetish is perceived to be very weird because balloons are associated with children and, accordingly, people who literally love balloons can be treated as pedophiles (Nikolaj Rantala). Foot fetish is one of a kind of fetish where people are attracted by some body parts (Ryohey Sasagawa). This fetish is treated as abnormality because people rarely pay attention to feet when it comes to romantic relationships or attractions. They are more likely to seek people with certain color or hair or eyes. The Love Dolls video by National Geographic deals with one more abnormal sexual behavior where men almost fall in love with human-like love dolls. Men give names to their dolls, take care of them and treat them like people. All these fetishes look strange to me because they really challenge traditional understanding of sexuality. I grew up in a traditional family with totally conventional beliefs about sex and relationships. Balloon and love dolls fetishes look really strange because I simply cannot understand why people feel sexually aroused by things like dolls or balloons. Overall, perception of sexual abnormalities heavily depends on the person who judges what is normal and what is

Friday, October 18, 2019

Competitive Advantage Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Competitive Advantage Strategies - Essay Example It is apparent that most companies have realized that customer satisfaction is vital in attempts to achieve both the short term and long term goals. In addition, maintaining customer loyalty has proved equally significant. One common element that many companies or firms have always employed is price reduction in attempt to appease the customers. On the other hand, others inflate their prices with the aim of aligning themselves to a particular group of customers especially those who have a notion that expensive goods or services are of high quality. Thus some companies brand their product to be of high quality by pricing their products highly. It’s a psychological way of maximization of profit margin (Pearce & Robinson, 2011). The experience and skills of employees ranging from the top management level to those at the lowest position are imperative in the success of highly performing institutions. In addition, persistence, possessing an innovative staff and awareness of the need analysis of customers can skyrocket a firm to the stratosphere (Pearce & Robinson,

Assessing Materiality and Risk Simulation Case Study

Assessing Materiality and Risk Simulation - Case Study Example Investors are attracted to companies that have large profits and high dividends repayment. The company management utilizes audit information when making company strategies. Information about profits, losses, and market share help company managers make critical decisions regarding business processes (Boynton & Johnson, 2006). Materiality is the measure of the quantity and quality of item misstatement in a financial report. An audit statement enables the auditor to determine whether auditing has been carried out according to the financial reporting framework. Company items that have no effect on the judgment of the user of the financial statement can be omitted. Important items that affect the users’ judgment require auditor attention. The auditor must allocate materiality to sampled items in order to ensure some accounts are not ignored or under weighted. During auditing, only accounts that matter are audited, and materiality is attached after sampling. Every company has established materiality standards aimed at identifying misstatements in audit reports. Sampled accounts are checked against the set standards to determine the quantity of misstatement (Boynton & Johnson,

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Software localisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Software localisation - Essay Example (Reg1a) Alchemy Catalyst combines the power and flexibility of regular expressions like ezParse which makes it simple and quick to work with visual development environment in order to develop text parsers for virtually any file type. EzParse also supports the most popular encoding systems such as UTF-8, UTF-16 and Shift-JIS. (Cat1a) Requires personnel management, work organisation, planning, analysis, setup and coordination of resources, deployment of tools and software, tracking, reporting, and most of all flexibility. During the first analysis of the files that are to be localized we try to determine whether a glossary containing new terminology is necessary. At the same time we examine the extent of the project, and, depending on the deadline, we choose the most suitable means and technology for the work. Based on this analysis a list of files is generated, and a glossary; styles and formatting are defined, and procedural rules are established. We maintain full consultation with the customer. (Stage1a) Localization includes several levels of quality checking. ... Q3) a) Project Management Flow: Project Commencement Which activities would be undertaken, which areas would be addressed during this stage of the project, and what would be the output Requires personnel management, work organisation, planning, analysis, setup and coordination of resources, deployment of tools and software, tracking, reporting, and most of all flexibility. During the first analysis of the files that are to be localized we try to determine whether a glossary containing new terminology is necessary. At the same time we examine the extent of the project, and, depending on the deadline, we choose the most suitable means and technology for the work. Based on this analysis a list of files is generated, and a glossary; styles and formatting are defined, and procedural rules are established. We maintain full consultation with the customer. (Stage1a) b) Production Flow: Evaluation Which areas of a product would be covered during evaluation stage and what would be the output at this stage. Evaluation is done when the software is implemented at the client side in order to estimate the degree of accuracy needed from the software according to the business requirements. Production actually covers the translation itself, and document composition. This phase affects the quality of the product the most. Continuous Control: During the production period our customers are encouraged to check the translated text. They can see and verify that everything is being done as they require. Quality Checking: Localization includes several levels of quality checking. Language experts read through the whole text prior to the application of standard controls for translation precision, style, terminology and content. Special

Importent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Importent - Essay Example To analysis how different models changes with ICT, Andriole (2015) assessed various models. When there is improved governance expansion of ICT stakeholders, there is a likelihood of increasing the importance of technology. Such steps improve governance, how business operates, how strategies are implemented, and guides the emergence of related technologies. For instance, the emergence of participatory governance correlates positively with the adoption of technology in federal and business environments. Besides, there is increased satisfaction of business requirement if cloud-computing takes a centre stage in such ventures (Andriole, 2015). Contrary, other federal governments and businesses that do not embrace computing lags behind in every aspect. There is evolution in governance technology because the emergence of technology leads to evolution of governance. However, one should ensure evolution does not affect the dynamisms of the business. Having all parties in the ICT is essential. The role of both external and internal individuals is a significant consideration in the emergence of new participatory governance matrix utilising

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Software localisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Software localisation - Essay Example (Reg1a) Alchemy Catalyst combines the power and flexibility of regular expressions like ezParse which makes it simple and quick to work with visual development environment in order to develop text parsers for virtually any file type. EzParse also supports the most popular encoding systems such as UTF-8, UTF-16 and Shift-JIS. (Cat1a) Requires personnel management, work organisation, planning, analysis, setup and coordination of resources, deployment of tools and software, tracking, reporting, and most of all flexibility. During the first analysis of the files that are to be localized we try to determine whether a glossary containing new terminology is necessary. At the same time we examine the extent of the project, and, depending on the deadline, we choose the most suitable means and technology for the work. Based on this analysis a list of files is generated, and a glossary; styles and formatting are defined, and procedural rules are established. We maintain full consultation with the customer. (Stage1a) Localization includes several levels of quality checking. ... Q3) a) Project Management Flow: Project Commencement Which activities would be undertaken, which areas would be addressed during this stage of the project, and what would be the output Requires personnel management, work organisation, planning, analysis, setup and coordination of resources, deployment of tools and software, tracking, reporting, and most of all flexibility. During the first analysis of the files that are to be localized we try to determine whether a glossary containing new terminology is necessary. At the same time we examine the extent of the project, and, depending on the deadline, we choose the most suitable means and technology for the work. Based on this analysis a list of files is generated, and a glossary; styles and formatting are defined, and procedural rules are established. We maintain full consultation with the customer. (Stage1a) b) Production Flow: Evaluation Which areas of a product would be covered during evaluation stage and what would be the output at this stage. Evaluation is done when the software is implemented at the client side in order to estimate the degree of accuracy needed from the software according to the business requirements. Production actually covers the translation itself, and document composition. This phase affects the quality of the product the most. Continuous Control: During the production period our customers are encouraged to check the translated text. They can see and verify that everything is being done as they require. Quality Checking: Localization includes several levels of quality checking. Language experts read through the whole text prior to the application of standard controls for translation precision, style, terminology and content. Special

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Marketing Management exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing Management exam - Essay Example Eight demand states in marketing of bifocal lenses are detailed below: Negative Demand: A product is said to face negative demand when a significant segment of the market dislikes it and even pays to avoid it (Kotler and Keller, 2006, p. 10). The fundamental task of marketing managers in this situation is to find out the reasons for this negative demand state to the product and take effective measures to counteract them (Sandhusen, 2000, p. 59). People in some countries have a negative demand for vaccination, but, it is very unlikely in the demand for bifocal lenses. No Demand (Nonexistent demand): When the target-market customers are unaware or are uninterested in a product, it is called no demand state (Kotler and Keller, 2006, p. 10). The main task of marketing managers in this state will be to connect potential product benefits to the needs and wants of the target-customers. This is also very unlikely in the case of demand for bifocal lenses, because, people are well aware of it. Latent Demand: It is when many prospective consumers share a strong need but that cannot be satisfied by the existing product (Kotler and Keller, 2006, p. 10). For example, demand for hair restoratives and painless diets (Sandhusen, 2000, p. 59). The marketing manager is, in this state, expected to measure the potential demand and develop products accordingly. Currently, sufficient quantities of bifocal lenses are available in the market to satisfy prospective demands for it. Latent demand is often described as a vague want (Baker, 1998, p. 80). Declining Demand: It is a state in which customers begin to buy a product less frequently or not at all (Kotler and Keller, 2006, p. 10). Even though demand for bifocal lenses is not declining, some factors can likely cause it in the future. In this case, the marketing management is responsible to analyze reasons and project better strategies to counteract the trend. Irregular Demand: This occurs when seasonal, monthly,

A Separate Peace Essay Example for Free

A Separate Peace Essay A Separate Peace tells the story of a sixteen-year-old boy at boarding school in New Hampshire during World War II, and the mixed feelings of admiration and jealousy he harbors for his best friend and roommate. Things get messy pretty fast, as you might expect from a bunch of ill-supervised adolescents. John Knowles novel, often compared to Catcher In The Rye, he raises a question about competition amongst teens. Competition is supposed to be healthy, but Knowles questions when do you draw a line between a fruitless rivalry and wanting to win at all costs. Knowles uses themes of friendship, identity and youth to establish quite clearly that knocking your best friend out of a tree is on the wrong side of that line. A Separate Peace focuses on the friendship between two sixteen-year-old boys, and its complicated. Friendship is a combination of admiration, respect, jealousy, and resentment. For all the camaraderie between them, these boys are still driven by good old healthy competition, which at times can end up being, well, less than healthy. Friendship blurs identity, as one boy begins to assimilate the life of the other. Narrator Gene has an inner struggle with himself trying to decide if he pushed best firend Finn off a tree, shattering his leg and dreams, on purpose or not. In the book he says It struck me then that I was injuring him again. It occurred to me that this could be an even deeper injury than what I had done before. I would have to back out of it, I would have to disown it. There are two ways to interpret this passage. Either this is one of Genes greatest moments of honesty or its yet another moment of justification. Knowles leaves it to the reader to decide if Gene would rather live with his shame than hurt Finny by revealing the truth, or if he is pretending he doesnt want to hurt Finny in order to recant the truth and save himself from persecution. In A Separate Peace John Knowles explores the difficulties with understanding ones own identity during adolescence. Identity is complicated enough as the narrator enters adulthood in a time of war, but a difficult friendship with Finny leads to a further confusion of identity. Attempting to alter identity serves a number of purposes in the book, from escaping guilt to living through others to dealing with insanity. Gene begins abandoning his identity and assimilating that of Finny because of the would be the guilt he feels for ending his Olympic dreams. Finny interested in turning Gene into a version of himself for the very same reason. Furing Finnys funeral Gene says I did not cry then or ever about Finny I could not escape a feeling that this was my own funeral, and you do not cry in that case. If Gene did in some way become a part of Finny, then part of Finny lives on in Gene. Gene alludes to this when he says that he still lives his life in Finnys created atmosphere. In the book youth exists in its own environment. Knowles physically, mentally, and emotionally isolates it from the rest of the world. In doing so growing up becomes the transition from the sheltered environment to the harsh realities of things like war, hatred, and fear. In the book while taking a walk Gene does a little introspection stating levels of reality I had never suspected before, a kind of thronging and epic grandeur which my superficial eyes and cluttered mind had been blind to before. They unrolled away impervious to me as though I were a roaming ghost. Essentially Gene has moved into the adult world. In doing so he is leaving his youth behind. That sense of emergence is reflected as he considers his old self, his younthful self, dead. Nearly all the major characters in the book attempt to alter identity but these attempts ultimately fail and then the characters are forced to deal with themselves, actions, and personal identities. Knowles cleverly uses the title of the book in order to explain the overall It wasnt the cider which made me surpass myself, it was this liberation we had torn from the gray encroachments of 1943, the escape we had concocted, this afternoon of momentary, illusory, special and separate peace. These lines offer meaning, and this one with a less militaristic meaning. Essentially in the book Knowles has created a peace that is separate from the rest of the world, isolated somehow, protected. Like the youth at Devon school? The rest of the world is at war, but Gene and the other boys at Devon have achieved a peace outside of that war, a peace that is separate from it.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Empowering Male Children for Sustainable Development

Empowering Male Children for Sustainable Development EDUCATION AND BOY-CHILD EMPOWERMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN KENYA: THE CASE OF BUSIA COUNTY CHAPTER ONE 1.0 Background of the Study The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states that every child has a right to primary education and of which should be free. The boy child’s needs and interests have been neglected and marginalised by some educational policies, cultural practices, poverty, and many more factors which tend to subject the boy child to stressful conditions or alienate the boy child from the means of acquiring education, intra-family priorities, and the labour culture in Kenya. When affirmative action gained currency in Kenya, the needs and aspirations of the girl child were prominently amplified by the civil society, donor agencies, and lobby groups who included feminist scholars. This was followed by the concerted effort by the government of Kenya to address the plight of the girl child in Kenya. Today, a lot of attention has been directed to the girl child leaving the boy child quite vulnerable. Most programs in both the public and private sector are focused in improving the w elfare of the girl child in education, health, and in the recruitment process. Hence, this study addresses the plight of the boy child so that adequate effort is made to ensure that he accesses education without due regard to gender affiliations. The boy child of today has become vulnerable physically, mentally and economically. The simplest way to identify past achievements in child development is to observe the behaviour patterns of the current adult population. The rise of male battery in Kenya, the increase in cases of substance abuse amongst the youth, the rise of crime levels, the sharp increase in traffic accidents attributed to human error, the burning of public service vehicles during night hours, and the increase in the number of absent fathers is a reflection of bleeding Kenyan society. The study contends that the empowerment of the boy child through education to avoid early drop out is quintessential to economic, social and political growth of Kenya as a whole. In general, insufficient government policies, widespread poverty, cultural practices that negate boy child education, partisan focus towards the plight of the girl child has negated the empowerment of the boy child educationally. 1.1 Statement of the Research Problem The efforts which have been employed since independence to achieve gender parity in education have failed its objectives and manage effectively the empowerment of the boy child in Kenya. In spite of the government effort to enable both the boy child and girl child participation and access to education, there is still a high dropout rate in both primary and secondary levels. In an economic perspective, education is known to be a key determinant of economic growth and premature dropout means loss of potential productivity for the boy child. In an educational perspective, dropout raises the cost of achieving a targeted proportion of the population having some level of schooling (Hanushek, Lavy, and Hitomi 2006). Although drop out may appear insignificant in proportion but it is preponderant among the poor which thereupon turns the wheels of intergenerational transmission of poverty against them. At personal level, dropping out of school will mean consigning one to a future of low-income trajectory and abject poverty. The aim of this study is to identify these governmental policies, personal problems, and societal practices of the Luhya and Iteso communities in Busia County that account for high dropout levels of the boy child’s education. However, the dropout rate across genders has been a perennial problem in the Kenyan education system. Similarly like many parts of Kenya, Busia County has been experiencing a high dropout rate of male students in both primary and secondary schools. This study seeks to investigate the reason for this trend. 1.2 Research Questions The research seeks to answer the following questions:- What are the school based factors that keep the boy child out of school? What socio-cultural factors lead to drop out of the boy child in Busia County? What personal factors lead to boy child drop out from primary and secondary schools? What are the possible factors of retention of the boy child in schools? Does performance among the boys affect their dropout rate? What are the possible policies gaps that encourage boy child drop out from schools? 1.3.  General Objective The main objective of this study is to investigate the factors leading to drop out of the boy child from primary and secondary schools and the role of government in ensuring the boy child is empowered educationally in Busia County. 1.3.1 Specific Objectives The principle objectives of this study are: To determine the school based factors that lead to drop out of the boy child in schools. To establish socio-cultural factors that lead to drop out of the boy child in schools. To establish boy child’s personal factors that lead to drop out from schools. To suggest possible ways of enhancing retention of the boy child in schools. To establish policy based factors that lead to drop out from schools. 1.3 Significance of the Study The study is significant in that:- The research findings and recommendations of the study would assist educational stakeholders, planners and policymakers to: Identify, test and apply principles for successful achievement of gender balance in enrolment, successful completion of study and transition to the labour market Promote the value of neutral governmental policies in ensuring both the girl child and the boy child attain their full educational potential The research would provide information to the government of Kenya and other educational stakeholders on how to expand educational opportunities for both the boy child and girl child The research will provide information on the role of cultural practices in curtailing or improving boy child education, and ways to reverse a negative trend The study would be important in its attempt to identify ways that education stakeholders can initiate to enhance community involvement in the development of education in Kenya 1.4 Scope of the Study The study is to be confined to primary pupils, secondary school students, teachers, head teachers, parents, out-of-school pupils, and county education officials in Busia County. 1.5 Definition of Terms Drop out Early withdrawal of pupils and students from primary and secondary schools respectively without completing the required primary or secondary school years and the concerned pupils or students do not enroll back to school again. Gender – Social and cultural distinctions between men and women where distinctions refer to roles, relations and identities associated with sex. Those roles associated with male are called masculine while those associated with female are called feminine. Transition – Refers to changing from one state to another. It means the pupils who complete the primary school cycle and move to the secondary school. Once in secondary school, they complete the secondary school cycle and proceed to university. Schools – Primary and Secondary institutions of learning CHAPTER TWO 2.0 Literature Review This chapter outlines the literature that is based on studies that have been conducted and are directly or indirectly related to this study. 2.1 Overview of boy child education around the world From 1990, UNESCO has played a key role in making Education for All a priority. This extent, most segments of society have accepted that human rights, good governance and an educated citizenry are the best and strongest in achieving development, economic growth and stability (UNESCO/World Economic Forum, 2008). 2.2 Overview of boy child education in Africa In 1970s, Tanzania’s successful applicants to public secondary schools represented 11% of primary school leavers but the number dropped to only 1% of primary school leavers in 1984 because Tanzania neither permitted private secondary schools nor expanded public primary schools due to its socialist system. But when Tanzania began licensing private schools in the mid 1980s enrolment grew rapidly and it exceeded the enrolment in public schools. This growth demonstrated the previously unmet demand for secondary education in Tanzania (Word Bank, 1995). 2.3 Overview of boy child education in Kenya Education in Kenya is still a challenge due to lack of enough facilities to absorb the ever increasing number of pupils who successfully achieve high marks in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations. This has resulted in many pupils missing an opportunity to join secondary schools due to inadequate facilities to meet the high demand. An estimated 206,282 (28%) of pupils who sat for KCPE examinations in 2010 did not get a slot to join form one in 2011 because the maximum number of enrolments in secondary had been reached (Daily Nation, January 11th 2011). Although this represents a transition rate of 72 % as compared to the Millennium Development Goals target of 70%, the number of pupils missing to join form one is still very high in Kenya and this includes boys. 2.5 Overview of boy child in Busia County Kingdon in his studies on: â€Å"Where has all the bias gone? Detecting gender-bias in the household allocation of education expenditure† found out that the most important factors affecting educational attainment are parental background, wealth, opinions, individual ability, age-at-marriage and the quality of the primary school attended. (Kingdon, 2005) 2.5.1 Personal factors leading to students dropout from school The concerns of the boy child can cause him to drop out of school. The socialization process in schools will either lead to the integration of the boy child to the education system or feel out of place. According to Wrigley (1995), there is a simple relationship between education and gender equality. Schools act as sites of pervasive gender socialization. Wanyoike (2003) argues that the pupil or student peer groups if not guided well can lead to distressing outcomes like engaging in substance abuse, unprotected sex and bad study habits. This will eventually lead to dropping out of school. 2.5.2 Socio-cultural factors leading to students drop out from school Social cultural factors leading boy child drop out from primary and secondary schools will be viewed under family set up and beliefs, early marriage and family economic status in both rural and an urban setup will be observed. 2.5.2.1 Family set up and beliefs According to the World Bank (1996), there are socio-cultural practices that affect the functioning of schools in developing countries. Brown (1980) observed that that some children are withdrawn from schools by parents in rural areas to assist in household chores like babysitting younger children, escorting parents to public functions, ferry water from long distances, caring for the sick relatives, grazing of cattle among others. This eventually affects the performance of the boy child and in most cases lead to drop out. This study will therefore determine the extent in which family set up leads to the boy child drop out of school in Busia County 2.5.2.2 Early Marriage The problem of early marriage has been considered a problem affecting the girl child alone. There are some traditional practices such as male circumcision and other initiation ceremonies that force the boy child out of school early to start his own family. These factors will be investigated in Busia County to determine whether they are prevalent. 2.5.2.3 Family Economic Status The situation analysis survey done in Kwale county in 1995 points out that poverty as the most important factor for students dropping out of school (33 %t and 64 %). (Okumu, 1995) Report by the Ministry of Education (2007) indicates that 58% of the Kenyan population is living below the poverty line. This however leads to inability of the poor to meet education cost for their children be it boys or girls. As a result, this becomes a barrier to the education for boys who withdraw from school to engage in informal trade such as â€Å"bodaboda† a factor which the study seeks to investigate. Psacharopoulos and Woodhall (1997) further point out that those families that can barely sustain their livelihoods due to abject poverty opt to keep their children out of school and use them as labourers to earn extra income for bare minimum survival. 2.5.3 School based factors leading to boy child drop out from school The school based factors on the causes of male students drop out from primary and secondary schools will be looked at by observing discrimination, and sexual harassment by fellow pupils or students and teachers. 2.5.4 Student discrimination by teachers Blackmore and Cooksey (1981) explain that when a student is admitted into primary and secondary schools, there are certain routine procedures that take place. The pupil or student is subject to command from the teachers. This study will therefore confirm whether the drop out of male pupils or students is related to discrimination by teachers in Busia County. 2.5.5 Sexual harassment There has been a growing number of reported cases pupil or student sexual harassment by teachers or fellow students. The Ministry of Education (2007) argued that gender insensitive school environment include attitudes of the key stakeholders in the school leads to many reported incidents of sexual harassment and gender based biases. 2.5.6 Policy based factors leading to boy child drop out from school According to the Ministry of Education report on KCPE examination registration per county in 2013, there has been a decline in the number of boy child registration in several counties including Bungoma, Nyandarua, and Machakos among others (Ministry of Education, 2013). This study will seek to understand the reasons as to why this trend is emerging. 2.5.7 Theoretical framework Theoretical frame work used in this study will be based on theories such as rational choice theory and liberal theory. Rational Choice Theory is a framework for understanding and often formally modelling social and economic behaviour. Rational choice theory can help shed light on the motives of influential national, county and local actors and interests groups involved in making education policies in Kenya. This will enhance access, retention and completion rates. It is therefore imperative to adopt rational choice and classical liberalism theories because the both theories will bring out the influences of society and individual decisions that affect the education of the boy. Thus the need to utilize the theories as the study seeks to establish the factors leading to drop out and low boy child empowerment in education in Busia County. REFERENCES Abagi, O. (1992). Addressing the Gender Gap in Education in an Emerging Democratic Society of Kenya; A paper prepared for the workshop on democratic and democratization in Kenya. Nairobi: Department of foundation Kenyatta University. Brown, F.B. (1980). A Study of the School Needs. Phidela Kappan. p. 61, 537 – 540. Borg, W. R. S. Gall, M.D. (1985) Education Research: An Introduction.4 Ed. NewYork: Longman Publishers. Fatuma, N.C. . Sifuna, D.N. (2006) Girls and Women’s Education in Kenya: Gender perspectives and trends. Nairobi: UNESCO. Hanushek, E., Lav, V., . Hitomi, K. (2006) Do student care about school quality: Determinants of dropout behaviour in developing countries. NBER Working Paper Cambridge, Massachusetts: National Bureau of Economic Research. Kingdon, Geeta, 2005. â€Å"Where has all the bias gone? Detecting gender-bias in the household allocation of education expenditure,† Economic Development and Cultural Change, Volume 53, pages 409–451. Mutambai, B. (2005). A Case Study on Teenage Pregnancy: School times: Educational Insight Magazine. Pg. 42 MOE, (2007) Gender Policy in Education. Nairobi: Government Printer. Psacharopoulos, G., .Woodhall, M. (1997) Education for Development: An Analysis ofInvestment Choices. Washington: World Bank. Republic of Kenya, (1989) Totally Integrated Quality Education and Training: Koech report. Nairobi: Government printer. Sifuna, D.N. (1988). A Study of School Drop Out in Girls High Schools. A case study of Bungoma District in Kenya: Kenya journal of Education Research. Vol. 14 Pg 13 – 142. UNESCO, (1998) Wasted Opportunities: When Schools Fail: Education for all status. New York: Oxford University Press. UNESCO, (2003) Gender Education for all: The leap to equality. Paris: UNESCO. UNESCO, (2005) Give Everyone a Chance to Learn, Education for all. Nairobi: UNESCO. Wanjiru, N. (2007). Factors Contributing to School Drop Out in Mombasa District. Nairobi Wanyoike, W. (2003) Understanding Youth and Family: From a Christian Perspective.Nairobi Wrigley, J.(1995) Education and Gender Equality. London: The palmer press. World Bank, (1996) Technical Paper No, 303. Washington DC. U.S: World Bank.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Monopolies Effect on Resource Allocation in Industry :: essays research papers

Monopolies are under constant critics from the public and other producers of being polutive, straining to competition and they are accused of worsening resource allocation. Whether this is true or not, depends on the specific company, but certain characteristics are possible to define. It is these I will describe in the following, and hence conclude if monopolies worsen or improve resource allocation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is important to distinguish between competition and monopoly before describing advantages and disadvantages of both. Many monopolies are government owned. This means that the incentive to strive for more profit, better conditions etc. is gone. This is due to the fact that, if there is a loss, the government will cover it, and government owned companies seldom strive to achieve maximum profits. A lot of the characteristics are also seen in privately owned monopolizing firms. When they become so big, that competition is practically gone, the incentive to make even more profits, and being innovative diminishes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In a competitive industry this is not the case. The fear of loosing your job, not being able to compete, your products becoming obsolete etc. are important factors, which stimulate productivity. It is therefor obvious that the competitive industry will try harder to allocate their resources in the most efficient way. To land, the external costs in a competitive industry will often be pollution, seeing that the firm will strive hard to diminish their costs resulting in the firm ignoring 'unnecessary' costs. The monopoly owned by the government, would never be able to ignore such a serious matter, and they would have to pay the costs. A monopoly would also have to be careful not to damage its image, seeing that is, in many cases, already is unpopular.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Capital, on the other hand, is often to the benefit of a monopoly, since they produce at a large scale. To fully utilize capital, a lot of labour is needed, labour which a monopoly is expected to have, and a smaller competitive firm may lack. For example, a blast furnace might need a crew of 24 men working night and day, to fully utilize it. The monopolizing company may be able to provide the men, but the smaller firm might not have the money to hire all the 24 men at night, seeing wages are much higher at then. The question then is if the competitive company is so much more efficient due to hard work, that they still can produce more than the monopoly.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Cross †Cultural Analysis Essay

â€Å"When starting a business a cultural analysis needs to be done if the business targets a range of audience from several locations† Globalization is an inevitable process in the 21st Century, and so is the cross – culturalization. The world is becoming more and more homogeneous, and distinctions between national markets are not only fading but for some products its disappearing. This means that marketing is now becoming a world common discipline. However, on the other hand, the differences among nations, regions, language, regulatory environment, past heritage, ethnic groups, etc in terms of cultural factors still exist in the market place and having obvious impact on the marketing practices of the business organizations. From a marketing point of view it is very important for marketers to realize that the markets in the 21st century are cross-cultural markets and to be aware of and sensitive to the cultural differences is a major premise for the success in the 21st Century marketplace. The following aspects should be vital to be considered by a business: * cultural impacts on marketing (international versus domestic) * cross-cultural dimensions of marketing research * cross-cultural aspects of marketing mix (products, price, promotion, and distribution) * cross-cultural marketing education and professional training * cross-cultural practice in electronic marketing Cross-cultural marketing can be seen as the strategic process of marketing among consumers whose culture differs from that of the marketer’s own culture at least in one of the fundamental cultural aspects, such as language, religion, social norms and values, education, and the living style. From the anthropological perspective all market behaviours are culture-bound. Therefore, in order to match the marketing mix with consumer preferences, purchasing behavior, and product-use patterns in a potential market, marketers must have a thorough understanding of the cultural environment of that market. Some Real World Examples for Cross-cultural Marketing To what extent culture of a particular market place has influenced the marketing practices of business corporate can be understood by analyzing each element of the marketing mix (4 Ps’ i.e. product, price, promotion and place). (1)Product * Pizza Hut and Domino’s in India 1992: Paneer on a pizza! 1997: Paneer on a pizza? 2002: Paneer on a pizza. Same statement, same concept but the noticeable thing is the change in the attitude. It started from â€Å"absolute disbelief† to â€Å"why not† to â€Å"calm acceptance†. It shows how foreign based multinational companies have changed their product according to the taste of the indigenous of a country. In this case one element of the marketing mix, product has been changed to cope up with the existing culturally bound taste of Indians. Pizza Hut and Domino’s now serve Tandoori, Paneer and Chettinad toppings which are absolutely new menu for these MNCs but culturally accepted traditional foodstuffs for Indians. * Maggi in India Noodles were alright for dinner once in a while and it is accepted in other countries as well but it was unsuccessful in India. Since Indians consider idly, dosa, chappathi, etc as their dinner menu. Then Maggi wanted another marketing strategy to sell its product and it marketed Maggi as a snack not as a dinner and succeeded in the market. This also reveals how culturally bounded practices impact the marketing strategies. They also went along with curry flavour, tomato flavour, etc in India.* Swarovski in India Swarovski is a Czech Republic based crystal venture incorporated in 1895. Swarovski India (Pvt) Ltd faced a difficulty in marketing crystals in India primarily. In the European and Western countries crystal is considered as a valuable gift item and initially they marketed their crystal as in the same manner in India but they struggled to capture the market due to the existing cultural aspects. Indians had a sentiment about gold and silver as ideal gifts for a bride or a bridegroom and they are culturally taught that gold and silver are the ideal gift for every occasion. Swarovski there after realized the need for Indianization and came up with an alternative product. They introduced crystal studded sarees firstly and now they are offering a collection of sarees, blouses, odhnis, and salwar kameezes studded with crystals. * MTV and V Channel in India Youth of India expects music which is some what related to their culture and prefer the styles like bhangra which is a traditional Indian music style. Realizing these desires, western channels like MTV and V channel has included Indian pop, a kind of fusion music of India into their charts. (2)Price * KFC and McDonalds in Sri Lanka MNCs like KFC and McDonals are giving their primary concern to the price they charge from Sri Lankans since people in Sri Lanka are more conscious about the prices of product than the quality. Even the displays they use to show their products, specifically display the price of each product. This proves that these MNCs are amending their marketing strategies regarding price to suit Sri Lankan market. (3)Promotion Marketing cross culturally consist advertisements as it foremost part, which directly appeal the target market. Promotions in the sense it mainly includes advertisements and the cultural issues relating to those advertisements should be precisely dealt in order to capture the market through a healthy relationship with the target market. For this purpose most of the MNCs utilize the technique called â€Å"Advertising Localization†. It is not a mere change of designation stemming from computer science vocabulary but a radical change of perspective concerning the real nature and modes of linguistic and cultural transfer from one language into an other. * Coke Advertisements in India Coca cola uses different celebrities in each region of India to communicate more effectively with the target market by considering their cultural variabilities. They use Aamir Khan in North India, Vijay in Tamil Nadu, Jyothika in Andhra Pradesh and Aishwarya Rai in rest of India endorsing the same Coca-Cola. This shows the perspective of marketers that the people will feel more comfortable when they see a person from their own cultural background in advertisements and feel positive toward their products. In Sri Lankan context Santhosh and Bathiya endorse Coke and the concept of the advertisement is carefully designed to reflect the local culture in each frame. * Toyota Advertisements Toyota used a pregnant, naked woman in their advertisements and this was accepted by some countries and where as some countries protested against it and Toyota later withdrew the advertisement. This shows how the cultural believes of people influence the marketing practices of business organizations. (4)Place * Dilmah Distribution in The Global Market Dilmah uses several methods of distribution in several countries. It operates in 93 global markets and it has its own distribution mode through its regional channels in certain countries and where as in other several countries it uses a native prominent goods distributor for their tea. In countries like Australia, USA, and European countries it uses its own distribution channels where the customers believe in manufacturer own brand and distribution. In certain countries like Jordan, UAE, etc. it uses a native goods distributor to distribute their tea since these customers buy the products which comes from their own distributors. Cultural Influences Since culture is a wide spread phenomenon which cannot be separately identified from the group of people who share a set of accepted behaviors, customs, and values, it is obvious that the impact of such shared culture would result in all sorts of decision makings of the human beings. Such impacts can be mainly seen in the following perspectives. * In the General Point of View: For example; language, body language, punctuation, negotiation styles, gestures, etc. can be given. * In the Human Relationship Point of View: For example; employee relationship, customer relationship, supplier relationship, stakeholder relationship, etc. can be pointed out. * In the Marketing Point of View: The impact that culture would have on the 4Ps. Aspects to Consider When Starting a New Business Which is Believed to Have Cultural Impacts Even though cross cultural clashes create barriers they also provide challenges for the international businesses where those challenges encourage the business to develop further. All it is required to have a comprehensive knowledge about the impacts of the culture on the international business and prepared with all sorts of precautionary actions to be successive. The followings can be provided as recommendations to be successful in the global business; * Doing a thorough market research * Doing internal research to identify the cultural impacts among the employees * Adaptation to the differences * Developing commonly accepted standards which to be followed by all the stakeholders of the business * Customization to a greater extent

Thursday, October 10, 2019

What motivates people at work? Essay

There have been a large number of theories looking into motivation at work and the factors which affect it. In this essay I will be exploring three key theories in the area, each provides a very different angle on what motivates employees at work. To begin I will look at a need theory of motivation, Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory (1959), as the name suggests need theories concentrate on the need’s of the employee as the main source of motivation. Herzberg built upon Maslow’s hugely influential Hierarchy of Needs (1954). Conducting research on 203 American accountants and engineers he looked at what makes employees satisfied and dissatisfied at work. Contrary to Maslow’s theory Herzberg suggests that motivation is not measured on one linear scale from satisfied to dissatisfied, but rather the two are independent of each other and form separate scales. The first group which determines dissatisfaction (or de-motivation) are named Hygiene factors which include our basic needs such as our pay and safety. The addition or improvement of hygiene factors can only lead to contentment in employees and not motivation. The second group which determines satisfaction are named Motivators, these include our internal needs such as our need to achieve, to be recognised and given responsibility. A decline or lack of motivators will not de-motivate employees, but adding them can lead to increased motivation. Research on the theory has provided both support and criticism. To begin with the theory is supported by the number of successful replications as reported by Hodgetts and Luthans (1991), these replications have taken place across the world and in a wide variety of different job sectors and still achieved the same results. The main area of criticism for the Two-Factor theory targets the methodology of the research it was derived from. Soliman (1970) pointed out that the tendency of subjects to give socially desirable answers would have impacted the answers participants gave to Herzbergs open ended questions. In addition there is a tendency for people to attribute negative situations to others and posit ive to themselves e.g. â€Å"I felt satisfaction  when ‘I’ achieved and was recognised for it† or â€Å"I was dissatisfied when ‘the company’ paid me late†. This biased attribution of satisfying and dissatisfying situations is another example of a problem with the methodology. More problems with the methodology are shown by House and Wigdor (1967). After re-analysing Herzberg’s original results they concluded that factors described as being either a hygiene or motivator were not mutually exclusive. In many cases the addition of Hygiene factors can act to motivate people, likewise a lack of Motivator factors can causes dissatisfaction. However as well as looking at the empirical research on the theory we must also think about its value when practically applied to the workplace. In support of the theory it does, to a certain extent makes sense. If one month you miss out on pay or are required to do something dangerous you would be dissatisfied. At the same time employees do not feel satisfied or motivated by safe working conditions or being paid on time because it is what they expect. The same goes for Motivator factors, an employee would feel more satisfied if they received a personal compliment from the boss but it is unlikely that they would feel dissatisfied if it didn’t happen. They certainly wouldn’t expect it every day. Yet one key problem with the theory is that it fails to take into account the difference between satisfaction and motivation. An employee may be satisfied at work, they may obtain all the ‘motivator’ factors outlined in the theory but this does not mean they will automatically be motivated to be as productive as they can be. Another criticism is that the theory does not account for individual differences, employees are not all the same, some may be more materialistic and be motivated more by monetary reward. Some strive for achievement and are willing to do anything to gain the respect of their peers and high status within the business while others may be content with their job and just wish to keep their heads down and get on with it. Put simply, while being given responsibility may satisfy some people others may find it an unpleasant addition to their job. In summary the Two-Factor model and its supporting research have been found to have good re-test and cross cultural reliability but has been heavily criticised for its validity and methodology. Although this weakens the value of the theory it has still been extremely influential and can be practically applied in most organizations as a method by which staff motivation can be monitored and improved. Next I am going to look at the Goal Setting Theory Locke (1969). The basic premise of the theory is that by setting a goal you can increase a person’s motivation and performance. This increase in performance is due to the motivational influence of goals in 4 key areas (as cited in Woods 2010). The first is that goals help to focus a person’s attention and behaviour in the correct direction. Secondly goals have the effect of increasing the effort a person is willing expend. Thirdly the addition of a goal increase the amount of a time a person will spend on a specific task. Finally they motivate an individual to seek out and apply relevant knowledge and skills in order to complete the goal. This is how the goal setting theory explains why we are motivated by goals. In addition to this Locke and Latham (1990) put forward 5 key features of a goal which determine how motivating it is, to be effective goals must be; 1) Specific, a goal which gives a specific target is more motivating then goals which simply require a person to ‘do your best’. 2) Measurable, a measurable target enables a person to track their progress towards the goal and alter their effort and method accordingly. 3) Time-Bound, applying a deadline to achieving the goal enables a person to better manage their time and effort. 4) Challenging, it is unlikely that an easy goal will motivate a person to put in maximum effort. By making the goal challenging people are push and required to work harder in order to achieve. 5) Attainable, having a goal which is impossible to achieve is likely to de-motivate a person, why would a person put effort in if they have no chance of success. It must be realistically possible to achieve goals. The theory provides a good detailed description of both how and why people are motivated. It has been one of the most widely researched areas within motivational psychology and is still very much an evolving area. Research by Latham and Baldes (1975) put the core assumption of the goal setting theory to the test in a real world setting. They introduced the goal of reaching 94% efficiency in the loading of trucks (previously at just 60%) to a group of employees in a logging company. The employees were motivated by the goal and successfully achieved (and often surpassed) it and continued to work consistently at the target rate. To have achieved the same increase in efficiency without Goal theory (by purchasing more trucks) would have cost the company $250,000. Another example of research supporting the Goal  setting theory comes from Blumenfeld and Leidy (1969). They found that 55 engineers in charge of soft drinks machines checked considerably more machines when set a goal then when no goal was set. Furthermore it was found that engineers checked more machines when set a challenging goal then if set an easy goal. A key problem with the methodology of both pieces of supporting research above is that there was little control over extraneous variables. For example Latham and Baldes (1975) did show a huge increase in productivity, but this may not have been due to the addition of a goal. Perhaps the competitive nature of the loggers lead to an increase in efficiency, it may also have simply been down to the increased supervision the workers received at the time. Again it is important to look at the theory in terms of its practical application in the workplace. Its key strength is that it does appear to work as a method of increasing motivation, however again the theory fails to account for individual differences. Employees who are already highl y motivated at work would benefit from goals being set; it would push them and enable them to prove themselves. However other less confident employees may not enjoy the competitive nature of workplace goals and targets, it could even cause stress and discomfort and leads to a reduction in motivation. In addition, when you direct a person’s attention and effort towards one specific goal you may get a decrease in performance in other tasks. A goal may not increase motivation but just direct it. For example if you give hospital staff the target of seeing all patients within 10 minuets they may achieve the target but at the cost of service and quality of treatment. This would obviously be detrimental to the quality of work on the whole. A final point to consider is that all employees have different levels of ability so in order for goals to push an employee but still remain achievable they must be individually tailored. As well as being impractical in a large business Equality theories (discussed next) would suggest that giving some people easier targets than others may actually lead to a reduction in motivation. On the whole Goal Theories are very useful and practical when applied in the right circumstances. Perhaps one weakness of both the theory and supporting research is in its inability to account for causes of demotivation in an organization. However the research shows that goals do motivate people at work, yet when applied to an organizational environment we see possible  drawbacks and potential difficulties which are difficult to overcome. The final theory I am going to examine is the Organizational Justice Theory which builds upon the equity theory put forward by Adams (1963). The Organizational Justice theory has been constructed from theory and research contributed by a significant number of psychologists, certainly too many to list in their entirety. However two key contributors worth noting are Greenberg (1987a) who coined the term Organizational Justice and conducted much of the early research and Mowday (1987) (cited in Greenberg 1990) who has had a significant impact on the theory. The core belief of the theory is that employees can be motivated (or de-motivated) by their perception of how fairly they are being treated at work in comparison to their colleagues. The theory suggests three different types of justice which can be perceived. The first is Distributive Justice, which looks at the extent to which an employee thinks they are being fairly rewarded for the work they put in compared to others, the theory s uggest that a person will either increase or decrease their level of input in order to balance out and restore equality. The second is Procedural Justice, this looks at how fair a person feels the procedures and systems are within a business, for example is holiday date allocation fair. The third is Interactional Justice, this is the least researched area and compromises of two parts; Informational Justice describes how well informed a person is about the decisions taken within a business, using holiday as an example again it may be explained to an employee why they can not have the holiday they asked for. Interpersonal Justice describes the extent to which someone feels they are treated with respect. As with the Goal setting theory there has been a considerable amount of research put into Organizational Justice theory. In a recent study Zapata-Phelan, Colquitt, Scott and Livingston (2009) (cited in Woods 2010) looked at how procedural and interaction justice effected motivation and in turn performance. They found that when a person perceived high procedural justice in an organization there was an incr ease in motivation, leading to an increase in performance.

Compare Bronfenbrenner and Erikson Essay

Lifespan Developments Theories offer explanations of how the individual changes and develops throughout their lifetime. While this objective is constant, the focus of these theories vary. Erikson’s Psychosocial Development Theory adopts an intrapersonal focus, outlining nine age related stages of the life cycle while Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Stage Theory focuses on five socio-cultural stages within which the individual interacts, interpersonally, over time. This essay will focus on both these theories, their implications in the world of adult education, particularly from the perspective of experience within two South Kerry Adult Education Centres and finally the areas where these theories may concur and contrast. Erik Erikson was a Neo-Freudian Psychologist who developed a lifespan theory identifying eight stages of psychosocial human development. As Erikson and his wife, Joan, entered their eightieth decade, they discovered a ninth stage. Joan Erikson completed work on this stage from notes made by her husband before he died and from her own observations. In fact, Erik and Joan Erikson were co-collaborators throughout their years together as evidenced in the following statement, ‘To restate the sequence of psychosocial stages throughout life means to take responsibility for the terms Joan Erikson and I have originally attached to them’(Erikson E.H. cited Erikson E.H. & Erikson J. 1997,p.55). Also, while recounting a trip to Los Angeles where Erik Erikson had been invited to present ‘the stages’ to a group of Psychologists and Psychiatrists, Joan Erikson tells of her uneasiness while they discussed the presentation. At this stage, there were seven stages in their model. ‘In a shocking moment of clarity I saw what was wrong’ (Erikson E.H & Erikson J. 1997 p.3). She had spotted that ‘ We’ were missing and subsequently, they added an eighth stage entitled ‘Generativity vs. Stagnation’. This significant contribution was made by Joan Erikson on the trip to the train station ‘where Erik could catch the Los Angeles train, and then for me to hurry back to home and the children’ (Erikson E.H.& Erikson J. 1997, p.2). Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory holds that personality develops through nine stages across the entire lifespan. ‘Personality can be said to develop according to steps predetermined in the human organism’s readiness to be driven forward, to be aware of and to interact with a widening social radius’ (Erikson 1959 cited Tennant M. 1997 p.33). Each of these stages involves challenges and conflicts which, if successfully resolved, allow the  individual to develop a strength, or virtue which they bring with them into the following stage. If unsuccessfully resolved, the individual proceeds into the next stage not only without this strength but with a corresponding negative element which is likely to impede their progressive de velopment. Erikson refers to these strengths as ‘syntonic elements’ and the negative elements as ‘dystonic elements’. For example, at ‘infancy’ the first stage, age 0-1 years, the conflict or challenge experienced by the individual is ’trust vs. mistrust’. The syntonic element that might result is ‘hope’, the dystonic element is ‘withdrawal’. Erikson explains ‘vs.’ as standing for ‘versus’ and ‘yet also, in the light of their complementarity, for something like â€Å"visa versa†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. (Erikson E.H. & Erikson J. 1997, p.55). Erikson does not hold that that an individual’s resolved state should lay at the end of the continuum. ‘’The child also needs to develop some healthy mistrust, such as learning to discriminate between dangerous and safe situations’ (Bee & Boyd 2003, p.258). It is only in experiencing and understanding these opposites such as trust and mistrust that we can develop the relevant strength. At each of these age related stages, the individual is in communication and conflict with a significant psychosocial relationship. Again, for example, at the first stage, Erikson states that this relationship is with the mother. Others are s een in the following chart: Erikson’s psychosocial crisis stages (syntonic v dystonic) Freudian psycho- sexual stages life stage / relationships / issues basic virtue and second named strength (potential positive outcomes from each crisis) maladaptation / malignancy(potential negative outcome – one or the other – from unhelpful experience during each crisis) 1. Trust v Mistrust Oral infant / mother / feeding and being comforted, teething, sleeping Hope and Drive Sensory Distortion / Withdrawal 2. Autonomy v Shame & Doubt Anal toddler / parents / bodily functions, toilet training, muscular control, walking Willpower and Self-Control Impulsivity / Compulsion 3. Initiative v Guilt Phallic preschool / family / exploration and discovery, adventure and play Purpose and Direction Ruthlessness / Inhibition 4. Industry v Inferiority Latency schoolchild / school, teachers, friends, neighbourhood /achievement and accomplishment Competence and Method Narrow Virtuosity / Inertia 5. Identity v Role Confusion Puberty and Genitality adolescent / peers, groups, influences / resolving identity and direction, becoming a grown-up Fidelity and Devotion Fanaticism / Repudiation 6. Intimacy v Isolation (Genitality) young adult / lovers, friends, work connections / intimate relationships, work and social life Love and Affiliation Promiscuity / Exclusivity 7. Generativity v Stagnation n/a mid-adult / children, community / ‘giving back’, helping, contributing Care and Production Overextension / Rejectivity 8. Integrity v Despair n/a late adult / society, the world, life / meaning and purpose, life achievements Wisdom and Renunciation Presumption / Disdain http://www.businessballs.com/erik_erikson_psychosocial_theory.htm Joan Erikson, reviewing their lifecycle theory (while adding the ninth stage),  notes that the syntonic element is always mentioned first, before the dystonic. Stating that it should be noted that often ‘circumstances may place the dystonic in a more dominant position’ (Erikson E.H. & Erikson J. 1997 p. 106). She continues that old age is ‘such a circumstance’. For this reason, in her account of the ninth stage she places the dystonic first i.e. ‘Despair and Disgust vs. Integrity: Wisdom’ (Erikson E.H. & Erikson J. 1997, p.106) and recounts a revisiting of all the stages, this time with different virtues emerging (see chart below), ideally culminating in a state of ‘gerotranscendence’. Lars Tornstam defines gerotranscendence as a shift in perspective ‘from a materialistic and rational vision to a more cosmic and transcendence one, normally followed by an incre ase in life satisfaction’ (Tornstam cited Erikson E.H. & Erikson J. 1997, p.123). www.intropsych.com Erikson’s theory highlights the need to provide age appropriate activities for the students. Also, within the field of Youthreach and VTOS programmes, particular attention might be given to stimulating identity exploration in adolescents. For example, within the Fetac Personal and Interpersonal Skills Module, helping the student explore their strengths, aptitudes, learning styles, personality types and through communication with outside agencies, encourage career exploration. Early school leavers, as is evident in one South Kerry Youthreach programme, often have experienced social and educational deprivation and as such are vulnerable to unemployment, depression and the growing number of suicides are always a concern. Very often, a single parent is the sole guardian and this parent is female, as are the majority of teachers and social workers. Positive role models, with whom the young person can identify, have been shown to help in promoting health care in young people. Ã¢â‚¬Ë œLocal role models and peers can also play an important role in actively promoting projects, and have the capacity to allay fears or embarrassment that some young men might feel about getting involved’ (Richardson N, Clarke N. & Fowler C. 2013, p.111). Education centres can organise support from such positive role models. Regarding Erikson’s stage of Young Adulthood, Education Centres provide a social setting where people can meet, communicate and escape the isolation that  often results from unemployment. Adult education provides an opportunity for ‘a kind of self- generation concerned with further identity development’. (Erikson 1998 p.67) Apparent to those involved in this field is the manifestation of ‘care’ and respect that the adult has for their new learning, a virtue sadly missing from the reluctant schoolchild of their yesteryears. As retirement age is forced forward and healthcare education promises longer active lives, there is no reason why adult education should not be available to people into their nineties. What better way to synthesise integrity and despair than using ones wisdom, sharing with others while learning new things. ‘Despair expresses the feeling that time is now s hort, too short for the attempt to start another life and try out alternate roads†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢(Erikson 1963 cited Erikson E.H.& Erikson J.M. 1997 p.113) Adult education might just offer an ‘alternate road’. Tutors might also integrate older people in the community to come in to the centres to contribute their knowledge. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory is the scientific study of the development of the individual person as they experience the bi-directional influences encountered within the various environments throughout their lifespan. ‘Intelligence and emotion’ have been named as mediators for this development and ‘identity and competence’ has been described as the ‘outcomes’. (Garbarino and Abramowitz, 1992 cited Graham A. 2013, p.32). Two types of risks to positive change are identified. These are ‘direct threats and the absence of opportunities’. (Garbarino and Abramowitz, 1992 cited Graham A. 2013, p.32). These risks can be biological or socio-cultural. There is interplay between these two sources and deficits in one source may be compensated by richness in the other. Bronfenbrenner categorised the environment ‘as a nested arrangement of structures, each contained within the next’. (Bronfenbrenner 1977, p.514 ). Adapting terminology from Brim (1975) Bronfenbrenner names these structures as microsystems, mesosystems, exosystems, macrosystems and chronosystems. Bronfenbrenners Ecological Theory of Development (http://highered.mcgrawhill.com/sites/dl/free/0073378585/660384/san78585_c03_0 72_11) A Microsystem is ‘the complex of relations between the developing person and environment in an immediate setting containing that person’ (Bronfenbrenner 1977, p.514). This includes family, friends, neighbours, school and work. The individual’s development is affected by the beliefs, attitudes, temperament and personality of the various people within these settings, but the individual, according to Bronfenbrenner, is not a ‘passive recipient’ but is ‘ someone who helps construct the settings’. (Bronfenbrenner 1977 cited Graham A. 22013, p. 33). The mesosystem ‘comprises the interrelations among major settings containing the developing person at a particular point in his or her life’. (Bronfennbrenner U.1977,p.515). The better interconnected the microsystems, the more consistent the individual’s development is likely to be. The exosystem is an influence system which contain both formal and informal structures ‘which impinge on or encompass the settings in which the developing person in found’ (Sugarman L.1993, p.11). The exosystem is an extension of the mesosystems. This refers to a collection of settings in which the individual does not directly interact but which affect him or her nonetheless. This would include the government, medical system, labour market, mass media and the neighbourhood. Macrosystems, the fourth of Bronfenbrenner’s layers of influence, involves the culture within which the individual lives ‘carried often unwittingly in the minds of the society’s members as ideology made manifest through customs and practice in everyday life’ (Bronfenbrenner U. 1977 p.515). The influence of these customs and beliefs cascade down through all the other systems. The Chronosystem was later added by Bronfenbrenner and is described as a research model that ‘makes possible examining the influence on the person’s development of changes (and continuities) over time in the environments in which the person is living’ (Bronfenbrenner U. 1986a p.724). These changes are sociohistorical and are considered as occurring within the individual and also within the environment. Changes can be ‘normative’ (school, new relationships, getting a job, giving birth) or ‘non-normative’ (divorce, illness, death). In the further education setting, Bronfenbrenner’s theory is useful in  implying the benefits of helping offset risks that may apply to the student, such un-nurturing home environment, poor interpersonal relationships, violence and the absence of opportunities experienced such as lack of education to date, limited skills, poor job opportunities and lack of self- awareness. Creating experiences where the students can develop intellectually and emotionally through the academic programme as well as teamwork, outings, reflective practice and empathy building. Bronfenbrenner stresses the value of the interconnectedness of the microsystems. Within a South Kerry Youthreach programme there is typically very poor connectedness between the education centre, the families and the communities. Open days often have few or no parents attending with perhaps just a few professionals such as guards, social workers and other education officers turning up to appreciate the work on display. Also anecdotal evidence shows very poor awareness of the programme in the community. This centre is working hard at increasing community awareness and mutual rapport by involving students in local charity events, community art exhibitions and development of a work experience programme. Many second chance education students are angry and aware that they have in some way been failed by structures such as government, medical system, labour market, media and the neighbourhood. Awareness of the ‘systems’ can be poor and many adult students lack the confidence and basic literacy skills to investigate and negotiate these systems. ‘The â€Å"dialogue man† is critical and knows that although it is within the power of men to create and transform in a concrete situation of alienation men may be impaired in the use of that power’ (Friere P. 1975 p.63). Modules such as Communications, SPHE, Personal Effectiveness and Personal and Interpersonal Skills should perhaps be regarded as a means of increasing this sense of efficacy and knowledge of the â €˜exosystem’. Also inviting people who hold power within these systems to come in to centres to talk to the students may help break down barriers and increase awareness. Cultural influences affect how we think, feel and act. In one South Kerry Youthreach centre unconscious belief systems are apparent in casual racist comments and career aspirations (childcare and hairdressing for girls, construction and mechanics for boys) or in some cases, no aspirations of employment at all in keeping with family history. A more privileged young person might perceive good group participation as a positive aspiration.  However, in one South Kerry Youthreach programme it is reported that during initial interviews, prospective students, when asked how they might ‘get on’ in a group situation tend to perceive this question as ‘are you a trouble-maker?’ and answer that they intend to ignore everyone in the group and just mind their own business believing this to be the ‘correct’ answer. The work of educators here might entail helping to create positive group experience and also help to open doors that might enrich the individualà ¢â‚¬â„¢s life, create an atmosphere of curiosity and questioning of beliefs, values and culture and introduce positive and varied role models. Overtime, many changes effect the development of the individual. This time factor may be within a lifetime, or spanning decades. Often it is a non-normative change such as marital breakdown, redundancy or recovery from illness that forces a re-evaluation and brings a person back to education. Helping the individual cope with change by creating opportunities for new identities and competencies is the work required here. Erikson and Bronfenbrenner, both psychologists, have examined the development of the individual over their lifespan. Although Erickson organises his theory in terms of age related stages, and Bronfenbrenner in systems, neither theorist attempts to explain change and development in terms of age only. All life stage theorists look at the processes that bring about these changes and as Sugarman points out ‘’What we can say about change is determined by our research design – that is, what we choose to measure, how and why’. (Sugarman L. 1986, p.13). Erikson’s research design studies intrapersonal changes in the individual and explains that these changes occur within particular chronological age groupings, within particular social settings as a result of the resolution of tensions experienced. However, Bronfenbrenner on the other hand takes a wider socio-cultural view and has researched the changes occurring in the individual within the many ‘settin gs’, within the many systems in which the individual interacts. He categorised the environment as as consisting of ‘interrelated and nested structures’ (Jordan A., Carlisle O., & Stack A, 2008, p.82). Unlike Erikson, Bonfenbrenner has been criticised for paying too little attention to biological and cognitive factors although he expanded his theory to a bioecological theory later on. Erikson represents the individual’s  development as ‘ordered’ and linear whereas Bronfenbrenner’s perspective is one of ‘random’ and multidirectional development. It would, however, be unfair to suggest that Erikson did not take account of the various social and cultural influences that Bronfenbrenner focused on, hence his ‘Psychosocial Theory’ . Joan Erikson states that her husband always held that ‘the individual and society are intricately woven’ (Erikson E.H. & Erikson J, 1997, p.114). He attributes psychosocial manifestations to each of his stages and also describes the processes and experiences of the ‘soma’, the ‘psyche’ and the ‘ethos’. (Erikson E.H. & Erikson J, 1997, p.25). However, he has not ‘explicated this aspect of his theory as fully as he did the stages of individual development’. (Sugarman L. 1986 p.84). Erikson defines these social influences quite precisely as the individual’s ‘radius of significant relations’ whereas Bronfenbrenners theory allows for a more individually tailored, contextual approach. Both Erikson and Bronfenbrenner were active into their eightieth decade and remained engaged in critical reflection of their work. Erikson worked on the blueprint for his ninth stage and in 1994, Uri Bronfenbrenner renamed his theory â€Å"bioecological systems theory† to emphasize that a ‘child’s own biology is a primary environment fuelling her developmentâ₠¬â„¢(http://www.cmskids.com/providers/early_steps/training/documents/bronfenbrenners_ecological.pdf.) While Erikson’s writing is artistic and literary, Bronfenbrenner’s is scientific and at times political. Bronfenbrenner advocated experimentation in a ‘real’ setting as opposed to the traditional laboratory approach, although he did not dispense with the latter as being of use and alludes to ‘the as yet unexploited power of the laboratory as an ecological contrast’. (Bronfenbrenner 1977, p.514) At the centre of both these theories is the individual. These are not opposing theories but two perspectives in search of a similar understanding. Bronfenbrenner himself make this clear ‘A variety of approaches are needed if we are to make progress toward the ultimate goal of understanding human development in context’ (Bronfenbrenner 1977 p.529). Bibliography Bee H., & Boyd D. ( 2003). The Developing Child, 10th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Bronfenbrenner U. (1977). Toward an Experimental Ecology of Human Development [Electronic version]. American Psychologist, 32, 513-531. Bronfenbrenner U. (1986). Ecology of the Family as a Context for Human Development: Research Perspectives {Electronic version]. Developmental Psychology, 22, 723-742. Erikson E.H. (1950). Childhood and Society. Middlesex: Penguin Books Ltd. Erikson E.H., & Erikson J.M. (1997). The Life Cycle Completed, extended version. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, Inc. Friere P. (1975). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Middlesex: Penguin Books Ltd. Graham A. (2012). Psychology of Adult Learning, WIT, 26th March, 2012, Tralee Jordan A., Carlile O., & Stack A. (2008). Approaches to Learning: a Guide for Teachers. Berkshire: Open University Press. Richardson N., Clarke N., & Fowler C. (2013). A Report on the All-Ireland Young Men and Suicide Project. Ireland: Men’s Health Forum in Ireland. Sugarman L. (1986). Life-Span Development: Concepts, Theories and Interventions. London: Routledge. Tennant M. (1997). Psychology & Adult Learning. London: Routledge. Module: Psychology of Adult Learning Level 6 Title: Compare and contrast Erikson’s eight stages of psychosocial development with Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological model of Development