Comparison of Ptv and Geo - 1457 Words

Comparison of PTV amp; Geo Positioning PTV PTV news aims to be service focused (Lovelock, 2005) in its strategy. Its news channel offers a narrow range of services/programs such as news bulletins, talk shows, documentaries and live events update etc. The market to which the services are offered are broad and diverse, however mostly the adults and people from an older age bracket make PTV a preference. * Segmentation and Target Market In a highly competitive industry like that of the television industry there is a great risk that customers will perceive little difference between the brands and make their decisions randomly. For this reason the TV channels need to position themselves rightly in order to avoid losing their market share.†¦show more content†¦Sessions of senates and National Assembly | Political enthusiasts, middle class segment. | Open Forum | Federal Ministers etc are invited to answer to the public. | Males, Sport lovers, Players, Students, Youngsters | Sports | Live international cricket matches, hockey, table tennis and regional sports which are not covered by any other channels | Political Enthusiasts, Adults Males and females, mostly males. | International Events amp; conferences | Arrangements with Reuters TV, London to satellite news items to PTV Islamabad, covers visits of delegates etc | GEO Within a short span of time, Geo has managed to establish itself as a household name. It has been successful in launching itself as a powerful brand in people’s minds. More importantly it has been received as a brand which represents the true voice of the nation. It reflects independence and freedom of speech which greatly appeals to the mass audience. The audience for Geo is hence a common man of any age bracket. The targeting is wisely done in order to attract people from all age segments without any discrimination of class, gender or creed. Geo strongly believes in brand association and hence has devised the logo ‘JEEM’ as a common integrator in all its channels. This creates a sense of belonging to the brand. Geo brand name is used as a prefix in a lot of programs which attracts the audience and helps develop brand association. The target market for Geo is not just

Cinderella - 1414 Words

CHINA China is the world’s most populated country with the population of 1.3 billion people. Since there were so many people in China they had to think about a way to control population so this is where the one-child policy was made. It officially restricts married, urban couples to having only one child, while allowing exemptions for several cases, including twins. This policy was introduced in 1978 and initially applied to first-born children from 1979. a spooky, nocturnal Halloween favourite, the Chinese consider bats as symbol of good luck and can often be found in pottery, designs and other arts and crafts, creating good luck for those who decorate with bats. Another differing perception between East and West to go along in this†¦show more content†¦Although mainly consumed at breakfast, these small restaurants keep them hot on steamers, and ready to eat all day. As a dish prepared at home, each family has its own preferred method of making them, using favourite fillings, with types and methods of preparation varying widely from region to region. PEKING DUCK Peking duck is a famous duck dish from Beijing that has been prepared since the imperial era. The meat is prized for its thin, crisp skin, with authentic versions of the dish serving mostly the skin and little meat, sliced in front of the diners by the cook. Ducks bred specially for the dish are slaughtered after 65 days and seasoned before being roasted in a closed or hung oven. The meat is eaten with scallion, cucumber and sweet bean sauce with pancakes rolled around the fillings. Sometimes pickled radish is also inside, and other sauces (like hoisin sauce) can be used. The cooked Peking Duck is traditionally carved in front of the diners and served in three stages. First, the skin is served dipped in sugar and garlic sauce. The meat is then served with steamed pancakes spring onions and sweet bean sauce. Several vegetable dishes are provided to accompany the meat, typically cucumber sticks. The diners spread sauce, and optionally sugar, over the pancake. The pancake is wrapped around the meat with the vegetables and eaten by hand. The remaining fat, meat and bones may be made into a broth, served as is, or the meat chopped up and stir fried with sweetShow MoreRelatedCinderella Analysis1017 Words   |  5 PagesFor centuries, the fairy tale Cinderella, that everyone has come to know and love has been told in many different countries and in a variety of ways. Although each story is different, they all have similar meaning and each one demonstrates how universal the Cinderella story is, as well as how unique each version is to the particular culture out which it grew (Tam and Cam, 2012 Pg 194). Little girls all over the world are told some type of Cinderella story and they grow up dreaming that one dayRead MoreEssay on cinderella1579 Words   |  7 Pages Cinderella: Once Upon A Time The story of Cinderella has appealed to a number of audiences since its earliest dated version in A.D. 850. Even with the extensive selection of fairy tales in existence, quot;Cinderellaquot; is undoubtedly the best known in the world, with over 700 versions of this story available. However, this popularity is not limited strictly to literature, for the Cinderella theme is also seen in many movie productions. Two movies, Walt Disneys Cinderella and Andy TennantsRead MoreAnalysis of Cinderella549 Words   |  2 PagesAnalysis of Cinderella â€Å"A dream is a wish your heart makes..† As fairy tales go, Cinderella is one of the most popular stories told worldwide. There are thousands of different versions of Cinderella around the globe. As titles and characters may vary in different countries and eras, the storylines, themes, and motifs are always similar. Not only is Cinderella a marvelous tale, but it also has a great impact on today’s society. In the most common version of the tale, a kind but persecuted heroineRead MoreCinderella Stories1524 Words   |  7 PagesCinderella Stories Lesson Plan Sherryl Green Grand Canyon University: RDG:585 October 8, 2012 Lesson Plan Cinderella Stories ABSTRACT In this study of Cinderella Stories, second grade students will use charts and diagrams to discover the similarities and differences among stories. Students will develop writing skills using descriptive language and details. They will strengthen their comprehension skills through the use of magical Cinderella tales from different lands and apply map skillsRead MoreCinderella Essay847 Words   |  4 Pages Cinderella I think most everyone knows the story of Cinderella, made famous by Walt Disney after making its big debut on screen in 1950; the movie was so popular that it was again released five times within a thirty-seven year span. In 1970, Anne Sexton wrote her own version of Cinderella. In this work of art, she speaks of how a `Cinderella lives in every day life, whether it is the plumber who wins the lottery, or the milkman turned real estate agent. She then proceeds to tell her versionRead MoreCinderella, And What s Wrong With Cinderella1536 Words   |  7 Pagesgirls in many ways. Perhaps; the story of (Cinderella) has had such an impact in ways, which, which a young girl gains a stereotypical idea of these fantasies. The desire for a life lived â€Å"happilyy ever after† that is repetitively pounded into recent generations of young girls via corporations such as Disney has created a scripted lifestyle, or personality traits for young girls. Following the analysis of Ever After, Cinderella, and What’s wrong with Cinderella by Peggy Orenstein we can: conclude thatRead MoreEvolution of Cinderella1844 Words   |  8 PagesThe Evolution of Cinderella through time Fairy tales evolve over time as they are told from generation to generation, regardless if they are passed on by word of mouth or through print. Some have great variations; some are the same except a few mini details. No matter what the differences, they all have the moral in common at the heart of the story. With Cinderella, one learns that despite being unappreciated and doomed to serving others, as long as you are kind natured and a truly goodRead MoreEssay about Comparing Perraults Cinderella with Disneys Cinderella 993 Words   |  4 PagesWalt Disney’s Cinderella is adapted from the original fairy tale written in 1697 by Charles Perrault. There are some key differences between Walt Disney’s Cinderella and Charles Perrault’s Cinderella. In Charles Perrault’s tale, Cinderella’s father is not dead, but the father is controlled by the stepmother. Cinderella’s younger stepsister is much more polite than the older stepsister, who cal ls Cinderella Cinderwench. The king in Perrault’s tale hosts a two day Ball, which Cinderella attends withRead MoreCinderella, By Charles Perrault948 Words   |  4 PagesIn Charles Perrault’s â€Å"Cinderella,† there are many different ways he conveys goodness being a magical thing in people’s hearts. When reading it, it is easy to point out how he thinks kindness is the most important thing it one’s life. In Maria Tatar’s â€Å"An Introduction to Fairy Tales,† she talks about fairy tales being an escape to children. She states that there is a world of imagination in fairy tales that takes reality and makes it exciting and adventurous. She also mentions that fairy tales helpRead MoreIllustrations In Cinderella Essay1741 Words   |  7 PagesI can recount details and use illustrations in Cinderella to better understand the fairytale. (RL.2.2) (RL.2.7) (SL.2.2) I can use details from the text to describe the main characters of the story. (RL.2.3) Rereading for Comprehension Purpose for Reading: Students will recount details from the text and identify characteristics of the main characters of the story. ââ€"  As students answer text dependent questions begin crafting a Story Map Anchor Chart for their reference. This map will

The Masque of the Red Death Analysis free essay sample

The Masque of the Red Death Analysis Mankind has this natural fear of death and many attempts to escape from it. However the fact remains that although humanity can try to prolong life as much as they can, death will soon come. Everything has its time and everything dies. In The Masque of the Red Death Edgar Allen Poe conveys the allegorical idea of the inevitability of death and humanity fear of it through the use of symbolism. Poe portrays the idea of deaths inevitability through the symbolism of Prince Prospero, the Red Death, and the conflict between them. In the story, Poe ppropriately names the prince Prospero which means prosperous. The prince demonstrates this prosperous symbolism through good health of his robust figure (Poe 12) and the luxurious suite in which he entertains his followers (2). This establishes Prince Prospero as a symbol of prosperity. However Poe also portrays the prince as a symbol of humanitys cowardliness of death. While the Red Death claims the lives of his subjects, Prince Prospero tries to escape from him by isolating himself and his followers in an abbey. Not only does he try to avoid the inevitable, he aintains the illusion of prosperity by lavishing himself and his followers with entertainment such as fools, dancers, and music (2). In the case of the Red Death, he is the personification of the disease running rampant in the kingdom thus making him a symbol of the death that Prince Prospero and the masqueraders try to escape from. The struggle between Prince Prospero and the Red Death becomes an allegory during the princes confrontation of the Red Death (14). Keeping in mind of the symbolism of the two characters, the message is that death cannot be conquered. Everything must come to an end so death will always win. This reigns true when Prince Prospero dies at the hand of the Red Death (14). The struggle between the Red Death and Prince Prospero serves as a symbol of the inevitability of death and humanitys fear of it. The colors of the room serve to symbolize the course of life and its end. When Prince Prospero confronts the Red Death he Journeys through seven apartments. The direction that the prince travels in goes from east to west which is the direction of how the sun rises and falls (4). Prince Prospero also enters the apartments in this order: blue, purple, green, orange, white, violet, and black (13). Each color has its own universal meaning and suggests a stage in the circle of life. The first room in which Prince Prospero enters is blue. Blue is often associated with health and stability so this could suggest the birth of life while the purple apartment indicates the beginnings of life (Parker). Keeping in mind that the color red represents intensity, purple suggests the stability that comes after birth and the arrival of the intensity of life (Parker). The next room, the green apartment, suggests youth. Green is associated with the season spring where everything in nature begins to bloom (Parker). With the orange room, its color symbolizes summer and autumn (Parker). The vibrancy of the while simultaneously emulating the change in the leaves colors during autumn. So overall the orange room represents the energy and gradual loss of that energy found in adulthood. Following to the seasonal pattern Poe makes, the white room most likely represents the winter season where everything begins slows down and age. It could also symbolize the white hair that the elderly has. The violet room, a shade darker than purple, suggests sense of gloom and sadness. This serves as a sign of the remonition of death at this point in life (Parker). The final room which is the black apartment obviously symbolizes the end of life death. Black is often associated with feelings of grief and even worn at funerals to express those emotions (Parker). So when Prince Prospero Journeys through all these apartments to confront the Red Death, he figuratively walks through all the stages in life and arrives to the black room where the Red Death kills him. Because of the symbolic meaning of the apartments, Prince Prospero portrays all peoples course through life and its inevitable end with death. Although Prince Prospero and the masqueraders believe they are away from the clutches of the Red Death, the ebony clock serves as a looming reminder of death that will surely come to claim them. As previously stated, the black apartment in which the clock is in represents death (Poe 5). Because of its symbolic meaning the guests avoid entering the room and instead focus on the pleasantries around them. As followers of Prince Prospero, they too have no desire to die and prefer to bask in the prosperity of life. there came from the brazen lungs of the clock a sound hich was clear and loud and deep and exceedingly musical at each lapse of an hour, the musicians of the orchestra were constrained to pause, momentarily, in their performance he waltzers ceased their evolutions; and there was a brief disconcert of the whole gay company (5) However, the clock makes it impossible for the guests to ignore the black apartment as its chiming draws their attention back to it. The momentary cease with the masquerade creates a discomforting and fearful atmosphere. At this moment the people become aware of the ominous black room or in other words of their impending deaths. So with that b eing said the clocks presence symbolizes deaths approach and each chime at the hourly intervals demonstrates life passing by. As life goes by, death comes closer. Because of the nature of the ebony clock it symbolizes deaths approach on the masqueraders. Due to Poes ingenious use of symbolism in the story, he creates the allegorical message of the inevitability of death and humanitys futile attempts to escape it. While it is natural to have a fear of death, people like Prince Prospero and his followers must come to accept that it will happen. They spend so much time hiding way from the rest of the world so they wouldnt die.

Western Pop Culture free essay sample

Abstract Western pop culture has been a phenomenon that it has influenced every aspect of society. In this paper I looked into how it has affected a third world country such as the Philippines, how pop culture has changed the country and its people. I find that some of the changes were for the better and some changes had a negative impact. Influences of Western Pop Culture Culture and traditions are significant in countries like Philippines, which has always cherished its rich heritage and it is quite well known for its worldwide. Philippines have slowly been losing their heritage and traditions in favor of western pop culture. The â€Å"West† has been a dominating force in the world since the conclusion of World War 2. Today its influences have become a sort of pop culture phenomenon in developing countries such as the Philippines. Western pop culture have influence almost every aspect of the country, from how we communicate, to how we listen and create music, watch and produce film and television, our fashion and our self-image, to how we even package our goods. We will write a custom essay sample on Western Pop Culture or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There are several aspects of the western pop culture, some of which have been negative, some of which have had a positive influence, most of which have had some manner of impact and influence in Filipino society. In order to understand how the Philippine culture has been affected by the West in the modern period, it is essential to get a picture of the context of Filipino exposure to the West in earlier periods. A brief history of the Philippines reveals that traditions and cultures of the Philippines are from China. Before the colonial time the Chinese came to the Philippines and traded with the natives peacefully, exchanging Chinese goods with hardwood, pearls, and turtle shells that were valued in China (Miclat, 2000, p. 100). And this is evident according to Miclat (2000) in the â€Å"Traditional Chinese motifs that symbolize imperial power are found in the trade ceramics found in the Philippines. † In the 16th century Spaniards began widespread Christianization of the lowland Filipinos (Miclat, 2000, p. 01). Spain occupied the Philippines for over three centuries. And during that time the country slowly assimilated the customs and traditions of the Spain. When United States bought Philippines from Spain all of the traditions have slowly changed to catch up with the Western countries. The â€Å"West† has a way of living, a style, a culture that has forced its way into most established societies in the modern world. Particularly, western pop culture has had a large impact in the Philippines. Western pop culture is defined as the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred through an informal consensus within the mainstream of any given society (â€Å"Popular Culture,† 2011). The tradition of speaking to someone in person has faded away in modern times especially in the Philippines. Today the influence of western popular culture has greatly enhanced the way we communicate. Instead of traveling or waiting for a letter to arrive. Now, how long we wait is only affected by how fast our connection is. When in the past we use traditional mail and land line, now we have cell phones, e-mail, social networks and Skype. Cell phone users in the Philippines have perfected a way to multi task while on the cell phone. Cell phones are mostly used for texting as a method of communication. People there can actually hold a conversation with a person and text on their cell phone at the same time without looking at the keyboard. Funny thing is I think the Filipinos have the fastest texting fingers. The popularity of social networking in the Philippines can be traced in the Filipinos culture of friends helping friends. For Filipinos, their friends and who they know can become more valuable than money, especially when what they need can be achieved through nepotism, favoritism, and friendship among others (Maderazo, 2007). With the popularity of social networking a lot more Filipinos sign up to stay connected to friends, classmates and families. For example, a lot of Filipino overseas contract wor kers are taking advantage of the social network to stay connected to their families back home in the Philippines to catch up on everyday news and everyday lives of their loved ones that they have left behind. Western popular music has long had a major influence on the world music scene, and the massive appeal of rock music since the worldwide impact of the Beatles and other groups from the 1960s has altered the popular music scene in different regions of the world including third world country such as Philippines. These and other influences have made life in the country very different today. Decades of technological progress has gradually affected local musical and other cultural practices (Craig King, 2002, p. 43). The practice of spontaneous chanting / singing has dramatically declined among Filipino youth (Craig King, 2002, p. 41). When pop music became widespread in the country, young composer then would use the original melody and make it their own by incorporating into local settings and musical practices into the lyrics (Craig King, 2002, p. 50). Because of the influence of the new generation of music many young people taught themselves the guitar. The entertainment industry has also been influenced by the west in a way that more shows in the Philippines are becoming more and more like the show in the west. The entertainment there had also added reality television shows such as â€Å"Big Brother† and â€Å"Ultimate Fighting Champion† just to name a few. Filipino actors and actresses including backup dancers are also dressing themselves sexier and showing more skin to sell their show to the public. In one of the noontime TV shows called â€Å"Wowowee† they always have young girls probably in their late teens dressed in two-piece suits dancing in front of the viewers to draw more attention. The reasons behind these maybe explain by the statement of Jennifer Pozner, in  The Unreal World. She said, â€Å"Viewers may be drawn to reality TV by sort of cinematic schadenfreude, but they continue to tune in because these shows frame their narratives in ways that both reflect and reinforce deeply ingrained societal biases about women, men, love, beauty, class, and race† (Pozner, 2004). With the reality TV shows being accepted and watched by many viewers in the United States, Filipino’s have accepted them as well as a result of catching up on what is in pop-culture. The influence of western fashions in the Philippines is hard to miss (Western, 2011). Fashion has influenced traditional clothing of the Philippines. Philippines were known as one of the more conservative countries in Asia. Filipinos used to wear conservative clothes that show less skin. Long skirts and blouses for women who are more traditional and are perceived as someone who has more self-respect. Women who wore sexy clothing are labeled as prostitute. In the present day most Filipino women wear sexy clothing to show more skin as part of the westernization effect. Dressing sexy has become more accepted as a fashion in our society. As a result of the change in fashion more and more young women and older women start wearing clothes that are not appropriate for their age. But not all traditions has been lost, among men the tradition of wearing â€Å"Barong Tagalog† is still alive and well. It is worn in special occasions such as weddings. Also among the politicians if they want to seem they are for the people they wear the traditional Barong Tagalog. The packaging of food, clothing, crafts, and many other things have been influenced by the west to become easily recognized and inviting. Now a days packaging have become more important than the quality of the product. Up until the last decade or so packaging didn’t really make much of a difference as long as we know that the quality of the product was good. The quality of the product was much more important than the package itself. With the west accepting products from the Philippines traditional packaging had to be redone to make it more presentable. Companies started using non-traditional ingredients and materials to make mass production of food, clothing and crafts faster having an issue of quantity versus quality. For example, longanisa, packaging added the nutritional values on the package. As a result the ingredients were modified, changing the taste of the food that we all grew up eating. The westernization of the Philippines has changed we do things. Many traditions have changed and some have been broken. The flow of change has challenged many of us and only few have managed to keep traditions going, wanting to become westernized has changed the view and the way Filipinos thinks and presents themselves. References Ada Nga-Ting, L. , Gilbert, D. (2004). Locating East Asia in Western Art Music. [Review of the book Locating East Asia in Western Art Music, ed. Y. Uno Everett F. Lau]. Notes, 61(2), 454-456. Retrieved from http://vlib. excelsior. edu/login? url=http://search. ebscohost. com/login. aspx? irect=truedb=a9hAN=16287237site=ehost-livescope=site Craig, T. J. , King, R. (Eds. ). (2002). Global goes local: Popular culture in Asia. Vancouver, BC, CAN: UBC Press. Darling-Wolf, F. (2003). Media, class, and western influence in Japanese womens conceptions of attractiveness. Feminist Media Studies, 3(2), 153-172. doi:10. 1080/1468077032000119290 Davison, R. M. , Vogel, D. R. , Harris, R. W. (2005). The E-Transformation of Wester n China. Communications Of The ACM, 48(4), 62-66. Retrieved from http://vlib. excelsior. edu/login? url=http://search. ebscohost. com/login. aspx? di

Master the Skill of 10-Key by Touch essays

Master the Skill of 10-Key by Touch essays There are many skills that help a person in their career, but are not commonly taught in many of today's schools. Some seem outmoded in the modern world of computers and the Internet, such as shorthand. Shorthand used to be a staple of most clerical workers for note taking and transcribing, but today, mini-tape recorders, laptops, and voice-recognition software have replaced it. However, there is another skill that many people do not have, and it could still be very useful in business. That is the skill of using a 10-key calculator by touch. Every computer keyboard has a 10-key calculator attached to it, and in business, use of the 10-key is common every day. Accountants use them often, and most people in the accounting profession know 10-key by touch. However, it seems this would be an important skill for just about anyone in business to have. If you scan classified and online ads for employment, many have the phrase "10-key by touch" as one of the qualifications for employm ent. Ten-key by touch is nothing more than being able to operate a 10-key calculator without looking at the numbers. Just as you use certain fingers to type on a computer keyboard, you use certain fingers to enter data into a calculator quickly and efficiently. Ten-key by touch is a small thing, but learning this skill can save you time, energy, and give an increased sense of accomplishment and certainty. Think about the last time you balanced your checkbook, averaged your expenses for the month, or figured out a players ERA average. You used a calculator. Chances are you use a calculator all the time at home, and at the office, too. If you know how to use that calculator more quickly and efficiently, with fewer inputting errors, it could save time and give more accurate results. Learning 10-key by touch skills can give that time and save costly data entry errors. Some schools do offer 10-key courses for accounting students, and others offer them ...

What is an Anti-Villain (With Definitions and Examples)

What is an Antis) What is an Antis) A Song of Ice and Fire has held the hearts of fantasy-readers for the past 20 years, and Marvel movies have been dominating movie screens for a decade. So you might be wondering: what makes these franchises so compelling? The answer? Anti-villains.These days, people want more than black and white characters (protagonists who are inherently good and antagonists who are inherently bad). They want flawed heroes who struggle to carry out their goals, and complex villains with backstories and motives that show their humanity. Enter: anti-heroes and anti-villains. In other words, characters who defy their literary conventions.This post will cover the latter character type, and we’ll start by answering the question... What's an "anti-villain" and why are they so popular these days? What is an anti-villain?Anti-villains have noble characteristics, values, and goals, but how they strive for those goals is often questionable - or downright abhorrent. Like traditional villains, anti-villains stand in the way of the hero’s goal. But unlike a traditional â€Å"bad guy,† the anti-villain isn’t necessarily evil. Starting to wonder about every villain you’ve ever read? What was Maleficent’s childhood like? Did Bane just need a hug? Perhaps the Sheriff of Nottingham was just misunderstood?To help you plot out your own morally grey characters, check out the following helpful blog posts all about crafting memorable characters.Character Development: How to Write Characters Your Readers Won't Forget 9 Common Types of Fantasy Characters (With Examples) How to Write a Compelling Character Arc 12 Character Archetypes Every Writer Should Know How to Create a Character Profile: the Ultimate Guide (with Template)Did we miss any major anti-villains you think deserve a mention! Drop their name - or any other thoughts or questions - in the comments below!

In what ways can 'childhood' and 'youth' be understood as social Essay

In what ways can 'childhood' and 'youth' be understood as social constructions - Essay Example The objective of this essay is to identify the different ways childhood and youth is because of social construction. The essay will mainly use Kehily’s book understanding youths. Kehily is one of the most popular sociologists in the world today. She has researched on many issues relating to childhood, youths, gender and sexuality. In the book Understanding Youths, she has used history and sociocultural approaches to prove that childhood is a social construction. The use of history and sociocultural approaches is important in her book since in part one, she talks about perspective. She has used past researches by other sociologists in trying to show the changes that childhood has undergone based on the time period, culture and the economic activities during the time stated. She has used Aries findings that in the 15th century, children even at the age of 5 years were free to do anything that the adults were doing (Classen, 2005, p. 171). This changed in the 16th century, where children were for economic purposes since they could work to boost the family’s income. During the industrial revolution, childhood changed since the law against child labor was introduced thus children suffered from separation with their parents. In 1950, childhood took another twist and it was the beginning of children being very dependent on their parents (Veerman, 1992, p. 58). The second part of Kehily’s book is self-identity; she has based her argument on the historical findings that childhood is different due to the social status (Kehily, 2007, p. 19). She claims that in the West; whose occupants were wealthy spoilt their children, this is different with the Western region where childhood had no meaning since their parents were poor thus they had to work. The third part of the book covers the activities and that the youths engage in thus gaining experience. She states that

Organization Development and Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Organization Development and Change - Essay Example There is a marketing office which is tasked to employ marketing techniques to get people to enroll in a class or classes. Courses offered varied from Basic English to special-type classes like IELTS or TOEIC. Teaching positions are open to anyone who can speak English fluently, has stable Internet connection and can work within the offered class hours. Weekly, teachers would plot their own schedules; that is, select the times they can be online and provide classes. I did not work for the company for a long time because the teaching hours took its toll on me. Although I only worked whenever a student would book a lesson with me, the knowledge that someone was waiting for me at a set time became a source of stress because when something came up at school or at home, I would worry about my online class. Also, there were instances when I would adjust my other tasks around my online class but then the class would be cancelled at the last minute. This left me disappointed since if I had known earlier about having no class, I could have scheduled other tasks during those hours. Overall, the experience was a good one though as, through my students I learned tidbits about the culture and life in Korea and China. I can say the company has a few problems. Based on the Weisbord Six-Box Model, (Weisbord, M., 1976), my previous employer’s problems had to do with Structure, Leadership and Rewards. As per Structure, there were really just one or two persons who interacted with the online teachers and these were not the ones with authority to make decisions. So, whenever I had problems with, for example, students or schedules the resolution would take a while and then it was only temporary because when the same thing happens again, there would be a different solution. The next problem would be in Rewards. There was really no such thing as rewards in the organization, I believe. Teachers were only given their compensation. There was no bonus

Oceans support Essay Example for Free

Oceans support Essay What would happen to the earth’s terrestrial and aquatic species (a) if most of the world’s oceans disappeared and (b) if most of the world’s land disappeared? a) More than two- thirds of the earth’s surface is covered with oceans. These oceans support up to nine tents of the habitable environmement without which most the living organisms will perish. Several life forms are supported by the oceans. The coral reefs, salt marshes and sea grass beds are exampls of ocean environments which support a large number of species which live in symbiosis. It is vital to note that ocean water support land- dwelling organisms. The oceans influence the climate andd weather thus affecting life on land. The water from the ocean evaporates and rises. It then cools and forms rainfal which is important for the survival of land -dwelling organisms. The rainfall is also the basiss of rivers and lakes. It can therefore be concluded that if the oceans disapeared, most of the living organisms will dissapear. Perhaps a few organisns will remanin from the little water available but eventually it will dry up and no more life on earth. b) If most of the land disapeared, most land vegetation would dissapear. This means less food for land animals hence most land animals would die. Some aquatic animals depend on land for reproduction. Thus lack of land may cause extinction of such animals. This may cause imblance of life in the ocean causign the death of more life. It can be argued that most organisms would dissapear but some aquatic animals will survive. Why do deserts and arctic tundra support much smaller biomass of animals than do tropical forests? Why do most animals in tropical rain forest live in its trees? Arctic tundra occur at high latitudes. They receive little water as precipitation. Howewer, their soil remains wet since there is little evaporation due to low temperatures. Also the low temperatures lead to freezing of the soil thus prevenitng underground drainage. The low temperature affects the soil and climate in general and cannot favor the survival of many animals. This impplies low biomass. In the deserts there is a lot of heat and lack of water. Therefore desert animals must develop serveral adaptations in order to survive. Most are noctunal. Due to extra care the animals need to survive, they may not get favourable conditions for cohabiation hence low rate of reproduction. Most animal species cannot survive in the desert leading to low biomass. On the other hand toripical forests receive much rain and warmth throught the year and therefoe consist of tall trees. Due to availability of food and favourable climate many animals live in the forets. The animal reproduce faster than in the deserts. This results to a greater biomass. Many animals in the forest live in trees since they have to adopt themselves to the forests. The trees are tall and therefore the animals have to climb to find food and sunlight. The insects and birds mostly depend on nector which has to be found high up the trees. How would you reply to someone who argues that we should not worry about our effects on natural systems because natural succession will heal the wounds of human activities and restore the balance of nature? If nature is left alone it will always heal itself. Human activities deplete natural resources at a rate faster than it can sustain. Due human activities, there has been destruction of habitats. Forests have been destroyed which will take several years to recover. In the seas and oceans, there has been overexploitation of fish which bring about imbalance of aquatic ecosystems. Many fish species have become extinct which affects all organisms in the food chain. Human activities have also brought about global warming which has led to climate change. This change leads to extinction of plant and animal species. Man has also brought in some alien species of plants and animals which may affect those organisms in their natural habitat. How would you reply to someone who contends that efforts to preserve natural systems are not worthwhile because nature is largely unpredictable? One can argue that nature is unpredictable. However, most of the ways of nature are known. For instance it is known fish eat planktons. It is expected that if there is overfishing, there would be excess of phytoplankton. This will affect all other members in the food chains. Consequently marine life would be affected. Excess phytoplankton may decay and cause further damage. Some members in the food chain may become extinct. Also careless use of chemicals affects the sea life thus destabilizing the sea life. Inasmuch natural disasters and the course of nature may cause damage, deliberate harmful activities cause great damage quickly than would have been caused by natural disasters.

Marketing Essay -- Business Management Studies

Marketing Marketing is about understanding the customer needs and making sure that the products fit the customer’s needs as well as finding ways to influence the customer’s behaviour. Aims and objectives An aim is a statement of purpose that outlines what the business wants to achieve, it is a general goal e.g. to gain profit. An objective is a statement of how the business will achieve their aims it contains specific numbers and dates, they are SMART. For example achieve 4% profit by the end of 2006 Businesses need to have aims and objectives in order to have a direction to follow and gain the best they can out of their business. Objectives of a business need to be SMART, this means: * Specific†¦They need to relate to the issues and the market in which the organisation is involved is involved. * Measurable†¦ They need to see if they have been successful in achieving the objectives * Achievable†¦They must be realistic for the business to be able to achieve, where they’re not too difficult so there’s a lot of pressure on the business and not too easy. * Realistic†¦ The objectives must relate to the business and its activities and must not be too far-fetched. * Timely†¦ they must plan how and when they need to be achieved. The marketing aims and objectives are a part of the marketing plan. The marketing objectives and are also SMART and like all the other departments within the business they need to build towards the aims and objectives of the business as a whole. Marketing objectives must involve understanding the needs of the customers; they also need to stay ahead of their competition. The market research the department carries out helps to determine what their objectives ar... ...blend of the marketing mix will persuade a customer to buy the product and stay loyal to the business. It is also important that the business has a specific blend just for them because of their aims and objectives as a business, for example a supermarket needs to keep a different blend to a fast food chain as their targeted customers have different needs. Overall the marketing in a business plays a very important role in how successful a product and therefore a business will be, as a good marketing strategy will attract more customers and gain more profit for the business. The marketing department mainly relies on help from other departments and the marketing mix (it is important to have the right blend). If the business uses the right strategies to fit the product/service they provide then they will be successful in achieving their aims and objectives.

Political Culture of Russia Essay

The nature of Russian political culture and by extension its politics has been shaped and molded over the previous centuries. While we can by no means attribute its entire political culture to a single event or time period, we also can’t point to a time period, say the Soviet time, and draw our perception of Russia’s political culture from that alone. That being said, the totalitarian nature of the Soviet State is by partial means attributable to Marxist-Leninist philosophies. The nature of Russian political culture was (and still is in many regards) authoritarian. Throughout Russia’s history there has been an authoritarian attitude in how the country should be ruled. The state was always there, the state was behind forced modernization policies from Peter the Great through Joseph Stalin, and today Vladimir Putin. Russia for the large part of its history been just as vast as it is today. The sheer size of it requires a centralized power to keep regional autonomy down. Every country that followed or still follows Marxist doctrine did (does) so with different flavors of Marxism, none of which are exactly and entirely what Karl envisioned. China and Russia were rivals in several policy areas throughout the 20th century. The same dichotomy can be seen between China and its smaller (communist) Southeastern Asian neighbors such a s Cambodia and Vietnam. Communist countries were partially authoritarian because of Marxism. The nature of establishing and perpetuating a command economy demanded authoritarianism. While China has wiggled out of many of the responsibilities and pitfalls of running a command economy by establishing market-driven economic reform, it remains authoritarian. This illustrates that while the key components of Marxism are abandoned, the system and its actors continue to grasp to power as it seeks to adapt and integrate itself into the world system. This is counter to previous attempts to establish a parallel world system behind Soviet ideology. Bottom line: the only way a Communist system can take continued hold and root itself into the political system is through authoritarianism. Not to mention the guise under which many of the Soviet Republics were brought into the fold and behind the Iron Curtain. These weren’t spontaneous Communist Revolutions toppling several governments around the world; it was the Russian’s moving in after having kicked the Germans out and act ing marionette to their new puppets. If it were populist support that kept Communist governments in power around the world one would not see states efforts to cripple freedoms of the press, of assembly, and of religion. Current Communist governments fear a slippery slope, and perhaps rightfully so, where an inch of social freedom given would mimic Mikhail Gorbachev’s reforms in the late 1980’s and lead to an eventual collapse. Russia’s Political culture is more authoritarian than a lot of countries around the world, but today it is a functioning quasi-democracy with authoritarian overtones. This goes to show that in the right circumstances, Russian’s can and will subject themselves to semi-authoritarian rule. Under other circumstances, such as the situation in the 1990’s that followed the collapse of the Soviet system, it’s a wonder that authoritarianism didn’t come back in force. Putin still governs with legitimacy at the front of his mind, and hasn’t suspended the constitution or ruled by decree. True democracy can and will eventually be realized, but realistically this is only possible through generational replacement and hard, slow change. The privatization process can be viewed with much rightful criticism, it didn’t take into account Russians lack of understanding of the West’s definition of ‘rational economic behavior’, nor did it find a happy middle ground between the two extremes of command economy and wild-west capitalism. What it did do was change the rules of the game being played. We can fault the broad shock therapy method for any number of shortcomings in the economic policy in the Russian arsenal, but it accomplished one incredibly more important goal. It changed the rules of the game. People who knew the rules (or knew which new rules were coming), mobsters, party officials, and Western interests, leapt upon the opportunity to make money hand over fist. This is still a vastly improved scenario as opposed to gradual economic reform, with the state greedily holding onto the â€Å"commanding heights† of the economy, and leaving the unprofitable sectors open for private investment and development. The large majority of the Russian people didn’t have a firm grasp on private property, or selling one of two cows to buy a bull, or how to ‘invest’ with these vouchers. The sharks ate them up in the incredibly free market. This is a point that was necessary for the facilitation o f real capitalism and eventually democracy in Russia. How does one instill in its population the concepts that go hand in hand with capitalism? My answer would be to force them to adapt to a changed environment. Gradual change would’ve perpetuated for a longer time the stagnation and poor cost-management of the Soviet period. An aggressive and immediate changing of the environment began the painful instilling of capitalist values into the populace and government. After the dust cleared and a new millennia unveiled, Vladimir Putin inherited a new Russia, with new problems, and an semi-regulated albeit capitalist system. I also reject the notion that a stake in a company translates to a certain level of commitment and productivity associated with it. I can think of just in my own history a number of bosses with a small level of commitment to the company, they weren’t there to operate or manage, they were there to own. That being said I’ve also experienced several hands-on owners, who corrected the techniques of severa l employees to their liking. My other inference comes from day-traders on the Stock Market. People with no vested interest in a company putting their money up because they think the stock will go up, not necessarily because they believe in the product. One doesn’t need a stake in a company to incentivize success within it, it sure helps, but it is not required and wouldn’t have made the Russian transition any less painful. The decades of propaganda had really affected some 10% of the population and they were the ones who fell off the cliff when the system changed. Russia in the 1990’s was bad, but it was nothing compared to the massive famines that led to the deaths of millions of Russians, or the Great Depression. Many Russian’s who bought into the Soviet ideology were left out in the cold, yet others found jobs, and others made easy money. 1991 was a turbulent time in Russia, the collapse of the system left countless questions unanswered about what the Russian state and its business sector would look like after the dust settled. I see absolutel y no way, no system, no path that could’ve mediated such a drastic change with minimal economic displacement and suffering. We could’ve lessened the blow with a Russian version of the Marshall Plan, but frankly that was much too much to expect from America. We were in a position of triumph after decades of struggle, and the prospect of the massive new markets had American businesspeople salivating. The Marshall plan also wouldn’t have worked as well as it did in Western Europe because the political and economic culture of Russia was very different from Western Europe. Saturating a country with cash and loans to build (or rebuild in the case of Western Europe) modern infrastructure was out of the question. Half the reasoning behind the Marshall Plan in the first place was to cultivate capitalism, and combat the spread of communism. What is to be gained from a US policy of propping up our old foe? This is especially true when there was so much money to be made via exploitation. Russia in the 1990’s was exactly was America desired it to be, complacent. The Russian mob played a major role in blocking true market reforms; they reveled in the post-collapse chaos and orchestrated the major piece of the Russian economy that is sti ll today conducted underground, and more importantly, free of tax revenue. While this percentage has decreased considerably, it still accounts for nearly a double digit hole in economic exchanges. Along with the mob, the Communist Party knew what was going to happen and planned accordingly. They snapped up the profitable sectors of the economy for pennies on the dollar and became fabulously wealthy. Both groups served as major obstacles in the path of real reform, and real democracy for Russia. The fact is that the reforms proposed were free-market in principle and not free-market in practice. Favors, subsidies, inside information, and possessing capital (not to mention the knowledge of how to use it) made for a grossly tilted economic playing field in Russia. Just like water, the money flowed down the tilt and into the hands of elites and future oligarchs, leaving real policy and progress for later leaders and generations to wrestle with. To quote Winston Churchill, â€Å"Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.† Western style democracy is by no means the pinnacle of human achievement, it is however a necessary condition to providing the basis for equality of opportunity, rule of law, and political representation. That is not to say that there is no value in the Russian path, or that it is inherently wrong. Order just isn’t as valuable (according to the West) when one holds the aforementioned societal values. Order works for Russia, much better than it ever could’ve worked in the â€Å"Go west, young man† America that encompassed so much of the formation of our identity. Order keeps the barbarians out, order keeps the serfs from rebelling, order centralizes power in an Empire. Russia, without the concept of order built in like ours of liberty, would’ve faltered and fell from the world stage many times, of this I have no doubt.. The two biggest examples of Order trumping Liberty (in Russia) I can imagine are the invasions of Napoleon and Hitler. In the former and the latter, slash and burn tactics were employed. Hell, Moscow was a husk in the dead of winter when Napoleon got there, and I have no doubt that similarly drastic measures would’ve been taken to preserve the Soviet state. People throughout the best land in Russia, burned their property, poisoned their livestock, poisoned their water, destroyed everything of use, and fled. The enormous sense of communal responsibility and togetherness that these behaviors exhibit illustrate that Order worked and may continue to work for Russians, in the same manner that Liberty worked for Americans. I could never imagine American’s destroying everything in the face of invasion and retreating. That’s sacrilegious in this country; luckily we didn’t have quite as aggressive neighbors as Russia had. The Russian political system must meet several criteria I believe before it is widely accepted as completely legitimate. First off, centrist parties crafted by United Russia have to dissipate. They’re there to fracture opposition support, and nullify the voices of the overriding political currents that sway governments to control of one party or another. Representative politics works best when it represents the electorate, if there are pressures to decrease opposition support via backhanded ways, then that is where one sees wide-spread dissent. United Russia may have the backing of a majority of the Russian citizenry, for now, but by treating the opposition as the problem rather than part of the solution, Putin and by extension United Russia is alienating many mainstream voters on the left and right. Their reaction is to then become more extreme and problemati c because they’re being talked down to. When legitimate political parties and beliefs aren’t represented, parties and organizations that hold them have nothing to lose by taking up much more extremist views. If they felt that United Russia would play ball, they wouldn’t be taking the positions that they have taken. They would come to the table with more of a pragmatist view and plan of compromise. The military’s role in the democratization of Russia needs to be minimal. I am of the belief that a Roman-style coup utilizing the military is a very real albeit remote possibility. Civilians need to be the head of their equivalent to the Department of Defense, and ending discrimination in the armed services is a must for minorities in Russia to truly feel that they have a say and a stake in the country as it moves forwards. Divided government demands compromise, and it is yet to be seen whether Russia is ready to grapple with and deal with people who don’t agree with you. As of this point, the answer has been to silence them, or to shuffle them into a centrist party like sheep, or to run up the tally of people who think like you. For Russia to move past the post-Soviet period it must start engaging opposition, utilize independent parties, and stop fighting the opposition. This is very possible, just not at a breakneck pace. Russia’s value of Liberty will inevitably keep the country moving towards a more representative and legitimate democracy, but its value of Order will make sure that it is a slow and deliberate process.

Digital Camera

Technology within the last fifty years has evolved drastically because of the introduction of computers. This technology remains changing, mostly for the better as a multitude of public and private corporations do their research and development to elevate mankind’s way of life into another level of advancement. One most notable change in the people’s everyday lives is the evolution of photography.From bulky cameras, film and hour-long photo development came the instant, flashy, sleek and compact digital cameras that can take photographs and can store them instantly electronically. This paper provides a critique of Thom Hogan’s (2009) article, â€Å"How Digital Cameras Work. † Catching moments and having a souvenir for it are the main points of why people take a photo. People can be sentimental and so, a camera is a gadget that almost every household have. However, there are so many people out there who do not have the zest and passion for photography and t he science behind it.Majority of users do not understand their digital cameras and the author, Thom Hogan, wrote the article to help these millions of people to get to know how a digital camera works and it is often not wise to rely on the adverts or express warranty a manufacturer claims, as more often than not, those claims are not true, scientifically speaking. The opening notes of the article says this much and this is a catchy enough way to get attention of even uninterested users.The main concern about the article, is that, even though it is written for people without photography background, the terminologies used seem to be strictly for photographers. For instance, a lot of average users of digital cameras do not know the difference between 28mm vs. a 35mm cameras and the author used the â€Å"35 mm† term as though everyone would understand what it means. The author could have set up a terminologies page to help the average users understand the article better. That bei ng said, this paper shall now discuss the rest of the article.The author tackled first the functions of a camera’s sensor. This is of course the silicon chip on a digital camera which has two kinds: CCD and CMOS. CCD and CMOS are explained by author in the next part which is a smart move considering that this article can be used for basic digital photography and some technical terms must be already infused. CCD, according to the author, is an old technology while CMOS is the sensor of today and this sensor shall be the one referred to for the rest of the paper.The author mentioned one brand that designed a good CMOS sensor and that brand is Nikon. Such mention of brand can raise eyebrows as one would think whether this particular author has been paid by Nikon to advertise the brand’s sensors on a variety of users, after all, who is better to trust than an expert in photography? Next, the author mentioned photosites within the sensors. Photo diodes are the light sensing portion of photosites and they cannot cover the entire sensor as there are â€Å"non-light responsive spaces between diodes†.This statement by the author can be considered a fair warning to digital camera users. As early as this stage, they know about the limitations of digital photography, that not all sensors are good at sensing light, which is essential in taking photographs. Again, the author endorsed Nikon and Fujifilm cameras as exception to the sensor rule. He described how certain Nikon and Fujifilm sensors (actually named camera models) have overcome this limitation in digital photography. The author proceeded to describe light and sensors the way a physicist would.This is again more confusing to the average reader or even photography novices. Next, the author mentioned that a camera sees in black and white and he described how cameras produce colours in different ways. The different ways the author described are wonderful insights into photography and it can get us ers more valuable information on how they would like to use their camera sensors. More people tend to prefer photographs with vivid colour. Lastly, the author described how to get data from the sensor of a camera.Essentially, he told users the more manipulations done to a camera, the more the image gets further from its original form (adjustment of colour, brightness and even simple JPEG conversion). This is another essential information as some user prefer realistic images over bright colours. Overall, the article is highfaluting one, especially for normal, average user with no inkling for photography but it provides valuable information to those with photography background and would like to know more about the art.

Labor Day Essay Example

Labor Day Essay Example Labor Day Essay Labor Day Essay Name: Instructors: Course: Date: Labor Day Labor Day is celebrated on the first Monday of September every year. The labor movement in honor of the achievements of the American workers created a holiday. P.J. Maguire first suggested it. He states that a day should be set aside to honor those â€Å"who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold† (Dayton, 12). It was planned by the Central Labor Union and was first celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882 in the city of New York. The labor force is vital to the improvement of living standards as well as the realization of economic goals of a country. Labor Day is celebrated as a show of gratitude to the numerous workers in America who dedicate themselves to provide services to the people. It is a national, yearly tribute to the workers whose role in the prosperity of the country is immense. Dayton, Connor. Labor Day. New York: Powerkids Press, 2012. Print.

Positions, Please

Positions, Please Positions, Please Positions, Please By Sharon Getting the right position is not just about making a good career move or finding your spot on the stage. There are several words that refer to the different positions in which you can lie. Some of these are not just about the body, but about the attitude. Here are some examples. In the 16th century, prone meant bending forward and downward. By the 18th century, it had taken on its modern meaning of lying flat. However, using prone implies that the front of the body is resting on the surface which supports it. In other words, youre lying on your front. In contrast, supine implies that youre lying on your back, a meaning it has had since the 15th century. Supine also means mentally or morally inert, according to the Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. Prostrate also means lying down, but it has the additional sense of collapse, defeat and submission. Recumbent means lying down, often in a sleeping position and if you are reclining, though you may be lying down, you may also be leaning backwards, such as when youre propped up on a couple of pillows. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:What Is Irony? (With Examples)Latin Words and Expressions: All You Need to KnowSit vs. Set

Innovation and Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Innovation and Change - Essay Example Innovation and commercialisation differ considerably from each other. Different types, sizes and markets of innovation have been clearly depicted in the paper. Several factors such as culture, organisational structure, its core competence and environmental scanning that play a vital part in innovation strategy have been mentioned in detail. Various issues and factors that make an organisation innovative have been discussed by citing examples. 2.0 What Is Innovation and Why Is It Important? Definition Innovation refers to an application of improved or new ideas to products, process, marketing or various other activities of a firm in order to increase its ‘value’. Value represents a wider approach to incorporate higher value added to the firm, benefits to consumers or other firms (Princeton University Press, n.d.). Innovation implies the process by which different degrees of quantifiable value improvement is planned as well as achieved in commercial activity. The processes by which innovation can be achieved are introducing new or improved products and services, executing improved operational process and implementing new managerial process (Business.Gov.in, n.d.). Importance In the present scenario, innovation is a key factor to maintain long run of business and organisation. Innovation facilitates to achieve competitive advantage over others. An organisation is involved in various innovative activities in manufacturing procedures, brand building, product improvement and others. Innovation facilitates to structure corporate life and also helps a company to develop various strategies. Various other significances of innovation in the industry encompass decrease in total cost of production, increase in income opportunity and maintenance of well-organised operating system. It also enables to observe probable acquisitions on the basis of cost as well as accelerating profitable top-line revenue growth along with increasing capabilities. The research and de velopment of the country can be expanded by innovation by means of most up-to-date technology in the country (Business.Gov.in, n.d.). Difference between Commercialisation and Innovation Innovation implies improvement with innovative technologies in various sectors in an organisation. Innovation process varies considerably depending on different industries and their product lines. In certain industries, such as pharmaceuticals, innovation depends greatly on scientific breakthroughs, while in electronics industry innovation develops from product and process design. Innovation takes on several characteristics during product as well as industry life cycles (Princeton University, 1995). Commercialisation refers to increase in profit from innovation in an organisation by integrating new technologies into processes, products and services and then selling them in marketplace. Commercialisation is contingent in industries of pharmaceuticals along with aircraft while receiving sanction of pro ducts from suitable organisations. Commercial success depends on the ability and skill of firms to develop and protect a proprietary benefit in the marketplace as it does on their capability to produce new scientific and technical advances (Princeton University, 1995). Several innovations are developed to the prototype stage and are produced in lesser amount, but it is not totally commercialised because the financial

Managment Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Managment Accounting - Essay Example It can be viewed that the business models adopted in the visual arts sector in the nation are relatively inefficient due to inadequate financial support. In this regard, almost every visual arts sector is seemed to be undercapitalized. The arts sector is facing ample challenges to retain a sustainable performance in this competitive business environment. In this context, the major challenges that face by arts sector in England include cultural aspects, free entry strategy and inability in tackling factors that are accountable for under performance. The sector has been facing the aforementioned challenges mainly due to limited investment of funds and inappropriate allocation of financial resources (Royce, 2011). In relation to the arts sector of England, it can be viewed there is a lack of income which is generated from the entry tickets due to the provisions of free entry. Free entry of visitors in relation to this sector is often regarded as a blessing for public, but this practical implication has led towards inadequate public funding. In this respect, these organisations are more inclined towards incompetency and inefficient performance in the present competitive business environment. Consequently, inadequate availability of public funding has restricted the organisations associated with arts sector in allocating funds for development, maintenance and repair. It can be affirmed that the implication of free entry will be effective in attracting a huge number of customers, but will not facilitate the organisations to obtain adequate funds for complying with future requirements and making greater development. Respectively, the organisations, with inadequate revenues will be unable to meet the requirements of the business costs. Moreover, the... This paper descusses from the above discussion, it can be affirmed that the present business scenario is incessantly changing due to gaining momentum of globalisation and prevalence of extreme business market competition. In this changing business market conditions, organisations are required to develop appropriate strategies and plans in order to maintain sustainable growth and performance. The arts sector in England is surrounded with certain threats that include operational inefficiency and ineffective allocation of financial resources within the context of competitive business environment. In this regard, this sector should adopt efficient business models with the objectives of performing in a sustainable way. In relation to the arts sector of England, it can be viewed there is a lack of income which is generated from the entry tickets due to the provisions of free entry. Free entry of visitors in relation to this sector is often regarded as a blessing for public, but this practical implication has led towards inadequate public funding. In this respect, these organisations are more inclined towards incompetency and inefficient performance in the present competitive business environment. This report makes a conclusion that management accounting is often viewed to be an important business tool which helps organisations in making better decisions and suitably maintaining financial resources at large. Specially mentioning, the statement of Royce can be identified to hold positive viewpoints about the formation of efficient business models for better management of the arts sector. On the other hand, Taylor holds opposing viewpoints about the need of forming effective business models, as this might increase the complexity of business operations and procedures by a certain degree.

Police science College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Police science College - Essay Example 42). Police discretion has been further addressed and defined at the highest levels of the American criminal justice system. The United States Supreme Court, the ultimate arbiter of the reasonableness of police procedure, has sanctioned the use of police discretion in 4th Amendment search and seizure cases. Indeed, "There are many other intrusive activities that the Court leaves solely to the discretion of the police on the grounds that the individual has no "reasonable expectation of privacy" in the place or premises targeted by the police" (Maclin, 1996: np). In short, even from a constitutional point of view, there are situations when the use of police discretion is not only allowed, but necessary. Police discretion, therefore, can best be characterized as the use of judgment in fluid situations and settings. O'Connor presents a four-part framework for defining police discretion for a particular community: (1) discretion as judgment, (2) discretion as choice, (3) discretion as discernment, and (4) discretion as license (2005, np.). A police officer's judgment, for example, ought to be based on his experience, his particular area of expertise, and his insight into different situations as defined by that community. ... Discretion is therefore highly individualistic. Discretion one community might be exercised differently than in a different community. Choice means trying to find alternative solutions to problems. This aspect of discretion involves a weighing of the costs and the benefits of alternative courses of action. Discernment refers to an examination of the underlying merits of a situation. The police officer must use discretion, for instance to determine whether someone is being scapegoated or unfairly accused. Perhaps there is some excuse that, while not legally recognized as a defense, nevertheless is a very reasonable reason for employing discretion. Finally, the notion of discretion as license reflects the fact that there are times when it might be wiser to disobey standard operating procedures and rules. This is an area where the possibility for the abuse of discretion is the highest. In short, discretion is a multifaceted concept and it tends to be applied on an individualistic basis. Question 3: What is it about YOUNG PEOPLE AND THE POLICE Why is there so much conflict and animosity It has been established that police discretion exists, that police discretion is defined in various ways, and that there are many inaccuracies or myths surrounding the application of police discretion. The sources of police discretion regarding young people, however, are more definitely categorized and defined. O'Connor, citing the extensive research summaries presented by Gaines et al, breaks the causes of police discretion down into three main categories. The first category focuses on the age and the history of the offender and deals mostly with age-related factors. Does the offender, for example resist or respond

Challenges Caused by the Knowledge Economy

Challenges Caused by the Knowledge Economy With reference to the concept of the corporate curriculum, how far do you consider an organisation with which you are familiar to be meeting the challenges presented by the knowledge economy? Introduction: With the emergence of the new knowledge-based economy, organisations are slowly starting to see a new need to apply knowledge management practices and principles to their corporate curriculum. In todays competitive landscape, organisations must develop different capabilities and strategies in order to meet the demands of the knowledge economy. In order to do this, firms must be able to effectively deploy, utilize and manage knowledge. Knowledge management can be harnessed to foster learning in the organisation. It is also important to identify and use knowledge through strategic capabilities, knowledge productivity, and corporate curriculum. Managers of today should think critically about the use of learning and knowledge processes in order to be successful. Increasing globalization, continuous improvements in technology and growing competitiveness of the different industries around the world are just some of the pressures which are forcing some organisations to streamline their business processes and utilize not only their traditional and competitive resources but also their collective knowledge. Every organisation survives in an atmosphere that conditions the way the organisation carries out its business. There are business drivers that have influenced how organisations behave towards knowledge management. The airline industry as a member of the professional services sector recognizes knowledge as a product, people as primary source, mobile workforce and mergers are some of its key business drivers (Abel and Oxbrow, 2001). Learning and Knowledge Management There are many ways to define knowledge management as much as there are a lot of approaches to implementing it and using it. In the context of learning, Alavi and Leidner (2001) describe knowledge management as a dynamic and continuous organisational phenomenon that involves distinct but interdependent processes of knowledge creation, knowledge retrieval, knowledge transfer, and knowledge application. Ponniah (2001, p. 54) defines knowledge management as a systematic process for capturing, integrating, organizing, and communicating knowledge accumulated by employees. He further describes it as a vehicle to share corporate knowledge so that employees may be more effective and be productive in their work. In every organisation, innovation or learning occurs as a result of the flow and transformation of knowledge and other intellectual assets. Accordingly, innovation, whether reorientation or variation, is a reflection of the internal organisational positioning of the firms innovative unit, the character of technological interdependencies in a particular innovation, and the character of knowledge and technological interdependencies (Goodman and Lawless, p. 240). According to Andreu and Sieber (2001, p. 61), differences in knowledge led to differences in learning. For organisations, it is important to have a clear idea about what types of knowledge are present in individuals within the organisation. It is also important for organisations to incorporate relevant knowledge from the environment so that they are capable of offering to potential clients whatever becomes standard in the marketplace. Nonaka (1991) says there is another way to think about knowledge and its role in business orga nisations. He cites as examples some Japanese companies like Honda, Canon, and Sharp. He says that managers of these firms tap on the tacit and often highly subjective insights of employees which often results to a spiral of knowledge at continuing higher levels and it is not simply the processing of factual information. As organisations grow, the level of learning and the quality of knowledge becomes more important and critical to the business inputs and processes. Andreu and Sieber (2001) support this fact by saying that it is the interaction of individuals in a group and therefore the collective character of work in organisations that gave rise to the concept of organisational learning. It is also through organisational learning that organisations are beginning to see the impact of using intellectual assets as another means to fight their way out of the doldrums. Challenges of the Knowledge Economy The information age is marked by the rise of mass customization, dynamic processes, virtual organisations, and a whole set of new practices and administrative structures enabled by global communications and information systems (Meadows et al, p. 38). The essential resources to consider in todays knowledge economy therefore are knowledge, labor, and organisational capabilities (Meadows et al). In an economy that is becoming increasingly driven by new shifts in technology and competition, it is no longer possible for traditional organisations and industries of today to concentrate on their static assets. They must constantly move their resources and adjust to certain communications structures, management practices, personnel development, and sales and marketing strategies. The increasing rates of change, increasing global competition, a more diverse workforce, a more demanding and satisfaction-conscious customers are just some of the challenges that organisations are facing today as they make a transformation from an industrial organisation to a knowledge-based organisation. The greater challenge however lies on how to use knowledge in order to bring out innovative ideas and create more value for the organisation and trigger product and services differentiation. The Corporate Curriculum For an organisation to meet the challenges presented by the knowledge economy, learning and development should be incorporated in the overall corporate plan and business process. The organisation must adopt a corporate culture which integrates the transformation of the organisation using the available intellectual and the internal and external knowledge assets with the corporate development process. Formalized training programs should include a corporate curriculum plan match with the prevailing job and managerial skills of individual members of the organisation to the needs of the entire organisation. It should also provide an avenue for knowledge and the entire learning processes to flourish and help the organisation sustain its competitive edge. There should be programs for enhancing the strategic communication which would guide managers and employees on the how to communicate the mission-vision and the corporate strategy to different levels and departments of the organisation. It should also be able to skillfully impart its mission-vision and guiding principles to its members and clients as well. Programs should also showcase the effective management skills which come with the recruitment and selection process of employees, encouraging motivation, giving due and just compensation, providing coaching and training programs, and enhancing the performance management. Using human resources and learning methods for knowledge management purposes include knowledge management awareness and development of a knowledge sharing attitude and skills as part of a corporate curriculum (Efimova and Swaak). Leadership and personal development should be able to help define the dynamic character of a leader and enhance leadership styles and approaches suitable for the organisation and its environment. It should also help enhance team building activities and help and empower members of the organisation to take charge of their own career development. Sales and Marketing courses should help improve the negotiating and selling skills and market analysis and planning skills as well. Service Excellence should be able to make changes to certain strategies in order to improve customer satisfaction and allow room for a creative problem solving strategy. In this paper, Singapore Airlines (SIA) was chosen as the organisation of choice because the company operates in an emerging economy of Asia which offers an ideal situation in which to discuss the challenges encountered in an evolving knowledge economy. The company is also recognized as an innovation-based organisation that places strong emphasis on value creation through knowledge (Goh, 2005). Strategic Communication Large organisations like SIA take into account the importance of having good communication strategies in order to bring their messages across their members located in different cities and subsidiaries around the world. Kaufman says that SIA publishes a variety of newsletters and company-wide magazines on top of having regular dialogue sessions between management and staff. New suggestions are constantly heard and put forward in different business meetings which was then called Staff ideas in Action (Kaufman). This scheme ensures that feedback from front-line workers was taken into consideration when improving the delivery of services and products. Internal staff communication and information dissemination with employees is also encouraged through a variety of regular departmental meetings (Goh, 2005). These meetings provide the forum for further evaluation of sales, yields and customer satisfaction levels. Goh (2005) adds that over the years, SIAs technology strategy has involved hug e investments in many state-of-the-art technologies In order to strengthen its knowledge networks for predicting the demand and supply of airline seats. SIA deemed it important to use networked knowledge resource as a vital asset in optimizing the allocation of airline seats more effectively. If this networked knowledge is well managed, they are a good influence for pursuing further innovation based on superior performance. Knowledge is therefore best viewed as the catalyst for exploring innovative ideas which occur between and within organisations at knowledge exchanges due to stepped up transfer between knowledge communities. Nonaka (1991) therefore says that managing the knowledge-creating company requires the building of overlapping company information, business activities, and managerial responsibilities which encourages further communication and helps create a common ground for the transfer of open knowledge. In order to innovate effectively, organisations like SIA should also adopt knowledge management practices based on a collaborative knowledge strategy through symbiotic relationships by knowledge sharing. Todays knowledge-based environments require the assimilation of knowledge from diverse disciplines which can be drawn from a variety of fields of expertise. This often results to superior innovative products and practices. In a highly competitive environment such as the airline industry, success generally means that the provision of products and services before ticket purchase and after passenger arrival must be taken seriously. If we are to consider how SIA innovates on its strategic communication process, it is worth noting that SIA management greatly understands the value of constant feedback and the establishment of open communication channels with customers at all times, in any place, and in any situation as the best way to improve on its corporate competitiveness. SIA makes an intensive effort to stay in touch with customers by listening to hidden wants and needs and ensure rapid response to customer complaints. Effective Management Skills SIA is constantly challenged from almost all fronts. Even though its business model is often an envy of other industry players, theres still a lot of room for improvement. In here, SIA must respond by continuously creating new value for the market it serves. It has recently moved from resource allocation of physical assets towards the pursuit of knowledge innovation. This move has enhanced corporate competitiveness by using knowledge together with scientific, technological, organisational, and managerial assets. Managing knowledge is basically managing people (Goh, 2005). It must be made clear however that people-centered priorities are most crucial in a successful knowledge-based enterprise. Machines and technology are often proficient in gathering and performing information tasks. People are more involved in knowledge tasks. It is said that people are the real intelligent agents in knowledge management solutions regardless of how powerful and advanced the technology may be. People are the ones who can identify, assess, analyse, and act upon opportunities for learning brought about by the acquisition of new knowledge in order to help sustain the organisation. Kaufman says that training and other educational programs at SIA are not one-time affairs. SIA recognizes the changing customer expectations and the complexity in handling daily customer contacts can be an exhausting experience. One of SIAs competitive advantages has been its total commitment to talent. SIAs consistency in its training programs allows it to surge ahead in service quality (even during economic slumps) when its competitors are cutting back on training costs. It also demonstrates to all its members that continuous learning and improvement are essential principles for success, and not just for add-ons. Compared to the current industry standards, SIA goes to extraordinary lengths to attract, develop, and retain the best people by recognizing that only people who are trained with the right technological tools can intelligently assemble, interpret, and utilize knowledge for the purpose of servicing the advancement of the organisations innovation goals. Kleiman (1999) contends that training practices and skills development illustrates the commitment of management to constantly improve the skills of its personnel. By investing and incorporating these programs within the overall corporate curriculum, employees do not only get to have an avenue for career development and improve their skills and knowledge. They also bring in different forms of information and expertise (and knowledge) which can be potent weapons by the company in maintaining its competitive advantage. People are motivated to grow for a lot of reasons. First, it augments a persons human capital and labor market position. Second, it aligns the growth with deeper personal intrinsic motives (Wijnhoven, p.303). According to Wheatley (2000, p. 6), human needs and motivation lead us naturally to create knowledge. Studies confirm that people want their work to provide growth, recognition, meaning, and good relationships. We want our lives to mean something, we want to make contributions to society and to other people, and we want to continually learn and improve our skills. Inducing people to work in new ways for quality and innovation may also involve overcoming past habits, values, beliefs, and identity (Michela and Warner Burke, p. 234). Skyrme (2000, p.78) discovers that many companies do not reward people for sharing information. Management consultancies now include peoples contribution to their knowledge bases as part of their performance and salary review. At SIA, excellent staff performance is rewarded with increased pay and position. Individual innovation on how to respond to unique customer situations with exceptionally positive, innovative, or selfless acts of service is added knowledge to the company and is also aptly rewarded with increased pay and position. By empowering their employees and supporting decentralization of decision making and broader workforce participation, employees are usually given prominent roles in running the business. It also encourages greater responsibility for individual and group actions on decisions they make. Leadership and Personal Development Management suggests custodianship, control and a concentration on managing resources that already exist. According to Skyrme (2000), a better term for knowledge management is knowledge leadership. It is more about constant development and innovation of information resources and of knowledge and learning networks. It embraces both the sharing of what is known, and innovation which are the two thrusts of a knowledge-enhanced strategy. Successful knowledge innovations are not characterized by instruction-centered production tasks, and corporate leaders should reduce top-down structures that hinder productive knowledge processes (Goh, 2005). The traditional hierarchy structure and style of management is often seen as detrimental to a knowledge generating culture. In SIAs management hierarchy, managers always have time to listen to employee feedbacks and these feedbacks are valued at every level of the hierarchy. In the concept of a knowledge-based economy, everybody is considered a knowledge worker (Wheatley, 2000). If everybody is assumed to be creating knowledge, then the organisation has a responsibility to provide open access to information to everyone. It is therefore assumed that knowledge will be found everywhere in the organisation, not just in a few places or levels of the organisation. At SIA, the staff is regularly evaluated for performance and potential (Kaufman). Senior managers are frequently rotated within the top positions of the company. The management team is described as having a shared understanding of the big picture due to the great breadth and depth of their experience and reach within the company. Collaboration and team building is closely evidenced by the fact that SIAs products, services, and solutions are heavily invested in order to foster a strong knowledge-sharing culture (Goh, 2005). The introduction of web-based technologies and a company-wide focus on developing team-based competencies to improve the companys capabilities in knowledge collaboration also support the personal development of the organisation. Sales and Marketing According to Kaufman, SIA keeps track of their competitors progress closely while keeping an open eye for new ways to improve and grow. Whenever other service industries (like hotels, banks, and restaurants) take steps forward in their amenities and comfort, SIA takes the initiative to analyse and study innovative ways in which it can leverage and adopt these existing opportunities for their customers satisfaction. To address customer demands, SIA developed a quarterly Service Performance Index that provides a consolidation of statistics relating to customer service (Goh, 2005). This index is closely monitored globally and benchmarked against the service standards of leading airline competitors in the Asian region. SIA also undertakes an environmental scan on consumer trends of competitors and other similar services. Service Excellence In a new knowledge-based economy, clients are more informed and more perceptive and sensitive of their needs and wants. To ensure that these clients new needs are met, knowledge-based organisations should be more customer-centric. At SIA, its strategic centerpiece is on ensuring that customer get the best deal and value on every deal that it makes with its stakeholders. Conclusion: The success of knowledge innovation depends on members of the organisation who utilized the knowledge and not the knowledge itself. In order for an organisation to succeed and sustain its competitive advantage, organisations should have a formal and knowledge-friendly environment where it can promote and cultivate a knowledge-oriented culture and knowledge-driven management and personnel programs. Singapore Airlines is known as one of the best airlines in the world in terms of customer satisfaction and ability to weather the onslaught of new competitors. In general, SIA is faring much better than its competitors because it has consistently aligned its strategic goals and innovation investments with a collaborative knowledge strategy. SIAs technology strategy involved modern technology to strengthen its knowledge network. It has a people-centered philosophy by training and developing its people in order to have knowledge workers in their ranks. SIAs hierarchical management style is st ructured to encourage and value feedback from different levels of the organisation. To meet the challenges of knowledge economy, SIAs corporate curriculum offer a wide range of inspiring and demanding educational programs that continually motivate, upgrade, and improve their employees and managers performance. The main reason why SIA has continually flown on both wings on the sky is that it has found good ways and means of using an intangible asset in the form of knowledge to fuel their drive towards customer service perfection. Bibliography Abel, A and OxBrow, N (2001), Competing with Knowledge, Library Association Publishing, London. Garvey, B and Williamson, B (2002), Beyond Knowledge Management: Dialogue, Creativity, and the Corporate Curriculum, Pearson Education, Harlo, UK. Goodman, R and Lawless, M (1994), Technology and Strategy: Conceptual Models and Diagnostics, Oxford University Press, New York. Kleiman, L (1999), Human Resource Management: A Managerial Tool for Competitive Advantage, 2nd edn. Ponniah, Paulraj (2001), Data Warehousing Fundamentals, John Wiley and Sons, Canada. Andreu, R and Sieber, S (2001), Organisational Learning and Knowledge Management: Where is the link?, Malhotra, Y (ed), Knowledge Management and Business Model Innovation, Idea Group Publishing,London. Meadows, C et al (2001), Building a Competitive Advantage in the Knowledge Economy,Malhotra, Y (ed), Knowledge Management and Business Model Innovation, Idea Group Publishing, London. Michela, J and Warner Burke W (2001), Organisational Culture and Climate in Transformations for Quality and Innovation, Ashkanasy, N et al (eds), Handbook of Organisational Culture and Climate, Sage Publication, London. Skyrme, D (2000), Developing a Knowledge Strategy: From Management to Leadership, Morey, D et al (eds), Knowledge Management: Classic and Contemporary Works, MIT Press, London. Wijnhoven, F (2001), A Framework for Stakeholder-Based Knowledge Valuation in Organisations, Malhotra, Y (ed) Knowledge Management and Business Model Innovation, Idea Group Publishing, London. Efimova, L and Swaak, J (2003), Converging Knowledge Management , Training, and e-Learning: Scenarios to make it work: Proceedings of I-Know 03, Graz, Austria, July 2-4, 2003, Retrieved: February 21, 2006 from i-Know-center online database. Kaufman, Ron (n.d), How Does Singapore Airlines Fly So High? Retrieved last February 21, 2006 from Abel, A and OxBrow, N (2001), Competing with Knowledge, Library Association Publishing, London.

The Best and Worst College Degrees Essay -- Education College Career E

The Best and Worst College Degrees Abstract In today’s society everyone thinks they need to go to college, and over 80% of kids out of high school are. Out of all these kids going to Universities, the majority don’t even know what they want to be the rest of their lives once they get to college. Common sense would tell us that people would go into the field that paid them the most money, this is not always true. So what are the most popular fields to go into when getting out of high School? We did a little research and some comparative analysis, and this is what we came up with. Engineering: Research shows that the third most popular degree in demand is engineering. This pertains to the three major types of engineering. Whether it is mechanical, electrical, chemical Engineering, to achieve a Bachelors degree in any field of Engineering, the basic core classes consist of, mathematics, sciences, biology, chemistry, and/or physics. The number one reason people are obtaining engineering degrees, is for the cold hard cash. Engineers are ranked among some of the highest paying workers in the job force. One starting out in electrical engineering can plan on receiving over $50,000 the first year on the job, with a 2.9% increase after that. Engineers do many diverse jobs, such as architectural work, designing new medical equipment, and testing and fixing all sorts of electrical circuit. Business: Although business isn’t the highest paying profession, it still ranks second, when looking to a nation wide survey, on the most popular degrees. A business degree is one of the broader; more generalizes degrees that encompass many different courses from all aspects of the University. The main reason for getting an bachelors in busi... ... qualified. Your job is to know when this is happening. The bottom line is no matter what degree you pursue, or what job field you’re going for, make sure that you enjoy the work. Works Cited Gloecker, Geoff. (2007). â€Å"The Major Attractions Of A Business Minor†: Business Week Online. p1-11. Retrieved March 22, 2007. â€Å"Health Majors are Top Choice†(1997). : Techniques; Making Education & Career Connections; Oct. 1997, Vol. 72 Issue 7, p6. Retrieved April 1, 2007. â€Å"Job Outlook Strong For 2007 ME Grads†(2007). : ASHRAE Journal; Feb 2007, Vol. 49 Issue 2, p6-7. Retrieved March 22, 2007. Smith, Brendan.(2005). â€Å"The Buzz†: Careers and Colleges. Vol. 26 Issue 1, p2-48, Retrieved March 28, 2007. â€Å"The Top 100 Employers and the Majors in Demand for the Class Of 2004†(2004). : Black Collegian; Feb 2004, Vol. 34 Issue 2, p12-26. Retrieved April 1, 2007.

Language diversity Essay

I understand â€Å"language diversity’ to refer to the use of a vast range of different languages (an expression of communication). In the case of the prescribed article, this is applied in the context of South Africa as a country. It is our cultural diversity and by extension, our â€Å"rainbow nation† image that is one of the first things foreigners associate with us as a country†¦ well, that and Madiba and Bafana-Bafana. It is an image we sell to the world, of the once divided country who overcame the crippling stigma of apartheid to rise as one people, one nation. This is one reason why it is so painful to see the statistics listed in the article, that a staggering third of the people who participated in the study felt threatened by other cultures. The study attributed this partially to the large number of people in this country who fall into the lower income bracket, who may not necessarily come into contact with other cultures. While I accept that this may be the case in some instances, I find it very difficult to see this as the main, contributing factor. Apart from our rainbow nation image, South Africa has a reputation for being the land of possibilities. Where other countries may turn a blind eye to the suffering in other parts of the world, leaders like Desmond Tutu and Madiba have never been afraid of speaking up about the injustices done to people. We have become a country of refuge, for people who simply cannot survive in their own country of origin. The incidents that have been reported in the news recently show us that there is definitely a feeling of being threatened by other cultures. Foreign owned businesses under attack and people fleeing for their lives. One cannot attribute this to not having contact with other cultures. I think it is a combination of factors, one of the most pressing being the overwhelming levels of poverty we see in these communities. Desperation breeds intolerance and ultimately, violence. Another is the legacy that has been left behind by apartheid. Fear and discrimination of differences. In the light of the present political climate, it is people like the Greaves family who may just be the example we look to; of how we need to move forward as a nation. People who do not let culture and race be the determining factor in who they choose to love and call their own; who embrace the unifying element of humanity over other dividing differences, as difficult a process as it may be. Taking the step to adopt across cultural and colour divides would present many challenges and questions like these could be raised: 1. How do families who adopt children from a different language background cope? I imagine that it must be a very difficult process for both the child concerned and the family, to assimilate oneself into a different culture. Different language and cultural backgrounds determine not only the spoken word, but our behaviour. Older children especially, who have been raised in one culture and then removed and placed in another, could have major problems adjusting and miss-communication between the members of the new family unit could occur. Language and culture are intertwined, and something as simple as lowering one’s gaze in the presence of an elder out of respect could be misinterpreted as insolence, or fear, etc. This is just one example of why it is so important for prospective parents to research and learn about the culture surrounding the children they would like to adopt. An article I read online (find at: http://family.findlaw.com/adoption) suggested some creative ways for adoptive parents who want to create a family life more inclusive of their child’s culture/language. Some of these suggestions included: Becoming members and participating in multi-cultural support groups Participating in religious services. Researching and including food and festivals into family life. Learning the child’s birth language. Placing the child in a school environment that encourages and celebrates cultural diversity, with students across the culture spectrum. How do people deal with the issue of multiple languages in the same family? Multilingual families are formed for many different reasons. There is the monolingual family who deliberately introduce a new language into their home and lives as they feel it enriches them as people; the family who emigrates and therefore has to learn the new language of their new home, or the family unit where both parents come from different language backgrounds. Then there  is the case of the multilingual family who learn a new language as a result of it being their adoptive child’s home language and the child learning theirs. Christina Bosemark, founder of the Multilingual Children’s Association, suggests the following ways where multilinguism in a family can not only be managed, but fostered: 1. Both parents should be in full agreement of which languages will be spoken in the family home. It could be detrimental to the family dynamics if an insecure parent feels excluded by virtue of his/her spouse speaking to their child in a language that he/she doesn’t understand. 2. While it is an exciting prospect to learn a new language, one needs to remain realistic about the time it will take. Research indicates that children need to be exposed to a new language on average of 30% of their day, in order to be fully conversational in it and to learn the finer nuances of it. 3. Create a plan and follow it. If the parents are learning their adoptive child’s language of origin, they need to figure out the best way for them to do so and move forward with it. Conversational language classes, formal lessons, etc. If it is the child who is learning a new language, look at the age of the child and their interests as a starting point on which methods may be best for them. Younger children learn best in context to their real-world life, their environment. Immersing themselves in the new language, speaking and being spoken to in it; is often the best way for them to learn it speedily. Teenagers learn differently to younger children. It is important that they be able to choose the learning methods best for them. Most do not learn in a linear fashion anymore due to the digital world they have been brought up with, this should be a point considered when deciding on the best methods moving forward. 4. Networking is not only a domain of the workplace. Building a support network with other individuals who are also raising their children in the same languages as you are, are an invaluable asset. Apart from providing emotional support and sharing knowledge, your children will benefit from learning the language from others their own age through play-dates. Research constantly shows us that children learn best through play, so books, movies, toys, etc., in the new language are fantastic  educational tools. 5. Lastly, patience is the greatest virtue when embarking on such a difficult journey. I presume there would be many hurdles on the path to a happy, truly multilingual family. For every setback, it is important to remind oneself about the bigger picture. If a plan is not working, never be afraid to re-examine and work out alternatives. All families are not the same and what works for one may not for another. Is adoption across cultural, ethnic and language divides a good thing? This question is obviously very loaded, not to mention, an extremely subjective one. I think that it boils down to the particular couple doing the adopting. People like the Greaves family obviously do not think that the colour of a person’s skin defines them as an individual; nor is it something to consider when it comes to the choice of whom to love. However, not all people feel the same way. Research shows that for many South African couples, the choice of adopting a child from another culture is based on availability. Statistically, there are more children from black backgrounds and for some reason, coloured boys, not girls; than there are white, Indian, Chinese, etc. People looking to adopt within their race can be put on a waiting list for years before they can find the baby of their choosing, if at all. From my own family, I know of a few people who have chosen to go the adoptive route, after having tried unsuccessfully to have children of their own. One couple flew to Pakistan and went through the costly and long wait to adopt a baby who would fit into their Indian-Muslim family, a child who wouldn’t raise eyebrows in their community. Another distant cousin flew to Chechnya to adopt. She adopted two boys, at 4 year intervals. In her case, the process was even longer and even more expensive. Her first son was adopted as an infant but the second son was adopted at the age of 5. He had memories of his first family and the war-torn country he had grown up in. Also, he had lived in an orphanage for  the last two years of his life and had become, like many children do, â€Å"institutionalised† in his demeanour and behaviour. Back in South Africa, they struggled to help him with processing his insecurities and difficulties. At meal times he would eat until he became physically ill because as much as they reassured him that they would always have food available, his memories of near starvation haunted him. His adoptive mother tried everything to get him to bond with her and see her as a parent but beyond acknowledging them as a provider to his physical needs, he refused to engage with her and her husband. After many, many years of therapy and work, they are now in a much stronger place as a family. I have heard the reasoning, of how it places a lot of pressure on parents and their adoptive children when there are race differences within a family. Of the communities that can be cruel and the challenges it presents. I remember when an Indian, Muslim friend of mine and her husband adopted a little black boy. An old aunt of hers wept openly, and implored her to consider the consequences of her actions. When her son grew up, her aunt reasoned, who in their community would give their daughter’s hand to him in marriage? I hear the reasoning but personally speaking, I applaud the couples and individuals who do it anyway. If we are truly going to build a better world where we see people as people and not as merely a representative of a particular faction, it starts with families like these. Success and happiness are surely sweeter when one knows that one had to work at gaining it. And there are many advantages to having a family that is multicultural too. In response to any bias they may face from outsiders, probabilities are that a family that is multicultural will be a very close one with the children feeling very supported by their parents. Children from these homes are taught acceptance and tolerance of differences. Research shows that children who grow up in a multi-lingual home develop the ability to be flexible in their thinking abilities, probably as a result of receiving and processing information in more than one language. People who come from  multi-cultural homes are often rich in heritage and multi-faceted in character. The question to adopt across divisions is ultimately a very personal one. A person should look very carefully at who they are as individuals before taking the leap. As difficult as it may be though, I’m sure any family who have done so will tell you that the wonderful family they created was definitely worth the challenges they faced. Bibliography of articles researched: 1. http://www.omniglot.com/language/articles/bilingualkids1.htm 2. http://www.omniglot.com/language/articles/bilingualkids1.htm 3. http://princessa.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-raise-multilingual-children 4. http://www.adoption.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=62:story5&catid=12:adoptive-parents-&Itemid=83 5. http://babiesinmind.co.za/adoptions 6. http://adamcap.com/schoolwork/the-pros-and-cons-of-intermarriage/ http://ddeubel.edublogs.org/2010/08/02/the-teenaged-language-learner/ http://termcoord.eu/2014/02/age-factor-second-language-acquisition/ 7. http://family.findlaw.com/adoption)