Essay about A Dominant Device Cell Phone - 1891 Words

In the modern world, technological advances and devices have made humans lives more convenient. The society has become dependent on the technology. Technology has made communication easier and faster; at this point a click can conquer distance and time. This device can traverse frontiers among people and countries, and unite them within seconds. Among the easiest way to communicate, the cell phone has become the most popular. Now cell phones come with different innovate features, access to the web; download a wide range of applications, messages and calls. The web enables people to explore the world at their hands. For example, an individual can find any information she desires to know ranging from local new to international news.†¦show more content†¦We can also assume that parents view this mechanism as a form of safety. Furthermore, there’s a possibility that the neighborhoods where they live is insecure for their children. According to Gurian, in the article, â€Å"Kids and Cell Phones: Staying Connected,† she concurs with the notion of children having a cell phone to connect with their parents, which enables parents to locate their children more easily. This gives parents an opportunity to call them, in case of an emergency. Conversely, children can call their parents if they will be getting home late and most importantly when a child has an emergency. As well, children can take advantage of applications a cell phone has such as calendars, reminders, and alarms. For instance, if the child has important research paper, test, or competition the child can keep track of this occasion using the calendar or reminder. Additionally, the alarm can help the children program the time she will be waking up during weekdays to go to school. This can help children develop a discipline for waking up early. A recent survey done by Verizon Wireless, the average age that a child receives his or her first cell ph one is eleven and a half years old (10 Reasons Kids shouldnt Have a Cell Phone 1). When most children receive their first cell phone parents establish the do’s and do nots of the cell phone immediately. Just like their reasons why children should have cell phones, there are also reasonsShow MoreRelatedPersuasive Speech Outline On Cell Phones1598 Words   |  7 PagesAlex Teran CMN 112 Team Persuasive Speech Preparation Outline Cellphone Use within Schools Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience why cell phones should not be banned in schools. Central Idea: The use of cell phones in school is great for educational purposes, social life, and as a safety tool Introduction I. In today’s society, the use of mobile devices has taken over our lives in every way possible. II. 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Why Aliens Are Real Free Essays

All around the world, there’s one topic a lot of people talk about. Some people talk about economics, some talk about pop culture. The topic I’m going to be addressing is why I think Aliens are real. We will write a custom essay sample on Why Aliens Are Real or any similar topic only for you Order Now Throughout time, there has been many things that make us believe they are real, like the Roswell Incident. A quick recap of what happened was that what is thought to be a UFO crashed near a ranch in Roswell, New Mexico. The U. S. overnment then took the UFO and told everyone that what the rash was Just debris from the crash of an experimental high-altitude surveillance balloon belonging to what was then a classified (top secret) program named Mogul. This may seem unlikely and unrealistic, as if coming from a movie, but that is because this inspired many alien movies to prop up. This might be one of or maybe the most famous alien incidents ever reported, but there is a more believable one and that is â€Å"The Wow Signal†. In 1977, The Big Ear radio telescope in Ohio State University picked up an unusual signal. The Big Ear used number and letters to identify the strength of a signal, O being nothing, Z being a strong radio signal. One time, a signal came in reading ‘6EQUJ5’ from what seemed to be an empty spot in space. Dr. Jerry R. Ehman recognized this and was completely shocked, so he circled the signal in the data sheet and wrote next to it â€Å"Wow! â€Å", giving the signal it’s name. The closest star to where the signal came from was 220 million light years away, meaning the signal came from out of no where. It is believed that this signal was ransmitted by aliens, but we still have no actual proof it is. Now, the bible does say we are the only planet with living beings, but think about this, how big is space? We have no clue of how big it is because it is that big. Being that big, wouldn’t there be a possibility that there is a world that has living beings in it? What if the society on that planet is more advanced in technology than ours and the reason they were able to send the signal was because of a super strong radio signal they aimed at us from some machine they made? at possibility is there and i honestly believe that is the truth. I feel like we are aliens to them and they are trying to communicate with us. Space is so enormous, we can’t make decisions of what is out there yet. It is like reading the beginning of a novel and declaring you know exactly what the story is about without reading it. We still have a lot to explore about space, so until we examine every si ngle star, moon, planet, galaxy, anything that is out there, you cant say aliens don’t exist because they very well could. How to cite Why Aliens Are Real, Papers

Heritage and Cultural Industry

Question: Analyse the growth and development of the heritage and cultural industry with special reference to UK.Discuss potential conflicts in the conservation of heritage and cultural resources referring to the case studies. Assess the purpose of heritage and cultural attractions in meeting the needs of different customers.Evaluate the impact of different types of ownership on the management of heritage and cultural sites. Analyse roles and responsibilities of organisations in the heritage and cultural industry.Evaluate methods and media used for interpretation within the heritage and cultural industry for tourists. Answer: Introduction Culture can be defined as the day to day traditions, norms and attitudes of a particular society that one is born in or living in. Over a period of time, cultural values may experience change and vary from other societies surroundings; they may change when an individual involves itself with norms of another place or society. Thus, it can be said that culture is capable of changing with the continue evolvement of technology and industries. However, unlike culture, heritage is incapable of this change. Heritage can be defined as any property or ethic traits that one inherits or is born with. Our heritage is merely reflected in our culture which is nothing but our external display of attitudes and values. Cultural heritage can be defined as the development of way of living by communities that are passed on from one generation to the other; this may be in the form of places, objects, beliefs, values, practices, customs, artistic expressions etc. It is important to understand that cultural heritage is a rather wide concept that can be expressed through various terms such as tangible intangible cultural heritage (Schweitzer, 2007). Similarly, heritage can come in several forms i.e. in the form of natural environments, built environments or artefacts. One needs to understand that the driving force behind the various definitions of cultural heritage remains the need of humans to inform; cultural heritage is simply a creation of humans that simply intends to inform. In order to have a deeper understanding of the cultural heritage, one should be able to recognize cultural heritage as a concept that cannot only be expressed through tangible forms such as landscapes, buildings or artefacts but also through traditions, values, oral history voices. These are occasionally referred to as the forms of intangible cultural heritage. Several cultures gain popularity from the cuisine they serve, the clothing fashion, religious ceremonies, forms of shelter, traditional skills, storytelling, technologies used or performing arts. The protection and conservation of both tangible and intangible forms has become of utmost importance to nations across the globe since both are inextricably bound to each other. The following report aims to discuss the role of heritage and culture within the travel and tourism sector (Nasser, 2003). It aims to provide an understanding of the organisations that are involved in management of heritage and considers the development growth of cultural and heritage industry. For this reason, the report also looks into the potential conflicts that exist within the industry and how technology has influenced this industry. Growth Development of Heritage and Cultural Industry Heritage and culture have become essential tools for economic development that allow for economic growth via attraction of visitors other than the ones residing within the host community. The historical, scientific artistic values offered by a group, region or community, often play a vital role in attracting or motivating its visitors to visit. In other words, such travels are simply encouraged by the cultural environment, natural environments such as landscapes, special lifestyles, values traditions and the visual performing arts, of a given region (McCain, 2003). .A regions cultural heritage may include of natural heritage in the form of landscapes, national parks, coastlines, wildlife, habits, woodlands which indirectly work as attractions for visitors. Similarly, regions also consist of constructed heritage; this simply refers to the built environment within a given community, for instance, museums, historical monuments, sculptures, artefacts, industrial heritage, archaeological sites, transports, theme sites etc. (McCain, 2003). Thus, it is important to understand that cultural heritage overall has a very positive effect on the development of a community. An attractive historic environment is known to be an effective source of benefit especially when attracting external investment in the form of tourism. Research tells u s that the growth of heritage and cultural industry in the UK, over the years, has immensely contributed to the countrys economy. As per the Deloitte Report (2008), an approximate amount of 86 billion Euros is directly retrieved through tourism while approximately 1.36 million jobs are supported (Nasser, 2003). In other words, it can be said that heritage and cultural tourism has significantly resulted in various benefits and is highly essential for the sustainment of UKs economy. In UK, heritage and cultural tourism has become the 5th largest industry due to its vibrant and rich heritage. As per reports, it was revealed that a large number of visitors visiting UK, arrive in the country due to reasons such as history, pageantry, culture and heritage. Thus, suggesting the importance of heritage and culture to the countrys economy and sustainability. The Heritage Lottery Fund report from 2009, suggests an increase of 50% in the number of visitors visiting the country. In reference to a research conducted through survey, it was identified that approximately 73% of the respondents said that are highly likely to visit monuments, buildings, castles when en route to UK. Similarly, 63% of the respondents were highly motivated by the museums, churches, cathedrals the locations that were associated with the Royal family monarchy. Potential Conflicts in Conserving Heritage Culture Tourism is regarded as a positive force that ensures conservation of natural and cultural heritage existing within the host community. We know that tourism has become an essential element when ensuring economical development and success and has several dimensions to it; these may include of cultural, economic, ecological, aesthetic, social, educational and biophysical dimensions. At times, it becomes difficult to achieve any beneficial and successful interaction between the vistors expectations and aspirations; the host communities may also present tourists with potential challenges. Since, natural and cultural heritage operate as major attractions for the purpose of tourism, any poorly or mismanaged tourism may threaten the integrity, characteristics or physical nature of these attractions (McCain, 2003).. Similarly, over a period time, the culture, ecological setting and lifestyle of the host community may degrade resulting in further degradation of quality of experience aimed for tourists or visitors. Several potential conflicts arise when conserving heritage and culture such that in the case of conserving the Victoria Albert Museum in London. Reports suggest that, the worlds largest museum i.e. Victoria Albert Museum that houses approximately 4.5 million objects and spreads over 12.5 acres, similar to other tourist spots, also is on the verge of being threatened by the increasing growth within the tourism sector (Schweitzer, 2007).. As previously mentioned several potential conflicts continue to arise when establishing appropriate conservation of heritage and culture. Some of these conflicts may arise due to the lack of communication and presentation of the importance of the place, to both, the host community and the visitors. In such cases, this may hinder the development any government, public or political funding or support for the purpose of conserving and protecting the place. Additionally, development of tourism in the host community may adversely impact and impose unacceptable changes in the integrity, ecology biodiversity, physical characteristics, culture, economic and local transportation system. For this reason, proper and appropriate integration of protection and management laws is required at both, regional and national level. Furthermore, often tourism programmes are based on insufficient understanding of the complexity of significance of a given tourist spot; this can lead to reduced authenticity and appreciation of the place (Evans, 2008). This imbalance in the program may disrupt the accurate presentation interpretation of the places intangible aspects and cultural expression, further resulting in educating tourists with a narrowed sense of understanding of the host communitys cultural heritage. It is important to understand that heritage communication is of utmost importance and that several issues arise when delivering successful and effect ive heritage communication. For this reason, well trained staffs is required to be recruited together, further complicating the hiring process and giving rise to conflicts regarding who or who not to hire, how or how not to train employs etc. Further adding to the above, conflicts arise when it comes to employment. As previously mentioned, tourism provides financial support to several individuals which in turn effects the nations economy. Often, conflicts arise when integrating a professional system to train its employees. Similarly, conflicts arise when such opportunities are proposed to individuals who may not necessarily belong to the host community. In cases where interpreters and guides from outside the hosting community are used, the employment opportunities for local residents become minimal which often discourages local community from taking any interest in conserving and caring for their own cultural heritage. This may also result in outburst within the host community which may not necessarily be supportive of the governments take on developing tourism and promoting culture. Similarly, there may be cases where distribution, sale and promotion of local products may be neglected, causing the local community to expe rience degradation of social, economic and cultural integrity. Again, they may become unsupportive of the plans that the government imposes, further making it difficult for tourism to develop within the region, similar to that of in the case of Victoria Albert Museum. Purpose of Heritage Cultural Attraction The core purpose of museums like the Science and VA museum is collection management, outreach research. Most of museums provide organisations with a chance to carry out research in natural sciences and display education programs. But above all, they mainly serve the purpose of collecting collections that have been passed down from countless generations above. These collections may of memories of communities, or individuals in both tangible and intangible forms; it is of utmost importance to ensure their preservation for the future generations. Heritage places can be used as educational resources for individuals, allowing them to learn about the places history and understanding the uniqueness of their culture (Nasser, 2003). The Science Museum and Vitoria Albert Museum, apart from their conventional purpose of conserving and preserving cultural heritage, also serve the purpose of educating their visitors with the uniqueness of the cultural norms with UK. The two museums allow cultural promotion and allow visitors from outside the host community to understand the intangible aspects related to the cultural norms of their society. In other words, it can be said that museums exemplify the scientific reasons behind conservation. It is important to note that even this requires specific skills that allow appropriate capture of conservation levels. Conservation an be regarded as both, an art and a science. Museums may not be considered as profitable organisations however their collections hold immense value; it allows the nation to conserve its valued pieces, for the rest of the world to see and appreciate. They allow preservation of an objects original and authentic composition which in turn prompts research. Additionally, the Science and VA Museum serve the purpose of entertaining its visitors. Often tourists visit such places for the reasons of entertainment. The knowledge served by such heritage centres allows visitors to experience culture through a medium different than the conventional books and newspapers (Schweitzer, 2007). The live experience is enjoyed and appreciated by most. For instance, several educational institutes organize day trips to museums for students; such trips are seen as sources of entertainment and allow educational institutes to stir away from the conventional means of educating students. This effort made by educational institutes is encouraged not only by government but also individuals residing within the host community, since it allows the host community to share their experiences and cultural norms with the rest and help promote their sense of tradition and culture with its visitors. Evaluating Impact of Different Ownerships on Management of Heritage Cultural Sites Cultural Heritage management refers to the practice and act of managing cultural heritage. In the recent years, emphasize on the protection and identification of cultural sites has been increased; there is a focus on encompassing concepts of culture that are inseparable from the host community. It is important to understanding that use of heritage sites is a major factor ensuring sustainability within communities and often leads to increased values within the community and social communication. Heritage places can be used as educational resources for individuals, allowing them to learn about the places history and understanding the uniqueness of their culture (European Commission, 2002). The Science Museum and Vitoria Albert Museum, apart from their conventional purpose of conserving and preserving cultural heritage, also serve the purpose of educating their visitors with the uniqueness of the cultural norms with UK Research suggests that several issues in relation to cultural heritage have become apparent; most of these issues are related to the political, religious and economic aspects of tourism and the business of heritage (Santagata, 2002).. Though, it should be noted that these changes however left very little impact on the UK governmental policies regarding cultural heritage. In addition, it was noticed that NGOs had begun to take interest in the decision making policies regarding the regional heritage policies. The continuous development of hierarchies among the heritage sites such as local heritage national heritage and world heritage resulted in several controversies regarding who will ownership of heritage sites i.e. whether there would be an institutional control or public control and if there were any possibilities of scholarly research possibilities. It is important to understand that the future of the cultural heritage of a society is highly dependent on how it is preserved, devel oped and conserved for the long term. Ownership refers to the act or state of possessing something; in the case of cultural heritage, it is quite difficult to establish the ownership since technically there is no particular person who could be in charge; hence, organisations would have to do the work. Though, with the recent controversies it is rather difficult to establish who to give the charge; should they be controlled by the public or institutes and at what level i.e. at national or regional level etc. In case, of ownership it is necessary to ensure that the ownership is in the right hands, since the nations cultural heritage is at stake (Hall, 2001). Before deciding on the ownership, it is of utmost importance that the certain points of consideration are taken into account. For instance, a comparative analysis should be conducted, where the state support system is compared with other alternative funding sources. It should be taken into account the influence of administration of the public on the cultural heritage a long with all the decision making and policy making processes that are involved. Similarly, the control of community and institutes on the cultural heritage should be considered i.e. their management and protection policies. Analysing roles and responsibilities of Organisations Heritage conventions such as the World Heritage Convention or ICOMOS play a vital role in managing the risks that tourism may cause to the Cultural Heritage. In 1972, a convention regarding the protecting of worlds natural and cultural heritage was adopted by UNESCO. This organisation ensures protection, identification, preservation and conservation of the irreplaceable heritages in the world (European Commission, 2002). ICOMOS happens to be one of the three bodies of the World heritage convention that functions as an advisory body and ensures implementation of the convention. It is responsible for evaluating all nominated properties against the basic criteria of having an outstanding universal value. All states or parties involved in ensuring identification, protection, conservation and presentation of cultural heritage, recognise the important to safeguarding heritage for the future for which several resources are used. Such organisations work towards: Adopting a universal policy that allows all natural and cultural heritages to contribute as a relevant function in the host communitys life along with integrating all means of protection into their planning programs. Undertaking any appropriate scientific, administrative, legal technical and financial measure when required for the purpose of protecting, conserving, presenting, rehabilitating and identifying heritage. Retaining from any deliberate measure that may directly or indirectly cause damage to the natural and cultural heritage of the other parties involved with the convention; it becomes they responsibility to help other parties in identifying and protecting their properties (European Commission, 2002). Some of the roles outlined or stated in the objectives of ICOMOS International Cultural Tourism Charter include the following: Ensuring and encouraging all those who are involved in the management of protection and conservation of heritage, to successfully and appropriately communicate the significance of the heritage to its visitors and host community. In other words, it emphasizes the need of accurate heritage communication. Ensuring and encouraging all tourism industries that are involved in the identification, preservation, protection and conservation of heritage to appropriately manage and promote tourism in a way such that it respects and enhances the culture and heritage of the host community. Ensuring and encouraging communication among tourism industries and conservation interest regarding the significance and fragility of heritage collections, places and cultures. The need for establishing a sustainable future for these collections should be conveyed adequately and worked on effectively. Ensuring and encouraging the formulation of policies and plans that allow detailed development of all strategies and goals regarding the appropriate presentation and interpretation of the cultural heritage activities and places, in terrns of conservation and preservation (ERBD, 2003). Additionally, It ensures and encourages others with any relevant interests, obligations and responsibilities to join the organisation and help achieve the outline objectives. It ensures and encourages other organisations along with the tourism industries involved to maintain the integrity of the conversation and management system of cultural heritage. It ensures and encourages all the interested parties to formulate a detailed guideline that allows them to implement principles to particular stances or any requirements by particular communities and organisations (ERBD, 2003). Evaluating Methods Media Use for Interpretation Due to the continous increasing demands of visitors, organisations have begun to focus and emphasis on providing high quality tourism experiences rather than products causing the significance of education and interpretation to rise. It is important to understand that being able to interpret the attractions, stories, history and products of tourism has become an exceptionally important aspect of providing visitors and tourists with a great and positive experience along with becoming a significant educational tool. One should note that education and interpretation can be achieved through use of various methods such as use of self-guided or guided tours, informative brochures, signage, audio information, media displays, interactive displays and information boards. From research conducted on the how to use effective designs to deliver accurate interpretation and education programs and other facilities suggests that: All the information that is required to interpreted and used for the purpose of education should be specific and targeted; it should align with the expectations and demands of the customer, any business, attraction or service. In order to provide visitors with an entertaining and informative means of communication information, interpretive programs that are interactive in nature should be taken up. Several technologies such as ICI technologies are not being used as a means of effective communication with visitors and providing them with all relevant information. These technologies are available for the purpose of disseminating any visitor information. And can be demonstrated using audio-information techniques! The staff recruited for this purpose should be highly trained and should posses customer service skills; they should always remains prepared with strategies that allow communication and promotion of the importance of the cultural heritage being discussed. (Council of Europe, 2007). In context of Heritage and Cultural industry, methods such as self-guided or guided tours, informative brochures, signage, audio information, media displays, interactive displays and information boards, are of utmost importance since they provide visitors with a positive experience that they will take back with them. The use of such medium is highly essential in effectively communicating the true essence of the culture being promoted. For instance, use of brochures for the purpose of educating visitors, is highly effective; organisations can choose what information to put and ensure that the true values of the heritage are being communicated across (Evans, 2008). This avoids any misinterpretation of the cultural heritage, allowing the host community to stir off any of their worries. Similarly, media approaches used, allow effective interpretation and education of the information that is being communicated. Media advertisements catch the true essence of the heritage being promoted and culture being depicted; they allow organisations to put forward the true image that host communities have in their minds, of their heritage. Thus, allowing for accurate and positive interpretation of the cultural values and traditions of the heritage being discussed. These approaches allow organisations to truly show the world and its visitors, who they really are and what their norms are all about. Conclusion Cultural heritage can be defined as the development of way of living by communities that are passed on from one generation to the other; this may be in the form of places, objects, beliefs, values, practices, customs, artistic expressions etc. In order to have a deeper understanding of the cultural heritage, one should be able to recognize cultural heritage as a concept that cannot only be expressed through tangible forms such as landscapes, buildings or artefacts but also through traditions, values, oral history voices (Santagata, 2002).. These are occasionally referred to as the forms of intangible cultural heritage. Several cultures gain popularity from the cuisine they serve, the clothing fashion, religious ceremonies, forms of shelter, traditional skills, storytelling, technologies used or performing arts. The protection and conservation of both tangible and intangible forms has become of utmost importance to nations across the globe since both are inextricably bound to each ot her. Heritage and culture have become essential tools for economic development that allow for economic growth via attraction of visitors other than the ones residing within the host community (Schweitzer, 2007). .A regions cultural heritage may include of natural heritage in the form of landscapes, national parks, coastlines, wildlife, habits, woodlands which indirectly work as attractions for visitors. Similarly, regions also consist of constructed heritage; this simply refers to the built environment within a given community, for instance, museums, historical monuments, sculptures, artefacts, industrial heritage, archaeological sites, transports, theme sites etc. The historical, scientific artistic values offered by a group, region or community, often play a vital role in attracting or motivating its visitors to visit. In other words, such travels are simply encouraged by the cultural environment, natural environments such as landscapes, special lifestyles, values traditions and the visual performing arts, of a given region. Thus, it is important to understand that cultural heritage overall has a very positive effect on the development of a community. An attractive historic environment is known to be an effective source of benefit especially when attracting external investment in the form of tourism. Tourism is regarded as a positive force that ensures conservation of natural and cultural heritage existing within the host community. We know that tourism has become an essential element when ensuring economical development and success and has several dimensions to it; these may include of cultural, economic, ecological, aesthetic, social, educational and biophysical dimensions (Santagata, 2002). Research tells u s that the growth of heritage and cultural industry in the UK, over the years, has immensely contributed to the countrys economy. As per the Deloitte Report (2008), an approximate amount of 86 billion Euros is directly retrieved through tourism while approximately 1.36 million jobs are supported. In other words, it can be said that heritage and cultural tourism has significantly resulted in various benefits and is highly essential for the sustainment of UKs economy. The core purpose of museums like the Science and VA museum is collection management, outreach research. Most of museums provide organisations with a chance to carry out research in natural sciences and display education programs. But above all, they mainly serve the purpose of collecting collections that have been passed down from countless generations above. In other words, it can be said that museums exemplify the scientific reasons behind conservation. It is important to note that even this requires specific skills that allow appropriate capture of conservation levels References Council of Europe. Cultural Routes. 2007. European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (ERBD).2003. Property andTourism, European Commission. 2002. Using Natural and Cultural Heritage for the Develoipment of Sustainable Tourism in Non-Traditional Tourism Destinations . European Institute of Cultural Routes.2007. Evans, Graeme. 2008. Hard-branding the cultural city from Prado to Prada. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Hall, D.R. 2001. Tourism and development in communist and post-communist societies. In Tourism, and the Less Developed World: Issues and Case Studies, New York: CABI Publishing UK McCain, G., Nina M. R. 2003. Legacy Tourism: the Search for Personal Meaning in Heritage Travel. Tourism Management Nasser, Noha. 2003. Planning for Urban Heritage Places: Reconciling Conservation, Tourism, and Sustainable Development. Journal of Planning Literature . Santagata, Walter. 2002. Cultural Districts, Property Rights and Sustainable Economic Growth. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research Schweitzer, Carole.2007. Cultural Tourism: the Hot Ticket to Cool Meetings. Association Management

Od vs Hr Essay Example

Od vs Hr Essay â€Å"We are witnessing and participating in an unprecedented dissolution of the boundaries of the field of organization development. In organizations around the world, the HR function is monopolizing the OD function at an unprecedented pace, which is limiting our reach, blunting our effectiveness, and compromising our role. † OD and HR Do We Want the Lady or the Tiger? By Matt Minahan Ding. Ding. Ding. OK, time’s up. Time to decide. Will it be door number one, or door number two? The lady or the tiger? In Frank Stockton’s allegory (1882), a prisoner is ordered to choose between two closed doors. Behind one is a woman whom he must marry sight unseen and live with for the rest of his life; behind the other is the tiger which would surely eat him alive. Without knowing exactly what is behind which door, how is one to choose? And, which does one really prefer? Like the mythical prisoner, the field of OD has been standing in front of two doors for too long, putting off the choice between them. One door would leave the OD function embedded within HR; the other would get OD out to stand independently on its own two feet in the organization. We will write a custom essay sample on Od vs Hr specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Od vs Hr specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Od vs Hr specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The field of OD has been putting off this decision for too long—since its inception, in fact—and it is time for us to make the decision. Well into our mid-40s as a field, we can’t really blame all of this mess on our forebears, because frankly we’re dealing with these choices just as badly as they did when the field was first founded. We’re still standing looking at the same two doors between which our OD forebears could not decide. Long History, Deep Roots This question about whether OD should be part of HR or should stand on its own goes back to the founding of our field. What became organization development had its roots in the training and development function, where the T group was the primary intervention. At a panel of the founders of OD at the 2009 Academy of Management conference in Chicago, almost every one of them, to a man, said that they were trained as writers or sociologists or engineers, but attended an NTL Institute T group where their lives changed. (Several also lamented that they were all white men in the field at that time, and on that panel at AoM. Following their NTL experiences, they tried to bring these insights they had obtained into their organizations via the training function. By the late 1960s, just a few years after the field was founded by about a dozen internal training and development people at NTL’s summer home in Bethel, Maine, the theory was, â€Å"let’s transform the way managers think about themselves and the ways they relate to people and solve problems, and once we’ve done that, we can send them back home to transform their own organizations† (Porras Bradford, 2004). Evidently, there were some who said that the OD function should stand on its own and be independent of other influence (Burke, 2004). Others, however, were concerned that the field of OD was too new and unknown and should reside in the personnel or training function, as advocated by Shel Davis of TRW Systems, Sy Levy from Pillsbury, Herb Shepard formerly of Esso, Dick Beckard, and others. Their belief was that â€Å"OD at the time was too new, too ephemeral, and too suspect to survive on its own in the organization . . . Early on, then, two models or scenarios OD and HR: Do We Want the Lady or the Tiger? 17 about the place of OD within the organization were debated regarding the wisdom of such a placement† (Burke, 2004). Theory Versus Fact The vast majority of the central thinkers, writers, and scholars in our field today (Cummings Worley, 2005; Marshak, 2009; Feyerherm Worley, 2009; Rothwell, et al. , 2009) write as if OD is a separate and distinct field of practice, but the facts on the ground tell a different story. We are witnessing and participating in an unprecedented dissolution of the boundaries of the field of organization development. In organizations around the world, the HR function is monopolizing the OD function at an unprecedented pace, which is limiting our reach, blunting our effectiveness, and compromising our role. As a field, we are behaving as if there is nothing we can do about it; it is as if we are watching ourselves in an automobile crash in slow motion, worried and concerned at what we see, and yet unable to find the brakes or grab the steering wheel to avert the collision and all of the collateral damage. Maybe the founders of the field were right that OD was too new and too fragile to stand on its own. But they didn’t count on what’s happening now in the field of HR. The Ascendancy of HR Over the past 15 years, we have seen better and better leadership of the HR function, with several universities now offering Masters’ degrees in HRM and HRD and several MBA degrees with an HR concentration. The result has been a generation of stronger, more strategic HR managers who have achieved a seat at the table and are trusted advisors at the top of organizations. Many managers at the top of the HR function are getting better by the year about understanding the dynamics of the organizations in which they serve. Increasingly, they can speak the language of the board room, and are not afraid to undertake even major organization change projects. This new generation of HR leaders clearly understands that people and money are the powers that run organizations; and when the system can provide enough of the latter, their job is to get just enough of it into the hands of the former to get the job done. And then return the rest to stakeholders. And to keep the organization out of court. In these regards, they are notably different from the generation of HR managers and VPs that preceded them, when there was no professional training for HR managers and when these posts often went to the VP who was due to retire next. The evolution of the training function also has had an impact. Ever increasing pressures to reduce costs have forced the training function to get smart about impact evaluation. Kirkpatrick’s (1998) four levels have forced the training function to look beyond end-of-session â€Å"smile sheets† to defend their budgets and make the case that training is a valuable investment. The result has been that training functions are now requiring training managers who have the skills to collect data, analyze it, and think systemically about what to do with it. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? If you needed The days of HR staff being hired principally because they were people persons with good listening skills are gone. The trend toward activity based costing (ABC) is now showing the true cost of overhead functions such as HR, and HR is responding by making itself more relevant to the business of the organization. Many HR staff are now called business partners, often reflecting an aspirational goal, but quite distant from the actual reality of their skills on the ground. With this smarter, more strategic generation of HR managers comes the instinct and desire to have at hand one of the most powerful levers for organizational change and renewal, the OD function. Thus the trend of OD roles and functions being acquired by HR. And, to be clear, in merger and acquisition terms, these are not mergers of equals; they are straight up acquisitions of the OD function by HR. Another factor has been the pressure on HR functions to be relevant to the business of the organization. The days of HR staff being hired principally because they were people persons with good listening skills are gone. The trend toward activity based costing (ABC) is now showing the true cost of overhead functions such as HR, and HR is responding by making itself more relevant to the business of the organization. Many HR staff are now called business partners, often reflecting an aspirational goal, but quite distant from the actual reality of their skills on the ground. someone to do that, wouldn’t you be looking for a good OD person? Often desperate to meet their utilization goals, the training function is very happy to let managers continue to believe that training is the answer to every problem, a kind of panacea for whatever ails. Leaders and employees alike seem to rely on training as the answer, believing perhaps that with the right education they can deliver what the business needs. That is certainly an easier solution to accept than facing OD issues related to how people, teams, and departments relate and connect with one another, how business processes work, and how all connect with and work toward the strategic direction of the organization. So, it is no wonder that smart HR leaders are looking to candidates trained and educated in OD to take on these business partner and training leadership roles, resulting in even more blurring of the lines between OD and HR. 18 OD PRACTITIONER Vol. 42 No. 4 2010 Differences Are Real, and Important By now, this author’s biases are probably clear: there are important differences between the OD and HR functions; and as these roles collapse and the differences disappear, the field of OD is losing its unique position in the organization and its effectiveness overall. We’re behaving as a field as if we should be living in a both/and world around this, when the truth is exactly the opposite. Many in OD struggle to find and hold boundaries that separate people and things. We spend our entire time helping our clients make better connections between each other at all levels—individuals and pairs, cross unit collaboration, organizations working toward better partnerships, etc. But when it comes to OD and our HR cousins, we should be sharpening and better defining our boundaries, not blurring them, because the differences in our functions are real and important. The HR function has a legally mandated, regulatory role: to provide people to fill jobs, to reduce costs (for payroll, health care insurance, benefits, etc. ), and to keep the organization out of the courts and the press by ensuring compliance and avoiding claims of discrimination or harassment. People view HR as the people you go to with a problem that you want to make official. People feel that going to HR puts things in the record. They see HR as the enforcers or policemen. The OD function has a developmental mandate; in fact, our job is to increase the effectiveness of the organization and to maximize the potential of the human beings in the work force. We have theories, concepts, beliefs, and values through which we help our clients assure that there is alignment among strategy, structure, business process, and culture, while at the same time embedding human values such as honesty, respect, diversity, and voice. One model (Marshak, 2006) outlines three domains of knowledge for OD practitioners:  » understanding social systems, drawing on theories and ideas from the social sciences, including psychology, social  » psychology, sociology, anthropology, political science, and others, consistent with OD values; understanding the hows and whys of change, including the bodies of knowledge that help explain how all levels of the system—individual, group, organizational, community, and even societies change; and understanding the role of the third p arty change agent, especially aiding the person in charge as well as the system itself to bring about the desired changes, requiring an understanding of the issues, politics, psychological processes related to being a third party in a change process. That doesn’t sound much like the recruit, retain, train, and develop mandate of the HR function, does it? It is hard to imagine even the highest functioning HR departments being knowledgeable and skilled in all these areas. There are many in HR who look at the list of OD functions and say, â€Å"Oh, we can do that! † And, on occasion, they may be right. But the philosophies of the two disciplines are starkly different, as are the theory bases, the world views, the core skills sets, and their roles within the organization. There is a built-in conflict between the role of OD consultant, coach or adviser with a developmental mandate working toward organizational effectiveness, versus the role of the HR practitioner whose core mandate is regulatory and enforcement. Can a good HR person advise on selected developmental matters, such as training strategies and needs assessments? Yes, as can a good OD person. But the conflict of interest for the HR staff shows up when the Action Research process of retreat planning and design requires them to interview staff about a manager’s effectiveness. What staff member in her right mind would say something critical of their manager to someone from HR, who is likely also to be involved in decisions about that manager’s promotion, pay, and even succession planning? Or their own? HR has its hands on too many of the organizational levers and has too many mandates centering around enforcement and control to ever be effective at drawing out of managers the truth about their insecurities, anxieties, and the shadow sides, that is so necessary to doing good work and being effective in doing OD. Troubling Examples These concerns aren’t just theoretical, either. Quick conversations with a handful of colleagues, both OD and HR, turn up some troubling examples. In a large multinational organization, The Different Functions Organization Development †¢ Improve the effectiveness of the organization †¢ Maximize the potential of human beings and their contributions to the organization †¢ Align strategy, structure, business processes, and behavior into an effective corporate culture †¢ Model and foster humanistic values into the workplace Human Resources †¢ Manage employee attraction, retention, development, and performance management †¢ Develop and manage programs for employee relations, staff well ­being, workforce planning, and workload management †¢ Ensure equity and diversity †¢ Reduce labor costs †¢ Avoid litigation †¢ Enforce corporate policies OD and HR: Do We Want the Lady or the Tiger? 19 the OD staff and external consultants were forced to follow the rules that govern the rest of the HR function around meeting with VPs and senior managers. The HR VP insisted that he attend every meeting that the HR—and OD! —staff had with other VPs in the organization. Not just marketing or contracting meetings, but actual project meetings as well. He was unwilling to make an exception for the OD staff lest the HR staff get upset. Within weeks, his it was in Corporate Strategy along with the strategy and budget functions, where it had free reign of the organization and was in constant contact with the top leadership on strategy, structure, and corporate culture. It was later merged into the HR function. The results: the best organization design people in town left (with all of their embedded knowledge) rather than be reassigned to deliver management training programs. Then a succession of HR managers gradu- practitioner is, then anybody can hang out a shingle claiming he or she is an OD consultant. In fact, some years ago, there was an informal study of the members of the OD Network that found that almost one third of them had taken on the label or the role of OD consultant, with no previous education or training in the field. Not All Bad News To be clear, the field has shifted largely positively, over the past few decades, responding to some of the â€Å"red flags† that Larry Greiner (1972) identified for OD, including:  » Putting individual behavior ahead of strategy, structure, process, and controls;  » Overemphasizing the informal at the expense of the formal organization, driving more for openness and trust to change the culture, often at the expense of efficiency, h ierarchy, and accountability;  » Driving open and trusting relationships as a normative model for change, without questioning the context or applicability in a given situation, and assuming that team building was always the preferred intervention;  » Putting process before task, enamored with the human dynamics of working together over getting the work done; and  » Treating the manager as just another stakeholder, relatively uninvolved in the planning and conduct of consultantled programs rather than the key stakeholder. Historically, the field has addressed many, if not all, of these red flags among strong and well-grounded practitioners. However, many of them are still quite evident in HR people who are trying to do OD today. The Right Answer Reflecting on the various options for organizing and structuring the OD function and constructing its relationship with HR, the optimum solution is to establish In a large financial institution, the OD function thrived when it was part of the IT function where it designed and facilitated large business process simplification projects. It had its best years when it was in Corporate Strategy along with the strategy and budget functions, where it had free reign of the organization and was in constant contact with the top leadership on strategy, structure, and corporate culture. It was later merged into the HR function. The results: the best organization design people in town left (with all of their embedded knowledge) rather than be reassigned to deliver management training programs. schedule became a huge onstraint on the work of the OD function because consultants (internal and external) could not get into his calendar to meet with their clients. In a science-based organization the OD function was fully financially self-sufficient, recovering the costs and a bit of an â€Å"upcharge† from its internal clients. Other HR managers got res entful of this chargeback mechanism. They forced the manager of the OD program to stop recouping her costs, which effectively killed the OD function because it had no free-standing budget of its own. In a university, a very strong and capable OD function has been merged and renamed Learning and OD, resulting in the organization’s best OD talent being diverted into managing the training program for the university. In a large financial institution, the OD function thrived when it was part of the IT function where it designed and facilitated large business process simplification projects. It had its best years when ally reduced the OD function to delivering two day team building retreats, and a cadre of dozens of internal and external consultants has been whittled down to less than 10. In one knowledge -based organization we know, the OD person is required to have the HR person present during all contracting and data collection meetings. Clients are now creatively working around the requirement by calling the OD staff directly on their cell phones after hours to discuss matters that they can’t or won’t say in front of the HR people, who are not trusted in that system. No Boundaries, No Standards What Bradford and Burke (2004) said about the lack of standards in the field of OD applies equally well to the lack of boundaries with the HR function. â€Å"When there is lack of clarity as to the boundaries of the field and corresponding confusion about what the appropriate role of an OD 20 OD PRACTITIONER Vol. 42 No. 4 2010 the OD function independently. Ideally, it would have a blended mandate and funding, charging back for local unit-specific work, and centrally funded for organization-wide efforts. There are instances when OD should be working in partnership with the HR function, specialists on one discipline speaking with and working closely with specialists of the other discipline. There are nstances when the HR function would be the OD function’s client; and there are instances when the OD and HR functions ought not to be working together at all, such as when there are conflicts of interest or large scale organization strategy or design pr ojects not ready for implementation. There are disadvantages to being freestanding and independent within the organization. The OD function may become vulnerable to exposure, scrutiny, and politics. Some OD people can’t play in the C-suite (Burke, 2004). The function would have to earn its stripes and compete for money and mandate with other functions in strategic planning, financial management, budget, and yes, even HR. But the upsides of organizational independence are quite significant, and are evident now where strong OD departments are standing on their own. The OD function becomes central to the business of the organization, influencing strategy, mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, restructuring, etc. It works upstream, providing early input on the development of plans and processes, able to bring a systemic perspective and OD values to actions that previously had been made primarily on financial grounds alone. It is present and able to influence the setting of the agenda, not just the implementation of it. But How to Get There? It is no longer enough just to be good at process. To be able to stand independently in organizations, free of the cover and support of the HR function, OD practitioners need to:  » Know the major environmental, regulatory, and financial drivers of the organization;  »  »  »  » Know, be known by, and trusted by the top leadership of the organization; Know what’s involved in evaluating, deciding, and implementing mergers and acquisitions, especially around blending corporate cultures and business processes; Be effective in working across cultures, in global environments, and especially today, virtually; and Be attuned to the organizational politics within the organization and within its governance structures. (Greiner Cummings, 2004) Integrating sustainability and globalization into the world of OD brings another set of challenges. To play effectively as a free standing function, free of support from HR, OD practitioners need:  » New and better ideas for progress, guided by diversity, development, and sustainability;  » To understand and be effective at intervening in economic systems, balancing productivity with innovation, sustainability, and diversity; socially constructed and negotiated (Bushe Marshak, 2008). As the boundaries of the field have expanded over the past 15 years to include more systemic perspectives, there are new challenges for how to educate new OD professionals (Minahan Farquhar, 2008). That’s a tall order for a field that has prided itself historically on being apolitical, focusing on the individual, following the lead of the client, ambivalent about asserting ourselves in leadership roles within our client systems, and seeing ourselves as a bit subversive in being countercultural. There is some good news here, however. For the past 9 months, many of the academic directors of OD programs around the world have been carrying on a conversation sponsored by the OD Network and the OD and Change Division of the Academy of Management about the knowledge areas that are central to the field of OD and to which a solid OD program would want to commit. The criteria are still very much under development, but there is strong agree- Just as it’s tempting to blame our biological parents for our least attractive qualities, it is easy also to blame the founders of our field for leaving us stuck in this bi-polar state. Yes, they’ve dealt us this hand, but we’re the ones playing it now. We’ve been playing small ball, under the cover of the HR function and limited by our own ambivalence about power. It’s time to step forward, and pick a door. To model how human and cultural dignity and diversity are valued in their own right; and To make sure that the ecology has standing in all decisi ons. (Feyerherm Worley, 2008) ment around several, including the history and evolution of the field, its values base, the use of self, systems thinking, organization design science, theories and models for change, leading the consulting process, organizational inquiry and research, organizational assessment, designing and choosing appropriate interventions, facilitation and process consultation at all levels, organizational and global culture, diversity and inclusion, process improvement methods, and organizational acumen and mastery. As the work progresses, there will  » In social constructionist terms, the independent OD function of the future will also be influenced by the new sciences and postmodern thought. It will intervene on the organization as a meaning-making system, in which reality is acknowledged to be OD and HR: Do We Want the Lady or the Tiger? 21 be further discussions and consultations with professional organizations, scholars, and practitioners. Just as it’s tempting to blame our biological parents for our least attractive qualities, it is easy also to blame the founders of our field for leaving us stuck in this bi-polar state. Yes, they’ve dealt us this hand, but we’re the ones playing it now. We’ve been playing small ball, under the cover of the HR function and limited by our own ambivalence about power. It’s time to step forward, and pick a door. It may the lady. It may the tiger. But whichever way it turns out, we serve the field, our organizations, our HR colleagues, and ourselves by establishing the OD function independently, declaring our boundaries, and then working together across them, but separately. There’s more to discuss on this topic. Join Matt and others in this conversation at http://mattminahan. blogspot. com.

Free Essays on Fiji

Geography Fiji is located in the South Pacific Ocean about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand, in the area of the world they call Oceania. Fiji consists of 332 islands, which 110 are inhabited. If you were to compare it to something in the U.S. It would be slightly smaller than the state of New Jersey. Officially known as the Sovereign Democratic Republic of the Fiji Islands. The Fiji Islands are an independent nation consisting of an archipelago surrounding the Koro Sea. The Fiji Islands are largely the product of volcanoes, sedimentary deposits and formations of coral. Viti Lever, the largest island, has an area of about 10,429 square kilometers and accounts for more than half of the Fiji’s land. There is a Mountain range by the name of Nakauvadia, that runs North and South. The highest peak being that of Mount Tomanivi which is 4,341 feet and was formerly called Mount Victoria. The main river systems the Rewa, Nauva, Sigatoka, and Ba all have their source in the central Mountain area. Fiji enjoys a tropical South sea maritime climate without great extremes of temperatures. At the capital Suva, the average summer high is 29 degrees C, and the winter low is 20 degrees C. The islands receive the most rainfall (120 inches in a year) during the months of November through march. Which is also the time for hurricanes, which are experienced about once every two years. Population As of July 2002 the total population of Fiji was 856,346 with 46.4% residing in urban areas with the remaining 53.6% in rural areas. Fiji has a relatively young population with about 55% below the age of 25 years of age. When you look at Fiji compared to one of its neighbors Australia, with a population of 19,546,792 you can see that Fiji is not very big at all. Australia is the biggest land mass and populated area in Oceania, when compared to Fiji, Australia is big, but compared to the other world continent... Free Essays on Fiji Free Essays on Fiji Geography Fiji is located in the South Pacific Ocean about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand, in the area of the world they call Oceania. Fiji consists of 332 islands, which 110 are inhabited. If you were to compare it to something in the U.S. It would be slightly smaller than the state of New Jersey. Officially known as the Sovereign Democratic Republic of the Fiji Islands. The Fiji Islands are an independent nation consisting of an archipelago surrounding the Koro Sea. The Fiji Islands are largely the product of volcanoes, sedimentary deposits and formations of coral. Viti Lever, the largest island, has an area of about 10,429 square kilometers and accounts for more than half of the Fiji’s land. There is a Mountain range by the name of Nakauvadia, that runs North and South. The highest peak being that of Mount Tomanivi which is 4,341 feet and was formerly called Mount Victoria. The main river systems the Rewa, Nauva, Sigatoka, and Ba all have their source in the central Mountain area. Fiji enjoys a tropical South sea maritime climate without great extremes of temperatures. At the capital Suva, the average summer high is 29 degrees C, and the winter low is 20 degrees C. The islands receive the most rainfall (120 inches in a year) during the months of November through march. Which is also the time for hurricanes, which are experienced about once every two years. Population As of July 2002 the total population of Fiji was 856,346 with 46.4% residing in urban areas with the remaining 53.6% in rural areas. Fiji has a relatively young population with about 55% below the age of 25 years of age. When you look at Fiji compared to one of its neighbors Australia, with a population of 19,546,792 you can see that Fiji is not very big at all. Australia is the biggest land mass and populated area in Oceania, when compared to Fiji, Australia is big, but compared to the other world continent...

Analysis of Argentina Balance of Payments

The economic situation of Argentina was interesting between 1998 and 2007. However, it can be assumed that the worst year of the Argentinean economy was 2002. Before 1998, some factors such as a huge debt reaching 55% of the GDP, a currency pegged to the US $, the â€Å"Tequila† crisis in 1995, the devaluation of Mexican and Brazilian currencies, were responsible of the crisis Firstly we compared trade and GDP, to obtain the trade openness ratio. It increased strongly in 2002, due to a high increase in trade (133% 2001 to 2002) compared to the GDP that declined 11bp. The relatively high level of trade openness registered in 2002: 10. 08%, is based on the steep drop in imports 56%, related to the peso devaluation. As the peso stabilized and GDP undertook an ascending trend trade openness bounced back to low level again. Secondly, the balance of payments of Argentina can be analyzed in order to compare the exports to the GDP. The trade index of the country is under 20% until 2005, which is lower than the Global Trade Index at this time (30%). Nevertheless, it increased to reach a better level in 2007 (25%). For the valuation of the liquidity level, we compared the reserves to the imports, in volume and number of days. Since 1998, it is decreasing, sharply in 2001 and 2002, then recovering a better level between 20% and 30%. Therefore we can not consider that 4 months of reserves to be sufficient for maintaining a good level of liquidity, it’s a bit lower than the 6 months objective. In 2006, reserves influenced by the crisis in Mexico, dropped to 10%. To assess the debt service, we assumed a 5% interest rate, applied to interest payments and exceptional financing. Debt declined in terms of export multiplies especially due to the rise in exports and not to reimbursements. The highly indebted Argentina actually resorted to IMF financing and additional loans in 2001, when confronted with $3bn capital flight. Fluctuating between 900% in 1998 and 380% in 2007, the debt service ratio, far away from the optimal level of 33% , clearly emphasizes the state’s debt burden. The interest ratio is high, but still decreasing jointly with the debt, reaching a sane level below 0,25 in 2006 and 2007. Still this figure is actually deceiving, the interest ratio plunging due to ascending exports and not decreasing debt service. All liquidity indicators point out to a disappointing position for Argentina, still the reimbursements made in the recent years and the IMF account clearing entice improvements at this level. We can notice a huge change, in the current account since 2002. The negative current account which lasted for several years, had been replaced by a positive one in 2002. This change was attributable to the big decision of switching from a pegged currency (to the US$), to a floating currency. Consequently, the Argentinean peso was devalued. On a current account view, this means less imports, and an increase of the exports. Actually the volume of the exports didn’t take off the day when the decision of devaluating the Argentinean peso, but 2 years after. This phenomenon could be explained by the J curve theory. 2001 was a turning point in the history of Argentina. Forecasting the devaluation of the peso, investors revised their position towards the Argentinean market, foreign direct investment dropping by 80% from 2000 and 2001. This way FDI decreased drastically its role as a financing source (before 2001, Argentina was financing between 5 and 10% of its debt by the Foreign Direct Investment). Faced with such a drastic cut in foreign direct investment and portfolio investment, Argentina issued additional debt worth $ 10 bn. Over the last ten years Argentina experienced serious turbulence in its financial position that has negatively impacted its state rating and fuelled even more financial distress. Still, in recent years, rescue came and it was in the form of economic growth. This restored investors’ confidence, translating into higher absolute FDI inflows, and allowed for debt restructuring. With an outstanding debt of $6 bn towards the Venezuelean government, obligations of $ 500 m in the international debt market and a state rating of B (Moody’s), any investment in the Argentinean market will carry high risk that might not necessarily be offset by a high return. For the time being, we recommend not investing in Argentina.

Brand Positioning2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Brand Positioning2 - Assignment Example McDonalds considers itself a leader in the fast food industry. A close analysis of the perception of the customers regarding McDonalds, it emerges that many customers view McDonalds as the leader it has determined itself to be. This is because many customers are aware of the famous burgers sold at McDonalds, the effective delivery system and the specious eating joints. There is a global loyalty to McDonald’s products to those who are used to the companys fast food (Hicks, 2004). On the other hand, the emergence of Subway, which is threatening to attain the leading position in the provision of healthy fast foods has affected McDonalds positioning in the recent past. The emphasis on healthy eating and the desire for people to prevent non-communicable diseases through healthy eating has contributed to the positive perception of the Subway brand. This is because Subway delivers fast foods, but is conscious of its customer’s health needs. Despite the challenges Subway faces such as limited space in the joints, its concentration of the consumer health needs has served to make it an outstanding brand. From this description, it is evident that, customer’s view the competitors differently. For Subway, customers perceive the brand as a solution to healthy eating, especially for people who love fast foods. On the other hand, McDonalds has been viewed as unique because of the long time presence in the market (Lesser et al, 2013). Lesser, L. I., Kayekjian, K. C., Velasquez, P., Tseng, C., Brook, R. H., & Cohen, D. A. (2013). Original article: Adolescent Purchasing Behavior at McDonalds and Subway. Journal Of Adolescent Health, 53441-445.

Mental Health Issue Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Mental Health Issue - Coursework Example The concepts of media images and perceptions are also explored, offering the possible negative and positive effect of media perceptions. Interestingly, the legal aspect of this issue is also detailed in the guide. A Case Study of Mental Health Service User X Cindy has a responsible job as a software engineer in a multinational company but she feels she is unable to advance in her career because of her inability to contribute in group meetings. It’s almost more than what she could bear just to sit in on meetings, let alone offer her opinions. Yesterday, her boss approaches her about the possibility of giving a presentation about their latest product to some customers. At that point, she began to be nervous and could not open her mouth to talk at all. He walks out of her boss’s office with lack of self-confidence and later refuses to give the presentation. 3 Phobias Phobias can be defined as the persistent and irrational fears that affect some people when they come into c ontact with external factors (stimuli) (Morgan, 2003). There are different categories of phobias based on the sources of stimuli, to which the persons affected withdraw or move away from. Examples of these categories are:- (i) Agoraphobia:- this is irrational and persistent fears about being in a place crowded with many other people, and which might make escape impossible in case there is a sudden danger (Gray, 1994). This may happen with or without a panic attack. (ii) Social phobia:- This is irrational and persistent fears about participating in a social or public event. A chronic form of social phobia also leads to avoidance behavior as the affected person keep running away from social duties (Kleiman, 1988). Cindy is affected by this kind of phobia as she dodges her duties. (iii) Specific phobias:- These are irrational and persistent fears to some specific stimuli. Examples of these stimuli include but are not limited to animal types, natural environment types, situational types , blood-injection injury etc. (Lefton, 1997). 4 Causes of Phobias Several researches have been conducted on the issue of phobias in order to detect their main causes. Although it is not quite certain what is responsible for one particular phobia; however, it has become known in recent years that phobias could occur based on (i) genetical factor—that is, certain fears may affect some families consciously or unconsciously; for example, twins that were raised in different environments still show fear for a certain object or condition; (ii) cultural factor—owing to their cultures, different people entertain different kinds of phobias; (iii) personal experiences—it is also believed that personal experiences constitute mainly the cause of phobias people have today; past unfavorable experiences may beat fear into people’s hearts that would last forever (Gray, 1994); (iv) uncertainty—it is also considered a fact that people tend to exercise some fears to u ncertain conditions or things they could not control like their future, job interviews and meeting new and unfamiliar people (Lefton, 1997). Symptoms of Phobias The symptoms exhibit by patients affected by phobias depends on the types of phobias and their severity. For those suffering from blood-injection injury, they do not normally feel afraid but experience disgust at the sight of needles (Morgan, 2003). However, there are some general symptoms of phobias, which include but are n

Burberry history Essay Example for Free

Burberry history Essay Barberry was founded in 1856; originally focusing on producing innovative functional outwear. over the years Barberry has adapted to changing trends and tastes to suit the consumers wants and needs. Additionally the extension of their product portfolio, for example their perfume and accessories range, Is a response to competition from leading brands such as Ralph Lauren and others. Barberry set out to create a luxury, premium brand image, however in recent years in Britain especially, the public perception of Barberry products have been labeled as chap kook because of their distinctive tartan pattern on clothing. In September 201 2 the high brand luxury clothing company Barberry issued a profit warning taking El ban off Buyers market value resulting with a share fall of 19%. We are currently In an economic recession which has resulted In less consumer confidence and a trend of reduced spending habits. However the types of consumers that purchase brands like Barberry would usually not be effected by the economic recession. They are likely to have much more disposable income and secure well- paid Jobs. Retail analyst Joana Satyrs stated that The global economic crawls Is dragging on and the longer It drags on the less confident even wealthier Individuals become. Meaning that even those with more disposable Income to spend on luxury goods such as Barberry, are less confident which Is a major factor resulting In reduced spending habits. If consumers are spending less the company is likely to result in profit losses. If the problem deteriorates it can result in closing of stores and making staff redundant; adding to the already high unemployment figures Barberry s a luxury brand is not immune from the economic instability which has seen weaker sales not only in the UK but globally. From researching Buyers share decrease we can see that the 2012 London Olympics has played a major factor in profit loss. The types of customers buying Barberry products are likely to live in expensive locations such as London; Barberry state that the London Olympics pulled tourists away from shopping and pushed them more towards visiting the Olympic park and stadium and spending their money on souvenirs. However due to the economic recession and the trend of reduced pending habits, Buyers luxury high priced goods were Increasingly likely to see reduced sales. Although wealthier Individuals are likely to be unaffected by the economic recession, the Auks high unemployment rate has made Buyers customer base even more restricted than before. In contrast to Buyers view that the Olympics contributed to their profit loss, we believe that the Olympics helped the Auks unemployment rate hugely giving more individuals and potential customers more disposable income. However now that the Olympics are over, it can shift focus onto spending more on brands such as Barberry. In comparison; lower priced stores such as Tops and H M are receiving higher likely to buy from stores that have fashionable styles and a wider variety of clothing at much lower prices. BBC business news (twitter) stated that UK retail sales rise as shoppers buy winter clothing and that sales volumes were up 0. 6% in the last month. Individuals are much more likely to spend EYE OHIO on a coat rather than an IEEE one; especially during the economic recession. Taking the above into account, there are a number of ways in which Barberry could improve their economic position in the retail market. While Barberry are not in a state of danger as it stands, if their profit and share prices were to decrease further they may have to cut their costs. This could see a decrease in quality of their products resulting to a decline in brand loyalty and a future reduction in sales. One way Barberry could improve their situation is by re-marketing their product range to appeal to a different target audience, that of the middle and working class. Evidence suggests that lower priced stores (Tops and HM) have been benefiting as a result of their lower prices. If Barberry were to adjust their position in the market, closer to that of HM they may wreak the rewards. However, we think that Barberry may tarnish their entire business reputation if they do so. It takes many years to achieve a high brand reputation like that of Barberry and it would be a massive risk to put it all on the line. Also the lower priced retailers market is dominated by a few big players and is extremely competitive, making it harder for Barberry to establish itself in the lower priced category. We think that Barberry should ride out the storm for the time being. If anything is to be done it should be investing more into marketing and branding to appeal to the upper middle-class. Although this would be costly initially, sales should pick up over time; improving Buyers share price and profits. Furthermore, in the meantime it would be easy for Barberry to take advantage of the current state of national pride (following the Olympics) and go back to basics promoting the Brutishness of their brand. Another way in which Barberry can improve their current situation is by taking a similar approach to Versa by launching a more economical clothing range with gig street brands such as HM. For Barberry to differentiate themselves they can instead launch their clothing range with Ezra rather than HM. Reason being that they types of clothes they offer are very similar in terms of sophistication and quality. This method was very successful with Versa as their line with HM sold out within 30 minutes. By introducing a more affordable clothing line, Barberry will advantage from an increase in sales and profits as demand from consumers will increase. The cheaper they market their new clothing range the more people would want to buy it s they will be purchasing Barberry clothing for a faction of the cost.

Analysis of Semantics and Pragmatics in Two Texts :: Compare Contrast Linguistics

Analysis of Semantics and Pragmatics in Two Texts Linguistics is the science of a language. Linguists depend on the use of certain aspects in order to analyse, describe and explain a human language; these aspects include semantics and pragmatics. Semantics can be defined as the study of "meaning" of lexical words and expressions independently of context. Where pragmatics is the process of recognising the "invisible meaning" of lexical items and expressions; taking into account the speaker's/ addressee's intention, the status of hearer/ receiver and the actual situation. This paper will explain the process we, as humans usually follow to understand a certain text or utterance. This explanation would be achieved through the analysis of two journal articles from semantics and pragmatics perspective, taking into account a range of techniques associated with each of the two concepts including: Semantics Aspects: Synonymy, antonymy, hyponymy, prototypes, homophones and homonyms, polysemy and ambiguity. Pragmatics Aspects: Deixis and Distance, reference and inference, conversational implicature, anaphoric and cataphoric reference, presupposition, entailment, direct and indirect speech acts and speech events, cultural context and cross cultural pragmatics, conversational analysis and background knowledge, denotation and connotation meaning, the four maxims and hedges. Analysing Article One We will begin by observing the semantic and pragmatic features in article 1 being "Men are sulks say surveys" .This article is taken from the hot topics section of the popular msn website. The main topic of this article is a medical concept being flu/cold, where the unspecified writer of this article discusses the reaction of men, compared to women when it comes to having flu. The article also lists a number of readers' comments on the subject topic. As a whole, article one is rich with lexical items that belong to the medical lexical field, such as cold, flu, Panadol, tablets, sick, suffer, diseases, chicken pox, depression, doctor, coughs, headache etc. The extensive use of these terms throughout the article was a necessity since the main topic is about a medical condition. Another lexical field was elaborated in this article being the family relationships such as mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, children etc. Antonymy or the use of two lexical items that represent the opposite meaning appear in this article such as men and women, males and females, wives and husbands, mothers and fathers, vent and defend etc. The use of these terms in this article is more likely for the purpose of comparison. Most of these antonyms are relational opposites; these opposites indicate two ends of a relationship between persons.

Diagnostic Assessment and Formative Assessment Essay

Assessment for learning In classrooms where assessment for learning is practiced, students are encouraged to be more active in their learning and associated assessment. The ultimate purpose of assessment for learning is to create self-regulated learners who can leave school able and con? dent to continue learning throughout their lives. Teachers need to know at the outset of a unit of study where their students are in terms of their learning and then continually check on how they are progressing through strengthening the feedback they get from their learners. Students are guided on  what they are expected to learn and what quality work looks like. The teacher will work with the student to understand and identify any gaps or misconceptions (initial/diagnostic assessment). As the unit progresses, the teacher and student work together to assess the student’s knowledge, what she or he needs to learn to improve and extend this knowledge, and how the student can best get to that point (formative assessment). Assessment for learning occurs at all stages of the learning process. Assessment for learning Comprises two phases—initial or diagnostic assessment and formative assessment  Diagnostic Assessment- This set of diagnostic assessment materials for literacy, language and numeracy (Entry 1 to Level 2) was a national development in 2002. Included are materials for assessing learners on the pre-entry curriculum framework (Milestones 4-8) and materials for assessing the need for support for dyslexia. Diagnostic assessment helps to identify speci? c learning strengths and needs, and usually follows an initial assessment at the beginning of a learning programmer, where there is an indication of the need for further, more detailed assessment. It is related to speci? c skills needed for tasks. The diagnostic information can be included in the learner’s ILP. It is recommended that diagnostic assessment is conducted by specialist teachers of literacy, language or numeracy. Formative assessment -including diagnostic testing is a range of formal and informal assessment procedures conducted by teachers during the learning process in order to modify teaching and learning activities to improve student attainment. It typically involves qualitative feedback (rather than scores) for both student and  teacher that focus on the details of content and performance. ] It is commonly contrasted with summative assessment, which seeks to monitor educational outcomes, often for purposes of external accountability. Assessment can be based on a variety of information sources (e. g. , portfolios, works in progress, teacher observation, and conversation) Verbal or written feedback to the student is primarily descriptive and emphasizes strengths, identi? es challenges, and points to next steps As teachers check on understanding they adjust their instruction to keep students on track. No grades or scores are given – record-keeping is primarily anecdotal and descriptive Occurs throughout the learning process, from the outset of the course of study to the time of summative assessment -Assessment that is accompanied by a number or letter grade (summative) -Compares one student’s achievement with standards -Results can be communicated to the student and parents -Occurs at the end of the learning unit Evaluation Judgment made on the basis of a student’s performance Test An assessment intended to measure the respondents’ knowledge or other abilities Assessment.

Krueler Interview

The first Boer war was from 1880-1881 when the Boers fought England in order to recover their independence they had given up to obtain British help against the Zulus. The second was from 1899-1902 when the Orange Free State and Transvaal declared war on Britain.Pieter Krueler was one of the toughest and bravest soldiers during the war. He was interviewed and revealed the real setting of the war in his own experience which makes the critics point out and reviewed the dilemmas more clear to the minds of the people.The war started between the differences of some learned diplomats and roughhewn nesters and successful millionaires battling for gold and power to rule (Bartleby).Opinions of anti-British, when the discovery of gold in Witwatersrand, many miners or prospectors are interested to get hold of the land. Â  The Boer’s called them threat to their state. After sometime, all mines are transferred to the British’s custody. The Boer government protected the people so the y charged big taxes from Uitlanders, also known as the foreigners even though British don’t really agree to that. The Orange Free State which was the independent Boer state in South Africa formed military troops to protect their independence (Bartleby).The Boer’s protest with regards to their rights was denied. The Boer declared war. Krueler was among those soldiers who fought for the Boers. Since the Boers are highly furnished with more weapons than the British, they had gone victories over the British adjacent to Boer’s territories. The Boers are kind hearted. They treated their prisoners well enough. They even fetched water for them to drink and even get blankets for the prisoners to rest.In the Cape Colony, there were many Boers captured because the British sent well trained reinforcements that lead them to victory. Cronje who was Boer’s leader forced to surrender. It was soon the British totally occupied the Transvaal territory. Roberts, who was the leader of British who led them to victory left the place because of his perception, the war was ended. Unfortunately, it wasn’t over yet and the Boers continue their coordination that lead to Guerilla war. They cut off the communications; attacked military post stations and some captured Boer were escaped by their help (Moritz).The Boers are fighting for their land which many foreigners are eager to find ways of colonizing the land. They are fighting for their independence which many foreigners are taking them away. They are great and brave people fighting for freedom, but they were only few of them. The British were certain enough that they can defend themselves from the Boers; they decided to totally finish the war under the ruling of Kitchener (Weber).The British recognized the kindness of the Boers to their families and their fellowmen; they captured the Boer’s women and children. Kitchener commanded his men to demolish the livestock and crops, farms were being bur ned, and captured women and children into. More women especially the children got sick and there were thousands died during that captured (Weber).Imperialism during the 20th century was very rude. It’s a regretful to those who did bad things to other people. The saddest part of it was that, the British were conquering the land that was not intended for them and hurting the people who own the land. The behavior of one’s nation because of power to control one’s land is very drastic. Kitchener’s plan of using the defenseless women and children as part of the war is to win the war, but not directly to fight with the Boer’s armies (Weber).When the Boer’s troops are diminishing rapidly and that ended the war. The Boer’s government accepted the leadership of the British in the condition that the British must apply a good government concerning the people in the future. However, the war gave the Boers so much resentment which continuous to aff ect the political life of the people throughout the 20th century (Bartleby).According to Krueler’s interview, the women and children including the four thousand prisoners gave a safe passageway by the British when they surrendered for the sake of the children and women. Moreover, the British treated him not as prisoner because he presumed of being a kid.With regards to the interview Krueler, the British had a conscience to speak for themselves for giving safe passageways for those who survived during the war. All they want was to get hold of the land.During the 1899 up to 1902 has become debatable. The holocaust happened in the camps is against the international law. This violates the human rights of the people. Women and children should not treat badly because they are weak and defenseless (Moritz).Anti-British claimed justice to all people who were badly injured and died during the war because of the barbaric acts of the British. The sympathy is with the Boers who only want their own land to live, but because they are few men to fight compared with their intruders, their land was totally occupied and ruled by the British (Weber).The war was proved to be the costliest, bloodiest and longest. Furthermore, it was said to be humiliating war from the British because of the longest time to defeat the Boers knowing that they were only few men fighting against them. In addition to, they were not fighting against the armies of the Boers, but they were fighting against the weak people of the Boers (Weber).Not only had the British militaries committed crimes, but also the leaders who gave commands. It is a crime against humanity, crime that no one was punished, crime that Kitchener should pay for. Unfortunately, when Kitchener died, he was remembered because of his virtue instead of a criminal (Weber).The British leaders’ imperialistic acts and hunger for diamonds and gold brought big and unforgivable damage to the people and land of Boer. The British wer e already powerful and wealthy during that time. They forgot about the thousands of lives perished for their greediness (Weber).Krueler’s interview about the First World War seems to be more similar intentions of the German people of acquiring the land in which the British occupied during that time. He was used by the German leaders to fight for them for colonial reasons. Some European countries are aiming to win the land of gold and diamonds for the purpose of continuous power and wealth. During the European wars, there are millions of civilians and militaries died aiming for one land which was not really fair for the civilians and most especially to those who owns the land.BibliographyThe Columbia Encyclopedia 6th Edition. Bartleby. Dec 2007. Moritz, Garett. About. 1998.Weber, Mark. IHR. May 1999.

Charlotte Perkins Gilmans The Yellow Wallpaper. a commentary on the male oppression of women in a patriarchal society

Charlotte Perkins Gilmans The Yellow Wallpaper. a commentary on the male oppression of women in a patriarchal society Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper is a commentary on the male oppression of women in a patriarchal society. However, the story itself presents an interesting look at one woman's struggle to deal with both physical and mental confinement. This theme is particularly thought-provoking when read in today's context where individual freedom is one of our most cherished rights. This analysis will focus on two primary issues: 1) the many vivid images Gilman uses to illustrate the physical and symbolic confinement the narrator endures during her illness; and 2) the overall effect of, and her reaction to, this confinement.The Yellow Wallpaper begins with the narrator's description of the physically confining elements surrounding her. The story is cast in an isolated hereditary estate, set back from the road and located three miles from town. The property boasts protective hedges that surround the garden, walls that surround the estate, and locked gates which guarantee seclusion.E nglish: Signature of American writer Charlotte Pe...Even the connecting garden represents confinement, with box-bordered paths and grape-covered arbors. This isolation motif continues within the mansion itself. Although she preferred the downstairs room with roses all over the windows that opened on the piazza, the narrator finds herself relegated to an out of the way dungeon-like nursery on the second floor, appropriately equipped with 'rings and things' in the walls. Windows in each direction provide glimpses of the garden, arbors, bushes, and trees. The bay is visible, as is a private wharf that adjoins the estate. These views reinforce isolationism; they can be seen from the room, but not touched or experienced. There is a gate at the head of the stairs, presumably to keep the children contained in their play area. Additionally, the bed is immovable as it has been nailed to the floor. It is here that the narrator secretly describes...