Friday, November 29, 2019

Productivity through OntheJob Training Essays -

Productivity through On?the?Job Training Introduction Today's dynamic world and globalization brought constant changes for organizations to perform their activities. These continued needs for individual and organizational development can be traced to numerous demands, competitiveness, increased productivity and employees' development. The first thing that comes in the minds of the management is productivity. That's why management of any firm is so focused to improving their employees' productivity. Training is one of the most pervasive methods for enhancing the productivity of individuals, employees' skills, knowledge and ability to do more complex tasks or complete tasks better and faster and communicating organizational goals to new personnel. The focus of this essay is on on-the-job Training (OJT) of employees. Effects of OJT OJT has its effects on employees' performance, productivity in terms of units produced, decreased breakdown, increases in sales and career advancement. The steps for conducting OJT programs are needs assessment, planning, developing, execution and evaluation. The management perceives productivity as operational efficiency, low stress level of workers during job, product quality, maintenance reduction of machines. The huge investment by employers in new work processes, technologies require error-free output. The need is satisfied by OJT, which is used to train both novice and experienced employees in organizations. During the training, the trainees are able to learn new and important things, which they were not using as before. OJT can be defined as the enhancement of job competence acquisition, involving the following elements: (I) the actual work processes, (ii) the physical work environment, and (iii) the social work environment. Structured OJT is defined as ?planned OJT that occurs on the job and in real time?. It is based on a job breakdown and on effective principles of instruction. OJT provides trainees both general skills which are transferable from one job to another and specific skills as well that are unique to a particular job these skills are non-transferable. Conducting OJT There is a growing interest in structured OJT because others have major drawbacks. It provides a third route for the development of employees and towards their competence. There are four phases of structured OJT program (i) import phase; in this phase new employees are trained by way of unstructured OJT. (ii) development phase; a handbook is written in this phase how tasks will be performed in the training program. Handbooks are written by operating staff and training manager. (iii) execution phase; trainees undertake a theoretical explanation of the training program for two to three days and are told on site how to perform the specified tasks.(iv) Export phase; it is compulsory for employees at Indian Oil to get OJT before operating at their jobs. When on the job training is needed? OJT program is appropriate under these conditions; (i) when employee is new to the post, domestic office or the job; (ii) employee lacks knowledge essential for job; (iii) job functions have changed, or are about to change; (iv) other obstacles in the work place e.g. lack of tools, equipment. The next part is Planning OJT Program: During planning trainer or supervisor identifies the employees who need training. They (trainer and trainees) establish timeframes for implementing OJT program. They set goals for learning outcomes and instructional objectives. In other words they develop strategies for OJT program. Generally these strategies include selection criteria of employees for training, period of training, number of employees and frequency of training, etc. Evaluation The outcomes of the training program seeks to depict how effective was the training. Evaluation helps trainer to seek if any employee needs further training to perform his/her job. A four level model to evaluate effectiveness of training are; (i) Reactions: represent what trainees feel about training, whether they like it; (ii) Learning: what trainees have learnt from the training; (iii) Behavioral: how they are performing in actual after training; (iv) results: in the form of productivity, organizational goals and objectives. Analysis OJT increases productivity through: operational efficiency, low worker's stress, product quality, maintenance reduction and career growth. Workers in the production department must know how to operate the machines in routine and unusual production cases. Newly hired workers hesitation and pressure, due to the fact that they don't know how to operate it is pacified by OJT. OJT is an occasion for employees to improve their professional skills leading

Monday, November 25, 2019

10 Warning Signs That Job Offer Is a Scam

10 Warning Signs That Job Offer Is a Scam Job offer scams are designed to prey on job seekers at their most desperate. And if you happen to be that desperate job seeker, it’s hard to tell the good guys from the bad. So how to tell if a job offer is legitimate? Here are 10 warning signs to keep you on the safe path through the wilderness. 1. â€Å"No Experience Necessary†Even if it’s an entry-level position, some experience is always necessary. Some work experience will always be required, and any job that states otherwise is a con. Not everyone can do every job.2. Crazy MoneyIf it seems to good to be true, it probably is. Above average pay offers, particularly without the proper vetting, can be a major red flag. You want the manager to evaluate you on your merits first, then offer you the big money.3. FeesDon’t ever give anyone your credit card information. Don’t ever give anyone money. Any job that asks you for these things is not for real. You don’t have to shell out for training o r new software or insurance on equipment. You just don’t. Run away instead.4. Instant HireYou’re great, but you’re not that great. If someone is willing to hire you without scouring your resume and having you in for at least one interview, they’re not worth working for.5. Requests for Personal InformationNever give out your credit card, bank details, address, or social security number until you’ve been officially hired and are filling out your IRS forms. Anyone who asks for this information first is scamming you.6. Typos in the ListingOr bad grammar. Incomplete sentences. Anything that looks as though it might have been generated or translated by a computer program, not written by an intelligent human being. If there are glaring flaws in the job description, there are probably glaring flaws with the job.7. After-Hours CallsAnything before 7 a.m. or after 9 p.m. is probably out of line. Even in industries that purport to work 24/7, hiring managers s hould have the decency to call you at a reasonable time. You deserve that respect.8. You Didn’t ApplyThis sounds ridiculous, and wouldn’t it be a wonderful world if jobs just fell out of the sky when we weren’t looking for them? But if you didn’t contact them first, you should be extra wary- just to make sure the company is legit.9. Multiple OpeningsIf you’re scanning job search websites and find multiple jobs at the same company: manager, district manager, sales manager, executive, etc., that’s probably a sign that company is a sham company, or at least a revolving door. They’re most likely trying to scam for as many keywords as they can to target job seekers across a wider range.10. MysteryIf you can’t actually summarize what the company is or does or what your job would actually be based on the job description, then it isn’t a very good job description- and likely not a very good job.Make sure to do your homework. Fiv e minutes of Googling can keep you from making a big mistake. Figure out what you can about the company, get a good sense of the job, and make sure you see a real live human being for an actual interview before making any promises. Trust your instincts, avoid these red flags, and you should be fine.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Planning - Essay Example The company also has a wide product offering from savory sandwiches to desserts, CD’s to about every variety of coffee combination available, as such the company is able to offer something to accommodate almost all tastes. As it is the case that the firm focuses on using extremely high quality coffee products in many ways the company has segmented themselves in the market as a premium brand. In this respect the company has semi-positioned themselves as a company that offers an affordable luxury. Weaknesses: As the company is not franchised and simply utilizes a successful business model, it may be a bit ambitious for the company to project opening an additional 26,500 stores whilst still maintaining a high degree of control over product quality and individual store financial success. Opportunities: According to the international Coffee Organization (2007) the global consumption of coffee is a growing trend with per capita consumption expected to reach stay at 1.3 kilograms annually up from just 1 kilogram in 1996. Furthermore in a number of markets there is very little restriction on the establishment of small business entities such as a coffee shop. As such it may be the case that Starbucks may not face any strong opposition by pursuing a policy of expansion into new markets in places such as Asia and Latin America. Threats: According to McRoskey (2008) it is the case that there is increased competition from traditional cafà © based coffee vendors but also McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts. As it is also the case that there is a high degree of new entrants in the coffee market, furthermore a massive new expansion policy may prove to be financially unfeasible in already heavily saturated markets. Lastly, it is the case that as Starbucks is an American company, sales could be influenced by influenced in some countries by the current political climate. In terms of Howard Schultz actually achieving his goal of reaching 23 billion in sales I personally believe that

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Workplace Stress Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Workplace Stress - Essay Example Organizations also make atmosphere employee friendly and suitable for work by meeting up certain standards, which helps in reducing work place stress. Any organization can measure the level of work place stress on their employees by simply conducting surveys and polls on this topic plus interviews can also be conducted. In order to evaluate the success of their work place stress management programs the organization can simply conduct an online poll or survey with interviews about how effective an employee feels the programs has been. Power and Politics are two different concepts but they can be put together. Power in general means an authority a person holds and politics is basically a process through which groups of people make decisions. Usually decision-making comes with power, people have the authority to make decisions that is politics when they have power. Power and Politics have similarities and differences both but similarities overlap the differences. As in politics, democracy, power all these go together. In democracy its politics that leads to the transfer of power between different leaders that run the country. Power and Politics are always related to each other as explained earlier power leads to politics as only people having authority can make decisions. Organizations also have a hierarchy structure that is being followed to make decisions. When it comes to the use of power and politics ethical issues arise as not all people think the decisions being taken are correct, there is always a conflict o f opinion when a group of people sits down. Ethical issues like equal rights and discrimination often arise due to the abuse of power and politics in an organization and it’s advisable to minimize these as they can also lead to work place

Monday, November 18, 2019

Analytical response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Analytical response - Essay Example In 1927, slaves were defined by the United Nations as someone â€Å"over whom any or all of the powers attached to the right of ownership are exercised† (â€Å"The Transatlantic†). Slavery was passed onto Africa by its European colonizers. In Rome, slaves were generally those who got caught in battle, abandoned children, or older children sold by their fathers because of dire need of money. Age was also a selling point for slaves. The older the male slave, the higher his cost. Slavery continued to exist in Europe from classical times and throughout the early medieval period, and other forms of slavery continued in the early modern period (Hampshire, 2007). Definition of Terms For definition of terms in relation to Yoruba, Akan and the African culture in general, this paper will discuss about Trans- Atlantic Slave Trade, Bight of Benin, Santeria and Lukumi, together with its interrelationship and contributions to the rich cultures of the aforementioned ethnic groups. The Trans- Atlantic Slave Trade is one of the largest forced movements of people in the world. It is defined as the European states’ forced transport of almost 10 million Africans to its colonies in the early seventeenth century. This is a systemized form of slavery with high racism pro the white race and degrading the blacks (â€Å"The Transatlantic†). It began in 1444, when the Portuguese began shipping slaves from West Africa to Europe. The Americas discovered the creation of new colonies with demand for cheap labor in 1942. With this, European ships carried increased numbers of African slaves to Brazil, the Caribbean and North America in the1550s, and by the 1700s Britain was the number one slave-trading power in Europe (Hampshire, 2007). Trades happened in different shores such as that of the Bight of Benin. The Bight of Benin is a rich part of African culture. It was formerly a part of West Africa, and then it became a French colony, and now part of Nigeria. It was formerly known as Dahomey before 1975. The area extending to Lagos was called Slave Coast. Dahomey was the name of the most powerful kingdom during that pre-colonial period. The Bight of Benin became part of an emerging trans-Atlantic trading system, where slaves were the most important commodity and Dahomey was on top of the market, making female warriors their highest selling point. Today, factors rooted from geography and history caused the non- homogeneous culture of the nation. The divisions in its people draw lines for occupation, language and religion, as well. People of Benin lack national identity and are wealthy with their ethnic identities (Advameg Inc., 2013). In Benin also lives 10- 20 million Yoruba. Yoruba is one of more than two hundred ethnic groups in Nigeria which live with a rich set of customs and traditions for it has been the most dominant group in this region of Africa during the prehistoric times. But as a result of civil war and slave trade, there was a dow nfall in Yoruba society; most especially when they were colonize by the British in 1901 and the customs and traditions got robbed. Many political disputes have come and gone, war and violence have been present in the nation. Today, Yoruba is also present not only in Africa but also in the Americas especially in the Caribbean, South America and North America. Today, Yoruba culture is very much alive in Cuba and Brazil (The Big Myth, 2011). As mentioned, there is an overwhelming amount of ethnicity in the lands of Africa. The cultural

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The Concept of Satisfaction in Higher Education

The Concept of Satisfaction in Higher Education Introduction and frame of the study This literature review aims at investigating the importance of satisfaction of the students in higher education form a marketing point of view. As such, we understand the meaning of words, expression, and concepts we only have a limited relation to Operational field of study (that would understand HEIs as a Business entity). The study will be constructed as follow, we shall first understand the definition of satisfaction within the boundaries of the subject earlier mentioned before investing its particular meaning for students and its place and importance in Service Quality. We would like to warn the reader that we have a limitation in term of references. To overcome this later one, we chose to focus on fairly recent articles. Our aim is certainly not to diminish the utter significance of early literature but they will be often quoted here as part of our chosen references. While sourcing for articles, we noticed that service quality is an avant-gardiste and ever growing field of study that branchs out worldwile to every industries, Education makes no exeption. The assumption we made from the coursework statement is that we certainely will be assessed on both the core chosen subject and our technical skills for conducting a literature review. Therefore, we shall try our best and limit our volume of reference without compromising the integrity of the subject. The concept of Satisfaction The concept of satisfaction plays a key role in any marketing strategy (Churchill and Suprenant, 1982), and it is even considered the king of marketing research (Oliver, 1999). Creating a sustainable advantage in todays competitive market depends, to a large extent, on the ability to deliver high-quality service that translates into satisfied customers (Shemwell, Yavas and Bilgin, 1998). Customer satisfaction is a central concept in marketing research (Luo and Homburg, 2007). In fact, Machleit and Mantel (2000) consider satisfaction as the core of all marketing activities. In the beginning, research in the area of customer satisfaction focused only on end consumers. It was therefore commonly referred to as consumer satisfaction (Bearden and Teel 1983, Cadotte et al., 1987, Anderson, 1993). Customer satisfaction is the result of experiencing a service and comparing that experience with the expected service quality (Oliver, 1980), in relation to both intangible and tangible goods; it can be defined on two different levels: as a simple transaction, or as the overall accumulation of the relationship (Jones and Suh, 2000). While there is some academic agreement that the process of contradiction is a precedent of satisfaction, empirical support for this relationship has not been complete (Yi, 1990). There is a wide discussion as to whether it is expectations that directly affect satisfaction, or whether its main antecedent is perceived quality (Churchill and Surprenant, 1982, Bahia et al., 2000). Hereby, the evaluation of client satisfaction (Bahia et al., 2000) can provide a more realistic and dynamic representation of the clients satisfaction (Bahia et al., 2000). Various definitions of satisfaction have been established within the scope of service marketing. Oliver (1980) defines this as a finite-duration experience that relates directly to the experience of a product or service, serving to maintain or improve the previous attitude that the client had about the product or service in question. Kotler (1999, 2000) considers it as the mood of a person that results from comparing the perceived performance of a product or service with their initial expectations, having a close relationship with the perceived value. This global customer satisfaction is an important indicator of the perceived past, present and future results of a company or any other entity offering products or services (Anderson, Fornell and Lehmann, 1994). Mano and Oliver (1993) define satisfaction as a hedonistic evaluative attitude or judgment centered on the product, and that it could be evaluated after consumption. Fornell (1992) defines satisfaction as a general assessment, based on the evaluation of the perceived product after the purchase, which has to be compared with the expectations before the purchase. On the other hand, Halstead et al. (1994) consider that satisfaction is an affective response, in the centre of which is the comparison of the result of the product before the purchase, and during or after its consumption. Rust and Oliver (1994) suggest that the level of satisfaction reflects the degree to which a consumer believes that the possession or use of a service generates positive feelings. As noted by Chang et al. (2009), when satisfaction is considered as an emotional response, it is defined as satisfaction of transaction, whereas when the service depends on many factors, in which repeated transactions occur, satisfaction is given as a cumulative result, or overall satisfaction (Shankar et al., 2003). To a great extent, this view of repeated transactions corresponds to the service provided by universities, since it depends on many factors over a long period of time. In addition, students do not have the opportunity to easily switch providers, causing opportune dissatisfaction. Various researchers have defined satisfaction as a positive orthe net value of services received from a provider (Schmidt and Allscheid, 1995; Woodruff, 1997; Douglas et al., 2004). The table below shows a selection of definitions about this concept. Therefore, the concept of customer satisfaction has been extensively debated in the literature, and numerous definitions have been proposed without a consensus being reached. After having thoroughly examined the main definitions that have been proposed, Giese and Cote (2000) identify three basic distinctive components that make up satisfaction: 1. The type of response, (i.e. whether it is a cognitive, affective or conative), as well as the intensity of the response. 2. The focus or object of this response, which may be based on an evaluation of the rules related to the product, the experiences of consumption of the product, or the attributes related to the purchase, such as, for example, the sales staff. 3. The time or moment at which the evaluation is performed, which can be expressed before or after making the choice, after consumption, after accumulated experiences, or at any other time. In this study, for example, the evaluation is performed after the consumption of the service and gathers experiences accumulated from the perspective of the graduate. Achieving consumer or customer satisfaction is one of the main goals for greater competitiveness (Seymour, 1993). Knowing the satisfaction of different audiences gives rise to different benefits (Anderson, 1993): For clients this means that organizations understand the variables that improve the satisfaction of the public, which leads to improvements in products and services and improvements in life standards; For companies this means improvement of the customer portfolio (forecast for the future), improvements in the distribution of resources, competitive information; For countries this means an increase in competitiveness within national strategies, improvements in state economies, aid for decision making in the businesses (national and foreign), and a better understanding of the differences between countries. Understanding of satisfaction with the organizations gives rise to synergies that, generally, tend to favor the competitiveness of a country. Satisfaction for university students A university, as a public institution, should try to create a positive image for its different audiences. It must know each one of them deeply to satisfy them adequately and to know what all those variables that influence a positive assessment of the university are. In the case of students, it is important to analyze all those variables that influence both: their university experience, as well as their pre- and post-experiences. Therefore, universities progressively create, maintain and consolidate relationships with their different audiences, especially with their students (Hasan, Ilias, Rahman and Razak, 2008). It is only with the satisfied students that the success and permanence of the students, and, above all, the formation of a positive word of mouth can be achieved in the institution (Alves and Raposo, 2004). In the context of higher education, Elliot and Healy (2001) affirm that student satisfaction is a short-term attitude derived from the evaluation of their educational experience. On the other hand, Elliott and Shin (2002) define student satisfaction as the subjective evaluation of the different students outcomes (employment, social, etc.) as well as of their experiences of education and life on campus and their initial expectations. The reasons that motivated students to decide on their career and on the university play a fundamental role in such expectations (Elliot and Shin, 2002). A university students satisfaction is a multidimensional concept that depends on students own implication and goals, as well as on the quality and service provided by the university (Hartman and Schmidt, 1995). As a rule, student satisfaction was assessed throughout the literature with the help of questionnaires that evaluate the quality of teaching and the content of subjects or specific services, such as libraries. But a lesser degree of questionnaires are sent to students after finishing the university stage, so that they can evaluate the institution. In addition, it is important to analyse the psychological and pre-university aspects that influence the academic evolution of the student. Students participating in the learning process are the main stakeholders of the university, and therefore, the focus on student satisfaction goes hand in hand with the development of a culture of continuous improvement of the university (Harvey, 1995). Biggs (2003) reviews the studies that have addressed university satisfaction, concluding that achieving high student satisfaction allows for different benefits to be obtained in the learning process: Teachers show higher productivity and enthusiasm when the appreciation of their services is evaluated; In the case of higher education, an institution is more willing to adopt changes; for example, to assume new teaching / learning styles; It is assumed that students performs their university studies and have fun at the same time; Students perception and experience are evaluated so that the university is aware of the aspects to be improved based on the students opinion. There have been numerous researches, who focused on the concept of university satisfaction, via studying which components or determinants make up such satisfaction (Aitken, 1982; Bean Bradley, 1986; Pike, 1991; Hartman Schmidt, 1995; Webb Jagun, 1997; Browne et al., 1998; Aldridge Rowley, 1998; Browne et al., 1999; Elliot Healy, 2001; Wiers-Jenssen, Stensaker Grogaard, 2002; Elliot Shin, 2002; DeShields, Kara Kaynak, 2005; Marzo et al., 2005; Arambewela Hall, 2006; Alves Raposo, 2007; Nasser, Khoury Abouchedid, 2008; Husain et al., 2009; Alves Raposo, 2010; Pike Larkin, 2010; Duque Weeks, 2010; Kheiry et al., 2012; Duarte, Alves Raposo, 2012; Moosmayer Siems, 2012; Blà ¡zquez et al., 2013). Table 3.11 lists papers whose main objective is to analyze the components and processes of satisfaction in the context of higher education. The performed work has measured the satisfaction of current students, that is, during their university experience. Among these studies, Aitken (1982) established that satisfaction depended on academic factors and accommodation services, whereas financial and personal factors, and involvement determined student retention. Later, Bean and Bradley (1986) concluded that the academic results do not affect the perception of the quality of aspects such as the service received or the physical aspects and satisfaction. More recently, Elliot and Healy (2001) concluded that attributes related to the environment, learning and student welfare are the main sources of satisfaction. Wiers-Jenssen et al. (2002) determined that university environment, as well as infrastructures and quality of service (as a specific dimension) are the main factors. While Husain et al. (2009) evidenced empirically that the sources of greatest satisfaction are the physical environment, interaction and received support, feedback, evaluation, and management. Finally, within the factors considered, Blà ¡zquez et al. (2013) concluded that sports activities and international programs are the social aspects that have the greatest impact on student satisfaction. In their study they included aspects related to facilities and resources (libraries, leisure resources, etc.), academic factors (teaching, workload, etc.) and social aspects (sports, housing, environment, etc.). Thereby, most of the authors have examined the satisfaction from the perspective of the current students, that is to say, that they were at the moment of carrying out their studies. Therefore, they have not been based on the recommendations of Westbrook and Oliver (1991) and Mano and Oliver (1993) who affirm that satisfaction is a state that must be evaluated after product consumption or service experience. However, Hartman and Schmidt (1995) took the perspective of the graduate (hence, after consumption) concluding that satisfaction depends largely on whether academic and work expectations have been met in addition to a favorable assessment of the services received during the experience. In this regard, the work of Duarte et al. (2012) compared the satisfaction of 150 students at two stages: halfway through their university career and after completing their studies. The results indicated that satisfaction is maintained at similar levels both when studying and at the end of the course; in fact, certain aspects, such as quality, were valued more once the graduates had had work experience. This contrasts with the results of Pike and Larkin (2010), and although they did not measure satisfaction by means of the graduate, they compared the evaluation of postgraduate students satisfaction at the beginning, middle and end of their course, revealing that satisfaction was greater during the initial stage of their studies, followed by higher levels of dissatisfaction later because their expectations have not been met. Nasser et al. (2008) reached the same conclusion, where he determined that the newcomers in the institution are those that present a higher degree of satisfaction . Apart from these studies, it is also worth mentioning the studies of graduates in Spain where they measure the satisfaction of the graduates with respect to the training and the service received that were analyzed in chapter 1 (for example, the UGR). With respect to other researchers, only Webb and Jagun (1997) took into account the employees of the university, and Browne et al. (1999) analyzed parental satisfaction compared to that of their own children, concluding that there is practically no difference in satisfaction among them, although it is slightly higher among the parents. Another aspect resulting from the observation of the table is that satisfaction has been a subject of research in many different countries, but the research done in the United States has been put in the forefront (Aitken, 1982; Bean and Bradley, 1986; Pike, 1991; Schmidt 1995, Browne et al., 1998, Browne et al., 1999, Elliot and Healy, 2001, Elliot and Shin, 2002, DeShields, Kara and Kaynak, 2005); there the majority of studies have focused on understanding the satisfaction attributes and development of a methodology or definition of a special measure for the university sector. Taking into account the Spanish context, Marzo et al. (2005) analyzed the influence of teaching components as factors of satisfaction. More recently, Blà ¡zquez et al. (2013) considered a greater number of aspects of university quality such as offered services or visual elements. It is noteworthy that in the study carried out by Duque and Weeks (2010) among both Spanish and American students, it was concluded that the implication is relevant in mediating the positive or negative assessment of the university service. Mention that studies have emphasized the importance of the relationship between quality and satisfaction (as was already possible in the section on quality) and will be analyzed later. Academic achievement has also been the subject of study as the basis for satisfaction with intellectual expectations (Bean and Bradley, 1986; Pike, 1991). Finally, taking into account the methodologies used to measure satisfaction, statistical techniques of regression analysis and structural equations stand out. Qualitative methods have been used to a lesser extent in relation to other variables such as image or quality, with certain exceptions (Webb and Jagun, 1997; Aldridge and Rowley, 1998).

Thursday, November 14, 2019

The American School System: A Rough Road Ahead :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The American School System: A Rough Road Ahead There are many similarities and few differences between E.D. Hirsch’s â€Å"Why America’s Universities Are Better than Its Schools,† and Benjamin Barber’s â€Å"America Skips School.† The main purpose of both articles is to address the fact that Americans fall far behind in the scholastic accomplishment of their young students. Mutually, the two authors agree that American K-12 students learn more each day outside of the classroom than they do inside the classroom, and that the schools need serious reform. Barber focuses his attention on the financial situation of the schools, as well as the political standpoint that the government just does not care, and the American government has simply given up on its children. Hirsch tackles the idea that if our K-12 schools stay with their current level of teaching, it is only a matter of time before the institutions of higher learning will no longer be considered among the best in the world. At the present time, it seems as though America’s youth have been placed into a category for which they are no longer looked upon as a bright future for our nation as was considered in the past, as Barber has commented, â€Å"Jefferson thought schools would produce free men: we prove him right by putting dropouts in jail† (159). Children today are becoming more street-smart, and feel that there is no need for true knowledge. For example, â€Å"Knowledge is considered less desirable than more ‘practical’ all-purpose goals such as ‘higher order skills,’ ‘self-esteem,’ ‘metacognitive skills,’ and ‘critical-thinking skills† (Hirsch 144). They see it as much more important to look at what society rewards its people with, and that seems to be anything but a good academic background. In today’s culture, the people who are praised in America are the people who are able to make millions of dollars by performing music, acting in front of the camera, playing a sport, and unfortunately in some neighborhoods, selling drugs. Barber concurs that â€Å"When the society undoes each workday what the school tries to do each school day, schooling can’t make much of a difference† (157). Our students think in terms of what is going t o bring them to the peak of the success mountain in this great motherland where everyone has equal opportunity.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Age-Related Changes that Occur in the Cardiovascular System Essay

The title page introducing what subject I am planning on presenting to the residents of the independent living facility. It tells them who I am and what subject is being presented. The residents that I am going to be addressing are healthy, active and mentally alert senior who want to learn more about health conditions that are affecting their age group in general and are of major concern. Slide 2 Homeostasis is the equilibrium of the body. Homeostasis is maintained by the balance of our vital signs to keep us on an even keel. The definition of Homeostasis is, â€Å"Homeostasis is the compensation of the vital signs to regulate the hearts blood flow and maintain balance within the body† (Jenkins, Kemnitz, & Tortora 2010). The autonomic system and its branches keep the body moving and functioning. Like these teeter-totters the parasympathetic and the sympathetic move oppose of each other, but keep a slow steady rhythm and together they work as a whole. Slide 3 The fight or flight dilemma. The fight stance is pretty self-explanatory; these are noticeable effects like pupils dilated, neck and shoulders stiffen up or tense, chest pain or palpations, mouth can get very dry or cotton mouth, these are just some of the examples of signs and symptoms that an individual can experience. The flight stance is more hidden and not necessarily identified by the patient or doctor until the more noticeable symptoms are visible. Some of the hidden symptoms can be, but not limited to blood pressure can get higher to a dangerous level, more adrenalin is released into the individuals system, liver produces more glucose to give energy to the muscles, and the digestion system will slow or stop completely. Slide 4 Some of the side effects from medication or treatments can be uncomfortable and more severe than the symptoms of the condition that is being treated. Looking on the brighter side is that once the medication or treatments are manageable the medication is controlling the condition, than life can get back to normal except for some life style changes. Diet and exercise can be the most drastic changes, and the hardest to comply with. If an individual has never exercised much and has lived on fast food, eating healthy and increasing activity besides sitting in front of the television can be the most challenging. Slide 5 A hypertensive heart has thickened ventricular walls which make the heart work harder to pump the blood throughout the body. When the walls thicken, the elasticity is decreases and the heart and other systems need to work harder to pump oxygenated blood throughout the body. Any condition that affects the oxygenated blood from flowing through the heart can cause the ventricular walls to thicken. As we age our blood pressure increases, age, ethninticity, weight, and genetics can play a role in a hypertensive heart condition. Slide 6 Hypertension is sometimes call, â€Å"The Silent Killer† (www. medicinenet. com 2013). Hypertension usually does not have any symptoms and puts a lot of stress on other major organs which over time will start to deteriorate. Some side- affects that can impact quality of life are sexual dysfunction, stroke, heart disease, kidney disease, and neurological problems. Sexual dysfunction is usually more noticeable and bothersome to men. Heart disease can lead to other heart related problems, like heart attack (MCI), stroke (CVA), and congestive heart failure (CHF). Slide 7 After the diagnosis of hypertension, the physician and individual will work on a plan to manage the hypertension. Most of the time this includes medication, low fat, low sodium diet and exercise. This will include some changes in your family’s life to. Our society functions on fast food, and not enough education on the right foods to eat. Exercise can be as little as walking around the block or as much as working out at the gym several times a week. Blood pressure needs to be taken every time there is a doctor’s appointment and sometimes it should be Slide 8 Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is caused from a waxy substance building up in the coronary arteries called plaque. Blood is slowed because of the plaque blocking the arteries and slowing the blood flow. Sometimes the plaque can disengage and cause a blood clot that if not detected and treated can cause a stroke or heart attack. The lack of oxygen-rich blood to the heart and major arteries over time will cause organ to deteriorate and healthy tissue and muscles will start to die. Acting quickly is the key in recovering from a heart attack or not surviving. Some symptoms can include chest pain or discomfort, shortness of breath, and dizziness. Men generally have classic signs of a heart attack; women can have other symptoms that are not classic symptoms, like lower back pain, and even neck pain. Slide 9 Heart attacks can be caused from medication (legal and illegal), stress, diet, generational, exposure to extreme cold weather, and cigarette smoking. Drugs and alcohol when taken in large quantities can be damaging to body when not prescribed for a treated condition. Narcotics, over-the-counter, cocaine, methamphetamine, methadone, alcohol, even medication for certain conditions if taken differently than prescribed can do harm to the heart and body. Slide 10 Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) is the leading cause for hospitalization in individuals over the age of 65 years old. The heart needs to work harder to pump oxygen-rich blood through the body. The myocardium’s thickened walls make the heart work harder to pump blood. The heart may pump more freely to hold more blood or stiffen and harden as time goes on. Slide 11 Some of the symptoms of congestive heart failure is kidneys start retaining water and salt, edema in the legs, ankles, arms and feet. The lungs can start retaining fluid to. More weight from the excess of fluid puts stress on the heart, shortness of breath and more exertion on activity. Slide 12 Myocardial Infarction (MCI) is the medical term for heart attack. Some of the symptoms can include seizures, dizziness, fainting, fainting, chest pain or discomfort and extreme fatigue. The person may experience the heart racing really fast, like if they ran a marathon, but were sitting down and relaxing. If the individual has unexplained family deaths at an early age can put them in a higher-risk category. Slide 13 This slide is a picture depicting what might happen in a heart attack. A blood clot can dislodge and move through the blood stream until it blocks oxygen-rich blood from reaching the heart or major organ, or it completely blocks the pathway of blood flow. If not treated immediately, it can lead to tissue and muscles becoming damaged or dying all completely and then death. References Jenkins, Kemintz, Tortora (2010) Anatomy and Physiology. John Wiley and Sonc Inc. Kulik. (2013, April). www. medicinenet. com. Retrieved from Myocardial Infarction: www. medicinenet. com Ladwig, A. a. (2014). Nursing Diagnosis Handbook. Mosby by Elsevier Inc. National Stroke Association. (2012). After Stroke. Effects of Strokes, www. stroke. org. Potter, P. S. (2012). Fundamentals of Nursing. St. Louis: Mosby an imprint by Elsevier Inc .

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Arthur Millers play Essay

Arthur Millers play ‘The Crucible’ is, on the surface, a play about a real life historical event that took place in the small American town of Salem in 1692. A mass hysteria gripped the town because of accusations of witchcraft and compacting with the devil. This led to many innocent people being hanged. However, some people believe that if you look deeper into the play you can see clear parallels with 1692 Salem and 1950’s America. After the end of the Second World War most of Europe was devastated and left trying to recover. This left the USA and the USSR as the two dominant superpowers, both of these heavily armed nations were extremely scared of the other attacking them and so came an arms race to try to beat the other side. Diplomatic relations between the two powers broke down and widespread fear of communism took over the USA. So began the ‘Cold War’. Senator Joseph McCarthy set up the House Un-American Committee to root out communists and their sympathisers. This included anyone who had remotely left-wing views. Many actors, writers and musicians were brought before the committee including Miller himself. If you remember a crucible is a dish used to heat out the impurities from metals, you can see how it relates to Proctor in court being ‘heated’ to provide names and confessions. This is much the same as what happened to Miller who was also asked to name names (but refused). To answer the question it has to be remembered that Miller intended that the play be performed on stage and not read like a book. He uses stage directions to convey to the audience some of the feelings characters are experiencing. On page 108 stage directions for Proctor say â€Å"With great force of will, but not quite looking at her†. The shows the audience that Proctor still cannot forgive himself for his affair with Abigail. It also shows the conflict between Proctor and Elizabeth and also Proctor and Abigail. Proctor also has a conflict with Parris, who he correctly believes is an incompetent fool. In addition to this he also has conflict he also a conflict with all the girls because he knows they are faking the whole thing. Miller shows this by having Proctor go to court to try and prove the girls liars. He brings Mary Warren into Court saying, â€Å"She never saw no spirits†. He also has conflicts with judges Haythorne and Danforth. On page 113 he says â€Å"I speak my own sins, I cannot judge another. (Crying out with hatred)† The stage directions for this quote clearly shows this conflict. These conflicts are all of one particular type, conflicts with other people, except for the conflicts with Judges Haythorne and Danforth who could also represent Proctors conflicts with Authority.  Reverend Hale has a conflict with Proctor because he believes that Proctor should sign the confession to live and not die for his pride. At one point he shows his anger at Proctors decision to tear up his confession says â€Å"Man, you will hang! You cannot!.  A lot of characters especially Proctor have conflicts with authority. Proctor has a huge conflict with the courts and also the church, although the two are very close together. This is where Miller uses him to explore his own conflict with McCarthyism and his own experiences before the House Un-American Committee. On page 114 stage directions for Proctor read â€Å"Proctor has finished signing when Danforth reaches for the paper. But Proctor snatches it up and now a wild terror is rising in him, and a boundless anger† this shows very much how much Proctor hates the courts and could also show us something of Millers feelings towards McCarthyism. This is because both Proctor and Miller know that the courts/government are almost trying to bribe people into giving the names of others even if the others are innocent people that are being named to get them out of trouble or being named for some kind of revenge purpose. To add to his long list of conflicts Proctor also has a conflict within himself about whether or now he should sign the confession and name people to save his life or to protect others and his honour and die. Miller also faced this (although he was only threatened with jail not death) but like Proctor he refused to name people and escaped without severe punishment.  Elizabeth Proctor also has conflicts within herself as to whether or not to help John Proctor in his decision to sign the paper or not. In the end she does not help him and he must do it himself. This may show how alone you could feel when being questioned about your â€Å"Un-American Activities† in 1950’s/60’s America. In the end of the play Proctor is hung for not confessing or naming names. This ending solves many of the conflicts in the play. It solves all Proctors conflicts with people and authority and also other people conflicts with him. However it could spark of new conflicts within people such as the girls who faked the whole thing and must be wondering whether they should have said something before people were killed or whether to say something now. I think Miller is using his characters to show us different conflicts in society and the problems with people and how they can do things they ordinarily wouldn’t to gain an advantage or to escape trouble. He also uses the conflicts to show problems with high authority and how they could collapse if they were revealed to be wrong about serious things like the witch trials. I think Miller is trying to tell us something we should all probably learn from.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Purity Lost essays

Purity Lost essays In Harper Lees award-winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, a young girl is taken from being an innocent, dependant child, and exposed to an environment of malice through her escalating awareness of the world around her. Scout Finch, the main character of this novel and daughter of Atticus Finch, goes through a rite of passage, or a loss of innocence to gain better understanding the world, by grasping that the perfect world she thought she lived in is not so perfect after all. Scout loses her childhood innocence through the realization of racial prejudice and the buildup of personal courage. Scout learns about the act of racial prejudice through the words and actions of the peers which surround her. Scouts aunts grandson, Francis, ventures to say that Atticus is nothin but a nigger-lover (83). Mrs. Dubose, an irritable old woman who lived down the street, says that Atticus is not any better than the niggers and trash he works for (102). Through the expressions and actions of her peers, Scout learns of racial prejudice and the effects it has on her community. Scout matures when she builds up courage inside of her to not take part in any kind of racial prejudice, and to finally confront Boo Radley, a mysterious neighbor. She tells Jem that there's just one kind of folks: folks (227), which confirms the fact that she takes no part in any racial prejudice of her own. When she finally builds up courage to confront Boo Radley, she realizes that he was real nice (281) instead of the monster that her childhood dreams had imagined him as. Through these events, Scout gains courage and does not give in to the temptations which plague the society which she lived in. Through these examples of adversity, Scout loses her childhood innocence and becomes more of a mature individual. She goes through tough times and eventually prevails, learning life lessons...

Monday, November 4, 2019

The Future of Qualitative Research Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Future of Qualitative Research - Article Example Qualitative research has two tensions at the same time. Qualitative research is drawn in a broad, postmodern, feminist, interpretive and critical sensibility. Conversely, it can be drawn to a narrowly defined positivist, post-positivist, naturalistic and humanistic conceptions of human experiences and analysis.   There is a challenge of coping with the present. Salient features of critique are known very well. The fifth moment addresses problems in three approaches. Firstly, it continues to sharpen the critique and corrects its excesses. Like other scholarly domains, qualitative research has a tendency of moving from one intellectual design to another, from positivism to post-positivism, post-structuralism and postmodernism, semiotics and structuralism and so on.   Postmodern and poststructural arguments move away from textual authority and post-positivist model. The crisis of legitimation arose when social scientists and anthropologists addressed the authority of the text. Three quotes â€Å" Qualitative research is an interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary and sometimes counterdisciplinary field† â€Å"Qualitative research is many things at the same time† â€Å"Qualitative research embraces two tensions at the same time†   Applications for the education system, teaching, and learning The important philosophical issues the work raise is that the problem of representation will not go away. Since, at its center is an inner tension, contradiction, and continuous dialectic which not be resolved. Conversely, there is a concern for certainty or validity in the text as a type of authenticity and isomorphism.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Lab report peer review Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lab report peer review - Assignment Example In figure 2 the COSY and H NMR data for unknown 2 shows a structural representation known as 4-heptanone. FEEDBACK: Yes, there is a good transition between the paragraphs. The information flow from one paragraph leads to the analysis of the next one. Together, the paragraphs sustain an argument, for example, paragraph 1 that introduces the thesis statement is followed logically with paragraph 2 that analyzes unknown 1 to completion before introducing analysis of unknown 2 in paragraph 3. FEEDBACK: There is a remarkably smooth integration of examples by the author into the argument. The connections between the evidence cited and the ideas supported are also quite clear. For instance, in each of the three cases of unknowns, the author illustrates the number of carbon/proton chains that produce the structure of the peaks that help in identifying the figures. The author supports the findings with appropriate figures. FEEDBACK: The other problems are not spotted. Only clichà ©s are used in the paper. Examples are â€Å"†¦in conjunction with†¦Ã¢â‚¬  in paragraph 1 and â€Å"†¦pentane chain which mirrors each side†¦Ã¢â‚¬  in paragraph 5 (Pavia, Pg