Do something that I have never done before Essay

hen I heard that the professor asked us to do something that we have never done before, I got excited at the moment. It made me feel like I got a good reason and opportunity to try something special. I took something really crazy such as skydiving or boarding into my consideration in the first. Afterward, a flash of idea came upon while I was talking about cooking with my friend; I wanted to cook lobster, a live lobster. I watched a famous TV show named â€Å"Take home chef† before, which is a show that basically teaching people how to cook. I watched one episode that was teaching people how to cook a live lobster. I dimly remember that the whole procedure to cope with live lobster was quite challenged for me. First of all, I have rarely cooked. Furthermore, I have never purposely taken any live of any creature before! After making the decision, I started to search information and some videos, which show people how to deal with live lobster, and also some recipes for cooking lobster cuisine. I chose the backed way to make my first lobster dish, which seemed easy but not as boring as the one just simply steam it. And in general, there are three ways to kill lobster. First, freeze it to death; second, boil it; the last, do bloodletting until it die. I picked the most friendly and the fastest way for the beginner, which is boiling. To get live lobster, my friend and I went to Redondo Pier. In that pier, you can get all kinds of fresh seafood that people come to their mind. I saw approximately twenty to thirty lobsters lively swinging their claws and legs in the pool; suddenly, somehow I felt a bit guilty and scary I would kill these lives in person later. Having both nervousness and excitement, we drove back home and got ready to be a lobster killer for the very first time in my life. When I took of the lobsters from the bag, they were still moving their claws and legs. â€Å"Don’t you really dare to kill me by your own hand? † I felt the lobsters were trying to deliver this warming with their staring eyes. I was afraid that I would be gripped by its claws so that I didn’t dare to cut the ties that bound its claws. I directly put them into the boiled water. The first few minutes, the lobsters were still moving. I suddenly thought of the recipe says that lobster doesn’t feel pain and will be dead in ten seconds; however, it may keep moving because of  muscle spasms. This made me feel more creepy while seeing them moving and gradually stopping in the boiled pot. After around five minutes, I pulled it from the water and submerged it into ice water to cool it. Then, here came another tough part: splitting its head from the body and then cutting the body into two pieces. I carefully follow the instruction from the recipe to cut the lobsters from the top to the base of its tails. I felt accomplishment when I successfully split them into pieces. Afterward, I spread butter, pepper and lemon juice on it; and the last step was put them into the oven. After waiting nervously for eighteen minutes, an aromatic backed lobster cuisine came out. This was my very first time to cook all by myself, and the tough thing was that I had to deal with the lobsters, which were still alive. Though the procedure was a bit hard for me as a beginner of cook, I still enjoyed this experience. Above all, I had a delicious lobster cuisine for a dinner, and got a great accomplishment for that.

Notes for Nursing Eyes and Ear

Chapter 51 and 52- Understanding the Sensory System- Med Surgical- EYES External eye structures Eyelids-protective cover for thr eyeball * Has a thin transparent membrane called â€Å"conjunctiva† Eyelashes-keep dust out of eyes Each eyelid has a lacrimal gland at the upper outter corner of the eyeball Question: how do tears come in front of the eyeball? A: small ducts bring tears to the front and blinking help spread the tears over the surface Q: what enzyme inhibits the growth of bacteria on the surface of the eyes?A: tears have enzymes called lysosome How to collect tears? Tears from Lacrimal canalsdrain into lacrimal sac nasolacrimal ductnasal cavities Question: How do we do a nursing assessment of the eyes? Answer: Inspect and palpate of the external eye Internal Anatomy of the Eye Eyeball Layers: Outer Sclera Middle Choroid Inner Retina Choroid layer: Prevents glare Ciliary Body: Circular Muscle changes the shape of lens Circular Iris: Dilates, Constricts Pupil Eyeball C avities Vitreous Humor: Holds Retina in PlaceAqueous Humor: Nourishes Lens/Cornea Retina: Lines Posterior Eyeball Contains Rods (Light) black and white Cones (Color) for Vision Fovea: Most Acute Color VisionOptic Nerve: Transmit Image Color Blind * Retina: Lines Posterior Eyeball, Problem with * Cones (Color) for Vision * Usually can not see colors red, green, blue or a mix of these colors. * Mostly men * Genetic predisposition Internal Eye The retina is a light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye that covers about 65 percent of its interior surface.Photosensitive cells called rods and cones in the retina convert incident light energy into signals that are carried to the brain by the optic nerve. In the middle of the retina is a small dimple called the fovea or fovea centralis. It is the center of the eye's sharpest vision and the location of most color perception. Eye Movements: There are 6 intrinsic muscles that moves the eyeball are attached to the orbil and outter surface of the eyeball The cranial nerves that innervate these muscles are: * Oculomotor 3rd * Trochlear 4rth * Abducens6th EYEBALL has 3 layers . Outter fibrous tunic( sclera and cornea) -sclera- white part of the eye/cornea- no capilliaries and 1st part refract light rays 2. Middle vascular tunic(choroid, ciliary body, and iris) * Choroid=has BV and dark pigment melanin(prevent glare)/anterior of chroid is mmodified into ciliary body and iris 3. Inner nervoous tunic (Retina) * Lines 2/3of eyeball, has rods and cones, photoreceptors, fovea= only see color b/c only has cones. * Rods are more abundant toward periphery vision see best at night at side of visual field Nursing Assessment forCranial Nerves of the eyes by eye movements: Physiology of Vision: * Involves Focusing of Light Rays on Retina and transmission of Subsequent Nerve Impulses to Visual Areas of Cerebral Cortex * Light rays strike the retina, it stimulates chemical RX in rods and cones. Retinal( a receptor) bonds to a protein cal led a opsin. In rods, the light rays stimulate the breakdown of rhodopsin into opsin and retinal resulting to chemical changes and generates a nerve impulse for transmission. Cones have a similar RX that takes place.Nursing Assessment of the eye and visual status: * Peripheral vision/by confrontation – how far you can follow the light while looking straight. decreases as age increases * Visual Fields- * Full peripheral fields * Movements in all 6 cardinal fields of gaze * Corneal light reflex test ( light is at the same place in both pupils) * Cover test- steady gaze ** Also test with Snellen’s chart- read from smallest letter to biggest. 20/20- the vision is normal 20/70visual impairmentit takes the eye 70 ft to read what a normal eye is able to 20/200legal blindness * THE E chartpt that has literacy problemsask to indicate what direction E shape figure. Muscle Balance and Eye movement Instruct pt to look straight ahead and follow examiner’s finger w/o moving h ead. Examiner moves finger in the 6 cardinal fields of gaze, coming back to each point of origin between each field of gaze * Patient follow examiner finger w/o nystagmus(involuntary rapid movements of the eyes vertical, horizontal, or rotary) pt have adequate extraocular muscle strength and innervations Corneal reflex test assess muscle balanceshine penlight toward cornea while pt stare straight ahead.The light reflection should be at the same place for both pupils Cover Test- evaluate muscle balance Pupilary Reflex PEARRL- Pupils, Equal, Round, and, Reactive, to Light PERRLA- Pupils equal round reactive to light accommodation Pupils should constrict when pen light is shownconsensual response Test for ACCOMONDATIONability of pupil respond to far and near distances. * Pt, focus on object that is far awayexaminer observe size and shape of pupil 5 inches away * Pt focus on near object examiner observe size and shape of pupil 5 inches away * NORMAL= eyes turn inward and pupil constrict Internal Eye Examination * Only for advanced practitioner * LPN explains procedurePt should hold head still looking at a distant object. The instrument called â€Å"opthalmoscope† will maginify structure of eye to see internally. The bright light might be uncomfortable for the pt * Intraocular Pressure- tonometer testing using a puff of air to indent cornea and measure pressure. Above normal range may indicate glaucoma Diagnostic Tests for the EYE Culture- ordered when exudate from eye are present/rule out infection * Fluorescein Angiography- Asses for dye allergies B4 starting/ fluorescence dye inject into venous system * Electroretinography- evaluate difference of electrical potential between cornea and retina in response to wavelengths and intensities/contact electrode on eye to check rods and cones * Ultrasonography- eye instill with anesthesia drops, and perform ultrasound with transducer probe/picture by sound * Radiologic Test- Xray, CT, MRI to view bone and tissue aro und eye * Digital Imaging- take digital pictures of retina in 2 seconds/ eyes don’t need to be dilated VISUAL FIELD ABNORMALBILITIES A. Normal vision B. Diabetic Neuropathy C. Cataracts-blurry D. Macular degeneration- can’t see middle E. Advanced Glaucoma- can only see middle AMSLER GRID: Q: What are we testing? – Used to identify central vision distortions and blind spots * If you can see the middle dot in the grid then you pass Nursing Assessment of the Eyes- SUBJECTIVE DATA * Family History * Glaucoma * Diabetes General Health * Trauma to Eyes * Medications * Data on Visual Acuity * Double Vision * Difficulty seeing things near? Far? Visual Acuity * Snellen’s Chart/E Chart/Rosenbaum * Visual Impairment – 20/70 * (You must be at 20 feet to see what a normal person sees at 70 feet) * Legal Blindness – 20/200 or Less with Correction Question: A patient is diagnosed with a refractive error and asks the nurse what this mean. What would be the appropriate explanation by the nurse? A: You will need corrective lenses in order to see clearly RERACTOR ERRORS: – Bending light rays as they enter the eye 1. Emmetropia: Normal Vision A. Hyperopia: FarsightednessEyeball is too short, causing image to focus beyond the eyeball (Can see objects far away) B. Corrected with convex lense C. Myopia: Nearsightedness (can see near objects) D. Corrected myopia * Astigmatism: Unequal Curvatures in Cornea * Presbyopia: Loss of Lens Elasticity Normal aging after age 40 become- farsighted Astigmatic Mirror If you a â€Å"typical† astigmatic, you may see the lines near the horizontal are clearer and darker than the lines vertically. You may also find the lines near the horizontal are spaced further apart and the vertical spaced closer together. You might also find the inner circle in not quite round. Nursing Assessment for the EYE: * Usually test for children Corneal Light Reflex * To test for lazy eye or strabismus: * A condition in which the visual axes of the eyes are not parallel and the eyes appear to be looking in different directions. Nursing Assessment of the eye OBJECTIVE DATA * Pupillary Reflex * Pupil size ___ mm * PERRLA? * Pupils * Equal * Round * Reactive to * Light and * Accomodation * Consensual? – reaction of both pupils when only one eye is expose to change in light intensity EYES CHANGE AS WE AGE * Decreased Elasticity of Lens: Presbyopia * Difficult peripheral vision: Narrowed visual field * Decreased pupil size and response to light * Poor night vision * Sensitivity to glare Yellow lens – harder to differentiate colors * Distorted or poor depth perception * Decreased lacrimal secretions or tears Eye Health Promotion Regular Eye Examinations Nutrition for eye health * Eye Protection * Safety goggles * Sunglasses * Avoid eye strain from computer use * Keep contact lenses clean * Eye hygiene is hand hygiene! * Eye irrigation INFECTIONS AND INFLAMMATION 1. Conjunctivitis â€Å" PINK EYE† * Inflamed conjunctiva * Cause: virus, bacteria, or allergic RX * S/Sx: red conjunctiva, crusting exudate, itchy or painful eyes, excessive tearing * Tx: Antibiotic drops or ointments 2. Blepharitis- inflammation of the eyelid margins, chronic inflammatory process 3.Hordeolum- eyelid infection due to staph abscess in the sebaceous gland at base of eyelash 4. Chalazin- eyelid infection2nd type of abscess form in connective tissue of eyelid 5. Keratitis- inflammation of cornea Blindness- complete or almost absence of the sense of light aka visually Impaired * Types include Glaucoma and Cataracts GLAUCOMA Pathophysiology: abnormal pressure in the eye causing damage to the optic nerve Most common: Primary (primary open-angle vs. acute angle-closure glaucoma) * Secondary caused by infections, tumors, or trauma * Third kind: congenital Risk factors: family hx, African-American race Signs and Symptoms: Acute angle-closure: unilateral and rapid onset; severe pain, blurred vi sion, rainbows around lights, nausea and vomiting * Primary open-angle: bilateral and gradual onset, no pain, aching eyes, headache, halos around lights, visual changes not corrected by eyeglasses * Early detection may require tx to PREVENT optic nerve damage during asymptomatic period. Medications/Prescriptions: * Cholinergic agents (miotics) * Cause pupil constriction * Isopto (carbachol) * Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors * Slow production of aqueous fluid * Diamox (acetazolamide) * Adrenergic agonists * Slow production of aqueous fluid * Propine (dipivefrin) * Beta blockers * Slow production of aqueous fluid * Timoptic (timolol) * Surgery, if treatment is not successful. CATARACTS * Pathophysiology: opacity in the lens that can cause loss of vision; light can’t get through to the retina * Ultraviolet rays damage lenses over time. S/sx: painless, halos around lights, difficulty reading fine print, difficulty seeing in bright light, sensitivity to glare, double vision, hazy vi sion, decreased ability to see colors * Tx: Surgery: surgical removal of clouded lens and replacement or accommodation with special eyeglasses or contact lenses Pt Teaching after Cataract Surgery: * Make sure you make arrangements for a ride. * You may need to instill eye drops or take pills to help healing and to control pressure inside your eye. * You will need to wear an eye shield or eyeglasses to help protect the eye. * Avoid rubbing or pressing on your eye. * Try not to bend or lift heavy objects because bending increases pressure in the eye. * You can walk, climb stairs, and do light household chores. Macular Degeneration Pathophysiology: It’s age relatedleading cause of visual impairment in US adults older than age 50 * Deteriorate in the maculaarea where retina light rays converge for sharp, central vision, needed for reading and seeing small objects * 2 types of ARMD * Dry (atrophic): photoreceptors on the macula fail to function and aren’t replaced secondary to advancing age * Wet (exudative): retinal tissue degenerates allowing vitreous fluid or blood into subretinal space; new blood vessels form -; subretinal edema -; scar tissue * LIMITED CENTRAL VISION Dry: cellular debris accumulate behind retina Wet: blood vessels grow behind the retina Without treatment the retina can become detached * S/sx: Dry: slow, progressive vision loss of central and near vision * Wet: sudden onset of central and near vision, blurred vision, distortion of straight lines, dark or empty spot in the central field of vision * Tx: * Dry: no treatment * Wet: argon laser photocoagulation EYE MEDICATIONS: Ophthalmic antibiotics * Bacitracin * Erythromycin Cholinergic agents (miotics) * Carbachol * Pilocarpine Beta blockers timolol NURSING CARE: * Post a sign over bed or door that identifies the patient’s visual status * Identify and announce yourself as you enter the room and leave the room * Ask the patient, â€Å" Is there anything I can do for you? â⠂¬  * Orient the pt to the room Keep objects in the same location on the bedside table at all times per patient preference. * Explain procedures before you begin * Tell the pt what you are doing before you touch them * At mealtime, explain location of food like the hands of a clock (your milk is at 2 o’clock) * Keep call light within reach! Do not play with the Seeing Eye dog that is working * Teach patient how to properly administer eye drops and/or ointment. * Teach patients to get regular eye examinations. * Allow patients to talk about their anxiety and fear. * When ambulating with the patient place the patient’s hand on your elbow. * Assist blind patient with objects such as audio books or watch with audio.

Why get your RN to BSN

The Need for Highly-Educated Nurses In the 21st century, the health challenges facing the nation have shifted dramatically. The American population is older†Americans 65 and older will be nearly 20 percent of the population by 2030†as well as more diverse with respect not only to race and ethnicity but also other cultural and socioeconomic factors. In addition to shifts in the nation's demographics, there also have been shifts in that nation's health care needs.Most health care today relates to chronic conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, rthritis, cardiovascular disease, and mental health conditions, due in part to the nation's aging population and compounded by increasing obesity levels. While chronic conditions account for most of the care needed today, the U. S. health care system was primarily built around treating acute illnesses and injuries, the predominant health challenges of the early 20th century. The ways in which nurses were educated during the 20th c entury are no longer adequate for dealing with the realities of health care in the 21st century.As patient needs and care environments have become more complex, nurses need to attain equisite competencies to deliver high-quality care. These competencies include leadership, health policy, system improvement, research and evidence-based practice, and teamwork and collaboration, as well as competency in specific content areas such as community and public health and geriatrics. Nurses also are being called upon to fill expanding roles and to master technological tools and information management systems while collaborating and coordinating care across teams of health professionals.To respond to these increasing demands, the 10M committee alls for nurses to achieve higher levels of education and suggests that they be educated in new ways that better prepare them to meet the needs of the population. An Improved Education System Much of nursing education revolves around acute care rather th an community settings that include aspects of primary care, public health, and long-term care. The qualifications and level of education required for entry into the nursing profession have been widely debated by nurses and nursing organizations..Although a BSN education is not a panacea for all that is expected of nurses in the future, it does, elative to other educational pathways, introduce students to a wider range of competencies in such arenas as health policy and health care financing, community and public health, leadership, quality improvement, and systems thinking. Care within the hospital continues to grow more complex, with nurses having to make critical decisions associated with care for sicker, frailer patients and having to use more sophisticated, life-saving technology coupled with information management systems that require skills in analysis and synthesis.Care outside the hospital is ecoming more complex as well. Nurses are being called on to coordinate care among a variety of clinicians and community agencies; to help patients manage chronic illnesses, thereby preventing acute care episodes and disease progression; and to use a variety of technological tools to improve the quality and effectiveness of care. A more educated nursing workforce would be better equipped to meet the demands of an evolving health care system, and this need could be met by increasing the percentage of nurses with a BSN.An increase in the proportion of urses with a BSN also would create a workforce poised to achieve higher levels of education at the master's and doctoral levels, required for nurses to serve as primary care providers, nurse researchers, and nurse faculty† positions currently in great demand across the profession and within the health care system. The committee recommends that the proportion of nurses with baccalaureate degrees be increased to 80 percent by 2020.While it anticipates that it will take a few years to build the educational capacity n eeded to achieve this goal, the committee maintains that it is old, achievable, and necessary to move the nursing workforce to an expanded set of competencies, especially in the domains of community and public health, leadership, systems improvement and change, research, and health policy.Improving the education system and achieving a more educated workforce† specifically increasing the number of nurses with baccalaureate degrees†can be accomplished through a number of different programs and educational models, including: traditional RN-to-BSN programs; traditional 4-year BSN programs at both universities and some community colleges.

Problems Faced to Accomplish Effective Speech and Writing Skills Essay

Problems Faced to Accomplish Effective Speech and Writing Skills - Essay Example This remains a reality that many people have to go for education purposes to strange lands where speech and writing rules may differ hugely from the ones socially practiced in their native lands. This is where myriad ambiguities enter the scene and plague the minds of many confused students who might have travelled much to get education in a certain college. Foreign students, unlike native ones, are mostly seen as individuals exposed to strange norms and complex behaviors, some of which may be quite hostile as well. Both writing and speech activities are heavily influenced by good communication skills and foreign students should know how to use those skills in unfamiliar academic territories for their own academic benefits. The reality of the immense difficulty faced by foreign students in practicing new speech and writing skills in unfamiliar academic territories is further strengthened as research study done by (McCarthy) identifies that foreign students perceive themselves as stra ngers in strange lands. Once enrolled in a certain foreign institution, students belonging to different cultural backgrounds and more familiar to their native languages, have to make great efforts to adapt themselves to new speech situations as a result of which developing close understanding with appropriate styles of communicating and writing which can be applied in new academic territories with great facility becomes inevitably important. A student â€Å"has to invent the university by assembling and mimicking its language while finding some compromise between a personal history and the requirements of convention† (Norgaard). Those students who make painstaking efforts to maintain close interaction with their professors even after the lecture hours finish are seen as individuals taking good grades and rapidly achieving a secure job once their educational periods end. In contrast to such highly interactive students, many foreign students feel shy to communicate with their p rofessors due to myriad underlying reasons which may be of cultural, lingual, intellectual, or psychological nature. Teachers can play a major role in making such students familiar with the rules of writing and speech in a language they consider alien. The research study done by (Delpit) identifies that teachers should understand that such students deliberately choose not to learn sometimes, rather â€Å"choosing to maintain their sense of identity in the face of what they perceive as a painful choice between allegiance to them or us† (Delpit). Foreign students may also face hesitation in interacting with the learned scholars at colleges because of the great fear that they may be looked down upon or mocked by fellow students if they happen to make any grammatical or pronunciation mistakes while trying to interact in foreign language with their teachers. Students should be transformed by their teachers in such a way that they would stop considering English as an alien language which somehow plays a role in furthering their oppression. Teachers should make those students, who are not already accustomed to the features of mainstream learners, learn how to carry on an effective discourse in the foreign language. â€Å"Teachers must acknowledge and validate students’ home language without using it to limit students’ potential† (Delpit). Now, developing good communication skills in English language is not an easy task, especially when it comes to foreign learners who find

Reaction paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

Reaction paper - Assignment Example economic terms, author discusses different suppressions of excesses of power (such as externalities, moral hazards, and monopolization practices) in order to demonstrate constant existence of control over managerial capitalism (Freeman 39-40). Finally, Freeman defines his stakeholder theory by providing its definition, finding out its actors, and evaluating their influential potential on managers of corporations. After arguing on â€Å"narrow† and â€Å"wide† concepts of stakeholder, he claims that owners, employees, suppliers, customers, and the local community have their stakes in contemporary corporations (Freeman 40-42). For him, government and â€Å"competitors† are not stakeholders, since â€Å"they are not necessary for the survival† of corporation (Freeman 42). In conclusion, Freeman recognizes manager as â€Å"King Solomon† (42) for the company, as in the given circumstances he has to satisfy different groups of stakeholders with various in terests. Another article, written by Milton Friedman, raises the question social responsibility to have a direct influence on corporate profits. To start with, the author draws on the most apparent fact of responsibility; namely, manager ss â€Å"an agent of the individuals who own corporation† (Friedman 2) is always responsible for his employees. In this case, he distinguishes executive’s corporate social responsibility from his own one by defining the core interest of his activity in serving employers and customers (Friedman 2). Furthermore, political dimension appears in the fact that social responsibility is the result of socialist perspective, which says that politicians not executives are responsible for sharing limited resources (Friedman 3). As a result, conflict of interests emerges as an additional obstacle to managerial objectivity while possessing socially responsible corporate activity (Friedman 3-4). Finally, Friedman analyzes open protests from stakeholders wheth er they correspond the ideal of democratic

Business Planning and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business Planning and Development - Essay Example The company mainly operates in Asia, Europe and North America with its headquarters in New York. Research and analysis has shown that PVH currently has high level of debt and interest payments which is reflected in its high debt-to-equity ratio (showing that the company is highly geared). Furthermore, the company has a relatively small, concentrated customer base, intense competition which could lead to volatility in earnings and an underfunded pension plan. Therefore, it is increasingly important for PVH to secure its market position and reduce its dependence on debt rather than increasing it. Discussion Liquidity It is important to analyze the financial liquidity of PVH in order to ascertain its ability to take on more debt. The current ratio of a company reflects its ability to take on short term debts or debts within a period of 12 months (Baker & Powell, 2005). Usually a current ratio of PVH’s current ratio is 2.39 (NASDAQ, 2013) which reflects that for every $2.39 of cur rent assets, the company has $1 of current liabilities. Normally, companies having a current ratio over 1 are considered to have strong liquidity position or ability to pay off short term debts (Weil et al., 2012). This is visible in the case of PVH. Although the short term liquidity of PVH seems to be high (as indicated in the research), its long term liquidity remains very weak. Furthermore, the high current ratio may not be a good indication as a review of PVH’s Balance Sheet shows that majority of its current assets (almost a third of the dollar value) are tied up in inventory which indicates a major problem. This is because inventory may take time to convert to cash and may, therefore, negatively affect the company’s ability to pay off its short term liabilities (Ross et al., 2012). Therefore, the high liquidity indicated by the high current ratio may, in effect, be insignificant because of too much inventory being held. Furthermore, PVH’s cash flow stateme nt indicates a positive operating cash flow of 453m which, in itself (Yahoo! Finance, 2013), indicates a high level of cash availability and liquidity. However, the relevant figure in this case is not operating cash flow but levered free cash flow as the latter takes interest on debt into account. In short, levered free cash flow indicates a cash position of a firm after it pays off the interest on its debt (Penman, 2009) . This is a negative value (-45m) for PVH (Yahoo! Finance, 2013) which indicates high interest payments and suggests that the cash generated may not be sufficient to ensure continuity of the business in future. Debt position PVH’s financial position indicates an already high level of long term debt as a percentage of its total liabilities (roughly 58%). Furthermore, it is important to understand the financial leverage of PVH in order to further determine its ability take on the additional ?20 million. This is explained by the total debt to equity ratio which describes the relative proportion of debt and equity that the firm uses for financing its assets (Heitger et al., 2008). A higher ratio typically suggests an aggressive growth strategy with the effect of increased earnings, albeit often with high interest charges. Normally, a debt-to-equity ratio over 20% is not considered a healthy sign (NASDAQ, 2013). The total debt to equity ratio of PVH is very high (108.65) which suggests that the company is highly geared (NASDAQ, 2013). This already high debt indicates the high interest cha

Being aware of ethical leadership Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Being aware of ethical leadership - Thesis Example Ethical leaders pay close attention when making sound judgments and upholding the values such as integrity to the utmost (Mandela, 1995).A similar research carried out by Werhane notes that the features of ethical leaders are similar across the organizational continuum, though vary depending on the variety. Ethical leaders carry out the following: Articulate vision and embody the purpose and values of the organization unto which they serve. This incorporates a strong and firm culture that is enhanced through stories and myths that help strengthen the relationship among stakeholders (Ciulla and Solomon, 2010). In today’s business, it is a difficult task that has to be performed business leaders lest they face public scrutiny over their behaviors. As the author notes , ethical leadership is about helping people to realize their hopes and dreams, creating value for stakeholders and doing these tasks with the intensity and zeal of the that ethics implies in a given society. In addition Ciulla and Solomon, there must be mistakes, for humor and for humanity. Second, ethical leaders focus on organizational success rather the personal ego. This implies that they ought to focus on the network of constituents. Some of the decisions leaders make are morally wrong aimed at making a profit yet, an ethical leader has to make a decision that will both benefit the organizations and still remain ethical in the public lenses. It can also be pointed out that that judging someone’s integrity than someone’s experience and skills (Mandela, 1995). Third, there is need to create a continuous conversation about ethics, values and the creation of value for the shareholders. Yunus.M (2004), notes that having written values about ethical issues does not neither prove vital nor imminent, but rather routine conversations that are discussed on similar subjects in an organization. As leaders, there have an obligation to foster a continuous thinking so the pace of the

Wizard of oz and spirited away Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Wizard of oz and spirited away - Essay Example The Wizard of Oz is a tale about the negotiation of gender, race and identity in popular culture. Spirited Away is about a child’s transition from childhood to adulthood. Spirited Away is a film about a Japanese girl who moves to a new city with her parents. In this film, the young girl goes through stages of transition, which are accompanied by rites of passage. In her adventure through her new world, Chihiro becomes lost in a fantastical world. She meets odd creatures, which alternately hinder and help in her adventure. The film has numerous Shrine Shinto and folk perspectives, which are embedded in the Japanese cultural vocabulary of the film. The film is a representation of the Japanese culture. It has numerous instances that portray the Japanese Shrine Shinto and folk perspectives, which are embedded in its cultural vocabulary (Clews and Michael 187). Spirited Away centers on Chihiro and her journey through the world of spirits. During her journey, Chihiro becomes separated from her previous world. Her experiences in this world are comparable to the experiences of Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz because they represent a rite of passage to adulthood. The archetypical entrance of Chihiro into the spiritual world demarcated her status as an individual who is between childhood and adult hood. In addition to the rite of passage, Spirited Away also provides critical commentary of the Japanese society, in a similar fashion to the Wizard of Oz (Clews and Michael 188). The film focuses on critical cultural perspectives such as the dissolution of traditional cultures, generational conflicts and customs present in a globalized society. Like in Spirited Away, Dorothy, in the Wizard of Oz, lives in a fantastical world. She lives in the world of Oz, which is inhabited by witches. The world of Oz is facing a major conflict between the wicked witches and good withes. Unlike Chihiro, Dorothy is treated like a heroine because her

Balancing Work, School, and Family Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Balancing Work, School, and Family Life - Essay Example Human capital is fundamental for high productivity levels, stable personal relationships and successful educational pursuits. Reconciliation of work, education and family obligations is becoming a challenge to numerous persons and hindering substantial progress in each of these sectors (Mettler, 2007). The effective integration of these functions requires strategic planning that will enable allocation of ample time to each segment. Occupation and family constitute a chief part of women’s lives, and a considerable number of them are opting to forego the maternal route and solely focus on their careers. This paper examines the challenges of effectively integrating work, family and educational obligations and analyzes strategies to overcome the imbalance. Challenges of Balancing Work, School, and Family Life Work and educational and family responsibilities are not easily compatible especially if one is demanding significantly more time than the other. The urgency to generate suff icient income through undertaking more courses and the yearning to endow one’s children with utmost concern do not have to be equally exclusive. Numerous organizations and individuals perceive this as an escalating societal challenge that can affect the productivity of their employees. One of the challenges of this balancing act is increased workload; in instances where an employee’s job specification entails numerous responsibilities, it will be difficult to allocate time to indulge in family functions. The employee is bound to direct effort to their professions, and this can harm the child development. The absence of personal attention to the child during his/her development can influence that child to seek that attention elsewhere (Mettler, 2007). The likelihood of this child partaking in devious endeavors is high since the parents are not close to monitor his activities. In addition, in the contemporary societal arrangement women are increasingly becoming career or iented. Their ambition contradicts their former roles that were to manage the domestic duties including nurturing children to a level of self-sufficiency. The alterations of these responsibilities are due to economic conditions and shifting of societal perceptions that women need to match up to their male compatriots. There is a rise in the employment rates of women illustrating that this is a growing trend. Numerous women who are committed to extreme occupations tend to refer their children to daycare centre’s relieving themselves of the liability of monitoring the child’s actions (Mettler, 2007). The delegation of their parental responsibilities can haves serious implications for the family cohesion. Secondly, the current society advocates for high educational and professional threshold that individuals must attain. This increases the pressure to fulfill the necessities of these two obligations. Organizations nowadays engage in numerous transactions that require the employees to dedicate themselves wholly to their occupations to avoid impending discrepancies that can occur. For a learning employee, prolonged hours in a workplace can impede his performance in educational exams (Mettler, 2007). The insufficient attention to academic work and parental obligations initiate constraints, which impede the productivity of the employee. Moreover, these three obligations

Sherlock Holmes Coursework Essay Example for Free

Sherlock Holmes Coursework Essay The story also used gothic language quite frequently its the vilest murder-trap on the whole of riverside. The Adventure of the Speckled Band also uses formal language a few like my dear fellow or I am all attention. It also uses old fashioned language like farintosh and alas. It uses more short gothic sentences than the The Man with the Twisted Lip like terrible fate and blue smoke curling up from the chimney It also uses long gothic sentences like the building was of grey lichen-blotched stone with a high central portion and two curled wings. Old fashioned, formal language was used in the story because it was common in those days. Gothic language was used in the story to give a dark and miserable tone. In the Stories, the weather and the settings reflect and enhance the mood of the story; Sir Arthur Conan Doyle does this by having positive weather when the crime is solved and having negative weather when the crime is being committed. He also shows a contrast in the good and bad settings. This is called pathetic fallacy. Conan Doyle uses this in The Man with the Twisted Lip quite a lot like in Dr. Watsons home. I had left my armchair and my cheery sitting-room behind me this shows us a positive view of Dr. Watsons home which is in the West End of London. On the East End Conan Doyle uses negative comments like through the gloom and black shadows this shows that the East End is a dangerous place. The opium den which is in the East End is considered to be the vilest murder trap on the whole of river side. The weather is also bad there a dull wrack drifted slowly across the sky this reflects on the place. The Cedars is a nice place which Conan Doyle has described in a positive way. A large villa which stood within its own ground and winding gravel-drive which led to the dining-room. This shows that Kent is a good, well mannered and rich place to live. In The Adventure of the Speckled Band Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are sharing rooms in a lovely house with a clock on the mantelpiece. Dr. Roylott owns a big two-hundred year old house and a few acres of ground. They described the house as very grand. It is very old, and only one wing is now inhabited. The bedroom in this wing is on the ground floor, the sitting rooms being in the central block of building. He also keeps exotic Indian animals like a cheetah and a baboon. They also add gothic descriptions in the story like the building was of grey, lichen-blotched stone, with a high central portion and two curving wings like the claws of a crab thrown out on each side Conan Doyle also uses pathetic fallacy in the story it was a wild night. The wind was howling outside and the rain was beating and splashing against the windows. This tells us that something bad is going to happen. He also uses more complicated pathetic fallacy which is less noticeable for example it was a perfect day with a bright sun and a few fleecy clouds in the heavens the trees and wayside hedges were just throwing out their first green shoots, and the air was filled with a pleasant smell of moist earth. This strikes Watson as strange; it also suggests that Holmes secretly knows the answer. The weather in Sherlock Holmes stories vary due to the events happening, for example, if Holmes is about to solve a mystery, the weather is sunny and warm, but if the crime is being committed, the weather is dull, stormy and rainy. Conan Doyle uses false clues in the story to mislead the readers; he also uses them to add interest to the story and to make Sherlock Holmes look cleverer than he is. Some of the false clues in The Man with the Twisted Lip are the idea of Neville St. Clair and Hugh Boone being separate characters. They are in fact the same person. The coat on the mud flat and the blood on the window sill are more false clues Mrs St Clairs eye witness account is inaccurate as it describes St. Clair as being pulled back forcibly from the window when he actually jumped away from it. In The Adventure of the Speckled Band some of the false clues were the gypsies; this was because they thought that gypsies are the people with the speckled band. The wandering gypsies, and he would give these vagabond leave to encamp upon few acres of bramble-covered land which represents the family estate. Another false clue is the animals he kept, which are the cheetah and the baboon, keeping them in the house tells us that they could have killed Julia Stoner. But there is a cheetah and a baboon. Conan Doyle uses false clues in the story to make it more interesting, he also uses it to make Sherlock Holmes seem cleverer. The ending both stories do have their similarities, in The Man with the Twisted Lip the crime is solved by Holmes washing Hugh Boones face and discovering that it is Neville St. Clair. In The Adventure of the Speckled Band it ends by Holmes beating a snake which is known as the speckled band, which made the snake turn back and bite the first person it saw, which was Dr. Roylott. Arguably they both end in a denouement, which values them similar. Even though there are a few differences in the story, they have a lot in common. In the opening of the story, they both start off with a distressed woman who needs Holmes and Watsons help. The characters do have a few differences, but overall they are quite similar, especially Sherlock Holmes. All of the women in the story except Mrs Watson are similar; they are all weak, fragile and prone to fainting, but Mrs Watson is strong wise and older. In both stories, they all use a fair amount of formal, old fashioned and gothic language. The settings are also similar, as they both use pathetic fallacy quite a lot. The clues are different as they dont base on the same idea. The endings are quite similar, in The Man with the Twisted Lip Sherlock Holmes solves the crime by cleaning Hugh Boones face and discovering that it is Neville St. Clair. In The Adventure of the Speckled Band Holmes beats a snake (the speckled band) while it was approaching Holmes, this made the snake turn back and bite the first person it saw, which was Dr. Roylott. They both end in a denouement which makes them similar. Overall, looking at my essay, I think that the Sherlock Holmes stories do have a pattern to them. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Conan Doyle section.

Impact of E-Commerce on Amazon

Impact of E-Commerce on Amazon Existing E-Commerce sites For around 2 decades or so e-commerce has proved to be a success for businesses. It has changed the way that business and consumers work and operate. Companies such as eBay and Amazon have become a success because of the high demand that high-street market places cant provide. eBay and Amazon are some of the more popular e-commerce sites as they only operate online with no stores anywhere in the world. They are some companies which started before the internet came about such as Asda or Tescos so they have adapted and incorporated an e-commerce site in order to keep up with the trend, consumer way and demand. Amazon Amazon is an e-commerce company founded in the United States of America in 1994 by Jeff Bezos and was launched in 1995. Amazon was very well known since it was first brought to the public eye, as it was one of the first big companies to sell goods on the internet. It started out as an online bookstore which then quickly developed and started to add other items such as VHS tapes, DVDs, CDs, video games and the list goes on. Amazon is now one of the biggest online sellers today, offering over two hundred million different products. How it works Amazon now offers all sorts of products ranging from gardening to high tech. Amazon makes possible attempt to customize the buyers experience. When on the homepage of Amazon, you will find special offers section and featured products. If you have visited Amazon before and have used the service you will have a history with products which Amazon will use to their advantage and advertise relating items on the special offers and featured products to draw your attention. Infrastructure and Technology Amazon runs on Linux. In 2005 Amazon had built databases so big they were officially the worlds largest Linux databases, with a total capacity of 7.8 Terabytes, 18.5 Terabytes and 24.7 Terabytes. The central Amazon data warehouse is made up of 28 HP servers, with four CPUs per node. Amazon became so big they processed a top-end one million shipments and twenty million inventory updates in one day. The amount of sales Amazon were doing daily meant thousands of customers where giving debit and credit details were being sent to Amazons database, this meant security was a top priority as hackers would steal, sell and use details. Amazon already encrypted card numbers during the checkout process, however they went a step further by others customers the choice to encrypt all information such as name, and their address. Amazon employs the Netscape Secure Commerce Server using the secure socket layer protocol. This is where all credit and debit card information would be stored. It would not be accessible by internet meaning no hackers could gain entry. Reference: http://money.howstuffworks.com/amazon1.htm Website Analysis Amazon is very simple and easy to use. The main search bar is at the very top of the page, which is a convenient place, being right below the URL bar. If you have an account with Amazon it is right above quick links to your account as well as Your Amazon, Todays Deals, Gift Cards, Sell and Help links. The search bar is very useful as it has predictive text on what it thinks you may be searching for. Once a specific word has been entered it gives you a choice of departments which you can choice from to help narrow down the search for the customers product(s). User Friendly Amazon has a section named Your Amazon. This is a personalized section that Amazon offers anyone who is signed up for the website. In this section you can quickly view the number of orders they have. They also show basic customers information such as the year they became a customer. It also gives recommended products based on what the customer looks at on the site as well as what the customer has previously bought. Log In The log in process for returning customers and the sign up button are very easy to use as well as very quick to access. The sign up process is very simple to follow and is quick to complete. You will need an email, you will also need to create a password for your account. Any other information such as address and card details can be given on a later day when making a purchase. When logging in after already creating an account before all you need to do is enter the email you registered with as well as the same password you register with. From the log in page Amazon promotes its security, by adding Sign in using out secure server. Promotions Amazon offers a wide range of offers on all different types of products. Amazon is well known for its daily deals, which is located under the search bar. There is a quick link that will take you to the deals named Daily Deals. There are so many deals, that amazon have a handy refinery tool on the left hand side of the page. The customer can select departments which products might interest them and it will narrow the products down. Statistics The graph below shows the net revenue for Amazon from 2006 to 2015 in billion U.S. dollars. In 2014, Amazons net revenue amounted to 88.99 billion U.S. dollars. 33.52 billion was through international revenue channels. Reference: http://www.statista.com/statistics/266289/net-revenue-of-amazon-by-region/ Impact of E-commerce   Ã‚   If it wasnt for online shopping and e-commerce Amazon may not have existed today. Amazon is one of the most well-known e-commerce sites today and has been greatly impacted by e-commerce. Platforms Amazon is available on most platforms. There is an Amazon app that is available on iOS for apples users, it is also available for android users. This covers most mobile phones and tablets, however it is also available on windows 10 operating system which most windows phones and tablets now run on. Amazon is also compatible with all internet browsers such as windows explorer, google chrome, Firefox and all the others. Tesco Tesco was founded in 1919 by a man named Jack Cohen. Tescos was originally a market stall in Londons East End. Over the years the business grew and they now operate in 12 countries around the world, which helps employ over 530,000 people. In the century leap year 2000, Tescos launched their website of Tesco.com and it has grown to serve over 500,000 customers each week (Tesco, 2015). How it works Tescos stock over one million products on their online store, which they then deliver to all over the country and other countries they operate in. Tescos use cookies to track what their customer has looked at and bought. This is then used to personalize each customers experiences a lot like how Amazon base there website on. Unlike Amazon though Tescos is mainly a grocery shop however do sell some other products. Tescos will adapt their site according to the time of year to help with demand, for example if it is Christmas season they will increase the stock for turkeys and Christmas festival treats to help meet demand. Infrastructure and Technology Tescos teamed up with Verzion not so long ago, this is to provide secure connectivity to Tescos suppliers, partners, customers and colleagues in 12 countries around the world. The infrastructure offers a solid foundation and enables Tescos to develop and roll out new and upcoming technologies and services. Just like Amazon, Tescos also use secure socket layer when it comes to customers checking out using their precious card details. They also state this during the check-out process to help reassure the customer that their information is safe. Website Analysis When first entering the site you will be placed on the homepage. From here you will see that everything is easy to see and read. The search bar is in the right upper-hand corner, which is like most sites. The main departments of Tescos are easily displayed and again like Amazon offering quick links to each department making shopping fun, easy and fast. The homepage will adapt according to the time of year it is, so for example if it is Christmas time they may have Christmas themed pictures on their website. Log in The log in and sign up process are a lot like Amazons however Tescos ask for your name, address, email address and password in order to set up an account unlike Amazon who only asked for an email address and a password. If already signed up and need to log in all that will be needed is the email that was used to create the account with as well as the password. Impact of E-commerce Tesco was around before the internet came about. Since the launch of the internet e-commerce has become a big part of it offering benefits for companies such as Amazon and eBay. Tescos developed a demand for things to go online therefore Tesco decided that they should make their products available online and implemented one in 2000. Since then, Tesco have seen a rise in sales and therefore have increased their overall profit and market share. Platforms Tesco is now accessible from most app stores such as android, iOS, and Windows app store. Tescos is also compatible with all internet browsers just like Amazon. Financial Impact When an organisation is thinking about developing an e-commerce site, they need to take in account of financial impacts. The investment will be high, but they need to consider other investments that will need to be made such as website development, e-commerce package and many other investments. E-commerce site plan Below is what I feel like is an appropriate e-commerce site for MFP.

Development of Learning Objectives Through Reflection

Development of Learning Objectives Through Reflection The Williams report is based around educational best practice to enable young learners to acquire an understanding and appreciation of mathematics and its importance to their lives. The foremost concern, drawn from Ofsted and the Primary National Strategy findings is the need to strengthen teaching that challenges and enables children to use and apply mathematics more often, and more effectively (Williams: 2008 para.223) Reflecting on my practice will enable me to recognise my strengths, development needs and improve my practice to benefit all learners. Petty says: Effective teachers are always changing what they do; this is because they are continually learning how to teacher better. (2009: 520) Activating prior learning by constructing links, good planning and the conditions of the classroom can contribute to the effective opening of a lesson. Walker Tileston: Unless connections are made to their prior learning, comprehension and meaning may be dramatically lessened. (2004: 21). Therefore I ensured I revisited previous learning by looking at the way children approach word problems through reading the problem, highlighting the key words/numbers and choosing the appropriate operation before solving it. I then ensured they had chance to apply their skills to some word problems so I could assess their understanding and they could test their knowledge. When children gave correct answers during the mental/oral, I constantly praised them to build their self-esteem and confidence. Fontana says using praise and encouragement has a vital role to play in keeping children involved and interested in their work, and in helping them to build upon current achievements by raising their conf idence and their belief in their own abilities. (1985: 80) Giving children word problems to solve is an important aspect of mathematics because it is an opportunity for them to use their knowledge of operations/ mathematical vocabulary and apply it to real life problems. Bottle says: Giving children a real context for their problem solving gives them the best opportunity to become fluent in using mathematical skills and procedures. (2005: 33) After the mental/oral starter I ensured the learning objectives and success criteria were visible and shared with the children, so they could see what they were learning and what they had to do to be successful. I then asked questions on what methods the children used for addition and subtraction, which gave them a chance to actively participate and broaden their mathematical knowledge. The NNS says: Through a process of regular explanation and discussion of their own and other peoples methods they will begin to acquire a repertoire of mental calculation strategies. (1999: 7) I continued to ask questions throughout the lesson to enable me to assess childrens understanding, assessing common mistakes, analysing their methods and explore their language and vocabulary. Claxton says good learning starts with questions, not answers. (1990: 78) I ensured I was asking open ended questions in the main activity and plenary because I wanted to find out more about pupils understanding and to use their ideas to focus discussion about concepts. Kyriacou says that open and higher-order questions are more intellectually demanding and stimulating. (1995: 38) However during the mental/oral I tended to ask closed questions to keep the pace flowing. I tried to ensure I was giving the children thinking time after each question so they did not feel under pressure. Harries and Spooner say: Being asked to respond at speed is identified as a source of great anxiety. (2000: 36) This is why I decided to give the children number fans to show their answer, so they did not feel put on the spot. However I may have given them too long to answer as the rest of the class lost focus slightly. One strategy I could have used to avoid this was to ask a child a question, give them time to think about an answer, then ask other children in the class questions before returning to the pupil who had been given time for a response. This also would have enabled me to keep the pace flowing and help everyone reach their potential. I had to try and keep the pace of my whole class teaching at the correct level, as the class has a wide variety of learners with different abilities, therefore going too fast could cause the lower ability pupils to become lost and going too slow could mean the higher ability pupils are not being challenged. Wajnryb says: Students whose learning pace is faster than the pace of the lesson are prone to becoming bored, losing motivation and tuning out of the lesson. (1992: 118) When I introduced the new topic of adding or subtracting multiples of ten I could have given the children time to discuss the methods they might use in groups beforehand. This would have given them the confidence to participate more when I gave them questions to answer. Brown says: The opportunity for children to discuss ideas and express their own opinions is crucial. (1998, 43) Additionally during the questioning I only asked the children who had their hands up for the answers, rather than asking other children to see if they all understood. I could have provided more opportunities for student participation by getting them to write an answer and present it back to the class, which would encourage every child to use mental calculation. The NNS says An ability to calculate mentally lies at the heart of numeracy. (1999: 6) Giving the children mental calculations also contributes to the development of better problem-solving skills and gives them a sense of real life, as Thompson says: Most calculations in real life are done in the head rather than on paper. (2010: 163) The whole group teaching was beneficial as it enabled me to see the capabilities of all those in the class and adapt my practice accordingly. I organised the pupils on the carpet, to ensure everyone could see and so I could monitor behaviour, it also enabled me to notice changes in their posture and facial expressions, giving me clues about their understanding. Whole class teaching also meant I could interest the children in the subject they were covering rather than trying to stimulate their interest individually. Dean says: An important part of the teachers role is to stimulate and interest children in whatever is to be learned. This is a valuable part of working with the whole class (2001: 62) Before I sent the children to their tables to undertake their written activities, I ensured I explained and showed the children what I expected them to do, which aided their understanding. Teachers need to know the extent of their childrens mathematical abilities in order to set appropriate activities, so as this was my first maths session I had to ask the class teacher to help me with this. OBrien and Guiney believe planning towards differentiation is imperative and should be seen as integral to learningIt is a concept that has to be seen in an inclusive way, applying to everyone. (2001: ix) Therefore although children had the same learning objective, they recorded their answers in different ways. The lower ability pupils had to colour in the requested numbers on a number square, where as the other children had to write the numbers, which tested all children whilst allowing them to work at their own pace. When the children applied their mathematics on their tables I ensured myself a nd the LSA worked with different groups in different sessions, so all children did not become too reliant on support and have the opportunity to work independently. Ball agrees saying you have a choice between killing your pupils interest and giving them a taste for independent thinking. (2002: 17) The activities the children were completing all involved adding and subtracting multiples of ten, however children had completed addition problems first so assumed the whole activity contained addition problems. Briggs and Davis say: Here the child immediately sees something familiar within the task and assumptions about the level of attention needed to complete the task. (2008: 47) In future I will inform the children that there is a variety of symbols within their work so they need to read the number sentence before working out the answer. Giving children a number square to use, however, did assist them with their learning as they could visually picture the numbers and see what they had to do to get the answer. The higher ability pupils struggled with partitioning numbers, so they resorted back to the more familiar method of counting on or back to the required numbers. Although they did not use the required method, they still referred back to their previous knowledge and applied it to their work. Mooney et al say children tend to use those that they have confidence with, which are likely to be earlier strategies that pupils revert to if not clear about new ways of working. (2009: 15) Ofsted (2001) believe that the plenary session is the least successful part of the daily mathematics lesson. Therefore I wanted to ensure my plenary was not occupied by tidying up and that it did not become a reporting-back session for the children I had not worked with. This is why I set up a challenge of matching questions to the relevant answer, which would enable me to see what the children had learned or were struggling with. You have to demonstrate that you enjoy teaching, then challenge and assist children by engaging them with well-paced differentiation and thinking rationally about their needs, before being able to take positive action to increase their quality of learning. I am hoping that as they master information and skills, they not only learn more content, but will also become more able and motivated to take responsibility for their own learning. I am also hoping that I can develop a wider range of skills, and the knowledge of when to use them.

Taiwan :: essays research papers

Taiwan is an island located about 100 miles from China. It was originally part of China. But in 1949, the communists seized Mainland China forcing the nationalists to retreat to Taiwan. From then on, Taiwan is also known as Free China. The leaders of Republic of China, (Free China) hoped someday that the communists will be driven out of China. Therefore, they start to build Taiwan as a military base for such purpose. However, their dreams were never accomplished, instead, their efforts turned Taiwan into a economic powerful country. This is also known as the Taiwan Miracle. There is another interesting information about Taiwan's name. Despite Free China, Taiwan also has two other names, "Taiwan" (the one we call it) and "Formosa". Let's talk about "Taiwan" first. "Taiwan" means "terraced bay" to the mountain tribal people who originally lives in Taiwan. When the immigrants from China migrated to this island 3 hundreds years ago, they kept hearing the tribal people calling (the place where the Chinese landed) "Taiwan". Therefore, they assumed that the island is "Taiwan". Formosa, on the other hand, was called by the Portuguese sailors in the 1600s. It means "beautiful island". Therefore, there are still people referring Taiwan as Formosa when they try to beautify Taiwan today. Taiwan is a sub-tropical country that that is warm most of the year. The Tropic of Cancer passes through Taiwan in the southern part. Therefore, snow is unusual to most the Taiwanese here. But there are some places up in the high mountains that do get cold enough to snow. Because the land is hot and humid, it is the best for growing rice and other farm products. The farmers in north can grow two crops of rice a year in the north and three crops a year in the south. There are mostly mountains in the north part of Taiwan while plate farmland in the south. The government of the Republic of China has some similarities to the government of the United States. The government is based on a Constitution and there is a President and Vice President. ROC has a National Assembly instead of a Congress and there are five branches of the government, legislative, executive, judicial, examination, and control. There are three major political parties and some other lesser known ones. The best party that control many resources of the country is the KMT, (Kuomintang), also known as the Nationalists. The second best party is DPP, (Democratic Progressive Party). And New Party. Well, from here I have to tell you that I am a partisan of New Party and I will interprete the three parties in MY WAY. Alright, let me give you detailed descriptions of the three

Confederate States Of America Essay -- essays research papers

"Don't kneel to me. You must kneel to God only, and thank him for the liberty you will enjoy hereafter" (Brinkley 414). President Abraham Lincoln spoke these words to a former slave that kneeled before him while walking the streets of the abandoned Confederate capitol of Richmond in 1865. Although there are several different questions of why the North won the Civil War, factors involving manpower, economy, military tactics and leadership, and presidential leadership, are all parts of a puzzle historians have tried to put together for years. I believe that these four factors should prove to be the most powerful reasons for the Union's destruction of the Confederate States of America. The presidential leadership of Lincoln will be revealed as the major influence over the other three factors. According to Robert Krick, an interviewee of Carl Zebrowski's article "Why the South Lost the Civil War," "the basic problem was numbers. Give Abraham Lincoln seven million men and give Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee twenty-one million, cognitive dissonance doesn't matter, European recognition doesn't matter, the Emancipation Proclamation and its ripple effect don't matter. Twenty-one to seven is a very different thing then seven to twenty-one" (Zebrowski 223). Despite the North's enormous population advantage over the South during the Civil War, other wars proved that size doesn't matter. For example, the Colonist's success in the American Revolution proved to Great Britain that America was an insignificant, but a successful opponent. "While Northern superiority in numbers and resources was a necessary condition for Union Victory, it is not a sufficient explanation for that victory," says James McPherson (Zebrowski 224). When looking at economic factors in the Civil War, we find that the war had a devastating effect on the South and a converse effect on the North. Because of the Northern blockade and the disconnection of Southern farmers from markets in the North, sales of cotton became nearly impossible. In the North, the war produced the same suffering as in the South, but "it also produced prosperity and economic growth by giving a major stimulus to both industry and agriculture," says Brinkley (Brinkley 384). Since all Southern products were out of reach for Northern Americans, the North enacted a completely natio... ...rs a sense of nationalism by letting them know that they didn't need help from other countries or from the seceded Southern states. Conversely, Confederate soldiers often disapproved of the Confederate president's own decisions for the South, rather than joint decisions with his cabinet. According to David Herbert Donald, of the article "Died of Democracy," "an Englishman reported that he had never heard such handsome cursing as when Confederate privates, off duty and "squatted cross-legged on beds," spent their evenings damning their superiors' "eyes and limbs" (Donald 84). Meaning the Confederacy's soldiers mocked their own government. In the North, Lincoln gave the Union armies the sense of enthusiasm and nationalism it needed to help breakdown the Confederate States of America. Lincoln and the North were destined to defeat the South. Regardless of whether it was manpower, resources, economy, or military, Lincoln knew he had the advantage and was not willing to let it go. Referencing the first quote of this report, Lincoln knew that God was on his side and that he was the man that would lead the slaves to their God-given right to freedom.

Motivational Factors Toward Pursuing a Career in Special Education Essay

This study investigated factors which motivated individuals to initially pursue careers in special education, factors which contributed toward their plans to remain or leave the field, and their perceptions of school districts’ effective and ineffective recruitment and retention practices. The sample comprised of 15 individuals employed in public schools throughout north Texas who initially pursued careers in special education. Data were collected through the form of audio-recorded semi-structured telephone interviews. Empathy towards students, family, and opportunities to fill job vacancies were factors that participants cited the most for initially pursuing careers in special education. Furthermore, most of the interviewees reported satisfaction within their jobs, but noted excessive demands and lack of administrative support as contributing to job dissatisfaction. Motivational Factors toward Pursuing a Career in Special Education. Chronic shortages in the field of special education continue to pose challenges for public schools across the United States (Billingsley, Carlson, & Klein, 2004; Boe, 2006; Billingsley & McLeskey, 2004; Brownell, Hirsch, Seo, 2004; Singh & Billingsley, 1996; Strunk & Robinson, 2006; Thornton, Peltier, & Medina, 2007). The limited number of individuals entering and/or remaining in the field of special education has resulted in school districts’ inability to fill the necessary teaching positions; such shortages have been linked to difficulties in the recruitment and retention of qualified individuals (Olivarez & Arnold, 2006). Although difficulties with the recruitment of teachers, low retention, and high attrition rates are evident across all teaching professions, it is much more prevalent among special educators. Specifically, teachers of students with emotional/behavioral disorders exhibit the largest shortage, followed by those serving students with severe/profound disabilities, and learning disabilities (McLeskey, Tyler, & Flippin, 2004). Our national school districts are in a crisis. Specifically, districts are scrambling to find qualified special educators to fill the vacant teaching positions. According to Plash and Piotrowski (2006), a projected 611,550 positions in special education will need to be filled by the year 2010. However, the inability to recruit the necessary number of eligible individuals to fill positions continues to be a major problem for school administrators. An infinite number of research studies have been conducted in an attempt to identify barriers which deter people from entering the field (Billingsley, 2004; Gersten, Keating, Yovanoff, & Harniss, 2001; McLeskey et al., 2004; Olivarez & Arnold, 2006; Thornton, Peltier, & Medina, 2007). Studies have identified perceptions of low social status associated with being a special educator, poor working conditions, high rates of stress, excessive paperwork, and low salaries with the decreased number of individuals entering the field of special education (Barmby, 2006; McLeskey et al. , 2004; Rice, Goeling, & Peters, 2005). A vast amount of research also exists regarding factors which have contributed to the decisions of individuals to leave the field of special education (Billingsley, Carlson, & Klein, 2004; Singh & Billingsley, 1996; Thornton, Peltier, & Medina, 2007) and consequently contribute to the shortage of and high attrition rates of special education teachers (Barmby, 2006; Fish & Stephens, in press; McLeskey, Tyler, & Saunders, 2004). According to Plash and Piotrowski (2006), 13. 2% of special education teachers leave their position each year. While six percent of special educators leave the field of education altogether, 7. 2% transfer to general education positions. Prevalent variables identified as contributors to the exodus from the field include occupational stress, burnout (Botwinik, 2007; Greiner & Smith, 2006), weak support by administrators, unreasonable caseloads, large class size, low salaries (Darling-Hammond, 2003), testing and accountability pressures (Tye & O’Brien, 2002), and ineffective in-service programs (Kaufhold, Alverez, & Arnold, 2006; Plash & Piotrowski, 2006). A study conducted by Brownell, Smith, McNellis, and Lenk (1994) investigated the contextual variables related to teacher attrition. Findings indicated that those teachers who decided to stay in the field of special education were more committed to teaching students with disabilities, had a higher sense of efficacy, felt more prepared by their pre-service and initial teaching experiences, and exhibited more effective coping strategies than those who decided to leave the field. Two international studies were identified which focused on the motivating factors of individuals initially pursuing careers as general educators (Barmby, 2006; Watt & Richardson, 2007). Based upon a study conducted in England and Wales, Barmby identified intrinsic (e. g. , the activity of teaching children) and altruistic (e. g. , desire to help children succeed) reasons which contributed to the teachers’ decision to pursue careers within the field of education. Similar findings (e. g., working with children, shape future of children, and make a social contribution) were reported by Watt and Richardson who investigated the motivational factors which influenced Australian individuals to initially pursue a career in general education. In addition to investigating special educators’ job satisfaction and decisions to remain in the field, obtaining an understanding of individuals’ motivations for entering the field of special education have implications which may assist in the increased recruitment and retention of special educators. Such findings would contribute to enhanced teacher educational planning, curriculum design and policy decisions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to obtain perceptions of special educators with regards to factors that contributed toward their (a) initial pursuit of special education careers, (b) job satisfaction and/or dissatisfaction levels and (c) decisions whether to remain on the special education career path. Participants were further asked to provide recommendations that school districts could take to effectively recruit and retain special educators. Design of Study Qualitative methodology was utilized in this study in the form of audio-recorded semi-structured telephone interviews to obtain the perceptions of special educators. Qualitative research is appropriate in dealing with potentially multiple realities, mutually shaping influences, and value patterns (Lincoln & Guba, 1985). Interviews serve the purpose of â€Å"obtaining here-and-now constructions of persons, events, activities, organizations, feelings, motivations, claims, concerns, and other entities† (p. 268). According to Bogdan and Biklen (1998), semi-structured interviews encourage interviewees to expand upon ideas, which provide the researcher opportunities to generate abstract ideas through descriptive material. Participants Respondents participating in this study consisted of 15 educators employed in public school districts throughout the north Texas area. This purposive sample was comprised of 11 special education teachers, three diagnosticians and one former special education teacher currently serving as a high school principal at the time of the interviews. Four of the 11 special education teachers within this study were previously general education teachers. Data Collection and Analysis The interview questions conducted for this study focused on factors which contributed toward special educators initially pursuing careers in special education in addition to conditions that would contribute toward them remaining in or leaving the field. Interviewees were additionally asked to provide feedback pertaining to their school districts’ special educator recruitment and retention efforts. The following open-ended questions were asked to each of the 15 participants.

Gender inequality

As such, considerations of occupational segregation and human capital theories are together not enough to understand the continued existence of a gendered income disparity. [6] The glass ceiling effect is also considered a possible contributor to the gender wage gap or income disparity. This effect suggests that gender provides significant disadvantages towards the top of Job hierarchies which become worse as a person's career goes on. The term glass ceiling implies that invisible or artificial barriers exist which prevent women from advancing within their Jobs or receiving promotions.These barriers exist in spite of the achievements or qualifications of the women and still exist when other characteristics that are Job-relevant such as experience, education, and abilities are controlled for. The inequality effects of the glass ceiling are more prevalent within higher-powered or higher income occupations, with fewer women holding these types of occupations. The glass ceiling effect al so indicates the limited chances of women for income raises and promotion or advancement to more prestigious positions or Jobs.As women are prevented by these artificial barriers, from either eceiving Job promotions or income raises, the effects of the inequality of the glass ceiling increase over the course of a woman's career. [10] Statistical discrimination is also cited as a cause for income disparities and gendered inequality in the workplace. Statistical discrimination indicates the likelihood of employers to deny women access to certain occupational tracks because women are more likely than men to leave their Job or the labor force when they become married or pregnant.Women are instead given positions that dead-end or Jobs that have very little mobility. [4] In Third World countries such as the Dominican Republic, female ntrepreneurs are statistically more prone to failure in business. In the event of a business failure women often return to their domestic lifestyle despite t he absence of income. On the other hand, men tend to search for other employment as the household is not a priority. [11] The gender earnings ratio suggests that there has been an increase in women's earnings comparative to men.Men's plateau in earnings began after the 1970s, allowing for the increase in women's wages to close the ratio between incomes. Despite the smaller ratio between men and women's wages, disparity still exists Census data suggests that women's earnings are 7 percent of men's earnings in 1999. [7] The gendered wage gap varies in its width among different races. Whites comparatively have the greatest wage gap between the genders. With whites, women earn 78% of the wages that white men do.With African Americans, women earn 90% of the wages that African American men do. With people of Hispanic origin, women earn 88% of the wages that men of Hispanic origin do. There are some exceptions where women earn more than men: According to a survey on gender pay inequality b y the International Trade Union Confederation, emale workers in the Gulf state of Bahrain earn 40 per cent more than male workers. [12] Professional education and careers[edit] The gender gap also appeared to narrow considerably beginning in the mid-1960s. Gender Inequality 11. ‘Women will never enjoy the same rights as men. ‘ Do you agree? We live in a world full of changes. In the past, women have been disgraced and were treated as lower class. A woman had no authority, no say and no rights to make a decision. Their duty at home was just cooking meal, cleaning the house, taking care of children and many things like these. However in today's world, the status of women is at a high level not only in the family aspect but also in the business area when compared to the past.I believe that women have progressed in their status quo but to a larger extent, but it is true that women will never enjoy the same rights as men as in many societies, women have yet to achieve gender equality as men are still generally dominant. Some basic right women should receive, such as the right to life and liberty, freedom of expression, and equality before the law; and economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to participate in culture, the right t o food, the right to work, and the right to education have been achieved but not all, especially not when compared to men.In some workplace, wage discrimination still exists as women are not allowed the same pay as men who are of similar ranks to them. The root of this problem is to society, a woman should be at home, taking care of children and not out there in the working world. The income difference maybe expected to serve as a deterrence to women, encouraging them to remain as housewife. However, this mindset is starting to change. Vice versa, men are starting to accept the fact that they too, do play a role in bringing up and caring more for their children and this gives rise to a new role named ‘househusbands'.Statistics have also proven so. Worldwide, women work two thirds of the world’s working hours and produce half of the world’s food yet women only earn 10 percent of the world’s income and own less than 1 percent of the world’s property. Moreover, in Forbes 2009 top richest people in the world, the only female that came close to the top ten was Alice Walton whose wealth was not even earned by herself but an inheritance from her family. It is clearly illustrated that although women have been given economic rights, the playing field in the workplace is still not level.People still think that a woman’s role is ultimately as the housewife and not the one with a successful career or the one who is able to help the company advance. Therefore, women have enjoyed more rights than before but women will never enjoy the same rights as men as society has been structured such that women are tasked as caregivers of the family. In many countries, the issue on gender inequality still exists. Many women were not given their even dignity.While 2012 ended with the death of the 23-year-old paramedic student, who died fighting wounds sustained fighting off her rapists in a moving bus in the Indian capital of Delhi, it has invoked the issue of gender inequality in India. The outcry over the Delhi gang-rape has sparked a furious debate on the horrors that confront women in India. While the debate has put a spotlight on the inadequacies in India’s rape laws and policing, and exposed misogynist Indian â€Å"leaders†, the deep-rooted sexual inequality in the country that lies at the root of the misogyny and sexual violence has not received the attention it deserves. Gender Inequality I chose to write Toulmin Essay proposal about gender inequality in the work place. The Toulmin Essay next week will be about gender inequality in society. Gender inequality in the work place is a small component of the larger picture of com/is-patriarchy-the-main-cause-of-gender-inequality/">gender inequality in society. There are several ways in which women have been discriminated against in the workplace over the years. From the very start of the hiring process women have had to face animosity and repression in the corporate world.Women had to have more experience and better credentials than equivalent male applicants if they hoped to even get a second glance. And though there has been significant improvement in some areas, the job market still remains prejudice toward women in various forms. One of the things that have changed some since women first became part of the work force is the willingness of employers to hire female employees. Women used to have to fight much harder to pr ove their competence, and, even then they rarely secured high level positions.It is becoming more common to see women in some of these high level positions now, but they still have to sacrifice much more than the men do to get to the top and have to work harder to stay there. The most predominate way in which women feel the inequality of gender discrimination is the gross difference in the pay they receive compared to men. Women in every industrialized society around the world are paid far less for performing the same tasks as their male counterparts. The gap is profound –â€Å"on average, women in the United States earn only 68% of what men are paid (206),† and that number has remained consistent throughout the years.Although some of the gap is due to the type of fields’ men and women choose to pursue, discrimination also plays a huge role. It used to be societies view that men should support their families and women should be at home care for the house and the kids. That concept carries over into the business world in a few ways. Employers feared hiring women for long term positions out of fear they would leave once they got married and had children, or the affect that caring for children would have on job performance (â€Å"the child penalty)†.Because of these outside responsibilities women were seen as being less committed to their careers, so employers saw them as more of a liability to the company than an asset. This, along with the idea that men have better leadership skills, and women were better in â€Å"support services like human resources or public relations,† women were rarely offered promotions to top ranking positions (especially those positions like sales and marketing that affect the bottom line and are stereotypically male).Once they reach a particular point on the corporate ladder they hit the glass ceiling and are stuck where as the men seem to have no limits whatsoever. More frustrating than the limitatio ns women face in the â€Å"male† job market is the biased treatment they receive even within the fields that are considered to be famine (such as nursing, teachers, librarian, etc. ) When men pursue careers in these types of areas, they are not met with a criticizing stigma,and their capabilities are not questioned like women’s are.Men never experience hitting the glass ceiling whatever their career choice might be. In fact, they experience the exact opposite! Even in traditionally female dominated jobs, men are shown favoritism. They get more offers for higher level positions and higher salaries to start, and they are given better benefits, hours, and work assignments, and they move up the lines faster than their women coworkers on what is called the glass escalator. Even though the inequality between genders is gradually decreasing, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.Women are becoming the sole source of income in many homes because of the dynamics of the changing society. Shrinking the wage gap and continue to dispel the stereotypes that surround women is necessary. Encouraging our young women to pursue education and training is one solution. By encouraging our young people to do this, and the more qualified females there are out in the job market to fill these high level positions, the more pressure employers will feel to hire them and society’s views and beliefs will slowly begin to evolve with the times. Gender Inequality 11. ‘Women will never enjoy the same rights as men. ‘ Do you agree? We live in a world full of changes. In the past, women have been disgraced and were treated as lower class. A woman had no authority, no say and no rights to make a decision. Their duty at home was just cooking meal, cleaning the house, taking care of children and many things like these. However in today's world, the status of women is at a high level not only in the family aspect but also in the business area when compared to the past.I believe that women have progressed in their status quo but to a larger extent, but it is true that women will never enjoy the same rights as men as in many societies, women have yet to achieve gender equality as men are still generally dominant. Some basic right women should receive, such as the right to life and liberty, freedom of expression, and equality before the law; and economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to participate in culture, the right t o food, the right to work, and the right to education have been achieved but not all, especially not when compared to men.In some workplace, wage discrimination still exists as women are not allowed the same pay as men who are of similar ranks to them. The root of this problem is to society, a woman should be at home, taking care of children and not out there in the working world. The income difference maybe expected to serve as a deterrence to women, encouraging them to remain as housewife. However, this mindset is starting to change. Vice versa, men are starting to accept the fact that they too, do play a role in bringing up and caring more for their children and this gives rise to a new role named ‘househusbands'.Statistics have also proven so. Worldwide, women work two thirds of the world’s working hours and produce half of the world’s food yet women only earn 10 percent of the world’s income and own less than 1 percent of the world’s property. Moreover, in Forbes 2009 top richest people in the world, the only female that came close to the top ten was Alice Walton whose wealth was not even earned by herself but an inheritance from her family. It is clearly illustrated that although women have been given economic rights, the playing field in the workplace is still not level.People still think that a woman’s role is ultimately as the housewife and not the one with a successful career or the one who is able to help the company advance. Therefore, women have enjoyed more rights than before but women will never enjoy the same rights as men as society has been structured such that women are tasked as caregivers of the family. In many countries, the issue on gender inequality still exists. Many women were not given their even dignity.While 2012 ended with the death of the 23-year-old paramedic student, who died fighting wounds sustained fighting off her rapists in a moving bus in the Indian capital of Delhi, it has invoked the issue of gender inequality in India. The outcry over the Delhi gang-rape has sparked a furious debate on the horrors that confront women in India. While the debate has put a spotlight on the inadequacies in India’s rape laws and policing, and exposed misogynist Indian â€Å"leaders†, the deep-rooted sexual inequality in the country that lies at the root of the misogyny and sexual violence has not received the attention it deserves.

Starbucks Global Issues

Business Faculty Starbucks Case Study. Written by: Module title: Issues in Global Business & Consultancy Module code: 6IM004 Word count: 2902 Contents Introduction3 Methodology4 Company’s profile5 Globalisation6 Globalisation of markets6 Globalisation of production7 Antiglobalisation protests7 Business ethics8 Employment practices8 Human rights8 Environmental pollution9 Moral obligations9 Conclusion10 References:11 Introduction Globalisation referred by Hill (2009) is the shift towards a more integrated world. It is the process of economies, societies and cultures integrated through a global network.One of those networks is trade network. This means that there is a movement of materials and goods between national boundaries. Globalisation also involves movement of labour and causes a variety of effects: political ethical, cultural, social, etc. More importantly, the effects brought by it can cause issues that require further investigation. The purpose of this report is to cent er around a major organisation – Starbucks Coffee Company and to carry out a depth investigation into its position in global market and issues related to it.The report will firstly present the research methods used to get the information and justify that. Secondly, will discuss globalisation and its position in Starbucks Company including criticism that exists. Later on, the report will discuss ethical issues raised by the globalisation of the company, including employment practices, human rights, environmental pollution and moral obligations. Finally, the conclusion will be drawn. Methodology In order to investigate the company and its operations, the research has to be carried out so that issues could be addressed.As described by University of Oxford, research â€Å"comprise creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of knowledge to devise new applica tions† (2010). The stock of knowledge in this case refers to the information of the company. Research is carried out to define a series of problems or issues. The context of research has to be described in order to specify why it is important to understand and learn about raised questions.Also, particular research methods have to be chosen, described and justification on why they were chosen and what impact it has on the discussion has to be given. To start with, two topics to investigate were chosen for the research. The definition of issues was given to understand what information is needed. Then, the research was carried out. There are different methods the research can be carried out, however for this case study the research was based on the collection of qualitative data that already exists.Brassington & Pettit (2003) describe it as a secondary data that was collected by someone else for one purpose and is later used by someone else for the same or other purposes. It can include newspapers, magazines, books, websites, memos, transcripts of conversations, annual reports, etc. This type of research allows one to understand existing theories and look for examples which then may lead to drawing the conclusions about relevant issues. In this case study, numerous sources of secondary data was used: books, journal articles, web-sites.Also, statistical and numerical data presented by Power Point presentations was acquired I order to justify theories and identify company’s positions. â€Å"Case study† term has to be brought in this context as the research is focusing only one specific objective – Starbucks Coffee Company. Colorado State University (2010) defines case study as a collection and presentation of information of specific agent and drawing a conclusion only about that specific agent. It is a form of qualitative research. Researches investigating a case study do not look for discoveries but focus on exploration and description.A ll in all, the methodology used to conduct a research helped to build a case study centering around Starbucks Coffee Company, which provided a depth-description of it, raised questions and provided justifications. Finally, after emphasizing the importance of issues and the importance caused to the company, the research allowed drawing the conclusions and giving recommendations. Company’s profile Starbucks, first opened in Seattle in 1971 and now operates in over 16,000 locations in 50 countries.The mission of the company is to nurture the human spirit – â€Å"one person, one cup, and one neighbourhood at a time† (Starbucks 2010). The company emphasizes the fact how important it is to Starbucks to deliver the best coffee to its customers. Therefore it aims to serve coffee grown under best conditions, also including ethical and healthy standards. The organisation sees its employees as the heart of the company and treats them with respect and dignity. It even offer s the percentage of the equity to its employees also called â€Å"partners† by the company.The company aims to be known not only for the quality of the coffees it offers but also for being a responsible business. It wants to be respected by customers, partners and suppliers. Therefore Starbucks has established ethical policies to follow: â€Å"we have identified three areas of focus: ethical sourcing, environmental stewardship and community involvement† (Starbucks 2010). The company is constantly expanding by adapting international strategy – joint ventures or providing licenses to other companies to own and operate Starbucks stores.This is the impact of globalisation which will be discussed further. It is still look for countries to set up in (Jung 2003). Globalisation As mentioned before, globalisation is a shift towards integration of economy, cultures and societies. Hill (2009) identifies two sectors of globalisation: globalisation of markets and globalisati on of production. Globalisation of markets Hill (2009) defines globalisation of markets as the merging of very distinctive from the historical point of view and separate national markets into one global unit.He continues explaining that markets converge as consumers’ tastes and preferences from different countries are becoming more and more alike. Vrontis et al. (2009) confirms that the world is becoming similar in terms of consumers’ needs and environmental factors no matter what geographical locations they are in. Moreover, globalisation also stimulates the movement of people from one country to another which means that it is easier for people to learn about different cultures more easily as well as adapt new lifestyles. As consumers have same demands, similar marketing strategies can be applied worldwide.Starbucks is a facilitator and benefactor of globalisation of markets as it offers the same basic product worldwide. Although there are many proponents of standardi sation used globally, there are also supporters of the view that markets cannot be standardized due to cultural influences upon the consumers. Despite that, firms operating internationally, bring their own assets to other countries – products, operating strategies, marketing strategies and brand names that can be amended later on. For instance, Starbucks operates in a number of countries with different tastes.If we take UK and China, the coffee served is the same, the brand promotion is similar, the logo used is the same as a result of strengthening brand identity and image, while the food served in stores has the flavour of the culture the store is located (Simmons 2005). This brings up the standardisation vs. adaptation phenomenon which occurs in global markets. In this case Starbucks uses both approaches by standardizing products (coffees) and promotion campaigns (same image) and adapting to different cultures (different flavours).Starbucks shows adaptation further by offe ring green tea frappucino’es in Asia and separate men-only and family areas in Middle East. Due to globalisation and expansion, Starbucks has the largest market share in the industry. [pic] Picture1: Starbucks locations worldwide (www. pajamadeen. com 2008). Globalisation of production According to Hill (2009) globalisation of production refers to â€Å"sourcing goods and services from locations around the globe to take advantage of national differences in the cost and quality of factors of production (labour, energy, land, capital)†. Outsourcing allows companies to compete ore effectively and benefit from economies of scale. Starbucks is the facilitator of globalisation of production as highest quality Arabica beans for coffees are produced in coffee farms in Latin America, Africa and Asia (Starbucks 2010). Although it might seem that globalisation of production can implement high costs on the organisation, in reality it doesn’t. Hill (2009) explains that trans portation costs have declined as well as costs of information processing due to technological development. These changes now allow Starbucks to achieve their goal to serve best quality coffees by dispersing production system.In this way, the company also enjoys lower prices of production due to ability of the chosen locations to produce coffee beans better than let’s say United Kingdom. Moreover, the benefits of globalisation of production can be seen not only by Starbucks but also by people living in production countries as new work places are created. Antiglobalisation protests Although business leaders and economists insist that international trade and investment is driving global markets towards a greater prosperity, stimulates economic growth and helps to create jobs, globalisation has its critics.The actions of the critics are called globalisation protests (Hill 2009). Critics protest against issues raised by globalisation including job losses in the industries that are attacked from foreign competitors, unfair wages for unskilled workforce, environmental degradation and cultural imperialism (the use of power to spread the values and habits of foreign country under the costs of native country – The University of Florida Interactive Media Lab 2010). Starbucks is no exception in this case.When it decided to cut 600 stores in the US and 61 in Australia cutting of up to 12,000 jobs in America and 685 in the country, this, as said by British journalist â€Å"earned VIP status at the top table of brands that anti-globalisation activists love to hate (cited in O’Neill 2008). This was criticized as the company betrayed it’s view about employees seeing in the heart of the company by cutting job places during difficult economic times in order to save profits. The jobs were most important to immigrants and students to support themselves.Another criticized factor was that the skills gained in the company by the workforce were hardly tran sferable (O’Neill 2008). Starbucks was perceived negatively in the UK and other European countries as well. These â€Å"American bullies† (Bloomberg 2005) are blamed for devastating local cafes, treating staff badly and putting its suppliers to poverty. However, Starbucks is trying to reduce criticism by showing the awareness of the countries they get products from – Sumatra, Kenya, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, participating and supporting local charities and winning awards.Starbucks leader Howard Schultz explains that the company is trying not to influence other countries and adapting to local cultures by serving the core product adding local tastes. Business ethics The criticism of anti-globalists has increased the number of ethical issues in the company. Hill (2009) defines ethics as â€Å"the accepted principles of right and wrong that govern the conduct of a person, the members of profession, or the actions of an organisation†. Ethical strategy i s the path of actions conducted by businessmen that do not violate the accepted principles.Many ethical issues in international businesses depend on different political systems, laws, development and cultures. What can be acceptable I one country can be highly restricted in another. Starbucks Coffee Company has a number of ethical issues to be discussed. Employment practices The question often faced by international companies is what employment practices should be applied in the countries they operate. Do the same working hours, wages and benefits should be used?Back in 1999 the concern was raised in Kent, United States, about Starbucks employment practices as the complaints included suspension without pay for swearing or supporting unions, safety issues, unstandartised wage system and denied promotions. To overcome that Shultz introduced healthcare benefits that were welcomed with praise for the company. The benefits were also applied for part-time workers that was seen a good impl ementation of business ethics by US president (Organic Consumers Association 2010). Moreover, individual complains were handled and opportunities provided for the promotion.In general Starbucks has been rated at no. 16 on the list of 100 Best Companies to Work for in 2007 (2008) and no. 11 on the list of best companies for women to work too. This leads to the assumption that the company implements good employment strategies. Starbucks offers benefits such as tuition reimbursement, partner benefits, a wellness program. All in all, Starbucks tries to implement a standardized employment strategy in its stores worldwide, providing same benefits to the employees and emphasizing the view of workforce being in the heart of the company. Human rights Basic human rights are still not accepted in certain countries.The companies have to inform their employees about the human law so that practices they conduct would be correct. However, Starbucks has already suffered from misconduct of human rig hts. One of the most obvious examples goes to December 2010 when staff locked up opponents of the regime in Bahrain in a branch in the capital Manama (Spencer 2010). The company had to apologize for the incident. Talking about the human rights within the organization, Starbucks is committed to treat all employees equally with the provision of human rights and eliminating discriminatory practices (Starbucks 2010).The company has Starbucks Global Human Rights Policy which guides employees and â€Å"protects the unique rights of children to pursue basic education as a priority over work, prohibits forced labor, supports the rights of employees to engage in free association, and supports the provision of equal human rights to all persons† (Starbucks 2010). Environmental pollution Ethical issues arise when environmental regulations differ between the home country of the company and other nations the organisation operates (Hill, 2009).Less developed countries are not as strict ther efore pollution there might be bigger. This concern Starbucks as it acquires its products in third world countries. To show its responsibility, Starbucks has created Starbucks Shared Planet Tm, which has 3 commitments: â€Å"sourcing our coffee ethically, acting as good stewards of the environment, and being actively involved in our communities† (Starbucks 2010). The company aims to minimize the negative effect it gives to the earth, tackle climate change and encourage others to follow their footsteps.The company is focused on reducing the environmental effects by using disposable cups, increasing recycling policies and reducing the use of energy. Moral obligations The power of using and moving resources from country to county and controlling it is constrained not only by regulations but also by social responsibility which is the consequences of economic actions (Hill 2009). Theorists insist that for the success the companies get from nations, the organisations should give so mething back to the societies to make equilibrium.Therefore social responsibility refers to the honourable behaviour of the company in the response to the participation of certain agents to their success. Starbucks highly values its suppliers and the communities they are based in. Therefore the company is involved in local charities and campaigns. â€Å"Since 2001, Starbucks has contributed $126 million to communities in cash and in-kind donations and has supported nearly 1. 5 million volunteer hours (Starbucks 2010). † The company wants to make the difference I the communities its plants operate.Starbucks want to provide good environments to their suppliers and employees so that it could be transferred to the customers later on. Conclusion It can be clearly seen that due to converging markets businesses are trying to expand internationally. Starbucks Coffee Company is not an exception. It now has the largest share of the market and continues to grow. However, not all of the countries converge in the same way, which makes some of them still very distant. Therefore Starbucks has to adapt different marketing strategies worldwide.This can be resulted in the criticism by anti-globalisation movement, which raises important questions on business ethics. It can be seen that Starbucks has faced a number of problems considering employment practises and human rights, however it is heading towards strong business ethics concept by trying to adapt similar employment processes offering benefits, having human rights protection protocol, participating in local communities and encouraging the reduction of economical pollution. References: 1. Hill, C. W. L. (2009) International Business: Competing in the Global Marketplace. th edn. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. 2. Brassington, F. & Pettitt, S. (2003) â€Å"Principles of Marketing†. 4th edn. London: Prentice Hall. 3. Marques, J. F. (2008) Spiritual Performance from the Organisational Perspective: a Starbucks Way, C orporate Governance. 8 (3), pp. 248-257. 4. Vrontis, D. , Thrassou, A. & Lamprianou, I. (2009) International Marketing Adaptation versus Standardisation of Multinational Companies, International Marketing Review. 26 (4/5), pp. 477-500. University of Oxford. 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Available at: http://iml. jou. ufl. edu/projects/Spring01/Poux/Cultural%20Imperialism. html (Accessed 15 December 2010). Spiked. (2008) Starbucks and the socialism  of fools. [Online]. Available at: http://www. spiked-online. com/index. php/site/article/5547/ (Accessed 9 December 2010). Business Week. (2005) Starbucks: Selling the American Bean. Online] Available at: http://www. businessweek. com/innovate/content/dec2005/id20051201_506349. htm (Accessed 11 December 2010). Organic Consumers Association. (2010) Starbucks’ Grinding Labor By Doug Nielson. [Online]. Available at: http://www. organicconsumers. org/starbucks/grinding. cfm (Accessed 13 December 2010). The Telegraph. (2010) Bahrain human rights petition Starbucks. [Online]. Available at: http://www. telegraph. co. uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/bahrain/8191731/Bahrain- human-rights-petition-Starbucks. html (Accessed 13 December 2010).