Nonverbal Ambiguity

Nonverbal messages can often be misunderstood. Often this misinterpretation is said to be socio-cultural. I remember an instance myself when I was in high school and a miscommunication happened between my friends and I.   It was only so unfortunate that it happened in the course of passing our exams. Naturally, we knew we could increase our ability to pass if we worked as a team. One of my classmates suggested that we come up with hand gestures that would represent each of the four letters that almost always appear in our test papers: a, b, c, and   d. Hence, it was agreed that the hand gestures would be used as a tool during our exam week. Our hand gestures comprised a set of inconspicuous behaviors such as light scratching of ones’ nose for the letter a, pinching lightly ones’ ears for letter b, wiping ones’ handkerchief to the face for letter c and ultimately, shifting from one side to the other in ones’ seat for letter d. So during the exam week we started with a relish. History was our first exam and with our ‘tool’ we went through it like breeze. Naturally, physics being the most challenging of all subjects was where I highly depended on my classmates the most. My best friend, who was sitting a row in front of me, was excellent at physics and I answered faithfully to the hand gestures he showed. Finally, results were given the following week and I was amazed at the result of my physics test: an F. I was shocked, since I was certain to get a B or A. So after the class, my friend and I had a little chitchat and it turned out he wasn’t feeling so well at the time, which must have explained why he kept shifting from side to side. I thought his ‘side shifting’ was an answer to the physics questions when they were a response from feeling uncomfortable during the time. The result of that misinterpretation was a failing grade. My experience of nonverbal ambiguity was nevertheless simple for which there was no any catastrophic reaction however for people belonging to different cultures or backgrounds the implications for any misinterpretation maybe enormous. References: Montshire Minute: Non-Verbal ways of Communication . 8 June 1998. 29 June 2007 .                                       

Lifestyle Diseases Essay

In 1900, the top three causes of death, worldwide were Influenza/pneumonia, Tuberculosis, and Diarrhea/enteritis. These accounted for about 60 percent of all deaths. Communicable diseases such as Malaria, Measles, Pertussis (whooping cough), Syphilis and Hepatitis B were also noted as significant causes. In 1900, Heart disease was ranked number four and Cancer number eight as far as being the cause of death. Since the 1940s, the majority of deaths have resulted from Heart disease, Cancer, and other lifestyle diseases. By the late 1990s, lifestyle diseases(degenerative), such as Heart disease, Type 2 Diabetes and the different forms of Cancer, accounted for more than 70 percent of all deaths. It was first argued that lifestyle diseases have their onset later in an individual’s life and need a longer lifespan in order to become the cause of death. In 1900, the average life expectancy of a person was 49.24 years. This was too short for many of the lifestyle diseases to occur. In 2004, the average life expectancy was estimated at 77.8 years. However, what was regarded as age related diseases in the early 20th century, such as Type 2 Diabetes, high blood pressure, Heart disease and Obesity, is no longer the case. These diseases are now recognized as lifestyle diseases, and are now affecting younger members of the population in the western world. Some of the people are as young as 9 years of age. What are Lifestyle Diseases? What are Lifestyle Diseases? Can you prevent lifestyle diseases from developing? Can you reverse lifestyle diseases, once you have been diagnosed with one? I will provide you with the information you need, to protect you and your family and friends from developing one or more lifestyle diseases. Lifestyle diseases (also sometimes interchangeably called diseases of longevity or diseases of civilization) are diseases that appear to increase in frequency, as countries become more industrialized and people live longer. These now include Type 2 Diabetes, Obesity, Nephritis or Chronic Renal failure, Heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Atherosclerosis, Asthma, Cancer, Chronic liver disease or cirrhosis, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Crohn’s disease, Osteoporosis, Stroke, Depression and Drug  addiction, such as recreational as well as prescription drugs and/or alcohol. Some commentators maintain a distinction between diseases of longevity, and diseases of civilization. Certain diseases, such as Diabetes Type 2, Heart disease or Asthma appear to b e more prevalent in populations living a â€Å"western lifestyle.† These are the diseases that can be greatly avoided with lifestyle modifications. In most cases it is just a matter of modifying your diet and exercise regime. Diet and lifestyle are major factors thought to influence susceptibility to many diseases. Drug abuse, tobacco smoking, and excessive alcohol drinking, as well as a lack of exercise may also increase the risk of developing certain diseases, especially in later life.

Ancient Roman Government Notes

The â€Å"common-people† assembly which helped give the citizens more political power Empire- A dominating nation with extensive territories and a powerful ruler Laws of the 12 Tables- Guidelines for citizen’s behavior; a list of Roman customs about property and punishment Mercenary- A soldier who is hired for service in a foreign country Patrician- Member of Rome’s richest and most important families who served on the Senate for life Plebeian- The common person or lower-class citizen Roman Senate- One of the two houses of the early Roman republic Republic- A country run by the elected representatives of its people Tribune- A leader within the Concillum Plebus In 500 B. C the Roman government was forming into a republic; in which the people have the freedom to vote for their leaders. There were two parts, or two houses, to the Roman Republic: the Citizen Assembly and the Senate. The elected officials headed the two councils and they served one-year terms. The republic was established in 509B.C and lasted 500 years. Differences between the Greek and Roman governments: In Greece all men were allowed to vote In Rome only men with money/property could vote The Senate was the most powerful part of the government; all senators were patricians. To obtain political rights, the common people (Plebeians) formed their own assembly, the Concillum Plebus and named their leaders tribunes. Establishing peace and order gave Rome stability: Rome’s first code of law was established in 450B. C. On ten tablets, ten legal experts wrote down a list of Roman customs about property and punishment. However, due to plebeian pressure, two more tablets were added to satisfy them. The final code was called the Laws of the Twelve Tables. By the end of the third century Roman law covered issues dealing with foreigners and eventually covered magisterial law to strengthen and correct existing law. The Roman Empire took its first steps of dominance in 27B. C when the law’s development was taken over by the emperors, who added and revised freely. As the law got more complex, the government had to literally train jurists who could understand and interpret the laws. The stability of the law, the military, and financial standing of Rom kept it powerful. Rome successfully battled the Carthaginians, the Celtics(British), the Etruscans, and the Samnites. The Roman Empire was established around 27B. C. The empire spanned three continents. The empire was divided into states that were ruled by governors who collected taxes and sent money back to Rome.

Environmental Sustainability and Education Essay

Environmental Sustainability and Education - Essay Example Another thing worth mentioning here is that sustainability efforts should not focus on only one area because many areas come under the heading of sustainability ranging from environmental protection to climate change to biodiversity to women’s rights to organic farming. This suggests that sustainability touches every societal level and requires a lot of work. Brinkhurst et al. suggest that unified power of administrators and students is quite dazzling and impressive. Both teams are powerful agents of change. Administrators are labeled top and students are labeled bottom. Finlay and Massey claim that involvement of institutional middle is critically important to ensure eco-sustainability. They agree with the perspective of Brinkhurst et al. that middle institution should be committed to sustainability at different levels. Teaching, research, and awareness programs are three important media or platforms identified by Finlay and Massey through which administrators and students ca n together develop an environment for the better. Instead of following a centuries-old academic routine, it is only now that institutions have begun to orient their curricula around environmental issues, which is a very positive development. Alshuwaikhat and Abubakar stress that it is very important for management practices to be goal-oriented and very committed. There should be the development of a proper organizational structure in every college or university which solely focuses on promoting the vision of sustainability.

Maritime Law Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Maritime Law - Literature review Example That’s why additional measures have been taken by the stakeholder governments taking the responsibility to distress the situation off the coast of Somalia. Legal issues have been an obstacle in the taking of additional measures to preventing, controlling and punishing acts of piracy as high seas do not come under the jurisdiction of any individual country’s rights over the high-seas. That’s why global level efforts and initiatives have been taken to collectively suppress piracy not only under the UNCLOS Agreement related to enforcing but at the human level to consider and analyse the economic situation within Somalia to raise the economic standard of the people by providing help to the people so that they could find better means of earning and distract themselves away from acts of piracy. Under UNCLOS piracy has been defined as: Any unlawful act of violence, detaining or plundering for personal benefit by the ship crew or passengers on board taking place either o n the high seas against an individual or a ship or within the jurisdiction of the state. Any willing inclination to operate the ship and having complete knowledge of the things to turn the ship into a pirate ship or provoking to commit such an act is against the law (UNCLOS Part VII). Piracy has been totally banned and taken as against human values in customary global law. According to the American Jurisprudence definition of piracy, â€Å"Piracy is inherently an offense against the law of nations†, this necessitates having a universal jurisdiction on it (American Jurisprudence, 2003). The jurisdiction of the customary law on piracy deems it as â€Å"an offence against the law of nations†. UNCLOS has taken the stand that in the absence of a global tribunal on piracy, it is the responsibility of the global community to suppress piracy on the high seas. The capturing nation has been given the task of prosecuting the pirate caught on the high seas. The customary law has c hanged its stance from the state-centric to following the global law irrespective of what the municipal law states (UNCLOS Part VII). Under the UNCLOS, both the definitions of the terms related to â€Å"pirate† and â€Å"territorial waters† have been defined. The territorial waters are 12 miles into the sea from the coastline of the littoral state. UNCLOS has defined the term â€Å"High seas† as that area of the sea which is 200 miles further from the coastline, conditional to global laws. Such demarcation of the sea area helps in deciding the jurisdiction of an act of piracy (UNCLOS Part VII). The history of piracy goes back to the medieval period when the Vikings indulged in piracy acts in Europe. Later piracy expanded to Asia, American and African waters. Off late, the most affected countries have been Nigeria and Indonesia but from 2005, the waters away from the eastern coast of Africa, particularly Somalia have faced recurrent pirate operations making it da ngerous area. There is difference in the past acts of piracy with that of done currently. A number of factors are responsible for increased occurrences of pirate attacks on the Somalia waters, which are: Costly and risky cargo onboard ships. Ships carrying oil get hijacked as it happened in 2008 when a Saudi Ship, Sirius Star, valued approximately $250 million, carrying oil worth 2 million barrels for the U.S. posed great risk on the environment and causing

Writing Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Writing Assignment - Essay Example The period spanned from the fourteenth to the seventeenth century as a cultural movement that began in Italy before spreading to other parts of the world. In the arts, the period marked the rebirth of both knowledge and the representation of the same in art. The Renaissance represented the end of the middle ages thus making the development of the modern day arts (Klaus 43). Artists that thrived in the period perfected in the use of different elements of arts including space and perspective. Among the most prominent artists of the period were the Italian Giotto di Bondone, Jan Van Eyck and Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino commonly known as Raphael. Each of the artists perfected in different types of arts such as painting and sculpting. In developing their artifacts, they each developed their own critical criticism of the societies and the existing authorities thereby contributing to the advancement of knowledge. As Renaissance artists, they used such features of arts as space and perspectiv e differently thereby communicating different messages in their creations. Perspective refers to an individual’s viewpoint on an issue, it is an opinion that one holds on a particular topic thereby influencing his or her presentation of the same. From the definition, perspective thus becomes relative. The different works of the above three artists portray the relativity of perspective as they employed the element in their works. Space on the other hand refers to the portrayal of nothingness; it is an element in arts that help artists develop their concepts. The Renaissance period marked the rebirth of knowledge implying that the period was characterized by development in different aspects of the society. Artists epitomized the development by creating different artifacts. The three artists above were all painters and portrayed their messages creatively depicting space and using perspective to help convey their messages. Giotto for example developed several paintings in which h e portrays his own perspective of the cultural features of the society. In these, he represents space, the boundless three-dimensional amount occupied by objects. One of such works is the painting known as the Marriage at Cana. In the painting, Giotto represents his perspective of the important cultural practice, marriage. The artist portrays the right of passage so exquisitely that it gives details of all the important aspects of the cultural ceremony. In doing this, he portrays a three-dimensional feel of the room; he develops the ceremonial feel of the occasion portraying the importance of the practice. Space helps communicate as it represents the quantity of luxury that characterizes the occasion. Additionally the exquisite portrayal and use of space help communicate the artist’s perspective of the occasion thereby using such to assign the occasion the reputation he felts it deserves. The portrayal of the marriage ceremony is relative since not every marriage had a simila r theme at the time. The artist includes religious leaders at the occasion to help attribute the importance of religion and religious leaders in the process of sanctifying such a union. Jan Van Eyck just as any other artist of the time employed the prevailing technologies to develop his painting. He develops most of his paintings on long lasting materials such as hides and canvas. The artist developed several paintings on which he portrays the relativity of perspective of the trending social and cultural features of the time. He contributed to the development of knowledge as he often forwent classical idealization for faithful observation of nature. One of such works in which he port

PeopleSoft vs. Oracle Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

PeopleSoft vs. Oracle - Research Paper Example s, â€Å"The acquisition of one company by another that is accomplished not by coming to an agreement with the target companys  management, but by going  directly to  the company’s shareholders or fighting to replace management in order to get the acquisition approved† (Investopedia, 2012). The hostile takeover bid of the company was unusual due to the fact that the company had no interest in the product or services that PeopleSoft offered. Instead Oracle was solely interested in the customers of PeopleSoft. The plan of Oracle was to convert all the customers of PeopleSoft into its EPR system. Another unusual aspect of the original offer was that it was only 6% above the market value of the firm. Typically most hostile takeover bids are at least 20% above the market value. It seemed as if Oracle was taking a huge gamble in this takeover offer since the firm was not going to utilize the intellectual property of PeopleSoft to its advantage. The plan of Oracle was to increase its market share by eliminating its top competitor. The conditions that needed to be met for the independent boards of directors to determine if the sale of the company was in the best interest of the company was whether the hostile takeover bid maximizes the shareholders wealth. The initial offer was so low that there was no reason for the company to accept it since the bid was undervalued in comparison with other hostile takeovers of publicly traded companies. Even though the primary focus of the board should be the shareholders, the interest of other stakeholders of the company such as the employees and the customers were also important. Based on Oracle’s plan some of the negative consequences included mass firing of employees due to downsizing and a deterioration of customer relations. PeopleSoft had in its bylaws a poison pill to protect itself against hostile takeovers. The poison pill was a bylaw that stated that the company had the ability to release more shares in order to dilute

Intertextuality in Contemporary Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Intertextuality in Contemporary Writing - Essay Example However, it must first be questioned whether or not sharing a general plot makes stories similar, or if it is the unique creation of that story which is valued above all others. The concept of intertextuality is not new. Intertextuality is defined as "Intertextuality is the shaping of texts' meanings by other texts. It can refer to an author's borrowing and transformation of a prior text or to a reader's referencing of one text in reading another" (Wikipedia). Another, more clear and accepted definition describes intertextuality as Texts, whether they be literary or non-literary are viewed by modern theorists as lacking in any kind of independent meaning. They are what theorists now call intertextual. The act of reading, theorists claim, plunges us into a network of textual relations. To interpret a text, to discover its meaning or meanings is to trace those relations. Reading thus becomes a process of moving between texts. Meaning becomes something that exists between a text and all other texts to which it refers to and relates, moving out from the independent text into a network of textual relations. (Hansen, Intertextuality) Even the word draws from other sources, having been changed and developed to its' current meaning. Yet intertextuality is more than just the influences that other writers and texts have upon the text in question. It affects the subject of the piece, the style of the writing, even the word choice made. It is semiotics to every detail, and intertextuality suggests that there is actually nothing new in a new text, that all ideas have been borrowed or influenced by other writers and texts. To suggest that all writing is a form of plagiarism is an interesting concept, and yet holds quite a bit of validity. Even now, in this essay, the ideas have been written before. The form has been written before. Other authors have expounded on the concept of intersexuality. If all essays were compared, chances are there would be little that was not found in at least two essays. If not even an essay can be unique, then how can a novel, or a play Yet, at the same time, how can they not be unique An excellent example of this is Carpentier's essay, "Like the Night." Clearly, the concept of looking at how a soldier feels about war is not unique in and of itself. Look at contemporary classics, such as The Things They Carried. Like "Like the Night" the story focuses on the tales of men at war, and their thoughts and feelings about what is happening around them. Yet, while they each share unique thoughts and ideas, would they not both be strengthened by reading both texts They are a part of the intertextual network that Hansen described. Another piece that deserves notice is Barth's "Dunyazadiad." This piece clearly draws on other works and ideas, as it is not a story meant to stand alone, but rather a remake of an already written story. His story not only connects to other stories on an idea basis but also embellishes and changes a story that already had meaning and idea. There are deeper concepts in this story then, since it adds yet another layer to the original story, bringing the meanings written by that author, and by Barth. Clearly, this piece cannot stand by itself, since it would lose so much. So, the answer to the question â€Å"The concept of intertextuality reminds us that each text exists in relation to others.     Ã‚  

Heroes and Heroines in American Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Heroes and Heroines in American Education - Essay Example Today, the United States is still the land of opportunity for the common man. Hundreds of thousands of people all over the world still would like to come to America and live here, centuries after the first European settlers made it their New World. And yet for young Americans, the heroes and heroines have increasingly been limited to what they see on television, films and those who excel in sports. This is due to the pervasiveness of media that has even taken over the role of educating the minds and ways of the youth, away from that of the schools and even to a certain extent, the family. Young people watch television many hours a day and even babies are weaned on cartoons. Likewise, Hollywood news and the latest victory of a Tiger Woods or a Roger Federer take much of the time and attention of youngsters. The way that young America is idolizing or making heroes out of actors and sports stars should be taken into a certain perspective in as much as the positive influence of empowerment is more often a case of make-believe (in the case of film stars for there is no sure way to tell the spin from the actual or the real ) and rarely goes beyond individual achievement (in the case of sports heroes, except probably with Michael Jor dan who was recognized not only a superb individual player but an outstanding team player as well). Real heroes and heroines on the othe

Different Views on Ethical Perspectives Essay Example for Free

Different Views on Ethical Perspectives Essay We, as human beings are more often aware of our actions. Before we make decisions critical analysis comes with a great consideration. We are able to analyze these things because are considered as rational beings and we have the ability to think to the highest level we can. We opt to consider whether these things are good or not, if it’s right or wrong and if it’s really needed or not; this we often consider as ethics. Ethics is an issue of morality. There are things that we do that others consider wrong, but others may consider righteous. According to the society we should act as what it considers right; norms are one of the foundations of ethics and we should act accordingly. Norms can be a basis of what is morally right or wrong. There are four perspectives to be discussed in this paper, each of them having their own characteristics and each of them having their strong points and their weaknesses. The perspectives are universally known as the character or virtue, deontology or the perspective of obligation, the theory of utilitarianism and the equity or principle of relativism. The theory of utilitarianism points out two things; one thing is better than the other if we could gain more pleasure from it, and the other thing is not that good, or better yet to say evil, if we could only gain pain from it. This theory also states that we do things voluntarily, that one is considered as the pilot of his own decisions and that such consequences could have not taken place if only he did or did not do such actions. The amount or quantity of pleasure or pain takes into a great consideration in the concept of utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is better understood as having the maximization quantity of benefit and less quantity of bad or the pain it can cause. A person would have two distinct choices, the first one is that if he does the action he would gain more pleasure or shall I say he can maximize the benefits of the action; the other is that if he does the action he would have to gain more risks and consequences. The first choice would be most favored because we, as human beings would not want to suffer from the choices we make, we do not want to be suffering from the consequences of our actions so what we do is do the thing that would give us the most favorable and maximum quantity of pleasure (Moore, 1912). Virtue is an ethical perspective that tackles about the actions that we make and the ideals we have in life that we should strive for and that these ideals help us in developing our highest potentials as human beings. This focuses on the traits or character that one has, the dispositions in life and the attitudes whether be it bad or good. Virtues are acquired through doing it everyday, they become a person’s characteristic when they are practiced for the longer time. There are a lot of characteristics and virtues a person can have; truthfulness, patience, honesty, and courteous are some of these. Virtue would help us in pursuing the ideals that we have in life (C. A. Manuel Velasquez, Thomas Shanks, S. J. , and Michael J. Meyer 1996). The theory of ethical relativism states that morality is based on the culture of a society. It singles out that one can either be wrong or right, bad or evil depending on the society the person belongs to; the society is the one concerned in creating its own culture. This theory is basically called relativism because being good or bad is relative of the kind of society a person belongs to; the society dictates whatever thing is perceived as good or bad. Every single society shares a common culture, this culture defines good and bad and the people should act with accordance to the standards of the society they belong. This theory is often argued because of the fact that every single society has its own culture and therefore has its own perception of bad or good. However, this theory is useful in exploring the reasons behind the differentiation of culture among societies (C. A. Manuel Velasquez, Thomas Shanks, S. J. , and Michael J. Meyer, 1992). Obligation perspective holds the golden rule â€Å"do not do unto others what you don’t want others do unto you†. It simply states that we should do what is only right and not what is wrong. It holds the principle of doing what is good because of the obligation. Say for example, a person should tell the truth because that person is bound to have an obligation to tell the truth because he doesn’t want other people not to trust him and because he upholds the value of truthfulness. This perspective is sometimes being pertained to utilitarianism, but it is totally different. While obligation is obligatory, utilitarianism is a voluntary act. After taking the ethical awareness test, I have known that what ethic perspective dominates in me is the obligation or the deontology. My perspective is based on my obligation or duty to do what is morally right. With this, I am to consider a thing as ethical if I choose how I act and what rules I am willing to oblige. It is also stated in my ethical perspective that the people should not be treated as a means to justify an end, simply stating â€Å"the end does not justify the means†. I also believe that every single individual should be given the respect that any man should have and therefore I won’t be able to comply with the policies and social traditions aimed at the best interest of the society as a whole. However, my approach to ethics requires legal and humane limits, I simply believe that people should be allowed to make their own choices and I advocate policies that have the intention to ensure equal opportunities for all as well as equal respect. My ethical perspective upholds the principle of doing things in accordance with the standards of right and wrong. However, though my ethical perspective aims to do what is morally right I am faced with numbers of dilemmas with regards to work. These problems would somehow cause me frustrations and may lead to a more devastated life in the future for it is not only concerned in the present but it also pertains to the future. One of the problems I am going to face with this perspective is that the people I work with might argue that some people within a society are not able to act in their own best interests. I may find this a fallacy because it was once used in the denying of the equitable treatment to women and the minorities. This somehow would result to frustration. The second problem I am to face with this perspective is that what I perceived to be morally right may not benefit most of the people. It doesn’t necessarily mean that if I have perceived a thing to be morally right it would maximize the good or pleasure. This would cause me another frustration because if I had made a decision which I perceived to be right and it didn’t work to be beneficial I may have doubts when I make a decision again. It might cause greater problems in the future. Another dilemma I am to face with this perspective is that defending this may end up in economic hardship; in worst cases I can be terminated. Say for example, in a working place several employees should be terminated because the company is having low production because these people are handicapped or they are simply not productive, the best action would be to terminate them but I, as a moralist would say that they should not be terminated because they have children. In the long run, if these people would be in the company and the company has still a low productivity the company would have losses and it may lead to closure because of the losses. Having things perceived as morally right may not be totally right; some may be beneficial but some can create more problems. We as human beings should act accordingly to whatever it is that we perceive because these choices are free of charge, because God created us with the opportunity of having what we call free will and should be practiced. We should not depend on what others may in making our decisions but we should also be ready for the consequences that accompany our decisions. Whatever action we do we should think of it twice, we should think that there are always two sides of a story. We should not be bounded by obligations because this might cause us greater frustrations in the future and this may lead to a very low self-esteem. We don’t want these to happen that’s why we should think critically and make decisions wisely because we are the pilot of our own lives.

Family and Juvenile Delinquency

Family and Juvenile Delinquency The family is the foundation of humanity. Children who are rejected by their parents, who grow up in homes with considerable conflict, or who are inadequately supervised are at the greatest risk of becoming delinquent. Adolescence is a time of expanding vulnerabilities and opportunities that go along with it, widens social and geographic exposure to life beyond school or family. Family is one of the most influential institutions in socializing a child. Being raised in a single parent home can lead to delinquency, regardless if it was because of divorce/separation, death, or incarceration. The outcome of the childs life is considerably different compared to a child who has a stable life with both parents. With only one parent, a child may receive only half the guidance given by two parents. This usually results in the child making wrong decisions like getting involved with other risk factors such as school problems or dropping out. The way we are socialized by our surroundings has a dramatic impact on whether we become delinquents. The composition of families is one aspect of family life that is consistently associated with delinquency. Children who live in homes with only one parent or in which marital relationships have been disrupted by divorce or separation are more likely to display a range of behavioral problems including delinquency, than children who are from two parent families (Thornberry, et al. 1999). Children who witness marital discord are at greater risk of becoming delinquents. Previous research has demonstrated associations between exposure to parental divorce and marital conflict while growing up and childrens psychological distress in adulthood (Amato Sobolewski 2001). Social learning theory argues that aggressive behavior is learned; as parents display aggressive behavior, children learn to imitate it as an acceptable means of achieving goals (Wright Wright 1994). When parents are divorced and there is just one parent to take care of the child, the child is quick to feel just half there. If it is the mother who has the child, she may have to work to support him, and she would not be able to be home when he comes home from school. If he comes home and finds the home empty, he would not stay there, but he will go out with his peers. The gang will then get bored and look around for something to do. This will lead to stealing possibly, and these activities can go on until they end in murder or drug addiction. Parents teach children to control unacceptable behavior, to delay indulgence, and to respect the rights of others. On the contrary, families can teach children aggressive, antisocial, and violent behavior (Wright Wright 1994). This statement alone could easily explain how the juvenile may end up becoming a delinquent. Wright and Wright (1994) suggest positive parenting practices during the early years and later in adolescence appear to act as buffers preventing delinquent behavior and assisting adolescents involved in such behavior to desist from delinquency. Gorman-Smith and Tolan (1998) found that parental conflict and parental aggressiveness predicted violent offending; whereas, lack of maternal affection and paternal criminality predicted involvement in property crimes. Familial characteristics suggesting familial antisocial behavior or values such as family history of criminal behavior, harsh parental discipline, and family conflict have been among the most consistently linked. In another study conducted by Gorman-Smith and her colleagues, data show that children are more likely to resort to violence if there is violence within relationships that they may share with their family (Gorman-Smith, et al. 2001). In the realm of family functioning there is a theory known as the coercion theory, which suggests that family environment influences an adolescents interpersonal style, which in turn influences peer group selection (Cashwell Vacc 1996). Peers with a more coercive interpersonal style tend to become involved with each other, and this relationship is assumed to increase the likelihood of being involved in delinquent behavior. Thus understanding the nature of relationships within the family, to include family adaptability, cohesion, and satisfaction, provides more information for understanding youth (Cashwell Vacc 1996). The cohesiveness of the family successfully predicted the frequency of delinquent acts for non-traditional families (Matherne Thomas 2001). Family behaviors, particularly parental monitoring and disciplining, seems to influence association with deviant peers throughout the adolescent period (Cashwell Vacc 1994). Among social circumstances which have a hand in determi ning the future of the individual it is enough for our present purpose to recognize that family is central (Wright Wright 1994). Juby and Farrington(2001) claim that there are three major classes that explain the relationship between disrupted families and delinquency; trauma theories, life course theories, and selection theories. The trauma theories suggest that the loss of a parent has a damaging effect on children, most commonly because of the effect on attachment to the parent. Life course theories focus on separation as a long drawn out process rather than a discrete event, and on the effects of multiple stressors typically associated with separation. Selections theories argue that disrupted families are associated with delinquency because of pre-existing differences in family income or child rearing methods, for example (Juby Farrington 2001). Communication also plays a big role in how the family functions. Clark and Shields (1997) state that the importance of positive communication for optimal family functioning has major implications for delinquent behavior. They also discovered that communication is indeed related to the commission of delinquent behavior and differences are shown within categories of age, sex, and family marital status. Klein and Forehand (1997) suggest that the prediction of juvenile delinquency in early childhood depends on the type of maternal parenting skills that are imposed upon the child during early adolescence. Muehlenberg (2002) poses the question of how do children from single parent family homes fare educationally compared to children from intact two parent families. In most cases, delinquents have been viewed as individuals who come from less intact families, often referred to as broken homes. Typically, the term broken home has been structured to mean children residing in single-parent households or any type of household other than a household in which both biological parents are present (Rankin, 1983; Geismar Wood, 1986). In contrast, an intact family usually refers to a nuclear family arrangement in which both biological parents reside in the household with their biological children (Kierkus Baer, 2002). Intact family arrangements differ from other modern-day family arrangements including single-parent arrangements, two-parent arrangements involving a stepparent, extended family member arrangements, and the adoptive/foster family arrangement (Wells Rankin, 1986). Since 1970, the proportion of American households that have children who live with both parents has declined substantially. In 1970, 64 percent of African American children lived with two parents, compared with 35 percent in 1997; comparable figures for white children are 90 percent and 74 percent, respectively (Lugaila, 1998). According to some estimates, as many as 40 percent of white children and 75 percent of African American children will experience arental separation or divorce before they reach age 16 (Brayand Hetherington, 1993) and many of these children will experience multiple family disruptions over time (Furstenberg and Cherlin, 1991). Sometimes the focus is taken off the mother and shifted towards the father. The lack of emphasis on the role of fathering in childhood conduct problems is especially unfortunate given that there are several reasons why fathers can be expected to be particularly significant in the initiation and persistence of offspring offending. For example, fathers are particularly likely to be involved with sons who are at higher risk than daughters of delinquent behavior (Flouri Buchannan 2002). Popenoe(1997) states that fatherlessness is a major force behind many disturbing US social problems. The institution of marriage acts as cultures chief vehicle to bind men to their children. The absence of fathers from childrens lives is one of the most important causes related to childrens well being such as increasing rates of juvenile crime, depression and eating disorders, teen suicide, and substance abuse. Two parent households provide increased supervision and surveillance of property, while single parenthood increases likelihood of delinquency and victimization simply by the fact that there is one less person to supervise adolescent behavior (Wright Wright 1994). Children, regardless of whether they are a product of a single parent or dual parent household, are more likely to become juvenile delinquents if there is a minimum amount of quality time spent with the guardians. Guardians actually need to be parents rather than just provide for the child. Parents provide structure which entails rules, encouragement, and any type of consistent adult behavior that a juvenile can use as guidelines throughout his or her own adolescent years. Although a majority of delinquents are from single parent households, delinquency is fostered by a lack of parental/juvenile interaction. Monitoring the child is also a major contribution towards the creation of delinquency. By spending time with a juvenile as a family through family activities, it not only provides that necessary supervision for being aware of the whereabouts of the child, how the child is functioning emotionally, and how he or she is doing as an adolescent, it creates positive interaction with th e parents that is needed for a healthy upbringing. Reference Page Amato, Paul and Juliana M. Sobolewski. 2001. The effects of divorce on adult childrens psychological well-being. American Sociological Review. 66: 900-921. Cashwell, Craig S. and Niccholas A. Vacc. 1996. Family Functioning and Risk Behaviors: Influences on adolescent delinquency. School Counselor. 44: 105-15. Geismar, L.L., Wood, K.M. (1986). Family and delinquency: Resocializing the young offender. New York: Human Sciences Press. Gorman-Smith, Deborah and Patrick H. Tolan. 1998. Relation of family problems to patterns of Delinquent involvement among urban youth. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. 26: 319-34. Gorman-Smith, Deborah, Patrick Tolan, Ashli J. Sheidow, and David B. Henry. Partner Violence and Street Violence among Urban Adolescents: Do the Same Family Factors Relate? Journal of Research on Adolescence.11: 273-95. Hagan, John and Holly Foster. 2001. Youth violence and the end of adolescence. American Sociological Review. 66: 874-899. Immarigeon, Russ. 1996. Families know best. State Government News. 39: 22-4. Juby, Heather and David P. Farrington. 2001. Disentangling the Link between Disrupted Families and Delinquency. British Journal of Criminology. 41: 22-40. Kierkus, C., Baer, D. (2002). A social control explanation of the relationship between family structure and delinquent behavior. Canadian Journal of Criminology, 44 (4), 425-458. Klein, Karla and Rex Forehand. 1997. Delinquency during the transition to early adulthood: Family and parenting predictors from earlyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Adolescence. 32: 61-81. Muehlenberg, Bill. 2002. The case for two-parent family Part II. National Observer. 53: 49-58. Popenoe, David. 1997. Life without Father. New Jersey, US: Annual Conference of the NCFR Fatherhood and Motherhood in a Diverse and Changing World. Prochnow, Jane E. and James V. DeFronzo. 1997. The impact of economic and parental characteristics on juvenile misconduct. Journal of Emotional Behavioral Disorders. 5:119-128. Rankin, J. H. (1983). The family context of delinquency. Social Problems, 30, 466-479. Thornberry, Terence P., Carolyn Smith, Craig Rivera, David Huizinga, and Magda Stouthamer-Loeber. September 1999. Family Disruption and Delinquency. Juvenile Justice Bulletin. 1-7. Wells, L.E., Rankin, J.H., (1986). The broken homes model of delinquency: Analytic issues. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 23, 68-93. Wright, Kevin N. and Karen E. Wright. 1994. Family Life, Delinquency, and Crime: A Policymakers Guide. Research Summary. Washington DC: OJJDP. 4-21.

Dominican Republic :: History Geography Dominical Republic Essays

Dominican Republic Geography The Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. It is the second largest of the Greater Antilles. The country is approximately 18,712 square miles, or twice the size of the state of New Hampshire, occupying the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola (Goodwin, p.116). Beata Island off the southwestern coast and Saona Island to the southeast are also part of the Dominican Republic. Along Haiti to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the south and east, the island has an Atlantic shore to the north. The coastline measures a total of 1,392 kilometers (May, p.193). Its international boundary with Haiti extends 358 kilometers from Pedernales on the southern Caribbean The total population of the Dominican Republic is 8,443,000. More than one-third of the people (3,166,000) live in the capital, Santo Domingo, which also happens to be the only major urban center in the country (Goodwin, p.116). coast to Pepillo Salcedo in the north. Climate The Dominican climate is classified as tropical maritime (Goodwin, p.116). This climate is characterized by high humidity and yearlong trade winds. The country experiences the highest rainfall in the northern region with approximately 1500mm/year; the rainfall is lightest along the Haitian border (May, p.195). The island is located in the hurricane belt and lays victim to one or two hurricanes per year, inflicting major damage upon the lives of its citizens. Land Two-thirds of the Dominican Republic’s landscape consists of highlands, while the remaining third is composed of gently rolling lowlands. Its mountain ranges are parallel to each other with the Cordillera Septentrional and the Cordillera Oriental in the north and the Cordillera Central, Sierra De Neiba, and Sierra de Bahoruco positioned in the west. The highest point in the country, as well as in the West Indies, is Pico Duarte, a summit in the Cordillera Central mountain range. The lowest point can be found in the country’s only lake, Lake Enriquillo, in the southwest. Within the numerous mountain ranges exist many plains. All of the mountains are well drained by abundant rivers that originate in the Cordilleras and empty into the Caribbean Sea (Haverstock, p.9). Crops The land is composed of 22% crops, another 17% pastures and 45% of the country is woodland (May, p.201). The primary crops in the Dominican Republic are sugar cane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, tobacco, rice, beans, potatoes, corn, and bananas.

Praxis Statement :: Education Teacher Essays

Praxis Statement When I first decided to be a teacher I had many thoughts and opinions about teaching and education. Some of my thoughts and opinions have stayed them same; however, many have changed from the discussions and readings in LL ED 411 and 480. When I first decided that I wanted to be a teacher I thought that most students learned in the same manner. I also thought that the teacher should have power over the classroom. Likewise, I thought that technology should not be used in the classroom--except to type papers. I now know that there is not much truth to my ideas and thoughts because my thoughts were shaped only from my experiences. My experiences are narrow because they were shaped from the problems in schools and the old ideas that teachers still have. Now that I have learned the other sides to these problems I know that my thoughts about teaching and education are not fully developed. One of the ideas that I have learned is that all students learn in different ways and teachers need to teach to their needs. This is described with an analogy in Finding Freedom. The analogy used is, â€Å" . . . anyone would laugh themselves silly at the thought that children with different body sizes ought to be made to wear the same size clothes . . .† (Hinchey, 67). We would laugh if someone said all children should wear the same size clothing, yet teachers are still teaching students all in the same way. Some students learn from lecturing and memorizing, whereas others learn from examples and trial and error. Finding Freedom states that teachers need to modify work for students so that they can learn the material (Hinchey, 11). Delpit also states, â€Å"Some of the [black students] even learned how to read, but none of them as quickly as my white students. I was doing the same thing for all of my kids--what was the problem?† (Delpit, 13). Before reading these two statements as well as others and discussing them in class I thought that almost all students learned in the same way. I thought this because I learned from lecturing, memorizing, and a few examples. I figured that if I could learn in that way and most of my peers learned in that way then most students could. Praxis Statement :: Education Teacher Essays Praxis Statement When I first decided to be a teacher I had many thoughts and opinions about teaching and education. Some of my thoughts and opinions have stayed them same; however, many have changed from the discussions and readings in LL ED 411 and 480. When I first decided that I wanted to be a teacher I thought that most students learned in the same manner. I also thought that the teacher should have power over the classroom. Likewise, I thought that technology should not be used in the classroom--except to type papers. I now know that there is not much truth to my ideas and thoughts because my thoughts were shaped only from my experiences. My experiences are narrow because they were shaped from the problems in schools and the old ideas that teachers still have. Now that I have learned the other sides to these problems I know that my thoughts about teaching and education are not fully developed. One of the ideas that I have learned is that all students learn in different ways and teachers need to teach to their needs. This is described with an analogy in Finding Freedom. The analogy used is, â€Å" . . . anyone would laugh themselves silly at the thought that children with different body sizes ought to be made to wear the same size clothes . . .† (Hinchey, 67). We would laugh if someone said all children should wear the same size clothing, yet teachers are still teaching students all in the same way. Some students learn from lecturing and memorizing, whereas others learn from examples and trial and error. Finding Freedom states that teachers need to modify work for students so that they can learn the material (Hinchey, 11). Delpit also states, â€Å"Some of the [black students] even learned how to read, but none of them as quickly as my white students. I was doing the same thing for all of my kids--what was the problem?† (Delpit, 13). Before reading these two statements as well as others and discussing them in class I thought that almost all students learned in the same way. I thought this because I learned from lecturing, memorizing, and a few examples. I figured that if I could learn in that way and most of my peers learned in that way then most students could.

Marriage in A Doll House and A Streetcar Named Desire Essay -- compare

A couple’s marriage along with their struggles and problems can tell us a lot about their individual morals and what type of people they are. How someone handles themselves when they are in a battle or argument with their spouse can show the reader the person they are, their strengths, weaknesses and even their outlook on life. In these plays we are shown Torvald Helmer and Stanley Kowalksi’s ways of controlling their wives, their strengths, weaknesses and outlooks on life, or morals just by their actions. In A Doll House written in 1879 by Henrik Ibsen and in A Streetcar Named Desire written in 1947 by Tennessee Williams we are shown two different husbands, Torvald Helmer and Stanley Kowalksi that have an issue with having to be in control of their wives and their lives. In A Doll House we see a marriage between Torvald and Nora Helmer. Torvald is a major character in the play because he is the person that helps make the conflict of his wife Nora not wanting to tell him about the loan she took out and that she forged her father’s name in order to do it. Ibsen brings the issue of power in this marriage by always having Torvald in charge or the marriage. Torvald is a man that looks at his wife as an object and something that benefits him. He doesn’t really have a deep love for her, but instead is married to her because she is young and beautiful and society accepts and likes married men better than single men. He is very protective of his image and he always wants to look perfect and be perceived as perfect from other people, and Nora helps him achieve this. Torvald takes the role of the ruler, the spouse in charge by treating Nora like a child or a play toy, calling her names like â€Å"pet†, â€Å"squirrel†, or â€Å"Ca pri girl†. He also t... ...y made himself look out of hand himself and he also showed his lack of respect for Stella. In A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen and in A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams we are shown two different husbands, Torvald Helmer and Stanley Kowalksi that have an issue with having to be in control of their wives and their lives. Torvald has to be in charge of everything in his life including his wife and in his job so that society will look at him as a â€Å"well off† man and he will always be looked at as stable and in control of every situation. Stanley is somewhat the same, needing to be in charge of his wife and how she acts so that his friends will look at him as â€Å"the tough guy that keeps his wife in line†. In both of these plays we are shown the husband’s strengths and the wives weaknesses and how their conflicts and the husband’s actions affect their marriages.

Factors in a child’s development Essay

Family is one of the biggest external factors in a child’s development. The first three years of a child’s life are when their foundations are laid out influencing what type of a person they may grow up to be. A child who is given lots of love, attention and guidance are more likely to thrive compared to those who are ignored. At this very early age parents and siblings are the most important thing in a child’s life so everything they do can influence a child, this is when they first start to imitate other peoples actions so if a child is in a stimulating environment then they are more likely to want to continue to be stimulated when they reach school age. Friendships are also a major factor, by the age of three children start to form strong friendships. Friendships may begin to influence behavior, in a positive or sometimes a negative way. They will start to learn how to listen to other people’s opinions and also how to voice their own views. Read more:Â  Explain how children and young people’s development is influenced by a range of external factors essay It’s when children start making friends that their personalities really start to develop and they start either start to become a leader or a follower. Peers may become a big influence over their likes and dislikes. What a child eats also plays a big part in a child’s development both in a physical and mental way. Calcium, protein and fats are all essential in a child’s diet to help them grow. When a child starts school it becomes more difficult from a parents prospective to supervise what children are eating especially in children of high school age, too much sugary and fatty foods can lead to children becoming over weight and lacking in energy. It is important for schools to take an active approach in what children are allowed to eat when possible. In today’s world of high technology the media is also a big factor in how children develop. The television can be an amazing aid in a child’s development if watched in moderation. A child that spends too much time in front of a television may run an increased risk of becoming over weight and children who view violent television shows show a tendency towards an aggressive behavior. Social media is also taking a part in children’s developments as friendships are formed with people from all over the world that once would not have been accessible unfortunately it can also have negative results as children can be bullied without an adult around to help them and can lead to a very low self esteem.

“Patriotism by Yukio Mishima Essay

Many people consider suicide a moral wrong or cowardly in that it is taking the easy way out of a tough situation. And, by our modern standards, that is typically the case. But, in the case of the story, â€Å"Patriotism,† written by Yukio Mishima, the suicide Lieutenant Shinji and his wife Reiko committed was the noble and honorable thing. The couple died together in order to preserve their honor and loyalty, which were key in setting of this story. To truly judge the characters for their heroism, the setting of the story must be understood. â€Å"Patriotism† is set in Japan in 1936, which was the pre-World War II era. Patriotism and loyalty were at an all-time high, which created an atmosphere of duty and determination to serve. With that mindset, both characters were justified to sacrifice themselves for what they believed was the greater good. The story centers around the ideas of loyalty and the sacrifice required for that loyalty. Heroism is about sacrificing the self for the greater good. Sometimes that sacrifice is part of a natural sequence of events, and sometimes it is a radical swerve from the path a person is on. Regardless, heroism requires a change to benefit others, often having the potential to harm the hero. A hero must decide that others are to be placed before themselves; they acknowledge that their very being is meant to aid the millions around them. In addition, heroes have a cause to fight for. The cause can be world impacting, or as simple as affecting one person. Whatever the cause is, a hero must dedicate themselves fully to what they believe. Heroes are in pursuit of perfection, but acknowledge their shortcomings as an obstacle to work around in order to help others. Heroes willingly accept their duty and don’t resent the sacrifices their decisions often require. Heroes are humble in their actions and don’t expect anything in return for their attempts to improve the lives of others. As Brodi Ashton, author of Everneath, puts it, â€Å"Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the powers they are graced with.† Reiko follows that path of heroism, which for her, ends with the greatest sacrifice a man can give- their life. In â€Å"Patriotism,† Reiko and Shinji sacrifice their lives to preserve their honor for their beliefs, but again, Reiko makes the larger sacrifice. Reiko belongs to two causes; she dedicates her life to her country, but more importantly, to her husband. She has no direct ties to the government, and could’ve gone on without her husband. Reiko had the potential to create a new life for herself, but choses to give up her life for a man she is in love with. â€Å"Ever since her marriage her husband’s existence had been her own existence and every breath of his had been a breath drawn by herself. But now, while her husband’s existence in pain was a vivid reality, Reiko could find in this grief of hers no certain proof at all of her own existence† (19). Reiko had so fully dedicated herself to her husband that his pain became her pain and his death certainly had to become her death. Reiko is also a willing participant in the sacrifice her husband finds truly necessary. Not only that, she is willing to sacrifice herself even before understanding the whole situation. â€Å"In the lieutenant’s face, as he hurried silently into the snowy morning, Reiko had read the determination to die. If her husband did not return her own decision was made: she too would die† (3). Both Reiko and Shinji sacrifice their lives for the greater good, Reiko makes the bigger sacrifice by dying for both her country’s honor and her loyalty to her true love, Shiniji. â€Å"Reiko firmly believed that everything her husband was feeling or thinking now, his anguish and distress, was leading her- just as surely as the power in his flesh- to a welcome death. She felt as if her body could melt away with ease and be transformed to the merest fraction of her husband’s thought† (4). Even in her final hours, Reiko humbles herself to a position below her husband and is content with the sudden change in her fate. Reiko doesn’t boast of her confidence or willingness to die for her lover, but humbly follows her husband’s pursuit of duty through death. Whereas most people in the same situation would fearfully and stressfully await their death, Reiko approaches it as the next step in her life. â€Å"Reiko did not linger. When she though how the pain which had previously opened such a gulf between herself and her dying husband was now to become a part of her own experience, she saw before her only the joy of herself entering a realm her husband had already made his own† (22). Reiko is content, even joyful, with her current situation. She doesn’t resent her husband for asking her to die along with him, but sees it as the next step in her life and has embraced the path. Reiko sacrificed what could have potentially been a fulfilling life for the man of her dreams- a man that she loved so deeply that she was willing to die along with him to maintain a sense of dignity toward her country and her husband. Not only did she agree to die along with him, she accepted the fact that she would watch him die first, as a witness, and then followed through on her agreement to die herself. Despite the pain that event caused, Reiko was willing to witness her husband’s death, simply because he asked her to. She understood her duty as a lieutenants wife in a time of war and accepted Shinji’s interpretation of loyalty. In Reiko’s mind, death wasn’t thrust upon her; it was a peaceful necessity. Reiko accepted the fate her husband asked upon her simply because of her love for her country, and even more than that, the love for her husband. That sense of loyalty, particularly loyalty without complaint, comes from a true hero who died for her passions.

Marriage Problems Essay

Few of us do like to be told what to do. Hitting each other between the eyes with issues you know you know your partner is insecure about will not help you resolve the issue. The silence or fights that usually follow just perpetuate the cycling of pursuing behavior followed by distancing behavior. Help lead an obstinate partner to make some choices for himherself. Friends, lovers, and business partners learn what your vulnerabilities and insecurities are just by spending time with you. You can avoid cycling into repetitive arguments by discussing your own fears and areas of vulnerability. Leslie could tell Jim that she worries about being a nag and knows that her request is not nagging just a request for cooperation. The conversation with Jim can continue now. Leslie could further ask what needs to happen first before they attend to chores. Leslie has given Jim room now to make a choice. He might say he wants to pay bills, work out, make love with her, before they clean the house. You want to move toward shared decision making to move away from power struggles. Good friendship, love, and business relationships are built on mutual trust, respect, cooperation and reciprocity. If you are not cooperating with each other, each person must look at themselves and come up with what each willfully says, does or does not say or do that is contributing to the problem. Next, you can discuss what each of you are willing to do to change yourself. All relationships need elasticity to grow over time. Remember that it does take two to tango. A relationship problem is always our problem. Together you create the peacock dances and together problems can be resolved. You show you care about having a healthy relationship when you are willing to rationally and calmly resolve conflicts. Know when to disengage as well as engage in a conversation. When a person is under the influence of substances or too angry to talk, wait for a clear headed time frame to talk. Some behaviors are always unacceptable. Don’t fight dirty. No one drives you to drink or strike another person. When behavior is extreme, you are out of touch with yourself and control with yourself. You always have the choice to be extremely aggravated and express that long before you feel like acting out your anger by drowning your feelings or striking out. Debt If you and your spouse jointly apply for a credit card or loan, both your credit scores will be checked to approve the application. If one or both of you have bad credit, there’s a chance your application won’t be approved. Or, if the application’s approved, the interest rate and fees might be higher than if the spouse with the higher credit score applied separately. With joint accounts and accounts on which one spouse is an authorized user, the history of the account is reported on both spouses’ credit reports, even if only one spouse actually uses the account. On joint accounts, both spouses are responsible for making credit card and loan payments. Furthermore, if the account becomes delinquent, the creditor or lender will attempt to collect from both spouses. With authorized user accounts, only the primary account holder is legally responsible for paying the credit card debt.

Tqm Syllabus

DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT ST JOSEPH’S PG COLLEGE UNIT PLANNER NAME OF THE LECTURER: K. Srivani CLASS: MBA II YEAR I SEMESTER SUBJECT: TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT UNIT I:TQM HISTORY & EVOLUTION TOPIC |CONTENT |BOOK CHAPTER & PAGE NUMBERS |NO OF HOURS |TEACHING METHODOLOGIES/AIDS | |Connotations of Quality|Definitions |Total Quality Management: Dale Besterfield –Pages |2 |Lecture Method; Brainstorming/Quiz | | |Awareness |13-20 | |Teaching Aid –PPT-Intro | | |Quality Framework | | | | | |Quality Equation Q=P/E | | | | |Dimensions of Quality |Product-Garvin’s Nine Dimensions Features; Conformance |Total Quality Management: Dale Besterfield –Pages |1 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | | |etc. |21-27 | | | | |Services: The P-C-P Model | | | | | |Peripheral-Core-Pivotal Characteristics Model. |TQM in the Service Sector: R P Mohanty Pages 59-60 | | | | | |and 82-84 | | |The Concept of TQM and |Brief History |Total Quality Management: Dale Besterfiel d –Pages |1 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | |Evolution of TQM |Old and New Cultures |15-17 and 21-22 | | | | |The Story of Gurus from Shehwart,- Deming to Ishikawa | | | | | |Modern Systems/Six sigma | | | | | |TQM Fundamentals | | | | |Inspection, SQC, QA & |The inspection Era |Total Quality Management: Dale Besterfield –Pages 21|2 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | |TQM Conventional QM |The Statistical QC –Techniques |expanded to 2nd and 3rd chapters –summary; | |Cases and Examples with citations of TQM | |/TQM |Reactive Approach |General Quality references, Industry Practices | |exemplary Organisations | | |Prevention of Defects | | | | | |Proactive Approach | | | | | |Quality Assurance & TQM | | | | | |QM and TQM | | | | |Customer Supplier focus|Customer Definition |Total Quality Management: Dale Besterfield –expanded|2 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | |in QM Internal external Customer |to 2nd , 3rd & 4th chapters –summary; | |Cases and Examples with citations of TQM | |Benefits and Costs –TQM|Supplier partnership |General Quality references, Industry Practices | |exemplary Organisations | |Historical Perspectives|Vendor Management |Ch 7 for Costs Chapter 1 for Benefits and Obstacles | | | | |Benefits | | | | | |Costs | | | | | |Inspection Era | | | | | |QC Era to Q A Era | | | | | |Modern Dimensions | | | | |Quality System Awards &|System Concepts |Total Quality Management: Dale Besterfield –expanded|3 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | |Guidelines |Quality systems |to 7th chapter Pages 203-218; | |Cases and Examples with citations of TQM | |MBNQA- ISO – EFQM |QMSISO 9000-14000-EMS |10th Chapter Summary | |exemplary Organisations | | |Malcolm Balridge-Criteria |EFQM-Downloads | | | | |EFQM Model |General Quality references, Industry Practices | | | | |ISO Audit | | | | UNIT II: TOOLS OF TQM TOPIC |CONTENT |BOOK CHAPTER & PAGE NUMBERS |NO OF HOURS |TEACHING METHODOLOGIES/AIDS | |Measurem ent Tools |Check Sheets |Implementing Quality: Ron Basu Chapter 5 pages-64-73 |2 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | | |Histograms |All are covered against Purpose, When to Use, How to | |Cases and Examples | | |Run Charts |Use, Basic Steps-Final thoughts- Pitfalls if any | |PracticalIndustry examples are also taken for| | |Scatter Diagrams | | |class room demo/display | | |Cause & Effect Diagram | | | | |Measurement Tools |Pareto Analysis |Implementing Quality: Ron Basu Chapter 5 pages-76-84 |1 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | |continued |Process Capability Measurement. | |Cases and Examples | | | | | | | |Analytical Tools |Process Mapping |Implementing Quality: Ron Basu Chapter 6- pages-88-103|2 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | | |Regression Analysis | | |Cases and Examples | | |RU/CS Analysis Five Whys | | | | |OEE | | | | |Improvement Tools |Kaizen |100 Methods for TQM :Gopal Kanji and Asher |2 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | | |JIT- Quality Circles |various-respective pag es for the listed method | |Cases and Examples | | |Force Field Analysis | | |Student presentation | | |Five ‘y†s | | | | |Control Tools |Gantt Chart |Implementing Quality: Ron Basu Chapter 8- |2 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | | |Network Diagram |pages-136-141 | |Cases and Examples | | |Radar Chart; PDCA | | | | | |Milestone Tracker | | | | | |Earned value management | | | | UNIT III: TECHNIQUES OF TQM |TOPIC |CONTENT |BOOK CHAPTER & PAGE NUMBERS |NO OF HOURS |TEACHING METHODOLOGIES/AIDS | |QuantitativeTechniques|Failure Mode Effect Analysis |Implementing Quality: Ron Basu Chapter 9- |1 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | | |Definition; probability of failure estimation; |pages-148-151 | |Cases and Examples | | |Reliability Index; |TQM Besterfield Ch 14 summary | |All are covered against Purpose, When to Use,| | |Formula –example | | |How to Use, Basic Steps-Final thoughts- | | | | | |Pitfalls if any | |Quantitative Techniques|Statistical Process Control |Imp lementing Quality: Ron Basu Chapter 9- |1 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | | |SPC Category, Mean, Standard Deviation, |pages-152-156 | |Cases and Examples | | |USL;LSL-Controls | | | | |Quantitative Techniques|Quality Function Deployment -QFD |Implementing Quality: Ron Basu Chapter 9- |1 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | | |Capturing Customer Expectations; House of Quality |pages-157-162 | |Cases and Examples | | |Matrix |TQM Besterfield- Ch 12 – summary | | | |Quantitative Techniques|Design of Experiments |Implementing Quality: Ron Basu Chapter 9- |1 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | | |DOE – Interrogating the Process, Fisher and Taguchi |pages-162-168 | |Cases and Examples | | approach |TQM Besterfield –Ch 19 | | | |Quantitative Techniques|Monte Carlo Technique |Implementing Quality: Ron Basu Chapter 9- |1 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | | |MCT – Random Walk |pages-179-185 | |Cases and Examples | | |Random Number Generation | | | | |Qualitative T echniques |Benchmarking |Implementing Quality: Ron Basu Chapter 10- |1 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | | |Internal, competitive, Functional, setting standards- |pages-179-185 | |Cases and Examples | | |world class |TQM-Besterfield-Ch 8 | | | |Qualitative Techniques |Balanced Score Card |Implementing Quality: Ron Basu Chapter 10- |1 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | | |Kaplan Norton model |pages-190-196 | |Cases and Examples | | |Framework-strategic Objectives to KPI | | | | |Qualitative Techniques |Sales & Operations Planning |Implementing Quality: Ron Basu Chapter 10- |1 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | | |MRP II concepts Master Prod schedule |pages-203-207 | |Cases and Examples | |Qualitative Techniques |Kanban and Activity Based Costing |Implementing Quality: Ron Basu Chapter 10- |1 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | | | pages-203-207 | |Cases and Examples | |Taguchi’s Methods |Quality Loss Function |Total Quality Management: Dale Besterfield – Chapter|2 |Lect ure /Discussion –PPt | | |Orthogonal Arrays |20 page 573- 629 | |Cases and Examples | | |Signal to Noise Ratio | | | | | |Nominal, Target, smaller Larger the Best, | | | | | |Parameter Design, Tolerance Design | | | | | | | | | | UNIT IV: SIX SIGMA TOPIC |CONTENT |BOOK CHAPTER & PAGE NUMBERS |NO OF HOURS |TEACHING METHODOLOGIES/AIDS | |The Concept of Six Sigma |Six Sigma statistical Significance |Greg Brue: Six Sigma for Managers |1 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | | |Focussed methodology | | |Cases and Examples | |Objectives of Six Sigma; |Defect Free; Lean SS |Greg Brue: Six Sigma for Managers |2 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | |framework of Six Sigma |Across all Functions | | |Cases and Examples | |Performance Based | | | | |Six Sigma Organisation |Model of Organisation |Greg Brue: Six Sigma for Managers |2 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | |Roles & Responsibilities |Role Clarity- types | | |Cases and Examples | |Cost/Benefits |Cost, Benefits Optimisation | | | | | | Effective Methodology | | | | |Six Sigma Problem Solving |Methodology |Greg Brue: Six Sigma for Managers |1 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | |Approach |Example Problems | | |Cases and Examples | | |Cases | | | | |DMAIC Model |Define |Implementing Quality: Ron Basu Chapter 9- |1 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | |Six Sigma Metrics |Measure; analyse |pages-168-173 | |Cases and Examples | | |Improve, Control | | | | |Cost of Poor Quality(COPC)|Costs |Greg Brue: Six Sigma for Managers |1 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | | |Preventive | | |Cases and Examples | | |Maintenance | | | | |DPMO-first pass yield |3. 4 DPMO |Greg Brue: Six Sigma for Managers |1 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | | |Interpretations | | |Cases and Examples | UNIT V: TQM IN SERVICE SECTORS TOPIC |CONTENT |BOOK CHAPTER & PAGE NUMBERS |NO OF HOURS |TEACHING METHODOLOGIES/AIDS | |Implementation of TQM in |Service Quality measure |TQM in the Service Sector |2 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | |service Organisati ons |Proposal |R P Mohanty – Chapter VII Pages- 246-268 | |Cases and Examples | | |Proposed System | | | | | |Checklist | | | | |Framework for improving |Gronross; servQual model, Moores model, Service |TQM in the Service Sector |1 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | |Service Quality |Journey model, PCP quality Model etc |R P Mohanty – Chapter III Pages- 63-84-Summary | |Cases and Examples | |Model to Measure Service |Parameters |TQM in the Service Sector |2 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | |Quality |Analogy |R P Mohanty – Chapter VI Pages- 205-214-Summary | |Cases and Examples | | measurement | | | | |TQM in Health Care Services|Case Study |TQM in the Service Sector |1 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | | |Model construction |R P Mohanty – Chapter IX Pages- 340-369-Summary | |Cases and Examples | |TQM in Hotels |Case study |TQM in the Service Sector |1 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | | |Model Construction |R P Mohanty – Chapter VI Pages- 2 15-233-Summary | |Cases and Examples | |TQM in Financial Services |Banks |TQM in the Service Sector |3 |Lecture /Discussion –PPt | | |Investment company |R P Mohanty – Chapter X Pages- 371-400-Summary | |Cases and Examples | | |Mutual Funds | | | | |QP Discussion |Discussion | |1 | | |TOTAL HOURS FOR COMPLETION OF SYLLABUS 12+9+11+9+12 |53 | | †¢ Assignment Questions as part of Internal marks from all the units . †¢ Previous year question paper Discussion in class room †¢ Presentations of students of companies following six sigma quality standards. †¢ Presentation of students on ISO certification and the companies involved in quality analysis and certification. K. SRIVANI DIRECTORPRINCIPAL

Business and commercial awareness Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business and commercial awareness - Coursework Example One of the biggest stakeholders that view.com rely upon are its customers and by offering good DVD’s, its customers are entertained while the company makes profits (Bruce, 2005). Channel Islands are also stakeholders interested in View.com’s performance; this is because the island levies taxes on the company. Moreover, View.com has employed British citizens and this is helps in reducing unemployment levels in the UK. View.com has competitors who are also stakeholders since if view.com folds up its DVD business then the competitors are going to have an easy time in selling their merchandise (Crabb, 2007). d) Offering online videos at a discount for overseas and unreachable customers would help in increasing the DVD sales. Offering online videos would help on reducing postage stamps costs (Bradbury, 2005). e) By opening an online DVD sale system, movie previews can be availed to customers and this will help in increasing the sales for view.com. Moreover, view.com can make more money from adverts in the online website. The sales for view.com have reduced drastically over the last two years and this has been attributed to declining sales. However the costs of achieving the sales figures shown in the graph below have relatively the same. The new investment in the view.com must be higher than anticipated and it should reflect the sales for the year 2011. The new investment should be able to replace the sales and costs figures for 2011 and gradually grow in future periods. For the sales figures to be upbeat and good, view.com should be able to achieve figures of 300 and above so that the business can be competitive. The cost of running view.com should also be brought down to a level of around 150 for the business to become cost effective. It is important to understand the costs that are spent by view.com in its pursuit of achieving good profit margins in its business (Andersen, 2007). The levels of sales of DVD’s should be

Giovanni Carestini Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Giovanni Carestini - Research Paper Example In the period of late baroque, newly introduced genres and techniques were enhanced and expanded: the range of musical instruments was expanded, music forms evolved owing to efforts of composers, vocal techniques were developed. Such prominent composers like Vivaldi, Scarlatti, Bach, Telemann, Corelli and many others created the precious music legacy of the epoch. Among them, there was the most famous court composer of German origin, George Friedrich Handel, who granted special attention to vocal genres in his works. Having composed the first oratorio in 1708 , Handel became engaged in working with vocal genres for the rest of his life. Vocal techniques and styles, in their turn, became more exquisite and complex in Baroque era, and – as Pleasants wrote, 1720’s – 1740’s signified the first golden age of singing in the 18th century . Particularly, a variety of male and female singers performing in the period of late Baroque demonstrated magnificent ornament ation and impressing vocal range. Moreover, Baroque traditions introduced homophony – a type of polyphony, emphasizing a leading voice with help of accompanying ones – and unobtrusiveness of accompaniment. As composers became interested in making voice the central figure in certain genres, the new form of musical thinking emerged: the vocal part should be supported and complemented in a subtle way, which would point it out and lay emphasis on the verbal message it conveyed. Thus, the composers attached much importance to composition of vocal parts.

Lesson Planning with SIOP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Lesson Planning with SIOP - Essay Example Although, A-Level English learners can use various language materials, cognitive mastering, communicative skills and effective strategies for learning and reading expository texts is incredibly significant for an inclusive understanding of the language. As a result of the ever increasing English language requirements, an A-Level English teacher ought to develop an effective plan for managing the complexity of English skills and content as well as ensuring accessibility of English learning instruction to A-Level English language learners. The essay intends to come up with a practical and instrumental plan for A-level English learners’ students. The essay will as well compare and contrasts two major language acquisition theories and explore the success of the identified lesson plan based on the identified theories. The way in which English learning institutions and states deal with issues of language diversity plays a significant role in the definition of the social status of population segments that use exceptional language in the society. Generally, language forms the central conduit for human communication. English language is used in different ways by different people to communicate personal needs, experiences, and expectations. Different A-Level English scholars have used diverse theories to understand the most helpful process of learning English language by A-Level English language learners in diverse geographical, social, and historical backgrounds. In the 1960s, Chomsky observed language development as genetically predetermined and innate phenomenon. According to this theory, human beings are always born with rational and physical abilities to learn and understand language. This instinctive ability makes human being develop the capability of understanding new sentences and wordings. Chomsky suggested that, people develop their language through Language Acquisition Device (LAD). The Language Acquisition Device is

20th Centry Music history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

20th Centry Music history - Essay Example g seems concluded at the end of the piece (which is not to say it is in any way bad.) During much of his life Glass has collaborated with other artists: some of them actors and playwrights, some of them movie directors, and others comedians or painters. Certainly this cross-pollination has effected and improved his music immeasurably. Many people consider his masterpiece to be an opera called Einstein on the Beach, which is about five hours long and without an intermission. In this very interesting piece, the music is like a repeating cycle that does not resolve the existential anxiety at the centre. It is both an exhilarating and saddening piece of music. But Philip Glass is most famous for introducing art music to the general public and expanding the range and modes in which it can be communicated to people. This can especially be seen in his collaboration with the director Godfrey Reggio in the movie Koyaanisqatsi, a Hopi word meaning â€Å"life out of balance.† The purpose behind the film is to show how the world of human beings and their machines is very different than the natural world and may even be a blight on the natural world. In this magical film, the contemporary world’s technologies and mechanisms are filmed at various speeds and set to a strange and repetitive music that seems in some way to inspire and provide a counterpoint to the endless motion. The camera takes a wide-angle so as to capture as much life as possible. Some scenes show rockets taking off, others depict factory workers, others show huge parking lots full of cars, still other endless sunrises and sunsets. The effect, when combined with Glas s’s music is overwhelming, but somehow neither euphoric nor depressive. As the New Yorker critic Alex Ross wrote in 2005: Composers usually enter the filmmaking process late in the game. They’re given a few weeks to add music to the mix, often under strict instructions as to mood and style; they’re essentially applying a finishing coat of

Narrative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Narrative - Essay Example Together with teammates, Bolt recorded the world record for the 4x100m relay. Bolt is the current Olympic champion for the three sporting events; 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay. In the 2012 London Olympics, Bolt won the 100m gold medal at 9.63 seconds. He thus set a new 100m Olympic record, and also defended the gold medal that he received during the Beijing Summer Olympics in 2008. The 2012 Summer Olympics was an international sporting event that illustrates the Olympics Games tradition. The Olympics Games are organized and managed by International Olympics Committee (IOC). The sporting event occurred in London, the United Kingdom. The 2012 Summer Olympics were conducted between July 25, 2012 and August 12, 2012. Approximately 10,000 athletes participated in the event, from 204 National Olympic Committees. The main broadcaster for the event was the Olympics Broadcasting Services. During the event Usain Bolt proved his position as the historically greatest sprinter, because of the effective retention of the 100m gold title (Rosner & Shropshire 454). Bolt’s win in the 2012 was very memorable due to various reasons. The win occurred during the weekend that Jamaica celebrated the 50th Independence anniversary. The 9.63 gold medal win created a celebratory mood in Jamaica because it illustrated the shortest athletic competition in the history of the Olympics Games. The two main noticeable athletes in the competition were; Usain Bolt and his fellow countryman Yohan Blake. The Jamaicans are very fierce competitors in the racing track, but Bolt emerged as the best by winning gold. Bolt accomplished another feat by retaining the 100m Olympic gold title. The athletic effectiveness of Bolt was doubted by many people, because of a season that had cases of defeat and injury. During the 2012 Olympics he performed the second fastest time ever, and thus defeated Yohan Blake and Justin

Compile an Annotated Bibliography Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Compile an Annotated Bibliography - Coursework Example He developed the questionnaire, which focused on measuring the different that exist between these two generation regarding the above motivational factors. The participants were from three different departments of a Turkey bank. The findings of Acar’s study demonstrated that the two motivational factors had the same importance for the respondents. Acar, thus, argues that same factors can be motivational to the Generation Y as similar levels as Generation X. However, Acar’s study did not consider the educational structure of the participants. This is essential in investigating the relationship between these generations and other variables including the organizational procedures, culture, values, and management style. Costanza, D., Badger, J., Fraser, R., Severt, J., & Gade, P. (2012). Generational Differences in Work-Related Attitudes: A Meta-analysis. Journal of Business & Psychology, 27(4), 375-394. doi:10.1007/s10869-012-9259-4 Costanza et al. (2012) argue that researchers, organizations, and practitioners are interested in the variations that exist among generations on a number of outcomes. Thus, their study focuses on quantitatively assessing the research on generational variations in work-related attitudes as well as providing a guidance into the future practice and research. Costanza and colleagues performed a meta-analysis of the generational variation on three work-related criteria. These included organizational commitment, job satisfaction and intent to turnover. In addition, they reviewed research studies, both published and unpublished. They found that twenty of the studies allowed for eighteen generational pairwise comparisons through the four generations including Generation X, Baby Boomers, Traditional, and Millennial. Their findings demonstrated a relationship, which is moderate to small that exist between the work-related outcomes and generational membership. Sparks (2012) reports the differences existing in generational psychological job

Operation Management (Assignment) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Operation Management (Assignment) - Essay Example The present context narrows our interest lies in focusing to two of the points, these are: In all industry and services the supervisor has traditionally used some form of measurement to lay down norms or objectives for the workers to attempt to achieve. These objectives were based on arbitrary averages of the past performance and while some workers found it easy to achieve these, some just could not cope. This method put a limit to what could or should be accomplished based on the supervisors perception of what was good or bad for the organization. Deming pointed out that counting and inspection of the end product presumed that there would be defects and mass inspection would only identify the defect that would need to be reworked or the product scrapped. There is no way that identifying a defect or shortage at the end of the process can help in improving quality. Management should instead shift focus to inspection of the systems and processes that go into the production of the article or service. Numerical quotas or norms or objectives do not assist in identifying the capability of the workers and systems they only measure what exists. Historically management has looked at producing larger volumes under the mistaken impression that more volumes meant lower cost of production per unit. In the push to produce larger quantities quality was lost sight of. The second error that was made was to measure a product or service against preconceived ideas of quality, determined internally, without understanding what the customer wanted. This resulted in the process now producing larger volumes of re-work and scrap and the worst of all, a product that the customer did not want. Cost of poor quality can be 25-30% of sales revenue (Ross, 1999, p167). This leads us to the next mantra of the TQM gurus, 'Don't inspect the product - Inspect the process' but what does 'inspection of the process' imply Information is the key to understanding any situation or process and any action taken on the basis of such information shall be directly in proportion to the quality of the information, its relevance, authenticity and timeliness. Information needs to be gathered and collated in the form of data that lends itself to easy interpretation, identification of trends and analysis. Data is fact recorded as numbers and no one can argue with numbers. Data instils a sense of confidence and, is the only way to 'change' all that which is blocked by entrenched perceptions (Jurow, 1993, p113-115). Most of all data helps in motivating everyone involved in the process when they see the progress being made enabling them to identify with the change and push to extend their individual capabilities as also of the organization. 'Measurement is just a habit of seeing how we're going along' Philip Crosby, TQM guru (Jurow, ibid, p 115) Measurement also helps in deciding the feasibility of a particular effort. If it is not possible to measure critical elements of the present situation then how will we ever know how well or indifferently we are progressing and how will it ever be possible to know when we arrive at the desired goal. Finding

Carl rogers tearey on fear Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Carl rogers tearey on fear - Essay Example As the founder of the "client-centered" therapy, Rogers has said that the counselor is to be "nondirective" in the sessions-his job is to reflect the counselee's responses back to him, and thus, set up a catalytic atmosphere of acceptance. Such an environment is supposed to allow the client to get in touch with the innate resources within himself for successfully dealing with life and developing self-esteem When you are in a situation when there is incongruity between your image of yourself and your immediate experience of yourself (i.e. between the ideal and the real self) you are in threatening situation, feeling fear. For example, if a person is been taught to feel unworthy if he/she does not get A's on all tests at school, and yet that person is not really great a student, then situations such as tests are going to bring that incongruity to light-tests will be very threatening and that person will feel fear in that particular situation. According to Rogers, when a person is expec ting a threatening situation and fear, then that person feels anxiety. Anxiety is a signal indicating that there is trouble ahead, and that a person should avoid that situation. One way to avoid the situation is to run away from that threatening situation by using psychological defense.

Quality management Essay Example for Free

Quality management Essay Dialogue 2: Identify two (2) thought leaders relative to quality management. Research each to determine their core ideas and contributions. Synthesize your thoughts about each into a one paragraph (per leader) that contains important and meaningful statements about each thought leader, their contributions, and the relevance of the contribution today regarding the work of project managers. Joseph M. Juran Dr. Juran devoted 70 years to his books, thoughts, and life work revolutionizing the philosophy of total quality management. His developed quality management ideas work around the quality trilogy of Quality Planning, Quality Improvement, and Quality Control. Through the Juran Institute, Dr. Juran has maintained the capability to continually broaden the experiential learning of economist, scientist, and engineers around his work. Dr. Juran’s teachings and guidance focus efforts on the customer and their needs, optimizes the product for those individuals, optimizes the processes involved, and ensures that the process will actually produce the product. Dr. Juran understood that the human component (the customer, the manager, the scientist, the engineer) was an integral piece of the quality process. His lessons contributed to the rise of the Japanese economy after his hands on workings with the Union of Japanese Scientist and Engineers. The push of information today has allowed these theories to flourish. Customer satisfaction is an ever pressing position for large and small businesses. Today’s managers would be hard pressed to understand the human factor, if individuals like Dr. Juran did not lay the ground work to focus effo rts on the human factors. Genichi Taguchi Taguchi was a Japanese Textile Engineer that understood the processes and influences of small and large businesses. He realized there were variables within management’s control and others that we not. His major contributions/theories were the following: The Loss Function- an equation to quantify the decline of a customer’s perceived value of a product, as the quality declines; Orthogonal Arrays and Linear Graphs- tools to identify and isolate the items concerned when dealing with effective costs and time; Robustness- the identified course of developing products and processes that perform uniformly regardless of the uncontrollable forces.

Leadership And Motivation Of Organizational Members Commerce Essay

Leadership And Motivation Of Organizational Members Commerce Essay Leadership, the process of inspiring others to work hard to accomplish important tasks, comes from Steve Jobs and the other managers. Leading is a large part of the management process in Apple, as it builds the commitments and enthusiasm for people to apply their talents to help accomplish plans. Jobs is a visionary leader because he has a clear understanding for the future as well as an understanding of the actions needed to get there successfully. He is able to communicate his vision to all necessary employees, getting them motivated and inspired to pursue his vision in their daily work. In the organization, management uses power to influence their staff. Reward power and legitimate power are used within Apple, and some employees have stated that coercive power has also occurred. Based on research of the leadership within Apple, I believe the organization has a democratic style. They are committed to task and people, getting things done while sharing information, encouraging employ ees to participate in all aspects, and helping others develop their skills and capabilities. The contingency leadership approach Apple Inc. appears to follow is Houses Path-Goal Leadership Theory, which is where the leader clarifies paths through which followers can achieve both task-related and personal goals. Steve Jobs motivates employees to move along these paths, removing barriers along the way and providing appropriate rewards for task accomplishments. The four leadership styles of the path-goal theory stated in the text book that Jobs and other management possess are: Directive leadership- letting subordinates know what is expected; giving directions on what to do and how. Supportive leadership- doing things to make work more pleasant. Achievement-oriented leadership- setting challenging goals; expecting the highest levels of performance. Participative leadership- involving subordinates in decision making. Jobs and other managers use whatever leadership style is necessary for the current situation. Value is added through this leadership approach by contributing things that are missing from the situation or that need strengthening. Motivation is the forces within the individual that accounts for the level, direction, and persistence of effort expended at work. Apple Inc. produces highly motivated individuals who work hard at their job. Managers within the organization, including Steve Jobs, lead through motivation to create conditions where employees constantly feel inspired to work hard. Apples highly motivated workforce is one of the major reasons for their high-performance results. The company is rich in both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards for people whose performance helps accomplish the organizations objectives. Extrinsic rewards are provided by someone else, usually a supervisor or higher-level manager. At Apple, extrinsic rewards have included: additional vacation time, all employees receiving an iPod Shuffle, and in 2007, all full-time employees (21 600 of them) received a complimentary iPhone. Jobs is great at celebrating his teams accomplishments which includes: opening champagne to mark milestones, and educational trips to museums or exhibits. He has taken employees on retreats to expensive resorts and thrown parties at popular locations in the cities Apple operates in. The rewards vary in size from large pay bonuses to verbal praise, and recognition. In contrast, intrinsic rewards occur naturally as a person performs their job. The sources of intrinsic rewards such as feelings of competency, personal development, and self-control are all experienced by the staff at Apple. Employees have described how they enjoy and are motivated by the high calibre of people they work with, and being able to work on the cutting edge of technology. Due to stock option grants, employees who have worked at the company for many years have large amounts of money tied up with Apple. For majority of the staff, this is a key motivator to protect the companys interests. In regards to motivational theories, it does not appear Apple Inc. focuses as much on individual needs as do the content theories of motivation, but more on pursuing task goals as does one of the process theories of motivation and the external environment consequences regarding the reinforcement theory of motivation. The goal-setting theory, which is one of the process theories that applies to the organization, focuses on the motivational properties of task goals. Employees within the organization are highly motivated to accomplish task goals, which give direction to people in their work. The proper setting and management of goals within Apple helps clarify performance expectations in the organization. They provide a foundation for behavioural self-management, which helps motivate employees work performance and job satisfaction. Apple applies to the reinforcement theory of motivation because it focuses on the external environment and the consequences it holds for the individual. The organization mostly applies to the positive reinforcement strategy which strengthens or increases the frequency of desirable behaviour by making a pleasant consequence contingent on it occurrence. Examples of positive reinforcement at Apple include the rewards given by Jobs as mentioned above (opening champagne, vacations, company parties). All employees are motivated to do their best work to accomplish goals because of the rewards they can receive. Apple has also been known to use incentive compensation systems to motivate employees. This includes bonus pay, which provides one-time payments to employees based on the accomplishment of specific performance targets. They also have an employee stock ownership plan as mentioned earlier. An ownership share in ones place of employment links directly with a performance incentive. Employees holding stock options are motivated to work hard to raise the price of the firms stock. Many of Apples employees have to deal with stress on a daily basis, which is the state of tension experienced by individuals facing extraordinary demands, constraints or opportunities. Much of their stress comes from working factors which includes, long working hours, too many demands, the rush of developing the next big product, and the fear of losing their job for those who cannot meet objectives. Stress can also come from personal factors which includes the Type A personality and from non-work factors which include: family events, economics, and personal affairs. Jobs believes in putting a lot of stress on his workers as it acts in a positive way to increase effort, stimulate creativity, and encourage great work; known as constructive stress. The stress employees face can also have negative effects, known as destructive stress, which impairs the performance of an individual. A great example of this was recently, in July of 2009, a man who worked at an iPhone plant in China committed suicide. This was after the worker lost a fourth-generation iPhone prototype that he was responsible for. Employees who deal with Apples new products face great pressure in maintaining a high-level of secrecy over their products. Many of the organizations employees are constantly dealing with the stress of their job and non-work factors; therefore Apple has come up with a few strategies in dealing with stress. The organizations strict role clarification helps reduce job uncertainties, conflicts, and work overloads. Employees assistance programs are offered, which include: financial education seminars, tuition assistance, personal and family counselling, wellness programs, an onsite fitness center, and commuter programs. Areas Where Improvement Could Be Made: At Apple, areas of improvement could be made by eliminating the use of coercive power within the organization. Coercive power is influencing an individual through punishment. Employees have reported that they have coerced to do something through verbal reprimands. This only hurts the organization by making employees not want to work for management out of liking for their job, but out of fear they are going to be punished in some way (pay penalties, termination). In regards to leadership and power, I believe Apple can improve in empowering other people. Empowerment is the process through which managers enable and help other individuals to gain power and have more influence within the company. This would improve the organization by not making it a one genius that leads the company model. It would help relieve Steve Jobss work and when people are empowered to act, they are generally more committed to their task and producing high-quality work. It would show the confidence management has in their employees, and their respect for the talents and creativity they possess. Apple Inc. can improve its motivation of employees by not only following process theories and reinforcement theories of motivation, but also content theories of motivation. Content theories explain the behaviours and attitudes of people at work based on individual needs- the unfulfilled physiological or psychological desires. Having managers and leaders that establish conditions where it is possible for people to satisfy important needs through their work is important, as needs cause tensions that influence attitudes and behaviour. Eliminating obstacles that interfere with the satisfaction of important needs help in improving motivation at Apple. I believe Apple could improve stress management by not putting as many demands on employees, decreasing the amount of work hours a week and not putting stress on workers to increase effort and encourage great work. As it is hard for an organization to limit personal and non-work factors of stress, Apple can improve in reducing the amount of work factors of stress. The organization needs to focus on maintaining constructive stress, but eliminating destructive stress. Detailed Plan of Improvement Content Theories of Motivation Hierarchy of Needs Theory As mentioned in Part D- Leadership and Motivation of the Members of the Organization, Apple Inc. does not focus as much on the individual needs of their employees, which relates to the content theories of motivation, but more on the accomplishment of task goals and the external environment consequences, which relate to the process and reinforcement theories of motivation. This leads to room for improvement in following the content theories of motivation, which explain the behaviours and attitudes of people at work based on individual needs. This would improve the organization because needs are the unfulfilled physiological or psychological desires of an individual, which cause tensions that influence attitudes and behaviour. This is why it is important for managers and leaders to establish conditions where it is possible for employees to satisfy important needs through their work and to also eliminate obstacles that have the potential to interfere with the satisfaction of important n eeds. Fulfilling these individual needs will further help in improving the motivation at Apple. One of the content theories of motivation, the Hierarchy of Needs Theory developed by Abraham Maslow, is a great theory to implement into the organization to improve motivation. This theory states that there are two categories of needs: Lower-order needs- include physiological, safety, and social concerns, and higher-order needs- include esteem and self-actualization concerns. The fulfilment of lower-order needs, which desire social and physical well-being, and higher-orders needs, which desire psychological development and growth, leads to great behaviour and attitudes of people at work. Maslows theory describes two principles explaining the affects of needs on human behaviour. The first is the deficit principle, which states that a satisfied need is not a motivator of behaviour. The second is the progression principle, which states that a need at one level does not become activated until the next lower-level need is already satisfied. The goal of Apple in implementing this theory would be to allow all employees to advance through the hierarchy until they reach the level of self-actualization. At this level, employees begin to be motivated by opportunities of self-fulfillment. If managers within Apple followed this theory, employees would not have deprived needs which result in negative attitudes and behaviours, which in turn affect the organization in many different aspects. There are many different ways managers can use Maslows ideas to better meet the needs of their staff. A detailed plan to implement this theory would first begin by looking at the order of the needs in the hierarchy. The hierarchy of human needs is, from first to last: physiological, safety, social, esteem and lastly self-actualization needs. Below is an example on how Apple can fulfill each of these individual needs. Physiological needs: Providing reasonable work hours, rest and refreshment breaks, and physical comfort when working. Safety needs: Apple already does a good job in providing for some of these needs, such as safe working conditions, base compensation, and benefits. It could still improve in job security, which is eliminating the threat many employees feel of losing their jobs because of their performance. Social needs: Improving the group atmosphere between managers and workers, by having friendly co-workers and pleasant supervisors. Allowing all individuals to feel a sense of belonging is important. This need is important to fulfill within the Apple organization as it has many team-based projects. More social events could help improve the fulfillment of this need. Esteem needs: Apple can fulfill employees esteem needs by giving them more responsibility for important jobs, allowing the opportunity for promotion to a higher job status, and more praise and recognition from Steve Jobs and other managers. Ensuring workers know their contribution helps in reaching the organizations goals and making certain they receive recognition for what they have done results in good self-esteem, leading them to be more productive and effective. Self-actualization needs: As Apple already provides creative and challenging work through the products they develop, and participation in decision making, they could further help in fulfilling this need by allowing more job flexibility and autonomy. Apple should allow employees to feel that they have reached the place they want and by fulfilling the self-actualization need more and more, the individual is suppose to grow stronger. With Apple Inc. being one of the top companies in the world, it is hard to say what they should improve on because of their success, the great individuals they have working for them and their size. This plan to implement the Hierarchy of Needs Theory may benefit the organization but because of the organizations size and the expertise of the individuals that run the company, including Steve Jobs, I am sure they have looked to all aspects of the organization for ways to improve.