Compare and Contrast: Eveline vs Dave

Osvaldo Miranda Oren, Gail 9-16-2012 Enc1102 Eveline vs. Dave Writers of modern stories are interested in portraying life. Often, in their stories, we get ideas and find the chance to see, examine, and question ourselves. For example, in James Joyce’s â€Å"Eveline,† we observe how fear of the unknown affects a young woman’s future; In Richard Wright’s â€Å"The Man Who was Almost a Man,† we see how a young boy’s inability to accept moral responsibilities impacts his life, too. â€Å"How would we handle their challenges? Who is the stronger individual? The answer lies within. Both characters showed strength at some point of the stories. Dave showed strength and courage for going out to buy a gun. At the same time it was immature and a bad decision for someone who is not ready to be a man. Eveline’s strength showed throughout the whole story. She was brave, hardworking, and loyal. After the passing of her mother Eveline became the woma n of the household and started taking care of her family and bringing home money.It’s pretty obvious that Eveline has the more strength when comparing her to Dave. All of Eveline’s decisions were because of her loyalty to her family. At the end of the day she stepped up and stayed in Ireland to take care of her family. Dave is in a rush to grow up and not letting things come in time. He is impatient and his immaturity shows because of this. Dave’s decision making is not very good, he convinces his mom to buy a gun so no one would think of him as a boy anymore.This decision backfires on him when he accidently shoots a sheep while testing out the gun for the first time. The sheep’s owner is Dave’s boss and she charges him for the death of the sheep with monthly payments. Dave immaturity kicks in again and decides to flee because he can’t accept the responsibility and consequences for his actions. If you think about it Dave’s living situ ation wasn’t as challenged as Eveline’s. She had to deal with real life problems while Dave was dealing with personal options and caring what other people thought of him.Eveline’s tough situation and smart decision making shows why she has more strength than Dave. In conclusion, Dave shows he has strength in the wrong ways, and he is irresponsible and immature. Eveline on the other hand has real life problems that anyone would have problems dealing with. It is inspiring to see how much strength and loyalty Eveline has towards her family. There is no doubt in my mind that Eveline is the character with the most strength.

Customer services at Tesco Essay

Methods used by Tesco to monitor if good customer service is taking place. If Tesco’s know how good or bad their customer service is then they can make improvements where appropriate. Since they are in such a competitive market they must monitor regularly and act fast on anything which needs improving. Tesco’s is such a big company it will be hard to monitor the customer service in all the stores, but an easy and efficient way of doing this is to use mystery shoppers. This is basically when a researcher is paid to act as a normal customer and just shop around the store, looking for any improvements and commenting on what is good. The employers working at the store do not know who the mystery shopper is so results are accurate. This type of monitoring is done in every store of Tesco’s, and is a good way to get feedback on how well or bad their customer service is. If Tesco’s know where the cracks are in their customer service then they can mend it, so knowing what can be improved is vital. A mystery shopper can notify Tesco’s about the following: How they are greeted by staff How promptly they are dealt with The knowledge of the staff The staffs selling skills The appearance of the branch The quality of facilities Hygiene standards Since Tesco’s deal with a wide range of customers they can choose different types of mystery shoppers, which can improve accuracy of results and a perspective from different types of customers making the results less bias. For example they hire a mystery shopper acting as a mother with children, the mother then can check the baby changing facilities and other service provided by Tesco’s for people carrying babies. They would also use a disabled mystery shopper, who will test the disabled facilities such as the toilet, and they can know if areas are not as accessible to the disabled. The mystery shopper can also point out which member of staff shows good attentiveness and those who don’t care less. Tesco’s can then act on the members of staff who do well by perhaps, praising them, and try to make the members who are not so interested in the job care more, or make a decision to let them go. Another way Tesco’s monitor their customer service is to ask random customers to fill in a quick questionnaire, which can give customers to voice their  opinion on the store. Tesco’s as a large organization uses the suggestion boxes both for staffs and customers in their stores, forms or cards are often provided for staffs at the stores canteen or restaurant while suggestion boxes are usually placed on the shop floor for the customers to fill out, with this tesco’s can allow staffs and customers make suggestions on how to improve their services. Tesco randomly call customers who in one occasion or the other has had problems with Tesco’s either through refund processes or returns on damaged goods. Tesco will call up these customers to know how effectively they where dealt with and how they are getting on with their product. With this Tesco will know what criteria to improve on. The easiest and quickest way tesco’s use is by confronting the customers while shopping, they ask questions like â€Å"how well do you think we are doing in dealing with customers†? This is usually done in few selected Tesco stores dependant on management and cultural style of the store. Focus groups is a system which tesco’s rarely use, this is usually done where feedback is obtained from a small group of people usually consisting of 10-15 people, discussing about products and being asked for information about Tesco’s customer services. E5 report Customer services report tesco’s supermarket plc To: Graham Murray (Store Manager) From: Tayo Oyelaran Date: 25/02/2006 Suggestions on how Tesco’s Roneo corner might improve its customer services Having investigated your company I am suggesting ideas that needs improving on customer service and I am going to doing an evaluation too. With the research I have done Tesco’s customer service is not that bad. But still I suggest they can make some improvements in a number of issues such as: * availability of goods and service * speed of delivery * exchange and refund * Access to building. * Check out and trolleys Exchange and refunds Tesco’s does Exchanges and refunds on goods that are faulty after purchase. Tesco has a clear policy on returned items, so that customer services do not frequently have to ask their boss for assistance or clarification. Tesco’s will accept any goods back within a limited period, providing the customer has kept the receipt, and will refund the money. Tesco’s does not clearly explains the refund policy to a customer at the time of a purchase is made, and the importance of keeping the receipt should be stressed, this is quit a bad way for Tesco’s to show that they care about the customer by telling them what they should keep after shopping at Tesco’s. Tesco’s can improve this by making sure to tell customers to keep their receipt incase any problem occurs with it and that it can only be returned within 28days of purchase. Speed of delivery Tesco’s delivering service is quit good because you could buy your shopping over the internet and have your purchase be delivered within a day or two  but the bad thing about Tesco’s delivery is that they do not keep to delivery time usually delayed up to a day this shouldn’t be so when you have companies like e.g. Iceland and Safeway’s competing against you. As well as Tesco’s knows that no customer wants to purchases a large, heavy item and then find’s out that Tesco’s don’t do no delivery the customer may decide the whole transaction is too much trouble and go elsewhere. Delivery time could be improved bt having the right and appropriate I.T system which ensures accurate timing and delivery of goods and services to your customers. Availability of goods and services The availability of goods is always excellent at Tesco’s because the company. You virtually find what your looking for when you enter your store, but I weakness in this is that most of the time you usually run low stock which isn’t very good for example a customer might need more than what’s placed on the shelve. This will hinder he/she from purchasing your product, this could have little effect on your profit, so my suggestion to this is to improve or train your stock controllers more often to know the exact amount to be stocked and when the shelves should be filled up again if you have low stock. Access to the building and services Tesco’s has a few types of access to their stores e.g. * car park, this will attract more customers to shop at Tesco because they would not have to worry about where to park when they arrive there but not all the time there are spaces to park your car this is because some people park their car so they could shop around the local area for Tesco to overcome this problem they should issue a ticket when you go in their to park your car and the ticket should be only for two hours or less. * Lifts, are very important to because most car parks are two floor so customers could take their shopping easier up to the second floor. Disable people could use it too it they can’t walk up stairs * CafÉ coffee shop, after shopping some of the customers are going to a bit tired so they might go in to the cafÉ to have a cup of coffee. I noticed on entering your store you had only a few customers at the cafÉ so I’ll suggest you could do an offer (if you spend over  £20 you could get a free cup of coffee) * Children pen, for busy mothers shopping they could leave their children in a little area with a few trusted adults looking after them while you as a customer could shop more easier and quicker. * Toilets, is could be a good way for customer to stay longer at Tesco because they could spend more money. Checkouts and trolleys. A way in which they can improve customer service is to improve checkout times, which is the customers’ main problem with your store. They should ensure they have more tills opened for their customers so customers will be happy to shop at Roneo corner. More trolleys is needed too because people that come to shop on the weekend are probably going to buy one weeks shopping so I don’t think a basket would be enough, that could explain why there are a lot of spare baskets around to use during theses times. So I’ll suggest you have more trolleys especially during the weekends For good customer service a company must provide the customer with its utmost attention, which is what you do. The staffs at your store are very attentive towards the customers, and ask for assistance if a person looks lost or looks like they need help. Also to improve customer service in your store members of staff can help customers by helping elderly people carry their bags. Your store can also hire staff at checkouts to help customers pack their items in the bags. The Mystery Shopping Programme is a key tool for stores to use to improve the service they offer to customers. Using a range of research tools to find out about customer satisfaction is important to your store, I’ll suggest you use this method very often as it will help you to know your weakness in dealing with customers. For example, different Mystery Shoppers will visit stores over a period of time and the results will be compared. In addition the results of customer surveys can be compared and contrasted with the results provided by Mystery Shopper Reports. Using these results your store could analyze what went wrong with their customer service and correct them either by training their staffs more or providing more facilities to improve their customer service. Effect of my recommendation to your company Having done all this your store will have a very massive number of customers coming back to shop at your store because of having friendly and good customer service, this will also increase the companies productivity and Popularity. Complaint made about your store will also be reduced. Tesco’s profit, market share will also increase and good customer services will be recognized at tesco’s. What happens if these recommendations are ignored? First of all you will lose more customers if you fail to pick up some of my recommendation, of which without customers means no business. Business builds to attract customers and make profits so they can survive and last long open. Customers are very important to every business especially to Tesco’s because Tesco’s believes that without their customers Tesco’s will not be here at the moment and will loss all their capital. All these will have negative effect on your store’s profit, market share and ability to survive with nearby competitors. E2 Importance of good customer services and how it helps tesco’s achieve its  aims and objective Customer service is the whole activity of identifying customer needs in all their complexity, satisfying them fully, and keeping them satisfied. Customers are people who buy products and services from other people. Tesco is committed to customer service. Customer service lies at the heart of our modern economy because we increasingly make choices on the basis of how we are served. Excellence in customer service can only be fully achieved by having an organisational culture and value system which places the customer at the heart of everything that an organisation and its people do. Tesco has embedded this culture of customer service by giving high priority to a customer service emphasis from top management right down to the operational team level. Good customer services will help tesco’s achive theirs aims and objective by providing good quality services and good providing the necessary fertilities for the customers all these will increase tesco’s market share, its profit and its popularity in summary customers satisfaction equals a companies success. Skills and attributes need by tesco’s staff in order to deal with customers * Teamwork. This is an essential element of the effective functioning of any workforce. It relates to all functions of an organisation not just customer services. * Organisational skills. * Negotiation skills. * Communication skill. Staffs should be able to speak clearly to customers and using polite phrases. * Dealing with complaints and learning how to calm a customer down. * Dealing with difficult customers who cannot be calmed down. * Innovation skills. * They should have good product knowledge. Usually staffs ignorance and uncertainty put the customer off. If a staff at Tesco does not know the answer to a question, he/she should be able to find someone who does. * Presentation skills. * Selling skills. * Good mood and expression. Tesco’s staff should smile at customers this could make a difference. * Being flexible and good time management. Consumer protection law and how Tesco abide with them Tesco’s has a few legal constraints affecting the customer service because with out any legal protection customer might not feel protected when buying good from Tesco. Tesco has to think abut the customers so on top of the legal protection that the law provides they are being kind by giving refunds when they don’t have to. Here are a few legal obligations to its customers; customers need to be protected when buying goods, if, for instance: * Goods are damaged, broken or unusable – Tesco has to give a refund if the product if faulty if they don’t to customer could press charges on Tesco * Goods are not fit for the purpose for which they were bought for e.g. if a customer brought a DVD form Tesco and didn’t work the customer has the right to bring it back and get an exchange or refund back. * The seller has described the goods inaccurately. e.g. If Tesco has described a C.D player’s battery life to last 24 hours and don’t the customer could get a refund back or exchange. Tesco would need to understand that customers can complain against these problems and the following laws protect them: * * Sales of Goods act 1979 – One of the most important Acts today is the Sale of Goods Acts 1979. Since it was passed this has been amended three times – by the Sale of Goods Acts (Amendment) Act 1994, the Sale and Supply of Goods (Amendment) Act 1995. This covers the fundamental requirements of purchasers, i.e. that goods that Tesco’s PLC sell must be: – as described, this means that goods must conform to their description e.g. waterproof must mean the item dose not leak – of satisfactory quality – in relation to the price paid, the description, the age of the item – fit for the purpose for which they are intended – goods must carry out the purpose they are made for. Tesco usually issue refunds if they have failed to meet the criteria, which also contributes to their success dealing with customers. * Food safety Act, 1990-This is a wide-ranging law which strengthens and updates consumer protection in the food sector. This brought food sources, and implication farmers and growers, specifically under food safety legislation for the first time. It made it an offence to sell food which is not of the ‘nature or substance or quality’ demanded by the purchaser. Tesco follows this law very strictly for example Tesco’s Prohibits the sale of unfit or adulterated food and also Tesco’s Controls the description of its , advertising and labeling of foods. * Consumer credit Act, 1974- this aims to protect the rights of consumers when they purchase goods on credit, such as hire purchase or credit sale agreements. For example, if a consumer purchases any product from Tesco’s PLC on credit the customer should be given a copy of any credit agreements into which they enter. It also ensures that only licensed credit brokers can provide credit. * Consumer protection Act, 1987- this law was introduced to bring the British in line with other European Community nations. it ensures that firms are liable for any damage which their defective goods might cause to consumers. For example if Tesco’s where supplying defective electrical equipment they would be liable for any injuries caused to consumers using that equipment. It also seeks to outlaw misleading pricing, such as exaggerated claims relating to price reduction to sales items. * Supply of goods and services Act, 1982-this seeks to protect users of services, ensuring services are of good quality and at reasonable rate. For example if Tesco’s advertise that their products are going to be of high quality and it turns out to be of low quality, i.e. if a consumer buys a belt and after two days of wearing it the product should start cracking or should tear. Tesco also abide with the law to ensure good customer services * Trade description Act 1968 and 1972- this prohibits false or misleading descriptions of a product’s contents, effects or price. This affects packaging, advertising and promotional material. This is one of the key pieces of consumer protection legislation. Tesco’s follow this law by making sure that goods supplied to customers are not falsely described. Examples of good customer services that actual took place at tesco’s An elderly lady who is unsteady on her feet at times and uses a walking stick and avoids using stairs and escalator came back to tesco’s store because she left her walking stick behind. On a very busy weekend day below is the conversation that went between her and a sales assistant. Elderly woman; hello I left my walking stick behind in your store somewhere I cannot remember Sales assistant; ooh ok it was your walking stick; it has been taking upstairs to the customer service help-point. Sales assistant; do you mind if I help you go and get it upstairs. Elderly woman; thanks I’ll would be very grateful if you can help. Sales assistant; Ok then just give me 1 minute I’ll get you your walking stick. The sales assistant came back under 1minute with the elderly woman walking stick. The elderly woman thanked her for been helpful. In this scenario we can see the sales assistant was very helpful to the woman, she offered to get the walking stick without the elderly woman offering her to help. This is a very good example of customer services within tesco’s store. Example 2 A furious customer comes into the store here is the conversation that went between the furious customer and a customer assistant at tesco’s store. Customer assistant; may I help you sir. Furious customer; Yes, of course you can â€Å"I bought this stereo 3 days ago from your store and on the 2nd day it packed up, I discovered it wasn’t working no more. Customer assistant; ok sir that’s alright I see what I can do about it. What really seems to be the problem that does it power on or it doesn’t. Furious customer; I said the stereo isn’t working no more how do you expect something that is working to come on. Please I’m in a rush what do you want to do about it. Customers assistant; that ok sir, I’m very sorry about the stereo, can you kindly give me the faulty stereo and your receipt. Furious customer; that’s great here is my receipt. Customer assistant; sir at tesco’s we usually offer a 7 days return policy so you have nothing to worry about. Would you like me to issue a refund, a replace or an alternate stereo sir? Furious customer; an alternate stereo would be great, because having a replacement of the same stereo might have me coming back here with the same problem. Customer assistant; that’s no problem sir, come with me to see what alternate stereo you would like. In this scenario the customer assistant reacted in a very calm manner which also cooled down the furious customers making him feel he was been listened to. And also the customer assistant also apologized to the furious customer which shows the customer assistant understood the feelings behind the complaints. Example 3 A worried customer is wondering round the store here is the conversation that went between the worried customer and a non-food assistant at tesco’s. Non-food assistant; hello you look worried is do you need any assistant at all. Worried customer; thanks, yes I need your help do you have any idea where you put tour disposable plates, I have walked round the whole store but didn’t get to find any. Can you help? Non-food assistant; sure, come with me I’ll take you there. Worried customer; thanks a lot. Non-food assistant; there you go here are the disposable, we have various options available, do you help with any other thing in the store. Worried customer; no thanks I really appreciate it. Looking at this scenario we can see the non-food assistant generously took the customer to where the product was, he didn’t described where it could be found, this shows good customer service he also asked if the customer need any other help which is also a way of demonstrating good customer service. C3 Quality systems at Tesco Tesco products are continually monitored and tested for their quality and customer acceptability; this is their product evaluation. Tesco staff and management procedures are also monitored to ensure that they maintain the highest standards; this is quality assurance. Below are the quality systems which Tesco use in their production process to add value. Total Quality Management (TQM) – this is the most complete and complicated form of operations management. It is concerned with encouraging everyone in the workplace to think about quality in the business and use different management techniques within each department. Tesco does not prescribe any particular system of standards such as BS5750 or ISO9000. This is because they set their own standards through product specifications, detailed analytical specifications and codes of practice like preventing diseases from entering the food chain. Within the product process, they also expect their suppliers to have identified the critical points in the production process controls and premises by one of their technologists. However, if a supplier chooses to use BS5750 or ISO9000 as part of its discipline, they have no objection whatsoever. So therefore Tesco uses its very own quality standards to produce and sell its products. In terms of services, Tesco staffs are well trained to deal with customers even in the most difficult moments when they are angry. They are always expected to be polite, smile when serving customers and also say bye after serving them. To enforce this, they are regularly monitored by managers and supervisors and anybody not obeying the regulations faces disciplinary action. Tesco not only has well trained staff but also a whole lot of other things including free car parks with easy access for shoppers who have cars, free wide trolleys with special seats for babies and young children, special tills for the disabled people which also decreases long queues, the supermarkets are well organized that a shopper can easily find what they are looking for and also the chances of getting lost around the places are very minimal, they have got staff always standing by to help, tight security with guards and CCTV cameras to maintain customer safety, some stores have free busses that customers can use, children’s play areas so that they don’t get so bored, it has got online orders where customers make their orders and get free delivery to their door steps, shops are always open to make it more reliable for customers to shop, some stores are open twenty four hours a day and many are adopting this idea, chairs around the place which customers can sit on wh en tired, free loyalty cards for customers who wish to sign up therefore saving on their shopping, Tesco not only provides western food but also ethnic foods to cater for the ethnic minorities, free scanners that shorten queues, special offers like buy one get one free, there is a variety of product s in the stores, more facilities including: * Cafà ©s. * Photo processing. dg: * Phone services. * Electric, books, music & video stores. * Petrol stations. C1 Questionnaire 1. Who are your main customers? 2. How do you train your staff? 3. When do your staff get customer service training? 4. Do you have health and safety regulations? †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 5. Do you have a safety book? †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 6. What have you done to reduce health and safety accidents? †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 7. Do you have a customer complaints book? †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 8. Who deals with the complaints? †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 9. How many complaints have you had? †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 10. Do you have a customer service desk? †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 11. How do you check if your Customer services methods are working†¦ 12. How do you monitor customer services? 13. How much experience is needed to be a customer services consultant? Thank you for your time Below are the results for the questionnaire. It was a team leader working at tesco’s store I gave the questionnaire to feel in for me. 1. Who are your customers? His answer was all of the above. He explained that at Tesco everyone is identified and recognized as a customer even he himself. That this is know has internal and external customers where internal customers are tesco’s employees that staffs/colleagues who work at tesco’s while external customers are customers who often shop at Tesco like parents, adults, disabled and children. 2. How do you train your staff? He answered this saying. Our staffs are  usually trained on the job training but for managerial and organization role the off the job and computer based learning training are some times used. 3. When do your staff get customer service training? Our staffs are trained at the start of their usually lasting up to 1 week, occasionally staffs require to be trained frequently especially on the till as this could be easily forgotten or if there is a change or improvement in our computer technology, so in this case they would all have to be trained. Our staffs also usually have training request which they are also paid for while doing their normal job, this can also be referred to as on the job training. 4. Do you have health and safety regulation? Yes we do, this is usually done to ensure are customers both internal and external customer are shopping in a clean and tidy store to prevent accidents form occurring. 5. Do you have a safety book? Yes we do this is usually looked at the reception or at the staffs corridor to ensure we staffs know where all fire exit evacuation procedures e.t.c. 6. What have you done to reduce health and safety accidents? We ensure our store both the shop floor and warehouses are kept clean and tidy and also make sure fire exits are kept clear all the time. 7. Do you have a customer complaints book? Yes we do it is a form actually not a book it is usually given to customers who have complaints, although our complaints forms have been reduced because they are usually too many people with complaints so it is usually restricted depending on the type of complaints the customer is making. 8. Who deals with the complaints? Complaints are usually dealt with at the customer services desk but if it’s a serious complain against the company then the duty store manger Graham deals with the complain made against our store. 9. How many complaints have you had? As I said earlier on we usually have a  lot but it has reduced recently, this is due to us providing our customers with good customer services. Complaints are usually with the check out times at the weekend, so we have reduced this by having some of our staff’s multi skilled so they can work both on the shop floor and on the till. 10. Do you have a customer service desk? Yes we do it is located at the entrance of the store. 11. How do you check if your Customer services methods are working? Aaarh I’m not really sure though, I think by how much profit we make at the end of the week. 12. How do you monitor customer services? We use different methods like mystery shoppers, suggestion boxes, focus groups and questionnaires. But I think we use the suggestion boxes and mystery shoppers most. 13. How much experience is needed to be a customer services consultant? No experience is usually needed as our new recruits are usually trained to receive the best customer service training, although we usually prefer staffs with previous experience but usually no experience is needed. Thank you for time. After analyzing this questionnaire tesco’s treat their customers in a very good manner especially with the complaints depending on the situation it might as well be dealt with by the store manager which is very good for the customer and the store as the customer will be happy to explain what really happened and also the store manger will know what they did wrong there by ensuring it doesn’t happen again. Also their staffs are also well trained to be a customer service consultant. They also have a safety book which tells their staffs what they need to know if any thing occurs. They also ensure their store and warehouse are kept clean and tidy to prevent accidents from occurring to both staffs and customers.

Argumentive Eassy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Argumentive Eassy - Essay Example Social networking sites, such as Facebook and Myspace, have become the most modern and the most common methods of communication between people, especially for teenagers. While teenagers appreciate the ease in which they are able to communicate with friends and family members, there are many concerns in regard to this newer form of communication. Social networking sites are harming the social skills of teenagers, keeping them from other aspects of their lives, and have proven to be dangerous to their lives and well-beings. With all of these aspects combined, many parents have come to believe that social networking websites are harmful to teenagers. While many people, teenagers especially, believe that Facebook and Myspace are considered to be social networking sites, there are still others, consisting of mainly parents, that feel that social networking is an oxymoron. Through these social websites, teenagers are able to keep in touch with friends, family members, and teachers, as well as being able to meet new people through the many communities via these networking sites. However, the more that teenagers depend on these websites to communicate with others, the less time they seem to spend with friends and family outside of their web-driven social lives. The days of talking on the phone or going to a friend’s house have long since gone with the introduction of these simple communicative tools, making having a social life more convenient to teenagers of this generation. A social life nowadays usually consists of friends meeting each other in various chat rooms or forums on social networking websites to talk. The biggest fear here is that teenagers growing up in this digital generation and putting too much dependency on these websites will begin to lose real social skills, as their methods are now centering more around a computer instead of face-to-face communication, or even a conversation taking place

How Germany's hospitality has changed during the olympics games in Essay

How Germany's hospitality has changed during the olympics games in 1936 compared to the WM in 2006 - Essay Example Further, the German committee show cased their construction as well as development plans pertaining how the city of Berlin would enhance the hosting of the games. Germany would also have all facilities of sports regulation for the competitions in entirety. While the IOC called in on other cities like Barcelona, in 1931, the German committee persistently made a follow up. They made sure that they had straightened all the nitty-gritty to heighten all the chances of their nation’s hosting the 1936 Olympics. For instance, they insisted on their eligibility since the 1916 chance had been cancelled. By the vote magnitude, Berlin surpassed Barcelona by 27 votes of the 59 votes cast. Therefore, the eleventh summer Olympics’ hosting right went to Berlin on May 13, 1931 subsequent to the IOC concluding a straw poll from the delegates present then. They later announced their verdict globally. By this award, IOC portrayed that Germany had a good reputation as regards the world community of nations. Later, Germany won another right where they would play host to the fourth winter Olympics of 1936 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. (Vercamer and Pipes, 2009) This is a study set out to discuss both the 1936 Olympic Games held in Germany and the 2006 Weltmeisterchaft (WM) games. Note that Weltmeisterchaft is German for world cup. These are going to be compared to each other and more specifically there will be a vivid answer to be provided to the study question. The study question is, â€Å"Which were the impacts of the 1936 Olympic games to the German hospitality to other countries compared to the 2006 world cup effects on the same?† The Olympic Games in Berlin held in the year 1936 ran in a flawless manner and there were no significant predicaments. The events of athletics as well as the ceremonies of medal awarding were coupled by a vast number of social and cultural events. The

How I use math in everday life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

How I use math in everday life - Essay Example Soon I realized that one needs to have his or her math in order if one has to be a successful performer in the life. In one of the session when I was 13, my grandpa asked me a simple question, â€Å"What would you prefer – working for 30 days to get paid 5 million dollars at the end or 1 cent the first day and then doubling the amount each day such as 1, 2, 4, 8, 16†¦. up to 30 days period†. My obvious answer was 5 million dollars at the end of 30 days. He laughed at me and told me that I need to have some lessons from a Jew (with full regards to Jews of course!). I could not understand how I could go wrong on such a simple query. He made me sit and asked me to do the exercise manually. Though tedious and torturous the calculation was it surprised me when I finished my calculation that revealed me that I would have garnered as much as 536,870,911 cents or $5,368,709. Much more than 5 million dollars and certainly much more rewarding indeed! My succinct reply to him was â€Å"But how can one finish such lengthy and time consuming calculations?† He replied â€Å"Babe it is easy to calculate and simple if you know the math†. That is how I got attracted to math in early stages. It was later in high school that I came across summation of geometric series given in a mathematical formula in the form of a Ãâ€" (1-r n) / (1-r) that my grandpa introduced me when I was 13. ... I was quick enough to calculate my savings in cents as (60 ? 30)/100 = 18 cents. That means the effective cost of each Choco bar would be only (60-18) =42 cents. My limited spending power of $5 on this item per week would buy me nearly (500/42) = 12 Choco bars and that were good enough for me to last more than a week. One of the most useful concepts in the math is percentage that helps me in my daily purchases. It is a good way of comparison that makes decision easier and quicker. Math in Kitchen When I was 16, I came across Fairy Cake recipe published in one of the reputed magazine. I decided to make the cake myself. The recipe was designed for 15 people and ingredients were 156 gram butter, 156 gram self-raising flour and 156 gram caster sugar, 2.5 tablespoons of milk, and 2.5 large eggs. No standard packing in the above measurements (156 gram packing) is available. Nearest available smaller packing is 100 gram. I decided to use 100 grams packing of sugar, butter, and flour. I need ed to adjust milk and eggs in the same ratio. Math helped me there. I calculated milk quantity as (100/156) ? 2.5 = 1.60 tablespoons of milk and 1.6 of large eggs. Obviously, my prepared cake was sufficient to serve (100/156) ? 15 = 10 people. Math helped me a lot in my experiments of preparing some of the delicious dishes in those days and now. Math in My Profession My flair with math helped me in my nursing career too. Often, I do not have the correct dose on hand as prescribed by the doctor; therefore, I have to calculate the dose that I need to give based on what I have on hand. Other day, I was working on the 3 to 11 shift when a heart patient complained of chest pain. I assessed the patient

Propaganda Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Propaganda - Essay Example Or it is being associated with something that is identified as a wrong or incorrect. However, in certain Latin countries, such association is rare rather propaganda is linked with the term of advertising. However, in both the world wars, both sides heavily used the tool of propaganda against each other openly terming their actions something deceptive or something that cannot be trusted. Additionally, intent is a necessary condition for the purpose of propaganda (Cunningham, 2002). Propaganda is based certain characteristics- such as time, total, truth, trust and trigger. Each element of propaganda is separately usable both in wartime as well as in peacetime. Basically, propaganda is a type of persuasion determined and implemented to keep a targeted audience to think in the required way. And it is used to target on the emotional side of the targeted audience rather than on the logical and argumentative side. As most of the time propaganda does not look logical, some propaganda techniq ues are used to do so. First, trigger is used like a bandwagon appeal. In which, the audience is emotionally molded in a way to do something because everybody else is having and doing it. It is based on the concept of molding an aggregate behavior and action. Consequently, the audience is asked to follow the trend. Additionally, a stereotype or total concept of propaganda is based on a fixed idea relating to all members of a group. As a result, actions of all group members are observed with only one single but total idea and on the basis of it, the members of the group cannot be separately identified. Additionally, trust is established when a testimonial comes from a personal recommendation of a famous or renowned personality from or the one who can be trusted because of its position or bearing on to the topic. It can be a personality, institution or anything else on which mostly creditability is attached. As a result, trust is established and used. It can be used for either negativ e or positive propaganda. However, most of the time, in advertising campaigns such characteristics of propaganda is used to achieve the desired outcomes. In the given picture, a non-verbal propaganda may be used with integration propaganda. Integration propaganda is defined as an attempt to depict the interests and positions represented by officials, who support a particular propaganda message. It is an American flag carrying words â€Å"Thank you.† Now, nothing is appearing anything suggesting being a part of propaganda. There is no extra message written on it. It would have been a propaganda message if it had certain words or sentences like ones mentioned at website-civilization.ca, where certain historical posters are provided on which a flag with additional words or sentences are written in a way to propagate certain information such as â€Å"HELP THE BOYS TO KEEP THEM RUNNING† (Civilization. Ca, n.d). Additionally, above mentioned sentence is not only provided wit h some soldiers, but also it is being shown that they are in trouble, they are being fired by the enemy forces and they must be helped. Such propaganda posters represent the way propaganda should take place as they have certain emotional attachment and emotional appeal as well. On the other hand, the given picture holds nothing

Theory and Application Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Theory and Application - Research Paper Example Center of discussion in this paper is the theory as a systematic representation of a genuine problem, articulated as far as possible in mathematical terms in the natural sciences or logical (or strictly linguistic terms) in the life and social sciences. Theory basically refers to the research that leads to some conclusion regarding the hypotheses or that results in derivation of a hypothesis through experimentation. â€Å"Practice is viewed as action that treats real things: real acts, real teachers, real children, things richer and different from their theoretical representations†. Application or practice as the word suggests is application of the knowledge i.e. it is the practical aspect of the theoretical background. Since it the application that is usually important considering it is the application or practice that basically judges the theory hence it is important to integrate theory and practice. However, there is a significant gap between theory and practice. Especially , when it comes to the recent research being conducted, practitioners usually remain unaware of them, that has resulted in a widening gap between theory and practice. Hence it becomes necessary to understand the differences that exist between theory and it application in order to apply theories better to practice. Mullen et al. while discussing the theory-practice relationship explain that even though most consider theory and practice to be part of same world but even so they have different existence and we need to learn of ways to integrate the two. In their paper, they suggest three basic methods of integrating the two. The three methods mentioned are: metaphor, reflection and inquiry, and binocular vision. Regarding metaphor they state that â€Å"Metaphor can be used to capture a flexible, creative, and analytic form of integration†¦sees metaphor as the use of a word, phrase, or image in place of another to imply a likeness or comparison†(Mullen et al. 2005). They ref er to the system where we can analyze the situation, understand the problem, interpret it in various terms so as to be able to think of different solutions to the problem and apply the solution that best suits the problem. Reflection refers to the reflective conversation with the subjects involved. Mullen et al. (2005) refers to reflective practitioner as one who communicates with the subjects involved and thus gathers information that he utilizes in practice. However, it has a limited use since not all areas can utilize the method mentioned. Besides, communication skills are limited to individual abilities and hence do not provide a sure method for bridging the gap. Binocular vision refers to the concept where theory and practice are considered as the two lenses of the same binocular. Thus, they are considered as a part of the whole and are supposed to be naturally present in any given situation (Mullen et al. 2005). Exploring the mentioned methods Mullen et al. suggest that theory and practice are not to be viewed as part of different phenomenon instead they always exist in a situation as a whole. Further, it is difficult to state whether theory follows practice or practice follows theory instead they co-exist like the lenses of a binocular. Hammond, Rosso, Orcutt, and Martin (2011) in their attempt to develop better educational practices

Walgreen Store Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Walgreen Store - Speech or Presentation Example Likewise, the kind of training the managers receive before they are given that position would be identified. A SWOT analysis of Walgreens would finally be presented, as required. The leadership position in any business endeavor depends on an interplay of factors that ensure an organization’s success. The CBS Interactive Business Network (2011) released a report conducted by the Drug Store News on the top 30 retail pharmacy chain in the United States and revealed that Walgreens topped all other retail stores in terms of sales in 2004. Second in line is CVS Caremark. However, in the 2010 Drug News Report, the reverse was eminent: CVS overtook the leadership over Walgreens (Drug Store News, 2010). In this regard, the essay aims to proffer a comparative analysis of these two different major retailers of pharmaceutical drugs in terms of determining the significant differences or similarities in management styles and mode of operation.... TRAINING PROGRAMS Walgreens â€Å"robust training programs in place to give our team members every opportunity to explore their interests and reach their goals†¦ from informal enrichment and mentorships to formal certification and training† (Walgreens: Training Programs, 2011, pars. 1 & 2) CVS â€Å"50 training and development programs exist across the Company, including our Emerging  Leaders Program (where) Participants attend development sessions focused on leadership competencies and building  functional skills and knowledge. They are also provided with on-the-job experiences and opportunities to further enhance their leadership skills. Throughout  the development process, they have access to coaches who support their growth as leaders† (CVS: Opportunities, 2011, pars. 1 & 3). Employees in both Walgreens and CVS are highly motivated given the vast opportunities for development through availment of training programs that could earmark productive careers as leaders and in managerial positions in the future. At Walgreens, for example, professional development is encourage through both lateral and vertical movements that expand experience and training in various fields, honing employees’ skills according to their interests and goals. At CVS, through internal promotions and the sheer volume and quality of training programs, employees’ talents and skills are developed through their career service at the organization. As indicated, leaders are developed through the Emerging Leaders Program at CVS and through enrichment, mentorship, formal certification and training at Walgreens. Exemplary performances are duly rewarded in both organizations. At CVS, the rewards and recognition programs are as follows: Paragon Award (â€Å"the highest  honor a colleague can achieve within

Discussion question Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Discussion question - Assignment Example For instance, integrity is very critical in a workplace environment. Being honest as well as doing the right thing when it is required plays a significant role in the general performance of the organization. Integrity improves the performance of organizations since employees are trusted in the utilization of resources, and more importantly, supervision may not be necessary (Daft, 2013). To ensure that organizations are effective in terms of resource utilization, performance as well as productivity, it is decisive to make employees aware of their responsibilities. When employees are aware of their responsibilities accountability is enhanced. Accountability is a very critical element in organizations. How well resources are utilized in an organization is determined by how well an organization has laid its accountability structures. Organizations are required to take various steps to make employees aware of their responsibilities including developing of employees’ handbook. During induction, employees are required to be provided with an employee handbook. An employee’s handbook contains all the guidelines of the job including their various duties and responsibilities. An employee handbook will keep every employee accountable to every duty they are delegated to undertake (Daft, 2013). Additionally, organizations may be required to offer frequent reviews of the employee’s duties and responsibilities. These reviews can be done through seminars, workshops or internal meetings with individual employees. Review will act as a way of showing employees how critical their responsibilities are to the overall performance of the organization (Daft,

Throughout life Essay Example for Free

Throughout life Essay Every situation that an individual is exposed to throughout life, helps mold our self. As humans we have the ability to see ourselves from the outside, and all through life we try to see what others see and our self revolves around the generalized other. We observe how others perceive us and we make conclusions depending on our observations. How we act around others depends on the image we feel they have towards us. Charles Horton Cooley, a symbolic interactionist, concluded that our sense of self develops from interactions with others. Cooley described this process as the looking -glass self. The looking- glass self consisted of three elements. We first imagine how we appear to those around us. We may feel that others see us as boring or quiet. Therefore we try to interpret the reactions of others when we are around them to confirm if what we think is true. If others seem to avoid to talk to you or if you really cant keep a continuous conversation, this may prove to you that you are indeed boring and not so conversational, maybe making you a little uncomfortable when being around people. On the other hand if you see yourself as an individual who can communicate without a problem and you see that you can keep others interested in a given conversations, your reaction is more positive. Through this looking- glass self we develop a self concept. Depending on the observations we make concerning the reactions of others we develop feelings and ideas about ourselves. The reflection we see in the mirror is either negative or positive depending on the feedback we get back from those around us. Misjudgments of the reactions of others become part of our self concept also the misinterpretations of how others think of us. Self concepts begins in childhood but it continues to develop throughout life. As we observe how other people react to us, we modify our self. The self is never a finished project, and it continues to change as our life takes different turns. Our self reacts to the environment that we are in. As the self expands we put together the different reactions making us a unique individual. Every individual has a different way of thinking and therefore they make their own choices about certain situations. Going through different life changes, means the self is expected to change to accommodate the life stage we find our selves in. The way we perceived things when we were adolescents changes when we become adults. We perceive things differently and take in reactions with a different attitude. Even though the family sets basic fundamentals of our personality, we are not destined to keep those characteristics if we dont like them. We can expose ourselves to different groups and ideas that we prefer. Therefore our self transforms depending on the circumstances that we are in. Cooley concluded that our sense of self develops from interactions with others, therefore we modify our self depending on those people around us. For example if we perceive the reactions of others towards us as negative, we tend to change the way we act and sometimes think. There are times when we might try to fit in to a crowd were our self those not meet there qualifications and we focus on the generalized other. The way society expects an individual to be, also tends to bring about change in a persons self over the course of time. Society sets standards and as individuals we tend to form ideas about the way others see us. The self is something that never stops expanding. Change is inevitable, since we must accommodate to our environment. Our self is build by the interactions we have with others, therefore the reactions that we obtain from those around us are very important. This reactions can create either a positive or negative reflection that will influence the way we feel about ourselves and even some of the choices we make in life.

War Crimes In Wwii Japan History Essay

War Crimes In Wwii Japan History Essay This paper addresses issues related to war crimes committed by the Japanese during World War Two (1942-45). It begins with a brief history, background information, and continues with an analysis of the Japanese wartime mentality that includes selected events in depth. The subsequent sections of this paper identify and describe what war crimes are, and elaborate on two vital examples during World War II. In doing so, this paper will analyze the issue of war crimes and its impact and denial as a feature within Japanese politics. The militaristic tradition feudalistic structure which concentrated power in the hands of the daimyo establishes the historical precedence that lead to the development of Japanese wartime mentality. At the top of the class structure was the Samurai Warrior Class. The Samurai were about 10% of the population and they commanded respect. The Samurai answered only to their leader the Daimyo which were the landed aristocratic leaders. Samurai as top of the class structure and in many ways sanctioned them to do anything as long as it was for and in service for their masters/warlords The tactical and political demands of the Japanese militarists outdated the strict moral and ethical essentials of the Code of Bushido. Firstly, the term Bushido is a concept that includes a large amount of interpretation. Its vital exposing the misleading context of bushido to show that within this flexible doctrine, any action can be interpreted as just or moral as long as it fulfills the end goal. For a law of a doctrine to be corrupt, and illegal action to ensue, the laws must be clearly defined which the code of bushido was not. Secondly, Bushido emphasized obedience above all over aspects of conduct. It was required as long as it serve the motives of the individual, giving them the freedom unrestrictive action which can be seen in the Japanese conduct in WWII making their behaviour part of a continuous pattern of martial culture. As an ideal construct, Bushido emphasized honesty, filial piety, honor, selflessness, loyalty and unquestioning obedience to ones superiors. In fact, according to the Historian Yuki Tanaka, the brutality committed by Japanese soldiers during WWII was an effect of the subordination and the corruption of the Code of Bushido. The second example would be Nationalism. It was in this environment that the Tokugawa Shogunate was toppled and the emperor re-empowered during the Meiji Restoration of 1868. It was also in this environment, faced with external dangers and internal instability that the Japanese government became more centralized and the importance of nationalism and patriotism was stressed to the people. Loyalty was transferred from the daimyo and the shogun to the emperor-though the emperor largely remained a figurehead and the real machinations of government were being run by an oligarchy of powerful politicians. In order to develop a deep and abiding sense of nationalism it was necessary to stress what was uniquely Japanese. According to Conroy (1955:828), the program was to be national renovation, purification of the national polity, are turn to the traditional Eastern morality. By reviving traditional Japanese ethics the Meiji government could bring the people together under a set of commonly shared values that were unique to the Japanese. This would help create a national consciousness which is a necessary component of nationalism. This moral revival largely focused on stressing traditional Shinto and Confucian ethical precepts. There was another source of ethical values, however, one which centered on the values of loyalty, honor and courage-just the values that the Meiji leaders wanted to instill. This source was Bushido, Jansen points out that the samurai served as ideal ethical types, theoretically committed to service and indifferent to personal danger and gain (2000:101).These were precisely the values that the Meiji leadership wanted to instill in the population. From the abolition of the class structure, this clearly created a tight unification among the inhabitants of Japan and this is what pushed national strength to survive. Looking forward this can be seen as the progression of the us vs. them mind-set that can be found frequently in war. By creating this exaggeration of the virtues of samurai heritage, it intensifies and separates self-image of the Japanese as a virtuous and warrior-like population from everyone else. During World War II, Japanese society was a volatile combination of feudalism and nationalism that concluded in a national acceptance of military rule during the war years. The Japanese armed forces were a highly nationalistic, well established modern fighting force. Their doctrine was the Bushido code of feudal Japan permitted the fighting code of Japans servicemen Stephen van Evera notes that the effects of nationalism depend heavily on the beliefs of nationalist movements, especially their self-images. He also argues that chauvinist mythmaking is a hallmark of nationalism and that self-glorifying myths encourage citizens to contribute to the national community-to pay taxes, join the army, and fight for the nations defense (van Evera, 1994:26-27, 30) Japans movement toward militarism began after the overthrow of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the commencement of the Meiji Restoration in 1868, with Meiji oligarchs adoption of fukoku kyohei, meaning rich country, strong military. The Meiji Oligarchs did show signs of restraint towards expressions of militarism and imperialism in the first portion (decades?) of the Meiji period but this did not mean that they did not agree with the goals of foreign and military expansion. They first focused more on modernization and economic growth to catch up with Western industrial powers before they took any steps to expand Japans influence in foreign matters. Japanese militarism and imperialism progressively developed for five principal reasons. The first reason was Japans desire to be a Western-style imperialist power and the second reason was Japans concerns for its security and safety which played an important roles in the growth of militarism up to the end of the Russo-Japanese War in 1905. The next two reasons, Japans belief in its leadership role for Asia and Japans frequent provocations by Western powers, gave rise to an expansion of militarism and imperialism from 1905 to the 1930s. The final reason, Japans desire to secure its economic interests, rose in importance as Japan entered the decade of the 1930s. The last example is during the Meiji Restoration (1868) it also resulted in the refashioning of old militaristic goals to include expansionist ambitions overseas; such as Japans desire to be a Western-style imperialist power its concerns for its security and safety, its belief in its leadership role for Asia and its desire to secure its economic interests. National survival became tied to imperialism and expansionist ambitions with increased contact with imperialistic Western countries. The island nation became to a point paranoid with Western countries and its influence; from economically and militaristically catching up, unequal treaties that brought them humiliation, to freeing other Asian countries from Western imperialist power. Militaristic tradition, the development of a fiercely nationalistic culture which helped led to the development of Japans leaders imperialistic ambitions pitted the Japanese us against outsiders. The combination of these three historical developments led to the formation of a Japanese mentality where any kind of military action against outsiders was sanctioned as long as it furthered the larger goal of increasing Japanese strength and ensuring the nations survival. This ethnocentric view was not uncommon among imperialist countries and explains the way Japanese (and in fact, imperialist countries) viewed war crimes. Understanding the Japanese mentality towards the war and their nations role in it helps shed light on how war crimes were perceived by the Japanese. As such, I would define war crime in the Japanese eyes during World War II as follows. A war crime is an act of cruelty against ones own people that is neither to the countrys benefit in any form nor sanctioned by ones superior. By approaching the war crime in this context, it is possible to deduce that the Japanese soldiers did not see the acts of cruelty they committed during the war as crimes for they were all for the larger Japanese imperialistic goals and furthermore, committed against outsiders. Japanese troops entered the capital on 13 December 1937 and for six weeks, conducted a campaign of terror, humiliation and brutality known as the murder and rape of Nanking. Civilians and captured military personnel were subjected to looting, rape, torture, decapitation, mass killings and killing practice exercises. From a population of approximately 600,000-700,000 inhabitants in the city before it fell, it is estimated that at least 300,000 were killed and at least 20,000 were raped. Of all the atrocities committed in the Asian territories occupied by Imperial Japan between 1937-1945, the Nanjing Massacre is perhaps the most well-known. As historian Professor Charles S. Maier (Harvard University) has written: Within both Japan and Chinaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the Nanjing Massacre has assumed the somewhat same salience in public memory as the Holocaust in Europe and Americaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. The Japanese armys killing spree at Nanjingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ has become the other emblematic massacre of the Pacific War, and it remains the epitome of the cruelty and aggression that the Japanese military unleashed. The Nanjing rampage seems all the more atrocious in that it involved not what has seemed so horrifying about the Holocaust its bureaucratized planning and mechanized execution but the often gleeful killing of perhaps hundreds of thousands of civilians by individual soldiers using sword and bayonet as well as bullet. The killings were all the more appalling in that they were unnecessary for the military objective, continued after the victory was secured, and apparently involved such joyful or at least indifferent murder. (Bold mine) Brutal killings that seemed to have no meaning after victory was secured killing contests Japanese saw these acts as demonstrations of military prowess which harks back to samurai brutality in the past during the Sengoku era .Japanese did not see outsiders as equals and because of that, not really worthy of compassion or sympathy and treated them as lesser beings. Mentality of Japanese as the superior race with them making light of the lives of outsiders is not unique. This can be seen in Germanys persecution of Jews during WWI or known as the racist dimension of Social Darwinism. The official and extensive enslavement of young women by the imperial government for sexual exploitation stands out as one of the most egregious examples of how women suffer the cruelest blows of war. Historians have estimated that as many as 200,000 civilian women were forcibly conscripted in Japanese-occupied countries between 1931 and 1945 and forced to serve as sexual slaves in Japanese Army brothels. The Imperial Japanese Army assigned these victims the euphemistic term comfort women. The majority of these women were conscripted in China and Korea, but this barbarous practice occurred in every country occupied by the Imperial Japanese Army. Representatives of the Japanese government pressed them into sexual servitude with lies, including promises of education, or simply by snatching them from the streets. Usually taken from their home countries to military brothels elsewhere, they were kept isolated and imprisoned. From China, Korea, SEA and even Japan itself, perhaps the fact that it included even Japanese women makes it even more of a controversial topic to talk about. Also, the 90s saw women coming out to tell of their experiences which kept this crime alive and an important feature of Japanese dealings with the outside world long after the end of WWII. Comfort woman is an example of how different forms of oppression work within a system of war. The oppression faced by the combination of race and gender create a dangerous environment for these women. These two factors worked to dehumanize Japanese women and justify the behaviour of the government. Even the language used to describe this crime is a euphemism. Language is a very powerful tool used by the government to legitimize the rape and enslavement of thousands of women. Taking away their autonomy and reducing Japanese woman to their reproductive organs denies them basic human rights. The system of comfort woman also intersects with another form of oppression class. Comfort woman were woman of the lowest class. Therefore you have a government that is using its most marginalized demographic as a tool during war. Japanese view of women are lesser than men, purpose: to service men thus even enslaved Japanese women as comfort women, needs of the soldiers come before anyone else (harks back to samurai superiority were always the top of the class structure before Meiji period). Although due to its borders the definition of war crime as mentioned above, since it included crimes against their own people as well, comfort women remains an issue that nationalists politicians struggle to reconcile even till today. Notably, this difference in perception over war crimes carries on up till today which leads to the issue of war crimes still being a feature of Japanese politics. The Tokyo War Crimes Trials (1946 1948): Ultimately, victors convicting the losers, outsiders convicting the Japanese. Japanese defendants accused of war crimes were tried by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, which was established by a charter issued by U.S. Army General Douglas MacArthur. The so-called Tokyo Charter closely followed the Nà ¼rnberg Charter. The trials were conducted in English and Japanese and lasted nearly two years. Of the 25 Japanese defendants (all of whom were convicted), 7 were sentenced to hang, 16 were given life imprisonment, and 2 were sentenced to lesser terms. Except for those who died early of natural causes in prison, none of the imprisoned Japanese war criminals served a life sentence. Instead, by 1958 the remaining prisoners had been either pardoned or paroled. Japans refusal to acknowledge its war guilt and war crimes stands in stark contrast to the willingness of Germany to confront its war crimes. However, it is arguable that Japan has only been able to avoid squarely confronting its war guilt and war crimes because of the active connivance of the United States. In 1948, intensification of the Cold War persuaded the American government that Japan should become an American ally and bulwark against the spread of communism in Asia. This was unlikely to happen if investigation and prosecution of Japanese for war crimes continued. This is what many believe what sparked the Japanese government to refuse to acknowledge Japans military aggression. Many Japanese LDP members of parliament, government officials, academics, and revisionist film makers have aligned themselves with militarists and extreme nationalists in claiming that Japans intervention in China in 1931, 1933, and 1937 was necessary to liberate the Chinese from exploitation by Western colonial interests. Even if political figures do apologize to their neighbours they receive backlash and negative reactions in Japan. When Japans first Socialist Prime Minister, Tomiichi Murayama, was touring South-East Asia in 1995, he apologised for the tremendous damage and suffering caused by Japans colonial rule and aggressionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ in the not too distant past. Murayamas apology did not mention atrocities such as the Nanjing Massacre, and was the closest Japan has ever come to an admission of war guilt and apology for its war crimes. The apology by Murayama was viewed as inadequate in China but caused widespread fury in Japan. Another large issue over the years would be the textbook controversies. In 1962, an officially sponsored seven-volume history of the Pacific War was published. This sanitised history, called Japans Way into the Pacific War, ignored Japans military aggression across East Asia and the western Pacific and the countless atrocities committed by Japans military. From then, textbooks have been censored from statistical data such as the fatality rates, creating false historical information or even downplaying of words and content. Impact on foreign relations even to this day tensions between Japan and its Asian neighbours escalated from time to time. On Wednesday, the 67th anniversary of the end of World War Two, as South Korea and China both told Tokyo to do much more to resolve lingering bitterness over its past military aggression .Despite close economic ties in one of the worlds wealthiest regions, memories of Japans wartime occupation of much of China and colonisation of South Korea run deep in the two countries. Throughout wars there have always been casualties from both sides. The death tolls which include the estimates of all deaths that are either directly or indirectly cause by war, within World War II are the highest. The two most infamous executions by the Japanese military are the Nanjing massacre and the development of comfort women. Through western influence and the Meiji Restoration is what progressed into Japanese nationalism and expansionism. To this day Japans neighbors are bitter towards their history which can be seen through the attitudes of the older generation in Asia, the text book controversies and the constant refusal to accept their war crimes.

Issues in Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway Essay -- Woolf

Issues in Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway revolves around several of the issues that preoccupied the Bloomsbury writers and thinkers as a group. Issues of androgyny, class, madness, and mythology run throughout the novel. While that is hardly an exhaustive list, these notions seem to form the core of the structure of the novel. Woolf herself, when envisioning the project, sought to produce â€Å"a study of insanity and suicide, the world seen by the sane and the insane side by side.† This issue of madness, in particular, gives the novel its form as we follow the twinned lives of Septimus Warren Smith and Clarissa Dalloway. These preoccupations, occuring in the biographical and intellectual lives of the disparate members of Bloomsbury, revolved around Virginia framing the preoccupations and concerns of the text. In terms of the ambiguous gender identities running throughout the text (Clarissa’s frigidity towards her husband, her sexual view of women, and Septimus’s effeminite nature), there is a tendency towards the asexual or the androgynous in the...

juniper :: essays research papers

Western Juniper’s Growing Influence in Eastern Oregon Estimated Acreage  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1936  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1988   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  > 10 percent cover  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  420,000  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2.2 million   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Total area with juniper  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  6 million Volume of current stand  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  --------  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  467 million cubic feet Private landowners own 58 percent of the area and 49 percent of the volume BLM is the principle owner of public lands with juniper – 79 percent of publicly owned juniper forest Over  ½ of the present juniper forest became established between 1850 and 1900 (greatest increase came between (1879 and 1918).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rate of Establishment   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1650 – 1800  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2900 acres/year   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1800 – 1850  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  8200 acres/year   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1850 – 1900  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  23,100 acres/year   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1900 – 1940   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  6000 acres/year 52 percent of juniper grows in the 10 – 15 inch precipitation zone 41 percent of juniper grows between 4000 – 5000 ft. in elevation Juniper crown intercepts more that  ½ of the annual precipitation Juniper transpires water year round compared to seasonal transpiration of other vegetation Juniper roots can extend several times the crown diameter Almost 50 percent of juniper forests have crown covers 10-20 percent Juniper woodlands have up to 10 times the erosion rate of sagebrush – grass ecotypes (Buckhouse et. al.) Average cubic volume of wood per acre in juniper forests is 200 cubic feet Over half the area of juniper forests have fewer than 50 trees per acre Counties with more that  ½ million acres of juniper   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Crook   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  857,000  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Harney  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  884,000   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Grant  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  539,000  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jefferson  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  582,000 Information from: Gedney, D.R. et.al. (1999). Western Juniper in Eastern Oregon. USDA Forest Service. Pacific Northwest Research Station. General Technical Report, PNW-GTR-464, November 1999. Buckhouse, J. et al. (1982). Potential Sediment Production within Vegetative Communities in Oregon’s Blue Mountains. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. Vol. 37, Number 2. Pgs. 120 – 122. Tim Deboodt OSU Crook County Extension Agent Prineville, OR The Drying of Oregon Potential water use of Western Juniper within current juniper area 500,000 acre feet to 920,000 acre feet per year   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is the equivalent of a river flowing year round at 680 to 1000 cfs per day

Child soldiers: The role of children in armed conflict Essay

There are hundreds of thousands of children from all over the world who are forced and recruited into paramilitaries, civil militia, government armed forces and other armed groups. This situation is particularly common in Africa and Arabic countries which are constantly in war. In such countries the rate of insecurity is usually so high that the children cannot go school and as a result they voluntarily join the militia groups since it is the only activity they can actively be involved in. Some children are born and they experience the war from tender age, as a result war becomes part of them. In other cases the children are forcefully recruited and trained to be militia men. Thousands of children recruited are abducted from home, streets and schools. Other self recruits do it out of revenge they watched their family members being murdered in cold blood and others being raped and the anger makes them to join the army and militia group t seek revenge for their loved ones(Wessells, 456 ). In the international law, the involvement and participation of children under eighteen years old in an armed conflict is totally unacceptable and prohibited. At the same time the recruitment of those under 15 is regarded as a war crime. Such children have their child hood robbed of and they are exposed to physical and psychological suffering and terrible danger. They are often placed in the combat situation used as messengers, spies, porters, servants to clear and lay the landmines. This is usually dangerous to their lives as in most cases they are usually incompetent and highly disadvantaged compared to the other experienced trained older soldiers. During confrontation they are in most cases put in the front line and they end up being killed the most. The girls in such cases are usually subject to sexual child abuse and rape (Shepler, 165). The war and militia group encounter usually has adverse psychological impacts on the children. They witness and participate in a lot of killings and other inhuman acts which affect their psychological well being. Others run into depression and post traumatic stress because of being exposed to too much human blood. They usually find it hard to erase the sad and inhuman moments from their minds. They witness their colleagues being murdered in the war and they also killed people and these scenes keep flushing in their mind. If such victims don’t find urgent medical and professional help they die from stress and depression related ailments. Others end up committing suicide because of the traumatizing encounters and experiences (Klasen et al, 345). In Somalia for example the children have been denied the access to education. The children are exposed to high level of poverty they are forced to join the militia group so that they can protect themselves. The al-Shabab have denied access to aid thus enhancing the humanitarian crisis. The education has been paralyzed in the country because schools are destroyed in the wars and others are used as hide outs and training ground for the militia men. The children and teachers cant risk going to school because they might be abducted or killed. This situation has caused thousands of children to flee in the neighboring countries such as Djibouti and Kenya as refugees where they face hard living conditions in the camps. The Al-Shabab armed group has imposed restrictions on the freedom and right to education. They prevent some subjects from being taught in school and they use the operating schools to indoctrinate children into taking part in the wars and fighting. The armed group use threaten ing recruitment methods and in some cases they lure the children promising them money and phones if they join them (kohrt et al, 188). Children are used as soldiers they are easier to brainwash and condition. They are easily manipulated and convinced as opposed to the elderly people. They eat less food and they are underpaid. They have underdeveloped sense of danger and as a result they are easier to command In the line of fire. The children are also uniquely vulnerable to recruitment because of their physical and emotional immaturity. They are easily drawn and convinced into violence and wars that they are too young to understand and resist. The recruited children usually find it hard to go back home to their communities and families as they are ostracized from them. They are usually forced to kill a neighbor or family member so that they can’t go back home. For the female child soldiers, many have babies with the rebel soldiers and such children can’t be accepted in their homes making it difficult for them to return home (Achvarina, 132). Since 2001 child soldiers participation in militia activities has been reported in twenty one recent or ongoing armed conflicts in different regions of the world. The advancement in technology in the proliferation of small arms and weaponry has also contributed a great deal to the increased recruitment of child soldiers. The lightweight automatic guns and other weapons are simple and easy to operate, they are easily accessible and they can be used by the children. The guns are more portable and easy to use this provision makes it possible for children to be recruited in the armed activities (Rosen, 345). The children are also more likely to be recruited because of the separation from their families, high poverty levels displacement from homes, having limited access to education or living in a combat zone. Some children have parents who are both soldiers and they are born in the war area. Such children are almost naturally recruited as they don’t find it hard joining and participating in the war. Many children join the militia groups because of social and economic pressure that they are exposed to. others believe that the armed group will offer security and food. In some countries like Uganda, Sri Lanka and Nepal more of the child soldiers are reported to be girls. They are often raped and forced to be wives of the elderly soldiers. This is inhuman as it prevents the girl child from getting her rights and freedoms (Honwana, 287). The former child soldiers should have adequate access to rehabilitation programs which will help them relocate back to their families or get back to school. They should not be treated as outcasts but instead they should receive vocational training in order to have an easy time re entering the civilian life. If the children lack this support they can easily be recruited back to the armed groups because they will find it hard to cope up and blend in the normal society after their extreme experiences with the guns. It is the responsibility of every government to ensure that children safety and rights are safeguarded. The governments should protect all children from being recruited in the militia activities. They should prohibit forced recruitment of children of children under eighteen years old (Bayer et al, 254). References Cohn, Ilene, and Guy S. Goodwin-Gill. Child soldiers: The role of children in armed conflict. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2004. Wessells, Michael G. Child soldiers: From violence to protection. Harvard University Press, 2006.Honwana, Alcinda. Child soldiers in Africa. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2011.Rosen, David M. Armies of the young: Child soldiers in war and terrorism. Rutgers University Press, 2005.Kohrt, Brandon A., et al. â€Å"Comparison of mental health between former child soldiers and children never conscripted by armed groups in Nepal.† Jama 300.6 (2008): 691-702. Bayer, Christophe Pierre, Fionna Klasen, and Hubertus Adam. â€Å"Association of trauma and PTSD symptoms with openness to reconciliation and feelings of revenge among former Ugandan and Congolese child soldiers.† Jama 298.5 (2007): 555-559. Klasen, Fionna, et al. â€Å"Posttraumatic resilience in former Ugandan child soldiers.† Child development 81.4 (2010): 1096-1113. Rosen, David M. â€Å"Child soldiers, international humanitarian law, and the globalization of childhood.† American anthropologist 109.2 (2007): 296-306. Shepler, Susan. â€Å"The rites of the child: Global discourses of youth and reintegrating child soldiers in Sierra Leone.† Journal of Human Rights 4.2 (2005): 197-211. Achvarina, Vera, and Simon F. Reich. â€Å"No Place to Hide: Refugees, displaced persons, and the recruitment of child soldiers.† International Security 31.1 (2006): 127-164. Source document

Statistics in Business

Statistics is a way of gathering, analyzing, interpreting and presenting data so that it becomes more meaningful. It helps convert raw data into useful information. Statistics is therefore a collection of information. Statistics can be presented in graphical form to make it more appealing and easily understandable by the users. Statistics can be descriptive or inferential. Descriptive statistics have to do with methods in a data set that utilizes numerical and graphical to look for patterns to summarize the information revealed in a data set, and to present the information in a convenient form. The four elements of descriptive statistical problems are the population or sample of interest, one or more variables (characteristics of the populations or sample units) that are to be investigated, Tables, graphs, numerical summary tools, and the identification of patterns in the data. Also there are Inferential statistics that utilizes sample data to make estimates, decisions, predictions, or other generalizations about a larger set of data. There are 5 elements of inferential statistical problems: The population of interest, one or more variables (characteristics of the population units) that are to be investigated, the sample of population units, the inference about the population based on information contained in the sample, and a measure of reliability for the inference. When it comes to the role of statistics in business decision making it is applied in many ways in terms of consumer preferences or even financial trends. For example, managers across any type of business unit formulate problems, they decide on a question relating to the problem and then form a statistical formulation of the question is used to determine answers to all of the above. An example of a business question may be how many calls are answered on average in a call center and how can we increase the numbers of calls answered per hour. Another example may be how we can increase the number of accounts.

New York Life – Marketing Management Case Analysis

BAB25 – Case analysis 2: New York Life and Immediate Annuities Unlike the old days where a retiree could rest assured that they could live out the rest of their life on their pension and social security checks, the retirees of today receive their pensions paid out in a lump sum that takes the place of the pension check, but encompasses the total amount a retiree has to live on until they pass away. This creates uncertainty in the amount a retiree can spend per month, and if the total amount is sufficient to last them until they pass away. Immediate annuities help to create certainty in the financial situation of retirees. While retirees can be certain that they will receive a social security check each month, the amount of income they are able to receive from their pensions can vary depending on their contribution plan. Immediate annuities are a one-time purchase that guarantees a monthly payment for the remainder of the purchaser’s life. They solve the problem well as they take away the uncertainty of where a retiree can receive their income from, they are the â€Å"ideal vehicle to guarantee retirees a lifetime income† (Rotemberg & Gourville, 2010, p. ). Generally speaking, neither the buyers (the retirees) nor the sellers (agents/advisors) of immediate annuities are very enthusiastic about them. Consumers have several interrelated reasons for not buying immediate annuities. Firstly people are often not familiar with immediate annuities, which evidently causes fewer buyers. Then, buying immediate annui ties means spending a large sum of money as usually immediate annuities cost at least $100. 000 or more. This large sum of money has to be paid at once, while the purchase is irrevocable which causes doubts, most importantly because the retiree does not know if they will live long enough to make the purchase profitable. If not, more money will be put in the purchase than they will get out of it, meaning it is quite a gamble to buy immediate annuities (Rotemberg & Gourville, 2010). The agents and advisors that are supposed to sell immediate annuities, on the other hand, also have their doubts. Investment advisors actively manage their clients’ money. Immediate annuities do not allow for this as it is a one-time investment. This also means that the advisor/agent gets a one-time commission, which is less profitable compared to collecting multiple fees from one client over time for revocable investments (Rotemberg & Gourville, 2010). Additionally, advisors/agents often also do not have enough knowledge of the product, making it very hard to sell. Agents/advisors that do have knowledge of the product often state that immediate annuities are a bad retirement product. Only 9% of financial advisors (strongly) prefer the product, against 64% having a (very) weak preference for it (Morgan Stanley Research, 2007, as used in Rotemberg & Gourville, 2010). New York Life (NYL) has set its mind on growing the Guaranteed Lifetime Income (GLI) business in the future, but faces several possible paths in order to reach this goal. To be as cost-efficient as possible, we think that the company should select its pool of end-customers wisely. The focus on retirees should be maintained and even enforced, as many still do not know the products proposed by NYL. Furthermore, the focus should be broadened to a larger target group, to include the â€Å"typical† customers of the companies, families with children. As noted by Rotemberg and Gourville (2010), NYL tends to build long term relations with its clients, as agents follow them over time and sell multiple contracts to them. We can think that an ageing family would present a â€Å"risk management mindset†, as their children's future is not secured yet. We can hence position the product by presenting it as a safe solution adapted to one's own needs. Differentiating the product from those of NYL's competitors is important; potential clients of GLI annuities should understand the superior benefits of the product. Building on the company's reputation, GLI annuities should be promoted as a long term investment from a responsible company, concerned with its customers and providing long term relations between agents and customers. In order to reach a greater public and change customers' mindsets, we need to strengthen the core components of the company. For this, we believe that the focus should be put on NYL's agents rather than collaboration with investors that would force NYL to compromise on its values and products. While the pool of agents is already significant, only 4000 of them sold GLI annuities, as only 40% of the 11,500 agents had received the training specific to the product (Rotemberg & Gourville, 2010, p. 12). Therefore we believe that the GLI business would grow if all agents are trained to improve their knowledge of the products and hence their services to customers. We believe that the pool of agents should be increased gradually as number of customers grows in order to sustain the aforementioned values of NYL while the price of GLI annuities should not be changed, considering the customized services NYL provides. Instead, they need to focus on convincing customers that they're worth their price as their product is unique. i. e. NYL needs to emphasize the novel aspects of its product to differentiate from competitors', while promotion should be built on NYL's values.

Nature and Culture in Wuthering Heights Essay

In Wuthering Heights there is a clear battle between human nature, and the attempt to control it with civilization and culture. The conflict between nature and culture which is a part of the thematic structure of this novel is presented in the relationship between two residences: Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange as well as its inhabitants. Wuthering Heights represents the wildness of nature, passion and life, where as Thrushcross Grange stands for a refined way of life, civility and culture. Wild, dark and mysterious appearance of Wuthering Heights is a symbolic of its inhabitants. Heathcliff a distinct member of Earnshaw family symbolizes the wild and natural forces which frequently appear to be amoral and dangerous for society. And Catherine a representative member of Earnshaw family may be a lovely charming girl, however is rarely as civilized as she pretends to be. In her heart she is always that wild girl playing in moors with Heathcliff. On the other hand Thrushcross’s positive and comforting appearance is a symbolic of its inhabitants who grew in a pleasant way of living. The Linton family in contrast to the Earnshaw , are too cultured and refined.Edgar Linton in contrast to Heathcliff is an educated, refined, noble man. In the novel the setting and weather reflect the mood of the characters and their actions.The environment in which they live is another way to understand the conflict between nature and culture in this novel. Wuthering Heights first appears in a stormy ,coldness and dark scene.The Heights have wild, windy moors, and its inhabitants possess the same characteristics. Opposite to this is often the calm, orderly parks of the Grange and its refined inhabitants.Thrushcross Grange is located in the valley with none of the features that appear in Wuthering Heights.The characters at the Heights are more at home outside in the moors, while those at the Grange pass the time with quiet, solitary endeavors such as reading. Wuthering Heights is linked to aggression and violence both through the  stormy weather as well as its inhabitants. Where as Thrushcross embodies comfort and civilization protected against the violence and stormy moors. In this novel Emelie Bronte points out the problems with both wild and egocentric ways which might be natural to human kind, and the extremely secured ways of the elite class of the Victorian world. It is this exciting and thought-provoking theme that sets this novel aside from many other Gothic novels of its time.

Computer Games On Critical Thinking Skills Of Adolescence Education Essay

Presents, the new coevals has begun to develop an involvement in assorted computing machine bet oning activities. It is likely that computing machine games provide satisfaction for the demands, such as to let go of emphasis and as a acquisition procedure tool. Therefore, both kids and grownups are really attracted and addicted to these activities. It is really common for grownups to acquire involved in these computing machine games because drama is a natural manner to larn as it is joyful and can supply the chances to unconsciously incorporate thoughts ( Eow, Wan Zah Wan Ali, Rosnaini Mahmud & A ; Roselan Baki, 2009 ) . In add-on, great entree to cyberspace has besides increased these old ages. Most households are able to afford computing machine and internet entree at place. Besides, picture games had besides increased to go one of kids and adolescence ‘s front-runner, even in grownups every bit good. The gross revenues of video games in the United States have grown systematic ally between $ 7 billion and $ 7.5 billion in 1999. On the other manus, the worldwide gross revenues had besides increased to $ 20 billion ( Gentile, Lynch, Linder & A ; Walsh, 2004 ) . Games have ever been a favorite interest for everyone despite their age and gender. But, how is game defined? Harmonizing to Huizinga ( as cited in Smed & A ; Hakonen, 2003 ) , he defined drama as an activity which returns within certain bounds of clip and infinite, in a seeable order, harmonizing to regulations freely accepted, and outside the domain of necessity or material public-service corporation. In add-on, game is defined as an cosmopolitan signifier of diversion which includes any activity of amusement and organize a competition or competition fortunes. A game is comprised of three constituents: the willingness of participants to take part in the game to seek for amusement, regulations that provide bounds for the game, and ends which initiate struggles and competition among the participants. So, computing machine games can be defined as a set of activities that involves one or more participants, with ends, restraints and effects. Harmonizing to Crawford ( as cited in Hasiah Mohamed Omar, Nora Yanti Che Jan & A ; Nik Marsyahariani Nik Daud, 2010 ) , all games are comprised of four common factors: representation, interaction, struggle and safety. It is accomplished with the assistance of a computing machine plan, in which the computing machine coordinates the game procedure, exemplify the state of affairs and take part as a participant. There are assorted types of computing machine games designed to suit different participants ‘ demands and demands, for case, function playing game, educational game, athletics game and amusement game. World of Warcrafts ( WOW ) is the most popular â€Å" massively multiplayer on-line role-playing games † ( MMORPGs ) worldwide, with transcending 9 million endorsers from North America and Europe, Australia, New Zealand, China, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau, based on the Blizzard ‘s official web site. Besides, it is besides the first on-line game to make the gross revenues of over $ 100 million worldwide in the first twelvemonth of production, and besides known as the best-selling Personal computer game in 2005 and 2006 ( Chen & A ; Chang, 2008 ) . Games may be harmful to a individual ‘s wellness, but it may besides lend to an of import function in instruction. It benefits users in larning procedure such as bettering their logical and critical thought and job resolution accomplishments. Besides, it besides assists users in bettering their physiological reactions and hand-eye coordination. Critical thought is acquiring more and more of import as a cognitive undertaking on present yearss. Persons today frequently encountered metric tons of jobs and have an increasing figure of of import determinations to do, which affects themselves and the society. The National Council for Excellence in Critical Thinking defined critical thought as the intellectually disciplined procedure of actively and skillfully gestating, using, analysing, synthesising, and measuring information gathered from observation, experience, contemplation, concluding, or communicating, as a usher to belief and action. There are two factors in critical thought: a set of information, belief generating and processing accomplishments ; and the wont of utilizing those accomplishments to steer action ( Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2009 ; Renaud & A ; Murray, 2008 ) . Critical thought is non cosmopolitan as persons have undisciplined and irrational idea. However, it is seen as a self-guided and self-restraining thought in which concluding frequently occurs at the highest degree. Persons with critical thought are able to utilize their rational tools to believe rationally and moderately by forming and analysing ideas in order to do determinations that affect their lives, every bit good as to better their thought and concluding accomplishments ( Schafersman, 1991 ) . Problem Statement In Malaysia, 75.8 % of signifier one pupils in Kuala Lumpur were gamers, whereas the other 24.2 % were non-gamers. It is so reported that out of the 138 male childs being surveyed, 126 ( 91.3 % ) of them were gamers. On the other manus, 53 out of 98 ( 54.1 % ) miss being surveyed were besides gamers. This research showed that male childs have a higher per centum to be gamers than misss. Computer games do non merely act as the involvement among adolescence, it besides acted as a acquisition tool where brainstorming and critical thought develops. Therefore, it is non surprising that the signifier one pupils are so indulged in it ( Eow, Wan Zah Wan Ali, Rosnaini Mahmud & A ; Roselan Baki, 2009 ) . In a study on Institute of Higher Learning ( IHL ) pupils ‘ exposure to computing machine games in Malaysia, it is reported that 36.8 % of pupils were exposed to computing machine games at the age of 10 to 12, 21.1 % at the age of 7 to 9, and 7 % at the age of 16 to 18. About 80 % preferred to play card and arcade games, followed by action games ( 69.2 % ) , function playing games ( 63.1 % ) , puzzle games ( 50.8 % ) , scheme games ( 26.2 % ) and sport games ( 21.5 % ) . This statistics revealed that the pupils at IHL have a penchant for games that enhance their high-order thought accomplishments ( Hasiah Mohamed Omar, Nora Yanti Che Jan & A ; Nik Marsyahariani Nik Daud, 2010 ) . Excessive exposure to computing machine games can be risky as it may impact wellness and even take to decease. In Beijing, a adult male in his mid-thirtiess was found abruptly after an inordinate three-day gambling indulgence in 2007. Deaths by bet oning have besides been reported in Hong Kong, a 28-year-old adult male and a 17-year-old male child died within a twelvemonth of each other while playing the first-person taw game. In the U.S, a adult male died a hebdomad after he played Nintendo. On the other manus, in South Korea, a adult male died four yearss subsequently after exposure to inordinate on-line games. Harmonizing to Dr. Maressa Orzack ( as cited in Lee, 2009 ) , â€Å" our society is going more computing machine dependant non merely for information, but besides for merriment and amusement, this tendency is a possible job impacting all ages, get downing with computing machine games for childs. † Numerous surveies had revealed a consistent negative correlativity between sums of picture games played and school public presentation of kids, adolescence, and college pupils. Harmonizing to the informations, adolescence and college pupils who spent more clip on games are more likely to hold poorer classs in categories, compared to non-gamers. Besides, the content of games besides played an of import function. Based on recent analyses, approximately 89 % of games contain some violent content in which half of the games presented heavy force. Spending excessively much clip on these force games can bring forth strong negative effects on the gamer. For case, additions aggressive behaviors, ideas and emotions ; desensitisation to real-life force, increases physiological rousing and decreases societal behavior ( Gentile, Lynch, Linder & A ; Walsh, 2004 ) . The effects are proven by informations collected from functional magnetic resonance imagination scan ( functional magnetic resonance i maging ) . It showed that there is activation in the amygdaloid nucleus when the adolescents are playing games, but less activation in the concentration portion of the encephalon ( Carney, 2008 ) . Other than that, video games can besides do several other effects such as fleshiness in kids, societal isolation and physiological wellness jobs. Obesity is hazardous because it affects one ‘s wellness to the extreme. When kids spend most of their clip sitting and bet oning, they do non even bother to acquire up or hold a walk outside. Hence, opportunities of acquiring corpulence are ineluctable if they do non do any alterations with their lives. In the same state of affairs, the longer the clip they caught up in gambling activities, the more opportunities of them to lose socialisation accomplishments or connexion with the outside universe. Face-to face socialisation will be reduced since they can hold interaction with others through the Internet. Therefore, these kids will bit by bit go socially stray someday. Furthermore, physiological jobs such as GI jobs, sickness and concerns, attending jobs such as Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( ADHD ) , addition in both emoti onal and behavioral upset symptoms, diminutions in verbal memory public presentation, and decreased sum of slumber ( AddictionBlog.org, 2010 ; Cultrona, 2010 ) . Frand ( as cited in Roselan Baki, Eow, Wan Zah Wan Ali, Rosnaini Mahmud & A ; Mohd. Sahandri Gani Hamzah, 2008 ) discovered that computing machine games and cyberspace are really of import to the younger coevals as they depended and remain connected with it most of their clip. However, other research workers claimed that picture games are no longer a interest for adolescence as it works as a larning tool in which it enhances computing machine literacy, ocular attending, job resolution and reaction clip. In add-on, Gee ( as cited in Roselan Baki, Eow, Wan Zah Wan Ali, Rosnaini Mahmud & A ; Mohd. Sahandri Gani Hamzah, 2008 ) mentioned that video game can be a learning tool integrated into schoolroom acquisition since kids today frequently play games. Harmonizing to him, â€Å" when childs play videogames they experience a much more powerful signifier of larning than when they are in the schoolroom † . Besides, the benefits that one could obtain from computing machine games include chance for practical socialization ; larning about other participants ‘ civilizations and life styles ; prosecute in high-order thought accomplishment ; gathers general cognition ; and even increasing the linguistic communication larning chance. Therefore, it is suggested that instructors in school should admit the benefits of games on cognitive development of the pupils by organizing learning methods that helps to reassign the accomplishments and schemes to the pupils ( Roselan Baki, Eow, Wan Zah Wan Ali, Rosnaini Mahmud & A ; Mohd. Sahandri Gani Hamzah, 2008 ) . Conceptual Model Gender *Independent Variable* Male Female Critical Thinking Skills *Dependent Variable* Duration of games played per twenty-four hours *Independent Variable* Type of Games *Independent Variable* Strategy Game 1. & lt ; 2 hours Arcade Game 2. 3 – 6 hours Card and Board Game 3. 7 – 10 hours Shooting Game 4. 11 – 13 hours Word and Puzzle Game 5. & gt ; 14 hours Role-Playing Game The chief model of this research is focused on how computing machine games can be of import determiners of the development of critical thought accomplishments in adolescence. Three variables: gender, type of games and continuance of games played per twenty-four hours will be examined and they act as an independent variable in this research. The type of games will be categorized into six classs such as scheme, arcade, card and board, word and mystifier, shot, and role-playing games. Each of these independent variables will be surveyed whether it plays a function in developing or bettering critical thought accomplishments in adolescence. Theoretical Model John Dewey ‘s Definition of Critical Thinking Harmonizing to John Dewey, critical thought is viewed as ‘reflective thought ‘ and it is defined as an â€Å" active, relentless, and careful consideration of a belief or supposed signifier of cognition in the visible radiation of the evidences which support it and the farther decisions to which it tends ( as cited in Jaimes, 2005 ) . † Robert Ennis ‘s Definition of Critical Thinking A widely used definition of critical thought was developed by Robert Ennis whom so defined critical thought as â€Å" sensible, brooding thought that is focused on make up one's minding what to believe or make ( Fisher, 2001 ) . † Moore and Parker ‘s Definition of Critical Thinking Harmonizing to Moore and Parker, critical thought is defined as â€Å" the careful, calculated finding of whether we should accept, reject, or suspend judgement about a claim, and the grade of assurance with which we accept or reject it ( The Critical Thinking Co Staff, 2005 ) . † Mathew Lipman ‘s Definition of Critical Thinking In Lipman ‘s position, critical thought is seen as a more complex procedure than ordinary thought. Lipman defines critical thought as a adept and responsible idea that helps to build better judgemental accomplishments. Harmonizing to Lipman, critical thought accomplishments are applied in a given context in order to assist separate between the most relevant and less relevant information received. Therefore, critical thought represents a tool for countering sentiments ( noncritical thought ) and thoughtless behavior. Apart from that, Lipman argues that critical thought â€Å" protects us from being coerced or brainwashed into believing what others want us to believe without holding the chance to ask for ourselves. † ( Murchu & A ; Muirhead, 2005 ; Daniel, Splitter, Slade, Lafortune, Pallascio & A ; Mongeau, 2004 ) . Critical thought is thought to develop based on four classs: conceptualization, concluding, generalization and research. In Lipman ‘s point of view, critical thought develops based on three standards: ( 1 ) Use of peculiar standards, whereby a individual who uses peculiar standards of his or her ain critical thought accomplishments to measure the footings of statements ; ( 2 ) Self-correction, in the sense that persons are capable of transporting out an active geographic expedition for the mistake they make with the aid of self-correction in their head ; ( 3 ) Sensitivity to context, in which the flexible ideas helps persons to place assorted applications of regulations and rules for different state of affairss ( Daniel, Splitter, Slade, Lafortune, Pallascio & A ; Mongeau, 2004 ) . Edward Glaser ‘s Definition of Critical Thinking Critical thought was defined by Edward Glaser in 1941 as the ability to believe critically which involves three constituents: ( 1 ) an attitude of being disposed to see in a thoughtful manner the jobs and topics that come within the scope of one ‘s experience, ( 2 ) holding the cognition of the methods for logical enquiry and logical thinking, and ( 3 ) the accomplishments required in using those methods. Harmonizing to Glaser, critical thought is a utile cognitive tool with a scope of abilities such as to acknowledge jobs, to happen solutions for the jobs, to garner information, to acknowledge the unexpressed premises, to grok and utilize linguistic communication with truth, to construe informations, to measure grounds, to measure statements, to acknowledge logical relationships between propositions, to pull and prove decisions, to retrace forms of beliefs, and to render opinions ( Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2009 ; Fisher, 2001 ) . Bloom ‘s Taxonomy of Learning Domains The well known Bloom ‘s Taxonomy was originally formulated by Benjamin Bloom in 1956. This theoretical account was chiefly created for educational intents in developing critical thought accomplishments in pupils. It serves as a checklist that provides construction for planning, planing, measuring and measuring preparation and larning effectivity. There were three chief spheres identified: cognitive, affectional, and psychomotor. The cognitive sphere is comprised of six degrees which were organized from the simplest to the most complex: Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation ( Big Dog & A ; Little Dog ‘s Performance Juxtaposition, 2009 ; BusinessBalls.com, 2009 ; Bellis, 2010 ) . Knowledge refers to the retrieval of informations or antecedently learned information such as the acknowledgment of specific facts to finish theories. Although it is the start for higher degree of believing development, nevertheless, it is besides the lowest degree of larning results in the sphere. Comprehension, on the other manus, refers to the ability to grok, construe, and understand the significance of information antecedently learned. If an person can grok rules and theories, it so contributes to future job work outing or determination devising in the work topographic point. It represents the lowest degree of understanding in the hierarchy. Application is defined as the usage of erudite stuff in a novel and concrete state of affairs. In other words, it involves choice and interlingual rendition of constructs, rules and theories into work outing a undertaking or job. It therefore requires a higher degree of understanding in this degree ( Hammond, 2007 ) . Analysis refers to the ability to acknowledge and separate stuffs learned into constituent parts, analyze the relationships between parts and recognize the organisation rules involved. It is in this degree that critical thought and job work outing gets involved. Besides, an apprehension of both content and structural signifier of stuff are besides involved. As for the degree of synthesis, it is the ability to organize a new construction ( i.e. , program, proposal ) from several little constituent parts, such as uniting thoughts. Emphasis on the preparation of new constructions is seen as the larning results in synthesis. Evaluation refers to the opinions made about the stuffs ‘ value for a given intent. The acquisition results are the highest among the hierarchy because they comprised of elements from all of the other degrees in the taxonomy. Besides, it besides contains witting value opinions based on clearly defined standards ( Huitt, 2009 ; Instructional Design Knowledge Bas e, n.d ) . However, Bloom ‘s taxonomy has been criticized by professional critics. They commented that this hierarchy merely focuses on the idea processes itself and non sing how these procedures may work otherwise on several different informations or state of affairss. They besides mentioned that the knowledge-level of thought can non be assumed as less demanding than application-level thought ( Harmon & A ; Jones, 2005 ) . On the other manus, Marzano pointed out that the construction of the taxonomy traveling from simplest degree of cognition to hard degree of rating has no supports from research surveies ( Intel Education, n.d. ) . Core Critical Thinking Skills ( Peter A. Facione ) Peter Facione conducted a Delphi undertaking with a group of critical thought experts and identified the nucleus elements of critical thought, known as the nucleus critical thought accomplishments. Harmonizing to the panel of experts, the nucleus of critical thought accomplishments can be divided into six cognitive accomplishments: reading, analysis, rating, illation, account, and self-regulation. Based on the experts ‘ consensus statements, reading is defined as the ability â€Å" to grok and show the significance or significance of a broad assortment of experiences, state of affairss, informations, events, judgements, conventions, beliefs, regulations, processs, or standards. † The sub-skills include classification, decrypting significance, and clear uping significance. Analysis, on the other manus, is â€Å" to place intended and existent illative relationships among statements, inquiries, constructs, descriptions, or other signifiers of representation that is intend ed to show belief, opinion, experiences, grounds, information, or sentiments. † The sub-skills include scrutiny of thoughts, sensing of statements, and analysis of statements ( Facione, 1990 ) . The 3rd accomplishment, rating, is â€Å" to measure the credibleness of statements or other representations which are histories or descriptions of a individual ‘s perceptual experience, experience, state of affairs, opinion, belief, or sentiment ; and to measure the logical strength of the existent or intended illative relationships among statements, descriptions, inquiries or other signifiers of representation. † It includes the sub-skills of measuring claims and measuring statements. Inference is defined as the accomplishments â€Å" to place and procure elements needed to pull sensible decisions ; to organize speculations and hypotheses ; to see relevant information and to evoke the effects fluxing from informations, statements, rules, grounds, opinions, beliefs, sentiments, constructs, descriptions, inquiries, or other signifiers of representation. † The sub-skills include questioning grounds, speculating options, and pulling decisions. Explanation refers to the ability â€Å" to province the consequences of one ‘s logical thinking ; to warrant that concluding in footings of the evidentiary, conceptual, methodological, criteriological, and contextual considerations upon which 1 ‘s consequences were based ; and to show one ‘s logical thinking in the signifier of telling statements. † Sub-skills of account include description of consequences, warranting processs, and showing statements. The last accomplishments which is known as self-regulation, is besides the most singular accomplishments among all six accomplishments. Experts define it as â€Å" self-consciously to supervise one ‘s cognitive activities, the elements used in those activities, and the consequences educed, peculiarly by using accomplishments in analysis, and rating to one ‘s ain illative opinions with a position toward oppugning, corroborating, proof, or rectifying either one ‘s concluding or one ‘s con sequences. † The sub-skills include the introspection and self-correction ( Facione, 2010 ) . A Stage Theory of Critical Thinking ( Linda Elder with Richard Paul ) A phase theory of critical thought development was originally developed by Linda Elder with Richard Paul ( Gakushuu, 2010 ) . Six phases were involved in this theory: 1 ) the unthinking mind, 2 ) the challenged mind, 3 ) the beginning mind, 4 ) the practicing mind, 5 ) the advanced mind, and 6 ) the maestro mind. In phase one, unthinking minds fail to detect the important jobs existed in their thought, such as doing premises, organizing constructs and sentiments, and pulling illations. In other words, they are incognizant of the lucidity, truth and relevancy of their ideas. Unreflective minds are deficiency of the accomplishments and cognition to measure their thought and better it. In add-on, self-monitoring idea is unequal which makes them unable to recognize their prejudice belief. In phase two, the challenged mind becomes cognizant of the jobs in believing and may try to better and develop consciousness of the appraisals of believing even though they have limited accomplishments in thought. Besides, their deceptive ideas can lead on them to believe that they have better thought accomplishments. Therefore, it leads them to extinguish other jobs in their thought imperceptibly ( Cournoyer, 2008 ; Worldwide Centre for Organisational Development, 2008 ) . In phase three, the beginning mind starts to understand the importance of egoistic function in believing. They have sufficient believing ability to assist them self-monitor their ideas so that they can place bias and biased beliefs. Practicing minds in phase four acknowledge the necessity to execute regular systematic pattern in believing. They besides become more knowing of the demands for regularly monitoring and measuring their ideas. In add-on, they frequently monitor their egoistic thought actively ( Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2009 ) . In phase five, advanced minds have developed apprehensions of jobs at deeper degrees of ideas. However, they are non ready yet to hold consistent high degree believing. They besides have important penetrations into the function of egoistic ideas and the control over the ideas. In phase five, maestro minds exhibit highest degrees of critical thought and continual betterment of their ideas. They develop consistent self-monitoring ideas, and are able to pull off the strengths and failings of their ideas ( Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2009 ; Worldwide Centre for Organisational Development, 2008 ) . The Elementss of Thought ( Richard Paul ) Richard Paul formulated this theoretical account by placing the eight elements as the basic edifice blocks of productive thought. It is composed of eight elements including intent, inquiry at issue, point of position, premises, information, constructs, reading and illation, deductions and effects. Combination of all these eight elements will supply a general logic to logical thinking. The component â€Å" Purpose † suggests that all concluding involves a intent or end. It is of import to clear up the conflicting intents as each single develops different intents in concluding. It is besides of import to find the best intent and non-critical thought motivations that one has. â€Å" Question at Issue † refers to the effort of concluding an issue by inquiring some inquiries. Therefore, issue ever raise a inquiry. The inquiries formulated will be answered or solved by one ‘s concluding procedure. However, before replying the inquiries, one should clearly place the significance of each inquiry. If possible, one should besides find the inquiries as holding one correct reply, or involves sentiments. â€Å" Point of View † includes the position sing an issue and how people are influenced by their ain point of position when logical thinking. Persons should place their ain point of position, every bit good as others in order to find the strengths a nd failings â€Å" Premises † are unexpressed grounds which predict decisions. It is suggested that people need to take things for granted in their logical thinking procedure to do several premises. However, one should clear up the premises made and so merely find its justification. â€Å" Information † requires important groundss that showed logical thinking is acceptable. It is highly of import to garner informations and facts in happening supports and cogent evidence for separating sentiments and grounds. In add-on, it is besides necessary to see the lucidity, truth, and relevancy of the groundss. Experience may besides lend to concluding procedure. â€Å" Concepts † suggest that the usage of constructs and thoughts including rules, Torahs, theories, definitions, and theoretical accounts are needfully required in concluding procedure. Besides, it is besides important to see alternate constructs before make up one's minding on which to utilize, and to place the lucidity of the constructs. â€Å" Interpretation and illation † involves pulling decisions and happening solution through concluding procedure by the receiving system. The decisions one concept is dependent on the illations that one has made. It is of import to deduce harmonizing to the evidentiary supports and the consistence of illations should be taken into history every bit good. â€Å" Deductions and Consequences † suggest the significance for sing the deductions and effects of concluding. Deductions are decisions drawn from the transmitter and formed by concluding. Therefore, it is of import that one should see both positive and negative deductions and all possible effects ( Paul, 1992 ; Santa Rosa Junior College, 2010 ) . Literature Review Gender and Critical Thinking Skills Type of Games and Critical Thinking Skills Duration of games played per twenty-four hours and Critical Thinking Skills Research Hypothesiss Three void hypotheses are formulated: H01 = There is no important difference between gender and critical thought accomplishments among adolescence H02 = There is no important difference between types of games and critical thought accomplishments among adolescence H03 = There is no relationship between the continuance of games played per twenty-four hours and critical thought accomplishments among adolescence Research Aims To find the differences in critical thought between males and females. To find the differences between critical thought and several types of games played. To look into the relationship between critical thought and the continuance of games played per twenty-four hours. Research Questions Is there a important difference in critical thought between males and females? Is there a important difference between critical thought and several types of games played? Is there a relationship between critical thought and the continuance of games played per twenty-four hours? Operational Definition Critical Thinking Tonss obtained from The Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment Using Everyday Situations ( HCTAES ) Methodology Sampling A sample size of 0.38 % adolescence from around 100000 populations of secondary school in Kuala Lumpur will be selected utilizing the multistage bunch trying method. Therefore, a sample of 400 participants with approximative 240 males and 160 females at the ages runing from 13 to 17 old ages old will be indiscriminately selected ( Krejcie & A ; Morgan, as cited in Key, 1997 ; Bahagian Perancangan Dan Penyelidikan Dasar Pendidikan, 2007 ) . First of all, six territories will be indiscriminately selected from 20 territories in Kuala Lumpur. The selected six territories will so be divided into school blocks, which there are 20 blocks in each territory. Four blocks will be indiscriminately selected. Following, split the blocks schools with 40 schools in each block and two schools will be selected indiscriminately. In each school, eight respondents will be indiscriminately selected to take part in this study research. The principle of taking multistage bunch sampling is that it provides a generalisation of the study findings of the population. In add-on, this trying method besides minimizes the possibility of prejudices in response of the study. Data Collection Procedure The information will be collected utilizing face-to-face interview with the participants. The research workers will do assignments with the participants selected in order to run into them in individual. Since there are two questionnaires ( i.e. , Computer Games Questionnaire and The Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment Using Everyday Situations ) needed to administer in this research, therefore the same group of participants selected will be expected to make full up the two questionnaires, one after the other, on the same twenty-four hours of interview. The research workers will be in the same room with the participants to do certain that they fill up both questionnaires, with the Computer Games Questionnaire foremost. After the interview, all the questionnaires will be collected for farther informations analysis. Instruments Demographic Form There are 10 inquiries formulated in the demographic signifier. The participants will be asked of the types of games that they preferred or engaged in playing most frequently. For case, scheme games, arcade games, card and board games, word and mystifier games, hiting games and role-playing games. Based on the different class of games, six inquiries are formed with graduated tables runing from ne'er, rarely, sometimes, often, and frequently. Furthermore, the continuance of clip that they engaged in the gambling activities per twenty-four hours will besides be asked in the questionnaire. Few options of the clip continuance are categorized as less than 2 hours, 3 to 6 hours, 7 to 10 hours, 11 to 13 hours and more than 14 hours per twenty-four hours. Other than that, the last inquiry requires the participant to analyse themselves as which type of computing machine game participant, with options such as non-computer, novice, occasional, frequent, and expert computing machine game partici pant. The Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment Using Everyday Situations ( HCTAES ) This instrument was late developed by Halpern and is composed of two response formats such as unfastened and closed ( Nieto & A ; Saiz, 2008 ) . Halpern made an effort to unite both the multiple-choice and open-ended inquiries into a individual measuring tool due to restrictions of each response format. The trial is considered less structured but it presents more life-like state of affairss by utilizing inquiries that are set in reliable and credible contexts to mensurate critical thought accomplishments. HCTAES is a measuring tool which comprises of 25 scenario-based inquiries on day-to-day life, with each inquiries dwelling of both open-ended and multiple-choice responses necessitating judgement and rating. There are a sum of 50 inquiries formulated in the trial. In the open-ended responses, it is aimed to prove the strategic usage of believing accomplishments and the ability to self-construct possible solutions without any intimations given, or known as measurings of â€Å" free callback. † For illustration, there will be a ‘Yes ‘ or ‘No ‘ inquiry and a short reply inquiry given in this subdivision. On the other manus, the multiple-choice responses measures â€Å" acknowledgment memory † whereby seeking and choice of appropriate cognition and accomplishments from participants ‘ memory are indispensable in assisting them to happen an appropriate reply from a list of options given. Other than supplying inquiries with several options to take from, Likert graduated table or 7-point graduated table is every bit good formulated in this subdivision. In add-on, the open-ended responses will be the first portion in each inquiry and participants are besides required to react to it foremost before they get to reply the multiple-choice portion. The intent of the inquiries formulated in this trial is to mensurate five types of critical thought accomplishments including verbal logical thinking ( i.e. , acknowledgment of the usage of permeant and deceptive linguistic communication ) , argument analysis ( i.e. , acknowledgment of grounds and decisions in statements ) , hypothesis testing ( i.e. , understand the sample size, generalisations ) , utilizing likeliness and uncertainness ( i.e. , using relevant rules of chance, base rates ) , every bit good as determination devising and job resolution ( i.e. , placing the job end, bring forthing and selecting solutions among options ) . Several groundss of the convergent and divergent cogency of the trial had been reported in surveies with assorted samples of American pupils. However, the dependability coefficients ( Cronbach ‘s I ± ) had reported between 0.81 and 0.82 for survey with different groups of pupils ( Ku, 2009 ; Ku & A ; Ho, 2010 ) . Datas Analysis The void hypothesis in this research will be tested with one-way ANOVA and independent t-test on gender differences and types of games with critical thought in adolescence. In order to prove if there is any difference between types of games and critical thought, one-way ANOVA with alpha-level 0.05 will be used. The ground is that there are more than two classs of games that are being surveyed, such as scheme, arcade, word and mystifier, role-playing, card and board, and hiting games. Besides that, t-test is chosen to analyse the differences between genders in critical thought. The independent t-test with alpha-level 0.05 will be used since there is no matching required in this research. In add-on, it will be a two-tailed t-test as the relationships between genders are non-directional. Last, a correlational trial will be used to analyse the relationship between continuance of games played per twenty-four hours and critical thought. 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