Managing cultures and influencing people

Culture can be defined as the socially transmitted behavior patterns, norms, beliefs and values of a given community (Vance and Yongsun 2010, p.43). Culture influences how individuals interact with one another in society. It shapes the behavior and thinking of people and can be transmitted or even lost. Different aspects of culture can be adopted or rejected by society depending on their impact on society as a whole.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Managing cultures and influencing people specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More People tend to be comfortable interacting with individuals with similar cultural backgrounds where there is interaction predictability. This is mainly because they share similar characteristics and traits such as language and traditions. Similarity in culture produces feelings of inclusion while feelings of exclusion are experienced by people who do not share the same culture. Individuals who fi nd themselves in situations where their culture is not similar will stand out and interaction uncertainty will occur. This article will discuss ways of managing culture and ways of influencing people (Deardorff 2009, p. 56). Culture is not confined to national or societal areas but can also be found in organizations. Each organization has its own unique culture in terms of management, rules and even code of conduct. Culture varies and can be influenced by different factors. Globalization has meant that organizations increasingly interact with markets that are culturally different from their countries of origin. This has introduced a new dimension in leadership whereby leaders are tasked with finding innovative ways to manage different markets with different needs influenced mainly by culture. Culture is not static and is constantly changing; sometimes at fast pace and other times it may take a long time. One way culture can be viewed is either tight or loose. Tight culture describes culture where society largely agrees on what is acceptable while in loose culture society is more liberal and tolerant of different views (Vance 2010, p. 49). Organizations have to view culture as an important factor to consider when making decisions. Globalization has caused inter-cultural convergence which in turn means organizations have to understand the culture of the markets they are involved in if they intend to remain profitable. Different cultures demand different management styles.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More An example is countries in the East like Japan putting a high value on their employees and seeking to develop their potential while countries in the West such the USA view employees merely as workers, there to deliver on their contractual obligations. The difference in the cultural attitudes of the two regions means that different approaches to managemen t are required. Organizations working in different countries will also encounter a difference in the way business agreements and contracts are arrived at. It is necessary for organizations to familiarize themselves with regional cultures so as to avoid mistakes that may affect their businesses negatively (Vance 2010, p. 49). Culture in organizations has been the focus of different studies by various experts. Different kinds of organizational cultures have been found to exist in different organizations. There are three theories that have been created to describe organization culture. They are theories X, J and Z. These theories were proposed in 1978 by Ouchi and Jaeger. Theory X describes the primarily bureaucratic culture that was found mainly in organizations in the West. Bureaucratic culture focuses on productivity and tends to ignore developing communication between management and workers. In theory J which was mainly found in organizations in Asia the organizations management al low a worker to have a participatory role in decision making and there is greater communication between upper management and employees. The culture in the organizations encourages employees to develop skills for the benefit of the organization. Theory Z combines the best aspects of X and J (Fitzgerald 2002.p. 51). Geert Hofstede through research came up with four dimensions that can be used to evaluate the kind of culture found in an organization. Power distance describes the relationship between superiors and subordinates, the acceptable inequality in terms of power between the two groups. The second dimension was uncertainty avoidance which describes the degree of risk that is acceptable. Individualism and collectivism describe the social structure in the organization, whether it is loose or tight. Lastly masculinity and femininity describe the part gender plays in the cultural dynamics of the organization.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Managing cultures and influencing people specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These elements were then used to create different models that describe the organizational culture found in organizations around the world. Market model are organizations with small power distance and weal uncertainty avoidance, they are decentralized and informal. Family models are centralized and informal with large power distances and weak uncertainty avoidance. Machine models are decentralized with small power distances and strong uncertainty avoidance while pyramid models are both informal and decentralized. They have large power distances and high uncertainty avoidance (Fitzgerald 2002, p.51). Events management is an industry that deals with people of different cultural background on a day to day basis. In this industry organizing and managing people is key for success to be achieved. Events management is a business that requires a strong leader to navigate and drive the bus iness down a successful road. There are very many challenges that arise when managing events and being prepared for any and all eventualities is very important. Events by their nature bring together people with different cultural backgrounds. These businesses require a work force that is highly dynamic and culturally sensitive in order to remain competitive. Events management businesses should be highly organized to deliver on client expectations. Events usually involve various other groups such as security, promoters and caterers; this means that leaders should be able to manage their own groups as well as other teams involved. Events management leaders must be able to delegate duties to various subordinates as the business involves different groups all working to achieve a common goal. The leaders must be tolerant of others but remain in a position of authority to be able to hold successful events (Bowdin 2010, p. 279). In managing organizations, leaders need to factor in differen t cultural influences. Leaders need to understand the cultures of the people they need to influence and proceed to use both formal and informal skills to achieve their goals. To be effective managers, leaders need to understand different cultures and be sensitive to the differences.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Leaders need to have an open-minded approach to be able to embrace the uniqueness of different cultures. Leaders must also be aware of different cultures and seek to understand them which in turn lead to professional development. Being sensitive to culture and cultural differences leads to organizational effectiveness and during interaction with new cultural markets business can navigate easily by avoiding making cultural mistakes that may offend the new markets. In events management there is great interaction with different cultures both in terms of employees and in business. Leaders who are sensitive to culture can communicate with employees and clients effectively leading to successful events (Moran et al 2010, p. 25). Another way to effectively manage cultures is through cross-cultural learning. This may involve educating the employees on cultural practices of the clients they are to interacting with. Cross-cultural learning can be done through training and education. The traini ng of employees promotes cross cultural communication. When employees communicate with clients effectively there is bound to be an increase in business and profits. People tend to respond to the familiar and through cross-cultural learning employees can promote the building of relationships with clients. In the events management industry understanding the culture of clients is important in staging successful events. Cross-cultural learning promotes effective communication which is important to avoid offending any cultural aspects of clients (Moran et al 2010, p. 25). For a business to succeed, it needs to embrace global transformation. As businesses move into new markets they bring on work forces that have different cultures and consumers with different cultures. To be successful in these markets the organizations need to globally transform by going global. This means the businesses need to learn the new markets prevailing cultures and transform into companies and organizations that are acceptable in the new markets. Events management industries are not an exception. Events attract different people with different cultural backgrounds. Holding an event that caters to the cultural needs of the clients is part of the job description for events management companies. The companies must be aware of any cultural aspects that are unique and ensure that the event is in line with the cultural needs (Moran et al 2010, p. 25). The type of leadership plays a central role in managing cultures and influencing people in an organization. Leaders must be well informed on the type of culture that an organization has adopted. The leaders must then take advantage of existing organization cultures and keeping the strong points while doing away with the weak aspects of the organizational cultures. Leaders should then proceed to teach organizational culture through socializing. In this way employees can pass on the knowledge to fellow employees. Socializing may involve the introducti on of new culture into the organization. There are various methods that can be used to pass on culture in an organization. It may involve the use of symbols which is one of the most effective ways of communicating culture. Introduction of new culture might be met with resistance and leaders must be ready to tackle such a situation. A positive, patient and understanding approach is best suited for such an eventuality (Griffin and Moorhead 2011, p. 515). In my work as an events manager, I have found that theory Z works the best. Theory Z describes an organization that is decentralized, formal and practices collectivism. As an events manger I have come to appreciate the advantages that come with having a strong team. I have used theory Z which has meant encouraging my juniors to give in ideas on how to better service delivery to the clients. I have seen the benefit of using tools such as in house training and team building activities to improve the skill level of employees. I have an o pen door policy where anyone of the staff can approach me with ideas or problems. I have developed a culture of accountability in the work place where employees are encouraged to make independent decisions when they can which they are accountable for. This has created a feeling of ownership in the staff and by encouraging employees to be creative and innovative the company has attracted more clients in areas it was not traditionally catering to. I still maintain overall authority but delegating duties has meant that I have more time to concentrate primarily on managerial duties instead of losing time on putting out small fires. Having a culture that allows greater freedom for ideas to flow is the best for any organization. In events management it is best to always be prepared and having a staff that is capable and empowered to handle different situations has been invaluable. Adopting a culture that rewards the effort of staff has also helped to improve the business. Adopting an orga nizational culture that acknowledges the value of employees and allows me to assert my authority has contributed to my professional development as an events manger. Leadership is vital in the management of culture in an organization. The type of leader reflects in the overall culture of an organization. Culture is dynamic and leaders should be prepared to change organizational culture when necessary. Leaders greatly influence the people they interact with, whether they are clients or employees. Leaders should strive to influence employees and even clients in constructive ways that have positive results on the bottom line of an organization. In the events management industry culture plays an important role. Successful events take into consideration the cultural background of the attendants and ensure that cultural biases and norms are respected. In an event the food and entertainment should cater to the cultural demands of the guests. The workforce in events management companies shou ld be trained on handling people with different cultural backgrounds and not discriminate on any cultural aspects of the guests. A leader in an events management company should be always alert and aware of various cultural aspects of different people and work to ensure the events are catered with the highest level of professionalism. Events usually involve other institutions such as the police force leaders must ensure the various groups involved all work in harmony (Moran et al 2010, p. 25). In conclusion leaders are responsible for the culture and the cultural trends in an organization. The leaders should establish a culture that allows harmony is achieved in all aspects of the organization as far as culture is concerned. The culture in the organization should be all inclusive and not seek to discriminate anyone. Leaders are tasked to lead by example and adopt flexible approaches when cultural matters arise. The leaders should seek to learn about the cultures of different potentia l and existing clients. The leaders should establish a culture that allows all employees to interact with one another which allows information to flow easily in the organization. With the change in global trends the organization should adopt new technology. The use of social networking site is an example of new global culture that companies can use to their advantage. Leaders should have the vision and insight to lead organizations and companies into new markets even if they are culturally different. Reference List Bowdin, G., 2010. Events Management. Burlington: Routledge. Deardorff, D. K., 2009. The Sage handbook of intercultural competence.Carlifornia: SAGE. Fitzgerald, S. P., 2002. Organizational Models. Oxford: John Wiley Sons. Griffin, W. R. and Moorhead G., 2011. Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations. Ohio: Cengage Learning. Moran, R. T. et al, 2010. Global Leadership Strategies for Cross Cultural Business Success. London: Routledge Vance, C. M. and Yong sun P., 2010. Managing a global workforce: challenges and opportunities in international human resource management .New York: Sharpe This report on Managing cultures and influencing people was written and submitted by user Mayson Vargas to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Internet Will Isolate Us †Psychology Short Essay

The Internet Will Isolate Us – Psychology Short Essay Free Online Research Papers The Internet Will Isolate Us Psychology Short Essay With the development of computer, Internet is widely used in the world. Everyday thousands of people surf the Internet scanning the latest news, chatting with others, playing online games and so on. But I think it will isolate us in one way. There is always a generation gap, but nowadays many children spend lots of time playing and chatting online which results in the reduction of the communication between their parents and them, so that the gap widen day by day. Not only the children but some adults will be affected in the same way. As days go by, they will be used to chatting online and feel an aversion to the outside forms of socializing. They just feel intolerable once communicating face to face. At the same time, does chatting online mean bringing us closer? Certainly not. Can’t you see cheats are discovered one after another some of which even lead to the cheated ones’ suicide. Friends are friends when, and only when, you have seen the whites of their eyes. In a word, the Internet will isolate us completely one day if we don’t pay enough attention to it. Research Papers on The Internet Will Isolate Us - Psychology Short EssayEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaThe Spring and AutumnPETSTEL analysis of IndiaThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andWhere Wild and West MeetHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayComparison: Letter from Birmingham and Crito

David Tudor and Gordon Mumma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

David Tudor and Gordon Mumma - Essay Example The works of David Tudor was very significant and noted for their utilization of electronic circuits in creating different sounds. His â€Å"quirky† use of electronics has made a great impact on many of the modern day composers. In conversation with David Behrman, Ron Kuivilla stated that â€Å"†¦.the instability of the electronics, the absence of presets and the viewpoint configuration defies the identity of the composition, combine to make it very difficult to distinguish performance from composition.’ (Behrman 14) The circuitry that he made use of for all his compositions was not only original but so very complicated, that it made it very difficult to understand the working of the piece. Only now, so many years after his passing, are colleagues and fans trying to understand the complicated circuitry used by David Tudor. Most of this was due to the fact that Tudor didn’t label any physical parts, and sketched his circuits out on paper. (Adams) It was this pragmatic approach towards music that helped David Tudor earn a prestigious place in the history of experimental music.

Discuss the implications of your interpretation for social justice Essay

Discuss the implications of your interpretation for social justice - Essay Example This is a chart which tells the viewer that there is not much change in very poor demographics, and that poverty seems to be a cycle that keeps households in low incomes at levels of low opportunity to change incomes. Thinking of how this chart relates to social justice, one can think about various theoretical and practical measures that can develop to solve the problem of income disparity and of the poor remaining poor, domestically. There are many tactics to use, ranging from class-struggle theory to the more practical application of income variability advocacy and systemic delivery of access to equal education from private and public entities. Advocacy on the issue of equity within a universal and equalized educational system not based on property tax rates, could be developed to fight for social justice on a targeted and specific level by expanding the definition of the problem to focus on the people who are living in impoverished situations. Social justice advocacy could examine development based on accessibility, the cycle of poverty, and attention to the local level in examining the problems on a policy level as well It is important to approach the problem of poverty’s perpetuation directly rather indirectly, but effectively, by assaying investment trends and asking unanswered questions, following an estimation of where the money goes in terms of the populations who seem to need it most. Others describe the cycle of poverty more directly, not just in offhanded terms buried within a chart that is basically about making money, but as a direct study of impoverished areas that relies extensively on previous studies and seeks to establish demographic patterns. Although these two perspectives are basically talking about the same thing in terms of distance, the approach used by different methods of presentation is varied. Overall, however, those in low income areas have traditionally experienced difficulties in

Political Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Political Islam - Essay Example As a consequence, the only recourse left to a woman was to be a wife or a whore1. Whether this is an overstatement largely remains to the interpretation of an individual differently. Nevertheless, there is one thing for sure that many arguments propounded by men will be filled by biases and stereotyping. Paradoxically, the society we live in has come to agree with some of these fallacies conceived about women. Ironically, most people normally find solution in religion but Islam as a dominant religion offers so little protection for the woman. Qasim wonders why the same men would go such a long way to demean women. He observes that although men tend to discriminate against women based on their ignorance2, their mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters are not included in the same category. Qasim goes on to ponder whether a man’s happiness can be complete without women. Qasim also notes that out of their ego, men deprive themselves of the greatest delight in the world3 Scholars se em to have noticed that the most affected person is a woman who confesses Islam as faith. It should be noted that Islam has only been used here as an example but not as to attack its dogma. Mahfouz notes in the book Palace Walk, the plight of women especially under brutal and irresponsible husband. According to Mahfouz, husbands have failed to play their roles as husbands and consequently left women at the temptation of developing bad habit to supplement the missing part of their married life. Mahfouz notes on the very first page how women would do anything just to keep their men happy. The first victim of abuse Mahfouz presents is Amina. Amina has no alarm clock to wake her up at midnight to wait for her husbands return. She has a duty to welcome back her husband who allegedly goes for evening entertainment every evening4. It is past midnight and as a good wife, Amina struggles to keep awake so that after she has served her husband food she can go to bed. On personal qualities, Mah fouz presents Amina as a beautiful and obedient woman. She was married at the age of fourteen, implying that her education came abruptly to an end. Nonetheless, one cannot fail to notice that Amina was a bright woman. Her effort to try and correct her husband had not been taken kindly. The first time Amina had objected to her husbands night outs, his response had been to seize him by the ears and yell at her that he was the master. He had said, â€Å"I am a man. I am the one who commands and forbids. I will not accept any criticism of my behavior. All I will ask of you is to obey me. Don’t force me to discipline you.†5 Since then, Amina had opted to leave that issue unaddressed. However, for how long was she going to assume that all is well when her husband induced that through fear and a show of power? In fact, Amina became convinced that true manliness, tyranny, and staying out until midnight were common characteristics of single entity. Like most women whose rights were annexed by their men, Amina was already between the devil and the deep sea. Mahfouz has portrayed Jalila the vocalist as irresistible. She easily goes with different men at different times, a perfect picture of beauty who was herself a victim of tyranny of manliness. It is ironical that even Sultana attends the performances, which were in many cases characterized by immorality. For Jalila, it was business as usual as long as the fire was burning. It is

Benefits and Strategies of Learning Through Play

Benefits and Strategies of Learning Through Play Play is essential in child’s early years. In my model of play, every area is interrelated in regards to play. Play can happen at any point of time and at any place. From a child’s perspective, play is enjoyable and imaginative. Educators play an important role in planning play activities in the curriculum and to sustain their thinking. Background of the family reflects how children play at home and with their peers. In my model of play, a cultural-historical theory drives my play practices. According to Vygotsky, â€Å"Children will give new meaning to objects in their play in order to progress imaginary play† and to understand reality by learning how people work through role-playing (Fleer, 2013). He also continued that professionals in early childhood will contribute in children’s play through interactions in sustained shared thinking and through play connections with children (Fleer, 2013). Thus; my model of play revolves around these important aspects for a child – culture, play, educator, curriculum, family and educator. Each aspect will be further explaining in the following: Play Cultural –historical view of play can be reflected in my model of play. In this model, children engaged in both structured and unstructured play. In unstructured play, children will develop a state of mind, helping them to deal with feelings or challenges in their life and at the same time, providing opportunities for them to explore different ways in doing things (Bruce, 2011). From a child’s perspective, they use very minimal effort to move between play and real world (Edmiston, 2008). When they play, they create imaginary situations. These imaginary situations are based on their real-world experiences and children give new senses to their movements and objects (Fleer, 2013). I observed how these two girls, Ann (three years old) and May (six years old) playing at the kitchen corner. They are creating imaginary situations. In their play, they take on roles. They pretend to be mother and baby. As they are in their imaginary situations, children began to move away from r eality. They became more detailed in taking their roles. In my observations, Ann began to sound like a baby and will seek attention from her â€Å"mother†. Both children learn about everyday concepts as they observe how their mother takes care of baby. From there, they also picked up scientific concepts about movement like walking, carrying baby dolls and cuddling. Culture The family background of the child sets conditions for play. Usually, children imitate the role of the people they have most contact with. For example, if children will imitate the role of the teacher when they are at home; or in school, they will take on the role of their mother as they had been observing how she manages the kitchen daily. As children develop their play, they adopt the role and create their make-believe stories. In my observations on my play model, Ann and May adopt the roles of mother and baby and they moved on to puppetry play and bake cookies. When children are in play, children move in and out of imaginary situations (Fleer, 2013). They use special languages to communicate to draw a line between real worlds and play experiences. Children also use their language based on their family background. As May and Ann are Malays, they have included their mother tongue in their play conversations. They used, â€Å"ka kak† which means sister in their conversation. T his also explains that culture reflects on how children interact in their play experiences. It frames on how children play occurs based on their everyday experiences. In Vygotsky’s theory, he noted that a child’s daily life experiences sets and frames on how play may occur and children will not play freely (Fleer, 2010). Curriculum In my school, we believe that children learn through play. In our planning, we engage children in purposeful play and as well as free play. Thus, we do not provide worksheets for children to work on. For example, children (aged 3 years old) will be hunting for items associated with letter ‘f’, explore what they can do their feet and traced the letter by walking on the letter. As children are still developing their fine motor skills, teachers should not be stressing if the child is able to write. Instead, teachers can work on their gross motor skills and they learn through kinetic movements. From children’s perspective, they view it as play as they get to walk, jump and most importantly, it is enjoyable and fun. In my school, children also participated in projects. We lead provocation through their play activities. During the interactions, teachers and children are involved sustained shared thinking. Sustained shared thinking is an effective interaction where two or more parties and â€Å"working together† to understand concepts, cracking a problem and extending conversations and activities (Siraj-Blatchford, 2007). In our play incidents during our project, we sustain children’s thinking by asking open-ended questions. Our curriculum is also tied closely to Ministry of Education (MOE) kindergarten framework. In a Kindergarten Learning Forum opening speech by Ms Indranee Rajah, she mentioned that MOE strongly believes that the critical principle of learning in the early years is engaging in learning through purposeful play (MOE, 2012). They believe that children will learn through purposeful play as they are feeling competent about their ability to learn and develop their physical, cognitive, emotional and social skills. In my centre, we believe that children are competent and engage children in both purposeful play and as well as free play. Therefore, my model of play ties in closely with my school’s curriculum which we encourage children to learn through play and as well as referring to MOE’s kindergarten framework to support children in purposeful play activities. Educators As educators, we play critical role in sustaining children in play. We need look into our pedagogical role in engaging children in play. As children change the meaning of objects we have to look into the depth of play experiences to ensure that these play experiences benefit the children. When a purposeful play activity happens, Educators have to thoughtfully plan the activities with appropriate resources and materials for children to explore. Teachers have to constantly reflect on their teaching practices to see whether their planned activities are inviting children’s interest to be engaged and learning (Lim, 2010). Thus, teachers should provide a variety of play activities in child’s learning and a balance of play and work activities. These balance of play and work activities should include unstructured play to structured play such as from child-initiated play to teacher directed play. Educators should also take note of the sensitivity interaction between child and adult in play and playful experiences activities. Some play does not have to be guide by adults but educators should note that they have to be around even though it is free play for children. Even though the school has a strong curriculum, teachers have to be culturally sensitive to understand each and every child who enters to the classroom. Thus, as educators, we should not be stereotyping the children through similar characteristics of the children. Instead, we should take time to listen to the children when they are at play and interactions before we really make any conclusions on the child’s need and making it into his or her individual goals. This also explains that educators are also assessing for play. In Fleer’s (2010) explanation, assessment for play is how educators assess formative assessment and summaries the assessment at the end of a project or event. While observing the children, we also assess the children through play. This helps educators to do their observations and analyse when children are engaged entirely in play activities (Fleer, 2013). Teachers play a critical how in documenting down these play moments. Documentations can be recorded down in photographs, children’s voices or drawing which children is comfortable with and they can be displayed in the classroom. From all these play moments, children can find out what do they want to find out, and apply their knowledge gained from their inquiry. Fahey (as cited in Fleer, 2013) reasons in inquiry learning, that it is important to provide children the chance to ask questions, clarifying points and to be engaged in the topics which they are interested. This is also useful and going in depth of the child’s play so that learning can be furthered in play (Fleer, 2013). Teachers and children can also review their play activities in a form of KWL chart. This helps children to revisit the play activities and find out what they have learnt and how they can apply their knowledge gain in other situations. Environment Another aspect to discuss is the environment conditions and affordances in play. I believe that environment has an impact in play practices. Whether it is at school, community or at home, it provides different opportunities for the child to learn in daily life. At school, based on child’s interest, educators can then work on setting up the relevant resources in the classroom. Hedges (as cited in Lim, 2010) even inspire teachers to work together with children and sharing responsibility in order to have a child-initiated curriculum where teachers and children can co-construct appropriate and meaningful knowledge. In my school setting we believe that the environment is the third teacher. From a child’s perspective, the visual influences interaction and developing thinking and learning (Strong-Wilson Ellis, 2007). As our school is inspired by Reggio Emilia, it advocates that teachers to take note to the numerous ways to use the space to invite interactions (Strong-Wilson Ellis, 2007). To encourage children to participate in their culture community and to engage in meaningful play activities, teachers who are influenced by Reggio Emilia have capitalize on the environment’s potential as a developmental niche where children acquire knowledge skills and understandings (New, 2007). Thus, at my school setting, the classroom has wide windows to allow natural light to shine through the class. The resources used in the classroom are closest to the natural materials such as twigs, leaves, branches. This can form part of children’s play as they use these materials to create new meanings and interact with their peers and teachers. The environment also reflects school’s basis in John Dewey’s educational philosophy and Vygotsky’s social constructivist learning theory (Tar r, 2001). Both theorists â€Å"believe that children can best create meaning and make sense of their world through living in complex, rich environments which support complex, varied, sustained, and changing relationships between people, the world of experience, ideas and the many ways of expressing ideas† (Tarr, 2001, p.7). The outdoor environment also supports in children’s play. In my school, children are encouraged to engage in outdoor play activities. As my school setting are able to afford big spaces for children, we have the space for water play and sand play. This provides children to be exposed to a variety of play activities be it in classroom or outdoors. Family With reference to cultural-historical theory, play is learned in families (Fleer, 2013). Families can engage children in play and they can learn to pick up valued skills. For an example, parents will do house chores and from a child’s perspective, it is a play and fun activity in helping their parents. In this case, play has developed into an activity which children have contributed to the family. I feel that families should not neglect children’s play at home or when they are with them. Involving families in children’s play can motivate the child in learning and exploring new things, and fostering relationship between them. In conclusion, play is leading activity (Fleer, 2013) in a child’s life. By viewing at how each and every aspect contributes to play, as an educator, I have to constantly reflect on my teaching practices on how I can engage children in play. As technology has been moving rapidly, children are more engaged in technology such as iPad, children may forgo about playing physically with peer interactions. Thus, families and educators should be reminded that there should also be a balance between play activities for the child to be engaged and learn. Reference List Bruce, T. (2011). Learning through play: for babies, toddlers and young children (2nd ed.). London: Hodder Education. Edmiston, B. (2008). Chapter 1. Ethics in play. In B. Edmiston. Forming ethical identities in early childhood play, pp. 1 – 24. New York: Routledge. Fleer, M. (2010). Chapter 2. Parallel conceptual worlds. In Early learning and development: cultural-historical concepts in play, pp.20 -32. New York: Cambridge University Press. Fleer, M. (2013). Play in the Early Years. Port Melbourne: Cambridge University Press. Lim, S. M-Y. (2010). Reconsidering the play-work dichotomy in pedagogy. In M. Ebbeck M. Waniganayake (eds.). : Learning in diverse contexts, pp.141 -156. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press. Ministry of Education. (2012). Kindergarten learning forum. Retrieved June 19, 2014, from http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/speeches/2012/11/20/opening-address-by-ms-indranee-rajah-at-kindergarten-learning-forum-2012.php New, R. S. (2007). Reggio Emilia as cultural activity theory in practice. Theory into Practice, 46(1), 5-13. Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2007). Creativity, communication and collaboration: The identification of pedagogic progression in sustained shared thinking. Asia-Pacific Journal of Research in Early Childhood Education, 1(2), 3-23. Strong-Wilson, T., Ellis, J. (2007). Children and place: Reggio Emilias environment as third teacher. Theory into practice, 46(1), 40-47. Tarr, P. (2001). Aesthetic Codes in Early Childhood Classrooms: What Art Educators Can Learn from Reggio Emilia. Name: Loo Si Hui Student ID: 25687514 Page 1

The True Heroes in Hemingways The Sun Also Rises Essay -- Hemingway

The True Heroes in Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises   Ã‚   The imagery of bulls and steers pervades Hemmingway's novel, The Sun Also Rises. Bullfighting is a major plot concern and is very important to the characters. The narrator physically resembles a steer due to the nature of his injury. Mike identifies Cohn as a steer in conversation because of his inability to control Brett sexually. Brett falls for a bullfighter, who is a symbol of virility and passion. However, there is a deeper level to the bull-steer dichotomy than their respective sexual traits. The imagery associated with bulls and steers is more illustrative than their possession or lack of testicles. In their roles and in the images associated with them, bulls are glorious, exciting and dangerous. Steers are humble, impotent and safe. Hemmingway's treatment of these associations favors an ethic of weakness prevailing over strength. Despite the seeming advantages to being a bull and the explicit statements in their favor, steers are the true heroes in Hemmingway's novel .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The imagery associated with bulls and steers is confusing, since it is clearly supportive of bulls over steers. Bulls are associated with passion. Those who identify with bulls through their enthusiasm for bullfighting are called "aficionado" from the Spanish word for passion (131). Those who lack aficion are valueless while a true aficionado is a "buen hombre" (132). The bulls are "beautiful," muscular, aggressive and "dangerous" (139, 141). Because of their physical prowess and their sexual potency, bulls are capable of ascending to the heights of glory. They arouse passions in the crowds who gather to watch them run and fight. In sharp contrast, the steers are weak and emasculate. ... ...dencies. Without the bulls, the steers would stagnate. Without the steers, the bulls would self-destruct. The novel is a story about passion and how it must be pacified by the pedantic voice of normalcy. The way of the steer rescues the way of the bull from its conclusion in self-annihilation. In turn, the aficion of the bulls gives meaning and purpose to the life of the steer.    Works Cited and Consulted: Bloom, Harold. Ernest Hemingway. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1985. Hemingway, Ernest. The Sun Also Rises. New York: Simon and Schuster Inc., 1993. Kerouac, Jack. On The Road. New York: Penguin Books Ltd., 1976. Svoboda, Frederic J. Hemingway and The Sun Also Rises: The Crafting of a Style. Kansas: The University Press of Kansas, 1983. Young, Philip. "Ernest Hemingway." Encyclopedia International. v. 8, p.388-389. 1982 ed.

The Need to Introduce Flexible Benefit Plans for Employees

The employees of today†s workforce are divers. With such a workforce at hand, an employer must have a flexible benefit plan to match the composition of its employees. Flexible benefit plans are a written plan under which employees of a company are allowed to choose two or more benefits consisting of cash and qualified benefits (Everett & Miller, 1994). Some benefits offered under a flexible benefit plan are health care, dental, reimbursement accounts, life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment coverage, long-term disability, vacation, retirement savings, spouse accidental death and dismemberment coverage, and dependent care (Kleiner & Sparks, 1994). A young couple can be assured that their jobs not only meet the daily needs of their growing family, but that their children are covered for very little cost in their own employer-provided hospitalization and health care insurance. A worker employed by the same organization, approaching retirement, can choose benefits that will maximize his/her retirement income as much as possible. With his/her own children grown-up, he/she needs to attend only to his/her own needs. Also known as â€Å"cafeteria plans,† the organization offering a choice of applicable benefits to their employees ensures that the benefits for which they pay are the most useful for each of their employees. Costs are rising in almost every area of benefit provision and administration. The organization is able to secure more favorable rates for those benefits used, if the organization is not required to provide the same service to each employee (Webster, 1996). Employee benefit plans have had a long history, and can be traced back to 1794, when the first profit-sharing plan was created by Albert Gallatin in his glassworks in Pennsylvania (Kleiner & Sparks, 1994). Another notable benefit plan includes those made by the American Express Company in 1875 with the first private pension plan, and the first group annuity contract issued in 1921 by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (Kleiner & Sparks, 1994). These early benefit plans were only the beginning of the benefit packages. As it turns out, the Social Security Act of 1935 gave employees across the country a legal framework that supported the development of many forms of employee benefits. Very few employers provide full family health care coverage at no cost to the employee in today†s world, but everyone can save when they provide that coverage only to those who need it. Even though the employee almost always shares the cost now, the employer still provides the major portion of the cost of health care insurance. In today†s increasingly competitive business climate, everyone is forced to operate as efficiently as possible. The advantage to the organization and employees of having a flexible benefit plan is clear. Businesses are not required to pay for services its employees will never seek. For instance, pediatric care was provided across the board in one organization, a significant numbers of the company†s leadership were well past the point of needing that type of coverage for their family (Webster, 1996). Flexible benefit plans can be a very important tool for recruiting new employees and retaining current employees. Also, the costs of administering such plans may be offset to a large extent by the payroll tax savings generated when employees convert previously taxable compensation and income into a nontaxable fringe benefit tax (Everett & Miller, 1994). Flexible benefit plans also provide the employee with the advantage of being able to ensure that benefits chosen are those that best meets their needs. The primary advantage of flexible benefit plans is that the employer and employee receive certain tax advantages. This depends on the types of programs the employee chooses. In some cases, the employee may choose cash rather than any benefits at all, but that option is dependent on company policy. For instance, many companies offer pay in lieu of off the job vacation time, but other companies insist that employees take their accrued vacation time. Another advantage of flexible benefit plans is the ability of the organization to shift some of the cost of benefits to the employees who use them, while simultaneously offering tax advantages in other areas such as 401K plans. Any benefit that is not paid in cash, but is treated as such, is taxable to the employee, but the employee tax liability decreases the employer†s. Any benefit that does not satisfy the nondiscrimination clause of the Internal Revenue code is taxable (Webster, 1996). Other benefits are nontaxable either to the employee or to the employer. To be nontaxable, the benefit must be a qualified benefit under Section 125. Such qualified benefits include accident or health plans, disability benefits, accidental death and dismemberment benefits, the first $50,000 of group term life insurance, a group dependent care assistance plan, and a group legal services plan (Webster, 1996). A disadvantage of flexible benefit plans is that employees are often overwhelmed by the numerous choices a plan may have to offer. In many cases, companies are contracting accountants, financial planners, investment counselors and other consultants to help employees wade through the vast array of options (Jurek, 1995). Such consultant use increases the employers† costs of providing the flexible benefits plans, but employers believe the guidance is needed. As for the IRS, it only requires organizations make flexible benefit plans available to all employees, not explain the intricacies of all options. Employers† that provide flexible benefit plans show the desire to in increase employees† loyalty to the company. In an increasingly tight labor market and faced with the necessity of operating as efficiently as possible, in order to remain competitive, employers view the flexible benefit plan as a tool to enhance employee morale. Flexible benefit plans are also used to improve employer-employee relationships, reduce overall costs of providing benefits, and reduce the incidence of employee turnover (Leonard, 1994). Replacing an employee can cost more than the annual salary of that employee, so it is to the employer†s advantage to retain as stable a workforce as possible (Leonard, 1994). From both the employer and the employee point of view, flexible benefit plans make sound financial sense (Kleiner & Sparks, 1994). These plans provide a way for employers to control and budget benefit cost. At the same time, it is also a way for employees to enhance their benefits while paying expenses with pre-taxed dollars.

Collect and Plant an Acorn to Grow an Oak Tree

Collect and Plant an Acorn to Grow an Oak Tree Beginning as early as late August and continuing through December, various species of oak acorns are maturing and ripening for collection. Ripening dates vary from year to year and from state to state by as much as three to four weeks, making it difficult to use actual dates to determine maturity. The best time to collect acorns, either off the tree or from the ground, is when they begin falling- just that simple. Prime picking is late September through the first week in November, depending on oak tree species and location within the United States. This tree seed called an acorn is perfect when plump and the cap removes easily. Collecting and Storing Acorns The height of the acorn crop above the ground and the forest understory below can make it very difficult for the casual collector to gather large numbers of acorns in a forest setting. Lawns or paved areas help in collecting acorns if trees are found and prepared before site conditions degrade the nut. Locate open-grown trees that are heavily loaded with acorns and are in or adjacent to parking lots such as at churches or schools. Trees selected in this way also make identifying the acorns species easier. Always identify the tree and place tags or mark the bags so you will know what species you have collected. To store acorns for future planting, put them in a polyethylene plastic bag- a wall thickness of four to ten millimeters is best- with damp peat mix or sawdust. These bags are ideal for storing acorns since they are permeable to carbon dioxide and oxygen but impermeable to moisture. Close the bag loosely and store in the refrigerator at 40 degrees (white oaks can still sprout at between 36 and 39 degrees). Check acorns throughout the winter and keep just barely damp. Red oak acorns need about 1000 hours of cold or about 42 days. Planting these acorns in late April of the following season gives you the best success but can be planted later. Preparing for Planting The two most critical components of caring for acorns that are to be planted are: not allowing the acorns to dry out over an extended period of timenot allowing the acorns to heat up. Acorns will lose their ability to germinate very quickly if allowed to dry out. Keep acorns in the shade as you collect them, and put them in your refrigerator as soon as possible if not planting immediately. Dont freeze acorns. Immediate planting should be limited to the white oak species group including white, bur, chestnut and swamp oak. Red oak species group acorns must be planted in the second season- meaning the following spring. Special Instructions White Oak  acorns mature in one season- the season of collection. White oak acorns do not exhibit seed dormancy and will start to germinate very soon after maturing and falling to the ground. You can plant these acorns immediately or refrigerate for later planting. Red Oak  acorns mature in two seasons. The red oak group has to have some seed dormancy and generally does not germinate until the following spring and with some stratification (a cooling period). If stored properly and kept damp, these red oak acorns can be held in cold storage for planting in late April through early summer. Germinating and Potting After determining the proper time to plant, you should select the best-looking acorns (plump and rot-free) and place those in some  loose potting soil in one-gallon pots or deeper containers. The taproot will grow quickly to the bottom of containers and root width is not as important. Containers should have holes in the bottom to allow for drainage. Place acorns on their sides at a depth of one-half to the width size of the acorn. Keep the soil moist but aerated. Keep the pots from freezing. Transplanting Dont allow an oak seedling’s tap root to grow out of the container bottom and into the soil below. This will break the taproot. If possible, seedlings should be transplanted as soon as the first leaves open and become firm but before extensive root development occurs.​ The planting hole should be twice as wide and deep as the pot and root ball. Carefully remove the root ball. Gently set the root ball in the hole with the root crown at the level of the soil surface. Fill the hole with soil, firmly tamp and soak.

Plagiarism in Higher Learning Essay Example

Plagiarism in Higher Learning Essay Example Plagiarism in Higher Learning Essay Plagiarism in Higher Learning Essay Plagiarism in Higher Learning The types of free essays available online often begin with misattributed or irrelevant quotes, such as the words of wisdom offered by astronaut Lt. Rick Astley, who warned that, We, as intelligent, sentient beasts, must devour our young before they can rise up and take control, because inside we both know whats been going on. We know the game and were gonna play it and if you ask me how Im feeling, dont tell me youre too blind to see. It is very easy to catch students who resort to sing free papers from the internet because those essays are often of low quality and are easily searchable through search engines like Google and by using more sophisticated software like Turnitin. With outcomes like wasted time, money, and ruined opportunities for education, the consequences of academic dishonesty far outweigh the few meager benefits. Consider this example: If you spent a lot of effort on writing an essay, would you make it available online for free? Of course you wouldnt. And would you c heck essays for plagiarism if you find such? Sure, you would. You would want some sort of compensation for your intelligence and hard work. So why would you expect a free paper to be worth using? In the end, the amount of time you spend finding a relevant free paper online is probably less than you would use in actually doing the work yourself. Additionally, you wont learn anything by cheating and using an essay from the internet, so youre wasting your own time and money (when considering tuition). So what happens when someone lies and says that an essay is their work, but is actually from some shitty website? Well, teachers and faculty members who read ssays for a living are easily able to discern whether the student in their class produced the writing. These teachers then use their available resources, such as simple search engines and the above mentioned software to determine with absolute certainty that the student has obtained a pre-written paper from an outside source. Penalties for plagiarism vary from school to school, but punishments usually include failing the class (not Just the assignment), revocation of any funding (such as scholarships or stipends), and expulsion. So a student who chooses to cheat instead of doing the work themselves not only wastes their own time and money, they will likely also end up living back at their moms house and working at McDonalds. It is almost certain that the average plagiarist will become addicted to huffing glue and will never enjoy sexual intercourse again. Please remember that Wikipedia is basically a heap of digital garbage that will rarely teach you anything accurate. Using Wikipedia for research is the equivalent of licking a bicycle seat and claiming to have lost ones virginity. Within academia, plagiarism by students, professors, or researchers is considered academic dishonesty or academic fraud, and offenders are subject to academic censure, up to and including expulsion. In summation, students should make at least a minimal effort and their work will far outshine any of the free essays available online. These sites appear to be run by frustrated, illiterate pedophiles and only offer the student a quick route to getting kicked out of school and blowing the chances they had at being successful, intelligent, and happy.

Soap Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Soap - Essay Example A particular symptom of GERD is heartburn. Other indications involve regurgitation, epigastric pain, hoarseness, wheezing, and coughing. *taken from Chandrasoma & DeMeester, 2006 Pathophysiology of HTN As indicated by pathophysiology of hypertension (HTN) research, high blood pressure could be categorized as either essential or secondary. The former, essential hypertension is a pressure increase because of unidentified clinical causes. While, secondary hypertension is a pressure increase because of some other primary health illnesses such as kidney problems, tumors, diabetes, etc. Chronic hypertension can lead to stroke, heart failure, heart diseases, heart attack, and other illnesses. *taken from Izzo, Sica & Black, 2007 Pathophysiology of DM The pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus is connected to insulin, which is a hormone produced by the pancreas’s beta cells. This hormone is in charge of sustaining glucose amount in the blood. It enables the cells to utilize glucose as t he primary source of energy. Yet, in a person suffering from diabetes, because of anomalous insulin metabolism, the body tissues and cells do not utilize glucose from the blood, leading to an increased glucose level in the blood or also called ‘hyperglycemia’. ... If a person has a low BMD, s/he has osteopenia. Developing osteopenia implies there is a higher risk that, over time, a person could have BMD that is quite lower than normal, referred to as ‘osteoporosis’. *taken from McIlwain, Cruse, Bruce, & McIlwain, 2004 Application of Advanced Nursing Practice Framework Three distinct methods of abdominal pain assessment may be determined from the evaluation, which are (1) the appearance of the patient (dependence on observation), (2) the gestures and statements of the patient (dependence on the expressions of the patient), and (3) the normal condition (dependence on typology). In evaluating the postoperative pain of the patient, the nurse should depend on one of these three methods to get attain the level and quality of the abdominal pain of the patient during assessment. When the nurse depends on ‘the appearance of the patient’ or observation, s/he will make use of information gathered concerning objective facts such as posture or movements, skin color, vital signs to get to abdominal pain assessment. In contrast, when the nurse depends on ‘the gestures and statements of the patient’ or expressions, the nurse will have to regard the patient’s statement and gesture as the appropriate information for the type and level of abdominal pain the patient is experiencing. The nurse depending on ‘the normal condition’ or typology should pay attention to the conditions and characteristics of diagnostic or special tests, the time since examination, or the characteristics of the patient like sex, age, etc. in identifying the kind of pain felt by the patient. *taken from Whyte, 1997 Application of Family Stress Theory Family stress theory offers a

Explain and discuss how Globalisation has affected the growth of Essay

Explain and discuss how Globalisation has affected the growth of international business - Essay Example In any case, it has been proved that globalisation can highly affect the growth of international business but the process used for the achievement of this target is not standardized. The involvement of globalisation in the growth of international business has been highlighted in the literature and the empirical research; however, academic researchers have employed in order to justify the power of globalisation on international business. In accordance with Dunning (1999), globalisation offers to businesses the chance to expand their activities in the global market, either physically or through the Internet. Reference is made, for example, to the case of the communications industry where globalisation has given ‘enormous opportunities for expansion and high profits for the industry’s major firms’ (Dunning 141). Another example used in the study of Dunning for showing the relationship between globalisation and international business is that of the financial services firm Merrill Lynch, a firm ‘operating in about 31 countries’ (Dunning 141). In accordance with the view of Dunning, as presented above, globalisation can support the development of businesses internationally; however, such benefit is expected to be available only to large firms, which have the resources necessary for enjoying the benefits of globalisation. Small and medium sizes firms would face many difficulties in entering the global market; moreover, the firms of this size could not compete international firms. In other words, globalisation could support the growth of businesses internationally, but such prospects would involve mostly in firms of large size – as also explained in the study of Dunning (1999) above. A different perspective of globalisation is highlighted in the study of Worthington & Britton (2009); in accordance with the above study, the international market is not related only to international businesses; it is suggested that ‘businesses of all sizes should be aware of their international context’ (Worthington & Britton 45). Moreover, it is made clear that one of the key benefits that globalisation can offer to businesses internationally is the provision of an extended market for their products/ services. In other words, for the above researcher, the concept of globalisation reflects the existence of a market, which is geographically expanded as possible – covering the markets of all countries worldwide. In the study of Wall and Minocha (2009) emphasis is given on the use of globalisation for achieving benefits in a wide area of activities/ areas, including trade, politics and sociology. Regarding specifically trade, globalization is expected to have specific benefits: improvement of the quality and the level of trade developed among states and organizations internationally (Wall & Minocha 2009); moreover, globalisation could help toward the ‘increase of the international capital flows’ ( Wall and Minocha 2009, p. 14). Also, globalization could help towards the increase of ‘capital flows worldwide’ It is expected that businesses, which operate globally, would be also strongly benefited from globalisation. However, an important implication of the view of Wall & Minocha (2009) on globalisation would be the following one: not all firms of large size are able to compete their rivals; the lack of effective management would not allow firms of small/ medium size to get access to the international