Observation technique free essay sample

Checklists are lists of specific traits or behaviors arranged in logical order Check lists are especially useful for types of behavior or traits than can be easily and clearly specified Information from anecdotal and running records can be transferred to checklists to make interpretation easier Advantages 1. They are easy and quick to use; 2. Little training required; 3. They can be used in the presence of the child or recorded later; 4. Helps to focus observations on many behaviors at once; 5. Can be used for curriculum planning; activities can be planned to encourage certain behaviors that have not yet been observed; 6. Can be used to condense information from running record or anecdotal records. Disadvantages 1. Not very detailed; 2. Little information about the context or sequence of events; 3. May miss important information not included on the checklist. 4. Notes if a behavior occurred but not how often it occurs or the duration of the behavior. Something that happens once may not be very meaningful. We will write a custom essay sample on Observation technique or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Target child observation This form of observation is used in group settings to find out whether children are getting worthwhile experiences in the group. The child may be selected for a particular reason or at random. The child is observed for a concentrated period of time noting: ? The language they use ? How they interact with others ? What they are doing ? What materials they are using Particular attention should be paid to whether the child is being challenged by activities that make them think, work things out and whether they concentrate on activities. To gain an accurate picture of a child’s development at a given time it is advisable to complete observations over a few days or a week. The observer must bear in mind that one isolated observation, even though it may reveal a surprising amount of information about a particular child, should never form the basis for reaching conclusions about a child’s ongoing development. If the practitioner wishes to get a full picture, they will need to collect a series of observations made at regular intervals over a period of time. Checklist Observation A guide used for assessing a child on a particular day against a list of specific milestonesthat should be reached at a certain time. Checklists can be used on all children on aregular basis to enable you to plan for each child’s needs. Advantages †¢ It is quick and simple to use. †¢ It is a fast way of presenting a great deal of information. †¢ It can be used as part of a Longitudinal study. †¢ It can be regularly repeated to assess developmental progress. †¢ Parents/carers can use it. †¢ The guide can also be used on a group of children to find out more detail about thegroup.  e. g. Gender differences-or show that there are none. Disadvantages †¢ It may allow you narrow and limited information. †¢ The checklist may not give a true picture on the day if the child is upset or unwell. †¢ It may be tempting to put a tick against a skill you think a child has achievedtherefore you are not being objective and may disadvantage the chil d. Focus /Target Child Focus/target child is the observation of a particular child for a specific amount of time. Pre-coded categories are used to record what is being observed this technique is a good wayof collecting data. Advantages †¢ Focus/target one child, providing a collection of precise data over a period of time. †¢ Information and data are easily accessible. †¢ Demonstrates areas mostly used by the child in the setting. †¢ Shows which area promotes conversation. Disadvantages †¢ Information and data are limited. †¢ More interesting information may be obtained but left out. †¢ Codes have to be learnt by the observer, †¢ The observer needs to focus on one particular child. †¢ The observer needs to develop the skill to summarise precisely.

11 Content Marketing Misconceptions That Make You Sound Dumb

11 Content Marketing Misconceptions That Make You Sound Dumb Content marketing is as popular as ever. According to Google Trends, it is actually more  popular than ever. Despite that popularity, how do you know that you are doing it right? You might be repeating some of these common content marketing misconceptions. Even worse, they might be making your sound dumb. You don’t want to sound dumb, do you? Of course not! Here are 11 of the most commonly repeated content marketing misconceptions that will make you sound dumb and (more importantly) how to avoid them. #1 ) â€Å"How do we best describe our product using content marketing?† Why you sound dumb: You’re doing it wrong. Content marketing isn’t about your product, it’s about the people that use your product. Give them what they really want. Content marketing has brought on a major shift from the status quo.  It is no longer about you and your product; it is about the people who use your product. You see, we used to create marketing materials that covered the features and benefits of our products, highlighting every mindless detail. That doesn’t work anymore.   Your audience wants more. Content marketing is about providing our audience with value in exchange for their time. This means giving them advice and helpful materials that enrich their lives and build trust with our brand. If you are trying to describe your products using content marketing, then you are definitely doing it wrong. Even if your product can technically â€Å"enrich your customers lives.† Focus your content marketing efforts on the subjects that your customers care about. What do they want to hear? What are the most common questions that they ask you? How you can answer them with content marketing? Read more: What Is Content Marketing (Really)? #2) â€Å"I wonder if we can hire an agency to do all this work for us.† Why you sound dumb:  The best content marketing will almost always come from you. Find the experts in your own team first. There are plenty of good agencies out there that can help you with your content marketing, but that doesnt necessarily mean they should be your first resource. Before you outsource, make sure you try things out on your own. Often the best content marketing is provided by the industry experts right within your own team. We all have industry experts on our team. They know what your customers want and how to talk to them so that they understand. Who are your experts, and and how can you get them involved in your content marketing efforts? Dont give up on this too soon. Read more:  How To Run The Perfect Content Planning Meeting #3) â€Å"We just need to create a viral video, that’s all.† Why you sound dumb:  Content marketing is a marathon and not sprint. You can improve your likelihood of virality, but it can’t be manufactured. Don’t look for a quick-fix solution. Viral videos are great, but dont think that you can turn and create one on a dime. While companies like Upworthy have proven that the chances of making something viral can be increased, it is not an exact science. In other words, you cant manufacture a viral video, and you probably shouldnt try. In marketing, it is tempting to become distracted by the one size fits all solution that feels like an easy way out. In reality, it probably wont work. Content marketing is about the long haul and the slow build. Concentrate on providing value and building trust, rather than being an overnight sensation. Read more:  25 Growth Hacks Your Content Marketing Desperately Needs #4) â€Å"First, let’s spend several months defining our content marketing strategy.† Why you sound dumb:  This is a decision that is made by fear. You don’t need a strategy, you need to make a commitment to trying new things and learning while you do it. The word strategy gets thrown around a lot in marketing, and usually it paints the wrong picture about what we need to do as marketers. The strategy term generally assumes that we can make a grand plan and execute it perfect. Both of these assumptions are incorrect. First of all, we dont always know that our marketing strategy will actually work. Secondly, we dont know what we are going to learn once we started executing our plan. The right way to do marketing is to simply start with something, learn from the results, and make constant revisions to our plan. We should never write out a step-by-step checklist and assume that we have it all figured out. We dont. Read more: Here’s Why You Don’t Need A â€Å"Content Marketing Strategy† #5) â€Å"I know, let’s draw some inspiration from the Coca-Cola campaign.† Why you sound dumb:  Yes, Coca-Cola has a pretty epic content marketing plan going on right now, but youre not Coca-Cola. Far too often marketers emulate the big advertising that they see around them rather than serving their own audience in a unique way.  This is why so many advertising agencies attempt to make funny commercials that simply try and build brand awareness rather than building trust. Its an easy mistake to make, because it is the type of marketing that we see every day. Take the Coca-Cola site ahhhh.com. It includes hundreds of web based games that are fun, addictive, and filled to the brim with iconography relating to the Coke brand. It is a great example of content marketing, but that doesnt mean that you need one too. Dont try to keep up with the big brands. Get to know what your audience wants, and give them what they need. Dont go chasing the big timers. Read more: 5 Ways To Find Truly Unique Blog Ideas #6) â€Å"Before we get too far, we need to decide what our brand message will be.† Why you sound dumb:  Don’t you see? You are not longer in charge of your message. Find the conversation that already exists and work your way into it. That or, simply provide big value and go from there. More than anything, social networking has changed how much control we have over our companys brand. With nothing more than a Facebook profile or Yelp account, your customers are now inventing your brands message on the fly. What your customers say about you is no longer up to you. Youre simply along for the ride. As content marketers, it is important that we focus our efforts on entering the conversation that is already happening rather than trying to invent our own. What are the hot topics surrounding your brand? What topics do people talk about the most within your industry? Attaching yourself to these discussions will be much more attainable than defining the messages yourself. Invest in the community that your brand serves, and they will probably invest back in you. Read more:  Should You Start A Google+ Community? #7) â€Å"We don’t really need images. Its all about keywords and SEO right?† Why you sound dumb:  Images add SEO value all by themselves. They also make your content better and more engaging. They are a big part of the content marketing puzzle. Images are hard. It can take a lot of work to come up with unique and interesting images for your blog, but it is probably worth the effort. Google Image search is often a large contributor to overall search traffic, and images themselves make your content more enjoyable and easier to digest. The big trick is to make sure that your images are unique, and not breaking any copyright laws. Read more: Are You Sure You’re Using Copyright-Free Images On Your Blog? #8) â€Å"We share our content on Facebook. Isn’t that enough?† Why you sound dumb:  You need to spend as much time on promotion as you spend on the content. This should include a social sharing schedule. A lot of effort in content marketing is wasted when content is created and not shared properly. The most common (and frustrating) scenario is a blog post that goes live only to be shared once our twice on social media. There is so much more that you can do! You simply must share your content more than once on social media. The strategy that we recommend actually includes creating a social media promotion schedule that happens every time you complete another blog post or publish another article on your site. The schedule could look something like this: On publish – Social message sent when blog post goes live Same day – Initial social messages trickle out to your accounts over the next 2-3 hours. Next day – Messages are shared again on the appropriate social channels. Next week – Another series of messages are pre-scheduled and sent the following week. Next month – Even more social messages are pre-scheduled for the following month. Next _____ – Additional messages can optionally be scheduled for the three-month mark or beyond. By incorporating this type of schedule, you can nearly double the number clicks and shares that your post will see. It is a win-win scenario that many of us fail to execute. Read more: How To Promote Your Blog With Social Media #9) â€Å"Content quality doesn’t matter. We just need to trick the search engines.† Why you sound dumb:  You can’t trick the search engines. They actually care about quality more now than ever. With every update to their algorithm, Google is putting content quality at the forefront of their process. Blogger Neil Patel does a great job outlining Googles algorithm changes over that last several years. It is very clear that Google likes good quality content, and even more importantly, knows it when it sees it. The question is, do you? Many times, we look to take a quantity over quality approach to creating content. We publish more content with fewer words and hope to break through in the Google rankings. Not so fast. Content marketing is not a race for more content, it is a race for better content. In fact, many bloggers are choosing to cut back on the amount of content they create just so they can focus on creating better content from the get go.

Make your reports irresistibly interesting - Emphasis

Make your reports irresistibly interesting Make your reports irresistibly interesting People who are extraordinarily knowledgeable unfortunately have an extraordinary capacity for being boring. So when you’re writing reports, how do you make sure they impart all the information they need to, without putting the reader to sleep? The chap in the picture knows a tip or two, and well come back to him a bit later. One thing that can make knowledgeable writers boring is an imbalance in information between writer and reader. If you know a lot, and your reader knows very little, there is a danger of factual overload. This can be very dull. (If the reader is polite, they will probably call it ‘dense’ or ‘technical’ – at least to your face.) It’s context that’s the problem. Context is the medium within which facts make sense. You, having immersed yourself studiously in your subject for months or years, are positively dripping with context. Your reader, coming face to face with the subject for the first time, isn’t. As a result, what you may find interesting, they may find rather dry. As a question-setter for the BBC quiz show Mastermind, I’m routinely confronted by this kind of imbalance. I stand by the principle that knowledge is never boring. To those who know all there is to know about their specialist subject, it’s all interesting: when you know that Joseph Gayetty is said to have invented the first commercial toilet paper in 1857, it’s interesting that Emperor Hongwu of China was ordering custom-made toilet paper for the imperial court back in the 14th century. When you know that, in cricket, the googly is usually delivered out of the back of the bowler’s hand, it’s interesting that the Australian Jack Iverson found a way to deliver it from between his thumb and forefinger. Every field of endeavour and every sector of business is stuffed with this sort of arcana. Not all facts are equally interesting So how do you persuade your readers that they should find these things just as interesting as you do? It’s not about compromising on accuracy. Without integrity, without a commitment to the facts, your reports won’t do the job you need them to do. Putting reader-appeal before accuracy might suit a tabloid newspaper, but it’s simply self-defeating when your primary goal is effective communication. Instead, it’s about identifying the elements of your report or proposal that are able to flourish without a support network of life-giving context. We might call them ‘mudskippers’, after the fish that have the ability to breathe and move around on land as well as underwater. How do you spot a mudskipper? Let’s say I have room in my report for 50 facts. Let’s say that the central, critical message of my report constitutes 20 of these. These are the facts that simply have to go in, ditchwater-dull or mudskipper-interesting, and that’s fine – this is a business report, after all. What we’re discussing here are those other 30 facts, the information that comprises your supporting argument and turns a stark list of take-home statements into an effective and fully rounded report. This is where your mudskipper-spotting skills can make the difference. As a knowledgeable person, you’re in the privileged position of being able to see the goings-on behind the green curtain. You’re the scuba diver who can see the vast, vibrant coral atoll that to the airline passenger flying overhead is just a bleak bollard in the middle of the ocean. This privileged position is hard-earned – but it’s one you have to relinquish if you want to do a good job of communicating your expertise. You have to swallow the unpalatable reality that, to your readers, not all facts are equally interesting. You’ll soon understand how Charles Darwin felt when, after spending decades establishing himself as an all-time world expert on barnacles, all anyone ever wanted to ask him about was On The Origin Of Species. It’s frustrating, but it’s necessary. How to spot a mudskipper Mudskippers – those versatile ideas that don’t perish when taken out of context – needn’t be sensational. If they are, treat them with extreme caution. And they shouldn’t be trivial. They should help the reader understand your message, but, just as importantly, they should make the reader want to understand. They’ll often jump out at you during the research process. They might be of a different category to the surrounding information (a name, rather than a number, say). They might have a hinterland (historical, geographical, cross-sectoral). They might introduce an element of humanity (a quotation might sometimes be a mudskipper). Mudskippers are facts with flavour. They’re the information equivalent of umami – that fifth flavour of savoury hard-to-describe ‘meatiness’ – the quality that makes everything just that bit more moreish. Knowledge is power. But only when you know how to use it.

Management of Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Management of Technology - Essay Example The company has a slew of innovations, most in different stages of patenting. It assiduously protects its intellectual property. Its business model relies on license fees accruing from the deployment of its technology in the Wave Energy Projects. Apart from license fees, the company participates in equity of the Special Purpose Companies that implement the projects. Being an innovation driven company in the frontiers of technology, technology management is its area of special emphasis. Carnegie Corp. acquired CETO technologies from REH. CETO, named after a Greek god, is the only technology that enables pumping high pressure sea water ashore. This method is the most efficient method to desalinate sea water (PESWiki.com). The acquisition was in return for REH taking 35% stake in Carnegie. In addition to the intellectual property, Carnegie acquired REH’s commercial site pipeline. REH’s agreements with EDF EN also devolved upon Carnegie. Consequent to the agreement with REH, Carnegie would Build, Own and Operate CETO wave forms in the southern hemisphere, which was the domain of REH (CETO over View). The relationship with EDF EN is a joint venture license relationship to own and operate CETO Wave Power Projects in the northern hemisphere and Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean. While Carnegie will have the right, it is not bound by any obligation to participate in any CETO wave power project developed by EDF EN in the Territory of Exclusivity. In the event REH does not exercise its right to participate in any such project, EDF EN can exercise the right in developing such project with a partner of its choice. Carnegie’s project with EDF EN, will be implemented by a Special Purpose Company (SPC). In this SPC, Carnegie receives an equity interest between 25% and 49% related to the scale of the project. The financing of the project will be through equity and debt instruments. The equity

Modernisation programme to increase productivity Essay

Modernisation programme to increase productivity - Essay Example To effectively pull off organisational change that creates positive outcomes is not just an administrative challenge; it is also a cognitive challenge. As it is, managers and organization leaders, just like people in general, find it complicated to think about dynamic experiences like feedback loops and time delays and easier to focus on instantaneous end products and detectable changes. The result is a focus on the short-term and local not the longer-term and global consequences from change, an issue that organisational inducements magnify. Hence, local enhancements in cost reduction or efficiency are presumed to do good to the firm as whole, while little attention is given to essentially guarantee results for the company The shipping industry is a segment of growing significance in world trade as it is the only method that is employed for the transfer of bulky deliveries that tenders the most economical and most gainful haulage compared to rail, road and air. A huge amount of the E uropean Union's trade with other nations and a large percentage of the intra-community trade are accomplished with sea transport and a sizeable quantity of all international U.S. shipments move by water transportation. The widespread procedure of ocean shipping transportation strengthens the considerable role of shipping firms within the supply chain structure environment since there is a correlation between the effectiveness and efficacy of these shipping organisations with that of the supply chain. However, because of shipping companies' significance and prominence in world trade, it they experience considerable issues and challenges in the course of their business operations. Currently, Linkspan Shipping is going through trading difficulties and because of these operational complexities, it aims to trim down outlays. A modernisation programme is called for that will lessen crewing personnel on board each of its ships. With this objective, the company intends to execute novel on-board technology that is expected to increase productivity and enhance working conditions for crew personnel. The process will entail the implementation of 1) integrated bridge systems, autopilot, etc; 2) flexible work models with the prospect of developing individual skills that include both engineering and deck hand duties, and; 3) a programme of ship renovation, entailing new cranes, revising other loading and unloading equipment and improve safety on board. To efficiently craft its programme design, effectively carry out the implementation and plan for its evaluation, strategies and recommendations are explicitly and concisely discussed below: 1) As an initial step, Linkspan must employ Enterprise Resource Planning towards managing the changes that will be implemented within the company. Basically, ERP provides a single information structure for organisation-wide coordination and integration of major business processes. With this approach, information that was formerly disjointed in several systems can flow effortlessly throughout the organisation thereby allowing such data to be shared by business processes either in technical updating, accounting, human resources, hauling operations or in other areas (Laudon and Laudon 2006, pp. 56-57). Basically, in implementing ERP, Linkspan will have four inherent justifications for wanting to avail this innovative scheme -- technology, business process, competitive and strategic. Technology justifications refer to technology dilemmas a firm is facing with its old computer systems, while business process rationales aim at improving Linkspan's' performance. Its competitive rational wil l be the need for the shipping company to stay competitive in business and the strategic reasons are those strategies which the firm intends to execute through ERP where its existing software does not support.

The Family and Medical Leave Act Essay Example for Free

The Family and Medical Leave Act Essay The Family and Medical Leave Act sets regulations for job-protected leave related to family and medical reasons. FMLA applies to organizations with 50 or more employees working within 75 miles of the employee’s worksite (â€Å"Employment Laws,† n.d., para. 6). Employees who have been with their current employer for 12 months and who have worked 1250 hours of service in the previous 12 months are eligible for 12 weeks of unpaid leave through FMLA (â€Å"Eligibility Requirements,† Revised 2013). FMLA covers the following leave reasons: The birth of a child, or the placement of an adopted or foster child. A serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the essential functions of their job. To care for a spouse, child or parent with a serious health condition. A â€Å"qualifying exigency† arising out of a covered family member’s active duty or call to active duty in the armed forced. To care for a covered family member who has suffered an injury or illness while on active duty. Employees must be restored to their position or equivalent position when returning from leave (â€Å"Benefits and Protections,† Revised 2013). The use of accrued paid leave can be determined by individual organizations, but should be documented in a policy. It is important for an organization to create a leave policy that complies with FMLA and be consistent when applying the policy. The Family and Medical Leave Act can provide stability to employees, but can be tricky to administer. Company X needs to consider a few factors to ensure FMLA compliance. Paternal leave is included under FMLA, so Company X was in compliance when they granted leave to Employee A (assuming the employee has also worked a minimum of 1250 hours). Employee A was eligible for 12 weeks of leave, but voluntarily decided to return early. FMLA does not require Company X to pay Employee A while on leave, denying that request was also in compliance with the law. Company X met the FMLA requirements, allowing Employee A to return to the same position with the same rate of pay. My conclusion is that Company X has not violated FMLA requirements. I would recommend Company X create a policy that documents FMLA procedures and clarifies what to expect while on leave (salary and benefits). Situation B As Human Resources professionals, it is key to be mindful of protected job classes, particularly age. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 was put in place to protect workers over 40 years of age. The ADEA applies to employers with more than 20 employees and applies to all aspects of employment, including hiring, firing, promotion, layoff, compensation, benefits, job assignments and training (â€Å"Facts About Age Discrimination,† Revised 2008). Since the ADEA applies to the hiring process as well as the term of employment, employers are not allowed to ask for date of birth in any pre-hire process. There are a couple of exceptions to the law. Employees may waive their right to the act as long as the ADEA guidelines are met. In certain situations, high level executives may be asked to retire at 65 and for jobs with bona fide occupational qualifications employers may discriminate based on age (â€Å"Exceptions to the ADEA,† 2007). An example of this would be a modeling agency hiring for an ad that promotes children’s clothing. Based off of the information provided, Company X is in clear violation of the ADEA. Employee B is over 40 and therefore in a protected job class. Unless they have reason to justify their decision, employee B has a clear case for discrimination. Since employee B has higher performance and longer tenure, the promotion should have been granted. My recommendation to Company X is to create a documented policy the outlines what factors are used in promotions and rank employees accordingly. In my opinion, performance should always be first. Other factors to consider could be attendance/accountability, education and seniority. If company X followed this policy, there would be no question of age discrimination. Situation C The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 prohibits job discrimination against people with disabilities. The ADA applies to all terms of recruitment and employment for employers with 15 or more employees (â€Å"ADA Questions and Answers,† (Revised 2009). Under the ADA, it is illegal to discriminate against qualified individuals and requires employers to make reasonable accommodations to ensure individuals with disabilities can perform the essential functions of their job. Reasonable accommodations are modifications or adjustments to the work environment that would allow someone the ability to do their job (â€Å"ADA Questions and Answers,† (Revised  2009). Reasonable accommodations may not bring undue hardship to an employer or require significant difficulty or expense. When complying with the ADA, job descriptions will help provide an outline of essentials functions of a job. In order to know if someone is able to perform the essential functions, a job description must be documented. Assuming that Applicant C was the most qualified candidate, Company X would be in violation of the ADA for denying employment. Since Applicant C is able to perform the essential functions of the position with one modification to the office, it would be discriminatory to disqualify the candidate. An additional elevator keypad would not cause operational harm to the organization and cannot be considered undue hardship. My recommendation to Company X would be to make the necessary adjustments and ultimately, hire the best candidate for the job. References ADA Questions and Answers. (Revised 2009). American with Disabilities online. Retrieved May 27, 2014 from http://www.ada.gov/qaeng02.htm Benefits and Protections. (Revised 2013). United States Department of Labor online. Retrieved May 27, 2014 from http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/posters/fmlaen.pdf Eligibility Requirements. (Revised 2013). United States Department of Labor online. Retrieved May 27, 2014 from http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/posters/fmlaen.pdf Employment Laws. (n.d.). United states Department of Labor online. Retrieved May 27, 2014 from http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/employ.htm Exceptions to the ADEA. (2007). Human Resources BLOG. Retrieved on May 27, 2014 from http://www.humanresourceblog.com/2007/09/10/exceptions-to-the-adea/ Facts About Age Discrimination. (Revised 2008). EEOC online. Retrieved May 27, 2014 from http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/age.html

Arguments Regarding the US Economy from Conservative and Liberal Mindse

Arguments Regarding the US Economy from Conservative and Liberal Mindsets Introduction The Republicans and Democrats have similar and different views on how to handle the United States of America and its immense economy. Both of the parties are more ideologically alike than different. Both parties support the United States Constitution, private property, free enterprise, and our individual freedom. Both view government's role as a limited one, to varying degrees. They support majority rule and the due process of law. Both generally support the reforms made in the New Deal, such as social security, income tax, and welfare. (Goshen, Chapter 10 Notes) Republicans tend to be conservative and Democrats tend to be liberal. If you were to summarize the Republican philosophy on the economy, you would see three prevailing points. The party supports minimal government, lower taxes, and less government intervention. Republicans believe that economic success comes from innovation and hard work. The Democratic Party represents the "common people's" aspirations. Through a large government, high taxes, and social programs, they believe they can help bridge the gap between the wealthy and the poor. Brief History of the United States’ Two Major Political Parties The two major political parties today can be traced back to the founding of the United States Constitution. At the time the document was drafted, two factions emerged: the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. The Federalists consisted mostly of bankers and merchants. The Anti-Federalists, also known as the Democratic Republicans or Jeffersonian Republicans, consisted mostly of farmers and planters. When the Democratic Republicans broke up, the majority of its ... ...catnum=3&catid=13 Powell, Colin, United States Secretary of State – Commenting on the G8 conference and Bush’s trip to Europe. Republican National Committee - President Unveils New Tax Plan – Talking Points – February 7, 2001. Republican Platform 2000 - http://www.rnc.org/gopinfo/platform RNC Tax Relief Information Center - http://www.rncfc.org/taxcut/fact1.htm Smith, Adam (economist) - Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia – http://encarta.msn.com  © 2001 Microsoft Corporation. Strategic Defense Initiative - Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia – http://encarta.msn.com  © 2001 Microsoft Corporation. The Difference Between Democrats and Republicans – AP United States Government and Politics – Lesson 18, Handout 18.  © The Center for Learning. Zero Emission Coal to Hydrogen – Los Alamos National Laboratory - http://www.lanl.gov/energy/ziock/ziock.html

Organizational Buying Behaviour Essay

These are marketing intermediaries such as wholesalers and retailers who buy finished goods for resale at a profit. ? Government markets This comprises of national and local governments, seeking to provide the public with education, water, energy, national defense, road systems and health care. ? Institutional markets o Organizations that seek to achieve charitable, educational, community or other non-business goals make up institutional markets. o They include churches, hospitals, museums, libraries, universities and charitable organizations. 2. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONAL AND PERSONAL BUYING. These can be compared on the unique characteristics of organizational buying. a) Business markets have fewer buyers than consumer markets. b) In business markets, there are a few large buyers c) There is close supplier-customer relationship in business market due to o Smaller customer base o Contracts go to suppliers who co-operate with the buyers on technical specifications and delivery requirements o Suppliers are expected to attend special seminars organized by buyers so as to be familiar with the buyers’ quality specifications. d) Geographically concentrated buyers ) Derived demand The demand for business goods is ultimately delivered from the demand for consumer goods f) Inelastic demand The total demands for industrial goods are not much affected by the changes in the environment. g) Fluctuating demand Demand for organizational goods tend to be more volatile than the demand for consumer products. o This is especially true for the demand of new plant and equipment o A giv en percentage increase in consumer demand can lead to a larger percentage increase in the demand for plant and equipment necessary for additional output. h) Professional purchasing Business goods are purchased by trained purchasing agents, who must follow the organizations, o Purchasing policies o Constraints o Requirements. i) Several buying influences o More people typically influence business buying decisions than in consumer buying decisions. o Buying committees consisting of technical experts and even senior managers are common in the purchase of major goods. j) Direct purchasing Business buyers often buy from manufacturers rather through intermediaries, especially those items that are technically complex and/or expensive. k) Reciprocity Business buyers normally buy from suppliers who buy from them. ) Leasing. o Many industrial buyers lease their equipment instead of buying it. o Advantages – Conserves capital – Gets sellers latest products – Receives better services – Gains some tax advantages. 3. BUYING SITUATIONS OR TYPES OF BUYING DECISIONS. Three types of buying situations have been identified; a) Straight Rebuy ? The purchasing department orders on a routine basis e. g. office suppliers. ? The buyer chooses from the suppliers on its approved list, giving weight to past satisfaction with the various suppliers. b) Modified Rebuy The buyer wants to modify the: – Product specification, Prices, – Delivery requirements and – Other terms This usually involves additional discussions and more participants on both the buyer and the seller’s side. c) New task Rebuy ? A product is being bought for the first time. ? The greater the cost and/or risks, the lager will be the number of decision participants and the greater their information gathering. The time take to make a decision also increases. ? This situation offers the marketer the greatest opportunity and challenge. ? The marketer tries to reach as many key buying influencers as possible and provides helpful information and assistance. Because of the complicated nature of selling, many companies are usi ng missionary sales force consisting of their best sales people. 4. BUYING ROLES/PARTICIPANTS IN THE ORGANIZATIONAL BUYING. I. e. the decision making unit (DMU) or buying centre. a) What is the buying center? It is composed of all those individuals and groups who participate in the purchase-decision process. It includes members of the organizations who play any of the following roles in the purchase-decision process. b) Buying roles i) Initiators – Those who suggest that an item be purchased – They may be users or other organizations. i) Users – Those who will use the product. – In most cases, they initiate the buying, write proposals and help define product specifications/requirements. iii) Influencers – Are persons who influence the buying decisions – They help define product specifications and provide information for evaluating alternatives. – Technical personnel are important as influencers. iv) Deciders Are the persons who have t he power to decide on product requirements and/or suppliers. v) Approvers Are the persons who must authorize the proposed actions of deciders or buyers. vi) Buyers Are persons with formal authority for selecting the supplier and arranging terms of purchase. vii) Gate-keepers Are persons who have the power to prevent information from reaching members of the buying center e. g. – Purchasing agents – Receptionists and – Telephone operators. They may prevent sales persons from talking to users or deciders. 5. BUYING DECISION PROCESS Eight stages in the buying decision process have been identified by marketers. These are described as:- i) Problem recognition The buying decision process starts when someone in the company recognizes a problem or need. This may arise from, ? Internal stimuli e. g. o The company decides to develop a new product and needs new equipment o There may be a machine break-down which may require replacement or new parts o Purchased material may turn out to be unsatisfactory and the company needs another supplier. ? External stimuli e. g. o New ideas from trade shows. ii) General need description ? Buyer determines the general characteristics and quality of the needed item. ? He may not be aware of different product characteristics ? The marketer should help the company to define its needs. iii) Product specifications At this stage, item’s technical specifications are developed. The decision makers may use of product value analysis. They may ask such questions as; o Does the use of the item contribute value? o Is its cost proportionate to its usefulness? o Can it be found elsewhere? iv) Supplier search Sources of suppliers may include ? Trade directories ? Business directories ? Word of mouth ? Experience. v) Proposal solicitation In this stage, the buyer invites qualified suppliers to submit proposals. vi) Supplier selection In selecting suppliers, decision makers, may use of vendor analysis. The following attributes, may be used; Delivery capability; Quality ; Price;Repair service;Technical capability;Performance history;Reputation;Financial position. vii) Order routine specification Buyer now writes final order with the chosen suppliers, listing – Technical specification – Quantity needed – Expected time of delivery – Return policies, e. t. c. viii) Performance review Buyer reviews performance of a particular supplier(s) The buyer can contact end users and ask for their evaluation and then rate suppliers on several criteria. The review may lead the buyer to; Continue, – Modify or – Drop the supplier. 6. FACTORS INFLUENCING ORGANIZATIONAL BUYING DECISIONS. a) Environmental factors E. g. – Level of primary demand – Cost of money – Technology – Political/legal forces – Competitive developments – Organizational factors: Objectives, Policies, Procedures – Organization structure, e. t. c. b) Interpersonal factors Participants in their buying center have different statuses, authority, persuasiveness, e. t. c. c) Individual factors Each individual in the buying centre has; Personal motivators; Perceptions; Education; Personality, e. t. c.

Importance of Events in Popular Music Essay

‘How do we determine the importance of historical events in popular music?’ Why should we determine the importance of historical events in popular music? Whats important to one fan of an artist is completely different to the views from a fan of another artist. Its not just what makes the papers , magazines and tv that matters to fans. News about artists is broadcasted in many a way in todays world, mostly because ‘stars’ and their ‘goings on’ are more important to the general public than they have ever been before. people like to look up to artists or in most cases now look down on their drug abuse or outrageous behavior and bring back the reality that we are all the same and can all go through the same tough times. Music is the most favoured thing in alot of peoples lives today. Ipods and mp3 players are something that a vast majority of people carry around with them religiously and would feel empty without. Its only human that people are interested in what their favorite artist looks like, where they come from and their general background. This however has lead to artists lives being intruded and covered across various news feeds and social networks more than ever before. General public forget that there are infact 2 sides to an artist. The side that we see when we they are on tour and their natural human side. When they are on stage they are a musician. when they are not on stage they are classed as a celebrity whether they like it or not. Quote taken straight from the second line of wikipedia when the well known name ‘Amy Winehouse’ is searched – ‘Winehouse is best known for her powerful contralto vocals, substance abuse and mental health issues’ On a website such as Wikipedia its their job to write a biography on famous people. They have to include stories from each persona. The person they are writing about is a celebrity and they are a celebrity for a reason. It’s wikipedia’s job to tell everyone who they are and how they got there. After reading the article on Amy it would seem that in some instances the fact that she has been caught smoking crack and been wandering round high in public in just her bra outweigh the better points about her career. Having then come across a ‘Talk’ page that gets raised if people aren’t happy with the way something is written it would seem my points were correct about this article – ‘This article covers Winehouse being photographed bloody and bruised, high, wandering in public in a bra, drug overdoses, being recorded smoking crack; it covers her health issues, her brushes with the law, in fact, every thing that has occurred over last year and a half. That the article doesn’t denigrate or make judgments or pronouncements about her attests to its neutrality, not a bias.’ Straight away in this article the writer makes reference to Amy’s ‘downfalls’ making this a more noticeable point to begin with. If someone had heard a song by Amy on the radio and decided they wanted to know more about her as an artist they would be immediately switched off by the statement ‘ best known for substance abuse and mental health issues’ this leaving an even bigger dent in a ruined fan base when the fact she had drug issues could have been kept as a minor point and concluded with the fact that that piece of news happened quite a while ago and she’s doing alot better and back in the studio recording her third album. But there’s also the argument that people need to know everything about her with it being a biography about a famous person. It would be bias of wikipedia to not mention the troubled aspects of her life aswell as her achievements in the music industry. There’s more news about artists going downhill than the fact their album may have been at number one for a matter of weeks because its what the public are eager to hear about. Writers are always looking for negative points to make about musicians as it gains kudos for them, the public love to gossip about others that are in a bad way and going through hell rather than gossiping about the fact someones been at number 1 for 10 consecutive weeks. It’s like some peoples lives depend on wether Winehouse has had another drug outrage and been forced into rehab again. We only knew Miss Winehouse for a short period of time before she was swept off the our headlines to rehab. This thought pattern lead me to thinking of an artist that had been round for a longer period of time that had gone through a rough patch before their career crumbled. If we look back to a piece of musical news I found online from the 60’s the way the articles are worded sound like the writer is writing the article with respect to the artist. Talking about what is happening to the artist at the time of course but in a way that is respectful and shows that the writer appreciates the problems that the artist in question is going through and has an appreciation for the music they make. â€Å"These two cats seem to add that final dimension that was missing before in Hendrix’s live music. On the â€Å"Are You Experienced† album, he taped over his own rhythm guitar, so as to have some sort of melody to fall back on. Larry Lee now keeps it present all the time.† The writer makes reference to the good things that have happened. Things that have changed the way the certain musicians music is written and how it has come to benefit future material. The article in question is talking about Hendrix’s gigs and his backing band and does mention the drugs he was taking at the time. The writer consistently praises Jimi and his band and only makes reference to the drugs right at the end of the article of which consists of one line. ‘The drugs were found directly on top of clothes inside his luggage. Now who puts their stash right on top? Especially well-travelled freaks like Mr. Jimi, through border crossings. When he re ­ported to the Toronto medical exam ­ining board, his body was found clean and pure. Ain’t a trace a shit in Jimi; but the word-of-mouth-and-press was not so clean.’ Even when making reference to the drugs the writer details the happenings in a jokey way as if to say ‘Silly ‘Ol Jimi!’ like the writer was close to Jimi or really admired him. When relating this back to todays news about stars you can tell alot has changed in the way we really appreciate musicians. The public go through years of enjoyment from an artist and their music, relating songs to their personal experiences but as soon as the star does something even as minute as forgetting to put knickers on they are slated and the writer jumps to obsurd conclusions such as the star must have forgotten to put knickers on because they had been taking drugs or drinking copious amounts of alcohol. There’s no appreciation for the artist and no respect for the way the artist feels. Jimi Hendrix died of an apparent drug overdose on the 18th September 1970. It was the death of someone who had created the backbone of R&B and rock music that musicians still use today. He created so many different techniques on the electric guitar that musicians class as basics or must haves today. The drug overdose that killed him is what has urged me to talk about Jimi. I was intrigued to see how writers spoke about him once he had gone and how people still remember him today. I wanted to see wether people remembered his celebrity side more or actually did remember him for the musical legend that he was and still is today. Drugs in the psychedelic 1960’s were used by many people for recreational reasons. LSD was the drug of the century, lots of other musicians used it and fans used it to enjoy music to its full potential. That was a regular occurrence in the 1960’s but after Jimi died of a drug overdose it becomes that little bit more concerning and people wanted to start digging for reasons as to why he’d want to kill himself. â€Å"I don’t want to be a clown anymore.† â€Å"I don’t want to be a ‘rock and roll star,†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Jimi says, emphatically. The forces of contention are never addressed but their pervasiveness has taken its toll on Jimi’s stamina and peace of mind. Trying to remain a growing artist when a business empire has nuzzled you to its bosom takes a toughness, a shrewdness† Note the fact Jimi states â€Å"star† when he speaks. He had had enough of the stardom that being a good musician brings. His story relates to Kurt Cobains story in the way that them being celebrities and their lives being invaded all the time got far too much for them. The clown part of the quote could link to the fact that clowns are a form of entertainment and people watch their every move when they are around. Jimi Enjoyed being a musician but was sick of people consistently following him around and he wasn’t able to get time to himself. â€Å"Lest anyone forget, Lea ­cock – Pennebaker’s Monterey Pop has immortalized his pyromaniacal affair with the guitar. Rock media bedroom talk makes him King Stud of the groupies. Stories circulate that he is rude to audi ­ences, stands up writers, hangs up photographers, that he doesn’t talk.† The way the writer speaks about this problem is in a respectable way, saying pop has ruined his relationship with his guitar. They don’t slate him for wanting to just be one side of the coin. Today musicians have two personas because it seems right to be that way. Music to them is work and its a shame that they have to be followed when they’re not doing their work. When anybody else finishes work they leave and become themselves again. There’s no rules when you’re yourself. You can drink where you like, say what you want, do whatever you like, wear what you want but being a musician has its limits. The public eye is always on you, you have to be wearing the right clothes whenever you leave the house and you have to look good when you leave the house. Today you can’t just be a musician, you’re a celebrity aswell and once the celebrity lifestyle has a hold of you there’s no turning back. Looking at other articles from the 1960’s it seems that alot more was accepted at the time. Drugs such as LSD, heroin, amphetamines and cannabis were widely used in the fan world and in the musical world. In todays world drugs are much less tolerated and forces crack down alot more on them. People have generally grown up knowing that drugs are bad and not acceptable and that you should never go near them. Back in the 1960’s people were persuading others to use recreational drugs to have a good time with them. With the case being that drugs were alot more accepted in the 1960’s writers at the time had less to write about musicians lives and more about the way they perform and the way their music is put together. Jimi Hendrix’s death was a turning point for popular music. A massive gap had to be filled and for years other artists have pioneered to become the new Jimi Hendrix, a true guitar hero. His death was so shocking that people still write about him and his achievements today. The music in the 60’s was so much more important than the stardom that people seek today which is why we remember Jimi Hendrix for his Music and Not his Drug abuse like Amy Winehouse.

Categorical Imperative Example Essays

Categorical Imperative Example Essays Categorical Imperative Example Paper Categorical Imperative Example Paper Kant is an 18th century German philosopher who wrote the book Groundwork for metaphysics. The book deals with his theory that morality is a priori synthetic (a priori is a statement that is knowable without reference to any experience and synthetic means having truth or falsity can be tested using experience or the senses) and that moral decisions should be taken with a universal view to one’s duty to mankind as a whole. He laid out his ideas about the categorical imperative in this book. An imperative is a statement of what should be done. The philosopher Hume said that you can’t get a ‘should’ statement out of an ‘if’ statement. This means that experience can only give us hypothetical imperatives (not moral commands to the will – they are ‘if’ statements and do not apply to everyone and you only need obey them if you want to achieve a certain goal, for example, ‘if’ you want to be healthy then you should exercise and eat a balanced diet). A categorical imperative is a ‘should’ statement, but it is not based on experience, and doesn’t rely on a particular outcome. According to Kant, categorical imperatives apply to everyone because they are based on an objective a priori law of reason (an objective law is something that is factually true). The categorical imperative is one principle with three formulations: The Universal Law, treat humans as ends in themselves and act as if you live in a Kingdom of Ends. The natural law is to â€Å"act according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law† and what it says is that everyone should universalise their maxims without contradiction – for an imperative to be categorical or deontological it must consist of principles that can be applied in any situation. This basically means that before you do something you should ask yourself if you would like everyone in the same situation. If not, then you are involved in a contradiction and what you are thinking of doing is wrong because it is against reason. Kant uses the example of a suicidal man as an example: A man feels sick of life and wants to commit suicide. His maxim is that from self-love I want to shorten my life if its continuance threatens more evil than it promises pleasure. He asks himself whether he would universalise this law, his answer is no because it is humans’ duty to stimulate the furtherance of life and to destroy life would contradict itself and therefore is entirely opposed to the supreme principle of duty. The second principle is to treat humans as ends in themselves: â€Å"so act as to treat humanity, whether in your own person or in that of any other, never solely as a means but always as an end†. Kant argues that all humans are searching for the summam bonum (a state in which human virtue and happiness are united). Kant believes that we all have an immortal soul and because of this immortal soul, humans deserve special treatment and that we should seek happiness as long as this happiness does not infringe on other humans ability to seek happiness and this means that we should not exploit others or treat them as things to achieve an end, as they are as rational as we are. To treat another person as a means is to deny that person the right to be rational and independent judge of their actions. It is to make oneself in some way superior and different. An example could be having a sexual relationship with someone – if you have only have sex with someone because you want something from them and not because you love them. The final principle is to act as if you live in a Kingdom of Ends; Kant said â€Å"act as a legislating member in the universal Kingdom of Ends†. This means that everyone should act as every other person were an ‘end’ – a free, independent agent. Kant believed that each person is independent and moral judgements should not be based on any empirical consideration about human nature, human flourishing or human destiny. What this means is that every individual has the ability to understand the principles of pure practical reason and follow them. Pure practical reason must be impartial and so its principles must apply equally to everyone. An example of this is if you’re trying to decide if it would be justified to kill someone who was threatening your family – using Kantian principles – you should not kill them. Acting according to the third principle (and taking the first and second into account) murder can obviously not be universalised or humanity would be wiped out, and killing the man threatening your family is treating him as a means (to saving your family) rather than an end: a human seeking summum bonum. In conclusion, there are three different formulations for Kant’s categorical imperative: The Universal Law, treat humans as ends in themselves and act as if you live in a Kingdom of Ends. Together these three formulations seek to allow humans to make moral decisions which do not infringe the happiness of others but also allow us to progress to perfection.

How Extracurriculars Can Boost Your College Application

At we meet many students with stellar college admissions profiles. But those who set themselves apart do so through their extracurricular efforts. College admissions officers use GPA and standardized test scores as metrics to determine how well a candidate stacks up to their school’s admissions criteria, but neither area offers much in terms of ways to truly differentiate your college application. An outstanding extracurricular profile can truly set your application apart from the pack. It is important to use extracurriculars as a means to genuinely convey to admissions officers who you are, and where your interests, strengths, and passions lie. You may already be involved in a wide range of extracurriculars early on in high school, and if so, that is excellent. Depending on your continued enthusiasm in each one of them, it may be a good idea to take time to consider if it would be in your best interest to explore some new areas in addition to or instead of the areas in which you are currently involved. One practical way to approach this is to take a broad look at the extracurricular opportunities your school community and communities outside of school offer. Self reflection and an open mind can help you discover areas that you have a real interest in exploring. If you happen to be involved in certain activities that you either no longer enjoy or feel as though are not helping your personal growth and future goals, it is completely acceptable to let these go. Simply choosing for the sake of adding another activity to your resume is not the approach to take. It is far more advantageous to pursue a few highly focused areas that you are passionate about and make a strong impact than it is to involve yourself in more areas merely at a surface level. Admissions officers see right through resumes that are padded with activities just for the sake of pretending that a great deal was accomplished over the last four years. What they are looking for is demonstrated interest in areas that are central to who you are and what you can bring to their campus. When you sign up for our program, we carefully pair you with the perfect admissions specialist based on your current academic and extracurricular profile and the schools in which you’re interested. Your personal specialist will help you with branding, essays, and interviews, and provide you with support and guidance in all other aspects of the application process.

Compare and Contrast an Agency Protest to a General Accounting Office Research Paper - 1

Compare and Contrast an Agency Protest to a General Accounting Office (GAO) protest - Research Paper Example This include establishment of mechanisms through which offerors can question the officials in charge of the procurement procedures in the government departments. In case the procuring agencies are not compliant with the law and regulations governing the procurement process, the aggrieved parties undertake the bid protest. The major forms of federal bid protest include an agency-level protest, protest through the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the jurisdiction through United States Court of Federal Claims (COFC) (GAO-03-673G Government Auditing Standards, 2012). This paper seeks to compare and contrast an Agency Protest to a General Accounting Office (GAO) Protest. Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) 33.103 gives the guidelines that must be followed by the agencies during addressing of the protests generated by the offerors. Having being established by the Executive Order 12979, agency protest stipulates that all the concerned parties must take all the necessary steps to ensure that the conflict is solved in an amicable way. Even though the government has clearly outlined the regulations that control the agency protests, most of the agencies complement the FAR provisions by initiating their own regulations that are not favorable to the offerors. A protest is initiated by an interested party. An interested party is the individual whose economic interest would be adversely affected by the failure to win a contract or through the award of the contact (Robert, 2012). This is one of the major aspects that are common both to agency and GAO protests. There is no jurisdiction on the protests that an agency can handle, since it has the authority to d eal with all the protests that are related to its contracts. However, according to Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act, a protest that is related to delivery order contracts or issuance of task that can be given to various