Saturday, August 31, 2019

Comparison of Two Texts

Comparison In this comparison essay I will inform and elaborate the young people regarding two texts or theme related on travel. The first text is called ‘Southeastern Railway’ and the second one is known as ‘Find your Feet’. These two texts are really relevant two classify them as’ daily essential needs’, because more or less they are getting used by everyone. The first text is about their offers they are giving to the audiences, so that they can visit some places for cheap. The second theme is about walking to school, without having to use any motor vehiclesLayout Firstly, I would like to mention about the layout of ‘Southeastern railway’. This text has been laid out in a neat form; instead of scattering the topics all over by doing this it gives the reader some various ideas about different places. Whereas, ‘Find your Feet’ text is laid out in such a way that the bold text of it would grasp the teenager’s att ention straightaway. Pictures In ‘South eastern railway’ there are many colourful pictures to inform where a person can go to visit. This leaflet/poster is really informative comparing ‘Find your Feet’.This leaflet also contains regarding those places in Kent and London which are worth visiting and it gives a person to visualize him/her of it. On the other side, ‘find your feet’ is featuring three teenagers enjoying themselves walking to school. Language The ‘Southeastern Railway’ poster literally communicates with the audience with lucid, formal and coax English, due to their attitude and expressions they’ve used in the text. This makes a person to have some ideas regarding visiting those places. It also informs the reader regarding the offer which is 20% off.Whereas, â€Å"find your feet† has featured their language in such a way that only the new generation’s kids will understand. Additionally, it makes quit e complicated for other people to get their message, since they have featured slang English slogan. â€Å"Find your Feet† has only featured brief amount of text explaining the purpose of the poster. Thus, they knew that the teenagers wouldn’t like to read a whole page of information therefore they gave out less writing. So they had to use some uses of slogans and catchy titles using alliteration Bold text/Colour South eastern railway’ is really attractive it catches a person’s attention as well as their eyes with their vibrant colours. All readers normally like to have tints of colours in their articles; therefore ‘South eastern railway’ article contained it to make it a perfect article for a reader to read. The south eastern railway’ leaflet contains number of pictures in Kent and London, which is worth visiting and involve ones self in various activities. This gives a person to have visualization and think that if it is worth visitin g. Otherwise it is useless if there was no picture or anything.Nevertheless, ‘find your feet’ has primary colours to show that this poster is for teenagers. Subheadings ‘South eastern railway’ article gave more subheadings which makes the reader more enthusiastic in reading the article. So that he/she will know what part they are reading without having to look at it full in detail. Unlike ‘find your feet’ is just a full page picture containing teenagers being active and enjoying themselves walking to school. So this leaflet is really short to read. Visiting Places ‘South eastern Railway’ article informs lots of places, which is worth visiting.Thus, the author gave offers where a person can go and visit Kent or London. To visit either of these places a person can read a brief information regarding those places . Whereas, ‘find your feet’ has alliteration and a slogan where is again persuading by saying that ‘ditch the ride and walk to school’. It is also telling the audiences to go to school, where they go everyday which is not something new. Moreover, on ‘South eastern railway’ the author has featured two trains, one is fast and other is normal. Fast trains are for to visit big towers as well as cities.On the other side the small trains are for to visit the small towers and small cities. Purpose ‘South eastern Railway’ is really essential for everyday use as it is mentioned above, and their purpose is to persuade the adults to use trains to visit various places as part of their break. They can also take the privilege of their new offers which is 20% off from their original price. Whereas, the second theme/text has a lot of differences in comparing their colours, purpose, audiences etc. Their purpose is to make the teenagers walk to school, instead of using any motor vehicles or transports.The reason being is that, so that they can have healthy life and have a bit of time with their friends as its mentioned in the poster. Similarities Colour In ‘Southeastern Railway’ leaflet contains colourful pictures to show the beauty of those places which are worth to visit. This is another way to make the article interesting and it also gives you the chance to visualize, because without them it would look very dull and boring. On the other side, ‘fid your feet’ has use of primary colours to show the inspiration to the audiences to follow their message. Bold TextAdditionally, ’South eastern Railway’ leaflet gave out numerous amounts of bold texts and headings, so that the reader can have an impact on it. Not only that they have opened their website, so that the others can also have a look at their detailed information such as: 20% off offer, places to visit, off peak times etc. Conclusion In conclusion, it is a great idea to have these various types of colours to communicate with the audiences. That is what â €˜Southeastern railway’ and ‘Find your feet’ in order to get the audience’s attention. It is recommendable to add the extra features and formal style of English to communicate with the reader.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Red Cliff and Early Chinese Notions

Red Cliff and Early Chinese Notions Introduction The philosophies of early Chinese thinkers differ greatly from the mindset of modern day philosophers. The four major philosophies of China, Confucianism, Mohism, Taoism and Legalism arose primarily during the Warring States era from 475 BC to 221 BC. Following the end of the Qin Dynasty and the fall of Qin Shi Huang, Confucianism became the dominant philosophical school in China.Confucianism represented the teachings of Chinese philosopher, Confucius, concerning the fields of ethics and politics and emphasizes on personal and government morality, humaneness and one’s duty to family and society. Following the popularity of Confucianism and the death of Confucius, the creation of The Analects or Lunyu , was written by Confucius’ followers and disciples in the Warring States period. His teachings were the first to introduce the concept of meritocracy which considers that one’s status in society should not be determi ned by ancestry, wealth, or friendship but rather on education and one’s character.Confucius also explores notions on human nature and self cultivation and the purpose of human existence. This paper will focus on early Chinese philosophies of the relationship between the individual and the state and the relationship between man and nature with references and examples from the film, Red Cliff. The Relationship between the Individual and the State The three core concepts of Confucianism, â€Å"filial devotion (xiao), humaneness (ren), and ritual decorum (li)† (Sources of Chinese Tradition, p. 3) embed the behavioural standards and expectations of how a person should practice these virtues. Furthermore, the three essential values integrate into Confucius’ views on government as well. Filial piety practiced within one’s family translates into how much one is willing to give to society which results in the stability of a state. Humaneness observes the importan ce of a ruler treating his people as how he would want to be treated if he were in their position. In Confucius’ perspective, ritual offers a sense of respect s rites are a mean of expression of a leader’s morality and also â€Å"encourages a sense of dignity and responsiveness among the people† (Sources of Chinese Tradition, p. 43). Filial piety ? is considered the most fundamental of all Confucian teachings. The term can have a broad meaning that not only includes the obedience a child must show for his parents but also respect that should be shown to the living and dead. Filial piety develops into five relationships: ruler to ruled, father to son, husband to wife, elder brother to younger brother, and friend to friend.When subjects respect their ruler and the ruler respects the Heavens, the state will in turn thrive and prosper. From The Analects, Confucius states, â€Å"If a ruler himself is upright, all will go well without orders. But if he himself is not upright, even though he gives orders they will not be obeyed†. The concept of filial piety is displayed in many different ways in the film, Red Cliff. Because of the compassion and brotherhood the southern warlord, Liu Bei, has shown towards his subjects, they were prepared to sacrifice their lives for him and the state.Because Liu Bei has treated his ministers and warriors with respect, as a result, they willingly followed his leadership. Conversely on Cao Cao’s side, his subjects were obedient towards him but only because they were afraid of him. They know not to trust Cao Cao because of his apprehensive and suspicious character that could result in impulsive decisions to kill anyone without any reason or justification. Loosely quoted from Zhuge Liang, â€Å"Although Cao Cao leads a large army, the majority surrendered to him so they are not as trustworthy. † He has not shown humaneness ? o his subjects, therefore they were not motivated to fight for him. Anot her example of filial piety and the relationship between the individual and the state is displayed through Xiao Qiao’s decision to cross over to Cao Cao’s camp in order to buy time for the Southerners. Her duty to her husband and the state required her to forsake her personal interests including her life, her child’s life, and her relationship with her husband, for the greater good. â€Å"This is our home. Our people gladly give their lives for her sake. How can I stand idly by. † – Xiao Qiao (Red Cliff II, 2009)Many Western philosophers may not understand and argue that the Chinese philosophy of individualism emphasizes on one’s connection to external powers of authority rather than total independence and creativity. However the Chinese tradition is not about conforming each person’s ideas and sacrificing oneself for society, it â€Å"focuses on the individual as a vitally integrated element within a larger familial, social, politic al, and cosmic whole† (Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Brindley). The core meaning of individualism is the thought of one’s self cultivation and the moral obligation to society and the importance of public service.This definition leads to the term junzi which simply means the ideal of becoming the â€Å"perfect man† who â€Å"combines the qualities of saint, scholar, and gentleman†. The two most prominent examples of a junzi in the film are Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang. Zhou Yu’s forgiving nature allows him to achieve a greater good for his people when he chose to pardon his friend’s action of siding with Cao Cao. He did not choose to kill him when his childhood friend tried to convince him to surrender to Cao Cao but instead tolerated his friend’s disloyal character.On the other hand, Zhuge Liang is a good representation of a junzi as he uses his moral autonomy to help the people. Because he knows clearly what is right and wrong, he combines his intelligence with righteousness to convince others of accepting his strategies as an advisor. In conclusion, both having filial piety and being a junzi are two of the ways the early Chinese believe an individual can contribute back into society. In the film Red Cliff, the underlying moral of the story relates back to these two themes whether it is in the form of brotherhood, husband and wife or a leader and his subjects.The Relationship between Man and Nature The relationship between man and nature in classical Chinese philosophy can be characterized as the â€Å"relation of Heaven and man† or the fundamental concept of â€Å"tienren he yi† . The academic aim of Chinese thinkers was to educate the people on this philosophy. As quoted from Sima Qian stating the purpose of his work Records of the Grand Historian, â€Å"I want to hereby elucidate the relation of Heaven and man, to discern its historical development from Past to Present, and to state my disti nctive views. After the middle period of the Warring States, classical thinkers strongly emphasized the relation of Heaven and man. When Confucius speaks about the â€Å"Mandate of Heaven† and when Mozi talks about the â€Å"Will of Heaven†, they are ultimately referring to nature as Heaven being the supreme entity of the world, above all kings and all sources of power. However this philosophy was divided into two sides, one highlighting the unity between man and nature and the other putting much emphasis on the separation of the two.Nevertheless, the doctrines supporting the unity of man and nature was more influential and accepted more widely as the thought of stressing on the separation of the two was only held by a minority. Therefore it can be assumed that most Chinese philosophers place high social values on peace and harmony and the idea of â€Å"unity of nature and man†. To the Chinese, the relationship between humans and nature was regarded as reciproca ls. Heaven, earth, and man represented a single unity governed by the cosmic law or dao.Mencius, the most famous of Confucius’ followers, thought of Heaven as the highest order in which even the emperor or â€Å"Son of Heaven† should obey. Reinstating the idea of the hierarchy of respect Mencius states that †¦when the personal life is cultivated, the family will be regulated; when the family is regulated, the state will be in order; and when the state is in order, there will be peace throughout the world. From the Son of Heaven down to the common people, all must regard the cultivation of personal life as the root or foundation.Mencius believed that a person’s moral self is the basis of having a harmonized society. And in order for a leader to earn the respect and support of his subjects, he must first respect the Heavens. Since humans are an integral part of nature, man should also obey the laws of nature. According the Mencius, human nature is given by He aven, therefore the two are interconnected. In Confucian thinking, the meaning of Heaven or nature has a variety of aspects, including the sky, weather, the natural order, and also a moral order. One of Confucius’ disciples Xunzi quotes â€Å"tian as a atural order, operating according to unchanging principles, not intervening in extraordinary ways in human affair but, rather, providing the context within which all living things exist† (Sources of Chinese Tradition, p. 170). Other Confucians also adopted the idea of oneness of Heaven and man. â€Å"All things exist together, and they do not harm each other; all ways exist together, and they do not come into conflict† – Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean). In the film Red Cliff, an example of acting out against nature or Heaven can be seen from Cao Cao’s perception of the war.When Cao Cao tells Zhou Yu that he cannot believe he lost the war because of the wind, Zhou Yu replies him, â€Å"Because you d on’t understand the Will of Heaven. † The meaning of this phrase can be seen as having two connotations. The first, because Cao Cao did not understand the patterns of the weather, he was unable to predict the time when the wind was going to change directions. The second significance has a more profound undertone in which Zhou Yu means that Cao Cao did not recognize the natural order wherein society should follow under harmonized principles that the Heavens intended (tian yi, . Because Cao Cao always thought he was responsible for bringing together all the states as an order of the Emperor, he could not see past his own greed and ambitions. He perceived the war as child’s play and disrupts peace in the country to achieve his goal of total dominance. His belief of unifying the states contradicts the early philosophers’ notions of all things existing in harmony and having self cultivation and moral order as the true â€Å"Will of Heaven†. ConclusionIn conclusion, one can see that classical Chinese philosophers developed ideas that are rarely seen in Western philosophies. The Chinese philosophies characterize how fundamental they perceive moral principles and self cultivation as the basis of society. Essentially, these notions relate to the promotion of human relations towards a harmonious society through its inclusiveness of Heaven, Earth, and Human order. Reference List De, Bary William Theodore, Irene Bloom, Wing-tsit Chan, Joseph Adler, and Richard John Lufrano.Sources of Chinese Tradition. New York: Columbia UP, 1999. Print Hagop Sarkissian. â€Å"Individualism in Early China: Human Agency and the Self in Thought and Politics (review). † Philosophy East and West 62. 3 (2012): 408-410. Project MUSE. Web. 17 Oct. 2012. . Red Cliff Chi Bi. Magnolia Home Entertainment, 2008. DVD â€Å"Theories Concerning Man and Nature in Classical Chinese Philosophy. † CHAPTER I. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. .

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Healthy Work Environment - Impact on Workplace Incivility Essay

Healthy Work Environment - Impact on Workplace Incivility - Essay Example 2. As a result of the uncivil behaviour of the nurse towards others in the workplace the team and organisation at large suffered many consequences. Firstly the nurse was detested by others and as such not any one was willing to work with her. Those who were scheduled to work with her as per the demands of the business did not feel good being at work; they spent a lot of time avoiding her. Communication between this particular nurse and colleagues was therefore severely impaired with consequential negative outcomes for patients. There is no doubt therefore that workplace incivility adversely affects works place relations and organisational performance as a result of diminishing service to customers. 3. My experience with workplace incivility relates with a lot of literature on the topic which has associated incivility in the work environment with negative consequences on productivity. According to Hutton, S., Gates, D. (2008), mobbing that is aimed at intimidating adversely affects the health & welfare of co-workers and also work performance. Other forms of incivility also negatively impact on performance and coherence in the workplace such as bullying. Consequences include an increase in employee absenteeism, lowered productivity; reduce incidence reporting, poor organisational commitment and even the feeling among employees of separation from employees. 4. Faced with workplace incivility, employees respond in different ways which combined adversely and severely affect organisational performance. As a response to the uncivil nurse co-workers tended to avoid her at all costs so as to avoid the embarrassment of being intimidated. They avoided being in the same office with her, attending to patients with her, and even just talking to her. When scheduled to work at the same time with her some colleagues even opted to be absent from work. The ultimate effect was poor communication and poor service to customers. 5. The

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Delivering HIGH QUALITY CARE and working with people to provide a Essay

Delivering HIGH QUALITY CARE and working with people to provide a positive experience of care is a fundamental part of the nurse - Essay Example Advocating sometimes also calls for nurses to defends patient views that even they do not agree with. In such cases, nurses will put aside their personal opinions as health care is basicallt concerned with the patient needs, and not the feelings of the patient’s caregivers. The role of nurses as temporary legal advisers comes up because most patients tend to feel overwhelmed when confronted with the treatment options available for them. This is particularly true when the patient has been diagnosed with a terminal or life-threatening ailment. Many times, patients also turn to their nurses when seeking advise on how to handle matters that have to do with insurance. Nurses do not merely act as the advocates of the needs of their patients in a hospital setting, but also in government conventions discussing matters to do with the health sector (Yea-Pyng, Watson and Yun-Fang, 2012). Nurses can share their experiences with various patients with policy makers in such meetings and even give suggestions on how different aspects of the health sector can be improved. In most cases, nurses do not supervise or seek to monitor the way in which other medical practitioners, whether doctors or nurses, perform their responsibilities. However, nurses, because of their closeness in proximity to all patients, may be able to detect signs of maltreatment or the wrong treatment being given to a patient that is not under their care. In such cases, the nurse can exercise legal rights on behalf of the patient by reporting such an incidence to a higher authority. This is a special circumstance that calls for the urse to appeal to higher authorities because the patient’s health may be in jeopardy. Most nurses take this step after due consideration of the consequences because there might be contractual obligations that will result in disciplinary action being taken against the nurse if his or her complaint is misunderstood a defamatory action or breach of the patient and his or her caretaker’s privacy. The role of the Nurse from an Ethical perspective Nursing ethics are descriptive of the doctrines that govern how nurses act towards patients and their families. Nurses have a distinctive relationship with their patients. They tend to people at their most vulnerable point when the patients are unable to make decisions for themselves; and are thus entrusted by their charges with a greater amount of trust than is accorded to even religious leaders (Matiti and Trorey, 2008). Nursing ethics objectives include safe guarding the information volunteered by the patient and protecting his or her rights and giving practical guidance on treatment alternatives inspite of any difference in personal ideologies. Due to the rapid technological developments that have been witnessed in healthcare sector, nurses have had to re-examine the issue of ethics in the present settings. Even though nurses are expected to make ethical decisions in matters concerning their patie nts, they also have to take into account various factors that may affect them. For instance, a nurse may have to make the decision to give expensive treatment to pungent homeless people, drug abusers, or

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Explain how maximum performance might beast be extracted from a small Essay

Explain how maximum performance might beast be extracted from a small engine - Essay Example Initially, two stroke engines were used to power toy cars, but now they are being used in lawn-mowers, motorcycles, and power saws. Two stroke engines are also undergoing modern innovations which are meant to convert them into better, modified engines. This paper reflects on strategies to optimize small engines’ performance. The first thing that one has to consider is that there should be no engine deposits present in the engine. Engine deposits may be there even if the engine is in its best mechanical condition. Carbon deposits may be present in the combustion chamber or in the valves of the cylinder (Totten, Westbrook & Shah 2003: 470). The fuel injectors may also be rusty. Carbon deposits and rust are the culprits that make the small engines perform less than they can when they are in new condition (see fig.1). Hence, tuning must be done, which requires much training, patience, and energy on the part of the owner (Pickerill 2009: 499). One can be sure whether or not proper tuning has been done by hearing the sound of the engine. If it is like new engine, that means tuning is proper, leading to maximized performance. Maximized performance is guaranteed when synthetic lubricants are used. Synthetic lubricants are known as saving engines because they are good friction reducers, and they â€Å"improve engine performance, durability, and prolong draining periods†, state Stachowiak and Batchelor (2011: 60). ... â€Å"Conventional engine oil begins to break down at 260 degrees F. Synthetic keeps going at 300+ degrees F. Truth is, if your engine's oil temperature is 260 to 300 degrees F, you have greater problems than which oil to choose†, writes Smart (2013, par. 4). So, synthetic lubricants are recommended to extract optimized performance from small engines. Moreover, one should make sure that there is enough compression in the engine to perform at its best, writes Senatore (1999: 51). Increased compression means more horsepower. Obviously, one cannot increase compression at home. The engine provider can best suggest how to increase compression and maintain cam selection. A specific compression ratio must be maintained (see fig.2). It is actually the comparison of the volume of the cylinder with the space left when the piston is at the top of stroke. Although the engine performs better at a high compression ratio (Buzelli 2006: 41); yet, the compression ratio should not go beyond 10. 0:1, otherwise it is likely to result in detonation or pre-ignition, which results from low octane in the engine. It is also called pinging. Fuel and spark curves must also be kept into consideration while maximizing compression. It is also important to keep a check on the throttle body of the engine, since a strong, high-performance throttle body guarantees optimized performance (Kojima 2002: 25). Much more horsepower and comparable torque can be gained through a large throttle body of the engine (Evans 2004: 44). However, that needs a check. Too large a throttle body makes the engine loose power. â€Å"Throttle bodies that are much too big for an engine lose their authority way below full throttle, because once the engine is fully loaded, it simply cannot use more

Monday, August 26, 2019

The Dogs Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Dogs - Research Paper Example This paper "The Dogs" focuses on the relationship between man and dog. With time, the relationship has also became remarkable as it has extended as compared to the relationships that man might have with other men making the relationship easily attainable than the latter. The communicative aspect between man and dogs has also evolved in that man has constantly developed skills that have made relations between man and dog more effective as dogs have gradually replaced children as part of a complete family (Derr 4). The relationship between humans and canines has experienced evolution through training and interbreeding. The communicative aspect between man and dogs has also evolved in that man has constantly developed skills that have made relations between man and dog more effective as dogs have gradually replaced children as part of a complete family. In relation to the history of dogs, Catherine Johns’ article is one of the best literature pieces that emphasize how the relatio nship between people and man developed into what is visible today. In this article, Johns illustrates that dogs were initially wild animals that man had to domesticate to make him feel safer as he went out to hunt in the wild. In this article, the author also gives an explanation as to how dogs lost their intensive canine nature to tamed domestic animals. Ideally, man and dog’s relationship ties date back to the ancient times in which man went hunting with dogs that helped the man in bringing down resisting animals. ... On the other hand, Olmert Meg shares a divergent view over the explanation of how human and man relationships states that resulted in which this author inclines that it was psychosocial. This is contrary to Johns view that man had to interbreed and over breed dogs with certain species in order to create the perfect companion. Olmert suggests that the connection between people and dogs goes beyond the physical aspect rather it encompasses emotions and mammalian hormones. Therefore, Olmert asserts that the relationship had inclination to trust and socially related cognition. This is evident in mammals in the same way that mothers have a connection to their newly born infants. However, the second part of John’s book illustrates the exploitative forms that the relationships between dogs and people have taken, which is a down side of domestication. For instance, dogs have become tools for research and in some societies are complementing aspects of diet. With this, Johns gives the d ifferent ways in which dogs assisted man in different societies in which they were hunting gurus in some societies, which Johns illustrates through various paintings structured within the book (Johns 35). Derr also gives another angle to this remarkable relationship that he intimates that it has superseded the relationship that humans have between themselves. In most westernized societies, dogs have replaced the need by many to having children as they have become friendlier as compared to the deteriorating relationships between man and fellow man. Additionally, most homes in America have also made dogs to form part of their families because of their welcoming and friendly nature. Derr seems to be in

Sunday, August 25, 2019

CIMA Official Learning System - Performance Operations Essay

CIMA Official Learning System - Performance Operations - Essay Example Since all organization produce more than one product and the overhead costs are incurred together and thus the allocation, appropriation and absorption of these overhead costs have to be done most justly. Allocation allocates the overhead costs to the cost centres or units from where these costs are incurred. Appropriation is done on two levels. On the primary level, appropriation is done by dividing overhead costs to both product and service centres on an equal basis. On the secondary level, overhead costs are distributed on arbitrary bases, depending upon either time or usage. Absorption is the absorption of overhead costs to the production cost. To do this, absorption rate is determined using the following formula: Overhead Recovery Rate = Overhead Costs/ Unit Chose The advantage of full cost approach is that it is relatively simple to use this approach if the firm can account for its costs easily. This approach also brings stability to the pricing system, thereby allowing the firm to justify their prices to the consumers. Full costs approach also makes it easier to understand the pricing strategy of their competitors. Under the full cost approach, the firm can expect a reasonable rate of recovery for its products. However, there are certain disadvantages of the full cost approach.... However, there are certain disadvantages of the full cost approach. The full cost approach does not allow for the adjustment of prices according to the changing demands and competition and thus may result in increased prices of the products against the competition. The full cost approach also does not allow the organization to adapt its pricing structure to prevent loss. This is because the volume of production of the products is not flexible and thus when demand goes down, the volume cannot be suitably adjusted. The treatment of costs in the full cost approach is also standardized and thus do not allow for the differentiation between relevant and irrelevant costs (Lal, 2008) Marginal Costing Approach Marginal Costing has been defined by I.C.M.A London as ‘the ascertainment of marginal costs and of the effect on profits of changes in the volume or the type of output by differentiating between fixed costs and variable costs’ (Murthy and Gurusamy, 2009). Marginal Costing a llows the organization to write of its fixed costs in the profit or loss account while using the variable cost to determine the profit margin for the product. The Profit in marginal costing is determined by subtracting the variable and fixed costs from the selling price of the product. By differentiating between fixed and variable costs, marginal costing allows the organization to effectively decide the feasibility of the product by studying the current manufacturing costs. Since the costs are variable, the selling price of the product can also be adjusted to meet the pricing demands of the market. Marginal Costing Approach basically allows flexibility in the management decision, including the make-buy decision, the sales mix and the method of product to be used. Marginal Costing is more

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Articles Review - Educational Instructional Practices, Programs, and Essay

Articles Review - Educational Instructional Practices, Programs, and Strategies - Essay Example Duignan describes capable leaders as authentic in values and intent. The author describes a detailed framework by which the inherent paradoxes, and tensions of educational leadership can be navigated. Wisdom, effectiveness, and ethics are deemed crucial for those that lead institutions of learning; and educational districts. To implement the work of Duignan, an investigation should be conducted on the most successful administrators, principals, tenured educators, and managers towards the goal of a management, rubric; higher-level grading for administrators themselves; with the option of financial incentives for the districts of high-achieving leaders as permitted by state and federal law. While a point-value system would prove difficult to reliably implement in the judgment of managerial decisions not limited strictly to the financial sphere, leaders in education can be offered guidance during Teacher's meetings and conferences to cover the above points, and a few other recommendatio ns described below: Sharing wisdom via dialogue with vital personnel and a willingness to listen to alternate viewpoints, through a re-thinking of the organizational culture. Conferences and meetings with more of a 'round table' format, in essence. A guiding should also be a focus on seeking a higher purpose into the nuts and bolts of educational practices; in terms of core values, possibly as relating to the school mission-statement. This requires soul-searching for the determination of core values for the district, in addition to the ethical focus and morality initiative in terms of interactions, and actions. To lead with authenticity, both the educators and educated must be encouraged to take responsibility for their own actions and progress. Students must be taught to ‘own up’ to short-comings with an emphasis on continuous improvement. Districts following Duignan’s guidelines should encourage honest authenticity in administrators and seek to achieve a more a uthoritative presence. While most districts follow similar policies; for implementation an obvious recommendation would be to use proper, respectful titles for students when addressing adult district employees. These recommendations should be added to the professional development regimens that most districts already employ as a matter of course. Sylwester, Robert. 2006. The School Administrator. December 2006. American Association of School Administrators. Publications. Features, Cognitive Neuroscience Discoveries and Educational Practices. An article on cognitive neuroscience discoveries by Robery Sylwester begins with analogies from the biological world as a means to rouse educators into action. In the way that an organism must use its sensory system to understand, and navigate its environment, so must the school employ reason to determine whether and how it must improve, and to propel itself from point A to point B should the latter prove more desirable. This is because, as anima ls our brains give us the ability and obligation to move around should our needs require it, and that only a sessile, vegetative plant should be content to stay rooted and

Companys Social Performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Companys Social Performance - Essay Example Company’s Social Performance Describe your company and analyze the various primary and secondary stakeholder groups, their roles, and relationships The company is a medium–sized chocolate producing corporation known as ‘St. Louis Delights’.The company specializes in the production of popular treats such as chocolate dipped caramels, with and without condiments such as pecans. The company is rapidly expanding even though at present it has only 35 employees, some of whom work on a part-time basis. St. Louis Delights currently produces more than 15,000 chocolate treats on a daily basis. With most of the chocolates products sold by other retailers being somewhat conventional, St. Louis Delights has created a whole new line of treats that is aimed at catering for the diverse tastes of chocolate fans all over the world. So far, St. Louis Delights has produced goods for fairs such as corporate events as well as weddings and other parties. The company also creates distinctive theme –products in different seasons such as during Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and the Chinese New Year. Recently, the company also staged a ‘chocolate tasting workshop’ so that customers could be introduced to exciting new creations produced by St. Louis Delights. The primary stakeholders of St. Louis Delights are its customers, stockholders, suppliers, creditors, and workers. Just as other corporations, St. Louis Delights has to realize profits for its principal investors. ... um, apart from its website, in which the company’s clients are able to discuss their views on different products as well as company policies (Freeman, Harrison, Wicks, Parmar, & De Colle, 2010). In this way, the company will also be able to determine what needs to be improved. This will also help company officials to learn how best to communicate with clients or catch their interest. The company could also learn how to better market its products to different sectors of the population by listening to the comments and advice of its customers. By monitoring the effect of any adjustments it makes, the company will be able to reassess its priorities as well as fine tune its methods of communication. Recommend ways the stakeholders can influence the destiny of your business For St. Louis Delights, customers are viewed as being the single most important stakeholder group that can foment change in company strategies as well as operations. The company has been making profits that allow for further expansion due to the loyalty of customers. At present, St. Louis Delights is involved in considering the next place in which to open new branches. Naturally, this decision will be determined by the notion of where customers are most likely to want to come to. Executives have to take into consideration the thought of where the customers are most likely to feel comfortable shopping at. The company also has to take into account the customer demographic it is looking to attract. For instance, it has to consider whether the customers will drive or walk to its proposed next franchise. In this case, it would be better to locate the franchise at an up market area that is a walking distance from residential houses. So far, it is the up market customers who appreciate uniqueness who have

Friday, August 23, 2019

Concept of health (dementia) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Concept of health (dementia) - Essay Example arteries in the Heart are responsible for carrying the pure oxygenated blood and when it gets narrowed down due to the building of fatty substances on its walls, enough blood is not pumped in and out of the heart. This leads to symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath and in extreme cases, it leads to Heart attack. Coronary Heart Disease is called by different names such as Coronary Artery disease, Atherosclerotic Heart Disease and causes a combination of symptoms. The most important condition caused is called Angina which blocks blood flow in heart. Limitation of blood flow in turn causes a condition called ischemia in myocardial cells. When myocardial cells starve and die of oxygen it leads to a condition called myocardial infarction and there will be numbness in the body which is called as paresthesia. This disease is of particular interest because in England alone it kills more than 110,000 people annually. The disease does not have a big history as it was discovered very late after many changes have happened to the eating and working habits of people. CHD is also the most important cause of death in the US where more than 15 million people have some form of this condition. Also, according to Guinness Book of Records, Northern Ireland is the country with the most occurrences of CHD in the world. CHD is not biased with gender affecting both males and females equally. Although men in the 40’s are more susceptible than women, it gets evened out because as women get older, their risk is equally high as that of men. From 1984, more women have died of this heart disease than men. Already one in three females die of CHD while one in twenty five females die of Breast cancer. Forty to Fifty percent of women older than 45 have high levels of Blood pressure called Hypertension and high levels of Cholesterol which are the well-documented risk factors of heart diseases while smoking is the most common and preventable reason for cardio-vascular diseases in

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Henry V Shakespeare Essay Example for Free

Henry V Shakespeare Essay In Henry V Shakespeare has used language to communicate the setting and the mood. I will also be contrasting between the scenes and characters. I will be doing this by looking at Act 3, Act 4 and using Act 2 Scene 1 and Act 1 Scene 2 to compare scenes and characters. Shakespeare used language in Henry V to communicate the setting. In Act 3, the chorus tells the reader that the English army are sailing to France. The main role of the chorus was to explain things to the audience that could not be acted out on stage, to tell the audience that time has passed and to summarise parts of the play. The chorus also tells the reader or audience that once they reach France they begin to besiege the town of Harfleur. The reason why the chorus tells the reader or audience this is because this scene cannot be acted out on stage but Shakespeare uses language to get the audience to picture the ships crossing and the siege. In Shakespearian time it was necessary to have a chorus in this play because the chorus gets the audience to picture the ships crossing and the siege by telling the audience to use their imaginations. This is due to the fact that this scene cannot be acted out on stage and limited resources because in Shakespearian times there werent any effects they just had a stage and a few props. Thus with imagind wing our swift scene flies, this sentence is telling the reader to use his or her imagination to imagine the setting and locality of this act. The chorus appeals to two senses. These two senses help the reader to build a picture in our imaginations of what it was like to be at the siege. The two senses are the sense of sight and the sense of hearing. An example of the sense of sight is, hempen tackle ship-boys climbing, this creates an image in our heads of boys climbing. An example of the sense of hearing is, hear the shrill whistle, this creates a sound in our heads of a sharp, high-pitched whistle. Shakespeare cleverly uses both senses in the same phrase. This is a more effective way of using language to communicate the setting because it creates a picture in our heads as well as creates sounds to the picture, To sounds confusd, this tells the reader that there are confusing sounds and where there are confusing sounds there are people which gives the emphasis that there are a lot of things going on and that there is a lot of mayhem. This gives the reader the picture in our heads that there are people running around. Another example is, Behold the threaden sails Borne with the invisible and creeping wind; in this phrase you can hear the creeping wind against the sails and you can visualize the sails moving. The effect of these senses is to help our imaginations paint a picture and it also helps the reader to understand what it was like to be in certain peoples shoes at the time of the crossing and the siege. If the reader were a hempen tackle ship-boy then he or she would be climbing, and if the reader was on the ship he or she will be hearing confused sounds. Now I am going to explain how language in Henry V is used to communicate the mood. In Act 4 the chorus describes to the reader the scene of the English camp the night before the battle of Agincourt. Shakespeare uses language to get the audience to feel the mood of the battlefield. Sound, words that emphasise ugliness, supernatural images and words that tell the reader that time is passing slowly are all ways to get the audience to feel the mood of the battlefield. Creeping murmur, hum of either army stilly sounds and secret whispers, tells the reader about the sound of the camp and makes the reader feel slightly threatened and uneasy because it gives the feeling of impending danger. Cripple tardy-gaited, foul and ugly witch and horrid ghosts, are words that emphasise ugliness. Those words make the reader not want to go there and they tell him or her that the place is disgusting, revolting and that it is an unpleasant place to be. Ghosts and witches are supernatural images. These images may make the reader feel scared and make him or her feel the same as the people in the camp. There are words and phrases that tell the reader time is passing slowly. These words and phrases are, creeping, cocks do crow, the clocks do toll, third hour of drowsy morning name, and piercing. The effect that these words have on this scene is that it seems that this scene is time dragging. The reason why I say this is because the armies want the battle to be over but they also dont want the battle to come. It is a bit like exams, because everyone doesnt want the exam to come but when the exam comes they want to finish the exam and get it over and done with. Words which tells the reader about the sounds about the camp, words which emphasise ugliness, supernatural images and words they tell the reader time is passing slowly creates a weird and spooky mood in this scene. It is important that this kind of mood is created so that the reader can feel what it is like to be in the camp.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

The boundaries between phenomenon and context

The boundaries between phenomenon and context The basic aim and objective of this chapter is to describe in perspective the research methodology that would be used to check the correlation between multinational oil corporations participation in economic activities in Nigeria through the means of international trade policy and its effect on economic growth and the influence such corporations exert on international foreign trade policies of the host country Nigeria. In order to achieve these set objectives, the research was carried out through rigorous collection and analysis of data using qualitative case study methodology with a bit of quantitative data since the researcher wont be generating own data but careful analysis of already generated data. 3.2 Justification for the approach used Alternatively, the selection of tools may be at the discretion of the researcher to know the most valid approach to be used, Yates (2004 p14) goes on to argue that positivist thinking has influenced quantitative or numerical research. Ticehurst and Veal (2000 p18) argued that there is a considerable debate among scholars,about the relative merit and value of qualitative vs. quantitative business research and that the debate is often aligned with differing philosophical positions. They went as far as illustrating with a diagram on approaches and methodology. Approaches and methodology Experimental Qualitative Positivist Lab simulation Applied Observational Descriptive Historical Evaluative Ethnographic Feminist Social action Critical interpretation Quantitative Experienced qualitative researchers like Altheide Johnson (1994), Creswell, (2009) Eisner (1998), Gall, Gall Borg (2007), Glaser (1992), Howe Eisenhardt (1990) have offered a variety of standards that may be used to evaluate a qualitative research study and they suggested a general criteria; Purposefulness Explicitness of assumption biases- identifies bias that may affect data collection or interpretation Rigor Open mindedness Completeness Coherence Persuasiveness- logical arguments Consensus Usefulness 3.2.1 Case study method Robert K. Yin (1984) defines the case study research method as an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context; when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident; and in which multiple sources of evidence are used. Though critics of the case study method claim that the study of a small number of isolated cases can not establish a reliable or general acceptability of the research, but over time well known researchers like Robert E Stake, Helen Simons and of course Robert Yin have proven the success of the case study technique . Some critics feels that the intense exposure to study of the case biases the outcome of the research while others dismissed case study research as a useful exploratory tool. Researchers continue to use the case study research method with success in carefully planned and crafted studies of real-life situations, issues, and problems and I wouldnt be different. Morris and wood 1991 in their att empt defined the case study strategy as a considerable ability by a researcher to generate answers to questions like why? When? What? and How? (Saunders, 2009). Stake, Simons, and Yin have written about case study research issues and suggested techniques for organizing and conducting the research appropriately and successfully. They proposed six steps that should be used when using the case study method: Determine and define the research questions Select the cases and determine data gathering and analysis techniques Prepare to collect the data Collect data in the field Evaluate and analyze the data and finally Prepare the report 3.2.2 Method Used The method to be used in this research is mainly qualitative research with a bit touch of the quantitative aspect due to the simple fact that I have no intention of generating numerical data but analyses sourced data. And also qualitative research is more interpretive since I would be considering words rather than numbers and as the focal aim of this research is best served by a well conducted qualitative inductive interpretive research reasoning (Silverman 2008). Qualitative research believe that the researcher ability to interpret and make sense of what he or she sees is critical for understanding any social phenomenon. In this sense, the researcher is an as much the same way as an oscilloscope, sociogram or rating scale is an instrument (Leady and Ormrod 2010). Furthermore, some qualitative researchers believe that there isnt necessarily is a single, ultimate truth to be discovered, instead there may be multiple perspectives held by different individuals, with each of these perspectives having equal validity or truth (Creswell 2009: and Guba and Lincoln 1998) one goal of a quality study might be to reveal the nature of these multiple perspectives. All enquires of some starts are in a qualitative form (Lauer and Asher 1998) when little information exists on a topic when variables are unknown when relevant theory base is inadequate or missing, a qualitative study can help define what is important that is what needs to be studied. According to Peshkins (1993), Qualitative research studies typically serve one or more of the following purposes Description They can reveal the nature of certain situations, settings processes, relationships, systems or people. Interpretation They enable a researcher to a) gain new insights about a particular phenomenon, b) develop new concepts or theoretical perspective about the phenomenon or, c) discover the phenomenon that exists within the phenomenon. Verification They allow a researcher to test the validity of certain assumptions, claims, theories or generalization within real world context. Evaluation They provide a means through which a researcher can judge the effectiveness of particular policies, practice or innovations. Qualitative research methods are the least prescriptive (Eisner 1998). 3.3 Research design and methodology The research is design and methodology is the focal point for the researcher, it conducted so as to ensure accuracy in organization and consistency. Research design ordinary should be systemic and comprehensive to safe guard the gathering of the data, recording of the data and data analysis to protect against obvious data disorganization. There are five basic components of a good research as posited by Yin (1984). These are . The research questions . The research propositions .The unit of analysis . The logic linking of the data to proposition and . The criteria for interpreting the findings Miles Huberman (1984) laid more emphasis on the need to focus and bound the data within a conceptual framework. They suggested beginning the research with general research questions would help to make the research straight forward and less vague without limiting the vision of the research (Miles Huberman 1984) there by agreeing with the process suggested by Yin. The appropriateness of a qualitative, case study method in this particular project has already been explained in dept. The relationship between philosophy, theory and research methods is an important one; Easterby-smith et al (2002) said it allows one to. Take a more informed decision about the research approach. Decide which methods are appropriate for the piece of research and To think about constraints which may impinge on the research? 3.3.1 Interviews The Interviews to be conducted in this research is via telephone and four different individuals of different background would be used to get probable balanced opinions on the subject matter. Interview questions are being streamlined along the ideas of experts on qualitative research like Creswell (2009), Eisner (1998) Shank (2002) and Silverman (1993) along the following premise, Identify some questions in advance, avoid leading questions, questions such as what is going on now? What is it like to work here and what is a typical day like? Can stimulate informative conversation without suggesting that one kind of response is somehow more desirable than another (shank, 2002). Consider how participants cultural background might influence this response (Howard Shuman 1967). As Shuman discovered cultural background can influence interview responses in ways you havent necessarily anticipated. If you are interviewing people from Asian cultures you should be aware that they are less likely to brag about their individual accomplishment than Westerners are (Heine, 2007) culture plays a significant role in how participants interpret questions. Make sure your interviewee represents a group. Find extremist and mentor them in your notes. Find a suitable location Get written permission Establish and maintain rapport, during the interview you must show compassion and interest in other ways e.g. body language , smiling , maintaining eye contact leaning forward and such neutral encouragements go on Focus on the actual rather then on the abstract or hypothetical Dont put words in peoples mouth. People may reveal inconsistent lies in there recollection, attitudes and logic; their perceptions will not necessary all fit together in a neat little package ( kvale, 1996) Record responses verbatim 10) Keep your reactions to yourself 11) Remember that you are not necessarily getting the facts Interviews can yield a great deal of the useful information. The researcher can ask questions related to any of the following Fact e.g. biographical information Peoples belief and perspective about the facts Feelings Motives Present and past behaviours Standards for behaviour (what people think should be done in certain situations) 6. Conscious reasons for actions or feelings (e.g. why people think that engaging in a particular behaviour is desirable and undesirable) (Silverman, 1993) 3.4 Selection of Participating Persons 3.4.1 Selection of Persons The suitability of the persons approached for the research was established through the criteria adopted by the researcher. The criteria adopted emerged from the aims of the research as outlined in Chapter 1. 3.5 Data management 3.5.1 Gathering data The means of data collection for this research is by both primary and secondary research data collection for both the qualitative and quantitative analysis . Primary Research This is basically telephone interviews of four persons to shed light on the issue being researched. Secondary Research- This is going to be data sourced from Academic Journals, Periodicals, Textbooks, Studies and Reports of institutions, Newsletters, and other relevant published academic materials both electronic and print. Saunders et al (2000), in their write ups posited that research designed is the logic that links data to be collected to the initial question of the research. They used what they called the research process onion for proper illustration thus: C04NF001 Source: Saunders, Lewis, Thornhill (2003). The layers represent . Research philosophy .Research approach .Research methodology .Time horizons .Data collection techniques and methods . Research Philosophy is the choice between two primary alternatives, a positivist and a phenomenological philosophy. (Easterby-Smith et al., 1991; Saunders et al., 2000) highlighted the basic elements of these choices by outlining the key features of these paradigms Key features of positivist and phenomenological paradigms Positivist paradigm Phenomenological Paradigm Basic Beliefs The world is external and objective The world is socially constructed and subjective Observer is independent Observer is part of what observed Science is Value- free Science is driven by human interests Researcher Should Focus on the facts Focus on meanings Look for causality and fundamental laws Try to understand what is happening Reduce phenomenon to simplest elements Look at the totality of each situation Formulate hypothesis and then test them Develop ideas through induction from data Preferred methods include Operational concepts that can be measured Using multiple methods to establish different views of phenomena Taking large samples Small samples investigated in depth or over time Source: Easterby- Smith, Thorp R and Lowe A (1991) The research philosophy for this dissertation would be phenomenological paradigm since it is related to theories and filled with valid and reliable data. Research Approach is the application of either the deductive or inductive approach, and research can be based on empirical or non empirical approaches since there are four types of research namely, Exploratory, descriptive, analytical or predictive, and are based on empirical evidence (Hussey and Hussey 1997). Research Strategy and methodology: The third layer of the onion according to Saunders encompasses the use of any of the following research strategies; Experimental strategy Survey strategy Case study Strategy Action research Strategy Grounded theory strategy Ethnography Strategy and Archival research Strategy For the data collection method of this proposal which will be leading to dissertation, both qualitative and quantitative data will be collected though a secondary source. Data will be collected for books, reports, internet and any written facts concerning the information i will be relevant to my research. 3.5.3 Analyzing and interpreting data Huberman and Miles (1994) define data analysis as three linked sub processes i.e. data reduction in terms of data selection and condensation which are reduced in anticipation or conceptualized framework which are chosen and as instruments, cases and questions are refined,, Data are summarized, coded and broken down into themes, clusters and categories., Data display which is the second sub process described the way in which reduced data are displayed in diagrammatic, pictorial or visual forms in order to show what those data imply, it should be viewed as organized ,compressed assembly of information that permits conclusion drawing and action taking and another sub process is Data conclusion drawing and verification which is where the displayed data are interpreted and meaning is drawn. This part is the most significant of the study, and need to be handled delicately, since it deals with the research methodology where the sources of data collection, method of data analysis, model spec ification research hypothesis and sample period would be examined and determined. For instance, the growth rate of the Gross domestic product (GDP) would be measured to ascertain the changes during the course of this research According to Schram (2003) experience do not speak for themselves nor features within a research setting, directly or spontaneously announced themselves as worthy of your attention. As a qualitative field worker you cannot view your task simply as a matter of gathering or generating facts about what happened. Rather you engage with an active process of interpretation noting things as significant, noting but ignoring other as not significant or missing other potentially significant things all together if you are not careful. Creswell (1998) described a data analysis as a spiral of activities geared towards a final result that is as equally applicable to a wide variety of qualitative studies. After the collation of data, it is organized into different bases, which is then perused, later classified into categories that then synthesized into hypothesis or propositions and finally the end report is arrived at, a diagrammatic illustration is given below. THE FINAL REPORT Synthesis *Offering Hypothesis or propositions *Constructing, Tables, Diagrams. Classification *Grouping data into Themes categories *Finding meanings to the Data Perusal *Getting over all sense of the data *Jotting down preliminary interpretation Organization *Filing *Creating a corporate database *Breaking large units into smaller bits THE RAW DATA 3.7 Research quality Silverman (1993) posited that, only an handful of researchers would not accept that the cultural world has different properties from the natural world. It is generally acceptable that a research work would be regarded as scientific if the methods of study used are acceptable to the subject matter involved in the study. Research in the social sciences is considered to be scientific if the methods used are appropriate and the methods used in the collection and data analysis are rigorous, critical and objective. Kvale (1995) suggests that emphasis on the validity (truth) of findings may if consistently repeated could actually create suspicion in the observer with the preoccupation of maintaining the truth, beware when they swear they are telling the truth (Kvale 1995:34). Silverman (1993) in reinforcing the argument notes, the two central concepts to be considered in any discussion of rigour in research are reliability and validity. Reliability and validity are central to all measurements; they are concerned with how indicators are developed. Perfect reliability and validity are almost impossible to achieve, but they do need to be worked towards. It is important in business and social research to maximize the reliability and validity of indicators and measures used. 3.7.1 Research Reliability Reliability is about the researchs indicators dependability and consistency. If the indicator being used is reliable it will give the same result each time repeatedly. It is about the replication of results. Hamersley (1992) refers to reliability as the degree of consistency with which instances are assigned to the same category by different observers or by the same observer on different occasions. Reliability ensures that any information given does not vary as a result of the characteristics of the indicator, measurement device or instrument used. Nueman (2002) identified three kinds of reliability, namely; Stability reliability, Representative reliability and Equivalence reliability, he also gave four principles that he suggests should be followed in order to increase reliability, . Clearly conceptualized constructs; . Using precise levels of measurement; . Using multiple indicators; and . Using pilot tests 3.7.2 Validity An important way that the researcher has tried to ensure validity in the findings in this project was to generate rather than to test theories. There are three types of validity; construct, internal and external. According to Yin (1994) definition, Construct validity establishes correct operational measures for the concepts being studied, Internal validity establishes a casual relationship linkages as against uncoordinated relationships and finally External validity establishes the domain to which the research findings are generalized. Case study research tends to the more subjective, so it is important to enhance the subject of construct validity. Yin (1993) suggests the following measures: multiple sources of evidence, chain of evidence and review of procedures by informants. 3.8 Researchers role and position 3.8.1 Ethical issues There are three ethical elements that was identified by Neuman (1997) as being of immense importance and absolutely relevant to all researchers especially this particular research, these are; Privacy, Anonymity and Confidentiality these are the three factors that corresponds to the second, third and fourth of Walkers five areas for consideration. All three of these factors are important to this research. Walker (1980) has five areas for which a researchers must concentrate on for ethical consideration, these five areas are; Researcher involvement in the issues or situations or event under study. Confidentiality of data. Issues related to access and control over any data collected Preserving anonymity of persons granted the interviews or gave the necessary information. Problems arising from interpretation of the data. 3.8.2 Researcher integrity The researcher who adopts the qualitative, the interpretive path are questioned by their more positivist colleagues as to their ability to remain objective and unbiased. When conducting the type of research that involves watching, interviewing and recording, there arise a number of opportunities for the personal influence of the researcher to affect the findings of the research. Researcher integrity becomes a real issue. Walker (1984) argues that an important reason for the increased reliance on quantitative methods, replication and statistics in social research is about a lack of trust, We set stringent statistical criteria not because logically they are crucial for establishing a theory but because our intellectual community is socially distrustful of the honesty of investigators. Walker (1984) All research, whether it is quantitative or qualitative, places some degree of trust in the researcher. The reader of qualitative research usually places more trust in the integrity and interpretation of the researcher than they would in the quantitative researcher. It is incumbent on the qualitative researcher to ensure that their research accurately reflects the evidence and that they have all possible checks on the evidence. In order to strengthen any claims made from the evidence collected, the researcher considers what others might say, they look for confirming evidence and they check, as far as possible, for internal consistency. 3.9Research Report A reliance for studying the case A detailed descriptive of the facts related to the case A description of the data you collected A description of the patterns you formatted A connection to the larger scheme of things 4.0 Chapter Summary

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Producing A Profile Of Small Business Business Essay

Producing A Profile Of Small Business Business Essay The Micro and small enterprises plays important role in the growth of the countrys economy hence it becomes vital to understand the concept of SME and further there is need to support and understand these businesses. Small businesses with less than 10 employees dominate numerically in UK accounted for approximately 95% of all the business in UK during 2008. Most of the people who run such small businesses are self-employed. These small businesses contribute a lot to the UK economy. At the same time it gives opportunity for people to use their local skill and utilize for growth of the business. For example a person running a restaurant or a cafà © which offers local taste. These small business enterprises are image of local culture, local population and it inherits lot information about a place. Various government regulations necessitate work and expenses that many small businesses cope with and entrepreneurs suggest that small businesses start up with benefit if they could tender fo r government contracts and support. These small businesses have high potential to improve UK economy if they are made to operate in suitable and economic environment. As per UK section 382 and 465 of Companies Act 2006 it explains a SME for the purpose of accounting requirements. As per the Act having turnover not more than 6.5 Million Pound and not more than 50 employees can be considered as Micro Small Enterprises. The purpose of this report is to design a suitable training program to serve the knowledge of how to produce small businesses. This training module will focus on small business by identifying its Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat. This training module will also provide wide scope on Micro and Macro Analysis where political, economical, social, legal and technological situation will be explained. This training module aims to provide detail knowledge on performance analysis of the SME. It will also account competitor, financial analysis. This training module is committed to provide good knowledge on every aspects of SME. This training module will also explain about importance of stakeholders, investors, financial institutions who can be of great help. Producing a profile of small business Starting a business needs a serious consideration on its aims, objectives which may be long term, short term, it can be for profit or for no profit no loss in case of NGOs. Before starting a business it is important to understand the nature of business, type of investment required, type of product to be delivered to customer, whether product has a demand or not, there is a need to understand who are our customers, we need to understand the existing competitors. It is important to understand the Micro and Macro part of the business it includes SWOT Analysis wherein Micro can be considered as strength and business of the organization while Macro are opportunities and threats. SWOT Analysis should be carefully done to ensure that business will have minimum risk once started. Understanding SWOT Analysis SWOT Analysis consists of Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats. Strengths Strength means characteristics of business which provides advantage to the organization over others. It could be product portfolio, brand image, financial stability of the organization. Before starting the business one should understand the strength of its business, product or services. It is strength of the organization which is given importance in the market and should be different from others so that a business can achieve competitive advantage over others. Strength should always be considered as positive aspect of the company and should be used maximum to exploit the market and get better business. Weakness Weakness is a characteristic of business which puts the company in disadvantageous position over others. Weakness could be limitation for the organization. For example a company may have limited financial resources which might limit the company or future expansion, weak brand image in the market, poor customer service, less trained employees, complex management or some legal abiding. All these weaknesses can affect the business on large and one should try to overcome these weaknesses so that business can run smoothly. Opportunities Opportunities are possibilities or certain elements of market that could be exploited to its advantages. Advantage can be anything which could make the business more beneficial as compared to others. For example usage of high technology as compared to competitors can be taken as an opportunity to grab better business, having good product knowledge or expertise can be considered as opportunity. Less competitors in the market can be considered as opportunity, niche market for innovative product can be considered as biggest opportunity. Opportunities can be used as to get competitive advantage in the market. Threats Threats are basically troubles or fear factors which could affect or damage the business. One should work hard to minimize the effects form these threats. For example new entry by some other company in same product range can be considered as a threat, increasing competition, and substitute product. Threat should be properly assessed for trouble free business operations. Analysis of the business using comparative measures of performance Performance measurement is the vital tool in understanding the status of the business. Performance measurement can be simple comparison with competitors or company working in the same product line, internal performance measurement for example performance of staff, sales volume, production, customer service can be vital parameters of performance measurement. Finance: Finance plays crucial role in running a business or it can be considered as backbone of the business. It is finance which helps a individual to start up the business. Hence it is important to analyze financial performance parameters such as Return on Investment (ROE), Breakeven Analysis, Liquidity, Profitability, Asset Valuation, Depth Analysis, and Analysis on operating expenses. Using the above ratio analysis technique one can understand the financial health of the business and can gradually increase or decrease expenses depending upon the available funds. For every business man return on investment plays important role. Hence it should be understood that when will the business provide return on the money invested. Sales: Sales indicate the real status of business. It determines success and failure of business leading to loss or profitability. Sales can be analyzed on monthly or quarterly basis so that necessary improvements can be made to improve the sales by grabbing better marketing shares, improving customer service, changing the price, improving the quality of the product or making other necessary changes to improve the sales. Sales should always be monitored so that necessary modifications in the business plan could be made and apply management skills to improve the business. The management of the business organization should give importance to their internal customers like employees, suppliers, distributors and external consumers to improve the sales. Marketing: Marketing is important for any product to reach to the customer through proper communication. Marketing team can improve the sales; it can improve the brand awareness, product awareness in the mind of consumers. Marketing is necessary for business expansion and getting better consumer share. Its marketing department which utilizes different advertising channels to promote the products and brand. With effective marketing organization can develop good relations with its consumers, customers. Marketing and Finance both if use effectively can make the business a real success. There can be many types of marketing like online marketing, direct marketing, marketing can be with business to consumers, and it could be between business to business for the purpose of achieving business objectives. Use of technology: Technology allows a business to get competitive advantage in the market with advanced technology. Quality of products can be improved, production can be increased, and usage of good technology can lead to reduction in cost involved in manufacturing units. Hence understanding technology with existing competitors can analyze the real performance of the business. Strengthening and maintaining existing performance It is important to improve and maintain the existing performance so that existing weaknesses can be converted into strength and threats could be converted in to opportunities. It is mandatory to check the business performance regularly so that new existing opportunities can be exploited for the purpose of profitability. Keeping ongoing records: It is important to document every small business activity so that one can easily track the business activity. Performance measurement will be easy in case everything is documented. By having good data it can be audited to find deficiencies and improve on the same. These records can be used for future references and also for making necessary improvements. It is therefore mandatory to record every small transaction for successful running of the business. Monitoring regularly: It is important to regularly monitor business performance so that any deficiency could be handled well in time. Customer Service can be improved, employee training can be provided. Regular monitoring on the business gives clear idea on the status of the business. Monitoring business gives opportunities for a business man to understand the business on regular basis. Making adjustments: Business should be flexible in nature and should easily accept changes as per need of the market. For example due to advent of new technologies all the businesses are rapidly changing due to usage of new technology. Hence a business should be in position to accept changes such as new technology, training modules, new ways to run the business and other necessary changes which is necessary to survive in the business. Researching continuously: Market Research should be conducted to understand the potential requirement of the market by customers, understanding the competitors, their strategies. It is mandatory to recognize likes and dislikes of our customers, feedback of customers on our product/services or feedback of consumer on customer service provided by organization. Business Plans and Associated Action Plans: Business plans and targets remain important parts of every business. These business plans can be short or long term in nature. Management needs to develop plans to ensure the goals of the business are achieved. To increase market share: Market share can be increased by effective marketing and promotional activities. It is important to make the product reachable to the consumer by utilizing the best distribution and retail network. To grow it size and sell abroad: Increasing consumer base directly reflects the growth of organization. Organization should also expand, try new markets, it should also look for developing markets where the products or services have better scope. To survive in the market: The key tools to survive in the market include quality products/services, excellent customer services. Customer friendly employees who are highly trained and most important attractive prizes will make the business survive in the market. To improve its image: The image of the company should improve so that it could have a better consumer share. The brand image once established will give better bargaining power in the market. It will give good share of consumers and also will help for launching new products or services. To motivate its employees: Employee should be given good training. They should be properly reimbursed. They should be clearly communicated for their job responsibilities. It is important to make friendly relations between employee and management. Monetary and Non-Monetary benefits should be provided for better motivation and retention of the employees. To maximize profit: Maintaining high profit is a difficult task due to intense competition it is difficult for organization to maintain prizes on high and get better margins. In majority of market penetrating pricing strategies are used to survive in the market. Launching a new or innovative product can lead to monopoly and lead better profitability. Increasing product quality can help in improving the profit. Analyzing the impact of proposed changes on the business and the stakeholders: Changes in the management of the business will have some positive or negative impact. Initially it would be difficult for management to adapt but over a period of time things will get used too. Changes are mandatory due to changing market and economic situation hence it should be focused to make changes for right direction and benefit of the organization. Financial: Any changes in business strategy effecting financial expenses will lead to massive changes in the business. For example additional funding for the business will improve the infrastructure, it will increase the efficiency of the business, increase budget for marketing and promotional strategies will help in improving the brand awareness, increasing the consumer base, management focusing on reducing the operating expenses will lead to improved profitability. Workloads: All the above changes will lead to extra work for existing Managers, employees. For example introducing a new technology in the market will require training for the Managers. Hence it will lead to further extra responsibilities for Managers and employees to handle the new changes. Morale: Any changes in the business should not affect the moral of the existing management, staff of the business. It should be ensured that employees are well communicated on the need for changes, it impacts and affects the business. There should be good discussion with the employees and Managers so as to maintain better transparency. Physical aspects: Changes will require new infrastructure, new machines, new furnitures, new staff. Organizations have to buy new things to match with the technological aspects of the business. The production areas will be improved for better technology. Importance of Performance Measurement Performance Measurements is the vital part in the business. Performance Measurements plays important role in representing the clear picture of the business. It gives good information on assumed data and real data. It gives regular check for the business to perform and improve. The measurement should be done as mentioned below: Comparison of actual figures with proposed targets- Comparison with actual figures becomes the first step and time to time comparison gives good information on business activities and management can easily make changes to improve the performance. Comparison of present figures with the past data- The old data can be beneficial in learning new lessons and these data can be used to compare the business, performance and other crucial factors of the business. Survey of consumers, market research, feedbacks from Managers, customers, suppliers and employees- Information received from market research, Mangers, Employees, and customers will allow management to make necessary changes to improve the quality of product as per customer likes and dislikes, training of employees if required or any other strategy changes. Conduct Ratio Analysis- Ratio Analysis will give comparison of Financials. It is the best financial indicator in the business. Comparison of performances with existing competitors- Competitor Analysis gives real time check of our business activity in the market. Competitor Analysis also protects the business from possible threats.

Monday, August 19, 2019

student :: essays research papers

Simple Machines   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A windmill is a machine that uses the wind to turn a wheel of adjustable vanes, slats or sails. As the wheel turns, it turns a shaft, wheels, and gears that power machinery. It is more properly called a â€Å"wind pump,† but most people call it a â€Å"windmill.† Windmills have been used for hundred of years to power machinery used to grind grain such as wheat and corn. Today we also have windmills, called â€Å"wind turbines,† that generate electricity.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All machines are a combination of several simple machines or modifications of one. A simple machine is one that is moved by just one force. The six types of simple machines are the lever, the wheel and axle, the pulley, the inclined plane, the wedge, and the screw. A lever is a long plank, beam or bar that is used to move heavy loads. Examples of a lever are seesaws, scissors, broom, tweezers, and ice-tongs. A wheel is a cylindrical object that rotates about axis of the cylinder. Wheels are on cars and trains. Some wheels turn other wheels, like geared wheels on a bicycle or a clock. Some wheels turn together like the doorknobs, or the knobs on a televisions. A pulley is a grooved wheel. A rope is fitted into the grove and turns the wheel when pulled. An inclined plane is a very simple machine. It has a sloping surface that makes it easier to pull, push, or roll heavy objects. Examples are wheelchair ramps or a stairway. The screw is an inclined plane wound at its edge on a cylinder or cone. Examples of a screw includes faucets,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Saizan 2 screw-in bulbs, and screw-on bottle tops. The wedge is essentially an inclined plane such as knives, blades, nails, needles, pins, wood and axes.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Essay --

Statement of Purpose I have always found the simplistic pleasure of solving a challenging problem to be most satisfying. The journey of discovering solutions brings its own joys and learning. I aim to pursue a career in research, because it brings with it intellectual challenges and opportunities to innovate. I am, therefore, highly motivated to pursue graduate studies in Computer Science. During my time at IIT Kanpur, where the curriculum offers flexibility in terms of elective courses, I have striven to explore diverse fields through courses and projects. This has led me to explore the areas of Databases, Machine Learning, Data Mining, Game Theory, Speech Recognition, Algorithms and Computer Engineering apart from the stipulated compulsory disciplines that Electrical Engineering has to offer. My first experience of research was in the form of a summer project under Prof. Arnab Bhattacharya at IIT Kanpur in which we worked on finding caching techniques for skylines on probabilistic datasets. A very rewarding experience resulted in us continuing our work in a research course and acted as one of the first stimulants for me to pursue research. During my second year, I was fortunate to have been selected for a 15-day Winter School organized by the Carnegie Mellon University at MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore. It was here that I was introduced to the area of Computer Science that has captured my interest the most – Machine Learning. To be involved in research with some of the premier faculty and researchers was an immensely enriching experience. Prof. Bhiksha Raj (Carnegie Mellon University) and Prof. M. Chikerur (MSRIT) mentored us in developing a feedback and review system for test-based learning. Here, we attempted ... ...arch career. An active research group with experienced advisors and motivated colleagues would help me in gaining maximum from my graduate studies. Searching for such an environment with strong research culture has led me to apply for a PhD at University of California, Los Angeles. My extra-curricular experience has enhanced my written, oral and interpersonal communication skills, while providing opportunities for leadership and self-motivation. I believe that my academic preparation and experience of working in various projects makes me an accomplished and motivated candidate who can contribute to the field of Computer Science. Through my experience of tutoring students (while being a part of Counselling Service, IIT Kanpur) and the enthusiasm to overcome challenges, I hope to add value to my research group. Looking forward to be a part of research group at UCLA.

The Noble Gases Essay -- essays research papers

The Noble Gases   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Noble Gases are the far right elements on the periodic table. On the earth they are scarce so we don ¹t see much of them. They are do not react well with anything. In fact until around the 50 ¹s they hadn ¹t found anything that they would react with any of the gases. But then someone found out that Fluorine one the of most reactive elements could form compounds with Xenon. Later they found that it could react with most of the other nobles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Helium is one of the more scarce nobles on earth but in the universe it makes up 25% of it. Helium ¹s presence was discovered by using spectral analysis to detect helium in the sun ¹s spectrum. Helium is not found a lo...

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Difference Between Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews in Modern Times Essay

For the most part, modern Jewish history deals with the political, social and economic advancements achieved by the Ashkenazi communities in Europe, America, and later — Palestine. Because of it’s relatively small size and involvement in the affairs of â€Å"civilized† countries of Europe and America, the Sephardi branch of Judaism is rerely dealt with in the context of modern Jewish history. Their development is however, though not as influential upon the flow of the â€Å"mainstream† history as that of the Ashkenazi jewry, is nevertheless an area of interest to anyone undertaking a serious study of Jewish history. The theological difference between the two movements, the Sefardi and the Ashekenazi, lies in the traditional laws more than in written ones. Both take an Orthodoxal approach to the written law of the Torah, and the differences in its interpretation are subtle enough to be dismissed. However the traditions acquired , and at times given the power of laws, in the course of the long centuries of diaspora differ considerably from one branch of Judaism to another. Just as the worldwide language of the Ashekenazim, Yiddish, is a mixture of Hebrew with German, the common language used by the Sephardim Ladino, still in use in some parts of the world, is a dialect formed by combining Hebrew with Spanish. The Sephardim who have historically been more involved into the lives of the gentile societies where they settled don’t have as strict a set of observances as do the Ashkenazis who have been contained in closed ghettos up until two centuries ago. The official doctrine of the Sephardis does not for example prohibit polygomy, whereas it hasn’t been allowed in the Ashkenazi law since Middle Ages. Although the Ashkenazi traditions are somewhat stricter than those of the Sephardim, a greater percentage of Ashkenazi Jews have over the past century and a half stopped observing these traditions, becoming either â€Å"secular Jews†, atheists, like the American Freethinkers, or simply converting. An even greater part have chosen to follow only a part of the traditional, or â€Å"oral†, laws, forming widely popular Reform and Conservative movements. This phenomenon, if present within the Sephardic community exists on such a small scale that it can be discounted. The reason for this difference in the adherence of the tradition is the way in which the tradition itself was first put into effect. In the case of the Ashkenazi Jews the traditions have been instated by the long centuries of enforced separation, and when the barriers were let down, the communities that were held together by pressure from the outside started to degenerate. With the walls of the ghetto gone, but full emancipation not yet granted, many believed that if they had integrated themselves into the gentile societies, they would gain acceptance. Secular education replaced religion, rather than complementing it. This however was not the case with Sephardim, whose less strict traditions were developed in the environment of toleration. While the Ashkenazi Jews were restricted to the ghettos of Europe, held at bay by the Catholic church, the Sephardim of Middle East, North Africa and Ottoman Empire were living as â€Å"dhimmies†, or â€Å"people of the pact†, and though not fully equal with their Muslim hosts, were to some extent intregrated into their societies. For this reason, the traditional laws of the Sephardim are less demanding, but more enduring. Unlike the Ashkenazi population that has over a century of immigration spread itself all over the world, The Sephardic communities tend to concentrate mostly around a few areas. Today most of the Sephardic Jews reside within Israel, amost other Middle-Eastern communities having been reduced to virtual nonexistance by the migration of Jews out of Arabic countries after the creation of Israel. A substantial community is still maintained in Turkey, where historically Jews have received good treatment. Of the Western countries, the only one where the population of Sephardic Jews is comparable to that of the Ashekenazis is France, where a considerable number of Jews have resided since the Middle Ages. While Sephardi Jews were the first people of Jewish faith to arrive in the US, and their number in this country is still quite large, they are but a drop in the bucket when compared to the overall number of Jews currently residing in America today. The Spehardic Jews have historically lived in the areas more or less tolerant of Judaism. They therefore had more of an opportunity to integrate themselves into the host societies than did their Ashkenazi counterparts living in the countries where Jewish communities were forcebly segregated from the rest. Thus they never really formed separate self-governed units, and the impact made upon the countries of their residence can be traced only through the outstanding Jewish personalities that had effect on the history of those states, and not actions taken by the community as a whole. Whereas in the history of American Jews one may encounter occurrences of political decisions being influenced by the pressure of Jews as a communal force, the history of Middle-Eastern countries is only able to offer examples of brilliant Jewish individuals, but rarely actions taken by the whole communities. The Sephardis (the word itself comes from a Hebrew word for Spain) first came to Europe in the early middle ages across the Straight of Gibraltar to the Iberian peninsula, following the wave of muslim conquerors, into whose society they were at the time well integrated. With the slow reconquest of the peninsula by the Christians a number of the Jews stayed on the land, at times serving as middlemen in the ongoing trade between the two sides of the conflict. Prospering from such lucrative practices, the Sephardic community of the newly created Spain grew and gained economic power. With the final expulsion of the external â€Å"heretics†, the Spanish, devoted Catholics have turned within in their quest for the expulsion of the unfaithful, and around 1492 a decree had forced the Jews of Spain to convert or leave country. While some Jews of Spain have chosen to convert rather than face relocation and possibly relinquish their economic position, (though some of those continued practicing Judaism in secrecy) many of them have migrated to the Ottoman empire, where the Sultan Bayazid II offered them safe haven. In later years as the Ottoman rulers continued the policy of toleration, the Sephardic community of Turkey grew to considerable numbers. Other members of the Spanish Jewry migrated to nearby Portugal from where they were promptly expelled in 1496. From here, some people migrated North to France, where they were tolerated in the southern provinces, and Netherlands. Others went eastward to the Ottoman Empire and Middle East. The Sephardic community of France had maintained a realtively constant population, a fact that allowed it to exist in obscurity, and thus continue to be tolerated. The people who settled in the Netherlands, by this time a country of religious tolerance, had enjoyed for a period of time the equality unparalleled at this point anywhere in the Western world. The main flux of Sephardi immigrants took almost a century incoming to the Netherlands, finally reaching that country around 1590. When half a century later Netherlands began active trade with the South America, Jews were greatly involved because they could speak Dutch and were literate enough to keep records of the trade. They gained a great deal economically through this lucrartive practice, and it was by the way of this trade that first Sephardic Jews have arrived in the Americas. The Ottoman empire, which in its golden age spanned from North Africa to the Balcans, had attracted Jewish immigration from as early as the 1300’s. The Sultans’ sympathy to the Jews went so far that in 1556, Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent had requested from the Pope Paul IV the release of the Ancona Marranos which he declared Ottoman citizens. Over the years, Jews exiled from Hungary, France, Sicily and Bohemia came to the Ottoman empire in search of home, and they found it. A letter sent by Rabbi Yitzhak Sarfati (from Edirne) to Jewish communities in Europe â€Å"invited his coreligionists to leave the torments they were enduring in Christiandom and to seek safety and prosperity in Turkey. † (1) Three centuries after the expulsion of Jews from Spain, the Ottoman cities of Istanbul, Izmud, Safed and Salonica became centers of Sephardic prosperity that was compairable to the period of muslim domination of Spain. While there aren’t many records of Jews as a community taking historically important actions in the course of their stay in the Ottoman Empire, many individuals worthy of notice are encountered in history. The first printing press in the Empire was established in 1493 by David and Samuel ibn Nahmias, only a year after their exile from Spain. A number of Jews had been diplomats for the Sultan (one of them, Salamon ben Nathan Eskenazi had established first contact with the British Empire), court physicians and otherwise influential people. The Zionist movement was met with drastically different reactions by the two movements. Among the by now â€Å"enlightened† Ashkenazim, where many have come to consider their states objects of primary alligiance, the idea of a return to Palestine was met with suspicions. Some of the people were genuinely afraid that if they acted in support of a Jewish homeland, their loyalties to the countries of their residence would be questioned, and the progress made toward emancipation that had taken long centuries to achieve would be destroyed in a single blow. Among the Sephardim, the ideas of Zionism were met with much greater enthusiasm. (3) The Jews of Middle East, whose religious convictions were at that time much better preserved, had embraced the idea of return to the land of their forefathers. The traditions ran strong among them, and the young generations did not feel resentfull for being forced to obey laws that they felt were outdated. Modernization for European Jews meant catching up with the secular education studies of their hosts, this word hoever, took a totally different meaning when applied to the Jews of Middle-East and Asia, areas to which modernization came later, and which at that point were far behind the technological progress made in the countries of the West. Therefore, while the Jews of Europe had to battle for their equality in a society the education level of which was arguably supperior to that of their own, the Jews of Middle-East had to modernize together with their host nations, and sometimes even ahead of them. The speed of the progress of Middle-Eastern Jews was enhanced by their Western-European counterparts who have by this time established for themselves not only political equality, but also economic prosperity in their adopted homelands. These well-to-do Jews who have for the most part abandoned some or all of their traditions, and have justly considered themselves to be enlightened, wished to bring this enlightenment in the way of Europeanisation to the Jews living outside of the â€Å"civilized† world. (2) The educational institutions created by the Alliance Israelite Universelle have had such great impact on the education of the Jews of the then-decaying Ottoman Empire, that even today, a considerable part of older generation Turkish Jews think of French as their primary means of communication. In Israel the farming communities founded in the late 1800’s with the funding of rich European Jewish families as a part of the project to re-settle Palestine, have now grown to become well established businesses. Currently the Israeli Jews represent the only substantial Jewish community left in the Middle East. The surrounding countries, where up until the 1940’s many Jews coexisted with Muslim majorities, have over the course of the past half-century lost most of their Jewish population to immigration due to racial and ethnic tensions brought about by the Arab-Israeli conflicts. In fact, the governments of states such as Syria have after the creation of Israel considered the Jews living on their territories to be hostages in this confrontation, and have treated them accordingly. The immigrants from the Arab states being predominantly Sephardic, Israel, a once Ashekenazi dominated country, now has an about even division between the two movements. With their increasing number, the Sephardi influence is also growing in the Israeli legislature, and in the last few years a Sephardi party Sha’as has gained substantial power within the Knesset, Israel’s governing body. The state of Israel is unique in that it is the first country in over two thousand years where Jews have been given the right of self-rule. This raises problems that the Jews in other times, and even the Jews outside of Israel today do not have to deal with. Throughout Israel’s brief history, a debate as to the extent to which the secular laws should follow the religious doctrine of Judaism had been an ongoing one. Such debates are naturally meaningless in the rest of the world, where the Jews are to follow the laws of the land. The different historical background of the two movements of Judaism has created a noticeable gap in their culture, their traditional laws and their adherence of those laws. It has shaped the manner of their development and the final result of it. The history itself was shaped by the environment in which the exiled Jews found themselves, and the attitude of the people who surrounded them. This attitude was in turn based around their religious doctrine. (1) Bernard Lewis, â€Å"The Jews of Islam† (2) Harvey Goldberg, â€Å"Sephardi and Middle Eastern Jewries†, introductoin p15 (3) Norman Stillman, â€Å"Sephardi and Middle Eastern Jewries† Essay 1, â€Å"Middle-Eastern and North African Jewries† p67 1996, Lev Epshteyn, SUNY Binghamton.