Minds Are Opened When Our Hearts Opened Essay

Dr. ARAVIND MALAGATTIDr. Aravind Malagatti is a well-known name in Kannada literature. He has earned this name by his contribution to the field of critical writing, research and creative writing. He has given more than forty competent works to Kannada literature in varied forms like poetry, prose, essays, criticism and folklore study. Karnataka government has bestowed the prestigious Ambedkar Fellowship Award to him considering his corpus of writing. His Government Brahamana being the first Dalit autobiography in Kannada has got the Karnataka Sahitya academy Award. Apart from these, the Honorary Award of Karnataka Sahitya Academy was conferred on him for his total contribution to Kannada literature. It is highly creditable in spite of all these credentials, Dr. Malagatti maintains simple city. The social aspects of Dalits are his area of concern. In profounder of Kannada Dalit literature. Dr. Malagatti catches the attention of people as an orator and makes them think over issues. His writing are equally sharp. He has founded a number of Dalit organizations and has taken active role in Dalit movement. At present Dr. Malagatti is serving as professor of Kannada in the Kuvempu Institute of Kannada Studies, Mysore University. He has also served as the Director of the Institute and as the Director of Prasaranga, the publication wing of Mysore University, prior to this. He is also serving as the Hon. Director of Jayalakshmi Vilas Palace Museum, Mysore University.| | CURRICULUM VITATName : Aravind MalagattiMother’s Name: BasavvaFather’s Name: YallappaProfession : Professor, Kuvempu Institute of Kannada Studies Mysore University, MysoreDate of Birth : 01.05.1956Place of Birth : Muddebihal, Bijapur District, KarnatakaMarriage : With Dharani Devi. Deputy Superintendent of Police Karnataka State Police Service-in 1992Childern : Two sons –1. Daksha 2. YakshaEducation : Pre University and Graduation-From 1973 to 1978 M G V C Colleage, MuddebhihalPost Graduation-M.A. form Karnataka University Dharwad From 1978 to 1980 with a first class. Ph.D in 1985-gold medal for the Thesis from Karnataka University Dharwad.Experience: . Editorial Committee member of Vidyarthi Bharathi-Jounal 1981-KarnatakaUniversity Dharwad. Editor of Sahitya Sagathi-a literary magazine –  from 1988 – 1995. Member of the Editorial Committee of Folklore News letter formMangalore University Campus.Teaching Experience Research Experience from 30.09 .1980 to 30.10.1983, Under U G C Fellowship As a lecture-From 30.10.1983 to 31.08.1987, Government College, Mangalore. Experience as a Rader-From 07.07.1987 to 03.04.1994 Mangalore University. Professor-from 04.04.1994, Kuvempu Institute of Kannada studies, Mysore University, Manasagongotri, Mysore. Administration / Membership of Academic BodiesArts Faculty Dean – 2000 to 2001, 2004 to 2006 Univesity of MysoreAcademic council Member Univesity of Mysore BOS, BOE, BOA Member for various UniversityChairman of Kannada Department – Mangalore University Form 02.11.1992 to 03.04.1994.Director, Kuvempu Institute of Kannada Studies, from- 03.01.2000 to 01.01.2001 and from 15.04.2004 to 01.06.2006.Hon. Director Mysore University, Jayalakshmi Vilas palace Museum from 27.10.2007Dirctor, Prasaranga, Manasagangotri, Mysore 1995 to 2000 University of MysoreMembership of Government Committee`s and InstitutionMember of Wholesales Book Purchase Committee, Government of Karnataka, Kannada and Culture Department 1991 to 1993Member of the Publication Committee of Popular Book Series of the Government of Karnataka, Kannada Culture Department 1991 to 1993.Member of Kannada Pustaka Pradhikara of the Government of Karnataka-from 1991 to 1995.Text book Committee member for the Pre University Board, Bangalore, 1995-1996.Film Pre-Review and Selection Committee member for Bangalore Doordarshan Kendra from 1997 to 2000.Member of Karnataka Sahitya Academy, of the Government o f Karnataka from 1998 to 2000.Member of Executive committee Kannada Sahity Parishat Bangalore From 1998 to 2000 and from 2000 to 2003.Member of Chayan Parishat, Saraswati Samman, Bhirla foundation-Delhi from 2003 to 2006. Published Works of Dr. Aravinda MalagattiI. Poetry 1. When the dumb opens his mouth (Mookanige Baayi Bandaaga. 1982)2. Balck Poetry (Kappu Kavya. 1985)3. The Third Eye (Mooraneya Kannu, 1996) 4. Rhythm Re-Rhythm (Naada Nianaada, 1999)5. Aneel Aradhana (Composite Poetry-2002)6. Silicon City and the Cuckoo (Silicon City Mattu Kogile, 2003)7. The Untouchable Ascends to Heaven (Chandaal Swargaarohanam, 2003)8. Selected Poems of Aravind Malagatti (Aravinda Malagattiyavara Ayda Kavithegalu, 2004)9. Kavyakumkume (Selected Poems of Aravinda Malagatti – 2009)10. The Dark Cosmos (Selected Poems of Aravinda Malagatti – 2009 Translated in English by – Dr. C. Naganna11. Towards the universe (Vishwatomukha, 2010)12. Flower is too heavy (Huvu Balubhara 2010)II. Short Stories 1. Unending Stories (Mugiyada Kategalu, 2000)III. Novel 1. The Death Ceremony (Karya – 1988)IV. Drama 1. The Ablution (Masthakaabhisheka, 1983)2. The Inner Salt of the Ocean ! (Samudradolagana Uppu, 1999)V. Criticism, Literary and Social Thought 1. Dalit Millennium and Kannada Literature (Dalitha Yuga Mattu Kannada Sahithya, 1999) 2. Dalit Consciousness: Literature, society and Culture (Dalita Prange: Sahithya, Samaaja Mattu Samskuthi, 2003) 3. Cultural mutiny (Samskuthika Dange, 2004) 4. Fire and Moonlight (Benki Beldingalu 2006) 5. Sahitya Saakshi (A Collection of Critical Essays – 2009) 6. Selected writing`s of Aravind Malagatti (Translated works – 2011) Ed. Prof: D.A.ShankarVI. Autobiography Government Brahmana. 1994 (Translated to English-Pub. Oriental  Longman)VII. Reasearch in Folklore and other works 1. Anipeeni (Anipeeni-Janapada Samshodhane, 1983)2. Study of Floklore (Jaanapada Vyasanga, 1985)3. Search for Floklore (Jaanapada Shobha, 1990)4. Thuluvara Aati Kalenja (Thuluvara Aati Kalenja-Janapada Samshodane, 1993)5. Folk Games (Janapada Aatagalu, 1993)6. Thalikote Dyamavva (Thalikote Dyamavva-Vayaskara Shikshanada Kruthi 1995)VIII. Research 1. Devil Worship (Bhootaradhane, 1991)2. Theoretical Study of Dalit Literary Movement (Dalita Sahithya Chalvaliy thatvika Chinthane, 1991) 3. Myth, Folklore and Nativism (Purana Jaanapada mattu Deshivaada, 1998) 4. Folk Games (Janapada Aatagalu, Ph.D. Thesis-1985)5. Folk Journey (Janapada Abhiyana-2005)IX. Studies and Reflections 1. An Introduction to Dalit Literature (Dalitha Sahithya Praveshike, 1996)2. How Progressive is Intercaste-Marriage ? (Antharjaathiy Vivaaha yeshtu pragathipar ? 1996)3. Puna Pact and whither Should Dalits go (Poonapyakt Mattu Dalitarettha Sagabeku ? 1998)X. Editing 1. Conference (Co-Editor) (Samaavesh-Saha Sampaadane, 1983)2. Four Dalitist Novels (Nalku Daliteeya Kadambariglu-Ed. 1990)3. Ideology of Ambedkar (Ambedkar Vichaara DHare-Ed. 1991)4. Koraga Community: A Study (Co-Author) (Koraga Janaanga Ondu Adhyayana, 1991) 5. Ambedkar-Ism and Counter-Ism (Ambedkar Vaada Samvaada-Ed. 1992)6. From Grazing Ground to Gangotri (Goomaaladinda Gangotrige, 1993)7. Foundation and background of Dalit Literature (Dalitha Sahighya nele-hinnele-Ed.1997)8. Book industry in  Kannada (Kannada Granthodyama, 1997)9. Folk Theoretical Consciousness and nativism (Jaanapada saiddhanthika Prangne Mattu Desivaada, 1998)10. Principles of Folklore (Jaanapada Thathvaglu, 1999)11. Criticism on Dalit Novels (Kadambarigala Vimarshe-Ed. 2000)12. Male Mahadeshwara (Male Mahadeshwara, 2001)13. Sweetness and Bitterness (Co-editing) (Bevu Bella, 2001)14. Dalit Approach (Criticism) (Dalitha Maarga, 2002)15. Aneela Aradhana (Composite Poetry, 2002)16. What Gandhi says about Ambedkar (Pub. Prasranga Myore University 2000)XI. Editor of Encyclopedias and Works of Similar nature 1. Kannada Encyclopedia-Volume 14. Chief Editor, Kuvempu Institute of Kannada Studies- Mysore University-year 2005 1. C.D. S of Kannada Encyclopedia-14 volumes, Chief Editor Kuvempu Institute of Kannada Studies- Mysore University-year 2006 1. Kannada Vishaya Vishwa Kosh – Karnataka –(R evised)-Chief Editor- Kuvempu Institute of Kannada Studies- Mysore University-year 2005 1. Kannada Vishaya Vishwa Kosh – Folklore–Chief Editor- Kuvempu Institute of Kannada Studies- Mysore University-year 2006 1. Kannada Vishaya Vishwa Kosha-Zoology. Chief Editor, Institute of Kannada Studies-Mysore University –year 2006 1. Epigraphia Karnatica-(Volume 12) Chief Editor, Kuvempu Institute of Kannada Studies- Mysore University-year 2006 1. Kuvempu Kriti Vimarshe, Chief Editor, Kuvempu Institute of Kannada Studies- Mysore University-year 2006XII. Journalistic Work Sahitya Sangagti, (Perodical) 1988-1995: (Editor) Vidyarthi Bharati- Quarterly, Karnataka University Journal, member of the Editorial Board -1981-1983.Karnataka Folklore News letter – member of the Editorial Board, Mangalore- 1988-1991.Vishwa Sampada-Monthly, Mysore University Journal, member of the Editorial Board-1999-2000Prabuddha Karnataka, Quarterly – Mysore University Journal -Chairman of the Editorial Board 1995, 2000. Manavika Karnataka, Quarterly – Mysore University Journal Chairman of the Editorial Board – 2008 OnwardsXIII. Awards & Prizes Gold medal for the Ph.D thesis – 1985 Karnataka University DharwadDevaraj Bhaddur Award – 1982 Recipient : Karnataka Government BangaloreNarashimhaia Award – 1996 Kannada Sahithya Parishat- Dr. Ambedkar Fellowship Award – 1996 Bharatiya Dalit Sahithya Academy –Delhi Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award – 1996 for the Autobiography titled Government Brahmana Bangalore Karnataka Sahitya Academy Fellowship Award – 2002 (for Total Contribution to Kannada Literature) Bangalore Ambedkar Award – 2005 Govt. Karnataka, Bangalore XIV. Awared`s Conferred but not Accepted: Shiksha Rattan Puraskar-2007 India International Friendship Society. New Delhi-110001 Rashtriya Gaurav Award – 2009 India International Friendship Society. New Delhi-110001 Best Citizens of India – 2009 International publishing House New Delhi-110001 Twenty Ten National Academy Award for Literature Academy of Bengali Poetry Kolkata – 700054XV. Works on Aravind Malagatti’s Wittings1. Critical Responses to â€Å"Karya† (Ed.) Sabiha Bhumigowad-1989 2. â€Å"Dalitagna† (Dalit Scholar Par Excellance) A seminar was conducted on the literature of Dr.Aravinda Malagatti in – 1998 (Ed) Dr. Arjuna Golasangi – 20003. Aravind Malagatti Avara Kavyanusandhana (Critical Essay on Aravinda Malagatti poetry ) Dr. Dushala Bargur 2005 4. Prof. Aravind Malagattiyavara Marga-Sahitya Dr. K. Deshava Sharma 2006 5. Prof. Aravind Malagattiyavara Sahithya Mattu Chinthanne- (Ph.D. Thesis work) Dr. N.S. Shankare Gowda 20056. â€Å"Novu Hetta Preethi† A critical essay on ‘Government Brahmana’ (Ed) Dr. Appagere D. Somashekara and Dr. Malligahalli Narendrakumar 20037. Sharadey Kunisidha Kavi Prof. Arvind Malagatti Dr. H.S.K. Chethana Book House, Mysore 20078. Pagadiya Kowdiyali Deepagalu Belagi A Collection of Research articles – 2009 By : Dr. S.D. Shashikala9. Kavya Manthana – A Criticism Articles on Aranind Malagatti Poems – 200910. Vada Vagvada Samvada – 2009 A Collection of Interviews Ed- by Dr.Bislehalli Prabhu 11. Malagatti Mathu Mathana – 2010 A Collection of Interviews By – G.S. Bhat12. Depiction of poor in the Wores of Aravind Malagatti – 2008 By : Vijayakumar, C.E. M.Phil Thesis, Madurai Kamaraj University – Madurai13. Two versions of dalit growing up : A Comparative study of Vasanth Moon`s Growing up untouchable in India and Aravind Malagatti Government Bhahmana by – Banshelkar Yashpal Murhari M.Phil Thesis, Pandicherry University – 2008XVI. OTHER INFORMATION 1. Presided jIlla Kannada Sahitya Sammelan-Bijapur in the year 2006-(The literary meet was held for two days on 25th and 26th November 2006) 2. Prsided Dasara Kavigoshti-on 08.10.2005 at Jaganmohan Palace Mysore. 1. Participated in national seminar on history of folklore studies in India-held on 23-25 October 1998 in Manasagangotri, Mysore 1. Participated in other national seminars and presided many seminars and workshops in kannada. 1. Brought forth more than 200 seminar papers and research articles 1. NAVIKA Frist Kannada Summit-2010 (Pasadena Convention Center) Los Angleles, CaliforniaResidence AddressDr. Aravind Malagatti MIG 29, Gangotri Layour 1st Main, Saraswathipurm Mysore-9Ph. No. Res. 0821-2516927 Mobile : 9448342469 Office : 0821- 2419787|

Community Based Ecotourism Project in Ghana

Course Name Student name: |Assessment No: |Module Level: |Module Tutor: | |Cristina, Selam and Sofia |1 of 2 |5 |Birte Schmitz | |Module: Principles of Tourism Planning |Assessment Method: |Weighting: |Date of submission: | |and Development | | | | | |Group Executive Summary and |50% (25% executive summary and |As per AR1 | | |Presentation |25% presentation) | | |Length: |20 minutes for the presentation | | |2000 words plus tables and charts (10-12 pages executive summary) | |Learning outcomes assessed: |Assess the impacts of tourism planning. | | |Assess the limitations of tourism planning. | |Identify the various stages of the planning process | |Skills Mapped: |Group working | | |Research Strategy | | |Creative & innovative thinking | Feedback |Assessment Criteria |Weight |Strength |Areas of Improvement | |% | | | |Conduct a stakeholder analysis |30 | | | |discuss how your proposed product | | | | |may positively & negatively affect | | | | |their lives within the count ry. | | | | |How might any negative impacts be minimised? | | | |Highlight the positive and negative |30 | | | |socio-cultural, environmental | | | | |and economic impacts of | | | | |developing your product. | | | | |Work effectively as part of a team. 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Hand in a well written executive summary, which is |10 | | | |spell checked, referenced within the text, has a | | | | |biography and does not include poor grammar. Marks | | | | |will be deducted otherwise. | | | | |Self Presentation – please see hand in guidelines. 20 | | | |Marks will be deducted for poor report format, | | | | |spelling & grammar, lack of in-text referencing and | | | | |incorrectly formatted bibliography | | | | |Deductions: Late Submission | | | | |Deductions : No Front Sheet | | | | |Total mark out of 100% | | | | Subject to ratification at the validating University Subject Board Community-based Ecotourism Project in Deme village in Ghana [pic] Cristina Aldea, Selam Misghin a and Sofia Whyte Summary This report analyses the development plan of a community-based tourism product of a village in Ghana. It provides a brief description of the chosen site; mid and long term development plans and impacts. It also conducts a stakeholder’s analysis and highlights strategies to ensure sustainability, cooperation with local government and indicates how demonstration effects may be minimised. List of contents 1. Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. pg. 3 2. Mid and long term development plans†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ pg. 6 1. Table: Mid term development plans†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. pg. 6 2. 2 Table: Long term development plans†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦pg. 7 3. Impacts†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ pg. 7 4. Model approach to sustainable tourism product†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ pg. 8 5. Strategies to ensure sustainability†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ pg. 9 1. Table: Highlighted strategies†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. pg. 10 6. Stakeholder analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. pg. 10 7. Strategies to ensure cooperation with the local government†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. pg. 1 1. Human Resources in tourism development†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦pg. 12 2. Education and training†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. pg. 12 8. Avoiding demonstration effects†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦pg. 13 9. Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦.. pg. 14 Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. pg. 15 1. Introduction Ghana is a country in West Africa with a population of 21 million people, and often labelled â€Å"Africa for beginners†, home to a number of diverse people and cultures, all finding ways to live together in a rapidly developing and modernizing country. (Lonely Planet). Fig. 1: Map of Ghana [pic] Source: AddictedtoTravel, 2009 Volta Region is situated in the East part of Ghana. Highlights of this region are the massive man-made Volta Lake, the largest in the world and the tallest mountain in West Africa, Mount Afadjato (885m). (Addictedtotravel, 2009). The Hohoe (ho-we) District is one of the 17 districts of Volta Region in Ghana and was created in 1979 and the major ethnic groups here are Ewes, Akpafu/Lolobi, Santrokofi, Likpe, Logba, Tafi and Nyagbo, with a population of around 144,500, in 2000. The total number of households in the Hohoe stands at 32844, with 7172 living in the urban area whiles the rest of 25672 live in the rural area. (Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Ghana and Maks Publications & Media Services, 2006). Fig. 2: Hohoe in Ghana [pic] Source: Hebert, 2009. Deme village is the chosen site for the development of this community-based tourism project and is located in Hohoe District. The area is surrounded by tropical forest, home for different amazing species of monkeys, exotic birds, bucks and buffalos. The wonderful diversity of nature is not the main attraction here, the historical heritage and vibrant cultural identity is instead. Every year in November there is the celebration of the Gbidokor Festival of the Gbi-Ewes, where chiefs of the two tribes, the Gbi and the Ewe, wearing traditional colourful costumes are carried in palanquins, surrounded by drumming and dances of the local people. The population of this village is part of Ewe ethnic group, and the majority of people speak Ewe language, and the majority of the youngsters speaking English as well. (Ghana Tourism Board, 2008). Fig 3: Deme village in Hohoe, Ghana [pic] Source: fallingrain. com, 2009 This project seeks to help the people of Deme village to generate income from tourism in order to alleviate the poverty level of their community, to provide basic facilities for living conditions, to educate and encourage the locals to preserve the natural resources and endangered animal species and to promote the unique culture and traditions of the Ewe tribe that most of the locals belong to. The current tourism provision in Deme village is inexistent, but the tourism statistics of the Hohoe area show that an increasing number of visitors are becoming interested in the natural and cultural beauty of this district. Touristy attractions that are close to Deme, such as Tafi-Atome Monkey Sanctuary and Mole National Park registered a number of approximately 97,129 arrivals in 2007. (Ghana Tourism Board, 2009). 1. Mid and long term development plans The idea of this community-based ecotourism project is to create a place where tourists can experience real rural African village life by staying in the village itself and taking part in its daily activities and traditions. Table 2. 1: Mid term development plans (2010-2015) |Introducing the idea of developing eco-tourism to the local people. |Educating local people to come in contact with tourists, to take pride in their culture and traditions, even though| |the economic resources are limited. | |Come in contact with the local gover nment and try to obtain funding and their involvement. | |Building an eco-lodge to accommodate tourists (10 basic huts), toilets, a small eating place; electricity | |facilities, clean drinking water and first aid care are also priorities. | |Organising volunteering placements programmes for people who would like to get involved in this project (such as | |students, teachers). | |Creating a community fund and raise awareness of the programme in order to obtain sponsorships (from charity | |foundations, Ghana Tourism Board). |Come in contact with niche travel agents and the Regional and National Tourism Boards in order to promote the | |tourism product, such as Jolinaiko Eco Tours and Ghana Tourism Board. | |Create community experiences that tourists can take part when visiting the village (ex. : fishing with the locals, | |learning how to weave a mat or a basket, learn the dancing moves of the Ewe tribe, meeting the storyteller of the | |village, etc. ). | (Jolinaiko Eco Tours, 2009 ). Table 2. 2: Long term development plans (2015-2020) |Maintain the tourism product authentic and sustainable and try to minimise the negative impacts, if these occur. | |Introduce other community experiences, such as excursions. |Building a community centre and a school in the village. | 2. Impacts Tourism, as a form of human activity, takes place in an environment, which is made up of both human and natural factors, and can have major impacts. Impacts can be positive or/and negative, and are usually referred as economic, environmental and socio-cultural. (Mason, 2003). The development of the community-based ecotourism project of Deme village can trigger a series of impacts. Economic impacts include: †¢ Reduce the poverty level of the community through generating jobs for the locals (also avoid money leakage). †¢ Contribution to the community development. †¢ Over-dependence on tourism. Socio-cultural impacts, according Burns and Holden (1995, cited in Mason, 2003), â€Å"are greatest when there is a large contrast between the culture of the receiving society and the origin culture†, and these are: †¢ Preserve the traditional cultural activities of the Ewe tribe and the unique lifestyle †¢ Educating the local people (regarding taking pride in teaching their culture and traditions and act as hosts to visitors; the income earned by the locals through tourism is used to send their children to school) †¢ Avoid migration of the local youngsters in order to preserve the unique culture and customs and transmit it from generation to generation (through generating jobs and a higher quality of life) †¢ Overcrowding (causing stress for both visitors and locals) †¢ Demonstration effects (behavioural changes of the local people through observing the behaviour of the tourists and wanting to adopt it). Environmental impacts include: †¢ Educate the locals to act in consideration with preserving the natural environment and the endangered species of animals †¢ Pollution (air pollution, solid waste, litter, noise) †¢ Damage or/and disturbance of wildlife habitats †¢ Over-fishing (community experiences include fishing with the locals in the Volta Lake) †¢ Footpath erosion In order to reduce some of the negative impacts listed above, the tourism product needs to be sustainable developed. (Mason, 2003). 4. Model approach to sustainable tourism product The sustainable development strategy is defined by Brundtland (WCED 1987 p. 49 cited in Hall, 2008) as â€Å"sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs†. The ecotourism project of Deme has been planned having sustainability and minimizing the possibly negative impacts as the main concern. It is vital for this poor community that tourism activity is planned sustainable. The development plan was made following the community approach of Murphy (1985, cited in Hall, 2008), who promotes â€Å"the use of an ecological approach to tourism planning that emphasised the need for local control over the development process†. So, the local people are at the centre of this small scale tourism project, which directly benefit from it, and the environment will be slightly modified and preserved. There will be a small number of tourists visiting that will be accommodated in 10 basic clay-made huts, an eating place serving traditional food (fish, cassava and mango dishes, using local products). Tourists can come in contact with unique experiences that involve the locals: learning how to weave a basket or a mat out of reed, learning the Ewe tribe dancing moves, go fishing with a local fisherman, and enjoy a meal with a local family. This approach will ensure that both the tourists and the locals gain a high level of satisfaction, poverty is eradicated and tourism in Deme is sustainable. (Hall, 2008). 5. Strategies to ensure sustainability To ensure sustainability there must be strategies because sustainability in tourism development is really important. Sustainability strategy has to connect with all stakeholders in the tourism planning so the developed tourism can have a future. The sustainable development has to guarantee that the natural, cultural and all other resources of tourism are preserved for stable use in the future, at the same time as bringing benefits to the local community. (Inskeep, 1994). Table 5. 1: Highlighted strategies: |Save energy by reduce emission through renewable energy sources. |Encourage efficient use of natural and local resources. | |Support the sustainable use of land. | |Protect and develop biodiversity. | |Constantly informing the visitors. | |Encourage environmental education a nd community involvement | 6. Stakeholders analysis According to Hall (2008), stakeholders are â€Å"individuals, groups or/and organisations with an interest on an issue, problem or outcome that are directly influenced or affected by the actions or non-actions taken by others to resolve the problem or issue†. Stakeholders in Deme are people with an interest and directly involved in the tourism activity of the village. They are: the local community (fishermen, the boat makers, the eating place owner, the traditional ewe-an crafts vendors, the local tourist guides, the youngsters of the village), Ghana Tourism Board, the local and national government and the travel agent that will market the tourism product and will make the bookings. The local community is the main stakeholder involved in this tourism project, because the tourism product offered is local community experiences, which means that everybody is involved. Directly earning income from this tourism project will be: the locals working on building the facilities for accommodating tourists, the locals taking part in teaching the tourists about the customs and traditions of the Ewe tribe (basket weavers, the dancers), fishermen that will supply the eating place, and will also act as tourist guides, the boat makers. The youngsters of the village will benefit indirectly through educational programmes that will teach them about sustainable tourism and how to protect the environment and their local traditions and culture. This tourism project will positively affect and change the lives of the locals. Negative impacts might be over-dependence on tourism and tourism activity not constant. This is why the planning process needs to take into consideration these aspects and make sure the influx of tourists is constant. Ghana Tourism Board will benefit through internationally raising awareness on tourism business in Ghana, the local/national government through taxes from the tourists/ taxes from the locals. This tourism product will be sold to the tourists through an independent niche travel agent who will benefit and make profit from the tourists that will book their holidays with them. (Hall and Richards, 2003). 7. Strategies to ensure cooperation with the local government The regulation of tourist development is determined by policies, which together inform an overall set of planning principles for the area being planned. The determination of these policies is based on several considerations. Thus, the form which tourism planning takes will be influenced by general government policies and private sector policies. Cited in Elm Publications (2002) page: 6-1 Ghana’s government has a role to play in formulating appropriate policies and strategies for human resource development in tourism. Support for continental and regional structures are part of this, but it is also necessary to encourage private initiatives and, in particular, Ghanaian entrepreneurs. Properly conceived, government interventions in the tourism sector can play an important catalytic role. It is important, for example, to create institutional mechanisms that bring together governments and private entrepreneurs, thus avoiding damage that may be caused if they work at cross purposes. Cited in CABI (2001) page: 73 The problems in Ghana’s tourism are closely related to structural imbalances in its overall development pattern. There are no clear strategies for development in general or for tourism in particular, and tourism has not been integrated with other economic sectors. The economic crisis and the need to provide more employment compel governments to speed up replacement of expatriate senior staff by nationals. Cited in CABI (2001) page: 66, 68 7. 1 Human Resource (HR) in tourism development HR development in tourism is aimed at reducing dependence on import personnel and replacing them with workers from local areas. This requires an understanding of the market for labour in the tourism industry, and an awareness of quantitative and qualitative requirements of the industry. Cited in CABI (2001) page: 68, 72 7. 2 Education and Training It is important to emphasize in Ghanaian tourism, cooperation is especially urgent in education and training, as well as in a wide range of skills, including management and information technology. This should not be confined to the formal education system. While formal training is obviously important, it may often be more beneficial and most cost-effective, in practice, to focus on informal training, either on the job or through programmes carefully tailored to meet defined objectives and targeted at specific types of individuals. Cited in CABI (2001) page: 73 8. Avoiding demonstration effects Demonstration effect is seen as a socio-cultural impact regarding the tourism activity and is referred to as the behavioural changes in the resident population when coming in contact with tourists. The impacts are greater when the culture of the host community and the tourists is very different. This situation can have negative effects especially on the young host community who becomes resentful because they are unable to obtain the goods and lifestyle demonstrated by the visitors. (Burns and Holden, 1995). The demonstration effect may encourage youngsters to migrate from rural areas in search for the lifestyle from urban areas â€Å"demonstrated† by the tourists. (Mason, 2003). Demonstration effects in Deme village will be minimal because this is a small-scale project and the number of tourists visiting the area will be controlled by the travel agent involved in this project. Anyhow, the demonstration effect involves the individual perception of the locals upon the tourists’ behaviour and it is not something that can be measured and totally controlled. This could be minimal if locals are taught about the important value of their culture and that they should be proud of being part of the unique environment that surrounds them, and also the effects of globalization. Educational programmes should help minimise demonstration effects, together with sustainable development. (Mason, 2003). 9. Conclusion This case study report has analysed the development plan of a community-based ecotourism project in Ghana. The development plan of Deme village has been conducted having the community as the main resource for tourism. The local people are involved in all aspects of tourism activity in order to break the poverty barriers that enable the community to have a decent lifestyle. The local government is involved through educational programmes which will help the local community avoid demonstration effects and preserve the natural and cultural environment of Ewe tribe and Deme village. Bibliography Books Hall M (2008), Tourism Planning. Policies, Processes and Relationships 2nd ed. England, Pearson Education Hall D. and Richards G. (2003) Tourism and sustainable community development, New York, Routledge Ham et al. West Africa Lonely Planet Harrison D (2001), Tourism and the Less Developed World, Oxon, CABI Publishing Inskeep E (1994), National and Regional Tourism Planning. Methodologies and case studies, London, International Thomson Business Press Lavery P (2002), Tourism Planning, Huntingdon, ELM Publications Mason P. 2003) Tourism Impacts, Planning and Management, Oxford, Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann Nault H. W (1992), The World Book Encyclopaedia, Chicago, World Book Inc. Journals Herbert A. (2009), CSS. Volunteer: My Journey to Ghana, Africa available at: http:// www. ccsvolunteers. blogspot. com/ (accessed at: 21/11/2009) Websites http://www. addictedtotravel. com/travel-guides/countries/ghana-travel-guide (accessed at 21/11/2009) http://www. addictedtotravel. com/places-to-visit/lake-volta_ghana-travel-guide (accessed at 21/11/2009) http://www. fallingrain. com/world/GH/0/DEME6. html (accessed at 21/11/2009) http://www. fipawa. ch/img/test2. jpg (accessed at 21/11/2009)

Chemistry and Anatomy Essay Example for Free

Chemistry and Anatomy Essay Frankenstein (360) , Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (326) , Anatomy (51) , Henry Clerval (38) , Elizabeth Lavenza (11) , Alphonse Frankenstein (6) company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints My life began as a simple and talented student in Geneva. My father was Alphonse Frankenstein, who was a wealthy, rich and benevolent man. I was the first son of my father, Alphonse Frankenstein. My mother Caroline visited a beautiful orphan girl, Elizabeth Lavenza, fair-haired girl. She was adopted by my family and was my cousin. I had two brothers who were very lovely and they loved me and Elizabeth a lot. My best friend was Henry Clerval, who was a considerate man. I became a student of Chemistry and Anatomy in the quest to determine what gives life. I was a young man who led a happy and peaceful life, but the events happened after, made a great change to my living. The world according to me was a secret of research, creation and experimenting. I learnt the theories of electricity and galvanization. I also initiated a theory of how to create human life using the principles of electricity. I became devoted to the human creation and the spark of life that I had abandoned earlier. I asked my University for specimens to make my creation. I figured out what gives life.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I have begged my University for specimens. They say I’ve had all their best material for years, and produced nothing to show for it.† I feel that I have begged my University for some specimens to make my creation, but they refused to afford me the specimens because they say that they have given all the best pieces of specimens to me for creating nothing. Finally, I got the body parts from the graveyard. Then I went out without my meals to buy some chemicals. I took the body parts from the corpses. I stored my chemicals and specimens in the dissecting room so that it would be safe. I constructed a giant man, 8 feet tall, with super human strength and endurance from harvested body parts that I took from the corpses. I worked secretly without rest for almost a year. I can tell you that I was a bit disappointed with my creation. My perfect creation was a frightening disaster. My creation was a result of horror.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"No, this isn’t what I wanted. Oh, dear god, what have I done?†Ã‚  I was not at all happy with my monstrous creation. So, I rejected, abandoned and left him away. I was also scared, frightened and afraid of him. I also avoided my scientific studies because it remained me about the disastrous experiment. I wanted him to help and like mankind. This was not what I expected. I wanted my creation to be helpful rather than being a nuisance. My excitement soon changed when my creature came into life. My lovely, little brother William was murdered by my creation, the monster. Elizabeth cried a lot and I was not able to convince her. She also told me that my five- year-old brother, William and she went for a walk. She also told me that she saw William disappear. She was searching for him all over. I examined what had happened and found out that it was the monster, who was responsible for the murder of my brother. I was very angry with the behaviour of my creation. I created him to help human life and not to destroy them. He came to my room. I was very angry at him and wanted to destroy him. He told me to control my temper and he asked me to listen to him. He told me that the only person to be kind to him was Agathe, a young blind lady. The other villagers chased him away through their dogs. He also told me that his intention towards William was not to kill him. Then he explained to me about what had happened. He told me, â€Å"I put my hands to his mouth to silence him, because I was afraid.†Ã‚  The monster asked William to play with him for a while. But William shouted and refused to play with him. So, he just kept his hands in William’s mouth to silence him and request him to play with him. He also convinced me by telling the truth, but I am very sad that my brother is being murdered by my creation.  I was asked by the monster to make a bride to the monster. I agreed to him because as a creator, I should have to fulfill the wishes of my creation. He said to me that,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I am alone and miserable; man will not associate with me; but one as deformed and horrible as myself would not deny herself to me. My companion must be of the same species and have the same defects. This being you must create.† He conveyed me his feelings of how it was to be alone without a companion or a comrade. He also gave me two years time to make a complete creation. He also told me that he would not trouble me in the time in between. I repulsed myself to make a bride for the monster. I wanted to finish the bride before marrying Elizabeth. I was also worried that the monster may harm my family. I still found it difficult to make the second monster. I made it because he told me that he wanted to love. I also made it, but this creation was spoilt by the monster, himself. The thing where he went wrong was, giving wrong wire connections to the creation and made it destroy. I explained to him that,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"She’ll never live now! Monster, what have you done?†Ã‚  He thought that he knew to make his own creation. He acted over- smart by giving the wrong wire connections and destroying his bride by himself. I beautifully laid out the bride in white colour clothes, to symbolize that she was going to get married. There is no use for him to commit the murders of Elizabeth and Clerval, by knowing that was his fault. I was really angry when he killed my brother, William. Then, he explained to me about what had happened. He told me that,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I put my hands to his mouth to silence him, because I was afraid.†Ã‚  It was my fault to create him and abandon him. Since I have created him I lost my Elizabeth, Clerval and my dear brother William. I got the feelings of how it was to face death. If I think of him, my first thoughts were, why did I create him? I found it like a battle of â€Å"Evil vs. Good†. Chemistry and Anatomy. (2017, Nov 10). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Cause and Effects of Obestity In America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cause and Effects of Obestity In America - Essay Example There are increased risk in medical conditions when a person is obese than when they are healthy. Inactivity and food that people consume are the main cause of obesity. The disease is common in all American races and cultures. Over a period, exercise among Americans has reduced tremendously. Children play video games instead of the traditional games while other individuals use cars instead of walking (National Institute of Health). This lack of exercise leads to an increase in fat deposition in the body over time that causes the individuals to be obese. The foods that Americans consume lead to the high rise of obesity. Most families experience financial pressures and have less time to prepare them hence consume fast food that are having high-fat content and calories. Other causes may also be genetics, overeating and slow metabolism (Stern & Alexandra 19). Being obese has both psychological and health effect on an individual. In the health matters, the scientist has evidence that obesity increases the risk of certain diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, heart disease, hypertension and stroke (Weiting 545). Hence, the condition leads to reduced life expectancy among obese individuals. Obesity has a psychological effect on affected individual especially children that may continue to their adult life. Most of the obese individuals are depressed, have low self-esteem and easily engage in drug abuse. These psychological effects are common among obese kids who find themselves left out in activities with other kids (Freedman

Are traffic fatalities another consequence Case Study - 1

Are traffic fatalities another consequence - Case Study Example Elements of a study’s methodology section such as the type of data to be collected and the approach to data collection also depends on such clarity of objectives that the research question achieves. Failure to outline the research question is the main reason for potential difficulty in answering the research question because the inferred question may not have been what the researchers intended to answer. The researchers could have similarly have a different objective into the study than answering the average inferred question and the lack of focus could be a challenge. The authors attempted to answer the research through a quantitative approach. They used a survey design to sample data from ‘summer break’ destination areas. A database that the National Highway maintains was the source of data for the study and a non-probability sampling approach used to average  select 21 areas for the study. Quantitative data analysis that generated descriptive and inferential statistics then established a basis for answering the research question in order to bridge the gap that the researchers noted. Results show that the summer break spots have a significant mean fatality incidence that contributes to the overall number of fatalities in the considered areas. There is also a significant difference in average weekly incidents of fatality between summer break weeks and other weeks. The rates are higher in summer break weeks and ‘summer break’ destination areas.

Change Through the Ages Part One Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Change Through the Ages Part One - Essay Example The society today places a lot of emphasis on technology as most systems are wired to work efficiently with technology. The world has made significant strides in technology from people using simple machines to make their jobs easier. In this case, the use of computers has evolved over time from doing simple tasks to performing complex operations (Pepe, 2011). The use of computers has made work efficient in various institutions and corporations as it can perform tasks that would otherwise be done by a lot of people. Companies have been able to save time and money by doing accounting work, auditing, keeping their records and even in communication with other people (Pepe, 2011). The work of computer scientist in the workplace is to ensure that the technology department is working smoothly. Their work is to make sure that all the machines in the company are working in great condition and also to ensure there is no internet threat to the operations of the business. Threats can be in the form of internet viruses, competitors trying to get information about the enterprise. Computer scientists are held in high esteem in the society today. This is because they hold companies together. They ensure that there is the free flow of information and ensure that the companys operations are running smoothly and efficiently. Any reputable company needs to have a computer scientist to ensure that all the computers are synced and are working well to make the flow of information much easier. Technology keeps getting better and better with time (Towner, 2012). People are always coming up with better technology, faster computers, sophisticated software that are not only much easier to use but also very fast. For instance, there is a significant difference between the first computers that were initially invented and the machines that people use now. Today, the computers are much smaller, use less energy, are much faster and have more storage capacities than the first computers

Job Evaluation at Whole Foods Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Job Evaluation at Whole Foods - Assignment Example The teams have been clustered into departments and the work is conducted by the team members. The teams need to ensure that successful operations are maintained and thus the teams are profitable to the stores, the communities and the organization. The teams have their own roles and responsibilities at the stores and thus functions as being the part of the bigger teams such as stores. It has been noticed that in the store level there are numerous store teams such as bakery, floral, meat, prepared food, products such as fruits and vegetables, customer service and facilities such as store maintenance and janitorial staff, sea foods, specialty such as cheese and chocolates. The other team members are store team leaders, departmental team leaders, specialized store support, associate store team leaders, specialized team members, associate team leaders and team members. At this instance, it is significant to determine the job titles upon the basis of the information that has been provided. Assigned Titles to Jobs It can be mentioned that Job A required a store manager or more specifically the Chef/ Cook. Job B requires a Customer Service Cashier. Job C requires a Departmental Manager or Prepared Foods Team Leader. Job D requires a Prepared Food Supervisor. Job E requires Prepared Food Dishwashers. Job F requires Overnight Grocery Team Member. Job G requires Specialty Associate Team Leader. Job H requires Associate Store Team Leader. Job I requires Grocery Team Member. Job Structure by Title and Job Letter Job A: Store Manager Job H: Associate Store Team Leader Job C: Departmental Manager Job D: Prepared Food Supervisor Job G: Specialty Associate Team Leader Job F: Overnight Grocery Team Member Job I: Grocery Team Member Job: Customer Service Cashier Job E: Prepared Food Dishwasher Process, Techniques, and Factors Process Followed to Arrive at Job Structure In the hierarchy above, the job that holds the best position in the organization was given the top most priority . Furthermore, on the basis of who reports to whom the rest of the positions have been placed in the hierarchy. Job Evaluation Techniques and Compensable Factors It can be viewed from the above hierarchy that store manager holds the highest position which has been characterized as Job A. Therefore, according to the ranking method, it has been observed that the store manager holds the benchmark job and thus all other jobs will be compared with that of the benchmark job. At the outset, Job H needs to be compared with that of the benchmark job since it lies in the second position of the hierarchy. It has been noted from the case study that the Associate Store Team Leader has to endorse and assist the store team leaders with all the store functions. He is responsible for coordinating and thus supervising the products as well as personnel at the stores. The job of the store manager has been to look after the customer service, pursue and thus fulfill with the health and sanitation procedu res. Store manager needs to perform wider variety of tasks at a time. Therefore, his job has been ranked at the topmost level of the hierarchy. The department manager needs to report to the associate store team leaders as well as to the store team leaders. He tends to manage and supervise the Prepared Food Department. The Prepared Food Supervisor is supposed to perform all the work related to the Prepared Food Team Members. He needs to report

Academic Honesty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Academic Honesty - Essay Example A society that lacks the basic moral value of honesty is weak and prevalent to ethical decay and disease. Academic honesty is a cornerstone of the development and attainment of knowledge, it is a very important element of a student’s life, as the Integrity and honesty learned at the academic level leads the students into becoming responsible citizens with a core of justice and integrity leading to just and fair nation. A dishonest student on the other hand becomes an unreliable individual, creating chaos and disorder in society The Centre for Academic Integrity (1999) indicates that â€Å"Higher education and society benefit when colleges and universities have standards of academic integrity that provides a foundation for a vibrant academic life, promote scientific progress, and prepare students for becoming responsible citizens† Therefore the concept of education is not just to impart knowledge, but also to provide moral values so that a conscientious society can be created. Academic dishonesty mocks the students quest for knowledge and hampers educator from accurately assessing the individual talents and accomplishments of their students. It is very important that all students and mentors respect the integrity of one anothers work and recognize the importance of recognizing and safeguarding intellectual property so that academic honesty can be upheld. â€Å"Individual integrity is vital to the academic environment because education involves the search for and acquisition of knowledge and understanding, which are, in themselves, intangible. Evaluation of each student’s level of knowledge and understanding is a vital. Part of the teaching process and requires tangible measures such as reports, examination, and homework. Any act that interferes with the process of evaluation, misrepresentation of the relation between the work being evaluated, or the resulting evaluation, and the student’s actual state of knowledge is an act of

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 8

Case Study Example Thus, the manager could fine tune to increase the morale of such employees. In other situations, employees could be far below the set target for the organization but manager’s fine tunes their performance to keep them motivated. In other situations, employee’s performance might be fine-tuned downwards. Some of such instances include situations where an employee is never taking the work seriously or in other situations where managers are in need of laying down the employee once a replacement emerges. However, tom, the youngest of the four managers still insist on the accuracy of performance review. He indicates that it would be better if a manager gives the employees the accurate performance appraisals and then improve from there. The perspectives given by the managers were all quite interesting. I agree that performance appraisal is an important aspect of an organization. In addition, I agree that fine tuning is also important in an organization. This is considering that there are moments when an employee may be in their down moments that it might reflect on their work. In addition, an employee could have a bad performance at the beginning of the year but start to mark progress. Moreover, there are situations where fine tuning is important to get rid of a nagging employee or in need of firing an employee once another candidate emerges. The reason is that positive performance appraisal could be problematic when a manager fires an employee. However, I maintain that fine tuning is just distortion given a much better term. Giving an employee a better performance than they deserve is wrong. The reason is that some employees could take it as a habit since they are aware that their managers will give them a positiv e appraisal. Thus, accuracy is the most important aspect. In my opinion, fine tuning is distortion. However, may be some acceptable points of fine tuning as a far as it

Burton Snowboards Essay Example for Free

Burton Snowboards Essay Burton create utility for people who would like to enjoy a different type of activity in the snowing environment: †¢ Form utility: Burton took the idea of building the snowboard from snurfer which use to be received as a toy modify its concept to create a snowboard that can be perceived as a winter sport activity. †¢ Time utility: Burton’s snowboards products are available for people who enjoy snowboarding during the winter and snowing season which are suitable for snowboarding in ski mountains. Place utility: Burton made alliance with ski resorts to provide he snowboarding activity in ski mountains when the customers want to try different kind of winter sport. †¢ Ownership utility: Burton snowboard sells snowboard for the customers who like snowboarding activity around the world through a network of 3000 dealers sells the product. How can event marketing help Burton expand the customer base for its products? Burton conducts event marketing to allow people to try out the products for free; this will give the people to have an actual experience of the product and the activity that stays in the people’s memory, also the old customers can be invited and can give testimonies for the people about the product this is a good way to deliver the message about the product and increase the awareness as well. Burton runs about 400 demos around the word, these demos can maximize the audience involvement and interaction, so people remember and recall the product later at the time of buying. Suggest additional ways Burton snowboards marketers can use the Internet to more effectively build relationships and market their products? Burton snowboard can use the email newsletters to communicate with the existent customer and interested customers as well. It helps to provide an update about the company’s events and new products introduced. Customers will be kept updated about the company occasionally about the latest news, announcements or promotions. Blog is a great tool to provide two ways communications with the customers and people that share similar interests; Burton can recruit bloggers to write blogs about the events and products or any articles about the industry, and let the people response to them and share their ideas and inquiries. Burtons can join famous social network such as Facebook and twitter and allow many fans to join them this will enable burtons to update their fans about the event, offers, products, services and discuss related matters between fans. Relationship marketing is key to Burton’s success. Suggest two or three steps that the firm should be consider taking during the next five years to further enhance its relationships with the consumers and ski resorts? Burtons should take advantage of the best technology to easily keep track of business partners and customers preferences; this will help to identify key sales processes and provide ideas about the marketing plans for the existent customers and partners. Burtons should invest in its employees, training them to develop their interpersonal skills to deal with practical details of customers and their ability to handle complains and problems in order to exceed customer expectations about the services quality presented. Burtons can provide some sort of loyalty program for the existent customers to reward and motivate them to deal more with the company; this will enhance their relationship with the company and retain them at a lower cost of marketing.

Understanding Change Management In Nursing Leaders Nursing Essay

Understanding Change Management In Nursing Leaders Nursing Essay Leadership is defined as influencing people to achieve a purpose or set of goals, but differentiating it from management causes confusion in many instances (Tappen, Weiss and Whitehead, 2004; Senior and Fleming, 2006; Robbins, Judge and Sanghi, 2009). Leaders can be managers but not all managers can be effective leaders, making leadership an important aspect of effective management (Tappen, Weiss and Whitehead, 2004). Several attempts have been made over the years to explain the characteristics of an effective leader. Trait, behavioural/style, situational-contingency and transformational theories are some of the theories that have been proposed to explain these characteristics (Yoder-Wise, 2003; Tappen, Weiss and Whitehead, 2004; Senior and Fleming, 2006). Goleman (2000) also used competencies of emotional intelligence (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and social skills) to explain these characteristics. Nevertheless, none of these theories seem to adequately explain the characteristics that make an individual an effective leader. Yoder-Wise (2003) recognises followership as attitudes exhibited by individuals that the leader comes into contact with and explains that followers collaborate and act with the leader. Mahoney (2001) states that all nurses must acquire leadership skills since nursing leadership ranges from the staff nurse caring for a patient to a nurse in charge of a hospital. Nurses in clinical leadership positions collaborate with other leaders in the healthcare system to promote positive change (Touati et al., 2006). However, Antrobus and Kitson (1999) criticise nursing leadership for its lack of external focus (socio-political impact on health policies). They recommend that, in addition to the knowledge on issues related to nursing practice, potential leaders of nursing should familiarise themselves with social and health policies, management and research. Sutherland and Dodd (2008) identify that a lot of changes are occurring within the healthcare system, driving the need for leadership development. As a clinical leader in the making, a sound understanding of strategies for change management would prepare me as an effective leader. This is a reflective essay on how I set up a personal development plan to gain much insight on strategies for change management. The reflection is guided by Gibbss reflective cycle (1988 cited by Jasper, 2003). Although Cotton (2001) sees reflective practice in nursing as a problem, Durgahee (1996) identifies that nurses are able to perfect their actions when they examine their experiences through reflection and, consequently, become conscious of how different elements of care inform total professional nursing practice. The essay begins with a brief introduction of my background, and a description of issues that led me to focus on change management strategies in my personal development plan. It, then, follows with a reflection on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that I have and how these would influence my career in the future. The plan is presented, beginning with my learning objective and actions that I hope to take to meet my learning objective. The literature is then reviewed, followed by an appraisal of my organisation and how I plan to implement change. The last section describes my progress. Professional Background I graduated with a BSc. Nursing degree from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana in 2008. I practised at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), also in Ghana, as a general nurse for one year before enrolling at the University of Nottingham for MSc. Advanced Nursing. My responsibilities, as stated by the Ghana Health Service (2005), are to: Assess care needs of patients, develop and implement plans of nursing care accordingly Formulate, initiate and revise patient care as condition warrants Participate in ward rounds Allocate tasks based on skill of staff Supervise staff and students in the ward Evaluate nursing care and ensure continuity of care In the third year of my undergraduate course, I was one of three students selected for a twelve-week exchange programme in the United States of America. The goal was for us to experience healthcare system and nursing practice in the USA and effect positive changes in nursing and healthcare at KATH. Generally, students who participate in such programs develop themselves, learn differences between cultures, and are able to compare healthcare systems and nursing in the respective countries (Scholes and Moore, 2000; Button, Green, Tengnah et al, 2005). Judging from the exposure I had in the USA, I felt I could make a major impact on my colleagues upon my return. Exchange students, whether short-term (1 4 weeks) or long-term (more than 4 weeks), expect to have a positive influence upon their return to their home countries (Button et al, 2005; Carty et al, 2002). I developed myself, to an extent, as a result of participating in the exchange programme. This was confirmed by some of my colleagues. I, also, learnt some of the similarities and differences in culture, nursing practice and healthcare between the USA and Ghana. Notwithstanding, the overall purpose of having positive impact on my colleagues was not realised. I believe that lack of a strategy to effect the proposed changes as well as failure to collaborate with the other exchange students were the major reasons for the failure. I expect to develop a teaching package to delay the progression of chronic kidney disease among patients with diabetes as my Advanced Nursing Practice module project and implement it at KATH. I, also, hope to gain new ideas on patient care while I am in the United Kingdom. Upon my return to Ghana, I aspire to assume a nurse-educator role. This job would give me some influence over the training of nurses at KNUST and KATH. All these have led me to focus on change management in my personal development plan so as to make positive changes in nursing at KATH. I should be able to reflect on my strengths, weaknesses, any opportunities and threats that may influence my aspiration to effect some changes at KATH and Pearce (2007) suggests that using SWOT framework is a good way to do this. Therefore, using the SWOT analysis framework, I identified the following: Strengths I am committed to what I do I am good at motivating others I have good interpersonal skills I have good presentation skills Weaknesses I attempt to please everybody I am too lenient Opportunities I am studying with colleagues from different parts of the world I have other experience from abroad I am likely to become a nurse-educator at KNUST Threat Majority of the staff may see me as young and inexperienced to lead them Pearce (2007) suggests that once threats have been identified, there should be a way to handle them. By confidently demonstrating the experience gained, developing good interpersonal relationships and clearly presenting shared visions, majority of the staff are likely to collaborate with me (Martin, 2006). THE PLAN Learning Objective Needs assessment assists individuals to set clear learning objectives for their personal development plan (Holloway, 2000). Reflection on the exchange program reveals that I lack ideas on strategies and skills required to lead change within an organisation. Therefore, it is my primary objective to use this personal development plan to learn and develop strategies to lead change in the institution that I work in. Actions to Meet the Objective The Management Standards Centre (2004a) suggests that leaders must possess three kinds of knowledge and understanding to be able to lead change successfully. These are general knowledge and understanding (example is knowledge on models and methods for leading organisational change, their strengths as well as their weaknesses), sector-specific knowledge and understanding (example is knowledge on emerging developments in the health sector) and context-specific knowledge and understanding (example is knowledge on areas within the organisation that need change, with reasons and priorities). To lead change successfully, leaders must, also, be able to describe the change process within the organisation and how it affects the people within (Mott, 1996). Considering these, actions that I consider as appropriate for me to meet my objective are as follows; Review literature on change management within organisations; Perform an appraisal of the organisation that I work in; and Plan the implementation of the change. Main resources that are needed to undertake these actions are time and literature on leadership and change management within organisations. I should be able to achieve my objective within seven months and the outcome measure for me would be my ability to identify change management strategies that would best fit my organisational context. LITERATURE REVIEW Change Management within Organisations Change in organisations is inevitable (reactive) and desirable but, usually, complex and difficult to bring about (Sturdy and Grey, 2003; Bellman, 2003; Boshoff, 2005; Dzik-Jurasz, 2006). Yet, there are many a time when change is proactive (planned) organisations make changes due to opportunities that they have to improve the workplace or their output (Dzik-Jurasz, 2006), and is also described as innovation. Change is very vital for healthcare institutions that seek to deliver quality and patient-centred care to its clientele, and nursing leadership is regarded as a linchpin for such changes to be successful (Dzik-Jurasz, 2006; Sutherland and Dodd, 2008). As a nurse aspiring to be a clinical leader, understanding the processes of change is, therefore, indispensable. Pettigrew, McKee and Ferlie (1988) state that leaders of change should focus on the content, the process, the context of the change as well as the successful regulation of the relationship between the three. They explain content as the specific areas where the change is expected to occur, and processes as the activities, expected reactions and interactions between the groups that seek to bring about the change. Context, as they explain, refer to internal and external factors that have influence over activities within the organisation. Lewin (1951 cited by Senior and Fleming, 2006) identifies three stages; unfreezing, moving and refreezing. At the stage of unfreezing, problems, needs or opportunities for change are identified, and the stage where new strategies or ideas are implemented causes individuals within the organisation to experience the change (moving). Finally, the stage of refreezing is reached when the change has been well integrated into the organisation (Yoder-Wise, 2003; Boshoff, 2005). Tappen, Weiss and Whitehead (2004), also, identify that change process is in four phases; description of the change, planning the implementation of the change, implementing the change, and integrating the change. Change starts when awareness of the need for it is created and ends when a complete evaluation of its expected effects has been done after the implementation (ibid). Lewin (1951 cited by Baulcomb, 2003) states that change is associated with certain forces that either facilitate or resist it; success would result when the forces facilitating the change exceed those that are resisting it within the context. Personnel within the organisation may be one of such forces. People resist change on the grounds of their psychosocial needs, the appropriateness of the change and, also, how the change affects their position and power (Tappen, Weiss and Whitehead, 2004). Therefore, they should be taken into consideration and be actively involved in the change process (Boshoff, 2005). Bennis et al. (1985 cited by Bellman, 2003) identify three strategies of change and these are rational-empirical, power-coercive and normative-re-educative strategies. Rational-empirical and power-coercive strategies both use top-down approaches while normative-re-educative approach employs a bottom-up approach. Top-down approach involves senior management generating the idea, planning and directly implementing the change while the bottom-up approach directly indulges the employees in the change process (Ryan, 2008). However, Ryan (2008) adds that top-down strategy alone is not effective for managing change at all times although it is very common under transformational leadership. Other strategies are education and communication; participation and involvement; facilitation and support; negotiation and agreement; and manipulation, cooptation, and coercion; and, dependent on the situation, these strategies may be used alone or in combination (Kotter and Schlesinger, 1979 cited by Yoder -Wise, 2003). It appears that the kind of strategy used would influence how the content of the change would be communicated to the parties involved. Action research is another change strategy and the process is said to begin when change is considered necessary (Bellman, 2003). Relevant data is collected systematically and reported to individuals who must act on it, after which plans are collaboratively formulated and the necessary actions undertaken research and action combined (Senior and Fleming, 2006). The process is in five stages (diagnosis, analysis, feedback, action and evaluation) and is described as problem-focussed, and able to reduce staff resistance because of their active involvement in the process (Robbins, Judge and Sanghi, 2009). Organisational Appraisal Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) is the second largest teaching hospital in Ghana, training many doctors, nurses and other paramedics in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. It is an autonomous service delivery agent under the Ministry of Health of Ghana (MOH, 2009a). In addition to training many of the health personnel in the Ashanti Region, many people within and outside the Ashanti Region seek healthcare there. As a result, provision of quality healthcare has always been the focus. An organisation that recognises the need for change, weighs costs and benefits, and plans for the change when the benefits outweigh the costs is ready for a change (Dalton and Gottlieb, 2003). KATH is, therefore, ready for change because some of its employees are sent overseas or to other parts of the country, whenever there is the need for a new skill or knowledge to be gained, to bring about a positive change within the hospital. This may be a factor that would facilitate my agenda to implement lead chan ge within the institution upon my return. However, Ghana, as a country is underdeveloped (CIA, 2008). Therefore, financial support, many a time, becomes a difficulty. Another challenge may be the fewer nursing staff. The Ministry of Health (2009b) estimates that there was a nurse-to-population ratio of 1:2024 in Ashanti Region and 1:1451 for the entire country in year 2007. Planning the Implementation of the Change This is the second stage of the change process, as was identified by Tappen, Weiss and Whitehead (2004), and it involves identifying possible resistant forces to the proposed change and identifying strategies to prevent or overcome them. The change strategies to adopt as well as how to communicate the need for change are considered at this stage (Management Standards Centre, 2004b). Bellman (2003) suggests that the normative-re-educative (bottom-up) strategy is suitable for changing practice within nursing. As it appears in my case, the need for change would be driven from bottom (an employee) to top (management) and is likely to be supported by the nurses since it is coming from their colleague. Nevertheless, others may resist the change because they might not see the need for it (Baulcomb, 2003). But Martin (2006) suggests that a clear presentation of the vision and need for change may cause a majority of the staff to support it. Flower and Guillaume (2002) suggest that unfreezing stakeholders of healthcare is a necessity to unfreezing the institution. Stakeholders at KATH for my project include the Director of Nursing Services (DNS), the Deputy Director of Nursing Services (DDNS) for the medical directorate, and the head of the diabetic clinic. When these key people are made to recognise the need for a change, then hospital management is likely to support the proposed change. In times like these when evidence-based practice is being advocated for (McEwen, 2007), I should be able to use evidence to justify the need for a change. I, therefore, plan to undertake a study that would compare the teaching package that I hope to introduce with the current approach used at KATH. If the new teaching package proves to be relatively successful, then majority of the staff are likely to appreciate the need for it. Progress Reflecting on the exchange program, I realise that the idea of bringing about change in practice was not clearly communicated. None of the processes of change, as has been identified now, were known at that time neither was there a strategy or a plan for the change. Some changes are unsuccessful because they are not clearly defined (Tappen, Weiss and Whitehead, 2004) and that is exactly what happened. Although I am still working on developing the teaching package that may be different from what is already present at KATH, I now realise that its purpose and effectiveness should be well communicated to other colleagues and management before the idea would be supported. I have discussed my ideas with the Director of Nursing Service of KATH and the Deputy Director of Nursing Services for the medical directorate and both of them seem excited about my idea. However, I have come to understand that all kinds of change are likely to face some form of resistance from the people (Baulcomb, 2003; Tappen, Weiss and Whitehead, 2004). I therefore, hope to apply the normative-re-educative (bottom-up) strategy because it has been identified as suitable for changing practice within nursing (Bellman2003). I also believe that such a strategy would let my colleagues feel actively involved in the change process and, hence, support it. Moreover, I hope to gain new insights from my visits to some hospitals and my interactions with some specialist nurses while developing the project. I, therefore, hope to modify my plans and strategies, when the need arises, in order to become an effective change agent within my organisation. Conclusion Personal development plans assist individuals to focus on specific needs and steps to take to achieve their objectives (Floodgate and Nixon, 1994). This essay has assisted me to reflect on my practice and roles as a leader. Whenever there is reflection, there must be a change in perspective (Atkins and Murphy, 1993). Development of change management strategies was identified as my learning objective. Actions to meet this objective were identified and pursued. Gibbss reflective cycle (1988) was used as a guide. Consequently, I have become familiar with different strategies that could be employed to effect and lead change successfully, and plans to implement these in my institution have been proposed, although they are subject to change when new insights are gained.

Getting Well at Get Well Essay example -- Medicine Physical Therapy Pa

Getting Well at Get Well In this ethnography I will take a look at the differences brought into my place of employment, a physical therapy clinic, which we will call Get Well. I explored the viewpoints of patients, therapists, and the physical therapy aides like myself on the issues of either the job or therapy. I wanted to get a look at the different ideas of patients and my co-workers because our age rages are so distinct. We treat elderly patients and students in junior high school. The different ages bring on different opinions of what therapy really is to some people. This is yet another example of how everyone has their own opinions and views on things. In the essay written by Kenneth L. Pike entitled, A Stereoscopic Window On The World, he explains the differences of etic and emic perspectives when conducting an ethnography. He states, â€Å"Different people may see the same event in different ways.† He explains this throughout his essay. As is my study my view as an outsider would be considered the etic view and the patients would be considered the emic perspective. Pike begins with an example of his own experience of interpreting situations with others. He and another woman had two opposite takes on the same situation. The essay then goes on to explain the difference in situations with reference to the etic and emic perspectives. Get Well is a fairly large facility located in a middle-class society mostly made up of Caucasians. This middle-class society is the small town of Romeo, Michigan. This clinic is located on Van Dyke Road between Thirty-one and Thirty-two mile roads. It is directly across the street from another physical therapy clinic whose patients always believe they are in ... ...hotherapy clinic rather than a physical therapy clinic. You have the young and old and all have similar problems, but yet they are so different. I sometimes get the impression that patients do no want to listen to me because I am so young. The young patients tend to take my instructions more seriously than the elderly do. They would rather hear it from the therapist himself. The major differences in patients’ attitudes all depend on their age. I enjoy working at the clinic because it is such a diverse place and not one day is ever the same. As I learned from my co-worker’s interviews just take everything with a grain of salt. Living with people’s opinions and attitudes is just part of our everyday life. Works Cited Pike, Kenneth. â€Å"A Stereoscopic Window on the World.† 23 February 1998. 9 December 2001 http://www.sil.org/klp/eticemic.htm.

If Seeing is Believing, Then Hearing is Connecting :: Psychology Hearing Seeing Essays

If Seeing is Believing, Then Hearing is Connecting When I was in sixth grade, our teacher, Mr. Kreinhop, presented us with an interesting and provocative dilemma: would we prefer to lose our hearing or our sight? During the discussion that followed, I was very surprised to learn that Mr. Kreinhop's answer was different from my own. As an eleven year old, I could not understand why anyone would choose to lose their vision (!) instead of their hearing. My reasons for needing to keep my sight seemed so obvious to me. Without it, one cannot browse at the library, hide away with a good book, see a friend approaching, or "watch" a movie. Most importantly to a soon-to-be-teenager, one could not drive ­surely a necessity for an American wanting to be truly independent. Without vision, how could one ever do all the things I thought I needed to do? Now, as an adult who has done some of those things and who will never do others of them, and as a wife and a mother and a teacher, I would give the same answer that Mr. Kreinhop did ­I would choose to lose my vision if it meant I could keep my hearing. I have two compelling reasons. First, my relationship with my children and my husband centers around the talking and listening that we do. Second, my vision of teaching has become one where teachers and students join as participants in discourse, which means they must actively communicate with each other, say what they are thinking and listen to each other to join in a conversation. The question and my answers to it interest me now in new and different ways. What are the differences between seeing and hearing that made/make these choices so simple and obvious for me? Here are two different sign systems. Well, actually more than two, but I am going to focus on the ones that are concerned with the communication of and between human beings, the systems upon which I based my choices. One is made up of visual signs, both verbal and nonverbal ­communication based upon writing, pictures and symbols. The other is also verbal and nonverbal, the spoken word and the sounds and intonations of the speech itself, as well as the silence that can be an invaluable component of listening and conversing. Visual sign systems are very important in our culture; so much of the communication in our society is based on visual signs, both verbal and nonverbal. If Seeing is Believing, Then Hearing is Connecting :: Psychology Hearing Seeing Essays If Seeing is Believing, Then Hearing is Connecting When I was in sixth grade, our teacher, Mr. Kreinhop, presented us with an interesting and provocative dilemma: would we prefer to lose our hearing or our sight? During the discussion that followed, I was very surprised to learn that Mr. Kreinhop's answer was different from my own. As an eleven year old, I could not understand why anyone would choose to lose their vision (!) instead of their hearing. My reasons for needing to keep my sight seemed so obvious to me. Without it, one cannot browse at the library, hide away with a good book, see a friend approaching, or "watch" a movie. Most importantly to a soon-to-be-teenager, one could not drive ­surely a necessity for an American wanting to be truly independent. Without vision, how could one ever do all the things I thought I needed to do? Now, as an adult who has done some of those things and who will never do others of them, and as a wife and a mother and a teacher, I would give the same answer that Mr. Kreinhop did ­I would choose to lose my vision if it meant I could keep my hearing. I have two compelling reasons. First, my relationship with my children and my husband centers around the talking and listening that we do. Second, my vision of teaching has become one where teachers and students join as participants in discourse, which means they must actively communicate with each other, say what they are thinking and listen to each other to join in a conversation. The question and my answers to it interest me now in new and different ways. What are the differences between seeing and hearing that made/make these choices so simple and obvious for me? Here are two different sign systems. Well, actually more than two, but I am going to focus on the ones that are concerned with the communication of and between human beings, the systems upon which I based my choices. One is made up of visual signs, both verbal and nonverbal ­communication based upon writing, pictures and symbols. The other is also verbal and nonverbal, the spoken word and the sounds and intonations of the speech itself, as well as the silence that can be an invaluable component of listening and conversing. Visual sign systems are very important in our culture; so much of the communication in our society is based on visual signs, both verbal and nonverbal.

The Tapestry Metaphor Essay -- Intercultural Communication Cultural Es

The Tapestry Metaphor We have all heard or used the tapestry metaphor at one time or another: â€Å"It's like a tapestry —with many delicate threads all woven together to make a whole.† Yes, we have heard it again and again. But why not repeat it? Well, after contemplating on the sociocultural experiences I chose to study—attending a Sunday worship service at the local Nazarene church and arraignments at the Juneau Court House—I believe that a person's idea of her or his cultural self is like a tapestry. One's own life experiences and communications with others are the threads. And woven together, the experiences of one's life create a unique cultural being. The Juneau Church of the Nazarene conducts its Sunday services much like many other churches I have attended. A pastor, associate pastor, or music director leads the service from the front of the sanctuary, each taking turns standing at the pulpit when speaking. Also up in front sits the musicians, two pianists and a guitarist. In the main part of the sanctuary sit the congregation in rows of pews. The service usually begins with a reading of scripture, church announcements, or a hymn. Then there are small orders of business, like prayer concerns, special music sung by church members, or other scripture readings. The climax of the hour-long service is the pastor's sermon, in which he preaches about some specific topic centering on the Christian doctrine. The two services I attended followed this basic outline, with little to no deviation from the bulletin. Rather than a bulletin, the Juneau Court House conducts its arraignments according to a calendar, which is posted outside the door to indicate which cases will be addressed on a particular day. A judge or, in this case... ...Well, we could go with Lustig and Koester's definition: â€Å"Culture is a learned set of shared interpretations about beliefs, values, and norms, which affect the behaviors of a relatively large group of people† (27). But why not use a timeless analogy? Cultural identity is a tapestry, a tapestry of one's social interactions, traditions, values, philosophy on life, and so on. Culture is not purely family or ethnicity or location or religion; it is an amalgam of these things—a unique weaving of what makes up our everyday lives. Works Cited and Consulted Jandt, Fred E. An Introduction to Intercultural Communication: Identities in a Global Community. 4 th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc., 2004. Lustig, Myron W., and Jolene Koester. Intercultural Competence: Interpersonal Communication across Cultures. 4 th ed. Boston: Pearson Education Inc., 2003.

Educational Paradigms Essay

Paradigms are ways of thinking or getting things done. As time passes and new concepts evolve, the way things are being done or implemented begin to undergo significant changes. Paradigms are continually shifting and this is unavoidable. For example, prior to the beginning of the information age, education could only be achieved by physically seeking admission and going through manual registration processes before one could be considered a student. The situation has changed today. Most of these processes may now be achieved online, as is the case with American Intercontinental University (AIU). A new educational paradigm has been ushered in as a result of technological advancements (Riegle, n. d. ). Which paradigm best describes your current learning organizational environment? Why? Provide an example. The ideal paradigm is the one that favours the emergence of standard practices, improved methodologies, and a range of resources that help to establish benchmarks and develop instructional strategies that give students the opportunity to learn properly and reap the benefits of education optimally. American Intercontinental University (AIU) provides an online educational system that offers increased accessibility to students from the convenience of their homes. This is accomplished through the use of up-to-date technological devices, software programs, internet connection, and computers. Since technology has turned the world into a global village, the educational paradigm is gradually shifting from the use of traditional classrooms to an online learning system. This learning platform has necessitated the need for an interactive method of learning to supplement the lecture materials, sample essays and the numerous resources that are made available to students to facilitate their learning process. For example, Instructional strategies that involve the use of chat rooms, discussion groups, emails, forums or message boards are employed to achieve learning. How does your organizational paradigm affect your assessments and measurement of student learning? AIU strives to balance learning strategies by adopting principles of various learning theories and applying them to instructional design and students’ assessment. The University presents materials to students in formats that they can easily understand, usually in the form of video, audio, presentations, and other related methods. Measurement of student learning is achieved through the evaluation of students’ participation in group activities, discussion groups, learning teams, chat rooms, and ability to use concept maps, mnemonics or organizers to reflect their knowledge of concepts. This is in support of the Cognitivism theory which states that it is important to understand how the human mind works so that we can understand how students learn (Learning Theories Knowledgebase, 2008). Assessment of learning is also done by giving students home work, assignments or group projects so that they can learn through their own activities and personal experiences. This is a very important paradigm at AIU since most of the learning activities take place online. Students are encouraged to learn through simulation, exploration and active participation in message boards and various projects assigned to them. This method of assessment is in agreement with the constructivism theory which states that knowledge is imbibed through active participation and engagement of the learner. The theory asserts that for knowledge to be retained, it is important to link new concepts with familiar concepts (Learning Theories Knowledgebase, 2008). On a personal level, which paradigm do you feel most represents your own views of education and assessment? Even though technology has its numerous benefits and offers students various opportunities of convenience and ease of use, traditional learning methods should also be sustained because each style of learning has its own benefits. It’s important to maximize the advantages of each learning style so that optimal results may be achieved. In consonance with the theory of behaviorism, good performance should always be rewarded with praise, awards or any other form of recognition to encourage the students, while the undesired behavior (bad performance) may be rewarded by holding back such rewards (Learning Theories Knowledgebase, 2008). This ensures that individual performances in learning are immediately observed and weak points are focused on for possible improvement. By balancing the learning theories and employing the use of best practices in administering lectures to students, learning can indeed become an enhanced and exciting experience. References Learning Theories Knowledgebase. (2008). Index of Learning Theories and Models. Retrieved September 25, 2008 from http://www. learning-theories. com Riegle, R. P. (n. d. ). Educational Paradigms. Visionary Leadership for the Information Age. Retrieved September 26 from http://people. coe. ilstu. edu/rpriegle/wwwdocs/paradigm/welcome. htm

Healing the World Through Literature Essay

Literature has influenced our lives in many ways. One is the way we perceive the events around us. The media have always been telling and informing the public about wars. Instead of informing us about how we can heal the world, all we hear is whose fault it was as soon as a war breaks out. The question here is: How can literature help to heal the world in terms of war and peace? This is important because there are so many wars in the world and instead of fighting we can use them to help create peace and heal the world. We will then be able look back to the past and think how we can progress for the next time. It will also help us create peace by allowing everyone to understand each other. Thomas Hardy, Anthony Hecht and Muriel Rukeyser are three authors that help show how literature can heal the world. The first poem, Thomas Hardy’s â€Å"The Man He Killed† focuses on the senselessness and futility of war, where a man has killed another quite simply because they were fighting on opposing sides at war. It was written in the point of view of one of the soldiers who was enlisted in the infantry. In the opening stanza he states, â€Å"Had he and I but met by some old ancient inn, we should have sat us down to wet right many a nipperkin! † (Hardy 347) By this he means if they met outside of a pub, they would have enjoyed some drinks together, but because of the war, they are forced to shoot at one another. Then it explains how they met as soldiers in opposing sides and one had to die so they both shot each other, but the narrator shot killed the other. In the third stanza, he explains why he had to kill him. Literature could help us with war by displaying this poem. The poem shows how even when people just meet that because of a war, they are forced and required to kill another man instead of having peace. People fight in wars for all different reasons. Some people were born to join the army and be soldiers while others just join to get by in life with financial support from the army. In the lines thirteen through sixteen, towards the end of the poem the author is saying how both the men enlisted into the army because they were out of work, and they needed to sell their traps to get money, and now because of the war one of the men was killed unwontedly by another man who joined because he was out of work as well. In the second poem called â€Å"More Light! More Light! † by Anthony Hecht, it talks about two different stories in the poem. In the first story there is a man who was being charged for a crime he prays to his God he didn’t commit. He states, â€Å"I implore my God to witness that I have made no crime† (Hecht 349). He was being burned to death and one of the soldiers who was burning him because of his crime felt badly for the prisoner’s suffering. So he threw gun powder hoping it would catch fire and to end the prisoner of his misery but the gunpowder did not ignite, and the prisoner was burnt to death. â€Å"And that was but one, and by no means one of the worst; permitted at least his pitiful dignity; and such as were by made prayers in the name of Christ, that shall judge all men, for his soul’s tranquility† (Hecht 349). The second story is about three prisoners who were brought to the woods, two Jewish prisoners and one Polish prisoner. The German guards forced the Polish man to bury the Jewish men alive, but the Polish man refused to do it. So the German guards instead changed the roles, and the Polish man was shot in the stomach, buried up to his head, and was left there for three hours to bleed to death. The second story seemed to be much worse than the first because the Polish man was suffering and was only left there with his thoughts and prayers as he slowly died. â€Å"No prayers or incense rose up in those hours which grew to be years, and every day came mute ghosts from the ovens, sifting through crisp air, and settled upon his eyes in a black soot† (Hecht 350). Literature help with war and peace because this poem shows the past how the Jews and Polish men and women were tortured by the Nazis and war. And this poem can teach us how even during the darkest times of war some people like the Polish did not keep his dignity. And not be forced to kill another man because war, even if the result of not listening is your own death. In the third poem â€Å"Letter to the Front† by Muriel Rukeyser, talks about being a Jew in the twentieth century. This poem explains how Jewish people should be proud of being Jewish, and they shouldn’t hide it. The Jewish people went through a lot with World War II, with all the deaths and sufferings, but the Jewish population shouldn’t try to hide what they are. â€Å"Wishing to be invisible, you choose death of the spirit, the stone insanity† (Rukeyser 351). Hiding meant reducing God to nothing more than what you are. The author is saying that the Jews should be proud of who they are and what they believe in. To believe in God and pray for freedom to all people, and pray to live the impossible which can only happen with faith to their God. Not by hiding who they really are and their beliefs. Literature can help with War and peace by using this poem to show that belief in your God can help you get through any situation and not by hiding from your beliefs and who you truly are. Some people are already used to wars and violence that it doesn’t affect them. In order to find peace, we must first make an effort to understand all types of people. In terms of race, ethnicity, culture, values, religion, beliefs, etc. When people see life through someone else’s eyes they understand what they go through. That would be the only way to avoid violence. Literature can heal the world after devastation from war. Maybe one day we won’t have to worry about the war because there would be peace. Work Cited: Hardy, Thomas. â€Å"The Man He Killed. † Writing about the World. By Susan H. McLeod, John Jarvis, and Shelley Spear. Boston, MA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2005. 346-48. Print. Hecht, Anthony. â€Å"More Light! More Light! † Writing about the World. By Susan H. McLeod, John Jarvis, and Shelley Spear. Boston, MA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2005. 349-50. Print. Rukeyser, Muriel. â€Å"Letter to the Front. † Writing about the World. By Susan H. McLeod, John Jarvis, and Shelley Spear. Boston, MA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2005. 351-52. Print.

Strategic Decision-Making

â€Å"Rational decision-making is an impossible ideal in strategy formulation and implementation due to incomplete information and organisational politics. † Strategy is formulated and implemented by organisations as a means of gaining competitive advantage and achieving organisational success. Frequent fast, widely supported, and high quality strategic decisions are the cornerstone of effective strategy (Eisenhardt, 1999 in Clegg et. Al, 2012). In today's world of borderless business, ever-evolving technology and rapid change, can these decisions be made rationally?Currently there are three main decision-making paradigms in the literature – rational decision-making, political decision-making and the garbage can model. Each paradigm frames the decision-making process differently and each will be discussed in turn in this essay. It will then be concluded that while rational decision-making is possible, it is only boundedly so due to incomplete information confounded by t he limitations of human cognition, particularly in the fast-paced business world of today.Furthermore, while people can be individually rational, collectively this is not the case (Eisenhardt ; Zbaracki, 1992) – as organisations are political systems, politics and power are often central to decision-making in the formulation and implementation of strategy. Rational decision-making Model According to the rational decision making model, clear goals and objectives are first identified and listed in order of importance. All the alternative courses of action associated with each objective are then identified and the consequences of each action are established.Consequences are assessed against the values and objectives pursued, with the course of action that best maximises these values being the one that is chosen. This logical step-by-step approach suggests that the outcome will be maximised. It also assumes the decision maker has complete knowledge of not only all possible altern atives, but also their consequences. For strategists who subscribe to this model of decision making, the organisation is seen as a rational bureaucracy where strategic planning is conducted by top management and organisational structure follows.This prescriptive view of decision-making has scientific principles at its core as decision makers are thought to be accurate and objective. Research, however, has shown that the decision-making process used by managers is not as straightforward or linear in nature. In fact, the assumptions underpinning the theory of omniscient rationality, while ‘strikingly simple and beautiful' (Simon, 1978), are fundamentally flawed. Although such an approach to strategy formulation may appear ideal in theory, it cannot be practised except for with relatively simple problems (Linblom, 1959).Limits of the cognitive capacity of humans, and on available information set definite limits on a manager's ability to be fully rational. In addition to this, oth er members of the organisation may disagree with the decision makers choice leading to power plays and politics. Whilst strategic decisions then, fall short of omniscience, they are not necessarily irrational. Rather, they are, and can only ever be, a bounded rationality. Cognitive biases of managers limit the applicability of the rational decision-making approach (Santos & Garcia, 2006).The organisational situation is framed by the decision makers who perceive an approximate model of the circumstances, choosing from a limited list of subjective alternatives. Some choices are given weight and others are relegated to the background, thus large segments of reality are out of focus (Feehan, 2013). Simon (1956) recognising the limits of comprehensive rationality, posited the concept of ‘satisficing', that members will choose the first alternative that is deemed to adequately meet the organisation's objectives rather than taking the time to survey all possible alternatives and find ing the optimal choice.This satisficing alternative will meet the minimal satisfactory requirements. Linblom's ‘Muddling Through' theory (1959) was one of the first to recognise the role of politics in strategic decision-making. Linblom refers to the comprehensive rational model mentioned above, as a ‘root' approach to decision-making where the process begins with the fundamentals, always starting from the ground up. This means-end analysis requires that values are clarified in advance of examining alternatives. He posits a ‘branch method' of incremental comparisons as a more suitable method for complex problems.Here, the decision-making process begins in the current situation, building out with incremental changes. Lindblom argues that the organisation and individuals may hold conflicting values which only become clear after the fact. A good outcome is therefore, not the optimal one but one that is agreed upon by all players. These theories highlight both the limi ts of rationality and the importance of context in strategic decision-making. Unlike many other decisions, strategic decisions are made in an organisational context where the reaction of the players affects the outcome.This view of organisations not as rational optimisers but ‘satisficers' resonates with the author's experiences. Having owned my own business I understand due to time constraints, working memory limits and finite funding levels, it is not possible to make decisions in a perfectly rational fashion. There will always be alternatives you (the organisation) had not considered, preferences you have that may be conflicting, and choices that cannot be made due to disagreements among stakeholders.This is not to say that the strategic decisions cannot be rational – they can but only boundedly so. It is important, in my view, to approach these significant and complex decisions in a systematic manner when possible. However in a dynamic world, where business is borde rless and technology is advancing at an ever increasing rate, I would question the utility of this approach. Context is key. Political decision-making model The political model of decision-making presents a compelling case against the possibility of perfect rationality in strategy formation and implementation.In fact, according to Clegg (2012, p. 267) the biggest enemy of rationality is the power and politics that are inscribed in every organisational decision. The division of an organisation into separate departments, encourages political activity between them as they compete for scarce resources (Pettigrew, 1973). Coalitions are formed around a perceived affinity of interests, with the ultimate aim being to accrue enough power to influence the decision-making process. It is out of this struggle for power that decisions emerge.Strategic decisions are particularly likely to stimulate political actions because they are complex, significant, and subject to uncertainty. There may be mu ch to gain/lose for each of the players from both a material and reputational point of view (Child, Elbanna ; Rodrigues, 2010). Take for example, an organisation such as a hospital. It is pluralistic in nature, often experiencing conflict between departments, staff subcultures and rifts between administrative staff and departments.Imagine as part of a cost containment strategy, it is decided after rational analysis, that the optimal alternative is to reduce wage costs by 20%. The highly paid consultants and lower paid floor staff will be pitted against each other, each protecting their own self-interests. The cost cutting strategy may have to be adapted in order to appease the players. As this example conveys, it is out of differences in self-interests that conflict rises (Eisenhardt ; Zbaracki, 1992). Research has consistently found organisational decision-making to be political in nature.A study of nine international corporations found that they were political systems comprised of a myriad of coalitions and groups (Quinn,1980 in Child et. al 2010). Pettigrew (1972) observed a scenario where established computer analysts conflicted with a newer team of analysts over which IT system their company should invest in. A member of the established coalition of analysts acted as gatekeeper, using his role to control the flow of information to top management whilst communicating negatively about his opponents ideas at the same time.This resulted in management deciding to take his advice. Another often cited example of the political decision-making model the Cuban Missile Crisis (Clegg et al 2011; Child et al 2010). Garbage Can Model The garbage can model of decision making offers an alternative insight into strategic decision-making in organisations. Here, the organisation is described as a loose collection of already-made solutions, waiting for new decision opportunities to be applied. Contrary to the assumptions of the rational model, decision making in these organi sed anarchies is not an orderly, linear process.The ambiguity is due to the radical instability of three premises – preferences, technology (know-how, techniques ; equipment) and participation. Decision-making occurs when the right problem arises and the right people are receptive to it's solution. These variables are coupled temporally, by chance, rather than consequentially by rational calculation (Rainey, Ronquillo & Avellaneda, 2010). The garbage can model differs from the rational and political models as it conveys the role of chance in the decision-making process.Decisions are not arrived at through boundedly rational analysis, nor are they negotiated by the interactions of coalitions. Instead, they are the random result of the convergence of problems and solutions at a particular point in time. This is not to say that this model is intended to replace rational decision-making, rather it's purpose is to supplement it (Rainey et. al 2010). Not all decision making situati ons are organised chaos, neither are they all rational. Many organisations in the public sector serve as examples of the garbage can model of decision-making.Many policy-making decisions for example, are imprecise and vague in nature with no defined goals attached. Participants in the public sector decision making process are prone to change – board members, consultants and even governmental parties are likely to change during the course of the decision-making process. Rational decision-making then, is problematic for making the predictions about the future preferences and consequences when formulating strategy. The human cognitive system will simply not allow us to consider all possible alternative solutions to any given problem.This assertion highlights the importance of brainstorming and group work in order to generate possible alternatives that we, ourselves, may not have thought of. Even taking this into account however, it is doubtful that an exhaustive list of all even tualities would be arrived at. Groupthink and politics are also likely to factor into the equation. Furthermore, even if rational decision-making were possible, it may not be even be the ideal. It does not allow for the input of emotional intelligence and ethical considerations which are often required in the decision-making process.How then can the business of today ensure they are making adequate decisions when formulating and implementing strategy? Organisational learning has been posited as an alternative view to organisations as decision-makers. 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