Barn Burning by William Faulkner Essay

For years, literary works have discussed the difference of nature vs. nurture, William Faulkner’s Barn Burning being one of them. Nurture in the debate refers to the way a person is brought up through his or her life. The argument is that the nurturing of the child in its early years is what ultimately defines how that person will act. On the other hand, another way of thinking is that nature defines who a person is. That it is not how a person is raised or what they grew up around, but who that person is inside. The fundamental difference is that said person is born the way they are going to grow up to be and is not shaped by his or her parents and how they act. In Faulkner’s Barn Burning, Sartoris Snopes is nurtured by his ill-willed father but ultimately takes the high road and chooses to be his own person rather than follow the road of his father. Sartoris’ life had previously been defined by instability and always covering for his father, until they came along the de Spain house. From the beginning of the story, Sartoris wanted to tell the truth at the court room but got slapped by his father for even the thought. â€Å"You’re getting to be a man. You got to learn. You got to learn to stick to your own blood or you ain’t going to have any blood to stick to you. Do you think either of them, any man there this morning would?† Mr. Snopes was just trying to make sure that his son would always protect his twisted ways in any future court room. He did not care about teaching his son a life lesson about loyalty or that blood was thicker than water, which was not what the talk that night in the woods was about. It was just simply Mr. Snopes warped way of assuring he would not get in trouble for future acts of harm. And sure enough, there were more acts. Even though Mr. Snopes slapped Sartoris and told him to stay true to his family, the de Spain house sparked a change in Sartoris and marked the end of following his father’s footsteps. His father’s way of raising him was almost a reign of terror. No one ever knew what to expect from him. He was not a good man in any sense of the word. He stole horses in the war from the Confederacy for his own benefit, having no loyalties to either side. The only loyalty he has ever had has been to himself. His wounded leg, as a result of the war, symbolizes the weight he carries around by living his perverse way of life. That is, feeding off of the harm he has caused to others; he has always felt that most people have short-handed him. The incident in the story in which Mr. Snopes ruined the one hundred dollar rug focused on how the leg was the major part of his body that took part in the smearing of the dung. It also was the main factor that let the de Spain’s know he had retur ned the ruined rug. Once they realized that he had permanently altered the rug, it was back to court for the Snopes family. Again, Sartoris witnessed his father being untruthful in the court of law and again his innate nature was to tell the truth. Yet always in the background is the gnawing feeling of what his father would do to him if he was disloyal. So when does he go against what he was raised to do and become his own person? Sartoris’ entire life had been to follow behind his father without question if it was right or wrong. As a small child he might not have wondered whether Snopes’ actions were morally acceptable or not, but as he grew older and developed his own conscious, he soon realized that he was a different person with a different way of thinking than his father. For his father, barn burning was his way of releasing anger and getting back at the people who have done wrong in his mind. Even though the nigger at the de Spain house did not do anything perso nal to him, Snope thought that because he told him he could not be on the rug, that he should destroy it so no one else could be on it either (symbolically.) When his son made the brave decision to tell the de Spain’s about his father’s plan, it was the turning point in his life. He finally diverted from his life-long path behind his father and started to plot a new course for himself. A life that would be defined by justice and virtue. Faulkner’s Barn Burning deals with nature vs. nurture in a coming of age story by which Sartoris untimely chooses nature and to chart his own way in life. After his father’s death, Sartoris Snope is described as walking into the darkness of the woods ahead without looking back and hearing the song of birds in the distance. He is forever cut off from his family and must survive alone. The only thing he has left is his integrity and strong sense of justice, but hopefully for him that is all he needs.

ICT Is An Opportunity For Children To Apply And Develop Their Knowledge And Capability

Introduction:Within my setting, ICT is an opportunity for children to apply and develop their knowledge and capability. With my help, they can research, question accuracy of sites and exchange and share information together and through emails (we also share with a neighbouring school and have class blogs). Children are learning the fundamentals of research and electronic media, with support, guidance and safeguarding programs. They develop ideas using tools to refine work, enhance quality and accuracy, use spell checks and thesaurus.These are just some of the general requirements from National Curriculum 1999, published by QCA. In conversation with my teacher, we noted how technology has changed rapidly. We use ICT in Assembly, Role Play, across the curriculum and taking photos for evidence. Teachers are finding it easier to source programs that make learning more fun. An ICT program, namely, www. educationcity. com, covers Key Stage 1-4, all Curriculum areas, plus a Teacher Zone and is used across our school.We agreed, in the words of Blatchford, that we must provide activities to encourage children to explore the technologically of a variety of ICT tools and encourage them to apply these, for a range of different purposes. (Siraj-Blatchford and Siraj-Blatchford, 2006, p. 2). In line with National Occupational Standards expectations of Teaching Assistants in ICT, this ensures we get basic training to support pupils. (Block 5, Week 25, Activity 25. 3: School activity: observing ICT). Part One: Our class has been exploring seeds, so I based my Storybird book   around this.We covered topics in Maths, Science, Environment and Circle Time. These cross-curricular links were important for our class activity from sourcing the materials needed, to who would look after them and estimating their eventual height. The impact and effect flowers and bees had on our environment, and people’s feelings about this. I developed this story linking to friendships and secon d families, and in class extended the Maths talk, estimating the height they may grow, and eventual measurement to incorporate centimetres and inches, which we are covering this term.Linda Gillard and Virginia Whitby (2007) argue that the more prescriptive the curriculum, with guidance and requirements, the greater the potential influence it has on the way children’s subject knowledge is developed in schools. With this quote in mind, I will use this ICT site to benefit the children, using the pictures to help tell a story, and having ICT as a cross-curricular tool. We encourage children to use different strategies like story-mountains and mind maps but just having pictures and having to put words to them extend their thinking.My pedagogic subject knowledge helped me help them choose the pictures and I explained the concept to them in order for them to be able to understand. I knew they would then learn because they had chosen pictures that interested them. As Marianne Coulson , Combined Tutor Group pointed out â€Å"writing a story from the illustrations enabled me to experience what it might be like for a non reader trying to make sense of the story from using the pictures. We encourage children to use different strategies when reading to stop them becoming over-reliant on one strategy†.I learnt how to develop my ICT, enabling the children to better their literacy skills and to make choices. The children can let their imaginations rule the story. I will present this as a group activity and encourage the children to look at literacy through different modes of image and word. â€Å"The complex interweaving of word, image, gesture and movement and sound, can be combined in different ways and presented through a range of media† (Bearne and Wolstencroft, 2007, p. 21). Children develop their powers of thinking and understanding enabling them to be confident enough to develop.  (Michael Rosen, former Children’s Laureate, from DCSF, 2008, p. 2)(Block 3, Week 13, Study Guide: Talking and Listening)Daily writing develops technical proficiency, the ability to manipulate ideas and build a bank of possibilities to draw upon sparking fresh ideas to combine words, generate and select sentences and create from images (Pie Corbett, 2012). I have learnt that as adults, we already have the skills for reading but using illustrations, sounds and words is a multimodality tool. I tend not to use these different strategies and I think at first, this made my writing in Storybird difficult.I had plenty of ideas but had trouble finding images. I learnt children have far more of a free flowing attitude than adults do, and it took me a while to focus on writing around the images rather than finding an image to match my writing. Children already know much about multimodal texts from their home experiences. As teaching assistant’s it is our responsibility to build on these experiences and the children’s knowledge, recognisin g the relationships between different modes and use this in our teaching. The future of reading and writing is interwoven with the future of digital technology (UKLA 2005).For Show and Tell, I used the display we had put together on Planting. We planted seeds with the children as part of a Maths experiment to see how tall they would grow and be able to measure in cm's and inches. Children estimated the plants end height and recorded the information. Our Science lesson covered, talking about plants, bugs, bees and the environment. We use a similar ICT programme whereby the children send photographs and videos to a neighbouring school, and by refining and editing their work they are also meeting the National Curriculum (2005) QCA requirements.The children are aged six to seven and the intended learning outcomes were to see if their estimations were correct. For science, we were scaffolding the children to learn about discovery as well as communication, discovering if the plants would reach their estimated height, and communicating with each other to discuss expectations. To be able to distinguish the impact science and technology has on everyday life and environmental impacts on bee pollination and weather conditions (Block 4, week 18, Science and Technology).We represented the situation in maths to predict the outcome and add details to a graph, interpreting mathematical data (DCSF/QCDA, 2010:14) (Haylock with Manning (2010). Professionally, I thought it was good to share our approaches and the resources we use in our school setting. Taking note of comments in the forum, I delivered the show and tell to colleagues, explaining that we could use this in assessments for learning and received positive responses and feedback. (Word count: 1071) Part Two (a) Looking back at the Maths targets I identified and discussed in TMA01, I feel that my knowledge and progress in problem solving has developed.The challenge for me was the opportunity to understand the problem sol ving strategies and be able to use logical reasoning. The lack of this affected my mathematical investigations with the children and my confidence to represent and model situations using a range of tools and applying logic and reasoning. (cited Haylock with Manning, Chapter 2, pg. 21, DCSF/QCDA, 2010:14). I have progressed in thinking creatively and can understand, analyse and evaluate to solve problems, sharing my approach and solution effectively by re-reading the course material.I have learnt problem solving can relate to many different things within maths ranging from doing a jigsaw to reading a map { cited Study Guide, Week 26, Block 5, ICT (Ollerton, 2010, p. 84) } and the need to solve problems is the fundamental basis for the construction of maths. I have learnt, by reading Askew & Williams (1995) four areas of problem solving, being, Standard Problems, Non-Standard, Real-world and Puzzles, that to question the children on these, by using questioning that will help to develo p their mathematical thinking is of importance.In line with the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA 2003, p. 8) I am now thinking about the children’s thought process, and the extent to which they will reveal their understanding and the language used. This will have a further impact on my support of them and my own knowledge and understanding. The most important thing I learnt in Block 2 (Week 8, Study Guide: Teaching for possibility thinking) related to maths being a rich context full of creative approaches to learning and how we, as teaching assistants, need to build on what we have previously learned.Using ‘what if’ and ‘as if’ thinking I will use creative questioning and support the children to explore what answers may be. Using the ‘shiny maths’ approach like line graphs, pie charts, 3D models and tessellation patterns to make maths and problem solving, more interesting. In compounding my subject knowledge for English, I ha ve found that my understanding and development has been re-enforced by re-reading Eyres (2007). My weakness as identified in TMA01, were Phonics and Word Classes and Apostrophes.By going over chapters 3, 4 and 8, I have come to make sense of phonics, graphemes, nouns, verbs, adjectives and the importance of how simple sentences are structured. How a word’s class can also be determined by its function of the role it plays in a sentence (Eyres (2007) p. 87-p. 89). Word classes, being the verbs, adjectives and nouns, describe English as being parts of speech.Assigning words to classes is more straightforward, for example, ‘the water run’s’, ‘water’ the verb and ‘run’  the noun and how an apostrophe can stand in for letters that have been dropped. For example ‘do not’ will become ‘don’t’ (Eyres (2007) p. 129). In Science and Technology, I have discovered collaboratively with our e-group, that there a re many sites we can use for investigation with the children. Useful facts and links can be used in conjunction with other classroom resources such as library books and working wall texts, with the idea that, children should do much more practical hands on experiments and be involved in the examination of scientific phenomena.When doing an experiment on germination, I learnt, after reading the article in Study Guide, Block 4 (Week 21, 2. 4 Observing Phenomena) by Karen Phethean (2008) giving the children a more ‘hands on’ and ‘minds on’ approach and allowing them to handle the seeds and Petri dishes made a great difference to their learning (topic pedagogy). I have gained knowledge that Science is a way of thinking and that it involves trial and error. I understand now that our conclusions can change during the lesson as we may make a new discovery through questioning the children.Howe et al (2009) suggest children need support to be creative and explore, p redict and observe and Vygotsky (1978) says communication in learning is important in the development of knowledge in which we have some understanding but are not fully confident. I feel a little out of my comfort zone when delivering Science and, although I have some sound knowledge, I need to develop along with the children and remember that science is not just a collection of facts. I have also realised that I need to question the children more to ensure they understand and allow them to give their ideas and interpretations.The use of online science and technology information has enhanced learning in my environment by allowing the children some independence to search for relevant information. This has helped me gather knowledge and understanding in cross-curricular ICT and be of assistance in facilitating children’s learning. Pedagogically, I can now put into practice the knowledge and experience I have gained through Block 4, Science and Technology including an understand ing of what makes the learning of specific topics easy or difficult: the conceptions and preconceptions that students of different ages have.  (Word count: 842)Part Two (b) Looking back at the English targets I recognized and considered in TMA01, I am now confident that my subject knowledge in Letters and Sounds has advanced. I have developed my knowledge of children’s literature and the linguistic terminology used, along with spending much time examining the letters and sounds in Phonics. Re-reading English for Primary and Early Years, Eyres, (2007) has helped my progression enormously, and I now know I am confident to apply my developed knowledge in a practical sense.I have reaffirmed phonics is the study of how sounds we make correspond to the written letter and fully understand now that readers of English rely heavily on their knowledge of letter-sound association, and an essential part of the reading process is decoding the letter symbols to reveal the sounds of the la nguage (Eyres (2007) p. 200). Although phonics appears hard to grasp, by using the right approach, it is possible to make this easier for the learners with worksheets and/or audio, through use of laptops.We must use well-prepared phonics plans that take in the phonics rules and patterns. I have further learnt that after introducing the learner to the letters, we must teach them the sounds. The phonics lesson plans must include sounds worksheets. These phonics sound worksheets must include all the 26 letters, 44 phonemes, and 120 graphemes and digraphs. I have also learnt that we use a combination of three criteria for determining word class. The meaning of the word, its shape, form and the position it has in the sentence.Word classes – nouns, verbs, adjectives etc are all used in describing English. A words class may also be concluded by its function, for example, the role it plays within a sentence (Eyres 2007 p. 89). Supporting the children in this complex subject, I first sourced http://www. bbc. co. uk/schools/teachers/ks2_lessonplans/english/word_types. shtml and we used the game to identify the roles of these nouns and verbs and to understand how they would fit into our literacy writing. This also helped reinforce my learning of the lesson plan.Once more this has assisted with my continuing ICT development, and how I can best support and scaffold the children. My pedagogy, subject knowledge and the curriculum in my setting have strengthened to enable me to encourage the children’s learning through better communication. My ‘how to’ knowledge is now better merged with the subject and I can now identify, as read in Block 1, the misconceptions and preconceptions the learners have and be equipped to make the topic understandable to the learner. (Archambault and Crippen,2009;Shulman,1986).I have developed and extended my literacy skills through this course and by reading Eyres (2007) and really feel I am building good literacy skills using feedback I have received from my mentor assessing my lesson plans and deliverance. I have extended my vocabulary through listening, talking, watching and further reading. I do realise that with pedagogical content knowledge, my own secure subject knowledge will not automatically result in children moving forward in their understanding. Pedagogical knowledge understands how students construct knowledge and acquire skills.The Primary and Secondary National Strategies, state that pedagogy is the act of teaching, and the rationale that supports the actions that teachers take to make effective teaching decisions. I have learnt that I must build on what the learners, and myself, already know and structure the pace of the lesson so that the whole class are able to access and understand the subject. In addition to this subject knowledge gained, I also feel I can now select all the relevant information I need to support the students and myself for different purposes.I now feel far mor e confident in organising essential information and ideas for the lesson and communicate effectively with the children. (Word count: 623) Part 3: Evaluation: I discussed with my mentor that my most important learning area was phonics and how I have come to make sense of this, along with graphemes, phonemes and phonics sounds worksheets and be able to support the children in this complex subject. I explained that I had learnt that English sounds and how they work are known as phonology and how spelling words reflects the sounds of language (Eyres (2007) Chapter 3, Understanding English at word level).We considered how I could use ICT programmes to deliver Phonics lessons to small groups, scaffolding multimodality (Study Guide Block 5 week 25: Overview of ICT) and supporting the children with accessing the phonics subject knowledge to enhance their learning and help develop skills for literacy. I would also access paper-based texts in the form of picture/word cards helping to develop the spoken word and to be able to hear, identify and manipulate the sounds (phonemes) to further engage the children in decoding new written words and be able to blend these sound-spellings.I explained how I felt word classes was more of strength now, but that I still needed to develop some areas of maths. We looked together at my blog and my Professional Development Folder and decided that my work based learning could be set out to enable me to work more with our maths co-ordinator to gain extra knowledge and confidence in maths. She will look at Continual Professional Development courses for me to attend, in house and outside school, to help me analyse and evaluate concepts, policies and practice within the maths subject area.We chatted about how the challenge for me in maths was being able to understand and tackle problem-solving strategies, using logical reasoning and how this affected my work with the children and my confidence to model situations applying logic and reasoning. (cited Haylock with Manning, Chapter 2, pg. 21, DCSF/QCDA, 2010:14). She praised me for being able to organise, communicate and progress in my own learning and seek and learn from feedback after observations to improve my knowledge and performance within the class setting.We talked about how I work well in a team and can evaluate different approaches to support the children where differentiation may be necessary within the lesson plan, thinking on my feet. I explained about the rest of my course in Primary Teaching and Learning and told her my goal was to complete the next step, (E214, Equality, Participation and Inclusion) and to gain my Foundation Degree and perhaps think about the School-centred Initial Teacher training course, for which she could accommodate me.I also discussed with her that I would like to gain further experience and knowledge in Special Needs Education as this is the route my job seems to be going. We discussed a three-year plan, as E214 will take me to May 20 14, and we will meet six monthly to look at goals achieved and still to be met and of course discuss how the E214 is progressing.

Porter s Five Forces

Porters Five Forces Porters five forces is a tool for developing corporate strategies to become or remain competitive in an industry. The porter's five forces diagram are shown like: Five forces that determinant competitive powers in a business situation are: Supplier Power: Which is how easy it is for suppliers to drive up prices. Buyer Power: Which is how easy it is for buyers to drive prices down. Competitive Rivalry: The number and capability of competitors. Threat of substitution: This is affected by how easy customer could find another thing to replace.Threat of New Entry: The ability of people to enter market. Porter's Five Forces Analysis for Apple 1. Supplier Power: As Apple has to pay a lot of attention to develop new technology, scale production of a specific component has decreased. This may result in a negotiation with foundry and affect the overall prices. However, the technique require for foundry is relatively low, so there is a lot of supplier to choose from. Therefo re, the power of supplier is low. 2. Buyer Power: Apple focus on young and high-income groups, due to its successful brand, it aka apple represent as a fashion.Also, as most of the product are based on a unified architecture and style, when a user purchases a product of Apple, they already know the other product. So the customer will be less hesitant and have a high loyalty to the brand. Therefore the power of the buyer is low. 3. Competitive Rivalry: Computer Hardware: Dell, Leno, Acre and other PC manufacturers Computer Software: Microsoft, Google Phone: Monika, Samsung, Motorola, ETC and other smart machines Handheld entertainment devices: Sony Walkway, etc. Tablet: Sony, Leno, Samsung, etc.

Compair the thnen and christaller theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Compair the thnen and christaller theory - Essay Example The desire to make geography more scientific, or at least more intellectually acceptable as a discipline, led to the adoption of statistical methods as a primary research technique. Location (or spatial) analysis, as this new aspect of geography is called, seeks to analyze and explain the factors that control humankind's spatial organization, specifically by statistical methods and models. Mathematically constructed models became tools useful to the geographer in coping with rapidly accumulating knowledge, and they could also be used to predict future trends or spatial patterns. This was not the first time statistics had been used for geographic research. As early as the 1920s and '30s, Torsten Hgerstrand in Sweden and Walter Christaller in Germany had used statistical techniques. Only in the 1960s, however, did significant growth in statistical methodology occur. Johann Heinrich von Thnen was born on June 24, 1783, was a German agriculturist. In 1826 he wrote Der isolierte Staat (The Isolated State), in which he proposed his theoretical model showing concentric belts of agricultural production surrounding a market center and demonstrating the relationship of commodity transportation costs to production location. Thnen laid the foundations of contemporary spatial theory. (Larry, 2004) This non-linear reformulation of the von Thnen model... model explicitly allows for input substitution and provides for the rate of production intensities to be determines endogenously by the profit maximizing behavior of the individual farmers. If the transport rate is constant and production occurs with constant returns to scale, then the rent function, under bid rent tenancy, or owner occupied farming, is indeed nonlinear and strictly convex to the origin. It is also possible to determine the spatial distribution of labor density as well as levels of crop yield in accordance with this basic model. It is not surprising that these results confirm the Dunn-Isard conjecture as the bid rent functions so determined assume a strictly convex form, and the intensity of cultivation does, in fact, increase toward the market center. Now the nonlinear von Thnen model can be formulated to conform to the logistics of industrial production in order to derive a non-agricultural rent function, also based on constant-returns-to-scale technologies. Firms in the urban sector go to the market center to obtain their raw materials, which were previously delivered there from the agricultural sector. Some firms specialize in the production of various intermediate goods which are also delivered to the market, where other firms purchase them for incorporation in their own products. Final goods are then delivered to the market for sale to the general public. Capital is introduced as a production input, the amount of which is explicitly governed by the price ratio of labor and capital. This "augmented" model ultimately generates comparable results with regard to the shape of the resulting rent function as well as the spatial distribution of levels of production and employment and therefore the densities of capital and labor. Although based on

Apple Computer, Inc. v. Microsoft Corporation Research Paper

Apple Computer, Inc. v. Microsoft Corporation - Research Paper Example Currently, Apple and Microsoft are world’s leading companies in the computer industry. Microsoft is headed by Bill Gates whereas Apple’s CEO is Steve Jobs. Many people believe that the competition between these two companies is actually the competition between these two charismatic leaders; Bill Gates and Steven Jobs. Microsoft succeeded in monopolising the operating system market in the world with the help of their renowned Windows based operating system. On the other hand Apple tried to conquer the global consumer electronics market with the help of diversified products. Apple faced many ups and downs in their history since its introduction. It faced stiff challenges in the 1990’s; however it was able to bounce back with the help of innovation and change management principles implemented in the organization during the latter periods of 1990’s and the at the beginning of the twenty-first century. On the other hand, Microsoft has not faced many challenges during their last 35 years of history. However, at present, Microsoft is facing several challenges from companies like Apple, Google etc. This paper compares the performances of Apple and Microsoft since their introduction. The first thing we all know is that during 1995-97, Apple lost control of the business market. IT managers needed something Apple wasn't able to supply: a capable back office system with authentication and management tools. Apple appeared to be ambivalent about this loss of the business market, and a series of poor CEOs failed to understand the evolution of business requirements and failed to bring clarity to Apple's vision (Martellaro, 2006) The battle for dominance between Apple and Microsoft was intensified in 1990’s. Apple introduced their Macintosh OS in response to Microsoft’s Windows in the 90’s. However, Apple failed to capture the market whereas Microsoft did succeed in monopolising the operating system market. Apple’s failure in providing the necessary solutions to the IT managers, opened many opportunities to Microsoft which they accepted with both hands. A series of windows based products like Windows 95, 98, 2000, XP, Vista etc entered the market which helped Microsoft to monopolize the operating system market. Microsoft did everything possible to sustain their monopoly in the operating system market. They have introduced many application software which are compatible only with the Windows operating system. For example, the MS Office package including software like MS word, MS excel, MS power point, MS access etc are compatible only with Windows operating system. Majority of the global computer users were badly in need of this application software and Microsoft was able to maintain their supremacy with the help of these software packages. Another business strategy successfully implemented by Microsoft was their meaningful collaboration with Microsoft chip manufacturers and other business associates. For example, Microsoft established business collaboration with Intel, one of the prominent microprocessor manufacture

RESEARCH ARTICLE ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK - Phase #2 of the lit review Essay

RESEARCH ARTICLE ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK - Phase #2 of the lit review paper - Essay Example 614) The researchers analyzed three motivation orientations (instrumental, required, and integrative) during preactional phase, in relation to expectancy (actional phase) and finally, self-evaluation in postactional phase. The results revealed that â€Å"within the EFL context in the current Chinese cultural environment, integration may not be a significant factor in motivating language learning effort† (Chen, Warden, & Chang, 2005, p. 622). The authors have illumined ESL educators of the relevance of cultural factors in motivating foreign students to learn English. As revealed, there is this noted Chinese Imperative motivator, which the authors indicated as â€Å"reflecting the emphasis on requirements that are internalized within the culturally specific context† (Chen, Warden, & Chang, 2005, p. 623). The emphasis placed on generating high scores in ESL exams to conform to the expectations of parents are the most crucial measure of a return on investment for learning English and has been recognized as the motivating factor for this particular culture. This study is relevant in one’s review particularly because it identified a cultural factor that assists in determining how students from other cultures could be motivated to learn ESL. One would thereby evaluate if this cultural preferences for high scores in the exams could be used to motivate ESL students in other cultures as a means to facilitate learning. The question guiding my literature review is: How crucial is cultural orientation in defining the motivational strategy to be designed by educators? Likewise, how effective are these strategies in enhancing ESL learning on a cultural context? Research question(s) OR Purpose of the study: The author aimed to determine â€Å"the motivation of Indonesian adolescents toward learning English over the first 20 months of junior high school† (Lamb, 2007, p. 757). Through employing mixed methods of questionnaires

Strong Named Assemblies (DOT NET) Research Paper

Strong Named Assemblies (DOT NET) - Research Paper Example This report will look at this new feature and how it works in OT NET. Introduction Strong Name (often referred to as SN) is a new technology that was introduced with .NET platform and it has many features and possibilities with it. It is a feature that comes with a lot of controversy; many believe it is a security feature, which, according to the technocrats behind this technology, is wrong, while others believe it is a new technology that is used to identify assemblies. Strong Assembly is a new technology that is built on cryptography and primary digital signatures. In encryption, one user will get the public/private key that will be used to encrypt/decrypt. After this, the data will be taken and run through some algorithm for hashing and a hash of data is generated after this process. After this, the hash is encrypted by the private key of a user and attached in the system as plain data. The data is then sent to another user who undertakes an encryption process to ensure that the d ata has not been tempered with. The bottom line here is that the process seeks to check whether data has been tempered with. In case of Strong Name, the data will represent assemblies. It undergoes the same process. The main reason why this whole process is being undertaken is so that we have unique assemblies being created. It is used so that we have unique assemblies (Fowler, 2003). Features of Strong Name Assemblies There are two features of strong name assemblies in .NET. The first feature is that if versioning. There is a problem in .NET that is called DLL hell. This is namespace collision. This is something that is solved by SN assemblies in .NET. With this technology, it is possible for developers to distribute the same names of files. Assemblies which are signed using SN, have a protection and stored in different spaces. In addition to this collision prevention, SN also helps developers to undertake correct versioning of their programs. This is the reason why it is advisable to have namespaces which are separated and signed differently before publishers want to use Global Assembly Cache (GAC) (Deborah, 2006). Another important feature of Strong Name is that of authentication. This is the process where the developers and users of .NET want to be sure of the origin of a given code. This feature gets its use in different places. This can be used in assigning some publishers higher permissions. Another way is that we can make sure that the code is provided by a given supplier (Christian, & Gavin, 2005). How to assign a strong name in .NET The procedure for assigning a strong name in .NET will involve some steps. The assigning of a strong name will be undertaken by the use of a Strong Name tool (sn.exe) that normally comes bundled with .NET framework software development kit SDK). This tool generates a cryptographic key pair. After this, the proper customer attribute is added to the source so that the compiler will be in a position to emit the assembly that will be used. The assembly will be emitted with a strong name. The attribute one uses will depend on the key pair that has been used to undertake the signing process (Burgess, Sellitto, &Karanassios, 2009). Where to find the key The key can be contained in a file or it can be contained in a key container that is found within a cryptographic service provider (CSP). This process will generate assemblies that are

Political Science Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7

Political Science - Assignment Example This shows that preparation is connected to long haul work and is an essential consideration for fruitful execution, profit, and spirit. Value-based initiative as exhibited in transactional leadership is the basis of employee empowerment through training. According to a study by Antonakis & House et al. (2014), the relationship between employee strengthening and workers impression of notoriety is a valid explanation of company success. Antonakis & House et al ( 2014) found that employees who feel they have more capacity to perform, or more control in choice making, have a tendency to assess authoritative notoriety in a positive way. In addition, employees emotions of control assume a more imperative part than sentiments of fitness in anticipating their assessment of notoriety. With respect to the relationship between administration style and employee empowering, results demonstrated that both transformational initiative and value-based authority are connected with workers sentiments of control. Transformational leaders are more inclined to delegate force to employees and include them in choice making than value-based

What is the effect of the recent information deluge on our Essay

What is the effect of the recent information deluge on our intellectual capabilities - Essay Example hich they had read and that which they had not read since moving between links disrupts memory and the transfer of information from working memory to the long-term memory. As a result, the conclusion was that hypertexts in documents did for learning and in any case, it lowered the ability to retrieve information from documents by affecting retention (Carr, 2010). People’s general misconceptions were that use of the internet actually made people smarter as there were more stimuli and there was increased brain activity as people go through then web. The rerouting of brain neurons allows people to be better at problem solving, which is apparently not since increased brain activity does not translate in improving brain activity or cognitive skills (Armstrong, 2011). Instead, it only serves to reroute people’s neural pathways for information. It is also a misconception that the web is making us smarter as; in fact, it only strengthens brain functions in relation to solving fast-paced problems. The reason behind web surfing and multitasking is the need to absorb information rapidly and within the shortest time possible in bits and pieces (Carr, 2010). This is meant to identify information quickly in order for one to choose whether he or she will read further for more information. This is such that web surfing is meant to allow one to be in communication with the rest of the world while at the same time obtaining information from the internet. Multitasking, on the other hand is a form of distraction from one task to the next or another task and it is done to the presence of multiple stimuli and search for relevance in everything people do in the web and beyond. Cognitive overload and switch cost has significant effects on our brains in that it corrupts our power to retain the knowledge that we acquire and the ability to relate between memories by creating connections between them. This way, cognitive overload affects the brain in that it influences our ability to

Manage Continous Organisational Improvement Essay Example for Free

Manage Continous Organisational Improvement Essay Abstract The sector of healthcare is vital for living that no one may deny. The advancement of technology has been a blessing in disguise for human health. Times are gone when people used to wait in long queues to get attention from the doctors and paramedical staff. The governments of the world were also responsible to not properly utilising the healthcare setup. In many parts of the world, it was still deemed as forbidden until the advent of 21st Century. Manage Continuous Organisational Improvement INTRODUCTION The sector of healthcare is vital for living that no one may deny. The advancement of technology has been a blessing in disguise for human health. Times are gone when people used to wait in long queues to get attention from  the doctors and paramedical staff. The governments of the world were also responsible to not properly utilising the healthcare setup. In many parts of the world, it was still deemed as forbidden until the advent of 21st Century (Alison; 2012). DISCUSSION Change management is something everyone thrives upon be it a business or medical science. For effective progress in any field of study, what matters the most is a well laid out and proper action plan. For example in business arena, gaining momentum is important in terms of financial aspects. For it one who is interested in business must be familiar with implementing a business plan to the suitable effect. The first and the foremost aspect is how much investment would be required for the project to be undertaken. Every country encourages ideas and the best way to be known for this purpose is to bring out something creative. In any aspect of profession, planning plays a vital role as well as management. In all most all the line of work, there is need for budgeting, staffing along with other strategizing options. In the context of globalization and global economy, change management becomes evident when we find that companies are overlooking the global parameters of a business where change is constant. In the context of this change, outsourcing is global strategic alliance that fosters a winning international strategy. The implementation of the policy of health is a complex topic that incorporates conceptual models. It is all about the guiding principles, rules, and regulations that lead to operational strategies. There are several one must be familiar with in order to accomplish explicit healthcare policy. To understand it, the cognition with health policy or governmental law is important. These also comprise of process of funding along with decisions taken at decentralised or national level. These widely effect upon how to deliver such services (Alison; 2012). The contemporary healthcare concept incorporates people from various fields related to medical technology including surgical equipment and medications. Access to evidence from medical and health research as well as latest information is also included within. The area of healthcare is notably one of the few areas which is blessed by heavy spending of the governments and the individuals alike. Alternatively the individual with less income is forced to pay a higher co pay and deductible for a lesser amount of coverage (Alison; 2012). SCENARIO You have recently taken on the role of change manager in an organisation. The organisation has decided to introduce the concept of continuous organisational improvement and you have been asked to lead this development. Before embarking on this work you decide that it is necessary for you to complete some detailed thinking in a number of key areas. In carrying out this assignment you should either use an organisation you have or currently work for. You must know this organisation well at a strategic level. Alternatively you should use the case study material provided. Firstly you need to give careful consideration of how a culture of continuous organisational improvement will be created. The process of change is inevitable in every organisation and NHS is no different. Mr. Regal has been appointed as a new Change Manager for NHS and is a dedicated individual who knows how to run things for the benefit of the organisation. He has been working in many prestigious organisations and thus he is also familiar with psychology of team working alongside him. Mr. Regal knows that all employees of NHS will need his active support to get the job done. For this purpose, involvement of staff and planning at early stage are a key to sure success to bring the process of change. It must also be noted that the policies to bring change must not oppose organisational policies such as redundancy, reorganisation and redeployment (Elizabeth; 2012). Before progressing any further, it is important that people within NHS must have idea of what change is all about. There are many types of changes including the ones instigated from ideas within NHS whereas some come from beyond the organisation. Other ideas include temporary and permanent ones all working for benefit of the organisation (Elizabeth; 2012). Since NHS is a complicated organisation thus many changes within are not clearly defined. In a typical organisational change model, new ways of working, unfamiliar team structures, processes and procedure are encompassed. Speaking individually, changes made at staff level can bring out pessimism, optimism, motivation, energy, enthusiasm and excitement to fear, anxiety, challenge, resistance, ambiguity and dread on various  instances. The fear within the staff is due to the concerns over new management and workload as well as job security and pensions. Thus various emotions can come into play and leads to distraction from development and provision of service. The staffs of NHS are ready to deal with anxiety which may be due to anticipating change. Surely, it will take Mr. Regal to get to know about the employees and the old standards that have been the hall mark of success for NHS. However, these techniques of the past wont last long and thus change in the system is mandatory. Thus it is important to introduce such techniques that are part and parcel of modern day mechanism (Gallouj Djellal; 2011). Mr. Regal knows what is the main reason of downfall of organizations i.e. those who are not willing to manage or identify change in human components. He has been performing his services as a freelance consultant for last 10 years. He suggests that the involvement of the individuals working within the organisation is necessary so that the way of thinking and behaviour may be altered. Now this may seem to be easier said than done as it requires thorough practice, time and motivation. The change in behaviour may not be easily measurable or achievable since the elements of humans are unable to get attention they require. As a line manager, it is the duty of Mr. Regal to lead from the front to identify and manage such human elements. NHS must also bear in mind that the change of initiatives must not go beyond the desired capacity. If it happens, the key resources required may turn uncontrollable. The extra workload must be shared by senior support and managers according to the resources and plan of action (Gallouj Djellal; 2011). Before starting anything, what matters the most is planning same is with organisational change. It is never easy for people to accept what comes within that change process. They find it difficult to adjust or absorb to change and also for the management, it is not an easy task. They may have to face various reactions to it including temporary reductions in performance measurements and activity. For this purpose, a proper timetable must be provided which may give the employees enough time to get ready. This may also produce the impact desired by Mr. Regal and the new management of NHS (Karen, Jean Gretl; 2012). CLARIFICATION/RATIONALE The second step is to what the outcomes of it may be the Clarification/Rationale. For this, it is important that the management is familiar with measurable outcomes. Mr. Regal and his team managing all must have a comprehensive vision that may lead NHS to new developments. The staff may get affected by the change being implemented. COMMUNICATION INVOLVEMENT Mr. Regal knows that in order to have proper implementation of plans, the doctors, nurses as well as other workers in NHS must have confidence. For this purpose, it is necessary that they must have recognition of benefits and responsibilities, acceptance, understanding, will, interest, and  awareness. This could only be achieved if proper strategy regarding effective communication and involvement is drawn (Karen, Jean Gretl; 2012). It is important that all the stake holders of NHS must be taken in confidence before the implementation of policy. The communication between the both parties is vital to reach a break through. Ineffective communication may result in difference of opinion. Thus by implementing proper communication skills, effective involvement can be ensured. RISK ASSESSMENT Mr. Regal suggests that implementing the process of change within NHS may be easier said than done provided that proper planning is implemented. Nevertheless with a process of change also comes the feeling of fear from within such as negative reactions, doubt, change in working and location. This is something that must be assessed at the earliest and must be done by a competent team. They are the individual who look to safeguard the interests of working groups specially the vulnerable people who may get impacted by the change. For this purpose, an implementation plan must be designed according to the time frame of change (Karen, Jean Gretl; 2012). MONITORING Monitoring within the organisation is necessary to know about the activities the employees are engaged in. This also depends on what type of change is being implemented within the organisation. In many organisations the best way to get feedback is to make use of various perspectives. The best form of monitoring can be done on the basis of complaints, facts, reports, opinion, outputs, behaviour and levels of error. It is not necessary for techniques of monitoring to be elaborate but they must be appropriate and timely. Despite of its effectiveness, it may be considered as violation of privacy matters of the employees. Many organisations make use of various tools including the audio monitors and cameras. The employees too may enjoy various benefits of monitoring  including the safety measures. Many organisations including the hospitals and banks make use of close circuit television systems (CCTV) to monitor for safety. ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING Mr. Regal is of opinion that NHS must implement organisational learning which facilitates room for improvement. He explains that only those organisations that are willing to learn from their mistakes and ready to transform succeed. This phase of learning may not necessarily be a beneficial one. There might be a possibility that any individual within NHS may learn but not share with his team mates. Similarly, the subordinates in NHS may not be share the information learnt due to its policies. In order for NHS to become a learning organisation, it is important that it is ready to change, learn and adapt. In todays competitive marketplace, an organisation maintaining its position in rapid changing environment is a tough ask. Everyday constant developments are being made thus providing corporations to transform into learning organisation. Mr. Regal believes that NHS has a capability to provide platform for learning. This may be stored in the minds of the people as well as the organisational memory in form of written documents, policies and procedures. If NHS successfully transforms itself as a learning organisation, it may widen the prospects by creating practices (Neil, Jo; 2013). In order for NHS to prosper according to the modern phenomenon of change, it is important that it must learn from experience directly as well as others. The organisation may directly learn from experience by working on procedures of incremental refinement. Mr. Regal explains that it is natural for an organisation like NHS to be faced with number of obstacles including the lack of learning orientation. This is one of the most important of all the barriers in any organisation. These may be further classified into three types environmental, individual/group and organisational. In order for NHS to progress, the  people within the working group must have an active mind. The barriers of learning within an organisation include management practices and corporate culture. Besides that concern from external stake holder, industries, and public policy results in external barriers. EMBEDDING ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE Mr. Regal suggests that NHS must act according to the standards of modern day organisation. Like others, it must introduce initiatives of change regularly perhaps on multiple levels too. Mr. Regal emphasises that proper process of research needs to be implemented on total quality management. This in turn will build cultures of compliance and health. As an organisation NHS has always worked on phenomenon of high quality care for all. Today, many leading organisations throughout the world are focusing on system of the organisation and system health at the same time. These are linked with a promise that quality work today may pave way for tomorrows high-quality work. The hallmark of a healthy organisation is that they embed culture promoting engagement, trust and openness. They achieve it on the basis of learning and improvement process. In almost all the organisations, there are often contradictory aspects hidden. In NHS, the priority is the measurement of higher outcomes such as population health. The founding principle of NHS has always been high quality care for all (HQCfA). The main point of focus is how this may be achieved emphatically. For this purpose the priority of work is done is patient and population which is deemed as weakest link. WHAT IS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT? Quality improvement is something that every organisation must thrive upon. There are various approaches and definitions and may be more fruitful than the other one. In medical practice, the purpose of quality improvement is to look for ways to provide better services and care. Mr. Regal says that change management may only be effective if the team performs as a single  unit. Quality Improvement is a team process at its core. When the circumstances are right the team perform according to different perspectives, knowledge, skills and experience. This helps in bringing out improvements that last long and is beneficial for the entire team as one unit. In order for the program to be successful, it is important that the top leadership as well as the employee support the process of change. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are employed for the process of Quality Improvement. This helps for improvement of safety, effectiveness and efficiency. NHS has always thrived on leadership and engagement for improvement. Every organisation has a room for improvement in one way or another. Same is with NHS as assessed by Mr. Regal along with his management team. As a matter of fact changes needed in NHS include changes made on a drastic level. Change management is a process of transition from current to new mode. It is important for the individuals to be ready for the change. The first and the foremost step, is focusing on the ability of leadership. Mr. Regal must act as a role model for other employees within NHS to follow. He must set an example that becomes cornerstone of the organisation. He must implement rules and regulations that maybe followed in the long run. As a leader, he must avoid using thought process that creates separation in form of perks. Mr. Regal knows that talking to people working in the organisation on policy matter will restore their trust on him. Also he may be able to know about the problems faced by the employees and solve them individually. Two other aspects that matters the most are passion and genuineness. IDENTIFIES AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT In order to bring change within NHS, each working group must know what role they need to play. They must realise importance of their role in the process and consider it as a historical one. As a supreme command, it is the duty of Mr. Regal to communicate with each and everyone involved in the process. Those who have concerns regarding the change need to be addressed at the earliest. In order to bring down frustration, Mr. Regal must keep in mind the six phases that reflect the reaction of the people affected by the change. IMPACT OF THE PROPOSED CHANGES ANTICIPATION: Many of the employees are anxious what the change may be and how will have an impact on them. Such employees are unable to know what it has for or against them and dont know what to expect. CONFRONTATION: This is the stage where people discover that something good or bad is going to happen. Many times they are able to figure out that the plan of change has already been initiated. REALIZATION: The third phase is of realisation where the impact of the change is in front of the people. The results will always be different as realised by the people. DEPRESSION: Besides being intellectual people begin to know the outcome of the change that makes them emotional. They begin to mourn on the past but cant do anything about it leading to stress and depression. ACCEPTANCE: In this phase, people begin to acknowledge the process of change both emotionally and intellectually. In any organisational setup, people at first have some reservation but seeing the benefits may change their opinion. Nevertheless, there is no reassurance to it. ENLIGHTENMENT: In this last phase, people begin to wonder how they were able to manage the old ways while this change has turned out to be more fruitful to them. EVALUATION OF THE PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE ORGANISATIONAL ACTIVITIES Bringing change management and to make it work effectively is not a piece of cake for anyone. A consultant like Mr. Regal too will require time to convince employees working within NHS. For this purpose, it is important that why to bring out the best service from the organisation the world has ever seen. It is important that the management and the staff both support one another for the accomplishment of the goals desired. As a unit both of the organisation stake holders need to understand the importance of the decision. The plan is to make NHS sustainable and best value organisation for the benefit of the people. This model of Change in NHS vows for the improvement collectively in terms of experience and knowledge. This process may also take into account former employees of NHS who had a history of quality services within the organisation. Since its birth, the organisation of NHS has worked for the benefit of humanity. Today it stands tall as the largest organisation of Europe dedicated to provide detailed healthcare services at minimal or low rate. Mr. Regal hopes with his new change policy, the organisation may become the largest healthcare organisation in the entire world. However, for that purpose, proper mechanism of work needs to be planned. The day when NHS was born, it comprised of more or less 14 regional hospital boards. Today it is also known to be the extensive employer of the nation (Nigel; 2011). CHANGES REQUIRED INTRODUCING IMPROVEMENTS TO THE ORGANISATIONAL ACTIVITIES NHS may benefit a lot from change process by introducing improvements to the activities of the organisation. In aiming for continuous improvement, NHS must market what they work for i.e. healthcare services. Mr. Regal emphasises that proper planning leads all the way to success for organisations initiating change. Despite this change process being beneficial to the organisation like NHS,  but there are certain things that may turn against if the management isnt prepared. These challenges may be because of not creating ample room for improvements, slower adoption, work surroundings, resistance and ultimately not creating the necessary improvements for the organization. If in future NHS further aims to make itself better by bringing in new concepts, they must know how to manage and operate it effectively (Nigel; 2011). To begin with changes need to be done must be planned first but implemented gradually. This may help in bringing helpful change to one and all. The employees must be taken into confidence for the implementation of policy and thus building awareness is important. Inform the employees, inviting them to be the part of change process. Make an announcement and publish it via intranet besides informing the employees by meeting them. It is also important to mention the date and time of the process to take effect. Involve in all the employees of the company so that documentation; scheduling or minutes of meeting can be carried out (Nigel; 2011). It is important to satisfy the employees that the change that is going to happen is for betterment of the organisation. Those who have questions or concerns related to it need to be satisfied. The employees are mainly concerned with how the policy change may affect them. For this purpose, it is important for Mr. Regal to remain calm and patient and address the situation effectively. In order for the assistance of the employees, he must provide documentation for the changes going to happen within NHS. Write step by step instructions things required for the completion of expected process. To help out the employees of NHS, he must offer practice and training programs so that they may learn about the new procedures. It is not necessary to implement changes overnight; it may require slow but progressive steps towards the change. The best way is to make changes one at a time. It may help the employees to learn about new procedures before moving to next step. Feedback from the staff involved is also important as comments, suggestions, ideas or concerns may help to move to the next  milestone. This may also help the employees getting closer to Mr. Regal and they may understand process in far better way. Also it is his responsibility what employees have to say about the possible changes in the procedure. Do appreciate where credit is due when any employee comes up with suitable alternative or suggestion. Mr. Regal must be open to all the employees of NHS and thus answer any questions that emerge in their minds. In case of success motivate employees by giving them appreciation through barbecues or pizza parties. This helps to bridge the gap between the management and the employees. The engagement of variety of people such as user groups, as clinicians, administrative staff and patients is also helpful for the improvement of the services. This way conflicts within an organisation may also be avoided. AGREE AND COMMUNICATE THE PROPOSED CHANGES WITH STAKEHOLDERS Before approaching the stake holders Mr. Regal and team has to go through thorough research. The best way of it is to accompany with the group of experts having good networks. Their role will be to conduct brain storming sessions to the people and groups associated. Make a list of the changes associated with NHS and record it on laptop or flipchart. On finalising the names in the list, then the stakeholders must be arranged according to affect, power and influence. There are 9Cs in healthcare service are Competitors, Commissioners, Customers, Collaborators, Contributors, Channels, Commentators, Consumers, and Champions. CONCLUSION Change management is essential part of business and so do healthcare industry. Both of them rely upon the use of technology, organisational structure, management systems and processes. A hierarchy of organisation includes the bureaucratic processes and chain of command. For this purpose approval with the management is considered mandatory. Thus the roles of employees and leaders are well defined one has to obey the order while the  other has to command. References Alison, Hann; (2012); Health Policy and Politics; Ashgate Publishing, Ltd; ISBN: 140949120X, 9781409491200; pp 150-151. Elizabeth, McCormick; (2012); Change for the Better: Self-Help through Practical Psychotherapy; SAGE; ISBN: 144626808X, 9781446268087; pp 300-301. Gallouj Djellal; (2011); The Handbook of Innovation and Services: A Multi-disciplinary Perspective; Elgar Original Reference Series; Edward Elgar Publishing; ISBN: 1849803307, 9781849803304; 750-751. Karen, Luker, Jean, Orr Gretl, A. McHugh; (2012); Health Visiting: A Rediscovery; John Wiley Sons; ISBN: 1444335812, 9781444335811; pp 230-231. Neil, Gopee Jo, Galloway; (2013); Leadership and Management in Healthcare; SAGE; ISBN: 1446294862, 9781446294864; pp 250-251. Nigel, Crisp; (2011); 24 Hours to Save the NHS: The Chief Executives Account of Reform 2000 to 2006; Oxford University Press; ISBN: 0199639957, 9780199639953; pp 200-201.

Advantages and disadvantages of the oligopoly market system

Advantages and disadvantages of the oligopoly market system This essay will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the oligopoly market system. Supermarket has brought into the service for man for long. The roots of supermarkets are the Co-operative of the nineteenth century. At the beginning of the early 20th century the people come up to an idea for selling goods. After that there become the first Supermarket which was set up in January 12th, 1948 in UK. (Brainy History, 2010) As soon as the first supermarket has been set up, a large number of supermarkets came out such as Tesco and Sainsburys. The supermarket industry is now developing in a very high speed. As the supermarket is one of the great improvements in peoples daily life, it becomes one of the most important places for all the people. Today, the supermarket industry in UK has already been changed into oligopoly market. This essay will discuss the characteristics of oligopoly market, and then discuss the kinked demand curve, non-price competition and the marketing mix in the o ligopoly market. First of all, an oligopoly market means that several relatively interdependent companies which concentrate the supply and compete with each other. Therefore, this become highly competitive and the oligopoly companies sell the homogeneous products which are branded. (Tutor2u, 2010) If the company sells the homogeneous products, the consumers will not get the new and better product in a very short time because of the competitive between the firms. They all sell the same product so that there wont be pressure for them to be survived in the UK Supermarket market. Another characteristic of oligopoly market is that the market has been controlled by a few big firms. As a result, these companies will control the market as they like. That may let another characteristic happened which is called price maker. (Tutor2u, 2010) Price maker is a kind of people or firm who set up the price for the product in the market. These people could easily control the market in a way the oligopoly firms want, s o that the consumers will not get some preferences in this kind of market, such as discount, promotion and so on. Therefore, from the characteristics above, it easily shows that the oligopoly market does huge harmful for the normal consumers. If the UK supermarket keep on being like this, the consumers will not get preferences anymore. The next point which is going to talk about is the kinked demand curve. The blank area is where price stability happens (from figure 1). These oligopoly firms always use the non-price competition to increase their output quantity. According to these two figure, in this case, there are no rising in price so that the consequence is what consumers want to see. Non-price competitions, is a kind of competition which is not focus on the price. That shows there are many other competitions in this market. From the Tesco.com and Asda.co.uk, it shows that the Big Fours official websites are some promotional activities, for example discount and cash back. Although, there are some different methods for non-price competition. Figure 1: Figure 2: Reported by TIMESONLINE 2007, Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys and the former Safeway, and the dairy companies Wiseman, Dairy Crest and Cheese Company are doubt for the dairy product price in 2007. As a result, Tesco possibly get a number of number for about 80 million bill. After that, Tesco is going to get back the money by law. So that the case shows that there are some mistakes in this market system. This may also damage the market system too and the consumer confidence can be lost at the same time. The last and which is the most important that can not be ignored is the marketing mix for the oligopoly market system. First of all, in an oligopoly market, the place for which the consumers can go to buy the products are mainly the Big Four. The consumers can not have many different choices for choosing the place to buy things so that Big Four has already control the market as they want. Then, the price can just set up by the price maker. In an oligopoly market, the price maker is the oligopoly firm which shows that the firms can set up the price as they want. For the product, every oligopoly company produces homogeneous product and service. The Big Four use their selves advantages to build high barrier to entry which is to protect their market share. These will make the consumers own less choices for buying the product. Promotion also doesnt always happened in the oligopoly market. All in all, the oligopoly market do harmful for the consumers. In conclusion, from the discussion above, we know that the characteristics of ver, the maximum competition in the oligopoly market can be advantageous to the improvement in providing various products to meet the needs of consumers. It will be meaningful in their oligopoly market and the marketing mix and kinked demand curve shows that the oligopoly is beneficial to the consumers. And oligopoly is also beneficial for sellers too. What is more, our consumers are able to enjoy a well-developed purchasing environment.

The Transformational Process Model

The Transformational Process Model The Transformational Process Model A contrast of the transformational process model as it applies to the manufacturing (car manufacturing) and service (advertising) industries. Slack et al provide a model which assists in understanding the transformational process. Their model looks at the transformation of inputs into outputs of goods and services and the range of activities and operations that an organisation undertakes as part of this process. Slack et al’s transformational process model is robust enough to apply to both manufacturing and service industries and it is perhaps in contrasting these two areas that one is best able to understand the usefulness of their model. In simple terms, Slack et al’s the transformational process model deals with the process involved in transforming an input resource into an output good or service (Slack et al, 2001, p.9). A generic transformational process model can be set out as follows (Slack et al, 2001, p.10): The above generic input-transformation-output model applies to the operations of most organisations. However, as with any generic model, it fails to sufficiently differentiate between subtleties. As such, when considering differences between different types of operations (ie manufacturing and services) and then considering further differences within those different types (ie different types of manufacturing operations), it is necessary to expand on the generic input-transformation-output model set out above. In terms of the generic transformational process model set out above, it is important to note that inputs to the process will either be â€Å"transformed† or â€Å"transforming† resources. Slack et al define â€Å"transformed† resources as being â€Å"the resources that are treated, transformed or converted† (for example, materials, information and customers) and â€Å"transforming† resources as being â€Å"the resources that act upon the transformed resources† (for example facilities and staff) (Slack et al, 2001, pp.10-11). Slack et al note that in most cases, one of the transformed resources takes precedence over the other two. So for instance they note that while a bank devotes some of its time to processing materials and customers, its main focus is on processing information (Slack et al, 2001, p.11). However, it should be noted that in a modern, inter-dependant economy, it is unlikely that any organisation is able to operate without touching on each of the transformed resources and as such, the issue becomes one of the extent to which the other transformed resources are touched upon rather than whether or not an organisation’s operations touch on them at all. With respect to transforming resources, Slack et al refer to two types which form the â€Å"building blocks of all operations†. These are â€Å"facilities†, â€Å"the buildings, equipment, plant and process technology of the operation† and â€Å"staff†, â€Å"those who operate, maintain, plan and manage the operation† (Slack et al, 2001, p.11). Slack et al note that the transformation process is closely connected to the nature of the input resources which are being transformed. The three predominant types of operation processors are material processors, information processors and customer processors. Material processors predominantly transform the physical properties of the input resources, but may also change their location, their possession or store the materials. Information processors transform the informational properties of the input resources, the possession of the information, store the information or change the location of the information. Customer processing operations may change the physical properties of the input resource, store the resource, change the location, change their physiological state or their psychological state (Slack et al, 2001, pp.12-13). However, it is important to note that each macro organisational process also consists of numerous micro organisational processes (eg marketing and sales, set and props manufacture, engineering, production units and finance and costing) each of which contribute to what Slack et al (2001, p.19) refer to as the â€Å"end to end business process†. The flow of information, materials and/or customers throughout this end to end business process is often extremely complex. In terms of operations management, understanding that the transformational process model applies both at the macro level and at a micro level allows an organisation’s management to ensure that managers at all levels within the organisation understand that to a certain extent they are all involved in ensuring that their operation involves a transformational process and that it is only where the transformational processes of all these micro operations operate smoothly that the macro transformational process can be successful. It should also be noted that in many cases, organisations seek assistance from external organisations with respect to those micro processes. Thus for instance, an advertising agency provides a service which a large car manufacturing company may process internally. Or for instance Nike, which is thought of as a shoe manufacturer, is in fact a marketing processor specialising in shoes (the manufacturing of the shoes is, while done to Nike’s specifications, performed by external contractors with Nike concentrating on developing and maintaining their brand image). Slack et al (2001, pp. 18-19) refer to three core functions as transformation process operations. These are â€Å"product/services development function†, â€Å"operations function† and â€Å"marketing function†. The product/services development function involves â€Å"designers design software -> producing effective new products and services -> appropriate designs as promised and to budget†. The operations function involves â€Å"transformed/transforming resources -> producing service value for customers -> products and services†. The marketing function involves â€Å"sales people marketers market information -> producing sales and market plans -> orders marketing plans as promised and to budget†. As noted above, different types of operations (ie manufacturing and services) will involve different types of inputs, a different transformational process and result in different types of outputs. In order to compare how these differences are covered by Slack et als transformational process model, it is perhaps best to compare and contrast two specific examples. In this case, it is intended to compare and contrast differences between the transformational process of a car manufacturing operation (manufacturing) and an advertising agency (service). In terms of the basic input-transformation-output process, a car manufacturing and advertising agency’s operations can be described as follows: Operation Input resources Transformation process Outputs Car manufacturing Steel/plastic/other materials Car manufacturing equipment Machine operating staff Car manufacturing plant Design and procurement Fabrication Assembly Testing Distribution Cars Advertising agency Creative staff Admin staff Computer systems Information Customers Offices Client solicitation and pitching Creative production Delivery Account management Advertisements Increased sales One of the fundamental differences between the transformational process of a car manufacturing operation and an advertising agency is balance between facilities and staff resources. The car manufacturing operation will have much of its investment in physical facilities with the focus of operations managers in such an organisation being on ensuring that those facilities are operating smoothly. The transformational process for a car manufacturing plant is a technical/mechanical process which should run exactly the same every time. While there is creativity involved in the initial design stage of the vehicles and parts, the fabrication stage should involve no creativity and will essentially follow a set process which is repeated hundreds, if not thousands, of times each week with the purpose being to lower costs by automating the same repeated tasks. While staff in a car manufacturing operation remain important, their importance is secondary to the operation of the facilities themselves (ie should there be a problem with the operation of the facilities, the staff are not in a position to continue assembling the cars on their own – ie their effectiveness is directly linked to the effectiveness of the facilities themselves). Conversely, the importance of facilities to an advertising agency is entirely secondary to the importance of the staff that it employs. Preparing an advertising campaign is a largely creative process which varies from client to client and which does not therefore lend itself to automation. Due to the creative nature of an advertising agency’s work, should the facilities of an advertising agency for some reason become temporarily unavailable, it should be able to continue its operations using the same staff. Naturally, the importance of the less important transforming resource should not be underestimated and it is not the case that either of these two operations can continue without both transforming resources. Rather, it is that one of these transforming resources is more fundamentally important than the other. For instance, while an advertising agency’s staff should be able to continue with their transformational work even where the facilities they have been using are temporarily unavailable, it is highly likely that their transformational work will be less effective especially where the unavailability of facilities involves not only office space, but more importantly, informational resources such as computer systems, market research information, etc. Likewise, while a car manufacturing operation can replace staff that for instance, go on strike, the efficiency and effectiveness of newly employed staff will be lower than those who have experience working with the machinery and the organisation’s operational process. The point is that the balance for a car manufacturing and an advertising agency are different between facilities and staff and so too are therefore each organisation’s operations management concerns (Slack et al, 2001, p.12). With respect to the transformational process, a car manufacturing operation is predominantly a materials processor while an advertising agency is predominantly an information processor. A car manufacturing operation transforms the physical properties of the input resources involving the input of steel, plastic, and other materials the nature or which are then physically transformed into cars. An advertising agency on the other hand deals with information as its input resource (for instance, market research, demographic data, previous advertising campaign effectiveness, customer aims, etc) and transforms these into advertising campaigns the goal of which is to increase its customers’ sales. The operational outputs also differ substantially as between a car manufacturing operation and an advertising agency. Perhaps the most profound difference is that the outputs of a car manufacturing operation are an actual tangible product while for the advertising agency it is an intangible service. The difference between these two types of outputs affects such considerations such as storability, transportability, simultaneity, customer contact and quality (Slack et al, 2001, pp.13-14). Clearly a car has a degree of tangibility that an advertising campaign does not. This means that a car is able to be stored and transported. Likewise, the car manufacturing process involves production well before the customer ever sees it while with an advertising campaign, the psychological aspects occur simultaneously with its execution. As most customers will purchase a new car from a manufacturer’s own branded car yard, there is some contact between customer and manufacturer (more so than with other types of manufacturers such as for example household appliances where the manufactured good is sold via a third party retailer with no relationship with the manufacturer). The integrated supply chain for car manufacturers also affects the quality in that whereas with other manufactured products, the relationship between manufacturer and customer is more distant, the integrated supply chain for car manufacturers means that the customer is more likely to judge the quality of the operation from the quality of the product (although still not to the same extent that they would for a pure service such as a hair cut). Slack et al (2001, p.15-16) note that all operations fall somewhere within the spectrum between pure goods producers and pure service producers, with most operations producing a mixture of both products and services. They propose that each producer has a predominant type of output and that any peripheral output for that producer is referred to as a â€Å"facilitating† output. That is, for a goods producer, any services produced shall be â€Å"facilitating services† (eg technical advice) while for a services producer which produces peripheral goods (eg report and documents) these represent â€Å"facilitating goods†. This is perhaps a dated view of such operations which Slack et al acknowledge when noting that the distinction between services and products is becoming increasingly difficult to define. Perhaps a more accurate distinction is between the types of processors (ie materials, information and customer) rather than simply between goods and services. In reality, many service operations (especially information processors) do produce a tangible output which can be stored (for instance a travel agency will produce a booking which is reflected in a physical itinerary, a law firm will produce legal documents, a bank will produce bank statements, etc). It is generally customer processors (such as theme parks, theatres, public transport, airlines and hotels) which do not produce a tangible output which can be stored. In many ways, with the advent of the information revolution, the outputs of information operations have come to more closely resemble to outputs of traditional manufacturing operations more than traditional service operations. In general, a distinction needs to be made between services which produce a tangible output and those services which are consumed at the same time as they are produced. While both these operations fall within the overall heading of â€Å"services†, their natures are entirely different. The main difference between an information processor service and both material processors and customer processors are that an information processor’s output is not unique. That is, an information processor’s output is generally able to be copied at no additional cost. This can be contrasted to a material processor’s output such as a car or a customer processor’s output such as a haircut. Neither a car nor a haircut can be reproduced without additional inputs being used and the transformational process starting again at substantial cost. An informational output on the other hand, such as a legal document or a song can be reproduced an unlimited number of times at minim al cost and without the need for the original transformational process to be repeated (although large scale copying may require an additional transformational process eg producing CDs and DVDs). With respect to a car manufacturing operation and an advertising agency, both produce an output which is (arguably in the case of the advertising agency) tangible (ie cars and an advertising campaign respectively) although one is clearly much more tangible than the other. However, both the manufactured car and the advertising campaign loose relevance as time progresses and as such, the intention for both operations is to transfer the finalised output from the organisation responsible for processing the input onto the customer. The longer this transfer from processing operation to ultimate customer takes, the less relevant within the marketplace their outputs become (this statement will clearly not apply in certain cases for instance prestige cars which may increase in value the longer they are stored). The fundamental differences between a car manufacturing operation and an advertising agency have important implications on an organisation’s operations management. Both the advertising agency and car manufacturing consist of transforming resources facilities and staff. The difference is in the input of transformed resources as the car manufacturing is predominantly a material process and the advertising agency an information processor. The transformation process in operations is closely connected with the nature of its transformed input resources. Outputs from the transformation process are goods and services with the main difference being that an advertising agency provides a service while a car manufacturer produces a good. The difference in tangibility of the outputs also has an affect on storability, transportability, simultaneity, customer contact and quality. BIBLIOGRAPHY Slack, N., Chambers, S. Johnston, R. (2001), Operations Management, 3rd ed., Prentice Hall, Harlow, England

Comparing Heart of Darkness and Wuthering Heights Essay -- Comparison

Similarities between Heart of Darkness and Wuthering Heights    Although Joseph Conrad's novel, Heart of Darkness, and Emily Bronte's, Wuthering Heights, were written in different era, they do in fact share a few similarities.    First of all, Heart of Darkness and Wuthering Heights compare in the manner that both novels draw on their respective author's personal experiences. Emily Bronte, who wrote in the latter Romantic Period but also had characteristics of Victorian writers, was left motherless at the age of two and spent most of her life with her father and siblings in Haworth, England. It was in this location that Emily first experienced the moors that play a critical role of her novel linking Wuthering Heights with Thushcross Grange. The moors was the area Heathcliff and Catherine would escape to when things were difficult. Haworth was a town that was isolated and surrounded by moors much like the setting of Wuthering Heights is described. Also, Emily Bronte parallels her own life in the manner in which she creates motherless characters. For example, Catherine and Hindley lose their mother at a young age as well as Catherine eventually dies leaving her young daughter, Catherine motherless. Joseph Conra d draws on his own person    al experiences in his novel, Heart of Darkness. Joseph Conrad had always been enthralled with the open oceans, maps, and uncharted territories of the African continent. He was hired by a British Company to operate a small steamship on the African Congo. He went on this trip and while there began keeping journals that would later become the basis for this novel.    Secondly, the authors of Wuthering Heights and Heart of Darkness both write their novels in the narrative fr... ...bright and upbeat feeling. It is true of both novels, for every good there is an evil. In Wuthering Heights, the characters are paired. For instance, two opposite households and the contrast of characters in Heathcliff vs. Linton. We see the coalition of good verses bad in Heart of Darkness, in the distinguishable manner in which Conrad writes o    f the black and the white. The underlying tone of Heart of Darkness is the oppression of the British over the African natives in the Congo.    In conclusion, many years separate Wuthering Heights and Heart of Darkness. The issues at hand facing these two authors were different, however they do possess similar ways of expressing to their readers the message they hope to convey.    Works Cited Bronte, Emily. Wuthering Heights Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness Gersh, Marianna. "Heart of Darkness"

Anorexia Nervosa: Pharmacologic Treatments :: Medican Medicine Health Essays

Anorexia Nervosa: Pharmacologic Treatments Medical Treatments: The Basics Anorexia nervosa has been recognized by physicians for more than a century, but there is still no generally accepted pharmacologic treatment. Anorexia Nervosa can lead to significantly impaired functioning in its victims along with a considerable morbidity. The pursuit of thinness is the central feature of AN, and the patients usually have a variety of other psychological disorders which makes treatment very challenging and difficult. No medication has proven to be generally useful in promoting or maintaining weight gain, thus cognitive-behavioral therapy remains the cornerstone of treatment. (Hoffman et al) According to Dr. Philip W. Long, "A therapist must win the cooperation of the patient by emphasizing that treatment can free the patient from the obsessive thoughts about food and body weight that have become the sole focus of the patient's life." In addition, depression, physical well-being, and social relationships can be improved through various treatments. (http://www. mentalhealth.com/rx/p23-et01.html#Head_1c) Pharmacology in the Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa Many medications have been used in the treatment of Anorexia Nervosa. Of these different pharmacological treatments, there have been very few large scale, controlled studies demonstrating their effectiveness. Several of these medications, however, have proved useful in facilitating weight gain during the nutritional rehabilitation phase of treatment. This website discusses these different treatments, explains why they were used and their possible side effects, and the overall validity of their effectiveness as a treatment. Antipsychotic Drugs The most common form of this drug which is administered to AN patients is chlorpromazine. If prescribed, it is usually given to severely obsessive-compulsive, anxious, and agitated AN patients. This drug is a neuroleptic or dopamine antagonist in the brain, and the theory which serves as the basis of this treatment revolves around the idea that certain characteristics of anorexia nervosa might reflect central nervous system dopaminergic activity. Some scientists theorize that these dopaminergic activities cause this eating disorder among other things. In certain clinical experiences, chlorpromazine has been shown to be somewhat effective in inducing hunger and weight gain, but others have shown no such effects along with some serious side effects. These include grand mal seizures and in increase in the development of bulimia. In summary, there is an absence of clear evidence as to the effectiveness of this drug as a treatment and with its potential for unwanted side effects, it is rarely used. (Walsh and Devlin)

Retail Analysis Mcdonalds

Table of Contents Executive Summary3 Introduction5 Explain about the retail store6 Explain why you have chosen this retail store7 Explain about your scenario as a mystery shopper and what you did at the outlet8 Describe the retail store’s customer service with your knowledge of Pet Peeves and 14 factors of company culture. 10 Suggest some solutions to improve the retail store’s customer service14 Conclusion15 Executive Summary Acting as a â€Å"mystery shopperâ€Å" we have evaluated one of the McDonalds’ retail shops. We have chosen a McDonalds retail shop by reason of its obvious success.McDonalds has got a yearly profit of approximately 5. 5 billion USD by trading with fast-food. Our evaluation shows us there is one certain reason of its success: Constancy! Customers know what they get at McDonalds, wherever they are in the world and apparently they appreciate this constancy. Nonetheless there are some obvious Pet Peeves, which are related to the three level s of factors of a company culture. Level one describes what you obviously feel, see and hear. Level 2 is about the communication between employee and customer. Level three contains factors that are not obvious but ake us like McDonalds subconsciously, is very tough to find in our outlet. Regarding these Pet peeves and the factors of company culture we come up with three different suggestions to improve the retail store’s customer service. 1. The company can become more ecological, by producing less rubbish. Especially in order to enhance its reputation. 2. Friendlier and politer staff 3. Achieving a nicer environment in its outlets Regarding its success it seems quite unnecessary to make some changes, but in order to keep the company’s customer service competitive little changes are recommendable.Introduction McDonalds. The company is already one of the most successful companies in the world and still growing. The main product the company sells is fast-food. How is thi s possible? How can a company, that is selling fast food, be this successful? What is the secret of its success? We threw ourselves into one of its outlets and experienced the secrets and services of McDonalds. In our following assignment we will explain about our scenario as a mystery shopper, we will describe and debate the retail store’s customer service, considering the factors of company culture.Finally we will suggest some solutions to improve the retail store’s customer service and make a conclusion of our results. Explain about the retail store â€Å"McDonald's is the leading global foodservice retailer with more than 33,500 local restaurants worldwide and 1,7million employees, serving nearly 68 million people in 119 countries each day. † (McDonalds) So far, McDonald's in China employs more than 1000 restaurants, the 2013 restaurant number is expected to reach 2000. The company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDona ld in San Bernardino, California. Wikipedia, 2012) McDonalds’ total profit of the year 2011 was approximately 5,5billion USD (finanzen. net). Explain why you have chosen this retail store McDonalds is one of the most popular fast-food chain companies in the world. You’ll find McDonalds in every little city, in every crowded Shopping Mall. It surely is a very famous and successful company (Llopis, 2011) And this makes it interesting. How can a company that â€Å"just† trades with fast-food be this successful? How can you achieve a yearly profit of 5,5billion USD by trading with Burgers?Apparently McDonalds has got a successful marketing and sales concept, which makes the company very interesting to write an assignment about, considering the roots of its success, debating about its ways to make me purchase again, although it obviously has got some â€Å"Pet peeves†. Explain about your scenario as a mystery shopper and what you did at the outlet It is Sunday afternoon, 4 o’clock when I enter the McDonalds restaurant. It’s not a typical dinner time; consequently the restaurant is not crowded. Nevertheless most of the many tables are covered, and there is a small line n front of the area, where you place the order. On the first view the restaurant seems very clean and you notice a strong smell of food and loud background music. As soon as I enter the outlet, i notice a various number of employees. 4 employees take the order, another 4 employees collect the order together, and approximately 3 employees are responsible of clearing up tables. Additionally there is a bunch of employees cooking and preparing the food, and a couple of employees cleaning the sanitary fittings. It is impossible to give an exact number of employees, but there is definitely a huge amount of workers.Furthermore the employees wear a uniform. The greeting is short and not remarkable friendly, the employee makes the impression that he is pushing me to or der as soon and as fast as possible. You find a big, easy watching menu board behind the back of the Seller, which makes it easy to find a suitable product. Consequently the employee won’t ask questions to find a suitable product, he or she only asks for an upgrade for bigger fries and beverages. Anyway I have to order on my own initiative. Finally I pay for my dish, without getting a student discount and find myself in another line, waiting for the food.After I have got my food I start looking for a table, which I find at the very end of the restaurant. It’s a nice place in front of a big window. Later I’ll figure out that the chairs are quite uncomfortable, but the first impression is good though. While having a suit I notice that my table is still dirty, so I have to wipe down the table by myself. Unfortunately my burger has become cold, which is an opportunity to ask an employee for an exchange. The employee surprisingly shows me a lot of understanding and e xchanges the burger immediately. The new burger is surely satisfying.There is one remarkable point I must mention. The taste of the food is exactly the same taste as all the other times I had been at McDonalds; it doesn’t matter in which country or in which city. At the same time I notice that the interior is also pretty much the same. After we finished our food we found ourselves in front of a big bunch of waste, although we have just eaten two burgers and two medium-sized fries. Finally we left, without clearing up the table. Leaving the outlet is not commented by the staff. In summary it can be said, that the restaurant: †¢ Is basically clean Has got the same interior everywhere †¢ Strong smell of food †¢ Noisy †¢ Employees wear uniforms †¢ Seats are not very comfortable Describe the retail store’s customer service with your knowledge of Pet Peeves and 14 factors of company culture. At first I’d like to mention some so called â€Å"P et Peeves†, that are obviously disturbing and noticeable as soon as you enter the McDonalds outlet: †¢ Tense and noisy environment †¢ Disturbing sounds coming from the kitchen †¢ Unfriendly/ impolite employees that seem very impatient while you are ordering After we ordered and picked up our food we noticed some further â€Å"Pet Peeves†: Left tables are not cleared up and wiped down by employees(dirty tables †¢ Cold food †¢ Uncomfortable seats †¢ One dish creates a big amount of rubbish Considering the factors of company culture in order to evaluate the performance of this particular outlet, I? d like to difference the company culture into three levels (Tobias Amely, 2009) This three level model is invented by Edgar Schein. The information below are based on the Internet page Wikipedia. org. At the first and most cursory level of Schein's model is organizational attributes that can be seen, felt and heard by the uninitiated observer â€⠀œ collectively known as artifacts.Included are the facilities, offices, furnishings, visible awards and recognition, the way that its members dress, how each person visibly interacts with each other and with organizational outsiders, and even company slogans, mission statements and other operational creeds. The next level deals with the professed culture of an organization's members – the values. Shared values are individuals’ preferences regarding certain aspects of the organization’s culture (e. g. loyalty, customer service). At this level, local and personal values are widely expressed within the organization.Basic beliefs and assumptions include individuals' impressions about the trustworthiness and supportiveness of an organization, and are often deeply ingrained within the organization’s culture. Organizational behavior at this level usually can be studied by interviewing the organization's membership and using questionnaires to gather attitudes ab out organizational membership. At the third and deepest level, the organization's tacit assumptions are found. These are the elements of culture that are unseen and not cognitively identified in everyday interactions between organizational members.Additionally, these are the elements of culture which are often taboo to discuss inside the organization. Many of these ‘unspoken rules' exist without the conscious knowledge of the membership. Those with sufficient experience to understand this deepest level of organizational culture usually become acclimatized to its attributes over time, thus reinforcing the invisibility of their existence. Surveys and casual interviews with organizational members cannot draw out these attributes—rather much more in-depth means is required to first identify then understand organizational culture at this level.Notably, culture at this level is the underlying and driving element often missed by organizational behaviorists. (Wikipedia, 2012) R elated to level one, the â€Å"obvious† level which determines what you hear, see and feel: †¢ McDonalds has got the same interior in every restaurant †¢ the staff is wearing the same uniforms †¢ it always smells in the same way †¢ you have got the same products all over the world †¢ menu board format is the same and easy to understand †¢ you can see the McDonalds â€Å"M† symbol everywhere in the outlet †¢ Loud music in the background †¢ Rather young people and kids †¢ People eat alone without feeling awkward All parts of the McDonalds â€Å"sales areas† are constant all over the world. People know what they get and they appreciate it. They consider McDonalds as a clean, trustworthy fast-food restaurant. The second level is about the communication between employee and customer. †¢ Less communication; the communication is restricted to the order process †¢ In case of a complaint about food, the employee exch anges the product instantly †¢ Not remarkable polite, no advices †¢ The leaving is not commented The third level, which contains factors that are not obvious but make us like McDonalds subconsciously, is very tough to find in our outlet.Some factors might be: †¢ The speed of taking the order and getting the food †¢ The noises which make us hurry up(we are not supposed to feel comfortable and stay for a long time †¢ constancy The secret of McDonalds’ success is clearly the constancy. Wherever you are, you’ll find the same food, the same service. Humans apparently like and need constancy as a factor of safety and subconsciously McDonalds gives us this feeling. Suggest some solutions to improve the retail store’s customer service Shortly after entering the restaurant I noticed a various amount of Pet Peeves. Consequently our suggestions are based on at the beginning ofQuestion 4 mentioned Pet Peeves. At this point we have to make clear that it is hard to improve an outlet of a company, which is one of the most successful companies in the world. As a result solutions have to be considered as a subjective suggestion. Our first suggestion is based on an environmental aspect. In times of global warming and increasing pollution it is important to provide ecological products. One part of it is avoiding a lot of rubbish. As mentioned McDonalds is producing a lot of rubbish, so one improvement might be less production of waste, which is also recommendable for the company’s reputation.Another improvement can be trainings of employees to assure polite and patient staff, because this is definitely a negative aspect of our observations. Finally we can highly recommend to get rid of all these annoying sounds coming out of the kitchen. This can lead to a more relaxing environment, which is even recommendable for a fast-food chain company. Conclusion At the beginning of our assignment, we asked the question why a company that is selling fast-food can be this successful, although they are just selling fast-food. The explanation for its success is short and easy: constancy!Wherever you are in the world, McDonalds provides you the well-known and expected food. This constancy makes us purchase subconsciously. By examining a McDonald’s outlet as a â€Å"mystery shopper† we noticed a lot of pet peeves, which mostly lead to a tense feeling. But, at this point I have to make clear that these factors are not very obvious. We got used to them and accept them by keeping on purchasing at McDonalds Nevertheless there are some points which can be improved. 1. The company can become more ecological, by producing less rubbish.Especially in order to enhance its reputation. 2. Friendlier and politer staff 3. Achieving a nicer environment in its outlets If McDonalds can achieve these goals they will most likely stay as successful as they are. Customers don’t go to McDonalds because of its customer ser vice, but McDonalds should be aware of the fact that customers also might not come because of the customer service. Consequently little changes and improvements in customer service can be useful and should be considered in the near future. Bibliography Wikipedia. (2012, 08 24). Retrieved from http://en. ikipedia. org/wiki/McDonald%27s Wikipedia. (2012). Von wikipedia. org: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Organizational_culture abgerufen finanzen. net. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. finanzen. net/bilanz_guv/McDonalds Llopis, G. (2011, 12 9). Forbes. Retrieved from http://www. forbes. com/sites/glennllopis/2011/09/12/the-most-successful-companies-embrace-the-promise-of-their-culture/ McDonalds. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. aboutmcdonalds. com: http://www. aboutmcdonalds. com/mcd/our_company. html Tobias Amely, T. K. (2009). BWL fur Dummies. Weinheim: Wiley.