Praise vs. Encouragement Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Praise vs. Encouragement - Research Paper Example Parents, for instance, should look forward to praise and encourage their children for the hard work they put into their studies even if their final grades do not reflect it. There are many ways, both obvious, and subtle, that can be used for praising and encouraging. The most prominent method for praising children is through communication. Apart from communication, little gestures, such as a gentle pat on the back, or expressions can also boost up a child’s self esteem and morale. (Loh) There is a great deal of debate between professionals as to the best way to build self-esteem and cause positive reinforcement. Some experts say that praise is the best way, while others vouch towards encouragement. It is true that praise does uplift self esteem of a child but many experts believe that too much praising might actually result in a decreased level of self-worth. This is because by nature, praise injects competitiveness into a person and indirectly discourages cooperation. (Encouragement Is More Effective Than Praise in Guiding Childrens Behavior) For instance, consider a class in which two children, Andy and Bob, study. Both the children have been asked to draw a picture of bird. Both, Andy and Bob, have been working really hard throughout the weekend to finish their drawings. When they finally reveal it to their teacher, he says, â€Å"Bob! I love your drawing! It’s the best!† Even though this praise would boost up Bob’s morale, it will shatter that of Andy’s as he now thinks that Bob is a better artist than him. This would be a great source of discouragement for Andy and will affect his interest and performance in class in future. Therefore, what the teacher should have done is come up with a way by which Bob’s work could have been appreciated without hurting Andy’s feelings. This is where the importance of encouragement can be felt. Praise revolves around the judgments of elders, such as parents or

Ambition in Your Life Essay Example for Free

Ambition in Your Life Essay Ambition a passion that never fails you and will never let you fail it, and this is why it will ultimately cause the downfall of the individual. In the novel Frankenstein and in the Play Macbeth, ambition is the main theme in these two pieces. Both Victor and Macbeth had great dreams of accomplishing certain things that defy a higher order. Ambition drove both of them to strive for what they want and never give up on their dreams. Ambition without doubt help or even single handling brought Macbeth and Victor to their dreams. Ambition is the best quality that a person can have, it allowed Victor and Macbeth to achieve what they always wanted. Whatever can bring you to the top, also has the power to make you fall harder then you fell before, being overly ambitious can also destroy a person and people that surrounds this individual. Victor and Macbeth succeeded in accomplishing their deepest desire but this does not mean they have succeeded in achieving happiness. Everyone dreams about achieving goals and dreams in life that is nearly impossible to grasp due to certain circumstances. Why do some individuals still try in chasing their dreams even though they know that the chances of succeeding are very slim? In the novel Frankenstein and the play Macbeth, Victor and Macbeth had dreams of achieving goals that defy a high order which promises server consequences. Victor and Macbeth are examples of the individual that were driven by ambition, this ambition was so strong and relentless that it actually allowed both Victor and Macbeth achieved their impossible dreams. In Victor’s case he succeeded in creating life and Macbeth succeeded in becoming king and this was all due to being ambitious and determined. Yes Victor and Macbeth did achieved what they wanted but both paid great prices in doing so. Was it worth it? Ambition is the best quality anyone can have, until we crossed the line of chasing a dream and just being obsessed. No one is born with the ambition that makes you obsessed with your goals and dreams in life. Certain incidents must occur to push this person to let ambition make you become obsessed with the goals and dreams in life. Victor and Macbeth both experience this incident that allow their ambitious minds to take over. Victor experienced the lost of a love one, which was his mother. This shock was too great for Victor to handle, this caused victor to hate the fact of death and suffering in life. The chance and opportunity of being able to bring his mother back, and to end all suffering was to captivating. He had the knowledge and power to do so. This caused his ambitious mind to grow and start to take over. The same line of events occurred to Macbeth as well. Macbeth had no intention in betraying his king and taking the throne. Until the three witches implanted the seed of betrayal in Macbeth, he started to think of the opportunities that being the king would bring to him. Betrayal thoughts started to occur in his mind. Macbeth was never sure of what to do until he talked to his lovely wife, she convinced him in taking this opportunity in becoming king. Macbeth kept his ambitious mind under control until the actual first deed of betrayal was committed which was the killing of Duncan, the current king of Scotland. After this incident, ambition took over Macbeth and caused in to do everything in his power to secure his throne. A determined and overly ambitious mind is a blind one. You may spend your whole life striving for a dream or goal that you have. You work so hard in getting what you think you really want, but when you actually achieved and accomplished you goal or dream. You realized that you’re not happy and lost certain things that are so much more important to you then your so called dream or goal. Macbeth and Victor both experienced this in their lives. Victor tried to create life and he succeeded in doing so, but in the course of creating â€Å"The monster† he abandoned what was really important to him, which is his family, his friends, most importantly his life. His creation actually destroyed everything that Victor loved and cared for. The monster should not be blamed because victor crossed the line of trying to better human kind and playing God. He created this hideous and ugly monster that no one can possibly love and abandoned it and left it to die. The actions of victor can also justify the actions of the monster. If victor actually took the time in thinking of what he was doing, he would’ve realized the mistake he was making. He made another mistake right after making the first one. He gave this monster life and limitless power and intelligent, obviously this monster can survive and cause great harm to him and his love ones. If he actually stayed with the monster and taught him how to live and act towards other beings, things would’ve of turned out totally different. Macbeth experienced the same exact lines of events and feelings that victor did in his life. If Macbeth thought of the acts that he was committing, he would’ve of realized that the only thing he is accomplishing in killing the king, is damning himself, his only loved ones. It is obvious that if he committed this act of betrayal and defiance of a higher order, only bad can occur from this. He didn’t realize this right after this act just like victor. He continued to do wrong because of his ambitious mind, which Victor also experienced. He continued acting on his relentless ambition to secure his throne and his undying passion to seek happiness which at the time was being king for him. Which was completely wrong. Knowledge is power and power can corrupt any human being. Victor and Macbeth had the opportunity to achieve their dreams and goals. This thought corrupted both their minds. As both Victor and Macbeth succeeded in achieving their dreams, they experienced different feelings. When Victor was successful in creating life, it totally scared him that he actually create life and it caused him to flee. This ultimately caused the downfall and death of Victor. In Macbeth’s case when he became king, it made him a more determined and stronger person. It made him paranoid and trusted no one, which caused him to make more mistakes, such as killing any one that stood a threat. Victor and Macbeth both were not happy even though they achieved their dream. This is because they acted on impulse which caused them to do whatever it takes to succeed, which caused them to make mistakes that they regretted towards the end of their lives. All of this and every mistake that both Victor and Macbeth made were because they let their ambitious mind blind them of their senses and conscious of what is really important to them and what truly makes them happy. Chasing a dream is good, until the mind is obsessed and is poisoned with the ambition that will change you to a whole new person. You can also order a custom term paper, research paper, thesis, dissertation or essay on ambition from our professional custom essay writing service which provides students with high-quality custom written papers at an affordable cost.

Other Personality Traits That Affect Managerial Behaviour Sociology Essay

Other Personality Traits That Affect Managerial Behaviour Sociology Essay Leadership is the action of leading a group of people or an organization, or the ability to do this Oxford Dictionary. A person exerts influence over other people, which inspires, motivates and directs their activities to help achieve common performance goals (Yukl, 1989 as cited in George Jones, 2006). The person who exerts such influence is a leader. With the influence they exert, effective leaders help groups and organisations to achieve a goal. Effective leadership also increases an organisations ability to meet all the contemporary challenges such as obtain a competitive advantage, the need to promote acceptable ethical behaviour and is essential to manage a diverse workforce fairly and impartially. As a result, this will raise the organisations chances of success (George Jones, 2006). Nowadays due to the exceptionally challenging era, leadership can be very demanding because of the pace of change, the illusion of control and the high expectations of followers (Arnold Rendall, 2010).A leader can adopt his own personal qualities, behaviours styles and decisions to develop his own leadership style (Arnold Rendall, 2010). Early leader-focused approaches to leadership have 2 main features: a description of the leader in terms of their characteristics and/or behaviour and the investigation and analysis and of the characteristics and or behaviours of what makes a good leaders regardless of what they lead (Arnold Rendall, 2010). Early leadership was more focused on finding the best characteristics that makes a person a leader or effective leader. Early work such as the work of House and Baetz (1979) came up with what characteristics that leaders tend to have at a higher degree than non-leaders. These characteristics include intelligence, dominance/need for power, self-confidence and knowledge of the task. (House Baetz , 1979). Bass (1990) also included other personality traits such as good adjustment, emotional balance and high integrity which were found to be common traits amongst leaders. (Bass, 1990) This early research did yield some interesting results but researchers did not find a constant profile of characteristics which are common to all leaders however personality and intelligence seem to be fundamental for persons to emerge as leaders and ultimately be effective leaders (Arnold Rendall, 2010). The Big Five Personality Traits People have certain characteristics which are constant to them throughout their life which can influence how they think, feel and behave both on and off the job (George Jones, 2006). These characteristic are called personality traits. These traits make you act, feel and think in certain ways which makes every individual unique. It is very important that these traits are understood since every persons personality influences their behaviour and their approach to managing people and resources (George Jones, 2006). An individuals personality is composed of five general traits or characteristics, these being extraversion, negative affectivity, agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness to experience (Digman, 1990). Each personality trait is viewed as a continuum along which every individual falls. A person can fall on the high end part or on the low end part or else somewhere in between. A persons approach to management can be described in how people are like at the high and low ends of each continuum which is an easy way to understand how these trait affect a persons approach (George Jones, 2006). The effectiveness of each trait is determined by a complex interaction between the nature of the job or organisation in which they are working and the characteristics of the person. Furthermore, some personality traits might be effective in one situation but can decrease the effectiveness in another situation. (George Jones, 2006) There are other personality traits in addition to the big five that describe peoples personalities. These are specifically important for understanding managerial effectiveness. Some examples are self-esteem, locus of control and need for achievement. Research by Fred E. Fiedler acknowledged that effective leadership depends on the characteristics of the leader and of the situation. Fiedler came up with the Contingency theory of leadership. He explains why a manager or leader may be capable in one situation and incapable in another. It also suggests which kinds of managers or leaders are more effective in different situations (George Jones, 2006). He argued that leaders have rather stable personal characteristic, leading to a characteristic behavioural style. In his theory, Fiedler assumed that how much a leader is person-oriented depends on the leaders perception of their least preferred co-worker. He concluded that task-oriented leaders are best in very favourable and unfavourable situations and those person-oriented leaders are best in moderately favourable or moderately unfavourable situations (Arnold Rendall, 2010). Desired and acceptable leadership characteristics may vary across organisational context. Sociability, need for power and need for achievement are considerably relevant characteristics which are consistent across different organisations and organisational cultures. (House Baetz , 1979). House and Baetz (1979) came up with two insights which are generally accepted by persons studying leadership: if certain characteristics are to have an impact on others and their performance, these personal characteristics need to be observable in the leader and that leader characteristics and behaviours depend on the different type of task (House Baetz , 1979). Recent studies have pointed out the effects of personal and situational factors on the development of an individual as a leader. Amongst these personal factors are personality traits and gender (Jacobowitz Pratch, 1996).One of the most distinct and difficult to change characteristics is gender. Leadership roles are typically described in stereotypically masculine terms. This could mean that women have a slight disadvantage over men in being selected for leadership roles and when selected it is difficult for them to be seen as good leaders. Leadership roles are typically predominated by men but in recent years women in leadership positions have increased considerably (Corrigall, Konrad, Lieb, Ritchie JR, 2000). This has prompted a lot of researchers to explore the relationship between gender and leadership. While the number of women in management positions has increased, there are still very few women who hold high level executive positions (Corrigall, Konrad, Lieb, Ritchie JR, 2000). It is believed that women tend to prefer jobs who offer a reward rather than high pay and advancement, which might be the explanation of their failure to attain more jobs at the top level positions (George Jones, 2006). The styles of male and female leaders may influenced by the gender-based expectations. Individuals establish certain expectations for their own and others behaviour which is based on their own beliefs about what the appropriate behaviour of male and females should be like. (Eagly, 1987) Women are stereotypically described as nurturing, supportive and concerned with interpersonal relations whilst men are viewed as being directive and focused on task accomplishment (George Jones, 2006) These stereotypes suggest that women can be more relationship oriented as managers and are more considerable in their behaviour. Men are seen as more directed towards task-orientation and engage in more initiating-structure behaviours (George Jones, 2006). People have become accustomed to the styles that men have since men have long held these roles. As a result, there is more focus on women in the discussion of the impact of gender on leadership (Eagly Johannesen-Schmidt, 2001). There is little agreement about how women actually lead even though there is this greater focus on women in research. Feminists writings have given great importance to differences and similarities between leadership styles in males and females. (Eagly Johannesen-Schmidt, 2001). A number of researchers state that there is a difference between women and men having a leadership position, whilst others say that there is no difference. Eagly and Johnson (1990) state that male and female managers having a leadership position, tend to behave in similar ways. Men do not engage in more initiating structure than women and women do not engage in more consideration than men (Eagly Johnson, 1990). Writers of trade books, have argued that thre is a difference in leadership behaviour between males and females. They tend to see women as being less hierarchical, more cooperative and ollaborative and more oriented to enhancing others self worth (Book, 2000). On the contrary, social scientists say that there is no or minimal difference iin female and male organizational leaders. (Eagly Johannesen-Schmidt, 2001). Job Attribute Preference Research has show that job attribute preference may direct a male or female manager to a different set of jobs, career paths and emplyers due to the existence of sex difference (Beutell Brenner, 1986). Job attributes have been divided into two categories: intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Job aspects that fulfil material or social needs are termed intrinsic factors and job aspects that fullfil higher needs such as growth, esteem and self expression are termed intrinsic factors. (Pinder, 1998) Research on sex differences and similarities in job attribute preferences has been enriched by two distinct theoretical persecpetives: the gender ideology perspective and the structuralist persepective. Different personality characteristics and different sets of ativities for women and man are dictated by gendered societal norms in existence is the view of the gender ideology perspective. The structuralist perspectives argues that women have poorer quality jobs than men on average because of the segregation and discrimination in the labor market. (Corrigall, Konrad, Lieb, Ritchie JR, 2000). Both of the perspectives conclude that job attribute preferences for men and women are different by they assign casualty to different underlying mecchanisms. They both predict that there will be a change in the pattern of sex differnces in job attribute preferences over time, however they conclude that the patterns of change will be somewhat different. Gender Ideology Gender ideology may be described as socially-constructed script that prescribes different characteristics, values, attitudes, behaviors and activities for women and men (West Zimmerman , 1991)Gender ideology is composed of gender roles and gender stereotypes. Gender roles are sets of norms presribing the behaiors and activities appropriate for each sex (Best Williams, 1990). Gender roles differ by cultures but in Western industrialised societies attribute the role of income provider for the family to the men and the role of homemaker to the women. Gender stereotypes are different personality characateristics which are expected from men and women. Characterisitcs such as nurturing, affiliation and passivity were associated with the females whilst characteristics such as autonomy, aggression, dominance and achievement were ascribed more to males (Best Williams, 1990).People tend to conform to gender expectations to avoid the disapproval from others. If peoples choice ofwork would reflect gender ideology, then men should consider responsibility, autonomy earnings, advancement, prestige, recognition and challenge to be more important than women do. Whilst women should value more job security, good coworkers, a good supervisor, physical work environment, helping others, growth/development opportunities, opportunities to use ones abillities, variety, task significance a feeling of accomplishment and good hours to be more important than men do. In this study conducted by Corrigall, Konrad, Lieb and Ritchie, it was found that men attached more importance to earnings and responsibility than women did. This reflects the idea that men take on the role of provider and that they need to demonstrate success and status reflecting the ideas of gender roles and stereotypes towards men. On the other hand women attached greater importance to all mentioned attributes which show that women take the role of homemaker and to demonstarte nuturing and expressiveness. The findings relate to the gender roles typically attributed to women. (Corrigall, Konrad, Lieb, Ritchie JR, 2000) Leadership styles of males and females The styles of males and females can be described in terms of the stereotypes of masculinity and femminity. Studies of peoples stereotypes about men and women show that the popular beliefs about male and female behaviour can be compiled, following Bakan (1966), in terms of two dimensions, the agentic and the communal attributes. (Jacobowitz Pratch, 1996) Agentic characteristics define primarily an assertive, controlling and confident tendency. These characteristics are typically ascribed to more strongly to men than to women. Agentic behaviours, in employment settings might include speaking assertively, competing for attention, influencing others, initiating activity directed to assigned taks and making problem-focused suggestions (Eagly Johannesen-Schmidt, 2001). Women are more ascribed to communal characteristics. This is because communal characteristics describe primarily a concern with the welfare of other people. Examples of communal characteristics in employment settings are speaking tentatively, not drawing attention to oneself, accepting others direction, supporting others and contributing to the solution of relational and interpersonal problems (Eagly Johannesen-Schmidt, 2001). Leader roles and gender roles Female leaders can adopt leadership styles that differe from those of men because they need to accommodate their behaviour to the occasioanlly conflicting demands of the female gender role and their role as a leader. There are different implications for the behaviour of male and female leaders due to gender roles. This is not only because male and female roles have different content but there is a discrepancy perceivers associate with women as having communal qualties and successful leaders are perceived as having agentic qualities. Since agentic properties are more associated to men, people tend to believe that men are better at being leaders than females. (Eagly Johannesen-Schmidt, 2001) Eagly and Karau(2001) argued that apparent difference between the typical leader roles and the female gender tends to ccreate prejudice towards female leaders. It takes two forms: (a)less favorable evaluation of womens (than mens) potential leadership because leadership ability is more stereotypic of men than women and (b)less favorable evaluation of the actual leadership behavior of women than men because agentic behaviour is perceived as less desirable in women than men. In the first prejudice, womens characteristics and the resulting female-stereotypic qualities are different from what is expected and desired in leaders. This is a result from the descriptive norms of gender roles. The second prejudice arises from prescriptive norms of gender roles namely the beliefs of how women ough to behave. Women leaders can be negatively assessed for fullfilling the agentic requirements of leader roles and thus failing to comply with the communal characteristics, even though they may be praised for their fulfillment of the leader role. (Eagly Karau, 2001) On the other hand, Sherpe (2000) states that after years of analyzing what makes leaders more effective, management gurus now know how to maximise the chances of getting a great executive. Their answer is to hire a women. The idea was first introduce by the writers feminist trade books on management and is now making tis way into the popular culture. (Carli Eagly, 2003) However in Malta, women have the highest rate of female inactivity 65.2% compared to other E.U. countries 35.7%. (Spiteri, 2012). Nevertheless, there was an increase in the rate of employement for woman which now stands at 62%,which has gone up from 55% in 1997 (Almunia, Andor, Barnier , Reding, Rehn, Tajani, 2012). Many women continue to face a glass ceiling, holding them backe in achieving a higher level in their work place. Men dominate company boards: 86.3% of board members and 96.8% of the boardroom chairs, whilst women make up 13.7% and 3.2% respectively. (Almunia, Andor, Barnier , Reding, Rehn, Tajani, 2012). Women in Malta represent only 3% of board members which is well below the EU average of 13.7% (Spiteri, 2012). On the other hand, there is a higher pecentage (22.7%) of Maltese women who are achieving higher levels of tertiary education than men(14.6%), even though when compared to other E.U. countries it is still very low (37.2% women and 30% men) (Spiteri, 2012). The National Statistics Office in collaboration with the National Council of women in Malta carried out a survey on the Perceived Obstacles to the participation of women in Decision-making Positions (2007). The rsult of this survey states that many women in malta are not advancing in their work to obtain top post because of 3 main difficulties: difficulties in reconciling long hours of work and family responsabilities, very little use of childcare facilities and lack of spouse/partner suport (National Statistics Office, 2007). Maltese Governments have always put measures in place to promote gender equality through various legislations and regulations. The constitution of Malta guarantees equaltiy between women and men. It gives protection against discrimination on various grounds including sex. Additionally, there is Article 45(11) swhich provides for special measures aimed at accelerating de facto equality between males and females (Spiteri, 2012). In 1991 Malta also approved the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Even though these measures have been in place for a few years now, there is still a general idea that men are seen as being more siutable at having a decision-making job. There are also a number of structural and cultural barriers which are preventing Maltese women from achieving further in their job. Such barriers include jobs without opportunities of promotion or training, practices that favour men for promotions, lack of employment laws and lack of sharing of household/childcare responsibilities by fathers. There is also a considerably big barrier being the attitudes and perceptions towards gendered roles in Malta. (Spiteri, 2012). In this study, I am going to focus on the perceptions that University students have towards leaders. Whether they tend to prefer male or female leaders and on what is their decision based on. Also, I am going to study what University Students think about the effectiveness of males and females in different work settings and what is the reasoning behind the idea.

The Lost Roanoke Colony Essay -- essays research papers

Jamestown is thought by most of our general population to be the first colony in the New World. This is only half true. Jamestown is considered our first successful colony, however it was not our first attempt at a colony. There were a few attempts to colonize the New World before Jamestown and one in particular that is found to be interesting is Roanoke also known as the Lost Colony. It received this name due to the fact that the colonists that settled this colony disappeared very mysteriously. This poses the question of What happened to the people of Roanoke? There are many different viewpoints of what occurred to the colonists and the goal here is to address each one of them. In England, a document signed on January 7, 1587, created a governing body called the Governor and Assistants of the City of Roanoke in Virginia. John White, an illustrator and map maker, was appointed governor. Then on May 5, 1587, eighty-five men, seventeen women, and eleven children boarded the ships heading for the New World. The plan was originally designed for the colony to settle at Chesapeake Bay, however on July 22, 1587, Simao Fernandes, the ship captain of the expedition decided to drop everyone off at Roanoke Island, the site of a previous expedition called Greenville, instead of pushing up the coast to the Chesapeake Bay. John White believed that they would reunite with the fifteen colonists left behind from the previous expedition. Instead he only found the bones of one of the men, ...

The Artist as a Critic

Oscar Wilder's The Artist as Critic revolves around a debate Gilbert and Ernest discuss over art criticism and analysis. Ernest argues â€Å"that in the best days of art there we no art critics. † (Wilder 346). Whereas Gilbert reasons that â€Å"it (art criticism) treats the work of art simply as a starting-point for a new creation† (Wilder 367). Sadly, Ernest's blatant ignorance is unable to comprehend that without art criticism, there would be no art to truly value.Wilde's quote means that in order to hold art of all fields at a high prestige, we need critical structure and recognition of historical/political context to support art in order to admire the pure beauty within its relative expertise. â€Å"To know the principles of the highest art is to know the principles of the arts† (Wilder 354). Therefore, the cruciality of art criticism responds to the interpretation of meaning and focus on the current culture and time period, overall helping viewers perceive and analyze artworks to gain further knowledge and respect for such creations. Without the critical faculty, there is no artistic creation at all, worthy of name†¦ and no one who does not possess this critical faculty can create anything at all in art. † (Wilder 355) Gilbert sais this to Ernest arguing over the use of art criticism from the Greeks. Gilbert means that without a basic structure of skills and fundamental elements relevant to the expertise, there is no precision of craft. What makes fine art beautiful, worth listening and compelling is highly contingent upon the mastery of key skills and artistic components.If an opera singer didn't know how to differentiate their use of breath during lyric or coloratura repertoire, they would not be able to get through any piece or art song. Instead, they would sound breathy and toneless throughout the phrases, who wants to hear that? Likewise, if a writer has no sense of plot flow, character development, or interesting them es within a story, there is no point in wasting your time reading through a painful piece of literature.All art forms are developed under a certain skill which require dedicated competence and applied faculty. Art critics simply keep artists in check by maintaining a certain level expectation to reach for and continue to advance artistic creations. Negative art criticism does not always apply to the lack of faculty skills. In Amiri Baraka's poem Somebody Blew Up America, released a year after the anniversary of 9/11, he executed a highly controversial piece of writing that was a accused of racism and hatred against Jews, Israelis, and American leaders.The bigoted public treated his work as a literal translation of his opinions and beliefs, when his intentions were to create an ultimate allegoric poem to open the eyes of our country that was unaware of political schemes and inhumane manipulation of our government that was thought to have led to the events of 9/11. Despite such a disp ute perhaps liable from governmental course of action, 9/11 was still a fresh wound upon our country that was no where close to recovery due to such loss and tragic deaths.Baraka's poem hit too close to home at the time, people did not want to listen to his radical accusations and unpatriotic rambling about our country getting bombed. â€Å"The public's inability to see the poem for what it really is, a high rhetorical statement expressing the writer's ideological investments, signifies a profound lack of understanding of the nature of poetic art—a lack which can be explained by any number of cultural, historical, and institutional factors. (Gwiazda 16) Baraka's Somebody Blew Up America was a powerful poem that should be praised for its thunderous diction and expertise of faculty. Instead he was removed from the national position as the Poet Laureate of New Jersey because the people of country could not comprehend such controversial context within his poem, they took his wor ds too literally instead of a representation of political activist art. â€Å"The sheer multitude of these questions might indeed produce in the reader the suspicion of a global conspiracy of oppressors against oppressed, privileged against unprivileged, have against have-nots.Through its relentless accumulation of imperialist wrongs â€Å"Somebody Blew up America† achieves a compelling rhetorical effect. † (Gwiazda 10) Such an example of Baraka's failure of a poem provides the essential requirement to utilize analytical techniques within political and cultural contexts to ensure further comprehension and appreciation of a valid work of art. Reading the poems in class by Chrystos instilled an influential awareness I e about how the power of poetry can reach people and activate mindsets through a strategic voice of force. As graphic as her poems are, they do not serve as aesthetic platforms that deliver you to your happy place, her work of art leaves a prominent message that is conducive towards delivering a strong testimony about her cultural and spiritual hardships. She opens the mind of the reader and draws a raw picture of her experiences and torments as a native in this intolerant country we call America.Such art that tears at the soul and depicts unpleasant imagery is a powerful form of activist art by bringing awareness to the people about violence and inequities upon Natives, often been covered up by white supremacist governmental officials. Art does not have to be beautiful to convey an influential message, in fact, art in its most vulnerable and raw form reaches the audience by leaving an relevant feeling emotional, effectively capturing a great amount of attention. The ethical effect of art, its importance to culture, and its place in the formation of character, had been done once for all by Plato; but here we have art treated, not from moral, but from the purely aesthetic point of view. † (Wilder 352) Understanding the elements t hat create such dramatic pieces of art enable the art critic to take in historical and political contexts to further establish an opinionated analysis of the work.Unlike Baraka's hostile reviews of â€Å"Somebody Blew Up America†, Chrystos poems were well received, less radical and primarily focused on revolving themes of oppression and discrimination. In conclusion, critical faculty and fundamental elements are essential to analyzing a work of art. The world needs art criticism in order to truly value a mastery of skills relevant to the field. With the foundation of art criticism we can further the creations of great art to aspire to and behold its greatness.

What cyber events could really cause terror in the Australian population?

The whole issue of cyber events such as attacks is complex with potential debates ranging from deployments by terrorist to disruption of information systems and computer viruses. The potential damages which can be brought by cyber events have drown concern from the government, media and the society at large. This paper seeks to explain the cyber events which are likely to cause terror in the Australian population. The efficiency and effectiveness of defense department of any country relies entirely on the effective of communication and data transfer.However, if the Australian defense communication system attacked by enemies through the interruption of the communication networks in the cyberspace and put under the enemies’ influence through remote control, it would be rendered ineffective and a threat to the national security. Further to this, radar stations would be paralyzed to a level where they cannot detect unauthorized foreign aircrafts from accessing the Australian space .In addition to this, the Australian fighter jets would become vulnerable to electronic attacks. This could result from harmful software which could be instilled in advance to the avionic systems by their enemies. In this context, such cyber events put threat to the national security of Australia. The increasingly high growing rate of cyber crimes poses a threat to the security of Australian commerce and banking institutions.This is evidenced by the Australian Security Intelligence Organization’s annual report which revealed that enemies were using the internet to access confidential business information. If these institutions were attacked, this would put the whole Australian banking system at risk of losing the investor’s confidence on keeping their financial statements confidential and subjecting them to enemies hence creating a loop hole for further attacks.Cyber attacks could also lead to access to confidential government, which could paralyze government operation s. This is evidenced by the attack of the government’s internet filtering system by enemies and the overload of the prime minister’s web side with information requests. The prime minister’s web site was also attacked and loaded with pornography information. Such events impose security threats to the prime minister and the whole population at large.

Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory Essay Example

Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory Essay Example Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory Paper Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory Paper In developmental psychology, there are different theories on how an individual grows and develops. One well known theory is the Ecological Theory Development of Urie Bronfenbrenner. This theory emphasizes the importance of the relationship between an individual and the different environmental systems and how they can be related to each other. During early childhood, a person’s development is influenced by various factors such as the different types of the environment. Thus, Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory shows how an individual grows and matures. It also explains each system’s effect on a child’s development (Paquette Ryan, 2001). According to Bronfenbrenner, there are four different systems that influence an individual to develop as a person. First is the Microsystem which refers to the immediate environments such as family, classroom, friends, and neighborhoods. Second is the Mesosystem which pertains to child’s home and school. Third is called the Exosystem which the individual’s development is not directly involved in such as parent’s workplace. Last is the Macrosystem which points to a large cultural context such as Western and Asian cultures. These four different systems explain how a person changes and develops their personality traits in life (Paquette Ryan, 2001). In the first stage, when a child is born, he or she is taken care of by either the mother or a nanny. These individuals have a very big role in shaping the child’s characteristics. While there are studies which show that some personality traits can be actually inherited from both parents, the environment still has a big impact on developing a person’s characteristics. In the Microsystem environment, an infant usually spends the whole day with the family or the mother. Here, the characteristics of the child are already being developed. In the case of children whose parents are both working and the child is always accompanied by the nanny, there is a greater chance that the child will most likely acquire character traits of the nanny instead of the parents since they are always together and they spend the whole time together (Paquette Ryan, 2001). Neighbors and friends in school are also a big factor in the microsystem level. When the child starts to go to school, it would be a new environment for him or her to learn something and acquire new traits and characteristics from classmates and friends in school. As the child interacts with his or her classmates and gains new friends, there will be different influences from people around depending on how the child portrays him- or herself. Consequently, the child may develop a new personality trait that may be positive or negative. This continues as children grow old and mature (Paquette Ryan, 2001). Second is the mesosytem which is still related to microsystem. It is connected in a way that an individual is still significantly influenced by the microsystem, such as the parents who still influence their children even though the child goes to school already. A good example of this is a musically inclined child who has his or her talent developed through the teacher but at the same time, he or she may have acquired the talent biologically through the parents. Another example is when the parents are neglecting the child. In this case, it is likely that the child would be negatively affected and may not perform very well in school. Consequently, this can cause problems such as developing a negative attitude so he or she can be noticed and accepted by classmates or friends. On the other hand, when the parents always give positive regard to their child, he or she tends to develop a positive outlook in life. The exosystem is the third level, and this includes environment which the child or the person may not be directly involved in but may still leave an impact on his or her development. One good example of this as mentioned above is the workplace of the child’s parents. Although the child may not be exposed to the parent’s workplace, in some instances, it can still have an influence on the child. For instance, due to the exhausting demands of their job, some parents have no time to spend with their child. Their dissatisfaction towards their job may also negatively influence their desire to spend time with their children. Thus, the absence of parent’s assistance and support is likely to affect the child’s growth and development; it may cause the child to develop certain characteristics and traits that may be unpleasant, such as developing an anti social disorder or other behavioral problems (Paquette Ryan, 2001). The last system is called the macrosystem; it is a huge system that also has a significant impact on an individual’s growth and development. This is where the different cultures, religions, ideologies, and laws of the society take place. These factors have a great influence over the child’s developmental growth. In this system, both children and adults should already know their importance and goals in life. It is a stage where a person fully develops their individuality. For instance, a person’s religious beliefs may have a very big role in the development of an individual. There may be norms that are very different from another person’s standards, making things not work for different people. However, one should respect and understand the beliefs of others so that it will not create disputes with the different parties involved. Another example is one’s belief in parenting: that it should be the parents who will take full responsibility of their own child. This belief will most likely provide resources to guide the parents in raising their children as for shaping them in a way that parents think is right and the best for them (Paquette Ryan, 2001). However, there is one recently added system to the four different systems of a child’s development which Bronfenbrenner named Chronosystem. This stage is where the early four levels can change and intertwine, from the microsytem up to macrosystem. It is where an individual’s development is influenced by physical changes of an individual. For example, when a person gets older, there will be physical changes in his or her body, making his or her weak and vulnerable to some illnesses. These changes affect the behavioral patterns of the individual that he or she may not have when he or she was still young (Paquette Ryan, 2001). In an individual’s life, the environment is the most important factor that shapes people’s character other than the biological aspect. Considering Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory of development which shapes people’s identity, from the time that they were born up to the time they become adults and start to have a career and a family of their own, it will always be the environment affecting and guiding each and every individual in living their lives because it is where people grow, mature, and discover their selves. That is the reason why Bronfenbrenners ecological theory is divided into different stages. These stages help us fully understand how a person’s character is being shaped and develop. That is how important environment is in a person’s growth and development, as highlighted by Bronfenbrenner’s theory. There are several theories which explain that various biological and environmental factors contribute to the development of a child. Hence, understanding Bronfrenbrenner’s ecological theory of development will help us analyze and understand why people have their own personality and characteristics. It will also serve as a guide for understanding each and everyone’s developmental cycle. It is through learning this theory that one can accept each character traits and behaviors. It is also a good factor for tracing problems, especially when it comes to behavioral issues of a person. As adults, it is our goal and responsibility to shape a child’s growth and development by becoming a good example to them. It is always the adults that children always look up to in their life. If we will all work on having good environment or surroundings in life, then we will have a respectable, successful, and almost perfect society. However, this will always be impossible, and there will always be deficits in life. Thus, the nature of our environment and its influence on people make life challenging, and it makes them learn, grow, develop and be successful in living their lives. References Ajuha, Yukti Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory. Montessori Academy. Retrieved September 22, 2008 from mymontessoriacademy. com/newsletters/websitebronfenbrennerecologicaltheory. pdf Paquette, D. Ryan, J. (2001). Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. National Louis University. Retrieved September 22, 2008 from http://pt3. nl. edu/paquetteryanwebquest. pdf

Free Essays on Triangle Of Poverty

Triangle of Poverty Poverty defined by Merriam’s Webster is, â€Å"the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions,† it is where the level of personal or family income is below the standards made by the government. Money is just one of the causes of poverty, another cause is access. Access is the basic necessities people need in order to survive, such as food, clothing and shelter, education, proper health care, and clean water - rights which most of us take for granted. Poverty is a problem all over the world, â€Å"half of the worlds-nearly three billion people-live on less than two dollars a day† (globalissues.org/). In this paper, I am going to focus on areas such as Mexico, California, and Texas. It is clear through my research that unemployment rates, and discrimination of women in the workforce affect poverty rates across the world. What I found during my research was very interesting. Women are the majority in each state, but men make up the majority of the workforce. There are 11,479,705 women 16 years and older, and 6,622,034 of these women are involved in the workforce. Of these women 16 years and older 435,414 of them are unemployed. This means that only 57.6% of women are involved in the workplace (Graph 1). What are the rest of the women doing? The problem caused by the women’s absence in the workforce is children living in poverty. Of all the children living in California, 28.7% live in poverty (Graph 3). What increases women’s chance of living in poverty is where she works. It is seen that the majority of jobs held in California are low paying jobs such as retail work and clerical work. Places where advancements are minimal, and the starting rate is usually the minimum wage of $5.75 an hour (National Center for Children and Poverty). Children suffer a great deal in such a situa tion, whether the children live in poverty because thei... Free Essays on Triangle Of Poverty Free Essays on Triangle Of Poverty Triangle of Poverty Poverty defined by Merriam’s Webster is, â€Å"the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions,† it is where the level of personal or family income is below the standards made by the government. Money is just one of the causes of poverty, another cause is access. Access is the basic necessities people need in order to survive, such as food, clothing and shelter, education, proper health care, and clean water - rights which most of us take for granted. Poverty is a problem all over the world, â€Å"half of the worlds-nearly three billion people-live on less than two dollars a day† (globalissues.org/). In this paper, I am going to focus on areas such as Mexico, California, and Texas. It is clear through my research that unemployment rates, and discrimination of women in the workforce affect poverty rates across the world. What I found during my research was very interesting. Women are the majority in each state, but men make up the majority of the workforce. There are 11,479,705 women 16 years and older, and 6,622,034 of these women are involved in the workforce. Of these women 16 years and older 435,414 of them are unemployed. This means that only 57.6% of women are involved in the workplace (Graph 1). What are the rest of the women doing? The problem caused by the women’s absence in the workforce is children living in poverty. Of all the children living in California, 28.7% live in poverty (Graph 3). What increases women’s chance of living in poverty is where she works. It is seen that the majority of jobs held in California are low paying jobs such as retail work and clerical work. Places where advancements are minimal, and the starting rate is usually the minimum wage of $5.75 an hour (National Center for Children and Poverty). Children suffer a great deal in such a situa tion, whether the children live in poverty because thei...

Characteristics Of Gifted Underachievers Education Essay

Characteristics Of Gifted Underachievers Education Essay This selective review of literature aims to establish the characteristics of gifted underachievers, know the causative factors contributing to their underachievement, understand various strategies schools and teachers could adopt in reversing student underachievement, and present the implications of the aforementioned. Characteristics of gifted underachievers It is important for educators to have a clear understanding as to who are considered gifted underachievers in the classroom. Amazingly, the number of highly intellectual students who had not achieved well in school is as high as 50% (Schultz, 2005). Comprising this group is a large population of underserved or neglected talented students by gifted programs. If this number is not provided much needed attention, it is imperative therefore that this issue has to be addressed. A survey of existing literature seemed to disagree not only on the definition of underachievement but the legitimacy of categorizing gifted underachievement as an academic behavior. The controversial study in Moon (2004) sent shockwaves to the scientific community by stating that some researchers believed underachievement is simplistically attributed to test error. Yet scientists like Rimm have devoted their entire professional careers reversing underachievement. Chaffey (2004) emphasized that the underachievement definition adopted by the teacher will serve as basis for identifying underachievers and consequently the students receiving appropriate plan of action. Having successfully recognized gifted underachievers in the classroom will allow teachers’ expectations to be shifted upwards as research strongly suggests that improved academic performance in underachieving students is linked to high teacher expectations. Various studies point to its multi-faceted nature which has sometimes muddied educational experts in the field; but regardless of origin, underachievement is defined as the discrepancy between expected and actual ach ievement. Morando (2003) of the Columbiana Co. Educational Service Center said that gifted underachievers tend to be disorganized and their schoolwork is either incomplete or missing. Though IQ scores are very high compared to the average, there is a consistent decline in academic ability and exhibit disinterest in attending school. Moreover, the student may also be a loner, has low self-esteem, emotionally frustrated, and is economically disadvantaged. Lau and Chan (2001) described the motivational characteristics of underachieving junior high school students in Hong Kong after subjecting them to various measures namely Raven Progressive Matrices Test, vocabulary test, standardized achievement test, Marsh self description questionnaire, Causal dimension scale, Eccles and Wigfield’s expectancy value model, and Motivated strategies for learning questionnaire. The results demonstrated low academic self-concept, poor attainment value in learning as well as deficiencies in utiliz ing effective learning methods. The study also disproved the conclusion of Western researches that HK underachievers demonstrate maladaptive attribution patterns. Chow, Chow, and Ku-Yu (2003) conducted a case study involving five underachieving gifted students and used Whitmore’s checklist in characterizing their behaviors. The research yielded the following characteristics in the students: high external locus of control, negative attitude towards school, experience difficulty in establishing social relationships, set unworkable goals, attention deficit inside the classroom, resistance in following instructions, has a very varied range of interests, exhibits aggressive behavior, possesses low self-esteem, avoidant in trying out new activities, dedication in self-selected homework and assignments, dissatisfaction with achievement, dislike of memorization and drill, poor school work, and significant gap between quality of written and oral work.

The State Should Take No Part in Employment Relations, Leaving It Essay

The State Should Take No Part in Employment Relations, Leaving It Entirely to Employers and Their Employees - Essay Example It is understandable that there are certain laws that have helped the workers in ensuring a stable income and has provided job security also. On the other hand, there are issues regarding the coalition’s perspective because it is believed that it is important to create legislation for supporting the success of businesses (Accel Team 2007). Therefore, the aspect from both the sides will be evaluated in context with the interference of the state in the employment relations. During the past two decades, the reform of employment relations has been considered as very significant to political and economic debate. In late 1980s, the process of enterprise bargaining was introduced by Hawke Labor government, with the support of union government, in order to decentralize the employments relations system. This paper will also analyze the modern workplace of Australia regarding employment relations. Arguments in favor of the state intervention It has been observed that the role of governm ent on the employment relations is very significant as it helps in setting up a legal framework that industrial relations operate. A proper legislation helps in identifying the requirements of both employees and employers, because the fact is that the employees and the employers both want to benefit from each other as they are reliant on each other. This states that it is necessary to recognize the equal bargaining power of the workers and the employers. The laws of employment relations should be appropriately implemented addressing any imbalance of power and both groups should be given equal degree of control. Proper legislation on the employment relations should allow a mixture of both collective and individual bargaining, as well as it should also support in facilitating employee participation in the regular decisions taken at the workplace. The state provides a structure and framework for employment relationship, which is formally controlled by the legislation to secure good emp loyment relations (Combet 2005). Australian modern workplace The main debate regarding the industrial relations in Australia is to organize and manage the labor practices. On the other hand, there is a difference in opinion of both the current government and the opposition in relation with the present industrial relations laws, and the main issues are concerned with the use of the third parties or unions, individualist and collectivist frames of reference and individual vs. collective bargaining. The proper employment relation laws are to protect minimum wage, outlaw discrimination, prevent the abuse of power by either party, and determine minimum standards of safety, health, hygiene, and minimum employment conditions (Bailyn and Fletcher 2002). In order to determine pay and other key conditions of the employment, government has used legislation to establish industrial tribunals tasked with the role in the past. The state has also played a key role in preventing and settling industr ial disputes. In the earlier times, the center of attention was on collective bargaining through unions and employers, in the region of minimum wages and conditions laid down by the tribunal. This model was created on the whole purpose and did not acquaint with the individual requirements of both employees and employers. But, presently, the legislation has altered to try and support better flexibility among workers and managers (Crosby 2002). If it is analyzed from both the

Competitor Analysis of Apple Inc Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Competitor Analysis of Apple Inc - Case Study Example In future trend of communication and networking is primarily focused towards wireless products from the market. Apple is already positioned very strongly in this region as the company already provides many products for the market which will help a lot for the company to grow in this sector of market. The AirPort wireless networking technology from Apple allows high speed connection within a specified region. The increase in demand of wireless high speed internet connections will boost the top line growth of Apple Inc.New digital hub platformApple’s new digital hub platform with the combination of iTunes is transforming the MAC platform for the customers to provide video contents directly into the television and portable devices of the customers. This new hub has great potential for Apple business in digital contents for its rapid growth in recent future.Market for MP3 playerThe increasing popularity for MP3 player from Apple Inc is rising high at a very fast pace. The market s hare for the company has increased from 71 % in 2005 to 78 % in the year 2006 and has great potential to in countries outside US. With more retail presence in both domestic and international market the company is expected to increase its product line of digital contents. This segment can act as key growth driver for the firm in short term. The current strategy of the company is to target the market with its own Operating system. Apple recognized that the competitors of the company primarily rely on the operating system of any third party. Like Dell computers use Windows XP for their products. Apple on the other hand have managed to incorporate its own hardware and software for the all its product line with the flexibility to use whatever the user wants similar to the other operating system. The company also segments the market based on geographical segmentation. It includes America, Japan, and Europe which acts as the core regions for the business process. The company also has retai l stores in the particular regions for operating and overseeing the activities at different parts of the world. The integrated system of the Apple Inc helps to drive its entire business model at the same time. It provides the complete solution for the customers. Customer buying iPod will have to download music through iTunes. For most of the average users the computer provided are from Apple Mac. This creates a great control of the market with the complete solutions offered by the company to the market. The diversified product line from the company also gives a chance for the consumers to get introduced to the brand. Many people are not much

The Qualities of the Real Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Qualities of the Real - Personal Statement Example My conception of the Divine is based on the very real existence of my intellect, which has no physical form. I hold that nothing real can come out of nothingness. The reality of biological life is proof of the reality of a Creator, who was the first cause of life. He is infinite and is the cause of all finite things. He is independent and does not depend on anything for his existence. Â  It cannot be denied that good is real. There are degrees of goodness. These degrees of goodness are possible only with reference to something which is absolutely good. My conception of the Divine is that absolute good. My God is the embodiment of the highest degree of Perfection. He is removed from the senses and the body and belongs only to the mind. He is the foundation of moral values. My God is real. The existence of the unicorn and the leprechaun do not meet my criteria of real, as I can neither see them with my senses nor with my intellect. They are merely part of my imagination. They have not originated independently: they originate in my imagination. These imaginary creatures are not infinite, or perfect. They are not real. Â  

German Question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

German Question - Essay Example Though most Germans were not for the idea of democracy as they did not view it as the best option for a government, they were also not proud of their country in general. The first state in German was called The First Reich which declined in the 1300’s into a loose confederation of principalities. Between the year 1618 and 1648, the Protestant and Catholic fought due to the division of local rulers which led to the decline of the political culture but unity was restored when a monarchy came to power. The Kingdom of Prussia and the Prussian aristocracy also known as the Junkers served to unify the political leadership and was known for its organization and military discipline. In 1871, the Second Reich was created under the rule of Wilhelm I, the Prussian King, who then became the emperor and he devised new ways to ensure political stability and economic growth. These included sponsoring the rise of German corporation and industrial class and supporting monopoly arrangements to ensure the increase in investments and profit while on the other side imposing high tariffs on imported grains. It also became a military and economic power globally by the end of the 19th century and Bismarck pushed its social stability further by creating a welfare state and this resulted to growth in Germans’ pride in their country grew to an extent of being called arrogance.1A difference in religious and regional views emerged and the Christian Democrats and Liberal parties started a push for representative democracy and laissez-faire. Even though there was cooptation by the welfare state, the working class was a bitter lot since no unions were allowed and it was excluded from power.2 The newfound sense of superiority saw the country go into an arms race with other countries like Britain, France, and the US thus leading to a seemingly more powerful Germany which led to tension between Europe and the U.S thereby sparking the world war one. Germany’s aspiration to be the normal country is not a smooth process, as in many ways it will hardly be one due to its past. This is because it is not easy for people to forget Holocaust when the Germans did the unforgettable and cruel act to the Jews.3 A sensitive relationship between Europe and U.S and specifically between Germany and the U.S grew after the WW1 and its one of the factors that affect how the two agree on matters such as the war against terrorism. The tactic that the U.S decided to employ to fight against terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan was not accepted by Germany who advocated for more peaceful means than an all waged out war. Although Europe as a whole supports the fight against terrorism and they are in the somewhat good relationship with the U.S, Europeans seemingly with the U.S policies for their own safety. From an outsider’s perspective, it may seem as though they are allies but their ties seemed weak at Munich 2004 when former secretary of defense William Cohen questioned w hy Germany did not refuse to send their troops to Iraq to help in the struggle if they thought that it is important for Iraq to be peaceful so as to ensure the security of the America and Europe. Germany instead took their troops to Bosnia and Kosovo and Afghanistan, where they serve in the NATO-commanded international force and stated that they are making their contribution to the European security elsewhere.

As the world becomes increasingly polarised where social issues Essay

As the world becomes increasingly polarised where social issues seemingly get lost, how can we encourage future technology and design to engage and augment our future - Essay Example This paper will explore the issue in depth and highlight the application of technology to ceramic design. After the Second World War, the globe experienced a social and economic recession that instilled hopelessness in majority of them. However, modernism emerged, promising to present the glob with hope despite the hardships. The ideologies that defined modernism seemed to be promising a palpable pattern of social responsibility. In the opinion of many, modernism had the capacity to induce change in the living conditions of the people. Therefore, embracing modernism translated to changes in different sectors. In the years that followed, the globe saw technological innovations in agriculture, economy, medicine, and media. In agriculture, technology has registered numerous changes. High levels of mechanization have increased the rates of production in agriculture. As expected, mechanization and forms of technology in agriculture have served to provide enough for the growing population. Sadly though, there are two sides of the inside story (Lee, 2008:61). Whereas some nations have more than they need, the developing world has to rely on support from the developed world. Reports indicate that Europe and America waste food products that could suffice to feed the entire developing world. While some wastage occurs unavoidably during production, a high percentage of wasted agricultural products occur deliberately accounting for about 60 %. The current trends in agricultural production reveal that the developing world only gets wealthier while third world countries remain in ardent poverty. In order to address the challenges of some nations, biotechnology seemed to provide a solution through the development of genetically modified organisms. At first, this technology presented a viable solution to pests, diseases and unfavorable climatic conditions because genetic engineering provided crops with the capacity to withstand all these.

The Qualities of the Real Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Qualities of the Real - Personal Statement Example My conception of the Divine is based on the very real existence of my intellect, which has no physical form. I hold that nothing real can come out of nothingness. The reality of biological life is proof of the reality of a Creator, who was the first cause of life. He is infinite and is the cause of all finite things. He is independent and does not depend on anything for his existence. Â  It cannot be denied that good is real. There are degrees of goodness. These degrees of goodness are possible only with reference to something which is absolutely good. My conception of the Divine is that absolute good. My God is the embodiment of the highest degree of Perfection. He is removed from the senses and the body and belongs only to the mind. He is the foundation of moral values. My God is real. The existence of the unicorn and the leprechaun do not meet my criteria of real, as I can neither see them with my senses nor with my intellect. They are merely part of my imagination. They have not originated independently: they originate in my imagination. These imaginary creatures are not infinite, or perfect. They are not real. Â  

As the world becomes increasingly polarised where social issues Essay

As the world becomes increasingly polarised where social issues seemingly get lost, how can we encourage future technology and design to engage and augment our future - Essay Example This paper will explore the issue in depth and highlight the application of technology to ceramic design. After the Second World War, the globe experienced a social and economic recession that instilled hopelessness in majority of them. However, modernism emerged, promising to present the glob with hope despite the hardships. The ideologies that defined modernism seemed to be promising a palpable pattern of social responsibility. In the opinion of many, modernism had the capacity to induce change in the living conditions of the people. Therefore, embracing modernism translated to changes in different sectors. In the years that followed, the globe saw technological innovations in agriculture, economy, medicine, and media. In agriculture, technology has registered numerous changes. High levels of mechanization have increased the rates of production in agriculture. As expected, mechanization and forms of technology in agriculture have served to provide enough for the growing population. Sadly though, there are two sides of the inside story (Lee, 2008:61). Whereas some nations have more than they need, the developing world has to rely on support from the developed world. Reports indicate that Europe and America waste food products that could suffice to feed the entire developing world. While some wastage occurs unavoidably during production, a high percentage of wasted agricultural products occur deliberately accounting for about 60 %. The current trends in agricultural production reveal that the developing world only gets wealthier while third world countries remain in ardent poverty. In order to address the challenges of some nations, biotechnology seemed to provide a solution through the development of genetically modified organisms. At first, this technology presented a viable solution to pests, diseases and unfavorable climatic conditions because genetic engineering provided crops with the capacity to withstand all these.

Romeo and Juliet Movie Analysis Essay Example for Free

Romeo and Juliet Movie Analysis Essay Romeo and Juliet is a beautiful and romantic famous love story known through almost all over the world. Many producers have remade this dramatic story ad producers will get many ideas from this story to help them create their own. There was a movie made in 1996 and in 1968. These two movies are very unique in their own way. Many people like the original 1968 version, but others like the newer 1996 version better. Personally, I believe that the 1968 version was better story wise because it followed the ‘reality’ of the story better. In the 1996 version, they have more of a ‘today’ like scenes with cars, beaches, guns, and helicopters. However, in the 1968 version, it was more†¦ Romeo and Juliet like than the other version. This version had more of an olden day theme that I feel personally fit the story better. They had swords, older clothing, no cars, helicopters or beaches, everything was more in the time era that the famous love story took place. When and after watching this movie there was a lot that stood out to me when thinking about the love story that everyone knows or has at least heard of before. The things that stood out to me were on how well and closely related this movie was to the story I heard and imagined in my mind when I first heard it from my family. Another thing is that because of how the movie was made, really gave off a good intention that this was how the story went, and that many people would be able to think of this version first not only cause of how old this version is, but because of the realizations that the movie had towards the original story. Even though these two movies are about the same story, and have the same concept, there are many different things that contrast between them. In one version of the movie the music gives off a more energetic, suspenseful, action sound; while the other gives off a more mellow, sweet, calming, loving sound. In one version of the movie the characters play fairly different personalities than in the other. For example, in the 1996 version, Mercutio is a wild, crazy, histarical character who will do the weirdest things that draw you to fall in love with him before he dies. However, in the 1968 version, Mercutio is still a wild and histarical character and maybe a little bit crazy but he doesn’t have the effect on you to fall in love with him before he dies. In the 1996 version, Mercutio gives you a almost ‘welcoming’ atmosphere, while the 1968 version, Mercutio doesn’t give you that feeling. Many people will have their opinions on which movie version they liked better, which movie told the better story, which movie had the better plot, but Romeo and Juliet, the original 1968 version not only follows the plot and theme, but also gives you the way many people would’ve imagined it before they saw the new 1996 version. But if you are to see any Romeo and Juliet version first, I’d suggest the 1968 version so that you can understand better how things were back when Romeo and Juliet were star cross lovers, and where the story line fits the love story better for that more original taste.

Tyre Manufacturing Company Analysis

Tyre Manufacturing Company Analysis INTRODUCTION: MADRAS RUBBER FACTORY is major tyre manufacturing company located in Chennai, southern part of India. It is successful and Indias biggesttyre manufacturing company and one of the best competitor in production of tyres worldwide. The MRF products are renowned for its quality andinnovation. It exports its products to more than 65 countries in America, Europe, Japan, Middle East, Japan and Pacific. HISTORY: In 1946, K.M. Mammen Mappillai started this company as a small toy balloon manufacturing unit in a shed. In 1949, the business started producing a variety of products like balloons, toys to industrial gloves and contraceptives. MRF was also established as first office at Thambu Chetty Street, Chennai, India. In 1952, manufacturing of tread-rubber started in that unit by installation of first machine and a rubber mill at that factory. In 1961, MRF established with Mansfield tire Rubber Company of USA and started manufacture of tyres with a huge success gained in tread-rubber. In 1964, the export business of tyres made in progress. At Beirut (Lebanon) an overseas office was established for the development export market. MRF muscleman is popularly known now but this year was his birth. In 1967, MRF has become the first Indian company to export tyres to USA. In the next 3 years MRF inaugurates Kottayam unit, a factory in Goa and Arakkonam plant. This was first company to produce Nylon tyres and gained huge commercial success. And later MRF Superlug-78 was introduced for heavy duty trucks, this largest selling truck tyre in the country. In 1980, MRF technically collaborated with B.F Goodrich Company of USA which was involved in development with NASA space-shuttle. In the year 1984, the turnover of company crossed 2 billion INR and the first India tyres produced by MRF for the fitment of MARUTI SUZUKI 800, which is first Indias small car. Nylogrip tyres were launched for two wheelers in next year. In 1986, National Institution of Quality Assurance recognised MRF against 20 tyre manufacturing companies worldwide. B.F. Goodrich Tyre Company has instituted 6 quality improvement awards to MRF. Due to the companys effectiveness in the market again the turnover has reached to 3 billion INR. Premium Nylon tyre was also launched in the year 1987. In 1989, once again MRF was awardedthe Visvesvaraya award for the bestbusiness company in South India. It is recognised for its quality and excellence in the market. Hasbro International (USA) and MRF collaborated with each other and Funskool India has launched in the year 1989. From 1993 to 1995, the turnover of company reached 10 billion INR to 15 billion INR. And MRF tyres were chosenfor fitment on Daewoo Cielo. Mr and Mrs Mammen Mapillai received gold medal for being first 2 employees of the company, in the golden jubilee year The first ever F3 car and Super Lug tyres for trucks,ZVTS tyres for passenger cars, Nylogrip Zapper for two-wheelers were launched. The rally team of MRF wins APRC rally for first time in the 2001, second time in the year 2003 and third time win in the year 2005. MRFs turnover crossed 30 billion INR in the year 2004 and 50 billion INR in the year 2006. In the year 2007, MRF won JD Power Award. A new type of tyres Super Lug 505 for the trucks was launched. Super Lug FS tyres were also launched because the customers had claimed to be provided them saving fuel. ZLSK tyres were launched. JD Power award was again won by MRF in the year 2008. AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS: MRF achieved to be voted as Most Trusted Tyre Company in India by TNS 2006 global CSR study. JD POWER ASIA PACIFIC award was won by MRF for the customer satisfaction 6 times in last 7 years. CAPEXIL award was won by MRF for exports. MRF PRODUCT DESINGING PROCESS: The process in designing of the product starts directly from the regular customers. From each individual customer, the inputs are compiled Product Development Division or Vehicle specific requirement are received from the OE customers. A special team of 300 scientists and engineers work for MRF and gives its enormous strength in designing the product. First the customers inputs are collected and according to them the team works on to convert them into Design concept. The Cutting-Edge technologies are used in design validation and predictive testing is done before it leaves the drawing board. For new designs, this type of advancement had significantly brought down the time to market. Usage of advanced raw materials are tested and approved in NABL accredited laboratories of the company. MRF works for global suppliers very closely in using latest developments. At the time of approval and after the product is released in the market, the quality of materials used in manufacturing the tyres are closely monitored in the laboratories by the latest testing equipment. All MRFs factories are TS16949/ISO9001 certified in which validation testing and verification of prototypes is manufactured. Then indoor testing of tyres ensures toconform the testing of architecture tomeet MRFs standards and the national standards like BIS/JIS/ETRTO/TRA. Now the tyres are handed over to Vehicle Dynamics Group who makes the design and validates on the vehicle. Tests of tyres are done on testing tracks in a series at several speeds by pushing the limits of its capabilities. MRF ensuresthe tyres are tested successfully on all types of roads, race tracks, and companys laboratories. Only after completing these all various types of testing, the tyres are released to customers. MRF tyres are very much demanded by the customers for its quality and standards. There are 6 manufacturing units in India (GOA, MEDAK, TIRUVOTTIYUR, ARKONAM, PUDUCHERRY and KOTTAYAM.) PRODUCTS AND SERVICES: MRF is the leading manufacturing company of the tyres in various segments. Including tyres, Pretreads, Paints, Coats and Toys are diversified business interests of MRF. By innovation ofthe product and technology, each and every tyre that comes out is tested to weather the toughest conditions and the highest standards that take on any road. Customers are offered by a host of services of the MRF, they are helped from selecting the tyre of their choice to maintaining their vehicle. FUTURE PROJECTS: Radialisation in the tyre industry has become the most important factor in trucks and buses category. The future projects of MRF tyres are to produce radialisation in India. Radialisation can be explained as the most important innovation in the tyre technology. As radialisation was introduced in India since 1978, MRF had not reached to catch its pace according to its expectations in spite of several advantages like additional mileage, saving of fuel, improved driving. In India older vehicles had not suitable geometric fitment of radial tyres on Indian roads. But now the situation is completely different, for the passenger car type segment radialisation has reached to 98%. And for medium and heavy vehicles segment radialisation is 8%, LCV segment radialisation is estimated at 18%. The radialisation of trucks, buses and LCV tyres had started obtaining the momentum. MRF have kept its pace with the improvements of technology that radialisation signifies the art of tyres compared to be th e best in market. A special factory was started in Puducherry for manufacturing of radials. MRF tyres were chosen to use on FIAT UNO, OPEL ASTRA and FORD ESCORT because of its good quality in the market. MRF in India has collaborated with companies like Maruti, Mahindra Mahindra, Tata motors, and Gneral motors. PESTLE ANALYSIS OF MRF: This analysis is used in every type of business organisations. Let us consider on MRF company. There are 6 type of views considers in PESTLE analysis of this organisation, they are: POLITICAL FACTORS OF MRF: The company is politically strong for its high standards and quality assurance in this industry. As the company was started in 1946 before the independence of the country and it is first company which has got success in rubber industry. In 1956, MRF had become leader of market with 50% share of the tread-rubber in India with its good quality and high standards. Many multinational companies had to withdraw from tread-rubber business in India because of an MRFs effective hold on the market. In 1990, the 6th World Cup Boxing Championship was brought to Mumbai, India by MRF where 39 countries had participated. MRF Pace Foundation was setup in the year 1988. Dennis Lille is the director for that academy. Many pace bowlers trained at that foundation were selected to Indian cricket team. The company has all legally approved certifications and it maintains all the national standards. Company is succesfull in satisfying every one specially to the customers and rules and regulations of Indian Government. ECONOMICAL FACTORS OF MRF: By unressolving tax issues, the import duty on natural rubber is more as 20% and 10% as less as on finished tyres is unaddressed because of the issue of tax structure. Due to the increasing cost of raw materials tyre manufacturing companies profit is changing. As the materials based on natural rubber, crude and steel are historically volatility in prices. Domestic natural rubber has increased to 40%. The fact is known that 70% production of price is combines with the manufacturers. As there is a huge demand for tyres of TB category MRF has builded up expoting business with neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and China. Globally this TB tyre segment has more demand for radial tyres. MRF is developing radialisation globally to protect share in international market, and also make complelete grip in Indian market. MRF has set up a factory at Puducherry for radial tyres. SOCIAL FACTORS OF MRF: Presently, small families are demanding for 2/4 wheelers for individuals. The sales of tyres has gained more in past decade. From upper class families with more than 1 car per family observed to be increasing demand of tyres exponentially, mainly in cities where woking couples find difficult to maintain them without more than 1 car. As we know that Indian middle class families are known for its savings frenzy has now been slowly warming up to an idea of EMI and buying on credit. Due to this factors, there is a enormous demand in passenger cars. MRF had gained high profits in providing customer needs in passenger car category.

How to Tell a True War Story Essay -- essays research papers

War can be defined as â€Å"an active struggle between competing entities. It’s truly hard to tell who is right or wrong during a war. Both sides are fighting for what they believe in and what is true to their heart. In the end there is always two things promised – destruction and death. These two objects can explain the result in every facet of war from the physical to emotional.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In â€Å"How to Tell a True War Story† O’Brien explores the relationship between the events during a war and the art of telling those events. O’Brien doesn’t come to a conclusion on what is a true war story. He writes that one can’t generalize the story as well. According to O’Brien, war can be anything from love and beauty to the most horrid thing ever experienced. The story doesn’t even have to have a meaning. Evidence of both descriptions of war leading to death and destruction being used is how O’Brien tells of Curt Lemons death. He tells it as a love story with the scenery being described as being beautiful. In addition to O’Brien referencing it to a love story he also includes the gruesome details of how Curt Lemon died. These stories not only shape the listeners perception and attitude of the war, but it also affects the one telling the story. Some stories are true and others are rather embellis hed. The storyteller, speaking from the point of being in the war, has usually been through the most traumatic events ever in their life. Does the storyteller even know the truths ...

Bus Transport Essay -- Economics

Bus Transport A) The nature of the competition in the bus transport market is very specific. The article suggests competition is used to keep out new entrants to the market thus maintaining market share for the larger firms, "active competition takes place between small operators or between a large and a small operator." Further evidence suggests the competition was not of substantial benefit to the consumer and only used to get one over on the firms rivals, "more services run on routes which where already reasonably well serviced." However some methods of competition showed reasonable benefits to consumers, "charged lower fares than the incumbent." Yet in the long run predatory pricing is not a good thing, as it will eventually push out competition, creating a monopoly where the price will soon go back up again. Non-price competition is lacking in the market, " difficult for suppliers to differentiate their products." As long as the price is reasonable consumers will act on which service requires them to wait for the shortest amount of time, i.e. the first bus to arrive or the most reliable service, "not prepared to wait for a later bus which maybe more comfortable." Cumulatively this type of competition in a market has negative effects, "can lead to congestion, pollution, and instability of services." Large companies that actively compete are likely to loose out in the long run due to the nature of the Kinhed demand curve theory suffering, as...

Increasing Productivity in SMEs Essay

Introduction The literature indicates that Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) contribute a significantly to a country’s GDP. In addition, they employ large numbers of people. According to the Bank of England Quarterly Report on Small Business Statistics (2001), almost 99.8% of businesses in the UK, one for every 10 workers, are SMEs, employing less than 250 people. This means that one out of eight workers is self-employed. Similarly, according to Cole (n.d.), the World Bank believes that one significant difference between high and low income countries is the percentage of SMEs in each. In a typical high-income country about 57% of employment comes from the SME sector, while in a typical low-income country only 18% of employment comes from the same sector. An example of a high-income country is the US, with 85% of companies designated at SMEs, contributing 50% of the GDP and employing 50% of the labor force (Cabello, 2010). Another example of a high-income country is Japan with 99.5% of bu sinesses designated as SMEs employing fully two-thirds of the entire labor force (Cabello, 2010). Given the sizeable contributions SMEs make in terms of employment and adding to a country’s GDP, it is tremendously important they increase their competitiveness in a globalized economic environment. Unfortunately, there is significant evidence that SMEs lag in productivity—the reasons vary based on what line of business the SME is in. For example, in a small factory, low worker output may be due to problems with the machines or low morale because of bad worker-manager relations (Calzado, 2003). However, another reason that SMEs are unproductive is their inability to effectively utilize Information and Communication Technology (ICT), sometimes simply referred to as Information Technology (IT) (Calzado, 2003). According to Qureshi and York (2008), Ho, Kauffman, and Liang (2008), and Bharadwaj (2000), there is a large consensus among scholars and policymakers that the adequate use of ICT increases the competitiveness of employees and strengthens the position of companies in the global economy (as cited in Millis, 2008). This literature clearly shows that companies who integrate ICT in a proper way score significantly better than their competitors in the field of cost control and profit. In fact, a high level of computerization and networking is perceived as a crucial factor to enhance the efficiency of employees and thus to remain competitive, which is one reason that governments around the world have responded to these finding by launching initiatives to encourage companies to adapt ICT more aggressively (Millis, 2008). However, while there is agreement that SME productivity must be increased and that this can be achieved by the successful integration and use of ICT, the literature also indicates that SMEs are not successful at acquiring, utilizing or integrating ICT. Therefore, while large corporations have successfully integrated ICT so as to generate more output with fewer resources, SMEs have been left behind (Wielicki & Arendt, 2007). Therefore, this paper seeks to investigate the reasons why SMEs do not utilize technology effectively and possibly provide some recommendations for dealing with this situation. The Problem with Technology Integration and Utilization in SMEs Why Government Initiatives Fail In an analysis of policy measures designed to advance the computerization levels of SMEs, Millis (2008) indicates that governments around the world have launched initiatives to encourage companies to adapt ICT more aggressively. However, while this has met with success in larger companies, adaptation of ICT in SMEs has not yielded the same return on investment. He found the following reasons for this lack of success: Inadequate standards. Generally, hardware expenses are used as a benchmark standard to measure level of computerization in companies. However, this does not work well in SMEs because some companies rent rather than own hardware, and ownership does not equate with effective usage. This has resulted in a lack of empirical data by which to assess the effectiveness of government initiatives (Millis, 2008). Oversimplified assumptions and underestimation of SME diversity. All initiatives to encourage the adaptation of ICT are based on a model that assumes a structured sequential process for optimal use of new technology. The model oversimplifies the complexity of the process and overlooks the individual differences between SMEs. For example, some SMEs with an export component are better positioned to computerize faster than companies that do not have an export component. As a result of the diversity of SMEs, government initiatives are too bureaucratic to be effective. Moreover, they lack in SME engagement. This results in many initiatives missing their goals (Millis, 2008). Mismatched expectations. It is ultimately the SME manager’s decision to adapt ICT. This means that each manager must be well informed about the opportunities and threats of the market that they are operating in. In addition, they need to have some knowledge of how to integrate the technology effectively. Oftentimes SME management is suspicious of government initiatives. That, coupled with the lack of engagement between government agencies and SMEs, results in mismatched expectations between managers and government bodies (Millis, 2008). Integration of IT Alone does not Guarantee Increased Performance Francalanci and Morabito (2008) took an in-depth look at the literature regarding the relationship between Information Technology (IT) and business performance. They concluded that integrating IT does not automatically guarantee increased business performance, unless the organization completes the learning curve associated with the integration of data and applications, also known as Information Systems (IS). The authors, labeled this integration of IS as the organization’s â€Å"absorptive capacity† and claimed that it plays an intermediary role between IS integration and business performance, where IS integration is the degree to which data and applications have become routine in the day to day activities of an organization. Therefore, the authors hypothesized that â€Å"IS integration leads to greater business performance through absorptive capacity, that is, that absorptive capacity has a mediation role [in how a business performs]† (Francalanci & Morabito, 2008, p. 298). The hypothesis was tested on 466 Italian SMEs who lacked economies of scale in the business setting; exhibited a general lack of IT literacy; and were led by management that was rarely IT-oriented. Absorptive capacity defined. Cohen and Levinthal (1990) and Zahra and George (2002a) defined â€Å"absorptive capacity† as an SME’s ability to first identify/recognize knowledge from external sources, then to assimilate this knowledge in relation to its needs, and finally to exploit this knowledge to its advantage (as cited in Francalanci & Morabito, 2008). This might include the ability to imitate competitors’ products or processes, or to exploit less commercially focused knowledge (e.g., scientific research or IT solutions). Integrating anything external requires a learning curve on the part of the entity attempting its integration. Since IT is a complex technology, it too requires a learning curve so that data and applications may be effectively integrated with the company’s day to day functioning. If this is achieved, IT will have a positive impact on business performance. However, if this is not achieved, then the company not only does not perform better, but also fails to achieve a return on its investment in the IT. Francalanci and Morabito (2008) found that in order for IT to be successfully absorbed, the company first needed to align its processes with the new IT in order for it to result in the desired increase in efficiency. Next, the company needed to make sure that all IT users were sufficiently trained in its uses and applications. In addition, management must ensure that the organization is ready to embrace the change that IT integration and use will bring. And finally, the organization needs to display flexibility in adapting to the new IT integration so that there is little loss of time and cost. However, if a company has management that is not IT oriented or that is unwilling to train its employees in IT use, then the absorptive capacity of the company is low resulting in little or no increase in business performance even after an investment in IT. The Digital Divide Wielicki and Arendt (2007), agree with Francalanci and Morabito (2008) in their findings as to what barriers prevent the successful integration of IT. According to Wielicki and Arendt (2007), these barriers include a lack of elementary digital experience caused by lack of interest; computer anxiety and unattractiveness of the new technology; lack of computers and network connections; lack of digital skills caused by insufficient user friendliness and inadequate education or social support; lack of significant usage opportunities. These barriers are not dissimilar from the characteristics of the 466 SMEs chosen by Francalanci and Morabito (2008)—lack of economies of scale in the business setting; lack of IT literacy and management that was not IT-oriented. It is these barriers that, according to Wielicki and Arendt (2007), constitute the â€Å"digital divide† between SMEs and larger companies that have successfully and willingly adopted and absorbed IT to increase their competitive advantages. According to Wielicki and Arendt (2007), it is the failure to understand the digital divide which may have a profound impact on operations of business in this information-driven century. In other words, far from being a luxury, IT has become a necessity in this globalized economic environment. Without successful integration of IT, that is, moving beyond the basic use of the Internet and e-mail for basic communication purposes, a company might find itself unable to take advantage of e-commerce ventures due to the limited level of computer literacy of both employees and broad market participants. In particular, in developed and emerging markets, a company may find that the presence of the digital divide may prevent it from appreciating the benefits of technology-driven opportunities. As a result, the dynamic growth of the e-commerce economy could turn out to be somewhat deceiving unless we can move more businesses and more of society onto the right side of the divide. Implications and Recommendations Across the literature there is no doubt that integration of ICT has become a necessity for business success for SMEs. However, the literature also agrees that there are many barriers in the way of successful absorption and implementation of ICT in SMEs. In addition to the widespread agreement on these two points, the literature also provides proposals and recommendations for overcoming the barriers. One important factor in creating solutions is government involvement due to the lack of financial resources on the part of individual SMEs. However, one size does not fit all, and Millis (2008) provides the following suggestions about how government should proceed: * Creation of a proper standard for measuring the progression of ICT and e-technology adaptation * Taking into account the complexity of the reality and circumstances in SMEs that prevent computerization proceeding as a structured, sequential process. * Taking into account that a holistic approach to IT integration cannot work because of the large diversity between SMEs * Avoidance of high-level approaches and over-bureaucratized project structures * Avoidance of overestimating the impact of government initiatives on the behavior of participating SMEs * Provision of direct and specific support to SMEs designed to elicit concrete results * Creation of realistic and measurable goals and models that support the choices of the company rather than something generic that is imposed on the company be the government Another recommendation comes from Wielicki and Arendt (2007). Since the US is the most advanced country with regard to IT use and integration, they suggest that it be used as a model of study to determine how the barriers to successful IT integration be overcome in other countries. In addition, they counsel continued research to track the progress of SMEs in crossing the business digital divide, tracking the level of implementation of ICT-based solutions at the business process level and the role of ICT training in SMEs or of ICT in integrating business processes of SMEs. In an effort to successfully define these research objectives, Thurasamy, Mohamad, Omar, and Marimuthu (2009), have proposed an empirical study across 1500 Malaysian SMEs in order to determine the following: 1. To profile the type of technologies adopted by SMEs. 2. To profile the extent of usage of each of those technologies. 3. To develop an index for performance and technological adoption tracking of SMEs. 4. To investigate factors that encourage, as well as those that remain barriers to technology adoption. 5. To establish the extent of technology adoption and performance (financial and non-financial) plus Internationalization. As we can see, the objectives of this study mirror the suggestions of Wielicki and Arendt (2007) as to the nature of further research into IT integration in SMEs. Another reason cited for the unsuccessful adaptation of IT was lack of employee training. Therefore, government initiatives like the ones featured in a report released by the Directorate-General for Education and Culture in Belgium (2003), could be utilized towards increasing the effectiveness of employees in relation to the use and adaptation of IT. The report profiles 10 European employee training programs ranging from Worldwide web-based information and communication technologies training for manufacturing SMEs to a CD-Rom based program to help SMEs define their training needs. Conclusion As can be seen from the above discussion, there is a definite need to foster the integration of IT/ICT in SMEs in both developed and developing economies. While this need has been documented by the literature, it is also clear that there are many obstacles that stand in the way of the successful implementation of the technology. It would seem, therefore, that the stage is set for further investigation into the technological and educational needs of SMEs around the world. It would also seem that there are employment and business opportunities for those with the necessary know-how and skills to offer their services as consultants and trainers to SMEs desiring to integrate IT/ICT into their day to day activities. References Bank of England Quarterly Report on Small Business Statistics. (2001, January). Retrieved from http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:JvJUI7yMYv8J:www.accaglobal.com/pdfs/smallbusiness/EESME.doc+SME+percentage+of+GDP&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us Cabello, N. (2010, March 1). Looking at some SME successes in developed countries. Manila Bulleting Publishing Corporation. Retrieved from http://www.mb.com.ph/node/245735/looking- Calzado, M. M. (2003). Productivity Management Guide for SMEs, 1, 25-28. Retrieved from http://www.ilofip.org/Documents/Module3-Causesforlowproductivity.pdf Cole, K. (n.d.). Technoserve and the Google Foundation spark Ghanaian economy through needed Small and Medium Enterprise development. Believe, Begin, Become. Retrieved from http://www.believe-begin-become.com/Ghana/morenews.asp?NewsID=23 Directorate-General for Education and Culture in Belgium (2003). Building Skills and Qualifications among SME employees. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier EBSCO database. Millis, K. (2008). Critical analysis of policy measures for the advancement of the level of computerization of SMEs. Information Technology for Development, 14(3), 253-258. Retrieved April 23, 2010 from Academic Search Premier EBSCO database. Thurasamy, R., Mohamad, O., Omar, A., & Marimuthu, M. (2009). Technology adoption among Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s): A research agenda. World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology 53. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier EBSCO database. Wielicki, T. & Arendt, L. (2007). ICT Training—Key to closing digital divide among businesses: Case of SMEs in central California. International Journal of Learning,organizational absorptive capacity in SMEs. Journal of Information Technology, 14(6), 181-186. Retrieved from EBSCO Host database.