Attack at Pearl Harbor

Kaci Power Professor Clark World Civ B April 24, 2012 The Attack at Pearl Harbor â€Å"Yesterday, Dec. 7, 1941 – a date which will live in infamy the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan,† Franklin Delano Roosevelt proclaimed in his speech to Congress. December 7th would indeed live in infamy for the rest of United States history. The day that the Japanese posted a surprise attack on Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor was a day that would not only change individual lives, but would throw our country into an unforgettable shock.The planning by the Japanese for this attack on Pearl Harbor began as early as January 1941. The United States had placed an embargo on Japan by prohibiting exports of steel, scrap iron, and aviation fuel to Japan, due to Japan's takeover of northern French Indochina. In September 1940, the U. S. placed an embargo on Japan by prohibiting exports of steel, scrap iron, and aviation fuel to Japan, due to Japan's takeover of northern French Indochina. April 1941, the Japanese signed a neutral stance treaty with the Soviet Union to help prevent an attack from that direction if they were to go to war with Britain or the U.S. while taking a bigger chunk out of Southeast Asia. The U. S. demanded that Japan remove themselves from China and Indochina, but would have settled for a withdrawal and a promise not to take more territory. June 1941 through the end of July 1941, Japan occupied southern Indochina. Two days later, the U. S. , Britain, and the Netherlands froze Japanese assets. This prevented Japan from buying oil, which would cripple its army and make its navy and air force completely useless.Toward the end of 1941 with the Soviets seemingly on the verge of defeat by the Axis powers, Japan seized the opportunity to try to take the oil resources of Southeast Asia. The U. S. wanted to stop Japanese expansion but the American people were not willing to go to war t o stop it. Prior to December 1941, Japan pursued two courses: try to get the oil embargo lifted on terms that would still let them take the territory they wanted, and to prepare for war. The Japanese military was asked to devise a war plan. They proposed to weep into Burma, Malaya, the East Indies, and the Philippines.. They expected the U. S. to declare war but not to be willing to fight long or hard enough to win. Their greatest concern was that the U. S. Pacific Fleet, based in Pearl Harbor could ruin their plans. Although it was Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto who initiated the plans for the attack against Pearl Harbor, Commander Minoru Genda was the plan's chief architect. The Japanese used the code name â€Å"Operation Hawaii† for the attack on Pearl Harbor. This later changed to â€Å"Operation Z. The Japanese specifically chose to attack on a Sunday because they believed Americans would be more relaxed and less alert on a weekend. The Japanese navy decided to cripp le the Pacific Fleet by a surprise air attack . The United States had received many warnings stating there would be an attack on Pearl Harbor. In October, the Soviets top spy, Richard Sorge, informed Kermlin that Pearl Harbor would be attacked in sixty days. Moscow had then informed him that this had been passed on to the United States. The United States completely ignored all mentions to an attack on Pearl Harbor.On December 6th, Roosevelt had read the first thirteen parts of the translated declaration of war that the Japanese had sent to us. The document stated â€Å"This means war. † This is when Roosevelt decided that it was time to proclaim war on Japan. Unfortunately, his decision did not reach Pearl Harbor in any helpful form before it was too late. The Japanese attack force stationed itself approximately 230 miles north of the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Early warning radar was new technology so the Japanese planes were spotted by radar before the attack, but they were t hought to be a flight of American B-17s due in from the West Coast.The attack started on December 7, 1941 at 7:55 am. The Japanese launched their airplanes in two waves, approximately 45 minutes apart. The first wave of Japanese planes struck Pearl Harbor at 7:55 a. m. The second wave reached Pearl Harbor around 8:40 a. m. I couldn’t find where the exact numbers of the people and supplies lost, but the Japanese managed to destroy approximately 20 American naval vessels, including eight battleships, and almost 200 airplanes. More than 2,000 Americans soldiers and sailors died in the attack, and another 1,000 were wounded.In addition to the grievous loss of human life, war materials suffered. The Oklahoma and the Arizona battleships were destroyed. The Nevada, California, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Maryland were all extremely damaged or sunk. The day after the attack, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan. Congress approved this with just one uncooperative vote. Three days later, Japanese allies Germany and Italy also declared war on the United States, and again Congress accepted. More than two years into the conflict, America had finally joined World War II.The Japanese navy scored a brilliant success and assured their ultimate defeat. Before the events at Pearl Harbor, America was divided on the issue of war. More of the country wanted to let Europe sort out its problems by itself, because of the painful memories of the First World War. As tragic as this event was it opened the eyes of American to the reality of the situation at hand. Pearl Harbors Attack is a day that will be remembered by American for the rest of time. The lives lost and the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for us.

Teenage Pregnancies and the Health Risks to the Unborn Child

Running Head: Teen Pregnancy Teenage Pregnancies and Health Risks Betty Samuelsen Western Governors University Teen girls should refrain from the peer pressure of becoming pregnant. Becoming pregnant at a young age may have consequences with the range of seriousness. Pregnant teens are encouraging others to become pregnant in the form of peer pressure. Teens are watching too much television that encourages them to become pregnant. Pregnancy is a major reason that the dropout rate of teen girls is so high. Teens need to be informed of the health risks that they may be faced with if they become pregnant. Research suggests that there are no easy solutions to the complexity of issues affecting pregnant teens, such as outside influences in the form of other pregnant teens and media that encourage pregnancy, the effect of pregnancy on a teenager's education, and the health risks faced by pregnant teens and their unborn children. Television shows are one example of media that complicates the issue of teen pregnancy. Studies show that teens, 12-17 years of age, that watch television shows that have the most sexually suggestive information, are twice as likely to become pregnant (Chandra, 2008). The television industry needs to have more of a balance between sexual content and the risks that pregnancies have upon teens (Chandra, 2008). These television shows also influence others to become pregnant because it is the thing to do. For example, MTV program content implies that if a girl gets pregnant, then the teen has a one-way ticket to fame and MTV is also promoting teen pregnancy instead of stating it as a serious problem in America (Montalvan, 2011). Television increases the complexity of this issue when watching television shows that make teen pregnancies appealing leads to peer pressure to become pregnant. For example: Girls 16 and younger have gotten together to â€Å"plan† their pregnancies and how they are going to raise their children together. When the girls would find out if their pregnancy test came back positive, they would high five each other, like they were proud to be pregnant at such a young age and they will be ok (Males, 2008). Peer pressure is usually male-to-male and female-to-female, this pressure seems to be harder to withstand from males due to status and being accepted. On the other hand, females fall into peer pressure to â€Å"fill a void† in their lives and maintain a relationship with the opposite sex (Sugland, 1997). Not only is peer pressure a problem, research shows that 20% of teens have stated that their parents (46%) are also a big influence on them having sex compared to the 20% of friends pressure (Albert, 2010). What is this saying about parents' influence on their own teens? Teens state that they wish they could have more open conversations about sex with their parents and be more open in conversation about contraception. They believe that this could reduce teen pregnancies (Albert, 2010). There are also various cultural practices that complicate how teens think about pregnancy. In adolescents' views about sex, it is on their minds most of the time whether or not they are sexually active themselves. Views differ from race to race as to the frequency of sex among their peer groups, for instance African-American perceive more sex than among peer groups in the European-and Mexican-American peer groups. (Mahavarkar, Madhi, & Mule, 2008). Teen pregnancy is not only a local problem, but is a global concern even with the conflicting information from study to study. The previous new labor government in England identifies pregnant schoolgirls as a particularly vulnerable group. In addition, research shows different effects of pregnancy on the education of pregnant teens. The leading cause, 30%, of teens dropping out of high school is pregnancy and parenthood (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2010, March). In England, the 1st cornerstone of a four cornerstone campaign is to increase the participation of pregnant teens in education, training and/or employment. According to the Social Exclusion Unit, the second strategy is getting 60% of young mothers into training, employment, and education (as cited in Vincent & Thomson, 2010). The Social Exclusion Unit assumes that meeting the second cornerstone will help reduce the negative health, social and economic correlates of teen pregnancies. Researchers appear to agree with policy-makers on the challenges that the pregnant teens and mothering teens face in their education. The Department of Education and Skills put out a guidance on the education of school-aged girls and parenting mothers which outlined the expectations that the teens should be getting. England's local authorities have a low priority in helping teen mothers get back into education. Audit Commission, 1999, Coleman and Dennison 1998). In the 2001 guidance, the Department of Education and Skills state, â€Å"The school should ensure that the young woman continues learning as long as possible up until the birth by exploring all opportunities for curriculum support available (Department of Education and Skills, 2001, 5). Schools are also required to provide an elective official to be in charge for the pregnant teenagers–someone whose main function is to facilitate the on-going education of the pregnant pupil and her successful reintegration to education after the six-week post-natal check-up. This official should be made aware of all the schoolgirl pregnancies within the local authority. The local authorities are encouraged to provide the same education as those of pregnant teens. Pregnancy should not be the reason some of these parenting mothers are not being allowed to attend school. Schools should be partially accountable for the education of these parenting teens. In order to make this goal happen, schools would need to provide work for the pregnant teen to do at home when she is unable to attend school. About half of the teens that are pregnant have a high school diploma vs. 9% of those that were not teen mothers. â€Å"Other data find that less than 2% of young teen mothers (those who have a baby before age 18) attain a college degree by age 30† (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, March 2010). Pregnancy can have negative effects on education. According to Ashley, study 1 of 4, was an average student that found out at 6 weeks she was expecting. She t hought, â€Å"I'm not going to get my GCSE's [General Certificate of Secondary Education], I'm not going to go to college and I'm not going to get the job I want to get† (as cited in Vincent, & Thompson, 2010). Ashley was hoping to be able to say goodbye to her friends. The school implied that she would be able to maintain her education with a pupil referral unit; therefore, the school was expressing its concerns of the health and safety of her pregnancy. Poor communication of the students mainstream school with the pupil referral unit made Ashley miss coursework and failed some of her GCSE's that she was optimistic in passing. The school just did not care. In some cases pregnancy has mixed effects on a students education but still presents complications. Shae, study 2 of 4, had mixed reactions, peers were mostly accepting, but among staff they are mixed, some accepting, others not so much. The meeting was a different situation from Ashley's. Shae was able to stay in her school until most of her GCSE's were complete with minimal accommodations, such as leaving class a little early to avoid being â€Å"crushed† in the hallways. Her teacher also took on making sure the Pupil Referral Unit had coursework for her to do, unlike to first study. Shae felt more apart of her school still (as cited in Vincent, & Thompson, 2010). Pregnant teens will need to make complicated decisions on education. Shae was able to stay in the mainstream school until her 7th month of pregnancy, but at the same time still felt like she was apart of the school. Unlike Ashley's school, Shae's was more supportive of her situation. Children of teen mothers are affected in the long term, such as, becoming a teen parent later (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2010). Pregnant teens will have a much harder time finding well paying jobs if they are not able to have the proper education available to them†¦ Without a high school education, it is much harder to be accepted into college (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2010). Shae was aware that she had a choice and made that known to the school and staff members and stuck to convincing them to allow her to stay and accomplish her dreams and goals that she had set for herself. Title IX actually protects pregnant teens to have an equal education to those of their peers, no matter the situation. (Educational Policy, January and March 2006, 20(1). Shae was aware of the choice that she had on her education and made it known to the school and the staff members and stuck to convincing them to allow her to stay. As stated above the Title IX, is an American statue, that should also prepare pregnant teens the same opportunity as those in other countries. For example, a non-educational consequence of teen pregnancy is the health risks to the mother and the baby. Prenatal care is critical in the first months of pregnancy. Prenatal vitamins with folic acid are suggested to be taken before becoming pregnant to prevent certain birth defects, such as neural tube defects (as cited in Nihira, M. , 2009. Teen Pregnancy: Medical Risks and Realities). Some of the health risks for both the pregnant teen and unborn child are as follows: Teens have more complictions in delivery than those in their 20's and later. Pre-Term deliveries for the unborn child are a major complication. The teen is 3 times more likely to develop anemia, than those that are not teens. Pre-term deliveries are higher in some studies while other studies do not have the higher rates. Poor prenatal care and late identification of complications could explain the high rate of pre-term delivery. (Mahavarkar, Madhu, & Mule, 2008). Any baby born before 37 weeks is considered pre-term or â€Å"preemie. † Full term lasts 40 weeks. The baby can have respiratory, digestive, vision, cognitive, and many more problems (as cited in Nihira, M. , 2009. Teen Pregnancy: Medical Risks and Realities). Pregnant teens are still growing themselves which puts their unborn child at a greater risk of being a â€Å"premee† and being under weight. Pregnant teens are 1. 8 times more likely to have low birth weight babies. Research shows that in a controlled and study low birth weights are as follows: 2. 5 (42% study, 59% controlled). (Mahavarkar, Madhu, & Mule, 2008). Babies that are less than 3. 3 lbs. ay have to be put on a ventilator to help them breath after birth due to their lungs not being fully developed. Premature babies usually have not had enough time in the womb to develop fully (as cited in Nihira, M. , 2009. Teen Pregnancy: Medical Risks & Realities). Complications for the pregnant teen may be very severe. Pre-eclampsia is a severe condition for the mother such as bleeding problems, pre-mature separation of th e placenta from the uterus before the baby is born (placenta abruption), rupture of the liver, stroke, and death (rarely). (Mahavarkar, Madhu, & Mule, 2008). For example, pre-eclampsia, can cause swelling in the hands and feet of the mother along with organ damage (as cited in Nihira, M. , M. D. , (2009). Teen Pregnancy: Medical Risks & Realities). Research suggests that there are no easy solutions to the complexity of issues affecting pregnant teens, such as outside influences in the form of other pregnant teens and media that encourage pregnancy, the effect of pregnancy on a teenager's education, and the health risks faced by pregnant teens and their unborn children. In conclusion, outside influences account for some of the reasons that teens are becoming pregnant in high school. If teens are not sexually active in high school, teen peers torment them and encourage them to become pregnant. In return, the pregnant teens and teen mothers suffer the natural consequences of becoming pregnant. One result is not having an equal education to their peers and not having the better paying jobs that the other teens may have. Teens that become pregnant while still young and their unborn child face huge health issues, such as low birth weight, pre-eclampsia, possible stroke, and possible death. Reference List Albert, B. (2010). With one Voice 2010: America’s Adults and Teens sound off about Teen Pregnancy. Washington, D. C. : The NCPTP and Unplanned Pregnancy. Audit Commission, (1999) Chandra, A. (2008). Study: TV influences teen pregnancy stats. Retrieved from Coleman & Dennison, (1998) Department of Education and Skills, (2001), 5. Educational Policy, (January and March 2006) 20,(1). Mahavarkar, S. H. , Madhu, C. K. , & Mule, V. D. (2008). A comparative study of teenage pregnancy. Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 28(6), 604-607. doi:10. 1080/01443610802281831. Males, M. (2008). http://articles. latimes. com/2008/jul/13/opinion/op-males13. National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy (March 2010). Why It Matters: Teen Pregnancy and Education. Nihira, M. , M. D. , (2009). Teen Pregnancy: Medical Risks & Realities. Retrieved from http://www. webmd. com/baby/teen-pregnancy-medical-risks-and-realities. Social Exclusion Unit, (1999). Sugland, B. (n. d). Sex, Pregnancy and Contraception: A Report of Focus Group Discussions with Adolescents. N/A, Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Vincent, K. , & Thomson, P. (2010). ‘Slappers like you don't belong in this school': the educational inclusion/exclusion of pregnant schoolgirls. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 14(4), 371-385. doi:10. 1080/13603110802504580

Marketing Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing Research - Essay Example   In 2001, BzzAgent sought to create a platform that â€Å"would allow people to experience new products and services, share their honest opinions with people they knew and report those activities and opinions so marketers could directly see the results† (What is BzzAgent?). The company claims that it has since generated positive responses from businesses in promoting their diverse products and services. From 50 programs after two years operations, it has already handled a total of some 350 programs, recruiting some 2,000 to 4,000 â€Å"volunteers† each week which are being added to its current list of some 370,000 members in the United States, Canada, and U.K. Essentially, buzz marketing seeks to initiate involvement of enlisted individuals (called buzz agents) in directly influencing, through their social networks, would-be consumers through word of mouth instead of first creating  consumer satisfaction naturally. Conversations where positive buzz is injected can take place in the workplace, in social gatherings (meetings and parties), store aisles, playfields, and in online communities, among other venues. How are agents chosen?   From the list of agents the company can pick the right agents on the basis of their demographic, psychographic and behavioral characteristics.   BzzAgent provides such services as recruitment, management and communications, polls and surveys, 24-hour access to live program data, as well as data analysis and metrics, from quantitative impact of the campaign to the insights about attitudes and perceptions. (What is BzzAgent?) It has been shown that word of mouth is considerably more effective than conventional corporate media advertising because receivers of such referrals tend to trust that the communicator is honest and has no ulterior motive in talking positively about a particular brand or  product. Besides, buzz marketing has an edge over other promotional methods

The Global Money System Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Global Money System - Research Paper Example According to the recent report on the basis of global money system, the group of twenty also known as G20 finger pointed the world currency tensions detailing that the government of America blamed China government which decided to refuse the currency known as Yuan to rise faster. China on other hand suggested that the opinion detailed posed a distortion of global economy hence affecting Yuan currency exchange and was due to loosened monetary policy that was reinforced by the Federal Reserve in regards to government bonds. From the point of view, a problem has been emerged on the global money system issue due to the laid down rules, norms and institutions that governs currencies facet and the flow of the capital that prevails and trigger market pricing system globally. A global money system involves creations of reserves that fosters and hold vast foreign exchange activities on emerging economies. A dollar has been a dominance currency in this reserves managed by the United States of America for foreign exchange and transactions both within the states and internationally. Global Money System has generated investment globally that involves lending and hence facilitating financial and volatility of capital flows. Global money system plays a bigger role on the countries economy. When laid down policies are not in power, an aspect of inflation on capital flaws may arise and this comes when a given nation decides to print more money. However, some countries like the United States of America and Japan prefers to import inflation aspect rather than boosting exports that eludes weaker currency; some of the activities that are done through their national central banks. This usually affects international monetary system hence developing instability on economic system. Global money system policies are therefore monitored by especially national central banks and at large the World Bank. Some of the European countries through their European banks have eased

Are We Academic Capitalists Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Are We Academic Capitalists - Assignment Example The current trend of education is grounded on academic capitalism. Faculty and students are viewed in terms of generating revenue and commercial value. Capitalism includes the reshaping the organizational sites, professional workforce, and terms of academic responsibilities to achieve the goals of the academic capitalists. The United States school program is integrated with the monopolistic capitalism. The line between the public and private institution was unclear. To financially survive, schools trained students to fill the needs of industry. Faculty members are defined as managed professionals. The following cases show capitalism is permeating the academic institutions. Case1. An increasingly part time profession. In Eastern Oregon State College and other academic institutions, the academic capitalists to hire terminated full time faculty members as part time teachers. Later, the part time faculty was reduced to teach only status. Lastly, the same faculty member was retrenched. Ca se 2. An increasingly managed profession. In 1982, the President of Sonoma State University insisted he had to revise the current programs. The school had to resolve the declining enrollment issue. Resolution included retrenchment of 53 full time faculty members. Senior was the basis for terminating faculty members. Case 3. An increasingly Capitalistic Profession, globally. Ronald Collins, New Wave University in Australia, Water Systems Institute head. Collins use direct product revenues, grants, and royalties to financially keep his group surviving. The institute generated more funds compared to the University. The institute hired more employees compared faculty members. Case 4. Increasingly commoditized faculty-graduate student relationships. At Nouveau University, commercialization of the academic institution widened the gap between faculty members and the students. Part time faculty members have increase by more than 43 percent. Businesses partnered with schools to generate mark ets for a new product or service. Full time faculty members were replaced by part time faculty members. PART II. The article The Neo-Liberal University (Slaugher &&Rhoades, 2000) emphasized public colleges and universities typify the neoliberalism-based entities. The academe supports the corporate competitiveness by playing major parts in the knowledge-based global economy. The academe trains students to blend with industry by becoming industry’s future leaders or managers of major corporations. Likewise, schools train students to create products and processes to fill the needs of the business industry players. Basically, the major goal of schools is to fill industry’s need for global competitiveness. Academic capitalism includes the public colleges and universities’ investment in business ventures. The ventures include startup companies precipitating from the cooperative efforts of the faculty and student s. with the academic setup, the schools’ startup companies do not have to suffer the pains of unprofitable or unsuccessfully business ventures, unlike non-academic business ventures. Public support cushions the ill effects of unsuccessful business ventures. The schools serve the educational needs of students who can afford to pay their school fees. The students use grants, loans and other sources to pay for their educational trainings. The academic institutions’ implementation of a market model translated to a restructuring that benefits the professional and high technology

Assessment Of Resource Capabilities Of BMW Assignment

Assessment Of Resource Capabilities Of BMW - Assignment Example In an effort to uphold quality inventory in its earlier years, BMW ensured that it had innovative technology that would also help the company reach a larger audience. The easy to navigate website captured the attention of many customers making it very simple for people to order commodities As years have gone by, the company has incorporated modern age technology in an effort to increase the market value of its products. In 2009, BMW introduced a software package that would assist in monitoring its workflow and make forecasts on the effects caused by various real estate decisions made. Moreover, it acquired a system that would help intensify its e-commerce trades by faster processing of orders.   With the advent of new technology, the company is bound to make even higher sales (Fleisher, 2008, 48).With relation to tangible resources, it is important to note that the company has made numerous strides in an effort to keep in touch with advancements in the industry. The company has had the ability to buy new machinery that has assisted in cutting down the costs per production. This is the fact that in earlier years, the company had faced numerous challenges having to outsource some of its departments facing the uneven market demographics. Human resource has also worked to ensure that the company gets back to its high market position that it enjoyed in the 1990s. This is from the increased number of retail shops around the world majoring in the sale of BMW products  

Hogarth print and the enlightenment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Hogarth print and the enlightenment - Essay Example With his new art, he was able to reach countless audience by making engravings of the paintings and selling them at low prices1. He therefore created art for aristocratic patrons as well as the public sphere that came together through the print medium to reflect on issues of general concern. Generally, Hogarth’s work brought dynamic influences on the public sphere which developed into an entity able to generate new ideas and challenge beliefs that were supported by the state. His first ‘modern moral subject’ called A Harlot’s Progress was produced in 1732 and was succeeded by A Rake’s Progress produced in 1733-34. Hogarth’s masterpiece, Marriage a La Mode was painted in 1745. His other print series included Industry and Idleness produced 1748 in and The Four Stages of Cruelty in 1751. This paper is going to mostly dwell on the print Marriage a la Mode and how it might have conveyed the ideas of the Enlightenment to the British public2. Marriag e A La Mode Marriage a la Mode was by far the most enduring and popular of Hogarth’s moral subject series. The print tracks on a doomed marriage between a daughter from a wealthy man from lower social class and a son from a high status but financially troubled family3. This marriage is arranged by two opportunistic fathers; one, a rich representative of the London city who craves social status and aims to acquire it by marrying off his daughter and the other father, Earl of Squander who was a spendthrift nobleman and needed cash desperately which he finally gets it by marrying off his unprincipled, dandyish son. Since there were no considerations of love or even compatibility, the marriage is led into a path of self destruction. The print contains a set of six paintings which were subsequently made into engravings4. Plate one: the Marriage Settlement The scene establishes the just concluded negotiations for their children’s marriage between the Alderman who is seated a t the center and the Earl of Squander seated at the extreme right. While squander wants money to fund his overly exuberant lifestyle, the alderman is dying to achieve a higher social status for his family that he had to buy his way into aristocracy5. In the meantime their children are depicted to be indifferent and miserable at the proceedings. Viscount Squanderfield the son of Earl has just returned from the continent and is dressed in the recent Paris fashions. He has a black spot on his neck, an indication that he might be having syphilis. Alderman’s daughter on the other hand is being soothed by Silvertongue, the lawyer, though she looks inconsolable. The chained dogs make clear the fact that the couple’s marriage is loveless and ill-matched6. The Tete a Tete The scene is set in the west end of London in a Palladian style house. It is past midday as depicted by the clock far right on the wall, and still the viscount seems to have returned from a night out and is sl acked in a chair, tired and bored7. A dog is shown sniffing at some woman’s cap in his pocket. His wife as it seems, has also been awake all night apparently playing cards, but her satisfied stretch and sly look indicate that she too had been having sexual engagements and dissimilar to her indifferent husband, was at that moment enjoying the freshness of life as a stylish woman of leisure. Using a pocket mirror, she appears to be bespeaking to someone out of sight, perhaps her lover who as it looks like, had to exit in a hurry as a result of the

School Library Media Coordinator Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

School Library Media Coordinator - Essay Example Whereas pedagogy used to be the norm from kindergarten and through the school years and even within the portal of the colleges, now the focus is shifting to enable students grasp the methodologies for self-learning in the primary school years. The library used to be more of a place for reading entertainment. However, now the library has taken its rightful place as powerhouse of knowledge and information, almost a window to the world. Today, the wonders of knowledge and information and their utility occur with little gap in between. Take, for instance, the fields of information and communication technologies. These have become so all-encompassing and intertwined that students are getting the opportunity to use them long before they learn the fundamentals of what drives them and how they operate. Mobile phones, video games, the internet, gadgets like mp3, iPod, iPhone, etc. have students knowing lot more about these even before they start learning the dynamics of electrons, magnetism, calculus, conversion of energy and so on. The importance of the school library has dramatically increased in the past few decades. Knowledge and its application have become far too advanced and quicker than ever before for libraries to remain like a silent spectator in the background. Today, the function of library is a... The library has become a window to every activity from simple reading room containing literature classics to the volumes containing information about intriguing botanies and awe-inspiring planetarium. The library is now the buzzword for every subject, the initiating and training grounds for knowledge building in social sciences, physics and mathematics, the forerunner to specialization in different fields of science and arts (School Library Media Activities Monthly). Before the advent of the information era, the scope for utility of knowledge had to wait till the student completed studies and entered her/his career. Indeed, there was such a wide gap between learning and application of knowledge that most students had forgotten all that they had learnt in schools and colleges in view of the system-oriented assembly-line method of operating prevailing in every corporation, institution and agencies. This way, students simply became nothing less than robots performing the same mundane activities on rote. Education was a dull, repetitive, cyclic and boring affair. The information and communication era has changed all this. Nowadays, education must focus on specialization besides general knowledge to provide students the cutting edge in their area of interest and ability to grasp. There is the need for libraries to provide extensive information beyond the limited dose provided in graded textbooks. Thus, the treatment of library by learning institutions is becoming the litmus test for its efficacy and reputation. The value and importance of learning and teaching with the use of libraries must be the rule rather than the exception. Knowledge is far too advanced and complex now. It is not possible to depend solely on pedagogy style, classroom teaching. The

Didions on Morality Essay Example for Free

Didions on Morality Essay What is it that forms and drives our â€Å"moral behaviors†? Are we born with a basic sense of morality or do we develop a set of moral â€Å"social codes† to keep society from falling into chaos and anarchy? In her essay â€Å"On Morality,† Joan Didion dissects what lies beneath the surface of humanity’s morality. By recounting several stories and historical events, she shows that morality at its basic â€Å"most primitive level† is nothing more than â€Å"our loyalties to the ones we love,† everything else is subjective. Didion’s first story points out our loyalty to family. She is in Death Valley writing an article about â€Å"morality,† â€Å"a word [she] distrust more every day. † She relates a story about a young man who was drunk, had a car accident, and died while driving to Death Valley. â€Å"His girl was found alive but bleeding internally, deep in shock,† Didion states. She talked to the nurse who had driven his girl 185 miles to the nearest doctor. The nurse’s husband had stayed with the body until the coroner could get there. The nurse said, â€Å"You just can’t leave a body on the highway, it’s immoral. † According to Didion this â€Å"was one instance in which [she] did not distrust the word, because [the nurse] meant something quite specific. † She argues we don’t desert a body for even a few minutes lest it be desecrated. Didion claims this is more than â€Å"only a sentimental consideration. † She claims that we promise each other to try and retrieve our casualties and not abandon our dead; it is more than a sentimental consideration. She stresses this point by saying that â€Å"if, in the simplest terms, our upbringing is good enough – we stay with the body, or have bad dreams. † Her point is that morality at its most â€Å"primary† level is a sense of â€Å"loyalty† to one another that we learned from our loved ones. She is saying that we stick with our loved ones no matter what, in sickness, in health, in bad times and good times; we don’t abandon our dead because we don’t want someone to abandon us. She is professing that morality is to do what we think is right; whatever is necessary to meet our â€Å"primary loyalties† to care for our loved ones, even if it means sacrificing ourselves. Didion emphatically states she is talking about a â€Å"wagon-train morality,† and â€Å"For better or for worse, we are what we learned as children. † She talks about her childhood and hearing â€Å"graphic litanies about the Donner-Reed party and the Jayhawkers. She maintains they â€Å"failed in their loyalties to each other,† and â€Å"deserted one another. † She says they â€Å"breached their primary loyalties,† or they would not have been in those situations. If we go against our â€Å"primary loyalties† we have failed, we regret it, and thus â€Å"have bad dreams. † Didion insist that â€Å"we have no way of knowing†¦what is ‘right’ and what is ‘wrong,’ what is ‘good and what is ‘evil’. † She sees politics, and public policy falsely assigned â€Å"aspects of morality. † She warns us not to delude ourselves into thinking that because we want or need something â€Å"that it is a moral imperative that we have it, then is when we join the fashionable madmen. † She is saying this will be our demise, and she may well be correct. Hitler’s idea that he had â€Å"a moral imperative† to â€Å"purify the Aryan race† serves as a poignant reminder of such a delusion. In 1939 Hitler’s Nazi army invaded Poland and started World War II. World War II came to an end in large part due to the United States dropping two atomic bombs. If the war had continued and escalated to the point of Hitler’s Nazis and the United States dropping more atomic bombs we could have destroyed most, if not all, of humanity, the ultimate act of â€Å"fashionable madmen. † We may believe our behaviors are just and righteous, but Didion’s essay makes us closely examine our motives and morals. She contends that madmen, murders, war criminals and religious icons throughout history have said â€Å"I followed my own conscience. † â€Å"I did what I thought was right. † â€Å"Maybe we have all said it and maybe we have been wrong. † She shows us that our â€Å"moral codes† are often subjective and fallacious, that we rationalize and justify our actions to suit our ulterior motives, and our only true morality is â€Å"our loyalty to those we love. † It is this â€Å"loyalty to those we love† that forms our families, then our cities, our states, our countries and ultimately our global community. Without these â€Å"moral codes,† social order would break down into chaos and anarchy.

Jeffrey Rosen Analysis Essay Example for Free

Jeffrey Rosen Analysis Essay In Jeffrey Rosen’s essay â€Å"The Naked Crowd†, he argues that people have a desire to prove and establish themselves as trustworthy in today’s society. Pressured by the public eye, many feel the need to convey personal details about themselves in order to gain this trust and feel more secure. Rosen critiques this idea, noting that if everyone exposes personal information, individuality is lost and anxiety about identity will remain. Rosen explains how individuals are constantly urged to market themselves to a world full of strangers via the Internet and its numerous social networking sites. They are expected to create a personal image that is seen as consistent and memorable. Many let out their thoughts and emotions hoping for a reassuring response from the audience. However, studies show that sharing too many personal details online may in fact have negative effects when it leads people to vent their feelings in a void, without the support of a receptive audience. Rosen also highlights how the Internet is creating an unbalanced relationship between liberty and security. He questions why people are more concerned with feeling connected than with the personal and social costs of exposure. Rosen discusses how â€Å"our conceptions of personal truthfulness has changed from sincerity to authenticity†(415). More and more people in today’s society have no problem disclosing intimate details to strangers. Some even create false images of themselves to appeal to others as trustworthy and intelligent. Rosen brings up the idea of â€Å"personal branding†, in which individuals present the best version of themselves in order to establish and maintain emotional connections with strangers. These personal branders thrive upon approval from the public, hoping to become more successful in their careers. Rosen states that amongst the chaos of everyone struggling to stand out as unique, personal branding ultimately leads to conformity. The most substantial binary opposition embedded in Rosen’s essay is the idea of privacy versus exposure. It is now common to share the most private of moments on the Web for people to consume. Not only has the Internet made it easier to reveal these personal details to a broad audience, it has unfortunately become more difficult to recover information that has already been posted. Once people decide to go public, there really is no turning back. Rosen expresses his concern with valuing exposure over privacy. Lionel Trilling of Harvard University feels that â€Å"there should be an honest correlation between what is exposed in public and what is felt in private†(Trilling 415). In other words, not everything we feel has to be shared. People have this inaccurate assumption that forcing an emotional connection with a stranger by sharing personal details will make us feel like we belong. However, exposing too much information about ourselves may lead to us feeling more alone and confused about our identity. In conclusion, individuals are too willing to give up their privacy in order to feel a sense of emotional connectedness. Our desire to gain trust from a crowd of strangers blinds us from the reality that exposing personal details has detrimental homogenizing effects. Works Cited Rosen, Jeffrey. The Naked Crowd: Reclaiming Security and Freedom in an Anxious Age. 2004. Print. Trilling, Lionel. Sincerity and Authenticity. Harvard University Press, 1972. Print.

E-Procurement and Competitive Advantage

E-Procurement and Competitive Advantage 1.0 Introduction The Internet plays an important role as it is revolutionizing the way in which business is conducted around the world. In new millennium with the emergence of electronic system, organizations are strained to shift their operation from traditional way to e-business had lead clear increase in global competition which threaten existing businesses and modernize business practices. Apart from that, technology is consider an integrate part of any business as technology can contribute to economic growth, increases productivity and quality of products as well as increases competitive advantages of industrial sectors. Besides, the developing of technology is in an increasing pace and dramatically changes business models in business sector. In such competitive environment resulted from globalization, firms must create more dynamic strategy over their competitor to survive in the business sector. Due to competition from various companies has increased as advancements in technology; it has broken down the traditional barriers to entry the market. Therefore, at the ever changing world, procurement process has been transformed into strategic resources. The use of new technology in procurement has provided substantial benefits. However, some organizations are exploiting competitive advantage through mergers, acquisitions, supply and distribution channel imptovements (Hamel and Prahalad 1994), as cited in Longenecker and Ariss (2002). 2.0 Research Objective To determine that whether e-procurement can achieve competitive advantage To investigate whether total quality management can achieve competitive advantage To examining whether implementation of e-procurement in total quality management can help to achieve further competitive advantage. 3.0 Research Questions Does e-procurement results in competitive advantage? Does total quality management results in competitive advantage? Does implementation of e-procurement in total quality management can help to achieve further competitive advantage? 4.0 Hypotheses E-Procurement can result in competitive advantage. Total quality management can result in competitive advantage. Implementation of e-procurement in total quality management can provide further competitive advantage. Literature Review 5.0 E-Procurement and Competitive Advantage 5.1 Conceptualization of E-Procurement Nowadays, the evolution of e-procurement is becoming more successively and interested on a global scale. According to Min and Galle (2003), e-procurement is defined as business-to-business purchasing practice that utilizes electronic commerce to identify potential sources of supply, to purchase goods and services, to transfer payment, and to interact with suppliers (as cited in Pearcy and Giunipero 2008, p.26). Besides that, electronic procurement consists of e-Maintenance Repair Operate (MRO), web-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), e-sourcing, e-tendering, e-auctioning, e-exchanges and e-informing (Min and Galle 2001; Knudsen 2003; Walker and Harland 2008). Apart from that, an Aberdeen Group (2001) found that e-procurement technologies are divided into 2 categories: direct procurement and indirect procurement (cited in Angeles and Nath 2007). Direct procurement is the purchase of high volume raw materials that used in the manufacturing process of a finished product (Harrigan et al. 2008). Whereas indirect procurement is the purchase of maintenance, materials and operation goods that are not directly involved in the production process such as office supplies, personal computers and advertising (Bof and Previtali 2007). Apart from that, procurement process involves a complex series of events which allows a firm to more from the basic need to reaching a final purchase decision through technical specification and potential supplier evaluation (Robinson et al. 1967, cited in Osmonbekov et al. 2002). Hence, many firms in diverse industries adopt the strategy of e-procurement and focus on restructuring the entire order-to-delivery process rath er than specific task in order to improve the efficiency of purchasing or supply management function as well as reduce operation costs of organization. 5.2 Conceptualization of Competitive Advantage The achievement of sustainable competitive advantage has long been the goal of companies and organizations. However, due to the rapid change in the global environment, researchers from various backgrounds have come up with their own different perspectives to identify definition of competitive advantage. In traditional industry, the importance of industry structure and market position plays significant roles to achieve competitive advantage (Porter 1980, cited in Ma 1999; Passemard and Kleiner 2000). According to Pfeffer and Vega (1991), the conceptualization of competitive advantage can be described as organizational practice, resource and asset that used to improve an organizations competitive position in the marketplace (as cited in Longenecker and Ariss 2002). Porter (1985) further description on competitive advantage grows out of the firms unique ability in creating superior customer value (as cited in Ma 2002, p.525). However, recently, Rindova and Fombrun (1999), state that competitive advantage is built on relationship and not an exchanges sustained social interactions in impressions which may affect future behaviors (cited in Tzokas and Saren 2004). 5.3 Competitive strategies in E-Procurement E-procurement has been seen to have the potential to play a pivotal role in a firms endeavours to create a competitive cost advantage that lasts for many years, hence grounding sustainable competitive advantage (Bloomberg et al. 2002, p. 14) cited in (Pires and Stanton 2005). In order to achieve sustainable competitive advantage, company should concern on the implementation of organizational business strategy in area of e-procurement. However, if the organization fails to apply a successful strategy, it will result in loss of business productivity and competitiveness which will undermine the long-term performance of the organization. Apart from that, a firm can enhance its market position and competitive strength by developing procurement strategy. Below are the competitive strategies which e-procurement can achieve competitive advantage: 5.3.1 Cost Reduction The reduction of purchasing cost has been recognized as one of the most significant purposes in procurement (Collis and Montgomery 1995), since the average manufacturing firm spends half of its sales revenue on the purchase of materials (cited in Ordanini and Rubera 2008). Furthermore, research shows that by using e-procurement can achieve cost saving which average reduction in purchase price of 17 per cent (Bartezzaghi and Ronchi 2005, cited as Harrigan et al. 2008). Additionally, by implementing e-procurement in an organization, it can help us to reduce purchase price of materials and costs that related to internal workflow of activities such as equipment and labour costs. With the use of electronic procurement, transactions can be proceed through HTML, EDI, e-mail and Internet which can eliminate the usage paper requisition for placing order, invoice as well as receipt (Sarkis et al. 2004). Additionally, Companies using e-procurement have reported savings up to 42% in purchasing t ransaction cost associated with less paperwork, which translates into fewer mistakes and more efficient purchasing process (Davila et al. 2002). 5.3.2 Efficiency Maximization E-procurement can improve the efficiency of the process which order fulfillment time can shortened up to 80 per cent (Minahan 2001, cited in Harrigan et al. 2008) as well as reduced the inventory levels (Min and Galle 2003). Thus, e-procurement has impact on the purchasing cycle time and delivery time. In order to achieve high quality performance, mostly organizations has seen the benefits of applying new technologies in its manufacturing processes because it can manufacture in a high volume production without any concerns in regards to cost. The investment in advanced equipment has enabled the company to achieve a high level of process capability that could not achieve by manual processes. Due to there are many repetitive and complicated tasks that machines can do which human being cannot do it. According to Bof and Previtali (2007), electronic procurement can accelerated the flow of important information between buyers and suppliers as well as elimination of transaction errors by transform the way of purchasing raw material from traditional methods to online. Currently, the use of internet serve as a foundation of data flow for strategic manufacturing purpose in e-procurement such as using barcodes in firms to manage the raw material. As the workflow automatically routes information through the purchasing process without re-keying all the date, user can use it easily and with a minimal error. According to Smith and Correa (2005), they stated that by using e-business can lead to highly accurate information gathering though proper database via internet and it enable to indentify each product moving throughout supply chain. Apart from that, the information that recorded in the system are stored in a real-time fashion, therefore, users can acquire an accurate tracking in supply chain compared with the traditional manual methods. Therefore the adoption of e-procurement will improve efficiency that can strengthen competitive advantage in firms and industries. In general, firms should adopt the e-procurement strategies to achieve competitive advantage among the competitors. For instance, firms need to learn the management practices which are reduce production costs by elimination waste and achieving higher efficiency to capture the attention of the suppliers. 6.0 Total Quality Management and Competitive Advantage 6.1 Conceptualization of Total Quality Management (TQM) Since 1980s, TQM has been regarded as one of the competitive strategies for firm to improve their competitive advantage and has widely implemented throughout the world (Kuei et al. 2001; Brah et al. 2002; Rad 2006). Besides that, TQM has been widely regarded as rational structure and scientific tools for the improvement of quality as well as improve competitive advantage (Sun 2000; Li et al. 2002). There is no universally agreed definition on TQM as many researchers have their own beliefs and prejudices towards the term (Martinez-Lorente 1998; Sun 2000; Psychogios and Priporas 2007; KlefsjÃÆ' ¶ et al. 2008). However, the definition provided by researchers is more like vague descriptions than definitions and contain terms as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ a philosophy, which à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ an approach for à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (KlefsjÃÆ' ¶ et al. 2008). As just an example, Rad (2006) defines TQM as a philosophy which provides a template for success to an organization through customer satisfaction. On the other hand, in recent years, a tendency toward agreement on a system perspective of TQM has been suggested. One such definition is from Hellsten and KlefsjÃÆ' ¶ (2000), who define TQM as a continuously evolving management system consisting of core values, methodologies and tools, the aim of which is to increase external and internal customer satisfaction with a reduced amount of resources (cited in KlefsjÃÆ' ¶ et al. 2008, p. 121). The definition provided by Hellsten and KlefsjÃÆ' ¶ (2000) is stated clearly as it consists of three components which are interdependent and supporting each of the values to sustaining a culture based on a kernel of core values. 6.2 Competitive strategies in TQM In order to compete with the increasingly of competitors, it has forced organizations find ways to reduce costs while maintaining customer satisfaction and making continuous improvement to the products. Since 1980, TQM has been recognized as a way to achieve goal by establishing a quality-based culture for improving customer satisfaction. Apart from that, TQM has been widely recognized as one of the most competitive weapon, if implemented successfully, provides a competitive advantage for organizations through quality (Martins and Toledo 2000; Beskese and Cebeci 2001; Prajogo and Sohal 2004). In order to achieve the goals of organization, they should implementing successful TQM strategies. 6.2.1 Quality Focus Currently, TQM have become a key focus for organizations as it considers as tools for improvement quality. According to Mandel et al. (2000), he noted that the implication of quality as a factor of international planning. Quality improvement refers to the efforts on increasing effectiveness and efficiency in order to satisfy customer expectations (Talha 2004). Organizations must plan the strategic to implement quality improvement planning into their business plan. If the organization has emphasized quality as an important strategic, this will leads to higher sales and operating profits as well as improve the competitive positions of the firm as the customers will pay more to quality products that satisfy them. Also, nowadays customers are become more sophisticated, continuous improvement in product quality is essential to satisfy their needs. Therefore, once the organizations satisfy the requirements of customer, items are producing according to specifications, it will minimizing defective items and the cost of rework (Khan 2003). Yet, TQM will increase the organizations competitive advantage because they concentrated on the improvements to offer superior quality of products to its customers (Martins and Toledo 2000). Hence, quality improvement is essential for the very survival of a company to achieve competitive advantage. 6.2.2 Customer Focus Customers have their expectations towards an organization which they patronize. If the expectations are not met, they will get dissatisfied and stop patronizing the organization; hence customer satisfaction is one of the important elements to attain competitive advantage. According to Bergman and Klefsjo (2003), satisfied customer are loyal customers and loyal customers are profitable customers and profitable customers make lucrative businesses and happy owners (cited in Bergquist et al. 2005, p. 312). However, customers are usually irrational. In order to develop their potential quality, companies need to develop the strategies on customer focus. Generally, customer focus means as the activities of the companies are intended to benefit the customer but the customer is seen from the companies own perspective (Lagrosen 2001, p.350). Organizations should make an effort to gain information regarding the needs and wants of the customer rather than always focus on the companies view of product and its features. 6.2.3 Process Focus The goal of process management is to zeroing down the defective and failures rate as well as reduce process variation by building quality into the production process which can reduced cost. According to Ou et al. (n.d.), inferior quality manufacturing process will increase high scrap rate and rework rate which will lead to use more resource to produce qualified products. Therefore, firms should concern on process management to avoid the occurrences of unnecessary costs such as waste costs by finding quality problems immediately. TQM implementation can directly increasing firms quality performance by improving manufacturing process, has indirect effects on increasing customer satisfaction as well as the reputation of firms. By reducing unnecessary waste cost such as waste of production, avoidable process and waste of defects, firms can put into practice of lean production. According to Womack and Jones (1996), lean production has its origin in philosophy of achieving improvements in most economical ways with special focus on reducing waste (cited in Dahlgaard and Dahlgaard-Park 2006, p. 264). For instance, firm can designing the production process and giving orders and instructions to the workers. The improvement of manufacturing efficiency will improve customers satisfaction and eventually the companys financial performance. 6.3 Adoption of e-Procurement in Total Quality Management to achieve Competitive Advantage There is no clearly evidence shows that the adoption of e-procurement in total quality management can achieve further competitive advantage, however it can be shows that the ways of both e-procurement and TQM are almost using same strategies to achieve competitive advantage. 6.3.1 Business-to-business (B2B) E-procurement E-procurement is defined as the use of information technologies to facilitate business-to-business (B2B) purchase transactions for materials and services (Wu et al. 2007, cited in Walker and Harland 2008). With the development of B2B e-procurement, the traditional method of business are replaced by the electronically transactions. Besides that, BCB e-procurement can help TQM in achieving competitive advantage. 6.3.1.1 Cost Minimization Application of e-procurement practices into total quality management is beneficial as it can improve facilitation of efficient and cost-effective trading routes to conduct business. According to Harrigan et al. (2008), e-procurement can reduce purchasing costs by amending the way raw materials are purchasing from traditional methods to online ordering. With the implementation of e-procurement, transactions can be proceed via e-mail, electronic data interchange, fax which can directly eliminate paper usage such as invoice, receipts as well as paper catalogs. However, Turban et al. (2006) argues that systematic procurement transactions tend to waste time on non-value-adding activities such as handling errors in ordering and invoicing, data entry which often time consuming and costly to trace (cited in Aboelmaged 2009). 6.3.1.2 Efficiency Maximization Apart from the cost reductions arising from transactional, e-procurement can also contribute to efficient purchasing process in many ways. As earlier mention, TQM have been emphasized that its main focus is improving products quality, therefore it may be less paying attention on giving maximize efficiency. Consequently, by implementation e-procurement in TQM can achieve maximum efficiency. It is obvious that e-procurement greatly helps improve communication with suppliers providing access to the information 24 hours a day. Therefore, the system availability can makes it easier for businesses to receive order from the supplier and summit an order. By providing greater access, firms can reduce the purchasing cycle time and improved performance between buyers and suppliers. According to Choudhury et al. (1998), repetition in the procurement system will increase the efficiency and result in a higher level of electronic integration between buyers and suppliers (cited in Walker and Harland 2008). 6.3.1.3 Methods of B2B e-procurement Previously, most of the organizations are using traditional modes of communication such as phone, fax, memo and face-to-face. However, through evolution of the technologies, organizations can improve the speed in business transactions through the utilization of the B2B e-procurement methods: 1. Reverse Auctions. A reverse e-auction is a form of the electronic data communication which provides a forum wherein several suppliers compete online for contracts offered by a customer (Tassabehji et al. 2006). Due to no human intervention along with computerized accessible format, it can help both parties gain form less paperwork, shorted cycle times for circulation requesters for quotations, faster responses to potential bidders and reduced transaction costs (Plouffe et al. 2001). 2. Lean procurement. Lean procurement generally imply on small quantity of products purchased frequently from few suppliers, who deliver the items in exact quantities at the specific time and place (Wilson and Roy 2009). It also further noted that lean procurement unlike the traditional purchasing system such as TQM where the price considerations, suppliers are evaluated through the reliability, behaviors, performance as well as price. Based on the traditional purchasing system, the relationship between buyers and suppliers are based on the long-term trust and commitment. 3. Internet. Through internet, companies have ability to speed up the business transactions through a faster way as it allows companies to pay invoices and payment electronically. Besides that, the use of internet through videoconferencing provides a visual contract which allows companies communicate with the suppliers (Samaniego 2006). 7.0 Theoretical Framework Competitive Advantage E-Procurement Total Quality Management 8.0 Research Methods 8.1 Explanatory My research is about the ways of e-procurement and total quality management in achieving competitive advantage of organizations. In the literature review, I am explaining the relationship between e-procurement and competitive advantage as well as total quality management and competitive advantage; therefore my research is an explanatory study. According to Saunders et al. (2009), explanatory study is known as causal study which is emphasizes on explaining the relationships between variables. 8.2 Research Philosophy The research philosophy that I adopt in the literature review is epistemology. Epistemology concerns what constitutes acceptable knowledge in a field of study (Saunders et al, 2009, p. 112). This research will be mostly exploring the strategies of how e-procurement and TQM to achieve competitive advantage. Besides that, although many successful cases that shows that e-procurement and TQM can provide competitive advantage to an organization. However, I may not be able to know that e-procurement and TQM can achieve competitive advantage. Therefore, I a going to do this research to find out how e-procurement and TQM can help an organization achieve competitive advantage. Furthermore, the fact that it is an explanatory study also makes this research epistemology. Both the cause and the effect are known under an explanatory effect. In this research, I will acts as a positivist. A positivist will prefer working with an observable social reality and that the end products of such research can be law-like generalizations similar to those produced by the physical and natural scientists (Remenyi et al., 1998, p. 32, as cited in Saunders et al., 2009, p. 113). Therefore, I will only based on the quantifiable observations which I can see, hear and touch to develop hypotheses. 8.3 Approach Deductive approach is an approach of working from more general idea to a more specific idea and also known as waterfall approach and therefore, conclusion follows logically from the premises (Gill Johnson, 2010). My research will utilize deductive approach since the theory and hypothesis have been created at the starting of the research. Besides that, the research itself is an observation to further confirm the relationship between e-procurement, TQM and competitive advantage as well as allows me to test and confirm my hypothesis. 8.4 Method The research measurements used in this study will be mixture of qualitative and quantitative factors. A quantitative research aims at determining the relationship between one thing and another (Denzin Lincon, 2005). A qualitative research is used to address research questions that require explanation or understanding of social phenomena and their contexts (Ritchie and Lewis, 2003). In this research, I will more focus on quantitative research instead of qualitative research. By using quantitative research, I can find out the following data: 1. The percentage of organizations which are successfully achieving competitive advantage after adoption of either e-procurement, TQM, or both. 2. The percentage of organizations which adopt neither e-procurement nor TQM, but have achieved competitive advantage. Besides that, I plan to apply structured questionnaire and interview which form by structured questions and answers. Structured interviews use questionnaires based on standardized set of questions which can be result more accurate and credible data. Although quantitative research is the main focus in this research, qualitative research is still under consideration towards these issues. Under qualitative methods, I will be using semi-structured and in-depth questionnaire and interview. A semi-structured questionnaire or interview is where the questions are structured but the answers are left unstructured. However, in-depth questionnaire or interview is where both the questions and answers are unstructured. Therefore, my research choice is Mixed Methods whereby both quantitative and qualitative methods are being considered. 8.5 Strategies The strategies that can be implemented in conducting this research are survey. Survey is a research strategy that involves the structured collection of data from a sizeable population (Saunders et al., 2009). The reason for choosing survey as my strategy is survey allows me to collect the quantitative data which I can analyze quantitatively using statistics. By using survey, I can easily calculate the percentage of increase in profits after implementing e-procurement and TQM. Through the survey, questionnaire will be given. Structured questionnaires bring convenience for me when carrying out the percentage calculation. Another strategy that can be implemented is archival research which makes use of administrative records and documents as the principal source of data (Saunders et al., 2009). In this research, archival research can used to identify the companies in the past that have been successful in achieving e-procurement and TQM and changing effects that has led to their success. 8.6 Sampling Sampling techniques are used to define the target population by keeping with the objectives of the study. Hence, sampling methods are techniques for collecting sub-volumes from larger volume of target population (Groves et al., 2010). Sample selection will be done on a random basis to avoid selection bias. In this research, the sampling method that will be use is stratified random sampling. Stratified random sampling is a modification of random sampling in which you divide the population into two or more relevant strata based on one or a number of attributes (Saunders et al., 2009, p. 228). I will divide all companies in Malaysia into 4 groups which are companies that implement e-procurement, companies that implement TQM, companies that implement both e-procurement and TQM as well as companies that do not implement both e-procurement and TQM. In this case, companies will be selected using random sampling. Besides that, 50 questionnaires will be distributed randomly to every company. 8.7 Time Horizon In terms of time horizon, my research will be considered as cross-sectional study. Cross-sectional study refers to data gathered only once over a period of time. Since this research must complete within 1 month, I am not be able to analyze the development of e-procurement in future. Therefore, my research will more focus on the e-procurement of e-procurement nowadays and explain the relationship between every variable. Besides that, this research typically deals with historical data, hence the necessity to get results frequently is comparatively low as the industry conditions will not change rapidly. 8.8 Possible Result For the hypothesis of this research to be true, it must be supported by the fact that adoption of e-procurement in TQM can provide further competitive advantage. Besides that, the results of the survey as well as archival research should show that the companies that implement neither e-procurement nor TQM can achieve competitive advantage. However, if the result of this research shows that the adoption of e-procurement in TQM does not achieve competitive advantage then the hypothesis of the research will be proven false. 9.0 Conclusion Based on reading of literature, I can suggest that hypothesis of this research paper is accepted. It clearly shows that e-procurement and TQM on business can achieve and sustaining competitive advantage in business world nowadays. The development of e-procurement does give a huge impact on business management will continuing technological revolution provides a number of challenges for firms today. An efficient e-procurement should implement competitive strategies to achieve competitive advantage as well as enhance market position in market. Besides that, a further competitive advantage can be gained by implementing e-procurement in TQM. Hence, it can be concluded that adoption of both e-procurement and TQM can bring organization to achieve further competitive advantage. However, in practice, TQM benefits are not easy to achieve. Many organizations and companies have difficulties in implementing TQM due to lack of consistent senior management commitment, superficial knowledge of imple menters of TQM as well as lack of strategic plan for change. In other words, TQM can have a dramatic impact on an organization. (4258 words) 10.0 References Aberdeen Group. (2001). Best Practices in e-Procurement: The Abridged Report. Aberdeen Group, Boston, MA. Cited in Angeles, R. and Nath, R. (2007). Business-to-business e-procurement: success factors and challenges to implementation. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal. Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 104-115. Aboelmaged, M.G. (2009). Predicting e-procurement adoption in a developing country. Industrial Management and Data Systems. Vol. 110, No. 3, pp. 392-414. Angeles, R. and Nath, R. (2007). Business-to-business e-procurement: success factors and challenges to implementation. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal. Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 104-115. Bartezzaghi, E. and Ronchi, S. (2005). E-sourcing in a buyer-operator-seller perspective: benefits and criticalities. Production Planning and Control. Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 405-412. Cited in Harrigan, P.O., Boyd, M.M., Ramsey, E. and Ibbotson, P. (2008). The development of e-procurement within the ICT manufacturing industry in Ireland. Management Decision. Vol. 46, No. 3, pp. 481-500. Bergman, B. and KlefsjÃÆ' ¶, B. (2003). Quality from Customer Needs to Customer Satisfaction. (2nd edn). Studentlitteratur, Lund. Cited in Bergquist, B., Fredriksson, M. and Svensson, M. (2005). TQM: terrific quality marvel or tragic quality malpractice?. The TQM Magazine. Vol. 17, No. 4, pp. 309-321. Bergquist, B., Fredriksson, M. and Svensson, M. (2005). TQM: terrific quality marvel or tragic quality malpractice?. The TQM Magazine. Vol. 17, No. 4, pp. 309-321. Beskese, A. and Cebeci, U. (2001). Total quality management and ISO 9000 applications in Turkey. The TQM Magazine. Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 69-73. Bloomberg, D., S. LeMay and J. Hanna. (2002). Logistics. Prentice Hall. Cited in Pires, G.D. and Stanton, J. (2005). A research framework for the electronic procurement adoption process: Drawing from Australian evidence. Journal of Global Business and Technology. Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 12-20. Bof, F. and Previtali, P. (2007). Organisational Pre-Conditions for e-Procurement in Governments: the Italian Experience in Public Health Care Sector. The Electronic Journal of e-Government. Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 1-10. Brah, S.A., Tee, S.S.L. and Rao, B.M. (2002). Relationship between TQM and performance of Singapore companies. International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management. Vol. 19, No. 4, pp. 356-379. Choudhury, V., Hartzel, K. and Kosynski, B. (1998). Uses and consequences of electronic markets: an empirical investigation in the aircraft

Chocolate Store :: Factories Jobs Employment Essays

Chocolate Store Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory or RMCF for short is a franchise store with the parent company located in Durango, Colorado which was established in 1981.There are many different Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factories around the U.S. and there are a few in Michigan.There is the one I work at in Somerset Mall in Troy, one at Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights and another one at Great Lakes Crossing to name a few.The particular store that I work in has been there for 3 Â ½ years (since Somerset North has opened) and was previously owned by a man for about a year and a half when he decided to sell it to the current owner and my boss Alan Rosen.The store is located in Somerset Mall on the North side on the 1st level between the California Pizza Kitchen (CPK for short) and Starbucks. Somerset Mall has two sides to it, the South side that is the older of the two and the North side, which just opened in August of 1997.The sides are divided by Big Beaver Road and connecting the two sides is a glass covered walkway so people can go from ones side to the other without having to drive.It is located in the business district of Troy on the crossroads of Big Beaver and Cooliage.Somerset has a mostly upper to middle class cliental that frequent it.The South side is the more conservative side where you can find stores such as Saks 5th Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Tiffany’s and many more.This side is more for the older well to do people because it is the more expensive of the two sides.The North side, where I work, has a more contemporary vibe to it.There you will find stores such as Hudson’s, Nordstrom’s, Abercrombie & Fitch, Express, and a lot of others.This is where most people shop because it has everything from a food court and restaurants to trendy store s to a stage where plays are put on and right now a place to visit Santa.Compared to other malls Somerset is more snobby some would say because when you go there you feel like you have to dress nice just to go shopping.While other malls like Oakland Mall, also located in Troy, say you can feel comfortable there even if you shop in your P.J.’s. RMCF is a medium sized store and as you walk into it through a set of double glass doors, on the left will be all of the various caramel apples that we make about every other day and if is really busy we make it everyday so they are fresh.

Cold Mountain : The Civil War Essay -- essays research papers

Cold Mountain: The Civil War   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Civil War was a four year armed conflict between northern and southern sections of the United States. The Civil War cost more American lives than any other war in history. There were bout 3 million people who fought in the beginning of the Civil War and about 600,000 people’s lives were lost at the end of the war. What began for many as a romantic adventure soon became a heartbreaking bitter struggle between the two parts of a divided country. This, however, was more than the industrial North fighting against the agricultural South. There were divided families with brother fighting brother. Some Northerners joined the Southern ranks and some Southerners were in the Union army, each fighting for what he thought was right.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most obvious causes of the Civil War were the issues of states’ rights and slavery.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hundreds of books, movies, and documentaries have been published on the Civil War. One of them was writ ten by Charles Frazier called Cold Mountain. The novel focuses on the life during the Civil War.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cold Mountain captures some of the spirit and reality of the Civil War. Many people contributed their time, effort and lives in the Civil War. The main character, Inman, walks away from a hospital for Confederate wounded at the start of the book and is constantly on the move, meeting odd and dangerous characters, even a Circe. Beginning with Inman’s decision to leave the hospital where he has been recovering from a near fatal neck wound which turns him into a deserter, or an â€Å"outlier†. As a fugitive, Inman must take back roads and obscure footpaths, always hiding from the murderous Home Guards. Inman is sickened by the wanton waste of young lives on the battle field and torn between the traditional conflict of valor and cowardice. In the field hospital, the injured Confederate private witnesses the brutality of both sides in the most bloody of American armed struggles, the War Between the States. Emotionally shaken, Inman realizes that he will r eturn to the front and possible death as soon as he is well. He watches men on both sides ordered to charge into lethal barrages of gunfire and cannon shot, only to fall after a few precious steps. On more than one occasion, he is forced to kill. Inman is haunted by ni... ...m. Everything that she wanted, he gave her. He was a trader who lost his money because of the war, (†¦Ã¢â‚¬ at arm’s length the war, the embargo, the various other expressions of hard times, and their effect on Ada’s income†¦(61),† which left Ada nothing when he died.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Goat woman is an old lady that takes care of goats, and had been far away from the human world. She meets Inman while she is doing something to a bird trap. The goat woman takes care of Inman for a few days and helped heal his neck wound from the battle and from the wandering Home Guard.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Charles Frazier had a very different way of narrating a story about the Civil War. Usually when people think of the word war, they think of it as people killing people or something more brutal. But instead, Charles Frazier focused his novel on how the war affected the lives of the people during the war. It was a very realistic novel because his characters were not all heroes, they were ordinary people with struggles and problems that they have to deal with and adapt to. Frazier did an excellent job by recapturing the war and how it affected those people who lived in Cold Mountain. Cold Mountain : The Civil War Essay -- essays research papers Cold Mountain: The Civil War   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Civil War was a four year armed conflict between northern and southern sections of the United States. The Civil War cost more American lives than any other war in history. There were bout 3 million people who fought in the beginning of the Civil War and about 600,000 people’s lives were lost at the end of the war. What began for many as a romantic adventure soon became a heartbreaking bitter struggle between the two parts of a divided country. This, however, was more than the industrial North fighting against the agricultural South. There were divided families with brother fighting brother. Some Northerners joined the Southern ranks and some Southerners were in the Union army, each fighting for what he thought was right.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most obvious causes of the Civil War were the issues of states’ rights and slavery.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hundreds of books, movies, and documentaries have been published on the Civil War. One of them was writ ten by Charles Frazier called Cold Mountain. The novel focuses on the life during the Civil War.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cold Mountain captures some of the spirit and reality of the Civil War. Many people contributed their time, effort and lives in the Civil War. The main character, Inman, walks away from a hospital for Confederate wounded at the start of the book and is constantly on the move, meeting odd and dangerous characters, even a Circe. Beginning with Inman’s decision to leave the hospital where he has been recovering from a near fatal neck wound which turns him into a deserter, or an â€Å"outlier†. As a fugitive, Inman must take back roads and obscure footpaths, always hiding from the murderous Home Guards. Inman is sickened by the wanton waste of young lives on the battle field and torn between the traditional conflict of valor and cowardice. In the field hospital, the injured Confederate private witnesses the brutality of both sides in the most bloody of American armed struggles, the War Between the States. Emotionally shaken, Inman realizes that he will r eturn to the front and possible death as soon as he is well. He watches men on both sides ordered to charge into lethal barrages of gunfire and cannon shot, only to fall after a few precious steps. On more than one occasion, he is forced to kill. Inman is haunted by ni... ...m. Everything that she wanted, he gave her. He was a trader who lost his money because of the war, (†¦Ã¢â‚¬ at arm’s length the war, the embargo, the various other expressions of hard times, and their effect on Ada’s income†¦(61),† which left Ada nothing when he died.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Goat woman is an old lady that takes care of goats, and had been far away from the human world. She meets Inman while she is doing something to a bird trap. The goat woman takes care of Inman for a few days and helped heal his neck wound from the battle and from the wandering Home Guard.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Charles Frazier had a very different way of narrating a story about the Civil War. Usually when people think of the word war, they think of it as people killing people or something more brutal. But instead, Charles Frazier focused his novel on how the war affected the lives of the people during the war. It was a very realistic novel because his characters were not all heroes, they were ordinary people with struggles and problems that they have to deal with and adapt to. Frazier did an excellent job by recapturing the war and how it affected those people who lived in Cold Mountain.

Legalizing Marjuana Essay

The legalization of marijuana in the United States has been a major issue for several years. There are many opinions on this topic, some people don’t give marijuana a thought. Many people including most government consider marijuana a â€Å"bad drug†. Marijuana actually has many good uses. Marijuana should be legalized for medical purposes, to reduce America’s prison population and to boost the economy. The use of marijuana as a medicine is rapidly becoming popular in the treatment of various types of illnesses. Sixty-five percent of Americans were for legalizing marijuana for medical purposes (Update: Medical Marijuana). Every year there are different trials being done that prove marijuana has good medicinal use. Medical marijuana can be used in providing pain relief for people with different cancers and HIV/AIDS (Update: Medical Marijuana). It has been used to provide relief for nerve pain in patients with AIDS (Update: Medical Marijuana). Marijuana is also eff ective in treating nausea in cancer patients that go through chemotherapy. Some States have already legalized medicinal marijuana, while others are more reserved. Georgia just legalized the use of marijuana oils to be used for medicinal purposes. Additionally, people being arrested for marijuana is causing over population in the prison systems. Some people that support the legalization of marijuana think that law enforcement fighting the war against drugs should focus their attention towards other violent crimes or hard-core street drugs. Marijuana is the most widely used and prosecuted drug in the United States (Decriminalizing Marijuana). Ninety percent of the people arrested in 2007 were arrested for simple possession alone (Decriminalizing Marijuana). People that are being arrested for marijuana are being sent to jail/prison with violent criminals. Law enforcement could use a different way of dealing with people that are being arrested for marijuana like righting a ticket, inste ad of spending taxpayer’s dollars on sending them to prison. The over population in our prison system is a heavy burden on taxpayers. Furthermore, legalizing marijuana would be a major boost for the struggling economy. More people are in agreement with legalizing marijuana when the issue focuses on using it as a taxable substance (Decriminalizing Marijuana). There is such a demand for marijuana already that legalizing it could only boost the economy instead of hurting it. Unemployment has been a major issue in America today. Legalizing marijuana would generate jobs for thousands of people in various different fields of work. In addition, the tax revenue would benefit students of all ages by providing grants and scholarships for education. It has been estimated that legalizing marijuana would generate $10-$14 billion dollars in savings and tax revenue annually (Decriminalizing Marijuana). Instead of the government spending money on restricting the use of marijuana, they could make money off legalizing it. The government could tax marijuana just as they tax tobacco and alcohol. In conclusion, the times are changing, more states are agreeing to legalize marijuana, both for medicinal purposes and recreational use. Mar ijuana should not be treated any different from the way people treat alcohol and tobacco. Legalizing marijuana would benefit Americans for medicinal use, it would also decrease over crowding in our prison populations and help our struggling economy. It is time for our government leaders to become more open minded when it comes to the topic of marijuana. Works Cited Update: Medical Marijuana.† Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 15 July 2009. Web. 28 Mar. 2014. . Decriminalizing Marijuana.† Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 25 Apr. 2011. Web. 28 Mar. 2014. .

Assessment for Learning Essay

â€Å"Assessment for learning is the process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learners and their teachers to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to get there†. Assessment Reform Group, 2002 The teacher has ultimate responsibility for setting schemes of work for the class with clear objectives (Formative assessment) and writing end of term and end of year reports drawing together the information gained through assessment for learning. (Summative Assessment) The learning objectives are delivered to the class by the teacher and it is the TA’s responsibility to be aware of: †¢ the learning objectives, †¢ the personalised learning goals for individual learners. †¢ the success criteria for the learning activities †¢ the assessment opportunities and strategies relevant to their own role in the learning activities While taking the children through the scheme of work the TA will support the children by discussing their individual objectives this can also be done with groups of children who are working at the same level with the same learning outcomes. This is done to check that the children understand what is expected of them. This needs to be reviewed throughout the lesson. It is the TA’s job to pace the session to the learning style and ability of the children. At the end of the session the TA needs to give positive, factual feedback to the children and the teacher. This will include your observations on how the pupils responded and the strategies that were useful. The discussion between the teacher and the TA will enable further objectives to be set for the next lesson. Both the teacher and the TA are fully involved in the assessment of learner’ achievement with the TA fully supporting the teacher. 1. 2 Summarise the difference between formative and summative assessment. In 2004, at a conference of Assessors, Professor Paul Black pointed out â€Å"An assessment activity can help learning if it provides information to be used as feedback, by teachers, and by their students, in assessing themselves and each other, to modify the teaching and learning activities in which they are engaged. â€Å" Formative and Summative Assessment are the two main forms of assessment used by the teaching profession. Formative assessment (Assessment for Learning) is the type of assessment that takes place day to day during lesson time. It is the reviewing of progress and understanding of the pupil, against the learning objectives set by the teacher. This can be done in a variety of ways such as observation, open questioning of pupils, checking understanding and allowing the children to be involved in the reviewing process during and at the end of a lesson. It allows learners to self-assess and self-evaluate their learning experience hopefully enabling them to become responsible learners who understand what they have to improve to allow them to meet their goals. Formative Assessment: †¢ occurs during the learning †¢ done with learners †¢ processed focused †¢ to improve learning †¢ is personally referenced Summative Assessment (Assessment of Learning) is the pulling together of the learning outcomes of tests at the end of a scheme of work, formative assessment and professional judgements to provide an end of term report showing what the pupils have achieved, it could also take the form of a Key stage SATs. It is outcome focused, occurs after the learning has been taught and is a way of measuring and proving learning. Summative Assessment: †¢ occurs after the learning †¢ done to learners †¢ outcome focused †¢ to prove learning. †¢ externally referneced While the two forms of assessment are entirely different the resulting information from both types can be used to help with setting learning objectives. The two types of assessment are not necessarily to be used separately they should complement each other, as the use of Afl can help pupils perform better on summative assessment tasks and summative assessment can reflect the impact of Afl. 1. 3 Explain the characteristics of Assessment For Learning. Assessment for learning encourages the learner to take responsibility for their own learning and achievements. This is done by providing them with the following information: Learning intentions A learning intention is simply a description of what you want your pupils to know, understand or be able to do by the end of a lesson. It tells pupils what the focus for learning is going to be. They can also be call â€Å"Learning Objectives†, â€Å"Learning Goals† or† Learning Aims† Making sure that he pupils are aware of their learning intentions before the lesson begins in language that the pupils will identify with, focuses their attention to the learning and how to achieve their intention rather than the activity they are undertaking. This can help keep the pupil focused on task for longer by increasing their motivation. The pupils should be reminded of the learning intentions throughout the lesson. Success Criteria This shows the learners what they need to achieve to meet the ‘Learning Intentions’ Success Criteria: †¢ are linked to the learning intention; †¢ are specific to an activity; †¢ are discussed and agreed with pupils prior to undertaking the activity; †¢ provide a scaffold and focus for pupils while engaged in the activity; and †¢ are used as the basis for feedback and peer-/self-assessment. Formative feedback About the quality of their work and what they can do to make it better; Giving pupils’ feedback and allowing them to feedback to the teacher how they feel their learning went. . Ambergate school regularly asked the children how they think they have done by giving a â€Å"thumbs up†, â€Å"thumbs down† or â€Å"thumbs sideways† to indicate how the children feel about what they have been taught. Sometimes the children will be asked what they know of the subject about to be taught and to mark themselves out of ten in their books. At the end of the lesson they then give themselves another mark out of ten and compare how they have fared. Effective Questioning To create a classroom climate where pupils come up with their own ideas, think aloud and explore their understanding. Questioning should take the form of open-ended questions to encourage the children putting their own ideas forward without being led by an adult. The adult can then ask the children’s peers what they think of another child’s idea to generate feedback. Generally in the lessons in Ambergate school the children are reminded when working to ask, who, what, when, why and how to ensure they get sufficient feedback to enable them with the tasks set. Peer and Self-Assessment and Evaluation. Peer and Self-Assessment enables learners to recognise success in their own and others’ work and to focus on how they are learning as well as what they are learning. Ambergate school regularly asked the children how they think they have done by giving a â€Å"thumbs up†, â€Å"thumbs down† or â€Å"thumbs sideways† to indicate how the children feel about what they have been taught. Sometimes the children will be asked what they know of the subject about to be taught and to mark themselves out of ten in their books. At the end of the lesson they then give themselves another mark out of ten and compare how they have fared. To summarise Assessment for learning meets individuals needs and maximises their full potential through continual monitoring. All staff are allowed to contribute to future planning by feeding their findings back to the teacher. 1. 4 Explain the importance and benefit of assessment for learning. Continuous assessment improves performance and behaviour, allows pupils to work more independently and it also improves motivation and risk taking. By increasing two way communications Assessment for Learning helps to strengthen the teacher pupil relations. From the teachers point of view AFl improves planning and delivery of the lessons while creating an opportunity to check the quality of the lessons and amend activities to ensure they meet the learning needs. For the child it tells them where they are with their learning in each subject, gives them ideas on how to further achieve to ultimately get success in the given goal. Assessment approaches need to promote learner engagement and ensure appropriate support so that all learners can achieve their aspirational goals and maximise their potential. It has been proven that children who do not feel part of the learner process quickly lose interest. Therefore, responses should be based on thoughtful questions, careful listening and reflective responses and effective feedback strategies. 1. 5 Explain how assessment can contribute to planning for future learning carried out by †¢ The Teacher Assessment for Learning helps the teacher to make well-founded judgements about pupil’s attainment while placing responsibility for managing learning on the child, with the goal of pupils being more actively involved with the learning process. As indicated above, the process involves explaining learning outcomes to pupils, providing them with feedback on their progress and enabling them to develop their self-assessment skills so that they are able to reflect on, and recognise, their own achievements. Knowing precisely what the pupil understands & then moving them on leads to effective learning. †¢ The Learners The process will keep the pupil informed of on-going process, giving them an insight into how they learn and which areas they need to improve to achieve the objectives set. This helps to increase their confidence, motivation and independence and also how to recognise when they need to ask for help. †¢ The Learning Support Practitioner. Assessment for learning will provide you with information of how each child learns and the knowledge they already have, which will help in how you further question the pupil. This can be tailored to suit the individual pupils pace and ability to learn. In a recent Maths lesson on Division techniques, on periodically checking the children’s understanding it became clear that they knew how to divide using the Chunking Method but the answers that some of the children were getting were incorrect. This caused the TA to check their work and come to the conclusion that the children’s knowledge in subtraction of 3 figure numbers was letting them down. On feeding back to the teacher she said she had noticed the same problem with the group of children that she was supporting. With this feedback, the TA and the Teacher implemented a refresher lesson on subtraction in the next Maths lesson to fill the gap in the children’s knowledge and allow the children to move forward with their knowledge and ultimate success with Division Techniques. Bibliography www. education. gov. uk Assessment for Learning for KS1 and KS2 Northern Ireland Supporting Teaching and Learning L3 – Louise Burnham.