Burmas Stateless Minority under the Tip of Globalizations Spear Essay

Bangladesh and Burma, two of Asia’s poorest nations, displaced and stateless people of rohingya suffer in silence at the hands of the military government in Burma’s Orwellian new capital of Naypyidaw, Bangladesh caretakers are being less sympathetic to them. People of rohingya are being crashed to death . there are children starving in the darkness of dawn in these Asian century. India and China are interested in resuscitating decrepit colonial era ports and WWII era transport routes in their weak states in the name of securing resources for their respective domestic economic progress. Discussion Complex patterns of today’s transnational human exodus across political and cultural boundaries examples of massive underground movement Rohingya are people they are never heard of they live in a place no one could never want to live they inhabit a violent landscape of crisis completely devoid of human rights. Women and children struggle to get clean water and food but after a long struggle and suffering they end up getting a pool of muddy stagnant water. They have no choice but to drink the dirty staff. There have been a lot of plight of human migration portrayed in the media now days known as â€Å"South to North†. Some of the odds that come to our minds are for example Cameroonians traversing thousands of miles up the African continent to look for work in a Parisian suburb and Guatemalans passing themselves off as Mexicans trying to enter California’s vast produce engine. Many parts of the world now days suffer a problem of lack of basic needs such as food, water, clothing and shelter. These has been as a result natural calamities such as floods, earth quark, land slides etc Political interest has also contributed to some extend. Complex patterns of today’s transnational human exodus are examples of underground movements referred to as â€Å"South to South† migration in think tank parlance. There has been a lot of genocide in the current would and oppressions of human rights. In ten years of travel and reportage of civilization’s fraying and violent crossroads, there have been witnesses of an array of struggles of people burning in the smoldering embers of post-World War II decolonization and the last great upheavals of the post-Berlin Wall paradigm shift. The far south of Bangladesh the situation there is dire and people live in a desperate situation. Desperate Iraqis refugees live in dark coastal hotels in Syria. Rohingya a minority group from western Burma are Muslims but are not welcomed, since Burma’s independence from the British Crown in 1948, they have been persecuted over the last six decade by the central government in several violent fits, and this all dispute came as a result of junta not recognizing Rohingya being the real citizens of Burma. and being Muslims therefore justify ethnic cleansing and forcing them out of their farms and off their villages in Rakhine. Rohingya therefore sought refuge in Bangladesh as refugees but they were not welcomed they were referred as â€Å"illegal economic migrants†. The darfurist have at least their leader but the minority Rohingya has none. Conclusion The world leaders have to come to understanding that because of their political differences the innocent children and women are suffering under their own hands.Genocide is not the solution to political differences. References 1. Derek Flood: From South to South: Burma’s Stateless Minority Under .. www. huffingtonpost. com/derek-flood/from-south-to-south-burma_b_98865. html – 81k – Cached – Similar pages 2. Derek Flood: From South to South: Burma’s Stateless Minority Under †¦ Derek_Flood_From_South_to_South_Burma_s_Stateless_Minority_Under_the_Tip_of†¦ – 25k – Cached – Similar pages

Evaluation of Teaching and Learning Approaches Essay

Different teaching and learning approaches were used during the session according to the requirement of the activities. * For health and safety induction: Q&A, writing (Task sheet) and lecture methods (more information was given) were used. * Effectiveness of the teaching and learning approaches: Learners participate in this activity fully and effectively. They told me what they already know and what they don’t know yet. By this activity they got more information about fire exits, reception, lady toilets, coffee and the student support centre in the All Saints building of Worcester College where this session was held. No hazards were found in the class room. * Steps for further improvement: I believe that teaching profession always has chance of improvement and betterment. In 30mins microteaching session, health and safety concerns can be limited to hazards in class and fire exits. * For Ice breaking activity: Q&A (Discussion) and handouts (Writing) methods were used. * Effect iveness of the methods or approaches: Learners were stress free and happy to share the information about the breakfast they had in that morning. Learners also decided who had healthiest breakfast regarding highest calories and nutrition. * Steps that can be taken for further improvement: The question for ice breaking activity can make better in the sense that it can be more clearly related to the topic of the session. * The teaching and learning approaches for introduction, explanation and calculation of the area: PowerPoint, White board, handouts and Q&A (Discussion) methods were used. * Effectiveness of the approaches: For introduction of the topic, PowerPoint was used which was very effective because learners’ response was very positive about it. Learners found it very interesting, helpful to understand the topic and they learned more about its implications in ordinary life. * Steps for further improvement: One more video could play to explain more the topic in better way. Visual learning aids left their effects for long time. More PowerPoint clips can be used to make session more interesting and more informative. * The teaching and learning approaches for learn by practice: Learners were given work sheet to do the practice of what they learnt and to find the area where they have problems and what they have need to learn more? * Effectiveness of the approach: Learners took this activity seriously. They tried best to answers all the questions. One learner asked the questions where she found difficult to calculate the area. At the result of this activity, the learners’ confidence increased and they found their selves better in calculations of area. * Steps for further improvement: Some more questions can be added in work sheet for more practice to calculate the area of square, rectangle and triangle. More learning aids like boxes of square, rectangle and triangle shape can be used. * The teaching and learning approaches for review of the session: Q&A and task sheet (review handout forms) used to review the session. * Effectiveness of the approaches: To review the session by Q&A and by using task sheet was very positive to point out the areas of teaching and learning which can be made better, especially learning material can be made better. In 30mins session the teaching and learning process can be made more effective by making the learning material limited to â€Å"Calculation of the area of square and rectangle†. * Evaluation of the session in regard of individual learners’ need. In my session no learner had individual needs. So there was no need to make any special arrangements to hold the session. Word count: 605

Apple’s iPhone Price Cut Consumers’ Reaction

Apple Inc. (Apple) was established in Cupertino, California on April 1, 1976, engaged in producing, selling and supporting a wide range of personal computers, portable media players, mobile phones, computer software, computer hardware and hardware accessories (Apple Store). The company is always known for its strive for delivering new and improved products and find innovative means of marketing and strategies of human resource management. Since its inception, the firm has been enjoying a prominent place among the players in the computer industry with most successful marketing strategies and innovative products and services. The company is a US – based multinational corporation that focuses on design and manufacture of consumer electronics and closely related software products. The company was established in Cupertino, California on April 1, 1976, engaged in designing, developing, selling and supporting a wide range of personal computers, portable media players, mobile phones, computer software, computer hardware and hardware accessories. Till 2007, the firm opened around 200 retail stores across five countries and one online store through which hardware and software products are being sold (Retail Stores). In the year 2008, the firm was awarded the best corporate performer organized by the famous business magazine, Business Week. (Best Performer Award 2008). iPhone: A Revolutionary Invention The mobile phone technology made its beginning in the mid 20th century. In the opinion of Robert Conway (Conway), the head of, Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) Association â€Å"Mobile phones are becoming absolutely indispensable in the developing world†. It was in Sweden the first mobile service introduced in the form of radio telephony which was two-way radio; used in taxis and police cruisers as tested by Swedish police. Then in 1946, first commercial mobile service for use in communication devices was launched by American AT&T and South-western Bell. It was only in 1970s the ‘modern’ mobile phones were developed, researched and experimented. Thereafter from 1980s, it attracted more and more consumers as a result the growth in the mobile phone industry was tremendous. In 2003 the number of mobile phone users around the world reached to 1. 52 billion. So the mobile phone technology is experiencing fast growth and making greater sophisticated one. The mobile users were also benefited from security systems and surveillances. Conway also stated that,† â€Å"The technology is a gravitational force that brings into its orbit a huge amount of innovators. † The trend in the mobile phones users in the developing nations never showed a negative trend but instead it always showed a positive trend. For estimating the target market in mobile technologies and services, it is necessary to have proper knowledge regarding consumers live style and their demand because as the consumers passes through different stages their interest levels, usage patterns, spending habits, and brand preferences for mobile and other technological products and services constantly changes. So a good e. g. to give is iPod a revolutionary model of Apple bringing bundle of digital music’s introduced by the Apple company in order to exploit maximum home computer market. With this iPod, the company created user friendly product so that the users could download music from the Internet to the player and used technological expertise to improve their product based on consumer needs. The analyst Richard Jameson, GfK NOP said,† Apple's history proves that it has the magic touch when it comes to product development and marketing†. There after Apple introduced by totally redesigning iPod a small sized that changed the rules for the entire portable music market named iPod nano. This introduction made no changes in the market for iPod and continued as Apple’s monopoly product. As the competition rose between various devices in market, the iPod nano became the most fashionable product of Apple, made a stiff move with many optional accessories including lanyard headphones. There was a price-cut in iPod nanos i. e. Its 4 GB version was priced at $149, which was $50 below the cost of current version having a similar memory and the 8 GB version was priced $199 lower than current model which resulted its success, so the Apple thought of launching iPhone by combining iPod and mobile phone in order to meet its design and user interface with consumers and proved to be number one in the market. This gadget was launched on June 29, 2007 and revolutionized the tech-savvy market. It also entered highly volatile cell phone market combining telephony, MP3, web surfing and video watching. The iPhone was the most awaited gadget by technology enthusiasts and mainstream media. It wants to reach top during holiday season of 2007 than the previous year’s 2121 million units and the way it interacted its consumers succeeded it to reach the top. Exhibit 1) describes the features of iPhone as: it has got2-megapixel camera, headset and audio jacks, an iPod dock, Wi-Fi, stereo Bluetooth and a speakerphone; weight is about 135 g little heavier than standard mobile phone but lighter than many devices having QWERTY keyboard; its thin design has a touch screen that allow users to use on-screen soft keys to dial numbers, enter web addresses and type e-mails and text messages; it makes more appealing to the less tech-savvy users because of touch screen that helps for all menu navigation an d data entry from typing messages to dialing phone numbers; it can also support digital-music player that syncs with iTunes; the Apple’s voicemail system provides visual interface that allow users to pick messages as the wants to listen; finally it has built-in rechargeable battery that allow users to talk up to eight hours and standby time up to 250 hours but browser sessions on General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), depletes its battery rapidly, however if the iPhone is used as an iPod music player by users its life would be shortened. Apple iPhone also possesses unique features that perform its most functions with single contract and able to standby long time. It also has supportive functions of like multi tasking where the user can read a web page while downloading e-mail in the background over Wi-Fi or Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE). Here interface is unique with large multi-touch display and innovative new software that allows controlling everything by finger on touch screen. It also combined the features of multiple tools into one handheld device to appear as the grid of colorful icons, with the four chief functions—Phone, Mail, Safari web browser and iPod—in a separate strip along the bottom. These all sophisticated features made iPhone a much sought after device and enjoyed a top position in the market (Exhibit 2) in spite of its acute competition from the top mobile players having overlapping features. The combined features of iPod music and video player with mobile telephone, the iPhone was available through AT&T Wireless Services. But it was locked by the service provider AT&T in its two-year service agreement. The consumers in India could not use iPhones in their home town even they have purchased from US or UK, because of reloading software. The demand for iPhones rated greater than any other product of Apple. In the opinion of iSuppli, the best-selling handset among the 2, 70,000 smart phones and featured phones sold to US consumers during the beginning of month in July 2007 is iPhone. Even market analyst pointed that Apple created a strong brand and customer Market analysts pointed out that Apple had created a strong brand and customer loyalty by following a skimming price strategy and customers are ready to purchase highly priced products now and in future with equanimity. iPhone: Banking on Pricing The iphone entered the market a month with stock of 3, 00,000 and a manufacturing capacity of 1, 50,000. Their version 8 GB was available for $399 in the US through Apple's retail and online stores and AT&T retail stores but 4 GB version were sold till the supplies lasted. To make it affordable to customers, Apple launched more iPhones during holiday seasons. The launching of Apple iPod in October 2001 is a success story which was priced at$349 (as of 2007) for 160 GB lower than a MP3 player and remained popular by gaining high demand till date though there was a price rise in 2005. Later another product named ipod shuffle with 512 MB, was introduced having unique appeal with a price at $99 and $149 for 1 GB. The analyst at Jupiter Research Joe Wilcox analyzed that the lower-priced iPod is part and parcel of Apple's new mass-market strategy, and before September 2007 it wanted its one-millionth piece to be sold. Similar to the price cut of the iPod, the Apple after two months decision to cut the price of 8 GB storage iPhone from $599 to $399 on September 5, 2007 showed a good response from many quarters. In accordance to Steve Wozniak, Cofounder of Apple Computers, remarked, â€Å"Nobody expects a product to drop that much in price in such a short time† and criticized Steve Jobs (Jobs) the chief executive of Apple Inc. , for his decision to price cut of iPhone by $200 within 68 days of its launch. He also said that Jobs has received letter on the company’s website and complaints from hundreds of customers acknowledging that Apple has disappointed some of its customers through price cut of iPhone's 8-gigabyte model. According to Apple executives the plan for price cut was done long ago and hoped it would keep the iPhone's pricing in line with its new iPod Touch. But this price cut suggested that Apple which long lived in a pricing bubble insulated from other personal computer makers was not different from the brutal pressures of the cellular phone business. Van Baker, an industry analyst at Gartner Group said that. â€Å"My suspicion is that they got to 7, 50,000 really quickly, and then it started to slow down†. This price cut dropped down the share price of Apple by 5% and stood at $136. 76 on September 5, 2007. Protests against Apple went to the extent of consumers filing cases against the company. Dongmei Li (Li) a customer of Apple filed a case on September 24, 2007 in the US District Court, against the company for violating price discrimination laws claiming that it should stop selling the $499 4 GB model. Li had waited for the launch of iPhone and then found that the store only had 4 GB iPhones in stock and had subsequently purchased one. Much to her charging, Apple then slashed the price of the 8 GB iPhone and stopped selling the 4 GB model. 100s of customers like Li who paid the full price did not expect the sudden reduction and complained bitterly. Apple, however, had no financial reason to cut prices, but to gain more customers during the holiday season. By the end of September 2007, Apple had sold 1. 4 million iPhones and also launched the device in the UK, Germany, and France. In Asia and Australia iPhone was scheduled to be released during 2008 (Exhibit 3). While the company was dealing with the price cut controversy, its competitors were working on developing models that could compete with the iPhone. Apple's competitor LG was working on iPhone `killers', its new product Prada phone KE850 will attempt to offer unbeatable combinations of style, features and price. It costs ?300 ($614). Nokia with its N800 was already a tough competitor to Apple's iPhone with a niche market. The iPhone price cut caught the media attention in a big way and raised questions about the device's continued success. However, there are also some advantages to Apple's price cut (Exhibit 5). The price cut has raised the question as to whether Apple needed to stimulate demand as it is the most valued gadget in history, by reducing the price drastically soon after its release. Experts observe that Apple is switching from a price-skimming strategy to market penetration strategy. They felt that it would be able to expand market share more rapidly and competitive barriers could be strengthened through the change in strategy (IPod: Factors of Success). In spite of its popularity, the iPhone is said to suffer a few shortcomings. Apple iPhone lacks some features like user-changeable battery, voice dialing, voice recording, video recording, instant messaging, Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), copy and paste and common Bluetooth file transfer OBject EXchange (OBEX). It is hard to use the on-screen keyboard because of its small sized surface. Further, the iPhone is available only through AT&T service provider and not through third parties. It comes with a two-year service agreement in the US. In countries like India even if iPhones are purchased customers cannot use them, as they have to reload the software to use it. Many users opine that though it boasts of a very clear and sharp screen, Apple's user interface is finger driven and the screen rapidly becomes covered in unsightly fingerprints (Ziegler). Apart from these limitations, Apple had to tackle the consequent criticism following the price cut of the iPhone Stephen Hoch, marketing professor at Wharton University, observed, â€Å"The reversal on Apple's iPhone may have been more dramatic because the company has marketed itself as consumer friendly. People have strong positive feelings about Apple. They feel they are part of the Apple family. When Jobs announced the price decrease, people felt betrayed†. According to Wharton faculty and analysts, the iPhone episode reveals the perils of pricing in a marketplace where constant innovation, fierce competition and globalization are changing the rules of the game (Smart pricing boosts revenue). John Zhang, marketing professor at Wharton University, said, â€Å"The product lifecycle is short and the market is moving quickly. You don't have a lot of time to learn from your mistakes. You have to price the product right the first time†. Jobs, while speaking to reporters, defended his move stating that his price cut was directed to attract new customers in the holiday season with more aggressive pricing. He added that it benefits both Apple and every iPhone user to get as many new customers as possible in the iPhone `tent'. Jobs observed, â€Å"†¦even though we are making the right decision to lower the price of iPhone, and even though the technology road is bumpy, we need to do a better job taking care of our early iPhone customers as we aggressively go after new ones with a lower price. Our early customers trusted us, and we must live up to that trust with our actions in moments like these. † Greg Joswiak, Apple's worldwide vice president of iPod and iPhone product marketing, also agreed with Jobs and observed that there was no better time for the price cut and he also added that it was that time of the year that was most important and an opportunity to come into the holidays with a fresh and aggressive product line (Ziegler). Work Cited Aaker, Kumar, Day George, and Kumar V. Marketing Research. 2nd Edition, John Wiley ; Sons, Inc., 2000 Apple Retail Store, â€Å"Interior Design of Apple Retail Store in the US, Apple Inc â€Å". Apple Inc. 16 June 2009 ;www.apple.com/retail ;. Apple Store, â€Å"Store information: Apple Inc â€Å". Apple Inc. 17 June 2009 ;http://store.apple.com/us ;. Apple Changes Strategies, Apple Changes Strategies for iPhone and iPode Touch Devices†, Apple Inc â€Å". Apple Inc. 16 June 2009 ;www.enbite.com/apple-changes-strategies-for-iphone-and-ipode-touch-devices/ ;. Best Performer Award 2008, â€Å"Best Performer Award 2008†. Apple Inc. 17 June 2009 ;http://search.businessweek.com/Search?i=1;page=2;resultsperpage=20;searchterm=best+corporate+performers+2008;sortby=relevance;u1=searchterm;. Hawkins, D I, Best R J, and Coney K A. Consumer Behaviour: Implications for Marketing Strategy. Homewood: Boston, 1989. IPod: Factors of Success, â€Å"Big Apple†. Apple Inc. 17 June 2009 ;www.korekalibre.wordpress.com/category/successfulpioneers ;. Mahajan, Vijay, Muller Eitan, and Bass Frank M, A New Product Diffusion Models in Marketing – Review and Directions for Research. Journal of Marketing, ; Self Service Account Program, â€Å"Self Service Account Program†. Apple Inc. 16 June 2009 ;http://www.apple.com/support/programs/ ;. Ziegler Chris, â€Å"The Apple iPhone†. Apple Inc. 17 June 2009 ;www.engadget.com/2007/01/09/the-apple-iphone ;.

Incentive Program for Retention of Employees Research Proposal

Incentive Program for Retention of Employees - Research Proposal Example Replacing a staff worker is apparently costly; on top of that, a company’s reputation is also threatened. As it is, nobody feels self-assured when dealing with a business firm that is incapable of keeping their employees intact. It implies volatility, mediocre management and lack of effectual planning. Notwithstanding the reasons why a worker leaves his/her job, more often than not the employee departs with a sour taste in their mouth. Such reaction and sensitivity are taken with them – together with the skills they learned and accumulated and these sentiments are frequently repeated to future employers and within their personal network. Evidently, losing knowledgeable and competent individuals can smash up a company’s reputation for years to come. Finally, continuous high turnover generates strife and psychological instability within a workforce, for one, positions made vacant create bigger workloads for other staff workers, workloads which are usually outside o f their position profiles or job descriptions. This sense of shakiness and aggravation can trigger work log jams which correspondingly slow down productivity. More importantly, workers’ lack of faith in an organization increases when they see their co-workers depart and such will definitely influence productivity work levels in implausibly depressing ways (Lake, 2000, pp. 65-72; Smith, 2000, p. 22). There is a considerable economic effect when an organization loses any of its vital workers, especially with the knowledge that is lost with the employee’s departure. It will become notably more important in the years ahead to be aware of the commitment of individuals to an organization, as well as the organization’s need to produce an environment where one would be willing to stay. In essence, it is imperative for organizations to either create an intellectual capital environment where the diffusion of knowledge come about right through the system or keep on losing significant individual knowledge that has been built up during the length of service.

Modern Japan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Modern Japan - Essay Example According to Prindle (1989) "[t]he stories expose the internal mechanisms of business transactions and the mentality of the people involved, making technical information accessible to a lay audience and convincing even to economists." (qtd in The Japanese Business Novel). Arai Shinya is the executive vice president of Summit Inc., and director of Sumitomo Corporation who is popular under the pen name of Satoshi Azuchi writing Japanese business novel, one of which is the popular Tales of a Shoshoman. Shinya related that the Tales of Shoshoman "begins with a story of a Japanese businessman who commits suicide because he failed to be promoted when his peers in his company were promoted" (qtd in The Japanese Business Novel). The novel illustrates the traditional aspects of the Japanese society and preserved these traditions by means of these types of novels. The novel reveals the values of Japanese "salary man" (The Japanese Business Novel) with high regard to his work and dedicated to his organization, with preserved value of loyalty and devotion which allows the world to have knowledge of the Japanese nature in which ways the traditional Japanese culture in business is upheld. In another novel authored by Norma Field, "In the Realm of a Dying Emperor" tells of three separate tales woven together with intentions for a greater purpose. The novel successfully pointed the struggles of Japan of its past as it faces the twentieth century in the end of war. The novel attempted to reveal a glimpse of hope to recover from injuries brought about by the imperialist rule. Each tale in the novel depicts of a true Japanese value in each character which is struggling from atrocities and Western pressure. The character of the supermarket owner burning the flag of the Rising Sun illustrated the value of braving to fight for dignity over the struggles of an Okinawan to escape the memories of the bitter past. In the review of Steve Edwards he acknowledged the research done by Field which was a strong point rather than a personal conviction which revealed that "Many Okinawans continue to feel objectionable towards the emperor system for the incidents there during World War Tw o The Rising Sun flag is a prime example of the rape and pillaging of countries across Asia during World War Two. These citizens also feel the flag represents a part of their history they would like to leave behind and obstructs them from completely Surname 3 whitewashing the entire issue away." (Edwards, Steve). In another tale tells the story of an ordinary woman protesting the emperor rule because of "deification" of her husband who died and enshrined "as a way to pass on the ritual of dying for the emperor" (Edwards, Steve). In this story the constitutional practices under the hybrid system is criticized. The defiant character of the ordinary woman is a typical character of the Japanese when principles are laid shaken. The final tale in the novel tells the story of the "mayor" who strongly defied against the emperor rule whose character suggested that the emperor was responsible for the atrocities during the war. In line with such grand accusations, the

CREW RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN KOREAN AIR (Accident from Korean Air 801) Essay

CREW RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN KOREAN AIR (Accident from Korean Air 801) - Essay Example The plane was licensed by the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) to fly in and out international passengers in America through the requisite domestic regulations and the relevant convention that governs international aircraft movements. The investigations by the NTSB found that the likely cause of the crash of the Korean Air Flight 801 could have been the failure by the captain to have a briefing and execution of the approach towards the airport, as well as the inability of the assisting crew to monitor how the captain was conducting the approach (Korovin, 2010). Contributing to these is the fatigue experienced by the captain and the inadequacy of Korean Air in the training of the crew and the deliberate act of the FAA in disabling the instruments and devices that would have warned the crew of the aircraft the safest altitude to make a landing at the airport. Therefore, it can be concluded that the safety issues majored on the performance of the flight crew, the procedures of approach, pilot training, air traffic control including the performance of the controllers and the intentional inhibition of the MSAW at Guam International System. Other factors that could be blamed for the crash include how the airport reacte d to the emergency, the technical and safety inadequacy standards in training by the South Korean body in-charge of the aviation industry and the role played by the FAA in its oversight role as well as the documentation got from the flight data recorder. Korean Air cockpit procedures call for approach briefing before a descent and it includes a briefing about the weather conditions, a proper review of the instrument approach procedure, the actions and callouts of the crew and any abnormal conditions or configurations (Krause, 2003). It also includes the details of the execution of the approach that denotes the minimum safe altitude, the approach frequency and

ACADEMIC PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

ACADEMIC PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE - Assignment Example and Tang, reflective practice is like providing a fishing net for a hungry man that keeps him fed for the rest of his life while new teaching techniques is provision of food for a day without thinking about the man’s future (Biggs & Tang, 2007, p.43). The ‘net’ as the authors call it can be an inheritance for learners in order for them to share in the meals, as this research attempts to prove. In the analysis of how reflective application helps one to become a strategic learner, several things have to be understood. In this study, the definitions of reflective practice will become clear. The reader will understand the types of reflection, why they are important and how they affect strategic learning. The practical application of reflective analysis is helpful in moulding a strategic learner, this paper attempts to clarify the latter statement to the reader. Reflective practice has no single finite description; rather it is dependent on ones understanding of the multiple definitions by different scholars. According to Brookfield (2005), the practice of engaging in continuous self-evaluation and observation in order to know how one reacts to certain things is reflective practice. In the latter definition, reflective practice is not a way of self-refinement; rather it is a way of aiding the whole practice on an ongoing basis. According to Epstein and Hundert (2002), the continuous application of communication, technical skill, knowledge, emotions and reflection in daily practice is what best defines reflective practice. Epstein further states that the application of the earlier mentioned attributes is for the benefit of the individuals and the community of the practice. The final and most relevant application of reflective practice stems from Schon’s work in 1983 as cited by Lyons(2010).The definition states that reflective practice involves framing the problem of a given situation and determining the features to fix within the problem. After featuring

Starbucks have remained quite stable in carrying out its strategies Essay

Starbucks have remained quite stable in carrying out its strategies that have boosted its expansion across the globe - Essay Example In 1992, Starbucks experienced a tremendous amount of growth, which led to reaching up around 100 stores across United States. This was their major stimulus towards going to public and become a publically traded company. With the exceptional amount of growth in its business, Starbuck managed to satisfy on an average 35 million customer per week, which indicates the quality, taste and aroma of the coffee offered by Starbucks to its customers (Stanley, 2002). The mission statement of Starbucks provides a comprehensive insight to the overall purpose of the organization. Unlike the typical mission statements, Starbucks has strived to incorporate all those purposes which are extremely vital for existence of the business such as achievement of profitability, responsibility towards community and environment, product diversity and lastly but most importantly, fair and equitable treatment with its workforce (Hammers, 2003). Organizational Design Organizational design is influenced by the stra tegies that the top management of any organization designs for it as part of its future areas of operations. Other factors, which contribute in shaping up the good â€Å"fit† for organizational design, are nature of organization, its size life cycle, environment, culture, and technology (Daft, Murphy, & Willmot, 2007). There might be other factors as well but they vary organization to organization. Starbucks has implemented such a design structure in its organization, which helps facilitate the faster communication among employees and from customers to top management. The structure of the organization is developed in such a manner that it fosters meaningful and timely communication across the organization (Hitt, 2008). The top management of Starbucks controls the centralized decision making system of the organization from its headquarter located in Seattle. The other districts where the stores of Starbucks serve its customer are run under the district managers who are directl y reportable to the top managers at the Starbucks headquarters. Under district managers, store managers keep the track of all the store activities. Apart from store managers, there are duty supervisors who take the charge in the absence of the store managers. Baristas are the coffee servers who report to duty supervisors and store managers (Hitt, 2008). In this way, the complete organizational structure of Starbucks stands and facilitates the appropriate communication and decision-making among the employees from top management to the lower-tier employees. This organizational structure of Starbucks allows the employees to work with coordination and collaboration rather than competition. Employees are assigned their specific roles but they are questioned for their tasks to which they are accountable. Adaptive culture is promoted at Starbucks however; the information sharing among employees follows a formal hierarchical chain, which is the bottom-line towards developing a centralized o rganizational structure. Organizational Effectiveness The effectiveness of any organization is mainly shaped as to how its major goals are being accomplished. However, there is no stringent tool to measure the organizational effectiveness. The broad way of measuring the organizational

Jamaica Travel Guide and Travel Information Essay

Jamaica Travel Guide and Travel Information - Essay Example The Jamaicans are very hospitable and friendly. Jamaica’s main cities are Kingston, its capital, Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, Negril and Port Antonio (Mapsofworld, par.2). Getting around Jamaica is not a problem. There are several means of transportation for tourists such as riding a bike, scooter, bus, taxi or renting a car. Ferries and boats are available to take one to the various islands around Jamaica. For tourists interested in historical sites and botanical gardens, Kingston is the place to visit. Its major attraction is the Port Royal which used to be the home of sea pirates and Buccaneers. Other famous attractions of the city are the Castleton gardens, the Rockford Mineral Bath, National Art Gallery, and the Bob Marley museum which archives the life and times of the famous reggae legend (Mapsofworld, par.3). Historical sites though are not the unique selling point of Jamaica. Its beaches are its main attractions. If one wants to have a taste of the sun and sand of the island, there is a myriad of choices. In the Kingston area, there is the Lime Cay which is a small island off the coast of Port Royal, which is best for sunbathing and water sports. The Turtle Beach and the Mallard Beach are two of the more popular beaches in the city of Ocho Rios. Accommodations are not hard to find in that there are an array of hotels along the beach where one can choose to stay. And if one is an avid fan of James Bond movies, then one should not miss going to the James Bond Beach which is where the GoldenEye Hotel is located (IIWINC, par.3). The hotel is the former residence of Ian Fleming, the James Bond writer. Another amazing beach is the Dunn’s River Beach which is located under the famous Dunn’s River Waterfalls.  Ã‚  

Grimshaw V. Ford Motor Company Essay Example for Free

Grimshaw V. Ford Motor Company Essay Facts: 1. Ford developed a new model, later to be known as the pinto, changing the design drastically. 2. Ford discovered that the fuel tanks position was in a vulnerable place and the car failed to met crash safety standards. 3. Ford was aware of the small cost to help the fuel tanks meet standards but refused to use them due to the slight delay in production that might occur and approved production of the prototype. 4. A 1972 Ford Pinto was involved in a rear ending when it unexpectedly stalled causing the care (presumably the fuel tank) to burst into flames. 5. A Mrs. Lilly Gray was died as result and her son 13 year-old Richard suffered severe and permanently disfiguring burns to his face and entire body. Legal Procedure/History: 1. Grimshaw sued the Ford Motor Company for punitive damages. 2. Grimshaw awarded damages in the amount of about $3.5 million. 3. Ford appeals punitive damages. 4. Appeal is denied and decision to award punitive damages up held. Issues (Holdings): 1. Did Ford exhibit â€Å"malice† which is necessary to establish in order to award punitive damages? (Yes) 2. The punitive damages awarded are too high for current Californian law, is this unlawful? (No) Reasoning: 1. Malice has been also interpreted to mean â€Å"a conscious disregard of the probability that the actors conduct will result injury to others.† 2. Although higher than monetary penalties under government regulations, the punitive damages are to prevent firms in the future from disregarding safety and possible negative consequences. Rule of Law: 1. The primary reason for having and awarding punitive damages is to â€Å"punish and deter the conduct by wrongdoers and others.† Your Response: I completely agree with the decision. Questions 1. Punitive damages were awarded due to the fact that Ford was found to have acted with malice in regards to their production of the Pinto. It has been also interpreted to mean a conscious disregard of the probability that the actors conduct will result injury to others.† And this is exactly what Ford did when they disregarded the fuel tank findings and refused to add the safety precautions to the fuel tank. Although higher than monetary penalties under government regulation, the punitive damages were high in order to set an example so that firms in the future would be deterred from disregarding safety and possible negative consequences when producing their products. 2. Although the cost is higher than the saving in the short run I believe it would be to Fords benefit to take on the cost of adding the additional safety measures due to the fact that in the long run with more and more deaths attributed to what could be called the greedy, callous nature of Ford, sales could decrease. By absorbing the $137.5 million and allowing the public to know of Fords action (due to our concern over their safety) could possibly generate a good amount of future sales. On the other hand should the public discover that deaths could have been prevented public trust in the company could decline causing Fords sales to suffer the same fate. 3. First the actual cause of Holmes accident should be verified, if it was indeed due to the tires, then yes he should be allowed to appeal for a trial. 4. First of all, even though they bare the heaviest blame (in my opinion) they werent the only ones responsible for the advancement of the Pintos design. Putting them in jail would just make way for Ford to replace them with others who could potentially make the same decision. It would also be sending the message to other firms officers to make sure that they arent the ones holding the bag at the end of the day. This only put a few in the industry on guard. Having the entire company pay punitive damages causes the entire industry to be on guard and makes all within the company liable. On the other hand, having to pay such exorbitant amounts could potentially cause a company to go out of business or cause them to downsize (fire employees to save money) effecting all that work there, whether or not they were involved in the design and decision making process. (I.e. they could fire janitors that work at their offices.)

The Bonesetters Daughter Summary

The Bonesetters Daughter Summary LuLing: Ruths mother. She immigrated to United States from China through her sister, Gao Ling. She shows how her life had changed through her writings in part 2. She is very emotional character who loves and acts passionately Ruth: LuLings daughter (of course). As her mother loses memory, she becomes more considerate about LuLing, and searches for her memory instead. This eventually helps Ruth grow mature and find her own identity. Theme Finding Identity Through searching mothers history, Ruth finds out the background of her immigrant mother. This eventually builds up Ruths maturity and her identity as a Chinese Woman. Chapter Notes Part 1 Chapter 1 Ruth Young lost her faith on August 12th for eight years. It happened first at Arts house in San Francisco. August 12th was a day shooting stars fell. Her mother took this as an omen and told Ruth that they were actually melting ghost bodies. Ruth was a book doctor and she had daughters named Dory and Fia. Ruth always looked her day through fingers of her hands, listing from 1 to 10. One day, Ruth couldnt memorize what nine was. Art, who Ruth had met in a yoga class 10 years ago, complained about making things too much complicated. Ruth finally remembered her number 9 was to take her mother to the doctor. Chapter 2 When Ruth was young, she loved spicy turnips instead of junk food. She had imagined through the limited space, which she continued to present. Everyone looked down at her job, for she made it seem easier. She helped to write The Cult of Personal freedom, The Cult of Compassion, The Cult of Envy, The Biology of Sexual Attraction, The Physic of Human Nature, and The Geography of the Soul to make books more interesting. One of the clients had a pseudonym of Agapi Agnos with real name of Doris DeMatteo. Gideon described her so accommodating that would bend backwad. LuLing was very healthy except that she had a type of memory loss that Ruth thought about taking her to the therapist. She always tried to teach Ruth with Chinese. GaoLing and LuLing were two different women who sometimes fought, and sometimes went along. Two sisters had married to brothers named Edmund and Edwin. Edwin died in a car accident. Luling always lamented on her great husbands death. Her mothers health was getting w orse. Chapter 3 Luling asked about Fia starting sixth grade while it was actually Dory. Luling had forgotten that her cat, Fu-fu, died by a dog. Dr. wHuey examined Luling. On documents, Lulings birth year was 1921, but she told him that its 1916. Ruth got frustrated by the complex questions doctor asked the mother. Luling said she had seen O.J. kill his wife in real life. The doctor suggested that Lulings might have Alzheimers. Ruth told Art about this in Chinese, but her children complained about speaking in Chinese. Arts daughter calls Luling Walpo Ruth remembered her past when her mother talked to her in Chinese. Ruth just decided to be silent while her mothers treated. Lulin brought a sand tray and a brush to make Ruth write. Lulings call Precious Auntie as Doggie and asked for forgivenesss. Ruth invited Miriam, Arts divorced wife, to Moon Festival dinner. Chapter 4 On the night of Full Moon Festival, Ruth excitedly picked a place called Fountain Court, which her mother disliked. Dinner went on as the Chinese style of Thanksgiving. There were Billy with his four children, Sally the aeronautical engineer, and George the Violinist of SF Symphony. None of the children liked the dinner for its looks. Gaoling told people about the incident when Luling persisted to say she had paid the bill. Ruth gave out a speech and presents to her family. Ruth was satisfied with dinner. Luling was in confusion and said Precious Auntie was her real mother. Luling gave Ruth the necklace that Ruth had given her for present. Ruth was about her mothers symptoms. Chapter 5 Ruth insured Luling that she was alright, and Luling said she wasnt afraid of death. Luling now visited her for dinner every day. Ruth realized that her mother was mentally ill. Luling became angry when Ruth treated her as a special client. Luling often threatened to kill herself, as if she had no reason to live on. Ruth hired maids and housekeepers, but they all quitted for Lulings violent behaviors. Ruth had a plan to go to Hawaii within few days, but she decided that she would stay with her mother. One of Ruths clients named Ted fired Ruth as a ghost writer. Ruth went to her mothers house, but she was found through calling cops. LuLing was trying to go to grocery store. Ruth finally asked GaoLing to help take care of her mom. Chapter 6 When Ruth was young, she often thought about death. She and her mother used to live at the flatlands of Berkeley. There was a couple named Lance and Dottie. Ruth had a crush on Lance, who was as handsome as a celebrity. Ruth convinced her mother that she got invited to watch the Wizard of Oz together, Ruth put herself right on toilet which had Lances urine and thought she was going to be pregnant. Dottie found out about this, and the couple divorced in confusion. Ruth apologized to Lance, but Lance tried to rape Ruth. Ruth told her mother that Precious Auntie wanted them to move to San Francisco. Chapter 7 Ruth began to clean the house. Ruth threw away everything her mother had been saving. She found a diary on cupboard. She once got into a huge fight with her mother about smoking cigarettes, which had Ruth to write harsh things on the diary. When Ruth arrived home, she found out that her mother fell off out of window and broke her bodies. Ruth regretted what she had written on the diary. Ruth and LuLing frequently got into fight still. Ruth found mothers writings and decided to translate them to learn more about her past. Part 2 Luling was raised by the Liu Clan within the village called Immortal Heart. Precious Auntie called Luling a doggie. After ancient tree died, the fame of the village had declined. The family was working in ink-making, and was successful enough. About thirty people lived together. Precious Aunties father had a ability of bonesetting to heal bones. He was so good that patient came from everywhere. One day, coffin maker and Baby Uncle saw their fortunes. Precious Auntie was a rooster, while Chang was a snake, which was a great match. Precious Auntie however, turned down Chang to marrie Hu Sen. Chang killed her father during the marriage, and Hu Sen died from Horse kicking him. Precious Auntie tried to commit suicide by drinking burning oil, but it only left her scarred. In 1929, scientist went to Dragon Bone Hill. Rumors said that scientists were buying the bones with a good price. Precious Auntie put back the bones to where they were found. Scientists were looking for Peking Man. Precious Auntie, however, didnt say where the bones were, while everyone was so eager to sell bones. One day, Chang came and LuLing accidently told she knew where the bones were. Few days later, Peking asked LuLing to come over for marriage arrangement. LuLing ignored Precious Aunt and went to Old Widow Laus house for preparation. Even though LuLing felt uncomfortable, she could make everyone happy with the meeting, except for Precious Auntie. Since Changs asked LuLing to be their family, Precious Auntie stopped to help LuLing. Precious Auntie gave LuLing a writing that said how she was LuLings real mother. LuLing, however, couldnt finish it, and never got to discover the truth. Precious Auntie was found dead after LuLing announced her future marriage with the Changs. LuLing, in sadness, cancelled the marriage and left for the End of the World to search for corpse of Precious Auntie. The familys ink shop burnt down by the ghost of Precious Auntie. The officials came to inform father about the damages he had done to the neighbors and asked for payment. Father called for a priest to capture the ghost, and sent LuLing to orphanage to stop ghost from returning. LuLing was influenced by some foreigners in the orphanage that she changed her religion to Christianity. LuLing was one of the few who could read and write, among seventy children. When there was a good weather, Teacher Pan took the girls to Dragon Bone Hill. The girls helped scientists when they were asked to. Precious Auntie had left oracle bone and small photograph of her for LuLing. One day, LuLing found a letter from Gao Ling that she wasnt satisfied with her marriage to Chang. Kai Jing, Teacher Pan, and LuLing made a banner for New Year, and took it to the fair. Kai Jing explained how magnificent the banner was. LuLing fell in love with Kai Jing. LuLing and Kai Jing tried to make love, but the storage room was so filthy. The news that there will soon be a war against Japanese reaches the orphanage. GaoLing came over and talked how the priest was actually a fraud. She stayed at the orphanage, and built a friendship with Sister Yu. LuLing and Kai Jing married. Even though the war was still held, Kai Jing went to dig for dragon bones. He and other men got caught by soldiers to join army against Japanese. They soon found out that Chinese were captured, and soldiers were shot one by one. Japanese soldiers occupied the orphanage and forced men to speak where the communists were. Japanese people kill every single man except for Teacher Pan. LuLing and other girls faked to have diseases with chicken bloods to go to Peking. Teacher Pan and girls continued on with the ink shop to live on. War finally ended in 1945. Miss Grutoff was sick and she needed to go to America for treatment. Gao Ling promised to invite LuLing and followed Miss Grutoff as an assistant. Teacher Pan also planned to marry. LuLing received a letter that Miss Grutoff had died and that LuLing had to wait until Gao Ling became a citizen. LuLing decided to move to cheaper house to support herself until Gao Ling invited her. LuLing had internal conflict of selling oracle bone, but she decided to just keep it. She became a made Miss Patsy and Lady Ina. This improved LuLings English skills. Gao Ling sent a letter indicating their future husbands. Fu Nan came in to ask for money, threatening their situations. With the money LuLing had been earning and by selling the bone, she could buy the ticket and flew to United States. Part 3 Chapter 1 Ruth asked Mr. Tang to translate her mothers paper. She discussed about staying with her mother with Art, who disapproved the plan. Ruth tried to make her mother to draw things that could bring her memory back. Twice a week, Ruth went to Vallejo Street for dinner. Art wanted Ruth back, but Ruth was trying to take care of her mother. Mr. Tang finished his work and gave the paper to Ruth. LuLing actually enjoyed a talk with Mr. Tang. Ruth was surprised by the paper that had been translated. Art suggested moving LuLing to assisted-living residence, but LuLing refused. So they brought up a plan of radon leak to deceive LuLing to move to Mira Mar Manor. Chapter 2 The Young Family gathered to celebrate Gao Lings 77th (or 82nd) birthday. Ruth and Gao Ling talked about LuLings writings. Ruth said LuLing was moving into safer home. Gao Ling explains some stories like how Chang was executed for cheating on people and the origin of name Ruth, which came from Miss Grutoff and Sister Yu. There was also stock market money LuLing had saved for Ruth. LuLing had fallen into the pool and almost drowned herself, which drove Ruth to sadness. Ruth and Art had their anniversary dinner at Brunos supper club. Chapter 3 Ruth visited Asian Art Museum with her mother, Art, and Mr. Tang. Mr. Tang showed the Oracle Bone. LuLings family name was Gu, which meant bone. Ruth finally found that Precious Aunties real name was Gu Lix Xin.