Discussion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion - Research Paper Example â€Å"Personality is expressed through influences on the body† (Mayer, 2005, p.22). Further, I realized that some individuals have a low locus of control, which means that they believe others influence and affect their own destinies and feel as though they are victims of circumstance (Treven & Potocan, 2005). This is unhealthy personality-related behavior that causes people to be too passive and always on the defensive. This was the root of what was causing these physical stress responses unlike a normal functioning person who believes they have control over their own fate without being influenced by others. The intervention chosen for this client was built under the operant conditioning model, which is essentially conditioning a person to change their behaviors through positive reinforcement when a desired behavior occurs (Kadden, 2008). Each time this client described a positive scenario in his life, I would touch the individual in a gentle way such as offering a rub on the shoulders in a soothing fashion. When the client began discussing negative behaviors, I would instead look depressed and show body language that was modestly disinterested. This operant conditioning, over time, made the individual want to discuss more positive factors so that my responses followed a more desired consequence.

Motivation and Performance Factors for Bombay Palace Essay

Motivation and Performance Factors for Bombay Palace - Essay Example ey feel with appraisal at work.questionaires were used so as to get feedback of the employees and this made the study less cumbersome for the researcher. This is important to note that was conducted in a span of month month so as to ensure that each and every staff was interviewed. Motivation of employee is one key issue that is facing every organization. It is the responsibility of every leader in an organisation to ensure employees are motivated and also create a very conducive environment for them in the workplace (Koontz 1993). Though an employee may be capable to perform his/her job description without motivation every human being needs to feel a little bit of appreciation as this will spur inner urge to work well in an organisation. It is this role of a leader that he has to ensure that his workforce is motivated and if not he should identify a strategy on how to make them moretivated as this will enable him achieve his organisational goals(Marginson 1986). Motivation cannot be understated as it is always a key ingredient to help an organisation in achieving its goals. Issuinig of instructions that are well and clealy friendly (Marginson 1986). A manager first has to understand he has the right team and after it is when he should ensure that the team is motivated so as to keep the focus on objective goals.The role to motivate employees depends on very different dimesions and they cannot be for one department like the human resource but the whole organisation.Itis thus important to understand all humans have different needs and may be motivated in different ways but one of the most important task is to ensure it is done (Alous 2002). Strong needs in directing and satisfying latent needs in employees harness them in a manner that is functional for the organization. For motivation to be successfully implemented the factors that trigger motivation should be identified and analysed properly.The goal here is to identify the causes of motivation and not the

International Policies on Disability Comparison

International Policies on Disability Comparison Aging and Disability Task 4 Comparing international developments to New Zealand’s policies and practices, in relation to disability and aging. 4.1 International policies on disability from New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom New Zealand According to the New Zealand Disability Strategy it is a long term plan to change the way New Zealand society works with people with disabilities. The strategy was developed through consultations with people with disabilities to gain insight in what they need and from people who have been working closely in the disability sector because they provide real and valuable insights in what needs to be addressed in order for New Zealand to become a society where disabled people are included in every aspect of community life. According to the strategy New Zealand can be said as in inclusive society for disabled people when disabled persons can say that they live in† â€Å"A society that highly values our lives and continually enhances our full participation.† This are the Objectives: To encourage and educate for a society that is non-disabling To ensure that rights of disable people are upheld To provide disabled people the best education possible To provide employment and economic development opportunities for disabled people To promote leadership by disabled people To foster an aware and responsive public service for disabled people To create a long term support system centred on the individual and not on the disability To support quality living in the community for disabled people To support lifestyle choices, recreation and culture for the disabled individual To collect and use any relevant information about disabled people and issues relating to disability To promote and enhance participation of disabled Maori To promote and enhance participation of disabled Pacific people To enable disabled children and youth to lead active lives To promote participation of women who are disabled in order to improve quality of life To value families, whanau and people providing ongoing support to disabled individuals Canada In comparison to New Zealand where there is Disability Strategy, Canada does not have a specific disability policy for disabled people. Canada sees disability as a complex and multi-dimensional condition wherein the combination of all the effects of disability in a person’s life is addressed in different legislations in Canada. This includes: Canadian Human Rights Legislation, The Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and the Universal Health Care System which all have different policies regarding people with disabilities. Under these agencies, there are ten areas of policy classification in relation to people with disabilities. These ten areas are: General disability Transportation Employment Housing Education Participation Income replacement Recreation and leisure Taxation Health This ten areas explores the important aspects of the lives of people living with disabilities which follows a needs-based approach. It examines the fundamental needs of the persons with disabilities which is also something similar to the Disability Strategy of New Zealand. It aims to explore the personal fulfilment of people living with disabilities through learning, working and participating in their own community. United Kingdom In the United Kingdom they follow an internationally recognized benchmark set by the United Nations Convention for persons with disabilities in all areas of their life. Unlike New Zealand and Canada which has ten goals or benchmarks, the United Kingdom has only 5 benchmarks which are: the right not to be discriminated against the right to employment the right to health the right to equal justice the right to participate in culture In July 2009 the government of the United Kingdom ratified the Convention set by the United Nations, this meant that they agreed to be bound by the terms of the Convention and to follow and implement its benchmarks. International policies on aging from New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom New Zealand Heath of Older People Strategy New Zealand’s Health of Older People Strategy aims for older people to be able to participate in their fullest ability in decisions about their health and wellbeing. This also includes the health and wellbeing of their carers or families and their life in the community. Support through coordinated and responsive health and disability support programmes are provided for them. The Health of Older People Strategy has eight objectives which are: New Zealand’s Health of Older People Strategy outlines policies, strategies, guidelines and how funding will be provided in the care of older people. The strategy has eight core objectives: Older people and their family/whanau are able to make well-informed choices on their options for a healthy living, healthcare and their support needs. Quality health and disability support programmes will be integrated around the needs of older people and they will be helped by policy and service planning. 3. The funding and service delivery will provide promotion of prompt access to a quality integrated and disability support services for older people, their family or their carers. 4. The health and well-being of older people will be promoted through programmes and health initiatives. Older people will have access to primary and community based health services that will promote and improve their health and functioning. Access to health services in a timely mainly to improve and maintain the health of the older people. Integration of general hospital services with any community based care and support. Older people that has high and complex health and disability needs shall be given access to flexible, prompt and well-coordinated services and living options that will take into consideration the needs of their family and carers. Positive Aging Strategy Ministry of Health Another policy on Aging that New Zealand have is the Positive Aging Strategy by the Ministry of Social Development. It has a vision wherein New Zealand is a society where people can age in a positive manner, where the elderly are placed in high esteem and value and where they are recognised a core and important part of the family and the community. It continues to state that positive ageing is a reflection of the attitudes and experiences of the elderly about their own selves and how the younger generation of people view ageing and that includes how they view their own ageing as well. The New Zealand Positive Ageing Strategy helps promote and reduce barriers experienced by older people. They also improve services that older people can access. They have Ten Goals which are: Income provide adequate income for older people Health fair, prompt and accessible health services for older people Housing provide an affordable and proper options for housing to older people Transport provide transport services that older people can afford and have adequate access to Ageing in the community older people can be safe and secure as they age within the community Cultural diversity older people are given choices that are appropriate for cultural diversity in the community Rural services when accessing services in the rural communities, it will ensure older people are not disadvantaged Positive attitudes to ensure and propagate awareness so people of all ages have a positive attitude towards ageing and older people. Employment opportunities it aims to eliminate ageism and promote work opportunities that have flexible work hours for older people. Personal growth and opportunities to increase opportunities for personal growth for the older people The positive ageing strategy of New Zealand takes in to account the health, financial security, independence, personal safety, self-fulfilment and the living environment of the elderly in New Zealand. Canadian Policies on Ageing Like New Zealand, Canada has a long history of policies and programmes that is aimed at serving the elderly in Canada. The responsibility for policies and programmes in addressing the needs of the elderly is a shared responsibility between the federal and provincial/territorial levels of the government in Canada. The majority of the income security programmes are provided the federal government. The National Framework on Ageing Canada’s National Framework on Ageing has a vision which is the promotion of the wellbeing and contributions of all the elderly Canadians in all areas of their lives, the promotion of the wellbeing of seniors, recognising their valuable and important contributions to society and the reflection of the goal of eliminating ageism in the culture in all sectors of Canada. Canada’s National Framework on Ageing has 5 Principles which are: Dignity Independence Participation Fairness Security United Kingdom policies on Ageing National Health Service In the present the aging population in the United Kingdom much like the aging population in New Zealand and Canada, is steadily increasing and therefore it goes to say that health or care needs has been rising and that older people have now become the biggest users of health services. This aging trend now holds new responsibilities for the NHS and social care services in helping the elderly stay in a state of health, be active and as independent as possible for as long as possible. The United Kingdom’s healthcare system is much New Zealand’s. Under the NHS are districts and there are district health authorities that are the ones providing funding for health care for the elderly in their respective districts. Referrals for specialists for elderly patients are made by General Practitioners, so patients under the NHS can’t directly access these specialists. Emphasis has been placed on primary care regarding policies of ageing in the United Kingdom. But unlike New Zealand and Canada which has a national plan for service planning for the ageing population, the United Kingdom has no such national planning service but instead the Department of Health sets out the priorities on a yearly basis. 4.2 International service delivery policies on disability (ACTS) from New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom New Zealand Disability Support Services In New Zealand the Disability Support Services is responsible in the planning and funding of disability support services, the administration of the Intellectual Disability (Compulsory Care and Rehabilitation) Act 2003. They also provide advice on policies to the Minister of Health. The services that are being funded by the DDS are accessed through a (NASC) Needs Assessment Coordination service. NASCs are contracted to the DDS, they are organizations that work with people with disabilities and help identify what they need and to outline what types of disability support services are available to them. They are also responsible for allocating Ministry funded support services and they also assist the disabled people with accessing other support services that they may need. The main focus of the Ministry of Health’s Disability Support Services is based on the New Zealand Disability Strategy: Making a World of Difference – Whakanui Oranga. According to this document its aim is ensuring that disabled people are able to live in a society that puts a high value on their lives, works in improving their participation in their own communities and ensures that their needs are considered before making any decisions that will affect them will be made. Canada At present there are no Disabilities Act in effect in Canada, though according to my research political parties often promise such would be legislated but have still not been acted upon. Though they have no such disabilities act Canada has an alliance called the Canadian Disability Policy Alliance which is a national collaboration of disability researchers, organizations within the community, provincial as well as federal policy-makers which is aimed at creating and mobilizing knowledge to improve the disability policies in Canada and to promote equality and create opportunities for disabled people in Canada. They are being funded by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council for a period of 5 years. In five years, they will need to address four policy areas: Employment Education Citizenship Health Services United Kingdom In the United Kingdom unlike New Zealand, they follow the United Nations Convention. Since they have ratified this the Convention now expects the United Kingdom government to involve people with disabilities in the development of any and all policies that will have an effect on them. The Equality Act of 2010 was enacted on 1 October 2010, this aims in protecting the people with disabilities and prevent any form of discrimination against them. The Act provides people with disabilities legal rights in the areas of: From 1 October 2010, the Equality Act 2010 aims to protect disabled people and prevent disability discrimination. It provides legal rights for disabled people in the areas of: education employment access to goods and services functions of public services buying and renting property In the United Kingdom the Equality Act also covers and provides the rights of people to not be discriminated directly or harassed just because they have an association with a person with disability. This applies to a carer or a parent of a disabled person. Adding to this, people must not be directly discriminated against or harassed just because people have the misconception that they are disabled. Also protected by this Act are people who were disabled in the past. But in New Zealand the policies regarding disabled peoples protection are specifically for disabled people alone against discrimination and there is a separate policy for non-disabled people against discrimination. International service delivery policies on aging from New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom New Zealand In New Zealand, Service Delivery Policies includes care services on a long term basis in both the residential and in the home setting. Service Delivery Policies include long term care services in both residential and home settings. It aims to provide a high quality, affordable, sustainable and timely access to services that are being funded through their own respective District Health Boards. Under the Social Development sector, a retirement income such as Superannuation is provided to New Zealanders over 65 years of age. There is also a veteran’s pension available for people who have served in the military. Other range of services available to older people includes financial assistance like Gold Card, Accommodation Supplement, and reduced cost in fees for their doctors, and a form of medication subsidies. Canada In Canada they have a national health care insurance program called â€Å"Medicare†. This program is under the Health Care Act, which is a publicly funded system in Canada with an interlocking set of 10 provincial and territorial plans. This act provides the older people access to hospital and physician services all the time. There are also other services the older Canadians can access which are: Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Old Age Security (OAS), pension for over 65 Guaranteed Income Supplement Spouse’s Allowance (1975) One other contribution of the Canadian federal government is the funds allocated to the provincial health and social programmes through agencies such as Canada Health and Social Transfers. They also provide major allocations in funding for health care, health promotion, disease prevention and medical research. The National Council on Aging (NACA) since the 1980s has long been assisting and providing advice to the Minister of Health on issues relating to the ageing of the Canadian population and the quality in the life of the older Canadians. Through its institution, the government of Canada has recognized that it needs to meet the concerns of its elderly population that they needed to be informed especially by the elderly about what their needs and concerns are and how to improve their conditions. United Kingdom National Service Framework In the United Kingdom there is a National Service Framework designed as a 10 year programme that contains eight standards that relates to services designed for older people. It covers a wide range of services of care that older people need. The frameworks standards represents essential principles which guarantee that care is based on the clinical need and not the age of the individual. It guarantees that services being provided treat the elderly as individuals, promoting their quality of life, their independence, their dignity and the elderly’s right to make their own choices and decisions especially regarding their own care. As early as January 1909, the United Kingdom (including Ireland) has a basic state pension known as the â€Å"Old Age Pension†. They also have travel concessions, allowances for winter fuel and housing assistance programs. 4.3 REFERENCES Ministry of Social Development. (2007). Older People. Retrieved from  http://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/corporate/statement-of-intent/2007/older-people.html Ministry of Social Development. (2001). Positive Ageing Goals and Key Actions. Retrieved from http://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/planning-strategy/positive-ageing/goals-and-actions.html Ministry of Health. (2002). Health of Older People Strategy. Retrieved from  http://www.health.govt.nz/publication/health-older-people-strategy New Plymouth District Council. (2010). Positive Ageing Strategy. Retrieved from  http://www.newplymouthnz.com/CouncilDocuments/PlansAndStrategies/PositiveAgeingStrategy.htm#nz Employment and Social Development Canada. (2013). Addressing the challenges and opportunities of ageing in Canada. Retrieved from http://www.esdc.gc.ca/eng/seniors/reports/aging.shtml Canadians with Disabilities Alliance. (2010). A Canadians with Disabilities Act?. Retrieved from http://www.disabilitypolicyalliance.ca/federal_policy_team/federal_canadianswithdisabilitiesact/canadians-with-disabilities-act.html JAQUELINE VILLAFLORES

The Raven :: Literary Analysis, Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe wrote many literary works and had many tragedies in his life. Edgar Allan Poe’s life started in poverty, became better during his adopted years, and once again fell into poverty. Edgar Allan Poe inspired many people with his haunting poetry and short stories. One of his best known poems is â€Å"The Raven.† In this poem he is represented as a lonely fellow in his bedroom, longing for his lost love. Some say this poem is a metaphor for his close friends and family dying. Edgar Allan Poe had a rough life that resulted in many inspiring poems. (Hallqvist 1). Edgar Allan Poe was born January 19 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts. His parents, Elizabeth and David Poe were both involved in acting careers. When Edgar was two years old, his father mysteriously abandoned his family, leaving Elizabeth Poe with Edgar and his two siblings, Henry and Rosalie to raise on her own. Soon after Edgar’s father leaving, his mother fell ill with tuberculosis. Elizabeth Poe suffered with the disease from October until December 8, 1811 when she died. Later in Edgar’s life, his poems would relate back to December 1811 and its misfortunes. â€Å"And all I loved, I loved alone† (Lange 12). Poe said speaking of the tragedy of his mother’s death. (Lange 12-13). While Elizabeth Poe had lain sick, Frances Allan and a few other ladies cared for the Poe household. Frances Allan grew and attachment to Edgar and adopted him after his mother died. His siblings were adopted by different families. Frances loved Edgar as her own. â€Å"Edgar was somewhat spoiled by his doting foster mother† (Anderson 12). Frances and her husband John Allan were very wealthy. (Anderson 12). When Edgar turned six, John moved the family to London for business. There, Edgar attended an English boarding school where he studied French, Latin and literature. In 1820, John Allan’s business in England failed, which caused the family to move back to Richmond. Edgar continued school back in Richmond and began writing poems. One of his first poems was about a crush he had on his friend’s mother. â€Å"Helen, thy beauty is to me Like those Nicean barks of yore, That gently, o'er a perfumed sea,

Critical Incident Analysis Essay

Engagement with a service user can be a challenging process which needs to be reflected upon by the individual nurse (van Os et al 2004). When a critical or unique incident arises reflection enables the practitioner to assess, understand and learn through their experiences (Johns, 1995). It was also suggested by Jarvis (1992) that reflection is not just thoughtful practice but a learning experience. This assignment is a reflective critical incident analysis of an engagement encounter on a community placement recently using Gibbs (1998) Reflective Cycle (Appendix 1,3). In maintaining confidentiality (NMC, 2004) and privacy, even for reflective pursuance (Hargreaves, 1997), pseudonyms will be used. I will also further reflect on a teaching session I contacted following this incident. Critical Incident analysis During a recent clinical placement with the local CMHT there was a distress call from parents of a client, Mat. An immediate visit by the two co-coordinators and me, followed without checking, or doing a risk assessment. This visit resulted in aggressive and abusive encounter and Mat was then admitted to hospital, (Appendix 2). This incident is critical to me as it presented a learning opportunity as well as a risk of physical harm to me and the nurses with me. As I look back on this incident there are several issues that relate to the role of the nurse. When I look back at this incident, I felt anxious but my thoughts were that this was a learning experience even when it was clear I was the main focus of the aggressive threats (Fazzone, et al, 2000) I knew I needed to remain calm and to assess for escape routes. I made mental notes of these but still I was not sure and everything was happening so fast and my mentor was already telling us what to do. Being able to remain calm could have help and I feel this was a positive thing. As I reflect if I had panicked visibly this could have encouraged Mat to have a real go. It also helped us to remain in control as we walked out of the house. This could have reassured her parents that the nurses were confident of what they were doing. This incident was bad as an engagement with the client did not go well resulting with the client going into hospital. This is usually distressing for most people although hospital is regarded as a place of safety in these circumstances. Even guidelines to the mental health act (MHA, 1983) acknowledge this that hospital can be distressing to others. On a positive note the situation was handled well and no physical harm was done to anyone. It was also a learning opportunity for me, as I gained an insight and now the opportunity to reflect on relevant issues related to risk assessment and management in the community. When the message was received about Mat, a decision was made promptly to visit. On each planned visit I would get an update and I was expected to find out more about the client as well. This usually focused on risk and other necessary background information which would help me understand the intervention and interactions with that client. I took this to be good practice and put one in an informed position. I don’t recall Rita finding exactly what was going on from the parents neither did we check documentation on his file. There are protocols and guidelines on managing risk in the community and the local team had its own arrangements. A good risk assessment through the CPA process will minimise distress to staff, carers and the patient in service provision in the community (Manthorpe and Alaszewski, 2000). All these are resources which are available and it is the nurse’s responsibility to use or adhere to them. Rita is a senior CPN and knew about this client. Maybe she decided to react straight on the basis of the cues she picked from her short conversation with the parents making use of her clinical experience and knowledge of the service user (Benner, 2001; DOH, 2007). She could have considered the clinical need and prioritised and as this was an emergency, practice and theory rarely converge in these circumstances depending on what you perceive to be the link between practice and theory (Welsh and Swann, 2002). Mat could have felt provoked by three strangers walking into his place. Nurses are expected to respect the client and more so in their own homes. Manley and McCormack (1997) contended that the client should be respected and given autonomy and choice and some do feel aggrieved if this is breached. The situation was different in this case as Mat lived with his parents who had invited us and opened the door for us. But this could appear Mat as clear case of invasion of his privacy or space. Although Mat was clearly unwell I feel seeing a crowd rushing into your house will make anyone uneasy and feel disrespected. When Mat was clearly aggressive Rita informed us to leave. This was logical for safety and as nurses are not to be subjected to abuse. The trust and across the NHS there are ‘zero tolerance policies’ (DH, 1999) on violence to staff. The NMC has also emphasised the need for employers and government to consider the human rights of the nurses while the Healthcare Commission has called for a balanced between protecting the healthcare staff and protecting patients’ rights. (Healthcare Commission, 2007). Without a prior risk assessment this decision could have been meant to create pace and time for risk to be considered. The space created may have been meant to allow space and time for Mat to calm down as well. Under the Health and safety at work (1974) we had responsibility to follow the employer’s safety procedures. I did not see explicit measures and effort being put to de-escalate the situation at that moment. I am of the opinion that this could have helped and saved the stress of involving police and the hospitalisation which followed. I think this way, as by the time they got to hospital I was informed that Mat was apologetic for his attack especially on me. Maybe with a bit of time he could have calmed down. The decision taken by the nurse could have been based on the need to protect the safety not only of the staff and the parents who appeared vulnerable but also for Mat’s safety. Rita could have felt the need to fulfil that requirement of her role duty of care as a nurse (NMC, 2004) and moral duty towards the vulnerable parents. In all this I assumed a back seat role. This was in line with my position as a student as I had to be aware of my limitations (NMC, 2006). I was not sure of how to react, whether to wait for cues from my mentor or to take the initiative was on my mind. On reflection I have to agree with Irving and Hazlett (1999), who observed that working with people with challenging behaviour puts strain on the nurse’s interpersonal skills and weaknesses in this area are more evident in such situations. This could also have helped as I could have reacted in a way to aggravate the situation as I was target in this aggression. Working in a team requires professionals to be aware of each individual’s role and not to contradict one another so I acknowledged that Rita was taking the lead role. In light of the risk posed by Mat a decision was made to involve the police. This is not an easy decision to make if one considers the impact this will have on the client. Even the staff’s time consumed by this can be enormous. In this case Rita had to spend the rest of her day involved on this issue. My mind kept telling me that there could have been an alternative approach somewhere, but Rita could have made the right choice as after MHA (1983) assessments carried out by other professionals; a consultant and ASW, it was felt there was a need for Mat to be in hospital. In decision making Rita might have considered the vulnerability and the stress the parents could have been going through. Nurses also have to look after the interest of the public or carers as in this case (NMC 2004). After reflecting on what transpired on this day I feel there are things that could have been done differently. This does not suggest that anything was done in any wrong way, neither that my suggestions are better. Most of my suggestions are grounded in the benefit of hindsight which might not have been available to Rita at the time. The staff could have taken their time and risk assessed before rushing out to see the client. Rita could have explored about the risk posed from the parents (DH, 2007). This could not have breached any confidentiality and eventually could have helped reduce further distress on all involved. This could clearly have quantified the level of risk and appropriate arrangements for interventions made. This could have involved a full MHA (1983) assessment with the right personnel in attendance. If the risk was high for the parents police could have been involved in the first instance to minimise risk. Policies and procedures are there to give guidelines and they could have proved to save the day in this incident. It is the responsibility of staff to adhere to them (NHS SMS, 2005). Once we were at Mat’s place more effort could have been put to de-escalate the situation or to give him more space to calm down. Mat appeared prepared to talk to Rita and not the rest of us, even if it was on racial grounds. This issue could have been addressed later after he was composed highlighting how his behaviour was inappropriate. NHS SMS, (2007) has emphasised on this in nits guidelines. Since he was unwell benefit of the doubt could have allowed Mat to speak to appropriate staff in the situation and this could have saved hospitalisation or involvement of other professionals. Such positive risk (Morgan 2004) taking could have saved distress on the part of the client and carers and resources of time and number of agencies and professionals involved. Further to positive risk taking, staff from CMHT could have involved the Home Treatment Team. This could have helped Mat to remain at home with an increased level of support as Mat settled down fairly quickly once in hospital. It was also realised that his level of medication was quite a low dose and there were other factors triggering a relapse. HTT team could have given support and assurance to the parents in line with holistic care and moral agency, (Manley and McCormack, 1997). A discussion with the parents could have been considered to ascertain how they felt about Mat staying home with the support from HTT. After being involved in this incident and reflection I have considered several issues as regards my professional position and development. I have identified that risk assessment is varied and circumstantial to the environment. I have to be aware of the risk considerations and then to equip myself with the right skills and tools to meet my responsibilities (Rew and Ferns, 2005). The tools provided such as policies and procedures are there to complement and minimise risk and not to hinder our work. It is my professional duty to be aware of these and make use of them where they are available. As I go into my last clinical placement I will make sure I am aware of these polices and adhere to them. Following the critical incident I carried out a teaching session during my clinical placement which I will reflect upon also using the Gibbs’ Reflect Cycle. Teaching session reflection I planned for a teaching session on Risk Management as an issue I had identified in the incident I reflected upon. This was also a rare incident with this CMHT. Violence to anyone is distressing so when I looked at the role of the nurse as a teacher, RCN (2006) statement on violence and the professional expectations, I felt the need to share my knowledge on the topic. I delivered a presentation on the topic of risk management with focused reference to the incident. The participants were all the 8 staff members who attended the staff meeting for that afternoon. In preparation I encountered encouragement and support from some team members but challenges were also there. In planning the teaching I looked at the subject area and relevance to the prospective audience. The language in terms of jargon and the method of teaching was considered looking at my position as teacher and learner as well as the adult professional participants. I had hoped to use power point but this was not available. The room and timing of the session were determined by doing the session during a weekly staff meeting which provided for teaching or presentation session (appendix 5). From the onset anxiety set in as I was trying to decide what exactly I was going to focus on (Haward, 2004). This was mainly so as I was going to deliver a teaching to people who I was sure knew the subject matter better than me. Awareness of my limitations was glaring me in the face. The subject of risk is such a vast area and being specific can be a mammoth task. This happened early on in my placement and I was still getting familiar with the team. My confidence was low at the start of preparations and on delivering the session. The participants were from different professions including the team manager. It was more difficult as most of my support was from my mentor who happened to be in hospital on the day. On the day of the incident I was given time to reflect on what had happened. This was good for me as this set the ball rolling for the planning and delivering of the teaching session. As part fulfilment my studies I was aware that I needed to present a teaching session (appendix 4). This was good as it helped me decide on what to do. This reflection also helped me understand that one of the most important issues in mental health if not heath and social care at large is risk management. I got support and encouragement from my mentor and another newly qualified staff. Positive feed back and realising how my confidence had grown in those twenty minutes I had delivered the teaching felt very rewarding for my efforts. The challenges of deciding on the subject and planning of the teaching were unnerving. I was aware of my disadvantaged position that I was going to teach people who in all probability knew and had more experience on the subject than me, which who did not help my confidence regardless of what Thompson, (2004) suggested. This was not helped by one member of staff who encouraged me to abandoning the teaching on the last point. He was not clear on his reasons but maybe felt he was doing me a favour. The timing of the teaching at the end of a staff meeting was not favourable and conducive for such a topic which could be very dry. The planned media of delivery of power-point was not available although contingency plans were in place. See appendix 5. Teaching requires preparation. The first consideration was who I was to teach. Knowing that I was going to teach experienced practitioners in their own area of practice was un-nerving. When you teach something you need to impart some knowledge and you want to make worthwhile the student’s time. I was not sure what I should teach on. I had to find a topic which I would be able to research on and give some interesting knowledge that would be valued by my audience. This was partly achieved by basing my teaching on the critical incident that everyone was aware of. Reflective learning was achieved by the presentation which focussed on a known incident allowing the participants to discuss issues around that incident and relate it with the theory. Cropley (1981) contends that adults learn best when encouraged to relate learning to their experience. Baud, et al (1985) also talked about leaning being enhanced by the use of experience, ideas and the reflective process and looking at the outcomes. In a group with nurses and other professions social workers, occupational therapists, doctors and psychologists as well as an administrator the language was important (Haward, 2004). This is an issue I had not seriously considered initially on the basis that this was one team which had been together for a long time. But during my presentation I quickly realised that this was not the case when I had to elaborate or explain certain terms as well change substitute some terms as I continued. This lack of consideration could have left the participant uncomfortable or miss to fully benefit from the session. When teaching adults you need to treat them as adults and the same treatment should be expected from them (Knowles, 1984) making choose the androgogal approach. Although I was the one teaching my position was peculiar as I was aware that I could be the one with the least knowledge on the subject in the room. I managed to realise and accept this short coming in knowledge on the basis that I cannot know everything. I also accepted that preparing and delivering this session makes me a learner and teacher at the same time. My learning was not limited to the researched material but also the discussions during the session and the experience of delivering the session, increasing my confidence (Thompson, 2004). One important consideration was the environment. The need to ensure basic intrinsic needs (Maslow, 1987) of physiological comfort and safety could not be overlooked. This was initially not an issue as the room was prepared for the meeting. But as the time dragged on tiredness might have become a factor although this was not explicit. I was aware of this; I can recall trying to go through my presentation before anyone excused themselves. The timing of the session at the end of the meeting was good in that the largest audience was available after the team meeting and the meeting room was prepared already. Also this did not affect the work of any staff as they were all scheduled to be available at that time. Initially there was passivity but progressively participation improved as questions were discussed among the participants. My fear was that this will be centred on me as the teacher (Quinn, 2000). Being aware of my limitation my audience could have missed out on those areas I could not fully articulate. Handout were prepared and used for this session. Personally I would have preferred to use power point for two reasons. Firstly I am used to using power point and I can manipulate the presentation (Sammons, 1997). I am someone who likes to use the latest technology and aids available especially with environmental awareness on my mind. The second reason is that power point will help to divert some attention from me the presenter. This was topic so crucial that the student and mentor should work closely in partnership. In this way I will have gained more from getting a closer insight into what informed the mentor’s actions and a practical view of the issues at hand. The rest of the team members will also benefit more broaden view point (Jasper, 2003). With hindsight I could have discussed with the staff member who was discouraging me from carrying the teaching, challenging his position. Some practitioners are only concerned about doing the minimum to do the job, treating education as an extra to necessity, described by Conway (1996) as ‘traditionalists’ and by Houle (1980), as ‘Laggards’ who resist both learning and new ideas. The topic of risk assessment is such a vast topic and given the opportunity I had on this occasion I could do justice to this important issue. I could revisit my ability to set work towards realistic goals that are achievable within my personal and professional life (Cropley, 1981). This was a learning opportunity which I will nurture and utilise to develop myself and other professionals. Critical incidents are learning opportunities for everyone concerned staff and clients alike. My role as nurse requires me to be an educator and a health promoter. To this end a teaching session on such an incident should include experienced staff and clients in preparations and delivery where possible (Manthorpe and Alaszewski, 2000). I will also consider delivering a similar teaching to educate the clients as well especially those who were part of such an incident (NHS SMS, 2007). Conclusion After this process of reflection I can realise the importance of life long learning (DH, 2001). In nursing there are many challenging situations which are so varied; one is expected to fully appreciate the need to continuous update and keeping one self abreast with skills and knowledge. Challenging situations occur on a daily basis and unless we are prepared for them the quality of care will suffer. Some of these incidents will leave staff at the ‘end of their wits’ and may affect their confidence. More skills and knowledge will become hand especially in challenging engagement situations where there will not be time to look up things. Clinical supervision will form a big part in maintaining and improving competency. Competency as a nurse is critical and justifies need for PREP (NMC, 2004a) for transition for newly qualified nurses and need for life long learning requirements of KSF standards (DH, 2003) Reflection will help one to identify areas for personal and professional development. This will go a long way helping the KSF and clinical governance requirements (Scally and Donaldson, 1998). All these factors to enhance the nurse’s knowledge and skills are prerequisites for responsibility and authority which underpin accountability. Skills and knowledge in professional practice brings the ability to exercise professional judgement.

Advertisement Review essay

English 100 Young and Reckless Commercials have become a major part of our lives today. There are those that stand out when they are viewed and others that do not deserve to be aired. The Taco Bell advertisement features an old man and his clique who decide to sneak out of a retirement home and go out for a crazy night as they re-live their younger days. Generally, the advertisement has a need for sex, escape, aesthetic sensation and attention as it targets all age groups in the society from the young to the old. Taco Bell shows us that age is nothing but a number and it is not only young people that can get wild and loose.This particular commercial shows us how a group of senior citizens snuck out of their retirement home let off some steam with a crazy night out. The background music for this rebellious evening was perfectly chosen: the Spanish version of â€Å"We Are Young,† by Fun. The old folks embark on a series of mischievous events that are typically associated with ch ildren and young adults. They start by invading someone’s property and dive into the owners pool, lighting firecrackers on someone’s front door, go partying in a club where they have fun, and one of them ends up with a â€Å"GOLDBATT† tattoo across his back.After a long night of mischief the gang winds up at Taco Bell for some delicious Mexican food. The advertisement is freaky, hence catching your attention by elderly folks being put in certain situations that are past their age. In most cases, not every viewer will relate to the age of the characters, but what is seen in the commercial is enough to attach you to it. This commercial targets all age groups, from the young to the old, but in my opinion it mainly targets teenagers and young adults, around the ages of fifteen to twenty-four.This age group contributes the most to fast food industries, one of them being Taco Bell. By featuring senior citizens in the ad, it adds humor and brainwashes young adults who want to have the same fun the commercial portrays, then finish the night by eating at Taco Bell. By a small percentage, it also targets people with low income, people who have cars and alcohol users. Taco Bell’s commercial comes out strongly with the need for escape. This is quite evident, as most of us know how retirement homes work.Senior citizens are confined in a home with not much to do, but in this ad we assume that the elderly folks could not take it anymore and decided to sneak out and have an adventurous and pleasurable night: one that they would never have experienced at the retirement home. At the end, they are seen eating outside Taco Bell, presumably very early the morning. Many people would also say the commercial has the need for attention. This is evident, as you would not expect a group of senior citizens to sneak out of a retirement home to go do activities that young adults do during the early hours of the night.That is why it gets your attention and makes you want to see what happens next and, before you know it, you have already been brainwashed by the tacos the elderly have after a crazy night. Also Taco Bell goes ahead and establishes a need for aesthetic sensations, though not common in this ad, but it is evident. This need is achieved when the featured elderly went to a club and had fun dancing and drinking as the night goes by, experiencing pure bliss. The final appeal that this advertisement portrays is the need for sex.This is evident with the scene at the club where an elderly woman comes out of the bathroom with a young man who apparently has lipstick marks on his cheek. Also in the club, we see many people making out and the kind of dance that are being danced at the club. Advertising has been around for a long time and ads are used to introduce new products to the market, hoping for better returns. Most of us take ads for granted as we think that they are not able to influence us, but we are wrong. Advertisers have sat do wn and worked out strategies on how to manipulate us without us even realizing it.One way they manipulate us is by having ads that appear in the clear in order have an influence. In the article â€Å"This Is Yours Brain On Ads: An internal Battle,† Maya Cueva talks about how the brain responds to advertisements that we watch on a daily basis. She talks about how kids were watching an ad and how they used to go into a zone where you stop thinking and just watch, which is exactly what the ad wants. She meets up with Mark Kishiyama, a lab director at NeuroFocus, who shows her how her brain reacts to advertisements in three different ways: attention, emotional engagement, and memory.This study of how the brain reacts to ads is how advertisers come up with ways to make their ads more effective in a short amount of time. With this article and the Taco Bell ad, we see that advertisers capture our attention by having featured elderly people in the commercial which captivates the view er to want to see more, but we are being manipulated and put in the zone where we stop thinking and just watch, thinking that a 30 second ad is fast and that its not going to influence us, but it does.Taco Bell sums up their advertisement with the needs for attention, escape, aesthetic sensation and sex which are all very evident in the commercial. With the inclusion of senior citizens in the ad’s cast, Taco Bell created a curious environment for viewers who wanted to know what would happen next, because no one would expect to see elderly people doing what teenagers would usually be doing, at their age.In my opinion this ad was well done and am sure it manipulated many other people, not just me. Featuring the elderly partying, having fun, then ending up at Taco Bell for food was the highlight of this ad and, personally would go out and have fun with this posse of senior citizens because they are fun. WORKS CITED 1. Maya , Cueva. â€Å"This Is Your Brain On Ads: An Internal à ¢â‚¬ËœBattle'. † NPR. N. p. , 14 june 2. Web. .

Eastern Deciduous Forests

Eastern Deciduous Forests Deciduous forests once stretched from New England south to Florida and from the Atlantic Coast west to the Mississippi River. When European settlers arrived and in the New World, they began clearing timber for use as fuel and building materials. Timber was also used in ship making, fence building, and railroad construction. As the decades passed, forests were cleared on an ever-expanding scale to make way for agricultural land use and the development of cities and towns. Today, only fragments of the former forests remain with strongholds along the spine of the Appalachian Mountains and within national parks. The Eastern deciduous forests of North America can be divided into four regions. Northern Hardwoods Forests Northern hardwoods forests include species such as white ash, bigtooth aspen, quaking aspen, American Basswood, American beech, yellow birch, northern white cedar, black cherry, American elm, eastern hemlock, red maple, sugar maple, northern red oak, jack pine, red pine, white pine, red spruce. Central Broad-Leaved Forests Central broad-leaved forests include species such as white ash, American basswood, white basswood, American beech, yellow birch, yellow buckeye, flowering dogwood, American elm, eastern hemlock, bitternut hickory, mockernut hickory, shagbark hickory, black locust, cucumber magnolia, red maple, sugar maple, black oack, blackjack oak, bur oak, chestnut oak, northern red oak, post oak, white oak, common persimmon, white pine, tulip poplar, sweetgum, black tupelo, black walnut. Southern Oak-Pine Forests Southern oak-pine forests include species such as eastern red cedar, flowering dogwood, bitternut hickory, mockernut hickory, shagbark hickory, red maple, black oak, blackjack oak, northern red oak, scarlet oak, southern red oak, water oak, white oak, willow oak, loblolly pine, longleaf pine, sand pine, shortleaf pine, slash pine, Virginia pine, tulip poplar, sweetgum, and black tupelo. Bottomland Hardwood Forests Bottomland hardwood forests include species such as green ash, river birch, yellow buckeye, eastern cottonwood, swamp cottonwood, bald cypress, box elder, bitternut hickory, honey locust, southern magnolia, red maple, silver maple, cherry bark oak, live oak, northern pin oak, overcup oak, swamp chestnut oak, pecan, pond pine, sugarberry, sweetgum, American sycamore, swamp tupelo, water tupelo. The Forests Provides a Habitat for a Variety of Animals The eastern deciduous forests of North America provide habitat for a variety of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates. Some of the mammals found in this region include mice, shrews, woodrats, squirrels, cottontails, bats, martens, armadillos, opossums, beavers, weasels, skunks, foxes, raccoons, black bear, bobcats, and deer. Some of the birds that occur in the eastern deciduous forests include owls, hawks, waterfowl, crows, doves, woodpeckers, warblers, vireos, grosbeaks, tanagers, cardinals, jays, and robins. Ecozones: TerrestrialEcosystem: ForestsRegion: NearcticPrimary Habitat: Temperate ForestsSecondary Habitat: Eastern Deciduous Forests of North AmericaAppalachian National Scenic TrailGreat Smoky MountainsShenandoah

Essay on designer babies

Essay on designer babies Essay on designer babies Audience: less informed about topic. Forum: Time Magazine A brighter future Advancing the human genome as a species was once a sci-fi fantasy. Today, the idea of genetically modified people is reality. Although Genetic Modification is an extremely controversial topic, it has the potential to benefit our species in ways once unimaginable. Throughout this paper, I hope to inform you of the infinite amount of positive and beneficial possibilities that can come from this field of study. With the guidance of knowing the science behind genetic modification, understanding the potential behind the human genome, and maybe some already promoted actions in this field; you will have shed some light on engineering people a certain way. Before anyone can fight the idea of GM (Genetically Modified) babies; one must be informed fully on the topic. Just because the idea of â€Å"engineering† babies might not sound like what a good and sane person might want, does not mean it is a bad thing for us as a species. The human genome is a fragile and natura lly beautiful work of art. The codes within our DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) that make up the human genome to blueprint every single aspect and characteristic within our bodies is extremely versatile in the way it makes up our physical self. Eye color, size, skin color, health, gender, and approximately another 30 to 40 thousand genes are encoded within our DNA. This insanely complex but beautiful puzzle is created in nature, but in reality, nature doesn’t always create people fairly. For example, any hereditary disease a person gets, physical disabilities they have, or intellectual barriers. Genetic diseases such as Down syndrome, Alzheimer’s, Huntington ’s disease, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and many others. It also eliminates risk of inherited medical conditions such as obesity, anemia, diabetes, cancer, and many more. These are all held within the make-up of the human genome. Given this knowledge, the sensible thing to do would be to acquire a process in which we could avoid these disabilities before a baby is even born. PGD (preimplantation genetic diagnosis) is one of the most ethical processes when dealing with designer babies. PGD is defined by Roger Gosden in Designing Babies as â€Å"the process of analysis to a single cell removed from a biopsy from a human embryo† (109). In simpler terms, this allows doctors to find a healthy embryo to insert via IVF (In Vitro fertilization). IVF is explained by Medline Plus as â€Å"the joining of a woman’s egg and a man’s sperm in a laboratory dish. In vitro means â€Å"outside the body.† Fertilization means the sperm has attached to and entered the egg.† Which can then be placed back into the women to carry out the natural birthing process. Many people believe that this process is still unethical, although no genetic modification is taking place here, it is a very plausible way to â€Å"design† your baby to be healthy. Not only does this avoid the risk of having a baby afflicted with disease and disability, but allows infertile parents to have kids of their own. One of the most researched and strong points behind the idea of designer babies comes from the sad reality of infertility. A portion of the population is physically unable to have children of their own. There can be many different mutations within a person’s genes that do not allow them to have kids on their own, but the main thing these people want to know is how to go along and fix this problem. People may think differently, but Robin M. Henig, author of Pandora’s Baby explains, â€Å"The normality of all these test tube babies might have brought the tiniest twinge of disappointment to those looking for excuses to ban IVF or to those who thought that witnessing the birth of an abnormal test tube babe would be something of a thrill, a bit like watching a circus accident on the high wire. But most people felt great relief to see that Carla Polson was just l ike Louise Brown, just like Candice Reed, just like the

Definition and Usage of Union in Mathematics

Definition and Usage of Union in Mathematics One operation that is frequently used to form new sets from old ones is called the union. In common usage, the word union signifies a bringing together, such as unions in organized labor or the State of the Union address that the U.S. President makes before a joint session of Congress. In the mathematical sense, the union of two sets retains this idea of bringing together. More precisely, the union of two sets A and B is the set of all elements x such that x is an element of the set A or x is an element of the set B. The word that signifies that we are using a union is the word or. The Word Or When we use the word or in day-to-day conversations, we may not realize that this word is being used in two different ways. The way is usually inferred from the context of the conversation. If you were asked â€Å"Would you like the chicken or the steak?† the usual implication is that you may have one or the other, but not both. Contrast this with the question, â€Å"Would you like butter or sour cream on your baked potato?† Here or is used in the inclusive sense in that you could choose only butter, only sour cream, or both butter and sour cream. In mathematics, the word or is used in the inclusive sense. So the statement, x is an element of A or an element of B means that one of the three is possible: x is an element of just A and not an element of Bx is an element of just B and not an element of A.x is an element of both A and B. (We could also say that x is an element of the intersection of A and B Example For an example of how the union of two sets forms a new set, let’s consider the sets A {1, 2, 3, 4, 5} and B {3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8}. To find the union of these two sets, we simply list every element that we see, being careful not to duplicate any elements. The numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 are in either one set or the other, therefore the union of A and B is {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 }. Notation for Union In addition to understanding the concepts concerning set theory operations, it is important to be able to read symbols used to denote these operations. The symbol used for the union of the two sets A and B is given by A ∠ª B. One way to remember the symbol ∠ª refers to union is to notice its resemblance to a capital U, which is short for the word â€Å"union.† Be careful, because the symbol for union is very similar to the symbol for intersection. One is obtained from the other by a vertical flip. To see this notation in action, refer back the above example. Here we had the sets A {1, 2, 3, 4, 5} and B {3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8}. So we would write the set equation A ∠ª B {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 }. Union With the Empty Set One basic identity that involves the union shows us what happens when we take the union of any set with the empty set, denoted by #8709. The empty set is the set with no elements. So joining this to any other set will have no effect. In other words, the union of any set with the empty set will give us the original set back This identity becomes even more compact with the use of our notation. We have the identity: A ∠ª ∅ A. Union With the Universal Set For the other extreme, what happens when we examine the union of a set with the universal set? Since the universal set contains every element, we cannot add anything else to this. So the union or any set with the universal set is the universal set. Again our notation helps us to express this identity in a more compact format. For any set A and the universal set U, A ∠ª U U. Other Identities Involving the Union There are many more set identities that involve the use of the union operation. Of course, its always good to practice using the language of set theory. A few of the more important are stated below. For all sets A, and B and D we have: Reflexive Property: A ∠ª A ACommutative Property: A ∠ª B B ∠ª AAssociative Property: (A ∠ª B) ∠ª D A ∠ª (B ∠ª D)DeMorgan’s Law I: (A ∠© B)C AC ∠ª BCDeMorgan’s Law II: (A ∠ª B)C AC ∠© BC

Cloud Computing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Cloud Computing - Assignment Example According to the research findings the use of cloud computing in businesses exhibits the characteristics of empowerment, agility, reduction of costs involved, device along with location independence and virtualization. It also allows for multi-tenancy, reliability, scalability, performance, security and maintenance of the various applications being utilized in a business. Through empowerment, the concept of cloud computing facilitates the users with the control of all the resources at their disposal. Its agility can always be improved with their user’s ability of re-provisioning technological infrastructural resources. These technologies usually provide interfaces that allow many users to communicate and share resources such as software. Another major advantage of using cloud computing is that it enables users to get accessibility to various systems by using only web browsers such as Mozilla Firefox and Internet explorer. The advantage achieved through the process of virtualiz ation enables the transfer and sharing of resources from one server to another. Multi-tenancy in a cloud computing environment facilitates large pools of users in sharing resources in a business environment, and this minimizes the costs incurred in maintaining the computers. This can easily be achieved through centralization, having peak-load capacities and increasing their utilization and efficiencies. The reliability of cloud computing can be augmented through the use of multiple sites that are redundant. Finally, security is usually achieved through data centralization, increasing the focus on security resources. The maintenance of resources within a cloud computing environment is very easy. This is because the applications do not have to be individually installed in each computer in the business (Buyya, Brogerg & Goscinski, 2011). The applications have their own benefits and limits when being utilized in a business environment. For example, in the usage of an application in a bu siness environment that supports controls on quality and assurance functions, one must consider the various benefits and limits that come with it (Shroff, 2010). The issues of the application tracking the parts that have been rejected while taking actions that are corrective in reconciling the parts to manufacture in the future should be greatly considered. The supporting of similar activities will ensure that the customers to a business remain willing to do business with a company since the quality of their products is always assured. Cloud computing is also quite vital when supporting purchasing along with inventory control systems and firm’s requirements in the manufacturing process. The use of this form of computing in this field enables the supporting of all

Case Study 7 & 8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Case Study 7 & 8 - Essay Example Working as a single domain, chopperchassis.com, CCI has two domain controllers one for each facility, and three member servers, one for internal emails and other applications and others are used for CCIs main database. The business layer, as related to the Top-Down Model, has been serving the needs of all staff scattered in two facilities situation in Ohio by the IT Manager. Internet connection was not provided to the staff as such demand has not been made by the staff. Through the TCP/IP protocol, all the 50 employees were provided computers, servers, and routers with private IP address, joining two locations through a dedicated T1 line. Two subnets using the subnet mask have been created by the IT department for connectivity between the two facilities. At the application layer, Microsoft SQL Server is being used to store the main database of CCI. Strict modular separation of functionality at application layer has been provided through the TCP/IP protocol through T1 line and creating subnets. At the network layer, as per the new business requirements to provide access to suppliers and customers of important information related to order processing and supply chain management through extranets while giving due consideration to security and cost reduction, firewall and Network Address Translation (NAT) was recommended to the owner of CCI by its IT head. NAT router made it possible to purchase less IP addresses and provide security by translating the internal IP addresses of employees to external addresses. Thus, through NAT, the NAT router worked as a negotiator between public internet and private network. At the data layer, CCI has in place LAN for faster data transfer through Microsoft SQL server to its database. The technology layer of Ethernet with LAN has provided excellent connectivity among the staff at the two facilities to share resources.

Salse and Planing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Salse and Planing - Essay Example The level of interaction is greater and feedback is generated in a positive manner. The convening opportunity to a consumer is more (ICMR, 2010). Trade Selling: The salesperson sells the products to marketing intermediaries like whole sellers and retailers. The consumers are not the direct prospects of the products. The intermediates are the actual consumers and they sell to direct clients (ICMR, 2010). The customer’s expectation towards the organization is difficult to evaluate. There has been decrease in the consumer satisfaction level and even the organizations huge investment towards Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Customer expectations are increasing in relation to salesperson information, swiftness of response, extent and deepness of communication, and customization of information and product/service offerings. Failure to respond and adopt new strategies will negatively affect the sales force. The competition is intense for revenue and market share. The cost to serve consumers plays a greater pressure on the salesman to perform under such situations. During the different phases of PLC due to lack of knowledge of competitor’s products, they might have to face problems. Lack of technology that helps the salespersons to supervise significant information throughout sales cycle and communicate in actual time with their companies, might affect the salesperson performance. In the extremely competitive circumstances, salespersons must be significantly careful about the phrases and the arguments they use and encouragements they offer in endeavouring to succeed the sales. Otherwise, they may be sued by the clients. The managerial forces in form of huge targets have the effect upon the sales force. With increasing competition among the sales managers they tend to push the limits of sales force which ultimately affects the sales force performance. Through the study of consumer behaviour, it is

Assets pricing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assets pricing - Essay Example In the US, the performance of mutual funds that are outside the US is not affected very negatively by diminishing returns to scale. In UK, the analysis of mutual funds shows a strong indication of underperformance. It is true that most investors pick funds that are ranked at the top in league tables. The reason is that such funds are likely to yield positive returns for the investors. They rarely withdraw money from underperforming funds in order to reap benefits when they reach a high performing state. One can test his/her persistence in fund performance by analyzing the previous records of accomplishment of the funds. Bonds are not risk free because their value is associated with currency that value of which can go down because of inflation. Moreover, liquidity and reinvestment risks are associated with bonds. Although they can generate a high amount of money, but they investment in them cannot be fully guaranteed as risk-free. Interest rate risk, rating downgrades risk, and credit/default risk are some of such risks that have the potential to alter the decision of investing in bonds. These risks confirm the statement that bonds are not risk free. The difference between these two bonds is that a convertible bonds allows the bond holder to convert debt into the issuing corporation’s common shares, whereas callable bonds gives charge to the issuing corporation to buy back the bond at election (Barron 2012). A form wants to issue these types of bonds to raise money and to stabilize economy in case of fall in interest rate. Yield to maturity means that the bond will yield profit or loss only after repaying of the par value, whereas in holding period return, the return of investors from holding has less association with the coupon rate. The safety-first concept is based on the principle that development of a portfolio should be based on the minimum acceptable return. This rule helps companies in achieving their

North Korea Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

North Korea - Essay Example The conditions of the prisons are pitiable. The government does not pay any attention to the malnutrition, people of the state are facing. Executions are carried out in public. Many people escape to China for survival but have to face severe punishments if caught (Amnesty International USA, 2007). North Korea has been given the worst freedom house rating, a score of 7-7. It is known as the worst violator of human rights. A lot of people have died of malnutrition and the government focuses on its own needs only (Freedom House, n.d.). The corruption perception index ranks various countries based on the level of corruption in their public offices. Because of the absence of required sets of data, North Korea has never been included in the CPI's (Transparency International, 2007). Economy The currency of North Korea is the North Korean won. GDP of a country is an estimate of its economy. North Korea has a GDP of $1,900 per capita. GDP (real growth rate) is 1.6%. GDP (purchasing power parity) is $40 billion. GDP per sector is: Agriculture - 30% Industry - 34% Services - 36% An estimate of the labor force is 10 million with 36% into agriculture and 64% in industry and services. The major agricultural products are rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; cattle, pigs, pork, eggs and major industries are related to military products; machine building, electric power, chemicals; mining, metallurgy; textiles, food processing. The country receives an external food aid of $81.11 million. The external debt is of $12 billion. Total export is of $1.437 billion and total import is of $3.181 billion (CIA,... The Democratic People's Republic of Korea came into existence in 1948. Since independence the communist Korean Worker’s Party has ruled the country. The government of the country, under the leadership of Kim Jong Il, exhibits true dictatorship. There is a scarcity of food. Any person showing disrespect to KWP has to face tortures or even death penalties. The conditions of the prisons are pitiable. North Korea is in critical economic and political situation. There is a need to introduce new economic reforms to stabilize the financial condition of the country. Laws must be crafted for the benefit of the society and for reducing the crime rate. New technologies need to be adopted for the development of the country and independence from the external financial aids. With the world’s least free economy figure of 3%, North Korea holds 157th place out of 157 countries. No international authority is allowed to collect country’s economic information. North Korea has corruption rooted in every individual’s job profile. Government uses unlawful means of earning money, burdened with heavy international debts. There is no freedom of business or trade outside or within the country.

Napoleon Bonaparte's Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Napoleon Bonaparte's - Essay Example The code was influential and formed the private law basis in countries such as Italy, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands, Portugal and Poland. These countries adopted this code especially those aspects related to family laws which were discriminatory against the married women. The codes were adopted mostly under the European Court on Human Rights’ pressure1. However, Napoleon is remembered best for his role in the Napoleonic Wars which were those wars which were led against the French by series of coalitions. He established a state which dominated over many parts of the continental Europe and spread across the ideas for the French Revolution while he consolidated an imperial monarchy. He gained success in these wars and proved to be one of the greatest military commanders of all time. He is still remembered for his warfare and innovations that led the success and despite having many enemies who were superior; he managed to successfully run his campaigns. Today, examples of his campaigns are taught at the military academics globally. In the beginning of the nineteenth century there was much disturbance and disarray in the French Empire until Napoleon was engaged in the series of conflicts that tackled with every major power in the Europe. However, these conflicts resulted in a series of victories and France was able to secure a dominating position in the continental Europe under Napoleon’s military. Napoleon also managed to maintain the influence of the French Empire on the European countries by forming alliances and appointing family and friends to rule these European countries as being the client states of the French (Landau 55). When it is about the impact on the events, Napoleon’s personality is what took the power. He had the skill and expertise which allowed him to take many correct decisions as he chose the best generals for the armies and stood by them till the end. He reorganized many of the things which allowed

North Korea Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

North Korea - Essay Example The conditions of the prisons are pitiable. The government does not pay any attention to the malnutrition, people of the state are facing. Executions are carried out in public. Many people escape to China for survival but have to face severe punishments if caught (Amnesty International USA, 2007). North Korea has been given the worst freedom house rating, a score of 7-7. It is known as the worst violator of human rights. A lot of people have died of malnutrition and the government focuses on its own needs only (Freedom House, n.d.). The corruption perception index ranks various countries based on the level of corruption in their public offices. Because of the absence of required sets of data, North Korea has never been included in the CPI's (Transparency International, 2007). Economy The currency of North Korea is the North Korean won. GDP of a country is an estimate of its economy. North Korea has a GDP of $1,900 per capita. GDP (real growth rate) is 1.6%. GDP (purchasing power parity) is $40 billion. GDP per sector is: Agriculture - 30% Industry - 34% Services - 36% An estimate of the labor force is 10 million with 36% into agriculture and 64% in industry and services. The major agricultural products are rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; cattle, pigs, pork, eggs and major industries are related to military products; machine building, electric power, chemicals; mining, metallurgy; textiles, food processing. The country receives an external food aid of $81.11 million. The external debt is of $12 billion. Total export is of $1.437 billion and total import is of $3.181 billion (CIA,... The Democratic People's Republic of Korea came into existence in 1948. Since independence the communist Korean Worker’s Party has ruled the country. The government of the country, under the leadership of Kim Jong Il, exhibits true dictatorship. There is a scarcity of food. Any person showing disrespect to KWP has to face tortures or even death penalties. The conditions of the prisons are pitiable. North Korea is in critical economic and political situation. There is a need to introduce new economic reforms to stabilize the financial condition of the country. Laws must be crafted for the benefit of the society and for reducing the crime rate. New technologies need to be adopted for the development of the country and independence from the external financial aids. With the world’s least free economy figure of 3%, North Korea holds 157th place out of 157 countries. No international authority is allowed to collect country’s economic information. North Korea has corruption rooted in every individual’s job profile. Government uses unlawful means of earning money, burdened with heavy international debts. There is no freedom of business or trade outside or within the country.

Q Manual Essay Example for Free

Q Manual Essay After the lecture Tutorials and your learning Reading in your study 2. 8. 1 Reading to understand or comprehend 2. 8. 2 Reading for critical comment Checklist for studying faculty units and courses 13 14 14 15 16 16 Chapter 3 The research process: A basic guide 3. 1 The research process 3. 1. 1 Step 1: Understand the assignment topic/question(s) 3. 1. 2 Step 2: Decide what sort of information you need to complete the assignment 3. 1. 3 Step 3: Decide where to look for this information 3. 1. 4 Step 4: Develop and use a search strategy for database searching 3. 1. 5 Step 5: Evaluate the information found and revise the plan 3. 1. 6 Step 6: Presentation 3. 1. 7 Step 7: Final evaluation Using the Internet for research 3. 2. 1 Some further tips for productive Internet research 17 17 17 17 18 18 20 22 22 23 23 3. 2 Chapter 4 Academic writing skills 4. 1 4. 2 4. 3 4. 4 Characteristics of successful writing 4. 1. 1 Responding to the task Exam question, Accounting and Finance 4. 2. 1 Initial analysis, key terms and directions Structuring your writing clearly 4. 3. 1 Writing structure Forming and expressing your perspective on the task 4. 4. 1 â€Å"Crystallised response† 4. 4. 2 Plan the response Supporting your perspective 4. 5. 1 Paragraph structure 4. 5. 2 Use of references Presenting a consistent and logical response Expressing your ideas clearly 4. 7. 1 Formal academic language 4. 7. 2 Some other features of academic language Checklist for academic writing skills 25 25 25 27 27 27 28 29 29 30 31 31 32 33 33 34 34 36 4. 5 4. 6 4. 7 4. 8 Chapter 5 Writing essays 5. 1 5. 2 5. 3 5. 4 Analyse the task Synthesise your information Plan the essay Reference the sources of information 37 37 37 37 38 Chapter 6 Writing a literature review 6. 1 6. 2 6. 3 6. 4 The nature of a literature review Procedure for completing a literature review Writing the literature review Checklist for a literature review 39 39 40 40 41 Chapter 7 Report writing 7. 1 The process 7. 1. 1 Identify the purpose of the report 7. 1. 2 Identify the readers and their needs 7. 1. 3 Research the topic 7. 1. 4 Outline the report 7. 1. 5 Write the draft 7. 1. 6 Edit the draft 7. 1. 7 The finished product 7. 2 Report presentation and layout 7. 2. 1 Structure of a report 7. 3 Report writing checklist 42 42 42 42 42 43 43 43 44 44 44 46 Chapter 8 Case study method 8. 1 8. 2 Some general issues Problem solving case format. 49 49 49 Chapter 9 Academic integrity and honesty: avoiding plagiarism in written work 9. 1 9. 2 What is plagiarism? Monash University Statute 4. 1 and policy regarding plagiarism 9. 2. 1 What happens when plagiarism is suspected 9. 2. 2 Students’ responsibility Using references appropriately in your written work Use of references in writing 9. 4. 1 Unsuitable use of references Suitable integration of references 9. 5. 1 Techniques for using an author’s ideas 9. 5. 2 A summary 9. 5. 3 Paraphrasing, or writing in your own words Conclusion 51 51 52 53 53 54 54 54 55 55 56 56 57 9. 3 9. 4 9. 5 9. 6 Chapter 10 Referencing. 10. 1 10. 2 10. 3 10. 4 What is referencing? When should you reference? Why should you reference your work? Referencing using the APA style 10. 4. 1 Creating in-text citations 10. 4. 2 Creating a reference list Footnoting 10. 5. 1 In-text citations using footnotes 10. 5. 2 Creating the bibliography 58 58 58 59 59 59 62 69 70 74 10. 5 Chapter 11 Presentation skills 11. 1 11. 2 11. 3 What is a presentation? Planning and preparation 11. 2. 1 Analysing your audience Presentation design 11. 3. 1 Objective 11. 3. 2 Content 11. 3. 3 Structure Visual support 11. 4. 1 Handouts Delivery 11. 5. 1 Methods of delivery 11. 5. 2 Rehearsal Nerve control 11. 5. 3 11. 5. 4 Your voice 11. 5. 5 Non-verbal communication Group presentations 11. 6. 1 Team balance 11. 6. 2 Transitions 11. 6. 3 Support for the speaker 11. 6. 4 Your role as coach Evaluating the presentation Why do some presentations go wrong? 76 76 76 76 76 76 77 77 79 79 80 80 80 80 80 81 82 82 82 82 82 83 83 11. 4 11. 5 11. 6 11. 7 11. 8 Chapter 12 Exam strategies Preparing for exams 12. 1. 1 Establish the type of exam 12. 1. 2 Develop a broad understanding of the unit’s objectives 12. 1. 3 Develop summaries of topics 12. 1. 4 Review unit material and topics 12. 1. 5 Practise past exam questions 12. 1. 6 Multiple choice questions 12. 1. 7 Short answer and essay questions 12. 1. 8 Calculation questions 12. 2 Operating in the exam 12. 2. 1 Reading and noting time 12. 2. 2 Completing the exam Answering multiple choice questions 12. 2. 3 12. 2. 4 Completing written response questions 12. 3 Checklist for exams 12. 1 84 84 84 84 85 85 85 85 86 87 87 87 87 88 88 88 Q Manual Preface and Acknowledgements The purpose of the Q (for Quality) Manual is to provide new students with practical and easily accessible information regarding university-level study. As its name suggests, this publication is aimed at increasing your effectiveness as a student. For many of you who have not experienced university level study, the Q Manual will provide you with ideas, suggestions and guidelines to enable you to achieve academic success by producing quality work, and getting it submitted on time. We suggest you read the Q Manual thoroughly and refer to it often throughout your course of study. The Q Manual commences with an overview of the Faculty of Business and Economics, its goals, structure and expectations regarding student performance, as well as important policy information about student assessment. The next chapter provides useful advice in relation to approaches to study at the university level. Then follows the bulk of the Q Manual, which focuses on research skills, academic writing skills, and in particular, chapters devoted to commonly required academic assignments, such as essays, literature reviews, reports and case study method. The section relating to academic writing and assignment preparation is followed by chapters covering academic honesty and referencing techniques. The final sections of the Q Manual cover oral presentation skills and exam strategies. There are many people whose valuable contributions to this edition of the Q Manual must be acknowledged. They include (in no particular order): Andrew Dixon, Caulfield Campus Library David Horne, Caulfield Campus Library Owen Hughes, Faculty of Business and Economics Sally Joy, Faculty of Business and Economics Lynne Macdonald, Faculty of Business and Economics Michael Scorgie, Department of Accounting and Finance Claire Tanner, Faculty of Arts Our special thanks go to Lynne Macdonald and Claire Tanner for the many hours spent collating and editing the content and for coordinating production of the Q Manual. Without your efforts and patience, this edition could not have been published. Sincere thanks also go to my dear friend and colleague, Glenda Crosling, who has collaborated with me for many years on a number of significant educational projects for the faculty. A dedicated educator, Glenda works enthusiastically and tirelessly, keeping an open mind, and most importantly, always retaining her wonderful sense of humour! Glenda also thanks Nell for her collegiality, dedication, inspiration and hard work on this and other educational projects. Together, we have produced a publication that we hope will assist you in your studies. Finally, we wish you a stimulating, challenging and rewarding learning experience throughout your undergraduate and postgraduate studies with the Faculty of Business and Economics. Nell Kimberley Department of Management Faculty of Business and Economics January, 2008 Glenda Crosling Education Adviser Faculty of Business and Economics Chapter 1 Introduction 1. 1 Welcome Congratulations on your selection to study one of the courses offered by the Faculty of Business and Economics at Monash University. This manual is intended to provide you with information on how to produce quality work and achieve the best possible results in your examinations. The major goal of the university is to assist you to obtain an excellent education so that you may take your place in society as a well-qualified graduate. It is important to note that while the courses provide the teaching support and the necessary framework for your studies, success can be achieved only through your personal commitment and dedication to hard work throughout all the years of your course. The following information is aimed at familiarising you with the Monash University study environment and increasing your effectiveness as a Monash student, thereby enabling you to reach your potential. For those of you who are experiencing university level study for the first time, this manual will lay an important foundation and prepare you for a new world. 1. 2 Monash University Monash University was established in 1961 and named after General Sir John Monash (1865–1931). Sir John was a soldier, scholar and engineer, and the Commanding General of the Australian forces in France in World War 1. In addition, as the first Chairman of the State Electricity Commission, he took on the immense task of overseeing the development of the LaTrobe Valley’s brown coal resources. Sir John was a man of wide interests and vast intellectual range. He was this country’s first Doctor of Engineering and exemplifies the University’s motto – Ancora Imparo (I am still learning). The university now has a population of more than 50,000 students from over 100 countries, who speak 90 languages. There are eight Monash campuses and two centres, in Italy and London. The primary pursuits of teaching and research are carried out in the university’s ten faculties. The faculties, which each cover a specific body of knowledge, are: Art and Design; Arts; Business and Economics; Education; Engineering; Information Technology; Law; Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences; Pharmacy; and Science. 1. 3 1. 3. 1 Faculty of Business and Economics Goals The aim of the faculty is to use its scale, scope and unique internal diversity to become an international leader in the pursuit, dissemination and analysis of knowledge, particularly in the disciplines of accounting, banking, econometrics, economics, finance, management, marketing, and tourism. By the application of such knowledge, its staff and students will contribute to the economic, social and commercial development of Australia and other countries in an increasingly globalised environment. 1. 3. 2 Faculty structure The Faculty of Business and Economics is the largest faculty in the university, with more than 17,000 students enrolled over five Australian campuses at Berwick, Caulfield, Clayton, Gippsland and Peninsula, as well as in Malaysia and South Africa. In addition to a diverse range of undergraduate bachelors degrees, the faculty offers a comprehensive range of graduate courses including an executive certificate, graduate certificates and diplomas, masters degrees by coursework and research, the Master of Business Administration, the Doctor of Business Administration, the Master of Philosophy and the Doctor of Philosophy. Courses are delivered on campus, usually through lectures, tutorials and WebCT Vista, while offcampus students are catered for by distance education. 1 The Dean and the main faculty office are located on the Caulfield campus. In addition, there are faculty staff located at the other campuses. Go to http://www. buseco. monash. edu. au/student/contact/ for location and contact details. 1. 3. 3 Departments and centres The Business and Economics faculty is subdivided into organisations that are responsible for particular areas of knowledge. There are six departments and two research centres. The departments are: Accounting and Finance, Business Law and Taxation, Econometrics and Business Statistics, Economics, Management, and Marketing. The research centres are: Centre of Policy Studies, and Centre for Health Economics. They cover fields of study including accounting, banking, business law, business statistics, economics, econometrics, finance, international business, management, human resource management, marketing, taxation and tourism. Whatever your major or areas of study it is essential that you have an understanding of each of the disciplines and how they interact with each other in the overall operations of a business organisation. 1. 3. 4 Aims for learning at Monash University and in the Faculty of Business and Economics The university and the faculty recognise the needs of students for their lives following graduation. As a Monash graduate you will be operating in a globalised and rapidly-changing world, and the university and faculty aim to develop in students’ attributes beyond the ability to understand and operate competently with course and unit content. The aims are that students will develop in ways that will enable them to: †¢ Engage in an internationalised and increasingly globalised world; †¢ Engage in discovery, analysis, integration and application for problem solving and learning with knowledge; †¢ Communicate competently orally and in writing across cultures and settings, including their specific disciplines. As you undertake your studies, you will notice an emphasis on these attributes and you will be engaged in activities and tasks to help you develop them. In the following chapters of this guide, we explain the influences of these attributes on your approach to study. 1. 3. 5 Units Each department offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate units. In a three-year undergraduate degree, there are twenty-four units, with four units to be taken in each semester (parttime students would normally undertake two units each semester). The unit leader or coordinator is responsible for the administration of the particular unit. You can consult with your unit leader, and or coordinator in larger units you may also consult with the other lecturers and tutors. 1. 3. 6 Role of lecturers/tutors Lecturers and tutors have a key role as facilitators of your learning. They are able and most willing to help you with your studies and can be contacted using your student email account. Their email addresses are located in the unit outline. Alternatively, academic staff can be contacted during their consultation hours which are often posted on their door or outside the main administration office. 1. 3. 7 Role of on-line sources of information Monash has adopted a learning management system which provides you with access to on-line unit information. The web contains information that you need to know for the unit, both of an administrative nature as well as useful material for your studies. 2 1. 3. 8 Role of course directors/coordinators If you are encountering academic performance issues, course progression and similar problems you should initially discuss these with enrolment officers or course advisers. You may, occasionally, then be referred to course directors or course coordinators to help with these issues. Undergraduate students are referred to course directors or course coordinators by the faculty office and postgraduate students by departmental administration staff. If referred, course directors and coordinators are available during their consultation hours. 1. 3. 9 Additional important information The Undergraduate and Postgraduate Handbooks and the Student Resource Guide provide important information regarding various aspects of university life. The Student Resource Guide is distributed to all students at the time of initial enrolment and is available on-line at www. monash. edu. au/pubs. It contains details of the university’s code of practice for teaching and learning, as well as grievance and appeals procedures. Further copies can be obtained from Student Service Centres on all campuses. An excellent resource for students is also available on-line via the student link on the Business and Economics Faculty webpage at http://www. buseco. monash. edu. au/student/. The site contains links to important information regarding: courses and units, admissions and enrolments, schools and departments, exams and results, administration, study resources, calendars and timetables, IT and computing, support services, careers and employment, international students, and clubs and associations. 1. 4 Faculty expectations of student performance As students of the faculty, there are a number of units that you will study as part of your course. Although these units may have differing methods of assessment, the faculty has the following expectations of your behaviour and performance. 1. 4. 1. Attendance and participation at lectures and tutorials Lectures and tutorials are central to your performance in the university. Lectures provide the material you require in order to understand the overall nature and direction of the unit. Important concepts and analysis can be emphasised by the lecturer and put into context for the student. Tutorials are a vital part of your studies. They reinforce lecture material and provide you with an opportunity to discuss material presented in lectures, as well as to ask questions. Tutorials also provide you with the opportunity to develop your oral communication skills. The material presented is not designed to give you one view on a topic but to facilitate your understanding of the issue under discussion. Where there are alternative views on an issue, you should learn to articulate, critically approach and assess these differing positions. 1. 4. 2 Special consideration and extension of time for submission of an assessment task Students need to use a Special Consideration Application when applying for Special Consideration for overall assessment, end-of-semester examinations, or additional assessment for a unit (or units) studied during the current semester. Please refer to the following webpage for information on both faculty and university special consideration policy and procedures: http://www. buseco. monash. edu. au/secretariat/policies/spec-con. html Students who require more time to complete a piece of work should apply for an extension of time for submission of an assessment task. Reasons for special consideration include serious short term circumstances beyond the student’s control, such as illness, accident, personal trauma, family emergency or compassionate grounds. Applications should be discussed with the examiner/lecturer/tutor responsible for assessing the task. Please refer to the current student faculty webpage for forms and further information: http://www. buseco. monash. edu. au/student/exams/specconsemester. html 3 1. 4. 3 Workload You are expected to undertake private study in addition to attending lectures and tutorials. Preparation of work to be discussed in tutorials is essential. You will also be required to complete assignments and projects and submit them on the due dates. When taking into account the work carried out during mid-semester breaks and exam weeks, you would expect to study more than thirty hours each week. 1. 4. 4 Self-reliance Compared to your school experience, at the university you are expected to be more independent and self-reliant. In contrast to teachers at school, lecturers and tutors usually teach large numbers of students, sometimes as many as one thousand. They are happy to assist you, but you need to approach the staff member and be clear about what you wish to discuss. It is also your responsibility as a self-reliant student to attend lectures and tutorials, prepare your tutorial work and submit all written work on time. 1. 4. 5 Time management. The expectation at the university is that you learn to manage your own time. This applies to full-time students who have a great deal of time available outside of classes, as well as for part-time students who have to balance work and study. The following chapter on study techniques in this manual provides, among other things, some helpful hints on how to best manage your time and get the most out of your career as a student. 1. 5 Student assessment Assessment in a unit may be made up of several components: a formal examination, essays, tests, assignments, oral presentations and tutorial participation. Assessment details for each unit are provided in the unit guide that you will receive in the first week of each semester. The final mark that a student receives in a unit will be determined by the board of examiners on the recommendation of the chief examiner, taking into account all aspects of assessment. The rights of students to have assessed work re-marked are determined at the departmental level. A student can only be failed after the exam paper has been marked by two staff members. All results are reviewed by the unit leader. You can find further information relating to the university’s assessment in undergraduate units and the responsibilities of examiners using the main policy bank link at: http://www. buseco. monash. edu. au/secretariat /policies/ 1. 5. 1 Examinations For details of examination regulations, please refer to the Monash University Calendar: http://www. monash. edu. au/pubs/calendar/ 1. 5. 2 Use of English dictionaries and calculators As English is the language of instruction within Monash University, foreign language translation dictionaries are not permitted to be used by students sitting examinations. Calculators are permitted if specified on the examination paper, but some units may have a calculator restriction. Students are advised to familiarise themselves with any calculator restrictions applying in units they are studying. For permitted calculator(s) for examinations and units of study go to the faculty policy link at: http://www. buseco. monash. edu. au/secretariat/policies/calculator. html 4 1. 5. 3 Results At the end of each semester, following the completion of examinations, a board of examiners considers student performance as a whole before the results are published. All undergraduate and coursework graduate students who pass are graded into the categories of high distinction, distinction, credit and pass. Honours courses use a different grading system, classified into first class, second class division A, second class division B, third class and pass. 1. 5. 4 Marks and grades Following is a list of marks and grades used within the faculty: 0–49 40–49 45–49 50–59 60–69 70–79 80–100 N NS NP P C D HD NE WH Fail Fail, supplementary exam awarded by Board of Examiners only to graduate students and under special circumstances Near pass is only awarded to undergraduate students. It may be awarded for the last unit to complete a degree. Pass Credit Distinction High distinction Not examined. Used when a unit is taught over two semesters Withheld. Used, for example, when assessment is outstanding due to a special consideration application or incomplete assessment. DEF Deferred examination granted SFR Satisfied faculty requirements This grading system will be current until 2009. For amendments after this time go to: http://www. buseco. monash. edu. au/secretariat/policies/methods-assessment. html 1. 5. 5 Honours grading Honours units are graded as follows: Below 50 50–59 60–69 70–79 80–100 Fail HIII HIIB HIIA HI 5 1. 5. 6 Examples of grades and corresponding achievement levels HD High Distinction 80–100% D Distinction 70–79% A very high standard of work which demonstrates originality and insight C Credit 60–69% Demonstrates a high level of understanding and presentation and a degree of originality and insight Thorough understanding of core texts and materials P Pass 50–59% Satisfies the minimum requirements N Fail 0–49% Fails to satisfy the minimum requirements General description. Outstanding or exceptional work in terms of understanding, interpretation and presentation Strong evidence of independent reading beyond core texts and materials Demonstrates insight, awareness and understanding of deeper and more subtle aspects of the topic. Ability to consider topic in the broader context of the discipline Demonstrates imagination or flair. Demonstrates originality and independent thought Highly developed analytical and evaluative skills Ability to solve very challenging problems Reading Evidence of reading beyond core texts and materials Evidence of having read core texts and materials. Very little evidence of having read any of the core texts and materials Knowledge of topic Evidence of an awareness Sound knowledge of and understanding of principles and concepts deeper and more subtle aspects of the topic Knowledge of principles Scant knowledge of and concepts at least principles and concepts adequate to communicate intelligently in the topic and to serve as a basis for further study Articulation of argument Evidence of imagination or flair. Evidence of originality and independent thought Clear evidence of analytical and evaluative skills. Well-reasoned argument based on broad evidence Sound argument based on evidence Very little evidence of ability to construct coherent argument Analytical and evaluative skills Problem solving Evidence of analytical and evaluative skills Some evidence of analytical and evaluative skills Very little evidence of analytical and evaluative skills Ability to solve non-routine Ability to use and apply problems fundamental concepts and skills Well developed skills in expression and presentation Good skills in expression and presentation. Accurate and consistent acknowledgement of sources. Adequate problem-solving Very little evidence of skills problem-solving skills Expression and presentation appropriate to the discipline Highly developed skills in expression and presentation Adequate skills in expression and presentation Inadequate skills in expression and presentation. Inaccurate and inconsistent acknowledgement of sources Source: University of Adelaide 2005 6 Chapter 2 Approaching study in the Faculty of Business and Economics Introduction Study at university is like a full-time job that requires commitment, and cannot just be added on to a range of other interests. It differs in many ways from study in other educational settings. A major difference is the independence and self reliance expected of students in their study. This idea concerns: †¢ Managing your time, balancing your study with other commitments. †¢ Your approach to learning in your units. In this chapter, we discuss the implications of independence and self reliance for the way you approach your studies. Assistance with time management is also available from university learning and personal support services, go to http://www. monash.edu/pubs/handbooks/srg/srg-266. html for faculty and campus contacts. 2. 1 The study â€Å"mindset† The units that you study present information, concepts and theories. It is expected that you will understand these fully. In addition, you must think critically and analytically so that you can evaluate and apply the knowledge, concepts and theories to different situations. You also need to think about the information from international and global perspectives, and to communicate your thinking clearly and appropriately orally and in writing. This means that you must do more in your written work than merely describe the concepts and knowledge, which will not get you good marks. There are times when you do need to provide definitions and an overview of concepts and theories, but such information usually only functions as an introduction for your integration of ideas, critical analysis and application, in relation to the issue, topic and task. Integration of information and critical and analytical thinking are central to the idea of independence in study. It means that you take an objective approach to the knowledge, concepts and theories. Such an approach is necessary so that you can: †¢ Integrate sometimes contrasting ideas from a range of sources and develop your own perspective on an issue or topic in relation to these; †¢ ‘Pull apart’ the knowledge in your units and explain how the parts all work together (analysis); †¢ Evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, advantages and disadvantages of knowledge, concepts and theories for particular situations (critical approach). This emphasis may differ from how you approached your study in other educational settings. For instance, you may have expected there to be one right answer, or two sides to an issue or topic. In your university studies, you need to understand that there are multiple views surrounding a topic or issue. The suitability of the view that you develop, often by synthesising several views, depends on the perspective from which you look at the issue. Such a concept of the relativity of knowledge applies to all the business and economics disciplines. In accounting, for instance, particular accounting situations are interpreted in terms of the Standard Accounting Concepts, and in econometrics and business statistics, a set of data is interpreted in relation to a particular purpose, or the needs of a particular user. Your ability to operate in the way explained above is based on you understanding the nature of academic enquiry and discovery, as we explain in the next section. 7 2. 2 Academic enquiry, discovery and independence in study Academic enquiry and discovery are concerned with the development or advancement of knowledge in a field of study, which occurs through research and investigation. Students engage in academic enquiry and discovery, to some degree, when they integrate and apply knowledge, concepts and theories to different situations. Thus, in university study, there are: †¢ No absolutes †¢ Knowledge evolves as researchers challenge, confirm or modify earlier understandings. When investigating an issue for an assignment task that is based on evidence from the literature, you need to overview and integrate the range of views surrounding the issue or topic. When you have formed your response and structured your written work to express this, you must indicate to your reader how you have arrived at that view. That is, the ideas and views that you read in the literature function as the ‘building blocks’ of your response. In your writing, if you do not explain to your reader the evidence or the building blocks for your view, you are only expressing opinions. These are ideas unsubstantiated by evidence and are not valued in university study. Another perspective The manager has a range of roles that are significant in the operations of an organisation, and decision making is one of these (Mintzberg, 1979) One perspective Decision making is an important aspect but only part of the manager’s role (Lee, 2000). Decision making in the manager’s role. Further perspective Decision making is the foundation of a manager’s role (Brown, 2002) Figure 1: Multiple views of a topic or issue Figure 1 depicts the situation in relation to a topic in a unit that relies on views in the literature. Note how decision-making in the manager’s role is seen from different perspectives by different authors. In a unit such as econometrics and business statistics, you may be required to analyse a set of data from a perspective of, for instance, a marketing manager, or a city council. Thus, the information in the data that would be relevant for the former would be on aspects such as sales, while for the city council which is concerned with providing services, the emphasis would be on the city’s population and its needs. Thus, in units that rely on data such as econometrics and business statistics, you need to analyse the data, form a perspective on the issue from the data analysis, and then select from your data to support the viewpoint you have developed. In a unit such as economics, it means being able to distinguish between facts and value statements. 8 2. 3 Approaching study in the faculty disciplines As you continue with your faculty study, you will realise that the approaches to knowledge in the disciplines of the faculty differ in some ways. Understanding such variation will help you adjust your thinking and approach across your units of study. This is particularly applicable if you are a double degree student and studying across two faculties. For instance, when you are studying a first year law unit in your Business and Economics degree, you will be presented with problem question assignments. You approach and think about these, and structure information differently, than you would for essays in a unit such as management, or, for example, reports in a marketing unit. You are using different forms of data and evidence, and applying critical analysis in ways that are particular to the unit and its discipline. The approach that the disciplines take to knowledge is reflected in the way information is put together in the texts and in lectures. These exemplify the characteristics of the particular discipline. To develop some understanding, you should think about your units in terms of: †¢ The type of data and info.