How the Environment Affects the Family Unit Essay

How the Environment Affects the Family Unit - Essay Example Fathers are increasingly becoming more involved in child upbringing while mothers delve into occupational, educational and social spheres (Sarah, 2003). The composition of a family structure affects the development of a child .Research shows that children from single-parent families perform poorly when compared to children from a family with both parents. Children from single families are more prone to developing health, social and academic problems. However, in some instances, children with single parents perform well just like children from two-parent families (Sarah, 2003). It is important to study the functioning of the family as a unit to comprehend child development. Whole functioning of the family is a process where a family interacts closely and bond together. The wholesome functioning of the family affects the development of young one through the interactions occurring in the family. Positive characteristics such as warmth, closeness and cohesion serve to enable children face difficult circumstances later on in life (Sarah, 2003). Internal relationships within a family undoubtedly are the most effective way of influencing lives. However, social, economic and physical environment plays a major role in the functioning of the family as a

Asses the Merits of Utilitarianism Essay Example for Free

Asses the Merits of Utilitarianism Essay Utilitarianism is a theory aimed at defining one simple basis that can be applied when making any ethical decision. It is based on a humans natural instinct to seek pleasure and avoid pain. Jeremy Bentham is widely regarded as the father of utilitarianism. He was born in 1748 into a family of lawyers and was himself, training to join the profession. During this process however, he became disillusioned by the state British law was in and set out to reform the system into a perfect one based on the ? Greatest Happiness Principle, ? the idea that pleasurable consequences are what qualify an action as being morally good. Bentham observed that we are all governed by pain and pleasure; we all naturally aim to seek pleasure and avoid pain. He then decided that the best moral principle for governing our lives is one which uses this, the ? Greatest Happiness Principle. This is that the amount of overall happiness or unhappiness that is caused by an action should determine whether an action is right or wrong. He stated, ? the greatest happiness of all those whose interest is in question is the right and proper, and only right and proper end of human action Here Bentham is saying that the principle is the only valid of deciding and justifying our actions, that the principle should be applied regardless of any others, as it is the only true and reliable way of defining whether an action is right or wrong. An advantage of utilitarianism is that it can be applied to any situation. Unlike many moral approaches you are not restricted by rules such as ? it is always wrong to lie, or ? killing is never right. This allows the philosopher to consider any dilemma or problem in its own specific context. For example applying Kantian ethics, abortion or euthanasia would have to be defined as wrong, however a utilitarian has the scope to make there own decision considering a range of factors and situations. Bentham realised that because this theory is based on the outcome of our actions it may be difficult to assess fairly which action will produce the most happiness. He therefore developed the ? hedonistic calculus, a form of calculating the happiness resulting from an act by assessing 7 different factors of the pleasure produced such as intensity and duration. In doing this Bentham was attempting to create some sort of happiness ? currency which would allow us to compare happiness as if it were measured in numbers, this of course cannot be possible, the thought of being able to compare different pleasures almost scientifically is just not feasible, and of course many pleasures rely on the context they occur in for example, if I were starving, a sandwich might seem the greatest thing in the world, however, if I went out for an expensive gourmet meal and was served a simple sandwich I expect I would be quite disappointed! Another problem with Benthams philosophy is that he would not distinguish between pleasure and pain, seemingly defining them as the same thing. In my opinion pleasure is generally a momentary thing whilst happiness is a more lasting and consistent thing. One might gain pleasure from sitting watching TV all day long. However in doing he is missing work and so will end up with no job and no money to support himself (and pay his TV licence! ) and will presumably be left unhappy. So, as demonstrated by this example, pleasure is not necessarily happiness and Bentham, was mistaken to define them together The usefulness of his calculus, and the way Bentham defined pleasure came into question from one of his students, J.S. Mill who found his approach too general and simplistic. Mill rejected Benthams idea that all pleasures are the same and can be compared, he felt that there were different types or ? levels of pleasure, and that some are more desirable or valuable than others. He decided that some pleasures or more desirable and meaningful than others, that there are ? higher and ? lower pleasures, the lower being animal pleasures such as the satisfaction of a full stomach, having a drink when your thirsty, sex etc. These are the same kinds of pleasures that an animal would experience and therefore if one only strives for these pleasures they are not much different to an animal. The other pleasures Mill described were ? higher more desirable, pleasures such as reading a good book or enjoying the opera. This concept however poses a big problem. How can one reasonably calculate pleasure as a whole if there are different ? levels of pleasure, and how much more worth does a higher pleasure carry than a lower pleasure? These pleasures would also be rated differently by different people, some might much rather watch TV than a play so TV would therefore make them happier. If an act is right because it makes one feel happy, then for the person watching TV would therefore be the right thing to do. There are sometimes slightly different criterions used in Utilitarianism. There are two different forms, ? positive and ? negative utilitarianism, ? positive seeking to maximise good and ? negative to minimise suffering or harm. The latter however seems to defeat the concept of the ? greatest good as minimising harm is not necessarily making people happy, for example not inflicting harm on someone is not really going to contribute to their happiness, it may prevent them from being unhappy, but as specified earlier, the goal of utilitarianism is happiness. ?Negative utilitarianism seems to encourage laziness, to enforce the attitude that it is better to do nothing than take an action that could possibly cause pain. There are two general types of utilitarianism. Act utilitarianism is basically what Bentham discussed, an act being right if it creates the greatest happiness, it relies on this one simple formula being applied to every single act. This method is one that virtually comes naturally and is scientific in its approach, however it has been criticised as sometimes justifying something which one would intuitively regard as wrong. An example often used to demonstrate this; in a neighbourhood where there is a lot of racially motivated disruption and violence a member of one of the involved races is raped by a member of the ? rival race. The chief officer of the law knows exactly who committed the crime and it can easily be proven. However by sentencing this man the community will learn of the crime and there would almost certainly be a riot causing mass destruction and probably multiple deaths. However he could easily dismiss the case and the crime would go unnoticed. According to act utilitarianism it would be best to ignore the case and not press charges, as it would lead to the maximum happiness to the community ? no riots, death etc. This obviously seems to completely go against what most people see as right and fair and completely contradict ones natural moral response. In an effort to try and avoid these incidents rule utilitarianism was created. This is where rules are drawn up using utilitarian principles. Rule utilitarians assess a specific act such as ignoring crime and not providing justice to the victim, rather than investigating every single act in its own individual context. Rule utilitarianism seems to avoid the potential injustices that could be permitted with act utilitarianism. Act utilitarianism seems to exclude the aspects of utilitarianism that make it more appealing than other theories of morality, the freedom to assess every single act in its own individual context. Act Utilitarianism, like any other ? list of rules approach to morality can be wrong in certain situations and encourages people to blindly follow rules. Utilitarianism is a reality, not just a theory like many other philosophies; it is practiced every day, for instance the vote system. This ongoing practice of utilitarianism in society has show that it is flawed. Just because the masses vote for something, doesnt make it right. The masses can be fooled, as in Nazi Germany for example, thousands of people were behind Hitler even though his actions were undeniably evil. Utilitarianism is a logical system, but it requires some sort of basic, firm rules to prevent such gross injustices, violations of human rights, and just obviously wrong thing ever being allowed. This could be the ? harm principle which Mill devised. ?Acts of whatever kind, which, without justifiable cause, do harm to others, may be, and in the more important cases absolutely require to be, controlled by the unfavorable sentiments, and, when needful, by the active interference of mankind. The liberty of the individual must be thus far limited; he must not make himself a nuisance to other people.

Ethical Complications of Genetic Engineering and Eugenics Essay

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Genetic engineering is currently the fastest growing and perhaps most controversial field of science. Genetic engineering is decoding and manipulating DNA to use for scientific and medical purposes. "The discovery that human cells can be grown in a petri dish has opened up breathtaking possibilities for curing disease - and a morass of ethical complications" (Allen 9). Genetic engineering has already started to be most helpful in the field of medicine. The map of the human genome offers many cures and potentially successful medical procedures. By creating artificial chromosomes, scientists may be able to replace diseased inherited traits with functional ones. Determining the genetic make up of viruses such as the HIV virus that causes AIDS, may provide a way to combat it. Scientists can find ways to fight Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and leukemia, among others. By cultivating cells, scientists can grow human organs and tissue for people who are in need, such as diabetics requiring a pancreas to produce insulin. With genetic engineering, scientists can breed animals and create vast fields of rice. With similar techniques, scientists can, and will eventually, clone a human being. This idea frightens most people. The problem is: where is the line between what is beneficial to humans and what could potentially be harmful? Although genetic engineering is currently expanding rapidly, this area of study has been around for a very long time. Humans, by instinct, are always striving to better themselves and to greater develop both computer and bio- technology. Even though scientists do not know   how to program DNA yet, society has already seen glimpses of the results of modifying evolution and natural human development. ... ...able and practical course of action.   Works Cited Allen, Arthur. "Brave New Frontier: Medical Research and the Debate Over What Is Life." The Washington Post Magazine 15 Oct. 2000: 8-13, 27-32.   Caplan, Arthur L. "What is immoral about eugenics?" November 1999. http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/319/7220/1284 Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1998. Proctor, Robert. "Nazi Medicine and Public Health Policy," Dimensions. Vol. 10, no. 2 (1996). Public Lectures - Life in the Universe. Stephen Hawking. Weiss, Rick. "Test-Tube Baby Born to Save Ill Sister." Washington Post 3 Oct. 2000, final ed.: A1+. Will There Ever Be Another You? Spec. issue of Time Magazine (10 Mar. 2000): 60-76. Wunder, Michael. The Grafeneck Declaration on Bioethics. June 1996. http://www.home.bn-ulm.de/~fuente/bioethik/grafecke.htm

Parenting and Education During Early Childhood Essay

This paper will discuss various forms of caregivers, parenting styles, and early childhood education. Topics covered are: †¢ Evaluate the different types of parenting styles and their influence on development during infancy and early childhood. †¢ Compare and contrast at least two different kinds of caregivers and the positive and/or negative impacts on development during infancy and early childhood. (examples: stay at home parent, daycare, grandparent, and nanny) †¢ Discuss how early childhood education has evolved and its impact on cognitive development in early childhood. Parenting style is a psychological construct, strategies that parents use in the development of their child during infancy and early childhood. There are many differing theories and opinions on the best ways to rear children. Many parents create their own style from a combination of factors in the home, parent upbringing, and surrounding environment. The parent styles are affected by both parents (if both parents are involved with the child) and the child’s temperament; other influences include culture, tradition, and parent upbringing. Despite these challenges in child development, researchers have found links between parenting styles and how these styles affect children. In the early 1960’s psychologist Diana Baumrind conducted a study on 100 pre-school children. Observing the different parent involved in the study, it was identified that there are four dimensions of parenting. The four parenting styles are: The Four Parenting Styles †¢ Authoritarian Parenting: This type of parenting, children are expected to follow strict rules established by the parents. Authoritarian parents fail to explain the reason behind the set rules. Failure to follow these rules results in punishment. If the child asks to explain, the parent then replies to a simple answer â€Å"Because I said so†. These Authoritarian Parents have high demands but are non-responsive to their children. Diana Baumrind labels these parent as â€Å"obedience and status oriented and expect their orders to obeyed without explanation†. (1991) †¢ Authoritative Parenting: These parents like authoritarian parents establish rules and guidelines that are expected to followed by there children. But this style is more democratic, and parents are responsive to the child(s) and willing to listen to the child(s) questions. If the child fails to meet the expectations, the parents are more nurturing, forgiving, rather than punishing. They are assertive and not restrictive and intrusive; their disciplinary methods are supportive rather than punitive. The parents want their children to be assertive as well as socially responsible, self-regulated, and well cooperative. Diana Baumrind suggests these parents â€Å"monitor and impart clear standards for their children’s conduct†. (1991) †¢ Permissive Parenting: Sometimes referred to as indulgent parents, they have very few demands from their children. Permissive parents rarely discipline their children, reason being the parents have low expectations of maturity and self-control. The parents are non-traditional and lenient; they do not require mature behavior and allow considerable self-regulation with confrontation avoidance. Baumrind refers to these parents as â€Å"generally nurturing and communicative with their children, often taking the role of friend rather than parent†. (1991) †¢ Uninvolved Parent: This parent style speaks for itself, parent have very few demands, little to no communication, and low responsiveness. These parents usually fulfill the child’s basic needs. They generally detached and in extreme cases reject or neglect the needs of the child or children. The Impact of Parenting Styles The outcomes of the parenting styles differ; these styles are produce effects rather than causes that lead to the child’s outcome. Here are some â€Å"general† outcomes from the parenting styles listed above. †¢ Authoritarian parenting children may have less social competence due to the parent or parents telling the child what to do instead of allowing the child to make a choice. In some cases the demands are to forceful and resulted with the child or children to break down, rebel or run away. †¢ Authoritative parenting is attentive to their children’s needs and will typically forgive and teach versus punishment for the child’s short comings. The result is the children have a higher self-esteem and independence. This is most recommended parenting style by experts. †¢ Permissive parenting children tend to more impulsive and may engage in more misconduct as an adolescent. The children go on to never learn to control their own behavior and always expect to get their way. As in better cases they child may mature quickly and live a very dependent life. †¢ Uninvolved parenting: children of uninvolved parents develop a sense that other aspects of the parents’ life are more important than they are. The child often attempt to provide for themselves, sometimes halt dependence on the parent to have a feeling of independence and mature beyond their years. Child from this environment often withdraw from social situations, this also impacts there relationships later on in life and they show patterns of truancy and delinquency. Studying these outcomes with any accuracy is very difficult, if not impossible, and trying to simply connect adult or adolescent outcomes to the parenting style used with them without adjusting for a multitude of other factors will produce misleading or false results. Some potential causes of these differences include culture, personality, family size, parental background, socioeconomic status, educational level and religion. Compare and Contrast Over the years child education has evolved from the old fashioned simple lectures and drill styled lessons of the past. Instead of the one dimensional process of teaching, it is based around not only learning by repetition but what motivates a child, using different means and medias to teach. By including all the kids and making it engaging and fun for them the kids are not only able to learn the material but to take the next step by using what they had learned. Theorist Piaget’s stated that children learned through a process called Concrete operational thought. In short this is the ability of a child to process experiences in a logical manner by the age of 8. The other big part of his theory revolved around perception. Where as a child of 9 years old lets’ say distinguishes between different types of bugs a child who is five years see all bug being the same even if nine happen to be ants and one is a grasshopper. In that younger child’s mind that separation hasn’t been made yet. Through all of Piaget’s experiments they showed that around the age of eight is when this ability is found in children. Piaget’s thought was that the main way of learning for kids was more through a process of discovery. Now on the other side of the spectrum was a theorist named Vygotsky. His thought process was one that children learned through cultural interactions, lesson instructions and through their own peers. That the lessons passed down through the generations were as important as the instructions during class. Things that were a knowledge base too were just as important. With all these things combined is what bridged the learning gap. Vygotsky also emphasized the importance of surrounding children with what is being taught. Reading a big focus among all ages and the importance for this to be learned is one huge example of his thought. If a child is surrounded by family who reads and encourages this to happen by not only telling but also engaging in the activity. In turn the child is more adept to follow in step. So in today’s schools the two theories are practiced or more combined into one. Meaning not only is the old fashioned style of repetitious lectures still partially important. It is also even more so encouraged that kids interact with one another in a fun positive environment led by a teacher. So in this way learning is taking place from many different angles. It is pushed for parents to get involved with their kids by more than just taking them to and from school but to read with them, to practice the math concepts they are taught. Teachers are also encouraged to look at the possible cultural differences and take them into account to develop their lesson plans. So in many ways the teaching of children has changed much from the previous generations. Early childhood Education More responsibilities come along happiness and pride of becoming parents. Children depend on their parents and also need their love and protection. Parents also have to decide what type of care giving they want for their kids. Daycare and stay-at-home are two different kinds of care giving parents may choose for their offspring. These are different in many ways, but at the same time they both benefit children. Studies have shown that daycare can be useful and stimulates a child’s intellectual and social development. Children get interaction with kids their same or different age and staff at daycares usually is trained in early childhood development. Furthermore these facilities are certified, and offer different types of educational games for children. Children’s experience at the daycare also contributes to their development (Chilman, 1993). That is by acquiring better language and cognitive skills as they grow up. On the other hand, daycare may not be affordable to everyone, since the cost is usually really high. As Chilman (1993), continues to explain in her study the lack of quality affordable child care causes numerous absences from work. She also mentions that daycare may not be available for sick children, children with special needs or infants. Staff members at daycares also have to care for more than one child at a time, therefore children may not get the attention they need while being there. Daycare children might not get to know their parents that well, especially if the parents have a real busy work schedule. Most parents would like to be their children’s primary caregivers and stay home to care for them. Being a stay-at-home parent brings satisfaction and pride by knowing their child is getting the attention and quality of care needed. The parent gets more time to bond, and witnesses each developmental milestone the child is going through such as, saying the first word, or taking the first step. Some professionals have found out that stay-at-home mothers have been shown to provide better care than working mothers (Shpancer, Melick, Sayre & Spivey, 2006). Even though the parent caring for the child at home can have playtime and bring out toys, the child still needs to interact with other kids their age and socialize with them. The mother or father may not have the special training or use the proper toys for the child to play with. Another disadvantage of this kind of care giving is that the parent has to stop working in order to care for their child. As Chilman (1993) illustrates on her findings career drives may be postponed by one or both parents for a short period of child care. This could affect the family financially and emotionally since the parent is not fulfilling his or her career goals. In short, it has been shown that daycare gives the child the opportunity to socialize with other children, and caregivers, but they also need the attention and nurturing care of their parents. Reference: Baumrind, D. (1967). Child-care practices anteceding three patterns of preschool behavior. Genetic Psychology Monographs, 75, 43-88. Baumrind, D. (1991). The influence of parenting style on adolescent competence and substance use. Journal of Early Adolescence, 11(1), 56-95. Chilman, Catherine S. (1993, July). Parental Employment and Child Care Trends: some Critical Issues and Suggested Policies. Social Work 38(4). Maccoby, E. E. , & Martin, J. A. (1983). Socialization in the context of the family: Parent–child interaction. In P. H. Mussen & E. M. Hetherington, Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 4. Socialization, personality, and social development (4th ed. ). New York: Wiley. Maccoby, E. E. (1992). The role of parents in the socialization of children: An historical overview. Developmental Psychology, 28, 1006-1017. Au Shpancer, N. , Melick, K. M. , Sayre, P. S. , & Spivey, A. T. (2006, February). Quality of Care Attributions to Employed versus Stay-at-Home Mothers. Early Child Development and Care 176(2). http://psychology. about. com/od/developmentalpsychology/a/parenting-style. htm Parenting Styles, The Four Parenting Styles Pulled from web Feb 1, 2012.

Current Issues on Bullying Essay

In all actuality I really think what’s causing children to bully and fight each other at school and when there is no authority taking place these days is because the media! Children watch TV and most have access to the internet every day. The shooting and violent video games they play are teaching and brain washing are kids to think and react the way they are now. The only way possible to cut down on bullying is to have parents that care. Have parents’ that are watching and knowing their children’s every day lives and what goes on in them. Just by asking â€Å"how was your day† shows your child that you are interested in what went on who’s who and what’s what. There is also a new way of what we call cyber bulling in this day and age, no longer is it in the school yard but now in your child’s bedroom with the door closed and him/her taking the punches and stabs while you don’t even know it. My mother as a child would always monitor my internet usage and what websites I would go on and who I would be communicating with at all times. I thank her f or that because I could have been a victim of cyber bullying. What kids don’t seem to understand is the ones who are doing the bullying it is so easy to sit at their computer and type the words not knowing what the other person that is being bullied is going through or feeling or expressions. So in closing I feel that where the correction starts on kids bulling is in the home and with the parents one on one always in the â€Å"know†. Sometimes its good to be the childs friend so they can always have a mom/dad to tell them when they are feeling angry, hostile or even being the one who’s being hurt.

Free Essays on Competing By Meeting Stakeholders Needs

â€Å"Competing by Meeting Stakeholders Needs† There are four competitive challenges influencing Human Resource Management (HRM) and U.S. companies. These four challenges are competing in the new economy; competing through high-performance work systems; competing by meeting stakeholders’ needs; competing by meeting stakeholders’ needs; and competing by meeting stakeholders’ needs competing through globalization (Noe 13). Briefly described, competing in a new economy deals with the changing structure of the economy, the development of e-business, and more growth in professional and service occupations (Noe 13). Competing through high-performance work systems work with changing employees’ and managers’ work roles and integrated technology and social systems (Noe 35). Competing through globalization involves expanding the companies into foreign markets and preparing employees to work in foreign locations (Noe 21). Also, competing by meeting stakeholders’ needs applies to providing a return to stakeholders and providing high-quality products and work experience for employees. The main focus through out this paper will be the challenge of competing by meeting stakeholders’ needs. Also, how this specific challenge influences the field of human resource management; the emerging trends in the challenge; the reasons a company should produce high-quality products to better suit its consumers; and the reasons why a company should offer decent pay rates, work environments and benefits to their employees will be discussed in depth and thoroughly. Stakeholders include stockholders (people who want a return on their investment), customers (people who want a high-quality product or service), and employees (people who desire interesting work and reasonable compensation for their services)(Noe 23). It is HRM’s (Human Resource Management) position to satisfy the needs of the stakeholders, employees and customers. The challe... Free Essays on Competing By Meeting Stakeholders Needs Free Essays on Competing By Meeting Stakeholders Needs â€Å"Competing by Meeting Stakeholders Needs† There are four competitive challenges influencing Human Resource Management (HRM) and U.S. companies. These four challenges are competing in the new economy; competing through high-performance work systems; competing by meeting stakeholders’ needs; competing by meeting stakeholders’ needs; and competing by meeting stakeholders’ needs competing through globalization (Noe 13). Briefly described, competing in a new economy deals with the changing structure of the economy, the development of e-business, and more growth in professional and service occupations (Noe 13). Competing through high-performance work systems work with changing employees’ and managers’ work roles and integrated technology and social systems (Noe 35). Competing through globalization involves expanding the companies into foreign markets and preparing employees to work in foreign locations (Noe 21). Also, competing by meeting stakeholders’ needs applies to providing a return to stakeholders and providing high-quality products and work experience for employees. The main focus through out this paper will be the challenge of competing by meeting stakeholders’ needs. Also, how this specific challenge influences the field of human resource management; the emerging trends in the challenge; the reasons a company should produce high-quality products to better suit its consumers; and the reasons why a company should offer decent pay rates, work environments and benefits to their employees will be discussed in depth and thoroughly. Stakeholders include stockholders (people who want a return on their investment), customers (people who want a high-quality product or service), and employees (people who desire interesting work and reasonable compensation for their services)(Noe 23). It is HRM’s (Human Resource Management) position to satisfy the needs of the stakeholders, employees and customers. The challe...

Free Essays on Zora Neale Hurston

Summer Reading Assignment: Biography of Zora Neale Hurston The quotation on her tombstone, â€Å"A Genius of the South† is an understatement. (Dickenson) Zora Neale Hurston is more than a genius. She is an inspiration to all kind of people, but primarily African Americans. Her writings about everyday life help normal people get through all kinds of troubles. She was born on 7 January 1891 in Notasulga, Alabama, but soon after, she moved to Eatonville, Florida. Many people think that this was her place of birth, but it is not. Most of her ideas for her writings come from her struggles while living in Eatonville. (Dickenson) Hurston’s mother, Lucy Hurston, died in 1904, and she took a dislike to her stepmother. As a result, she left home and joined a traveling theatre company. This wasthe beginning of Hurston’s education and future writing career. (Dickenson) After leaving home, Hurston ended up at Morgan Academy where she finished high school. In 1920, she enrolled in Howard University. After about a year, Hurston’s first piece of work was published. In 1921, Howard University’s literary magazine published one of her stories. She received more recognition later when another story appeared in the New York Magazine Opportunity. Hurston won second place in the Opportunity contest and, after lots of encouragement, moved to New York. (Dickenson) One of Hurston’s earliest pieces of works was the play Mule Bone she â€Å"wrote with Langston Hughes.† (Dickenson) The two disagreed over ownership though and charged one another with plagiarism. (Byrd) In 1934, Hurston published â€Å"Jonah’s Gourd Vine†, her first novel, which was based on two people who were like her parents. In 1935, she published a book of collected tales entitled Mules and Men. In 1937, the most powerful novel Hurston has ever written,... Free Essays on Zora Neale Hurston Free Essays on Zora Neale Hurston Zora Neale Hurston was an African American writer. She grew up in an all black town of Eatonville, Florida. Zora was born January 7, 1903. When she was young her father, John Hurston, tried to crush her spirit. However, her mother urged all eight of her children to be ambitious. This encouragement made Zora continue her writing skills. Hurston’s writings reflect her immersion in â€Å"black folk† life. Racism played a relatively minor role in her fiction. Out of the many books she wrote, she was self possessed and self confident enough to deal with racism. Zora did not have to deal with the early abrasive contracts with racist whites that had deeply influenced almost all other â€Å"Afro-American† writers. Zora lost her mother at a young age and this caused her father to remarry quickly after her death. She despised her stepmother so much that she decided to leave her home. Zora later decided to drop out of school. For several years she wandered from house to house of family and friends. At the age of 16 she worked as a maid for a white singer. After about 18 months she moved to Baltimore. A while after she arrived, Zora was ready to renew her education. After she waited tables for a while she returned to night school. Hurston attended Morgan College in the high school department for two years. She also won a scholarship to Barnard College. She then continued school at Howard University in nearby Washington. She was influenced by Lorenzo D. Tuner of the Department of English. Alain Locke, a member of a campus literary group known as The Stylus, also encouraged her writing efforts. She was also the favorite pupil of the great Franz Boas. She wrote, â€Å"Drenched in Light† and it was soon published by Charles S. Johnson in December 1924. In New York, 1925, Zora won second prize in the opportunity competition for both short story and play. Zora graduated in 1928 and ready to write. After graduation, the next four years were spent ... Free Essays on Zora Neale Hurston Summer Reading Assignment: Biography of Zora Neale Hurston The quotation on her tombstone, â€Å"A Genius of the South† is an understatement. (Dickenson) Zora Neale Hurston is more than a genius. She is an inspiration to all kind of people, but primarily African Americans. Her writings about everyday life help normal people get through all kinds of troubles. She was born on 7 January 1891 in Notasulga, Alabama, but soon after, she moved to Eatonville, Florida. Many people think that this was her place of birth, but it is not. Most of her ideas for her writings come from her struggles while living in Eatonville. (Dickenson) Hurston’s mother, Lucy Hurston, died in 1904, and she took a dislike to her stepmother. As a result, she left home and joined a traveling theatre company. This wasthe beginning of Hurston’s education and future writing career. (Dickenson) After leaving home, Hurston ended up at Morgan Academy where she finished high school. In 1920, she enrolled in Howard University. After about a year, Hurston’s first piece of work was published. In 1921, Howard University’s literary magazine published one of her stories. She received more recognition later when another story appeared in the New York Magazine Opportunity. Hurston won second place in the Opportunity contest and, after lots of encouragement, moved to New York. (Dickenson) One of Hurston’s earliest pieces of works was the play Mule Bone she â€Å"wrote with Langston Hughes.† (Dickenson) The two disagreed over ownership though and charged one another with plagiarism. (Byrd) In 1934, Hurston published â€Å"Jonah’s Gourd Vine†, her first novel, which was based on two people who were like her parents. In 1935, she published a book of collected tales entitled Mules and Men. In 1937, the most powerful novel Hurston has ever written,... Free Essays on Zora Neale Hurston Zora Neale Hurston was born to John and Lucy Hurston. Her birthplace was Eatonville, FL. Zora came in the world on January 7, 1891, but she always claimed to have been born ten years later. As one of eight children, she felt disliked by her father. At the age of nine, Zora’s mother passed. She left home to live with one of her brother’s family, but soon also left there. (Their Eyes) Zora got her writing start at Howard Prep School in Washington, D.C. (Their Eyes 211) In 1920, Zora received her associate degree from Howard University. By 1921, Zora published her first short story, John Redding at the Sea. (Their Eyes 211) In 1924, she put out her first folk piece, Drenched in Light. A few years later, Hurston hooked up with fellow Renaissance writer, Langston Hughes. They collaborated on the magazine, Fire (1926), and in 1930 they co-wrote and produced Mule Bone, a play. (Their Eyes 212) Though many other great works would follow, Zora often failed at one thing. She was married several times and no children were born to these unions. When she was not writing or producing, she worked doing odd jobs. Once, she was a waitress in a black owned barbershop that only serviced whites. Then, she served as a librarian at Patrick Air Force Base. Another time, she was a substitute teacher at Lincoln Park Academy. Sadly, after all of her accomplishments and accolades, Zora died penniless and alone. She was buried in an unmarked grave. In the mid 1970’s, Alice Walker went â€Å"In Search of Zora Neale Hurston† and marked the folklorist grave. (Their Eyes 219) Plot Summary After being married off for Nanny’s peace and widowed twice, Janie returns to the town that Joe Starks built. Eatonville, FL was in no way a sanctuary for Janie, but it did house the center of her many beginnings. As Janie sat at the feet of her friend, Phoeby Watson, she begins to pour out her heart and soul. Janie was thrown into the car... Free Essays on Zora Neale Hurston The era in the 1920’s known as the Harlem Renaissance was a great change for African Americans. During the previous decade’s Great Migration millions of black Americans moved to the north, settling mostly in Harlem. The Renaissance coincided with the time Zora Neale Hurston, an African American writer, attended and graduated college and began writing. Hurston was an example of culture, diversity, and originality in the Harlem Renaissance. Zora Neale Hurston was born January 7, 1891 in Eatonville, Florida. Her parents, John and Lucy Ann Hurston, had three other children. Eatonville was one of the first all-black communities in the nation to be self-governed. Zora grew up surrounded by African Americans in all aspects of life. â€Å"Eatonville was a unique municipality, one where traditional black culture not only survived but flourished.† (Witcover 22) She was very inquisitive, adventurous, intelligent, sassy, and creative. She completed high school at Morgan Academy in Baltimore, where she first became interested in writing. She then went on to college at Howard University in 1919. She left Howard University and moved to New York in 1925, during the Harlem Renaissance. During her time in Harlem Hurston became a well-known and widely celebrated writer and personality. Her short stories, such as Spunk and Drenched in Light, told stories of life-like events. The African American characters were often based on real life and represented black American’s lives in America at the time of the Harlem Renaissance. â€Å"She not only developed a dynamic mature style; she had also demonstrated her ability to make sophisticated use of the folklore that had fascinated her all her life.† (Witcover 61) In 1936 Hurston wrote her most celebrated novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. The novel is an account of a girl’s search for herself and for self-expression. It is also a romantic love story, which is believed to have basis in Hurston’s lov...

How to Become a Bestselling Author on Amazon By ML Banner

How to Become a Bestselling Author on Amazon By ML Banner Becoming an Amazon Bestselling Author with a First Fiction Book: An Interview with ML Banner Last updated 07/06/2017.Writing is no easy thing. Most authors who end up making a living out of it actually say it’s one of the hardest professions. It takes a lot of time, dedication and energy.If on top of writing, you also have to do all the activities associated with publishing the book, it becomes more than just â€Å"hard†. 2014 was described by hybrid author Kristine Kathryn Rusch as the year when indies say â€Å"the end of the gold rush†. If you like roaming around on Kboards, you see more and more posts from authors â€Å"quitting† indie publishing.But now and again, you get to read about the latest awesome indie success story, and that always brings the optimism back. And who better than Hugh Howey to do that? When we read the guest post on his blog by ML Banner, bestselling author of Stone Age (his first book!), we thought we definitely had to interview him. So we did.He’s sharing his experience, insights, and creative marketing techniq ues with us. Through his creative marketing techniques, ML was able to become a bestselling author on Amazon  almost overnight - after working hard on his book, of course.For the lovers of the written word, we’ve transcribed most of the interview below. However, we strongly encourage you to switch the volume on and hit play, you’ll get so much more - like a very persistent fly constantly trying to interrupt Michael! Hi Michael, great to have you here. First, congratulations on getting your two first books out last year, and on hitting the ground running. You’ve had this idea for a book for a long time, right? What made you decide to â€Å"author publish† it in the first place?I have to say that the primer to this, probably, was Hugh Howey. I read about him in a Wall Street Journal article in 2013: about his Wool series (that I then read and loved) and what he had done to self-publish them. So that was always in the back of my mind, but to be honest at that time I didn’t really have the intention to write any fiction.Then I read an article one day about solar flares (I’ve always had a very keen interest in science), and what could happen if we had a similar solar storm today. So I just started doing research on it to find out that something like this actually happened once back in 1859, and that if it happened again today, it could be catastrophic. I thought: â€Å"ma n, this would make for a great book, I’m sure it must be on Amazon!† So I searched for it, and it wasn’t there†¦So I started rumbling, and thinking: â€Å"well if I had to write that book, here’s probably how I would approach it, with this plot, these characters, etc.† And I actually started writing the book, without my wife even knowing about it!And with that first book, you’ve actually become a bestselling author on Amazon in your category, so you’re the perfect example of the â€Å"indie publishing dream†. But you’ve also done a lot of pre-launch work for that, and a lot of things that I don’t see many authors out there doing. Do you think that’s because you have a tech/startup background?Sure, I know I approached it kind of differently. But first, once I knew I was going to self-publish, I really immersed myself in everything about self-publishing, reading book after book, articles, etc.Then, the fa ct that I have been a founder of several companies in the past (the last one is currently running: SmallBiz.com) and have worked a lot with technology has made me approach self-publishing from the same viewpoint. I used Google+ a lot, for example, as I’m a big believer in it, trying to forge connections with other writers.Also, I knew I had to approach the actual publishing bit as a publisher: â€Å"I have to be a publisher myself, so how can I really make this successful?†. I tried to come up with some creative ideas, the same way you’d do when starting a business: you try to do things differently to stand out in a competitive market.For example, I had a character in the book who was a scientist and I thought: it’d be really cool if he had this research institute. So I created a persona for him online: a G+ profile, a Twitter account, and a website for the CMER Institute. The key was really to think from my character’s standpoint and see what I wo uld do, in his place, to get the word out about this phenomenon that endangers the world.The beautiful thing about eBooks is the connectivity: you can embed hyperlinks. So I linked to this CMERI website where my character actually offered a reader magnet; a free ebook called â€Å"The Apocalypse Survival Guide†. And I actually got over 1,200 downloads of that book. Some people even seem to believe that the CMERI is real, as I got a couple of media inquiries!I think that’s definitely something more authors should do: explore the possibilities of eBooks to create something bigger than the story.I agree, I’ve seen only a rare few authors taking advantage of that. The thing you have to remember is that it’s so easy now to set up a web presence (for the author or for one of the characters). I have a GoDaddy unlimited account which costs around $200 a year so for the cost of a domain I can set up a professional-looking website in an hour or so, and embed your book in there. Also, if you can put some freebie stuff on your website, people usually love that. All this is really part of building a platform, which is one of the two most important things when you’re marketing your book.And you have actually set up your website around 6 months before the launch, if I’m not mistaken. But how do you get people interested in it when you don’t have the content yet? How did you manage doing pre-launch marketing?I did set up my author website probably 6 months before I launched, yes. But frankly, I had no one coming to it. You know, I see a lot of author websites out there and people seem to be confused about what their purpose is. My sole purpose with the website, right from the get go, was to acquire a mailing/subscriber list.Now, I don’t want to make it seem like I had all the answers, though, because I didn’t. It was trial and error. There’s a lot of things I did for the launch of my second book that I did n’t do for the first one. I set up the platform early on because I knew I was going to need that, but until I launched the first book, I think I only had 2 or 3 subscribers (probably friends)†¦Then, I set up the website for my scientist character, and a third website for the book series. I started building the platform from there because I knew it had to be there for when I launched. Also, at that time I wasn’t really worried about the launch, I was thinking: â€Å"get the book out and don’t worry too much about the marketing†. I’ve since changed my thinking on that with book two, where it was all about the launch.To me, a big part of getting a book launched is trying to get your reviews in line. Now, most reviews are just a condition of book sales (in my experience, you get one review every 50 to 100 sales or so). But what you can do is get the people ready for pre-reviews. That’s much easier when you already have a following, of cours e, but to get started I would go with Google+ and Goodreads communities. I set myself up early on on Goodreads: although it’s hard to do anything there until your book is launched, I immersed myself from a reader standpoint in different communities and once I had the book ready, I asked for people to do an advanced copy review. There are plenty of people out there, so if you’re writing a book that you think lots of people will want to buy and read, then surely you can entice a dozen people or so to review it.Amazon also does a cool thing with the pre-orders, which allows you to actually have a presence, a â€Å"product† even when your book is not necessarily ready. Just be careful not to miss the deadline, else you’ll be stuck in Amazon darkness for a year. You can set up the pre-order and then go to Goodreads and Google+ communities and tell everyone: â€Å"hey, I’ve got this book coming up, and I need some advance reviewers, who’s interes ted?†When launch time comes, the big thing to me is visibility. If you’re a brand new writer with no following, this means you’ll have to do something to get the Amazon algorithms to work for you. I think it’s best to launch at $.99, even if you’re just making 35%. You need to get on the â€Å"Hot New Releases† and there are things you can do to focus on that, as I explained in the Hugh Howey post.Another thing that worked well for me was doing giveaways (of other people’s books), just to build up my readership list within my genre. I like this idea of â€Å"giveaways†: not only is it something that you can do before your launch, it’s also a way to build relationships with other authors within your genre, who can then help you promote your books, right?Absolutely, I’m a big believer in the collaborating with other authors in your genre. It was in a Google+ community I think that another author told me to â€Å"befriend someone in my genre†.I took this idea to heart: there were a couple of authors I really liked so I wrote a review of one of their books on my blog and then contacted them directly. The important thing is to build a relationship. It might take some time but it’s worth it, because once you have this relationship you can ask them if they’d like to review your book, or tell their audience about it. And likewise, when they are the ones running a countdown or launching a book, you will tell your audience!One of my first relationships was with a UK author, and we ’re actually going to co-write a book within my Stone Age world now. That is a relationship that kind of grew from almost a year of corresponding back and forth and trying to help with each other’s marketing.This is actually something really unique and exciting in this world that we’re living in, the writers’ world. These people who are trying to sell their books in the same genre are not your competitors, they can be your best allies. On top of that, they already have developed their platform, they already have a readership (with their readers). So you just need to have them tell their readership about your book.I agree, and when doing that I think it’s especially important, even if you’re a starting author with not much to offer, to start by offering something, right?Oh definitely, I think it’s a mistake to approach immediately with â€Å"what can you do for me?†. The only exception to that is: â€Å"what has worked for you? †, that’s a different question that most are going to be very receptive to.Many authors, especially those that have done well, really want to share that with other authors. Look at bestselling author Hugh Howey, he’s a perfect example. And there are many like that, who are ready to welcome you, embrace you, and help you in your journey, especially if you’re willing to listen and learn. The best thing to do is to make their acquaintance, start with that first email.Of course, you need to build the relationship, but that’s like with anything else. On your first date, you’re not going to take the girl to meet your parents! That’s important to keep in mind: learn from the person, ask questions, don’t be a bother but actually try to help when you can.One thing that worked for me was to monitor their books. I’m kind of a data person so I’ve got spreadsheets with my book, my bestseller ranking, the number of sales, and Ià ¢â‚¬â„¢ve tracked many other books in my genre the same way, to get an idea of what’s going on and how much the bestseller ranks fluctuate. So when I see one pop up and hit #1, I’ll send an email to the newly bestselling author just to say: â€Å"Congratulations, that’s awesome! How did you do it, did you use a promo newsletter, or just had the magic Amazon-algorithms for you?† We’ve all got a lot to learn from each other.Hugh Howey was one of those that I was tracking, and when my book passed his in the ranking and went on to hit #1, I reached out to Hugh to say â€Å"hi† and let him know he had been a wonderful influence and the main reason why I decided to self-publish. I was rather surprised he responded back the next day, we corresponded a bit after that and the guest post on his blog was part of that.And that’s how we all found out about you! I’d have a more specific question now on exclusivity. What made you decide to go with KDP Select and be exclusive?Part of it was simplicity. I was still doing this as a very part-time activity, so I didn’t have the time and energy to explore the other platforms. It was also a business decision: I looked at the books in my genre that were bestsellers and hung a bit in there and found out quite a few of those were with Select.The other part was the Countdown. The little countdown clock is just a perfect psychological tool for readers. Plus, when you do the Countdown, Amazon exposes you to a portion of the market that you would otherwise not get. Not only does it bump up your book during the countdown period, it actually keeps it there for a bit after that, in my experience.Here’s the key thing, actually: once you can push your book to a place on Amazon where it’s visible, then there are other points of visibility that can connect you. Countdown helps you a lot with that first step. Then, when launching the second book, it was almost natural t o also have it in Select.What about Kindle Unlimited? And don’t you feel you’re â€Å"missing out† on other opportunities through other platforms?I think that Kindle Unlimited is quite interesting, even though it’s gotten a lot of bad press and is pretty much an untested thing. There are certainly some things about KU that aggravate me, personally, but I have to admit that the borrows have really propped up my books and maintained a visibility that they wouldn’t otherwise have had.Gaining visibility on the other platforms seems to be a very difficult thing. I’m actually surprised that BN, Apple or Kobo are not mimicking some things that Amazon does and that work so well for authors to get their works in front of readers. I think they’re handicapping themselves because of that.Of course, the market is changing every day, with new players constantly coming in, so it’s our job as independent authors to follow that and see which on es you can use in order to get our books out there.Well, thanks so much for your time and advice. I look forward to seeing more indie success-stories like yours!Follow @ML_Banner,  @RicardoFayet  and  @ReedsyHQ  on Twitter!Or, if you prefer red math signs to blue birds, we’re also on Google+: +MLBanner, and  +ReedsyWhat creative marketing techniques do you personally use in your quest to becoming a bestselling author? What’s your take on exclusivity and KDP Select? Do join the conversation, or ask Michael any question you want (even about what happened to the annoying fly after the interview) in the comments below!

EFQM self-assessment using RADAR methodology Essay

EFQM self-assessment using RADAR methodology - Essay Example During that time, it has evolved from an institution that was primarily concerned with the training of new surgeons into a world class educational and training institution at all levels. It is not only considered one of the premier institutions of its kind in the United Kingdom, but is now highly regarded on a global scale as a premier biomedical research facility as well. All of these factors combine to create the need for excellence in all the RCSI does and stands for. To determine how they are presently doing as an organization, in terms of not only being an enabler, but also becoming a result oriented facility as well; the EFQM model proves to be most useful. This report was generated with the goal of providing the organization with a snapshot of their current operation, providing them with an overview of areas in which they are currently excelling, in addition to highlighting areas of deficiency. 1. Introduction The primary reason to implement the EFQM model into an organization is to conduct a self-assessment of business practices in an effort to determine which areas, if any, could be improved upon (Cost & Gomez, 2011). While the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) has evolved into one the premier medical institutions in the region, if not the world, it is still poised to do much more in the future. As such, the EFQM model is useful in giving leaders in the organization a more holistic view of the entire medical facility in order to ascertain exactly how they are doing in any of the key areas covered under the scope of the model (Cost & Gomez, 2011). The EFQM Excellence model will provide RCSI with the basic framework to assess its current level of excellence, and what needs to be to further improve upon its service options. It does this by enabling the organization to understand how to more effectively implement their strategy and vision for growth, while also identifying the cause and effect relationships between items they are doing now, versu s the results that are achieved (Pearce, 2013). These areas, in addition to others covered in this report, will provide a thorough self-assessment of the organization as a whole that will be useful data at RCSI continues to chart a path for the next 200 years of existence. 2. Company Overview Founded in 1784, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) is a medical institution based in Dublin. This prestigious academic and research institution is one of five recognized colleges within the National University of Ireland system. The college has expanded over the years, and today contains schools focused in the areas of medicine, pharmacy, physiotherapy, and nursing. Students are served at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. It is now the largest medical school in Ireland with over 3,000 students, comprised of as many as 60+ different nationalities. While the original purpose of the college, upon receiving its charter in 1784, was primarily to train surgeons, the college has expanded its reach today and it is looked to as a leader in the overall training regime of healthcare providers throughout the region. The College today is also focused on research, having formed its own RCI Research Institute. The goal is to, â€Å"Support and carry out world-class biomedical translational research and to integrate basic and clinical research, so that

Advocacy Role in Anthropology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Advocacy Role in Anthropology - Essay Example Further, other anthropologists have taken more active role in community affairs observing that they have a wider responsibility of bringing about change (Gardner and Lewis p.48). Advocacy anthropology is a sub-field within anthropology that has been growing steadily since its initiation in early 1960s (Gardner and Lewis p.48). Advocacy anthropology has long history and attachment to applied anthropology and adoption of the role of advocacy on the part of anthropologist brings with it many risks and responsibilities (Gardner and Lewis p.48). Advocacy anthropology as it has been practiced by its proponents and to large extends anthropologists is largely concerned with efforts of indigenous people to have and establish relative more control with regard to their lives. Some of the powers sought by indigenous people include the power to retain their cultural identities and to ensure they control and maintain access to their local natural resources. The role of anthropologists in society has become complex especially with continuing global inequalities and injustices (Kellett p.21). In this way anthropologists find themselves in complex, messy and even scenario and it is in this way anthropologists get involved usually at micro-level working with communities. As a result, some questions that becomes pertinent for anthropologists as they get engaged in community activities include: are anthropologists supposed to act and act to improve the situation of local people? More so, should anthropologists act as intermediary and voice on behalf of local people and should anthropologists play an active role as agents of change? (Kellett p.2). When anthropologist become agents of change in any particular community it dawn on them that issues even at micro-level are not homogenous but are largely heterogeneous in nature. In this way, advocacy is likely to conflict some interest groups or even suppress some cultures. When anthropologists be come aware of this, it dawn on them that

Protesting inequality - Harassment and protest in India Essay

Protesting inequality - Harassment and protest in India - Essay Example In India, women are married young, become young mothers at a young age that then burdens them with stringent financial and domestic responsibilities. A great number of women in India are malnourished as traditionally they should be the last to eat and last to receive medical attention. In relation to education 76%, men in India are educated while only 54% of women are educated; they receive little or no schooling and suffer from unfair and biased divorce and inheritance laws. To generate change the Indian people use the anti-reservation protests, in these protests, they push for integration of women into all the sectors mostly education, and also push for a revision of the existing policies. Other tactic people use to improve the conditions for women is the use of social media. In these, the people understand that the media possesses immense power in regard to influencing masses. In these, they ensure that the media covers all the women issues in India bringing them open to the publi c. In India, Television is one of the pervasive and powerful media that women use to ensure that their message is communicated to the public. Faithful patriots: religion and nationalism Islam is the official religion in Pakistan; the country has the second largest Muslim population after Indonesia. The 2007 census found that 96% of Pakistanis total population was Muslim with 20% being Shia and 76% Sunni. Historically, Islam arrived in Pakistan back in 711CE, after Umayyad dynasty sent a Muslim Arab army against the ruler of Sindh.

Who am I Personal autobiography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Who am I Personal autobiography - Essay Example Difficulties in my growing years molded my character when it comes to endurance which proved to be vital in a future stepping stone, the navy. There were times I felt so terrible because of disappointments to myself when I fail in an endeavor but as I looked around and saw others committing mistakes yet never giving up, I learned to encourage myself. Controlling my emotions was one of the things I learned because I have learned that being emotional could break a person. This could probably one of the things that have strongly influenced me to consider discipline and determination to be my friends and little victories, my comfort. I am family oriented and I value education for myself. Having grown in a closely-knit family, the value of it has deeply been rooted in my heart so that treasuring family members has become a part of me. I believe that family comes first in a married man’s life because there would be no other people more concerned of an individual than a bloodline. To day, there could be home cares for elders where family members could be nursed however; there would still be no better place like home and no better people to look after an aged person than a family member. Entering the navy in 1989 with the full support of my family, I knew I was taking a jump of a great distance that could either make or break me knowing the discipline the opportunity has in store for me.

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 16

Management - Essay Example e world has changed and in the 21st century corporate responsibility and sustainable business practices are important elements that should be an integral part of a company’s strategy. This paper analyzes and studies business sustainability in order to determine if the subject should be included in future business textbooks as an important business discipline that students should educate themselves on. Sustainability are the policies and processes which enhance the financial, environmental, societal, human and other resources on which the company depends for its long-term health (Economic Intelligence Unit). It involves a major commitment from a company in order to satisfy the needs of its internal and external stakeholders as well as placing a high level of importance in mother earth. The practice can not be applied through a single linear approach, since in order for sustainability in the business world to be effective a company must apply an integrated approach throughout the enterprise. The globalization movement made companies around the world located in different location and societies realized that the actions of companies affect the global economy. Since the turn of the century companies have made sustainability a priority. Executive are utilizing a strategic approach called corporate responsibility in order to attend the sustainability issue. Corporate responsibility is the continuing commitment by businesses to behave ethically and contribute to the economic development while improving the quality of life behind the workforce (Corporate-responsibility). Sustainability can help companies increase their profitability and shareholders value. The principles of sustainability state that the long term results are more important than short term gains. An example of how the principle of sustainability affects the corporate the case of Nike apparel. Nike Corporation in the late 1990’s incurred in unethical human labor practices in developing nation by

Who am I Personal autobiography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Who am I Personal autobiography - Essay Example Difficulties in my growing years molded my character when it comes to endurance which proved to be vital in a future stepping stone, the navy. There were times I felt so terrible because of disappointments to myself when I fail in an endeavor but as I looked around and saw others committing mistakes yet never giving up, I learned to encourage myself. Controlling my emotions was one of the things I learned because I have learned that being emotional could break a person. This could probably one of the things that have strongly influenced me to consider discipline and determination to be my friends and little victories, my comfort. I am family oriented and I value education for myself. Having grown in a closely-knit family, the value of it has deeply been rooted in my heart so that treasuring family members has become a part of me. I believe that family comes first in a married man’s life because there would be no other people more concerned of an individual than a bloodline. To day, there could be home cares for elders where family members could be nursed however; there would still be no better place like home and no better people to look after an aged person than a family member. Entering the navy in 1989 with the full support of my family, I knew I was taking a jump of a great distance that could either make or break me knowing the discipline the opportunity has in store for me.

Dissertation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dissertation - Essay Example In addition, each of the three major articles is assigned three minor literature sources that compare and contrast the main ideas presented in the major articles. These articles are analysed below focusing on their value for achieving the objectives of the proposed study. The first article is that of Siddhanta and Roy (2010). The specific article focuses on the relationship between employee engagement and productivity. The examination and the evaluation of this relationship is one of the study’s objectives. The article has been considered as important for the proposed study because of the following reasons: a) it helps to explore one of the study’s objectives, meaning especially the involvement of employee engagement in enhancing productivity in institutions; b) it presents a thorough analysis of the role of engagement within modern organizations. Also, engagement, as a concept, is explained in the context of its relationship with different aspects of the organization, such as ‘productivity, profitability and customer satisfaction’ (Siddhanta and Roy, 2010, p. 172). In all institutional settings, performance measure is specifically important because it is the direct reflection of what the turnover, output or productivity levels of the institution would be. Again, human resource managers and other leaders of institutions and organisations find it prudent to measure performance because it is the only means by which they can assess whether or not they are having the needed returns made in the investments they make in enhancing human capital. Again as reflected in the topic, employee engagement is a very important means of achieving performance. It is therefore a step in the right direction that an index such as the employee engagement index be used in measuring performance. Once this balance is done, the implication is that there will be the avenue to assess each employee as a singular stakeholder for growth and development for the organ isation. The index could thus be considered effective because it offers individualised assessment on employee performance. Barret (2012) puts forth an argument that sharply disagrees with the notion elucidated by Siddahanta and Roy (2010), which puts much emphasis on short term turnover profitability and productivity as the best way to judge the effectiveness of the employee engagement model. In his opinion, employee engagement should be seen as a medium term or a long term strategic change plan rather than a short term one. To this end, the author strongly hold the view that there are many companies who have failed to realize the essence and individual talents of their employees because they dismiss them after one or two years of engagement with no massive returns on the financial books. Contrary to such an attitude, the writer posits that the whole system of organizational change the leads to fatter turnovers grinds slower and so Siddahanta and Roy (2010) cannot be right in their judgment of the output of employee engagement as short term turnover profitability. On their parts, Stringer (2007) and Ulrich (2004) refuse to welcome the debates of the first two writers whether the debate is taken from a short term basis or from a long term basis. Together, the two new writers hold the idea that as much as employee engagement index could be an excellent way to measure performance it is totally out of place to make financial turnover the major focus of the resulting index. In the

Qualities Of A Good Writer Essay Example for Free

Qualities Of A Good Writer Essay Whilewriterscomefromallwalksoflife,theysharecertainqualitiesthathelp themproducesatisfyingwork. Ifyouhavesomeofthesecharacteristics,youcould tryacareerincreativewriting. Alternatively,youcouldlookforcreativewriters withthesequalitiestoassistwithyourorganizationspublications. Creativewriters mightpublishpoetry,shortstoriesandnovels,buttheyalsoworkformanykindsof clients to earn their living. Creativewriterscraftnewworlds,producingdescriptionsofplacesandpeoplethat sendreadersontripsintheirminds. Theydothiswithnothingbuttheirbrainsand someformofwritingimplementbeitanold-schoolnotebookoramoremodern laptop. Whilenotwowritersplytheircraftintheexactsameway,some characteristics are common for many who are successful. Efficiency Creativewritersrarelyworkinoffices. Theymostcommonlyworkalone,makingit easyforthemtoslipofftaskandwhileawayadaythatshouldbefilledwith writing. Forsuccess,creativewritersmustbeefficientandfocused,sayswriter, editorandghostwriterMichaelJ. Dowling. Theymustbeabletoforcethemselves todowork,despitethedistractionsthatmayfilltheirworkspaces,whichareoften at home. Those lacking this quality will likely find their writing dreams fruitless. Research Abilities Thoughcreativewritersincludefictitiousdetailsintheyarnstheyspin,theymust  stillengageinresearchtomaketheirpiecesbelievable. Ifwritinghistoricalfiction, for instance, writers must research the time periods in which they set their stories to accuratelyportrayallofthedetails. Similarly,writersmustresearchthephysical placesinwhichtheysettheirtales,acquiringtheknowledgenecessarytopaintan authentic picture of that place in readers’ minds. Imagination Todreamupthestoriesthatmakecompellingcreativefiction,creativewritersmust havehighlydevelopedimaginations,accordingtoHelenaBlakemore,professorat theUniversityofEastLondon. Writerscanengageinexercisestobolstertheir imaginativeskills,butpossessingapre-existingabilitytoimagineandinventisa benefit to those beginning in this field. Confidence Producingacreativeproductisscary. AsJoeDunthorne,authorofâ€Å"Submarine,† statedinanarticlefortheBritishnewspapertheGuardian,nosafepathexistsfor writing. Tobesuccessful,writersmustbebraveandwillingtotakerisks. Ifthey lackthewillingnesstoputasidetheirworriesandforgeahead,theirwritingwill likely not be distinctive enough to be noteworthy. Ability to Focus Goodwritersunderstandtheparticularrequirementsofawritingproject. Itdoesnt matterwhethertheyreusingacreativeapproachforamarketingpublicationor  draftinganewchapterforanovel. Theyhaveanabilitytofocusonthewritingtask andcreateanoutlineordirectionforwhattheyllwrite. Focusedwritingiseasier forthereadertofollow. Unfocusedwritingfrustratesreadersandmayturnthemoff completely so they wont continue reading. Different Approaches Towritecreativeworks,writersneedareliableapproach. Somewritersbeginwith undisciplinedwritinganduseself-editingtotightentheirwritinginthenextstage. Otherwriterswillconsidermanydraftsofaparagraphintheirheadormakenotes onscrappaperandthenwritedownahighlyfocusedparagraph,whichusually requireslesseditingdowntheline. Somewritersareversatile,usingdifferent  approachestogettingideasonpaperbasedontheirmoodorthekindofwriting project theyre doing. Discipline Self-disciplineisessentialtowriterswhowanttosupportthemselvesthrough creativewriting. Withoutit,youllfinditdifficulttomaximizetheuseofyour writingtime. Ifyouhaveregularclientsoradeadlinetosubmitamanuscriptto youreditor,youmustdevoteadequatetimetowritingeachdayorweektoreach yourgoal. Disciplinemeansthatyoublockouttimeforwritingandproducea specificquantityoftextinthattimeblock. Ifyoudontachievethegoalfora writing session, you block another session in which to hit the mark. Because writing  deadlinesaretimedandspecific,youcantaffordtowastetimeinthecreative writing mode. Voice and Authenticity Allkindsofcreativewritingbecomemoreeffectivewhenreaderscanhearthe presenceoftheauthorsvoice. Insometypesofliterature,charactersalsohave differentvoicesthatcompeteforthereadersattention. Goodwritersfindtheir voice for a particular work or character and use it consistently for the entertainment ofthereader. Ifyouhaventfoundyourwritersvoice,usefeedbackfromreadersto guideyou. Ifyouwriteauthentically,yourvoicereachesthereader. Bycopying anotherauthorsvoice,yourvoiceisboundtofalter;itwontcomeacross consistently or genuinely to the reader.

The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Ethnographic Studies Media Essay

The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Ethnographic Studies Media Essay Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of adopting an ethnographic approach to the study of society. Answer with detailed reference to at least one ethnographic study. Essay outline: Introduction the ethnographic approach to the study of society has its advantages and disadvantages; some of the disadvantages can be avoided if the researcher is made aware of the risk of encountering them I will first try to define the ethnographic studies and then analyse this approach from different perspectives, namely regarding the researcher, the participants and, respectively, the research process and, thusly, the final result Contents definition of the ethnography and briefly naming a few distinctive characteristics of the ethnographic approach, which basically comprises conducting interviews and doing fieldwork three perspectives from which one could look at the advantages and disadvantages of adopting an ethnographic approach to the study of society: regarding the researcher time-consuming requires sustained effort and engagement personal safety of the researcher in peril however, it is rewarding regarding the subjects privacy preciseness of the information which could be affected either by the way the researcher records information, or by the participants themselves regarding the research process and, thus, affecting the final result, the complexity and accuracy of the information from the ethnography first hand data unavoidable subjectivity covert research issues related to social identities, which leads to prejudice data which cannot be generalised -practical use of ethnographic studies Conclusion Despite noting more possible flaws than strong points in using an ethnographic approach to study the social world which are due to the fact that the ethnographic approach is a more complex way of studying reality because it poses diverse problems offering a complex final study as well, its main advantage stands out: to describe and discuss in its complexity the way in which a part of society manifests itself. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Ethnographic Studies Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of adopting an ethnographic approach to the study of society. Answer with detailed reference to at least one ethnographic study. The grade of complexity and accuracy of the results of a social research depends on adopting the most appropriate method. Every research method has its advantages and disadvantages, this also being the case of ethnographies. However, some of the disadvantages can be avoided if the researcher is made aware of the risk of encountering them. In order to outline and discuss some of the most relevant characteristics of an ethnographic approach to the study of society, I will first try to define the ethnographic studies and then analyse this approach from different perspectives, namely regarding the researcher, the participants and, respectively, the research process and, thusly, the final result. The theoretical aspects presented throughout the essay will be supported with methodological observations from Sidewalk, Mitchell Duneiers ethnography of the people who earn a living on Sixth Avenue, in Greenwich Village. Before proceeding to analyse the characteristics of an ethnographic study, we should cast our attention on one general definitions of ethnography. One should bear in mind that there are multiple understandings of the ethnographic approach, influenced by different schools of thought (Atkinson and Hammersley, 2007). Nevertheless, the most complete definition of the ethnography I have encountered is the following: [E]thnography at least (in its minimal definition) is iterative-inductive research (that evolves in design through the study), drawing on a family of methods, involving direct and sustained contact with human agents, within the context of their daily lives (and cultures), watching what happens, listening to what is said, asking questions, and producing a richly written account that respects the irreducibility of human experience, that acknowledges the role of theory, as well as the researchers own role, and that views humans as part object/part subject (OReilly, 2005: 3). Therefore, by using an ethnographic approach to the study of society, the social researcher enters a particular social environment in order to understand the participants in-depth, also employing open-ended interviews with the help of which to comprehend more thoroughly the participants social behaviour. After having established the broad distinctive features of ethnographic studies, we can now look at the advantages and disadvantages of adopting this social research method from the perspective of the researcher itself, namely how conducting an ethnographic research influences him or her. Doing an ethnographic research is time consuming, requiring the fieldworker to spend enough time in order to be accepted into a particular social system and then observe and reliably interpret the social relations which develop in that specific environment, as an insider (OReilly, 2005), and so to understand other peoples own worldview (Taylor, 2002: 3); it is also important to regard the normal as unfamiliar (May, 2001: 157). The research Mitchell Duneier (2001) conducted for Sidewalk lasted, for example, more than four years. This aspect also enables ethnographers to conduct open research, such being the case for Duneier, as well, at the beginning of his research, according to the methodological s ection of Sidewalk: I had only approximate notions about what I would do with the data I collected and what I sought to learn (2001: 336); however, during his fieldwork the leading questions became clear. Engaging in doing ethnographic research has other consequences for the researcher as well. Having to adopt a different role than when using quantitative research methods, the researcher becomes instrumental in the process of collecting the data to be analysed (Padgett, 1998; Marshall and Rossman, 2006). Thus, doing fieldwork requires more effort and commitment from the researcher, as May argues: participant observation is the most personally demanding and analytically difficult method of social research to undertake (2001: 153). Furthermore, after collecting information, the ethnographer has to analyse it, so that to elaborate categories for the relevant social issues denoted by the subjects (Padgett, 1998). This happened to Duneier (2001) in the process of writing Sidewalk, when after spending two years studying Hakim, the main participant in the research, he realised, helped by the useful feedback given by Hakim after reading the manuscript of the study, that he had omitted several important aspects from the social life on the sidewalk. Another effect on the fieldworker discussed here is related to his or her personal safety. If dealing with dangerous subjects, and mainly if undergoing covert research, i.e. research that has not gained the full consent, and is not conducted with the full knowledge, of the participants (OReilly, 2005: 60), the safety of the fieldworker could be jeopardized, such being the case if one studies criminals or other deviant people, especially in their own environment. Moreover, in order to better understand the participants, the ethnographer could engage in dangerous activities, for example drug dealing or smuggling, or in activities which would normally be considered morally degrading if judged by the current social norms. Duneier (2001) could have decided, for example, to buy and consume drugs himself, like some of the participants; this, he could have thought, would have enabled him to better understand their perspective on society. As a conclusion to this section of the essay, one could note that the work of an ethnographer has more disadvantages than advantages. However, the researcher who engages in such an effort should be willing to make some sacrifices in order to achieve a more lively and accurate account of how a part of society functions, this being what ethnographies offer, some would argue. Furthermore, despite the possible inconvenients, the work of an ethnographer can be rewarding because ethnographic studies always have at least one named author. For example, Mitchell Duneier (2001) has received an award for his first ethnography, Slims Table, and also numerous critical acclaims for Sidewalk. The participants in an ethnographic research are affected in various ways by the admittance of the fieldworker in their social environment. One of the aspects which should be considered is the privacy of the people involved as subjects. It should be noted that in an ethnographic research, the right of human subjects to privacy comes into conflict with other rights such as the right of the public to know (Homan, 1991: 65). The main disadvantage for the subjects of ethnographies is that the researcher intrudes in their lives and perturbs them. Although this happens especially when the ethnographer overtly assumes the role of a participant observer, i.e. openly conducted research, he or she can consent and even enjoy taking part in an ethnographic study, as Hakim and Keith do, two participants in Duneiers ethnography. In this situation, however, in the case of interviews, the subject has the chance to present as clearly as possible the information the ethnographer wants to know, not bei ng constrained by pre-defined answers, even if this means that they can distort information (Padgett, 1998). In qualitative research projects, participants remain individualities in the final result of the study, this being the reason why an ethnographer should always seek informed consent for using the real identities of the people observed and exact information, as Duneier did: I have received permission to quote almost all the people who were taped without their knowledge (2001: 13). Mitchell Duneier (2001) made sure that the people presented in his ethnography were content with the way they were presented in the book by having several meetings with each of them in which he showed them the pictures and read them the passages in which they appeared. In case the participants do not agree with their identity being revealed, information about their lives can still be found in the ethnography; however, this poses ethical questions. The problem becomes more important when the researche r is a covert participant observer. In this case, the subject is not made aware of the fact that aspects of his or her life will be made public through an ethnography, this raising more ethical issues, as OReilly asserts: ethical considerations are arguably most likely to be overridden when research is covert (2005: 60). Finally, we will cast our attention on the positive and negative aspects of doing fieldwork and its result: the ethnographic study. In order to do so, it should be noted that adopting an ethnographic approach to the study of society implies participating in a natural process which takes place in a dynamic and unforeseen reality, where people act in different and complex ways (Padgett, 1998). Being a participant observer means collecting first hand data, a part exact, recorded by technical devices as tape recorders or photo cameras, another part filtered by the ethnographer (Bourgeois, 2002). Hence, de facto, writing an ethnographic study is a very subjective process, as Duneier admits: [l]ike all observers, I have my subjectivities. [†¦] [However,] I try to help the reader recognize the lens through which the reality is refracted (2001: 14). Subjectivity can be identified as well in the fact that the researcher observes only what is caught in his eyesight and has to select the g athered information. However, by using technical devices to accurately register the words of the participants, the level of subjectivity could diminish: the meanings of a culture are embodied, in part, in its language, which cannot be grasped by an outsider without attention to the choice and order of the words and sentences (Duneier, 2001: 339); therefore this possible disadvantage of the ethnographic approach can be eliminated. In order to be a good participant observer, one has to gain the trust of the other participants, either overtly or covertly. The advantage when researching covertly is that people can be observed in natural circumstances in their environment; however, this raises ethical issues. Undertaking overt research, as the case of Duneier in Sidewalk, has the advantage of being honest with the participants, but it influences the normal state of the social relations observed; in this particular situation, Duneier emphasises the fact that there are many things members of the different races will not say in one anothers presence (2001, 338). Hence, issues of social identity rise in cases similar to the one presented in Duneiers Sidewalk (2001): the differences of race, class and social status (and in other situations of age and sex as well) between the ethnographer and the participants in the research not only made the people observed be more reserved in what they told Duneier, but also posed pro blems to the ethnographer who had to surpass his prejudices which were due to his social background. This could affect the researchers goal [which] is to describe the symbols and values of such a culture without passing judgment based on his cultural context (Marshall and Rossman, 2006: 82). Another critique of the ethnographic approach is related to the qualities of the research process, to the unsystematic way of conducting the fieldwork and collecting data (Atkinson and Hammersley, 2007; Padgett, 1998). However, social life itself is guided by unknown laws which are not systematic, so this is an adaptive method of studying it. The critics would continue by stating that this approach [is] using small, non-representative samples to produce impressionistic findings vulnerable to almost any bias one could imagine (Padgett, 1998: 12). Nevertheless, ethnographic studies reveal and explain the complexity of the human relations in a limited particular environment, which goal Duneier (2001) achieves in his ethnography, after a long lasting labour and several versions of manuscripts. As Taylor writes, an ethnographic study is said to produce situated knowledge rather than universals and to capture the detail of social life (2002: 3) and, according to Gray, some critics argue th at the findings are inadequate in representativeness and generalisability, two key criteria of validity in sociological research (2003: 15). Moreover, due to the fact that ethnographies are the result of a researchers work carried throughout long periods of time, they show a more accurate image of society, unlike the quantitative methods which register the reality of a particular moment in time. Moreover, by having contact with the world the interviewee is referring to, the ethnographer can discern what is true or plausible in his or her statements (Weinberg, 2002). Furthermore, the researcher can also make use of information related to aspects of their lives which are considered unimportant by the research participant. Duneier (2001) recalls a situation when he was rendered confused by an interviewee, without his intention; the ethnographer could realise which was the real situation because of his findings. The last point to be highlighted in this essay regards the practical use of ethnographic studies in comparison to quantitative analysis. If the latter is more useful for developing strategies, the work of an ethnographer resembles more the work of a writer; its use is not often that of changing policies, one of its critiques being concerned with its lack of impact on policy-making and practice, its limited payoff in the everyday worlds of politics and work (Atkinson and Hammersley, 2007: 17). Duneier (2001) emphasises in Sidewalk the importance of using the conclusions drawn from the ethnography to change policies and prejudices; apart from the measure he suggests the authorities should take, Duneier states that only by understanding the rich social organization of the sidewalk, in all its complexity, might citizens and politicians appreciate how much is lost when we accept the idea that the presence of a few broken windows justifies tearing down the whole informal structure (2001: 3 15). Besides the ineffective attempt to change policies, ethnographies can determine the readers to think in a different manner about what is happening around them, i.e. to think sociologically; I would say that the use of ethnographies is more personal, as is their subject. After reading Sidewalk, for example, it is desirable that people should start looking at least at the street vendors and panhandlers with different eyes, not expressing ready-made assumptions about them. To conclude, in this essay I have analysed a small part of the possible advantages and disadvantages of adopting an ethnographic approach to the study of society. I have looked at the effects of the decision to employ this research method on the researcher him/herself, on the participants and on the process and result of the research, drawing on examples from Mitchell Duneiers Sidewalk (2001). Despite noting more possible flaws than strong points in using an ethnographic approach to study the social world which are due to the fact that the ethnographic approach is a more complex way of studying reality because it poses diverse problems, offering a complex final study as well, its main advantage stands out: to describe and discuss in its complexity the way in which a part of society manifests itself. Word count: 2399 Mark: 65 (Mid Upper 2nd)

Dr. Martin Luther King Essay -- essays research papers

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Paper   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With his constant pursuit for civil rights, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. helped bridge the gap between races during the 1960Õs. (It was) His unique approach of using nonviolent protests (to) helped create an awareness of the inequalities the African Americans had to endure during this time period. In 1963, King went to Birmingham, Alabama to engage in a nonviolent protest (there), yet before he could perform the (protest à  use synonym such as rally or something) he was arrested. While King was in the prison he wrote Letter from a Birmingham Prison. By reading this letter one can easily see that aside from being ahehe civil rights crusader, King was also an incredibly intelligent and articulate man. In the letter he brought up each issue he felt needed to be addressed and used solid evidence to defend his case on every issue. Even though the letter contains many different strong points, his two strongest arguments he makes are explaining why he was in Birmingh am and the defending of his Ã’untimelyÓ actions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (change sentence doesnÕt flow)The first issue King addresses is the claim he was nothing more than an Ã’outside agitatorÓ. He says that he can not be considered an outsider anywhere within the boundaries of the America. Moreover, He explains that he had a business tie in Alabama and had promised them he would 1 engage in a nonviolent protest. He feels that a injustice anywhere is... Dr. Martin Luther King Essay -- essays research papers Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Paper   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With his constant pursuit for civil rights, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. helped bridge the gap between races during the 1960Õs. (It was) His unique approach of using nonviolent protests (to) helped create an awareness of the inequalities the African Americans had to endure during this time period. In 1963, King went to Birmingham, Alabama to engage in a nonviolent protest (there), yet before he could perform the (protest à  use synonym such as rally or something) he was arrested. While King was in the prison he wrote Letter from a Birmingham Prison. By reading this letter one can easily see that aside from being ahehe civil rights crusader, King was also an incredibly intelligent and articulate man. In the letter he brought up each issue he felt needed to be addressed and used solid evidence to defend his case on every issue. Even though the letter contains many different strong points, his two strongest arguments he makes are explaining why he was in Birmingh am and the defending of his Ã’untimelyÓ actions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (change sentence doesnÕt flow)The first issue King addresses is the claim he was nothing more than an Ã’outside agitatorÓ. He says that he can not be considered an outsider anywhere within the boundaries of the America. Moreover, He explains that he had a business tie in Alabama and had promised them he would 1 engage in a nonviolent protest. He feels that a injustice anywhere is...

Toyota Motoring Manufacturing

1) How does the andon procedure work and what are its fundamental aspects? How much does it cost to stop the line? What are the benefits of stopping the line? The andon procedure is adopted by Toyota Motor Manufacturing to ensure quality of their products. It involves the pulling of the andon cord whenever production at a work station is unable to be completed within the cycle time, or whenever any problem is faced. Pulling the andon cord will alert the team leader to the station. If the problem can be corrected immediately, assembly is resumed by pulling the andon cord again. However, if the team leader is unable to solve the problem, the line is stopped. With this process, Toyota is able to manufacture quality products and prevent defective products from being transferred on to the next station. This is in line with Toyota’s principle of jidoka where problems are instantly detected and production is stopped whenever a problem is detected. However, stopping the line will reduce the flow time of the car assembly and flow rate of the production. As more time is required to produce the cars, worker overtime costs will be incurred. According to the case, line stoppages caused a shortfall of 45 cars per shift. These cars could have been sold in the market instead. Thus, line stoppages caused lost revenue (opportunity cost) for these 45 cars. In analyzing the costs for stopping the line, we assume that hourly wage per team leader is set at a 6. 5% premium. We assume 769 team members are spread equally between the two shifts. We assume that each worker causes an average of 1 line stop per shift. The number of shortfalls in a shift is based on that in April 1992 i. e. 45 cars. The breakdown of costs incurred to stop the line is as follows: Hourly Wage per Team MemberHourly Wage per Team Leader (6. 5% premium)Overwage rate per Team MemberOvertime Wage Rate per Team Leader 1718. 10525. 527. 1575 Number of Shortfalls per Shift45 Number of Shifts2 Total Team Members769 No. of Team Members per Shift (769/2)384 Number of Team Leaders per Shift102 Number of Stops per Worker per Shift1 Number of Stops per Shift384 Overtime per Car (57s/3600)hrs0. 0158333 Total Overtime Cost per Shift ($)8950. 4713 Overtime Cost per Stop ($)23. 308519 Lost Revenue per Stop (0. 17 x 18,500 x 45)/384368. 5469 Tota Cost Incurred per Stop ($)391. 86 Benefits of stopping the line is to reduce wastage as defects are detected early and problems can be solved earlier before the defect is passed on to the next station. 2) What are the underlying causes of the problems facing Doug Friesen? The main problem faced is a decrease in run ratio, which measured the numbers of cars actually assemble d in proportion to the number of cars that could have been assembled with no line stoppages, from 95% to 85%. This drop also led to a shortfall of 45 cars per shift, which had to be made up with overtime. The underlying causes are as follow: †¢The combination of seats, which resulted from by the variety of Toyota Camry, has increased the probability of defects or human error. †¢Problems are not solved at the point where the defect is detected and the defective cars remained in the assembly line until they are moved to the Code 1 clinic area for further inspection and quality control. Solving problems at the end of the assembly line could be more difficult or require more time than at the spot where the problem was first detected. This is because the car at the end of the assembly line has already been completely assembled thus, making amendments to specific components could be more challenging. †¢There is a long waiting time for the delivery of replacement seats from KFS to TMM. This led to an increase in inventory in the overflow parking area where the cars waited for KFS’ special delivery. 3) How, if at all, does the current routine for handling defective seats deviate from the principles of the Toyota Production System (TPS)? The current routine deviates from the TPS principles of Jidoka and Just-in-Time (JIT) production. JIT Principle TPSCurrent Routine (deviation) Produces only what was needed, how much was needed, and only when it was needed. Any deviation from true production needs was condemned as waste. Defective cars remain in inventory and some have to wait for replacement seats to be delivered. Cars are not produced at maximum capacity. Thus, consumer demand is not met on time. Jidoka Principle TPSCurrent Routine (deviation) Make any production problems instantly self-evident and stop producing whenever the problem was detected. Insisted on building in quality in the production process and condemned any deviation from value-addition as waste. Does not follow the jidoka principle – instead of stopping production and waiting for the new seat to arrive then fixing the seat before production restarts, Toyota continues with production and only fixes the seats after production ends 4) As Doug Friesen, what would you do to address the seat problem? Where would you focus your attention and solution efforts? What options exist? What would you recommend? Why? There are several solutions to address the seat problem in the manufacturing process. These solutions are non-exclusive and could be implemented together. Solution 1: Decrease the error caused by variability in car seat styles. This can be done by investing in training staff so that they will be proficient in handling the variety of seat styles for respective cars and reduce the defect rate caused by human error. Another way is to assemble the cars in batches based on its respective seat styles as this method of production decreases the chance of human error as well since production will be more uniform. However, batching violates Toyota’s ‘Heijunka’ principle. Solution 2: Toyota could also consider the option of repairing the damaged seat immediately rather than allowing it to through the entire process first and congregating at the end of the line; in other words, to put the practice of jidoka into play. All staff involved in the production line will then have to be more critical in ensuring the best quality of the seats, and stop the production line once a defect is realized. However, repair staff would need to be well equipped to handle the situation. Furthermore, this solution requires the production line to stop, thus incurring costs. Solution 3: Switch to another seat supplier or source for additional suppliers to ease the current load on KFS since the current supplier delivers poor quality of seats which causes the problem in the manufacturing process. However, having more than 1 supplier may result in differences across the finished goods as it is difficult for two suppliers to provide identical seats. Solution 4: Stock safety inventory to use it as a buffer for the defective seats so as to decrease the wait time required to deliver replacement seats. However, having excess seat inventory will incur inventory cost. It is also against the JIT principal which hallmarks Toyota. Solution 5: Seats can be redesign such as changing plastic hooks back to metal to reduce the probability of one of the problems for defective seats, which is a broken hook. The focus of the solution should be aimed at improving the internal process problem which is decreasing the human error caused by variability of car seat style and also improving external process problem which is the quality of the car seats supplier. As show in Exhibit 8, the main cause of defective seats comes from the poor quality of seats delivered by the supplier. Therefore it is vital that we would firstly have to improve the delivered seats and Toyota can do so by bringing up this issue to the management at KFS. Toyota must demand for better quality products and if the problem continues due to poor quality of seats, Toyota should then source for additional suppliers to cover up for the lack of quality sets supplied by KFS. Once the external problem has been handled, Toyota must look at ways to improve the capabilities of its production line staff. By training them to handle the various seat styles for respective cars, it increases the skill level of the workers and hence decreases the probability of making an error. However, Toyota will incur training cost but these costs will reflect savings in the long run if its staff would make less errors hence improving the run ratio of the production line.