Analysis on Ernie Pyle’s on World War II Essay

In Ernie Pyle’s â€Å"On World War II†, he made a few statements. His statements are immediately about World War II, yet they can be applied to nearly every other war. Edward Pyle embedded his messages into the reading through the clever usage of rhetorical devices and figurative language. Of the few messages that Edward Pyle made, one of them is more prominent than the other. â€Å"Anything and everything is expendable.† Pyle was implying that in war, a man’s life is unfortunately no more important than the equipment he uses. This can be implied to almost any war that has happened before. The men and their equipment can be replaced almost instantly. The other message embedded within Pyle’s story is almost the opposite of the previous one. â€Å"There were the latest letters from home, with the address on each one neatly razored out-one of the security precautions enforced before the boys embarked.† Here, Pyle was talking about the importance of the otherwise â€Å"expendable† men. They are not just some replaceable toy soldiers to test out some new strategies. They have families and friends off of the battlefield. They might be only one person in the world, but they can be the world to one person; which means they are irreplaceable and undependable. Ernie Pyle uses rhetorical devices such as description to transfer his messages to the reader. His messages are about the individuals in the war, but can be implied to every large scale war. The main messages are opposites of each other; one is of the individual’s importance and the other of their unimportance.

About Nobel Peace Prize 2010

Introduction: On October 8, The Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo was named the winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize by the decision of the Norwegian Nobel Committee. An overwhelming majority of governments and organizations around the world appreciate the dedication of Liu for his long time pursuing of human-rights improvement in China. Be that as it may, China has blockaded the news which sounds ridiculous to the standpoint of almost all the Chinese people. Recently, the comments of this controversial phenomenon, not exaggerative to say, as one falls another rises.In my point of view it’s not a problem of who is right or wrong, which importantly counts is the respect for China. Closely following behind are the statements and analyses. Development: ?diverse actions Chinese Foreign Ministry: It's a complete violation of the principles of the prize and an insult to the Peace Prize itself for the Nobel committee to award the prize to such a person. Norwegian Prime Minister Jens St oltenberg Liu Xiaobo has been awarded the prize for defending freedom of expression and democracy in a way that deserves attention and respect.US President Barak Obama: This award reminds us that political reform has not kept pace, and that the basic human rights of every man, woman and child must be respected. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s office: The award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo of China is recognition of the growing international consensus for improving human rights practices and culture around the world. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner: This decision embodies the defense of human rights everywhere in the world.The Dalai Lama: Awarding the Peace Prize to him is the international community's recognition of the increasing voices among the Chinese people in pushing China towards political, legal and constitutional reforms. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ As you can see, nearly all the foreign people support Liu, which to some extent shows no respect for the cultu res and customs of China. The Nobel Peace Prize should be awarded to people who â€Å"promote national harmony and international friendship, who promote disarmament and peace†.It was against the Mr. Nobel's wishes when the Nobel Committee gave the prize to Liu, a criminal violated Chinese law. To Chinese people, especially those in political positions, this kind of support is more a curse than a blessing. Though there is an element of plausibility in those arguments put forward by the advocates of Liu, I tend to agree that over the last dozens of years, China has been in an era of enlightenment and progress. The standard of living also reached the expectation of citizens.Not to mention the rules, laws and even details that put human being at the center, and that deter and minimize deception, corruption and scandals. ? asking for release The United States has called on China to end the apparent house arrest of the wife of Nobel Peace Prize winner and jailed dissident Liu Xiaob o. â€Å"His wife's rights should be respected, and she should be allowed to move freely without harassment. † Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has said the release by China of the detained Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo is â€Å"desirable†.The government of Norway, where the Nobel prize is based, said China's reaction was â€Å"inappropriate†. The European Union has called for his release. The increasing number of people who ask for the release of Liu is really exerting a lot more pressure on the judicial system of China than it is designed to deal with. To make a clearer impression of Liu, he is known as an annoyance to the Chinese Communist Party and currently serving an 11-year prison sentence for â€Å"subverting state power†.To be honest, China may not do well enough in some parts. Nevertheless, no country is perfect in every aspect. In this case, I think we should bridge the cultural differences between China and other countries, which hopefu lly leading to understanding, tolerance and even appreciation of different cultures and customs, which is the very theme of â€Å"avatar†. Anyhow, China is not a queen who not only reign but also rain. None of the country leaders do not want to gain the peacefulness through their governance.People should be endowed with a global perspective to prevent their views and ideas from being too one-sided or suburban by listening to, comparing and even absorbing different opinions. Sometimes foreigner should stand at our side to rethink about the question in hand. Will you allow a non necessary reform appear along with disorders in public, while most of us live in happiness and satisfy with the measures country adopts now? ?the relationship between two countriesNorway has been left scrambling to contain damage to its relations with China after the award of the Nobel peace prize to a Chinese dissident caused anger in Beijing. â€Å"We wish to continue our fruitful co-operation in all fields with China,† Norwegian foreign ministry spokeswoman Ragnhild Imerslund said. According to the statements of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Liu will bring damage to two-way relations. The Beijing government summoned the Norwegian ambassador in protest. It called Mr.Liu a â€Å"criminal†, saying the award violated Nobel principles and could damage relations with Norway. It is hard to say whether the event would disrupt the relations. However this is not the first time China has been offended by the committee’s choice. Past winners include the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, in 1989 for efforts to liberate the Chinese territory. What we just have known now is the cancellation of visits to Norway and from Norway. Conflicts are inevitable, yet Norway has to express esteem to China, as a basic manner to get along with.In recent years, the relationships between two countries have maintained sound development, which produces favorable effects in terms of commerce and trade. The disruption of the relations would be conductive to nobody. Neither of the countries is willing to end up the relationship with such an event. Norway is trying their best to diminish the impact, and the outcome is worth a further notice. Conclusion: From what has been analyzed above, we naturally come to the conclusion that China should be understood and showed respect to.Although there are a variety of thoughts throughout the world, they may be merged and intermingled to only one expectation. That is to say, all the people involved want to underscores the links between development, democracy and universal human rights. China has the competence to achieve the common goal, whereas. Foreign countries do not have to push China to release Liu. I think after a period time, China would solve the problem in a satisfactory approach, such as who to accept the award, how to handle the conditions of Liu, and how to reduce to influen ce of the relationship between China and Norway, and so forth.

MANAGERIAL TRAITS AND SKILLS Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MANAGERIAL TRAITS AND SKILLS - Case Study Example The basic assumption in the trait theory is that certain characteristic that have been utilised over time by leaders to be effective can be identified, and such traits underline the behaviors of leaders, making them effective. Evidence from several studies have identified a master list of such traits and positively correlated them to effective leadership. The trait theory suffers from drawbacks in that such traits are not universally found in all leaders, and leaders that have possess some of the traits in the master list were not effective. Furthermore, the trait theory does not support variance seen in leadership based on the dynamics of characteristics, activities and goals of the followers (Van Wart, 2011). In spite of these drawbacks it is my opinion that trait theories do provide significant insight into leadership or the personal nature of leadership. From the trait theory it is possible to understand that leadership involves having vision, contagious enthusiasm, self-confiden ce, ability to enable others, and making things happen. It is the conjunction of these characteristics along with other factors that contributes to leadership. It is the people skills and not the position held that make for leadership.

Halio Education in China and Germany Assignment

Halio Education in China and Germany - Assignment Example However, the decision to come to study in Germany was made by his parents who gave him the chance to graduate from a Germany university. The parents believed that if Halio graduated from the Chinese universities, it would be quite difficult for him to get a guaranteed job. The parents also believed that Halo would be well looked after by his relatives in Germany. China is overpopulated, and the same applies to its graduates making it hard for a graduate to safeguard a job. Halio has the beliefs that the universities in German are difficult to graduate as they offer quality-oriented education, unlike the Chinese universities which offer examination-oriented education. Studying in the Germany universities means studying a foreign language and this calls for more effort in studying. The choice of Germany is a compromise between Helio's parent’s ideas and decisions and those of Halio. Chinese students in German lead a normal life though they have their won a share of challenges. Halio talks of how he regretted his parent’s decision initially due to financial constraints but later came to enjoy it all lot after he got employed and earned his own cash.  Halio has experienced boredom, financial constraints and a lot of pressure which contrasts the situation in China where has was close to his friends and family. He was at the time very fresh in Germany and did not know what to do. The language was also an issue for him as he had to learn a new language. He tells this story as an illustration that his initial adaptation in Germany was not that smooth. The language was quite a problem to him in that he was afraid of talking to people.

Web Based Health Information Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Web Based Health Information Analysis - Essay Example The HON criteria include privacy, transparency, attribution and authority (http://www.hon.ch/HONcode/Conduct.html). This health website has no privacy because anyone can easily access it including young children and this is against the HON criteria as it is risky for underage children without proper preparation. The site hides no information from the general public and hence can be considered to be transparent in its own way and according to the criteria set by HON. As far as the website is concerned, there is no attribution whatsoever and thus the credentials of the website are questionable. It has many followers because it is easily accessible and hence has a bit of authority as far as online health information is concerned. This website therefore has not fulfilled all the criterion requirements that are stipulated by HON’s code of conduct for health websites and therefore something should be done about that because it is not helpful to the public who do not have any idea whether the website meets the criteria or not (Larson, 2011). Even though this epilepsy website does not fulfill all the stipulated criteria of HON, the much it has not fulfilled can be worked on quickly and hence have it included in the patient teaching program as a resource since this website compared to other epilepsy website contains much more information and fulfills most of the criteria put out by HON to health websites (Cullen, 2006). The inclusion in the patient teaching program will however depend on the website owners and whether or not they are willing to fulfill the unfulfilled HON criteria and do it as soon as possible. If they agree, then it can be included but if they don’t, then doubts will be raised whether it really qualifies or

Homosexual Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Homosexual Rights - Essay Example In order to fight for their rights, they need to overcome and cope with all the perceptions and ridicules from members of the society. Taiwan is one of the first Chinese countries to advocate for homosexual rights when they launched they gay parade in 2003. Whilst some people think that Taiwan may tolerate homosexuality, the reality is that many people in different communities feel humiliated by this practice of homosexuality. Homosexuality will take some time to be accepted by all members of the society though lesbians and gays argue that they have the same rights like other heterosexuals. This is the reason why they are advocating for equal rights since they argue that they have a choice to choose a partner they want. Lesbian and gay activists in this country believe that they are just like any other human being and they want their rights to be recognized by all people in their respective societies. They think that their portrayal by some people is blown out of proportion since they live normal lives just like any other human beings. During the past, homosexuality existed in Taiwan but it was not easy identify the gays and lesbians since this practice was ridiculed by the other members of the community. Therefore, homosexuality was a private affair between the two people involved. However, the society in Taiwan has changed dramatically given that the youths who practice homosexuality are openly advocating for their rights after realizing that they are a minority group that has been sidelined as a result of their sexual orientation. This group has little or no protection at all from the government. . The military excludes homosexuals on the basis that these people are regarded as miscreants in society and they do not deserve to be given first class treatment by virtue of their sexual orientation. Moreover, many parents do not support their homosexuality among their children since they regard this

Community Health Advocacy Project Part Four Essay - 1

Community Health Advocacy Project Part Four - Essay Example The most prominent causes of depression in the elderly include lack of physical activity, lower self esteem and reduction in social activity. According to psychology people who exercise properly on a daily basis are less likely to contract various diseases whereas those people who manage to maintain an appropriate level of self esteem and keep on working hard towards attaining their professional and personal goals can avoid the possibility of depression because of their healthy lifestyle (Livingston, Blizard, & Mann, 1993). The nursing and other medical staff can help older patients in fighting depression by motivating them to maintain the habit of walking. Moreover, the medical staff should also promote the habit of reading in the patients because it is believed that books can help humans in recovering from diseases. The books are helpful regarding fighting depression because they provide patients with an opportunity to shift focus from the disease and thus they experience less psychological burden (Schulz, Drayer, & Rollman, 2002). Yee, the family and friends can also play a significant role in eliminating depression and hopelessness in the elderly because old people are found to be considering their children and family as true sources of motivation. More especially elders tend to extract happiness from educational and professional achievements of the children. Therefore it is suggested that families should maintain close contact with elders in order to prolong their life span. Yes, retirement can also be taken as an active cause of depression because it forces elders to think that they are not of any use to the society anymore. But it is the responsibility of the society to keep retirees busy in healthy activities like gardening. The elders should also be encouraged towards joining social clubs so that they can have sufficient social activity as

Health Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Health - Article Example Further complications associated with diabetes include kidney disease, blindness, and the threat of amputations. This health concern currently affects about 16 million people in the United States with an estimated five million of those unaware of their condition. African Americans face heightened risks of contracting diabetes. Although about 33 percent of people with the illness are unaware of their condition, nearly three million or almost 12 percent of the African American population over 20 years of age suffer with symptoms of diabetes.   Because of this, African Americans have been identified as being at greater risk than those of Anglo descent to suffer macro-vascular problems such as strokes and heart disease. â€Å"African Americans are 1.6 times more likely to have diabetes than non-Latino whites. Twenty-five percent of African Americans between the ages of 65 and 74 have diabetes† (American Diabetes Association, 2006). The immune system, the environment and genetics are factors that influence Type One diabetes but the risk factors are more clearly defined for Type Two diabetes. These include obesity, physical inactivity, elderly people, family history of diabetes, a past history of gestational diabetes and those with a weakened tolerance for glucose. Ethnicity is another risk factor. â⠂¬Å"African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, and some Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are at particularly high risk for Type Two diabetes† (American Diabetes Association, 2006). Despite the biological impediments that cannot be altered, African Americans can take measures to combat this genetic predisposition. Those African American diabetics who are overweight when they begin the nutritional program may require more initial calories until their weight drops to a more normal level. The reasoning is that too rapid of a weight

Feminism and Vogue Cover Essay Example for Free

Feminism and Vogue Cover Essay 1. Theories * Concept of gender * Before 1970s: No concept of Gender * 1970s: Concept of Gender over determinism * 1990s: Diversity of Sex * Sexual desire is not natural instinct but product of society language (for example the re-production, instinct,..) * The society code of desire * â€Å"Feminist argue that media images of women are always directed at men and that women are encouraged to look at themselves and the other women the way men do† (Betty Friedan, 1963) * â€Å"Masculine Standards† are forced on women and used to evaluate women. * The nature and extent of hegemonic towards clothing and fashion * The magazine’s conceptions of women’s roles as expressed in its fashion photography fit a model of conflicted hegemony characteristic of American media and popular culture. * Fashion photographs generate enormous dissatisfaction among women because they create unrealistic expectation that most women are unable to break. * Fashion is a form of hegemonic oppression  an obligation weigh heavily on female 2. Analysis: Cultural Context * Cultural context Hegemonic and the power of fashion and clothing are expressed by choosing an influencing top singer Rihanna – the World’s sexiest woman according to Esquire magazine (2011) * Affect strongly to readers/buyers. It influents readers to follow the trend. * Overview Beautiful model Super make-up Beautiful/trendy dress Tone red-hot Simple color: focusing on the model * Detailed view: Posture: leaning away posture of the body, only show the face straight (intentionally turning her body inside) - raise the curiosity, create  the attractiveness, and hide away the imperfect part of her body. Make-up: extra make up especially focus on the lips (notice that Rihanna has beautiful full lips) (focus on the beautiful point of the model to gain attraction), also create the red hot ton-sur-ton with the dress. Clothes: tight to the body, show all the body line Show a lot of naked parts of the body, especially the sexy parts of a woman’s body (half of her breast and legs are showed) Action: pulling up her dress a little bit - sexually attractiveness is showed. (This could be understood that because the masculine standard is forced on women, therefore women found this is attractive. Only men want to see sexual poses and women are target, women are the physical attributor of sexuality) Masculine standard: short hair, strong facial expression, tattoo on the shoulder. Wild background (outside) Color: simple colors. Simple colors show mature. Only focus on red and the background’s color which is, somehow in the same tone color with the eyes - emphasize the focus to Rihanna’s eyes Stereotype: There are 2 stereotype facial expressions of the model on magazine cover 1. Exaggerated manner of smiling 2. Vacant gaze, directed at an unseen object. * These stereotypes of facial expression represent the subject is passive, alienated and not in control of the situation. * Because in this magazine cover, the facial expression is the 2nd type so they make the focus on the eyes. *Moreover, the lips of the model are a little bit open which shows sexual desire and insecure feeling. Headlines: The headline is the biggest and on top because it caused attention and Vogue is considered to be the most famous magazine about fashion - women get attracted by the name and will want to buy. Tittles: in white and only the main focus to attract women are in large font. What attract women? See the largest title under Rihanna’s name: I love to have fun. When this tittle is located in the sexy hot picture, ‘have fun’ sounds sexually. And that’s why it attracts women. * Women also want to have fun in ‘sex’ because it is always considered that man is the subject and woman is the object in sex so women  want to find joy of the other way around OR it can also be understood that women have the masculine standard force on them so they want to see what man want to see. Survey: What is the first thing that drags your attention when you look at the cover of this magazine (Vogue cover November 2012) * Although it is a woman magazine but focus on what man want, not what woman want. How magazine affects: The thinking that girls with big breast and small belly and long legs and full lips,†¦.are the beautiful girls comes from the media, actually the magazine’s concept. Beauty concept or sexual desire as well are all because if the society Sadism Cover Girls * What is Sadism? How is it represented in society? Sadism refers to the pleasures received by infliction of pain and suffering on another person for reasons of sexuality. Sadists paly a dominant role and get contentment by observing the masochist suffer. This caused by arousing incidents of sexual satisfaction and is represented through forms of sexual role play. Such examples including master and slave or teacher and student relationships * How Vogue creates a sadistic impression on its readers? Components that determine sadism. 1. Title â€Å"I love to have fun† sexually explicit headline. 2. Cover story is based on Rihanna, a sex symbol   3. The theme â€Å"Red Hot† sounds more sexually explicit in tone 4. Rihanna`s dress is revealing, pulling her dress up and strapless top 5. Rihanna`s pose is very sexual, her face shows emptiness and desire on her face * In the covers impress the sadistic pressure of people? 1. No need of help in mastering love moves that women can resist Since, the cover represents a girl that is beyond reach in real life, it completes the fantasy. This would help the men create confidence in them and be aroused into mastering love moves. 2. It doesnt create an intention but to help a man feel less guilty. It is fantasy and does not exist in real life. This helps men feel less guilty about their sexual fantasies 3. Women take satisfaction, parading all manner of fineries (clothes, furniture, travel destinations) that a successful woman might buy, or at least admire. While it surely exists to sell ads, t does remarkably well in exploiting ambition, and creating insecurity.

Sugar Trade Essay Example for Free

Sugar Trade Essay â€Å"Give me some sugar!† When most people hear that phrase, it usually means someone wants a kiss. But in the late 1600s and early 1700s, people want to plant sugar. True, it started some 9000 years ago in New Guinea, but it took a while before the rest of the world caught on. During this time, there was a movement called the sugar trade. Although there were many forces driving the sugar trade, what mainly drove it were the ideal land masses for sugar production, the amount of slaves needed, and the demand for it. The first driving force behind the sugar trade was finding the perfect land to grow the plant. Jamaica and Barbados were under British rule in 1750 (Doc. 1), and they were the ones who discovered that the islands were well within the ideal climates for producing sugar because they were in the correct temperature climate, and had the perfect soil; the only off thing was the amount of rainfall they had was less than perfect amount. (Doc. 2) The encyclopedia tells us that the land that the British conquered than its own land and/or even England’s own land. Once a man had found the model land, he would state everything that he needs for his plantation, such as windmills, a boiling-house, the amount of slaves and animals, and all the other houses and shops. (Doc. 6) Belgrove demonstrated that owning a plantation was a big deal and one had to be absolutely sure on everything that was needed in order to have a fully-functioning plantation. Most plantations were owned by wealthy English families, instead of numerous people buying the land together. (Do. 7) It can be interpreted that Mintz said that the better was to get money was to own the whole thing by yourself. Men like Charles Long and John Gladstone owned large amounts of land and therefore became richer because of the amount of land they owned, amount of sugar they produced and the amount of slaves they had. (Doc. 7) Williams shows us that rich Englishmen liked getting richer and they used their plantations to attain this goal. The second driving force behind the sugar trade was the amount of slaves that were needed in order to produce these mass amounts of sugar. Men, and  women, and possibly children, were forced into the field to work or into the boiling-house. (Doc. 8) Clark and Bridgens illustrated that the British didn’t care what age or gender you were, you still went out and made sugar each and every day. Slaves didn’t come cheap though, at least not in British Caribbean. In 1748, slaves cost â‚ ¬32 in the British Caribbean whereas they only cost â‚ ¬14 on the West African coast. (Doc. 9) This indicates that the British Caribbean wanted to give the buyers a run for their money, whereas the African coast didn’t know better, this was all new to them. As the amount of slaves someone owned went up, so did the amount of sugar that was produced, unless you were the French in 1789, where they somehow actually lost tons. (Doc. 10) The British were probably more efficient in producing crops than the French and it resulted in them being the biggest sugar trader in the Caribbean. The need for slaves was so imperative that the British would trade thing that weren’t even theirs in order to make sure they had slaves. (Doc. 11) Campbell displays the variety of thing that the Brits would trade, such as powder, bullets, tobacco-pipes, certain toys, and some East India goods, but in the end, nothing was their own. The third force behind the sugar trade was the demand. Everywhere you looked, there were people using sugar for something. Whether it be tea, or rum, people had to have sugar. They would have a large barrel that weighed between 700 and 1200 pounds filled with sugar and people would go insane trying to get it. (Doc. 3) Parris illustrates this to us and Moseley says that the increasing demand for sugar exceeded all comparison with other articles, meaning sugar was the number one thing that Brits of the 1600s and 1700s wanted more than life itself. The UK, and most of the rest of the world, has used sugar to put in tea, which has made tea the most important nonalcoholic drink ever. (Doc. 4) Sugar was and is still a big deal, not only in England, but also in the US; ask ten people and see how many of them drink tea or coffee with sugar in it. By 1770, the population was well above eight million, and the consumption was up to 16.2 pounds. (Doc. 5) That basically says that all the Brits were drinking two pounds of sugar a year! They even set up a parliament that set up a trading system that said Brits made materials into finished goods, such as pots and pans, and then merchants would go and sell it at high prices in England and other  countries, which meant more money came in than went out. (Doc. 12) This meant that they could use the money that came in to buy more sugar or slaves to make sugar. Although there were many forces driving the sugar trade, what mainly drove it were the ideal land masses for sugar production, the amount of slaves needed, and the demand for it. One beneficial factor to this DBQ would have been more information on the French because it’s know that they were also planting and growing sugar, but we don’t hear their success story, as they did pass Britain in the top sugar producer in 1740.

Salmonella: Causes, Effects and Solutions

Salmonella: Causes, Effects and Solutions There are many causes lead to food poisoning such as chemicals, fungi and microbes. Salmonella bacteria are the most common causes associated with foodborne illness in the world. In Saudi Arabia, as result of the increase of temperature, the environment there is suitable to grow microbes in food and that lead to spoil food, thus occurrence food poisoning. In this research, salmonella food poisoning is discussed and the sources of these bacteria in Saudi Arabia are determined. The research also focuses on the relationship between some of common food with Salmonella, such as shawarma chicken sandwiches. Food poisoning is common among people specially children and oldsters because they do not have enough immunity to resist diseases. There are several definitions of food poisoning but it is simply defined as any illness disorder occur in human body specifically in the digestive system and that because of consuming food or drink which are contaminated with bacteria or toxins. The symptoms of food poisoning are various between people, for example (Gamarra 2008) notes that: The symptoms, varying in degree and combination, include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and headaches; more serious cases can result in life-threatening neurologic, hepatic, and renal syndromes leading to permanent disability or death. Although the multiplicity of foodborne diseases which are transmitted through food, the food poisoning that occurs as a result of bacteria come in the fore. Furthermore, food is an important factor for growth of bacteria and it provides an appropriate medium for bacterial colonies. There are two types of microbial food poisoning; first one is real poisoning microbes and that caused by bacterial toxins which are secreted in food, such as Staphylococcus and Clostridium botulinum. Second type is food infection, and that because of the presence of microbes in food is greatly, such as salmonella. Definition Salmonella bacteria is objectionable guest in homes and restaurants and the infection occur when human eat foods which contain salmonella microbes. This bacterium was named after Dr. Daniel Salmon discovered it in 1885(Davis n.d) (7). In general, salmonella is a germ which exists in the intestines of people and animals and spread by their feces. There are different kinds of salmonella and all of them give rise to poisoning. Salmonella Growth survival The suitable temperatures for salmonella growth are ranging from 35 c to 37c, However (ESR Ltd Company 2001) points out that, salmonella TPHI can be survive at 5 c and over 45 c (3). On the other hand, freezing foods hinders the growth of the salmonella, but will not destroy it. Also, the pH of food influences the growth and survival of salmonella, the range in which salmonella will grow is about 3.8 9.5. However, salmonella bacteria can only be destroyed by cooking food for enough time with high temperature and each kind of food has a specific cooking temperature that enough to destroy the bacteria. Salmonella sources Normally, salmonella exists in different places, so there are several sources of salmonella infection. The natural home is the intestinal tracts of humans and other animals, including birds (Cliver 1990, p. 189). Salmonella are usually transmitted to humans by eating foods contaminated with animal feces. The major source is food of animal origin, such as meat, poultry, milk and dairy products, eggs, seafood, that have not been cooked properly, in addition to some fruits and vegetables. Certainly, contacts with animals as sheep and chicken or also pets transmit the bacteria. Although, chicks and young birds carry salmonella in their feces, they look like healthy and the symptoms are unapparent on the birds. (Cliver 1990, p 200) remarks that, the birds can coexist with the microbes naturally. Another source of infection is people and that due contact with salmonellosis people directly or by food handlers and that because of hygienic lack. Salmonella symptoms The symptoms of salmonella infection usually appear within 6 72 hours after eating or drinking contaminated food, and include; fever, stomachache, diarrhea, nausea and sometimes vomiting. The illness is usually takes from 1-7 days and treatment is not required, so most people recover without treatment. However, children and the elderly people have to see a doctor if affected. (Illinois Department of Public Health n.d) (8). Salmonella around the world In last decade, food borne illness are increased at the global level especially salmonella infections and that due to many factors. Gamarras perspective is that, changing food habits which is caused by travel and movement between countries is one of the essential factors ,in addition to that the International trade and the globalization of food production lead to transmission of food microbes between countries(2008). The Outbreak of salmonella food poisoning which is caused by contaminated tomatoes in many states in USA and Canada is an example. On the other hand, the emergence of new strains of salmonella which resist drugs is caused by excessive abuse of antibiotics and organic fertilizers. Table 3. Examples of Large Food-Borne Disease Outbreaks in some countries, salmonella in the lead (Gamarra 2008)(1) Country:Â  United Kingdom Year:Â  1985 Disease:Â  Salmonellosis Number of Cases:Â  1000 Country:Â  Saudi Arabia Year:Â  2005 Disease:Â  Salmonellosis Number of Cases:Â  3336 Country:Â  United States Year:Â  1993 Disease:Â  Salmonellosis Number of Cases:Â  224,000 Country:Â  Germany Year:Â  1993 Disease:Â  Salmonellosis Number of Cases:Â  1000 Salmonella in Saudi Arabia The causes of salmonella infection vary from country to country and that depending on the suitable surroundings. In Saudi Arabia, hot weather, which reaches to 50c in the summer, contribute to spread of salmonella. Under this level of temperature, it is difficult to keep any food outside fridge because it will spoil quickly. Participating women to men working outside the house in addition to changing the traditional food habits lead to depending a lot of people on restaurants. These transformations in Saudi society, contribute to spread fast food restaurants. In view of the Riyadh city, it is obvious that most of the international fast food restaurants such as McDonalds, Kentucky, and Pizza Hut have become many branches of them in last decade. As will as, traditional restaurants are widespread in the city. Regrettably, those restaurants, especially the traditional restaurants, are looking for profit without any consideration of the hygienic applications. Over and above, these restaur ants employ non-qualified staffs who do not have proper certification or experience in dealing with food. Chicken shawarma sandwich is a common meal among Saudis, particularly at dinner time. As a result, shawarma restaurants have spread throughout Saudi Arabia and, according to Environmental Health Office statistics in Riyadh City, the number of shawarma restaurants which had obtained a license by2000 was over 6127. There is a popular belief in Saudi Arabia that, the consumption of chicken shawarma is the major reason leading to outbreaks of salmonella infection cases and that belief without considering to other factors. Many of salmonella food poisoning reports which are circulated by newspapers and T.V refer to chicken shawarma sandwich as a culprit because the main component of shawarma sandwich is chicken, which is mainly the reservoir of this bacteria. Shawarma are slices of marinated chicken or some times lamb which are placed on a vertical skewer. The diameter of shawarma is up to 50 cm and its weight over than 60 kilograms, in some times spices and animal fat or oil is added. For cocking, shawarma is roasted slowly on all sides as the skewer rotates in front of or over a flame for a period of several hours. When the color of surface is change to brown, shawarma is sliced by special knives into small pieces. To make a sandwich, shawarma is packed inside Arabic bread which is Round and Flat. Some time shawarma is served in a plate as a meal with homemade mayonnaise, tomatoes, and green salad. Problem Saudi newspapers announce salmonella food poisoning incidences and they refer specifically to chicken shawarma with a great sensitivity, also it is blamed by journalists. (Rwaishid 2008) from the Hyatt newspaper reported that , about 33 people suffered from food poisoning after eating dinner in a famous shawarma restaurant in Jeffrey town (in the east of Al-Ahsa in Saudi Arabia). The patients were transferred by ambulances to Al-Jafari General Hospital to receive a treatment. Most of the patients left the hospital one day later after received necessary treatment except five patients; one of them was under serious condition and that according to medical sources at the hospital. Following that, shawarma restaurant owner was arrested by the police because they suspected that the cause of the infection is from the food which was cooked in his restaurant. The Environmental Health office said that, all beliefs about poisoning from chicken sahawrma are uncertain until the laboratory results appear. However, the shawarma sandwich involved a large proportion of salmonella bacteria and that according to the final laboratory result. In general, chicken in shawarma might be one of the reasons that occurring poisoning and transferring salmonella infection but, it is not the only reason. Laboratory result in previous event gave a general result without specification from which part of the sandwich was taken the sample. Although the chicken is the reservoir of salmonella, there are other factors that may be transferred salmonella, such as cooks, equipment and some additives to the sandwich as salad and mayonnaise. Basically, shawarma sandwich consists of chicken in addition to mayonnaise and salad. The salad could be the source of infection because may be irrigated it by contaminated water with that bacteria. Water sources in Saudi Arabia are scarce and rare, so water supply is depending on desalination of sea water; however in some areas which are away from the sea digging wells to provide water are common. Although all crops in Saudi Arabia depend on irrigation, consequently some farmers resort to irrigate crops by swamps or sewage especially in villages which are away from control. Irrigation crop by contaminated water is a serious health problem and transmit foodborne pathogens especially when spraying water on the plants and touch the fruit. When the crops are close to soil or under it as carrot and potatoes the possibility to contamination is more. There is an experiment conducted on tomatoes plant by (Jablasone et al, 2004) demonstrated that, there is a potential for transfer salmonella microbe from irrigation water by damage root to tomatoes fruit. On the other hand, when the salad was preparing in the restaurant may be it was not washed well, or could be left in unsanitary conditions which led to spoil. Cooks also may be carriers of bacteria and they did not apply the hygienic rules in work place. Usually in many shawarma restaurants, cooks are preparing sandwiches without wear hand gloves or face mask and that lead easily to infect shawarma. Unfortunately, some cooks do not have a health licenses, or they may have but expired, and this is illegal and contrary with health regulations. In Saudi Arabia there are no official sahwarma factories, as result for that it is manufactured in houses or in restaurants under unsanitary conditions. Primitive and unclean equipment are used and that is certainly an important factor to grow bacteria. To shorten the time some cooks thaw the frozen chicken directly, through hot water and that lead to spread of bacteria on chicken surface. Some times, shawarma is not sold on the same day thus it is leaved to the next day at room temperature which is up to 35 c and that is optimum for salmonella activity. On the other hand, the diameter of shwarma, whic h reach to 50 cm around skewer, is deterrent accessing heat to the center of shawarma and that provide worm clime for bacteria. Usually, shawarma is reheated on the flame for several days and that lead to spoil it, but cooks add more spices to obscure unpalatable taste. Mayonnaise is considered one of the most sensitive foods for poisoning because of the main component of mayonnaise is raw eggs. Moreover, there is a great potential for transmission of salmonella from chicken through the eggs shall .The microbe might penetrate the broken shell then reach to yolks. Widely, homemade mayonnaise is used in shawarma restaurants; however commercially-prepared mayonnaise is more safety but it is often served in luxury restaurants. Reducing the costs and preserving the flavor are the reasons for using homemade mayonnaise. Neglecting mayonnaise outside the refrigerator for a long time or in front of flame all the day during selling shawarma are unhealthy and lead to rapid spoil. In May 1996, Abha General Hospital (in Abha city, south-west Saudi Arabia) received 200 cases of salmonella poisoning caused by consumption dinner which bought from a restaurant specialized in fried chicken. The Investigations mainly suspected the chicken, but the laboratory result showed that the cause of poisoning was the mayonnaise and garlic which are made in the restaurant. The incident report which was conducted by (AL-Ahmadi 1998) demonstrated that: Only mayonnaise and minced garlic were associated with cases. Salmonella was isolated from 124 (84%) of the 159 persons with symptoms of food poisoning. Mayonnaise was prepared in the restaurant using a regular blender. Minced garlic was prepared with the same blender immediately after making the mayonnaise. Unsafe storage of the mayonnaise at room temperature for a median of 6 hours could have resulted in overgrowth of bacteria and a high infective dose of bacteria per serving. Solutions To reduce the incidents of salmonella food poisoning the problem is should be solved from all aspects and that trough manages of the factors which affect on spread of food borne. The solutions are shared between Environmental Health Offices and restaurants in additional to consumers. The applications of hygienic provisions are the most important things that can be observed when the consumer eating in the restaurant and that is apparently through staffs look and cleanliness of the place. Purchasing from open restaurants and small booth is unacceptable and must be banned. In food poisoning cases which caused by shawarma, Environmental Health Officers are usually take samples from the final meal that is containing chicken, salads and mayonnaise, and this way is not determine exactly the source of contamination in the meal. Sampling from each type of food separately gives a certain result to know the source of contamination. Likewise, visiting restaurants daily and sampling from all food and workers are also necessary. Preventing irrigation crops by sewage and creating new methods to provide water are the first step. It can be used alternative means of irrigation system which reserve water, such as drip irrigation system, or recycle swamps and sewage treatment system. In restaurant, salad must be washed and soaked in disinfectant solution for minutes because the bacteria, especially salmonella are sensitive to sterile solutions. Using homemade mayonnaise must be stopped decisively; it is preferable to use commercially mayonnaise. For (Omahen 1996), food scientists at the University of Georgia, Center for Food Safety demonstrated that, commercially-prepared mayonnaise actually reduces the amount of salmonella in foods because it has acid which come from vinegar and lemon. That result was approved by small test in lab, when commercial mayonnaise was added to foods inoculated with salmonella; the salmonella cells decreased. When shawarma is preparing, following proper hygienic application is required to avoid spoil. Establishing factories which make swhawarma under sanitary and clean conditions is a significant point. If swhawrma is preparation in home or restaurant, leaving the frozen chicken in the fridge until gradually thaw is the best way to slow bacteria activity. To avoid cross-contamination in chicken must be throwing off of liquid that resulting from the thaw. Shawerma must be kept in refrigerator at 4 c and it is not appropriate disregard it in room temperature more than one hour. It recommended to reducing the shawarma diameter to 20 cm and the weight to 30 kilograms and that to ensure access the flame heat into center. As well as, increasing acid proportion such as vinegar or lemon is salutary because it changes the pH of food thus prevents the growth of salmonella. When hiring cooks, they must have appropriate qualifications and adequate experience in their field. Qualifying courses for new cooks to familiarize them with hygienic application is necessary and health license is compulsory and basic for all cooks. Conclusion Shawarma may be responsible for salmonella food poisoning in Saudi Arabia, especially in the summer season because it contains three kinds of food which are easily spoilt, but is not the major cause. Mayonnaise, salad, and cooks are main factors contributing to the transfer of microbes and when applying the hygienic condition, salmonella food poisoning will be decreased. Restaurants license must be restudied again and change some conditions to suit modern life. All the solutions may be effective in reducing the incidents of poisoning, but it can not change one of the most important factors that is hot weather in Saudi Arabia.

The Creator Speaking Through His Creation :: essays research papers

Prospero’s epilogue at the conclusion of The Tempest provides interesting parallels to its author’s life. Written near the end of his career, numerous scholars suggest that it is Shakespeare’s written farewell. Just as Shakespeare sculpts a world from nothing, Prospero authors the events on the island. Prospero’s monologue flows naturally with they story and provides a natural ending to the work. He describes the loss of his magical power at the beginning of his monologue when he says, â€Å"My charms are all o’erthrown, and what strength I have’s mine own, which is most faint.† He remains â€Å"confined† on the Island because he has already â€Å"pardoned the deceiver† and does not wish to return as the Duke of Naples. He follows this with a peculiar request of those listening to â€Å"release me from my bands with the help of your good hands.† This could be seen literally as a request of the audience to clap so that the sails of the boats will be filled, for his friends’ return trip home. <?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> Contrast this to what Shakespeare is voicing through Prospero. "Now that my charms are all o'erthrown, and what strength I have's mine own,† takes on a new meaning. Now his plays have ended, and anything more he yearns to say can only come directly from him, not through his characters. Furthermore, the "Island" or stage Shakespeare is on is now "bare† and it is time for the audience to release him and his from the play with the "help of [y]our good hands.† Not only was he requesting release from the performance, but from his career as a playwright. In addition, the audience’s pleasure fills his sails, or makes him happy. If no one finds pleasure in his works then what he sent out to accomplish has not been achieved. Finally, after separating the perspectives, one can see how

Identity and Self-Esteem: A Look at Self-Verification in African Americ

Individuals are born into families, races, cultures, and countries, but have little awareness of their individuality as very young children. The psychological sense of being separate individuals from their families or caretakers appears to be of little importance until they recognize themselves as separate selves. This is true for all human beings in all cultures, but for races or cultures who have been marginalized, having a separate identity and gaining self-esteem appear to play an even more important role. This essay will look at African American literature from a psychological perspective. From Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs to Zora Neale Hurston's Delia in "Sweat" to James Baldwin's John in Go Tell It On the Mountain, group and individual identity, in conjunction with a high level of self-esteem, are critical factors in determining the successes achieved by individuals and literary characters in the African American literary tradition. Without this sense of group identit y, individual identity, and self-esteem, the African American character becomes like Richard Wright's Bigger Thomas and can not survive. Self-esteem is an important component of human growth. Abraham Maslow's psychological theory argues for a hierarchy of needs composed of a pyramid of five levels. "Beyond the details of air, water, food, and sex, he laid out five broader layers: physiological needs, needs for safety and security, needs for love and belonging, needs for esteem, and the need to actualize the self, in that order. " (Boeree) Maslow argued that few reach the highest level of self-actualization. According to his research, only about 2% of the population reach that level, and most of those were historical figures-Albert Einstein, Ab... ... Abstract. Douglass, Frederick. "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass." African American Literature. Ed. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Nellie Y. McKay. New York: W. W. Norton, 1997. 302-368. Drake, Kimberly. "Rewriting the American self: Race, gender, and identity in the autobiographies of Frederick Douglas and Harriet Jacobs." Melus. Winter 1997. Vol. 22, Issue 4, p. 91. Full text article. Jacobs, Harriet. Incidents In the Life of a Slave Girl: Written By Herself. Ed. and Intro. Nell Irvin Painter. New York: Penguin, 2000. Parsons, Richard D., Stephanie Lewis Hinson and Deborah Sardo-Brown. Educational Psychology: A Practitioner-Researcher Model of Teaching. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2001. 80-81. Wright, Richard. Native Son. New York: HarperPerennial, 1998.

Internal And External Factors Effect The Levels Of Management Essay

How Internal And External Factors Effect The Levels Of Management For a company to be successful in the long term today, they must be diverse. The company needs to be able to adapt to changes. The need for these changes can present themselves from many angles. Some would include changes in the economy, marketing, or even a change in the target audience. A company has to look at more than just the four levels of management. Organizations must look at how internal and external factors can affect the four levels of management, and adjust accordingly for these changes to be successful in today’s world. Diversity  There are many types of diversity, racial, ethnic, cultural, age, gender, and geographic. But diversity can also include experience and skills. A company’s ability to survive depends on their ability to adapt to current changes. The diversity within a company must be taken into consideration during the four functions of management. The most successful companies will be those that recognize the power of diversity in their workforce and in the product mix, and effectively create products and services that appeal to their increasingly diverse customer base. By including diversity in the planning stage, Amazon. om would reflect diversity in their business. This would results in better products and a wider range of consumers giving them an advantage over competitors. The company must understand its’ organizational structure, and the social and cultural perspectives of its’ employees in order to be effective, efficient, and promote an environment suitable for progress. Employees who are diverse in skills, experience, and background help to builds a strong organizational foundation. Increasing globalization requires companies to have more interaction with diverse cultures and backgrounds. Organizations must be prepared to teach themselves and their employees to value multicultural differences. Management must motivate their employees to attend diversity training in order to be educated on different cultures and traditions and to respect these differences. Diversity is critical to a company’s success. We are part of a worldwide economy with global competition. Diversity can increase productivity, marketing opportunities, recruitment, and the organization’s image which, in turn, can increase profits (Leading With Diversity, nd). Globalization Globalization has changed the face of business. In today’s business market, international business is necessary in order to gain an advantage. Amazon. com understands this requirement. With the formation of the Internet and Internet marketing, globalization was a beneficial perk which changed the business market, providing a way for companies to reach businesses and customers from around the globe at the click of a mouse. Amazon. com was created to work in the global business environment through the Internet. The company handles B2B and B2C relations and transactions. Amazon. com uses an online customer data base to keep up with the demands of customers. The company created an Internet e-business model, and built up from these based on information obtained from customers. â€Å"The company’s strong infrastructure supports its mission to be the leader in e-commerce,† (â€Å"A Conceptual Analysis f the Key success of Business in â€Å"terms of Internet Marketing, 2012). Customers are always looking for convenience in today’s global economy. Amazon. com uses technological innovation to drive growth and deliver convenience to its customers. An online business, such as Amazon. com, bases goals for â€Å"Planning† on these factors. In order to deliver strategic value, a company such as Amazon. com works to extend globally to reach customers and retailers internationally. Amazon. com began with a B2C platform, but management saw the potential to be an online global leader by handling B2B relations as well. When Organizing, management adds software, e-commerce capabilities, and access for businesses to use the online company’s resources. Amazon. com has created a global online business through proper planning and organizing that delivers strategic value. Management Leading can mobilize and motivate employees. Amazon. com has extended its sales and products through extended branches in different parts of the world to provide services anytime and anywhere through the Internet and globalization. Through the Controlling process of management, online companies such as Amazon. com have continuously improved and expanded services to all over the world. As a result of success through correctly utilizing the four functions of management, Amazon. com is a leading fortune 500 company who uses globalization through the World Wide Web to deliver fast, successful services to customers and retailers. Without the possibility of globalization through technology, e-commerce would not be enough for the company to stay on top. Technology Technology is constantly changing and considerably hard to keep up with. Because of these changes, managing at Amazon. com would definitely be a challenge. Managers must start with the planning phase by evaluating and determining consumer’s needs for buying, selling, using, and shipping which can show both internal and external growth. Personal data is shared online and is protected to ensure safe transactions. Amazon. com ensures that identity theft is never an option through their technology. Organizing all the data gathered from technology can also help management keep track of trends, sales, and possible returns. Once this information is shared among management, they are then able to lead employees with training on how to implement new technology like software, security protection on servers. Amazon. com also ensures employees are adhering to company policy with the use and access of services online. The controlling phase of management is completed by watching over the progress of smart phone applications, Internet home use, and shipping sales. By watching progress and being sure initial goals and challenges are being met, the security of consumer information and products are not being put to risk, and if a problem arises, management can catch it early enough to take care of the situation. With technology making access to Amazon. com so much easier for consumers, the management of this constant changing technology can be a huge challenge with so many options for access and keeping the information protected with encryptions. Innovation With an ever changing market, a great business has to be able to become what the consumer needs at any given moment. This requires innovation. Innovation involves any new idea, product, process, technology or service that a business introduces to its consumer. When it comes to innovation and the planning process, a business needs to be aware that factors such as the market, the customer’s current needs, and even what products competitors have released, can affect the current business plan. There needs to be flexibility in the business plan to account for these changes. A business needs to have leaders who are able to understand how their business is being currently run and how it can be run in the future. This allows them to see ow changes in the business plan might affect all aspects of the business. A business manager needs to be open-minded and encourage its employees to share their ideas on new business models, new ways to make a profit and even ways to improve existing business methods so that the current business plan is both innovative and effective. When it comes to innovation and the organizing process, a company needs to be aware of the current business plan at all times. The need for a business to be innovative and adapt to the changes in the market can cause all four functions of management to need adjusting frequently. If the business plan is changed, the company needs to re-gather and assign all its resources, employees and finances to ensure that the new plan can be implemented fully and in an organized manner. Innovation affects this function of management in a more indirect way; by changing the planning process, the directing process changes. When a company decides to change their business plan, they have to re-direct the staff. When evaluating the staff, the manager needs to be sure that they are on track to meet the goals outlined in the planning process. Innovation can cause the goals to change, thus causing managers to re-evaluate the employees to be sure they are still on track. Ethics Every business is run by a set code of ethics. Ethics are different for every person, as they are an individual’s personal take on what is right and what is wrong. A business uses a code of ethics to ensure that every employee abides by the same set of standards and upholds the values of the organization with which they work. When it comes to the planning process, ethics play a key role. The company needs to know how they want their business to appear to the public and develop their plan around that. If a company wants to appear ethical and trustworthy to its customers it has to provide great customer service at all times. This meant that Amazon. com had to create a safe site, a quality product, and be sure to deliver the product promptly. When it comes to organizing and ethics, Amazon. com had to be sure to keep all resources, employees, and finances in order to keep their word on the quality of both their product and their delivery times. For the customer to believe that Amazon. com is an ethical and trustworthy site requires employees and resources to be organized at all times. When it comes to leading their employees, it is important to be sure that they are not only on task but also following the company’s code of ethics. If having a safe site, a quality product, and prompt delivery is important to Amazon. com; it needs to be important to all their employees as well. When analyzing the progress being made, the manager needs to also be sure that the staff is remaining diligent in their efforts to ensure quality customer service. Ethics are found in every facet of a company and therefore they need to be monitored regularly. Conclusion There is so much more that goes into maintaining a successful business in today’s competitive marketplace than just the four levels of management. The company must always be aware of and be able to adapt to many changing factors. These factors come from many places in the marketplace. Some are external and the company will have little to no control over these and must simply adapt. However the internal factors can be controlled by the company through monitoring and policy changes. The company that can notice the changing factors and integrate and adapt to these changes will be successful in today’s competitive marketplace.

Individual Assignments from the Readings Essay

2- Define the distinctions between primary, secondary, and tertiary sources in a secondary search Primary source as stated is original data. Primary source is based in facts from the time period involved and have not been filtered through interpretation or evaluation. Therefore, primary sources is considerate the root of original materials on which other research is based, the first formal appearance of results in physical, print or electronic format. Primary sources present original ideas and thoughts, report a discovery, or conduct new information. Secondary sources are considerer less important than primary sources. Secondary Resources are material written after the fact that provides point of views of hindsight. The fact is that are interpretations and evaluations coming of primary sources. Secondary sources are not original materials, but rather opinions on and discussion of evidence in such information. According with the text, secondary search is easy to interpret as a tertiary source as well. Tertiary sources conduct an analysis of material which is a distillation and compilation of primary and secondary sources. Generally, consist in a summary of information provided with own point of view of such materials 3- What problems of secondary data quality must researchers face? How can they deal with them? The fact is that in some cases is vital to aware of the problems that can arise with secondary research so if it is that case the researcher will be able to work with these problems. Secondary search is in many cases the only material that a researcher can find on certain information; therefore, for a researcher this issue can have further problems and consequences putting together a new project as well. The problems of secondary data quality that a researcher must face is; â€Å"verifying and determining the value of the secondary sources the researcher would like to use† (Cooper & Schindler, 2006). Researchers who use secondary sources must make their best efforts to verify the accuracy of the information. On the other, hand, is a fact that all sources need to be cited appropriately in a paper, even if they are only secondary in nature. For example, a researcher who cites an article about a political event should dig further to verify the information. To do this they may need to get primary source data of the politic event. It may not be the primary data to verify secondary data in research, but every effort must be made in order to prove the credibility of the sources being used in any research effectively. Chapter: 7 Discussion Questions 1- How does qualitative research differ from quantitative research? Generally, can be some researchers who feel that one is better than the other. A major difference between the two is that qualitative research is inductive and quantitative research is deductive. Quantitative research differs on numbers or quantities. Quantitative studies have results that are based on numeric analysis and statistics. In many cases, these studies have many participants. Perhaps is not abnormal that has there to be over a thousand people in a quantitative research study. It is good to have a large number of participants because this gives analysis more statistical accurately. Qualitative research studies are based on differences in quality, rather than differences in quantity. Results are in words or pictures rather than numbers. Qualitative studies usually have fewer participants than quantitative studies because the depth of the data collection does not allow for large numbers of participants. It important to remark that both, quantitative and qualitative studies have strengths and weaknesses, a particular strength of quantitative research is that statistical analysis allows for generalization to others. The goal of quantitative research is to choose a sample that closely resembles the population. Qualitative research does not seek to choose samples that are representative of populations and this make a considerable difference in both. 2- How do data from qualitative research differ from data in quantitative research? Data from qualitative research and quantitative research differs in many ways. When conducting research there will be a time when you have to decide between the use of qualitative and quantitative research. Understanding the differences in data that is gathered from these resources will help you decide what type of research you will need to use. â€Å"Material subtracted from qualitative research can contain different uses because the researcher can use as many knowledge as searcher can during research to adjust the data extracted from the next participant† (Cooper & Schindler, 2006, Ch. 8). Although, this event influences the details of the data obtained by the research effectively, allowing data and research to condense through obtained information properly. In quantitative research identical data is â€Å"desired from all participants, so evolution of methodology is not acceptable† (Cooper & Schindler, 2006, Ch. 8). Quantitative requires specific data to be retrieved at all time, and qualitative research allows for change. This difference also impacts the way that data from these research methods will be interpreted and analyzed. 5- Assume you are a manufacturer of small kitchen electrics, like Hamilton Beach/Proctor Silex, and you want to determine if some innovative designs with unusual shapes colors developed for the European market could be successful marketed in the U.S. market. What qualitative research would you recommend, and why? For this event, is good idea to suggest a focus group so doing that may collect information from a wide variety of participants regarding specific question (Henderson, 2009). Is important that to be sure that it has a good cross-section of people to be in the group and that their observations are honest and not biased in any way. This task may be difficult, but necessary to give it an honest try. In addition, by affirming theories to compile trough what people say and do, qualitative research is not based accusing of imposing theories upon participants. Is therefore, by maintaining detailed records of what its said and of what happens qualitative research does not limit the complexity of social life to anybody can manipulated equations. â€Å"Rather than skating on the surface of everyday life, its close contact and detailed recording allows the research to glimpse beneath the polished rhetoric, or the plausible deceits; it is able to take more time to focus upon the smaller yet powerful processes which other methods gloss over or ignore† (Schostak, 2009). In addition References University Libraries, University of Maryland (2010) Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Sources, retrieved from: http://www.lib.umd.edu/guides/primary-sources.html#tertiary on January 20, 2013 Cooper, D. R., & Schindler, P. S. (2006). Business Research Methods (th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill retrieved on January 20, 2013 Henderson, N. (2009) Managing Moderator Stress: Take a Deep Breath. You Can Do This!. Marketing Research, Vol. 21 Issue 1, p28-29. Schostak, J.F. (2002) Understanding Designing and Conducting Qualitative Research in Education Framing the Project Open University Press Ganty, S. (2010) Problems with Secondary Data Research and How to Deal with It from: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5771198/problems_with_secondary_data_research_pg2.html?cat=3 Retrieved on January 20, 2013

Climate Change and Global Warming Essay

Cause Climatologists, who predict short and long-term climate trends, believe carbon dioxide and other emissions, mainly from industrial and commercial activity over the last two centuries, have altered the Earth’s atmosphere. This change has caused a â€Å"greenhouse effect† which is rapidly warming the planet. Effects The predicted effects of global warming include the melting of polar ice caps; a significant rise in sea levels; more extreme weather events; a reduction in agricultural land; water shortages; food shortages; loss of rain forests; and more species becoming extinct. Solutions Scientists believe all nations must take immediate and urgent action to dramatically reduce carbon emissions. Technological solutions have been proposed, ranging from â€Å"carbon scrubbers† that remove carbon from the atmosphere and reduce greenhouse gases to placing giant mirrors in space to reflect enough sunlight to cool down the planet. Controversy Although an overwhelming majority of scientists accept the man-made global warming theory, a minority have questioned this consensus. They suggest that man’s impact on the climate is negligible and that global warming is wholly the result of natural cycles. David Kennedy, nd. Basic Causes of Global Warming Retrieved February 27, 2013 from http://www.ehow.com/about_5057613_basic-causes-global-warming.html Basic Causes of Global Warming Greenhouse Effect When sunlight hits the Earth some is absorbed but most is reflected. The greenhouse effect is when sunlight escaping back into space is absorbed by gases in the atmosphere and then reflected back onto the Earth’s surface. Most greenhouse gas is water vapor, but other gases that contribute to it include carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, and other gases that have a less significant impact. Carbon Dioxide According to the U.S. Emissions Inventory 2004 Executive Summary, in 2002 around 40 percent of carbon dioxide emissions were the result of burning coal for electricity. Around 93 percent of the electric utility industry burns coal. Carbon dioxide emissions also come from cars and other vehicles, airplanes and buildings. New technologies, like the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle and hybrid electric vehicles, are some solutions for minimizing vehicle carbon dioxide emissions. Methane Methane is the second largest contributor to the greenhouse effect. Methane is a natural byproduct of living organisms and is produced by plants and bovine flatulence. Bacteria decomposing organic material also produce methane. According to the U.S. Emissions Inventory 2004 Executive Summary, methane levels have increased by 145 percent in the last 100 years. In the United States, all rice fields are grown in flooded areas which produce methane gases. Deforestation Deforestation is the process of clearing forests, either rainforest or temperate forests. The burning of forests is responsible for up to 25 percent of carbon dioxide emissions. This is the result of clearing and cutting nearly 34 million acres a year. Forests are also important because they convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. So while carbon dioxide emissions increase, the lack of forests is making the number increase faster. Permafrost Permafrost is a layer of land and soil that has been frozen and kept at freezing temperatures or below. In many northern climates like Alaska, Canada and Siberia, the permafrost layer of soil holds vast amounts of carbon. What researchers and scientists fear is that the permafrost will warm up and microbes will decompose the soil and release carbon dioxide. Permafrost has absorbed carbon dioxide for thousands of years, but may release it back if thawed. Timothy Sexton,.nd. Global Warming Cause & Effects retrieved February 27, 2013 from http://www.ehow.com/about_4744736_global-warming-cause-effects.html Global Warming Cause & Effects Greenhouse Effect The overriding cause of global warming is an umbrella term known as the â€Å"greenhouse effect.† As the rays of the sun reach Earth, some of the heat is absorbed and some is radiated back into the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere act similarly to a gigantic mirror and reflect warmth back to Earth that in the past would have continued being radiated into space. It is this reflection of heat back to Earth that is at the heart of the greenhouse effect. Greenhouse Gases These greenhouse gases that are responsible for reflecting back heat that would otherwise be lost include simple water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane and the infamous ozone. Unfortunately, there is no way to know exactly which greenhouse gas is most responsible for the greenhouse effect. Cause of Increased Gases The problem of global warming has been caused by the addition of more greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. The gases responsible will rise into the air whether humans are here or not; the problem is that much of basic human activity in the 20th and 21st century produced greenhouse gas at a level never experienced before. Basically, any activity that produces one of the gases listed above is a cause of global warming; everything from driving a car to using electricity. Because trees act as a natural conversion plant to transform carbon dioxide into oxygen, deforestation contributes to global warming because the fewer trees there are, the more carbon dioxide gets into the atmosphere. Effects The effects of global warming are potentially far-ranging. Increased temperatures means melting of glaciers, ice and snow around the poles, which means an increase in sea levels. Warming water will also increase the potential for hurricanes and typhoons so devastating that they will make Hurricane Katrina pale in comparison. That rise in sea levels could also mean that beachfront property will soon be found 10 to 50 miles inland from where beaches are now. Temperatures The average temperature on Earth has been steadily rising since the mid-1980s, and global warming is expected to continue this trend. In addition to longer and hotter summers, rising temperatures will affect agriculture. Indeed, the effect of a hotter Earth is already increasing the transmission of infectious bacteria that thrive under warm conditions. Hoax? There are still a great many people who believe that global warming is simply some kind of politically-created hoax. Those leading the charge against global warming tend to be industry with a vested interest. On the other hand, the list of scientific entities that have agreed on the reality of global warming include, among many others, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Royal Society of the UK.

An Evaluation of the European Computer Driving Licence Essay Example for Free

An Evaluation of the European Computer Driving Licence Essay The research project includes the complete lifespan of the work from the rationale to the conclusion. I examine the reasons for conducting the research, how the Company might benefit from the experience and how trainers may reflect and add to their toolbox of skills and knowledge. The project also considers the background to the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) and how this came to AEGON UK Services, what role Workplace Training Services had to play and what part of strategy ECDL was designed to meet. The main body of the project, the research itself, sets out to consider a range of questions related to the evaluation of ECDL within a financial services setting which I believe is a valuable piece of research that is not presently widely available. The research considers the practical implications of the work and the justifications for following the particular actions undertaken. The conclusion draws the project together and provides answers to the questions considered above. Does ECDL add value within the business, have learners acquired new skills, what of the present learning methods and how might these be designed to suit the needs of future learners? I support my research findings with the results of my data collection exercises together with statistics relating to ECDL including its recent use outside of Europe. Finally, I present the detail of material used whilst working on the project as Reference and Bibliography. AEGON UK Services (UKS) is the ‘closed book’ arm or Third Party Administration (TPA) operation for AEGON UK one of the world’s top ten financial services companies. As a TPA no new business comes into the organisation and particularly in the present economic climate control of costs and expenses becomes paramount. It is not an overstatement to consider that the continuing well being of the UKS site in Lytham rests with its highly competitive nature. When one considers that the average cost of one staff member in Lytham is à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½40,00 pa whilst the equivalent outlay at the AEGON UK Head Office in Edinburgh is almost double at à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½65,000 pa, financial evidence becomes clear particularly with close to 900 staff at the Lytham site. There are many reasons for this divergence in costs, not all of which may be directly influenced by the Company but it is this difference which remains key to the health of the AEGON UK Services operation. It is against this background that the research into the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) is set, one of the organisation obtaining maximum value for each pound of spend. As Managing Director, David Barker, said at the 2002 Business Plan launch to staff, ‘Through the professionalism, skill and commitment of its staff AEGON UK Services has a key part to play in the growth and development of the UK operation.’ It is my responsibility, as Training Manager for UKS, to provide learning opportunities, develop staff and upgrade their knowledge and skills to meet the challenges set by the Managing Director and the Board of AEGON UK. After all, a shortage of skills could threaten the livelihood of the operation. Fingold and Soskice (1989:22) who created the notion of a ‘low skills/low quality equilibrium’ argued that ‘†¦ the majority of enterprises staffed by poorly trained managers and workers produce low quality goods and services.’ Their view was that Britain would not be able to keep pace with changing economic conditions. A decade on and still the need for the training and development of our staff in relation to the growth of our business remains. As David Blunkett, Secretary of State for Education Employment, sets out the challenge ahead for us all when speaking at the National Training Awards ceremony in December 2000. ‘The key message today is that there is a real economic need for people to upgrade skills throughout life. We need to help everyone fulfil their potential and respond to the changing world economy.’ (People Management, Vol 6, No 25). The task facing us in the UKS Training team is to meet the Secretary of State’s challenge and drive the business forward at the same time whilst maintaining a tight rein on expenditure. In the summer of 2001 our Union Representative introduced me to Workplace Training Services and this partnership with a local education provider soon bore fruit. A key strategic challenge for AEGON UK in 2002 was the introduction of a Common Operating Environment (COE) between its various UK operations; the most visible aspect of the COE would be the launch of Microsoft Office 2000 in the various sites. Significantly, as AEGON UK Services previously used Microsoft there were no plans to create a formal training plan for the business, rather than relying our awareness of existing applications. The Manager, Dedicated Delivery, of Workplace Training Services (an arm of Preston College), Cyril Wheat, offered the use of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) as part of our solution to the need for staff learning and development in Office 2000. The seven-module ECDL programme is based upon the Microsoft Office 2000 applications and included learning on our key workplace needs, Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Over 50 staff started the ECDL qualification in September 2001 and to-date over 150 have either achieved the award or are working towards it. Further developments of our work with the College have been the provision of additional learning and development for staff, in particular the provision of Learndirect facilities and the healthy ‘learning partnership’ that has grown between an employer, union and education institution. To support the development of this significant partnership Workplace Training Services offered AEGON UK Services 100 free places on the ECDL programme in 2002. Although we have seen a large number of staff following the ECDL programme, myself included, AEGON UK Services has never conducted any formal evaluation of the learning programme. Whilst I have learned new skills and am able to access more difficult applications, has the Company benefited from the ECDL partnership, have the staff developed new skills and how might the programme best be carried forward? This is the rationale for the following research which is designed for the benefit, primarily, of the Company but also for the staff, College and as a valid piece of research. Congratulations Sara Lundstedt! But why is this the Swedish environmental co-ordinator so significant to the history of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL). Well, Sara became the one millionth student to complete the programme, as reported in the June 2001 edition of IT Training (P7). What is ECDL and where did it come from? In 1994 the concept originated in Finland where the Finnish Information Process Association introduced the Computer Driving Licence. Shortly after, the Council of European Professional Informatics Societies (CEPIS) established the User Skills Task Force in 1995. The Task Force, supported by funding from the European Commission, was to examine how to raise IT skill levels in European industry. The Task Force identified the potential of the Finnish Licence and investigated the feasibility of adopting it and making it into a qualification for the whole of Europe. CEPIS actively encourages IT literacy and promotes acceptance of professional standards for ICT professionals throughout Europe. Pilot tests were carried out during 1995 and early 1996 resulting in the launch of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) in August 1996, initially in Sweden and then throughout Europe. The ECDL Foundation was formed in 1997 to administer the ECDL programme on a not-for-profit basis and to promote, develop and certify computer skills and IT knowledge. According to its official website, the business of the ECDL Foundation is ‘To disseminate, promote and evolve ECDL as a globally accepted IT skills certification programme that prepares all people for participation in the Information Society.’ On the surface, this has been successful; in 1999 the International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL) was created as the standard qualification for non-European countries. The syllabus is identical to that of ECDL and was initially taken up by Australia, Canada, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Since then, more countries have joined the ICDL programme, ranging from Greece in 2000 to most recently, Malaysia. According to The Electric Paper Company Limited (http://www.electricpaper.ie/products/ecdl.asp) ‘†¦to-date, over 1.75 million people are registered on an ECDL/ICDL programme. This number is growing daily. There are tens of thousands of accredited test centres worldwide enabling people to take their tests an attain certificates.’ So, seven module appears to be working as students are assessed against the following competencies: basic concepts of IT, using a computer and managing files, word processing, spreadsheets, databases, presentation and information and communication. The ECDL Foundation points out that the programme is now used in over 60 countries and IT Training announced in its October 2002 edition that ‘†¦the number of students †¦ enrolled topped the half-million mark. The British Computer Society (BCS) also reports that it is issuing 1,000 ECDL certificates every day.’ One of the first organisations in the public sector to move towards qualifying the computer skills of its staff is the NHS which recognised the increasing role that computer skills had to play in the public health sector. The significance of the ECDL decision is reflected in the fact that it was announced by Health Secretary, Lord Hunt. He said, ‘New technology investments to support staff to plan, deliver and review health care will not be successful unless more priority is given to ensuring that all staff have a basic level of IT skills.’ There is a great deal of published support for the ECDL programme and I have included highlights from two successful ventures. The House of Commons became the first Parliament in the world to offer staff training in IT skills, aimed at MP’s assistants and constituency workers. Dr. Matthew Donaghy, Industry and Parliament Trust ADAPT Project Manager, said, â€Å"Our objective, and indeed an important part of securing funding for the project, was to increase the employability of staff outside the Parliamentary sector. ECDL gives staff an extra qualification showing their competence with IT in the office, but also allows flexibility in training for the qualification so that it does not interfere with major projects they may be working on.† Donaghy continued, â€Å"An extra benefit of the course has been the increased level of teamwork between MP’s assistants. Staff are increasingly sharing tips on office practices, which will mean a more professional MPs service al l round.† The Bank of England is also enabling its staff to take the ECDL programme via personal or on-line training. Bank Deputy Governor, Mervyn King, who has successfully completed the qualification said, ‘Across the Bank, the ECDL will enable people to achieve a wide range of essential skills in IT, on which they can build in the future. I am convinced that it is an ideal way for my colleagues to improve and consolidate their knowledge, to build confidence and to improve both productivity and decision making.† ECDL appears therefore to have positive support, endorsed by Peter Bayley, Director of ECDL at the British Computer Society, who confirms that, ‘Since the UK launch there has been a growing demand for information about ECDL users from both the Further Education and Corporate sectors in order to measure profiles, motivation, satisfaction and likely interest in our newly launched ECDL Advanced qualification. Apart from a gratifying 95 per cent satisfaction rating, almost two thirds of those polled chose ECDL because of its broad recognition as a computer skills qualification. In addition, 97% said they would recommend ECDL to family, friends and colleagues and 87% were interested in an ECDL Advanced qualification.’ Despite the fact that there is a great deal of published evidential support for ECDL, there remains little evidence within AEGON UK Services that the programme has been and remains successful. To date, we have tended to take the view that people pass, therefore it works! But does it? As Reay (1994:23) points out, ‘†¦evaluation can enable you to do better in the future. This is not to say that you’ve been failing in the past; but good trainers realize there is always room for improvement.’ It is against this background, of a developing IT culture within Europe and latterly the rest of the world, that the research with AEGON UK Services is set. Will the experiences outlined above be matched within the Company? ‘Most people associate the word ‘research’ with activities which are substantially removed from day-to-day life and which are pursued by outstandingly gifted persons with an unusual level of commitment’, suggested Howard and Sharp (1983:6). However, Denscombe (1998:1) takes an alternative approach when opening his piece of work some 15 years later, ‘Social research is no longer the concern of the small elite of professionals and full-time researchers. It has become the concern of a far greater number of people who are faced with the prospect of undertaking small-scale research projects as part of an academic course or their professional development.’ In my case, the piece of research was to be carried out over a 3 month period by the Training Manager of a large organisation with very ordinary skills and an extremely heavy workload! Payton (1979:4) identified research as ‘†¦the process of looking for a specific answer in an organised objective reliable way’ and it is this search for answers that has driven me to tackle the challenge of evaluating the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) in AEGON UK Services. Considering what questions to ask, Black suggests (1993:24/25), may prove a significant challenge in itself, ‘The most difficult part of starting a research project is often that of identifying the best question to ask, one that is meaningful, whose answer contributes to the discipline, and whose resulting research can be carried out within the resources available.’ When considering the questions to answer from the piece of research I was conscious of two things set down by Managing Director, David Barker: a) what would add value to the business supporting AEGON UK Services as a key part of the AEGON UK operation and b) provide learning opportunities to develop staff and up grade their knowledge and skills? These factors contributed directly to my questions: How has ECDL added value in AEGON UK Services? How have the learners acquired new skills to help them do their jobs? Has the method of learning for ECDL proved effective? What is the most effective way for any further learners to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve ECDL? Blaxter et al (1997:58) identified 2 different methods for designing and doing a research project, their ‘research families’ of qualitative and quantitative methods. To Burns (2000:3), the quantitative approach is viewed as ‘scientific’ and in his opinion, ‘†¦has been the conventional approach to research in all areas of investigation. The methods and purposes of scientific inquiry have been moulded by countless generations of scientists †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Burns (2000:9) outlines the strength of the quantitative approach as being its ‘†¦precision and control’, together with ‘†¦a deductive approach and the use of quantitative data (which) permits statistical analysis.’ Denscombe (1998:177) supports Burns’ standpoint by adding that, ‘The use of quantitative data in social research has its attractions. For one thing, it carries with it an aura of scientific respectability. Because it uses numbers and can present findings in the form of graphs and tables, it conveys a sense of solid, objective research.’ However, an alternative view also exists and caution is stressed by Silverman (2000:6) when pointing out that ‘ †¦the hard data on social structures which quantitative researchers claim to provide can turn out to be a mirage.’ Caution was necessary for me when considering the effect of ECDL upon an individual’s ability to do their job more effectively, as Cicourel (1964) points to defects with quantitative research, it may be useful but it also may conceal as well as reveal social processes. On the other hand, qualitative research is an umbrella term that covers a variety of styles of social research, drawing on a variety of disciplines. Tesch (1990) identified 26 distinct kinds of social research which can fall under the term ‘qualitative’ and no doubt, in time, that list will grow. However, Denscombe (1998:207) does see some common elements which begin to give some sense, as he sees it, to qualitative research, ‘†¦a concern with meanings and the way people understand things†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ and ‘†¦a concern with patterns of behaviour†¦.’ Cohen and Mannion (1998:8) go a stage further and view qualitative research as a search for understanding in which ‘†¦the principal concern is with †¦ the way in which the individual creates, modifies and interprets the world in which he or she finds himself or herself.’ Researchers who adopted this qualitative approach, responsive to individual perceptions, were felt by Bell (1999:7) to ‘†¦seek insights rather than statistical analysis.’ A positive aspect of qualitative research, according to Miles and Huberman (1984:10), is ‘†¦that they focus on naturally occurring, ordinary events in natural settings, so that we have a strong handle on what ‘real life’ is like.’ The approach to this research project was on a qualitative basis and whilst there is a range of disadvantages to this method, including, as identified by Anderson (1990) – the ability to collect a large number of replies, allow for easy collation and cheap and readily available, Anderson did identify advantages with a qualitative approach. Significantly, when gathering data and information Anderson held that a qualitative approach enables the researcher to really understand another person, and qualitative research tends to focus on learners, central to the research project, and their views of the world. My own research project mirrors a number of Anderson’s findings; focusing on the learners and managers and thei r views, attitudes and feelings is key to my work and as such does not lend itself naturally to a quantitative or scientific basis. However, in Denscombe’s opinion (1998: 173), the two approaches are not mutually exclusive, the distinction between the two is over-simplified and relates to the treatment of the data. As Strauss (1987: 2) argues, ‘†¦the genuinely useful distinction is in how data are treated analytically.’ Denscombe’s (1998:173) view then is that ‘†¦a distinction between qualitative and quantitative research is far from watertight.’ To some extent, the research design depends on what Barnes (1992:114) highlights as either a deductive or inductive approach to the project, with action research a key method of the latter. Barnes takes the view that when using action research, ‘†¦the outcomes†¦are generally increased knowledge, understanding and improved practice.’ The implication from this is that action research has a relevance for what I will be undertaking and indeed Blaxter et al (1997:64) confirm this by pointing out that ‘†¦it is well suited to the needs of people conducting research in their own workplaces, and who have a focus on improving aspects of their own and their colleagues’ practices.’ Cohen and Mannion (1998:186) also focus their thoughts on this work-related aspect of action research by suggesting that it ‘†¦is situational – it is concerned with diagnosing a problem in a specific context and attempting to solve it in that context.’ Although action research as a basis suits the needs of my project as shown above, there are a number of criticisms about the method, often reflecting Cohen and Mannion’s (1998:193) comments that it is not scientific, ‘†¦its sample is restricted and unrepresentative†¦its findings †¦are restricted to the environment in which the research is carried out.’ I accept the above but am satisfied that although my findings may be ‘restricted to the environment’, they are after all intended for use solely within AEGON UK Services, any wider usage will be a bonus. Research data was accumulated by the use of questionnaires completed by learners, interviews with senior managers and Preston College staff, and focus groups conducted with groups of learners. This common multi-method approach is referred to as triangulation, as originally identified by the works of Elliott and Adelman (1976), and has been defined in Open University course 811 Study Guide (1988:54) as ‘†¦cross-checking the existence of certain phenomena and the veracity of individual accounts by gathering data from a number of informants and a number of sources and subsequently comparing and contrasting one account with another in order to produce as full and balanced a study as possible.’ The use of triangulation goes some way to meeting the need for this piece of research to be both reliable and valid. Bryman (1989:55) outlines reliability as something which ‘†¦refers to the consistency of a measure.’ Blaxter et al (1997:200) summarise the issue of reliability in simple terms as considering whether ‘†¦you have carried it out in such a way that, if another researcher were to look into the same questions in the same setting, they would come up with essentially the same results †¦.’ Validity is identified in a similar tone by the same authors, ‘†¦to do with whether your methods, approaches and techniques actually relate to, or measure, the issues you have been exploring.’ Triangulation is particularly important to me because it increases the strength and validity of my work. The use of questionnaires is outlined by Denscombe (1998:88) who suggests that they are at their most productive when: used with large numbers, straightforward information required, the social climate is open, standardised, time allows for delays, resources allow for the costs and when the respondents can be expected to be able to read and understand the questions. However, my own piece of research is much smaller with fewer in the sample, straightforward questions on information that is current, all of which adds to the simplicity of this process. However, there is a range of issues when using questionnaires with Bell (1999:75) suggesting that ‘It is harder to produce a really good questionnaire than might be imagined.’ McKernan (2000:125) endorses that view and warns that amongst the disadvantages are the amount of time taken compiling successful questions and low response rates. Nevertheless, the use of questionnaires provides direct access to the learners and adds balance to the interviews with my colleagues and members of Workplace Training Services. Given that my questionnaire is straightforward with simple questions I am satisfied that this is a particularly useful method of gathering my research data. Further weight is given to this argument by Burns (2000:581) who supports me by adding such strengths as ‘†¦cost, each respondent receives same set of questions, errors in collation of responses reduced, respondents free to reply at own pace/time, fear and embarrassment avoided, may guarantee confidentiality.’ Burns also highlights a number of potential concerns with the use of questionnaires including a poor response rate when compared to interviews, the potential for bias due to poor returns and badly prepared questionnaires. I acknowledge Burns’ concerns and test my questionnaire on a small pilot group of learners, drawn at random, to assess its ease of use; 2 questions are reworded to reflect the comments of this group. Given the small number of staff to have completed the ECDL programme I issue the questionnaire to all 45 which also supports the validity of my research and reduces the potential for any bias due to the choice of my sample. I am conscious that, as Cohen et al (2000:245) put it, ‘†¦the questionnaire will always be an intrusion into the life of the respondent, be it in terms of time taken to complete the questionnaire†¦or the possible invasion of privacy.’ As a result of this, great care is taken over the questions posed, the amount of content and the manner in which this is issued to learners. To keep the questionnaire simple I want to largely use closed questions and this method is supported by Wilson and McLean (1994:21) who confirm that these are ‘†¦simple to complete†¦and do not discriminate unduly on the basis of how articulate the respondents are†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. However, to ensure that people’s views are gathered I aim to allow respondents a small degree of space for their own thoughts to be considered which mirrors the views of Oppenheim (1992:115) when considering the use of closed questions: ‘†¦they do not enable respondents to add any remarks, qualifications and explanations to the categories, and there is a risk that the categories might not be exhaustive and that there might be bias in them.’ A blank questionnaire is included as Appendix B. It is the need to gather personal views and opinions that prompts me to include interviews with senior managers, and focus groups amongst learners. As Denscombe (1998) points out, questionnaires are at their best with large numbers; I am dealing with 6 senior managers and am mindful that the culture of my own organisation is such that as Training Manager it is politic for me to see the senior managers rather than issue them with a questionnaire. As McKernan (2000:128) claims, ‘Interviewing is a social survey skill which can be taught.’ I am satisfied that my role in designing and delivering ‘Interviewing Skills’ training courses for 5 years to the same group of managers enables me to carry out this process! There are a number of identified advantages in using interview techniques for gathering my research data and these include, Burns (2000:582/3) who is an exponent of its flexibility, ‘†¦the interviewer has the opportunity to observe the subject and the total situation in which they are responding†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ which according to Burns should produce higher response rates and ‘†¦if properly conducted should yield response rates of at least 80-85%. ‘ Cohen et al (2000:268) provides further thoughts and considerations on interviews, when outlining the need for trust to exist, suggesting that there should be a relationship between the interviewer and interviewee ‘†¦that transcended the research, that promoted a bond of friendship, a feeling of togetherness and joint pursuit of a common mission rising above personal egos.’ Once again, my relationship with the senior managers is such that I am confident that I have this level of trust in place already to enable a smooth process to occur. In addition, greater credibility is given to me conducting these interviews, as Kane (1997:68) asserts, ‘†¦the closer the interviewer is to the respondent in class, sex, age and interests, the greater chance the interviewer has of being successful.’ When considering the strengths and weaknesses of different types of interviews I endorse the comments of Patton (1980:206) who sets out the ‘interview guide approach’, which mirrors my requirements. The topic and issues to be covered are specified in advance, thus ‘†¦the outline increases the comprehensiveness of the data and makes data collection somewhat systematic for each respondent.’ I recognise that there is a risk of omitting important or salient points and that I must pay particular attention to maintaining focus on the key issues, in this case whether the managers consider that the ECDL programme has benefited the business. Consideration however must be given to the school of thought that exists regarding problems with the interview as a method for gathering my research data. Mason (1997:42) suggests that ‘good qualitative interviewing is hard, creative work. It is a much more complex and exhausting task to plan and carry out †¦ than, for example, to develop and use a structured questionnaire for asking a set of predetermined questions.’ Tuckman (1972) set out a number of problems with the interview as a technique for gathering data, including the fact that a competent interviewer is required (which may involve payment), a limited number of respondents can be reached and the reliability is quite limited. Whilst acknowledging these concerns, as I have set out my competency earlier, I require interviews with a controlled group of 6 individuals only and have a great degree of confidence in the reliability of my data. Not to mention that this interviewer requires no additional payment for the work. My final information gathering technique is the focus group which Kreuger (1988:27) highlights as typically having 5 characteristics, ‘†¦a) people who, b) posses certain characteristics, c) provide data, d) of a qualitative nature, e) in a focussed discussion.’ Cohen et al (2000:288) support my use of the focus group by suggesting that they ‘†¦might be useful to triangulate with more traditional forms of interviewing, questionnaires, observation etc.’ Although observation is not necessary or appropriate for my research, Cohen et al do concur with my use of the interview and questionnaire. According to the December 2002 issue of Croner’s A-Z Briefing (12/02:2), ‘†¦the main advantage of a focus group lies in its ability to collect subjective judgments where several, individual, judgments are better than just one. †¦By using a focus group †¦the researcher can see how and why individual judgments are supported †¦.’ This aspect of the focus group is particularly useful to me as it enables a group of learners to come together and share their experiences of the ECDL programme including highs and lows. It allows me the opportunity to facilitate discussion on the optimum way forward for AEGON UK Services and for future learners. Croner goes on to add that, ‘†¦they perform a useful function when evaluating various aspects of training and development, particularly when qualitative measurements are required and where it is deemed necessary to ascertain any unexpected outcomes or applications which have arisen as a result of such provision.’ Morgan (1988:43) cautions on the size of focus groups, suggesting ‘†¦between four and twelve†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ whilst Croner takes a similar stance, ‘†¦between 6 and 12†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Both of the above agree on the need for careful consideration with sampling, in this case with the focus group, as Croner puts it (P3), ‘†¦all those involved do need to be representative of the total population under consideration.’ I have already decided to use all of my Award-holders as I have 3 months in which to carry out the research and have a small group, as Bell (1999:83) suggests, ‘The number of subjects in your investigation will necessarily depend on the amount of time you have.’ However, the question of the size of the sample and how it is selected is an issue. Cohen and Mannion (1998:87) put forward a range of sampling tools including probability and non-probability, random and stratified samples whilst Bryman (1989:107) argues the case for a representative sample using a type of probability sample. To ensure that each of my ECDL Award-holders has an equal probability of inclusion in the sample used for the focus groups, names are drawn at random from an Excel spreadsheet. Kerlinger (1986:45), identifies randomness thus, it ‘†¦ means that there is no known law, capable of being expressed in language, that correctly explains or describes events and their outcomes.’ Kerlinger (1986:44) goes on to provide further evidence that my sampling approach is correct, ‘†¦ random sampling is that method of drawing a portion (sample) of a population †¦ so that each member of the population †¦ has an equal chance of being selected.’ Taking into account the thoughts of both Morgan and Croner above, I facilitat e 2 focus groups of 8 members each. There are some difficulties in using focus groups and some of these are identified by Krueger (1988:46/7) who outlines the following: less control of the group as opposed to individuals, difficulties in analysing data, lack of interview skills, varying group dynamics, assembling groups and creating a supportive environment. I acknowledge Krueger’s observations and take extra care when running the focus groups although I must stress that my background is as a skilled interviewer and I am able to create a stable, supportive environment for the attendees who have attended similar workshops and courses in the past, often facilitated by me. ‘Any research project is likely to raise ethical issues. This is particularly so if it involves people directly, but may also be the case even if you conduct your research entirely on documentary evidence’, Blaxter et al (1997:146). Clearly, it is wrong for me to assume that, given my position as Training Manager, there is no issue with ethics, people know me and are happy to open up and provide me with valuable and valid information. Bell (1999:52) warns, ‘People will be doing you a favour if they agree to help, and they will need to know exactly what they will be asked to do, how much time they will be expected to give and what use will be made of the information they provide.’ The view is endorsed by McKernan (2000:241), who adds that, ‘It is crucial for all participants to know what their rights are in research of any kind.’ As such, I take great care when contacting my ECDL learners to alert them to my research and the need for their valuable input to further the learning partnership within AEGON UK Services. Particular attention is paid to the senior managers who give me some of their valuable time for 1:1 interviews and each of them is contacted personally by telephone to discuss the needs and requirements of the research and agree suitable times for the interviews. Hopkins (2000:221/2) identifies a range of principles that I must observe in the commitment to my research including, observing protocol, involving participants, reporting on progress, maintaining confidentiality and obtaining authority before using quotations. Particular care was observed when considering the use of quotations from our external partner, Workplace Training Services, and I arranged a special meeting with Cyril Wheat to discuss the learning partnership and seek his agreement to the use of specific quotations, included in the Conclusions to this research. As Burns (2000:22/3) summarises, ‘All in all it looks fairly difficult to conduct much research without running into ethical arguments.’ Burns’ comments alert me to the need to take nothing for granted in view of my ‘special’ position with the learners, ‘Ethical problems are likely to occur in social science research since human subjects are involved. Researchers must be aware of ethical considerations involved in voluntary and non-voluntary participation, deception, informed consent, privacy and confidentiality, the right to discontinue, and obligations of the experimenter.’ It is this ‘special’ position, that of someone who has worked very closely with most of the ECDL learners, that Sellitz et al (1962:583) might have been thinking of then they attested, ‘†¦ interviewers are human beings and not machines and their manner may have an effect on respondents.’ Many factors can influence responses one way or another, for instance Borg (1981:87) highlights a few of the problems that can occur, ‘†¦ eagerness of the respondents to please the interviewer, a vague antagonism †¦ or the tendency of the interviewer to seek out the answers that his preconceived notions †¦.These factors are called response effect by survey researchers.’ ECDL learners know me well and are aware of my enthusiasm for the learning partnership and our work with the ECDL programme. Might this naturally influence their responses to questionnaires, focus group or, even senior managers, interview questions? However, Bell (1999:139) offers words of wisdom, just as the aspiring researcher wilts under the strains of potential bias, by pointing out that ‘†¦ it is easier to acknowledge the fact that bias can creep in than to eliminate it altogether. This is a key consideration for my research as I am very keen for it to succeed being the instigator of the learning partnership with Workplace Training Services and the person responsible for the ECDL programme. A further area for my research to draw upon is the Training team’s entry for the 2002 National Training Awards. The entry was based upon the team’s work with the ECDL programme in AEGON UK Services and I refer to the comments of the judges in the Data Analysis and Conclusions. My research amongst European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) award-holders in particular highlights the very positive aspects of the programme and it is encouraging to learn that all questioned feel that the programme has benefited them, personally and professionally. Significantly, the great majority of learners also felt able to now support colleagues with IT-related enquiries, a factor that reflects our status as an Investor In People; staff are keen to share knowledge with each other in a positive manner. ‘Being able to solve problems,’ ‘increasing one’s confidence’, ‘developing trouble-shooting skills’ and appropriately ‘staff trained in new technology’ are benefits to the company, as viewed by the learners. Although it is not the intention in my research to provide statistical analysis, rather to draw conclusions from learners’ responses, the feedback from learners does represent universal support for developing skills to enhance the business. Learners feel more competent to do their work, have a more confident approach and have developed skills to enable new work to be handled also converting manual tasks to a PC-based system. I am able to speak from personal experience and, as a result of taking the ECDL programme, I can now use Excel with some success. Whilst it is very difficult to make any claims with the research I am confident that the programme has made a significant difference. Prior to starting the ECDL prog ramme I was unable to use Excel despite having access to the program, after completing the Excel module I am now able to design spreadsheets for use in the Training team. There is evidence of other organisations introducing a successful ECDL programme and the following case study extracts are from the ECDL’s own website, www.ecdl.co.uk/employer/case. Mike Sampson, Human Resources Director at Royal Liver Assurance, commented: â€Å"We are delighted that the ECDL pilot scheme has proved to be so successful and now intend to run ECDL again with further members of staff. It is important that our employees are given the opportunity to refresh and improve upon their IT skills, which ultimately reflects a great benefit to Royal Liver and ensures the company’s values and good standing are continually maintained.† (www.ecdl.co.uk/employer/case/royal) Even in the world of IT itself, ECDL is viewed as a positive addition to the learning curriculum, Les Williamson, Resources Servicing Manager, IBM, added, ‘We realised fairly quickly that this certification would be beneficial across the site. Not many people can claim proficiency in all the IT productivity tools that we could be using everyday. This is a qualification that demonstrates just that. (www.ecdl.co.uk/employer/case/ibm) 90% of learners feel that they are now more confident when using a PC (66% of the remaining 10% already did so) which is an endorsement of our decision to offer the programme and a statistic from a similar exercise conducted amongst award-holders at Manchester NHS Health Authority in 2002 found that ECDL qualified staff are proven to save an average of 38 minutes per day. Staff within AEGON UK Services also highlighted the speed at which they are now able to process IT-related work as a benefit to the Company. Feedback from the learners in the questionnaires suggested that, whilst staff were achieving success using the CD ROM made available by Workplace Training Services, there was less than total satisfaction. Accordingly, amongst the questions I posed at the focus groups was ‘What method of learning would you recommend for future ECDL students?’ Although only a small percentage of respondents to the questionnaire felt that the quality of learning materials was less than ‘good’ during the focus groups, the mood was very different and people had the opportunity to express their views in more detail. It became apparent that the majority of the attendees of twelve felt that the CD ROM was difficult to work with, either because of their own IT situation out of the office, some did not have a PC at home, or more commonly because of the great amount of detail included. Their preferred learning method was to use paper-based material although some members of the focus gr oups felt that the CD ROM was ideal. Comments were also made that it was often difficult to obtain 1:1 support as members of the Training team were often involved in other projects and, in truth, were never seen as providing close support for learners. Learners’ comments were referred to Cyril Wheat who visited the site and spoke with groups of the learners; as a result, directly, of the feedback provided to Cyril his Workplace Training Services team started to provide future learning support material in two forms, paper-based for the majority, CD ROM where preferred. In addition, another change in policy as a result of feedback, with the introduction of a dedicated resource from the College, someone who would be guaranteed to be on the Lytham site once a week for personal tutorials. Most surprising amongst the findings was the feedback from the senior managers. Whilst the Managing Director has given the partnership with Workplace Training Services his blessing and has in fact recently enrolled on the ECDL programme, the same positive views are not held by the management team. I conducted the interviews and was surprised by the little knowledge that the managers had of the programme, one actually admitted that he had no awareness that any of his staff are taking an award. Whilst the general view amongst the managers was that any learning which develops the staff to enhance the business, must be a good thing, only one member of the team was more positive. One manager had experienced the ECDL programme personally, achieved the award, and spoke highly of the benefits to AEGON UK Services in supporting the implementation of COE. More work remains to be done with the management team for the future of the programme. The comments of learners who have achieved their European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) are extremely encouraging from a purely personal point of view, the initial thoughts are that my efforts in bringing the ECDL programme to AEGON UK Services staff has paid off. But that cursory observation is not sufficient to merit the programme a success. When we set off on the ECDL programme there was a clear business need to be met, successfully implementing the Common Operating Environment (COE) and the transfer to Microsoft Office 2000. What must not be overlooked was that the business was not using any formal training strategy to meet the requirements generated by the COE and I was confident that ECDL could provide many of the training needs. Although I am not able to provide any hard quantitative data I have feedback from learners and managers which supports the use of the programme. As one manager put it, ‘Having achieved the ECDL I can vouch for the skills and knowledge acquired. Members of my team have demonstrated the benefits of the learning through the enhanced use of different programs.’ The data provides evidence of ECDL supporting the implementation of COE in the business. New skills have been acquired by learners, many of whom are now looking for further opportunities, whilst at the same time encouraging colleagues to enrol on the programme. There are numerous examples quoted of staff who are now able to access different programs, use PowerPoint, Access or in my case, get to grips with Excel for the first time. Our relationship with Workplace Training Services has developed, from the first tentative enquiries regarding the use of ECDL, the College’s first learning partnership in the North West to one of collaboration on other projects; as I close this research we are discussing certificated learning to meet behavioural competencies. Cyril Wheat, Manager Dedicated Delivery, is proud of his organisation’s role with the business and speaks highly of our work, ‘with the commitment of an employer who is providing resources is very important.’ The need for such support is echoed by Tim Rush of Islington Council who adds, ‘We have been lucky here in Islington, Members of the Council and senior management have been fully supportive. Gaining support at that level is essential to any successful implementation.’ (www.ecdl.co.uk/employer/case/islington). Cyril’s team’s commitment to us now includes the use of 10 PCs, available for any form of learning, and a dedicated resource on-site for work with the ECDL programme. Significantly, the learning has largely taken place at no cost to the business and during 2002 over 100 learners were enrolled with Workplace Training Services for free and we have ascertained that open learning with the ECDL programme may yet prove to be extremely cost effective to the business. We have 150 staff achieved or working towards the award with 100 more to follow during the course of this year an costs incurred to-date are a little over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3,000 which is approximately à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½12 per learner. Given that this learning ultimately accredits staff members with a universally accepted IT qualification and attendance on external learning is in my experience over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½100 per day then I believe that this equates to value for money learning. Our work with the fledgling ECDL programme in employer-related learning has highlighted new areas for study. As demonstrated earlier, learners had difficulties with the Computer Based Training and the CD ROM was not viewed as user-friendly; as a result, their feedback has been taken into account and staff enrolling more recently have had access to paper-based support material with CR ROMs available where required. The judges at the 2002 National Training Awards were ‘†¦ impressed by your decision to encourage your employees to undertake the ECDL qualification’ and drew upon a number of other positive aspects although they highlighted a number of important issues for the team to consider. As I point out above, there are limitations with my research and issues to consider for the coming months, as the judges point out in their feedback, ‘†¦ it is still quite early in the process of introducing the Common Operating Environment’ and they have suggested that we ‘re-enter at a later date’. I am also conscious that the research has been carried out by someone with a clearly vested interest in its success, the training of staff in the business is after all my responsibility, and that this may have clouded the findings. I acknowledge this limitation and make efforts to minimise the effects of this bias. My ultimate findings are also effected by yet more bias; the results are based upon my work with learners at AEGON UK Services in a supportive environment where facilities are made available to them and they do not have to pay any fees. I make no claims about applying my results to a wider audience whether in another industry or with the public at large. However, the final thought lies with Andrew Mayo, writing in the January 2003 edition of Training Journal, who holds out, ‘So here is the challenge for 2003. Will you be able to say, at the end of the year, where and how learning interventions made a difference to the achievements of the organisation(s) you work with †¦.’ From the feedback received from learners and indeed Workplace Training Services’ staff I am confident that the ECDL programme has already made an impact on AEGON UK Services although greater communication is required with senior managers based upon their own feedback. Furthermore, as the judges of the National Training Awards indicate, there is yet more to come as our learning partnership matures and more staff set out on the road to success through the challenge of ECDL. Project Proposal – DHL0730 Empirical Study AEGON UK Services in partnership with Workplace Training Services, an arm of Preston College, started to offer the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) to staff in September 2001. The ECDL programme based it is upon Microsoft Office 2000 applications was seen as an ideal complement to the Common Operating Environment (COE) to be launched in 2002. At the same time the launch of ECDL provided further evidence of the Company facilitating learning and development opportunities for its staff. Under COE the whole of AEGON UK would operate with Microsoft Office 2000 whilst over 90% of staff were familiar with the 1997 version or earlier. To-date over 150 staff have started or finished the ECDL programme yet no evaluation of the success or otherwise of ECDL within AEGON UK Services has ever been carried out. An evaluation of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) as used by AEGON UK Services. The ECDL was launched to develop the skills of European citizens and to enable them to become proficient in PC skills. The use of ECDL within AEGON UK Services was designed to provide staff with the skills necessary to deal effectively with the Common Operating Environment (COE), in effect Microsoft Office 2000. An Evaluation of the European Computer Driving Licence. (2017, Oct 12).