Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Paul is an Artist of International Fame Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Paul is an Artist of International Fame - Essay Example He will be with us in Houston, for two days. The conference venue is at Richmond.† On the conclusion of the first day of the seminar, at my insistence, Paul uncle gives a brief introduction about his art. â€Å"The sponsoring UNO agency has made all the arrangements for my boarding and lodging. I dislike the ambiance of staying in a 5 Star hotel. I eat simple home food. I live with my three children and we have an ancestral house in a two-acre plot in the suburbs of Port-au-Prince.† â€Å"My children are married, and we live as a joint family. My two sons are not interested in this vocation and the eldest one takes a limited interest in this art which is full of intricacies.† But in general, Paul gives lots of information on the copper-art and the present condition of art in Haiti. â€Å"Many traditional art-forms of Haiti are dying a slow death with no appreciation of genuine art and lack-luster approach of the Government authorities. Materialistic civilization has impacted life in all the segments of life. People have lost love for art. By pursuing this as art as a vocation, it is difficult to eke out a living†¦.my children are right perhaps to pursue alternative careers, where there is money. My second son has already migrated to Australia. † I visit him after 5 years. His house is on a hillock in the distant suburbs of Haiti. He has problems in recognizing me but with the mention of â€Å"Houston,† he embraces me. We speak a lot about Haiti art and his copper plates and pitchers in particular. He shows some of his centuries-old family collections of pitchers. When I tell him that â€Å"Traditional Art of Haiti† is one of the subjects that I teach at the college level, he is greatly fascinated.   

Monday, October 28, 2019

Collapse of Kingfisher Airlines Essay Example for Free

Collapse of Kingfisher Airlines Essay Kingfisher , Sony and Kodak have one thing in common . i.e. They are finding it difficult to reinvent themselves. They are trying hard to be a phoenix but will they truly rise from the ashes or simply fade away is the real question. Let us take the issue of Kingfisher here. One of Indias most high profile airlines few years back , now in shambles. It is really interesting to ponder that in same market scenario, one of the competitors of Kingfisher is flying high and high. Yes, Indigo Airlines is the most profitable airlines in India. The question is the difference between discipline or grandeur. What makes one company succeed, while another, in the same operating environment, falter? One of the reason is Mr. ( or Dr. in which degree?) Vijay Mallya flamboyant nature. Kingfisher was launched as an all-economy, single-class configuration aircraft with food and entertainment systems. After about a year of operations, the airline suddenly shifted its focus to luxury. When an airline keeps changing its model and takes to random expansion, there is no time for the airline to stabilize. After Kingfisher’s plunge into luxury came its next folly—a merger with Air Deccan, an airline formed by Captain G R Gopinath in 2003. I believe the fall of Kingfisher airlines started the very day when they bought Air Deccan. Capt. Gopinath , the owner of Air Deccan can be termed as shrewd but smart investor who knew when to part with his investment , just at the right time. The all-economy configuration of Air Deccan was rebranded and called Kingfisher Red, which continued to operate as its low-cost wing till recently. Kingfisher ended up spending Rs 550 crore on an airline that had losses of over Rs 550 crore. It is widely believed that Kingfisher merged itself with Air Deccan so that it could classify as an airline with five years of domestic flying in 2008, thus fulfilling requirements to fly international routes. The fact that Jet had meanwhile swallowed Air Sahara didn’t help, fuelling a competitive race to be the biggest airline around. Essentially, jet fuel prices began to sky-rocket and soon touched $150. Then came the 2008 recession that made fundamentals in the airline industry worse, which is when the airline launched its international operations. Some companies just fail to learn—either from the examples that its peers may have set for the industry, or from its own past mistakes. Now, Kingfisher has decided to change its model yet again—discontinuing its Kingfisher Red brand and completely converting its fleet to a dual class, full-service configuration. Kingfisher was gifted to Mr . Sidhartha Mallya by his father on his birthday i.e. a Near Zero experience in running a company and the later CEOs appointed by Mr . Mallya couldn’t bring any significant result too . His over indulgence in petty things like parties and Kingfisher Calendar also lead to inadequacies in his finances. .IPL is also one of the reason for Kingfisher downfall because it is known that many of the money was diverted to IPL from Kingfisher airlines, resulting which they defaulted in Loans and recently became a NPA (non performing asset) to its leading bankers like SBI . The lack of trust was shown recently when Mr Mallya asked the government of India to bail him out. The new minister Mr. Ajit Singh clearly told that the Government will not bail out private airline because Air India is itself in need to bail out. I personally feel that Mr Ajit singh made a good decision because When Kingfisher doesn’t give public anything in return of its profit , then why is it asking for Public hard earned money ( income tax money) to bail him out. The lack of management and top of it the soaring petrol prices, the airport charges added to Kingfishers humiliation. Frequent cancellation of flights , nonpayment to employees, rude staff laid the ground for Kingfishers grave. Kingfisher reputation took a beating when it was known that employees tax were not submitted to government on time since the last three years! Government of India also freezed 40 Kingfisher’s bank account. Latest news is that Kingfisher employees have been not paid three months salary. We all know how we feel when our salary is delayed by a day, imagine what happens to them when they are not getting salary for last three months. How do you expect the employees to keep a smiling face to its customers when they themselves are crying . A company which forgots its employees, is also soon forgotten. A classic example is Kingfisher airlines. Mr Mallya had to sell 49% of his ownership of Force India( F1 car) to Mr Subrato Roy to get kingfisher going ( owner of ailing airline Air Sahara , years back) , but it too failed to save the airlines from tatters. I still have hope from Mr Mallya that he will refrain from over indulgence and concentrate on his fragile business. It’s time he and his son become responsible and start this company from scratch instead of late night parties and IPL and took inspiration from Indigo airlines who proudly claimed themselves as Low cost airline and exceeding the customers delight in every way they can.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

The Scarlet Letter :: essays research papers

The Scarlet Letter According to the New England Primer, a basic textbook used during Puritan times, in Adam’s fall, â€Å"we sinned all†. This quote very much applies to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s characters in The Scarlet Letter. The main characters, Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, Roger Chillingworth, and the Puritan society represented by the townspeople, all sinned. This story is a study of the effects of sin on the hearts and minds of Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth. Sin strengthens Hester, humanizes Dimmesdale, and turns Chillingworth into a demon. Hester Prynne's sin was adultery. This sin was regarded very seriously by the Puritans, and was often punished by death. Hester’s punishment was to endure a public shaming on a scaffold for three hours and wear a scarlet letter â€Å"A† on her chest for the rest of her life in the town. Although Hawthorne does not pardon Hester’s sin, he takes it less serious than those of Dimmesdale and Chillingworth. Hester’s sin was a sin of passion. This sin was openly acknowledged as she wore the â€Å"A† on her chest. She did not deliberately mean to commit her sin or mean to hurt others. Hester’s sin is that her passions and love were of more importance to her than the Puritan moral code. This is shown when she says to Dimmesdale, â€Å"What we did had a consecration of its own. We felt it so! We said so to each other!†(Hawthorn pg. 48) Hester fully acknowledged her guilt and displayed it with pride to the world. This was obvious by the way she displayed the scarlet letter. It was elaborately designed as if to show Hester was proud. Hester is indeed a sinner, adultery is no light matter, even today. On the other hand, her sin has brought her not evil, but good. Her charity to the poor, her comfort to the broken-hearted, he unquestionable presence in times of trouble are all direct results of her quest for repentance. Her salvation also lies in the truth. She tells Dimmesdale of Chillingworth’s real identity, keeping it a secret before, to aid in her salvation. Her pursuit in telling the truth is evident in the lines, In all things else, I have striven to be true! Truth was the one virtue which I might have held fast, and did hold fast, through all extremity save when thy good--the life--they fame--were put in question! But a lie is never good, even though death threaten the other side! Even though Hester’s sin is the one the book is titled after and centered around, it is not nearly the worst sin committed.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Everybodys All American :: essays research papers

Everybody’s All-American is the story of a famous football player who becomes an overweight middle-aged has-been. Gavin "the Gray Ghost" Gray is a legendary college football player who marries his homecoming queen sweetheart and embarks on a professional career full of difficulties. â€Å"The Gray Ghost† is a Louisiana football legend. There had never been a better, faster ball player, and everyone knows the hero is headed for pro football. To no one's surprise, Gavin marries his sweetheart, beauty queen â€Å"Babs.† He is a first-draft pick in the pros, as expected, and soon after that, the two begin their family. I was especially interested in this movie because I am, myself, a college athlete. This movie brought out the importance of having a life and goals other than playing a professional sport. Too many young athletes these days have unrealistic goals of going to the pros, while in actuality the chances of them doing so are next to impossible. Many athletes are in college just to play their sport, and do not care about their academic performance. Eventually, the limelight will fade and professional athletes will become has-beens left to reminisce about their â€Å"glory days.† Often in college, athletes will do just enough to get by and not care about what their academic performance means. Unfortunately, especially in some larger schools, preferential treatment for athletes does exist among the faculty. This also gives athletes the advantage at the time, but hurts them in the long run. In the movie, the ideal marriage of Gavin and Babs begins to come apart, when Gavin cannot deal with the loss of the glory he had in his youth.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

The Negotiation Strategies In International Business Commerce Essay

In concern relationships, parties negotiate because they think they can act upon the procedure in such a manner that they can acquire a better trade than merely accepting or rejecting what the other party is offering. Ghauri ( 2003 ) says concern dialogue is a voluntary procedure of spring and take where both parties modify their offers and outlooks in order to come closer to each other. In literature, sometimes â€Å" bargaining † and â€Å" dialogue † are used interchangeably. Negotiation, besides called â€Å" integrative bargaining † , refers to win-win dialogue where both or all parties involved can stop up with every bit good or attractive results. In other words, everyone can win. It is more related to a problem-solving attack, where both parties involved perceive the procedure of dialogue as a procedure to happen a solution to a common job. In integrative bargaining nevertheless, if dialogues are non decently handled, both parties can stop up with a jointly inferior trade. With dialogue, it is possible for both parties to accomplish their aims and one party ‘s addition is non dependent upon the other party ‘s grant. Business dialogue is considered by many writers as being this type of dialogue. The power/dependence relation is another basic feature of all dialogue processes. It is closely related to the existent power relation, which is influenced by the value of the relationship to the parties and their available options. Background factors for illustration the market place – can act upon the power/dependence relation. The ability to command a relationship is related to the sensed power of two parties, their comparative expertness and entree to information. This power is a belongings of the relationship and non an property of the histrion ; in fact, it is closely related to dependance. Therefore, the power relationship is in balance if both parties perceive equal power. The power relationship is imbalanced if one of the parties perceives more power, or if one party is dependent on the other. The dramatic growing of international trade over the last five decennaries has been non merely in footings of volume but in complexness every bit good. International sellers are now more and more concern negotiants, who invariably discuss trades across boundary lines with a assortment of people, runing from consumers to mediators and even rivals. Technology frequently plays a major function in such trades and this could misdirect people into believing that the whole dialogue procedure is chiefly an applied scientists ‘ treatment based on rational and scientific facts. In fact, proficient complexness intermingles with human complexness to render such dialogue processes hard to pull off. A considerable sum of literature is available on dialogues, some of it besides on concern dialogues but the field of international concern dialogues is rather neglected. Strategic Negotiations. Richard Walton etal,1994 identify three primary dialogues schemes. These are â€Å" forcing, † â€Å" fosterage, † and â€Å" flight. † Each represents an overarching form of interaction that characterizes the dialogues. A scheme does non emerge all at one time, but over clip as a consequence of consistent forms of interaction. A forcing scheme by and large involves taking a â€Å" distributive † or win/lose attack to the dialogues, combined with a â€Å" divide and conquer † attack to internal dealingss in the other side, and an attitudinal attack that emphasizes uncertainness and misgiving. By contrast, a fosterage scheme by and large involves taking an â€Å" integrative † or win/win attack to the dialogues, combined with a â€Å" consensus † attack to internal dealingss in both sides, and an attitudinal attack that emphasizes openness and apprehension. â€Å" Escape † is a non-negotiations scheme in w hich one or more parties seek to stop or undersell the relationship. Dietmeyer and Kaplan ( 2004 ) utilize a research-based attack to dialogue that assists gross revenues professionals in making their ain concern ends, while guaranting that their clients run into budget and professional aims as well-going beyond win-win to accomplish true, mensurable concern value for all parties at the negociating tabular array. Power and Diplomacy Power. Susan Strange ( 1998 ) brings out that power accrues to those who can offer or deny security ; those who manage the creative activity of wealth by production ; those who create recognition to let or deny other people to pass today and pay back tomorrow ; those who ( myocardial infarction ) manage the currency in which recognition is denominated ; those who have knowledge ( advanced engineering ) which provides military high quality and laterality in other power constructions. John De La Mothe ( 2002 ) , argues that scientific discipline, engineering and invention have long been cardinal factors in the competitory advantage of states. Today, nevertheless, the new international political economic system is being progressively driven by scientific discipline and engineering in new ways. Integration, globalisation and internationalisation have all become war cries for a series of dynamic procedures in which scientific discipline and engineering are profoundly concerned. As a conse quence, non merely are the policies of â€Å" national † authoritiess being exposed in footings of the bounds of their sovereignty, but scientific discipline and engineering are being progressively implicated in a broad array of public issues – runing from security, privateness, development and economic growing to employment, environment, foreign policy and geopolitics. Clearly, in today ‘s rising universe, the ways in which authoritiess organize their scientific discipline and engineering policy, their scientific discipline and engineering intelligence, and their research advisory constructions and resources matter more today than of all time before. Diplomacy. James Rosenau was one of the first to propose that the domestic and international are someway ‘linked ‘ and elaborated upon what he termed ‘linkage political relations ‘ ( 1969 ) . Scholars concentrating on the regional impact of domestic political relations are Karl Deutsch ( 1957 ) and Ernst Haas ( 1958 ) . Haas high spots two types of ‘spillover. ‘ The first type, functional spillover, occurs when cooperation in certain sectors of the economic system ( or society ) creates technocratic force per unit area for cooperation in bordering sectors, thereby impeling integrating frontward. The 2nd type, political spillover, occurs when ongoing cooperation in certain countries empowers supranational functionaries to move as informal political enterprisers in other countries. In order to pull off complex technocratic issues more efficaciously, rational authoritiess must depute discretion to experts, Judgess and administrative officials, thereby making powerful new supranational histrions with an involvement in cooperation. Graham Allison in Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis ( 1971 ) excessively, speaks of an ‘overlap ‘ between international and domestic political relations. In State Power and the Structure of International Trade, Krasner argues that that openness in the universe economic system is most likely to happen â€Å" during periods when a hegemonic province is in its dominance † . Equally long as the province ‘s technological lead is increasing, its leading will comprehend economic advantages to openness, since openness will spread out markets for the merchandises of its technologically sophisticated industries. The hegemon will besides derive politically, since the â€Å" chance costs of closing † will be low, comparative to those confronting smaller and poorer provinces. Conversely, when several big, unevenly developed provinces coexist, Krasner predicts that the more backward provinces will happen openness economically and politically dearly-won and will therefore resist it. Greater trade closing will, hence, consequence ( Keohane 1997 ) . Like Gilpin before him, Krasner excessively stresses on the influence of the Ã¢â‚¬Ë œ strength ‘ of the province on international trade. The important point is the correlativity between what occurs within a province is related to what occurs beyond province boundaries. Robert Putnam in Diplomacy and Domestic Politicss: The Logic of Two Level Games ( 1988 ) argues that domestic constructions and diplomatic negotiations are endlessly entangled and says that the negotiant is under force per unit area to accommodate domestic and international struggles. Putnam ‘s work challenges the ‘level of analysis ‘ attack to analyzing international dealingss which stresses the importance of sorting informations under three bunchs: the systemic, national and the person ( Singer 1961 ) . Mayer ( 1991 ) develops a theoretical account to research the deductions of domestic political divisions for international strategic battle in international trade. He explores the topic by handling international trade as a game and placing the participants and analyzing how they play. The observation that there are several overlapping games being played, a few of them being strategic and others non, is important. Policies such as duty, quotas, and export and produc tion subsidies are the tools used by the participants to derive an advantage in the international strategic trade game ( Krugman 1986 ) . Work on ‘strategic trade policy ‘ physiques on game theoretical theoretical accounts which analyse how provinces use trade policies to leverage their economic public presentation. India and Nanotechnology ( The literature study included, amongst others, a perusing of one-year studies of GOI MOD, DST, CSIR, TIFAC, CII ; back issues ( app 3years ) of Business universe, New Scientist, Hindu Businessline and Business Today. ) GOI enterprises include DST launched Nano Science and Technology Initiative ( NSTI ) with an allotment of Rs. 1000 crore, Government has spent about Rs. 250 crore, over the past five old ages to advance R & A ; D in the country of nanotechnology. 100 research undertakings on the synthesis and assembly of ceramic nanoparticles, nano tubings, nano wires, nanoporous solids, and DNA french friess have been supported by the Government. CII Enterprises have resulted in ; India-UK Joint Economic and Trade Cooperation, Indo-US High Technology Cooperation Group ( HTCG ) , Nanotechnology partnership with Taiwan, a figure of Nanotechnology Conclaves, Nanotechnology Cluster-CMTI, Jharkhand Nanotechnology Initiative, West Bengal Nano Park etc. CII is working closely with the Government of India on US India High-Technology Cooperation Group ( HTCG ) formed on November 2002. The HTCG acts to ease and advance bilateral high-technology trade. The focal point countries of the nucleus group include Information Technology, Defense, Life Sciences and Nanotechnology. Gaining the potency of nanotechnology, HTCG working group on Nanotechnology is formed to ease seamless flow of cognition between both the states and joint development undertakings affecting industries. The Confederation of Indian Industry ( CII ) has put together a 10-point action program to authorise Indian industry to come out with commercial nanotechnology merchandises, which it believes will drive the hereafter of industry worldwide. The action program includes awareness creative activity, preparation and accomplishments development, engineering facilitation and networking and easing collaborative undertakings. The Nano Science and Technology Consortium works to make a platform conducive for the growing, publicity and partnering in the field of Nano Science and Technology taking together industries, faculty members and authorities through consultative, consultative and educative procedures which will supply growing platform for organisations, faculty members and authoritiess for tackling the Nano potency at Global degree. Companies like Samsung have already entered the Indian market with a scope of merchandises utilizing nanotechnology such as icebox, rinsing machine and air-cooler. Samsung uses nano-silver in assorted composings in its merchandise scope. Further, companies like Tata Steel, Tata Chemicals, Mahindra & A ; Mahindra, Nicholas Piramal and Intel have invested around $ 250 million in the domestic market towards this terminal. Yash Nanotech has inked understandings with IIT Mumbai, NCL Pune and the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre of Advanced Research, Bangalore, to set about planetary contract research and set up nanotech fabrication installations. Civil Applications. These can be grouped under four caputs, viz. , sensing, including imagination, detectors and detector webs for the sensing of pathogens and chemicals ; protection, including decontamination equipment and filters, and personal protection ; designation, including anti-counterfeiting and hallmark, forensics, quantum cryptanalysis and the market for forgery and gray goods ; social impacts, including current regulative and ethical models, possible impacts on moralss and human rights, and public perceptual experience. Application in the field of medical specialty is one of the most absorbing countries that include new malignant neoplastic disease therapies, drug bringing systems, and biomaterials for implants or prosthetic device or diagnostic tools, which are under development or already in market. An of import country of application of nanotechnology includes fresh drug bringing techniques, which are quicker & A ; less hazardous, compared to the costs of developing new drugs. Military Applications. These besides flow out from civil applications in countries like ; higher public presentation platforms ( aircraft, ships, bombers, boats and orbiters ) , enhanced feeling through more sensitive and selective detectors, enhanced human public presentation, information laterality through enhanced information engineering, improved battleground casualty direction, lower life rhythm costs with improved stuffs, coatings, and condition-based care etc. Stake holders. The assorted interest holders include ; authoritiess, Industry, Entrepreneurs, R & A ; D, Institutions, Academic Research Institutions, and Society. Case Studies. These can be subdivided into those which pertain to PSUs, R & A ; D constitutions and Defense and the private sector endeavors. The private sector industries which can be studied for dialogues ensuing in assorted types of partnerships/JVs/MOUs/TOTs etc. are listed below: – Measuring devices & A ; equipments: Bharat Heavy Electrical Ltd, Icon Analytical equipment. Ltd. , Veeco.Health Care: Dabur Research Foundation, Bharat Biotech International Ltd. , Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. Materials processing: Tata Chemicals, Pune. Reliance India Limited. Car: Mahindra & A ; Mahindra, Tata Motors, United Nanotechnologies Pvt. Ltd. Electronics: Bharat Electronics Ltd, SemIndia Systems, Samtel India.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

English of Video Games Essay Example

English of Video Games Essay Example English of Video Games Essay English of Video Games Essay 2003) With the aim of make the most of videotapes in the learning process, cheer have to be very selective and accurate at the moment of choosing the material for a dynamic class, in order to avoid possible counterproductive effects or behaviors in students. To offset this weakness, we have to take into account that videotapes contain imaginary situations, and the most important is to make students or even our children be aware of it. So it meaner that those situations supposedly lived through the game are projected and created from the mind and idea of a person; we could refer to this person as the programmer of the videotape, hat programmer has set a determined number of situations that will respond to many different commands executed by the player.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Canadian Justice System essays

Canadian Justice System essays Since the dawn of our existence, when we had the freedom to pretty much do anything our inventive minds could conjure up, there arrived a changing point when our ideas went too far or too extreme. There were actions that people of the past and present societies couldnt accept because it felt wrong in every way. This led to a rule called a LAW. All of the countries, states, provinces, and small communities have these laws which keep us under control and keep an orderly society on our planet. Without it there would be chaos and of devastated world. First lets define what a law actually is; a law is a ...body of official rules and regulations, generally found in constitutions, legislation, judicial opinions, and the like, that is used to govern a society and to control the behaviour of its members. The purpose and functions of law have varied throughout history. In todays society, a politically appointed body of systems lies out or makes the rules that can be agreed upon the standards in society. Laws are in a written form, which has the appropriate punishment that meet, the type of crime. Laws serve a variety of functions. Laws help to maintain a orderly, relatively stable society. Courts provide a social stable existence for us by resolving disputes in a civilized manner. Property and contract laws assist business and private conduct. Laws also limit the potential powers that the government could have to help provide some degree of freedom to society. Law can also been used as a stepping-stone for social change; for instanc e, some laws have been passed to control the social world and to improve the quality of individual life such as health, education, and welfare. Substantive law is defined as the rights and duties of persons and deals with procedures for enforcing those rights and duties . Substantive law covers a wide variety of matters - for example; what is required to form a contract, what...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

About the Trojan Prince Deiphobus

About the Trojan Prince Deiphobus Deipohbus was a prince of Troy and he became the leader of the Trojan army following the death of his brother Hector. He the son of Priam and Hecuba in ancient Greek mythology. He was the brother of Hector and Paris. Deipohbus is viewed as a Trojan hero, and one of the most important figures from the Trojan War. Along with his brother Paris, he is credited with slewing Achilles. After Paris death, he became  Helens husband and was betrayed by her to  Menelaus. Aeneas talks to him in the  Underworld in Book VI of the Aeneid. According to the  Iliad, during the Trojan War, Deiphobus led a group of soldiers in siege and successfully wounded Meriones, an Achaean hero. Hector’s Death During the Trojan War, as Hector was fleeing from Achilles, Athena took the form of Hector’s brother, Deiphobus, and told him to take a stand and fight against Achilles. Hector thought he was getting genuine advice from his brother and tried to spear Achilles. However, when his spear missed, he realized that he had been tricked, and was then in turn killed by Achilles. It was after Hector’s death that Deiphobus became the leader of the Trojan army. Deiphobus and his brother Paris are credited with eventually killing Achilles, and in turn avenging the death of Hector. As Hector was fleeing Achilles, Athena took the shape of Deiphobus and goaded Hector to make a stand and fight. Hector, thinking it was his brother, listened and threw his spear at Achilles. When the spear missed, Hector turned around to ask his brother for another spear, but Deiphobus had vanished. It was then Hector knew the gods had deceived and forsaken him, and he met his fate at the hand of Achilles. Marriage to Helen of Troy After the death of Paris, Deiphobus became married to Helen of Troy. Some accounts say that the marriage was by force​ and that Helen of Troy never truly loved Deiphobus.  This situation is described by the Encyclopedia Britannica: â€Å"Helen chose Menelaus, Agamemnon’s younger brother. During an absence of Menelaus, however, Helen fled to Troy with Paris, son of the Trojan king Priam; when Paris was slain, she married his brother  Deiphobus, whom she betrayed to Menelaus when Troy was subsequently captured. Menelaus and she then returned to Sparta, where they lived happily until their deaths.† Death Deiphobus was killed during the sack of Troy, by either Odysseus of Menelaus. His body was horribly mutilated. Some separate accounts say that it was actually his former wife, Helen of Troy, who killed Deiphobus.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

A review of an article (Carr) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A review of an article (Carr) - Essay Example The chief information officers have the role of ensuring that the senior managements are equipped with ideas that can leverage IT investments so that they can be different from other businesses and have advantage over the others. Commoditization of IT has the hallmark of infrastructural technology. It is based on the fact that it is a transport mechanism that is concerned with digital information. Like in the case of railroads how it carries goods and power grids carry electricity. IT has been used as a medium that is used to carry digital information and thus increasing interconnectivity and interoperability with other users. Through sharing of information in local area networks, ethernet or to internet individuals are connected. The use of technology in the business brings greater homogenization and well functionality (Nicholas, 2003). In the business when IT is encourage, it implies that transparency and accountability is attained in the organization. Additionally, IT has made businesses to perform their daily routines in a faster way. Manual work that used to be done by entire staff is being done by one employee who is accurate and hits the deadlines. Businesses are engaging in software related issues that help to generate inventory stock. For example, one does not need to write an application using word processing since there is chain management that is ready –made and sold at affordable cost. Most business activities have to use software that has generic applications. They consider generic applications due to cost and interoperability. Internet accelerates commoditization of IT since it helps businesses to have the opportunity to deliver generic applications. The third parties retailers provide the software’s to the companies just like how power is distributed to the consumers. The major vendors of the software’s , like Microsoft, IBM try to position

Friday, October 18, 2019

Management- Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management- Strategies - Essay Example The growth of the specialty discount industry is attributed to the wide selection of merchandise that the stores carried and their everyday low pricing strategy. Full line chains perceived this segment as â€Å"category killers† since their merchandise line-up could not offer the same amount of shelf space and square footage to any one product category. Research shows that consumers are likely to find what they are looking for in specialty stores than they would in full line discount stores. Buying preferences and buying patterns of consumers also change more often (Gamble, p.957). The full-line discount segment is also growing faster than the U.S. economy. The entire retail discount industry was both rapidly going into consolidation through mergers and acquisitions, liquidation, and bankruptcy. Rivalry in this sector revolves around store location, pricing, and promotion. The advent of consolidation will make it easier for Wal-Mart to merge with or acquire smaller retail stores in the U.S and abroad. Considering that Wal-Mart is one of the leading stores in the industry, they have the bargaining power over their suppliers which in effect would give them pricing advantages over other retailers. If a Wal-Mart moves into a community, chances are the other retailers in that community, especially if they are privately owned are going to lose money and may even be forced to close down. SinceWal-Mart is the largest retailer in the United States and number 1 on the Fortune 500 list, they have the ability to lower their prices and therefore can force other retailers out of business because they can not match Wal-Marts low prices (Pereira et al, 2002). Business level strategies describes how firms outperform each other and enjoy such competitive advantage over time. Michael Porter identifies three generic strategies: cost leadership,differentiation, and focus (Dess & Lumpkin, 2002). From the 1940s to the 1970s, the cola industry was dominated by

Female labor force in Turkey Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Female labor force in Turkey - Research Paper Example 257). However, as time moved on, the number of women in the labor force started increasing rapidly from 1960 s through 1980s before starting to slow down in 1990s. By 1999, women made 60% of the world labor force which was considered as their peak participation in the labor market. However, since 1999, women participation in the labor force has greatly declined. This can be attributed to a number of reasons, which includes; lack of education, poverty, gender biasness in the employment sector and predominance of men in white-collar jobs such as medicine, engineering and law (Vaizey, P. 57). Nonetheless, across the world women participation in the labor force remains at a relative high level especially among women with children, and a good number of women does a full-time job all year round. The high number of women in the job market can also be attributed to the fact that women have increasingly ventured in the field of education, and a good number of them have acquired higher levels of education. Among women aged between 25-64 years of age in the labor force, the number of those who had attained a college degree tripled from the year 1970 to 2012 (Mills, P. 41). In terms of earnings, women’s earnings in relation to the men’s earning have also been growing since the Second World War 2. During 1970s, women’s earnings were 62% of the men’s earning among women who had a full-time job during that time. In 2012, women’s earning was calculated as 81% of the men’s earning for women who had a full-time job at that time. This trend indicates that women’s population continues to increase in the labor force as time goes by. In 2012, 57.7% of women were in the labor force while men labor force percentage which has always been more than that of women was quoted at 70.5% (Vatter, P. 8). Across the world, the women unemployment rate was 7.9 percent while that of men was 8.2 percent. The

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Downturn of Health Maintainance Organization Term Paper

Downturn of Health Maintainance Organization - Term Paper Example However, they failed to contain costs and customers. With a decrease in services offered, HMOs are chosen only when no alternative is available. Moreover, only non – profit and independent HMOs fare due to lower premiums they offer to employees. Saturation of markets has increased competition among HMOs. State actions failed to restrain HMOs. Despite legislation and ombudsman offices protecting customers, premiums increased in the 2000’s, while quality remained limited. Physicians, as a result, have been leaving HMOs as well. Solutions need to focus on quality and profits. Involvement of specialists in prevention would assist patients with disabilities better. Autonomy of physicians, even if at the cost of their salary, needs to be increased. Administrative costs need to be decreased. Rising costs due to improved medical technology, aging population, and increased coverage led to a need for cost containment (Simonet, 2007, 356). The Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) Act was passed in 1973 and it granted monetary advantages to HMOs (Simonet, 2007, p. 357). Managed care has since then become a dominant form of healthcare provision in the United States. By 1996, around 100 million Americans were enrolled in managed care (Grabois & Young, 2001, p.13). In 1987, only 11 percent Americans were enrolled in HMOs (Schulz, Scheckler, Girard & Barker, 1990, p.44). Growth rates of HMO coverage in the 1990’s stood at 10 percent (Simonet, 2007, p.573). In 2007, around 87 million persons were enrolled in some kind of an HMO (Simonet, 2007, p.573). HMOs decreased a rise in healthcare costs by 44 percent, but largely due to a decrease in quality and scope of services offered (Simonet, 2007, p.359).

Issues in Global Business and Strategic Concepts Essay - 5

Issues in Global Business and Strategic Concepts - Essay Example y remarkable models, theories and concepts that are in line with the issues in global business and strategic concepts, particularly in understanding the future of Nokia-Microsoft merger. The said merger is generally to obtain a competitive advantage especially in mobile computing. However, specifically, the ultimate goal is to increase potential market share or global expansion for Nokia and Microsoft in areas where the two firms have vital common things to offer leading them to their competitive advantage. It is recommended that the new CEO must consider that it is essential to employ various models in business primarily in line with the issues in global business and strategic concepts. Prior to the actual implementation of the Nokia-Microsoft strategy, it is necessary that the consideration of other relevant factors such as the entry strategy, production and outsourcing, value chain, marketing strategy and the organisational structure should be required. Furthermore, the primary activities in the actual operation should be considered with particular involvement of appropriate process implemented among the following factors: structure, processes, people, culture, and incentives and control. In the age of tough competition and globalisation, firms are conditioned that they should be able to compete, and the one which will be most likely to win in the battle should be able to understand the importance of achieving a remarkable competitive strategy prior to generating a competitive advantage (Siciliani, Straume and Cellini, 2012, p.2041). Microsoft and Nokia, in the midst of tough competition in their industry, are trying to improve their market share, especially in the area of mobile computing (Egan, 2014). Thus, the work at hand tries to establish the idea that seeks to understand the competitive advantage of Microsoft-Nokia merger and the things involved in this strategy. Specifically, this report examines the areas to gain competitive advantage in the

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Downturn of Health Maintainance Organization Term Paper

Downturn of Health Maintainance Organization - Term Paper Example However, they failed to contain costs and customers. With a decrease in services offered, HMOs are chosen only when no alternative is available. Moreover, only non – profit and independent HMOs fare due to lower premiums they offer to employees. Saturation of markets has increased competition among HMOs. State actions failed to restrain HMOs. Despite legislation and ombudsman offices protecting customers, premiums increased in the 2000’s, while quality remained limited. Physicians, as a result, have been leaving HMOs as well. Solutions need to focus on quality and profits. Involvement of specialists in prevention would assist patients with disabilities better. Autonomy of physicians, even if at the cost of their salary, needs to be increased. Administrative costs need to be decreased. Rising costs due to improved medical technology, aging population, and increased coverage led to a need for cost containment (Simonet, 2007, 356). The Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) Act was passed in 1973 and it granted monetary advantages to HMOs (Simonet, 2007, p. 357). Managed care has since then become a dominant form of healthcare provision in the United States. By 1996, around 100 million Americans were enrolled in managed care (Grabois & Young, 2001, p.13). In 1987, only 11 percent Americans were enrolled in HMOs (Schulz, Scheckler, Girard & Barker, 1990, p.44). Growth rates of HMO coverage in the 1990’s stood at 10 percent (Simonet, 2007, p.573). In 2007, around 87 million persons were enrolled in some kind of an HMO (Simonet, 2007, p.573). HMOs decreased a rise in healthcare costs by 44 percent, but largely due to a decrease in quality and scope of services offered (Simonet, 2007, p.359).

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Personality disorders Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Personality disorders - Literature review Example s suffering from personality disorder risk obtaining therapeutic nihilism, distancing themselves from their patients, showing absolute rejection to their patients and they might consider their patients as unworthy of their services and resources. The research practitioner further indicates that the relationship between the professional health practitioners and their respective patients has lead to the ultimate decision of suicide. The health workers who are involved in the care and health administration of the people suffering from personality disorder tend to suffer from deaths that are unnatural particularly if they usually offend and intimidate their patients. The result of ill-treatment and intimidation from the social health workers towards their patient’s causes a break of trust and communication between the two parties and this can lead to uncontrollable despise (Smith & Sharp 1994). This research proposal is aimed at analyzing the differences that exists between the people suffering from personality disorder and the relevant medical practitioners that cater for these patients. From different analysis, it is quite evident that these medical practitioners require adequate encouragement in conjunction with positive empowerment for a proper outcome. This research proposal is also aimed at analyzing the different factors that are supposed to govern, promote and increase the positive attitudes of the social workers in ensuring that proper and sufficient care is given to the people suffering from personality disorder (Rutter, Giller & Hagell 1998). The backbone of this research is to illustrate and analyze the relationship that exists or has been inexistence between the people suffering from personality disorder and their medical advisors and on how the improvement between the two can be attained and achieved (Smith & Sharp 1994). The literature review that is illustrated and analyzed below indicates the occurrence, treatment and relationship status of the

Psychological Disorder Analysis Essay Example for Free

Psychological Disorder Analysis Essay Psychological Disorder Analysis Iris Sally July 19, 2010 PSY/270 Joan Rachmel Many people suffer from psychological disorders. Psychological disorders interfere with an individuals ability to function normally in society. Marla is a 42-year-old Hispanic female who comes to the mental health clinic complaining of trouble sleeping, feeling jumpy all of the time, and an inability to concentrate. These symptoms are causing problems for her at work, where she is an accountant. Based on the background information that Marla provided, Marla appears to be suffering from adult ADHD. ADHD, usually occurs in begins in childhood, but some children who suffer from ADHD have symptoms that persist into adulthood. People who suffer from ADHD are characterized as having great difficulty attending to tasks or [they] behave over actively and impulsively, or both (Comer, 2007, p. 428). Marlas feelings of being jumpy all the time is a major symptom of ADHD, which characterizes her as being overactive and impulsive. She also has trouble concentrating because of constant movement and an inability to pay attention. In arriving at a diagnosis, I considered the following questions: 1. Please tell me about yourself including your social environment and any other important aspects of your life? While Marla’s social environment is unknown, many adults who suffer from ADHD have friends and family. Marla has trouble coping with daily life because her ADHD has been hindering her ability to focus, and therefore interrupting the things that are important in her life. 2. What prompted you to seek therapy? Marla, like many individuals who decide to seek therapy, decide to seek therapy because of their inability to concentrate and the impulsivity/hyperactivity is affecting their work life. Also, Marla has difficulty sleeping, sometimes a symptom of ADHD, which may be caused by her hyperactivity or impulsivity. It is difficult for many individuals with ADHD to lie still and get comfortable enough to fall asleep and stay asleep, because of the incessant urge to constantly move around or fidget excessively, a common symptom of ADHD. 3. How would you describe yourself growing up? As a child, Marla may have suffered from many of the same symptoms she is currently battling in adulthood because ADHD usually begins in childhood and progresses to adolescence and in Marlas case, into adulthood. For the diagnosis to be given to an adult, the individual must have symptoms which began in childhood and are ongoing up to the present (Martin, 2007). Therefore, all adults who suffer from ADHD developed the symptoms in childhood. As an individual like Marla grows into adolescence and even further into adulthood, the symptoms of over activity and impulsivity become less apparent. The decrease of intensity in the ADHD symptoms may make the symptoms easier for individuals like Marla to handle, but they still affect the persons life. . What are your expectations of therapy? Marla is probably hoping that therapy will help her to overcome the issues she is currently facing because she can learn new techniques that will help her feel less jumpy and be able to concentrate more when she is at work. Techniques taught in behavioral therapies can help Marla gain more control over her actions, so that she can better deal with her hyperactivity or impulsivity. 5. Can you think of any one event t hat precipitated this onslaught? Marlas current state of mind can reveal several things including that she may be stressed with some of the events that are occurring in her life. Even though the onset of ADHD is in childhood, high levels of stress have been cited as one of the major contributing factors of ADHD, along with biological causes (abnormalities in certain regions of the brain have been implicated most often) and family dysfunction (Comer, 2007, p. 429). Certain events may have occurred in Marlas personal or professional life that has made her abnormal behavior more apparent to her. 6. What made you anxious today, yesterday? Since ADHD is often times brought on by stress, something dramatic and stress inducing such as daily life hassles, including working, dealing with her family, and taking care of herself, could all have raised Marlas stress levels. 7. Does anyone else in your family suffer from feelings such as you are experiencing? More and more adults are starting to realize that the symptoms of ADHD they see in their children are behaviors theyve been living with since their own childhood. ADHD can run in families. Some studies indicate that 25% of close relatives of kids with ADHD also have this neurological disorder. For parents, that number is even higher: In children with ADHD, more than 50% of the time at least one parent has ADHD, too. 8. Do you think badly of yourself for being this way? Children with ADHD often feel badly about themselves. They might think theyre stupid, naughty, bad or a failure. Not surprisingly, their self-esteem takes a battering and they find it hard to think anything positive or good about him or her self. Most people who discover they have ADHD, whether children or adults, have suffered a great deal of pain. The emotional experience of ADHD is filled with embarrassment, humiliation, and self-castigation. By the time the diagnosis is made, many adults with ADHD have lost confidence in themselves. 9. Is there anyone in your life that you confide in, or have opened up to in the past? Educating your loved ones about ADD/ADHD and the ways in which it affects your social skills and interpersonal behaviors can help alleviate a lot of conflict and blame. If you are working hard at your end to learn strategies to improve your social skills, your friends and family may be more willing to give you a little extra wiggle room if they know what you’re dealing with. 0. Please tell me about your upbringing. Did you think you were â€Å"popular† growing up? People like Marla, who suffer from adult ADHD usually reports feelings of isolation in childhood because they had few friends. Their hyperactivity and their inability to focus for long periods at a time on a given task made it difficult to form lasting friendships. These individuals like Marla, also felt disconnected from their peers as they were ridiculed and were often scolded by their teachers for being difficult pupils. Children with ADHD do not sit down for long periods at a time in the classroom and their constant movements make them disruptive in class. Often, these children are reported by their teachers to their mothers. Also, they feel like they are not smart in school because they may have gotten bad grades because of their disruptive behavior and their inability to focus on schoolwork. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a disorder that interferes with an individuals ability to focus, to be quiet or sit still, and to be calm. Children or adults who have ADHD are constantly on the move and they are unable to sit quietly or relax. Research suggests that 3-7% of children suffer from ADHD (Faces of Abnormal Psychology Interaction, 2007). Most of the children that suffer from ADHD are males. A diagnosis of ADHD requires that the symptoms of the disorder are interfering with a persons ability to be productive or effective in their life. There are three subcategories of ADHD that include: predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type, predominantly inattentive type, and the combined type. Individuals who suffer from the predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type of ADHD are overactive, spontaneous, speak and move excessively, and have difficulties following instructions. Individuals who suffer from the predominantly inattentive kind of ADHD have difficulties concentrating, focusing on tasks, and avoiding distractions. With the combined type of ADHD, individuals display both the impulsive-hyperactive symptoms and the inattention symptoms. ADHD makes it difficult for children and adults to have solid social lives. Sufferers of the disorder often report that they have few friends and that they are harassed at school. Research shows that ADHD is excessively diagnosed in the U. SA, which may lead to children and even adults being over-medicated. The use of Ritalin, the main drug used to treat ADHD, has risen tremendously since the early nineties. To combat problems of over-diagnosis, it is recommended that children are well observed by medical and mental health professionals. The use of other therapy procedures involves teaching both the parents of ADHD children and the children themselves how to cope with ADHD. For instance, behavioral therapy procedures are teaching parents how to use good and bad reward techniques to train their children how to behave appropriately. For instance, when children sit and behave themselves, they will be receive good rewards from their parents and when they are overactive and disruptive, they will not be rewarded because of their display of bad behavior. The most effective drugs used to treat ADHD are stimulants, which include Ritalin and other stimulant drugs, like Aderall and Concerta. Ritalin is the most popular drug used to treat ADHD. Ritalin has a calming effect in children and adults, making it easier for them to complete certain tasks and decreasing hyperactivity or impulsivity. However, there is a lot of controversy surrounding Ritalin with many clinicians arguing that it is over prescribed because of its effectiveness against ADHD. Marla, who suffers from adult ADHD, which is very similar to childhood ADHD, would also be prescribed a stimulant, like Strattera, a newer drug used to treat ADHD, which would decrease her over activity and help lessen her insomnia. ADHD is a difficult disorder to live with. Anyone who suffers from this disorder may have difficulty in their social life and is unable to complete simple tasks because they cannot focus, or even sit still long enough to focus. However, modern drug therapies, like Ritalin are available to help and give young children and adults the ability to gain some control of their life. Also, therapies combined with prescription drugs are an even more effective treatment method to combat the problems of impulsivity, over activity, and inattention. References

Monday, October 14, 2019

Dells Generic Strategy Business Essay

Dells Generic Strategy Business Essay Introduction Dell Computer Corporation was started in 1984 by Michael Dell, who had the simplistic view that personal computers could be built and sold directly to customers (Suite 101, 2009) alongside this ideology that Dell, could best understand consumer needs and efficiently provide the most effective computing solution to tailor those needs (Information Systems Management, unknown date). So Dells mission is to be The most successful computer company in the world at delivering the best customer experience in markets we serve (Dell, 2010(a)).In doing so, Dell aim to meet customer expectations of: Highest quality Leading technology Competitive pricing Individual and company accountability Best-in-class service and support Flexible customization capability Superior corporate citizenship Financial stability (About, 2010) So, Dell, since the last 26 years, has become a mass producer of standardised products and has evolved dramatically since they were first formed in 1984. The company, at first, merely took orders on the phone to help fulfil their policy of building custom built personal computers (PCs) (Dell,2010, (b)).However, the company then gained first-mover advantage in the mid 1990s, when it became one of the first companies to offer PCs online (Chaffey, 2007, p.239).In 2008, Dell was one of the market leaders in the worldwide PC market with sales around US$41 billion (lynch, 2009, p.789) and since their evolution, Dell, have diversified their product range and scope from small desktop computers to large server computers-to individuals, businesses and other organisations (Schneider, 2006, p.108). In 2009 in they owned a global market share of 12.4% in the number of PCs shipped worldwide, with only Hewlett Packard (21%)and Acer (13.4%) preceding them during this period (Bloomberg, 2010). Notably, this was the first time Dell had fell behind Acer in the second spot as the worlds largest computer-maker and this was primarily due to Acer producing low-cost net books and other inexpensive home computers at a reduced operating margin (Bloomberg, 2010).However, recently, in 2010,they did move back into second place in the global PC manufacturing market ahead of Acer but only slightly as they had a 12.8% market share compared to Acers 12.4% (Afterdawn, 2010).So this level of competition has been intense since 2006 as companies such as HP and Acer were vastly reducing the cost of their global network suppliers, which forced Dell to enter into new global markets such as in China ( George and Jones, 2009,p.195). However, Dell, see their strengths in the commercial and corporate market ( Techeye, 2010), as this is still their dominant market, even though home consumers are an ever growing element of their strategy. So, Dells competitors now include both, domestic manufacturers of PCs such as Apple and HP as well as, overseas competitors such as Sony, Acer and Lenovo in Asia (Jones George, 2009, p.195). This essay will therefore explore Dells generic hybrid strategy and the activities which constitute this strategy. This will then lead to a value chain analysis of the company, which can be used as a tool to emphasise the linkage between the primary and support activities which are used to create value within Dell. This will then pave show how these added values create a distinctive competence within Dell, which, overall, have lead to competitive advantage since the company began to aggressively cut its costs and prices to increase their global market share in the 2000s (Jones and George, 2009,p.195). Dells Generic Strategy Michael Porters Generic Strategy Model (1980) was created to specify how companies use generic business strategies, to gain a competitive advantage over their competitors. This encompasses how companies use cost reduction and/or differentiation within their product and services to appeal to a particular broad or narrow segment of the market, in order to gain this competitive advantage. Overall Dell, operate a hybrid broad focus strategy and this can derived be from Porters Generic Strategy Model obtained from the Mind Tools website (2010): In order to understand Dells generic strategy we must explain the different segments of this model Firstly, cost leadership occurs when a company achieves lower costs than its rivals and competes across a broad range of segment (Ogden and Wersun, 2007, p.282). On the other hand, differentiation is when a company has a range of clearly differentiated products which appeal to different segments of the market (Ogden and Wersun, 2007, p.282). However, Dell, appear to operate on a hybrid strategy, similarly to the car manufacturing industry, which incorporates both the cost leadership and differentiation elements of Porters model. A hybrid strategy, overall, seeks simultaneously to achieve differentiation and a price lower than that of competitors (Johnson et al, 2008, p.230). So, Dell, use both of these aspects, but in a broad focus since they offer their products on a wide scale, as explained earlier, as they offer both corporate and commercial solutions to small, medium and large sized enterprises but also satisfy the needs of users within different spectrums such as within the public sector right down to the home user. This is explained by on their homepage when they state: For more than 26 years, Dell has empowered countries, communities, customers and people everywhere to use technology to realize their dreams. Customers trust us to deliver technology solutions that help them do and achieve more, whether theyre at home, work, school or anywhere in their world (Dell, 2010(c)). So the focus is very much broad, but Dell has this direct business model which involves gathering customer needs and tailoring that solution to meet their requirements For instance, Premier Dell.com offers technological solutions to businesses which helps them manage all phases of computer ownership such as purchasing, asset management and product support(Chaffey, 2007, p.97) So their broad direct focus helps simultaneously create both cost leadership and differentiation strategies and helps explain why, perhaps they have been one of the most successful PC manufacturing corporations in the world. So how does Dell use both of these strategic elements of Porters model? Firstly, with cost leadership, Dells direct business model involves purchasing standardised components which ultimately minimises the need for expensive research and development and sales are then made direct over the Internet to customers (Ogden Wersun, 2007) thus eliminating retailers that add necessary time and cost, or/who can diminish Dells understanding of customer expectations. (Information Systems Management, unknown date). So this results in low costs and is a very aggressive pricing policy which helps gain market share from any competitor whom has taken their eye of the ball and has let their costs increase (Ogden Wersun, 2007, p.60). Consequently, Dell have lower manufacturing and distribution costs than most of their competitors, thus they have achieved a cost leadership strategy over their rivals. However, another school of though can equally argue that within Dells generic strategy lies a differentiation strategy. This also exists within their direct business model as consumers can design their own computers which tailor their own unique needs and specifications. This is differentiation as Dell not only offers differentiated products to specific users, but also to specific markets(small, medium, large-sized, public sector, businesses, etc), thus reinstating this concept of the company having a broad focus. Hence, Dells direct sales model has allowed it to differentiate its PC products by allowing customers to design their own computer system and offering complementary services such as online customer support, three-year-on-site warranty, web hosting, installation and configuration of customers hardware and software (Grant, R.M, 2005, p272).Furthermore, Timmers (1999, p.227) stated how Dell, on their website, dont merely offer the best PC offer of the month approach but rather an approach which offers discounts for large purchases which are tailored to that particular individual or company, as well as having support which is customised to users needs (Dell, 2010 (c)). However this whole concept could be challenged as many people would be reluctant to buy a Dell PC without testing it in store first, however this argument becomes less relevant as more and more of us know people who have bought a Dell computer, since we can inspect theirs (Ogden Wersun, 2007, p.61). Notably, Schneider (2005,p.305) also argued that because Dell made most of their sales online, they often unintentionally left themselves exposed to the laws and ethics of the banking industry and in this case, in1999, they had offered monthly payment setups to customers without disclosing the full details of the lease plan associated with this payment scheme. So, this pinpoints how despite Dell having a successful online strategy, they could be left vulnerable to changes in the legal environment, which could clash with their online customisation policy. Nevertheless, Dells hybrid strategy was a clever one; not only did it conjunctively produce cost effective manufacturing policies and customised products, but it also overcame the barrier of having access to new suppliers or distributers which can be arduous for companies gaining and sustaining success within an online market. This factor can be analysed in more depth from the companys value chain activities. The Value Chain of Dell Overall, the following value chain model by Michael Porter helps analyse the type of activities within Dells value chain and how they interlink with one another, to fulfil their generic strategy. Dells customisation policy of tailoring technological solutions to satisfy individual or company needs, has provided the company with the two main advantages of being able to reduce marketing and sales costs by eliminating their intermediaries and building to order which, overall, reduces inventory costs (suite 101, 2009). This originally led to soaring profits, as the internet has, ultimately, allowed Dell to extend the scope of their sales at a reasonably low marginal cost This following diagram allows a more definitive insight into how Dells value chain operates: (Dedrick and Kraemer, 2001) Dell, unlike their competitors, actually eliminates the need for distributors and retailers to sell their product, which as mentioned earlier creates cost leadership. Hence, this direct PC value chain, works around this built to order (BTO) strategy. The BTO process begins with the customer placing an order through the internet, phone or email and then it takes approximately one day to process the order (Turban et al, 2006, p.506). This then corresponds to this concept of just-in-time management as here Dell, only purchase the necessary parts which are needed for that particular order with the result being that inventories are kept to a minimum. Michael Dell emphasised this whole idea when he stated: We tell our suppliers exactly what our daily production requirements are. So its not, well every two week deliver 5,000 to this warehouse and well put them on the shelf, and then well take them off the shelf. Its tomorrow morning we need 8.562 and deliver them to door number seven by 7am. (Mhhe,1997). So, in the Dell manufacturing process, parts come into their factory to fulfil actual customer orders hence no PCs are made for stock, so there is no cost of hiding stock (Lynch, 2009, p.789). This also has the advantage that if a supplier such as Intel, launches a new computer chip, then Dell is not caught with high stocks of the old chip (Lynch, 2009, p.789), allowing the company to efficiently keep up with changes in technology. Therefore Dells procurement support activities i.e. purchasing of stock, play a pivotal role in executing these strategies of BTO and JIT, both, before and after the product has been sold. So what are the exact support and primary activities that Dell has used, in conjunction with one another, which has lead to them adding value to their activities? A traditional firm usually incorporates a make-to-forecast strategy in which products are produced from long-term demands of consumers. Hence, when considering Porters value chain activities, here the primary activities of the value chain move from inbound logistics to operations to outbound logistics and then to marketing and sales (Turban et al, 2006, p.506). However, since Dell manufactures the product only after an order has been given, then the marketing and sales support activity is moved to the front of the value chain (Turban et al, 2006, p506). Notably the inbound logistics element is important since the correct parts have to be delivered but since the holding of stock isnt necessary with Dell due to their JIT system, then it becomes less meaningful. Therefore the operations segment which transfers the supplies into the finished customised product and the service segment which Dell exemplifies to help the end-user(s) maintain their products i.e. the PCs value after the PC ha s been delivered, are the key primary elements of Porters Value Chain in which Dell uses. However, without the marketing and sales aspect these primary activities couldnt be executed since customised orders wouldnt be known and this has a direct link to the support activities of technology and procurement, as technology i.e. the internet allows Dell to sell their products to their customers and without it, it would be arduous to establish their hybrid strategy and procurement mechanisms are pivotal in maintaining their BTO and JIT policies since this deals with the acquisition of supplies in the more efficient way. There are though some criticisms of Dells value chain activities. Such as, the BTO strategy is sensitive to short term changes in demand. For example if a particular computer component suddenly becomes wildly popular or temporary unavailable, the standard supply in inventory may diminish fast, and customer orders will not be completed on time (Turban et al, 2006, p.507). Also, in terms of their service function. Orman (2007) argued that despite Dell providing one of the most effective support systems to its customers the company, fails to provide comparisons to the products of other vendors such as HP and also fails to compare products from one class to another such as desktops in relation to notebooks., Nevertheless though, Turban et al (2006, p.507) highlighted that by using key value chain activities such as operations and technology, Dell showed the world that when these are used effectively and efficiently, they can be used to gain a competitive advantage creates a distinctive c ompetence and therefore leads to competitive advantage. Competitive Advantage of Dell By orchestrating a SWOT analysis of Dell, we can clearly see the key components which

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Simon as the Christ Life Figure in The Lord of the Flies Essay

The Lord of the Flies was written by William Golding. Simon is one of the major characters in this novel. Simon’s character lives by what is morally right as opposed to the rest of the island. Simon represents essential human goodness. There are many biblical parallels in the Lord of the Flies that result in Simon being compared to Christ.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One reason Simon is regarded as the Christ figure in Lord of the Flies is that he commits many selfless acts just like Jesus Christ did. Simon chooses to stay and help Ralph build huts rather than go play with the other inhabitants. Ralph compliments Simon by saying â€Å"Simon. He Helps. All the rest rushed off. He’s done as much as I have† (54). Golding also illustrates Simon’s generosity when â€Å"Simon pulled off the choicest fr...

Friday, October 11, 2019

Russel Williams Media

The Truth is Not Always What We Want to Hear: Did the Media Go Too Far in Covering Russell Williams? Kaitlyn Witmeyer The University of Western Ontario Society relies so vastly on media as a source of information, that in some cases there can be discrepancy on what is deemed as appropriate or not appropriate when covering a story. This is the case for the story of Russell Williams who is charged with two accounts of murder, sexual assault and countless occurrences of breaking and entering.Williams’ case has been highly covered by the media and a great magnitude of disturbing details as well as photos has been provided while documenting events. The amount of information provided to the public has caused a controversy as to what is appropriate and ethical to share in concern of the victims directly involved in the case. The information provided as well as the photos is a necessary approach in order to inform the public of the severity of the situation. There are however, certain unnecessary disturbing details that should be omitted.Russell Willams, formally known as Colonel Russell Williams, is a powerful figure in Canada whose job consisted of commander of the forces base in Trenton. This is what makes the particular story so shocking; that a person of such power and who has respect by the country can commit such acts. It is also why the need for publicity is important. Williams murdered two females, Jessica Llyod who was 27, and Marie-France Comeau who was 37, but this was not until after his countless number of break-ins as well as the sexual assault of two separate women.Williams has a sexual fetish with female undergarments and would break into the homes of women and take pictures of himself wearing these articles as well as steal them for his own personal pleasure. This obsession is believed to what lead to the unfortunate assaults and deaths of the other women. When the story was first broadcast The Toronto Star and The Toronto Sun both released pho tos of Williams posing in female lingerie on the front cover of the morning paper.The Star had a photo of Williams posing in lingerie particularly placed next to a photo of him in is Colonel uniform. This photo caused controversy and even though it may be graphic for a front-page headline, it is necessary. There are much more disturbing photos that exist of Williams actually assaulting his victims, but those will never, and should never be released. The photo of Williams in lingerie was necessary to be released because it showed the public of how alarming the case actually is without crossing the line of being morbid.The Toronto Star received a lot of backlash from the photo released however people need to remember that Williams is a murderer and not to just focus on him being a fetishist (McGrath 2010). Due to all the troubling information and photos released, people may tend to concentrate more on the fetish-like behaviours Williams displayed and not give enough attention to the f act that he took the lives of two young women. It was important that the media relay enough details to the public concerning the case so an understanding of the severity of the situation could be made.The message of the situation was relayed across without the need for unnecessary disturbing details like The Toronto Star’s article states â€Å"On New Year’s Day 2008, he broke into a home in the Ottawa neighbourhood where he lived and sprayed semen on a 15-year-old girl’s dresser. He then took a picture of himself with the girl’s make-up brush touching his penis† (Rankin, 2010). This piece of information is quite disturbing and unnecessary in relaying the message to the public.A play by play is also provided of Williams’ video raping Comeau, â€Å" The video beings of Comeau lying in fetal position on her antique wood bed, duct tape wound around her head and covering her face in a T-shape that only her nose is exposed† (Mandel, 2010). Although the video its self was not released to the public, a detailed description still leaves an image burned in our minds. Chris Nicholas of the Ontario Provincial Police Department believes that the detailed information is a â€Å"good dose of reality of how evil people can be† (Hewit, 2010).Although it is a harsh reality, the people could have been spared these descriptive details. Williams broke into a total of 82 homes, but only 17 of them were reported (Seglins, 2010). Many of the break-ins went unreported; this may have been due to embarrassment or unawareness but the knowledge could have helped prevent the murders that occurred. The series of break-ins began in 2007 and lasted until 2010; one can only wonder that if more incidents were reported if that outcome could have been different.Filling the public in on such knowledge now may help prevent future situations from occurring because people are aware of the suspecting signs. The names of the victims and families w ere not released to the media of those who were broken into or sexually assaulted. This is for the best because the families have the right to keep their names private but the information released was important for the public to know. The names of the females who were raped and murdered were released because it becomes crucial information when someone is murdered in order to obtain more evidence.Even though the names were not released of many of the victims, those who live in their tight nit communities would be aware of who they are and what they experienced. Some may find the sharing of events embarrassing but it is important for the public to be aware of the events that occurred. Cases like Williams’ help society become more knowledgeable and by that, implements can be made to try and make people aware so situations like this can be avoided. Children have become so street proof that they are afraid to talk to people who they do not know, even if their intentions are harmle ss.This loses a sense of community and even though unfortunate it is now a necessary precaution. Two murders, two sexual assaults, 82 break-ins, and numerous female undergarments stolen. The truth can be a harsh reality, and for the story of Russell Williams, this is the exact case. Some may continue to find the information provided in the media as inappropriate and unethical. The public could have been spared certain images and details that would have been better left out with the message of the story still making its point across.It is however though still important for the public to be aware of the severity of the situation. Let this unfortunate story be a building block in society to help improve the world we live in. References Friscolanti, M. (n. d). The Dark Depraved Side of Russell Williams Revealed in Court. Macleans. Retrieved from www2. macleans. ca/2010/10/18/dark-depraved-side-of-russell-williams-revealed- in-court/ Hewit, P. (2010, October 19). Do We Need to Know all t he Details of Williams' Crimes?. The Toronto Star. Retrieved from http://www. thestar. om/news/canada/article/ 877982– release-of-shocking-details-of-williams-crimes-unprecedented-judicial-candour Mandal, M. (2010, October 19). Col. Russell Williams, You are a Bastard. Toronto Sun. Retrieved from www. torontosun. com/news/2010/10/19/15754206. html McGrath, J. M. (n. d. ). Should graphic Russell Williams photos go on the front page? | Mediaocracy | torontolife. com. Home | torontolife. com. Retrieved from http://www. torontolife. com/daily/informer/mediaocracy/2010/10/19/should-graphic-russell-williams-photos-go-on-the-front-page/ Rankin, J. 2010, October 18). The secret life of Col. Russell Williams exposed . The Toronto Star. Retrieved from http://www. thestar. com/news/canada/article/877044–the-secret-life-of-col-russell-williams-exposed Rankin, J. (2010, October 19). A depraved Double Life. The Toronto Star, pp. A1. Seglins, D. (2010, October 21). CBC News – Canada – Col. Russell Williams pleads guilty to all 88 charges. CBC. ca – Canadian News Sports Entertainment Kids Docs Radio TV. Retrieved from http://www. cbc. ca/canada/story/2010/10/18/col-williams-court-1018. html

Preschool Teacher Hiring Standards, Policies, and Practices Essay

The early years of children are important because of their unique developmental needs (physical, cognitive, social and emotional). These needs can only be identified and addressed by professionally trained and competent preschool or early childhood teachers. However, attracting and hiring these teachers are serious challenges for school administrators. To look more closely into the problem and help craft a solution, this paper examined the current standards, policies, and practices in hiring preschool teachers in public and private schools in Pasig City based on the recommended hiring standards, policies, and practices in the literature, DepEd, and experts. The study suggests appropriate standards, policies, and practices in hiring teachers that will ensure that children’s unique developmental needs are met and that they shall have gained readiness to proceed to the next educational level. CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Background of the Background of the Study Children who undergo preschool education perform better in primary grades (grade 1-3) than those who do not (Branscombe, Castle, Dorsey, Surbeck, and Taylor 2000; Jalongo, Fennimore, Pattnaik, Laverick, Brewster, and Mutuku 2004; Laosa 2005; Soliven, Guerrero, Barsaga, Palma, Canlas, and Garon 1997). & Mutuku. By the time they enter elementary school, they can say the alphabet, write their names, and count numbers one to ten. They adjust better, follow instructions, and interact with their teachers and classmates. Because of thparents realize the benefits in the early schooling of children, preschool student enrollment has been growing in number, which encouraginges a number of investors to set up preschools. Preschool education is mostly managed by private individuals, organizations, and institutions because of insufficient government funding for the enhancement of preschool education (Neri 2001; Soliven et al. 1997). According to the Department of Education (DepEd), tis, there has been an unprecedented growth in the number of preschools both in rural and urban areas in the private sector. The latest directory of private preschools in Metro Manila from the Department of Education (DepEd) shows that there are 1,477 preschools all over the National Capital Region during the school year 2005-2006, and 872 preschools during the school year 2000-2001; thus, there was an increase of 575 preschools. (see table 1). (See Table 1)(See Table 1) he number latest of private schools in Metro Manila grew from 4,788 in school year 2003-2004 to 6664 in the school year 2007-2008, a 72% showing increase. from school year 2000-2001 to school year 2005-2006 (see table 1). Preschool enrollment in private schools rose from 349,574 in school year 2003-2004 to 410,778 in school year 2007-2008, an 85% increase. Many see preschool education as a profitable business, but one that entails high costs if one is to meet certain standards, such as hiring qualified and licensed teachers and paying higher salaries. Quality education also means better teacher-to-student ratio (the ideal is 1:10 or 1:15), a developmentally appropriate curriculum, and quality teaching materials—all of which translate to higher costs. Ms. Vanessa Morales, owner and administrator of Kid’s First Discovery Space preschool in BF Homes, Paranaque, wanted her preschool to be different from preschools run by business people. Her priority is providing quality education on a not-for-profit basis. At Kid’s First, she has knowledgeable and experienced teachers: all her head teachers have master’s degrees in Education or Psychology, major in child development (Manuzon 2006). Due to the growing number of private preschools in Metro Manila, there will be a great demand for preschool teachers who are professionally trained to manage the learning needs of young children. To ensure that For this purposeteachers hired are qualified and competent, , DepEd issued DECS Order No. 107 (1989) outlining the standards in the organization and operation of preschools (see appendix A), which include guidelines on staff requirements. The qualifications of teachers prescribed by DepEd for private schools are: Bachelor of Science degree specializing in Family Life and Child Development or Early Childhood Education or Kindergarten; Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with 18 units in Preschool Education and 54 hours of practicum in preschool classes; Bachelor of Arts/Science degree in a discipline allied to education, arts, nursing, anthropology, with 18 units of preschool education. Upon appointment, the teacher should have at least 6 units of preschool education, and the requirement of 18 units may be gradually implemented as follows: At the end of Year 1 – 9 units; Year 2 – 12 units; Year 3 – 15 units; Year 4 – 18 units. In addition, the sprouting of private preschools are also due to the following: 1) most private schools do not accept grade one pupils if they have not been through kinder and nursery or preschools; b) they are financially viable and a lucrative business; 2c) public schools cannot accommodate all preschool-age children and so parents put them in private preschools; 3e) there is a growing number of preschool student enrollment; 4f) because of the child sduring their early years, 5the Department of Education (DepEd) is not as strict with preschools as with regular grade and high schools; or, 6g) parents are both working and the mother is too busy to give her children their first lessons. 7have become a (Newman 2002). The Due to the mushrooming of preschools grew asthat have been set up forcommercial, business reasons, especially in urban centers, and the government’s insufficient funding towards the enhancement of preschool education, the desired goal of standard quality educati on for young children may not be achieved. This vast, mushrooming, unregulated and still unsurveyed sector maybe violating the right of young children to quality education. Due to the absence of control or regulation, these schools would have unqualified teachers, large classes, and less infrastructure facilities (Newman 2002). Ms. Irene Bernardo, whosingle and now retiredSomeone who prefers to be anony from preschool teaching setismous and who’s up a preschool in her own home after retiring from teaching, stated that some preschool teachers are business or psychology graduates, business or psychology graduates, not education graduates, but business or psychology graduates.. In her case, she has a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, magna cum laude, from the Philippine Normal College, ManilaUP, Diliman. For her, it is important for preschool teachers to have a background in education, especially in early childhood development education, which involves a substantial study of the- the psychomotor, affective, psychosocial and cognitive foundations of the childI. Bernardo, m), which will have bearing on the development of the child. which will determine how and what he will be when he grows up. The preschool teacher should also acquire skills and training in educating young children, them. From agesold . (. http://www. sunstar. com. ph/static/ceb/2002/06/13/life/the. mushrooming. of. preschools. html) | | DepEd also issued DECS Form GPR 3-A (revised 2005) to serve as a processing sheet for proposals for opening of new school (see appendix B). It limits the teaching staff requirements for preschool teachers to a Bachelor in Early Childhood Education (BECED); or Bachelor in Elementary Education (BEEd) with 18 units of Early Childhood Education. In public schools, student enrollment grows by 300,000 yearly, and some 10,000 teachers are needed to be hired every year to address the lack of manpower. Out of the 10,000 teachers recommended for hiring annually, 2,500 are intended for government preschools. The hiring of more teachers is needed because President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has issued an order requiring preschool education nationwide by 2010. (News Balita, January 13, 2006). In preparation for the launching of preschool education in public schools, DepEd business peoplebut . Theireesbetter teacherstudent, she not onlyes but also s: a. Furthermore,havesan degree P. Last August 24, 2007, DepEd issued Order No. 57 on August 24, 2007, laying down or the â€Å"Guidelines on Hiring and Deployment of Preschool Teachers† was issued as additional guidelines forin the selection and deployment of public preschool teachers (see appendix CB). Based on the guidelines, a preschool teacher applicant must must pass the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) to be eligibleconsidered for teaching. Preschool teachers in order to teach should take the LET for elementary teachers. There is no LET yet yet in specific to preschool teachers; prospective preschool teachers take the LET for elementary teachers. , while there is LET specific to secondary or high school teachers. According to Dr. Rogelio Baybayon, Assistant Superintendent of the Pasig Division office of DepEd, the requirements of the LET and the 21 early childhood education (ECE) units (instead of 18 ECE units) d et al. When I telephoned the Pasig DDivision of public schools to inquire on their policies regarding preschool education, and was able to talk to Dr.Rogelio Baybayuin, the officer-in-charge of preschool education,he said that they do not have preschool programseducation like nursery and prep, and what they have is onlythey only have kindergarten level which is being offered by very few public schools. They do not accept 4 year olds, only 5 year olds for kindergarten, and the 6 year olds are automatically Grade 1 even without going through the kindergarten level or preschool education. Since preschool educations is not yet part of the public school educational ladder. The , unlike the elementary and secondary education, it is mostly in the hands of private individual, organizations and institutions, which are operating without proper government regulations see guidelinescoveringsguidelinesthe renewal of toany administrators when they have been found to v some rules Neri (2001) disclosed a. s Based on the DECS Order No. 107, s.1989 or the Standards for the Organization and Operation of Preschools (Kindergarten Level), the required qualifications for preschool teachers are the following: (1) Bachelor of Science Degree with specialization in family life and child development of early childhood education or kindergarten; (2) BS Degree in Elementary education with 18 units in preschools education and 54 hours of practicum in preschool classes; and (3) Bachelor of Arts or BS degree in a discipline allied to education, arts, nursing, anthropology with 18 units of preschool education (Industry Briefs, October 2001). The job requirements based on the DepEd qualificationss for for preschool teachers are also now being enforced for private schoolsteachers.to be able to teach in preschools. s do not include the licensing or certification, of preschool teachers. However, DepEd sare encouraged requires all public school teachers to undergo the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET). .He revealed that there are some private schools which cannot follow these requirements and DepEd is forced to withhold their permit to operate. In any case, even if He also said that the LET for elementary teachers is for general education, and preschool teachers may take it. tTo qualify to teach For the 21 ECE units requirement, Philippine Normal University (PNU) is their reference. ,(pers. com. Dr. R. Baybayon, February 28, 2008). In the recent LET given by the Board of Professional Teachers on September 28, 2008 and conducted in 19 testing centers all over the Philippines, only 17,816 out of 58,471 elementary teacher examineesthere were who passed itThere were o,3who the examination (The Professional Regulation Commission, March 10, 2009). This meansmMan estimated that only 302933% of the examinees are qualified to teach, and are difficulty in the hiring of qualified preschool teachers, mo913,45,56eligible for hiringto hire. Table 2. National Percentage of Passing in the LET | |Teacher-Elementary |Teacher-Secondary | |Year |No. of Examinees |No. of Successful |Percentage of |No. of Examinees |No. of Successful |Percentage of | | | |Examinees |Passing | |Examinees |Passing | |2002 |76,626 |27,060 |35. 32% |65,106 |23,772 |36. 52% | |2003 |75,348 |19,765 |26. 25% |68,992 |18,115 |26. 25% | |2004 |60,614 |16,297 |26. 89% |58,507 |15,860 |27. 11% | |2005 |67,333 |18,517 |27. 50% |61,576 |15,945 |25. 90% | |2006 |59,457 | 17,377 | 29. 23% |53,303 | 17,290 |32. 44% | Former senatorSource: Professional Regulation Commission Licensing of teachers in the private preschools are also being encouraged by the DepEd, an example is the Pasig Catholic College, where their preschool teachers are graduates of early childhood education and are LET passers. The prospect of hiring teachers without credentials may be rampant because of the recent result of the LET. There were few teachers who passed the LET given by the Board of Professional Teachers on August 27, 2006 in 18 testing centers all over the Philippines. It showed that there were only 17,277 elementary public school teachers out of the 59,457 examinees who successfully passed. (Manila Standard Today, October 10, 2006). This is an estimated 33% who are qualified to teach in the public elementary schools and these may not be enough considering the growing number of student enrollment in public elementary schools which accounts to 12,089,365 based on Basic Education Statistics (BES) SY2004-2005. In view of the above, howHow can both private and public schools get teachers who can meet the minimum requirements for teaching in preschools and how can the DepEd ensure that only well-qualified, licensed preschool teachers educators are being hired and will be available in every preschool classroom.? How does the private and public schools cope with the supply and demand of qualified preschool teachers? Student enrollment is increasing and there are not enough qualified teachers to teacher these students. What other options can the government doy take in addressing hiring teachers without credentials? How can the preschoolsy tap sources of potential preschool teachers? has the government . annually . whomis afigure Trequiring nationwide. The combined public and private preschool enrollment increased from 2003 to 2007, from 778, 550831,730 (18. 36%) in school year 2003-2004 to 999,59652,109 (20. 53%) in school year 20076-20087; or 221120,046379 school children were added to the system. More than half of these children (588,81857, 220) were with DepEd’s preschool program in school year 2007-2008 (DepEd Updates, March 22, 20097). Mrs. Mariquita de Guzman, Assistant Principal of San Miguel Elementary School, said that their school has four preschool teachers for their 132 kindergarten students with a teacher to student ratio of 1:48. Miss Letty Flores, preschool teacher of Maybunga Elementary School, said that their school has two preschool teachers for the 90 kindergarten students with a teacher to student ratio of 1:45. All of their preschool teachers were volunteers from the elementary level who have a degree in elementary education (pers. com. Mrs. M. de Guzman and Ms. L. Flores, April 15, 2009). In some private preschools, principals wait until the enrollment has begun before they decide to hire teachers. As a result, teachers hired are not qualified. only a few qualified teachers are available and teacher to student ratio becomes to 1:50 (pers. com. Mrs. Susan Garcia, April 16, 2009). ). To address the teacher shortage in the public schools (including preschools), Education Secretary Jesli Lapus announced that 16,390 new teachers would be hired for the year 2007. (The Manila Times, June 4, 2007). lat thsover This e concern for the hiring of preschool teachers will create more pressuresnot likely abate in the near future because the pressures on that strain the local supply and ddemand for and supply ofof qualified teachers. With the increase in becausewill increase more and more private individuals and institutions will are venturinging into the preschool business education, and the institutionalization of preschool education by 2010, that will require more qualified preschool teachers will be requiredto support DepEd’s effort in institutionalizing preschool education.. . Human capital is the most important resource of any service organization, and the teacher is the most important capital in the educational setting. There are many nonhuman resources that are needed in the schools such as classrooms, computers, and textbooks, but these resources are dependent on competent teachers who will put them into good use. The preschool is a labor-intensive operation where the teacher’s knowledge, skills, abilities, stamina, values, and passion must be carefully managed to achieve its learning objectives (Hearron and Hildebrand 2003). However, in order to achieve its learning objectives, they should hire teachers who possess proper qualifications who can provide learning opportunities that will bring out the best in their students. epartment of ducation, ulture and ports (DECS)A major task of the artment of ucation (DepEd)school administrator is faculty hiring and selecting qualified and committed teachers is a more critical task considering the scarcity of qualified applicants. Teacher qualifications remains to be an issue and with the recent results of the Licensure Examination for Teachers given by the Board of Professional Teachers on August 27, 2006 in 18 testing centers all over the Philippines, there were only 17,277 elementary public school teachers out of 59,457 examinees who successfully passed. (Manila Standard Today, October 10, 2006). This is an estimated 33% who are qualified to teach in the public elementary schools and there may not be enough considering there the growing growing student enrollment in public elementary schools which accounts to 12,089,365 based on Basic Education Statistics (BES) SY2004-2005. However, in the private preschools but they should meet the minimum required in order to the desired qualifications which is:,need to prepare job descriptions that state the criteria like the applicant â€Å"(1) Bachelor of Science Degree with specialization in family life and child development of early childhood education or kindergarten; (2) BS Degree in Elementary education with 18 units in preschools education and 54 hours of practicum in preschool classes; (3) Bachelor of Arts or BS degree in discipline allied to education, arts, nursing, anthropology with 18 units of preschool education† (Industry Briefs, October 2001). Hiring the right faculty is building the future. It is essential that utmost care and attention be given to hiring standards and policies and that execution be done with creativity and patience, since the hiring process is tedious and time-consuming, thus there should be no shortcuts. As the philosopher Spinoza observed at the end of his great work, The Ethics, â€Å"†¦all things worthwhile are difficult as they are rare† (A Re-Examination of Faculty Hiring Processes and Procedures, Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, Adopted Fall 2000). The term â€Å"faculty† is defined as a branch of teaching or learning in an educational institution; something in which one is trained or qualified; the members of a profession; or the teaching and administrative staff and those members of the administration having the academic rank in an education institution (Merriam Webster 1991). The faculty is composed of all persons appointed for the instruction of students. In a preschool, the faculty or teachers are persons directly involved in handling children. They play a major role in the education of the children since they help in the formation and development of the students especially in their early years. They are responsible for providing environment conducive to learning conditions where children are given opportunities to interact. Thus, the faculty or preschool teachers significantly contribute to humanity and to the nation towards prosperity by providing learning opportunities that will bring out the best in their students. Hiring is engaging the services or labor in exchange for payment (Lexicon Webster 1978. ). Hiring involves the following steps: advertising, recruiting; screening; interviewing; teaching demo, selecting and final interview. Recruitment is defined as establishing a pool of potentially acceptable applicants (Lipham and Heoh, 1974 p. 236). The first step is usually to post (advertise) the job position usually in bulletin boards of universities, professional organizations, advertise in local newspapers and teacher based magazines. Once the school recruitment officer has received the letters of applications, the rest of the hiring process is accomplished. Faculty hiring is the recruitment and selection of teachers for teaching positions. It involves the following steps: advertising, recruiting; screening; interviewing; teaching demo; selecting and final interview. Faculty hiring is a major task of the administrative or leadership group of the school and selecting the right teacher is a more critical task considering the very few qualified applicants to choose from. Administrators need to prepare job descriptions that state the minimum as well as desired qualifications of a preschool teacher, these are: (1) Bachelor of Science Degree with specialization in family life and child development of early childhood education or kindergarten; (2) BS Degree in Elementary education with 18 units in preschools education and 54 hours of practicum in preschool classes; (3) Bachelor of Arts or BS degree in discipline allied to education, arts, nursing, anthropology with 18 units of preschool education. † (Neri October 2001) â€Å"The teachers we need are immersed in discipline, informed professional inquiry and action that results in raising the bar and closing the gap by engaging all students in learning† (Fullan 2003). The preschool administrator or principal is usually the one in charge of recruiting the right teachers to fill in teaching positions clearly defined and understood by the selectors, i. e. there is a good and clear job description. The competencies to perform the job successfully are explicit, i. e. the job criteria or person specification have been prepared and are known by the selectors. There is a planned provision for the assessment of all the required competencies, i. e.the technical assessment stages have been clearly conceived and scheduled. There is a clear policy on how the final decisions are to be arrived at and the final stage procedure ensures that all of the evidence of earlier stages is accumulated and considered before making a judgment† (Kydd 1997). Although it can be time-consuming, principals must actively recruit good teachers to their schools. They usually do this by: (1) visiting teacher education classes to find promising new teachers; (2) providing practicum to student teachers and later hire the good ones; (3) talking to teachers and other principals to find quality experienced teachers who might be looking for new positions. Hiring policies and practices should be carefully crafted so fairness and equity are reflected to avoid legal complaints in the future. Applicants should be notified whether they were accepted or denied and the reasons why they were not accepted. â€Å"Hiring the right faculty is building the future because teachers play a major role in the education of children; they help in the formation and development of children, some of whom will become future leaders of tomorrow. But the right faculty may not mean hiring having a certification or licensure, but one who has a strong commitment to the care and education of young children. There is no wiser or more enduring investment than in the care and education of young children. worthwhile The Research Problem. DDue to the number mushrooming being put up and the government’s move to institutionalizeeize preschool education by year 2010, in Metro Manila and in the provinces without control or regulation, hiring would is in all probabilitymay be increasingly be intenserampant. DepEd’s hiring guidelines for preschool teachers prescribe only the minimum qualifications;;, but there are no clear-cut guidelines on the screening and hiring process for preschool teachers. these schools tend to hire preschool teachers who are not qualified. There is a need to carefully managed preschools to ensure that the intellectual development and values formation of childrenThus, there is a need forere should be specific and customized procedures for  screening applicants and hiring areistowardforqualified preschool teachers who are trained to address the unique learning and developmental needs of preschoolers. (Berk 2005; Branscombe et al. 2000; Brewer 2004; Essa 2003; Estes 2004; Machado and Meyer-Botnarescue 2001). However, Taguiwalo (2005) reported that recruitment is the number one weakness of the Philippine basic education. and eEvery year for the past five years, public schools recruited around 10,000 to 15,000 teachers from a pool of 100,000 new graduates. ,Yet the schools do not always get the best qualified teachers, as evidenced by the poor student achievement test results. they Results of the National Elementary Achievement Test (NEAT) in SY 2005-2006 reflected that only 29 percent or 38 of 131 competencies/skills were demonstrated by children. The problem of poor quality of education has been traced to a number of factors which include lack of teacher competencies and poor manpower planning (UNESCO and National Statistical Coordination Board 2009). How can DepEd ensure that only qualified and competent preschool teachers will handle every preschool class? HHoH will be assured hiring of professionally well prepared preschool teachers who are committed to caring and educating young children.. Preschool teacher hiring will not be easy considering the scarcity of qualified teachers. ow then can then school administrators ensure that they that they hire qualified and competent preschool teachers who can How can they tap available sources of prospective preschool teachers present? To seek answerss to the research problem, se questions, â€Å"The government, through the Department of Education (DepED), should come up with clear-cut policies on the operation of these schools offering pre-school education to children aged three to six years old,† Chipeco added. (http://www. congress. gov. ph/press/details. php? pressid=931) DepEd should also develop measures seeking not only to regulate and oversee the pre-schools, but also to develop preschool teachers hiring guidelines. DepEd should conduct investigation and close down preschools that do not use the guidelines. thus early childhood education is regarded as their top priority. â€Å"Childhood should be carefully defined in all nations as a highly distinct period of human growth and development that deserves careful educational, social, and political attention and intervention. † (Jalongo, et al 2004) However, Nolido (2006) said . While the government is not yet capable of putting preschool education in the educational ladder, we would like to expand it to reach more five year-old kids particularly in the depressed areas of the country. .. Jalongo, et al 2004et al, page 23number Educational prog for the world’s youngest citizen teachers who are ,m ? Will there be enough preschool teachers who will teach this growing number of student enrollmentissues in the Philippine basic and (LET) (NAT) private preschools hire applicantsare not education graduates or licensed? private . To seek answers to these questions, I will e researcheris Another issue which is very timely is the campaign of the Department of Education to institutionalize preschool education in public schools. Nolido said preschool education is not yet part of the educational ladder. Institutionalizing it requires a huge budget to the basic education system. â€Å"While the government is not yet capable of putting preschool education in the educational ladder, we would like to expand its coverage to reach more five year-old kids particularly in the depressed areas of the country,† Nolido said. and also the current issues in the Philippine educational systemthe Thus the objective of thisresearch willof the study revieweds and compareds the currentGrowing demand for preschool teacher applicants can be attested to the increasing number of student enrollments and the mushrooming of preschools in the metropolis. Drive along any neighborhood and you will likely pass by one, whether it is a small home-based play school or a more structured organization in a bigger edifice. The latest directory of private preschools in Metro Manila from the Department of Education shows that there are (872) preschools all over the capital region alone. Of this total, (217) are exclusively preschools only, defined here as catering to either the one-year-old to 6-year-old age bracket or the kindergarten level which may also include levels preparatory to kindergarten (e. g. nursery, etc. The remaining (55) schools offer elementary education up to 6th grade, in addition to the preschool curriculum. Quezon City has the most number of preschools with 275, followed by Manila with 112. Proximity to residence is criterion parents often consider when choosing schools for their children, however there are many other factors to bear in mind in deciding which school is best† (Neri 2001). Public and private preschools resort to hiring teachers to fill in the demand for teaching positions. The Department of Education has recommended guidelines for hiring preschool teachers, which the public preschools should implement while the private preschools are encouraged to use. Thus, the main research problem of this study is to compare standards, policies, and practices (SPPs) in hiring preschool teachers in preschool andpublic schools with those of privateprivate schools in Pasig City ,and , then compareds each group’s SPPs with offering preschool education with the standards, policies and practices in hiring teachers in private preschools in Pasig City the recommended SPPs in hiring preschool teachers based on related literature, DepEd requirements, and the views of experts on preschools. point out the gaps or discrepancies between the mandated and actual faculty hiring standards, policies and practices of public and private preschools in Pasig City. Secondly, I would like to understand the nature and causes of the gaps, and thirdly, I would like to understand why such gaps have been permitted to exist until the present. Purposess of the Study create awareness among the policymakers, DepEd officials, private preschool owners, and preschool principals The purpose of the study soughtoughtis to (1) investigate the SPPstandards in for hiring preschool teachers in selected public and private schools in Pasig City; (2)and pinpoint commonalities and differences in their current hiring SPPs; and, (3) find out how they measure up to what is recommended in the scientific literature, at DepEd, and by experts. Thus, this study has drawn upwilldetermine whether standards are in line with preschool learning capabilities and requirement for primary grades. s appropriate hiring SPPs for both public and private preschools that can serve ases benchmarks for hiring preschool teachers to ensure that the goal of getting the best qualified preschool teachers is met. Theensure that both public and private schools offering preschool education in Pasig City are able to hire the most qualified and competent preschool teachers and that ensure that there are standards, policies and practices in hiring preschool teachers in public and private schools in Pasig City. is that they together withmajority if not alleto review and reexamine their preschool teaching hiring standards, policies and practices. This assist in the hiring of preschool teacherswill enfrom a wider market and whose qualifications meet the preschool learning competencies. Research Questions In order to answer the research problem, the following research questions were looked intoarewere: †¢ What are the recommended faculty hiring SPPsstandards, policies, and practices for preschool teachers based on related literature, DepEd guidelines, and the views of experts and administrators? †¢ What are the reported and/or actual hiring SPPsfaculty hiring standards, policies, and practices for preschool teachers in both of public and private schools in Pasig City offering ECE? †¢ How do the reported and/or actual faculty hiring SPPstandards, policies.