Motivational factors affecting the academic performance of the students Essay

A research proposal submitted to Ms. Azelle Charese Agdon. Instructor, Department of Economics Cavite State University Imus City, Cavite. In partial fulfilment of the requirement for subject DCEE 28, Methods of Research Bachelor of Science in Office Administration INTRODUCTION Motivation is a process of satisfying students different needs and expectations, therefore, Administrators have to be aware of and analysis those unique, individual’s needs. Administrators have the difficult task of how they can improve the performance of the students. They have to increase students attention towards their goals and direct their behavior. It is important to know to motivate the students in their academic performance, because it will affect their learning’s, setting goals and to be successful in their chosen field. Many students have their own ways on how they can motivate their selves to perform well. Now a day, there are many factors affecting the performance of the students. The Cavite State University it’s humble beginning in 1906 as the Indang Intermediate School with the American Thomasites as the first teachers. Several transformations in the name of the School took place. In 1918- Indang Farm School. In 1927- Indang Rural High School and then to Don SeverinoNational Agriculture School in 1958. The name Don Severino is in honor of Don Severino De las Alas who was then the Secretary of interior in the Aguinaldo revolutionary government. Don Severino donated a tract of land for use as fuel feed laboratory by the School. In the first semester of S.Y 2003-2004 Cavite State University opened a branch campus in Imus, Cavite. The Trece Martires Campus was established through the memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed on May 15, 2005 to start offering courses on the first semester of school year 2005-2006. In the first semester of school year 2006-2007, Cavite State University opened a branch Campus in Silang cavite. At present the whole Cavite State University system has ten campuses in different municipalities of Cavite with a total of 18,563 registered students as to its population. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM This research aimed to determine the motivational factors affecting the academic performance of the students in Cavite State University- Imus Campus. 1. What is the students profile in terms of? Age Programmed enrolled Year Enrollment Status 2. What is the academic performance of the students in terms of Grade Point Average (GPA) last semester (2nd semester of School Year 2013-2014) ? 3. What is the factors that most affecting the academic performance of the students? Importance of the Study The information and data gathered to this research which were beneficial to the Students, for them to know how this study helped to motivate and also give them knowledge about these factors can truly affect their academic performance. To the Instructor, this research helped them to know how they can motivate their students. Lastly, to the future researchers, this will serve as a guide and give them an idea to their future research. Objectives of the Study Generally, the research conducted to determine and analyze the motivational factors that affecting the academic performance of the students in Cavite State University- Imus Campus. Specifically it aimed; To know the profile of the students in terms of: Age Gender Program enrolled/Year & section Status To know their Grade Point average (GPA) last semester (2nd of School Year 2013- 2014). To identify what are the motivational factors can affect most the academic performance of the students. Conceptual Framework Figure 1. Factors affect the Academic Performance This figure shows that factors have a big effect to the student for them to increase their academic performance. The factors are very important because it will lead you to achieve such goals in life and to be successful in future. In increasing student academic performance, they must have their own ways how they can motivate their selves or what can motivate them. In every success, there is a factor on it. Whenever it’s a simple motivation, it always helped them to get what they want. In students, motivation has a big factor on how they increased the academic performance or excel at the school. Also the teachers and instructors must have their ways how they can motivate the students. Time and Place of the Study The idea of the research entitled â€Å"Motivational Factors affecting the academic performance of the students in Cavite State University- Imus Campus† when the researchers observed the students and think about how or what factors may affect to increase their academic performance. The study started on August 2014 and ended on September 2014 covering the Cavite State University Imus Campus, Palico IV Imus City Cavite. Scope and Limitation This research covered the motivational factors affecting the academic performance of the students of Cavite State University Imus Campus. This study intends to know what or how the students truly motivate these factors. The researchers also collected some important data from the school to further access this matter. Finally, they conduct a survey to the students to gather data in order to them to get a result to this study. Definition of Terms Motivation – the act or process of giving someone a reason for doing something, condition of being eager to act or work. Factors – the influences that contributes to the result or outcomes. Skills – the ability to do something that comes from training experiences or practice. Cavite State University – A place were the primary concern of the researcher. Goals – Something that you are trying to do or achieve. Enrollment Status – the status of the student whether they are â€Å"regular or irregular†.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

A chocolate chip cookie is a drop cookie that was originally from the United States and features chocolate chips as its main ingredient. The traditional recipe contains a dough composed of butter and both brown and white sugar with semi-sweet chocolate chips. Variations include recipes with other types of chocolate or additional ingredients, such as nuts or oatmeal. The chocolate chip cookie was accidentally developed by Ruth Graves Wakefield in 1930. She owned the Toll House Inn, in Whitman, Massachusetts, a very popular restaurant that featured home cooking in the 1930s.Her cookbook, Toll House Tried and True Recipes, was published in 1936 by M. Barrows & Company, New York. It included the recipe â€Å"Toll House Chocolate Crunch Cookie†, which rapidly became a favorite to be baked in American homes. Chocolate chip cookies are commonly made with high in calorie ingredients including sugar, flour, eggs, butter, chocolates, etc. Some recipes also include milk or nuts in the do ugh. It depends on the ratio of ingredients, mixing and cooking times, some recipes are optimized to produce a softer, chewy style cookie while others will produce a crunchy/crispy style.As you can see in the ingredients, on how the cookies is baked, and the style of cookies, it can easily catch an attention of a buyer. The ingredients given are also a bit expensive nowadays. As It is said, it is full of calories. So how about the costumers that will consume the high in calorie and expensive product? How about their health and weight? Their wallets and pockets? That's the reason why the researchers come up with this research. To make a solution to these problems about chocolate chip cookies.

Burdens of History Essay Example for Free

Burdens of History Essay The British imperial history has long been a fortress of conservative scholarship, its study separated from mainstream British history, its practitioners resistant to engaging with new approaches stemming from the outside – such as feminist scholarship, postcolonial cultural studies, social history, and black history. In this light, Antoinette Burton’s Burdens of History: British Feminists, Indian Women, and Imperial Culture, 1865-1915 represents challenges to the limited vision and exclusivity of standard imperial history. Burton’s Burdens of History is part of a budding new imperial history, which is characterized by its diversity instead of a single approach. In this book, the author examines the relationship between liberal middle-class British feminists, Indian women, and imperial culture in the 1865-1915 period. Its primary objective is to relocate â€Å"British feminist ideologies in their imperial context and problematizing Western feminists’ historical relationships to imperial culture at home† (p. 2). Burton describes Burdens of History as a history of â€Å"discourse† (p. 7). By this, she means the history of British feminism, imperialism, orientalism, and colonialism. Throughout the book, the author interposes and synthesizes current reinterpretations of British imperial history, women’s history, and cultural studies that integrate analyses of race and gender in attempts at finding the ideological structures implanted in language. In this book, Burton analyzes a wide assortment of feminist periodicals for the way British feminists fashioned an image of a disenfranchised and passive colonized female â€Å"Other†. The impact of the message conveyed was to highlight not a rejection of empire – as modern-day feminists too readily have tended to assume – but a British feminist imperial obligation. According to Burton, empire lives up to what they and many of their contemporaries believed were its purposes and ethical ideals. Burton based her book on extensive empirical research. Here, she is concerned with the material as well as the ideological and aware of the complexity of historical interpretation. Backed by these, the author particularly examines the relationship between imperialism and women’s suffrage. Burton brings together a remarkable body of evidence to back her contention that women’s suffrage campaigners’ claims for recognition as imperial citizens were legitimated as â€Å"an extension of Britain’s worldwide civilizing mission† (p. 6). Centering on the Englishwoman’s Review before 1900 and suffrage journals post 1900, the author finds an imperialized discourse that made British women’s parliamentary vote and emancipation imperative if they were to â€Å"shoulder the burdens required of imperial citizens† (p. 172). The author shows in Burdens of History how Indian women were represented as â€Å"the white feminist burden† (p. 10) as â€Å"helpless victims awaiting the representation of their plight and the redress of their condition at the hands of their sisters in the metropole† (p. 7). Responding both on the charge that white feminists need to address the method of cultural analysis pioneered by Edward Said and the imperial location and racial assumptions of historical feminisms, Burton explores the images of Indian women within Victorian and Edwardian feminist writing. In her analysis, the author argues that Indian women functioned as the ideological â€Å"Other† within such texts, their presence serving to authorize feminist activities and claims. By creating an image of tainted Oriental womanhood, and by presenting enforced widowhood, seclusion, and child marriage as â€Å"the totality of Eastern women’s experiences† (p. 67), British feminists insisted on their own superior emancipation and laid claim to a wider imperial role. However, while feminists persistently reiterated their responsibility for Indian women, the major purpose of such rhetoric was to institute the value of feminism to the imperial nation. According to the author: â€Å"The chief function of the Other woman was to throw into relief those special qualities of the British feminist that not only bound her to the race and the empire but made her the highest and most civilized national female type, the very embodiment of social progress and progressive civilization† (p. 83). According to Burton, British feminists were, â€Å"complicitous with much of British imperial enterprise† (p. 25): their movement must be seen as supportive of that wider imperial effort. She sustains this argument through an examination of feminist emancipatory writings, feminist periodicals and the literature of both the campaign against the application of the Contagious Diseases Acts in India and the campaign for the vote. Indeed, the greatest strength of this book lies in the fact that Burton has made a n extensive search through contemporary feminist literature from a new perspective. In the process, she recovers some quite interesting subgenres within feminist writing. She shows, for instance, how feminist histories sought to reinterpret the Anglo-Saxon past to justify their own political claims and specifying some characteristic differences between explicitly feminist and more general women’s periodicals. Certainly, Burton’s survey establishes the centrality of imperial issues to the British feminist movement, providing a helpful genealogy of some styles of argumentation that have persisted to the present day. Burdens of History is a serious contribution to feminist history and the history of feminism. In conclusion, Burton states that British feminists were agents operating both in opposition to oppressive ideologies and in support of them-sometimes simultaneously, because they saw in empire an inspiration, a rationale, and a validation for women’s reform activities in the public sphere. Her arguments are persuasive; indeed, once stated, they become almost axiomatic. However, Burton’s work is to some extent flawed by two major problems. First, the author never compares the â€Å"imperial feminism†; rather she locates in her texts to other imperial ideologies. In addition, Burton does not subject imperialism to the same kind of careful scrutiny she turns on feminism. She does not define â€Å"imperialism† in her section on definitions, but uses the term – as she uses â€Å"feminism† – largely to denote an attitude of mind. Another problem is Burton’s failure to address the question of how feminist imperialism worked in the world more generally. It is true that feminists sought the vote using a rhetoric of cross-cultural maternal and racial uplift, however, one may ask: what were the effects of this strategy on the hearing accorded their cause, on wider attitudes toward race and empire, and, more specifically, on policies toward India? The author not only brushes aside such questions; she implies that they are unimportant. It seems that, for Burton, the ideological efforts of British feminists were significant only for British feminism. It can be argued that Burton’s difficulty in tracing the way Burdens of History works in the world is a consequence of her methodological and archival choices. The problem is not that the author has chosen to approach her subject through a â€Å"discursive tack† (p. 27), but rather that she has employed this method too narrowly and on too restrictive range of sources. While the author has read almost every piece of feminist literature, she has not gone beyond this source base to systematically examine either competing official documents, Indian feminist writings, or imperial discourses. Thus, Burton’s texts are treated either self-referentially or with reference to current feminist debates. Overall, Burton’s approach is useful in providing a critical history for feminism today, Certainly, it is as a critique of Western feminism’s pretensions to universal and transhistorical high-mindedness that Burdens of History succeeds. However, if one wishes to map out the impact of imperial feminism not only on feminism today, but also on imperial practices and relations historically, one needs a study that is willing to cross the border between political history and intellectual history and to take greater methodological risks. Burdens of History. (2017, Feb 25).

Acid Rain Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Acid Rain - Research Proposal Example Most scientists concur that acid rain is produced by the combination of sulphur and nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere which become oxidized and form acid (Spellman, 14). In highly industrialized nations, various manufacturing smokestacks and other pollution-generating industrial equipment release sulphur and nitrogen into the atmosphere as a by-product of industrial and chemical activity. For instance, the burning of various fossil fuels creates a chemical reaction which releases sulphur and other harmful pollutants into the atmosphere. The basic physics principle which describes the fact that warm air rises is the primary reason why industrial by-products produced in high temperature environments drift into the atmosphere. Once in place, the oxidized sulphur and nitrogen combine with forming clouds or current rainwater, changing the pH of the water where it can cause significant damage terrestrially. There are additional compounds which speed up the process of absorbing these pollutants, including ammonia and ozone (Rst2.edu, 2). Ammonia is a man-made pollutant pumped into the atmosphere by industrial and chemical activity while ozone exists naturally. These two compounds alter the chemical structure of the sulphur and nitrogen, creating acidic downpour which can leech into environmental systems and cause ecological problems. There are also natural causes of acid rain, including volcanic activity at the Earth’s surface and oil (Rst2.edu, 2). Volcanic activity produces high levels of sulphur which generally rush out of the volcanic opening in a phenomenon known as the pyroclastic flow (Howald, 3). These sulphuric materials are ejected at such high levels of speed that they are thrust high into the upper atmosphere where they are carried by the jet stream, a global air current system. This maintains the ability to carry large volumes of sulphur particles all across the

Psychology of Personality Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Psychology of Personality - Research Paper Example This paper compares and contrasts the theories of two psychologists who have developed theories in the subject area. Finally this paper discusses the major differences between Intrapsychic and Interpsychic processes followed by empirical applications. Albert Ellis and Carl Rogers both agreed on utilizing the psychoanalytical approach to diagnosing and describing individual personalities and emotional intelligence. The primary difference between the two is the method through which they deployed the psychoanalytical process to solve any diagnosed problems (Curtis, 2003). Specifically, Ellis believed that rational analysis and cognitive reconstruction allowed individuals to understand their self destructive attitudes by bringing their irrational beliefs to conscious evaluation. On the other hand, Rogers was more focused on the development of the concept of the self. He observed that conditional and unconditional positive regard for the self is key to productive lifestyles that solve per sonality disorders (Curtis, 2003). These conditions of worth affect the individuals’ capacity to achieve self actualization. ... The purpose of the approach is to help clients overcome self-defeating beliefs and behaviors by demonstrating how irrational, destructive, and unhealthy they are. The fundamental principle of the theory is the fact that a person is rarely affected (emotionally) by external factors. Instead, individuals are impacted by their perceptions, attitudes, and internal monologues about the external activity (Curtis, 2003). Rational Therapy provides 3 overarching Insights (Ellis, 2003). The first is that there are activating events that precede emotional disturbances. But the activating events are evaluated within a perspective that is dysfunctional or based on irrational beliefs. The second is that the timeline that individuals acquire self defeating beliefs does not affect the individuals’ propensity to change it. Activating events can occur in a series and reaffirm the irrational beliefs (Ellis, 2003). The final insight is that patients will feel better when the feel as if they know how they became disturbed. But the acceptance of insights 1 and 2 is the internal link to the patient getting better (Ellis, 2003). Carl Rogers’ theory of the self is categorized as both a humanistic and phenomenological approach. Rogers’ articulation of his theory is both extensive and nuanced. In his attempts to empirically evaluate psychotherapy, he conducted a scientific approach out of a need to be compatible with the status quo at all times (Rogers, 1959). Rogers focuses on the development of the personality where he discusses the realization of principles instead of reaching stages. Specifically he focuses on the development of a self concept and the

Only conduct a paragraph(250words) for a topic given Coursework

Only conduct a paragraph(250words) for a topic given - Coursework Example or example teachers, during tutoring sessions, can give feedback to students verbally, which in turn, enables students improve on their accuracy and nurture their confidence (Smith, 1997, Ferris and Robert, 2001) . Peers can also make significant contributions to the students’ writing development , by proving the student writers with a glimpse of reader-based feedback on their writing efforts (Black et al., 2003, Yang et al., 2006). Without feedback, there is little learning. Ferris and Roberts (2001) reported that students who received feedback, whichever form, improved their writing. However, the worth of teacher feedback in writing, particularly, in second language writing classes, has been subject to controversy (Ferris, 2004). If feedback is given students at the end of students’ writing, the students do not find the comments invaluable, as intended by the teacher(s). Few students are interested in incorporating the feedback to already graded work (Black et al., 20 03, Peterson, 2010). Therefore, feedback only becomes significant to writing development, if it is given in the beginning and middle stages (Peterson, 2010). A study has revealed that most students rely on teacher feedback, without necessarily understand their significance, in part, because the teachers are authoritative (Yang et al., 2006). In some cases, the teacher’s written comments are illegible (Lee, 2008),making it hard for the students to understand. FERRIS, D., R. 2004. The ‘‘Grammar Correction’’ Debate in L2 Writing :Where are we, and where do we go from here?(and what do we do in the meantime...?). Journal of Second Language Writing 13, 49-62. PETERSON, S. S. 2010. Improving Stdent Writing: Using Feedback as a Teaching Tool. What Works: Research Into Practice. A research-into-practice series produced by a partnership between the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat and the Ontario Association of Deans of

MULTINATIONAL CORP-EVOL & CUR ISSUE Movie Review - 2

MULTINATIONAL CORP-EVOL & CUR ISSUE - Movie Review Example As the financial crisis got worse, the Federal Reserve took unusual and unparalleled actions to re-establish financial stability. Unemployment rate continued to rise until mid-2003, as the United States economy was rebounding from a small recession in 2001. The Federal Reserve was worried that the economy would slide into recession so they kept the federal funds rate very low. The rate reached 1 percent by mid-2003 (Labonte and Makinen 9). As the economy began to expand and prices began to increase, the federal funds rate was increased to 5.25 percent by mid-2006. According to Labonte: It is now argued by some economists that the financial crisis was, at least in part, due to Federal Reserve policy to ensure that the then-ongoing expansion continued. In particular, critics now claim that the low short-term rates were kept too low for too long after the 2001 recession had ended, and this caused an increased demand for housing that resulted in a price bubble (Labonte and Makinen 9). The economy was more and more susceptible to changes in short-term interest rates largely due to the move to floating interest rate mortgages from fixed interest rate financing for housing. The Chairman of the Federal Reserve Benjamin Bernanke stated that the low home mortgage rates were largely caused by a glut in global savings. Bernanke went on the say that the Federal Reserve had little control over these savings due to constraints in the regulatory framework. The Federal Reserves later policy of tightening monetary policy was to burst the housing bubble, claim critics. The critics further suggest that lax lending standards, which were regulated by the Federal Reserve, also contributed to the crisis. The subsequent increase in bank leverage ratios meant that they could borrow more overnight and create collateralized debt obligation (subprime loans) in the securitization chain. When the housing bubble burst, it led to a

Hamlet Lecture 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Hamlet Lecture 1 - Essay Example The watchmen sense that there is something of significance in the appearance of the ghost of the late king; therefore they inform Hamlet about it, who immediately decides to find out the purpose of the appearance of his father’s ghost. Claudius announces his marriage to the Queen within two months of Hamlet’s father’s death. He justifies the urgency of his decision by saying that the kingdom is in a war-like state; therefore, he had to take this step in the interest of his people, and to send a strong message to the enemy that they are still strong. â€Å"With mirth in funeral, and with dirge in marriage.† (Shakespeare 1; ii, 12) The language in Hamlet, as in other plays by Shakespeare is used as a tool to create dramatic effects. Symbolism and imagery play a very important role in narrating the dramatic effects and characterization. The purpose of speech or dialogue is not only to express inner feelings but to draw a live and vivid picture in the minds of the readers or the audience about the characters and the plot of the play. When Hamlet awaits the ghost of his father, he proclaims: â€Å"The air bites shrewdly; it is very cold.† (1; iv, 1) The ghost commands him to take revenge of his murder from his uncle, Claudius the king. He also instructs Hamlet not to harm his mother, and let Fate deal with her. Hamlet promises the ghost of his father: â€Å"Haste me to know't, that I, with wings as swift / As meditation or the thoughts of love, / May sweep to my revenge.† (35) This is a very important pledge of Hamlet upon which his life and the purpose of his life depend. Unfortunately, failure to fulfil his promise on time will lead to his tragic death. As the play shall progress, we shall see that there is an internal war being waged in the mind and soul of Hamlet. However, he could not decide how to go about things and delays the matter. During the course of procrastination, he delves deeper and deeper into madness. His madness has actually resulted from rage, disbelief, sorrow, melancholy, and his inability to take action. He wants to die and put an end to his life; he realizes that Fate has put him in a very complex situation by assigning the responsibility of avenging his father. He finds it extremely difficult to decide the course of his actions and keeps on delaying his decision. His soliloquies are a manifestation of his melancholy, despair and philosophical nature. â€Å"O cursed spite, / That ever I was born to set it right!† (1; v, 209-210) The dialogues between the King, the Queen and Hamlet are full of under tones. Hamlet is sarcastic- â€Å"Good mother† means just the opposite. He is the only person who has not recovered from the death of this father. The grief is obvious in his appearance. The concept of â€Å"play within play† is introduced in this scene; as Hamlet says to his mother: â€Å"These indeed seem, / For these are actions that a man might play.† (1; ii, 86-87) Hamlet is gradually descending in the state of madness. He has started doubting his relationship with Ophelia and even his friends sense that he has lately not been himself. â€Å"And yet to me what is this quintessence/ of dust? Man delights not me—no, nor woman neither.† (II;ii, 312-313). Hamlet is also highly aware of the voice of conscience. He plans to stage a play depicting the characters of his mother, his father and Claudius. He does so in order to awaken the conscience of his uncle and is quite successful in it because Claudius gets deeply

Chartered Portfolio Manager- Week 8 Discussion Post and Student Essay

Chartered Portfolio Manager- Week 8 Discussion Post and Student Responses - Essay Example This is to help standardize the type and content of messages posted by financial firms on social media and to eliminate fraudulent content (Flynn, 2012). Among the rules to be followed include ensuring that there is explanation of how a firm is using social media to advertise, ensuring that there is a record of all communication on social media, and ensuring that a firm is accountable for all messages posted on social media by their employees (Bahadur et al., 2012). After highlighting the importance of social media to individuals and firms, Roland should also add the limits that should be in place to ensure safe and efficient advertising of financial firms. I agree to the rest of the post where Roland analyses the advantages and functions of FINRA to businesses and their clients but I think that he should consider adding the risks of financial advisors to firms. When Kyrette explains what social media advertising is all about, he should also consider stating the risks associated with financial advisors. In addition to this, he should also consider adding information on what FINRA stands for, and its functions in advertising when he gives advantages of social media to professionals. Although Sherard’s gives a clear discussion on who financial advisors are and their main functions in a financial firm, Sherard should consider adding the rules and regulations put in place by FINRA. After highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of financial advertisers to firms, Sherard should give an opinion whether he recommends financial advisors to firms or

Tv Boon or Bane Essay Example for Free

Tv Boon or Bane Essay One hardly comes across a house today that does not have a TV set. Even those who belong to the lower income group invest in a TV set as soon as they can afford it. Most Indians spend their evenings glued to the television as this is the most easily available entertainment for them. Now there are cable connections in most of the houses and with the advent of international channels on our television, the popularity of TV has grown many folds. How TV does affect our lives today? We have to consider its advantages and disadvantages. In some ways TV is a boon. It is a vital source of information and helps to shape our lives in many ways. It keeps us posted with the latest political, social and cultural developments in the world. Hence, it educates us. It brings the people of the world closer by removing the distances that exist between us. Sitting in our rooms, we get a view of the entire world. TV also takes us nearer to the cultures of the world. While entertaining us with soap operas, dances, plays, music, etc. , it educates us about the lifestyles of the foreigners in those lands where these programmes are produced. We can compare our own culture with theirs and can learn something from them. With a television set in the house, a person can never get lonely. It can be mans best friend. However, the television turns into a curse when it interferes with the normal routine of our day. When children neglect their school books and homework, the television becomes a curse. It is a source of great temptation for children to watch a cartoon show or a movie on TV rather than study. Adults often become less social because of the television. They tie themselves down to the house according to the timings of their favourite television programme thus making themselves unavailable for various social gatherings. They might skip meeting a friend or calling on their relatives because they would rather watch a movie on television. This keeps them confined to the house and they often miss out on activities which are equally, if not more important, outside the four walls of the house. If one balances the TV viewing time and time for work, then TV is a boon all the way, else it may become a curse.

Crisis Intervention From A Biblical Perspective

Crisis Intervention From A Biblical Perspective A crisis is a situation which is unstable and of extreme difficulty or danger. According to mental health, a crisis is the reaction of a person towards an event. Different people react differently to events. One person can be affected deeply by a certain event while another may have little or no ill effects towards the same event. This is dependent on peoples behavior or skills, levels of maturity, personalities and the ability to cope. For some people, reaction to crisis may be coupled with behavior change such as over eating or insomnia. For other people reactions such as disbelief, inability to cope or denial may be evident. Others still may experience physiological changes such that they may start to sweat, faint or their heart rate may increase. Many people perceive crisis to be an unexpected sudden calamity such as a natural disaster or a car accident. However, crises range in how severe it is and also in type. Sometimes, crisis can be a predictable part of our lives, For instance, the mid life crisis. Some crises are situational and are abrupt and unexpected such as accidents. Other crises are existential which are conflicts within and are related to things as spirituality, direction and life purpose. It is very crucial to give victims of a crisis some counseling. This is to help the person experiencing it be able to confront the reality of the current happenings. Chronic crises can lead to trauma or stress which leads to mental illness. It is therefore, crucial that the counselors dealing with the crisis be very skilled and knowledgeable on how to handle these victims. Crisis counseling is an intervention on short term basis which is intended to offer assistance to the victims, give them support and resources and to make them stable and go beyond emotional trauma and pain towards opportunities for change and growth and to be strong. In this research paper we look at the Biblical perspective of crisis intervention. This is a very unique but effective way of dealing with crisis aftermath and especially when we compare it to the secular approaches. In order for the counselors to understand the spiritual needs of their clients, they have to understand and differentiate the characteristics that define the bible based therapy. When the Bible is relied upon for counseling and a crisis intervention, a client is likely to be returned to functioning safely and into coping levels, at the same time the client reestablishes a relationship with God. Crisis intervention and counseling in a Biblical manner should be accustomed by all who follow God. There is need to remind those suffering of the ever guidance and love of Jesus. Numerous crises occur every day and especially in the secular world that we are living in today and with the rise in technology hence Bible based guidance is much more needed. It is important to understand the benefits emanating from biblical crisis intervention. The crisis intervention and counseling through Bible helps an individual to go through a difficult state by relying on the bible and God. According to Phil Monroe, counseling from the Bible focuses on how to live in a faithful manner, to love mercy, to act in justly, and to walk in a humble manner in circumstances that we find ourselves in (MCP, 2007). There are two main needs in most of the clients: first, for one to be able to open up and speak of the unresolved pain. Second, for one to be given a surety that they are children of Gods love. These are apparent needs and which a counselor must attended. For a client who believes in God, it is paramount to be reminded of Gods love. It is very important for the faith of the client to be reestablished. If the client is not a believer, or no longer has faith in God, it would be a good opportunity to bring back the client to God when the crisis has been resolved. At the same time, it is important for the counselors not to take advantage of the individuals sufferings. The intervention and counseling for a crisis can as well be hectic and sporadic. As much as one has to understand the ground rules, it is always important to understand that when a situation heats up, it is a priority for the situation to be stabilized. The person doing the intervention must always be armed with scriptures or any spiritual and pastoral gifts in order to help the individual through the crisis (Read Mallet, 2003). The view of mankind as a sinner is also very important to consider in the biblical crisis counseling and intervention. We were all created in the likeness of God but we have fallen short of His glory hence making us all sinners in Gods eyes. This puts all clients and their counselors on the same ground in that none are righteous in the eyes of God since we have all sinned (Read Mallet, 2003). In giving out the counseling Biblically, it is important to note that one cannot minimize the crisis but can cope with the crisis. Many people experience the reality of suffering. According to Biblical counseling, suffering is an opportunity to explore our response to suffering and sickness and also gives us an opportunity to faithfully suffer. It is an honour to suffer in the name of Jesus. In second Corinthians chapter four, Apostle Paul speaks of suffering but he reminds believers not ever lose faith for our suffering has a purpose (crisis Intervention 2008). Why Biblical Crisis Intervention The Biblical crisis intervention is much needed in our world. We are a world of sin, which have fallen from the paradise and plan of God. Sin is rampant in the world but the Holy Spirit brings under control the full effects of sin. This is a reality that ensures that all people, those who believe and those who do not, suffer so as to experience the need for biblical crisis intervention (crisis Intervention 2008). Even if suffering is a reality, believers have hope of an eternity that is perfect after this life. The biblical counselor must know how to guide others as people live in a world of crisis. The counselor must know how to guide individuals in such a way that they return them to their original coping position before the crisis. The counselor then needs to guide the individual to a state of renewal or first conversion to Christianity. To save a persons soul should never be an afterthought, it is an important aspect in the biblical crisis intervention. When a person is reoriented back to Jesus, his or her faith is saved as well as attending to the worldly crisis (crisis Intervention 2008). Recent developments and defining characteristics The biblical crisis intervention is not static. Secular movements such as scientific psychology and postmodernism have been a big influence hence it would not make sense to ignore their influences. New techniques are continuously being developed thus the counselors add their perspectives which are unique hence it is important for counselors to be up to date with the disciplines recent developments (crisis Intervention 2008). Methodologies and sub disciplines for the biblical counseling intervention are being developed. It is a likely that a pastoral counselor will have to render help to the non believers in a post modern view point. It will often require the counselors to combine the science psychology with the postmodern view of the world (Schwartz Nicholas, 2007). Also therapy that is community based has grown significantly. This is a good realization that people do not cope or grow in vacuum instead they involve helpful interested parties. Since therapists in postmodern have given up their expert status, they have an interest to expand participants in therapy. They want to involve anyone undergoing therapy that has coalesced around a problem. Although this is a postmodern technique, it has as well been embraced by biblical counseling (Springerlink, 2005). Although these recent developments seem to merge the views of the postmodern, the secular science and the biblical therapy, it is still very obvious of the distinctive characters that will set apart biblical crisis intervention. One of the distinctive features of biblical intervention from the rest is that the counselors must relate with their clients as equal. This is because the counselor understands that the person whom he or she is relating with is created in Gods image hence worthy of respect and likable. At the same time, the client must also understand that mutual respect exists as well as a relationship between him or her and the counselor. Another distinctive feature in biblical counseling is that God is involved in every conversation or session. The pastoral counselors must help their clients enter into a conversation with God. With this unity the clients spiritual aspects are nurtured as well as addressed. Also when a client returns to God, he or she is in a better position to comprehend the meaning behind the suffering and to cope with it well. Benefits of pastoral therapy in comparison with secular therapy To a believer, biblical counseling has more benefits to him or her than the secular counseling. This is because of the spiritual experience. There is a high possibility of therapy succeeding when the counselor considers the clients cultural background. It is also important to evaluate the impact of the clients religion on the crisis at hand. This will facilitate total counseling of the client. This is a concept that is in contrast with the secular counseling. It had been assumed that there existed a universal scientific psychiatry that could address effectively all of the peoples emotional illnesses regardless of their cultural or social backgrounds. In the recent research, ethnic and cultural groups conceptualize mental illnesses variously based on their unique conceptualizations of both the cures and causes. Biblical counseling is better placed in helping out the client in many situations as it focuses on these unique cultural viewpoints. There is a high possibility that many people would not seek psychological help because of their personal religious views. Consequently, attitudes towards psychological disorders among religious groups will impact on a persons admission of a problem, and behavior to seek help. The writer of Hebrews explains that, we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:13) when we approach God with our problems. Thus, these individuals must be made to understand that the pastoral counselors could be the vessels that God uses to help them approach Him. The pastoral counselors need to understand that human beings are either in a relationship or out of fellowship with God. If the client is out of fellowship it is up to the counselor to bring them back to and if the client is in a relationship with God, then it is the counselors responsibility to help the client understand on how to seek guidance and strength from God (Crisis Intervention, 2008). As much as the biblical crisis interventions have more benefits than those of secular, it does not mean that they should be mutually exclusive. Human beings have many dimensions and since there is a connection between emotional and spiritual dysfunction and health, both psychological and pastoral resources must be integrated in order for a holistic healing to be achieved. Human beings have been provided by God the understanding ability of the external natural world and the psychological world which is internal. Counseling is more likely to succeed when there is a combination of the counseling lessons with those of the biblical teachings. Secular theologists find this concept very difficult. They have acknowledged the religious aspect of man just recently although it has been the cornerstone of biblical crisis intervention from the beginning (crisis Intervention 2008). In most cases, early childhood occurrences can have a lasting effect which can easily distort our perception of love of God. These misconceptions of the love of God may have lasting effects on the coping capabilities of a person. The childhood events can imprison us in beliefs which are distorted and which may misshape our perception of self, others and God. The foundation of cognitive counseling is that the dysfunction in psychology emanates from false beliefs and to be healed emotionally, one requires replacing lies with the truth. However, thoughts which are faulty cannot occur at the cognitive level of logical knowledge. We may have the precise information about ourselves and God in our heads. Instead, the faulty beliefs that misshape us normally transpire at the effective level of knowledge experience. Only biblical orientation can break free of these distortions hence the secular crisis intervention is unable to reinstate an individuals coping abilities since they are unable to restore a persons relationship with God. Another benefit that the biblical crisis intervention has over the secular is that biblical counseling acknowledges the significance of religious application to a rapid event. This benefit helps the client to understand who they are and ways of functioning within their society (crisis Intervention 2008). Focus on the event and the solution The Biblical crisis intervention uses two approaches. The two approaches are not mutually exclusive and focus on two aspects that are different. The first approach focuses on the event and challenges to alter the views of the client on the original event. This approach is also called the traditional therapy. The other approach focuses on the solution and tries to use the client, God and the precipitating event as a change catalyst. It is also called the Brief therapy (ITHACA, 2010). No matter the approach, identification of the crisis cause is very important and the main goal for the counseling is to make the client return to a coping level before the crisis. At the same time the pastoral therapist may attempt to return the client to his or her original comfort zone or may even stretch their zones of comfort to existing conditions (crisis Intervention 2008). The main reason for the biblical crisis intervention in counseling is the impact that the crisis can have on an individual. Our perception of reality or what is not real can be distorted by our worries. The worries that are often the source of the crisis or relate to a possible future crisis do not help the biblical counseling process. In fact, thoughts full of fear are normally exaggerated and can even make the problem to worsen (Popovich, S. 2010). The most important thing is to restore the copying abilities of the individual because when they are not restored the results would be disastrous. When a person is unable to cope with a certain crisis, the impending dangers would be depression, taking out anger on others in insults or violence, abuse of substance or even suicide. This affects the persons future coping as he or she will be left with feelings of failure and guilt and this affects his or her future coping mechanisms. This renders the client to have a downward spiral which moves from one crisis to another which then accumulates future crises resulting to a degraded lifestyle of the client (MCP, 2007). There are many factors that increase crisis effects. Some of the factors are expectations that are unrealistic, personality traits which are negative, a sense of identity which is faulty, a belief system which is faulty, and isolation. This could lead also to an advanced isolation and a loss of support from the loved ones. The main goal, therefore, of biblical crisis intervention and counseling is to try reduce the impact of the original crisis and hence to reestablish the mechanisms for copying (CCEF, 2010). The first approach (the traditional therapy) for the pastoral counselor is to establish a rapport and a relationship with the client while determining the perceived impact of the precipitating event. Some of the precipitating events may be intensely dehumanizing hence it is important to first reestablish the individuals humanness. The interventionist will have the need to confront the realities of shame and sin when helping the client. It helps to remind the client that we are all sinners and we all have fallen short of Gods glory (Roman 3:23). When the crisis intervention undertaking focuses on the solution, it becomes more complicated. This is because some individuals have a rough time overcoming the event even if they are well reestablished with God. The same way when Peter the Apostle denied Jesus the night of His arrest, even after the event, he lived with the shame and guilt of his sin (Mark 14: 66- 72). On the other hand, some clients are able to confront the situation but still need to be reminded of Gods love. They need to be reminded that according to the writer of Hebrews, God says I will never leave you, never will I forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5). At the same time, believers are encouraged to say, The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can human beings do to me? (Hebrews 13: 16). The second approach (the brief therapy) that the counselor will focus on is the possible solutions to the crisis. The main goal is to help the client in the least period of time as possible. This approach does not minimize the precipitating event rather it focuses on the future. The crisis may have been caused by many and complicated causes, hence the therapy focuses on what can be done in order to change the situation in the present and in future rather spending a lot of time focusing on an event that may or may not be able to be changed (ITHACA, 2010). The distinguishing feature between the traditional therapy and the brief therapy is that they focus on a treatment that is specific, with measurable and short term goals. The client and the interventionist work hand in hand to set up measurable objectives that they record after every session. This use of smaller shorter objectives make the clients feel like they are accomplishing something and also feel in control of their lives. The counselor is also there to help the client if they go astray (ITHACA, 2010). There is a major difference between the roles played by both the traditional therapist and the brief therapist. In traditional therapy, the counselor is seen as an expert hence a bit distant with the client, whereas in brief therapy, the counselor works in collaboration with the client to understand and to solve the problem. In brief therapy, the counselor is seen as a sister or a brother in Christ whereas in traditional therapy, the relationship is that of an expert and a subordinate. The relationship in the brief therapy allows for a position to evangelize when one is needed or desired (ITHACA, 2010). Biblical counseling controversies There are disagreements and movements that occur in Biblical counseling and crisis intervention. There are two known main movements within biblical counseling. The first movement is to discard all the secular techniques and counsel with only the Bible. The second movement is a movement that seeks to reduce the Bible usage within the Biblical counseling. Some denominational seminaries are the ones who discussed the first movement that biblical counseling should move away completely from counseling using secular theories to use of biblical teachings only. They contend that scripture is enough to address psychological problems. This movement believes that by incorporating secular counseling in pastoral counseling, the biblical counseling has lost its way and focus on God (Goliath, 2008). To defend their position, they quote the Bible in Pauls words that, all Scripture is God- breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that all Gods people may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3: 16-17). The implication that pastoral counseling is not biblically based is either totally ignorant or totally arrogant. Pastoral counseling and care which is not based on the Bible or theological integrity is deficient. Again, Biblical counseling that does not include awareness of psychotherapy has a danger to be abusive. This danger is that those with problems that cannot be wholly solved through scripture may not seek the help they need and probably will never recover. According to David Winfrey, when biblical counseling rejects the behavioral sciences, its discarding an important source of information which has been made available by God (Koenig, 2005). According to Phillip Monroe, the Bible is not a text book in counseling yet it is more than a pointer to God. It does not provide an all-inclusive methodologies or theories for counseling. However, it is not just a book that discusses God. It also points out truths about the human nature and life hence should be used together with counseling methodologies that are not in the scripture (MCP, 2007). Biblical counseling is based on the notion that each and every believer performs like a counselor to other believers. Secret knowledge, professional credentials, or guild are not needed. Even if some people may have wisdom and Christian maturity that enables them to deal effectively with complex people and issues, we will all be treated the same. Seek the face of God, love God and others in the moment, trust God for things you cannot change and when things seem dark and dismal, repent and trust God all over again each day (HOLY Bible). The pastoral counselor hopes to help the person being counseled to respond in faith when in fear, when angry, when confused or grieving. When this happens, person being counseled may have the experience of peace and joy also the confusion within will be minimal (MCP, 2007). The opposing movement has minimized the use of the Bible and uses at a larger extent secular approaches and only supplements religious thoughts when necessary. This movement poses the problem of minimizing the personal responsibility to God. Instead of being responsible to God and living His will, these secular techniques allow people to only be accountable to no one else other than themselves. The best and the approved biblical counseling and crisis intervention methodology incorporate techniques from both the Bible and the secular disciplines. This will help in giving the counseling service to both the believers and the non believers and the pastoral counselors can even evangelize to the non believers (Koenig, 2005). It is important to understand that its not by simply talking about God whether in a professional or an academic manner that will reorient individuals back to Jesus. When we combine reintegration to the church community with psychological therapy it provides both the long term support and the immediate guidance an individual will require to cope with the crisis at hand (Koenig, 2005). Conclusion The challenge for biblical intervention methodology is providing a valuable crisis assistance and support within the earliest time possible following victimization, and to make the resources and services available in order to meet the victims needs by providing a direct assistance or referring to other agencies (crisis Intervention 2008). The Biblical crisis intervention and counseling does not imply the end of the required therapy. When an individual has been established in a church community, much support is thereafter needed. When the crisis counseling is over, many church ministries continue to offer the long term help that is much needed by their clients. Since there is a unique relationship between the client and the counselor, it should be very possible for the life counseling and guidance sessions to continue. Biblical guidance is a beautiful way since it is a demonstration of the love of God for His people. The love and affection that the pastoral counselor displays is just a small token in comparison with the love God gives to those who believe in Him. This is a reality that guides the pastoral counselors in getting their clients back to God. At the same time, when we rely on Gods word, it reminds us of Jesus importance in our lives. As the Hebrew writer explains, the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews, 4:12). Again, in the Gospel of John, Jesus tells all those who believe in Him that Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free (John, 8: 32). Biblical therapy is counseling is not only focused on sin. It sees suffering as a given opportunity to suffer in faith as we discover how we respond to pains and sicknesses whether self inflicted or God oriented. How we respond to the difficulties that befall us reveals what we worship and seek in life whether its God, pleasure, comfort, perfection, and escape, to be safe or to be significant. The biblical crisis intervention and counseling is not focused on ending human suffering or teaching skills to end suffering, rather, it works with the broken and sinful people who live in sinful world and helps them live in a faithful manner and to trust in God the creator of all things. Biblical therapy strives to help people combine the worship of God and enjoy the blessings of being the chosen people of God. It also helps to reorient people in discipleship, mercy ministry and help them in sanctifying themselves. Biblical counseling works on the principle that the Bible has all the information we need to help us deal with our day to day problems. Most people believe that emotional and mental problems should only be dealt with the professional psychologists but this has been proved wrong since bible therapy has seen many people be able to cope to cope with their problems and even face others in future. Again, it has been proven that bible therapy is the best as it deals with the souls of human beings and pastoral counselors are well exposed to the wisdom of God.

Essay on Imagery in King Lear -- King Lear essays

Imagery in King Lear   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the immense amount of writing that William Shakespeare had done in his career as a playwright and or writer in general there are bound to be some consistencies and reoccurring themes that make his writing so popular and interesting.   In many cases it is hard to tell whether the thematic structure that many writers follow is intentional or not, but it is possible that there is a reasoning for a specific kind of imagery that a writer likes to outline his/her writing after.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are dominating images which are characteristic of Shakespeare's work throughout, however in some of the earlier plays they are very obvious and in many cases intentional.   Imagery, as defined by the Sixth Edition Handbook to Literature, is in its literal sense "a collection of images in a literary work that may be an object, phrase or entity."   The Handbook explains that imagery is often not intentional but seems to be a basis for a look at a deeper meaning of a certain piece of work.   It is important to be aware of certain recurrent images which are symbolic in Shakespeare such as the use of light and its components in Romeo and Juliet, disease and how it is used in King Lear and what I will be discussing in this paper the use of the heart as an entity and how it is used in the dramas written by William Shakespeare.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The heart image is seen literally over a thousand times in the works of Shakespeare with a frequency of almost thirty per play and mostly in the tragedies.   With so many references of the heart used in the tragedies and the typical time frame used to perform each play, which was about two hours, the audience might hear twelve to fifteen heart images an hour and... ...est of the play.   King Lear is a man who is portrayed as a very compassionate man who lives on the fact that his trust in his daughters will never be abandoned.   The betrayal by his loved ones sets up the impact of the play which in turn shows how dramatic the use of the heart and all of its imagery components is for King Lear.   At the end of the play when Lear loses his last daughter Shakespeare leads us to understand that he had lead a life of war and turmoil and has transformed himself from being a bitter, crusty, old man into becoming a caring and complete human being.   Some critics say that Lear might have died from a heart attack from all the stress he had to endure in such a short amount of time.   I think he died from a broken heart from the loss of his daughters, his sanity, and the peaceful life he so desired during his retirement from the throne.      

The Character of Rita in Educating Rita Essay -- Educating Rita Charac

The Character of Rita in Educating Rita In the play of Educating Rita, which is written by Willy Russell, there is a student aged twenty-six years old who is a hairdresser and also is a working class called Rita. Rita lives with her husband called Denny however Rita and Denny love each other so very much. Denny wants Rita to have a baby but Rita is on a pill to stop from having a baby, but Denny does not know about it, but then finds out later in the play. Rita wants to explore herself and learn, that is why she goes to University to find a tutor to help her learn. Willy Russell faced some problems when trying to introduce the play. He had to introduce 2 main characters, Rita and Frank. He introduced Rita as being really active and ambitious. It shows clearly when Rita enters Frank's room by saying "I'm comin' in, aren't I? It's that stupid bleedin' handle on the door?" this clearly shows the audience that Rita can be pushy and also bossy. I think that this gives the audience some thought of what Rita might be like in the rest of the play. Willy Russell also introduced Frank, his second main character. Frank is a teacher at a University and also a lecturer. In the first scene Willy Russell introduced to the audience that frank is not open and never gets something done when he wants it to be done on most occasions and it shows that he can be lazy. It shows clearly when Rita struggles to come into Frank's room because the door handle is stuck and she cannot get in, but then pushes harder and she finally gets in. Rita says, "You wanna get it fixed!" to frank but then Frank startles a bit and answers, "yes, I suppose I always mean toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦" This proves to the audience that franks is always stuck in his roo... ...door outside Frank's room. When Frank opens the door he is surprised at what Rita is doing and he did not expect it to be done. In conclusion I think Willy Russell made an effective way of starting the play because he had problems while trying to introduce the play, but for all the problems he had devices to support him and back up his ideas and also help him make his play. Willy Russell introduced the characters Rita and Frank by showing the audience what they are like and what they will be throughout the play. Willy Russell introduced the themes to the audience in an effective way too, he showed the audience that Rita wants Education and choices and that Frank wants relationship. Willy Russell makes the first scene dramatic and entertaining to the audience, which makes them stay to the very end and I also think that he made a good start to the play.

Microphytic Soil Crusts and Desert Ecosystems Essay -- Soil Soils Agri

Microphytic Soil Crusts and Desert Ecosystems Communities of micro-organisms create crusts on soils throughout semi-arid and arid regions of the world. These microphytic (also called cryptogamic) crusts are formed when all or some of a diverse array of photosynthetic cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), fungi, bacteria, lichens and mosses, bind together with inorganic particles in the first few millimeters of a soil. Microphytic crusts are dominant feature in desert soils; they are estimated to represent approximately 70% of desert soil biomass world wide (Belnap 1993). Un-restricted human activity (farming, livestock grazing, recreation) results in the denigration or destruction these prominent crusts. Many claim that soils and soil mechanisms are at the base of other ecosystem functions (Vitousek, Walker, Syers in Gillis 1994). In order to better understand and manage desert ecosystems, it is important to begin to understand how cryptogamic crusts form, what role crusts play in shaping desert soil properties, and further, how crust removal might effect soil quality and ecosystem stability. Crust Formation It is generally thought that the formation of microphytic crusts begins with the establishment of cyanobacteria or agal communities on the soil surface (Campbell et. al. 1989). There are many different types of algae and cyanobacteria which exist in the new crusts, however it is difficult to ascertain which types of organisms are responsible for which processes of early crust formation. Johansen postulates that crusts begin to form when filamentous cyanobacteria (as opposed to diatomic and nonfilamentous cyanobacteria or other algae) colonize the surface of soils in a period of moist weather (1993). As cyanobacter... ...ation and Dehydration. Soil Biology and Biochemistry v. 24:1101-1105. Johansen, J.R. (1993). Cryptogamic Crusts of Semi-arid and Arid Lands of North America. Journal of hycology v. 29:141-147. Loope, W. L., Gifford, G. F. (1972). Influence of a Soil Microfloral Crust on Select Properties of Soils Under Pinyon-Juniper in Southeastern Utah. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation v. July-August:164-165. Metting, B. (1991). Biological Surface Features of Semiarid Lands and Deserts. In Semiarid Lands and Deserts: Soil Resource and Reclamation , Skujins, J.(edt.). Marcel Dekker, Inc, New York. pp. 257-293. Skujins, J. Microbial Ecology of Desert Soils. :62-85. West, N. E. (1991). Nutrient Cycling in Soils of Semiarid and Arid Regions. In Semiarid Lands and Deserts: Soil Resource and Reclamation , Skujins, J.(edt.)Marcel Dekker, Inc, New York. pp. 295-327

Animism and the Alphabet: David Abram

Edward Chiang Professor Shaffer ENC1102 12 September 2011 Summary Assignment In â€Å"Animism and the Alphabet†, David Abram, a journalist in the Environmental Ethics and a founder of the Alliance for Wild Ethics (AWE), asserts that through the evolution of the human language, there is a widening gap in the relationship between humanity and nature. Through the examples of pictographic systems and hieroglyphics, Abram suggests that our earliest forms of writing stemmed off of our ecological origins and â€Å"remained tied to the mysteries of a more-than-human world† (30). As a result of these primitive methods of expression, Abram then describes humanity’s need to convey and define other terms that cannot be expressed through pictures: The development of phonetic script. This was the transfer of sounds and the speaking voice rather than a simple picture that depicts meaning through vision. This innovation came with the creation of the Semitic aleph-beth, later to evolve into our modern-day alphabet, which created a new detachment between human culture and the rest of nature. Abram believes that the major turning point in our connection with nature lies in the Greek’s lasting contributions to the written world allowing for the â€Å"indebtedness of human language to the more-than-human perceptual field†¦preserved in the names and shapes of the Semitic letters† (34) to be forgotten. Abram states that the Homeric epics ballads and songs in Greek culture supported the idea that men interact with the non-human world. These original â€Å"oral texts† (36) were first memorized through a series of formulas and then performed with the poets own creativity and improvisation; however, when these songs became the first large written texts, Iliad and the Odyssey obtained a timeless quality, remaining forever preserved on paper. Abram believes that it is through this alphabetic technology that â€Å"language was beginning to separate itself from the animate flux of the world† (38). Occurring†¦

The Genus Homo

The increase in brain size and decrease in jaw and tooth size are associated with the first appearance of the genus Homo; the archeological evidence of a shift in subsistence patterns is often assumed to be associated with behaviors unique to Homo, although this point remains to be definitely demonstrated. The taxonomic interpretation of early Homo fossils were considered contentious when they were first found, and in many ways it remains so today.The first discoveries of early Homo fossils were made at Olduvai Gorge, not long after Mary Leakey had found Zinj (now Australopithecus boisei) and Louis Leakey pronounced it to be the maker of gorge’s stone tools. Between 1960 and 1963, a series of fossils was uncovered close to the Zinj site, including hand and foot bones, a lower jaw, and parts of the top of the cranium (Wilford, 2007).There are very strict rules of convention that must be followed when a scientist names a new species of an existing genus. These involve a careful description of the new specimen to show how the animal fits in with the definition of the genus (in this case Homo) and how it differs from other closely related species. The naming of a new species of hominid has always been likely to touch off a good deal of lively discussion within the profession, so Leakey was certainly guaranteed that much. But the fact that at the same time he had to adjust the definition of the genus Homo in order to accommodate his new species transformed what might have been properly scholarly jousting into near outrage.Previous diagnoses of Homo had focused on the so-called cerebral rubicon: a hominid had to exceed brain size in order to be judged worthy of full manhood. The trouble was that different authorities put the threshold at different levels.The diagnosis offered by Leakey and his colleagues was more comprehensive, and included habitual bipedal posture and gait, a precision grip, and a brain capacity much smaller than previously proposed (Line, 20 05; Wilford, 2007).References:Line, P. (2005). Fossil Evidence for Alleged Apemen – Part 1: The Genus Homo [Electronic Version]. Creation Ministries International. Retrieved October 1, 2007 from http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/4450/.Wilford, J. N. (2007). Lost in a Million – Year Gap, Solid Clues to Human Origins [Electronic Version]. The New York Times. Retrieved October 1, 2007 from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/18/science/18evol.html?_r=1&ref=science&oref=slogin.

Personal Protective Equipment Essay

Personal Protective Equipment is of major significance in workplaces all over the world. As the use of personal protective equipment is important, it’s only an extra form of protection, necessary where all hazards haven’t been controlled through other means. Personal protective equipment consists of a range of clothing and equipment, which is to shield worker’s bodies from workplace hazards. It is widely used to decrease the exposure of employees to hazards, and to avoid employees from illness or injuries while at work. Employees are accountable for wearing the personal protective equipment properly and using the necessary protection for their tasks. Although there are several types of personal protective equipment used in a workplace, three of which are very essential and should be used correctly in order for the employee to have the ideal protection. They are protection to your eyes, head and ears (noise). Loud, extreme noise can damage an employee’s hearing ability if he or she is not using the right type of protection to prevent the noise. It is extremely important to have the right kind of personal protective equipment for your ears to protect them from the loud noises. There are three main types of ear protection used in a workplace. Earplugs are the most frequently used to help keep the noise level down. Some of which are disposable that are made to fit into the ear canal just right, and reusable earplugs, which tend to be more dependable than the disposable ear plugs. Types of pre-formed earplugs, called canal caps, are also used vastly. They are usually attached to a headpiece because they might get lost if they were not properly attached. Earmuffs for hardhats are also a good form of ear protection. When employees are in extremely loud and noisy places, they have a tendency to wear the earplugs and earmuffs at the same time. Ear protection generally filters out the stable unnecessary noise; making is safer to work in loud workplaces. Some people do not understand how loud the noise actually is to them, and how dangerous the noise could be when exposed to them without the appropriate type of protection. That is why it is very important to be wearing the right kind of ear protection in certain situations where it is loud in the workplace. Another main kind of personal protective equipment is protection for the  eyes. It is very important for people to avoid damage to their eyes, so it is essential to have the correct form of eye protection while in a workplace that may be dangerous to the eyes. There are several different types of eye protection, some of which include; goggles, safety glasses, face shields and helmets. For those people who wear glasses, they are able to get prescription safety eyewear so they can see well and still have safety to their eyes. Since there are different potential dangers to a person’s eyes, such as chemical splashes, and light rays, employees have to be sure to wear the correct type of eye protection while in their workplace. A person’s eyes can be severely damaged at a work place if they are not wearing the appropriate type of eye protection for the specific task in which they are doing. It is also very important to follow the safety steps while using the eye protection and doing your job. The chief kind of protection and injuries that all employees should be aware of is head protection and injuries to the head and how to avoid them. A key type of protection for an employee’s head is a hard head. A hard hat is a hat that has an outer shell to seize things that are going to strike you and an inner suspension system that absorbs the force to further protect your head. It is widely necessary for employees to wear protection on their head at all times while in their workplace. People can be hospitalized or even killed from head injuries, just from something falling out of nowhere and hitting someone on the head. A hard hat is the most widely used protection for the head, but there are also several different types of head protection available for different types of work and jobs. An employee doing a type of work dealing with flames and sparks, they tend to wear a skullcap that is flame resistant and protects the person from sparks that might fly up. When an employee is working in a place with close corners, they would normally wear a bump cap. A bump cap is lightweight and is not as big as the hard hats and do not protect your head from heavy things that might fall on it. Overall, personal protective equipment is very important in workplaces all over the world. Knowing what type of protection to use in certain areas of work and how to use it is also very important. Personal protective equipment is a major part of safety for employees and helps them avoid hazards as well  as injuries. There are many forms of personal protective equipment that helps to protect a worker’s body from hazards that might occur in a workplace. The employer is responsible for determining which type of personal protective equipment their employees will wear for their job. OSHA gives a list of personal protective equipment required for each job, listed in the Code of Federal Regulations, therefore employees should know exactly what type of protection to use, and how it will protect them from the dangerous hazards that might occur. Knowing the importance of personal protective equipment in a job will result in avoiding injuries and hazards and may save lives for those wh o use it and use it properly.

A case study of the retail chain NEXT Essay

Introduction In 1864 Hepworth & Son, a Gentleman’s Tailors store was established in Leeds. Hepworth then went on to buy the chain of Kendalls rainwear shops in order to develop a group of Womenswear shops which was called NEXT. Since 1982, NEXT has expanded in a variety of different ways, whether it has been by expanding on existing products or clothing ranges or by expanding into different areas, for example home interior ranges. On February the 12th, 1982,the first NEXT women’s wear store was opened. It introduced an exclusive and co-ordinated collection of stylised clothing as well as shoes and women’s accessories. By the end of July, NEXT had expanded greatly, forming seventy new shops. The collection ranges for men, children and home followed the opening of the women’s collection. In August 1984, NEXT launched their clothing range for men, and by December there had developed 52 shops. The same year, the first â€Å"mini† department store was opened in Edinburgh. This incorporated a cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ as well as Womenswear, menswear, and shoes. When NEXT launched their interior range of soft furnishings for the home in August 1985, the first department store, which had, Womenswear, menswear and interiors, was opened in Regent Street, in London. Between 1987 and 1988, NEXT launched both their Children’s wear collection as well as their directory, so that their customers were able to buy their products in the comfort in their home, with time to spare and look at the products carefully. In 1993, NEXT then announced the brand strategy of â€Å"One Brand Two Ways of Shopping†, which brought together the common ranges across both retail and home shopping formats. To further develop this strategy, in 1999 there was a launch of shopping on the Internet from the NEXT Directory at www.next.co.uk. NEXT is now trading from over 330 stores in the UK, in 16 countries worldwide, such as: Bahrain Cyprus, Czech Republic, Indonesia, Japan, Kuwait and Qatar, and has 49 stores overseas. It recently opened several larger stores in the UK in areas such as Bluewater Park and Liverpool. Methodology I have chosen to base my report on NEXT. I will be considering different aspects of the business, for example: objectives, organisation, culture, structure and communication channels within the business. I will then be examining how these factors are affecting the success of the business. As I am currently employed at NEXT, I can use this to my advantage in order to find out the information I will require in order to carry out my project. Being an employee at NEXT, I am involved in team talks which are carried out each morning, in order to discuss ideas and for the manager to notify all the staff the objectives and targets for the day, which are mainly involved with the amount of sales required in order to reach profit targets. Staff are also notified how much profit each division of the business (home, women’s wear, men’s wear and children’s wear) is making each day. This enables all the employees to discover how well the business is doing. I will also be using the Internet to visit the NEXT website in order to collect general information about the business, as well what they offer to customers. I will also be using certain websites ion order to further my knowledge in the areas I will be discussing within my report. In order to collect more specific and detailed information, I will be having a meeting with the store manager so that I can find out about how the business is doing financially, and how the managers ensure that objectives are met within the business. Business Ownership In 1986 Parent company, J Hepworth & Son changed its name to NEXT plc. NEXT is a public limited company (plc). A public limited company is an organisation, which has limited liability, which means that the responsibility for the debts of the company is limited to the amount of capital invested in the company. A public limited company sells shares to the general public on the stock exchange. Both private and public limited companies operate within the private sector. To set up a public limited company, application must be made to the Registrar of Companies in Cardiff. This application is accompanied by: – a statutory declaration. – a Memorandum of Association. – the Articles of Association. In addition to this, after receipt of a Certificate of Incorporation, a public company has to offer a prospectus to the public as well as share certificates to those who purchase shares. There are two types of shares, ordinary and preference Authorised share capital is the maximum number of each type of share that can be issued, as laid down in the memorandum of association. Issued share capital is the actual number of shares of each type that have been purchased and share premium is the difference between the nominal price of the share and its market price. The ownership of the public limited company rests with the shareholders. Control of the company is in the hands of the directors. Sight must never be lost of the fact that in many companies, major shareholders may choose directors and in turn directors may be shareholders. Both of these situations could prove to be detrimental to the interests of the remaining shareholders/directors. There are many advantages to be had from forming a public company compared with the formation of a sole trader or partnership. A few of these advantages are: * Limited liability. * Larger capital base, through the purchase of shares. * Separate legal identity ensures continuity of the business independent of the personal circumstances of the individual shareholder. Annual accounts and reports of a public limited company are subject to external review, therefore verifying the truth and accuracy of the financial control of the company. Disadvantages associated with this type of ownership are: * there are many legal formalities that must be complied with before the company can be set up. * activities are closely controlled by company law and the running of the company is subject to legal constraints. * accounts are public and this means a lack of privacy. * the company has to pay for an auditor to independently check the accounts. * the company is accountable to its shareholders and its creditors. * divorce of ownership from control can lead to a conflict of interest, as the aims of the shareholders, directors and management may not be the same, eg directors may want to grow the business over the long term, shareholders may be expecting a quick, high return on their money. * the performance of the company may not be reflected correctly in its share price. If the industry as a whole comes under pressure, then the firm, through no fault of its own, may suffer. * if the company is too large, it may lose its efficiency and become tied down in red tape â€Å"diseconomies of scale†. * they are subject to takeover bids. There is no way of stopping other companies buying big blocks of shares. * in practice, the small shareholder can do very little to influence the way the company is run. Culture and Objectives One of NEXT’s most important objectives is to profitably expand their selling space, as they believe that new space would continue growth of sales and profits in the years ahead, as it would enable them to offer customers a greater choice of product in a more comfortable shopping environment. They are continuing to develop and expand their product ranges, as they believe an understanding of their customers, combined with their design skills, can genuinely add value. The business is innovative as they are able to come up with new ideas to match changes in the business environment as well as changes within the markets, yet they still keep a high quality image of brand. The style, quality and value of their ranges remain their highest priority. They believe that it is important for the product to make the brand successful. They continue to pass benefits of better buying, by offering the same quality product at lower prices or better product at the same price. This effort will ensure that the business continues to go forward. Within the store team, team talks are held every morning so that the employees have time to talk to the managers within a group about ideas and suggestions that could be made within the business. This way the employees feel as if they have a greater involvement with what goes on. This relates to task culture. The managers have to encourage teams and listen to them rather than just telling than what to do. They think that everyone should be involved, so ideas can be shared and everyone feels involved. This way people feel committed to the changes that may be made to the culture of an organisation rather than seeking to resist it. Objectives and targets are set each morning for the day to ensure that aims are met and that they meet their profit targets for the day. The drive to profitability helps shape the attitudes, values and beliefs in the organisation. In this business organisation their role culture involves the objectives of maximising sales and making profit. All members of staff have a defined role to carry out which is determined by their job description. Role culture is normally split up into a number of functions that are organized in a hierarchical way, for example Next divide themselves into various functions like accounts, marketing and production. This type of culture works by logic and rationality. Role culture is mainly used in large organization. In this culture position in the main source of power and rules and procedures are the main source of influence. NEXT takes social, environmental and ethical matters seriously. They are committed to corporate social responsibility from Board level and throughout their teams and group. The Group has taken actions to contribute to ethical trade and, within commercial constraints, sustainable development. The Board has identified and assessed the key business risks, issues and opportunities that have come about due to social, environmental and ethical matters. An executive director has responsibility for these matters and considers all aspects of the Group’s behaviour. NEXT’s efforts to improve development will continue to focus on waste and climate change. They have taken steps to reduce waste and in particular have reduced use of energy and CO 2 release per square meter over last year. The Group will continue these ideas where commercially possible. NEXT’s social policy involves the diversity of its workforce, and safety and ethical requirements for suppliers. People are a key asset to the business, so treatment towards them is very important. They have developed policies for recruitment, training and development of personnel, which are contained in staff handbooks. The business is committed to achieving excellence in the areas of health, safety, welfare, fire prevention and protection of the working environment and has therefore taken up policies aimed at minimizing risks in the Group’s activities in order to make sure that they do not harm employees, customers or the general public, all of whose interests are regarded as critical to business success. NEXT believes that employees have equal opportunities, and will continue to make sure that they offer career opportunities without discrimination. The Group continues to improve the health, safety and well being of its employees. A major health and safety programme has been applied throughout the Group, with increased training in NEXT Distribution and improved communication between staff and management. Increased resources have been dedicated to the promotion of health and safety matters during the year and the Board has reviewed the resulting policy. The Group’s ethical policy is extended to its suppliers. NEXT Brand introduced a supplier Code of Practice in 1998 in respect of working conditions, including ‘minimum compliance standards’ for child labour, environmental protection, wages and other issues. A team of dedicated auditors, based in the UK and overseas, work to inform, monitor and improve supplier fulfillment to the Code of Practice. In 2002 the Group became a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative in addition to its commitment to its own Code of Practice. NEXT has a well-established corporate charity and sponsorship programme, donating time, funding and resources to a wide group of local and national charities. A committee made up of employee representatives have regular meetings to ensure that varied ranges of charitable causes are supported. FINANCIAL OBJECTIVE The financial objective of the NEXT is to maximize long-term growth in earnings per share. Over the last five years their earnings per share has increased by 86%. They aim to grow their earnings per share by continuing to progress the main operating profit of the NEXT Group. This will mainly be achieved through the development of product ranges, expansion of their selling space and the growth of their home shopping business. It will also be achieved by continuing to enhance growth in earnings per share through the buying back of shares for cancellation as and when it is in the interests of shareholders. DEVELOPING THE NEXT DIRECTORY NEXT have two main objectives in NEXT Directory. These are to increase the number of people using the Directory by increasing their customer base and also by increasing the size of offer available to order from home through increasing the number of pages. The Board sets objectives and annual targets for the Chief Executive to achieve. The Board is responsible for general policy on how these objectives are achieved and gives the achievement of that policy to the Chief Executive. The Chief Executive is required to report to the Board at each meeting all material matters affecting the Group and its performance. NEXT also aims to expand sizes of their stores. The drive for new space is decided by strict financial criteria. Every new store aims to pay back the net capital invested in less than 24 months and to achieve at least 15% store profit on sales before distribution and central costs. When appraising new stores the store must achieve its investment criteria on the basis of its expected first year sales. FUNCTIONAL AREAS Within Next, the functional areas have been categorised into three main sectors. These function areas in the business help Next meet their objectives in different ways. The management team give directions to the staff so they are able to meet objectives They have the management team, which are in charge of all the subdivisions of the functional areas, the operational area which involves marketing, administration, finance and accounts, human resources and marketing. These sections then branch off into smaller areas such as: Delivery and Replenishment- where all the products delivered to the store from the warehouse are unpacked, checked off, and then prepared to be taken down to the shop floor, or to be stored within the stock rooms. In order to prepare the items of clothing, they are tagged, for security reasons, and then placed on a hanger with the correct cube indicating the size of the item. Delivery actions have to be carried out quickly and efficiently so that the stock can reach the shop floor ready for replenishment. This needs to be carried out in the correct sizes so that the stock levels are controlled Health and safety-Both the health and safety of the staff and the customers have to be considered. All members of staff have to sign in when entering the store and sign out when leaving. Also, visitors have to follow the same process in case of a fire or any other emergency, which may lead to people having to evacuate the building. This will enable the identification of whom, if anyone has not been able to evacuate the building so they can be brought to safety. Other health and safety regulations have to be followed, for example, and pin tags have to be picked off the floor to prevent injuries from people stepping on them. Health and safety ensures that everyone’s safety within the store, including the customer as well as the staff is maintained at all times. Space management and Best sellers- The best selling stock are placed in the best selling spaces, which is usually directly in front of the entrance where it is easily seen by the customer to attract more customers and therefore maximise profits. The third sector they have is the commercial area, which involves, till service, fitting room service, security, front cover, shoes and general customer service. A high level of customer service is provided on the shop floor so that customers feel welcome and make repeat purchases as they feel in a comfortable and friendly shopping environment. Finance and accounts Within Next, the financial area of the business is extremely important as it analyses how well Next is meeting its objective of maximising profits. This area within the business has to keep an exact and very detailed record of the money paid in and out. Also various financial records have to be produced at regular periods, for example balance sheets and profit and loss accounts. This is so that the amount if profit and income the company is getting can be analysed clearly to determine its success or any adjustments that need to be made if the income is low, in order to maximise profits that next is receiving. Next have subdivided their finance and accounts area into two further function areas. One area is the management accounting function. This provides the managers with figures, which will help them to make decisions, perhaps about pricing decisions, within the business that could help them better their financial position. This functional area has the capability and the responsibility to shift the company in specific directions by making decisions in relation to the analysis of figures, and enables them to use these figures to make predictions for the future. Improvements that Next may decide to make are based upon the information extracted from breaking down of the figures to display the performance of the business. If the performance is not satisfactory then targets are set for the business to achieve to better its performance. Also limitations of spending may be set for specific areas of the business, by using certain control systems such as budgeting. The cashiers department, within the accounting functional area, involves the collection of any cash or other payments from each till within the store so that the cash transactions can be analysed and the sum can be checked. Other payments to the store through cheques or payments through bank accounts are also handled in this department, and then these will be recorded in cashbooks or within the stores’ computer system. The wages department is in charge of managing the payrolls by calculating and paying the wages. The information needed to calculate these figures are obtained from the timetables of hours worked by the employees on each department within the store, so that the amount of pay they receive is accurate. The second subdivision within the finance and accounts area is the financial accounting function, which keep records of any financial events that may have occurred in order to keep summaries of financial dealings. Any debtor or creditor details must be recorded as well as accounts of the amount of money being paid into or out of the business. To ensure the company does not give out incorrect wages, factors such as national insure will need to be calculated and deducted from ones wage. Other financial accounts have to be provided such as annual reports so that figures can be easily obtained ready for discussion between the directors. Marketing Within this area of the business, it is important that customer requirements are identified, anticipated, and satisfied beneficially in terms of profit. This again links to Next’s main objective of maximising profit. Although marketing and sales is combined in Next, they both have distinctions between them. The marketing area have to persuade the company to produce what the customer wants, whereas the sales area have to persuade the customer to want whatever the company may be producing. The marketing department have to look into what the customers wants and needs are, therefore research, especially primary research, has to be carried out to find out details about the market for example, who is in it, what this particular market wants, where, how, and at what price one way of finding out this information through primary research is to carry out questionnaires. Although Next do not produce their own products, their marketing area has a close link with the producers of Next’s products to ensure the requirements of the customers are closely related to the development of the product. Other tasks carried out by the marketing area are pricing, distribution, advertising, packaging and promotion. All these factors must be considered carefully to ensure the success of the product. Human resources Within Next the human resources management area, also known as the Personnel debarment, is involved with recruitment, market share, liability, organisational structure, type of ownership, motivating workers and industrial relations. Research and development: Within Next, the research and development area is linked to the commercial department, as its functions are commercial, which are achieving and furthering the aims of the business. This is achieved by improving existing products or creating completely new ones, operational processes are also improved to ensure the products are also improved successfully. Advice is given to the company in order to lead them in the right direction throughout the course of improving their products and processes. If this flow of new and improved products were not carried out then Next would be unlikely to remain successful, as they would still have their unsuccessful products, which would bring no income into the company, therefore the profit will start to fall. Administration The administration area within next work towards provided the employees with any documents needed, communicating messages as well as dealing with any enquiries. MANAGEMENT STYLES The structure of an organization depends a lot on its management style. The main management style used in Next is Democratic this is a system based on equality of all members of their community. This allows the main managers to develop. The staff within Next are given a framework with which they are given more responsibility and the opportunity to make decisions. However, employees are still encouraged to take part in decision-making. Therefore these individuals are held responsible for any decisions that they may chose to make. This recognizes employees are stakeholders in the organization. The democratic leader listens to all staff and is willing to take suggestions on board. Advantages for this type of style is that it helps motivate employees well because it makes them feel like they are being appreciated. Also the employees are well informed about the organizations aims and future plans. However it can lead to disadvantages as well as it is difficult to apply. Autocratic styles are sometimes also used in next under certain circumstances. This is when one person has absolute power. The managers make all the decisions without consulting the employees. Employees can get unmotivated by this, therefore causing a negative atmosphere in the workplace. However there are some situations where harsh leadership is vital. Advantages of this are that quick decisions can be made and there is no time wasted on discussion resulting in the business saving time and money. Next only use this method when quick decision-making is vital, usually by the manager, for example; if there is a close deadline to be met, but it rarely has a negative effect on the staff, as it is not used to intentionally exclude members of staff. Consultative management also takes place within next and this develops their democratic style with which workers are asked opinion. Before any decisions are made, the manager consults their team. Employees discuss the problem and views taken into consideration. The decision is the managers but based on the conclusions of the group. The advantages of this are that it helps to motivate staff as they are aware that they have a say in the business to some extent as with the democratic style, but their decisions are not necessarily what the company goes by. The disadvantages of this are that it is time consuming and effort will be needed by a manager to do this. The Management encourages employees to set goals in line within the organization aims. This is management by objective. The employees are reviewed regularly in performance appraisals. The advantages of this style are that it will increase efficiency of individuals and help to motivate them and train them so they are productive. However, the disadvantages of this is that it needs to be well organized and will not work in highly structured jobs. The Democratic style is the management style that Next adopts in general. This sort of management style involves empowerment. With this type of management style it allows the manager to feel comfortable with other people in the organization making some of the decisions. Democratic managers will often want feed back from their employees on decisions being made. Democratic leaders therefore have to take time to listen and perhaps act on the opinions of the group. This type of management is good as it makes the employees happy and productivity is high. This is very good because employee’s thoughts and suggestions are listened to by the business. This makes the employees seem as if they are respected and that their thoughts are valid. Management delegation The Chief Executive has delegated authority for the day-to-day management of the business to operational management drawn from executive directors and other senior management who have responsibility for the particular areas. The most important management meeting is the weekly NEXT Brand trading meeting, which considers the performance and development of the NEXT Brand through its different distribution channels. It considers all business aspects of risk management in respect of the NEXT Brand including sales, property, product, systems, warehousing and personnel. Key performance indicators are monitored daily and weekly. Risk management The Board is responsible for the Group’s risk management process. It has given responsibility for achievement of the risk management process to the Chief Executive and senior management best qualified in each area of the business. The Board sets guidance on the general level of risk, which is acceptable and has a considered approach to evaluating risk and reward. The Board confirms that it has again carried out a review of the effectiveness of the Group’s system of internal control covering financial, operational, fulfillment and other controls and risk management. This includes identifying, evaluating, prioritizing and revising risks, determining a control strategy for each significant risk and consideration of how each risk might impact on the achievement of the business objectives. Risk management and internal control is a continuous process for the Board and has been considered on a regular basis during the year. The Board promotes the development of a strong control culture within the business. During the year the Board addresses the business risks that have been identified as vital, including a review of these risks that takes into account any changes in circumstances over the period. The Board considers that the Group’s hierarchical structure of management and continuous monitoring of key performance indicators provides the early warning mechanisms necessary to identify any areas of concern. Communication channels Communication with employees Team briefing/ team talks- internal and formal This is carried out each morning with all members of staff working that morning shift and all the mangers within the store. This gives an opportunity for suggestions to be made and opinions to be shared by members of staff. It gives them motivation as they feel part of a team, as they are able to discuss their views on certain areas. The manager also sets targets for the day and informs the employees of the success or failures which have been encountered. Training (Face to Face)- internal and formal This method of internal communication will result in successful communication with customers through an external channel. The employees at next need to be informed on how certain tasks are carried out before they start working at the store. This is to ensure that they are able to see to any queries the customer may have. Training the staff will ease the workload of the managers, as they are able to help with the tasks involving customers on the shop floor and therefore help achieve the business objectives. Also, incentives may be given to staff if their hard work is identified, this may motivate the employee to work hard in order to be rewarded. Performance Appraisals-internal and formal This form of communication occurs between the floor manager and the individual members of staff working on that particular floor. This process involves the evaluating of the performance of the individual employee. The manager then provides feedback to the employee on areas where adjustments may need to be made involving performance. This process acts as development experiences, which should enable the employee to improve knowledge and understanding in preparation for future responsibilities. Expectations and requirements are expresses by the manager so the employee is able to set targets to better his/her performance. Notice Board – informal and internal This method of communication is used within Next to inform employees about different subjects, for example; events that are due to occur, or perhaps reminders are highlighted to be remembered whilst working, for example customer service. Letters stating the progress and objectives of the business are also placed on the board so it is clear to the employees what they are aiming to achieve. Roster – formal and internal The rosters within next are held on the shop floor and ensure that all members of staff have a clear indication as to what tasks they will be carrying out throughout their shift. They are given set tasks every hour for example: till service, fitting room running, etc, this motivates the staff as they will not get bored by having to do the same thing all day (job rotation). Communication with customers Customer service Within Next customer service is essential within every task carried out be the employees. The person on front cover has ensure the customer is greeted on entering the store, and if there are any customers already in the store must be approached and asked if they require any help. Employees of next are taught to put the customer first in all circumstances, as they are the ones who are supporting next financially. When serving customers on either the till or fitting rooms, they should be greeted and ask if they require any help, in a polite and friendly manner. If a customer requires an item alternatives could be offered as well in order to increase sales. Internet Selling – external communication The Next directory has a link with the next website where customer are able to view and purchase clothes, through online shopping, from next in the comfort of their own homes. The website used is www.next.co.uk Special Offers – external communication This communication method is used to attract customers to buy products at reduced prices, however, after having entered the store customers usually decide to purchase other products they like which may be full priced, increasing Next’s profit. Window Displays Existing items that are in the store are arranged in an eye-catching mode and then put on display in the window, so any passers by are able to view items in the shop without having to enter. This may attract new customers who have not visited the store before. Quality assurance + adding value Next do not have a great deal to do with the production process however to ensure the quality of the products are the highest standard possible, the best quality manufacturers are used. The items are continuously checked within the warehouse as well as when they are received by the individual stores. If there are any faults in the garment when being checked in the circulation, then these items are withdrawn and renovated. This process is defined as quality control, and is involves with the detection and removal of any products that fall below the set standard after they have been produced. Quality assurance involved attempting to prevent any faults from occurring in the first place. All the returns are monitored and if a trend occurs in the fault of a garment, then the manufactures are contacted in case there is a fault within the production process. The products are tested to ensure they are highly durable, and therefore of o high quality. Value is added to Next’s products by its quality assurance and control. The way in which the marketing area of Next carries out its research ensures that sufficient information is obtained about the expectations of consumers so that quality standards required from the consumers is created. This adds value to the product, as the consumers will be more willing to pay for the product as it is at a high quality. Next have to accept the fact that their designs will not enable them to ‘get it right’ every year, so they have to take some risks. Small companies are able to do this and can go on touch; however, larger companies cannot and so therefore need to have systems. Any mistakes that next happen to make with any designs of their products do not last too long, as they have a short product cycle because they work in seasons. Each new season brings new products. This enables next to bring in new clothing designs and improve on the designs, which were not a success; this will mean further marketing research. However, any products which proved to be a success can be carried over to the next season so that Next can keep their income rate high as they already know the product is successful. Impact of ICT The retail systems used by Next are their own as they are packages that they wrote based on their models. They invented them themselves, however, they’ve outsourced their mainframe computers and payroll packages. The use of ICT allows the different functional areas within next to pass their information through from one to another. This enables them to work together more efficiently as each area has the same information to work with. For example, this can be used for means of administrative work so that any paperwork that concerns costumers can be passed out to the required functional areas within the business Internal ICT Communications used by Next use ICT to communicate both internally externally. This includes communication between managers for example faxing is used to contact each other because they have a fax machine located within their office, therefore they are able to keep a record of what has been communicated, for example, records or letters. If management need to be contacted by the employees from anywhere within the store then pagers would probably be the alternative to contact them, as it is heard throughout the store so they will receive it straight away, whereas with faxing, it may not be received straight away as they may not be in their office. At the till point customers are able to purchase their items, as well as order items in. This can be done as the till enables one to check what items are available to order from the warehouse, or whether any local stores have them, if so then the item can be sent to the store. The till keeps an account of what items have been sold so best sellers can be identified and the worst selling products can be improved on. It allows more information to be exchanged or to be researched within the store Internet selling is one main use of ICT within Next; it allows customers to shop and purchase whilst at home so they are able to take time to view products. Also it may appeal to more people who are often too busy to come out shopping. It is an effective way for next to maximise their profits. It also has informative areas on the website which show annual reports of the business to indicate how successful a year it has been. This idea of online shopping may not be such a good idea in some ways as the customer is unable to try products before purchase so if it doesn’t fit it will have to be returned. Within the financial area of the business the current accounts are stored as files on the computer, to keep it organised well and to ensure it is easily accessible. Also, with the use of specialised software, the procedures involved with accounting are simplified a great deal. Success of meeting objectives: PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT Turnover and profit figures are set out in the table below: Turnover Profit Excluding VAT Before Tax 2003 2002 2003 2002 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½m à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½m à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½m à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½m NEXT Retail 1,579.7 1,359.7 213.9 188.2 NEXT Directory 471.7 362.2 65.1 49.2 The NEXT Brand 2,051.4 1,721.9 279.0 237.4 NEXT Franchise 22.7 19.1 4.4 3.7 Ventura 97.4 101.9 11.2 13.0 Other activities 31.1 28.8 15.1 2.5 ESOP charge (8.2) (8.0) Turnover & operating profit 2,202.6 1,871.7 301.5 258.6 +17% Interest (expense)/income (0.3) 7.2 Profit before tax 301.2 265.8 Taxation (90.7) (76.0) Profit after tax 210.5 189.8 +11% Earnings per share 68.7p 58.1p +18% The profit and loss account above clearly indicates that Next has successfully met its objective of maximising profits as it has increased a further 11% since 2002. Next have continued to make good progress within the year 2003. Earnings per share rose by 18% to 68.7p and were improved by the useful effect of the share buybacks in the last two years. Next want to own fewer, bigger stores in order to take advantage of the economies of scale. This is a strategy in which they have been working on for the past few years. They are not interested in growing the number of stores in all areas, they have generally chosen to expand into towns, which they would prefer their stores to be in, and now they have stores in these areas chosen. Each store has to fit their model in terms of footfall and the time in which it will pay back their investment. Next currently have a 4-5% market share in the UK, but they hope to increase this up to about 8% in the next five years. However it is important that they do not dilute their management by diversifying the business or expanding into Europe. The Corporate strategy of next: From the early 1990’s Next have resisted all attempts to increase the number of clothing brands that they operate because they were convinced that expansion would lead to the failure of the NEXT Brand. The success that they have achieved over many years as a result of product development, the progressive move to larger stores and the increase in the number of home shopping customers, shows that that it is right to continue with their strategies as it is obvious that they are being met successfully due to the success of the business. Although Next retail is what Next is most associated with, the Next Directory is also proving to be financially successful and has a turnover of almost à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½500m and is one of the few really profitable home-shopping companies in the UK. Next’s ability to generate cash enables them to continue to buy back their shares when it is in the interests of our shareholders. This is an important part of their aim to deliver long-term growth in earnings per share. The success of NEXT is due to the following factors: Their focus on providing their customers with the product they want. The strength and skills of a good, well motivated management team that is honest to recognize its mistakes and quick to put them right. The support of their suppliers with whom they work in partnership to achieve good quality and value for money products. Also, the enthusiasm and dedication of all their employees who take great pride in the success of their company. Next Retail Financial Performance YEAR 2003 2002 %Change SALES 1, 121.0 944.8 15.7 OPERATING PROFIT 130.4 113.6 12.9 PROFIT BEFORE TAX 123.2 115.8 6 PROFIT AFTER TAX 85. 7 81.1 5.4 EARNINGS PER SHARE 31.7p 25.5p 19.5 Next Directory Financial Performance 2003 2002 % change à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½m à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½m Sales (exc VAT) 247.1 215.3 +15% * Active customers 1.58m +17% * Printed pages 1, 246 +20% * Disappointing profit growth Next is expected to continue to maintain its solid operating performance and strong free cash flow generation, while carefully managing its maximum potential share buyback of up to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½600 million during the financial year of 2004. In order to continue this solid operating performance, there needs to be flexibility within the company’s supply chain and stores. Next has to maintain its successfulness of the correct levels of inventory and the capability of being able to respond to changes in fashion with shorter lead times. They need to keep a disciplined and controlled and expansion strategy. Also a relatively simple company structure needs to me maintained to allow successful communication and to allow any problems to be solved together as a team. However, their organizational objectives may not be successful, as the profit growth is rather disappointing. A stronger relationship will need to be built with customers so that they are able to develop a better reputation for excellence and increase brand loyalty of the customers so that they carry out repeat purchases in next as they are familiar with their products and are satisfied with them. Organisational structure Although outside the individual next store the structure seems rather tall, in terms of individual Next stores the structure would most probably be classed as being a flat structure as the store manager is in charge of all of the smaller functional areas, which are then in charge of their own section and their staff. This ensures that the span of control is shared, so managers have a shared amount of people to supervise. This therefore results in equal distribution of workload, so the managers are able to carry out their duties effectively. Also with this flat structure, communication is not as limited as people are more accessible to communicate with, as there are more managers of different areas within the business. However, if there were fewer managers then this would mean that they would not be able to communicate with all members of staff as there would not be enough time available to do so, which may result in lowered motivation levels for the employees. Simplified representation of organisational structure: Chief executive Sales director Regional manager Area manager Store manager Administration Finance Human Research and Marketing Production Resources development Organisational Strength: Next plc’s strength is their adult fashion range, which is for people aged between 20 and 40; these items are sold under their own label. This is their main target group. Although some of Next’s competitors find it difficult to satisfy the needs of this particular segment within the market, however, Next has managed to achieve this successfully in the past by selling their products at relatively low prices. With their label, next associate their good quality of clothes used as well as good workmanship. Because next are using their own brand, they are able to react on consumer wishes very quickly and therefore have total control over the total quality management. Organisational Weaknesses: The e-commerce section can make further gains. Next sees the Internet as an extension of perhaps the telephone in which people can order their product online. It is a simple process, which only really requires the vehicle that will get the orders to the retailer. At present, it is uncertain whether e-commerce will be the future of shopping and if customers are satisfied just sitting on the computer to chose their clothes, however, if the trend in internet shopping goes further, then unfortunately Next would be in a bad situation in comparison to its competitors as its platform isn’t sufficient enough. Another weakness is the concentration of similar type of clothing retail companies on the UK market. This may damage the next if its competitors gain market share or if consumers change their habits and next cannot adapt to these changing trends quickly. To spread into foreign markets could perhaps balance any possible risk of decreasing sales. A policy such as this would strengthen Next’s position if the pound became weaker or if the government decided to join the monetary union. As Next uses democratic management styles, they highlight open communication, which is based on self-managing teams. These teams are able to share the workload of the managers therefore objectives can be met more quickly and efficiently, rather than the manager being left to carry out a load of work with a lack of communication with the staff. Also this high level of communication ensures all members of staff are aware of the task in hand so they are able to provide a high level of customer sevice and can help meet the requirements of the customer. Alternative approaches could be used in order for Next to meet its objectives better: The employees could be given more power and responsibility and make them feel more part of team. This would involve changing the culture, in order to make the staff more of a team. The structure will then be flatter, people will work in teams less of a hierarchy, less feeling of a division between staff and managers. Alternative or more motivation methods could be used so that the employees feel more sense of belonging and feel more included in the business so are happier working there, and this will be reflected in the way they work and come across to customers, which will probably be more enthusiastic and willing to help. Bonus incentives could be a form of motivation, as it will mean that the employees are more willing to work harder and at their best in order to achieve a bonus. Next could also carry out the process of share save, where they buy shares at reduced rates, and therefore have more money that could be spent on expansion of stores or developing new and developed products. Good quality and price This factor is key for success. One way to achieve this object is possibly to look for a supplier who is located in an emerging market to participate at low labour costs. However, this country should have a clothing manufacturing background, for example India, Turkey or Hong Kong, so that it is easy to recruit well-trained employees. Furthermore, the supplier should be a part of the production process, so that stock capacity can be reduced. A quality officer from Next should be at the suppliers at all times in order to guarantee the high quality of clothes. To lower the costs and to gain a better trade position, suppliers should be reduced to a minimum and therefore new price conditions negotiated. This can lead Next to low costs and high quality in the long run. Relationship between next and its environment The green issue is gaining greater importance and Next should aim to make further progress in this area. The production process should ensure that Next guarantees that plants are environmentally friendly. The factories should contain filters so that erosion is reduced and any used chemicals are biologically decomposed. Another area is labour force. Next and its supplies should try and aim their production to be carried out successfully and without child labour. This should be communicated to the customers of Next. Shopping as an event Value should be added for customers, customer care and service should be provided in general. Next should ain to expand their smaller branches into superstores, so that customers are offered special services, i.e. clothing consultancies, childcare. In order to attract more customers and help them enjoy their shopping experience small events should be held. Next could perhaps place a small cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ or resting area in the store for inactive people who are not engaged in the process of shopping. In order for the main aim of â€Å"double digit growth† to be achieved and for next plc to get a better position in the market, a strong brand and good service should help lead to this.