A Woman and Her Doll- Ruth Handler

In 1959 the world of toys was changed forever by a woman under 12 inches tall, Barbie. Barbie was a pioneer in a time when baby dolls with cubby, rosey cheeks dominated the market. She was the first mass marketed adult-like doll and one of the first toys to have a marketing strategy based on television advertising. Since Barbie’s debut at the New York Toy Fair, in her zebra bathing suit, she has kept pace with the times and sported many influential and influenced looks over the decades.It is now estimated that over a billion Barbie dolls have been sold worldwide in over 150 countries (Wikipedia, â€Å"Barbie†). M. G. Lord, author of â€Å"Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of a Living Doll,† called Barbie the most potent icon of American culture of the late 20th century. She's an archetypal female figure, she's something upon which little girls project their idealized selves. For most baby boomers, she has the same iconic resonance as any female saints, a lthough without the same religious significance. Lord, Forever Barbie) Behind this icon of pop culture was a woman by the name of Ruth Handler. Ruth and her husband, Isador â€Å"Elliot† Handler founded Mattel in 1942. But it wasn’t until Ruth’s revelational busty figured, blue eyed, platinum blonde came on to the scene, that business really started booming.Handler’s inspiration came from watching her young daughter play. Barbra, whom Barbie was named after, showed little interest in playing with her baby dolls. Instead she preferred to dress up her adult-like cut out paper dolls. Every little girl needed a doll through which to project herself into her dream of the future,† Handler said, in a 1977 interview with The New York Times. â€Å"If she was going to do role playing of what she would be like when she was 16 or 17, it was a little stupid to play with a doll that had a flat chest. So I gave it beautiful breasts. † Barbie has undergone a lot of changes over the years and has managed to keep up with current trends in hairstyles, makeup and clothing. She has been a reflection of the history of fashion since her introduction to the toy market.The book â€Å"Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of a Real Doll,† discusses Barbie and her attire. Early outfits included â€Å"Friday Night Date† and â€Å"Sorority Meeting. † In years to follow, Barbie sported a Jacqueline Kennedy hairdoo and during the civil rights movement, Mattel created Barbie’s first black friend, â€Å"Colored Francie. † There have been many critics along the way, commenting on Barbies scientifically impossible body and â€Å"questionable portrayal of intelligence† (Kershaw, The New York Times).But as I and many others see it, Barbie has enhanced girl’s self-image and encouraged them to reach for stars and expanded their sense of potential. Over the past 50 years, Barbie has had vast and numerous c areers, from a surgeon to a gymnast to an astronaut. Ruth Handler and Barbie gave little girls all over the world the inspiration to dream of what they could one day aspire to be. Not only did Handler create a revolutionary doll with breasts, she also invented the worlds very first prosthetic breast (Ladies Home Journal Books).In 1970, Ruth was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to have a mastectomy. At the time women were using lumpy socks and rolled up pantyhose to try to help resemble what they had lost in the surgery. Ruth saw this as unacceptable according to Veronica Horwell of the Guardian. With the help of a craftsman named Peyton Masses, Handler designed a line of realistic artificial breasts made from foam and silicon. She called her new product â€Å"Nearly Me† and formed the Ruthton Corporation to sell it (Horwell, Ruth Handler). Handler was intent on demystifying what was a taboo subject in the 1970’s.She became an outspoken advocate for early detection of breast cancer and offered her prosthetics as a way for women to feel good about themselves again. Handler’s â€Å"Nearly Me† was a great success and counting the former first lady Betty Ford among her numerous customers, she sold the company in 1991. Handler has been quoted saying many many times that she did not make a lot of money in it, but she rebuilt her self-esteem and hoped that she did the same for others. Ruth Handler has changed the lives of women young and old.She gave us all hope for the future through plastic and silicon. I think Ruth said it best in her autobiography, â€Å"Dream Doll: The Ruth Handler Story. † She writes â€Å" My whole philosophy of Barbie was that through the doll, the little girl could be anything she wanted to be. Barbie always represented the face that women had choices. † I think Ruth Handler and Barbie accomplished exactly that!Works Cited â€Å"Barbie. † Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundati on, Inc. 22 July 2004. Web. 27 November. 2010. Horwell, Veronica. â€Å"Ruth Handler: Creator of the Doll Whose Changing Style Defined Genera-tions of Young Women. † The Guardian. 02 May 2002. Kershaw, Sarah. â€Å"Ruth Handler, Whose Barbie Gave Dolls Curves. † The New York Times. 29 April 2002. Ladies’ Home Journal Books. 100 Most Important Women of the 20th Century. Des Moines, Iowa: Meredith Corporation, 1998. Lord, M. G. Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of a Living Doll. New York: William Morrow and Company, 1994. Ticona-Vergaray, Evelyn. â€Å"Barbies 50 years of Beauty and Controversy. † United Press International University. 08 November 2009. Web. 27 November 2010.

The Great Gatsby’s American Dream

The Great Gatsby's American Dream Corrupption â€Å"There are those, I know, who will reply that the liberation of humanity, the freedom of man and. mind, is nothing but a dream. They are right. It is. It is the American Dream. † (Archibald MacLeish). This quote talks about how the American Dream is only a dream. The American is a life of personal happiness and material comfort, and is traditionally sought by the individuals in the U. S. It is only a fantasy. Author F. Scott Fitzgerald shows a great example of the causes and affects the American Dream has on people during the 1920s in his novel, The Great Gatsby.Fitzgerald explains that the American Dream is unattainable through the characters and their actions and the symbolism throughout the novel. In the novel Fitzgerald indicates that the American Dream is unachievable through Gatsby’s unrealistic image of the dream. Gatsby has been in love with daisy for years and spent his life proving that he was worthy enough fo r her to leave her husband and take him back. Gatsby believed money could substitute for time: â€Å"Can’t repeat the past? [†¦]why of course you can[†¦] I’m going to fix everything just the way it was before[†¦]shell see†(Fitzgerald 117).Although Gatsby recreated his past environment with money, he could not recreate the past feelings that were destroyed by time. Gatsby’s dream is bigger than himself. Critic Casie E. Hermanson writes: â€Å"it is the attempt itself and the firm belief that he can achieve the impossible that makes Gatsby more than the sum of his reality† (Hermanson 78). Gatsby’s dream was more than his own reality. It was too big of a dream for him which is why he was not able to achieve it. After Gatsby’s was killed nick realizes that Gatsby’s dream of the East Egg was not all that it was set out to be.Nick says: â€Å"After Gatsby’s death the East was haunted for me like that, distorted beyond my eyes’ power of correction† (Fitzgerald 185). Nick later on in the novel realizes that Gatsby’s dream of the east was corrupt and it wasn’t as great as it was thought to be. Gatsby’s dream was not achieved, his dream killed him. Gatsby’s great American Dream was bigger than reality itself which is why it was not possible to achieve it. Fitzgerald uses lots of symbolism in his novel to get across the idea that the American Dream is not attainable. One of the symbolisms that Fitzgerald uses to symbolize the American Dream is Gatsby’s big mansion.Fitzgerald writes: â€Å"The one on my right was a colossal affair by any standard – it was a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool, and more than forty acres of lawn and garden† (Fitzgerald 9). Gatsby’s mansion symbolizes that the American Dream causes p eople to spend money irresponsibly and to live selfish lives. Materialism seems to be everything people think they need to achieve the American Dream which is why it is not possible to achieve it.Fitzgerald also uses the Valley of Ashes to symbolize the American Dream not being possible to achieve. Fitzgerald writes: â€Å"This is the valley of ashes – a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens, where ashes take the form of houses and chimneys and rising smoke[†¦]of men dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air† (Fitzgerald 27). Fitzgerald uses the Valley of Ashes to symbolize the result of everyone’s pursuit of the American Dream and their pursuit of wealth. It is filled with ashes like it’s been burnt out and is filthy.It represents societal decay and is basically a dumping ground for everyone who has failed at achieving the American Dream. In the novel Fitzgerald always describes Daisy with l ight like she’s angelic. Critic Casie E. Hermanson writes: â€Å"Daisy is dressed in white and associated with light and sunshine throughout the novel [†¦] Gatsby’s own devotion to her has a permanence that Daisy cannot live up to , yet Gatsby seems committed to an idea of Daisy that he has created rather than to the real woman she is† (Hermanson 77). Daisy is always bright and described with light in the novel, which symbolizes Gatsby’s image of her that he has created.In his mind she is angelic and perfect and bright. But she is not the woman he thinks she is. She is far from being an angel. The symbolism that Fitzgerald used in the novel shows that the American Dream does not lead to any success. Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby is based around the immorality of the characters and how the unrealistic American Dream causes it. Gatsby’s American Dream causes him and Daisy to act immorally. â€Å"As he left the room again she got up and went over to Gatsby and pulled his face down kissing him on the mouth† (Fitzgerald 122). Gatsby’s dream is Daisy, who is one of the most immoral characters in the novel.As soon as Tom, Daisy’s husband, leaves the room Daisy cheats on him by kissing Gatsby. Gatsby’s Great American Dream was causing Daisy to be immoral and cheat on her husband. The American Dream is only causing immorality in the characters’ lives because it is so unrealistic and unreachable to Gatsby. Gatsby needed wealth to achieve his dream, eventually Tom figures out how he really got his wealth. â€Å"I found out what your ‘drug stores’ were. [†¦] He and this Wolfshiem bought up a lot of side-street drug stores here and in Chicago and sold grain alcohol over the counter [†¦] I picked him a bootlegger the first time I saw him†(Fitzgerald 139).Gatsby’s only way of achieving his dream and winning back Daisy’s love is by becoming wealt hy, so he became a bootlegger. Which is why Daisy chose Tom instead of Gatsby, it was a safer pick. Gatsby’s American Dream was so unrealistic and bigger than himself that he had to resort to immoral crime to try and achieve it. Not only does Gatsby create his own American Dream, but he recreates his whole past with lies to make his dream attainable. While Nick, the narrator of the novel, was getting to know Gatsby he caught him in his own lies when Gatsby told him that it took him three years to earn the money for his mansion. I thought you inherited your money†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ I did old sport [†¦] but I lost most of it in the big [†¦] panic of the war. † (Fitzgerald 95). Nick was surprised when Gatsby claimed that he earned the money to buy his house because Gatsby had preciously told Nick that he lived off of the money he inherited from family. Gatsby’s American Dream is not only causing him to commit crimes and try and steal a married woman from her husband, it also causes him to live a lie and make everyone around him believe his lie of a life.The American Dream is causing all of this immorality because it is not realistic and it is nothing more than a fantasy. Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby, indicates through its characters and their behaviors and through the symbolism in the novel that the American Dream is unrealistic and cannot be achieved. From Gatsby’s unrealistic, bigger than himself image of the dream and the crimes and lies that he goes through to attempt to achieve the dream and from the immorality and the other characters actions it is indicated that the American Dream is nothing but a dream.It cannot be achieved especially not with the unrealistic images that Gatsby and some of the other characters create in their minds about the dream. The topic of the American Dream is still important in the real world because it sets a goal. Although sometimes the goal for people to work hard for. It gives peop le a purpose or something to dream of and try and work hard to achieve. Of course it is sometimes highly unlikely that a person will achieve the dream but it gives a sense of hope or something to look forward to.

Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Law - Essay Example Byrne had been married in 1970 and separated early in the year 2007. 1 They were aged 57 and 60 years old respectively at the time of their marriage, but previously, both had been in other marriages and each had children from the retrospective unions. Martin Byrnes was one of Mr.’s Byrnes children from a previous marriage. Q.2 Whether a deed in which a Mr. Byrne acknowledged holding a half undivided in the realty purchased and registered exclusively in his name as the sole proprietor in Brighton, South Australia in 1984, or for Mrs Byrnes it amounted to the creation of valid trust? Whether the creation of trust was the real subjective intention of the husband or if it was only obtained objectively from the deed that had been signed according to the acknowledgment trust deed (1989 deed)? If such a trust was created as per the deed, or whether the husband as a trustee was duty bound to lease or let out the property and obligated to receive rental fee on his wife’s behalf? In case such were the case, did Mr Byrne’s failure to collect rent from the son who had leased the property amount to a breach of the trust? If this is the case, did the wife’s knowledge of the Mr. ... rust according to him, the deed was only intended to acknowledge the plaintiffs entitlement to half the proceeds realty upon its sale (Clarke 2011).2 Furthermore, even if he was a trustee as purported by the plaintiff, the 1997 deed did not explicitly denote his duties and responsibilities to the wife, indeed it did not require him to play any active role or perform any duties as one. Therefore, he was not under legal obligation to let out the property or collect the proceeds of such enterprise on behalf of his wife. Finally, the claimed estoppel as defense based on the fact that the wife had Knowledge of the leasers non-payment and took no action to encourage him to take action was acquiescence in the husbands failure to collect the money and thus they were precluded from any rights to make complains about the defendant’s alleged breach of trust as they would have been equally in breach if by virtue of her compliance in his non action. Q.3b The District court found that the p laintiff was entitle to half of the proceeding from the sale of the real estate in line with the stipulation of the 2007 deed: Nevertheless, in regards to being owed half the rent which Mr. Byrens had allegedly failed to collect, it found for the defendant; the court approved the husbands contention that pursuant to the 1997 deed, no trust had been established because the despite the existence of a document on the contrary, the husbands was without the requisite intention. The district court judge made this pronouncement by relying on the high-court’s decision in the: Commissioner of Stamp Duties (Qld) v Jolliffe (1920) where it was determined that in the endeavour to determine the existence of a express trust, evidence may be pursued beyond the deed of trust. In consonance with the

Taxation Law Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Taxation Law Assignment - Essay Example However, this section also puts a discretionary element into the ATO's or the Judge's determination because the expenditure has to be necessary to the actual capital gain, which brings into question the validity of the expenses that are preparatory in nature or for other purposes rather than the actual construction. The key point that this judgment made is that the determination of this and subsequent cases is in reference to all circumstances, which includes an examination of the taxpayer's purpose or intention in incurring the expenditure. If it is necessary to apportion a loss or outgoing, the appropriate apportionment will depend on the facts of each case. The method taken must be fair and reasonable as per the case of Ronipibon Tin NL v Tongkah Compound NL v FC of T [1949] (78 CLR 47). The expenditure to be deductible if it necessarily incurred for the particular income producing purpose in question, which can include limiting to an the income for just a particular year as per t he case of Fletcher v Federal Commissioner of Taxation [1991] (173 CLR 1). In this case of the vacant land that was leased in the aforementioned ATO decision the owner did not purchase the land for leasing, rather private purposes so in the original sale there was no allowable deduction. Now the owner is using the land to bring in income, therefore the owner is allowed a deduction in the tax year that is expended up to the amount of the income earned but not exceeding this. In the case of the swimming pool that BLW have built on the vacant land that they own they are sure to be allowed certain expenditures on the land as allowable deductions. The first thing to identify is that the improvement and expenditure outlaid is not for private purposes, because if it were the costs would not be deductible. As the purpose of the expenditure is to build a swimming pool for the community, which will cost to enter then it is classed as a business venture and therefore valid deductions are possible from the income of $60,000 from Mulga Council. It needs to be noted that the whole profit is counted as no GST was paid because in this dealing of the monies going to BLW from the council there was a tax exemption. In relation to the $660, 000 to the builder of the pool one has to consider whether this is deductible or as this is the contractual duty that BLW owed to Mulga to get the $600,000 then it is not a deductible cost because it is the work that needs to be complet ed to get the $60,000. Therefore under Section 8-1 of the ITAA it is not a deductible costs; however for the other costs that are mentioned they may be deductible. Also in respect to deduction and depreciation under CGT and cost bases this property fulfills the requirement, which is that the land is improved to enhance the value of the

Stategic management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Stategic management - Essay Example A UK retail report that was released by Retail Intelligence compared sales of M&S ranging from year 1990 until 2000. This survey highlighted the issue, and was also unsure if the struggling group would recover at all. However, the survey also highlighted that the group would be able to recover if it produced well – made clothes, which are moderately fashionable at competitive prices, provided the company also maintained the quality standards. The company had seen continuous growth until 1990 in terms if its profits and market share. The company had been able to handle this by using fundamental formula for its operations like simple pricing structures, high quality merchandise and friendly and helpful service. There are a number of possible underlying reasons for the decline of M&S in the early 2000s. Firstly, the shifts in demographic balance, is one of the most important factors that caused the company to decline. This mainly refers to the fact that there was a shift in the key customers of the company. The balance of the population of UK was moving towards the older people and this was threatening as it created a serious deterioration for companies (Davies, 1995). The older population with the high levels of pension provision and high health care costs for the people was causing deterioration for M&S, as for other companies as well. M&S’s strategy was designed in a manner to cater to all the levels of the society by providing quality products at competitive prices. Secondly, there were larger amounts of wealth that was available among the general public. This caused the people to look for buying clothes as they were seeking status through clothes. This was one issue where the choice of the people was changing, and the buying power of the general public was increasingly growing. Also the company found it difficult to compete with the supermarkets. The effects of this were mainly seen in terms of the pre - packed foods. This became an issue

How can Economic Value Added (EVA) statements be used to improve Essay - 2

How can Economic Value Added (EVA) statements be used to improve financial statement reporting, results, and success What are some problems found with EVA - Essay Example Making financial decisions only based on accounting data is a traditional way that can be misleading for the financial managers to make bad decisions. EVA measures are useful for the business to make decisions that can help the business to grow and help in making future ones. EVA creates the ‘value’ in the business decisions and financial management. The EVA calculations and statements are drawn by evaluating the value that has been added to the company. It shows how much the business has grown in terms of the worth it has. There are many factors that the EVA statements take into consideration to make sure that all the relevant data is considered when measuring the value of the business. It calculates how much the growth of the business is and how much has been invested for that growth. It takes out the net benefit that the business has gained and in regard of that cost that has been put in for that benefit (Grant, 2003). The EVA statements allow the business to take decisions about those projects that have to be accepted by the business. EVA statements would accept those projects that give the business a chance to experience growth and that add to the value the business. However, the financial managers will not accept those projects that seem to bring less benefit to the business and its value, no matter how much financial gain that project may bring. Although it may seem that the EVA statements neglect the financial figures, the concept is simple which suggests that decisions should be taken on account of the business’s financial health, and not taking those decisions that may financially hurt the business. EVA statements are greatly used to improve the business’s financial statement reporting, results and the future success. It allows the business to take decisions that are beneficial for the business financial position. Moreover, it allows the financial managers to evaluate the financial results in relation to

Effective Manager Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Effective Manager - Essay Example Effective Manager As this competency to negotiate and motivate people is a very key attribute in a manager (Fowler, 2000), I have been working hard to contribute as a team player and to get everyone to work as one cohesive unit. For this, I have been volunteering to take up different opportunities that help me enhance my skills to build a strong team such as leading a group of people to accomplish a given task. This has taught me how to motivate the team to function in one particular direction. According to Alimo-Metcalfe and Alban-Metcalfe (2003), flexibility is an attribute that an effective manger must possess. In the past, I have noticed that I am often rigid when it comes to getting my plans executed. I look at it as a challenge and I have been working on this aspect. I have tried to expand my horizon to look at broader situations where flexibility is required rather than just focussing on my core role. This has helped me improve my flexibility and has helped me understand how it is crucial for m anagers to demonstrate flexibility while leading a team. As per the research done by Antonioni, D. (1994), an efficient manager should be able to resolve conflicts in the working scenario. Conflict management comes in very useful in a competitive environment where the pressure to perform to the optimum is high. It takes high emotional quotient by the managers to remain in authority and yet resolve issues amicabily (Goleman, 1999). During many situations, I have faced the challenge of conflict management among peers and I found the process very tough because there are many aspects that need to be focussed upon while managing a conflicting scenario. For example, I found it difficult to resolve the situation because two candidates felt equally passionate about one particular task. Even though I awarded the task to the one who was more equipped to handle the responsibility, I found it challenging to convince the other employee as to why the task was not assigned to him. To learn the art of conflict management, I have been observing the scenarios in which managers have been resolving conflict effectively keeping the interest of the entire team as well as the mission and objective in mind. Davis et al (1989) state that an effective manager should be able to efficiently manage self and others. For example, good managers always have the goal or objective in front of them and work towards the goal effectively keeping the development of the team as well as their own development in mind (Honey, 2004). During the past, I have exclusively focussed on my core job and hence, expanding my vision to look at the development of the team was not a priority. After understanding that it is very important in the managerial domain, I have tried to align my priorities with the mission of the team so that I am better able to improve my work along with the rest of the team. This has helped me understand a lot about the various nuances of how encouragement and motivation proves to be cri tical in a team environment. I have observed how managers are able to take active interest in the development of others while keeping the mission in mind. They do it by developing a deep understanding of the psychology and thought process of the individuals and how that would fit in with the common goal. I have also tried to improve my

A Cornucopia of Views on Democracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

A Cornucopia of Views on Democracy - Essay Example Aristotle, Hobbes, Locke, Mill, and Kant are philosophers who have taken human nature and natural laws into consideration when they discussed democracy. Hobbes, for one, digs into man’s right to life and survival. According to him, natural laws are governed by the fact that man needs to fight for his survival. It is natural for man to seek peace in his life but if he gets into conflict with others due to competition, diffidence, and glory, then he has the right to defend himself in order to restore his peace. With competition, he fights for gain, with diffidence, he fights for safety and with glory, he fights for his own reputation. Thus, although he seeks peace and knows he deserves it without hurting anybody if he is threatened of such peace, then he can wage war in order to get his peace back. Hobbes also contends that a person’s rights, when renounced or transferred to others, are entered into social contracts, such as when people entrust their rights to a ruler. Th is means that all persons must mutually agree to transfer their right to a political sovereign or in Hobbes’ term, the state of Leviathan. It is also agreed that this state punishes violators of the agreement to obey the laws of society. The ruler’s power should come from the natural right of people to live in peace. Similarly, Locke believes that man is governed by natural law but goes further in saying that it is the manifestation of human reason which restricts the egoism of pure self-interest such as having one’s individual peace.  ... Hobbes also contends that a person’s rights, when renounced or transferred to others, are entered into social contracts, such as when people entrust their rights to a ruler. This means that all persons must mutually agree to transfer their right to a political sovereign or in Hobbes’ term, the state of Leviathan. It is also agreed that this state punishes violators of the agreement to obey the laws of society. The ruler’s power should come from the natural right of people to live in peace. Similarly, Locke believes that man is governed by natural law, but goes further in saying that it is the manifestation of human reason which restricts the egoism of pure self-interest such as having one’s individual peace and liberty, and promoting more sociable benefits. Locke proposes that man has three basic natural rights: to life, liberty and property. When people entrust a leader to these, it should not be absolute but only partial. Rulers are also vulnerable to th e temptation of hoarding power. People are comfortable obeying the government as long as their individual rights are protected, thereby enhancing their freedom. Should they feel that it fails to do so, or that government violates their rights, they would feel the need to fight against it to regain their rights. Aristotle believes that the state should cater to the needs of its citizens and does not exist only for the sake of maintaining lives, but more than that, achieving good lives. He believes in communal service, that all citizens should share in the administration of justice and should not encourage one to live only for himself. Those who are self-sufficient and do not need others to survive are seen as outcasts because it is believed that a social instinct is implanted in all people by nature. Since

The rule in Salomon v Salomon & Co [1897] AC 22 has been described as Assignment - 1

The rule in Salomon v Salomon & Co [1897] AC 22 has been described as one of the corner stones of English Company Law. Discuss the rationale and impact of the decision on company law - Assignment Example Furthermore, through the extension of the advantages of incorporation to small companies, this case of Salomon manages to promote fraud, and the evasion of certain legal obligations. This article explains the impact that Salomon vs. Salomon has had on companies and corporations. On a general perspective, the judgment by the House of Lords was a good decision. This case is recognized all over the world as a good authority, regarding the principle of a corporation being a separate legal entity. Under this case, the House of Lords firmly established that after incorporation, a new and a separate artificial organization comes into existence. Under the law, a company is a distinct person, and it has its own personality, which is separate and independent from the people who created it, invested in it, and those who direct and manage the operations of the company2. From the principles established in this case, the duties and rights of a corporation are different from the duties and rights of the directors, members, or the stakeholders of the corporation. These people are always obscured by the concept of the corporate veil, which normally surrounds the company. A corporate veil refers to a legal concept which is responsible for separating the personality of that of a corporation, from the personality of the shareholders of a corporation. Furthermore, this personality protects the managers and shareholders of a corporation from personal liability of the company’s debts, and any other obligation that the company may face3. However, this protection is not impenetrable or iron clad, and this is mainly because the court can rule that the activities of a company are not conducted as per the provisions of the legislation that guides the operations of a company, or the managers or shareholders of a company were engaged in carrying out illegal a ctivities. Based on these facts, the courts may hold the

Competence in the Work Environment Essay Example for Free

Competence in the Work Environment Essay 2.1Compare the strengths and weaknesses of assessment methods. Assessment can take place in a variety of settings, such as classrooms, lecture rooms, workplaces (or in a simulation of workplace conditions), community and training establishments or examination halls. No matter where it takes place or what form it takes, assessment always involves observation, evaluation, or questioning or a combination of some or all of the three. There are many different methods of assessment, a few regularly used are:-observation, evaluation or questioning. Whether they are used formatively or summatively, the most important issue is whether the assessment is appropriate for the intended outcome. Each learner is initially given a learning styles questionnaire to complete. From this questionnaire the assessor can establish which from assessment may suit the learner best. Observation The assessor observes the learners as they carry out tasks defined in the standards for the qualification. This observation often takes place in the workplace, or the conditions of the workplace, but it can also be carried out in any other place where the learner is undertaking practical activities which is a positive. Assessors should ideally plan observations to take advantage of any skills or activities that occur naturally in the learning environment, and to make the best use of the available resources. There are times however when an assessor may spontaneously observe a learner carry out a task which can be written up as an observation. One of the weaknesses of observations is that some learners amy beome self –concious or shy/embarresed and feel they are ‘being watched and graded’. The residents or clients may also act differently if they are aware that an observation is taking place and can lead to a distorted picture of the true nature of the learners role . Evaluation In some areas, as learners work towards achieving their qualifications they will generate evidence in the form of products of their work. This is the case in qualifications in Health and Social care for instance which is primarily a work-based or practical qualification. Learners may produce CVs, diet plans, weight charts, reflective accounts which can all be used to assess their knowledge in a chosen subject area. These can be incredibly posistive and allow the learner to reflect and be proud of his/her practices and positives. The weakness with evalution is that it has to be done correctly, with enough time to explore areas that may need extra work and encourage the learner in a positive way. Questioning and discussions with the learner Questioning can be used whenever an assessor wants to assess knowledge and understanding and the various different applications of knowledge such as reasoning, planning, analysing and evaluating. Questioning can be used to: * confirm knowledge and understanding where it is not apparent from performance * Address gaps in knowledge and understanding in performance based units * Authenticate evidence by asking learners to explain part of the evidence and/or describe the process of producing it * Assess contingencies where it would not be practical or safe to wait until the skill or activity can be observed * You can use oral or written questions, depending on the requirements of the outcomes of units being assessed and the circumstances of the assessment. Your choice of method should reflect any special assessment requirements your learners may have. For example, some learners do not respond well to written questions — in any case, you should always ensure that the appropriate reading level is used Discussions give the assessor the opportunity to gauge the learner’s knowledge and highlight areas lacking which can be taught at a later date. A weakness in discussions and questioning is that the assessor has to be careful not to lead or prompt or give the answer to the learner as it may not be valid. Outcome 3Understand how to plan assessment 3.1Key factors when planning assessment When planning an assessment there are a number of factors to be considered. Who are you assessing? What do you want them to achieve? Where will the assessment take place? How long do you have? Once you have answered these you then need to look at applying a holistic approach. Using a holistic approach means that many areas of work and outcomes can be covered at the same time. The assessment process isn’t just about watching a learner complete a task it is about, discussion, planning, implementing and reflection. Areas of risk that may be involved when I assess a learner in the care setting are minimal but may still arise. An example of this would be assessing a learner carrying out a manual handling task. Has the learner had the appropriate training to carry out the task? Is there a piece of equipment involved and has it been tested for use. Is the learner competent and confident to carry out the task? Do I feel that I have assessed any risk involved and am I happy for my learner to proceed? If I am not happy at anytime then the assessment will be stopped and a further risk assessment carried out. During the initial meeting the learner will have completed a Learning Styles Questionnaire, this should have highlighted any areas such as advanced learning needs or dyslexia and the planning of an assessment should take this into consideration. 3.2 Benefits of using holistic assessment Using a holistic assessment enables the assessor to cover a large range of outcomes in a number of diploma units with one piece of evidence. Holistic assessment may for example cover infection control and manual handling. By referencing outcomes well the learner will see that good progress is being made and opportunities area taken. It saves time from both the learners and the assessor’s point of view. 3.3 How to apply holistic assessment when planning assessment As the assessor meets with the learner and plans each technical certificate or unit of work they should be thinking about how best a holistic assessment would fit into the plan and how it can be cross referenced. The learner must then be in agreement and sign the plan. 3.4Summarise the types of risk that may be involved in assessment When talking about ‘risk’ there are a number of different kinds. There is physical/environmental risk to learner, client and assessor and there is emotional/psychological risk. Environmental issues in care setting such as fire, health and safety, trip hazards, the clients themselves. Emotionally learners could feel they are being pushed if too much work is given at once or they may not feel they are being challenged enough. This creates unrealistic and unnecessary risk stress on the learner and is far from beneficial and conducive to good work being produced. 3.5.1 How to minimise risks through the planning process. Plan number one that is produced with the learner will have ensured that the learner is working in safe conditions and if needed any risk assessments have been done, i.e. if the learner is under 18 years old. The plan will also check that the employer’s insurance liability is up to date. The assessor will discuss with the learner how best to handle their work load to cause minimum stress. Some learners prefer large assignments whilst others prefer small chunks at a time. By knowing your learner you will know whether their work is authentic and justifiable, it is important that they are told about not copying and pasting articles as their own work and explain to them what plagiarism is. Outcome 4Understand how to involve learners and others in assessment 4.1 Explain the importance of involving the learner and others in the assessment process There are a large number of reasons why it’s so important to involve the learner in assessment. The diploma is for the candidate, it’s their work, and there goals and they need to feel as if they own it. By clear involvement the learner will know what is expected from them and clearly understand the standards and criteria. By involving others in the planning such as senior colleagues and managers then witness statements can be provided, time allocated for learning and support. 4.2 Types of information available to learners. In order for a learner to complete their diploma they should be given any necessary teaching and resources. This may include handouts, oral teaching sessions and websites to look at. Other types of information are items such as standards and the criteria they need to meet. The learner will be told how the evidence is gathered an in what format such as written accounts, reflective accounts, observations. 4.3 How can peer and self-assessment be used to promote learner involvement and responsibility? 4.4How can assessment arrangements be adapted to meet the needs of the individual learner? Each candidate’s assessment needs must be considered in relation to the assessment being undertaken. Most candidates will require more than one assessment arrangement. For example, candidates who have a visual impairment, hearing imparient or advanced learning needs . Outcome 5Understand how to make assessment decisions 5.1 When judging evidence we use the following terms:- Valid, authentic, current and sufficient. When assessing a learner’s evidence as an assessor I have to be satisfied that the work submitted is the learners own work and not plagiarised from a book or the internet. It is often easy to tell when this happens as the terms used and flow of the writing changes. Within the realms of health and social care the standards, policies and procedures are continually updated to ensure national standards are met, with this in mind it is important that the learners work is current and up to date with knowledge that his relevant and not historical. I also have to consider whether the work submitted is sufficient, has it covered the entire outcome required and does it show an understanding of the subject. 5.2 In order for assessment decisions to be reliable and fair between learners there are a set of learning outcomes and criteria that have to be achieved. Each learner is made aware of these outcomes and criteria and their work should demonstrate this. Each learner is assessed against the criteria and outcomes. Outcome 6Understand how your assessments contribute to the quality assurance of assessment 6.1 6.2 6.3 There is great importance of quality assurance in the assessment process as it shows whether the performance targets are being met against national standards that are in place. Within my workplace all work is quality assured by an Internal Verifier (IV). The IV is qualified and occupationally competent in the subject that they verify. The role of the IV is to provide support, advice and guidance to the assessing team. The IV holds regular standardisation meetings with the assessors and also gives one-to-one support and feedback on learner’s portfolios. When the portfolios of learners have been assessed and internally verified, and all the assessment criteria have been met, the IV should arrange for the centre to apply for certification for those learners. This will prompt a visit from the External Verifier to confirm the assessment and verification decisions made at the centre. The IV is responsible for ensuring that the details of the learners applying for certification, the assessor(s) involved, and the IV activity in relation to those assessors. The EV will visit the centre to verify the assessment and internal verification decisions made by centre staff. Where there are large numbers of learners this is normally done on a sampling basis. The sample is selected by the EV, to allow them to verify the work of all assessors across a range of evidence types and performance criteria and is based on the IV’s sampling plan. It may be necessary for the EV to sample more portfolios than was originally planned, or all the portfolio s in the group, so all portfolios should be available on the day of the EV’s visit. If a learner feels †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Outcome 7Understand how to manage information relating to assessment of occupational competence 7.1 7.2 It is important to follow procedures for the management of information relating to assessment for a number of reasons. The assessor should regularly update learning records to provide accurate information on the learner’s achievement. At my place of work we use a computer system called ‘Zylab’ which tracks each learner’s progress through a colour chart system. The up to date information contributes to evidence of quality assurance and standardisation, pointing out learners that need extra help or who are falling behind. I use the Zylab forms to show my learners how they are progressing, to see a visual representation of progress and can be extremely rewarding and increases willingness to learn and achieve. The use of feedback and questioning during the assessment process allows me as an assessor to clarify and judge the learners understanding and knowledge in certain areas. Giving critical feedback to someone is a delicate process. It is very important to assure that you approach the task with sensitivity to the persons feelings to avoid the common problem of a very defensive reaction. An example of giving positive, negative and positive feedback is:- You really did an excellent job with that Communication essay everybody has been very impressed! In the future, it would be better to avoid naming people that havent accepted all the methods you outline. Its great that you put so much thought into this and a lot of people are going to benefit from it! This is often referred to as a feedback sandwich. Outcome 8Understand the legal and good practice requirements in relation to assessment 8.1 The organisation that I work for has legal requirements, polices and procedures in relation to assessment. Each visit to see a learner I ask whether there have been any incidents that have occurred, either emotionally or from a health and safety perspective. If there has been then I check an incident form has been completed (if appropriate), what measures have been put in place to ensure it doesn’t happen again and I take time to listen to the learner express themselves. All work undertaken is dealt with in a confidential manner. No names of places, clients, service users or staff are used in portfolio evidence and the learner knows that they can talk to me in a confidential manner. Clear records of learning are kept for all learners as mentioned before we use Zylab sheets which must be updated every Friday. The organisation has a responsibility to ensure that all learners are given equal opportunity to develop and learn and the organisation recognises the diversity in each on e. 8.2 The use of technology can make in the assessment process is invaluable. I have a learner with advanced learning needs who really struggles with writing and spelling. To overcome this we use a Dictaphone and use the recording as oral evidence. The organisation now offers on line training which for many learners is ideal as the use of computers within day to day lives and workplaces becomes far more common. It has to be remembered though that there are older learners that we assess that don’t have the computer skills and would rather use a paper portfolio. Each learner needs to be assessed as an individual. 8.3 There are legal and best practice requirements that have to be met in relation to assessment with regards to gender, disability, race/culture/religion and language. Each learner that enrols on a course is initially assessed as to any factors which could lead to advanced learning needs. These needs may be due to language barriers, religion or culture. For every learning need identified the organisation has a duty to ensure each one is recognised and the appropriate support is given.

Corporate social responsiveness analysis

Corporate social responsiveness analysis Corporate social responsiveness refers to how business organizations and their agents actively interact with and manage their environments. In contrast, corporate social responsibility accentuates the moral obligations that business has to society. Responsiveness and responsibility can be viewed as a balance in that responsiveness can be shaped or triggered by public expectations of business responsibilities. Generally speaking, these responsibilities implied by the term of the social contract, which legitimises business as an institution with the expectation that it provides a service whilst adhering to societys laws and ethical norms. From this perspective, businesses are in a dynamic relationship with society of which responsiveness is a key aspect. More broadly, there is the issue of why business should bother. After all, as neoclassical economists have long argued, business owes abstractions such as society nothing-shareholders are the owners of business and it is the organizations obligation to do everything legal and legitimate to advance shareholder value, not waste it on well-meaning but irrelevant CSR projects. On the other hand, the stakeholder model of the firm would insist that shareholders are only one set of stakeholders and that there are plenty of other significant stakeholders, including customers; non-governmental organisations (NGOs); and communities more generally; as well as activist groups claiming to articulate the interests of the environment and climate change and other silent stakeholders. If businesses serve only shareholder value interests in the short term and do so in such a way that jeopardises other stakeholder interests, this can have an adverse impact on the business by attacking its legitimacy or reputation. It may well be that in standard business practice that the primary responsibility of companies is to create wealth for their shareholders. The emergence of CSR and activists associated with it however adds another dimension, in order for companies to do well financially; they must also be good, ethically, by acting virtuously. Civil society organisations have increased the energy they devote to directly lobbying and exposing the malpractice of companies, which has helped to change consumer preferences and citizens attitudes towards human rights, the environment, and exploitative relationships. This paper has been divided into several headings. The purpose of the paper is to discuss the state of corporate social responsibility at multinational corporations (MNCs), using the examples of Shell and Emirates Airlines. Introduction Corporate Social Responsibility at MNCs There have been increasing demands on multinational enterprises (MNCs) to provide community development programmes and assistance to their host communities, particularly, in developing countries. In other words, meeting locally defined social and economic goals. This is mainly because developmental projects and other social infrastructures are lacking in most of these countries and most of all the time that are not provided by the government. For example, oil companies, particularly, those operating in developing countries are now constantly under pressure to be more open and accountable for a wide range of actions, and to report publicly on their performance in the social and environmental arenas. Because of their impact on politics, economics and society in host nations, they must be more attentive that others in demonstrating social responsibility through initiatives to reduce their negative impact. Blowfield and Frynas (2005) mention that MNEs need to take account of the social, ethical and environmental perceptions of their operations and how these are likely to shape the future attitudes and actions of stakeholders. Following this argument, oil companies attach greater importance to their social and environmental impact and they engage more with local communities that they used to do in the past. Various community and environmental initiatives may be seen as a response to the threat of stakeholder sanctions (Blowfield and Frynas, 2005). The purpose of the report is top discuss the state of corporate social responsibility at multinational corporations (MNCs) using the examples of Shell and Emirates Airlines in a comprehensive way. First the paper will start with a brief on each of these companies. Secondly it will go on to the Stakeholder Salience model and the Stakeholder Power Interest matrix followed by a basic chart illustrating stakeholder dynamics for both companies. The third section will focus on Corporate Social Responsibility at Shell and Emirates Airlines and Shell Oil and Emirates Airlines Launched in 1985 in Dubai with just two leased planes, the global air giant Emirates Airlines now consists of a fleet of over 120 planes and approximately 44,000 employees. The privately owned Emirates Airlines group consists of Emirates Airlines and a number of subsidiary companies including Emirates Airlines Holidays Limited. Emirates Airlines is one of the worlds leading airlines with a network that provides passenger and freight services to 149 destinations in 72 countries. Shells head office is based in The Hague, Netherlands and the parent company of the Shell group is Royal Dutch Shell plc, incorporated in England and Wales. Shell currently operates in over 100 countries and employs 102,000 staff worldwide. Shell produces 2% of the worlds oil supplies and 3% of the worlds gas supplies. Shell Stakeholder Power Interest Matrix LOW INTEREST / LOW POWER Sub-contractors HIGH INTEREST / LOW POWER Country Leaders (if corrupt) Employees Proximate Communities Future Generations Community Initiatives LOW INTEREST / HIGH POWER Government Suppliers / Supply Chain Customers Shipping Industries Oil Reserve Companies HIGH INTEREST / HIGH POWER Price Governing Bodies Shareholders Competitors Petrol Price Governance Environment Lobbying Groups Legal Representation Companies Marketing Web Design Emirates Stakeholder Power Interest Matrix LOW INTEREST / LOW POWER Government (as privately owned) Future Generations Price Governing Bodies Sub-contractors Community Initiatives HIGH INTEREST / LOW POWER Employees Proximate Communities LOW INTEREST / HIGH POWER Suppliers / Supply Chain Customers Air Space Control HIGH INTEREST / HIGH POWER Shareholders Competitors Petrol Price Governance Environment Lobbying Groups Legal Representation Companies Marketing Web Design Corporate Social Responsibility at Shell and Emirates Airlines Shell Canada attempts to make all levels of management and corporate governance aware of these guiding Business Principles through strong Lines of communication between all organizational levels for the management of health, safety, environmental and social responsibility and must also consider having regard to the legal industry and community standards in those areas (Cannon, 1992). In Shell Canadas reports are regarded as their commitment to SD, and SD is used as an overarching corporate goal, alongside growth and profitability, each essential to delivering long-term value to their shareholders. The companys reports are part of its commitment to two guiding principles, transparency and stakeholder engagement, which attempts to strengthen the linkages between its conduct, and societys expectations. (Miles, Munilla and Darroch, 2006). Furthermore, decline in economic and social development in host communities due to neglect and lack of development initiatives from host governments, has sparked a global debate about the social responsibility of corporations. According to experts, stakeholders increasingly are looking to the private sector for help with a myriad of complex and pressing social and economic issues (Blowfield and Frynas, 2005). Similarly, it has been argued that it is good business to actively engage all stakeholders in the development of sustainable strategies that reflect both economic and socially responsible outcomes (Eweje, 2001). Emirates mission is to deliver services that matter to people who value how they fly. To realise this, Emirates Airlines recognises the importance of working in partnership with its stakeholders. This has influenced its approach to corporate social responsibility (CSR). Its approach has also been influenced by the recognition that airlines generate major social and economic benefits, but also have significant impacts on the environment (for example, through noise and air quality) and on communities around airports. (needs referencing) There are several reasons why Emirates Airlines chose to engage in CSR. The first is because it is a tool to help achieve the companys long term strategic goals in providing growth opportunities around Heathrow airport. Secondly, improving business efficiency and reducing costs through waste and energy programmes provided a strong business case for CSR (Frynas, 2005). The company also thought CSR could help them with risk management by identifying risks to health, safety and environment that could hinder its opportunity to attract investors and grow the business. Lastly, it recognised that it needed to act to enhance its corporate reputation, and customer feedback (both corporate and from the general public) revealed that they expected Emirates Airlines to do the right thing. (Warhurst and Mitchell, 2000). Climate change is increasingly relevant to Emirates Airlines as aviation is a growing contributor to global carbon dioxide emissions, a main greenhouse gas, and consequently to climate change. The increase in emissions-stimulated by a rise in a passenger and freight travel-coincides with many politicians and civil society groups calling for industry to reduce carbon emissions. this presented a problem for Emirates Airlines, especially when it seeks to be a leading player in the industry for environmental issues (Eweje, 2001). In response to this Emirates Airlines board decided to develop a programme of work on climate change. The programme first sough to identify ways in which the company could reduce its own impacts. By auditing its emissions and energy use, targets for reduction in these areas were developed-for example, a fuel efficiency target of a 30% improvement between 1990 and 2010. To date this represents a saving of 50m tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions (Eweje, 2001). Emirates Airlines set a target of total reductions in annual emissions of 125,000 tonnes of CO2, to be achieved over five years (Culverwell, Lee and Koziell, 2003). One inhibiting factor has been the increase in fuel surcharges, which may have made passengers less interested in paying for other additional costs (Frynas, 2005). Emirates Airlines has attempted to deal with these challenges by improving understanding of the issues, proactively leading and stimulating the debate through direct advocacy with government and participation at various fora (Miles, Munilla and Darroch, 2006). Feedback from government and from experts on the environment has revealed that the climate change programme has positioned Emirates Airlines as a responsible airline. By becoming more involved in the debate, it has been able to steer that debate towards (in its view) the most sensible proposal of emission trading, rather than other interventions that could be expensive for the industry. In this way Emirates Airlines has been better able to manage its risks. The investment community has acknowledged this, and because of this it has enable Emirates Airlines to attract investment. A final benefit has been that, owing to its and other companies attitudes to environmental sustainability, there is a genuine prospect of expansion at Heathrow airport offering new opportunities for growth to Emirates Airlines (Warhust and Mitchell, 2000). The climate change programme is CSR because it is about taking actions to reduce its impact on the environment. Growing threat to the environment and to societies everywhere. Emirates Airlines actions on climate change go beyond compliance demonstrating that it is taking voluntary actions to reduce its contribution to carbon emissions and better understand its impact on climate change (Eweje, 2001). Emirates Airlines wishes to maintain its industry leadership position by continuing to develop policy and advocacy for cost effective instruments that benefit the environment. As part of this, it seeks to improve its customer engagement on climate change, to raise awareness and communicate Emirates Airlines work in the area. It will further develop its ground energy strategy to include actions to further reduce its internal impacts, for example, improving energy efficiency in its maintenance hangers. Lastly, it is continuing to develop and seek improvements in meeting its fuel efficiency target with a view to settting a new target for 2010 onwards. In Nigeria today, the most critical issue that affects the oil and gas is the Niger Delta (oil-producing region). There has been enormous pressure on both the Nigerian government and the MNCs to double their efforts and develop the region that contributes more that 80 per cent of Nigeria foreign earnings. Experts such as Carson, 1993 argue that oil companies have initiated, and implemented significant community development schemes. For example, MNCs provide education, scholarships, and build roads in Nigeria. He also suggests that global spending by oil, gas and mining companies on community development programmes in 2001 was over 500 million dollars (Carson, 1993). It could be argued that in economic terms, these are not the functions of businesses, but in less developed countries these roles, or rather duties, are expected from MNCS. Indeed, there have been times when local people in oil-producing regions have turned against MNEs precisely because they feel, as Mitte the president of Movement of the survival of the Ogoni people. One of the communities in the Niger Delta put it: they were not getting enough social and economic infrastructures/assistance from the MNEs that operate in their communities (Carson, 1993). Regrettably, the lack of visible and positive impact of CSR initiatives in oil-producing communities has been questioned. Evidence suggests that there is a gap between the MNCs stated CSR objectives and the actual results on the ground. What follows is the criticism of the community development initiatives of the companies because the host communities believe that MNCs CSR initiatives are not addressing both the social and environmental problems they are intended to resolve (Cannon, 1992). This assertion is somewhat similar to the argument of experts who suggest that numerous claims have been made about the contribution CSR can make to poverty alleviation and other development goals (Culverwell, Lee and Koziell, 2003). They further argue that contributes to this issue have reached the conclusion that currect CSR approaches do not warrant such claims. MNCs CSR initiatives in the Niger Delta have many aspects which include employment issues, environmental issues and local community issues (Cannon, 1992). MNCs CSR Initiatives in the Niger Delta In Nigeria, Charges of unethical behaviours include: total neglect of the Niger Delta (oil-producing areas in Nigeria) and lack of educational facilities such as classroom, teachers, and scholarships which will enhance the literacy development of the indigenes of the communities (Culverwell, Lee and Koziell, 2003). Over the years, the oil exploration and producing companies witnessed endless communal agitation, as the host communities have looked up to them for support and assistance in the provision of social and economic infrastructure and employment The poorests parts of Nigeria are where these oil companies are, and this has heightened conflict (Miles, Munilla and Darroch, 2006). Recourse to violence has resulted in a lot of damage to property and casualties on both sides. In some instances, it has resulted in the withdrawal of operations by oil companies form some locations. While planned seismic and drilling activities have been abandoned in others (Miles, Munilla and Darroch, 2006). In the past, the oil companies approach was to help or appease the communities whenever the need arose. More recently, however, they have established a more proactive and thoughtful approach to community assistance. This has resulted in the emergence of a fully developed community relations department in each of the companies, solely set up to anticipate and plan the needs of the communities (Miles, Munilla and Darroch, 2006). The Nigerian Petroleum News, 1998, who understand better their own real needs and future aspirations. During interviews with senior managers of oil companies in Nigeria, it was confirmed that community relations departments were created solely to meet local needs and situational politics. The argument here supports the theoretical position of experts who argue that corporations tend to listen to the demand of powerful stakeholder groups. In this case, the MNCs listen carefully to the demands of host communities and changed their approach towards them. The host communities also demand social welfare projects from the MNCs. In many developing countries, national and local governments have taken a more hands- off approach (Frynas, 2005) to regulating business due to such things as changing policies, the globalisation of commerce and shrinking resources. Against this background, companies are relying less on government for guidance, and instead they are pursuing their own policies with regard to such matters as environmental performance, working conditions and ethical marketing practices. This approach can be problematic. The secretary of the chiefs council of the oil-producing village of Bonny in the Niger Delta accused the oil companies of: Apartheid in its residential areas where all the state of the art welfare facilities including good water, constant electricity, good roads, super markets, schools with high-tech equipment, swimming pools and other facilities were in existence while the people of Bonny, the host community suffer absolute squalor and neglect (Frynas, 2005). This is one example of a charge of double standard brought against multinationals in developing countries. The host communities believe they should have the same facilities that are on offer to the companies workers since the bulk of profits of the MNEs comes from their land. As one observer pointed out: Communities in the Delta area in particular, where most of the exploration and production activities take place, feel generally ill-treated in the entire process of oil prospecting and production and consider themselves as being at the end of only the adverse effects of these activities (Frynas, 2005). They believe that they have not received an equitable share of the tremendous oil revenues which are being derived from their land and territories, especially in the light of disruptive consequences on their health and sources of livelihood. Nor have they been recognised as the inhabitants of oil-producing areas who should benefit from the natural resource that abounds in their ancestral lands. Trust and Discontent Issue It is argued in this paper that issue of trust plays a significant role in the relationship between the host communities in the Niger Delta and the MNCs. The past behaviour of MNCs for unfulfilling promises to the host communities has created a negative perception and mistrust. Hence, any CSR initiative no matter how laudable it is, does not always receive positive reaction in host communities. According to experts, managers can find a wealth of benefits from trust, including cost savings and enhanced organisational capacities. According to these researchers, what is evident is that the willingness of managers to create mutually trusting relationships is a matter of strategic choice. In other words, managers can, through their behaviour, help determine levels of trust in relationships between their firm and its various stakeholders. Trust is thus define as an integral part of the strategy formulation process (Warhust and Mitchell, 2000). High figures suggests that the Nigerian government rakes billions of US dollars in form of revenue from the oil industry. However, the host communities in the Niger Delta are neglected; corruption and mismanagement is rife amongst officials hence some projects earmarked for the development of the region are never completed (Warhurst and Mitchell, 2000). Charges of unethical behaviour include: total neglect of the Niger Delta and lack of educational facilities such as classrooms, teachers, and scholarships which will enhance the literacy development of the indigenes of the communities. Over the years, the oil exploration and producing companies have borne the brunt of endless communal agitation, as the host communities have looked up to them for support and assistance in the provision of social and economic and infrastructure and employment. The host communities believe they should have the same facilties that are on offer to the companies workers since the bulk of profits of the MNEs come from their land. On the issue of electrification of the communities, the companies are accused of neglecting the areas where they work by only providing electricity to their installations. The communities do not benefit from the same developments that the companies undertake for their installations and workers (Warhurst and Mitchell, 2000). Conclusion In short, the paper presents the examples of two multinational corporations and their responsiveness towards corporate social responsibility. The main points of the paper can be summarised that corporate social responsiveness, corporate social responsibility, and corporate social impacts are encapsulated in the phrase corporate social performance. Of these three concepts, responsiveness is the most forward looking, action-oriented, and malleable, since it is based on the precept that corporations have the capacity to anticipation and adapt to environmental factors. The potential is that corporate managers can learn to prevent or minimize the kind of unwelcome surprises that necessitate crisis management and government intervention while responding proactively to public expectations of how business can serve the greater good.

International Terrestrial Cable in Bangladesh

International Terrestrial Cable in Bangladesh Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Introduction of the report: The internet has become an essential part of human life as it is the main mode of communication now a days. Internet is the interconnected computer network where billions of devices are connected through the backbone of optical networking technologies in modern days. My interest was to observe the rapid development of this communication mode and for this I have studied the optical transmission and networking systems and different protocols by working as an intern in the NOC department of 1 Asia Alliance Communication Ltd. Finally I have made a report of whatever I have learnt throughout my 3 months long internship program. 1.2 Reason for selecting the specific industry: Telecommunication is growing with the vast use of internet in Bangladesh. The introduction of optical fiber transmission both in submarine and terrestrial over satellite communication made it easy to spread the global connectivity throughout the major cities in Bangladesh. 1 Asia Alliance Communication Ltd. is one out of six companies which has the ITC license. Thus it serves as a domestic internet upstream for all the major ISP, IIG and IGW companies in Bangladesh using its terrestrial optical transmission technology. To better understand the optical transmission system and the IP network system it was the best choice to join as an intern in a company like 1 Asia Alliance Communication Ltd. 1.3 Purpose of the Internship: To fulfill the requirements for the degree of the Bachelor of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering. To see the practical implementation of what was studied during the university program. To learn how a telecom company operates its technical functions. To make recommendations on the basis of the study done. 1.4 Methods of Collecting Data: The data for making this report was collected in many ways. Primary data, as well as secondary data for completing the task of report writing about this internship were used. Some of the methods which are used are discussed below. Use of Primary Data: Primary Data which were used for completing the report are as follows: Self-observation Discussions with the officers Informal interview from the customers Use of Secondary Data: Secondary Data which were used for completing the report are as follows: 1 Asia Alliance Communication Ltd. brochure 1 Asia Alliance Communication Ltd. websites Several articles on the internet related with the field of study Research reports of several authors related with the field of study Chapter 2: Backgrounds 2.1 Background of ITC and IIG in Bangladesh: International Terrestrial Cable (ITC) operator: In 2006 the internet of Bangladesh has been connected to the world by a single submarine cable, Sea-Me-We 4 (SMW4). SMW4 is 18,800 kilometer-long optical-fiber system and its landing station of Bangladesh is at Cox’s Bazar. Since SMW4’s activation, national Internet outages have struck Bangladesh in regular basis. When any portion of this optical fiber system is damaged, it takes huge time for maintenance and thus virtually all internet bandwidth of Bangladesh disappears,pushing local internet providers to retreat to slow and expensive satellite services or to simply wait for restoration. A 20,000 km long secondary optical fiber system SMW5 is under construction and the landing port in Bangladesh will be at Mongla The SMW5 consortium signed the construction and maintenance agreement on March 7, 2014. But the complexation will take long time. In the meantime, major disruptions of Bangladesh’s Internet service continue to occur. The planned maintenances and failures in SMW4 system make all understood that how susceptible Bangladesh’s internet connectivity really is. These events thus encourage the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to take alternative measures. In 2012, the BTRC issued licenses to six companies to connect to India via the International Terrestrial Cable (ITC). The six International Terrestrial Cable (ITC) operators are: 1Asia Alliance Communication Ltd., Novocom Limited BD Link Communication Ltd., Mango Teleservices Ltd., Summit Communications Ltd., and [emailprotected] Limited. This inauguration of an operational terrestrial connection to India to serve as an alternative to SMW4 is a great achievement for Bangladesh’s telecommunication sector. Currently these six ITC operators are connected to Tata Communications and Bharti Airtel via Benapole TCLS. International Internet Gateway (IIG) operator The telecom sector in Bangladesh is rapidly exposing. Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) is the regulatory authority for this sector. In 2007 BTRC offer the license forInternational Internet Gateway (IIG) and from then number of IIG operators grow in this country. Currently there are 36 licensed IIG operators in Bangladesh. Few Major International Internet Gateway (IIG) operators are: 1Asia Alliance Communication Ltd. Aamra Companies Abir Telecommunication Apple Communication Bangla Phone Ltd bdHUB BD Link Communication BSCCL BTCL Cybergate Delta Infocom Earth Telecommunication Equitel Communications Fiber @ Home Global Fair Communications Greenland Technologies Intraglobe Communications Level3 Carrier Mango Teleservices MaxNet Online NovoCom Radiant Communications Limited REGO Communications IIGs in Bangladesh serve as a gateway for routing International incoming and outgoing Internet based data traffic additionally working as a national internet exchange (NIX) for exchanging national internet-based data traffic. Most of the gateways are connected with country’s sole submarine cable SMW4 as their main link and with the satellite earth station/VSAT as back up until another submarine cable SMW5 is available. When ITC operators in Bangladesh were introduced these IIG companies started using ITC services as an alternative to SMW4. BTRC has made a rule that all ISPs in Bangladesh shall be connected to global internet through these IIGs. IIG operators mainly provide their services to the ISPs, carriers and large corporations of the country. They use extensive local and international internet peering and transit. Even IIGs are interconnected with national IX (Internet Exchange) BDIX and several international IX thus their customers can access all global internet routes through the minimum number of hops. These operators give their customers the choice to subscribe the bandwidth based on the destination of their traffic. Their goal is to reduce network traffic congestion and maintain shorter latency. 2.2 Background of the company About the company: 1Asia Alliance Communication Limited (1AACL) is a joint venture company formed between Alliance Holdings Limited, Bangladesh and 1Asia Communication (BD) Ltd. It is a sister concern of Singapore based 1Asia Communication Pte. Ltd. The company was formed by a group of NRBs with over 20 years’ experience in the telecommunications business. The company carries the licenses from BTRC to provide ITC and IIG services to its clients in Bangladesh. 1AACL is also the first ITC operator in Bangladesh. Since its birth, 1AACL has established enormous footprints in the ICT sector of the country. It is running parallel with the country’s drive towards digitalization and higher internet penetration. The ITC project of 1AACL brings a much required backup for to the country’s lone submarine cable SMW4. The company offers its services to several ISPs, IGWs, IIGs, and corporate clients across the country. Licenses: IIG: License awarded on 12/04/2012, commercially started on 01/10/2012 ITC: License awarded on 05/01/2012, commercially started on 12/12/2012 Services: IPLC/MPLS IP Transit Satellite BW service Managed data network service VPN service Co-location service Client types: IIGs ISPs IGWs Enterprise customers International PoPs (Point of Presence): Chennai Mumbai Equinix Building, Singapore Epsilon Global Hub, London 60 Hudson Street, NY Local PoPs: HQ-Alliance Building, Dhaka Coloasia-Borak tower, Dhaka Chittagong-Akhtaruzzaman Center, Agrabad Benapole-Chowdhury Super Market, Zero Point, Check Post, Benapole Technology Partners: Tata Communication Ltd Bharti Airtel TIS Chunghwa Equinix-IX SG-IX Level3 Cogent Google Timeline of Infrastructure: 2012 to 2013 1AACL head quarter setup Benapole POP setup ITC backhaul setup 1Asia Alliance own WDM Network Secondary ITC Network Setup Tertiary ITC Network Setup Interconnection Equinix, Singapore Interconnection TATA, Chennai Mumbai Interconnection Airtel, Chennai Interconnection TIS, Singapore 2013 to 2014 Chittagong Pop Setup Pop at ColoAsia, Dhaka London Pop Setup Peering with Google, Facebook, Microsoft Interconnection Epsilon GH, London Interconnection Level3 Cogent Interconnection Equinix-IX SG-IX 2014 to Present New York, USA Pop Setup Departments: Administration Accounts Marketing Sales Logistics HR Technical : Transmission, IP Core, Service Delivery , NOC Strength: ITC Backhaul Systems (Dhaka- Benapole) Primary ITC Network: 1Asia Alliance’s Own System WDM network with 8 Lamda capacity Secondary ITC Network: [emailprotected] /Swapping Tertiary ITC Network: ITC Consortium/City Cell Number Of ITC Operators in Connection: 06 Cisco 12000 Series Flagship Routers as Core Aggregation Equipment Full Routing TABLE Implementation Auto Switch Over Routing Through ITC with different upstream carrier Switch Room Level Redundancy in National Segment International PoPs at Chennai, Mumbai, Singapore, London, New York Native IPv6 Peering (Upstreams Major Players) Direct Peering, Impressive RTD 2.3 Background study on research papers Research Paper 1 Title: Soliton Transmission in Fiber Optics for Long Distance Communication Authors: Mehul G.Patel (1), S. B. Khant (2) Affiliation: PG Student [SPC], Dept. of ECE, A.D.Patel Institute of Technology,V.U.Nagar,Gujarat, India (1) , Assistant professor, Dept. of ECE, A.D.Patel Institute of Technology, V.U.Nagar,Gujarat, India (2) Research Problem: The research discusses the reasons for the limit in information carrying capacity of optical communication systems. Research Methodology or Approach: Quantitative Research Solution and Results: Soliton based optical fiber communication systems are more suitable for long haul communication because of their very high information carrying capacity and repeater less transmission. Comments The research paper highlights one of the important weakness of optical fiber communication in long distance. In that respect the research problem is a good one. The research methodology is quantitative. But it could be better if more practical surveys were implemented. The result shows the mathematical solution of the problem. But it could be better if some practical result/evidence was shown. Strengths vs. Weaknesses: The discussion on the current problem in optical transmission is the strength of this research. But the result showing only mathematical solution is the weakness. Opportunities: Advantages and disadvantages of optical fiber communication, Dispersion Phenomenon References: [1] Gerd Keiser,Optical Fiber Communications, 4thedition, Tata McGraw-Hill, 2008. [2] http://hank.uoregon.edu. [3] R. Gangwar, S. P. Singh, and N. Singh, â€Å"Soliton based optical communication’’,Progress In Electromagnetics Research, PIER 74, 157–166, 2007. [4] Akira Hasegawa, â€Å"Soliton-based ultra-high speed optical communications’’, Vol. 57, Nos5 6-journal of physics Nov. Dec. 2001. [5] Opsim-appnotes.pdf. [6] R. Ganapathy, K. Porsezian, A. Hasegawa, Life Fellow, IEEE, and V. N. Serkin,â€Å"Soliton Interaction Under Soliton Dispersion Management’’, IEEE journal of quantum electronics, Vol. 44, NO. 4, April 2008. [7] David S. Ricketts, Member, IEEE, Xiaofeng Li, Student Member, IEEE, â€Å"On the Self-Generation of Electrical Soliton Pulses’’, IEEE journal of solid-state circuits, Vol. 42, NO. 8, August 2007. [8] Yang Jing Wen and Xiang Lin Yang,Senior Member, IEEE, â€Å"Quasi-Transform-Limited Pulse Transmission in Dispersion Managed Soliton System’’, IEEE photonics technology letters, Vol. 11, NO. 4, April 1999. [9] Kuppusamy Porsezian, Ramanathan Ganapathy, Akira Hasegawa, Life Fellow, IEEE, and Vladimir N. Serkin, â€Å"Nonautonomous Soliton Dispersion Management’’, IEEE journal of quantum electronics, vol. 45, no. 12, December 2009. [10] Hiroyuki Toda, Katsuyuki Mino, Yuji Kodama, Akira Hasegawa, Life Fellow, IEEE, and Peter A. Andrekson, Member, IEEE, Member, OSA,â€Å"Influence of Noise in Optical Pulse Source on Soliton Transmission’’, journal of lightwave technology, vol. 17, no. 6, June 1999. Research Paper 2 Title: Optical Fiber Based Communication Network Authors: Dr. Dharamvir Singh Affiliation: Assistant Professor, Ch. Devi Lal University, Sirsa-125055 (Haryana) India Research Problem: This research discuss about the different technologies used in the fiber based communication network. It also focuses the advantages of newly developed technology over the conventional ones. Research Methodology or Approach: Correlation Research Solution and Results: The physics of the optical fibers are discussed here and it points to a solution that technological revolution of fiber optic communication is happening due to the development of capacity increasing methods and the introductions of high speed devices. Comments The research paper discusses the very basic requirements for an optical fiber communication. It is very helpful to understand the optical fiber communication technology at a glance The research methodology is correlative. And it is a better method to show the advantages of new technology over the existing one. The research does not reflect to any strong solution for a particular problem rather it describes the different aspects of the optical fiber communication. Strengths vs. Weaknesses: The discussion on the different technology used in optical fiber communication is the strength of this research. But it does not focus to any specific problem which needs to solved which is its weakness Opportunities: Transmission Windows, Attenuation, Transmitters, Receivers References: [1] S.G. Karshenboim, â€Å"Fundamental physical constants: looking from different anglesâ€Å", Can. J. Phys. 83, 767-811, (2005). [2] S. M. Foreman, K. W. Holman, D. D. Hudson, D. J. Jones, and J. Ye, â€Å"Remote transfer of ultrastable frequency references via fiber networks†, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 78, 021101 (2007). [3] C. Daussy, O. Lopez, A. Amy-Klein, A. Goncharov , M. Guinet, C. Chardonnet, F. Narbonneau, M. Lours, D. Chambon, S. Bize, A. Clairon, G. Santarelli, M.E. Tobar and A.N. Luiten, â€Å"Long-Distance Frequency Dissemination with a Resolution of 10-17†, Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 203904 (2005). [4] Alwayn, Vivek, Fiber-Optic Technologies. Cisco Systems, 12- 31 (2006). [5] S. M. Foreman, K. W. Holman, D. D. Hudson, D. J. Jones, and J. Ye, â€Å"Remote transfer of ultrastable frequency references via fiber networks†, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 78, 021101 (2007). Research Paper 3 Title: Next Gen. Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing Authors: Shaikh Bilal Anees (1) Sameer Khan (2), Shah Akhtar Ali (3) Affiliation: Electronics Telecom Dept. AIKTC, Mumbai University, India, (1), (2), (3) Research Problem: The existing DWDM system does not meet the current bandwidth requirements of the corporate, which is up to 1Tb/s. In this research it broadly describes the advantages of the next generation DWDM over the existing system and how it can meet the required demand. It also describes the other possible solutions. Research Methodology or Approach: Meta-analysis Research Solution and Results: The research ends with two solutions. One solution is to use the modulation technique RZ-DPSK over long haul systems. Second one is the utilization of DCF Comments This paper discusses several options to increase the capacity of optical fiber transmission over long haul. It could be better if some more studies are put into this. The research methodology is meta-analysis. It relates all the possible solution to come up with the goal of this research, and for this it is the successful approach. The research comes up with a good solution. Strengths vs. Weaknesses: Its focus on the recent development to transmit high capacity data is its strength. Few more studies like the modulations techniques could be described, which is its weakness. Opportunities: The ideas of DWDM, Light Sources and Detectors, Optical Fiber Distortion References: [1] Muralikrishna Gandluru à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Optical Networking And Dense Wavelenght Devision Multiplexing (DWDM)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬-. [2] Biswanath Mukherjee à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢WDM Optical Communication Networks: Progress and Challengesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬-. [3] Introduction to DWDM Technology by Cisco ltd . [4] Fibre Optic Essentials by Casimer M. DeCusatis and Carolyn J. Sher DeCusatis . [5] Optical Fibers and RF: A Natural Combination by Malcolm Romeiser . [6] New functionalities for advanced optical interfaces (Dispersion compensation) byKazuo Yamane Photonic systems development dept. FUJITSU. [7] I. P. Kaminow, et al, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢A Wideband All-Optical WDM Networkà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬-, IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications, Vol.14, No. 5, June 1996, pp. 780 799.) [8] Melià ¡n, B., Laguna, M., and Moreno, J.A., Capacity expansion of fiber optic networks with WDM systems: Problem formulation and comparative analysis, Computers and Operations Research, 31(3) (2004) 461-472. [9] E. Lowe, Current European WDM Deployment Trends, IEEE Communications Magazine, Feburary 1998, pp. 46-50.

Korean War :: essays research papers

The Korean War originated in the division of Korea into South Korea and North Korea after World War II (1939-1945). Efforts to reunify the peninsula after the war failed, and in 1948 the South proclaimed the Republic of Korea and the North established the People's Republic of Korea. In 1949, border fighting broke out between the North and the South. On June 25, 1950, North Korean forces crossed the dividing line and invaded the South. Soon, in defense of the South, the United States joined the fighting under the banner of the United Nations (UN), along with small continents of British, Canadian, Australian, and Turkish troops. In October 1950, China joined the war on the North's side. By the time a cease-fire agreement was signed on July 27, 1953, millions of soldiers and civilians had perished. The armistice ended the fighting, but Korea has remained divided for decades since and subject to the possibility of a new war at any time. The Korean War was one of the most destructive of the 20th century. Perhaps as many as 4 million Koreans died throughout the peninsula, two-thirds of them civilians. China lost up to 1 million soldiers, and the United States suffered 54,246 dead and 103,284 wounded. Other UN nations suffered 3,322 dead and 11,949 wounded. Decades later, Koreans still seek reconciliation and eventual reunification of their torn nation. From the day when North Koreans attacked South Korea on June 25, 1950 to the day of the armistice on July 27, 1953, the events of the Korean War revealed the mass destruction, pain, and suffering Koreans had to endure. The Korean war can be divided into three phases. The first phase began on June 25, 1950 and ended on the day United Nations (U.N) forces thrusted into North Korea's territory. The second phase of the Korean war was essentially the Southern unit's attack and retreat from North Korea. The last phase of the war consisted of the "see-saw" fighting on the thirty-eighth parallel, stalemate, and negotiation talks. On June 25, 1950 at 4 a.m., 70,000 North Korean troops with Russian T-34 tanks crossed the thirty-eighth parallel. President Truman appealed to the United Nations to take "police action" against the "unwarranted" attack. Hence, under the "name of the United Nations", the United States was able to send troops and forces. On June 29, the North Korean Army, Korean People's Army (KPA), pressed southward and captured Seoul.

The Life of Norman Rockwell :: essays research papers

Norman Rockwell is best known for his depictions of dail life of a rural America. Rockwell’s goals in art revolved around his desire to create an ideal America. He said â€Å" I paint life as I would like it to be.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second child of Jarvis W. Rockwell and his wife Nancy, Norman Perceval Rockwell was born in the famous New York City. In his summers he enjoyed life on the countryside, which made a profound impact on his art.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Rockwell remained in Manhattan until 1903, when they moved to Mamaroneck, New York. It was there he decided to pursue a career as an illustrator.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1908, He began attending the Chase School of Fine Art. At the age of fifteen he quit high school to enroll in classes at the National Academy of Design. He left the Academy a year after finding out that it was geared towards training of the fine artist rather than the illustrator. He then enrolled in the Art Students League studying inder George Bridgman and Thomas Fogarty. In addition to excelling in his skills in drawing and painting, Rockwell was introduced to the illustration of Howard Pyle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1911, Rockwell illustrated his first book, â€Å"Tell Me Why Stories†. Two Years later he contributed to â€Å"Boys Life†, He soon became art director of the magazine. Commissions for other children’s magazines, among them â€Å"St. Nicholas†, â€Å"Youths Companion† and â€Å"American Boys†, soon followed. In 1915, Rockwell moved to New Rochelle, New York, home to many of America’s finest Illustrators. He studied the work of older illustrators while painting crisply, painted renditions of fresh-faced kids and dogs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A turning point in Rockwell’s career occurred one year later when he sold five cover illustrations to George Lorimer, editor of the â€Å"Saturday Evening Post†. For the next four decades, Rockwell’s name would be synonymous with the â€Å"Post†. During that time he produced 322 covers for the magazine.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By the 1920’s, Rockwell achieved considerable success.

Standardized Testing Is Counterproductive Essay -- Problems With High

Excessive testing has been integrated in the public school system to measure student intelligence, observe teacher proficiency, and distribute federal funds since the passage of the No Child Left behind Act (NCLBA) of 2001. The (NCLBA) ‘‘called for 100% of the nation’s public school students to become proficient in mathematics and reading by 2014’’ through the usage of standardized testing (Hanson 3). Since the inception of this policy there have been numerous issues involved in these tests. ‘‘Instead of providing equal access for all children, the frenetic use of mandated testing in schools and in teacher education is having the opposite effect’’ (Richardson 34). Standardized testing is an ineffective and outdated tool that creates a counterproductive learning environment; testing enforced by the state should be altered to better accommodate the students needs. The primary function of standardized testing is to provide an accurate measure of student and teacher performance; they fall short of meeting this standard. Test scores don’t accurately reflect a child’s intelligence. One reason for this is that a single test cannot properly show the extent of a child’s knowledge. Language barriers are a determining factor as well, if English is not the primary language of a student they will have a harder time understanding questions and in turn procure lower scores. More problems arise when students enter high school; students don’t try as hard since standardized tests do not affect class grades. Moreover, scores are influenced by external factors. A child’s emotional or mental state during testing is detrimental to their results. Living conditions along with social status affect testing data as well. If a student is upset or living... ... ERIC. Print. Longo, Christopher. ‘‘Fostering Creativity or Teaching to the Test? Implications of State Testing on the Delivery of Science Instruction.’’ Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 2010. ERIC. Print. Phelps, Richard P. ‘‘Characteristics of an Effective Student Testing System.’’ Educational Horizons, 2006. ERIC. Print. Reddell, Samantha. ‘‘High Stakes Testing: Our Children at Risk.’’ Online Submission, 2010. ERIC. Print. Richardson, Brian; Wheeless, Lawrence R. ‘‘Teachers Tattling on Teachers: Policy Attitude and Tenure's Influence on Peer Reporting of Unethical Behavior.’’ International Journal of Educational Reform, 2009. ERIC. Print. Ryan, Katherine E., Allison M. Ryan, Keena Arbuthnot, Maurice Samuels. ‘‘Students' Motivation for Standardized Math Exams.’’ Educational Researcher, 2007. EIRC. Print.

Improving Listening Skill

NGO TH? THUY DUNG DH27AV03 TOPIC: IMPROVING LISTENING SKILL FOR SECOND-YEAR STUDENTS OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE FA CULITY IN BANKING UNIVERSITY abstract introduction literature review History of listening english skill A brief review of literature related to language listening english methods shows that â€Å"leran more about this in smart talk- a comprehensive set of tools to help you build stronger relationships and overcome communication obstacles† (Lisa B. Marshall,2012. P. 4)In real-life listening situations(Louanne Piccolo,2012,para 1) most of the spoken language we listen to is informal, spontaneous and can contain many features like slurred speech, colloquial vocabulary and incorrect grammar. Listeners usually know in advance something about what is going to be said as they expect to hear something relevant to the context in which they find themselves. Speakers usually direct what they are saying at the listener and take the listener's character and intentions into account wh en speaking.Naturally, listeners are normally speakers as well as we usually respond to what we are listening to by taking part in the conversation or by answering questions. A small amount of the listening we do is done blindly through listening to the radio or talking on the phone. However, most of the time, there is something or someone to look at that is linked to what is being said. Listening in the Classroom is not the same as real-life listening but is as realistic a simulation of real-life listening as possible.Listening activities should be training students and preparing them for effective functioning outside the classroom. They should also provide students with practice in coping with some features of real-life situations. Types of Listening Activities No overt response activities: Students do not have to do anything in response to the listening text. Often students' facial expression and body language will betray what they have understood. Activities of this type include storytelling, listening to songs or watching movies and videos. Short response activities:Students don't only have to give responses verbally but can also respond by performing a task in response to instructions, ticking off items on a worksheet as they hear them being said, ticking off true/false answers in response to statements or writing down missing words from cloze exercises. Long response activities: Students can engage in answering questions verbally about a listening text, taking notes from a mini-lecture by rewriting what you said in different words to the ones you used or writing a brief summary of a listening text. ( Larry M.Lynch,2000, para. 2) Study exploring listening english methods Slow your listening down. Take a minute to breathe and think about listening and to be aware and present. Listen from your head to your toes. Listen as if what you are hearing could change your life. Factoid: We speak an average of 120 words per minute, but listen four times faster. Your mind fills the gap by thinking of other things and wandering off. Stay focused. Slow down your listening and listen more than you talk. Pay attention. Watch out for shiny objects! Stay focused.Don’t get distracted, but rather offer a statement of observation. For example: say, â€Å"It sounds like you’re angry† (or sad/upset/frustrated, etc. ). Listen and watch for the tone of voice, body language, and facial expressions of the person you’re talking to. (fred crane, 2000, p. 1) Get clarification. Listen first, then, ask questions. Find a way to understand their story – their facts, their feelings, and their perceptions. Say, â€Å"Tell me more,† or clarify by saying, â€Å"help me understand,† or â€Å"do you mean to say that†¦? † If you still don’t understand, ask again in a different way.Sometimes you may need to ask for different words. My daughter may say something like, â€Å"the thing didn’t work and it’s just not fair! † I may have to ask her to find a different word to use for â€Å"thing† to understand what she is trying to communicate. Paraphrase. Repeat in your own words what was said to make sure you understand. Try this paraphrasing technique: â€Å"What I hear you saying is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or â€Å"So you are saying that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And then check for understanding. Say, â€Å"Is that right? † After listening carefully, respond genuinely. Don’t fake it.An insincere response is worse than no response. Give non-verbal communication. Use eye contact and head nods to show your concern and interest. And, here’s a tip: a response that demonstrates you really weren’t listening is not a good response. A simple change in the way we listen will change the way we understand and how we respond. Active listening will increase the odds of success at understanding what the real issue is. This may take some practice, but you will get bet ter at it, and it may even transform a relationship or two. ( Betty Lochner on August 11, 2011)