Solar Energy Consultancy

Solar Energy Consultancy Introduction In the contemporary world, human beings have identified solar power as one of the most essential sources of electricity power. Therefore, they have harnessed the radiant heat, in addition to, light from the sun in a process that uses a wide scope of technologies, which are ever evolving.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Solar Energy Consultancy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to the findings of the research conducted by Schaper Volery (2007, p. 55), it is indicated that some of the technologies largely attributed with solar energy include solar thermal electricity, solar architecture as well as solar photovoltaic among other crucial technologies. Sometimes, many regions of the world experience urgent problems relating to power but considering the solar technologies, they can be of great help during such times. With the advent of solar technology, many solar energy consultancy groups have surf aced, not only in Australia but in the entire world, as well. Solar energy consultancy groups play a key role in the solar energy industry. One of the major contributions that the solar energy consultancy groups make includes conducting household inspection and thereby giving the clients a report indicating the solar options for their particular households, in addition to sites. This can indeed range full-fledged general solar installation that generates electricity to simple solar walk away lighting (Galbraith, 2001, p. 43). Thesis Statement Due to the rising demands for alternative energy in households and factories, there is a need to establish a consultancy business in the field of solar energy. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to formulate a solar energy business model based in Melbourne, Australia.Advertising Looking for report on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For the purpose of a comprehensive coverage of all the areas required for the establishment of a solar energy consulting business, several aspects will be considered. These will include; a clear and precise of a solar energy business concept, declaration as well as an explanation of the mission statement, industry as well as market analysis, identifying the management team, development of products and services, the financial considerations, timelines and finally assumptions. Discussion The concept solar energy consultancy business Energy Saving Efficient energy use is a commonly used term and it refers to the target of attempts aimed at mitigating the energy amount necessary to offer both goods as well as services. Renewable energy such as solar energy is attributed largely to the efficient use of energy. Timmons Spinelli (2007, p. 89) indeed supported this by indicating in his research findings that energy efficiency, in addition to, renewable energy is twin pillars of sustainable energy. Solar ener gy is largely used as an alternative due to its efficiency. Households and industries in Melbourne, Australia that use solar energy can be identified as using energy efficiently because, as compared to other non-renewable sources of energy, the use of costs as well as resources is greatly mitigated. Indeed, the only cost involved is during buying and installation, in addition to maintaining the installation, which is done rarely. With many households and industries in Melbourne adopting the efficient use of energy, there is a need to provide consultancy services, which include installation, servicing among other consultancy services.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Solar Energy Consultancy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For a person intending to become a consultant in the field of solar energy in Australia, it is herculean important, to start by seeking employment in a company that deals with solar products. The rationale for this is that the person will become knowledgeable in the field of solar energy and as such, it is the start point on route to become a solar energy consultant. Once a person establishes himself as a solar energy consultant in the Australian market, it is indicated in the findings of the research conducted by Grave Zacharakis (2008, p. 77) that, one should not become affiliated with any one company or even product. Further, Grave Zacharakis (2008, p. 79) asserts that, once a person becomes a solar energy industry consultant, he must be able to recommend, not only products but options, as well, across the field of solar energy. Vision Statement The objective of this solar energy consultancy is to provide a low level cost, environmentally friendly, in addition to, an innovative energy power to consumers within Melbourne and its environs through energy generating systems which are not only highly efficient, but cost effective, as well (Horngren, 2002, p. 24). Industry /M arket Analysis The solar energy industry’s background and its present status The consultancy business will be based on the Australian energy industry. To be more precise, the business competes in the non-renewable segment of the energy industry in Australia. In the last four years, the business has had average annual sales of $ 1,000,000. The last four years have been important for the business. As such, the business has experienced tremendous growth and this has been evidenced by the amount of sales made in the past four years. Generally, the sales have been increasing each year and this is a clear implication that the company is gaining ground. Based on the current growth experience, it is being forecasted that the trend will continue as long as the current practices are not only maintained but be continuously improved, as well.Advertising Looking for report on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The consultancy business, having been established six years ago, can be identified as in the rapid growth stage. This assertion is evident considering the last four years. Currently, the management of the business has embarked on development plans where is wants to invest further in renewable power generating program. However, several issues are currently facing the business. Foremost, the competent service men are less in number. However, the management has established a viable plan through which the most competent consultancy servicemen will be recruited to form part of the team. The solar energy consultancy business can be identified as currently being dominated by Melbourne’s open markets. Competitiveness The concentration of solar energy consultancy industry Industry concentration is a term used to define the measure of the number of organizations as well as the size of the organizations, which are considered predominant in the given industry. In a more precise way, indu stry concentration describes the nature of the competition within a particular industry. In the case of Australian solar energy consultancy industry, there are a number of key players. Among the big consultancy groups include Adopt a Light consultancy group, Glowing Light Consultants LTD as well as The Renewable Consultants Limited. Considering these consultancy firms, they rule a considerable market share. According to the conclusions of the research conducted by Knight and Thomas (2012, p. 23), it is indicated that Adopt a Light consultancy group commands a 20 percent market share while Glowing Light Consultants LTD commands a 15 percent market share. In a similar research conducted by Wade (2008, p. 177), it is indicated in the findings that The Renewable Consultants Limited has taken up a massive 22 percent of the market share in the solar energy consultancy industry. Generally, there are a significant number of solar energy consultancy firms. However, these firms are perceived as not posing a significant threat to this company. Clearly, the Renewable Consultants Limited is the dominant leader in the solar energy consultancy industry. However, the other two consultancy groups as well as our company pose as a threat to the proclaimed industry leader. Competition from other products Our products as well as services are competitive in nature. However, according to a recent research conducted by this consultancy group, it was found out that there are other consultancy groups within Melbourne that offer the same competitive services as well as products that we offer to the clients. Therefore, the management of this consultancy business quickly acted on the recommendations indicated in the research by establishing measures to differentiate the business’ products and services from competitive ones in the eyes of the solar energy clients (Inwood, 2007, p. 16). As such, the top management of this group embarked on the branding differentiation strategy. Barri ers to entry Generally, there are few requirements that a company must comply with before being granted entry into the consultancy industry in Australia. Further, one must provide sufficient proof to show that he has a considerable knowledge and experience with the solar energy products and services. This implies that the entry to the industry is relatively less complicated. This is the possible reason why there are various consultancy groups in the industry. The easiness to admission favors new entrants, who are considered to be prospective competitors, as they enters the solar energy market during the periods in which high profits are being achieved and therefore expanding the capacity to produce. This is a major drawback to the existing businesses as it leads to prices of the consultancy products as well as services to be driven down and similarly, the profitability level lowers down. However, the government realized that there is a condition of unhealthy competition and as such, it has established new regulations that will ensure that the entry to the industry is complicated (Shapiro, 2002, p. 54). This implies that the competitors will find it hard to enter into the industry and as such, the profit margin of this consultancy group will remain favorable. Some of the new requirements that the government has established include; Limited access to market This will greatly favor the group as it has products as well services that are not only well branded but well established, as well. If a new competitor is lucky enough to gain entry, it will have to spend a considerable amount of time money as well as efforts in an effort towards establishing a successful product as well as the service (Barber, 2011, p. 559). Limited access to technology The Australian government has sought to limit the patent technology, in addition to, other intellectual property and as such, it is a great boost to this company as new competition is not imminent. Supply chain concentration Industry rivalry The rivalry between the consultancy groups in the Australian industry, especially in Melbourne, is intense. This means that the company must be continually vigilant on the improved practices that the competitors are engaging in and therefore establish practices that are more viable in an effort towards vending competition off (Altman, 2008, p. 600) Market Trends In the recent past, the sensitivity of the price of solar energy consultancy products as well as services has changed in a significant way. Further, the demand for a variety as well as the level of emphasis on consultancy service, in addition to, support has changed. Another relevant change that has taken place in the near past is regional trends. This consultancy group sees these changes as vital since, through them, it is easy to establish new opportunities, in addition top, threats. Key Success Factors This consultancy group has access to essential resources, which are unique. In addition to this, the gro up has the capabilities of achieving economies of scale in the solar energy consultancy industry. The group also has an access to solar energy consultancy services and products’ distribution channel. Further, the group has experienced an excellent technological progress. The company sees these as key success factors and as such, they are essential, as they will assist the company in its efforts towards achieving the marketing objectives. However, the company is aware that these key success factors will change going into the future, especially as the consultancy products as well as the service progresses through their life cycle (Mills, 2008, p. 55). Distribution Channels Existing channels of distribution The consultancy group ensures that it contacts its clients in a direct manner. Trends and emerging Distribution channels The company has recently embarked on efforts aimed at discovering new distribution channels for its consultancy products as well as services in an effort t owards developing a competitive advantage, in addition to, enhancing its market share. Channel power structure The brands that the consultancy owns have little brand equity. This implies that the consultancy group has power over the manufacturers and therefore, the company has the ability to capture higher margins. The Consultancy’s management team Foremost, the company had adopted a hierarchical structure. A hierarchical organizational structure is essential as it helps the personnel understand where they fit in the organizational hierarchy as well as where they can move after they are moved from their positions. Analysts These are junior most employees in the company. Each analyst of the consultancy holds a bachelor’s degree from a university having majored in a field, which is business related. The company acknowledges this as the entry-level position and as such, the position offers the ability to further move up within the consultancy business after a specified pe riod. In this case, the company requires that for one to be promoted, he must have been an analyst in the same company for a period of two years. Consultants According to Engestrom (2005), consultants are key elements as they form the bulk of any consultancy business. The people in this position were either former analysts or they were admitted directly to this position having met the company’s requirements for this position, that is, holding a Maters in Business Administration. Partners This is where the top management team falls. Partners are the senior most members of any particular consultancy business. In this company, the partners act as consultants, in addition to, assuming a managerial role. The most important thing is that partners are part of the owners of the consultancy business and therefore, they have a share in the revenues of the business. Below is the full list as well as the roles of the partners. The chief Executive Officer The Chief Executive Officer has b een mandated with the responsibilities of helping the households as well as the industries that use solar energy to face the unique challenges emanating from the adoption of solar power as the source of energy. He ensures this by leading in solar energy’s planning retreats, facilitates meetings, in addition to, conducting surveys of both the employees as well as the customers. The chief executive officer is involved in a number of roundtable energy saving education sessions. In addition to this, he chairs and speaks at many seminars covering solar energy industry strategies to success as well as solar methodologies suitable for energy consultancy business (Ayres, 2004, p. 28). Further, the chief executive officer of this company develops and monitors the company’s marketing strategies for the solar energy clients. Director of finance The person occupying this position is required to optimize the cash flows. Further, he is required to streamline the financial processes of the company. In addition, he is responsible with productivity enhancement, introduction of improvements in the processes as well as implementing solutions through technology. Operations Manager This docket concerns several management aspects, which include operations and implementation, management of finance, management of products and services both strategic planning and positioning and technology development, in addition to, support. Human Resources Manager The person in this position will be responsible for the management of the employees of the company. However, he will be required to focus keenly on the management of benefits, relations as well as payrolls of the employees. He will oversee the human resource functions in this company (Brigham, 2004, p. 233). Information Technology Manager A person who is considered a pragmatic technologist holds this position and as such, he is responsible with the application of technology for the sake of the company’s value, in addi tion to advantage. Business development manager This position is responsible for the performance of the sales quota, development of new businesses, founding and building strong relationships with the company’s customers, as well as, the effective management of territories, time and working teams. Service manager This position is responsible with the maintenance of a special focus on the management of information. Service Development It is made clear by Vaughan (2007, p. 55) that successive product and service development does not necessarily have to do with products. Rather, it involves the establishment of the needs, which the customer may not even be aware of and thereby developing solutions in an effort towards meeting those needs. This consultancy group will mainly dwell on service offerings. As such, the company will provide a solar energy consultancy service to its clients. For precision, the company will offer advice to the solar energy clients regarding the efficient way to save energy. As such, saving energy is the hidden need that the solar energy clients are not aware. In order to provide the best consultancy solution to this need, the company will adopt the ideation session technique. As such, the company will embark on conducting internal ideation sessions, that is, with the company employees, as well as external sessions, that is with the potential customers, in order to explore what might be possible (Krishna, 2001, p. 13). Further, the ideation session will be effective in understanding the goals of the customers as well as the most effective way to meet these goals. In addition to this, the ideation sessions will be essential, as it will be used to establish the best practices that the consultancy can apply in both the short term as well as in the long term. Further service development strategies, the consultancy business will engage in intermediary services whereby it will sell energy services from big companies at discounted rates. Ho wever, in doing this, the top management team will ensure that there is no instance the company will become affiliated with any one company. Through this, the top management team will have acknowledged the rule of consultancy, which states that; to be a consultant, it is not recommended to become affiliated with any one company or product. Financial Considerations Initial start up costs Since the company has no operating premises of its own, renting is inevitable. A team will be assigned the duty of identifying a building to set up the consultancy business premises. As such, the identified place should be rational in terms of costs, in addition to, being at strategic points where it is easily accessible. The equipments needed for this consultancy business operation includes computers, furniture, stationeries, safes, printers and photocopiers, among other equipments. These equipments will be essential in supporting the consultancy activities. The general outlay to be provided in orde r to acquire these equipments is approximated to be sixteen million dollars. In order to come up with the prices that will be charged for the services rendered to the clients, the company will establish a team to conduct an intensive research on the prices that other similar businesses charge for their services. However, during an initial research done by the company, it was established that the charges depend on the complexity of the issue at hand. Generally, the solar energy consultancy services range from as low as a hundred dollars to as high as a thousand dollars. Other costs that the clients will incur apart from the consultancy service charges will include installation costs as well as maintenance costs. As a way to market the company towards reaching a competitive advantage, the top management team will identify activities, which will be offered for free and as such, they will be considered as after sales services. Such will include clean up of the installed system among oth er activities. These events will not be included in the financial reports of the companies after the end of a financial year. Profit margin The company is targeting a profit margin of one million dollars after all the deductions have been made, that is, after considering tax on returns and interests to shareholders, among other deductions. In order to realize this budget, the financial department will be required to come up with a focused budget showing how processes will be funded. In addition to this, the financial department will have to come up with a budget that clearly outlines the sources of cash flows. The group’s future planning Time Line The essence of developing a future planning time line is to help the consultancy business focus on the prize irrespective of the stage that the company is in currently. First year After the end of the first year, the business plan of this consultancy group that it intends to start with will be re-read. The rationale behind re-readin g it in after the first year is that updates will be made, and if there is a need, the goals or even schedules of the company will be revised. In addition to this, re-reading the business plan will ensure that the management of the company is re-acquainted with the goals that were made at the starting point, which the management lost touch with during the cumbersome startup days. Going into the second year, these goals will be fixed. Second through to the fifth year Both the processes as well as the procedures that the company will have developed during the first year will be formalized in this period. In this period, the basic goal will be getting adequate information from the people and putting it on paper. Further, the procedures for operations will be written down in a manual during this period and this will prove to be of great importance. It is being considered that it will assist in helping the management of the company to think through the elements associated with the critic al tasks of the consultancy business (Hirt, 2012, p, 71). It is advisable to have a system in the organization, which is not only rational but reputable, as well. Such a system is of great value as the business plan for the first phase of sustained growth. After entering the first growth phase, that is, in the third year the company will begin the process of hiring people in large numbers that it will have done before. This process of bringing new people will be fool proofed by the management team embarking on writing down job descriptions for each and every position, whether existing or newly established. Kerzner (2009, p. 19) states that a well documented and thought of job descriptions is essential, as they help in identifying and hiring the most suitable people for the right jobs. During this period, the top management will have to consider the face that this consultancy business will present to the customers. Messages, images, in addition to other viable marketing materials wil l be codified. As such, the processes used in sales and marketing will be standardized. When the company grows too large at some particular point such that it will not be possible to manage in the hands-on way it was initially done, it will be taken as a call to bring in a management team. As the company grows during this period, it will need bigger capital and the initial sources will not be appealing. Therefore, the company will turn to banks and other lending facilities. By this time, the company will have grown larger and as such, the issue of creditworthiness will not be a problem (Matt, 2009, p. 33). As the company progresses, there will be a need for documentations. Therefore, bookkeeping procedures will have to be adopted. Further, there will be generation of not only regular but accurate financial reports, as well. These will include cash flow projections, income statements, in addition to balance sheets. Fifth to tenth year The company will embark on more sophisticated bus iness operations such as mergers and acquisitions. Assumptions The main assumption is that the accumulated funds will favor an effective entry into the solar energy consultancy business. Further, it is postulated that the current growth pattern of the consultancy industry will remain the same especially at the time this business will be making an entry. References Altman, E. 2008, ‘Strategic Management’, American Journal of Management, Vol. 2 no. 3, 589–609. Ayres, F. 2004, ‘Key Success Factors: What Managers Need to Know’, Journal of Management, Vol. 3 no. 2, 27–29. Barber, B. 2011, ‘PESTEL Analysis’, Journal of Strategic Management, Vol. 66 no. 2, 531–563. Brigham, E. F. 2004, Fundamentals of Financial Management, Cengage Learning, Belmont. Engestrom, U. 2005, Consultancy Business Manifesto. Web. Galbraith, M. 2001, Guide to Consultancy Business Planning, Masters Thesis, Oxford Digital Thesis Program 2000. Oxford Digital Thesis Program. Grave, B. Zacharakis, A. 2008, Entrepreneurship, Wiley Sons, Hoboken NJ. Hirt, G. A. 2012, Corporate Management Foundations, McGraw-Hill Irwin, London, UK. Horngren, C 2002. Market Analysis, Prentice-Hall, London, UK. Inwood, M. 2007, Heidegger; A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Kerzner, H. 2009, ‘Business Management: A Systems Approach to Planning and scheduling†, Journal of Management, Vol. 9 no. 5, 11-20. Knight, J. Thomas., P 2012, Reaching the clients: Distribution and Promotion of a business operation, Intellect Books, Bristol, UK. Krishna, P. 2001, ‘Introduction to Industry Analysis and Valuation’ Journal of Strategic Management, Vol. 6 no. 2, 9-16. Matt, D. 2009, ‘Approaches to Strategic Management’, American Journal of Management, Vol. 6 no. 6, 30-36. Mills, J. 2008, ‘Future Planning for a company’, Journal of Management, Vol. 6 no. 8, 53–61. Print. Schaper, M. Volery, T. 2007, Entrepreneurship and Small Business, John Wiley and Sons, Milton QLD. Shapiro, A. C. 2002, Foundations of Multinational Management, Wiley, London, UK. Timmons, J. Spinelli, S. 2007, New Venture Creation: Entrepreneurship for the 21st Century, McGraw-Hill/Irwin, Boston, MA. Vaughan, D. 2007. The Challenger Launch Decision: Technology, Culture, and Management, Springer, London, UK. Wade, D. 2008, How to deal with competition, ProQuest, Michigan.

Team Building Interventions

Team Building Interventions There is a widespread impression, evident from popular research and casual empiricism, of the inability of scholars and organisations to accurately evaluate the effectiveness of team building in measuring changes in skills or attitudes. Often what the evaluation tools do is evaluate the team before and after team building event in anticipation of valuable outcomes.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Team Building Interventions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, the methodology employed in team building evaluation has not been successful in gathering and assessing data that would serve conclusive. One major short coming of team building interventions is that is the research employed does not even attempt an evaluation. Across the social science, skill is a fundamental yet problematic concept and the inaccuracies of evaluation methods may be linked to the phenomena under investigation and the circumstanc es under which the data is collected that does not produce conclusive analysis. In this paper I will discuss three leadership styles using my past work experience. Then I will go through some aspects of teamwork. Finally, I will give a summary about myself as a leader and how personal characteristics influence leadership style. Key theories, concepts and empirical research carried out to evaluate team building interventions (TBIs) have proven frustrating leading us to examine what has been done to overcome this problem. To obtain conclusive, data was collected from 22 full time MBA students on a three day trip via open ended questionnaire to determine what’s happening both within team and individuals involved in team building event in order to determine the kinds of practices, support and resources used to ensure effective data collection. Each student for this case was given a responsibility to record their negative and positive events on a daily basis bearing changes in the mselves and their team members (Rushmer 1997, p.316). Since team building interventions used open ended questionnaires to collect data, I found it difficult to process and analyse large amount of data in limited time. Open ended questions for my case would be hard to record my exact feelings which would be measured to provide conclusive results.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Due to the changing economic and social context of employee relations, there’s need to evaluate the effectiveness of team building Interventions (TBIs) in organizational development projects. Schools and organisations for this instance should recognise the inherent benefits associated with such evaluations such as their ability to justify direct and indirect costs of interventions to organisations and providing evidence to its validity to scholars to ascertain whether progra ms are truly operational and beneficial. However, in my analysis, the journal’s weakness is that the team building strategy used in measuring outcomes has not been able to adequately gather or assess data that would serve as conclusive. Plenty of evidence suggests that students who are more likely to integrate into groups were more likely to get through their course completion and to successfully gain their award. Evidently from my analysis, students grouped into teams are able manage through their academic years either due to the emotional support received from fellow students, the practical advice gained from drawing from each others skills, expertise and experiences, opportunity to clarify their ideas with each other or it could possibility be a combination of all these factors. Therefore, as the MBA students undertake their full time residential period, TBI takes place in their first week of the program to â€Å"build the teams† at the beginning of the course (Rush mer 1997, p.316). I therefore support the journal’s theory of group integration in team building activities since it provides reliable analysis to support the evidence. Participation Participants age group ranged from 22 to 37 with an average age of 25 combined with a great range of cultural background, a strategy that was not put into consideration in regard to how their participation would affect TBI. In this case, I stand against the team building theory since the spit groups in regard to gender were not considered as female participants of ages 35 were not likely to stay full time in the residents due to family ties hence making the data collected unreliable. The groups were further divided into three groups; teams, gender, nationality and age and stayed together during the TBI duration (Rushmer 1997, p.316).Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Team Building Interventions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Methodology Data collected from the 22-full time MBA students teams on a three day outward bound residential team building course was done through open ended questionnaire in order to allow participants to answer freely in their own words. This strategy was used in anticipation that extensive data will be collected on how each member perceived changes and developments during their trip rather than forcing themselves into YES and NO replies on pre-existing scales designed around the authors beliefs. The advantage of this journal article was that the method of data collection used by students to record raw information and report the findings on the sensitive issues to map the phenomena was reliable. On the other hand, the sorting through large amount of data served as a disadvantage since it would take considerable amount of time jeopardising the credibility of data collected (Rushmer 1997, p.316). Open ended questionnaires are disadvantaged to the sense that the answers produc ed were inadequate and missing valuable data that were to be measured against at the end of the project. Poor warded questions may prevent responses from answering individual questions, therefore increasing unit non response. The project supervisor should have opted for more explicit questions that would produce accurate answers to be used for School surveys as a self administered mode of data collection. Participant observation The author was actively involved in TBI exercise and task taking which enabled him obtain tacit knowledge and experience, team membership and team functioning which helped him extract qualitative data from questionnaire returns and assemble them into themes in reflection to what happened in TBI and to report the events as close as it was. The author classified important stages in the process of becoming a team as the following; Emergent themes The themes of â€Å"Speaking to† and â€Å"getting to know† were introduced at the beginning of projec t, a strategy that facilitated the process of getting to know each other. On a social level, â€Å"speaking to† enabled the relationship between the team members to develop although there is no strong indication that all team members got along successively.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More One of the participant reported that, once team members were able to speak to each other, everyone was friendly and they felt relaxed and even made friends at the end of the process. The themes, â€Å"speaking to† and â€Å"getting to know† was identifies as the first step in facilitating the process of team building. Here, Maslow’s theory of motivation which stipulates that team members draw satisfaction from safety and belongingness of membership of the team was identified. Maslow’s theory of motivation that proposes the model of how happy, healthy and functioning people are, are only based on concrete observations of people rather than coming up with an ideal formular for basing their theory. The motivation theory explains where â€Å"self-actualising† personality comes from which reacts too much on reductionism. Though the theory has taken into consideration the existing healthy personalities, the observations are more detailed than the theory can predict and the data contradicts the theory to some extend (Rushmer 1997, p.316). The data collected in the group dynamic theory that stipulates that people sometimes join groups in order to gain comfort, security and friendship was also identified. Since the project was task oriented, participants in day three began to notice strength and weaknesses of team members and learned how to work with each other. In my opinion, when there is no â€Å"speaking to† and â€Å"getting to know† then there would be no way of knowing what different teams can or cannot do in terms of skills, expertise and experience. It is to this i conclude that socializing was more fruitful strategy in the task orientation since teams reported more communication and unity (Rushmer 1997, p.316: Hays 2004). Refusal of leaders Following the dynamics of group behaviour, the teams refused to provide group leaders at the beginning of the project but allowed it to happen naturally as the project went on. One of the team members become one of the spokesman, a role that made him feel commanding often perceived with linked to negative comments. Strong leadership is seen to destroy both unity and coherence of the team. An Egalitarian team? In the process of team building, I can see egalitarian team developing where leaders are allowed to guide and the team members are satisfied when everyone takes part. This theory may be misleading in the sense that leadership has often been perceived as a force that directs action, tasks, unifies group and suggests solutions but we can see that this activities were not solely directed at one person, but were directed by different team members depending on task t hand, therefore not bale to base our conclusive result on (Rushmer 1997, p.316). In relation to organisations, management should set realistic goals of their team members by making it clear of the expected outcomes making clear of the task to be carried out to prevent unnecessary de-motiva ting influences and unrealistic expectations which often cause disappointments. This is often experienced in organisation with complicated communication channels through policies and practices. Organisation should also reduce the formal appearance of hierarchy since employees often link them with negative comments. Leaders should fully participate in organization projects to allow acquisition of new skills (Rushmer 1997, p.316). The project strategy was also aimed at determining who would enact leadership behaviour for example in tasks requiring physical strength and for this case, it was the biggest member of them team that took the role. Likewise, when rock climbing, team members who had initially experienced similar exercise appeared to direct the others. It’s therefore concluded that a given task is determined by ones skills, expertise or experience. Leadership as evident from this project may seem to be influenced by expert’s power, rather that permanent role of a particular individual (Rushmer 1997, p.316). Benefit of the team Participation of team members forces them to try out new behaviours and acquire new skills, team members attest to that. One member attests to this by saying that the he tried out new things he wouldn’t without the team work. This brings me to conclusive evidence that teamwork modifies behaviour for the sake of the team, hence the theory of â€Å"team will†. This however supports the assertion that ‘team’ is a body that forces people to do things they would not have done on their own. Members reported to have gained self confidence which were often rewarding and made the team experience enjoyable. There was also a â€Å"feel good factor† that enhanced positive feelings and stimulated team spirit. One of the participants regarded his team to be the best because of the fun and motivation received. The ability to identify with the team helps build the feel good factor (Rushmer 1997, p.31 6). Since the participants were eager to undergo new experiences, learn new ideas and skills, Maslow’s theory calls for accurate perception of reality which is inconsistence to ordinary people’s ability to deny, repress or deform perceptions to fit their own prejudices. Here Maslow’s theory agrees with the experiences of participants’ intuitive levels and their conscious on rational levels. The general concept to this self-actualizer is that may be attracted to the unknown rather than being afraid of it. Achieving the task: Process, outcomes and motivation There is a strong indication of positive outcomes in complimentary with task orientation to teamwork as it motivates and heightens team’s efforts to achieve their tasks. Since everyone participated in the task, everyone celebrated its success hence the theory of â€Å"one for all, all for one† ethos of success. In task orientation process, the pathways travelled in order to achieve this ou tcome helped them recognise important process in accomplishment of these stages which determines the effective functioning of the team as the actual achievement of the outcome. The outcome helped the team recognise real organisation, planning, discussion and action to be the major component of their team building. In relation to task orientation, the task outcomes and task process did not give conclusive results on how the team operates. We also realised that demanding tasks gave rise to supportiveness, encouragement which stimulated relationship orientation behaviour since members desired to help each other to succeed. Task difficulty challenged members to rise up to cooperation and encouragement within the team. We therefore conclude that team work motivated people to work together and stay till the end of the project (Hays 2004; Rushmer 1997, p.316). De-motivation Team members also complained of cold and wet weather in which they were required to exercise and not all activities r equired them to work as a team. Therefore motivation as part of team building spirit departs from the theory that states that team work encourages full participation of members. Conclusion Since individuals were inclined to pre-set groups, team members were unable to mix and talk freely and therefore knowing each other’s skills and expertise was only limited to the preset groups. Structural and geographical arrangements were also a hindering factor to team operations. People should read the article because it encourages organisation to implement more challenging tasks as a strategy to pull all members participation towards task accomplishment. Challenging task as i have already mentioned help members gain positive side effects and increases participation thereby enabling development of new skills, increases confidence and motivation and built team spirit and co-operation. This should therefore be incorporated in work places by rewarding hard working employees by their skills, experience and length of service. People should also read the article because it teaches new learner on methods of data collection and different theories applied in team building activities List of References Hays, J. 2004, Building High-Performance Teams: A Practitioner’s Guide. Argos Press: Canberra Rushmer, R. 1997, ‘What happens to the team during teambuilding? Examining the change process that helps to build a team’, The Journal of Management Development, Vol. 16, pg. 316

Summary about a book Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summary about a book - Essay Example They conclude that the only person who could be in the store is the old woman working for their parents (Ledwidge). Without Andy’s knowledge, Hank hires an experienced thief who happens to be his own co-worker. The thief is known as Bobby Lasorda. Bobby is very experienced in robbery. With just one loaded gun, he can rob the shop by himself. Hank needs to wait in the car. The brothers’ mother Nanette happens to be in the store herself in place of the original clerk. The robbery goes sour when Nannette pulls a gun on Bobby, leading to a shootout. Hank runs away from the scene after seeing Bobby die. Later Nanette dies in the hospital after her husband denies her life support. Charles is not satisfied with the help from the police. He therefore decides to investigate the case himself since he knows that Bobby had a partner thus he becomes obsessed with finding out who the other criminal was. Andy chastises Hank for his mistake while Hank himself finds himself fixing many problems. Hank removes evidence he had left in the rented car he had used for the robbery. Hank is later confronted by Bobby’s brother Dex who asks for financial compensation for Bobby’s death in order to provide for his widow (Ledwidge). Hank has a secret affair with Andy’s wife, Gina. Gina claims that Andy is not satisfying her. Gina reveals her feelings to Andy at the point of leaving him. When Andy hears of Dex blackmail, he decides to solve the situation with Hank by robbing Andy’s drug dealer. Once they get at the dealers house, they overpower him and rob him off his money. Hank is shocked at seeing Andy murder the dealer together with the client who happened to be present. The brothers go to pay Dex, but Andy kills him impulsively fearing that Dex might blackmail them further. When Hank opposes Andy’s decision to kill Chris, Andy decides to kill Hank. He reveals to him that he knows about his relationship with Gina. Before Andy pulls the trigger, he is shot

Marketing. Performance evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing. Performance evaluation - Essay Example It would not be correct, if we only hold the employee responsible or if we hold solely the employee responsible for this immorality. An employee involves himself in such act because there is not adequate check on him, which is the responsibility of the company. However, the primary fault is that of the person himself. It is the immorality of the individual that actually works on promoting such unethical practices at company time. Hence, the person responsible for the act is to be held responsible; however, the boost to these activities given by company environment is also to be considered. Discussion Question 2: Please discuss your views of performance expectations or performance appraisals and how they accurately or not evaluate your performance Do you feel the annual evaluation you have each year accurately reflects your performance on the job What are some ethical implications related to performance evaluations Performance evaluation is said to be a yardstick for measurement and decision of whether an employee has performed according to expectations or not and if yes, how good has been the performance. Performance evaluation techniques have a structured approach followed by discussion to have a conclusion of the employee's performance. An employee is allowed to present his case through self evaluation but the final judgment is that of the boss. The annual frequency of this tool is for ease and convenience. However, there are times when the employee has been a great performer throughout the year, and just when the evaluation time is near, due to some reason the performance has slipped. In such cases, performance evaluation results do not go in the favor of employee in spite of quality and hard work all the year round. This makes performance evaluation a subjective tool to a great extent. So, better frequency can remove this drawback rather than having an annual appraisal. Ethically, it is the employee's responsibility to do a realistic and correct self appraisal and even the boss is morally bound to give the deserved rating. But, in actual scenario, the case does not match ideal needs. The employee does try to inflate and show his performance and aims at maximum rating in spite of whatever the performance is. Exceptions are always there. Also, the boss tries to have personal bias while evaluating. Hence, the ethical sense of the tool gets lost. Summary: The course on critical thinking and ethics offers a pathway to integrate the views on ethics in the professional as well as personal life. It has an impact on the thought process and helps getting a realistic view of things around us and facilitates evaluation of professional and personal development in the light of ethical standings. It also enables to let us apply theoretical topics and discussions for decision making and for assessment of skill sets and talent. The above two discussion questions give a food for thought for the immorality and morality debate at work place. It helps in analysis of the actual scenario versus the expected scenario. The collaborative effort of the course with a structured approach and discussion based topics of real life stimulate the

Dropping Out of One’s Future Essay Example for Free

Dropping Out of One’s Future Essay We need another series of milk cartons: one that shows the faces of students who drop out of school. After all, isn’t a kid who has dropped out of school a bit like a kid who has been kidnapped? The circumstances have more in common than one might imagine: there is a moment that finally comes during which one’s life is inexorably altered, and if that moment comes and no one is around to help, the consequences are life-long and most likely devastating. Whether one is taken by force and tossed into a van or one is removed by a force from the basic educational system of society, the result is still a kid whose life will never be the same. There are as many reasons for a student’s dropping out of school as there are for a criminal’s behavior, but ultimately, the reason a kid drops out comes down to one of three things: a lack of support, a lack of success, or a lack of money (â€Å"Youth Who Drop Out†). Educational success or failure is often a result of a support system or lack thereof, and no race, gender, or socio-economic group is immune; however, there is a common factor when it comes to evaluating the reasons behind students’ dropping out: â€Å"No one at home, at school or in the community had established relationships with [those who dropped out], set high academic expectations [or] given them the tools to achieve them† (â€Å"Youth Who Drop Out,† Sacchetti). It appears that those who lack a reliable support system are unable to stick with the rigors of school—rigors that are complicated by the mere act of growing from child to adolescent to adult. Trying and failing is no fun for anyone, and the constant pressure on students to perform based not a personal scale but a fixed one can be overwhelming. â€Å"Recent research suggests that, even for students who have difficult home lives, dropping out has much to do with [both] how schools operate and the educational experiences students have within them (Jerald 3). The relationship between a student’s success and his willingness to continue seems profound, and while there is no doubt that school is supposed to be challenging, the challenge is too great for some. This is a cyclical event: the student who does not understand something on Monday does not wake up on Tuesday understanding it; however, Tuesday comes, and so does more information built upon the prior day’s lesson. Now, the student who was behind one lesson is behind two (Jerald 5). There is a reason most students have a favorite subject along with one or more that they hate, and the reason is generally success-based. Money is perhaps the greatest threat to the continuation of an education, but ironically, it is also the biggest burden over the long-haul. Consider the student who lives at home, pays no rent, is responsible for no bills, and who suddenly gets a job. Even a minimum wage salary creates a false sense of financial security for that individual, and there are plenty of high school students who find work that pays a better wage. Suddenly, the new wage-earner considers just how much more he’d make working full time instead of part time, and because he has not had to budget realistically, it seems clear that the time he sits in a classroom is time wasted as he could be earning more money. Education professor Russell Rumberger of UC Santa Barbara found that, â€Å"A dropout earns an average of $18,826 a year, far less than the $27,280 a high-school graduate makes [. . . and] dropouts pay less in taxes and are more at risk of going on welfare, experiencing health problems or getting into trouble† (qtd. in Sacchetti). Students who lack a support system and who are not successful in school can easily become enthralled by the potential to make an amount of money that seems substantial at the age of sixteen. These students are not likely to consider the dead end they face later when the earning potential they have acquired isn’t sufficient, and lacking a support system, they are certainly unlikely to receive alternate advice. No one blames a kidnapping victim for behavior that might have resulted in the accosting; however, society is quick to judge those who drop out without taking the time necessary to evaluate whether or not the drop out simply didn’t get what she needed in terms of the life education—a type of learning that can’t always be taught in school. Works Cited Jerald, Craig D. â€Å"Identifying Potential Dropouts: Key Lessons for Building an Early Warning Data System: A Dual Agenda of High Standards and High Graduation Rates.† Achieve, Inc. June 2006. Carnegie Corporation of New York. 30 Sept. 2006. http://www. achieve. org/files/dropouts. pdf. Sacchetti, Maria. â€Å"Why Do Students Drop Out of School? † The Orange County Register. 31 Oct. 2004. 29 Sept. 2006. http://www. ocregister. com/ocr/2004/10/31/sections/news/ news/article_294717. php. â€Å"Youth Who Drop Out. † Focus Adolescent Services. 2000. 29 Sept. 2006. http://www. focusas. com/Dropouts. html.

seminar in helping :: essays research papers

My perception to the social work filed is basically the problems that exist in our nation which need to be recognized more clearly than it is. A number of prominent individuals have been attacked or killed by people with a psychosis or other mental disorders. Violence and aggression displayed by the mentally ill is usually directed against partners or family members, rather than others. There is little evidence of an increasing number of violent acts made by patients with psychosis, but books suggests that patients with major mental disorders have an increased risk for committing such acts compared with the general population Fed by highly selected information in the mass media about their very rare contribution to one type of tragedy, homicide, the public, it has been said that unless people with a mental disorder are once more segregated, â€Å"the streets will not be safe." Society that admits to uphold values such as the purity of life, equality, peace and non-violence can at the same time endorse capital punishment as a method of justice. Capital punishment is a barbaric practice that makes up a form of social injustice, especially since it does not even fulfill its alleged purpose of defending the interests of society. Executions have become rare among industrialized democracies. While a few countries do retain capital statues for dealing with extraordinary crimes such as treason, only Japan, parts of the former Soviet Union, and the United States still carry out death sentences for "ordinary" crimes of violence. Interestingly, even among those countries that still impose the death penalty, it appears that the United States stands in severe contrast to the international trend with capital punishment flourishing, accompanied by a corresponding wave of public support. The basic concerns of social welfare - poverty, disability and disease, the dependent young and elderly - are as old as civilized society itself. The means by which these concerns are addressed were once limited only by the laws of survival. Sharing another person's burden means weakening one's own standing in the struggle of daily existence. However, as societies evolved, the dependence between affiliates increased, so, as individuals became vulnerable, the society as a whole was affected, and systematic responses to disrupting factors were introduced. There have been recent studies that revealed the significance of parenting in the cross-generational transmission of aggressive or problem behavior up to three continuous generations. Stable evidence has long recognized and documented the negative effects of aggressive or harsh and inconsistent parenting and identified the need for interventions that would encourage better parenting skills.

Life in Plymouth Colony Essay

The book of John Demos on â€Å"A Little Commonwealth: Family Life in Plymouth Colony† explores on the concept of the family life in the context of the Plymouth Colony. In particular, it tends to describe the ways of life of the people in the Plymouth Colony specifically the aspect of family, which is the smallest unit of the society. Through this book review, one will be able to determine the true accounts of the social life and customs of the people in the Plymouth Colony. Basically, the book is dedicated into furthering the importance of the smallest and most intimates of all group environments- the family. This concept has been usually left out by experts and historians alike wherein their interest is focused on the larger units of social actions. This includes the region, the class, the party, the ethnic as well as the religious group. Most of the time, the unit of family is left with the behavioral science which includes the anthropology, sociology and psychology. In order to examine the behavior of the Plymouth Colony in a family setting, the author has to descend on the local level which is considered as almost personal history. As such, one has to know average people in the everyday routine of their lives, in order to begin to understand their behavior in a family setting. In this way, the author was able to successfully present a picture of the family in the Plymouth Colony rather than any single instance thereof. Different aspects of the family setting of the Plymouth Colony have been discussed in the book. The author started with providing a historical survey on the Plymouth Colony. Among the various aspects of family setting mentioned in the book are physical setting, the structure of the household and the themes of individual development. More specifically, the physically setting deals with the elements of housing, furnishing and clothing. On the structure of household, it consists of the husbands and wives, membership, parents and children and, masters and servants. Lastly, the themes of individual development involve the infancy and childhood, coming of age as well as late years. With the examination on the different aspects of the Plymouth Colony’s family setting, the author has come to realized that the family life in Plymouth was not at all unique. This is because of the evident similarities of the colony with other American colonies. More specifically, the similarity between the Plymouth Colony and other American colonies reside in the embrace of the term â€Å"Puritanism†. As such, it can be claimed that the family is, after all, an extremely fundamental and durable institution: it often provides a kind of common denominator, or baseline, for a whole culture whose various parts may differ substantially in other respects. Plymouth Colony has been known as the Old Colony and sometimes, the New Colony. It has been said that this colony is founded by the â€Å"Pilgrims† in 1620. In particular, the â€Å"Pligrims† are defined as the group of religious people which consists of adults as well as family groupings. They were English separatists from New England. They were famous on their sailing away from Europe to New America during the early 17th century in order to search for a home where they could freely practice their Puritan style of religion and live according to their own laws. Orginally, the â€Å"Pilgrims’ are English Puritans who broke away from the Church of England because they felt that it had not completed the work of the Reformation. Because of this, they committed themselves to a life based on the Bible. Most of the members of the â€Å"Pilgrims† are the poorly educated people, farmers and people without political and social standing. (â€Å"Chapter 2: The English Transplantations – People/Term†, 2007) Consequently, the arrival of the â€Å"Pilgrims† in the New World is illustrated by the following lines below: â€Å"Being thus arrived in a good harbor, and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of Heaven, who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all the perils and miseries thereof, again to set their feet on the firm and stable earth, their proper element. † (Demos, 1971) During their stay in North America, the â€Å"Pilgrims† manifested their views on Puritanism, especially on the way they deal with one another. Through these dealings, it is found out that the repression on the Puritans was not as strongly directed against sexuality as against the expression of hostile and aggressive impulses. Moreover, this evident on the prevalent modes of family life as well as child-rearing. More specifically, the book shows that even from the very start, the family of the Plymouth Colony was nuclear. This family characteristic has been unchanged even from the beginning of their settlement. Specifically, the family consists of one couple and their own children formed the core of each household — with the addition in some cases of an aged grandparent or â€Å"servant†. And during these times, the life in the households was much less segmented. However, despite this physical arrangement, the roles and responsibilities of the members of the family are almost the same as today. In this colony, there is a much tighter line of authority between the parent and the child. And the range of functions performed by the family includes material, psychological, social, and otherwise. Above all, the system of family life revolves around the fulfillment of certain basic needs as well as universal needs. These need comprise of the food, shelter and sexual release. Furthermore, the family in the Plymouth Colony setting is likened to different things and institutions. Particularly, the family is described as a â€Å"business†, â€Å"school†, â€Å"vocational institute†, the â€Å"church†, â€Å"house of correction† and as a â€Å"welfare institution†. As a business, the family is the central agency of economic production and exchange. As a school, the parents and the masters are obliged to attend to the educational needs of the children. As a vocational institute, there is a need to apply the knowledge and skills on the larger economic system. As a church, there is an obligation for â€Å"family worship†. Lastly, on the welfare institution, the family usually provides welfare services such as the presence of the hospital or even orphanage. Indeed, the findings on the book of John Demos create awareness on the true nature of the people from the Plymouth Colony. Moreover, it contributes to the strengthening on the American culture and history. In fact, it serves as one of the foundations of the family life of the American people. Undoubtedly, there is only little difference between the family of the Plymouth Colony and the modern-day American family. As such, the study of the ways and customs of the family on the Plymouth Colony proves the resemblance of families between the ancient colonies and the modern societies. Works Cited Demos, John. A Little Commonwealth: Family Life in Plymouth Colony. New York: Oxford University Press, 1971. Chapter 2: The English Transplantations – People/Term. 2 July 2007. .

A Christmast Surprise for Gramma

A Christmas Surprise for Grandma by Gloria J. Shuttleworth Grandma lived on Sugar Creek Mountain all alone. It was a beautiful mountain, with tall cedar trees all over the mountain top. In the middle of the mountain was a crystal clear lake. The water in the lake was the prettiest blue you've ever seen. When the water was calm, you could see the fish swimming around in the lake. I loved sitting by the lake when I was a little girl. Grandma would pack us a lunch, and we would sit at the lake for hours on end. Hour after hour, grandma would tell me stories about her life on the mountain. I remember the day that grandpa drowned in the lake.My parents had tried to talk grandma into moving into town, but she wouldn't hear of it. My parents knew not to argue with her, because they knew that grandma was set in her ways. â€Å"I've been on this mountain for so long that I've forgotten which is the oldest, me or the mountain,† grandma had said, with a twinkle in her eyes. I knew my par ents worried about her being alone, because grandma was the only person who lived on Sugar Cliff Mountain. Today I was going to visit grandma, and the excitement grew inside me at the thought of spending time on the mountain once more. After all, it had been ten years since I had seen grandma.It's hard to believe that my career had kept me away for so long. As I approached the top of the mountain, I could see grandma staring out the window of her little log cabin home. Grandma greeted me at the door with a big hug. â€Å"I am so happy that you could come to visit with me,† said grandma. This Christmas is going to be so wonderful! I have a special surprise for you dear. Little did grandma know that I had a very special surprise for her as well. â€Å"Well, we can't stand around here all day,† said grandma. There's a lot of work to get done. I have invited the people from the village to come to my Christmas party on Saturday evening.After I had freshened up a bit, we spe nt the day baking all sorts of cookies and candies. Grandma had a story to tell as we baked the goodies for the party. She told me about how she used to bake apple pies for grandpa. â€Å"He loved apple pies,† said grandma. Those were his favorite. She said that after the pies would cool off, that grandpa would send her into the living room, under the pretense that he would clean up the kitchen. Grandma knew what he was really up to, but she never let on that she knew. Grandma would go into the living room and sit in her rocking chair. She would sing some of the songs that she knew grandpa loved.About an hour later, grandma would wander back into the kitchen. â€Å"Why Henry! † she said kitchen, grandma retired for the evening. I made myself a cup of tea and sat down in front of the fireplace. Sitting alone in the quiet house, I pondered my childhood memories of my grandparents. They had always been such a fun loving and happy couple. Shortly after they were married, g randpa built the log cabin home for his â€Å"Little ole Emmy†, as he called her. Just before Christmas, almost twelve years ago, grandpa was outside gathering firewood, when grandma heard a horrible scream and a terrible noise.She ran outside to find that an area of the ice on the lake had fallen through. She yelled for grandpa over and over but no reply ever came. They searched the lake for over a week, but no trace of grandpa could be found. Finally, they called off the search. One of the men who had helped in the search said they'd probably never find grandpa now. Just then, as my thoughts were still racing around in my head, my grandmother brought me back to reality. â€Å"We have to be up very early in the morning dear, so off to bed now,† she said. I slowly walked to my grandmother's room, and kissed her goodnight.Morning came early at grandma's house. As I entered the kitchen I could smell the homemade biscuits and gravy cooking on the stove. â€Å"What's on o ur list of things to do today? † I asked. â€Å"The men are coming from the village this morning to put the lights on the trees, and we have lots of presents to wrap for the children,† she said. Just then, there was a knock at the door. It was the men from the village ready to start putting up the lights. Grandma was so excited as she stepped back to watch them. â€Å"Let's wrap those presents now Laura,† said grandma.As I watched grandma wrap the presents and tie the ribbons, I knew that so much more was being placed around them. With each piece of wrapping paper grandma was also wrapping them with love. After the last present was wrapped, we realized that we'd been wrapping presents all day! It was now getting dark outside and grandma wanted to go outside to view the lights. As we stepped out onto the porch, we gasped. The sight that met our eyes was so beautiful to behold! The snow was glittering and the reflection of the lights on the snow was beyond words! I t was breathtaking! That night I went to bed with a heart full of love for my grandmother.I knew that someday I wanted to be just like her, full of love for others. Saturday evening the village people started arriving just after dark. Grandma always waited until evening to have her Christmas party, because she loved the lights. All the guests gathered around in the front yard and began to sing Christmas carols. Oh, how grandma loved that! Ole Ben was a jolly fellow who worked at the village store, and he was chosen to help Santa hand out the presents. The children shouted with glee, as they unwrapped their gifts. Grandma said, â€Å"Laura, come here dear, I have a surprise for you. As she handed me the present, I could see the love and pride in her eyes. â€Å"I love it grandma†, I said, as I bent down to kiss her cheek, â€Å"I will cherish it forever. † Grandma had made a quilt out of some of my dresses that I had worn as a little girl. â€Å"Grandma, if you could have just one special gift for Christmas, what would it be? † I asked her. Without even stopping to think, she replied, â€Å"I would like to see your grandfather just one more time, so I could feed him the apple pie that the horses quit snatching when he left us. † Just then grandma's face lit up like the lights on the Christmas tree!Everyone turned to see what grandma was looking at. Walking slowly toward her, with an apple pie in his hand, was grandpa! There was two slices missing from the pie that he was holding. The village people were speechless, as they thought they were seeing a ghost. Grandpa chuckled, as he yelled out, â€Å"Emmy, those darn horses snatched the pie and got away with two pieces. Difference to me, but slowly my memory started to return. I remember now going out to gather firewood. There was a nice piece of wood on the lake. I thought the lake was frozen over so I stepped out on the lake to get the piece of wood.I remember hearing the lake crack le and that's the last I remember about the accident. â€Å"Laura, how can I ever thank you for bringing grandpa home to me? † asked grandma. Laura replied, â€Å"Seeing the happiness and the love you have for each other is all the thanks I need. † As Laura retired to bed that night, she couldn't help but think about the surprise that she had given to grandma for Christmas. She knew in her heart that it was the best surprise present that grandma would ever get. What a warm and wonderful feeling came over Laura as she fell asleep, thinking of her grandparents.

Women in the Military essays

Women in the Military essays In January 1991, thousands of women found themselves in a place no one thought they would ever be; in combat. Even though the women werent in the traditional combat roles as infantry and armor, they were fighter pilots, military police, military intelligence and hundreds of other specialties who fought in Iraq. Keeping women out of combat specialties hasnt protected them either. Being in a job such as a mechanic or fuel handler is just as dangerous as a front line soldier. While in combat, tanks need fuel handlers and mechanics close at hand to keep them running. Who is to say that the enemy wont attack a fuel truck and their drivers? This was the case many times in Iraq. Many women had to fight right along with the men. With the rate of women recruitment at its highest in modern day history it was inevitable that the American military would be putting more women into harms way. To protect all soldiers, we must hold them all to the same training and standards. Discipline in the Army is accomplished through many techniques, but the most effective technique is the achievement of set standards or guidelines emplaced by the military. There are standards for almost any task that needs to be accomplished. Marching for example is one of your most basic standards; it is done in the most militarily direct manor, taking thirty inch steps, your head held in a generally rigid manor, your arms swinging at your side moving nine inches to the front and six inches to the rear. A standard like this and many others easily equate to both genders, it seems the standards associated with combat are where the important differences lie. One of the most important war fighting standards is Physical Fitness. If women soldiers are put in situations where theyre fighting side by side with men then they should be expected to obtain the same physical standards set for the males. Physical fitness can mean life or death on t...

New Year’s Eve Etymology Hogmanay and Auld Lang Syne

New Year’s Eve Etymology Hogmanay and Auld Lang Syne New Year’s Eve Etymology: Hogmanay and Auld Lang Syne Happy New Year everyone! Well, not quite yet if you’re reading this on New Year’s Eve. But at midnight tonight, we say â€Å"goodbye† to one year and â€Å"hello† to yet another one. But how does a proofreader celebrate the last day of the year? With etymology, of course! The origin of â€Å"New Year’s Eve† itself is fairly obvious. But there are a couple of unusual terms associated with this time of year: Hogmanay and Auld Lang Syne. We have the Scots to thank for both of these. But what do they mean exactly? And where do they come from? Hogmanay (A Gift Given at the New Year) Scotland’s obsession with New Year’s Eve goes back to the seventeenth century and the Protestant reformation, when Christmas was banned in Scotland. The New Year therefore became the main winter festival for Scots, giving rise to what is know today as â€Å"Hogmanay.† As with many old traditions, Hogmanay involves a lot of fire.(Photo: John Lord/wikimedia) The etymology of â€Å"Hogmanay† is complicated, but one theory is that it comes from the Middle French aguillaneuf, via the dialect word hoguinanà ©, one meaning of which is â€Å"a gift given on New Year’s Eve.† This may be reflected in the Hogmanay custom of â€Å"first footing,† where the first person to enter a house after midnight on New Year will come bearing gifts. Hogmanay is still mainly a Scottish tradition. But even if you’ve never heard of first footing before, there is a certain song associated with Hogmanay that has caught on around the world†¦ Auld Lang Syne (Times Long Past) â€Å"Auld Lang Syne† is now sung around the world as New Year’s Eve passes into New Year’s Day. But it was originally a poem by Robert Burns from 1788, based on an even older folk song. It then became a Scots tradition to sing it at the New Year, later spreading across England and beyond. Auld Lang Syne. The phrase â€Å"auld lang syne† itself literally translates to â€Å"old long ago† or â€Å"old long since.† But this is better understood as meaning â€Å"days gone by† or â€Å"times long past.† This reflects the theme of the song, which is about looking back at old friendships (the â€Å"old acquaintance† mentioned in the lyrics) and coming together once more to celebrate over a â€Å"cup o’ kindness.† And whether or not you’re from Scotland, that sounds like a great way to end any year.

Non-Traditional courses Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Non-Traditional courses - Term Paper Example Non-Traditional courses Nontraditional courses are slowly finding their way in the curriculum of various colleges and universities. Students get a formal scholarly education, for instance, on rock music, vampires, or Star Trek.This paper begins by outlining the characteristics of quality education. The qualities of nontraditional courses that embody quality education are then highlighted. It is concluded that nontraditional courses complement traditional courses and, therefore, should be offered by schools. Nontraditional Courses and Quality Education Quality education equips students with the proper set of knowledge and skills they need to excel in their chosen discipline, commits a holistic approach to learning by considering the theoretical as well as the practical sides of knowledge, aligns itself with contemporary times, and makes learning fun. Students are equipped with the right set of knowledge and skills in nontraditional courses, although it may appear it different form and content. For example, t here are certain disciplines that warrant the teaching of nontraditional courses. In a Television Studies class, for instance, an entire course devoted to " Dallas " and "Dynasty" is deemed necessary. In other instances, cultural, political, and social concepts are best illustrated through these courses. Explaining gender roles or racial identities as demonstrated in â€Å"Dallas" satisfies learning objectives. ... Rock Culture" course, for instance, students readily see how theories of culture, ideology, and ethnicity play out in the seemingly innocent and value-free discipline of music. In studying "Star Trek", students get to learn and immediately apply valuable life lessons the film portrays. By constantly exposing students to these courses, their ability to find theoretical explanations of a phenomenon and apply them in real-life situations would be enhanced. What nontraditional courses offer which traditional courses lack is the attachment to the concrete and immediate realities of life. They are not widely detached from the phenomena or environment they seek to explain. Nontraditional courses, then, offer students a holistic view of the world by combining theory and practice. The most important defining characteristic of nontraditional courses, arguably, is their ability to reflect contemporary cultural, social, and political landscapes. These courses are able to capture specific moments of cultural, social, and political histories. Constantly moving and changing, they are never stuck in the past. These courses use contemporary events to explain contemporary life. A course on "MTV (music television)", which in itself is an amalgamation of contemporary culture and social landscapes, provides students with knowledge that is aligned with contemporary realities. It teaches students a specific set of knowledge while drawing on their own experiences of watching MTV. While traditional courses can practically impart the same knowledge, the attachment of nontraditional courses to the contemporary times makes learning more concrete, practical, and immediate. Finally, nontraditional courses make learning more interesting and fun. Because of their rigid structure, traditional courses

Bicycle patrol Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Bicycle patrol - Essay Example They are – The International Police Mountain Bike Association (IPMBA), and the Law Enforcement Bike Association (LEBA). The IPMBA model is more popular and known (Shah, 2003). According to IPMBA resources, mountain bicycles are used in police departments to control criminal activities. It has become a fashion to prepare a bicycle patrol unit throughout United States of America’s state police departments because of the benefits. Bikes are noiseless, cheap and dependable and are helpful in filling up the gap between automobiles and foot patrol. Communities prefer to talk to a bike patrol officer than to a neighborhood beat officer. It helps policing efforts to solve problems. Bicycle officers can make better use of their senses of eye, ear and smelling in searching criminals. Criminals don’t doubt their presence around even if they are in uniform. Another benefit of mountain bike is its worth in crowded urban areas, where traffic is very slow, and crowd comes in between the motorized way. Bikes can enter into parks, parking lots, institutions, colonies, business centers, tourist complexes and VIP functions. The streets, side-walks, alleys, trails and such areas can be reached via a bike, where motor vehicles cannot enter due to lack of space. They are useful both in urban and remote areas to save people from casualties also (IPMBA resources). It is very important to learn how to handle weapon at the time of patrol cycling. Bike can be used as a protective tool also. The option of ‘use of force’ shows that bike is not just a medium of transport but techniques like riding stairs, cone courses and slow speed skills besides scenario exercises, and suspect encounters add to the already learnt cycling skills. So, passing the training course is very important before practicing police bike patrols (Shah, 2003). Here lies the importance of IPMBA courses like Security Cyclist certification courses. The Complete Guide to Police Cycling of IPMBA covers