Analysis on the characteristics and features of Facebook that promotes narcissism on the Filipino Youth Essay

ANALYSIS ON THE CHARACTERISTICS AND FEATURES OF FACEBOOK THAT PROMOTES NARCISSISM ON THE FILIPINO YOUTH THESIS STATEMENT: Although social networking sites open different opportunities for the users to socialize effectively, communicate faster and relatively cheap, and gatherinformation, the medium of communication promotes psychological incapacities, specifically narcissism.   Introduction With 93.3% of the nation signed up in Facebook in 2011, Philippines was named as the â€Å"Social Networking Capital of the World† (Russel, 2011). Filipinos, as citizens of the country, are proud of this achievement, but everything has consequences. Although Social Networking Sites (SNS), like Facebook, open different opportunities for the users to socialize effectively, gather information, and communicate faster and in relatively cheap venues, the medium of communication promotes psychological incapacities, specifically narcissism. A narcissist view himself/herself in a positive but unrealistic self-concept. It also results in lack of interest in forming relationships, and a commitment in regulating one’s self to ensure a positive view (Campbell & Foster, 2007). Narcissists tend to live with this style of life which is a result of wanting to be safe by living all by themselves, and to develop high self-esteem. Every SNS has its unique features that attract users. These features contribute to the increasing number of adolescents and young adult narcissists in the Philippines. Some SNSs have technical and functional features that allow the user to show his list of â€Å"friends†. Most SNSs require users to have a profile picture. Other SNSs have a feature that focuses on â€Å"about me† of the user, some let the users tag photos, post photos and create status posts and updates. (Boyd & Ellison; Davenport, Bergman, Bergman, and Fearrington) SNS as web-based service allow individuals to construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system. The nature and nomenclature of these connections may vary from site to site (Boyd &  Ellison, 2007). In 1997 the first SNS, SixDegrees.com, was created and introduced to the public. SixDegrees.com created a feature that allows the user to communicate with â€Å"friends† by helping the user to connect and send messages.(Due to the increasing number of users, the website was shut down in 2002 because it failed to generate income for its maintenance (Boyd & Ellison). Since then, hundreds of SNS were created, and Facebook is one of them. Despite being called as â€Å"social networks†, user activity on networking sites is focused on the self (Gentile, 2007). Gentile (2007) found out in her study that people present themselves in SNSs in a socially and desirable, but not realistic idealized self-view. History of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook in 2004 as a local social networking site for Harvard students; it was first named as â€Å"My Facebook† (The Social Network, 2010). Before signing in into the website, students need to have a harvard.edu email address. This requirement was a key to keep Facebook a private community. In 2005, when Mark Zuckerberg and his team started expanding â€Å"My Facebook† to nearby universities, high school, corporations, and eventually to everyone, they changed its name to â€Å"Facebook† and removed the initial requirement in signing up but changed it to a valid email. Facebook adapted SixDegrees.com’s unique feature of messaging, and like SixDegrees.com, the feature (messaging) and other new features (e.g. profile picture, microblogging, photo sharing, wall post, applications and etc.) attracted millions of users. Based on a model created by Ashwini Nadkarni and Stefan G. Hofmann in their research titled â€Å"Why do people use Facebook?†, Nadkarni and Hofmann discovered that people use Facebook for two primary needs: first is to satisfy their need to belong, and second, to satisfy their need for self-presentation. Baumeister & Leary (1995) said that humans are highly dependent on social support, and exclusion from a social group may have negative effects to one’s self-esteem. Humans also cannot live without social interaction (Sullivan, 1957). These findings explain the first need of an individual why he/she uses Facebook; the need to belong. The second need of an individual for using Facebook, the need for self presentation, is motivated by the â€Å"continuous process of impression management† as stated by Nadkarni and Hofmann. Why Facebook and Youth? The research is focused on Facebook because it has over 1.1 billion users worldwide, almost 16% of the world’s population. With this number of FB users worldwide, Facebook is considered as the most popular SNS in the whole world. In 2011, a research used Facebook usage as a measurement to determine the world’s capital for social networking. Researchers concluded that Philippines has the highest percentage of SNSs users with 93.6%. Since almost 95% of the Filipinos use Facebook, it is the most effective SNS to use in this research paper. Another thing is that, 83% of Facebook users are young adults. Youth presents themselves online with different aspects of life, such as their real self, ideal self, and false self. With this modern world, they can present themselves using different medium, especially Facebook since most of its users are young adults. The Needs of a Narcissist and his/her way to compensate for it through Facebook. Narcissists regulate their self-presentation to ensure positive self-view, they also tend to lack in interest to form relationship. Unique feature and characteristic on Facebook is perfect to aid these traits of a narcissist. The unique features of Facebook are mostly technical features (e.g. applications, photo, news feed, friend list, poke, status, video, group, chat, and like), some of these unique technical features satisfy the needs of a narcissist for exhibition/self-presentation (e.g. friend list, status, photo and video). Another feature of Facebook is its unique way of adding friends. Narcissists are afraid of forming strong bonds; they are attracted to Facebook because they can create relationship with loose or â€Å"weak ties†. A person with high personal preference for exhibitionism/self-presentation feels free to take the center of the stage and to attract attention (Bulatao, et. al.). Exhibitionism is defined as calling an attention to oneself and leaving an impression (Hall. et. al.). SNSs, like Facebook, allow users to control their self-presentation. This unique characteristic attracts narcissist because they will have more opportunity to alter their appearance and personality in online SNSs than in face-to-face interaction. Given that users of SNSs have almost full control over information disclosure, they can be more strategic in managing self-presentation. Profile picture is the most important aspect or part of self-presentation because they represent the individual in most of his online actions and activity. To affirm their positive but unrealistic, idealized and inflated self-view, narcissists tend to make their profile pictures more attractive and self-promoting. They choose profile pictures where they look more physically attractive; they also edit and refine their photos to hide their flaws. In a research done by Laura E. Buffardi and W. Keith Campbell, they found out that narcissists post in their â€Å"about me† section and status updates are mostly self-promoting. They do this by posting less entertaining but much more intelligent quotes. In the same research, they also found out that narcissists’ photos are more attractive that those of the nonnarcissist. They also post photos in which they look more attractive and self promoting. Narcissists are also afraid of creating strong bonds. The unique â€Å"Friend list† of Facebook creates â€Å"weak ties† since the friendship of the two individuals in Facebook is imaginary. It means that some of a narcissist’s friends may be friends in real life, but other, most likely most of the FB friends, relationship or bond is only on the online entity, or simply imaginary. In the same research by Buffardi and Campbell, they found out that  narcissist have more Facebook friends than nonnracissistic individuals. Narcissists seek attention and approval, they do this to gain or maintain their self-esteem. In this world where SNSs dominate the lives of most people, especially the youth, it is not surprising to observe that narcissist fulfill their needs through SNSs, particularly Facebook. Conclusion Social Networking Sites, like Facebook, help people in many ways especially in communicating, but it also have consequences like promoting narcissism. Facebook promotes narcissism because its unique feature and characteristic stated in the body of this paper (e.g. SNSs’ giving the users almost full control over information disclosure, and Facebook’s unique â€Å"Friend list† that create â€Å"weak ties† which a narcissist seeks) aid their needs for exhibition/self-presentation and formulating connection of weak ties to boost their self-esteem. This unique characteristic and feature of Facebook promotes narcissism of the Filipino youth. Limitation This paper only focuses on the Filipino youth. The findings in this research paper may not be plausible to other sectors. This may affect by the culture, etnicity, age, gender, and other external and internal factors. Bibliography Amichai-Hamburger, Y., Vinitzky, G. (2010). Social network use and personality. Computers in Human Behavior 26 (2010) 1289–1295 Bergman, S.M., Fearrington, M.E., Davenport, S.W., Bergman, J.Z., (2011). Millennials, narcissism, and social networking: What narcissists do on social networking sites and why. Personality and Individual Differences 50 (2011) 706–711. boyd, d. m., & Ellison, N. (2007). Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13, 210ï† |230. Buffardi, L. E., & Campbell, W. K. (2008). Narcissism and social networking web sites. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 34, 1303–1314. Bulatao, J.S.J. (1965). Personal Preference of Filipino Students. Symposium on the Filipino Personslity, p. 7. Carpenter, C.J. (2012). Narcissism on Facebook: Self-promotional and anti-social behavior. Personality and Individual Differences 52 (2012) 482–486 Cheung, C.M.K., Chiu, P.Y., Lee, M.K.O. (2011). Online social networks: Why do students use facebook?.Computers in Human Behavior 27 (2011) 1337–1343 Gentile, B., Twenge. J.M., Freeman, E.C., Campbell, W.K., (2012). The effect of social networking websites on positive self-views: An experimental investigation. Computers in Human Behavior 28 (2012), 1929–1933. Hall, C.S., Lindzey, G. (1957). Social Physchological Theories: Alfred Adler. Theories of Personality. 116. Hall, C.S., Lindzey, G. (1957). Murray Personology. Theories of Personality. 157. Lima, E.N. (2007). The Association Between Narcissism and Implicit Self-Esteem: A Test of the Fragile Self-Esteem Hypothesis. The Florida State University DigiNole Commons Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations, 6-25-2007 Mehdizadeh, S. (2010). Self-Presentation 2.0: Narcissism and Self-Esteem on Facebook. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, And Social Networking 13. Michikyan, M., Subrahmanyam, K., Dennis, J. (2014). Can you tell who I am? Neur oticism, extraversion, and online self-presentation among young adults. Computers in Human Behavior 33 (2014) 179–183 Nadkarni, A., Hofmann, S.G., (2012). Why do people use Facebook?. Personality and Individual Differences 52 (2012) 243–249 Ong, E.Y.L., Ang, R.P, Ho, J.C.M., Lim, J.C.Y., Goh, D.H., Lee, C.S., Chua, A.Y.K., Narcissism, extraversion and adolescents’ self-presentation on Facebook. Personality and Individual Differences 50 (2011), 180–185. Pempek, T.A., Yermolayeva, Y.A., Calvert, S.L. (2009). College students’ social networking experiences on Facebook. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology 30 (2009), 227–238. Russel, J. (2011). Philippines named social networking capital of the world . Retrieved 15.04.14. Sà ¡nchez-Franco, M.J., Villarejo-Ramos, A.F., Martà ­n-Velicia, F.A. (2011). Social integration and post-adoption usage of Social Network Sites: An analysis of effects on learning performance. Procedia Social and Beha vioral Sciences 15, 256–262. Seto, E. (2012). Associations Between Self-Reported Narcissism, Self-Esteem, and Social-Emotional Functions of Facebook. Steinfield, S., Ellison, N.B., Lampe, C., (2008). Social capital, self-esteem, and use of online social network sites: A longitudinal analysis. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology 29 (2008) 434–445 Winter S., Neubaum,G., Eimler, S.C., Gordon, V., Theil, J., Herrmann, J., Meinert, J., Krà ¤mer, N.C. (2014). Another brick in the Facebook wall – How personality traits relate to the content of status updates. Computers in Human Behavior 34 (2014) 194–202 Vazire, S., Naumann, L.P., Rentfrow, P.J.,Gosling, S.D. (2008). Portrait of a narcissist: Manifestations of narcissism in physical appearance. Journal of Research in Personality 42 (2008) 1439–1447

National Savings Essay

â€Å"National saving can be used domestically or internationally. Explain the basis of this statement, including the benefits to the nation of each use of its saving. † First of all, let’s understand the concept of national savings. In economics, a country’s national savings is the sum of private savings (i. e. personal savings) plus the business savings (i. e. undistributed corporate profits) and public savings (i. e. tax revenues less public expenditure). (economicswebinstitute. org, 2003) & (Wikipedia. org, 2008). So in simple words, what people save i. e. hen they avoide to consume all their income, is called â€Å"personal savings†. These savings can remain on the bank accounts for future use. For the economy as a whole, national saving is the portion of the nation’s income not used for private and public consumption. Just as for people, saving for the national economy is the act of setting some of current income aside for the future instead of spending it for current consumption. (Gao. gov, 2001). So the savings left in bank accounts are an important part of money. This money could be used by banks, which can decide to finance businesses. The amount of money used for investment depends on the deposits, which banks receive. So an increase of personal savings and/or corporate profits could increase investment. Companies which do not distribute a certain part of its corporate profits, will keep that money in bank accounts also for future business opportunities. Domestic investment could be investment in new factories and equipment, which can increase productivity of the nation’s workforce. The increased productivity, in turn, will lead to higher wages and greater economic growth over the long term. Gao. gov, 2001). So we come to the first conclusion that if national savings increase, a country through its banks could invest more in its economy and finance more projects and support the economy. In general, more national saving will increase a nation’s capacity to produce more goods and services and generate higher income in the future. (Gao. gov, 2001). This phenomenon has been seen in a couple of Asian countries, where the saving rate of households was very high like in Russia, Japan and China, which were able to industrialize quickly. It seems also that there is a close association between national savings and domestic investment in developing countries. These countries are in desperate need for cash to invest in infrastructure and boost its economy including industry, service, etc. Before going to the international market and asking for loans, these countries will first of all make use of every penny that they can find in their banks. So one of the main findings, is that national saving provides resources for a nation to invest domestically. Traditionally, there has been a strong relation between domestic savings and investment ratios. feweb. vu. nl, 2009) The question now is: will these resources be used only in the country itself or could they be used elsewhere. In a closed economy the national savings will definitely be reinvested in the domestic economy. But this is only in theory, since nowadays we can not really find a 100% closed economy anymore! There are countries that have high net saving surpluses and which need to invest it. These countries are sometimes too small to be able to offer the right investment opportunities for this huge liquidity. Countries in the Arabian Peninsula like Qatar, UAE or Kuwait are the best example. In addition, capital is getting very mobile and can be moved easily from one country to another and invested abroad. (wikipedia. org, 2008). With all that money floating around looking for an investment, it doesn’t seem that domestic savings are all that important any more. (socrates. berkeley. edu, 2011). Let’s elaborate more on the benefits of investing the national savings abroad? We agree that the sum of national saving and saving borrowed from abroad represents the total amount of resources available for investment. This investment could be used to purchase capital goods like plant, equipment, software, houses, and inventories, by businesses and governments. (socrates. berkeley. edu, 2011). So what are the benefits of investing the national savings abroad? Will this really lead to improving domestic economy and increase the wealth of the people? An investment abroad does indeed increase the nation’s wealth and will generate income. This income could be again reinvested in the domestic country or abroad. One of the very obvious examples is the economy of the GCC countries. Qatar is one of the smallest and wealthiest countries in the world. Its main wealth comes from oil and gas, which accounts for more than 90% of its GDP. Qatar invested huge billions in its domestic economy (infrastructure, refineries, ports, real estate, preparation for world cup 2022, etc). It still has huge amount of money, which could be invested strategically. It currently, invests billions of petrodollars in all 5 continents. It has bought shares in big companies in all kind of industries (oil and gas, banks, luxury, airlines, soccer etc). By doing so, it will even help other companies and countries invest in successful businesses and boost their economies. The other countries probably have national savings which are lower than the needed domestic investment. They will borrow from foreign savers (in this case Qatar) to compensate the difference. Qatar will also repatriate this money or even reinvest it. This is a way to create more wealth to Qatar and the Qatari people of the next generations. A similar phenomenon is seen in other GCC countries, Singapore or Norway which have the so called sovereign wealth funds, that move huge amount of money from one place to another searching for the best investment opportunities. National savings is beneficial for each nation,, which needs to invest in its domestic economy. It’s also important for other nations, which borrow the money in the international capital market. By doing so, they can make use of the capital flows to invest in their economies and pay back the loans. So in total the world economy is more dynamic. Huge amount of money go to where the investment opportunities are. As a conclusion, we can say that national savings and the resulting investment have huge implications on the wealth of a nation and of course on the well being of people in current and future generations.

Journey of a Man Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Journey of a Man - Essay Example Moreover, I was greatly intrigued by the way physical features of different groups evolved, and flattered that the male sex chromosome played an important part in this research. However, some of Wells’s sayings seemed contradictory to his views. Moreover, I did not like the way the host acted sometimes while conducting the research. Therefore, after watching this documentary, I had mixed opinions about it. During the beginning of the documentary, an explanation is given on Wells’s theory that the birthplace of all humans alive on this planet is the same-Africa. The pride I felt in my ethnicity after discovering this was immense. True, I do not completely associate myself with Africa as my nationality is ‘American’, but I am after all an ‘African American’. This realization also instilled a sense of shame in me due to not having even a bit of patriotism in me for the country where we African Americans are originally from; early in Americaâ€℠¢s history, Africans were brought to America from Africa as slaves but were later given freedom and equality, due to which we are now African Americans. This documentary has made me accept the fact that it does not matter which country I was born in or which country’s nationality I assume. What really matters is that all African Americans know that their great great grandfathers directly originated from Africa, but majority of them forget about this origin. I myself had forgotten this origin until I watched this documentary. This is not the only reason why I am so grateful to this documentary. Thanks to the ground-breaking discoveries made by Spencer Wells, one develops a new perspective of the concept of race. By stating that â€Å"we are all African under the skin†, Wells’s disregards all the old-fashioned concepts of race, such as thinking that people with the same color of skin or language are the same. Spencer puts this point across by exploring how African s migrated to different parts of the world and evolved in different ways, which is why people with similar physical characteristics started to associate themselves with one of these ‘different races’. The documentary disagrees with such associations and I highly agree with this point. I believe that by seeing an individual through ‘racial lenses’, assumptions about that individual would definitely be made according to his/her ‘race’. According to me, this is termed as a kind of discrimination. Being an African American, I myself have been a victim of having assumptions being made about me, such as the time when a grocery owner kept a watchful eye on me while I was buying groceries (just because majority of the shoplifters in that neighborhood are African American). Therefore I really approved of Wells’s opinion that everyone is the same, and not part of ‘different races’. As he says in his documentary, we have the same desce ndant, who was from Africa. However, something about this statement of his made me doubt his personal opinions a bit. By terming us all as ‘Africans’, Wells is in fact calling us a race-something which is contradictory to what his views throughout the documentary are. According to Wells, there is no such thing as a race, but implying that we are

Risk Management Brochure Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Risk Management Brochure - Assignment Example The sum of murders dropped by 19% from forty seven in 2008 (Holmes, 2012). In Colorado Springs, homicide dropped from twenty three in 2008 to nineteen in 2009. In Denver, thirty of the 2009 killings – almost 80% - have been resolved, as stated by Mary Dulacki, the coordinator of records for Denver Police. It is believed that one of the factors that has contributed to the reduction in murders is the improvements in crisis or emergency medical services - doctors and paramedics are nowadays keeping individuals, who were deceasing in the past, alive. An overall view of every reported offence throughout 2014 in Colorado is shown in the above figures. The statistics has been organized to make it simpler to get both the combined total of reported offences plus the total of offences reported for every 100,000 individuals in Colorado, the data is further split into different categories (property crimes and violent crimes) to give more perception to how prevalent offence is in the region (Holmes, 2012). It is clear that the crime rate in Colorado averages 55 percent more than the remainder of Colorado while he crime rate on a nationwide scale is 48 percent more than. Also, it is apparent that the violent crime occurrence in Colorado is 17 percent greater than the average crime rate in the remainder of the country. Similarly, a crime that involves property holds 56 percent greater than the Nationwide’s average. Both figures associate with how secure businesses and residents are while conducting daily activities in Colorado region. Over the years, Colorado has had extreme issues of murder in spite of the actuality that, in several ways, society is getting more secure. The violent crime rates have decreased considerably over the last decade, and the rate of murder in 2004 is far more than that of 2014. Nationally, the murder rate in Colorado is in the center of the pack amongst states of

Richter Magnitude Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Richter Magnitude - Essay Example Developed by Charles F. Richter in 1934, the scale measures the magnitude of an earthquake, with 0 being a very small earthquake that is generally not felt, going up to a magnitude 12, which would be like a large, miles-wide meteor hitting the earth's surface. The measurement formula in mathematical terms is "A is the amplitude, in millimeters, measured directly from the photographic paper record of the Wood-Anderson seismometer, a special type of instrument. The distance factor comes from a table that can be found in Richter's (1958) book Elementary Seismology," (Louie, J., 1996). The solution is the local magnitude of the earthquake. When measuring the magnitude of an earthquake, the difference between a magnitude seven and magnitude six earthquake is 10 times stronger, whereas the difference between a magnitude eight and magnitude six earthquake would be 100 times stronger. This is due to the logarithmic basis of the scale. "Each whole number increase in magnitude represents a tenfold increase in measured amplitude; as an estimate of energy, each whole number step in the magnitude scale corresponds to the release of about 31 times more energy than the amount associated with the preceding whole number value," (USGS, 1989). In America, many earthquakes tend to occur on the West Coast. ... An earthquake in a densely populated area which results in many deaths and considerable damage may have the same magnitude as a shock in a remote area that does nothing more than frighten the wildlife. Large-magnitude earthquakes that occur beneath the oceans may not even be felt by humans," (USGS, 1989). In the case of this earthquake in Alaska, most of the damage was due to landslides. In 1906 in San Francisco, California, an earthquake measuring 8.3 on the Richter Scale resulted in fires which caused more damage than the earthquake itself. (USGS, 1989) References Louis, J. (1996). Richter Magnitude. Seismo.unr.edu. Retrieved November 1, 2006 from http://www.seismo.unr.edu/ftp/pub/louie/class/100/magnitude.html USGS. (1989). The Serverity of an Earthquake. US Government Printing Office. (1998-288-913). Retrieved November 1, 2006 from http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/earthq4/severitygip.html

Humor Theory of Incongruity and How it is Seen in Improv Term Paper

Humor Theory of Incongruity and How it is Seen in Improv - Term Paper Example When incongruity occurs, it â€Å"violates our normal patterns and normal expectations†. So when something nonsensical or of the ridiculous occurs it contradicts daily norms and perceptions of propriety often causing the observer to respond with laughter. There are many theories for humour, which emerged primarily from philosophical studies and research in psychology. Of these, the incongruity theory comes out in the improv theatre. The incongruity theory suggests that humour is due to the mixing of two disparate interpretation frames in one statement. One of the earliest references to an incongruity theory of humour is perhaps due to Aristotle (350 BC) who found out that the contrast between expectation and actual outcome of often a source of humour. There is a distinction between surprise and incongruity. This occurs where the audience presumes the later to have a resolution that the actions initially hide from the audience. The incongruity theory also has a supporter in sev eral psychologists who emphasize the element of surprise by suggesting that â€Å"the greater and more expected (...) the incongruity is, the more violent will be (the) laughter†. ... Some theorists argue that plays only need incongruity for humour to be present; others argue that there is need for both incongruity and a resolution of that incongruity. This second version is called the configurationally theory. Several theorists point out that another element – intelligence perception- must be present since humour has its basis in intellect. It is therefore important to understand the differences between the inconsistencies in order to appreciate humour better (Beard 45). Incongruity theorists believe that the audience laughs because their line of thought surprisingly switches from one context to another. Although many scholars argue that understanding the nature of humour is extremely difficult, if not impossible, because of the fluid variables in any humour context, some scholars believe that incongruity best defines the fundamental element of humour. For its proponents, incongruity forms the foundation of humour theory, the most universal one, which vali dates all humour contexts, both perceived and created. The greatest weakness of this theory is that its tasting is not significant (Michael et. al. 11). Incongruity in improv closely relates with the developmental theory. These two theories stress the absurd, the inappropriate or out-of-context events as the basis for humour. While these incongruities are necessary, they are not sufficient prerequisites for humour alone. After all, incongruous events or statements can lead to curiosity or anxiety rather than humour; so the perception of humour is dependent upon how the audience understands incongruity in the context in which it occurs. This brings the understanding that not only does the audience have to perceive an

Ethical hacking Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ethical hacking - Coursework Example This note will self-destruct after you have read it. Or you could delete the note yourself ? Coursework Please complete this first section Your name Your Name Preferred email address Your working email address Lab Day Your Lab Day Lab Time Your Lab Time Please leave the remaining entries blank on this page, especially the red and yellow ones. They are the marking scheme for the coursework and as such must not be changed. The following marks cover most exercises. The marks will be averaged across your work, so that if you have some good and some bad labs they will balance out to an 'average' mark. Mark Specific Comments on individual lab exercises Description of Exercises [8 – 10] Excellent [5 – 7] Good but incomplete [3 – 4] Lack of clarity or content [1 – 2] Very Poor [0] No description /10 Method/Structure [41 - 50] Ideal content/structure [31 - 40] Very good content/structure [21 – 30] Good content/lacking some clarity or structure [11 – 2 0] Adequate/lacking content [0 – 10] Misleading/incorrect methods or structure /50 Activity and Results [19 - 20] Excellent [16 - 18] Covered well [10 - 15] Good, missing some elements [0 – 9] Very poor or missing most elements /20 Reflection [16 – 20] Excellent including related thoughts/ideas [11 – 15] Good, many areas covered [5 – 10] Relates only to lab outcomes with lack of personal insight [1 -4] Lack of depth of reflection / limited content [0] No reflection /20 Total /100 Lab Description Lab 2 - Essential TCP/IP tools Description of exercise Date lab undertaken: 15th October 2008 Operating System: Windows XP (state service pack) Exercise Description: [Describe the lab activity here. You should consider adding more than just my brief description.] Upon completion of this lab students will be familiar with a number of useful TCP/IP related tools and how to use said tools for diagnosing TCP/IP related problems. Method In this Lab we were intro duced to the tools used to identify where problems may be occurring on the network. The lab consisted of several activities that included the use of the following utilities: CMD to enable a command line window, IPCONFIG to check and change the status of network adapters, and finally PING to identify if the machine was able to verify connections between hosts. Lab setup The PCs in ASG21 were connected to the Internet and there was no specific configuration required. Activity Finding out what you IP settings are Tasks Detail of activity 1 Use cmd to open a command line window 2 Use ipconfig /all to identify the network adapter settings 3 Record the settings returned from ipconfig /all Activity Results Tasks Result. Give reason if result is FAIL. 1 PASS Successfully open a command line window using cmd 2 PASS Successfully used ipconfig /all to show the network adapter settings. 3 Details can be seen in the screenshot below Activity Setting the IP Address on your computer Tasks Detail o f activity 1 - 7 Use windows control panel to investigate and change the IP address from being dynamic to static. 1. Open control panel. 2. Select network connections 3. Select required connection. 4. Select the properties. 5. Select TCP/IP settings 6. Assign a manual IP address and apply it. 7. Once the address has been assigned, run IPCONFIG /ALL in a command line window to check that it has been changed.

Auditing and Consulting in Accounting Firms Research Paper

Auditing and Consulting in Accounting Firms - Research Paper Example The concept of moral hazard originated in the insurance business when the insured party exhibits immoral behavior by giving out wrong information, implying an outright fraud, but this definition has since been used in economics, in a situation where there is asymmetry in the information available. One party has more relevant information or data than the other party and is therefore in a better position to take action that will insulate itself from risks, while the other party unknowingly bears the negative consequences if things go wrong or not as expected. Previously, external auditing firms were hired for their accounting and auditing skills for expertise in these matters. However, the past few decades saw the rise of many independent smaller accounting firms, causing an intense rivalry or competition for new accounting clients. A response by the big global accounting and auditing firms was to branch out into a new service, in which they profess to have management expertise, and this is in the consultancy business. In the auditing market, there was saturation and maturity, hence accounting and auditing firms started to offer integrated auditing, consultancy, and advisory services (The Economist, 2012, p. 1). This situation has an inherent moral hazard in it, because accounting and auditing firms should not provide consultancy services to the same firms that they are auditing. There is a good tendency to manipulate the books (window dressing) to enhance assets, profits, or credit rating to justify the huge consultancy fees, which is a very lucrative revenue stream for these firms. Some regulators and policymakers have doubts whether it is possible to maintain accounting integrity or professional independence in these kind of situations. This is clearly an anomaly, similar to the fox guarding the chicken coop; it has been demonstrated by the corporate

Self and Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Self and Leadership - Essay Example First, I will present the results of a feedback survey I conducted with my family, friends, and business colleagues. I expect this to provide me with insight from those closest to me as I ask them to identify my strengths, weaknesses, and areas where I could improve. Then, I will assess the results of several standardized tests I took that will offer insight into my personality, intelligence, career strengths, etc. These more objective forms of self-analysis are instructive from a comparative perspective. My scores will include a comparison to classification levels that are recognized as having a significant impact on the workplace. Following that, I will include a section on personal information from my family and past that has bearing upon my skills and functionality within the workplace. This, most personal, area of assessment will include my own biographical information as well as those events in my family's history that impacted my personal development. Finally, I will perform a Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat (SWOT) analysis on myself using a synthesis of all of the information I have gathered. I expect this methodology to be useful for providing a condensed presentation of all the data in the assessment and lead to specific goals for improving my leadership skills. My goal, during the course of this exercise, will be to explore my individual leadership capability and determine ways of making myself a better, more effective leader. During the course of the assessment, I expect to be able to communicate my personal and career goals, particularly as it relates to leadership within a business culture. I perceive myself as the type of individual who looks forward to continuously advancing and improving my skills and knowledge. I try to identify the strengths and weaknesses I may have to help me grow and become a better leader. This assessment exercise will help me achieve my ultimate goal of establishing my own successful business so that I can obtain security and independence. Section I: Feedback My initial foray into increasing my intrapersonal intelligence involves a series of interviews with a group of my family, friends, and business colleagues; asking them to comment on me. I must admit that doing this made me a little nervous. It is one thing to take a personality test or fill out an online questionnaire and have a computer rate your score. It is quite another thing entirely to conduct a face-to-face interview with people who are important to you while giving them the opportunity to speak candidly about you. We were advised to listen to the responses carefully, and try to say nothing at all; even if we did not hear what we expected or wanted to hear. As revealed in the assessment portion of this paper, I am a direct and focused person, which makes it hard for me to listen to something I don't want to hear. Ironically, one of the comments from an interviewee was that I needed to "listen to peoples' ideas even if they don't agree with [me]."1 The methodology for this part of the assessment was straightforward. I personally met with each interviewee and asked them three simple questions about

The Rule of Proximity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The Rule of Proximity - Essay Example Some of these features or news values (Kim, 2001) may be intrinsic to the event or they may be extrinsic. Intrinsic values may be prominence or importance, degree of human interest evoked, degree of conflict or controversy involved and degree of the unusual implicated (Kim, 2001). Extrinsic values may be timeliness and proximity of the event to the location at which the media will be operational (Kim, 2001). It is notable, though, that the intrinsic values can also be correlated to the media location since it is observable that values like prominence or importance, capability to evoke human interest, degree of conflict or controversy and degree of the unusual all depend to some extent upon how the population at the media location usually relate to the population at the event location. This is so because researchers have also observed that events at a particular location, when it is judged for newsworthiness at a location in another country, are usually influenced much by the social, political, economic and geographic perspectives the media country holds of the event country (Kim, 2001). Thus, the newsworthiness of an event in any country, when judged in relation to media in the United States, will depend much upon the political relevance the U.S.A. places upon the event country (Kim, 2001). It will also depend much upon the degree of threat or benefit that event has for the U.S.A. and the World at large (Kim, 2001). These latter observations have great relevance to this paper since it is already manifested from these that the rule of proximity as well as other news values has much in common with values that influence diplomatic relationships between and among countries. Globalisation: There is one factor in the present world scene that does to a great extent override relationships among geographically and culturally proximal nations. While the paper finds that geographical and cultural proximity has been considered as an indicator of levels of diplomatic activities it also realises that it must also consider aspects of globalisation, the modern worldwide phenomenon that is expected to provide collective effort towards globally invasive problems like disarmament, arms regulations, combating international terrorism, cross-border crime and the drug trade and usage, protection of human rights, prevention of climate change and desertification, promotion of sustainable development, conflict prevention and development assistance and cooperation, peacemaking and keeping and foreign trade (Sucharipa, Undated). In this context it is very likely that national proximity is not the only overriding factor for strengthening diplomatic ties among nations. Nor is it likely that co nflict among nations in geographic proximity will remain contained within that region without effort from the global community towards it speedy amelioration. Thus, in this sense, it is observed that geographic and cultural proximity is not considered as important an indicator of political will as it was a few years earlier. Instead, it is again observed that national foreign policy is not contained to outside the country by the gatekeeper functional and kept apart from its domestic one. This is because other departments of the nation, such as the environmental one, may need direct contact with international agencies without having to seek permission of the foreign policy makers (Sucharipa, Undat

Satisfying All Stakeholders Is Difficult When the Business Is Competing in Mature Product Markets Essay Example for Free

Satisfying All Stakeholders Is Difficult When the Business Is Competing in Mature Product Markets Essay A stakeholder is defined as an independent party with an interest or concern in something. Stakeholder groups are not all alike and therefore will want different things from a business. As each stakeholder deals with the business in different ways these needs are likely to conflict. With all of these differing needs it will be difficult for the business to satisfy all stakeholders at the same time as it is likely that acting to satisfy one stakeholders needs will end up conflicting with anothers meaning that the second stakeholder will not be satisfied. Examples of stakeholders include the shareholders, employees, suppliers and customers of a business. The Product Life Cycle is a theory used by management to understand where one of its products is in terms of its eventual life expectancy. It involves identifying if the product is in one of four phases: the introduction, growth, mature or decline stage. By identifying which stage of the cycle a product is in management can change its strategies to realise the potential success of a product. It is however, often difficult for management to see where the product is in the cycle as a rise or fall in sales most of the time will not necessarily mean that a product is growing or beginning to decline. It is also very hard, if not impossible, to accurately predict when the product will go into the next part of its life cycle. A business will find it very hard to tell when a market will reach saturation and will only know it while it is happening or in, some cases, after it has happened. While using the product life cycle model it is assumed that all products have a limit to how long they will be used, in practise this may not be the case. The mature stage of the product life cycle is when a product market has finished growing, sales start to slow down and there is no more significant growth. At some point the market will reach saturation at which point the product enters the decline stage. Sales will start to decline slowly and eventually product will become obsolete and not sold anymore. When a product market reaches the mature stage it will usually mean various things. As the mature stage of a product is when there are the most sales it usually means that the costs of producing each product are at the lowest as a result of economies of scale. This means that there is potentially more profit to be made per product if the price stays the same. However, often this is not the case as when a market reaches maturity more competitors emerge. As a result of this a business is likely to decrease the price of its product, eating into the profit margin per product sold, so that customers are more likely to buy its product. By selling more products the business will gain a healthy market share. Market share is what is mostly sought after by a business in a mature market. With little growth to expand into in the market a business must aim to gain the biggest slice of the market as possible to increase profit. The stakeholder that is likely to be one of the most important to a business is the owner or shareholders. They have a say in how the business is run and if they do not feel that the business is doing well will remove their investment and the business will lose finance. Shareholders will want two main things: increase in the size of the business and a good dividend. Therefore it is of great importance that the business keeps the shareholders happy. To do this the business must at the very least turn a profit. This will make the investing shareholder see that their investment is being put to some use. However if the business really wants to make the shareholder feel satisfied it must make a large profit. In a mature market this means that it must have a large share of the market. To do this it must differentiate its product to make its product more attractive to buy than a competitors model. The customer must have an incentive to buy this product over another one such as a lower price or differentiate the product in other ways such as highlighting the products supposed better quality or more impressive features. Differentiating the product can, however, have an effect on the profit taken per sale. Obviously by lowering the price of a product there will be less profit margin as the cost to the business of producing the item will remain the same. Also if the business decides to increase the quality or add extra features the cost of manufacturing the product will increase. While these may eat into the profit margin per product, if the business has marketed correctly and increased market share in the mature market by increasing sales the overall profit of the business may have increased. Management would hope that this would be the case given that this was the whole aim of the product differentiation in the first place. However by actually achieving an increase in the size of the business the shareholder would be satisfied with their investment. Added to this a good dividend could be given out because of the increased profits and the shareholders should be pleased. However another stakeholder that the business will want to satisfy is the customer. As the customer is the way the business will make a profit, by selling to them, it is very important that the business satisfies the needs of the customer and make them want to buy its products. The customer will want a good quality product at a preferably low price at which he feels that he is getting good value for money. In a mature market generally a consumer will get the best value for money with all of the competing businesses producing a large amount of alternative products and vying for market share. As such in a mature market a customer is likely to be most happy. The customer has conflicting needs with the shareholder in that the customer wants a low price whereas the shareholder wants a high profit. As these needs conflict a median must be found where both stakeholders feel that they are getting a good deal. While it may be tempting to favour one group, it is in the interest of the business to find a point where both sides feel happy because if one side feels unhappy the business will either lose the support and investment of the stakeholders or the custom and income from the customer and this will lead to a loss in market share. This is the same as all of the stakeholders. As all of the stakeholders will want different things from the business and some of them will completely contradict each other it must deal with them as best they can and try to find a solution where all stakeholders are satisfied. Keeping all stakeholders satisfied is critical to keeping the business going strongly and losing the faith of one of them could lead to dire consequences and none of the stakeholders being satisfied. For example if, in a bid to cut the cost to the business of producing the product so the shareholders could be given a bigger dividend out of a larger gross profit, the business told the supplier of raw materials that make the product that it must cut its price the supplier would not be happy. This could lead to the supplier refusing to sell the raw materials to the business and this would mean that until an agreement was made or a substitute supplier could be found the business could not produce anything to sell. This would lead to the customer not being able to buy the product that it desires and going to a competitor and the business losing potential profit which would upset the shareholders. In some situations the same groups of stakeholders may not ven have the same sets of ideas of what they want from a business making it even harder for the business to keep everyone satisfied. For example, in the group of shareholders a young businessman who has shares in a company is likely to prefer the profit made to be invested back into the business to expand and increase potential future earnings and increase the share price as opposed to a large dividend as he has less need for the money now and has long term plans for the shares. However an older retired man is more likely to prefer a large dividend to be taken out of the profit so that he can have the money now. In conclusion, it is difficult for a business to satisfy all stakeholders at any time regardless of what stage of its cycle the product is in. The demands of a each stakeholders are different and likely to contradict each other. However, in a mature market where there is fierce competition there is tension between the arguably the business two biggest stakeholder: the shareholders and customers. While the customers want a quality, low priced product, shareholders require a good profit be made. The business must satisfy the customer to compete in the market but also the shareholders to have the backing it needs to carry on functioning. Sometimes even groups of shareholders are fragmented which makes it even harder but it is critical for the business to find a point where all shareholders are content as this is when the business runs the smoothest.

The Mid Autumn Moon Festival Theology Religion Essay

The Mid Autumn Moon Festival Theology Religion Essay China is among the well known countries in the world for a variety of desirable tradition of folk art and traditional festivals (Morrissey Lee, 2006). The culture of the country is filled with unique symbols which are widely enjoyed by Chinese people and people in other countries who had cultural exchange with China. According to Morrissey and Lee (2006), the festivals are not only celebrated by Chinese people but also celebrated by people in other countries such as in Asia who share Chinese culture. This paper seeks to identify and discuss some of important festivals which are important to Chinese tradition. The second part of the study will compare the Chinese festivals with Indonesian festivals. Chinese Festivals As acknowledged in the introduction, China enjoys a variety of festivals; each of the festival has a unique meaning to the Chinese people and people who share Chinese culture. One of the widely celebrated festivals in China is Mid-Autumn Moon Festival known as Zhongqiu Jie in Chinese language (Morrissey Lee, 2006). This festival is used to mark the appearance of new moon in every mid-September. That is the same time when Chinese people celebrate good harvests of that year. During this time moon appears near the horizon which makes it appear bigger and round than usual. People spare their time and join their families and loved ones to watch the new moon (Morrissey Lee, 2006). The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival in other words the Moon Festival is a special event in China observed to honor female goddess of the moon called the Chang E (Morrissey Lee, 2006). The festival honors the female goddess of the moon, the females or the women in the families are the ones supposed to prepare for the celebrations. Morrissey and Lee (2006) points out that, the women hung moon papers on doors which are posters made of bamboo. The posters are called Yueguang maer in Chinese local language. The bamboo posters are split into three parts including a picture of Chang E at the top, moon goddess at the center of the poster and a picture of Jade Rabbit believed to live in the moon (Pan Tang, 2004). During the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival Chinese people and those who share Chinese culture buy rabbit sculptures and statutes for their families and loved ones at home (Morrissey Lee, 2006). As a sign of gratitude and sharing of joy, many kinds of offerings and special foods are prepared to mark the Moon-Autumn festival. During that festival celebration, women prepare Yue Bing which is a round moon-cake (Morrissey Lee, 2006). The cake is decorated with different sweet filings including walnuts pastes, dates pastes, and mashed beans to make the cake as sweet as possible for the people. According to Morrissey and Lee (2006), the moon cakes are very popular especially in the southern China. Other ingredients such as coconut, lotus seed paste and egg Yolk are put at the center of the cake to symbolize the moon. The cakes are usually eaten the same night when the moon appears in the horizon as people celebrate (Pan Tang, 2004). The other equally significant Chinese festival is the Dragon Boat Festival called Duanwu Jie in Chinese local language. This festival started approximately two centuries ago in southern China. It is used to honor the dragon god believed to control rivers and rainfall in China. During this festival, people pray through Dragon god for the rain to feed their rice plants (Morrissey Lee, 2006). The Dragon Boat Festival in China has not been forgotten to date; the festival is currently an exiting event across the country and is used to celebrate the beginning of summer in the country. To mark this festival, people parade in rivers with their boats where they organize boat contests or race to entertain people (Morrissey Lee, 2006). During that day people also prepare different special meals. The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated on every fifth day of the fifth moon which mostly happens on the 21st day of June every year (Morrissey and Lee, 2006). This festival is also used in remembrance of QuYuan who was a very famous Chinese patriotic poet. The boats used in the competition in the lakes and rivers are usually made taking the shape of a dragon. The capacity of the boats is approximately 80 people (rowers) (Morrissey and Lee, 2006). The rowers paddle as drums are played to make the event as entertaining as possible. According to Chinese customs, the dragon day or the fifth day of the fifth moon is a very dangerous time. The day is associated with evil. The dragon races are therefore meant to protect people from such evil. At the end of the competition, those who were participating in the race are supposed to throw offerings into the river and lakes. That is believed to drown all the evils thus making people secure (Chambers, 2004). Before people live for the celebration, they tie different crops such as sweet-flag, garlic and mugwort on their front doors to protect their loved ones from evil. During the dragon boat festival people also carry xiang bao which are sachets with sweet-smelling flowers and herbs to guard themselves from the evil. Another very important festival in China is the Clear Brightness known s as Qing ming Jie in Chinese local language. That day which is also called the Tomb Sweeping Day is used to mark the beginning of spring and the end of winter. The festival mostly occurs on the 4th, 5th, or 6th day of April each year (Chambers, 2004). To mark this day, Chinese people and those who share Chinese custom take time to remember their common ancestors and loved ones who passed away in the previous year. They usually visit the tombs or graves where those people were buried. When visiting the graves, people are very happy making the occasion very cheerful, they usually prepare foods for the ancestors and go to clean and weed the tombs (Chambers, 2004). According to Chinese customs, the dead people are not separated from the living, the living and the dead are usually connected in many ways. The dead or the ancestors are supposed to be very much respected and not forgotten lest they harm the living. During the Clear Festival, people and relatives clean family graves, take beautiful flowers to the graves and burn paper money to please the spirit of the dead. Wine and foods are also taken to the graves as a symbol of love and concern for the ancestors and their late loved ones. Most important to note is the point that, people do not just move to gravesites together, different groups go to different sites (Pan Tang, 2004). Grandparents, aunts, uncles an cousins have their rseparate grave sites where they go during that festival. The coffins are not buried underground but left outside the tombs placed on mounds of earth commonly called the burial mounds, this Chinese traditional practice begun 1,500 years ago. Moreover, the ancestor worship in Chinese culture is a sign of respect for the dead. During such worshiping event, the ancestors are treated like living beings (Pan and Tang, 2004). The ancestors are worshiped to please them so that they do not harm the living. However, the ancestors are not believed to be as powerful as gods and therefore they cannot punish the relatives but gods can do. During the Clear Brightness Festival, the ancestors are supposed to try their best to help the living if they are requested to do so (Pan Tang, 2004). If the ancestors fail to help the living people up on request during that festival, the living abandons or ignore them implying that they no longer offer fruits, paper money or other foods to them (ancestors) (Pan Tang, 2004). In any case if the ancestors are ignored, they become external ghosts and they start loafing around in search of food. Chinese also celebrate dengjie or the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of every first month of the year. The festival is used to mark the end of a year and the beginning of a new year. The lanterns are carried in the streets during the last night of the New Year holiday (Pan Tang, 2004). Thousand of people celebrate all over the streets being hopeful of the New Year fortunes and end of the may been hardships of the just ended year. This festival began 1400 years ago in the history of China (Sievert, 2006). People carry lanterns made from all materials some made of papers, glass other of wood and in different sizes and shapes. Often such festival is mostly celebrated in the city of Harbin located far north of China. The lanterns used in the city for this festival are made of ice taken from rivers. As pointed out by Sievert (2006), the lanterns are usually painted with different Chinese symbols, historical scenes or characters while other lanterns are made in shapes of important anima ls in Chinese traditions such as dragons and crabs. The lanterns are made during the year in preparations of the festival. The lion dance also called the shi wu in Chinese local language and long wu (dragon dance) are performed to mark the Lantern Festival (Chambers, 2004). On this special day, men put on colorful lion heads to disguise themselves. The dragon to serve in this festival is made of bamboo rods with colorful cloth, 20 to 30 feet long (Chambers, 2004). The manmade dragon is then held up on poles to make it firm thus possible to be moved along the streets as people celebrate. The culture of dragon dance is not only practiced in China but also in San Francisco. Another remarkable Chinese festival is the Lunar New Year Festival locally called the Xinnian. This is celebrated each year in the history if China (Wei, 2011). It is a very cheerful day longed by many people both Chinese and who share Chinese culture. It is celebrated during the first day of first new moon. According to Chambers (2004), the event lasts for two weeks during which people share their joy with their families and friends. The 1st day of January marks the beginning of a new year in China. However, the New Year Festive follows the lunar calendar. The festive begins on the night preceding the lunar month and continuous until the 15th day of the Lantern Festival (Wei, 2011). To mark this festival, people worship different gods and spirits. People take their time during the celebration to clean their homes (Flanagan, Zhurkina Labbo, 2004). During this the New Year Festive people also clear their outstanding debts to ensure they start the New Year without debts. The elders al so distribute lucky money (Hong bao) in closed red envelops to children to make the New Year a year full of opportunities (Flanagan, Zhurkina Labbo, 2004). The young person visits their friends and businesses are closed for days to celebrate the New Year. The markets are not left out during the New Year festival, every corner of the market is filled with special foods and different decorations. As argued by Flanagan, Zhurkina and Labbo (2004), the fireworks are used to electrify that New Year holiday. Lively music, lion and dragon dances are used to entertain people during the New Year Festival. According to Wei (2011), families also decorate their doors with beautiful pictures of lucky symbols and gods. People come together to wish for the new year to be full of happiness, riches and good fortunes for their families and loved ones (Flanagan, Zhurkina Labbo, 2004). Comparison between Chinese festivals and Indonesian festivals Festival celebrations in Indonesia are mostly religion-based. The country consists of many ethnic groups including Hindu, Christians and Muslims and has varied local traditions. Nearly every month in Indonesia there is a certain festival event (Ver, 2010). Just like in China, some of the celebrations are used to mark the end of a year and a beginning of a new. The following are popular festive seasons celebrated in Indonesia in close comparison to Chinese festivals. The people of Indonesia just like does the Chinese celebrate the New Years Day. The festive day is called the Tahun Baru in Indonesian local language and it is the 1st public holiday in every year in the country (Backshall, 2003). This event is what the Chinese refer to as Xinnian. Just like in China where people welcome the New Year by celebrating in streets, in Indonesia the New Year is celebrated with fireworks, street celebrations and other kinds of celebrations (Ver, 2010). Just like Chinese people visit relatives in New Festival celebrations. People Indonesia and mostly Christians visit each other on the wake of New Year and also go to churches to wish good fortunes for the New Year. Just like Chinese celebrate QuYuan; a popular and patriotic poet on the 21st day of June, in Indonesia people mark the end of March and beginning of April by celebrating Garebeg Maulad which is a festive meant to remember the birth day of Prophet Muhammad (Vaisutis, 2007). On that day, Muslims move in big towns reciting Koran (Backshall, 2003). This celebration begins seven days before the actual event and lasts for one month. Just like people in China go to nearby lakes and rivers during the Dragon Boat Festival where they give offerings and the evils are believed to drown in the water, in Indonesia, a public holiday called Nyepi or the solar New Year is held at the spring equinox (Backshall, 2003). During that day, every business in the island and people remain silent. That was meant to prevent thwarts by evil annoyed by the previous nights activities (Lexus, 1997). It is believed that the spirit would assume there were no people in that island and will leave the island causing no harm to the people. The day before the Nyepi Festival, special people carry offerings and sacred objects and go to lakes and rivers to give offerings wishing for blessings for their people (Backshall, 2003). As discussed in the Chinese customs, any person could go to rivers and lakes, watch the dragon boat race and from there the contesters just like special people in Indonesia were supposed to give offerings believed to help in drowning evil spirit thus preventing them from harming the people (Backshall, 2003). Unlike in Chinese traditions where people are free to move up and down during Dragon Boat Festival, in Indonesia during the Nyepi Festival people have to observe some rules (Zuehlke, 2006). For instance, visitors are not allowed to move for twenty hours during that festival. They should remain in their visiting restaurants, or choose not to visit the island during Nyepi Festival celebration (Rasmussen, 2010). Just like the Chinese people celebrate Clear Brightness also known as Qing Ming Jie to remember their dead loved ones and common ancestors, in Indonesia, every fifth month of the year (May) people celebrate Waisak Day. That festival marks the birth and death of Buddha at Candi Mendut in Yogyakarta (Zuehlke, 2006). In the same way Chinese people move to graves carrying flowers and foods to remember their dead relatives and common ancestors, in Indonesia people carry flowers, candles and images of Buddha. That is meant to commemorate the Ascension of Buddha (Rasmussen, 2010). In Indonesia ancestors or the dead are connected with the living. The same traditions are present in Chinese traditions where ancestors are believed to influence the lives of the living people. The only differences are the names where in Chinese traditions the common dead people are ancestors while in Indonesia are referred to as prophets (Backshall, 2003). For instance, in Indonesia, Prophet Mohammad is believed to speak with God and return to earth with important instructions for the people (Zuehlke, 2006). The prophet thus influences the lives of the living in many ways just like ancestors in Chinese traditions are believed to influence the daily activities of the people. During Maulud Festival in which people celebrates the birth day of Prophet Mohammad, people also visit the tombs of famous religious leaders just like Chinese people would visit tombs of common ancestors. Zuehlke (2006) points out that, in Indonesia the foods prepared are not taken to graves like done in Chinese traditions, the special foods prepared during the Maulud Festival are given to people who attends the celebrations either in Mosques or in streets (Zuehlke, 2006). Rice decorated with cakes and burns are the common types of foods prepared for that festival. In the same manner the Chinese traditions observe the appearance of the new moon or Moon Festival also called the Zhongqiu Jie, Indonesian people celebrate Wesak on the day of new moon in the spring (Zuehlke, 2006). The day marks the birthday of Buddha as well as the day he passed away. People go to temples to celebrate together marking that important festival. Gongs and drums are played just like drums are played in Chinese traditions during Dragon Boat Festival. The event also involves dancing while keeping a distant from the statute of Buddha. During this event, the rich people give free food not to ancestors but to the poor people who pass by (Backshall, 2003). Conclusion A close look in the Chinese festival and the Indonesian festival shows that, while Chinese festival concentrated much on traditions and mostly on ancestral believes, the Indonesian festivals are mostly based on religions. In Indonesia most of festivals are meant to commemorate prophets inform of birthday celebrations. On the other hand the Chinese festivals are linked with marking end and beginning of seasons such new years where people meet to wish for fortunes and protections from evil. However, in the two countries, the festival celebrations use similar symbols like cakes, fireworks, and moon during the festival. The differences are possibly due to ethnic compositions of the people in the two countries where Indonesia is multi-ethnic country with Christians, Hindu and Islam who are the majority. China on the other hand comprises of majority Chinese people with widely common traditions.

Tuckmans Stages Of Team Development Model Education Essay

Tuckmans Stages Of Team Development Model Education Essay Tuckmans Stages of Team Development model explains how a team develops over time. The five stages of development are: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning. According to Tuckman he says that all of the phases are necessary and inevitable. In order for the team to grow they most face up to challenges, problems, find solutions to problems, planning as a team, and to deliver results. Forming In this first stage of team building, the forming of the team takes place. The individuals behaviour is driven by a desire to be accepted by the others, and avoid controversy or conflict. Serious issues and feelings are avoided, and people focus on being busy with routines, such as team organization, which does what, when to meet, etc. But individuals are also gathering information and impressions about each other, and about the scope of the task and how to approach it. This is a comfortable stage to be in, but the avoidance of conflict and threat means that not much actually gets done. Storming Every group will then enter the storming stage in which different ideas compete for consideration. The team addresses issues such as what problems they are really supposed to solve, how they will function independently and together and what leadership model they will accept. Team members open up to each other and confront each others ideas and perspectives. Norming At the team enter into the Norming stage. Team members behaviour is adjuster to each other. Also the team develop work habits which make the work seem more natural and fluid the team members often work through this stage by agreeing on rules, professional behaviour, there shared methods and working tools. During this phase, team members start trust one other and motivation increases as the team gets more acquainted with their project and goals. Performing As for the teams who will reach the performing stage, the team members are now become interdependent, motivated and knowledgeable. The team members are now competent and able to handle and make decision without being supervision. Dissent is expected and allowed as long as it is channelled through means acceptable to the team. Adjourning was the later stage that Tuckman talk about and this stage is basically on involves dissolution that is terminating roles, completing each teams task and reducing dependency. TRAINING Training can be defined as an educational process. Where people can learn different new ideas and gain information. In most organisation go into training their works making them get and lean more thing. They are different type of training and it important. Why training is important in an organisation Most of the reasons why organisation goes into training are new employees have to learn and gain new skills, and also their motivation is likely to be high. On the other hand, training experienced employees can be problematic. The training needs of such employees are not always easy to determine, and when they can be, the individuals involved may resent being asked to change their established ways of doing their job. Organizations also use more ways to determine the training needs of employees. The performance appraisal: on this one each employees work are measured accorder to their performance standards and objectives established for his or her job. There are different types of training in which organization in training their employees. TYPES OF TRAINING METHOD LECTURE METHOD The lecture is best used for creating a general understanding of a topic. Several variations in the lecture format allow it to be more or less formal and/or interactive. In the pure lecture, communication is one way-from trainer to trainees. It is an extensive oral presentation of material. A good lecture begins with an introduction that lays out the purpose, the order in which topics will be covered, and ground rules about interruptions (e.g., questions and clarification). This is followed by the main body of the lecture in which information is given. The topic areas should be logically sequenced so that the content of preceding topics prepares trainees for the following topics. The lecture should conclude with a summary of the main learning points and/or conclusions. Advantages The lecture training is one of the most efficient teaching methods for presenting many facts or ideas in a relatively short time. Material that has been logically organized can be presented Concisely in rapid sequence. The lecture is particularly suitable for introducing a subject. To ensure that all Students have the necessary background to learn a subject; we can present basic information in a lecture. By using the lecture in this manner, we can offer students with varied backgrounds a common understand. A brief introductory lecture can give direction and purpose to a demonstration or prepare students for a discussion. The lecture is a convenient method for instructing large groups. If necessary, we can use a public address system to ensure that all students can hear us. The lecture is sometimes the only efficient method to use if student-to-faculty ratio is high. Disadvantages . The lecture does not lead to maximum achievement in certain types of learning. Speech skills, cooperative group thinking, and motor skills, for example, are difficult to teach with the lecture method. Students can develop such skills well only through practice. Moreover, the formal lecture alone is generally not appropriate for presenting material above the comprehension level of the cognitive domain. Because it allows for little or no student verbal participation, the formal lecture may also be inefficient for comprehension-level lessons in which concepts and principles are developed. The lecture does not provide teachers with an opportunity to estimate student progress before an examination. Within a single lecture period, we may unwittingly present more information than our students can absorb, and we have little accurate means during the lecture of determining what they have learned. Too often, the lecture makes no provision for participation by the students. As a result, many students willingly allow the instructor to do all the work. Learning is an active process, but the lecture method tends to foster passiveness and dependence on the instructor. APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING Apprenticeship training dates back to the Middle Ages, when skilled craftsmen passed on their knowledge to others as a way of preserving the guilds. Today, apprenticeship programs are partnerships between labour unions, employers, schools, and the government. They are most often found in the skilled trades and professional unions such as boiler engineers, electrical workers, pipe fitters, and carpenters. The typical apprenticeship program requires two years of on-the-job experience and about 180 hours of classroom instruction, though requirements vary. An apprentice must be able to demonstrate mastery of all required skills and knowledge before being allowed to graduate to journeyman status. This is documented through testing and certification processes. Journeymen provide the on-the-job training, while adult education centres and community colleges typically provide the classroom training. Formal apprenticeship programs are regulated by governmental agencies that also set standards and provide services. COACHING Coaching is a process of providing one-on-one guidance and instruction to improve the work performance of the person being coached in a specific area. It differs from other OJT methods in that the trainee already has been working at the job for some time. Usually, coaching is directed at employees with performance deficiencies, but it can also serve as a motivational tool for those performing adequately. Typically the supervisor acts as the coach. Like the OJT trainer, the coach must be skilled both in how to perform the task(s) and how to train others to do them. The amount of time supervisors devote to coaching activities steadily increased during the 1990s and will likely represent more than 50 percent of supervisors time by the new millennium. E-LEARNING Many companies have implemented e-learning, which encompasses several different types of technology assisted training, such as distance learning, computer-based training (CBT), or web-based training (WBT). Distance learning occurs when trainers and trainees are in remote locations; typically, technology is used to broadcast a trainers lecture to many trainees in many separate locations. Distance learning provides many of the same advantages and disadvantages as the lecture method. Distance learning can be much less expensive than paying for trainees in multiple locations to travel for a lecture, but it may reduce motivation to learn because of the remoteness of the trainer. Advantages Convenience is one of the major advantages of e-learning. It allows students to work and learn at their own pace without the unyielding time restrictions of traditional learning. Because e-learning provides access to learning materials at any time, students have the flexibility to schedule around families, jobs and other activities. Another major benefit of e-learning is the accessibility it provides. Students can learn from anywhere in the world. This is an especially important consideration for students who wish to study in a different country. In addition, because e-learning can be done from home, students have less clothing and driving expenses than with traditional learning. Disadvantages A major disadvantage to e-learning is the self-discipline it requires. While being able to work at your own pace can be an advantage, it can also be a disadvantage. This is especially true for students who have difficulty with time management and procrastination. These students tend to be more successful with the structure of traditional learning. Another disadvantage to e-learning is the technology involved. Some people do not have ready access to a computer and Internet connection. And some who do have the required equipment feel ill-equipped to use it. Lack of interaction between teacher and student is another drawback to e-learning. Some students need the immediate feedback that interaction provides. ON-THE-JOB TRAINING The most common method of training, on-the-job training (OJT) uses more experienced and skilled employees to train less skilled and experienced employees. OJT takes many forms and can be supplemented with classroom training. Included within OJT are the job-instruction technique, apprenticeships, coaching, and mentoring. Formal OJT programs are typically conducted by employees who can effectively use one-on-one instructional techniques and who have superior technical knowledge and skills. Since conducting one-on-one training is not a skill most people develop on their own, train-the-trainer training is required for OJT trainers. In addition to training the trainers, formal OJT programs should carefully develop a sequence of learning events for trainees. The formalized instructional process that is most commonly used is called the job-instruction technique . Advantages It is cost effective for the employer because the person continues to work whilst learning. Training time is reduced when compared to traditional off site learning. It has been tested for techniques ranging from milking cows by hand to brain surgery. Structured programs for training multiple trainers, and for in house training of new trainers exist and are available from numerous providers. These programs reduce the training times of unstructured OJT by more than 50% and reduce the perpetuation of less safe and more costly production techniques. Disadvantages Inconsistent Traditional OJT relies heavily on an experienced employee to provide the instructions based on what they feel are the most important topics. What is important to one employee may not be important to another. The result is what is learned may vary greatly, depending on who is assigned as the trainer. Lack of founding principles :While the hands-on aspect of OJT may appeal to the practical learner, often the underlying theories of operation are not covered in sufficient detail or accuracy. Without this foundation of knowledge, trainees often learn what to do, not why they are doing it, resulting in poor decision making when things dont go exactly right. Bad habits : The trainee observes and may adopt the trainers habits and attitudes about all aspects of the job including safety, quality, customer service, and relationship with management. Poorly selected trainers can have many unintended consequences.

The Unladylike Lady in Macbeth :: Macbeth essays

The Unladylike Lady in Macbeth      Ã‚   William Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth presents in the role of the leading lady an intimidating and selfish Lady Macbeth. Let us in this paper get to the bottom of her character.    L.C. Knights in the essay "Macbeth" describes the unnaturalness of Lady Macbeth's words and actions:    Thus the sense of the unnaturalness of evil is evoked not only be repeated explicit references ("nature's mischief," "nature seems dead," " 'Tis unnatural, even like the deed that's done," and so on) but by the expression of unnatural sentiments and an unnatural violence of tone in such things as Lady Macbeth's invocation of the "spirits" who will "unsex" her, and her affirmation that she would murder the babe at her breast if she had sworn to do it. (95)    Samuel Johnson in The Plays of Shakespeare underscores how ambition by the protagonists leads to detestation on the part of the readers:    The danger of ambition is well described; and I know not whether it may not be said in defence of some parts which now seem improbable, that, in Shakespeare's time, it was necessary to warn credulity against vain and illusive predictions. The passions are directed to their true end. Lady Macbeth is merely detested; and though the courage of Macbeth preserves some esteem, yet every reader rejoices at his fall. (133)    In "Macbeth as the Imitation of an Action" Francis Fergusson specifies the fears within Lady Macbeth:      I do not need to remind you of the great scenes preceding the murder, in which Macbeth and his Lady pull themselves together for their desperate effort. If you think over these scenes, you will notice that the Macbeths understand the action which begins here as a competition and a stunt, against reason and against nature. Lady Macbeth fears her husband's human nature, as well as her own female nature, and therefore she fears the light of reason and the common dayllight world. As for Macbeth, he knows from the first that he is engaged in an irrational stunt: "I have no spur / To prick the sides of my intent, but only / Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself / And falls on the other." In this sequence there is also the theme of outwitting or transcending time, an aspect of nature's order as we know it: catching up the consequences, jumping the life to come, and the like.

depression Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Depression has been around for a longer period of time than we can imagine. Depression has been considered to be the major psychiatric disease of the 20th century, affecting approximately eight million people in North America (http://www.ndmda.org). It is a matter of whether it is diagnosed and treated or left alone. This is a problem that can affect everyone whether they themselves are diagnosed or simply by knowing someone with depression.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  People with psychiatric illnesses are twenty times more likely to die from accidents or suicide than people without psychiatric disorders (http://www.nami.org). Major depression, including bipolar affective disorder, often appears for the first time during teenage years, and early recognition of these conditions will have profound effects on later morbidity and mortality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is depression in adolescents a significant problem? Well, the suicide rate for adolescents has increased more than 200% over the last decade (http://www.ndmda.org). Adolescent suicide is now responsible for more deaths in youths aged fifteen to nineteen than cardiovascular disease or cancer. Recent studies have shown that greater than twenty percent of adolescents in the general population have emotional problems and one-third of adolescents attending psychiatric clinics suffer from depression. Despite this, depression in this age group is greatly under diagnosed, leading to serious difficulties in school, work, and personal adjustment, which often continue into adulthood.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Depression presents in adolescents with essentially the same symptoms as in adults; however, some clinical shrewdness may be required to translate the teenagers? symptoms into adult terms. Wearing black clothes, writing poetry with morbid themes, or listening to certain types of music may exemplify sadness. Sleep disturbance may manifest as all-night television watching, difficulty in getting up for school, or sleeping during the day. Missed classes reflect lack of motivation and lowered energy level. A drop in grade averages can be equated with loss of concentration and slowed thinking. Boredom may be a synonym for feeling depressed. Loss of appetite may become anorexia or bulimia. Adolescent depression may also present primarily ... ...et the course take action. Although, the student should not feel like they are ?weeded out? from the group. The teacher should still treat them the same and not exclude them from activities. Also, the student should be encouraged to get help. They should not feel forced to do something. Instead, they should be educated on why they should. Hopefully, this will resolve and bring depression to an end so that we can all live our lives to the fullest. References http://www.apa.org Website sponsored by the American Psychological Association Berger, Kathleen Stassen. (2001) The Developing Person through the Life Span. NY, New York: Worth Publishers http://www.nami.org Website sponsored by National Alliance for the Mentally Ill http://www.ndmda.org Website sponsored be the National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association http://www.nimh.nih.gov Website sponsored by National Institute of Mental Health Page, Randy M. and Tana S.2000) Fostering Emotional well-being in the classroom. Sudbury: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Hotlines: Community Counseling Clinic (610) 758-3255 Depression and Anxiety Hotline 1-800-234-0038 Teen Help Adolescent Resources 1-800-637-0701

Personal Experience Essay -- Learning Education Teacher Essays

Personal Experience I have had the great opportunity to be apart of a great program and class at college. Most of us who are going to become teachers know about this class and the required 80 hours of volunteering at a middle school for a semester. I was eager to volunteer, because I have experience in working with middle school kids. The school I work for, has prepared me to handle school aged kids, so I was relying on my background to carry me though the semester at a new Middle school. The privileges of a private school are a lot different from an inner city school. When I began to volunteer at Baker I was shocked to discover that the students were not allowed to take books home to finish their school work. When it came time to read a book the teacher would distribute the books to the students, but then recollect them afterwards. At Denver Academy, the teachers purchase and distribute the books to the class and the students get to keep the books forever. I was about to find out how hard it is for these students to be motivated to attend school everyday when these kids are lacking a stable environment. I was leaving my comfort zone to enter an entirely different type of school environment. The first day of my volunteering at Baker middle school was filled with apprehension, because I was entering an entirely new situation and leaving the safety of Denver Academy behind. As I walked into the classroom, it was as if there were a hundred eyes staring in my direction. As quickly as the stares came, they went away as if I was not even there anymore. I could only imagine what kind of thoughts and questions were going through their heads. I’m sure the first question would be why... ... lot they can learn from the students a Baker, because even though some of the students don’t care about education. There are some students who do, and they are given the tools they need to make it through. The students at Baker are just happy to have someone show an interest in what they are doing. I saw it in their eyes when I gave them praise on something they did during the time I was there. That praise can carry a student along way which to me is rewarding in it self. I can only hope that the time I spent with these students can encourage at least a few to continue on the academic path and make a name for them selves later in life. These kids deserve every opportunity we can give them and I am proud to be a piece of the big picture. We can only guess how hard it is for these students, so let’s make sure we give them a safe and helping hand along the way.

Groups and Teams Essay

Many organizations require their employees to work in teams but offer them no specific training. Research who offers such training in South Africa and what it aims to achieve. Use at least 3 sources and explain what they offer.[15] Planning and competency is deciding the tasks that need to be done, determining how to do them, allocating resources to those tasks, and then monitoring progress to ensure that they are done. The three sources which offer team building in South Africa are High Africa, Dream Team Catalyst and Movers and Shakers. These three sources aim to improve communication, co-operation, leadership skills and motivation. High Africa which is situated in Worcester, Cape Town. They offer corporate team building activities, packed with activities to increase confidence and trust within a group as well as a venue for conferences to be held. Participants learn to work in a group and improve communication and co-operation. These can be improved through a variety of stimulating activities that participants are involved in. All the activities that are done at High Africa ensure that participants have to communicate and depend on each other in order to succeed in the activity. As companies started demanding more value and measureable results the team building organisation, Dream Team Catalyst saw an opportunity to meet these companies demands and partnered up with Catalyst Global and Hercules Trophy to ensure that they are able to offer their clients the best team building solutions available worldwide. The approach of Dream Team is to offer structured interventions that address specific needs and achieve measurable outcomes as well as high energy events that will simply delight and astound even the most jaded participants. DreamTeam believes it is all about the people, the facilitators and participants. Their events have a unique style. Teambuilding Events, Conferences, Training Programmes, Incentives, Celebrations & Fun Days all take on a fresh look and feel when we are involved. Movers and Shakers have more than 15 years experience in organizational development teambuilding interventions and the training arena. Their motivational activities & exercises and team building programs & events make an unbelievable difference to your company or organization. Movers and Shakers are the international non-stop shop based in South Africa for motivation and team building. They are passionate about raising people to new heights in performance and motivation through our team building events, motivational activities and corporate team building exercises. A company relies immensely on people, they should be focused on continuously grown and empowered, and have the appropriate team building strategies in order for them to excel. The key function of any leader is to rise up other leaders. Any teambuilding ideas have to be effective, different and stimulating. 2) There is a trend to introduce teams into the workplace. Explain why this is the case. Describe the skills required in individuals to be effective in teams. Do you think all jobs should be designed around teams? [10] Strategic action competency is, understanding the overall mission and values of the company and ensuring that your actions and those of the people you manage are aligned with the company’s mission and values. It is a key managerial skill for top level and middle level management. A managerial competency in general is a set of knowledge, skills and behaviors that allows a manager to perform his duties effectively and at low costs. Strategic action competency is one of six core competencies necessary to be a good manager. The other five are communication competency, planning and administration competency, teamwork competency, multicultural competency and self-management competency. Teams have become increasingly popular in the workplace. A team-oriented organisational structure means companies rely on small work groups or teams to manage various products or tasks. Work teams offer some benefits because of the cooperation of several employees, but challenges also exist when work teams replace more individualized work. Some of the few things which team work encourage are better solutions and betterproduction. Better solutions are the main reason why companies opt for team work. Team work also results in better quality work and a more thorough and more creative solutions to problems or situations. People in a group that are from different backgrounds and perspectives working together, they tend to derive the best solution possible. Team members working together enhance benefits of the best solution by continuing to work together to enact it. Better production – along with better quality, well-managed workplace teams often produce more results as well. Members in a team can hold each other accountable and drive each other to more efficient work. By setting individual goals to go along with team goals, the employees within work teams can create some friendly competition and use the peer-pressure influence to keep each other motivated to reach goals. Effective team members need the following basic skills: * Communication and Negotiation – Team members need the ability to state ideas or questions clearly, listen to others attentively, and to resolve disagreements in a non-confrontational manner. * Analytic and Creative Skills – Team members need to evaluate information and propose creative solutions. * Organisation – The team needs to be able to track and complete all its tasks on time. Tensions can often arise if deadlines are missed * Listening – Employees need to listen to each other’s ideas. * Questioning – Employees need to ask each other questions, to ensure clear lines of communication. * Persuading – Employees will try convincing each other which alternative to choose. * Respecting – Employees will respect each other’s opinions. * Helping – The employees will help each other n work as a team. * Sharing – Employees need to share their ideas with each other, in order to choose the best idea. * Participating – Employees need to participate in activities and discussions. Jobs should be designed around teams because groups are the ideal building blocking for an organisation. There are at least six reasons for designing all jobs around groups. First, small groups are good for people. They can satisfy social needs and they can provide support for employees in times of stress and crisis. Second, groups are good problem solving tools. They are better than individuals at creativity and innovation. Third, in a wide variety of decision situations, groups make better decisions than individuals do. Fourth, groups are very effective tools for implementation Groups gain commitment from their members so that group decisions are likely to be successfully carried out. Fifth, groups can control and discipline individual members in ways that are often extremely difficult. Group norms are powerful control devices. Sixth, groups are a means by which large organisations can fend off many of the negative effects of increased size. Groups help to prevent communication lines from growing too long, the hierarchy from growing too steep, and the individual from getting lost in the crowd. 3) Think about whether you prefer to work on a problem or task individually or as part of a team. Motivate your preferences by appealing to your personality and character. Describe the experience (if any) you should now obtain to develop your teamwork competency and have evidence to convince potential employees that you have developed this competency. [10] I would say I do prefer to work in a team, as the team can always solve problems more efficiently and effectively than working individually. My personality is suitable to be part of a team, as my leadership qualities can be enforced and I can also take part in discussions and feel free to give my opinion when it is needed. A team needed committed team members who are able to work through any challenge and is still able to think logically. It important to not give up even if the group might be struggling or not communicating and it is important to be committed to every task that the team has to execute. My ability to work well with people will give me edge when working in a group, I will be able to listen to their opinions and also give my opinion. A high tolerance level will be of a benefit to the group as there are many group members from different backgrounds and personalities working together, personality clashes happen often in teams and members need to tolerate each other’s personalities and work with people from different backgrounds. I have had many opportunities to work in a team, which all were not pleasant. When working with team members you not familiar with it could be more difficult to get to know them and find common ground. Starting on the project and discussing ideas could be difficult because personalities would start to show and team members have to learn to tolerate each other’spersonalities. Team work can also be very pleasant, working with team members you familiar with can make an immense difference to the outcome of the project. As team members have previously worked together it would be easier for everyone to work together and execute the project. Team members gain team work competency if they worked in a number of teams. Team work competency would be creativity, communication, negotiating skills, helping each other, sharing and listening. Working in a number of teams I would say I have acquired those skills, and I would be able to work in most teams. I also believe that every project needs to be consulted with another person in order to achieve the best results. The team leader needs to consult with his team and gather information, their ideas and point of view of the project. I would have to say that team work is more efficiently and effectively than individual work. Team work allows you to be more creative and it can achieve better results than working on your own. 4) Explain how your teamwork competency is likely to effect employee’s evaluations of your candidacy for a job irrespective of where you work. Visit http://www.pmforum.org. Using the site as a starting point, explore the resources available to project managers. If you were to become a professional project manager, how could you use the resource available to improve your ability to manage a global virtual project management team? List the steps that you could take to prepare for serving as a leader of a virtual global project. [15] Global Awareness Competency is when an organisation carries out its managerial work by drawing on humans, financial, information and material resources from multiple countries. My teamwork competency will affect the employer’s evaluation by looking at he wants from the employee. If he wants someone that will be able to work in a group and is able to work with others then a teamwork competency will be in my favour. Your team competency will greatly affect the type of job you will have to do, if you work well in teams you will be working in teams a lot. If the organisation only works in teams, it makes you a good candidate. Your team competency can also lead to many other positions. Employers value an employee that is motivated, innovative and creative, they must also be able to lead and work well with others. Good communication skills are also a very important skill to have when your employer evaluates you as a candid, it will allow work to run smoothly and the lines of communication will always be open. The ability to listen to others and take instruction is key factors to working in a team, you have to listen to everyone’s ideas and be able to understand what they want you to do when you given a task. Guidelines which apply to virtual work teams: * Whenever possible, use a variety of communication technologies * Pay attention to the quality of the communication transmission keep the team as small as possible – preferably no more than seven to eight people * To the extent possible, take similarities and differences in time zones into account when assembling the team * Encourage the team members to discuss cultural differences * Be sure that someone is responsible for facilitating the communication process * Encourage team members to interact one on one, without feeling obligated to copy every email message to the entire team * Train team members to match their choice of technology to their task * Hold an initial face to face meeting to discuss the team’s purpose and clarify the roles and responsibilities of each team member * Whenever possible, individual team members should visit each other * Schedule periodic face to face meetings Managing Global Virtual Teams is a one of a kind, action-based programme that will show you how to manage geographically scattered and culturally diverse teams and achieve maximum results. Through the use of simulations, frameworks, video-taped exercises, and group coaching you will develop the ability to design and manage a global team in a way that encourages collaboration, improves intra- team communication, builds cohesion and leverages your team’s cultural diversity. Every employee must have work team competency, it will give them that edge when employers evaluate them. It also makes working in a group so much easier and great communication skills are an important aspect. 5) In your small group of two members that did this assignment, what were your experiences? Using the model of teamwork functioning, analyze what helped you and what hindered you in doing this assignment. Identify what you need to do differently next time. [15] We expected this assignment to go smoothly, and we would be working well together. This assignment would be very lengthy and we had to meet a lot. We expected each other to do what we were supposed to do and meet the due date. We both worked well together and executed the assignment as planned. The model of work team functioning is a general model of team functioning. The four key components are the external support system, team design, internal team processes and criteria for assessing team’s effectiveness. These four components work interrelated, and considered they provide a full understanding of how well a particular work team functions. The model helps identify work team problems, key contingency factors and provides guidance to managers interested in assessing whether a work team is achieving all of the various outcomes that are possible. 6) External context 7) Societal culture Organisational culture Organisation design Human resources management system 8) Effectiveness criteria * Team * Individual Internal process * Stages of team development * Feelings * Norms Team design * Team size * Team proximity 9) 10) External system The external system comprises outside organisational conditions and an influence exists before and after the team is formed. These influences may consist of societal and organisational culture, organisational design, and the human resources management system. Culture The societal culture in which the work team operates is one of the major external factors. All team members have different cultures and the team needs to be able to work with all the team members and they need to work well together. In collective cultures people are very comfortable working in teams. Organisational design Organisational design also directly influences the formation and functioning of the work team. A lot of the work our group did was from own, on our own time, which could either be a good or bad thing, as there was no one to watch over them. The work also had to be done at different locations where the group was able to meet up for a meeting or to discuss the progress of the assignment. The amount of work the each of us had to do was more than a bigger group, because of this we had to allow for extra time and had to do majority of the work on our own time. Human resources management system Organisations have quickly recognised that practices designed to enhance individual performance can be detrimental to teamwork and have established that new performance management systems are needed. Team based organisations may also change their basic procedures used to assign people to jobs. Some self management work teams have to make their own decisions, in this case employees must be trained to make valid human resources decisions and adhere to legal constraints. In our group there were no major decisions that had to be made, as group worked very well together and there was no member that we needed to take action against. Team design The design choices involved in creating a team are numerous. Factors that need to be taken into consideration are team duration, team goals, and team membership. Two additional design choices are time size and team location. Team size As the number of team members increases, the internal decision making process changes. We are only two in a group so the workload would be more and we would have to make decisions that would the suite a group with two members. If we had another group member our workload would be less and our decisions would have been different. The size of a also affect the quality of work a team produces, the optimal amount of members per group is 12 depending on the task at hand. It is known that smaller groups always seem to outdo the bigger groups. Members in larger groups have difficulty communicating directly to each other, as in a smaller group there is more face to face interaction. As a result of this smaller groups have less trouble with getting their message across and there are less communication barriers or miscommunication. If the task at hand is one that needs creativity and innovation it is best that the team is smaller, this allows for not too many opinions getting in the way and clear thinking can take place. Team location (team proximity) Team proximity refers to the location of a team’s members. Two aspects of proximity are relevant when designing a team are the team’s proximity to other work teams and the members of the organisation, and team members proximity to each other. When many teams are working on a single project, team members benefit from being near to each other. This helps team members if they need advice on a specific area and it allows for the competition to be tighter among the members. Members from different teams can meet and discuss their developments with each other. Problem solving occurs when it is readily needed; members can ask each other for ideas, tips, or hints on a specific problem. We worked very closely with the other groups and consulted with them regularly, this allowed us to ensure that we on the right track with the project. Is also helped to clear any, misunderstandings were dealt with immediately and we also got to hear how other groups went about doing their project. Virtual work teams A virtual work team is simply one that meets and does its tasks without everyone being physically present in the same place or at the same time. Virtual work teams can be functional, problem solving, multidisciplinary or self managing. New communications are allowing virtual workplaces to extend the reach of organisations fare beyond their traditional physical and cultural barriers. Our team has become a virtual work team at times where we cannot physically be at the same place at the same time. Technology helped us to finish our project when we acted at a virtual work team. We could learn a lot from this project and how to deal with a team, the project did however meet our expectations but the leadership could have been better. On our next project we will have to make a few changes in the way we went about doing the assignments. We would have to assign work to the team members more effectively, have regular meetings and, motivate each other to meet deadlines. 6) How was the level of communication of your group members? Were instructions clearly given and understood? Was there any form of miscommunication between you and your group members and your lecturer? Were individual tasks given and completed on time? [10] Communication is a very important aspect of a team, good communication is the key to your team members working well together and projects getting the results your hopes you would achieve. Our level of communication in the group was very good, we understood what we had to do and all work was executed as per planned. If there were any problems that needed to be handled they were dealt with, without delay, team members gave their opinion on certain issues and everyone had a fair chance to say what they wanted to, if something was not understood it was brought to the team members attention and questions were asked if team members were not clear about instructions. Each team member was given work that needed to be completed and when the work was assigned to them, they were given clear instruction on what needs to be done. Team members made sure that there was no miscommunication amongst each other. The lecturer thoroughly explained the assignment which was easy enough for all team members to understand. Work was assigned to each team member and they were given a deadline, not all deadlines were met as we still had to do last minute finalising. The project was done at a later date than expected and it put back the whole schedule. Team members who did not meet the deadline, were given a final deadline that had to be met, which was the final cut off date. In the end the project met the overall due date and the team worked well together. Our team worked very well together there were no communication problems and everyone completed their tasks. The lines of communication were always open which made it a very pleasant team to work with and the assignment was executed successful. * SECTION B 1) What are the advantages and disadvantages of organizing employees into work teams? Explain these advantages and disadvantages. [9] It is proven that performing a task in teams can achieve outcomes that could not be achieved by the same number of individuals working in isolation. There is that sense of support from your team members which encourage others to work more effectively and efficiently. The reason for organizations’ having employees work in teams are as follows: * To improve on-time delivery of results * To improve customer-employee relations * To assist improvement on products and services * Essential for career and management-employee growth * Improve understanding of the organization * Reduce costs and improve efficiency * Improve quality * Increase the commitment, ownership and motivation of employee The advantages of working in teams are as follows: * Creativity increases – Each individual has their own knowledge, personal attributes and skill. By using these different traits of each individual team member, more ideas for a task can be generated; making more solutions available for better results. * Speed – Team work allows a task to be completed quicker and more effectively as well as efficiently; work can move forward in parallel with the ultimate goal being achieved much faster than the task being done by one individual. As the saying goes â€Å"many hands, make light work†. * Effect on worker morale – Being able to work in a team allows for a close relationship between individuals, increasing good relationships in the working environment. It also helps people’s self-esteem, having the knowledge that they contributed towards the task and achieving self-satisfaction. * Effect on individual and shared responsibility – All team members should always feel obliged to deliver to their best ability. Each member knows that they have a responsibility for a specific task and that the team depends on them to deliver work of good quality. * Self-awareness to reach full potential – Your profile is developed and gives you a better understanding of the strengths you can contribute to a team. * Balance – Each member may have a specific area in which they excel and by utilizing these strengths, the team will be able to cover the key team role functions, the team will remain effective and there will be no friction of role duplication. * Increased productivity * Improved service * Shared vision – There is a common goal, so team members will thrive in achieving it. It keeps everyone moving forward. The disadvantages thereof are: * Struggling with teams – Some people prefer working in teams while others loathe even the thought of it. If your team members rebel in respecting your authority or any effort to form cooperative working units, team work will not be an effective solution for your organization. Therefore, it is important to assess your employees’ feelings towards teamwork before dividing them into teams. * Decrease in creativity – The â€Å"Group Think† tendency may occur. If one team member voices their opinion, while the other has another opinion in mind but opts to go with the majority of the other members to avoid conflict or tension. Novel ideas could be missed out on. * Free-riding – This is a very frequent term not only used in primary or tertiary education but it occurs in organizations as well. Team member refuse to be productive, flying under the radar to avoid work. This also leads to a decrease in productivity within the entire team. * Conflict may develop – In most teams, there are likely to be dominating overbearing or reluctant participants, resulting in disagreements between members therefore it is vital to monitor the performance of teams. * Present evaluation and reward challenges – It is rather difficult to assess the team effort of each individual group member therefore workers are usually asked to complete group member evaluations which assesses each member’s helpfulness and productivity in the task being completed. Though this method is not as reliable, as some members may demote others for reasons which are not related to the task. 2) Describe the stages of group development. Which stage is the most crucial? [15] The development of work teams is illustrated below: This development of work teams model shows the maturity on the vertical axis ranging from low to high, also known as ineffective and inefficient, versus the continuum of time together on the horizontal axis ranging from start (first encounter) to end (adjournment). There is no specific time period in which a team progresses from stage one to the following. The team can be discontinued at any time by the authority that created it, however the speed of team development reflects the team’s deadlines. If there is a deadline for a task, the team will feel more pressure to perform, setting aside their personal differences and working together in order to complete that task. This model also shows how a team can move back to a previous stage if the possibility of the team’s end arises – this is called recycling. This may result from a loss in members, rotations, promotions or retirements, thus the repetition of the previous stage to be surpassed once again. There are 5 stages, namely: * The Forming Stage: This stage focuses on orientation of the team’s goals and procedures as each team member is anxious about what each member is supposed to do while others may be excited. During this stage team members are usually positive and polite, some concerned about who will dominate team discussions; others may feel intimidated and not participate as freely as the others. This stage is fairly short and may only last until after the first meeting or discussion. Leadership roles need to be discussed and getting acquainted with fellow member will facilitate team development. If team members still feel uncomfortable within the group, team-building exercises would be recommended to ease the tension and establish a comfort zone, allowing the team to progress to the next stage. * The Storming Stage: Competitiveness and strained behaviours begin to emerge during this phase. This stage may involve resistance and impatience if progress is not made with a task; the authority of one team member may be challenged as others jockey for their position. As a leader, they have to take the pressure that their team members are under into consideration; they may even be uncomfortable with the approach being used for the task. A few members will even begin to force an agenda without regard for the needs of other members, or isolate themselves from group discussions. During this stage, conflict may arise but it is the group’s duty to resolve it through conflict resolutions. This is the stage where many teams fail. * The Norming Stage: Team members become positive about the team as well as the position of the team leader during this stage – where a hierarchy is established. Others may show leadership in other areas while respecting the leader’s authority. The mindset during this stage is â€Å"We are in this together, like it or not. Let’s make the most of it.† A sense of belonging and commitment starts to develop within the group; members communicating freely, cooperating, and accepting mutual respect. Rules of behaviour are enforced by team members and one will notice how towards the end of this stage, there is a sense of enjoyment about being involved. At the end of this stage the oneness syndrome may emerge, which results in needed task-related conflict not being optimally resolved, in turn causing the quality or quantity of performance to slip. * The Performing Stage: Hard work leads directly to progress towards the shared vision of the team’s goal but some teams never reach their full potential, regardless of how long they have been together. By this stage, team members have usually come to trust and accept one another, where diversity, opinions and viewpoints are encouraged and supported; making room for â€Å"wild† ideas without the feeling of being inferior to others. Feedback and listening adds to the team members being focused on and reinforce a sense of clear and shared goals. Leadership can also be shifted from member to member depending on the problem which needs to be resolved. The team now accepts each other’s differences and disagreements and works on them cooperatively and willingly, where internal politics is avoided when trying to solve an important issue. The following characteristics will lead to a high level of team performance: * Energy is spent on completing tasks and building interpersonal ties * Developing procedures for making decisions (including leadership) * Trust and openness among one another * Ask and offer help from one another * Sense of belonging and freedom within the team * Accept and deal with conflict * Members know how to assess and deal with their own functioning If one or more of these characteristics are absent, the team will be likely to prevail ineffective. The forming stage of any team is important as the team members get to acquaint them therein, exchange personal information with others and it is also an opportunity to observe how each member works individually and how they respond to pressure. The most crucial stage of Tuckman’s stages of development however, is the storming stage as it is necessary for the growth of the team. For team members who are averse to conflict may find this stage unpleasant, contentious and painful. Tolerance is a must and should be emphasized, because without it the team will fail. This phase can be destructive to the team and lower motivation if things get out of control and some teams do not even pass this stage. * The Adjournment Stage: Teams usually assembled for a long period of time, go through the adjournment stage. This stage involves the termination of task behaviours and disengaging from work relationships. A planned conclusion usually includes recognition for participation, achievement and an opportunity for team members to say their farewells. This can also create some apprehension. The termination of a team is a regressive movement from giving up control to the team to giving up inclusion in the team. It focuses on wrapping up activities and can happen at any time as it is not planned and could even be abrupt. However, change in members could result in recycling instead of adjournment. The most crucial stage of group development is the storming stage. Most people understand this stage as thestage where conflict arises and how to avoid it. Conflict is impossible to avoid but team members should handle and channel that conflict into effective individual and team development. The approach to conflict is crucial in successful team building and it would be advisable to enlighten the team about everyone not always going to agree all the time – it is normal, necessary and part of team development. During this stage, most members will rebel and even leave the team due to these misunderstandings and this is the mostly likely stage that most teams to do not progress through. 3) Raj Kashdish describes his workplace as â€Å"friendly, just great. All the people get along together, and we play bowls and action cricket after work†. Quality records show that Kashdish’s team produces high-quality results but the team’s cost are high and the output of work is low. Is this an effective work team? Explain your response. [10] There are specific criteria called effectiveness criteria which measures the outcomes achieved by team members and the team as a whole. Some teams may be effective in some aspects but ineffective in others. If a team takes longer than expected to make a decision, on speed and cost criteria, they may seem ineffective but if the decision is creative and achieves customer satisfaction the team will regarded as effective. This can be an effective work team with regard to individual effectiveness as relationships between individuals are heightened due to Kashdish’s team doing other activities other than work together; but it could also be regarded as team building. Their decisions and work are costly in terms of speed but effective in terms of customer satisfaction. Even though this team produces high-quality results, their costs and outputs are still low. They are not effective in terms of team effectiveness but more so individual effectiveness. 4) What are the primary differences between functional work teams and multi-disciplinary jn work teams? Outline these differences. [8] * Functional Work Teams – This type of team includes members from a single department, such as marketing, finance or human resources, who in cooperation solve issues pertaining to their area of expertise and responsibility. Their goals could be to minimize costs or to ensure continuous supplies. For goals to be achieved, team members need to constantly coordinate activities, sharing information on price changes and products. * Multi-disciplinary Work Teams – Depending on its goals or tasks, this type of work team can be temporary or permanent and consists of 5 to 30 employees from various functional areas and organizational levels with the same goal-oriented tasks, such as designing and introducing process reforms and technology. For example, your team consists of a civil engineer, an architect, a mechanical engineer and a quantity surveyor for the planning of the construction of a pump house on a major irrigation scheme. A caesarean section to deliver a baby also requires a multi-disciplinary team. A product development team will exist for the period of time which is required for the product to be brought to the market, varying from months to years. For example, Microsoft brings together multi-disciplinary teams consisting of experts with a variety of knowledge and backgrounds to generate ideas, which may include representatives from marketing and eventual end-users in order for the products to appeal to the customers. This type of work team provides competitive advantages such as speed aand creativity, if properly formed and managed. 5) What are the differences between problem-solving work teams and self-managing work teams? Describe these differences. [10] * Problem-solving Work Teams – This type of work team is usually made up of 5 to 20 employees, all from different areas of a department who consider how something would or can be done better. A meeting would take place for one or two hours every week on a continuous basis for discussion of ways which can improve quality, safety, productivity, morale – or they might meet intensively for the first week or so and disband thereafter. There are two forms of problem-solving work teams, namely: Task forces and quality circles. Task forces are the most common type of this work team. For example, a marketing group conducting a feasibility study of a product. A quality circle is a team which meets regularly to identify and analyze the different types of workplace problems and propose solutions. * Self-managing Work Teams – It consists of 5-15 employees who work together on a daily basis to make an entire product or render an entire service. They may all be from a single functional area, but more so they are multi-disciplinary. Various managerial tasks are performed by these teams such as rotating job tasks and assignments, ordering materials or deciding on team leadership. To sum things up, what needs to be done and how to do it are decided by them. They are sometimes called high performance teams as they are composed of highly skilled individuals fully capable of accomplishing major tasks, such as an emergency trauma unit. These individuals submerge their egos and fully commit to the team and its goals. 6) You have an opportunity to take a job as new team leader in an organization. Before you accept the offer, you want to assess whether the organization is likely to provide a supportive environment for the team. What are the questions you would ask about the organization to determine whether the environment is supportive? [15] * Can you tell me about the executive’s management style? * Can you describe the work environment in the workplace? * What do you consider to be your organization’s strengths and weaknesses? * What is the state of the equipment being used within the workplace? * What is the particular ambience the employees exude when at work? * Is there any prejudice, stereotyping or discrimination in the workplace? * If any, what are your conflict resolutions which are used when there is conflict between employees? * Are the organization’s supervisors and managers equipped with leadership and diversity training? * Is the working environment safe? * What are the incentives being offered to the employees, if there are any? * Are there processes and procedures used for violations of the employment acts? * Do employees have access to rich information and resources? * Are there appropriate procedures for safety, operation and security?