what is the sociological perspective (imagination) Essay Example For Students

what is the sociological perspective (imagination) Essay Diane Ihlenfeldt February 13, 2004 Question 1: What is the sociological perspective? What is the nature of the social sciences? This is the question that began the study of society, first performed by C. Wright Mills in his development of the idea of the sociological imagination. There are many different aspects to the sociological perspective. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines perspective as the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance. Having a sociological perspective means that you view all of societies components and their relationship to the individual. We will write a custom essay on what is the sociological perspective (imagination) specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now First I will discuss how individuals are socialized. Next I will point out societal structures role in that socialization. Finally I will discuss how the sociological perspective allows us to view different inequalities in the world. While growing up we rarely think about why we do things the way that we do, and make the decisions that we make. From infancy we are socialized, meaning that we are trained how to exist within our social environment. By developing a sociological perspective we are able to see that we are socialized, and view how our social environment has an effect on the decisions that we make. Social environments differ across many boundaries including, but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, and class. For example I was raised within a poor, Caucasian, single parent, low class family, which means that the decisions I make may be different from the decisions made by someone raised in a rich, Catholic, Hispanic, two parent, upper middle class family. For example because we were poor, my mother was uneducated, our class was low, and our religion played as more of a financial support system than a moral characterizing system, we consider it okay to have children outside of the structural bounds of marriage. There are different rules, known as norms, by which we must abide in order to be considered well adjusted to society. It is important to understand that one does not spontaneously become the person that they are, and automatically follow the norms that they follow. They must be taught by others in their society such as their parents, as well as by societal structures such as education, and the media. Although most Americans would like to think of themselves as autonomous beings, it is a fact that our choices are shaped by larger social forces around us such as the historical or cultural contexts and social institutions. We make these decisions because we have internalized the values, beliefs, and norms of our culture. Through socialization we learn to perform different roles such as American citizen, mother, or worker. Along with socialization comes our shaping by societal structures. Societal structures refer to the pattern within culture and organization through which social action takes place. A good example of a societal structure is the media. The media has a major affect on how society is conditioned to follow certain norms. For example we learn about what is acceptable and unacceptable by watching the news. The news will cover issues such as murder, rape, and incest, condemning them, making it know that these actions are deviant. Societal structure includes the arrangement of roles, organizations, institutions, and cultural symbols. These roles, organizations, institutions and cultural symbols are often invisible, and remain stable over long periods of time. Having a sociological perspective also allows us to view the inequalities in the world between different classes, races, and genders. We are able to see how someone who is African American has to struggle to get to a high executive office, an office that is easier to attain for a white male. Sociologists find it important to note that the differences between us are not so much biological as they are cultural. We are socialized by our society and societal structures. Those structures often promote the inequalities found within a society. The sociological perspective allows us to see with the naked eye just how society works, and the effects is has on its members. It is important for every person to discover the sociological perspective, allowing them to have a broader understanding of the world around them and themselves. .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282 , .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282 .postImageUrl , .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282 , .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282:hover , .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282:visited , .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282:active { border:0!important; } .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282:active , .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282 .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u4a39c031ae670b905b42b5d89a8e8282:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Quite literally dying to be thin Essay .

Colonel General Heinz Guderian in World War II

Colonel General Heinz Guderian in World War II Colonel General Heinz Guderian was German military officer who helped pioneer blitzkrieg warfare using armor and motorized infantry. A veteran of World War I, he elected to remain in the service during the interwar years and published his ideas on mobile warfare as the book Achtung - Panzer!. With the beginning of World War II, Guderian commanded armored formations in the invasions of Poland, France, and the Soviet Union. Briefly falling out of favor, he later served as Inspector-General of the Armored Troops and Acting Chief of the General Staff. Guderian ultimately surrendered to American forces on May 10, 1945. Early Life Career The son of a German soldier, Heinz Guderian was born at Kulm, Germany (now Chelmno, Poland) on June 17, 1888. Entering military school in 1901, he continued for six years until joining his fathers unit, Jger Bataillon No. 10, as a cadet. After brief service with this unit, he was dispatched to a military academy at Metz. Graduating in 1908, he was commissioned as a lieutenant and returned to the jgers. In 1911, he met Margarete Goerne and quickly fell in love. Believing his son too young to marry, his father forbade the union and sent him for instruction with the 3rd Telegraph Battalion of the Signal Corps. World War I Returning in 1913, he was permitted to marry Margarete. In the year before World War I, Guderian underwent staff training in Berlin. With the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, he found himself working in signals and staff assignments. Though not at the front lines, these postings allowed him to develop his skills in strategic planning and the direction of large-scale battles. Despite his rear area assignments, Guderian sometimes found himself in action and earned the Iron Cross first and second class during the conflict. Though he often clashed with his superiors, Guderian was seen as an officer with great promise. With the war winding down in 1918, he was angered by the German decision to surrender as he believed that the nation should have fought until the end. A captain at the end of the war, Guderian elected to remain in the postwar German Army (Reichswehr) and was given command of a company in the 10th Jger Battalion. Following this assignment, he was shifted to the Truppenamt which served as the armys de facto general staff. Promoted to major in 1927, Guderian was posted to the Truppenamt section for transport. Colonel General Heinz Guderian Rank: Colonel GeneralService: German ArmyNickname(s): Hammering HeinzBorn: June 17 1888 in Kulm, German EmpireDied: May 14, 1954 in Schwangau, West GermanyParents: Friedrich and Clara GuderianSpouse: Margarete GoerneChildren: Heinz (1914-2004), Kurt (1918-1984)Conflicts: World War I, World War IIKnown For: Invasion of Poland, Battle of France, Operation Barbarossa Developing Mobile Warfare In this role, Guderian was able to play a key role in developing and teaching motorized and armored tactics. Extensively studying the works of mobile warfare theorists, such as J.F.C. Fuller, he began to conceive of what would ultimately become the blitzkrieg approach to warfare. Believing that armor should play the key role in any attack, he argued that formations should be mixed and contain motorized infantry to aid and support the tanks. By including support units with the armor, breakthroughs could be quickly exploited and rapid advances sustained. Espousing these theories, Guderian was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1931 and made chief of staff to the Inspectorate of Motorized Troops. A promotion to colonel quickly followed two years later. With German rearmament in 1935, Guderian was given command of the 2nd Panzer Division and received a promotion to major general in 1936. Over the next year, Guderian recorded his ideas on mobile warfare, and those of his compatriots, into the book Achtung - Panzer!. Making a persuasive case for his approach to war, Guderian also introduced a combined arms element as he incorporated air power into his theories. Promoted to lieutenant general on February 4, 1938, Guderian received command of the XVI Army Corps. With the conclusion of the Munich Agreement later that year, his troops led the German occupation of the Sudetenland. Advanced to general in 1939, Guderian was made Chief of Fast Troops with responsibility for recruiting, organizing and training the armys motorized and armored troops. In this position, he was able to shape panzer units to effectively implement his ideas of mobile warfare. As the year passed, Guderian was given command of the XIX Army Corps in preparation for the invasion of Poland. World War II German forces opened World War II on September 1, 1939, when they invaded Poland. Putting his ideas into use, Guderians corps slashed through Poland and he personally oversaw German forces at the Battles of Wizna and Kobryn. With the conclusion of the campaign, Guderian received a large country estate in what became Reichsgau Wartheland. Shifted west, XIX Corps played a key role in the Battle of France in May and June 1940. Driving through the Ardennes, Guderian led a lightning campaign that split the Allied forces. Heinz Guderian during the Battle of France. Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-769-0229-12A / Borchert, Erich (Eric) / CC-BY-SA 3.0 Breaking through the Allied lines, his rapid advances constantly kept the Allies off balance as his troops disrupted rear areas and overran headquarters. Though his superiors wished to slow his advance, threats of resignation and requests for reconnaissances in force kept his offensive moving. Driving west, his corps led the race to the sea and reached the English Channel on May 20. Turning south, Guderian aided in the final defeat of France. Promoted to colonel general (generaloberst), Guderian took his command, now dubbed Panzergruppe 2, east in 1941 to participate in Operation Barbarossa. In Russia Attacking the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, German forces made quick gains. Driving east, Guderians troops overwhelmed the Red Army and aided in the capture of Smolensk in early August. Through his troops were preparing for a rapid advance on Moscow, Guderian was angered when Adolf Hitler ordered his troops to turn south toward Kiev. Protesting this order, he quickly lost Hitlers confidence. Ultimately obeying, he aided in the capture of the Ukrainian capital. Returning to his advance on Moscow, Guderian and German forces were halted in front of the city in December. Hienz Guderian during Operation Barbarossa, 1941. Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-139-1112-17 / Knobloch, Ludwig / CC-BY-SA 3.0 Later Assignments On December 25, Guderian and several senior German commanders on the Eastern Front were relieved for conducting a strategic retreat against the wishes of Hitler. His relief was facilitated by Army Group Center commander Field Marshal Gunther von Kluge with whom Guderian had frequently clashed. Departing Russia, Guderian was placed on the reserve list and retired to his estate with his career effectively over. In September 1942, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel requested that Guderian serve as his relief in Africa while he returned to Germany for medical treatment. This request was refused by the German high command with the statement, Guderian is not accepted. With the German defeat at the Battle of Stalingrad, Guderian was given new life when Hitler recalled him to serve as Inspector-General of the Armored Troops. In this role, he advocated for the production of more Panzer IVs which were more reliable than the newer Panther and Tiger tanks. Reporting directly to Hitler, he was tasked with overseeing armor strategy, production, and training. On July 21, 1944, a day after the failed attempt on Hitlers life, he was elevated to Army Chief of Staff. After several months of arguments with Hitler over how to defend Germany and fight a two-front war, Guderian was relieved for medical reasons on March 28, 1945. Later Life As the war wound down, Guderian and his staff moved west and surrendered to American forces on May 10. Kept as a prisoner of war until 1948, he was not charged with war crimes at the Nuremburg Trials despite requests from the Soviet and Polish governments. In the years after the war, he aided in the reconstruction of the German Army (Bundeswehr). Heinz Guderian died at Schwangau on May 14, 1954. He was buried at Friedhof Hildesheimer Strasse in Goslar, Germany.

Free Essays on Mass Communication

Wherever we turn in today’s high tech society we are surrounded by the media though mass communication. They fight for our attention and our interest by using catching phrases and clever cliffhangers. But they may fail to bring the individual what they feel is important in the interest of pleasing the masses. My intake of information through the media during the day is quite interesting do to all the sources I have available to me. While I am at work I am in constant contact with a TV or Radio. On my day of observation at work it seemed the news media was not present on the radio, only constant weather reports. I was never interrupted with short news briefs on any of the major stations, which can be conmen on high volume news days. The short briefs only started broadcasting after the World Trade Center tragedies on September 11th. The TV inside the shop was first turned to the NASCAR Race of the day, and then to ESPN. ESPN was dominated with the news of the NCAA tournament bids. ESPN was showing a 3 hour special on the tournament, going over rankings, placement, and expected finishes, it is believed so much fuss is generated over this tournament due to all the gambling involved. ESPN was just constantly feeding its viewers with information to make them potentially better informed to place bets. Which in turn will draw in viewers. When I returned back to my dorm room is where I found must of my information. Watching the 11 o’clock local news on channel 2 I picked most of the current events. Major plans are being planed for Monday March 11, as it is the 6-month anniversary of the WTC attacks. A moment of silence is planed at 8:46am to mark the hit of the first plane against the towers. Other news touched on the major weather change over the weekend and the power loss many experienced. One of the most interesting facts I found was that the temperature dropped 20 degrees in 18 minutes. I think that is amazing. The local news also menti... Free Essays on Mass Communication Free Essays on Mass Communication Wherever we turn in today’s high tech society we are surrounded by the media though mass communication. They fight for our attention and our interest by using catching phrases and clever cliffhangers. But they may fail to bring the individual what they feel is important in the interest of pleasing the masses. My intake of information through the media during the day is quite interesting do to all the sources I have available to me. While I am at work I am in constant contact with a TV or Radio. On my day of observation at work it seemed the news media was not present on the radio, only constant weather reports. I was never interrupted with short news briefs on any of the major stations, which can be conmen on high volume news days. The short briefs only started broadcasting after the World Trade Center tragedies on September 11th. The TV inside the shop was first turned to the NASCAR Race of the day, and then to ESPN. ESPN was dominated with the news of the NCAA tournament bids. ESPN was showing a 3 hour special on the tournament, going over rankings, placement, and expected finishes, it is believed so much fuss is generated over this tournament due to all the gambling involved. ESPN was just constantly feeding its viewers with information to make them potentially better informed to place bets. Which in turn will draw in viewers. When I returned back to my dorm room is where I found must of my information. Watching the 11 o’clock local news on channel 2 I picked most of the current events. Major plans are being planed for Monday March 11, as it is the 6-month anniversary of the WTC attacks. A moment of silence is planed at 8:46am to mark the hit of the first plane against the towers. Other news touched on the major weather change over the weekend and the power loss many experienced. One of the most interesting facts I found was that the temperature dropped 20 degrees in 18 minutes. I think that is amazing. The local news also menti...

10 Signs Youre in the Wrong Job and Need to Quit

10 Signs Youre in the Wrong Job and Need to Quit We all know a job is a good thing to have- even, sometimes, the wrong  job. But if you’re in a job that truly isn’t the best one for you, then it might be time for a change. If you’ve started to feel unchallenged or miserable at work and find yourself simply going through the paces to get through to the weekend, then it might be time to start asking yourself questions. Staying in a bad job too long can damage your career. Here are 10 ways to tell if your current job is all wrong.1. There isn’t enough money in the world that would make you happy.It’s not just that you’re not being paid enough. When you ask yourself how much you should be making, you still experience that sinking feeling in your stomach that says you just don’t want to be there. Honor that feeling. If not even a big fat raise can make you feel good about your current job, it’s time to start looking elsewhere.2. You’re getting bad feedback.Not just once or twice, but often- and consistently. This job just doesn’t come as naturally to you as it does to your coworkers, and it’s making you feel bad about yourself. Take some of that feedback to heart and learn to accept your limitations. Then take responsibility for yourself and your career and find a place where you’ll be a better fit.3. You’re just not passionate about it.You listen to people talk about their businesses and their exciting jobs with envy. You could care less about your company and what you do, and you certainly don’t think it’s interesting enough to bring up at dinner parties. Start by rethinking what you are passionate about, what you actually like to do, then see if you can’t find a job doing one of those things instead of what you’re doing now.4. You can’t be yourself.There are plenty of companies out there that want you to be a corporate automaton, but these are fading out of popularity and being replace d with companies who make it their mission to encourage their employees to be who they are. If you have a big personality, stop trying to pound yourself into the wrong-shaped hole. Find a better fit.5. Your industry is dying.Rats are running from the sinking ship. You know it’s over. Your company knows it’s over. Your industry’s time has run out and you’re witnessing its steady decline. Instead of going down with the ship, why not figure out way to take your skills and market them in a new industry?6. Your boss hates you.It’s not just that you don’t like each other; your boss really seems to be out to get you. If this is you, and your work situation has become toxic, there’s probably nothing better you could do than find a way out.7. Your commute is killing your soul.Or even if it’s really not that bad, you just hate your job so much that the process of getting up in the morning and making your way there fills you with dread an d sloth. This is a pretty good sign that you need a change.8. There’s a ceiling.There aren’t many (or any) opportunities in your company for you to advance. Even if you don’t actively hate the job you have, it’s probably not a great idea to stay in a job that won’t allow you to work your way up.9. Your work/life balance has no  balance.Work/life balance is incredibly important. Make sure you’re not burning out. Some jobs will always be more intense than others, but keep in mind that you won’t always be young and you want to stay healthy enough to be able to get through your whole career in one piece. If a job just won’t let up, it might be a good idea to move on.10. You’re not learning.The minute you stop learning new things and being challenged is the moment that you are officially stagnating. This is always a bad idea, in the work world and in your life. Find a way to constantly push yourself to learn and try new thi ngs. And find a job that will let you do this to help maximize your career growth and potential.

Accounting field Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Accounting field - Essay Example rategic capability which includes a typical know-how , a set of skills , or a special insight that creates high returns and competitive advantage , fosters organizational agility that is difficult to duplicate.( Bruner, 2004,p.914). A study by McKinsey Consultants has revealed that companies can undertake non-synergic acquisition deals to their advantages. It has found that a diverse group of business organizations like Sara Lee, Thermo Electron and Clayton, Dubliner & Rice have developed astonishingly and seized continued returns of 18 % to 35% per annum by venturing into non-synergic business acquisitions. Further, a study conducted by Harvard Business School also corroborates that companies can venture into non-synergistic advantageously. Hyan (1989) revealed that about fifty percent of all acquisitions are planned to be only partially taxable or to be completely tax-free. Gonzalez et al (1998) held that more probable to be targets of acquisition by foreign companies were undervalued U.S companies. Kish and Vasconcelos (1998) viewed that a formidable relationship existed between exchange rate movements and acquisition activity. (Bruner, 2004, p107). As competitive businesses tackle globalization while attempting to remain competitive and to maintain productivity when confronted with emerging markets, they encounter demoralizing difficulties particularly when attempting to expand internationally. (Sinha , Khanna & Phalepu 2005). Acquisition has become an active strategy nowadays as it enables the fear of being taken over and corporate revitalization keeps managers on their toes. (Japanese firms 2007). (Lloyd, 2006, p1). As per various earlier empirical studies, a business acquisition helps to attain a strategic capability which includes a typical know-how, a set of skills, or a special insight that creates high returns and competitive advantage, fosters organizational agility that is difficult to duplicate. Whether the acquisitions have transformed the

My Past, Present, and Future Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

My Past, Present, and Future - Essay Example In order to excel in life one must learn to amalgamate his past with his present so as to have a better future. Remembering the past is a good practice which helps an individual to learn from his mistakes. It is here in this essay that I would put forward my experiences from the past and elaborate as to how these experiences changed my present. Further, everyone has goals in life which they want to attain and my goals would be mentioned here. Beginning from my very early life I learned quite a few things about my family which revolved around the caring nature of my parents. Their caring nature helped me to adjust with many problems of life and it is because of them that I was able to live a life of a normal person. I still remember specific events that took place in my childhood which revolve around my upbringing. This essay would provide all the details about my present, past and future. My Past Present and Future The story of my life begins from my childhood when I was born in a fa mily which belonged to the middle class society. My past is a simple book which revolved around me and my brother who is younger than me. My father belonged to a military background and from the very beginning I saw him in an army dress. It was in my childhood that I developed some interest in the military operations. My parents belonged to two different back grounds. My father was of a African descent whereas my mother was a Hispanic. We lived together as a happy family without facing any sort of family problems. My childhood was a simple one and I only remember specific events that used to take place almost daily in my life. Visiting church was a tradition for our family and I accompanied my parents to the church on every Sunday. My father loved fishing and every now and then he took me to a trip of fishing with him. Altogether I grabbed the skills of fishing through my father who was an excellent fisher. As my father belonged to a military background we had to go through many res huffles in our settlement. We moved through countries after countries because of my father’s transfer in military. It was through these trips that I was able to learn about different cultures. I grasped the skills of diversity and how to handle different situations with different people. My brother at that time did not get along with me well and hence we ended up fighting each other at most instances. However gradually with time we have realized each other’s worth and we love each other till date. Belonging to a middle class family of this sort I never realized the importance of education. If I strived for education at the right moment I could have achieved a better job than I am currently working at. Plato described education in the following strong words â€Å"If a man neglects education, he walks lame to the end of his life† (Freccero & Jacoff 1986) While working in military I still ponder on the words of Plato and wonder if I could rewind my life. As I did n ot pay much heed to studies in life I coped up with the burden of life by adapting to different jobs. In order to cope up with my financial crisis I first worked as a waiter in a fast food restaurant. The experience was not something to be proud of as all day it required work with much less respect in return. The job did not have much returns and I finally decided to leave it to find a better future. It was here that I looked forward to driving for a

Monique and the Mango Rains Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Monique and the Mango Rains - Essay Example A major cause is that women in Mali are deprived of child custody rights. Kris discusses Monique in her book stating that she is more educated and skilled than her husband, they both speak different languages and they both belonged to different cities. As Kris gets to know more and more about Monique, it is revealed that she is unhappy with her married life and that she was having an affair with a man she wanted to marry. Because of the cultural practice of arranged marriages, she was forced to live with a man she never wanted to marry. (Holloway, 35) Forced marriages are a common society trait in Mali, though they have been influenced by western culture too, but they try to stick to their centuries old traditions of arranged marriages. No woman is allowed to marry the person of her own choice. It is important for the girls to maintain their virginity till marriage or else it is stated as to bring a bad name to their parents and their tribe. Gifts are paid from the groom to the girl’s family on marriage which is considered no more than the price of the girl. Such kind of marriages are not only uncivilized but also a cause of mental torture for the poor women. Arranged marriages are considered to bring honor to the family. In education, women are also at a disadvantage. Parents think of boys’ education as a better investment than a girl’s education which results in gender difference in education. Statistics show that at the level of primary education the girls ratio is 33% whereas that of boys it is 48% , in secondary schools this ratio is as much as double than that of girls Early forced marriages resulting in pregnancy keeps women away from continuing their education. Many girls are only dropped out of school only because boys of their families are preferred since they are the ones who live with their parents all their

Dissertation about knowledge management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6500 words

Dissertation about knowledge management - Essay Example The underlying objective of this section is to give an overview concept of knowledge management this will be used as a basis for an understanding of PwC in Thailand. Also, the knowledge management processes and the role of information technology (IT) tools to support KM processes will be summarized and the detail will be further elaborated. The underlying objective of this section is to explain the available IT tools that are used in the organizations. This will be used to analyse the IT tools used by PwC Thailand. The next chapter will deal with the developing an analytical framework based on the existing literature. This will be focused on the factors that influence effective knowledge management. This will help better investigation of the limitation that is faced by the Knowledge Management Systems in the following chapters. The next Chapter will briefly present the methodology adopted in this dissertation. In particular a detailed explanation of the research method, the structure of the questionnaire and limitations of the research are presented. This chapter helps us understand the reasons why the questions are asked and how it helps answering the objective. Based on the research that is conducted, the findings and the analysis will be provided in the next chapter. This chapter included the data processing and analysis. This will be followed by the conclusion chapter. The part will conclude the content of the dissertation and provide recommendations to help the company overcome barriers of ineffective use of KMS. Furthermore, the dissertation ends with a suggestion for the further research. This dissertation aims at identifying the factors that create limitations for people to use KMS within the consultancy organization of PricewaterhouseCoopers in Thailand. The important of this research is to examine the effectiveness of using KMS and investigate the barriers preventing people to use Knowledge Management Systems effectively in

MOVEO folding electric scooter Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

MOVEO folding electric scooter - Assignment Example Their mission is to establish an environmentally friendly quality mode of transport that offers a cheap and comfortable alternative to the existing transport means. The market target for the MOVEO foldable electric scooter is individuals mainly residing in urban areas. The foldable electric scooter was created with the intention of regulating commuting by car which in turn reduces the emissions that pollute the environment. This follows the growth of awareness among the consumers who are now beginning to welcome two wheeled vehicles as a new mode of transport (Hurst & Gartner 2012). The market for electric scooters has also been boosted by the introduction of electric cars since there are charging spots that are easily accessible within the city which is attracting the interest of both new and existing consumers (Pinson, Jinnett & Pinson 1996). The major primary market for the MOVEO foldable scooter is the Asia Pacific region. This is because there is a high rate of urbanisation which continues to grow every day. Due to this, it leads to congestion in traffic coupled with emissions that pollute the environment. Following these reasons, the governments in the region have all come together to promote the use of electric scooters in order to manage pollution. The electric scooter market is expected to grow tremendously in countries like china and India which also happen to lack the foldable scooter models. The secondary target markets include the North American and the Western Europe markets where electric scooters are currently gaining popularity. The North American emerging market has consumers who buy the electric scooters for luxury purposes who will not hesitate to spend on anything that is stylish in order to match their lifestyles. This is because the clients in the region view two wheeled vehicles as a form of luxury rather than a

Past Present and Future Essay Example for Free

Past Present and Future Essay The University of Phoenix program has enhanced my personal, educational and professional growth and has changed my life for the good. Introduction This essay reflects on my personal, educational and professional growth through the program of study that I had taken at the University of Phoenix. it discusses my past my present and my future life that has changed positively due to the degree that I received at the University and throws light on the benefits that I have received through this program and how it has helped me achieve my goals and ambitions. A) Part One: Reflect upon where you were in your personal and professional life when you started the University of Phoenix program. When I started at the University of Phoenix I was a mother of two which is the most challenging and demanding job and along with that I was working two jobs. I was working as a hospital manager looking over the entire clerical staff at a hospital for over14 years and was recently promoted to a higher position due to my knowledge and experience. I believe my hard work and dedication to my work that has paid off. I believe in one thing with great conviction that dreams only come true for people who truly believe in them. I believe if you dream of something and truly follow it, you can surely achieve it. I have faith in this because I believed and followed my dreams and was able to achieve them, so you should ever give up and try as much as you can, as many times as you can cause one day your wishes will come true. 1) How did you feel about the role of learning and its importance to your personal growth and development? For any individual to succeed in this competitive world, education is a must and the more and more you learn, the better it is for you and your career. I realized that my field, that is management, is an evolving field with more and more research being done in it and newer methods and evaluations being carried out to help make your management skills better; therefore I decided to join the program at The University of Phoenix. I wanted to gain more knowledge so that I can inculcate my knowledge in my personality and be able to excel in my field by being able to help my work place and the people I work with, which require great interpersonal skills. 2) What was your level of professional competence in problem solving, written and oral communication skills, information retrieval and utilization, and collaboration? My knowledge and experience was good enough for me to handle two jobs and that too in the management area. I think these skills are quite necessary to survive at your workplace, whether you are at the management level or just an employee who is lower in the hierarchy. I think problem solving, written and oral communication is very important when you are working with a lot of people and I believe   my skills were good enough as I have survived in my jobs for fourteen years now and I believe I’m a people person. I believe I am someone who can make people work together and be able to utilize resources be it human or other to their best and can retrieve any kind of information, whenever needed, from anyone. It was never a much of a problem for me. 3) What were your career goals? â€Å"There are three ingredients in the good life: learning, earning and yearning.† Christopher Morley My career goals have always been the same, to excel and go higher up the management hierarchy and be able to go and work on higher levels of management. To achieve this I wanted to learn and educate myself even more because I believe it is very important for people, to be able to compete with other people, and beat the competition. My career goals are full of determination and passion for success. I believe if you have set career goals you can achieve them because you carry them out with conviction. My career goal is to higher and higher the management ladder and I’m determined to do so. B) Part Two: Evaluate the growth you experienced during your University of Phoenix program of study. Evaluate how your courses and experiences in your University of Phoenix program have contributed to your growth, problem solving, written and oral communication skills, information retrieval and utilization, and collaboration. The courses that I took were quite informative and interesting and I think they were truly adding to my knowledge about my field. I think that they were good for developing both knowledge and skills. I think that my basic skills such as written and oral communication skills have improved a lot with the increase interaction with my peers and the kind of learning subjects these were. My experience in the University and especially, the people who are a part of it, really helped build up my interpersonal skills. I am better able to understand how to be around people and how to manage the people around, how important it is to please and be pleased at the same time. I believe that buy taking these courses, I have increased my skills and I have developed an ability to complete all the work that I have been given and to be able to finish all tasks on time. I have learned better management skills and have become more efficient with the aspect of management. I was able to complete all subjects and I am certain that each subject had added something to my knowledge and experience. 2) Identify the two general education courses and the two core courses taken during your program of study that had the greatest impact on your current or potential employment. Explain why you selected these courses and how they have impacted your personal and/or work life positively. Be specific.   The two general courses during my program of studies that really added something to my knowledge and, were the subjects I believed that had the greatest impact on my current field of employment were Res 320 and Math courses. the reason why these I felt were important was because I believed they enhanced my ability to complete my budgets and maintain costs in the organization I was working in. it increased my knowledge about cost maintenance and helped me find ways to reduce man hours and how to comply with this reduction.   These factors are very important in the field of management and I felt that these two general courses added the most to these areas of management. The two Core Courses that I feel have had the most impact on my current of future employment prospects are Culture Diversity and Fundamentals of Management. These two subjects have enabled me to build over the experience and knowledge I already had. It allowed me to further strengthen certain points of my prior knowledge or helped me eradicate or alter certain perceptions or believes I had that were hampering my prospects of growing in the field. These subjects allowed me understand that different people have different perspectives and in order to succeed you need to accept and respects this diversity of ideas and thoughts. it enhanced my critical thinking and reasoning skills and also strengthen my ability to take sound and clear decisions, be assertive and positive when making important decisions. Over all the entire program has helped me gain more experience and expertise, however, these courses have added the most   to my knowledge and have bettered my potential to succeed and go higher in my field. 3) Recommend any changes or accommodations that would have enhanced or improved your University of Phoenix experience. Explain how your recommendations will enhance or improve the program for future students. Although my experience overall was quite interesting and rewarding I believe that if certain things such as   the team concept existed the learning environment could have been better and teamwork would have been able to increase our knowledge and practical experience a bit more. I am the sort of person who enjoys working in teams as it helps gain a better understanding of the actual situation. I also believe that working in groups or teams enables people to be more tolerant towards one another and helps them be patient and respectful towards others, this way they also enhance their management skills. Although there was collaborative work, I just wished that there would be more accountability according to the team members. I just wished that some team members would be held more accountable for not completing their work on time and responsibilities were evenly spread. Other than that I think there was nothing that I thought was missing with the program. With the team members being he ld more accountable for their actions and responsibilities, the program would have been better in terms of people management. C) Part Three: Analyze the impact of completing the University of Phoenix bachelors program on your current and future professional goals? After completing the program, I was promoted to a higher paying position, and was able to make way for me to go up the hierarchical ladder. The program helped me gain more knowledge and experience, which is what I needed to get a break through. 1) Now that you have completed your program of study, how do you feel about the role of lifelong learning and its importance to your personal growth and development? After completing this program I feel excellent and extremely satisfied. This program of study has given me the break that I deserved and has changed my life positively.   It has allowed me to fulfill my dream to go higher in my field. I have been promoted to the post of Director over a hospital and I was promoted because of the knowledge and experience that I gained during this program at the University. Now I hope to mentor other students and professionals and I wish to go back to school and give to others and impart all the knowledge that I have so that I can help other people struggling to achieve their dreams and giving them a chance and a way to fulfill them. What are your personal, professional, and educational goals for the next five years? My Educational goal is to obtain my Master Degree after my Bachelors and my professional goal is to teach at University of Phoenix. At personal level my goal is to basically coach and mentor others in achieving their management degree so that they can get the experience that I got with my degree and they too can become whatever they want in their field and get the right knowledge and guidance that one needs for applying to such programs. a) What programs will you attend? I would like to attend Toastmaster, so that I can become a better speaker. b) What skills or competencies will you continue to develop? I would like to develop my communication skills and management skills because these are the two most important skills in the field of management and I need these skills sharp and effective in order to stay on top. c) What professional organization(s) have you or will you join? I would like to work for the Southern Institute and to assist them with their billing system for the hospital industries to make the hospital billing more effective. d) What conferences or workshops will you attend? I will attend the Collection seminars to mentor and coach my staff on collecting copy and deductibles from patients prior to services at a hospital. e) What additional degrees might you pursue? Like I mentioned, I would like to pursue my education and maybe get a Masters degree in management or a Doctorate. This is all to increase my experience and sharpen my skills to achieve greater heights in my field. Conclusion I believe that everyone who dreams big should follow them and should get the right direction and the make the right decision so that they able to materialize what they envision and are able to succeed in life. I was able to achieve my goals and dreams by getting the degree at the University of Phoenix and I believe that if you dream it with conviction, you can achieve anything.

Tiger Airways Case Study

Tiger Airways Case Study Tiger Airways is an ultra-low cost airline which commenced services on 25 March 2005. It is currently the largest low-cost airline operating out of Singapore in terms of passengers carried. In 2006, the airline flew 1.2 million passengers, a growth of 75% from the previous year. These days, the hottest news pops that Tiger Airways and Thai Airways International will form an airline based in Thailand, where Thai Airways International and Tiger Airways will own 51% and 49% respectively of the newly formed airline. Operations are expected to begin in the 1st quarter of 2011. This paper is based on this information with further discussion the business model and strategies with Tiger Airways and the whole low-cost airline industry. Question 1 a) Discuss why Tiger Airways jointly launch a low-cost airline with Thai Airways. Provide 5 (five) reasons. Tiger Airways and Thai Airways are both infusive airlines in Asia. Tiger Airways jointly launch a low-cost airline with Thai Airways can benefits both two companies to achieve a win-win situation. Tiger Airways based on Singapore, choose to co-operate with Thai Airways could further develop the international market in Asia. Thailand is one of the most famous tourist resorts in the world. Tourism is a major economic factor in Thailand, contributing an estimated 6.7% to Thailands GDP. No doubt, more and more people will choose Tiger Airways to Thailand as it price advantages. This strategic decision will attract more passengers to Tiger Airways. Compare to Jet star, Air Asia and other low-cost airlines, Tiger Airways is still smaller than its rivals. This move could increase the overall strength of the market competitiveness in Asia. Tiger Airways is all along with its low-cost airline business model from the day when it established. This is a superexcellent chance to advertise its business model and corporate image. b) Evaluate whether Tiger Airways decision in the above strategy is considered as a strategic decision. Support with 6 (six) reasons. The definition of a strategic decision is the decision that is concerned with whole environment in which the firm operates the entire resources and the people who form the company and the interface between the two. There are some characteristics/features of a strategic decision A strategic decision has a major resource proposition for an organization. The resource proposition of Tigers decision is to occupy Thailands international airlines which concerned possess a new market of Asia civil aviation. A strategic decision deal with harmonizing organizational resource capabilities with the threats and opportunities. Thai Airways used to be Tigers competitor, this decision change the competitor to its partner contains with threats and opportunities. A strategic decision deal with the range of organizational activities. Tiger Airways plans to increase its fleet to 68 by 2015 and has the same pan-Asian aspirations as its competitors through this co-operation. A strategic decision involves a change of major kind since an organization operates in ever-changing environment. Both Tiger Airways and Thai Airways are low-cost airlines. This move signified that the two companies want to through this co-operation to change the environment of Asia civil aviation. A strategic decision will involve a lot of risk. Thai Airways own 51% of the low cost airline that means they control the scales. If some contradictions between them, this decision will be a big risk for Tiger Airways. A strategic decision is consider both administrative and operational decisions. Tigers decision aim to reduce cost which co-operate with Thai Airways to achieve the airline business in Thailand through its operational decision of cost-saving actions. c) Discuss which 5 (five) macro-environment factors that will most likely affect the low-cost airline industry. Political factors are how and to what degree a government intervenes in the economy. Specifically, political factors include areas such as tax policy, environmental law, trade restrictions, tariffs, and political stability. Eg, if the government wants to increase the airport construction fees, that must can be a big challenge for the low-cost airline industry. Because it will threaten the price advantage which is the biggest advantage for low-cost airline industry compare to others. Furthermore, governments have great influence on the airport infrastructure built, foreign affairs and many other factors that will most likely affect the low-cost airline industry. Economic factors include economic growth, exchange rates and the inflation rate. These factors have major impacts on how air tickets operate and make the price decisions to each low-cost airline industry company. As the low-cost airlines usually between country to country ,the exchange rates and other economic factors will direct influence the costs of goods and the supply and the price of tickets in the low-cost airline industry . Social factors include the cultural aspects and include health consciousness, population growth rate, age distribution, career attitudes and emphasis on safety. Trends in social factors affect the demand for the low-cost airlines products and how that company operates. For example, Tiger Airways not only supply the airline services but also supply hotel booking, sightseeing tour and other services. But all these should take different social factors into account. Technological factors include technological aspects such as aerosatsystem, technology incentives and the rate of technological change in this industry. They can determine barriers to entry, minimum efficient service level and influence strategic decisions. Furthermore, technological shifts can affect costs, quality, and lead to innovation in the low-cost airline industry. Law factors include the relevant laws affect low-cost airlines. Eg. Tiger Airway Australian only provide domestic service in Australian, because the legal rule of Australian to limit. Question 2 Based on the case study and information on the webpage (www.tigerairways.com/sg), analyze 3 (three) levels of strategy that you can identify at Tiger airways. Corporate and Business level strategy. Operational strategy. Porters Competitive Strategy Model Porter (1980) has described a category scheme consisting of three general types of strategies that are commonly used by businesses. These three generic strategies are defined along two dimensions: strategic scope and strategic strength. Strategic scope is a demand side dimension and looks at the size and composition of the market you intend to target. Strategic strength is a supply-side dimension and looks at the strength or core competency of the firm. In particular he identified two competencies that he felt were most important: product differentiation and product cost Competitive Strategies for Tiger airways In view of the above challenges, low-cost airlines must do three things to ensure their long-term survival. Cost Leadership. Tiger airways maintained a sustainable low-cost advantage over their full-service competitors. Tiger airways ensured that their costs per passenger-km continue to be 50 per cent or more below those of full-service airlines and continuing to reduce their own costs too. Differentiation Strategy. Tiger airways focused on differentiation of their product, that mean they must also offer a product with some frills, which is very highly rated by passengers in terms of value for money. They have draw lessons from the successful model by their competitors like Virgin Blue in Australia and JetBlue in the USA. Virgin Blue was the first carrier outside North America to introduce multi-channel real-time satellite TV to its flights called Live2Air. The strategies of Tiger airways are twofold to take on the legacy carriers and attract higher-yield passengers, and to add points of difference from other low-cost airlines Market Share and Market Segmentation Strategy Tiger airways ensured that on most of their routes they become the number one or number two carriers in terms of market share in Asia. This dominance, combined with their low fares, gives them a very powerful defensive position should new competitors attempt to enter, while also ensuring a strong cash-flow base on which to mount further expansion. Tiger Airways survival and success is due in no small measure to its growth strategy, which has focused on becoming dominant in most of its markets. Operational strategy As mentioned earlier, the chief difference between low cost carriers and traditional airlines fall into three groups: service savings, operational savings and overhead savings. Tiger Airways tend to focus on short haul route. To achieve the low operating costs per passenger, this type of carriers need to have as many seats on board its aircraft as possible, to fill them as much as possible, and to fly the aircraft as often as possible. Tiger Airways want to through its low cost airline affect the traditional airline hub-and-spoke networks poses interesting questions for the airlines industry and policy makers. It means choosing to perform a system of activities differently from that of traditional rivals and providing a coherent set of key activities that reinforce each other to achieve such position in a sustainable manner. Despite the challenges faced, Tigers low-cost model appears to be sustainable in Asia as it has been in the Singapore, Thailand, China and elsewhere. It has a different and substantially lower cost structure than the conventional network model, because the latter imposes higher costs on those who operate network systems. While Tigers network airlines can reduce their unit costs further, they can match those on short-haul routes. Tiger Airways competed for a part of their own traditional markets with low-cost carriers and it will increasingly generate most of their business from the denser, short-haul, inclusive tour markets and from long-haul routes. Within Asia, in South-east Asia and even in Australia, Tiger Airways cleared that low-cost airlines will become the dominant carriers in domestic and short-haul markets. It is not a passing phase. Tiger Airways was here to stay and it will dominate most of the markets they enter. Tiger Airways jointly launch a low-cost airline with Thai Airways was a example to prove. Question 3 a) Using Porters 5 (five) forces model, analyse all the forces in the low-cost airline industry. Buyer power Low-cost Airlines generally have a large number of buyers. Many of these are individual consumers purchasing flights directly from the airline, although there are B2B sales to charter companies, discounters, and similar buyers. In the low-cost carrier market, airlines are competing for the same market segment. The bargaining power of the consumers is increasing as the supply exceeds the demands. Price sensitivity is high; a result of factors such as the growth of online price comparison sites, corporate travel expense policies for business flyers such as Jetstar and Virgin Blue. The consumers are price sensitive. One of the challenges that all the low-cost Airline must face is the lack of customer loyalty in the low-cost carrier arena where passengers easily switch to airlines that offer lower fares. Buyers have no loyalty in low cost airlines such as Tiger Airways as the trip is purchased according to price. Supplier power Low-cost Airlines must enter into contracts when buying or leasing aircraft from suppliers. Breaking hose contracts can often imply a heavy financial cost. Furthermore, Boeing and Airbus effectively form a duopoly of suppliers of new jetliners, not only in the large jetliner category, with planes such as the 747 and A380 but also in small jetliner category with planes such as the 737 and A320. In the market for lower-capacity regional jets and propeller-driven aircraft, companies such as Embraer, ATR, and Bombadier are significant suppliers. The relative lack of alternative manufacturers or substitute inputs increases supplier power. Air Indias passenger fleet consists of 46 Boeing, 78 Airbus, seven ATR, and seven Bombadier planes. Southwest Airlines is the worlds largest low-cost carrier. Southwests successful business model involves not only flying multiple short, quick trips into the secondary airports of major markets but also using only one aircraft type, the Boeing 737. Suppliers offer fuel, labor, airport and security services all with changing prices. Aviation fuel is another vital input. Number of fuel suppliers is still relatively few. However, it is difficult for suppliers to forward integrate. Strategic alliance among airlines for economies size such as code sharing and economies scale such as purchase of fuel and aircraft could reduce the supplier power in some level. New entrants The economic entrance barriers to the not only low-cost airlines but also all the airlines industry is relatively high. For an entirely new company, they include the considerable up-front outlay needed to obtain planes, although this may not be an issue for an existing airline beginning to offer flights to a new country or region. Distribution is not particularly easy, as new players need to establish an online booking system, and relationships with travel agents and other sales intermediaries. It is also vital to obtain airport slots for take-off and landing. There has been a growth in air traffic over recent years which mean that congestion at airports in many countries is expected, especially the major hubs. The time slot given to an low-cost airline is important, and is something all airlines negotiate with airports. Established airlines will already hold the monopoly over slots at certain airports, making it harder for new low-cost airlines to infiltrate. This creates difficulties for a new low-cost airline aiming to negotiate prime slots at busy airports and can result in it being restricted to offering flights only at off-peak times, or having to fly to airports further away from popular destinations. This can be a deterrent to new airlines, as customers may seek more convenient alternatives. For example, in Singapore infrastructure constraints pose as a formidable entry barrier. Because of the intense price war, a new entrant will find it almost impossible to offer rates that are lower than Tiger Airways. The airline industry is highly capital intensive. New entrants are challenged by expensive aircrafts, high cost of operation and war for talents. New entrants also find it very hard to look for suitable airport as airport slots are reserved for established airlines. Substitutes Other forms of transport such as road, rail and marine travel are considered as substitutes to airline travel. Buyers take into account not only the cost of travel but also how long the journey will take on corresponding forms of transportation. In some countries, air travel makes it easier to overcome long distances and has certain benefits such as shorter travel time than rail travel, even including the time to check in. However based on the price advantages of low-cost airlines, rail and road transportation will not becomes more attractive alternatives for a majority of buyers. Furthermore, many consumers are now aware of the environmental impact of air travel, and are turning to rail travel instead. It is possible to travel around much of the world by long-distance bus or train, although levels of service vary and some border crossings may present a difficulty. Rivalry In the airline industry where the market is highly saturated, the rivalry between existing airlines is one of the strongest forces. Rivalry is increased by the presence of low-cost carriers in the market, as these companies can compete more intensely on price. Switching costs for buyers are low. Besides, existing airlines such as SIA will sometimes marketed big promotions which almost has the same price as low-cost airlines, it means that it is easy for them to change to a competitor. In terms of intra-industry competition is also high. Eg. In Asia, Tiger Airways as a new entrant poses as a threat to established low-cost carriers such as Jetstar and Virgin Blue. The competition in the budget sector is very high as all airlines has the same no frills philosophy. Price is the major differentiating factor in the low-cost carrier market, an area where Tiger Airways lead. b) Provide a conclusion and reason on the attractiveness of the low-cost airline industry. No doubt, the biggest attractiveness of low-cost airline industry is based on its great price advantage as it saves money compare to the ticket price of the traditional airways. Besides, it promotes great vacations. For example, Tiger Airways also supply Airways hotels, Travel insurance, Budget accommodation, Car hire etc. With Tiger Airways you would be thrilled because you get to have a great holiday. At the same price compare to other transports ,you do not need to worry anymore about long and tiresome journeys by bus, train or car. This would invariably involve countless days on road, living out of a suitcase and staying in uncomfortable hotels. The flight does away with all this inconvenience. Question 4 Explain value chain analysis. Based on the case and research done through the companys website, analyse the value chain of Tiger Airways. Value Chain Analysis describes the activities that take place in a business and relates them to an analysis of the competitive strength of the business. Influential work by Michael Porter suggested that the activities of a business could be grouped under two headings: (1) Primary Activities those that are directly concerned with creating and delivering a product (e.g. component assembly); (2) Support Activities, which whilst they are not directly involved in production, may increase effectiveness or efficiency (e.g. human resource management). It is rare for a business to undertake all primary and support activities. Primary Activities Primary value chain activities of Tiger Airways include: Primary Activity Description Inbound logistics Tiger Airways based on Singapore, Tiger Airways can attempt to co-operate with Airbus to lower the cost of the airplanes. It can also co-operate with food suppliers to get cheaper and more delicious. Operations Tiger Airways now operates a fleet of 19 Airbus A320-family aircraft and is committed to increasing its fleet size to 68 by December 2015. The airline operates flights to 33 destinations across 11 countries and territories in Asia and Australia from its aircraft bases in three locations Singapores Changi Airport Budget Terminal, Tullamarine Airport in Melbourne and Adelaide Airport in South Australia. Besides it has detail duties, responsibilities and specifications for every position include Flight Dispatchers, Operations Controllers, Flight Safety Manager, Pilots and Cabin Crew. Outbound logistics Tiger Airways of Singapore has agreed to open their operations in various countries. It is also stepping forward to associate with a Global Distribution System company to strengthen its ticketing system to enable travelers to access to more passengers. Marketing and sales The Company recorded an operating profit of $28.0 million and a profit for the year attributable to shareholders of the Company of $28.2 million for the financial year ended 31 March 2010. Revenues grew 28.6% to $486.2 million while operating costs grew only 7.7%, despite the 53.8% increase in passengers compared to the preceding 12 months. Growth in revenues was supported by the combination of passenger seat revenue increasing 19.6% and ancillary revenue growth of 87.4%. Ancillary revenues currently comprise 19.4% of our revenue base, an increase from 13.3% in FY2009. Management continues to be focused on optimising ancillary revenues, with initiatives such as the carriage of cargo being introduced in FY2011. During the last 12 months from 2009 to 2010 the number of passengers reached at 4,872,000 Service Besides online sales and flying services à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’Tiger Airways also supply Tiger Airways hotels, Travel insurance , Budget accommodation, Car hire etc. Support Activities Support activities include: Secondary Activity Description Procurement The procurement of Tiger Airways was a low-cost carrier operates a fleet of Airbus A320s. Now Tiger Airways has a fleet of 19 Airbus A320 aircraft and it aim to increasing its fleet size to 68 by December 2015. Human Resource Management The human resource management was organized by its special department in details. Processing of Employment Pass, Airport Pass and Staff Pass Administer Staff intranet database Administer procedures for new hires and resigned employees Compiling of information for surveys requested by its special agencies. Technology Development Around 75% of Tiger Airways seat sales come from the internet, both from the public and agents, while the balance 25% comes from call centers and airport outlets. By these years ,Tiger Airways continue to develop its webs power by co-operate with Facebook, Twiter, Youtube and other media agencies . It also emphasis on advising. For example in 2005, it had an increase of more than 60% in revenue and website visits since it launched its new advertising campaign: Whats New Pussycat? Infrastructure By 16 June 2010, the biggest shareholder of Tiger Airways is Singapore Airline Limited which holds 33.55% of the company shares. Approximately, 31.8% of the companys shares are held in the hands of public. Question 5 a) Analyse at least 5 (five) common cost-cutting strategies adopted by low-cost carriers that directly affect the passengers. 1. Develop creativity. A good example to support this strategy is the invention of Boeing 737. The Boeing 737 is a short-term and lower-cost twin-engine airliner developed by U.S. which influenced the whole low cost airline in the world. With this aircraft, it can save the gas but also narrow the costing of supplier to gain the biggest benefit of airline. Southwest Airline is the biggest low-cost airline in the world which using only this aircraft type to add a batch management to get the cost-cutting. 2. Rational use of resources. The low-cost airlines usual have limit resources, however use it rational become the key to success. After 911 the airline industry in U.S. was decreased. But Southwest Airline remodeled its Boeing 737 , added six more seats to every plane and guarantee will not effect the comfortable of the passengers, which help Southwest gain the profit even the past-911 time. 3. Efficient chick in service. The low-cost airways usually provide short-term service. The fly travel time will not over 2 hours. All the passengers concerned how fast they can chick in and how long they can arrive. The same successful example of Southwest Airline proved that they only need 10-15 minutes from chick in to take off, which usually take 1 hour to do that. This action not only gains the trust of passengers but also save the time. As time is money in business, they gain the efficient cost-cutting. 4. 0 strategy. Every low-cost airline should have a self- orientation of their company. For the low-cost airlines 0 means no luxury fitment, no free-service of food, no provide of TV and ear phone ect. to make a cost-cutting. 5. Effective and efficient operation. The low-cost airlines operate many planes. The key is how to operate them efficient. The biggest successful factor of Southwest Airline is the number 11 in its cost-cutting culture as 11 means they guarantee every Boeing 737 of their airline fly 11 times per day. It gains both the passengers benefit and the max operation of their airplanes. b) Recommend at least 3 (three) future strategies that Tiger Airways could implement to maintain its low-cost strategies. Break-even. A useful method for making expense comparisons is break-even analysis. Break-even is the point at which gross profit equals expenses. In a business year, it is the time at which your sales volume has become sufficient to enable your over-all operation to start showing a profit. It is important for low-cost airlines to remember that once sales pass the break-even point, the fixed expenses percentage goes down as the sales volume goes up. Locating Reducible Expenses. The airlines profit and loss statement provides a summary of expense information and is the focal point in locating expenses that can be cut. Taking cost cutting Action. When the airlines have located a problem expense area, the next step obviously is to reduce that cost so as to increase the profit. A key to the effectiveness of your cost-cutting action is the worth of the various expenditures. As long as you know the worth of your expenditures, you can profit by making small improvements in expenses. Keep an open eye and an open mind. It is better to do a spot analysis once a month than to wait several months and then do a detailed study. Take action as soon as possible. You can refine your cost-cutting action as you go along. Conclusion The low-cost airline revolution has injected a dose of democracy into the travel world. Low-cost airlines have succeeded in taking over a large part of the market. Tiger Airways jointly launch a low-cost airline with Thai Airways provide a new opportunity, a new market and a new business model based on its successful business strategies. Moreover, Tiger Airways get ready to take off more quickly; enabling it as competitive airline to schedule more flights and provide more attractive schedules for passengers. No doubt, there is a bright future for Tiger Airway!

Symptoms of the Life Changing, Psychoanalytical Phenomenon Essay

She rolls over, still completely exhausted from the minimal forty- five-minute sleep, and hits the snooze on the alarm. She can hardly force her jelly-like legs to the chilled floor. Eyes slightly cracked, open enough to see shapes of objects, she throws on the first clothing items she finds on her floor. Breakfast sounds revolting, but she knows she will need something to keep her going through the day, having been awake until six A.M. with thoughts of worry and obsession over problems the day is sure to bring. As she climbs into her car, she hardly notices her jacket is not zipped in the brisk winter air, and should not be driving from lack of concentration. School is the last place she would prefer to be; with no homework done, she begins to worry again about her achievements she has been working towards. Upon arriving to the first class of the day, her eyes are already shutting as if they were automatic doors, and the stress of the babbled lecture tunes her out. After hard ly making it through the day, she crawls into her bed with mountainous amounts of homework. Not caring, or able to motivate herself, she ignores the learning she was once passionate for, therefore, starting the cycle over for the following day. Does this sound familiar? What is being experienced by the student above is generalized anxiety disorder, or GAD, and is also experienced by 3.1 percent of the United States population (â€Å"Generalized Anxiety Disorder† 1). This is an example of one of the various types of the growing issue of anxiety amongst humanity. Anxiety can appear in people of all genres, and also takes a varying life within each individual stricken with this mental illness. Though seemingly helpless, there are vast amounts of treatment ... ...n be sought, both seeking professional help as well as oneself. One can turn to therapy, both behavior changing and thought breaking, turning negativity in to positive life living. Along with therapy, medications work wonders on an anxious mind, as well as self help solutions. In all, anxiety should not be taken lightly and needs instant attention to avoid further self-harm. Works Cited Bloomfield, Harold H. M.D. â€Å"Coping With Anxiety- Worry Free Life.† New York: Harper Collins. 1998. Web. 6 Dec. 2010. Comer, Ronald J. â€Å"Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology.† 2011, 2008, 2005 by Worth Publishers. â€Å"Generalized Anxiety Disorder.† Anxiety Disorders Association of America. Web. 6 Dec 2010. Smith, Melinda. â€Å"Anxiety Attacks and Disorders.† November 2010. Web. 6 Dec. 2010. â€Å"Stress and Anxiety.† New York Times. Web. 6 Dec. 2010.New York Times. Web. 6 Dec. 2010.

Higher Nurse-to-Patient Ratios Improves the Quality of Care Essay

The economic impact on healthcare has taken its toll on the reduced number of registered nurses providing direct bedside care to patients compromising patient safety and dramatically increasing the potential for negative outcomes. Studies reveal that several other factors have also played a key role concerning nursing shortages over the years, such as healthcare organizations downsizing, reduced reimbursements, increased workloads, inadequate staffing plans and job dissatisfaction. Currently, mandated minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios have been implemented in several states with many more trying to pass some type of legislation (Chapman et al.331). In other states hospitals opted to form safe staffing committees that include the participation of nurses to assure each unit’s need is met. Regulated safe staffing plans for nurse-to-patient ratios in hospitals and other healthcare facilities have been pivotal in reducing the occurrence of adverse patient outcomes, increasin g nurse retention and providing a safer work environment. Skyrocketing medical costs are some of the challenges faced by hospitals today and among their major expenses are nursing labor costs. The burden of reduced spending and managing costs more efficiently is passed on to the hospital finance leaders with the expectancy of reduced reimbursements under the healthcare reform (Sanford 38). Have these ratios affected the quality of care? Healthcare institutions, especially hospitals, argue that reducing the number of registered nurses and diluting the skill mix would not lower care standards (Hunt 18). The argument amongst all sides regarding the best mix and right numbers and the financial impact of applying such ratios is still being debated today. At t... ...rsingworld.org. American Nurses Association. 22 July 2010: Web. 13 Jan. 2011. Rotenberk, Lori. "Nurse Super-Union Sets Agenda, Aims to Get Staff Ratio Law Passed. " Hospitals & Health Networks 83.12 (Dec. 2009): 12. Nursing & Allied Health Source. Web. 23 Jan. 2011. Sanford, Kathleen D. "Nurse staffing: finding the right number and mix." Healthcare Financial Management 64.9 (2010): 38. Academic One File. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. â€Å"Study Shows Increasing Nursing Staff Would Improve Safety, Quality in Hospitals.† Thrall, Terese Hudson. "Nurse Staffing Laws: Should You Worry? " Hospitals & Health Networks 82.4 (Apr. 2008): 36-39 Nursing & Allied Health Source. Web. 23 Jan. 2011. United States. Dept. of Government Affairs. The Registered Nurse Safe Staffing Act of 2010. Federal Legislation. 2010: H.R. 5527/S 349. American Nurses Association. Web. 13 Jan. 2011

Of Mice and Men: Journey to their American Dream Essay

Achieving the American dream is possible, but the price to get there may be more than most can handle. In Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck shows threw different choices of settings the difficulties of achieving such a dream. George and Lenny, long time friends since childhood have the dream of owning and working there own land. They travel from town to town looking for labor trying to save up enough money. Yet everywhere they go it seems trouble either follows or finds them. The American dream is known by most but achieved by few. Gradually over the years the American dream has become the main staple for up and coming families. Both men and woman strive to have the white picket fence in a private town, near work, and with a good school district. Though many live from paycheck to paycheck portraying as if they have the american dream when in reality its all just an illusion. Young people are greatly influenced by family, friends, and the media. At a young age many are told to go to college, get a good job, and to become successful. It is drilled into the young that owning property and making life as comfortable as possible is the way to go. So this is what we work so hard for, never stopping on our quest to achieve the almost unachievable. Lennie and George’s vision of the American dream is simply owning their very own land. Threw out the book it is implied that you are a respected member of society if you own land and stay in one place. Yet Lennie and George go from town to town working hard trying to make enough money to buy land but never actually stay in one place for enough time to actually settle in one spot and buy it. If they were to have land ownership they would have the pride and respect they always wanted. In their eyes the dream means â€Å"independence and self-sufficiancy, the freedom that comes from owning land. which in turn means enjoying the fruits of one’s own labor.†-( Johnson[->0] 140) Society plays a big role in achieving the dream. Being on the outskirts of society is hard enough along with Lennie always sturring up accidental trouble, society brands them outsiders, unusual, and not safe. Usually they are run out of town by the towns people and not given a chance to save up enough money to be able to by land let alone find land to purchase. After a few times of this happening moral goes down and the dream seems farther and farther away. The migrant life and its effects can take a toll. They searched for casual work wherever they can find it. George and Lennie are known as † seasonal or casual workers, who went from job to job in africulture, industry, or construction.†- (Johnson[->1] 100). Usually they do hard labor that pays very little and don’t stay long enough to get comfortable. This leaves them feeling unwanted and mistreated. Many of the people they work with treat them like they are inconsequential. They are only wanted to do they hard labor no one else would do. Seen to be too weak to even come close to the American dream. Curly’s wife looks at them and rudely says † they left all the weak ones here.†- (Steinbeck). Curly’s wife has some dreams of her own as well. She wished to be a Hollywood actress but can’t beome one because Curly is so protective of her and doesn’t allow her to do anything. If she wants to make her dream come true she would have to leave Curly and all that she is familiar with behind. This would be a difficult and life changing decision not to be taken lightly (â€Å"Mice†). Discrimination is shown often throughout this book, against anyone who is different. Many times they are discriminated against because of their being drifters an not of a certain social standing. Lennie is mentally handicapped and most times his curious and playful side can become dangerous. He likes to touch pretty and soft things but in doing this without thinking others become frightened and disturbed by such a large burly man approaching them and not letting go. Because of this Lennie is constantly called stupid or a fool even by George at times. George is looked at as a fool for befriending someone like that. This deprives them of the hope they need to continue to work hard and reach their goals. George expresses this when he says, â€Å"I seen the guys that go around on the †¦ ranches alone. That ain’t no good. They don’t have no fun. After a long time they get mean. They get wantin’ to fight all the time.†(Steinbeck.17) A black man’s perspective can be much the same as a migrants. Even Curly, a black worker, wants to make it for himself but is constantly put down and disparaged because he is black and handicapped. With the mindset of being dumb, stupid and not good enough no one can move forward or accomplish anything. In the beginning and ending of the book Steinbeck uses symbolism in the largeness of the mountains compared to the smallness of George and Lennie showing the contrast between them and their dream (J.Hinds 152). Many ask the question can the American dream really be had? George is not very optimistic about starting up new in another town and in that mindset finds that the worst does happen. George is forced to kill Lennie, in this he possibly realizes this is the only way to achieve his dream of owning land even if it hurts him to do this. George had always felt a certain obligation to sticking with Lennie shown when he says, â€Å"I ain’t got no people†¦. ‘Course Lennie’s a God damn nuisance most of the time, but you get used to goin’ around with a guy an’ you can’t get rid of him.† (Steinbeck 45). In this case George killing Lennie was the only way for either of them to obtain their American dream. â€Å"Of Mice and Men and The American Dream.† 123HelpMe.com. 16 May 2012 . [->0] – /Claudia-Durst-Johnson/e/B000APX61U/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1/187-0392986-1780919 [->1] – /Claudia-Durst-Johnson/e/B000APX61U/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1/187-0392986-1780919

Gsci

DERIVATIVE CASES An Investment Linked to Commodity Futures Professor Richard Spurgin FIN 5310 – 1 Group 1 Zhongyi Qian Hao Cheng Yue Zhao Liuyang Gao Motivation for issuing the security Prior to the Swedish Export Credit Co. issued the security, the performance of the GSCI showed that this index was clearly attractive. First, the increasing-trend cumulative total returns were higher than the returns on S&P 500 and the Treasury bonds, and then it became more diversified with more futures contracts introduced after 1980.Besides, another attractive feature of the GSCI was its ability to act as a hedge against inflation because it had a strong positive correlation with the two most widely used measures of inflation: CPI and PPI. In addition, the investment on the GSCI had the potential to decrease the risk of a portfolio because its returns were negatively correlated with returns on stocks and bonds. We could examine the index performance more specifically. The total returns on th e GSCI consisted of three components, the yield from the collateral Treasury bill, the spot return and the roll yield from the futures.According to the total return of the GSCI prior to 1990, we could find that the contribution of the T-bill yield was substantial and relatively stable while that of the spot return was small on average and extremely volatile and that of the roll yield was positive though somewhat volatile. The primary source of return changed based on different period with different financial environment and weighting strategy. Spot return contributed a lot in the inflationary period while the roll yield contributed more in the isinflationary period. As for the returns after 1991, we consider it reasonable to assume that the GSCI would continue to generate hefty returns. Since the prices of crude oil futures included in the GSCI had been in backwardation 80% to 85%, GSCI generated high roll yield that significantly contribute to the total return during 1981-1990. The refore, we can say that in 1991-1993, with substantial contribution of T-bill yield and relatively high roll yield, the total return of the GSCI would continue to be hefty in short term.As a consequence, the GSCI would get more attractive and hence popularizing securities exclusively tied to it such as notes issued by Swedish Export. In addition, it was true that GSCI was particularly attractive because it had negative correlation with the US stock market. From Exhibit 4, we can obviously find returns of GSCI had negative correlation (actually -0. 32) with returns of S&P 500 and in the meanwhile, generated relatively higher returns than those of S&P prior to 1991. As far as we concerned, it make a lot of sense since it’s a fully collateralized portfolio of commodity futures.As we know, in theory, commodities futures perform well when financial assets perform worse , that is to say, GSCI has a negative correlation with stock markets. Structure of the security It is possible to replicate the GSCI by making a portfolio, which contains the future contracts of the commodities that includes in the GSCI and the futures of each individual commodity can be weighed approximately the same percentage as they are in the current GSCI. When the future reaches to its maturity, the future contract will be rolled over into the next nearest contract just like the way the GSCI was calculated.In this way we can replicate the GSCI index and the return should be also approximately equal to it. As for the tradeoff between buying the structured note and the replicating portfolio, one should compare them in different aspects. Although the nominal return maybe theoretically the same, the actual return of the structured note should be higher than the replicating portfolio because the transaction fees and charges will be charged in the progress of making and keeping the portfolio. To replicate the payoffs of the GSCI, the investor also needs to put a certain amount of money as the frequent margin and/or collateral postings.Besides, if the investor wants to sell what he has for cash, then he will find the liquidity for the structured note is much higher than the replicating portfolio. However, the investors would only get paid 95. 57% of the increase rate of GSCI index from the structure note while they did not have such limitation on the replicating portfolio. On this transaction, Goldman Sachs earned commission fee as 0. 35% of the total amount of the note, which was $350,000, but they got far more than this for creating the index. In addition to the notes described in this case, Goldman Sachs offered a number of other products related to the index.Each of these products would generate a huge amount of commission. For Swedish Export Corp. , they could finance with no fix interest paid and the possibility that the cost of financing was even cheaper than that of issuing company bond directly definitely existed. Investors would like to have this structure note in portfolios not only because the advantages illustrated above, but also because it had a negative correlation with the stock market, so it could hedge the portfolio risk to some extent. How the deal performed over timeTo calculate the total return, we first need to calculate the cash flows (Table 1) by using the formula, Par*[0. 9557 *GSCI End / GSCI Begin], and when at maturity the value investors could redeem is $78781. 54. Thus the total return of security is as below: (78781. 54/100000)^(1/3)-1=-7. 64%; 39390. 77/50000)^(1/3)-1=7. 64% Compared with other alternatives such as Managed Futures Funds, Swap Transaction and CRB Futures Index, it seemed that GSCI was a good investment since all these three alternatives had relatively lower return than GSCI and still in the decreasing trend.However, the total return of GSCI was declining from 1991 to 1994. Besides, the T- bill yield was higher than the GSCI return, which made this investment meaningless. Additionally, we calculated th e yearly return of GSCI and downloaded the return of S&P and Treasury of these four years. Correlations between GSCI return and S&P and Treasury return is showed in Table 2. It was obviously that there were positive correlation between the GSCI return and S&P and also positive between GSCI and Treasury, which meant that this future contract could not decrease risk effectively.Therefore, in retrospect from 1991 to 1994, the GSCI futures contract decreased the overall return and at the same time failed to diversify the risk of the investment portfolio. It was not a good investment for investors. Table 1 Year| Par=100000| Par=50000| 11/1/91| 95570. 00| 47785. 00| 11/30/94| 78781. 54| 39390. 77| Table 2 Year| Return| S&P| Treasury| 91| -5. 46%| 30. 23%| 5. 61%| 92| -4. 09%| 7. 49%| 3. 41%| 93| -8. 20%| 9. 97%| 2. 98%| 94| -7. 64%| 1. 33%| 3. 99%| | | | | S&P and return| 0. 327556756| T and return| 0. 302031481|

Crime Is a Social Construct Essay

Crime is a social construct Discuss. This composition will look at crime and its different criminological interpretations. Crime is an umbrella word which covers a diverse range of issues and is dependant upon the theoretical stand point of the writer. Although the wordings of the explanations differ, the implications are consistent (Newburn, 2007. Doherty, 2005). Mclaughlin et al (2006) seems the most relevant for the purpose. They separate crime into three key constituent parts. These are harm, social agreement and the official societal reaction. There are different theoretical interpretations of crime. The product of culturally-bounded social interaction is crime; which is the violation of the social contract (Newburn, 2007. Young, 1995). Societal responses are different dependant upon the society. Theft in the UK may result in caution or non-custodial sentence for a first offence; whereas in Saudi Arabia the offender would lose a hand. Deviance can be perceived as being actions or behaviour which although may not be criminal in nature are at odds with the social norms of the society. Promiscuity is legal, though is perceived as deviant (particularly in females due to patriarchal societal values). Homosexual behaviour, which was previously illegal, has undergone a shift in the moral attitudes of society. The moral’s of society regarding certain activities is not set in stone and it alters over time. This is the view rule-relativists have of crime, as what is appropriate to the society at any given moment in time and may change due to alterations in societal values. Social constructs are the institutions, agencies, judicial bodies and any other mechanisms that are produced to implement social order. These social constructs are not natural phenomena; they are created by the hegemony. Behaviour or activities that offend the social codes & practices of a particular community. These codes and practices may be different due to cultural differences. Legal and social codes are not always identical. Laws are the mortar that binds societies and implement its norms. A Muslim man may marry more than one wife in certain countries. In the USA a Mormon may also marry more than one wife. He may bring both wives into this country with both having legal rights as his wife. However even though his culture would allow him to marry another wife, in this country he wouldn’t be allowed to. A man in the UK would not be allowed more than one wife. If he did marry a second wife he would be charged with bigamy. This crime doesn’t harm anyone; however it is classed as being against the social norms of British society. A number of crimes are made due to the state acting as a moral guardian to its community. At the present in Indonesia it is illegal to chew chewing gum, conversely in the UK this would not be seen as a reasonable criminal offence. Governments are not beyond contravening their own statutes, as in the case of prisoners that have been transferred to Guantanamo bay and the acknowledgement that water boarding (a form of torture) had been used upon a few of these prisoners. As well as the state justice there are systems which provide social control, such as private security etc. â€Å"They comprise the numerous forms of social control of crime and deviance that are part of group life† (Henry, 1994). There are informal modes of social control from local communities, such as being â€Å"sent to Coventry! The legal standpoint is simply what is enacted by society as criminal. On the issue of harm Lord Denning’s ruling in Donoghue v Stevenson holds â€Å"what would the man on the Clapham omnibus think†. Legally in addition to the criminal act there has to be a guilty mind, mens rea as well as the criminal act, actus reus. There has to be a legal capacity to commit crime, Doli incapax means that thos e less than eleven years of age and those suffering from mental illness are seen as not being capable of committing crimes. There are also mitigating circumstances; reasons why a criminal act may be seen as reasonable. This can be observed as being the contextual component; evidence of this can be seen in the case of the mignonette (Morrison, 2005). The classicist classification of crime is activities which have a negative impact upon the individuals and upon their property of the state’s electorate. Classicists do not take into account that there might be other factions with conflicting aims or moral codes. This can be perceived prior to the break up of the former Yugoslavia, where each faction had separate societal views. The conservative view of crime is that anything that threatens the social order should be criminal. This follows the classicist view insofar as that but they also include crimes which damage the integrity and morals of society. Those dealing with new deviance theory assert that there needs to be two separate parties. One party behaves or commits certain actions that another party who has differing morality categorizes that party as deviant. The factions in society with greater power impose their moral codes (Young, 1995). With new deviance theory the faction with the most power controls the morals; this doesn’t necessarily translate to being the majority of society. The Marxist viewpoint on crime is from of class and the intensification of social control of society. This viewpoint perceives capitalist societies as being breeding grounds for criminal activities. Theorists believe that only socialist societies can have any expectation of being without crime. Sheptycki (2006) states that â€Å"the roots of crime lie in the social structural inequalities of wealth and power. Capitalist societies promote individual interests over social welfare. The radical left criminological theory is that the nature of an advanced industrial society with its class system and its natural patriarchy is the cause of the prevalence of crime. They furthermore view crime as being more of a predicament for the poor. The way laws have been created can be shown in the disparity in sentencing for property theft when compa red to white-collar crime. Positivist criminology views crime and criminal activity as explainable through the natural sciences. Positivist criminologists look for specific causes for crime through scientific methodology. Whether this is because of biological, psychological and sociological disciplines to be able to quantify criminal behaviour. Positivists deem that there is a â€Å"consensus of value in society that can be scientifically ascertained† (Young, 1995). To bring to a close crime is a social construct. Crime is in addition a component of the larger issue of deviance. It is a consequence of social norms which the government has enacted into laws. The state has the infrastructure to enforce the society’s behavioural codes. By means of these criminological schools all of any given states laws can be identified. Having observed these, the new deviance theory was the most rational, building as it does on previous schools of thought. This holds that the faction with the greater societal power holding the reins to society’s moral codes. At the present time this looks to be direction in which western societies are on the face of it is heading. The Iraq war was implemented by the powerful elite of society.

Term Paper Essay Example

Term Paper Essay Example Term Paper Essay Term Paper Essay Name: Course: Instructor: Date: Role of Course in the Miami Plan: This course is one of three tier three course options in gerontology thematic sequence GET 2 (Aging in Diverse Contexts). Students who enroll in GET 2 begin with an overview of the social, cultural, and personal experiences of aging. The second course provides the students with grounding in socio-cultural analyses of the contexts of aging, and the third course is an in-depth exploration of the sources of variation in the aging experience. Students completing this sequence will understand he ways in which the meanings and experiences of aging are shaped by social and physical location, and the ways in which diversity among the older population is produced. Miami Plan Principles: 1 . Critical thinking, which includes integrating and analyzing information from many different disciplines and sources to formulate ideas, and clear oral and written expression of these ideas. The critical article summaries and term paper described below are designed to help you practice your critical thinking skills. 2. Understanding contexts, or the ways in which political, cultural, economic, and demographic factors effect our thinking about aging. The term paper, summaries, and in-class discussion will give you an opportunity to pay attention to the different contexts in which aging unfolds. 3. Engaging with other learners through active listening and sharing ideas with classmates; As a seminar, interaction with the group in our class sessions over the semester is expected for all class periods and required for those sessions in which you are assigned to lead discussion and share your written critical summaries with your classmates. . Reflecting and acting?drawing on the knowledge and skills scribed above, students who complete this course should be better prepared for active and responsible involvement in meeting the needs of our aging population. The paper and class discussion in particular will give you an opportunity to reflect Paper Assignments: As a cross-listed undergraduate/graduate cours e, course requirements are divided as follows: Undergraduate Assignments: Most graded work for this seminar will consist of writing assignments of two types. First, all students will each complete critical summaries of 3 different assigned readings. Students will sign-up for their choices of readings during the first class meeting. Summaries should be about 2 to 3 pages in length. Each student should provide a copy of their summary to all other students as well as the instructor at the beginning of the class period in which the reading will be covered. Students will then lead the discussion on articles which they summarized (Typically, there will be more than one student assigned the same reading and also responsible for discussion). A critical review is a summary and analysis of a particular reading assigned in the course. Second, students will write a term paper (15-20 pages) based on an in-depth critique of a major area in race-ethnic aging research that includes theoretical and methodological summaries and evaluations of the body of literature examined. The term paper will require extensive and intensive reading of outside literature and a theoretical and methodological analysis of a major hypothesis or conceptual framework. Graduate Assignments: First, all students will each complete critical summaries of 6 different assigned meeting. Summaries should be about 3 pages in length. Each student should hen lead the discussion on articles which they summarized (Frequently, there will be Second, students will write a term paper (20-25 pages) based on an in-depth critique of a major area in minority aging research that includes theoretical and framework. Graduate work will be evaluated more critically than undergraduate work with an expectation of higher quality. Grades will be determined by the following distribution: Undergraduate Graduate Readings Summaries Final Paper 24% 54% 36% 56% Class Discussion/Leadership Expectations: You are expected to come to class.