Human Relations: A Personal Experience

Human Relations: A Personal Experience Allison R. West Introduction to Graduate Studies in Human Relations 12/4/13 While reading Modern Human Relations at Work I found information that I pretty much expected to find in a book on this subject. I found some specific studies that I had not read about before and ideals that I found to be true in theory, but not so much in practice. The standard questions of whether a happy worker is a productive worker and do open door policies work were addressed. Ten years ago I would have read this text book in a much different manner, with a completely different erspective than I do today.I may have viewed the ideals of organizational human relations with some sort of hope that people can actually work in environments where there are superiors and subordinates can maintain a sense of respect and humanity towards one another, but that has not always been my experience. The old expression â€Å"it's lonely at the top† can be interpreted in sever al ways; there are not many top dogs out there, or that the higher you go the less time you have to mingle with the lowly, or the less you really care to, or the misguided belief that you should have a self-imposed separation .Whatever the meaning or reason one thing is true to my understanding; organizations are truly not classless societies and while they, in theory, should understand human relations better than anyone, they practice very little of what they profess to preach. I do not mean to give the impression that I do not understand the need for hierarchies and the important role they play in efficient organizations, it is not the paradigm, but the players, with which I take issue.In this paper I would like to address the two areas that were of greatest interest to me as they apply to my experiences working within large organizations. The first area referred to the fundamentals of human relations and included a study conducted by the Hawthorne plant of Western Electric in Ill inois that I found interesting. The second discussed the management of conflict between individuals and organizations and included exercises that companies can use to build stronger relationships between botn I wou d like to snare my thoughts on these areas trom both theoretical and practical stand points.The book defined human relations as follows: â€Å"The process by which management brings workers into contact with the organization in such a way that the objectives of oth groups are achieved is human relations† (pg. 5) and takes the point of view of the manager. While the company and the worker share a common purpose of being successful and making money, the worker also has goals that the company may or may not be aware of or concerned with. Successful human relations addresses both the company and the worker and finds a satisfactory solution to all needs.This, in my opinion, is where most companies don't seem to be able to get it right. It is not enough for an organizati on to say that they care about their workers, what their needs are, what their opinions are and how they can best use their talents to nhance the organization, there has to be follow through and this is what usually does not happen. You only have to look at a company's turnover of employees to get a good idea of their attitude towards human relations. I spent 10 years working for an organization that truly did not care at all about their workers, though they professed to.It is my experience with this particular organization, which I will call Agency X that I will be referring to in this paper. Agency X has a high turnover for several reasons, one of which is the amount of stress that comes with the Job and the econd is the response, or lack thereof, on the part of the agency to try and understand, alleviate, or even acknowledge the fact that the needs of the workers are not being met. So while I read through the book, I suppose I was more Jaded and had a more pessimistic attitude th an I should have, but I truly believe that few companies actually care about human relations in practice.I found the Hawthorne studies interesting in that it showed that a worker who feels that they are valued and has some level of relationship with those they work with is productive and that the quality of the supervision they receive effects the uality and quantity of their work (pg. 9). When I worked for Agency X I was a case manager for 4 years and had a supervisor who truly cared and was concerned for the well-being of her workers and the impact the Job was having on us. This supervisor did a good Job of shielding us from the bureaucratic issues that came from above.She believed that the quality of services to clients and the needs of the workers were both equally as important. After 4 years she changed Jobs and I was promoted to her position, it was at this same time that our contract was obtained by another big agency and suddenly things changed. While I continued to supervis e in the way I had been taught, ensuring that what needed to be done was done, that clients were receiving the best possible services and that workers were not burning out and were taking care of themselves I began to see the differences in field work and middle management.I was accused of babying my workers whenever I tried to make things a little easier for them. It is important to note that we worked with abused children and families in volatile situations that required a tremendous amount of travel and field time (we were not child welfare). Let me give an example of a worker who was close to burning out. We had both been at a home in the country where the situation became fragile and volatile and we decided that it was best to leave.After we had driven away (we took separate cars) my worker pulled over to the side of the road and just sat there. I pulled in behind ner and Just watched tor a tew seconds wondering if she was going to get out of the car, but she did not. I walked up to her window to find her in tears. I allowed her to vent her feelings and frustrations and finally I suggested to her that she go home for the rest of the day (it was early Friday afternoon) and spend time with her daughters and not think about work until Monday morning.I told my worker that we would meet in my office on the Monday and talk about what we needed to do make sure her needs and the needs of the client were being met. While this was an appropriate solution to me, I was then â€Å"counseled† as I told my worker to go home when she had not filled out a â€Å"request for leave† form. That was my first indication that Agency X did not care at all about my worker, all they cared about was a piece of paper that they would not have received until timesheets were turned in the following week anyway.So I took that hit, signed y piece of paper that said I was a bad supervisor that day and never said a word to my worker about it. Human relations works at a worker level and even at a middle management level if you have a supervisor who gives a damn about you, but it is only a slogan on a poster for those in upper management. The human resources model outlined on page 11 of our book gives 4 systems that an agency can fall into when dealing with human relations. I feel that an agency can fall into several systems at one time.I think those in middle management still see their workers as valuable assets that should not be easily discarded. Middle anagement have better relationships with their workers and probably fall between system 3 (consultive democratic) and system 4 (participative democratic) depending on how long the subordinate and superior have been working together. Upper management would have you believe that their agency is participative democratic, but they are, in reality, benevolent autocratic (system 2) where condescension and punishment are the main staples of management.It was forced upon me many times that I should separate myse lf from my workers and make sure they understood we were â€Å"not the same†. While I understand that it is not always wise for supervisors o be friends with workers, we do not need to sit in ivory towers looking down on them either. There is a happy medium that upper management ignore. As I progressed in Agency X, I was promoted again to Regional Director and was responsible for services all 16 counties in Southwest Oklahoma. This was my first and only experience with upper management and I have no desire to â€Å"go there† again.

Criteria for a good short story Essay

Does ‘The Adventure of the Speckled Band’ meet your criteria for a good short story?  A short story is a work of fiction shorter than a novel or novelette, and is one of the oldest forms of literature. Some of the most famous short stories are ‘The Canterbury Tales’ by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th Century. However, before the 1800s short stories did not get much respect, and were seen as a poor relation of the novel. At around 1835, Edgar Allen Poe became the first writer to make the short story a distinct literary form. After this the popularity of this form of literature grew in popularity due to short stories being published in magazines and journals, becoming widely available. ‘The Adventure of the Speckled Band’ was written by Arthur Conan Doyle in 1892. It was published as part of a book of twelve short stories, all in the crime genre. Conan Doyle was and still is famous for his crime stories involving the great detective, Sherlock Holmes. Before taking up professional writing, Conan Doyle was a doctor. The first of the Sherlock Holmes stories was ‘A Study in Scarlet’ and was published in 1887. The crime story genre was very popular in the 19th century, and many established writers wrote stories of this type. For example, Charles Dickens’ last, unfinished novel was ‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood.’ This was a murder mystery and so shows how popular the genre had become. For any short story to be successful, especially the crime genre, the correct authorial perspective must be chosen. In ‘The Adventure of the Speckled Band’ the perspective is that of Dr Watson, looking back over a previous case. I think that this is effective because the reader is able to relate to Watson, as he is following Sherlock Holmes. Watson also learns of the clues at the same times as the reader, but doesn’t get an explanation. This creates tension and excitement and so the reader will read on to find out. For example, the reader knew there was a â€Å"dummy bell rope,† but it wasn’t until Holmes explained it that we found out its actual use. If the narrative perspective had of been from Sherlock Holmes point of view, there would be no tension as he worked out the clues very quickly. We know the when Holmes saw the bell rope was a dummy, it â€Å"instantly gave rise to the suspicion that the rope was there as a bridge for something passing through the hole and coming to the bed.† Another option Conan Doyle could have chosen would be to have an omniscient narrator, who would know everything going on and everyone’s feelings. This, also, would have reduced the tension and atmosphere in the story. The plot of ‘The Adventure of the Speckled Band’ is that of a typical nineteenth Century crime story. A young woman, Helen Stoner, comes to see Sherlock Holmes, after the strange circumstances surrounding her sister’s death start to repeat themselves. Just before she got married, therefore getting her inheritance, she dies very mysteriously. Miss Stoner is very worried, and she is also set to be married. Holmes and Watson agree to help the young lady. However, before they set off for Stoke Moran, Dr Grimesby Roylott, Miss Stoner’s stepfather, pays them a visit and tries to threaten them into not going. This only encourages Holmes, who goes to the house, where he finds several clues in the bedrooms. Holmes decides to come back to the house at night and stay in Miss Stoner’s bedroom, to witness the strange events for himself. During the night, a snake crawls through the ventilator between Dr Roylott and Miss Stoner’s rooms. Holmes attacks it and it flees back, where it turns upon its owner, and kills him. As this is a short story, it should only have one main storyline, and this one does. If there was more than one then there would be little time for any development of plot at all. Conan Doyle, in ‘The Adventure of the Speckled Band’ gives enough information to sustain interest, but is also very selective about what is included in it. There are some events in the story that are not directly important to the plot, but create tension and suspense. The visit of Dr Roylott to Sherlock Holmes’ house is included for this reason. Dr Roylott describes himself as a â€Å"dangerous man to fall foul of,† so Holmes wants to get to the house even more quickly, as he fears for the safety of Miss Stoner. This also increases the pace of the story, and makes it more exciting. Conan Doyle uses various things throughout the story to keep the reader’s interest. Dr Grimesby Roylott is an unusual man, who used to live in Calcutta. He went to prison for after ‘he beat his native butler to death.’ When he returned home to England he had various ferocious quarrels, due to his ‘violence of temper approaching to mania.’ Dr Roylott also kept tropical animals, which also makes him an interesting character, and his violent temper is also typical of a nineteenth Century villain. Another factor that creates interest in the story is the amazing skills of deduction possessed by Sherlock Holmes. Watson notices ‘his quick, all-comprehensive glances’ when he first meets Miss Stoner. Holmes then goes on to deduce her exact journey, just from what he has seen. The reader is then anxious to see what he deduces from what Miss Stoner tells him about her circumstances.

The Relationship between Owen Meany and Johnny Wheelwright

Lana Sobh Mrs. Malik ENG 3U1-06 April 20, 2013 The Relationship between Owen Meany and Johnny Wheelwright In the novel A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving explores the themes of friendship and faith. Friendship is one of the most important things in one’s life. Friendship is the divine feeling of knowing there is someone there. As the saying goes, â€Å"friends are flowers in the garden of life†. As flowers add beauty to a garden, friends add beauty to one’s life. Friendship always begins with a seed of trust that is nurtured with laughter and tears, growing into loyalty and love.The friendship between Owen Meany and Johnny Wheelwright has been maintained since they were young to the last second they were together. Faith can be viewed in many different ways. Faith can be described as faith in God or as a conviction. Faith is a sacred, deep and emotionally involved kind of trust. Faith is like the wind, it cannot be seen, but it can be felt. Owen enabled Johnny t o find faith in his life in a religious and convictional way. The friendship between Owen and Johnny clearly showed a positive relationship.Owen always kept Johnny’s desires in mind, he was always there for Johnny, and he led Johnny to a true faith. First, to maintain their positive relationship, Owen always kept Johnny’s desires in mind. Owen always thought about Johnny and what he can do to make Johnny feel better. Owen went ahead and wrote a play for Johnny’s father, in order for them to find out who Johnny’s father actually is. â€Å"Just suppose there was such a play†¦ And we called the play either The Orange Grove or The Lady in Red – don’t you suppose that your father would come to see that play?And don’t you suppose we could recognize him then? † (Irving 360). Owen took the effort to write a play, in order to find Johnny’s father. He always wanted to make sure that Johnny’s desires were fulfilled. The relationship between him and Johnny shows to what extent their relationship is true. Their relationship allows Owen to go ahead and help Johnny with his family problems, even though he has nothing to do with it. This shows how much Owen cares for Johnny and wants to help him uncover the truth on who his father is. This is very important in showing how strong the relationship between Owen and Johnny is.When Johnny was a kid, he had trouble with reading; yet Owen was there to help him improve his reading skills. This is made clear when Tabitha, Johnny’s mother, tells Owen to keep helping Johnny, â€Å"I hope you never stop helping Johnny with his homework, Owen. † (24). When they were young, Owen had promised Tabitha, that he would always help Johnny with his homework. Throughout the years at school, Owen had kept that promise and was always there to help Johnny. This clearly shows how much Owen cares about Johnny and how much he wants to help him.The death of Tabitha d id not have any effect on the choice that Owen had made when he promised that he would always help Johnny with his homework. Johnny suffered from dyslexia and was in need of help, so, Owen helped him with reading and his homework. With Owen’s help, Johnny grows up to be an avid reader and teaches literature at a prep school. Moreover, Owen had helped Johnny with many things other than homework and finding Johnny’s father. Owen had helped Johnny with not going to Vietnam and fight in the war. â€Å"He’d cut off my finger to keep me out of Vietnam† (585).Johnny had his finger, the trigger finger, amputated in order for him not to be able to go to the war. Owen had come up with the idea of cutting off Johnny’s finger. Without Owen being caring towards Johnny and not wanting Johnny to go to Vietnam against his will, Johnny would have gone and fought in Vietnam. Owen had saved Johnny from the draft. Through this action, Owen is trying to get Johnny to p repare Johnny for life without him. He cares so much about Johnny that he is preparing him, so that when Owen passes away, he would be able to continue his life in Canada without him.Owen always wanted to help Johnny satisfy his needs, so he helped him in many ways. Furthermore, Owen was always there for Johnny. In times of sadness and despair, Owen was there. In times of laughter and happiness, he was there. This clearly shows how positive their relationship was and how true of a friend he is. During the Christmas Carol play, Own fainted. Later, it was told that Owen had seen his own name on the grave. When Johnny went to ask Owen what date Owen saw, Owen does not end up telling him, instead he tells him that there was no date at all. ‘There was no date,’ Owen said. I wanted to cry- not because I believe a single thing about his stupid ‘vision,’ but because it was the first time he had lied to me. † (255). This shows how heartbroken Johnny is, he is devastated that Owen was hiding something from him. But then again Owen did not want Johnny to feel sad if he told him the date. Owen really cares about Johnny, he is not trying to hurt Johnny, he is trying to protect him. Owen must have felt the need to protect Johnny since he might think that Johnny would interfere with his fate and result in the death of Johnny.Owen cared a lot about Johnny. When they were young, Johnny was asked to repeat the ninth grade. So, Owen being the nice and caring friend he is, decided to repeat the ninth grade with Johnny. Owen tells everyone that he is going to stick by Johnny's side. â€Å"Owen announced his decision to attend the ninth grade at Gravesend High School, too. He would stay with me; he would enter the academy the following year-he could have skipped a grade, yet he volunteered to repeat the ninth grade with me! † (267).After Tabitha’s death Johnny had needed a high degree of support, which came from Owen. Owen had promised Tabitha to help Johnny with his homework and in order for that to happen, they found that Johnny and Owen needed to be in the same grade. Owen tells everyone that he is going to stick by Johnny's side. This clearly shows the loyalty Owen has towards Johnny. This shows the true friendship there is between them. Owen’s decision was a surprise to all because no one would have thought that Owen was that caring and loyal to Johnny.

Arabic spring - syria crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Arabic spring - syria crisis - Essay Example The Syrian crisis started right at the beginning of the year 2001 on January 26th as a show of public demonstrations. Soon there was a nationwide spread of this mere show of demonstrations and it developed into violent protests against the government. The protesters demanded the president of Syria Bashar ul Asad to resign but, in response, the president deployed the army to counter these protests and the resulting in a civil war against the government in many cities of the country. Many local and internationally sponsored revolutionary parties and military forces emerged as a result of this military operation the president against the protestors. To name a few, Syrian National Council (SNC) sponsored mainly by Turkey, Free Syrian Army which consisted mainly of Ex Army and National Coordination Committee were the main rebellious forces. These forces rejected the proposals of dialogue with the president and their main demand was the president to step down. Due to extreme violation of h uman rights by the pro government forces and heavy losses of lives in many cities of Syria UN decided to intervene in the procedures. The result was a ceasefire agreement signed by both the parties. The deadline of the ceasefire was 12th of April but, Asad did not stick to the deadline and more than 1000 civilians were killed in the first week of April. Even though the international community did participate a lot in the crisis of Lebanon for the protection of its citizens but they were a bit hesitant in interfering in the Syria. Syrian crisis has suffered a heavy loss of human lives. Human rights have been broken in the country and the world has seen the slaughter of the people of Syria. The international community has waited for so long and now attempts have been made to put this ting to an end with the Arab League, Russia and the United nations interfering to solve the issue of Syria and to bring both the parties

The industry and business analysis of plant based milk in Saudi Arabia Essay

The industry and business analysis of plant based milk in Saudi Arabia - Essay Example The company will compete in the dairy market since it will also compete with milk derived from animals. Saudi Arabia dairy market includes retail sales of milk, yogurt, soy products and cheese among others. Since 2007, milk consumption in the country has grown by 6%. Ambient milk dominates over fresh milk and makes 62% of the market compared to 38% of fresh milk. In 2016, the market is forecasted to grow by 4,9% (Marketline (Firm), 2000). This paper will analyze the industry using Porter’s Five Forces and PESTLE Analysis. The purpose of the Five Force is to know how attractive the plant based milk industry is to the target customers. The analysis will also help the plant based milk company to understand the profitability of its products and identify strength and weaknesses areas (Philip & Gary, 2010, P.108). This analysis consists of the following competitive forces: According to Pereira, (2013, P. 72) suppliers are in a position to decide the price of milk thus affecting the company’s profit. It is important for the plant based milk to have ways of controlling the power of suppliers. Being a starting company it may face a high risk if the supplies needed for production change suddenly. This risk must therefore be minimized. According to Philip & Gary (2010, P.82), buyers on the other hand may force the milk prices to fall down. The dairy market has many buyers and with the customers of the plant based milk may shift to its competitors like Almaria and Al Safi if the price is not favorable. This may force the company to lower its prices to win the customers back. However, in order for the plant based Milk Company to retain its customers and reduce the power of buyers; it will need to create a brand that is strong and differentiate its products. The plant based milk face a high competition from the existing firms in the dairy market. The high

Understanding of Strategic Planning In Effective Business Essay

Understanding of Strategic Planning In Effective Business - Essay Example For the success of any business organisation, it is vital to have a proper and complete strategic plan defining the decisions, allocation of capital, resources and manpower required for the decision making and proper functioning of all of its departmental areas. Depending on the types of business, methodologies have to be accordingly adopted which may include divisions and sub-divisions within an organisation like research and development, manufacturing, procurement, marketing etc. with organisation and support services by the management, marketing, clerical, information technology, stores and despatch, accounts, personnel and time-keeping and workshop and other required infrastructure along with their relevant staff. Background to Strategic Planning Usually based and depending upon the feasibility of each individual business set-up, strategic planning differs in their approaches. The most typical amongst these approaches is the three stages: â€Å"Situation† evaluation of current state and future state scenarios, â€Å"Target† defining of the detailed goals and objections, and lastly the â€Å"Path† indicating the route for attaining the targeted goals and objectives. Another popular approach is the â€Å"Draw† stage in which the image and targeted end goal and objective are visualised, then comes the â€Å"See† stage where comparisons are made between the likely positive and negative extreme that could be encountered in any given situations, and finally the â€Å"Plan† stage where all the required resources are considered for the activation of a business. In general, and as a standard practice being utilised by a number or newly setting up businesses, proper strategic planning for business should be consistent of the following points: A clear VISION setting the businesses mission statement Detailed ANALYSIS of the approach towards the desired end goals and objectives A FORMULA defining the line of actions to reach the desired end goals and objectives A proper and workable IMPLEMENTATION plan according to the agreed upon line of actions Proper CONTROL to ensure and monitor that the correct implementation process is working according to the laid-down plans Assertions For the success of any strategic planning in a business, input of internal and external analysis are necessary to be considered during the development of strategies to identify opportunities, threats, including the possible changing of unforeseen environmental situations which would effect trade and commerce relationships with customers and its likely impact on a business. An analytical consideration of the existing competition and the likely possible future competition has also to be taken into account to ensure that a business could continue to exist and flourish even under the most severely challenging market conditions prevailing at any given period of time. Arguments It is a universally accepted practice to have a strategic plan defining goals, objectives and targets to achieve positive end goals and objectives through a definitive roadmap. Accordingly policies, tactics based on legally correct rules and regulations and actions with clarity are implemented. The correct stepping stones towards eventual success should start with the sequencing of goals from short term to medium term to long term, thus creating a climbable stairway to the future. A mission statement therefore, is necessary as a vital tool in the strategic plan because without a time-frame it visualises the identity of a business, what it represents and where its stands in the future. Counter Argument Realistically the main reasons for the failure of strategic plans can be based on its being incorrect or inappropriate and/or its poor implementation. The reasoning behind incorrect or inappropriate strategy planning can be one or in combination with each

The Future of Shipping Industry Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Future of Shipping Industry - Article Example The decline in the overall demand from developed countries such as US and UK is forcing many developing and emerging countries to look for local demand, and as such, there is very little demand being generated internationally as suppliers from countries like China is finding it difficult to sell their products in international market. (Wade). Until most recently, the industry was facing an uphill task of meeting the expenses because of increase in oil prices. Due to the lack of fuel efficiency, many shipping companies found it difficult to manage their costs as the consistent increase in oil prices was seen as one of the greatest threats to the short-term viability of the industry. (Vidal). Considering this fundamental challenge, environment specialists like Vidal conclude that the future of shipping industry would largely depend upon how the industry adapts to the biofuel technology as the industry does not only have to withstand increasing costs but also have to face the increasing criticism for its involvement in polluting environment. It has also been argued that the ship designing is largely based on existing regulations which need to be fulfilled before a ship can be rolled over for the commercial purpose. Due to complacent nature of such regulations, it is often felt that the chip makers, as well as shipping industry, have to face the wrath of industry dynamics which are not allowing them to be more competitive. As such the future of shipping industry is largely based on the changes to be made into the relevant regulations in order to make it more competitive and sustainable. It is also important to note that due to increased awareness of the consumers and emergence of so-called â€Å"ethical consumers† demands that the supply chain of the international organizations shall be ethical in its orientation. However, the absence of any such concepts in other parts of the world may not lead to the development of community shipping and as such due to a diversity of the suppliers and buyers; shipping industry may not make a transition to community shipping until regional economic clusters are developed.

Business Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Business Plan - Essay Example The Competition 8 6.1 Key Competitors 8 6.2 Competitive Analysis: SWOT Analysis 8 7. Commercialisation Plan 10 7.1 Overall Business Strategies 10 7.2 Sales Strategy 10 7.3 Key Marketing Strategy 10 8. Management 11 8.1 The current team and their roles 11 9. Financial Projections 12 9.2 Sources of finance 12 9.3 Profit & Loss Statement 13 9.4 Cash Flow Statement 15 REFLECTIVE LEARNING: 16 Week 1 16 Week 2: 17 Week 3 18 Week 4 19 Week 5 19 Week 6 20 Week 7 21 Week 8 22 Week 9 23 Week 10 23 REFERENCES: 25 1. Executive Summary The aim of this business plan is to produce a comprehensive report on creating a football events committee that becomes a major attraction for all the football fans on the various campuses such as (Add names of the campuses), providing quality equipment as well as an unparalleled experience for the participants. The aim is to steadily build it into a business that will not only cater to the football fan base but will also incorporate other activities which might in terest our consumers into the sports events later on. Through the extensive research explained later during this report, it can be forecasted that this business will grow over time and help us generate a fan base of sports enthusiasts. The customer base of the business at the start will be the football fanatics at the school, and as the committee starts to gain popularity, the customer base will increase to include the basketball, tennis and all the other sports fans as well as a secondary target market, which will include the participants as well as the spectators who enjoy watching sports. This segmentation has been formed after conducting a market research by the use of questionnaires. By gaining sponsorship from various interested organizations to provide financial backing as well as collaborating with Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA), the events will be marketed creatively to provide the business’s customers with a complete package which gives them value for money. 2. Objectives For Year 1, the objectives include creating introductory awareness of the football club by putting up posters at various strategic as well as relevant locations where they can be made accessible to the target audience. Also, recognition can also be generated by word of mouth, or the favourable opinion by the customers of the business. This could be through Facebook could prove to be a vital tool in this regard as it can help spread out the word to the target market; that cannot be reached otherwise by employing the other market tactics (Muske, Stanforth and Woods, 2010). According to the forecasts made, which will be mentioned in the financial part, the sales projections of the ACTSA wrist bands as well as badges is estimated to be 25 each, whereas participants per events is proposed to be 80, leaving the business with a minimum total revenue of ?300 per event. The profit per event is estimated to be ? 300. The request for sponsoring the sports events has been responded b y Student union as well as Aqua Burst so far. By Year 2, the football club is likely to be substantially established through the employment of the advertising techniques mentioned above. A website could now be created in order to gain popularity as well as to give vital information about the business to the customers. Again, according to the forecasts made in the financial part of the business plan, we can estimate that the sales of the ACTSA wrist bands as well as the badges are projected to reach 200 each, while the participants per event will increase to around 150 per event. The total revenue per event will increase to a minimum of ?1000, while the profit generated per event is expected to be ?600. The sponsors likely to endorse the football club

Managing for the future Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managing for the future - Essay Example This fact can be analyzed by looking at the magazines who printed its success. "FT Global 500" by Financial Times, "The World's 2000 Biggest Public Companies" by Forbes magazine and by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (Developing Telecoms | China Mobile | Sponsors Directory, 2012). According to its official website, Limited China Mobile Limited(2012), it has more than 34 subsidiaries like China Mobile Communication Company Limited (â€Å"CMC") , ZONG, China Mobile Group Guangdong Company Limited ("Guangdong Mobile"), Jiangsu Mobile and Hong Kong Mobile etc. The board of directors of China Mobile Ltd consists of Executive Directors and Independent Non-Executive Directors. The executive directors are seven in number whereas the Independent Non-Executive Directors are three in number (China Mobile Limited - About China Mobile > Board of Directors, 2012). 1.1 Milestones from 2006-2012 2006 marks some of the most important changes which came in the company. China Mobile Limited was f ormerly named as China Mobile (Hong Kong) Limited. The change in the company’s name came in the year 2006. This year also marks the privatization of China Resources Peoples Telephone Company Ltd. The privatization benefitted the company allot and gave a boost to its annual profits. In 2006, News Corp. and STAR Group Ltd. formed wireless media tactical association with China Mobile Ltd (China Mobile Limited - About China Mobile > Milestones, 2012). According to the company’s official website the year 2009 marks a share subscription agreement with the company Far EasTone. This increased the annual company profit (China Mobile Limited - About China Mobile > Milestones, 2012). Guangdong Mobile and SPD bank signed a share subscription agreement in the year 2010. This agreement increased the interest of both the subsidiaries of the company. It further strengthened the company’s e-commerce and mobile finance businesses (China Mobile Limited - About China Mobile > Miles tones, 2012). 2012 marks a lot of success news for the company. The company got a lot of awards for its performance and expansion. "Grand Award Winners -- Investor Relations" and three "iNova Awards 2012" serve as the most honorable achievements of the company. Moreover, the company is nominated for the Top favorite China Corporate Brand voted by China Consumer" and it was included in the Financial Times magazine again. It is the company which keeps it head high by coming up for the Millward Brown and Financial Times' "BRANDZâ„ ¢ Top 100" list for the seventh year uninterruptedly (China Mobile Limited - Media Centre > News Highlights, 2012). 1.2 What about the future? From the year 2006-2012, the company has been the most successful company in the wireless mobile services business. It has seen many success stories and good times. It is important for the company to maintain its reputation and image for the future as well. Be it Apple Inc. or Samsung, all the companies have been at the top because they keep on inventing new things for the future. They try to plan for the future and implement the strategies accordingly. China Mobile Limited has a lot of competition in the age of wireless technology. To remain the best it has to innovate and plan for its future. A company’s success lies in the people who work for it. The company’s biggest assets are people (Zolezzi, 2004. pp.41). 1.3 Management, Marketing and Understanding the Key Stakeholders Marketing is a tool to sell the product or service. It

Italy and Greece Essay Example for Free

Italy and Greece Essay Its all fat, but does it make you fat? In this coursework I am going to explain the health implications of eating saturated and hydrogenated fats by investigating individual types of oils and margarines and their affects. My research into different types of fats will explain which fats should be eaten more or less of and the reasons for this. I will also talk about the fats we shouldnt eat, what affects they have on our bodies and why we should avoid eating them. I am then going to form an for and against argument about why hydrogenation in the industry can harm our bodies and then come to a conclusion whether I think we should or shouldnt eat hydrogenated fats. In this part of the task am going to find out and explain what is meant by monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated fats/oils. Triglyceride Molecule A triglyceride is a molecule that contains one glycerol molecule and three fatty acids, which is mainly constituted in vegetable oils and animal fats. The chemical formula is RCOO-CH2CH (-OOCR) CH2-OOCR, where R, R, and R are longer alkyl chains. The three fatty acids RCOOH, RCOOH and RCOOH can be all different, all the same, or only two the same. This part of my coursework will explain what is meant by Monounsaturated, Polyunsaturated and Saturated fats or oils. Monounsaturated Fat Monounsaturated fats or (Monounsaturated fatty acids) are fatty acids that only contain one double bond in the chain and the rest of the remaining carbon atoms in the chain are single bonded. Fatty acids are long chained molecules with a methyl group at one end and a carboxylic acid group at the other. The fluidity of the fatty acids increases with the increasing number of double bonds. Monounsaturated fats have a higher melting temperature than polyunsaturated fats but lower than saturated fats. Monounsaturated fatty acids are liquids at room temperature and semisolid or solid when refrigerated. Monounsaturated fats are found in natural foods such as nuts and avocados and are the main component of tea seed oil and olive oil (Oleic acid). Macadamia nut oil, grapeseed oil, groundnut oil (peanut oil), sesame oil, corn oil, popcorn, whole grain wheat, cereal, oatmeal, safflower oil, sunflower oil, tea-oil Camellia and avocado oil are also sources of monounsaturated fats. Oleic acid is typical monounsaturated fatty acid which has 18 carbon atoms with the first double bond occurring 9 carbon atoms away from the methyl group. Other typical monounsaturated fatty acids include Palmitoleic acid which has 16 carbon atoms with the first double bond occurring 7 carbon atoms away from the methyl group and 9 carbons from the carboxyl end and Vaccenic acid which has 18 carbon atoms. Oleic Acid Polyunsaturated Fat Polyunsaturated fat or (Polyunsaturated fatty acids) are fatty acids which contain more than one double bond within the molecule. It has two or more points on its structure capable of supporting hydrogen atoms that are currently not part of the structure. Depending on the geometry of the double bond the polyunsaturated fatty acids can assume a cis or trans conformation. They can be divided into two categories Omega 3 fats which can be found in fish, seafood, and lean meat, plant foods such as cereal grains, seeds, nuts, legumes, dark green leafy vegetables, figs and also in plant oils including soybean, canola, linseed and walnut. Oily fish such as mackerel, salmon, trout, tuna, sardines, herring and gemfish contains more omega 3 fatty acids than white fish. Omega 6 fats which is the second category are mostly found in nuts, seeds and plant oils such as corn, soy and safflower. There many benefits of omega fats, some of which are lowering blood cholesterol levels and in doing so reduces risk of coronary heart disease. The melting point of the compound is significantly lower because the strength of the intermolecular forces is reduced due to the lack of hydrogen atoms on the molecules surface. Trans fats solidify at a higher temperature than cis fats making them more similar to saturated fats than cis fats. A typical polyunsaturated fat is Linoeic acid; both of the double bonds in Linoeic acid are cis. Linoeic Acid Saturated Fat Saturated fat is fat that consists of triglycerides that only contain saturated fatty acids radicals. There are several natural occurring saturated fatty acids which differ by the number of carbon atoms; they range from 3 carbons (Propionic Acid) to 36 carbons (Hexatriacontanoic Acid). Chains of saturated fatty acids have no double bonds which makes them fully saturated with hydrogen atoms. Foods containing a high proportion of saturated fats include dairy products especially cream and cheese and also butter and ghee. Others foods also include animal fats such as suet, tallow, lard and fatty meat, coconut oil, cottonseed oil, palm kernel oil, chocolate and some prepared foods. A typical saturated fatty acid is Stearic acid. Stearic Acid Fats that we should eat more of and why? We should eat more non-saturated fats which are Polyunsaturated and Monounsaturated fats, these types of fats and oils have numerous health benefits. It transports fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K throughout the body and also cushions and protects internal organs. Essential fatty acids (EFAs) benefit your heart, metabolism and immune system. Some EFAs are used by the body for structural, hormonal and electrical functions rather than energy. These EFAs increase metabolic rate and increase fat burn off resulting in loss of weight. Fat is a concentrated source of energy. It can also prevent irregular heart beats and reduces inflammation. We should avoid eating Saturated fats as they are bad for health and they clog up arteries causing heart disease and strokes. However health warnings to avoid saturated fat have been misinterpreted which makes people thinks avoid all fat. Polyunsaturated and Monounsaturated fats are actually good for you if eaten sensibly. Diets high in saturated fat have been correlated with an increased incidence of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Saturated fats increase cholesterol levels in your body which increases the risk of heart disease.

Definition Of Parental Involvement

Definition Of Parental Involvement 2.0 Introduction Research is made in order to inform people with new knowledge or discovery. Jancowicz (2000:159) knowledge does not exist in a vacuum and you work only has value in relation to other peoples work. Thus for a research to be credible, it should be supported by other works that have spoken about the same topic; therein the importance of the literature review which Hart (1998) defines as: The selection of available documents (both published and unpublished) on the topic, which contain information, ideas, data and evidence written from a particular standpoint to fulfill certain aims or express certain views on the nature of the topic and how it is to be investigated, and the effective evaluation of these documents in relation to the research being proposed. The ability to carry out a literature review is an important skill for any researcher. It will provide the latter with a context in which to place the research with respect to what has already been researched about the topic whereby the researcher will get an up to date account and discussion of the research findings about the particular topic. 2.1 Parental Involvement 2.1.1 Definition of Parental Involvement Parental involvement is believed to be an important strategy in the advancement of the quality of education. Parental involvement as such may be defined in different ways. According to Althoff (2010) parental involvement refers to the amount of participation a parent has when it comes to schooling and her childs life. (Abdullah, Seedee, Alzaidiyeen, Al-Shabatat, Alzeydeen, Al-Awabdeh, 2011) define parental involvement as the activities occurring between a parent and a child or between a parent and teachers at school that may contribute to the childs educational outcomes and development. NCLB (2001) described parental involvement as regular participation of parents, a two-way process, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities including: Assisting their childs learning; (b) Being actively involved in their childs education at school; (c) Serving as full partners in their childs education and being included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child; and (d) The carrying out of other activities such as those described in section 1118 of the ESEA Section 9101(32). Liontos (1992) mentions recent beliefs about parents and families that schools should consider when involving themselves in the education to their children: 1) All families have strengths, 2) parents can learn new techniques, 3) parents have important perspectives about their children, 4) most parents really care about their children, 5) cultural differences are both valid and valuable, and 6) many family forms exist and are legitimate (pp. 30-31). 2.1.2 Family Involvement Regardless of how they are able to demonstrate their investment, the notion that families play a very important role in creating a school that provides a nurturing and safe environment for their children is becoming widely accepted (Epstein et al., 1997). Families provide the social, cultural, and emotional supports that youth need to function well in school. Schools provide opportunities for childrens positive interactions with significant adults and other adolescents to enhance their home experiences and to support their continued development and related learning (Comer Haynes, 1991). According to Davies (1991) parental involvement shifts from parent focus to family focus, family to community agencies, school to home/neighborhood setting, eager parents to hard-to reach families, teachers/administrators agendas to family priorities, and deficit view of urban families to emphasis on inherent strengths of families. He further explains that even though non-traditional families are much more common nowadays than they were in the 1950s, alternative family structures are effective and should be recognised by the school. The paradigm Changing Definitions of Parental involvement according to Davies(1991) is as follows: from Parent Focus to Family Focus; from school to home or neighbourhood setting; from eager parents to hard to reach families; from teacher/administrator agenda to family priorities; from deficit view of urban families to emphasis on inherent strengths of families. Davies (1991) mentioned that non-traditional family units are getting more common, but the alternative family structures are effective and should be recognised as they do impact in the education and performance of students. 2.1.3 Types of parental involvement Fan and Chen (2001) in their meta-analysis found that researchers commonly conceptualised parental involvement as having multiple dimensions. Research conducted over a number of years have proved that there are numerous types of parenting practices associated with positive school-related academic and social competencies. These are: (a) parental participation in school-related activities, for instance monitoring homework and attending parent-teacher association meetings (Desimone, 1999; Keith et al., 1993; Steinberg, Lamborn, Dornbusch Darling, 1992); (b) parental encouragement of positive school behaviors (Atkinson Forehand, 1979; Barth, 1979; Kelley, 1952; Schumaker, Hovell, Sherman, 1977; Seginer, 1983); and (c) parental expectations for achievement and attainment (Ainley, Foreman, Sheret,1991; Fan Chen, 2001; Scott-Jones, 1995; Seginer). Similarly, Epstein (2001) has distinguished six types of parental involvement namely: parenting; communication; volunteering; home tutoring; involvement in decision-making; and, collaboration with the community. Epsteins model presents family, school and community as overlapping spheres of influence, the congruence of which is of considerable importance for the optimal development of children. 2.2 The effect of parental involvement on childrens achievements It is generally believed that the parents do play an important role in the education of their children and there is now an extensive research literature indicating that parental involvement is advantageous for children of all ages (Cox 2005; Desforges and Abouchaar 2003; Eccles and Harold 1993; Epstein 2001). Research has shown that one of the most promising ways to increase students achievement is to involve their families (Chavkin, 1993; Henderson Berla, 1994). Herbert Walberg (1984) found that family participation in education was twice as predictive of academic learning as family socioeconomic status. Establishing partnerships with families has many benefits for schools and families, but Epstein says, the main reason to create such partnerships is to help all youngsters succeed in school and in later life (1995, p. 701). When parents participate in their childrens schooling, students may experience more academic and social success. Epstein (2001) suggests that parents who are informed and involved in their childrens school can positively impact their childs attitude and performance. Drawing a causal link between parental involvement and student achievement is challenging; much of the research on parent involvement and student performance is therefore correlational (Scott Stein Thorkildsen, 1999). Although the impact of parental involvement is dependent on a number of contextual variables, there are many advantages attributed to parental involvement. Involvement at home, especially parents discussing school activities and helping children plan their programs, has the strongest impact on academic achievement (Sui-Chu Willms, 1996; VanVoorhis, 2003). Researchers have also found that parent-child discussion about school helps improve academic achievement and reduce problematic behavior (Epstein Sheldon, 2002; McNeal, 1999; Sheldon Epstein, 2005). McLaughlin and Shields (1986), for example, reported that parents can contribute to improved student achievement through their involvement in (a) the selection of appropriate reading materials, (b) targeting educational services, and (c) the use of particular pedagogical strategies. Clark (1983) found a correlation between achievement in reading and mathematics and the number of books at home. Parent involvement is absolutely essential to student achievement in school and in life say (Campbell Glasgow, 2010). The overwhelming studies and research indicate that there are indeed positive academic outcomes stemming from parental involvement with benefits beginning in the early childhood throughout adolescence and beyond (Henderson Mapp, 2002; Patrikakou, Weisberg, Redding, Walberg, 2005). Buchmann and Dalton (2002) suggest a possible linkage between differences in institutional contexts of educational system and variation in the effect of parental involvement on childrens educational outcomes while examining variation across 12 countries in the effect of mothers and peers attitudes toward academic performance on educational aspiration among middle-school (lower secondary school) students. The comparisons across 12 countries indicate significant variation in the influence of parental attitude on childrens educational aspiration across countries with different structural features of educational system. 2.3 Factors affecting Students Academic Achievements The students performance or academic achievement plays an important role in producing the good quality school leavers who will become good manpower for any country. There are actually numerous factors that affect the performance and achievement of students. Parents influence their childrens academic achievement (Spera, 2005). High family socioeconomic status, positive parenting practices, positive aspects of parents personality, and high marital quality are associated with school success (Harold, Aitken, Shelton, 2007; Heaven Newbury, 2004; Robertson Reynolds, 2010). Children whose parents who actively promote learning in the home more positively engage in relationships outside the home and in learning (Marchant, Paulson, Rothlisberg, 2001), perhaps because these parents help children approach learning environments more positively. The premise that home environment risks, such as negative parenting (Clark, Dogan, Akbar, 2003), a chaotic household (Brown Low, 2008), parents low educational attainment or income level (Davis-Kean, 2005), and single-parent family structure (Zill, 1996), are correlates of poor academic functioning is also well supported. According to a report on Monitoring Learning Achievement (1999) the Determinants of childs performance were identified to be as follows: Socio-economic status of the childs family had a very strong impact on achievement at school. (b) Parental education level and parents opinion about education were decisive factors affecting performance of the children at school. (c) The child who had access to learning through technology and through materials at home was more likely to do better at school. (d) Pupils who had a positive attitude to school and teachers as well as those who used English to communicate performed better on the tests. (e) Children who had more experienced teachers at school and who were more frequently assessed became better learners. 2.3.1 Student Demographics and Students Achievement Students from ethnic minority backgrounds and low income families are more at risk for poor school outcomes and are becoming an increasing share of the student population. Many studies have linked the educational disadvantage of minority students to a combination of out-of-school factors, many of which center on family characteristics, such as poverty and parents education. Linn (2005) says that prior achievement or other relevant characteristics of the student body may help to explain current levels of achievement while (Carlson, 2002; Ponisciak Bryk, 2005) point out that when large scale assessments are used as the sole measure of accountability, the characteristics of the schools clientele are confounded with change that is directly attributable to the effectiveness of the school producing biased estimates of school effects. Children coming from middle-class family may have a head start given their higher social position and income may lead to better quality housing, more availability of books and study facilities at home such as their own room, internet access facility as well as the ability to afford private tuition. According to the University of Mauritius study on private tuition (1989), children from better off families take more tuition than students from poor families and they tend to perform better. A better measure of a schools effect on student achievement should account for the nature of students in the schools as well as the characteristics of the schools themselves. For example the correlation according to Sirin (2005) between socio-economic status and achievement tends to be approximately 0.30 at the student level. When aggregated to the school level, the correlation between socio-economic and academic achievement is approximately 0.60 (Sirin, 2005), though that correlation has been estimated to be even higher (0.73) in an earlier meta-analysis (White, 1982). 2.3.2 School Leadership and Students Achievement Studies have revealed that strong leaders are critical to successful learning environments (Briggs Wohlstetter, 2003; Hallinger, Bickman, Davis, 1996; Haycock, Jerald, Huang, 2001; Jesse, Davis, Pokorny, 2004; McGee, 2004; Muijs, Harris, Chapman, Stoll, Russ, 2004; Murphy, 2004; Scribner Scribner, 2001; Snipes, 2004; Yau, 2002). There are different characteristics of strong leaders that have been mentioned in the literature: Leaders have a clear vision for their schools that is continuously communicated to school staff and parents (Cole-Henderson, 2000; EdSource, 2006; Jesse et al., 2004); they have high expectations for all students (Cole-Henderson, 2000; EdSource, 2006; McGee, 2004; Scribner et al., 2001); and they are able to translate their vision and expectations into concrete goals for teachers by aligning curriculum with state standards and standardized tests (EdSource, 2006; Education Trust, 2003). 2.3.3 School Systems and Students Achievement In many countries, including Mauritius to some extent, school systems are tracked where students are assigned to different school types based on their prior performance. These tracks range from purely academic tracks to vocational tracks and prepare students for different educational and labor market destinations (Marks, Cresswell, Ainley, 2006; Reyes, 2010). In general most secondary school systems maintain a distinction between academic and vocational education. The specifics may be different from place to place, but in most countries academic education prepares students for college or for a university whereas vocational education prepares them for immediate entry into the labor market (Shavit, Blossfeld 1993). Schools may be involved in the socio-economic inequalities in education in a number of ways. Wealthy families can afford a superior education for their children by sending them to fee-paying private schools. In countries with tracked school systems, the allocation of stude nts to the more academic school tracks may be biased towards students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds. 2.3.5 Parental Involvement and Students Achievement Studies on the influence of parenting on school outcomes have mainly focused on specific parental practices such as involvement in their childs education, mostly in relation to academic achievement and rarely in relation to school dropout (McNeal, 1999; Rumherger, 1995). Studies conducted among specific grades and subject areas support the contention that parental involvement can influence students academic achievement regardless of the students age or subject. For example, Stegelin (2003), Wirtz Schumacher (2003), and Hertz-Lazarowitz Horovitz (2002) focused on early childhood education and literacy, noting a link between families who engage in literacy activities at home and their childrens success with reading and writing. Henderson and Berla (1994) say that the most accurate predictor of a students achievement in school is not income or social status but the extent to which that students family is able to create a home environment that encourages learning; express high but not unrealistic expectations for their childrens achievement and future careers and become involved in their childrens education at school and in the community. There exists an extensive research literature indicating that Parental Involvement is advantageous for children. This includes home-based Parental involvement such as listening to children read and supervision of homework as well as school-based Parental Involvement such as attending parent education workshops and parent-teacher meetings. The effectiveness of both home-based and school-based Parental Involvement in facilitating academic achievement has been reported by several reviews and meta-analyses of the literature (Fan and Chen 2001; Henderson and Mapp 2002; Jeynes 2005, 2007; Pomerantz, Moorman, and Litwack 2007). Mariaye (2008) has found that higher levels of education of parents are often related to better provision of financial resources, thus leading to achievement of children. 2.4 Barriers to parental involvement Though there is much importance attached to parental involvement it is still being ignored in many schools. Lazar and Slostad (1999) believe that parents are willing to get involved in the education of their children, but the negative perceptions of parents persist because teacher education programs do not educate teachers to work with parents. Foster and Loven (1992) also shared that the major explanation for this, according to researchers, is the fact that very little attention is given to preparing teachers to work with parents and other adults (Lazar, 1999, p. 207). According to Lazar and Slostad, (1999) the way parents viewed their roles was shaped by the circumstances and norms of particular cultures and their beliefs about their own effectiveness as teachers or tutors. Epstein (1991) found out that teachers had doubts whether they could motivate parents to become more involved even though they thought that parental involvement would improve students achievement. Teachers lack the attitudes, knowledge, skills, and strategies needed to collaborate with families leading to a weak school-family partnership (De Acosta, 1996; Epstein Dauber, 1991; Foster Loven, 1992; Greenwood Hickman, 1991; Midkiff Lawler-Prince, 1992; Williams,1992). Major barriers to parental involvement in schools include the school environment, school culture, time constraint, changing demographics and employment patterns, and the lack of teacher preparation in involving parents in their childrens schooling (New Skills for Schools, 1997; National PTA, 1997). 2.5 Overcoming barriers to parental involvement Strategies for overcoming barriers to parental involvement in schools include overcoming time and resource constraints, providing information and training to parents and school staff, restructuring schools to support family involvement, bridging school-family differences, getting external supports for partnerships, meeting families basic needs, providing flexible times and places for parental involvement, and helping staff communication with parents (The U.S. Department of Education, 2004; Family Involvement in Childrens Education October 1997). The various barriers to Parental involvement can be categorised by adapting Epsteins (2001) framework of overlapping spheres of influence focused on the three areas of family, school and community. 2.5.1 Parents beliefs about Parental Involvement Parents beliefs about various issues can act as barriers to effective parental involvement. Firstly, the way that parents view their role in the education of their children is crucial. Parents who believe that their role is only to get children to school, which then takes over responsibility for their education, will not be willing to be actively involved in either school-based or home-based parental involvement. Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler (1997) reported that this attitude is more prevalent in some communities and national cultures than others, but that there is considerable variation within these. For example, Clark (1983), in his research on high achieving students from low-income black families, found that what distinguished the parents of these students from others at the school was that they believed that they should be involved in their childrens education, by both supporting their learning at home and interacting constructively with schools. Clark found that parents of high a chieving students had a greater belief than the other parents that they could effectively help their children to do better at school. 2.5.2 Parents perceptions of invitations for involvement One other potential barrier to parental involvement is parents perceptions of the level of explicit and implicit invitations for involvement. According to Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler (1997) when parents think that Parental Involvement is not valued by teachers or schools they are less likely to get involved. Thus, parents perceptions of invitations from schools are considered crucial in developing effective parental involvement. Epstein (2001) has found that parents are most effectively involved when teachers actively encourage them to get involved. Eccles and Harold (1993) believe that teachers with positive, facilitating attitudes toward involving parents encourage more parents to become involved and increase the effectiveness of parental involvement. When parents perceive that teachers are not open to involve them, there tends to be a major barrier to parental involvement. Similarly, when schools are welcoming to parents and make it clear that they value parental involvement, the s chools develop more effective parental involvement than schools that do not appear inviting to parents. Secondary schools are often seen by parents as large bureaucratic organisations which are not welcoming to parents, which is considered to be one of the reasons why there is a tendency for higher levels of parental involvement in primary than secondary schools (Eccles and Harold 1993). 2.5.3 Parents Level of Education Parents level of education will influence their views on whether they have sufficient skills and knowledge to engage in different aspects of parental involvement (Green et al. 2007). For example, parents who have not completed secondary school themselves may be diffident about helping their children with homework once the latter get to secondary school. Also, parents who do not have a university degree may feel in some ways inferior to teachers who they know are better qualified than them and therefore be reluctant to work closely with the teachers. In general, children of parents with higher levels of education perform better, on average, on assessments of student achievement. 2.5.4 Parent current life status Family circumstances can be major barriers to parental involvement. For example, single parents and those with young families or large families may find it difficult to get involved in education of their children because of their responsibilities. Parents work situations can also be a factor. When parents are unemployed money could be an issue as they may not be able to afford a car or to pay babysitters in order to get to school meetings. For parents with jobs, whether both parents work and the kind of jobs they have may be issues. When both parents work they will have less time to devote for both home-based and school-based parental involvement. Similarly while some jobs allow little flexibility for taking time off for school-based parental involvement, other jobs may leave parents too tired at the end of the day to help children with homework (Catsambis 2001; Green et al. 2007). 2.5.5 Class, ethnicity and gender There exist also barriers regarding to class, ethnicity and gender of parents that account for the difference between rhetoric and reality in parental involvement. Reay (1998) suggests that it is those parents who possess cultural capital which matches that generally valued by schools. In contrast, working-class parents, although they possess their own undervalued cultural capital, are aware of the difference between the cultural capital they possess and that of teachers. Reay (1998) concludes that, for working-class families, home-school relationships are about separateness, whereas for middle-class families they are about interconnectedness, and this difference shapes their respective attitudes towards parental involvement. The barriers related to ethnicity and culture also play an important role. According to a report by Koki and Lee (1998) some of the issues involved in parental involvement for parents in New Zealand who have come from the Pacific Islands. They make the point that it is impossible to understand these issues outside of the context of the history of Pacific education and cultural tradition, but the reality is that parental involvement programmes typically pay scant regard to these issues. 2.5.6 Learning difficulties and disabilities The performance of at school can be both a barrier or facilitating factor for parental involvement. According to Eccles and Harold (1993) when children are struggling with their school work, due to learning difficulties or disabilities, then parents are generally more inclined to be active in parental involvement activities. Many authorities on special needs education consider that involving parents is an essential aspect of effective education for children with disabilities or learning difficulties (Hornby 1995; Seligman 2000). The involvement of parents is required for the process of implementing individual education programmes and this facilitates parental involvement for many parents whose children have learning difficulties or disabilities. But this is not always the case as there are many possible areas for disagreement between schools and parents of children with learning difficulties or disabilities, which can then act as barriers to effective parental involvement. For instan ce, when parents consider that their children can achieve more academically or when teachers want more support from parents in backing up at home what children are working on at school (Seligman 2000). 2.6 Strategies to involve parents To achieve more parental involvement, the school or teachers can help to adjust to parents work schedules, interests, and special abilities to involve them in their childs education 2.6.1 Parenting Parents can be involved in their childs schooling in many ways. One way teachers can get these parents involved is by providing them information about parenting practices. Parents with children with behavior problems are interested in learning about specialised reinforcement and discipline techniques that can be applied in their home. Research has shown that students who are disruptive in schools are also disruptive at home (Walker et al., 1995). Teachers can be useful by providing suggestions on how to teach specific skills at home. Parents who learn new parenting skills and teach their child at home are making positive contributions to their childs education. 2.6.2 Communication Encouraging parents to communicate with the school about important information about their child is another way parents can be involved. Darch, Craig, Miao, Yu, Shippen, and Peggy(2004) recommend that teachers ask parents to discuss their childs behaviour at home, his or her attitudes about school and learning, and whether there are home problems impacting the childs behavior at school. It is helpful if teachers ask parents about their expectations about their childs performance. 2.6.3 Volunteering Darch et al.,(2004) also suggest that one role that some parents can play is to provide instructional or management support in the classroom. For example, parents can be tutors for their own child or other students in the classroom. Also, parents can serve by grading papers, participating in field trips, and reading to groups of students. The advantages of including parents in these activities are many. Parents visibility in the classroom can be helpful in managing children. Also, if parents can provide instructional support, the improved learning performances of students will have a positive impact on their classroom behavior. 2.6.4 Instruction According to Darch et al, (2004) parents can also be involved in their childs school program by providing instructional and management support in their homes. Teachers may ask parents to allocate time for their childs homework, provide instructional support for academic assignments, and carry out home-based reinforcement programs. For parents to effectively take this role, they must be willing to participate and must have skills to implement home-based programs. However, as Hoover-Demsey and Sandler (1997) point out, many parents do not see the importance of taking an active role in their childs education. Thus, teachers must provide parents with clear guidelines on how they can be helpful at home and, if necessary, information on how to implement instructional and management strategies at home. An advantage of these activities is that the child is provided extra instruction at home that leads to more successful learning and motivation in the classroom. 2.6.5 School-Wide Involvement Teachers can suggest to parents that they be involved in school-wide activities. (Darch et al., 2004). The goal is to link parents to activities beyond their childs classroom: parents can be involved in PTA meetings, school-wide parent advisory councils, volunteer to work in the school office, and participate on a school-wide discipline committee. The advantages of linking parents into school wide activities are obvious. The presence of parents throughout the school is related to higher levels of student achievement and decreases school-wide disruptive behaviors. Parents involved with school-wide activities become more supportive of teachers and school policy. 2.7 How do schools involve parents? According to Hanke (2006) lack of parental involvement is due to lack of helpful information to parents. Emails, phone, letters, newsletters and personal contacts can be made by schools to reach out to parents. If schools communicate with parents regularly and consistently using the various means, the gap between school and parental involvement will be reduced. Based on the recent report on the Commonwealth conference on education (2012) the technology is available for ICT to be the foundation for change in education provisioning: from the classroom to the ministerial committee room; from the way teachers relate to their students, to the increasing of parental involvement in schools. Students expectations and achievement will increase if involvement are identified by Epstein and associate (1997): parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at home, decision making, and collaborating with the community. Reenay and Vivian (2007) have explained that even though the invention of new technologies has made it easier for schools to reach out to parents (through emails, cell phones and internet websites), the use of traditional methods in communication has been found to be an effective way for schools to communicate with parents, but this has been limited in use b

Maintain Ethical And Professional Standards

Maintain Ethical And Professional Standards This secondary research task will consider the corporate governance that JSE listed companies uphold. This research task will determine the extent to which these companies maintain ethical and professional standards. Two companies will be chosen and their corporate governance will be collected and closely looked at, there will be a discussion of the information collected for each of the two companies. A conclusion will be made as to which company is better governed based on the information which has been collected for the research. Introduction Corporate governance is a companys operating principles in terms of their ethics, corporate social responsibility, professionalism and the control which stakeholders have over the company to ensure the above principles are followed. Two companies which have been chosen will be looked at closely in terms of their corporate governance. The aim of the research is to determine which of the two companies is better governed, and which of the two companies maintain ethical and professional standards. Methodology I have mainly used the internet as it is difficult to get brochures with the relevant information about the corporation. I have looked at various sites about the corporation. I have tried to email the corporation for specific information which I was unable to retrieve on the internet. I have chosen the two companies as I enjoy eating at many of the restaurants which are franchises of the corporation and for the choice of the other corporation; it is because my family shops with them. Choice of companies Both Shoprite Holdings Ltd and Spur Corporation are public companies which are listed on the JSE. These public companies have a Corporate Social Index which determines the amount of involvement they have in the community. Each of these two companies follows a similar business structure (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006) (Anonymous, Investor care, unknown), but each one has an individual contribution to the community, socio-economic issues and the environment. Each company follows a different code of ethics, but each company aims to not only to make profit but to also give back to the community and to provide for their consumers. I have chosen these two companies as they have great involvement in the community as well as provide excellent service for their customers. Shoprite Holdings Ltd provides for people who are well to do as well as those who are less advantaged. Shoprite gives back to the community in vast amounts and this is the reason why they are supported by the community . My family shops at Shoprite as well as eats at Spur which is another reason why I chose these two companies, to look at in closer detail. Food is our passion. Welcoming you, our pleasure Introduction into Spur Corporation micro environment Our vision is to be the best family sit-down restaurant in the market in which we trade (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006). Our mission is to be dedicated at all times to our customers and staff- to provide a taste for life for our customers and to be a great place to work for our staff (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006). Allen Ambor Executive chairman Spur Corporation follows the line and staff organisation structure which has a board of directors who over look the entire organisation. Below the directors are the managers in each of the different fields for example advertising and finances. Below the managers are the staff which interact directly with the customers (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006). Spur corporation is well aware of the service which they need to provide their customers with. Ronel van Dijk Financial director Pierre van Tonder Managing director Mark Fellery Deputy managing director Muzi Kuzwayo Independent non-executive director Dean Hyde non-executive director Keith Getz non-executive director Keith Madders non-executive director MBE (deputy chairman) Phillip Joffe Executive director Kevin Robertson Executive director Financial manager Public relations manager Floor manager Human resource manager Marketing manager General manager Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Corporate social responsibility and sustainability Corporate social responsibility is the responsibility of the organization to give back to their community. The aim of the king II report is to improve corporate governance throughout the whole structure of the business. All public companies which are listed on the JSE are obligated to give back to their community. The king III report is similar in context with regards to king II, but with the exception that businesses need to follow the triple bottom line reporting which is People Planet and Profit. This then means that businesses should not only focus on gaining a profit but also giving back to their community. Spur Corporation mainly focuses on providing for the underprivileged children (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006). By raising these funds and being a part of these projects Spur aims to gain awareness as good citizens for the group of staff who are involved (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006). The projects are mainly aimed at sporting activities which they believe develop people especially the young South Africans (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006). Spur Corporation is involved in the following community projects: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Spur Soccer Masidlale(lets play)- this project focuses on developing children from ages of 8 12. There are children who come from many different communities and children who have experienced different things in life (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006). This project aims to teach these children life skills as well as help them gain self- confidence and teaches them many life skills which will help them in their future (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006). This project will mainly focus on children who are underprivileged (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Spur Corporation is involved in charity golf tour. In this project there are many other organisations and competitors which donate money towards the charity programme and therefore compete in the golf tour (Anonymous, Spur chairty golf day, 2006). The money which is raised in thousands is given to a charity. Spur aims to increase the donations every year (Anonymous, Spur chairty golf day, 2006). Spur Corporation believes there should be a balance between making a profit and also looking and the long term needs of South Africa, the environment and their employees. There are specific people who are allocated the role to ensuring there is a way in which Spur Corporation can reduce the impact they have on the environment. This team looks at the sustainability of their strategy. Spur Corporation is involved in projects which are short term. The Spur Corporation is not involved in many corporate social responsibility projects. The projects which they are involved in are ones from which South African children can learn life skills and gain personal growth. Therefore Spur Corporation needs to look at projects which are long term and ones which can help communities or children for long periods of time and not have a hit and run approach. Once Spur Corporation gets involved in such projects to help communities or certain children, they begin to rely on the funds. Long term projects are most beneficial. Socio-Economic issues and strategies used Spur Corporation is involved in HIV/AIDS management project. The group: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Is supportive towards the issue and are non-discriminatory à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢provides educational workshops about the issue à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢provides free access to condoms and educational videos This project is aimed at educating the employees of Spur Corporation so they are aware of the virus and have the knowledge to prevent contracting the disease Spur Corporation is not involved in addressing many socio-economic issues. There are many socio-economic issues which South Africa is facing such as poverty. Spur Corporation could focus on addressing projects which are sustainable and which can improve an issue which South Africa is facing. Poverty is one of the biggest issues in the world not only South Africa therefore Spur Corporation could get sponsors as well as raise their own funds to give toward a fund specifically for poverty stricken communities within South Africa or around the world. Natural disasters have affected the world and many peoples lives. Spur Corporation could also help with donations or fund raising to uplift these communities. There are many other socio-economic issues which Spur Corporation could address. Donations can be put into their budget as they are an organisation which is making high turnovers (Anonymous, Annual Report 2006, 2006). Code of ethics Spur Corporation has a code of ethics which expects all employees to have the highest moral and ethical standards internally and externally (with the stakeholders and shareholders). (Anonymous, Spur Corporation Annual Report 2006, 2006). The code of ethics contains principles such as integrity; honesty and good transparency, impartiality; transparency and openness; and accountablility and responsibility which all staff should adhere to (Anonymous, Spur Corporation Annual Report 2006, 2006). The Spur Corporation has a high standard to which they keep up to and therefore this is what helps the business grow. Their code of ethics guides staff on how to behave with their customers and shareholders. The code of ethics will also help shareholders to deal with any unehical behaviour (Anonymous, Spur Corporation Annual Report 2006, 2006) Introduction into Shoprite Holdings limited micro environment Our mission of the Shoprite Group of Companies is to be the consumers preferred shopping destination, by retailing food and non-food products at the lowest prices from conveniently located outlets in an environment that is conducive to shopping. (Anonymous, Customer care, 2008). Shoprite follows the line and staff organisation structure. The line and staff organisation structure is the board of directors over looking the entire organisation. Below the directors are the managers of each specific aspect of the business such as the human resource manager. Below the managers are the staff which work directly with the customers. Corporate social responsibility and sustainability Corporate social responsibility is the responsibility of the organisation to give back to their community. The aim of the king II report is to improve corporate governance throughout the whole structure of the business. All public companies which are listed on the JSE are obligated to give back to their community. The king III report is similar in context with regards to king II, but with the exception that businesses need to follow the triple bottom line reportingwhich is People Planet and Profit. This then means that businesses should not only focus on gaining a profit but also giving back to their community. Shoprite Holdings is involved in many different community projects. Many of the projects are ones which are sustainable as they take place every year and raise funds for a specific time period. Other projects are ones which Shoprite Holdings is directly involved in such as donating food to the underprivileged communities. Shoprite aims to help improve and make the world a better place for the present and future in terms of sustaining the environment, society and the economy. Some of the projects which they are involved in are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Shoprite community network- Shoprite aims to uplift underprivileged communities. This project is broadcast every month on many different radio stations and each area chooses a community which they believe needs Shoprites aid the most (Anonymous, Community projects: Community, 2008). The community which is chosen for the month as most deserving receives R10  000 from Shoprite (Anonymous, Community projects: Community, 2008). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Mobile soup kitchens- Shoprite aims to help communities which are poverty stricken and those which have been affected by natural disasters in South Africa (Anonymous, Community projects: Community, 2008). Shoprite sends out trucks every month to those communities they are aware of which need the food (Anonymous, Community projects: Community, 2008). Shoprite feeds many communities widely spread across South Africa (Anonymous, Community projects: Community, 2008). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Book collection- Many schools and libraries in South Africa do not have sufficient funds to provide their pupils with books (Anonymous, Community projects: Book collection, 2008). Therefore Shoprite aims to fill the libraries and schools with as many books of all genres. Shoprite allows for the public to drop books off at collection points at any Shoprite, Checkers or Checkers hyper stores throughout the country (Anonymous, Community projects: Book collection, 2008). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Strokes of genius- Is an art project which allows for many artists and crafters to be recognised (Anonymous, Community projects: Strokes of Genius, 2008). This project aims to inspire and give children who are less advantaged the opportunity to show the equivalence of their talent to that of children who are privileged (Anonymous, Community projects: Strokes of Genius, 2008). Shoprite is helped by The Department of arts and culture, Department of economic development and Department of basic information (Anonymous, Community projects: Strokes of Genius, 2008). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Golden trolley and disaster management- This project aims to also help the underprivileged and those who have been affected by natural disasters (Anonymous, Community projects : Golden trolley, 2008). Shoprite and Checkers have collection points at which public can donate things which will be donated to the communities (Anonymous, Community projects : Golden trolley, 2008). Shoprite also donates blankets and food to people who have been affected by natural disasters (Anonymous, Community projects : Disaster management, 2008). Shoprite has emergency plans which will help those in need. Shoprite is always ready to help those who are in need (Anonymous, Community projects : Disaster management, 2008). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Cuppa for Cansa- Shoprite Checkers are the main sponsors of this project and they are involved as the aim to gain awareness about CANSA and raise funds to fight cancer (Anonymous, Community projects : Cuppa for Cansa, 2008). Cuppa for Cansa also aims to encourage people to lead a healthy lifestyle as well as eat healthily (Anonymous, Community projects : Cuppa for Cansa, 2008). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Casual day- is another project which Shoprite is a main sponsor of. Socio-Economic issues and strategies used à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Poverty Shoprite Corporation is in involved in helping communities which suffer from poverty (Anonymous, Community projects: Community, 2008). There are many communities in South Africa which have been faced with natural disasters and many people of those communities are unemployed (Anonymous, Community projects: Community, 2008). Therefore Shoprite reaches out to those communities and gives back in the form of food and blankets, to help uplift the communities. As poverty is a worldwide issue it is considered a socio-economic issue. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Education- Shoprite runs project with deal with aspects of education as many South Africans are not provided with an education at all or some are but not one which is good enough for them to be the future leaders of South Africa (Anonymous, Community projects: Book collection, 2008). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Shoprite Holdings addresses the issue of HIV/Aids in South Africa (Anonymous, Organisational integrity, 2008). As HIV/Aids has been on the increase. Shoprite has a campaign which aims to educate staff on the illness as well as teach those with the illness how to manage it. The staff are educated fully and are provided with a counsel. The campaign helps employees by giving them a better understanding of the illness as well as all precautions which can be taken. Code of ethics A code of ethics for Shoprite Holdings is not available to the public. This is a negative aspect of the business as the public need to have access to their code of ethics as they are a public company which is listed on the JSE. The code of ethics gives public and other companies a better idea in which they are able to judge the business according to their morals and ethics of how the employees are meant behave with each other and with the customers. Analysis of information, comparison and opinion Both businesses follow the line and staff organisational structure. This is a structure which is a good choice as there is only one level of authority in the business; this avoids conflict and confusion between employees and authority. There are various levels in the structure which allows for managers at each level which guide the business as well as the employees in the right direction. Both businesses are greatly involved in corporate social responsibility, one more than the other. Spur Corporation is involved a fair amount in CSR, but Shoprite Holdings Ltd has great involvement in helping the community to become a better place. Shoprite mainly looks at helping the youth and elderly too, but more the youth in rural areas that do not have much as they are the future of our country. Shoprite Holdings and Spur Corporation both aim to be involved in projects which are more long term than once off as the community needs their input at all times. South Africa faces many socio-economic issues which can be resolved by the input of the people of the country. Spur Corporation is only involved in helping with HIV/AIDS whereas Shoprite Holdings is involved in much more such as HIV/AIDS, education, poverty and natural disasters which are faced in many of the communities. Shoprite seems to be more aware of the issues which are faced by the country, and they are determined to take action and help the community to be improved and not worsened. Spur Corporation has a code of ethics which aims to maintain a high business standard which they are aware will help their business to grow. The code of ethics is in place to ensure employees maintain this high standard in their work ethic as well as in dealing with customers. Shoprite Holdings does not have a code of ethics which is available to the public but as they are a public company which is listed on the JSE they will have a code of ethics which the company follows. This is negative factor for Shoprite as the code of ethics of the company gives the public a better idea of the business itself as well as the standards of the business and its employees. Shoprite Holdings Ltd only lacks a code of ethics available to the public, but otherwise the business maintains high standards and aims to be the best. It is clear that Shoprite is aware of the community and cares to improve the community is every aspect. Spur Corporation is also a public company but does not fully address the issues at hand such as CSR. Discussion and conclusion I believe Shoprite Holdings Ltd does uphold corporate governance as well as maintain ethical and professional standards thoroughly. Spur Corporation does not maintain these standards fully. Corporate governance is one of the main aspects of the business and Shoprite Holdings maintains high standards in terms of their ethics, corporate social responsibility and professionalism. Shoprite Holdings is fully involved in corporate social responsibility and addressing socio-economic issues. Shoprite Holdings believes greatly in helping the community as it is clear in the research done that they are thoroughly involved in all aspects of the community such as education, poverty, HIV/AIDS and natural disasters. Shoprite Holdings has the correct approach in which they address issues in the community as they are aware they should be more involved in long term projects rather than only helping once and thereafter forgetting about the community. Shoprite Holdings is a better governed business and all the above proves this. Spur Corporation is a business which is a luxury for many people and many people who are underprivileged do not gain from this. This is a reason why Spur should be more involved in CSR and addressing socio-economic issues. But Spur Corporation is hardly involved. Shoprite Holdings should be commended as they are a company who provide for rich and poor but are still involved fully in the community. This is another reason why Shoprite Holdings is a better governed company.

Life and Works Essay -- Essays Papers

Life and Works Who is Leonardo Da Vinci? Leonardo had a keen eye and quick mind that led him to make important scientific discoveries, yet he never published his ideas. He was a gentle vegetarian who loved animals and despised war, yet he worked as a military engineer to invent advanced and deadly weapons. He was one of the greatest painters of the Italian Renaissance, yet he left only a handful of completed paintings. It may seem unusual to include Leonardo da Vinci in a list of paleontologists and evolutionary biologists. Leonardo was and is best known as an artist, the creator of such masterpieces as the Mona Lisa, Madonna of the Rocks, and The Last Supper. Yet Leonardo was far more than a great artist: he had one of the best scientific minds of his time. He made painstaking observations and carried out research in fields ranging from architecture and civil engineering to astronomy to anatomy and zoology to geography, geology and paleontology. In the words of his biographer Giorgio Vasari: The most heavenly gifts seem to be showered on certain human beings. Sometimes supernaturally, marvelously, they all congregate in one individual. . . . This was seen and acknowledged by all men in the case of Leonardo da Vinci, who had. . . an indescribable grace in every effortless act and deed. His talent was so rare that he mastered any subject to which he turned his attention. . . . He might have been a scientist if he had not been so versatile. Leonardo's scientif... Life and Works Essay -- Essays Papers Life and Works Who is Leonardo Da Vinci? Leonardo had a keen eye and quick mind that led him to make important scientific discoveries, yet he never published his ideas. He was a gentle vegetarian who loved animals and despised war, yet he worked as a military engineer to invent advanced and deadly weapons. He was one of the greatest painters of the Italian Renaissance, yet he left only a handful of completed paintings. It may seem unusual to include Leonardo da Vinci in a list of paleontologists and evolutionary biologists. Leonardo was and is best known as an artist, the creator of such masterpieces as the Mona Lisa, Madonna of the Rocks, and The Last Supper. Yet Leonardo was far more than a great artist: he had one of the best scientific minds of his time. He made painstaking observations and carried out research in fields ranging from architecture and civil engineering to astronomy to anatomy and zoology to geography, geology and paleontology. In the words of his biographer Giorgio Vasari: The most heavenly gifts seem to be showered on certain human beings. Sometimes supernaturally, marvelously, they all congregate in one individual. . . . This was seen and acknowledged by all men in the case of Leonardo da Vinci, who had. . . an indescribable grace in every effortless act and deed. His talent was so rare that he mastered any subject to which he turned his attention. . . . He might have been a scientist if he had not been so versatile. Leonardo's scientif...

The Town that was Too Small Essay -- Personal Narrative Essay Example

I grew up in the town that was too small for me, and spent my time trying to make it bigger. Moore, Oklahoma had been my home since age two. Moore was a suburb of Oklahoma City. Air Force personnel composed a large segment of the population, providing an eclectic demographic; new faces were common. Then when I was 11, my family moved so my father could to go into the family business (selling truck parts) with his father. Our new home was in the country, near Mannford and Cleveland. I noticed a different culture in these small towns. Whereas "Moore" was merely the name of the town in which I lived, "Cleveland" and "Mannford" represented something more important to their residents. Strangers were viewed with suspicion rather than curiosity. Athletic achievement was absurdly overvalued, as were inter-school competitions; Cleveland's athletic competition placed the town's and residents' honor at stake. Cleveland was actually a transition from childhood to adolescence for me. I developed a prejudice of small, isolated towns. I sought refuge in my Cherokee heritage -- 1/64, actually, but I registered with the BIA to assert my difference from the people around me. I became intensely more curious about places and perspectives with which I was unfamiliar. I began traveling the country on vacations and school breaks. But no matter where I went, my world was too small, because I still returned to Cleveland and the family business. In an effort to expand my world, I learned to pilot a plane. As a toddler, I had often flown with my grandfather in a company plane that he piloted. I grew up fancying myself an authority on the subject. After all, I knew this control did this, and that control did that. So ... ...rub bush (the sort of woody bushes that manage to grow above the tree line). My jeans were soaking wet from having gone through snow and dew-covered plants. Every noise I heard was a bear coming to prove the nature show narrator wrong about bears not eating people, or attacking them for no reason. Fortunately, the narrator was right, and I lived to walk down the mountain in the morning. I learned two important things in Alaska. I learned that a small town in Alaska was less parochial than many larger places. Parochialism wasn't in the size of the town; it is in how people accept differences. I also learned how parochial my own experience was in the grand scheme of things. The world is as big -- or as small -- as I let it be. I hope that as I continue through life, I will also continue to challenge myself so that my world will become ever larger.