Identifying the Barriers and Facilitators to Participation in Physical Activity for Children with Down Syndrome

Identifying the barriers and facilitators to participation in physical activity for children with Down syndrome. Images Authors: Barr M; Shields N Author Address: School of Physiotherapy and the Musculoskeletal Research Centre, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Vic. , Australia. Source: Journal Of Intellectual Disability Research: JIDR [J Intellect Disabil Res] 2011 Nov; Vol. 55 (11), pp. 1020-33. Date of Electronic Publication: 2011 May 10. Publication Type: Journal Article Language: EnglishJournal Information: Publisher: Blackwell Scientific Publications on behalf of the Royal Society for Mentally Handicapped Children and Adults : Oxford, UK Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 9206090 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1365-2788 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 09642633 NLM ISO Abbreviation: J Intellect Disabil Res Subsets: MEDLINE MeSH Terms: Physical Education and Training* Sports*/psychology Down Syndrome/*physiopathology Down Syndrome/*rehabilitationMo tor Activity/*physiology Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child Behavior ; Child, Preschool ; Disability Evaluation ; Down Syndrome/psychology ; Family Health ; Female ; Humans ; Life Style ; Male ; Motivation ; Parents/psychology ; Qualitative Research ; Victoria Abstract: Background: Many children with Down syndrome do not undertake the recommended amount of daily physical activity. The aim of this study was to explore the barriers and facilitators to physical activity for this group.Methods: Eighteen in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 parents (16 mothers, 4 fathers) of children with Down syndrome aged between 2 and 17 years to examine what factors facilitate physical activity and what factors are barriers to activity for their children. The participants were recruited through a community disability organisation that advocates for people with Down syndrome and their families. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and independently coded and analysed by two researchers using th ematic analysis.Results: Four themes on facilitators of physical activity were identified: (1) the positive role of the family; (2) opportunity for social interaction with peers; (3) structured accessible programmes that make adaptations for children with Down syndrome; and (4) children who were determined to succeed and physically skilled. Four themes on the barriers to physical activity were also identified: (1) characteristics commonly associated with Down syndrome; (2) competing family responsibilities; (3) reduced physical or behavioural skills; and (4) a lack of accessible programmes.Conclusions: The results highlight the important role of families in determining how much physical activity children with Down syndrome undertake and the effect that common characteristics associated with Down syndrome can have on maintaining an active lifestyle. Future research needs to concentrate on successful methods of encouraging physical activity, such as ensuring social interaction is part of the activity, and eliminating barriers to physical activity such as the a lack of appropriate programmes for children with Down syndrome.Implementing these strategies may encourage children with Down syndrome to participate more frequently in a physically active lifestyle. ( (c) 2011 The Authors. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research (c) 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. ) Entry Dates: Date Created: 20111024 Date Completed: 20120221 Update Code: 20120221 DOI: 10. 1111/j. 1365-2788. 2011. 01425. x PMID: 21554468 Database: MEDLINE with Full Text Images: Clinical practice. The care of children with Down syndrome. Images Go to all 8 images >> Authors: Weijerman ME; de Winter JP Author Address: Department of Pediatrics, VU University Medical Center, P.O. Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands. [email  protected] nl Source: European Journal Of Pediatrics [Eur J Pediatr] 2010 Dec; Vol. 169 (12), pp. 1445-52. Date of Electronic Publication: 2010 Jul 15. Publication Type : Journal Article; Review Language: English Journal Information: Publisher: Springer Verlag : Berlin Country of Publication: Germany NLM ID: 7603873 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1432-1076 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 03406199 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Eur. J. Pediatr. Subsets: MEDLINE MeSH Terms: Life Expectancy* Cardiovascular Diseases/*therapyDown Syndrome/*mortality Down Syndrome/*therapy Respiratory Tract Diseases/*therapy Vision Disorders/*therapy Cardiovascular Diseases/epidemiology ; Cardiovascular Diseases/genetics ; Caregivers ; Child ; Comorbidity ; Delivery of Health Care/standards ; Down Syndrome/complications ; Down Syndrome/diagnosis ; Down Syndrome/epidemiology ; Gastrointestinal Diseases/epidemiology ; Gastrointestinal Diseases/genetics ; Gastrointestinal Diseases/therapy ; Humans ; Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases/epidemiology ; Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases/genetics ; Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases/therapy ; Parents ;Practice Guidelines as Topic/standards ; Prevalence ; Respiratory Tract Diseases/epidemiology ; Respiratory Tract Diseases/genetics ; Risk Factors ; Vision Disorders/epidemiology ; Vision Disorders/genetics Abstract: Down syndrome (DS) is one of the most common chromosomal abnormalities. Because of medical advances and improvements in overall medical care, the median survival of individuals with DS has increased considerably.This longer life expectancy requires giving the necessary care to the individual with DS over their total longer lifespan. DS medical guidelines are designed for the optimal care of the child in whom a diagnosis of DS has been confirmed. We present an overview of the most important issues related to children with DS based on the most relevant literature currently available. Entry Dates: Date Created: 20101025 Date Completed: 20110218 Update Code: 20111122 PubMed Central ID: PMC2962780 PMID: 20632187 Database: MEDLINE with Full Text

Grilled cheese math assignment Essay

In our problem for the week of special topics were are given a problem regarding achieving a best time to make grilled cheeses in a efficient manner in the shortest amount of time. The problem states; You need to make five grilled cheese sandwiches. You have a grill that is large enough to toast two sandwiches at a time. The sandwiches must be toasted one minute on each side. It takes 3 seconds to flip a sandwich and 5 seconds to take one off or put one on the grill. What is the shortest time needed to toast all five sandwiches? So with the information given we can conclude that the sandwiches have to be toasted at least 5 mins so it is obvious we cant get anything lower then 5 mins. Next we make an assumption that we can flip two sandwiches at the same time as well as take off and put on two sandwiches as well as take off two sandwiches all simultaneously. So the best way to solve this problem would be to first simpify the problem so that it is easier to see the soultion. So I decid ed to label the grill cheeses. Each side is denoted by A, B,C, D, E. So assuming the time starts for for the countdown when the two sandwiches are put on the Grill. Step 1: A B toasted one side 1 min =1min Step 2: Now Remove B and put C 5sec+5sec+3sec=13 sec( for removing B 5 sec + put C 5 sec+ flip A 3sec) Step 3 A C toasted on grill 1 min =1min Step 4: Now Remove A(completed) and put D 5sec+5sec+3sec=13 sec ( for removing A 5 sec + put C 5 sec+ flip C 3sec) Step 5 C D toasted on grill 1min =1min Step 6 (remove C(completed) ,put E, flip D) 5sec+5sec+3sec=13 sec Step 7 D E toasted on grill toasted 1 min =1min Step 8 remove D(completed), put B , flip E 5sec+5sec+3sec=13 sec Step 9 B E toasted on Grill 1 min =1min TOTAL = 5 min. 52 sec The process stops as all the five sandwiches are toasted, time is not counted for not taking the A and E off the grill. So the shortest time achievable needed for grilling all the five sandwiches as well as taking them off is 5 minutes and 52 seconds.

Question Bank International Business Essay

Chapter 07 Foreign Direct Investment True / False Questions 1. (p. 242) A firm becomes a multinational enterprise when it undertakes foreign direct investment. TRUE 2. (p. 242) Licensing involves the establishment of a new operation in a foreign country. FALSE 3. (p. 242) If a firm that makes bicycles in Germany acquires a French bicycle producer, Greenfield investment has taken place. FALSE 4. (p. 242) The amount of FDI undertaken over a given time period is known as the flow of FDI. TRUE 5. (p. 242) The total accumulated value of foreign-owned assets at a given time is the inflow of FDI. FALSE 6. (p. 242) FDI is seen by executives as a means of circumventing future trade barriers. TRUE 7. (p. 244) Historically, most FDI has been directed at the developed nations of the world as firms based in advanced countries invested in the others’ markets. TRUE 8. (p. 246) The total amount of capital invested in factories, stores, office buildings and the like is referred to as the stock of FDI. FALSE 9. (p. 246) The largest source country for FDI has been China. FALSE 10. (p. 247) About 27 percent of the world’s largest 100 nonfinancial multinationals in 2004 were American companies. TRUE 11. (p. 247) In developing countries, about one third of FDI is in the form of mergers and acquisitions. TRUE 12. (p. 248) In 2004, about two thirds of FDI stock was in service industries. TRUE 13. (p. 249) As compared to exporting and licensing, FDI is the more expensive and risky. TRUE 14. (p. 250) Internalization theory is also known as the market imperfections approach. TRUE 15. (p. 250) One of the problems of licensing is that it may result in a firm’s giving away valuable technological know-how to a potential foreign competitor. TRUE 16. (p. 251) An oligopoly is an industry composed of a limited number of large firms. TRUE 17. (p. 252) When two or more enterprises encounter each other in different regional markets, national markets or industries regional competition occurs. FALSE 18. (p. 252) According to Vernon, location specific advantages can help explain the nature and direction of FDI. FALSE 19. (p. 253) Dunning, in the eclectic paradigm theory, suggests that a firm must establish production facilities where foreign assets or resource endowments necessary to the production of the product exist. TRUE 20. (p. 254) Pragmatic nationalism traces its roots to Marxist political and economic theory. FALSE 21. (p. 254) Classical economics and the international trade theories of Adam Smith and David Ricardo form the basis for the free market view. TRUE 22. (p. 255) The free market view argues that FDI is a benefit to both the source country and to the host country. TRUE 23. (p. 255) Countries adopting a pragmatic stance pursue policies designed to maximize the national benefits and minimize the national costs. TRUE 24. (p. 256) An aspect of pragmatic nationalism is the tendency to aggressively court FDI believed to be in the national interest by, for example, offering subsidies to foreign MNEs in the form of tax breaks or grants. TRUE 25. (p. 257) Foreign direct investment can make a positive contribution to a host economy by supplying capital, technology and management resources that would otherwise not be available and thus boost that country’s economic growth rate. TRUE 26. (p. 258) There is research supporting the view that multinational firms often transfer significant technology when they invest in a foreign country. TRUE 27. (p. 258) Jobs created in local suppliers as a result of the MNE’s investment and jobs created because of increased local spending by employees of the MNE are examples of direct employment effects of FDI. FALSE 28. (p. 258) Host country citizens that are employed by an MNE following an FDI are an example of an indirect effect of FDI. FALSE 29. (p. 259) A country’s balance of payments accounts keep track of both its payments to and its receipts from other countries. TRUE 30. (p. 259) A current account deficit exists when a country imports more than it exports. TRUE 31. (p. 259) In recent years, the U.S. has run a persistent balance of payments surplus. FALSE 32. (p. 260) Host governments sometimes worry that the subsidiaries of foreign MNEs may have greater economic power than indigenous competitors. TRUE 33. (p. 261) FDI does not benefit the host country’s balance of payments if the foreign subsidiary creates demand for home-country exports of capital equipment, intermediate goods or complementary products. FALSE 34. (p. 262) The term offshore production refers to FDI undertaken to serve the home market. TRUE 35. (p. 263) Countries cannot prohibit national firms from investing in certain countries for political reasons. FALSE 36. (p. 264) The two most common methods of restricting inward FDI are ownership restraints and performance requirements. TRUE 37. (p. 265) The WTO has been very successful in efforts to initiate talks aimed at establishing a universal set of rules designed to promote the liberalization of FDI. FALSE 38. (p. 266) Licensing is a good option for firms in high-tech industries where protecting firm-specific expertise is of paramount importance. FALSE 39. (p. 266-267) Typically licensing will be a common strategy in oligopolies where competitive interdependence requires that multinational firms maintain tight control over foreign operations so that they have the ability to launch coordinated attacks against their global competitors. FALSE 40. (p. 267) Licensing is more common in fragmented, low-tech industries in which globally dispersed manufacturing is not an option. TRUE Multiple Choice Questions 41. (p. 242) FDI occurs when a A. Domestic firm imports products and services from another country B. Firm ships its product from one country to another C. Firm invests in the stock of another company D. Firm invests directly in facilities to produce and/or market a product in a foreign country 42. (p. 242) A Greenfield investment A. Is a form of FDI that involves the establishment of a new operation in a foreign country B. Involves a 7 percent stock in an acquired foreign business entity C. Involves a merger with a foreign business D. Occurs when a firm acquires another company in a foreign countr 43. (p. 242) If General Electric, a U.S. based corporation, purchased a 50% interest in a company in Italy, that purchase would be an example of a(n) A. Minority acquisition B. Outright stake C. Majority acquisition D. Greenfield investment 44. (p. 242) The amount of FDI undertaken over a given time period is A. The flow of FDI B. The stock of FDI C. The FDI outflow D. The FDI inflow 45. (p. 242) The stock of FDI is A. The amount of FDI undertaken over a given period of time B. The total accumulated value of foreign owned assets at a given time C. The flow of FDI out of a country D. The flow of FDI into a country 46. (p. 242) FDI has been rising for all of the following reasons, except A. The globalization of the world economy B. The general increase in trade barriers over the past 30 years C. Firms are trying to circumvent trade barriers D. There is a shift toward democratic political institutions and free market economies 47. (p. 244) Historically, most FDI has been directed at the _____ nations of the world as firms based in advanced countries invested in A. Underdeveloped, underdeveloped countries B. Developed, underdeveloped countries C. Developed, each other’s markets D. Underdeveloped, each other’s markets 48. (p. 244) The U.S. has been an attractive target for FDI because of all of the following reasons, except A. Its small and wealthy domestic markets B. Its dynamic and stable economy C. Its favorable political environment D. Its openness to FDI 49. (p. 244) Identify the incorrect statement regarding the direction of FDI. A. Historically, most FDI has been directed at the developing nations of the world B. During the 1980s and 1990s, the United States was often the favorite target for FDI inflows C. The developed nations of the EU have received significant FDI inflows D. Recent inflows into developing nations have been targeted at the emerging economies of South, East and Southeast Asia 50. (p. 246) Africa is not a popular destination for FDI because of all of the following reasons, except A. Political unrest in the region B. Armed conflict in the region C. Liberalization of FDI regulations D. Frequent policy changes in the region 51. (p. 246) The total amount of capital invested in factories, stores, office buildings and the like is summarized by A. Gross fixed capital formation B. Total investment capital C. Total tangible investment D. Gross depreciable investments 52. (p. 246) The largest source country for FDI since World War II has been A. Japan B. China C. The United States D. The United Kingdom 53. (p. 247) Most cross-border investment is A. In the form of Greenfield investments B. Made via mergers and acquisitions C. Between American and Japanese companies D. Involved in building new facilities 54. (p. 247) Which of the following is not a reason why firms prefer to acquire existing assets rather than undertake green-field investments? A. Foreign firms are acquired because those firms have valuable strategic assets B. Firms make acquisitions because they believe they can increase the efficiency of the acquired unit by transferring capital, technology or management skills C. Even though Greenfield investments are comparatively less risky for a firm acquisitions always yield higher profits D. Mergers and acquisitions are quicker to execute than green-field investments 55. (p. 247) In developing nations most FDI inflows are in the form of A. Mergers B. Greenfield investments C. Acquisitions D. Non-profit organizations 56. (p. 248) The sector composition of FDI shows that by 2004 approximately _____ of FDI stock was in service industries. A. One fourth B. One third C. Two third D. Half 57. (p. 248) The rise in FDI in the services sector is a result of all of the following, except A. The general move in many developed countries away from manufacturing and toward services B. Accelerating regulations of services C. Many services cannot be traded internationally D. Many countries have liberalized their regimes governing FDI in services 58. (p. 248) When strategic assets such as brand loyalty, customer relationships or distribution systems are important, _____ investments are more appropriate. A. Merger and acquisition B. Greenfield C. Portfolio D. New construction 59. (p. 249) _____ involves granting a foreign entity the right to produce and sell the firm’s product in return for a royalty fee on every unit sold. A. Horizontal FDI B. Licensing C. Vertical FDI D. Greenfield investment 60. (p. 249) In a licensing arrangement, the _____ bears the risk and cost of opening a foreign market. A. Licensee B. Licensor C. Acquiring firm D. Greenfield investor 61. (p. 250) Identify the theory that seeks to explain why firms often prefer foreign direct investment over licensing as a strategy for entering foreign markets. A. Internalization theory B. Internationalization theory C. Perfect markets theory D. Small markets theory 62. (p. 250) According to the internalization theory, all of the following are drawbacks of licensing as a strategy for exploiting foreign market opportunities, except A. Licensing does not grant control over manufacturing, marketing and to a licensee in return for a royalty fee B. Licensing may result in a firm’s giving away its know-how to a potential foreign competitor C. Licensing does not give the firm the tight control over manufacturing, marketing and strategy that may be required to profitably exploit its advantage D. A firms capabilities such as the management, marketing and manufacturing are often not amenable to licensing 63. (p. 250) ______ is also known as market imperfections theory. A. Internationalization theory B. Internalization theory C. Perfect markets theory D. Small markets theory 64. (p. 251) If four firms control 80 percent of a domestic market, then ______ exists. A. An oligopoly B. A monopoly C. An oligarchy D. Vertical integration 65. (p. 251) According to Knickerbocker A. The firms that pioneer a product in their home markets undertake FDI to produce a product for consumption in a foreign market B. When a firm that is part of an oligopolistic industry expands into a foreign market, other firms in the industry will be compelled to make similar investments C. Combining location-specific assets or resource endowments and the firm’s own unique assets often requires FDI D. Impediments to the sale of know-how increase the profitability of FDI relative to licensing 66. (p. 252) The eclectic paradigm was developed by A. F. T. Knickerbocker B. Adam Smith C. Raymond Vernon D. John Dunning 67. (p. 252) When two or more enterprises encounter each other in different regional markets, national markets or industries, there is A. Vertical integration B. Horizontal integration C. Multipoint competition D. Monopolistic competition 68. (p. 252) The product life cycle suggests that A. Often the same firms that pioneer a product in their home markets undertake FDI to produce a product for consumption in foreign markets B. When a firm that is part of an oligopolistic industry expands into a foreign market, other firms in the industry will be compelled to make similar investments C. Combining location-specific assets or resource endowments and the firm’s own unique assets often requires FDI D. Impediments to the sale of know-how increase the profitability of FDI relative to licensing 69. (p. 253) The _____ suggests that a firm will establish production facilities where foreign assets or resource endowments that are important to the firm are located. A. Product life cycle B. Strategic behavior theory C. Multipoint competition theory D. Eclectic paradigm 70. (p. 253) Advantages that arise from using resource endowments or assets that are tied to a particular location and that a firm finds valuable to combine with its own unique assets are known as A. Location specific advantages B. Resource specific advantages C. Competitive advantages D. Directional advantages 71. (p. 253) John Dunning, a champion of the eclectic paradigm, argues that A. The firms that pioneer a product in their home markets undertake FDI to produce a product for consumption in a foreign market B. When a firm that is part of an oligopolistic industry expands into a foreign market, other firms in the industry will be compelled to make similar investments C. Combining location-specific assets or resource endowments and the firm’s own unique assets often requires FDI D. Impediments to the sale of know-how increase the profitability of FDI relative to licensing 72. (p. 254) According to the _____ view of FDI, MNEs extract profits from the host country and take them to their home country, giving nothing of value to the host country in exchange. A. Imperialist B. Conservative C. Free market D. Radical 73. (p. 254) Which of the following is not a reason that the radical position of MNEs was in retreat by the end of the 1980s? A. The strong economic performance of those developing countries that embraced capitalism rather than radical ideology B. The collapse of communism in Eastern Europe C. The generally abysmal economic performance of those countries that embraced the radical position D. A growing belief in many capitalist countries that MNE’s tightly controls key technology and that important jobs in the MNEs’ foreign subsidiaries go to home-country nationals 74. (p. 255) According to _____ international production should be distributed among countries according to the theory of comparative advantage. A. The radical view B. The eclectic view C. Pragmatic nationalism D. The free market view 75. (p. 256) A distinctive aspect of _____ is the tendency to aggressively court FDI believed to be in the national interest by, for example, offering subsidies to foreign MNEs in the form of tax breaks or grants. A. The dogmatic view B. Pragmatic nationalism C. The radical view D. The conservative view 76. (p. 257) When a company brings capital and/or technology to a host country, the host country benefits from the A. Competitive effect of FDI B. The resource transfer effect of FDI C. The balance of payments effect of FDI D. The effect on competition and economic growth 77. (p. 258) When jobs are created in local suppliers as a result of the FDI and when jobs are created because of increased local spending by employees of the MNE, the MNE has a _____ effect on employment. A. Direct B. Indirect C. Inward D. Outward 78. (p. 259) A _____ keeps track of a country’s payments to and its receipts from other countries. A. Federal payments ledger B. Current accounting system C. Checks and balances account D. Balance of payments account 79. (p. 259) The _____ tracks the export and import of goods and services. A current account deficit or trade deficit as it is often called, arises when a country is importing more goods and services than it is exporting. A. Current account B. Debit account C. Surplus account D. Capital account 80. (p. 261) Three costs of FDI concerns of host countries arise from all of the following except A. Adverse effects on competition within the host nation B. Adverse effects on the balance of payments C. The perceived loss of national sovereignty and autonomy D. Debit on the current account of the home country’s balance of payments 81. (p. 262) FDI undertaken to serve the home market is known as A. Greenfield investment B. FDI substitution C. Offshore production D. Home market FDI 82. (p. 263) Double taxation is A. Charging double taxes in the home country B. Charging double taxes in the host country C. Taxation of income in both home and host country D. Paying income taxes at twice the normal rate 83. (p. 264) _____ are controls over the behavior of the MNE’s local subsidiary. A. Performance requirements B. Ownership restraints C. Double taxation laws D. Greenfield restrictions 84. (p. 267) Licensing would be a good option for firms in which of the following industries? A. High-technology industries in which protecting firm-specific expertise is of paramount importance and licensing is hazardous B. Global oligopolies, in which competitive interdependence requires that multinational firms maintain tight control over foreign operations C. Industries in which intense cost pressures require that multinational firms maintain tight control over foreign operations D. In fragmented, low technology industries in which globally dispersed manufacturing is not an option 85. (p. 267) _____ is essentially the service industry version of licensing, although it normally involves much longer term commitments. A. Franchising B. Subsidizing C. Greenfield investment D. Patenting Essay Questions 86. (p. 242) Discuss the connection between foreign direct investment and multinational enterprises? Foreign direct investment (FDI) occurs when a firm invests directly in new facilities to produce and/or market a product in a foreign country. The U.S. Department of Commerce states that FDI occurs whenever a U.S. citizen, organization or affiliated group takes an interest of 10 percent or more in a foreign business entity. Once affirm undertakes FDI, it becomes a multinational enterprise. 87. (p. 242) What are the two forms of foreign direct investment? The two forms of FDI are Greenfield investment or establishing a new operation in a foreign country and mergers and acquisitions whereby a company expands internationally through an existing firm. Acquisitions can be minority, majority or a 100% ownership position. 88. (p. 242) Discuss the trends in FDI over the last 30 years. Be sure to differentiate between the stock of FDI and the flow if FDI. The flow of FDI refers to the amount of FDI undertaken over a given period, while the stock of FDI refers to the total accumulated value of foreign-owned assets at a given time. Over the last 30 years there has been a marked increase in both the flow and the stock of FDI in the world economy. Over this period, the flow of FDI accelerated faster than the growth in world trade and world output. 89. (p. 242) Discuss the reasons for the growth in FDI over the last 30 years. FDI has grown more rapidly than world trade and world output for several reasons. First, many companies see FDI as a means of circumventing potential trade barriers. Second, political and economic changes in many of the world developing nations has been encouraging FDI. Finally, the globalization of the world economy is having a positive impact on the volume of FDI as firms now see the whole world as their market. 90. (p. 242-248) What is a Greenfield investment? How does it compare to an acquisition? Which form of FDI is a firm more likely choose? Explain your answer. FDI can take the form of a Greenfield investment in a new facility or an acquisition of or a merger with an existing local firm. Research show s that most FDI takes the form of mergers and acquisitions rather than Greenfield investment. Mergers and acquisitions are more popular for three reasons. First, mergers and acquisitions are quicker to execute than Greenfield investments. Second, foreign firms are acquired because those firms have valuable strategic assets. Third, firms make acquisitions because they believe they can increase the efficiency of the acquired firm by transferring capital, technology or management skills. 91. (p. 248) Discuss the shift in FDI from manufacturing to services. What is driving the trend? Over the last twenty years, the sector composition of FDI has shifted from extractive industries and manufacturing toward services. By 2004, some 66 percent of the stock of FDI was in services. Four factors are driving the shift to services. First, the shift reflects the general move in many developed economies away from manufacturing and toward service industries. Second, many services cannot be traded internationally and FDI is a principal was to bring services to foreign markets. Third, many count ries have liberalized their regimes governing FDI in services making the option more attractive to firms. Finally, the rise of Internet-based global telecommunications networks has allowed some service enterprises to relocate some of their value creation activities to different nations to take advantage of favorable factor costs. 92. (p. 249) Consider why firms selling products with low value-to-weight ratios choose FDI over exporting. Products with low value-to-weight ratios such as soft drinks or cement are frequently produced in the market where they are consumed. When transportation costs are added to production costs, it becomes unprofitable to shift such products over a long distance. For firms that can produce low value-to-weight products at almost any location the attractiveness of exporting decreases and FDI or licensing becomes more appealing. 93. (p. 250) Discuss the market imperfections explanation of FDI. What is its relationship with internalization theory? Market imperfections or factors that inhibit markets from working perfectly, provide a major explanation of why firms prefer FDI to either exporting or licensing. In the international business literature, the marketing imperfections approach is referred to as internalization theory. According to the theory, FDI will be preferred when there are impediments that make both exporting and the sale of know-how difficult and/or expensive. 94. (p. 250) What is licensing? How does it work? Licensing occurs when a domestic firm, the licensor, licenses to a foreign firm, the licensee, the right to produce its product, to use its production processes or to use its brand name or trademark. In return, the licensor collects royalty fees on every unit the licensee sells or on total licensee revenues. The licensor also benefits from the arrangement in that the licensee bears the cost and risk of expanding into a foreign market. 95. (p. 250) Compare and contrast the advantages of foreign direct investment over exporting and licensing. A firm will favor foreign direct investment over exporting as an entry strategy when transportation costs or trade barriers make exporting unattractive. Furthermore, the firm will favor foreign direct investment over licensing (or franchising) when it wishes to maintain control over its technological know-how or over its operations and business strategy or when the firm’s capabilities are simply not amenable to licensing, as may often be th e case. 96. (p. 251) Consider the notion that FDI flows are a reflection of strategic rivalry between firms in the global marketplace. What is the main limitation of the theory? The strategic behavior approach to explain FDI was initially expounded by Knickerbockers who argued that in an oliogopolistic industry, a â€Å"follow the leader† mentality will prompt firms to pursue FDI when another firm in the industry  has already done so. However, the theory fails to explain why the first firm decided to undertake FDI, rather than export or license. 97. (p. 252) What is multipoint competition? How do firms respond to multipoint competition? Multipoint competition arises when two or more enterprises encounter each other in different regional markets, national markets or industries. Economic theory suggests that firms will try to match each other’s moves in different markets to try to hold each other in check. If a firm is successful with this strategy, the firm will ensure that a rival does not take a commanding position in one market and then use the profits generated in that market to underwrite competitive attacks in other markets. 98. (p. 252) Explain the product life cycle theory and its connection with FDI. The product life cycle theory, developed by Ray Vernon, suggests that the same firms that pioneer a product in their home country will undertake FDI to produce a product for consumption in foreign markets. According to the theory, firms will invest in industrialized countries when demand in those countries is sufficient to sup port local production. They subsequently shift production to developing countries when product standardization and market saturation give rise to price competition and cost pressures. Investment in developing countries, where labor costs are lower is seen as the best way to reduce costs. 99. (p. 252-253) What are location-specific advantages? How do they help explain FDI? Location specific advantages are advantages that arise from using resource endowments or assets that are tied to a particular foreign location and that a firm finds valuable to combine with its own unique assets. Natural resources such as oil and minerals for example, are specific to certain locations. Firms must undertake FDI to exploit such foreign resources. 100. (p. 253) Explain John Dunning’s position on FDI. What is the eclectic paradigm? John Dunning has argued that to fully understand FDI it is important to consider the role of location specific advantages. According to Dunning, a firm will be prompted to undertake FDI in an effort to exploit assets that are specific to a particular location. Dunning’s theory, the eclectic paradigm, combines the arguments of internalization theory with the notion of location-specific advantages to suggest that combining location-specific assets or resource endowments and the firm’s own unique capabilities often requires the firm to establish production facilities where the foreign assets or resource endowments are  located. 101. (p. 254-256) Discuss the various political ideologies and their impact on foreign direct investment. The radical view writers argue that the multinational enterprise (MNE) is an instrument of imperialist domination. The free market view argues that international production should be distributed among countries according to the theory of comparative advantage. The pragmatic nationalist view is that FDI has both benefits and costs. The radical view has a dogmatic radical stance that is hostile to all inward FDI The free market view is at the other extreme and based on noninterventionist principle of free market economics. Between these two extremes is an approach called pragmatic nationalism. 102. (p. 257-262) Discuss the benefits and costs of FDI from the perspective of a host country and from the perspective of the home country. The main benefits of inward FDI for a host country arise from resource-transfer effects, employment effects, balance-of-payments effects and effects on competition and economic growth. Three costs of FDI concern host countries. They arise from possible adverse effects on competition within the host nation, adverse effects on the balance of payments and the perceived loss of national sovereignty and autonomy. The benefits of FDI to the home (source) country arise from three sources. First, the home country’s balance of payments benefits from the inward flow of foreign earnings. Second, benefits to the home country from outward FDI arise from employment effects. Third, benefits arise when the home-country MNE learns valuable skills from its exposure to foreign markets that can subsequently be transferred back to the home country. The most important cost/concern of FDI for the home country centers on the balance-of-payments and employment effects of outward FDI. 103. (p. 266-267) Describe the situations when licensing is not a good option for a firm. Licensing is not a good option in three situations. First, licensing is hazardous in high-tech industries where protecting firm-specific expertise is very important. Second, licensing is not attractive in global oligopolies where tight control is necessary so that firms have the ability to launch coordinated attacks against global competitors. Finally, in industries where intense cost pressures require that MNEs maintain tight control over foreign operations, licensing is not the best option. 104. (p. 267) What is franchising? What type of firm uses franchising as a means of expanding into foreign markets? Franchising is essentially the service-industry version of licensing. With franchising, the firm licenses its brand name to a foreign firm in return for a percentage of the franchisee’s profits. The franchising contract specifies the conditions that the franchisee must fulfill if it is to use the franchisor’s brand name. Franchise agreements usually have a longer time commitment than do licensing arrangements. Franchising is common in the fast food industry because fast food cannot be exported, because franchising minimizes the costs and risks associated with opening a foreign market, because brand names are relatively easy to protect, because there is no compelling reason for a firm to have tight control over franchisees and because fast food know-how is easily transferred. 105. (p. 267) How useful are the product life cycle theory and Knickerbocker’s theory of horizontal FDI to business? The product life cycle theory and Knickerbocker’s theory of horizontal FDI to business are not particularly useful from a business perspective because the theories are descriptive rather than analytical. The theories are useful for explaining historical patterns of FDI, but they do a poor job of identifying the factors that influence the relative probability of FDI, licensing and exporting.

Managing Global Hospitality Issues, Hospitality Management Essay

Managing Global Hospitality Issues, Hospitality Management - Essay Example This report stresses that strategic HRM suggests that human resource management practices of Thistle Euston are most effective when coordinated with strategic goals of organisations. Moreover the main proposes that ready linkage among the business strategy and the policy towards employees are key, in spirit they fit HRM with the strategic objectives of the Thistle Euston. The aim of strategic HRM is to ensure that the culture, styles and structure of the Thistle Euston and the quality and commitment of its employees contribute fully to the business objectives. This paper makes a conclusion that the development of various technologies over the last decade has had a significant effect on the way Thistle Euston hotels are booked, as well as the facilities that are provided within hotels, such as broadband Internet and digital TV. According to the Mintel Report, internet penetration appears to be far from slowing, reaching 57% of the UK population in April 2004, with broadband and interactive digital TV having both reached 19%. Many of the larger hotel groups are thus investing heavily in their online booking systems as well as providing Internet access within their hotels. Thus, customers have the opportunity to retain their home-from-home comforts, or in the case of business guests, office-from-office facilities and amenities. While hoteliers have held occupancy relatively steady during the downturn by cutting rates in the past, the recently strengthening demand indicates that rates can now be raised.

Factors to consider when setting wages Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Factors to consider when setting wages - Essay Example It is necessary to consider some parameters when determining the wages to be paid to employees. When a multinational corporation is operating in a foreign country, the human resource director has to set the appropriate wages for both the local employees and expatriates. There exist differences in the cost of living between the host country and the home country. When expatriates move to a new environment, they expect some changes in their salaries. This is because there may be hardships experienced while working in a foreign country. The wages of expatriate managers and engineers in the case of multinational food processing company is likely to be influenced by the salary scales in their home countries. On the contrary, the wages of local managers, engineers, and manufacturing staff will be determined by factors in the local markets (Ajami, 2006). Factors to consider while setting the wages for expatriate managers and engineers The calculation of expatriate pay borrows a lot from the wages that the expatriates could receive if they were working in their home country. ... For example, the expatriates may decide to settle in the capital cities of Australia, Russia, and India. The cost of living in the capital cities is always high since some of the lavish estates tend to be occupied by the elite and the political class. Given the high cost of living in such places, it would be vital for the HR director to offer competitive wages to the expatriate engineers and managers (Ajami, 2006). Since multinational companies establish their businesses in the key towns and cities of the host countries, the setting of wages for the expatriates should consider the high cost of living in such cities. Therefore, as a human resource director, I would set wages that can be adequate for the expatriate managers and engineers to cater for their needs. Another vital factor, which I would consider as a human resource director while determining the wages of expatriate managers and engineers, is the law governing the compensation packages for the expatriates. Czinkota (2008, p. 323) observes that while setting the wages of expatriate managers, it is crucial to consider both the law of the home country and the host country laws regarding the wages of expatriates. As a human resource director, it is vital to have the knowledge of both the local laws and the laws of the host country regarding payment of wages. This is remarkably crucial in order to ensure that the set wages do not conflict the local laws. The laws of host countries dictate the standard wages that should be paid to expatriates. Setting high wages for the expatriates may contradict the local laws in the host countries and lead to conflicts between the multinational corporation and the government of the host country. The other crucial factor to consider

Women in the Workplace and the US Economy Essay

Women in the Workplace and the US Economy - Essay Example The number of female CEOs, leaders and entrepreneurs has increased several times1. It does not mean that women have become more man-like or that their abilities have improved. The cause of this change is that women have been finally noticed by man-ruled world. According to statistics, women's share in administrative and managerial positions (year 2000) was approximately 30 percent. Moreover, United States has the highest share of women in decision making related to national economy. The gap between men and women work participation fell from 50 percent in 1950 to only 15 percent in 1998. As it was noted at the International Women's Policy Research Conference, "without dramatic infusion of women into the workforce, the economic expansion of the last 50 years would not have been possible; the economy would have been plagued by a shortage of workers.2" In addition, the labor costs would have add to the inflation - the fewer workers would lead to the decreased family incomes and federal revenues. Further, the production level would drop and lead to the economic deficit. Women participation in workforce has the same positive impact on the American economy today as it had in 1950s. In few years the baby boomers will start to retire, working wome n will become the foundation of economic expansion. Even if the workforce will grow at 1 percent per year, the ... Nevertheless, these dramatic projections can be avoided, as economists note, if women participation in workforce is encouraged and supported. Looking back on the historical role of women, they have increased the workforce by 30 percent after the WW II and have laid the foundation for the sustained employment gains during that time3. In addition to the general contribution of working women to American economy, there are also numerous advantages women bring to the success of national companies. Today more and more companies are recruiting and promoting women into senior positions. Women succeed not only in positions and industries historically considered appropriate for them, but in the areas which were always male dominated - manufacturing, engineers and especially financial services. Half of the Fortune 500 companies have women on their corporate board of directors4. There are several reasons why women are being sought for leading positions. First, they represent the previously unnoticed pool of talents. Second, they bring the new dimension to the management of group. Third, women bring alternative perspectives to the table. As the result, the increased number of women in the workplace creates the competitive advantage because 80 percent of all consumers spending in American is done by women. Thus female leader s understand better the needs of customers. Increased spending is good not only for the company's revenues, but for the whole economy as well. In addition to being successful leaders of corporations, women have proved to be highly skilled in operating small firms. The majority women-owned firms are growing at the rate twice the American average. These firms contribute $1.1 trillion in revenues to

Causes of World War I Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Causes of World War I - Research Paper Example The second industrial revolution also resulted in unprecedented horrors of war just because this was an industrial war that saw for the first time weapons like machine gun, barbed wire, heavy artillery, tanks, airplanes and zeppelins, bombs and grenades, poisonous gas, submarines and gunboats (Junger, 1920). The   steam   engine   and development of rail lines meant   that   more   artillery   could   be   deployed   to   the   armies, and   the   armies   could   be   kept   clothed, fed, and   armed   indefinitely   (Junger, 1920; Best et al., 2004). The result was unprecedented volume of casualties. For example, in 1916 alone, the Germans lost 850,000 men, French lost 700,000 and the British lost 400,000 men (Merriman, ---year, 907).  Q2: The   nature   of   the   â€Å"The   Great   War†.  The   nature   of   WWI   was   grim and not even closer to what was anticipated   by   the   countries   when    they   decided   to   stage   it. Two of the elements that made it really grim were that it was a â€Å"total war† and also an industrial war. A â€Å"total war† in this context means that it was a global war involving nations across the world, secondly, it was a war in which the nations were totally equipped in terms of weapons and technology to wage an unprecedented war, and thirdly, it actually brought into the battle field, all the social, political and economical resources available for all nations involved. It could be called a global war just because the European states collected the resources needed for war from its Asian and African colonies, and troupes and laborers were imported into Britain and France from these colonies. The Middle East, Japan and the USA were also participants in the war in one way or other. The role of industrialization in deciding the nature of the war was also manifold. As â€Å"mechanized production† replaced the à ¢â‚¬Å"primacy of agriculture†, international trade grew resulting in the emergence of a more influential public (Best et al., 2004).5 Another consequence of this was that the public â€Å"

Changes made to New York State labor law due to social media, gender Essay

Changes made to New York State labor law due to social media, gender expression, and bullying - Essay Example Under the federal law of New York State, discrimination may occur when a person is treated differently in a manner that causes an adverse impact to an employee based on his age, gender, disability, sexual orientation amongst other forms of discrimination. New York State Labor Law on Social Media Social media affects most aspects of individuals including employees, and therefore, employers must be able to familiarize themselves with the legal ramifications or implications of their use by the employees. New York introduced legislation in 2012 that prohibited employers from delving into the social media account of would-be applicants for the employment opportunities in their firms or employees through the soliciting of social media accounts or requiring them to log into their accounts. New York State labor laws also protect employees from any disciplinary action or their employment from termination on account of activities done in the social media when they are off-duty. It is important to note that the labor law concerning labor law in New York is written in broad terms to prohibit the employers from discriminating against employees or job applicants for their lawful engagement in social media during non-working hours and outside the premises of the employer, though the engagement in social media may seem contrary to the employer’s interests, practices and policies. The New York Labor Law Section 201-d (2) (c) prohibits the discrimination of an employee for his participation in legal recreational activities outside the working hours and the recreational activities are defined as any lawful activity done at the leisure time for which an employee is not compensated but the employee only engages in it for recreational purposes.1 This section however has not adequately addressed whether social networking can be grouped as a recreational activity, and therefore an employee who engages in an activity that goes contrary to the business interest of the company wil l only be prosecuted by the courts on a case-by-case basis.2 New York State Labor Law on Gender Expression New York has enacted different legislation that protects employees who may suffer from the decisions of their employers due to discrimination based on gender. The labor laws of this state prohibits any employer from having considerations based on your gender at the time of hiring, promoting, transferring, setting wages or hours of work, or when firing any employee from duty. The prohibition against discrimination based on gender is enshrined in Title VII which is a federal law in New York State. This also covers sex discrimination against female employees that may arise from practices or policies that affect the female employees in a negative manner because of pregnancy, child birth and other medical conditions that usually affect females only. The New York State Human Rights Law also expressly prohibits discrimination based on pregnancy,3 and the Equal Pay Act is a federal law of New York State that requires that employers remunerate men and women equal pay for equal work done within the same or similar establishment.4 Two job descriptions can be deemed to be similar or the same if and when each job requires the same skills and

Manufacturing and Production Enterprises Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Manufacturing and Production Enterprises - Essay Example CIM is the core avenue towards realization of success in U.S manufacturing. It involves integration of all components that are essential in production process and is a unifying factor of basic functional areas of manufacturing firms. It integrates design, production and management ensuring effective and quality production (Markert & Backer, 2009). Obstacles preventing high velocity in production such as complex setups, poor physical flow, excess material handling and interruptions in production process have been resolved by adopting lean manufacturing. Lean manufacturing simultaneously integrates the various aspects of product design, development and production. Just –in-time (JIT) has facilitated reduction of cost, production of high quality products and on-time production through, minimization of idle facilities, equipment’s or workers. Its main emphasis is having the right part, at right time, in the right quantities in manufacturing area (Markert & Backer, 2009). Many organizations have also undergone restructuring to reduce managerial layers and increase profits. This has put more decision making and responsibilities to line managers and the assembly line workers. Companies are adopting supply- chain management, which makes significant changes in the way a particular product is produced. As a result, dependence on external suppliers and outsourcing has increased helping organizations manage inventory and maximize production (Markert & Backer, 2009). Organizations have been struggling with cost especially the cost of material handling. Material requirement planning (MRP) is one technique that helps firm plan future purchase orders and production lots according to the required material to complete a production schedule. Intensive global competetion is a key driver of the ongoing trend of strategic implementation of

Describe The Factors To Consider Essay Example for Free

Describe The Factors To Consider Essay There are a number of factors to consider when promoting effective communication. When using verbal communication with patients it is important to speak looking at them, speaking slowly and clearly and using simple language,. It is important to note that when working with patients with learning disabilities we have made sure they have understood what I have said. When speaking with colleagues or professionals the language I use can be more complex and often I will speak faster however most factors remain the same, it is still important that information given verbally is clear and concise. An example of this is when this is when I have mentored new staff I make sure I talk over everything slowly and clearly and I also get then to repeat some of that information back to show they have understood. Verbally communicating in this way will differ dependant on weather I am talking on a one to one basis or to a group. If I am talking to a group I must remember to address everyone and not exclude anyone. When using non-verbal communication there are many different factors to consider. For example, if I am slummed back in a chair, it may show that I am not interested in the conversation. Eye contact is also very important as this can show that I am engaged in the conversation, other things to consider would be hand gestures, body language and facial expressions, for example, if I frown or have my arms folded I may give a negative impression. Finally it is important to remember that for effective communication to take place it involves both parties to be engaged. Being able to listen well is vital in a two way conversations.

Looking At Jargon And Acronyms English Language Essay

Looking At Jargon And Acronyms English Language Essay According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, jargon is the technical terminology or characteristic idiom of a special activity or group. In other words, Jargon is a highly specialized terminology different from the standard form of language. It is a sort of shorthand to quickly convey messages between group members. It is usually considered to be a communication barrier as it is difficult to understand by people unfamiliar with the specialized terminology. Fields that are extensively characterized by jargon include medical, engineering, sports, Information Technology , Internet and many more. Consider your target audience before including jargon in your writing. If your writing is aimed at a person familiar with the specific field, then the use of jargon is appropriate. It results in an efficient transferring of information to experts in a language they are familiar with. If, however, the intended audience is a lay person, avoid the use of jargon. Include clear descriptions and definitions instead. In such cases, use of jargon creates a distance between your writing and the reader. Some examples of computer jargon are as follows: Burn Create a CD or DVD. Character A letter of the alphabet, number, space or punctuation mark For a detailed list of computer jargon and acronyms visit the following link: http://www.jonstorm.com/glossary/ Some examples of medical jargon are as follows:   Abduction to move a limb or some other body part away from the midline of the body. Breath sounds the sounds heard through a stethoscope placed on the chest over the lungs For a detailed list of medical jargon and acronyms visit the following link: http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~kemmer/Words04/usage/jargon_medical.html Some examples of physics jargon are as follows:  Ã‚   Singularity A negative point in space and time where all laws of quantum physics are meaningless, because all aspects take on infinite values. Ground State- is the lowest amount of energy as determined by quantum rules For a detailed list of physics jargon visit the following link: http://www.sciforums.com/showthread.php?t=73869 Some examples of financial jargon are as follows:  Ã‚   Ask The price at which someone who owns a security offers to sell it; also known as the asked price. Market Close Date Date on which the closing Net Asset Value (NAV) was last calculated. For a detailed list of financial jargons and acronyms visit the following link: http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~kemmer/Words04/usage/jargon_financial.html Some examples of legal jargon are as follows Motion the request made by either side to the court requesting the court to rule or take action on their behalf. Bench term used to refer to judges or the court. For a detailed list of legal jargons and acronyms visit the following link: http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~kemmer/Words04/usage/jargon_legal.html Following is an article from AutoBiz( Irelands Motor Magazine) Thursday, January 10, 2008 Buyers baffled by techno jargon The average car buyer is completely baffled by technical jargon and does not know his ABS from his SUV. That is the finding of a survey conducted by website motoring.co.uk of 2,500 would-be car purchasers. 32% of drivers surveyed did not know that ABS stood for anti-lock braking system and 23% failed to associate BHP with brake horsepower. Katie Armitage, marketing manager of Motors.co.uk, commented boot space, comfort and cup holders are the kind of things buyers want to know about rather than being overwhelmed with technical jargon they dont understand. The 10 top terms that confused car buyers were: 1. SUV (sports utility vehicle) 2. MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) 3. BHP (brake horsepower) 4. ABS (anti-lock braking system) 5. Traction control 6. Cruise control 7. Hybrid 8. Understeer 9. 4WD (four wheel drive) 10. RDSS (radio determination satellite service) ACRONYM Acronyms often occur in jargon. According to answers.com (http://www.answers.com/acronym) An Acronym is a word formed from the initial letters of a name. Consider for example: ACE Angiotension-converting enzyme ADSL Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line Guidelines for Using Acronyms Use upper case for writing acronyms, and do not use periods. Acronyms are not capitalized in cases where they are used as common nouns for example, laser (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation), radar (Radio Detection and Ranging), or scuba (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus). When using an acronym, prefer the full form at the first point of usage and provide the acronym in parentheses. The next time when you use the acronym in the document the reader will not misinterpret it to something else. Following is an example illustrating this point. In most current applications of Computer-Aided drug Design (CADD), attempts were made to find the ligand that will interact favorably with a receptor that represents the target size. Binding of ligand to the receptor may include hydrophobic, electrostatic and hydrogen-binding interactions. In addition, solvation energies of the ligand and receptor site also are important partial to complete desolvation must occur prior to binding. This approach to CADD optimizes the fit of a ligand in a receptor site. This convention is necessary because an acronym may have different full forms in different fields, writing, and industry. Have a look at the following table: CADD Computer-Aided Drafting and Design CADD Computer-Aided Design Drafting CADD Computer-Aided Drug Design CADD Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate CADD Computer-Aided Design Development CADD Complex Add CADD Combat Air Delivery Division CADD Customer Acquisition Due Diligence (banking) CADD Computer Aided Detector Design CADD Computer Aided Design and Drafting Source: http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/Computer-Aided+Design+Development Another Example: ACE in medical terms means Angiotension-converting enzyme ACE in computer terms means Adaptive Communication Environment If you are writing an internal document feel free to use the most common acronyms prevalent in your organization or industry. There is no need to provide full form. If your text contains many acronyms, it is better to provide the readers with the list of terms. Use a lowercase s without an apostrophe to create plurals of acronyms. Neeru and her sister have identical IQs. Acronym Database: http://www.acronymdb.com/browse/ USE OF ABBREVIATIONS: Merriam Webster online dictionary describes abbreviation as a shortened form of a written word or phrase used in place of the whole. Abbreviations often confuse a reader try to keep them to a minimum by avoiding the usage of unnecessary abbreviations Following are some guidelines for using abbreviations: When using an abbreviation, prefer the full form at the first point of usage and provide the abbreviation in parentheses. The next time when you use the abbreviation in the document the reader will not misinterpret it to something else. Following is an example illustrating this point. Abbreviate terms and words in graphics to save space. Never use an abbreviation in the title of a paper. This gives rise to problems in indexing. Moreover, there may be a change in abbreviation which may give rise to problems of recognition of the abbreviation in the future. E.g. According to Daimler Annual Report, 2007 due to the transfer of a majority interest in Chrysler and the related change of the corporations name, the stock-exchange abbreviation was changed from DCX to DAI. Abbreviate certain words and phrases like Examples of some words: Dr., Mr., Ms., B.A., Ph.D., A.D. Examples of some phrases: et al. (and others in Latin) i.e. (that is in Latin) e.g. (for example in Latin) Do not use two abbreviations in a title of a person at the same time. For example: write either Dr. Har Gobind Khurana, or Har Gobind Khurana, Ph.D.; NOT Dr. Har Gobind Khurana, Ph.D. As stated in Mayfield Handbook of Scientific and Technical Writing, if you need to coin an abbreviation to make a word fit into some limited space, such as in a drawing or table, the most common approach is to cut the word off, five letters long or so, after the consonant following the first, second, or last syllable. Thus magnetic becomes mag. and environmental becomes envir. The usage of a or an before an abbreviation depends on the sound of the first alphabet of the spelled out term. For example: She possesses an M.Pharm degree. Note that you read out M.Pharm as em pharm and e is a vowel so you use an M.Pharm and not a M.Pharm. SI UNITS: As stated in Wikipedia -The International System of Units (SI) defines a set of base units, from which other derived units may be obtained. The abbreviations, or more accurately symbols (using Roman letters, or Greek in the case of ohm) for these units are also clearly defined together with a set of prefixes for which there are also abbreviations or symbols. The 11th General Conference on Weights and Measures (1960) adopted the name Systà ¨me International dUnità ©s (International System of Units, international abbreviation SI), for the recommended practical system of units of measurement. The base units are seven well-defined and dimensionally independent units. They are: the meter, the kilogram, the second, the ampere, the kelvin, the mole, and the candela. Derived units are defined as products of powers of the base units. When the product of powers includes no numerical factor other than one, the derived units are called coherent derived units. The base and coherent derived units of the SI form a coherent set, designated the set of coherent SI units (SI brochure, Section 1.4). Some guidelines to write the SI Units are as follows: Never insert a period after or inside a unit; both 5 c.m. and 5 c.m are wrong. Instead it should be written as 5 cm. Followed it with a period only if it is at the end of a sentence. In Section 5.3.3. of The International System of Units (SI), the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) states The numerical value always precedes the unit, and a space is always used to separate the unit from the number. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The only exceptions to this rule are for the unit symbols for degree, minute, and second for plane angle. This means always write 10 km and not km 10 And 10 km and not 10km Never change the case of letter of an SI unit. Each case may denote a different unit. E.g. S denotes siemens which is a unit of conductance whereas s denotes second which is a unit of time. However, symbol for litre is allowed to be L to help avoid misunderstanding with an upper case i (I)or a numeric one(1). Table 1: PREFIXES AND ABBREVIATIONS FOR SI UNITS Source: http://www.bipm.org/utils/common/pdf/si_brochure_8_en.pdf Table 2- SI UNITS Source: http://www.bipm.org/utils/common/pdf/si_brochure_8_en.pdf Table3- Examples of Derived units expressed in terms of base units Source: http://www.bipm.org/utils/common/pdf/si_brochure_8_en.pdf Table 4-Coherent derived units in the SI with special names and symbols Source: http://www.bipm.org/utils/common/pdf/si_brochure_8_en.pdf Table 5- Examples of SI coherent derived units whose names and symbols include SI coherent derived units with special names and symbols Source: http://www.bipm.org/utils/common/pdf/si_brochure_8_en.pdf Please visit NSTC website for the following: Select list of words, phrases and expressions that have to be avoided. Select list of common errors in spelling and style. Select list of accepted contractions and symbols.

Factors Effecting Literacy Development

Factors Effecting Literacy Development This essay looks at the development of Literacy from birth to school age including speaking, listening, viewing, reading and writing. It examines how hearing impairment relates to a childs overall Literacy development. Literacy is commonly considered the ability to read and write at a designated level of proficiency. But is more precisely defined as a technical capability to decode or reproduce written or printed signs, symbols, or letters combined into words. Traditionally, literacy has been closely associated with the alphabet and its role in written communication. However, it has become increasingly common to refer to different forms of literacy, such as computer, mathematical, or graphic literacy. Many experts believe that people need a combination of many different forms of literacy in order to meet the demands of modern day life. There are five developmental stages in a growing childs life. It all starts at birth, which is known as infancy, it lasts until age 2. Then there is early childhood which is from ages 2-6, and then comes middle childhood which is from 6-10 years old. Early adolescence is the next stage which spans from 10-14 years old and then late adolescence which is from 14-18 years old. The two stages that stand out most in development to me are middle childhood and late adolescence. From the earliest age in middle childhood to the oldest age in late adolescence, there is an eight year gap. There is so much growing done in between these two stages that the transition is truly remarkable. Emergent Literacy begins in the very early stages of childhood, and is the beginning of Literacy development, involving such activities as reading from pictures and writing with scribbles. Reading a book from memory while turning the pages of the book, develops a childs understanding of books and stories, as well as giving them a sense of accomplishment and pride, and is an important step towards becoming an independent reader. From the day children are born they require a form of communication in order to function adequately in society. A pre-speech baby will use gestures and expressions and babblings to interact with others. A toddler will participate in turn taking to satisfy a need or want. The more pre-schoolers participate in the world, the more they discover that language is useful. The First six years of childrens lives play a crucial part in their development. During this time, childrens brains develop at a astonishing rate. Parents and other family members play a key role i n early development, as their childrens first and most important teachers. Early Literacy development is not considered as teaching a child to read in a formal way, its about helping children to make sense of their world by developing strong oral language skills. Its about valuing home language and culture as building blocks, allowing children to explore the world of literacy. Its about providing lots of positive interactions between childrens older peers and parents. In addition to an environment which is rich in Literacy resources and models language and Literacy for young children to copy. The NWT Literacy council suggests it was generally considered that literacy development belonged mostly in schools, whilst children learnt to read and write. The formal teaching of writing and reading still happens at school, but Literacy doesnt begin when children start to learn the letters of the alphabet, or write their name, or go to school. The foundation for Literacy development begins much earlier- some people say it starts in the womb. The development is acquired thorough children interacting with adults and older children. Also through a childs play and experiences with Literacy resources such as stories, songs, rhymes, crayons, pens and paper. Children with a hearing impairment range from those with a mild hearing impairment to those who are profoundly deaf. They cover the whole ability range. Hearing impairment may be due to conductive or sensory-neural problems. Four categories are generally used: mild, moderate, severe and profound. In education, pupils are considered to have a hearing impairment if they need hearing aids, adaptations to the environment or particular teaching strategies in order to access the curriculum. Serious hearing lost occurs in about two per thousand of the population pg 1 (D, Goldstein) Briggle, S (2005, p.69) makes the point that literacy development for children who have hearing impairment is a multifaceted issue. Within Literacy development there any many parallels to hearing children, as well as some elements which are unique to children who are hearing impaired. It is well recognized that hearing is critical to speech and language development, communication, and learning. Children with listening difficulties due to hearing impairment or auditory processing problems continue to be an underidentified and underserved population. The earlier hearing impairment occurs in a childs life, the more serious the effects on the childs development. Similarly, the earlier the problem is identified and intervention begun, the less serious the ultimate impact. There are four major ways in which hearing impairment affects Literacy development in children. Firstly causing a delay in the development of receptive and expressive communication skills. Language deficit causes learning problems that often result in reduced academic achievement. Communication difficulties can often lead to social isolation, poor self-concept and may impact the childs ability to make choices. Vocabulary also develops more slowly in children who have a hearing impairment. Children with hearing impairment are able to learn concrete words like cat, jump, five, and red more easily than abstract words like before, after, equal to, and jealous. They also have difficulty with function words like the, an, are, and a. The gap between the vocabulary of children with normal hearing and those with hearing impairment widens with age. Children with hearing impairment are not able to catch up without appropriate early intervention. Children with hearing impairment also have difficulty understanding words with multiple meanings. It is common for children with hearing impairment to comprehend and produce shorter and simpler sentences than children with normal hearing. Children with hearing impairment often have difficulty understanding and writing complex sentences, such as those with relative clauses or passive voice. Children with hearing impairment often cannot hear word endings such as -s or -ed. This can lead to misunderstandings and misuse of verb tense, pluralisation and possessives. Children with hearing impairment often cannot hear quiet speech sounds such as s, sh, f, t, and k and therefore do not include them in their speech. Therefore, speech may be difficult to understand. Children with hearing impairment may not hear their own voices when they speak. They may speak too loudly or not loud enough. They may have a speaking pitch that is too high. They may sound like they are mumbling because of poor stress, poor inflection, or poor rate of speaking. Lastly, children with hearing impairment have difficulty with all areas of academic achievement, especially reading and mathematical concepts. Children with mild to moderate hearing impairments, on average, achieve one to four grade levels lower than their peers with normal hearing, unless appropriate management occurs. Children with severe to profound hearing impairment usually achieve skills no higher than Ks3/4, unless appropriate educational intervention occurs early. The gap in academic achievement between children with normal hearing and those with hearing impairment usually widens as they progress through school. The level of achievement is related to parental involvement and the quantity, quality, and timing of the support services children receive. By the age of three years the average normally hearing child has a vocabulary of approximately 1,000 words (Bond, D. 1981p.g 19) Children learn this language from what they hear and by the age of three master many grammatical elements of language. The hearing impaired child may not have the advantage of comforting and reassuring sounds within their environment, unless directly directed towards them. Even with the assistance of hearing aids and recent technology advances many hearing impaired children report listening unpleasant. Research into Childrens language acquisition in recent years has provided detailed information on the way in which sentence structures and grammatical systems develop within language. Language acquisition is essentially creative; that is, children deduce for themselves the rules which govern the production and comprehension of language Davison, M. Pg25 The second important factor is that all children learning English seem to follow a very similar pattern of development. In every child there are differences in the rate of acquisition and the precise order in which new structures are required, although there is a clear developmental trend in the way children develop and this can be used when assessing an individual childs language In order to support the development of literacy the government have implemented both initiatives and frameworks. The department for education have introduced and implemented the National Strategy; within this is the Primary Framework for Literacy. The framework is the guideline for all aspects of teaching and literacy development in schools. The National Strategy, which is now part of the Primary National Strategy, has been in place since 1998. In March 2006, Jim Rose released the Independent review of teaching of early reading. This report outlined the principles of high quality work within a language rich curriculum that gives rise to high standards of reading and writing. The Rose report outlined two obvious but linked procedures involved in teaching children to read, the ability to recognise words and the comprehension of language. The Rose review had a huge impact on the teaching of literacy, influencing positively both planning and teaching significantly.

Gay Marriage Should Be Legal Essay -- Same-Sex Marriage Essays

As many minority groups in the United States have fought for their civil rights in past decades, it is the gay community that now finds itself striving for equal opportunities in our culturally diverse nation. Although they have already come a long way in the path of acceptance, most recently the gay community has had to confront extremist conservative groups who claim that allowing same-sex couples to join in a civilly recognized union violates the act of a traditional, sacred marriage. Gay and lesbian individuals feel that, like any other group, they should not be denied rights that are typically bestowed upon heterosexual couples who are recognized by the federal government. Certainly, there are states that have drafted and created protections for same-sex couples under civil unions and domestic partnership laws, however, the formation of such ordinances creates a separate and unequal status for some of America's citizens. As the precedent set by Brown V. The Board of Education exhibited in 1955, which pleaded a case for racial equality, the same theory of creating a separate but equal environment for groups of any nature has been proven to be unconstitutional. On June 26, 2015, the US Supreme Court ruled that the US Constitution guarantees the right for same-sex couples to marry. Most Americans opposing the Supreme Court ruling allowing same-sex marriages belong to conservative, religious, or Republican groups. These opponents of homosexual equality fear that the allowance of same-sex marriages will lessen the validity of heterosexual marriages and make a mockery of the tradition that brings two loving souls together. Many argue that marriage is a sacred union between a man and a woman established for ... ...ago; those laws were overturned in 1967 and are now seen as absurd and discriminatory. Obviously, legalizing gay marriage in the United States will simplify the lives of same-sex couples and provide them with marriage benefits ranging from countless legal protections to rights allowing them to adopt, raise and share custody of children. Yes, civil unions and domestic partnership laws are leading the gay community in a positive direction as these laws are beneficiary to gay and lesbian couples. However, these protections are simply not representative of the American ideal that all men are created equal. DOMA restricts the recognition of gay and lesbian marriages or unions on a state-to-state level. If as citizens we truly are equal, then why aren't heterosexual marriages only recognized by the states that issue their marriage certificates?

Cerebral Palsy Essay -- Diseases Health Genetics Essays

Cerebral Palsy Cerebral Palsy is a generic term that is applied to a non-progressive motor disorder. Approximately (2).% of children born today will have some form of cerebral palsy (CP). There are four main categories in which CP disorders are placed. First, Spastic syndromes due to upper motor neuron involvement are representative of 70% of CP cases (8). Subgroups of this include hemiplegia (21%), quadriplegia (27%), and diplegia (21%), which is a mixture of quadriplegia and paraplegia (8). The hemiplegics of this group often have mild or less severe speech impediments than the other subgroups (8). Second, athetoid and dyskinetic syndromes occur in about 20% of the cases (8). This group has the slow, writhing movements and choreiform like movements of the distal extremities also (8). These movements cease during sleep and increase when they become upset. Speech impairment is also often found in these patients (8). Third, ataxics’ (10%) have cerebellar involvement, wide based gait, intentio n tremors, problems doing fine movements, and incoordination weakness (8). Fourth, mixed forms of the above named groups are the most common, with spastic and athetoid symptoms being the most often paired. Convulsive seizures are often found in CP patients which often adds to the problems (8). Other associated problems include cognitive impairment, vision and hearing impairments, problems with communication, emotional deficits, behavioral problems and feeding problems (3). Spastic hemiplegics and paraplegics are the most likely to be of normal intelligence (3). Hemiplegics have the lowest incidence of mental retardation with about 40% of them (3). In CP patients it appears that the higher the degree of spasticity the greater the other pr... ...developmental disorder. Adv. Exp. Med. Biol., 1992, 318: 307-14. 3. Eicher, P. and Batshaw, M. Cerebral Palsy. Pediatr. Clin. North- Am., 1993, Jun; 40(3): 537-548. 4. Hughes, I. and Newton, R. Genetic Aspects of Cerebral Palsy. Dev. Med. Child Neurol., 1992, Jan; 34(1): 80-86. 5. Melone, P., Ernest, J., O’Shea, M., Klinepeter, K. Appropriateness of intrapartum fetal heart rate management and risk of Cerebral Palsy. Am. J. Obs. Gyn., 1991 (Aug.), 165: 272-277. 6. Powell, T. et. al. Cerebral Palsy in Low-birth weight Infants. II. Spastic Diplegia Associations with Fetal Immaturity. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 1988, 30:19-25. 7. Vargha-Khadem, F. et. al. Development of intelligence and Memory in Children with Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy. Brain, 1992, 115: 315-329. 8. The Merck Manual, Pediatrics and Genetics, Chpt. 198, pg. 2110. Cerebral Palsy Essay -- Diseases Health Genetics Essays Cerebral Palsy Cerebral Palsy is a generic term that is applied to a non-progressive motor disorder. Approximately (2).% of children born today will have some form of cerebral palsy (CP). There are four main categories in which CP disorders are placed. First, Spastic syndromes due to upper motor neuron involvement are representative of 70% of CP cases (8). Subgroups of this include hemiplegia (21%), quadriplegia (27%), and diplegia (21%), which is a mixture of quadriplegia and paraplegia (8). The hemiplegics of this group often have mild or less severe speech impediments than the other subgroups (8). Second, athetoid and dyskinetic syndromes occur in about 20% of the cases (8). This group has the slow, writhing movements and choreiform like movements of the distal extremities also (8). These movements cease during sleep and increase when they become upset. Speech impairment is also often found in these patients (8). Third, ataxics’ (10%) have cerebellar involvement, wide based gait, intentio n tremors, problems doing fine movements, and incoordination weakness (8). Fourth, mixed forms of the above named groups are the most common, with spastic and athetoid symptoms being the most often paired. Convulsive seizures are often found in CP patients which often adds to the problems (8). Other associated problems include cognitive impairment, vision and hearing impairments, problems with communication, emotional deficits, behavioral problems and feeding problems (3). Spastic hemiplegics and paraplegics are the most likely to be of normal intelligence (3). Hemiplegics have the lowest incidence of mental retardation with about 40% of them (3). In CP patients it appears that the higher the degree of spasticity the greater the other pr... ...developmental disorder. Adv. Exp. Med. Biol., 1992, 318: 307-14. 3. Eicher, P. and Batshaw, M. Cerebral Palsy. Pediatr. Clin. North- Am., 1993, Jun; 40(3): 537-548. 4. Hughes, I. and Newton, R. Genetic Aspects of Cerebral Palsy. Dev. Med. Child Neurol., 1992, Jan; 34(1): 80-86. 5. Melone, P., Ernest, J., O’Shea, M., Klinepeter, K. Appropriateness of intrapartum fetal heart rate management and risk of Cerebral Palsy. Am. J. Obs. Gyn., 1991 (Aug.), 165: 272-277. 6. Powell, T. et. al. Cerebral Palsy in Low-birth weight Infants. II. Spastic Diplegia Associations with Fetal Immaturity. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 1988, 30:19-25. 7. Vargha-Khadem, F. et. al. Development of intelligence and Memory in Children with Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy. Brain, 1992, 115: 315-329. 8. The Merck Manual, Pediatrics and Genetics, Chpt. 198, pg. 2110.

Using one case study film assess the relationship between the industrial context and the representation

The representation of gender in the British film industry throughout the 1960s can be seen in a variety of examples and can be seen as indicative of a general shift in cultural attitudes. In this assignment, we shall be concerning ourselves with the film Goldfinger in particular. Goldfinger was made in 1964 by the British film company (SPHP, 1964). What is of particular interest in this film is the iconic portrayal of the female character that spawned something of a tradition for depictions of idealised femininity.We will pay particular interest to the significance of her role in relation to the rest of the characters in the film. However, we shall first outline a number of industrial and cultural changes that were occurring throughout the 60s in the British film industry. The British film industry of the 1960s saw a degree of significant changes that reflected the cultural mood of this period throughout greater western culture (Coates & Topham 1968).For example, the notion of popula r culture was becoming highly marketable at this time and the subsequent move away from WWII was becoming something of an artistic focus (Laing, 1986). Essentially, Hollywood was promoting a new liberalisation that incorporated sexual imagery as a counter to traditional gender roles based upon social utility (Ewen & Ewen, 1982, p. 37). Although this was embraced throughout the film world, it affected the British film industry in two notable ways. This is given by Curtis who states that,‘’What was striking to us – an audience of artists, writers, journalists and filmmakers – was the assumption evident in all these films, that making cinema could be a first-person-singular affair, and that film language could be as complex and highly individual. In contrast, The films supported by the one source of public funding at the time, the British Film Institute's Experimental Film Fund, were very definitely cinema shorts, stepping-stones to cinema features. ’à ¢â‚¬â„¢ (Laing, 1992, p. 258)This use of short film techniques in which quick iconic symbolism was used in relation to characters made for a mutual embrace of the film techniques being produced by Hollywood. This incorporated sexual and iconic symbolism at its fore (Nuttal, 1968). This was a distinct detraction from the emerging realist depictions found in the dickens-like portrayals common to the kitchen sink drama or the playfulness of slap stick that had gone before (Hebdige, 1988). However, it is perhaps unwise to think of the industry as becoming entirely divorced of its British artistic tradition.Rather, Thompson states that, â€Å"We must remember the ‘underground' of the ballad singer and the fairground which handed on traditions to the nineteenth century; for in these ways the ‘inarticulate' conserve certain values – a spontaneity and capacity for enjoyment and mutual loyalties – despite the inhibiting pressures of magistrates, mill-owners, and Me thodists. † (Thompson, 1963, p. 63) It is with this notion of Hollywood driven sexual symbolism and the British tradition of mutual loyalties that we will now turn to the example of Goldfinger and the depiction of gender.Goldfinger was cast in the genre of the international spy film indicative of the archetypical male hero James Bond (Cohan & Hark, 1993). It features Bond as the main protagonist and Goldfinger as the main antagonist. However, it also involves the depiction of strong and sexualised female characters in crucial roles. In this, we see that although the females are highly sexualised objects and in many ways used by the two main protagonists, they are not subordinate or peripheral to the plot (Hebdige, 1988).This sexualised empowerment is articulated by their being made indicative to the overall consequence of the film. The leading lady is an intelligent and very beautiful woman caught between the loyalties of the two opposing characters. She is modelled on the for mer depictions of beauty founded in the 40s and 50s as seen in Marlin Monroe (Nixon, 2003). However, unlike Marilyn Monroe who was portrayed as a sexually exploitative and superficially unintelligent female figure, she is given as an intelligent woman caught in an ethical dilemma.This clearly highlights the implementation of the depiction of the female in line with Hollywood at this time (Murphy, 2004). However, with the character traits of intelligence and up front honesty and naivety, this is perhaps indicative of the British tradition and the mutual loyalties that drive the spontaneity of the plot. Unintentionally playing upon Bond’s sympathies, she is taken away from Goldfinger and given the approval of the Bond character. However, in her death scene we see the significance of her betrayal.Essentially, she is cast in Gold, which is indicative of the title, and left to die. However, this form of martyrdom is not a moral consequence of her flirtation between characters, but rather an idealisation of the power of iconic female sexuality (Mort, 2004). Furthermore, it evokes a cosmopolitan reference by symbolising the Egyptian sexual princess Cleopatra. In doing so, this reflects a strong use iconic sexuality to superficially relate to the international, cosmopolitan domain (Green, 1998).In summary, it would appear from the depiction of gender of the film Goldfinger, that British film was moving to incorporate a cosmopolitan portrayal in relation to the changes in culture of the time. It would appear that in the depiction of gender, sexuality was an explicit ingredient as was the case in Hollywood films. However, rather abandoning all sense of British tradition, the use of sexual symbolism was employed through a plot involving mixed loyalties and unseen conditional forces. BibliographyCoates K Topham A (1968) Industrial Democracy in Great Britain: a book of readings and witnesses for workers control London: MacGibbon and Kee (ed. ) Cohan, S. , & Hark, I, R. , (1993) Screening the Male New York: Routledge Ewen, S. , & Ewen, E. , (1982) Channels of Desire Minnesota: University of Minnesota Goldfinger, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, (1964) Green, P. , (1998) Cracks in the Pedestal Massachusetts: University of Massachusetts Press Hebdige, D. , (1988) Hiding in the Light London: Comedia Laing, S., (1986) Representations of Working Class Life 1951-1964 London: Macmillan Mort, F. , (1996) Cultures of Consumption: Masculinities and Social Space in late twentieth-century Britain. London: Routledge. Murphy, P. F. (2004) â€Å"Introduction†, in Murphy, P. F. (ed. ) Feminism and Masculinities, pp. 1-21. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Nixon, S. , (2003) Advertising Cultures: Gender, Commerce, Creativity. London: SAGE. Nuttal, J. , (1968) Bomb Culture London: MacGibbon and Kee Thompson, E, P. , (1968) The Making of the English Working Class Harmondsworth: Penguin

Managing Organizational Change (MOC) Essay

What have you learned about Managing Organizational Change (MOC) and how are you going to apply MOC concepts to benefit your career? 1.0. Executive Summary Based on my time in class these last 7 weeks, I have learned a process that I never knew really existed. I have worked for several companies, large and small, in my lifetime and I have never really experienced an Organizational Change process like what has been introduced in this class. I felt that the information provided could be very useful in anyone’s career because it is a more structured way of executing change in an organization with minimal problems during the transition. I am sure that the large companies that I have worked for had some sort of formal change process or model in place when I worked for them. I believe that the communication of the changes could have been done better now that I am aware of what to look for in such a practice. What it boils down to is that now that I am aware that there is a formal process for each of the three areas concerning organizational change according to the Lewin’s model that I used in my MOC project, I will be able to use these processes to assist upper management in any organization that I am a part of in order to make the change as easy as possible. In my current situation, I will recommend to my organization various processes and/or models that are not currently being used for all the changes that we are currently experiencing. For example, when I discussed the MOC project with my CEO and what it was going to be about, he was very interested in the outcome because he was not aware of any type of formal change model to begin with. Many of the decisions that he has made involving the change Rickey and I discussed in our MOC project seem to coincide with a formal process of some sort, however it was not formally identified and specifically followed as we discussed in class during our MOC presentation. The plan is to continue to make recommendations to my employer as changes continue based on the material received and the research completed during the MOC project development. 2.0. Body of Deliverables 2.1. Managing Organizational Change (MOC) Concepts. During the MOC project there were several MOC concepts that I was interested in and had struggles understanding along the way. How it was explained to me was that some of the concepts can be used in more than one stage of the  organizational change with some modification of course. 2.1.1. Change Model Concept I had a lot of struggles trying to decide on a change model with my partner Rickey during the development of our MOC project. Most of which is because I was not able to determine the difference between the Change Model and the Change Management Model. Once I was able to distinguish the two concepts, it made it easier to decide on which one to use. We decided to use the Lewin Change Model for our project. There are three stages to Lewin’s Change model; unfreeze, change, and refreeze. The unfreeze stage of this change model involves preparing the organization to accept the change and that it is necessary for future growth in the organization. You have to be prepared to provide examples of why the change is necessary such as the benefits of the change and that you as management have done your due diligence to research why this would be the best way to make the change. Unfortunately, some changes are not decided by choice. For example, in mine and Rickey’s MOC project, we illustrate that AC4S had to make a change in their Accounting System because it would not be supported in the year 2011. This first stage is usually the most challenging and can be where you experience the most resistance if you have not prepared your organization successfully or received total buy in of those affected by the change. The next stage of Lewin’s Change Model is the actual change itself. This can be the area where individuals begin to resolve the uncertainty that a change has developed. It is also part of the change process where employees start to embrace the change and support the new direction that the organization is going. Experts say that this is not an overnight process. However, in the change that AC4S is experienced in changing their Accounting System, it was continually explained that the new system had a reporting system that would make managing projects much easier because the financial documents can be generated in real-time. This was just one of the many benefits that were provided to employees during the change process. Time and communication are the two keys to success for the changes to occur. People need time to understand the changes and they also need to feel highly connected to the organization throughout the transition period. When you are managing change, this can require a great deal of time and effort and hands-on management is  usually the best approach. (LEWIN’S CHANGE MANAGEMENT MODEL: UNDERSTANDING THE THREE STAGES OF CHANGE, http://www.consultpivotal.com/lewin’s.htm) The final stage of Lewin’s Change Model is the refreeze stage. This is the stage when the people of the organization have incorporated the changes into everyday business and are used all the time. However, sometimes at this stage you may need to adjust some changes for them to be more effective or more beneficial to the organization. At this point, the organization needs to refreeze. This stage is very important to complete. The employees have to have closure in the process in order to want to be involved in futures changes in the organization. In the example of AC4S’ Accounting System change, the President and CEO did not want call the change as being complete until the organization did not have to use the previous system at all. His refreeze stage was considered completed when he shut the old system down completely. 2.1.2. Forces for Change Concept Today, organizations have to continually monitor its external environment in order to maintain a competitive edge. This competitive edge consists of making internal adjustments in order to meet the customer’s needs whether it is a product or service. Here are some examples that illustrate what Kotter identifies as four global environmental forces for change: * Technological, which requires more globally, connected people and faster communication and transportation. * Greater economic integration of currencies and international capital flows. * Maturation and slowdown of domestic markets, leading to greater emphasis on exports and deregulation. * Fall of socialist countries and their reorientation toward capitalist economies. While the latter has led to new opportunities such as larger markets and fewer barriers to entry, it also has been associated with more competition and a demand for increased speed. (Palmer, Ian. Managing Organizational Change, 2nd Edition. McGraw-Hill Lea rning Solutions, 2008. p. 56). In the case of AC4S, they were forced to make their Accounting System change due to technology. They were informed by the supporters of the accounting system software that it will not be supported in the year 2011 back in 2009. I believe that this change was going to be necessary eventually whether it was going to be supported or not, based on the growth of the organization and in order to be able to compete with the much larger  organizations that AC4S competes with and teams with for business. The benefits that were generated by the executive team for this accounting system upgrade illustrated massive improvements in many processes completed internally consisting of the way financial reports are generated, a procurement capability that was not available previously, and a Human Resource module that provides statistical information and is HIPPA compliant. 2.1.3. Images of Change Concept Every change manager has a different image of what managing change means and these images are often based on how the manager of the change can achieve the change and how the change should be approached. At least six images of change management can be identified: directing, navigating, caretaking, coaching, interpreting and nurturing. These images are also considered to be roles that are played during the course of the change. The following identifies all six images (6 Images of Change, http://www.12manage.com/forum.asp?TB=change_management_iceberg&S=48): 1. Director: this role will be played out different for situations like that of communicating change, sustaining change. 2. Navigator: similar to the director role but this one is only given so much power. 3. Caretaker: takes care of issues within change, again through various things like evaluating change. 4. Coach: will coach the people within an organization to carry out change or will sort out relevant issues. 5. Interpreter: will interpret the change that is to be carried to staff, has strong link with moment. 6. Nurturer: facilitates change, makes sure that everyone understands it. I believe that during the change process that several people play several of these roles at the same time. In the example change that I have been referring to at AC4S, the CEO main role during this change was the Director of the change, however there were moments that he was required to play the role of the navigator, the caretaker, the coach, the interpreter and nurturer not only to the VP of Finance but towards the organization as a whole from time to time. I also believe that the VP of Finance played the other five roles or images at one point or another depending on where and what was being done du ring the change. 2.1.4. Change Management Model to Manage the Change Concept Change management models are methods by which the processes of change management are implemented. (Change management models, http://changemanagementmodels.net/change-management-models/) Based on what I have introduced earlier in this essay is that the Change Management Model is used during the actual change that is occurring or taking place. For example, the second stage of the Lewin Change Model discussed earlier in the text as the change stage. Change has to be continuous in an organization in order to keep a competitive edge in your market segment, as well as improve customer satisfaction through various improvements of internal processes. If the change is not managed correctly, it can make or break an organization. This is something that we have discussed several times about in class about different organizations such as Kodak. Kodak decided to hang on to traditions such as you will be a Kodak employee for life that really hurt them in the end when it came necessary to make major changes in the structure of the organization. During the research for my MOC project, Rickey and I found the Kirkpatrick Change model almost matched up to the steps that AC4S performed during the change management. As we stated in our presentation to the AC4S Executive Committee last week, the steps that AC4S followed during the change management portion of changing our accounting system followed very close to the Kirkpatrick steps but was not formally recognized by the organization. We provided them the steps and described how they matched up so that during future changes in the organization so that there will be a more structured method of change management. Below are the steps to the Kirkpatrick Change Management Model: 1. Determine the need or desire for change. – AC4S was informed that they were going to have to change accounting systems due to nonsupport by the software developer. This change was also necessary to meet the needs of the organization when it comes to future growth support. 2. Prepare tentative plans – AC4S hired a consultant to prepare a tentative plan for the change. 3. Analyze probable reaction – The consultant provided several solutions that included the accounting system software and the organizations that will support them. 4. Make a final decision – The AC4S Executive Team made a decision on the software and support package based on the presentation provided by the consultant that was an expert in this field. 5. Establish a timetable – The consultant provided the Executive Staff a timetable of approximately how  long that it would take the necessary changes to bring the new system online and fully functional. 6. Communicate the change – The CEO began communication with all employees within the organization in order to initiate the change via a KickOff Meeting. The VP of Finance managed several other face-to-face meetings with the change and technical teams in order to determine the progress of the change establish timetables and additional directions during the change. 7. Implement the change – AC4S actually implementing the change selected by the executive staff. 2.2. Terminal Course Objectives (TCOs) 2.2.1. TCO A Depending on the organization, change can be generated by many different forces. As I have said previously, in order for an organization to stay competitive in any field of service, change has to be mastered and incorporated in everyday activity. A way for organizations to stay competitive is to continue to improve internal processes and procedures that will in turn improve customer satisfaction because you are providing more efficient customer service. Some organizations like AC4S that are IT service providers have to continually change due to the driving forces of technology. In my MOC project, technology was the driving force for the change in the accounting system which is an internal process. With the IT services that AC4S provides to customers, technology is also an external driving force that the organization has to keep up with in regards to new technology in order to assist the end user of our services and/or products in making their work more efficient. If AC4S did not continue to address change in the organization such as technology, then the organization would eventually fail to meet the guidelines of the Department of Defense which is their major client. AC4S will not be able to compete with other organizations if change is not continuously addressed, because other organizations may be able to provide the same level of customer service at a cheaper price due to upgrades in technology as one example. 2.2.2. TCO B Based on conversations that I have had with my CEO in developing the material for my MOC project, I discovered that the organization that I work for does not have a Change Model that it follows or any other model that maybe used  during the change process. However, AC4S did use a consultant that participated in the change process in the form of a change agent. The Change Agent and/or consultant helped guide us through the change. However, I believe that if the organization uses the suggestions for the different models that AC4S should use for future changes that they will be more structured and completed sooner than expected. I say this because even though AC4S did not have any type of models in regards to organizational change that the change went fairly smooth. During our research for the MOC project, Rickey and I evaluated many different models that are involved in the change process and selected the models that fit the organization based on the fact that AC4S is an IT services provider. 2.2.3. TCO E Resistance to change is not uncommon in most organizations. I believe that one of the key reasons for the resistance to change is the fear of the unknown or the outcome of the change. An employee may be more or less resistant to change depending on whether the employee feels that the change is good or bad and how that change may impact them. (Managing Change: Managing People’s Fear, http://management.about.com/cs/people/a/MngChng092302.htm). There are many reasons for resistance to change besides fear such as comfort, not perceiving a need for the change, no faith in the process, lack of trust and lack of knowledge. When dealing with resistance to change, it is important to identify who is resisting and how they are resisting to change as soon as possible because if not it can significantly slow down the change process or completely interrupt the change. As a manager, you can use the Kurt Lewin’s Force Field Analysis technique to combat resistance to change. This technique is used to identify the driving forces for change and reasons for resisting the change or restraining forces. According to Kurt Lewin, â€Å"An issue is held in balance by the interaction of two opposing sets of forces – those seeking to promote change (driving forces) and those attempting to maintain the status quo (restraining forces)†. Based on Lewin’s theory, change can only happen if the equilibrium of the two forces that have been changed either by adding conditions that will cause an individual to be more favorable to the change or reducing the resisting forces to the change. In order for the change to be successful, the manager in charge of the change  has to either strengthen the driving forces of the change or weaken the restraining forces of the change. During the course of our MOC project, we completed a change readiness exercise on AC4S. Based on the results of the exercise, AC4S’ change in regards to their accounting system w ill most likely succeed. The responses that we provided were based merely on my impression on the organization as a whole and are subject to change. The responses that were provided were based on observations during my employment with AC4S for the last three years. 2.2.4. TCO G The process of creating a vision for an organization starts in the mind of the leader, usually a dream for the future of the organization. The leader of the organization should not only develop the vision of the organization but develop a strategic plan on communicating that vision in order to be sold and shaped to the organization. Refer to the following key questions that the vision should answer in order for individuals to want to share in the same vision: Where were we? Where are we? Where are we going? Most importantly, how will we get there? It is critical to communicate these items to an organization in order to get the support needed for any change that may need to take place in order to meet the vision of the organization. Without knowing the vision, organization may struggle with change and labor/management problems may incur. Below are five elements used in developing the organization’s vision. (Scott, et al., 1993) 1. Values are the principles, the standards, the actions that people in an organization represent, which they consider inherently worthwhile and of the utmost importance. They include: how people treat each other, how people, groups and organizations conduct their businesses and about what is most important to the organization. 2. Scanning the current situation involves looking beyond the organization to its customers and suppliers and industry trends for information on what is important to them. Involving the internal customers – the employees – is also an important part of the process. 3. Mission is the core purpose for which a person, team or organization is created. It is summarized in a clear, short, inspiring statement that focuses attention in one clear direction by stating the purpose of the individual’s business or group’s uniqueness. 4. Visioning is picturing  excellence – what the person, team or organization wants to create in its best possible future. It is an evocative description of what is possible. A vision is not â€Å"something out there† that is impractical, but a way of setting a compelling scenario. Creating this image of the future requires the ability to expand one’s sense of possibilities and then focus on what new initiatives can lead to success. 5. Implementation includes the strategy, plans, procedures and key actions that will put all of the above into action. In regards to the change that AC4S experienced in the change from one accounting system to another, the CEO illustrated during the kickoff meeting that with the rapid growth that our organization is experiencing that the organization would have to change accounting systems in order to keep up with our growth. Also, that this particular accounting system was selected because other known large organizations that support the Department of Defense which include our competitors and teaming partners that have the same system that has been approved and certified by the government. Finally, this accounting system will provide capabilities that will improve internal processes that again will improve customer satisfaction. 3.0. Closing Statement During this course I have learned many organizational change concepts that I feel can be applied towards the organization with which I am currently employed, AC4S. I have identified several concepts and objectives that will be very beneficial to future changes at AC4S that will occur due to the exponential growth that is currently being experienced. These changes will be more structured and organized now that a formal Change Model and Change Management Model have been identified and that other MOCK concepts have been introduced. I appreciate the fact that the knowledge I have gained from this course will not only serve me well through my experiences with my employer, but will also further strengthen my management abilities.