Elementary Education Essay

Thesis: Elementary teachers may not have highest income, but they have one of the most fulfilling careers. Introduction: When thinking back to elementary school, what most people remember the best, are the teachers they had along the way. Elementary teachers not only introduce their students to the basic concepts of core subjects, they also help pave the path to each student’s future success. While the income may not be the highest available, watching students develop a new skill or grow an appreciation for learning can be very rewarding. I. What is the role of an elementary school teacher? a. Elementary teachers play an important part in not only the intellectual development but also the social development of their students. What students learn at a young age can affect the way they see themselves, others, and the world later in life. b. Elementary teachers have the responsibility of introducing their students to the core subjects of mathematics, language, science, and social studies. II. Education, Training, and Certification c. The normal route to becoming a teacher involves receiving a bachelor’s degree from a teacher education program, then obtaining a license. Teachers in private schools are not required to be licensed. d. Each state honors its own individual certifications. However, The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards offers a voluntary national certification, which is also honored by each state. Having a National Boards certification usually results in a higher income. III. Salary and Employment e. Teaching salaries vary by state, experience level, and location. f. Elementary teachers hold about 1. 5 million jobs. Employment is projected to grow about as fast as average, increasing 7-13% from 2008 to 2018. Elementary Education: Shaping the Minds of the Future When thinking back to elementary school, what most people remember the best, are the teachers they had along the way. Elementary teachers not only introduce their students to the basic concepts of core subjects, they also help pave the path to each student’s future success. Education to become a teacher is long and tedious, and while the income may not be the highest available, watching students develop a new skill or grow an appreciation for learning can be very rewarding. Because there will always be a need for education, even with the recent budget cuts, teaching jobs will always have to be available somewhere. Elementary teachers play an important part in the intellectual development as well as the social development of their students. The education of young children can affect the way they view themselves, other people, and the world, and their success throughout life. Usually, one elementary teacher will teach several subjects to one class, of about 20 students. However, some will work in teams with other teachers, depending on the type of school (â€Å"Career Information: Elementary School Teachers. †). Teachers are faced with the responsibility of nurturing their students as well as their education. In the early years of elementary school, teachers introduce their students to the concepts of reading, writing, and counting. In the later years of elementary, teachers have the task of introducing the concepts of mathematics, language, science, and social studies. Teachers also have multiple behind-the-scenes duties. Teachers have the duty of creating daily lesson plans based on state requirements, assigning homework and making tests. They must keep records of grades made on homework assignments and tests. Teachers develop the materials that help students learn solving and reasoning. They also meet with parents of their students to discuss progress, lack of progress, and any discipline problems that may be occurring (â€Å"Elementary School Teachers. â€Å"). The traditional education route to becoming an elementary teacher involves earning a bachelor’s degree from a teacher education program, and then earning a license. A teacher’s education program normally includes courses such as the general mathematics, physical science, social science, music, art, and literature, as well as prescribed professional education courses, such as psychology of learning, and teaching methods. Normally, 4-year school schools require students to wait until their sophomore year before applying for admission to teacher education programs. Teacher education programs also require students to perform a student-teaching internship. It is not required to graduate from an accredited teacher education program to become a teacher, but it will make fulfilling license requirements easier. After receiving a bachelor’s degree, one should obtain a license from a teacher education program. The State Board of Education or a licensure advisory committee grants licensure. Teachers earn their degree in five different categories: the early childhood grades (preschool through third grade), the elementary grades (grades one through six or eight), the middle grades (grade five through eight), a specific secondary subject, or a special subject, such as music. Teaching in private schools does not require a license. The requirements for regular licenses vary by state. Each state individually issues and honors their teaching licenses. However, The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards offers a national certification. All 50 states honor this certification, and in some cases, teachers will receive special benefits for this certification. These benefits can include higher salaries, and reimbursement for continuing education and certification fees (â€Å"Teachers – Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary. â€Å"). The salaries of teachers can vary by school location, teacher experience, and level of education. Public school teachers in elementary schools earn an average of $47,602. Private school teachers earn anywhere between $43,580 and $48,690. However, there are a few ways to increase a salary. Teachers have the option to teach summer school, sponsor or coach extra-curricular activities, or take on other extra duties at the school. Despite being on the lower end of income, teachers do have a non-monetary compensation of fulfillment, while watching their students develop new skills and learn new concepts (â€Å"Teacher Career Salary Expectations. †). Elementary teachers hold around 1. 5 million jobs. As well as affecting a teacher’s salary, the subjects and grade levels one is capable of teaching, and location can affect job opportunities. Jobs in inner cities and rural areas will be easier to find compared to the suburban districts. Minority teachers will be in higher demand because of an increase in minority enrollment, and the lack of minority teachers. Due to a greater public interest in education as well as better pay prospects, the supply of teachers is expected to grow, and employment is expected to grow as fast as average, increasing 7-13%, in the next six years (â€Å"Career Information: Elementary School Teachers. †). Teachers will always be able to find jobs due to the fact that there will always be a demand for learning. Elementary teachers make a huge impact on the lives of young children. Some teachers are remembered as role models; some are remembered as more of a parental figure, and some may just provide fond memories. Either way, they are an important part of each student’s life. They help their students develop important skills that will lead them to success in their future. Works Cited â€Å"Career Information: Elementary School Teachers. † Campus Explorer. 2012. Web. 15 Jan. 2012. . â€Å"Elementary School Teachers. † Oklahoma Career Information Center. 2011. Web. 12 Jan. 2012. . â€Å"Teachers – Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary. † U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 17 Dec. 2009. Web. 12 Jan. 2012. . â€Å"Teaching Career Salary Expectations. † EduDecisions. com. Web. 12 Jan. 2012. .

Cyber Bullying Essay

Cyber bullying has become an increasing issue in the last few years in the United States. The reason why this type of bulling is the worst because the bully could come from someone anonymous as well as it could come from any place and at any time. As a result, the victim that is being bullied will suffer some short and long term problems such as: mistrusting of others, anxiety, depression, poor performance at school, and can result in suicide. Due to the increasing number of teenagers being cyber bullied, it should be a criminal, punishable offense in the United States in order to protect the Nation’s children and teenagers. What is Cyber Bullying? In the rapid development in technology, there have been some issues that have come to light about the use of these products in the hands of adolescences. It has been found through some research that cyber bullying is a new form of violent behavior (Bendixen, Endresen, and Olweus, 2003). Cyber bullying behavior is described as violent behavior that is against an individual or group that is demonstrated through the usage of internet and mobile phones (Vandebsch and Cleemput, 2008). This type of violent behavior includes an individual hacking onto another individual’s personal website, leaking out damaging information through the use of communication technology such as: mobile phone, email, and sending messages. The Effects of Cyber Bullying Although cyber bullying does not occur in person, it can still have the same emotional and psychological effects of regular bullying. A child that has been bullied/cyber bullying more than likely to experience loneliness, unhappiness, anxiety, depression, and problems sleeping (Keith & Martin, 2005). Many times the effects of bullying often go unnoticed due to the fact the victim feels embarrassed and/or afraid the bullying will continue. Often times, the victim tends to act anxious, less confident, and become very quiet in class (Keith & Martin, 2005). As a result, the child has a significant hurdle in their development and it also can be a hindrance in their academic success. They have a fear that anything they put on any social site may be used against them by individual they know or don’t know. Punishing Cyber Bullying Cyber bullying has become a serious widespread problem that has become more savage than a schoolyard bullying (Vandebsch & Cleemput, 2008). The adolescents lack the maturity to understand the consequences of their actions and feel that it is okay to retaliate without being caught (Vandebsch & Cleemput, 2008). The increase stories of tragedies where children being bullied over social media sites have also increased in awareness. Stories such as Amanda Todd are coming out more and more in which the child has been bullied and the child commits suicide. Such tragic stories and nothing was ever done to the bullies or the bully was never found. As a result to the recent deaths of these children that have been bullied, many parents have pushed the government officials to do something and to criminalize cyber bullying. Amanda Todd’s mother is one that has established the Amanda Todd Trust Fund in which the donations is used to support and educate anti-bullying awareness. Many states like California has a law that makes it a misdemeanor to impersonate anyone through the web on social sites with the intent to threaten, harm, or intimidate other individuals (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2013). It is very difficult to make cyber bullying a federal crime in which the bullied committed suicide. The legal system is built to where the punishment fits the crime. Although cyber bullying does have its consequences and some cases do end in suicide we as a society, we must find a way to punish those that commit these crimes. Conclusion There are many different ways in how they’re exposed to the harsh life lessons of this world from predators to scam artists. Cyber bullying has come to light and it has many parents worried. One thing is for sure, it’s important for parents to be aware and learn how to navigate social media in order to help their children avoid cyber bullying and to be safe. The reason is that in the adolescence’s life, the most important stage is the period in where they develop relationships among their peers. They become more aware f issues in trying to have a place in their social world. This has a huge effect on their psychological development. Therefore, if adolescence has a positive relationship will lead to them having a successful identity and live in harmony with society (Sahin, Aydin, & Sari, 2012). On the other hand, if the adolescence has a negative relationship such as bullying from their peers will harm their emotional, social, and psychological development (Sahin, Aydin, & Sari, 2012). Therefore, as a society we should try the punishment that fits the crime.

Competitive Bids vs Sealed Proposals Essay

The government often uses contracts to acquire needed products or services. Every government purchase uses public funds. Contracting officials are tasked with ensuring that government purchases use public funds responsibly. When awarding contracts, contracting officials must be sure to use the best method possible to acquire goods and service at the best price possible. Two ways in which contracting officials do this is by using sealed bids and competitive proposals. Each form of awarding contracts has its own specific benefits and pitfalls while sharing some characteristics with the other. Sealed bids are a form of awarding contracts that uses competitive bids and public opening of the sealed bids which leads to the final award of the contract. In order to award a contract through sealed bids, a few things must occur. First a solicitation for bids must be drafted. The solicitation must include the government’s requirements in a detailed enough fashion to avoid misunderstandings from potential bidders. Sealed bidding and competitive proposals are both approved methods for awarding contracts according to federal regulation. When deciding whether or not to use sealed bidding, contracting officers should consider the time that will be required for bids to be solicited, submitted, and evaluated. The evaluation process for sealed bids may be lengthy especially if bidders are not prescreened to reduce the pool to only qualified firms. When all bids are received from qualified firms, sealed bidding can make an award decision quite simple. The lowest bidder is awarded the contract.. Unfortunately, sealed bidding depends on competitive pricing. Competitive pricing cannot be insured unless more than one bid is received. Competitive proposals are best used when a contracting officer determines that the nature of the contract makes it difficult to establish exact specifications or methods of performance. Often, the means of contract performance cannot be easily defined and the offeror’s proposal may need to include an explanation of how the contract will be performed. Unlike sealed bid contracts, competitive bids do not have to be awarded to the firm with the lowest price. Other considerations may be considered to determine the best firm. This determination may be made based on a firm’s performance of previous contracts, the proposed method of performance for the existing contract, or a firm’s specific capabilities in relation to other firms. While sealed bidding results in a fixed price or one with economic adjustments, competitive proposals allow for various kinds of contract types. http://www. governmentbids. com/cgi/en/bidding. advice. articles/Article/federal-contract-opportunities-for-your-business

Franchise Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Franchise - Research Paper Example The agreement is based on the periodic loyalty payments made by the franchisee to the franchise, in regards to the revenue generated from the business operation (Rupert et al, 2008). In the context of selecting the appropriate franchise, various factors are considered, which include the requirements, its market viability, competition among other factors. Therefore, as a started, it is financially rational to select a franchise with reasonable investment requirement (Mendelsohn, 2010, p.120). In Richmond, Indiana, there are numerous franchises already operating. One of the rarely seen but viable business opportunities is the Archive IT franchise. This is one of the potentially profitable franchises with many suitable features. Archive IT is in a category comprising the emerging industry franchises. Archive IT franchise’s deals with the provision of document archiving and digital scanning among other computer related services. Their systems allow for record conservations, secure cloud access and the option of searching text stored. The mission of the company is to enable other businesses to handle the issue of data and information storage in a more advanced manner. The operating philosophy of the franchise is that in the near past, most companies have been struggling with the aspect of data storage in paper work. Considering the next few years, many companies will go paperless. Therefore, this franchise aims at providing the best solution to the older resource intensive data handling methods. This corporation began franchising in 2011. This franchiser is currently selling franchises throughout the US. The total investment required from the franchisee ranges between $66, 350- $196, 300. The exact amount of the investment depends on many factors including the geographical location of the franchisee and the infrastructure proximity of the business. Franchise fee is $ 25, 000, with a periodic royalty fee of 5% of the total revenue

The positive analysis of how sensitive consumers are to changes in gas Research Paper

The positive analysis of how sensitive consumers are to changes in gas price - Research Paper Example This would then mean that homeowners would prefer to own homes that are closer to their workplaces or urban centers to facilitate shorter driving distances. The shopping habit of the consumer would have to change I.e. less trips to shopping malls and more shopping on the internet. Moreover, there would be considerable decrease in the amounts of goodies bought at the supermarket. There would also be a shift from shopping at supermarkets to lower priced stores. The shift in gas prices would affect the decision of what type of car the individual can purchase. This is because different cars have varying rates at which they consume gas. Therefore, the consumers will go for those that consume less per mile covered. Some consumers will most likely choose the cheaper modes of public transport for commuting purposes as compared to driving. It would be accompanied by the use of alternative modes of transportation for instance bicycles etc. Consumers are likely to invest less and save considerably lower amounts of money as compared to when the gas prices were lower. Utilization of amenities like telephones, electricity is likely to go down also (Sobel, 2013). Essentially changes in gas prices cause proportionate change in the lifestyles of the

Law of Evidence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Law of Evidence - Essay Example For example, in the case of Scott v Sampson3, the Court refused to receive evidence of specific acts of misconduct of the plaintiff. According to Cave J, both the principle and the authorities appear to be against admission of such evidence because it would in effect â€Å"throw upon the Plaintiff the difficulty of showing a uniform propriety of conduct during his whole life†¦.†4 Eve can be protected in her position as a complainant witness by this general rule. Evidence provided through implied assertions may also be inadmissible, an aspect that Allen has discussed in his article, demonstrating how excluding evidence from third parties (in this case the records of the American case) could be flawed when the constitutional rights in relation to determining guilt of the accused are at stake.5 The admissibility of evidence is governed by Sections 11, 12 and 13 of the Civil Evidence Act, which emphasizes that evidence must be relevant before it will be admissible. Since the issue in this case is Dan’s alleged rape of Eve, previous convictions or lawsuits against either of the parties may not be admissible since they could be deemed to be prejudicial to the interests of the parties. Section 74(1) of the criminal Evidence Act of 1984 deals with previous convictions of persons other than the defendant, in this case the complainant Eve. This section states that such evidence would be admissible only if they are relevant to the issue before the court – which in this case, is Dan’s alleged rape. However, Section 78 also allows the judge the discretion to exclude such evidence if it would have such an adverse effect on the proceedings that it could prejudice the interests of the parties, in which case it may not be allowed. (b) In this case, Dan is being accused of rape. In general, no character evidence or evidence about prior misdeeds of the accused can

Energy Drinks for Human Consumption Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Energy Drinks for Human Consumption - Essay Example The soft drinks market persistently promotes and produces caffeinated energy drinks such as red bull and monster drinks. Most of the restaurants contain energy drinks and advertise it in attractively way. Advertisement often is shown in TVs and radio, while some advertise say, they can help one stay up all night, other energy drink companies say that it can help a person pass exams. Some, for example, red bull, gives a person the superhuman power to fly. Even so, as more research into energy drinks continues, the society is more becoming aware of the dangers of energy drinks. Although energy drinks have several benefits, they have some negative effects that pose health risks to users.  Sports professionals use energy drinks to enhance alertness and improve performance, energy and concentration. It improves an athlete’s movement and ability during sports activities. Energy drinks are a food addition in America and therefore meant to boost athletic performance. Caffeine is goo d for mental and physical capacities and there are still benefits of ingredients that are still not known. Energy drinks may cause serious alcohol-related accidents if mixed with alcohol. According to research, use of energy drinks eventually results in the overuse of alcohol. The effect of overuse of alcohol is drunk driving, which is illegal. In addition, one may engage in careless sexual actions because if too much use. A combination of alcohol and energy drinks harm one physically and emotionally. Energy drinks have the ability to keep a person awake longer and overuse alcohol. Chad Reissiga, Eric Strainia and Roland Griffiths affirm the strong relationship of heavy caffeine usage and the use of heavy alcohol.

Corporate Finance FE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Corporate Finance FE - Essay Example It is of note that only the long-term operating assets are incorporated in the calculation for the NOWC but not the short-term investments to be considered as the operating working capital because these short term investments are assumed to be interest bearing securities that to an extent do not directly finance or result from the operations of the Widget Corporation. 2. Seven years ago ABC Inc. issued a series of $1,000 bonds (i.e. Par = $1,000) @ 10% compounded semiannually for a term of 30 years. Additionally, the bonds are callable with a call premium of two coupon payments. Today, the market rate is 10% and each single bond is trading for $844.76. If ABC Inc. wants to raise new debt today, what would be ABC’s marginal cost of debt? Assume no significant change in ABC’s bond rating. Supposing there is no substantial alteration in the ABC’s bond rating means that today’s market bond rate is the same as market rate at the issuance time of the bond, thus the bond trades at par value ($ 1,000). The rate 12% calculated shows the market rate of the bond at present. Remember the present bond value is $ 844.76. The 12% rate represents the Yield To Maturity and therefore is a good estimation figure for the marginal cost of debt. 3. Considering Stand Alone Risk and the calculation of the Coefficient of Variation (CV), you are to develop a series of at least five historical returns for a financial asset and from these returns you are to calculate the CV for this financial asset. 4. You are bearing in mind making an investment in form of a project. The initial cost (I0) equals $1,200. In return for this initial outlay, you will own the rights to three future cash flows: CF1 = $300, CF2 = $400, and CF3 = $500. First, if the appropriate discount rate for this investment is 12%, what is the NPV for this project? Second, what discount rate would

Pelvic Floor Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Pelvic Floor - Literature review Example This study shall discuss the importance of pelvic floor exercises for the antenatal mother. It shall consider literature on this topic on the benefits of pelvic floor exercises. It shall also discuss possible recommendations for the use of pelvic floor exercises in the future practice. This study is being carried out in order to establish a clear and comprehensive understanding of the current subject matter. Discussion In a paper by Reilly, et.al., (2003) the authors set out to establish whether the supervised pelvic floor exercises during the prenatal period would decrease postpartum stress incontinence in primigravida mothers with bladder neck mobility. Their study was carried out as a single blind and randomized controlled trial in the prenatal clinic in a UK NHS Trust Hospital. It covered about 260 primigravida mothers seeking prenatal care in the clinic at about 20 weeks gestation with bladder neck mobility (Reilly, et.al., 2003). The study called for the respondents to attend s upervised pelvic floor exercises as assisted by a physiotherapist on a monthly basis from 20 weeks of pregnancy. The control group did not undergo any pelvic floor exercises. The study revealed that, as compared to the control group, less postpartum stress incontinence was reported by women who underwent supervised pelvic floor exercises. ... In another study Morkved and colleagues (2003) set forth that urinary incontinence is a major health issue which often decreases the quality of people’s lives. Risk factors for this condition include pregnancy and vaginal delivery. Their study set out to establish whether intensive pelvic floor muscle training during pregnancy could prevent urinary incontinence. The authors carried out their study as a single-blind randomized controlled trial at the Trondheim University Hospital with about 300 nulliparous women who were assigned to undergo either pelvic floor exercises muscle training program or no pelvic floor training at all (Morkved, et.al., 2003). The study revealed that there were fewer women in the training group who experienced urinary incontinence at 36 weeks of pregnancy and 3 months after their delivery. The study established that the intensive pelvic floor exercises assisted in preventing urinary incontinence among women during and after pregnancy. In a study by Oli veira, et.al., (2007) the authors set out to assess the impact of pelvic floor muscle training among 46 pregnant women. The authors divided the women into 2 groups, the exercise and the control group. The assessment of the pelvic floor muscle was carried out through the digital vaginal palpation via the strength scale. The study revealed that the pelvic muscle strength became stronger for women in both groups during the pregnancy period; however it proved to be stronger among women in the exercise group (Oliveira, et.al., 2007). The authors concluded that through pelvic muscle floor training, an increase in the pelvic floor muscle pressure and strength at pregnancy was made possible. This is an important development for pregnant women because stronger pelvic muscles help ease the delivery

Great Ideologies Stemming Out From Chaos Essay Example for Free

Great Ideologies Stemming Out From Chaos Essay Thomas Hobbes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Thomas Paine, three great political philosophers, all view the nature of man and society as anarchical, which is a state of lawlessness or political disorder due to the absence of governmental authority, making it â€Å"war of all against all†. The utopian society of individuals enjoys complete freedom without government, wherein there is a display of a lack of morality for most of the time. In the Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes presented the political state as a Leviathan—a sea monster. As a metaphor for the state, it is described as a replica of a person whose body is made up of all the bodies of its citizens, who are the literal members of the Leviathans body, and placing the sovereign as the head. In order for them to escape this natural condition, the people in the state constructed the Leviathan through social contract wherein they give up certain natural rights and transfer them to another person of authority. In turn, the power of the Leviathan protects them from the abuses of one another. The source of inequality comes from the scarcity of resources. If one looks around at other animals—Hobbes specifically notes ants and bees—they appear to live harmoniously with one another without any sort of state or society. If they can do so, then why cant men who are, after all, â€Å"animals† themselves? Hobbes discussed several reasons as to why men cannot live this way: the main one being that men are rational creatures. If we lived in some pre-societal concord with others, reason would always devise ways for us to cheat and make ourselves better off than others in order for us to survive. Furthermore, as we humans possess speech, we are able to mislead one another about our wants and desires. Hobbes also claims that animals naturally agree with one another while humans do not, and the reason for this essentially is because man is competitive in nature and therefore views everyone around him as a threat. Therefore, the government is created to provide order and regulation. For Hobbes, the best form of government is monarchy for four reasons: first, since humans will always choose the private over the public good, the best way to ensure peace when choosing a sovereign is to have these united. And by the outweighing of private good over public ones, infighting and corruption within government is encouraged. Second, having a secret counsel is allowed in a monarchy as opposed to in a democracy or aristocracy. Third, a monarchy is more consistent: since the monarch is one person and humans are not perfectly consistent, the commonwealth changes only as human nature dictates. In a democracy and aristocracy, because more natural bodies compose the sovereign, the commonwealth is more subject to human inconsistency as well as the inconsistency that comes from a change in the makeup of the sovereign, which happens with each election cycle or new member of the aristocracy. Lastly, infighting or warring factions caused by envy, self-interest, or any other human imperfections cannot be seen in a monarchy. On the other hand, Jean-Jacques Rousseau views the government as an abomination because it interferes with the nature of man. His aim is to examine the foundations of inequality among men, and to determine whether this inequality is authorized by natural law. He attempts to demonstrate that modern moral inequality, which is created by an agreement between men, is unnatural and unrelated to the true nature of man and that it is necessary to consider human nature and to chart how that nature has evolved over the centuries to produce modern man and modern society. Like Hobbes, he describes man as just another animal, and this proves to be very important. The distinction between human and animal was used both to justify mans possession and use of the Earths resources, and to explain why humans apparently have certain unique capabilities, such as reason and language. He further expounds that man is like yet unlike other animals, due to the unique way he develops. And as time goes by, human faculties were being fully developed. To be and to appear became two different things. Man became subjugated by a multitude of new needs, especially by his need for other men. Man became a slave to men as one takes pleasure in domination and tries to be their master. However, this is only true for the rich. When the powerful claims a right to another persons goods, such as the right of property, the inequality can lead to a state of war. Therefore, the rich tried to persuade the weak, who were indeed easily convinced, to unite with them into a supreme power to institute rules of justice and peace. Men ran towards their chains in the belief that they were securing their freedom, while those who did know about the deceit thought that they could trade part of their freedom for security. Although his idea sounds wrong, it essentially represents a point at which the self-preservation and pity of savage man are perfectly balanced with the acute regard for oneself in relation to others of modern man. Some aspects of reason and communal life are good, but they are still potentially destructive. In criticizing civility and concern for others as negative features of society, Rousseau goes against the good manners and civility that are generally seen as restraining the savage features of man, as he feels that there is nothing to restrain in natural man, and civility only makes men compare themselves to one another. As for Thomas Paine’s The Rights of Man, he justifies the principles of modern republican governments. He attacks the notion of monarchy and privilege and argues that each generation has the right to establish its own system of government. No nation can legally be ruled by a hereditary monarchy because government is for the living and not the dead. No generation has the right to establish a government binding on future generations. He argues that humankind can reach its full potential under republican governments which would allow individuals to live free of privilege and caste. To sum it all up, Thomas Hobbes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Thomas Paine put forward an idea of how the government sprung from inequality and lack of a central world authority. For Hobbes, an absolute monarchial government ruled by one person only, is necessary to fulfill the society’s need for order and the regulation of its people so that society can avoid from spiraling into anarchy. As for Rousseau, a government having biases towards the rich while deceiving the poor was created so that the insecurities of the people would force them in order to perpetuate inequality which make them dependent on the government, giving it more power. Lastly, for Paine, a representative and democratic government is formed to protect the people’s rights to be protected and to safeguard them from the threat of chaos, allowing the people to create an environment where they can mature and achieve their potential. Despite the differences in some parts of their ideologies such as the sources of inequality and the roles of the government, a single goal is presented—that is, for the creation of a concept of government in order to prevent the society from turning back to its nature of anarchism. While Hobbes’ â€Å"one-man rule† could lead to abuse of power, his intention is for this monarchial type of government to administer order and self-preservation in the society. As for Rousseau, the maintenance of an inequality between social classes assures the stabilization of finite resources and society itself. Lastly, for Paine, his ideal world of a representative-democratic government lies on the belief that environmental influences create the individual and that a benevolent form of government can bring about human happiness. Putting them together, their main objective can be viewed as the organization and harmonization of society so as to push it towards progression. References: (n.d.). Rights of Man. Retrieved December 20, 2012, from http://www.enotes.com/rights-man salem/rights-man SparkNotes Editors. (n.d.). SparkNote on Discourse on Inequality. Retrieved December 20, 2012, from http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/inequality/

The Sex In Advertising Media Essay

The Sex In Advertising Media Essay Today we live in a world that sex sells mostly everything. People from all over the world are constantly bombarded with an increasing amount of sexual advertising messages whether it is seen on television, magazines, billboards, or even heard on the radio. Advertisers use sexual clips and photos in their ads or commercials to make a long lasting impression on the consumers. Sex in advertising The amount of partially and fully nude models has severely increased over the years and is more popular now than ever. Advertisers use sex as a tool to draw additional attention to a specific product and are known to be one of the most persuasive tools used by both marketers and advertisers. Advertisements often touch the borderline of the forbidden, with the emphasis of attracting attention (Heckler et. al, 2001). The limits are consistently being pushed to see how far advertisers can go. From the beginning of the 20th century focusing on a womens calf below her skirt would be enough to pass the limit for what was tolerated, and now the advertisements being used today would easily be considered as pornography. Problem Pictures, sounds, and stories, are a form of sexual information that has proven to have stirred up a variety of emotional reactions within viewers (Heckler et. al, 2001). Sexual appeals can generally be defined as messages; it can be shown through brand information in advertising contexts or as persuasive appeals in social marketing contexts, which has a connection with sexual information. In advertising, there are different types of sexual information (Lambiase Reichert, 2003). Lambiase and Reichert identified five different types of sexual content in advertising, which are nudity, sexual behavior, physical attractiveness, and sexual referents. The usage of sex appeal in advertisement Throughout the past twenty years, the exposure of sex appeal in advertising has become more or less common (Henthorne LaTour, 1994). The reality of sexual appeals in advertising is widespread in throughout many parts of the world and it is often thought of as fulfilling stimulating and arousing fantasies (Gould, 1994). Stephen J. Gould, further states that the ethics and morality of sex appeals continues to be contested, much as sexual norms and traditions in general have been challenged throughout history. A review of remaining research indicates complex connections between the usage of nudity in an advertisement and numerous lengths of advertising efficiency (ibid). The research on the use of nudity in an advertisement has found that although nudity may increase and bring forth attention it may also decrease the attention toward the brand name (Belch, Severn, 1990). Refering to a study by Richins (1991) it was stated that about half the time or even more frequently, more than 50 per cent of respondents said that when they see clothing advertisements and cosmetic advertisements, they compare themselves to the models in the advertisements. After viewing beautiful models or highly attractive individuals, for example in television advertisements or even on the cover of a Victoria Secret catalog, viewers tend to rate the attractiveness of more ordinary looking people lower than they would otherwise (ibid). Sexual appeal directed to youth Sex and sexism in advertising justify further discussion, as marketers target young audiences with sexual appeals and marketers use sexual imagery to sell products to teenagers and young adults (Reichert, 2003). The effect of sexual content in advertising may be heightened for young adults, for whom sexual expression and experiences are still relatively new and therefore sexual content is often targeted to young adults (ibid). The author states that advertising creators are producing sexual appeals for products targeted to young adults, and media planners are placing these advertisements in media consumed by younger audiences. Much of todays sexual advertising targets youth, yet there is little data in existing research to show how the youth react to such advertisement. Literary Review Arousal and response in the context of sexual advertisement stimuli Lambiase and Reichert (2003) claim that men and women perceive sexual appeals in advertisement differently. When showing the men and women a print advertisement of explicit female nudity women reacted tenser then men did. When men viewed the print advertisement, they reacted with energy arousal instead of tension arousal (ibid). In a study that was conducted, one group of participants was exposed to an advertisement with nude erotic appeal while a second group was shown an advertisement with semi erotic appeal (Lambiase Reichert, 2003). The participants in the two groups were shown an advertisement similar to each other, showing a women modeling on a beach, but the advertisement with the seminude model was masked by a perfume bottle. Both of the groups attitudes towards the brand were then evaluated. The outcome of the experiment showed that the advertisements with nude erotic appeal were negatively influencing consumers attitudes to the brand. The group that was shown the semi-nude advertisement displayed a positive association toward the brand (ibid). The author also concludes that these results indeed undermine the idea that sex sells; this is especially true when it comes to female respondents. Sexual appeals perceived by men and women in advertising Treise and Weigold (1994) argue that although it is often believed that sex sells, it sells at the consequence of controversy. This statement was supported by the author, who conducted this study. The sample responses showed that a large amount of consumers are bothered by the use of sex in advertisements. About half of the participants in the study felt that there is nothing wrong with using sexual advertisements to sell products if it is perceived as tasteful. Although participants believed that there was too much sex in advertising. More than half of the respondents in Treise and Weigolds (1994) study felt that nudity in advertising is not appropriate for general interest in magazines; almost as high figure of the respondents thought that sexual advertisements play a role in a teenagers decision to become sexually active. Men and womens response to nudity in advertising Smith et. al, (1995) have studied how partially nude models in advertising influence consumers. Authors refer back to prior studies, where they found a common finding that sexual stimulus in advertising draw attention away from brand information. Also people who viewed the advertisement will notice the difficulty in remembering the brand due to the advertisements sexual content. However, the authors repeatedly state that nudity or sexual content in an advertisement increases the consumers arousal. Increased arousal takes some responsibility for consumers increased recognition of sexual content in advertisements. As stated by Smith et. al, (1995) Advertisements with sexual content or nudity increases recognition; meanwhile, it decreases the brand recognition. The authors also states that men were more receptive to advertisements containing female nudity, but women were more favorable to advertisements with a nude male. Smith et. al, (1995) state that previous research has identified important variables that support whether nudity is considered to be effective and or ineffective in advertisements. The research showed that nudity should be avoided in situations where it can give off a negative thought our feeling, like an inappropriate product; however, the authors claim that nudity works better for products such as, alcohol and fragrances, the main reason for this is that sex appeal promote products better than others. Although majority of consumers will be aroused by advertisements containing sexual stimuli, it is important to remember that not all arousal is beneficial to the advertiser (ibid). Data Collection When collecting data for the research it can be either collected for the first time which is called primary and/or information that already exists which is secondary data. According to Yin (2003) it is more convenient to use secondary data. Yin (2003) says there are six different ways evidence can be collected. These are through documents, records, interviews, direct observation, participant-observation, and physical artifacts. Each of these do not have an advantage over the other (ibid). The method I used to collect data for this study is interviews, documentation, and observations. My secondary data will be the documentation and observations will be my primary data. Interviews will be the major source for my primary data collection. my reason for choosing interviews as my major source is because of its strength. It allows me to directly focus on the topic of my thesis. Yin (2003) believes that an interview can have potential disadvantages and can be biased because of the poor constructed questionnaires. There is also a risk for reflexivity. This is where the interviewed person will tell the interviewer what he or she wants to hear. A focus interview was used to conduct my thesis. The interview will be used to prove or disprove the theories of this study. This type of interview can be done in different ways. Interviews through the telephone are less expensive and also are time efficient; therefore telephone interviews are extremely useful when dealing with an interview that is far away; yet, face to face personal interviews can be time consuming and involve more complex questions. The personal contact during an interview also allows the interviewer to obtain more feedback from the respondent. The type of focused interview I used for this thesis is a focus group; my research was done through two focus group interview sessions. For my sample selection I chose students from Arroyo High School in San Lorenzo, California. The choice of respondents was based on my own personal preference. I thought that targeting this specific group was interesting because I would get to research what the students of Arroyo High thought about sex in advertising. Because this group of people is in high school they are considered to be under developed and immature when it comes to sex. Also they are still at an age where advertising can easily influence them. Interviews Young men The case study was conducted through two focus group interviews, one group including women and one group including men. In the first interview several students from Arroyo High School were selected. The male students participating in the focus group interview were born in 1995- 1996. The individuals participating were told that the aim of this session was not to make them agree upon one solution, but to bring forth their individual perceptions and attitudes. The focus group interview started with me showing them five magazine advertisements (appendix 2 6). The reason for doing this was to stimulate their minds in order to improve the upcoming questions. At first, the males articulated that sex sells. The group agreed that a sexual advertisement had to contain a women that was really good looking in order to be considered an erotic advertisement. The physical appearance being above the average looking individual was very important to the group when deciding if the advertisement was sexual or not. One respondent said: Sex is common nowadays, companies should think of parodying sex in advertisements. Is there too much sex in advertising and is there a limit where it becomes offensive? This question caused a lot of debate. Overall the group stated that there was too much sex in advertising. Here are some remarks from the discussion: Young children 10-14 years old as well as many of us high school students get the wrong idea. It is okay if the people are semi-nude, but not completely naked. If the sexual advertisement doesnt have much to do with the product, then there is probably too much sex involved. Is okay to use sex in advertisements? The students all agreed as long as it is used properly; otherwise, it is not okay.. One student claimed: Sexual appeal in advertisements if it promoting fragrances or lotion, but not okay when it is used for yogurt. Another respondent stated, and got support for the statement from the group: Sometimes the advertisers go too far. Do advertisements with erotic appeal change your attitude toward a brand? This question had a split answer. Some pointed out that they do not change their attitude towards the brand because the advertisement is sexual; however, two boys stated that sometimes they do. One respondent commented: If the advertisement is too sexual, I most likely will not purchase that product. The other respondents answered: if the advertisement is sexual and not relevant to the product, then my attitude usually changes towards that brand or product. You do not have the energy to care if the advertisement is sexual, you might change attitude but you do not have the energy to change buying behavior. Personally, sex in advertising is not enjoyable anymore. Do advertisements with attractive models change your comparison standards for physical attractiveness? All but one guy claimed that their standards changed after looking at attractive models in an advertisement. Also after viewing advertisements the respondents admitted they had higher standards for how the girls should look. Young women The second interview at Arroyo High included several female students born between the years 1995-1996. The focus group session was conducted in the same manner as the first one. Initially, the respondents discussed in general how they define sexual appeal in advertising. Some of the female respondents defined sexual appeal in the following way: It has a sexual appeal if they move slowly in combination with soft lightning. It does not have to include nudity to have sexual appeal.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨ Strong attraction in their eyes can tell you that it really looks like he or she wants sex.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨Majority of the female students did not mention physical attractiveness, but instead talked about the importance of the actor/ actresses movement. Is there too much sex in advertising and is there a limit where it becomes offensive? The female students all seemed to agree on the following: The companies do not gain anything with sexual appeal in advertising since everybody has it. To me, advertisements based on sexual appeal do not stand out.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨The female students believed that an advertisement becomes offensive when the nudity has no connection to the product. Is okay to use sex in advertisements? The female students did not agree, they believed that sexual appeal could be used if it had a relevant purpose in the advertisement. One of the respondents mentioned, For example, a sexual advertisement is okay when it is promoting condoms. Do advertisements with erotic appeal change your attitude toward a brand? The opinions amongst the respondents were split. Some claimed that they did not think of the advertisement when buying a product. Other said that it changed their opinion about the product and instead chose a similar product. One student stated: You do not think about the advertisement when you buy a product. Another girl claimed: It might change attitude towards the brand and you might choose another brand if the advertisement you saw is bad and corny. This has happened to me before. You get a negative attitude if the advertisement is too sexual. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨Do advertisements with attractive models change your comparison standards for physical attractiveness? The female students all agreed that it does not change their perception of how your friends look, because of their personality. Although, they did agreed that it changed their outlook of people they do not know. One of the girls explained it like this: If you meet a guy on the street it can happen that you compare him with good looking models in advertisements.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨ One of the girls also claimedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨I often find myself comparing the men in advertisements with my boyfriend. Data Analysis The survey participants believed that being nude is very different than sex appeal. The students in both the girls and boys group agreed that all the models in the advertisements I showed them were very good looking and not the average girl next door, which played a great role in how the advertisements were perceived. According to Lambiase and Reichert (2003) there are different types of sexual information in advertising; nudity, sexual behavior, psychical attractiveness and sexual referents. As previously stated, the respondents agreed that the different types of advertisement are considered to be sexual. From my research I found that men believe physical attractiveness is a more important factor than women think. Men claimed that in order for an advertisement to be of sexual content the women in the ad had to be extremely good looking. This backs up Ramirez and Reichert theory; that physical attractiveness was twice as important to men than it is to women. The male respondents did not feel bitterness towards attractive models in advertisements like women did. They explained that they realize people in advertising are perfect because they are retouched. Richins (1991) states that young adult females compare their level of attractiveness with models in advertisements, and women also tend to envy their beauty. This shows that Richins theories concerning young women feeling envy towards attractive models are not applicable to young men. Furthermore, beautiful models in advertisements are supposed to change the comparison standards for physical attractiveness (ibid). The majority of the respondents agreed to this and stated that they have higher demands on how a girl is supposed to look like due to the models in advertisements. Some of the respondents thought that the reason why many young females have bad self- self-assurance is because they are constantly fed with advertisements showing how they are supposed to look. However, some of the respondents claimed that advertisement had nothing to do with how they want to look. According to Richins (1991) young adult females feel envy and compare their beauty with models in advertisements targeted toward them. The respondents supported this theory. The respondents claimed, except for one who stated that she was not affected by models in advertisements, that the self-perception of physical attractiveness was lowered by advertisements including physical attractive models. Some of the respondents pointed out the fact that they subconsciously changed their perception after they have been exposed to eye-catching models. Richins (1991) states that exposure to advertising with idealized images of physical attractiveness lowers, at least temporarily young adult females satisfaction and self-perception of their own physical attractiveness. The discussion between the focus group confirmed this. The respondents mentioned if they were walking down the street it is extremely likely that they will have a higher comparison standard for physical attractiveness after looking at attractive models in advertisements. However, they quickly point out that it did not change their view of their friends since personality is important to them. According to Richins (1991) exposure to advertising with idealized images of physical attractiveness will raise young females comparison standards for physical attractiveness. Conclusion The findings of my thesis imply that there are some similarities between the data gathered and the research stated of how young men react to sexual appeal in advertising. However, there are also some differences. My findings suggest that young men believe there is too much sex in advertising, especially in cases where the product has no connection with sexual appeal whatsoever. Additionally, young men believe that advertisements can be discriminating both to men and women, since the models that are appearing in these advertisements are based on sexual appeal and are often well trained and good-looking. My research also suggest that nudity in advertisement is so common today that even though advertisements include unnecessary nudity young men do not change their purchasing behavior, even if the attitude towards the brand may change. Previous research confirms the change in attitude, but the fact that buying behavior does not change has not been brought up in earlier research. The focus groups suggested different products where they believed it is okay to use sexual appeal in advertising. One example is in advertisements for fragrances. The focus group also mentioned a non-suitable sexual advertisement was ice cream. Additionally my findings suggest that young men do not feel any bitterness or jealously towards models in advertisements because they are aware that the models in advertisements are retouched to for a more tasteful appearance. However, the respondents in my focus group brought up the fact that they believe people in general change their self-perception of physical attractiveness due to attractive models in advertisements. They also claimed that the comparison standard for physical attractiveness increased after viewing an advertisement, with a stunning woman, that is based on sexual appeal. My research also suggests that female respondents believe there is too much sex in advertising. This is especially true when it comes to products that have no association with sexual appeal. Also, young women believe an advertisement can be discriminating. Results show that young women believe that women are often portrayed as sexual objects in advertisements. In addition, the research also suggests that some young women change their attitude towards a brand and in some cases buying behavior if the advertisement is bad and too sexual. According to my findings young women are affected by sexual appeal in advertisement. This is due to the fact that the models in the advertisement are extremely attractive. This affects the self-confidence of young women according to the participants of the focus group. According my research, the reason for this is because young women are constantly targeted with advertisements based on sexual appeal which includes attractive models. Other findings suggest that young womens comparison standard for physical attractiveness increased concerning casual meetings. However respondents from the focus group claimed that comparison standards for friends were not increased since they had a personality which according to the focus group member is much more important. Todays adolescences are used to the sexual content showed in advertisement. Therefore I think that the corporations should rethink before choosing sexual appeals as a topic in their campaigns. Since sexual appeals are so common today that people do not react to it anymore. If the advertisement contains sexual behavior that is not in accordance with the product, it is very likely that people might change their attitude towards that product. If corporations use sexual appeal the wrong way in advertisements, people, or in this case, the youth will be against them and maybe go as far as not purchasing the product. Corporations might consider using other tools than sex in advertising, since sex is that common today. Sometimes a product works better with other appeals, such as humor, fear or even guilt. References Belch, G.E. Severn, J. (1990). The effects of sexual and nonsexual advertising appeals and information level on cognitive processing and communication effectiveness. Journal of advertising, Vol. 19 Issue 1. ISSN 0091-3367 Gould, S.J. (1994). Sexuality and ethics in advertising: A research agenda and policy guideline perspective. Journal of advertising, Vol. 23 Issue 3. ISSN 0091-3367. Heckler, S.E., Jackson, S. Reichert, T. (2001). Sexual Appeals in advertising. Journal of advertising, Vol. 30 Issue 1. ISSN 0091-3367. Henthorne, T.L. LaTour, M.S. (1994). Ethical judgments of sexual appeals in print advertising. Journal of advertising, Vol. 23 Issue 3. ISSN 0091-3367. Lambiase, J. Reichert, T. (2003). Sex in advertising. Mahwah, New Jersey : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. ISBN 0-8058-4117-2. Reichert, T. (2003). The prevalence of sexual imagery in ads targeted to young adults. Journal of consumer Affairs, Vol. 37 Issue 2. ISSN 0022-0078. Richins, M.L. (1991). Social Comparison and the idealized images in advertising. Journal of consumer research, Vol. 18. ISSN 0093-5301. Smith, S.M., Anton, M.R., Haugtvedt, C.P. Jadrich, J.M. (1995). Understanding responses to sex appeals in advertising: An individual difference approach. Advances in consumer research, Vol. 22. ISSN 0098-9258. Treise, D. Weigwold, M.F. (1994). Ethics in advertising: ideological correlates of consumer perceptions. Journal of advertising, Vol. 23 Issue 3. ISSN 0091-3367. Yin, R.K. (2003). Case study research: Design and methods. (3rd ed.). Thousand oaks, California : Sage Publications Inc. ISBN 0-7619-2553-8. Appendices 1-6 Appendix 1: Interview questions I will start by showing the group the pictures of the advertisements and then the participants will discuss what they see and feel about the material. When the group is done expressing their reactions I will continue by asking them the following questions: Question 1: Is there too much sex in advertising and is there a limit where it becomes offensive? Question 2: Is okay to use sexual appeal in advertisement? Question 3: Do advertisements with erotic appeal change your attitude toward a brand? Question 4: Do advertisements with attractive models change your comparison standards for physical attractiveness? After the questions I asked if the group wanted to add anything else. Appendix 2 http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/uu151/brosjdm/erotic.jpg Appendix 3 Appendix 4 http://i368.photobucket.com/albums/oo126/theybf/Feb%2009/0905a17e.jpg Appendix 5 http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs20/i/2008/304/1/a/Erotic_hug_by_fdesign74.jpg

Causes of Job Turnovers and Staff Retention Issues

Causes of Job Turnovers and Staff Retention Issues STAFF RETENTION INTRODUCTION Staff turnover has become the norm today in the manufacturing, service and merchandising / merchandise industry. Employees are moving from one form of employment to another because of several factors that the employers have not yet grasped. In this regard many industry players are busy defining ways to protect turnover of its employees. The most affected part of this is the merchandising industry. In the bid to prove muscle in the fastest growing industry executives in the merchandising industry are fighting hard the high trend of their staff consistently changing jobs (Omondi 2). Today generating an atmosphere favorable and valued by all employees in the ever changing employee market may not be as pain-streaking as it may appear to the larger population. It engages a number of issues may make the brilliant minds that make up your staffs want to stay in the organization. A combination of this contribution may eventually lead to higher number of employees and thus reduce turnover. The contributions made above require that they be performed in tandem for observable achievement to be achieved. Grasping the skill of staff retention requires that management delve deeply into what causes turnover of staff in institutions. Many questions should be put on the table in order to ascertain reasons why one would want to work in one organization and not prefer to work in another organization. The managements should not rest at that but proceed to look into the subsequent period that the employee has been absorbed into an organization. By asking these questions it is easy to discern that there are a lot of issues that have been left wanting for a long time. i find it easy to look at this issues by sympathizing with the employee and trying to assume his shoes at the company. This in real meaning requires doing proper research on standard ethical models that might be brought on board to encourage retention of employees. In the recent past the employers used to retain employees . The confidence thus gained goes down well with those in the precincts of work thus offering them purpose and presence. Boosting the moral of workers is one way of improving confidence of staff. In this regard even the general productivity of the company of the company can be noticed. Working closely and collectively in addition grants the staff presence. Al in all its just a matter of saying thank you as morality demands. There are different styles of leadership in institutions that influence how relationships in the work place take place. People in leadership roles should be in the fore front in show wing proper codes of conduct to their employees, as opposed totaking the hind seat. In turn the employees may feel very motivated within the working environments that they are working. This enabling environment will thus lead to a sense of belonging by the individuals and cohesiveness thus leading to teamwork translating into a proud team. For one to retain staff he or she has to consider several important issues of the work place. BACKGROUND Draper Co. Ltd. Found in 1987 is a sweater manufacturer that employs more than 100 people in Hong Kong. Since garment companies had bloomed in recent years. The role for merchandising people become more difficult and the manpower is short in the labor market. Draper is facing the problem of high staff turnover rate. In addition, with opening of the mainland market. Many foreign enterprises had set up their merchandising sections in Hong Kong and some enterprises also invite Hong Kong garment companies to cope with their expanding business. As a result, the job vacancies of merchandisers increased tremendously. Among the merchandising industry, garment sections are highest in demand for merchandisers. This is due to the fast growing of the sectors as well as the high employee turnover rate and the lack of talent in the labour market. With the goal of identifying predictors of turnover, factors and employees intention to leave or stay with the company will be the major issue of Draper Co. Ltd. 1.2 RESEARCH PROBLEMS Initially, the establishment of the project required the involvement of different parties who would provide data and statistical analysis. The study required involvement of external organizations which would require them to allow access their staff to cooperate during the course of the research. Unfortunately some of these merchants turned down request to take part a little after the project was already initialized, it was quite unfortunate. The team of researchers contacted several nationwide merchandise groups to request them to take part in the research as a subsequent measure. Within a short period of time, two particular merchandisers articulated formal concern and primarily arranged to play a part in the project but with the approval of the Board of Governors of their respectful organisations. The team of researchers used up considerable hours meeting with a variety of the team of people representing the merchandisers and giving important information related to the research and showing presentations that highlight the scope of the study. An agreement was made with these merchandisers that the research panel would conduct industry job and staff retention survey within the merchandise organization, rather than concentrating on organizational loop holes as it would imply that there are indeed loop holes, in their respective organisations which might not be the truly case. However because of various unpredicted situations including the falling ill of one of the team members who acted as coordinator of the research team and these respectful merchandisers, the merchandisers in the end made the decision to withdraw its cooperation, leaving operation of the research between a rock a rock and a hard place. The research team then informed the Draper Co. Ltd of the current problems and suggesting a different research method design that would still be in line aims of the project and the objectives outlined before the research was initially flagged off. In this respec t, a decision was made to advertise across various merchandise outlets to secure individual people working as merchandisers to act as respondents from different retail outlets, thus eliminating the process of approaching company heads or Board of Governors for endorsement to guarantee a speedy and effortless contact with respondents. The Draper Co. Ltd was highly involved in endorsing the submission for change in the approach for the research. The research carried out by the team concerned conducting 100 partially controlled telephone interviews with with merchandisers from different merchandising firms including own staff at Draper Co. Ltd . The research method design of the survey was cautiously designed and conversant with preceding works that dwelled on employee equality and diversity concerns all over the work evironment (e.g. Sutherland and Davidson, 1997). The design of the interviews was such that it could be in accordance with the aims and corresponding objectives of the Dr aper Co. Ltd and eventually deal with a array of concerns as well as the recognition of possible occupational improvement barriers and the recognition of approaches for conquering these limitations, chances for education and training, job promotions and provision for leadership. The partially controlled interview timetable was then stored in secure modules and safe websites secured with passwords, which eventually made it easy for members of the research panel to enter information directly into the research database and online pages, and at the same time carrying out interviews with respondents all over the merchandising industry. The details of the research methodology and what will be contained in the schedule for the is described in the subsequent sections. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE This study was led by a research team commissioned by the Draper Co. Ltd. The research team was selected by the management of the company with advise by the legal advise wing experts. It was agreed that 16 members be brought aboard the the team of researchers. The main goal of identifying predictors of turnover, factors and employees intention to leave or stay with the company will be the major issue of Draper Co. Ltd. The aims of the project were as follows: To examine two sets of potential causes of job turnovers and eventual staff retention mechanisms: firstly, those that impede the retention of workers in the organization and secondly, those that speeds the exit of the players from the organizations. Identify strategies for overcoming these barriers Investigate the feasibility of constructing a national database, documenting the career paths of women in the merchandise industry Develop, publish and disseminate good practice guidelines and recommendations using reports, conference presentations, feedback seminars, academic journals and merchandise specialist and national press. The objectives of the project were to: Investigate two sets of potential reasons for staff leaving the company: firstly, those that accelerate the exit of workers and merchandisers and secondly, those that impede the efforts of retaining staff in the organization. Identify strategies for overcoming these reasons. Investigate the feasibility of constructing a national database, documenting the career paths of workers in the merchandise industry. Develop, publish and disseminate good practice guidelines and recommendations using reports, conference presentations, feedback seminars, academic journals and merchandise specialist and national press. RESEARCH QUESTIONS Why this company has high staff turnover rate Why staff relationship will make new comer difficult to fit in team work What relationship caused high staff turnover rate How to retain staff in this company Does the management policy affect staff retention Does the company is responsive to employees needs and wants Does companys reputation retain staff RESEARCH METHOD 3. Research Methodology Having discussed the complexity of the retail industry and the related literature, the following chapter attempts to identify and describe the research design and sampling type. After which, the chosen research method will be introduce and how the collected data is being tabulated will be discuss. In addition, the hypotheses of this study will be derived at the later part of this chapter. 3.1 Research Design Research design specifies the methods and procedures for conducting a specific research project. It is a detailed blueprint used to guide the implementation of a research study towards the realization of its objectives (Wong, 1999). According to many authors (Churchill, 1999; Wong, 1999; and Zikmund, 2000), there are three types of research design, namely the exploratory research, descriptive research and causal research. Exploratory research is known to be the best suited for situations that have relatively little or nothing known about the study. The essence of this research design is to focus on two main ingredients listening and discovering, in order to provide a great understanding of a concept (Wong, 1999) and to clarify and define the nature of a problem (Zikmund, 2000). These authors also pointed out that exploratory research can be conducted with four approaches which are literature search, experience survey, focus group discussion and in-depth interview. These open-ended, flexible and interactive qualitative approaches help to formulate problems more precisely but not providing accurate statistical information. Descriptive research aims a describing the characteristics of the population under the study such as the behaviours of consumers. It is primarily concerned with the gathering of numeric, measurable data and it is recommended when the research purpose is centered on providing accurate, statistically reliable data. Descriptive research is being broken down into both longitudinal and cross-sectional studies (Zikmund, 2000 and Wong, 1999). Longitudinal studies involve panels (Churchill, 1991) and provide measurements at successive points of time of an event. On the other hand, being the most common and familiar (Churchill, 1991), cross-sectional studies describe an event at one particular point of time and it is useful in facilitating comparisons between different population subgroups (Wong, 1999). Finally, causal research is to explore and establish a cause-and-effect relationship, if any, between variables through laboratory and/or field experiments (Wong, 1999, p58). Cross-sectional study was chosen for this study. This is because cross-sectional study relies on a sample of elements from the population of interest that are measured at a single point in time (Churchill, 1999) and it can at best yield measurement data (Wong, 1999, p. 57). Hence, this research design suit in this study because it attempted to measure how consumers make decision. 3.2 Sampling Design Wong (1999, p.54) pointed out that descriptive research requires a reasonably large number of respondents (i.e., sample size) to supply the required information. Although it is recognized that a convenience sample is not always truly representative of the population, the author of this study had decided to adopt this method due to time restraints. The author adopted convenience sampling of non-probability sampling as it aids convenience and efficiency and also generates a large number of sample sizes. This is because it involves the selection of people who are most conveniently available to the interviewer (Wong, 1999). Due to time constraint, the gathering of responses for this study would be greatly base on convenience. Convenience gathering of responses and ability to contact the respondents (if necessary), has allowed the author of this study to choose both Marketing Institute of Singapores (MIS) part-time and full-time students as the main target respondents. In addition, friends, colleagues and family members of both the respondents and the author would be approached as well. 3.3 Data Collection for this Study According to Wong (1999), marketing data may be classified into two basic types: primary data and secondary data. Primary data refer to those collected to meet the specific research needs at hand. Secondary data on the other hand, refer to existing information which has previously been collected and reported by some individual or organization, and which are other than the research problem at hand. Thus the distinction between primary and secondary data lies in the original purpose of data collection. 3.3.1 Secondary Research Secondary data is an essential element of almost all research carried out. According to Churchill (1999, p. 253) secondary data possess significant cost and time advantages. This is because, the existence of secondary data can in many instances dismiss the need for potentially expensive and time-consuming field work as secondary data exists aplenty from internal and external data sources (Wong, 1999). Apart from time-saving and cost economics, secondary data is less subject to intentional bias. Also as certain types of information may be impractically or virtually impossible to gather through data approach, secondary data are the only alternative (Wong, 1999). Therefore, secondary data enable this study to avoid biasness that might be made unintentionally by the author during the development of the hypotheses. Hence in this study, journals from electronic databases such as Emerald and Ebsco were reviewed to aid the development of the study. The use of journals was to serve as a basis to draw the hypotheses of this study. However, Wong (1999) pointed out that one of the disadvantages of secondary data is that it became outdated easily in an ever-changing environment, and often, there were differences in classification or measurement as well as lack of accuracy. The above appeared true to the author as some of the journals being reviewed appeared to be outdated and inaccurate due to different areas of focus. The author also found that there was limited access to many online research websites and the availability of journals on store atmosphere in the retail context was also limited. Therefore both the retail and service context were being reviewed in the process. With the difficulties mentioned above, it was anticipated that the secondary research found would not be sufficient to fulfill the objectives of this study. As mentioned by Churchill (1999), when problem is not yet resolved with secondary data, the researcher should proceed to primary data. Therefore, the author of the study moved on to gather primary data for the completion of this study. 3.3.2 Primary Research Primary data prove its importance when the required information for marketing research/evaluation may not be available from secondary data sources. For the purpose of this study, the author had decided to use quantitative research. This is because, according to Wong (1999, p.110), quantitative research is used when the primary objective is to derive numeric or quantifiable data which is statistically accurate and reliable. Quantitative research is also recommended when there exists a need for accurate numeric data. Due to time constraint, the author decided to avoid open-ended questions and adopt close-ended questions on the questionnaire. This is because, close-ended questions are easily administered by an unskilled interviewer compared to open-ended questions and it is also much easier and faster for statistical data tabulation and data comparison. In addition, the checklist of responses in the questionnaire helps reduce difficulty in memory-recall that respondent might encounter in responding open-ended question (Wong, 1999). On the other hand, the checklist of responses may not be as comprehensive and alternate responses that appear in the checklist may create position bias, which will cause the respondent to be unable to freely express him or herself, and often detailed information is being missed (Wong, 1999, p.138). 3.3.3 Questionnaire Development The questionnaire used for this study consists of three sections, namely demographics, Closed-ended questions (Dichotomous questions Multiple-choice questions) and Scaling questions (Agree-disagree questions). Section A served to gather data on respondents personal particular such as gender, age group, highest education level attained, occupation and monthly Income level. Section B aimed to gather data on respondents view towards the impact of store atmosphere on consumers emotions, purchase and repatronage behaviour. It will determine to what extent each atmospheric elements influence respondents mood and purchasing behaviour. Five-point Likert-scale statement (1=Strongly Disagree and 5=Strongly Agree) was being used to allow respondents to rank and identify the degree of influence of each of the atmospheric elements. Responses were also sought regarding consumers patronage behaviour. 3.3.4 Pre-testing The objective of pre-testing is to ensure that the questionnaire used in this study is easily understood and not misinterpreted by the respondents. There should also be minimal possible difficulties faced by respondents in answering the questionnaire. For the reliability of this study, pre-testing is vital to ensure the accuracy of the data collected. The questionnaire was pre-tested via a small-scale pilot test with 5 respondents and subsequent changes were made. The author sent the questionnaire via email to the 5 respondents and they where asked to attempt the questionnaire and provide comments and feedbacks. After gathering the feedbacks and comments, the questionnaire was being modified and refined to meet the objectives of this study. In order to improve the clarity of the questionnaire, redevelopment of the questionnaire was required. The author had to refine the section A and rephrase some misleading questions in Section B. Some questions that were being duplicated and confusing to the respondents were omitted. New questions were also developed and integrated into the questionnaire to achieve the objective of the study. 3.3.5 Final Data Collection After redeveloping the questionnaire, the new questionnaire (appendix ) was ready for the actual distribution and data collection. The questionnaire was being distributed both online and offline to MIS part-time and full-time students as well as their friends, colleagues and family members. Naturally, offline respondents are more responsive to the completion of the questionnaire. This is because they tend to complete the questionnaire the moment they receive it and return to the author right after completion. Although online distributions of the questionnaire enable wider participation and easier distribution, it is commonly view as spam mails and ignored by receivers. Therefore, there were a total of 49 responses from offline distribution and 39 online responses which resulted in a total of 85 responses that served as primary data for this study. 3.3.6 Data Analysis Method SPSS 13.0 version was being used for data analysis in this study. The author made use of one sample T-test, paired sample T-test, chi-square and correlation to conduct testing of the hypotheses. The statements used to measure the variables were assessed on a five-point Likert scale, ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree with numerical value of one being strongly disagree and five being strongly agree. 3.4 Hypotheses â€Å"A hypothesis is a statement that specifies how two or more measurable variables are related. A good hypothesis carries clear implications for testing stated relationships†, (Churchill, 1999, p.101). As stated, for this study, it was important to measure the impact of the influence of the atmospheric elements of a store on consumers mood and behaviour. Hence, the following hypotheses were derived for this study. Based upon the theories reviewed, it is hypothesized that: Mood H1a: Colours has a significant influence on consumers mood in the store H1b: Lighting have a significant effect on consumers mood of the store H1c: Music has a significant effect on consumers mood of the store H1d: Scent has a significant influence on consumers mood of the store H2: Mood is positively influencing consumers length of stay in a store Spontaneous Purchase H3a: Consumers will have a more favourable attitude toward merchandise with the effects of store atmospheres H3b: Effects of store atmospherics on merchandise is positively influencing spontaneous purchase in the store H4: Income level is influencing spontaneous purchase that is caused by store atmospherics Repatronage Intention H5: Consumers will exhibit greater degree of patronage intention when the store atmosphere appeals to them H6: Gender, Age and Education level influence consumers evaluation of stores image The responses gathered from the questionnaire were then entered into SPSS 13.0 for statistical analysis. 3.5 Summary of Chapter 3 Secondary data such as journals and textbooks were being reviewed before conducting the actual primary research. This was to allow the author to further understand the review on Store Atmospherics, mood and repatronage behaviour before developing the questionnaire for primary data collection and to develop the hypotheses of this study. A total of 89 responses were collected via online and offline distribution to enter into SPSS 13.0 for statistical analysis. Conclusive Research Design Descriptive Research Method: Data Analysis is quantitative Secondary data survey Questionnaire Survey Data Collection Survey analysis by launched an Employee Workplace Survey to gather data that would identity why do employees stay/leave the company? Identifying factors influencing retention to gather data from across the employee population of the company. TERMINOLOGIES DISSERTATION OUTLINES Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1 Introduction This Section looks at the main literature in this area. The first sections focus on the structure of merchandising and the broader profile of the sector. The section then moves on to its main concern which is the job retention of merchandisers at junior and senior levels in merchandise. Merchandising is an economic sector, which has traditionally been associated with the employment of merchandisers. Overall, 60% of low skilled employees are merchandisers and 40% are skilled. Whilst these figures show that the merchandise sector clearly employs a larger number of low skilled than the skilled, it is not a ‘balanced industry (Skillsmart, 2006). The representation of low skill workers in the merchandise sector however, follows a number of important patterns. Official statistics are used to highlight the predominance of merchandisers in part time work in the merchandise sector and the under representation of merchandisers at senior levels. According to Skillsmart, (2006), official f igures are general and are unlikely to provide a clear understanding of the dynamics relating to the position in which merchandisers are employed in merchandise sector. The following sections therefore outline theories that have been offered to account for these gender disparities, particularly in relation to barriers for merchandisers attempting to progress into senior management positions. An examination of managing diversity is then offered and potential mechanisms for ensuring merchandise organisations fully utilise the talents of all employees to maximise productivity is discussed. 2.2 The structure of the merchandise sector The merchandise sector is the largest private sector employer in the Hong Kong yet it is rarely recognized as such. Skill smart (a not for profit organisation, set up and part funded by Government to identify and address the skills needs of the Hong Kong merchandise sector), suggest that this is, possibly because its workforce is not concentrated in any particular region or locality. In fact, the merchandise sector is the largest public sector employer in the Hong Kong. Furthermore, Wang XI Inc is the Hong Kongs second largest employer after the Jubilee (Skillsmart, 2004). Overall, the merchandise sector employs three million people throughout the Hong Kong, which accounts for approximately ten per cent of employment throughout the Hong Kong. However, the structure of the industry is unusual, and is described by Skillsmart, as ‘hourglass shaped. The overwhelming majority (95%) work in firms with less than ten employees. Consequently, there is significantly less (just over two hundred) merchandise employers with more than fifty staff, reflecting the â€Å"hourglass shape† of the industry profile. 2.3 Present profile of turnover of employees Employment expectations have risen slightly in (Q1) from an already high level in Q4. Of the 514 executives surveyed, 54% expect to increase their hiring which is slightly up from 53% the previous.Year-on-year, expectations have remained steady. The 54% planning to grow headcount this year is at the same level as Q1 2006, though there are some variations between the sectors surveyed. Companies are extremely confident about how they will perform in the next six months with 95% of respondents forecasting their companys performance to be excellent or good in the first half of 2007. Respondents in Hong Kong report higher levels of staff turnover than in any other market surveyed in Asia with 37% stating that turnover in the last twelve months has exceeded 10% (Hudson, 2007). Hudson, one of the worlds leading professional recruitment, outsourcing and talent management solution providers, today released findings of its comprehensive quarterly Hudson Report for Asia. With a reputation as a key socio-economic indicator in the current marketplace since its Asia launch in December 1998, the survey has been built on the premise that employers expectations of an increase or decrease in staffing levels represent a significant indication of their optimism in the growth of their organisation and their industry as a whole. The Hudson Report represents the expectations of over 2,200 key employment decision makers from multinational organisations of all sizes in all major industry sectors, with 514 of these executives based in Hong Kong. 2.4 The general profile of employees in the merchandise sector Traditionally the merchandise sector is associated with the employment of low level and unskilled workers, the vast majority of whom work in the lower ranks of the organizational hierarchy. The profile of employees in merchandise also follows a number of other patterns. The merchandise sector for example employs a large proportion of young people. According to recent estimates 29% of those employed in the sector are between the ages of 16 to 24. This is compared to the overall economy figure of 14%. It has been suggested that this figure may be due to the popularity of merchandise as a part-time occupation for young people and students (Skillsmart, 2006). Merchandise is also a popular choice for older workers (those over 55). In terms of ethnic minority employment, the merchandise sector employs a similar proportion to those figures available nationally (Skillsmart, 2006). Recent research has shown however, that certain recruitment practices may prevent ethnic minorities from gaining employment in merchandise organizations. For example a study for Birmingham and Manchester cities in Britain for example, found that employers might specify jobs as a matter of course that require the staff to work on Saturdays without realizing that a large pool of potential workers would be unable to work on this day as it is their Sabbath (Vector research, 2003). 2.4 The trends common in the merchandise sector Merchandise is an economic sector, which has traditionally been associated with the employment of diverse people of different background. Overall, 55% of merchandise employees are women and 45% are men (Skillsmart, 2006). This gender factor in the merchandise sector remains fairly consistent throughout the nations and regions of the Hong Kong and this profile has been fairly consistent over the last 10 years. Skill level has also played a bigger part in influencing how long an employee is wiling to stay in a given organization. Better salaries in other organizations may lead to employees moving from their respective place of work in pursuit for better opportunities(Hudson, 2006). Level of qualification gives workers a broader spectrum of work opportunities that they gladly take into considerations. Skillsmart (2006) suggest that Hong Kongs larger ethnic population is likely to be the source of this greater proportion of the workers in the capital run by ethnic minorities may proprietorship driven by highly skilled male people. It is important to note however, that t he representation of retention in the merchandise sector follows a number of

Physics in Volleyball Essay examples -- physics sport sports volleybal

Physics is used in almost everything we do throughout our everyday lives. Sports are almost entirely composed of the physics of the human body in order accomplish the performed action. Volleyball is a sport which has physics at the heart of the game, understanding the physics of the game actually allows a player to improve and become more efficient and effective in his or her game. This essay gives insight into how the rules of physics can be used and are essential in the game of volleyball in all aspects of the game including serving, passing, setting, hitting, and blocking. Volleyball is a game of constant projectile motion with various types of contacts involved in each aspect of the game. In volleyball when serving one must stand behind the end line, which is 30 feet from the net. The net measures 90 inches, or 96 inches for men, from the ground. The goal is to get the ball across the net with as little time as possible so that the other team has less time to react and handle the ball. Traditionally serving has been done from the floor where the server has to create a parabolic motion path for the ball to travel so that it will clear the net and then land within the boundaries of the court. In modern volleyball the game has progressed to more of a vertical game, with jump serving. The advantages that jump serving gives have to do with the physics of projectile motion. The angle in which the server’s initial velocity has to start from is smaller, because as the height increases the slope of the parabola in the motion of the ball decreases. As the height of contact increases the path that the ball follows becomes line like as it crosses the net and if the contact height is high enough and the ball is contacted correctly... ...ember 2004 Zobel, Edward A. "Projectile Motion, General Solution" 2001. 23 November 2004. . Western Washington University."Projectile Motion" .22Novemeber 2004 Bixby, Sarah.University of Alaska Southeast."The Physics of Volleyball" 2004. 23 November 2004 Anon. Science 306(5693) 42-42. "Engineering of Sport- In Volleyball, Crafty Players Serve Up an Aerodynamic crisis. 2004. 23 November 2004.

Juliets Diary :: Papers

Juliet's Diary Sunday Today has been both amazing and terrible. Amazing because I have fallen in love with a wonderful, handsome man yet terrible as he is a Montague, my one enemy. Mother and father also wish me to marry Paris, one of father friends. Dancing with him tonight he seemed to be very charming. I am sure he is a lovely gentleman but I do not wish to marry him. I have met a man who I do wish to marry, Romeo. He is handsome and kind. We engaged in vows of love. He also wishes to marry me. He is very romantic he said to me "My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss." I could not help but fall for him. I met him tonight at my father's party. Even our meeting was romantic our eyes met across the crowed party, he's extremely attractive he made me feel like no man had ever made me feel before. I've always believed in love at first sight, I'm so happy that it's happened to me. Unfortunately our meeting at the party was cut short. This is when I discovered my love was my enemy nurse told me "His name is Romeo, and a Montague; the only son of your great enemy". What does a name matter when you are in love? I would happily give up my name and be married to him. My only love sprung from my only hate! Earlier Romeo snuck into the garden and we met again. He risked getting caught for me so I know he loves me as much as I love him. He asked me to marry him just as I was about to leave. He said "The exchange of thy love's faithful vow for mine." It wasn't the most romantic way to be asked to marry someone but I couldn't refuse It's I wanted. I'm worried about how my fathers going to react to my news. We will have to get married in secret father would never let me marry

Explaining the Goal of Financial Management and the Role of Ethics Essay

It has always been the goal of the financial managers to maximize the wealth of the shareholders of the firm. That is to say, we maximize the potential benefits that the firm’s stakeholders get by increasing the value of the firm in which these shareholders have taken the risk of investing to. According to Ingram (1992), the worth of a company is dependent on the capacity of the assets to produce cash flows over a period of time. This means that if the firm is able to generate a positive net cash flow including a reasonable dividend to its owners, then it said that value is created. Firms face two kinds of profits. They are accounting profits and economic profits. Maximizing accounting profits normally refers to the general corporate goal of maximizing profits as maximizing economic profits generally refers to maximizing the shareholder’s wealth. Ingram (1992) has distinguished them by defining accounting profits as the income accumulated after the overall cost is deducted from the overall revenue before the payment to shareholders is considered and economic profits as the income accumulated after compensating for the factors of production such as capital, labor and others. Moreover, she differentiated the two by saying that accounting profit does not consider all the factors of production as economic profit does and that it also does not consider compensating the shareholders for taking the risk in investing in the firm. Maximizing wealth does not consequently mean that the firm has to face an unethical decision making. It is still up to the firm as to how it will perform this task. As according to Goizueta (1997), everyone in the company would be better of if it plans for a long-term goal rather than a short-term goal. Through this, the firm can still plan on how it will maximize the wealth and at the same time be consistent with ethical standards.