Lust is Illusive Essay

Susan Minot’s short story, â€Å"Lust,† shares a tale of sexually pervading adolescent girl. The unnamed protagonist victimizes herself in fragmented recollections of sexual encounters with multiple partners. Debauchery down spirals her into a realm of self- languish. The narrator begins as a morally bankrupt adolescent and the text unravels a severely ambivalent sad teenage girl. The more of yourself that you passively give away the less of yourself you become. The protagonist is not developed by physical features. She is created by her relationships with others. Her feelings and actions also allow the reader to dig deeper into what kind of person she is. As a dynamic character she undergoes inner conflict. Once she recognizes her conflict with impulsive sexual conduct she possesses the power of change. At the beginning of the story she is emotionally vacant. When sharing she chose the objective style of storytelling. It was not the tradition style that bursts with details. With the minimal detail the narrator’s voice strengthened. Though her words are short it makes the readers anticipation grow. The quick to the point delivery gave the reader the general idea of her lifestyle. She distances herself from experiences. The narrator inconsistently tells the story in first and second person. Separating herself from the actions takes the blame off her. Dissociation shows when she describes her feelings after sex. â€Å"You make out the dim shape of the windows and feel yourself become a  cave, filled absolutely with air, or with a sadness that wouldn’t stop.† It may be possible that the narrator wants to feel nothing at all rather than sadness. Being empty with just air or with sadness is inevitable. Her hollowness engulfs all the regretted decisions. She victimizes herself to her partners. All the acts are initiated by the guys. Every guy that she mentions has the upper hand. It is about their likes and dislikes. It is never what she wants; she only wishes to please them. â€Å"You wait till they come to you [†¦] you’d do anything for them.† (282) She would do anything for them even be critiqued about her body appearance. When guys pursue her in a disrespectful manner she feels obligated to give them attention. She chooses to entertain them despite her knowledge of their intentions. She is overly dependent on males. She continues to self- victimize She does not realize that happiness is internal and to experience external happiness you have to be right within. There is a constant reference of peer pressure. She wants so badly to belong. Upon the transition of a new school everyone would like to be accepted. She is only fifteen and expressing her rebellion. She parties with the kids from school and they get into delinquent activities. She smokes cigarettes and goes and gets drunk. There is sadness the seeps through her text. She does all this as a coping mechanism to block out the spurts of sadness. With each guy there was a part of her that is lost. Male dominance is present. She compared a boy with multiple partners and a girl with multiple partners. The guy had a bright look and bloomed after every girl. He would proudly gloat about his stories and everyone would support it. There would be guys encouraging him to lure more girls for his endless stories. A girl is different, there is no shine. There is only regret. It once grew into a proud beautiful blossomed flower. Now after each boy the petals would be plucked. The flower left in sorrow hunched over surrounded with rotted petal. You were not yourself anymore. Her identity is lost. Her voice is lost. It is obsolete. The narrator is a sympathetic character. The generation of these adolescent  girls could very well identify with her. She evokes a little hope that there can be resurrected after disaster. Her actions are the reflection of an epic phase that will continue to be a struggle for generations to come. Though at first she takes no responsibility for her action she has realized that maybe she is the cause of her dissatisfying life. This story is a great coming of age example of arbitrary conquests and its outcome on teenage girls. She puts the nonchalance attitude to the side and voices her thoughts. Towards the end of the story the paragraphs become emotionally synced and detailed. Now you know her thoughts and she feels used, tired, cheated. The reader is left without a denouement of satisfaction. The narrative is concluded with unsettling sentences of the disappearance of herself. There is only speculation that she resigns after the conscious discovery of her tragic emotional state.

Educational assessments

AbstractionEducational appraisals have come into examination for many old ages. In times of technological alteration, e-assessment has been a current issue in the universe of educational appraisal. The deductions of this alteration have gained considerable media coverage that range from significant support to considerable resistance. The media article â€Å"Exams are a critical lesson† by Hilary Douglas, will function as illustrations of assessment issue that are brought about by national newspapers. The paper highlights how Continuous appraisal has besides emerged as an attach toing issue to make with e-assessment. In this paper, one argues the necessity to understand the maps of appraisal in order to to the full understand why this alteration is being proposed and the ability to to the full encompass the new chances that modern engineering provides. In add-on, one outlines some of the issues that must be considered and the troubles that must be overcome before uninterrupted appraisal and e-assessment can go a complete world. In decision, it is apparent that the age of e-assessment has arrived but there are still many hurdlings to get the better of before the full potency and benefits of e-assessment are put into pattern.IntroductionIt is with no uncertainty that appraisal and proving have a strong consequence on lives and callings of immature people. Harmonizing to Black and Wiliam ( 2006:9 ) ‘Assessment in instruction must, foremost and first, function the intent of back uping larning ‘ . But what precisely is assessment? Assessment is defined by Linn and Miller ( 2006 ) as the procedure of assemblage and discoursing information from multiple and diverse beginnings in order to develop a deep apprehension of what pupils know, understand, and can make with their cognition as a consequence of their educational experiences ; the procedure culminates when assessment consequences are used to better subsequent acquisition. Assessment serves many maps and there are large educational additions associated with good appraisal as Black and Wiliam ( 1998:3 ) reappraisal in their survey: ‘All†¦ surveies show that†¦ strengthening†¦ formative appraisal produces important, and frequently significant, learning additions. These surveies range over ages ( from 5-year olds to university undergraduates ) , across several school topics, and over several states However, in many cases, appraisal due to patterned advance intents in life may be strictly seen as unreal hurdlings to traverse over in immature people quest for employment or farther instruction. This paper will foreground issues sing maps of appraisal that will assist to understand, how foremost and first, the intent is to back up acquisition. In the eyes of many educational professional, an extraordinary assortment of classroom-targeted enterprises have been unleashed on schools over the last decennary and more. All the enterprises with the same general purpose: the betterment of student acquisition. Appraisal by instructors, whether formative or summational, is one of these developments that are considered to offer important potency for bettering student ‘s acquisition ( Harlen, 1997 ) . This development is on traveling and cogent evidence of it is one of the latest media articles headlined â€Å"Exams are a critical lesson† ( July 19th, 2009 ) The article by Hilary Douglas identifies current tendencies and issues sing maps of appraisal and current and future appraisal patterns. In peculiar the article focuses on a statement by the caput of the Cambridge Assessment exam board saying â€Å"there will be a displacement from traditional high-stake summational appraisals to be replaced by computerised online testing.† The thought behind the strategy would be that pupils could take a trial whenever they are ready and resit these as many times as necessary to be able to acquire a good grade. Continuous appraisal would wholly replace the three-hour written test, instead than a mix of appraisal of coursework and traditional testing which is the norm. As Douglas ( 2009 ) indicates, nine old ages ago, Curriculum 2000 was introduced when students were allowed to recognition their classs as AS students at the terminal of their first twelvemonth. However, the debut of uninterrupted appraisal, as proposed in the article non in its signifier land breakage. Originally A-Levels were assessed through one set of tests at the terminal of a biennial class. They were besides allowed for the first clip to take tests as many times as they liked until they and their instructors felt they had achieved the optimal grade. Even though exam boards such as OCR have already tested e-assessment in environmental and land-based scientific discipline since 2007, and have 1,800 campaigners and 80 schools ( Douglas, 2009 ) utilizing it this summer turn outing to be popular for both pupils and instructors likewise, many educational experts warn that the move could be an unfastened door to the most dismaying cheating and that proving all students around the state in the same manner at the same clip and under the same fortunes is the lone true manner to be able to compare the consequences in a meaningful manner. In add-on, Alan Smithers ( cited in Douglas, 2009 ) professor of instruction at Buckinghamshire University, feels that the move must be stopped at all costs. â€Å"Making opinion about public presentations is n't easy, † he says. â€Å"The best manner of making it is cold-eyed appraisal of pupils undertaking the same undertakings under the same conditions.† It is apparent that a move from traditional summational appraisal to uninterrupted appraisal and e-assessment will convey both challenges and chances sing issues of appraisal and perchance contextualise the map of appraisal. This paper will get down with an scrutiny on the map of appraisal and pay peculiar attending to issues this alteration could convey to schools, colleges and more significantly, pupils. Current appraisal patterns in uninterrupted appraisal and e-assessment will all assistance in understanding the issues this alteration in assessment pattern may hold.Functions of Educational AssessmentHarmonizing to Newton ( 2007 ) when sing optimum design features for future assessment systems, it is necessary to bear in head the underlying intent of those systems. Overall it must be taken into history that a system which is tantrum for one intent will non needfully be fit for all intents and this is something uninterrupted appraisal and e-assessment proposals need to bare into co nsideration. The term ‘assessment intent ‘ may be interpreted in a assortment of different ways one will place the three degrees as mentioned by Newton ( 2007 ) 1. Judgemental Level ( concerns proficient purpose of an assessment event e.g. intent is to deduce standards-referenced opinion expressed as a class, use normally associated in official paperss ) 2. Decision Level ( concerns the usage of an assessment opinion, the determination, action, procedure it enables e.g. the intent is to back up a choice determination for entry into higher instruction ) 3. Impact Level ( concerns the intended impacts of running an appraisal system e.g. the intent are to guarantee that pupils remain motivated, and that all pupils learn a common nucleus for each topic ) ( Newton, 2007 ) It is of import to understand that where the distinct significances are non distinguished clearly, their distinguishable deduction for assessment design may go ill-defined. In this state of affairs, policy argument is likely to be unfocused and system design is likely to continue inefficaciously ( Newton, 2007 ) . So at what degree are the new proposals aimed at? The alteration proposed by the caput of Cambridge Assessment exam board brings a alteration to high-stakes summational appraisal. ‘High Stakes ‘ a term used to denote those state of affairss where involvement in appraisal goes beyond the immediate domain of educational measuring and beyond those persons who sit the trials ( Messick, 1999 ) . In add-on, as many authors have pointed out, the bets may be higher but the proficient jobs associated with appraisal remain the same in that all appraisal, whether high-stake or low-stakes, demands to be valid and dependable ( Linn, 2000:1 ) . American Educational Research Association ( 2000 ) noted that: If high-stakes testing plans are implemented in fortunes where educational resources are unequal or where test deficiency sufficient dependability and cogency for their intended intent, there is the possible for existent injury. Therefore if anything needs to predominate from these alterations in appraisal, are the demands for them to be valid and dependable. So what alterations are being proposed and what differences are at that place in signifiers of appraisal? This now leads one to the non covetous undertaking of briefly happening a differentiation between summational and formative appraisal. It is non 1s purpose to supply an extended literature research on formative and summational appraisal, but a on the job theory that has been taken into history throughout this paper. The position from Harlem and James ( 1997 ) and Harlem ( 2005 ) theory in summational and formative appraisal has been taken into history. Harlem and James ( 1997:372 ) attempted to separate formative from summational appraisal by naming contrasting features, for illustration, summational appraisal demands to prioritize dependability, while formative appraisal demands to prioritize cogency and utility ; formative appraisal dainties inconsistent grounds as enlightening, while summational appraisal dainties inconsistent values as mistakes. Harlen ( 2005 ) later developed this statement, and farther clarified the differentiation between formative and summational as follows: The two chief intents of appraisal discussed in this article are for assisting acquisition and for sum uping acquisition. It is sometimes hard to avoid mentioning to these as if they were different signifiers or types of appraisal. They are non. They are discussed individually merely because they have different intents ; so the same information, gathered in the same manner, would be called formative if it were used to assist acquisition and instruction, or summational if it were non so utilised but merely employed for entering and describing. While there is a individual clear usage if appraisal is to function a formative intent, in the instance of summational appraisal there are assorted ways in which the information about pupil accomplishment at a certain clip is used. ( Harlen, 2005, p. 208 ) Therefore, for intent of this paper it is utile to foreground the points that people frequently seem to believe that the differentiation turns on the nature of the assessment event i.e. , the usage to which assessment opinion will be put. One must take into consideration that whatever the nature of a opinion there would be nil formative occurrence unless the opinion was used in an effort to better acquisition. Therefore, even though one might measure via summational agencies, there is ever the handiness to supply formative feedback and manager pupils on where they have gone incorrect. This may be done through uninterrupted appraisal.Continuous AppraisalThe abolition of the traditional three hr test to uninterrupted assessment brings issues and chances within the educational constitutions. Continuous appraisal, harmonizing to Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Technology ( FMEST, 1985 ) , is defined as a mechanism whereby the concluding scaling of a pupil in cognitive, affecti onal and psychomotor spheres of behavior takes history, in a systematic manner, all his public presentations during a given period of schooling ; such an appraisal involves the usage of a great assortment of manners of rating for the intents of steering and bettering acquisition and public presentation of the pupil. This manner of appraisal is considered equal for appraisal of pupils ‘ acquisition because it is comprehensive, cumulative, systematic, counsel and diagnostic oriented. Having the ability to continuously measure will ease the instructor to understand where the pupil is holding trouble and act through formative appraisal. But what is the intent of this alteration and associating back to the old subdivision, what is the intent of this educational appraisal? In the instance of uninterrupted appraisal, its purpose tantrums on an impact degree, which concerns the intended impact is of running an appraisal system that attempts to guarantee pupils remain motivated, and that all pupils learn a common nucleus for each topic. It is here where even though the proposal is to convey in computerised online testing ( which shall be dealt with later on in e-assessment ) that will bring forth chiefly summational opinion may be used for formative appraisal. The ability for pupils to resit exams allows both the pupil and instructor to utilize a summational appraisal and if the pupil was unsuccessful in their first effort, utilise the consequence for formative intents. How? This allows the pupil and instructor to turn to where precisely they have gone incorrect leting assessment processs and patterns to develop to back up acquisition and underpin instead than undermine pupil assurance, accomplishment and advancement. James and Pedder ( 2006:110 ) provinces, ‘feedback focused on assisting pupils to better sharing standards of quality ‘ . This point can non be understated as the type and quality of feedback to the pupil via formative appraisal has been seen as important in other surveies ( Black and Wilia ms, 2008 ) . However, will this alteration make a difference to pupil ‘s perceptual experience of larning and more so of appraisal? Will these alterations bring large cultural differences to educational constitutions? Entwistle ( 1991 ) helps one to understand some of the issues with respects to uninterrupted appraisal and current patterns. The survey had findings that the pupil ‘s perceptual experience of the acquisition environment determines how they learn and non needfully the educational context in itself. It is apparent from the survey that formative appraisal and uninterrupted appraisal may hold a important consequence on what pupils learn and particularly how they learn. Gibbs ( 1999 ) has hence suggested that if pupils see assessment as the course of study, effectual instruction demands to utilize this cognition, in order to utilize the power of appraisal strategically to assist pupils larn. Biggs ( 2002 ) echoes the same fact when he says that pupils learn what they think will be assessed instead than what is in the course of study. The alterations from traditional appraisal to uninterrupted e-assessment will conversely, have an impact on the scholar ‘s experience of rating and appraisal finding the manner in which they approaches larning ( Struvyen et al, 2005 ) . Appraisal can therefore be looked upon logically and through empirical observation as one of the specifying characteristics of pupils ‘ attacks to larning ( Entwistle and Entwistle, 1991 ; Ramsden, 1997 ) . Within the proposed appraisal in the article, pupils are likely to take a strategic or accomplishing attack to acquisition, where Entwistle et Al ( 2001 ) believes the pupil ‘s purpose will be to accomplish the highest possible classs by utilizing good organised and painstaking survey methods and effectual clip direction, something that one along with perchance many other instructors see as a positive and encouraging alteration. Interestingly, Marton and Saljo ( 1997 ) survey serves as a good illustration in finding relation between attacks to larning and appraisal. A sum of 153 pupils from four topics in Engineering and Business degree watercourses participated in the survey from a University. Results showed that uninterrupted appraisals were preferred over a individual appraisal by a 78 % bulk. Some of the popular grounds for the penchant were easiness to analyze little subjects and hence being able to hit good Markss easy. The coursework Markss can be better because of the burdening given to each of the uninterrupted appraisal every bit good as the ability to construct a stronger foundation as one move from one subject to the other were remarks in favor of uninterrupted appraisals. It forces one to larn subjects decently earlier traveling to following subject. Each subject is given accent throughout the uninterrupted manner of appraisal ( Marton and Saljo ( 1997 ) . However, non all remarks are favorable. Remarks against this type of appraisals included ; excessively many appraisals robs one ‘s clip to larn other topics and frequent appraisal maintain you on alteration manner all of the clip, no relaxation ( Marton and Saljo cited in Jacob et Al, 2006 ) . What is apparent from research is that uninterrupted appraisal helps to look into on acquisition and that larning happens in stairss, non merely for the concluding test. Does this point to larning scheme adopted by the pupils? They seem to necessitate a cheque on their acquisition through trials, which they prefer in little units. But the logical thinking behind this was non to so much the avidity to get the hang the subject as such, but merely to do certain that their marking was helped. Associating to coursework classs, the survey concluded that those campaigners who follow a series of uninterrupted appraisals produce an enviable bulk of Higher Achievers. However, informations shows a negatively skewered distribution. This may hold deduction on the surveies dependability as the being of positively or negatively skewered distributions will be given to cut down the dependability of the trial. However, these consequences are typical for coursework classs particularly if they are designed to prove competence. In uninterrupted appraisal, with respects to assignments, pupils are supposed to seek for and synthesize information on the footing of its relevancy to the given assignment. If formative feedback from instructors is performed right, it should help in the acquisition of pupils. Overall, if the pupil completes and is able to finish the undertakings, they will obtain higher Markss. The survey besides deliberated that those pupils who did non execute in uninterrupted appraisal experienced poorer classs which were reasonably usually distributed. Is the power and influence of coursework evident here? Are some kids helped more than others? It is here where instruction constitution may run the hazard of pass oning to pupils that each unit/coursework etc as stepping rocks to enfranchisement instead than a life-long acquisition experience. Such perceptual experience of pupils encourage a strategic attack to their surveies, and allow them fall back to plagiarism, rip offing and utilizing ‘Rules of the game ‘ or ROGs as Norton et Al ( 2001 ) name. ROGs are an indicant that pupils perceive a hidden course of study where coachs say they want certain things in the appraisal undertaking. Here inquiries of cogency may stand for an issue. Taking into history Cook and Campell ( 1979 ) definition of cogency which is the â€Å"best available estimate to the truth or falseness of a given illation, proposition or conclusion† one has to measure whether pupils are accomplishing better classs because they are motivated, working harder, get bying with smaller units or is it to make with an over inclination for pupils to have coaching and specific information that helps them ‘push-up ‘ their classs. In add-on, Black et Al ( 2006 ) besides reiterates this by bespeaking that far from advancing an orientation towards pupil liberty, such patterns are interpreted as techniques to guarantee award accomplishment and likely aid pupils who are more dependent on their coachs and assessors instead than less dependent ( Torrence, 2007 ) . Modularization of A Levels is a perfect illustration where greater transparence of larning results and the standards by which they are judged have benefited scholars in footings of the increasing Numberss of scholars retained in formal instruction and preparation and the scope and Numberss of awards which they achieve ( Savory et al, 2003 ) . Clarity in assessment results, procedures and standards has underpinned the widespread usage of coaching, pattern and proviso of formative feedback to hike single and institutional accomplishment. In add-on, research grounds reported suggests that such transparence encourages instrumentalism ( Savory et al, 2003 ) . Transparency of aims together with extended coaching and pattern to assist scholars run into them is in danger of taking the challenges of acquisition and cut downing the quality and cogency of results achieved. This is mentioned by Torrance ( 2007:282 ) as a move from appraisal of acquisition, through the presently popular thought of appraisal for acquisition, to assessment as acquisition, where appraisal processs and patterns come wholly to rule the acquisition experience, and ‘criteria conformity ‘ comes to replace ‘learning ‘ and is something that needs to be to the full researched if execution of uninterrupted appraisal and unrestricted resit options are traveling to be made available for all curriculum topics. However, at this phase it is imperative to foreground the fact that the survey by ( Marton and Saljo, 1997 ) serves as a good i ndex of what may be experienced in educational scene. However, with a sample size of 153 from merely four topics in Engineering and Business grades from merely one University might demo perceptual experiences and consequences which are important to that particular survey, but might non needfully expose an association to other educational constitutions. This now leads one to measuring e-assessment and the map of its appraisal and current appraisal patterns.E-assessmentThe proposal of presenting e-assessment brings strengths, failings, chances and menaces to any educational constitution. But before we deal with these it is of import to understand precisely what e-assessment means. The term e-assessment covers the assortment of ways in which computing machines can be used to help the appraisal procedure. This might include utilizing computing machines to administrate an appraisal for formative or summational appraisal ( Attali and Burstein, 2006 ) . The proposal of presenting e-assessm ent is non a new one. Ken Boston ( Chief executive of the Qualification and Curriculum Authority in 2004 ) was bullish about the power of engineering to transform the educational experience of 1000000s of students, but that was back in 2004, and few experts would state that he has been proved right. In fact, five old ages on, none of the anticipations Boston made on that twenty-four hours has turned out to be right. For many in this field, the large inquiry has been why, given that technological alteration has happened rapidly in so many other countries of life, the gait of reform in this country means that, for most students taking tests still means scrabbling on paper. However, Multiple-choice inquiries ( MCQs ) are a perfect illustration on how educational constitutions have embraced the development of e-assessment. MCQ can be used as a agency of supplementing or even replacing appraisal patterns. The growing in this method of appraisal has been driven by wider alterations in the higher instruction environment such as the turning Numberss of pupils, modularisation and the increased handiness of computing machine webs. MCQ ‘s are seen as a manner of heightening chances for rapid feedback to pupils every bit good as a manner of salvaging staff clip in taging. However, there are recognized restrictions with this method. First, research workers discourage the usage of MCQ, reasoning they promote memorization and factual callback, and do non promote high-ranking cognitive procedures ( Scouller, 1998 ) . Some research workers, nevertheless, maintain that this depends on how the trials are constructed and that they can be used to measure acquisitio n at higher cognitive degrees ( Johnstone & A ; Arnbusaidi, 2000 ) . The advantage of MCQ with respects to assessment is its high degree of dependability that can be good as an alternate signifier of appraisal. However, the existent trouble for e-assessment has to make with the nature of analyzing. It is a high-stake activity as we have observed antecedently, which is closely scrutinised. Boyle ( 2009 ) deliberates that there is echt antipathy to put on the line in this country, within authorities, within suppliers of appraisal, amongst pupils, parents and staff. Because of this, things will be given to travel easy. Boyle ( 2009 ) adds that e-assessment nowadayss some serious practical challenges. Having an full twelvemonth group sit and take an test at the same clip, as happens with major conventional GCSEs now, would ask holding two sets of computing machines ; one for those taking the trials and another for other twelvemonth groups, which is expensive and frequently impractical. This therefore brings with it proficient troubles in implementing such initiatives.. Taking into consideration past experiences viz. the compulsory ICT test for 14 year-olds it is non difficult to see why the predicted roar of e-assessment has non occurred. In 2007, authorities had to draw the stopper on a compulsory ICT test for 14 year-olds, developed over five old ages at the cost of ?26 million ( Mansell, 2009 ) after it was found to bring forth consequences for students that were dramatically different from instructor ‘s ain appraisals of their charges ‘ work. It was due to go statutory last twelvemonth, but in the terminal, was offered merely voluntary to schools. Repercussions were highlighted by Andre Harland, head of the Examination Officers ‘ Association stated, â€Å"it did foreground some possible large hazards and jobs with e-assessment. The trial involved taking computing machines in a school out of operation at the same clip, and it merely did non turn out deliverable in the end.† An issue with dependability in summational appr aisal is a cardinal defect as Harlem and James ( 1997 ) reiterate, dependability in summational appraisal is important. In add-on, Boyle ( cited in Mansell, 2009 ) and functionaries from all five tests boards in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, sets out other jobs, including that it may be easier to rip off by looking over person ‘s shoulder at what is on screen, instead than on a desk, and guaranting that high-tech testing does non present some alteration in the criterion of the test. However, it is 1s belief that the proposal made by Lebus is one that focuses chiefly on the computerisation of the externally set and graded high bets summational scrutinies of educational attainment that lead to makings. Surprisingly, was an article by Polly Curtis in the Guardian rubrics â€Å"Computerised proving probably to replace traditional tests, says caput of board† released in the 12th July 2009, stated that Lebus said â€Å"that traditional-style test would still be available for those who preferred them, but the new system would profit pupils who are exam-phobic. There are some people evidently who get really frightened by tests or could n't for other grounds do them well.† One must pull importance to this statement. Merely a hebdomad after the article Hilary Douglas ( 2009 ) stated that uninterrupted appraisal would wholly replace traditional tests, non supplying all the information. This brings to light issues with dependability and cogency of information the media publishes covering with of import appraisal issues. This demonstrates the ballyhoo artist attack to a serious issues sing instruction, and foremost the use of information. In the instance of A-Levels we already implement uninterrupted appraisal and supply resit opportunities the computerisation of these would be a good starting point for high interest summational appraisal. But why computerise? Why computerize a conventional trial if the new trial is meant to measure precisely the same things? Possibly the most common grounds given are that computerised will delver ; I. Increased efficiency/lower costs II. Greater flexibleness sing disposal ( e.g. trial on demand V trials at fixed – and infrequent – times ) III. Instant scores/feedback IV. Fewer mistakes V. Positive promotion through being seen to be ‘up-to-date ‘ VI. The first measure that must be taken earlier more sophisticated computer-based appraisals can be introduced. ( Raikes and Harding, 2003 ) At present, most of the academic makings aimed at 16-18 year-olds in the UK are assessed through a mixture of coursework and summational pen and paper scrutinies. Written scrutinies are still handwritten on paper, and are frequently criticised for restraining instruction, suppressing schoolroom invention, smothering pupil ‘s creativeness and for being progressively divorced from an of all time more technological universe ( Heppel, 2003 ) . There is hence force per unit area to develop appraisals that make full usage it IT developments, non merely in low-stake appraisals but high-stakes likewise. In pattern this can be difficult to accomplish for two chief grounds, even if the advanced appraisals exist. First, schools and colleges will all differ in the quality and measure of their ICT substructure, in the ICT support and in the degree of ICT accomplishments possessed by instructors. In such fortunes it would be really hard for an scrutiny board to present a high bets, advanced computer-based trial that would be accessible to all schools and colleges, and furthermore, which would non disfavor pupils from schools and colleges with destitute ICT resources. In add-on, likely demands for equity in appraisal would necessitate a traditional paper-based test. Second, a really high value is placed in the UK on the care of ‘standards ‘ from twelvemonth to twelvemonth, and this would be hard to show clearly since written trials define past criterions. The contention stirred up in the UK in 2002 about the consequences of new A Level scrutinies was caused mostly by ‘the absence of a clear apprehension of the criterions or degrees of demand ‘ ( Tomlinson, 2002 ) and how they relate to the old A Level system ; this once more serves as another illustration as the dangers involved in presenting wholly new types of high bets appraisal. Both equity and the criterions troubles may be addressed by first computerizing bing trials. Equivalent pen and paper and computing machine versions of the same trial may so be analogue that will ease all stakeholder to so concentrate on the migration from pen and paper to computing machine ( Raikes and Harding, 2003 ) .When about everyone is taking the trials on computing machine, it becomes easier to present some invention. By holding a procedure that moves in gradual phases it is believed it will ease the move towards valid trials whilst cut downing the concern about criterions. However, there are already cases where e-assessment is being implemented and demoing mark of success. Literature from Linn and Miller ( 2005 ) that clip required is a major issue when it comes to assignment taging. Two chief factors are to be considered: clip spent on administrative undertakings and the clip really spent on prosecuting the pupils work and the proviso of quality feedback. E-tools are developing and conveying positive alterations to instructors. The country were e-tools can do a existent impact on efficiency in disposal: providing paperss, easy accessible to all involved, accepting assignments entries, covering with safe and unafraid storage, pull offing the distribution of assignments to markers and easing the communicating within the marker squad ; returning taging sheets etc some in add-on to advantages mentioned earlier. Detecting plagiarism was another issue that was mentioned as a major advantage of utilizing e-tools. Having the assignment in electronic signifier means it can be cross-checked against past twelvemonth ‘s assignments and current assignments, and an e-tool like Turnitin can besides test for citations from text books. ( Heinrich et al, 2009 ) Overall, if research documents encountered and the deficiency of cardinal scheme from the authorities is any indicant to travel by, one believes that the execution of e-assessment when it comes to uninterrupted summational appraisals still has a batch of development to do, particularly if past mistakes are to be rectified and assurance in it dependability and cogency starts to better. There are promoting developments and as Professor Peter Tymms, of Durham University says: â€Å"The test boards are all on it, they are all believing about it, and seeking difficult to make it. But they have non yet found their manner frontward yet.† It hence leads one to believe that it is merely a affair of clip before e-assessment replaces traditional signifier of appraisal.DecisionThe purpose of this paper was to critically near appraisal patterns, maps of appraisal and interrogate current appraisal patterns through a media history. Continuous appraisal, formative and summational appraisal an d e-assessment were the chief subjects developed by the media article. Within these sub groups there were common subjects covering with cogency and dependability that helped understand the possible impacts these development in appraisal may hold for pupils, instructors and the wider universe. Overall, it is apparent from the research that the map of appraisal is of great importance when planning to alter any assessment systems. The passage from traditional summational appraisal to uninterrupted appraisal by the caput of Cambridge Assessment exam board leads one to believe that the assessment way appraisal boards are heading is one of impact functional degree, which concerns running an appraisal system that attempts to guarantee pupils remain motivated, and that all pupils learn a common nucleus for each topic. Due attention and attending will be needed, in order non to put inordinate demand on a criterion-based appraisal. This will take pedagogues to measure what the scholar can make in relation to the undertaking required of them and put small involvement on placing what else the scholar can make. The handiness of limitless resits and importance of criterion-based appraisals may hold serious larning reverberations as a displacement in accent of doing certain that pupils hiting are helped instead than an avidity to get the hang the subject. There has been a move from ‘assessment of larning ‘ to assessment for larning ‘ and now assessment as larning ‘ ( Torrance, 2007 ) The proposal made with respects to execution of uninterrupted appraisal as a series of e-assessments is non intended to to the full replace the traditional schoolroom appraisal and that is something everyone in educational constitutions, One believes, needs to take into history. But it can efficaciously complement the latter particularly in the context of big categories. MCQs have demonstrated successful illustrations on how to include e-assessment into the schoolrooms. Increased efficiency, greater flexibleness in working and instant tonss are some of the advantages e-assessment has brought into schoolrooms and schools. However, at this minute in clip, and taking past experiences into consideration, implementing e-assessment in footings of high-stake appraisal options will be difficult to accomplish ; either due to quality and measure of substructure or equity and criterions. It is true that impulse is constructing and as Durham University Professor, Peter Tymms says â€Å"the test boards are all on to it, they are all believing about it, seeking difficult to make it. But they have non yet wholly found their manner frontward yet. There is no uncertainty that the age of e-assessment is upon us. However, there are still many hurdlings to get the better of before the full potency and benefits of e-assessment are gained.Reference ListAmerican Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association and National Council on Measurement in Education ( 1999 ) Standards for educational and psychological testing ( Washington, DC, American Educational Research Association ) . Bigg, J ( 2002 ) cited in Jacob, S. , M and Issac, B. ( 2006 ) Impact on pupils larning from traditional uninterrupted appraisal and an e-assessment proposal. The Tenth Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems. Black, P. J. ( 1998 ) Testing: friend or foe? The theory and pattern of appraisal and testing ( London, Falmer Press ) . Black, P. J. & A ; Wiliam, D. ( 2003 ) ‘In congratulations of educational research ‘ : formative appraisal, British Educational Research Journal, 29 ( 5 ) , 623-637. Black, P. , & A ; Wiliam, D. ( 1998b ) . Inside the black box: Elevation criterions through schoolroom appraisal. London: GL Assessment. Boston, K ( 2004 ) cited in Douglas, H. ( 2009 ) Exams are a critical lesson. July 19th 2009 in hypertext transfer protocol: //www.express.co.uk Curtis, P. ( 2009 ) Computerised proving probably to replace traditional tests, says caput of board. July 12th 2009 in hypertext transfer protocol: //www.guardian.co.uk Douglas, H. ( 2009 ) Exams are a critical lesson. July 19th 2009 in hypertext transfer protocol: //www.express.co.uk Entwistle, N. , J. ( 1991 ) Approaches to larn and perceptual experiences of the acquisition environment. Introduction to the particular issues. Higher Education, 22, pp 201-204. Entwistle, N. , J. and Walker, P. ( 2001 ) Stretegic watchfulness and expanded consciousness within sophisticated constructs of learning. Instructional Science, Vol 28, 335-361 Gibbs, G. ( 1999 ) Using assessment strategically to alter the manner pupils learn, In Jacob, S. , M and Issac, B. ( 2006 ) Impact on pupils larning from traditional uninterrupted appraisal and an e-assessment proposal. The Tenth Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems. Henrick, E. , Milne, J. , Ramsay, A. , Morrison, D. ( 2009 ) Recommendations for the usage of e-tools for betterments around assignment taging quality. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, Vol 34 ( 4 ) pp 469-479.. Jacob, S. , M and Issac, B. ( 2006 ) Impact on pupils larning from traditional uninterrupted appraisal and an e-assessment proposal. The Tenth Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems. James, M. and Pedder, D. ( 2006 ) Beyond Method: Appraisal and Learning Practices and Values. The Curriculum Journal, 17 ( 2 ) , 109-138 Linn, R. L. , ( 2000 ) Assessment and Accountability, Educational Researcher, vol. 29 ( 2 ) , 4-14. Linn, R.L. , and M.D. Miller. 2005. Measurement and appraisal in learning. Columbus, OH: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall. Mansell, W. ( 2009 ) Why has n't e-assessment arrived more rapidly? July 21st 2001 in hypertext transfer protocol: //www.guardian.co.uk Messick, S. , ( 1999 ) , Performance appraisal, in F. M. Ottobre ( Ed. ) , The function of measuring and rating in instruction policy. UNESCO Printing: Paris Marton, F. and Saljo, R. ( 1997 ) cited in Jacob, S. , M and Issac, B. ( 2006 ) Impact on pupils larning from traditional uninterrupted appraisal and an e-assessment proposal. The Tenth Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems. Newton, P. E. ( 2007 ) Clarifying the intents of educational appraisal. Appraisal in Education: Principles, Policy and Practice. Vol 14 ( 2 ) 149-170 Raikes, N. , Harding, R. , The horseless passenger car phase: replacing conventional steps. Appraisal in Education, vol. 10, ( 3 ) , 267-277. Savory, C. , Hodgson, A. and Spours, K. ( 2003 ) A general or vocational making? The Advanced Vocational Certificate of Education ( AVCA ) ( 7 ) Smithers, A ( 2009 ) cited in Douglas, H. ( 2009 ) Exams are a critical lesson. July 19th 2009 in hypertext transfer protocol: //www.express.co.uk Struyven, K. , Dochy, P. & A ; Jansenns, S. ( 2005 ) Students perceptual experiences about rating and appraisal in higher instruction: a reappraisal. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, Vol 30 ( 4 ) , 325-341 Tomlinson, M. ( 2002 ) Inquiry into A degree criterions, Final Report ( London, Department for Education and Skills, available from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.dfes.gov.uk/alevelsinquiry/ Torrance, H. ( 2007 ) Assessment as larning? How the usage of expressed larning aims, appraisal standards and feedback in post-secondary instruction and preparation can come to rule acquisition. Appraisal in Education: Principles Policy and Practice, Vol 14, ( 3 ) , 281-294

Muslim Article

The New York Times article â€Å"Congressman Criticizes Election of Muslim† (Swarns 2006) reported on the criticism made by Virginia's Republican Congressman Virgil H. Goode Jr. on the recent election of Minnesota Representative Keith Ellison. According to Rep. Goode Jr., the election of Keith, a Democrat and the first-ever Muslim to sit in the United States Congress, is a grave threat to traditional American values. Goode's warning, contained in a letter addressed to his Virginia constituents dated Dec. 5, 2006, asked Americans to â€Å"wake up† or face the likelihood of more Muslim elected officials that would demand â€Å"use of the Koran†.He also called for the adoption of stringent immigration policies as a step towards the preservation both of this country's beliefs and values and resources. Ellison, a former criminal lawyer and a convert to Islam, has planned to use the Muslim bible in January during his private swearing-in. Goode's comments elicited criti cisms of bigotry and intolerance from some Democrats in Congress and from Muslim Americans as they pointed out that the official swearing in of officials, in contrast to private swearing in,   do not use religious texts. For his part, Ellison pointed out that he is no immigrant, saying that he's an African-American whose roots goes â€Å"back to 1742†. He also said he is a politician and not a religious scholar such that Goode has â€Å"nothing to fear†.This article of the New York Times gave a rather fair coverage as it observed the journalistic standard of presenting both sides of an issue. The article gave space to both Goode's and Ellison's statements and counter-statements, attempting to do so from an objective viewpoint. As for the issue of Islam or being Muslim depicted by the story itself, there are obviously two conflicting sides, two opposing viewpoints. The side of Rep. Goode adopts the position that Islam in the country, or at least the practices of Islam (as the use of Koran, instead of the Christian Bible in swearing-in), poses a considerable threat to traditional American culture. He even insinuated that Muslims, along with other immigrants, are a burden to the United States. On the other, the coverage of Ellison and his sympathizers show that Muslim Americans, who could be good citizens, are welcome in this country. U.S. Congressman Criticizes Election of Muslim By RACHEL L. SWARNSPublished: December 21, 2006WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 — In a letter sent to hundreds of voters this month, Representative Virgil H. Goode Jr., Republican of Virginia, warned that the recent election of the first Muslim to Congress posed a serious threat to the nation’s traditional values.Skip to next paragraphRepresentative Virgil H. Goode Jr., left, said Keith Ellison’s decision to use a Koran in a private swearing in for the House of Representatives was a mistake.Mr. Goode was referring to Keith Ellison, the Minnesota Democrat and criminal defense lawyer who converted to Islam as a college student and was elected to the House in November. Mr. Ellison’s plan to use the Koran during his private swearing-in ceremony in January had outraged some Virginia voters, prompting Mr. Goode to issue a written response to them, a spokesman for Mr. Goode said.In his letter, which was dated Dec. 5, Mr. Goode sa id that Americans needed to â€Å"wake up† or else there would â€Å"likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"I fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt the strict immigration policies that I believe are necessary to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America and to prevent our resources from being swamped,† said Mr. Goode, who vowed to use the Bible when taking his own oath of office.Mr. Goode declined Wednesday to comment on his letter, which quickly stirred a furor among some Congressional Democrats and Muslim Americans, who accused him of bigotry and intolerance.They noted that the Constitution specifically bars any religious screening of members of Congress and that the actual swearing in of those lawmakers occurs without any religious texts. The use of the Bible or Koran occurs only in private ceremonial events that ta ke place after lawmakers have officially sworn to uphold the Constitution.Mr. Ellison dismissed Mr. Goode’s comments, saying they seemed ill informed about his personal origins as well as about Constitutional protections of religious freedom. â€Å"I’m not an immigrant,† added Mr. Ellison, who traces his American ancestors back to 1742. â€Å"I’m an African-American.†Since the November election, Mr. Ellison said, he has received hostile phone calls and e-mail messages along with some death threats. But in an interview on Wednesday, he emphasized that members of Congress and ordinary citizens had been overwhelmingly supportive and said he was focusing on setting up his Congressional office, getting phone lines hooked up and staff members hired, not on negative comments.â€Å"I’m not a religious scholar, I’m a politician, and I do what politicians do, which is hopefully pass legislation to help the nation,† said Mr. Ellison, who said he planned to focus on secular issues like increasing the federal minimum wage and getting health insurance for the uninsured.â€Å"I’m looking forward to making friends with Representative Goode, or at least getting to know him,† Mr. Ellison said, speaking by telephone from Minneapolis. â€Å"I want to let him know that there’s nothing to fear. The fact that there are many different faiths, many different colors and many different cultures in America is a great strength.†In Washington, Brendan Daly, a spokesman for the incoming House speaker, Nancy Pelosi of California, called Mr. Goode’s letter â€Å"offensive.† Corey Saylor, legislative director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, criticized what he described as Mr. Goode’s â€Å"message of intolerance.†Representative Bill Pascrell Jr., Democrat of New Jersey, urged Mr. Goode to reach out to Muslims in Virginia and learn â€Å"to dispel misconceptions instea d of promoting them.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Keith Ellison serves as a great example of Muslim Americans in our nation, and he does not have to answer to you, to me or anyone else in regards to questions about his faith,† said Mr. Pascrell, whose district includes many Arab-Americans.The fracas over Mr. Ellison’s decision to use the Koran during his personal swearing-in ceremony began last month when Dennis Prager, a conservative columnist and radio host, condemned the decision as one that would undermine American civilization.â€Å"Ellison’s doing so will embolden Islamic extremists and make new ones, as Islamists, rightly or wrongly, see the first sign of the realization of their greatest goal — the Islamicization of America,† said Mr. Prager, who said the Bible was the only relevant religious text in the United States.â€Å"If you are incapable of taking an oath on that book, don’t serve in Congress,† Mr. Prager said.In his letter, Mr. Goode e choed that view, saying that he did not â€Å"subscribe to using the Koran in any way.† He also called for ending illegal immigration and reducing legal immigration.Linwood Duncan, a spokesman for Mr. Goode, said the Virginia lawmaker had no intention of backing down, despite the furor.â€Å"He stands by the letter,† Mr. Duncan said. â€Å"He has no intention of apologizing.†

King Lear Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

King Lear - Essay Example King Lear is a person who has many fine inclinations, however, he became a victim of wrong development. The power he possessed as a master over life and death of his citizens, the flattery and general servility strongly developed his self-conceit and vanity. All his goals were directed not at great deeds and mutual benefit, but at the satisfaction of his own desires. But with all his despotism and self-love Lear, even at the beginning of the tragedy, doesnt belong to people for whom the power and wealth are the top priorities. Most of all he wanted to be human. However, his own understanding of dignity got the perverted expression, it developed into self-adoration that reached an extreme point. The division of the kingdom between the daughters and refusal of his property, the deed that seemed reckless at first sight, had the internal logic. Lear believed that all the people loved him as a person, he wasnt able to differentiate those who really fed for it love, from those who loved only a monarch in him. He decided to give the property to his daughters, to become free of royal greatness and to take pleasure in human greatness. He was sure that without the power and property he will have the same respect and love; moreover, he wanted to have moral satisfaction being appreciated as a human. Believing in his superiority, he fondly thought that he remained the king in moral sense even if he was not a king any more. Therefore, making the division of the kingdom, he demands from daughters the expression of love to him. But, in reality, he demands not love, but obedience to his will, because he didnt get used to take into account feelings and desires of other people. Therefore, he turns out Cordelia whose answer did not satisfy him: â€Å"And yet not so; since, I am sure, my loves More richer than my tongue.† (Act 1 Scene 1), and gives all the property to two older

Dividend Policys of Companies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dividend Policys of Companies - Essay Example Companies which are in stages of growth or in initial stages normally have a sparing dividend policy because they reinvest or plow back much of their earnings into the company to experience growth and development (Financial Dictionary 2011). Established companies such as blue chips, Unilever and Wal-Mart being some of them, are inclined to relatively liberal dividend payout policies and grant dividends regularly on quarterly or half-yearly basis. For instance, Unilever (bearing a symbol of UL and listed on NYSE) pays a regular dividend every quarter; the most recent payout has been an amount of US$ 0.307 on November 8, 2011. Similarly, Wal-Mart paid a quarterly dividend of US$ 0.365 recently on December 07, 2011; a payment every quarter is being followed by the company. Dividends payment do assure shareholder satisfaction but some research, particularly Modigliani and Miller (MM)’s proposition on irrelevance depicts that a company’s performance and profitability is not affected by its dividend policy. Talking from the shareholder perspective, shareholders are more satisfied when they receive regular flows of dividends, even in small amounts but the factor of regularity ensures their confidence in the company. An irregular or erratic pattern of dividend payouts can lead to bad image for the company and thus an adverse effect on its share in the market. Considering potential investors and their attitude towards a company’s dividend payment patterns or dividend policy, people, according to their stage of investment that is their age, invest accordingly. In the case of stocks, younger or aggressive risk taker individuals invest in growth stocks or stocks that induce capital gains rather than a stream of dividends. Investors in retirement stages or in the later faction of their lives invest in less risky income stocks which payout dividends on a continuous basis forming a regular fixed income. Mini Case – Topic: Dividend Policy Company Na me: Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Description Wal-Mart was founded in the year 1962, with the inauguration of the first Wal-Mart discount store in Rogers, Ark. The company became public as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. on October 31, 1969 and its shares began trading on OTC (Over The Trading) markets in 1970 and were listed on NYSE (New York Stock Exchange) two years later in 1972. The first dividend was declared on March 26, 1974. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is the 18th largest publicly listed company according to The Forbes 2010 list of Global 2000 big publicly listed companies (The Forbes 2011). The company caters to customers and members more than 200 million times weekly at retail units more than 9,880 under 60 different banners in more than 28 countries. With the world’s highest sales revenue of US$ 405 billion, it employs more than 2 million employees worldwide. Dividend Policy of Wal-Mart Stores Inc Before discussing about Wal-Mart’s dividend policy, its payout history has to be taken into account; the table below depicts the same: Dividend Payment History – Wal-Mart Stores Inc Year 2010 2009 2008 Dividend Per Share* (DPS) (In US$) 1.09 0.95 0.88 Total Dividend (In US$ million) 4,217 3,746 3,586 Dividend Yield (IN US$) 2.1% 1.9% 2.1% *These dividends are paid in four portions on a quarterly basis such as US$0.3025 paid on January 31, 2011. The above table depicts the

Candid (Francois-Marie Arouet de Voltaire) Essay

Candid (Francois-Marie Arouet de Voltaire) - Essay Example It certainly makes for a provoking type of comedy, but there are few solutions offered other than living an austere life on a farm.† (Analysis of Candide) Candide mostly presents black comedy, Voltaire has used his language effectively to bring out the several flaws of the society through black comedy, and there are glimpses of black comedy throughout the play. A classic example of black comedy first comes to light when Candide was about to receive his punishment soon after his court-martial, the readers get to know that Candide would be given thirty-six beatings only to find out a little later that as many as two thousand people would beat Candide up, this is quite hilarious because it is practically unimaginable. It is also believed that the tutor of Candide, who was called Pangloss in the play, reflects the teachings of a very famous German philosopher by the name Gottfried Wilhem von Leibniz and Candide is an attempt by Voltaire to mock Gottfried Wilhem von Leibniz’s teachings. Works Cited â€Å"Analysis of Candide.† In the Context of the Enlightenment. n.p., Web. 12 July. 2011.

Business Aspect of Social Networking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Aspect of Social Networking - Essay Example However, the higher levels of enthusiasm shown by people in the interesting features and entertainment potential of such sites bring about negative trends in the new generation in some areas of their expectations. This essay looks deep into the influential changes of social networking trends and their merits and demerits in the individual lives and education of the new generation and those affecting the modern world. Advantages of social networking sites In the technology-driven social life today, anything that promises guaranteed effort to time-saving aspects takes a step higher than any other benefit science can bring to man. Social networking sites such as facebook, twitter, likedin and Google+ offer extensive scope for sharing ideas by connecting people from wherever there is internet. Especially, facebook has a vast scope of promoting business through its banners and paid pages for advertisements apart from the usual walls. The scope of facebook today is unlimited for the busine ss enterprises, especially for its amazing popularity. According to Westwood (2011, p. 95), facebook, which was started primarily as a student based networking now has grown a social networking site with growing opportunities for companies for setting up their own dedicated site as facebook groups or for creating applications or company advertisements. Similarly, other sites such as twitter, Myspace and Likedin etc contribute their own share in the field of benefits to the business society. The most noticeable element of these sites is their immediate access to an open public and the easiest solution to the quest for a review of new proposals of companies and organisers of events. In most contexts, the success ratio can be predicted from the digitalised review of the advertisers’ views by the readers on facebook and thereby necessary changes can be made in the actual presentation. In the field of education, social networking and internet access at home and school has proved s ubstantially good for the students’ career excellence. Effective use of such websites allocate for combined study times and online updating of current status of learning among classmates. Some of the groups formed by students themselves can act as a group learning virtual classroom and work accordingly for better results. More interestingly, the BBC reports (Coughlan, 2009) reveal that the approval of facebook use in the campus reduced drop-out numbers and students are becoming more enthusiastic to learning by sharing information among co-students and teachers regarding their curriculum based assignments. Even for the people, the entry of social networking sites as the greatest means to plan their daily activities and getting connected among similar interest groups for obtaining information on politics, travel, health and entertainment apart from their purchase needs. Challenges of social networking sites Social networking sites are worthy of connecting people and their ideas beyond imaginable limits. However, they pose serious threats to personal as well as organisational objectives if they are not

Human resources in context Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human resources in context - Assignment Example s well as the periodic targets of the managers and its members such as its operational design, needed capital outlay and aimed profit, and its value chain output. As such, the vertical and horizontal structure of an organization are engineered in accordance to set principles, corporate values, operational procedures and control mechanism to synergize its corporate administrative, operational and marketing functions. The offices or departments are maybe splitted or segregated or are maybe designed in subsystems but the entire management are driven by its strategic goals and desired operational outcomes. The structures therefore are patterned in such a way that fits to coordinate internal and external elements that can provide the right corporate environment for organizational interplay (Legnick & Legnick-Hall, 1999, p. 201). Of course, the management may restructure the organization depending on the internal and external changes happening within the control and outside the domain of the organization, provided it will not sacrifice the intentions, goals, and objectives of the company. Certainly, there are variances on how corporate organizations are designed since the management will also consider the experiences, external influences, coordination of human resource expertise and skills, financial viability, market prospects, and the nature on how organization operate (Werbel & DeMarie, 2005, p. 247). Expert contended that a company is maybe entrepreneurial, bureaucratic, professional, diversified (or divisional) and innovative. Through these types, the management can design its structures, horizontally and vertically, to make its operation entrepreneurial, good at decision-making, collaborative, and attain functional units. They are instrumental too in dealing with customers and clients to attain their s atisfaction. Contemporary human resources are known to possess the quality and ability of multi-tasking, are creative, innovative and are apt in the use of

Criminal Justice for Mentally Sick Offenders Coursework

Criminal Justice for Mentally Sick Offenders - Coursework Example The review examines these problems and presents recommendations for preventing such problems and alleviating it further. In this connection Mental Health Act 1984 was taken into study including all pertinent references, results and conclusions. After research of clinical studies it came into light that 6 to 15 percent persons are in city and county jails and 10 to 15 percent persons in the state prisons are suffering from severe mental illness and poor functioning. A considerable numbers from them are homeless, it seems that a majority of mentally sick person are arrested compare to general population of the society. One of the causes evaluated during research in criminal justice system is deinstitutionalization. Adopt more rigid criteria for civil necessities, lack of complete community treatment and the harsh attitude of police and society with this neglected segment of society. This segment is hardly access to community treatment and basic amenities of life. Recommendations includ e reforms in the act through which careful necessary treatment and after care treatment may be provided to such people. Jail detainees should go through a careful screening process and as per their past history and family support, as well as, police officers should be trained formally in this regard. In order to create a positivism segment in our society, offenders having mental disorders may get mental health training, when a minor offence have been committed by them. CONTENTS S. # Name of Chapter Page # 1. 1.1 Chapter 1 Mental Health Act 1984 . 5 1.2 Who is Patient under the Law. 5 2. Chapter 2 Criminal Justice System Related To Mentally Disordered Offenders 6 2.1 Definition of Mental Disorder .. 6 2.2 Health, Social Work and Related Services for Mentally Disordered Offenders 6 2.3 Current Health and Social Work Services Health Services 7 2.4 Local General and Forensic Psychiatric Services. 7 2.5 Out Patient and Community Service. 8 2.6 In Patient Care 8 2.7 Intensive Psychiatric Care Units 9 2.8 Forensic Psychiatric Service 9 2.9 Secure Provision 9 2.10 Admissibility of Confessions.. 10 2.11 Diversions and Public Interest Considerations .. 10 3. Chapter 3 The Standard For Information Required For Establishing A Mental Disorder. 11 4. Chapter 4 Some important figures / Tables / Graphs regarding mentally sick criminals/patients. 13 5. Chapter 5 Primary Care Criteria for Mentally Disordered Patient. 15 5.1 Medical Reports 15 5.2 Criteria for Adults.. 16 5.3 Referral Letter for Adults... 17 5.4 Criteria for Children Adolescents ... 17 5.5 Referral Letter for Children... 18 6. Chapter 6 Use of Mental Health Act 1984. 21 6.1 Before the Assessment.. 22 6.2 During the Assessment.. 23 6.3 Section 24.. 23 6.4 Section 18.. 24 6.5 Arranging Admission. 25 6.6 If the patient is not admitted . 26 6.7 Responsibilities of the Police (Home Office Circular No. 12/95) 26 6.8 Hospital Directions 27 7. Chapter 7 Rehabilitation of Mentally Disordered Offenders 28 8. Chapter 8 Proposals to Reform Mental Health... 32 9. Chapter 9 Editorial by Jill Peay and Nigel Eastman 35 10. Chapter 10 Editorial by Professor Jill Peay "An indefensible gap in mental health law" ... 37 11. Chapter 11 Book Review of Professor Jill Peay Book.. 38 12. Chapter 12 Results and Discussions 42 13. Chapter

WEAK ANTHROPOCENTRIC INTRINSIC VALUE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

WEAK ANTHROPOCENTRIC INTRINSIC VALUE - Essay Example vation made by Hargrove, the subject of discussion that he appears to have failed in, is disputing the concept of subjectivist nonanthropocentric intrinsic value. The theory of subjective nonathropocentric value theory, as presented by J. Baird Callicott observes that nature has no value of its own, unless it is given to it by human beings, since values depend entirely on human judgment (Hargrove, 194). While Hargrove tends to dispute this argument by arguing that nature has its intrinsic value, there is a reason to disagree with his argument, since without the judgment conferred upon nature by human beings to determine its value, there is no way that nature on its own can possess value. In disputing Hargrove’s argument against subjective nonathropocentric value theory, I contend with J. Baird Callicott, that something becomes valuable only because somebody values it (Hargrove, 195). It is apparent that all value depends on the subjective feelings of human observers, and that value will hardly exist in nature, unless it is given to it by human value judgment (Hargrove,

Intersex Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Intersex - Research Paper Example While intersex conditions are not completely uncommon, they are also not a surprise to society. The two major conditions are called hermaphrodite and pseudohermaphrodite. True hermaphrodites have complete sexual characteristics of both genders. This term has been loosely described though as most people are actually psuedohermaphrodites. This typically means that a person has one type of genitalia but secondary sexual characteristics are those of the other gender (Finkler). Some people may undergo surgery to remove any type of external genitalia so that they may assume one true gender. This would allow a person to then be able to have their external genitalia and their thoughts and feelings of how they identify with either gender to correlate and would give them a sort of true gender identity and would also increase their self confidence. People may also undergo hormone therapies in order to help aid in any transition (Finkler). According to a study done over fifty years ago, eighty-f our cases of people who were considered hermaphrodites showed cases of heterosexual libido. This has less to do with the person's physical characteristics. Instead, it has to do more with their upbringing. It was at this time of the study believed by these researchers that hermaphrodites experienced either homosexuality or heterosexuality not by hormones but instead by their environmental surroundings. This is thought to be true of both true hermaphrodites and pseudo-hermaphrodites (Ellis). A similar type of birth defect is ambiguous genitalia that is similar to that of hermaphrodism. This is a case when the outer organs of a person are not similar to a male or a female's organs. What can happen with this condition is the fact that during conception, the X and Y chromosomes from the father determine the child's gender. A person is either genetically XX and identifies as a female or is XY and identifies as a male. If the process in the womb is disrupted in which a baby assumes identi ty, it can then result in ambiguous genitalia. When the person comes from the womb, it is difficult to determine if they are male or female based on the organs that are present. Some of the causes of this condition are pseudo-hermaphrodism, true hermaphrodism, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, lack of certain hormones or other abnormalities in chromosomes. It could also result from a mother taking certain medications (Medline Plus). Depending on the person, a genetic female may also appear to look like a female. However, a genetic female could also have physical characteristics instead of a male. This is the same for a male. Genetic females with ambiguous genitalia would have physical characteristics of an enlarged clitoris that looks like a small penis; the labia may resemble a scrotum; the urethral opening may be anywhere near the clitoris; there may be a lump of tissue in the labia that appears to look like a scrotum with testicles. It is often thought that these infant genetic fem ales are at first males but with testicles that have not descended. On the contrary, a genetic male may have a small penis that is under 1.2 inches at birth. This may look like an enlarged clitoris. The scrotum may appear to look like a labia. The urethral hole may be anywhere along the peritoneum and the testicles are still undescended. This condition is not life threatening but can relate to psychological issues in the future where a person may struggle

Late-2000s recession Essay Example for Free

Late-2000s recession Essay European Tour Operators have managed to achieve a strong position in the tourism industry. The two biggest ones, TUI Travel and Thomas Cook, have a large market share. However, in the latter part of the decade, between 2007 and 2010 the industry has experienced a downturn because of the turbulent environment which was created new threats and modified the competitive forces. Political: Taxation Policies on travel methods by different countries has a large impact on the tourism industry, governments provide some subsidies and tax exemptions in their countries in order to promote the right tourism. Visas into certain countries can also cause people to stop travelling there as corrupt countries can charge large amounts of money to gain them. Political instability can not only affect the country in which it is but also neighbouring countries. The same also happens when terrorist acts happen on a country or are from a country. Economical: Globalisation of travel companies and airlines has meant that many countries can provide services that they could not before do to cultural knowledge. With companies being global there are also economies of scale to be gained. TUI’s vertical and horizontal integration makes them very competitive and they provide services across all holidaying experiences. Exchange rates area large part to the amount of tourists travelling from each country. If one countries currency becomes weaker than others it is more likely to become a holiday destination due to a foreseen ‘value for money’. This affects the company less as they have a stronger position than the customer in that they can charge the customer depending on the country with the stronger currency. The recession has also caused some issues within the industry as there have been some companies that have not been successful. TUI managed to make it

Worship Of Hindu Gods Now And Then Religion Essay

Worship Of Hindu Gods Now And Then Religion Essay Hinduism: Hinduism or Sanatan (meaning a universal religion) is considered to be the worlds oldest religion that originated on the Indian sub-continent. According to its Vedic records, its history of origin is dated between to 6,000 to 10,000 years and that is why it is considered as one of the ancient religions of the world. It is the native religion of India and it has neither a specific human founder nor a single book of reverence but rather laid its foundations on ancient sacred scriptures that were passed down the generations by a word of mouth and later written down into scripts and texts forms (Zavos, 2001). Hinduism has a massive number of followers reaching up to one billion worldwide with majority of them (95%) being from Indian and the rest in United States ,Europe and other parts of the world. Demographically, it is the world third largest religion after Christianity and Islam. Hinduism constitutes a complex mode of worship ranging from the grand festivals like Kumbhela, which is a religious big gathering of up to 45 million people to the very simple Darshan, the devotional seeing in home shrines. Hindus worship in the numerous ancient and contemporary mandirs and shrines. Hindus regard Vedas (ancient texts) as the most ancient and the most authoritative texts of the religion and hence they form the foundation of all branches of Hinduism. Hindu has three trinity which include Shiva, Brahman and Vishnu unlike Christian who have only one trinity. These gods represent the cycle of rebirth and reincarnation where Vishnu is responsible of preserving the universe, Shiva destroys the re-creator of the universe and Brahman create the Universe. The three goddess are the second trinity of Hindu as well as the gods wives of the first trinity. However, all the goddesses and gods have their forms of incarnations. Hinduism involve the worship of God and its numerous deities with the major ones being Brahma (creator) Vishnu (the preserver) and Siva (the destroyer), so depending on ones opinion Hinduism can be said to be polytheistic, monotheistic or henotheistic (which involves devotion to a single God while accepting the existence of other gods) (Zavos, 120). Modern Hinduism is categorized into two major groups: Vaishnavism (those who worship Vishnu and all other living things subservient to him) and Shaivism (stream of Hinduism who worship Shiva and believes that Shiva is the destroyer and the creator of the universe). Hinduism is based on the principle of Brahman that states that the universe is one and all realities are a unity, Devine entity that is simultaneously at one with the universe who transcends it as well. In Hinduism human beings are preserved to be trapped a Samsara which is a meaningless cycle of birth death and rebirth with karma ;ones accumulated sum of good and bad deeds and these determines on which level in the caste system will one be born in the nest cycle life. Ancient Hindus worshiped and interacted with their gods in a slightly different way as compared to contemporary mode of Hinduism. According to ancient Hindu scripts ancient In the Vedic religion, there were no temples of worship as compared to contemporary Hinduism where there are millions of temples and mandirs build for worship. Hindus worshiped in the open and temples were first constructed in India in 200 years and it marked the transition of Hinduism from the Vedic religion of ritual sacrifices to the religion of Bhakri or love and a devotion to a personal deity. Ancient temples were constructed of wood and brick but in later times, use of stone became a preferred building material. Temples constructed in the medieval era varied in architectural styles and often symbolized the ruler at the time and his richness and devotion. In ancient Hinduism, the followers worshiped nature and had gods that represented each element of nature for instance the god of wind, god of fire, god of the sea and god of light. More over, Hindus worshiped animalistic deities (Sacred animals that represented various gods).they believed that animals just like human shad spirit and soul. Sacred animals in Hinduism are cows, monkeys, tortoises and elephants. According to ancient Hindu texts, Hindus worshiped mother goddess with great reverence than it is in modern Hindu religion. Contemporary Hindu followers put a great regards in worshiping of personal deities who represent their God who is the overall deity. According to ancient Hindu texts, there is evidence that suggests that ancient gods intermarried with humans and that gods had human characters and would come to humans in several avatars. These gods had spirits not different with that of humans and interacted freely as they both worshiped the Brahma who is their overall deity. There is no such kind of relationship between Hindu gods and its worshipers. The type of human interactions with gods depended on individual position in the caste system and those in higher caster were regarded to be more close to gods than those in the lower caste levels. There was no priestly class in ancient Hinduism but today priest are the ones responsible for leading the worshipers in temples. In ancient Hinduism, social mobility in the caste system was allowed though it was very difficulty. The social caste system was involved of two dynamic social systems one based on age (Varna) and the other Asrama that clearly defined individuals roles and responsibilities sin the society. From time to time people could move from one caste to another or establish a new one. In the contemporary Hinduism, the evolving caste became unfair to those in the lowest order and was gradually disregarded as it was seen to be discriminatory (Ghanshyam, 45). Caste system though still plays an important factor in modern in arranging for of Hindu marriages. The government in 1947 abolished caste system and hence caste discrimination is now illegal in India. In modern Hinduism, the social system has been degraded and no longer a main major religious characteristic of Hinduism. Ancient Hinduism was not oppressive to women and most scholars believe that women had somewhat important roles they played in the rituals of the early Vedic period, but with time the Vedic ritual became more complex and the importance of roles women played diminished gradually. Also during this period, there were other ritual traditions that women were allowed to participate in. In ancient Hindu religion, some sacred rituals and ceremonies for instance the ritual of scared dance and music offering were practiced. Some of these traditional sacred rituals (upacharas), changed with time. A classic example of a change in Hinduism ancient traditions and rituals in the past few hundred years, is the replacement of the music offering and dances which are sacred which were prescribed by Agama Shastra, with the modern offerings of rice and sweets. In ancient Hinduism the Vedic rites of fire-oblation (yajna) were often practiced but are just now only occasional practice in the modern Hindu religion, these practices are however are highly revered in theory. According to Vedic scripts, in ancient Hinduism, slaughter of animals was permitted but this ritual has virtually disappeared in modern Hinduism. It is in the 19th and 20th centuries that, prominent figures of Indian spirituality like Swami Vivekananda, Swami Sivananda and Ramana Maharshi emphasized the importance of ahimsa. In ancient Hinduism, the Brahmins never allowed members of the lower caste to enjoy equal status privileges. There is little tolerance mostly for lower section of the Hindu community which in any fact their own people. This has been the norm over the years that it is until recently such lower sections of the community were allowed to read Vedas which was another important religious scriptures. In addition to that, these individuals were not in any way they were also not allowed to enter the temples, where Brahmins were worshiped, and worship god. These class of people did not as well allowed to draw water in the same well with others and neither would share their foods with higher castes. This rules were applicable either in social or religious gathering. In ancient Hinduism, sacrifices were offered to God through its subordinate gods but in modern Hinduism, food is instead offered to personal gods or individuals before eating. By offering of food to god and deities, internalization of sacrifices were achieved by eating what is being sacrificed, which is being believed as making the persons body being a sacrifice to god. It is also widely believed by Hindu community that offering gods with food is a sign of devotion or self surrender. It is also believed that those who eat food being scarified to gods would not be harmed by any tamasic or rajasic which would be in the food. (Houben Et al, 45) In ancient Hinduism, there were a less number of Hindu sects and gods as compared to modern Hindu religion where many sects have emerged with increased freedom on an individual worshiping any god he or she wishes. Many of these are as a result of varying believes in the interpretation of the Hindu texts. Modern Hinduism involve occasional especially during religious festivals going to temples for worship but many prefer worshiping at home where one often creates a shrine with icons dedicated to their chosen form or forms of god. In most cases, temples are dedicated to a deity that is primary while associated deities to most multiple deities Hindus perform their worship through icons (murtis) which each icon serves as a tangible link between the worshiper and his or her supreme God. The image or the designated is often considered a manifestation of God, as God is immanent. According to the Hindu texts the Padma Purana makes clear that the mÃ…Â «rti is not to be thought of just as mere stone or wood but as a manifest form of the Divinity. In ancient Hinduism image worship and veneration of multiple deities was a common religious practice but in the recent times, there have evolved sects of Hinduism that prohibit such religious practices. It more of fire sacrifices of the Vedic fire and Vedas, which Gandhi thought that (ahimsa). The precludes which were used were not only meant to inflict physical injury but also hatred, having evil thoughts, being dishonest or speak harsh words which do not conform with ahimsa (Farquhar, 62). Generally, in ancient Hinduism, people worshiped their dead parents honored dead by going to their gravesites and live behind flowers, candles or lighted lamps or food (Kenneth, 35). This was a practice carried out mainly by the Indo-Europeans who in the months of May and November they mostly worship their parents. At the sometime those who were dead were being honored as well but such religious practices are not practiced in contemporary Hindu religion. Ancient Indians did not tolerate religion which was opposing the religion or even comment badly about it. However, present day Hindus exhibit a greater degree of religious tolerance. This secular attitude of the present day Hindus is because of their  recent past characterized by their modern education,  an increased sense of responsibility from increased awareness of ancient religion and heritage. However, political and social change over the years have compromised the ancient Hindu which the Hindu has never embraced it and they have been trying to stop it but they have not been able to address all incoming changes

Suggested market strategy for Nandos restaurant chain

Suggested market strategy for Nandos restaurant chain It is an individual report outlining a suggested marketing strategy, focusing in detail on one of the target markets, for the future marketing direction of the chosen organisation(NANDOS) in dealing with the issues and problems identified. It is based on the swot and twos analysis done on nandos. According to the earlier research done on nandos the formulation of appropriate aims and objectives and critically discussion of the strategic choices is done. IdentifIcation and discussion of the image and positioning strategy is also done which is described by a tactical marketing plan, discussing in detail any relevant marketing mix activity. The swot analysis and marketing mix plans of its competitors is described. The aim is to concentrate on marketing strategies rather than focusing on wider corporate strategic management issues. The main focus of this assignment is on developing an appropriate tactical marketing mix plan for a recommended strategy and demonstrating evidence of wider research and reading. Nandos is one of the fastest growing restaurant chain with a portugese/Mozambique theme. Nandos is known as the home of legendary grilled peri peri chicken. Nandos was born in 1987.earlier it was named as chicken land, but was renamed again after its founder Mr. Fernando Duarte. Started in Southern Johannesburg, South Africa with a Portuguese/Mozambican theme. It was formed by two friends Fernando Duarte and Robert Broz in africa. It has specialty of fresh-flamed grill chicken spiced with Periphery sauce, indigenous Its growth can be seen with the fact that there are around 700 restaurants in 29 countries. It launched its first restaurant in UK in 1992 and now has more than 200 Nandos in here. . FUNCTIONS It is a restaurant dedicated to people with an craving for life, people who love to laugh and exist to eat. At Nandos we believe in our flame-grilled Periphery Chicken, we believe its the best in the world. Taste the only one of its kind essence and fire of our Periphery chicken which is only one of its type. Nandos is of the finest restaurant chain in the world as it promises to offer a world class chicken experience at reasonable prices with unfailing quality, value and dedication to its consumers. Human Resource Team: Nandos earlier known as chickenland originated from South Africa.It is chain of chicken restaurants, which arrived in the UK in 1992. Nandos has around 137 restaurants with a staff of 2,000 and an HR team of 30. Each restaurant has a team of two buddies who are in charge of HR department . (http://www.nandos.com) Nandos management focuses on giving friendly and prompt services to customers.It also focuses on placing a strong emphasis on staff motivation, believing that happy employees are the key to provide good customer service. Every restaurant manager is known as a Patraos meaning Portuguese for head of the family. Area managers are known as MDs and each has a fun budget to hold parties and days out for staff.The management is considered to be very important in running the restaurants. FINANCE Nandos has been growing as a restaurant at a rapid rate.it has about 700 eateries in about 29 countries with the operating profits of about $140 million. iIt was launched in the UK and Ireland itself in 1992 and now has 217 restaurants here, all directly owned and operated.Whereas in its originating country i.e South Africa,it has about 250 outlets which are franchises. Most of its other markets are populated by franchises. (Business Times Online, UK) One of the most important marketing tool is 7 ps of marketing: 7 Ps of MARKETING: 7 ps of marketing include physical evidence, place, price, product, process, promotion and people. PHYSICAL EVIDENCE: Nandos popularity could be easily judged by looking through its ongoing increasing locations around the globe.Its roots can be seen in almost all growing nations. It is spread in around 31 countries which include: Australia, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Botswana, Canada, Cyprus, Fiji, India, Ireland, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritius, Namibia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey, UAE, UK, USA, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Nandos is doing extremely good and spreading its spreading very fast around the globe. . PLACE: Place is reffered as the locations around the globe.It aims at describing the the total number of outlets. Nandos is positioned in around 31 countries with more than 700 restaurants and is still growing rapidly. PRICE Penetration pricing: It is based on keeping the offering low priced to grab the maximum market share Competition pricing:- In this the focus on price is less as compared to  non price competition  items such as location and service Psychological pricing:- This is market based approach where the customer psyche is intensely affected. PRODUCT Nandos Product portfolio primarily comprises of flame grilled Periphery chicken which is the main focus of customers.The chicken is mainly served in quarters,halves and wholes. Cold drinks, shakes, ice tea , appetizer are also served at a nominal price. Nandos also serves burgers, pitas, salads, wings and wraps. In some countries, Nandos sells chicken livers, Espetada (a large stand with a skewer of chicken breast and grilled peppers) and the Cataplana (a chicken and rice dish served in a traditional Portuguese copper dish). (www.nandos.com) It also manufactures a range of sauces which include Peri-Peri sauces, marinades, cooking sauces and a Peri-Peri Essence. (www.nandos.com). PROCESS Amazing taste with nutrition -The chicken provided is lower in fat with great taste and high on protein. Freshly prepared Premium chicken are selected for Nandos. Then they are trimmed for excess fat and marinated in Peri-Peri sauce for 24 hours for the amazing taste. Thrilling Grilling Chicken is properly grilled naked on an open flame resulting in lower cholesterol and fat. And is basted on customer preference like lemon and herb, mild or extra hot Peri-Peri. Uses 100% natural ingredients and no preservatives, flavors, colors and no added MSG. PROMOTION 360 ° promotional techniques are used. For winning prizes and discounts scratch cards are given when an order is placed on various combo meal. Special offers like value meals offer greater value for money for the customer PEOPLE Friendly and prompt services to customers. Appropriate interpersonal skills, aptitude, and service knowledge. Responsiveness, reliability, assurance, empathy are the KRAs Transforming the transaction value to the customer life time value. OPERATIONS Nandos is known for its overwhelming staff. They give their best to make it a lifetime experience for the customers. I interviewed some crowd to judge about their experiences in nandos and according to the people it was one of the best restaurants experience for them. Best known for its peri-peri chicken which is really mouth watering. Even if the restaurant is busy the order placed comes to you in less than 10 -15 minutes. Unlike other restaurants the staff cooperates instead of annoying the guests. One of the best part about nandos is that it has options for vegetarian people too.There are some varieties of options to choose from pastries and other desserts priced between  £2 to  £3.The service is very quick and wonderful. One can choose from different varieties of menu. So nandos could be an lifetime and mouthwatering experience for the people. COMPETITOR ANALYSIS POSITIONING OF COMPETITORS: MC DONALDS It positions itself as the leader in quick service restaurants. In order to maintain dominance, they market to a younger set of persons, much in the same way that our Im Lovin It campaign does. KFC KFC corporation positions itself as the worlds most popular chicken restaurant chain, specializing in extra crispy fried chicken, Twister and Colonels Crispy Strips chicken with home style ideas which are different from others SWOT MATRIX OF McDonalds Here are some major strengths,weakness,oppurtunities and threats of mc donalds are described. Strengths McDonalds is considered as a market leader in both the domestic and international markets. It has an efficient food preparation style that follows the process in a systematic way The food is cheap and lots of variety is available. Weaknesses High renting cost and high fixed cost. Price competition with the competitors resulting in low revenue. There is lack of product innovation as the same menu is being used from a long time. Opportunities It can adapt to the needs of the societies and undergo an innovative product line McDonalds still has plans for more international expansion. Threats The companys aggressive international expansion. Foreign currency fluctuation as it uses standard pricing for its food items. SWOT ANALYSIS OF KFC Strengths KFC has strong trademark recipes. Ranks highest among all chicken restaurants for its convenience and menu variety. Distribution strategy. Weaknesses Admitted inability to provide quality service. Lack of knowledge about their customers. Conflicts between KFC and PepsiCo cultures. Opportunities Overseas expansion with the rapid economic growth. Updating restaurants. Threats Increasing wage rates directly affect menu prices. Changing customer demands. BRAND AUDIT KFC McDonalds Brand image Bucket chicken, wings of chicken, their mascot Chicken burgers, cone ice cream, Ronald What is your perception towards the customer Enjoy Crispy Chicken Experienced service which is the industry standard. Roles these brand play in your life Global Appeal Global appeal with providing best service in industry What is the reason for going there To have chicken served A multi fast food choice Level of awareness High High PESTLE Pestle is an abbreviation for the factors that should be understood by a company as part of its environmental analysis. It is described as: P Political E Economic S Social/Cultural T Technological L Legal E Environmental. OPPORTUNITIES THREATS Opportunities Threats People are more open to experiment with food now a day. Rapid growth in food industry International expansion Demographic trends Rapid economic growth Strength of competition. Rising sale of substitute goods. ex- Mc Donalds cheap chicken mayo burger (99p). Mature/overstored industry. More health-conscious consumers. Loyalty enjoyed by the present competitors. Economic downturn Internal Factors (IFAS Table) External Factors (EFAS Table)TOWS MATRIX Strengths (S) Branching (29 countries) Its fresh (never frozen) marinated for 24 hours Grilled to order (healthy) Customer able to choose level of spice in food. In the UK itself 214 restaurant Every restaurant is unique individually design 2010 one of the worlds top 30 hottest marketing brands Weaknesses (W) Menu updating cycle is too long Less care for religion and vegetarian costumer High renting cost , fixed cost Relatively high food price Health problem about grilling food Traditional grill food cant satisfy all the costumers. Does not provide online ordering Opportunities (O) People are more open to experiment with food now a day. Rapid growth in food industry International expansion Demographic trends Rapid economic growth S-O Strategies There are room for more international expansion (S1, O3) Increase number of outlet in current market (S1, S5, O1, O2) Increase marketing effort on healthy food (S2, S3, O1) Adding new menu items (S3, O1) W-O Strategies Add more food categories (w1 w2 w6 o1) Add online service with home delivering (w7 o2) Decrease the fixed cost of the food (w2 w3 05) Threats (T) Strength of competition. Rising sale of substitute goods. ex- Mc Donalds cheap chicken mayo burger (99p). Mature/overstored industry. More health-conscious consumers. Loyalty enjoyed by the present competitors. Economic downturn. S-T Strategies Open more outlets/Expand internationally (T1, T5, S1, S5) Cut the product prices (T1, T2, T6, S2, S3, S4) Start Home-delivery. (T1, S5, S7) Increase marketing efforts (T1, T3, S1, S5, S7) Attract more customers. (T3, T5, S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7) Enhance the food making standards. (T1, T4, S2, S3, S4) W-T Strategies 1. Should come out with some cheap products to compete with others.(w4,t2) 2. Must use more healthy ingredients to attract the health conscious population.(w-5,t-4) 3. Need to focus on strategies to gain more profit in economic downturn position(w3,t6) 4. must come with more vegetarian products to attract the crowd.(t1,w2) TARGET MARKET PROFILE: Age: 18 30 year old (Generation y) Gender: Male and Female Income: Moderate to high Occupation: Students and Young Independent People Social class: Middle to Upper Class Risk perception: Low risk Needs-motivation: Sports and independent images Brand loyalty: Strong STRENGTH Branching (31 countries) Its fresh (never frozen) marinated for 24 hours Grilled to order (healthy) Customer able to choose level of spice in food. In the UK itself 214 restaurant Every restaurant is unique individually design 2010 one of the worlds top 30 hottest marketing brands CSF/CA MARKETING Critical Success Factors (CSFs) are the critical factors or activities required for ensuring the success of the business. The term was initially used in the world of data analysis , and business Analysis.( http://rapidbi.com/created/criticalsuccessfactors.html) Critical Success Factor (CSF) Marketing can help Nandos in the following areas of their business: SEO and SEM Social Media Marketing QR Codes Email Campaigns Trade Magazine Advertising Mobile Marketing Lets take the example of the famous social networking website and see how it can benefit Nandos and how the brand name can be promoted using the World Wide Web: Social Media Marketing on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc is huge right now. Facebook has over 500 million active users and uses a targeting system for delivering ads that works. More than 500 million active users. 50% of active users log on to Facebook in any given day. Average user has 130 friends. People spend over 70 0 billion minutes per month on Facebook. Average user is connected to 80 community pages, groups and events Average user creates 90 pieces of content each month More than 30 billion pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photo albums, etc.) shared each month. More than 70 translations available on the site Using demographics and geographic analysis, ads should be targeted to the right sex, age group, metropolitan or national areas Facebook really delivers. Setting up smart campaigns for your wall posts and ads is crucial.. Custom pages can also be built listing your services, promotions, and more. Facebook determines the location of a user based on IP (Internet Protocol) addresses, which can help identify the country or city where a user is physically located. If a user has listed a current address on their profile, they may see ads targeted to that location, regardless of where they are currently located. So masses can easily be reached and brand can be promoted easily with the direct technique.