Thesis for Gun Control

COM 220 Gun Control I belive there is a need to increase gun control in an effort to decrease crimes that are related guns. The control of guns has been a controversdial topic as far back as 1813. In today’s society the issues regarding gun control have been controversial. Many strict laws have been passed by the federal government to regulate ownership of guns. In an attempt to regulate gun control many people believe that past familiar high profile political shootings have been as a result of the impactful gun control restrictions.In 2008 there was a battle taking place in The Supreme Court that voted five to four in favor of the American people’s constitutional right to keep a loaded handgun at home for self-defense. The ruling has made anti- gun supporters disagree and angry. Weapons are tools used for a variety of reasons weather it’s for safe guarding material that is highly pilfer able or protection of a family home. Guns are tools that should be treated a nd handled with respect and should not be abused or misused by any means.It is a privilege as well as a right that a person may own a weapon if he or she should decide to do so. I support the right to own and bear fire arms. I understand that if weapons get into the wrong hands tragedies can be a result. I believe that there should be stricter laws for those who have commited felonies, have been a respondent to a restraining order, committed assault, or any other hanous crime. I understand that crime will never cease in this world but that should not be the factor to make an infringement to the Second Amendment.

Banana Flour Essay

The industry is growing at fast rate due to increase in population and purchase power, tastes and preference change. And the supply of feeds from flour by-product as well as availability of cheap noodles grows. Four of the largest millers on the Philippines alone comprise the bulk of potential market for suppliers of fortificants (Vitamin A and Iron), as well as equipments or machineries, and labor in fortification. Over the past few years, different kinds of crisis or problems are reported and felt here in the Philippines and in other parts of the world, one of which is Health Problem or Malnutrition. Today, we are experiencing malnutrition. Malnutrition is the condition that results from taking an unbalanced diet in which certain nutrients are lacking, in excess, or in the wrong proportion the World Health Organization cities malnutrition as the greatest single threat to the world’s public health. Testing and studies show that cassava and potato have an ability to become flour. But it has poor availability because it is tropical root crop. So we decided to make a study about Banana. This study will help us to find the way that the flour or banana flour can be a great help to us. There’s so many fruit in the world and each of them have their uses.

Background Information Of Gems And Jewellery

Background Information Of Gems And Jewellery Disclaimer: This work has been submitted by a student. This is not an example of the work produced by our Law Essay Writing Service . You can view samples of our professional work here . Background Information Of Gems And Jewellery The global gem and jewellery industry over the past decade has observed significant changes and showed signs of growth, on account of increasing income as well as demand from the emerging economies across the world. Among the various types of jewellery, plain diamond jewellery accounted for the largest share of the global jewellery market, followed by plain gold jewellery. Diamonds being the world’s major natural resource is used in both jewellery and industrial applications. The growth in demand for diamond-studded jewellery has been due to the strong economic growth in key diamond jewellery consuming nations and marketing efforts of diamond companies. Traditionally, gold has held the leading position in most of the jewellery markets across the world because of its value as well as tradability factor. In 2008, although the total gold consumed as plain gold jewellery decreased in volume terms, the sales recorded gain in value terms . Demand for platinum jewellery has gained ground in the last few years, in not only the developed markets of the US and Europe but also in emerging markets like China and India, due to the ‘elite’ tag and ‘high-end’ value attached to the metal. Geographically, the US continues to be the largest consumer for gems and jewellery, followed by China/ India, the Middle East and Japan. In Europe, the UK and Italy are the largest consumers, and Italy is also one of the world’s largest jewellery fabrication centers. The emerging markets, like China, India which are traditional jewellery centers of consumption, are expected to develop as the largest consumption markets for both traditional as well as branded jewellery. The report analyzes the trends and challenges of the gem and jewellery and also outlines the opportunities driving the present as well as future industry growth. The report focuses on the retail jewellery sales, different jewellery segments and future potential of the four large consumers of jewellery – the US, China, India and the UK. The report analyzes the sales trends, demand patterns and future outlook of the three major segments of the jewellery industry, i.e. platinum, gold and diamond. The report also talks about the future outlook of the industry and its growth. By combining SPSS Inc.’s data integration and analysis capabilities with our relevant findings, we have predicted the future growth of the industry. We employed various significant variables that have an impact on this industry and created regression models with SPSS Base to determine the future direction of the industry. Before deploying the regression model, the relationship between several independent or predictor variables and the dependent variable was analyzed using standard SPSS output, including charts, tables and tests. Problems and Challenges faced by the local and global industry Currently, the local gems and jewellery industry is encountering trade obstacles and high competition. These include, The lack of local raw materials The rapid growth of the gem and jewellery industry in competing countries with lower labor costs the high rate of import taxes in those countries, including new tariff barriers which play an important role for international trade; the rules of origin for gemstones; the rules of product origin;

Based on your current achievements and interests, describe the kind of Essay

Based on your current achievements and interests, describe the kind of work that you plan to be in 10years, both in your career and in your community - Essay Example I would describe myself as a sporty person whom everybody can feel good with. I know that I am a down-to-earth person, with no attitude or behavioral problems. My parents have given me many valuable lessons of life, of which the greatest one is that commitment to your field of interest is crucial to be successful. Truth is my principle, and I stick to my principles no matter what happens. Besides, I am a very committed person, and I love to play different sports in my free time. I remember that when I was a little kid, I would play baseball and badminton all day long with my neighbor. Since then, I have developed such passion regarding sports that has not vanished even today. When I was growing up, my grandmother would tell me stories of eminent players who played for the name of their countries and earned awards. I would always become greatly inspired by such players. I wanted to be like them. I wanted to coach those kids who needed help in playing. I had many badminton and baseball kits in my childhood, and I remember how much I had cried one day when my baseball kit got stolen. The memories of childhood are still in my mind, and I cannot forget how I would yearn to play with children instead of watching television. My achievements and my passion toward sports clearly show that I am a dedicated sportsman. Hence, I would want to go into the field of sports after completing my engineering degree. In the next ten years, I see myself playing in the NFL. I always loved how volunteers would come to help me and other kids while we played in the sports field. I have always wanted to do the same with the kids of my community when I grow up. Even if I enter into the engineering field, I would not leave the ambition of helping kids in sports. If I go into an engineering field, I would work in one of the plants along a nearby river. Hence, I am sure to state that in the next ten years, I see myself as a great player

Flexography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Flexography - Essay Example The reason behind the wide acceptance and adoption of this technology is that it caters to a massive market of printing packaging materials. Conventional form of printing could not suffice for such tasks effectively since the packaging materials are made in different types and sizes. The level of precision, quality and pace that can be achieved with the flexography technology cannot be matched with the old methods of printing and other competitive technologies in the modern markets. 2. Overview of Flexography Flexography is defined as a type of ‘rotary web letterpress’ that amalgamates the aspects of letterpress and rotogravure printing (â€Å"Print Process Descriptions: Printing Industry Overview: Flexography†). The material that is used for printing tends to dry faster as it is consists of a low viscosity solvent. There are three types of inks that are used in this form of printing; solvent-based, water-based and ultraviolet-cured. Each one of these inks is drie d off in different ways (â€Å"Overview of Flexographic Printing†). The inks are very thin that makes this form of printing even preferable for four color printing jobs (CMYK). Ink possesses much relevance in any printing process. Since flexography printing produces fine finish printing, the ink has several characteristics; The ink should be able to create a visual effect or color. The ink must be compatible with the material on which it is being printed. Production packaging tends to suffer different environmental conditions due to its frequent displacement, therefore the printing needs to survive the presence of chemicals, scratching and fluctuation of temperature in the surroundings. 3. Applications of Flexography Flexography is considered to be the simplest and cheapest mode of printing packaging materials. There are several applications of flexography; some of them are mentioned below (â€Å"Printers - Flexographic Printing†): Ridged containers Folding cartons Mul tiwall sacks Paper sacks and plastic bags Milk and beverage cartons Disposable cups and containers Labels Wrappers of food items The quality of the printing is commendable and irrespective of the irregular or complex shape of the object. Another form of flexography printing exists that is designed to be used for publications, for example newspapers, comics, booklets, promotional catalogues etc. Food and candy wrappers are usually required to be printed with bright colors; flexography achieves this with factor with ease. Organizations tend to prefer this technology due to the lowering of the cost of the packaging which is coupled with competitive results. 4. Relevance of Flexography in the Graphic Information Technology Industry Flexography technology has improved to a great extent over the years due to which it has brought about greater level of precision, efficiency and quality in the graphic information technology industry (Polischuk). The improvement of this technology from satis factory image definition and effective management of shorter runs of printing to excellent finish over massive printing activities has given the consumer an appealing alternate in the printing industry. The monopoly of the competitor technologies (like gravure and offset technologies) has been broken by the improvement of flexography (Polischuk). The designs that were traditionally considered to be impossible without the usage of gravure and offset technologies, have been proven to be achieved by flexography printing. Flexography is able to cater to the innovative design features of the modern age, as well as the contemporary one with details and precision. The processes and quality of flexography printing is able to meet the rapidly changing requirements of the modern markets since there is increasing demand of better quality and endeavors to

Security Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Security - Case Study Example Computers had literally made the task of computing very fast and ultra accurate; people expect results within minutes or seconds. Scientific, medical, and technological progress had been achieved with the use of all the computer technologies currently available, accelerating human advancement by several degrees if compared to the prior centuries and millennia before the advent of computers. Other areas of human endeavors have likewise benefited from this computer-related development such as in the business and industry sectors, in the telecommunications, banking, trading and commerce sectors as well as in almost all aspects of human life. Today, there is no escaping the fact of interacting with computer-related equipment as people go along their lives in their daily activities. Computers are used in various ways wherein people may not be aware of, like in a building with a computer-controlled air conditioning system, using an elevator or an escalator, trying to get in touch with thei r friends, acquaintances, and relatives through social media sites, to buy a product or service on-line through electronic commerce (e-commerce), and get the news or entertainment from the Internet. This paper focuses on one such aspect, which is the human-computer interface (HCI) that is at the basic level by which people interact with computers. Discussion The field of study concerning the use of computers by humans is called as the human-computer interface (HCI) or also called alternatively as human-computer interactions (HCI). The basic premise of HCI is to study the optimal design of the interaction between people (the users) and the computers or machines they are using in order to give the maximum benefit and likewise avoid unexpected problems between man and machine. HCI is a multidisciplinary approach that utilizes several fields such as engineering design, architecture, computer graphics, the operating systems, and the software programming (confidentiality, integrity, and a vailability or CIA). It is supplemented by the human side of this knowledge such as linguistics, communication theories, cognitive psychology, the social sciences, and human factors like logic, ease of use, user satisfaction, memory recall, attention span, and user experience that contribute to desired results. There are a good number of engineering designs to observe as a guide when designing a human-computer interface (HCI) but it can be reduced to the basic principles which are a focus on the user, emphasis on the task to be performed, and actually measuring the real uses of this interface based on several or repeated simulations to detect any deficiencies and eliminate these. The designer or engineer of the HCI must firstly determine who will be the eventual users of the HCI, so that the final design will be suited for them. Secondly, the designer must know the tasks to be performed using the computer interface, specifically defining these tasks in detail, and also how often the se tasks are to be performed within the day, or during a certain work period. This will hopefully help establish the parameters to be used in the HCI design, using empirical ways or methods to determine the required benchmarks or performance levels (Sarmento, 2005). In order to be able to properly analyze the design issues of the new cash register

Persuasive Communications, Campaigning and Public Opinion Essay

Persuasive Communications, Campaigning and Public Opinion - Essay Example The gay and lesbian community will voice their concerns regarding same sex marriage. In some states, the government upholds the right of people to enter into same sex marriages. On the other hand, other states are very conservatives. As conservatives, the states do not allow the lovers to enter into same sex marriages. Consequently, the government must indicate the many advantages of marrying someone from the opposite sex. Likewise, the government can explain the harsh side effects of same sex marriages. In some areas of society, the government includes the public’s demand for better health-related laws and policies (Price, 1992). The health-related laws include prohibiting the sale of marijuana, cocaine and other prohibited drugs. The health care laws cater to the public opinion stating that the people want to rid their communities from the menaces of dangerous drugs. Additionally, a town may generate a public opinion stating they do not want the pollution emanating from the nearby factory sites (Gonzalez, 2006). The government can use the public opinion as basis for issuing a government memorandum that instructs the factories to comply with environmental protection laws. The environmental protection laws must be implemented at all times. The environmental laws require the business establishments to reduce factory smoke exhaust to allowable levels. The companies’ compliance with the reduction of the smoke exhaust levels will create a positive public opinion among the residents of the affected communities. On the other hand, the same government policy to reduce the pollution exhaust levels of the factories may not generate a favorable public opinion among members of one sector of the community (Gonzalez, 2006). The sector is the group of companies that install the smoke exhaust pipes. By requiring the companies to install the exhaust pipes, the companies must allocate a huge amount of money to restructure the production building. The

PPE Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

PPE Report - Essay Example The wide category of specialized health services; is in sharp contrast to the generalized services offered by other health facilities like clinics. The hospitals have effective organizational structure. The top management of the hospital comprises the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, and the Head of Departments. The middle management of the hospital comprises Sectional Heads. The sectional heads are specialists in their professions. This management structure ensures proper reporting relationships between the hospital staffs and the management. Hospitals have the Institutional Ethics Committee. This committee comprises an interdisciplinary team made up of community representatives, non-medical practitioners, and healthcare professionals. The main purpose of the committee entails community education, case consultation, intra-institutional communication, and policy development; during the health policies or decisions which arise during healthcare. Health facilities have job division practices, which depend on hospital sections and departments. The cancer specialists mainly operate in the cancer centre; however, they can consult other hospital staffs from other departments for effective service delivery. Likewise, the eye specialists operate in the Eye Surgery Centre. This separation of staffs according to specialization is referred to as job division. The unique hospital features enables provision of superior health services. Hospitals utilize an effective Health Information System to oversee proper decision making. Team members share vital information through the system when offering services to patients. This enhances collaboration of the health staffs. Patients can also find and request for a suitable doctor, through the health

Strategic Management Fuel business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Strategic Management Fuel business - Essay Example The key strategic issues for GM are its organizational efficiency, its production processes, and market responsiveness. GM can improve its situation by altering its organizational structure to promote a lean management process. It should change its production processes to reflect higher efficiencies in supply chain and platform distribution, and increase its market responsiveness by shortening its time from design development to rollout. General Motors (GM) is one of the world's largest companies, with manufacturing operations in over 30 countries and product sales of nine million units in more than 200 nations over the world.1 In spite of its rich history of rising from humble beginnings in 1908 to its apex of controlling 65% of domestic car sales in the mid-1970's, GM today is one of the least profitable vehicle manufacturers in the world. In fact, as of the date of this case study, GM's return on invested capital is only 1/6th that of one of its major competitors. This represents a significant dilemma that must be addressed and resolved if the company is to maintain its viability. The purpose of this paper is to examine the critical strategic issues facing GM and offer recommendations on specific steps that can be taken to address the deficiencies. The analysis of critical strategic... First, the external environment is reviewed to identify those opportunities and threats which may be present. These include industry issue, competitor actions, and customer trends. Further external considerations may include supplier and supply chain management as well as environmental factors. Second, the internal environment is analyzed to determine both strengths and weaknesses so that the former can be maximized and the latter attenuated. Finally, the results of the SWOT analysis are synthesized into identifiable, key strategic issues that can be prioritized for management's focus. Once identified in terms of their urgency, the issues can be addressed in such a manner as to bring about the most positive result in the most efficient and timely way. External. In terms of industry-wide strategic management considerations over the past 25 years, GM has not done a good job responding to the changes facing the industry. Like most American car manufacturers, the company was unprepared for the 1973 energy crisis and the subsequent revelation of its product's fuel inefficiency. As the market demand changed to smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles, GM was not positioned to make the necessary adjustments and thus lost market share to the new competition; the Japanese. The foothold gained by the competition in that era has been expanded in recent years and although GM has restructured several times, it has never regained the market share necessary for profitability. From a competitor standpoint, the Japanese automakers were particularly well situated to threaten GM's market share. They were already proficient at manufacturing smaller vehicles, had a tighter management structure, a better cost efficiency, and out-performed GM and

UPS Company Strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

UPS Company Strategy - Case Study Example It goes without saying that drivers of organizational change vary across organizations and businesses. However, the main drivers of organizational change can be summarized as follows: (1) information availability and distribution; (2) the pace of technological advancement; (3) the growing availability of technologies; (4) increased business competition; (5) rapid shifts in the global labor and product markets; (6) changes in environmental responsibility and requirements; and (7) changing customer expectations and demands (John, Cannon & Pouder 2001). More often than not companies operating in the present day business environment pursue change to align their strategic goals with the emerging information capabilities and, consequentially, use them to meet the rising consumer demands. As the number of companies in the logistics industry increases, the ability to satisfy customer satisfaction in the most cost-effective manner becomes the main source of companies’ competitive advantage. Nevertheless, the number of challenges faced by companies in the global market does not decrease. â€Å"Integrating activities both within and beyond organizational boundaries has become a major challenge at century’s end and will likely continue for the foreseeable future† (John, Cannon & Pouder 2001, p.145). ... The diversification of companies in the logistic market had the potential to distract UPS consumers with more attractive rates, prices, and services. Second, before the 1990s discipline and efficiency had always been the company’s top strategic priorities. According to Garvin and Levesque (2001), along with discipline and efficiency, continuous improvement had been the company’s principal legacy. The company had historically operated in the atmosphere of constructive dissatisfaction, which further instilled the values of continuous improvement and service excellence on company employees (Garvin & Levesque 2001). The historical commitment to efficiency and discipline and continued attention towards operations left many customers dissatisfied. Apart from the fact that UPS failed to envision changes in customer preferences and demands, discipline and efficiency left little room for monitoring changes in the external business environment. Finally, UPS had never had a formal strategic planning process, which made the implementation of strategic innovations difficult and problematic. As the entire world was changing, UPS definitely needed a fresh breath, and the new CEO had to restructure the company’s basic operations. Since the beginning of the new millennium UPS was constantly trying to define how exactly it could develop and sustain a competitive advantage. The creation of the new strategic planning process became part of the strategic innovations within UPS. Looking further into 2017, UPS anticipates that understanding the factors and forces affecting its market position will become its main strategic goal for years ahead (Garvin & Levesque

Internet Article Review When to call the organization doctor Essay Example for Free

Internet Article Review When to call the organization doctor Essay Summary In the article, When to call the organization doctor by Robert N. Llewellyn discusses many techniques that are available for an organization and managers to use in determining how to properly identify organizational problems, or resolve current problems within the organization. Llewellyns article briefly describes eight-elements in accomplishing organizational effectiveness: Strategic Direction, Goal Alignment, Work Process and Projects, Organizational Structure, Performance Management, Rewards, Cultural Support Systems and Infrastructure. The article further points out that after a manager have identified the elements for effective organizational management than they should apply these elements to diagnosis problems within the organization. Furthermore, When a fit problem is identified one must use not only simple deductive thinking, but inferential thinking as well. (Llewellyn, p.79, 2002) Following this step puts management in charge of where the organization is going, strategically and systemically, and avoids the management-fad phenomenon. (Llewellyn, p.79, 2002) Effective Management In week, one Professor Sowunmi asked the class to explain, How does effective management impact organizational success? (Main newsgroup, February 4, 2004 DQ 2) In answering the question I stated, Effective management can have an endless impact upon the success of an organization. Interview Article 3 The main goals of any business are to make sure that its organization and its employees perform proficiently and productively. Any company can accomplish these goals if the employees are provided with appropriate guidance, enough flexibility, and supplied with the necessary information about what the organization is trying to accomplish. Moreover, a company that is successfully managed has a vision and knows how to make decisions that are consistent with the companys vision. In addition, an organization that has good management can make good decisions that not only improve the profits of the company, but also give the employees a sense of pride in their company. A company that is managed successfully recognizes and appreciates its customers and will go all the way in making sure the customer is place first. (Easter-Brown, DQ 2, February 7, 2004) This statement helps support the fact that if an organization fails to properly diagnosis problems within the organization they are most probably committing a form of organizational malpractice. In other words, thinking about the many ways organizations try to change and make themselves healthier makes it nearly impossible if they are unwilling to remember that prescription without diagnosis is malpractice, whether in medicine or management. On the other hand, the self-medication approach can sometimes have limited impact and can even lose headway. Without any external help or ideas, the side effects or self-treatment can be limited management thinking, stubborn devotion to traditional and comfortable viewpoints. Self-medication can work well, but management must be well informed about the range of effective remedies. Interview Article 4 Take the statement made by Kevin OConnell, one of my fellow classmates, Effective management uses mistakes as opportunities for learning and is able to recover and quickly adapt to changes in the business climate. Ineffective management points the blame on others and never learns nor takes ownership for mistakes. (Main newsgroup DQ2, February 5, 2004) Furthermore, preferring the self-medication approach, many organizations continually engage in various processes aimed at self-change. They may purchase current management books, videos and training materials the counterpart of over-the-counter medications but in general, they prefer to figure things out for themselves. Many firms are simply more comfortable with this do it yourself approach and have little attraction to the idea of bringing in outsiders to deal with their change agenda. Internal task forces, special initiatives, campaigns and focused training programs can be effective forms of self-treatment. If they have a core team of bright, well-qualified internal change agents, they could make great progress. Llewellyn states, managers should first correctly diagnosis organizational problems first, then, if needed, search for a consultant that has the experience needed. (pg. 79, 2002) Changes for SHS If I could make changes or recommendations for my own organization, they would defiantly be built around the guidelines of organizational effectiveness. Interview Article 5 The Stamford Health System is currently under new management and many of the guidelines stated in Llewellyns article are exceptional steps for improving the effectiveness of my companys organizational structure, for example, Performance Management, Rewards, and Cultural Support Systems are some good suggestions for improvement. In my recommendations for Performance Management, I would like to see a centralized scheduling streamlines access to the hospitals services that satisfy physicians and patients, for example, a Centralized-scheduling staff of stationed in close proximity to the Admitting office, increasing their efficiency due to the high volume of walk-in patients. The average 95 faxes and 30 calls received each day from physicians offices will be reduce to approximately 15 minutes to schedule. The training process for central scheduling staff is broader so that they can schedule all procedure/visit types Specific IT systems can now facilitate central scheduling by being smart about scheduling. If my organization wants to be competitive and increase their nurse retention, they need to provide major stimulus to restructure the hospital and organization. There needs to be an improvement in our internal reform strategy as well as a market alliance strategy. In order to be successful in the market environment of managed care and managed competition, my institution needs to expand market share through superior quality service; reduce management overhead with flat structure; increase productivity with self-directed teams; control expenses within budget; reinforce innovation and performance with incentives; and reinfuse employees and medical staff with a sense of shared optimism about the future. Interview Article 6 I believe the result will be a sweeping overhaul in organizational culture, driven by a radical shift in management philosophy and a permanent commitment to seek continuous improvements at all levels. Conclusion It is evident from my evaluation and the article When to call the organization doctor by Robert N. Llewellyn that careful evaluation and diagnosis of the central problems in an organization can help avoid expensive, disruptive, and often unnecessary intervention (pg.79, 2002) Overall, through a conservative position an organization can develop the capability to evaluate and diagnosis effective organizational skills to improve the many problems that may arise in the organizational structure. Fundamentally, as long as the organization is willing to strive for organizational effectiveness, they have a greater chance of solving problems within the company. Interview Article 7 References Easter-Brown, D. (Feb. 7, 2004). MGT 330 Main Newsgroup. How does effective management impact organizational success? Retrieved from MGT 330 Main Newsgroup on February 16, 2004 Llewellyn, R.N. (Mar. 2002). When to call the organization doctor HR Magazine. Vol. 47, Iss. 3, pg. 79. Retrieved from ProQuest database on February 2, 2004. OConnell, K. (Feb. 5, 2004). MGT 330 Main Newsgroup. How does effective management impact organizational success? Retrieved from MGT 330 Main Newsgroup on February 16, 2004 Sowumni, A. (2004). Overview of The Concepts of Management: Week I Lecture. Retrieved from MGT 330 Course Newsgroup on February 13, 2003. University of Phoenix (Ed.). (2002). Management: Theory, Practice, and Application [University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-text]. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Custom Publishing Retrieved February 13, 2003.

To Da-duh Essay Example for Free

To Da-duh Essay The story is told by the nine-year-old version of the narrator. As a little girl, she doesn’t see or think much about everything. When she sees Da-duh, her grandmother, for the first time, she sees a â€Å"small, purposeful, painfully erect† figure and a face that is â€Å"as stark and fleshless as a death mask†. As the story goes along, the reader starts to understand the competition between the narrator and her grandmother from the point of view and the eyes of the narrator. As it is mentioned in the last paragraph, Da-duh and her granddaughter experience a competition in the story. The competition is about whose home is better, Da-duh’s home in Barbados Island or the narrator’s home in New York. Each argument starts from a simple thing, like â€Å"I know you don’t have anything like these in New York†. They both have strong will and heart; those feelings are shown in the dialogues they have during the narrator’s visit to Barbados from New York. This story has a lot of adjectives and symbolism to form the reader’s picture of the people and the places. For example, when Da-duh starts to hear about New York from her granddaughter, the author writes, â€Å"I came to know the signs of her surrender: the total stillness that would come over her little hard dry form, the probing gaze that like a surgeon’s knife sought to cut through my skull to get at the images there, to see if I were lying; above all, her fear, a fear nameless and profound, the same one I had felt beating in the palm of her hand that day in the lorry†. This is a pretty long and complicated sentence, but it’s filled with adjectives so that the reader can have a better feeling to the story. In â€Å"To Da-duh† story, the author uses a child’s point of view in explaining the tone and the mood in the story. The tone in every dialogue in the story shows a competition and love of each person’s home. In the end, an irony is shown when the narrator gets a house in a loft above a noisy factory with machines sounds that her grandmother was pretty afraid about. Within this irony, Paule Marshall ends the story with a sad and love feeling between the narrator and Da-duh.

Strategies for Effective Learning in the TESL Classroom

Strategies for Effective Learning in the TESL Classroom CHAPTER ONE:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   INTRODUCTION In Malaysian classroom, a teacher had a solid control in the classroom, the interaction pattern where the teacher selects a student to answer her questions is observed by Samuel (1982) in his study in a Malaysian school. This pattern occurred particularly when the teacher employed the questioning strategy during the course of teaching. After answering the teachers question, the student gave the turn back to the teacher (Samuel, 1982, p. 129). Hence if the teacher chooses this pattern of interaction, participation of students will be highly controlled by him or her. When having teachers in monologic interaction, the class instructional practices will be on structured, discipline but it kills the desire to learn from the child instinct and at the same time does not arouse the critical and the creativity of a child. And this is totally different from the knowledge of the policy because in Malaysia Education Policy, it is stated that a teachers jobs is to nurture the childs critical and creative thinking. When a lesson that is supposed to practice on communicative language teaching ends with the teacher instructing and being authoritative in the class, it kills the desire to learn. In his findings, Ruzlan (2007) further found that all the questions posed by the teachers were the closed-ended in nature, where the children were anticipated to arrive at certain answers expected by the teachers only. At the same time, it was found that the majority of questions set by EFL and Science as content taught in English classes were low level and factual, and not designed to encourage critical thinking on the part of learners. Again, there was a mismatch between what is stipulated by the national curriculum and how teachers actually teach in terms of posing questions. While national policy stipulates helping learners become critical thinkers, teachers seems concern with others, short term goal. For instance teachers belief about their students academic needs and what they should do is tailoring their questions to align with examination purposes at a low level factual category (Habsah Hussin, 2006). It is proven that the practice of the policy is more on finishing the structured syllabus prepared by the school curriculum division rather than full filling the philosophy of education that is in building the students with the efforts towards further developing the potential of individuals in a holistic and integrated manner, so as to produce individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically balanced and harmonic, based on a firm belief in and devotion to God. Such an effort is designed to produce Malaysian citizens who are knowledgeable and competent, who possess high moral standards and who are responsible and capable of achieving high level of personal well-being as well as being able to contribute to the harmony and betterment of the family, the society and the nation at large. With this issues, enlighten the researcher to explore the basic of the education teacher training. What has been practiced in schools reflects on the training of the teacher in teacher training institution. Is it the system or the implementation of it that caused the mismatched in the instructional practices? What is supposed to be done? What has been practiced in the teaching institution? The approaches practiced on the trainees. Does the trainees ability to pose questions and interact with the students from the pedagogical aspects and methodological approach being prompt and develop? Do the trainers play their role as the facilitator and the mediator of the knowledge in ensuring the blooming of the beginner teachers? The trainers have to play their important role well in shaping the student teacher in becoming an excellent teacher. They should model the trainees in the instructional practices in college. Being the expertise, the trainers should be well prepared with various approaches in exploring the student teacher ability in learning the English language in order to become a capable and competent English teacher. 1.1 Purpose Of the Study The purpose of this study is to investigate the trainers in implementing their instructional practice in order to help the trainees to become effective second language teacher. As an ESL teacher and a second language learner, the researcher believes that interaction is the key to second language learning. Second language learners need comprehensible input, need to be in situations that provide maximum personal involvement in the communication and need opportunities to use the target language in social interactions. The learning of a language centres on the use of the language for communicative purposes. Alexander (2004) suggests that the basic repertoire of classroom talk is unlikely to offer the types of cognitive challenge required to extend students thinking. In contrast, he characterizes an approach he describes as dialogic teaching which is collective, reciprocal, supportive, cumulative and purposeful. However, these types of talk are less frequently encountered in classrooms (M roz et al., 2000). Dialogic pedagogies aim for classroom interactions that involve more than superficial participation. They are exemplified by the teachers uptake of student ideas, authentic questions and the opportunity for students to change or modify the course of instruction (Nystrand et al., 2003). Teachers relinquish some measure of control of the trajectory of the lesson as pupils are offered a degree of collaborative influence over the co-construction of knowledge. 1.2 Importance of the study This study is important in four ways. First, as an eye opening to the concept of dialogic approach in the training institution and it is focusing on the classroom interaction between the trainees and the trainer in the class from the socio-cultural theory approach. Second, it gives a holistic view on what is happening in the class and what could be done to help the trainees to become competent user of the English Language learner. Third, it will trigger the needs for the trainers to have a series of cascade training organized by the Teacher Education Division, Malaysia in order to share, improve their approaches in class and vary their instructional teaching before they start teaching the trainees. Fourth, it will establish the culture of sharing and collaboration among the lecturers in the training institute. It requires the teachers to work collaboratively, to open their classroom for observation, critical reviews and discussion with peers. Lastly, it is focusing on the professional development of the trainers in providing the best approaches in exploring the best approach and varies their pedagogical approach in a second language learning class. 1.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Research Questions. 1. To what extent do lecturers interact with students to develop their participation in classroom discourse? 2. How are the lecturers developing the English Language competency and critical thinking skills of students through the interaction in class? 3. How do lecturers evaluate their instructional teaching practices? 4. What impact has the Communicative Language Teaching had on the teaching practices to promote a dialogic pedagogy? 5. How useful is a dialogic approach to staff professional development? 1.4   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Objectives of the study were as follows; 1. To measure the ways lecturers interact with the students to develop their participation in class.   2. To identify how lecturers develop English Language competency and critical thinking skills through the interaction in class. 3. To explore the lecturers instructional practices in second language learning class. 4. To explore the impact of the communicative language teaching policy on language learning in teacher training institutions. 5. To explore the usefulness of a dialogic approach to staff development in teacher training institutions. 1.5. Methodology Research design The focus of the study is to look at the quality of classroom interaction between the lecturer and the trainees. The literature has offered a wide array of descriptions and definitions of the case study, for example: a case study is an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context in which multiple sources of evidence are used (Yin, 1984:23), the qualitative case study can be defined as an intensive, holistic description and analysis of a single entity, phenomenon, or social unit (Merriam, 1988:16). Different from other research studies which aim for generalizable findings, case studies aim for an understanding of the particular case, in its idiosyncrasy, in its complexity (Stake, 1988:256). The case study aligns with my research objectives. It is focused on the two TESL lecturers, the researcher and their respective classes. The study is the interactive instructional practices of the two teachers, the researcher and their students. In order to provide a detailed and in-depth analytical description of the interactive features of the two cases, the researcher have to be into the research site and collected data from multiple sources in a naturalistic setting, namely, in a setting where teacher-student interaction occurs as it actually is. The main purpose of the study was not to attempt to generalize the conclusions to a larger population but to gain a thorough and in-depth understanding of the topic at issue. At the same time a combination of sociolinguistic and ethnographic perspectives has been taken to approach the above research questions.   Data was collected using a range of techniques: interviewing, classroom observation, audio- and video-taping, oral report and stimulated reflection. The sample for the researcher came from the teacher training institution that is situated in Ipoh, between the Bachelor of Education Twinning program UK-MOEM (Ministry Of Education, Malaysia) and the English Language lecturers. Many teachers, even experienced ones, are not always aware of the nature of their interactions with individual students. Consequently, one of the most important purposes of systematic classroom observation is to improve teachers classroom instruction. Feedback from individual classroom profiles derived from systematic observations has been found to help teachers understand their own strengths and weaknesses, and have consequently enabled them to significantly improve their instruction. Through feedback, teachers can become aware of how their classroom functions and thus bring about changes they desire. This process typically involves having trained observers systematically observe teachers and their students in their classrooms and later providing teachers with information about their instruction in clinical sessions. This approach is based on the assumption that teachers value accurate information that they can use to improve their instruction. CHAPTER TWO  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   LITERATURE REVIEW. This chapter will be reviewed the discussion on the theoretical ground on second language acquisition, the approach in the classroom, the student teacher interaction and the instructional pattern of communication being implemented in the classroom. 2.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Socio-cultural theory Introduction Vygotsky (1896-1934) is one of the Russian psychologists whose ideas have influenced the field of educational psychology and the field of education as whole. He argues for the uniqueness of the social milieu and regards sociocultural settings as the primary and determining factor in the development of higher forms of human mental activity such as voluntary attention, intentional memory, logical thought, planning, and problem solving. According to Vygotsky (1978 cited Lantolf 2000), the socio-cultural environment presents the child with a variety of tasks and demands, and engages the child in his world through the tools. In the early stages, Vygotsky claims that the child is completely dependent on other people, usually the parents, who initiate the childs actions by instructing him/her as to what to do, how to do it, as well as what not to do. Parents, as representatives of the culture and the conduit through which the culture passes into the child, actualise these instructions primarily through language. On the question of how do children then appropriate these cultural and social heritages, Vygotsky (1978 cited Wertsch 1985) states that the child acquires knowledge through contacts and interactions with people as the first step (inter-psychological plane), then later assimilates and internalises this knowledge adding his personal value to it (intra-psychological plane). This transition from social to personal property according to Vygotsky is not a mere copy, but a transformation of what had been learnt through interaction, into personal values. Vygotsky claims that this is what also happens in schools. Students do not merely copy teachers capabilities; rather they transform what teachers offer them during the processes of appropriation. Lantolf et al. (1994) indicate that the latter understanding of consciousness in the field of teaching is embodied in the concept of meta-cognition, which, according to him, incorporates functions such as planning, voluntary attention, logical memory, problem solving and evaluation. Williams and Burden (1997) claim that socio-cultural theory advocates that education should be concerned not just with theories of instruction, but with learning to learn, developing skills and strategies to continue to learn, with making learning experiences meaningful and relevant to the individual, with developing and growing as a whole person. They claim that the theory asserts that education can never be value-free; it must be underpinned by a set of beliefs about the kind of society that is being constructed and the kinds of explicit and implicit messages that will best convey those beliefs. These beliefs should be manifest also in the ways in which teachers interact with students. Socio-cultural theory has a holistic view about the act of learning. Williams Burden (1997) claim that the theory opposes the idea of the discrete teaching of skills and argues that meaning should constitute the central aspects of any unit of study. Any unit of study should be presented in all its complexity rather than skills and knowledge presented in isolation. The theory emphasizes the importance of what the learner brings to any learning situation as an active meaning-maker and problem-solver. It acknowledges the dynamic nature of the interplay between teachers, learners and tasks and provides a view of learning as arising from interactions with others. According to Ellis (2000), socio-cultural theory assumes that learning arises not through interaction but in interaction. Learners first succeed in performing a new task with the help of another person and then internalise this task so that they can perform it on their own. In this way, social interaction is advocated to mediate learning. According to Ellis, the theory goes further to say interactions that successfully mediate learning are those in which the learners scaffold the new tasks. However, one of the most important contributions of the theory is the distinction Vygotsky made between the childs actual and potential levels of development or what he calls Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) Lantolf (2002), Wertsch (1985) and Shayer (2002) claim that Vygotskys introduction of the notion of the ZPD was due to his dissatisfaction with two practical issues in educational psychology: the first is the assessment of a childs intellectual abilities and the second is the evaluation of the instructional practices. With respect to the first issue, Vygotsky believes that the established techniques of testing only determine the actual level of development, but do not measure the potential ability of the child. In his view, psychology should address the issue of predicting a childs future growth, what he/she not yet is. Because of the value Vygotsky attached to the importance of predicting a childs future capabilities, he formulated the concept of ZPD which he defines as the distance between a childs actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving, and the higher level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in co llaboration with more capable peers Wertsch (1985, P. 60). According to him, ZPD helps in determining a childs mental functions that have not yet matured but are in the process of maturation, functions that are currently in an embryonic state, but will mature tomorrow. Moreover, he claims that the study of ZPD is also important, because it is the dynamic region of sensitivity in which the transition from inter-psychological to intra-psychological functioning takes place. Shayer (2002) claims that a crucial feature of learning according to Vygotsky is that it creates a ZPD, that is to say, learning awakens a variety of internal developmental processes that are able to operate only when the child is interacting with people in his environment and in cooperation with his peers. Once these processes are internalised, they become part of the childs independent developmental achievement. Vygotsky advocates that ZPD is not the role of instruction alone, but developmental (biological) factors do have a role to play. It is jointly determined by the childs level of development and the form of instruction involved. According to him, instruction and development do not directly coincide, but represent two processes that exist in a very complex interrelationship. He argues that the child can operate only within certain limits that are strictly fixed by the state of the childs development and intellectual possibilities. Mediation As in Feuerteins theory (Williams and Burden 1997), mediation is central to Vygotskys socio-cultural theory. Mediation according to Vygotsky refers to the part played by other significant people in the learners lives, people who enhance their learning by selecting and shaping the learning experiences presented to them. Vygotsky (1978 cited Wertsch 1985) claims that the secret of effective learning lies in the nature of the social interaction between two or more people with different levels of skills and knowledge. This involves helping the learner to move into and through the next layer of knowledge or understanding. Vygotsky also regard tools as mediators and one of the important tools is language. The use of language to help learners move into and through their ZPD is of great significance to socio-cultural theory. Kozulin et al. (1995) claim that Vygotsky considers the learning process as not a solitary exploration of the environment by the child on his own, but as a process of the childs appropriation of the methods of actions that exist in a given culture. In the process of appropriation, symbolic tools or artefacts play a crucial role. Kozulin (2002) categorises mediators into two categories: human and symbolic. According to him, human mediation usually tries to answer the question concerning what kind of involvement on the part of the adult is effective in enhancing the childs performance; while symbolic mediation deals with what changes in the childs performance can be brought about by the introduction of the child to symbolic tools-mediators. Scaffolding According to Donato (1994) scaffolding is a concept that derives from cognitive psychology and L1 research. It states that in a social interaction, a knowledgeable participant can create by means of speech and supportive conditions in which the student (novice) can participate in and extend current skills and knowledge to a high level of competence. In an educational context, however, scaffolding is an instructional structure whereby the teacher models the desired learning strategy or task then gradually shifts responsibility to the students. According to McKenzie, (1999) scaffolding provides the following advantages: a) It provides clear directions for students b) It clarifies purpose of the task c) It keeps students on task d) It offers assessment to clarify expectations e) It points students to worthy sources f) It reduces uncertainty, surprise and disappointment g) It delivers efficiency h) It creates momentum According to Rogoff (1990 in Donato, 1994), scaffolding implies the experts active stance towards continual revisions of the scaffolding in response to the emerging capabilities of the learner, and a learners error or limited capabilities can be a signal for the adult to upgrade the scaffolding. As the learner begins to take on more responsibility for the task, the adult dismantles the scaffold indicating that the child has benefited from the assisted performance and internalised the problem-solving processes provided by the previous scaffold episode. Wertsch (1979a cited Donato 1994) claims that scaffold performance is a dialogically constituted inter-psychological mechanism that promotes the learners internalisation of knowledge co-constructed in shared activity. Donato (1994) advocates that in an L2 classroom, collaborative work among language learners provides the same opportunity for scaffold help as in expert-novice relationships in the everyday setting. Van Lier (1988 cited Do nato 1994) states that L2 teaching methodology can benefit from a study of L1 scaffolding to understand how classroom activities already tacitly employ such tactics. The study of scaffolding in L2 research according to Donato has focused exclusively on how language teachers provide guided assistance to learners. 2.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Classroom interaction in socio-cultural theory A socio-cultural theory was pioneered by Vgotsky (1978) and the core of the theory is the proposition that cognitive development originates in social interaction. Vgotsky (1981) formulated the trajectory of cognitive development as from the inter-psychological plane to the intra-psychological plane by saying: Any function in the childs cultural development appears twice, or in two planes: first, it appears on the social plane, and then on the psychological plane; first it appears between people as an inter-psychological category, and then within the child as an intra-psychological category. This is equally true with regard to voluntary attention, logical memory and the formation of concepts and the development of volition (p.163). In other words, learning first takes place between a child and an expert (e.g. the childs parent) when they engage in joint under-taking. The expert assists the young child to appropriate his greater knowledge or skills in relation to the task at hand and gradually hands over the task to the young child. The child internalizes what he gained and transformed it into his own resources that can be used for individual thinking and problem solving. It is mainly mediated by means of talk. 2.3.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Classroom interactions Constructivism Related to Questioning and Conversation Constructivism plays a key role in effective classroom conversations and differs from classrooms filled with traditional conversations. Schulte (1996) argued that Constructivist teachers must observe the students actions and listen to their views without making judgments or trying to correct answers (p. 27). This differs from the traditional classroom where students are passive learners and wait for the teacher to give correct answers (Schulte, 1996). In contrast, constructivist classroom teachers must listen to students and help make connections between what they are thinking and what others are thinking during the same experience (Duckworth, 2006). Teachers must also make connections for learners between the learners understandings and the teachers understandings (Duckworth, 2006). Instead of giving lectures and expecting students to regurgitate what has been lectured, teachers must show students how to listen to others and question ideas when they are unknown (Duckworth, 2006). Teachers must make their actions known to students by using explicit language, modelling the thinking process, and allowing students to think aloud about new ideas (Bodrova Leong, 1996). Lambert, etal. (2002) supported the idea of sharing thoughts and ideas by stating, In a constructivist conversation, each individual comes to understand the purpose of talk, since the relationship is one of reciprocity (p. 65). Constructivist teaching allows students to actively participate in their learning versus the traditional idea of passively receiving information. It allows teachers and students to synthesize their knowledge in order to create new meanings. Classroom discourse based on a constructivists view of learning involves student participation. This was explained by Hartman (1996) when stated, As seen through Vygotskys views, classroom discourse is socially meaningful activity because it creates a situation in which all students can and are encouraged to participate not only by the teacher, but by the other students as well (p. 99). Students are encouraged to share their ideas with others to help clarify their thoughts and make adjustments to their understandings (Schulte, 1996). Student participation means that teachers hand over control of classroom conversations and allow students to express their thinking aloud. This results in the student having the final word at times and helps the student create his or her own understanding instead of receiving the teachers understanding of ideas (Duckworth, 2006). When students are allowed to explain their thinking they must learn to be explicit and clear so others will understand them; t hat results in deeper understanding (Bodrova Leong, 1996). Student participation during classroom discourse allows students to practice problem-solving and decision-making skills that will help improve their leadership ability as adults. In Dantonio and Beisenherz (2001) book Learning to Question, Questioning to Learn, constructivist classroom discussions are referred to as instructional conversations. In an instructional conversation, a teacher is skilful in facilitating talk that promotes student thinking. Students require guided practice in order to respond in a manner that leads to a deeper understanding of subject matter. With guidance, students learn to enhance the quality of their thinking through the teachers effective use of questions. In line with Vygotskys zone of proximal development, instructional conversations provide students with opportunities to do today with help what can be done independently tomorrow. Teachers and students work together to create new meanings and understandings through effective questioning and higher level learner responses. Classroom discourse holds various meanings but definitions found in the literature hold a common ground: classroom discourse is talk between two or more persons that may or may not lead to a new understanding (Cazden, 2001; Mroz, Smith Hardman, 2000). Two definitions of classroom discourse were given by Cazden (1998). She described discourse as conversations where participants are having the same talk. Discourse was also described as an understanding that occurs when participants take different positions in different talks at the same time. In their research findings, Edwards and Mercer (1987) described classroom discourse as the talk that occurs between two or more people that usually consists of a teacher and one or more students. Additional researchers defined classroom discourse in their studies. Skidmore, Perez-Parent, and Arnfield (2003) proclaimed that classroom discourse contrasts to every day conversation because students must wait for their turn while patiently raising their hand. In everyday conversation people speak to one another at will to express their ideas and understandings. Similarly, Townsend and Pace (2005) noted that classroom discourse that is directed by one person, usually the teacher, results in students repeating predetermined ideas or mere facts. It contrasts to classrooms where students are given opportunities to explore higher level questions and engage in meaning making activities (Townsend Pace, 2005). Skidmore (1999) referred to traditional classroom discourse as, pedagogical dialogue, in which someone who knows the truth instructs someone who is in error, and which is characterised by a tendency towards the use of authoritative discourse on the part of the teacher (p. 17). All of these examples of classroom discourse vary from everyday conversations because students are subjected to waiting for a turn to give factual information. Researchers of classroom discourse refer to teacher dictated conversations as a traditional pattern of talk. 2.4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Research Studies on Classroom Interaction Many studies on classroom interactions focused on teacher questions, learner responses, or the effect of questions on student achievement. Studies by Redfield and Rousseau (1981), Chin (2006), Wells and Arauz (2006), Boyd and Rubin (2006), Myhill and Dunkin (2005), and Schleppenbach, Perry, and Miller (2007) were reviewed, compared, and contrasted. Redfield and Rousseau (1981) analyzed 20 studies on the effect of teacher questioning on student achievement. Redfield and Rousseau (1981) wanted to create a meta-analysis of data from the studies to determine the impact of program monitoring, experimental validity, and level of teacher questioning. All of the studies were experimental or quasi-experimental in nature. Quantitative tools were used to measure the effect size in each study. Redfield and Rousseau (1981) completed their research by stating, Hence, it may be concluded that small-scale studies of teacher questioning behaviour have allowed for greater experimental control than large-scale studies (p. 242).It was found that teachers that predominately used higher cognitive questions had a positive effect on student achievement, and teachers that were trained in effective questions and used higher cognitive questions greatly affected their students achievement. Chin (2006) conducted a study focused on teacher questions and feedback to learner responses during science lessons. She wanted to analyze the type of talk that occurs during science lessons, find out how teachers use questioning to engage students, and identify the various types of feedback teachers give to learners during an initiation response-feedback exchange of talk. Chin (2006) gathered data from two science classrooms in Singapore during 14 lessons. To explain the data analysis, Chin (2006) explained, A questioning-based discourse analytical framework was developed for the description and analysis of classroom discourse in science, with a focus on questioning based practices (p. 1334). It was found that when the teacher provided feedback in the form of subsequent questions that built upon a students response, acknowledgement of a students response, or a restatement of a students response, students responded at a level beyond recall. Chin (2006) concluded that Students can be stretched mentally throu

Essay --

Notorious gang approaches a man with a red shirt and beats him to death for sleeping with the wrong woman. The man wronged the gang first, but the gang overreacted by beating him to death, who is at fault? Luckily, we have laws created by the Legislature to protect us and guide us in such situations, laws the president at that time agreed upon and that are interpreted by the judicial system. This is known as the system of checks and balances, introduced by our nation’s forefathers in attempt to balance the power in this new country. Though it was obviously necessary back then, it is still necessary today in this very age. The system of checks and balances plays a major role when our forefathers were writing the constitution as they were making sure no one area of government had too much power of the others. Using checks and balances, our forefathers made sure each one of the three branches of government can limit the powers of the others. It is a cycle that often begins when the legislative branch introduces a bill. Then the bill heads off to the executive branch, where the President decides whether he (or yet to be she) believes that the bill is good for the country. If the bill seems good for the country, the President signs the bill, and it becomes a law. It is called a veto when the President doesn’t sign the bill. However, if ⅔ of the legislature votes to pass the bill, the legislative branch can override the executive veto, and the bill will then become a law. Once a law is in place, it is up to the judicial branch to interpret said law and determine, through cases, whether or no t the law is constitutional. If a citizen of the United States believes a law is unfair, a lawsuit can be filed. Lawyers will argue for and ag... ...very nationality found was included, as well as an equal number of male and female). Our country needs this system now in this very age not only to satisfy the 22% of students that know what the system is, but in order to make sure our politicians do not acquire so much influence and/or power that they can control this beautiful, diverse, and wondrously helping nation where the people who live in it can follow their dreams until the end of their lives. The system of checks and balances are necessary today just as they are necessary back when they were written by the forefathers of our nation. The judicial branch interprets laws made from bills signed by the President who receives those bills from the Legislature. And so the victims of crimes are in luck. Crimes such as the murder of an man by a gang for sleeping with the wrong woman may then be brought to justice.

Gullivers Travels by Jonathan Swift :: English Literature

Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift wrote Gulliver's Travels in the 1720's, he wrote it in a different style to modern authors because it was more normal in those days to do so; for example, he used more pompous and archaic words, longer sentences and longer paragraphs; Swift also used a lot of Satire and imaginary words in his book these made it more interesting and more believable. Nowadays his writing might sound strange to some people. I have been looking closely at the satire and style in chapter five of Gulliver's Travels and will comment on how he used them and what his intended effect was. In chapter five Swift uses archaic language such as, 'Viceroy,' when he wrote this I think he was just writing what came naturally to him, he didn't desire an effect to be created on the reader other than what the word meant; nowadays the archaic words he uses could create the effect of boredom or confusion, because the reader might not know what the words mean. Some of the words Swift uses are formal and pompous an example of one of these words is, 'Leathern Jerkin,' This is a posh word for a leather coat, it's effect on the reader is it shows them that Gulliver is a well educated man who has a wide vocabulary. I believe that this was swift's intention. This is the affect as it had on me as a reader. In the whole book there are a lot of long paragraphs longer than you would normally find in a book today. These can make the book hard for some people to read and it can also make the reader forget what beginning of the paragraph was before they finish it; however some modern books have long paragraphs as well, (I read a book recently and it had lots of long paragraphs which made the story very hard to keep track of and understand). I don't think Swift intended to confuse his readers but he might have confused some of them. Swift also used very long sentences throughout this novel an example of one from chapter five is, 'I had not yet seen it, and upon this notice of an intended invasion, I avoided appearing on that side of the coast, for fear of being discovered by some of the enemy's ships, who had received no intelligence of me, all intercourse between the two empires having been strictly forbidden during the war, upon pain of death, and an embargo laid by our Emperor upon all vessels whatsoever.' As you can see that is a very long sentence that probably

Dream :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When thinking about the video and reflecting on it, I found my reflections very different from those of which I had when I first saw the video. The first time I saw that video was either fourth or fifth grade. I can remember feeling sorry for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. because of the way he was treated and that fact that his life was cut short. As I’ve grown and matured I believe that Dr. King wouldn’t want people to feel sorry for him. I feel that MLK knew and believed that his works and his assassination served a greater purpose. He stated in the video that people who believe in something but don’t fight for it are as good as dead because their soul already is. I feel that Dr. King knew that his life was in constant danger and that if or when he would be assassinated that it would only strengthen the cause he was fighting for. To this day, I’m still thankful for everything that he did because it is very possible that had it not been for his calm and rational ideas on how to make change, we could still have a country that is divided.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I have a dream† has so many different meanings that it only matters to the person who is stating the quote. My belief is that Dr. King’s dream was a world that was equal and that people were truly judged on what kind of human being they are instead of being judged on what kind of human being they look like. At the same time I think that â€Å"I have a dream† is just that, a dream. No matter how much we teach and try to make our society equal and fair, their will always be some degree of segregation whether it is based on race or not. What is probably most satisfying to MLK is that although we as a society haven’t met his complete dream, we have made significant strides in improving and moving towards his dream.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dr. King’s key idea in my opinion spawns the rest of his key ideas.

Basic Ethics Essay

According to Michael Boylan’s book Basic Ethics the study of ethics concerns itself with â€Å"right† and â€Å"wrong, judgments that assign praise or blame. In the case of ethics, these judgments are usually assigned to people or to actions (Boylan, 2009). This essay will discuss three major ethical theories, virtue ethics, utilitarianism, and deontological ethics. It will also provide a personal experience to help explain the relationship between virtue, values, and moral concepts as it relates to utilitarianism. The three ethics theories discussed herein are the virtue ethics theory that examines a person’s character over a long period of time and is forgiving of an occasional mistake that is not consistent with a person’s past character. Deontological ethics or duty-based morality is a theory based on a â€Å"nonconsequentialist† view of people and moral decision-making. Deontological ethics supports that actions are not justified by their cons equences. Rather, factors other than good outcomes determine the â€Å"rightness† of actions (Deontological Ethics, 2014). Utilitarianism in the most basic term is based on measuring â€Å"good† in terms of usefulness. Utilitarianism is often defined as an effort to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number. Also this principle advocates that the ends justify the means in other words if a negative action must be used to reach a greater good then its justified (What Is Utilitarianism?, 2014). There are marked differences between the three ethics theories. Unlike deontic or action based theories of morality that focus on the actions a person performs, the virtue theory, aka character ethics focuses on helping people develop good character traits, like kindness and generosity, â€Å"The deontological ethics is grounded in the â€Å"Categorical Imperative,† The Categorical Imperative simply declares, â€Å"Act as if the maxim of thy action  were to become by thy will a universal law of nature.† The Categorical Imperative is very similar to the â€Å"Golden Rule† of Chri stianity, and other religions (â€Å"do unto others as you would have them do unto you†)† (Deontological Ethics, 2014). On the other hand utilitarianism revolves around the concept that the end justifies the means. A personal example I have of utilitarianism being practiced was when my Father was in hospice with terminal throat cancer. He ordered a DNR, do not resuscitate. My family and I did not like his wish but it is what he chose for himself and we all accepted his final wish. Although many feel this is not right to just let someone die without trying to help the person dying the attitude on these decisions is purely determined by the person dying. The utilitarian approach can be selfish in nature because the judgments is strictly that of the person thinking of his own truth in my Fathers case his last dying wish. So depending on what kind of person you are, how you were raised, the environment you live in, your faith, the influences you may have from the social circle you belong to you all these factors could influence your ethics and depending on the situation on hand you may find yourself moving towards one or the other of these ethic theories. Morally or ethically, I would never let my Dad die without making some attempt to resuscitate him but on the other hand I set aside my moral belief and my ethics to allow my Dad his last and final wish. References Boylan, M. (2009). Basic Ethics (2nd ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Deontological Ethics. (2014, February 17). Retrieved from allaboutphilosophy .org: http://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/deontological-ethics.htm What Is Utilitarianism? (2014, February 17). Retrieved from wisegeek.org: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-utilitarianism.htm

Young people enjoy life more than older people

Young people enjoy life more than older people do If we consider the life of a human as a movie of ours, then we can divide those 3 hours of time as 3 ages (1 . Illumination (Childhood & Teenage). 2. Interval (Young age) 3. Climax (Old age)). As we all know that in 1st criteria we will have Time, & Energy but not money. In young age we will have money and energy but no time.Similarly in the IANAL stage of life we will have money and time but no energy. We can observe the unlimited desiring heart in both child and young ages in a human. Obviously most of the people can't meet their desires due to insufficient resources. In the old age the man is like a completely filled water bottle with lots of experience & achievements but totally lack of energy. And that was the time for him/ her to retire from his responsibilities.But as they are also weak there are numerous Hansen of getting ill and stuck to bed. Enjoying life means finding satisfaction In every second we live. Coming into realit y if we ask the same question to all groups of ages we never get a positive reply as everyone has their own problems running in their minds. That means people are pessimistic towards themselves and optimistic towards the rest. That's the main problem. This sort of pessimism is observed unfortunately in all age groups.If one changes his attitude towards his life that second will be the beginning of enjoyment. Discipline, planning and health are also the other crucial factors which keeps one's life In cloud nine Irrespective of his/her age group. Care must be taken that all the three must maintain In harmony. In my view ultimate enjoyment lies where desire meets satisfaction. One must be completely satisfied for what he was In that moment, to enjoy his life. So I completely disagree the above statement.

The Summary of Debi Gerger’s Article

The article of Debi Gerger (2008), RDH, MPH, entitled ‘Xylitol several times a day†¦ may help keep caries away! ’ states that xylitol which is commercially available as a noncariogenic sugar substitute has the potential to reduce caries rates by preventing Mutans Streptococci growth. Gerger also mentions that to perform a caries risk assessment, pathological, risk factors and protective factors of caries must be first determined. After determining such factors, the next procedure would be determining the patient’s caries risk level.There are two approaches to determine risk levels including the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s Carries-Risk Assessment Tool (CAT) and the Caries Management by Risk Assessment (CAMBRA). According to Gerger’s article, managing dental carries include at-home and in-office recommendations. The at-home recommendations include daily oral hygiene with fluoride-containing toothpaste, mouth rinsing, drinking water, antibacterials and Xylitol-containing products.The in-office recommendations include dental procedures done by dental hygienists and dentist. In addition, Gerger’s article also mentioned that 25% of American children aged 2 to 5, and half of 12% of the ages 12 to 15 have tooth decay. He also mentions that tooth decay is highly infectious at any age bracket. Gerger states that Caries management with the use of xylitol decreases the amount of MS and raises the salivary pH level because MS is unable to metabolize xylitol and xylitol inhibits the attachment of MS to teeth.It is also said that xylitol is effective in preventing the transmission of the Mutans Streptococci frome parent to child (2008). Xylitol has been used since the early 1960s through infusion therapy and diabetic foods. It is a five-carbon sugar alcohol derived from forest and agricultural materials. Finnish researches are the first one to recognize its dental health benefits. Xylitol is commercially available in many forms which have different xylitol doses.For this reason, the patient is advised to check the xylitol content of a product to determine the needed dose to be taken (Gerger, 2008). Gerger argues that xylitol is a major addition to the treatment of caries. She proposes that considering the caries balance concept is vital to determine the appropriate recommendations. She also asserts that the prevention of the caries will be obtained by providing proper education by clinicians to their patients and producing xylitol-containing products.

Philippines airline case study problem Essay

Lucio Tan, the owner and Chairman of Philippine Airlines (PAL) was faced with a problem. Despite unacceptable levels of profitability, higher levels of passenger boardings for the summer of 1997 indicated that a sharp increase in staffing levels was required. Faced with this request from his management team, Mr. Tan, having heard of some effective consulting work carried out by Renoir Consulting in the Philippines, asked Renoir to conduct an assessment of his Manila operation. World Class maintenance programs were implemented and small management action teams 2004 Â © Renoir Consulting Limited OVERVIEW Airline competition in southeast Asia is fierce, with some of the best airlines in the world competing for market share and the high yield business travelers. Chief amongst that competition for Philippine Airlines is Singapore and Thai airlines. Their vastly superior on time performance helped them to dominate the higher yield business market, forcing PAL to scramble for the lower end leisure and contract worker markets.

Social Influences on Behavior Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Social Influences on Behavior Paper - Essay Example According to Zajonc, people perform better on dominant tasks, i.e., simple, familiar or well learned tasks, when others are around than when others are not around (as cited in D. D. Henningsen, M. L. M. Henningsen & Braz, 2007). On the contrary, on non-dominant tasks, i.e., complex, unfamiliar or novel tasks, the presence of others causes social interference or inhibition, thus impairing the performance. An instance where social facilitation can be seen in effect is in the sports scenario. The differences in performance levels of teams on the home ground and away can be explained by the concept of social facilitation. David Dryden Henningsen, Mary Lynn Henningsen and Mary Braz, through their study on a college basketball team, have very effectively supported this view. For their experiment, data was gathered for "78 NCAA division I men's teams from the 2000-2001 college basketball season" (D. D. Henningsen, M. L. M. Henningsen & Braz, 2007). Statistics were collected for each game te ams played over the season where a home team could be clearly designated. Home and away totals were recorded for shots attempted and made with regard to free throws, field goals and three point shots. The results showed that teams performed better for shooting tasks at home than on the road. Significant home performance advantage was noted for the easier task of field goal shooting while this was not noted for the more difficult three point shooting. This is very much consistent with social facilitation. Interestingly, home performance advantage was not observed for the easiest task which was free throw shooting. The authors conclude that it is possible that free throw shooting is a dominant task and that "anytime a college basketball player shoots a free throw before a crowd, social facilitation occurs and that the benefits of being at home or being a better shooting team are bounded by a ceiling effect" (D. D. Henningsen, M. L. M. Henningsen & Braz, 2007). According to Silva and A ndrew (as cited in D. D. Henningsen, M. L. M. Henningsen & Braz, 2007), the home advantage is "created more by impaired performance by visiting teams than by improved performance by home teams." According to them, free throw shooting levels were overall the same for home and visiting teams while home performance advantage was not seen for field goal shooting. This, according to them, was because free throw shooting is a simpler task than field goal shooting, so social inhibition occurs for field goals and not for free throws when teams are on the road. While Robert Zajonc put forward the drive theory, where he used the term, "dominant response," Cortrell's theory of social facilitation, which uses the term "evaluation apprehension," states that "rather than the mere presence of others, it is the worry of being adjudged that affects performance" (as cited in "Social Faciliation," 2006). Another major theory of social facilitation as put forward by Saunders et al. (as cited in "Social Faciliation," 2006), uses the term "distraction conflict," according to which participants in high distraction condition performed better on simple tasks but worse on complex ones. From the above theories, it is clear that social facilitati

The evaluation report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

The evaluation report - Assignment Example From the analysis it is found that Landor has to incorporate a Design oriented work culture. Also it was found that Landor lacks an inclusive growth model. Landor can be rated very high in terms of brand equity. Similarly, Street Voice appeared to have a highly differentiating factor from others. But it lacks an inclusive growth model and expansion plan. Table of Contents Sl. No Topic Page No. 1 Introduction 3 - 5 2 Main Body 5 - 9 3 Analysis 9 - 13 Analysis of Landor using Four Powers of Design Management Analysis of Landor using DM Staircase Analysis of Street Voice using Four Powers of Design Management Analysis of Street Voice using DM Staircase 4 Conclusion 13 Introduction Design Management is a very comprehensive process for the success of any business organisation. â€Å"Simply put, design management is the business side of design.† (DMI, 2011) Design Management is an all encompassing term. It refers to the process of integration of strategies of the business to its eve ryday functioning for the benefit of creating better products or services. Therefore, to have a better design management in process in an organisation, a company should have a good business strategy, good product and production policy and a drive for continuous innovation. Thus it can be seen that design management is not a separate functional activity in an organisation. It is an activity that requires continuous attention and contribution of all the functional departments in an organisation. However, the ultimate authority for a better design management in an organisation lies with the top level executives or the chief strategists. Considering the growing importance of design management in the modern business management, most of the premium management institutes have introduced it as an important course of study. Design of a business can be classified mainly into three broad categories namely Strategic Design, Industrial Design and Service Design. (BDI, 2011) Strategic design comp rises of the vision and mission of a business. It lays out the framework for an organisation’s mode of operation. Industrial design is the area that involves policies regarding technology, engineering, branding and the like. Service design comprise of policies regarding people, infrastructure, public relations, etc. This report is intended to give an evaluation of design management in the present time with reference to two business organisations of different industries Landor Strategic Brand and Consulting Company and Street Voice Company of media industry. Landor is a company which was established in the year 1941. Landor is one of the major consulting companies in the world with a presence of more than 20 offices in 16 countries. (Landor.com, 2011) Landor is a specialised brand consultant and provides its services to all the big names in the industry as well as the emerging players. Therefore, Landor helps the clients with Industrial design of design management. Starbucks, Pepsico, Coca Cola, Apple, Adidas, etc are some of the clients of Landor. The core strategy of Landor is to provide services to businesses that are facing challenges with branding issues. As Landor is a brand consulting company, it hardly interacts with the ultimate consumers. But the services rendered by them are entirely based on the requirements of the ultimate cons

Food Safety within a Hotel Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Food Safety within a Hotel - Assignment Example The instance is to ensure the possibility of the introduction of hazards that may have a severe effect on both the safety of food and its suitability for consumption by humans (Smulders, 2006). Information relating to the food safety management is primarily from the universal terms; the Safer food, better business (SFBB). The principal significance of SFB is to assist the small businesses in the procedures and the regulations required in ensuring the safety in food production and handling before consumption by human beings (Arduser and Brown, 2005). For this reason, SFB operates through the below subsections as the way of conveying the intended information to the stakeholders handling the foodstuffs before the final human consumption; Safer food, better business for child-minders; that provide the simple, straightforward advice on food safety. For instance, the information pertaining to a child's nutrition, health, and care practices. Safer food, better business for residential care homes; that help the caterers and the staff employed in the residential areas during the preparation and handling of foodstuffs in such places (Andrews, 2011). Safer food, better business for different cuisines, applicable to small catering businesses. For instance, the restaurants and takeaways that only serve specific groups of people such as the Chinese cuisine or Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan cuisines. An organization that produces food substances should be well conversant with the steps required for the control of temperatures of food substances. Consequently, the organization may use the steps below towards realizing the objective of regulating the food temperatures in a control system; The first step should include the development of a temperature monitoring system. In this instance, every staff in the organization should work on his or her assigned task on the regulation of the temperature control system (OFallon, 2011).There is a need to enhance food safety so as to avoid the loss of life lives due to food consumption. For this reason, an organization should consider implementing the suggestions presented in this report so as to realize the objective.

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 15

Philosophy - Essay Example However, most of these literary writings have vanished, as only some tattered bits are available now. Plato wrote around twenty-three philosophical dialogues, which Socrates had with his followers. Plato’s republic is the most important of such writings, as the same is being investigated philosophically, even in the current materialistic technological age. Plato’s Republic is recorded in Book, numbered 1 to10. This paper will discuss mainly the topic from book one. As per the Plato’s Republic, book one, while discussing on various issues, Socrates poses the question regarding the definition of happiness and justice, to his followers and critics. Socrates is not able to answer this question directly, even when he rejects the others’ views on â€Å"what is justice†.. However, Plato has given a rich and detailed theory of justice as detailed by Socrates, in the books of Republic.(337b) Plato’s Republic details the Socrates views on the issue, which is for the critics also to review. Although, the early dialogues reveals the position of Socrates viewing this on moralistic values, the later dialogues involve theories related to metaphysics, religion and psychology etc..These dialogues recorded in detail in books from 2 to 10 As per Plato’s Republic, its book 1 details about the returning of Socrates and his friend Glaucon, from a religious festival, when they meet young Polemarchus. On the insistence of this young noble, Socrates visits the home of Polemarchus, where the visitors also meet his aging father Cephalous Socrates starts conversation with the old man on the growing age. However, soon the topic of discussion turns to justice. Cephalous is a respected elder man of the region who is rich as well. During such conversation, Cephalous is of the view that justice means meeting one’s obligations and being honest towards others.(330) However, as per the Plato’s version in Republic book 1 and 2, Socrates is not able to agree

Social Performance, Part 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Social Performance, Part 2 - Essay Example This ensures that the company operates within the given guidelines. It is noteworthy that these guidelines are set under the federal sentencing guidelines for organizations. Every company should observe these guidelines whilst undertaking its operations. The federal sentencing guidelines are a set of rules, which enforces standardized sentencing policy to individuals and organizations condemned of criminal offences. These rules were set in the United States federal court system (Davidson, 2005). These set rules and regulations are only applicable to serious crimes, and offences. In this regard, the less serious crimes are excluded from these regulations. The primary goal for these guidelines aims at alleviating sentencing inequalities rampant in the established sentencing system. The guidelines promote the development of effective programs by the company in an effort to prevent and identify law violation and set steps for facilitating the program. Companies, therefore, should have se t codes of conduct to be followed to avoid and minimize violation of laws. This will improve the reputation of the company. The code of conduct is a system of behavior followed for maintenance and promotion of company’s dignity and reputation. Romco Company has set codes of conducts, which should be adhered to by its stakeholders including executives, board of directors, directors, company secretary, staff, and other employees. Each company has its own set codes of conduct, the codes of conduct are unique for each company, and thus, there is no uniformity or standardized codes of company. The freedom accorded to these companies have contributed to problems in the way companies operates this is because some misuse it by setting codes for the sake of personal greed and interest. Romco’s competitors are examples of companies with codes of conduct, which do not put into consideration the interest of its customers and competitors. Angels, Ramal, and Queens Companies fall in the same industry with Romco. The codes of these three companies are, however, different and do not agree with those of Romco. The directors of these companies are superior as decision-making is centered. They do not consult other stakeholders as they have a final say, and thus, they make decisions based on their personal gains and interest without considering other employees. Honesty and transparency among the directors are not observed, and thus, the allocation of resources to different departments is not uniform, hence affecting operations of the company. These companies have constantly become the victims of the federal sentencing guidelines. This is because of their failure to complying with the basic laws, regulations, and rules. In addition, they have failed to establish the appropriate business ethics and code of conduct appropriate for corporate governance. Ramco, unlike its competitors, have set rules of conduct, which are adhered to, and strictly observed by the parties i nvolved in the company. The interests of various stakeholders that are significant for the growth and success of the company should be considered. Romco has managed to achieve this role. Decision making in the company is reached by involving all participants. In this case, the decisions do not lie in the hands of directors, and managers, the decision-making is decentralized. The directors of Ramco execute their duties with fairness, honesty, and transparency. They are required to perform their duties professionally, with determination and

Exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Exam - Essay Example Analyze the options, select what you believe is the best option and formulate your proposed design to collect primary and/or secondary reliable and valid data to address your research question. 2. CORE CURRICULUM: Examine and critically analyze the seminal works on leadership and/or management related to your research topic. Drawing from this work and the broader literature you have read, address the contributions and the shortcomings of academic and practitioner research surrounding your topic, and clearly articulate the particular contribution that your research will address. Include a discussion of generalizability of your findings to related research contexts and/or questions. 3. CONCENTRATION CURRICULUM: Drawing from the recent literature in your chosen concentration (generally within the last three years), evaluate the unique contributions and/or extensions of your research question to the discipline. Draw from your personal experience as well as the greater body of literature to address the intersection of the seminal work discussed in question 2 with the current state of concentration literature and the chosen research question. SMEs are an important foundation of business activity in the Thai economy representing over 99% of the country’s businesses. The government is keen to support SMEs because of the potential economic and social benefits, and it has therefore devised several support initiatives. Various success factors are identified in addition to government support such as leadership and management skills, organizational culture and technology. After considering the three approaches to research methodology, it is decided that a mixed-method would be suitable because there is valuable data that can be collected and at the same time, more insightful qualitative information can be obtained. The descriptive research design will involve a survey to identify certain characteristics of SMEs and further research to