The Performance Evaluation and Bonus

Perhaps one of the most challenging aspects of managing a company is to provide a performance evaluation technique that does not frighten employees. The fear in my organization, among those marginal performers, is that the evaluation may cause their being fired. â€Å"One of the most controversial tools for boosting performance is ranking employees and dismissing the laggards. Proponents argue that the practice stretches star employees†¦(Marchetti 2005 16). Those at the bottom of the performance scale tend not to be as motivated as they might be, simply because the fear of being poorly evaluated stifles their determination to improve. While there are many companies which automatically provide a cost of living raise to their employees (sometimes due to labor contracts), the idea of providing bonuses or merit awards also can cause some serious problems, and such â€Å"merit raises† often cause more conflict within a business than they solve in the way of increased productivity and/or efficiency. Here is one author's proof: â€Å"It's clear that employers' compensation systems aren't making the grade. Only 10 percent of organizations describe their merit pay programs as â€Å"very effective,† according to an employee attitude survey conducted in 2002 of 335 companies by Hay Insight (the research and survey arm of Philadelphia-based HR consulting firm The Hay Group), WorldatWork and Loyola University of Chicago† (Wells 2005 76). One problem with many businesses today is that management is too lenient, too worried about hurting someone's feelings. In today's competitive world, where every worker must pull his weight or make way for someone who can, such leniency may be costly. Wells (2005) suggests something called â€Å"tough love.†: â€Å"By contrast, adopting–and enforcing–the get-tough approach to merit pay has clear advantages: It doesn't waste increasingly precious salary-budget dollars, it sends the right message that improvement is imperative, and it doesn't fund under-performers at the expense of high-performing employees† (Wells 2005 78). In my particular organization, the idea of performance evaluation and some sort of bonus or merit award is now no longer strictly limited to the top performers. It is the middle level, what some tend to call â€Å"B performers† that have some stake in the company's bottom line. Again, here is some proof of that: â€Å"Midlevel performers thrive when they know they've got something to work toward–and you've got to give that to them. In fact, 52 percent of respondents who qualify for incentive programs at their companies–which typically reward the top 10 percent of workers–feel they have only somewhat or no chance of winning an award. This is far from motivating. ‘Your B-players have a significant effect on your bottom line,' says Rodger Stotz, vice president and managing consultant for Maritz Inc. ‘You'll always have a top five percent, but those rewards don't move the middle'† (Galea 2005 9). What is needed to ease the pain and strain of performance evaluation and resultant merit increases or bonuses is the fact that top management must now set specific targets and goals, by the month, by the quarter, by six months, annually, and even provides some projections for one, two and five years into the future. With such goals specifically outlined, employees- whether on a production line or white collar, now know exactly what is required of them. To make performance evaluation less painful; and more effective requires supervisors to keep track of performance of their section or departments, as well as individual employees. In this way, if someone falls short, there is an opportunity for a one-on-one discussion that may provide both a reason for such a shortfall and a means of improving performance. This personal oversight by supervisors can go a long way to eliminate the fear of being discharged as a marginal or low performer, and at the same time reward what Galea (2005) calls â€Å"B Performers.† Therefore, what will make performance evaluation and compensation tied to it far more effective in my company is to focus on these mid-=level performers as well as providing a means â€Å"up the ladder† for the marginal ones, knowing the top performers will always continue to shine. By also stressing teamwork, it becomes the responsibility of everyone within a section or department to make sure everyone contributes to reaching the goal.

Past and Current Trends Of Use and Abuse of Substances in the United States Essay

Current trends show that illicit drugs are a source of significant cause of mortality in the United States. It accounts for approximately 17,000 deaths annually nearly a thousand in persons aged 12 to 21 years. Illicit drug use is also associated with significant morbidity and has far-reaching public health effects. A National House Hold Survey on drug abuse in 2003 showed that an estimated 19. 5 million Americans aged 12 or over were current users of drugs at that time. The survey showed that marijuana was the most commonly used illicit drug. There was also the use of non-medical use of any prescription-type pain relievers, tranquilizers, sedatives or stimulants. Marijuana even currently is widely used because of its low cost and easy availability. New drugs that have gradually been noted coming into the market include methaqualone in the late 1970s, crack cocaine in the early 1980s, flunitrazepam in early 1990s and most recently Oxycontin (Bulletin on Narcotics, 2003). Teens are the group that is most affected by the drug use in the US. National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) shows that among the drugs highly used in the United States are Marijuana which has a the highest consumption, then followed by Psycho- therapeutics, cocaine, Hallucinogens and inhalants. Alcohol is a substance that has a detrimental effect on peoples’ health and is equally commonly used. The survey shows that over 50% of teens have tried an illicit drug by time of high school completion. This is an alarming percentage bearing the devastating effects drugs have in individuals’ lives. However, there is a notable decline in the use of nicotine among the youth- this trend in the history of survey that began in 1997. This is particularly notable since nicotine is often used before any other drugs of abuse (it is used by armatures), and tobacco addiction is the leading contributor to many of America’s public health problems. It is estimated that 19. 5 million Americans aged 12 or older are current users of illicit drugs. The use of cocaine in the US has equally declined over years while that of crack has increased. This has been attributed to the risk that comes along with injecting of ones’ self thus risking AIDS infection. Marijuana was the most widely used illicit drug, in 2003, with an estimated 14. 6 million people being users of marijuana. 2004 reports show that approximately 23% of the students in grade 7-12 had 5 or more drinks on one occasion during the past year. The rate of binge drinking is decreasing from 27% in 2000 to 26% in 2002. Among the 18 to 25 years old group, about 58% were current drinkers and 40% were binge drinkers. The current drinkers among the older group drops to about 50%. Binge drinkers drops to about 23%, and 5% heavy drinkers. About 14% of students in grades 9 through 12 admitted they had driven a car after having had a good bit to drink at least once in the past year, and 24% of the seniors said so. 11% of students in grade 9 through 12 reported having driving when they were high on drugs and 18% of the seniors said so. Cocaine has high prevalence in the United States especially in Texas State. Approximately 7% of the 18 to 25 years old population reported using cocaine. Use of alcohol, but not cigarettes, marijuana and cocaine, is higher among college students than among non-college youth of the same age. There is a significant difference in the use of cocaine between border and non-border Hispanics. More recently, while the use of crack cocaine was decreasing among some populations, in particular African-American, it was increasing among Hispanic youth. The finding shows that there is a disparity by ethic/racial group. Although African-Americans have lower rates of substance abuse prevalence, they have a higher rate of homicides. The attitudes towards the use of drugs have changed over the period of times in American culture. (Kozel, 2003) argues that substance abuse or use in American society reflects â€Å"a wrenching tension between conflicting ideals of liberation and communal obligation. † This has been noted by the increase of use of drug during the period of national crisis like American Revolution, in the civil war and the 1960s, as drug use was linked to independence and forging of new identities. In one way or another change in prevailing ideological and religious beliefs, fluctuations in norms and values and transformations in technology are some of the cultural fluctuations that affect drug use in American society. The African American music, which glorifies drug and violence, is a significant example of how culture promotes and encourages the use of drugs. It is also the norm in the United State for young people to have alcohol as a regular drink forgetting that alcohol is addictive; this culture works to promote the use of drugs. Drugs use has adverse effects on the health of Americans. Mental health of individuals is affected when people use drugs. Drugs use and abuse has been associated with risk-taking behaviors that leads to multiple consequences, including the on going transmission and acquisition of HIV, viral hepatitis, and sexually transmission diseases. These are some of quite challenging health hazards in the contemporary world. In addition, impairment due to drug use can lead to unintended pregnancy, impacts of which are far reaching, as teenage mothers are more likely to not finish high school or college. Drug use is the source of chronic liver disease. America’s chronic liver disease prevalence rate is high at 9. 5. Over 90% of deaths due to this disease happened to individuals in the older age groups. Hispanics have a greater rate of deaths due to chronic liver disease (25. 5) than other groups, 18. 6 for Whites and 12. 7 for African-American. This reflects the effect of Hispanic culture and the influence it has in encouraging drug use. Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States. Lung cancer, heart disease, and illnesses such as emphysema, bronchitis, and chronic airways obstruction are responsible for largest number of smoking related deaths. Majority of individuals whose cause of death is lung cancer were in the 65 years old or older group. The age disparity shows long-term effects of cigarette smoking. Alcohol is the substance that is used by the greater percentage of population who use substances. Its use begins early, and the percent of users peaks in early adulthood. Its use continues to be high during adulthood, but the percent of users decline with age. Most hard drug users develop from the use of alcohol and thus alcohol acts as a bridge. Essentially, each drug has its physiological effect on the user. Most drugs are not used in their pure form and may be mixed with harmful substances. In addition the way the drug is used can have health effects. For instance, injecting drugs, in particular with unclean needles, can cause emboli or clots, sepsis and other infections that require medical attention. Sometimes users overdose and die.

Elicitation as One of the Most Critical Activities in Business Analysi Case Study

Elicitation as One of the Most Critical Activities in Business Analysis - Case Study Example The analysts need to be absolutely sure about the information collection tool as this will pave way for the analyst to formulate the necessary questions. It is extremely important for the researcher to ensure that the questions prepared for the elicitation encompass every crucial detail regarding the business. The analysts will also have to prepare a full list of stakeholders who are to be interviewed. Upon preparation of the stakeholder list, a schedule needs to be prepared according to the convenience of the participants. The analysts will also have to arrange for the transportation facility for the stakeholders in order to ensure that the information elicitation is conducted in a timely manner. The interview has been chosen as the primary data collection instrument for conducting the elicitation activity precisely because of the fact that it will provide the analyst as well as the stakeholders to counter question each other. The subjective research driven by an elaborate interview process will enable the analyst to create a learning environment. In that way, the analyst will be able to identify the needs and requirements of the stakeholders in details (Walters& Rainbird, 2011). One of the major advantages of the interview process is that it is a one to one communication. The analyst will be able to give equal emphasis on every individual stakeholder by adjudging their attitude towards a particular question. The interview will also allow the analyst to probe the participants in order to extract crucial information from them. By doing so, the analyst will be able to identify any weaknesses in the business model employed by Greens Electrical Store. In addition to that, the ana lyst will also be able to evaluate if the participants are satisfied with the business model or not. This, in turn, will enable the analyst to learn about the expectations that the stakeholders have from the organisational managers.  Ã‚  

Organization Change in Educational Institutions Essay - 10

Organization Change in Educational Institutions - Essay Example The concentration of the majority of service providers remains the condition of corrective support to individual clients; taking into account of the big picture, which includes system-wide deterrence and intervention, frequently does not occur (Greve 2003). Several kinds of literature associated with intended organizational change have emerged, but most are not aimed at important school practitioners such as guidance counselors, teachers, and administrators. In addition, hardly any books or articles on consultation published in the recent years include sufficient discussions of organizational consultation, in spite of the fundamental function that change at this discipline should fulfill in the educational transformation movement. The published evidence-based practice of the process is even more difficult to find. There have been a number of current developments, though, in the conceptual literature on organizational change that is more and more manifested in practice in educational institutions. For example, from the 1960s to the 1980s, organizational change embarks on largely concerned long-established organizational development frameworks in which either consultants or administrators had the primary function in developing and instigating change. Nowadays, though, such frameworks no longer seem to be as much fashionable (Harrison 1994), and a dissimilar body of components manifesting more collaborative attempts typifies effective intended-changed approaches. Further, there is a growing appreciation of the ecological perspective in which collaborative relationships between individual and small groups take place. Cases of various recent initiatives that demonstrate these developments will be discussed in this essay.

Write a short case study outlining the essence of the new proposed Assignment

Write a short case study outlining the essence of the new proposed business venture - Assignment Example In this regard, this business plan shall bring out the structure and design of the operation of this venture, complete with the financials. This plan has borrowed the operational structure and operating procedure from the business plan of Gordon Food Service, a healthcare food service provider. Gordon Food Service inspection for compliance with state and federal law on hygiene, controls the cost of food service, undertakes training on food services and food safety. The vision of the New York Food Truck company is to be the biggest food truck company in the city. The spread of this venture to other states will be considered upon its success in the state of New York. The mission is to be a reliable partner in providing healthy food services to the busy working population. In so doing, the company will be able to successfully provide healthy solutions and contribute to building a healthy society, while at the same time providing jobs to many unemployed persons. The New York Food Truck Company shall have one control point from where all orders and assignments shall be taken. It would take an approximate 10 trucks to be able to serve the entire city. Each truck shall have a driver and a sales person driving to places around the city with high traffic of people. Upon identifying a safe parking spot, the trucks will then be opened to sell food to the members of the public. Each truck will be fitted with food heating devices, and the food will be made from the kitchen at the premises. In order to ensure hygiene, the food shall be packed in treated containers that will only be unpacked at the point of sale. The company shall hire a chef to make the food with utmost professionalism. The food is meant to be highly nutritious, and so a nutritionist shall be consulted to work out the proportions of the food. The truck staff shall be trained on hygienic practices to ensure the food is not contaminated. In addition to that, there

Human Rights Organizations as Agents of Change Essay - 93

Human Rights Organizations as Agents of Change - Essay Example Some people may also fail to perceive abuses as such as the organization try to change such perception into identification of abuses. The organizations, following effective awareness, then mobilize people into activism and studies have reported effectiveness of the efforts in changing actions that violate human rights and in reducing abuse cases. Framing helps the organization to achieve their awareness and mobilization initiatives. Many frames exist that vary in degree of effectiveness and such degrees depend on an environment in which the frame is applied. The most popular frames, based on resources from Amnesty International in the United States, are informational frames, personal frames, and motivational frames. The study focused on these frames to develop hypotheses for evaluating success and failure of human rights organizations in their advocacy initiatives (McEntire, Leiby, & Krain 407- 415). The study used an experimental design in data collection with questionnaire, with measures on an ordinal scale, as the data collection instrument. A fictitious human rights organization was used and Amazon.com used to recruit 1000 participants who were at least 18 years old. The recruits were assigned, randomly, into four groups. One control group did not receive any campaign initiative prior to response, while the other three groups were exposed to any of the three frames that were identified with effectiveness (informational frame, personal frame, and motivational frame). The treatments reflected on the applied frames by Amnesty International in the United States and those of other major human rights organizations (McEntire, Leiby, & Krain 415- 417).

Create a profile of a leader (Martin L. King). Create an assignment Essay

Create a profile of a leader (Martin L. King). Create an assignment that investigates key leadership practices and relationships - Essay Example He spoke to other leaders and shared with them knowledge that he was able to pull into his own public leadership in order to enhance the effectiveness of his movement. The challenges that he faced were met with the preparation that he had made towards becoming an effective leader, although he had expected to lead a church rather than a nation. King was a well educated man who focused a portion of his education on the oratory aspects of leadership. He learned to become an effective speaker, exploiting his own natural ability to deliver a public message. His core method of leadership was in focusing his charismatic talents so that his followers believed in his message. Biography of King Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 14, 1929 to Reverend Martin Luther King and his wife Alberta in Atlanta, Georgia within the United States. At the age of fifteen, Martin Luther King Jr. entered Morehouse College in Atlanta before graduating from high school where he studied sociology. At the a ge of nineteen in 1948 he finished his undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology and became a minister. In 1951, King graduated with a second Bachelor of Arts degree in divinity before going on to study systematic theology as a graduate student at Boston University. He married Coretta Scott in Marion, Alabama in 1953 before being appointed a minister as a pastor to Dextor Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery Alabama. In 1955, King received his doctorate in systemic theology from Boston University, giving him the title of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr (Bruns, 2006, p. xii). King rose to national prominence when he was made the spokesperson for the Montgomery bus boycott. The boycott started 1955 when Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the bus, a white bus driving insisting that she make the move as African Americans were segregated from seating at the front which was reserved for Caucasians. The boycott lasted for more than a year, financially crippling the public transpor tation of the city as African American users were the larger portion of the public transportation using public. The organisation that was created to support the movement was the Montgomery Improvement Association of which King was elected president. In 1956, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation was not a legal and this victory provided King a platform of success from which to further his intentions to abolish segregation policies and discrimination in the United States. In January of 1957, King formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in order to provide a resource for organized protests for civil rights (Bruns, 2006, p. xii). At this point, King’s career begins to move at a quick pace, his public accomplishments adding up to a powerful momentum as a leader, his choices promoting larger and larger successes that were filled with activity and progress towards civil rights. He was given audience by prominent leaders and taken seriously for the strength of the num bers of his followers, creating a movement that would eventually find success in abolishing legal separation between the rights of Caucasians and the rights of African Americans. He met with President Eisenhower in June of 1958 and Mahatma Gandhi in

Analysis between Life and Death in Shanghai and woman at point zero Essay

Analysis between Life and Death in Shanghai and woman at point zero - Essay Example It’s an autobiography of the author herself. It is a tale of woman who had been struggling for survival, dignity between the authoritarian of the Cultural Revolution. Her crime was just her class backdrop and a enthusiasm to life. She got arrested in the late 1966 after the â€Å"The Red Guards† looted her house. The book tells the story of Nien Cheng, when she got arrested all through the Cultural Revolution and was caught up in jail for more than six years. She was pressurized to accept the fake accuse that she was a spy for â€Å"the imperialists†. She refused to do so and lived a life in prison, full of misery and torture. Finally, she was released in 1973 and found out that her daughter, Meiping, who was going to school to become an actress was also murdered by â€Å"The Red Guards†, although, police told her that she has committed suicide. Cheng found this by investigating herself, and thought that the whole situation which was told by the police was impossible. Later she got relocated towards a two bedrooms apartment with one of her relative. Till 1980, Cheng lived in China than she moved towards United States. (Cheng, Nein., 1987). On the other hand, the book Women at Point Zero is written by Nawal El Saadawi. It is story which is based on the life of a woman namely, Firdaus. She is an ex-prostitute and was accused for the murder of a pimp. She refuses to talk to anyone in or out of the prison. However, Firdaus, agreed to talk with the author, who is a psychologist as well, on the tenth day of living in the prison. Gradually, she tells the author about the history of her life. In past, Firdaus life was full of abuse, abandonment, oppression, people taking advantage of her and people whom she met nearly rejected her from child to the adulthood. She was born in a farming society to an offensive father. Foremost important thing in the book is that Firdaus describes pleasure similar to pain and pain which is same like pleasure. After her parents

Aristotle and Plato’s Concept of the Soul Essay Example for Free

Aristotle and Plato’s Concept of the Soul Essay Most individuals are interested in knowing and understanding the various phenomena that exist among their midst. It could be as simple as looking for information as to why the sun rises and sets or it could involve very trivial matters that deal with things that is not seen by the naked eye. This is why the field of philosophy exists in order to investigate the ideas of truth, existence, knowledge, and other subjects by means of logic and reason (Kemerling). In relation to this, many famous philosophers have their respective theories that tend to explain various matters. This could be exemplified by Aristotle and Plato’s ideas behind the existence of a soul. Aristotle wrote three books of De Anima wherein he elaborated a varying array of philosophical and scientific topics. In Book II, Chapter 1 of De Anima, Aristotle made a sketch or outline of the nature of the soul. He explained the concept of the soul by using a scientific perspective that uses elements of biology. In relation to this, he also employed the idea of metaphysics that tackled everything such as substance, form, matter, potentiality, and actuality. Aristotle perceived that the soul is united with the living body. As such, the existence of the soul is also dependent upon the host. He deems that the soul is made simply for the purpose of development, which can only happen if it is connected with a body or some kind of container in the physical world. In this sense, the soul is assumed to exist as the form of the body. The importance of the soul is greatly dependent upon the body or a type of entity that gives life to it. Since the soul designates life, Aristotle believed that it is also present in every living thing, including plants and animals. He also elaborated that different entities have various versions of the soul. The soul of a human being is unique from others because it has the ability to hold rational beliefs and use reason. It is regarded as the higher level of soul while the lowest ones are those that are found in plants and animals. Moreover, Aristotle’s association of the soul to specific forms made the soul as the mover because it is the culmination of the various life forces (Davidson). On the other hand, Plato believes that the soul is made up of three basic energies, including reason, emotion, and appetite that are responsible in animating human beings. The energy of reason is regarded as having the greatest value, while emotion and most especially appetite are considered as the lower passions. Reason is responsible in governing the soul that controls the emotion and the appetite of an individual. In relation to this, Plato deems that the soul is important in living a moral life. He explained that morality is the cause of happiness, which motivates an immoral person to behave righteously if he or she wants to be happy. Plato asserted that a happy person is a just person. Moreover, the psychic harmony of the soul is expressed in four cardinal virtues that are related to the three basic energies. In terms of reason, the just person has wisdom or prudence. In relation to emotion, the just person has the virtue of courage. Lastly, when it comes to the energy of appetite, a just person has the value of temperance (â€Å"Plato theory of the Soul†). Aristotle and Plato’s respective theories of the soul have similarities in the sense that they both believe that the soul is responsible for the ability of human beings to think logically and rationally. Nevertheless, there are many differences in their concept of the soul. Since Aristotle employed the scientific topics in his theory, he perceived the soul as dependent upon the body. In relation to this, he also deemed that other living things have souls. On the contrary, Plato merely focused on the existence of human beings’ soul. He explained his idea of the soul in the light of morality rather than biology. Furthermore, Plato argued that the soul is influenced by external force in order to move, while Aristotle asserted that the soul is the mover itself because it is an assortment of life forces. The varying theories of Aristotle and Plato with regards to the soul only show that philosophers have different perspective and understanding in the pursuit of understanding various matters of an individual’s existence.

The Visual of a Religious Environment Essay Example for Free

The Visual of a Religious Environment Essay How should a religious environment be visualized? Perhaps it will depend upon one’s concept of a religious environment and based on a particular religion like Roman Catholicism for instance, or Christianity. A religious environment may mean also one’s general view of a particular religious movement in one milieu. Or, it may mean a general view of all religious movements in one setting. A religious environment in Roman Catholicism, for instance, may be depicted as community members preparing for Sunday mass and heading off to a huge church whose columns, ceilings and walls are filled with ornate designs. The interior of the church contains paintings and statues depicting saints with eyes outrageously rolled up towards heaven, and crucifixes that depict the excruciating pain Christ had to go through to save mankind. Church-goers are all kneeling down, and either listening or singing distinctly religious music, and after that everything is solemn and quiet. In Christianity, the religious environment may be illustrated as the picture of one big happy family praying and singing praise and worship songs together. There is abounding joy in every activity done whether it is in church, the home, or the park. Children are cherished as a blessing to families, and they are taught godliness and righteousness as they grow up. There are numerous religious movements operating in the world today and all claim to be the right one – either leading to enlightenment or one that saves a person from death and destruction. We can picture all the religious groups passionately calling out to other people to come and listen to their message because their message saves lives. We may also picture them calling out to Divine Providence for remedies and cures from afflictions, poverty, marital dysfunction, security, and daily provisions. And as all these happenings persists, life on earth continues to exist as it was – a hectic place of modern life, where most people are caught up in a rat race.

Assumptions, research design and data collection strategies

Assumptions, research design and data collection strategies Chapter 1 Introduction The purpose of this assignment is to offer a critical analysis of the underpinning assumptions and research design and data collection strategies and the practice of academic research. Two research papers are chosen for the purpose of this analysis. The first paper is a quantitative study and the second paper is a qualitative study. They are as follows:- Shafer, W. E., Fukukawa, K. and Lee, G. M. (2007) Values and the perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility: The U.S. versus China, Journal of Business Ethics, 70 (3), pp. 265-284. Tsoi, J. (2007) Stakeholders perceptions and future scenarios to improve corporate social responsibility in Hong Kong and Mainland China, Journal of Business Ethics, pp. 1-14. The main reason for selecting these two papers is that they both report upon the area of corporate social responsibility, which is the focus of my PhD. Within the field of corporate social responsibility (CSR), there has been considerable research discussing the relationship between values and perception with the attitude/behaviour of businesses towards CSR. These values are considered quantifiable and thus have been measured quantitatively using scales developed by authors such as Forsyth (1980), Singhapakdi et al.(1996), and Vitell and Patwardhan (2008). Interviews have been used to bring forward the values that are deemed important by stakeholders, and were explored qualitatively by Fukukawa and Teramoto (2009), Siltaoja (2006), and Là ¤hdesmà ¤ki and Siltaoja (2009). The two papers selected both looked at cross-cultural values and perceptions, however, they utilise different methods of investigation. This difference could provide a good basis for comparison, in terms of philosophical assumptions, research design, and the method of data collection. The analyses will begin for each paper with an introduction of the research aims, followed by the epistemological and ontological position, the research design, followed by analysis of its research methodology, the alternative research design and lastly, conclusions from this discussion will be provided. Chapter 2 Review of Quantitative Research paper 2.1 Research Objectives This study by Shafer, Fukukawa and Lee (2007) examined the values and the perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility on managers from China and the U.S. The authors used scales instruments to obtain quantitative data in order to make inferences on whether the managers nationality and personal values have effect on their ethical perception. The American and Chinese managers are assumed to differ in their personal values and subsequently this should be reflected from their responses to the â€Å"Perceived Role of Ethics and Social Responsibility† (PRESOR) scale. The authors provided the relevant background information and built up the reasoning for their hypotheses. The first hypothesis was that managers from China would believe less strongly than American managers in the importance of ethically and socially responsible conduct to achieve organisational success. The second hypothesis was that both American and Chinese managers personal values are believed to have significant impact on the responses to the scale. These hypotheses seem to correlate strongly with the research objectives which are to determine that there is variation in response due to cultural differences. 2.2 Epistemological and Ontological Assumptions It is likely that the authors based their research on moral philosophy which â€Å"refers in particular to the principles of rules that people use to decide what is right or wrong† (Ferrell, Fraedrich and Ferrell, 2005:19). This paper seems to indicate that the principles of rules of managers of different cultures are likely to differ and thus ethical decision-making would vary. The authors provided examples of other empirical research to support this notion. The assumption that personal values can influence ethical decisions shows that the research is likely to infer an ontological assumption of realist, whereby reality is seen to have an existence independent of the activities of the human observer (Blaikie, 2007:13). As the research strives to compare values and perceptions, these elements are thought to be measurable and quantifiable; seemingly leaning towards the empiricism position in which the key idea is that knowledge comes from observing the world (Blaikie, 2007:19). The authors employed deductive research whereby the â€Å"hypotheses formed are tested to determine if the statements can be supported† (Sekaran, 2003:31), which is a typical research approach of empiricists. Taking possibly the stance of positivists, these values are assumed measureable, and are thus thought to form the social reality that these values affect the perception of corporate social responsibility amongst the managers from these two countries. 2.3 Research Design The intention is to establish the differences in personal values, by using large quantities of data, which would be representative of the overall population of American and Chinese managers. This suggests that there are two assumptions, that values are measureable and that it is possible to generalise the population from the sample. In order to generalise, a considerably large amount of data is required, thus a survey research instrument was employed. The PRESOR scale developed by Singhapakdi et al. (1995) was used. The reasons that the PRESOR scale was chosen over the cultural dimensions formed by Hofstede (2001) were argued; examples of the latter in other research were shown to be inconsistent and inconclusive in its directional impact, thus making theoretical predictions difficult. The use of PRESOR scale in other research was exemplified and seemed to have established the reliability of its measurement. The PRESOR scale was explained further in the introduction of the paper. Thirteen out of sixteen original items were selected and the authors justified this by stating that only these thirteen items had significant factor loadings in the Singhapakdi, Scott and Franke (1999:25) study. These items were grouped into two categories; the Stockholder and the Stakeholder views. The Stakeholder View reflects the importance of ethics and social responsibility to organisational survival and success, whilst the Stockholder view indicates that organisational success depends on more than just profitability and obligations to the stockholders (Axinn et al., 2004:104) In the methodology section, the Schwartz value instrument and a demographic questionnaire were mentioned as being used together with the PRESOR scale. There was little mention of the reasons the Schwartz scale was used and how it was applied. It was only later in the appendix that the items considered in the Schwartz scale was provided in details. A clearer explanation could have improved the clarity of the paper. The research design employed the use of two research instruments (PRESOR scale and Schwartz value instrument) as means for data collection. The sample of practising managers from the two different countries was given the same survey to complete, thus the responses could be compared on that basis. The results from the analyses were then compared against the hypotheses formed, affirming or not affirming the hypotheses. This process is typical of the deductive approach (Blaikie, 2007:70). 2.4 Data Collection The sample consisted of 311 practising managers, enrolled part time in selective MBA programmes in the U.S. and China. The participation was voluntary and the scales were completed as an in-class exercise. The authors acknowledged potential problems from this sample selection. The first is that, although the MBA programmes in these two countries appear to be comparable, the sample may have confounded the effects of national differences and MBA programme differences. Secondly, the sample was not randomly selected as the authors had asked their students to complete the scales in-class. The authors did not provide further justification for these two problems and thus this is believed to have weakened the external validity of this investigation (Bryman and Bell, 2007:204). Aside from this comment from the authors, there was very little mention of the validity of the measurement which makes it difficult to make further discussion on this. The basis of their selectivity and the criteria in which these programmes were said to be comparable, were also not provided in details. The details of its comparability may have helped clarify and strengthen the validity of the selection criteria, as well as making the paper more understandable. Considering the objectives of the research, in which the authors seem to be looking at making generalisations on the affect of personal values, there is a need to collect large quantities of data. The survey method seems to be appropriate as surveys are easy to distribute to large number of people and costs can be kept to a minimum (Bryman and Bell, 2007:195). This relates to external validity, which is â€Å"about generalisability of results beyond the focal study† (Easterby-Smith et al., 2008:87). In this paper, external validity was not discussed; however, it is likely that the results are meant to be applicable for the context of China and the U.S. only. The authors stated the limitation of which the participants can not be assumed as representative of the broader populations of managers in these two countries, due to the fact that the MBA programmes were selective in nature. The research took consideration of the possibility that the age and experience differences of their sample might affect the results, and thus these factors were examined for significance. The scale was translated to Mandarin Chinese and later back-translated with resolution of discrepancies, to take account of the language difference. These examples seem to reflect on the effort of the authors in ensuring that the results are not significantly affected by other variables. In order to test the dimensionality of the PRESOR scale, a principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation and Kaiser normalisation was applied. This is typical of a quantitative study where factor analysis is usually applied as part of the research design. In terms of research replication, this research had provided considerable amount of information which would possibly allow other researchers to perform similar research. The items from the two views (Stockholder and Stakeholder) of the PRESOR scale were provided in details. In addition, the authors also mentioned the calculation method used, such as the use of mean values and the Univariate Analysis of Covariance models (ANCOVA). The only exception would probably be the PRESOR scale itself, whereby the questions that were asked and the choice answers were not explicitly given, which might mean that future researchers might find it difficult to replicate the research and might even have to approach the authors or Singhapakdi who developed the scale. 2.5 Alternative Method The authors mentioned that more in-depth examination using qualitative design of investigation such as interviews would perhaps be more revealing. It is agreed that qualitative measure would allow insights into the importance of ethics to managers, and the various ethical issues that managers prioritise. The researchers are more likely to obtain a richer data of the decision-making process of managers, at the same time; they would be able to achieve the research objectives. The researchers can make use of semi-structured type interview which will allow better control of what questions need to be asked, and to ensure that the objectives of the interview are achieved as well (Bryman and Bell, 2007:474), if time and costs are constraints. There are also other alternatives methods to obtain qualitative data that would have fit this research, such as the use of focus groups. Focus group interviews allow researchers to observe the behaviour of the American and Chinese managers as they interact with each other. It would be possible to see the differences in reaction to ethical issues much more clearly, when these managers are given, for example, the same ethical dilemma, and they are required to rationalise the problem and come up with solutions. This method might be more useful than questionnaire surveys, particularly in that the values of the American and Chinese managers could be brought out through the way they respond and react to ethical problems, the problem-rationalisation process, and the degree of attention paid on a particular problem. Similar to the interview method, this would be considerably more costly to conduct, and it might even be more costly than doing interviews, however, the researchers would gain no t only in achieving the research objectives but they would also attain a better understanding of the effects of personal values in ethical decision-making. However, if the goal was only to establish that perception of CSR differs between diverse cultures, the research design would have fit the purpose. This is because the data collection strategy used (questionnaire survey), allowed the authors to obtain considerably response for generalisation. A questionnaire survey would also have been more cost-efficient and less time consuming, especially for cross-cultural studies. Chapter 3 Review of Qualitative Research paper 3.1 Research Objectives In this second paper, this qualitative study aims to make apparent the perceptions and views of the future scenarios from stakeholders within the garment industry in Hong Kong and Mainland China. The underlying intention was to seek consensus and common ground, on a local and regional level to help companies develop an appropriate CSR strategy, to improve the state of corporate social responsibility and in the long run, to achieve sustainability in the region. The main objective was stated as â€Å"by engaging with major stakeholders, to identify the local and regional supply chain stakeholders perceptions and expectations† (Tsoi, 2007:1). Typical of a qualitative study, generalisation is often not the objective of the study (Bryman and Bell, 2007:410). This is apparent from this study as the author had mentioned that the sample may not be sufficient for generalisation for the entire garment industry, however, it is â€Å"relevant to garment businesses involved in export-orientated activities† (Tsoi, 2007:1). Tsoi (2007) used an inductive approach to identify the perceptions of stakeholders by conducting interviews. 3.2 Epistemological and Ontological Assumptions Although the author did not indicate the philosophical assumptions behind this study, the author implied that by identifying the stakeholders perception, â€Å"the findings would help in building consensus, strengthening the implementation, and establishing future CSR framework†. This suggests that the author has an ontological position of constructionism, which asserts that social phenomena and their meanings are continually being accomplished by social actors, implying that there exists social interaction and that there is a constant state of revision of the social phenomena (Bryman and Bell, 2007:23). In this case study, the social reality of what is happening in the garment industry, in terms of its corporate social responsibility, is a social reality that was formed by the stakeholders. It suggests that the social phenomena (condition of CSR) can undergo changes, and that it is dependent on the activities of the social actors. The views of the social actors are thought to be indicative of the important issues in corporate social responsibility, within the garment industry. This form of research is consistent with the research paradigm of the interpretivist position, as the basis of the research is that the study of the phenomena requires an understanding of the social world that social actors have constructed and which they reproduced through their continuing activities (Blaikie, 2007:124). In this instance, the stakeholders are the social actors who will continually interpret and reinterpreting their social world which can be the garment industry. The social phenomenon that the author is investigating is the current state and the future of the corporate social responsibility in Hong Kong and Mainland China. The future conception of CSR in these two places is related to phenomenology, whereby, it concerns with the question of how individuals make sense of the world around them (Bryman and Bell, 2007:18). In this case, it can be viewed as the way stakeholders make sense of the state of corporate responsibility in the region. 3.3 Research Design The author relied on a qualitative method, specifically, the face-to-face semi-structured interview, which indicates the leanings of the author in â€Å"conducting a naturalistic inquiry in real-world rather than experimental or manipulated settings† (Ritchie and Lewis, 2003:4). For qualitative studies, semi-structured and unstructured interviews are commonly used as they provide rich, detailed answers and taps into the interviewees point of view (Bryman and Bell, 2007:474). As the focal source of data was the stakeholders themselves in this study, this seems to infer that the research design is based on the interpretivist view that the â€Å"social phenomena can only be understood and be investigated from the inside† (Blaikie, 2007:125). The author identified major stakeholders possibly with stakeholder theory, stating the assumption â€Å"that multinationals see stakeholder consultation and management as an important communication tool in identifying and interpreting the needs of salient stakeholders† and as such would enable â€Å"the development of a common language for CSR and subsequently the development of proactive CSR strategies†. This correlates with the stakeholder approach of Wheeler et al. (2003:19) who stated that â€Å"value creation at the highest level requires an ability to build value-based networks where all stakeholders see merit in their association with and support for a business†. In this instance, it is likely that the stakeholders were deemed to be important in the future direction of CSR in the region, and this was the reason that stakeholders were chosen as source of data. The author mentioned that these interviews conducted in 2004 and 2005 may no longer be relevant, since there were major developments in 2008. This might have made the interviews slightly outdated however; there should not be many changes to the overall aims of the stakeholders and thus the outcomes of this research would remain valid. However, as an alternative, the author could have applied longitudinal design which â€Å"represents a distinct form of research design than is typically used to map change in business and management research† (Bryman and Bell, 2007:60). The longitudinal design would not only serve the purpose of this study, but it would also allow insights into the factors that cause change to the perception. With this sample, it is possible to use cohort study, whereby â€Å"the cohort is made up of people who share a certain characteristics† (Bryman and Bell, 2007:61), since the stakeholders have a stake in the garment industry. However, longitudinal re search may require a lot more preparation, could be time-consuming and thus it could be more costly. 3.4 Data Collection With regards to the methodology, the interview questions that were used for this research was not provided. As this was a semi-structured interview, it would have been useful if the author had provided general information on how the questions were formed, and the structure of the interview questions as this would provide an indication of the depth of the interviews, and hence the validity of the research design. For the sample, 25 representatives from academia, the business organisations, the non-government organisations, trade association, and government officials were identified. The response rate was 84%, in which 21 out of a total of 25 representatives of these organisations agreed to be interviewed. It was mentioned that the reason for such a high response rate, was that the author had contacted the interviewees on a one-to-one basis. Furthermore, the interviewees were also guaranteed anonymity. The sample, thus, appears to be extensive and is representative of the various stakeholders that are vital in the garment industry. 3.5 Alternative Method The intention was that the â€Å"findings would help in building consensus, strengthening the implementation and establishing the future CSR framework† (Tsoi, 2007:1). The author might have meant that having collected all the different views from these stakeholders, the author would be able to determine the consensus of how CSR should be developed and how CSR should be like in the future. However, it is doubtful that a consensus could have been obtained using this method of analysis. The interviewees, although were representative of the garment industry, each one a vital stakeholder, there was no real interaction between these stakeholders, and thus, the consensus that is meant is only based on the researchers understanding from the interviewees responses. Stakeholders are thought to be able to reach a better compromise through discourse, with different sides arguing for the validity of their point as well as ensuring that the interests of the group or association that they re present are taken account of (Bryman and Bell, 2007:511). While it is understandable, that there is a strong possibility that it could be costly to get all the interviewees to sit together through a discourse, nevertheless there are alternatives which might be more useful for the purpose of this investigation, given that the objective is to reach a consensus amongst the stakeholders. With this reasoning, the research design could improve by firstly conveying the findings of the interviews to all of the stakeholders interviewed, and follow up with another interview to see if there were changes to their views. Alternatively, the author could use the method of focus group interviews. With this method, Merton et al. (1956) (in Bryman and Bell, 2007:511) stated that the â€Å"accent is upon interaction within the group and the joint construction of meaning†. Focus group interviews could provide a platform for the interviewees to interact and to establish a joint construction of what it means to strengthen CSR and also determine what future scenarios should and could be like. With regards to selecting a suitable size for the focus group, it is recommended by Bryman and Bell (2007:517) that the typical group size should be six to ten members, whilst Sekaran (2003:220) recommends a size of eight to twelve members. The reason that the focus group interview method was recommended was that the interviewees would be encouraged to express their opinions argumentatively, which would then allow the researcher to gauge the degree of importance of certain issues and how much flexibility the interv iewees might have to reach a compromise with others. There are of course possible pitfalls using the focus group method, in that some interviewees might be dominant over others, and thus the opinions of those less dominant might not be heard, but these effects can be reduced to a minimum level by having a good moderator (in Bryman and Bell, 2007:511). The one-to-one interview method could still be more advantageous compared with the focus group interview, as the time and monetary costs of conducting a one-to-one interview would probably be considerably less and thus be more manageable especially if there was only one researcher, as was with this case study. In this case study, it seemed that a quantitative design would actually be difficult to apply, and it would also be inappropriate for an investigation on the perception of CSR as a business concern. Taking the example of using a questionnaire survey with closed-ended questions, it is very likely that the respondents would answer that they are very concerned about CSR, as that might be perceived as the correct response, thus creating social desirability bias to the results. Furthermore, with a questionnaire survey, the researcher would not be able to pin-point all the various future scenarios for CSR in Hong Kong and Mainland China, even if it was possible, the list of future scenarios might be too long to be practically manageable. Another issue would be that in making assumptions of the future scenarios that are deemed significant to the stakeholders, it would be problematic as the researcher might risk missing out relevant information. Therefore, it would be difficult, from these r easons, that a quantitative design would not be suitable for such a case study. Chapter 4 Conclusions In summary, the two papers reflect significant differences in their research approach. This was seen through the objectives of the research, the underlying assumptions of the research philosophy and the conceptualisation of research design and the data collection. There is certainly much to learn from these two research papers, both had given valuable information on the differences between quantitative and qualitative methods, as well as offer guidance on the selection of research method and how to go about utilising these methods. The research designs, as shown in these papers, are dependent of the research objectives and the designs are also influenced by the epistemological and ontological assumptions made. Even though the philosophical positions of the researchers were not made explicit, however, the likely positions can be assumed. These papers have also shown that the advantages and the disadvantages of the different methods of investigation, and they need to be considered to e nsure that the best method is chosen for the purpose of the research. In these two papers, the method of investigation is distinct, one was a qualitative study and the other was a quantitative study, however, this does not necessarily mean that a mixed method of investigation can not be used. In fact, (Bryman and Bell, 2007:646) suggested that triangulation can be applied, in which â€Å"the results of an investigation employing a method associated with one research strategy are cross-checked against the results of using a method associated with the other research strategy†.

Efficiency and Web Page Design :: Internet Cyberspace Essays

Efficiency and Web Page Design One of the biggest challenges for web designers today is trying to have a ‘killer app’, yet make it efficient enough for the common surfer. We’re talking about file size. Zona Research (June 1999) reported that 70% of online users were only connected at 56K or less. Granted this number may have decreased a bit in the last 16 months, but the fact is, most people have a slow connection. As a surfer browses through the numerous sites on the web, they want to see the information the site has to offer. Some studies indicate that if you page takes longer than eight seconds for something to start appearing, you will probably lose your visitors. You need to be able to deliver your pages and information in a neat yet efficient manner. There are several factors that cause your visitors to have slow downloads. One might be the network or connection speed they have. They may also have poor performing hardware. Not much you can do about these. Maybe it is your server, it could be upgraded; but more than likely it has to do with your files. The size of the files can be caused by large images, or it may just have inefficient code. In order to decrease the download time we will first look at the code and find ways to make the files more ‘lean’; we want to ‘trim the fat’ and get them in the best condition possible. Next we will look at graphics and ways we can optimize them for maximum performance and minimal download time. Finally there are numerous other hints and tricks that can be added to your code to make them download in record times. Making ‘mean’ and ‘lean’ code Every character and space that appears in your code takes up file size The following suggestions can help you to trim up your files and cut second off your site downloads. Make your file names and directory names simple and short. This may sound trivial, but every little bit counts. For example: or Use relative addressing instead of absolute addressing.

The Child King Henry VII got married in 1509, 1533, 1536, 1540 (twice),

The Child King Henry VII got married in 1509, 1533, 1536, 1540 (twice), and 1543 - why? Henry VIII is one of the few English monarchs recognizable even in America, for his antics are legendary on both sides of the Atlantic. He is as notorious for killing important people as he is for getting married six times and his break with Rome. Indeed, Henry's reign would make a good comic book, for he was always off on some new half-baked project, be it invading France or plotting a crusade. His whole life was marked by impulsiveness and his "OK, that was fun, what's next?" attitude. He never outgrew many childlike character traits, at times stubborn and the next moment almost a gullible pushover. This childish disposition is the key to why he got married so many times, even after his heir was born. Henry VIII was impetuous and impatient, and his abandonment of repeated marriages reflects a pattern of immaturity throughout his reign. It will be helpful to get a sense of Henry's character and personality before applying this directly to his penchant for wedding. His immaturity can be traced back to his sheltered upbringing and lack of responsibility, remarkable even for a king. As a child Henry "was apparently never given any responsibility, however circumscribed, for state affairs during his father's lifetime, or any taste of independence" (Scarisbrick 6). Henry VII was very overprotective of his son, and the boy lived a nearly cloistered life. The historian Weir writes, He was not permitted to leave the palace unless it was it was by a private door into the park, and then only in the company of specially appointed persons. No one dared approach him or speak to him. He spent most of his time in a room that led off the king's be... ...onal view of marriage which conflicted with the strategic role of marriage in his time. He was, in short, a childish, irresponsible egomaniac, and it was probably a good thing that he let his advisors do most of the ruling for him. Works Cited Bagley, J.J. Henry VIII. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd., 1962 Bowle, John. Henry VIII. London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd., 1964 Douglass, David C. ed. English Historical Documents Volume V: 1485-1558. London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1967 Mackie, J.D. The Earlier Tudors: 1485-1558. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1952 St. Clare Byrne, M. ed. The Letters of King Henry VIII. London: Cassell and Company Ltd., 1936 Scarisbrick, J.J. Henry VIII. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1969 Starkey, David. Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII. London: Chatto & Windus, 2003 Weir, Alison. Henry VIII. London: Pimlico, 2001

Robbery: Flight Attendant and Officer

Robbery Tanisha Barkley, Desiree Brickles, LaTosha Call, Kimberly Clark, Robin Crumble, Tammara Dimond and Keith Dostie Everest University Introduction to Interviews and Interrogations Professor David Farrow March 16, 2013 Robbery Crime Scenario There was a diamond heist at Brussels Airport involving two suspects, one male and one female. The female had the diamonds hidden on her purse, when she passed through security. The male suspect was actually one of the pilots. The female took the flight attendant hostage until the plane was on the ground in Detroit, Michigan.The female and the male were able to get off of the plane. The two suspects were caught after they got off of the plane and trying to get out of the airport. The two suspects were the last ones to get off the plane and they did not realize that some of the passengers on board contacted the police via cell phones. Interview Preparation The suspects were identified based on the information that was given from the passengers and crew on the airplane. Since the female suspect, Alexis Johnson, took the flight attendant, Lisa Williams, hostage she could then identify the suspect in detail.Since the suspects were caught after they got off the plane and before they left the airport. The officers can set up interviews at the airport to help obtain all necessary information. In these interviews they will ask the witnesses what happened and for identification of the suspects. Before interviewing the suspects, the officers should try to obtain their background information (Gosselin, 2007). During these interviews there should be other officers that are looking at the scene to ensure that they collect all evidence and information from the plane where all this happened at (Gosselin, 2007).Interviews For the interview process of the witnesses, a structural interviewing will be used. â€Å"Structural interviewing approach builds on the traditional interview by adding the following components: rapport building, nar rative description, and an ample interviewee response opportunity† (Gosselin 2007, pg. 71). Witness: The interview for the witness, Ms. Pastor is first set up the day after, so she is able to gather her thoughts as well as get over the shock she experienced. While interviewing Ms. Pastor, she seemed more relaxed as if she only needed sleep.The interview session was set up in a comfortable space, with comfy chairs 4-6 feet away from each other with a table in the center of them. The room was painted a soft color to relax the interviewee. The first thing the officer does is ensure that she had not been injured and she is stable enough to be questioned. After ensuring her condition, the officer established a rapport by using a first name basis. Next, the officer asked Ms. Pastor if the interview could be videotaped or voice recorded. Ms. Pastor decided it would be best to go with voice recording.At this time, the officer feels that Ms. Pastor is comfortable enough to start the in terview. The officer begins to ask Ms. Pastor a series of questions beginning with personal information and Ms. Pastor seemed comfortable answering them. Next, the officer asks Ms. Pastor about what happened onboard the aircraft. Ms. Pastor stated: â€Å"I boarded that plane fine, everything was normal, I put my things above me, and sat in my seat, that flight attendants, came and asked if me and others if we wanted anything to drink or eat before takeoff.The flight attendants performed the safety procedures before the plane took off, and told us to fasten our seat belts as the plane was about to depart. As soon as we took off, a lady came out from the bathroom area, telling us to be seated and don't move or else we will get hurt. I stayed seated and kept my mouth shut, sitting there observing everything she was doing. I was amazed, a women was pulling this off. She and another man were talking up ahead where the pilots are when flying, about something in a purse. After the plane l anded they left, I guess they got what they were looking for.The man came from the front of the first class area. They met up in the center then started looking for what they came for. They tried not to talk too much but the girl was a dumb, and I guess wanted to hurry up and find it. She got the man mad and that’s when I heard them say something about â€Å"find it in the bag. â€Å"† After the interview with the witness was completed, the officer thanked her for the information she provided as well as her time. The officer also gave Ms. Pastor her contact information. The officer also informed Ms. Pastor that if she can remember anything else that she feels would be beneficial, to please call.Victim: For the interview of the victim, Lisa Williams, the officer conducted a traditional interview. The traditional interview because she is upset and the officer wants to get the immediate facts as fast as possible (Gosselin, 2007). Lisa Williams was the flight attendant wh o was taken hostage by the female suspect, Alexis Johnson. The interview room was set up in the security area, a quiet part of the airport with no disturbances, with the chairs facing each other approximately four feet apart; the officer does not sit between the door and Ms.Williams because of the assumption of her not thinking she could leave (Psychological Principles: Interview and Interrogation, 2009). The interview began with asking Ms. Williams for permission to videotape her statement, in which she agreed. In order to establish rapport, the officer and Ms. Williams agreed to address one another by using first names. The officer first began the questions regarding personal information, in order to keep her at ease. Next, the officer began to ask questions regarding what happened on the aircraft.Lisa stated: â€Å"I wasn't expecting anyone to be behind me. It was right after takeoff; she grabbed me by the back and pulled the back of the flight attendant break area. She said she had a gun. She blindfolded me and bound my hands. To cooperate I would get hurt but if anything went wrong or anything interfered with the plane landing she wouldn't hesitate to kill me. † After the interview with the victim was completed, the officer thanked her for her time and answering questions. The officer also gave Ms. Williams her contact information.The officer informed Ms. Williams that if she can remember anything that would be beneficial to the case, to please call. The officer walked Ms. Williams to meet with her family. Interrogation There were a few techniques during the interrogation of the pilot, Francis Drebin. The officer started with a subjective interview technique in order to establish rapport and to get him comfortable. The officer wanted him to think that he was in the clear and that they were friends in order to get him to open up and share information.The officer began to ask open-ended questions that allowed him to discuss his typical flight and som e of the operations that happened on a regular basis. Upon sharing the names of the flight attendants, his demeanor changed and he began to display signs of nervousness. From here, the officer’s co-investigator switched to the Reid technique for interrogation. This is a nine step technique to obtain a confession to a crime. Mr. Drebin was confronted about the facts of the case and a theme was developed on the events of the incident (Layton, 2013). He was read his Miranda Rights and officially arrested for his role in the crime.Male Suspect: From the information already provided by the witnesses and victim, the pilot of the aircraft was commonly identified by both parties. In light of the details of the incident, the officer uses the structural interviewing technique with the pilot of the plane. This way, he can discuss the narrative of the events of the incident (Gosselin, 2007). Because of the nature of the incident, the interview of the pilot was conducted in the security o ffice of the current terminal of the airport. This room was chosen because of the privacy and the comfort feel of the room. Mr.Drebin was asked if the interview could be videotaped, in which he agreed as well as including another officer in the room. The chairs were at an angle located about five feet apart from one another. Both parties agreed to use first names while conducting the interview. The officer began the questioning with asking personal information in order to keep the suspect at ease. Next, the officer asked Mr. Drebin about his flight. Mr. Drebin stated: â€Å"It started as business as usual. We were ahead of schedule. When I fly the plane, I am isolated from everyone else and only communicate with the tower.I can’t really tell what is going on in the cabin unless I am notified by an attendant about a situation through the two-way intercom. I didn’t communicate with the flight attendants or the cabin until we hit flight altitude, where I told them the le ngth of the flight. † Next, the officer asked Mr. Drebin what he meant by the communication with Ms. Johnson. After approximately thirty seconds, Mr. Drebin stated: â€Å"I am sure that I was just giving the crew some flight plans and times for service. † The officer observed his body language because he was becoming agitated with the questions.His non-verbal’s made it easy to see this. Then he seemed to be nervous and to fidget. Mr. Drebin was informed that he was a suspect in the robbery heist and was placed under arrest. The officer read Mr. Drebin his Miranda Rights. When the officer began to question Mr. Drebin, he decided to lawyer up. Female Suspect: At the scene of the robbery a female suspect was captured. She was then asked what her name was; she refused to speak. The arresting officer then proceeded to read the woman her Miranda rights and placed her in the police cruiser.Once we arrived at the police station the female was then place in a small room f or questioning. When the officer entered the room to begin questioning, she established a rapport with the female. Both parties sat at opposite ends of the table. The officer asked her what her name was and she refused to answer. The female was suspect was informed was caught by another officer and the jewels were found in her purse at the time of arrest, there is more than enough evidence to put her away and that she is going to get one more chance to tell your side of the story.She still refused to speak. The officer proceeded to inform her that the male suspect in custody and he is already placing blame away from him; if she doesn’t want to take all the heat, she needs to start talking. She then proceeded to say that she was part of the robbery. The cognitive technique was used in order to gain rapport and start with easy questions to help get and keep her relaxed. However as the questions seemed to become harder, she was not happy and would not continue with the questions (Heuback, 2010).The female suspect was asked her name, in which she replied Alexis Johnson. Ms. Johnson was then asked personal questions in order to get her at ease. Ms. Johnson was reminded of her Miranda rights and she informed the officer they were already read and understood them. When asked why she robbed the plane, Ms. Johnson stated: â€Å"I felt that I could use the extra money and buy everything that I have ever wanted. † Ms. Johnson then decided that she wanted a lawyer present. Summation In this crime scene we found out how two individuals worked together to steal some diamonds off an airplane.These two people were very intelligent, and they did manage to get the diamonds off the airplane. However, the suspects were not able to make it out of the airport before they got caught. The police met them at the door. Both suspects were found guilty of their crimes and arrested. Bibliography The officers can set up interviews at the airport to help obtain all necessary i nformation. In these interviews they will ask the witnesses what happened and for identification of the suspects. Before interviewing the suspects the officers should try to obtain their background information (Gosselin, 2007).During these interviews there should be other officers that are looking at the scene to ensure that they collect all evidence and information from the plane where all this happened at (Gosselin, 2007). For the interview process of the witnesses, a structural interviewing will be used. â€Å"Structural interviewing approach builds on the traditional interview by adding the following components: rapport building, narrative description, and an ample interviewee response opportunity† (Gosselin 2007, pg. 71). The traditional interview because she is upset and the officer wants to get the immediate facts as fast as possible (Gosselin, 2007).The interview room was set up in the security area, a quiet part of the airport with no disturbances, with the chairs fa cing each other approximately four feet apart; the officer does not sit between the door and Ms. Williams because of the assumption of her not thinking she could leave (Psychological Principles: Interview and Interrogation, 2009). Drebin was confronted about the facts of the case and a theme was developed on the events of the incident (Layton, 2013). In light of the details of the incident, the officer uses the structural interviewing technique with the pilot of the plane.This way, he can discuss the narrative of the events of the incident (Gosselin, 2007). The cognitive technique was used in order to gain rapport and start with easy questions to help get and keep her relaxed. However as the questions seemed to become harder, she was not happy and would not continue with the questions (Heuback, 2010). References Gosselin, D. (2007). Smart Talk Contemporary Interviewing and Interrogation. Upper Saddle River: Person Prentice Hall. Heuback, J. (2010). Suspect Interrogation: Communicati on Strategies and Key Personality.Retrieved from ACTR Advances in Communication Theory and Research: http://www. k-state. edu/actr/2010/12/20/suspect-interrogation-communication-strategies-and-key-personality-constructs-jessica-heuback/default. htm Layton, J. (2013). How police interrogation works: The Reid Technique. http://people. howstuffworks. com/police-interrogation. htm Psychological Principles: Interview and Interrogation, (2009). Interview and Interrogation Rooms. http://www. social_engineer. org/framework/Psychological_Principles:_Interview_and_Interrogation

Lee Kum Kee

Mr.. Lee Shih Nan carries on the work of improving production procedure, while Mr.. Lee Shih Tang was responsible for sales and marketing. However, because of the disagreement in business, Lee Shih Nan buying out of Lee Shih Tang with the help of Lee Wanda, the son of Lee Shih Nan. During this period, Lee Gum Eke expanded its operation and develop import and export business to meet the increasing demands of its overseas market. And then, in 1972, Mr.. Lee Wanda was appointed Chairmen of the company.New business policies and expansion strategies were introduced, setting the direction of the company for the future. Mr.. Lee set â€Å"promoting Chinese cuisine worldwide† as the corporate vision and infuses â€Å"Is Lie Xi Rene†, which means considering others' interests, into the company. However, Lee Gum Eke faced a big problem in 1986 for the reason that Lee Wend's brother Lee Went wanted to liquidate his own share. Lee Gum Eke faced a split once again. The conflict esca lated as the time passed by, even resorting to law. Lee Gum Eke was ordered by court to suspend business for half a year.At the same time, The 4th generation of Lee family, Eddy, David, Charlie, Sammy and Elizabeth graduated from abroad and joined Lee Gum Eke in the ass. The scope and scale of Lee Gum Eke has been developed rapidly. In 1 992, Lee Gum Eke collaborated with the First Ministry Medical University and established the Infant Lee Gum Eke Health Products Co. ,Ltd. To promote traditional Chinese herbal health products. In the same time, apart from the mission of â€Å"promoting Chinese cuisine worldwide, Lee Gum Eke purr forward the mission that â€Å"modernizing traditional Chinese herbal health around the world†.Armed with a unique management culture, stringent quality control, superb and innovative products, coupled with the century-long brand reputation, Lee Gum Eke has achieved unanimous recognition and won numerous prestigious awards. . Family asset 2. 1 Value based leadership(culture value, family value), 2. 1. 1 core value From 1972-1992, after the third generation Lie Wanda took charge of the company, Lee Gum Eke substantiates its core value of â€Å"considering others' interests† in every aspect of its business operations. It was built upon the principles of â€Å"pragmatism, integrity and constant entrepreneurship†.Besides its core value and principles, the company also put forward two missions -â€Å"promoting Chinese cuisine worldwide† and â€Å"modernizing traditional Chinese herbal health around the world†. This value reflects the corporate social accessibility . When pursuing the interests of their own, enterprises should also consider others interest, and then benefit the society. It conforms the long-term management goal of company. 2. 1. 2 Family First Lee Gum Eke always put family in the most important position, making business as a part of family.Lie Wanda thought that family harmony is the found ation of prosperity, which reflects the traditional Chinese culture harmonious family can lead to the success of everything. 2. 1. 3 Establish family committee Lee Gum Eke Group established committee on the family, including a total of 6 people. The core members are Lie Wanda, his wife and his five children. Lie Wanda and his five children are held key position in Lee Gum Eke. The family committee is the highest authority overseeing Lee Gum See's operation.The core function of family committee is the study how to governance family, including to resolve family conflicts, construct family system, nurture the next generation and so on. The family committee do not need to discuss the enterprise management problem. A major decision should agreed by 75% Of total number and the general decision should be agreed by 50% As we can see from the graph, the score of value of Lee Gum Eke is higher than the score of most other companies in SEA and Mainland China. To explain this Phenomenon, I will list the following four reasons. . Irritate(means longevity), 2. 2. 1 History and Reputation Established in 1 888, Lee Gum Eke has become a household name as an ethnic Chinese enterprise as well as an international brand and a symbol of quality and trust. With a glorious history of 1 25 years, Lee Gum Eke has become a household name as an ethnic Chinese enterprise of quality and trust. Armed with a unique management culture, stringent quality control, upper and innovative products, and its century-long reputation, Lee Gum Eke has achieved recognition and won numerous prestigious awards. . 2. 2 Activity participate in promotional activities. In recent years, Lee Gum Eke family members frequently take part in the speech and interview activities to promote the company. Apart from that, many experts have published books intending to study on the cause of success in Lee Gum Eke family. Lee Huh Seen, one of the fourth generation member of Lee Gum Eke, published two books, which is Ã¢â‚¬Ë œthe power of considering other first† and † automatic wave model of leadership†.Automatic eave model of leadership is a kind of management mode of south Lee Gum Eke, the subsidiary company of Lee Gum Eke, aiming to continue operating cool, release unlimited potential, attract talent, consists of selection of talent, high letter atmosphere, highly efficient team. Publishing books has a very positive effect to promote the culture of company to public. As we can see from the graph, the score of heritage of Lee Gum Eke is higher explain this Phenomenon, I will list the following three reasons. 2. Connection 2. 3. Title in government department Lie Hussein: member of the CAP National Committee;Member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese people's Political Consultative Conference Committee of Loaning Province;Director of the overseas Chinese united friendship conference; Lie Hugging: Vice President Chinese Cuisine Association; Director of Chinese Institute of food s cience and technology; Director of Hong Kong Chinese manufacturers association. These titles are very special political resources for enterprise. 2. 3. 2 Close cooperation with well-known universities and government department.Besides owning a lot of titles for family members, Lee Gum Eke has also collaborated with the First Military Medical University, Hong Kong University of Science &Technology, Distinguish University and other well-known colleges as well as some government departments. This is a very good resource for company's development. 3. Roadblocks 3. 1 Family roadblocks:Possible family conflicts At present, the fourth generation successor has not yet been determined. The four sons of Lee Wanda were hold important positions in the group.Although Lee Gum Eke Group set up a family committee which is a good communication platform between family members, it cannot guarantee that after Lie Wend's death, the fourth generation won't appear the operation, because the separation app eared in the second and third generation. 3. Institutional roadblocks 3. 2. 1 Hinder by government policy Chinese government banned direct selling activities in any form in April, 1998, asking the company that has obtained authorized direct selling power like South Lee Gum Eke stop business.It has caused a great impact on profit in the market of mainland china. 3. 2. 2 More concern on food safety problem There are more and more different kinds of food safety problems appear in China in recent years. Therefore, people especially from mainland china could ay more attention in food safety problem. However, more and more companies in sauce industry received complaints from public, which disclose that there are some unqualified products circulate in market. Those companies include Haitian Group, Lee Gum Eke Group, Wang choosy Group and so on.Therefore, food companies like Lee Gum Eke should invest more money to ensure the quality of product, which will increase the cost of company. 3. Ma rket roadblocks 3. 3. 1 Fierce competition and high operational cost Lee Gum Eke has been facing fierce competition from asses to the beginning of 21st century. With the advent of some famous sauce companies like Haitian Group, the market share of Lee Gum Eke in mainland china is losing constantly. Although the market share of Lee Gum Eke in Hong Kong and America performs good, it will still hinder the development of the enterprise for the low market share in mainland china.With the intense competition, the operational cost is increasing constantly, which is another problem Lee Gum Eke should avoid. 3. 3. 2 Disputation on workers There are some labors dispute the low-level salary. To lower the cost of company and make the product more competitive, Lee Gum Eke did not increase labors salary in these years, making employee have different opinions toward the company. Because Lee Gum see's core market still has a lot of growth opportunities and the firm is pay more attention in innovati on recently, continue to expand their market overseas.Therefore, the market roadblocks is not a big problem. 4. Reactions to roadblocks 4. 1 Reactions to Market roadblocks 4. 1. 1 launched a â€Å"happy index† For the dispute from some labors, Lee Gum Eke launched a â€Å"happy index† to measure the degree of satisfaction of workers. The survey showed that Lee Gum Eke won the honor of best employer in Asian area and Mainland China. . 1. 2 Constant entrepreneurship For the fierce competition and increasing operational cost, Lee Gum Eke put forward the target â€Å"constant entrepreneurship†, which means constantly innovation.Innovate in product packaging, in market, in management method and product producing procedure. It offers over 220 varieties of sauces and condiments in over 1 00 countries and regions across the five continents nowadays after setting the target â€Å"constant entrepreneurship†. Len addition to the Lee Gum Eke Sauce Group, Lee Gum Eke Health Product Group Infinitum (China) Company Limited develops the market of Chinese rebel health products. Not satisfied with the sauce field, Lee Gum Eke expand their business to the health product field, which is also a kind of innovation.Nearly 20 years since the establishment , the South Lee Gum Eke successfully produced nearly 50 kinds of product including infinitum health food. Since the twenty-first Century, Lee Gum Eke showed a strong momentum. 4. 2 Reactions to Family roadblocks 4. 21 Established family committee and constitution enterprise management problem. A major decision should agreed by 75% of Apart from establishing family committee, Lee Gum Eke also developed he family constitution. All family members must follow the family constitution, otherwise will not be able to get its due share. 4. 2. Caring for the Community Lee Kurd Eke deliver consciousness Of caring for the community, because to measure the success of a enterprise, the most important factor is how many contributions the enterprise make to the society. For example, the founder Wang Young-aching of company Formosa Plastic Group, contributes a lot to society, by establishing the charitable foundation Change Gung Memorial Hospital and the charitable trust Change Gung. All of his son and all the hillier were deeply moved by their father, leading them work together continue to be of value to their family company.After setting the target of caring for the community, Lee Gum Eke has obtained great achievement in following part. Caring for the Community: In 2008 and 2009, the senior management and employees of Lee Gum Eke participated in the â€Å"Charity Walk to Support Look Chi Association,† the â€Å"Lifeline Express Hong Kong Foundation – Charity Run/ Walk 2009† and various activities to raise money for victims of the Is Chuan earthquake. Caring for the Employees: Lee Gum Eke promotes a â€Å"3-balance† corporate hilltop's – family, health and work; and provides free nutritious lunch and a shuttle for employees.Caring for the Environment: Lee Gum Eke implemented environmental management facilities within its plants – an integrated oil and grease removal process to the sewage treatment system; reduction of plastic usage in packaging; and deploying circulating hot water system to generate energy. 4. 3 Reactions to institutional roadblocks: In line with the spirit of â€Å"Is Lie Xi Rene which means considering others interest, Lee Gum Eke resolutely bought out of the First Military MedicalSeniority and let the First Military Medical University continue to provide scientific research for the South Lee Gum Eke without participate in any management and investment. At the same time, the South Lee Gum Eke provided a sum of money to the First Military Medical University from sales in proportion. The problem has been well settled with guidance of â€Å"Is Lie Xi Rene†. For the complaints from public, Lee Gum Eke attaches great importance to quality of product. From 2004, Lee Gum Eke has taken a series of reform measures to improve product quality and improve customer satisfaction.Lee Gum Eke conduct questionnaire survey every half a year, set up R & D center and invest huge funds to establish integrated supply chain. These strategies have ensured product quality and have improved the competitiveness Of enterprises. The results show that 2004-2007 years customer complaint rate remains below 0. 006%. 5. Recommendations for other family enterprise 5. 1 Consciously penetrate the enterprise culture to brand shaping 5. 2 Cultivate the spirit of forever the entrepreneurial and continuous improvement 5. Implement people-oriented management culture 5. 4 Starting from basic and Striving to consolidate the basis of a hundred ears enterprise Family sustainability score 6. Conclusion â€Å"Lee Gum Eke† is not just an isolated brand, but a true to life, ups and downs of the family business 100 years of str uggle history. Let's not easy for any business concern to survive and remain strong for over a century. It is even more inconceivable for Lee Gum Eke, which began as a humble family operation, to grow into the renowned family enterprise that it is over a period Of 125 years.By studying Lee Gum Eke, I have learned a lot for the enterprise's core value â€Å"considering others interest first' , the target â€Å"constant entrepreneurship† and customer focused approach in developing business. By introducing family business map, we naturally come to the conclusion that Lee Gum Eke will continue put the family ownership and family management strategy in the foreseeable future. 6. 1 family ownership Concentrated ownership enables the controlling owner to effectively control the firm and to be held responsible for his decisions (Lucian, 1965; Jensen and Neckline, 1976).However, diffused ownership has benefits too. Selling ownership shares to investors facilitates financing and firm growth (Demesne, 1967). As we can see from the chart. The company Lee Gum Eke has a very high score of family value. Therefore, concentrated ownership can enable family members make their decision effectively. 6. 2 family management In principle, firm decision rights should be given to the person who maximizes the productivity of firm assets (Grossman and Hart, 1986; Jensen and Neckline, 1992).Founding family members have specialized abilities to preserve and share these intangibles because of life-long interactions and family governance mechanisms that are not available to non-family members. We call these specialized intangibles family assets. From the chart we can see that the roadblock of Lee Gum Eke is lower than most of companies located in SEA and Mainland China. Therefore, choosing family management can maximize the profit of company because of the intangible family assets can show to others.

The Lemurs of Kirindy

Peter Kappeler’s article entitled, â€Å"The Lemurs of Kirindy,† brought into focus the different behaviors adapted by and that has evolved among the mammals in the Kirindy Forest in the west-central coast of Madagascar.   Of particular interest in the article were the lemurs of Kirindy, which Kappeler described to have evolved and changed their behaviors in order to adapt to the changing seasons and climates of the forest. This paper looks into the process of natural selection among the mammals of Kirindy.   The discussion and analysis provided herein posits that natural selection favored the most unusual primate behaviors among lemurs.   More specifically, the position assumed in this discussion asserts that because of the constantly changing physical/natural environment of the forest, lemurs have adapted and underwent the process of evolving biologically, as their response to the natural changes occurring in their physical environment—completing the process of natural selection. The â€Å"pronounced seasonal changes† in the Kirindy forest was described as a combination of either very hot or cold climates, erratically changing each season.   On December to February, the forest does not experience rain, wherein nights reach above freezing point.   In addition to these drastic changes in temperature, primate behaviors also vary during long dry spells or months of continuous rains.   Behaviors of lemurs affected not only include hibernation periods, circadian rhythms, or food hunting patterns, but also reproduction cycles and mating behavior.   Ultimately, the erratic changes in climate in Kirindy influence the survival techniques of lemurs. Indeed, these seasonal changes have affected the circadian rhythms, mating behaviors, and food hunting techniques of the lemurs of Kirindy.   Sifakas are known to adapt a â€Å"calorie-saving† behavior by â€Å"expending less energy† through a decrease in their physical activities and expose themselves to heat as much as possible.   Moreover, sifakas eat plants that have high liquid content, further supporting its survival techniques in order to survive the cold season.   Sifakas’ mating behaviors, meanwhile, have also been inadvertently affected by the seasonal changes in the forest.   Female sifakas give birth during the cold season, and learn to support their young by hunting for plants or leaves with high liquid content and adapting a calorie-saving lifestyle. Fat-tailed lemurs, meanwhile, have also learned to adapt to new behavior in order to survive the cold season in the forest.   The rainy season is a time when fat-tailed lemurs store fat as their food supply for their hibernation period.   They do this by eating high-energy fruits and insects, converting these foods into fat, which is then stored in their tails.   After the rainy season, fat-tailed lemurs get ready for the dry season by hibernating in hollow trees. The sifakas and fat-tailed lemurs are just examples of mammals that have learned to adapt to the environment’s drastic changes, particularly in the Kirindy forest of Madagascar.   Variations and changes in lemur behavior demonstrated that the process of natural selection took place in the forest, wherein the uncontrollable physical conditions that the lemurs lived in led to an alteration of their lifestyles, and ultimately, biological tendencies and reactions to the environment (i.e., Kirindy forest).

Social Studies Interview and Standards Investigation

Running Head: INTERVIEW AND STANDARDS INVESTIGATION Interview and Standards Investigation Sarah Woods Grand Canyon University EED 465 Curriculum, Methods, and Assessment: Social Studies Leah Barley December 8, 2011 Interview and Standards Investigation Social studies is a complicated subject for teachers to teach and for students to learn because it encompasses so many different disciplines. On top of that, society is characterized by increasingly rapid social and technological changes that affect what social studies content is being taught to students (NCSS, 1988). For many years students have been forced to learn low cognitive level information that lacks meaning and fails to transfer to real life situations. For these reasons Social Studies is the subject that students love to hate (Hope, 1996). Rather than dwelling on what has gone wrong in the past, it is best to look to the future and learn from past pedagogic mistakes to determine what can be done to energize social studies instruction in order to restore respect by students and teachers alike for such an important field (Hope, 1996). The implementation of state and national standards has been an important step in making this happen. This assessment will evaluate the state of Arizona’s Social Studies Standards for sixth grade for thoroughness, clarity, user friendliness, and comprehensiveness. It will go on to provide a well-supported, objective, academic response to the interview conducted with Ms. Traci Smith, a sixth grade social studies teacher at Will Rogers Junior High in Claremore, OK, and the standards investigation by analyzing how social studies is taught today. The Arizona Department of Education website contains five sixth grade history strands that emphasize World history from its earliest cultures through Enlightenment, including the early cultures of the Americas. The Arizona State Standards for sixth grade are extremely thorough containing strands for American History, World History, Civics/Government, Geography, and Economics each with well-defined concepts and performance objectives for students at the sixth grade level. According to the NCSS definition of Social studies, each of these topics plays a vital role in social studies education. The thoroughness of these standards helps guide lesson planning and learning because teachers know exactly what they are supposed to teach and students know exactly what they are supposed to learn in order to achieve mastery. The Arizona State Standards for Social Studies are very clearly defined by topic. This makes them easy to read and understand. This reduces confusion and frustration and promotes integration with other subject areas. Each strand is broken down further into concepts that explicitly say, where applicable, which other strand(s) they connect with in order to further student understanding. This characteristic makes the Arizona State Standards for Social Studies extremely user friendly. Finally, the Arizona State Standards for Social studies are very comprehensive. They cover a large scope of information in order to help Arizona students develop the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world (NCSS, 1993). According to Ms. Smith, social studies instruction has come a long way since she began teaching fifteen years ago. When she started it was common practice for students to read the sections in the social studies textbook, answer the questions at the end, and then take a test to demonstrate what they learned. This seemingly meaningless busy work compounded by the implementation of NCLB led to a dramatic reduction in social studies content as teachers became more concerned with high stakes testing in the primary subject areas. High stakes testing has contributed to the trend of moving away from constructivist learning and student centered teaching approaches such as discussions, role-playing, research papers, and cooperative learning (Vogler & Virtue, 2007). This is in dramatic contrast to what new teacher education programs are teaching which may be setting new teachers up for failure once they reach the classroom. In spite of the demands of high stakes testing, when Ms. Smith realized that social studies was beginning to slowly disappear from the curriculum altogether she decided to take a stand. Ms. Smith is now the sixth grade English and World History Department Head at Claremore Public Schools. Although she does teach from a textbook, Ms. Smith employs numerous hands on activities to convey subject matter to the students. For each section the students must create a project that coincides with the lesson. Her favorite section is on the Middle Ages in Europe. During this lesson the entire sixth grade participates in meaningful learning activities such as making head gear and shields, memorizing poems from this era that they must recite to their classmates, and learning the requirements for becoming a knight or a lady. Students earn certificates for acts of chivalry and the individuals who have the most certificates at the end of the unit are awarded a crown as 6th grade King and Queen. The unit culminates with a field trip to the Renaissance Festival and the Castle of Muskogee, a landmark in Oklahoma, which is where the Renaissance Festival is held (Personal Communication, T. Smith, December 12, 2011). These activities are much more meaningful than simply reading the text and completing the section review. This allows students to practice their literacy and public speaking skills which, according to Wineburg (2005), are crucially relevant for schools because it provides a way of thinking about text that allows students to find truth in the cacophony of voices that confront them in the social world. Social studies instruction is heavily influenced by teacher preparation programs. These programs are meant to teach future teachers how to teach social studies effectively. Historically these programs have had to respond quickly to social issues and events by developing courses in social sciences and education that address the concerns of minority groups. For example, a recent increase in the numbers of English Language Learners in the nation’s schools has led to added pressure to prepare teachers to work effectively with students from diverse backgrounds. For the most part these influences have had a positive impact on the preparation of social studies teachers; however in some cases the creation of new classes and requirements for pre-service teachers has led to a bloated curricula and programs that lack clear purpose (Adler, Dougan, & Garcia, 2006). The NCATE standards embolden pre-service teachers to refine their focus to prevent overlap and redundancy. Most teacher preparation programs are aligned to professional teacher standards such as this. This helps to adequately prepare teachers to facilitate learning for today’s students so that they are informed, knowledgeable, and eventually able to compete in a global society. Standards based instruction has been a double edged sword for social studies instruction. On the one hand it has led to the reduction in social studies content as a result of high stakes testing since social studies is not one of the subjects covered under NCLB, but on the other hand social studies standards have revitalized social studies instruction to help make learning fun, meaningful, and relevant for students increasing the chances that they will be able to transfer the concepts learned in the classroom to real world scenarios. If social studies teachers can continue to resist the urge to teach to the test and do everything they can to employ effective teaching strategies then hopefully everyone will realize how important social studies content is for students at all grade levels. This will ultimately result in civic minded individuals who are understanding, knowledgeable, and tolerant of other cultures which will serve them well into adulthood. References: NCSS. (1988, June). Social studies for early childhood and elementary school children: Preparing for the 21st Century. Retrieved from http://www. ncss. org/positions/elementary. Hope, W. 1996). It’s time to transform social studies teaching. The Social Studies. Washington: Jul/Aug 1996. 87, 4. Retrieved from http://proquest. umi. com. library. gcu. edu:2048/pqdweb? index=7&did=10101635&SrchMode=3&sid=1&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1323634607&clientId=48377&aid=1. Arizona Department of Education Standards Based Teaching and Learn ing. (2006). Social Studies Standards Articulated By Grade Level Sixth Grade. Retrieved from http://www. azed. gov/wp-content/uploads/PDF/SSGrade6. pdf. National Council for the Social Studies. (1993, September). A vision of powerful teaching and learning in the social studies: Building social understanding and civic efficacy. Social Education. 57, 213-223. Vogler, K. & Virtue, D. (2007, May). â€Å"Just the facts ma’am†: Teaching Social Studies in the era of Standards and high stakes testing. The Social Studies. Retrieved from http://web. ebscohost. com. library. gcu. edu:2048/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer? sid=f1d20017-f490-4fd4-833e-c04d40d45566%40sessionmgr111&vid=2&hid=113. Wineburg, S. (2005, May). What does NCATE have to say to future history teachers? Phi Delta Kappan. Retrieved from http://web. ebscohost. com. ibrary. gcu. edu:2048/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer? sid=8a089d33-cc0e-40df-aaee-cdf4091de420%40sessionmgr112&vid=2&hid=113. Adler, S. , Dougan, A. , & Garcia, J. (2006, January). NCATE has a lot to say to future social studies teachers: A response to Sam Wineburg. Phi Delta Kappan. Retrieved from http://vnweb. hwwilsonweb. com. library. gcu. edu:2048/hww/results/external _link_maincontentframe. jhtml? _DARGS=/hww/results/results_common. jhtml. 44. Interview Notes Traci Smith, a 6th Grade Social Studies Teacher and 6th grade English and World History Department Head, has 15 years of experience in the classroom. Social Studies Interview Questions: 1. Do you use a textbook? If so, do you like the content? Do the students have workbooks or activity sheets to accompany the textbook? Yes, we use Glencoe’s textbook, World History: Journey Across Time – The Early Ages The students have 2 workbooks: A note-taking guide which we use from time to time, and a Guided Reading book which we do not use very often. There are teacher resources for each of the units which include vocabulary practice and guided reading activities. There are also other resources for mapping, cause-and-effect, and comparing the past to the present. . What is your favorite Social Studies lesson to teach? What sort of hands on, meaningful activities or innovative teaching methods do you use when teaching this lesson? My favorite unit to teach is the Middle Ages of Europe. The entire 6th grade participates in making head gear, shields, memorizing and reciting poems, and learning about the requirements for becoming a knight or a lady. This unit culminates with a field trip to The Castle of Muskogee where they hold the Renaissance Festival. This unit is taught at the end of the year and is a highlight for the 6th grade. We award those who have shown chivalry and crown a 6th grade King and Queen. 3. In 1992 the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) adopted the following definition of the field of social studies: Social studies is the integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence. Within the school program, social studies provides coordinated, systematic study drawing upon such disciplines as anthropology, archaeology, economics, geography, history, law, philosophy, political science, psychology, religion, and sociology, as well as appropriate ontent from the humanities, mathematics, and natural sciences. The primary purpose of social studies is to help young people develop the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions for for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world. How does social studies instruction at Will Rogers Junior High relate to this definition of social studies? At the junior high, we not only teach how our ancestors affected future generations and the things we have learned from them, but we also have an Advisory hour for 6th grade. During this advisory hour we teacher character development and teach the students how to apply what they learn in their everyday lives. 4. Do you believe that values should be part of the social studies curriculum? If so, what values do you feel are most important for today’s students? Yes, I do. The values of integrity, compassion, and respect; these values can be taught throughout the social studies curriculum. When I teach the religions of the world, I talk to the students about having respect for others and their beliefs. We talk about how some of the heroes of ancient history showed integrity and compassion. This is also carried over into our Advisory hour. 5. Does the State of Oklahoma have state standards for social studies? If so, what is your reaction to Oklahoma State’s Social Studies Standards? If not, do you think that Oklahoma could benefit from a set of state standards? Yes. I believe they should be more detailed. 6. What do you feel are important benchmarks for students at the 6th grade level? English and Math; the reading skills learned in social studies and science trickle over into the English curriculum. The same goes for Math and Science. . How much time per day does each student spend on Social Studies content? 2 hours per day – World History and Advisory 8. How do you rank the importance of social studies in the elementary curriculum? Please rank the following subjects in the elementary curriculum in order of importance to you. 4 Physical Education (P. E. ) 2 Mathematics 3 Science 3 Social Studies 1 Reading/Language Arts 9. How do you integrate technology i nto the Social Studies curriculum? I use power points. 10. Do you believe that the social studies curriculum should be narrowed