Late Childhood Essays - Speech Impediments, Language Acquisition

Arch Dis Child 2009; 94:42-46 doi:10.1136/adc.2007.134114 ?Original article ?The effects of bilingualism on stuttering during late childhood + Author Affiliations 1.1 Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK 2.2 Department of Language and Communication Science, City University, London, UK 1.Peter Howell, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK; [emailprotected] ?Accepted 24 June 2008 ?Published Online First 9 September 2008 Abstract Objectives: To examine stuttering by children speaking an alternative language exclusively (LE) or with English (BIL) and to study onset of stuttering, school performance and recovery rate relative to monolingual speakers who stutter (MONO). Design: Clinical referral sample with supplementary data obtained from speech recordings and interviews. Setting: South-East England, 1999?2007. Participants: Children aged 8?12 plus who stuttered (monolingual and bilingual) and fluent bilingual controls (FB). Main outcome measures: Participants? stuttering history, SATS scores, measures of recovery or persistence of stuttering. Results: 69 (21.8%) of 317 children were bilingual. Of 38 children who used a language other than English at home, 36 (94.7%) stuttered in both languages. Fewer LE (15/38, 39.5%) than BIL (23/38, 60.5%) children stuttered at first referral to clinic, but more children in the fluent control sample were LE (28/38, 73.7%) than BIL (10/38, 26.3%). The association between stuttering and bilingual group (LE/BIL) was significant by 2 test; BIL speakers have more chance of stuttering than LE speakers. Ages at stuttering onset and male/female ratio for LE, BIL and MONO speakers were similar (4 years 9 months, 4 years 10 months and 4 years 3 months, and 4.1:1, 4.75:1 and 4.43:1, respectively). Educational achievement was not affected by bilingualism relative to the MONO and FB groups. The recovery rate for the LE and MONO controls together (55%) was significantly higher by 2 test than for the BIL group (25%). Conclusions: BIL children had an increased risk of stuttering and a lower chance of recovery from stuttering than LE and MONO speakers. Bilingualism has been regarded as a risk factor for stuttering.1 2 However, there is little information about how a second language affects the chances of stuttering onset and of recovery. Consequently, a study was conducted on all referrals for stuttering for children first seen when they were between 8 and 10 years of age who attended clinics that specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of stuttering. Children who used a second language in the pre-school years either (a) exclusively (these learned English at school, termed LE) or (b) along with English in the home (bilingual from birth, termed BIL) were selected. The majority of the children were seen again when they were aged 12 plus. Prevalence rates of stuttering for LE and BIL children as compared with all referrals were examined to determine if a disproportionate number of speakers of a language other than English is referred to stuttering clinics. Checks were made to verify that the LE and BIL children were stuttering by c omparing age at stuttering onset and gender ratio for these speaker groups against monolingual speakers from a referral sample who stuttered (MONO). Early school performance of LE and BIL children who stuttered was compared with that of a MONO group and bilingual children who were fluent (the fluent bilingual group, termed FB). The patterns of onset and recovery in the LE, BIL and MONO groups were compared. METHODS Participants and sub-groups A total of 317 children who stuttered participated. They all (a) started school in the UK at age 4 or 5, (b) first presented at a clinic when aged between 8 and 10 years and (c) lived in the greater London area. Stuttering was confirmed by a specialist speech-language therapist at the clinic. Reported onset of stuttering usually occurs before age 6. The attendance at clinic 2 or more years later is partly due to the time needed to process children in the health system; these are secondary referrals to the specialist clinic and devolved budgets to local area health authorities can cause delay. Recordings were taken to estimate the percentage of stuttered syllables and to allow the stuttering severity instrument measure SSI-33 to be applied (see below for details of how SSI-3 was calculated). When each child was seen initially, all 317 caregivers were asked whether they used a language

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle essays

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle essays Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was more than just an author. He was a knight, a soldier, a spiritualist, a whaler, a doctor, a journalist, and most of all, he was adventurous. He was not the quiet type of person, so he enjoyed expressing himself. Arthur Conan Doyle was born on the 22nd of May 1859 in Picardy Place, Edinburgh. The second child of Charles Altamont and Mary Foley, he was thought t have been named after the legendary medieval king, Arthur, of the Round Table. Doyle was also named after his granduncle, Michael Edward Conan. He was a descendant of the Irish, and was of the Roman Catholic religion. Doyle had a grandfather, John Doyle. He was political cartoonist, who, financially supported the family.1 Doyle had a pretty rough home life because his father was an alcoholic. As he grew up, Doyle had to take more of the responsibilities around the house into his own hands, because his father was either too sick or drunk to fulfill his daily work at home. Doyles mother, Mary Foley, was a homemaker who took care of her son Arthur and his brothers and sisters, and also worked and cleaned the house everyday.2 Doyles early education started when he was about seven years old. His mother spent lots of time reading with him and tutoring him, because this is what she thought he needed to become a cultured gentleman. When Doyle was ten years old he left home and went to the Jesuit Preparatory school named Hodder House. This was a boarding school for young boys. Arthur hated this school. Doyle once stated that Hodder House was a little more pleasant than being confined in a prison. While attending Hodder House, he studied chemistry, poetry, geometry, arithmetic, and grammar. After his experiences at Jesuit Preparatory school, he left and applied for Stonyhurst Academy. Doyle was accepted for enrollment into Stonyhurst and remained there for about five more years. While at Stonyhurst, Doyle...

A Collection of the Best Thanksgiving Quotes

A Collection of the Best Thanksgiving Quotes Ah, the cherished holiday of Thanksgiving. There are no gifts to buy ahead of time, except maybe a nice bottle of wine or bouquet of flowers for the hosts on your way to your family celebration. You just gather, eat your favorite dishes that remind you of Grandma, enjoy each others company for the day, and then take leftovers home. Then as you heat them up in the microwave the next day (or in the middle of the night after heading out for doorbuster deals with your besties, also a tradition), you are thankful again. To prep for your celebration or as a reflection on the day and its meaning before shopping season overtakes us all, here are several lists of famous humorous and inspirational sayings about being grateful and humorous quips about this, the tastiest of holidays. As William Shakespeare wrote, Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast. On God and Heaven G.A. Johnston Ross If I have enjoyed the hospitality of the Host of this universe, Who daily spreads a table in my sight, surely I cannot do less than acknowledge my dependence. Jeremy Taylor God is pleased with no music from below so much as with the thanksgiving songs of relieved widows and supported orphans; of rejoicing, comforted, and thankful persons. Robert Casper Lintner Thanksgiving is nothing if not a glad and reverent lifting of the heart to God in honor and praise for His goodness. Izaak Walton God has two dwellings; one in heaven, and the other in a meek and thankful heart. John Baillie The very fact that a man is thankful implies someone to be thankful to. Johannes A. Gaertner To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven. Garrison Keillor Thank you, God, for this good life and forgive us if we do not love it enough. On Gratitude and Giving Thanks Frank A. Clark If a fellow isnt thankful for what hes got, he isnt likely to be thankful for what hes going to get. Konrad von Gesner Best of all is it to preserve everything in a pure, still heart, and let there be for every pulse a  thanksgiving, and for every breath a song. Brother David Steindl-Rast Love wholeheartedly, be surprised,  give thanks  and praise†¦then you will discover the fullness of your life. Estonian Proverb Who does not thank for little will not thank for much. Melody Beattie   Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. W.J. Cameron   Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action. Gerald Good If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily. Eugene Cloutier To know the value of generosity, it is necessary to have suffered from the cold indifference of others. Willie Nelson   When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around. William Ward   Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. Charles E. Jefferson Gratitude is born in hearts that take time to count up past mercies. Donald Curtis   It is impossible to be negative while we are giving thanks. E.J. Conrad One distinguishing mark of an unregenerate man is ingratitude. Henry Clay Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe If we meet someone who owes us thanks, we right away remember that. But how often do we meet someone to whom we owe thanks without remembering that? W.T. Purkiser Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving. Charles Spurgeon Before you go out into the world, wash your face in the clear crystal of praise. Bury each yesterday in the fine linen and spices of thankfulness. Elbert Hubbard I would rather be able to appreciate things I cannot have than to have things I am not able to appreciate. Seneca Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart. Phillips Brooks Stand up, on this Thanksgiving Day, stand upon your feet. Believe in man. Soberly and with clear eyes, believe in your own time and place. There is not, and there never has been a better time, or a better place to live in. E.P. Powell Thanksgiving Day is a jewel, to set in the hearts of honest men; but be careful that you do not take the day, and leave out the gratitude. Victor Hugo To give thanks in solitude is enough. Thanksgiving has wings and goes where it must go. Your prayer knows much more about it than you do. Frederick Keonig We tend to forget that happiness doesnt come as a result of getting something we dont have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have. Albert Pine What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal. Charles Haddon Spurgeon You say, If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied. You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled. On Food and Humor Margaret Junkin Preston But see, in our open clearings, how golden the melons lie; Enrich them with sweets and spices, and give us the pumpkin pie! Irv Kupcine An optimist is a person who starts a new diet on Thanksgiving Day. Arnold Schwarzenegger I love Thanksgiving turkey...its the only time in Los Angeles that you see natural breasts. Kevin James Thanksgiving, man! Not a good day to be my pants. Erma Bombeck Thanksgiving dinners take 18 hours to prepare. They are consumed in 12 minutes. Half-times take 12 minutes. This is not a coincidence. Rita Rudner My mother is such a lousy cook that  Thanksgiving  at her house is a time of sorrow. Jon Stewart I celebrated Thanksgiving the old-fashioned way. I invited everyone in my neighborhood to my house, we had an enormous feast, and then I killed them and took their land. History Samuel Adams, First Official Thanksgiving Proclamation It is therefore recommended...to set apart Thursday the 18th day of December next, for solemn thanksgiving and praise, that with one heart and one voice the good people may express the grateful feelings of their hearts and consecrate themselves to the service of their divine benefactor. H.U. Westermayer The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving. Alexander Pope Our rural ancestors, with little blest, Patient of  labour  when the end was rest, Indulged the day that housed their annual grain, With feasts, and  offrings, and a thankful strain. Ellen Orleans I have strong doubts that the first Thanksgiving even remotely resembled the history I was told in second grade. But considering that [when it comes to holidays] mainstream Americas traditions tend to be overeating, shopping, or getting drunk, I suppose its a miracle that the concept of giving thanks even surfaces at all.

Management of water of international rivers in the context of the Essay

Management of water of international rivers in the context of the international law - Essay Example d by the international law 39 3.2.2 Tigris and Euphrates rivers and international law 3.2.2.1 Historical development of the conflict on the management of water of Tigris/ Euphrates 40 3.2.2.2 Causes of the conflict 41 3.2.2.3 Response of the international community 43 3.2.2.4 The solution provided in the context of international law 44 3.2.2.5 Challenges related with the application of international law in the specific case 47 3.2.2.6 Critical analysis of the appropriateness and the effectiveness of the solution provided by the international law 48 3.2.3 Discussion on findings 50 Chapter F... As a result of the increased use of water, there have been serious damages to the environment. For example many rivers are receding, half of the global wetlands have been eroded and freshwater fish have virtually become endangered species.1 It is hardly surprising that in more recent times there has a been heightened awareness that the world expects to confront a water crisis.2 These developments over the last century have transferred over to state development of water conservation strategies that require a balancing of two conflicting interests: the significance of water for human existence and need to protect the earth’s natural resources. However, in order for the world’s natural resources to be effectively conserved, national laws, practices and policies require some form of harmony with one another. This is particularly so in the case of waterways which not only adjourn different international borders but are frequently traversed and used by many nationals. For thi s reason there have been attempts to harmonize national legal and policy strategies for the conservation of waterways at international law. In this regard, the management of international rivers is a particularly acute concern. The UN Convention on the Law of the Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses 1997 (hereinafter the Convention) has set the criteria by which the management of water worldwide should be based.3 Although national laws apply to the management of international rivers, those national laws are required to coincide with the criteria established by the Convention. In other words as a standard setting international legal instrument, the Convention should prevail over national laws of contracting states. However, this kind of expected

Lights and optics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Lights and optics - Essay Example This theory formulated a new way of visualization of the propagation of waves called as â€Å"Huygens† Principle. Newton’s Particle Theory Newton’s particle theory of light is also known as the Corpuscular Theory of Light. Newton published Opticks in the year 1704, 17 years after the publishing of Principia (â€Å"Newton’s Particle Theory†). In Opticks, Newton said that light is made up of little masses, which implies that a horizontal light beam near the earth forms a parabola, thus undergoing a projectile motion. The immensity of the speed of particles of which light is composed is the reason why it is observed as a straight line in spite of its projectile motion. The speed of the travelling of light is 300m per microsecond, during which â€Å"it should fall a distance y = 1/2gt2 = 5*10-12 m, much too small to be seen† (â€Å"Newton’s Particle Theory†). The particle model easily explained a range of the then known properties o f light. For instance, it explained why the angle of incidence and the angle of reflection of light were equal as light reflected from a smooth surface. This also explained the phenomenon of bouncing back of a frictionless elastic ball from a smooth surface. Refraction is a major property of the particle theory of light. ... on of wave was in parallel direction to the wave travel’s direction rather than perpendicular to the wave travel direction as happens in the case of light. Although the Corpuscular Theory of Light could explain the phenomena of primary and secondary rainbows, yet it failed to lay down an appropriate explanation of the supernumerary bow, the iridescent cloud, or the corona. The Wave Theory of Light Huygens proposed a successful theory of the wave motion of light in three dimensions. In this theory, Huygens said that light wave emerges from surfaces like onion’s layers. Light waves are spherical in uniform mediums or vacuum. As the wave surfaces propagate with the speed of light, they spread out. According to Huygens, gravity does not affect the light waves. Huygens disagreed with Newton saying that the speed of light reduces as it travels from air to water whereas it increases when it moves from water to air. Later, Huygens was found to be correct. Each color exhibited b y the wave as it spreads out from the source carries a different wavelength. Supernumerary bows could be explained with the assumption of light as a wave. Huygens wave theory elaborates the reason why light spreads out of a slit or a pin hole instead of making a straight line. Although the theory of Newton preceded Huygens’s, yet early experiments were explained better by the theory of Huygens. Huygens’s principle can be used to assess the location of a certain wavefront in the future if its present location is known. The Dual Nature of Light In the year 1803, Thomas Young shone light through a screen to study the interference of light waves. The screen had two equally separated slits. As light passed through them, it emerged spreading out following the Huygen’s principle. The two wave fronts

Enter Golden Gator Essay Example for Free

Enter Golden Gator Essay One evening, zoo officials and animal experts alike captured a 3-foot alligator at the Presidios Mountain Lake. With the help of an expert alligator trapper, they were able to snare the 2-year old alligator by rod, reel, and hook. However, it did elude them a lot of times over. Many wondered how he even got to the lake on the first place. Some assumed that someone may have left him there, or was able to seek refuge and survive by eating fish, frogs, tadpoles, and insects. The little alligator found a new home at the San Francisco zoo, according to the zoos general curator, David Robinett. He added that the gator will be quarantined for 30 days. Furthermore, mice will be added on his diet during that said time period. The presence of the gator at the Bay area, especially on the mountain lake, aroused the curiosity of the people. It seems that gators tend to be more adaptive to colder conditions as opposed to their tropical cousins, the crocodiles. In a Name the Gator contest sponsored by the San Francisco Examiner

Jean Luc Godard?s Weekend as Didactic Self-Reflexive Cinema Essay

According to Stephen Prince in Movies and Meaning: an Introduction to Film, Screen Reality is a concept that pertains to the principles of time, space, character behavior and audiovisual design that filmmakers systematically organize in a given film to create an ordered world on-screen in which characters may act and in which a narrative may unfold.(262) One mode of cinematic screen reality is self-reflexivity. While the other three modes of screen reality seek to sway the audience into accepting the authenticity of the world and the story that are on screen, the self-reflexive style deliberately attempts to tear down the illusion of the cinema. In doing so, it reinforces the awareness that film is socially and culturally constructed and that at its core, film is art, not reality. There are two purposes in using self reflexive techniques, either for comedy or with the hope of addressing a social or cultural issue. (Prince 290) The more familiar of the two modes of self-reflexive cinema make use of a comedic style, and what's more, many contemporary comedies embody comedic self-reflexivity (Prince 291). These comedies do so because it facilitates a more personal rapport between the characters and the audience, thus amplifying the humor that can be seen in the narrative. However, there are certain limitations to comic self reflexivity. By presupposing the audience’s familiarity with the humor or references in the narrative, the mode risks reaching an audience that does not relate to the material presented. Some films are unable to meet a large audience because their narratives are constructed from â€Å"inside† jokes that can not be understood by all who will see it. (Prince 290) The other mode of self-reflexive cinema that addresses an issue of importance is commonly known as didactic self-reflexivity. Beginning in the 1920s with Bertolt Brecht, a playwright who wanted to craft plays that were reflective of society and that made sure the audience was aware of this. He wished that his work inform the public and impact social change, to share his perception without a screen. Seeing realism as an impediment that kept the audience from perceiving the message of the art, Brecht sought to devise theater that was uncompromisingly revolutionary and candid. This new style was characterized by the employment of titles to reveal the next action, in the way tha... ...aken from a scene. For instance, a title passes on screen reading "World / 3", just before the African and Arab workers explain their optimism and their reasons for accepting the necessity for violence. As seen throughout the film, Godard uses these titles as a device to: Introduce and set off a given scene from the surrounding context of the narrative, tell viewers what it is they are about to see, remind viewers of the filmmakers intrusion on the narrative, and emphasize the way the filmmaker has chosen to shape and organize the structure of the film. Filmmakers like Jean Luc Godard employ the devices of the self-reflexive mode of screen reality because they do not value the mode of realism or expressionism to adequately convey some social truth or ideal. In choosing a didactic style of representational reality, he sought to guide and direct the viewer through the key representations and dialogues within the film. Godard believes that it is necessary for the audience to read the film as it must be without misinterpretation and as such has employed didactic self-reflexive devices which facilitate a clear reading of the film. The film is the message for Godard.

The TQM & HR: How Business Functions and Works

Over the past few decades, Total Quality Management (TQM) has become a business wide concept. One important aspect often overlooked is the relationship between TQM and Human Resources (HR). Both of these aspects play a significant role in how ones business functions and works. Even though they are both equally recognized as key components of any prospering productive business, there is limited current research that discusses the link between the two. The purpose of this study is to present the current data on the subject as well as offer new information that may help business use these aspects of their businesses more effectively. As is inevitable for any idea that enjoys wide popularity in managerial and scholarly circles, total quality management has come to mean different things to different people. There is now such a diversity of things done under the name â€Å"total quality† that it has become unclear whether TQM still has an identifiable conceptual core, if it ever did. We begin with a close examination of what the movement's founders had to say about what TQM was supposed to be, and then we assess how TQM as currently practiced stacks up against the founders) values and prescriptions. (Hackman & Wageman, 1995) Virtually everything that has been written about TQM explicitly draws on the works of W. Edwards Deming, Joseph Juran, and Kaoru Ishikawa, the primary authorities of the TQM movement. Rather than studying the precise writing, this research simply draws on the main concepts presented by them. TQM has become something of a social movement in the United States. Hackman & Wageman (1995) identify a number of gaps in what is known about TQM processes and outcomes and explore the congruence between TQM practices and behavioral science knowledge about motivation, learning, and change in social systems. It has now been a decade since the core ideas of TQM set forth by W. Edwards Deming, Joseph Juran, and Kaoru Ishikawa gained significant acceptance in the U. S. management community. In that decade, TQM has become something of a social movement. It has spread from its industrial origins to health care organizations, public bureaucracies, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions. There are particular assumptions set in place regarding TQM. The first assumption is about quality, which is assumed to be less costly to an organization than is poor workmanship. A fundamental premise of TQM is that the costs of poor quality (such as inspection, rework, lost customers, and so on) are far greater than the costs of developing processes that produce high-quality products and services. Although the organizational purposes espoused by the TQM authorities do not explicitly address traditional economic and accounting criteria of organizational effectiveness, their view is that organizations that produce quality goods will eventually do better even on traditional measures such as profitability than will organizations that attempt to keep costs low by compromising quality. The strong version of this assumption, implicit in Juran and Ishikawa but explicit and prominent in Deming's writing, is that producing quality products and services is not merely less costly but, in fact, is absolutely essential to long-term organizational survival. (Hackman & Wageman, 1995) The second assumption is about people. Employees naturally care about the quality of work they do and will take initiatives to improve it–so long as they are provided with the tools and training that are needed for quality improvement, and management pays attention to their ideas. As stated by Juran (1974: 4. 54), â€Å"The human being exhibits an instinctive drive for precision, beauty, and perfection. When unrestrained by economics, this drive has created the art treasures of the ages. † Deming and Ishikawa add that an organization must remove ail organizational systems that create fear–such as punishment for poor performance, appraisal systems that involve the comparative evaluation of employees, and merit pay. The third assumption is that organizations are systems of interdependent parts, and the central problems they face invariably cross-traditional functional lines. To produce high-quality products efficiently, for example, product designers must address manufacturing challenges and trade-offs as part of the design process. Deming and Juran are insistent that cross-functional problems must be addressed collectively by representatives of all relevant functions (Juran, 1969: 80-85; Deming, 1993: 50-93). Ishikawa, by contrast, is much less system-oriented: He states that cross-functional teams should not set overall directions; rather, each line division should set its own goals using local objective-setting procedures. (Hackman & Wageman, 1995) The final assumption concerns senior management. Quality is viewed as ultimately and inescapably the responsibility of top management. Because senior managers create the organizational systems that determine how products and services are designed and produced, the quality-improvement process must begin with management's own commitment to total quality. Employees' work effectiveness is viewed as a direct function of the quality of the systems that managers create. Some writers have asserted that TQM provides a historically unique approach to improving organizational effectiveness, one that has a solid conceptual foundation and, at the same time, offers a strategy for improving performance that takes account of how people and organizations actually operate. In the early 1980s, a new concept entered managerial discourse: Total Quality Management (TQM). Later called â€Å"Total Quality† (TQ), TQM was heralded by governments, major corporations and the business media as the most effective and elegant way out of the economic crisis and into the global market. It should be noted, however, that the preoccupation with quality is by no means new. In the 1980s, TQM became a product in itself, nearly a billion-dollar industry (Giroux & Landry, 1998). Human Resources has been seen as an ineffective business component by some researchers, one in which only gave reason the everyday paperwork and employee relations (Jones, 1996). Globalization in the business theater is driving companies toward a new view of quality as a necessary tool to compete successfully in worldwide markets. A direct outcome of this new emphasis is the philosophy of TQM. In essence, TQM is a company-wide perspective that strives for customer satisfaction by seeking zero defects in products and services. (Clinton, Williamson & Bethke, 1994) TQM is an encompassing management approach whose principal tenets are to satisfy (internal and external) customer needs through strategies of employee empowerment and performance measurement. Customer needs are addressed through the multi-faceted concept of quality,' which includes such elements as performance, conformance, accuracy, reliability, and timeliness. In many instances, these elements are quantifiable and, hence, subject to evaluation, assessment, and continuous improvement. Employee empowerment is used because it allows employees to address customer problems in a timely and often tailored way (Berman & West, 1995) A common problem with the implementation of productivity improvement innovations such as TQM is that many organizations implement them at a token level rather than fully committing themselves to success (Downs and Mohr, 1980; Miller, 1993). Token implementation, or paying lip service, occurs because organizations and individuals receive recognition and other benefits from being or appearing to be in line with current thinking, while avoiding the risks of actual innovation. Such behavior is reinforced by perceptions of meager rewards for success or often severe, punitive consequences of failure. Token implementation also occurs as the result of a flawed implementation plan, inadequate commitment, and follow-through by those mandating the implementation of innovation, a lack of training in applying the innovation, incongruent organizational policies, and other factors (Radin and Coffee, 1993). TQM provides a paradigm shift in management philosophy for improving organizational effectiveness. TQM focuses the efforts of all members of the organization to continuously improve all organizational processes and increase value to customers, while relying upon a clear vision of the organization's purpose. This depends on the removal of barriers both within the organization and between the organization and its various stakeholders. TQM has been embraced by thousands of organizations as an important, approach to management. The key reason human resources was not effective in the past was the structure, which was hierarchical and functional. Another deterrent to human resource effectiveness is the lack of collaborative relationships with the business units. Human resources had historically managed from a position of control, so there was hot a real sense of partnership with the units. Human resource strategy and planning has changed and grown significantly during the last 25 years. We can track these developments from functional strategies in the 1980s to capabilities strategies in the 1990s to results strategies today. Strategic shifts in HR mirror the business and labor market conditions of the times and follow influential breakthroughs in business thinking, from the 7-S model to competing on core competencies to the current rise of operating models and execution. Longer-term changes in the employment relationship, from relational to transactional employment, and the current emerging three-part workforce of elites, profit makers, and costs, provide another important context for HR strategy and a way to view the future. Looking ahead, we can see differentiated, results-based strategies and plans for different workforce segments. We can also envision the need for more vital contributions from HR in HR and business strategy and ethical and cultural leadership. (Gunman, 2004) As Conner (1997) reported in the research, Working, people care desperately about the meaning of their work and its significance. This conclusion is a fundamental principle of organization theory and behavior, human resources management, and public personnel management. It rests on a nearly unshakable empirical foundation. Employees who â€Å"experience meaningfulness† from their work are more likely to enjoy high internal work motivation and high job satisfaction, to exhibit less absenteeism and turnover, and to do high-quality work. In addition to reminding us that people want to experience meaning in and from their work, the quality movement emphasizes the notion of â€Å"empowerment. † Unfortunately, what this term means is not exactly clear, perhaps because it means different things to different people. The idea seems to be that people are empowered† to the degree that they understand what is expected of them; they are given the ability to meet those expectations; and they are given an incentive, either intrinsic or extrinsic, to do so. It follows, then, that they are empowered to translate their understanding into goal-accomplishing behavior. Some organization theorists describe empowerment as a â€Å"psychological mindset,† which comprises several dimensions: the fit between one's job and personal values; the belief that one has the necessary knowledge, skills, and so forth, to perform a job or task well; and the belief that one can make a difference with respect to organizational outcomes. Making quality improvements was once thought to be the sole responsibility of specialists (quality engineers, product designers, and process engineers). Today, developing quality across the entire firm can be an important function of the HRM department. A failure on HRM's part to recognize this opportunity and act on it may result in the loss of TQM implementation responsibilities to other departments with less expertise in training and development. The ultimate consequence of this loss is an ineffective piece-mealing of the TQM strategy. Thus, HRM should act as the pivotal change agent necessary for the successful implementation of TQM. (Clinton, Williamson & Bethke, 1994) HRM can act as senior management's tool in implementing TQM in two fundamental ways. First, by modeling the TQM philosophy and principles within its departmental operations, the HR department can serve as a beachhead for the TQM process throughout the company. Second, the HR department, with senior management's support, can take the TQM process company-wide by developing and delivering the long-term training and development necessary for the major organizational culture shift required by TQM. The HR department also has major strengths in terms of recruitment, selection, appraisal, and reward system development to institutionalize a quality-first orientation. An appreciation of the capabilities of HRM to model and institutionalize TQM begins with an understanding of the TQM philosophy. HRM can jumpstart the TQM process by becoming a role model. (Clinton, Williamson & Bethke, 1994) This means that HRM has two specific tasks: â€Å"Serving our customers, and making a significant contribution to running the business. † This emphasis on customer-oriented service means that the HR department must see other departments in the firm as their customer groups for whom making-continuing improvements in service becomes a way of life. In their efforts to achieve total quality management, HRM can demonstrate commitment to TQM principles by soliciting feedback from its internal customer groups on current HR services. HRM should include suggestions from its customers in setting objective performance standards and measures. In other words, there are a number of specific TQM principles that the HR department can model. The current emphasis on quality as a competitive strategy has produced many views regarding the actions necessary to achieve it. A number of approaches have been created that have been considered as effective. There are five basic principles, which flow throughout the different themes. Focus on customers' needs; Focus on problem prevention, not correction; make continuous improvements: seek to meet customers' requirements on time, the first time, every time; Train employees in ways to improve quality; and, apply the team approach to problem solving. To institute total quality management as a philosophy within an organization, all employees must come to realize that satisfying customers is essential to the long-run well-being of the firm and their jobs. No longer is the customer-driven focus exclusive to the marketing department. However, customer satisfaction can only be achieved after first defining the customer groups. The new perspective here is that all employees exist to serve their customer groups, some internal and some external to the firm. The human resources department has internal customers to satisfy, which indirectly provides ultimate satisfaction to external customers. In addition to identifying customer groups, there are other essential TQM customer issues. Clarifying what products and services will provide maximum customer satisfaction, measuring satisfaction, and continually monitoring and improving the level of customer satisfaction are all fundamental to the TQM philosophy. For the HR department, applying these TQM issues would translate into identifying the expectations of senior management, their principal internal customer, regarding TQM, and spearheading the TQM program's implementation based on those expectations. TQM in practice for HRM might also mean periodic surveys, both formal and face-to-face, to monitor senior management's levels of satisfaction as the TQM process unfolds. Giroux & Landry, 1998). The TQM approach entails identifying the wants and needs of customer groups and then propelling the entire organization toward fulfilling these needs. A customer's concerns must be taken seriously, and organizations should make certain that its employees are empowered to make decisions that will ensure a high level of customer satisfaction. This can be achieved by promoting an environment of self-initiative and by not creating a quagmire of standard operating procedures and company policies. Flexibility is the key, especially in a business environment that is diverse and constantly changing, as most are today. In modeling these aspects of the TQM process, the HR department would need to identify human resource concerns of other departments and undertake to continually improve its performance, especially in any trouble areas that become known. Based on this â€Å"customer first† orientation, organizational members are constantly seeking to improve products or services. Employees are encouraged to work together across organizational boundaries. Underlying these cooperative efforts are two crucial ideas. One is that the initial contact with the customer is critical and influences all future association with that customer. The other idea is that it is more costly to acquire new customers than to keep the customers you already have. Exemplifying TQM here would mean that the HR department would need to train itself, focusing on being customer-driven toward other departments. Quality improvement programs typically involve the directed efforts of quality improvement (QI) teams. Using teams and empowering employees to solve quality-related issues using such tools as statistical process control. (SPC) represent fundamental changes in how many businesses operate. The Focus of SPC, also known as statistical quality control (SQC), is defect prevention as opposed to defect correction. Defect prevention results from continuously monitoring and improving the process. In this context, â€Å"process† refers to service delivery as well as manufacturing. To ensure that output meets quality specifications, monitoring is performed by periodically inspecting small samples of the product. SPC alone will not ensure quality improvement; rather, it is a tool for monitoring and identifying quality problems. (Giroux & Landry, 1998). The effective use of quality improvement teams, and the TQM system as a whole, can be reinforced by applying basic principles of motivation. In particular, the recognition of team accomplishments as opposed to those of individuals, and the effective use of goal setting for group efforts, are important in driving the TQM system. The HR department is in a position to help institutionalize team approaches to TQM by designing appraisal and reward systems that focus on team performance. After 25 years of progress, we can look at HR strategy and planning to see where it has been, where it is, and where it may go. Keep in mind three intertwining elements: change, continuity, and context. In HR strategy and planning, the overriding changes are big ones: From little strategic thinking before 1980 to functional strategies throughout the 1980s and early 1990s to capability strategies in the 1990s to results strategies, which are emerging today. (Gubman, 2004) Functional strategies describe HR processes that usually are synonymous with parts of the HR department. Therefore, we have training strategies or compensation and benefit strategies, depending on which HR programs most need attention or answer some particular organizational issue. Capability strategies address the culture, competencies, and commitments the business needs to succeed and how HR can secure them. If the business strategy is to become a leader in a new technology, this means organizing and recruiting a new generation of engineers and scientists to launch a research and development group. Alternatively, if the company needs to improve customer service in its call center, it means becoming a leader in work/life programs to attract and retain highly skilled customer service representatives who get more flexible work arrangements. Gubman, (2004) reported that results strategies are comprised of the HR-related business outcomes that are part of companies' overall business strategies. For a mega discount retailer, an HR results strategy is a specific level of speed and cost in recruiting and hiring, designed to provide people at the right time, volumes, and prices. For an insurance company, it's the timely development of a particular number of agents to grow the business. Often these strategies are part of a balanced portfolio of performance measures. Continuity refers to the three challenges always in front of HR: Attract, develop, and retain talent; Align, engage, and measure and reward performance; and continually control or reduce HR program and people spending. These challenges are timeless, and every HR function can be arranged under one of them. You might even say these are why HR exists: It fulfills these tasks for the organization. Because of this, HR leaders have to handle all three challenges well; HR strategists need to pay attention to all of them, not something they always do. Truly, how much strategy is directed at cost control? Usually it is not even seen as a strategic issue. Yet it is easy to argue now that the biggest HR trend of the last 10 years, at least as measured in program dollars, has been outsourcing key HR processes. In addition, this trend is likely to continue until the last dollar of excess costs has been saved. Particularly intriguing is how these challenges wax and wane depending on the economy. All three are always present, but which one dominates depends largely on the robustness of the economy and the job market. When jobs are plentiful and talent is in shorter supply, attracting, developing, and retaining moves to the forefront and somewhat less attention is paid to the other two. When there are more people than jobs, and there are pressures on profits, increasing productivity through measurement and reward and cost controls/reductions take the main stage. This argues for a high level of economic knowledge and awareness among HR leaders and strategists. They should be able to make a nimble reading of the economic situation–macro, industry, company, and division–to know what to emphasize. We could argue about how many are knowledgeable and can react to changing economic conditions, but it is easy to agree few writings on HR strategy even broach the topic. The economy and the job market are part of the context in which HR operates. The last 20 years have seen dramatic shifts in technology, globalization, and workforce demographics and values. Each of these affects HR strategy and planning significantly. Some impacts can only be seen over a long period of time and appear quite gradual. Others appear in the blink of an eye. How many among us were talking about the permanent loss of high-knowledge jobs to developing countries as little as 12 months ago? If we are truly strategic thinkers, keep in mind how all of these elements–the changes from functional to capability to results strategies, the three constant challenges or tasks of HR, and the power of contextual influences (the economy, technology, globalization, and the changing workforce)–interact as we survey past, present, and future in HR strategy and planning. We probably will fall short in drawing all the connections and implications of these powerful variables. After all, as Jim Walker pointed out in 1980, strategic thinking is hard work. (Gubman, 2004) For many companies, the philosophy of TQM represents a major culture shift away from a traditional production-driven atmosphere. In the face of such radical operational makeovers, a determined implementation effort is vital to prevent TQM from becoming simply latitudinal and the team approaches just another management fad. Senior management must take the lead in overt support of TQM. Human resource management can plan a vital role in implementing and maintaining a total quality management process. HR managers are responsible for recruiting high-quality employees, the continual training and development of those employees, and the creation and maintenance of reward systems. Thus, TQM controls processes that are central to achieving the dramatic cultural changes often required for TQM to succeed. Tailoring the TQM cultural development program to the firm's circumstances is essential in overcoming resistance to change and moving beyond simple compliance toward a total commitment to TQM. Holding a major liaison role between top management and employees, HRM has many opportunities to establish communication channels between top management and other members of the organization. Using these channels, HR personnel can ensure that employees know they are the organization's number one priority in implementing TQM. Building trust through an open exchange of ideas can help allay fears regarding the work-role changes that TQM requires. This can provide the foundation for all employees to be trained to consider their peers in other departments as internal customers. Here again, HRM has the opportunity to emphasize this new outlook by example. By exemplifying a customer-first orientation, HRM can help establish a departmental view of service throughout the entire organization. Part of HRM's functional expertise is its ability to monitor and survey employee attitudes. This expertise can be particularly important for a TQM program, since getting off to a good start means having information about current performance. Thus, a preparatory step is to administer an employee survey targeting two primary concerns. One involves identifying troublesome areas in current operations, where improvements in quality can have the most impact on company performance. The other focuses on determining existing employee perceptions and attitudes toward quality as a necessary goal, so that the implementation program itself can be fine-tuned for effectiveness. In general, HRM is responsible for providing training and development. With their background, HR departments are well positioned to take the leading role in providing such programs consistent with the TQM philosophy. HR managers have an important opportunity to communicate a history of their organization's TQM program and its champions. Equally important, HRM can tell stories of employees who are currently inspiring the TQM philosophy. As corporate historian, the HR department should be primarily responsible for relaying the TQM culture to members of the organization in employee orientation training. Beyond communicating the TQM philosophy, the specific training and development needs for making TQM a practical reality must be assessed. Basically, HR professionals must decide the following: What knowledge and skills must be taught? How? What performance (behaviors) will be recognized, and how will we reward them? HRM has faced these questions before and can best confront them in the TQM process. Training and development that does not fit within the realm of these questions will more than likely encounter heavy resistance. However, training and development does fall within the realm of these questions probably will be accepted more readily. Quality can no longer be viewed as the responsibility for one department. It is a company-wide activity that permeates all departments, at all levels. The key element of any quality and productivity improvement program is the employee. Consequently, employee commitment to a TQM program is essential. Because of its fundamental employee orientation, HRM should seek the responsibility for implementing TQM programs rather than risk losing their influence over the key element of TQM — the employee. Organizations with a solid reputation for providing high customer satisfaction have a common viewpoint: consistently taking care of the smaller duties is just as important as the larger concerns. Just as they attempt to instill an overall quality philosophy across the company, HRM can emphasize consistent quality in its own operations. The day-to-day delivery of basic HR services can be just as important as developing strategic programs that may have higher visibility and supposedly greater long-term consequences. As a guardian of such functions as recruitment and selection, training and development, performance evaluation and reward systems, the HRM professional is best able to take charge of these important functions as they relate to a TQM strategy. The full potential of the entire work force must be realized by encouraging commitment, participation, teamwork, and learning. HRM is best suited to accomplishing this by modeling these qualities. Leading by example, the HR department could then sustain the long-term TQM process company-wide. A by-product of setting a TQM example can be the improved standing of the HR department in the eyes of other, traditionally more influential departments. (10) But, the primary end result can be total quality management as a successful competitive strategy for organizational survival. (Clinton, Williamson & Bethke, 1994) Not only has the presented data shown the significance of TQM and HRM, it has also supported the idea that there is a strong correlation between the two, and it is necessary to have a balance and understanding of the importance of each aspect of business. Therefore, when discussing the relation between the two it is easy to state that they go hand in hand. It is also evident that they enhance one another. As stated earlier, both concepts separately were see as positive aspects with faults and difficulties, however, those problems and difficulties seem to diminish substantially when the two concepts are intermingled and utilized to their fullest extent.

Article on Statue of Liberty Awaits and Analysis

Statue of Liberty Impatiently Awaits Repairs On November 30 2012, New York’s, Statue of Liberty, was brutally disturbed by Mother Nature powerful waves, Sandy. Hurricane Sandy has made an impact on the grounds of The Statue of liberty worth about $56 Million. About 75% of the island flooded, damaging the island, but the statue itself emerged unscathed. Up till today, the New York Harbor landmark still remains closed as workers repair the damage wreaked on Liberty Island.With money being tight for the repairs there will be little amounts left for the repairing damages of the retail stores and other commercials on the island. Not only did the president of the Statue lose a great deal of money, but so did the market, retail and concession owners as their business literally goes down the drain. With furious tourist along with this disaster concludes to the question of, when will New York’s Statue of Liberty reopen? Analysis The main focus of the article is the reopening con cern of, The Statue of Liberty.This article clearly demonstrates a global interaction among tourism. Many tourists are furious and extremely disappointed that they will have to further wait till the release date for the reopening of Liberty Island. However, this occurrence does affect many Canadians -Canada, being a French/English country acquires many tourists that love visiting the beautiful gift from the French to the Americans, Ms. Liberty. Though, this does not only affect Canadian tourists; but all tourists who wish to see the beautiful Statue of Liberty, presently. ?

e-business Models and Benefits essays

e-business Models and Benefits essays The business to consumer website is often used for commercial purposes. The term applies to businesses or organizations that sell products and services to consumers over the internet, as long as those services are for the consumer's own use. The website owner sets specific prices for specific merchandise, and the consumer pays those prices. Their target audience is the average consumer, rather than businesses or An example of a B2C website is that of Barnes located at bn.com. Barnes the average consumer looking to purchase products ranging from books to music and gifts. The site is designed to sell merchandise to individuals. In order to better serve their target audience, sites like Barnes Noble use multiple features to assist their customers. For example, the Barnes site contains a search feature. This search allows consumers to quickly and easily find the item they wish to purchase. Conversely, they also offer a browse feature, designed for the consumer looking to purchase an item, but not knowing which item they want. Each type of item is broken down into specific categories for easier searching. Additionally, B2C models such as that used by Barnes also offer features to enhance their customers' experiences. The Barnes site for example offers online book clubs as well as membership clubs, which offer the consumer additional money-saving opportunities. Customers can also use their online shopping cart to place or change orders, as well as check the Still further, B2C sites like Barnes offer wish list creation, to allow consumers to place items they will eventually buy on a list for later retrieval. This type of customization can also be seen in relation to shipping options, as consumers can choose how quickly the merchandise is to be shipped. The site also offers newslett...

Accounting for Carbon

INTRODUCTION This article describes the impact of using various methods to calculate carbon emissions. This article briefly introduces the Kyoto Protocol. Then that involves accounting issues surrounding the carbon. The starting point to solve is to calculate carbon credits and free quota and then calculate debt. After considering current carbon accounting practices such as the International Financial Reporting Interpretation Committee Act No. 3, the net debt approach, approval of government subsidies, several other issues must be considered . Carbon accounts are listed as one of three Alipay accounts along with cash accounts and credit accounts to measure the user's low carbon activity. Ant Financials believes that the future of finance is green finance and we are committed to making the carbon account a global carbon measurement, trading and sharing platform. Carbon dioxide emissions from individuals, countries, or organizations can be measured by implementing greenhouse gas emissi ons estimates or other computational activities expressed as carbon calculations. Once you know the size of the carbon footprint, for example, through strategies to reduce it through technical development, process and product management improvements, green public or private procurement (GPP) changes, carbon recovery, consumption strategies, carbon offset, etc. You can design. . There are several free online carbon footprint calculators, including publicly available peer-reviewed data and computing support, such as the University of California, Berkeley's CoolClimate Network Research Alliance and CarbonStory. These sites are asking for answers to more or less detailed questions about meals, transportation, family size, shopping and entertainment activities, electricity consumption, heating, and heavy machinery such as dryers and refrigerators. The first step is to measure the carbon footprint of the company. But before you escape you will have to do some reading and start adding numb ers. So-called carbon accounting - There is a specific rule for carbon dioxide equivalent to corporate emissions, whether it is a national state, whether it is a company or an individual - the habit of measuring it. Let's see an example. Imagine your company selling widgets at Amazon provided by delivery company UPS. When someone buys one of your gadgets, the carbon used to deliver it is burned by your company, Amazon, UPS, or end user? It is difficult to say intuitively, but from the viewpoint of common sense, you can see that all parties are involved in different degrees.

Corporate Imperialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Corporate Imperialism - Essay Example From the article â€Å"Shooting an elephant†, which was written by Orwell, imperialism is presented as plain robbery. The British controlled everything: resources, rules, and the whole Burmese (Orwell p2). Nowadays, plain imperialism has lost its standing in the world because under the peace and developed science world, violence is killed. However, although violence does not work anymore, invasion of a country by another can never be stopped. People have stopped using violence in invasions but have adopted new methods of invasion. For instance, to make an entrance in other countries, people create multinational companies, which then set their factories into these countries. Through these factories they are able to control the politics and the economy of these countries. This behavior of the multinational companies is referred to as corporate imperialism. Corporate imperialism by the multinational companies not only depredates other countries resources, but also brings a differ ent culture that could confuse the minds of the local people. Pure imperialism and corporate imperialism are twin brother and sister; they have the same nature-plunder other countries’ resources. The only difference is that pure imperialism uses weapons to invade countries, and corporate imperialism uses business as its invading weapon. ... The way they make more profit is that they set factories into these countries, and hire the indigenes that are paid low labor fee to handle the factories and cheaply make their the products from the local materials. For example, the reason why you could see â€Å"Made in China† everywhere now is because the factories have taken advantage of the Chinese low worker’s labor fee to produce more products in the market. Like Chitra Divakaruni presented in her article â€Å"Live Free and Starve†, once the U.S raised a ban on goods made by indentured or forced child labor, the children would be unemployed and they could die anytime due to lack of food. Without the jobs they could not purchase supplies to live. Therefore, in this way the U.S controlled their economy system, because without the jobs, they could not take care of their lives (Chitra). This is just like pure imperialism; people are controlled by intruder’s rule. In other words, simple rule, the more th e resources can be got, the more profit can be made. Like playing a tactic game, the more base you have, and the more chances you can win the game. When your base is getting out of resources, invade others. English now becomes a national language because European and American companies are all over the world. When multinational companies set into other countries, they also set their culture into the countries. Again, like pure imperialism, corporate imperialism also brings its own culture to the local people in order to control their mind. The cultures affect them to an extent that they could be crazy about foreign things and obsequious to foreigners. For instance, take a look at Hong Kong, before it was returned, it was controlled by