During the interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

During the interview - Essay Example In this speech, I will explicate what happens during an interview. I would like to bring to your attention that an interview starts immediately the candidate enters the facility hosting the interview. In this regard, it is fundamental to arrive early and be in good behavior both at the waiting room and inside the interview room. As explicated by San Francisco State University Student Involvement and Career Center, the receptionist may also be a part of the recruitment team and may therefore be asked to elucidate a candidates behavior in the waiting room (para. 2). Another point to remember relates to first impressions. Ensuring eye contact with the interviewer confirms a candidates self confidence. Other than eye contact, dressing code helps the panel form an impression about the candidate (Time 118). Since an interview is an official event, interviewees are expected to dress formally. For men, presenting themselves in tucked-in shirts and neat hair gives a positive impression. Conversely, wearing a formal dress or suit as well as plaiting ones hair also gives a positive impression for women. In reference to the interview process, Das, in his book Business Communication, asserts the importance of giving a firm and brief handshake to the panel as introductions are being conducted (154). In essence, a handshake is a sign of respect and etiquette. According to San Francisco State University Student Involvement and Career Center, shaking hands with the panel is a sign of self confidence (para. 2). To begin the interview, the panel in most cases starts the process with reflective language posited by San Francisco State University Student Involvement and Career Center as small talk (para. 3). This is geared towards helping the candidate relieve his or her nervousness. For instance, small talk may revolve around topics such as current news or weather. In other words, small talk is intended to make

Ethical Leadership in the 21st Century Essay Example for Free

Ethical Leadership in the 21st Century Essay Leadership is a critical component of the organizations culture as leaders can create, maintain, or change culture. Thus, leadership is significant to establishing an ethically oriented culture. The idea that corporate leaders are accountable for organizational ethics is not a new one. In 1938, management theorist Chester I. Barnard described the executives role in â€Å"forming morals for others† in his book The Functions of the Executive. Barnard suggested that the purpose of developing organizational morals is a distinctive characteristic of executive work going far beyond the moral challenges faced by individuals usually. Besides superior technical skills, a high capability for responsibility, and an intricate personal morality, this task requires moral ingenuity in defining an organizations code of ethics and instilling the basic attitudes that support it. According to a report from the Business Roundtable, a group of senior executives from major American corporations, leadership is crucial to organizational ethics. To achieve results, the Chief Executive Officer and those around the CEO need to be explicitly and strongly committed to ethical conduct, and give constant leadership in tending and mending the values of the organization. † (Business Roundtable, 1988). In surveys of practicing managers, honesty and competence appear as the most important qualities identified as essential to good leadership (Barry Z. Posner and William H. Schmidt, 1992, 33). This view was echoed by Vin Sarni, former CEO of PPG Industries, a large multinational firm, in a 1992 speech to Penn State business school students. Sarni said that the title CEO stands for Chief Ethics Officer, a statement that recognizes how important it is for the organizations leader to set the firms ethical standards (Trevino and Nelson, 1995). If the organizations leaders seem to care only concerning the short-term bottom line, employees rapidly get that message too. John G. Rangos, Sr. , the founder of Chambers Development Co. a waste management firm, demanded bottom-line results. When executives reported to him in 1990 that profits would fall short of projections, he is quoted to have said, â€Å"Go find the rest of it. † And so they did, until an outside audit in 1992 found that the company had erroneously reported strong profits in every year since 1985, though it was losing money all the time. Former employees say that, in the pursuit of growth, influenced numbers were tolerated, or perhaps even encouraged. One former employee who found discrepancies in 1988 was told, â€Å"This is how the game is played. (Trevino and Nelson, 1995) Leaders symbolize significant others in the organizational lives of employees, with considerable power qua behavior role models or simply power, in the meaning of being able to force others to carry out ones own will. Leaders example and decisions affect not simply the employees who report to them, but also the stockholders, suppliers, customers, the community, the country, and even the world. Considerations of the ethical component in day-to-day decisions will set the tone for others who interrelate with the company. Thus, the image of the business leader will affect how others choose to deal with the company and will have continuing effects, as all managers and employees look to the highest level for their cues as to what is suitable. Top executives must live up to the ethical standards they are espousing and imply ethical behaviors in others. Leadership can make a difference in forming an ethical or unethical organizational culture. Work on ethical and unethical charismatic leaders also highlights the significance of the leader in the ethics equation. More particularly, charismatic leaders can be very effective leaders, yet they can vary in their ethical standards. Such differences determine the degree to which an organization builds an ethically oriented culture, the types of values followers will be exposed to, and the role models with whom employees will have their most direct personal contact (Howell and Avolino, 1992, 43-54). One way to pull together the contributions concerning how organizational culture is shaped and reinforced by leadership style is to understand organizational culture as ethical climate. One could also ask to what extent the moral maturity of organizational cultures or climates, controlling reference group types, or dominating ethics types are interdependent or interacting with leadership styles. One could also ask if unethical leadership styles encourage an unethical climate or vice versa, if the effect of unethical leadership is reinforced or counteracted by the organizations ethical climate. Ethical dilemmas will frequently result in unethical behavior if an organizations leadership furthers an immature, indistinct, or negative ethical climate. Such unethical behavior is, of course, not only furthered by an unethical climate, but also reproduces such an ethical climate, in a system feedback fashion, being contagious and self-reinforcing (or perhaps infuriating internal or external counter reactions). In such instances, an organizations culture predisposes its members to perform unethically. Kent Druyvesteyn, former staff vice president, ethics, General Dynamics Corporation, made a similar point concerning leaders as ethical role models. People in leadership need to†¦set the tone by instance of their own conduct. We could have had all the workshops in the world. We could have even had Jesus and Moses and Mohamed and Buddha come and speak at our workshops. But, if after all of that, someone in a leadership position then behaved in a means which was differing to the standards that instance of misbehavior by a person in a leadership position would teach more than all the experts in the world (Trevino and Nelson, 1995). Clearly, the development of an ethical corporate culture depends on the tone set at the top. The earliest and most continuing normative formulation has underlined the responsibilities of business corporations to those affected by a companys decisions and policies. From the beginning, it has been felt that business has fiduciary duties and compulsions of performance that extend beyond the companys legal boundaries and economic goals. This view is identical to declaring that those who own the company should run it, or hire professional managers to run it, with an eye to the interests of others as well as their own. Therefore, business owners and managers are said to have a range of social responsibilities additionally to being responsible for the normal economic functions that one expects to find in a well-organized and well-run firm (Shaw, W. H. Barry, V. 2004). To maintain and diminish this perspective, its advocates have drawn on various economic, political, ideological, and socio cultural sources, though rarely acknowledging them as such. The business mind easily transmogrified this hoary maxim into the corporate context by adopting for executives the mantle of steward of the public interest, trustee of business resources, and corporate statesman anticipated to manifest a broad social vision, while not refuting their companys economic purpose and objectives (nor, it might be added, did it disturb their power). For the most part, these attributions of moral peerage were what might be called self-coronations or simple declaration, since no visible public selection process had elevated these corporate worthies to such vaunted peaks of public influence and function. Thus capable with self-anointed, regal-like responsibilities, corporate executives everywhere were advocated to adopt an enlightened self-interest perspective in approaching business decisions and originating corporate policies. To act otherwise was to risk serious inroads on business-as-usual. As the Committee for Economic Development put it, The policy of enlightened self-interest is also based on the intention that if business does not accept a fair measure of responsibility for social improvement, the interests of the corporation might actually be jeopardized. . . . By acting on its own initiative, management preserves the flexibility needed to conduct the companys affairs in a positive, efficient, and adaptive manner. The report averred that looking beyond todays bottom line would pay off in the long run by reducing social costs, dampening radical antibusiness protest, and attenuation the likelihood of government intervention into business affairs. certainly, the stability and public acceptance of business itself were said to be at risk: Indiscriminate opposition to social change [by business] not simply jeopardizes the interest of the single corporation, but also affects negatively the interest all corporations have in maintaining a climate conducive to the effective functioning of the entire business system. (Frank Abrams, 1951, p. 33). Theorists have, generally, identified four broad areas of corporate responsibility: economic, legal, moral, and social. The major premise of the four areas is found in the basic nature of the corporation, which is a surreptitiously based, economic entity with jural standing, whose members are expected to make decisions that will have a noteworthy impact on a number of constituents (Brummer, 1991). Thinkers and researchers do not always agree that a corporation has all four responsibilities. Some do not consider that corporations have a moral responsibility; others believe that moral and social responsibilities come after economic and legal ones. The economic responsibilities of corporations have been distinct in many ways. Milton Freidman, for instance, states that the economic responsibility of a firm is distinct by the corporate intervening goal. To him, a corporate overriding goal is maximum returns to investors. As long as a corporation works on the way to achieving this goal, it is deemed economically responsible (Freidman, 1970). Based on the same philosophy, Manne (Manne and Wallich, 1972) argues that the intervening goal of the corporation is to maximize shareholders profits. In the majority of instances, maximizing investors returns would lead to utmost profits, and vice versa. Herbert Simon, on the other hand, disagrees with the perception of profit maximization and strongly argues for profit satisfying. He contends that because executives should respond to a number of other objectives, factors, and constraints, and must do so in the framework of what he calls bounded rationality, they in fact seek to reach a mere satisfactory level of profit. Whether maximization or satisfying, economic responsibility proponents consider that the number one responsibility of businesses is, first, its shareholders, and then other constituents. However, the dilemma concerning the issue of harmonizing the firms economic association with its social orientation still lingers. A step in the direction of easing the confusion was taken while an inclusive definition of corporate social responsibility (CSR) was developed. A four-part conceptualization of CSR integrated the idea that the corporation has not only economic and legal responsibilities but ethical and philanthropic responsibilities as well (Carroll, 1979). The major point here is that for social responsibility to be established as legitimate, it had to address the entire spectrum of compulsions that business has to society, including the most elemental economic. Organizational responsiveness to social needs had its unveiling when early industrialists reacted to the social problem that industrialization was seen to have caused. Early on, economists as well as philosophers began to argue regarding the role of business in society and regarding what responsibility business has to society. Later, social theorists for instance Bell (1976), Bellah (Bellah et al. , 1985), and Wolfe (1989) continued the debate and raised it to a higher level of concept. They were not just concerned about the responsibility of the corporation as a social body but even more concerned concerning how the corporate revolution has altered social life. A recent evaluation of the literature recognizes no less than nine meanings for social accountability. The nine meanings were categorized by Sethi (1997) into three categories: social obligation, social reaction, as well as social responsiveness. Social obligation entails that a corporation engages in communally responsible behavior when it follows a profit within the constraints of law as forced by society. Consequently legal behavior in pursuit of profit is a communally responsible behavior, and any behavior not legal is socially negligent. Proponents of social responsibility as social compulsion offer four primary arguments to support their views first, they retain that corporations are accountable to their shareholders. Consequently, managers have the responsibility to manage the corporation in a way that would exploit owners interests. Second, socially responsible projects such as social improvement programs must be determined by law and left to the contributions of private individuals. Consequently, the government, through legislation, is best equipped to determine the nature of social development programs and to comprehend social enhancements in society. Businesses contribute in this regard by paying taxes to the government that correctly determines how they should be allocated. Third, it is a violation of management contract to give out corporate profits for social improvement programs. These actions amount to taxation without representation, according to Friedman (1970). Management is taxing the shareholders by expenditure their money on activities, which does not contribute directly to maximizing shareholders interests. Additionally, because managers are not elected public officials, they are taking actions that affect society without being accountable to society. Fourth, many people who subscribe to this school of thought believe that social programs financed by corporate managers might work to the disadvantage of society. In this sense, financial costs of social activities can, eventually, cause the price of the companys goods and services to increase, and customers would pay the bill.

The Mother-Daughter Relationship in Stand Here Ironing Essay -- Papers

The Mother-Daughter Relationship in Stand Here Ironing To many people, the ideal mother-daughter relationship is not like the one we find in this short story. In this case, however, its not being an ideal relationship is not the fault of the mother or daughter. Through her own relative thoughts, the mother illustrates the circumstances of the relationship that evolved with her daughter. Despite the mother's self incriminating thoughts, the dents in the mold of their mother-daughter relationship were made by the tough circumstances in their lives. From the beginning we hear the mother's self inculpating thoughts of all she "did or did not do." Emily is born into an unfortunate surrounding and, at the early age of eight months, her mother must leave her in the care of a woman whom Emily doesn't favor. The mother blames herself for her daughter's unhappiness and yet unknowingly justifies her actions with the immense love that she has for her. She recognizes that she was not able to be with her daughter at a time when young children want to cling to their mo...

The Story of Organic Matter Decay in Soils Essay -- Chemistry Chemical

The Story of Organic Matter Decay in Soils To most people, humus is a garlic-y chickpea spread for sandwiches or pita bread. However, to soil scientists, its something entirely different. Soil humus is a mixture of dark, colloidal organic compounds relatively resistant to decomposition. These compounds result from the decay of organic litter and accumulate in the O and A horizons of soils. Soil humus helps glue mineral particals into aggregates, giving structure to the soil and affecting soil stability. There are three main classifications of humus: fulvic acid, humic acid and humin. Humin is insoluble but fulvic and humic acids are soluble in dillute NaOH solution. Humic acids precipitate in acidic solution, but fulvic acids remain soluble. Humic molecules are incredibly varied in composition, but generally are characterized by: 1) many active chemical functional groups exposed to the surrounding solution for reaction with other substances in the solution. 2) a very large cross-linked and "folded" molecule with molecular weights in the hundreds of thousands of grams per molecule" (Miller and Donahue, 1990, p. 185). Humus has a large surface area per unit of mass and is highly charged (similar to clay), and individual humus molecules are dynamic and constantly changing form (but may remain humus for several thousand years). Humus includes sugar amines, nucleic acids, phospholipids, vitamins, sulfolipis, polysaccharides and many other unclassified compounds (Miller and Donahue, 1990). Figure 1 shows a hypothetical structure of a humic acid with many of the characteristic functional groups. Fulvic acid and humin have similar structures. The COOH and phenolic OH groups are weakly acidic, which give humus its pH b... ...II, the environmental conditions alone may determine the rate. (Melillo et al., 1989) Aber et al. supported this conclusion, but measured major differences in the nitrogen content during Phase II, indicating that only the carbon was uniform during this stage (Aber et al, 1990). Other researchers had also separated two stages of decomposition: early decay, when "free" cellulose decomposes quickly, and later decay, when cellulose is shielded by lignin and can be decayed only with the coprocessing of the lignin (Aber et al., 1990). In summary, through a series of complex reactions, microbes mediate the conversion of organic material such as leaves and twigs to the dark humus which colors and glues our soils. Without these processes, the soils would be loose, non-cemented dusts and no life would be able to grow on them, and the world would be a very different place.

Learning styles Essay

Overview 1. What are learning styles? 2. Why learning styles are important? 3. What are the different learning style classifications available? 4. What are the similarities and differences between different learning style classifications? 5. What is/are your learning style/s? 6. What is/are the most appropriate learning method/s for your learning style/s? 1. What are learning styles? ? Learning style is an approach to learning ? It is not how you learn; i. e. not the method of learning ? It is, rather, how you prefer learning; i. e. what are  the broad strategies of learning that you prefer Which of the following two statements illustrates a learning style? I like lectures – this is not a learning style, but a preference for a method I like to gain knowledge by listening to others – this is a learning style; preference for an approach 2. Why learning styles are important? ? Matching learning methods to learning styles ? Developing a learning organisation/network in which students adapt change & learn ? Developing individual learning plans ? Self-development for individuals? Assessing suitability for specific training courses ? Training the trainer ? Team building, looking at team strengths & weaknesses ? 360 degree appraisal 3. What are the different learning style classifications available? ? There are more than half-a-dozen learning style classifications ? This shows that there is no one-best way to learn ? Rather, based on the individual needs and the personality traits, the approach that one takes to learning differs ? Out of the many learning style classifications, there are two that are commonly used 1. VARK classification 11. Classification based on Kolb’s cycle I. VARK learning styles Visual learner Auditory learner Reading/writing Kinaesthetic learner Action-oriented Thinkers II. Kolb’s learning styles Reflector Theorist Activist Pragmatist 4. What are the similarities and differences between different learning style classifications? ? All classifications aim at a common cause/outcome – so, to this extent, there cannot be major differences ? However, there are differences related to the orientation of learning or the angle through which learning is viewed. VARK – based on the sensory input for learning / how we capture learning Kolb’s – based on the cognition/ how we understand VARK vs Kolb: an approximate comparison Theorists Reflectors Pragmatists Activists 5. What is/are your learning style/s? 1. Go to: http://www. varklearn. com/english/page. asp? p=questionnaire 2. Answer the questionnaire and get a score 3. Interpret the score to find out your dominant learning styles 6. What is/are the most appropriate learning strategies for your learning style/s? 1. Form groups that have similar dominant learning  styles. 2. Individually make a list (in priority order) of your preferred learning methods 3. Compare your list with the others in the group 4. Find out the three most preferred learning methods of the group (in priority order) Summary 1. What are learning styles? Approach to learning 2. Why learning styles are important? To know the best learning method to adopt 3. What are the different learning style classifications available? VARK / Kolb’s 4. What are the similarities and differences between different learning style classifications? VARK – sensory input based; Kolb’s – cognition based 5. What is/are your learning style/s? Usually a combination of learning styles 6. What is/are the most appropriate learning method/s for your learning style/s? Though broadly similar, methods may differ even within the same learning style References †¢ Fleming, N. D. (2001). Teaching and learning styles: VARK strategies. Christchurch , New Zealand : N. D. Fleming. †¢ Kolb, D. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs , NJ : PrenticeHall.

Encapsulation in Computer Programming

Encapsulation in Computer Programming Encapsulation in programming is the process of combining elements to create a new entity for the purpose of hiding or protecting information. In object-oriented programming, encapsulation is an attribute of object design. It means that all of the objects data is contained and hidden in the object and access to it is restricted to members of that class. Encapsulation in Programming Languages Programming languages arent quite so strict and allow differing levels of access to an objects data. C supports encapsulation and data hiding with user-defined types called classes. A class combines data and function into a single unit. The method of hiding details of a class is called abstraction. Classes can contain private, protected and public members. Although all the items in a class are private by default, programmers can change the access levels when needed. Three levels of access are available in both C and C# and an additional two in C#Â  only. They are: Public: All objects can access the data.Protected: Access is limited to members of the same class or descendants.Private: Access is limited to members of the same class.Internal: Access is limited to the current assembly. (C# only)Protected Internal: Access is limited to the current assembly or types derived from the containing class. (C# only) Advantages of Encapsulation The main advantage of using encapsulation is the security of the data. Benefits of encapsulation include: Encapsulation protects an object from unwanted access by clients.Encapsulation allows access to a level without revealing the complex details below that level.It reduces human errors.Simplifies the maintenance of the applicationMakes the application easier to understand. For the best encapsulation, object data should almost always be restricted to private or protected. If you choose to set the access level to public, make sure you understand the ramifications of the choice.

HARTMANN Surname Meaning and Family History

HARTMANN Surname Meaning and Family History Hartmann originated as a patronymic surname taken from the German first name Hartmann, meaning brave man. From the Germanic element hard, meaning brave and hardy, combined with mann, or man. Hartmann may also have originated in some cases as an elaboration on the German surname Hart or Hardt, either a  topographic name for someone who lived by woods used as pasture, from the Middle High German hart or a  nickname meaning stag, from the Middle Low German hà «rte, harte.   Hartmann  is the 25th most common German surname. Surname Origin: German Alternate Surname Spellings:  HARTMAN, HARDTMANN Famous People with the HARTMANN Surname Erich Alfred  Hartmann  - WWII German fighter pilotPhilip Edward Phil Hartman -  Canadian-American actor, comedian, screenwriter and graphic artistJohan Peter Emilius Hartmann  - Danish composer and organistWilliam M. Hartmann -  American  physicist and  psychoacousticianRichard Hartmann - German engineering manufacturer Where is the HARTMANN Surname Most Common? According to surname distribution from Forebears, the  Hartmann  surname is most common in Germany, ranking as the countrys 21st most common surname, followed by Switzerland, where it ranks 64th. It is also somewhat common in Denmark, Austria and Liechtenstein. WorldNames PublicProfiler indicates the Hartmann last name is common throughout Germany, as well as in eastern Austria and western Hungary. Surname maps from Verwandt.de indicate the  Hartmann  last name is most common in western Germany, especially in the counties or cities of Berlin, Region Hannover, Munich, Hamburg, Hildesheim,  Rhein-Neckar-Kreis,  Frankfurt am Main,  Lahn-Dill-Kreis,  Cologne  and  Siegen-Wittgenstein.   Genealogy Resources for the Surname HARTMANN Meanings of Common German SurnamesUncover the meaning of your German last name with this free guide to the meanings and origins of common German surnames. Hartmann  Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Hartmann  family crest or coat of arms for the Hartmann surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. Hartman  DNA  Surname ProjectIndividuals with the Hartman  surname, and variations such as Hartmann, Hardman, Hartney, Hartkoph, Hartfield, etc.  are invited to participate in this group DNA project in an attempt to learn more about Hartmann family origins. The website includes information on the project, the research done to date, and instructions on how to participate. HARTMANN  Family Genealogy ForumThis free message board is focused on descendants of Hartmann  ancestors around the world. FamilySearch - HARTMANN  GenealogyExplore over 1.4  million results from digitized  historical records and lineage-linked family trees related to the Hartmann surname on this free website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. HARTMANN  Surname Mailing ListFree mailing list for researchers of the Hartmann  surname and its variations includes subscription details and a searchable archives of past messages. DistantCousin.com - HARTMANN  Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Hartmann. GeneaNet - Hartmann  RecordsGeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Hartmann  surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries. The Hartmann  Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Hartmann  surname from the website of Genealogy Today. - References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997. Back to  Glossary of Surname Meanings Origins

Top Ways to Get Your Dream Job If You Lack Qualification

Top Ways to Get Your Dream Job If You Lack Qualification Ways to Land Your Dream Job when You Do Not Have Enough Qualification What differentiates the dream job from an ordinary job? Ordinary job is the one that you only get money from and dream job is something that you really like doing and in addition to joy it also brings you income. Most of the time, in order to get the job of you17r dreams, you need to have some extraordinary skills that differentiate you from others. Dream job is what challenges us, gives us an outstanding opportunity to grow and allows us to have a good income at the same time. Very often, something can stand in the way between the job of your dreams and you. In some cases, its five years of job experience and in other cases it can be as simple as knowledge of Power Point. Even though you can rarely negotiate job qualifications, employers may still take you on board if they believe that youre the best person for this position. So, if you hesitate to apply for the job of your dreams just because a couple of bullet points in requirements are missing in your skillset, read and follow t hese top 5 tips and dont let your fear stop you: Prepare Properly A number one thing that you should do before an interview is to research the business and its top people. Study the website, products, press-releases, social media channels and read about the business sphere where company is operating. If you show employer that youre knowledgeable, they will see that you are a quick learner, which would be a big plus. Dress As If You Already Have the Job Although you may not fit all the requirements, you shouldnt show even a trace of doubt. Be confident and let the employer see that you are the person they need. Polish yourself both internally by having the right attitude and externally by wearing good clothes. Show Your Excellence Along with the outstanding cover letter, prepare a memo showing that you understand the greatest challenges that the positions youre applying for entails and how you plan to handle them. Listing the ideas of how you can benefit the company and help them grow their business is also a good idea. Be Passionate, Confident and Honest These are the qualities that hiring managers are looking in employees. Try to show passion, confidence and honesty in balance and you will surely make a good impression on your employer. Ask Clever Questions Ask questions that show the hiring manager that you have done your homework and know about the company and your prospective position a lot. Listen to hiring managers answers clearly and dont hesitate to take the initiative if you feel that its necessary. With enough confidence and strength, you can apply for your dream job even without having 100% of required qualifications. Show your passion and the rest will follow.

Research Methods CASE5 Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Methods CASE5 - Research Paper Example The data achieved was used to measure the level of achievement in the two groups. Another measure comprised the final grades of the students in the course depicted by percentage scores. A paired sample t –test was used to examine the achievements in the two groups. In addition, differences in pre post surveys was examined to get the differences based on formats of teaching in single taught and team taught groups, while similarly controlling the demographic variables in both the sections using MANCOVA. The grades of the two groups were also examined based on the format of teaching by use of independent t-test. Differences in pre-post for the examined factors from the survey of the two teams were analyzed. The results showed a significant increase in research and statistics basis. However, there were no any significant differences for the other two variables. The pre-post differences for the survey factors that are based on format of teaching in both the single and team taught groups when demographic variables are controlled showed that there was a significant difference between work, research and statistics. The single taught students showed an increase in pre post relationship between course materials and work. The team taught group showed a pre post decline in the relationship between course materials and work. (Sesser 2012) says that the results indicate no significant interactions statistically exist in opinion factors and demographic variables. When the final grade is used to gauge the differences in effects of this two type of learning, there is a significant variance between single taught and team taught groups. Team taught students are observed to attain higher course grades than those of the students in solo taught groups. The standard deviation in the statistics obtained in the two groups was also examined. (Hill 2005) says that the variance in the team taught is always less than

The Graduate Degree Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Graduate Degree Plan - Essay Example sh self-worth, and form basic moral values, it is quite essential that each child is well nurtured in all aspects of life, receiving ample nourishment, and proper discipline I have loved working with little children since I was their age myself and there are several notable traits that kids exhibit during early childhood formation. In my own observation, they are generally capable at adapting to environmental influences which are a huge contributing factor to the way they perceive both concrete and abstract matter as well as the behavior these young individuals carry out in response. It is particularly interesting to find out that majority of them, when adequately facilitated, can broadly execute around indispensable attributes as confidence, reliability, resourcefulness, intelligence, creativity, and friendliness or sociability. I find it further stimulating to see them vigorously go after a primary talent or inclination, and show ease of feeling affection or compassion by nature. To help impart my personal specialization in this endeavor, hence, I have decided to acquire admission to a graduate degree program that would serve my profound need of learning how to improve on handling children under such cognitive stage of development. Equivalently, this is to anticipate taking up major courses concerned with guiding a childs insights toward physical, mental, emotional, as well as social progress. Fervently believing that the present little ones would be the futures absolute hope, I would in every inch make it a point to foster for them an atmosphere in which they would enjoy learning to the full measure as they possess complete freedom to express themselves competitively yet interdependently within a global

Consumer Responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Consumer Responsibility - Essay Example Moreover, consumers are morally responsible for poor working conditions in factories. When consumers demand reduction in price, factories respond by cutting down operational and maintenance cost. This cost is very important for it allows factories provide the good working environment for their workers and dormitories as in the case of the suppliers firm in China, Wal-Mart. Moreover, consumers are morally responsible for poor working conditions in factories. When consumers demand reduction in price, factories respond by cutting down operational and maintenance cost. This cost is very important for it allows factories provide the good working environment for their workers and dormitories as in the case of the suppliers firm in China, Wal-Mart. Another harm the consumers are thought to bring his the employment of workers and employers of under-aged workers. When consumers press for low costs, in order to save more, supplier responds by developing strategies that will cut down on operati onal cost. One of these "strategies" is to lay off workers. Another option is to hire workers at a cheaper cost and this can only happen if the company employs customers close to the legal age but the true fact is that these workers have not attained the legal age to work.  In the Rama Plaza tragedy, consumer contributed a great percentage. Though society blamed the government, builders, and the factory owners for poorly maintaining the plaza, consumer demand for clothes at low prices, was a major contributing factor.

Influence Of Obstruction On Fire Protection Operations Essay

Influence Of Obstruction On Fire Protection Operations - Essay Example Prevention of fire out brake start with the identification of the fire hazards. First to prevent fire outbreaks, accumulation of combustible waste materials should be prohibited around fire places. When these materials are allowed to accumulate around the locations with fire the then the risk of fire is increased. Under favourable environment, the build-up of dust fire very flammable materials like woods, plastics or even certain metal operations can cause explosion of fire very easily. Construction debris should be disposed of properly so as to eliminate the chances of fire out breaks. There should be a safe clearance that exist between ignition sources for example light fixtures, heaters and any other device that is producing flame should be properly maintained. Fire rated doors are mostly found at any opening to corridors, stairwells, storage rooms and even electrical equipment rooms. Trying to block the fire rated doors may allow fire and smoke to spread very quickly through the building block and may deny occupant an opportunity to quickly evacuate the room during fire outbreak(Morten, Glaso, Stig, Eid, & Einarsen, 2013). These fire and smoke rated doors are only allowed to be propped open only at the time of maintenance and housekeeping operations when the attendance is available. It is prudent to have fire and smoke rated doors that are well equipped with a self-closing devices that are internally installed so as to prevent fire from spreading in the whole building.

Illustrating your answer in reference to Chocolat (1988) and secondary Essay

Illustrating your answer in reference to Chocolat (1988) and secondary reading, answer the following question. Give reasons for - Essay Example The substance of this prose will examine the role of the non-mainstream media in dealing with these issues in the light of Claire Denis’ movie titled Chocolat. Chocolat provides an interesting insight into the dynamics of race and colonialism. It is set in the remote region of Cameroon and tells the story from the perspective of a European child, whose father is the colonial administrator. The story is slow paced and has no real elements of a commercial film. There is hardly any exchange of dialogues between the characters and most of the actions and events in the story are left open-ended for the viewers to interpret. The narrator’s mother and her servant weave the main conflict of the story; the latter being a well-built Cameroonian with integrity and moral fibre that goes unnoticed because of his race, while the former is a lonely housewife. The movie incorporates visual elements that seek to explain the West’s sexual fascination with the inhabitants of their colonized territories; the African people in this case. It is understandable that the African culture is indeed exotic, but it is not just a sexual preference but depicts a greater need to dominate the people that they now own. The Africans were just seen as slaves but the attitude of their colonizers continues to mould their perception of contemporary Europeans and the non-Mainstream media often shows a glimpse of it from time to time. I. Claire Denis’ Chocolat (1988) The movie is set against the backdrop of French colonialism of the West African region. The plot is propelled forward through the flashbacks of a woman named France travelling around the outskirts of Cameroon, who manages to get a lift from an African American man passing by. While on the road, she is flooded with the memories of her childhood and reminisces about the time when her father was the Colonial Administrator of Cameroon, which forms the subsequent parts of the story. The entire story is told from the perspective of young France, who is befriended by their handsome African servant, Protee. France has a beautiful companionship with the houseboy, but unbeknownst to her, her young, attractive mother harbours romantic feelings for Protee, which are hinted to be mutual and serves as the prime complication in the story. Her desire for Protee is further escalated by the fact that her husband, France’s father is scarcely present around the house. The house is set in a remote locale, in order to fully focus on the emotional development of a handful of characters. The sexual tension between Aimee and Protee is a fundamental theme throughout the story, because Aimee cultivated such desires for a man who was not anywhere close to her race. She was the colonist, whereas Protee was the slave; in the eyes of the society, any kind of courtship or romance was completely out of question and was tabooed by the then-society. The African slaves were reduced to a status of a sub-human form and were denied privacy, whilst their Colonial Lords had every single ounce of that luxury. Protee often bathed in the open, while he was being silently watched by Aimee. It is ostensible that Aimee developed her sexual desires for him because of these minor occurrences and the absence of her husband led to the mounting of her sexual frustration. Even when

Influence Of Obstruction On Fire Protection Operations Essay

Influence Of Obstruction On Fire Protection Operations - Essay Example Prevention of fire out brake start with the identification of the fire hazards. First to prevent fire outbreaks, accumulation of combustible waste materials should be prohibited around fire places. When these materials are allowed to accumulate around the locations with fire the then the risk of fire is increased. Under favourable environment, the build-up of dust fire very flammable materials like woods, plastics or even certain metal operations can cause explosion of fire very easily. Construction debris should be disposed of properly so as to eliminate the chances of fire out breaks. There should be a safe clearance that exist between ignition sources for example light fixtures, heaters and any other device that is producing flame should be properly maintained. Fire rated doors are mostly found at any opening to corridors, stairwells, storage rooms and even electrical equipment rooms. Trying to block the fire rated doors may allow fire and smoke to spread very quickly through the building block and may deny occupant an opportunity to quickly evacuate the room during fire outbreak(Morten, Glaso, Stig, Eid, & Einarsen, 2013). These fire and smoke rated doors are only allowed to be propped open only at the time of maintenance and housekeeping operations when the attendance is available. It is prudent to have fire and smoke rated doors that are well equipped with a self-closing devices that are internally installed so as to prevent fire from spreading in the whole building.

Does Silver Alloy Coated Foley Catheters Reduce Urinary Catheter Research Paper

Does Silver Alloy Coated Foley Catheters Reduce Urinary Catheter Infections - Research Paper Example The use of catheters causes one of the most common health associated infections and is known as CAUTI or Catheters Associated Urinary Tract Infections. As CAUTI can deteriorate into a serious condition, preventive steps have to be taken to minimize it in the hospital environment as well as in other settings. One of the steps that are being carried out is the use of Foley catheters coated with silver alloy. These catheters, when used as part of indwelling catheterization, are said to reduce CAUTI sizably. Although other studies show that it provides only negligible positive results. So, this paper after analyzing six journal articles, its purpose, its results, strengths and weaknesses, will discuss whether silver alloy coated Foley catheters reduces UTI. The article, Audit of catheter-associated UTI using silver alloy-coated Foley catheters written by Coral Seymour discusses the advantages of using the silver alloy-coated Foley catheter in reducing the threat of CAUTI in an acute gene ral hospital. As part of the study, even before the use of silver alloy coated Foley catheters, the standard catheters were used for 10 weeks on particular patients and the prevalence of CAUTI was audited. Silver alloy-coated Foley catheters there were introduced among 117 newly catheterized patients, and they were monitored for signs of CAUTI for another 10 weeks. Then the results were audited and analyzed, and it clearly emerged that CAUTI incidence rate has decreased by 20%. Although, the period of 10 weeks for monitoring may seem little short to fully analyze the course of UTI, the fact that emerged is â€Å"silver alloy-coated Foley catheters proved to be cost-effective given the recognized additional costs of CAUTI and prolonged in-patient stay† (Seymour, 2006). The article, A prospective, controlled, randomized study of the effect of a slow-release silver device on the frequency of urinary tract infection in newly catheterized patients was authored by Reiche et al., an d it focuses on the efficacy of silver ions releasing systems including silver alloy coated Foley catheters regarding CAUTI. The study focused on 213 patients as part of a prospective controlled randomized trial. At the end of the trial, the authors state that there were reductions in UTI among subjects, who either used antibacterial devices like the Unometer 400 metering system or PP 2000N closed urine-bag system, as well as coated Foley catheter. However, the limitation with this study is, the difference between infection and non-infection in the subjects were not statistically significant (P < 0.05). In addition, the authors come to the conclusion that modifications to the Foley catheters and the urine-collecting systems in the form of silver coating and silver releasing may yield positive results, care should be taken to block the internal and external pathways of infection. In the article, The efficacy of silver alloy-coated urinary catheters in preventing urinary tract infecti on: a meta-analysis written by Sanjay Saint et al. discusses about the effectiveness of not only silver alloy coated Foley catheters, but also silver oxide coated ones as well. Instead of conducting trials directly, â€Å"published or unpublished articles were sought using MEDLINE, reference review, and correspondence with original authors, catheter manufacturers,

Environment degradation Essay Example for Free

Environment degradation Essay This is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources for instance water, soil and even air. In environmental degradation, the ecosystem is destroyed and wildlife undergoes extinction. There are many forms of environmental degradation that are of negative impact to agriculture. For instance, when habitats are destroyed, biodiversity is lost and natural resources are depleted. The environment is most affected as organisms which give it life are no more (Schertenleib, Forster Belevi, n. d). The earthworms that enrich soil fertility are killed by soil pollution. This means that if earthworms are all eliminated, the soil will not be fertile. The degradation of the environment can occur naturally, or through human processes which includes different kinds of pollution. Areas of concern in the same concept are loss of rain forests, air pollutions and the ozone depletion. The marine environment is also affected. These kinds of pollutions are known to occur all over the world and the blame is on the people themselves for the activities they carry out. This has poisoned the planet’s oceans and even the remote areas. Major disasters like oil spills have ruined the local environment. All these hazards can be curbed by individuals by stopping the constant pollution of the environment. To some extents, different organizations have been formed to help rehabilitate locations that have been affected. One way to do this is urban agriculture. With urban agriculture, the environment can be conserved since the wastes from industries can be converted to be fertilizers in the farms around the cities. Statistical facts It is estimated that 50% of the world’s populations live in cities (UNFPA, 2007). In the cities, most populations settle there for various reasons such as studies and seeking for employment. As economic pressures mount, the urban population engages in urban agriculture as labor is available with large population in urban centers. The growing of crops and rearing of animals in the urban areas has become common. About 800 million people are involved in urban agriculture world wide and this has contributed to the feeding urban residents (Schertenleib, Forster Belevi, n. d). It is definite that with food production or rather the general production of farm outputs, the city residents can get a plenty supply of food in their respective areas of residence. With large populations in the cities and with plenty food products from urban agriculture, there will not be any instance of food deficiency. Urban residents with low income spend between 40 percent and 60 percent of their income on food every year (RUAF, n. d). The only remedy to this is that these low income residents can start practicing urban agriculture to supplement the expenditures on food. If they participate in urban agriculture, they will be able to save up to 60% of their incomes at the end of each year (Neondo, 2003). The money they would have spent on buying food can be saved and used to develop other areas of the economy. This means a lot of to the growth of the economy of the particular country. It is expected that by 2015, about 26 cities in the world will have a population of 10 million or even more (FAO, n. d). To be able to manage these populations, countries are obliged to concentrate in urban agriculture because they have little choices left. It is therefore encouraged for urban dwellers to practice heavily on urban agriculture, with an objective of keeping the country away from food shortage come 2015(FAO, n. d). 2. The spectrum of urban agriculture and the function of relevant organizations Urban agriculture has some aspects that distinguish it from rural agriculture. One of them is the fact that it is integrated into the urban economic and ecological system. It is evident that urban agriculture is embedded in the urban ecosystem of which it interacts with. Such linkages involve using urban residents as laborers and the use of typical urban resources for instance organic waste as compost and urban waste water for irrigation. In urban agriculture, there is a direct link with urban consumers and direct positive and negative impacts on urban ecology (Amin, 2002). Urban agriculture is also characterized by being part of the urban food system and competing for urban land with other urban functions. It is also influenced by other urban policies and plans. Some of the organizations that influence urban agriculture both directly and indirectly are Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC), Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (UPA), and the Resource Centers on Urban Agriculture and Food Security (RUAF Foundation)

Multiculturalism in Social Policy

Multiculturalism in Social Policy Introduction The 1948 British Nationality Act, granted favorable immigration rights to Citizens of Commonwealth countries (Giddens, 4th ed. 2001:264). This, along with offers of job opportunities due to a labour shortage in post-war Britain meant that the country experienced immigration on an unprecedented scale. In the beginning men came leaving their families behind. By the late 1960s and early seventies women and children were coming to join them. The newcomers settled in London, in the Midlands and the North and in the seaport towns of Liverpool and Cardiff. They were Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims and Buddhists as well as Christians estimates of the numbers in religious groups are problematic. This turned the UK into an ethnically and religiously diverse community. Braham, Rattansi and Skellington (1992) contend that between 1950 and 1955 the numbers of West Indian, Indian and Pakistani immigrants became a matter of considerable debate within the cabinet and various measures to control the influx to the UK were considered. This mixed community is still growing in spite of the fact that government immigration policy makes it increasingly difficult for many people to enter and settle in this country. This resulted in changes to the ‘British way of life’ and the UK became known as a multicultural community. However, more recently the term multiculturalism is becoming a contested concept both in sociological discourse and in recent policy making. Current Government policy initiatives, which are largely driven by past mistakes, is to have some idea of the makeup of different ethnic communities in order to establish whether these might provide some stability for incoming asylum seekers/refugees (Spencer, 2001). It is only in the last 10-15 years that the Government has collected data that relates specifically to diverse ethnic groups e.g. the 1991 and 2001 census datum. Present Government, faced with an influx of asylum seekers, is also confronted with the dilemma of fears for national identity that dates back to the mass immigration of the 1960s (Stalker, 2002). This paper will explain and discuss the concept of multiculturalism and the contested nature of the term as it relates to social policy and discourses. Multiculturalism†¦is a theory (albeit vague) about the foundations of a culture rather than a practice which subsumes cultural ideas (Harrison, 1984:1).[1] The Roots of Multiculturalism The 1914 and 1948 Nationality Acts did not impose any restrictions on immigration to Britain from those migrating from Commonwealth countries or those countries that had been a part of the British Empire. Immigration remained fairly low, however until after 1948. In 1953 the total number of immigrants to Britain was 2000 and by the end of the first half of 1962 the number had risen to 94,500 (Layton-Henry, 1992:13).Fifty years ago, when the UK first felt the effects of mass immigration there was a growing recognition that this would require legal, policy, and political changes. At the same time Government was largely concerned with incoming groups being assimilated or integrated into the host community. Thus, Massey (1991) has argued that in many ways the immediate post-war approach to immigration was very much one of laissez-faire. †¦.the assumption was that everyone was equal before the law, and therefore no special policies were necessary (Massey, 1991:9). It has since come to be recognised by both diverse ethnic groups, and by the Government that this operated as a form of cultural imperialism that was bound to fail because of its tendency to view any culture, other than that of the white middle classes, as an inferior cultural form which evoked racism and alienation among and between groups (Parker-Jenkins et al 2005). By the mid-50s it was recognised that the idea that immigrants would just be absorbed into, and subsumed by, the host culture was a mistake. Cashmore (1989) has argued that there was an increased racial tension and by the closing years of the 1950s immigrants were subjected to unprovoked racist attacks. This resulted in the notion that immigration and race relations were politically controversial issues and there was a growing campaign to introduce immigration controls. Skellington and Morris (1992) have argued that the term immigrant is often used to refer to people of a different colour, when in truth the vast majori ty of migration is found in white groups hailing from Europe, Canada and Ireland etc. In 1962 the Government introduced the Commonwealth Immigrants Act whereby members of the Commonwealth were denied entry to the UK unless they were able to fulfil certain criteria (Cashmore, 1989). If they fulfilled these criteria they were issued with vouchers that said they could enter if they had work to go to, if they were qualified in an area e.g. medicine that had a shortage in the UK and some vouchers were issued on the basis of the fact that the person had served in the armed forces during the war. Government tried to justify the Act and its requisite on the grounds that the increasing number of immigrants was contributing to the economic problems that Britain was facing at that time (Cashmore, 1989). The incoming Labour Government added further restrictions to the Act and in 1968 The Commonwealth Immigrants Act restricted entry to those who held British passports and they were subject to immigration controls unless they had a parent or grandparent who was a UK citizen or who had been born in the UK. Pilkington (1984) maintains that the act was discriminatory because it served to exclude coloured Kenyans unless they were given a voucher but allowed the entry of white Kenyans to Britain. Since that time there has been an increased tightening of immigration laws and procedures and an increasing sense of racial discrimination. Home Office figures for 1992 show that one out of every 63 Jamaicans and one out of every 82 Bangladeshis were refused entry compared one in 3000 Americans and one 4300 Swedes (Skellington, et al1996). The term multiculturalism is generally thought to have arisen in Britain in a speech by the then Home Secretary, Roy Jenkins in 1966. Multiculturalism is the notion that each culture has its own specific identifiable features and how the uniqueness of them relate to each other and to the host community (Parker-Jenkins et al, 2005).. There is however, a feeling that this form of multiculturalism is actually a threat to national identity while at the same time leading to a rich cultural exchange in terms of thought and lifestyle. While this term is current in the UK there are often instances where local politics can serve to exclude minority cultures while promoting the values of the dominant white culture.[2] Multiculturalism is also a term (and certainly as expressed by Roy Jenkins) which describes aspects of social policy. Multiculturalism in this sense is to be distinguished from the American view of the melting pot where differences are not subject to specific policy targeting but (in a laissez-faire manner) immigrant groups are more or less left to get on with things. Multiculturalism is used in a number of ways which can serve either to celebrate difference or to act as a cover for what, in any real terms, is another form of enforced assimilation. It also needs to be recognised that diverse ethnic groups now consist of large numbers of people who have been born in Britain (Modood et al, 1997). Multiculturalism and Policy Making Multiculturalism has sparked much debate during recent years. While it was largely ignored under Margaret Thatcher’s Government the success of New Labour has meant that the term has become a common currency in political debate and in policy making.[3] Policy making is important because it can determine the amount of representation (or lack of it) that diverse ethnicities receive in the press and on television, it also determines the content of education, forms of dress (particularly in schools but also with regards to policy on safety regulations e.g. the refusal of Sikhs to remove their turbans in order to wear a motor cycle helmet) and support for minority festivals and religious holidays. In the last two or three years however, the UK Government has focussed less on multicultural policy making and more on issues of inclusion and cohesion. In 1997 the ODPM was given responsibility for a social exclusion unit which aims to undertake research into a number of different areas. Social inclusion and cohesion are not just used in relation to diverse ethnic groups but are the basis for policy making in a number of other areas such as mental health, early years education and homelessness. Thus Government has a wealth of policy initiatives and this has led to a growth in the number of NGOs commissioning research on inclusion in a number of different areas. Issues of inclusion cover a host of areas and can range from the numbers of ethnic minorities using childcare facilities, to those undertaking further education of some kind to increase their employment prospects. Policy making aimed at reducing inequalities in both the labour and the housing market, and ongoing policy initiatives to combat racism are hampered by a dwindling job market and successive cuts in housing budgets. Braham et al (1992) argue that in order to be successful anti-racist strategies need to be multi-faceted and aimed at subjective, institutional, and structural racism. Past policies have been badly focussed and piecemeal because there is no clear consensus in Britain what equal opportunity and multiculturalism mean either in ideological or practical terms (Solomos and Back, 1996). Reports produced by the social exclusion unit may be aimed at reducing marginalization but often result in the labeling of minority groups, and specifically diverse minority ethnic groups, as a drain on the resources of society. Policies that target specific areas such as getting the population back into full employment tend to leave minority ethnic groups as particularly vulnerable to this type of labeling. According to a Policy Studies Institute (1982)[4] report found that in the majority of diverse ethnic communities rates of unemployment were twice as high among these groups as they were in the dominant host group. However, research undertaken by Modood et al (1997) reflects the fact that while there is a continuing disparity in terms of wages, exclusionary modes of hiring and higher unemployment rates, certain ethnic groups experience greater success in the labour market than do others. Iganski and Payne (1999) on the other hand maintain that while the occupational structure in Britain is experiencing rapid change the gains made by some ethnic groups should not be understood in terms of the end of disadvantage in the labour market. They also contend that these changes have occurred because the forces of industrial restructuring are greater than the forces of ethnic/racial discrimination and disadvantage. Housing policies also tend to discriminate against asylum seekers/refugees and other diverse ethnic groups. Struggles over access to such resources can result in what Weber (1976) has termed ‘group closure’. Access to housing resources varies between diverse ethnic groups, where some, particularly those of Indian origin, have rising levels of home ownership while other groups remain in sub-standard and hard to let accommodation (Ratcliffe, 1999). Clearly there are problems in the classification of diverse ethnic groups and in present policy making, which, instead of greater inclusion sometimes tends to further exclude such groups. Ballard’s (1990) research demonstrates that there needs to be a clear understanding and examination of cultural differences and structural forces before applying encompassing terms to diverse ethnic groupings. Conclusion There tends to be a general agreement among social theorists that existing classifications of the diverse groupings that go to make up the modern UK context are problematic and that this has implications for policy making. Not all sociologists find the term multiculturalism as a desirable one. For Solomos et al (1982) multiculturalism is part of a new racism that is based on the view that diverse ethnic groups are not compatible, thus Enoch Powell’s pronouncement that rivers of blood would flow because of the difficulty of mixing different cultural groups. Rattansi (1994) has argued that with the globalization process clear cut distinctions between groups may be undermined by the formation of new forms of ethnic identities. Solomos et al (1982) argue that minority groups need to struggle in order to gain power in society and to pursue a policy of anti-racism whereby the racism that exists in society and its institutions is exposed as there are some problems that cannot be reso lved through the pursuit of cultural tolerance. 2000 words Bibliography Spencer, S. 2001. UK Migration Policy 2001 London, Institute for Policy Research Stalker, P. (2002) â€Å"Migration Trends and Migration Policy in Europe† International Migration Vol 40 (5) pp 151-179 Banting, K. 2005 â€Å"The multicultural welfare state: international experience and North American narratives† Social Policy and Administration, vol.39, 2005, p.98-115 Braham, P. Rattansi, A. and Skellington, R. eds. 1982 Racism and Antiracism. London, Sage. Goldberg, D.T. 1993 Racist Culture. Oxford, Blackwell. Solomos, J and Back, L. 1996. Racism and Society. London, Macmillan Press. Giddens, A. 2001. (4th ed). Sociology. Cambridge, Polity Press. Layton-Henry, Z. 1992. The Politics of Immigration. Oxford, Blackwell Massey, I. 1991 More than Skin Deep London, Hodder and Stoughton Parker-Jenkins, M, Hartas, D. and Barrie, A. 2005. In Good Faith: Schools, Religion and Public Funding Hampshire, Ashgate Press. Cashmore, E. 1989 United Kingdom? London, Unwin-Hyman Skellington R. and Morris, P. 1992 Race in Britain Today London, Sage Pilkington, A. 1984 Race Relations in Britain Slough, OUP. Modood, T. and Berthood R. 1997 Ethnic Minorities in Britain Diversities and Disadvantage London, PSI ODPM. 2004 Tackling Social Exclusion: Taking Stock and Looking to the Future http://www.socialexclusionunit.gov.uk/downloaddoc.asp?id=13 page 17 Braham, P. Rattansi, A. and Skellington, R. eds. 1992 Racism and Antiracism.  London, Sage Ballard, R. 1990 â€Å"Marriage and Kinship† in Clarke, C. Peach, C. and Vertovec, S. eds. South Asians Overseas Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. Iganski, P. and Payne G. 1999 â€Å"Socio-economic restructuring and employment: the case of minority ethnic groups† British Journal of Sociology, 50 Weber, M. 1976 The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism London, Allen and Unwin (first published 1904-5). Ratcliffe, P. 1999 â€Å"Housing inequality and race: some critical reflections on the concept of ‘social exclusion† Ethnic and Racial Studies, 22 Solomos, J. Findlay, B. Jones, S and Gilroy, P. 1982 â€Å"The organic crisis of British capitalism and race: the experience of the 70s† in Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies 1982 1 [1] http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Multiculturalism#Descriptive_Multiculturalism [2] http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Multiculturalism#Descriptive_Multiculturalism [3] http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Multiculturalism#Descriptive_Multiculturalism [4] Cited in Giddens, 2001:267

How important is Book 11 to the overall meaning of The Odyssey? Essay

How important is Book 11 to the overall meaning of The Odyssey? The overall significance of Book 11 to the epic is that it shows how things change over time (Anticleia's death, the suitors at his home), which can be missed if someone is not around. It also shows us that the Ancient Greeks believe in destiny and intervention from the gods. The sacrifices and prayers from Odysseus and the attention he pays to Teiresias about returning to Ithaca show this. If he did not pay attention to Teiresias he may have done something to displease the gods (such as killing the 'Sun-gods' cattle and sheep). This could have lead to intervention from the gods to prevent Odysseus and his men from returning to their home. Book 11 also shows that they believed greatly in the afterlife, but unlike modern religions they believed that everyone went to Hades (Hell), with the exception of those souls who were left to wander the earth for all eternity. The afterlife was always thought to be a lot darker and bleaker than people now seem to think. It is Circe who tells Odysseus of the trip which he and his men must take. He then has to tell all of his men. All of them are very distraught when they first find out that they must travel to the ends of the earth. They know it is going to be a journey of many perils. This is why Homer describes the men as 'heart-broken' telling us 'They sat down where they were and wept and tore their hair. But their lamentations achieved nothing.' (Book 10, lines 566-568.) This shows that they are greatly disheartened by the news, having thought that their next voyage would take them back to their homeland. They know that there is nothing that they can do to avoid this risk filled journey, which makes it an even more arduous a task for them. It is probable that the men were aware that their end was fast approaching. Any journey to Hades made by a living mortal is going to be dangerous. It would only usually be made by the souls of the dead, who would not need to sail, as Odysseus and his men did. This would have most likely made the men think that they would not complete their trip to Hades or would not return from it. At this point of the voyage I don't think that anyone, with the probable exception of Odysseus, expects to see Ithaca or their family again. It is more likely that knowing they are heading for Hades, t... ...tors and cheats whom this dark world brings forth in such profusion to spin their lying yarns which nobody can test.' (Lines, 364-366.) This too is a possibility, as Odysseus has no proof of what he is saying, and that could be another reason he has offered to stay up to a year. Alcinous then asks Odysseus to continue, as he has 'the artistry of a bard.' (Line 369.), asking more of his friends, their expedition to Ilium and their deaths, saying 'We have endless time ahead of us tonight, it's early for us to go to our beds.' (Lines 373-374.) Odysseus agrees to continue the tale, but does imply he is tired, saying that there is also time for sleep. I think that Homer sees humankind as chess pieces, which the gods or destiny are playing with. From the prophecies made, and what we know to happen after them, it seems that occurrences in the poem have been pre-destined. I think in The Odyssey Homer sees humans as insignificant overall. The have little influence over their lives; the gods decide what will happen with them. The lives of mortals seem to be a game for the gods, where they all want their character to win. Athene wants Odysseus to win, but Poseidon does not.

Critique on Kirstie laird :: essays papers

Critique on Kirstie laird Orange Girl I chose to critique and analyze the works of Kirstie Laird. I liked the variety of her works, and the bright, brilliant colors in most of them. I think the one that fascinated me most, however, was â€Å"Marionette† because it didn’t have any of the orange colors or motifs prominent in her other works. This puzzled me, since the title of her showing was â€Å"Orange Girl† and every other picture in the showing fit the title well. I found Laird’s works quite similar to those of Judy Dater. Their finished products aren’t too similar for the most part, but their reasons for the pictures they take are nearly identical. Laird’s series â€Å"investigates the ways in which we define ourselves through social roles, dress and physical markers, both natural and applied.† This sounds very much like what Dater wishes to convey in her self-portrait sequence â€Å"in which she dressed and posed herself as stereotypes of certain kinds of women.† Both women take special pains to use themselves as models (not an easy feat, I know from experience!). Not only that, they change costumes and props in every picture to convey the character they are becoming. In a sense, they are actresses, and each picture is a separate role for them. How well they fit the roles? That is a matter of opinion. I found each role they wished to convey was portrayed quite well. As different as each ladies sty le is, I still found some pictures I thought were quite similar in many respects. Laird’s â€Å"Kitchen† and Dater’s â€Å"Ms. Clingfree† were two pictures I thought were similar. If you laid the two side by side, you would see nothing in them that was remotely similar. One is of a young attractive housewife sitting on the kitchen counter, cheerily showing off the fruit bowl. The other is of an older housewife, perhaps one who has been married many years and is starting to feel the stress taking its toll on her. In that sense, the pictures are of the same person (a housewife) as she goes through the years. Laird shows her when she is happily married and everything is sunny and bright. Dater shows the woman after the years have taken their toll and she is tired of it all.

Five Force Analysis of Southwest Airline Essay

1. The threat of new entrants. In terms of economies of scale, Southwest fleet grew to 537 Boeing 737 aircraft providing service to 64 cities in 32 states throughout the United States, with 397 city pairs being served nonstop, by the end of 2008, thus has reached sufficient economies of scale. And Southwest Airline gains its cost advantage through the implementation of â€Å"low-cost strategy†. It not only flew planes point-to-point—short-haul flights bypassing the expensive hub-and-spoke operations but also chose less popular, less congested airports to achieve quicker turnarounds which enabled the airline to operate with fewer planes and gate facilities than would otherwise have been necessary. Cost consciousness has been a part of its culture. Training people for technical skills is possible but imitating SWA culture is out of question. The high initial investments and fixed costs to enter the airline industry makes it difficult to compete financially with profitable Southwest for entrants. When compared with key competitor, Southwest Airline got the largest net income(TTM) and EPS(TTM) in 2009(Exhibit 5). Since Southwest Airline was the first major airline to introduce ticketless travel and one of the first to put up a Web site and offer online booking, it has won the high product differentiation. As a pioneer of â€Å"low-cost strategy†, SWA has set up its reputation and won a large number of loyal customers. However, SWA has no special control over distribution channels. On the other hand, since the publication of in 1978, there is low barrier to set up airline company in the US. 2.The threat of substitutes. Southwest Airline focuses on the short-haul flight, so customers are likely to switch to other transportation means, such as train. And the low-cost airline has been a emerging industry. There are more choices for customer which posts high threat for SWA. To reduce the threat, Southwest provides low price or time-optimized tickets, good service to their customers. Price for trains, or gasoline cost for self-driving are comparable to the price of Southwest ticket for the same route, not much cheaper. Moreover, the switching costs for customers to train or car for the Southwest routes requires more travel times,cause a lot of inconvenience.The company even  created the â€Å"Southwest effect†, an explosion in the number of people traveling by plane, including many who would have gone by car before. 3.Rivalry among existing firms. There are many new airline with opposite strategies with Southwest Airline. They offered far more attractive service, such as leather seats and in-flight entertainment systems, for almost the same fare.With the increase of living standard, people prefer comfort to low-cost. The loyalty of Southwest’s customers will be questioned. And due to the expensive and highly specialized equipments, the high barriers for exit leads to the white-hot competition. 4.Bargaining power of buyers. Travel agents buy large volumes, there’s a concentration of buyers, therefore their switching to a different supplier might have larger impact on the profits. As for individual buyers have almost no strong bargaining power. And switching to an alternative product is relatively simple and is not related to high costs. The airline is not of strategic importance for the customer because there are many other short distance transportation means. 5.Bargaining power of suppliers. The market is dominated by a few large airplane suppliers including Southwest Airline. As for the catering, gift services and other indirect materials, there are many fragmented sources and therefore their power is of almost no significance. The cost of switching from Boeing 737 to Airbus A320 is very high. Apart from purchase price, the company should pay for the training of employees and the maintenance of new airplanes. The suppliers’ customers are fragmented, so their bargaining power is low.

Human Goodness & Beauty Essay

You ever wonder why people can be so harsh but yet still do good things for people? Do things they wouldn’t normally do that’s nice, but they did it anyways or are not suppose to do? The Book Thief is a book that describes lots of this and this paper will explain the main theme of the book. The Book Thief’s main theme is Human Goodness and Beauty because the book has lots of goodness in people, people looking out for one another, and bring each other joy through actions or words. With people showing Human Goodness they do good deeds to help other people or animals. This can go from helping a dog stuck in a fence to a person in a car accident. Even a guy/girl that is a real pain all the time will help someone that is in danger because they don’t wanna be the witness of a death or something/someone being hurt. Say for example that someone doesn’t have anything to do, and a person talks with that person finds something to give them to do they will usually grab it for them shown here, â€Å"the weekly edition of the Molching Express, she lifted it out took home, presenting it to Max,† (Zuzak 221). This shows the expression by someone getting someone something for another person that they don’t normally have and giving it to them. Most of the time they will be happy for you doing this. In the world there is good/bad people but that doesn’t matter because they will still do something good for someone eventually no matter what it is. In the book Rosa Hubermann is a good example of this, â€Å"Rosa Hubermann, brown hair, in a bun, atrocious cooking, washes clothing for the rich, and hard headed but soft hearted women,† (Zusak 34). This quote shows that even though Rosa is a mean person, she is still nice to people at times. So Even a bad person will look out for a good person at times as well. For example they will save someone in a life or death situation because they are a nice person and don’t care if that person is mean, they are saving someones life and inturn thats what matters to them. Also people can bring other people joy through actions or words by, saying something that is really nice, or helping someone out that might be in the  need of it, but doesn’t ask. Even just doing a simple action that someone is not expecting can make them feel happy and overjoyed. â€Å"The Jew stood before him, expecting another handful of derision, but he watched with everyone else as Hans Hubermann held his hand out and presented a piece of bread, like magic,† (Zusak 394). This action of Hans shows that certain small things can bring people joy and peace. His action showed that small things can bring people joy because the jew was never expecting this, but the jew took it joyfully and thanked him for the bread. Not only does this show kindness but also shows that good people will sometimes not care what other people think and do what feels right. In conclusion, The Book Thief’s main theme is Human Goodness and Beauty because the book has lots of goodness in people, people looking out for one another, and bring each other joy through actions or words. Like lots of people have done and said it doesn’t madder if you’re nice or mean everybody will help someone, somewhere, and at sometime in life no matter how old or young you are. The body was created for many purposes and one of those purposes is helping another human being no matter the situation, or if its words or actions they are helping with.

What is Human Freedom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

What is Human Freedom - Essay Example "Freedom implies, therefore, the existence of an environment to be changed: obstacles to be surmounted, tools to be used. Certainly, it is freedom which reveals them as obstacles, but free choice can only interpret the meaning of their being. It is necessary that they be simply there, wholly brute, so that there may be freedom." The person who constantly tells the truth develops an environment of trust around him or herself. It is our experience that an environment of trust enables a whole range of actions and relationships that could not otherwise develop. (Pg. 58) Environment and culture are principles by which human beings can choose to guide themselves to live properly, in line with what is the good life for them. There are competing ethical systems, of course, but not all can be sound. The best ethical system is the one that most consistently and completely fulfills the purpose for which it is intended, namely, to guide human living toward success in the case of any particular person. A culture is ethically sound if it is in accord with those virtues that bear on community life, that is if it is just. "Rather than being encapsulated in a specific environment by a highly specialized adaptive evolution and being controlled by a complex pattern of genetically determined instincts, a human being is free to choose different environments and to adapt to those environments in different ways. Whereas the behavior of all other living beings follows certain patterns characteristic of all members of a given species, the behavior of human beings shows extraordinary variation. Different human groups develop particular cultures as part of the process of adapting to and shaping their environment and individual human beings use the resources of those particular cultures, for example, language, with virtually infinite variation" (Pg. 58). Freedom, as Kant recognized decisively, through morality, and cannot be understood from an objective point of view. Kant places human  freedom in a new horizon of its own beyond all objective categories and forms of intuition.

Trace the origins of H.R.M. and show how it has impacted on todays Essay

Trace the origins of H.R.M. and show how it has impacted on todays workforce - Essay Example Later was the formation of Welfare Workers Association, whose purpose was to bring out a Chartered institute of Personnel and Development. During World War I, there was a shift of the name from industrial welfare to Recruitment and Selection. There was a call to by the government to increase the use of individuals as well as starting girls-engagement during the First World War. In 1916, it was made compulsory for the existence of a welfare worker in the explosive firms where a lot of work was accomplished by the army majorly focused on ability and IQ testing ways and techniques. In 1921, result on the tests, interview methods, and training techniques were established and published by the psychologist of the national institute (Marciano, 1995). During World War II, the focus was based on a lot of issues hence the need to establish personnel department having well-skilled and competitive staff who were charged with recruitment, selection, and training. They also had to ensure improved worker morale and motivation, health and safety of the worker, maintain discipline in the workforce, better wage policies as well as ensuring joint consultations between workers and management. Later on, the name was changed to Industrial Relations. As a result of the widespread of the consultations, the personnel department was then held responsible for organizational and administrative roles and was to act as the business’s spokesman on discussions with trade unions. Therefore, there was the need for specialists to deal with issues of industrial relations, which paved way for the industrial relations, its specialists, and its collective importance as it was witnessed in 1970’s negotiations after the reinforcement; the personnel manager was left in the authority on negotiations pertaining to wage pay among other collective issues (Armstrong, 2012). Still in the 1970’s, due to an increase

Sigmund Freud Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sigmund Freud - Essay Example I thought to interview him about this and he responded me as follows: A dream in very early years made drastic changes in his life. He had a dream that he enjoyed an evening with his mother in a nearby park. Though he has often visited the park with mother and father, he found nothing more than just a visit. But later, it has given him greater passion and pleasure to go to park with his mother than what he felt in visit with father. The dream’s effect was more evident when he felt that mother should always accompany him to the school. Mother was that times more than his friends around, and he himself found proud to go to school hanging on mother’s hand. Why couldn’t he find pleasure to go to school with father as he found it with mother? It was, perhaps, a question he asked himself several times. He had no answers, until when he was interviewed and debated of Oedipus Complex. He remembered that he obeyed mother more and he went outside in child hood times along w ith mother more than he did it with father. Some family people around his house called him ‘mother’s boy’ as he couldn’t get away from mother even a single night. He felt it surprising when I told him that all of us, as is the case of our fate, direct our sexual impulse towards our mother and our first hatred as well as first murderous with against our father (Freud, p. 478).

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

Meditations - Essay Example This is after the book was circulated for a collection of objection upon which he provided his replies. Most of the people who read the meditations did not agree with some of the philosophical theories built by Descartes. Therefore, this brings about some kind of disagreement between Descartes and one or more objectives that he raises. As such, these objections and replies will be evaluated to gauge their adequacy. Descartes wrote the meditations to show that he had previously been mistaken in relation to things that he had initially thought to be certain. He, therefore, makes a decision to sweep away all of the perception that he had built in the past by constructing his knowledge from ground upwards. In turn, the only ideas that he was to accept as true were those that had been confirmed to be absolutely certain. It is his senses that helped him to get all that he had thought previously. Although his senses can also be deceiving, it only happens for tiny objects or those that are f ar away. He ultimately realizes that he cannot cast any doubt upon his own existence (Garber, 2003). Position of Descartes in the Meditations In the Meditations Descartes provides a means for first philosophy hence the beginning of modern day philosophy. From the book, he starts by attempting to doubt everything. He also builds up from those things that are likely to be known with certainty. He bases his first mediation on skeptical doubts by defining knowledge in terms of doubt. With this, he makes a distinction between rigorous knowledge or scientia and the other lesser grades of convictions or persuasio. He makes a clear distinction between the human soul and body. In this, he demonstrates the existence of God and the immortality of the soul and questions how certain knowledge is. As such, his position is that people should establish what is likely to be known for sure. In order to make out what is claimed in the sciences and form a firm structure from them, it is important to ma ke a new foundation. This is because of the way he connects with the development of knowledge from the senses. This kind of information is what should be taken as true and certain (Garber, 2003). It is thus important to have a clear and distinct perception in order to secure knowledge. He thus develops a new state of mind conception by stating that the mental states are similar to what it represents. Therefore, the subject of the objections is that there should be no belief in things that are absolutely certain. In particular, the objection being made is that people only think about things that know the mind in a clear and distinct way. He claims that senses are not the source of knowledge but a means through which individuals practically move through the world. This makes the mind of human beings sufficient enough to know God. However, the reply to this objective is that people must work hard to understand their bodies. It is because the mind and body are extremely distinct and hav e nothing in common. With this, there must be the presence of doubt to gain more knowledge (Descartes, 1993). In my opinion, this reply is highly adequate because it appears to take a rational stance. It brings out the two truths that show the philosophical evidence on the existence of God, as opposed to the authority of scriptures. First Meditation: What can be called to doubt: the reliability of senses For the first meditation by Descartes which is about the reliability of the senses, he claims that the human is a complete form of spirituality. According to

'Self-determination is irrelevant in the 21st Century'. Discuss Essay

'Self-determination is irrelevant in the 21st Century'. Discuss - Essay Example It is accordingly, protected by various international human rights bodies that ensure all people get their rights. This concept has evolved during the 20th century following secessionist movements during and after World War I and II allowing for decolonization of countries from the 1960's onwards. The start of the famous European colonization of the Americas started around 1940's following the Spanish expedition headed by Christopher Columbus5. This followed a conquest that was featured by large-scale exploration, migration and eventually colonization in order to take full advantage of the resources in those foreign countries. Rebellions were the first characteristics of the determination to self-rule that was witnessed in the mid 1770's. Because of the explicit invocations of natural law, the natural right of man and the absence of consent from the people who were being governed, people began to revolt against colonial rule6. In the United Stated Declaration of Independence, the pro motion of the notion that the will of the people is supreme made significant contributions to the aspect of self-determination. These and some other notions are what led to the acceptance of the principle of self-determination. ... These treaties both held that people had a right to freely pursue their economic and political interests following self-determination. Previously, self-determination was considered a political principle with no legal effect. But following WW2, self-determination became a legal principle and a right in International Law. And because of its adoption by several treaties and charters it received worldwide recognition under International Law. The concept of self-determination is thus still relevant because of the number of cases in the International Court of Justice that have received ruling in favor of the concept of self-determination. Self-determination has thus achieved the status of erga omnes which requires the rest of the international community to respect it. Other jurists and scholars have also argued that the principle of self-determination has acquired the status of jus cogens making it the superior rule of international law. As such, the rest of the community has the mandate t o strictly obey it at all times and in all circumstances in their relations with each other. However, the UN Charter10 had no provisions for the enforcement of the right to self-determination outside the context of decolonization. It simply provided that countries be allowed to govern themselves but it did not provide other stipulations for how this was to take place. This allowed the legal doctrine of uti possidetis juris11 to thrive. This meant that old administrative boundaries became the international boundaries without taking into consideration the linguistic, ethical and cultural boundaries that had previously existed. Despite the fact that people of one culture were torn apart by international boundaries, nations succeeded in freeing themselves from colonial rule.

Importance of Time in Chinese Culture Essay Example for Free

Importance of Time in Chinese Culture Essay The importance of time is always dependent on the different perspectives of people’s origin, particularly culture. â€Å"Time is one of the most important bases by which culture rests and all other activities revolve† (Riggs et al 31). Different cultures handle time differently. In the past, time was measured in daylight, darkness, or in seasons; however, nowadays, time has become more important and more complicated. Yet, no matter how complicated it has become, it always boils down to the influence of culture, just like China, one of the countries with a very rich culture. The impact of modernization in China on the changes of Chinese’ behavior is significant. However, these changes in their behavior have had a more significant impact on their values. Indeed, Chinese seem to have never given up one of their most important cultural characteristics, Guanxi, which up until now, remains as an important Chinese business element. In the advent of globalization, Chinese has kept and reinforced this unique characteristic even in the most important socio-cultural changes. Yes, China has indeed undergone substantial cultural changes; nonetheless, with regards to the thinking and dealing process, modern China remains rooted to its traditional Yin Yang approach, and this is reflected on their shrewd use of time to keep their relationship intact. Because Chinese people value relationship more than anything else, as they believe that this could lead them to success, it is logical to expect that the Chinese society concentrates on fluid/multi-focus time value. Chinese people are both famous and infamous in different negotiations for their wise use of time as their bargaining tool. Chinese are known to have adept ability to run down the clock because they prioritize their relationships with their associates or business partners first. This way, they know that the value of relationship or guanxi continues. Moreover, Chinese can afford or stand to play the waiting game, provided that there is always someone left to invest and spend for them. Cultures around the world have developed their own way of responding to time. The dimension for time orientation is based on two aspects; the relative significance the culture gives to its past, present, and future, and its way of approaching the time. China has indeed embraced globalization since the last three decades. Despite this, its stronghold to its culture is still very evident. This is because China is considered as a past-oriented culture country. Countries that fall under this category have a culture that is largely leaned towards the past; they see their future as a repetition of their past experiences. Moreover, they have high respect and regard for their collective historical experiences and their ancestors. As per David Thomas’ description of the country, China embraces its tradition and culture of ancestor worship and has strong pride of its customary and cultural persistence for over thousands of years (73). The Chinese society holds the perspective that their past is their guide on how to live their lives in the present. According to an old Chinese proverb, â€Å"Consider the past and you will know the present† (Quotations). Work Cited Riggs, James, et al. Industrial Organization and Management. Manila, Philippines: McGraw-Hill, Inc. , 1980. Lo, Vincent. Chinese Business Culture: Guanxi, An Important Chinese Business Element. 17 March 2005. 01 May 2009 http://chinese-school. netfirms. com/guanxi. html Thomas, David. Cross-Cultural Management: Essential Concepts Second Ed. California: Sage Publications. 2008. Quotations. 14 February 2008. 01 May 2009. http://www1. bbiq. jp/quotations/past. htm

Nonlinear Generalized Companding Transform

Nonlinear Generalized Companding Transform Nonlinear Generalized Companding Transform for  Peak-to-Average Power Ratio Reduction in OFDM Eashendra Singh Abstract  Ã¢â‚¬â€ One of the main drawback of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) system is its high Peak-to-Average Power Ratio (PAPR) of the OFDM signal. In this paper a novel non-linear generalized companding scheme called â€Å"Quadrilateral Companding Transform (QCT)† has been proposed to reduce the PAPR of OFDM signal. The proposed method provides additional degrees of freedom in comparison to existing trapezoidal companding, exponential companding and trapezium distribution based companding schemes. This allows more flexibility in designing the companding function, which is useful for the overall OFDM system to achieve low BER with good PAPR reduction capability. Keywords   Complementary cumulative distribution function  (CCDF), peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR), orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), bit error rate (BER). INTRODUCTION The modern day phenomenon of increased thirst for more information and the explosive growth of new multimedia wireless applications have resulted in an increased demand for technologies that support very high speed transmission rates, mobility and efficiently utilize the available spectrum and network resources. OFDM is one of the best solutions to achieve this goal and it offers a promising choice for future high speed data rate systems [1], [2]. OFDM has been standardized as part of the IEEE 802.11a and IEEE 802.11g for high bit rate data transmission over wireless LANs [3]. It is incorporated in other applications and standards such as digital audio broadcasting (DAB), digital video broadcasting (DVB), the European HIPERLAN/2 and the Japanese multimedia mobile access communications (MMAC) [4], [5]. However, a major drawback of FDM systems is the high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) of the transmitted signals, resulting in the lower power efficiency, serious signal distortion an d out-of-band radiation when the high power amplifier (HPA) is utilized. Many companding schemes [17]-[23] have been proposed in the literature to reduce the PAPR of OFDM signal. The conventional ÃŽ ¼ law and A-law companding schemes can be used for PAPR reduction, by choosing the suitable value of the parameters ÃŽ ¼ or A, controlling the nonlinearity of the ÃŽ ¼ -law [17] or A -law companding function respectively. But the error performance of both the schemes degrades as both of them introduce high companding distortion in OFDM signal at higher values of ÃŽ ¼ or A. A nonlinear companding transform [18] has been proposed by Jiang et al. to effectively reduce the PAPR of the OFDM signal. In this scheme [18], the Gaussian distributed in-phase (I) and quadrature-phase (Q) components of discrete time complex OFDM signal are transformed into a quasi-uniform distribution. In this scheme, the companding function is separately applied to I and Q components of the OFDM signal. The large values of I or Q components of the OFDM signal are compressed, whereas thos e with small I and Q components are enlarged. The PAPR reduction capability and BER performance of this scheme [18], can be optimized by properly choosing the parameters of the companding function. Jiang et al. proposed â€Å"Exponential Companding (EC)† scheme [19] to transform Rayleigh distributed OFDM signal magnitude into uniform distribution. Exponential companding has the advantage of maintaining the constant average power level in the nonlinear companding operation. However, the distribution of large signals is increased by the uniform companding, which makes the PAPR reduction was very limited under the bit error rate (BER) performance degradation. In this paper proposed technique transform the Rayleigh distributed OFDM signal magnitude into Quadrilateral distribution function as shown in figure 2 to achieve an additional degree of freedom over TC [22]. The parameters of quadrilateral distribution are chosen in such a way that it produces least possible companding dis tortion to achieve low BER for a given PAPR. The remainder of this paper is organized as follows: In section II, the OFDM system model with quadrilateral companding. The proposed quadrilateral companding and decompanding functions are derived in section III. Mathematical analysis of the PAPR performance of proposed scheme is presented in section IV, simulation results for PAPR performances of the proposed scheme are presented and discussed in the same section and conclusion is summarized in section V. SYSTEM MODEL The block diagram of an OFDM system using companding scheme for PAPR reduction is shown in Fig. 1. Here, I have considered an OFDM system with N subcarriers, in which each of the subcarrier is each of the subcarrier is modulated by M-PSK or M-QAM. As shown in Figure 1.The input binary data sequence is first converted into N parallel data substreams and then these are mapped to the constellation points of M- PSK or M-QAM to achieve desired modulation on each of the subcarriers. After this, subcarrier modulation is performed using IFFT block to obtain the discrete time domain OFDM signal. Let be the N complex modulated data symbols to be transmitted over N subcarriers. The discrete time domain OFDM signal generated after taking IFFT of a block of N modulated data symbols. Discrete time domain OFDM signal is passed through the parallel to serial (S/P) converter and then applied to the compander for reducing the dynamic range or PAPR of the OFDM signal. The companded OFDM signal is appl ied to digital to analog (D/A) converter to get analog signal and then finally amplified using HPA. At the receiver, the received signal is first converted into digital signal using A/D converter. Data in Data out Figure 1. Block diagram of OFDM with companding The digital signal is then expanded by inverse companding function known as decomapnding function. After that subcarrier demodulation is performed by taking the FFT of OFDM signal obtained from expander. Finally, M-PSK or M-QAM decoder is used to decode the received data signal.      PROPOSED COMPANDING TECHNIQUE The quadrilateral companding function h(x) is a nonlinear companding function. It transforms the original probability distribution function of OFDM signal magnitude into a quadrilateral distribution as shown in Figure 2, and hence the name â€Å"Quadrilateral Companding Transform†.This may also be called nonlinear generalized companding transform. Figure 2. Quadrilateral distribution for proposed QCT The symbols notation used throughout this paper are listed in Table 1 for convenience. Table 1: List of symbols used in QCT kth modulated data symbol nth sample of discrete time domain OFDM Signal PDF of original OFDM signal (without companding) CDF of original OFDM signal (without companding) PDF of OFDM signal after companding CDF of OFDM signal after companding Upper-bound of the peak value of OFDM signal Quadrilateral Companding function Quadrilateral Decompanding function The pdf of quadrilateral trapezium distribution can be read from Figure 2 as where h1 , h2, l, a and b are the parameters of quadrilateral distribution as shown in the Figure 2.These parameters (h1 , h2, l, a and b) control the nonlinearity of the companding functions. The cumulative distribution function (CDF) of quadrilateral distribution function can be calculated using the following relationship (2) Using (1) and (2) we have Quadrilateral distribution function is bounded in the interval [0,l]. Like EC, TC and TDBC, in this scheme also average power of the OFDM signal before and after companding is kept same, therefore we have (3) As shown in Figure 2, the PDF of quadrilateral trapezium companded OFDM signal lies in the interval [0,l] , therefore, we have, (4) For given values of l, a and b, the parameters ( h1 , h2 ) of the companding function h(x) can be easily calculated using (3) and (4). Therefore, three parameters (l, a and b ) can be chosen independently to control the nonlinearity of companding function h(x) . Hence the proposed QCT has three degree of freedoms. The values of l, a and b should be chosen independently to provide low PAPR and BER. The expression of QCT function h(x) can be derived after equating the CDF of original and companded OFDM signal. Therefore, we have Where is the CDF of original OFDM signal given by following: (5) Therefore we have The output of the N-point Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) of are the OFDM signal sample over one symbol interval, or mathematically, Where E [.] denotes the expectation operator. PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS In [22], the PAPR and BER performance of TC has been evaluated for (a = 0.4,b = 0.1 and l = 1.633) , (a = 0.2,b = 0.7 and l = 2.164) , (a = 0,b = 0 and l = 1.732) , (a = 0.9, b = 0.1 and l = 1.488) and (a = 0,b = 1 and l = 2.449) , here we refer to them as ‘TC-1’, ‘TC-2’, ‘EC’, ‘TC-3’ and ‘TC-4’ respectively. In [22], it has been shown that TC-3 provides the best PAPR reduction capability among all the cases under consideration, but its BER performance is very poor, on the other extreme TC-4 provides very less PAPR reduction. Therefore, we ignore these two cases (TC-3 and TC-4) and the remaining three cases i.e. (TC-1, TC-2 and EC), which offer reasonable PAPR are considered in my simulations for comparison with the proposed scheme. To show the outperformance of the proposed scheme (QCT), the PAPR and BER performances are evaluated for two sets of companding function parameters i.e. (a = 0.2,b = 0.7,l = 2.174, h1 = 0.8596 and h2 = 0.8275) and (a = 0.4,b = 0.1,l = 1.643, h1 = 0.8276 and h2 = 0.7874) . Here, we call them as ‘QCT-1’ and ‘QCT-2’. Figure 3. PAPR performance comparision of original and companded signal Figure 4. BER performance comparison of various  companding schemes CONCLUSION The QCT provides extra degrees of freedom to design the companding function and hence by choosing the suitable values of design parameters of the proposed companding function, a good trade-off between the PAPR reduction and the BER can be achieved. The proposed QCT provides better PAPR reduction and BER performance in comparison to TC, EC and TDBC. QCT can achieve a minimum PAPR of 0dB, whereas TC and EC can achieve a minimum PAPR of 3dB and 4.771dB respectively. QCT-2 has superior PAPR performance in comparison to QCT-1 but its BER performance is inferior in comparison to QCT-1. References L. J. Cimini, â€Å"Analysis and simulation of a digital mobile channel using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing,† IEEE Trans. Comm., vol. 33, no. 7, pp. 665–675, July 1985. J. Bingham, â€Å"Multicarrier modulation for data transmission: an idea whose time has come,† IEEE Commun. Mag., vol. 28, no. 5, pp. 5–14, May 1990. M. Schwartz, Mobile Wireless Communications. Cambridge University Press, 2005. V. Nee, G. Awater, M. Morikura, H. Takanashi, M. Webster, and K. W. Halford, â€Å"New high-rate wireless LAN standards,† IEEE Commun. Mag., vol. 37, no. 12, pp. 82–88, December 1999. I. Koffman and V. Roman, â€Å"Broadband wireless access solution based on OFDM access in IEEE 802.16,† IEEE Commun. Mag., vol. 40, no. 4, pp. 96–103, April 2002. Van Nee R., Prasad R., OFDM for wireless Multimedia Communications, Artech House, 2003. Weinstein S. B., Ebert P. M., â€Å"Data Transmission for Frequency-Division Multiplexing Using the Discrete Fourier Transform,† IEEE Transactions on Commun. Tech., vol. 19,no. 5, pp. 628–34, Oct. 1971 Chang R. W., â€Å"Synthesis of band-limited orthogonal signals for multichannel datatransmission†, Bell Systems Technical Journal, vol. 46, pp. 1775-1796, Dec. 1966. Despain A. M., â€Å"Very Fast Fourier Transform Algorithms Hardware for Implementation†, IEEE Trans. Comp., Vol. C-28, no. 5, pp. 333-341, May 1979. Bidet E., Castelain D., Joanblanq C., Senn P., â€Å"A fast single-chip implementation of 8192 complex point FFT†, IEEE Journal of Solid State Circ., Vol. 30, no. 3, pp. 300-305,Mar. 1995. Chow P.S., Tu J.C. and Cioffi J.M., â€Å"Performance Evaluation of a Multichannel Transceiver System for ADSL and VHDSL services, IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Comm., vol. 9,no. 6, Aug. 1991. R. V. Nee and A. D. Wild, â€Å"Reducing the peak-to-average power ratio of OFDM,† in Proc. IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference (VTC), vol. 3, New York, NY, USA, 1998, pp. 2072–2076. Tao Jiang and Yiyan Wu, â€Å"An Overview: Peak-to-average power ratio reduction techniques for OFDM signals†, IEEE Transactions on Broadcasting, vol. 54, no. 2, pp. 257–268, June 2008. O’Neill R., Lopes L. B., â€Å"Envelope variations and spectral splatter in clipped multicarrier signals,† in Proc. IEEE PIMRC’95, Toronto, Canada, pp. 71–75, Sept. 1995. Li X., Cimini Jr. L.J., â€Å"Effect of Clipping and Filtering on Performance of OFDM†, IEEE Comm. Letters, vol. 2, no. 5, pp.131-133, July 1998. Armstrong J., â€Å"Peak-to-average power reduction for OFDM by repeated clipping and frequencydomain filtering†, Electronics Letters, vol. 38, no. 5, pp. 246–247, Feb. 2002. Chen H., Haimmovich A. M., â€Å"Iterative estimation and cancellation of clipping noise for OFDM signals,† IEEE Comm. Letters, vol. 7, no. 5, pp.246-247, July 2003. Jiang T., Xiang W., Richardson P. C., Qu D., Zhu G., â€Å"On the Nonlinear Companding Transform for Reduction in PAPR of MCM Signals†, IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, vol. 6, no. 6, pp.2017-2021, June 2007. Jiang T., Yang Y., Song Y., â€Å"Exponential companding transform for PAPR reduction in OFDM systems†, IEEE Transactions on Broadcasting, vol. 51, no. 2, pp. 244–248, June 2005. Huang X., Lu J. H., Zheng J. L., Letaief K. B., Gu J., â€Å"Companding transform for reduction inpeak-to-average power ratio of OFDM signals†, IEEE Transactions on Wireless Comm., vol. 3, no. 6, pp. 2030–2039, Nov. 2004. Aburakhia S. A., Badran E. F., Mohamed D. A. E., â€Å"Linear Companding Transform for the Reduction of Peak-to-Average Power Ratio of OFDM Signals†, IEEE Transactions on Broadcasting, vol. 55, no. 1, pp. 195-200, March 2009. Hou J., Ge J. H., Li J., â€Å"Trapezoidal companding scheme for peak-to-average power ratio reduction of OFDM signals†, Electronics Letters, vol. 45, no. 25, pp. 1349-1351, Dec. 2009. Jeng S. S., Chen J. M., â€Å"Efficient PAPR reduction in OFDM system based on a companding techniques with trapezium distribution†, IEEE Transactions on Broadcasting, vol. 57, no. 2, pp. 291-298, June 2011. T. Hwang, C. Yang, G. Wu, S. Li, and G. Y. Lee, â€Å"OFDM and its wireless application: A survey,† IEEE Trans. Veh. Technol., vol. 58, no. 4, pp. 1673–1694, May 2009. Y. Wang and B. Ai, â€Å"PAPR reduction in OFDM systems via nonlinear companding transform†, in 8th International Conference on Wireless Communications, Networking and Mobile Computing (WiCOM), pp. 172-175, Sept. 2012.