Cross-Culture Analysis on “Outsourced”

Due to Western Novelty’s Outsourcing scheme, Todd Anderson is sent to India. Upon arrival, Todd has completely no idea of what territory he is stepping into. With the lack of awareness of the Indian culture, he first falls victim to a taxi driver’s trickery, has to literally â€Å"hop† on a train and although he is offered a seat on the â€Å"can-packed† train carriage by a boy, but in return he has to offer up his lap for the boy to sit on. On first sight, Todd experienced a culture shock from the manifest culture of India (Sathe, 1985) that attacked his own â€Å"core† and starts to form judgments about this seemingly dirty and primitive country. The initial contact with a new culture gives rise to cultural differences and Todd finds himself struggling with them. This is the result of the differences in cultural dimensions. The first dimension contrasting India and Todd, would be Collectivism versus Individualism. Individualism refers to how much a person is self-centered and free from control; Collectivism refers to how the overall group’s interest is placed above an individual. (Hofstede, 1980) Using scores from the GLOBE project, India scores a high 5. 92, much higher than the USA’s score of 4. 5 on the collectivistic scale where higher refers to more collectivistic. (House et al. 2004) Todd, originating from the US, is characterized as an employee who only has to worry about himself, does not involve himself with other employees. In the first scene, employees from the US have a very big private space to themselves and the boss Dave has an even more private enclosure. The office space reflects the culture of individualism from the US. However, in India, we see that employees interact with each other more frequently, such as Asha helping out with employees and smaller desks for closer working conditions. Even the supervisor’s desk lacked privacy due to the missing glass, which Todd makes a big fuss about and showed closeness between the employer and employees. It is apparent that the employees in India have a more collectivistic corporate culture and this affected Todd’s individualistic values and beliefs. However, later in the film, Todd’s individualistic personality slowly evolves into a collectivistic one as he immerses himself into India’s culture and changed his leadership style. This showed during the incident when there was flooding, Todd and the staff members worked together as a team and Todd even asked his neighbour to help with the power connections to benefit the group’s goal. What Todd went through during his immersion in India’s culture is called Primary Socialization (Berger & Luckman, 1967) where he learned India’s culture through living with Puro’s Aunt and socializing with the locals. Without the change in Todd from an individualist to a collectivist, the business could not have been as motivated or productive or achieved its goal. Power distance is the extent to which power is unequally distributed in a collective. A higher power distance score reflects high unequal distribution of power. From the GLOBE scores India has a higher power distance than the US (India = 5. 47; US = 4. 88) (House et al. 2004). In the movie, the Indian employees show a high power distance because they treat their superiors with respect. This could be seen in the actions of Puro. When he was reprimanded for the first time, he did not end up in an extreme debate with Todd regarding the high level of the MPI. On the second incident, when he was scolded, he was very apologetic and was thoughtful to bring clean food for Todd. This showed Puro’s deep reverence for the leader of the office. Another example was how the employees did not ask about better working conditions and accepted whatever Todd had dictated on them from the start until much later. However, when compared with the way Todd talks to Dave, the barrier between him and the superior is thin. Todd can express his thoughts and freely rebut Dave with his own opinions – such as calling Dave â€Å"corporate slimeball†, arguing over the MPI or the freight of company products. The language used through the communication between Dave and Todd sounds too casual to represent a high power distance. The impact power distance had on Todd was great because he had to change his casual methods, as seen during the accent classes, to exerting his leadership on the employees. However, the Power Distance between Todd and Dave did not change. The humane orientation of India ranks much higer than the US according to GLOBE project (India = 4. 57; US = 4. 17) (House et al. 004) The business in India does show a more humane style of working such as Asha caring for the employees, Puro caring Todd by taking him into his family circle and even caring for his well-being such as bringing him clean food. This dimension also affected the business when Todd finally changes his style of leadership. His humane orientation changes from a negative, sulky manager who lashes out at every opportunity he can to a more encouraging manager who becomes a positive influence to the employees. However, throughout the film we see that Dave does not seem to care about the employees in India or even those who were outsourced right from the start. The carefree words he used when he wanted to fire his US employees tell us that he was more interested in cutting the costs of employment and his position as boss rather that the futures of the employees. This impacted the business in India later when he continued to cut costs further by bringing the business to China. Additionally, Dave keeps bossing and pushing Todd around, first sending him to India, giving him a hard time over his contract and even tried to send him to China. We have already established that India tends towards a collectivist culture and the US an individualist culture. Hence, different dimensions will require different motivational and leadership patterns. An individualist culture has both the employee and employer trying to make communal decisions that will benefit both parties, while in the collectivist culture, the reliance on the leader to have the whole group involved is much greater. (Thomas, 2003) The cultural dimensions of India affects the way things are done in the corporate Indian office and Todd has to see them. Earley (1993) also proved a relationship that collectivist cultures would show more work motivation and productivity. Using Vroom’s Motivational theory, there lies a central theme of Expectancy Theory. From there we can identify different motivational factors in the film. Expectancy theory is based on of deciding how much effort should be put into a job for an outcome. The process of Expectancy Theory has 3 components – Effort, Performance and Outcome. Among these 3 components, there are 2 expectancies. First is the Effort to Performance expectancy that is the belief whether making effort will lead to an expected success. The second is the Performance to Output expectancy that is how much value of the reward of the outcome. (Vroom, 1964) What the expectancies mean is that if a person believes that a certain performance will lead to a desired outcome, they will then input effort that will produce the required performance to achieve the outcome. In the middle of the film, this theory can be applied when Todd decided to introduce an incentive programme for employees. The programme allowed employee discounts for western novelty products. Additionally, as part of the motivational process, he gave an edict that whoever improves the Minutes Per Incident (MPI) for the day would get their pick on merchandises from their best sellers of their products. This is the work of Expectancy theory taking place – with the new incentive programme, the employees clearly know what performance will lead to a desired outcome, hence they will instinctively put in effort to achieve the performance required. Whereas for Todd, his outcome is to leave India and the performance is to bring the MPI to 6. 0. Hence his effort component will require him to comply with the collectivist culture of the Indian branch to achieve the outcome. Thus we see that their performance component to achieve a 6. 0 MPI is the same, their effort and outcomes are different because of differing roles, and individual goals. These differing roles and goals can be attributed to the differing individual needs. We can also apply Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory to the film. His theory suggests that satisfaction and dissatisfaction are two separate dimensions instead of two extremes of one dimension. (Herzberg , 1968) His hygiene factors refer to external factors such as factors outside an employee’s job that influences him. These are ‘dissatisfiers conditions’ – if they are present, the worker is neutral; but if absent, the worker will be dissatisfied. In the film, after the Day of Holy, Todd acknowledges his mistake of trying to run the Indian branch as an American office and asks how he could change the way the office is run. Suggestions include bringing family pictures to work, allowing them to bring what they want to the office as long as it doesn't get in the way of work, and wear whatever they want to work including ethnic clothing. We can tell from the employees’ faces that without proper working conditions, they were dissatisfiers to their productivity and after Todd had acknowledged change, it put a smile to their faces. For Todd’s position, when he first arrived in India, the working conditions were a total dissatisfier because the working conditions were different from his usual ones, especially because the place was in a rural lace and even animals were in the office. The culture shock resulted in him becoming difficult in the workplace such as scolding Puro a few times. However, later on in the film, other hygiene factors such as the build up in relationships between the characters helped overpowered his original hygiene factors. The second factor from Herzberg is the Motivation f actor that is intrinsic in nature. These include interesting work, responsibility or career advancement. If they are present, the worker will be satisfied, but if absent the worker remains neutral. Asha did not want to sign up for the incentive programme, and from her other actions and words, we can assume that her motivational factor was the work itself, or a career advancement – when she took the initiative to act as supervisor on the Day of Holy and acting as a supervisor when they setup the office on the roof. Todd also promoted her to be the future assistant call manager. For Todd, it was after the Day of Holy where he became motivated to take on the challenge and responsibility of the business. We can also use McClelland’s Learned Needs Theory, to spot other motivational differences between the characters. The Learned Need Theory states that there is three major needs that influences people’s behaviour – need for achievement, power and affiliation. (McClelland, 1966, 1985) The need for achievement relates to individuals who want success or failure. This can be identified with Dave who’s only concern was himself, maximize the company’s profits by outsourcing the lowest cost possible services and neglecting the benefits of others. This need for achievement can also be identified in Todd when he first arrives and is only concerned about himself and forcing the MPI down to 6. 0. However, he then realized that to achieve this, he has to had establish a reputable presence in the company which is the second need in the Learned Need Theory. The need for power relates to achieving reputation, and control over others. We might only see this through Todd in the later part of the movie whom starts to understand his position in India and makes the best of it by being the best manager possible and trying to win over the employees. But this was still done so that he can leave India when the MPI reaches 6. 0. So Todd achieves this by gaining respect from his subordinates by introducing an incentive programme. Todd knows that by introducing the programme, it will motivate him further. The need for affiliation relates to establishing relationships with others. This is seen in Asha who helps employees every now and then in the film. Asha’s needs are also different from other employees, as she does not want any of the incentives outlined by Todd. Rather she establishes relationships between herself, the employees, Puro and Todd. This need is also manifested in these three characters because of the collectivistic corporate nature of the Indian branch. The relationship between the three characters deepens throughout the movie because they realized they were in the same boat and they had to achieve a common goal together, which becomes a shared need. To sum up, the film showed us how our protagonist, Todd, developed his cultural intelligence (CQ). The distinct cultural differences between India and US, the contract between Todd and Dave left the protagonist with the uncontested choice to stay put and that had in effect, supported his development of cultural intelligence. Todd had went through the stages of CQ development – Reaction, Recognition, Accommodation, Assimilation and Proactivity (Thomas 2003) Not only did he learn about and adapt to the new culture, he had also learned that he had to alter his corporate processes to make the business work. At the end, when Dave recommended Todd to move to China, he declined probably because Todd knew how hard it was to change and adapt to a new culture. References: Berger, P. and Luckmann, T. (1967) The Social Construction of Reality. New York: Doubleday. Earley, P. C. 1983) â€Å"East meets West meets Mideast: Further Explorations of Collectivistic and Individualistic Work Groups,† Academy of Management Journal, 36 (2), 319-48 Herzberg, F. (1968) â€Å"One more Time: How Do You Motivate Employees† Harvard Business review, Jan-Feb Edition, 53-62 Hofstede, G. (1980) Culture’s Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage. House, R. J. , Ha nges, P. J. , Javidan, M. , Dorfman, P. W. , and Gupta, V. (2004). Culture, Leadership, and Organizations: The GLOBE study of 62 societies. Sage Publications: London. Javidan, M. , Dorfman, P. W. , de Luque, M. S. , and House, R. J. (2006) â€Å"In the eye of the beholder: Cross-Cultural lessons in leadership from Project GLOBE. † Academy of Management Perspectives, 20(1): 67-90. McClelland, D. C. (1966) â€Å"That Urge to Achieve† THINK Magazine. McClelland, D. C. (1985) Human Motivation, Glen vview, IL: Scott, Foresman. Sathe,V. (1985) Culture and Related Corporate Realities. Homewood, IL: Irwin. Thomas D. C. , Inkson K. (2003) ‘Cultural Intelligence: People skills for Global Business’, Berrett-Koehler Publishers Vroom, V. H. (1964) ‘Work and Motivation’, New York: Wiley. 331p.

End to End

The challenges of using satellites in end-to-end communications links: GEO satellite networks have the potential to provide the end user the ability to receive broadcast and multicast in greater amounts of information at higher rate of speed providing global connectivity anywhere within the footprint of the satellite. On the other hand there are several challenges that are presented when utilizing satellite networks. These challenges are seen by the end user in several different formats; the most common one being in Internet applications.The latency experienced by the end user due to the communication between two earth stations can be significant and often annoying. A tremendous amount of military and government organizations utilize and rely on satellite communications, when that path fails due to blocked areas, lack of available bandwidth or atmospheric interference then this becomes a serious situation and another reason why redundancy and a secondary and tertiary plan is always n eeded.Point to point fiber optic connections can provide a solid backup plan if availability is an option. The latency may not affect bulk data transfer and broadcast type applications, but those applications requiring extensive â€Å"handshaking† between two sites will be undoubtedly affected. TCP which is one of the Internets major protocols requires such interaction. Satellites that can provide the end user with global and broadband communications capacity are also an option but also come with challenges of its own.LEO(low earth orbit) and MEO (medium earth orbit) each are a viable source that provide latency times comparable to that of a terrestrial fiber optics; however because neither can remain in a constant fixed position relative of that of the earth, a constellation of several satellites is required to maintain comprehensive coverage. In this case network management becomes increasingly more complicated due to handoff to another satellite, tracking problems and prop er routing plans. The advantage of a simple topology is no longer a factor and lost is single-source broadcast/multicast capability and brings you back to ground zero.

Life is not the Bed of roses Essay

Life is not the bed of roses neither it is the bed of thorns. A person is himself or herself responsible for making his or her life either the bed of roses or the bed of thorns. Success in every field of life never comes to you on its own. You have to strive hard to get to it. As the example of climbing the ladder says to reach to the top you have to climb every single step on the ladder, same is the case with the success of life. Success is not the ladder which can be climbed with your hands in the pocket. Happy and sad moments are the part of life. If sad moments are not faced, one can never realize the worth of the happy moments. Adversity is that great part of life which leads you towards the successful future. Adversity makes you stronger and enough capable to bear the entire crisis you face traveling through the different stages of life in order to make you stronger both mentally and physically. Hard times are like washing machines, they twist, turn and knock us around but in the end we come out cleaner, brighter and better than before. Life never waits for anyone, you have to come up and get it. Never think that if your facing pain or un-success than life becomes useless for you. As we say after every dark night there is a morning that comes up with full of light that brightens up your day. If you face crises than do think that the success is making its way to you. All you have to do is to urge harder to get through all the problems which surely will bring you closer to a better future. Never lose the hope as we say tomorrow never dies and always remember beautiful pictures are always developed from the negatives in the dark room.

A Comparison of the Religions of India Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A Comparison of the Religions of India - Essay Example e in these countries mainly practice the four eastern religions; Buddhism, Sikhism, Hinduism and Jainism all tracing their roots in India (Sudheer, 2014). To understand how the religions have influenced the cultures of these countries it is necessary to look at their characteristics, similarities and their differences. Buddhism is believed to have originated from North India in the fifth century. Their main texts are the three pitakas. The Buddhists believe in a supreme being referred to as the Buddha. They also believe that the suffering experienced by the people is always as a result of the desire held by the people. Hinduism on the other hand is believed to have originated from the Indus valley. Their main texts are collectively referred to as the Veda. Hindus believe in many gods and goddesses. Hinduism is therefore a polytheistic religion. The Hindus believe in re-birth after death which is facilitated by one dying in a holy place. All Hindis are also expected to strictly follow and observe the caste system and to go for cleansing annually (Sudheer, 2014). Sikhism started in the sixteenth century in India. This religion is believed to have originated from Guru Nanak. The main text that is used by the Sikhs is the Guru Granth Sahib. As opposed to the Hindus, Sikhs always believe in a supreme God who is believed to be an immortal creator. The believers and the followers of the Sikhism religion believe that the good life always achieves unity with God. Sikhs Like the Hindus believe in reincarnation which is also the re-birth after death. Jainism which is another main religion in India is seen as a group of Hindis that broke away from Hinduism in the sixteenth century. The Jains view the earth as a place full of misery. This is the sole reason as to why most Jains are either nuns or monks as a way of seeking their personal liberation (Sudheer, 2014). The four religions share many common similarities and the characteristics. One of the similar characteristic is

Critical Thinking - Applying Evidence To Practice Essay

Critical Thinking - Applying Evidence To Practice - Essay Example 112). Smoking has been regarded as the single largest cause of preventable deaths in UK with passive smoking claimed to be taking away between 1000 and 16000 lives on non-smokers annually. Various nations including UK have enacted legislations prohibiting smoking in public places (Webber, 2011). The goal of such laws is to protect non-smokers from exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke. However, there is concern about the welfare of the district nurses and other health care providers because these legislations do not cover them. Second-hand smoking is of major concern in this study because people who get exposed to it suffer involuntary unlike in the smokers who smoke at their will (Whitehead & Irvine, 2010). Its causes and effects are widely known and the menace can be prevented or reduced to a greater extent through massive campaign and implementation of proper policies to create awareness among the public. Therefore, employers should come up with policies to protect the nurse worke rs against exposure to second-hand smoking when they visit the patients in their homes. Tobacco smoke contains over 4000 chemical particles of which about 250 are toxic to a human being, and about 69 have carcinogenic effects. It has been termed as the leading single cause of death of human beings around the globe (Pearson, Field & Jordan, 2006, p 153). Exposure to smoking claims about 5 million people annually across the globe. Between 1964 and 2014, there were more than 20 million death cases related to smoking in US out of which 2.5 million occurred to non-smokers and were associated with exposure to secondary smoking. Each year smoking kills about 120,000 people in UK of which more than 11,000 die from second hand smoking (Law & MacDermid, 2013). People get exposed to second-hand smoking in various places such as the workplace, at home and

Knowledge Management at National Health Services Essay

Knowledge Management at National Health Services - Essay Example It also has 375 intensive care beds in total, and can accommodate a total of 2000 patients in the intensive care unit. The hospital aims to specialize in care giving for cancer and cardiovascular patients. it has employed around 200 doctors whose expertise includes breast cancer, cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal diseases and pediatrics. Reddix also employs nearly 400 nurses and other caregivers. The hospital has entirely integrated faculties for medical tests that are related to cancer and cardiovascular prognosis and diagnosis. One of the major problems that the hospital faces is the difficulty in the interoperability within the department systems. The hospital has different departments that cater to the different information needs. The hospital information system comprises the following six systems: Considering the number of systems it has it is evident that the hospital could have interoperability issues. Interoperability refers to the capacity of different and diverse systems and or physical components of a single system to work together through the use of agreed standards and specifications (Cetis, 2008). It helps the organization to create synergy in the organization. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, being inter-operable, the organization is able to work as a whole instead of working as separate entities. A recent report by the National Health Services criticized the Hospital Administration System of Reddix and said that it was extremely outdated and old and stated its concerns about the patient's files not being available to the concerned caregivers when it is direly required. This is because Reddix is unable to meet the IT needs that are needed so that the doctors, nurses and care givers can easily access all patients' files electronically whenever they nee d them. There are many strategies that the hospital can use in order to bring out a successful change process. In order to do that the Hospital needs to look at the problems individually and then come up with solutions. Specialists of management and healthcare were brought in to assess the current condition The major IT problem at Reddix is that they are using a centralized structured computing system to integrate all its IT applications and the software that is being used was developed nearly forty years ago using proprietary language which could only be used on limited software and did not have a very user friendly interface and there were problems relating to communication with other systems of Reddix such as clinical, diagnostic etc. It was also difficult to connect simple desktop applications such as word processing Reddix needs to develop a business plan that integrates a new IT system that will change its information processing in such a way that it benefits the organization as well as the people involved in it. As technology is progressing as we move into the next generation, there have been changes in the architecture of the information systems that are moving towards distributed computing systems. Distributed computing is a system of computer processing in which the system does not have a central server

Biophysical Aspects of Pharmacology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Biophysical Aspects of Pharmacology - Essay Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that the physician may prefer to insert a gastroscope to promote safety in the delivery of food and medications for patients who developed increased difficulty of swallowing. With the insertion of the tube, an assessment must be carefully performed to ensure the correct placement of the tube and prevent accidental dislodgment. Specifically, placement of the tube can be checked by listening to a gurgling sound over the epigastric region of the abdomen while injecting a small amount of air into the tube. In addition, it might also be useful to aspirate a small amount of stomach content and test for pH. An acidic pH provides accurate information that the tube is in the stomach. Furthermore, abnormal breathing patterns suggest that the tube has been dislodged and is possibly blocking the airway. While the presence of any foreign material can be very uncomfortable, the tube should remain in place unless the physician orders fo r its removal. Lastly, the assessment of drug allergies and adverse reactions remains an important part of management. Practically, the healthcare professionals should take the subjective data from the patient as truth aside from considering the objective signs manifested by the patient. Thus, the patient really is experiencing pain at the moment. The patient’s report of pain should be the primary data to assess pain. This data would be further validated using an appropriate pain rating scale. Moreover, the patient’s behavioral manifestations can also be important factors in determining the patient’s pain tolerance. The medication chart should also be consulted to prevent over and under dosage of pain medications.  

Bicyclists who dont follow rules in nyc Term Paper

Bicyclists who dont follow rules in nyc - Term Paper Example Utility cycling is seen commonly in New York while it is also used for regular commuting and recreation by many. To support and encourage the use of cycles, there were numerous bike ways or bike lanes created. There has been an increase in the number of bike lanes in New York City. This increase in bike lanes has attracted mixed reactions for different elements of the society. Many have criticised this and cycling in general for the reason that cyclists do not follow the rules. This paper is aimed at finding out what the media is writing about bicyclists who do not follow traffic rules in New York City. There has been a lot written in the media about bicyclists not following traffic rules. The criticism of bicyclists is not just limited to breaking of traffic rules but also has attracted religious criticism. Various quarters of the society have reacted differently to the issue and each has a different opinion. But the popular view in the media is that the cyclists have to be blamed. The opinion of the public that has dominated the media is that cyclists are hated. There are various instances and reasons that are pinpointed to show that cyclists do not follow rules and as a result have caused troubled to the commuters and motorists in the city. An article in Gothamist has published the views of the people who hate the cyclists (OGrady, 2011). Following are the various reasons that people give which go on to prove that cyclists are in fact not following the rules. Some are of the view that cyclists over speed on the bicycles. The speed of the cyclists is such that bystanders compare them to the cyclists in Tour De France. With their gear and helmets, cyclists try to imitate those in the race and try to hit high speeds. This threatens the safety of others on the road. Cyclists must be bound by the law to drive under

Auditing & Insurance services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Auditing & Insurance services - Essay Example (c) As may also be noted from the Annual Reports for the year ended 30 June, 2009, the financial data was available in the form of Standard Statements, which effectively compare the Council’s budget against its actual performance, which provides ample scope for assessing how accounting practices are improving the efficacy of performance of the Council. (d) On the basis of its annual report for 2009, it may also be seen that the Council appears to be in a good financial position, because it is breaking even and shows revenues over and above budgeted amounts, which is noteworthy in a recessionary period where many public sector organizations all over the world have faced a strain on their resources and gone over their budgets. The impact of the recent recession is one of the important aspects to be studied in this report and this ability of the Council to balance the budget offers good scope for study. (e) There are an adequate number of related aspects, such as the incorporation of significant diversity into the council and operates a range of facilities which the citizens rate as satisfactory, all of which are funded through the Council budget, therefore the study of the financial management aspects is likely to be very helpful. An examination of the financial statements of the Council in order to ensure that they are presented fairly in terms of all material aspects and in accordance with generally accepted Australian Accounting Standards. The fees proposed to be charged for this service will be $60,000. The Council would like to have a second review of their internal audit in order to arrive at a comparative estimate. They do not currently employ an external auditor, but carry out a process of internal audit. We are suitably employed in their place to carry out an additional review audit. The client is a public sector enterprise that has

Web Communities Essay Example for Free

Web Communities Essay The movie Julie and Julia directed by Nora Ephron and starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams released last year 2009 is the story of Julie Powell (played by Amy Adams), a call canter agent in Lower Manhattan Development Corporations in New York in 2002. Her job is answering phone calls and providing assistance to all the victims of September 11 attacks and other related complaints. This movie made an impact to all people who loves to cook besides having regular work. What makes this movie significant is that it is based on Julie Powell’s blog which has indeed made an impact. Her blog eventually went on to become a book in 2005 titled Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen which was later renamed Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously when printed on paperback. Her book, as well as that of American culinary icon Julia Child (played by Meryl Streep), My Life in France, would be the basis of the film’s story. From one dream, the story itself influenced everybody. All the wonderful ideas and dreams to make it happen are really hard to do. But in this movie, the two main characters give their insight on how they make their dreams come true and they believe on it. As Julie takes on the challenge to cook all the recipes in the book of legendary chef Julia Child titled, Mastering the Art of French Cooking which was published in 1961. She plans to cook all of her 500-plus recipes within a year. At the same time, Julie would write a blog to share her cooking progress and she also shares it to everybody through online blogging that her husband Eric taught her how to write a blog. He is a very patient husband who strongly believes in her that she is a good writer and she can accomplish the challenge. At the same time, the scenes from the movie would shift to Julia Child, depicting the early years of her cooking career in Paris (Ephron). On the first day of the challenge, Julie writes all her plans on that day and what kind of recipe she will cook. At first, it seems that everything awkward or strange. She also wonders if there is anybody listening on her while she is writing down her progress. From time to time, whenever she updates her blog, it seems like she is talking to herself. She is also expecting that someone would leave comments for her. One day, while she was in the office, she received the first and only comment from somebody, and she never expected that it would come from Julia Child herself, who commented that Julie must be clueless about what she is doing. Each passing day, she is having difficulty in some of the recipes because of the instruction and it also shows her aversion to eggs but she took it as a challenge to cook and eat it for the first time in her life and realized she loves it. So many days passed for her to complete the challenge, and blogging gives her a lot of devotion until she finally accomplished it. (Ephron) Blogging is made for personal writing about ones person life, writing and updating it with whatever one wants to write, whether it is about a hobby or some other interest one would like to share with others. When people read blogs, it would arouse their interests and from there create a chain reaction as more and more people would write a blog on a similar topic they share and sooner or later, became something worth discussing. Blogging has a way of attracting people who share common interests and the end result is the creation of web communities. Although this is also mirrored by real-life communities, one advantage web communities have is it is more far-reaching and can go beyond borders and touch base with anybody around the world which is virtually connected online. This is one of the wonders of the Internet as it connects people the world over transcending borders and uniting them with a common interest. Works Cited Julie and Julia. Dir. Nora Ephron. Perf. Amy Adams Meryl Streep. 2009.

Japans culture, geography and history

Japans culture, geography and history Japan is an island-nation found off the coast of Northeast Asia, between the North Pacific and the Sea of Japan. After WWII, the country lay in ruin. Two million Japanese died in the war, a third of which were civilians, and more than 13 million Japanese were homeless (â€Å"Japan†). Today, Japan is a new and prosperous nation, and leading in trading. High-speed trains speed between Japan’s cities, connected by bridge and tunnel systems. Their transition back to being an economic superpower is remarkable, but not uncharacteristic, given their strong belief in hard work, the value of working together, and vigorous education standards (â€Å"Japan†). Since WWII, Japan has turned into one of the most highly urbanized and industrialized countries in the world. The country’s price for success, unfortunately, has been overcrowding issues. Close to two-thirds of the 126 million Japanese live in urban cities, making it understandable why Japan is one of the most d ensely population nations. (â€Å"Japan†). From north to south, Japan consists of four main islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. There are also thousands of smaller islands stretched around them. The islands are generally covered in mountains, ranging anywhere from 8,000 to 12,000 feet above sea level (â€Å"Japan†). Japan also sits along the volcanic and earthquake-prone belt know as the â€Å"The Ring of Fire†. Minor tremors are common in the region, with most of the ‘quakes causing little to no damage at all. The Japanese islands were formed from earthquakes like these, only much stronger, creating mountain chains that eventually grew out of the water and formed into the islands (â€Å"Japan†). About four-fifths of Japan’s surface is covered in either hilly or mountainous terrain, leaving very little room for the population and agriculture. Most of the Japanese have no choice but to live in lowland plains around the coast where the land is relatively flat. The largest of these p lains is in the region near Japan’s capital city, Tokyo, where 12 million people live in one of the most heavily concentrated areas in the world. Over the course of centuries, the Japanese have developed into a very distinctive people. The Ainu are different from the Japanese because they’re the descendants of the islands earliest ancestors. Most of the Ainu now live on Hokkaido, separate from the majority of the population. The Japanese are primarily descendants from various parts of Asia, who migrated there from much earlier times (â€Å"Japan†). There’s only one official language spoken in Japan, Japanese, though English is taught as the foreign language everyone must learn in school. For this reason, many of the Japanese can understand English to some extent (â€Å"Japan†). Much unlike the rest of the world, the Japanese do not make class distinctions based on their income. Above all else, the Japanese are most concerned about status and rank among their peers. Factors such as age, length of service in the government or a company, and leadership in a group are the most highly regarded. The Japan ese show their respect in the form of a bow; the higher a person’s status, the deeper and longer the bow they receive. In the family, older members get the deepest bows, first dip in the tub, and best seat at the kitchen table (â€Å"Japan†). Japan has two principle religions; Shinto and Buddhism. Most of the Japanese adhere to both faiths. Shinto, which means â€Å"the way of the gods†, is a native religion to Japanese culture. Followers of Shinto worship the forces of nature, much like the gods of ancient Greece, who often personify the forces of nature themselves (â€Å"Japan†). Shinto originally came from the influences of Buddhism, which was introduced from China. Japanese culture is also largely focused on group cooperation. Other than family, the most important group to the Japanese is their company. In Japanese culture, the virtue most valued is harmony, as harmony is the key to success in any group (â€Å"Japan†). When groups make decisions, its important that all the members can agree to the same terms. A simple majority is not enough, as that leaves too many people feeling like they â€Å"lost† – The Japanese system of making decisions relies on long collaboration in which eve ry view is expressed. The Japanese like to avoid confrontation by using language that’s indirect and carefully worded (â€Å"Japan†). Eventually, when there’s a meeting of minds, decisions are nearly always completely unanimous. Japanese culture has long emphasized a heavy focus on education. The Japanese people attribute their development and economic success to a level of educational excellence. Japan often compares its achievements to the rest of the world, and only feels satisfied when it ranks right near the top. Japanese schools are under constant pressure to raise their educational standards, striving for excellence in all areas (â€Å"Japan†). All children must attend a six-year elementary and three-year junior high education from age 6 to 15. About 94 percent go on to attend high school, and 40 percent of high school graduates continue their education (â€Å"Japan†). In Japan, the school day is longer, the school week is five and a half days, and summer vacation is a little more than a month long. Discipline in schools is strict, with homework assigned starting from first grade on. Every student is also expected to study a foreign language, typically English, in junior high. About half of all students seek some kind of outside tutoring or after-school instruction. One result of this vigorous pursuit is almost 100 percent literacy, a rare achievement (â€Å"Japan†). In no other society is a successful future more dependent on an individuals academic achievement. Japanese schools are among the most competitive in the world, with the best companies only recruiting graduates of top-ranking universities. Those who attend lower-ranking programs will often settle for lesser jobs and benefits, but still enjoy a high level of job security as everyone else (â€Å"Japan†). As a result, nearly every student who has high ambitions for success will seek to enter a university. Admittance to national universities is merit based, rather than by social status or an individuals ability to pay tuition. This mindset allows universities to focus on bringing in the best minds, no matter what walk of life they come from (â€Å"Japan†). Students who wish to continue their education after junior high must pass vigorous entrance exams for both senior high school and universities. â€Å"Examination season† is during February and March each year. The p ressure to pass these exams is phenomenal, often referred to as â€Å"examination hell† (â€Å"Japan†). Student’s who fail examinations will often enroll is a special â€Å"cram† school and try again the following year. Under the constitution drafted in 1947, Japan is a constitutional monarchy. The emperor is head of the state, symbolic of the unity of the Japanese people. The legislative body is the Diet, which is made of a House of Representatives (the lower house) and the House of Councilors (the upper house). Councilors are elected to six-year terms, with half the seats up for election every three years. Representatives are elected to four-year terms (â€Å"Japan†). The Diet selects among itself the prime minister, head of the government, and a cabinet. The House can remove the prime minister at any time with a vote of â€Å"no confidence†. The judicial system is led by the Supreme Court, whose members are appointed by the cabinet. The Supreme Court rules on the constitutionality of laws and government actions (â€Å"Japan†). Japan has the world’s third-largest economy, having achieved remarkable growth since the destruction following WWII. The Japanese economy grew Japan has comparatively little farmland compared to the United States. Only 12 percent of the land is cultivated for farming, yet Japan produces about three-fourths the annual food requirement for its people (â€Å"Japan†, HSW). Japan’s fishing industry is also expansive, taking home among the largest catches annually. The war against the United States and its allies in WWII remains one of the greatest disasters in Japan’s history. It cost 2 million Japanese lives, including the hundreds of thousands who were killed in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (â€Å"Japan†). As a result of the war, Japan was stripped of its military peacekeeping ability and its forces were disbanded.

Case Study of European Budget Airlines

Case Study of European Budget Airlines Ryanair is one of the leading airline companies of Europe. This airline company is known for its low cost and high quality service. It operates more than 1,400 flights per day from 44 bases and 1100+ low fare routes across 27 countries, connecting 160 destinations (Ryanair-a, n.d.). This paper endeavours to analyse Ryanair, with special emphasis on situation analysis, decision making, planning and controlling process, leadership and organisational structure. This paper will conclude with some plausible recommendations on future growth and progress. Situational Analysis SWOT is a very helpful management tool for analysing the situation of a company. Ryanair was established in 1985, and despite its shortcomings it established a strong position in the market. Strengths Ryanair has developed a strong brand name in airline industry as a low cost service provider. Ryanair has been in the airline company since the last 25 years and has gained sufficient experience in it. Ryanair has developed its internet facilities and has made it an important selling point. This helps the company to eliminate the costs of agents. Ryanairs fleet includes aircrafts with high sitting capacity and low maintenance cost. Ryanairs services performance is of high standard with punctual fleet timing. Weakness To save cost, Ryanair charges its passengers for services like refreshments, wheelchair etc. It creates very impression among passengers about the company. It is not a preferred airline with the high class passengers. Opportunities The European Union market is expanding with time and most of the passengers prefer low fare for their air travel. Regions like North America and Asia have greater scope for low cost provider like Ryanair. Threats The existing airline companies are following strategies that lower the cost and hence competition within the industry is increasing with time. The oil market is a major supplier to airline business. In recent years, price of oil has increased significantly. The customers are becoming very price and service sensitive. Porters 5 Forces The bargaining power of suppliers is very high as the number of aircraft manufacturer and oil suppliers are very less in the market. Availability of proper airports is also very important for this industry. However, airports bargaining power is quite low as they depend on aircraft companies. The bargaining power of customers is very high as they have many airline service providers to choose from. The barrier entry of airline industry is quite high as it requires heavy investments and technical expertise. Airline is the fastest mode of transportation for overseas and long distance travel. No other substitute can match the service of airline industry. Competition among existing rival is the most import factor in this industry. The rivals are competing with each other for increasing their market share. In European Union, Lufthansa, Ryanair, Easy jet etc are leading airline companies. 3. Decision Making 3.1. Decision Making Process in Ryanair Ryanair provides low cost and high quality airline services to its customers. It places customer satisfaction above all other priorities. The decision making process is primarily centred on concerns regarding ways to provide higher customer services. Fleet planning, airline fare, fleet scheduling etc are some of the chief aspects of Ryanairs effective decision making process. 3.2. Decision Making Approach Decision making approach can be defined as strategic approached of an organisation. Ryanairs management team aims to follow rational decision making approach. The rational decision making approach is an ongoing and dynamic process. This approach helps to identify the underlying problems and to find relevant solutions (Kroon, 1995 p.187). For example, in 2004, when the company was passing through a financial crisis, rational decision making approach not only helped it to overcome it but also paved the path of growth. 3.3. Types of Problems and Decisions Making In Ryanair In 2004, Ryanair was one of the worst performers in FTSE Eurotop 300 index. During that period, competition in airline industry was very high in the European nations as many new companies entered the market. Despite the stiff competition, the company enjoyed a healthy growth rate till 2003. But the managements inability to understand and rectify the inherent weakness of its decision making process stunted its growth. 3.4. Decision-Making Conditions in Ryanair While framing the strategic move for any decision making process; Ryanairs first priority will be to analyse the elements of external competition. The European airline industry is crowded with many leading companies like Lufthansa, Virgin, Aer Lingus, and British Airway etc. Consumers needs are also very important for Ryanairs decision-making. Prior to 2003, the companys concern for customer service was very low, except the low fare advantages. 3.5. Decision-Making Styles The decision making style of Ryanairs management team seems to be affected by different factors. However, the decision making methods are quite flexible. After analysing its rapid growth during 2002-2003, it can be claimed that it focuses on short term objective rather than long term goals. Creativity is another major feature of its decision making style. 3.6. Decision- Making Biases and Errors Ryanairs temporary fall during 2004 brought into fore many drawbacks of its decision making process. Robbins has identified some unexplained prejudices and errors of decision making like biases relating to overconfidence, anchoring, confirmation, availability, escalation of commitment etc (Robbins, 2009, p.126). Ryanairs decision was affected by two major biases i.e. anchoring biases and status quo biasness. Its decision making was based on the past success that failed to take in to account unfavourable macro-economic conditions resulting from 9/11 attack on WTC. 4. Planning 4.1Vision and Mission Statement Vision and mission statements help an organisation to prepare a roadmap for its operational activities. Ryanairs official website does not have the vision and mission statement of the company. However, the public statements of Michael OLeary and other higher executive member of Ryanair indicate that it aims to achieve growth and success by being the lowest cost provider in airline industry (Box and Kent, 2007). 4.2. Purposes of Planning In general, the purpose of planning is to bring effectiveness and efficiency in the operational activities of a business. The implied mission and vision of Ryanairs clearly states its purposes of planning. To counter the increasing competition, the company has decided to follow low cost strategy. Hence, its planning is designed after taking into consideration this objective. 4.3 Planning And Performances in Ryanair According to Riezebos, planning is a very crucial element of operational activity that affects the performance level (Riezebos, 2001, p.12). Planning is one of the major tools of motivating participants to achieve the common organisational goal. Due to rational decision making approach, the company is able to plan its operational and strategic activities properly. Ryanair is able to achieve its target with the help of an efficient planning process. 4.4 Types of Goals in Ryanair The primary goal of Ryanair is to become the lowest cost airline service provider in Europe. The idea of offering low fare proved successful for the company. However, initially it failed to understand the necessity of good service for customer. Currently, the company is committed to provide lower fare, high quality service and punctual air schedule (Ryanair-b, n.d.). 4.5 Types of Plans in Ryanair Ryanairs decision making process follows rational approach and it also follows rational model for its planning process. Basically, planning can be divided as short term goal and long term goal. The companys management team was concerned only with the short term goal. The company often changes its plan as per the requirements of the market. In 2002, the companys plan was to provide low cost fare and after 2004, its planning process also took note of service quality. 4.6 Contingency Factors in Planning Ryanair faces three major contingency factors. Firstly, the organisational level affects the operational planning of middle and low level managers. Secondly, the uncertainty of macro-environmental or other external factors affects the planning process. Therefore, Ryanair aims to develop a flexible planning system. Thirdly, the long and short term objectives of Ryanair affect its planning process. The company always tries to concentrate on its current objective. 4.7 Objectives The primary objective of Ryanair is to attain cost leadership in European airline market. However, to achieve this objective, the company needs to concentrate on other long term goal. These include increasing its operational activities to enter new markets like North America, developing customer centred business model and increasing the use of internet as a major selling point (OCuilleanain et al, 2004). 4.8 Management by Objectives (MBO) Management by objective (MBO) approach of management leads to increase in the performance of organisation. MBO is a result-oriented, non-specialized managerial process for the effective utilization of organisational resources by integrating individuals with the organisation and the organisation with the environment (Goyal, 2005, p.304). During 2004, in order to overcome its crisis situation, the company introduced MBO approach to improve its performance. 4.9 Strategic Management Process Ryanairs strategic management process is based on its objective of achieving cost leadership in European airline industry. The company has improved its positioning by implementing proper strategic management process. The key elements of its strategic management include low fares, high frequency of point-to-point flight within short routes, proper route choice, reduction in operating cost, increase the internet use for selling, maintenance of safely and high quality service etc (OCuilleanain et al, 2004) 5. Organising 5.1 Organisation Structure and Design: Proper organisational structure and design helps to develop efficient management performance. There are four elements of organisation structure and these are departmentalisation, span of control, centralization and formalization. Appendix 1 depicts the organisation structure of Ryanair. Michael OLeary is the CEO of the company and there are seven Directors and a Chairman. For each department like customer services, finance, HR etc, there are individual head management personnel having a team. 5.2 Chain of Command The Chain of command in Ryanair is based on its organisational structure. The appendix 1 portrays that the CEO is the chief person of command of the organisation. However, the decision making process in Ryanair includes all the senior managers of each department. To maintain high level of transparency and to develop two-way communication system in cross functional departments, the chain of command is very essential. 5.3 Span of Control The span of control in Ryanair is effective and helps to maintain a sound organisational growth. The span of control of the CEO Michael OLeary is the highest and most effective. As per appendix 1, the entire department is required to report on the ongoing activities to the CEO. The CEO along with the Directors and Chairman is responsible for making the final decisions of the organisation. However, for better planning and implementation, the employees should be involved in the decision making process. 5.4 Centralization and Decentralization The decision of centralization or decentralization depends on the nature and expansion of business. Ryanair is a multinational company having different units in European countries and North America. For the airline industry, decentralization is more preferred over centralization. However, Ryanair follows a centralized organisational model. Decentralization of organisation will help it to compete with the major competitors of different markets. 5.5 Mechanistic and Organic organization The mechanistic organisations are those having a well defined hierarchy. Ryanair has a centralized organisational structure and it is an example of mechanistic organisation. Appendix 2 shows the major difference between the mechanistic and organic organisation. The company has been very strict in maintaining its relationship with the employees. However, such organisational structure of Ryanair creates biases and errors in decision making process. 5.6 Contingency Factors There are many factors that affect the organisational structure of a company. The industry trend, the growth structure, the social and demographic characteristics of employee customers and vision and mission of the company etc are the major contingency factors that help in designing the organisational structure. The leadership quality of the higher management also affects the organisational structure. The organisational structure of Ryanair is also affected by external competition and its leadership style. 5.7 Job Characteristics Model One of the primary objectives of Ryanair is to provide high customer services and in this respect the employees are the most important resource. In order to enrich the quality of job, the company motivates its employees to achieve the common organisational goal i.e. growth. The company aim to offer competitive salaries with excellent benefits that are simple and easy to understand (Ryanair-c, n.d.). 6. Leadership The leadership style is an important influencing factor organisational growth and success. The major leadership skills of Ryanairs management focus on the low cost fare for airline. The fleet of Ryanair includes single-class aircraft that increases the seating capacity. However, the leadership skills of Ryanair have led to its success of 2002-2003 and failure of 2004. The leadership in Ryanair strives to focus on position, seniority and authority. Control 7.1 Control Process The control process is the key element for Ryanair as it wants to achieve the lowest cost leadership. In order to facilitate effective and efficient control system, employees must be properly organized. Ryanair has developed proper system for regulating the control process by managing its employees. 7.2 Types of Control Ryanair strategic moves and policies control various aspect of the organisation. Firstly, cost controlling activity is the major criteria for low cost fare airline and it includes labour cost, marketing cost, airport charges. It also reduces the service cost by controlling many activities. For example, in 2003, it did not offer meals of refreshments to passengers who faced delays (O Higgins, 2004,). 7.3 Managerial Approaches to Implement Controls Ryanairs management team approach for implementation of control, strives to bring down the financial expenses. However, proper organisation culture and operational activities are also very important to improve its service qualities. Fleet control and market control are necessary for achieving the competitive strategy. The market control managerial approach of Ryanair involves the comparison of profit and expenses with that of its competitors. 7.4 Management Information System For establishing better management system, Ryanair has brought technological advancement in its organisations non-operational activities. For example, it has developed its website for using it as a major selling point. The increasing use of internet has made the managerial activity more efficient. At present, the company is aiming to achieve 100% internet ticket booking. Contingency Factors in Control Like the decision making process, controlling activity of an organisation is affected by uncertainty of macro-economic factors and the cultural and social characteristics of employees. In the airline industry, the major contingency factor is the competition and conflicts related to organisational objectives. Ryanairs management aims to avoid these contingencies factors related to employees by rewarding them for their efforts. 7.6 Corporate Governance Ryanair is listed on London and Irish Stock Exchanges in Europe. The company is responsible for following proper business ethics and compliance as per the corporate governance. The entire management teams including the Directors and CEO are committed to maintain the standard corporate governance. Its business policy clearly defines the role of Directors and other members in meeting its corporate responsibility. Balanced Scorecard Balanced score card is the most popular management tool used by organisations. Ryanairs strategic management system can be explained with balanced score card. To bring efficiency in its operational activities, Ryanair concentrates of four major areas i.e. finance, customer, business process and learning and growth. 8.1 Benchmarking To achieve the objective of becoming the lowest cost provider in the European airline industry, Ryanair has set its benchmark for cost controlling activities. At present, it is the lowest cost provider in the industry and hence, it has developed its own benchmark. For example, in 2003, the company reduced its cost for wheelchairs services by bringing a third party wheelchair suppliers who charged passengers for supplying wheelchairs. 8.2 Value Chain The value chain of the company strives to provide the lowest fare possible. Appendix 4 portrays the value chain which includes other important aspects of the airline industry. To develop a cost effective operational process, the company has combined its balanced score card, benchmarking and value chain. RECOMMENDATIONS To ensure success, Ryanair must bring some changes in its management and business model. Some of the useful recommendations are given below. It must focus on its services to meet the passengers minimum expectation. The company should include the employees in the decision making process. As many other rivals are also following low cost strategy, Ryanair can bring certain innovations in its service process. Internal communication should be encouraged for better transparency and motivation. It should develop its public image by increasing corporate social activities. For maintaining low cost fare, it should emphasise on the financial aspects. 10. Reference Box, T. M. and Kent, B. 2007. Ryanair (2005): Successful Low Cost Leadership. [Online]. Available at: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5452/is_200705/ai_n21289700/pg_2/. [Accessed on November 03, 2010]. Goyal, R. C. 2005. Hospital Administration and Human Resource Management. 4th Edition. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. Hellriegel, D. and Slocum, J. W. 2007. Organizational behaviour. 11th Edition. Cengage Learning. Kroon, J. 1995. General Management. 2nd Edition. Pearson South Africa. OCuilleanain, E. S. et al, 2004. Ryanair Plc. [Pdf]. Available at: http://dev.ulb.ac.be/cours/alle/PDF/BuspPresRyanair04.pdf. [Accessed on November 03, 2010]. O Higgins, E, 2004, Case Study Ryanair. Riezebos, 2001. Design of a period batch control planning system for cellular manufacturing. University of Groningen. Robbins, S. P. 2009. Organisational behaviour: global and Southern African perspectives. 2nd Edition. Pearson South Africa. Ryanair-a. No Date. About Us: History of Ryanair. [Online]. Available at: http://www.ryanair.com/en/about. [Accessed on November 03, 2010]. Ryanair-b. No date. About Us: Passenger Charter. [Online]. Available at: http://www.ryanair.com/en/about/passenger-charter. [Accessed on November 03, 2010]. Ryanair-c. No date. Careers. [Online]. Available at: http://www.ryanair.com/en/careers/working-for-ryanair. [Accessed on November 03, 2010]. The Official Board. September 15, 2010. Ryanair. [Online]. Available at: http://www.theofficialboard.com/org-chart/ryanair-holdings. [Accessed on November 03, 2010]. The Performance Institute. 2009. Balanced Scorecard. [Online]. Available at: http://www.performanceweb.org/events/training/program-performance/sub7/. [Accessed on November 03, 2010]. Jack Baskin School of Engineering. No date. Airline Industry Analysis. [Ppt]. Available at: http://www.soe.ucsc.edu/classes/ism158/Winter03/istcch04.ppt. [Accessed on November 03, 2010].

America Must Move Forward into the Electronic Age of Voting :: Politics Political Science

America Must Move Forward into the Electronic Age of Voting The levels of excitement grew throughout election night all across the nation. The respective parties gathered in various convention rooms all over the United States. The tension in the air could be felt as one entered the rooms hosted by any candidate’s party. As the evening progressed, one could tell this would be a close election. November 7 is a day many people in America take for granted. I have heard many times people muttering, ‘my vote is not going to even make the difference so why should I vote?’ Many Americans don’t feel their vote is important enough to even get off their butts to go and vote. However, as a political science major it is imperative to me to exercise my right to vote. Not only have people died fighting for rights such as this, but it also gives me the opportunity and the right to voice an opinion after the election. If you don’t vote what gives you the right to complain? Nothing. Since we are a democracy we should not take the right to vote lightly and a great majority of Americans do. For some reason, this election proved to be different. The voting percentages were higher than most election years. According to the www.msnbc.com the majority of votes come from retired people and military voters. College students throughout the past years have decreased percentage-wise in voter turnout. In 1996 the number of college students who cast their ballots had decreased 23% since 1992. Student Advantage Magazine (SAM) lists various issues for the decline in college voter turnout. The top two reasons SAM lists, as reasons for the dwindling numbers are apathy and laziness. However www.msnbc.com has stated with more students becoming politically active, the numbers should increase in future elections. For example, voting numbers increased a small percentage for this election. Why are people voting now? Is it because we have good candidates running? Is it because American’s finally feel the pressure to get off their lazy butts and make it to the polls? Does it have anything to do with absentee ballots being used at the highest rate in our nations history? Americans tend to think in the manner, â€Å"I will vote for this person if he wants what I want.† At least they have substance on their reasons for voting for someone.

Bullying: A Force That Must Be Stopped Essay -- Violence

Bullies are looked upon as vestibules of unhealthy tendencies while also harboring deep seeded emotions including anger and hatred. Feelings of anger and hatred can force a person down a path of darkness that only leads one way; into the pit of self-destruction. In present times, these destructive acts can cause a child to become a relic of pain and sullenness; all of these emotions create a bully. â€Å"Bullying is commonly defined as a specific type of aggressive behavior that involves intent to cause harm, occurs repeatedly, and involves a power imbalance.† (Hunt, Peters, and Rapee 156) This aggressive behavior has been constantly studied over the past ten years due to an increase in abnormal tendencies in children and teenagers. Three different categories of bullying exist, â€Å"†¦direct physical bullying, direct verbal bullying, and indirect bullying in which the person or group of persons doing the bullying is not necessarily identified.† (Hunt, Peters, and Rapee 156) All three of these menaces need to be put at halt as much as possible, for if they are allowed to run amuck all that will be produced is chaos. The responsibility of stopping a bully falls upon the teachers and staff members who are charged with ensuring the safety and security of students, and the only possible strategy to stop bullying is to ensure these people are always attentive and aware of their student’s life in the school environment. Easily one the most noticeable type of bullying that exists is the direct and physical approach. More often than not, a bully will physically approach the victim on a daily basis; whether it occurs in the hall, the lunchroom, or after hours. Interestingly enough, an instance of bullying is almost never reported to a teacher or s... ...ayground: Changes Associated With Universal Intervention, Retaliation Beliefs, And Supportive Friends." School Psychology Review 39.4 (2010): 536-551. Academic Search Premier. Web. Mior, AJ. "Do Anti Bullying Programs Work?." Ezine Articles. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2012. . O'Brennan, Lindsey M., Catherine P. Bradshaw, and Anne L. Sawyer. "Examining Developmental Differences In The Social-Emotional Problems Among Frequent Bullies, Victims, And Bully/Victims." Psychology In The Schools 46.2 (2009): 100-115. Academic Search Premier. Web. 17 Apr. 2012. Stop Bullying. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2012. . Utterly Global. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2012. .

Bayou Meto

Chris Bryan Professor Swain English 1013 8 October 2012 Bayou Meto Wildlife Management Area Bayou Meto is one of the most special places in Southeast Arkansas because it offers hunters and fisherman a great place to hunt and fish. Bayou Meto, better known as the â€Å"Scatters†, is located in Arkansas and Jefferson counties. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission purchased it in the 1930’s and people keep coming back year after year. Bayou Meto has various access points to begin a hunting or fishing trip. Bayou Meto WMA can be reached off  U. S. highways 79, 165, 152, 88 and 276.Access to most of the area is by walk-in and boat only. A few locations to begin a hunt would be: Long Pond, Long Bell, Buckingham Flats, Cannon Brake, Temple Island, and Beaver Dam Slough. Fishing locations would include Cox Cypress, Wrape Plantation, and Halowell Reservoir. Bayou Meto is mainly known for duck hunting. People from all over the country travel to the Scatters every year to shoot ducks in those famous woods. It is rated by Ducks Unlimited to be one of the top places to duck hunt in the world. It used to be a popular place for guided duck hunts until it was banned in the 1980’s.Guiding was banned because it was against the law to accept money from people in a public hunting area. The duck limit per day is three mallards and two wood ducks. Bayou Meto is one of the largest state-owned wildlife management areas in the nation, encompassing 33,832 acres in Arkansas and Jefferson counties. Bayou Meto is full of bayous and creeks that flood the timber that the ducks use for feeding on acorns. The water level of Bayou Meto all depends on the amount of rain it receives. If it is a dry year there will not be enough water to duck hunt.Hunters often get disappointed when this happens. About thirteen thousand acres are flooded if the water is high during duck season. Oak trees are found throughout the woods, and they produce a plentiful amount of acorns, which th e wildlife feed on. Deer hunting is also very popular in the Scatters. There have been many state records killed in the Scatters. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission plants food plots each year that increases deer antler growth. Many hunters choose to hunt over the food plots or nearby farm fields. The deer also feed on the acorns that fall from the oak trees in the woods.The Eastern Wild Turkey is a very popular animal to hunt as well. The turkey population is very good in the Scatters. The limit for turkeys in the Scatters is two gobblers. The turkeys also feed in the food plots with deer. Small game hunting attracts a lot of hunters also. Raccoon hunting is the most popular form of hunting. Hunters also like to hunt: coyotes, bobcats, crows, rabbits, and squirrels. Coyotes and bobcats are a major problem because they kill turkeys and baby deer. The Scatters offers some of the best fishing in Arkansas.The most popular fish to catch is the Largemouth Bass. The Crappie and Bream a re also very popular fish to catch. The Arkansas Game and Fish stocks the Wrape Plantation with fish each year to ensure a fisherman will have a good fishing trip. The Scatters is a great place to spend time in the outdoors. It offers numerous hunting and fishing opportunities. The Arkansas Game and Fish strives to make this one of the most special places in the state and in the country. These thirty three thousand acres should give the outdoorsman a great chance to catch a fish or kill an animal.

Age of Exploration Essay

The age of exploration had many varied effects on the countries involved, mainly Spain, France, and England. By establishing a prosperous empire in South America by conquering the native people, Spain became vastly wealthy off of the gold collected by its native subjects. However, since the native people were dying off rapidly due to the foreign diseases brought over by the Conquistadors, as well as malnutrition and fatigue, Spain and Portugal were the first to introduce slavery to the New World by replacing them with African slaves brought over by Portuguese slave traders. The silver mining by these slaves caused world trade to increase. Often, silver brought to Europe from America was then traded with China and other Asian countries, making silk, porcelain, and Indian spices more prevalent in Europe. Products from America that became popular in Europe included corn, potatoes, pineapples, and sugar cane. Many cultures spread and combined with others: Spanish missionaries converted natives to Christianity, which then combined the new Christian beliefs with the natives’ cultural traditions. Another example, Arabian coffee with American sugar became quite popular throughout Europe. Although saying that anyone who crossed the Atlantic (at least when referring to modern theories) truly discovered America is ridiculous, I believe that the first to do so was Leif Eriksson and his group of Vikings whose settlement was found in Canada. According to the Greenlander saga and the Eric saga, his father, Eric the Red, a Viking outlaw, discovered Greenland. In order to establish himself as a man separate from his father, Leif sailed to the west in order to discover his own land. He sailed west because there had been a rumor in Greenland for the past fifteen years of a merchant sailing from Iceland to Greenland whose ship had been blown off course in a storm. According to the rumor, the merchant claimed that there were three separate lands west of Greenland. Around the year 1000, Leif purchased the merchant’s ship from the story, and obtained directions from the same merchant. He set sail only for a few days, which was reportedly was miserable due to the conditions on the open boat. On this expedition, they were seeking trees, which were scare in Greenland, but abundant in what is now northern Newfoundland, Canada, where the party landed. Leif named the new land Vinland after the wild grapes found there and the wine the grapes produced. Shortly thereafter, the settlers began to erect a settlement and scouted the land. In 1960, the archeologist and set out to find the fabled Vinland, using a four hundred year old Icelandic map and descriptions from the sagas. On the very northern tip of Newfoundland, they came across an area of mounds and ruins near a small town. Because the ruins predated the settlement of the area, the locals had always believed that Native Americans created the mounds. In fact, through almost seven years of painstaking excavations and radiocarbon testing, it was proven that the ruins were of a settlement dating back to the year 1000. Various artifacts found at the site also confirmed its Norse origins. Archeologists have gone so far as to pinpoint which ‘house’ was Leif Eriksson’s, based on size and complexity of the structure. I believe that Leif Eriksson was the first to cross the Atlantic and settle in America because of many factors. The radiocarbon dating of the site which puts it at 1000 C. E. immediately eliminates any of the explorers from the age of exploration, as well as the Chinese in 1492, in addition to the obvious implausibility of traveling above Canada in ice riddled waters in a flimsy wooden vessel. A case could perhaps be made for the merchant in the sagas who started the rumor, but as with all epic stories, the Icelanders who were the ones to transcribe the sagas based on oral stories, may have simply added him in as a fictional supporting character. Because of this and other equally plausible scenarios, I have to concede that Leif Eriksson was the first to reach the New World by crossing the Atlantic. There is confusion among certain people about whether America was colonized because of a desire for more money on the part of England or because the colonists were seeking religious freedom from the Roman Catholic Church. This confusion stems mainly from the watered down version of Jamestown and the Mayflower that we teach students at a young age. While it is true that Puritans did indeed come to the New World seeking religious freedom, the initial desire to colonize America was all about the desire for wealth. Because of Spain’s conquests in South America, the gold it had acquired from the natives and silver mining had made the country vastly wealthy and other nations were eager to get their share of the riches. America also had an abundant supply of farmland at a time when many farmers had small farms that they toiled over in an effort to merely support their families. In addition, as more settlers moved to America and created a demand for indulgences that they were accustomed to in Europe, the companies that sold such items made more money because of the higher prices the settlers had to pay in order to accommodate shipping costs. In short, while religious freedom was a noble and idealistic dream, it wouldn’t benefit anyone or make any money, which is what people were chiefly concerned with. How would America be different if it had been settled one hundred years later, in 1592? To begin with, it probably would not be called ‘America’. America is so named after Amerigo Vespucci; however, as he died in 1512, it is unlikely that we would have been named after him. Perhaps we would be named Raleigh, after Walter Raleigh, a British explorer of both North and South America in our actual history. Christopher Columbus would not be in history books, as he would not have been to Raleigh. Native Americans thus would have never been referred to as Indians. Because of our late start as a nation, it is reasonable to assume that certain historical events in our country would be delayed, let us say, fifty years or so. Because colonization was delayed, it would take longer for tensions to raise between the colonists and the French, so the French and Indian War would not have started in 1689, but around 1739 instead. This in turn would delay the Seven years war and thus the taxed imposed by the British that led to the American Revolution, which would now begin in 1825. Thus, we would have the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1826 and become our own country in 1833. Or alternatively, because of the differing technology, we might have lost the war and still been English today. But lets assume that we won and Raleigh was founded. I believe the Civil War would have been delayed as well until 1911, three years before World War One started. Both world wars, because we did not start them, would have happened the same years as they actually did, 1914 and 1939 respectably. However, I believe that the issue of civil and women’s’ rights would have been later in coming, perhaps in the 80’s. We would probably be dealing with racism more than gay rights today, if that were the case. And our music would be behind as well, so 60’s music today would then be 80’s music now.

An Analysis of ‘a Young Man’s Thought’s Before June 16th’ †Fhazel Johennesse Essay

The historical background to the poem is June 16th 1976. This date marks the Soweto Uprising which was initiated in Soweto by black high school students. The students were protesting against being taught in Afrikaans in their local schools. The demonstration was meant to be peaceful and was secretly planned to avoid discovery by the police. On the morning of June the 16th, thousands of youths gathered with the plan to march to Orlando Stadium to hold a rally to air their grievances. However, their intended route was blocked by riot police, and what had started as a peaceful march turned bloody as police used live ammunition on the protesters. Evidence shows that many protesters were shot in the back as they were running away. [Readers Digest Illustrated History of South Africa, (1988: 440) and Wikipedia (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Soweto_uprising)] The journey that the speaker is going to go on in lines 1 – 2 suggests a struggle and an ultimate goal to be reached. The journey has been planned as the speaker refers to ‘tomorrow’ in line 1. He then talks about the road ‘that winds’. This suggests many twists and turns in the journey, which in turn suggests that the journey will not be an easy or straight-forward one. The words ‘top of the hill’ suggest the end of the journey or the ultimate goal. The final goal or destination will only be reached by means of an uphill struggle. The word ‘only’ is used in line 3 – ‘I take with me only the sweet memories of my youth’. The speaker is ready for his journey and takes with him just what is important – his memories. His memories are his only link to the innocence of his youth, and he knows that the following day, his life is going to change forever – he will lose his childlike innocence and have to face an altered world. The words ‘my heart aches for my mother’ could convey various meanings. The first of these could be that the young man wishes that he did not have to face the day ahead but could go back to the familiarity and security being a child. He is assuming adult responsibilities of having to worry about his mother, and does not feel ready for this. The second possibility is that the young man’s mother is dead and he misses her. This argument could be supported by the previous line ‘I take with me only the sweet memories of my youth’ in that his childhood was a happy time in his life. The final image that could be conveyed by these words is that he knows that there is heartache ahead for his mother in that he does not know what is going to happen at the end of the day, but he does not have a positive feeling about it,. The words ‘my heart aches’ could convey that he regrets the heartache that is ahead for his mother. This could be supported by the words ‘sing my sad song sing for me for my sunset is drenched in red ‘. In many cultures, a woman downturns or averts her eyes in the presence of a young man who could be her suitor as a sign of respect. The ‘old man with a broken brow’ could symbolise a full life (‘old’) and many experiences and challenges (‘broken brow’). Therefore, these individuals and their countenances could symbolise that the young man is, not unrealistically, asking for a normal life with a future (‘woman’) and a fully lived life (‘old man’). An alternative interpretation could be that the young woman’s ‘downtrodden eyes’ symbolises sorrow or shame whilst the old man’s ‘broken brow’ symbolises being broken down or downtrodden. In this case, the two individuals could symbolise that the youth wishes that someone understood what he was about to go through and could give him some comfort. The sunset and the colour red symbolises the end of the young man’s life. Sunset is at the end of the day and could also symbolise the end of life. Red is the colour of blood. The young man feels that the end of the day – sunset – will coincide with the violent end (‘drenched in red’) of his life, as emphasised by the words ‘my sunset’. It is also symbolic that the symbolism of the sunset and the colour red occurs in the last line of the poem as it brings the young man’s life to a close. As outlined in Readers Digest Illustrated History of South Africa, (1988: 440) and in the Wikipedia article (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Soweto_uprising), June the 16th 1976 was the catalyst for political change in South Africa to begin. On this date, thousands of black high school students gathered in Soweto with the intention to march to Orlando Stadium to hold a rally to protest against being taught in Afrikaans in their local schools. The march had been secretly planned to avoid discovery by the police. The day ended in bloodshed and an official death toll of 23 when the police opened fire on the youths. Many protesters were shot in the back as they were running away. The poem is written against this background. The strong theme of the poem is the mental preparations the young man is making for the day ahead – ‘tomorrow I travel on a road’. He is unsure of what is going to happen but suspects that it will not end well. He is reflecting on what is going to happen and expecting the worst. There is no punctuation or capitalization used in the poem. The only deviation from this is the use of the capital ‘I’ that is used when the poet is referring to himself. This adds to the emphasis of the young man as the focal point of the poem. The tone of the poem is poignant and sombre which is reiterated by the use of words like ‘memories’, ‘aches’, ‘sad’, and ‘drenched’. The imagery that is used overall reminds one of a funeral procession, not unlike Christ’s crucifixion, as portrayed in the words ‘road that winds to the top of the hill’. This also brings to mind a feeling of impending sacrifice. This image is further reinforced by the words in line 12 ‘o sing my sad song sing for me’, as this could refer to a funeral hymn. The poet has mentally and physically prepared for the journey ahead as he states in line 3 ‘I take with me only the sweet memories of my youth’. He does, however, have some regrets. He regrets the impact the day is going to have on his mother and he wishes he could be with her, as indicated by the words ‘my heart aches for my mother’ (line 5). Historically, the march was planned in secret and the students did not tell their parents [Wikipedia (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Soweto_uprising)], so the young man would not even be able to share his plans with his mother. He also regrets that he will not get to experience a normal life. The words ‘I ask only for a sad song’ in line 8 symbolise this regret. In line 10, the old man’s age and broken brow represent an experienced life well lived. In line 9, the woman represents the partner that the young man will never have. (In many cultures, a woman will avert her eyes in the presence of her suitor). In the young man’s case, he expects that he will have neither – the words ‘I ask only’ indicate an almost pleading expectation that will not be met. In lines 6 & 7, the poet’s ‘heart aches’ for ‘Friday nights with friends around a table with a broad belch of beer’. He regrets the time with his friends that he will not to share. The poem concludes with the young man asking that he be mourned as line 12 states ‘o sing my sad song sing for me’. This is his request that he be mourned, and for a song to be sung at his funeral. He foresees his death when he says ‘for my sunset is drenched in red’. The sunset represents the end of his life – this is emphasised by the word ‘my’ referring to his life – whilst the imagery of ‘drenched in red’ refers to the amount of blood that will be spilt by the time sunset is reached the following day. June the 16th was a tragic day in South African history, and this poem reflects the sadness of the needless loss of life on that day. It was indeed the catalyst for political change in South Africa. It should always be remembered and used to remind ourselves of where we came from, in order to ensure we never go there again.

Two Professional Athletes of Nfl Football

Two Professional Athletes Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice both played College and NFL football, but for different Teams and they played different positions. They were the greatest football players in there Time when they were playing. Emmitt Smith also played football in high school and shined on the field there as well. He played football for Escambia High School in Pensacola, Florida. Escambia won the state Football championship, and Emmitt rushed for 106 touchdowns and 8,804 yards, which was the Second most yardage in the history of American high school football at the time.Emmitt rushed For over 100 yards in 45 of the 49 games he started for Escambia (including the last 28 in a row) Where he finished with a 7. 8 yards per carry average. Twice, he broke the 2,000 yard rushing mark in a Season. Emmitt was named the USA Today and Parade magazine high school player of the year For 1986. In 2007 twenty years after Emmitt had graduated from high school, the Florida High School Athletic Ass ociation named Emmitt to its â€Å"All-Century Team,† recognizing him as one of the 33 greatest Florida high school football players of the last 100 years.As part of its â€Å"100 Years of Florida High School Football† awards ceremony, Florida High School Athletic Association Named Emmitt as its â€Å"Player of the Century. † Emmitt Smith played College football for the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida Where he played for the Florida Gators from 1987 to 1989. He was picked by the Dallas Cowboys In the NFL Draft in 1990 round 1 pick 17. He retired from playing football in 2004. His position on The field when he played was running back. He played with Dallas Cowboys from (1990 to 2002), Then he went to play for the Arizona Cardinals from (2003 to 2004).He played NFL football for Fifteen seasons. Was considered the greatest running back in the NFL. With other team members Led his team to three Super Bowl Championships during the 1990s. While he played college football he shined on the field there as well. In his first full game, Emmitt promptly broke Florida’s 40-year- old all time single game rushing record, carrying 39 times For 224 yards and 2 touchdowns as the Gators upset the Crimson Tide. Emmitt went on to break The 1,000-yard barrier in the seventh game of his freshman season, the fastest any running back had Ever broken the barrier to begin his college career.He finished the 1987 season with 1,341 yards and Was named Southeastern Conference and National Freshman of the Year. He also finished 9th in that Year’s Heisman voting. In 1989 he finished his junior season with Florida records for rushing yards in A season with (1,599), rushing yards in a single game (316 versus New Mexico in 1989) longest rushing Play (96 yards against Mississippi State in 1988), career rushing yards (3,928), and career rushing Touchdowns of (36) among many others.In all Emmitt owned 58 school records at the conclusion of His Florida career. At the conclusion of his junior season in 1989 Emmitt was named a first-team SEC Selection for the third year and SEC Player of the Year, was a unanimous first-team All-American, and Finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy balloting. His senior year Emmitt decided to forego his senior Year at Florida and entered the NFL draft.Emmitt was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a â€Å"Gator Great† in 1999, the Gator Football Ring of Honor in 2006. Was inducted in the Pro-Football Hall of Fame in (2010). He holds many NFL records for rushing. NFL record for career rushing yards (18,355), NFL record for career rushing touchdowns (164), NFL Record for career 100- yard rushing games (78). He attempted (4,409), had receiving yards of (3,224), Touchdown receptions of (11), he had (515) receptions in his career.He played in 8 pro bowls from (1990 to 1999), 6 all pro games (1991 to 1995), 4 times NFL rushing leader (1991 to 1995), 3 time Super Bowl Cha mpion (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX ), NFL 1990s all-decade team, ap NFL MVP (1993), NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (1990), Super Bowl MVP (XXVIII), NEA NFL MVP (1991, 1992), PFWA NFL MVP (1993), Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor, Bert Bell Award (1993), Gator Football Ring of Honor University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame, Unanimous first-team All-American (1989). Jerry also played football for the high school football team of Starkville, Mississippi.He Outshined on the high school football field as well. Jerry Rice played college football for Mississippi Valley State University from 1980 to 1984. While on the football field playing college football his statistics from his college years are sparse. The College Football Hall of Fame website claims that Jerry, as a sophomore in 1982, caught (66) Passes for (1,133) yards and (7) touchdowns. That was all achieved in his first season. He also had a Record-setting 1983 campaign including NCAA marks for receptions (102) and receiving yards(1,450) H e was named first-team Division I-AA All-America.He also set a single-game NCAA record for Catching 24 passes against Southern University. In 1985 the San Francisco 49er’s drafted Jerry in the 1985 NFL Draft round 1 pick 16. He retired in 2005. His position when he played on the field was wide receiver. He played with the San Francisco 49er’s from (1985 to 2000), he then went and played for the Oakland Raiders from (2001 to 2004), Then he went to play for the Seattle Seahawks for 1 season in (2004), after that season he went To the Denver Broncos and was on the team rooster for the season of (2005). *offseason and he was a practice squad member only. He played NFL football for a career spanning two decades. Was considered the greatest wide Receiver in the NFL. With other team members led his team to 2 super bowls for the San Francisco 49er’s, and then 1 super bowl for the Oakland Raiders. Was inducted in the Pro-Football Hall of Fame in (2010). Received many awa rds while playing For the NFL. Rated #1 NFL player of all-time by NFL. com, 2 times AP NFL Offensive player of the year (1987, 1993), 3 time NFC Offensive player of the Year (1986, 1987).Played in 13 Pro bowls from (1986 to 2002). 12 times all-pro selection (1986 to 2002), 3 times Super Bowl Champion (XXIII, XXIV, XXIX). Pro Bowl MVP (1996), Super Bowl MVP (XXIII), PFWA MVP (1988), UPI NFC Player of the Year (1988), UPI NFI-NFC Rookie of the Year (1985), Bert Bell Award (1987), NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, NFL 1980s All-Decade Team, NFL 1990s All Decade Team, He also holds many NFL records. He had a total Receptions of (1,549), Receiving yards of (22,895) he has total touchdowns of (208), and has total points Scored of (1,256).As you can see these two football players where the greatest players of all time when they got On the football field to play. They out-shined many other football players on the same team as they Played for. They were exceptional players when they were a t there prime. They were both inducted In the Pro-Football Hall of Fame in (2010). They were both inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in (2006). The difference between the two is that one was a running back, and the other was a Wide receiver.

Motivation and Self Regulation in Learning Essay

Motivation and Self Regulation in Learning - Essay Example (Ablard and Lipschultz, 1998) Self-regulatory processes can only work if students have the ability to organize themselves and stick to it with great determination and will power. It seems that the major cause of underachievement is the lack of self-control of students. For those children who have a do not have the confidence it takes to have faith in their own abilities, setting goals can lead to positive outcomes as the achievement of these goals influence students' task persistence and problem-solving efforts. Research has proved that for self-regulation to be truly effective students need to have goals and keep assessing their goals and how close they are to achieve their goals. There are many issues to address while assessing goals such as what exactly is it that the student wants to achieve, how difficult is it to achieve that particular goal and how close the student is to achieving the goal. Such evaluation acts as a continuous reality check and encourages students to keep working towards their goals. Another major problem that people often face is that they don't set their goals correctly. They don't weight the time factor in enough. Procrastination is a huge issue here. They seem to think they have all the time in the world and keep putting what they have to do off until the last minute. This may also be due to distractions such as the television or friends. No matter what the reason it results in their goals remaining unachieved. Sometimes students do weight the time factor in and then when they realize that their goals might take a very long time to achieve, they refuse to set such goals. "Students become more motivated when goals are "in sight" or proximal, rather than when the goals seem to be a long way off (this last point may be particularly true for low-achieving children)." (Shunk and Zimmerman 1994) When the goals seem a too long way the opposite is true. This can happen when students set goals that are not practical and unrealistically extraordinary. The simple task of imagining what the achieving the goal will take can make students crumble and not even bother to take the first step towards completing their goal. Goals that are within the student's reach should be set so that the student can see himself or herself actually achieving that goal and the path to achieving the goal will be embarked upon easily. This should be especially noted for students who are setting goals for the first time. If they are discouraged, frustrated and disappointed right at the beginning they will not be inclined to set goals again. Once they start achieving their goals, higher and higher goals can be set each time. Now they will have the confidence to embark on achieving even the highest goals because of the good success rate they have enjoyed. A few failures will disappoint them but will not dishearten them from goal setting entirely. The confidence an d sense of enthusiasm receive from achieving their earlier goals will keep pushing them to keep trying. This tie in with the learning theory of the classical conditioning. The success experienced acts as a positive rein forcer. "A positive rein forcer is anything pleasurable which increase the probability of a