GDP & Employment/Inflation Essay

Introduction The current GDP growth rate for the US economy stands at about 2.5%. It is interesting to note that in each of the last quarters of the years, the rate is higher, but at the start of a new year the rate decreases in the first quarter. For example 2011, QIV is 4.9% while 2012 QI is 3.7%.   The stage of the business cycle the US economy may be is the expansion/recovery stage since its GDP trends show increase in most of the quarters. The GDP of any country may not be considered as an accurate economic well-being measure of a country since it only measures one aspect, the economic performance of a country and ignores other issues (Gordon, & National Bureau of Economic Research Conference on Business Cycles, 1986). The limitations include GDP does not consider inflation or deflation, does not measure externalities and changes due to change in change in exchange rate and it does not measure black markets or illegal transactions (McEachern, & Thomson South-Western, 2008). Unemployment and Inflation The most surprising is the rate of unemployment separated on race basis. The rate for the blacks is quite higher, at about 12.0% in Feb. 2014, compared to 5.8% whites or even 8.1% Latinos or Hispanic in the same month. The rate for the unemployed blacks ranges about between 11% and 13% over the last periods. Unemployment is high in blacks, and teenagers at 21.4%. Men have higher rate of 6.4% in Feb.2014 compared to women at 5.9% which seems to change very slightly. Unemployment rate is low among the highly educated (Gordon, 2004). Women seem to have higher chances of employment since their unemployment rate is low compared to males. The teenagers are still in schools hence higher rate. The rates high rates of unemployment could also be attributed to inflation which causes loss of jobs (Carlberg, 2012). References Carlberg, M. (2012). Unemployment and inflation in economic crises. Berlin: Springer. Gordon, R. J. (2004). Productivity growth, inflation, and unemployment: The collected essays   Ã‚  Ã‚   of Robert J. Gordon. Cambridge (UK: Cambridge University Press. Gordon, R. J., & National Bureau of Economic Research Conference on Business Cycles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (1986). The American business cycle: Continuity and change. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. McEachern, W. A., & Thomson South-Western. (2008). Contemporary economics. Mason,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ohio: Thomson South-Western.

Factors Affecting the Development of a Child

‘Neuroses are only acquired during early childhood even though their symptoms may not make their appearance until much later. The events of the first year are of paramount importance for a child’s whole subsequent life’. (Freud, 1902) Regardless of age, nationality, gender or ethnicity every human has something in common; we are all born as babies. This essay will examine and research factors in depth in order to simplify the complicated process of identifying key factors including scientific data as well as theories and methods derived from experts of different fields.A diverse view will be analysed of the developing process in order to understand the intricate events underlying these factors from the first beat of the heart to a moment by moment development and co-ordination of thousands of biological events of the nervous and endocrine systems of the new-born will also be monitored. Our research will engage in a holistic approach, reflecting on the nativism ver sus empiricism debate.After looking at a broad spectrum of topics, issues and views and their implications on certain theories and methodologies, this evidence will guide us to conclude a hypothesis on factors that relate to the effect of the development of a baby in its first year. Looking from an evolutionary perspective, biological explanations suggest that the bond of attachment occurs naturally as a result of innate urges on the part of their baby and their carer during a critical period (Bowlby).In support of this, Lorenz carried out an experiment on geese that had just hatched and been removed from their mothers, only for them to see humans and sure enough they imprinted the scientist instead of their mothers. Similarly, this lead Bowlby to hypothesize that both human infants and mothers has evolved an innate need made in an optimal time which propelled them towards their mothers. For this reason he also predicted that young children who do not experience a warm and continuin g attachment in the first year would fail to develop a healthy relationship in the future.In other words Bowlby claimed that ‘mother love in infancy is as important for mental health as are vitamins and proteins for physical health’. In contrast, a longitudinal study conducted on a large number of boy’s aged 9-12 years found quite a few who had been separated from their mothers as infants but seemed well adjusted as they entered adolescence (Rutter, 1933). However, causality is difficult to determine making it difficult to disentangle the effect of maternal separation on later behaviour as there may be other confounding factors that may contribute or even cause the final result.By far, the most critical blow to attachment theory comes from ‘reversal’ studies which show early disruption followed by complete recovery (Clarke and Clarke). Similarly, recent research has shown that babies are much more flexible and resilient than Bowlby thought and the bo nd between the mother and child is not irreplaceable or irreversible but babies are capable of forming attachments to several adults and have been revealed possible and successful e. g. adopted children (The Tizard study of adopted children).Still, much of this information is based on retrospective data and so may not be accurate in drawing firm conclusions to maternal attachment being an exclusive factor that can affect the development of babies in their first year of life. Additionally, the human givens approach also asserts the view that there are biological needs which when not met lead to severe distress in humans such as an infant growing up in a socially deprived environment.This has also been positively correlated to poorer health and thus weaker cognitive development in young children (DCSF, 2009) which may be because living in a low income household or deprived area makes it more likely that infants will be exposed to risk factors that affect their life chances for example domestic violence, smoking, illness, low aspirations etc. (SETF, 2008) and even poor nutrition. Like all mammals, humans obtain life-sustaining nourishment through suckling and throughout the history of the human species; the only or primary source of nourishment for infants was breast milk which has many virtues (Newman, 1995).Alongside it also involves the necessary skin-to skin contact from the mother which gives the baby a feeling of warmth and security as well as strengthening the infant’s immune system. In spite of this, the majority of infants are still formula-fed predominantly in undeveloped countries where poor, uneducated parents often dilute the formula in an effort to make the expensive powder last longer. As a result, in such circumstances the parent’s attempts to promote the health of their babies end up having the opposite effect (Popkin and Doan, 1990) with later development of inadequate growth and physical deficiencies.And although every individual has a ‘blueprint’ for growth, but realisation of this growth potential is only possible if nutrient supplies in childhood are adequate (Jackson, 1996). From this it could again be inferred that situational factors such as poverty also have a detrimental effect on childhood development which is why low birth weight is more likely in children from lower socio economic groups. This has been exemplified from the recent case of Humzah khan whose mother starved him in a cot for 21 months and was more concerned about feeding her alcohol addiction in place of her malnourished son.Although the health services were called they were turned away many times before the case was brought into global attention which points to the difficulty in gaining access to the private sphere of one’s home. On the whole, Statistics do highlight that children from low-income households are more likely to experience problems with nutrition leading to a negative influence on the mental well-bein g of children and in the long run may even lead to childhood obesity.Consequently, health economics even point to the bidirectionality of this relationship and propose that ‘poverty breeds ill-health, ill-health maintains poverty’ (Wagstaff, 2002). Furthermore, scientific evidence also illustrates that infants with vulnerable and stressful environments at home can lead to physical changes that affect a baby’s cognitive ability and performance of their brain in the first year of life (DCSF).Neuropsychologists demonstrate how the negative impact of stress sculpts the developing brain architecture by reducing the number of synapses in the prefrontal cortex and thus weakening the connections in neurones. Besides, other scientific research also explains that that excess amount of cortisol also has major toxic effects on a developing child as well as the ACE study pyramid which illustrates that certain experiences during a child’s first year of life are major ri sk factors for the leading cause of illness, trauma and even death in later life.Hence, this gives reason for us to believe how crucial the environment is as a factor that can affect the development of babies in their first year of life. However, unlike broken bones irreversible maldevelopment of brain areas mediating empathy resulting from emotional neglect in infancy is not readily available.On the other hand while rarely studied in humans the neurodevelopmental impact of sensory deprivation is the subject of hundreds of animal studies (Coleman and Riesin, 1968) although it could be argued that it is quite difficult to extrapolate the results from animals to human. Nevertheless, others counter argue that this is only done when it would be unethical to manipulate human lives due to practical and ethical reasons and even though caution is necessary in generalizing results from animals to people, similarities between species sometimes allow this to be done.Besides, case studies of hu mans e. g.  Genie Curtiss also emphasize the view that social deprivation and neglect does in fact influence later development who suffered from extreme privation since birth and even though she did later learn some language it was not deemed as ‘normal’ and so she never caught up developmentally. (Curtiss, 1977). Albeit, it was very detailed on the other hand critics have argued that it was only a case study and so cannot be generalised to the wider population.However, wider support and brain research have strengthened this study by using a triangulation of methods, thus making it more valid and less prone to doubt. Through these cases many policies were also implicated resulting in far-reaching changes for example through Bowlby’s maternal deprivation hypothesis practices were derived to avoid the unnecessary separation of children from their parents for example parents being encouraged to remain with their children in hospital and the provision of facilities for them to stay overnight (NCT policy).Likewise, other policies such as the Green paper: every child Matters (HM treasury, 2003) was published in response to the death of Victoria Climbie whose plight was ignored by 12 different professionals. In response the Green paper with its strong focus on better support for parenting and families starts with five overall aims for all children including being healthy (NHS reforms) and not being prevented by economic disadvantage from achieving their full potential (Dfes 2002).Therefore, it can be insinuated that the political factor is also dominant in the physical and emotional development of babies in the first year of life. In spite of this it is important to consider the continuous change in child culture particularly in the 21st century. Yet, this has also had many positive implications for example the newly emerging idea of babies as the ‘nation’s future’ led to a marked change in the level of influence the governme nt was now prepared to try to exert upon families thereby displaying a significant reduction in the number of infant mortality rates (Dwork, 1987).Moreover, the emergence and notion of a child-centred society set new laws including family allowances in 1945 for children in low income households as well as the reform of a national health service to create ‘comprehensive health and rehabilitation services for the prevention and cure of disease’ (1948). However, differences in broader culture means that not all countries have similar policies and practices particularly in collectivist cultures where children are seen as an economic liability (Greenfield, 1995).Nonetheless, todays interconnected society means that many agencies are now working together with a multi-agency approach based on an international level This reinforces the view that ecology, the environment and nurture shape the development of babies in their first year of life. in the same way empiricists have ins isted that at birth the mind is a blank slate a ‘tabula rasa’ and that all knowledge is created by experience (Locke, 1704). Conversely, within developmental psychology with the growth of new technology there is now a growing emphasis on ‘inborn biases’ or ‘constraints’ on development.So in essence, the baby is programmed with certain’ operating principles’ that govern the way they listen to and try to make sense out of the flow of sounds coming at them ( Slobin, 1985b). This is another reason why very young babies already seem to understand that objects will move downwards unless it encounters an obstacle (Spelke, 1991). Notwithstanding, current theorists do not propose that these built-in response patterns are the whole factors; rather they are the starting point.What then develops is a result of experience filtered through these initial biases; however those biases do constrain the developmental pathways that are possible (Camp bell and Bickhard, 1992). Likewise, the interactive approach to an infant’s development in the first year also states that Taking all the above mentioned into account this essay is lead to the conclusion that each factor is parallel and relative to one another and that the balance of biology and social expectations is different in different areas of an infant’s development.Moreover, it is inevitable that both aspects of nature and nurture work in a collaborative manner alongside an organic system that operates together which is why even in those areas of development that appear to be the most clearly biologically determined can only occur if the child is growing in an environment that falls within the range of sufficient environments. After all, Albert Einstein did claim that ‘all that is valuable in human society depends upon the opportunity for development accorded the individual’ (1950).

Chinese culture Essay

1. Executive Summary Business today is becoming more universal and it is common to travel around the world for business dealings. In order to clinch a business deal with parties of other countries, it is essential to do some research about the country first. This will provide critical information about their business tradition, etiquette issues and other factors that will allow easier acceptance of Singaporean business persons. China being the largest populated country of 1. 3 billion, with an area of 9,600,000 square kilometers, has a long history, unique culture and a wide variety of distinctive customs and traditions. She has been attracting foreigners to invest as there are plentiful resources and labour market, which are crucial in business dealings. Besides the factors that are mentioned above, other factors play essential roles as well. Guanxi and Mianzi are the foremost factors that Chinese businessmen take into account. Other factors include preparation for Chinese business meetings, knowledge of the Chinese Lijie, such as non-verbal communication and social relationships. Also, the Chinese banquet consisting table etiquette together with drinking and toasting. There will also be gift-giving, such as what should be considered to give and what should be avoided. Last but not least, different ways to negotiate with the Chinese for the best solution should be taken into consideration. In conclusion, having the knowledge of the Chinese etiquette will better help one to succeed in clinching more business dealings. At the same time, it also helps one to understand the culture and customs of Chinese. Therefore, this will not only do one good for business purposes, but also encourages common understanding amongst countries. 2. Introduction The People’s Republic of China, has a largest population of 1. 3 billion and a GDP of US$2393 billion. Thus, it has been eyed by many business executives due to its big market share and a large pool of labour which provides many business opportunities. In order to carry out business transactions efficiently with the Chinese, it is important for us to know what the prohibitions, customs and taboos are in China. By understanding these, we will be more prepared to conduct business with the Chinese. 2. 1 Meeting the Chinese. To begin with, the Chinese are very particular about first impressions. They prefer to be introduced formally to people as they are reluctant to strike up conversations with people they are unfamiliar with. A proper handshake will be most appropriate upon introduction. If one is being introduced to a group, remember to shake everyone’s hands. Also, stand up throughout, when being introduced or when presenting self. Begin introductions with his/her name, followed by the company’s name and specify the country that he/she is from. 2. 2 Business Cards. It is polite to use two hands to hold both corners when presenting business card and to position it so that it is legible to the recipient. Try to have one side of the card being translated and print the Chinese letters using gold ink as this is an auspicious colour. It will be respectful to spend a few seconds reading the card upon receiving it and helps in remembering one’s name. It is demeaning to put it directly into your pocket without glancing. If it is a sit-down meeting, place the card on the table so that one can look at it. 2. 3Conversations. Most Chinese like to engage in conversations concerning topics which they have knowledge on, such as weather, geography, Chinese cuisine, Chinese scenery and landmarks. Topics related to politics should be avoided. Dismiss personal questions with a little humour if uncomfortable. The Chinese would often compliment the country of origin. However, accepting praise outright is not considered as good etiquette for them. Instead, one is expected to deflect compliments and pretend it is unworthy of receiving them. 2. 4 Greetings Surnames come first when addressing a Chinese. In business situations, one will seldom concern themselves with a Chinese person’s given name. It is advisable to get straight how one should address someone at the first meeting. For business purposes, it is traditionally acceptable to call a Chinese by the surname, together with a title such as Managing Director Toh. 2. 5On the telephone Although Chinese may make arrangements through the phone, most Chinese prefers face-to-face meetings. On the telephone, the standard greeting is the word â€Å"wei†, which means â€Å"hello† or â€Å"are you still there† in Mandarin. Chinese often do not furnish any identifying information upon answering the phone; hence it is good to verify that one has reached the organization he/she intended to dial. 3. GuanXi – Relationships Personal relationships play a vital part in the business world of Chinese. Chinese businessmen do not rush into discussions and negotiations, as they want to get familiar with their business partners before doing business. This is known as Guanxi, which means â€Å"relationships†. It is the network of relationships among various parties that cooperate together and support one another. Before doing business, Chinese will extend hospitality to demonstrate their respect for others and appreciation of the finer things in life so as to soften their visitors. There will be small talk during the first full day, where Chinese learns about his visitor and goals. The evening during the welcome banquet, they would learn more as foreign visitors will open up during casual talks. Also, the visitors may visit the residence of their acquaintances from other organizations and bring some gifts as it is important for building and creating Guanxi. Gifts like foreign cigarettes and quality wines are acceptable, which will be discussed more at the later part of the report. Trust is built during such situations and Chinese would then be more comfortable to work with them. Relationships are not only between companies but also personal levels. Establishing a sincere, supportive relationship based on mutual respect is a fundamental aspect of Chinese culture. In the world of business, possessing the right Guanxi is crucial for ensuring the minimization of difficulties and frustrations that are often encountered and it is also important to any successful business strategy in China. 4. Mian Zi – Face Face, also known as Mianzi, is a mark of personal pride and forms the basis of an individual’s reputation and social status. Having face means having a high status in the eyes of one’s peers, and is a mark of personal dignity. It is a prized commodity, which can be given, lost, taken away or earned. Face to a Chinese, holds more importance and encompasses a greater part of life. In order to establish all important interpersonal relationships, face must always be created and maintained at all times. Losing face may be caused by, for example, public insult, chastisement or contradicting someone in front of another, and also, by ourselves, such as losing temper or losing your own control in public. Furthermore, rescinding an order can also be constructed as losing face. This is why Chinese leaders would rather follow the policies even if there are events that prove them that it is irrelevant. Causing someone to lose face through public humiliation or inappropriate allocation of respect to individuals within the organization can seriously damage business discussions. On the other hand, praising someone in moderation before their colleagues is a form of ‘giving face’ and can earn respect, loyalty and aid negotiations. Nevertheless, face is so important that it is justification for spending money even if the Chinese is not very rich. Money that may be set aside for emergency use may be used for buying gifts or accessories instead because of face. 5. Lijie- Art of Politeness Being polite is a type of basic courtesy one should possess. In China, personal feelings and hint of criticism should not be dealt with publicly as it might cause public embarrassment and unpleasantness. A glass of tea that is automatically set out in front of arriving guests is how the Chinese allows the guest to feel comfortable and appear gracious. 5. 1 Surface harmony Surface harmony is an essential skill because the world of Chinese etiquette is very insensitive to unpleasant genuine feelings as it concerns matter of â€Å"face†. To the Chinese, things are done more for show than for substance; for example, manners are tools which they use to maintain pleasantness at all times, even when it is not entirely felt. Surface harmony is disturbed when one expresses his/her disagreement. Therefore, it is advised to remain quiet and â€Å"give face† as it might result in sabotage, subversion or revenge as the Chinese are well capable of such actions. 5. 2Intermediaries Intermediaries can be useful in communicating something unpleasant to the Chinese, and they help to ask questions, as preservation of face and surface harmony is considered highly important to Chinese. Intermediaries are highly useful in negotiations as they provide back channels for information that might prove too sensitive or risky. However, anger may be expressed directly for strategic purposes. 5. 3 Social relationships Chinese manage their social relationships by an imaginary circle that surrounds them. Relatives, friends, neighbours, classmates and co-workers are within the circle. These people have relationships with one another and hence, bear some sort of obligation. Chinese tend to go all out for them, be it putting themselves at great inconvenience or even ethically questionable circumstances. The rest of the world, whom a Chinese treats like a stranger, remains outside of the circle to whom with no particular obligation. 5. 4 Non-verbal communication. Chinese have various non-verbal communications. Firstly, Chinese tends to have a shorter social distance compared to many western cultures, for example, a Chinese friend might stand a little close to you for comfort or breathing directly into your face when talking to you. Furthermore, if one steps backwards, his/her Chinese counterpart may advance accordingly. When dealing with a Chinese, particularly the older ones, one should not touch a member of the opposite sex you do not know extremely well as other types of physical contact can be misinterpreted. However, it is said to be perfectly acceptable for Chinese to be physical with members of the same sex. Traditionally, Chinese are seldom demonstrative with the opposite sex in public. Therefore, foreigners should keep in mind that they are well advised to avoid more passionate forms of contact besides holding hands with a companion. During a conversation, one should not slink down in chairs as they are deemed disrespectful. Furthermore, some Chinese will avoid meeting one’s eyes or smile. This is a sign of shyness or keeping feelings to themselves. Thus should not be confused with insincerity, unfriendliness or anger. Silence is a virtue for it represents reflection or a sign of politeness. Gestures such as â€Å"come here† by curling index finger upward, â€Å"okay† sign with thumb and forefinger forming a circle, and shrugging of shoulders showing â€Å"I don’t know† may not be understood by the Chinese. Nodding or shaking of head, thumbs-up and clapping of hands for applauding are universally accepted gestures. 5. 5 Ways to reject a Chinese Rejecting people or saying ‘no’ can result in losing face, therefore the Chinese devised a number of methods of refusing without saying ‘no’. Ways to reject are, saying to grant the wish would be â€Å"inconvenient† as it means there are political problems associated with fulfilling a request, or it is â€Å"under consideration† or â€Å"being discussed†. This generally means that something is unlikely to happen. Another way is to blame someone else for the roadblock by finding a scapegoat. Lastly, a Chinese may tell a lie such as inventing a story to get out of the uncomfortable position in which a person feels placed. 11. References and Acknowledgements 1. De Mente Boye. (2004). Chinese etiquette & ethics in business. Boston: McGraw-Hill. 2. Scott D. Seligman. (1999). Chinese Business Etiquette: a guide to protocol, manners, and culture in the People’s Republic of China. United States of America: A Time Warner Company 3. About. com: China Online (n. d. ). Retrieved on June 13, 2007. http://chineseculture. about. com/od/businessculture/Chinese_Business_Culture. htm 4. Communicaid global communication: doing business in China. (n. d. ). Retrieved on June 13, 2007. http://www. communicaid. com/chinese-business-culture. asp 5. Chinese Culture. (n. d. ). Retrieved on June 13, 2007. http://www. chinese-culture. net/html/chinese_business_culture. html 6. Kwintessential- Language and culture specialists (n. d. ). Retrieved on June 13, 2007. http://www. kwintessential. co. uk/cultural-services/articles/china-business-culture. html 7. China’s GDP grows 10. 7% in 2006. (January 25, 2007). ChinaDaily. com. cn. Retrieved on June 25, 2007. from http://www. chinadaily. com. cn/china/2007-01/25/content_792311_2. htm 8. Economy – Economic Structure & Trends. (2006). Retrieved on June 20, 2007. http://china-europe-usa. com/level_4_data/eco/042_3. htm 9. China – Business etiquette, manners and cross cultural communication. (n. d. ). Retrieved on June 15, 2007. http://www. cyborlink. com/besite/china. htm 10. China – Business & Travel Etiquette. (n. d. ). Retrieved on June 15, 2007. http://www. crazycolour. com/os/china_02. shtml 11. Business Card Etiquette by Neil Payne. (n. d. ). Retrieved on June 15, 2007. http://www. sideroad. com/Business_Etiquette/business-card-etiquette. html.

CRJ311 Week 4 journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CRJ311 Week 4 journal - Essay Example Out of the many qualities of scientists, forensic scientist must poses, four outstanding traits of being, analytical, accurate, good communicator and curious. For an analysis as a trait of a forensic scientist, a person must integrate both critical and creative thinking in the analysis of pieces of evidence. In this essence, the expert must work in a manner that simulates the mindset of a criminal to be able to determine the potential actions of the criminal. Accuracy in measurements and paying close attention to details is another of the key trait of a forensic scientist. As a mean of boosting the accuracy, the scientist would be willing to stay in a crime scene for longer hours for accurate determination of evidence (Guzzetti, 2009). Communication of findings in an organized manner that is able to provide a link of between the crime and evidence both verbally and in a written manner is an integral attribute of a forensic scientist. All these traits combined with curiosity enables the experts to elicit information from factors that are overlooked thus becoming core evidences. On a personal perspective, development of an appropriate communication skills is the major area to be overcome in a bid to become an expert in forensic science (Gaensslen, 2003). Howes, L. M., Kirkbride, K. P., Kelty, S. F., Julian, R., & Kemp, N. (2013). Forensic scientists’ conclusions: How readable are they for non-scientist report-users? Forensic Science International, 231,

LOVE Chapter 17 Questions Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

LOVE Chapter 17 Questions - Research Paper Example They are separated by space because translation of the RNA occurs in the cytoplasm but DNA is only located in the nucleus so that is the only area where transcription can occur (Ruse 112-150). Question5. Codon is a 3-nucleotide sequence that codes for amino acids. The linear codon sequence and the linear amino acid have a 3-nucleotide to 1 amino acid correspondence. Question 6. The genetic code is redundant in the sense that some amino acids can be specified by more than one codon but Ambiguous in the sense that each codon specifies a particular amino acid and only that amino acid. Question 7.It just means that life appeared only once on Earth and was the basis of DNA into RNA. Question8. Transcription is the process in which DNA is converted into a complementary RNA and Just Before transcription, the splicing of introns occurs. Elongation in transcription occurs when additional RNA nucleotides are added to the growing nucleotide chain by RNA polymerase. Question9. Ribosomal RNA is helpful in constituting the protein synthesis. Question10. mRNA stands for messenger RNA, tRNA stands for transfer RNA, rRNA stands for ribosomal RNA, it is the main component of ribosome that synthesis protein.Question 11. It has ribosome that brings tRNA molecule together with it which then bonds to this mRNA strand and releases the amino acid attached (Morowitz 179). Question12. This a clover shaped, single strand molecule. It has loops formed from the base pairing of complementary bases. Question13. Translation is performed by cytoplasmic ribosomes as well as those bounded to the ER. mRNA associates with the ribosomes and begins with bases that serve as a binding site. Question14. It refers to the sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide and the combination of multiple polypeptides to form a functional protein. Question15. Amino acids found at the start of a protein being coded by the ribosome alerts the ribosome to attach itself to the ER. If the sequence is missing it will

What are the advantages and disadvantages of a staycation to tourists Essay

What are the advantages and disadvantages of a staycation to tourists - Essay Example It is also simple to plan because it does not require complicated logistical process such as packing, travelling, and waiting at the airport. In addition, it does not involve hotel booking (Coles, 2013, pg 35). Staycation allows tourists to be flexible in setting their schedule for the staycation and they can organize and arrange their own touring activities and accomplish them within their time frame (Carr, 2013). According to Munday (2013) staycation promotes a county’s economy by encouraging internal tourism. Botteril & Maitland (2014) argues that staycation tourism is convenient as it involves travelling in short distances and its preparations minimal. He also state that staycationers can run their business and take care of their home as their have much fun elsewhere. A staycation have a positive impact on local businesses (Williams & Fidgeon, 2000). This is so because staycationers buy products from these businesses while on visit to various sites. In other words they becomes customers to these businesses. Staycation may be less thrilling and adventurous (Coles, 2013). Most of them leads to boredom as most of the activities take place in one location (Carr, 2013). It is also a challenge that a tourist would spend more than expected with the impression that they have saved a lot of money by cutting on traveling cost (Botterill & Maitland 2014). As a matter of fact staycationers are close to their home and place of work. They may be tempted to go to work part of the day and go for a staycation for the rest of the day. This unpopular balance between leisure and work may have severe and dire consequences on ones work performance (Dolnicar & Leisch, 2003). As tourism product increases rapidly in the global market, one need to understand clearly the factors that affect tourism destination selection (Godfrey, 1999). One need to comprehend the fact that product choice is imperative. Tourist

Evolution of Color Vision in Mammals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evolution of Color Vision in Mammals - Essay Example Along with visual system alterations, these changes have caused significant differences in the salience and nature of mammal color vision (Schwab et al 11). This paper will seek to discuss how color vision has evolved in mammals, especially with regards to marsupials, dolphins, and primates, discussing the relevant biological mechanisms, color vision utility, and variations in color vision among the listed mammals. Majority of mammals are not able to distinguish color at all, instead living in a sort of black and white environment. Primates and marsupials are among the few mammals that can distinguish colors, which is proved by the distinct cells present in their retinas that are able to visualize colors (Schwab et al 23). Cone cells are fundamental in the ability to distinguish colors, thus color vision, while rod cells are found in animals that do not have the ability for color vision. Majority of mammals only possess the rod cells, except primates and marsupials. ... There are only two types of rods; one that has a short wavelength sensation, which enables it to sense blue color, and another for long wavelength sensation that allows it to sense for red color (Schwab et al 24). Color vision evolved from a vision in black and white with long wavelength sensing rods separated into red cones that sense red color and green cones that sense green color. Marsupials have also been found to have three forms of cones. As might be expected, color vision evolution in marsupials was distinct from the evolution of color vision in primates. This led to some distinct differences. The three cones that marsupials possess are not blue, red, and green. Rather, they are ultra violet, blue, and red because the rods for short wavelength sensing separated into ultra violet and blue cones (Gegenfurtner et al 44). However, as of today, no one knows what color sensations these cones have. The only way to find out something about marsupial vision is through behavioral testi ng. The quendka and cathemeral dunnart marsupials have trichromatic vision that is different to that of primates since their S-cones can sense UV light, whereas the L-cones of the fat-tailed dunnart have a special sensitivity for the spectral region in the green-yellow region. It has been hypothesized that the L and M cones combine to allow for sensing of brown and cryptically colored green. For the honey possum, the L-cones evolved to a further length than for fellow marsupials that conferred yellow-red sensitivity (Gegenfurtner et al 44). Color vision evolution for primates differs greatly compared to other eutharians. Primates are thought to

Tourism is only about the pursuit of pleasure Essay

Tourism is only about the pursuit of pleasure - Essay Example South East European Journal of Economics & Business. In the past decades, there is a continuous development of how individuals allocate their free time on leisure activities and trips. Leisure time is what separates an individual's life from work or school activities, mainly focusing on the purpose to enjoy. In most cases, leisure time is allocated during holiday and vacation dates wherein people travel. Tourism is defined as the utilization of leisure time to travel and visit various destinations. It is an activity in which people participate in, but is not considered a necessity for daily living. There is also an evident growth worldwide in regards to economic development in various countries. In accordance to its economical contributions, governments perceive tourism as a channel that offers employment opportunities. In regards to the leisure aspect, it has also defines an individual's quality of life, as it enables one to bask in a more suitable ambiance of relaxation away from d aily activities at work and home. Perez, E.A. (2000). Tourist expenditure for mass tourism markets. Annals of Tourism Research. Tourism is both viewed as a right and an opportunity. The notion of tourism becoming an individual's right is associated with holiday privileges that usually encourage and promote tourism. The opportunity aspect is associated with less privileged nations who employ tourism strategies. Traveling in a global scale has been made easier due to better rates in airlines and tourism packages. People using money on facultative services like travel and tourism has been perceived as an inexpensive commodity as compared to other household allocations. Farrell, B. and Twining-Ward, L. (2004). Reconceptualizing tourism. Annals of Tourism Research. The emergence of credit cards have fortified the convenience of participating in travel opportunities. Apart from that, the development in technology has also made booking flights and hotel reservations easier and faster. In t his regard, tourism continues to be integrated in peoples' lives as an activity one can engage in. Wang, N. (1999). Rethinking authenticity in tourism experience. Annals of Tourism Research. Tourism is now deemed as a social construct that modified society from traditional industries of production and manufacturing, into consumer centric based services. Many countries have also taken part in increasing leisure time through holiday entitlements, so that they may be able to involve themselves with leisure activities such as tourism. Wang (1999) had conceptualized a framework that embodies the system applied in tourism that encompasses the tourist, a destination and transportation. It is a cycle wherein a tourist visits a certain destination and returns after a period of time. During travels, people also engage in tours that allow them to visit localities in their area of destination. Bruner, E. (1991). Transformation of self in tourism. Annals of Tourism Research. In evaluating touris m, one must consider the following: (1) The purpose of the travel, which can be celebration, annual visits, business or holiday purposes; (2) The duration of the tourism activity; and the (3) projected situations during the tourism visit. The purposes of travel or tourism visit can vary, but it all falls under the motive of pleasure. Tourism is considered as an experience on the basis of seeking

Business communications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business communications - Essay Example The balance of trade becomes affected in such cases, thereby adversely affected the economy as whole. The Canadian dollar is positively correlated to the strength of the world commodity prices. This situation will boost imports as most traders will find it highly profitable to export to Canada at a comparatively lower exchange rate compared to the U.S. dollar. However, the exports will be affected negatively since it will be comparatively expensive to export Canadian products compared to the U.S. products. In conclusion, the fact that the recent report on the Purchasing Power Parity estimates a bundle of goods that cost a consumer $1 CAD in Canada would cost in the range of 80-85 US cents in the United States is a strong indication that some economic improvement should be done. As the Canadian dollar trends along these ranges, the Canadian consumers are, and will be paying a significant value on their goods compared to their counterparts in the United

Ethnic Groups and Discrimination Essay Example for Free

Ethnic Groups and Discrimination Essay I belong to the White ethnic group which was responsible for the colonization of North America. While I am part of the White ethnic group, my family immigrated to the United States from Germany quite some time after the major colonization of North America. When most people think about the colonization of North America they think of White people on the Mayflower landing on Plymouth Rock. While the pilgrims did colonize what is now referred to as New England, the Spanish were actually the first to colonize North America. No matter who first colonized North America, this colonization caused an influx of immigrants that asserted their dominance over the native people. This colonization was also the root cause of slavery being introduced to this New World. Pilgrims are most notably identified as coming to North America to escape religious persecution. The ironic part of the colonization is that the pilgrims forced their religion on those native to North America. It is important to note that this may be one of the first indications of future ethnic and racial problems that would caused by the colonization of North America. I dont think people normally think about racism happening to Caucasians. Unfortunately it is very common for racism to happen to all ethnic groups in the U. S. Caucasian racism and prejudice against other ethnic and racial groups always seem to get the most publicity. It would be better to broaden our view of prejudice and racism so that we could get the whole story. I think that the Caucasian group had brought most of this negative attention on itself. Historically the U. S. has been dominated by Caucasians, which means this group doesnt have as much to worry about restrictions due to ethnicity or racial group. If we break down the Caucasian group even further we can see that this is even truer for the males, which I am, of this group. Male Caucasians have long been the dominant force in U. S. society. The majority of restrictions placed on females and ethnic groups have been enforced by Male Caucasians. The most notable Caucasian discrimination has been against African Americans. African Americans were largely used for slave labor during the beginning of the U. S. Going from slave to equal isnt easy, in both occurrence and acceptance from the former dominant or controlling group. This dominant position can be seen as a major reason why the view of discrimination is still focused on Caucasians. Since the Caucasian males of the past have put restrictions on most other ethnic groups, this wrong was attempted to be undone by Affirmative Action laws (Fullinwider, Robert). While most people see Affirmative Action as being helpful, it has also caused discrimination against Caucasian males. Some government agencies require a quota on hiring certain ethnic groups (this included female Caucasians). This can cause a job candidate that has hirer qualifications to be passed over just to fulfill a quota. I have seen this happen to my father while he was applying for a firefighter/EMT position. You can easily see the Caucasian male dominance by noticing the dual labor market effect. I see it more as a multiple labor market since I would also include female Caucasians as another labor market. Immigrants from Mexico often enter into a portion of this multiple labor market, most notably the farming community. Whether it is farming, manual labor, or the lower-end service sector it seems that it seems more acceptable to Caucasians for other ethnic groups to occupy these types of jobs. When the other ethnic groups occupy positions normally held by Caucasian males, we often see a limitation in their ability to progress in that profession (glass ceiling). If you look at the breakdown of people who run companies you will see this is dominated by Caucasians males, followed by males of the other ethnic groups, then females of all ethnic groups. Discrimination isnt only apparent in the job market, but in how companies invest in certain areas. It is seen in our response to what is happening in other areas of cities or areas of the country. We have slums and ghettos that dont get investment monies to fix them up due to the lower class segregation. We have other areas occupied by a high number of non-Caucasians that dont get investments just because of their ethnicity. New Orleans is a perfect example of all of these inequalities. It was a city segregated by race, ethnicity, and social class standing. The devastation caused by hurricane Katrina happened to people who couldnt afford to get out on their own, and was compounded by the predominantly Caucasian governments lack of response (arguably due to the racial differences between U. S. leaders and with the people effected by the disaster). I dont feel that I fit in with the standard culture for my Caucasian ethnic group or the U. S. mainstream culture. I dont participate in any religions, as I believe in myself and science that can be proved. I dont feel that I am or need to be better than any other ethnic group. I couldnt care less about what style is popular or what haircuts are in. I just try to be myself and try to ignore things that try to sway my opinions. Instead of taking someones word for something I would rather research and come to my own decision (almost to a fault). I think it is better to be different than a lemming following the crowd running off the cliff. References Fullinwider, Robert (2005). Affirmative Action. Retrieved February 1, 2006 from http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/affirmative-action/.

Possibility Thinking Research

Possibility Thinking Research Introduction Most people accept that early years education should aim to develop childrens creativity but this raises a number of questions; namely what is creativity? How does it relate to imagination, self expression and intelligence? What ways can creativity be taught and assessed and why is it valuable? Fostering childrens creativity involves more than the creative corner in the classroom it involves recognising their creative engagement manifested by young learners. According to Wilson (20.10.05) It is important that we foster creativity at an early stage so that children are more prepared to lead an active role in their own learning, develop better self-esteem and are more willing to take chances. Possibility thinking is at the heart of all creativity in young children. (Craft 2002) Possibilities are generated by children in all areas of learning e.g. play, music and scientific enquiry. It allows children to explore imaginative ways to produce a variety of outcomes e.g. is a banana a fruit or is it a telephone? The possibilities to develop childrens creative thinking are endless. Possibility thinking has been acknowledged in some educational literature on creativity but it has not been fully accepted by some educationalists (Craft 2001). Jeffrey (2005) believes it is at the core to creative learning and represents the being imaginative part of the current policy framework for creativity in England. Craft and Jeffrey (2004) believe that possibility thinking involves enabling children to find and refine problems as well as solve them. The aim of this research is to investigate whether possibility thinking is at the heart of creativity in young children. I hypothesise that: Possibility thinking is at the heart of creativity in young children Creativity and imagination allows young children to learn and develop Possibility thinking will only take place if adults give children time and space The resources, environment and available tasks affect the possibilities for creative thinking Literature Review Creativity has been described as a voyage of discovery (Craft 2008). When it comes to creativity in schools the second half of the 20th century can be first seen as a drought following the introduction of the National Curriculum in 1989 which rejected children centred curriculum practices. After 1999 there were numerous opportunities for creativity in terms of curriculum and learning due to a shift in values in educational provision and the landscape of the classroom. During the end of the 20th and the start of the 21st century creativity has become significant in education due to the advice of the National Advisory Committee on creative and culture education (NACCCE 1999) led by Sir Ken Robinson and researchers such as Woods and Craft (1997) and Harland et al (1998). The key findings from their work was that creative learning involves children experiencing innovation in the classroom, control over activities, together with a sense of ownership in their learning. These features are characteristic of creative teaching (Jeffery and Woods 2003). The NACCCE saw creativity as imaginative activity, fashioned so as to produce outcomes that are original and of value (NACCCE 1999 pg 29). The approach together with linking creativity with culture saw a shift away from the view that creativity was only attainable by the gifted and a view of learning as empowerment in and beyond the classroom (Jeffrey and Craft 2001, Sefton-Green 2008). From 2002 the establishment of creative partnerships has promoted creative learning. The most recent curriculum polices of creativity within the early years are the Early Years Foundation Stage (DFES 2007, DCSF 2008) which continues to emphasize the significance of creativity. It encourages student engagement and offers teachers a means of personalised learning (Hargreaves 2008). The message seems to be creativity is for everyone everywhere! However there are problems as to how creativity is documented, assessed and how progression is supported (Rose 2008). Learning through the arts has the potential to stimulate open ended activity that encourages discovery, exploration, experimentation and invention contributing to a childs development (Bernadette Duffy 2006). Music, dance, and drama enable children to express their feelings. Creativity and imagination in the light of Every Child matters, Sure Start and the Foundation Stage curriculum enables young children to learn and develop whilst expressing their feelings, thoughts and responses. Anna Craft (2000) introduced and developed the notion of possibility thinking as core to little c creativity. Possibility thinking is means by which intelligence, self-creation, self-expression and know-how are bought together and expressed, It finds a way around a problem by posing questions and finding a problem through identifying a question or topic to be investigated. Fostering young childrens possibility thinking involves moving their thinking on from what does this do? to what can i do with this? It involves a move from the convergent to more divergent thinking. The paper Pedagogy and Possibility Thinking in the Early Years (Cremin, Burnard and Craft May 2006) sought to identify what characterises possibility thinking expanded on young childrens learning experiences and how teachers pedagogical practices fosters this critical aspect of creativity. Possibility thinking is central to creative learning and at the heart of all creative engagement. A 12 month study carried out in a primary school by University researchers showed that teachers use the practice of standing back whilst giving pupils time and space so as to foster possibility thinking. Studies undertaken by the team (Craft 2001, Burnard et al 2006, Chappel 2006, Cremin et al 2006) suggest that the concept of Possibility thinking has creative engagement across all contexts. Possibility thinking implies attention to impact of ideas and nurtures trusteeship (Claxton 2008). The Curriculum Guidance for the foundation stage emphasizes that creativity begins with curiosity and involves children in exploration and experimentation. They draw upon their imagination and originality. They make decisions, take risks and play with ideas. If they are to be truly creative, children need the freedom to develop and the support of adults (DFES 2000:118). The work of researchers such as Craft (2002), Csikszentmhalyi (1997), Fisher (1990) and Lipman (1988) has demonstrated the value of creativity in learning in the early years. In the foundation stage curriculum document creativity is presented as a subject and promoted in areas such as dance, music and stories. However they argue young childrens learning is not compartmentalised (DFES:45). Thus subjects such as mathematics should provide opportunities for creative thinking as teachers need to recognise the importance of creativity throughout the whole curriculum so as to develop childrens creative thinking and extend t heir learning whenever possible. (Worthington and Carruthers 2005) Given the pace of change in the 21st century education needs to be creative whilst enhancing the creativity of both young children and the adults who work with them (Facer 2007). Methodology The researcher chose to use a combination of both secondary source materials alongside primary sources. The already published literature provided her with a solid base on which she was able to begin to base the investigation as well as providing the researcher with possible areas to explore and correlations to look out for when carrying out her research. The primary sources enabled her to support the research that already existed and helped to draw balanced conclusions when it came to answering the research question. This made her investigation current and valid but will also aid the researchers future practice. Research in education is a disciplined attempt to address questions or solve problems through the collection and analysis of primary data for the purpose of description, explanation, generalisation and prediction (Anderson et al, 1998). There are many types of research but they all share the following basic characteristics; They are all, or aim to be planned, cautious, systematic and reliable ways of finding out or deepening understanding (Blaxter et al, 2001, p.5). The researcher used a variety of primary methods: Unstructured interviews Unstructured interviews are a qualitative method of research that provides informal, open ended flowing conversations. The advantage of this method, when discussing a subjective area such as creativity is that it provides in depth information. Interviews provide valid and useful information which will enrich her research and by gathering opinions on possibility of thinking she will gain insight into the benefits and motivation it provides to young children. Participant Observations The researcher will carry out overt observations in a variety of settings namely a primary school, a playgroup and a residential home. She will use overt observations whereby adults, and children are aware of her presence so as to avoid ethical issues. The researcher chose participant observations so that as a trusted adult she could join in with the creative activities and thus fully understand what was happening in each individual setting. The researcher was also keen to observe how an adult intervention and presence affected the childrens creative process. Ethics considered There are research concerns specific to children and young people set out in the British Educational Research Association (BERA) ethical guidelines. Primarily, these are focused upon the informed and valid consent of participants, and ways of assuring that this is attained (Lindsay, 2000). It was ensured that the BERA ethical guidelines were followed. This included, informing the primary school teacher, playgroup leader and childminder what the research entailed and what would be expected of the children included in the sample. In line with ethical issues it was stressed that the data would remain anonymous. Empirical chapter 1: Observations Introduction Observations are an interpretivist approach. Interpretivism emphasizes that people have consciousness involving personal beliefs, values and interpretations and these influence the way people out. They do not simply respond to forces outside of them. (K.Browne 2006) The researcher aims to interpret the values and feelings of both individuals and the group. The information will be in-depth and on a micro scale. Aims Participant observations aim to develop an understanding from the view point of the subjects of the research without allowing the researchers own values and prejudices to distort the observation. Children pose questions and find solutions to stimulate creative thinking. If young children are prepared to take risks they are more creative. Methodology Participant Observation The first task of any research is to gather information. The researcher will be doing this by carrying out observations so that explanations and correlations can be made. The information generated will provide her with opinions about the extent to which possibility thinking is at the heart of creativity in young children. She will carry out three observations the first at a primary school in Stafford where she will observe a year one numeracy lesson. The second at a playgroup in Wolverhampton and finally the third at the residential home of a childminder in Northampton. The observations will be overt and participant. The researcher will be honest with the children and adults so they understand what she is doing. All observations will take place in a non-threatening, safe atmosphere. At both the playgroup and childminders home the children will be either playing or involved in creative activities. At school the year one pupils will be involved in a numeracy lesson. The researcher will use an observation sheet to record information and write the observations up at a later date. She has chosen participant observation as the researcher joins the group being studied and can therefore see things through their eyes. Observation 1 Participants Barnfield Primary school Stafford year one class 25 pupils 14 girls 11 boys Materials Numeracy lesson plan on shape Procedures Firstly she wrote to the head to ask permission to carry out the observation and then visited the school on Monday 14th December 2009 for a pre-visit to discuss the observation with the class teacher. She carried out the observation on Tuesday 12th January 2010. Analysis The data will be written up on the observation sheet and analysed at a later date. Observation 2 Participants Portobello Community Centre pre-school playgroup 8 children 5 boys 3 girls Materials Cut out reindeers, card Construction toys Observation sheet Procedures Firstly she contacted the play leader by telephone to discuss the observations. She carried out the observations on the 7th December 2009 and the 18th January 2010. Analysis The data will be written up on the observation sheet and analysed at a later date. Observation 3 Particpants Registered childminders home in Northampton. At present she looks after boys aged seven and five and a girl aged three. Materials Toys e.g doll house, brio and magnetix Musical instruments e.g drums and shakers Observation sheet Procedures The child minder is a family friend so the researcher made contact by phone. The researcher then visited on Monday 21st December 2009 to carry out the observation. Analysis The data will be written up on the observation sheet and analysed at a later date. Results from observations The researcher chose to observe young children in a variety of settings. The children at school were involved in a directed task namely a numeracy lesson about shape. The children at playgroup and at the childminders home were either playing or involved in semi-structured activities which gave scope for creativity and allowed for personal expression, unlike the numeracy lesson the play, art and music tasks excluded the notation for right and wrong. The children in all 3 settings produced a variety of results and their scope for creativity was dependent upon The environment The activity The resources available The level of adult support and intervention Discussion of Playgroup Observation 1 The observations at the playgroup showed three aspects of the process using the Possibility Thinking framework namely: Posing questions Play Immersion and making connections They also included three aspects of process outcome: Being imaginative Innovation Risk taking There was little evidence of development or innovation but this was probably due to the fact that the children were aged between two to four. The first observation on 7th December 2009 showed the youngsters involved in a Christmas workshop making cards and 3D reindeers. The children were excited and constantly posing questions about what colours and materials to use. The children were immersed in the activity and the outcomes were imaginative and showed they were happy to take risks. The youngsters were confident and supported by numerous adults thus the level of adult supervision was high. Discussion of Playgroup Observation 2 The second observation took place at the playgroup on January 18th 2010. The youngsters were allowed to play in the sand and water, home corner and with construction toys such as bricks and Lego. The boys were more interested in the construction toys, whilst the girls predominately played in the home corner. All children were immersed in play and asked questions. They were imaginative and took risks; however there was little evidence of innovation or development. The level of adult supervision was quite high however the intervention by the adults was low. Discussion of Childminders Observation The researcher visited a childminders home on Friday 18th December 2009 when she was looking after three children. The youngsters played with construction toys, jigsaws, dolls house, and my little ponies. They then played with musical instruments such as a drum set and maracas. The children were thrilled to make music. The three children constantly chatted to each other. They played together and on their own. The boys were immersed in creating a brio track and Lego models whereas the girl immersed herself in the imaginary world of my little pony. All three children were imaginative and creative especially when the musical instruments appeared. They discovered different sounds and ways of making music and formed a mini band. Discussion of Numeracy Lesson observation (year one on shape) The researcher expected the lesson to have limited opportunities for creativity due to space and structure constraints. She views numeracy as a factual, uncreative lesson which focuses on the understanding of set rules. However the researcher was surprised that the pupils ideas were welcomed and they could pose questions. The children could not really produce original work as there were right and wrong answers although they did explore different methods to get there so were given some ownership for their own learning. There was also some scope for development and innovation in their work. Conclusion of observations The aim of participant observations is to develop an understanding from the point of view of subjects without prejudice. The researcher achieved this by observing youngsters and their adult supervisors in a variety of settings whilst becoming a full trusted member of the group. All the children posed questions so as to find solutions to stimulate creative thinking. The youngsters at both the playgroup and childminders home had more opportunities to take risks than those in the classroom so had more chance to be creative. Empirical Chapter 2: Unstructured Interviews Introduction An unstructured interview is like a guided conversation. The interviewer has the topic to cover but questions are open-ended. The researcher seeks to put the respondent at ease, in a relaxed informal situation and hopefully the questions will trigger further discussion. The interviewer aims to obtain further depth than is possible in a structured interview. Unstructured interviews are from an interpretivist approach and provide qualitative data as they are concerned with peoples feelings and views. Aims Unstructured interviews provide rich, detailed information where by the respondents can express their feelings about the issue of creativity and possibility thinking. Certain tasks such as art, music, drama and dance are more suitable to creative thinking. The learning environment and teaching strategies need to provide scope for imagination if children are to produce a variety of outcomes and thus accommodate creative learning. Methodology Unstructured interviews The researcher will interview three adults and conduct the interviews like a discussion with open-ended questions. She will be careful not to influence the replies so as to avoid interviewer bias. She will write down the replies on an interview sheet but try not to disrupt the flow of the interviews. The replies will hopefully produce rich, qualitative information and comparisons between interviews can be drawn. The use of interviews, stimulate reflection and critical conversations about possibility thinking as a form of engagement and strategy of creativity and the creative thinking process. The probing questions will allow the adults to focus on what they consider to be significant in the creative learning experiences. Interview 1 Particpants Barnfield Primary School Stafford Year one class teacher. Materials Procedures The researcher wrote to head to ask permission to interview a class teacher. The researcher visited the school to meet the teacher on Monday 14th December. The researcher carried out the interview on Tuesday 12th January 2010. Analysis The researcher will write the interview up on the interview sheet and compare the three interviews. Interview 2 Particpants Portobello Community Centre playleader Materials Procedures The researcher contacted the play leader by telephone to discuss the interview. The researcher then carried out the interview on January 18th 2010. Analysis The researcher will write the interview up on the interview sheet and compare the three interviews. Interview 3 Particpants Registered childminder who is also a qualified teacher. Materials Procedures The researcher contacted the childminder by phone to discuss the interview. The interview was carried out on Monday 21st December 2009. Analysis The researcher will write the interview up on the interview sheet and compare the three interviews. Results from Interviews The researcher chose to interview the three adults who were involved in her observations. The questions had a focus related to creativity and possibility thinking but were open ended so allowed for development. All adults were interviewed in a quiet environment where they felt at ease. The three adults all said they used similar strategies to encourage creativity namely standing back and providing a safe environment, with multiple resources that encouraged creative thinking. Two out of three adults were unsure that possibility thinking was central to creative learning but thought strategies such as posing questions and giving children time and space does develop the notation of possibility thinking. All three adults thought the environment was important for creative learning and believed a safe, challenging experience helps to provide opportunities for imaginative experiences. All three adults felt some tasks were more suited to creative thinking such as dance, music and play however the class teacher thought subjects such as maths and science should provide opportunities for creative thinking. Discussion of Interviews with year one teacher, play leader and registered childminder All three adults interviewed discussed different strategies they used to encourage children to be creative that included giving youngsters time and space and providing a variety of resources which allowed children to explore activities in imaginative ways. The children were allowed to pose questions and take risks. They felt the environment and the tasks offered were crucial to creative thinking however only the class teacher thought possibility thinking was central to creative learning. They all thought that creativity begins with curiosity and is developed if children are given the opportunity to explore and experiment with different resources and ideas. Conclusion of interviews The aim of unstructured interviews was to provide rich identical information whereby respondents could express their feelings about creativity and possibility thinking. All three interviewees gave the researcher detailed insight into the adults views about the research issue. All three interviews felt certain tasks such as art and music were more suitable to creative thinking. They gave a detailed account of how the learning environment and strategies such as giving children time and space provide opportunities for imagination and creative learning. Conclusion NACCCE (1999) argued creativity is imaginative actively fashioned so as to produce outcomes that are both original and of value. According to Craft possibility thinking is at the heart of creativity in education. This idea has implications as the engagement of learners according to Jeffrey (2005) leads to engagement with problems. Fostering childrens possibility thinking can be seen as building their resilience and confidence and referencing their capabilities as confident explorers, meaning makers and decision makers. (Craft 2005). Possibility thinking involves problem finding and solving. Creative teaching may foster learner creativity providing there are co-participative partnerships between teachers and learners, in which they explore issues, pose questions, identify problems and reflect upon their thinking and learning. The key factor being that the control has to be handed back to the learner (Craft and Jeffery 2003). In seeking to unravel the issues of what constitutes possibility thinking in the learning experiences of young children and how teachers, play leaders and childminders foster possibility thinking as an aspect of creativity, the researcher carried out observations and interviews. She used probing questions and encouraged the adults to engage in in-depth reflective practice. Following close observations in each context using the possibility thinking documentation framework and further interviews with the adults in charge, core areas of possibility thinking in childrens learning were identified. They included the three aspects of process i.e posing questions, play immersion and inversion. They also included the three aspects of process outcome i.e being imaginative, innovation and risk taking. The observations were written up in the light of the three-fold-structure. Many of the youngsters were involved in risk taking and were immersed in an activity. On the outcomes there was little evidence of development and the question of taking intentional action was problematic as many of the children were too young. In terms of process outcome the notation of innovation was also difficult as what might be normal for one child in one particular environment may not be normal for another. The separation of process and outcome is not easy during the early years as young children often take risks to move their thinking forward but this may not be an outcome. The integration between creative teaching and learning also seemed to foster possibility thinking. If young children feel safe they gain confidence as with the children in all three observational settings. The three interviews highlighted the fact that they all tried to foster creativity in their youngsters by providing a stimulating learning environment which allowed the children to pose questions and explore a variety of outcomes in an imaginative way. The adults tried to stand back but felt some tasks were more suited to creative thinking than others. The aim of the research was to investigate whether possibility thinking is at the heart of creativity in young children. Researchers such as Professor Anna Craft believe it is so as does one out of three of the adults interviewed. Many researchers such as Craft, Jeffrey, Burnard and Chappel all feel creativity and imagination allow young children to learn and develop. If children are to be creative, adults need to give them freedom to develop. Cremin, Burnard and Craft (2006) found that in a twelve month study carried out in schools; that teachers needed to stand back and give children time and space to foster possibility thinking. The observations and interviews carried out by the researcher reinforced this. The final hypothesis was that the resources, environment and tasks affect the possibilities for creative thinking. The observations and interviews with adults confirmed this. Deciding whether the motivation of pupils based on the creative setting was difficult to determine as she only carried out observations in three settings and only interviewed three adults, thus her findings were limited. Possibility thinking does appear to influence creativity but the sample was small and the decisions the researcher made were subjective and not based upon objective scientific testing. Bibliography Blaxter,L. (2001). How To Research. Second edition. England. Open University press. Browne,K. (2006). Introducing Sociology for AS level. Second edition. Cambridge. Polity Press. British Educational Research Association (BERA). [Online]. (http://www.bera.ac.uk/blog/2010/03/04/exploration-and-analysis-on-creativity-and-innovation-in-initial-vocational-education-and-training/). (Accessed 10.12.2009) Britzman, D. (1986) Cultural myths in the making of a teacher: biography and social structurein teacher education. Harvard Educational Review, 56(4), pp. 442-446. Burnard, P., Craft, A. and Grainger, T. (2006), Possibility Thinking, International Journal of Early Years Education. Volume 14. No. 3, October 2006 pp 243-262 Chappell, K. (2006). Creativity within late primary age dance education: Unlocking expert specialist dance teachers conceptions and approaches. [Online].(Available from http://kn.open.ac.uk/public/document.cfm?documentid=8627). London. (Accessed 21.01.2010) Claxton, G. (2008). Creativity, Wisdom and Trusteeship. Thousand Oaks, CA., Corwin Press. Craft, A. (1997).Can You Teach Creativity? Nottingham. Routeledge. Craft, A. (1999) Creative development in the early years: some implications of policy for practice.[Online]. (http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a739635700db=all). The Curriculum Journal. Volume 10(Issue 1). (Accessed 002.01.2010). Craft, A. (2000), Creativity Across the Primary Curriculum. London. Routledge Craft, A. (2001) Little c Creativity. In A. Craft, B. Jeffrey and M. Leibling Creativity in Education. London.Continuum. Craft, A. (2002).Creativity and Early Years Education. London. Continuum Books Craft, A. (2005) Creativity in schools: tensions and dilemmas. Abingdon.Routledge. Craft ,A. (2008). Creativity in the school.[Online].(http://www.beyondcurrenthorizons.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/ch3_final_craft_creativityinschool_20081218.pdf). Exeter. Open University. (Accessed 02.01.2010) Craft, A. Creativity and Possibillity in the Early Years.[Online] (http://www.tactyc.org.uk/pdfs/Reflection_craft.pdf). (Accessed 02.12.2009) Craft, A. Cremin, T., Burnard, P.(2006) Pedagogy and possibility thinking in the early years.[Online]. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL_udi=B7XN8-4M2WTP9-1_user=10_coverDate=11%2F30%2F2006_rdoc=1_fmt=high_orig=search_sort=d_docanchor=view=c_searchStrId=1255424291_rerunOrigin=google_acct=C000050221_version=1_urlVersion=0_userid=10md5=0241bbe9052a7b6bb3b1e704447d2c06). International Journal of Thinking Skills and Creati

The World Heritage List In Africa Tourism Essay

The World Heritage List In Africa Tourism Essay 1. Introduction The following part of the report will give a general introduction to the site which has been chosen to be added to the list of World Heritage Sites, namely being The Maasai Mara National Reserve. Furthermore the country and the region will be described followed by arguments why particularly this site was chosen and further on naming all the criteria of the World Heritage Committee which the site meets. In addition a concise analysis will be carried out using the Fermata method. This method will help to record all the resources the site has to offer in order to develop a strategy on how to develop tourism within this area. At the end the outcome of this chapters research will be summarized in a short conclusion. General Information on The Maasai Mara National Reserve The Maasai Mara National Reserve is also known as the Mara. Historically, Maasai Mara obtained its name from the native people of Kenya the Maasai tribe who lived along the Mara River. However, the reserve is only a portion of the Greater Mara Ecosystem, which includes a group ranches for example koiyaki, lemeki ,Ol chorro Saina Maji moto Naakara Ol derkesi and Kiminet. The reserve is topography of open savannah grassland in the midst of clusters and acacia trees along the south-eastern area of the park. The reserve covers an area of 1,510 square kilometres in the south-western Kenya. In the northern part, the reserve is mainly covered with Mara-Serengeti ecosystem this covers 25,000 square kilometres between Tanzania and Kenya and in the south It is bounded by the Serengeti Park. Climate The Maasai Mara reserve is located at an altitude between 4,875 and 7,052 feet above sea level giving it a humid climate with moderate temperature. Daytime temperatures run at 85Â °F (30Â °C) and night temperatures drop to around 60Â °F (15Â °C). The rain falls between March and May and shortly in November and December. Between July and October the weather is dry hence the vegetation is in abundant thus tourism get more active in July and October to see the parks wildlife. Tourism According to www.maasaimara.com, The Maasai Mara type of tourism is ecotourism. The ecosystem holds one of the highest lion densities in world with over two million Wildebeest, Zebra and Thomsons Gazelle that migrate annually. This action is known as Natures passion play It occurs between the month of July and august. Additionally the Mara reserve is also home to the largest concentration of wildlife. These include the Big Five (Leopards elephants lions rhinos and buffalo) zebras, antelope, gnus, Oribis, hyenas, giraffes, warthogs, gazelles, hartebeests, hippos, crocodiles to mention a few. The Maasai culture is yet another major attraction, because of their authentic culture thats why it is recognised as one of the best-known tribes in world for their bright colored clothes and traditional dances, souvenirs, art and collectibles that explain their unique tradition. Moreover Bird watching is yet another source of tourism. The Maasai Mara boasts over 400 different birds species. Therefore it attracts bird lover. Arguments for the site In the following, the choice of the Maasai Mara Natural Reserve as a potential future World Heritage Site will be justified with the help of UNESCO criteria. The Maasai Mara Reserve is most famous for its unique wildebeest migration which cannot be found anywhere else on planet earth. The occurrence of the big five as well as the wintering spot for many endangered species makes the reserve an important area that has to be protected in the future. Below three criteria will be mentioned which can be referred to the Maasai Mara Reserve Criteria V: to be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change. This criterion can be related to the Maasai community living in peace and harmony with the wildlife since a long time. The Maasai community used the land for many years while they kept in mind to conserve the predominant wildlife in a responsible way. Criteria VII: To contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance. With its annual wildebeest migration from the Serengeti to the Maasai Mara Reserve the site fulfills the criterion of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance since there is no comparable natural phenomenon worldwide. Further on, the Maasai Mara National Reserve is equipped with beautiful savanna grasslands and plenty different herbivores and bird species. Moreover, the big 5 can be found within the reserve what is also very unique. Criteria X: to contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation. Since the reserve is an important wintering spot for many different species the criterion of significant in-situ conservation is warranted definitely. Also the occurrence of carnivores such as the lions or the cheetahs are very important for the reserve because they are listed as threatened. Furthermore, they keep the balance of prey numbers what is crucial for the ecosystem. Analysis using the Fermata method In order to come up with a good strategy on how to develop tourism within the Mara region, it is of great importance to know what resources are already available at this moment. Therefore the FERMATA method has been chosen, providing four different tables, namely intrinsic and extrinsic values, modifiers and waypoints. These tables categorize everything that can be found in and around the site and can serve tourism purposes. Intrinsic values Describing a world heritage site means defining intrinsic and extrinsic values of the site. Intrinsic values are those which originate at the resource itself. Hence, intrinsic values are of natural character. These intrinsic values are for instance: Scale, integrity and aesthetic of the landscape as well as diversity, specialty, conspicuousness, appeal, scope and dynamics of resources. In terms of the description of the landscape, the Massai Mara Reserve is characterized by the Mara-River which divides the Reserve into two parts. Further on, the variety in altitudinal range between 200 and 1000 meter makes the Massai Mara a diverse area for all different kinds of birds and flora. With a total scope of 1,510 square kilometers the reserve provides habitat for 1,300,000 wildebeest, 360,000 gazelles and 191,000 zebras. Additionally, many carnivores as well as more than 600 bird species can be found in and around the reserve. In terms of human intervention, the reserve is managed by the Narok County Council and the Transmara County Council who set up several rules and regulations concerning behavior within the Massai Mara Reserve. Moreover, the Massai Community lost much of their land because it became a protected area of the reserve. Furthermore, many farms developed in the northern part of the reserve due to its fertile land. Referred to tourism some 45 tented camps a re distributed all over the reserve which arouses a lot of damaging actions such as high water consumption or dry-season grass fires caused by tourists. (Appendix: Table 1) Going further, it is important to take the resources into consideration. Due to its river, the grassland and the evergreen Amazonian forests the Massai Mara Reserve offers a diverse landscape. However, the landscape itself cannot be considered as very special but the migration of the herbivores that grants the reserve a general impression of outstanding beauty. As already mentioned before, the wildebeest migration can be seen as the pull factor of the site since tourists travel around the world to see this unique natural phenomenon. Although this spectacle can be seen as the main attraction of the reserve many tourists come as well to observe the more than 600 different bird species whereof plenty are listed as endangered. Finally, the Mara River is the only dynamic resource which can be found at the reserve since the rest mainly consists of grasslands and savannah. Situated in Kenya, the climate can be defined as tropical with long rainfalls from April to June. (Appendix: Table 2) Extrinsic values Generally said extrinsic values can be seen as additional features in the natural site, which also make people come to visit the place apart from the fact that they want to enjoy the outstanding natural resource. These features are made by humans and according to FERMATA Inc. (2002) they can be divided up into the following categories: Social, Cultural, Historical, Recreational and Economic. For a brief description see the appendix XYZ I To apply this analysis of the extrinsic values to the Maasai Mara Reserve, it can be said that the reserve gives home to the Maasai people. It is estimated that around 500,000 Maasai live in that area, but due to their fear of governmental intervention into their lifestyle, miscounts often occur. The Maasai belong to those tribes that have not changed a lot in their original culture, rituals and practices regardless of the modern worlds influences they are exposed to. Additionally it should be mentioned that they are mainly in possession of the land and deal with its management, however, lately they have lost a lot of land to parks and reserves, which prohibit them from accessing important sources of water, pastureland and spots where salt can be found. (Masaai Association, 2010) From a cultural point of view the villages of the previously mentioned Maasai tribe can be seen as an attracting attribute, for example due to their houses solemnly built from natural resources or their very simple lifestyle which is perfectly adjusted to their natural environment. Regarding the historical values one will have difficulties finding any in the Maasai Mara reserve, because the Maasai tribes live a nomadic life moving within the reserve depending on the season and therefore certain monuments or special places are not part of their culture. All their requirements for ceremonies and rituals are based on what they can find in nature. (Maasai Association, 2010) Concerning recreational values one can find three different lodges and around thirty campsites to spend the night there. Moreover these lodges or camps offer a number of safaris including jeeped safaris, balloon safaris, horse riding safaris and walking safaris accompanied by a Maasai. (ORD Group, 2010) Finally the economic values of the Maasai Mara National Reserve are that it attracts a lot of tourists and as the number of inhabitants is constantly increasing, but the number of livestock is decreasing in the same time , people depend more and more on other sources for nourishment. Therefore in the northern part of the area they have started to erect extensive fields to grow e.g. soya beans, wheat or sorghum. (UNESCO, 2010) Modifiers, constraints, limits, qualifying factors Modifiers: These are constraints that hinder tourism development at the Maasai Mara ReserveEcological: The damage in term of ecology is high, this is due to fact that Maasai Mara is not a national park but rather a national reserve hence it is not managed by the Kenya Wildlife Service. Its welfare is entrusted in the hands of Narok County Council and the Mara Conservancy who attain contract from the Trans Mara County Council. According to Dublin (1991) the lack of proper management leads to poaching, destruction of habitat by constant uncontrolled bush fires and exceptionally heavy influx of elephants hence to a decline in number of animals. Moreover over development of hotels, camps and loges outside the gate of the reserve is growing on a high rate. A summary of the ecological constrains according to Charles Ndegwa Mundia, Yuji Murayama ( 2009) can be found in the appendix XYZ-II. Physical: Tracks are established, balloon and helicopters in order to reach the natural and cultural heritages. Visiting the reserve is possible throughout the years. High season is from January to March this is when it is heavily overcrowded by people because it is dry and warm. Also in June and September it is overcrowded because this is the time when wild beasts migrate. Health and Safety: Masai Mara Reserve is fairly a safe place, however, it is recommended not to get out of track. Concerning the health issues, the Maasai Mara National Reserve lies in a malaria region which foresees to take anti malaria precautions, wearing long-sleeved clothing after dark and applying insect repellent. The water is safe and there is big hospital in Nairobi 100km east of the park in case of an emergency. Feeding animals is not allowed since it might induce danger of boldness and foster aberrant behaviour which might be harmful for the visitors. Regulatory: There are many rules and regulations mainly for conservation and visitors safety and faller to apply; there is a penalty in form of paying a certain amount of money. According to Matt J. Walpole (2003) In the Mara Triangle; not more than five vehicles is allowed around an animal because it disturb the harmony of animals. Secondly Human habitation is forbidden in the National Park only staffs are allowed. Thirdly driving off the road is not allowed. Also Visitors are only allowed on the roads from 06:00 to 19:00. Additionally people are urged to keep the environment clean putting trash at their accommodation not at site. Respect the culture of the local people and lastly no animal feeding by visitors because it dangerous. Economic: the fee to reach the reserve and cultural resources is moderate since the Kenyan currency value is low, except for the accommodation and guided tours depending on if you sleeping in camp or luxurious hotel. The transit to the park as well as entering the park certain fee is obligated. Adult inhabitant costs 500 Kshs; children inhabitant costs 200 Kshs, adult non local 30 US dollars and children non local 10 US dollars. Time: The reserve can be accessed from Nairobi airport, its about 270km that is six hours by car but it can shorter by helicopter. The more suitable time is in June and September when wildlife migration take place Moreover the high season is from January to March when it is warm and dry. In October December are rainy seasons however it doesnt hinder game viewing To conclude the above constrains, it can be said that Mara reserve is facing a lot of challenges mainly regarding the ecology. But they have implemented rules to protect both the animals and the people although the rules are not 100% acted upon because the government left the reserve in the hands of private ownership. However there is evidence that the site has abundant nature and culture sites, unique species and rear landscape hence these fit in UNESCO criteria. Waypoints: Gateways, Portals, Icons ME Conclusion Me

Toys :: essays research papers

Toys"R"Us INTRODUCTION In this assignment I have chosen to focus on explaining what kind of company Toys"R"Us is, giving a brief, short summary of the firms history, their corporate responsibilities, what their competitive advantages are and how they implement their strategies through retailing and merchandise. I also found it relevant to explain the market situation in the toy-industry and what the trends are, for understanding what other difficulties that are important to consider in order to survive. SHORT HISTORY In 1948, a company which totally dedicated themselves to children and their needs, was formed by Charles Lazarus in Washington DC. This was a perfect timing in relation to the post-war baby boom period, the demand for accessories for children was high, and the main purpose for the company was to carry furniture for babies. After some time, he heard customers saying phrases like "I need a toy for my baby", so he began selling toys aswell. Mr.Lanzarus tried to give his customers what they wanted he understood early that this was the best way to keep his customers. In 1957, he opened his first toy supermarket, and with specialized retailing and the off-price positioning, he revolutionized the concepts in the pre-mall and discount days. After this success, he sold his business to Interstate, which later went bankrupt. Mr.Lazarus rejoined the company and made it profitable, and in 1978 it became a public company; Toys"R"Us,Inc. DIVISION OF THE COMPANY Today, Toys"R"Us is a $11 billion dollar company and they have over 1500 stores over the whole world. The company is divided into six different divisions: Toys"R"Us US Strongly focuses on strengthening the shopping experience by providing better service and better merchandise. There are around 680 locations of Toys R Us in the US. Toys"R"Us International Is licensed, franchised and operated through over 570 locations in 29 countries outside the US Kids"R"Us Consists of more than 375 locations where children ´s clothing and toys are all under one roof, and oughts to offer all of the latest fashions and of course high quality merchandise. Imaginarium Toysrus.com Developed in alliance with Amazon.com in order to offer an online shopping service. Babies"R"Us Offers everything parents need for their babies, like furniture, bedding, car seats etc. All products can be purchased under one roof By organizing their organization into these different divisions, it gives them a competitive advantage because it makes it easier to focus in the certain areas. These divisions are very different from each other, and needs specialization in all the different aspects.

Gifted and Talented Education Research Paper -- essays papers

Gifted and Talented Education Research Paper It is important to understand the many different methods of educating gifted and talented students. Most people, whether as teachers, students, or parents, will at some point be faced with the many options of educating the gifted and talented. In the United States today, 3-5 percent of students are considered gifted. Defining whether or not a student is gifted can be quite difficult, but many would agree that gifted students â€Å"are able to learn material rapidly and understand concepts deeply† (Lynch, 1999). Within this paper I will discuss the process of identifying gifted and talented students and the different methods of educating them including tracking, grade advancement, and cooperative learning. Of these three methods I believe the most effective method used to teach gifted and talented students is tracking. One of the most controversial things about gifted and talented education is the criterion educators use to identify the gifted and talented. In the past, a student’s intelligence, based on an I.Q. score, was considered the best way to determine whether or not they qualified as gifted. As a result of using this method of identification, many gifted and talented students are not discovered nor are they placed in the appropriate programs to develop their abilities. Talents in the arts or an excellent ability to write are not measured on an I.Q. test but are abilities that may certainly qualify a student as gifted or talented. This method of identification is accused of being biased because it results in the identification of a group of people that is mostly white and upper middle class (Sternberg & Williams, 2002). This occurs because minorities often lack the c... ...delines for Acceleration (n.d.). Retrieved March 10, 2003, from http://www.austega.com/gifted/acceleratoinguidelines.htm Lovecky, D. V. (1995). Highly Gifted Children and Peer Relationships. Counseling and Guidance Newsletter. Retrieved March 10, 2003, from http://print.ditd.org/floater=74.html. Mathews, M. (1992). Gifted Students Talk About Cooperative Learning. Educational Leadership, 50. Retrieved March 10, 2003, from http://www.ascd.org/readingroom/edlead/92101mathews.html. Author unkown (2003, March 9). In gifted classrooms is diversity lacking?. Salisbury Daily Times. Retrieved March 10, 2003, from http://www.dailytimesonline.com/new/stories/20030309/localnews/1142640.html Author unknown (2003, February 24). Schools seek gifted among minorities. The Washington Times. Retrieved March 10, 2003, from http://washingtontiems.com/metro/2003224-14635946.htm

Organizational Change Essay

1 INTRODUCTION 1 THE NEED FOR ORGANISATIONS TO CHANGE Organisations worldwide are currently facing increasing competition, price pressures and slower growth rates and in order to be successful, for many organisations, this prompts the need to constantly change to survive (Appelbaum, Delage, Gault & Labib, 1997; Burnes, 2004; Ndlovu & Parumasur, 2005) This new type of organisation is dynamic and change has become strategic to stay ahead of the game. Successful organisations are changing continuously but managing their change positively and carefully which results in increased productivity, commitment and involvement from employees (Kenton & Penn, 2009; Ndlovu & Parumasur, 2005). According to Luthans (2011), a successful organisation needs to create a learning culture that is proactive in its approach to both internal and external forces of change. 2 AIM OF DISCUSSION In an economy that is rapidly changing, an organisation’s ability to anticipate and respond to forces of change is a key success factor (Luthans, 2011; Robbins et al, 2009). The aim of this discussion is to provide a critical overview of change in the organisational context, using the field of Organisational Behaviour to analyse change at the individual and organisational level and to examine the ways in which organisations try to  eliminate resistance to change in the workplace. More specifically, the case study of organisational change at Nissan South Africa will be used to illustrate the impacts of change and the ways in which organisations try to manage change at the individual and organisational level. The following aspects will be further discussed to give an extensive understanding of organisational change: An overview of the concept of change, and the ways in which organisations should prepare for change An analysis of the change process using Kurt Lewin’s model, A discussion of the ways of reducing resistance to change in the workplace, An examination of the reasons for resisting change at the individual and organisational level An overview of the ways in which organisations should manage resistance to change in the workplace. 2 PREPARING AN ORGANISATION FOR CHANGE 3 THE CONCEPT OF CHANGE The concept of organisational change has many different meanings, but simply, it can be explained as the transition of an organisation from its current state to a desired state. Kenton & Penn (2009) highlight two types of changes, evolutionary and revolutionary change. Evolutionary change refers to continuous improvements of an organization which is gradual. This type of change becomes part of the norm in the ways of working. Revolutionary change refers to radical changes in ways of working where there are periods of normal operations followed by periods of drastic change (Kenton & Penn, 2009). Robbins et al (2009) describe change as planned or unplanned. Both of these types of change refer to a transformation, however, planned change is seen as a proactive approach to improve an organisation’s ability to adapt to anticipated forces of change. Forces of change can be internal or external. For South African organisations, change is overdue. After the sanctions of political Apartheid regime were lifted, South African organisations have  found themselves in a climate where the need for change has intensified due to the political and economic changes, an increasing diverse workforce, technological advances, increasing global competition, and rapid social developments. These internal and external forces of change need to be closely managed for an organisation to be profitable. 4 THE USE OF CHANGE AGENTS At the heart of an organisation are its people. Thus for any change to occur an organisation needs it’s people to change (Pasmore & Fagans, 1992). To prepare employees for change organisations often use change agents to facilitate organisational change. These change agents can be internal (e.g. managers, H.R. practitioners) or external (e.g. consultants). Internal agents, such as managers, are useful in that they have a deep understanding of the organisation’s systems and culture whereas an external agent, such as consultants, offer more objectivity and have a deeper understanding of change processes (Cummings & Worley, 2009; Kenton & Penn,2009; Robbins et al, 2009; Worren, Ruddle & Moore, 1999). 5 THE LEARNING ORGANISATION Burnes (2004) refers to organisational change as a constant feature both at an operational and strategic level. Thus for organisations to ensure their sustainability they need to constantly and actively identify the forces of change, their desired state and take the necessary actions to manage these changes to achieve the desired state. These organisations need to become learning organisations where there is a systems thinking approach, open and honest communication, teamwork, the presence of innovation and change, a gap between a desired state and current state to serve as motivation for change, critical reflection, empowerment and empathy, inspired leadership and other external factors (Luthans, 2011; Robbins et al, 2009). 6 DEVELOPING A CHANGE MODEL As discussed, learning organisations are key to successful organisational  change. The characteristics of a learning organization are at the core of the organisation’s culture. One of the important steps to prepare an organisation for change is to assess its current culture and desired culture. From this an organisation can identify how to manage change. A change model or a development process should be used to identify an organisations current and desired culture and to facilitate the change process (Burnes, 2004; Cummings & Worley, 2009; Luthans, 2011; Robbins et al, 2009). According to Worren et al (1999), this change model needs to be an integrative and holistic approach for change management that focuses on strategic changes to process and people. Some of these models for change include Kurt Lewin’s three step change process, action research, and the positive model, amongst others (Cummings & Worley, 2009; Luthans, 2011; Robbins et al, 2009). Kotter’s eight step plan for change will now be used to illustrate how to prepare for change management in an organisation followed by a detailed discussion of Kurt Lewin’s model for change process. 7 PREPARING NISSAN SA FOR CHANGE USING KOTTER’S EIGHT STEP PLAN Kotter’s eight step plan was developed as a result of findings that majority of organisational change efforts failed. This model indicates that the change process is a series of long phases and mistakes in any of these phases can have a considerable impact of the success of the change effort (Robbins et al, 2009). Kotter’s model will now be further explained with application to the Nissan S.A. case study. 2.1.1 Establish a sense of urgency The first step to avoiding failure of a change management process is to create a reason for the need to change (Robbins et al, 2009). For Nissan S.A. this could be a number of factors (both internal and external) to change. Externally, the organisation needs to change to meet world class standards of performance and to be able to compete. Internally the organisation needed to improve its efficiency, align to internal global standards, as well as to improve on its labour workforce to be sustainable in the future. Nissan S.A. should develop scenarios identifying the threats and opportunities for the future. Nissan S.A. needs to communicate well the  reasons for transformation and downsizing, the internal and external forces that have prompted change and the factors that are within the employees control and out of their locus of control. The organisation could also request support from outside stakeholders to support their argument. 2.1.2 Form a powerful coalition to lead change The second step to managing change is to create a team of change agents. These change agents need to be strong leaders that constantly communicate the urgency for change (Robbins et al, 2009). NUMSA members, managers as well as some older influential employees could be targeted for this team at Nissan S.A. This team should be used to convince others of the urgency for change and the need to take voluntary severance packages vs. forced retrenchment. 2.1.3 Create a vision for change The next step in the change management plan is to create a clear understanding of why the change is needed and what is the end goal (Robbins et al, 2009). Creating this vision can help convince and direct employees. Nissan S.A. should create a vision that would encourage employees to take severance packages, creating a vision of the end state for them, for example, starting their own business as suppliers. 2.1.4 Communicate the vision Once the vision is created it needs to be continuously communicated (Robbins et al, 2009). Poor communication about the downsizing process, the new structures, roles and future of the organisation can impact on trust and loyalty of survivors (Appelbaum et al 1997; Aucamp, 2001). Organisations need to constantly communicate to employees throughout the downsizing process as well as after, providing support and encouraging positive attitudes and commitment (Ngirande & Nel, 2012). Organisations should communicate the future of the organisation, clarify the new roles of employees, and be transparent about the reasons for downsizing. Constant communication will build security, trust and commitment (Aucamp, 2001; Luthans, 2011; Ndlovu & Parumasur , 2005). Nissan S.A. could follow the example of the tools the mining company De Beers used for staff  communication. Some of these include open employee engagement sessions, videos from leaders communicating the vision, one on one sessions, helpdesks and regular emails/ letters (Bomela, 2007). 2.1.5 Empower others to act on the vision Once the vision is created and communicated it needs to be actioned. But there will be obstacles to make this happen. Therefore it is important that the team of change agents are empowered to keep the vision and direction alive. One of the ways Nissan S.A. could do this is to identify those resisting change and help them move past their conflict as well as rewarding the team of change agents that are working to facilitate the transition (Furst & Cable, 2008; Robbins et al, 2009). 2.1.6 Create short term wins The next step is to identify the low hanging fruit that aids the vision and celebrate achieving these steps to motivate employees (Robbins et al, 2009). For example, Nissan S.A. could have celebrated the agreement reached with NUMSA and communicated this widely across the organisation as a positive agreement. Another example, Nissan S.A. could celebrate and reward the first few employees that have taken the severance packages and that have become suppliers. 2.1.7 Consolidate and build on change To avoid failure of a change process it is important to continuously assess the change plan, vision/actions and to change and make improvements along the way (Robbins et al, 2009). Nissan S.A. should have constantly assessed their change program and when they found poor responses to severance packages they should have revised their plans and changed the way of doing things to target more responses. Some of the improvements that could be made is in communication to employees or educating and training employees in becoming â€Å"change masters† (Aucamp, 2001, Oxtoby, Mcguiness & Morgan, 2002). 2.1.8 Reinforce the changes One of the most important steps in Kotter’s plan is to embed the plan such that it becomes core to the organisation’s culture. This is about creating a learning organisation where change becomes part of the normal ways of working and where employees have the ability to manage change easily (Luthans, 2011; Robbins et al, 2009). Some of the things that Nissan S.A. could do is to add and constantly empower their team of change agents and publicly recognise these change agents, as well as include change management values when hiring their new staff to ensure continuity of the culture (Oxtoby et al, 2002). 8 PREPARING NISSAN S.A. FOR CHANGE As discussed, to manage change, a model or process is an important tool in facilitating the change process. Key to the process though are the employees who themselves need to change. The use of change agents is an impactful way in which to encourage employees to change and to create a learning culture. Some of the key highlights that Nissan S.A. could use in preparing their organisation for change include assessing their current and desired culture, developing a team of change agents to facilitate change, creating a short term and long term change strategy and constantly improving on their change plans to achieve their goals. Some of the things that may impact an organisation’s readiness for change are the employees’ perception toward change efforts, the level of trust, communication and support from managers, and the employees’ level of acceptance of the change (Susanto, 2008). Central to the steps in preparing for change is to create a learning culture/ organisation to manage planned change. Planned change if managed through a model or process can improve an organisation’s efficiency and effectiveness in achieving its goals (Burnes, 2004; Robbins et al, 2009). 3 KURT LEWIN’S THREE STEP CHANGE MODEL One of the models for planned change that can be used for the Nissan S.A. case study is Kurt Lewin’s three step model for change process which is based on the theory that for change to occur there needs to be a challenge  to the status quo whereby the forces driving change must overcome the forces against change (Robbins et al, 2009). 9 STEP ONE: UNFREEZING This first step for change involves challenging the current status quo and weakening forces against change. Lewin indicated that for employees to accept the new change then they need to â€Å"unlearn† the current status quo (Burnes, 2004). To do this it is important to convince employees of the need for the change (Cummings & Worley, 2009; Robbins et al, 2009). According to Robbins et al (2009) unfreezing involves either increasing the driving forces, reducing the forces against change or a collaboration of both of these approaches. Currently at Nissan S.A. the forces against the change is clearly stronger than the forces driving change. Nissan S.A. need to clearly communicate the needs for the change and work on strategies to convince employees of the desired future state. The use of change agents in this instance could be very useful as they will introduce the new desired state in a positive way to challenge the current status quo and convince others (Robbins et al, 2009). Some of the things that need to be clearly communicated are the need and reasons for downsizing as well as the short term benefits of the rejuvenation process (severance package, small business start up, staying on longer to train others) vs. forced retrenchment and long terms benefits of the rejuvenation process (increased efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of the business). 10 STEP TWO: MOVING Once the current status quo has been unfrozen and employees start to accept and adopt new status quo it is important that the new status quo is strengthened. To do this involves changes to structures and processes (Cummings & Worley, 2009; Robbins et al, 2009). Nissan S.A. needs to identify those change agents and empower them to facilitate change. Another step that is important is creating short term goals for the change process and communicating this throughout the organisation as well as to assist those employees resisting change to accept change (through communication, education, more involvement). According to Oxtoby et al (2002), apart from methods and changes to structures, equally important is the time need to build employees’ career resilience. 11 STEP THREE: REFREEZING Refreezing involves reinforcing the new status quo that has been created by balancing the forces for and against change (Robbins et al, 2009). It is important that the new strategies implemented become permanenent through creating a learning culture/organisation (Burnes, 2004; Luthans 2011, Robbins et al, 2009). This can be done through introducing a reward system. Another important step is for Nissan S.A. to constantly assess their change strategies and adjust it so they can achieve their desired goal. Some of the things that Nissan S.A. could do is to add and constantly empower their team of change agents and publicly recognise these change agents, as well as include change management values when hiring their new staff to ensure continuity of the culture. 12 REDUCING RESISTANCE TO CHANGE Resistance to change can be evident at both the individual and organisational level (Cummings & Worley, 2009). From Lewin’s model of change and Kotter’s eight step plan it is evident that there will always be some resistance to change from employees. It is important that the resistance to change is managed appropriately for change to occur. For change efforts to be successful organisations need to reduce resistance from employees for them to adopt new behaviours (Furst & Cable, 2008). 3.1.1 Ways to reduce employee resistance to change According to Cummings & Worley (2009) some of the ways to reduce employee resistance can be achieved through the following five phase approach: Motivating Change This involves preparing employees for change through communicating the need for change , the current state and desired future state of the organisation as well as reassurance that the desired future state can be achieved successfully. It also inlvoves management developing strategies to implement change and ensuring support mechanisms are in place to help employees overcome resistance to change. Creating a vision This phase includes creation and communication of the vision of the future state of the organisation. This vision needs to be convincing for employee buy in of the change efforts. It therefore needs to be relevant, realistic and needs to communicate the message of the improvements the change will make for individuals and the organisation. Managing the transition This includes the activities planned to manage the change, the changes to structures and processes to achieve the desired future state and commitment planning. Important is that these plans and activities are constantly assessed and modified if needed. It is important to keep employees engaged and informed throughout the process so that they understand the needs for change, the processes to getting there as well as keep them in the loop of the progress made. Developing political support This phase involves identifying key stakeholders that have powerful influence on the change process and managing these stakeholder interests and engagement in the change process. It also involves assessing the power that change agents have on the change efforts and their ability to influence others. Sustaining momentum This includes providing the necessary resources and support for change to occur. Some of the aspects that are important is providing support from managers, training and education of employees, empowering change agents, reinforcing new behaviours (for example through reward systems) and providing feedback to employees. Telkom SA developed a change model focusing on building individuals career resilience to adapt to change more positively and empowered individuals by providing training for new roles and assuring them of their value to the organisation (Aucamp, 2001). 3.1.2 Reasons for resistance to change : Individual level According to Robbins et al (2009) there are a number of sources of resistance at the individual level. These include: Habit and Security Individuals lead complex lives and are constantly faced with having to make decisions. One of the ways to reduce and manage complexity is to rely on habits (programmed responses). Some individuals have a high reliance on their feelings of safety. Any threats to security can result in individuals resisting change as new behaviours sit outside of their comfort zone and any changes that conflict with existing habits can also be a reason for resistance as individuals have a tendency to rely on habitual behaviour. (Robbins et al, 2009). According to Peus et al (2009), individuals may feel uncertainty regarding their positions, roles and responsibilities in the organization and a result will resist change. Fear of the Unknown and Economic Factors We live in a volatile and uncertain era where there are constant changes in the business world. Individuals faced with this constant uncertainty of the future may resistant change due to the fear of the unknown (Robbins et al, 2009). According to Peus et al (2009) individuals seek to gain prediction over future events to reduce the fear of the unknown and their loss of control. Another resistance to change can be an individual’s concern for loss of or lower income as a result of the changes. Selective information processing Individuals perceptions shape their thinking about the world. Robbins et al (2009) recognize that the ways in which individuals perceive their world can also be a factor in their response to change. Anything new to their way of thinking will be resisted as it is not part of their current knowledge system. Fear of Failure Peus et al (2009) also recognises the fear of not being able to cope with the new changes to processes or technologies as one the reasons individuals may resist change. If an individual believes he or she is not able to cope with the changes then there are likely to resist change. Kotter & Schlesinger (2008) also recognise that individuals may resist change if they feel they are not capable of learning new skills and behaviours to adapt to the  changes. Other factors of resistance Kotter & Schlesinger (2008) also highlight some other reasons individuals resist change including parochial self interest, misunderstanding and lack of trust as well as different views of the benefits and costs of the changes intiated. Parochial Self interest refers to the individual’s perception that he or she will lose something of value because of the imminent changes and as a result focus on their own interests and not the organisations. This in turn results in political behaviour which can be overt or implicit. 3.1.3 Reasons for resistance to change: Organisational level Robbins et al (2009) highlight some of the reasons organisations resist change as the following: Structural inertia This refers to the structures and processes in place that produces stability in an organization. This can be an organisations selection and training techniques, job descriptions and procedures for operations. When confronted with change â€Å"this structural inertia acts as a counterbalance to sustain stability† (Robbins et al, 2009: 486). Limited focus of change Organisations are made up of interdependent subsystems and any changes in one part of the system will impact the greater system. Therefore any changes in an organisation that are only focused on one area without recognizing the impact of other areas will experience resistance to change. For example implementing a new technology without considering the training requirements and procedures that also need to change will likely experience resistance to change (Robbins et al, 2009). Group inertia This refers to the group norms and perceptions that exist that direct the behaviours of individuals and that can impact decisions for change by individuals (Robbins et al, 2009). Threat to expertise Some organisational changes will have an impact on the expertise of  specialised groups. Implementing a new way of working may mean that a specialist group of experts are now redundant to everyday operations (Robbins et al, 2009). Threat to established power relationships Any threat to existing power relationships can have an impact on change efforts. Introducing participative decision making for example is threatening to supervisors and middle manager power roles (Robbins et al, 2009). Threat to established resource allocation Some departments in an organisation may be threatened by changes if they perceive the change as a threat to their current or future resource allocation (Robbins et al, 2009). 3.1.4 How can Nissan S.A. manage resistance to change Some of the ways that Nissan S.A. can manage individual and organisational resistance to change include the following: Education and Communication Organisations need to constantly educate and communicate to employees throughout the change process as well as after, providing support and encouraging positive attitudes and commitment (Ngirande & Nel, 2012). Nissan S.A. should communicate the future of the organisation, clarify the new roles of employees, and be transparent about the reasons for change. Constant communication will build security, trust and commitment as well as reduce resistance to change (Aucamp, 2001; Luthans, 2011; Ndlovu & Parumasur 2005; Robbins et al, 2009). Participation According to Oxtoby et al (2002), all employees should have a sense of ownership over the changes that are being implemented in their organisation. Creating a higher level of involvement and participation from employees will create commitment from employees. Nissan S.A. need to value the importance of people and their influence in the changes that are desired. Involving employees at all levels can deliver better commitment to the workforce rejuvenation plan. Creating opportunities for all employees to be involved  in some way of the decision making process for change can have a positive impact on the morale of employees (Robbins et al, 2009). Building support and commitment The use of change agents at Nissan S.A. during the change process is a way in which to reduce the resistance of the fear of the unknown and provide direction and support to employees. Change agents can also assist those that are resisting change by convincing them of the benefits of the changes, improving perceptions and commitment to change. For example, Nissan S.A. could provide counselling sessions, increased management visibility and one on one sessions, providing skills training, etc. (Robbins et al, 2009). Choosing people who accept change Nissan S.A. need to recognise those that adapt to the new changes best and use these individuals as change agents. Change agents can assist in creating a positive attitude of the change process. It is also important that the new employees that Nissan S.A. hires have the same capability as the change agents in that they are open and able to adjust easily to change (Robbins et al, 2009). Implementing change fairly For Nissan S.A. this means due diligence in the procedures for change ensuring fairness and consistency across the change process. For example, if the aged employee given the training can improve his capability and performance then is it necessary for him to be retrenched and replaced with a younger employee? Should this aged employee not be given the chance to prove him or herself? Nissan S.A. should ensure the criteria for retrenchment are also fair. The changes that Nissan S.A. propose should be made from top management down to employees on the line to ensure consistency. Manipulation and Co-optation Both manipulation and co-optation are sneaky tactics but can be useful to gain support (Robbins et al, 2009). Nissan S.A. may use co-optation as a method to gain buy-in from NUMSA or may distort the information about the severance packages offered to make the benefits seem higher than the costs  to the targeted employees. Coercion Threats, poor performance reviews, or any other form of sanctions and legitimization tactics can be used to resist change. The strength of the LMX (leader-member exchange) relationship may have the desired or negative impact on the reaction of employees to such efforts. Research shows that a low-quality LMX relationship results in greater resistance to change whereas those employees with high quality LMX relationships may attribute the sanctions to situational factors and reduce resistance (Furst & Cable, 2008). Nissan S.A. need to identify which relationships require specific tactics. The use of change agents are a more useful way to reduce resistance than coercion however if the desired results are not achieved then threatening with forced retrenchment may be necessary to gain more responses. 4 CONCLUSION This discussion has shown how change should be managed to move an organisation from its current state to its future desired state. In order to facilitate the change process successfully there is a need for the use of a model or process. Resistance to change can occur at both the individual as well as the organisational level. It is important throughout the change process that resistance to change is managed appropriately. According to Luthans (2011), changes to an organisations culture needs to occur for change to become permanent. Organisations should strive to become learning organisations where learning and change is central to business culture and processes (Burnes, 2004; Luthans, 2011). Some of the ways in which organisations can achieve this is through assessing the current organisation culture, setting realistic goals, hiring the right people to facilitate change, ensuring consistency in change management, removing the old culture, managing the resistance to change effectively, keeping the momentum of change and to be persistent (Luthans, 2011). For Nissan S.A. these guidelines could be very useful in developing a learning organisation to ensure that they do not find themselves in this similar position in the future. 5 REFERENCES Appelbaum, S.H., Delage, C., Gault, G., Labib, N. (1997). The survivor syndrome: Aftermath of downsizing. Career Development International, 2 (6), 278-286. Aucamp, N. (2001). Change management implications of a retrenchment strategy in a selected section of a telecommunications organisation. Unpublished MBA dissertation. Port Elizabeth Technikon. Bomela, M. (2007). Retaining critical skills and talented employees during and after organisational downsizing. Unpublished MBA dissertation. University of Pretoria. Burnes, B. (2004). Kurt Lewin and complexity theories: back to the future? Journal of Change Management, 4(4), 309-325. Cummings, T.G., & Worley, C.G. (2009). Orgaization development and change (9th ed.). Cengage. Furst, S.A., & Cable, D.M. (2008). Employee resistance to organizational change: Managerial influence tactics and leader-member exchange. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(2), 453-462. Kenton, B., & Penn, S. (2009). Change conflict and community: Challenging thought an d action (1st ed.). Elsevier Ltd. Kotter, J.P and Schlesinger, L.A (2008) Choosing strategies for change. Harvard Business Review, 86(7/8). July-August, 130-139. Luthans, F. (2011). Organizational behaviour: An evidence-based approach (12th ed.). McGraw Hill. Ndlovu, N., & Parumasur, S.B. (2005). The perceived impact of downsizing and organisational transformation on survivors. South African Journal of Industrial Psychology, 31(2), 14-21. Nel, A., & Ngirande, H. (2012). The psychological impact of downsizing on employee survivors in the manufacturing industry. African Journal of Business Management, 6 (11), 4371-4375. Oxtoby, B., Mcguiness, T., & Morgan, R. (2002). Developing organisational change capability. European Management Journal, 20(3), 310-320. Pasmore, W.A., & Fagans, M.R. (1992). Participation, individual development and organisational change: a review and synthesis. Journal of Management, 18(2), 375-397. Peus, C. Frey, D., Gerkhardt, M., Fischer, P., & Traut-Mattausch, E. (2009). Leading and managing organizational change initiatives. Management Revue, 20(2), 158-175. Retrieved april 18 2014 from the World Wide Web: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41783612. Robbins, S.P., & Jude, T.A. (2009). Organisational behaviour: Global and southern African perspectives (2nd ed.). Pearson. Susanto, A.B. (2008). Organisational readiness for change: A case study on change readiness in a manufacturing organisation in Indonesia. International Journal of Management Perspective, 2(1), 50-62. Worren, N.A.M., Ruddle, K., & Moore, K. (1999). From organizational development to change management: the emergence of a new profession. The Journal of Applied Behavioural Science, 35(3), 273-296. 6 SELF ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS 6.1 I logically and systematically applied the resources to explain and give support to my understanding of the content and central concepts and provided examples where necessary. I understood best the sections on survivor syndrome. I am not confident in my application of the frustration model. I think I have covered Kotter’s 8 step plan best and need to improve on my understanding of managing resistance to change. 6.2 I found Robbins et al (2009) most useful as it provided an overall understanding of change management process and included all aspects that needed to be convered in this assignment. 6.3 I used information on change management from articles and research done in South African industries to use as examples in illustrating my answer as well as to help me further understand some of the models of change 6.4 3 months (March – May) approximately 1 hour each day. This includes reading the material, researching additional resources, planning, writing and checking. 6.5 The material covered is relevant to South African work environment where change is common in industry. Having an understanding of this will assist in helping organisations improve business processes and at the same time improve individual well being. The resources also provided proactive and positive ways to deal with change. 6.6 Areas of knowledge: Referencing Techniques, Motivation Theory; Skills: Planning, Problem Solving;   Other Qualities: Diligence, Perseverance, Critical Thinking. 6.7 Yes. Having an understanding of the ways in which change can be managed can help with improving how I manage and interpret change as an individual as well as I see some beneficial aspects that my current employer can use to manage change. I would like to further develop my knowledge gained on the learning organisation as it has never occurred to me, until now, as a priority to be dealt with in the change process in order for future business success. 6.8 The assessment criteria provide a good framework to answer the questions, clear guidelines; it gives one the opportunity to reflect on the overall concepts and to assess the quality of work presented. 6.9 I would like to improve my understanding of the different models of change apart from Lewin and Kotter. I would like to do more reading on action research etc and see how I can apply this knowledge better. I will by reading more and improve my referencing techniques which I feel I will gain with more practice.