ACT MathWord ProblemsThe Ultimate Guide

ACT MathWord ProblemsThe Ultimate Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Though the majority of ACT math problemsuse diagrams or simply ask you to solve given mathematical equations, you will also see approximately 15-18 word problems on any given ACT (between 25% and 30% of the total math section). This means that knowing how best to deal with word problems will help you significantly when taking the test. Though there are many different types of ACT word problems, most of them are not nearly as difficult or cumbersome as they may appear. This post will be your complete guide to ACT word problems:how to translate your word problems into equations and diagrams, the different types of word problems you’ll see on the test, and how best to go about solving your word problems for test day. What Are Word Problems? A word problem is any problem that is based mostly or entirely on written description and does not provide you with an equation, diagram, or graph. You must use your reading skills to translate the words of the question into a workable math problem and then solve for your information. Word problems will show up on the test for a variety of reasons. Most of the time, these types of questions act to test your reading and visualization skills, as well act as a medium to deliver questions that would otherwise be untestable. For instance, if you must determine the number of sides of an unknown polygon based on given information, a diagram would certainly give the game away! Translating Word Problems Into Equations or Drawings In order to translate your word problems into actionable math equations that you can solve, you’ll need to know and utilize some key math terms. Whenever you see these words, you can translate them into the proper action. For instance, the word â€Å"product† means â€Å"the value of two or more values that have been multiplied together,† so if you need to find â€Å"the product of a and b,† you’ll need to set up your equation with $a * b$. Key Terms Mathematical Action Sum, increased by, added to, total of + Difference, decreased by, subtracted from - Product, times * or x Divided by / or à · Equals, is, are, equivalent, same = Is less than Is greater than Is less than or equal to ≠¤ Is greater than or equal to ≠¥ Let's take a look at this in action with an example problem: We have two different cable companies that each have different rates for installation and different monthly fees. We are asked to find out how many months it will take for the cost for each company to be the "same," which means we must set the two rates equal. Uptown Cable charges120 dollars for installation plus 25 dollars a month. We do not know how many months we're working with, so we will have: $120 + 25x$ Downtown Cable charges 60 dollars for installation and 35 dollars per month. Again, we don't know how many months we're working with, but we know they will be the same, so we will have: $60 + 35x$ And, again, because we are finding the amount of months when the cost is the "same," we must set our rates equal. $120 + 25x = 60 + 35x$ From here, we can solve for $x$, since it is a single variable equation. [Note: the final answer is G, 6 months] Learning the language of ACT word problems will help you to unravel much of the mystery of these types of questions. Typical ACT Word Problems ACT word problems can be grouped into two major categories: word problems where you must simply set up an equation and word problems in which you must solve for a specific piece of information. Word Problem Type 1: Setting Up an Equation This is the less common type of word problem on the test, but you’ll generally see it at least once or twice. You'll also usually see this type of word problem first. For this type of question, you must use the given information toset up the equation, even though you don’t need to solve for the missing variable. Almost always, you’ll see this type of question in the first ten questions on the test, meaning that the ACT test-makers consider them fairly â€Å"easy.† This is due to the fact that you only have to provide the set-up and not the execution. We consider a â€Å"profit† to be any money that is gained, so we must always subtract our costs from our earnings. We know that Jones had to invest 10 million starting capital, so he is only making a profit if he has earned more than 10 million dollars. This means we can eliminate answer choices C, D, and E, as they do not account for this 10 million. Now each boat costs Jones 7,000 dollars to make and he sells them for 20,000. This means that he earns a profit of: $20,000 - 7,000$ $13,000$ per boat. If $x$ represents our number of boats, then our final equation will be: $13,000x - 10,000,000$ Our final answer is A, $13,000x - 10,000,000$ Word Problem Type 2:Solving for Your Information Other than the few set-up word questions you’ll see, the rest of your ACT word problem questions will fall into this category. For these questions, you must both set up your equation and solve for a specific piece of information. Most (though not all) word problem questions of this type will be scenarios or stories covering all sorts of ACT math topics, including averages, single variable equations, and probabilities, among others. You almost always must have a solid understanding of the math topic in question in order to solve the word problem on the topic. This question is a rare example of a time in which not every piece of given information is needed to solve the problem. For most ACT word questions, all your given information will come into play at some point, but this is not the case here (though you can use all of your information, should you so choose). For example, we are told that 25% of a given set of jelly beans are red. 25% translates to $1/4$ because 25% is the same as $25/100$ (or $1/4$). If we are being asked to find how many jelly beans are NOT red, then we know it would be $3/4$ because 100% is the same as 1, and 1 - $1/4$ = $3/4$. So we didn’t need to know that there were 400 jellybeans to know that our final answer is H, $3/4$. Alternatively, we could use all of our given information and find 25% of 400 in order to find the remaining jelly beans. $400 * {1/4}$ or $400/4$ $100$ If 100 jellybeans are red, then 400 - 100 = 300 jelly beans are NOT red. This means that the not-red jelly beans make up, $300/400$ $3/4$ of the total number of jelly beans. Again, our final answer is H, $3/4$ You might also be given a geometry problem as a word problem, which may or may not be set up with a scenario as well. Geometry questions will be presented as word problems typically because the test-makers felt the problem would be too easy to solve had you been given a diagram. The test-makers didn’t give us a diagram, so let's makeourselves one and fill it in with what we know so far. We know from our studies of parallelogramsthat opposite side pairs will be equal, so we know that the opposite side of our given will also be 12. Now we can use this information to subtract from our total perimeter. $72 - 12 - 12$ $48$ Again, opposite sides will be equal and we know that the sum of the two remaining sides will be 48. This means that each remaining side will be: $48/2$ $24$ Now we have four sides in the pairings of 12 and 24. Our final answer is C, 12, 12, 24, 24. Now, how do we put our knowledge to its best effect? Let's take a look. ACT Math Strategies for Your Word Problems Though you’ll see word problems on amyriad of different types of ACT math topics, there are still a few techniques you can apply to solve your word problems as a whole. #1: Draw It Out Whether your problem is a geometry problem or an algebra problem, sometimes making a quick sketch of the scene can help you understand what, exactly, you're working with. For instance, let's look at how a picture can help you solve a ratio/division problem: Let's start by first drawing our sandwich and Jerome's portion of it. Now let's divvy off Kevin's portion and, by the remainder, Seth's as well. By seeing the problem visually, we can see that the ratio of Jerome's share, to Kevin's, to Seth'swill go in descending order of size. This let's us eliminate answer choices A, B, and C, and leaves us with answer choices D and E. Just by drawing it out and using process of elimination, and without knowing anything else about ratios, we have a 50-50 shot of guessing the right answer. And, again, without knowing anything else about fractions or ratios, we can make an educated guess between the two options. Since Jerome's share doesn't look twice as large as Kevin's, our answer is probably not E. This leaves us with our final answer D, 3:2:1. [Note: for a breakdown on how to solve this problem using fractions and ratios instead of using a diagram and educated guessing, check out our guide to ACT fractions and ratios.] As for geometry problems, remember- you’re often given a word problem as a word problem because it would be too simple to solve had you had a diagram to work with from the get-go. So take back the advantage and draw the picture yourself. Even a quick and dirty sketch can help you visualize the problem much easier than you can in your head and help keep all your information clear. #2:Memorize ImportantTerms If you’re not used to translating English words into mathematical equations, then ACT word problems cansound like so much nonsense and leave you floundering to set up the proper equation. Look to the chart and learn how to translate your keywords into their math equivalents. Doing sowill help you to understand exactly what the problem is asking you to find. There are free ACT math questions available online, so memorize your terms and then practice on real ACT word problems to make sure you’ve got your definitions down and can apply them to real problems. #3: Underline and Write Out theKey Information The key to solving a word problem is bringing together all the relevant pieces of given information and putting them in the right places. Make sure you write out all your givens on the diagram you’ve drawn (if the problem calls for a diagram) and that all your moving pieces are in order. One of the best ways to keep all your pieces straight is to underline them in the problem and then write them out yourself before you set up your equation, so take a moment to perform this step. #4: Pay Close Attention to ExactlyWhat Is Being Asked of You Little is more frustrating than solving for the wrong variable or writing in your given values in the wrong places. And yet this is entirely too easy to do when working with word problems. Make sure you pay strict attention to exactly what you’re meant to be solving for and exactly what pieces of information go where. Are you looking for the area or the perimeter? The value of $x$ or $x + y$? Better to make sure before you start what you’re supposed to find than realize two minutes down the line that you have to solve the problem all over again. #5: Brush Up on Any Specific Math Topic in Which You Feel Weak You are likely to see both diagram/equation problems and word problems for any given ACT math topic on the test. Many of the topics can swing either way, which is why there are so many different types of word problems and why you’ll need to know the ins and outs of any particular math topic in order to solve its corresponding word problem. For example, if you don’t know how to properly set up a system of equations problem, you will have a difficult time of it when presented with a word problem on the topic. So understand that solving a word problem is a two-step process: it requires you to both understand how word problems themselves work and to understand the math topic in question. If you have any areas of mathematical weakness, now is a good time to brush up on them, or else the word problem might be trickier than you were expecting. All set? Time to shine! Test Your Knowledge Now to put your word problem know-how to the test with real ACT mathproblems. 1) 2) 3) 4) Answers: K, C, A, E Answer Explanations: 1) First, let us make a sketch of what we have, just so we can keep our measurements straight. We know we have two triangles, one smaller than the other, and the hypotenuse of the smaller triangle is 5. Now our triangles are in a ratio of 2:5, so if the hypotenuse of the smaller triangle is 5, we can find the hypotenuse of the larger triangle by setting them up in a proportion. $2/5 = 5/x$ $2x = 25$ $x = 12.5$ Our final answer is K, 12.5. 2) Because we are dealing with a hypothetical number that is increasing and decreasing based on percentage, we can solve this problem in one of two waysby using algebra or by plugging in our own numbers. Solving Method 1: Algebra If we assign our hypothetical number as $x$, we can say that $x$ is increased by 25% by saying: $x + 0.25x$ Which gives us: $1.25x$ Now, we can decrease this value by 20% by saying: $1.25x - (1.25x * 0.2)$ $1.25x - 0.25x$ This leaves us with: $1x$ or 100% of our original number. Our final answer is C, 100%. Solving Method 2:Plugging in Numbers Alternatively, we can use the same basic process, but make it a little simpler by using numbers instead of variables. Let's say our original number is 100. (Why 100? Why not! Our number can literally be anything and 100 is an easy number to work with.) So if we need to increase 100 by 25%, we first need to find 25% of 100 and then add that to 100. $100 + (0.25)100$ $100 + 25$ $125$ Now we need to decrease this value by 20%, so we would say: $125 - (0.2)125$ $125 - 25$ $100$ We are left with the same number we started with, which means we are left with 100% of the number we started with. Again, our final answer is C, 100%. 3) Let's first begin by drawing a picture of our scene. We know that one vertex of the square is at (3, 0), so we can mark it on a coordinate plane. Now, we are told that each side of the square is 3 cm long. To make life simple, we can start by marking all the possible vertexes attached to our known vertex at (3, 0) straight up, down, and side to side. If no answers match, we can then look to vertexes at different angles. Our possible vertexes are: (0, 0), (6, 0), 3, 3) and (3, -3) One of our possible vertexes is at (6, 0 and this matches one of our answer choices, so we can stop here. Our final answer is A, (6, 0). 4) We are told that Ms. Lopez throws out the lowest test score and then averages the remaining scores. Because Victor's scores are already in ascending order, we can throw out the first score of 62. Now to find the average of the remaining 4 scores, let us add them together and then divide by the number of scores. $(78 + 83 + 84 + 93)/4$ $338/4$ $84.5$ Our final answer is E, 84.5. A round of applause to your success!Picture: John Morris/Flickr The Take-Aways Word problems comprise a significant portion of the ACT, so it’s a good idea to understand how they work and how to translate the words into a proper equation. But remember that translating your word problems is still only half the battle. You must also supplement this knowledge of how to solve word problems with a solid understanding of the math topic in question. For example, it won’t do a lot of good if you can translate a probability word problem if you don’t understand exactly how probabilities work. So be sure to not only learn how to approach your word problems, but also hone your focus on any math topicsyou feel you need to improve upon. You can find links to all of our ACT math topic guides here to help your studies. What’s Next? Want to brush up on any of your other math topics?Check out ourindividual math guidesto get the walk-through on each and everytopic on the ACT math test. Trying to stop procrastinating?Learnhow to get over your desire to procrastinateand make a well-balanced study plan. Running out of time on the ACT math section?We'll teach you how to beat the clock and maximize your ACT math score. Trying to get a perfect score?Check out ourguide to getting a perfect 36 on ACT math, written by a perfect-scorer. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Math lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial: Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Courtney Montgomery About the Author Courtney scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT in high school and went on to graduate from Stanford University with a degree in Cultural and Social Anthropology. She is passionate about bringing education and the tools to succeed to students from all backgrounds and walks of life, as she believes open education is one of the great societal equalizers. She has years of tutoring experience and writes creative works in her free time. Get Free Guides to Boost Your SAT/ACT Get FREE EXCLUSIVE insider tips on how to ACE THE SAT/ACT. 100% Privacy. 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The Postwar World After World War II

The Postwar World After World War II The most transformative conflict in history, World War II impacted the entire globe and set the stage for the Cold War. As the war raged, the leaders of the Allies met several times to direct the course of the fighting and to begin planning for the postwar world. With the defeat of Germany and Japan, their plans were put into action. The Atlantic Charter: Laying the Groundwork Planning for the post-World War II world began before the United States even entered the conflict. On August 9, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill first met aboard the cruiser USS Augusta. The meeting took place while the ship was anchored at US Naval Station Argentia (Newfoundland), which had recently been acquired from Britain as part of the Bases for Destroyers Agreement. Meeting over two days, the leaders produced the Atlantic Charter, which called for self-determination of peoples, freedom of the seas, global economic cooperation, disarmament of aggressor nations, reduced trade barriers, and freedom from want and fear. In addition, the United States and Britain stated that they sought no territorial gains from the conflict and called for the defeat of Germany. Announced on August 14, it was soon adopted by the other Allied nations as well as the Soviet Union. The charter was met with suspicion by the Axis powers, who interpreted it as a budding alliance against them. The Arcadia Conference: Europe First Shortly after the US entrance into the war, the two leaders met again in Washington DC. Codenamed the Arcadia Conference, Roosevelt and Churchill held meetings between December 22, 1941, and January 14, 1942. The key decision from this conference was agreement on a Europe First strategy for winning the war. Due to the proximity of many of the Allied nations to Germany, it was felt that the Nazis offered a greater threat. While the majority of resources would be devoted to Europe, the Allies planned on fighting a holding battle with Japan. This decision met with some resistance in the United States as public sentiment favored exacting revenge on the Japanese for the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Arcadia Conference also produced the Declaration by the United Nations. Devised by Roosevelt, the term United Nations became the official name for the Allies. Initially signed by 26 nations, the declaration called for the signatories to uphold the Atlantic Charter, employ all their resources against the Axis, and forbade nations from signing a separate peace with Germany or Japan. The tenets set forth in the declaration became the basis for the modern United Nations, which was created after the war. Wartime Conferences While Churchill and Roosevelt met again in Washington in June 1942 to discuss strategy, it was their January 1943 conference in Casablanca that would affect the wars prosecution. Meeting with Charles de Gaulle and Henri Giraud, Roosevelt and Churchill recognized the two men as the joint leaders of the Free French. At the end of the conference, the Casablanca Declaration was announced, which called for the unconditional surrender of the Axis powers as well as aid for the Soviets and the invasion of Italy. That summer, Churchill again crossed the Atlantic to confer with Roosevelt. Convening in Quebec, the two set the date of D-Day for May 1944 and drafted the secret Quebec Agreement. This called for a sharing of atomic research and outlined the basis of nuclear nonproliferation between their two nations. In November 1943, Roosevelt and Churchill traveled to Cairo to meet with Chinese leader Chiang Kai-Shek. The first conference to primarily focus on the Pacific war, the meeting resulted in the Allies promising to seek the unconditional surrender of Japan, the return of Japanese-occupied Chinese lands, and Korean independence. The Tehran Conference and the Big Three On November 28, 1943, the two western leaders traveled to Tehran, Iran to meet with Joseph Stalin. The first meeting of the Big Three (United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union), the Tehran Conference was one of only two wartime meetings between the three leaders. Initial conversations saw Roosevelt and Churchill receive Soviet support for their war policies in exchange for backing the communist Partisans in Yugoslavia and allowing Stalin to manipulate the Soviet-Polish border. Subsequent discussions centered on the opening of a second front in Western Europe. The meeting confirmed that this attack would come through France rather than through the Mediterranean as Churchill desired. Stalin also promised to declare war on Japan following the defeat of Germany. Before the conference concluded, the Big Three reaffirmed their demand for unconditional surrender and laid out the initial plans for occupying Axis territory after the war. Bretton Woods and Dumbarton Oaks While the Big Three leaders were directing the war, other efforts were moving forward to build the framework for the postwar world. In July 1944, representatives of 45 Allied nations gathered at the Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, NH to design the postwar international monetary system. Officially dubbed the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference, the meeting produced the agreements that formed the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, and the International Monetary Fund. In addition, the meeting created the Bretton Woods system of exchange rate management which was used until 1971. The following month, delegates met at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, DC to begin formulating the United Nations. Key discussions included the make-up of the organization as well as the design of the Security Council. The agreements from Dumbarton Oaks were reviewed April-June 1945, at the United Nations Conference on International Organization. This meeting produced the United Nations Charter which gave birth to the modern United Nations. The Yalta Conference As the war was winding down, the Big Three met again at the Black Sea resort of Yalta from February 4-11, 1945. Each arrived at the conference with their own agenda, with Roosevelt seeking Soviet aid against Japan, Churchill demanding free elections in Eastern Europe, and Stalin desiring to create a Soviet sphere of influence. Also to be discussed were plans for the occupation of Germany. Roosevelt was able to obtain Stalins promise to enter the war with Japan within 90 days of Germanys defeat in exchange for Mongolian independence, the Kurile Islands, and part of Sakhalin Island. On the issue of Poland, Stalin demanded that the Soviet Union receive territory from their neighbor in order to create a defensive buffer zone. This was reluctantly agreed to, with Poland being compensated by moving its western border into Germany and receiving part of East Prussia. In addition, Stalin promised free elections after the war; however, this was not fulfilled. As the meeting concluded, a final plan for the occupation of Germany was agreed upon and Roosevelt obtained Stalins word that the Soviet Union would participate in the new United Nations. The Potsdam Conference The final meeting of the Big Three took place at Potsdam, Germany between July 17 and August 2, 1945. Representing the United States was new president Harry S. Truman,  who had succeeded to the office following Roosevelts death in April. Britain was initially represented by Churchill, however, he was replaced by new Prime Minister Clement Attlee following Labors victory in the 1945 general election. As before, Stalin represented the Soviet Union. The principal goals of the conference were to begin designing the postwar world, negotiating treaties, and dealing with other issues raised by the defeat of Germany. The conference largely ratified many of the decisions agreed to at Yalta and stated that the goals of the occupation of Germany would be demilitarization, denazification, democratization, and decartelization. In regards to Poland, the conference confirmed the territorial changes and gave recognition to the Soviet-backed provisional government. These decisions were made public in the Potsdam Agreement, which stipulated that all other issues would be dealt with in the final peace treaty (this was not signed until 1990). On July 26, while the conference was ongoing, Truman, Churchill, and Chiang Kai-Shek issued the Potsdam Declaration which outlined the terms  for  Japans surrender. Occupation of the Axis Powers With the end to the war, the Allied powers began occupations of both Japan and Germany. In the Far East, US troops took possession of Japan and were aided by British Commonwealth forces in the reconstruction and demilitarization of the country. In Southeast Asia, the colonial powers returned to their former possessions, while Korea was divided at the 38th Parallel, with the Soviets in the north and the US in the south. Commanding the occupation of Japan was  General Douglas MacArthur. A gifted administrator, MacArthur oversaw the nations transition to a constitutional monarchy and the rebuilding of the Japanese economy. With the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, MacArthurs attention was diverted to the new conflict and increasingly more power was returned to the Japanese government. The occupation ended following the signing of the San Francisco Peace Treaty (Treaty of Peace with Japan) on September 8, 1951, which officially concluded World War II in the Pacific. In Europe, both Germany and Austria were divided into four occupation zones under American, British, French, and Soviet control. Also, the capital at Berlin was divided along similar lines. While the original occupation plan called for Germany to be ruled as a single unit through the Allied Control Council, this soon broke down as tensions rose between the Soviets and the Western Allies. As the occupation progressed the US, British, and French zones were merged into one uniformly governed area. The Cold War On June 24, 1948, the Soviets initiated the first action of the  Cold War  by shutting down all access to Western-occupied West Berlin. To combat the Berlin Blockade, the Western Allies began the  Berlin Airlift,  which transported desperately needed food and fuel to the beleaguered city. Flying for almost a year, Allied aircraft kept the city supplied until the Soviets relented in May 1949. That same month, the Western-controlled sectors were formed into the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany). This was countered by the Soviets that October ​when they reconstituted their sector into the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). This coincided with their increasing control over governments in Eastern Europe. Angered by the Western Allies lack of action to prevent the Soviets from taking control, these nations referred to their abandonment as the Western Betrayal. Rebuilding As the politics of postwar Europe were taking shape, efforts were made to rebuild the continents shattered economy. In an attempt to expedite economic regrowth and ensure the survival of democratic governments, the United States allocated $13 billion to the rebuilding of Western Europe. Beginning in 1947, and known as the European Recovery Program (Marshall Plan), the program ran until 1952. In both Germany and Japan, efforts were made to locate and prosecute war criminals. In Germany, the accused were tried at  Nuremberg  while in Japan the trials were held in Tokyo. As tensions rose and the Cold War began, the issue of Germany remained unresolved. Though two nations had been created from pre-war Germany, Berlin technically remained occupied and no final settlement had been concluded. For the next 45 years, Germany was on the front lines of the Cold War. It was only with the fall of the  Berlin Wall  in 1989, and the collapse of Soviet control in Eastern Europe that the final issues of the war could be resolved. In 1990, the Treaty on the Final Settlement With Respect to Germany was signed, reunifying Germany and officially ending World War II in Europe.

International Assignments Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

International Assignments - Research Paper Example The specific issues covered in the study include expatriates, pre-departure training components, expatriates performance appraisal, selection and recruitment strategies for expatriates, staffing alternatives, importance of offering high-quality mentoring for expatriates and how to measure return on investment for international assignments. Pre-departure training is very crucial for workers who have been assigned an international mission to represent their companies (Harzing & Pinnington, 2010). The training equips the assignees with company’s objectives and personal coping mechanisms in the host country in order to avoid pre-mature return of the expatriates. It enables the expatriates to relate between host country and home country and establish the mechanisms for overcoming challenges that may arise as a result of differences between the two countries (Stahl et al., 2012). The company’s workers will have to be sensitized about the cultural differences between the home country and host country (Stahl et al., 2012). Various nations have different cultures that may affect the expatriates relate with business partners and citizens in the host country. Inadequate understanding of the  background  of the people in the host country can make the lives of the expatriates extremely difficult and can result to conflict due to what may be seen as interference or disrespect of culture of the people in the host country by the expatriates (Stahl et al., 2012). Therefore, pre-departure training aims at orienting the expatriates with information regarding the cultural values of the host country in order to alleviate culture shock as the expatriates take up their new jobs. The amount of training offered will depend on the prior exposure of the expatriates to particular of the country they  expect to operate  (Harzing & Pinnington, 2010). This entails  briefing the expatriates

Implemented Workplace Technology in TESCO Company Essay

Implemented Workplace Technology in TESCO Company - Essay Example In order for the company to maintain and improve its performance particularly in dealing with increased product and service volume while at the same time controlling costs, it has embraced technological innovation that has had great impacts on the company. Recently, Tesco made a technological innovation known as Augmented Reality (AR) and QR codes that enables the consumers to use computer terminals to scan a product code. The technology allows the consumers to view the 3D images of over 40 products from the entertainment and electronics sections both online and in store thus enabling them to make a decision on whether to have the product delivered to their home or to buy in- store (Shayon 2011, p. 1). Tesco Direct Catalogue requires a marker and a browser plug-in; in order to view the images of the 3D product, the consumer position catalogues in front of their webcam. In addition, the technology can use a television set whereby the set can be expanded virtually to back views, front, and real front so that shoppers can watch film and also play with virtual games that are on sale in the supermarket (Shayon 2011, p. 1).RationaleIt is an undisputed fact that indeed competition has been very stiff among the retailers across the world; each retailer chain is struggling to stay afloat in the market. To achieve this, they look for ways that will boost their sales and minimize costs so as to eventually maximize profits. TESCO is no exception and it has made huge strides towards this end especially in regard to using technological innovation.... In addition, the technology can use a television set whereby the set can be expanded virtually to back views, front, and real front so that shoppers can watch film and also play with virtual games that are on sale in the supermarket (Shayon 2011, p. 1). Rationale It is an undisputed fact that indeed competition has been very stiff among the retailers across the world; each retailer chain is struggling to stay afloat in the market. To achieve this, they look for ways that will boost their sales and minimize costs so as to eventually maximize profits. TESCO is no exception and it has made huge strides towards this end especially in regard to using technological innovation. The main rationale behind the innovation was definitely to boost sales in the long run. Apart from that the technology intended to achieve other goals. First, it intended to integrate augmented reality into the consumers’ everyday shopping experiences. Secondly, the strategy was designed to minimize the use of the in- store space to stock number of returns and products since through the innovation, the consumers will already have information regarding what they want to purchase. Thirdly, it is a way of attracting more customers which will eventually translate to selling of more merchandise. According to Hristov and Reynolds (2010, p. 29), some products do not mean much to the consumers until they actually use them. They further argue that there is less likelihood for a consumer to buy a product that they have not actually used or seen, therefore, the consumers will be keen to anything that brings these products to life. At the moment, the retailer’s seven stores have augmented reality (AR) terminals in five

Discuss Shakespeares dramatic technique in Act one scenes 1 to 7 Essay Example for Free

Discuss Shakespeares dramatic technique in Act one scenes 1 to 7 Essay The chief character of the play is Macbeth. He is first of all Thane of Glamis and then inherits the title thane of Cawdor from an executed traitor. Instigated by a prophecy from the Witches that he will become king, and urged on by his wife, he murders King Duncan, and has himself proclaimed king. To secure his position, he is driven to commit further criminal acts, and plunges his country into civil war. After he is killed in battle by Macduff he is described as a dead butcher. The first scene is set on the moor that is bleak and desolate. This scene is one of desolation and devastation. The desolate countryside metaphorically separates the humans from the Witches who are used to open the play to introduce the idea of fate and destiny. From the stage directions, the battlefield creates a scene of death, carnage and destruction in line 4, when the battles lost and won and line 12 and 13, fair is foul and foul is fair a paradox is offered. How can fair be foul? How a battle be lost and won? The Witches chant in rhyming couplets and their speech is deliberately equivocal to create confusion in the mortals, as it is open t interpretation. He rhyming couplets give the effect of an incantation, while the thunder and lightning echo the noise of the battle. Similarly strange is thepaaradox that closes the scene: contained within it is the oxymoron, fair is foul, and foul is fair, a paradoxical idea that the Witches are able to transform what is good into evil, and make what is evil appear virtuous. These are also the first words spoken in the play by Macbeth, the echo establishes an unconscious contact with the Witches and is dramatically effective. We discover that the Witches are on the moor to meet with Macbeth. They seem to know where Macbeth will be. Once again they show that they can foretell the future. What can Macbeth the plays eponymous hero have to do with these abnormal, weird woman who look not like thinhabitants of earth? How does he fit into their plans? The opening scene heightens the audiences expectations, as Macbeth will soon appear on stage, the audience will try and establish exactly why the Witches hope t meet him. Witches held great significance for a Jacobean audience who believed in witchcraft. Witches were the objects of morbid and fevered fascination during this era. The Jacobeans were afraid and superstitious. They suspected that the Witches were credited with powers and could predict the future, fly, cause fogs and tempests, bring on night in daytime, kill animals and curse people, with fatal diseases as well as induce nightmares. By the use of this technique, Shakespeare knew that he would get his audiences attention with the opening scene. Although brief, this scene sets the supernatural atmosphere of the play, which is central to its dramatic action. In scene two, Shakespeare cleverly moves the scene to establish a different mood when introducing the humans. The seething battlefield replaces the moor, foul thunder is replaced by the sound of the military alarum and the humans replace the Witches. In this scene we meet Duncan, the King of Scotland, and his sons, Donalbain and Malcolm. Duncans supremacy is instantly established for he is the first to speak. They receive a report of the battle fought against the King of Norway and Macdonwald, the thane of Cawdor who has proved disloyal to Duncan. From the report he audience learns about the heroism and bravery of one of the King Duncans generals, Macbeth. Shakespeare continues to build suspense as he introduces the humans. The audience are also introduced to evil in man and the evil in warfare. The playwrights use of language helps to bring the battle to life and emphasises Macbeths importance. Dynamic verbs like, smokd, brandishd and unseamd suggest Macbeths skills and courage as his sword smokd with bloody execution. Once again we hear about Macbeth before we see him. Hw=e is spoken of in glowing terms and he becomes a hero in the eyes of the audience. Though he is referred to as a worthy gentlemen, there is still the memory that his name is connected with the Witches. Brave Macbeth kills Macdonwald by carving out his passage till he unseemd him from the nave to the chops with his brandishd steel that smokd with bloody execution. Part of this description highlights Macbeths bravery and valour, but the captains description of Macbeths unseeming of Macdonwald can be interpreted in different ways. Shakespeare intentionally paints an ambiguous picture of Macbeth. Macbeth, however, is still not satisfied until he had fixd [Macdonwalds] head upon the battlements. The decapitation of Macdonwald would support a more negative reading of Macbeth as oppose to his courageous behaviour. Scene two concludes with an ironic note as Macbeth is rewarded with the title of Thane of Cawdor which has been taken from that most disloyal traitor and given to Macbeth, who will prove to be more treacherous: No more than Thane of Cawdor shall deceive, Our bosom interest. Go pronounce his death, And with his former title greet Macbeth. The audience will realise that to make Macbeth Thane of Cawdor is a great mistake. We see Macbeth, the loyal subject and great hero who fought for good, change and become corrupt, and gradually deteriorate into a vicious tyrant. At the start of scene three, we meet the Witches once again in foul weather and we begin to witness their spiteful destructive nature. One sister has been killing swine while another has possession of a pilots thumb. The other Witch punishes a sailors wife by conjuring up a storm, therefore getting at her husband. From this the audience learns that the powers the Witches carry are limited. They cannot kill, but are able to create a climate for evil to flourish. Though his bark cannot be lost Yet it shall be tempest-tossd. The Witches curse on the sailor can be read as a prediction of Macbeths future. We are shown that the Witches are determined to make people suffer. They torment the sailor and drain him dry as hay. They deny him sleep at night and in the day. They ensure that he shall live a man forbid. However, Macbeth can be destroyed because the forces of veil are present within him. He alone causes chaos in the world by destroying the natural order when he deliberately choose the path of evil. The ship is a metaphor for the state of Scotland which is going to tempest tossd when Macbeth becomes king. A drum beats and Macbeth makes an entrance. We finally meet him and it is significant that his first appearance is with the Witches on the moor. This represents his connection with evil. His paradoxical word So foul and fair a day I have not seen arrests us because it replicates those of the Witches. This once again draws inferences between Macbeth and evil. This could suggest that the Witches have control over Macbeth, or that the hags are in some way similar to him. The appearance of the Witches like their speeches is equivocal. It is Banquo, who is used now as a dramatic device, who first comments on the bizarre appearance of the Witches. They look not like thinhabitants oth earth, and yet are ont and they appear to be women though they have beards. Banquo is calm and is looking for a reasonable explanation to why the Witches are on the moor, whilst Macbeth is impatient and wants an immediate answer to why the Witches have come with such prophetic greetings. The Witches prophesise that Macbeth, Thane of Glamis will become Thane of Cawdor and king hereafter, and that Banquo will have kings. Part of the prophecy is immediately fulfilled when a messenger announces that Duncan, King of Scotland has promoted Macbeth Thane of Cawdor. We the audience realise, that from the previous scene, Macbeth with his courage and bravery, and not the Witches powers, has won him the title Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is rapt withal and becomes lost in his thoughts, as the Witches have articulated his secret desire of killing the King. His mind has been corrupted and he wants glory for himself. Shakespeare shows how evil can control what is good in Macbeth. Macbeth is torn between the forces of good and evil and he believes that he cannot be king unless evil wins over good. Macbeth reveals a disturbed mind, when he speaks his own thoughts aloud in a soliloquy, as murder is in his mind. His first thought is to leave everything to chance: If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me, Without my stir Macbeth has asked Ross and Angus, the messengers, why they dress [him] in borrowd robes- why they call him by the name of Cawdor, when Cawdor lives. By the end of the scene Macbeth is contemplating borrowing the kings robes. The reference to clothing in this scene is symbolic. The imagery of clothing indicates status, prestige and symbolises a persons title. By using the imagery of clothing, Shakespeare is trying to show that if you wear someone elses clothes they may feel uncomfortable and they may cleave not to their mould because they are borrowd. Therefore if Macbeth wears the robes of the kingship they will cleave not to [his] mould as he is not worthy of the kings throne. When the Witches depart in this scene, Macbeth orders them to, Stay, you imperfect speakers tell me more. Macbeths curiosity has got the better of him and his demand of the Witches indicates his obsessive interest with these weird women and their prophecies. The Witches vanish into the air as they do not receive orders from mortals and will not be dictated to. The source and purpose of their evil remains a mystery to the audience. Shakespeare metaphorically compares the disappearance of the Witches to bubbles. Macbeths life can also be represented as a bubble, as the honour, love, obedience and troops of old friends that he has will soon disappear under the wishes they had stayd. Ross and Angus enter, they are used as dramatic devices to convey to Macbeth the Kings decision to reward Macbeth with the title Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth and Banquo are both shocked as the devil has spoken the truth. Macbeth is already snared by the Witches prophecies, as he believes that, The greatest is behind On the other hand, Banquo can see through the trickery of the Witches. He is sceptical and can see through Macbeths motives in asking him whether he hopes his heirs will become kings. Banquo tries to warm Macbeth against the instruments of darkness. He tries to convince Macbeth that the Witches tell simple truths that are easy to believe, so that when they want to deceive people with more important matters they will also be believed. And often times, to win us to our harm, The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles, to betrays In deepest consequence. Banquo is portrayed b by Shakespeare in a positive light, as he does not make him an accomplice in Duncans murder. The stage directions show that Macbeth turns aside. This informs the audience that he is talking to himself. This symbolises Macbeth turning away from the other characters in the play as well as the path to righteousness. Shakespeare uses dramatic language to emphasise Macbeths horror. His seated heart knock at his ribs and his hair is unfixed. The scene concludes with Macbeth and Banquo following Ross and Angus to meet the king. The audience are filled with a sense of apprehension and anticipation. One question remains: how will Macbeth get the crown? Scene four opens with a focus on treachery and betrayal. King Duncan hears his son, Malcolm, relate how the treacherous Cawdor has been executed. Also in this scene Duncan reveals his lack of knowledge regarding his own thanes. He exposes a very human weakness-one which lies at the heart of the play- the difficulty of working out who is loyal and who is pretyending loyalty: Theres no art to find the Minds construction in the face. It seems likely that there is an implicit criticism of Duncan here: a good King should be able to assess the loyalty of all his servants. Duncans failure to do so reveals his limitation as a monarch- one who is taken in by appearances. Dramatic irony is introduced where Duncan announces that Cawdor was a Kinsman in whom he had absolute trust. Macbeths betrayal will replicate that of Cawdors. When Macbeth and Banquo enter, Duncan immediately singles out Macbth for praise, oworthiest cousin. The superlative worthiest subtly reveals that Macbeth is yet another thane in whom Duncan has absolute trust. Macbeth is the most dangerous of the potential traitors because he is closest to the king. Scene four is the only time we see Macbeth and Duncan together and Shakespeare contrasts the forces of good and evil. Macbeths deceit and hypocrisy is shown in this scene when he praises King Duncan and promises to honour him with loyalty. He convinces Duncan that servicing your highness will be its own reward. Macbeth is a hypocrite because in the previous scene he has contemplated the murder of Duncan. Duncan ironically comments that he has started to metaphorically plant Macbeth, meaning that he will make sure that Macbeth grows greater and stronger as a reward for his services. This is ironic because what is growing in Macbeth is the seed of ambition to be King himself. Shakespeare deliberately plants an obstacle in Macbeths path when Duncan announces that his eldest son, Malcolm, is to succeed him as king. Macbeth now sees Malcolm as an obstacle between himself and the throne which he must fall down or else oer leap. Shakespeare uses the euphemism that Malcolm is a step he must oer leap, in order to disguise the realisation that Malcolm must be eradicated. In an aside, symbolically turning his back on the King, Macbeth reveals to the audience, and articulates for the first time his black and deep desires. He invokes the powers of darkness to hide [their] fires. At the beginning of scene five, we see that Macbeth and his dearest partner of greatness, Lady Macbeth, have a very close relationship. This is a contrast to how distant they become later on in the play when Macbeths fiend-like queen is innocent of the knowledge. She is innocent of the knowledge as Macbeth does not confide about his plans to kill Banquo, and she shows ignorance of Macbeths murder of Macduffs family. She asks in her rambling state where the Thane of Fifes wife is now. Macbeths lack of sorrow when he hears of his wifes death is also indicative of how they have drifted apart. In all the public scenes in the play she acts like the innocent flower; in the private scenes we see the serpent undert. It is suggested that she commits suicide as she has become lonely and rather isolated. Lady Macbeth does not live up to the expectation of a typical Jacobean/Elizabethan woman. She wants the spirits the spirits to unsex her so that she can be tough and strong. Lady Macbeth uses strong imperatives and determined language that is brutal and violent. This is because she is delighted with her husbands letter and shows determination that he will become king. The letter form Macbeth describes the Witches appearances, their prophecies-in particular that which promises the throne to Macbeth- but does not mention King Duncans announcement of his heir; the audience can therefore, assume that this letter was written immediately after the events which occur in the third scene. Although Lady Macbeth knows that her husband is ambitious, she is aware that he is too full othe milk of human kindness. She says that ruthlessness is an illness that Macbeth does not have. This is not a true portrayal of Macbeth, because from the previous scenes and throughout the play we see that Macbeth is not too full othe milk of human kindness but lacks it. Perhaps she is comparing Macbeth to herself and is saying that Macbeth is not as ambitious as she is. Lady Macbeth under estimates the powers of her conscience. She see her conscience as her weakness, not realising until after Duncans murder how she will pour[her] spirits in his ear. She has also decided that nothing will stand between him (or her?) and the golden crown ( a metonym for the throne). Lady Macbeth greets her husband like the Witches, which subconsciously links her to evil and believes that her call to the murdering ministers has been answered. She feels now the future in the instant and that she is beyond this ignorant present. This is ironic as Lady Macbeth is still being ignorant. Lady Macbeths confidence is a contrast to Macbeths uncertainty. She advises him to look like the innocent flower but be the serpent undert and to only look up clear. She is in control of their relationship and tries to help Macbeth find the necessary determination to do the deed. Though Lady Macbeth appears to be confident, she uses euphemisms when talking to Macbeth about the nights great business. At this point in the play, Macbeth has been tempted to commit regicide, however he has tried to resist temptation. Macbeths resistance, however, is not vigorous enough to stand up to his wifes ability to manipulate him. The scene closes dramatically with Lady Macbeth emphatic affirmation that Duncans fate rests in her hands- leave all the rest to me. Scene six sees King Duncan arriving at Macbeths castle, he and Banquo talk about how pleasant a place it is to visit. They comment that the air recommends itself and is delicate. This is ironic in view of Lady Macbeths words in the previous scene, and even more so when compared with that of the Witches say about the fog and filthy air surrounding their evil deeds. Duncan also says that he is grateful for the love which is shown to him. Here again, Shakespeare uses dramatic irony. The idea that Duncan feels safe and loved in the surroundings is ironic as this will be the scene of his murder. This creates a sense of anticipation for the audience. It shows Duncans naivety, as he keeps full trust in Macbeth and his fair and noble hostess. We are presented in this scene with images of tranquillity and the words host and guest are repeated. At the beginning of scene seven, we once again see the struggle between the forces of good and evil. Macbeth cannot make up his mind whether to kill Duncan and he wrestles with his conscience in his soliloquy. He knows that the murder would be wrong and would he would end up paying the price for his crime, but he has vaulting ambition that is very persuasive to his conscience. Though Macbeth is driven by his vaulting ambition he redeems himself and will proceed no further in this business, as Duncans murder will be like angels, trumpet-tongud and heaven would be outraged. The verb will shows Macbeths determination to keep his soul. Toward the end of his soliloquy Macbeth compares his excessive ambition to a horse that tries to jump too high and fall on the other side of the fence. Within the soliloquy Macbeths thoughts seem to be fragmented, this is shown by the use of many full stops. Lady Macbeth verbally assaults her husband using violent language that becomes heightened. She accuses him of being a coward and questions his manhood: when you durst do it, she says, then you were a man. She is forceful in her language and she conjures up images of horror. She knows, How tendertis love the babe that milks me: I would, While it was smiling in my face, Have pluckd my nipple from boneless gums, and dashd the brains out Lady Macbeth seems to have been granted her earlier wish to the evil spirits to Fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty. Macbeths earlier decision not to kill Duncan crumbles under the scornful attack of his wife, especially when his bravery is questioned. However, he is still worried bout what will happen to then if they should fail. Shakespeare cleverly ends the scene with rhyming couplets. Away, and mock the time with fairest show, False face must hide what the false heart doth know. The rhyming couplets symbolise their connection with the Witches and evil as they complete their preparations for murder. The audience waits in anticipation. Throughout Act one Shakespeare creates an atmosphere of tension by exploring the theme of evil against good. Symbolism is used to emphasise this theme. Dramatic irony, dramatic language and strong descriptive scenes also help to build up an atmosphere of tension.

The Role Of Dreams Essay -- essays research papers

Are dreams a source of reliable divination? Generations upon generations seem to have thought so. They incubated dreams by travelling afar, by fasting and by engaging in all other manners of self deprivation or intoxication. With the exception of this highly dubious role, dreams do seem to have three important functions: a. To process repressed emotions (wishes, in Freud's speech) and other mental content which was suppressed and stored in the unconscious. b. To order, classify and, generally, to pigeonhole conscious experiences of the day or days preceding the dreaming ("day residues"). A partial overlap with the former function is inevitable: some sensory input is immediately relegated to the darker and dimmer kingdoms of the subconscious and unconscious without being consciously processed at all. c. To "stay in touch" with the outside world. External sensory input is interpreted by the dream and represented in its unique language of symbols and disjunction. Research has shown this to be a rare event, independent of the timing of the stimuli: during sleep or immediately prior to it. Still, when it does happen, it seems that even when the interpretation is dead wrong – the substantial information is preserved. A collapsing bedpost (as in Maury's famous dream) will become a French guillotine, for instance. The message conserved: there is physical danger to the neck and head. All three functions are part of a much larger one: The continuous adjustment of the model one has of one's self and of one's place in the world – to the incessant stream of sensory (external) input and of mental (internal) input. This "model modification" is carried out through an intricate, symbol laden, dialogue between the dreamer and himself. It probably also has therapeutic side benefits. It would be an over-simplification to say that the dream carries messages (even if we were to limit it to correspondence with one's self). The dream does not seem to be in a position of privileged knowledge. The dream functions more like a good friend would: listening, advising, sharing experiences, providing access to remote territories of the mind, putting events in perspective and in proportion and provoking. It, thus, induces relaxation and acceptance and a better functioning of the "client". It does so, mostly, by analysing discrepancies and incompatibilities. No wonder that i... ...d to one tenth their size without appreciably losing information. The same principle is applied in speed reading – skimming the unnecessary bits, getting straight to the point. The dream employs the same principles: it skims, it gets straight to the point and from it – to yet another point. This creates the sensation of being erratic, of abruptness, of the absence of spatial or temporal logic, of purposelessness. But this all serves the same purpose: to succeed to finish the Herculean task of refitting the model of the Self and of the World in one night. Thus, the selection of visuals, symbols, and collective symbols and of the discontinuous mode of presentation, their preference over alternative methods of representation is not accidental. This is the most economic and unambiguous way of representation and, therefore, the most efficient and the most in compliance with the four principles. In cultures and societies, where the mass of information to be processed is less mountainous – these features are less likely to occur and indeed, they don't. Sources Sam Vaknin's Psychology, Philosophy, Economics and Foreign Affairs Web Sites found at www.geocities.com/vaksam

Employee relations Essay

Employee relations in hotels and catering is about the management of employment and work relationships between managers and workers and, sometimes, customers. The employee relations can be briefly divided in some â€Å"factors† i.e.: Unionisation Structure Culture Collective bargaining Negotiation Consultation Conflict Management Empowerment Grievance & disciplinary 1.1. Unionisation All employees, in every kind of business, are united by â€Å"unionisations†, which are employees’ organisations, created to gain greater power and security at work. In fact union membership can provide greater influence collectively with employers than workers have as separate individuals. Within the hospitality industry, unfortunately, there is a low number of union’s membership for the following reasons: There is a large number of small hotels that make more difficult for the trade union to organise meetings. There is a high number of young workers and part-time/occasional workers that are not really interested in belonging to trade unions. There is a large number of foreign people that are working in this industry in the UK and that are staying here just for short-time periods etc†¦ For example teachers have one of the best trade union in the UK because there are not â€Å"secret contract†, there is a large workforce and primarily there is just a really low number of part-time workers. 1.2. Culture Cultures within workplaces are made up by traditions, habits, ways of organising and relationship at work. Organisational Culture can basically be defined as â€Å"the collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one organisation from others.† People who are in charge of a company decide how to let people act, through the encouragement to do something appreciated by them or even discouraging the staff to do something not good seen by them. The organizational culture can be divided in some key factors i.e.: Mission content Management style Language and communication Staff diversity Traditions & celebrations Titles etc†¦ The culture can be seen also through symbols in which culture is manifest e.g. â€Å"high-profile† symbols to create an external image of the company (mission statement, annual statement, logo) and â€Å"low-profile† symbols that are not big manifestations and are related to what really happen in order to get the work done. However organizational cultures can be presented in different ways, depending on the kind of organisation. The main organisational cultures are: Power culture Role culture Task culture Person culture 1.2.1. Power culture Power cultures are usually found within small organisations or a section/department belonging to a large organisation where just a person or few people have the power to make decisions and they can do it quickly. In fact in a large organisation the decision process would be limited and really slow if just few people could make them. 1.2.2. Role culture Usually in a role culture organisation every employee has a specific role or job. This culture is particularly useful and used for some specific jobs like sales, marketing or project management where employers do not want to spread the task to all the employees but just to some specific ones that own specific skills. 1.2.3. Task culture Task culture refers to the use of teams to complete tasks especially if the task/objective has a number of steps e.g. the establishment of project teams for the completion of specific plans. A task culture has a number of benefits e.g. staff feel motivated because they can make decisions within their team or teams may be allowed to be more creative and develop problem solving skills. 1.2.4. Person culture Person cultures are found in organisations that rely on employees’ knowledge and skills, where there is an opportunity for the staff to develop their career and skills e.g. in universities where employees have the chance to continue their education throughout their employment. 1.3. Consultation All employees, according to European legislation, have the right to be: Informed about the business’ situation Informed and consulted about employment prospect Informed and consulted about decisions that can change substantially the organisation within the workplace or decisions that can change contractual relations, including redundancies and transfers. Employers should also consult their employees in others aspects that are not imposed by the law because it can improve the level of trust of the company, it can improve employees’ performances and also their satisfaction for the job. 1.3.1. Redundancy consultation The right to be collectively consulted applies when an employer proposes to make 20 or more employees redundant at one establishment over a period of 90 days or less. Employers must consult every person who may be affected both directly that indirectly by the proposed dismissal and also they must undertake these procedures with the view of reaching an agreement with people affected by that. Consultation should begin in good time and must begin: At least 30 days before the first dismissal takes effect if 20 to 99 employees are to be made redundant at one establishment over a period of 90 days or less. At least 45 days before the first dismissal takes effect if 100 or more employees are to be made redundant at one establishment over a  period of 90 days or less. 1.4. Conflict Management In most of the organisations where there are people with different backgrounds, it is almost impossible make decisions or meet project goals without arise a conflict, however if there is a conflict between two or more parts that does not mean that it is bad for the company but people who are in charge need to be able to deal with these â€Å"problems† and evaluate both positive and negative value of them and try to learn how to stimulate workers to improve their performances from those â€Å"problems†. However, according to Thomas, K.W., and R.H. Kilmann, there are five conflict management â€Å"styles† as shown in FIG.1 FIG.1 (http://sourcesofinsight.com/conflict-management-styles-at-a-glance/) Accommodating: An accommodating managers is one who cooperates to a high degree and this may be at manager’s own expenses and it could go against manager’s own objectives. Avoiding: Avoiding an issue might be a way to resolve conflicts for a manager even if avoid the issue does not help him but it can be a solution when the manager think to have not chance of â€Å"winning†. Collaborating: Managers, in this case, work together to achieve all of their goals. This style can be effective when there is a complex scenario and managers need to find a solution, therefore they can â€Å"win† together without any â€Å"loser†. Competing: This style is exactly the opposite of the previous case, where just a manager is the â€Å"winner† and he/she is acting in an assertive way to achieve only his/her goals. The only case where this style may be useful for emergencies when time is of essence. Compromising: This is the case where neither manager achieves what he/she really wanted. The compromising style requires a moderate level of assertiveness and cooperation and may be appropriate for temporary solutions or where both sides have equally important goals. 1.5. Empowerment Empowerment is a management practice of sharing information, rewards and power with employees, and in this way they can take decisions, improve their skills to solve problem and also improve their performances. Empowerment is based on the idea of giving responsibly to employees authority, motivation, skills and resources will contribute to improve their competence and  satisfaction within the workplace. EMPLOYMENT LAW Over time a body of law has developed governing employer/employee relations and the rights of employees and employers in the workplace such as: Employment Relations Act, and Employment Rights Act 2.1. Employment relations act The Employment Relations Act covers a range of topics including: Recruiting, and selecting the right candidate for the job. Writing employment agreements. Trial and probation periods. Union membership. Workplace training and development. The object of the Act is to maintain fair and productive relationships between employers and their employees. It achieves this by promoting the notion of ‘good faith’ workplace relations based on: Recognising that employment relationships must be built on mutual trust and confidence as well as certain legislative or legal protections Understanding that there is a degree of inequality of power in employment relationships that needs to be mutually understood Respecting the integrity of individual choice Promoting mediation as the primary problem-solving mechanism – reducing the need for judicial intervention. 2.2. Employment rights act The Employment Rights Act 1996 came into force on 22 August 1996. It sets out the statutory employment rights of workers and employees. If these employment rights are breached, the Employment Rights Act 1996 gives the Employment Tribunals powers to order compensation to workers and employees. The Employment Right Act 1996 confers a number of employee rights, which the main are: The right to receive a written statement of terms and conditions of employment. The right to not be unfairly dismissed. Maternity rights. Redundancy provisions, including right to redundancy pay. Statutory minimum notice period for dismissals and reasons for dismissals protection of wages. Protection from suffering a detriment in employment. Time off from work for public duties. http://bwglaw.co.uk/library/employment-law/employee-rights/employment-rights-act-1996 2.3. ACAS ACAS stand for advisory conciliation and arbitration service and it is a website that promote employment relations and HR excellence. Acas provides information and advice to employers and employees about all aspects of workplace relations and employment law and it promotes good relationship between workers and employer. Acas provides also high quality training and tailored advices to employer and it can also, if something goes wrong, help to conciliate employer and employees. http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1342

History’s Contribution to Present Day Caribbean Society Essay

History, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is the continuous record of events, especially those that are public. The history of the Caribbean is a diverse and intriguing one seeing as our present day country is one of cultural diversity, often referred to by locals as a â€Å"culture pot†. It is because of the Europeans enslavement of various ethnicities and cultures in the islands that this is possible. The locals however, were exported to work in the European countries. When the slaves were brought to the Caribbean and made to work on the plantations, they were stripped of their religion and culture; forced to take up or partake in the Roman Catholic religion and were expected to act as the Europeans thought them. In the beginning, the main imported race was the Africans. Africans were and still are well known for a very rich and interesting heritage and they were not able to practice their beliefs at the time that they were brought. East Indian imports however, were brought at a different time, a more lenient time. They were brought through indentureship and they were allowed to practice whatever they saw fit. This has affected our society`s social identity. This means that although we know who we are, we have our own opinion of people and their beliefs. Although the number of people that believe their culture is better than others, it still exists in our society. People also tend to identify themselves with those who are similar to themselves and somewhat avoid those who are dissimilar. Trinidad and Tobago in particular, has a very special history to me. As a people, we gained our independence from the United Kingdom in 1962. The man responsible for this tremendous act was Dr. Eric Williams, who was a noted Caribbean historian, widely regarded as â€Å"The Father of the Nation†. In 1976, the country cut its ties with the British and became a republic within the commonwealth. The country has been relatively successful by importing two major goods, those being; oil and sugar; however sugar production has stopped as of late. The sugar industry was once a mainstay of the economy of Trinidad and Tobago. It was established by the British Empire when they brought slaves to work on the plantations, hence giving it the name the sugar plantations in the nineteenth century. It remained a vital factor in the country`s prosperity for over a hundred years, however, it became a strain on the state`s finances. Oil is another large part of what allows the country to make any form of income. In the Caribbean, music is also a major part of any form of event. Trinidad and Tobago is not the only country that values its music, but every island that is located in the Caribbean, for example Jamaica. Jamaica is well known for its Reggae music, something that has influenced a lot of today`s youth. An artist that has made the genre extremely known was Mr. Bob Marley. His sons are also very influential and played a wonderful role in Trinidad and Tobago`s 50th Independence anniversary as they sang at a concert to commemorate the country. Trinidad and Tobago has also made a very stupendous achievement, which was creating an entirely new musical instrument in the 20th century, the steelpan. Another historic event that gave birth to something cherished in Trinidad and Tobago is Carnival. Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago is the most significant event on our islands` cultural and tourism calendar. Carnival had arrived with the French, indentured laborers and the slaves, who could not take part in Carnival, formed their own, parallel celebration called Canboulary. Stick fighting and African percussion music were banned in 1880 and were replaced by bamboo sticks beaten together, which were banned as well. In 1937 they reappeared, transformed as an orchestra of frying pans, dustbin lids and oil drums and this gave birth to the steelpan. In 1941, the United States Navy arrived on Trinidad, and the panmen, who were associated with lawlessness and violence caused by the Canboulary riots, helped to popularize steel pan music among soldiers, which began its international popularization. History has shaped our society in more ways than we can imagine. Although the history of our islands has had a lot of strife and pain, if it were not for those horrible events, we would not have many of the things that we enjoy today. We as a people are proud and have made various changes, most for the better and I am proud to be a member of this lovely country.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was one of the most influe Essays

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was one of the most influe Essays Jfk John Fitzgerald Kennedy was one of the most influential people in history. Many people adored him because of his intelligence and his way with people. On November 22, 1963, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was riding in Texas, in his car, when he was shot dead by Lee Harvey Oswald. Kennedy was a outstanding president, he also served time for his country. Kennedy was a very intelligent man, he His symbolic figure represented all the charm, vigor and optimism of youth as he led a nation into a new era of prosperity. From his birth into the powerful and influential Kennedy clan, much was to be expected of him. Kennedy was born on May 29,1917 in Brookline, Massachusetts. His father, Joe, Sr., was a successful businessman with many political connections. Appointed by President Roosevelt, Joe, Sr., was given the chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission and later the prestigious position of United States ambassador to Great Britain(Anderson 98). His mother, Rose, was a loving housewife and took young John on frequent trips around historic Boston learning about American So 2 revolutionary history. Both parents impressed on their children that their country had been good to the Kennedys. Whatever benefits the family received from the country they were told, must be returned by performing some service for the country(Anderson 12). The Kennedy clan included Joe, Jr., Bobby, Ted and their sisters, Eunice, Jean, Patricia, Rosemary, and Kathleen. Joe, Jr., was a significant figure in young John's life as he was the figure for most of John's admiration. His older brother was much bigger and stronger than John and took it upon himself to be John's coach and protector. John's childhood was full of sports, fun and activity. This all ended when John grew old enough to leave for school. At the age of thirteen, John left home to attend an away school for the first time. Canterbury School, a boarding school in New Milford, Connecticut and Choate Preparatory in Wallingford, Connecticut completed his elementary education(JFK 98). John graduated in 1934 and was promised a trip to London as a graduation gift. Soon after, John became ill with jaundice and would have to go to the hospital. He spent the rest of the summer trying to recover. He was not entirely well when he started Princeton, several weeks later in the fall of 1935. Around Christmas the jaundice returned and John had to drop out of school. Before the next school year began, he told his father he wanted to go to Harvard(JFK 98). On campus, young people took interest in politics, social changes, and events in Europe. The United States was pulling out of the Great Depression. Hitler's So 3 Nazi Germany followed aggressive territorial expansion in Europe. It was at this time that John first became aware of the vast social and economic differences in the United States. In June 1940, John graduated cum laude(with praise or distinction) from Harvard. His thesis earned a magna cum laude(great praise)( JFK 98). After graduation, John began to send his paper to publishers, and it was accepted on his second try. Wilfrid Funk published it under the title Why England Slept. It became a bestseller. John, at twenty-five, became a literary sensation. In the spring of 1941, both John and Joe, Jr., decided to enroll in the armed services. Joe was accepted as a naval air cadet but John was turned down by both the army and navy because of his back trouble and history of illness(JFK 98). After months of training and conditioning, John reapplied and on September 19, John was accepted into the navy as a desk clerk in Washington. He was disgusted and applied for a transfer. In June 1941, Kennedy was sent to Naval Officers Training School at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and then for additional training at the Motor Torpedo Boat Center at Melville, Rhode Island. In late April 1943, Lieutenant John F. Kennedy was put in command of a PT 109, a fast, light, attack craft in the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. Kennedy saw action in the form of night patrols and participated in enemy bombings. On August 1, 1943, during a routine night patrol, a Japanese destroyer collided in the

Accelerated Reader Student Software Program Review

Accelerated Reader Student Software Program Review Accelerated Reader is one of the world’s most popular reading programs. The software program, commonly referred to as AR, is designed to motivate students to read and to assess their overall understanding of the books that they are reading. The program was developed by Renaissance Learning Inc., which has several other programs closely related to the Accelerated Reader program. Although the program is designed for student’s grades 1-12, Accelerated Reader is especially popular in elementary schools across the country. The programs main purpose is to determine whether or not the student has actually read the book. The program is designed to build and encourage students to become lifelong readers and learners. In addition, teachers can use the program to motivate their students by providing rewards that correspond to the number of AR points earned by the student. Accelerated Reader is essentially a three-step program. Students first read a book (fiction or nonfiction), magazine, textbook, etc. Students may read individually, as a whole group, or in small group settings. Students then individually take the quiz that corresponds to what they just read. AR quizzes are assigned a point value based on the overall level of the book. Teachers often set weekly, monthly, or yearly goals for the number of points they require their students to earn. Students who score below 60% on the quiz do not earn any points. Students who score 60% - 99% receive partial points. Students who score 100% receive full points. Teachers then use the data generated by these quizzes to motivate students, monitor progress, and target instruction. Internet-Based Accelerated Reader is Internet-based meaning that it can be accessed easily on any computer that has Internet access. Being Internet based allows Renaissance Learning to automatically update the program and to store key data on their servers. This makes it much easier on a school’s IT team. Individualized One of the best things about Accelerated Reader is that it allows the teacher to dictate how the program is used including the ability to limit students to a reading range that is on their level. This keeps students from reading books that are too easy or too difficult. Accelerated Reader allows students to read on their own levels and to read at their own pace. It does not dictate which book a student reads. There are currently over 145,000 quizzes available to students. In addition, teachers may make their own quizzes for books that currently are not in the system or they may request that a quiz is made for a particular book. Quizzes are added continuously for new books as they come out. Easy to Set Up Students and teachers can be quickly added to the system either through large batch enrollment or individualized addition. Accelerated Reader allows teachers to customize individual reading levels. Teachers can get these reading levels from a STAR Reading Assessment, standardized assessment, or individual teacher assessment. Classes can be quickly set up to allow the teacher to monitor whole class reading progress and to compare individual students within that class. Motivates Students Every quiz in the Accelerated Reader program is worth points. Points are determined by a combination of the difficulty of the book and the length of the book. Teachers often set goals for the number of points each student must earn. The teacher then rewards their students by giving things such as prizes, parties, etc as motivation to meet their goals. Assesses Student Understanding Accelerated Reader is designed to determine whether or not a student has read a particular book and the level at which they understand the book. A student cannot pass the quiz (60% or higher) if they have not read the book. Students who pass the quizzes demonstrate that they not only read the book, but they have a proficient level of understanding of what the book was about. Uses the ATOS Level The ATOS book level is a readability formula used by the Accelerated Reader program to represent the difficulty of a book. Each book in the program is assigned an ATOS number. A book with a level of 7.5 should be read by a student whose reading level is somewhere around the 7th grade and fifth month of the school year. Encourages Using the Zone of Proximal Development Accelerated Reader encourages the use of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). The Zone of Proximal Development is defined as the range of difficulty that will challenge a student without causing the student to become frustrated or lose motivation. The ZPD can be determined by the STAR Reading assessment or the teacher’s best professional judgment. Allows Parents to Monitor Progress The program allows parents to do the following: Monitor a student’s progress towards reading goals.Conduct book searches.Review results, view the number of books read, words read, and quizzes passed. Provides Teachers With Tons of Reports Accelerate Reader has about a dozen fully customizable reports. These include diagnostic reports, history reports; quiz usage reports, student point reports, and many more. Provides Schools With Technical Support Accelerated Reader allows you to receive automatic software updates and upgrades. It provides live chat support to answer questions and provide immediate resolution to any issues or problems you have with the program. Accelerated Reader also provides software and data hosting. Cost Accelerated Reader does not publish their overall cost for the program. However, each subscription is sold for a one-time school fee plus an annual subscription cost per student. There are several other factors that will determine the final cost of the programming including the length of the subscription and how many other Renaissance Learning programs your school has. Research To date, there have been 168 research studies that support the overall effectiveness of the Accelerated Reader program. The consensus of these studies is that Accelerated Reader is fully supported by scientifically based research. In addition, these studies concur that the Accelerated Reader program is an effective tool for boosting students’ reading achievement. Overall Assessment Accelerated Reader can be an effective technological tool for motivating and monitoring a student’s individual reading progress. One fact that can’t be ignored is the program’s immense popularity. Observations show that this program benefits many students, but the overuse of this program can also burn many students out. This speaks more to how the teacher is using the program than it does to the overall program itself. The fact that the program allows teachers to quickly and easily assess whether a student has read a book and the level of understanding they have from the book is a valuable tool. Overall, the program is worth four out of five stars. Accelerated Reader can have immense benefits for younger students but can lack in maintaining its overall benefits as students get older.

Performance, Planning and Decision-Making Essay

Performance, Planning and Decision-Making - Essay Example Subcultures are those which give clear reflections about the common situations and problems of the employees in the organization. Company employees strictly follow some of the rules, these rules are shared throughout the length and breadth of the organization is called strong cultures. Cultures which are there with the company’s but are not followed that much is called week culture. Organization cultures are sets of norms which influences how the organization will be shaped. Different organizations are with different organizational cultures. Many times organizational cultures depend upon on the national cultures of that company. It is generally being noticed that organizations with great cultures are always having great success story around the world. It channelizes an organization which way it should go. It is very important for any organization to have a follow a particular culture for long time sustainability. It shows behaviour, values and psychological environment of an o rganization. It might be rules, attitudes, customs and beliefs of an organization. It can be taken as the identity of an organization. Organization cultures can be changed time to time whenever markets demands. These cultures are developed by the particulars company. Every organization is having its own cultures. A culture which is suitable for a company may not be suitable for another company. Organization culture is such a thing that can gives a crystal clear picture about the different attributes of an organization. Great Organization culture can be treated as backbone of any successful organization. All the reputed companies like Apple, CTS and Wal-Mart are having great organizational cultures. In this area of discussion the importance of the organizational cultures are going to be discussed. Great organizational cultures are generally transferred into good performance and provide great productivity for