Relationship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Relationship - Essay Example At only about two months, Fudgee stood out among the rest of the litters due to her remarkable talent: she could climb two flights of averaged-stepped residential stairs just to be with me. From the first time she climbed such a formidable task as a young pup, my affection has been directed to her. Fudgee had such notably noticeable facial expression as a young pup. She would look at you as if always begging for mercy. Her cute little eyes are virtually obliterated from the shaggy and unruly hair. She opens her mouth to show the tiny red tongue while unceasingly wagging her tail. When confined to a pet cage with her siblings, I noticed early on that whenever I would come out from my room and pass by, she is the only one awake, staring at me – as if there was no sleepy bone in her being. I recognized then, that there must be something special about this pup. I observed this when I work on my special place at home. I usually spend my leisure time at a loft overlooking our houseà ¢â‚¬â„¢s terrace where my laptop is strategically situated. As soon as I start to climb the stairs, Fudgee is right behind me. She would snuggle comfortably at my feet while I navigate the Internet for email messages or respond to comments from friends at my Facebook page.

Ecofeminism in the 21st Century Essay Example for Free

Ecofeminism in the 21st Century Essay Ecofeminism in the Twenty-First Century. by Susan Buckingham Introduction Since ecofeminism was developed as a concept in the 1970s (1), there have been, arguably, major policy shifts in the fields of gender (in)equality and environmental sustainability. Thus a consideration of the achievements of, and work outstanding for, ecological feminism is warranted. In this paper, I will assess the changing policy landscape to explore the extent to which this has structurally altered gender inequalities and societies treatment of the environment, and the imbrication of these wo processes. In order to do so, I will look at the rising profile of gender mainstreaming at the international, European Union (2) and European national level; the application of the feminism debate to environmental concerns; and the shifting of the radical edge of ecofeminism, to explore future possible trajectories (see, for example, Plumwood 2003; Seager 2003). To some extent, I will suggest that the transformation of policy and development rhetoric to include gender, as distinct from womens issues (itself, arguably, a post-feminist dilution of womens equality), masks fundamental attachment to business-as-usual, where social roles, pay differentials, political representation and environmental degradation remain little changed. However, there is, I argue, sufficient evidence to identify the influence of ecofeminist thinking on major policy initiatives concerning the relationship between women, men and environment at a variety of scales. The central question of this paper, then, is whether ecofeminism (as a distinct discourse, or as an amalgam of feminism and environmentalism constructed in different times and places in different ways) has hanged the way in which Western society articulates the relationship between men, women and the environment. This, of course, is a problematic and speculative exercise and will follow from an analysis of how discourse and practice themselves have changed. This paper will consider key changes to gender equality as it is linked to environmental sustainability, and explore how womens/feminists interests have helped to shape the environmental debate in the past decade. I will try to unpick dominant discourses which, on the one hand, are beginning to naturalize (some ould say neutralize) environmental concerns (where the terms sustainable development and environmental sustainability are common currency but poorly understood to the point of being anodyne), but on the other hand are marginalizing feminism, to examine the impact of this on ecofeminism. Finally, I will explore the territory of ecofeminisms leading/radical edge to speculate on where this may take both conceptual understanding and policy in the future. First, however, to put this discussion into context, I will briefly review ecofeminist arguments to illustrate their ange, before focusing on the constructivist approach, which has had the most traction in gender/environment debates in the last two decades. Ecofeminist approaches It is tempting to use a retrospective to try to impose some sort of order on past intellectual activity, and what I am attempting to do first in this article is to explore whether there is an intellectual trajectory, through a not necessarily coherent body of thinking and writing on gender and environment in the late twentieth century. In teasing out the possible relationship between womens position, gender anage the environment, ecofeminist writers in the 1970s and 1980s explored the relative importance of essentialism and social construction in these relationships. The social constructivist analyses (which tended to dominate French and British writing; see, for example, Mellor 1992) drew from the Marxist and social feminist literature to show how womens position in society (as, for example, carers of children and other vulnerable family members, domestic workers, and low paid/status workers) derived from prevailing social and economic structures, which exposed them to a particular set of environmental incivilities. The specifically ecofeminist argument here proposed that, since the same social and economic structures also produced wide-scale environmental damage, then women could, in some sense, share this experience and were therefore better placed to argue on natures behalf. The essentialist argument that underpinned some of the North American and Australian analyses proposed that women had a particular relationship with nature by virtue of their biology (predominantly as actual or potential child bearers) and that this proximity to nature qualified them to speak more eloquently on natures behalf see, for example, Spretnak 1989; Daly 1978). Different authors drew on each position to different degrees, and much of the critique of ecofeminism (well articulated in Biehl 1991) over the past 20 years has focused on the problems perceived with essentialism, and on the validity of a shared experience between the human and non-human. Dennis Smith (2001), in discussing the role of gender in peace and conflict, has argued that essentialism is often used as a tool to mobilize a group around a perceived characteristic which sets it apart, and, certainly, cultural ecofeminism (prioritizing essentialist arguments) did so. Its strength was to demonstrate the possibility of a way of thinking and being which reversed the normal hierarchy in which men stood at the peak; however, little academic feminist environmental thinking is currently framed in this way.

Realism and the War on Terror Essay -- essays research papers

Realist thought on international relations fit comfortably within the context of the great wars of the twentieth century. Powerful nations possessing massive military forces took aim at one another to affect the hierarchical structure of the international system for the good of their own security and power. These wars, however, differ greatly from today’s unconventional war on terrorism. Therefore, the realist theories of yesterday, while still useful, require at least some tweaking to fit the present situation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Probably the most obvious critique of realism with regard to the war on terrorism is that it is a theory that deals with international relations. The belligerents in the war on terrorism are not always conventional nation-states. Therefore, any theory that seeks to explain international relations must be amended to fit the framework of a situation in which nations are not the only players. This is not simply a matter of diction either. Non-state actors do not always act like states possessing a cohesive foreign policy and a desire for self-preservation and advancement. Furthermore, terrorist organizations are not tied to any specific area of land surrounded by well-defined borders that are protected with conventional military forces. This is not to say that terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda and Hezbollah are entirely devoid of the motivations on which traditional nation-sates act like the desire for power, wealth, and security; beca...

Childhood vs Adult Learning

————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- Childhood Versus Adulthood Learning ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- Tricia Barnes ————————————————- COM/156 ———â€⠀Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- January 19, 2012 ————————————————- John Likides ———————————————— There is no question about it, children and adults learn in different ways. The argument can be made about which one is better, and they are numerous schools of thought on the theories for each, but the bottom line is that there is a clear variation between how a child learns and how an adult learns. There is a vast importance for learning at both the childhood and adulthood levels. As a child, one must learn on more of a basic, survival mindset in order to overcome the challenges that are present in the first few years. Although, as an adult, the skills and cognitive abilities that were discovered as a child must be expanded and improved in order to meet the tasks appropriate for each growing age level. As a child, becoming familiar with different facts and ideas sets the groundwork for the knowledge that we hope to achieve as an adult. By establishing a good foundation, the process for learning as an adult can be adapted and improved upon to meet the progressing needs. The four main childhood learning heories are Maturationism, Environmentalism, Constructivist, and Stage-based Teaching. The four main adulthood learning theories are Life Experiences, Speck’s theory, Andragogy theory, and Jarvis’s learning process. Each one of these theories attempts to exemplify the processes and skill sets that each deems important to the learning process. One of the pertinent childhood learning theories, Maturationism, deals with the idea that the process by which we learn for the first couple of yea rs is based on markers in our DNA (Hunt, 1969). Most people in this school of thought believe that education and environmental factors merely plays a supportive role to child development, while certain instincts imbedded in our genes actually govern around what age we learn thing like how to talk or walk. These factors can be manipulated and intensified by outside factors, but the main governing fact behind early childhood development is based around a Darwin like evolutionary instinct. Many advocates of Maturationism believe that holding a child back or starting a child a year late for school may be more beneficial in the long run, because they child is not at the proper developmental maturity to be able to handle that level of information, exemplifying the idea that a mind can only handle the information that it is developed to receive (DeCos, 1997). Environmentalism is another theory at the forefront of child development. Environmentalism is in fact the contrast to Maturationism theory in that it supports the idea that a child’s development and learning is shaped by their environment and outside factors. The environmentalist theory enforces the idea of recitation and repeating, according to this theory, this is how children learn. By incorporating the outside experiences and storing them, they are able to build upon those ideas and improve upon them to learn (Skinner, 1938). It is deemed essential, and if a child is deprived of these factors, will not be as well educated or able to cope with higher learning as well as a child that was introduced to this Some argue that this is why children who come from enriched lifestyles are less likely to succeed in school as those who prepare better in infancy and young ages. Another key theory is that of Constructivistism. This theory provides that children are active learners in their education, and a child’s development is based on their motivation and abilities to seek out information (Atherton, 2010). In practice, this theory implements an active learning setting, allowing students to become involved in the learning, introducing toys such as puzzles or blocks that stimulate active interactions, thereby allowing the child to take a more participant attitude in their learning. Should a child encounter problems in their learning, this theory supports the idea of channeling the process into a one on one, and more individual learning secession in order to improve on those weaknesses. One big supporter of this theory is Jean Paiget, a very well noted child psychologist Paiget has provided countless studies and supports the fact that most of what a child learns at young ages is what they deem pertinent and important to them. In contrast to learning theories established for children, there are equally as many important to that of studying the learning process of adults. A major theory that is easily identifiable is that of the Life Experiences. Children display this theory to a degree, however, the lasting effects ten to be greater in adults. On an evolutionary basis, children use life experiences to know that falling down hurts, or to stay away from a dish once they realize it’s hot. These process are more involved on a cognitive level, and don’t play particular attention to an overall learning process. When you are a child and someone takes your toy or pushes you down, you don’t tend to be as upset or concerned, and it’s usually something that can be easily forgotten. As adults, the value of the lessons learned from life experiences tend to be much more significant, and therefore there is more emphasis on the learning applications of said methods (Lieb, 1991). For example, for most people it takes only getting robbed once to start locking up their belongings. In that sense, adults are not only able to draw from their own life experiences, but also of that as a society. For instance, there are many people who have never had a car accident, but barring laws, many would still choose to wear a seat belt, just due to the fact that is has been proven by other life experiences to be useful for saving lives and preventing injury In 1996, educational specialist Marsha Speck designed what is known as Speck’s Theory of adult education. This theory is a minor variation of the Constructivism learning theory more or less with the addition of ego in adult learners. The theory offers that an adult will only pursue learning that is significant to them in one way or another, but they should rely on peer support and not be fearful of judgment (Speck, 1996). As adult learners, they must also be shown the effect of their knowledge in an applicable setting, in most cases. Most children follow after ideas and concepts that make them happy, however adults often times cannot maintain that luxury. Therefore, to gain the knowledge necessary, an adult learner must be shown the impact. In the military, for example, often times there are many by gone traditions and customs that many are unable to identify with until they learn the importance and usefulness of the given information. The Andragogy theory is another theory that is relevant and in practice with the study of adult learning and professional development. In this theory, the main concern is process not product. It is stated that adults tend to value the experience and methodology over the actual content that they are left with at the end. By this process, emphasis is put on real world learning and role playing situation (Knowles, 1984). The idea of getting a student out of a classroom and into a situation where they can actually learn as they go along is said to have a better and more powerful impact then taking notes or reading the process from a book. For instance, most students in trade career fields in particular tend to exemplify this philosophy in the method of applying more hands on and internship training into their curriculum. Vocational-Technical schools demonstrate how, even at a learning level, students are able to grasp enough of a trade to be able to iron out their abilities through hands on applications. Another good illustration of this theory is in the military, whereby the majority of the training a given individual achieves comes not from their book based learning, but from real world on the job training. In this sense, the student is able to get immediate gratification and can see the importance of the concepts learned immediately. Both childhood learning theories and adulthood learning theories are important to every aspect. Depending on the subject being taught should govern the method behind which theory should be applied. To learn second languages, many adults approach this with a mindset very difficult to breakdown, and therefore many find it very difficult. Children, on the other hand, are able to grasp a second language far easier. The argument purposed by Maturationists would be that children have a predetermined timeline for how learning occurs, and therefore children searching for a way to communicate their thoughts are able to pick up on more than one language at time, as their minds are ripe for that form of knowledge (Hunt, 1969). The largest problem for adult learning is ego and close-mindedness. Most adults are just unable to get out of their own way in order to understand new topics. There are also differences in certain areas where adults are able to learn certain things at a much faster rate than children, and the most representation of this is in the life experiences theory. Children are able to learn simple concepts, but things like guilt, jealousy, and love are not things that children are able to grasp. These abstract emotions can’t be taught, even at a childhood level; instead they must be learned on an individual level, as the knowledge is not necessarily universal, but more individual. Overall, there are a number of different theories and concepts behind each level of development in an individual. By classifying them, it can be noted what works best and what can be altered. In this way, the living organism that is the education system is dynamically and constantly changing. By dissecting how children learn, it is possible to improve on how adults can pick up on aspects like learning a foreign language, and children are able to learn thing like team dynamics. The open-mindedness and new age looks at education have shown how many different ways there are to teach, no matter what your age or learning style. References DeCos, P. L. (1997, December). Readiness for kindergarten: What does it mean? Sacramento, CA: California Research Bureau, California State Library Atherton, J. S (2010) Piaget. Learning and Teaching; Piaget’s developmental theory. Retrieved July 29, 2010, from http://www. learningandteaching. info/learning/piaget. htm Hunt, J. M. (1969). The impact and limitations of the giant of developmental psychology. In D. Elkind & J. Flavell (Eds. ), Studies in cognitive development: Essays in honor of Jean Piaget. New York: Oxford University Press. Knowles, M. (1984). The Adult Learner: A Neglected Species (3rd Ed. ). Houston, TX: Gulf Publishing. Lieb, Stephen. (1991, Fall). Principles of adult learning. Vision. Retrieved July 28, 2010, from http://www. economist. com/china Skinner B F. (1938) The behavior of organisms: an experimental analysis. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts. Speck, M. (1996, Spring). Best practice in professional development for sustained educational change. ERS Spectrum, 33-41.

Delivering Lifelong Learning Essay

Introduction. Learning is an area of our lives that we all engage in from the time we are born to the time we die. Lifelong learning is of key importance for individuals of all ages with an abundance of benefits. Learning enables the individual to be better informed in daily life and therefore the individual becomes more active in and contributes to society and this makes such individual a better citizen. Lifelong learning contributes to an individual’s personal well being and fulfillment. Lifelong learning supports an individual’s creativity and innovation and as such increases the potential for paid or unpaid work experiences for satisfaction. Quote â€Å"Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world† Unquote, and so for me to successfully be able to use inclusive learning and teaching approaches in accordance with internal processes and external requirements I would say requires some form of recognised qualifications. To complete this unit I will be focusing on my present teaching placement. I am actively involved in the teaching and learning of ESOL students at two separate women’s academy campuses. My input is over two days with two morning sessions and one afternoon session delivering entry level 1&2 basic Mathematics and English as well as level 1&2 functional skills. 1.1 Create a purposeful, inclusive learning and teaching environment. Maslows’ hiearchy of needs tells us that students will not be able to learn effectively if their safety and belonging needs are not met. As such I needed to pay close attention to the physical space and design layout of the classroom. My initial feel for the first classroom/ learning environment that I encountered was congestion by that I mean it was a fair sized room but the layout gave an impression that there wasn’t enough space for students to move about. There were five large desks seating four or five students and so moving from one a rea to the next meant that some students had to physically stand and maneuver their chairs to access passing. This was where I felt that I needed to connect with the students in such a manner that the subject being taught was of importance; that they enjoyed the learning experience  and they understood clearly what was being taught. Once I placed that into my mind I felt better as these students were here in this learning environment for a few weeks and I am the new person here. I greeted the group with pleasantness and smiles as I entered the room and the response was ever so wonderful seeing all these smiling faces made me feel very welcomed. Their personal tutor gave a short explanation of my presence and asked me to do the honors of my own introduction. I knew there and then that this was my opportune moment and as first impressions count this had to be very good after all I am the new comer. Prior to this I had already met and discussed the different groups that I would be involved with for my teaching practice placement with the Assistant Director for these campus sites and I also knew which teachers I would be co-teaching with as well as the desired days and times. I was made aware of the external requirements and the internal processes for each learner to participate in these learning programs. I knew th at each individual had an initial diagnostic assessment to determine the level of learning. I was made aware of the special needs requirements. Whilst I was happy to be given such information I wanted to check for myself and with respect I could not just accept all of this at face value I would be sure to check the validity of the information shared with me. There is the saying seeing is believing and I needed evidence. Well, as I was saying my initial greeting and purpose was a pleasant and warm one for me as well as the group. I informed them of my past work experiences; that I had a family and my country of origin and where I was educated. I also mentioned places that I had travelled to and worked in the educational arena and eyes lit up with smiles, I knew then that I had captured the attention and to a certain degree the hearts of these wonderful women who wanted to make a difference in society and to themselves by engaging in this learning program. I felt good as I detected that they were even more warm and accommodating and that I had welcomed them into my arena and they accepted me. In continuing to create a purposeful, inclusive learning and teaching environment I needed to acknowledge the diverse make up of the learning group that amounted for celebration as part of the richness in daily life and living. I asked if the group could individually introduce themselves by saying their names and with permission their country of origin. To continue on the same spirit of connectedness as I am the  newcomer who will be involved in their learning I wanted to know from themselves a little about their prior learning experiences from pre- entry level to this entry level 2/3. Amazingly they volunteered family information which I welcomed and thanked them for. Psychologically the students felt safe to share and clearly this also demonstrated a sense of belonging. I had created a safe environment whereby the students took risks and sometimes the information was not directly from the person concerned but from a close colleague in their presence. I felt that this feelings of safety will enable them to ‘have a go’ at answering questions and talking / participating in the classroom activities without fear of being ridiculed. With the above in mind I had to be quite sure that the whole cla ssroom was conducive to this settled environment whereby they all understand firm rules and routines. By this I mean that I emphasizes on the importance of orderliness and tidiness. This I made quite clear was to enable them to develop and be confident in their roles as students but not to forget that they are responsible adults also and that we all wish to be valued and in the best way possible. Making sure that the classroom is left in a manner that is welcoming for the next group of learners and that we never forget our life skills that we brought into the learning arena. I had observed that the displays in the classroom were inviting and pleasant as well as stimulating. This was reflecting a range of teaching and learning activities. I observed the attractively arranged, effectively labelled, relevant and purposeful displays and I was quite impressed wondering when and what will I be adding to this informative and interactive display. It didn’t take very long for that to happen with display from a field trip involving writing and speaking that reflected the learning process as part of the curriculum highlighting key learning points. As such the inclusive learning and teaching environment for me was not just in the classroom but out in the wider community and this was most interesting as I observed how the students interacted in a social setting. There was a wide range of reading and learning materials available for the students both in the classroom area as well as in the main library. They were well organised and clearly labelled and accessible. The resources were diverse and this was of absolute necessitity as there are different learning styles. The availability was through visual, aural and kinaesthetic for different experiences. Creating a purposeful inclusive learning and  teaching environment was not just about changing attitudes to learning. It was not just about giving all the support needed both internally and externally. It was not just about the all the activities in class and in the community, it was also about the physical layout of the design of the classroom that supported the inclusive and int eractive teaching and learning process. Seating and tables in some areas did not give much work space, and did not allow for the flexibility to support work in different contexts. By this I mean for individual work with the adequate space to place materials on the table without infringing on each others’ work space. Paired work, small group work as well as whole class work had been a concern at times. Limitation for me to move around and be able to see exactly how students were progressing in their given task was inadequate at times. As such with cooperation between the whole group and teachers a bigger and more appropriate room was made available. This new setting enabled the students the opportunity for independence, cooperative learning, collaboration and discussions throughout the teaching activities with eye contact for the learners. This also gave better access to move about the room that enabled me to ensure more purposeful, inclusive learning and teaching. However I had to be mindful of the social and emotional dynamics of the learning group as well as subjects and activities being taught/ delivered. I wanted my students to definitely see the co urse as being important. I wanted them to understand and enjoy each session because everything has an impact on learning and development. The classroom environment was maintained within the Health and Safety Laws ensuring that all learners were treated fairly and respectfully in that learning environment. 1.2 Demonstrate an inclusive approach to teaching and learning in accordance with internal processes and external requirements. An inclusive approach to teaching and learning is a cooperative relationship between learners and teachers. The starting point to such a relationship was with the college requirements / internal processes based on what the learners were hoping to achieve. This first contact was conducted by senior management at the initial stage of the individual’s learning journey, the initial assessment. From the institution perspective assessment provides statistical information  for monitoring the overall performance of the college as well as individual teachers. This also provides information on numbers of students who started the course. The numbers of those who continued and whether successfully passed has been useful in continued recruitments that demonstrates quality and excellence. However one of the main purpose and is of great importance is that this initial assessment helps to place the learner on the right course. After this initial assessment matching into identified learning groups is of great value for personal tutors as there is an element of control over what is taught. However, and I must stress this, individual learner’s goals must be paramount in the whole process bearing in mind the learning styles identified. A process of matching group interest and individual profile determines the learners interest which is an ongoing internal process with regular updates. This was managed by identifying individual learning targets such as, speaking and listening, reading or writing. Having identified these targets being specific as to how to meet these targets was discussed with the individual learner and this information was documented. Clearly there has to be deadline for achievements with expected documentation. Actual dates of achievements were quite important and by this I mean that some learners achieved positive outcomes before the set expected date and this informed the status of that learner as completing work was documented and dated. For others the documentation on expected outcome was that they had not yet started or that they’re in progress. This happens in all learning settings as everyone has different learning styles or even a combination of styles that has an impact on how well learning has been achieved under certain conditions. The diagnostic assessments will continue throughout the learning and this is necessary for the continuous support needed for ILPs. ILP is of such great importance in that it must be appropriate for the learning being undertaken, be owned and used by the learner with support and be understood by the learner, basically it’s what the learner desires. I would say that throughout my teaching and learning experience and, this is ongoing I have experienced a range of learning styles with my learning groups. Inevitable I have had to mould the delivery of subject in such a manner that met the needs of the learners. Once this is managed properly the resulting factor will determine the success of achievements in accordance with (QCF) Qualification and Credit Framework. 1.3 Provide opportunities for learners to practice their literacy language, numeracy and ICT skills. The Sector Skills Council for lifelong learning on Inclusive Learning approaches for Literacy, Language, Numeracy and ICT skills in the introduction of the companion document mentions that, â€Å"All teachers need to develop an awareness of the literacy, language, numeracy and ICT needs of their learners in order for them to teach their area of specialism.† The document further states that â€Å" All teachers can play an important part in providing opportunities to develop literacy, language, numeracy and ICT within their learning programs.† Teachers get to know their students very well after a little while and as such are able to recognise what interest them most. The initial assessment gives some indication of what they want to learn but the diagnostic assessment informs the ILP. How this process of achievement will happen is based on agreeing goals and actions to achi eve those goals. Petty, G (2009, p530) states: â€Å"Each learner is unique and has individual needs. If the needs of our learners are discovered and met, the chances of success are greatly increased.† 2.0Be able to communicate with learners and other learning professionals to encourage learning. 2.1Demonstrate communication methods and media to meet the needs of all learners. 2.2Communicate with other learning professionals to meet learner needs and encourage progress. 3.0Understand how technology can enhance learning and teaching. 3.1Analyse ways to use technology to enhance learning and teaching. 3.2Evaluate the benefits and limitations of using technology in learning and teaching. 4.0Understanding expectations of the minimum core in relation to delivering lifelong learning. There are social stigma attached to literacy numeracy and this often prevents adults from seeking the help they need. It is believed that 1 in 6 adults in the UK are functionally illeterate and this skills gap is preventing the country from fully realising its full economic potential. There are social stigmas attached to this which often prevents adults from seeking the help they need. For such individuals tackling this is the first step to raising aspiration. The psychological feel good factor will allow for increased self esteem and the confidence to reach their full potential. However being illeterate and innumerate and lacking ICT skills does not mean stupidity. You have to on the ball to get through a day in the UK without these skills and so as a teacher delivering lifelong learning I must be able to help learners to overcome these barriers created by socially acceptable norms in this country. Expectations of the minimum core I believe is that all involved in lifelong learning has a responsibility to ensure that learners are provided with every opportunity to develop literacy, language, numeracy and ICT skills. As such it is important that at the initial assessment and induction of students that literacy, language, numeracy and ICT skills are identified. We must understand that Prior learning should be established and evidenced if at all possible to determine the level attained which will inform achievable goals. Observation at induction and during the course activity to get some idea of the learner performance and what learner’s likes are, also how they like to do things will determine learning styles. Really this boils down to attitudes, skills and knowledge and what will be the motivating factor for the learner’s presence in the classroom. 4.1Review ways in which elements of the minimum core can be demonstrated by delivering lifelong learning. Recognising that literacy, numeracy and ICT programmes must be made easily accessible to the most hard to reach individuals is a key responsibility for the Government. For those who lack the ability to read and write very door appears to be closed. In this present day it is likely that they will e able to apply for jobs as filling in application forms poses some challenges which in effect will make them  loose their self worth and confidence. Adults lacking the skills that so many of us take for granted on a daily basis mean that they can’t even support their children’s education which is the future generation. If this is not effectively managed the revolving door syndrome continues as that is what is being seen at present. National statistics reveal that adults with poor numeracy and literacy skills are twice as likely to be unemployed as those who are competent. 4.2Apply minimum core elements in delivering lifelong learning. I will demonstrate this delivery of core elements with evidenced based teaching that I have undertaken and continuing as part of my teaching placement practice. 5.0Be able to evaluate own practice in delivering inclusive learning and teaching. 5.1Review the effectiveness of own use of inclusive learning and teaching approaches in meeting the needs of all learners. 5.2Analyse ways to improve own practice in using learning and teaching approaches to meet the needs of all learners. 5.3 Review ways in which own communication skills could be improved.

The Lovely Bones Essay Example

The Lovely Bones Essay Example The Lovely Bones Paper The Lovely Bones Paper Novel text: The lovely bones A study of the writing techniques Sebold uses to engage with the readers. Focus on: 1. Narrative style -1st Person Narrative -Tone -Imagery 2. Use of Flashbacks 3. Symbols 4. Names of characters Themes: ? Death ? Grief ? Healing ? Loss of innocence ? Isolation /Ostracism ? Family relationships -coping with loss and change Study of Techniques 1. NARRATIVE STYLE First Person -An intimate relationship is formed immediately so that we side with Susie instantly and begin to allow ourselves to be consumed by Susie’s tragedy -1st sentence. She confides in us -not only rape/murder (Chap 1), but her first kiss (p14), the secret, revealing photo of her mother (p 43), her hiding spots (p145) etc, we form a relationship of trust. â€Å"I WANT TO GROW UP† P19 Tone -Unsentimental tone -Chilling description -see imagery (imagery and tone work together to create sympathy) -Sebold’s narrative is void of feeling and sentiment -as if she does this so w e the readers fill it with our own emotive reactions empathy Imagery The strong and graphic imagery used evokes a strong emotional reaction from the reader -uses strong imagery to reinforce relationship between Susie and reader because we feel deep sympathy for what has happened to Susie. -â€Å"fitting my limbs together†-p8 -â€Å"he had put me in a waxy cloth sack†¦tumbled together with my knees fingers and toes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  -p50 -â€Å"town of floating graves† p182 USE OF FLASHBACKS -a technique that acts as a vehicle in allowing us to understand characters better, and feel sympathy for them flashbacks are scattered right through the novel Different ways flashbacks are used: Sympathy for Susie -Happy, normal childhood memories juxtaposed with her cruel reality. first kiss p13 -Everything precious memory of Susie’s is ruined by Mr. Harvey -flashbacks stylistic device used to further our hatred for Mr. Harvey and our sympathy for Mr. Harvey. sinkhole p51 -Technique of contrast -contrast present sadness of her life with youthful happiness of her stolen past. To understand characters contrast them before and after Susie’s death -we see them deal with death, loss grief in different ways. Jack Salmon Many memories of him being perfect father, p7, p51 then we see him deteriorate to a broken man carrying the guilt of not being there for Susie when she needed him p58 Contrast of happy memories with Abigail strong marriage to breakdown of marriage due to Susie’s death. Mr. Harvey -Even as the villain, flashbacks are used to conjure sympathy for Mr. Harvey. They are used to expose his disturbing/traumatic childhood and force the reader to see him as once innocent and more human. p188- 189, p97 With these flashbacks we must consider Mr. Harvey as a victim and his own inability to deal with loss and grief, (like Jack Salmon they both ostracize themselves from society). 3. SYMBOLS There is much symbolism within the text just a few to consider: To symbolise theme of healing and loss Salmon family must accept Susie’s death and find a new support structure amongst themselves. This colloquial term provokes humour in the family, and the â€Å"o’† is a reference to an Irish dialect. Sebold shows the reader that she changes the atmosphere within the family. In contrast to this, in the other extract she tells Lindsey that Abigail is â€Å"a wreck†, as if provoking Lindsey into conversation. Sebold uses to show the reader that as well as making a scene relaxed and humorous, she also is able to use colloquial language to talk about difficult, sensitive issues with the family. Lynn is characterised by Sebold through her excessive vanity, obsessed with the idea of beauty she does not reply to Abigail’s comment regarding her looks and immediately jumps into conversation regarding Jack and his suspicions. Later in this scene she then pressurises Abigail into letting her â€Å"do a makeover†, and when Lindsey asks Lynn to teach her about makeup, Sebold shows Lynn to be rejoiced about this by saying â€Å"My God in heaven, praise the Lord, yes! †. The use of exclamatives emphasises her vanity, as the reader can see her excitement in being able to teach her granddaughter about makeup. This also shows the reader the relationship she has with her family – her daughter is reluctant to let her get anywhere near her with â€Å"those instruments of torture†, which indicates that it may have happened to her previously with disastrous consequences, however her granddaughter is willing to do undergo this, to encourage Lindsey’s transformation from a teenager into a woman. This is reiterated when Lynn helps Susie find an outfit, where Lynn attempts to find Susie a â€Å"nice outfit† from her wardrobe. The idea of looks and appearance begins to rub off on Lindsey, who says that she â€Å"needs to look pretty†, an ideology closely followed by Lynn. Sebold also shows Lynn to be a frequent drinker, with her dependence on alcohol shown throughout the novel. As soon as she is introduced she is shown to drink excessively as she says â€Å"no one has to tell me where the liquor is! † The use of exclamatives in this sentence emphasises the idea that she has visited the Salmon family before, and that she drank excessively then. This can be seen as an ‘inside joke’ between the family. However, Sebold emphasises the point that she is dependent when she says to Jack â€Å"we need some stiff drinks†. The pronoun â€Å"we† is used to draw the attention away from herself, to make it look like she isn’t the only one who wants a drink. Lynn’s lexical choices also enhance her alcoholism, as Sebold uses the adjective â€Å"stiff† to describe how she wants the drinks to be strong, to help cope with the memorial. Sebold portrays Lynn as a very dominant character through the relationships she has with her family. When talking to others she controls the conversation through the use of interrogatives and through this is able to bring up sensitive areas with the family. She asks Abigail â€Å"how is he? † when Jack has left the room, and when he returns quickly drops conversation with â€Å"but†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This ellipsis shows the reader how, although dominative, she is also sensitive to her family and does not want to upset anybody. This is shown again in the other extract where Lynn tells Lindsey â€Å"You are pretty†, which shocks both Lindsey and Susie as Lynn rarely gives out compliments. Lynn is shown to be a very caring member of the family, despite being somewhat flawed, and the way that she impacts upon the family after she has arrived shows that she plays a key role in the novel. Through her use of colloquial language, Sebold shows us that she is able to change the atmosphere of each scene, from humorous to very serious, and the varied sentence structures that Sebold uses portrays Lynn’s views and opinions, and structures her character.

Free Essays on The Constitution Of The USA

The Constitution of the United States set forth the nation’s fundamental laws. The youngest person that signed it was Jonathan Dayton, 26 years old and the oldest was Benjamin Franklin which was 81 years old. The first delegate to sign the Constitution out of thirty-nine was George Washington. It was signed September 17,1787. Three months after it was signed, Delaware became the first state to ratify it. The Constitution was made to help many people and colonies. It lists the aims of the government and the methods of accomplishing them. It also establishes the form of the national government and defines the rights and liberties. It was written to organize a strong national government. It establishes and exercises its authority directly over all citizens and established protection for the rights of the states and of every individual. The Constitution helps the states work together to solve national problems. It consists of a preamble, seven articles, and twenty-seven amendments. The amendment are additions to the Constitution. The amendments protect individuals from various unjust acts of government. Originally, the amendments applied only to the federal government. But the 14th Amendment declares that no state can deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. The twenty-seven amendment may be proposed by two-thirds of each house of Congress, or by a national convention called by Congress. Congress decides which form of ratification should be used and how much time the states have to consider each amendment. Each consideration last only for seven year period. Each amendment was created to help civilians and our nations freedoms. James Madison led the new Congress in proposing amendments. He suggested fifteen amendments, and the Congress accepted twelve of them. By December 15, 1791, enough states had approved ten of the twelve amendments to make them permanent ... Free Essays on The Constitution Of The USA Free Essays on The Constitution Of The USA The Constitution of the United States set forth the nation’s fundamental laws. The youngest person that signed it was Jonathan Dayton, 26 years old and the oldest was Benjamin Franklin which was 81 years old. The first delegate to sign the Constitution out of thirty-nine was George Washington. It was signed September 17,1787. Three months after it was signed, Delaware became the first state to ratify it. The Constitution was made to help many people and colonies. It lists the aims of the government and the methods of accomplishing them. It also establishes the form of the national government and defines the rights and liberties. It was written to organize a strong national government. It establishes and exercises its authority directly over all citizens and established protection for the rights of the states and of every individual. The Constitution helps the states work together to solve national problems. It consists of a preamble, seven articles, and twenty-seven amendments. The amendment are additions to the Constitution. The amendments protect individuals from various unjust acts of government. Originally, the amendments applied only to the federal government. But the 14th Amendment declares that no state can deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. The twenty-seven amendment may be proposed by two-thirds of each house of Congress, or by a national convention called by Congress. Congress decides which form of ratification should be used and how much time the states have to consider each amendment. Each consideration last only for seven year period. Each amendment was created to help civilians and our nations freedoms. James Madison led the new Congress in proposing amendments. He suggested fifteen amendments, and the Congress accepted twelve of them. By December 15, 1791, enough states had approved ten of the twelve amendments to make them permanent ...

Texting Thumb Is a Repetitive Stress Injury

Texting Thumb Is a Repetitive Stress Injury It seems that with every bit of new technology comes some form of social or personal cost. Often times that personal cost resolves itself in the form of a repetitive stress injury. Cell phones are one such technology. Socially and culturally, we are dealing with constant interconnectedness as well as inconsiderate users who feel they should talk wherever they are, regardless of the people around them. But this isnt about etiquette. This is about ergonomics. The cell phone has led to some health conditions, but it wasnt until the invention of supporting technologies – mobile data, cellular email, and the almighty text message – that the repetitive stress became a real problem for most users. Text messages have some great advantages and have changed our culture, but the input method leaves a lot to be desired. And that is what leads to Texting Thumb. Effects Texting Thumb is a repetitive stress injury that affects the thumb and wrist. Pain and sometimes a popping sound are present on the outside of the thumb at or near the wrist. There can also be a decrease in grip strength or range of motion. You see, the opposable thumb is very good at performing opposing actions to the hand and fingers, otherwise known as gripping. The muscles and mechanics of your anatomy support this function. The thumb acts as the lower half of a pair of pliers. It is much better at this than dexterous three-dimensional motions, like typing. That puts a lot of repetitive stress on the thumb joint and the muscles and tendons attached to it. The thumb is sufficient to press a key on your phones keypad without much stress being placed on it. It is mainly the traveling the thumb tip does over the keypad, which is often a couple of square inches. This is a lot of work on a joint that, quite frankly, isnt designed to move that much. Cell phones that have a standard number pad often use a predictive text entry or other methods to make input easier without scrolling through all the available letters for each number. This helps a lot but not enough to counteract how often most people text. Smartphones are even worse. While they do have full keyboards to make input easier, they have larger surfaces for the thumb to travel over and can often involve both thumbs. Whats more, the ease of input actually makes it more likely for you to type in real words instead of the texting shorthand. Inflammation Texting Thumb can be a form of tendonitis, tenosynovitis, or a combination of both of those disorders. In either case, it means something is irritated, inflamed, and swollen. In Texting Thumb, there is an inflammation of the tendons and/or the synovial sheaths that cover the tendons that control the motion of your thumb. It may also be an inflammation in the tenosynovium, a slippery membrane that acts as a sliding surface, in the opening in the wrist that the tendons slide through. Often the swelling from the inflammation in either the tendon or tenosynovitis causes irritation that leads to inflammation in the other after repetitive use. It can be quite painful and reduces your ability to grip. Whichever part of the anatomy is irritated and inflamed, it squeezes the tendons and constricts their ability to slide within the sheath. The inflammation results in swelling and pain that can run from the tip of the thumb all the way down to the wrist and even the upper portion of the forearm. In Texting Thumb, you often feel the pain when you turn or flex your wrist or when you make a fist or grab something. It often occurs in gamers who play daily for long periods. The Technical Explanation Texting Thumb is technically known as De Quervains syndrome. There are many aliases for De Quervains syndrome with one in homage to the one-time mobile data king, Blackberry Thumb.   If you flatten your hand out with the back of your hand downward, then your thumb can move in two ways. It can move up and back down. This moves your thumb out of the plane of your hand and is called palmar abduction. Your thumb can also move left to right, staying within the plane of your hand. This type of movement is called radial abduction. These tendons are housed within synovial sheaths through the wrist passage. Synovial sheaths are kind of like a stiffer, outer tube that can bend but does not kink. The result is that when the wrist is bent or twisted, the tendons can still slide back and forth through the wrist passage without getting snagged. The tendons pass through an opening in the wrist on the thumb side. This opening is covered in a slippery membrane called tenosynovium. Constant friction against this surface by inflamed synovial sheaths can cause inflammation in the tenosynovium as well. Inflammation of a tenosynovium is called tenosynovitis. The tendons involved in De Quervains syndrome are those attached to the extensor pollicis brevis and abductor pollicis longus muscles, or the muscles that move your thumb in radial abduction. The muscles run side by side on the back of your forearm towards your wrist and the tendons run along the thumb, from the tip to your wrist through an opening in your wrist where they then attach to the muscles. In De Quervains syndrome, irritation from repetitive stress causes the inflammation in the tendon or synovial sheath, which leads to swelling and enlarges a portion of the tendon making it difficult for the tendon to pass through the opening in the wrist. Or it causes inflammation in the tenosynovium, which results in the same thing. Often, when one is swollen, it causes the other to become irritated and inflamed as well, thereby compounding the problem. Take Care of Yourself! If left untreated,  Texting Thumb can worsen and the repetitive inflammation and irritation of the tendons synovial sheaths cause them to thicken and degenerate. This can result in permanent damage, leading to a loss of grip strength and/or range of motion as well as constant pain. De Quervains Syndrome can be treated at home  effectively if it has not gotten that severe. If you are a serious texter you should consider trying to prevent De Quervains syndrome to keep your hand healthy.

Hedge Fund Bail Outs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hedge Fund Bail Outs - Essay Example Public money is not being used to help Americans for losing their homes. 2. What is â€Å"Moral Hazard?† How does Moral Hazard relate to this current issue? A Moral Hazard is the theory that when people know that they will be bailed out are less cautious. Moral Hazard relates to this issue because the financial institutions know if they get into major trouble, the government will use public funds to bail them out. The recent Bear Stearns brokered bail out from the Federal Reserve Bank of up to 30 billion dollars of public money in order that JPMorgan Chase may purchase the beleaguered investment bank is an example of Moral Hazard. If an American small business owner or homeowner fails on a loan due to bad business or money management, they lose their collateral. Bear Stearns received 30 billion dollars to make their business more attractive for purchase. That is a Moral Hazard. 3. If one is a â€Å"True Believer† in the market mechanism does one insist on allowing all firms the ability to fail? Yes. If all firms are allowed to fail, the market mechanism is fulfilled. Market mechanism is where buyers and sellers have an open and understood system of value and time trade offs to produce the best distribution of goods and services. Market mechanism assumes perfect competition. If failure is not allowed, than one can not be a â€Å"True Believer† in market mechanism. 4. How does firm â€Å"failure† lead to â€Å"efficiency?† A firm’s failure leads to efficiency through the opposite attitude of Moral Hazard. If a firm’s executives realized that they will not be bailed out if their company goes bankrupt or fails, they would be more cautious. Executives that realize they will not only lose their jobs, but will not receive big severance checks, might think twice about gambling with their company’s future. This would result in firms, financial and others, to operate efficiently as possible. Competition to be efficient would bloom. Instead of

No line sources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

No line sources - Essay Example God showed his blessings to humanity by choosing Abraham since the divine nature bestowed on him finally resulted in a huge clan, fastened by the twelve sons of Jacob, who considered the God of Abraham as their supporter and guardian. Jacob’s son hawked their young sibling, Joseph to dealers, who in turn hawked him as a slave in the Egyptian land. This was God’s work and plan since there came a time where there was famine in the land of Canaan and all the family was forced to go to Egypt to buy food. Unfortunately, Joseph rescued his family by providing them with food. This was a pure indicator of Good’s mercies to bless humanity. God promised Abraham that he will give him a son at his old age. The promises were finally fulfilled when he gave out his son at the old age. The son was Isaac and through his lineage, the world has turned to be a place of blessings. Through Abraham, God has made the world to turn to Him once more, despite the rejection and ignorance of mankind (Genesis 12:5-10). From the story of exodus, when God delivered his people from the land of suffering and misery to the Promised Land, it was an indicator that God was working to bless all humanity through the promises. This was also one of the promises that God gave to Abraham that He will give his people land to dwell in. this was a sign of blessings. The covenant also that God made to Moses, for example giving His people Ten Commandments to guide them through their life to avoid evils. The purification of his people on Mount Sinai was a significant indicator of God’s effort to bless his people (Exodus 5:3-12). God also showed blessing to the humanity through King David. David let known himself in the battle with the philistines at this period. When Saul and his son died, David was in position to assume leadership. He created an administrative center in Jerusalem that overextended from the boundary of Egypt

Policy and practice in the education of bilingual children Essay

Policy and practice in the education of bilingual children - Essay Example Educators must observe the following key principles in teaching foreign children. First, bilingualism is an asset instead of a liability for children who know more than one other language other than their mother tongue or primary language. Baker (2006) contends that evidence supports that there are cognitive and performance advantages in being bilingual over being monolingual. Another principle to be remembered by educators is that language learners should be kept cognitively challenged with the continuous provision of linguistic and contextual support. Lastly, the acquisition of another language should go hand in hand with the student’s cognitive and academic development within the same school environment and the student would not need outside support. This implies that the school curriculum is already embedded with these language learning principles. School Observation One school was observed regarding its adherence to the policies set by the â€Å"Rationale for Planning fo r Children Learning English as an Additional Language† document as well as analyse its practices with theories on bilingual education. The school looked like a typical one when one enters it. No welcome procedures were observed nor signs around the school seen in relation to the cultural composition or languages of the students or teachers. However, towards the entrance of the main building, a bulletin board on Black History Month was on display. This was the only piece of evidence in the campus that showed recognition of another culture. As one enters the Year 1 Key Stage 1 classroom, the same generic ambience was observed. Children were grouped into various groups according to their ability levels. On the wall near the teacher’s desk is a list of pupils’ literacy levels indicated with pictures of fruits. For example, the low ability group belonged to the grape group. The middle ability group belonged to the banana group and the high ability group belonged to th e apple group. The same was done with numeracy levels. However, these were represented by shapes. For example, the low ability levels for numeracy belonged to the triangle group, the middle ability level in the square group and the high ability level in the circle group. These groupings were for the mainstream students. The EAL learners and SEN learners belonged to another group. A special corner for learning another language featured pictures of different body parts with words in Spanish. For example, a picture of eyes with the Spanish word eyes, â€Å"Ojos† underneath. Also, there were words displayed in Spanish and translated in English such as â€Å"Good morning†, â€Å"Good afternoon†, â€Å"Hello†, â€Å"Goodbye† and so forth. However, there were no EAL books nor books with any other language except English seen in the book corner. Other adornments on the walls include different pictures of children’s actions with the words indicating the actions such as good listening, eyes looking, lips closed, sitting with their legs crossed. These pictures represented good behaviour as indicated with a thumbs-up picture. For EAL students, such visual aids are graphic

Structuring Your MessageUNIT4DB Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Structuring Your MessageUNIT4DB - Essay Example In this paper, we will address why the opening of a presentation is crucial and some ways to prepare an effective one. The opening, beginning or introduction of a presentation tells the audience what is to come and what to expect. According to Mary Munter (2002), one must remember to â€Å"set the stage†, â€Å"grab attention†, â€Å"use humor with caution† and â€Å"state recommendations† in preparing for the opening. (p. 43-44) She underscored the fact that this is the part where the presenter introduces the topic, sets the pace, and establishes credibility. There are several styles in doing so, but it is recommended to use a formal introductory device. Effective formal openers include anecdote, humor and involving question. Steve Mandel (2000) explained these extensively in his book, The Effective Presentation Skills. Anecdote, which is usually humorous though not always, tells of a short story to illustrate a point. Humor, on the other hand, uses a joke as a springboard to seize attention and break the ice. Mandel, however, warned against humor that has something to do with sex, race, religion, or any other personal topic. According to him the humor must be linked to the speaker, topic, audience, or the occasion. It should be conservative. Involving question is a bit tricky, so if one does not know his audience, he could ask for a show of hands after asking an open-ended question. This is a safe way since audience might give a wrong answer or crack a joke at the presenter’s expense. (Mandel, p. 24) Informative presentations do away with these devices and instead call for introductions that state facts and figures. (Asha, p. 96) In this case, statistical data or citing the agenda is used to open the presentation. Confidence adds up to the impact of a presentation. That is the reason why practice and preparation is important. I have seen a very good presentation ruined because the presenter

The Legal and Ethical Environment of Business Essay - 5

The Legal and Ethical Environment of Business - Essay Example The unfair dismissal, which has been defined as the termination of employment deemed to be ‘unjust, harsh or unreasonable (Pizam, 2010), in another organization was appeared. In which, the employees were sacked; subsequently, the aggrieved party filed a petition against the unfair dismissal. And, the court gave its verdict in the favor of the victims. And, they re-joined the same organization on the court orders. In addition to that, after going through the different reports over the ethical issues, I came across with the news pertaining to the ethical violations in one of the renowned organizations; however, it would also be unethical to mention the name of that organization. But, the ethical violation in that organization was that the organization had frozen the overtime and other benefits of its own employees just because of the employees had carried out a Trade Union activity. A number of impacts can be observable from the practices of ethical violations. First, the discrimination of any form would not help in entertaining the corporate objectives of the organization. This would create the environment of grouping or empire building within the organization. In which, one group would be working at the cost of other groups. And, the organizational objectives would not be compromised but also be neglected. In addition to that, discrimination would engender the environment of hostility within the organization. And, the hostility would only convince the staff to work to improve group’s benefits. Also, if the corporate objectives of the organization would be compromised, the organization would not earn profit or sufficient revenue; and, in the long-run, the organization would need to fight for its own survival. The unfair dismissal and the freezing of overtime and other benefits would hardly find any reasonable or legitimate justification as both actions on the side of the organization were carried out with the insincere

Ben Westcott about the Risks and Challenges Assignment

Ben Westcott about the Risks and Challenges - Assignment Example I believe that irresponsible outsourcing can be detrimental to a company’s reputation. â€Å"Major companies, ranging from Apple to Nike, have suffered a backlash†¦ when it has emerged that their workers are not well treated in some of their supplying companies† (Westcott 2012, 1). Considering that a company’s reputation determines its competitiveness, companies must ensure that they outsource responsibly to circumvent scandals and exploitation. Companies that have outsourced successfully and lived to enjoy its benefits â€Å"†¦work closely with those other companies to ensure that their standards and working conditions are the same high level that they themselves would wish to prevail† (Westcott 2012, 1). Reading through the article, I could easily relate the Dhaka fire incident with a scenario which happened in the early 2000s when Apple was sued after it outsourced to companies that employed underage children to work in its factory. Inconsequential as it might sound, it was an unethical act which cannot be tolerated in the currently highly competitive corporate world and Apple really disappointed its loyal customers and shareholders by outsourcing to such a supplier. Several exceptional lessons stood out from the article. Firstly, outsourcers should build a better relationship with the external contractors. They external contractors, as well as the outsourcers, must understand the demands and expectation of each other. Through this, guidelines and standards will be developed and enforced, an act that furthers innovation and motivation which eventually improves the company’s products and effectiveness. Moreover, the external contractors are on the ground hence are acquainted with the constantly changing customer tastes, needs.

The Legal and Ethical Environment of Business Essay - 5

The Legal and Ethical Environment of Business - Essay Example The unfair dismissal, which has been defined as the termination of employment deemed to be ‘unjust, harsh or unreasonable (Pizam, 2010), in another organization was appeared. In which, the employees were sacked; subsequently, the aggrieved party filed a petition against the unfair dismissal. And, the court gave its verdict in the favor of the victims. And, they re-joined the same organization on the court orders. In addition to that, after going through the different reports over the ethical issues, I came across with the news pertaining to the ethical violations in one of the renowned organizations; however, it would also be unethical to mention the name of that organization. But, the ethical violation in that organization was that the organization had frozen the overtime and other benefits of its own employees just because of the employees had carried out a Trade Union activity. A number of impacts can be observable from the practices of ethical violations. First, the discrimination of any form would not help in entertaining the corporate objectives of the organization. This would create the environment of grouping or empire building within the organization. In which, one group would be working at the cost of other groups. And, the organizational objectives would not be compromised but also be neglected. In addition to that, discrimination would engender the environment of hostility within the organization. And, the hostility would only convince the staff to work to improve group’s benefits. Also, if the corporate objectives of the organization would be compromised, the organization would not earn profit or sufficient revenue; and, in the long-run, the organization would need to fight for its own survival. The unfair dismissal and the freezing of overtime and other benefits would hardly find any reasonable or legitimate justification as both actions on the side of the organization were carried out with the insincere

Overview of experience to gain professional membership Case Study

Overview of experience to gain professional membership - Case Study Example This will be very necessary for me in the execution of my duties by arranging meetings and discussing issues brought up my other colleagues. I have also attended several internal training such as training, reporting, and all aspects of project cost control during my working period; therefore gathering a lot of experiences. I have, therefore, been trained into completing my orders and workload at the best and satisfactory standards. That has also made me understand the different forms of contract and supporting documentation. I also have learned to behave professionally, learned to take criticism professionally, learned to do my job and do it perfectly, learned to make good and professional relationships with colleagues, be on time, maintain good performance records and participate on solutions. Within my role, I plan not only my workload and tasks, but also the workloads and tasks of other team associates who work with me. In my projects, I will have to set up and regularly run commercial site team meeting. Being the Senior Quantity Surveyor, I set team objectives and discuss issues that may be current and potential issues and also worries that the team may have. As a Senior Quantity Surveyor, I collect information from one or more sources, and then distribute the information to one or more audiences. I ensure that information management activities are effective and successful. These actions help me in discovering extra principles and strategies, as well as providing a substantial tactics to evolving a supreme information management strategy.1 Being a leader, my main objective is to ensure incessant progress to the strategic and response to the organization. Being a leader in my previous workstations, which include royal construction Ltd, Wates construction Ltd. among others, have made me have good and professional leadership skills. I ensure by managing the infrastructural assets. Moreover, I aim to provide the knowledge of cost effectiveness

Employee Satisfaction and Customer Satisfaction Essay Example for Free

Employee Satisfaction and Customer Satisfaction Essay This thesis will be based on my current and previous practical experience combined with the theoretical basis that I have acquired through the modules on Academy business school. I have 8 years of management experience in retail, but in the last 3 years being employed as a personal assistant for my son who was born with a physical disability. 1 October 2012 I have been employed part-time as a sales assistant in the newly opened shoe Tops, located in Aalborg Mall. My point of view in this project will be from the perspective of the owner / management since my prerequisites for this are realistic and that in the future I have ambitions again to get a job at this level. Presentation of TOPS in Aalborg Shopping Eurosko a purchasing cooperative consisting of independent skohandlere working together on purchasing and marketing. These skohandlerer operated under the name TOPS. This cooperation is intended to give members a better overall economy to meet the increasing competition in the retail industry. The shops sells private labels and various brands of Danish suppliers. TOPS products are designed for the average consumer, and the target audience is the whole family. Product labels within private labels are as follows: Ralf Boston, Taxi, Adi, Mary B and Between. The new Tops store in Aalborg shopping center is located in the new extension which has the name Nygade (pink street). This street connects the input A (main entrance at the grocery store) and input B (input opposite Steak Jensen / Nibevej). Shoe store TOPS is funded by Thorkild Hansen, who every day is trade able boss in Aars. It is his daughter Camilla Hansen, store manager / owner of the new store. They both have a history from the hardware store industry. In the shop there is employed a sales manager, a full-time sales assistant and one part-time sales assistant. You are aware that you have to have some hourly paid sales assistants to cover crooked hours. However, one would first look for the urgent need before hiring more. The store is located in North Jutland most attractive retail area in the city south of Aalborg. The competition here is tremendous, from German Deichmann to skokà ¦derne Skoringen and PAW SHOES. Grocery store is also a major competitor, while the overall industry slippage, as retailers fierce competition is to blame in. The hard struggle with the center of Aalborg has been going on ever since opening in 1997, and its just a matter of time before one can proclaim City South and Aalborg Shopping Center as the victor. City Southern and Aalborg Shopping Center is marketplace for all over Gauteng. The clients who come to Aalborg Mall comes with the purpose to spend money. Unlike customers in the city center, where there are many shoppers. Problem Argumentation In a store like TOPS in Aalborg shopping center, there are many challenges for Camilla Hansen. Problem of the project will be based on one of the issues that are most central to the management, namely the motivation of the staff. Why is it such an important issue? One of the things that can explain the motivation question is the aforementioned competition as TOPS face. Is the sales staff not motivated to provide the best service when they meet customers, customers needs are met in one of the competing shoe stores. There are also other elements such as indirect challenge my question about motivation. These I will elaborate on below. The increasing competition in the retail and policies have been elements in the environment that have helped to pave the way for the long opening hours. This development is currently further escalated with the abolition of the Shops Act 1 October 2012. Another challenge is the union HP, which puts pressure on employers to their employees come to work under some decent conditions, with regard to working hours. At the same time include the cost structure in the retail industry, where labor costs and rent are the greatest. Since the wage cost is the only one who in a short time can be changed, it is here, it is very focused. Rationalisation and maximum benefits of the employees are daily challenge in retail. It obviously has not done better after the financial crisis in 2008. The demand for goods has fallen / stagnated and the demand there is, is not the same as before. At the same time discount concepts in many cases prospered due to the crisis. In the wake of these above mentioned elements have TOPS a need for the core of employees who are employed must be highly effective. Performance would with store personnel must be high, even in the long run. Therefore, it is important to achieve a sustained high staff motivation in TOPS. I therefore think it appropriate to make visible how the job should be structured so as to achieve a high intrinsic motivation of the employees. However, one must create a culture that supports the motivation. Succeeded this, then the employees will eventually provide the same high level. Problem Formulation It is a challenge for management that structures the right job design for the team in the shop, so to create a sustained high level of motivation. This will form the basis for the desired high level of performance. I therefore do the following: Explain the job characteristics model, in relation to the employees of Tops in Aalborg Mall. Provide an analysis of the elements to create a high MPS. Find out what basic assumptions that support a high MPS. Make suggestions for how to achieve sustained high MPS. The method Science Theoretical approach The knowledge / theory which I create in the project is based on social constructionism. My new preconception will therefore be formed by the auto poetry system for which the employee is in TOPS. The way in which the theory is formed on the deductive because my curiosity is based on a theoretical model and problem formulation. The method is the hermeneutical spiral, as my practical / theoretical presuppositions will be further developed through a qualitative method (depth interviews). This illustrates thanks to my depth interviews. First I ask my questions, then I ask detailed questions to their answers. This forms a new pre-understanding, which in turn contributes to a deeper level of understanding. This truth can be characterized as being causal explanatory. This provides functional explanations are operationalized through the quantitative method (questionnaire). Thus, I see the questionnaire as a hypothetical method. The hermeneutic process are processed through circular thinking. This theoretical system finally my deeper level of understanding will be provided by exploring patterns of attitudes of the individuals in TOPS. My interest is to see how employees and management mutually influence each other. This I find out each actors share in relation to the questions that my problem formulation contains. Selection of theory: Motivation Theory Motivation Theory is a very broad theoretical area. The models describe the area very differently from simple to concrete and detailed. Overall divided motivation theory for the following two areas: Process Theories Content Theories Process theories are based on the differences that applies to the employees behavior. The theory describes elements to be addressed in order to get employees to acquire a certain behavior. Content theory concentrates on the needs of the employee and that the behavior is the same from person to person. Need fulfillment creates the motivation that causes the employee to perform a particular behavior (Major intrinsic motivation = better sales performance). I have decided that my topic motivation must be based on job characteristics model, which is made by Hackman and Oldham. I do so because it is necessary to take into account the differences in employee behavior. Otherwise, I would not in practice distinguish between kinds of different factors that motivate employees to TOPS. So they just had the same external and internal work environment, to be equally motivated in their work. The theory will form the basis for the solution of the projects problem. At the same time it will be my starting point, to account for the motivation of employees through job design. Job characteristics model is to provide a common understanding of my explanation of how to design the job so that employees acquire the particular behavior (Major intrinsic motivation = better sales performance). Hackman and Oldham job characteristics model This thesis will be based on the version of the book Motivation is written by Helle Hein. This issue compared to the textbook is that there are some minor differences in how the moderators are defined. The model is based on some core job characteristics that form the basis for the ideal job design. Problem definition Question 1 deals with the exposition of the model in relation to the employees of TOPS. Presentation of the model will be done through in-depth interviews with employees. Based on depth interviews I will make a questionnaire to determine the factors that contribute to give a high motivation potential score (question 2). Model moderators will also be involved, as there are some providers elements that affect the fact that not all people react similarly to the job design. There are some barriers as a result of the fact that you do not get the best result, although job design is ideal. The moderators will also be explained through depth interviews (question 1). The model also contains the element of the critical psychological states, which will not be included in my project. This has no direct connection to my problem statement. I assume that when the optimal job design is achieved, as well as fulfillment of the moderators, so it will have a positive outcome (high motivation = good sales performance). Criticism of Hackman and Oldham In the book, motivation is a few points on which job characteristics model are criticized. I will only highlight the criticism points Helle Hein mentions in her book that influence in my project. The factors which constitute the core job characteristics are difficult to understand and distinguish between, for those who have to deal with any questions. This is one reason why I choose depth interview as my method of data collection. Respondent may help to understand the issues, which helps to strengthen the information collected. The theory does not affect factor of social relations. Therefore, I believe that the model has a major weakness in this area. The relationship to ones colleagues is very important in a store like TOPS, where there are not many employees. It is important to feel like part of the community when you show up at work. Failure to do so, and you feel that is a bad mood, you will naturally seek new challenges. This will lead to an ideal job design does not work. Hertzberg theory takes high of social relations, and would have been better in this area. This theory, I squint a little in my statement (question 1). In my hypothesis, I touch on the concept of MPS. Helle Hein questioning whether one using a formula and theory can design the best possible job design to an employee. It is one of the concepts used in my project. Therefore, the same criticisms apply here. Hackman and Oldham theory is developed at the beginning of industrialization in the United States until the 1970s when the authors formulated the theory. As it developed it was the starting point for the theory not the retail industry, which means that in some cases, it will not always fit completely with the fact that I daily find myself in. Cultural Theory Theory scope of the concept of culture has many approaches. Here there are for example Hofstede. This theorist is based on civic culture. He believes that an organizations culture is created on the basis of, for example, the country or region in which it is located in. The theory here is based on a number of opposing elements that help to characterize the culture. An example of this could be that the culture of TOPS will bear the mark of masculinity rather than the feminine. This is because you are very sales and performance oriented. Another theorists is Schein. This theory is built into a funnel model which is divided into 3 layers. The top are artifacts, which is a description of the physical conditions in which an outside person can see with the naked eye. The next layer is the values. This layer describes the employee proved doing to emphasize culture both internally and external. The last layer is called as basic assumptions, the conduct which they unconsciously without even thinking about it. The basic assumption being made by the leader. A third theory is the Deal and Kennedys cultural model. This theory is based on the market to which the organization finds itself in. The theory describes two dimensions, each with their opposing extremes. These being high risk / low risk or timely feedback / slow feedback. Here are TOPS in the dimension which is characterized by low risk and rapid feedback. In trade with each customers risk low if it failed. At the same time you get rapid feedback on sales because you can constantly follow it. Overall, it is appropriate to use the Deal and Kennedy to describe culture as the retail industry is very market specific. This will also be my approach. But to describe the culture internally, I will build on Schein funnel model, because this model is more up rational. At the same time, the shop is starting, and I therefore believe that it is the store manager, who through her actions and attitudes create culture. Furthermore, it is also the one who owns the shop and is the pioneer. In a pioneering company, it is usually the owners attitudes and opinions that characterize the corporate culture.

Definition and Features of Monopoly and Competition

Definition and Features of Monopoly and Competition Definition of Monopoly Monopoly is a well defined market structure where there is only one seller who controls the entire market supply, as there are no close substitutes for his product and there are no barriers to the entry of rival producers. This sole seller in the market is called â€Å"monopolist†. The term monopolist is derived from the Greek word â€Å"mono†, meaning â€Å"single†, and â€Å"polist† meaning seller. Thus the monopolist may be defined as the sole seller of a product which has no close substitutes. The monopolist is faced by a large number of competing buyers for his product. Evidently monopoly is the antithesis of competition on. In a monopoly market, the producer, being the sole seller, has no direct competitors in either the popular or technical sense. Thus, the monopoly market model is the opposite extreme of competition. Features of Monopoly The features of a monopoly are: The monopolist is the sole producer in the market. Thus, under monopoly, firm and industry are identical. There are no closely competitive substitutes for the product. So the buyers have no alternative or choice. They have either to buy the product or go without it. Monopoly is a complete negation of competition. A monopolist is a price maker and not a price taker. In fact his price fixing power is absolute. He is in a position to fix the price for the product, as he likes. He can vary the price from buyer to buyer. Thus in a competitive industry, there is a single ruling price, while in a monopoly, there may be differentials. A monopoly firm itself being the industry, it faces a downward-sloping demand curve for its product. That means it cannot sell more output unless the price is lowered. A pure monopolist has no immediate rivals due to certain barriers to entry in the field. There are legal, technological, economic or natural obstacles which may block the entry of new firms. Since a monopolist has a complete control over the market supply in the absence of a close or remote substitute for his product, he can fix the price as well as quantity of be sold in the market. Abuses of Monopoly Though a monopolist has complete freedom in determining his own price, there are some limits to his power. These are listed below: The demand curve of a monopolist slopes downwards. This is shown as demand curve DD of the monopolist in Figure. On such a curve, a monopolist cannot choose both Price and Output to be sold. He has to determine one of these quantities. If he chooses higher price P1 he has to be satisfied with smaller sales of quantity Q1. If he prefers larger output Q2 he will have to charge lower price P2. The second constraint on monopoly power arises out of the income and willingness of consumers. If the monopolist attempts to charge a price as high as Pn his sales fall to zero. So even though a monopolist has complete freedom to charge any high price this freedom is restricted by the consumer’s ability to purchase goods. Finally, monopoly power also depends upon elasticity of the demand curve. If the demand curve is rigid or less elastic the monopolist has a greater degree of control. As the demand curve becomes more flexible or flatter the monopolist’s control starts declining. This can be explained with the help of Figure. In the figure there are two demand curves. DD1 is rigid or less flexible showing greater monopoly control. DD2 is flatter or more flexible and depicts a lower degree of monopoly control. On rigid demand curve DD1 if the monopolist increases the price from P to P1 the fall in the quantity sold is as small as QQ1. On the flatter demand curve DD2 with the same rise in price, a fall in the quantity sold is as large as NN1. In case of a flexible demand curve there is a danger that even at a higher price, the total revenue of a monopolist may be smaller. This has been further explained in the table below: PRICE RIGID DEMAND D1 TOTAL REVENUE TR1 FLEXIBLE DEMAND D2 TOTAL REVENUE TR2 2 6 12 20 40 4 5 20 8 32 6 4 24 5 30 A monopolist attempts to raise his price from 2 to 4 to 6. As a result of this quantity demanded goes on falling. Yet in the case of Rigid Demand D1, with a fall in the demand from 6 to 5 to 4 Total Revenue TR1 increases from 12 to 20 to 24. With the Flexible Demand condition D2 the quantity demanded falls sharply from 20 to 8 to 5 causing Total Revenue TR2 to fall from 40 to 32 to 30. Hence the slope or the degree of flexibility of the demand curve governs the degree of monopoly power Monopoly market is restrictive and hence considered as an evil form of market. Monopoly is also a source of wastage. It underutilizes productive capacity and reduces Consumer’s Surplus. Underutilization of capacity may cause some workers to remain unemployed. These and other shortcomings can be analyzed and explained with the help of a comparative diagram. We find both competitive and monopoly equilibrium positions marketed by point e1 and e2 respectively. A competitive firm produces output Q1 and sells at price P1. A monopolist produces smaller output Q2 (Q2P1). Competition allows only normal profits to a firm as part of the average cost of production. A monopolist earns extra monopoly profits of the size CSRP2. Under competition output is produced at point e1 which is the lowest point on the average cost line. Therefore competition makes fuller utilization of the productive capacity. Under monopoly output is produced at point S which is on the falling phase of AC. This shows underutilization of the productive capacity. Finally, the size of the Consumer’s Surplus under competition is as large as De1P1 while that under monopoly is only DRP2. Hence under monopoly there is higher price, lower output, underutilization of productive capacity or wastage of resources and reduction in Consumer’s Surplus. Differences between Monopoly,  Equilibrium Competitive Equilibrium There are typical differences between the two types of market models their equilibrium positions. A comparative account of their differences is presented below: The demand curve of a competitive firm for its product is perfectly elastic. It is a horizontal straight line. It implies that the firm can sell any level of out put at the ruling market price. While the demand curve of the monopolistic for his product is relatively inelastic, it is a downward sloping curve. It suggests that the monopolist can sell more output only by lowering the price. To a competitive firm, price is given in the market. So at this price, average and marginal revenue will be the same. Hence, AR MR curves coincide and are represented through the demand curve which is a horizontal straight line. In the case of a monopoly, the downward sloping demand curve represents the AR curve. The MR curve also slopes downwards but it lies below the AR curve. If it is linear, then it lies half the distance between the price-axis and the demand curve. Under both perfect competition and monopoly, the equilibrium output is set at the point of equality between MC and MA. The competitive firm attains equilibrium only when the MC curve intersects the MR curve below. Thus, it is essential that MC must be rising at and near the equilibrium output. In fact, the falling cost curves caused by increasing returns to scale are incompatible with competitive equilibrium output, for the firm’s MR curve being horizontal, the falling MC curve can never lead to a competitive equilibrium position because as the firm will be inclined to expand its size until it becomes so large that its AR and MR curves ultimately begin to fall in order to cut the continuously falling MC curve. This means that the firm will become so large that competition will become imperfect and the individual firm would be in a position to influence the price of its product by altering its own output. In short, perfect competition will cease to exist when a firm increases i ts output to a very large extent in order to attain equilibrium under falling cost conditions. It may, therefore, be concluded that increasing returns to scale or a continuously downward sloping MC curve perfect competition are incompatible. It follows, thus, that a major difference between competitive equilibrium monopoly equilibrium is that while in the case of the former, the MC curve of the firm must be rising at or near the equilibrium level of output, in the case of the latter, this is not essential. A monopoly firm can attain equilibrium under any state of returns to scale or cost conditions, whether constant, rising or falling. The fundamental condition of monopoly equilibrium that must be satisfied is: MC=MR, and the MC curve must intersect the MR curve from below (yet it need not necessarily be rising). Again, when we compare the equilibrium conditions of the two models, we find that the fundamental rule of profit maximization is the same, i.e., equating MC with MR, the characteristic difference lies with respect to price as average revenue and MC. Under perfect competition, price=AR=MR; thus, at equilibrium output, MC=price. In monopoly, on the other hand MRMC. In a perfect normal equilibrium condition of a firm under competition in the long run only, normal profit is realized. In the case of a monopoly, excess monopoly profit can be earned even in the long-run. In fact, the positive difference between price and MC in a monopoly gives excess profit. In the long run, when the competitive firm gets only normal profit, it operates at the minimum point of the LAC curve. Hence the competitive firm tends to be of optimum size. A monopoly firm, on the other hand, attains equilibrium at the falling path of the AC curve, which means it doesn’t utilize its plant capacity to the full extent. The â€Å"excess capacity† in a monopoly firm thus causes it to be of less than optimum size. Usually, the monopoly price tends to be higher while the monopoly output smaller than that under perfect competition. A direct comparison of price and output under monopoly and competition is however difficult because a competitive firm is just a part of the industry as a whole, while a monopoly firm is an industry itself. MONOPOLY EQULIBRIUM UNDER DIFFERENT COST CONDITIONS Firms under all market condition achieve equilibrium at a point where MC=MR and MC is increasing or MC>MR if an additional unit is produced. Under Perfect competition this is possible only if the firm is operating with increasing cost i.e. marginal cost curve is sloping upward. Equilibrium cannot be determined if the marginal cost is decreasing or constant. Equilibrium is possible only in fig A where both necessary and sufficient conditions are fulfilled, whereas in B only the necessary condition is fulfilled and in C neither necessary nor sufficient conditions are satisfied. Unlike perfect competition, equilibrium of a monopoly is possible under increasing constant and decreasing cost as shown in Figure FIGURE shows equilibrium of a monopoly firm with increasing cost. The firms AC and MC curves are sloping upward. MC cuts MR at E. Here MC=MR and for any additional production MC>MR. Therefore firm A reaches equilibrium at point E. TR=OQ1 TP. TC=OQ1SN. Pie=NSTP Figure B, the firm reaches equilibrium at point E1 under constant cost. At point E1 MC=MR and thereafter MC>MR therefore the firm stops its production. At E1. TR=OQ2T1P1. TC=OQ2E1N1. Therefore Pie=N2S2T2P2 Figure C explains the equilibrium under decreasing cost. Equilibrium output is determined at point E2. Where MC=MR and MC>MR for any additional output. TR=OQ3T2P2. TC=OQ3S2N2 Therefore Pie=N2S2T2P2 The firm however will not be able to decide its output if under decreasing cost its marginal cost is always below the MR curve as shown in the figure. Fig shows the indetermination of Equilibrium under decreasing cost. Here the MC is all the times below MR hence it is not possible to determine the Equilibrium output. However the case shown in the above diagram may not be practical as the marginal cost cannot continuously decline and become zero. CONTROL OF MONOPOLY Evaluating the economic effects of pure monopoly or partial monopoly form the standpoint of society as a whole, on income distribution, price, output, resource allocation, technological advancement, distribution of economic power, it has been commonly observed that there are more evils aspects than benefits in a monopolistic industry as compared to a competitive industry. THE FOLLOWING POINTS MAY BE ENLISTED IN THIS CONTEXT: The monopoly price is generally higher than the competitive price. Evidently, the consumer is exploited under a monopoly. Output under monopoly is restricted with a view to earning the maximum economic profits. Thus, there is inefficient allocation of resources in a monopolistic industry. It entails waste of excess capacity. Only in a competitive industry there can be optimum utilization of existing plant capacity .In short, under a monopoly a higher price is charged, a smaller output is produced the system of allocation of resources is inferior to that under perfect competition. Usually, excess profit is reaped by a monopoly firm even in the long run. A purely competitive firm, on the other hand reaps just a normal profit in the long run. By virtue of their control over market supply, monopolists can export high prices to make substantial economic profits .Excessive price charged by the monopolists is regarded as a â€Å"PRIVATE TAX† on consumers. On account of high profiteering by the monopolists, society’s income distribution tends to be unequal unjust .The owners of monopoly business tend to become richer at the cost of the consumers. Big monopoly houses may acquire concentration of economic power ion their hands which also endangers political democracy in the country. A monopolist is supposed to be very conservative in the matter of innovation technological advancement .Since there is no threat of competition from rivals in a monopoly market, the firm has no impulse to develop new products or introduce new techniques in production. The monopolist is satisfied with the status quo. In fact sometimes monopolists may buy up new scientific inventions patents destroy them so to avoid rivalry. They do so in order to save loss arising from the sudden obsolescence of existing plant machinery. This tactic obviously obstructs technical progress of the country. Monopoly monopolistic competition tend to aggravate the problem of unemployment due to under allocation of resources. The actual production frontier of the country is kept unduly much below its potential level. This results in a low pace of economic growth in creating poverty in the midst of plenty Monopoly firm quite often resort to unfair practices like price discrimination or cut throat competition infringement of trade marks of rivals .etc with a view to eliminating or killing potential rivals in the market. Many big monopoly houses have tended to spread political economic corruption. It has been alleged that some political parties even govt. officials in India always have a soft corner for certain big business houses. METHODS OF CONTROL They are as follows: Restriction on entry of new firms Restriction on output Monopolists hold on price determination MEASURES OF CONTROL They are as follows: Legislative measures Promotion of competition Consumers resistance Publicity drive Control of price output Fiscal measures Nationalization Co-operative movement Misconceptions about Monopoly Pricing Profits It is commonly alleged that a monopolist can charge a very high price and earn high profits because he has the control over market supply and is a price-maker. This is really not so. A monopolist cannot determine price on the basis of his supply alone. He has to consider the demand aspect as well. In fact, the monopoly price is determined by the relative strength of the forces of demand and supply. Again, while determining the equilibrium price and output, the monopolist is interested in maximum sale because he wants to maximise total profits and not unit profits. So if the demand is slack, he will have to set a low price corresponding to profit maximising condition : MC = MR. Again, it is also erroneous p take it for granted that the monopolists price is always higher than the competitive price. It, in fact, depends on various considerations. If the demand is highly inelastic, while the supply is under conditions of increasing costs, ben the monopolist will restrict output in order to produce at a lower cost anchearn a higher profit. Under these circumstances, obviously, the monopoly price will be very high compared to the competitive price. For example, private monopoly is socially harmful in respect of production and sale of essential agricultural commodities like food-grains for which the demand is highly inelastic while the supply is under increasing costs on account of the law of diminishing returns operating on land. If, on the other hand, the demand is highly inelastic, but the supply is under increasing returns or decreasing costs condition, the monopoly price would tend to be nearer the competitive price. In such cases, monopoly can be socially tolerated. For instance, in producing comforts and luxury items, if a private monopolist invests huge capital, thereby enjoying the economies of scale so that he may supply goods at a low price at a competitive rate, then, such monopoly can be tolerated. Again, when there is a very limited market for a product, a monopolist can supply it at a lower price on account of its low cost of production due to large-scale economies than what is feasible in a competitive market by a large number of firms producing the goods on a small-scale. The competitive market price in such a case will tend to be high because though P AC, under competition, the AC itself tends to be high due to lack of economies of scale and the small-scale of production adopted by each firm . If, however, there is a monopoly which has to cater to the entire market, it would resort to a large-scale production. Hence, the output will be produced at a much lower cost, so even if the monopolist sets a higher price than AC for the sake of high profit, it may relatively turn out to be lower than that of the competitive firm. Similarly, it is also incorrect to say that the monopolist can always earn abnormally high monopoly profit due to his advantageous position in the market. In many cases, demand and cost situation may not be very favourable to the monopolist, so that he cannot make profits. In the long run, the monopolist may be under the threat of new entry in his line of production, so that he may resort to price limit which gives him a lower profit but not a high maximum profit. Potential competition thus serves as a significant constraint on the behaviour of the monopolist. Again, in some cases, the demand situation may be such that the demand curve or the average revenue curve in the long run may be just tangent to the LAC curve. In this case, the monopolist would earn only a normal profit (see Fig. to understand the situation). In Fig., the monopolist decides an equilibrium output OM, and charges PM price. Since the AR curve is tangent to the LAC curve at point P, Price = Average Revenue = Average Cost. Hence, the monopolist simply earns a normal profit. The only difference between such normal-profit monopoly equilibrium and competitive equilibrium is that the monopolist is producing at less than optimum size, i.e., at a higher average cost, while a competitive firm, earning normal profit, would be producing at a minimum average cost, i.e., it has an optimum size. In other words, under monopoly, even though there is just a normal profit earned, there is unutilised capacity of the plant and resources, while in a competitive firms equilibrium, the normal capacity is fully utilised. Anyway, it can be concluded from the above discussion that the monopolist cannot always earn high monopoly profits. Again, the monopolist in the long run should earn at least normal profits, otherwise he cannot survive. A monopolist finding the cost situation much above the demand consideration in the long run has no alternative but to wind up his business.