UK Childrenswear Sector Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

UK Childrenswear Sector - Essay Example According to the statistics, the value sector in 2006 accounted for 35.9% of all UK childrenswear sales, whereas the total clothing market accounted for 23.6% and it is estimated that the growth can increase further. The slow growth rate of Childrenswear in UK can be attributed to the factors like, slower birthrate in UK and the rapid growth of the value market in childrenswear. In spite of the overall sector growth, only the value and low-price fashion retailers have exhibited a continuous growth. Of the nine leading childrenswear retailers in UK, only seven that have a value or low price fashion positioning have gained market share between 2002 and 2007. Under traditional mid market retailers group, the market leaders like Next and Debenhams have only gained the equal share in market. The UK childrenswear market can be considered as the clothing supplier sector for the children under the age of 15 years. This sector produces or promotes the categories like infant clothing, toddler clothing, kids wear- girls clothing boys clothing, sports clothing, night wear etc., The childrenswear have experienced a risen value of 13.1% from 2001 to 2005 worth of PS6.3bn. The price deflation in UK has also influenced the childrenswear market, due to the increasing number of supermarkets and value retailers. However, the retailers like ASDA, Primark, Tesco have concentrated much on childrenswear rather than other non food sales. During this period these giants have concentrated much on pricing which have created a pricing strategic war in the childrenswear sector. In order to sustain and make a competitive position in the market, many other retailers have to follow the leader strategy, by cutting down the prices. Also the recent raise in the UK birth rate have also contributed rise for the baby wear sales In the recent years the UK retail childrenswear market have become a value conscious market trying to observe value through out the supply chain. Also the market is trying to impress the customer through various innovative and technology oriented services like creating email lists etc., rather than regular promotions. The UK market has become more product and brand led allowing the retailers to keep their own labels and to establish their exclusive lines of sales. This has gained a marked success over the supermarkets and value retailers who tend to focus on non branded items. The trend of success led the market to concentrate on the pricing. The childrenswear market is driven by 3 types of consumers. 1. Parents, 2. Children, 3. Non Parents who want to gift. Parents always wants the best and stand out look for their kids, which can hinder the market share of the non innovative product suppliers. People began to look for 'latest and unique fashion' for their kids. Though the female population under-15 years age is smaller than the male, the Childrenswear market have experienced a growth for Girls wear than the boys wear. This difference can be attributed to the behavioural and attitudinal differences between consumer behaviour of male and female. Girls do maintain an extensive wardrobe and are also much fashion consciousness, and can make high purchase with the changing trends. The girls' wear market in the UK shows some characteristics when divided on the basis of age group: under-nines and above-nines. Under-nines can be classified and targeted for more traditional children's

June Yip proposes post colonialism to evaluate Taiwanese films Essay Example for Free

June Yip proposes post colonialism to evaluate Taiwanese films Essay June Yip analyzes Taiwan in the book Envisioning Taiwan as a new breed of country in the postcolonial era which has least interest in the idea of nation-state, maintaining it’s very local faces as well as open to international influences with much surprise. Yip takes a look at Taiwan’s post-national territory status through its fiction and cinema movement concentrating her attention to filmmaker Hou Hsiao-hsien. (Winterton) Taiwan has a long history of colonialism and suppression, but the multinational capitalism, mass migration, the arrival of new electronic media; all these encouraged a postmodern culture and have questioned the traditional limit as well as made the notion of nation irrelevant. June Yip emphasizes the hybrid nature of identity as fallout of postmodernism, is vastly reflected in the present form of Taiwanese films. The earlier versions were more conventional and guarded the theme of nationhood. She points in her book Hou’s films present a picture â€Å"the island as an increasingly complex and hybrid social space, an ever-changing formation†. (Yip, 230) Yip focuses that Taiwanese New Cinema, emerged in the 1980’s and its patrons are fascinated with displaying the socio-historical qualities of modern Taiwan’s experience and also to form a sense of Taiwanese cultural identity with centralizing on the search for nationhood in their works. They represent the tough transition period of Taiwan’s history through which the island came to the global order and try to depict the same in their films with â€Å"a quest for an understanding of a modern Taiwanese experience† and rising questions from present and future. (Yip, 10) Yip also presents the grim picture of Taiwan’s history where under various regimes; either Japanese or Chinese, the linguistic medium of films was strictly regulated by the ruling authorities. Most of these languages were foreign to the locals while the local medium was eclipsed. So, in modern Taiwanese cinema, a global touch could be felt where characters easily switch from Taiwanese to Mandarin to Japanese to English, showcasing a multicultural effect. (Yip, 6) Yip clarifies that Taiwan’s cultural awareness took time to surface itself on cinema due to its colonial Hanover. As there is a strong link between cinema and the idea of nationhood but in the later half of the 20th century the cinema carried a huge responsibility of nation building as being a visual medium. Government was always involved in making of Taiwanese films but in 1990’s it felt the need to loose the belts as to get back commercial as well as critical acclaim. Most of the film personalities have grown the age of rigidity, so when they started working they tries their best to free themselves from the knuckles and criticized the government under its banner itself as well as displayed the new experiences with global changes. The films Three Times and Puppetmaster have shown the changes of post colonialism. Three Times is a film consisting of three episodes based in three periods of Taiwanese history showcasing the problems of the turbulent times in the history, urge for freedom and also the confusion prevailing in a contemporary city. The Puppet master recollects the life of a puppeteer spanning during the period of Japanese occupation of the island and portraying the sorry state of the Taiwanese people and their hardships and also depicts the loss of tradition under suppression and western influence. Both the films in their respective themes lament sufferings of the history and urge to come out of the rigid circumstances supporting Yip’s thesis. (Schumann) While The Wedding Banquet is a drama with humorous touch where personal relationships, based on generation and cultural conflicts within individuals of slender theme rather matching the concept of analysis of Yip of Taiwanese cinema.

Personality Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Psychology covers a huge field and one interesting aspect of it is personality. Personality by itself involves various issues. Some aspects are Psychoanalytic, Ego, Biological, Behaviorist, Cognitive, Trait, and Humanistic. Different types of behaviors are amazing to learn about, mainly the behavior therapy, collective behavior, crime and punishment, and Social behavior and peer acceptance in children. I chose Behaviorism over the other aspects because I believe behavior determines human personality and is very interesting. You can tell what one is by his behavior, and one behaves according to what place he has in society. By doing this paper on Behavior, I hope to get a better understanding of, if behavior develops a personality or if personality guides behavior. I also see behaviorism helping me in the future with my personal and professional career by understanding human personality and behavior better than I do. No matter what your major is , if you can determine one's personality by his behavior you can really get your work done from that person and understand the better than you would otherwise. This person could be your employee or your employer. Behavior Therapy Behavior therapy is the application of experimentally derived principles of learning to the treatment of psychological disorders. The concept derives primarily from work of Russian psychologist Ivan Pavlov. Behavior-therapy techniques differ from psychiatric methods, particularly psychoanalysis, in that they are predominately symptom (behavior) oriented and shows little or no concern for unconscious processes, achieving new insight, or effecting fundamental personality change. The U.S. psychologist B.F. Skinner, who worked with mental patients in a Massachusetts State hospital, popularized behavior therapy. From his work in animal learning, Skinner found that the establishment and extinction of responses can be determined by the way reinforces, or rewards, are given. The pattern of reward giving, both in time and frequency, is known as a schedule of reinforcement. The gradual change in behavior in approximation of the desired result is known as shaping. More recent developments in behavior therapy emphasize the adaptive nature of cognitive processes. Behavior-therapy techniques have been applied with some success to such disturbances as enuresis (bed-wetting), tics, phobias, stutteri... ...nvolving children to learn social acceptance showed us clearly how one behaves makes him what he is. I believe the same for adults. I believe if one behaves in a certain way for a long time, not only society with believe you are what you are behaving as but he himself will start believing he is what he is behaving as. Also I have learned to be more patient with people because I take a step in the further and think why a person would behave in a particular way. I now can see a clear difference between normal and abnormal behaviors. Benjamin, L. S. (1982). Use of structural analysis of social behavior (SASB) to guide intervention in psychotherapy. In J. C. Anchin & D. J. Kiesler (Eds.), Handbook of interpersonal psychotherapy (pp. 190-212). New York: Pergamon. Benis A.M. Toward Self & Sanity: On the Genetic Origins of the Human Character. Psychological Dimensions Publishers, New York, 1985 http://pmc.psych.nwu.edu/personality.html Carson, R. C. (1969). Interaction concepts of personality. Chicago: Aldine Gurtman, M. B. (1992b). Trust, distrust, and interpersonal problems: A circumplex analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 62, 989-1002.

Comparing Disneys(r) Beauty & the Beast and Mulan

In my opinion, the role of Disney has remained unchanged for over a period of 30 years. Their main values still remain the same: good triumphs over evil and everyone lives happily ever after. Beauty & the Beast, a classic, and Mulan, a contemporary, both share these values as well. I will now compare the 2 animated feature films. Both the films have the same narrative structure. They follow the Todorovs' theorem: Equilibrium –> Disruption –>Journey –> Test –> New Equilibrium. * They both start off with an establishing shot of the heroines and introduces them through a musical score. In B & B (Beauty & the Beast), we see the establishing shot of Belles' house + town and the camera zooms in to Belle. In Mulan, we see something similar. We see Mulan introduced by an establishing shot and then the camera zooms in on her. She then introduces herself and her life/aspirations through a musical score. In Mulan, we also see that Mulan is introduced through the same way. However, we don't directly start off with a song describing her but later on we do hear a song brewed after her visit to the matchmaker. * Both the heroines are very bright, intelligent and brave. They are also unconventional and don't conform to societies' view of a woman. In B & B, we see Belle, during the opening song/introduction, reading a book and then makes her way to the library. Through her conversation with the librarian we learn that she's really keen on reading and this is the only way she gets in touch with the person that she wants to be. So the librarian gives her this book as a present. â€Å"It's my favorite! Far-off places, daring sword fights, magic spells, a prince in disguise †¦ Oh, thank you very much!† Also, during the introduction song, we hear the villagers' views' on Belle and her lifestyle. We hear the fat woman saying about how beautiful Belle is and that she's very bright also. But she's wasting her life on books and she should get married rather. We then see 3 village girls pumping water out of a water-pump. As we can see, they all look the same; they all have blonde hair and blue eyes. Typical. This is purposely set to show Belle in contrast to the â€Å"normal† girls, hence, proving my point. In Mulan, we see her running through a list of characteristics. Her father is also praying to his ancestors to help her find a husband and bring honour to the house. This establishes her uniqueness from the other girls as well. Later on when she goes to the matchmaker, she hides the characteristics in order so that the matchmaker wouldn't see it. This also shows that she doesn't conform with the women of her time and is more manlike. Later on in the film, we see where the Huns are charging at Shang Li and his band of soldiers, which includes Mulan. We see a pan-shot of the Huns charging down the mountain. Shang Li and his men have only one rocket. We see him, Shang Li, then trying to fire the rocket into the Hun army whilst saying, â€Å"we'll take out as many as we can†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This is a typical Chinese soldier. Mulan snatches the rocket away and runs away from the men. She then fires the rocket at the peak of another mountain, which is to the right of the unsuspecting, charging Huns. This causes and avalanche and buries the Huns under a thick blanket of snow. However, the leader of the Huns reaches Mulan and slashes her with his sword before also being buried in the snow. This scene shows that she's brave and also intelligent. She uses her brain to cause the Huns more damage then Shang Li would, with his version of â€Å"fight till death†. * Both the heroines are prepared to sacrifice their lives for their father and, indeed, do. In B & B, when Belle's father is locked up in the beasts' castle, she goes out venturing to find him. She tells the horse to revisit its' footsteps and take her to the place where her father is. In due time, she enters the dark, scary castle. She finds her way to the dungeon, in a great co-incidence, she finds her father locked in. Also, at that moment, the beast reveals himself. (This also proves my previous point that she's brave because she didn't run away or sth like that†¦). Anyway, she interacts with the beast and asks him why did he imprison her father and to let him go cause he's sick. The beast refuses and tells her that he's his prisoner and will do as he pleases. She then offers him herself in lieu of her fathers' freedom and safe return back home. The beast accepts. The same is the case in Mulan. She sacrifices herself when the emperor's messenger declares that a man from each house should join the army to defend against the Huns. * All of the males in both films are portrayed in a negative image. In B & B, we see Gaston in the beginning musical score/introduction, introduced as arrogant and self-centered. We first see him as he shoots down a goose, which was regarded to be very manly in those days, and start to song about him and Belle. He says that she's the only one fit to marry for him as she is the only parallel to his beauty and that she's very lucky that he's selected her. He's a stereotypical hero; massive build, handsome, arrogant and fancied by all the girls in town. He's a parody of the heroes out there. But further on in the film, when Belle refuses to marry him, he vows to make her marry him through any means. This â€Å"evil† statement is also supported through the music. Also, after Belle shows the mirror to the townspeople to prove that her father is telling the truth, he uses his preplanned scheme to try and force Belle for the last time to marry him or he'll make the hospital take his father away to the mental institute. In Mulan, we see Shang Li portrayed as a hero as well; brave and fearless, a good leader, wise and captain of his military squad. But, he isn't as bright as Mulan is, as I have explained above in my 2nd point. Also, we see the other 3 men that Mulan hangs around with. They're dirty, sweaty and ill mannered. * Both the heroines find the â€Å"their man† in the end of the film, the best man. In B& B, we see Belle in the end with the former â€Å"beast† who has now turned back into the prince he was with all his wealth and splendor. She gets him rather than the Gaston, who is also handsome and praised by everyone in the village. In Mulan, at the end of the film we see Shang Li approach Mulan's father, supposedly, to ask her hand because we hear the emperor commenting to him about the â€Å"once in a lifetime† opportunity he has at hand, which chiefly means ‘marry her'. Also, they live happily ever after. In B & B, we see the Belle and the prince dancing in a ballroom, smiling and kissing. Also, the close-ups underline this. Mrs. Pots sings a romantic song, which also reflects the atmosphere. In Mulan, Mulan is reunited with her family and all is forgiven. Shang Li also comes into the scene, to marry her supposedly. Then the camera zooms out and reveals the picturesque scenery implying the happy atmosphere also. Similar beginnings and endings. Both Mulan and B & B start off with a similar equilibrium, then along comes a disruption and causes a change in their lives, because they go on a journey of self-discovery. Ends in ‘happily ever after' mode. (REF: Todorov's Theorem)

Symbolism in Master Harold and the Boys

Because Hally’s father is an alcoholic cripple, Sam takes it upon himself to be a better role model in Hally’s life, which is why the kite is a sign of Sam’s fatherly love for Hally and a lesson to Hally to not judge people that are different.The kite is a clear symbol of Sam’s love for Hally. As a little boy, Hally did not have someone he could look up to because he was ashamed of his father’s behavior. Sam took pity on him and decided to be a good example for Hally. Sam made the kite because he loved Hally and he wanted Hally to have something that he could be proud of. When thinking back to that day, Hally said, â€Å"I was so proud of us! It was the most splendid thing I had ever seen.† Now that Hally is grown, Sam still tries to be a good father figure but he failed to help Hally because Hally is still a rude, judgmental, and racist boy. Sam tries at one final attempt to save Hally when he says, â€Å"Should we try again, Hally? †¦ Fly another kite, I suppose. It worked once, and this time I need it as much as you do.† Even though Hally became a terrible person, Sam never gave up on him because Hally was a son to him.The kite also represents Sam’s lesson to Hally to not judge people, even though that lesson clearly did not pass through Hally’s thick skull. Hally’s first thoughts about Sam making a kite were, â€Å"the sheer audacity of it took my breath away. I mean, seriously, what the hell does a black man know about flying a kite? †¦ I had no hopes for it† and â€Å"Can you remember what the poor thing looked like? †¦ Hell no, that was now only asking for a miracle to happen.† But despite its appearance, Hally said, â€Å"I still can’t believe my eyes†¦ the miracle happened†¦Ã¢â‚¬  when it proved itself by flying high in the wind. Obviously Sam failed once again to make Hally a decent human being, because Hally still proves to be judgmen tal and now very racist as a teenager.

Theories of Personality Essay Example

Theories of Personality Essay Example Theories of Personality Essay Theories of Personality Essay Theories of Personality Psychoanalytic perspective is based on Sigmund Frued perspectives about early experiences it focuses on the importance of the unconscious mind which contains thoughts, wishes, feelings and memories/past experiences in which we are unaware of. The id operates on the pleasure principle by satisfying basic urges, needs, and desires. Ego operates on the reality principle, satisfies the id’s desires in ways that it will cause pleasure instead of pain. Superego strives for perfection, positive feelings and negative feelings of guilt. These three systems were interactions of Frued’s view of personality structure. Freud perspective also focused on psychosexual stages which is the childhood stages of development. Defense mechanisms are methods of reducing anxiety. This perspective could account for the development of introverted and an extroverted personality Humanistic perspective focuses on an individual’s uniqueness and their ability and responsibility to make choices in their lives. Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers were the founders of this theory they believed that a persons free choice, free will, and understanding of their own experiences and feelings. The meanings of events in his or her life are the most important things to study. Carl Rogers believed that Human nature is viewed as basically good and that we all strive for actualizing tendencies but never reached them if based on the opinions of others. Rogers used client-centered therapy to raise the self-concept of the client and stop their tendencies to look for others opinions. The client’s esteem needs will be met and hopefully seize from concerning other people’s opinions. Rogers also developed a q-sort to judge the self-concept. The humanistic perspective can lead to an introverted personality by the individual not reaching their actualizing tendencies because of the opinions of others. The individual may base their level of self-concept on others’ opinions and if he/she receives negative opinions then that may lead the individual to have low self-esteem and an introverted personality. The humanistic perspective can also lead to an extroverted personality by the individual raising their self-concept by stopping their tendencies to look for others approval. Once they accept themselves, their esteem needs will be met and obtain gratification about themselves. Once their self-esteem rises, the individual will feel more comfortable socializing and be more energized The Trait perspective suggests that individual personalities are composed broad dispositions. The trait approach to personality is focused on differences between individuals. A trait is defined as a relatively stable predisposition to behave in a specific way. The â€Å"Big Five† is factors of personality that represents five core traits that interact to form human personality. These traits were Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Neuroticism, Openness, and Extraversion. Psychologist, Gordon Allport believed that every individual was unique and categorized their traits in three levels: Cardinal Traits (traits that dominate an individual’s whole life), Central Traits (general characteristics that form the basic foundations of personality), and Secondary Traits (traits that are sometimes related to attitudes and often appear only in certain situations). Also British psychologist Hans Eysenck developed a model of personality based upon just three universal trails. Introversion/Extraversion: Introversion involves directing attention on inner experiences, while extraversion relates to focusing attention outward on the environment. Neuroticism/Emotional Stability: Neuroticism refers to an individual’s tendency to become upset or emotional, while stability refers to the tendency to remain emotionally constant. Finally there is Psychoticism which is having difficulty dealing with reality and may be antisocial, hostile, non-empathetic and manipulative. The trait perspective can lead to an introverted personality by having psychoticism that perhaps consisted from a genetic basis. An individual might have inherited psychoticism, thus leading the individual to have interpersonal hostility and an introverted personality. The trait perspective can lead to an extroverted personality by having Extraversion traits as the individuals Cardinal traits. The individuals attitude would be sociable, fun-loving, and affectionate, plus all that will be their dominate traits, thus having and extroverted personality. Introversion involves directing attention on inner experiences, while extraversion relates to focusing attention outward on other people and the environment. So, a person high in introversion might be quiet and reserved, while an individual high in extraversion might be sociable and outgoing. The social cognitive perspective was proposed by Albert Bandura it emphasizes the interactions of a person and their situations. Social cognitive theorists focused on how we and our environment interact they believed we learn many of our behaviors by observing others as well as mental process which was thinking about our situations affects our behavior. A. Learned Helplessness- Learned helplessness is when people and animals experience no control over repeated bad events and then come to feel hopeless, helpless and depressed. An example of learned helplessness is a person with low self esteem, they start to feel hopeless and depressed when they think someone else is better than them whether they are better looking, or better at doing something they begin to let there guard down and then feel depressed and hopeless. Optimistic Attributional Style- A positive or negative way of explaining events in their lives. A person may say that a positive event happened because of them and they also believe that more positive things will happen in the future due to that event. As for negative events they see them as it not being their fault. An example would be External Locus of Control- The perception that chance or outside forces beyond one’s personal control determine one’s fate. Individuals who have no self-control are external locus of control. Self- serving Bias- is a readiness to perceive oneself favorably. It refers to attribute positive outcomes to personal factors, but attribute negative outcomes to external factors. An example would be if you won your first track meet, you might say that this was due to the fact that you practiced hard, or that you’re a fast runner. If you lost, you might blame the referee, the weather, or the fields where you are competing rather than admitting that you did not do your best. Psychology

Free Online Classes for West Virginia K-12 Students

Free Online Classes for West Virginia K-12 Students West Virginia offers resident students the opportunity to take online public school courses for free. Below is a list of no-cost online schools currently serving elementary and high school students in West Virginia. In order to qualify for the list, schools must meet the following qualifications: classes must be available completely online, they must offer services to state residents, and they must be funded by the government. Virtual schools listed may be charter schools, state-wide public programs, or private programs that receive government funding. List of West Virginia Online Charter Schools and Online Public Schools West Virginia Virtual School Online Charter Schools and Online Public Schools Many states now offer tuition-free online schools for resident students under a certain age (often 21). Most virtual schools are charter schools; they receive government funding and are run by a private organization. Online charter schools are subject to fewer restrictions than traditional schools. However, they are reviewed regularly and must continue to meet state standards. Some states also offer their own online public schools. These virtual programs generally operate from a state office or a school district. State-wide public school programs vary. Some online public schools offer a limited number of remedial or advanced courses not available in brick-and-mortar public school campuses. Others offer full online diploma programs. A few states choose to fund â€Å"seats† for students in private online schools. The number of available seats may be limited and students are usually asked to apply through their public school guidance counselor. Choosing a West Virginia Online Public School When choosing an online public school, look for an established program that is regionally accredited and has a track record of success. Be wary of new schools that are disorganized, are unaccredited, or have been the subject of public scrutiny. Evaluating virtual schools is important to ensure that it meets the students needs and fulfills educational requirements.

Bear Facts

Bear Facts Bears (Ursus species) are large, four-legged mammals that have a unique status in pop culture. They are not quite as cuddly as dogs or cats; not quite as dangerous as wolves or mountain lions; but they are decidedly ever-compelling objects of fear, admiration, and even envy.  Found in a variety of environments from Arctic ice pack to tropical forests, bears live on every continent except Antarctica. Fast Facts: Bears Scientific Name: Ursus sppCommon Names: Bear, pandaBasic Animal Group: Mammal  Size (length): Sun bear: 4–5 feet; brown bear: 5–10 feetWeight: Sun bear: 60–150 pounds; brown bear 180–1300 poundsLifespan: 20–35 yearsDiet:  OmnivoreHabitat: Woodlands, grasslands, deserts, temperate and tropical forests, on all continents except AntarcticaConservation Status: Least Concern: Brown bears, American black bear; Vulnerable: sloth bear, polar bear, giant panda, sun bear, spectacled bear, Asian black bear Description With some minor exceptions, all eight bear species have  roughly the same appearance: large torsos, stocky legs, narrow snouts, long hair, and short tails. With their plantigrade postures- walking upright on two feet- bears  walk flat-footed on the ground like humans but unlike most other mammals. Bears range in color with species: Black, brown and Andean bears are typically red-brown to black; polar bears are generally white to yellow; Asiatic bears are black to brown with a white patch and sun bears are brown with a yellow crescent on their chest.  They range in size from the sun bear (47 inches tall and weighing 37 pounds) to the polar bear, (nearly 10 feet tall and weighing 1,500 pounds).   Buck Shreck/Getty Images Species Scientists recognize eight species as well as numerous subspecies of bears, which live in different regions, that have differences in body shape and coloration. American black bears  (Ursus americanus)  live in  North America and Mexico; their diet consists primarily of leaves, buds, shoots, berries, and nuts. Subspecies of this bear include the cinnamon bear, the glacier bear, the Mexican black bear, the Kermode bear, the Louisiana black bear,  and several others. Asian black bears (Ursus thibetanus)  live in Southeast Asia and the Russian Far East. They have blocky bodies and patches of yellowish-white fur on their chests, but otherwise resemble American black bears in body shape, behavior, and diet.   Brown bears (Ursus arctos)  are some of the worlds largest terrestrial meat-eating mammals. They range across North America, Europe, and Asia and include numerous subspecies, such as the Carpathian bear, the European brown bear, the Gobi bear, the grizzly bear, the Kodiak bear,  and several others. Polar bears  (Ursus maritimus)  rival brown bears in size. These bears are restricted to a circumpolar region in the Arctic, reaching south into northern Canada and Alaska. When theyre not living on pack ice and shorelines, polar bears swim in open water, feeding  on seals and walruses. Giant pandas  (Aeluropoda melanoleuca)  feed almost exclusively on bamboo shoots and leaves in the central and southern regions of western China. These distinctly patterned bears have black bodies, white faces, black ears,  and black eyespots.   Sloth bears (Melursus ursinus)  stalk the grasslands, forests, and scrublands of Southeast Asia. These bears have long, shaggy coats of fur and white chest marks; they feed on termites, which they find using their acute sense of smell. Spectacled bears  (Tremarctos ornatos) are the only bears native to South America, inhabiting cloud forests at elevations over 3,000 feet. These bears once lived in coastal deserts and high-elevation grasslands, but human encroachment  has restricted their range. Sun bears  (Helarctos malayanos) live in the lowland tropical forests of Southeast Asia. These small ursines  have the shortest fur of any bear species, their chests marked with light, reddish-brown, U-shaped patches of fur. Diet and Behavior Most bears are omnivorous, feasting opportunistically on animals, fruits, and vegetables, with two important outliers: The polar bear is almost exclusively carnivorous, preying on seals and walruses, and the panda bear subsists entirely on bamboo shoots. Oddly enough, though, pandas digestive systems are relatively well adapted to eating meat. Because the vast majority of bears live in high northern latitudes, they need a way to survive the winter months when food is dangerously scarce. Evolutions solution is hibernation: Bears go into a deep sleep, lasting for months, during which their heart rates and metabolic processes slow drastically. Being in hibernation isnt like being in a coma. If sufficiently roused, a bear can wake up in the middle of its hibernation, and females have even been known to give birth in the deep of winter. Fossil evidence also supports  cave lions preying on hibernating cave bears during the last Ice Age, though some of these bears woke up and killed the unwelcome intruders. Bears may be the most antisocial mammals on the face of the earth. Full-grown bears are almost entirely solitary. This is good news for campers who accidentally encounter lone grizzlies in the wild, but quite unusual when compared with other carnivorous and omnivorous mammals, ranging from wolves to pigs, that tend to congregate in at least small groups. Depending on species, a bears basic communication needs can be expressed with  about seven or eight different words- huffs, chomps, groans, roars, woofs, growls, hums, or barks. The most dangerous sounds for humans are roars and growls, which denote a frightened or agitated bear defending its territory. Huffs are generally produced during mating and courtship rituals; hums- a bit like the purrs of cats, but much louder- are deployed by cubs to demand attention from their mothers, and moans express anxiety or a sense of danger. Giant pandas have a slightly different vocabulary than their ursine brethren: In addition to the sounds described above, they can also chirp, honk, and bleat. Evolutionary History Given the proliferation of so-called bear dogs millions of years ago- including the standard-bearer of the family, Amphicyon- you might assume that modern bears are most closely related to dogs. In fact, molecular analysis shows that the closest living relatives of bears are pinnipeds, the family of marine mammals that includes seals and walruses. Both of these mammalian families descend from a last common ancestor, or concestor, that lived sometime during the Eocene epoch, about 40 million or 50 million years ago. The exact identity of the progenitor species, however, remains a matter of speculation. Given that the populations of medieval Europe didnt have much contact with polar bears or panda bears, it makes sense that European peasants  associated bears with the color brown- which is where the English name of this animal derives, from the old Germanic root bera. Bears are also known as  ursines, a word that has ancient roots in Proto-Indo-European languages that were spoken as far back as 3500 BCE. The long history of this word makes sense, given that the first human settlers of Eurasia lived in close proximity to cave bears  and sometimes worshiped these beasts as gods. Amphicyon, the bear dog. Wikimedia Commons Reproduction and Offspring Like their close cousins seals and walruses, bears are some of the most sexually dimorphic animals on earth- that is to say, male bears  are significantly bigger than females​, and, what is more, the bigger the species, the larger  the disparity in size. In the largest brown bear subspecies, for instance, males weigh about 1,000 pounds and females only slightly more than half that. However, even though female bears are smaller than males, theyre not exactly helpless. They vigorously defend their cubs from male bears, not to mention any humans foolish enough to interfere with the child-rearing process. Male bears, however, will sometimes attack and kill cubs of their own kind, in order to induce females to breed again. Although there are some differences among the species, in general, female bears generally become sexually mature at between 4 and 8 years of age and have litters every three or four years. Bear breeding occurs during the summers- it is the only time when adult bears get together at all- but implantation doesnt typically occur until late autumn. Total gestation time is 6.5–9 months. Cubs are born singly or up to three at a time, generally in January or February, while the mother is still in hibernation. The young usually stay with their mother for two years. After mating, females are left to raise the young by themselves for a period of about three years, at which point- eager to breed with other males- the mothers chase the cubs away to fend for themselves. James Hager / Getty Images Threats Considering that early humans used to worship bears as gods, our relationship with ursines hasnt exactly been stellar over the last few hundred years. Bears are especially susceptible to habitat destruction, are often hunted for sport, and tend to become the scapegoats whenever campers are attacked in the wild or garbage cans are overturned in suburbs. Today, the largest threats to bears are deforestation and human encroachment, and, for polar bears, climate change which is reducing the environment in which they live. On the whole, black and brown bears are holding their own, even though adverse interactions with humans have increased as their habitats become more constricted. Conservation Status According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the sun bear, sloth bear, Asiatic, and spectacled bears are all listed as Vulnerable and decreasing in population; the polar bear is also listed as Vulnerable but its population status is unknown. The American black bear and brown bear is considered Least Concern and increasing in numbers. The giant panda is Vulnerable but increasing in population.   Bears and Humans Within the past 10,000 years, human beings have domesticated cats, dogs, pigs, and cattle- so why not bears, an animal with which Homo sapiens has coexisted since the end of the Pleistocene epoch? One explanation is that since bears are intensely solitary animals, theres no room for a human trainer to insert himself into the dominance hierarchy as the alpha male. Bears also pursue such varied diets that it would be difficult to keep even a tame population well-supplied. Perhaps most importantly, bears are anxious and aggressive when stressed, and simply dont have suitable personalities to be  house  or yard pets. Sources Dharaiya, N., H.S. Bargali, and T. Sharp. Melursus ursinus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T13143A45033815, 2016.McLellan, B.N.et al. Ursus arctos (amended version of 2017 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T41688A121229971, 2017.Scotson, L. et al. Helarctos . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T9760A123798233, 2017.malayanus (errata version published in 2018)Swaisgood, R., D. Wang, and F. Wei.Ailuropoda melanoleuca (errata version published in 2017). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T712A12174566, 2016. Wiig, Ø. et al. Ursus maritimus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T22823A14871490, 2015.

Nestle Boxed Water Production Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 11000 words

Nestle Boxed Water Production - Research Paper Example Analysis of competitors and macro environment audit will be important part of the study. The report will try to address some key business challenges for Nestle in the later stage of the study. This report will do detail analysis of product portfolio and service offered by Nestle. In final stage the study will try to recommend some suggestion to the company regarding business principles required to achieve sustainable growth in long run.Nestle is a well known Swiss multinational company. The company specializes in nutritional food and consumer goods. The company is headquartered at Vevey, Switzerland. The Swiss consumer goods company was established by Henri Nestlà © in the year 1866. In the initial year they started with a name of Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company while within next thirty nine years the company changed their name twice. Finally in the year 1905 company changed their name to Nestle. Nestle is the largest food company in the world in terms of annual revenue. The comp any is also acts as major shareholder for L'Orà ©al (largest cosmetics company in the world). Nestle offers various products such as Maggi, Stouffer's, Nespresso, KitKat, Nescafe, Smarties, Vittel, and Nesquik to global customers. Nestle employs more than 330 000 people all over one fifty countries while they have established four hundred and sixty one factories across the globe. Sales revenue for the company in the year 2011 was CHF 83.7 bn. Major milestones for the company can be summarized in the following manner. Time Period Event 1866-1905 The Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company merged with Nestle. 1906-1918 Number of factories decreased due to world war 1 but the company started their operation in USA. 1919-1945 The company launched Nescafe. 1946-1975 The company did acquisition of Alimentana in order to gain access to Maggi products. They became major shareholder with L'Oreal. 1976-1980 The company entered in pharmaceutical market by acquiring Alcon Laboratories of USA 1981-1 995 The company acquired American food giant Carnation to improve their bottom line. In 1986 the company entered espresso coffee segment by launching Nespresso. 1996-2005 The company expanded their operation in the segment of health, nutrition and wellness with the help of series of acquisition. 2006-2009

Sustainable life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sustainable life - Essay Example I should use low energy appliances in my home. I should make use of empty containers instead of throwing them in the dustbins. I should do wise shopping. I should reserve a bag for carrying things. Whenever I go shopping, the bag should be with me and I should put everything in that bag instead of plastic bags. Long story short, I have to make sure that nothing gets wasted. 3. Principal challenges that hinder the tendency of cities to become sustainable are the citizens’ huge reliance on the depleting natural resources. The biggest challenge in front of government is to improve the standard of living of the poor population in the urban areas. As the population in a city increases and its economy strengthens because of growing businesses, so do the complexity of management of these cities and administration of business. 4. Oil is America’s biggest problem. In order for US to become sustainable, it is imperative that all efforts are focused at minimizing consumption of oi l. Alternative energy sources like wind and solar energy should be used. In order to make US sustainable, cities should be made more compact.

A COMMUNICATION STRATEGY FOR WREST PARK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

A COMMUNICATION STRATEGY FOR WREST PARK - Essay Example Message – Content, Structure, Format The format is a general letter (text provided in report) which also contains photographs in strategically-placed parts of the page. The text is the central part of the page. The Communication Message The communication message will promote the beauty of the place as well as noting several recently completed revitalization projects which have completed and would be worthwhile to experience. It will also point out other attractions which people would be interested in. How to Deliver the Message The message will be delivered by website on the Internet, Facebook, Twitter and other social media components, and through new media, such as emails and text messages with links, to registered customers through smart phones. Groupon can also be utilized as part of the coupon process for receiving the discount. Deciding Who the Messenger is The messenger is the Chief Executive of the English Heritage Organization who is an integral part of the operations for Wrest Park and would be the most likely person to act as the messenger. Analysing the Strategy Success The returns can be analysed through how many people sign up for memberships at the reduced rate and who purchase the Groupon coupon. Social media sites can provide returns on pay-per-click through ads and banner ads, as well as QR codes scanned, which lead to the website. The Report – Part II Introduction Wrest Park is located ? miles east of Silsoe which is halfway between Luton and Bedfordshire on A6. Wrest Park is considered to be the birth place of the traditional English garden and currently is a beautiful showcase developed over three centuries, consisting of French, Dutch, Italian and English garden landscapes, added on over the years. It is an inspirational journey through art in landscaping. There is plenty to see and do here at the park, including shopping, visiting the cafe for lunch, checking in at the visitor’s centre for all the places to visit on t he grounds, including travel cart rental sign-up. Visitors can visit the Wrest Park mansion to see the home where the de Grey family has lived for over 600 years and also visit the formal gardens just behind the mansion (Wrest Park Online 2012). Building the Communication Strategy The goal of any communication strategy is to inform the target market about the product or the service, and in this case, it is the Wrest Park as a historically artistic landscape. The goal is to provide a communication which brings in more customers who will pay fees to enter and walk or ride through the park, shop and eat lunch at the grounds cafe. The money brought in will help sustain the operations in maintaining the park to its fullest grandeur as a historical archive in landscape art. The more people who know about the park and visit it, the more they will share their experiences with others who will, in turn, come to visit too. The park has many benefits and features for visitors and it is importan t to emphasize those (Boone 1999). The communication strategy is developed first with determining the target audience through research, which also includes members on the database, then deciding on the objectives of the communication message. The next part is designing the message through content, structure and format. Following that process comes the important part of deciding how to send out the message to the right target audience to maximize the return on investment (ROI). The last part is deciding where the message comes from. The communication must be accurate, timely and relevant (Jain 1997: Zikmund

Student loan vs bank loan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Student loan vs bank loan - Research Paper Example A majority of students applies for federal loans. However, there has been an increase in the number of students applying for bank student loans. The federal government determines the fixed interest rates of the federal student loans, while the lender determines bank student loan rates. The lender determines the fee to be charged on the principal amount, and this is based on the credit worthiness. Students who are apply for Stafford and Perkins loans to require credit worthiness but those applying for the PLUS loan require no previous adverse credit. Considering the pros and cons of each option, it becomes challenging to decide whether students should apply for the federal student loans or the bank student loans. There have been price wars about the federal loans and bank loans for students as reported in the media in recent times (Andriotis 1). One may argue that the bank loans for students are actually cheaper than those being offered by the federal government. A few years back students preferred to have loans from the federal government because the rates were subsidized. This means that in the case of a rise in the interest of the federal loan, the students’ rates were not affected. The students were allowed to pay the amount that was agreed. Many students preferred federal student loans because they are easy to qualify for compared to banks (Clark 1). The bar set for by the federal government understands the need of students to have the money to pay for education. Banks on the other hand need assurance they will get their money back. This means that to access money from a bank the qualifications are quite high. The credit history of the student should be clean. The students should also have a repayment ability convincing enough to the bank before accessing a bank loan. This means the students should have a source of income, which is highly unlikely in most cases. The bank will require financial information on

Contract & Purchase Negotiation Not Just the Beatles Essay

Contract & Purchase Negotiation Not Just the Beatles - Essay Example Thus, because of lack of preparation Brian Epstein lost in these negotiations resulting to lose of millions of revenue. However, he would have prevented this from happening if the following steps of effective planning for negotiations were followed; framing the problem and recognizing it is a common problem between the negotiating parties. Brian Epstein failed to recognize how the problem that was facing him would be beneficial to the media and entertainment industry and hence made it difficult for him to have a strong bargaining power in the negotiations hence resulting to the loss of millions of revenue. In addition, determine your goals, articulate what you want to achieve through them and finally prepare for the negotiations (Roy, et al., 1999). Your goals must define the ultimate agenda and the conflict situation. Brian Epstein failed to formulate a plan, and goals that he wanted to achieve through his negotiations with the media and entertainment industry players like George Martin hence resulting to the loss of millions of revenue. Exchanging the list of issues you want to discuss with the negotiating party is another effective negotiating step that can provide an opportunity for the negotiating parties to synthesize the merits and demerits of the negotiations prior to the negotiations process. If Brian Epstein would have presented his agenda to the media and entertainment industry early and articulated the benefits thereafter, he would have managed a better bargaining power that would have saved the Beatles the millions of lost revenue. Evaluation and prioritization of ones’ goals and trying to identify any possible tradeoffs between them is another key step in the negotiation process (Roy, et al., 1999). As a negotiator, you must be aware of your position and goals to help and guide you identify your concerns and desires that underlie your major objectives of

Branding - Lexus Car Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Branding - Lexus Car Company - Essay Example Therefore, the re-branding process constitutes the development of a new ‘‘name, term, symbol, design or a combination of them’’ with an aim of reaching a new position in the stakeholders’ and competitors’ minds. Therefore, re-branding is measured by the level of changes in marketing aesthetics and brand position. Re-branding is either evolutionary where it involves minor, gradual and hardly perceptible changes in the aesthetics and positioning, or revolutionary where it involves major and identifiable changes in aesthetics and positioning that lead to fundamental re-definition of a company. This is a proposal on how to re-brand Lexus. Therefore, I shall examine the brand’s background and determine its position in the automobile industry. I shall then establish the reasons why the company would require to undergo a re-branding process. I shall then proceed with the formulation of the re-branding plan by taking advantage of underlying oppo rtunities and establish measures to counteract the challenges that might arise. The process shall culminate in the selection of an appropriate branding agency that will carry out the re-branding process. ... Although Lexus is fully owned by Toyota, it has developed its distinctive luxury image in the consumers’ minds. This image is entirely different from Toyota’s image that provide feisty and reliable cars and not flashy cars. In this case, Lexus was provided with its own brand values. The launch of a Japanese luxury car to compete with the likes of Cadillac, BMW and Mercedes Benz would have seemed preposterous some decades ago. However, the introduction of the Lexus LS 400 after the investment of colossal amounts and production of numerous prototypes broke this notion. Over the years, Lexus has evolved from an improbable outsider to a formidable force in the luxury automobiles industry. The competition among the leading luxury vehicle manufacturers has been heating up over the last few years. This race involves pushing sales, leading in profitability, admiration for its models and incorporating innovative technologies. Furthermore, to lead in this industry a company has t o offer better service and quality besides selling more units than the competitors. Although Europe has been experiencing an economic slump, the luxury automobile producers have been increasing their investments and production capacity. These efforts aim at increasing sales in growing markets such as the United States and China. This is because the luxury industry demands players to continuously raise the bar. Therefore, making counter-cyclical decisions, although not easy, can determine the level of progress that a company will achieve (Ciferri, 2013). Rationale for Re-branding The automobile industry is facing new challenges in controlling carbon dioxide emissions and in reducing fuel consumption. Manufacturers are focusing on developing ‘green’ concept vehicles that can be mass-produced.

Contract & Purchase Negotiation Not Just the Beatles Essay

Contract & Purchase Negotiation Not Just the Beatles - Essay Example Thus, because of lack of preparation Brian Epstein lost in these negotiations resulting to lose of millions of revenue. However, he would have prevented this from happening if the following steps of effective planning for negotiations were followed; framing the problem and recognizing it is a common problem between the negotiating parties. Brian Epstein failed to recognize how the problem that was facing him would be beneficial to the media and entertainment industry and hence made it difficult for him to have a strong bargaining power in the negotiations hence resulting to the loss of millions of revenue. In addition, determine your goals, articulate what you want to achieve through them and finally prepare for the negotiations (Roy, et al., 1999). Your goals must define the ultimate agenda and the conflict situation. Brian Epstein failed to formulate a plan, and goals that he wanted to achieve through his negotiations with the media and entertainment industry players like George Martin hence resulting to the loss of millions of revenue. Exchanging the list of issues you want to discuss with the negotiating party is another effective negotiating step that can provide an opportunity for the negotiating parties to synthesize the merits and demerits of the negotiations prior to the negotiations process. If Brian Epstein would have presented his agenda to the media and entertainment industry early and articulated the benefits thereafter, he would have managed a better bargaining power that would have saved the Beatles the millions of lost revenue. Evaluation and prioritization of ones’ goals and trying to identify any possible tradeoffs between them is another key step in the negotiation process (Roy, et al., 1999). As a negotiator, you must be aware of your position and goals to help and guide you identify your concerns and desires that underlie your major objectives of

Reaction paper for international studies lectures Essay

Reaction paper for international studies lectures - Essay Example The relationship between the economy and globalization is only based on positive impacts and change. While defining globalization, Norberg (2003) points out that globalization is a way in which nations can share the same platform of trade with minimized legal and corporate requirements. He regards this definition as the main reason behind the development of many nations from underdeveloped countries to developed and developing countries. Apart from economic growth, globalization has led to many other positive changes in the modern society. Norberg (2003) cites gender equality, improved education and a more efficient way of fighting global crimes such as terrorism as other significant changes impacted by globalization. In his arguments and theories, Held & McGraw (2007) argue that globalization creates a united globe that greatly depends on each other for excellence. Norberg (2003) creates well formulated defensive arguments in support of globalization. In his arguments, he acknowledges the most important positive changes globalization has impacted in the global front (Norberg, 2003). He cites significant reduction of poverty and hunger across the globe as one major importance of globalization (Norberg, 2003). With globalization, poverty and hunger are effectively addressed as global bodies and nations have steeped up the efforts to eradicate the two problems. Additionally, Norberg (2003) argues that globalization has increased the level and spread of democracy. Across the globe people have the freedom of speech and decision making regardless of the cultural or social affiliations. Kalder (2000) also points out that the increased gender equality can be attributed to the rising levels of globalization. Kalder (2003) also depicts globalization with positive perception. The most important argument in her literary piece is that globalization is the answer to wars experienced across the globe. She points out that

High School and Students Essay Example for Free

High School and Students Essay Introduction The continuous deterioration of the quality of education in the Philippines has prompted the DepEd to push for the implementation of the K to 12 programs, which entails the institutionalization of kindergarten and the addition of two more years of high school in the basic education cycle. The proposal has spurred a heated debate on whether it could lead to improvements or just exacerbate thn e present state of education in the country. The Enhanced K+12 Basic Education Program in the Philippines has been officially started. It has been initiated by the Aquino administration where students will have to undergo a new system of education. This program will require all incoming students to enroll into two more years of basic education. Thus, the K+12 System will basically include the Universal kindergarten, 6 years of elementary, 4 years of junior high school with an additional 2 years for senior high school. Moreover, the program aims to uplift the quality of education in the Philippines in order for graduates to be easily employed. The program also aims to meet the standards required for professionals who would want to work abroad. Most importantly, the system aims to fully enhance and develop the students in order for them to be well-prepared especially in emotional and cognitive aspects. Through this, graduates will be able to face the pressures of their future workplace. However, not all are in favor of the K+12 Education. There are students complaining of the additional years and there are parents who are not in favor of the additional expenses. But indeed, it is an undeniable fact that additional years in the education system will really require more budgets not just from the government but from the parents as well. Aside from this, students will need additional classrooms, school supplies and facilities. The program would need more qualified teachers as well. The researchers believe that the K+12 Education in the Philippines would uplift the quality of lifestyle of the Filipino people. But, this could not be done without being prepared. And since the program has already been implemented, what is  more important now is for students to do their best and study despite of the lack of facilities. The Philippine educational system pursues the achievement of excellent undergraduates in the elementary and secondary level. Implementation of UbD is one of the proposals that undertook in the country recently. At present, the Department of Education pronounces the addition of two more years in the basic education of students, which according to them will benefit not only the Filipino youth but all the Filipinos in the Philippines. This proposal is part of P-noys Educational Reform Program. The administration asserts that with the implementation of such program, the problem of unemployment in the country will be resolved. In as much as employment in the Philippines is concerned, the K12 education also responds to the fact that most countries in the world already have the same plan in their educational institutions. With this, the standards of these countries go a notch higher than what the country has, thus, creating an expansion in the global competency. What can be really said about this plan? While the reaction of the public is divided, where some are in favor and some are not, here are several issues that point out to the aggression of opposing groups especially the parents to this program. One of the main problems in the Philippines which the government needs to resolve is the lack of school and classrooms in the different parts of the country. It is important that students stay in a place that is conducive for study while they are away from home. In addition, with teachers go abroad to teach, or do another job, there is already a shortage of educators in schools that mold the minds of learners. And this deficiency has become a problem for the country in the past several years. Finally, there is a need for students to utilize the appropriate instructional materials and school equipment for them to learn and gain the necessary knowledge in school. This lack of accessibility in books and other school supplies clearly manifest the scarcity in the public schools in the country. There is nothing wrong in aiming the other fraction of a horizon, and that is what the government attempts to accomplish. It is in fact an indication that to aspire for something higher, one must carry out certain actions to achieve the goal. However, the administration also ought to realize and clearly understand what the educational system in the Philippines needs to develop primarily. The mentioned issues above are only a few elements that entailed to be resolved. At some point, the Philippines cannot go ahead unless the concerns are faced and the difficulties are completely solved. There are a lot to be done to improve the competency of the youth. The government does not need to gaze from afar. ? Conceptual Framework The framework of this as can be viewed below was anchored on the dependent variable, student’s perception on the K+12 policy as the independent variable. Research Paradigm Fig. 1 Dependent Variable Independent Variable Statement of the Problem Major Problem: 1. What is the perception of the STMA high school students on K12? Minor Problems: 1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of K12? 2. Does the student agree on the K12 policy? ? Hypothesis This study assumed the following: 1. That students have different definition about the K12 policy. 2. That students believe that K12 is a waste of time. 3. Most students will not finish high school. Scope and Delimitations The target respondents of the study are the high school students of the current academic year (2011-2012) randomly selected across all year level. It is limits itself on the perceptions of the students on the said topic and their preconceived notion. Significance of the Study. This study is about the perception on K12 policy among parents and high school students of St. Thomas More Academy academic year 2011-2012. The persons that would benefit from the study are the following: Students A better understanding on K12 policy would benefit the students on increasing their knowledge. Teachers The finding of this study may likewise motivate and challenge them to guide their students on matters regarding K12 policy related issues considering the philosophy of loco parentis or the second parents; teachers will be able to explain things. Parents will be enlightened on how best to explain to their children matters pertaining to K12 policy. ? Definition of terms The following special terms has been sued to suit this study: Deteriorate To make or become worse in character, quality, etc. Exacerbate To increase the severity, bitterness, or violence of; aggravate. PerceptionPoint of view; Opinion Promptto obey ENDNOTES Websites: www. wikipedia. com www. wiki-answers. com http://wiki. answers. com/Q/What_are_the_advantages_in_having_k_plus_12? CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ? CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE. In preparing this study the researchers seriously looked for different books, newspapers articles and other media as point of reference. There are numerous sources that the researchers found especially on the internet related to these. The researchers carefully examined the following related literature; If the K-12 Education Plan becomes successful, then the Philippine education system can become more competitive among other countries around the world. Though there are still some problems that the government needs to solve before they can successfully implement the plan. The proposed program is good but it still wont work if the needed elements to make it work aren’t present. Such element includes the number of public school classrooms plus the adequate supply of classroom chairs, books, etc. If the government could allot a bigger budget to educational needs, then we could be one-step ahead towards the success of the K-12 program. Furthermore, parents (especially those who belong in the poor sector) should be properly informed and motivated of the advantages of the K-12 Education Plan. This is very important since parents play a major role in providing the childs school allowances, supplies, and fees for other school projects and activities. Add to that the support of parents towards their children in terms of guidance and teaching. The DepEd seems all set to add two more years to the country’s 10 year basic education curriculum. This is a very tough issue to crack. We think it is a clash between reality and the ideal. A question unanswered – is this for the common good? The truth is there are already many problems at the current 10-year curriculum and it has nothing to do with number of years. To enumerate a few – there are not enough qualified teachers to teach all the students; that is made worst with just too many students; there are not enough classrooms and schools to comfortably fit all the students (not to mention not enough bathrooms and water supply); there are not enough books; add the problem of poor quality books, on top of that there are not enough facilities and finally very high dropout rates. The latter, high dropout rates are being caused by something out of the education system but affects large part of the population – poverty. There are just so many poor families and they are so poor that many of them cannot afford to pay for the already meager amount needed for the education of their children. Grade school and high school are free in public schools with parents needing to just spend on uniforms, fare and some expenses. The tuition which normally accounts for a very large share of the total expenses are free and yet most poor families can still not afford of what is left for them to spend. It is not that the expenses are high, it’s just their income is very, very low. It is this inability to afford the other expenses that has caused a very high dropout rate among students. This plan of the DepEd to add two more years will of course not solve any of the above problems. In fact, it will only extend all those problems by two more years. A longer basic education will also mean even higher dropout rates. Then there is the problem of additional expenses for the government. As of now, with the 10 year curriculum, there is already desperate lack of classrooms and schools. The public schools cannot turn the student’s away when they show up to enroll. To cope many public schools have crammed as many students as they can inside the classroom with classrooms crammed with chairs from wall to wall. Not enough, the schools conduct classes in at least shifts, in some instances classes held very early in the morning till late in the evening. With two additional years, the schools will definitely need to construct new buildings and classrooms or God forbid conduct classes 24/7. The above is the reality part. On the government side, in the discussion paper it disseminated during its press conference last Oct. 5, the Department of Education (DepEd) has given at least nine reasons for the K+12 project: 1. â€Å"Enhancing the quality of basic education in the Philippines is urgent and critical. † 2. â€Å"The poor quality of basic education is reflected in the low achievement scores of Filipino students. One reason is that students do not get adequate instructional time or time on task. † 3. International test results consistently show Filipino students lagging way behind practically everybody else in the world. In the 2008 mathematics exam, for example, we came in dead last. 4. â€Å"The congested curriculum partly explains the present state of education. † Twelve years of content are crammed into ten years. 5. â€Å"This quality of education is reflected in the inadequate preparation of high school graduates for the world of work or entrepreneurship or higher education. † If ten years were adequate, how come employers do not hire fresh high school graduates? How come most high school graduates flunk the UPCAT? 6. â€Å"Most graduates are too young to enter the labor force. † Since most children start Grade 1 when they are 6 years old, they do not reach the legal employable age of 18 when they graduate from high school today. 7. â€Å"The current system also reinforces the misperception that basic education is just a preparatory step for higher education. † Why prioritize the minority of high school graduates that go to college? 8. â€Å"The short duration of the basic education program also puts the millions of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), especially the professionals, and those who intend to study abroad, at a disadvantage. Our graduates are not automatically recognized as professionals abroad. † The best examples are our engineering graduates, who are condemned to international jobs not befitting their professional status due to our not having a 12-year basic education cycle. 9. â€Å"The short basic education program affects the human development of the Filipino children. † If we believe that 17-year-old high school graduates are emotionally, psychologically, and intellectually mature, why do we require them to get parental consent before they get married? On the other hand, those opposing the plan put forward the following arguments: 1. Parents have to shell out more money (for transportation and food) for the education of their children. 2. The government does not have the money to pay for two more years of free education, since it does not even have the money to fully support today’s ten years. DepEd must first solve the lack of classrooms, furniture and equipment, qualified teachers, and error-free textbooks. 3. We can do in ten years what everyone else in the world takes 12 years to do. Why do we have to follow what the rest of the world is doing? We are better than all of them. Filipinos right now are accepted in prestigious graduate schools in the world, even with only ten years of basic education. 4. As far as the curriculum is concerned, DepEd should fix the current subjects instead of adding new ones. The problem is the content, not the length, of basic education. As an editorial put it, we need to have better education, not more education. 5. A high school diploma will not get anybody anywhere, because business firms will not hire fresh high school graduates. 6. Every family dreams of having a child graduate from college. 7. While students are stuck in Grades 11 and 12, colleges and universities will have no freshmen for two years. This will spell financial disaster for many private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). 8. The drop-out rate will increase because of the two extra years. ? . CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY ? Chapter III Methodology This chapter deals with the methodology of the studies. This is presented on the following sections: (a) Research design (b) Sampling Technique (c) Instrumentation (d) Data-gathering procedure and (e) Statistical treatment of data. Research Method The descriptive survey method was man used in this research. The descriptive method is concerned with the analysis of the relationship between non-manipulated variable employing the use of the development of generalization. This means that variable have already occurred and are just selected and observed Fraenkel and Wallen (1998) also define the descriptive research as involving collection of data in order to test hypothesis and answer questions concerning the current status of the subject of the study. Since the study deals with perceptions of parents and high school students on K12 policy of the Philippine government academic year 2011-2012, the descriptive survey method was deemed appropriate to be used. [[[[ Sampling Technique The population of the study involved a total number if 496 respondents randomly selected representing at least more than half of the school’s population irrespective of the age, year, selection and gender. Research Instrument The researchers devised a self-made questionnaire designed to obtain information related on the objective of the study. It consisted of the following parts: Part I – This part of the questionnaire dealt with personal information regarding the respondents (name and section). Part II – This part of the questionnaire was intended to ask the respondent’s definition about K+12. Part III – This part of the questionnaire was intended to ask the respondent’s idea about the advantages and disadvantages of K12. Part IV- This part of the questionnaire was intended to ask the respondent’s opinion about the benefits of K+12. Data Gathering Procedures. The following data gathering procedures guided the researchers Phase 1 – a copy of the questionnaire was presented to the thesis adviser. The researchers asked for his comments and suggestions; Phase 2 – the researchers presented the edited questionnaire and asked for further assistance from parents. It was then presented for approval to the school principal who gave valuable insight and ideas on how best the data can be gathered. Phase 3 – the researchers conducted data gathering procedures during first week of February. The figure below is the flowchart of the Data Gathering Procedures done by the researchers. Fig. 2 Statistical Treatment of Data For analyzing the data, the researchers will be use of the following statistical tools: Percentage This refers to the number of parts per one hundred. It is a statistical tool used to express how large one quantity is, relative to another quantity. To get the total percentage of specific number and total number respondents in the questionnaire the formula is: % = F/N * 100 Where N=370 Unless otherwise stated the above formula will be used except for multiresponse questions or for gender based questions. ? Presentation and Data Analysis Table 1 1. How do you define K12? This table is a multi-response item which showed that majority of respondents surveyed that they defined K12 as an added two years in high school with 77. 57% followed by it is an academic program with 20. 54% and a government policy with 15. 41%. ? Table 2 2. What are the advantages of it? The preceding multiresponse table2 showed that majority of respondents surveyed said that the advantage of K12 policy is to gain more knowledge with 62. 97% followed by more chances to have work with 29. 19% and free OJT with 18. 65%. ? Table 3 3. What are the disadvantages of it? Multiresponse table 3 showed that more money to spend was the top disadvantage of K12 with 79. 19% followed by waste of time with 16. 22% and lack of leisure with 15. 41% as the final point of view. ? Table 4 4. Do you agree on K12 policy? More than half of the respondents said that they disagreed on the K12 policy with 67. 57% and the remaining 32. 43% of the respondents agreed. ? Table 5 5. Do you think you will be well educated if you graduated under the K12 system? Table 5 showed that the majority of the respondents agreed that they will be well educated if they graduated under the K12 policy with 70. 27% and the other respondents left disagreed with 29. 73%. ? Table 6 6. In K12 system, do you think it will be helpful to all students? The greater part of the respondents believed that K12 policy will be helpful to the students. ? CHAPTER IV SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ? CHAPTER IV Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations This chapter presents the summary of findings, conclusions and recommendations. Summary of Findings. This first table is a multiresponse item which showed that majority of respondents surveyed that they defined K12 as an added two years in high school with 77. 57% followed by it is an academic program with 20. 54% and a government policy with 15. 41%. The second table is also a multiresponse item which showed that majority of respondents surveyed said that the advantage of K12 policy is to gain more knowledge with 62. 97% followed by more chances to have work with 29. 19% and free OJT with 18. 65%. Multiresponse table 3 showed that more money to spend was the top disadvantage of K12 with 79. 19% followed by waste of time with 16. 22% and lack of leisure with 15. 41% as the final point of view. Table 4 illustrates that more than half of the respondents said that they disagreed on the K12 policy with 67. 57% and the remaining 32. 43% of the respondents agreed. With this, it showed that the most of the students doesn’t like to implement the K+12 policy due to their concern for their time and to their parent’s money.. Table 5 proved that the majority of the respondents agreed that they will be well educated if they graduated under the K12 policy with 70. 27% and the other respondents left disagreed with 29. 73%. In table 6, it shows that the greater part of the respondents believed that K12 policy will be helpful to the students. Conclusions It has proved that the respondents showed their different views or perceptions on the K-12 system of education in the Philippine government. The following conclusions have been drawn: 1. That students were all informed and yet educated what the K-12 system is about. 2. That disadvantages were showed by the majority of the students through the data gathered whereas it resulted the students not to agree on the said system. 3. That students will be well educated after finishing the K-12 system in their education. 4. And on the other side it will be a great help to the students to learn more and adequate information that will mold them into a better person. ? Recommendation It is with fervent wish of the researchers that the following recommendations be considered by the concerned; Students 1. Responsible is the key to the effectiveness of this program. 2. Should be responsible enough to fulfill the given task of their teachers. Teachers 1. Teachers should encourage their students to open up if they have their problems on their subjects. 2. Since teachers are willing to help the students be more cooperative and open-minded to develop their skills and studies. Schools 1. Schools should provide clean and green surroundings. 3. Monitor the students in having gangs/fraternities. 4. They should provide and recuperate their facilities. Parents 1. Parents should help their children in their problems. 2. Parents should encourage their children to keep not neglect their studies. ? St. Thomas More Academy Incorporated Molino III, Bacoor, Cavite Survey questionnaire Title: Perception of STMA High School Students on the K12 policy of the Philippine Government Name: Year and Section: 1. How do you define K12? a. added two years in high school b. academic program c. government policy 2. What are the advantages of it? a. free OJT b. more chances to have work c. gain more knowledge 3. What are the disadvantages of it? a. waste of time b. more money to spend c. lack of leisure 4. Do you agree on K12? a. no b. yes 5. Do you think you will be well educated if you graduated under the K12 system? a. yes b. no 6. In K12 system, do you think it will be helpful to all students? a. yes b. no. Title: Perception of STMA High School Students on the K12 policy of the Philippine Government Name: Year and Section: 1. How do you define K12? a. added two years in high school b. academic program c. government policy 2. What are the advantages of it? a. free OJT b. more chances to have work c. gain more knowledge 3. What are the disadvantages of it? a. waste of tim b. more money to spend c. lack of leisure 4. Do you agree on K12? a. no b. yes 5. Do you think you will be well educated if you graduated under the K12 system? a. yes b. no 6. In K12 system, do you think it will be helpful to all students? a. yes b. no.

Steriods in sports Essay example -- essays research papers

Steroids in Sports   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In my opinion, the initial reason a person starts to play any sport is to either to have fun or mainly to emulate their favorite sports figures. So many kids want to swing a bat like Barry Bonds, or rush the football like Jamal Lewis, or play soccer like Pelle’. When I was younger, I wanted to tackle like Lawrence Taylor. Since these children like to do what they see their role models do, what happens if they find out that their favorite person boosts his skills by using illegal substances? Since there are a lot of impressionable minds out there, some of those little fans may be swayed to do the same when they get the chance to. Steroids are addictive, just like marijuana or other illegal substances, and there are some well known athletes abusing them to get a quick â€Å"power up† instead of actually working hard to achieve muscle tone, or that extra intensity; that extra strength that they think they need. Steroids are seemingly displacing hard wor k in today’s sports world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I asked coach Wilson, my hometown football coach, about his opinion on steroids. â€Å"I’ve caught some boys taking steroids personally, and I think the main reason that it’s taken is competition. They usually do not know how to lose, and they will do almost anything to win.† When I asked him what could be done to improve on this problem, â€Å" Well the only thing that I can think of to sort of contain this problem is random testing for athletes.† â€Å"There is now a cream out that players do not have to inject into their blood stream, they just have to rub it on their skin, and it won’t show up in a blood test.† He went on to state that â€Å"In Highschool it’s pretty easy to point out most of the kids using.† â€Å"You can mainly tell by their attitude, and their size for a highschool student.† Also, he stated that â€Å"steroids don’t really make you better, I mean they don’t really increase your speed or agility, they just increase your intensity level, and make you bigger as far as muscles go, but it’s not worth it when you think about the risk those people take with their bodies.† Former baseball all-star, Jose Canseco had a book published, call â€Å"Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big.† This book pointed the finger at several players accusing them of steroid abuse. Miguel Tejada was among the p... ...kle, that maybe we would have won a game or two, but never did I think about using steroids for the â€Å"extra edge† that I thought I needed. I just used other methods of cheating, like tripping players, or holding players, or when there was a fumble, I would get under the pile and kick, and punch, and twist limbs. I cheated legally and we still did not win many games. I can not say that none of my teammates thought about using, but I do not think so, and from a personal locker room relationship with them, I do not think any of them used steroids while I was on the team. We lost our games honestly, â€Å"well sort of.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Steroids are â€Å"eating up† the sports world as we know it. Whether it is giving players who are already good, unfair advantages, or killing and or crippling steroid abusers for life. All major sports, from baseball to track and field are cracking down on the usage of steroids. There is not yet a way to completely stop it, but random testing, and psychological profiles can help contain the problem. Also the media should use discretion when reporting these problems on the news or in the newspapers, as they would when talking about other substances.

Australia In The Vietnam War :: essays research papers

The only time Australia has come under direct attack from another country, was when Japan bombed Darwin and sunk a number of ships in Sydney, during World War 2. The question then has to be asked, why Australia has been involved in so many conflicts. A number of recent conflicts in this century come to mind, they include, The Boer War, World War One, World War Two and The Vietnam War. By far the conflict that drew the most outrage from Australian citizens was the Vietnam War. Australia has been drawn into these conflicts through a number of treaties and alliances made with other countries. Often it is not the conflicts that have drawn most outrage from Australian citizens, rather the insistence of other countries, for Australia to accept large numbers of post-war refugees. The introduction of conscription into Australia during the Vietnam War, caused much outrage in the Australian public. Vietnam was the first war ever to be properly televised, the public saw for the first time the true brutality of war. The public started to question Australia’s involvement in the war. Moratoriums were held around Australia in protest against conscription and Australia’s involvement in the war. Much of the protesting was done by students and the younger generations, there was still support for the war effort. This was reflected in the November 1966 elections, when there was a landslide victory for the Liberals. Conscription did have an effect on the Liberal governments popularity, a few months after a complete troop withdrawal in 1972 from Vietnam, the Whitlam Labour government replaced the McMahon Liberal government. Historically, one of the influencing factors of the Liberal’s election loss was the Governments choice to get involved in a war that h ad little to do with Australia. Australia’s involvement in Vietnam came about due to the South-East Asia Treaty Organisation(SEATO). Australia was a country involved in SEATO. After Americas request, South Vietnam requested Australia’s help in the Vietnam Conflict. Australia’s involvement in this organisation was an important one, if South-East Asia fell to communism, then it’s northern shores would be vulnerable. Having said this, Australia’s involvement in this conflict was not purely for this reason. Political ambition was a major contributing factor in Australia’s involvement. After all, it was a chance to help one of the most powerful countries in the world out, and this would strengthen Australia’s political alliances with America.

Research and Analyze a Real Life Conflict Essay

The problems arising from today’s workforce diversity are caused not by the changing composition of the work force itself but by the inability of work organizations to truly integrate and use a heterogeneous work force at all levels of the organization (Ibarra, 2003). Granted, some corporations are including diversity goals in their strategic planning and are changing organizationwide policies, but even those changes are focused mainly on internal processes of the organization. This article’s main argument is that organizations need to expand their notion of diversity to include not only the organization itself, but also the larger systems that constitute its environment. Organizational policies and actions that are inclusive can benefit all system levels from the individual worker through the work organization to the wider community. The concept of â€Å"the inclusive workplace,† introduced here, refers to a work organization that is not only accepting and using the diversity of its own work force, but also is active in the community, participates in state and federal programs to include working poor people, and collaborates across cultural and national boundaries with a focus on global mutual interests. The inclusive workplace is defined as one that values and uses individual and intergroup differences within its work force cooperates with and contributes to its surrounding community alleviates the needs of disadvantaged groups in its wider environment collaborates with individuals, groups, and organizations across national and cultural boundaries. The social work profession can play a key role in the conceptualization and implementation of such a model for the workplace. The value system reflected in this model is congruent with basic social work principles, and the skills needed to implement programs to increase workplace inclusion are consistent with professional social work skills and competences. The issue of diversity and inclusion takes on special urgency in human services organizations. Women and racial and ethnic minority groups are disproportionately represented among the clients of human services agencies as well as in their staff (Henderson, 2004). The extent to which workers from diverse backgrounds feel included in the organization may have a direct bearing on their job satisfaction and commitment and influences the quality of services provided as well as the workers’ own health, mental health, and social functioning. This article presents a conceptual framework relevant to social work practice on the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. The question addressed by this article is not whether diversity is good for the organization, but how to manage it effectively. Viewed from an ecosystems perspective, the notion of organizational inclusion–exclusion is used as a focal point to examine two models–value-based and practice-based–for understanding and managing workplace diversity. The recent emphasis on the diversity of the work force in human resource management is based on historical developments. Civil rights legislation from the 1960s on had outlawed discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, pregnancy, national origin, age, and disability, excluding these factors from employment decisions (the Civil Rights Act of 1964 [P.L. 88-352], Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 [P.L. 95-555], Age Discrimination Act of 1978, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 [P.L. 101-336], Equal Pay Act of 1963 [P.L. 88-38], and Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 [P.L. 93-508]). Triggered by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s plea that people should be judged by their character, not by the color of their skin, the intent of these laws was to provide equal opportunity to all. In 1965 President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Executive Order 11246 requiring â€Å"employers doing business with the federal government to develop affirmative action plans to assure equal employment opportunities in their employment practices.† The main rational for affirmative action programs was to compensate for past discrimination and to correct current discrimination. However, with the recent backlash against affirmative action programs (for example, California Governor Wilson’s [R] initiatives in roiling back affirmative action programs), companies may no longer be proactive in recruiting and retaining women and ethnic minority workers, unless they realize that such policies work to their benefit. Forecasts about the future predict an aging work force in which increasing numbers of women and members of racial and ethnic minority groups will participate. By 2020 white non-Hispanic people will represent 67 percent of the work force (down from the current 76 percent), Hispanic presence will be 14 percent (up from its current 9 percent), Asians will represent 6 percent (up from today’s 4 percent), and African Americans’ share of the work force will remain 11 percent (Ibarra, 2003). These work force demographic changes will mirror population demographic trends and will vary by region and state. The western states are rapidly becoming more diverse as Hispanic and Asian populations grow. The human services work force also is becoming more diverse with particularly high representation for women at more than 65 percent. These changes suggest not onl y a more diverse workplace, but also a more varied client pool in human services organizations, and they underscore the need for social work to develop practice paradigms for more inclusive work environments. The nature of opportunities for female, ethnic minority, and older workers has implications for the lives of these workers and their families, for organizational effectiveness, and for society as a whole. As a result of civil rights legislation, affirmative action programs, and workplace policies to promote diversity, acquiring a â€Å"boarding pass† to corporate America has become less of a problem for women and ethnic minority workers than being included in the corporate culture and power structure (Ibarra, 2003). Exclusion from organizational information and decision-making networks has been identified as one of the most significant problems facing today’s diverse work force. The inclusion–exclusion experience is one that has deep social–psychological roots for human beings, given their dependence on others for the provision of even the basic needs of food, shelter, and clothing (Henderson, 2004). Mor-Barak and Cherin (1998) conceptualized inclusion–exclusion as a continuum of the degree to which individu als feel a part of critical organizational processes such as access to information, connectedness to coworkers, and ability to participate in and influence the decision-making process. Research on social demography in the workplace indicates that women and members of racial and ethnic minority groups commonly find themselves excluded from networks of information and opportunity. Similar trends are evident in human services organizations where women and ethnic minority groups, particularly African American women, are more likely than other employees to occupy the lowest-ranking positions. These experiences, in turn, are linked to limited job opportunities, delays in career advancement, and higher rates of turnover (Giagalone & Beard, 2004). Clearly in democratic countries, where equal opportunity is an important national value, promoting fairness and economic opportunities to underachieving members of society is the right and ethical thing to do. Exclusionary organizational practices are destructive for individuals who suffer from their economic, emotional, and social consequences as well as for organizations. Work organizations, therefore, need to create and sustain a culture that accepts individual differences and encourages differential contributions to the work environment. In other words, they need to strive to become inclusive organizations. The welfare-to-work reform efforts can be conceptualized as an opportunity to make the work place more inclusive with respect to socioeconomic status. Welfare reform, enacted by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-193), ended 60 years of public assistance programs in which the sole criteria for continued aid was dependency, poverty, age, or disability. A key component of the act is the termination of welfare benefits after a maximum of 60 months, with the expectation that benefit recipients will find jobs by that time. Because of welfare reform, more and more welfare recipients will enter the labor force. Traditionally, employers have had limited involvement or interest in welfare reform and have not viewed working poor people as an element in organizational life worth substantial investment. An inclusive workplace sponsors and supports projects to help former welfare recipients overcome barriers to employment. The programs focus on overcoming barriers to employment faced by mothers with young children, who make up the majority of AFDC recipients and poor families (Giagalone & Beard, 2004), and assists former welfare recipients with child care, transportation, housing, and health care expenses, which are the main barriers to employment faced by this group (Ibarra, 2003). The programs also provide on-the-job training to allow welfare recipients to improve their job skills and increase their wages and benefits. The economic benefits include improved wages for this segment of the population that increases the pool of consumers with discretionary income. Also, better treatment of low-wage employees who are often frontline workers improves the company’s customer relationships. In addition, value-based organizational practices are often attractive to customers. Companies gain a more loyal work force (given that it is treated well) that is committed to the organization and has lower turnover rates as a result (Giagalone & Beard, 2004). With the expanding economy and the current and anticipated labor shortages, employers may need to expand their employee pools by taping into the potential resource of former welfare recipients. A strong corporate commitment to hiring and retaining former welfare recipients that includes help with employment barriers can facilitate the difficult transition and increase the chances of long-term employment. In addition, opening up advancement opportunities for this population may increase their chances of obtaining higher-paying jobs with better benefits that will release them from the vicious cycle of low-paying jobs that do not leave much income above the job-related expenses such as child care and transportation. The main obstacle here is a limited corporate vision. Companies often focus only on the immediate needs and objectives of the company rather than considering the bigger picture that includes moral and ethical values as well as labor-force trends and the larger organizational environment. The other obstacles are stereotypes held by management and workers against welfare recipients and against people of color. The latter is based on a common misconception that the majority of welfare recipients are people of color when, in fact, the majority are white (Giagalone & Beard, 2004). Social workers can help organizations overcome the â€Å"one-size-fits-all† approach that has been wide spread in the area of diversity training. The risk of this approach is that although these interventions may be effective in sensitizing workers to people who are different from themselves, they do not deal with organizational structures and policies that may foster wrong treatment of people from diverse backgrounds. In the context of human services organizations, the need to understand exclusionary practices is particularly important in light of the disproportional representation of women and ethnic minority individuals in their staff (Ibarra, 2003). With their knowledge of human behavior, discrimination, empowerment, and group dynamics, social workers can initiate focused interventions such as diversity training, work groups with women and ethnic minority constituencies, and mentorship programs to facilitate the inclusion of women and ethnic minority workers in management and supervis ory positions. Using an ecosystems approach, the model outlines four systems levels, from the micro to the macro, that are relevant to understanding and implementing the model. Although this approach is well embedded in social work values and principles, one must remember that the workplace is a host environment that is often not open to social work intervention. To propose such innovative programs to businesses, social workers need to be entrepreneurial in their approach and be able to translate their ideas into â€Å"business language.† For this reason, this article provides research-based data that demonstrates the benefits of inclusive organizational policies for the company’s economic well-being. The use of such data is essential when approaching management with an innovative idea for a program to help, for example, former welfa re recipients, or for a community-based shelter for the homeless. References Giagalone, R. A., & Beard, J. W. (2004). Impression management, diversity, and international management. American Behavioral Scientist, 37. Henderson, G. (2004). Cultural diversity in the workplace. Westport, CT: Quorum Books. Ibarra, H. (2003). Personal networks of women and minorities in management: A conceptual framework. Academy of Management Review, 18.