Concepts of Wellness Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Concepts of Wellness - Annotated Bibliography Example This study found that by either keeping elderly patients in the community at large, or creating a substitute community within a care facility, the patients quality of life and well-being could be drastically increased. This study again showed a linkage between emotional wellness, social wellness, and physical wellness. This study reviewed current literature on the connection between spiritual wellness and mental health. The author found that spiritual health could be further broken down into components, which all added up to good spiritual health. One of these components was a sense of community with others who held similar beliefs, so once again links back to social and emotional health. The study found that there were profound implications for mental health treatment in the area of spiritual wellness. This research looked into the wellness needs of online and distance learners in a college setting. The study found that in many cases, the wellness needs of such students were being overlooked. Their intellectual wellness was met through challenging courses and online discussion, but in many cases their social and emotional needs were not met. The implications of this study are that students with lower levels of overall wellness tend to perform less well in their studies, and so more of an effort needs to be made to meet all of the wellness needs of these students in order to help them reach their full potential. This research focused on overall wellness for employees in a university setting. The study found that most of the research subjects had high levels of overall wellness, but were lacking in physical wellness. Poor nutrition and long working hours contributed to this issue. This study shows that even if most of the dimensions of wellness are met, failing in just one area can affect overall health in a significant

Mr aaban Essay Example for Free

Mr aaban Essay An employees contract of employment may be terminated by either the employer or the employer or the employee giving the notice required by the applicable award or the industrial Relation act 1990. Where the prescribed notice is not given, the employee shall be paid wages in lieu of notice, or the employer may withhold wages due to the employee. Part 2 Notwithstanding Part 1 above, where any employee is guilty of misconduct, the contract of employment may be terminated instantaneously. Where it is alleged that an employee is guilty of misconduct, the employee shall be provided with details of the allegation/s and be given a reasonable opportunity to respond to allegations prior to a decisions being made to either terminate the employment or to issue a written warning. Part 3 where it is alleged that an employees capacity or performance is unsatisfactory, then the following procedure should be followed. The existence of this procedure shall not prevent an employee being dismissed in accordance with part 2 above. The initial discussion and direction will be provided on an informal basis by Business manager of other authorised person. If the problem/s persist the Business manager to other authorised person will discuss with employee. 1. the matter/s of concern; 2. action necessary to resolve the concerns; and 3. a timetable for improvement to be evidence. input including explanations will be sought from the employee. As a result of this discussion the Business manager or other authorised person will notify the employee in writing regarding those matters in question discussed per clause 3. 5 above The notice will detail; 1 the matter/s of concern; 2. actions necessary to resolve the concerns; 3. a timetable for improvement to be evidenced. This notice will be signed and confirmed by the employee to recorded the discussion (3) above. of there is a disagreement as to the content of the notice the employee shall have the opportunity for their view to be placed on the record. Appropriate monitoring and counselling shall then be provided to the employee by the business manager or other authorised person. part 4 at any meeting or discussion forming part of the process in part2 or 3, the employee nay be accompanied by a union representative or other person of the employees choosing. Macville Private Incident Hazard Form Incident/ Hazard Report Form Given Name: John Family name: Dawson Position Title: Equipment Assistant International? Yes No Visiting Student Agency Personnel Visitor Contractor Employee number/ Student ID : s654 Address: 57 Mitford Crescent Craigieburn Division: 50 Management Unit: 15 TAFE Unit/ Sub Management Unit: 20 DOB: 02/06/1985 Gender: M F Contact details: 86557342 Have you reported this to your Team Leader/ Manager? Yes No Date 15/08/2012 notified Yes Name ( please Print): Matthew Contact: 0432654678 Macville Private Questions and Answers for Incident Hazard Form Question1. Feed back for the use of Templates: Answer: For Incident Hazard form we got feedback from the employees and management committee so made some changes in it. In incident hazard form we got the feedback from employee suggested that we need to add more question in section 2 details of incident. Rest of the format for this template was achieved good response from all of them. Question 2. Change in template after feedback Answer: According to the feedback on the use of template we made some changes in for example we add some more question regarding the incident so we after giving the answer to those question we have more information what actually happened. Question 3. How to provide information for document Answer: We can use Meta tag which is primary used to help search engines better index a document by supplying additional information about the document. Question4 : Which particular section of the form should prior check the form? Answer: In incident hazard form first check the details of the person to check they are appropriate and then check the details of the incidents what actually happened. Question 5: which software used to make forms for example? Answer: For Incident Form we used software Microsoft word. Macville Private Question and answer for Performance Development form Question1 : Feedback for the use of Templates Answer: Fro the Professional development form we got feedback from the employees and management committee so made some changes in it. First of all we just asked in the form for professional goals then they suggested that if we achieved good response from all of them. Question2. Change in template after feedback Answer: According to the feedback on the use of template we made some changes in for example we made another column of personal goals in professional development form so we can achieve both goal employees personal and professional Question3 : How to provide information for document Answer: We can use Meta tag which is primarily used to help search engines better index a document by supplying additional information about the document. Question4: Which particular section of the form should prior check the form Answer: In Performance development form all the sections are important but firstly we will check the Name of the person and date of reviewed and there goals. Question5: Provide clear instruction for the use of all three forms. Answer: Development form is a really good way to know the employees work performance that how the employee is doing the job and what he/she want to achieve from doing that job and what/where they can do best in the future for the organisation to achieve their targets and mission.

Role of Interest Groups in the Decision Making Process of the European

At present, there are approximately 3,000 different interest groups that are formally recognized by the European Union (Kirchner 2011). These interest groups represent a variety of interests and vary in the amount of influence that they actually have on the policy making process. These groups represent the interest of multiple sectors of both social and economic life within the European Union. Interests range from AGRICULTURE to BIG BUSINESS to HUMANITARIAN AID. In a truly pluralist nature, these groups are competing, either directly or indirectly, with each one another to have an influence in the legislation that is produced by the European Union. It is without a doubt that these interest groups within the European Union play an important part of the decision-making process. The blossoming interest group community within the European Union has both beneficial and detrimental impacts on the democratic quality of the European legislative process. By providing a background of i nterest groups and their influence in the decision-making process and comparing the role of interest groups within the European Union to those within the United States I will demonstrate the positive and negative qualities of interest group participation in the democratic process. In this paper, I will argue that interest groups are indeed a double-edged sword in affecting the democratic quality of European Union legislation. Before this topic can be adequately addressed, I believe that it is necessary to clarify a general definition of an interest group. For purposes of this paper, I will refer to Rainer Eising’s definition of an interest group, because I have found it to be the most expansive and relevant towards the argument being made in thi... ... of interest group lobbying far exceeds the negative; however the negative implications are of huge importance. Taking the current status of the full-fledged role of interest groups within the United States as a comparison to the nascent status of interest groups within the European Union, one can see the hazards of not addressing the negative discrepancies. It is my conclusion that the improvement of the democratic deficit as demonstrated by the interest groups thus far in the Union has proved the importance of interest group lobbying. Given this, I believe it is essential for attempts to be made by the European Union to mitigate the detrimental effects of political lobbying to ensure optimum democratic legitimacy into the future. The fact remains that at present, interest groups are seriously enhancing the democratic quality of European Union legislation.

On “Education” in “Modern” India Essay

As I was sat down, trying to ‘learn’ chemistry one Friday evening, I began thinking on our education system due to which I had to study in such a poor way; it’s a pity, that I have started hating the subject, or all subjects for that matter, the more the examinations approached. To that end, I wrote a poem later – my debut poem, with which I’d like to introduce the topic; her it goes: â€Å"Education† for Progress You take a pot and fill it with water, the ocean still remains, You make the pot bigger, to douse the house’s flames And you make it even bigger, till you wash all of hell. But as men march on in time’s way, so do the forces grow, That bar the door of wisdom, till it maketh a man (a) crow; And once, but out the feathers come, than you just lo: For cells have formed where ere was Eden, And into the Saharan sands hath Plato been driven; Till now, had man’s asininity been aeon ridden? You look across many a book or any common mind, And surprised you may well be, to find: The fountain remains flowing as ever, waiting for Its very first drinker. But heads of men are now sore, And they allow not the thirsty to have a pour, But Indian crabs as they are, they pull him back onto shore. They set for education a Hammurabi’s code, And state it on an Economist’s ode: not the fountain Whose drink all doth desire, but a mere factory by the road That gives not many the bliss which they hope, but pain; Agony from not just failing to educate the self, But excruciation seeing others that too need help. The birth of a boy sees many a new colour: Businessman, engineer, NRI or a doctor. The scholar of yore is seen no more As machines of the line’s grown stronger than before. The student of the day is not the knowledge seeker, But a piece of iron thrown in the hands of a ‘caster’; That moulds and melts him not into the Being, But a mercantile golem that lives to seek a living. To commend its superiors enjoying the beauteous Nature, Whilst it toils in turmoil on these pans of fire: Institutes that teach not to analyze and wonder, But to gobble, espouse, vomit and then†¦just wander. So, do we just give tests and go on becoming another mechanical product of this degree-machine, or relieve ourselves of this blunder? We find that today, education has reached such a stage, that the difference between the educated and the uneducated, is but a degree (or no degree), however the other may know; which reminds me of what a teacher of mine once said: â€Å"†¦You may wonder at the fact, that I have said Euclid and Aristotle together. You see, in the ancient world, the gift we had got, was the scholar, not the B.Tech, M.A., or B.Sc. (Hons). Thus, you get the same Pythagoras, who devised the theorem, AC2 = BC2 + AB2, giving the theory of transmigration of souls – two very different subjects, philosophy and mathematics, but the very same person.† Indeed, today we do lack such people, for the very fact that, India today is not the divine land where knowledge is respected – the land where the greatest university of the time exists, but a machine designed ages ago, to churn out Indian Civil Service workers, extended beyond into independent India by mistake (rather ignorance and lack of understanding), and united with the pre-ancient Indian processes of rote-learning, to make another machine, completely satisfactory in its ability and purpose of creating doctors and engineers, who work completely like a machine, with no interest in finding new methods or discovering new techniques or findings, but just working as per the age old methods engineered earlier, or today, but certainly by foreigners. The primary cause I believe, which has led to this is the method of education provided by society on him, from day one onwards – the very same day the student sees school that is. But first, let us have a look at the ‘ideal’ student, as society – the Indian society – views him. Is it not a boy, well in attire, i.e. in a neat and clean uniform, sitting in front of the table, with a book in front of him, learning what is written in the book, by-heart, writing down all that he has learnt, and at the end of the year, coming out with flying colours in his report-card? To those who find no problem with this, my question is â€Å"Why the farce?† Why the farce of such a false scene that has been idolized, to kill even the Einstein’s that our country has created? Is it that we have been so much into this claptrap of the rote-learner being the ideal, that we form this leucoma, to fail seeing through this farcical non-sense? Now, let us have a look at the true side of this story – the story that many of us have to go through, especially the ‘hopeless’ and the ‘fools’. As the young mind enters the nursery, he is forced to accept what he is told – a good method to teach language the fast way, but, the real problem occurs, when this process is extended into subjects which require full understanding, like mathematics. The student learns that two plus two is four, rarely because two objects and two objects come in to make a number o objects we call four, but rather because it makes four, be all and end all. And practicing thus, he goes on to learn tables, least understanding, what fives times three actually means. Thus, this process of forced learning create a feeling of boredom and the people who become successful, hence, are those who can accept these facts easily, little realizing the beauty that lies behind of the subject that lies beyond it, or the logic of why they are doing such, and at times, even, what they are actually doing, as an interview I carried out on standard three and four students, indicated – they knew very well, that eight into nine is seventy-two, without even the basic knowledge of why it is not seventy-one or seventy-three for that matter; it was seventy-two because they had learnt it to be seventy two PERIOD! It reminds me of Einstein’s â€Å"Concepts that have proven useful in ordering things easily achieve such authority over us, that we forget their earthly origins and accept them as unalterable givens.†(Translated from German) Worse still happens, when we try to extend this method into higher education, especially in the science and arts streams. Speaking of science, wherein I fit, the last blow on the camel’s back comes, when we are forced to accept theory and practical as two different ‘papers’, rarely finding the link lying between them. The only aim the students form now, is to get marks by properly doing what lay in front of us, finding the ‘correct’ answer, and finally, getting the marks. After that, there is nothing more to discover, and in some experiments, they don’t even figure out what physical quantity they are measuring. Some of us again, like a very good engineer, try understanding the things, from what is written in theory, which we have learnt by reading the book – thus, we tend to believe the book at each stage, even at the cost of manipulating the results of our experiments; little do we thus learn, that the value of ‘g’ which we got as 7.9 – 8.1 is actually the correct one, and not 9.81. Thus, we even fail to realize our foolishness. Computer Science is in fact, the only exception to this rule, as in it, we know why we are doing something, clearly, at least to the level of gates, which is generally considered the base of computing – at least as far as the programmer is concerned; which is perfectly acceptable. But as far as the other subjects are concerned, it is a different story altogether. Thus, this rote-learning that most of us have to go through in many subjects, in many schools, and in many standards is the sole cause of this problem. What intensifies this, are the many competitive examinations that we, the high school students, try to prepare ourselves for. In the process, we blindly accept some facts and play as much as we can with them, to tackle the problems that would be given in the exams. Thus, we slowly and painfully, kill the scientist, which lies within someone. But what truly wait, is not more criticism, but a solution to all this; of course, it is only my thought, which I believe can work, but it is a thought that comes from first0hand experiences and realizations. So, let us begin to address this from day one. The child enters the school, knowing nothing; what he especially does not know, is the beauty of knowledge and to him, school is a dreadful place (courtesy the stories that society teaches him). Hence, this can easily break him; thus, we must first break this breaker, by allowing him to play and interact with the other students and the teachers, as time progresses, to get a firm grip on him. As the bond slowly develops, we can introduce him or her to alphabets first those of his mother-tongue, and then that of English – however, both these languages must be taught simultaneously, or at least in the same class – nursery. Thus, we must teach the child, with a caring attitude, having no concern for teaching him this much or that much, as specified by the syllabus, we can form a proper child, who is ready to learn. And as he progresses to higher subjects like mathematics, science and higher English/Bengali/Hindi, it can be taught slowly and in a manner wherein the child learns by experimentation. For example, tables can be taught, not through the usual boring and strict way of mugging up the tables up to 9, but by making him himself realize, that when two is added five times, it gives ten and making him do the exercise a number of times fully understanding how these follow, as tables. This done, the student formed would be one, who is ready to experiment, loving the subject, fully understanding what he does. At the end of the day, a student who does this, would really want to learn it faster and would do so. Going on to English, comprehension and grammar exercises and short stories can be taught, in a way that makes him realize what the content of the story is, and make him develop a reading habit; reading classes can be organized, so as to develop his reading skills, and full scale discussion of the topics, with debates, speeches, etc. can be taken in order to develop his skills in public speaking, understanding the language, etc. As for science, â€Å"everything around us is science and can be understood if tried to† can be the key to the success in this path. The children can be taught to thus observe the phenomenon around, to learn form what he sees around him and only at this stage, remember (not blindly accept) that something he sees, like wet clothes drying up when it is kept in the sun, etc.; to this note, I remember a personal experience that I cherished: in class two, when we were being taught birds, we were asked to collect feathers of birds that had fallen, in order to study them, match them to find whom they belonged to, and even discuss on them. The experience of that class, as I still remember, was the most entertaining, enthralling and enriching one ever in my life. But sad it is, that few teachers are so innovative enough to draw our full attention, and let our interest in the subject rise to such an extent, where we learn so nicely that we remember those classes for our entire life. Coming back, this process can go on thus, and as for value education, classes should be based on yearly assessment of thoughts, not as in maintaining a diary, but as a class-work. Shifting up to the high school level, children from class six onwards can be allowed to go to the practical labs, to freely experiment with the instruments upon the teachers’ instructions, observing, making systematic recordings, and last but not the least, themselves inferring from the data they find, so as to find patterns in Nature. This can be nicely done in physics, if not chemistry – at least with organic chemicals the students can experiment, as for harsh ones, the teacher can perform the experiment, making the students infer from them. Thus, an ‘experimentative’ approach and curious nature would be instilled into the child’s young mind, as he passes through this elementary level of science, giving rise to the birth of the scientist within him. He should also be given full freedom to talk on the subject in the class, alone with the teacher, in word or in writing, so as to fully clear his/her doubts, and understand the subject deeper than ever. In a line, the student should not learn the laws, but derive them out of his activities. Moving on to class nine, the first six months can be classes of revision of whatever he or she had learnt in the junior classes. Later, new topics can be introduced, and in a very similar manner, he must be taught these. Hence, the final student that would be formed would not be the marks-seeker, but a true knowledge-seeker – thus at least the scientist. As for arts, students can be introduced to philosophy at an elementary level itself, not in the form of boring lectures, but by making them philosophize on everyday happenings, historical events, problems and solutions, etc.; thus he’d not need to learn philosophy, but develop a taste for finding philosophy in everyday life. Hence, when he/she will read texts of great authors, he’d immediately find the essence of it all. The same goes for commercial applications and economics, where he can be made to realize the truth behind all the business policies – through stories, and even experiments in the form of mock business sessions (even on very small imaginary ones, like buying a product of Rs. 2), to make the students understand the principles behind the complex business policies. He should also be given the proper mathematical background required behind this, as in pure statistics and some of pure and applied mathematics, and if a student is found interested more in some subject, which is not in his syllabus, he can well be taught the lesson after school. This method I believe,, will surely create not only a true student, but also a complete human being. As for the so-called ‘boring’ subjects of history and geography, it is the method of teaching alone, that makes all the difference. History can be taught by first drawing the interest of the student. Ancient history is a good place to start this practice, by making history an extension of literature and logic combined. He can be †¦ taught to learn not the whats alone, but taught more importantly the ‘why’s and hence, the deeper ‘how’s!

Johannes Vermeer’s “Woman Holding a Balance” Essay

The nationalgalleryofart.gov website features an artist by the name of Johannes Vermeer. Johannes Vermeer’s â€Å"Woman Holding a Balance† exhibit consists of that single art piece, which was created in 1664 with oil on canvas. This realistic piece of art shows a woman holding a balance, seemingly lost in her thoughts. In the background is a painting of â€Å"The Last Judgment†. Vermeer made it hard to perceive what the woman may be balancing, whether it is the gold chains and the strings of pearls that are lying on the table in front of her, or if it’s her thoughts that she is trying to balance out. That idea is up to the audience to decipher and debate. Looking at the basic characteristics determines the artist’s style. Vermeer distinctly places background lines that fade into the vanishing which happens to be the woman’s finger, which helps in balancing the painting. In another attempt to balance the painting, Vermeer placed the balance point precisely in the middle of the painting. He also makes the woman a positive shape, meaning she is at the for-front of the painting, while the work of art and jewelry are perceived as negative shapes, meaning they are in the background. Vermeer also uses light to enhance this painting. The light seems to aggrandize the woman, making her the focal point of this work. He uses different types of paints to create wool like texture of the woman’s orange dress. He understood the concepts of different colors; for example, using the lighter color orange dress under the dark blue shawl, gave him a chance to lighten the painting. The size of the painting behind the woman suggests that the woman is small, actually making everything in the work smaller than it. Implied motion is shown in the painting also, by the woman holding the balance, in the process of waiting for it to reach equality. By combining these characteristics, one can determine the style Johannes Vermeer uses in this painting. Realism is the style of this work. Because everything in this painting could have really happened in his time of the 17th century, concludes the fact that the style is realism. In this work of art, I see a pregnant woman holding a balance contemplating something. I can be certain she is holding a balance, but it is what she is balancing could be up for debate. I think she is balancing her thoughts about the future of being a new mom vs. just a wife, or maybe the thought her religion and what is to come of it. The painting of â€Å"The Last Judgment† inquires this thought process. These symbols that Vermeer uses serve to support the message being conceived as the balancing of life-what religion holds for her, and what the real world holds for her. Vermeer’s biography explains that he grew up, settled, and died in Delft. He was raised as a Protestant, but before marrying he converted to Catholicism. In the 1600’s religion was a big part of life, which supports the logic about the symbolism, and their meaning of the painting. His culture is relayed in the painting, by the clothing the woman is wearing, and the artifact she is holding. His style seemed to be realistic historical or realistic religious. This fact is also supports the idea of this painting being about religion. The art of the 17th century was â€Å"Baroque† which communicated religious themes. The Catholic Church was a big influence at this time, and seemed to encourage art relating to religion. I found that minute details in a painting can help one understand it better. The biography of the artist can help a lot also. When looking at a piece of art , one has to literally pick it apart, and then look at it all together because the smallest thing could change the meaning being portrayed. The most important information I embarked on was everyone has a different opinion of what a painting is implying, and no one is wrong. Works Cited Johannes Vermeer, Woman Holding a Balance, c. 1664, National Gallery of Art, Widener Collection

Summary And Synthesis Of Mike Roses Lives On The Boundary Essays

Summary And Synthesis Of Mike Roses Lives On The Boundary Essays Summary and Synthesis of Mike Rose's "Lives on the Boundary" Carl Woodward's article in the Battalion relating to the idea that undergraduates do not care about important issues is on average totally inaccurate. "Lives on the Boundary", an excellent, informative essay by Mike Rose is a great example of how and why education should be equal for everyone. My fellow classmates and I mostly agree with Mike Rose's essay and disagree with Carl Woodward's opinion. We care about important issues and think that education should be equal for all. When Mike Rose was growing up he had only a few books available to him so he began to buy comic books because he "loved the heroes' virtuous omnipotence." And after comic books he moved to other items such as the instructions to his chemistry set and science fiction novels. He wrote very little in his schooling until his last year of high school where a teacher helped him find an interest in doing so. Although he was a good reader he did inefficiently on literacy tests. It can be said that he only thought about the concrete reality. Basically he was only educated by what entertained him, like Elizabeth Ewen's quote says (Rose 98-99). Rose further goes on in his essay to explain the circumstances of immigrants in our country and their struggle of learning the english language in order to improve their life style. He says "a failed education is social more then intellectual in origin." For example he explains the essence of a boy from Guatemala who saw his brother hacked apart, and how the boy has trouble learning the canonical education due to the trauma that he has experienced (Rose 99,101). Rose further goes on to argue that the great books are necessary and should be thought but the students must learn the material not just memorize it for regeration on exams. It would even be a good idea "to revise these messages and redress past wrongs would involve more than adding some new books to the existing cannon." (Rose 107) Basically Rose says that the cannon should be adjusted so that education will be more available for all. I feel that education should be equal for all and support most of Mike Rose's thoughts and ideas. It no difference what country or ethnic background people are from they should all have the same chances to succeed in America. However I feel that Rose favors the canonical or education by way of great books approach to education and I am more inclined to the revisionist's approach to education. I agree that the great books should still be read and taught but not necessarily in the numbers that they are now. Or maybe the teaching of the literature could change to a more student/learner friendly manner. Suppose that the students are allowed to pick from a list of the great books, which one would they want to read. If so then the student might actually get something out of the reading process, and the education system will have worked. When I discussed Mike Rose's essay with my fellow classmates I found that their thoughts and ideas regarding the article were very similar to my own. Drew suggested that "Students should read the great books that they are interested in because if they are not interested they won't get anything out of them." In addition David added "That students need to find the love of reading by books they are introduced and then they can love the great books, everyone needs to be introduced." Basically my peers believe in Rose's ideas except that they like me a favor a slightly more revisionist approach to education. We still support education by way of the great books we just believe it is time to modernize the learning process. In Conclusion, the way that english is taught in our classrooms needs to be changed so that people of all backgrounds have a better chance of learning and becoming productive citizens. It is obvious that students care about important issues and are working to change them. I am not saying that the great book or canonical approach to education should be abolished. However I believe that

Biography of Zhu Di, Chinas Yongle Emperor

Biography of Zhu Di, China's Yongle Emperor Zhu Di (May 2, 1360–August 12, 1424), also known as the Yongle Emperor, was the third ruler of Chinas Ming Dynasty. He embarked on a series of ambitious projects, including the lengthening and widening of the Grand Canal, which carried grain and other goods from southern China to Beijing. Zhu Di also built the Forbidden City and led a number of attacks against the Mongols, who threatened the Mings northwestern flank. Fast Facts: Zhu Di Known For: Zhu Di was the third emperor of Chinas Ming dynasty.Also Known As: Yongle EmperorBorn: May 2, 1360 in Nanjing, ChinaParents: Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress MaDied: August 12, 1424 in Yumuchuan, ChinaSpouse: Empress XuChildren: Nine Early Life Zhu Di was born on May 2, 1360, to the future founder of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, and an unknown mother. Although official records claim the boys mother was the future Empress Ma, rumors persist that his true biological mother was a Korean or Mongolian consort of Zhu Yuanzhang. From an early age, according to Ming sources, Zhu Di proved more capable and courageous than his older brother Zhu Biao. However, according to Confucian principles, the eldest son was expected to succeed to the throne. Any deviation from this rule could spark a civil war. As a teenager, Zhu Di became Prince of Yan, with his capital at Beijing. With his military prowess and aggressive nature, Zhu Di was well-suited to holding northern China against raids by the Mongols. At 16, he married the 14-year-old daughter of General Xu Da, who commanded the northern defense forces. In 1392, Crown Prince Zhu Biao died suddenly of an illness. His father had to choose a new successor: either the Crown Princes teenaged son, Zhu Yunwen, or the 32-year-old Zhu Di. Keeping with tradition, the dying Zhu Biao chose Zhu Yunwen, who was next in line for succession. Path to the Throne The first Ming emperor died in 1398. His grandson, Crown Prince Zhu Yunwen, became the Jianwen Emperor. The new emperor carried out his grandfathers orders that none of the other princes should bring their legions to observe his burial, for fear of civil war. Bit by bit, the Jianwen Emperor stripped his uncles of their lands, power, and armies. Zhu Bo, the prince of Xiang, was forced to commit suicide. Zhu Di, however, feigned mental illness as he plotted a revolt against his nephew. In July 1399, he killed two of the Jianwen Emperors officers, the first blow in his uprising. That fall, the Jianwen Emperor sent a force of 500,000 against Beijing armies. Zhu Di and his army were out on patrol elsewhere, so the women of the city fended off the imperial army by throwing crockery at them until their soldiers returned and routed Jianwens forces. By 1402, Zhu Di had made his way south to Nanjing, defeating the emperors army at every turn. On July 13, 1402, as he entered the city, the imperial palace went up in flames. Three bodies- identified as those of the Jianwen Emperor, the empress, and their oldest son- were found among the charred wreckage. Nonetheless, rumors persisted that Zhu Yunwen had survived. At the age of 42, Zhu Di took the throne under the name Yongle, meaning perpetual happiness. He immediately set about executing anyone who opposed him, along with their friends, neighbors, and relatives- a tactic invented by Qin Shi Huangdi. He also ordered the construction of a large ocean-going fleet. Some believe that the ships were intended to search for Zhu Yunwen, whom some believed had escaped to Annam, northern Vietnam, or some other foreign land. Treasure Fleet Between 1403 and 1407, the Yongle Emperors workmen built well over 1,600 oceangoing junks of various sizes. The largest were called treasure ships, and the Armada was known as the Treasure Fleet. In 1405, the first of seven voyages of the Treasure Fleet left for Calicut, India, under the direction of the Yongle Emperors old friend, the eunuch Admiral Zheng He. The Yongle Emperor would oversee six voyages through 1422, and his grandson would launch a seventh in 1433. The Treasure Fleet sailed as far as the east coast of Africa, projecting Chinese power throughout the Indian Ocean and gathering tribute from far and wide. The Yongle Emperor hoped these exploits would rehabilitate his reputation after the bloody and anti-Confucian chaos by which he gained the throne. Foreign and Domestic Policies Even as Zheng He set out on his first voyage in 1405, Ming China dodged a huge bullet from the west. The great conqueror Timur had been detaining or executing Ming envoys for years and decided it was time to conquer China in the winter of 1404-1405. Fortunately for the Yongle Emperor and the Chinese, Timur became ill and died in what is now Kazakhstan. The Chinese seem to have been oblivious to the threat. In 1406, the northern Vietnamese killed a Chinese ambassador and a visiting Vietnamese prince. The Yongle Emperor sent an army half a million strong to avenge the insult, conquering the country in 1407. However, Vietnam revolted in 1418 under the leadership of Le Loi, who founded the Le Dynasty, and by 1424 China had lost control of nearly all Vietnamese territory. The Yongle Emperor considered it a priority to erase all traces of Mongolian cultural influence from China, following his fathers defeat of the ethnically-Mongol Yuan Dynasty. He did reach out to the Buddhists of Tibet, however, offering them titles and riches. Transport was a perpetual issue early on in the Yongle era. Grain and other goods from southern China had to be shipped along the coast or else portaged from boat to boat up the narrow Grand Canal. The Yongle Emperor had the Grand Canal deepened, widened, and extended up to Beijing- a massive financial undertaking. After the controversial palace fire in Nanjing that killed the Jianwen Emperor, and a later assassination attempt there against the Yongle Emperor, the third Ming ruler decided to permanently move his capital north to Beijing. He built a massive palace compound there, called the Forbidden City, which was completed in 1420. Decline In 1421, the Yongle Emporers favorite senior wife died in the spring. Two concubines and a eunuch were caught having sex, setting off a horrific purge of palace staff that ended with the Yongle Emperor executing hundreds or even thousands of his eunuchs, concubines, and other servants. Days later, a horse that had once belonged to Timur threw the emperor, whose hand was crushed in the accident. Worst of all, on May 9, 1421, three bolts of lightning struck the main buildings of the palace, setting the newly completed Forbidden City on fire. Contritely, the Yongle Emperor remitted grain taxes for the year and promised to halt all expensive foreign adventures, including the Treasure Fleet voyages. His experiment with moderation did not last long, however. In late 1421, after the Tatar ruler Arughtai declined to pay tribute to China, the Yongle Emperor flew into a rage, requisitioning over a million bushels of grain, 340,000 pack animals, and 235,000 porters from three southern provinces to supply his army during its attack on Arughtai. The emperors ministers opposed this rash attack and six of them ended up imprisoned or dead by their own hands as a result. Over the next three summers, the Yongle Emperor launched annual attacks against Arughtai and his allies, but never managed to find the Tatar forces. Death On August 12, 1424, the 64-year-old Yongle Emperor died on the march back to Beijing after another fruitless search for the Tatars. His followers fashioned a coffin and carried him to the capital in secret. The Yongle Emperor was buried in a mounded tomb in the Tianshou Mountains, about 20 miles from Beijing. Legacy Despite his own experience and misgivings, the Yongle Emperor appointed his quiet, bookish eldest son Zhu Gaozhi as his successor. As the Hongxi Emperor, Zhu Gaozhi would lift tax burdens on peasants, outlaw foreign adventures, and promote Confucian scholars to positions of power. The Hongxi Emperor survived his father for less than a year; his own eldest son, who became the Xuande Emperor in 1425, would combine his fathers love of learning with his grandfathers martial spirit. Sources Mote, Frederick W.  Imperial China 900-1800. Harvard University Press, 2003.Roberts, J. A. G.  The Complete History of China. Sutton, 2003.

What Does a Rigorous High School Course Load Look Like

What Does a Rigorous High School Course Load Look Like SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Chances are, you've heard the phrase "rigorous course load" before. You probably even know that this is something colleges really look for in applications for admission. So how can you ensure that your high school course load is rigorous or challenging enough? How do you balance this with getting a good GPA? How do you balance the need for rigor with your limitations, extracurricular interests, family and friends, and desire to not overwhelm yourself? Read on for our advice on choosing between harder classes and more classes, and harder classes and better grades. We also go over how many AP classes and electives you should take. What Does Rigorous or Challenging Mean? First off, what does the vague word "rigor" actually mean? Andwhy do colleges value seeing you challenge yourself? As it turns out, exposure to a rigorous curriculum in high school is a better predictor of academic success in college than theeducation level of your parents is, or even your test scores, class rank, and GPA are. And the best place to show that you've been exposed to a challenging curriculum is through your transcript. In other words,college admissions officers want your transcript to show that you are driven, hardworking, and willing to push yourself- especially since research indicates thatif you have these qualities, then you're pretty likely to be a great college student! How to Avoid Being Overwhelmed by a Rigorous Course Load A rigorous curriculum is, at heart, a balancing act. You should take the most challenging courses that are within your ability to handle.At the same time,you should pace yourself so that you're not too overwhelmed by the challenge. Part of showing good judgment and a mature level of self-guidance is being able to balance a hard course load with your extracurricular activities, job, friends and family, and other responsibilities. When in doubt, remember how many expressions there are for this exact situation:"Don't bite off more than you can chew," "Don't let your eyes be bigger than your stomach," etc. Another way to think about a rigorous curriculum is to imagine your high school experience as an uphill climb.Most of the time you want to be farther up the mountain than where you were previously, hiking up steeper and steeper terrain and using everything you've learned to help you keep going. But like all mountaineers, sometimes you need time to stop at base camp or just take a break. As long as you're mostly climbing and not mostly resting, you know you'll get to the top eventually! Sure, they climbed all the way up there. But now it's hot chocolate time! More Classes or Harder Classes? Because much of your high school course load is up to you, a classic question students often have is whether they should show more breadth or more depth. For example, if you're into science, should you take every science course available at a basic level? Or should you focus on a couple of specific subjects, such as biology or physics, and take harder honors/AP classes in them? Based on our experience, colleges tend to favor students who've taken a few harder classes instead of a lot of easier classes.According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling's (NACAC) 2017 State of College Admission Report, 52% of schools surveyed ranked strength of curriculum as considerably important in admissions. Your transcripts should show how you've taken full advantage of the challenges available to you at your school- but always within reason, of course.This means that you should take progressively more difficult classes in each topic each year rather than jumping from intro class to intro class. The general idea is to show that you're intellectually prepared for college-level studying, and that you've developed a habit of guiding yourself toward increasing challenges. This demonstrates grit, resilience, perseverance, and a mature work ethic. Why is this guy so chill? Because he has figured out his own carrying capacity perfectly. Better Grades or Harder Classes? Again, definitely opt for harder classes. Most colleges say that a transcript that shows a student has taken increasingly demanding classes is more important than a transcript with a higher GPA.The NACAC survey reported that 77% of schools surveyed believe that grades in college prep courses(i.e., core classes such as English and science), as well as grades in allclasses you take as a high school student, are considerably important factorsin the admissions process. Butgetting straight As in low-level classes, instead of trying for an honors or AP class, might suggest to colleges that you're not challenging yourself enough. It's like asking Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps to compete against 5-year-olds; colleges would rather see you get a B in an AP course than an A in a regular course. Of course, this isn't to say that all your classes should be as challenging as possible- this goes back to the whole balance thing we talked about earlier. A D in an AP course looks a lot worse than an A in a regular course! Still, you want to demonstrate that you're able and willing to reach slightly beyond your grasp.The best course of action, then, is to challenge yourself most in classes that reflect your specific interests.So if you're a science whiz, you might consider diving more deeply into calculus, biology, or physics. If you're into the social sciences, you can take economics and psychology at high levels, even at the expense of taking AP Physics. You never know what might spark your passion, though, so be open to finding challengeeven in those fields you aren’t particularly interested in now. Which Classes Should You Take for a Rigorous Course Load? Now that you understand that colleges prize course difficulty over GPA, how can you decide on the courses you should take? This heavily depends on what your high school's course options and prerequisites are. Your school has already figured out how to get you from one step to the next. What Are My High School’s Course Progressions? Planning a rigorous curriculum should start early (think 9th or 10th grade), and it should definitely take into account the way your high school has structured your learning from grade 9 to 12. Step 1: Meet With Your School Counselor Come to the meeting ready to take good notes- you're about to get a whole lot of information! It's probably a good idea to bring your parents to the meeting as well. Ask about requirements for graduation.Discuss possible ways you can progress through the required course load. Ask how many electives you can fit into your schedule.Talk also aboutthe elective opportunities your school offers. Ask about prerequisites for honors, AP, and/or IB classes.Make sure you're clear on what you need to do to start taking a higher-level class than you were in before. Ask about the possibility of independent study.This option might make most sense after you finish a particular subject’s course progression. For example, my high school offered five years of Latin (from 8th to 12th grade). A fellow Latin nerd and I took one of those years over the summer. With the help of our amazing teacher, we created a Latin 6class our senior year. This took my passion for Latin literature even further and also definitely demonstrated rigor on my transcript. Step 2: Draw a 4-Year Chart Now that you have much of the information you need, you can start to make a plan. Draw achart by dividing a piece of paper into four sections; each section represents ayear of high school. Divide each of these sectionsinto smaller rectangles, with each rectangle representing one course you'll take that year. Pro tip:Don't draw more rectangles than the number of courses you're allowed to take per year! First, fill in all the graduation requirements you learned about in your meeting. Be sure that you're planning to take a harder, more challenging class for each subject each year. Now, with the rectangles that are still blank, you can start gaming outelectives. To help you out, here are our in-depth articles on required and elective classes, from standard through AP: High school math classes High school English classes High school science classes High school history classes High school foreign language classes High school electives Right now, it'sbalanced. But what if you addone more? How Many APs or IBs Should I Take? You know what your school's course progressions are- but where do AP and IB classes fit in? And how can you know whether you're ready for these challenging classes? Read on for our tips. Am I Ready for AP/IB Material? There are a couple of different ways to check whether you areready to take an AP- or IB-level high school class: Get an outside opinion.For example, your teacher should be able to tell you whether you'd be able to handle the work load and meet the overall academic expectations. If you took the PSAT or PreACT, use your scores to see where you stand. Your guidance counselor can look at these and then tell you whether he or she thinks you're ready to take AP and/or IB classes. Where Is the Line Between Challenging and Too Much? A good rule of thumb is to try for one to three AP classes per year of high school (probably not counting 9th grade). This kind of course load definitely shows a willingness to be challenged. 11th and 12thgrade is the time to go even harder- if you think you're up to it. For example, though I took only one AP class my freshman year and two my sophomore year, both junior and senior years I took four AP classes apiece.Sure,the added depth and breadth of what I was studying looked good on my transcript- but more importantly, it made my learning fascinating and engaging on a whole new level! What About Electives? Although the name makes them sound either optional or trivial, electives are nothing but.In fact, research indicates that students who take courses in the fine/performing arts often perform better in school and on standardized tests! In a rigorous course load, electives can be the bridge between what you need to do and what you want to do. Courses such as visual art, theater, journalism, computer science, and philosophy can ultimately demonstrate your passions and interests to colleges. Electives are alsoa way for you to showcase your strengths.For example, taking extra years of a foreign language or optional classes in STEM fields such as statistics or robotics lets you continue building upon your passion, while also raising your GPA and showing that you are willing to pursue rigor. Sample Rigorous Course Schedule for Each Grade Level By now, you should have a pretty clear idea as to what a rigorous course load is and what kinds of classes you can take to impress admissions committees. To give you an even better idea of what a possible schedule could look like, here are some sample course schedules for each grade level (from 9th to 12th grade). Note that you do not have to follow these schedules exactly when planning what courses to take, sinceyour school's course offerings, your state's graduation requirements, and your own interests will likely differ from what we include below.That said, feel free to use it as a rough guide for how you might want to plan your future class schedule. The following schedule would be most appropriate for somebody who is strong in the fields of math and science, and who hopes to study one of these topics at the college level. Notice how this student uses electives to take additional science classes (e.g., marine science and computer science) and to keep up her foreign language skills. 9th Grade Course Schedule Fall Semester Geometry Honors Biology Geography Honors Language Arts French 1 Physical Education Spring Semester Geometry Honors Biology Geography Honors Language Arts French 1 Marine Science 10th Grade Course Schedule Fall Semester Algebra 2 AP Chemistry Honors World History Introduction to English Composition French 2 Physical Education Spring Semester Algebra 2 AP Chemistry Honors World History Introduction to English Composition French 2 Computer Science Choose classes that let you explore your academic interests on a deeper level. 11th Grade Course Schedule Fall Semester Honors Precalculus AP Physics US History AP English Language and Composition French 3 Health Spring Semester Honors Precalculus AP Physics US History AP English Language and Composition French 3 Physical Education 12th Grade Course Schedule Fall Semester AP Calculus BC AP Biology Honors English Literature Honors Government French 4 AP Statistics Spring Semester] AP Calculus BC AP Biology Honors English Literature Honors Economics French 4 AP Statistics What If My High School Offers FewRigorous Classes? Not all high schools offer tons of challenging courses. If this is the case for you, what should you do to prove that you're indeed ready for college-level work? Here are your two best options: Option 1: Look for Outside Options Whether your school lacks advanced study options or lacks subjects you find especially compelling, one option is to take classes outside your school.Ask yourself the following questions: Does your school offer adual enrollment program? If so, you could take rigorous college-level courses that provide both high school and college credit. Do you have the opportunity to take online or summer courses? This could be a way to fill in curriculum gaps. Option 2: Explain Your Circumstances on Your Application College admissions offices put a tremendous amount of effort into figuring out what your high school is like when they look at your transcript. This is why if you go to a low-performing school, it's a good idea to include in your college application a description of what was and was not available at your high school. You should also definitely know that even the most exclusive colleges do not expect you to be able to provide coursework for yourself outside what your school offers you. For example, Yale's admission QA page stresses how much they take context into account: "We know you did not design your school’s curriculum ... Different schools have different requirements that may restrict what courses you can take. Again, we only expect that you will excel in the opportunities to which you have access." All colleges expect you to wear many hats. What About Life Outside My Schoolwork? One of the qualities colleges also look for in applicants is your time-management skills. Being able to balance your courses alongside extracurricular activities that are meaningfully sustained over time indicates that you are ready for the kind of independent work and time management necessary to succeed in college. If you find that so much of your time is going into your school work that you're neglecting every other aspect of your life, it's time to step back and reevaluate your challenge level. What’s Next? Ready to learn about the class progressions of different high school classes? Read our guides to choosinghigh school math classes,English classes,science classes,history classes,foreign language classes, andelectives. Want to start planning a more rigorous class schedule? Check out our guide to picking the right AP classes for you. A little confused about whether the AP or IB program is right for you?Our guide spells outthe differences between the two programs and gives you tips on how to choose. Wondering if asummer class is right for you? Exploreour guides totheSIG, CTY, and Stanford EPGYprograms! Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Make vs Buy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Make vs Buy - Assignment Example The restaurant is intended to sell diverse products, which include buffet, pizza, soup, sauces and desserts. In addition, the restaurant will have a self-service soda bar. Although there are other companies such as McDonalds serving the area, the prices of their products are not affordable to most people in Florida. Moreover, these companies do not have physical locations in the area but rely on suppliers. This means that Papa Geo has the potential of competing effectively in the market and possibly gaining competitive advantage (Jeffries & McGrath, 2008). The fact that the products of the company are rare in the market consequently highly demand makes the company more competitive. This will ensure that the company records high sales volume. Moreover, the company will register high sales volume because they produce variety, which gives consumers the ability and freedom of choice. Finally, the company strategy is effective because it attracts children too, which will boost sales since it will be assumed to a family restaurant (Jeffries & McGrath, 2008). The offers given by financial lending institution will be enough in setting up the business and repayment period is reasonable, which will grant the owner the opportunity to repay comfortably. Therefore, the business can be set up but it requires effective analysis and forecasting due to uncertainties in the business environment. Proper financial budgetary planning is fundamental in achieving the company’s strategy. Sale forecast forms the most critical part of this budget proposal because, it is through proper and accurate forecasts in sales that the entrepreneur would be able to determine the amount to repay either in monthly or annual basis. The above sales forecasts are made with the assumptions that one unit in the company goes at $7, and each individual in the 15-minute area purchases one unit

The education system in kuwait Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

The education system in kuwait - Essay Example The Council of Education was established in the year 1936, which effectively made the Kuwaiti government responsible for providing monetary and other resources for education. It also undertook the supervision of teaching. In addition, the Council of Education was made responsible for organising learning, which it did by designing and planning the curriculum to be implemented. The very next year, the Council of Education established one primary school for girls, and two primary schools for boys (MOE, 2009). With the passage of time, education in Kuwait became quite popular. This resulted in a steady increase in the number of prospective students. In response to this development, the Council of Education enlarged the existing schools, by introducing additional classes in them. In the year 1947, a religious teaching institute was formally launched in Kuwait. Thereafter, in the year 1949, Kuwait established a teachers’ training institute, in order to cater to the needs of primary school teachers (MOE, 2009). The Arab Republic of Egypt and other Arab nations, provided some of the funds required by the education system of Kuwait. There was considerable emphasis upon education in the sciences. In the year 1952, the government appropriated to itself the management of education. In this endeavour, Kuwaitis were employed, and technical support was extended by the other Arab nations. Several educational reforms were witnessed in the year 1954, when a restructuring of the study plans and curriculum were undertaken. A restructuring of the learning stages was conducted, and the curriculum was made more flexible, with a view to rendering it more relevant to the cultural and social developments taking place in the nation. With these changes, education at the kindergarten and primary level was for a duration of four years, and in the intermediate and secondary stages it was four years each (MOE,

Portfolio Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Portfolio Analysis - Essay Example The indifference curve can be used to reflect investor attitude or risk by refloating an investor’s preference. The plot of many indifference curves shows the different options that an investor would take. However, from the indifference map, the best option is to take the option that is highest that any other indifference curve. b. Selection of a suitable portfolio Indifference curves are not just used to display the risk aversion factors of an investor; in fact, the indifference curve can be used to select a suitable portfolio in terms of risk and return (Yin and Zhou, 2004). As already stated, the indifference curve is a plot of the risk and return preferences of an investor, therefore, to select the most suitable portfolio, an investor can utilize the mean-variance theory. The mean-variance theory of portfolio selection is derived from the indifference curve, where the map of the different indifference curves for an investor is plotted together (Maharakkhaka, 2011). From th e plot of the indifference curves, the transitive preferences of an investor can be determined, which refers to the selection of the best preference curve as chosen by an investor. From an analysis of the transitive preferences, it is evident that the highest preference curve is the one that should be selected by the investor. From the indifference curve, the investor can determine the highest possible indifference curve, which, combined with the other indifference curves, gives the mean-variance portfolio or the most efficient portfolio in an investment. 2. Correlation and Co-variance a. Correlation and Co-variance The relationship between two variables can be measured or determined in different ways, but the commonest way is the determination of the correlation and covariance of the two variables. A number of variables are sometimes related in some way or another, either the occurrence of one variable affects the occurrence of the other variable, or the does not affect the working of the other variable. The covariance refers to the type of relationship that two variables have, meaning that it shows whether two variables have a positive or negative relationship. In this case, a positive relationship refers to the fact that one variable moves in the same direction as the other variable. Conversely, the correlation between two variables incorporates another dimension, the extent to which two variables are related. In addition to the covariance angle of determining whether variables are positively or inversely related, the correlation also shows the extent to which the variables are inversely or positively related. b. Covariance, Correlation, and Portfolio risk As already stated, the correlation between two variables is determined by the movement of one variable in relation to the movement of the other variable. In the investment market, diversification is a good practice, since it ensures that an investor does not lose an investment in case of a catastrophe or loss in market value. A positive correlation between assets means that one asset will move in the exact same way as another asset. In investment, stocks with low or negative correlation are used to reduce portfolio risk since when one asset falls; the other asset

Define, Describe, Compare, and Contrast a Nurse Practitioner and a Research Paper

Define, Describe, Compare, and Contrast a Nurse Practitioner and a Clinical Nurse Specialist - Research Paper Example Nurse practitioners can work independently of a doctor, and can practice in various settings such as family practice, women’s health, school health, primary care, pediatrics, emergency, geriatrics, cardiology, neonatology, nephrology, and oncology (Mirr & Zwygart-Stauffacher, 2010). A clinical nurse specialist is also engaged in advanced nursing, but she specializes on a specific course to lay focus on a specific population complementing the course of study. A clinical nurse specialist can focus on a certain field, such as post-anesthesia care or certain diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and pediatrics among others. The nurse can also specialize in working in a specific environment such as an emergence room, a recovery room, an operating room, or a general ward. A clinical nurse specialist also focuses on clinical practice, research, consulting, teaching, and management. While a nurse practitioner usually has good decision-making skills, a clinical nurse specialist is more assessment-oriented and has good assessment skills (Fulton et al, 2010). The two types of nurses always rank at the top in nursing field because they practice advanced nursing. The two are quite similar in qualifications and the environments they work in, and in some countries like Canada, it is quite hard to compare and contrast. Even though the two are quite similar, there are some differences. The two can be compared and contrasted in terms of education, job roles, practice setting and medical practice. Both positions require master’s degree as a minimal qualification. They attain almost similar qualifications and schooling for a similar duration. However, a nurse practitioner must complete and pass a certificate program after the master’s degree to be able to study different fields of medicine. The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners together with the licensing body, the American Nurses Credentialing Center, usually provides this certificate

Evaluating-Fictive-Narative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evaluating-Fictive-Narative - Essay Example Surprisingly, the boys visiting the coffee shop screamed in equal measure, and there was no huge difference between them and the girls. Kyler too felt threatened, and her efforts to get over the situation seemed to be overshadowed by the noise and confusion created by the environment. The state of confusion was too immense, and it was not clear whether it was the people at the coffee shop or the black locusts that were panicking. There was much screaming and running from one point of the coffee shop to the other, and the situation appeared quite messy. The more noise the people made, the wilder the locusts became. They extended their active mood onto the coffee tables and jumped right into some cups that customers had left behind in fear of the illusionary stings expected from the locusts. They were also extending their happy mood into the kitchen section of the coffee shop, and the workers were running away in fear just like the customers were doing. What is more threatening is that some customers and workers had the black locusts dangling all around their clothes. Unlike Kyler’s understanding, the black locusts were more of what is popularly regarded as the Rocky Mountain locust that spans the prairie areas. They seemed like a new species altogether that was here to cause an unending disaster to the population in Denver. What was more surprising is that they had never been heard of before around the world, leave alone in Denver. â€Å"Can we just ever have a peaceful life in Denver? Now it’s the black locusts, and I do not know what to expect when I wake up tomorrow,† wondered Kyler. As the thoughts kept spanning Kyler’s mind, everyone else seemed to wonder too whether there was a quick solution forthcoming to resolve the messy situation in the Denver coffee shop. Even though this was her popular place to enjoy coffee every evening, it was evident she was

Clinical laboratory science Scholarship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Clinical laboratory science - Scholarship Essay Example King’s’ mission of preparing graduates intellectually, morally and spiritually for a satisfying future life particularly interests me. My interest in the field of Clinical Laboratory Science started way back in my childhood and is significantly inspired by the family background with parents in the medical field. As a small child I began admiring the work done by my parents of assisting patients and ensuring they lead a quality life. This made me to work hard in school so to attain grades that would enable get a college opportunity to further my studies in the area. The nationwide deficiency of professionals in the area of Clinical Laboratory Science has also contributed significantly as I feel by graduating in the field I will be able to positively impact by helping in the process of saving lives which will give me great satisfaction. I therefore want to be part of the solution and not the problem thus believes as a professional CLS will be better placed to serve and positively influence humanity. I strongly believe in the power of knowledge in transforming society and hence participate actively in extracurricular activities such as club clubs, academic forums and games in which I believe lies opportunity for information exchange. I also participate with the intention of growing holistically and maintaining personal health both physically, mentally and psychologically which I believe is very important to my life especially as a student. I will therefore utilize all available facilities on the campus to enrich my graduate experience and emerge as a responsible person in the

Evaluating-Fictive-Narative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evaluating-Fictive-Narative - Essay Example Surprisingly, the boys visiting the coffee shop screamed in equal measure, and there was no huge difference between them and the girls. Kyler too felt threatened, and her efforts to get over the situation seemed to be overshadowed by the noise and confusion created by the environment. The state of confusion was too immense, and it was not clear whether it was the people at the coffee shop or the black locusts that were panicking. There was much screaming and running from one point of the coffee shop to the other, and the situation appeared quite messy. The more noise the people made, the wilder the locusts became. They extended their active mood onto the coffee tables and jumped right into some cups that customers had left behind in fear of the illusionary stings expected from the locusts. They were also extending their happy mood into the kitchen section of the coffee shop, and the workers were running away in fear just like the customers were doing. What is more threatening is that some customers and workers had the black locusts dangling all around their clothes. Unlike Kyler’s understanding, the black locusts were more of what is popularly regarded as the Rocky Mountain locust that spans the prairie areas. They seemed like a new species altogether that was here to cause an unending disaster to the population in Denver. What was more surprising is that they had never been heard of before around the world, leave alone in Denver. â€Å"Can we just ever have a peaceful life in Denver? Now it’s the black locusts, and I do not know what to expect when I wake up tomorrow,† wondered Kyler. As the thoughts kept spanning Kyler’s mind, everyone else seemed to wonder too whether there was a quick solution forthcoming to resolve the messy situation in the Denver coffee shop. Even though this was her popular place to enjoy coffee every evening, it was evident she was

Graphic design is the branch of visual art Essay

Graphic design is the branch of visual art - Essay Example By effectiveness, we mean how much power a design has to motivate people or help them identify a company. For example, where a one or two letter sign may be effective in identifying a company such as BP, it is not effective for another company simply identified as B. Plus; presentation of an idea does not necessarily mean it was communicated accurately. A scribbled "keep off grass" sign is not as effective as a neatly designed "keep off grass" sign with an appropriately designed logo. Also, just because a sign communicates effectively does not mean what it communicates is good. Governments have become masters at influencing citizens with graphic design by communicating messages sometimes to support darkly political objectives. Graphic design is the branch of visual art dedicated to communicating messages. It is most used in marketing and brand recognition strategies. Having watch and listened to a video of a talk about design given by David Carson, I walk away with certain understandings about graphic design.

Scrooge over the two-day period Essay Example for Free

Scrooge over the two-day period Essay The amount of money to the Charity man; he is a changed man. He has a total change in his personality; he even plays a joke on Bob pretending to be miserly and then lights a large fire and helps Tiny Tim. Scrooge loses respect from his colleagues after using most of his money on charities. What picture do we get of Victorian London? We get a vivid description of Victorian London and the customs practiced in London during the 19th Century. Poverty is widespread, being of the middle class is popular and a small population holds the large potion of wealth. Social class dictates life and there is seldom movement within the classes basically everyone is out for themselves. Dickens gives a classical description of the London streets. There was no tinsel, but lots of greenery. All the shops were open until lunchtime on Christmas Day, because servants had to work to prepare Christmas lunch, Bakers, for example, worked a half-day on Christmas day cooking the Goose. From Dickens descriptions it was a strongly Christian society. No one would marry young, it was thought that you had to live life first and then marry. This usually meant older men marrying younger girls. Women were expected to give birth until they died, this meant most women would die during childbirth. From Dickens description he gives the impression that people no longer remembered country customs after moving to the city. When Dickens describes the behaviour and attitude of the people at the time, he is playing with words but giving an interesting insight of life at the time as well; There were great, round, pot-bellied baskets of chestnuts, shaped like waistcoats of jolly old gentlemen, lolling at the doors, and tumbling out into the street in their apoplectic opulence. The city was a contrast; the new buildings went hand in hand with horribly overcrowded slums where conditions were of the poorest standard. Because of the rise in population the basic needs of citizens were put at risk. In 1848, the great Potato Famine struck Ireland, this led to over 100, 000 impoverished Irish fleeing their native land and settled in London, making at one time up to 20% of the total population of the city. London was not a nice place to be in the Victorian period because of the Great Stink. The combination of coal-fired stoves and poor sanitation made the air heavy and foul smelling. For all the economic expansion of the Industrial Revolution, living conditions among Londons poor were appalling. Children as young as five were set to work begging or sweeping chimneys. Dickens himself did much to make the plight of the poor in London known to the liberate classes with his novels, notably Oliver Twist. In 1870, those efforts bore some fruit with the passage of laws providing compulsory education for children between the ages of five and twelve. What does the story reveal about Dickens? Dickens was outgoing, playful and loved to party, much like Fezziwig, the character Dickens created that taught Scrooge how to party. This is shown in his writing, particularly his love for playing with words. Dickens love of playing with words is showing in the last paragraph, He had no further intercourse with spirits, but lived upon the Total Abstinence Principle. (He meant that Scrooge would no longer drink spirits. ) Dickens writes on a very personal level, he writes the Cratchits family life from his won experience. He is a very physical writer but he also has a childish nature. He makes everything young, for example Scrooges Clerk, which shows his childish outlook. Dickens shows his character through his writing, he likes the absurd and the grotesque. He takes everything to its extreme, piling up sentences and playing with language. Dickens shows his joviality and delight in life through his writing; he also shows that he is very sentimental. He personifies things as much as he can, for example he describes the ice as being Misanthropic Ice and gives Scrooges house a childish nature saying it must have run there when it was a young house, playing hide and seek with other houses. This shows the physicality of his writing and he involves all the senses. Dickens starts the story in a very moral way and continues like this throughout, with the focus being on money, this is getting his message across from the beginning. The reason for this strong message was because of Dickens own background. He lived in poverty (like the Crachits) and he was sent to the blacking factory whilst his family went to the debtors prison. He starts the story with Once upon a time making it feel like a fairy tale but also being very accurate. He has great presence in his writing, he is almost writing a moral fable. He chats with his audience creating a humorous relationship between himself and his audience. Dickens also veers from the main story line and goes into tangents of a philosophical or descriptive nature, which I feel reflects his thoughts while writing the book. He ends the story with a reference to God, God Bless us everyone, this may or may not be a reflection on Dickens believes but it did obviously have some significance otherwise he would not have ended the story in this way. The Moral of the book is Christmas is the symbol of everything that is good. Which is what Dickens wanted to promote, involving his idealisation of Christmas being about children. Dickens changed the meaning of Christmas to what we know it as today. In 1815, Christmas was not an important event for children. Jane Austen writes about a couple going to stay with relatives for Christmas, she obviously saw Christmas as not being an important time for children, which in 1815 it was not. However, Dickens soon changed this and Christmas today is now centred about children, which is what Dickens wanted to achieve.

Youth Rebellion and Counterculture :: Papers

In both of the books, there are some central themes. Among them are self expression through music and sex. The media also plays a role in both of the books, however much more so in Douglas's. Douglas is more of a activist from within, more of a bystander than is Janis Joplin. Janis, from the start, is a rebel who did not want to be confined by the shackles of society. She was rebellious from high school and continued to be throughout her life. People like Janis, who participated in many movements as well as became a well-known icon, was able to get in touch with the youth. Women looked to Janis, as well as many others, for inspiration. Janis cut through many racial and gender lines with her music and public displays of sexual and individual freedom. Unfortunately, Janis did not live long enough to see the women's movement, in which she played a notable role. In Where the Girls Are, Susan Douglas talks about herself as part of the baby boom generation. From the beginning of the book, she concentrates on the media's role in the female psyche. She begins by describing the fact that her generation was extremely large, and the media knew it. Douglas talks about the media's role in programming young girls to believe that they are "the chosen people," and that they could do anything. They were told that they have opportunities beyond their mother's wildest imaginations. The television, however, sent mixed messages, as the news demonstrated the conflict, inequality, and insecurity in the world. This confused these children because none of this was shown on the shows. Moreover, the shows depicted the women's role as her husband's keeper. Cartoons, particularly Disney cartoons, showed the same types of bias and sexism. In 1961, Jacqueline Kennedy became first lady, and she became an important symbol for the baby boom girls. Douglas, being exposed to all of this media, knew one thing for sure, she didn't want to end up like her mom. In this respect, the media played a huge role in the lives of Douglas as well as millions of other people.

Job Searching in the 21st Century Myths and Realities no. 14 Essay

Job Searching in the 21st Century Myths and Realities "Find your dream job online!" "Electronic job search revolution!" Of all the hype surrounding the Internet, one of the biggest claims may be how information technology is changing the way people look for jobs. A huge number of electronic job resources are available: resume posting sites, job vacancy databases, employer websites, discussion boards and newsgroups, industry salary and information sites, and general career information sites. The Internet gives job seekers access to vast amounts of information about vacancies and employers, 24-hour availability, broader geographic reach, networking, career development advice, and simplified resume distribution (Dikel 2001). For recruiters and employers, the Internet can speed up the hiring process, provide a large pool of applicants, and reduce advertising and other costs (Pearce and Tuten 2001). But how effective is online job searching? Are traditional methods now a waste of time? Like everything else in cyberspace, online job hunting i s constantly changing. For example, a 1999 Fortune magazine cover announced "I got my job online-and soon so will you" (Useem 1999). Now a 2001 article advises: "Enjoy being unemployed? Keep job hunting online" (Fisher 2001). And measuring any kind of Internet use is a perilous process--a variety of conflicting statistics can be found. This publication investigates some myths and realities of job searching in the 21st century. Out with the Old? Are job seekers flocking to online search methods? Approximately 100,000 sites offer resume posting and classified ad services; estimates of the number of resumes on the Web range from 2.5 million (Pearce and Tuten 2001) to 20 million (Corsini ... ...e." December 13, 2000. http://cyberatlas.internet.com/markets/professional/article/0,,5971_534601,00.html Kuhn, P., and Skuterud, M. "Job Search Methods: Internet versus Traditional." Monthly Labor Review 123, no. 10 (October 2000): 3-11. Li, C.; Charron, C.; and Dash, A.. "The Career Networks." Cambridge, MA: Forrester Research, 2000. http://www.forrester.com "Net Playing Role in Job Searches." May 15, 1999. http://cyberatlas.internet.com/markets/professional/article/0,,5971_153281,00.html Pearce, C. G., and Tuten, T. L "Internet Recruiting in the Banking Industry." Business Communication Quarterly 64, no. 1 (March 2001): 9-18. Useem, J. "For Sale Online: You." Fortune 140, no. 1 (July 5, 1999): 66-78. "Web Expands Role in Corporate Recruiting." March 29, 2000. http://cyberatlas.internet.com/markets/professional/article/0,,5971_330331,00.html

Symbolism in the Catcher in the Rye

Throughout the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger obtain numerous symbols that persist in the book. The symbols I have chosen display Holden Caufield’s emotions, actions, and way of life. There are three symbols unparticular that are used most regularly in the novel. I’ve selected Holden’s red hunting hat, the Museum of Natural History, and the Ducks in Central Park Lagoon. All three of these symbols have great significance in this book.In the novel Holden says â€Å"I put my red hunting hat on, and turned the peak around to the back, the way I liked it, and then I yelled at the top of my god dam voice, â€Å"Sleep tight, ya morons! † I'll bet I woke up every bastard on the whole floor. Then I got the hell out. Some stupid guy had thrown peanut shells all over the stairs, and I damn near broke my crazy neck. † (Chapter 7, pg. 52) The red hunting hat is inseparable from the image of Holden Caufield, with good reason.It’s a symbol o f uniqueness and individuality as well. Holden also says in Chapter 16 â€Å"I took my old hunting hat out of my pocket while I walked, and put it on. I knew I wouldn’t meet anyone that knew me, and it was pretty damp out. † The hat is eccentric and displays Holden’s desires to be diverse from everyone else around him, yet at the same time Holden is very self-conscious about the red hunting hat. He always mentions when he’s wearing it and he often doesn’t wear it if he is going to be around people he associates with.Therefore, the point that the author is trying to make is that the presence of the hat, mirrors the major conflict of the book which is Holden’s need for isolation versus his need for companionship. Another detail is that the hat’s color, red is the same color as Allie’s and Phoebe’s hair. Perhaps Holden interacts with it with the innocence and the purity he believes with these characters represents and wears it as a way to connect to them. Holden never comments on the hat’s significance other than to mention its unusual appearance.In the book, Holden explains the symbol meaning of the museum’s displays. One detail he says is â€Å"The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody’d move. . . . Nobody’d be different. The only thing that would be different would be you. † (Chapter 16, page 121) Holden also mentions that he is troubled by the fact that he has changed every time he returns to them. The museum represents the world Holden wishes he could live in, a world where everything is simple, understandable, and indefinite.I think the point the author is trying to make is that Holden is terrified about the unpredictable challenges of the world. He’s trying to get across that Holden hates conflict, he’s confused by Allie’s senseless death, and he fears interaction with other people. Holden’s curiosity about where the ducks go during winter shows a more genuine and youthful side to his character. I live in New York, and I was thinking about the lagoon in Central Park, down near Central Park South. â€Å"I was wondering if it would be frozen over when I got home, and if it was, where did the ducks go?I was wondering where the ducks went when the lagoon got all icy and frozen over. I wondered if some guy came in a truck and took them away to a zoo or something. Or if they just flew away. † (Chapter 12, pg. 81) The Ducks in the pond are symbolic in many ways, they prove that some vanishings are only temporary. Holden, traumatized and aware of the fragility of the life by his brother Allie’s death, Holden is terrified by the idea of change and disappearances. The Ducks vanish every winter, but they return every spring.The point the authors trying to make is the pond itself becomes a minor metaphor for the world as Holden sees it, because it is â€Å"partly frozen† and â€Å"partly not frozen†. The pond is in transition between two states, just as Holden is in transition between childhood and adulthood. In conclusion, there are countless symbols in The Catcher in the Rye. I personally thought the red hunting hat, The Museum of Natural History, and The Ducks in the Central Park Lagoon were the most significant and came up regularly in the novel. Each symbol has a different effect on Holden Caufield’s Life, emotions, and actions.

Formal Sales Process in Small and Medium Size Enterprise (SME) Essay

Introduction History and evolution of formal sales process Formal sales process refers to sales strategies that provide organization sales management with the direction on how to ensure effective and efficient sales. The process can also refer to the steps taken by the management to ensure satisfaction of customers buying process in a more successful way. Notably, formal sales   process allow companies especially Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to enhance their competitive advantage, and ensure effective sales by teaching sales teams how to succeed. The sales process dates back to ancient times but for the purpose of this study I will be focusing on post World War Two. It is surprising that there is little research on the history and development of the sales process as sales are vital to the survival of business. The earlier sales process models stem from the behavioral model AIDA (Awareness, Interest, Desire and Action) attributed to E. St. Elmo Lewis in 1898.   This was developed to help guide the sales force (Kotler 1999; Sheth and Sharma 2008). The sales process is inextricably linked to the buying process, which has developed significantly over the decades. It has changed from a transactional activity into a strategic supply chain function looking to add value to the business (Axelsson and Wynstra 2002; Cousins and Spekman 2003; Ketchen and Hult 2007). Through the development of the sales process there have been three key changes. The first is the development of the ‘seven steps of selling’ (Dubrinsky 1980) which is based on the AIDA model. The second is the ‘evolving selling process’ (Moncrief and Marshall 2005) which expands on Dubrinsky’s model and brings it up to date, with the advent of the internet and changes in the buying process. Third is ‘value based selling’ (Rackman and DeVincentis 1998) which analyses each element of the sales process, with specific focus on the buyer’s ‘problem’ and the real ‘implications’ of the problem. This model provides focus to the sales process into adding value to the customer. In their report, Davies et al, highlight the fact that ‘no-one was measuring true sales ability’ and goes on to study the behaviors and skill set of sales professionals. Regarding measurement, Sharma said ‘what gets measured gets improved’ which start to address the critical issues of visibility and what to measure. Neely states, ‘an organization need to identify an appropriate set of measures to assess their performance’ (Neely 2007; p149).   Regarding behavior, Covey (1999) talks about responsibility and accountability which is a critical area of any sales process, be it formal or not. Weather, or not, an organization has a sales process, the world, and customers, are changing and the approach to sales has to change to ensure complacency does not set in (Kotter 1996). The culture and management of an organization will also impact the sales process, and vice versa, in positive and negative ways (Handy 1991). Womack and Jones (2003) are pioneers in lean thinking and believe manufacturing processes and the elimination of waste can be transferred into the back office side of the business including sales. One of the key themes that have surfaced from initial reading is that sales is a process, which needs to be followed, measured and improved to help increase the sales funnel, or pipeline, in order to grow sales (Miller and Heiman 1994; Zoltners, Sinha and Lorimer 2004; Thull 2010; McClay 2010). Porter (2004) believes that when working with customers it is important to add value and create a competitive advantage. In addition to this, Doyle suggests that the sales process can add value and create competitive advantage, which will ‘contribute to achieving the company’s objectives of growth and profitability though meeting the needs of the customers’ (Doyle 2002: p.2).   When a formal sales process has been implemented, there is much evidence to support that the sales process should be aligned to the sales strategy and to the company strategy (Kaplan and Norton 2006; Johnson, Scholes and Whittington 2008; De Wit and Meyer 2010). In contradiction to the majority, Adamson, Dixon and Toman (2013) challenge the need for a formal sales process and believe the sales function’s approach should be based on insight and judgment. Effects of a formal sales process on an SME and its people Selling is a communal as well as a business activity and can be defined quite simply as â€Å"making a sale† underpinned by several strategies and personal skills across a range of tasks and promotion situations (TAS Group, 2014). The sales task within a business is accountable for the vital creation of revenues, delivers financial stimuli and forms the fundamental connection between a business and its customers (McClay, 2010; Moncrieff and Marshall 2005). Moreover, business dealings rely on persons and more so how they transact with customers, making the buyer-seller edge a highly capricious interface. On the other hand, formal sales process is the sales strategies that provide the sales management force with the direction on how to sell.   It is the process that allow companies especially Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to scale their sale force by teaching sales teams how to succeed. According to Johnson et al (2006), formal sales process provides the sales management team with a framework from which to manage and enable measurement and continuous improvement of the sales force performance. More specifically, a formal sales process enables sales managers maintain control over specific sales behaviors as dictated by the system adopted in Small and Medium Enterprise (SMEs).   Formal sales processes in the SMEs context help sales management teams. They also help managers understand which measures should be adopted for understanding prospecting, qualifying and performance measurement. Additionally, formal sales processes enable sales managers learn how to replicate good behaviors and eliminate undesirable ones besides recognizing problems before they turn to be major roadblocks (Lii, 2011). If there is one component of the selling system that is most taken for granted is the sales process. Although executives spend some of their times forming strategies, developing   entrepreneurial skills and measuring performance   of their employees, they hardly strategize on the formal sales process; that is the activities their salespeople must execute to   shift an activity from lead generation to closure (Lii, 2011). In a broad spectrum, the sales process, be it be formal or informal is the backbone of any sales force.   According to Lii (2011), the formal sales process is selling strategy, which was introduced to facilitate a sell-aside process in sells concerning public mergers and acquisition context. Moreover, the sales process is a much more advantageous in the sales process involving Small and Medium Enterprises’ and is quite distinct from the traditional means of executing sales.   Notably, for a sales process to be termed as good and successful, the right steps at the right time should be initiated and adopted within the Small and Medium Enterprises   vicinity as well as   making the right decisions. As argued by Blair (2005), for the formal process to work in the SMEs, the sales management team should work  Ã‚   tirelessly to keep the correct movement in track. This owes to the fact that without a good flow in selling and buying for the prospective customers to follow and for the sales management team to follow, the sales will remain to be low and potential customers may look elsewhere (Blair, 2005). Formal sales process allows SMEs to scales its sales force by teaching its sales people how to success. Contrary to the informal process that is normally adopted by many and characterized by unorganized techniques, formal sales process in SMEs measures and manages the sales force. Consequently, Sales management teams understand this and strive to develop standard operating strategies for their workforce to follow hence the formal sales process (Johnson et al., 2006). Essentially, the nature of sales process has critically changed. Sales organizations are being reinvented to better address the needs of the changing marketplaces. More evidently, there are different drivers of change in diverse sales organizations that have been identified in reinventing sales organizations and are perceived to help an organization compete successfully in today’s selling environment. With the use of the formal sales process, different Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have realized a measurable change in the levels of sales they acquire. The formal sales process has enabled SMEs to build long-term relationships with their customers. According to (Dar, 2006),this is because formal sales process is a structured line of attack that enables time-to-time assessment of customer’s value hence focusing on the high- priority customers. Secondly, formal sales process aids in creating sales organizational structures that are more nimble and adaptable to the needs of different customer groups. It is in this perspective that formal sales process is beneficial in that it enables Small and Medium Enterprises’ (SMEs) compete well in the entire markets when willing to customize   their sales efforts to meet their customers preferred ways of doing business (Adamson et al., (2013). In addition, in the modern markets; especially SMEs related markets, flexibility which is important to the formal sales process is viewed as an asset, which can determine the level of sales. Thirdly, according to Dar (2006), with the adoption of formal sales process, SMEs gain greater job ownership and commitment from sales management team. Moreover, this is only accomplished when the formal sales team removes functional barriers within the sales organization more so by leveraging the teams experience as a whole. More importantly,   formal sales process helps shift the sales management style from commanding to coaching. In this, the sales management team and managers create a conducive environment that allows the sales team uses their talents and abilities to secure, build and maintain relationships with the profitable customers. Davis et al (2011) discuss that for the formal sales process to work efficiently and yield the desired results, the management style has to change. Nevertheless, the other visible formal sales impact on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is that formal sales process enables leveraging of the available technology for the success of the sales management team ( Dar, 2006). For instance, formal sales have greatly changed the traditional (informal) sales process in that, its adoption leads to adoption of technological tools. Therefore, sales teams that use the available technology well have a strong competitive edge over others. Consequently, firms globally are investing millions of money in technological advancement in the sales sector to help improve their sales performance. Finally, According to Hayes, (2003), the integration of the formal sales process in then SMEs sales platform encourages the acceptance of better integration mechanisms for sales-team performance evaluations.  Ã‚   Essentially, a real weakness of the informal sales process in the verge of the Small and Medium Enterprises SMEs is on how to evaluate and ultimately reward the sales personnel. However, the use and integration of the formal sales process has solved these problems and instead provided well-marked evaluation strategies hence bringing a positive image of the SMEs and works successfully as a strategy for sales Different sales processes A sales process or strategy is not all about closing business deals; it is about defining a sales process that vividly reflects the image of the organization or firm, the firm’s customers, the products or services it offers and the solution that it offers in the market. By truly understanding its customers and by desiring to solve its customer’s problems, a business can plan to execute a sales process that will accelerate the likelihood of reaching its ultimate goal (Sales educators, 2006). According to the sales educators (2006), there is no specific best way to conduct the sales process. A company’s personality and the sales team desire to achieve as well as the firm’s background determines the type of sales technique that best suits its sales endeavors ( Porter, 2004).   Even though every company in the corporate world has its own sales methodologies, it is always advised that trying different sales processes is healthier. This is because new sales methods keep a company out of rut and may even work better than expected. Therefore, many salespersons even those operating in the B2B environment use a combination of different approaches (Rackman & DeVincentis, 1998). The different sale processes mostly utilized by different sales teams include; older takers, inside sales, outside sales, the guru, the consultant, the networker, the hard seller and active sales among others. Most importantly, every sales process is aimed at increasing the sales to the current customers and finding new ones. However, different businesses and organizations deploy numerous sales processes with shockingly ineffective results. In some cases, when sales management teams use more than one sales process, customers are to same point confused by the different methods of every firm and probably cross selling is limited (Neely, 2007). Sales processes vary significantly according to how much a seller adapts to different selling situations and how much the selling team adapts to customer encounters during the entire sells encounter. According to Neely (2007), among the best sales processes or approaches are the problems solving models, needs satisfaction and consultative selling. Among the three mentioned types of selling processes, in terms of rethinking the sells process, researchers endorse their use to fit any situation on the ground. Neely (2006) argues that consultative selling process is appropriate when the customer is willing to share strategic priorities with the seller and sees the seller as being capable of supporting the customer’s strategic initiatives. Universally, every business is inimitable, hence it should have exceptional sales process to sell service and manage different customers under diverse conditions (Kotter, 1996). Therefore, sales researchers including sales managers across the world are disturbed by the question on whether business should adopt generic sales processes or implement and strengthen a specific sales strategy.   Since business aim at working with the most profitable strategies, studies prove that nonspecific approaches are demanding and possess numerous demerits that include; lack of custom customer profile, lack of metrics that matter, and its association with inflexible business management approaches among others (Johnson et al., 2008). Therefore, sales process needs to be specific. How a formal sales process can improve performance and competitive advantage? According to Thull, (2010), sales process is one of the most components of the selling system that for many decades has been abandoned by many Small and Medium Enterprises (SME). The author eludes that failure to effectively execute a well established formal sales process acts as an impediment to performance and successes of the organization. As a matter of fact, sales process is a vital component in an organization that if well implemented can lead to enhanced competitive advantage and performance or an organization. TAS Group, (2014), affirms that sales process is the backbone of an organization and should not be overlooked at any cost. Notably, most sales managers in many organizations spend most of the time coming up with strategies, building tools, measuring performance and developing skills (Rackman and DeVincentis, 1998). Nevertheless, the author affirms that only a few organizations consider and ensure effective implementation of a well established and organized formal sales process. A sales process in this case is regarded as series of task that must be undertaken by salespeople within an organization to tap and generate opportunities from the lead to closure (Thull, 2010). In a broad spectrum, sales process is an essential component of any sales force in an organization and if carefully and effectively implemented can impact on the success of the organization even in a highly competitive business environment (Thull, 2010). According to Rackman and DeVincentis, (1998), overlooking sales process within an organization hinders sales performance and output even though the organization sales executive have laid down well established sales strategy, tools, skills and metrics in place. Without doubts, this implies that effective of formal sales process implementation in a SME is a strategy of enhancing the performance or the company (Rackman and DeVincentis, 1998). More importantly, sales process can be used to improve the competitive advantage of an organization especially when the process is aligned properly with the customer’s target. In this case, effective alignment of the two lead to enhanced competitive advantage through creation of a world class sales force (TAS Group, 2014).   Performance of an organization is enhanced by the sales process in the sense that the process provides mechanisms of measuring performance. According to Rackman and DeVincentis, (1998), an organization has nothing to measure if it does not have a process.   The author adds that it is difficult improve organization performance if there are no mechanisms of measuring the current performance. Ultimately, sales process is undoubtedly an effective component in an organization to stir performance as it provides mechanism of determining the current performance of the organization and propose changes that need to be effected to improve the performance in the long run.   Essentially, the sales process is critical in SME as it provides a logical framework with various activities, milestones and targets that are used to measure performance (TAS Group, 2014). In this case, an organization which effectively implements sales process is likely to have improved performance. Use of diverse measure in the process of sales process such as calls reports by the salespersons are vital in ensuring they work hard and thus improve the overall performance of the Small Medium Enterprises. According to TAS Group, (2014), the major focus to enhance the organization performance and competitive advantage is simply ensuring effective alignment; implementation and renewal of sales process faster and efficiently than other competitors. Sales process in some way behaves like manufacturing process. In this case, improving sales productivity within a SME, various measures must be put in place stating from the initial sales stage to the end point (TAS Group, 2014). Development of measures ensures that the sales process adopted and implemented by a particular organization is able to address all the need and expectations of the customers through effective alignment of the buying and selling processes. The process of formal sales in SME can never be undermined owing in mind that the process aims to ensure a close relationship between the buyers and the sellers through the use of salespersons. Creation and maintenance of a good relationship between the two parties is imperative as it ensure the needs, concerns and expectation of the buyers are addressed in time and thus result to loyalty (Thull, 2010). This in turn helps to improve the performance of an organization since there will be enhanced sales volume. The presence and implementation of formal sales process is evidently a vital component in ensuring organization have close contact with their customers including prospective customers. In a broad spectrum, development of an effective relationship and alignment of the buying and selling process is crucial in ensuring customer’s loyalty. In this regard, improved customer’s loyalty creates confidence to the organization in terms of increased sales volume and thus enhanced competitive advantage compared to its rivals (Thull, 2010).   In addition, the relationship helps the organization to work harder to ensure maximum satisfaction of the customers need and concerns through addressing various challenges facing the process and discovering opportunities that may arise. This also helps to improve the performance and competitive advantage of organizations especially Small and Medium Enterprises. Essentially, sales process aims to ensure an effective alignment of the salesperson’s selling process with the customer’s buying process. Effective alignment of the two processes is vital to organizations as it ensures needs and expectations of the customers or rather the buyers are met in every step of the buying process. In addition, the alignment leads to an effective and efficient sale in the long run hence improved performance (Porter, 2004).Similarly, if the customer’s needs and expectations are carefully addressed through the sales process, it is more likely that the competitor will not have the opportunity to entice the same buyer to turn to their organization in this way, sales process helps to enhance competitive advantage of Small and Medium Enterprises (Porter, 2004). A critical assessment of how a sales process aligns with a customer buying process According to Davis et al, (2011), sales have two different sale view points, that is, the seller’s and the buyer’s perspective. However, the two sale point differs based on their importance. The buyer’s perspective is more essential compared to the seller’s point of view due to the fact that satisfaction of the buyers is the utmost objective of the sales process. Davis et al, (2011), affirms that organizations have to ensure diverse initiatives and means to ensure satisfaction of the buyers needs and expectations as their purchasing power depend wholly on their perception on organization’s effort to ensure satisfaction (TAS Group, 2014). The buying and selling process are mirror images of each other. Notably, buying process refers to the various steps that current customers use to identify and fulfill their need and expectations (Zoltners et al, 2004). Buying process may vary in time based on the type of product or services a customer want to purchase. However, being short or long, the work of a seller is to ensure buyer or rather customer satisfaction in every step. On the other hand, selling or sales processing is simply the steps or activities that are undertaken by sellers to ensure accomplishment of buyer’s goals, needs and expectations. According to Handy, (1991), buying and sales processes are mirror image of each other in an effective sale.   The two processes align together in that they usually start together and end together having common steps or activities between them. According to Kaplan and Norton, (2006), successful alignment of sales or selling process with the buying process in as essential component within an organization especially SME as it ensure effective and efficient sales. The author affirms that the alignment is based on the way the buyer go from one step to another (buying process), as fast as possible with the aim to find goods and services that satisfy their needs and expectations from the seller, while the seller undertakes and closes all steps with the aim to meet customers or rather buyer’s need throughout the process (Handy, 1991). Dubinsky, (1980/81), suggests that when selling and buying process work together, the result is that sales will be successful and efficient and most importantly, the expectations and the needs of the buyer will be met. In broad spectrum, the alignment of buying and sales process tends to ensure that every step of buying process correspond to a particular step of the sales or the selling process (Dubinsky, 1980/81).   The figure below illustrate how the customer’s buying and salesperson selling processes are aligned to ensure satisfaction of buyers at every step and ensure effective and efficient sales within and organization over a given period of time. Aligning buying and selling processes Customer’s buying process    Salesperson selling process    However, if there is no close relationship between the two process (customers’ buying and salespersons selling processes), the entire sales process is likely to be inefficient and ineffective. In this regard, the expectations and needs of the customers will not be fully met by the salespersons. According to Kaplan and Norton, (2006), sellers should be keen during sales process to ensure they do not omit any step or in other words ensure every buying process step correspond with a particular selling process step. According to Kaplan and Norton, (2006), misaligning the two processes has greater negative impacts to an organization. For instance, omitting a particular step in the sales process that is aimed to correspond to a particular step in the customer’s buying process means that specific need and expectations of the buyers will not be met. This in turn interpret that the customers will turn to other organizations that keen in addressing their needs thus losing their competitive advantage and lead to decline in performance (Dubinsky, 1980/81). Critical assessment of alignment of customer’s buying process and the salespersons selling process brings out the need for SME to adopt and implement an effective sales process within their organization to ensure they meet their customers need and enhance sale, competitive advantage and performance in the long run (Kaplan and Norton, 2006).    Factors to consider when designing, or redesigning, a formal sales process and to make recommendations to the owners of an SME Traditionally, the sales departments have operated informally, with each sales person acting in their distinct ways that in most cases are non-documented, personally derived and non-measured. With the current escalating competition in terms of sales, price war and technological development and design of new and redesign of the existing formal sales processes is inevitable. In response to these forces, small and medium size enterprises need to plan, implement and control their personal contacts programs in order to achieve sales and profit motives of the firms. Designing of formal sale process is a complex and critical undertaking that requires careful scrutiny and a logical examination in its development since it is core in the success of a business (Rickman and DeVincentis, 1998). The going concern of a business entity largely relies on the effectiveness and operativeness of the sales processes in place. Small and medium size enterprises exist with a view to making profit and there fore effort should be made to ensure that they remain competitive and retain a reputable status in the market. Due to, the fragility and sensitivity of formal sales process design and redesign, several factors should be put into considerations in order to safeguard the successful life of the firms. For instance, competencies and skills available in the firm, encompasses the qualification and experience of employees especially management and the Sales department staff. For example the less experienced low level manager spend most time in staffing, monitoring and giving directives to salespersons. The top managers on the other hand, are generally concerned with complex issues of planning, budgeting organizing and coordinating sale strategies with other objectives of small and medium size enterprises. The new design should accommodate the available skill and technology. In the event of limitation of the part of staff qualification, it is worthy to reconsider redesigning the sales strategies, to make them possible to implement operate and eventually achieve the objectives set by the management.   According to Lodato (2006), business sale strategies should be implemented with efficiency with the sole priority of increasing sale despite the completion from rivals. Further more, a look at the geographical coverage and the nature of clients helps determine the correct direction to take. Expansion of business to include a wide coverage necessitates redesigns of sale s process to incorporate the needs and worried of new clients explored. This is through studying and examining their lifestyles, culture and believes and the consumption behavior (Tas Group, 2014).The formal redesign will be there fore necessary in as a way of reinforcing new ways of behavior. Additionally, the sales price and the customers’ economic status should be put into attention. It is worth noting that people consumption pattern entirely depends upon their social economic position and the value of goods and services offered in the market. Visions of the firm should not be trodded underfoot in the process of designing and redesigning the firm’s formal sale process. The necessity of vision and plan in implementation of firms’ objectives is immense (Porter, 2004), Incorporating the vision of the firms is instrumental in determining whether or not the existing strategies are sufficient or not and the need to streamline them to preserve attractive culture of internal work. Solely adding more marketing and sales people is not sufficient .however it should be back up by the firms operational capabilities may produce sale revues needed to increase continuous growth and improvement. Other issue to reflect in designing of formal sales process (FSP) is the workers’ motivation. The current level of employee’s inspiration should be assessed and its effectiveness determined. According to Lauby (2005), motivated workers are highly productive compared to their counterparts irrespective of the qualification and skills possessed. There for the factor that drives employees to their peak performances are determined, followed by implementation of the motivation program. Since not every employee is motivated by the same thing, there is need to include diverse programs ranging from bonus pools individual recognition rewards and group performance acknowledgment. This makes workers feel appreciated for the job well done (Lauby, 2005, p.291) With a view to improving the sale level with business organizations, the manager and owner need to make realignment and readjusted of the operations within the entity and incorporate mechanisms to link product buying process and formal sales process. Majorly, emphasizing on the competence of sales and marketing staff to ensure the easy and efficient implementation of developed marketing strategies at all level of business operations. Recruiting personnel with high qualification that met the current market demands and cope with the stiff competition. The owners should use this as a competitive advantage to maintain their status and reputation. Additionally they ought to explore the nature of their customers with respect to culture, social economic and consumption behavior and pattern especially in new markets discovered. Moreover, the owners should institute programs aimed at motivating the workers. Establishing individual and group recognition reward will make employees feel acknowledged for their work well done and as a result stimulate their peak performance. References Adamson, B., Dixon, M., and Toman, N., 2013. Dismantling the Sales Machine. Harvard   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Business Review Axelsson, B., and Wynstra, F., 2002. Buying Business Services. Chichester: John Wiley and Sons   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ltd. Blair, C. (2005). Four characters of selling: Speak the way your buyers listen, listen the way   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   your buyers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   speak. Calgary: West Creek Resources. Blaxter, L., Hughes, C., and Tight, M., 2006. How to Research. 3rd Edition. Maidenhead: Open   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   University Press. Bryman, A., and Bell, E., 2003. Business Research Methods. 2nd Edition. Oxford: Oxford   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   University Press. Cousins, P.D., and Spekman, R., 2003. Strategic supply and the management of inter and intra- organisational relationships. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, 9(1), 19-  Ã‚  Ã‚   29. Covey, S.R., 1999. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. London: Simon and Schuster UK    Ltd. Darr, A. (2006). Selling technology: The changing shape of sales in an information economy.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Ithaca, N.Y:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cornell University Press. Davis, I.A., Le Meunier-FitzHugh, K., Ryals, L.J., and Ward, R. 2011. Improving the Sales   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Force. Cranfield University Paper. De Wit, B., and Meyer, R., 2010. Strategy Process, Content and Context International   Ã‚   Perspective. 4th Edition. Hampshire: Cengage Learning EMEA. Doyle, P., 2002. Marketing Management and Strategy. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. Dubinsky, A.J., 1980/81.   A Factor Analytical study of the Personal Selling Process. Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management. 1(1), 26-33. Easterby-Smith, M., Thorpe, R., and Jackson, P., 2012. Management Research. 4th Edition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   London: Sage Handy, C., 1991. Gods of Management. Great Britain: Souvenir Press Ltd. Hayes, I. S. (2003). Just enough wireless computing. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall. Iii, H. C. W. (2011). Sales: What a concept!. S.l.: Lulu Com. Johnson, G., Scholes, K., and Whittington, R., 2008.   Exploring Corporate Strategy. 8th Edition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Essex: Pearson Education Limited. Kaplan, S., and Norton, P., 2006.   Alignment: Using the Balanced Scorecard to Create    Corporate Synergies. Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. Ketchen, D.J.Jnr., and Hult, G.T.M., 2007. Bridging Organisational Theory and Supply Chain Management: The Case of Best Value Supply Chains. Journal of Operations   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Management, 25, 573-580. Kotler, P., 1999. Kotler on marketing how to create, win and dominate markets. New York: Free   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Press. Kotter, J.P., 1996. Leading Change. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing. Lauby, S. J. (2005). Motivating employees. Alexandria, Va: ASTD Press Lodato, M. W. (2006). Integrated sales process management: A methodology for improving   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   sales   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   effectiveness in the 21st century. Bloomington: AuthorHouse McClay, R., 2010. Fortify Your Sales Force. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons Inc. Miller, R.B., Heiman, S.E., and Tuleja, T., 1994.   Successful Large Account Management.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   London: Kogan Page Limited Moncrief, W.C., and Marshall, G.W., 2005. The Evolution of the Seven Steps of Selling. Industrial Marketing Management. 34(1), 13-22. Neely, A., 2007.   Business Performance Measurement: Unifying Theory and Integrating   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Neville, C., 2007. Introduction to Research and Research Methods. [PDF] University of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bradford. Available at: