Shariah Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Shariah Law - Essay Example It seemed to me that there were no reasons to allow that to happen and yet it seemed that not only was it being allowed by the one being beaten but by those that were watching the beating. I just didn't understand and to be honest it was beyond anything I could imagine. The real sadness it seemed to me came from the fact that tsunami had so devastated this country and now it seemed the new government would devastate what was left. Stopping violence towards women and children is a worldwide concentration right now. The WHO has put major emphasis on it. This new policy seems to make that violence worse and in a part of the world where the respect for women is already very minor. There is also the fact that this police force appears to have a poor view of women as well as the poor. Not only do they have a poor view of women but of the people in general. To parade women in front of men in that culture is degrading and allows men to take advantage of them as well. Being raised in the United States makes one see many things differently. Americans have no real experience with this kind of problem. We cannot imagine allowing someone to beat us, no less in public. Freedom of religion is one of our basic rights and we take full advantage of that. To have any kind of punishment inflicted in the name of a God would be more than we would ever understand. There is a lot of controversy right now about the possibility that there are some cases when culture is incompatible and this may be one of them. How a culture feels about its religion and whether there is a recognition as to the fact that not everyone believes the same thing can affect all other things in life.. That is not the case in Indonesia and it appears the little bit of freedom they might have had for awhile is now gone. Along with freedom of religion, of course, comes freedom of speech. It appears from the example of the women talking among themselves that this is surely not allowed. There also seems to be very little respect for women at all which though it is still being improved, is somewhat better in many countries. Are there any courts This is a question that has to be ask. Punishing someone instantly which appears to the case regularly allows that a court is not necessary. So, another thing that many of us are used to is "innocent until proved guilty." In the United States, we believe that "all men are created equal." We have not shown that through our history but we are getting there. We also believe that we have a government by the people and for the people so it is difficult to imagine that any government has the right to come along and change the religious rules for the country and begin to punish those that do not follow the rules. We can only guess what they are going through. As health professionals, we have caring beliefs. It causes us great discomfort to see the wounded person both physically or mentally. To see a case of purposeful wounding is really quite difficult. Many American surgeons and nurses went to Indonesia after the tsunami and performed great helping services. This is an issue that needs worldwide help. However, we must also remember that the healthcare

The red room by H.G Wells Essay Example for Free

The red room by H.G Wells Essay The Red Room is a spine chiller written by H.G Wells. The story is set at Lorraine Castle where a specific room is preoccupied by ghastly spirits. This story The Red Room is about a man (narrator) who seeks spirits inside Lorraine Castle, with his only protection as his revolver. The spirit welcomes the man in an uncomfortable manner, moving furniture, candles going out without smoke and other procedures which the spirit posses. His excuse for the cause of this terror is that ghosts are not inquisitive in this room but is this mans nature (fear) itself that is broader. Already this has begun where effectively you contrast imagery and excitement, making the story feel haunted and more spine chilling. These contrasts of images appear suddenly such as castle that develops other imagery haunted. This opens the story up well that makes the beginning scene effective scaring the audience and increasing their interests in the story. The narrator in the story plays important parts showing he is unaware of the possible outcomes that may occur, this makes his character more significant. The way this makes the narrator to become more significant is the change of character. At the beginning of the story the man (narrator) represents himself as a calm and still person. The way that the narrator has expressed this is that it will take a very tangible ghost to frighten me. This characteristic soon changes where he starts to hallucinate becoming superstitious of the ghastly happenings that occur around him before he enters the red room. darkness closed upon me like the shutting of an eye, wrapped about me in a stifling embrace sealed my vision. Again the man shows another change towards his attitude in which he expresses his outer fear, talking broader, louder than he is whispering. This makes the narrator more significant in the story than any other character The man with the withered arm is an old character, living at this castle for eight-and-twenty years that has not yet glanced at a ghost before his eyes. Its your own choosing said the man with the withered arm, when the coughing has ceased for a while. This quote shows imagery that the old man is withered on one of the two arms he has, also the way he walks indicates some other imagery that does not appeal to the story but in the audiences mind instead. Other than imagery and description that he is withered and old there is a sign of repetition. The quote above Its you own choosing replicates, the withered man repeats this throughout the story, also this points to the audience a phrase that replicates in their minds. Another character the old woman, again a person who has past her age in living both by her appearance and her attitude. The description of her pale eyes indicates that death is not far away spending most of her time staring at the fire. This nights of all nights The quote above is a repetition explaining about that tonight something will happen which has never occurred before for some time. This also shows that the old woman could be either very superstitious or indeed psychic, predicting the future of tonight that something will happen. The further character in the story is another man but older and is described in more detail than the other characters in the story. These include a crutch that held him steadily, and eyes that were small, bright, and inflamed. A monstrous shadow of him crouched upon the wall and mocked his action as he poured and drank This personification shows human characteristics monstrous shadow that the audience sees as a technique in creating a spine chiller. The audiences reaction in this personification is imagery of the old man drinking with a monstrous shadow above his head enlarged onto the wall behind him. There is to my mind something inhuman in senility, something crouching and  atavistic; the human qualities seem to drop from old people insensibly day by day This quote is described as the change of mood appealing to the old people living in Lorraine castle. Human qualities seem to drop from old people, indicate that they are becoming closer to death when loosing their human qualities. This mood also relates back to old peoples appearance for example, how they illustrate their repetitions to the man (narrator) and also the audience. An additional character the young Duke was a person who tried to get his revenge upon the ghostly spirits to end his superstition. He had begun his dying, for he had opened the door and fallen headlong down the steps. This indicates he was pushed by his superstition to end his vigil. His gallant attempt to conquer the ghostly tradition of the place. Shows his ambition in finishing the fears that haunt Lorraine Castle. Although the young duke does not exist with the different characters in the story, but I think he brought the plot into reality allowing the man (narrator) to play the important character. If the duke were to succeed with his ambition, and conquer the ghostly tradition then the whole plot will become entirely different. Throughout this spine chilling story I have grasped shocking imagery that gives this story suspense. The author used this imagery to create an atmosphere against good vs. evil or man vs. nature, except this time nature wins the ending of the story. I have noticed that fear (nature) is stronger than superstition because fear controls both the inner and the outer person allowing them to then become superstitious. Other ways in which the author expresses atmosphere is the use of personification. Metaphors and similes can sometimes be expressed as personification where the surroundings are intangible and inanimate. An example of how the author used this metaphor personification is ocean of mystery, where the atmosphere of the ocean is mystery, this cannot be seen nor touched therefore it is personification. These are more techniques that the author uses in creating suspense full of  spine chilling events.

An Analytical Approach to Truth and Religion Essay -- Philosophy Relig

An Analytical Approach to Truth and Religion ABSTRACT: I discuss some of the problems of the application of the notion of truth to religion. After introductory remarks on the problem called truth and religion to show the peculiarity and the actuality of the problem discussed, I examine the different meanings of the notions of truth and religion, in order to formulate some comments on the different concepts of the truth of religion. I name the main types of religious truth, and consider the competencies of the diverse types of the study of religion to determine the truth of religion, and to analyze how to understand the truth of distinct types of religion. I conclude with some remarks on the appropriate approach to the question of the truth of religion. The considerations show that there is no simple answer to the question of the truth of religion in general or in particular. As it turns out the answer requires some relativizations, among others to the notion of truth and of religion. The notions of true religion and credibility of religion, though at first sight distinct, seem to condition each other. The notion of the truth of religion can be a valuable instrument of interpretation of religious phenomena not only in philosophy and theology of religion, but in the social sciences of religion too. Introductory remarks Justification of a religious point of view usually consists in attempts to prove that some particular religion is true. In my paper I will discuss some problems arising when the notion of truth is applied to religion. I first focus on analyzing complexity and conditions of the question about truth of religion in order to determine various meanings which could be ascribed to the expression "truth of religio... ...uth, New York 1967. Streng F. J., Truth, in: M. Eliade (editor in chief), The Encyclopedia of Religion, vol. 15, New York-London 1987, 63-72. Vroom H. M., Religions and the Truth. Philosophical Reflections and Perspectives (Currents of Encounter, vol. 2), Amsterdam 1990. Walker R. C. S., Theories of Truth, in: B. Hale, C. Wright (ed.), A Companion to the Philosophy of Language, Oxford 1997, 309-330. Wiebe D., Religion and Truth. Towards and Alternative Paradigm for the Study of Religions, The Hague, Paris, New York 1981. Waardenburg J. (ed.), Classical Approaches to the Study of Religion. Aims, Methods and Theories of Research, vol. 1: Introduction and Anthology; vol. 2: Bibliography, The Hague, Paris 1973-1974. Whaling F. (ed.), Contemporary Approaches to the Study of Religion, vol. 1: The Humanities, vol. 2: The Social Sciences, New York 1984-1985.

Nutrition/Diet Therapy Project

Health is an important aspect for the people as this manifests as the foundation of their lives and welfare. Ideally, good health can be maintained through adhering to a strict discipline and a physically nurturing lifestyle. Having proper nutrition, adequate rest, regular exercise and avoidance from vices can lead to a healthy personal development bringing forth longer with a pleasant condition. Among the three approaches to a healthy living, the aspect of diet and nutrition commonly manifests as the most influential factor as this can significantly affect the general development of the physical body. Healthy body condition can be maintained through adhering through a proper diet even the prevention and resistance to many health ailments such as heart diseases. Indeed, heart diseases are serious problems which must be given sufficient attention as they are mostly life-threatening. One common approach for reducing treatment ad prevention of heart diseases is adhering to a proper diet and nutrition therapy. Nutrition is mainly taken through eating and drinking. The body extracts the needed vitamins and minerals from the food and water taken in to properly maintain the basic processes vital for a healthy living. In the aspect of treating or preventing heart diseases, the value of the foods taken in terms of vitamins and minerals play much significance. Naturally, the origin of heart disease also has other factors such as hereditary as determined from the history of the family lineage. For cases wherein a person indeed has history of heart disease cases running down his or her family, the value of the dietary nutrition can have preventive effects to the probability of the development of heart ailments for the said individual. To further elaborate the significance of the said health recommendation, an actual study health study will be implemented wherein the author of this paper will establish a personal dietary recommendation in relation to his health information. As this author has determined, a significance percentage of heart disease has to be considered, as the problem is present in the family history. As gathered through intrinsic research, the risk factor is associated with the case of the subject’s father dying from a heart attack, which is likely due to high cholesterol level similar to the case of the subject’s grandfather. Considering the present health status of the subject, there is still no sign of heart disease symptoms and the cholesterol is still regular within the normal level. From these informations, it can be ruled that heart disease in terms of hereditary and congenital nature however, a consideration for precaution is still necessary. Thus, this dietary recommendation project will be significantly focused on the development of preventive approach and maintenance of healthy condition. In preventing heart disease ailments, it is important to consider the nutritional value of the diet being taken by the subject. In this project, three particular diet elements are highly recommended namely: emphasize on fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products inclusion of lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts on the regular diet and reduction in saturated fats, cholesterol, sodium and, added sugars. A strict adhesion to these three diet factors is important in the aspect of preventing health ailments as their nutritional benefits are incremental thus aiding the proper development of the body. The health values gain from this diet works mainly in two ways namely first through promoting the development of the body’s health and natural defenses, and second through reducing the likely diet causes of heart problems. It must be noted that cases of high cholesterol level are present in the family background and the likely contributor to the development of the heart problem of the subject’s father, thus, it must this diet recommendation project wishes to emphasize the elimination of this factor. This health diet project has also considered the said factor through eliminating the food sources of cholesterol. Reduction of cholesterol is addressed through eliminating saturated fats on the diet and focusing more on fruits, vegetables, grains, wheat, and other. Indeed, this diet recommendation eliminates the risk factor determined from family history and promotes the development of a healthy lifestyle for the subject. To better realize the effect of the recommendations of the mentioned diet project, it is also important to adhere to a healthy lifestyle particularly regular exercise and sufficient rest. In this project, an emphasis on cardiovascular exercises on a regular basis is recommended namely the basic jogging, simple stretching, and brisk walking. This form of exercises develops the capacity and healthy condition of the circulatory system particularly the heart, lung, and blood vessels. In addition, these exercises also promote proper waste removal from the body through perspiration and the maintenance of the cholesterol level. These exercises must be done at maximum of thrice a week for maintenance purposes. As additional recommendations, exercise done with mechanical assistance such as treadmill and tension bikes is also recommended but not necessary as these will require additional expense for the project. Having sufficient rest periods is also important in this health project. Insufficient rest can reduce the capacity and health of the muscles in the body and this effect has detrimental consequences mainly on the heart organ. Thus, to maintain the benefits from the food recommendations and exercise, proper rest periods ranging within 8 to 10 hours must also be given consideration. In general, this diet recommendation project is not solely focused on heart diseases as the benefits in this program can also address other health problems. It is a general emphasis on this program to develop a strong and healthy body for its subject through maintaining a proper healthy lifestyle. By adhering to a nutritious and healthy diet, a regular exercise, and adequate sleep program, the subject can easily improve his or her physical well-being and natural defenses, enabling the subject to prevent numerous health problems particularly heart diseases. Indeed, in the approach of preventing health problems, the primary approach for this aspect is to develop a strong body through a healthy lifestyle throughout his or her life. Bibliography Lee, Dennis & Stoppler, Melissa Conrad (2007). Disease Prevention Through Diet and Nutrition. MedicineNet, Inc. http://www.medicinenet.com/prevention/article.htm. September 7, 2007. Medical Update (1993). Take heart – and save it, too! (preventing heart disease with healthy diet). Benjamin Franklin Literary & Medical Society, Inc. Vol 17, Page 2. Mirkin, Gabe (2003).The Healthy Heart Miracle: Your Roadmap to Lifelong Health. Collins Publication. 1st Edition. ISBN-10: 0060196807

Nucleophilic Substitution

Experimental: Theoretical: Discussion [6] The experimental findings obtained are largely consistent with theory. The activation energy obtained in Part C, 138. 6 k/mol is not too far below the theoretical activation energy of 148. 526 k/mol[6], while Part A confirms the theory that k is dependent on he initial concentration of reactants, since it is a first order reaction. This is clearly depicted in Figure 3, where the alteration of the amount of t-butyl chloride being added to the reaction vessel clearly produced a different rate constant.The findings from Part B of the experiment proved that the reaction followed the SIN mechanism, reaction rate to increase due to the usage of polar solvents to stabilize the carbonation being produced during this mechanism in the slow, rate-determining step [5]. However, there were errors in the experiment, which led to the results being lightly off from theory, such as the lower than expected value for the activation energy. One major source of e rror was the fact that t-butyl chloride reacts with water. Since there is water present in the air, this actually reduces the concentration of the t-butyl chloride solution.If a sample was left exposed for longer, more would react, lowering the concentration further. The following equation shows the reaction with water:[3] + H2O 0 + HCI Another source of error would be the hydrophilic of acetone. This means that acetone, being polar, is attracted to water, another polar compound. As a result of this, the acetone has water molecules clumped around it in the acetone/water mixture, which inhibits the reaction slightly, as the t-butyl chloride molecules, being bulkier, find it harder to access the acetone.While the reaction was ongoing, it was noticed that there was usually a temperature rise that accompanied it. This is another source of error, since the increase in temperature would contribute to an increased rate, which would in turn show up on the measurements taken due to the incre ase in conductivity of the mixture in the reaction vessel. Lastly, the room imperative experiment (run 7 from the Procedure section) did not have a water bath, making it a biased trial.If the experiment were to be repeated, there should be a room temperature water bath for that particular run, to make the experiments uniform and fair. Conclusion The introduction to the experiment stated that the kinetics of the necrophilia substitution reaction were to be studied and found to be affected by changes in concentration of t-butyl chloride, the percentage composition of the acetone/water solution (solvent polarity) and the temperature at which the reaction was to be aired out.The results from this experiment were successful in proving that changes to these three conditions varied the rate constant (k), thus they affected the kinetics of the reaction. Upon research it was found that econometric analysis could also be carried out on other reactions such as the hydrolysis of urea (which is highly important for plants to be able to absorb nitrogen from urea)[7], and to study iterations of acids and bases, where the conductivity starts to fall as a base is added to an acid, until it reaches a minimum at the naturalization point, before rising again hen more base or acid is added [8].For the hydrolysis of urea, it initially reacts with water to produce ammonia gas, ceramic acid, water and carbon dioxide. For the plants to obtain the nutrients, the water must react with the ammonia to produce ammonium ions that can be absorbed. NH + H2O 0 NH+ + OH- The rate of production of the ammonium ion can be studied using contemporary, allowing us to deduce the rate at which plants are obtaining nutrients from the urea, and to note how much ammonia is escaping as gas as opposed to being converted to an ion.

Calculating the Mean, Median, and Mode

Calculating the Mean, Median, and Mode Before you can begin to understand statistics, you need to understand mean, median, and mode. Without these three methods of calculation, it would be impossible to interpret much of the data we use in daily life. Each is used to find the statistical midpoint in a group of numbers, but they all do so differently.   The Mean When people talk about statistical averages, they are referring to the mean. To calculate the mean, simply add all of your numbers together. Next, divide the sum by however many numbers you added. The result is your mean or average score. For example, lets say you have four test scores: 15, 18, 22, and 20. To find the average, you would first add all four scores together, then divide the sum by four. The resulting mean is 18.75. Written out, it looks something like this: (15 18 22 20) / 4 75 / 4 18.75 If you were to round up to the nearest whole number, the average would be 19. The Median The median is the middle value in a data set. To calculate it, place all of your numbers in increasing order. If you have an odd number of integers, the next step is to find the middle number on your list. In this example, the middle or median number is 15: 3, 9, 15, 17, 44 If you have an even number of data points, calculating the median requires another step or two. First, find the two middle integers in your list. Add them together, then divide by two. The result is the median number. In this example, the two middle numbers are 8 and 12: 3, 6, 8, 12, 17, 44 Written out, the calculation would look like this: (8 12) /  2   20 / 2 10 In this instance, the median is 10. The Mode In statistics, the mode in a list of numbers refers to the integers that occur most frequently. Unlike the median and mean, the mode is about the frequency of occurrence. There can be more than one mode or no mode at all; it all depends on the data set itself. For example, lets say you have the following list of numbers: 3, 3, 8, 9, 15, 15, 15, 17, 17, 27, 40, 44, 44 In this case, the mode is 15 because it is the integer that appears most often. However, if there were one fewer 15 in your list, then you would have four modes: 3, 15, 17, and 44. Other Statistical Elements Occasionally in statistics, youll also be asked for the range in a set of numbers. The range is simply the smallest number subtracted from the largest number in your set. For example, lets use the following numbers: 3, 6, 9, 15, 44 To calculate the range, you would subtract 3 from 44, giving you a range of 41. Written out, the equation looks like this:   44 – 3 41 Once youve mastered the basics of mean, median, and mode, you can begin to learn about more statistical concepts. A good next step is studying  probability, the chance of an event happening.

The Debate of Interracial Marriages and the Unseen Barriers of Relationships Essays

The Debate of Interracial Marriages and the Unseen Barriers of Relationships Essays The Debate of Interracial Marriages and the Unseen Barriers of Relationships Essay The Debate of Interracial Marriages and the Unseen Barriers of Relationships Essay The Debate of Interracial Marriages and the Unseen Barriers of Relationships 1 For decades, interracial relationships have been a deep seated conflict among many people and families in our history. Not only in the United States, but many countries around the world have debated and banned such acts. Although it has now been found to be unconstitutional based on the violation of the fourteenth amendment, societal perceptions, norms, and hate groups have still managed to persist. We as a country have come a long way in the past fifty years by recognizing the injustice in banning and punishing certain marriages, but there is still a definite stigma and an abundance of prejudice, resentment, and negative reactions attached to those who are involved in an interracial relationship. Studies have shown that as recently as 1991, 42% of respondents said that they still disapprove of interracial marriage (About). Further studies done by Bramlett and Mosher in 2002 had found that by the tenth year of marriage, 41% of interracial couples had divorced compared to 31% of same-race couples. In the years of 1985 to 1989, an astonishing 55% had ended (Bratter King, p. 160). One tends to wonder if these rates are higher because of the outside factors and people that are against these couples, or if this could be a reason that so many people are against the concept of interracial marriage. Some have hypothesized that interracial marriage selects on those persons that are already likely to divorce because of certain personal characteristics. Yet another explanation states that these marriages potentially unite persons from differing interpersonal styles, and varying values attached to marriage and family. Therefore, maintaining that relationship may be more difficult eventually ending them in divorce (Bratter King, p. 161-62). Many other theories have been conceived about what it is that tends to lead these couples toward divorce more than others; we will go over a few of 2 them. Up until 1967 with the case of Loving versus Virginia, sixteen states in the United States had laws prohibiting interracial marriage between a white and olored person. Just as it is made known through these previous laws addressing only black and white marriages, those relationships that consist of an African American and a white are still seen as the most controversial in America (About). A Ford poll from 2003 surveyed 1,314 Americans which resulted in three in ten participants expressing disagreement with black and white intermarriage. Howeve r, they were more willing to accept white-Hispanic or white-Asian marriages(About). The hypotheses for these attitudes were related to economic prosperity, skin color, and history of economic hardship. It is hard to determine exactly why these feelings are so strong. Many saw interracial couples as violating the goodness of fit belief, that these people were less likely to be compatible (Lewandowski, p. 289) and also loss of racial caste privilege†, mostly for whites (Bratter Eschbach, p. 1029). So what do these statistics and attitudes imply for interracial couples of today? Research shows that interracial marriages have an amplified risk of marital disillusionment. Many of the previously mentioned attitudes have been shown to increase this high divorce rate, but many more theories will be explored further throughout this paper. Because of so many varying attitudes about the topic of interracial marriage, many people that are in these relationships find themselves knowing a friend or family member that disagrees with their beliefs and way of life with an interracial partner. Bratter and King say that the negative reactions to interracial couples from strangers and 3 the diminished social support from family and friends generally characterize the experience of Black/White couples (p. 62). These couples will many times avoid community activities because of feared racism and also have a harder time integrating into larger family/social networks. One example would be a white female partner dating a black man. She may be less equipped for dealing with the negative reactions toward her black partner and also may be disliked by black females because sh e is seen as a threat to their own marriage prospects and also said to be unfit to raise and nurture her punitively non-white offspring. These types of experiences and attitudes lead many Black/white couples to isolate from their communities to rotect themselves (Bratter King, p. 170). As one can see, when social support is lacking it can lead to couples isolation. Isolation in turn can lead to other psychological issues and problems between the couple making arguments and distress much easier to come by. One could almost say that at least outside of the direct home of the couple, negativity seems to be lurking on all sides of them. It would be easy to see how divorce may sometimes seem like the most logical or conceivable solution to these stresses. It is clear that negative reactions from family as well as from society and also outsider beliefs are aspects that can contribute to stress and negative marital dynamics, yet there are still other variables like background/values, age, and psychological distress that was just touched on briefly. In the past, interracial relationships were seen by many as a psychological flaw or disorder in the person involved; someone who had low self esteem, self-loathing, deep psychological sicknesses, and inferiority issues. These attitudes put even more of a 4 negative impression on interracial couplings and the people that participated in them. However, after many new studies, we have seen that these views have been backward. People involved in interracial relationships have a very unique bag of issues compared to same race couples. Many can be or feel abandoned and rejected by their own community because they are viewed as selling out- abandoning their race rather than embracing their race as a valued characteristic in themselves and others(Lewandowski, p. 01). Instead of seeing them as finding someone they love regardless of color it seems that a racial spin always has to be put into the picture. There is also an underlying resentment in many African American females when their men marry outside of their race because they see this as a threat to their own personal marital opportunities and is also felt as a negative reflection of their personal self worth (Childs, p. 558). Also, as mentioned earlier, isolation is a common trait for interracial couples. Whether because of family disapproval, society prejudice, or just irrational beliefs, social isolation can be very damaging to individuals as well as a couple with no outlets. Both recent and classical scholarship predict that among all married persons, those in interracial relationships are more likely to experience conditions that create psychological distress relative to their same race counterparts with a same race partner (Brater Eschbach, p. 1028). Now that new research has been given a chance, society can see that rather than assuming that there is some underlying psychological issue in those that partake in interracial relationships, but that lack in support, isolation, negativity, and attitudes from outsiders can lead to psychological distress. Therefore, the previously thought cause is now a possible effect. Stress in relationships without the proper support and outlets can easily lead to tense 5 marital situations and lead to what may seem like the only logical escape; divorce. When looking at a general risk of divorce for any couple, age has seemed to play an important role. This is also relevant for interracial marriages, if not more so, as you will see. Marriage at a younger age has shown to be a large characteristic of many divorced couples. Of all predictors of divorce, age at marriage is the most well established and most consistently predictive, regardless of time period when the marriage began (Bratter King, p. 161-62). Studies done by Bramlett and Mosher have estimated that there is a dramatic increase in divorce rates, over 20%, between those who marry before the wife turns 18 years of age and those who marry after the age of 25 years. This is worth mentioning when researching the explanation behind such high divorce rates among interracial couples because historically, specifically those African Americans that marry outside of their race have tended to marry at a younger age than if they were to marry someone inside of their race (Bratter King, p. 62). African American/White relationships are mentioned specifically because these tend to be the most controversial marriage because of such social distance and also the least likely to succeed (Childs, p. 544). Although this cannot be named the sole reason for such high divorce rates among these couples, it can possibly be a starting point to explain some of the different dynamics that go on inside of these relationships. Stress from outside sources have definitely decreased over the last decades for interracial couples, but from news and studies we can tell that it is not completely abolished like the previous marital bans have been. Just look at Bob Jones University in South Carolina. Even up into the twenty first century, this school was blatantly 6 prohibiting interracial relationships on their campus by way of threats of expulsion (About). Unfortunately these types of scenarios will most likely continue on through the years and may continue to carry on the discrepancy of divorce rates between couples of same and different race marriages. Although divorce rates for interracial marriages are significantly higher than their same race counterparts, there are many differing and unique qualities and dynamics that need to be factored in when examining the reasons behind it. There is no single cause and it most likely cannot be chalked up to different skin color. The perceptions, attitudes, treatment, support (and lack of), values, and backgrounds of individuals in the relationship and of those interacting with the couple, all contribute to the environment that they are in and surrounded by on a daily basis. The way that these things impact the interracial couple will also play out into their own marital relationship once they are at home. Seeing as though many times these outside forces are very negative, one would guess that the relationship would also take a turn in that direction. Many of these mentioned theories and dynamics contribute to the high divorce rate among interracial couples in America, although many more aspects most likely add to this problem.

The French Expression Cest le pied

The French Expression Cest le pied The French expression cest le pied means that something is great, terrific. This positive meaning of pied is left over from old slang, in which it referred to ones share of the loot. Cest le pied can also be negated: ce nest pas le pied and- even more familiarly- cest pas le pied mean its no good, no picnic, no fun. Ne is often dropped in informal/familiar French. Expression: Cest le piedPronunciation: [say leu pyay]Meaning: its greatLiteral translation: its the footRegister: familiar Examples of Using Cest le Pied Tu dois voir ma nouvelle bagnole - cest le pied  !   Ã‚  Ã‚  Youve got to see my new car - its great!   Travailler de nuit, ce nest pas le pied.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Working nights is no picnic. Synonymous expression: quel pied ! (But be careful, because that can also mean what an idiot! Context is everything.)Related expression: prendre son pied - to get ones kicks, enjoy doing (particularly when talking about sex)

College degree Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

College degree - Essay Example One of the core benefits is that I will gain from a college degree is the KSAs associated with it. When an individual attends college he/she is able to develop and polish various significant KSAs that are required to perform various jobs in the corporate world. Some of these KSAs include communication, time management, and interpersonal skills. These skills are developed during the course of a college education. For example, students are awarded several assignments during a particular semester which helps them in learning how to manage their time while working on several assignments within a limited period of time.  One of the core benefits is that I will gain from a college degree is the KSAs associated with it. When an individual attends college he/she is able to develop and polish various significant KSAs that are required to perform various jobs in the corporate world. Some of these KSAs include communication, time management, and interpersonal skills. These skills are develope d during the course of a college education. For example, students are awarded several assignments during a particular semester which helps them in learning how to manage their time while working on several assignments within a limited period of time.  Another major benefit of attaining a college degree is that a college degree increases the probability of an individual to gain employment. Employers nowadays desire to hire those individuals who are ready for the corporate world and its stressful conditions. A college education is a means to which an individual is prepared to meet the stress of working in a particular position and that is why employers give preference to those individuals who have undergone college level education. Adams has reported a study that states that employers are looking forward to hiring 8.6% extra individuals who are college graduates during the period of 2014 as compared to the period of 2013. This clearly depicts that employers are willing to consider c ollege graduates over those who have not attended college.  A third major benefit of gaining a college degree is that it helps in increase living standards.

'Teamwork is a method for organising activities in the workplace that Essay

'Teamwork is a method for organising activities in the workplace that offers undeniable advantages'. Discuss this statement - Essay Example The adoption of agriculture and the subsequent rise of farming communities likewise showed the importance of group work, when it comes to planting, irrigating and finally, harvesting the crops. Group work lightens the load as well as hastens the task completion when it is crucial to finish the work before adverse weather conditions set in, such as the coming of winter. Discussion This brief paper explores some of the theories involving teamwork in organizations and provides some examples to illustrate the importance of teamwork to group performance in achieving overall corporate strategy as one of its competitive tools. In this paper, teamwork is discussed within the context of a modern corporate organization. Previous ideas of teamwork entailed mostly primitive activities like hunting and planting, but in the modern setting, it is a teamwork that is anchored in an industrial setting in the post-Industrial Revolution period. In this context, teamwork ideas are anchored on mostly proj ect-based work but it also has other varied applications which are discussed as the paper progresses. Participative management, co-determination, worker representation in management teams, quality improvement circles, and small-group activities, are just some of the fine examples of teamwork (Kandula 124). Organizing activities around teamwork in a corporate setting offers advantages that cannot be attained by someone working individually; some distinct advantages are: Employee involvement – people become more committed when they are involved in the business, when they are consulted, and given a chance to share their inputs. Organizational success is better assured when all people get involved, rather than just a select few or elites. A good way to involve people is to make them join a team for an equitable participation. Conducive to new ideas – people can become more creative when they are exposed to various ideas, suggestions, and comments of other people within a t eam setting. Although it is sometimes the originality and brilliance of one individual which can make a difference, it is more often the case that an exchange of good ideas in a team that produces the most brilliant insights because data, information, knowledge, and wisdom are shared together. Enhances communications and relationships – the nature of group work requires all people within the team to work together, share their ideas, and communicate frequently such that in the process, they become more interdependent and thereby build stronger relationships. Organizational performance is enhanced when there is effectiveness in good teamwork. Improvements in quality levels – whether it is a product or a service an organization is selling, teamwork raises the level of quality because people supplement and complement each other when quality consciousness is embedded in each employee as a team concept. Raises the learning process – teamwork promotes the learning proc ess in socializing, when people are doing a common task assigned to them, and given a group objective. The idea is an entire organization learns in the process, not just the individuals (Marquardt 52). Reinforces individual strengths – most work today is multi-disciplinary in nature, so no one person can be expected to do it all alone. Teamwork can likewise mitigate weaknesses, enables more rapid adaptation to changes, and saves resources by doing more with less. Various theories have

W6DQ Follow Up Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

W6DQ Follow Up - Assignment Example Segil, L (2002) However, in any social setting, there are obstacles that are encountered such as conflicts, maintaining team work as well as managing and appreciating the diversity meaning different skills among the members. Therefore, to solve or prevent these negative issues within a team, an effective leader is required to to lead the team in the most efficient, authoritative and just way to prevent discriminating views. A leader is an individual who guides and influences a group of people in accomplishing the set tasks and objectives. Leading an effective team calls a true leader. An effective team works in handy to fulfill the given mandates in solidarity and respecting every individual’s perspective relating the set agenda. Thus a leader of an effective team calls for transparency in decision making and observes and acknowledges the diversity within the team. This enhances or creates a warm friendly environment within the team and in return it creates a conducive working environment for the team. Lena Zander and Audra I. Mockaitis (2012) In certain situations, some pressing and delicate issues regarding a given mandate almost lead to the collapse of a given team due to conflicting views. Therefore, for an efficient decision to take place, a wise leader calms down the situation and makes a firm decision on the same. For one to lead an effective team, one should possess knowledge from observing past mistakes and failures. After recognizing these negative attributes, it becomes easier to develop effective strategies and adequate counter measures to overcome future obstacles. Lastly, leading an effective team advocates for teamwork. Debbie Zmorenski (2011) Teamwork creates efficiency through the understanding every individuals strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, it works as a guideline in making correct and informed decisions. When a leader maintains teamwork, definitely the team is bound for success, more contracts and lastly enjoying success toget her respecting the leader. References Lena Zander, Audra I. Mockaitis., 2012. Christina L. Butler Leading global teams Original Research Article: Journal of World Business, 47 (4), Pp. 592-603 Segil, L 2002, Dynamic leader adaptive organization: ten essential traits for managers, John Wiley & Sons. The New York Debbie Zmorenski (2011), How to create and lead high-performing teams http://www.reliableplant.com/Read/27377/Creating-leading-high-performing-teams Response 2 Leading an effective team revolves around good leadership skills. The said leader should make sure that every team member should live accountable with the resolutions made and should make sure that each member foresees the implementation of the decisions made. I response every member feels the weight of the resolutions thus creating a situation where every team member is keen in observing goals. Miles, J. (2012) In other terms the leadership position is fulfilled by every member but final decisions are left for the tru e leader. An effective team is demanding in how it is led hence a call for a strong leader comes in place. This leader should evaluate the performance of the team. When keen measurement is thoroughly taken, for the team to be effective the leader should maintain the following characteristics. Communication in an effective team is crystal clear and transparent through decency and honesty. This drives the team to success in achieving the laid

Analysis of Gypsy perfomrance group Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Analysis of Gypsy perfomrance group - Essay Example Their parents were Spanish Romani people who had fled from Catalonia during the time of the Spanish Civil War in the 1930’s. (BBC) However, an exception was Chico Bouchikhi who was of Moroccan and Algerian descent.  (BBC) The group was quite famous for introducing audiences to a pop- oriented music the ‘Rumba Catalana’ that was distantly derived from the traditional Flamenco music but with pop influences. (BBC) Their music well suited social dances like the ‘Rumba’ and the ‘Salsa’ which became quite popular. The band members were of Spanish Gipsy origin and their growing years were spent in making music while traversing the south of France and harvesting. Their roots were steeped firmly in Romany tradition. In their initial stages the group played at weddings and parties or just jammed on the streets of Cannes. They made use of South America’s rumba rhythm along with the flamenco guitars and introduced the world to the ‘Rumba Gitano’ with their classy debut titled ‘Bambolero’. (Official Home page, gipsykings.com) Thus they began their epic musical journey and there was no turning back for them. Though their lives have changed with their popularity, they still remain gypsies at heart. (Official Home page, gipsykings.com) The members hardly speak any English. They converse and sing in ‘Gitane’ which is a Gypsy dialect that involves both Spanish and French. The popularity of the group is driven by their upbeat and danceable music. The Gipsy’s lead singer is Nicolas Reyes who is the son of the famous Flamenco singer Jose Reyes who during the 60’s and the 70’s sold millions of records after having joined forces with his friend Manitas de Plata. The duo contributed a great deal towards placing the ‘Flamenco’ on the map of international music. The Gipsy Kings comprise of two families of brothers. On one hand, we have the Reyes family with Nicolas, Canut, Paul, Patchai, Andre, and on the other we have the

San Francisco Bart strike Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

San Francisco Bart strike - Essay Example to Reuters, the previous strike and â€Å"The July work stoppage caused between $73 million and $100 million a day in lost productivity for riders, said Rufus Jeffris, spokesman for the Bay Area Council, which studies the local economy.†(October 20, 2013)This is awesome. The present strike within a period of three months has disrupted the economy of San Francisco from all ends. Technological advancement and internet revolution have caused genuine problems for the workers and when advanced technology procedures are introduced, there is the distinct possibility of labor strength being curtailed and a stoppage to new recruitment. The promotional avenues for the existing staff are affected. All these factors lead to discontentment. For example, when computers were introduced in the Banking system, with one computer capable of doing the job of at least ten assistants, it affected job prospects for educated youngsters. But that cannot be the reason for strikes, as technological advancement is the national goal and it is not possible to stop it to please one section of the people To end such a fiasco, highly responsible leadership that will be able to communicate with the mammoth membership of workers effectively is needed. Trade union is a responsive organization. If the organization is not there, where is the union? Similarly if the health and economy of the organization is affected, in the long run it will affect the worker’s interests also. The State and the Federal authorities need to pay serious attention to this so save the people from precarious situations on account of such strikes. . Political interference in the union (some of the political leaders occupy top positions in the trade union hierarchy) matters is the root cause of most of the

Globalization and Democratic Policies essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Globalization and Democratic Policies - Essay Example ipate in political rallies, community activities, direct association with political leaders and trade union protests enjoy the common ground of equality. When the majority of citizens in the society are charged with the duty to make decisions binding on the whole society we term that democracy. Political equality can justify the form of democratic government in various ways that allow empowerment of citizens to grow socially and economically while enjoying their civil rights. The society is held together by a joint action towards realizing a certain common goal. When citizens put aside their partisanship, they will realize that development is indispensible in society. Hence, the need to work together as a team is created. Thus in the light of political equality communities are built and developed through the enabling environment of unity (Kropf 2003). Citizens can promote legitimacy when they are involved in political activities. It is through seeing people as equals before the law that will only prompt their participation in affairs concerning their governance. For instance giving people a chance to vote their leaders will ensure satisfaction with the vote results even if they lose. In most cases, citizens learn to obey the laws and little police control is required to bring order. It becomes a culture by citizens to always get the right things done as they are fueled by the universal call for equality, justice, and unity. Democratic governments are easily identified by the warm and fruitful relationships they enjoy with their subjects through maintaining order and law. Involving people in making policies and laws will instill a sense of ownership making the laws to earn protection from the very citizens it is meant for. Contesting for any seat during national elections must be made open to anybody regardless of gender, colour, religion and race as long as the individual meets the basic requirement of the constitution and citizenship to that country. In

San Francisco Bart strike Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

San Francisco Bart strike - Essay Example to Reuters, the previous strike and â€Å"The July work stoppage caused between $73 million and $100 million a day in lost productivity for riders, said Rufus Jeffris, spokesman for the Bay Area Council, which studies the local economy.†(October 20, 2013)This is awesome. The present strike within a period of three months has disrupted the economy of San Francisco from all ends. Technological advancement and internet revolution have caused genuine problems for the workers and when advanced technology procedures are introduced, there is the distinct possibility of labor strength being curtailed and a stoppage to new recruitment. The promotional avenues for the existing staff are affected. All these factors lead to discontentment. For example, when computers were introduced in the Banking system, with one computer capable of doing the job of at least ten assistants, it affected job prospects for educated youngsters. But that cannot be the reason for strikes, as technological advancement is the national goal and it is not possible to stop it to please one section of the people To end such a fiasco, highly responsible leadership that will be able to communicate with the mammoth membership of workers effectively is needed. Trade union is a responsive organization. If the organization is not there, where is the union? Similarly if the health and economy of the organization is affected, in the long run it will affect the worker’s interests also. The State and the Federal authorities need to pay serious attention to this so save the people from precarious situations on account of such strikes. . Political interference in the union (some of the political leaders occupy top positions in the trade union hierarchy) matters is the root cause of most of the

Topic of expanding slavery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Topic of expanding slavery - Essay Example William Lloyd Garrison, a respected proponent for ending slavery in the 19th century, spoke out on behalf of slaves by utilizing Gods will as a means to sway voters against the practice. In his work entitled Declaration of Sentiments of the American Anti-Slavery Society, Garrison states, "every American citizen, who detains a human being in involuntary bondage as his property, is, according to Scripture, a man-stealer" (wwnorton.com, 2007). What this suggests is that Garrison is attempting to use religious doctrine as a means to coerce plantation owners (or any other slave owner) to remember that God did not condone nor would he reward individuals who kept other men as their own property. With such a strong Christian-based faith system in 19th century America, individuals with the courage similar to that of Garrison were attempting to suggest that God would cast judgment on slave owners in negative fashion. When fear of God is instilled on faithful followers, the end result is typica lly a shift in values. Further, this appeared to be a time of reasoning, where intellectual prowess and improvements in the social condition of the nation were primary objectives for enlightened people (or at least those who believed they were sophisticated). When slaves were being kept in bondage, without access to books and higher education at that time, they were not becoming enlightened individuals (wwnorton.com). With such a large emphasis on intellectualism, Northerners began to realize, offering a rather subjective analysis, that unless these slaves received a proper moral and intellectual education, they would not become active and productive members of society. Imposing the belief in higher thinking, then, was another rationale that caused the shift toward freeing slaves, or at least preventing the expansion of slavery into the Western regions of the

Business Card Etiquette Essay Example for Free

Business Card Etiquette Essay Business Card Etiquette: A Must Master Have you ever experienced how mortifying it is when you’re asked for a business card and you don’t have any? Either you forgot to bring one or run out of business cards, this incident is embarrassing both to the asker and to the one being asked for. Habitually forgetting the business cards is the most famous neglect that someone makes when it comes to business card etiquette. In the business world it is important to always remember the business card etiquette as this would speak much of you and the business that you are representing. So, what do we have to be harking backed to when it comes to business card etiquette? First, it is always helpful to have a system to remember to bring a bunch of cool business cards with you every time. Put it in a business portfolio or your purse or desk drawer or a cool business card holder, whichever is applicable and more convenient for you. As one of your most important marketing weapon, a cool business card should always be present in business meetings and basically everywhere. This system would also save you from doing the same mistake that most forgetful entrepreneurs do. The second business card etiquette you should be dredging up on is that it should present creativity. Creative business cards not only state your name, contact numbers, or company logo. The style itself should discourse what kind of service you do or product you provide. You might even want to try cool digital business cards if you’re on the PC or electronic business world. Creative business cards give respect to the card giver and receiver alike. Third thing to consider in business card etiquette is the poise of the card. Cool business cards make the receiver want to keep the card for some reasons like future reference or simply because it is something likable. Either way, cool business cards promote boost in the owner’s individuality. The last and most important thing to ruminate in business card etiquette is the manner on how you present your card. Handing over wrinkled, torn or stained business cards give a reflection on how you see the receiver. This is a big no, especially when you’re dealing with CEOs and managers of companies. Also, it is but proper not to present business cards during personal or emotional correspondence like condolences, get well soons, and even congratulations. So, you can understand that business card etiquette is as much as important as the card itself. Mastering it not only brings potential income to the business but a lasting impression of good reputation as well. Design diaries batch 2 (9-28) 9. China  Travel Depotwww. chinatraveldepot. com Anyone planning to travel along China might want to browse www. chinatraveldepot. com, the official website of the top destination service provider of the country. The site provides information regarding China activities, flights, hotels, tour packages, cars rental, Yangtze cruises, top China tours, prices, and promotions. Basically, what they offer is within- China travel services. But they also provide an option for add- on international travel services by teaming up with Expedia, one of the leading online tour operator in the world. The company also deals with the possibility of customization options and packages to provide the perfect travel destination. China Travel Depot serves over 60 chain stores and outlets located all over China. 10. Extreme Piewww. xtremepie. com It’s up for the hippies to search for the biggest surf, snow, ride, and skate brands online at www. extremepie. com. Nike, Oakley, Nixon, Jansport, Billabong, Converse, Sanuk, Roxy, Havaianas, Element, and Reef are just some of the wide array of brands to choose from. The site features a full assortment of styles that are hip for the current season. Products are categ orized as to usage (by ladies, men, and kids), gift items, and hardware. Extreme Pie offers their customers with a 110% price promise and a good pact of 90 day returns policy(both subject to company’s discretion). The company also gives a deal of free delivery for UK Mainland residents at some point detailed in the terms. 11. Fitness Footwear  www. fitnessfootwear. com If someone is looking for quality footwear, fitnessfootwear. com is a must- visit site for him. Trendy and superior footwear from brands like Adidas, Birkenstock, Reebok,The North face, Under Armor Tactical, New Balance, Havaianas, Merrell, Vivo Barefoot, Fitflop, Hi- Tec, and Saucony are in store at www. fitnessfootwear. com. Another great feature of this site is that it has a shoe size converter for UK, Europe, and USA shoes. Visitors can choose from the variety of Running, Toning, Casual, Outdoor men’s and women’s shoes, insoles, socks, and accessories. To top all that, product updates, promotions, and discounts are given to customers who sign up to the FitnessFootwear. com newsletter. 12. Moonbasawww. moonbasa. us Moonbasa is powered by Mola Group, a China- based company established in 2007, which currently have 800 employees. They specialize in women underwear and clothing but also offer other products such as shoes, handbags, home textile used outdoors and indoors, and Euro- style apparel. They have an elite staff of hunting professionals like Terry Drury, Mark Drury, Jay Gregory, Spook Span, Ronnie â€Å"Cuz† Strickland, Hank Parker, Rick Kreuter, Keith Beam, and more. The company started in the 70’s when the owner, Pete Shepley, experimented with new ideas for bow release aids. From flexible plastic arrow vane to replace the feathers, he trialed to the perfection of his first compound bow. Today, the line of PSE products vastly includes Pro Series Bows, Main Line Bows, Field Ready Bows, Recurve Bows, and a lot more.

The Performance Appraisal Systems Performance

The Performance Appraisal Systems Performance The research explores the effect of performance appraisal on performance of employees and in turn on companies as well. The purpose considers the operation of Shell in UK and Pakistan to enhance its employee performance. Furthermore, the academic requirement, the research aim and question are specified in literature available on performance appraisal system. Also with the supporting of related theory available by book s, journals, articles and surveys, the critical review of literature is made in all the aspects of topic and concept of performance appraisal system and its relationship to drive performance. The self administered questionnaire is distributed among the selected sample, like Shell UK and Shell Pakistan staff members, also a telephonic interview from the top mangers helped in collection of the required data. Than data is analyzed through different ways of comparison and contrasts. Finally the general recommendation of research findings is made on the current performance appraisal system and main driver of employee performance which company and employee wants. The study seeks to examine Analyze performance appraisal system and its impact on employees performance working in different working environments a case study of Royal Dutch Shell retail specific to operation in UK and PAKISTAN. In the 1980s Western world observed the achievement of Japanese organizations. The main factor identified for this success was the recognition and proper utilization of their work force. This has subjective the key practitioners and writers of western countries and they also start considering the significance of proper management of their work force, they name this management, Human Resource Management or HRM. Most the organization is no longer rely on the fixed resource of capital and technology to achieve competitive advantage in fast changing and highly competitive environment(sparrow et ,1994).its mainly on the hiring and skilled retention, devoted and motivated employees that will give an organization a competitive edge. To improve the effectiveness of their employees organization are more focusing on the management of their human resources. According to Boxall and Purcell (2003) when the human resource practices are aligned to an organization business strategy it become more effective. Furthermore, McCourt and Eldridge (2003) propose the integration of individual human resource practices so that they balance each other.Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) and Collins and Porras (2004) highlight organizations which have successfully aligned their human resource practices with business strategy. Unfortunately, for many organizations the effective human resources management is still problematic. Therefore Bratton and Gold (1999), state that performance appraisal (pa) in organization is a continuous and problematic process which is not liked by both mangers and employees. According to Latham and Wexley (1994) performance appraisal is like a seatbelt which still necessary, is unpopular. Lawler et (1995) suggest that since it is noticed that performance appraisal fulfilled the needs of organization and the individual, which are different, performance appraisal will always be characterised by differences in purpose, miscommunications and ineffectiveness. Fletcher (2004) states that many organization move away with the effective performance appraisal. The term performance appraisal will be used in this study to consign to the appraisal practice. Different organization called this on different names such as performance evaluation, performance review, performance rating ,employee evaluation and employee appraisal (ivancevich ,1995).after finding that employee performance can affect largely on productivity of organization ,they continue to endeavour to find out the most effective way of managing its human resources. Performance appraisal is human resource practice used by organization for the development of their employee to best output potential and overall enhancement of an organizations performance and efficiency. Shell is known for exploring and producing oil and natural gas products and also famous for retail stations. Shell transport and trade oil and gas product for heavy industrial uses includes fuel and lubricant for ships and planes. Many other activities includes wind power, electricity production, and making solar panels, producing petrochemicals which are used for coatings,plastics and detergents, and build up new technology for hydrogen vehicles .More importantly, approximately 3% of the worlds oil and approximately 3.5% of the worlds gas is produced by Shell companies, similar to other major private oil and gas companies (Shell, 2005). Using royal Dutch shell plc for research study is because it is international group of energy and petrochemicals companies, operating in more than 145 countries and employing approximately 119,000 people (shell, 2005). They are one of the biggest in the oil sector is known to be listed in the top 50 companies on number one in the world. (Fortune ,Global 500 ,2009).This research is going to look at the concept of HRM, draw up a unified work to examine its role on profitability and growth of businesses, and finally, investigate the current business context with regards to performance appraisal system of Royal Dutch Shell Plc. Literature review 2.1 Performance appraisal Performance appraisal is one of the important practices of human resource management started early in 1813 in United states of America ,(Bellows and Estep 1954m cited in wise and Buckley ,1998)so there is increasing interest in and uses of performance appraisal system in the last three decades stated by Murphy and Cleveland ,(1995).therefore extensive literature available on this subject. in spite of this success ,many organization still struggling to make and implement effective performance appraisal system. all the thought given to process ,many of flaws still willful (wise and Buckley ,1998).performance management is a bigger picture in which performance appraisal is located (piggot ,Irvine ,2003),performance management focuses on providing a framework for guiding employee performance towards achieving organizational goals(Torrington et ,2002)performance management is therefore anxious with improving the performance of teams and individual to ensuring the optimal environment is av ailable for their employees to enhance their performance (Armstrong ,2003). Wilson and westrn, (2003), and Cattell, (1999) argued that performance appraisal is looked in the broader term and that its begin in management by objectives, performance management is a continues repeated process of decisive performance expectation, supporting performance, appraising performance and, managing performance standards (Analoui and Fell, 2002). Performance appraisal generally means the annual interview between the manger and employee to discuss the individuals job performance during the previous 12 months the result of action plans to encourage enhanced performance (Wilson and western, 2001). Armstrong and Barron (2003) stated that it is easier to achieve the desired goals and objectives when the manger and subordinates clearly know what is expected of them. According to Fletcher (2004), performance appraisal provides a prospect for a manger and for subordinates to discuss the previous performance work on agreed objectives and standards to reach an agreement on how the appraise can enhance job performance. Performance appraisal is spread in organization since 1960s for employee evaluation, for organization planning purposes, and it is becoming the important element for maximizing the effectiveness of all part of the organization ,from management staffing and development to production and customer services (Creamer and jonosik, 2000).it was used before in this century by larger organization mostly for the administrative purposes (peter and Liang ,2007). 2.2 Why performance appraisal? Performance appraisal is one of the important among the HRM practices ,many organization is able to measure the development of their employee posture and behavior through the use of appraisal system.teh information which is get by this approach is used for the changing in the selection and training practices to chose and develop employees with the require behavior and attitude. The effectiveness of skilled employee is not in favor unless they are properly motivated to perfume their job (Singh K, 2004). Wan et al (2002) explored that there is encouraging relationship between performance appraisal and employee performance or organizational performance. The basic object of performance appraisal is how productive and employee is and verify the way in which employee productivity can be improved. 2.2 .1 Benefits of performance appraisal to employee Generally, performance appraisals serve an important purpose in the management of workforce and in achieving the organization objective. From employee perspective, performance appraisal give direction to employee that what exactly their way of required to do the job, also to motivate them to achieve their target and help them to improve their work performance. According to Brown and Heywood, (2005) performance appraisal is formalized way of monitoring the work force and it is proposed to be a management tool to enhance the performance and productivity of worker. Performance appraisal also improves the commitment of employee (Brown and Benson.2003).The Organization needs an appraisal system in order to put their managers in charge of relation to the performance of organization because when employees are given their job responsibilities and duties, then they are liable for these responsibilities. Also Fletcher (2004) suggested that performance appraisal provide a platform for employees to look forward their tough goals and objectives, which leads them in successful completion of their job. The positive feedback receive from the mangers in appraisal interview will motivate employees in improving their performance likely. Martin and Jackson, (2000) appraisal is also a method of enhancing employee training and development as it provide information about the strength and weaknesses in performance, which create a debate how to improve the performance of employee. In the end it helps the employees to understand their overall contribution in achieving organization goals (Martin and Jackson, 2000). 2.2 .2 Benefits of Performance apprisal to organization In most of the organization performance appraisal are used to take meaningful decision regarding salary increases, promotion and transfer. Performance appraisal is also the known to be best for the training and consultation of individual employees by their superiors to improve job performance (Wan D et al 2002, Sels L 2003: Singh K, 2004).the performance related pay processes can also be used in integration with appraisal system. There are many ways by which organization will enhance the performance of their employees. They use performance based compensation to give rewards on successful completion on specific organization goals and objectives. Further research has given evidence that compensation to employees help in improving their performance (Gomez -Mejia wellbourn,1988 ., Milkovich Boudreau 1998). Another system is the bonus system which can also be used for motivating employee to work towards their achievement of the company (Pfeffer 1994).Empirical studies done and found tha t there is positive relationship between performance-related pay and overall company performance. 2.3 Problem with performance Appraisal Deming (2000) stated that performance appraisal is considered to be one of the seven deadly diseases of management practice. He argued that rating employee on individual based was not a suitable way of measuring performance since the working environment is controlled by manager contributes to and affects the way of employee performance. Many problems arise during performance appraisals, some arise from manger side and some from employee, and also some arise from other factors. 2.3 .1 Employee and mangers perception about PA Mostly employees dislike performance appraisal interview for the fear of uncertainty in handling the questions, fear of criticism, concern about promotion, and also fear because their future job with organization mainly depends upon the outcome of these interviews. Employees see these interviews as validation for those decisions which are already made concerning salaries, promotion and job tenures. Poorly conducted performance appraisal system can more damage the organization environment. In organization many managers also dislike performance appraisal interviews; its difficult for them to explain employees about their poor performance they find it unpleasant and awkward. Some managers fear that performance appraisal gives employees self satisfaction and result in lower of performance. Due to these reasons, they not give any positive information to employees. Another reasons to give regular scheduled for taking appraisal interview. Some manger not involve in seriously performance appraisal they just taking it as job to be completed not a mean of exchanging or sharing suggestion and getting new ideas from their subordinates (Wells and Spinks ,1994). 2.3 .2 Complexity of PA procedure Armstrong and Baron, (1998) has name performance appraisal as dishonest annual ritual because manger and staff disbelieve performance rating with the faith that performance related pay may function unfairly. Some problems with appraisal are known as complex procedure used in assessment, biased elements which bring confusion in the assessment, rewards and progress in the hand of single boss, employees have to work with their appraisers after the appraisal and idea is that performance appraisal aims to limit the collective aspects of work. There are some common problems which are faced by both appraiser and appraise such problem like paperwork; formality of the appraisal process .thats why performance appraisal has been termed as curse rather than a solution for organization (Taylor, 1998). 2.3.3 Performance appraisal to organization Grint (1993) argues that due to the subjectivity of performance appraisal is not giving the positive expected result to organization and is unlikely to assist objective appraisals. He indicates that performance appraisal is not as much acceptable to line managers as it is acceptable to human resource managers. However he admits that performance appraisal still play important role in organization. Fletcher (1997) suggests that expecting too much from performance appraisal is danger since it in unlikely solution for all performance problems. In spite of the criticism, Fletcher (2004), Murphy and Cleveland (1995) argue that performance appraisal is important for improvement performance in organization and Simmons (2002) say again that nobody give reasonable alternative for appraising perfomance.Fletcher (2004), Murphy and Cleveland (1995) suggest that the process that is followed in design and implementation of such a system prohibits effectiveness rather than only performance appraisal is not responsible. Fletcher (2004) further argues that organization spends proper money, time and willing to spend effort can achieved successful performance appraisal system. He also acknowledges though that if organization has an effective performance appraisal system they still have to monitor continuously that system to make sure that it compels all needs of its stakeholders. 2.4 Why performance appraisal fails Fletcher and Williams (1985) point out that only assessment of people is not only thing involve in appraising persons work performance. in fact there are two incompatible roles involve in appraisal- these are judge and helper. In its unclear format, foot and Hook (2002) stated that some usual appraisal schemes have been accused of being run for the profit of personnel managers or top managers, with many other people in the organization not really understanding or appreciating what the performance appraisal scheme was trying to achieve.A sample of a typical form for performance appraisal using Management by Objectives (MBO) i.e. (based on objectivity rather than subjectivity) is drawn in appendix a below, that shows that the questions are quite straight forward and seems no direct confusion in terms of understanding: 2.4 .1 Expected many results from PA Foot and Hook (2002) raised the point that why the performance appraisal fails and where we are mistaken? One major point is that too many purposes are attached to fulfil by the appraisal system. Usually, most of the appraisal schemes drop into one of three categories i.e. they are concerned with performance, potential or reward. Failure to this occurs as they dont fall into one of the three categories described, but are expected to achieve all three in general. The recognition of appraisal system downgraded due to the reason that many managers claim that they give this sort of feedback all the time informally, and if they do this well there may indeed be no need for a formal appraisal scheme. Foot and Hook, (2002) But in general, it is important to say that it is unlikely that all managers in a particular organization will appraise their staff constantly and effectively, so we do not have enough argument against the use of performance appraisal systems. There are some other flaws in the approach of performance appraisal that are mentioned by Foot and Hook (2002) as below: Lack of clarity Linking appraisal with pay Keeping information secret from the employee And Subjectivity or attacks on the appraises character As we now entered into the new millennium, so almost everything is reshaped and rethought for more effective results, so the performance appraisal as well. Mentioned by Stone (2002) that a study by William M. Mercer Consulting in 1995 suggested that 84 per cent of responding companies would continue to use the results of performance appraisals for its further improvement. So it is obvious that performance appraisals will be the keystone of performance management programmes. This studies show that majority of organizations will continue to use some version of these systems with the passage of time. 3 Methodology This research follows methodology of Saunders (2003) explain the research its in his famous research onion. The research methodology explained the overall process of implementing research which includes information about how the data will be collected, from whom, who will be included in the collection of data and how the involvement made in research (Saunders,2003).In this research the assessment in detail of findings from the primary research. This will be done through the analysis and discussion of the result obtained through the unstructured interviews and questionnaire which was conduct with various personnel of the shell Pakistan, and Shell UK .The analysis and findings from the primary research, relates to the objective of the research mentioned in the literature review. The primary research findings will be discussed in detail in order to draw conclusions and recommendations, which will discuss in the organizational findings and discussion. In the research a total of 70 questi onnaires spread among the targeted sample of shell Pakistan. A total of 28 completed and returned, showing the participation average rate as 47%, which is still a good response rate for questionnaires. The feedback was expected at least 50%; the reason behind was the good management cooperation and the researchers good recognition among other employees. The management distributed and recollected the questionnaire in the time frame allotted for this activity and the management also shown their own interest due to the examination of upcoming results to find out the actual root of many problems. In addition to the overall result of the questionnaire, the telephonic interviews were also analyzed to see how it can influence the whole results. While in Shell UK the same number 70 questionnaires distributed across the selected sample, mainly these questionnaires distributed in the shell retail patrol service stations. in which 35 of them completed and returned, which is the good expected rate of feedback 50 %.the reason is the mangers corporation and organization culture ,which always welcomes these research for the result which gives useful amount of information to the organization to help them in their organization development. 4 Organizations findings and discussion 4.1Organizational Context: Royal-Dutch Shell Group Overview The Royal Dutch Company for the development of petroleum properly in the Netherlands East indies was registered in Hague in 1890.than in 1949 the name is changed to Royal Dutch petroleum company .Shell was first registered back in 1897 by brothers Marcus and Sam Samuel called as the shell transport and trading company, Ltd .(now it become PLC ,public limited company ).The first joint operating company Royal-Dutch /shell ,the Asiatic petroleum company was first established in 1903 and in 1907,Royal-Dutch and shell merged their operation respectively ,in 60 % Royal-Dutch ,40 % shell. Even though after merging their interests the main company remain separate: like one can buy share in Royal-Dutch or in Shell-Transport, but not in the Group as such.US oil production increase due to the Group founded the American Gasoline Company to sell gasoline along the pacific coast and also to buy oil in Oklahoma establish the Roxanna petroleum in year 1912.this growth further boost up in 2000 result ing 34 percent earnings from discovery and production and 4 percents is comes from the sales of oil products were generate in USA.(shell .com )(financial report 2009,Royal Dutch shell plc). 4.2 Largest profitable MNCs( multinational corporation) The Royal Dutch /Shell Group is one of the largest and profitable MNCs in the world (Shell plc ,Annual report 2009 ) .The Anglo -Dutch group of companies is the Royal-Dutch shell group, the two holding companies which own the group is being the shell transport and trading company Plc (UK) and Koninklijke Nederland (Royal Dutch petroleum company, Netherlands).these companies have divided share between them are 40 percent and 60 percent respectively of the following three subsidiaries, which also own them further holding companies for more operating subsidiaries: these are Shell petroleum NV (Netherland) Shell petroleum Company LTD (UK) Shell petroleum Inc.(USA) 4.3 SHELL UK 4.3 .1 from oil well to the petrol pump Shell UK is best known for its energy product and services from the oil well to petrol pump, from the pit of North Sea to the warm house throughout UK, shell delivers the energy which full fill the Britain needs. Shell makes major contribution in UK economy, Shell is not just through providing product and services to UK customer ,but also contributes through employment ,investment and tax revenues which boost up economy. Shell has around 8,600 workforces in the UK. In UK energy that is use by millions of people for heating and powering their homes Shell is the major provider of energy in UK.(shell.co.uk) 4.3.1,2 Upstream business Shell main upstream business is a leading player in the North Sea for over 30 years. In UK sector of North Sea, shell is giving interest to more than 50 fields, operated in more than 30 installation platforms, 30 subsea installations, three onshore gas plants and a marine terminal. Shell is producing approximately 15 % of UK oil and gas on behalf of its co-ventures.(shell.co.uk) 4.3.1,3 Downstream business Shell Downstream business includes 900 shell-branded service stations, operates the second largest refinery in the UK which providing products like premium fuels, chemicals for industry, and V-power patrol. The global headquarters of shell downstream supporting business functions is located on the south bank of the Thames in London. Shell technology centre Thornton, involved the largest community of scientists working on huge range of research projects, and also working on technologies associated with fuels, lubricants, additives, and engineering.(shell.co.uk) In term of oil and gas production volumes shell is the largest exploration and manufacturing companies operating in UK. Shell operates major number of its operation in UK continental with the 50:50 joint ventures with ExxonMobil. Mostly UK oil and gas production came from the North Sea .in the Atlantic margin area, shell has an interests as non-operating contributor mainly in the west Shetlands area, which cover area of Schiehallion, Clair and loyal fields. 4.3.2 Shell Pakistan Bovee, (1997) stated that today work place is completed of the people who differ in race, gender, age, culture, family structure, religion and educational background. Such cultural diversity is the second movement contributing towards the importance of ability of successful communication with people of other cultural. The business messages, how to create, planned, sent, received, and interpreted in the work place is also affected by diversity. (John v, thrill and Courtland, 1977). 4.3.2,1Shell entry in Asia The brand name Shell enjoys a 100-year history in this part of the world, dating back to 1899 when Asiatic Petroleum, the extreme eastern marketing arm of two companies: Shell Transport Company and Royal Dutch Petroleum Company began importing kerosene oil from Azerbaijan into the subcontinent. Even today, the legacy of the past is visible in a storage tank carrying the date 1898. 4.3.2 ,2 PAKISTAN subcontinent The known history of Royal Dutch Shell plc in Indo Pakistan subcontinent dates back to 1903 when partnership between the two big companies, The Shell Transport Trading Company and the Royal Dutch Petroleum Company struck and start supply petroleum to Asia. In 1928, to increase their distribution capabilities, the marketing interest of Royal Dutch Shell plc and the Burma Oil Company Limited in India were merged and Burma Shell Oil Storage Distribution Company of India was born. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the name was changed to the Burma Shell Oil Distribution Company of Pakistan. In 1970, when 51% of the shareholding was transferred to Pakistani investors, the name changed to Pakistan Burma Shell (PBS) Limited. The Shell and the Burma Groups retained the remaining 49% in equal propositions. In February of 1993, as economic liberalisation began to take root and the Burma divested from PBS, Shell Petroleum stepped into raise its stake to 51%. The years 2001-2 have seen the Shell Petroleum Company successively increasing its share, with the Group now having a 76% stake in Shell Pakistan Ltd (SPL) an expression of confidence. The company is among one of the best company in the country. The company provides the entire fue l products, competing with the international standards on the standard price. 5 Main findings After the organizational context the main description of differences in implementation and adaptation of HR practices with the focus on performance appraisal system for their employees while working in the two different business environment ,which is shell UK and shell Pakistan. In research finding it is clear that the present appraisal system at Shell Pakistan is conducted annually in each and every department of the organisation. Also in findings it is clear that the annual appraisal system at Shell Pakistan consists of a formal appraisal system to evaluate the employee performance. The finding also results in that a very short number of employee 15 % is fully aware of objectives of performance appraisal system, 15 % of wholly respondent fully aware of it means that makes a very weak performance appraisal knowledge base for their recommendation. However, it is clear that in Shell Pakistan there is a significant weakness in conducting of effective training and development programmes by management. As employee working in the Shell Pakistan there is need of more awareness program to let the staff fully aware and get the maximum benefits from it. While in shell UK also uses formal appraisal system and uses the scorecard for the performance appraisal, employees are rewarded individual performance and also the team achievement in put to sustainability. As comparison to Shell Pakistan, In research findings it is clear that very good percentage number of employee like 40% of wholly respondent is fully aware of performance appraisal and reward management. They know that they can assess on the number of grounds works and will get rewarded according to their individual and group performances. There is also continues training and development program running time to time for the awareness of Shell UK employees. That why employee working for Shell UK is getting much more benefits compare with the employee working for Shell in Pakistan. Although Shell Pakistan has already been practicing it, there still consist some necessary considerations to PRP (Performance Related Pay).Contingent pay covers various methods of providing additional rewards for individuals or teams. As a cost effective factor, stated by Armstrong (2002) that increments may be withheld for unacceptable performance although this is rare, and some structure have a merit bar which limits increments unless a defined level of merit has been achieved. In the table 1 of appendix has straight merit increments shown as example of merit pay. The increments percentage will depend on total merit pay budget for each performance grade, the number of employee in each performance level and finally their current level of base pay, (John Shields 2007). One of the best ways of motivation is linking pay directly to employee performance, in Shell UK finding results 70 % of the questioners respondents were strongly agree to this statement while 20% agree, 7% disagree and 3 % strongly disagree. It implies that there is need of contingent pay in the company. Even though pay for performance and contingent pay is difficult in mange, but include many methods of providing rewards for individual or team (Armstrong and Stephens, 2002). Improved team working is one of the core elements in the business strategy for the Shell Pakistan, so it is good to attach/associate individual performance pay to the performance of individual and teams. On the other hand ensuring that this scheme is distributed fairly so can meet the desired level of performance, competence, contribution or skill and thus improve organizational performance regarding team based tasks while not de-motivating those who cannot currently compete. (Armstrong M, 2002).here HR and operation manager is agree on the point that rewarding those who can meet assured targets is practicing in Shell Pakistan. To maintain these scheme is hard because of political instability in the Pakistan which influence the shell operation .these factor includes limit on production, civil unrest ,international conflicts, and due to local security concern that affect the safe operation of the shell standards in country. Here also employee keen interest in performance pays more tha n reward because the uncertainty of business environment there is fear of job loss. While UK economy is one of the best stable economies for business operation, where Shell UK deliver very affective performance appraisal system for their employees. To analyze the performance of team and individual Shell UK have very stable roots in country can focus in increase the business perfor

Deception and Punishment in The Scarlet Letter and A Tale of Two Cities :: comparison compare contrast essays

Deception and Punishment in The Scarlet Letter and A Tale of Two Cities      Ã‚   Nathaniel Hawthorn and Charles Dickens in their novels The Scarlet Letter and A Tale of Two Cities, respectively, both use punishment for deception as a recurring theme.   Although they do so to different degrees and in dissimilar manners, both authors agree that deception is a sin that requires punishment.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In The Scarlet Letter, the heroine, Hester Prynne conceived a child out of wedlock.   Despite the pleas and demands of the clerical community, she did not reveal the identity of the father.   The Puritanical community in which she lived in demanded her to give up her conspirator or bear the consequences of the deed alone.   Due to her doggedness, the townsmen sentenced her to wear a scarlet letter *A* embroidered on her chest.   The A served as a symbol of her crime, was a punishment of humiliation, gave her constant shame, and reminded her of her sin.   Hester*s penalization was a prime example where deception led to negative consequences in that she would have been spared the entire encumbrance of the crime if she did not deceive the townspeople.   Although seemingly, her paramour did not escape punishment.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In fact, the father of her bastard child took a more severe sentence. Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale seemed to be an upstanding, young priest.   The whole town liked him and respected him as a holy man.   Thus, his deception was much more direct and extreme when he did not confess that he impregnated Hester Prynne.   Unlike Hester, he was not publicly punished.   So although Hester overcame her ordeal and went on with her life, Dimmesdale exacted a constant, physical and mental reprobation on himself.   This inner pain was so intense that his physical health began to reflect his inner sufferings.   In the end, he redeemed himself by his confession in front of the whole town, but his long endurance of the secret took its toll and he died.   Roger Chillingworth had a similar fate.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Like Dimmesdale, Chillingworth, Hester*s husband, keeps his relation to her a secret.   Chillingworth*s deception allows him to become consumed with hatred and the desire to inflict his revenge on the one who stole his wife*s

Outline for Common Elements in African Societies Essay

I.Introduction a.My speech is on common elements I found in African societies. Among these are animism, Bantu language, and their political organization. b.The importance of this to Islam is that some African states converted to Islam, which brought Africa into a more Eurasian system of trade, and introduced them to new religious ideas, and political organization. II.Animism a.It was common among African societies to believe in Animism, which is a belief in natural forces as gods. It also provided a model for ethical behavior, and well rounded concepts of good and evil. They believed in a creator deity who did their work through lesser spirits. b.Families, lineages, and clans all played important roles; especially the deceased ancestors. They were believed to be a link to the spiritual world. c.Although the beliefs are generally the same in Animism throughout the different societies, their rituals are unique and different from one another. III.Bantu language a.The movement of Bantu speaking people gave a general linguistic base throughout much of Africa. b.The only society that had a non-Bantu language was the Yourba. IV.Political Organization a.African societies were all either a hierarchy, or a stateless society. A hierarchy is an organization in which people are ranked one above the other according to status. A stateless society is a society that is not governed by a state, and there is little authority. V.Conclusion a.In conclusion, Animism and Bantu language were the common elements found in African societies. b.Again, the conversion of some African states to Islam brought Africa into a more Eurasian system of trade, and introduced them to new religious ideas, and political organization.

Constrctivism Learning and Teaching Model Essay

The constructivism model in the classroom is a theory created to explain how and what we know. Building knowledge and problem solving are the main focuses for this model. From the analysis of our own experiences, both past and present, we â€Å"construct† our understanding of content. From doing things and reflecting upon them, we acquire information that can be useful in future applications. (Lamon, M. 2003). The model was conceived by Jean Piaget (1896-1980), who believed that human beings developed intelligence through adaptation and organization. One example is that of transformative learning, whereby children develop an understanding of something using whatever details they have at the time, and then adjust that understanding as they go along, rather than putting the details together piecemeal to come to a conclusion. Piaget is considered the originator of constructivism. However there are a number of different theories that have been applied to modify his original model. For instance, Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934), developed a relevant contribution to constructivism with his ideas about language, thought, and how they work within the societal picture. For example, he believed that children learn better in environments where there is guided interaction versus those where they work independently. (Lamon, M. 2003). The 5E model: engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration, and evaluation, was a model developed from the ideas of Piaget, John Dewey, and Johann Herbart. This model was designed to encourage knowledge construction and begins with prompting the current understanding of a subject matter. Engagement is used to recall prior knowledge. Students who are learning new subjects and content have their interest piqued through engaging in brief activities. Some of these activities include asking specific questions, brainstorming, and providing a scenario to see what the students know already. Exploration uses activities with a common base to identify current concepts and then help change those concepts. To achieve this, the teacher should start a discussion or demonstrate an activity that poses a challenge to the student’s understanding, and then delve into any misconceptions behind the challenges. Explanation is used to provide opportunities for students to develop skills, knowledge, or behavior, by presenting them with information that they would be unlikely to discover on their own. This helps the students develop their own expertise, with assistance. Elaboration is used for the students to apply new experiences and to broaden the understanding and application of the skill set being taught. Evaluation is used by students to identify where they are at in understanding of a new knowledge set. Teachers also use evaluation to measure if the progress is being made toward the general instruction goal. This gives the teacher a chance to modify a unit or lesson for future applications. Jorback, B. (n. d. ) A modified version of the 5E model was developed for science curriculum in the 1980s by Rodger Bybee. Bybee used constructivism as his base when he developed this version. He only changed the last two aspects of the original 5E model. He switched evaluation’s order and used it as the fourth E. Evaluation is used for the assessment, both formative and summative. With formative assessments, the teacher can measure if the students are learning by providing quizzes, observations, or question and answer discussions after a lesson or while it is being taught. A summative assessment can be delivered at the end of the unit. This provides the teacher with an idea of what the students have retained throughout the unit and then they can adjust for successive lessons. Extension is similar to the elaboration phase, in that it utilizes the premise that learning will occur when instruction is orderly and increases with intricacy as the unit moves forward. Connections made with the new knowledge can be used for new experiences, by extending the knowledge even further into applications that could not have been achieved before the lesson or unit was taught. Take Chemistry for example. One could not do chemical equation balancing without the prior knowledge of atomic structures and understanding the key components of what they mean. Jorback, B. (n. . ) Some potential challenges that can arise from the constructivism model if the teacher is not well versed in the knowledge of the subject and its content. This model would also be challenging for those who possess problem solving skills, yet lack in basic knowledge of real world knowledge. Constructivism is a knowledge based model where we learn new concepts through prior experience. The instructor must be able to predict preconceptions the students may have and decide on appropriate activities, in addition to effectively modifying and assessing the content being taught. Jorback, B. (n. d. ) In conclusion, many current theories have been applied to constructivism to adapt it to the modern day classroom. However, the theories all share the belief that a prior knowledge base is required. That prior knowledge does not have to be on the subject that is being taught. One must be able to apply prior knowledge in order to make connections for new knowledge. Applying this and evaluating it gives both the students and teachers a measurement of what has been learned and still needs to be learned.