Giordano’s current positioning strategy Essay

Giordano’s current positioning strategy is value for money or quality merchandise at affordable prices. That’s differentiating their products compare to other rivals. Moreover they put their service different with high level of service provided to customer, their sales staff is dedicated, ever smiling, well mannered and helpful. Those positioning strategies were success due to filling a gap in the market for trendy, yet reasonably priced unisex apparel, reinforcing the positioning with the appropriate marketing communications and the delivery of quality service. Giordano reposition itself against its competitors in its current and new markets: The possibility of changing current positioning in the light of developments in the industry, particularly with respect to consumers’ desire for trendier fashion, as well as the increase in the number and strength of competitors should also be discussed. For instance, students could critique the firm’s interpretation of these trends and its subsequent decision to upgrade its image and capture the up-scale segment. Obviously, this move may cause problems with its current core target segments. This was apparent from the failure of its Giordano Ladies’ venture, because the positioning strategy failed to differentiate the up-scale segment from the value-conscious segment. Giordano has fought hard to establish its brand name for its value-for-money proposition, but it is also because of its established branding that Giordano cannot easily change its positioning. However, it can be seen that Giordano took measures to avoid the problems of brand dilution, and to overcome its apparent difficulty in moving consumers’ perception of Giordano towards a high-end positioning. For instance, it established a new product line, Bluestar Exchange, to cater to the needs of its existing value-for-money segment and revamped the core brand with extensive marketing communications and gave its stores a new look. Giordano initially tried to acquire Theme International in November 1999 to carry its line of up-market ladies apparel, but its take-over bid was rejected by Theme’s management and stockholders. Instead of giving up entering the up-market segment, it re-launched Giordano Ladies and Giordano Junior to carry a trendier line of apparel, with encouraging results. We may conclude that, Giordano should not lose its focus on customer services as one of its core differentiating factors. Should it have different positioning strategies for different markets? There are possible problems with having different positioning strategies in different markets. For instance, the recent slight shift towards a higher end from the current low-end value-for-money positioning in Hong Kong was not fully executed in its other markets. Customers in these markets may become confused as to what Giordano stands for, and this inconsistency makes effective service strategy implementation difficult, particularly as consumers are becoming increasingly mobile and travel more frequently between Giordano’s core markets. In addition, economies of scale in apparel purchase, design and market communications may be diluted, if different strategies are followed across markets. If this trend persisted, Giordano may dilute its brand name and possibly might weaken its competitive advantage in other areas as well. Probably, Giordano would do better to keep a consistent positioning, keep its management focused on its core strengths, and send a clear message to all its staff and customers. Giordano are slowly and gradually moved its positioning upwards to meet the rising affluence, and hence the resulting desire for high end apparel, of its core target segment. As Giordano enters into new markets and face strong and similarly positioned competitors in these markets (The Gap in the US, Japan and most European markets), the pressure to adopt a slightly different position that suits the unique market situation of a particular country may increase. In this case, students could suggest that Giordano acquire another existing brand or start-up a new business entity under a different brand, with its own positioning strategy. In fact, this is illustrated by Giordano’s recent venture, Bluestar Exchange, which catered to amore price-conscious, mass-market segment. However, this strategy is extremely risky due to the costs involved in building a new marketing strategy and brand, and students may come to the conclusion that having a consistent positioning may be the etter option even if it means competing head-on with established brands. In conclusion, a potential strategy for Giordano could be to maintain its positioning in Hong Kong and over time slowly and gradually shift its position in its other markets slightly more up-market to follow its Hong Kong positioning. This strategy would have the added advantage that it would move upwards together with its core target segments, which is also developing upwards in terms of education and increasing disposable income due to most of Giordano’s Asian markets are developing fast. We believe that in the balance, it would be better for Giordano to maintain a consistent positioning across all markets, even when Giordano decides to enter countries with entrenched competitors with similar positioning. Should these competitors be too strong, we feel that it would be better not to enter this market rather than try to establish a new brand and strategy. The main reason is that this would be expensive and high risk as less of Giordano’s core strengths could be transferred to this new market, and benefits from economies of scale could not fully be reaped like in terms of manufacturing volumes, marketing and training.

Claude Mckay, a Dialectical Analysis Essay

In Claude McKay’s, â€Å"Old England† and â€Å"Quashie to Buccra† McKay uses dialect as a way to give poems multiple meanings. What may be seen as a simplistic or naive poem about Jamaican life may actually be full of double meanings that only a select audience would be able to identify. In his poem’s, McKay ultimately gives Negros who work under white colonists the underlying message of black resistance by revolution. Perhaps what makes this interpretation so convincing is the background of the author. McKay was born Sunny Ville Jamaica as the youngest of 11 sons. While in Jamaica, McKay wrote â€Å"Songs of Jamaica†, which is where â€Å"Quashie to Buccra† is derived from. In this time, he also became a self proclaimed socialist, â€Å" As a socialist, McKay eventually became an editor at The Liberator, in addition to writing various articles for a number of left-wing publications† (Giles 1). During this period, McKay wrote â€Å"If We Must Die†, another poem charged with angst against the oppressed Negro society. Notably this poem was read aloud by Winston Churchill during World War II, however left unattributed to McKay himself. This can be seen as a reflection on society of the time, and how they weren’t ready to see a poem like that as a black revolutionary poem, and that the issues of the black Negro were quietly swept under the rug or ignored entirely. This is perhaps why the reading of an Englishman would differ so greatly from an African Negro reading â€Å"Quashie to Buccra†, as the Englishmen of the time were out of touch with the strife these workers were experiencing. McKay’s communist background may very well be a bi-product of the cultural discrepancies of the time, and a way for the workingman to get back at the bourgeoisie, or white, upper social class. To address the double meanings of Claude McKay’s work, the reader must first look at the surface layer. As we discussed in class, the poems were done on the condition they were completed in Jamaican dialect, not necessarily because of Claude McKay’s own choice. To a white, European society reading the poem, it comes across as a poem about a simple agriculturalist that is telling the white plantation owner about the fruits of his labor, and how they may not be fully appreciated. In actuality, the poem can be seen by Negros as a way to criticize the white plantation owner and in fact plant the seeds of rebellion. Indeed, the title of the work itself leads credence to it being veiled in double meaning. While a white, European in the high rungs of the social ladder may read the poem as a simple address of worker to plantation owner. However, a Negro experiencing the strife of Quashie, the black peasant worker who produces sweet potatoes in the poem, may relate to the unfairness of they experience from the Buccra, which is the white man being addressed in the poem. Indeed, McKay points out in the poem, â€Å"You taste the potato, and you say it’s sweet, but you don’t know how hard we work for it† (McKay 2). Buccra even attempts to haggle for a lower price, further showing he doesn’t understand the work that goes into farming the sweet potatoes, â€Å"You want a basketful fe quattiewut† (McKay 3). Not only does this demonstrate the Buccra’s insensitivity to the work that goes into the harvest, but it shows he’s greedy and milking the natives for every last sixpence. A white reader may look at the reading as Quashie simply complaining about his hard work, â€Å"The sun is hot like when fire catches a town† (McKay 9). In reality, Quashie would do this work even if he weren’t required to because he has a sense of pride, â€Å"Although the shade tree looks tempting, we wouldn’t lie down even if we could† (McKay 10-11). Someone working these fields could relate to the pride and craftsmanship that takes to plow in a straight line, or work through the rough Earth. This reading can be taken another step further. It’s not common for a fire to simply catch a town, and for a Negro reading the poem, they may see it as a call to rebel and actually set a town ablaze as vengeance against white society. A rebellion such as setting a rich town ablaze would not be unheard of in a communist state, and it might be a call to arms for Jamaican Negros reading the poems in â€Å"Songs of Jamaica†. Undeniably, there appears to be a lexicon for violence in the poem that may be entirely glossed over by a white, European reader. â€Å"Although the vine is little, it can bear. It wishes for nothing but a little care. You see potato tearing up the ground, you run. You laughing, you must think it’s fun† (McKay 16-20). As stated earlier, a European audience may feel this is simply Quashie denouncing that his work is difficult, and that he’s just announcing his woes in a silly way, and that the whole thing just merrily amuses the white plantation owner. However, if you choose to look at this through the perspective of a Negro who is craving to break free of their oppressors, it can have an entirely different reading. Quashie planting seeds can be seen as planting the seeds of an uprising. The imagery of potatoes coming up from the ground seems comical at first, but if you’re an oppressed worker, you might see this as the crops being metaphorical for the workers rising forth to take revenge against the plantation owners. Even as Quashie explains to Buccra that he’s serious, Buccra seems to completely blow him off as if he’s â€Å"making a fun†, or a funny joke, as if the work isn’t taking a serious toll on the Jamaicans. This kind of sentiment can be seen in the final stanza, wherein Claude McKay seemingly dismisses everything he’s talked about earlier, â€Å"Yet still the hardships always melt away, whenever it comes around to reaping day† (McKay 25-26). A white, European reader may look at Quashie’s dismissal of all his earlier complaining, as if to say, â€Å"Oh well, it may have been back breaking labor, but at least the potatoes are good for eating! In reality, there may be a darker reading here that a Jamaican potato farmer would be more apt to catch onto. The imagery of â€Å"reaping day† seems to also imply that if the Buccra doesn’t start taking him seriously, the Grim Reaper, or in this case, the workers that are being taken advantage of, may make their troubles melt away by simply rising up and doing some reaping of their own that has nothing to do with crops. This does not mean, however, that McKay necessarily wanted a revolution. It may have been more of a last resort. Indeed, he makes is clear in â€Å"Old England† that he has great respect for British culture. â€Å"McKay still expressed admiration for the British. He believed that the Jamaicans had acquired their democratic spirit and respect for law and order from the British† (Tillery 14). Indeed, in â€Å"Old England†, McKay expresses great desires to visit what he calls his homeland. He refers to Queen Victoria as â€Å"Queen Victoria the Good†, and longs to visit the place where poets and kings alike are buried. Again, however, there appears to be a discrepancy in what different readers may interpret. While it may all appear reverent, he makes it clear that in death, the poets and kings is all alike, and that in their graves, the kings and queens find a place to hang up their crowns. This may symbolize McKay’s gripe with the wealthy class, and how they appear to have a disconnect with the working class Jamaican’s, despite his own love for Britain, and may not deserve a spot next to say the poets that inspired McKay’s writing. In conclusion, Claude McKay uses dialectical tools to draw different readers to different readings. What one person may see as a happy go lucky poem about a potato farmer may really represent a call to arms. His use of manipulating the dialect to create multiple readings causes the reader to question what exactly his true audience is what he’s trying to tell them through word choice and double meaning.

Realism In International Affairs Essay

Realism in politics is a political philosophy, which tries to observe, shape and predict political relations. It is based upon assumption that power should be the primary goal of any political act, both in international or domestic sphere. As far as domestic affairs are concerned, this theory states that political figures are supposed to direct all efforts to maximizing their power. Accordingly, in the international sphere nation should aim at maximizing its power among other states. This theory can be regarded as a prescription to be followed by politicians and states or as a description of current affairs of the state or politician pursuing self-interest. Realism in politics is often defined as a principle of power supremacy, and it has a long history since the ancient times. It was reflected in Peloponnesian War by Thucydides. This theory was also touched by Machiavelli in his writing The Prince, as well as by other outstanding philosophers like Spinoza, Hobbes and Rousseau. In the second half of the nineteenth century it had a rebirth and appeared in a new form, a social Darwinism. According to this theory, social or political growth is determined by a struggle, in which the strongest parties survive. According to the theory of political realism, interests should be satisfied by means of power exercise, and the world is defined by competing powers. In this context, the adherents of Marxist theory refer to classes, while other political theorists to states. (Ahrensdorf) Political realism is explained in the following way: â€Å"Prior to the French Revolution in which nationalism as a political doctrine truly entered the world’s stage, political realism involved the political jurisdictions of ruling dynasties, whilst in the nineteenth century, nationalist sentiments focused realists’ attentions on the development of the nation-state, a policy that was later extended to include imperialist ambitions on the part of the major Western powers-Britain and France, and even Belgium, Germany and the United States were influenced by imperialism. † (Viotti, Kauppi). Important difference between social darwinism and other branches political realism is as follows: adherents of the former state that some nations are destined to rule over other nations, while other part of realists pays most attention to the need of ensuring that nation, culture or politician sets or secures own needs before needs or interests of others. Political realism in international affairs Political realism of an expressive kind stands for the suggestion that international commonwealth is distinguished by anarchy, since there is no absolute world government, that could rule with an all-purpose policy code. Since the anarchy does not need a chaotic nature, thus allowing member nations be involved into trading schemes or treaties, the theorists mostly agree that morality or law are not the dominating factors outside one particular state. In this particular characteristic this hypothesis agrees with the Hobb’s theory: â€Å"Where there is no common Power, there is no Law: where no Law, no Injustice ? if there be no Power erected, or not great enough for our security; every man will and may lawfully rely on his own strength and art, for caution against all other men. † (Hobbes, Leviathan , Part I, Ch. 13 ‘Of Man’, and Part II, Ch. 17, ‘Of Commonwealth, cited in Griffiths, O’Callaghan). Respectively, without any supreme international force, nations treat each other with hostility or fear, and it damages the system. Another aspect of the theory is an assumption that a state can promote its interest against the needs and interests of other states, it proves that international surrounding is not stable. Any order is affected if states compete for the same need, and under such circumstances, as the realists state, the nation may rely on itself only. There are definite contradictions that can be found in the concept of political realism: descriptive realism may be regarded as a true theory or false concept. Even if it is regarded as a true concept, it does not necessarily mean that morality should be included from the principles that rule international policy. One of the strong forms if descriptive type of political realism states that states should be self-seeking, that they should build their policy basing upon desired gains of the nation and should not ignore their interests and demands. Simultaneously, â€Å"if descriptive realism is held, it is as a closed theory, which means that it can refute all counter-factual evidence on its own terms (for example, evidence of a nation offering support to a neighbor as an ostensible act of altruism, is refuted by pointing to some self-serving motive the giving nation presumably has–it would increase trade, it would gain an important ally, it would feel guilty if it didn’t, and so on), then any attempt to introduce morality into international affairs would prove futile. † (Stern) The assessment of expressive kind of political realism power depends upon the chance of understanding political reasons, which requests understanding the causes of state diplomats and representatives. The pattern of officers’ relations, their motives and actions is complex. Waltz says that the closed nature of expressive realism includes a oppose scheme that nations does not serve any needs at all, or can serve the needs of others only. The logical value of the three theories resulting from this concept offers that preferring one condition to another is an optional decision, if an assumption is accepted, or not. (Waltz) The present international sphere of nations’ interaction is defined by the lack of supreme power. In the past, wars were a strong argument in support of political realism – there have been more than 200 wars since the middle of the 17th century. This condition seems to have a chaotic nature, and some thinkers are likely to compare it to domestic anarchy, when state government is not able to rule the state: ‘Without a world power, war, conflict, tension, and insecurity have been the regular state of affairs; just as a domestic government removes internal strife and punishes local crime, so too ought a world government control the activities of individual states-overseeing the legality of their affairs and punishing those nations that break the laws, and thereby calming the insecure atmosphere nations find themselves in†. (Kegley, Wittkopf) At the same time, such comparison leads to a conclusion that the relations between the state and the individuals are alike. Such argument includes the personification of the states and collectivization of individuals. Some theorists state that the relations between states and the citizens cannot be compared to the relations between the states and the relations of the individuals, and therefore should be differently judged. In addition to the propositions of descriptive realism, there are notions offered by prescriptive political realism, for instance, the statement that a certain nation should follow its own interests and needs independently of the relevant state of international relations. This theory can be divided into various aspects, depending upon proclaimed interest of the nation and the allowability of the tools that would be used to reach desired goals. As far as the national interest is concerned, there are distinct opinions of what it should be, but all of them agree that the state should be self-efficient in economical and political sphere, cutting dependency on other nations. (The Globalization of World Politics: an Introduction to International Relations) The statement supporting the supremacy of self-sufficiency of the state has appeared long time ago. Plato and Aristotle referred to this aspect as a ground necessary to provide security of the national power, they insisted that nation should import only insignificant commodities. This economic theory has been used for supporting political realism, especially in the 18th century the theorists of political sphere stated that the political power of the nation is reached and supported in the terms of reduced import and increased export only. Difference between neorealism and classical realism Conflict is regarded as a key element in politics, including international affairs, by all realists, however, there are two different sources of conflict, pointed out by different realist authors. For instance, classical realism theory starts with a pessimistic viewpoint on the human nature. As the adherents of this theory believe, selfish, competitive and striving for power behavior in inherent for the humans. Hans Morgenthau states that each individual is enforced to act uncaringly to protect himself, and this situation leads to the disagreement: â€Å"What the one wants for himself, the other already possesses or wants, too. Struggle and competition ensue†¦. Man cannot [therefore] hope to be good, but must be content with not being too evil†. (Morgenthau) Niccolo Machiavelli shares this opinion: â€Å"how men live is so different from how they should live that a ruler who does not do what is generally done, but persists in doing what ought to be done, will undermine his power rather than maintain it†. (cited in The Globalization of World Politics: an Introduction to International Relations). These ideas performed specific approach to a strategy applied in international affairs: a careful statesman must avoid optimistic view on others’ aims and intentions and limits their initiatives to those that may help if the situation goes better. For instance, Henry Kissinger warned the leaders of the USA and Israeli against the intentions of Syria and Palestine, during the negotiations on Middle East conflict: â€Å"It is likely that agreements will be reached †¦ because the alternatives will, in the end, seem more dangerous. But when this happens, we must avoid euphoria†¦. An agreement will represent a strategic interlude for the Syrians and most of the Palestinians, not a commitment to a new world order. † (Legro, Moravcsik) In other words, classical type of realism regards conflict and competition as essential element of international affairs, referring the origin of conflict to the human nature. Humans struggle with each other for resources they need and strive for power to rule over other people. This is a set pattern, which cannot be changed. Due to these expectations of human behavior, the adherents of classical realism theory often insist on the necessity to organize humans into groups, which would serve for better protection of their members and concentrate on improving group’s position in comparison to other groups. Another theory, neorealism or structural realism, refers the origin of conflict to interstate condition, the lack of legally restricting rules in particular, rather than to human nature. The adherents of neorealism state, that â€Å"the absence of a neutral authority that can enforce rules and agreements creates an insecure, self-help situation in which all policy makers are pressured to act competitively, regardless of their individual natures or personal preferences. † (Kegley, Wittkopf) This statement is not new, it appeared in the 17th century in the work of Thomas Hobbes. In his writing Leviathan he states that the in the world, which lacks supreme power that could provide security, people has a right to use any tools to protect themselves. Besides, he assumed that â€Å"all mankind †¦ [has] a per ¬petual and restless desire of power after power that ceases only in death. † (cited in The Globalization of World Politics: an Introduction to International Relations) Modern tradition in neorealist theory declines the assumption that individuals strive for power due to a natural inclination, and concentrates on the motives produced by a lack of a neutral power that can set rules for interstate relations. For instance, Kenneth Waltz says that â€Å"the main cause of war must lie in some regularity at the level of the interstate system, rather than within particular leaders or states, since war has been waged for all sorts of specific reasons and by â€Å"good† as well as â€Å"bad† leaders. † (Waltz) According to Waltz, this regularity is the pressure, produced by anarchy: â€Å"Without enforceable interstate rules, states must either resist possible domination by others through a policy of balancing against others’ power capabilities, or by bandwagoning-joining a coalition that supports an aggres ¬sive state, in hopes of turning its aggression elsewhere†. (Waltz) Waltz states that large states possess the capacity and desire to withstand the strength of other states. This results, as he sees it, in a tendency of competitiveness among states independently of the views of their leaders concerning domestic policy. Actually, the prediction of this statement is not much different from the assumption made by the adherents of classical realism. As soon as it is based on the assumptions concerning human nature, classic realists expect that the makers of policy also act competitively. The difference lies in the way this conclusion is reached. As Waltz sees it, this is the pressure of competitiveness, produced by anarchy, which significantly influences the human behavior. Those strategies that are oriented on power, appear because the leaders are forced to struggle for security, rather than because they desire just to obtain power. Realistic approach in modern international affairs Realism was a concept for analyzing world politics since remote times, because much of humankind history was characterized by wars. As soon as the states’ interests come across in conflict, it is expected that leaders pay much attention to their positions in power. â€Å"The classical realist worldview appealed to many statesmen during the period that states were evolving in Western Europe-an era rife with conflict, as medieval forms of rule broke down and rulers asserted new claims to authority against feudal lords or the Pope. It jumped to the United States when the experiences of World War II were followed by the onset of the Cold War. Neorealism later emerged when the bipolarity of the Cold War drew analysts’ attention to the effects of the structure of the interstate system†. (Lieven, Hulsman). At present, ethical realism is offered to the USA as a leading principle that should define the foreign policy of this state. As it is described by the supporters of this type of realism, it bases upon â€Å"prudence; a concentration on possible results rather than good intentions; a close study of the nature, views and interests of other states, and a willingness to accommodate them when these do not contradict America’s own truly vital interests; and a mixture of profound American patriotism with an equally profound awareness of the limits on both American power and on American goodness† (Lieven, Hulsman). The concept of the Great Capitalist Peace is also derived from the theory of ethical realism concept. It is based upon the ideas of Kennan and Morgenthau, including the concepts of diplomacy purposes and international order. It proclaims that a global order is needed to be agreed by the largest states, to provide the promotion of their interests and reduce the threat of terrorists. Accordingly, the USA power is treated as an element, vital for keeping the Great Capitalist Peace. At the same time, it is added that the limits should be put on the US power, in order to legitimate interests and needs of other states should be satisfied. Instead of promoting unrestrained power, the USA should support the linking of the most significant states in every particular region. For instance, in the Middle East region the USA should use its power and resources to support creation of a regional patter for the states, including Syria and Iran, and to make this pattern functional enough to regulate Iraq conflict after withdrawal of the US troops from this country. (Lieven, Hulsman) As far as the Far East is concerned, the USA should paid attention to the primary role, which should be played by China in this region, but not by the United States. China is treated as a state, ready to act in cooperation with other states and act responsibly, that’s why USA should allow China to occupy a leading position in finding resolutions to the actions of the regime in the North Korea, and other possible challenges in this region. (Lieven, Hulsman) Sources Waltz, K. N. Structural Realism after the Cold War. International Security. Summer. 2000 Morgenthau, H. J. Politics Among Nations: the Struggle for Power and Peace. McGraw Hill: NY, 1993. Stern, G. The Structure of International Society. London: Pinter Publishers, 2000. The Globalization of World Politics: an Introduction to International Relations. edited by Baylis, J. and S. Smith. Oxford University Press, 2004 Griffiths, M. , O’Callaghan, T. International Relations: The Key Concepts. London, Routledge, 2002 Kegley, C. Wittkopf, E. World Politics. Thomson/Wadsworth, 2005. Viotti, P. R. Kauppi, M. V. International Relations Theory: Realism, Pluralism, Globalism. Macmillan Pub Co, 1993. Legro, J. W. Moravcsik, A. Is Anybody Still a Realist? International Security. Fall 1999 Jervis, R. Realism, Neoliberalism, and Cooperation.. International Security. Summer 1999 Ahrensdorf, P. J. Thucydides’ realistic critique of realism. Polity Winter 1997 Lieven, A. Hulsman, J. America’s World Role Has to be Realistic and Moral. October 17, 2006, retrieved at http://www. realisticforeignpolicy. org/archives/2006/10/americas_world. php.

Opportunity, direct and indirect costs Assignment

Opportunity, direct and indirect costs - Assignment Example Suppose I decided to watch the Brazil – Argentina match at the expense of watching England-Germany match. Using modern technologies, I can definitely record the England-Germany at the time of watching the Brazil – Argentina match. In this case, I am reducing the opportunity cost of losing the live telecast of England-Germany match. However, it is quite possible that the England-Germany match was more interesting and the Brazil – Argentina match was quite boring. In this case, the indirect costs (foregone opportunities) are greater than the direct (out-of-pocket) costs. Suppose I am going for a tour in a rented car. Imagine the rent for the car per day is $1000. If I go alone, I have to pay the whole amount myself. On the other hand, if I go along with three other colleagues, I have to pay only 250 dollars per day. In the first case, the marginal cost was $ 1000 whereas in the second case it was only $250. In short, the marginal cost of renting a car will be reduc ed considerably if the number of passengers increases. It should be noted that if I rent the car alone, $ 750 will be wasted as sunk cost. I am reducing the opportunity cost of losing the live telecast of England-Germany match. However, it is quite possible that the England-Germany match was more interesting and the Brazil – Argentina match was quite boring. In this case, the indirect costs (foregone opportunities) are greater than the direct (out-of-pocket) costs. Opportunity cost of an activity is usually calculated based on the next best alternative of that activity.

System design requirements document Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

System design requirements document - Essay Example These checks up results are the one used by the doctor as part of making decision on the patient sickness. All these information provided by the different clinical providers is input into the system. 2. Senior leadership- They are involved in providing cash to purchase a new system in the clinic. They are also involved in making decisions whether to change the workflow of the system. These activities make them to be consulted anytime a change is to be made to the system. 3. Medical records staff- This is the person charged with the responsibility of registering patients into the clinic. The staff has also a role of maintaining the medical records. The medical records may include drug supply and releases which is an important aspect to the clinic. Maintaining the drug supply will ensure the doctors do not prescribe a non existing drug. The medical records staff can carry these activities by feeding the data in the system to help in calculations. 4. Administrators/ clinical managers- T hese group have a role of seeing the smooth running of the clinic every day. They also ensure quality improvement in delivery of services leading to the need of including them in requirement collection. 2. Workflow This the procedure followed in a clinic before a patient receives treatment. The workflow starts when a patient visits the clinic to the time they leave. 1. Patient walks into the clinic 2. a. If new patient collection of registration details which includes name, contact information and medical history. b. If an old patient retrieval of the medical record is done by the clerk. 3. Patient moves to the waiting room. 4. The clerk forwards the patient’s medical file to the doctor on duty. 5. Patient proceeds to the check up room 6. Check up on blood pressure, temperature and weight is carried on the patient. 7. The patient proceeds to the doctor’s office with the written form on check up results. 8. The doctor enquires on the reason of the visit. This will estab lish the sickness of the patient. 9. Doctor prescribes medication and billing to the patient. 10. The patient proceeds to the cashier’s desk and pays for the medication. 11. Collection of medication takes place at the pharmacies desk and advice on the way to take it. 12. The patient checks out of the clinic. 3. Improvements to the workflow The main factor affecting the clinical workflow was overbooking by patients. The system should eliminate this by ensuring that the numbers of patients who visit the clinic per day do not exceed the needed number. This can be done by establishing a procedure where patients books appointments long before seeing the doctor. This ensures patients scheduled for a day do not exceed the maximum number a doctor can handle. Another improvement required is to eliminate the delay by patients at the registration desk. The study showed patients spent a lot of time giving information at the reception desk. The main solution would be to reduce the amount of data collected on a specific patient. The contact information would just include the phone number leaving the rest of the things like physical address, zip code and city. This would reduce the amount of time taken to attend to each patient. Improvement on information passing from the different offices was also required. Automation is supposed to allow once a clerk logs a patient visit the doctor can access the patient’s files online. The manual tracing of files can also be eliminated

Literacy analysis paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Literacy analysis paper - Essay Example I never knew what the bible was, to me, Mt Kenya was a holy place in which God dwells. I place I went to pray to God as was taught by my parent and grand parents. But when the missionaries came, be it to their knowledge or lack of it, they taught me and the others that â€Å"God doesn’t dwell in the trees, he dwells in heaven.† Men and women have been looking for this heaven for a long time but nobody has found anything. Scientists have even gone to the moon and come back and they didn’t see the heaven. So it dawned on me, heaven is not above us, heaven is around us. Heaven is in Mt Kenya, heaven is along the river banks and on top of trees. So I thought I should involve people in conserving the environment by telling them that they were right when they said that God dwells in Mt Kenya. And as such, they should protect the trees in Mt Kenya since it is the habitat of God. Come to think of it, culture is a very important part of human beings and so it should be to environmentalists like you and me. If we can use culture to cultivate a habit of protecting the environment and preserving of its trees and rivers then as environmental aficionados we would have succeeded. The environment has shaped how people think, how they see and perceive the world, how they interact with one another and our views on religion and value. In short, the environment has shaped our cultures. Until the arrival of the Europeans, communities in Africa had looked to Nature for inspiration, food, beauty and spirituality. They pursued a lifestyle that was sustainable and that gave them a good quality of life. It was a life without salt, soap, cooking fat, spices, soft drinks, daily meat, and other acquisitions that have accompanied a rise in the ‘diseases of the affluent’. Communities that have not yet undergone industrialization have a close connection with the physical environment, which they often treat with reverence. Because they have not yet commerciali zed their lifestyle and their relation with natural resources, their habitats are rich with local biological diversity, both plant and animal. It is such a pity that these same communities are being taught to look at the environment as an impediment to development and a destruction to urbanization. They are taught to cut trees to give ways for industries which eventually lead to low rainfall and dispose-off their wastes to their clean rivers. It is with a heavy heart that I write to you to hold up your mirror and look at who you are, tell the others to look in the mirror and find themselves. As human beings we are part of the environment, we are the environment and destroying part of it in trees and dirty rivers is killing us all. Let’s all hold the mirror to in front of us and discover who we truly are (Maathai). Yours sincerely, Wangari Maathai. Dear Wangari Maathai, Hi, my friend I hope you are doing fine too, am well too. I received your letter and am touched. I learnt a lot from you. I would also wish to share with you my thoughts on the same concepts and concerns you highlighted in your letter. â€Å"What finally turned me back toward the older traditions of my own [Chickasaw] and other Native people was the inhumanity of the Western world, the places--both inside and out--where the culture's knowledge and language don't go, and the despair, even desperation, it has spawned. We live, I see now, by different stories, the

Analysis of Hiibel Vs. Nevada Case Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis of Hiibel Vs. Nevada Case - Term Paper Example In Hiibel vs. Nevada, the court held that the stop and identify laws of Nevada does not violate the Fourth and Fifth Amendment of the constitution, which protects a person against detention or when a person faces the threat of being apprehended (Hibbel v. Nevada†¦). Thus the majority of the court supported the fact that stopping a person and asking for identity did not violate the Fourth and Fifth Amendment when circumstances showed that there is a probable cause to believe that the accused may have committed a crime and the accused was not in danger of being apprehended by disclosing his identity. The dissent showed that some judges opined otherwise. In Terry vs. Ohio, the court held that police officers can stop and search a person even when there is no probable cause and there is reasonable suspicion. In such case, the search won’t violate the Fourth Amendment. Whereas, in Brown vs. Texas it was held that Texas’s stop and identify law was unconstitutional as it violated the Fourth Amendment. Though, Brown vs. Texas seems to be going against the decision of the previous two cases but it is actually not so. The Texas law declared every person a criminal who does not identify himself. It does not exclude the person against whom there is no reasonable suspicion or probable cause, and this makes it unconstitutional. On the other hand, Hiibel vs. Nevada and Terry vs. Ohio had probable cause and reasonable cause respectively. Thus, the law derived through the dissent is, when there is probable cause and reasonable cause the application of stop and identify laws by the officer will be absolutely legal and when it not the re it will be illegal. The dissent also makes it clear that on the same condition the stop and identify laws of the state will be valid or invalid.

Artistotle's Virtue Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Artistotle's Virtue Ethics - Essay Example This is an ever-going debate between ethical theorists and moral philosophers, which seems to have no end. Nevertheless, when deontologists and Teleologists are debating on what matters the most, either the actions in themselves or the consequences of those actions, Aristotle’s virtue ethics provides a solution, which asks to focus on the being or the person rather than his or her actions and consequences (Devettere, pp. 26-28). Aristotle believed that ethics is not a theoretical discipline since one does not ask this question for the sake of just knowing it but the question of â€Å"what is good for human beings† is for achieving that â€Å"good† (Hursthouse, pp. 103-104). However, important here to note is the fact that when Aristotle is taking about the good, he is talking about a list of ethical actions and duties, instead he is focusing on one highest good which is above all other â€Å"goods† (Hursthouse, pp. 103-104). One of the most important reaso ns why Virtue ethics stands out of the crowd of other normative theories is because it makes a clear distinction between ethics for humans and animals. Aristotle identified the difference between form and material substance. According to him, the human body is made of flesh and this is material substance but this is not what makes humans beings as human beings. The form, which is the soul of the humans, is responsible for the same (Devettere, pp. 26-28, 2002). Therefore, according to Aristotle, each living thing has a soul and it works in different capacities. For example, the perceptive soul is responsible for forming images and perception, the nutritive soul has the responsibility of growth, the locomotive soul takes care of the motion and others. These are common in both humans and animals, however, humans’ posses something other, which is not present with other animals and that, is the rational soul (Hursthouse, pp. 103-104). This is what draws the line between humans and animals and this special and extra gift to human beings must have the answer of â€Å"what is good for human beings?† Therefore, the good for human beings, the highest happiness, or the biggest virtue is reason and rationality. It is ethical to live your life according to your reason and logic or else you are worse than an animal (Darwall, pp. 265). As Aristotle argued, â€Å"the function of man is activity of soul in accordance with reason, or at least, not without reason† (Darwall, pp. 265-269). Aristotle believed that the thinker or a rational person is the best person or the closest to the divine being or more like divine being. He believed that the rational soul of human being is a part of the divine soul that we posses and by the use of the same, one can discover the mysteries of the universe. People who try to live their lives with vulgar pleasures are more like animals and less like humans because they fail to understand their own potential. However, important here to note is that reason for logic that Aristotle has identified is not subjective and will not differ from person to person but it is objective (Devettere, pp. 26-28). Therefore, for Aristotle and virtue ethicist, ethical is something, which is an action of an ethical person, rather than based on the actions or consequences of that action. It is important to note that when other ethical theories and moral philosophers talk about, rewards, punishments, courts, screenings, law, rules and regulations and others to

Communication Case Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Communication Case Analysis - Essay Example Effective communication is a primary influence in the fulfillment of extraordinary heights of organizational effectiveness. There is a parallel relationship between organizational effectiveness and organizational communication. Organizational communication contains countless message sending and receiving occurrences touching official communal units in which individuals work toward common goals (Monge et al, 250-274, 1992). It is rare to discover an organization that challenges to accomplish all stages of communication as a handy activity. As Gilbert Amelio once said, â€Å"developing excellent communication skills is essential for effective leadership. The leader must be able to share knowledge and ideas to transmit a sense of urgency and enthusiasm to others, and if a leader cannot get a message across clearly and motivate others to act on it, then having a message does not even matter" (Maxwell, pp. 23, 2006). Discussion These six stories are explaining the appropriate hints that would lead to the basic reason why quality management and lack of coordination in Legal Eagles is high. The importance of communication management and its significance will be clearer as story wise comparison and suggestions are as follows: Managing with Professional Politics Gossiping around is not an authentic state to make a legal opinion about an organization. For instance, in story # 1, a junior research clerk is just afraid of working over-time, he being the lower management staff is not aware of the company’s legal problems and ways to achieve the organizational goal; however, he is just concerned about his own personal goals. Organization goals are the ‘origin for recognizing the purposes of communication links, and each system consists of definite communication guidelines executed through distinct communication actions’ (Monge et al, 250-274, 1992). The effective growth of a communication inspection program is carefully reliant on upon the nature of asso ciation policies, staff employees’ competencies, and the level of common association improvement. Tardiness in workplace Story # 2 describes the impact of a newborn partnership within the organization as Charmaine is new and is very particular about the international project. She cannot bear any delay or tardiness acceptance in workplace as time management is the key factor to achieve success. In addition, it is an understanding that â€Å"Delay is the routine of postponing or setting off doing something that should be done currently† (Maxwell, pp. 40-44, 2006). â€Å"The disjointed, hurried, and unintended life is more sensitive and impulsive than intentional; it enlightens, in part, why bosses suffer strain and criticize of not ever having adequate time to do their occupation healthy† (Maxwell, pp. 39-46, 2006). Belatedness in the office has become an upsetting matter for the firms because it is touching the productivity that is the basic goal of any business. Sometimes postponements are not the results of certain exterior feature but somewhat from the staff, as is the case with Legal Eagles. It also explains that an employee who is disobedient, yelling at co-workers, or arriving to work not on time and not employed to his completed volume. The clients and customers of Legal Eagles may not be getting what they require from the company that may prove a drawback on the productivity, as well as profitability on company’

Health Literacy Essay Example for Free

Health Literacy Essay I. Background Child health is an essential indicator of the quality of life in developing countries. Mothers’ literacy is often positively associated with improved child health and nutritional status (Glewwe, 1999). The possession of literacy increases the ability of a mother or a family to acquire more knowledge. Improvements in child health are considered as the consequences of enhanced of mother’s knowledge. In short, literacy affects health, and health affects educational achievement (Grosse, 1989). Because the correlation between literacy, health, wealth and well-being is becoming increasingly important, it is crucial to include health literacy as skills required for an adult ‘to function’ in a community (Kickbusch, 2001). Health literacy has been recognized as a key outcome measure of health promotion interventions (Nutbeam, 1996). It can be categorized as basic/functional health literacy, communicative/interactive health literacy and critical literacy. Each level has different ‘autonomy and personal empowerment’. Individual attention is focused on developing the skills and confidence to make choices that enhance individual health outcomes (Nutbeam, 2000). As the highest level, critical literacy ideally will be achieved in which people have this capability to search for information, assess the reliability of that information and use that information to have a better control over their health determinants (Nutbeam and Renkert, 2001). Following this health literacy concept, Nutbeam and Renkert (2001) define mother’s health literacy as ‘the cognitive and social skills which determine the motivation and ability of women to gain access to, understand and use the information in ways that promote and maintain their health and that of their children’. In terms of literacy, Indonesia has a relatively high of literacy rate of 90% (UNICEF, 2007). However, people with adequate literacy for dealing with  familiar concepts and practices, such as household management can discover a considerable difficulty to understand unfamiliar issues, such as health care information (Kalichman and Rompa, 2000). For mothers, health literacy skills are important factors in predicting child health outcomes. Indonesia as a developing country still faces many child health problems. Infant, neonatal and under-5 mortality rate was relatively high (26, 17 and 34 per 1000 live births, respectively) in 2006. Child immunization coverage is still considerably low with measles coverage of 66. 2%, MCV (80%), DPT (75%) and hepatitis (74%) among one-year-olds (WHO, 2009). Many studies show that low literacy is related with several adverse health outcomes (DeWalt, 2004). One of the ways to improve child health is likely by improving mother’s health literacy. Many recent studies have examined the impact of mother’s health literacy on child health (Sandiford, 1995). However, there are few studies focused on the barriers to mother’s health literacy. This study will investigate barriers are there to improve mother’s health literacy on child health and find solutions might overcome the barriers. II. Objectives 1. To investigate the level of mother’s health literacy in province of Aceh (functional, interactive or critical health literacy of mothers toward child health care, participation in child care programme in villages or sub districts, health seeking behaviours, efforts to gain access to health services). 2. To explore what barriers are there to improve mother’s health literacy on child health 3. To evaluate solutions that might overcome the barriers in order to enhance mother’s health literacy. 4. To create a model of intervention to improve maternal health literacy III. Methodology This research will be conducted in quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative methods will investigate the data about the mothers’ functional, interactive and critical health literacy toward the child health care, the utilisation of primary health care by mothers in terms of health seeking behaviour, child immunization coverage and monitoring of children’s nutritional status. The data will be collected by using structured questionnaires. The functional literacy will use the structured questionnaires of Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA) (Baker, 1999) and Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM) (Bass, 2003) while the interactive and critical health literacy questionnaires will be designed by modifying the existing researches that study of maternal health literacy. Then, the results will be categorized by scoring into Inadequate, Marginal and Adequate health literacy. Before the questionnaire is used for the investigation, the validity and reliability tests will be performed. In the qualitative stage, I will conduct personal interviews and focus group discussions to find out the barriers and solutions to improve maternal health literacy. Semi-structured personal interviews will be used for mothers and health care staff (physicians, nurses and midwifes) from villages and sub-district health services. Respondents will be interviewed individually and privacy will be maintained during the interview. For focus group discussions, they will be purposively selected to ensure the maximum variation to ensure a diversity of views about barriers to improve mothers’ health literacy within the sample. For each group, initial contact will be made by a gatekeeper such as co-ordinator of village mother’s association, wife of head of village and village midwife. All groups will be facilitated by the researcher, recorded with the participants’ permission and will be fully transcribed. Sampling strategy Participant will be recruited from women who have children (younger or older children) in disparate geographical areas (social/cultural/ethnic mix) to look for contextual difference and from different level of education (no education, basic, advanced and higher education). The sample will be recruited purposively from the population data of department of health in Aceh. Women who are willing to participate, speak either Indonesia or Acehnese, and are articulate will be purposively selected for the qualitative study. For the quantitative study, respondents will be selected using the multi-stage random sampling method. All respondent selected will be assured that participation is voluntary. Data analysis The recorded interviews will be transcribed word for word into the language of the interview (Bahasa Indonesia, but Acehnese will be used as many people in rural areas cannot speak bahasa) and then translated into English. Categories for analysis of data will be identified at the beginning. The transcripts will be analyzed and allocated from each subject to various categories. Data will then be analyzed according to these categories. The quantitative data will be analized using SPSS statistical software version 19. 0 (SPSS, Inc, Chicago, Ill). IV. Significance Indonesia is a developing country with a population of nearly 250 million. Low literacy and high fertility coupled with poor economy translates into high morbidity and mortality. Women and children are the most vulnerable segments in terms of health. It is important to improve maternal health literacy and other factors related to health services in order to increase child health care. It is a multi sector program that involves many stake holders including health department, medical education and community. It is important for medical education institution to educate their graduations of health promotion and health education against the current trend of medical education that is more likely to be a curative and specialist view. V. Others USA is a developed country and well known for its reputable universities especially for public health subjects. Health system in the US is different from Indonesia that will allow me to learn more about health education especially maternal health literacy in the US health system. The project will be conducted in three years. The detail of timeline can be found in the table below. Table 1. The timeline of research No| Years| Year 1| Year 2| | MonthsTasks| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9| 10| 11| 12| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9| 10| 11| 12| 1| Refine research question| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2| Preparation of proposal| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3| Literature review and process the local and university ethical issues| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4| Produce the questioners | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5| Data collection| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6| Data analysis| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |. No| Years| Year 3| | MonthsTasks| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9| 10| 11| 12| 6| Data analysis (continued)| | | | | | | | | | | | | 8| Writing initial draft| | | | | | | | | | | | | 9| Proof reading | | | | | | | | | | | | | 10| Revision and hand in| | | | | | | | | | | | | References Baker DW, Williams MV, Parker RM, Gazmararian JA, Nurss J. Development of a brief test to measure functional health literacy. Patient Education and Counseling. 1999, 38:33-42. Bass PF, Wilson JF, and Griffith CH. A Shortened Instrument for Literacy Screening. Journal of General Internal Medicine. 2003,18:1036-1038. Glewwe. P. Why does mother’s schooling raise child health in developing countries? evidence from Morocco. The Journal of Human Resources. 1999; 34 (1): 124 – 159. Grosse R. N. Literacy and health status in developing counties. Annual Review Public Health. 1989; 34: 281 – 97. Kickbusch I. S. Health literacy: addressing the health and education divide. Health Promotion International. 2001; 16 (3): 289 – 97. Nutbeam D. Achieving ‘best practice’ in health promotion: improving the fit between research and practice. Health Education Research. 1996; 11 (3): 317 – 26. Nutbeam D. Health literacy as a public health goal: a challenge for contemporary health education and communication strategies into the 21st century. Health Promotion International. 2000; 15 (3): 259 – 67. Nutbeam D and Renkert S. Opportunities to improve maternal health literacy through antenatal education: an exploratory study. Health Promotion International. 2001; 16 (4): 38 – 88. Kalichman S. C and Rompa D. Functional health literacy is associated with health status and health-related knowledge in people living with HIV-AIDS. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. 2000; 25: 337 – 44. The World Health Organization (WHO). WHO Statistical Information System (WHOSIS) for Indonesia. 2009. Retrieved on Jan 7, 2009. Available from: http://www. who. int/whosis/data/Search. jsp? indicators=[Indicator]. Members DeWalt D. A et. al. Literacy and health outcomes. Journal of General Internal Medicine. 2004; 19: 1228 – 39. Sandiford P, Cassel J, Montenegro M and Sanchez G. The impact of women’s literacy on child health and its interaction with access to health services. Population Investigation Committee. 1995; 49 (1): 5 – 17. Health Canada. Toward a Healthy Future: Second Report on the Health of Canadians. 1999. Retrieved Jan 7, 2009. Available from: http://www. phac-aspc. gc. ca/ph-sp/report-rapport/toward/pdf/toward_a_healthy_english. PDF Provincial health office Aceh province. Health profile of Aceh province in 2007. Banda Aceh-Indonesia. 2007. Rahmad Y. 2008, menurunkan angka kematian ibu dan bayi. The Globe Journal Banda Aceh. 2008. Retrieved Jan 8, 2009. Available from: http://www. theglobejournal. com/detilberita. php? id=1586 Serambi news, Di aceh masih banyak perempuan buta huruf. Serambi Indonesia. 2/12/2008. Retrieved Jan 8, 2009. Available from: http://www. serambinews. com/old/index. php? aksi=bacaberitaberitaid=59771rubrik=1topik=13 The United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Statistics Basic Indicator for Indonesia. 2007. Retrieved on Jan 7, 2009. Available from: http://www. unicef. org/infobycountry/indonesia_statistics. html.

Evaluation of E-Learning Program

Evaluation of E-Learning Program Chapter one Introduction Nowadays, higher education is experiencing big challenges driven by many emerging trends, among which is the introduction of the means of online learning. Accordingly, many universities all over the world are taking different moves to cope with the new requirements; some universities were established as purely online learning providers, other conventional universities launched new online programs, and some introduced online learning programmes to enhance some of their already existing programs. E-Learning redefines the teaching/learning processes and the overall learning environment. It changed the old university system to a new set of practices by introducing significant changes in the roles of its main key players; learners, faculty members, and the institution as an entity (Mendenhall, 2001). The change which e-learning brings to higher education, accompanied by its vast spreading as an accepted learning delivery mode, has been always questioned by its components who tie this type of learning to poor quality. Therefore, studying the different aspects of evaluating the quality of e-learning has been rising as an issue that is worth researching and enhancing (Kistan, 2005; Wirth, 2005). A big range of perspectives on what factors to address when evaluating the quality of e-learning has been developed. Nevertheless; most of those studies either addressed a few factors pertaining to a single aspect or dimension (Ally, 2004) or addressed multiple aspects but without looking at the e-learning institution comprehensively (Cohen and Ellis, 2004). In view of the lack of a holistic framework of factors to evaluate the quality of e-learning programs, the aim of this study is to hopefully contribute to the body of knowledge in this area, by developing a framework for the evaluation of quality in e-learning programs. Research objective: The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the quality of e-learning programs through investigating the related critical factors that have been identified by researchers and practitioners of this field. It also intends to examine the relevancy and importance of such frameworks within e-learning practise in Saudi Arabia. The study aims also at understanding how the key learners and faculty members differ in perceiving the importance of such factors on impacting on the quality of an e-learning program? Research Question: The research intends to answer in broad perspective the following questions as well: What are the factors which affect the quality of e-learning? In this question the researchers are trying to address the quality factors which affect the success of E-learning in Saudi Arabia based on 12 factors that have been addressed from the literature. How can we increase e-learning practice in Saudi Arabia? The second question to know is whats the best way to increase the number of E-learning practise in Saudi Arabia and what do learners think based on their experience. Dissertation structure: This dissertation includes six chapters in addition to its introduction. Below is a brief description of each: Chapter two; outlining the background information of the research to put the reader into the perspective of this study. The chapter includes a discussion of the emerging trends in higher education that have pushed for the introduction of e-learning and discusses broadly the quality issue in this type of learning. Chapter three; covers the literature review of e-learning, i.e. critical factors for evaluating the quality of e-learning programs. The chapter starts with identifying the distinctions between e-learning and traditional education, discusses in detail the definition of the Quality concept in higher education generally, and in specific e-learning. Chapter four; Cover the research methodology such as the process of data collection and analysis which will be used. Chapter Five; we will be describing and analysing the data and present the data gathered. Results of the analysis are then discussed. Chapter six; this chapter summarizes the study, lay out the conclusion and ends up with recommendations for future research. Bibliography Research Methodology: In this study the researcher will to collect his data by the quantitative method where a questionnaire will be designed based on the factors which have been discovered from the literature review and then will be sent to random group in Saudi Arabia. The Data later on will be analysed to show the result and the findings. Saudi Arabia Background: Saudi Arabia which is the birth place of Islam and home to Islams two holiest places, Mecca, and Medina, is located in the Middle East bordering the Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea. The kings official title is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The modern Saudi State was founded in 1932. It is a large Middle Eastern nation that ranks as one of the worlds leading producers of petroleum, and exports more oil than any other nation. The government is of a monarchy type and the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government, and administratively it is divided into 13 provinces, with the constitution governed according to Islamic Law. The countrys legal system is based on Sharia law and several secular codes have been introduced. Commercial disputes are handled by special committee. Saudi Arabia has an oil based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. It possesses more than 20% of the worlds proven petroleum reserves. It not only ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, but also plays a leading role in OPEC. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues, 45% of GDP, and 90% of export earnings. It is believed that about 40% of GDP comes from the private sector and roughly 5.5 million foreign employees play an important role in the Saudi economy, particularly in the oil and service sectors. The researcher carried out this research in Saudi for the following reasons which are described in detail. The access: as the researcher is a Saudi national and has good access to the people in Saudi Arabia where he can collect more information and find a better response rate than carrying out research in any other place. The Language: The researcher is multi lingual as he can speak Arabic and English fluently, therefore he will not face any problem in collecting the data The Information: The researcher understands the situation in Saudi Arabia which enables good research as he will not spend too much time understanding the situation and its cultural factors. The Organisation of the Education System in KSA The education system in Saudi Arabia has five divisions. They are: kindergarten for children from three to six years old, elementary (6-11), intermediate (12-14), secondary level (15-18), and university level (typically 19-24, depending on the subjects studied, and the form of higher education). The secondary stage is the final phase of general education in the Kingdom. It is a three-year period, following on from the intermediate stage. Students are admitted to this stage if they have obtained the intermediate stage certificate. Normally students follow secondary stage education between the ages of 16 and 18 years. This stage is considered the most important period in the general education ladder because students who successfully complete this stage are eligible to join any higher education institution. The administration of the education system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is highly centralised. All educational policies are subject to government control and supervision by the Supreme Council of Education. Textbooks and teaching tools are uniform throughout the Kingdom. The four principal authorities responsible for education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are: the Ministry of Education; the General Presidency for Girls Education; the Ministry of Higher Education; and the General Organisation of Technical Education and Vocational Training. Conclusion In this chapter we gave a sample overview about the research and the reasons for carrying out this research such as the lack of understanding in the practice of the E-learning program in Saudi Arabia. The research is trying to develop a good understanding of this and the information of other studies carried out in similar fields of the success factors of the quality of E-learning in Saudi Arabia. Also in this chapter we have described the dissertation structure and the research questions which are going to measure the main factors for the success of learning Quality. Finally the Saudi Background has been analysed to give the reader the information to understand where the study has been carried out and why. Chapter Two Introduction: The main objective of this chapter is to put forward the point of view of this study by laying out its background information. The chapter starts with presenting the emerging trends in higher education that have lead to the introduction of e-learning. It then continues by explaining the quality issue that is associated with this type of learning. The chapter also includes an overview of the background information about e-learning in Saudi Arabia. Education An overview: According to a recent publication by UNESCO, the education sector in general comprised of all of its components including higher education is experiencing new trends that exert on it new pressures and challenges (Hernes, 2003). Those trends are either classified under demography, such as the continuing growth and increase of population, particularly young populations, migration between countries, and increase of life expectancy, or are due to globalization where nations in general and learners in particular flow across borders without limits, allowing learners to have easy access to the best universities in the developed countries. Finally, perhaps the most important trend is knowledge growth accompanied by advanced information and communication technologies which have changed forever the way information is obtained, stored, used and displayed. Despite the divide between one country and another, or within the same country, more knowledge development opportunities have been created. Information technologies offer the possibility of modularization and customization of education through the use and re-use of learning objects focusing on learners, the possibility of engaging learners more than ever and therefore changing the role of the faculty from a teacher to a facilitator. In response to the challenges described above, the growth of the e-learning programme with its different modes in higher education is apparent and best reflected by the increasing number of e-colleges and e-universities, or the increasing number of higher education institutions that introduced e-learning programs and definitely by the growth of enrolment rate among learners. A study of e-learning in the United States in 2005, suggested that e-learning is penetrating the higher education institutions both in size and breadth and that e-learning is part of the mainstream of higher education. Figures of the study showed that sixty-five percent of schools offering graduate face-to-face courses also offer graduate courses online. Sixty-three percent of schools offering undergraduate face-to-face courses also offer undergraduate courses online. Among all schools offering face-to-face Masters degree programs, 44% also offer Masters programs online. Among all schools offering face-to-face Business degree programs, 43% also offer online Business programs. The same study showed an increase of around 20% of learners enrolment rate compared to the previous year (Allen and Seaman 2005). For different reasons, those statistics do not seem to be applicable to other countries. The USA is certainly the worlds largest provider of e-learning; however the market for e-learning and lifelong learning is also growing in Europe. Moreover, the Arab world, which represents 5 per cent of the worlds overall population, has entered the 21st century with a striking statistic, which shows that it has only 0.5 per cent of the worlds Internet users. This obviously impacts on the number of its e-learning initiatives and enrolled learners in such type of learning systems (UNDP, 2002). Using Computers in Learning: These days, computers have become an important educational tool kit. Many educational organizations and training centres rely on them to deliver information and learning knowledge. However, using computers in education has a long history and is deep-rooted in the field. The idea of using computers in training first appeared during World War 2, when the US military trained farmers to use weapons and other equipment via this systematic approach (Horton, 2000). The first real use of the computer in educational organizations was seen in the 1960s, when the University of Illinois together with the Data Corporation developed the PLATO system. PLATO is a system which enabled the learning and understanding of complex subjects. Apples Macintosh and Microsoft Windows operating system have since provided a standard platform on which programmers can develop training programs (Horton, 2000) Definition of E-learning: E-Learning refers to the employment of information and communication technologies to support the development and delivery of learning in academic and professional development institutions. E-Learning is used widely with other terms such as online learning, technology-mediated learning, web-based learning, computer-based learning, etc. Several definitions of e-learning have been developed reflecting the diversity in its application, used tools, and associated technologies. Whatever definition was used, the meaning of e-learning always contains two fundamental terms; Learning and Technology. In one way or another, all definitions of e-learning indicate the learning that takes place with the support of multimedia objects, the internet and technological applications as a delivery mode. One of the highly used definitions of e-learning is: â€Å"Education via the Internet, network or standalone computer; it refers to using electronic applications and processes to learn, where communication and content is delivered via the Internet, intranet/extranet, audio or videotape, TV and CD-ROM etc as appropriate (LTSN Generic Centre, 2004). A recent definition that uses the terminology of higher education institutions was laid out by Ally (2004) who defines e-learning as: The use of the Internet to access learning material; to interact with the content, instructor, and other learners; and to obtain support during the learning process, in order to acquire knowledge, to construct personal meaning, and to grow from the learning experience. According to Horton (2000) E-learning is a general phrase that has several definitions. However, the comprehensive definition that covers all aspects of e-learning is what Ruth and Richard offer: â€Å"E-learning is defined as instruction delivered on a computer by way of CD-ROM, Internet, or intranet with the following features: Includes content relevant to the learning objective. Uses instructional methods such as examples and practice to help learning. Uses media elements such as words and pictures to deliver the content and methods. Builds new knowledge and skills linked to individual learning goals or to improve organizational performance† Feature of E-learning: Eaton (2001) outlines that e-learning is characterized with the following features: Computer-mediated classrooms: faculty members and learners communicate through the computer, making face to face interaction less frequent. Separation in time between communications: communication between faculty members and learners can also be in asynchronous modes. Availability of services online: learners are not only provided with online learning experience but also with online services such as advising, registration, and library services. Distinction between e-Learning and Conventional Education: To understand the quality of e-learning requires a full understanding of how this type of learning differs from the conventional style of education and the changes it brings to higher education institutions. This section presents in a broad perspective the distinctions between e-learning and traditional education which shape higher education nowadays. Such distinctions will be taken into consideration when materializing a definition for quality in e-learning, and deciding what to be taken into consideration for evaluating the quality of this type of learning. The following areas were highly repeated in the literature as key distinctions between e-learning and traditional education: Educational Changes: McLaughlin and Oliver (2000) believe however that new technologies have a positive impact on the learning environment where more choices for forms of learning are provided to the faculty and learners. This includes the delivery and presentation of content in more flexible way and a variety of modes, the provision of interactivity, engagement, communication, feedback, and communication and collaboration tools. Weller (2000) sees that those types of new choices will facilitate the quick use of courses for easier customization and individualization resulting in more satisfied learners. Change in Faculty Roles: With the growing amount of knowledge and information every day, and the availability of a huge amount of content over the internet, faculty members will not continue to be seen as the source of knowledge, instead, according to Cashion and Palmieri (2002), faculty members are expected to direct learners where to find the most relevant knowledge and provide them with tools that teach them how to learn. Different Types of Learners: Oblinger and Oblinger (2005) have referred to young learners of today as the â€Å"Net Generation† who grew up being familiar with technological products and facilities. Internet access, computer and electronic games have been a daily activity of learners lives. Learners today have different expectations with respect to their learning styles; they prefer to experience things instead of reading or hearing about them, they expect immediate response to questions or actions, they appreciate interactivity and dialogue (Pashuk, 2005). Learners of today consider themselves as customers who demand to be served high quality services. They have consumers attitudes towards their academic program and any of its services (Wager, 2005). E-Learning institutions should be arranged to different types of learners, not only in their preferences and expectations but also in their level of variety. Change in Administrators Role: Administrators of an academic institution are usually referred to as staffs who are not participating in direct teaching or research work, their role is usually to assure that the institutions systems are running properly. Administrators are responsible to create, maintain and improve an environment that helps learners and faculty achieve their academic goals. Administrators of an e-learning institution can be involved in selecting, orienting, and preparing qualified faculty for courses, administer and manage the technological facilities at the institution, provide different types of faculty and learners support from the technical helpdesk; library services, financial aid, etc. Administrators can also be involved in the planning, quality assurance, and performance management of an activity to help the institution serve its learners better (Williams, 2003). Reliance on Infrastructure: Although e-Learning is basically about learning rather than about technology, the technological infrastructure of e-learning programs is still the critical and primary component of the education systems. E-Learning is characterized by its high independence on the validity, and reliability of its infrastructure, which has the role of facilitating and providing accessibility of the learning/teaching process and its support services between faculty members and learners (Pashuk, 2005). Institutional Demands: E-Learning institutions must set up their systems, policies and procedures to deal with issues like data security from both internal and external threats as well as copyrights from the learners, faculty and the institutional perspectives. Developing a high quality online course will not only require the intellectual contribution of faculty members, it rather involves other key team members from the same institution or from partnered institutions. Copyright issues are usually linked to revenue sharing models, especially when the course developers are contracted or granted any incentives (Mendenhall, 2001). Advantages of using E-learning Methods: As we know, traditional education requires effort, time and money that can lead to some difficulties in achieving the goals of learning. On the other hand, e-learning contributes to the spread of knowledge among people around the globe by easy, fast, and comfortable means, that helps people to attain their personal learning objectives. As a result, several educational organisations have proceeded along the e-learning approach to facilitate and improve the process of learning. In this section, several advantages of using an e-learning approach will be discussed. The author has divided the advantages into two main categories, advantages for learners, and advantages for instructors. Advantages for learners: According to Mayer (2003) he has concluded the common advantages that learners can gain from e-learning. The following list illustrates the main advantages for learners: â€Å"Learners can get the best instruction available â€Å" The wide popularity of the e-learning programme makes learning more flexible and gives freedom to learners to choose the best course available which fits their needs. â€Å"Training occurs just in time†. Web-based training is available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week which allows learners to study when they need it without any conditions or constraints. They do not need to wait for training sessions or a specified time to attend. â€Å"Learners set the pace and the schedule†. Learners can study at their own time; learners can take as many lessons as they need depending on their time and their plans. For example, some of them may wish to study full-time while others prefer to study a few hours a week. â€Å"Learners get better access to the instructor†. Communication with the instructor(s) through web based e-learning systems can be more effective than the traditional classroom approach. â€Å"Training adapts to the learners style† Many different learning styles can be incorporated within an e-learning environment, and the learner is able to adapt to a style or series of styles which they prefer and in the way they feel is most efficient. â€Å"Learners get immediate feedback† There is no need to wait while for the results of the exams, or games. The results can be obtained immediately. â€Å"Learners are treated more equally† A degree of anonymity is ensured, therefore personal characteristics are not considered. â€Å"Saves money and time for learners† Hidden costs are eliminated in that here are no travelling expenses, parking fees, etc. It is also efficient for time in that almost all the time is spent on learning and no time is wasted on travelling. â€Å" Produces positive side effects† Learners are constantly improving their other skills, such as general computer skills, various internet technologies and how they apply them in their jobs. Advantages for Instructors According to Mayer (2003) the most common advantages for instructors can gain from e-learning are: â€Å"Instructor can teach from anywhere† Instructors are able to teach the course from any location in the world. All they need is connection to the internet. â€Å"Instructors travel less† Almost all the time is spent on planning, producing and publishing courses with no time wasted on travelling to attend. â€Å"Course content can be dynamic† Instructors have the opportunity to deal with course matter at any time and in any place such as home, office etc. â€Å"Instructors save time† Time consumed in preparing the course document such as handouts, having course paper printed etc., are eliminated. Conclusion In this chapter we have covered a wide range on academic study in order to understand this subject, starting with the definition of E-learning and what do we mean by E-learning, followed by another important part which is what is the difference between E-learning and Conventional education. Also the researcher has included a brief explanation concerning the history of E-Learning and the feature of E-stand and its practise. Moreover, we can see that based on the literature there are many advantage of E-learning for the learner. For example, he can study from anywhere and at any time which is the flexibility of E-learning and also there is an advantage for the instructor as he can also teach from any place and with a flexible time schedule. Chapter three Introduction: In order to understand what constitutes quality of e-learning and the critical factors that should be addressed when evaluating this type of learning, an understanding of the distinctions between e-learning and traditional education needs to be attained. Therefore the first section of this chapter is dedicated to exploring what changes have been brought to higher education by e-learning. This chapter includes a literature review for to explore what has been recognized by the researchers and practitioners of this field as key factors that affect the quality of e-learning programs and institutions, and therefore should be used to evaluate this type of learning. A list of highly rated and most repeated factors was then generated and categorized to form the basis for a comprehensive framework intended for evaluating quality of e-learning programs which will be used later in the empirical research. Quality in E-learning: A range of perspectives on what defines quality in e-learning, and what should be considered when evaluating the quality of e-learning has been developed. Some studies have addressed few factors pertaining to a single aspect or dimension, and some have developed frameworks for evaluating the quality of e-learning addressing many aspects. During those studies many different approaches were adopted ranging from surveying learners, faculty members, designers and policy makers for their views, building models for effective e-learning, and constructing camps that contextualize and debate the e-learning environment (Brennan, 2001). Despite the important contribution of each of those studies, a complete framework for evaluating the quality of e-learning couldnt be found. Developed frameworks either addressed the quality of the e-learning program with an emphasis on the classroom environment only, or overlooked some important aspects, such as the impact of the institution on the quality of e-learning programs (Cashion and Palmieri, 2002). E-Learning has been addressed by governing or accrediting bodies which developed quality standards, principles or frameworks. Such standards however, were developed to help institutions plan for their e-learning programs (Cashion and Palmieri, 2002) or as a self assessment tool, therefore they usually address in general perspective quality standards, academic standards, standards of competence, service standards and organizational standards (Harvey, 1999). According to Vlasceanu et al (2004), the definition of quality in a higher education institution differs with the changes in: The interests and needs of various types of stakeholders The institutions own inputs, processes, outputs, purpose, mission and set of objectives The characteristics and attributes of the academic world The historical evolvement and development of higher education Revisiting the changes that e-learning brought to higher education especially to the role of its fundamental stakeholders, learners, educators and administrators, it perhaps becomes logical when we look for a definition of quality as a concept, to consider these stakeholders first. For this reason, a growing literature in the field of e-learning tends to define quality of e-learning programs as the degree to which principal stakeholdersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ needs and expectations are consistently satisfied, referring to the learners and educators (Kistan, 2005). Success factors: Critical success factors (CSFs) are key areas of performance that are essential for the organisation to accomplish its mission (Rockart, 1979). Managers implicitly know and consider these key areas when they set goals and as they direct operational activities and tasks that are important to achieving goals. However, when these key areas of performance are made explicit, they provide a common point of reference for the entire organisation. Thus, any activity or initiative that the organisation undertakes must ensure consistently high performance in these key areas, otherwise the organisation may not be able to achieve its goals and consequently may fail to accomplish its mission. The term â€Å"critical success factor† has been adapted for many different uses. Familiarity with the term is often presented in the context of a project or an initiative. In this context, CSFs describe the underlying or guiding principles of an effort that must be regarded to ensure that it is succes sful. Clarity of course goals: Not surprisingly, there has been consensus in the literature that in order to assure the quality of the teaching/learning process, designing a course should start with explicit outcomes that identify the expectations from learners and the faculty from the very beginning. Learning outcomes which usually drive the effectiveness assessment process of courses should be also challenging and linked directly to the institutions overall goals and objectives. (Mayer et al 2000) faculty members have to adjust course content by selecting appropriate learning styles to achieve course goals and learners needs. Learner Interaction: Interaction is one of the most widely mentioned factors in the literature in relation to its impact on the quality of e-learning programs. (Moore, 2002) Interaction in the e-learning environment compensates for the loss of direct and face to face contact between learners and their faculty member or colleagues. Moore (1989) has identified three types of interaction: Interaction between faculty and learners, which is considered to be the most vital component that creates an effective learning environment upo

The Mutilation of Society :: essays research papers fc

The Mutilation of Society No matter how we perceive ourselves, human beings are still animals. However the difference between us and the animals that walk on all four, is that we have laws that don’t allow us to go back to the days when we struggled everyday for survival. The Island of Dr. Moreau can be compared with Lord of the Flies to answer the question, are humans generally good or bad? After the death of Dr. Moreau, the creatures’ retrogression represents man’s savagery as they take part in the survival of the fittest. Finally Dr. Moreau represents what happens to humans when they have too much power; his obvious god complex makes him feel justified in the fact that he is mutilating animals that have existed for longer than humans have.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Island of Dr. Moreau, in my opinion uses the beasts to show that human nature truly is evil. As in Lord of the Flies, when civil rule is taken away from humans we go back to our animal instincts. Humans since their existence have been unable to rule themselves. As far back as the pharaohs of Egypt it was necessary to have written law that you will have to pay consequences if you kill another human being. Today the world struggles with the existence of terrorism threatening to kill off millions of its people. In some cultures this is accepted as good and even rewarded to perform these horrendous acts. In Lord of the Rings William Golding writes, â€Å"†¦Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of a true, wise friend called Piggy† (242). This is the same feeling that Prendick had when he ends his writing with, â€Å"There it must be, I think, in the vast and eternal laws of matter, and not in the daily cares and sins and troubles of men, that whatever is more than animal within us must find its solace and its hope† (Wells, 104). Both Ralph and Prendick realize that life for them will not be the same. They have been exposed to the evil that is inside of man. In response to these realizations, Ralph weeps and Prendick removes himself from society. The way both the beast and the young men turn on each other when rule and society is taken away is true to what happens in our world now.

The Life Work, and Creativity of Albert Camus :: Biographies

The Life Work, and Creativity of Albert Camus "Yes, I have a country -- the French language." -Albert Camus Albert Camus was a man consumed by three images--his mother, the Mediterranean, and death. His greatest creative achievement, his writing, would center around these images, images that would be transformed into great ideas through simple and refined words. Albert Camus lived the life of the creative genius according to Howard Gardner's model of creativity. His writing has left a lasting impression on the literary world and his life has left a fascinating legacy on the notion of creativity. Childhood Albert Camus was born on November 1, 1913 in Mondovi, a village in the Algerian interior. His ancestors on his father's side arrived after the 1830 conquest of Algeria from France and his mother's side came from Spain. A certain amount of pride accompanied Camus' mixed racial descent. Yet, it was only in Algeria that Camus would ever truly belong. Mondovi was surrounded by vineyards and it was there that Camus' father, Lucien Auguste Camus, found employment. He worked on a grape farm helping in the manufacture of wine. Camus never had the chance to know his father, for he died before Camus had even reached the age of one. He was called off to war where he was fatally wounded at the Marne. Camus thus loathed bloodshed and was constantly haunted by the idea that his generation was cursed by wars. Because his mother, Catherine, spoke so little of his father, Camus knew virtually nothing of the man that he had been. The one detail that his mother did recount of his father was that he had once attended an execution, He watched the death of a mass murderer and yet afterwards he "threw himself on the bed and began to vomit" (McCarthy, 11). Camus never forgot this image and would later write against and about the death penalty. Catherine, Albert, and his older brother Lucien moved in with her family after the death of Lucien Auguste to the Algiers suburb of Belcourt in the working-class area, crowded with apartment buildings and factories. An emotional poverty reined over Albert's life in Belcourt. His grandmother, the talkative, strong-minded queen of the household, became his principle care-taker. Though Camus admired his grandmother's pride, he found her to be harsh and selfish, and he feared her. She was greatly critical of her daughter for having married a man who had died so young, leaving her alone with two children.

Voltaires Candide: The Transformation of Candide Essay -- Voltaire Ca

Voltaire's Candide: The Transformation of Candide   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Candide (1991), which is another version of "Voltaire" by French writer Francois-Marie Arouet, is a short but diverse story that tells of a young man's journey for love and the hardships he faces all the while keeping a very strong, positive and philosophical outlook on life. The book starts in an unknown year, hinted sometime around the Renaissance, with a young man named Candide. Candide loves the princess of a Baron and is banished from the land because of it. Wanting so much to be with his love, he starts his travels to find some way that he can be with her. Right from the start Candide falls into trouble. From being forced to join an army, to seeing and loosing his love again, to great riches and to the lowest pit of poor Candide is able to overcome adversary and conquer the odds. In this amazing journey he finds that every event in the world has a reason, and whether there are positive or negative moments you have to live them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the beginning, the reader finds out about Candide's misfortunate event that leads him on his journeys. His being taught, by Pangaloss, of philosophical ways of life leads him to long for his beloved. This longing is the official start of his journey to marry the beautiful Cunegonde.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Candid finds himself at the first of his woes when he enters a tavern in the town of Waldberghofftrarbk-dikdorff. He is coaxed into going to a camp by mean of a meal. In the camp he is captured and forced to fight for the Bulgarian army. He attempts to escape but is caught and is forced to run the gauntlet. He then tries escaping again in the heat of battle and succeeds.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After being taken in and helped by James, an anabaptist, he runs into h... ...on: if you had not walked over America: if you had not Stabbed the Baron: If you had not lost all of your sheep from the fine country of El Dorado: you would not be here eating preserved citrons and pistachio-nuts" (87). This last quote by Pangaloss is the end of Candide's journey. This is where Candide finally realizes that the events in the world have reasons behind them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Candide realizes, through the teachings of Pangaloss and his journeys, that no one can change what has happened or what might happen in the near future. The only thing that can be done is to take life as it is dealt and play the hand you got. This is a major change for Candide philosophical thoughts of events from beginning to end. Candide can now make the bast out of events that may not favor him in the future. Works Cited Voltaire. Candide. Dover Publications, Inc. New York, 1991