Saturday, August 31, 2019

Summer

The leaves now searching for a new home, they flutter down on their wings of pure gold. The trees now come together, forsaken, isolated and soon to winters cold. Crickets, hedgehogs, owls too join in with the late night autumn song. To remind us another season won't be long. Christmas gifts make their showing on shelves in stores. Leaf blowers begin to go on vacation and snow shovels prepare for chores.Winter is here Everything knows from the tiny hares to the giant deer That Christmas our favorite time of the year is near. Struggling to keep in winter's cheer, Children burst out â€Å"winter is here†. Sometimes tend to gaze at the stars. On a clear winter's night maybe even Mars. When outside is a winter wonderland of snow, Passionate eyes like ember aglow. Teeth chatter like a pair of castanets. The cold seeps into our gloves until they cease to bend properly.There is no escape from the cold especially when it's in your own property Your muscles will be so numb you can barel y hop It seems like a mission just going to the first bus stop But if I do each the bus stop, I attempt to lean on it. Forgetting that in winter days, the icy biting metal that quickly imbibes all your body heat Leaving you as cold as those trees, it's an experience you loud not like to meet On winters day thin frozen puddles crack under my winter boots. To me the cracks look like gnarled fingers, twisted and knotted.Others say the cracks look like tree roots. The ground was as smooth as a cake Snow had fallen like icing powder, perfecting it to its finest point The scene so unreal one could say it was fake. The swirling white and the lush grass collided. Falling in snow the children were delighted The trees so tired it seemed they couldn't even put up a fight To keep themselves all stained white The trees dreamt of warmth All they received was the pale light only winter's Sun could give.Even the leaf stems lie frosty and sharp But it glistens like an angels harp The floor full of c rystals of ice gleam like a floor of polished white quartz Indicating aims time for winter sports. In winter people are sneezing because it is freezing As they exhale visible puffs of smoke diverge People begin to miss summers outdoor heating When witnessing the obscure clouds above finally converge. Winter winds now howl Piling up snow in adrift Tired from a lack of sleep people now scowl Misunderstanding, winters cool gift.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Description of my visit to cemetery

The cemetery visit causes eerie feelings of stillness and uneasiness. 1. It is very quiet, serene, peaceful and absolutely still, except for birds chirping all around me. 2. I made sure that I visited during the daylight hours when the sun was indeed shining brightly: displaying brilliant beauty and dispelling any shadows as I walked on tiptoes it seems. -I am very afraid to visit the gravesite after sunset hours. I do not like dark shadows or anything that is mysterious or makes me feel queasy and uneasy. -The gravesites all around are flat for the most part, with a few mounds of earth and head stones. -The entire place is not even called a cemetery or gravesite, but it is known as a memorial garden. It does seem far more pleasant to me to visit and explore a memorial garden instead of a cemetery. When I hear the word garden connected to anything I think of doing fun things, of flowers, the green blossoms and the springtime buds and joyful memories. I think of vegetables and fruits growing on a plot of ground. I think of well-manicured lawns carpeted by rich, healthy green grass. I think of produce I can harvest from the earth, wash off and eat right away. 4.  Ã‚   My cemetery visit is pleasant and exciting simply because of the weather and the environment I encounter at the site and it is daytime and the light everywhere is very bright. The grounds are also immaculate and blossoming. The whole of nature seems to be at peace everywhere. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Most gravesites have names on them with very pretty collections of flowers and floral arrangements atop the ground. I cannot help but notice the green grass is flourishing well — healthy well-fed and quite inviting. A few other visitors stroll through the garden thoughtfully, mincing and watching their every step, apparently out of respect for the dead buried there. 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I also notice a few crystal white gazebos scattered throughout the garden where visitors can sit in order to reflect and meditate. Indeed flowers and perennials surround their white lattice work of wood with intricate and striking designs. Everything seems to have been made to encourage reverence and awe. 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Even though very beautiful and still and quiet, the gravesite environment causes me inevitably to think of my life, to think about death itself — what it is and why it is. I really wonder where all of those people went whose remains are buried beneath the cemetery dirt. 8.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The entire scene also makes me think of my own mortality. How very fragile and transient human beings really are. â€Å"Here today and gone tomorrow† is a commonly spoken folk phrase that reminds me of how we must really take care of ourselves and live our lives as long and as rich as we can. The gravesite makes me think of the beauties of life that I possess now. Its joys and its many opportunities are incomparable. I certainly do not plan or wish to die now. I want to live as long as I can. 9.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The cemetery visit also forces me to think of my own passage into the other realm, into oblivion. What shall it be like it? I really wonder and have wondered for some time, now. What is

Thursday, August 29, 2019

What Does it Cost to Attend Saint Josephs University?

For the majority of families with college bound students, college costs are a significant concern. CNN reported in 2016 that the average American family was paying more than $100,000 for a four-year degree from a private university. Hence, it’s no surprise that over 85% of college students now receive financial aid. What is a surprise for many families, though, is how difficult it can be to predict college expenses. In this series, we at dive deep into the costs of attending college at hundreds of schools across the country to help you more accurately predict how much you’re likely to pay. To learn more about how much your family might pay for a degree from Saint Joseph’s University, don’t miss this post. College costs vary quite a bit as many different factors affect them. The amount that your family ultimately pays out of pocket for a college degree depends on how much scholarship money and merit aid your students receives, how much financial aid your family is eligible for, and how much the particular college costs to begin with. It is a complicated equation with many pieces that don’t fall firmly into place until late in the college selection process. It can be helpful, though, to learn about the specific factors that impact cost in an effort to better predict your own expenses. One of the biggest factors in determining college costs is the list price at the college your student ultimately attends. List price, also sometimes referred to as the sticker price, is the total cost of attending that college without any financial assistance. It generally includes tuition, room and board, and all necessary fees. Sometimes certain costs are excluded, like room and board at commuter schools, so make sure to confirm what the list price covers when you are comparing list prices from one school to another. The good news is that most families do not end up paying the entire list price. Instead, they pay a net cost that depends on how much financial assistance they receive in the form of institutional aid, merit aid, or federal, state, and local aid. A student’s financial aid package will often consist of a combination of several or all of these types of aid. The types and amount of assistance granted vary from one family and one student to the next making them difficult to predict in advance, but understanding more about them can help your family prepare for this big investment. During the 2016-2017 school year, the list price at St. Joseph’s was $59,574. Because St. Joseph’s is a private school, it does not offer discounts for state residents and the list price remains the same regardless of where you reside. Still, not many students pay the full list price. Those who should expect to do so are generally students with a family income of $175k or more. In 2016, students who received financial aid only had an average net cost of $53,050. Those without financial need who were awarded merit aid had an average net cost of $46,947. Again, these numbers are the same regardless of state of residence. The amount that a family receives in financial aid is highly dependent on how much that family earns. This means that breaking down net cost by family income level can provide important additional insight. At St. Joseph’s, those costs breakdown as follows. Estimating your chance of getting into a college is not easy in today’s competitive environment. Thankfully, with our state-of-the-art software and data, we can analyze your academic and extracurricular profile and estimate your chances. Our profile analysis tool can also help you identify the improvement you need to make to enter your dream school. St. Joseph’s commonly awards merit aid to its students. In 2017, 82% of students without financial need received merit awards. The average merit award for a student without financial need was $12,627. Saint Joseph’s ranks 270th in the pool over 1000 schools we analyzed for merit aid generosity. Loans are also common amongst St. Joseph’s students. In 2017, 79% of students held a loan to help finance his or her education. The average federal student loans per undergraduate student was $6,761. There’s no doubt that college costs represent a significant upfront expense for most families. It can be helpful to consider this a long-term investment, as a college degree generally leads to a lifelong increase in earning potential. Looking at the student outcomes for a particular college can help you gauge the potential return on this investment. At St. Joseph’s, 79% of students who begin a degree complete it within six years. The average salary ten years after graduation is $59,600. There will undoubtedly be other expenses that arise during the course of a four year degree program, and the cost of these will likely be linked to the local economy. Expenses like groceries, transportation, or even off campus housing will add up over the course of four years, so looking at the local cost of living can help you to better anticipate these costs. Saint Joseph’s University is located in Philadelphia, PA. Generally, big cities have a higher cost of living than suburban or rural locations, but Philadelphia is fairly affordable considering its size. The cost of living index in Philadelphia is 110.4 , meaning it is about 10% more expensive than the national average of all cities and towns. While transportation tends to be very expensive in Philadelphia, driving up the total cost of living, housing is surprisingly affordable given its urban setting. Students living off campus will spend about $834/month on a studio apartment or $1493/month on a three-bedroom. The job market in Philadelphia isn’t great, though. Unemployment rates run significantly above average while recent job growth and projected job growth are both slightly below average. Minimum wage in Pennsylvania is the federally mandated minimum of $7.25/hr, a rate which has held since 2009. Current legislation has been proposed to raise it to $12/hr, but nothing has passed as of May 2019. Scholarship money can be another big help when it comes to funding a college education. Many families think of scholarships as something reserved for only the most academically elite students across the country, but in reality they come in many different shapes and sizes. The most popular scholarship program is the National Merit Scholarship Program, which has over a million participants each year. High school juniors who take the PSAT are eligible for awards through this program based on their scores. Other awards are also distributed based on PSAT scores by the National Hispanic Recognition Program and awards from specific corporations or colleges. To learn more about the program, check out our post How to Qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program . Scholarships exist on many different levels, too. Some, like the National Merit Scholarship Program, operate nationally and attract large pools of applicants. Others are regional or even local in nature, or have awards received for very specific skills, personal qualities, or backgrounds. You can check out some of the options in these posts: If you’re interested in learning more about college costs, applying for scholarships, and optimizing your student’s application, check out ’s Applications Guidance service. Here, your student will be paired with a personal admissions specialist from a top college who can provide step-by-step guidance through the entire application process, including the funding options available to your family.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Assessing reliability and credibility of CAM resources Essay

Assessing reliability and credibility of CAM resources - Essay Example With this context, the paper explains the applicability of acupuncture, as a CAM therapy in medical science. The paper duly assesses the reliability and credibility of this practice thereto. Additionally, the paper analyses the credibility of the sources that provide detailed information about the disease online. Acupuncture is one of the oldest forms of treatment under the Chinese traditional medicine practices. The process of medication trails pricking of needles at specific positions of the body, which effectively alters flow of energy into healthier arrays controlling and refreshing the neuron system in a human body. Acupuncture is often argued as effective in curing approximately 40 different types of diseases. Based on these grounds, acupuncture has been recognized as one of the widely effective CAM therapies. The procedure of acupuncture includes the stimulation of therapeutic methods that helps in developing manual therapeutic systems. The process involves stimulation of the body through various processes to relieve the patients from a series of diseases (Tait et al., 2002). It is in this context that the CAM practitioners are compared with the conventional medical doctors. For practicing CAM through acupuncture, practitioner recognition depends on proper accreditation from the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). Medical doctors who have a valid medical license can avail a certification from the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture. The person availing for a certification of acupuncture completes the necessary curriculum requirements and a tutorial requirement for the apprentice (NCCAOM, 2014). The American Academy of Medical Acupuncture (AAMA) and the NCCAOM are the regulatory bodies that have been verifying the operations of practitioners when practicing acupuncture

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

PRICE MEDIA LAW MOOT COURT COMPETITION CASE Essay

PRICE MEDIA LAW MOOT COURT COMPETITION CASE - Essay Example llow the expression of opinions by any people. Amendments were made to give all people this freedom. The International Covenant specifies that a person is not guilty if he has an opinion about something. It also specifies that withholding such opinion should not render a person guilty of any offense. The International Covenant provides that a person is given freedom to interact in assemblies with others and this should be done without compulsion. These rights are to be exercised without compulsion, i.e. these freedoms are to be exercised at liberty of a person involved (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 2003). Specifications are not given for the type of information to be contained by the opinion of a person. The law also does not prohibit an individual to associate with a group of people of his or her own choice. In this respect, it is violation of the law if a person is held in jail for shouting words which others may consider violent. The case of Ezelin V. Fran ce, where conviction was given by evaluation of the tone, is a clear example of the violation of freedom of expression (Price Competition Problem, 2013). T

Monday, August 26, 2019

Ritual, Rite, Practice, Culture of Geishas in Japan Research Paper

Ritual, Rite, Practice, Culture of Geishas in Japan - Research Paper Example Diversity witnessed in societies implies that communication at the global level is complicated and various social background attributes require studies including rituals, heritage, and culture. To illustrate the importance of these attributes, the following discourse highlights the Geisha women tradition to understand certain characteristics of Japanese cross-cultural communication. Geishas are female artists and entertainers observing a conservative form of ancient Japanese civilization and culture in various aspects from attire to music. Tracing back to several centuries back in history, Geisha art was designed to entertain powerful political elites of the Japanese civilization such as emperors. According to (Cass 12), influential regional conservative politics such as the one in China’s Ming Dynasty with a traditional and conservative outlook dictated the nature of the practice of the art that was designed for such political class. Propagation of the entertainment tradition for the nobility became a prestigious art form, which in line with the conservative clients took shape of the conservative Japanese traditions that were witnessed elsewhere. Apart from specific regalia designed for the performance, the female artists undergo theatrical makeup on the face and hair that add flair and flavor to the performance. The performance of Japanese music and da nce after spells of specialized training present the Geisha as among the few undoubted custodians of Japanese cultural heritage (Brown and Iwasaki 3). The performance of the entertainment does not only present the practice as a highly organized tradition but also as an important entertainment activity with far reaching sociocultural and political implications in Japan and across the globe. In terms of the communication attributes that the cross-cultural draws from the Geishas, modernity and tradition issues emerge as strong forces of the society that need special attention. Geisha

UEFA Control on Football Club Transfer Fees Research Paper

UEFA Control on Football Club Transfer Fees - Research Paper Example The financially well off clubs would spend lots of money to sign world class players and offer them fat pay checks (Conn 2010, p.32). Regulating how clubs spend their money in buying and paying players can only be done through wage caps. A wage cap defines an agreement that puts a lid on the amount of money that any sporting organization or club can use on paying players. A wage cap could either be per player limit or an entire team limit, or both. UEFA s response to this was to formulate the UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulation in 2009. This process got undertaken by the Financial Control Panel wing of the governing entity (Conn 2010, p.32). Over the last decade, football clubs in Europe have picked up reckless spendthrift tendencies while utterly casting a blind eye to the financial logic by spending lots of cash for overnight success. This school of thought from the football club board members, to extend enormous transfer kitties to club managers thereby allowing them to offer exto rtionist transfer fees and wages, has led to many clubs getting into debt. ...Without these regulations, more teams are likely to overspend in pursuit of short term winning, rather than giving priority to long term stability. This common business practice of poor risk benefits analysis risks the fortunes of the club and weakens the reputation of the whole league. With teams frequently switching markets or regularly going bankrupt, negative precedence of instability may cloud the sport. This leads to loss of interest of fans, who may opt to switch their allegiance to a stable team. Football clubs should embrace realism and stop spending money which they did not make. This will enable football clubs grow and ensure that the glory of the beautiful game as we know does not get lost. UEFA should impose spending cap laws, and spell out harsh penalties to the football clubs that do not abide by these laws. Some of the harsh penalties proposed by football experts include transfer bans, fine s, withholding of prize money, and expulsion from the UEFA Champions League and UEFA cup (Rose 2012, p.9). These sentiments got echoed by UEFA president who stated that more than half the football clubs in Europe keep losing money. He explained that capping the spending of cubs is in the best interest of the club. Shocking research by UEFA has shown drastic increase in the losses accrued by European football clubs. Reports show that losses in 2010 peaked at â‚ ¬1.6 billion, with over 65% of the club leagues in Europe recording massive losses. This has been the case despite the fact that revenues of professional European football clubs have increased by an average of 9.1% annually, over the past six years.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Research paper( Violent Games Are Contaminating Childrens Paper

( Violent Games Are Contaminating Childrens Personalities) - Research Paper Example The games are designed in a manner that instills realism to the games and the moment one plays them it gives a natural feeling (Shaffer & Kipp, 2010). Initially, the games were developed for mere entertainment purpose but over time the objective has shifted to include other aspects that are unfavorable to young children who are mostly addicted to these games. For instance, the video game Grand Theft Auto vice city is a mission-based video game that incorporated wrong vices such as violence, crime and prostitution. This indeed is wrong as the games instill wrong traits to the people who play them. But despite the negative vices that comes along the games they also have positive impacts on the gamers as they help them develop a high degree of judgment & problem solving as the games provides them with dilemma situations where critical decision have to be made and which have great impacts on the overall progress of the game (Gunter, 1998; Child Development Institute, 2003). According to psychology, the personalities of human beings tend to vary and thus different people will possess different personality traits depending on certain factors that have influenced the growth of that particular person (Gentile, 2003). Research conducted by Pennsylvania State University indicated that children who play video games are prone to be more hostile if they are less conscientious, less agreeable and easily angered (Shaffer & Kipp, 2010). This group of children is said to be the one that is negatively affected by playing video games. However despite impacting negatively on the said children violent games which are mainly mission based offer the players an opportunity to learn new skills especially rational and critical thinking skills that aid in solving complex problems (Anderson, Gentile & Buckley, 2007). That notwithstanding, video games in general have always been associated with addiction as children and teenagers are perceived to be

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Screen Speeds in Radiography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Screen Speeds in Radiography - Essay Example (2005), the details of the image are inversely proportional to the speed of the screen which therefore means that the slow detail screen has greater films than the fast intensifying screen. This is so because in slow detail screens, the area that is exposed by each x-ray will be smaller and slower hence the details better. A reduction in speed increases the dosage of ionizing radiation. This therefore means that the fast intensifying screen uses a smaller dosage of ionization radiation compared to the large dosage used by the slower detailed screen. The slow screens are usually of the standard type while the fast screen has the rare earth type. The last characteristic is that a fast intensifying speed reduces patient exposure to the radiation while a slower detail screen increases exposure. As a result of this difference in image detail and exposure to the radiation, the slower detail screens are used to produce photo films while the fast intensifying screen is used for medical

Friday, August 23, 2019

My career plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

My career plan - Essay Example Despite the fact that the pay in civil engineering is not my ultimate motivation into the career, the basic salary as of present for a civil engineer is 80,000$ and I can comfortably say that it is a well-paying career. To add to this a civil engineer can be in charge of various projects and this will compliment salary and this clearly shows that it is a good career as I will be able to pay my bills. Moreover, when I get to open my own company I am assured of good income as there are many projects to be initiated and the likelihood for me getting some is high given the civil engineering background my dad set.  Certification in civil engineering is also important and I will have to get licensed so that I can be able to be given government projects. In addition to this, as I plan to start my own company I will have to be recognized by the government, which I plan to achieve by getting all the necessary licenses. I plan to get exposure to the working conditions for civil engineers in the United States so that I can get exposed to the situations they face every day. I plan to look for internships and get the technical skills required to venture into the job market as an experienced engineer with ready solutions to the challenges and situations I face on the job. I realize that I have challenges to face given that I am a freshman and I am dedicated to ensuring that I am confident enough to go past the challenges and attain my degree after which I will follow in my career path to being one of the best civil engineers.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Lottery Discussion Answers Essay Example for Free

Lottery Discussion Answers Essay Shirley Jackson, The Lottery – Discussion and Analysis Questions Answer the following questions in complete sentences on your own paper. Provide quotations (with page/line numbers) from the story to support your answers. 1. Why has Jackson chosen common people for her characters? Could she have chosen characters from other levels of sophistication with the same effect? What is the irony of the tone of this story? 2. What seems to have been the original purpose of the lottery? What do people believe about it? 3. Is it important that the original paraphernalia for the lottery had been lost? What do you suppose the original ceremony was like? Why have some of the villages given up this practice? Why hasnt this one? 4. What is the significance of Tessies final scream, It isnt fair, it isnt right? What aspect of the lottery does she explicitly challenge; what aspect goes unquestioned? 5. This is a different sort of story when you read it for the second time. What elements (such as Mrs. Hutchinsons attempt to have her daughter, Eva, draw with the family) might take on a different meaning the second time through? 6. Some critics insist that the story has an added symbolic meaning. Do you agree? If so, what is Shirley Jackson trying to tell us about ourselves? (Hint: Consider that this story was written during the height of the rise of Communism and the Soviet Union.) 7. Is the lottery a collective act of murder? Is it morally justified? Is tradition sufficient justification for such actions? How would you respond to cultures that are different from ours that perform strange rituals? 8. Describe the point of view of the story. How does the point of view affect what we know about the situation? How does it preserve the storys suspense? Answers to Discussion Questions 1. Why has Jackson chosen common people for her characters? Could she have chosen characters from other levels of sophistication with the same effect? What is the irony of the tone of this story? By choosing common people, Jackson is attempting to have the general reader relate to the grotesque situation at hand. The dangers of blind allegiance to tradition become more â€Å"close to home† when an average, small-town American population is the center of the action. It becomes more general and all-applicable. (Lines 1-17) 2. What seems to have been the original purpose of the lottery? What do people believe about it? The original purpose of the lottery seems to have been some twisted sort of rain dance ritual. As Old Man Warner explains, the old saying used to exclaim, â€Å"Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon† (line 122). It takes on an air of Aztec/ritualistic sacrifice, that by performing the blood ritual and sacrificing one, the needs of the majority will be met. If the ritual is not followed, society will collapse – or so the townsfolk believe. 3. Is it important that the original paraphernalia for the lottery had been lost? What do you suppose the original ceremony was like? Why have some of the villages given up this practice? Why hasnt this one? The loss of the original ceremonial paraphernalia is significant, as it suggests that the original meaning and reasons for the lottery have been lost to time. It is a ritual with no true purpose, other than that of blind allegiance to tradition. Some villages presumably have matured beyond this ritual, but this one has not. 4. What is the significance of Tessies final scream, It isnt fair, it isnt right? What aspect of the lottery does she explicitly challenge; what aspect goes unquestioned? There are two ways to approach this question. 1) From an in-character perspective, Tessie is objecting to the fact that she is the subject of the sacrifice, having been the â€Å"winner† of the lottery. She doesn’t want to die, and is protesting merely the fact that she has to die, not that people die in general. 2) From an authorial / reader response perspective, Jackson challenges the reader to question the idea of conformity and blind allegiance to tradition. If we don’t know why we observe a specific tradition, perhaps we should question its usefulness. Besides, it’s good to question and analyze. 5. This is a different sort of story when you read it for the second time. What elements (such as Mrs. Hutchinsons attempt to have her daughter, Eva, draw with the family) might take on a different meaning the second time through? Tessie’s attempt to have her daughter draw with the family is a half-baked (and somewhat heartless) attempt to have a larger pool of â€Å"winners† (victims) to draw from. While reading, it sort of sounds like she wants an extra chance to win some money or something of that nature. In reality, she is trying to provide more of a buffer between herself and being murdered. 6. Some critics insist that the story has an added symbolic meaning. Do you agree? If so, what is Shirley Jackson trying to tell us about ourselves? (Hint: Consider that this story was written during the height of the rise of Communism and the Soviet Union.) She is providing a symbol of societies such as Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, where great atrocities are committed under the indifferent watch of tradition-oriented conformists. She is trying to tell us that we should be  guided by our moral compass, not merely by the expectations of society. If something is unjust or wrong, we should stand up against it. 7. Is the lottery a collective act of murder? Is it morally justified? Is tradition sufficient justification for such actions? How would you respond to cultures that are different from ours that perform strange rituals? Effectively, the lottery is by definition a collective act of murder, regardless of the reason it is held. Its existence does, however, beg the question of whether tradition (and, by extension, moral relativism) supersedes any sort of universal morality. Is killing wrong no matter what, or does its intended purpose – prosperity for the many at the expense of the few – justified? Regardless of the answer, Jackson’s message is that doing anything simply because it’s â€Å"what always has been done† is not an acceptable approach to life. We should question and analyze our traditions, and understand why we continue to observe them. 8. Describe the point of view of the story. How does the point of view affect what we know about the situation? How does it preserve the storys suspense?

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Advantage and Disadvantages of Japanese Nationals Working in the Philippines Essay Example for Free

Advantage and Disadvantages of Japanese Nationals Working in the Philippines Essay â€Å"Teaching is learning. Teaching is enriching. Teaching is challenging, it’s trying in unimaginable ways. Teaching is motivating, it’s inspiring. Teaching is frustrating, it’s frightening. Teaching is growing. Teaching is loving. Teaching is a blessing. And being a teacher means that I have a lot to learn.† (anjaligill, 2011) A quote I have read on one article on the internet that actually touched my heart. I am not a teacher but appreciate the hardships of teachers throughout their journey to imparting to us student all they can for us to have a better future. Yes we have a lot of teachers here in our country but learning is not limited to only our country. Because of media and many other sources or information we have been exposed to other cultures and languages from many different countries. Thus which lead to us wanting to learn other culture and languages. Some of these languages are Korean, Japanese, Spanish, and French. And who else are more capable in teaching us these languages than the natives of theses languages themselves. That is why this study aims to shed a light on the existence of Japanese Language teachers that are working in the country. The first part of this paper is going to touch upon the rules that’s the immigration imposes on these aliens that wish to enter the country. What kind of permits and visas that must be secured in order to be able to work. Also it talks about the role of the Department Of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in allowing these aliens to have a fair and legal job here. The second part of my report talks about the different issues that these aliens have encountered over their years of working in the Philippines. For years now we have been hearing about the melodramatic life of an OFW, we’ve had a lot of articles on the different experience they have out there. But have we ever given a thought about these foreigners that come to our country not as tourist, but to look for jobs? Probably as teachers? What more these Japanese nationals working in Davao as Japanese language teachers? We’ve been so focused on Filipinos that we forget to check on these other people who are also making a living here in our country. This paper will try to shed a light on what are the most common difficulties and what are the measures they took in order to be able to overcome these obstacles. And I am hoping to gather these datas through interviewing some Japanese nationals residing in the country specially Davao. A. What are the necessary visa and permits these Japanese nationals must secure in order to be able to work in the country? B. Are they given enough compensation and benefits in their jobs? C. Why of all other country would they choose Philippines? D. What are the different experiences they have here? For the last part this paper will try to compile the gathered data and express what are the common advantages and disadvantages of experienced by these Japanese Language teachers working in the Philippines? Those are just some of a few things this study aims to shed a light on, and to give the readers a deeper understanding on their situation through their experiences. Review of Related Literature 1. Japanese Language as a Profession When we hear the word Japanese Language most of us would think: oh that’s all about kanji!† â€Å"That is a very hard language to learn†. Yes it is true, it is not an easy language to learn but it is also one of the most interesting of all. With all the variations in the conjugation of every word, to all the particles for every sentence, but most especially to the different strokes in their unique 3 writing styles namely hiragana katakana and kanji. In the beginning yeah it will be hard but in the long run you will be able to appreciate all the hardships you have gone through in order to reach that level. So because of that many people have engaged in learning the language. Some would say that if you really want to learn something you have to do it yourself. But then again because of the complexity of this language it has become hard for others. That is why we have come to the conclusion that who else is more capable to teach us the complicated and very meticulous language than these Japanese nationals themselves? But then again this poses a very big hindrance when it comes to language barriers. It is because before Japan has been a very secluded country that doesn’t want to open up to other country. That’s is why even though some Japanese wanted to teach Japanese it would be hard for them since that not all Japanese know English and since English is the universal language communication and explanation would be hard. But as years pass by and as Japan slowly open their doors to other countries, international colleges started to rise and because of this the Japanese nationals studying in such colleges are being exposed to the word and thus they became aware of the eagerness of other people to learn their language which triggered a domino effect to theses Japanese to teach them. 2. Philippine and Japan relation in terms of work Over the years the Philippines was known by the world as major exporter of skilled workers. They even have this saying that there is no country in the world that does not have Filipinos in it. From that this study aims to focus on the Japanese citizens working in the country. For decades there has been a noticeable relationship between Japan and the Philippines. May it be in terms of trading of goods, and even official development assistance funds also known as the (ODA). The relationship of these two countries not only varies in goods and monetary sector but even in human resources. The Philippines is reputed to be the leading exporter of labor in the world, ranging from the semi-skilled to professional and technical workers (CORTEZ, 2009). This greatly impacted on the yearly remittances that the OFW’s give to the country. At the same time Japanese engineers, managers, experts and other skilled workers have entered the Philippines to accompany, implement and manage the huge direct investments and overseas development assistance programs of Japan (Tereso S. Tullao, Jr. and Michael Angelo A. Cortez, 2004). The Japanese have remained the largest group of foreign workers in the country over the years (OECD 2001). This then greatly impacted the country in terms of tourism. 3. Naturals working overseas Due to the growing economic crisis in the world most people opt to work in other country to look for â€Å"greener pastures†. Approximately eight million Filipinos are overseas, representing almost ten percent of the nation’s population (Commission on Filipinos Overseas, 2004). And one good example to these is the growing migration rate in the Philippines. Where in most Filipinos think that because of the economic crisis in the Philippines and the Low salary that working overseas became a better option. Yes they may have big salaries and they may be able to experience other culture but at the end of the day these OFW’s would have to sacrifice being with their family for money. 4. Language Barriers In order to be able to teach students, communication is important and in communication Language is vital. This is what makes learning easy. Because through language student will be able to understand what the teacher wants to deliver. But in teaching language something these language barriers pose a very big problem. Especially for those language teachers who are native speakers of the language they are teaching and only know a little English. English, with its many varieties, is a language of international and therefore intercultural communication. (Sharifian, 2009). But then we all know that there are still some countries that are not open to accepting English as an international language and Japan is one of them. The people being raised to love their own country in other words in the ways of patriotism it became hard for them to open up an accept changes being brought by the modern world. Definition of terms 1) (AEP) Alien Employment Permit is a document issued by the Department of Labor and Employment which authorizes a foreign national to work in the Philippines. 2) Alien shall refer to the foreign nationals who intend to work in the country. Japanese Workers I. Immigration All foreign nationals can freely enter the Philippines with only a passport and other travel documents for business, leisure, and social visits. The Philippine Immigration Act of 1940 states Foreigners or â€Å"non-quota immigrants† may be admitted without considering such numerical limitations (CASTRO, August). The country has not been strict on allowing foreigners to enter, In fact Nationals from some countries are allowed to enter the Philippines without visas for a stay not exceeding twenty-one (21) days, provided they hold valid tickets for their return journey to port of origin or next port of destination (Bureau of Immigration 2007-2008), Japan being one of these countries are allowed to enter the country without visa. They must present for admission into the Philippines unexpired passports or official documents in the nature of passports issued by the governments of the countries to which they owe allegiance or other travel documents showing their origin and identity. II. Department Of Labor and Employment (DOLE) But when it comes to employment the Philippines is very strict at letting foreigners to work in the country. These aliens need to secure certain visas and permits before they can actually work here. Some of these are the a)Alien Employment Permit (AEP), b)Special Work permit, and the c)9g Prearranged Employment Visa. a) Alien Employment Permit (AEP) is a document issued by the Department of Labor and Employment which authorizes a foreign national to work in the Philippines. This permit must be petitioned by a company to allow a foreigner to work locally and is the requirement for a 9g visa as well as several other visas. The employment permit may be issued to a non-resident alien or to the applicant employer after a determination of the non-availability of a person in the Philippines who is competent, able and willing at the time of application to perform the services for which the alien is desired (Labor Code of the Philippines PD 442, Article 40). Article 41 of the Labor Code provides: â€Å"After the issuance of employment permit, the alien shall not transfer to another job or change his employer without prior approval of Secretary of Labor and Employment.† In addition the alien who is found to be working without an AEP or an expired AEP shall pay a fine of Ten Thousand Pesos (P10,000) for every year to the Regional Director (DOLE Department Order No. 75-06 (Series of 2006)) and shall be subject to deportation after service of his sentence (Ferrolino, 2009). b) Special Work Permit is given by employers to foreigners that will only work for a brief time in the Philippines usually less than 6 months that can be extended for another 6 months and they are not required to apply for a (AEP) from DOLE ( Triple i Consulting Inc., 2005). c) 9g Prearranged Employment Visa is given to any foreign national who will be employed in the Philippines and occupying a technical, executive, managerial or a highly confidential position in a company for at least one year, can apply for an employment visa under Sec. 9(g) of the Philippine Immigration Act. III. Issues/Problems 1) What are the necessary visa and permits these Japanese nationals must secure in order to be able to work in the country? As to the rules of immigration and DOLE these Japanese nationals knowing that they are considered as aliens must be able secure an AEP before they can work. But according to one of my respondents who is ms. Ariza Okumura, that she only secured a working visa which is valid for only two years, before she got to work in our school. 2) Are they given enough compensation and benefits in their jobs? When it comes to compensations and benefits we all know that Philippines really give a very low compensation rate in terms of salary. According to the National Wages and Productivity Commission minimum wage in the National Capital Region ranges from P456.00 to P419.00 depending on the type of job, while in Davao city it ranges from P301.00 to P270.00. Clearly this kind of wages will not be enough to support a family that is why these families that are working here in Davao always keep a tight budget on their money. According to Miss Ariza Okumura, a Japanese Language teacher in Mindanao Kokusai Daigaku â€Å"if I live for a long time for example ten (10) years or more? The salary is okay. But if if have plan of one year or three years? The salary is low.† Mr. Tanino also a Japanese Language Teacher in MKD said â€Å"the salary is low†. True enough even these aliens or Japanese nationals to be exact who is working here in the Philippines have also experienced the very low salary here. In another interview I conducted this time it is from Takako Okamoto, also a Japanese language teacher in MKD she said â€Å"I think it is enough, for Japanese nationals’ teacher†. From this we can see the different points of view of these Japanese in terms of the compensation given to them. But one thing is for sure, they do not want the money, it’s their love of teaching and imparting what they know to those who are willing to learn. 3) Why of all other country would they choose Philippines? Some would say that Philippines is a good place to relax because of its serene beauty and it is also close to nature because it is rich in natural resources. The country being an archipelago means it is close to beaches which attracts tourist from all over the world to come here. A few would even say they want to go to the Philippines because of Filipinos have been known to the world as hospitable kind of people. But when it comes to employment there have been also very many speculations upon the capacity of the country to cater workers because of the ongoing crisis in its economy and a whole lot more. But even so after all these negative comments and speculations some still chose to work here. One good example is Ariza Okumura, MKD teacher she said during our interview that it was here choice to work here and when I asked her why this is what she told me â€Å"before when I was student we had a school trip and I came here in Davao. Also I really want to teach Japanese in foreign country†. Almost all of the Japanese language teachers I have interviewed said the same thing. That it was in their own will to go to the Philippines. In a follow up question I had which was â€Å"did you originally come here as a teacher?† I was amazed at their answers. Takako Okamoto, a MKD teacher said â€Å"I chose Philippines as a place for volunteer work.† Tanino, who is also a MKD teacher, said he first came to the Philippines to work for a company named sharp. From their answers it was clear that teaching was not their real objective in coming here, but the longer they stayed the more they fell in love with the country and its people. â€Å"During the time I met many Filipino Filipina and then they took care of me well and then I don’t like to forget everything they did for me. After one year four months I came back to Japan and decided to help the Filipino resident in the Philippines as Japanese Language teacher.† Said Okamoto sensei. 4) What are the different experiences they have here? We can finish up all day if we talk about experiences, but these are one of the parts of the lives of the people which make us actually say that we are alive. Through these experiences we learn and from these learning we can adjust in order to make things better. When it was time to ask them this question I observed that they had a very hard time in picking which experience they wanted to share. One of them said that being with students everyday are counted as one of their memorable experience, one also said that seeing the students learning is their most unforgettable experience. But there is one story that actually touched my heart. It was from Takako Okamoto she told me â€Å"actually he’s a last year graduator. He hated any kind of teacher, he hated study Japanese especially. He was lazy to attend all the class he was lazy to pass shukudai (assignments), and then sometimes he was against to the teachers. But I have been continuing to approach to him. Siguro very Samok sa kanya *how about your shukudai ? *how many times absent you might be dropped! Like that. Whenever I see him I say something. Finally he changed, he changed totally. He had a focus on study in nihongo but it was already 4th year. But I found his changes. Before RP Japan I was telling him, I know you are good at nihongo. You try to attend speech contest in RP Japan. In his speech he was saying to me thank you, like saying because of me he was changed. But for one week he got dengue and was absent. Nobody expected he could attend the speech. But he came, and said *Sensei I’m Here.† It may not mean as much to you but as I saw her as she was telling me this story you would see the happiness in her eyes. The kind of happiness that meant showed how their job as a teacher can be very rewarding, that even the small thing could make a big difference. Conclusion I admit I started late in doing this paper. But in those limited amount of time left, I was still able to learn new things through this. First is the importance of time. Know this is not port of my paper but I was able to learn and appreciate time, and how to use it wisely and productively. Second is the importance of work, as to why people look for jobs. Another is I learned to appreciate the teachers more. This happened during the times I was able to interview a few of them. At first I was hesitant in conducting interviews because I was afraid of the teachers, but then I said to myself â€Å"what’s there to lose?† So when I started the interviews I realized that I should not be afraid of these teachers because their only goal it to teach is to become a better person. That they are doing what they do not to make us suffer but to make us learn, I was able to see that â€Å"the students are the only ones who are making themselves suffer†. I also came to a conclusion that in all we do there’s a good and bad side to it. Isaac Newton’s third law of motion said that â€Å"For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction†. In life that is also proven true, with everything we do, even in may it be as a person, as an employee, etc. there will always be an advantage and a disadvantage. Yes Japanese language is very interesting but at the same time it is also very complicated and hard to learn. Even the Japanese Language teachers themselves said that its hard and it really takes time. That even they as a teacher they also have to adjust to their approach to the students. Which brings us to the conclusion that teaching as a language teacher is not just a profession but also a lifestyle, where in it has its up and downs, the good and the bad, and its own advantages and disadvantages. Bibliography Triple i Consulting Inc. (2005). Retrieved february 21, 2013, from http://www.tripleiconsulting.com: http://www.tripleiconsulting.com/Amain/philippines-business-guides-tips-and-news-blog/181-work-visas-in-the-philippines anjaligill. (2011, august 19). What Teaching Means to Me and Why it is Important†¦. Retrieved january 20, 2012, from www.teachforus.org: http://anjaligill.teachforus.org/2011/08/29/what-teaching-means-to-me-and-why-it-is-important/ CASTRO, J. M. (August, 11 2009). Philippines Visas, Permits and Immigration. Retrieved february 6, 2013, from http://www.expatforum.com: http://www.expatforum.com/articles/visas-permits-and-immigration/philippines-visas-permits-and-immigration.html CORTEZ, M. A. (2009). Japan-Philippines Free Trade Agreement: Oppotunities for the movement of workers. RITSUMEIKAN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS , 126. Ferrolino, T. (2009). Employment of Foreigner

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Major Characteristics Of Qualitative Research

Major Characteristics Of Qualitative Research CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.0 Introduction In this chapter, researcher will explain in detail on how the research will be conducted. This includes the research design chosen by the researcher, the research procedures, sample selection, methods of gathering data, and methods of data analysis used. In explaining the methods and procedures employed, the researcher also explains the rationale for choosing the particular methods and procedures conducted in this research. 3.1 Research Design Patton (1990) in Fraenkel and Wallen (2006) described one of the major characteristics of qualitative research is design flexibility where they suggested that a qualitative research should avoid from stick on a rigid designs or situation so that the situation can be understood in-depth. They also recommended a qualitative research should pursue new paths of discovery that suits with the researcher interest. From his own reading and opinion, the researcher would like to define qualitative research as a type of scientific research. It is because; generally scientific research consists of a proper investigation that seeks for answers to a question systematically by uses a predefined set of procedures. In order to answer the questions, researcher collects evidence and produces findings that were not determined in advance and that are applicable beyond the immediate boundaries of the study. Therefore to carry out his research qualitatively, the researcher would like to use case study as the method for the researcher to conduct this research. Case study is one of methods to conduct qualitative research where Robert Stake (1997) defines a case as a bounded system as it tells a story about a bounded system. A system refers to a set of interrelated elements that are wholesome while bounded outlines the boundary of the system (Holmes et al, 2008). However the researcher himself need to determine the case first and later the researcher will uses various data collection techniques such as interviews, observation through literature, and relevant documentary analysis to carry out a holistic study of the entity. By using case study, the researcher will actually attempt to investigate the components or parts that make up the system to see how they operate. By refer to this research; the researcher will investigate the science curriculum of Steiner Waldorf education as he will comp are the curriculum with Malaysian science curriculum. At one hand, the researcher will look at the important components of curriculum of both Malaysian and Steiner Waldorf education. On the other hand the researcher will compare both curriculums in order to look at the strength and the weaknesses in Malaysian science curriculum as compared to Steiner Waldorfs. Hence, the researcher believes that the researcher will experience the personal contact and insight as well as holistic perspectives on both curriculums by using case study and comparative analysis. 3.2 Research Methods According to Fraenkel and Wallen (2006) qualitative research employed three main techniques to collect and analyze data which are observing people and classroom, interviewing the subject as well as analyzing documents or other forms of communication. Therefore for the data collection the researcher employed the three different methods namely observations, interviews, and document analyses. By employing more than one methods, the researcher believe it will help to triangulate the data, to provide multiple sources of evidence as well as to increase the validity and reliability of the findings of this research. Below here are the explanations on each method: 3.2.1 Observations Observation basically conducted in order to investigate something that the researcher unfamiliar with. Because of that, certain kinds of research questions can best be answered by observation (Fraenkel Wallen, 2006). According to Holmes et al (2008) observation can be classified according to the role that the researcher plays. Fraenkel and Wallen (2006) suggested the same and as follow; Participant Observation, the researchers actually participate in the situation or setting they are observing and when the researcher takes on the role of a complete participant his identity is not known to the other members of the group or another role that could be play by the researcher is as participant as observer. This is where the researcher participates completely in the activities of the group being studied and on the same time telling the group clearly that he is doing research. Non-participant Observation, sit on the sidelines where the researcher does not participate in the activity being observed or actually he is indirectly involved with the situation being observed. There two roles that the researcher could play. First as observer as participant where the researcher immediately identifies himself as researcher and do not have to pretend as a member of the particular group being studied. Second one; the researcher could be complete observer which is totally contradicted with complete participant. The presence of the researcher may or may not, realize by the group because the researcher is actually observes the activities without any intention to participate. For this research, the observations carried out by the researcher were actually used both types of observation. In one situation the researcher plays his role as participant as observer and in yet, another situation, the role changed to observer as participant. The researcher adapted with the change of situation where it involved time and purpose of the observation. For example when the researcher participated in the programs organized by the Steiner Waldorf department in Plymouth the researcher also carrying out his observation and informed the member of the group that he was carried out observation for his research. However during his visit to the Steiner school in Plymouth, he was no longer participant as observer; instead, he was observer as participant where he observed the teaching and learning process, condition and environment of the school as well as the activities that the school had along that day. It was same with the observation carried out by the researcher in Malaysia. The researcher plays his role totally as observer as participant with the groups of students and teachers involved in this research. However when it involved with his personal experience as in-service teacher, he was actually a complete participant, where he observed the phenomenon occurred in the group that he studied without telling them the actual situation. But it was a very minor part from the observations that the researcher carried out. 3.2.2 Interview Interview is a common tool usually used in qualitative research. It is used by researcher to know and understand peoples experiences and their inner perceptions, attitudes, and feelings of reality (Zhang.Y, 2006). By referring to its structure, interview can be divided into three categories: structured interview, semi-structured interview, and unstructured interview (Fontana Frey, 2005) and as in Frankael and Wallen (2006) the unstructured interview term is used as informal interview. Structured interview is the interview that has a set of predefined questions and the questions asked to the respondent in the same manner. Structured interview is similar to survey and questionnaire except that it is conducted verbally rather than in writing. Semi-structured interview can best be described in terms of the flexibility in the interview process. Just like structured interview, this type of interview consists of a series of questions which designed to elicit specific answer from respondent. However it usually more open-ended than questions in a structured interview but in the course of interview, interviewers has a flexibility to adjust the sequence of the questions to be asked and add questions based on the context of the conversations. Informal interview as the term implies shows that the interview conducted is less formal as compared to structured or semi structured interview. It is also similar to a casual conversation and basically carried out to pursue the interests of both the researcher and the respondent in turn. This type of method is commonly used in qualitative research. For this research, the researcher carried out the three types of interview. Informal interviews were used by the researcher at the initial part of this research. The interviews were conducted on few teachers, lectures and students in the attempts to find out the problem of Malaysian science curriculum. During his visit to Plymouth, the method changed to semi structured interview as the researcher hoped to gather as much information as possible to gain some insight about the Steiner education. The questions designed basically to help the researcher to get the intended answer from the respondents. Time is always being the limitation of any research. Therefore when the researcher traveled back to Malaysia, the researcher still hopes that he could get more information about science curriculum from the Steiner education. Therefore he conducted email interview with few Steiner teachers, lecturers and its ex-students. In the email the researcher explained briefly about research that he conducting as well as instruction how the respondent should answer the questions. The researcher classified the email interview method as structured interview in the sense that questions asked were fixed (in term of number) and no further probing were carried out. Email interviews conducted by the researcher as part of member check which is a term of method that use in qualitative research to verify what the researcher had understood based on the previous interviews, observations and document that he analyzed or as mean of validating via triangulation. 3.2.3 Document/Content Analysis It is a technique that allow the researcher to study human behavior in an indirect way such as through an analysis of human communication, written content of communication, textbook, essays, newspaper, journals, magazines, articles and others (Frankael Wallen, 2006). Content analysis also has been defined as a research method for the subjective interpretation of the content of text data through the systematic classification process (Hsieh Shannon, 2005) and also as an approach of empirical, methodological controlled analysis of texts within their context of communication (Mayring, 2000). Therefore in this research document refers to written sources that the researcher have obtained from the online sources (articles, reports and journals) and other written sources such as books that explain about Steiner and Malaysian science curriculum. The documents gathered include official publications which discuss the aims and objectives of science education and other aspects of curriculum such as implementation, assessment and the performance. These different documents were analyzed and discussed in relation to the findings gathered through observations and interviews carried out by the researcher previously. 3.3 Research Procedures Since this is a comparative study between 2 different curriculums, there are procedures that need to be carried out by the researcher in two different countries which is Malaysia and Britain. Therefore, the researcher will explain the procedures in number of different stages as detailed below; Stage 1 To identify the problem about the Malaysian science curriculum, the researcher had informal interviews with few senior teachers and lectures with science education background. Besides that the researcher also conducted few informal interviews with students in mainstream science class. The idea to compare the Malaysian and Steiner science curriculum actually came from colleagues who had general idea about the Steiner Waldorf education. Stage 2 (Initial Study) The researcher gathered information about Steiner education including the history, approaches and its curriculum as well as read about the research conducted on Steiner education. At the same time, the researcher also contacted the Head of the Steiner Waldorf education in University of Plymouth and liaises with the Senior Tutor of the Industrial linkages of that university via email to establish rapport before the visit to Britain. Meantime, the Head of the Steiner Waldorf department helped the researcher to organize Steiner and science related programs for the researcher to attend during the visit and one of which is a visit to a Steiner school in Plymouth. Stage 3 Prior to conducting this research in the UK, the researcher needed to obtain permissions from the following parties: The Dean of Faculty of Education of University Teknologi Mara (UiTM) to obtain permission to submit the proposal to the UiTM International Linkages Centre (UiLC); The Head of UiLC for the approval of the fund needed by the researcher to conduct this study in Britain; The Vice Chancellor of UiTM to obtain the approval for the researcher to conduct this study in Britain; and The Head of Steiner Waldorf Department in University of Plymouth for permission and to be involved in this research. Stage 4 When in the UK, data was gathered or obtained through varying sources and methods as highlighted assistance earlier, namely subsequent Joined a week program organized by Steiner Waldorf Department in University of Plymouth. The program also involved a class of first year students who doing their Bachelor in Steiner Education; Group interview with the few lectures and students from the Steiner Waldorf Department; Interview with the Head of Steiner Waldorf Department in University of Plymouth; Educational visit to one Steiner school in Plymouth where interviews were carried out with a few teachers from different backgrounds; Observation of one science lesson; and one practical or experiment session; and Exchange of emails with the few science teachers, lecturers and students who graduated from Steiner schools. Stage 5 Once the intended data were obtained from the UK, this stage will more focusing on data analysis and to find more evidence to further support the earlier findings. Conducted email interview with few Steiner science teachers, lectures and ex-students. Doing analysis on documents about Steiner curriculum specifically on science. Conducted a group interview with students from 2 different schools in Petaling district. Analyzed data gathered. 3.4 Sampling Strategy A sample in a research study is the individual or group on which information is obtained (Fraenkel Wallen, 2006). Another opinion, a sample consists of a group of individuals drawn from the population where the sample is actually a fraction from the whole population (Holmes et al, 2008). A group of sample can be very small or maybe quite large depending on the number of population as the sample drawn is actually supposed to represent the entire population. There are two major types of sampling which is probability sampling and non-probability sampling. For this research, the researcher chose purposive sampling and convenience sampling when conduct this research. A convenience sample is group of individuals who (conveniently) are available for study while purposive sample is chose based on the researcher judgment where the sample is believed could give useful information for the research (Fraenkel Wallen, 2006). On the other perspectives, Holmes et al (2008) in his book stated that purposive sampling is a way where the researcher, in choosing sample, considers the subjects that belong to a specific group. Basically this method is appropriate for a topic that has not been studied much before while convenience sampling is a means studying of whomever or whatever is available. In attempt to study on Malaysian and Steiner Waldorfs science curriculum, the researcher was actually blended the method in sampling. Even though the sample might involve personal networking of the researcher, there were few aspects that the researcher gave due consideration and judgment. That is why the researcher chose to use purposive and convenience sampling. In order to understand a phenomenon from perspective of participants, the researcher chose sample who gave more useful information. In addition, the researcher also look at the participation, willingness and cooperation of the sample to involves with the research so that it will made much easier for the researcher. 3.5 Sample 3.5.1 Sample for Malaysian Science Curriculum The samples that the researcher chose to gather useful information regarding Malaysian science curriculum can be divided into three categories, namely as; expert (lecturer with science education background), practitioner (teacher) and students. 3.5.2 Sample for Steiner Waldorf science curriculum The samples that the researcher chose to understand about Steiner Waldorf education and its science curriculum also can be divided into three categories, namely as; expert (lecturers with Steiner education background and Steiner science education background), practitioner (teacher) and students. 3.6 Data Analysis Data analysis is one of the important parts in any research. It requires systematic procedures to manage the data gathered and the ability to analysis the data critically and thoroughly. However, to carry out the analysis, researcher will use the research questions and research objectives that constructed earlier as the guide. He believes that, it will help the researcher to shows the right direction of the exploration of the data. As the researcher employed observations, interviews and document analysis as the methods to gather the data, each method will undergo different levels of analysis at one point and later will be combined as a rich data that will be able to answer the research questions. Any notes that made by the researcher during his observations, informal interviews, transcript of email interviews, videos recorded, journals, and any publications related were organized accordingly into its own category. Next, the data were analyzed in order for the researcher to look at any existing patterns or themes and help the researcher to identify basic features of the data. This will help the researcher to develop and document a database structure and on the same time to describe about the data extensively by using qualitative software. The software will allow the researcher to code, retrieve and analyze data which could make the rich data become more organized and useful. 3.7 Summary The framework of this research took place within qualitative procedures since the aim of this research is compare the Malaysian and Steiner Waldorf science curriculum. Interviews conducted with the teachers, lectures and students from both systems as well as the observation that the researcher carried out in Malaysia and Britain were the main research tools. The information gathered was supported by the analysis of documents such as journals, articles, official publications and several ministry documents related to science education. The data transcribed with the aid of qualitative data analysis software helped the researcher to come out with the findings of the research.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Reflexivity Essay -- Renato Resaldo Ethnographer Anthropology Essays

Reflexivity When an ethnographer examines a group of people, she is influenced by her position and understanding of her own culture. Before an ethnographer even begins her research, her opinion is effecting the process of selecting a topic. For instance, Anthropology’s most commonly known researcher Bronslow Malinowsky wrote the Argonauts of the Western Pacific. He did not choose to study a culture similar to his own because of the interest he had in the ‘exotic’. His preferences told him to pick a more remote group of people, the Trobriand Islanders. There has been a history of choosing the opposite of the Anthropologists own culture. Reflexivity is the use of one’s experiences to examine a culture. It is my argument that this reflexivity is necessary in the process of writing Ethnographies. In Renato Resaldo’s introduction chapter to Culture And Truth: The Remaking of Social Analysis, Resaldo comes to grips with his misinterpretation of the â€Å"Grief and a Headhunter’s rage (Resaldo: p.1).† Whist studying the Ilongots of the Philippines, Resaldo examined the use of headhunting as an outlet for rage. However, his true understanding did not come until he had experienced the grief [and subsequent rage] of losing his wife. His use of his wife’s death to understand the Ilongot’s bereavement was imperative to his comprehension of an aspect of their culture. Without the admittance of his misunderstanding, the culture would be misrepresented forever[1]. Anthropologists and Ethnographers have a responsibility to themselves to be truthful, but more importantly they have a responsibility to the cultures they study. By including the tragic death of his wife, Resaldo is able to understand what the ritual of headhunting me... ...t’s photograph. Fortunately, his ability to gather information and organize it [through hours of dictation from his tape recorder] was successful in giving the reader a comprehensive [slightly glamorized] result. Reflexivity, as with any tool, can be overused. The writer must realize that the ethnography is the result of studying a culture and the recording of their culture is the most important aspect of the writing. When a personal experience can bring a better understanding to the reader then it should be used. The establishment of authority is necessary so that the reader can relate to the ethnographer, however too much emphasis on that aspect can give discredit the ethnography. [1] Resaldo had misunderstood the Ilongot’s ritual of headhunting for many years and his new introduction to his book addresses the revelation that came after his wife’s death.

Essay --

As children growing up, we tend to imitate and aspire to be like the people we look up to. Looking back at my childhood, my passion for teaching and working with children comes as no surprise. When I was in 5th grade a young boy my age was as others stated to be "different." Teaching him, reading to him on the bus, and just always wanting to get to know him made me realize how much I would like to do this professionally. Seeing how the grown ups interacted, and was so effective with children really amused me. I had been surrounded by children my whole life, and as I got older, I would try my best to lend a hand and help all the other children that has disablities. After my first experience in a school, I grew fond of working with students in a classroom setting. I began looking up teacher development workshops, and graduate courses to expand my knowledge about what possibly would happen if I went into the special education feild, in order to support and apply while teaching at the t ime. After becoming familiar with the different realms of education I became aware of a few things. I ...

Sunday, August 18, 2019

My Philosophy of Life Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I can remember as a child always asking myself the â€Å"why† questions of life. What is the purpose of life? Why are we here? What is the purpose of life? Why do certain things happen? And is there really a God? I had always kept these questions to myself and eventually pushed them out of my mind altogether. I was raised in a Christian household and you just were not allowed to ask questions of that nature and doubt the faith. The world is the way it is because God made it that way and that is all there is to it. I was really excited to take this class because it would finally give me the opportunity to exercise my personal thoughts and beliefs. I have come to agree with Socrates that â€Å"the unexamined life is not worth living.† In my opinion life is a combination of philosophical ideas such as morality, respect, free-will and scientific issues.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The study of philosophy is a very complex and complicated task. There are so many different questions on many different topics and philosophy tries to explain them all. It tries to provide answers to the many questions that science and religion cannot explain. And from this it urges you to think about issues that may otherwise be ignored.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I agree with the goal of autonomy, that philosophy is having the freedom to make your own decisions and beliefs by using your own reasoning capabilities. I believe that we all have the God-like quality of reasoning ...

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Key Enm4

ENM411 Market leader –Upper-Intermediate 1 UNIT 1-7 Listening |SPRING2010 |SUM2011 |FALL2011 |SPRING2012 | | | Midterm: Builder Higher Test 2, Part 1, Part 2 Cambridge BEC Higher 1- Test 1, Part 1 Cambridge BEC Vantage 2, Test 1, Part 3 Cambridge BEC Higher 1- Test 2, Part 1 Cambridge BEC Vantage 2, Test 4, Part 3 Cambridge BEC Higher 4, Test 3, Part 1 Cambridge BEC Vantage 4, Test 3, Part 3 Final Exam Cam Higher 3-Test 3, Part 1 Builder Higher Test 2, Part 3 Cambridge BEC Higher 2, Test 1, Part 1 Cambridge BEC Vantage 2, test 2, Part 3Cambridge BEC Higher 1- Test 3, Part 1 Vantage Builder, Test 2, Part 3 Cambridge BEC Higher 2, Test 3, Part 1 Cambridge Pass Vantage Self-study, Test 1, Part 3 Resit Pass Vantage self study- Test 2, Part 1, Part 3 Cambridge BEC Higher 2, Test 2, Part 1 Cambridge BEC Vantage 2, Test 3, Part 3 Cambridge BEC Higher 1- Test 4, Part 1 Pass Vantage self-study, Test 1, Part 3 Cambridge Builder Higher, Test 1, Part 1 Cambridge BEC Vantage 4, Test 4, Par t 3 WRTITING Midterm: Your Managing Director is considering how to improve the company’s internal communications, Write a proposal for the Managing Director:Final: Midterm: An international fund is offering grants to small businesses to improve their facilities. Write a letter FE: Your company is considering appointing someone as your assistant,Write a report for your manager, describing: Resit: The graph below shows the profit and loss made on three new products (A, B and C) in the year following their introduction to the market. Using the information from the graph, write a short report READING Midterm Pass Cambridge BEC Higher Selfstudy p. 33 Cambridge BEC Vantage 2, Test 3 Part 2, p. 60 Cambridge BEC Higher 1, Test 1 Part 3, p. 22. Control Key and Word – Text and Graphics.Cambridge BEC Vantage 3, Test 1 Part 4 Cambridge BEC Higher 2, Test 1 Part 1 Cambridge BEC Vantage 2, Test 2 Part 3, Cambridge BEC Vantage 4, Test 1 Part 4 Cambridge BEC Higher 1, Test 2, Part 1 V antage Self study, Test 2, Part 3 Cambridge BEC Higher 1, Test 3, Part 1 Cambridge BEC Vantage 1, test 2, part 4 Final BEC Vantage Masterclass Unit 4, Workbook p. 10 Cambridge BEC Higher 2, Test 1, part 2, p. 20 Cambridge BEC Vantage 2, Test 4 Part 3, p. 82 Cambridge BEC Vantage 4, Test 4 Part 4 Cambridge BEC Higher 1, Test 1 Part 1 Cambridge BEC Vantage 2, Test 1 Part 3, Cambridge BEC Vantage 2, Test 2, Part 4Cambridge BEC Higher 2, Test 3, Part 1 Pass BEC Vantage Self-study, Test 2, Part 3 Cambridge BEC Higher 4, Test 3, Part 1 Cambridge BEC Vantage 4, Test 2, Part 4 Resit Cambridge BEC Vantage Self-study, Test 1, Part 4, P. 24 Cambridge BEC Vantage 2, test 1 part 2, p. 20 Cambridge BEC higher 2, test 2, part 3 p. 30 Cambridge BEC Vantage Self Study, Test 4 Part 4 Cambridge BEC Higher 4, Test 4, Part 1 Cambridge BEC Vantage 3, Test 1 Part 3 Cambridge BEC Vantage Self study, Test 3, Part 4 Cambridge BEC Higher 4, Test 3, Part 1 Vantage Self study, Test 3, Part 3 (used) Builder High er , Test 1, part 1Pass BEC Vantage Self study, Test 2, part 4 Grammar and Vocabulary Progress Test 1 + Midterm block 1 + Final Exam + Resit MC Unit 1 This invention reduced production time by a†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ of months, and Freudenberg consequently became one of the biggest tanneries in Europe. issue problem trouble matter Installing an automated system means data is now†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ only once but can be access by anyone in the company. penetrated entered put placed I have received numerous complaints that Meetup is†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ people with unwanted emails. bombarding falling pouring flowing When †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ , effective communicators are good at giving information. peak speaking spoken to speak The manager recommends †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ email only three times a day, allocating a set period of time to deal with it. checking to check check checked If you say something under your †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦, you whisper or say it very quietly. mouth ears tongue breath It is easy to †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ t he difference between the banknotes used in the country. say speak tell talk Good communicators do not ramble and lose †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ of the main message. meaning light sense sight A †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ person always keeps his or her attention fixed on what he or she wants to achieve. uninhibited focused eloquent succinctWhen somebody is dismissed from the job, we can say that they have†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ got the boot got the shoe got the sandal got the slipper He was unable to express his disagreement although he is generally †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. amicable assertive accessible agreeable Identifying the subgroups within an organization and making sure each group feels valued and respected can do †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ more to encourage the sharing of information. further far many lot Good communicators make their †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ clearly and avoid technical terms, abbreviation or jargons. points means thought perceptions Not all politicians are eloquent. Some of them even use an†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ autocue notepad sticker auto noteInstalling an automated system means data is now †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ only once but can be accessed by anyone in the company, wherever they are. paced registered admitted entered 1. Good communicators maintain eye contact and have a relaxed body language when speaking; they really take in what people say. in on at up 2. The speakers went on and on and did not get to the point. I had no idea of what they were rambling about. Rambling digressing interrupting engaging 3. Good communicators sometimes digress and leave the main point to add information and details. However, they will not ramble and lose sight of the main message. Confuse digress explain larify 4. It's useful to allocate a set period of time to process your inbox, rather than checking it sporadically throughout the day. Allocate indicate deliver distribute 5. The company’s advertising emphasizes that it provides a personal health service tailored to the individual needs. Met tailored satisfied fixed 6. A brave new world is a world in which society has been transformed by technology and science. Brave progressive modern courageous 7. It is easy to tell the difference between the banknotes in the US and the UK. Say tell speak ask 8. He would like to know whether he stands a chance of getting promoted or not.Hang on a second. I am afraid that we are duplicating work because I also asked my department to do this. Copying duplicating wasting imitating 9. Breakdown in communication can bring the world to a halt today. Stop halt cancel interruption 10. If something is in the air, you feel that it is happening or about to happen. air sky hand atmosphere 11. The†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. articulate people express thoughts and feelings easily and clearly so that almost everyone can understand. Responsive eloquent persuasive articulate 12. He seems so uninhibited here. He behaves and speaks freely and does not care what other people may think. Incoherent rticulate uninhibited inarticulate 13. By creat ing a relaxed atmosphere, good presenters can easily establish rapport for the audience. And a good rapport, as many presenters will tell you, is half the battle. Set up form establish find 14. The collapse of the company will have repercussions for the whole industry Percussions discussion recession repercussions Extra Disruptive technology is a new technology, such as computers and Internet, which has rapid and major effect on technologies that existed before. The tariff for something is a list of prices, especially ones which vary according to the time or day of use.When somebody is dismissed from the job, we can say that they have Got the boot Got the shoe Got the sandal Got the slipper A lazy employee who only pretends to work is said to be Swinging the lead Fillblank 1. If something is in the a(ir/air), you feel that it is happening or about to happen. 2. Information o(verload/overload) means that decisions about what to read amongst thousands of potential books and articles i s a highly problematic task. 3. I can’t make head or t(ail/tail) of that badly written report. 4. If you give somebody a low-d(own/down) you tell them all the information they need to know. . If you a(ir/air) your views, you express your opinions about something in public. 6. Despite his great s(ense/sense) of humor, he often find it difficult to respond to his audience. 7. â€Å"R(edundancy/redundancy)† is the situation when someone loses their job because their employer does not need them. 8. Good presenters establish good r(apport/rapport) with the audience. 9. A(rticulation/articulation) is the formation of clear and distinct sounds in speech. 10. An open p(lan/plan) office is the one which has few or no walls inside, so it is not divided into smaller rooms. 11.A l(ine/line) manager is a person with direct managerial responsibility for a particular employee. 12. Internal communication can be one of the hardest nuts to c(rack/crack) in business. I am not sure whethe r or not I s(tand/stand) a chance of being promoted soon. As he couldn’t attend the meeting, she is giving a summary of the main point to put him in the p(icture/picture). If you are at a l(oss/loss) for words, you are unable to say anything because something surprising or totally unexpected has happened. If someone drops a h(int/hint), he or she makes a suggestion in an indirect way. Unit 2In the short term, firms may experience increased risk and decreasing profits when†¦.. going international. Going Traveling Cruising Arriving The main target of the anti-globalization movement is corporate power, not capitalism, but these perspectives do not necessarily exclude one another. progress Movement Arrival Motion Because of the budget†¦. , this year's focus has been to add value to increase sales without impacting gross profit margin. lack emptiness constraints complications We †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ out promotional activities for various companies in the internet through class ified websites. bring take make carryPeople in Chile prefer instant coffee †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ freshly brewed. to with for about Even the most †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ differences in consumer profile of a Columbian and a Venezuelan will not have been lost in Starbucks. illusive catchy gentle subtle In order to †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ competitive advantage, companies will try to make their products and services stand out from their competitors’. insure secure sure certain Marketers need to be aware of the buying behavior of †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦and potential customers. present existing conventional current US-style coffee houses have been †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ up in the upmarket districts of the country. appearing springing coming oing Anyone who knows the Starbucks story can already visualize potential outlets in the most fashionable †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ of the region’s capital cities. neighborhoods neighbors fields factors The †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ aim of advertising is to persuade consumers to choose a specific produ ct or service. efficient extreme ultimate decisive Brand also presents some intangible aspects of a product since it is how the product or often even the whole company’s †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ by its customers. perceived received believed relieved Brand is the †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ of ideas, feelings, and perceptions about lifestyle and status, image and quality. versus nexus lexis focusNumerous shopping malls offer customer free parking, and all the major retail brands can be purchased under one †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. roof house tower citadel Coca Cola has †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ its soft drinks to every market. economized altered customized separated Consumer tastes vary enormously from one country to †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. another the other ohers other Their mailing list contains plenty of information and data so that they won’t have any difficulty †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ the most appropriate recipients for the mailshots. to identify identify identifying identified The most important decisions for international marketing are probably†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦product standardization and variety reduction. hat of what which of those of In international marketing, it is necessary to meet individual national requirements, particularly where †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦goods are concerned. consumer consumption consuming consumed 15. The 2008 market is a declining market with businesses closing down, employees losing their jobs and a challenging stock market. Reducing declining falling failing 16. This technique is applicable to a wide variety of crops, but some modifications may be necessary to accommodate the†¦ peculiarities of each type. Forms specialties peculiarities specifications 17.Irony†¦ is a situation in which something which was intended to have a particular result has the opposite or a very different result. Subtleness irony peculiarity homogeneity 18. Some analysts say Starbucks was forced to globalize because it had saturated its home market. Balanced equaled saturated justified 19. The extremely †¦volatile exchange rate has contributed to considerable uncertainty in ? nancial markets. Impressive volatile confidential expanding 20. Expanding †¦. operations overseas poses challenges, including finding business partners, protecting intellectual property and complying with different local laws. Businesses Operations ork enterprises 21. For long-term sustainability of the industry, it is important to diversify the product †¦range and move towards products that are less resource intensive and fulfil market requirements. Types range forms mediums 22. Mission †¦statement is a short written description of the aims of a business, charity, government department or public organization. purpose mission target aim 23. If you want to compete you must play to your own strengths. play work base contribute 24. In many countries today, global brand owners command the super-premium†¦ end of the market in any given product category, while local brands command the rest. Side end type sort 25. Global brand owners poured into the newly opened markets and, facing little competition in countries unaccustomed to consumer culture, they thought they would clean up. With about to for 26. As people become better off, they want more choices, not fewer. On with about off In order FillBlank 1. R(ed/red) t(ape/tape) and other examples of government bureaucracy hinder a company’s entry into a market. 2. Consumers’ buying habits can be described as their p(urchasing/purchasing) behavior. 3. A w(holesaler/wholesaler) sells goods to the retailers, usually in large quantities. 4.If goods in a shop are on s(pecial/special) offer, they are being sold at a lower price than usual. 5. If a market s(aturates/saturates), it provides too much of a product so that there is more of this product available than there are people who want to buy it. 6. N(ovelty/novelty) is something which has not been experienced before and so is interesting. 7. If a culture is h(om ogeneous/homogeneous), it consists people which are similar to each other or are of the same type. 8. A m(ission/mission) s(tatement/statement) is a formal summary of the aims and values of a company, organization, or individual. 9.M(arketing mix/marketing mix) is a combination of factors that can be controlled by a company to influence consumers to purchase its products. 10. M(ailshot/mailshot) is the posting of advertising or similar material to a lot of people at one time. Marketers sometimes focus on particular segments of a given overall market. This process is known as ‘t(arget/target) marketing’ T(angible/tangible) assets are real, physical assets owned by a firm or individual that can be seen or touched. Unit 3 The excellent relations the company enjoys with the local community are a †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ to its highly effective PR Department. credit gift alent genius As a result of the government’s †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ of currency controls, its close relations with s everal major foreign investors have been jeopardized. proposition imposition compensation concession While some of Toyota's Japanese plants have †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ production for certain models, over 16 plants are still closed. assumed consumed undermined resumed Retailers need to †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ and build a relationship with the customer across a range of channels including the internet. inquire require acquire secure There’s a lot we can do to keep our customers and learn more about them. But we need to be creative and come †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ with good ideas. p on about for I hope you don’t mind me †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. to phone phoning phone phoned I hope that you might be able to advise me †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ franchising contracts. for with about on Relations between them are rather †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. They don’t seem to like or trust each other. smooth straightened amiable strained IAG has an unrivalled scale of operations and a †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ of political and business connections . property wealth vast sum China is probably the insurance market with the biggest †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ potential in the world . untapped unheard unknown untouched Today, turning its pioneering presence into a †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦success is AIG’s biggest challenge. ntrepreneurial commercial enterprising economical The report †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦two key elements of a successful strategy. pinpoints guides invents orients In China, extravagant entertainment are part of business †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. doing practice action act The †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦customer of the 21st century does not have time on his or her hands. relentless disordered preoccupied restless Many major retailers failed to adjust to the †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ towards internet buying. orientation move direction walk Unit 3 27. After †¦. cementing good contacts, he went in and completely.. undermined all our hard work. Breaking/soured maintaining/established romoting/ built cementing/undermined 28. Widespread rumours of a hostile take-over bid are certain to .. strain relations between two leading French software companies. drain strain stress pain 29. The restless customer of the 21 century does not have time on his or her hands and there are million other providers, all ready and eager to sell to that customer. Restful Restless resting rested. 30. If something is transparent, it is very clear and easy to understand. Transferable transparent transmissible transactional 31. If someone is explicit, he or she says things clearly, exactly and openly. xplicit implicit requisite honest 32. An intermediary is someone who carries messages between people who are unwilling or unable to meet. Immediacy intermediary intermediatory intermediation 33. I think we'll have to terminate his contract because he doesn't fit in with the other people in the office. Extend renew terminate sign 34. If a bank or other organization underwrites an activity, it gives it financial support and takes responsibility for paying any costs if it fails. Under writes makes certain guarantees secures 35. Capitalization is the total value of a company's shares on a  stock exchange.Market price capital capitalization market share 36. China was considered to be the insurance market with the biggest untapped potential in the world Untouched untapped unused undone 37. To lobby means to attempt to convince public officials to favor a certain cause or take a certain action. Persuade tempt induce lobby 38. In terms of investing in emerging markets, AIG has an edge over other insurers. edge advance experience activeness 39. With roots dating back more than half a century, AIG has an unrivalled scale of operations and a .. wealth of political and business connections. richness ealth vast various 40. Her outstanding performances set a new†¦ benchmark for singers throughout the world. record remark benchmark line Gapfilling 1. To a(ffiliate/affiliate) means to cause a group to become part of or form a close relationship with another, usually la rger, group or organization. 2. Our agent let us down, we though we could c(ount/count) on him to boost sales but he had no commitment, no motivation. 3. They may be our competitor, but we want to stay on good t(erms/terms) with them. 4. They didn’t h(it/hit) it off at first, but little by little the came to be friends. . You should be able not only to relate to your employees, but also to h(old/hold) on to them. 6. We are definitely going to create a new post, so I suggest we should s(ound/sound) out a few people about it. 7. We continue to be one of the world’s leading business-to-business supplier of office products and services, and our m(otto/motto) continues to be â€Å"Our job is to make your job easier†. 8. We’d like to d(raw/draw) your attention to our special offers for regular customers like you. Customers will tolerate a little delay, but they are unlikely to p(ut/put) up with rudeness.They get on really well with each other, so it came as a s urprise when they f(ell/fell) out over such a trivial incident. He’s going to be t(ied/tied) up in the meeting till noon, so please come and see him in the afternoon. Unit 4 1. The company will †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ shares to indicate who owns the company, and in what proportion. print issue publish release 2. Billionaire financier George Soros stands to make †¦.. profits with his newly launched investment fund. beautiful handsome pretty hunky 3. If you †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ something, you to control it, usually in order to use its power. tackle harness integrateTheir hard work and investment is beginning to†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ fruit. manufacture produce bear bring Several staff underperformed last year and didn’t †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦their targets. see meet talk please Whether or not to deregulate health care is a †¦.. issue. separate divisive gapping splitting When some key employees disappeared, the boss said that they’d left to †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ other opportunities. gain pursue purchase ensure We are looking for ways of †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ our rivals. No one will be cheaper than us. underselling below selling above selling overselling In the late 1990s, many countries †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ a sharp economic downturn. looked viewed witnessed glancedStaff who never get any praise for their achievements may †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ up underrating their own abilities. finish terminate complete end What we are looking for †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ a candidate who can get results and work well under pressure. are is being be 6. Of course I can see now that Brian is an †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ to our company, and I’m sorry I so badly misjudged him when he started working for us. asset access assessment acceptance 7. We’ll cut our expenses and downsize our †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ in order to become more competitive on the market. practices actions operations work 8. After some teething troubles, they now have a †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ business with a huge turnover. declining thriving riving diving It’s been a lot of hard work, but she seems to be really making a †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ of her business. walk go step come The new product †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦filled the gap of the market and †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦took off as soon as it was launched. filled/took filled/set covered/took covered/set If an industry, company, activity etc is in the †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦, it is not doing well or developing. depress deadness doldrums docks The Mobil logo is an instantly †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ logo across the planet. recognized aware conscious sensed While it's difficult for the average investor to buy shares in Facebook right now, there are rumors that the company will go †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ in 2012. stock general widespread ublic 41. The advent of LCD watch technology in 1970s created a vast opportunity for the company. Arriving Adventure advent going 42. Gimmick is something which is not serious or of real value that is used to attract people's attention or interest temporarily, especially to make them buy something. Slogan gimmick mimic gadget 43. We have also seen the downfall of some companies which over-expanded during the last boom. Downmove downwards downfall falldown 44. As the retail market became saturated, they had to think up a short-term strategy and develop some long-term planning. Out up on of 45. Today's consumers are very price.. onscious, but aggressive price promotions undermine the perceived value of our brand Aware knowing informed conscious Gapfilling 1. â€Å"N(epotism/nepotism)† means using your power or influence to get good jobs or unfair advantages for members of your own family. 2. If someone is r(uthless/ruthless), they have or show no pity or compassion for others. 3. P(rototype/prototype) is the first example of something, such as a machine or other industrial product, from which all later forms are developed. ’ 4. A t(riumph/triumph) is a very great success, achievement or victory or a feeling of great satisfaction or pleasure caused by this. . The company has loya l customer b(ase/base) because it meets the expectation of customer by always delivering the goods at lower prices. 6. The company made a profit for the first time since going p(ublic/public). 10. A â€Å"g(immick/gimmick)† is something which is not serious or of real value that is used to attract people's attention or interest temporarily, especially to make them buy something. 11. We don’t want our customers to think we were r(ipping/ripping) them off if we charged them a higher price. Nobody thought we’d clinch the deal, but we came up t(rumps/trumps) in the end.A â€Å"high f(lier/flyer/flier/lyer† is someone who has a lot of ability and a strong desire to be successful and is therefore expected to achieve a lot. 7. Since the emergence of high-speed Internet, the music industry has complained that it is being brought to its knees by the p(irates/pirate/pirates/irate) of downloading. 8. A â€Å"f(law/flaw)† is a fault, mistake or weakness, espec ially one that happens while something is being planned or made, or which causes something not to be perfect. 9. If someone is f(ussy/fussy), they not easily satisfied and have very high standards about particular things.If a company is going p(laces/places), it is on the way to success. We had been always ahead of our rivals until 2003 when they o(utstripped/outstripped) us for the first time. Unit 5 16. We use †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ strategies to reach audiences across all channels, from digital to mobile to word of mouth. integrated consolidated united blended 17. In the interview with Bloomberg Opedal says that Orkla is willing to sell assets to †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦the expansion in Asia. supply finance pay off provide 18. Unemployment in the booming economies of Australia and New Zealand is at †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦lows. most least record highest 1. The company is †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ways to keep the best salespeople. making oing watching devising 2. A liberal education helps students develop a †¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦ of social responsibility. sense feeling perception sensation Because technology companies face the †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ labor markets, they have been the most aggressive in devising ways to keep workers. smallest narrowest tightest tiniest Managers can †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦educational and special training leave for staff and encourage them to attend training programmes and conferences. decide avoid add advocate Don’t throw money at the workers who want to leave because pay †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ don’t always work. rises raises lifts elevations 6. The company want to hire people that are totally †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ with their values. ined dealing accompanied aligned 7. As a boss, you need to make employees feel †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ they’re not interested in looking elsewhere, because they’re very happy with their life. as though though if whether 8. Building up employee loyalty is important with unemployment at a †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ low. extreme most total record 9. The new CEO †¦Ã¢ € ¦ the bureaucratic corporate culture to profit-minded entrepreneurship. formed transferred transformed translated 10. The growing number of close relationships between staff has very bad effect on both performance and †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. morale moral motive motion He has a †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦of accomplishment when a demanding task is carried out successfully. eel sense thinking perception The company should have †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ of an individual’s or group’s efforts or contributions. acknowledgement knowledge realization admission 46. If an employee is so overloaded that there is not time to keep organized this can increase the stress that leads to burnout. Over-burn burn-off burnout burn down 47. Generous remuneration packages are often attached to overseas postings. numeration remuneration pay benefit. 48. Wholly foreign owned enterprises enjoy exclusive management control of their own business activities and have †¦autonomy in their operation and management with less interference from the government.Appraisal autonomy bureaucracy assessment 49. In a performance †¦appraisal, an employee discusses with their manager how well they have been doing their job, their progress, aims and needs at work. Bureaucracy commission appraisal incentive 50. Staff retention is one of the key factors required to keep your service quality constantly at high level. Retention maintenance retention intervention 51. Already providing top quality services, the company goes a step further by exceeding customers' expectations at all times. More forwards upwards further 52. Labor crunch is a situation in which there are not enough workers.Redundancy restriction crunch intension 53. The company’s parental leave policies are very generous in allowing time off and reentry into employment. Leave off rest vacation 54. We revamped all the management system, but the business is doing no better than it was before. Redid revamped retained regenerated 55. Morale†¦. i s the amount of confidence felt by a person or group of people, especially when in a dangerous or difficult situation. Morale spirit mood status 56. A parent must be careful not to show favoritism towards any one of their children. Favorite favorability favoring favoritism 7. Could I have a quick word with you? saying sentence word talk 58. Actuaries†¦. are people who calculate insurance risks and premiums according to statistical probabilities. Insurers calculators statisticians actuaries 59. If something is†¦ negligible, it is of very little importance or size and not worth considering. remote negligible slight faint 60. They have to take decisive action to prevent these losses from escalating. Take make create do 61. By focusing on customers and their expectations, he helps companies develop integrated strategies to achieve long-range performance goals.Integrated connected interrogated interrelated 62. She resumed her career after an interval of six years. Retook resume d redid remade 63. While acts of terrorism receive the most coverage, it’s the more traditional events such as fires, floods, explosions, power failures or natural disasters that have the biggest impact. Cover coverage newspapers social networks 64. Whether the quality of customers' experiences is poor or excellent, all companies have room for improvement. Place vacancy room emptiness 65. When staff turnover is high, a manager needs to understand why people are leaving and work on correcting it.Turndown turnoff turnover turning 66. In urban areas all the major operators in the last few years have been focusing on corporate clients to boost their revenues. Boot boost shoot host 67. About five years a go, the company began to lose sales and market share, and in the last two years, it has made a loss. made done caused taken 68. Individual business units must own and manage their own risks within the framework of an overall risk management policy. framework structure infrastructu re organization 69. I am going to suggest we carry out a study of the market, and take it from there. carrying carry arried to carry 70. If a company is in a precarious situation, it’s in a dangerous state and there’s a risk that it may go out of business. cautious precautious precarious embarrassing Gapfilling 1 I am up to my e(yes/eyes) at the moment. Would you be able to give me a hand with these progress report for tomorrow’s meeting. 2 R(aw/raw) material is the basic material from which a product is made. 3 R(etention/retention) is the continued use, existence or possession of something or someone. 4 P(erk/perk) is an advantage or extra thing, such as money or goods, which you are given because of your job. Common s(ense/sense) is the basic level of practical knowledge and judgment that we all need to help us live in a reasonable and safe way. 10. People talk much about need for work that gives them quality of life, the work-life b(alance/balance) and the a voidance of stress. A judicious system of p(erks/perks), such as housing allowances or extra holidays should be devised. When the staff feel responsible and accountable for their own work, and when they are somehow involved in the decision-making p(rocess/process), their job satisfaction increases. 6 To d(evise/devise) means to invent a plan, system, object, etc. usually cleverly or using imagination. 7 â€Å"D(esperation/desperation)† is the feeling that you have when you are in such a bad situation that you are willing to take risks in order to change it. Everyone needs to continue to develop personally and p(rofessionally/professionally) on the job. A â€Å"s(tatus quo/status quo)† is the situation as it is now, or as it was before a recent change. 8. A s(hareholder/shareholder) is a person who owns some of the equal parts into which the ownership of a company is divided. 9. Our general manager is in c(harge/charge) of running the company and for making joint strate gic decisions with the CEO.Unit 6 21. The treatment of a risk in one area may significantly increase the †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ to risk in another area. contact exposure revelation disclosure 22. Failure to attempt †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ the risks that can occur can easily result in a project riddled with potential for failure. managing manage to manage managed 23. While risk management has†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ improved in the last decade, the risks have changed. undoubted undoubting undoubtedly undoubtful 24. Recovery plans of companies should include making certain their vendors and suppliers are also prepared for business †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. interferences interruptions nterventions intrusions 1. The SIA offers a unique forum for dealing with health and †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ issues that may impact manufacture or sale of semiconductors domestically. safety protection security well-being 2 We need executives who can manage strategic risks properly in addition to being able to †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ decisive action whenever necessary. make take do work 3. The company is losing direction and its core products are losing †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. appeal appearance tempt picture 4. There was a marked growth in turnover, †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ the group’s rapid expansion over the last decade. reflect reflects reflected eflecting 5. Implementing a systematic †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ to workplace safety will require a cultural change in many organizations and within the safety profession. way methodology road approach 6. Company policy and workstation practice must dictate that safety never takes a back †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ to other interests. chair sit seat row No one should tolerate a potentially disabling or life-threatening risk in the †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ of cost-cutting, productivity or any other priority. name image title behalf It is impossible to †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ all risk when entering a new market. legitimate designate imitate eliminate 9.Research show that one-third of the world’s leading companies have †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ for i mprovement. place location area room 10. Unless businesses accept and review risk regularly, they could eventually find themselves in a state of crisis, struggling to survive †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ focused growth. instead than but rather than Gapfilling 1. If a risk is n(egligible/negligible), it is so small that that it is not worth worrying about. 2. â€Å"A(ctuary/actuary)† is a person who calculates how likely accidents, such as fire, flood or loss of property, are to happen, and tells insurance companies how much they should charge their customers. . Many business leaders are s(cratching/scratching) their heads when it comes to protecting their business against risks. 4. Businesses that do attempt to manage these risks will boost their b(ottom/bottom) lines. 5. â€Å"H(azard/hazard)† is something that is dangerous and likely to cause damage. 6. Absenteeism is the practice of regularly staying away from work or school without good reason. 7. There is a lot companies can do to stop risky events from becoming a disaster in the first p(lace/place). 8. â€Å"C(raftsmanship/craftsmanship) is the skill at making things. 9.Joint v(enture/venture) is a commercial enterprise undertaken jointly by two or more parties which otherwise retain their distinct identities. 10. â€Å"S(take/stake)† is a share or a financial involvement in something such as a business. If the risk is n(egligible/negligible), it is so small that it is not worth worrying about. â€Å"D(icey/Dicey)† is an informal word which means the same as â€Å"risky†. â€Å"Economic b(lockade/blockade)† is a situation when a country or place is surrounded by soldiers or ships to stop people or goods from going in or out. Unit 7 26. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦from Facebook, Fotobounce can also upload photos to Flickr.Away Apart Except Separated To be open and transparent as part of our commitment to boost public †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ in publicly funded education. reliance possession confidenc e intimacy 28. Vehicle loan providers have set up internet †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ where they allow clients to fill out loan applications on the internet. functions working operations actions 29. Yoox. com chose to launch in Europe first, close to the designers †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ goods it sells. that which whom whose 30. We enjoy working with companies that want to †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ the online world and generate revenue through the ‘ world wide web' (www). mbrace contain hold encircle 1 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦biggest US retailers are developing integrated operations. Some of the Some the Some of Of the 2. The company has expanded well beyond its †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ as a seller of books and CDs, acting as an online mall selling everything from gourmet foods to clothing. basis ground causes roots 3. JC Penney, the century-old department store chain, †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ its Internet sales reach $600m last year. saw looked pointed stared 71. If you waste your company's money you could risk going bankrupt because th e money that you are wasting could be better spent else where. oing go to go went 72. If you †¦. customize a product or service, you make or change it according to the buyer’s need. customize individualize justify commercialize 73. Smarterwork does an excellent job of matching freelance†¦. professionals to organizations looking for particular skills. professors professionals employers recruiters 74. If you are †¦.. browsing the Internet, you are looking for information on it. seeking investigating browsing logging on 75. A directory is a book which gives a list of names, addresses or other facts. dictionary postal directory guidebook 76.Major players such as Coca-Cola are now seeing their Facebook pages receive more hits†¦ than their individual websites. comers guests strikes hits 77. A gourmet is a person who knows a lot about food and cooking, and who enjoys eating high-quality food. eater taster appetite gourmet 78. High-street products are those that a re intended for ordinary public and not for rich people. high-street low-street common usual 79. Russian internet company Yota has grown from †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ to become one of the largest firms in the market. basics scratch nothing fundamental 80. Internet shopping is easier, more convenient and offer bigger†¦. nd a lot of the major retailers are having to get to grips with it because consumers are dragging them into the space. sorts goods ranges kinds 81. As we didn’t understand the potential impact of e-purchasing early enough, so we are lagging behind our competitors. coming stepping lagging walking 82. Our company will be able to compete in the new global marketplace only if we seize the opportunities present. seize Do Make hold Fillblank 1. Search e(ngine/engine) is a computer program which finds information on the Internet by looking for words which you have typed in. To l(itter/litter) means to spread across an area or place untidily. 3. A s(tart-up/start-up/ start up/tart up) is a newly established business. â€Å"A(utonomy/autonomy) is the ability to act and make decisions without being controlled by anyone else. 4. Bricks and m(ortar/mortar) is the term used to denote a business that operates conventionally rather than over the Internet. 5. M(ail-order/mail-order/ mail order/ail order) is a way of buying goods in which you choose what you want, usually from a catalogue, and it is sent to you. FillBlank Unit 1 1.As an instructor she has s(ense/sense) of humor, she is enthusiastic and sets long-span goals. 2. â€Å"C(orporate/corporate) i(dentity/identity)† is the characteristics of a  corporation  which is designed to accord with and facilitate the attainment of business objectives. It is usually visibly manifested by way of branding and the use of  trademarks. 3. To encourage effective communication between departments, the Trust was keen to adopt open p(lan/plan) office accommodation. Unit 2 4. The process of expanding b(eyon d/beyond) the domestic market can seem very intimidating and daunting for many small businesses. . If you state an amount per c(apita/capita), you mean that amount for each person. 6. An o(utlet/outlet) is shop that owned by a particular company and that sells the goods which the company has produced. 7. One of the big problems for smaller investors is getting a f(oothold/foothold) in the commercial property market. 8. F(oreign/forgeign) e(exchange/xchange) is the system by which the type of money used in one country is exchanged for another country's money, making international trade easier. Unit 3 9. If you b(reak/break) off a talk with someone, you stop it because you can’t find agreement. 0. ILT Services is set to b(uild/build) up a sales network for Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. 11. LABG is a student organization whose purpose is to f(oster/foster) the relations between Chicago Booth and Latin American people. Unit 4 12. The customer b(ase/base) is th e group of  customers  or  consumers  that a  business  serves. 13. A w(holly/wholly) owned subsidiary is a company whose stock is entirely owned by another company. 14. C(osmetic/cosmetic) s(urgery/surgery) is any medical operation which is intended to improve a person's appearance rather than their health. 15.If you o(utbid/outbid) someone for something, you offer more money than him or her to buy that thing. Unit 5 16. â€Å"C(omission/commission)† is the payment to someone who sells goods which is directly related to the amount of goods sold. 17. C(ommon/common) sense is the basic level of practical knowledge and judgment that we all need to help us live in a reasonable and safe way. 18. If you get a pay r(ise/rise), you have an increase in the fixed amount of money you earn for doing your job. 19. Like the rest of the world, Canada will face a labour c(runch/crunch/crisis/risis) in the next 10 years. Unit 6 20.Successful modern leaders should be supportive of staff, but should also take d(ecisive/decisive) action to maintain standards of behaviour. 21. A h(azard/hazard) is something that is dangerous and likely to cause damage. 22. Staff t(urnover/turnover) is the rate at which employees leave a company and are replaced by new people. 23. â€Å"A(bsenteeism/ bsenteeism)† is a habitual  pattern  of  absence  from a  duty  or  obligation. Traditionally, it has been viewed as an indicator of poor individual performance. 24. Financial services firms are ahead of the curve when it c(omes/comes) to risk management practices.Unit 7 26. A d(irectory/directory) is a book that gives a list of names, addresses or other facts. 27. A p(ioneer/pioneer) is a person who is one of the first people to do something. 28. M(ail/mail) o(rder/order) is way of buying goods in which you choose what you want, usually from a  catalogue, and it is sent to you. 29. If someone or something is home-g(rown/grown), they belong to or were develope d in your own country. 30. If a product or a service is e(xclusive/exclusive), it is expensive and only for people who are rich or of a high social class. IndicateMistakes Midterm 1.In the Harvard Business School professor Theodore Lewitt’s seminal paper The Globalization of Market, (written) in 1983, he argued that, as new media and technology shrank the world, people’s tastes would converge, (creating) a single global market that (would be dominated) by the world’s most (success) brands. 2. So when the Berlin Wall (fell) and the barriers (to) world trade (came down), it seemed Prof Lewitt would be proved (rightly). 3. Global brand owners (poured into) the (newly opened markets) and, facing (few competition) in countries (unaccustomed to) consumer culture, they thought they would clean up.Then some awkward commercial realities started to close in. 4. Once local consumers (had tried) these new products, they (found) them (far too expensively) to buy (on regular basis), even if they liked them. 5. And soon, local producers (sprang up) (offer) much better (value for money) with products of only (slightly inferior quality) at a vastly lower price. 6. (Usually), too, these products were (better suited) to local tastes and cultural preferences than (that) being (foisted onto) consumers by the global corporations. 7.The global brand owners were left (spreading) their advertising and other (fixing costs) over (tiny market shares) and often faced (extra costs), such as tariffs. 8. In (many of) these countries today, global brand owners command the (super-premium end) of he market in any (given product category), while local brands command (rest). 9. The global brand owners could try (to move) into the mass market by (creating) low-price products (design) to suit local tastes, but that would throw them into head-on competition with local companies possessing better distribution channels and a (far deeper understanding) of the market. 0. Increasingl y, therefore, they have resorted to (buying) local brands and the companies (whose) own them. And here, of course, (lies) the paradox. Whatever is the point of owning a global brand if it does not (work) in global market? Final exam 1. (On the surface), flexible working might (seem to be) about people (being) able to choose their working hours and, perhaps, spend some time (to work) away from the office. 2. But it is also (a fundamental change) in the way (people work)- and, (more importantly), the way (they managed). 3.Flexible working is (a shift) from â€Å"time-based† to â€Å"result-based† (working practices) and could herald the biggest change (for) the (workplace) since the (start) of the industrial revolution. 4. New employee legislation is one of the main (motivation) for employers (to introduce) flexible working practice-but not the only one. In Europe, for example, employers are obliged (to offer) parents with young or disabled children the right (to request ) flexible working. 5. While legislation is a major catalyst to (introducing) flexible working, there are other reasons.In the US, for example, the fall in the price of (mass market computer) and communications technologies (are) encouraging organization (to allow) more home working. 6. Flexible working is also (likely) to (appeal to) a wider skill pool and help with (staff retention). Marry Sue Rogers, human capital management leader at IBM Global Service, says that IBM has embraced flexible working (helping) with recruitment. 7. In Europe, companies have to (provide) flexible working (because of) legislation-but it is also a way (to recruit) from a broader skill pool, (include) women and older people. . (With) an (ageing) workforce we have to find ways to retain older staff. It also gives (greater scope) to male employees who (increasing) want flexible working to create a better work/life balance. 9. Although new legislation (is forcing) organizations (to adopt) flexible working p ractices, there are (sound) business reasons to give employees more (flexible). 10. Organizations which have (embraced) flexible working have found that it can (cut costs) and improve productive). More importantly, it enables them (to recruit) staff from much broader skill pool and retain staff.Resit 1. Management (at) large organizations do not embark (on) widespread and risky company restructurings (unless) they believe their businesses are (for) straitened financial circumstances. 2. And the potential long-term damage (with) company branding that can be done if staff and managers clash publicly (over) plans will almost always take a back seat (to) other priorities, such as getting the business back (into) profit. 3. Nevertheless, brands are (a key part) of the intangible assets that (is) playing an (increasingly) important role on company (balance sheets). 4.This (means) that it can be a serious issue for any business if its brands emerge as (tainted) in the long term by strikes and other industrial conflicts. If this is the (risky), how can corporations or other (branded organizations) reduce this danger? 5. Langford estimates that about a third of his clients’ problems (with respect to) this risk (are) caused by the behavior of their (staff); with industrial action and disaffected workers (be) the most common examples. 6. Poor industrial relations do not come about (in isolation). They reflect (on) the business (as whole) and the way (in which) it is being managed. 7.If the management think the brand is (something) (done) by the marketing communications department, (this) makes for very poor brand (strategic). 8. The danger here for service companies (is) that the impression of the brand (given) to the customer is often dictated by the (behave) of staff at the bottom of the (organization hierarchy). 9. Brands (represent) the (value) of the organization’s relationship with (their) customers. It’s the one thing (a competitor) cannot cop y. 10. Companies are not able (to insure) against (declines) in brand value, but often compound the problem by (not manage) the risk to (their) most valuable asset.Indicate mistakes Midterm (1-3) 1. The communication between companies and customers is (increasing) becoming two-way, with customers service centres (designed) to gather information, not just (complaints), from customers about (all aspects of use) of a company’s products. 2. (Some) say that first impressions (count). (Another) think that someone’s character can only be judged after a lot of (contact) in business contexts and socially. 3. A new trend for companies (to set up) e-marketplaces on the Internet (that) they work together (on) procurement of materials and parts.Suppliers can make bids (in competition with) each other. 4. When firms work together (on) a particular project, they may (enter) into a strategic alliance. This may (take the format) of a (joint venture) between two or three companies or a consortium between several organizations. 5. Globalization has (affected) marketing strategies in many ways. In the past, for example, the best way to enter a market tended (be) the main concern. Today, (by contrast), international marketers ask themselves whether it is better to standardize or to adapt a product (across) different markets. . (Finding) the right international mix has (become) one of the key (question), and answers vary (greatly) from company to company and from product to product. 9. HCPS is a private health care organization (based) in Geneva, Switzerland. It (offers) advice and (treat) to wealthy people and company employees (all over the world). 10. The HCPS group was (formed) a year ago, (following) a takeover of HCP by Sanicorp, another health care organization. Since the takeover, the company has become more centralized, with more decisions (is) made by the top management at (head office).Final (1-7) 1 It (estimated) that 90 per cent of (medium) to large compa nies that could not (resume) near-normal operations within five days of an emergency would (go out of) business. 2 While acts of terrorism receive the most (coverage), it’s the more traditional (events) such as fires, floods, explosions, power failures or natural disasters (who) have the biggest (impact). 3 To (best) protect cashflow, competitive position and profit, companies need to (access) the potential hazards that can (impact) top revenue sources and make sure (there is) business continuity planning. 4. Getting) to a (win-win situation) clearly requires (a number of) special skills, such as (make) concessions. 5. After 17 years of (lobbying) by Mr Greenberg, AIG was the first foreign (insurer) (being) allowed (in to) China. 6. Over the (past) six years, Samsung (fights) to move its brand image more (upmarket) to compete with (premium) names, such as Sony. 7. Pressure has (mounted) on Samsung to keep its (efforts). The company recently slipped back (into) third place beh ind Motorola (on) mobile handset sales. 8. It is clear that young people have a (huge impact) (over) their parents and older people (when) it comes to (choose) technology. . (On) the surface, flexible working might seem to be about people (be) able to choose their working hours, and perhaps, spend (some time) working away from office. But it is also a fundamental change in the way people work, and more (importantly) the way they are managed. 10. (Flexible working) is also likely to appeal (with) a wider (skill pool) and help (with) staff retention. Resit (1-7) 1 People are happiest not only when they are (respected member) of a team (they admire) (but) when the team and the company are respected by (the world outside). Being (part) of a (trusted), honest group is an indispensable component of employee happiness and engagement. So (is) (establish) ties with colleagues you respect. 3 Management at large organizations do not embark (on) widespread and (risk) company (restructurings) un less they believe their businesses are in (straitened) financial circumstances. 4. Brands (are) a key part of the intangible (assess) that are (playing) an increasingly important role (on) company balance sheets. 5. It can be a serious issue (for) any business if its brands (emerge) as tainted (in the long term) by strikes and (another) industrial conflicts. . (Figures) out from 2004 from Ofcom, the communications regulator, (showed) that more than 56 per cent of homes had internet (access), with a third of those (have) a broadband connection. 7. Externally, advertising has been the most visible (form) of communication (with) customers. (Usual) this is designed to increase product sales, but there is also institutional advertising, designed to improve perceptions of company (as a whole). 8. UK companies have failed in the past (prepare) their (staff) in key areas before (sending) them abroad. What’s new is that they are starting to (pay attention to) it. . While 89 per cent o f companies formerly assess a candidate’s job skills prior to a foreign posting, less than half go through the same process for cultural suitability. 10. Several department heads are unhappy because they can’t get a quick answer when they want to spend money, even small sums. When they ask their present line manager 1. In 1967, John Kenneth Galbraith argued that the USA (was run) by a handful of big companies (who) planned the economy in the name of stability. These were (hierarchy) and bureaucratic organizations (making) long runs of standardized products. 2.They introduced â€Å"new and improved† (varieties) with predictable regularity; they provided their workers (for) lifetime employment and they enjoyed (fairly) good industrial relations with the (giant trade unions). 3. That world is now dead. The US’s giant corporations have either (disappeared) or (be transformed) by global competition. (Most) have shifted their production systems from high-volume to high-value, from standardized to customized. And they have (flattened) their management hierarchies. 4. Few people these days expect (to spend) their lives (to move) up the ladder of a single organization.Dramatic changes (are taking place). But where exactly are they (taking up)? Where is the modern company heading? 5. These are three standard answers (to) this question. The first is that a handful of giant companies are engaged (with) a â€Å"silent takeover† of the world. The past couple of decades have (seen) a record number of mergers. The survivors are (far) more powerful than nation states. 6. The second (school of thought) argues (almost the opposite): it (says) that big companies are thing of the past. For a glimpse of the future, look at the Monorail Corporation, (that) sells computers. 7.Monorail (owns no) factories, warehouses or any (others) tangible assets. It operates in an office building in Atlanta. (Freelance workers) are designing the computers while (d emand) is still low. 8. The third (school of thought) (says) that companies are being replaced by â€Å"net works†. Groups of entrepreneurs form such a network to market an idea. They then sell it to the highest bidder and (move on to) produce another idea and to create another firm, with the money (is) supplied all the time by venture capitalists. 9. Another way (to look) at the future of the company is (to focus) on the environment that will determine it.That environment is dominated by one thing: choice. Technology and globalization opens up (ever more) opportunities for individuals and (firm) to collect information and conduct economic activity outside traditional structures. 10. While the age of (mass production) lowered the costs of products (for) the expense of (limiting) choices, modern â€Å"flexible† production systems both (lower) costs and increase choices. 11. Consumers have more choice over where (will they spend) their money. Producers have more choice o ver which suppliers (to use). Shareholders have more choice over where (to put) (their) money. 12.With (all that choice) around, future (company) will have to be very flexible in order to (quickly adapt) to the changing environments if they (are to survive). 1. The nation was (in shock). David Beckham, Britain’s most (beautiful) footballer emerged from his house on Monday morning (to allow) the world (photograph) a wound above his left eye. 2. Sir Alex Ferguson, manager of (his then team) Manchester United, had (lost his temper) after a defeat and(kick) a football boot, (which) hit the Beckham eyebrow. 3. In sports, more than in most businesses, the management tactics are (out in the open) for all to see.Not many managers try (to strangle) their subordinates-as Bobby Knight, a former basketball coach at Indiana University, (once do). But the ability (to inspire fear) has always been an essential tool of management. 4. (Lots of) successful chief executives (rule by terror). (N one), it must be said, (reaches) the standard (setting) by John Patterson, who built NCR early in the 20th century. 5. One NCR executive discovered he (had been fired) when he found his desk and chair (in flames) on the company lawn. Modern laws (on) constructive dismissal and employee harassment have put an end (with) such fun. . However, terror in the workplace is (making a comeback) these days. In an economic upswing, fear (goes underground). Workers are (scarcity), and therefore powerful; bosses must handle the talent (with) care. 7. When times (turn tough), the balance of power swings. As Hank Paulson, chairman of Goldman Sachs, (put it), in a speech that upset his staff, â€Å"in almost every one of our businesses, there are 15-20% of the people that really (adds) 80% of the value. † (In other words), 80-85% are largely redundant-and had better shape up fast. 8. Does fear really motivate?In sport, says Scott Snook, who teaches organizational behavior at Harvard Business School, â€Å"fear can become a barrier to (take) risks, (yet) can provide the essential emotional kick needed to (meet) a challenge. † Coaches need to (strike) the right balance in order to develop talent. 9. Yet (use) in boardroom, fear can be disastrous. Tony Couchman, a headhunter at Egon Zehnder in London, (recalls) the board of a large firm with a chief executive who so dominated his directors that they (rarely) questioned or challenged him. â€Å"Success in such a company depends on (having) a great leader and a steady market,† he argues. 0. Jim Collins, author of a book that explains why some firms (succeed in) making the jump â€Å"from good to great’ and (other) fail, found that the approach (to) fear was a key distinction among firms that he surveyed. He found that in the (truly) successful firms people were â€Å"productively neurotic†. 11. At Microsoft, for example, employees worry all year (at the prospect) of their annual meetings with Bi ll Gates, (who) even (being shouted at) would not hurt as much as (seeming) to be an idiot. 12. The (driving) fear of failure, points out Mr.Collins, is not unique (to) corporate life. â€Å"I’m self-employed, and I live with constant fear,† he says. â€Å"But I’m self-afraid. † That kind of fear is common among creative artists and also in professional services (where) the person is the product and lots of fragile egos have to (manage). 1. In its 30-year history, Nike had become the (undisputed) leader in sports marketing. But beneath the success (was) an Achilles’ heel. Nike is named (for) a woman – the Greek goodness of victory-but for most of its history, the company had been perceived as (being) mostly about men. . Could Nike do more to realize full potential of female customers? And how could it afford (not to), given the threats to its future with Air Jordan (ran) out of air and brands like Sketchers (digging) into the teen market wit h shoes inspired by skateboarding, not basketball. That was a huge question at Nike HQ. The launch of Nike Goddess was the (makings) of an answer. 3. For (many of) its history, Nike’s destiny was controlled by its founders, Phil Knight and his (running buddies), who designed up athletes in locker rooms and made the (executive decisions).But by throwing together a diverse team of people with different backgrounds and different levels of seniority, Nike has found that it can keep (many of) its core attributes while (adding) news sources of inspiration. 4. (Taking) the (combination) of star designer John Hoke and newcomer Mindy Grossman, vice president of global apparel. Hoke designed (the look) and (feel) of the first Nike Goddess store. 5. Then Grossman, whose career has included (helping) (making) Ralph Lauren into a retail icon, pitched the design ideas to Nike’s top retailers as stores within stores.Now it (looks) like Nike has a chance (to reach) a crucial objective : double its sales to women by the end of the decade. 6. Nike Goddess began (as a concept) for a women-only store, and there’s a reason why. (Many) of the retail settings in which the company’s products were found were a turnoff to female customers: dark, loud, and harsh- in a word, male. (On sharp contrast), the Nike Goddess stores have the comforting (feel) of a woman’s own home. 7. Designing a new approach to retail was only one element in Nike’s campaign. (Another) was redesigning the shoes and clothes (themself).Nike’s footwear designers worked (on) 18-month production cycles-which made (it) hard to stay in step with the new styles and colours for women. 8. The apparel group, (which) worked around 12-month cycles, was better at (keeping on with) fashion trends. But (that) (meant) that the clothes weren’t co-ordinated with the shoes-a big turnoff for women. 9. When Jackie Thomas, Nike’s US brand marketing director for w