Civil War In US Essays - Slavery In The United States, Compromise

Civil War In US The annexation of Texas to the United States and the gain of new territory by the Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo aggravated the hostility between the North and South. The controversial issue of slavery in the new territories arose again along with many other political differences that needed to be resolved. In the midst of fear that the southern states might withdraw from the Union altogether, Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky created a series of five legislative enactments. These enactments, known as the Compromise of 1850, answer the question of whether slavery was to be sanctioned or prohibited in the newly acquired regions. The first two measures included the admission of California as a free state and abolition of slave trade in the District of Columbia. The third bill was the Fugitive Slave Laws of 1850, which provided for the return of runaway slaves to their masters. The terms of the fourth measure said that Utah and New Mexico become free to settlement by both slaveholders and abolitionists, superceding the Missouri Compromise of 1820. Finally, the fifth measure stated that Texas, a slave state, be awarded ten million dollars, further strengthening the south. William Henry Seward, among many others, including President Taylor, believed that the Union was not threatened. In addition, as a strong abolitionist Seward despised the very idea of the strict fugitive slave law and eagerly protested the proposed political equilibrium. First, the fugitive law denies to the black citizen all the safeguards of personal liberty, to render less frequent the escape of the bondman. Next, the organization of Utah and New Mexico into slave states in order to appease the South into staying with the Union is unconstitutional. This impracticable measure "converts the Government from a national democracy, operating by a constitutional majority of votes, into a Federal alliance, in which the minority shall have a veto against the majority." Finally, these laws are quite unnecessary because the Union was not threatened. Despite his many speeches and unwavering opposition towards the Compromise of 1850, the U.S. Congress passed the laws during August and September 1850. Many people, in the north and south, hailed the compromise as a final solution to the question of slavery in territories. However, the never dying issue reemerged in 1854 with the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Finally, the gradual intensification of the hostility between free and slave states because of the compromise measures resulted in the brutal Civil War.

Drought Causes, Types, and Resources

Drought Causes, Types, and Resources Its been a while since youve seen  a chance of rain in your forecast... could your city be in danger of a drought?   Youll be glad to know that although a lack of rain or snow over a period of several days, or even a week, is unusual, it doesnt necessarily mean youre headed for a drought. Droughts are periods (typically several weeks or longer) of abnormally dry and  precipitation-less weather. How dry depends on the amount of precipitation thats normal for a locations climate. A common misconception of droughts is that theyre brought on by periods of no rain or snow. While this certainly can initiate drought conditions, oftentimes the onset of a drought is less noticeable. If youre seeing rain or snow, but are seeing it in lighter amounts a drizzle here and flurries there, rather than steady rain or snow showers this can also signal a drought in-the-making. Of course, you wont be able to determine this as a cause for weeks, months, or even years into the future. Thats because, unlike other forms of severe weather and  natural disasters,  droughts develop slowly from a build-up of small changes in precipitation patterns, rather than from one single event. Atmospheric conditions such as climate change, ocean temperatures, changes in the jet stream, and changes in the local landscape are all culprits in the long story of the causes of droughts. How Droughts Hurt Droughts are some of the most costly economic stressors.  Frequently, droughts are  billion dollar weather events  and are one of the top three threats to population in the world (along with famine and flooding). There are three main ways droughts impact lives and communities: Farmers are often the first to feel the stresses from drought, and feel them hardest. The economic impacts of drought include losses in the timber, agricultural, and fisheries communities. Many of these losses are then passed on to consumers in the form of higher food prices. In less developed countries, once crops fail, famine can become a major problem.   Social impacts include increased chance of conflict over commodities, fertile land, and water resources. Other social impacts include abandonment of cultural traditions, loss of homelands, changes in lifestyle, and increased chance of health risks due to poverty and hygiene issues.The environmental impacts of drought include loss in species biodiversity, migration changes, reduced air quality, and increased soil erosion. Types of Droughts While droughts can be defined in many ways, three main drought types are commonly discussed: Hydrological Drought.  Many watersheds experience depleted amounts of available water. Lack of water in river systems and reservoirs can impact hydroelectric power companies, farmers, wildlife, and communities. Meteorological Drought.  A lack of precipitation is the most common definition of drought and is usually the type of drought referred to in news reports and the media. Most locations around the world have their own meteorological definition of drought based on the climate normals in the area. A normally rainy area that gets less rain than usual can be considered in a drought. Agricultural Drought.  When soil moisture becomes a problem, the agricultural industry is in trouble with drought.  Shortages in precipitation, changes in evapo-transpiration, and reduced ground water levels can create stress and problems for crops.​ US Droughts While droughts dont often cause deaths in the United States, the  Dust Bowl  in the U.S. Midwest is one example of the devastation that can occur.   Other parts of the world experience long periods without rains as well. Even during  monsoon season, areas (such as Africa and India) that depend on seasonal rains will often experience drought if the monsoon rains fail.   Preventing, Predicting, and Preparing for Droughts Want to know how drought is affecting your neighborhood right now? Be sure to monitor these drought resources links: The US Drought Portal  - See how drought impacts your community.The National Drought Mitigation Center - Great details on the difficulties and successes of predicting droughts are available at the NDMC. US Seasonal Drought Outlooks - The National Weather Service provides predictions of the chances of drought across the United States. Updated by Tiffany Means

Compare and Contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Compare and Contrast - Essay Example Dieting is a very common method adopted for weight control. Most people go with this option because skipping meals apparently seems easier than doing physical workout. Besides, skipping meals has an obvious and quick effect on the body. The concept behind dieting is this; since the body does not get the required nutrients and nutrition, it uses stored energy in the body in the form of fat to self-address its needs. Consumption of this stored energy results in fat loss and accordingly, weight loss. Dieting has many different forms in addition to skipping of meals. These days, a lot of diet programs have evolved that are marketed over social media and the Internet. Some of these programs are based on the consumption of a special kind of tea or medicine while other programs suggest diet plans that can be followed by the interested people. The basic concept is to limit the consumption of fat and carbohydrate in meals, boost the metabolism, and burn the calories. Exercise is another very common method adopted for weight control. This method is based on physical workout. Exercise certainly appears to be more strenuous and physically demanding compared to dieting not only because it involves physical exertion and use of muscles, but also because results take longer to show up than they do in the case of dieting. The concept behind doing exercise is to burn off the calories stored in the body in the form of fat. As an individual runs, stored energy is consumed and fat burns off. Intensity and type of exercise can vary from one person to another depending upon the level of fitness desired, age, gender, and physical stature. Normally, young males do the most intense physical workouts compared to people of all other age-groups. People do exercises in a variety of ways. Some people go to gym regularly. Other people do walk, running, or jogging. People either go to the jogging tracks or use treadmills. While dieting apparently seems easier than doing exercise, in many cases , it might be more difficult and worse than exercising daily. Highly motivated people start doing dieting by missing meals, but as their hunger increases and the motivation starts to subside, they allow themselves to eat. Since they had not eaten for a long time as a result of skipping a meal, they end up eating more than they would have eaten otherwise combined in the two meals. So skipping meals essentially becomes only delaying meals only to end up eating more than usual. Dieting consumes stored energy as a result of which, the person looks very lazy and worn out. Skin becomes lose and the person looks aged and tired even if he/she manages to lose some weight with dieting. These are only some of the disadvantages of dieting. Many diet programs that have surfaced in the recent years are ineffective and their marketed products are actually bad for health. On the other hand, physical workout is a very good exercise routine with multiple advantages. Physical workout not just helps an individual lose weight, but it also makes the individual look fresh and young. Physical workout boosts body metabolism and increases the circulation of blood in all organs of the body. This has a clear and obvious beneficial effect on the functions of the body. Comparing the two options of weight control, exercise far exceeds dieting in effectiveness and advantages. However, neither of the two methods can be considered as alone effective and sufficient in

The Housewife who got off the Couch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Housewife who got off the Couch - Essay Example In an article entitled â€Å"The Housewife Who Got Up Off the Couch,† the story is told of Eleanor Josaitis. Josaitis is a Detroit woman who, as a housewife and mother of five, decided one day that she was going to make a difference in her backyard. Working with other community leaders, Josaitis has been successful in founding a non-profit organization in the heart of Detroit that provides job training and support for low-income families designed to get them off of the poverty rolls. Analyzing the article for evidence of enlightened self-interest provides clues to Josaitis’ goals and ethical principles as well as provides tools for assessing the role of ethics within the business organization. Enlightened self-interest is a basic concept stating that the best way one can help oneself is to help others. The article refers to this type of interest when it illustrates the reasons why Josaitis began getting involved in her community. â€Å"In 1962, as she sat watching a television program about the Nuremberg trials, Josaitis – then a housewife with five children – asked herself what she would have done if atrocities were taking place in her own backyard† (147-148). Discovering that atrocities were taking place in her backyard in the form of the Civil Rights Movement in the South followed by race riots in Detroit, she co-founded the Focus: HOPE organization. Thus, Josaitis was motivated to help others because they were suffering near her own home. Her participation in protest movements in support of the black people’s bid for equal rights is an example of indirect enlightened self-interest in that Josaitis knew something had to change for black peop le but did not see the immediate connection to her personal living situation. This became direct enlightened self-interest when she watched her city burn during race riots, literally

Benefits of transformational leadership vs other leadership models Essay

Benefits of transformational leadership vs other leadership models - Essay Example This has made it easier for us to identify which method to adopt in a particular situation or nature of business/profession. Within various leadership theories, one widely used leadership model is â€Å"transformational leadership theory†. This paper will discuss the importance of transformation leadership style and how it is better from other leadership models. Transformational Leadership Successful leadership is not only about limited set of traits and actions; it’s about having wide variety of skills, ideas, and approaches to attain a defined goal, and a transformational leader has it all. Such leaders have the following characteristics: Honesty Ability to set understandable and achievable goals Ability to effectively communicate vision Supportive Helps followers fulfill their needs Inspiring personality In simply words, transformational leadership is all about gaining your follower’s trust. This leads to motivation in the team which in turn results in positiv e outcomes. Transformational leader through charismatic methods attract his team members towards him. Transformational leader in addition to having a charismatic, smart and confident personality also realizes the needs of his team members. He clearly understands that in an organization every individual have certain needs which are important to be fulfilled in order for the employers to perform efficiently. James Burns further stated that a true leader is one who not only brings change within the organization and achieve his set goals but also bring positive change in people involved in the project. A leader is called a transformational leader because he has the ability to transform his followers by using the following ways: Effectively communicating the value and importance of the project Making his team members focus on project goal instead of their personal interest Comparison of Transformational Leadership model with other Leadership models The charismatic leaders are known to sp read out enthusiasm, positive energy and passion among their team members or followers. Such type of leaders possesses the ability to attract others towards them with their charisma. Their outstanding personality forces their followers to trust them blindly and have complete faith in them. Therefore, loosing such kind of individuals might lead to confusion within the organization as they make workers believe in their own vision and make them work accordingly. Charismatic leaders tend to be self-confident and principled as carrying out difficult mission requires such characteristics. Due to these characteristics of a charismatic leader, his team members or followers might feel discomfort and uneasiness while working with them. (Judge Bono, 2000) Another author further describes a charismatic leader as an attractive and emotional individual who has the ability to win the emotions of his fellow workers and fulfill their requirements and needs. In order to attract his follower, they nee d to formulate an attractive and smart vision and goals and take steps to achieve these goals. (Khatri, 2005) Charismatic leaders have the talent to easily communicate their thoughts, goals and vision which further strengthens their followers believes in them. This ability in them

Assumptions, research design and data collection strategies

Assumptions, research design and data collection strategies Chapter 1 Introduction The purpose of this assignment is to offer a critical analysis of the underpinning assumptions and research design and data collection strategies and the practice of academic research. Two research papers are chosen for the purpose of this analysis. The first paper is a quantitative study and the second paper is a qualitative study. They are as follows:- Shafer, W. E., Fukukawa, K. and Lee, G. M. (2007) Values and the perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility: The U.S. versus China, Journal of Business Ethics, 70 (3), pp. 265-284. Tsoi, J. (2007) Stakeholders perceptions and future scenarios to improve corporate social responsibility in Hong Kong and Mainland China, Journal of Business Ethics, pp. 1-14. The main reason for selecting these two papers is that they both report upon the area of corporate social responsibility, which is the focus of my PhD. Within the field of corporate social responsibility (CSR), there has been considerable research discussing the relationship between values and perception with the attitude/behaviour of businesses towards CSR. These values are considered quantifiable and thus have been measured quantitatively using scales developed by authors such as Forsyth (1980), Singhapakdi et al.(1996), and Vitell and Patwardhan (2008). Interviews have been used to bring forward the values that are deemed important by stakeholders, and were explored qualitatively by Fukukawa and Teramoto (2009), Siltaoja (2006), and Là ¤hdesmà ¤ki and Siltaoja (2009). The two papers selected both looked at cross-cultural values and perceptions, however, they utilise different methods of investigation. This difference could provide a good basis for comparison, in terms of philosophical assumptions, research design, and the method of data collection. The analyses will begin for each paper with an introduction of the research aims, followed by the epistemological and ontological position, the research design, followed by analysis of its research methodology, the alternative research design and lastly, conclusions from this discussion will be provided. Chapter 2 Review of Quantitative Research paper 2.1 Research Objectives This study by Shafer, Fukukawa and Lee (2007) examined the values and the perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility on managers from China and the U.S. The authors used scales instruments to obtain quantitative data in order to make inferences on whether the managers nationality and personal values have effect on their ethical perception. The American and Chinese managers are assumed to differ in their personal values and subsequently this should be reflected from their responses to the â€Å"Perceived Role of Ethics and Social Responsibility† (PRESOR) scale. The authors provided the relevant background information and built up the reasoning for their hypotheses. The first hypothesis was that managers from China would believe less strongly than American managers in the importance of ethically and socially responsible conduct to achieve organisational success. The second hypothesis was that both American and Chinese managers personal values are believed to have significant impact on the responses to the scale. These hypotheses seem to correlate strongly with the research objectives which are to determine that there is variation in response due to cultural differences. 2.2 Epistemological and Ontological Assumptions It is likely that the authors based their research on moral philosophy which â€Å"refers in particular to the principles of rules that people use to decide what is right or wrong† (Ferrell, Fraedrich and Ferrell, 2005:19). This paper seems to indicate that the principles of rules of managers of different cultures are likely to differ and thus ethical decision-making would vary. The authors provided examples of other empirical research to support this notion. The assumption that personal values can influence ethical decisions shows that the research is likely to infer an ontological assumption of realist, whereby reality is seen to have an existence independent of the activities of the human observer (Blaikie, 2007:13). As the research strives to compare values and perceptions, these elements are thought to be measurable and quantifiable; seemingly leaning towards the empiricism position in which the key idea is that knowledge comes from observing the world (Blaikie, 2007:19). The authors employed deductive research whereby the â€Å"hypotheses formed are tested to determine if the statements can be supported† (Sekaran, 2003:31), which is a typical research approach of empiricists. Taking possibly the stance of positivists, these values are assumed measureable, and are thus thought to form the social reality that these values affect the perception of corporate social responsibility amongst the managers from these two countries. 2.3 Research Design The intention is to establish the differences in personal values, by using large quantities of data, which would be representative of the overall population of American and Chinese managers. This suggests that there are two assumptions, that values are measureable and that it is possible to generalise the population from the sample. In order to generalise, a considerably large amount of data is required, thus a survey research instrument was employed. The PRESOR scale developed by Singhapakdi et al. (1995) was used. The reasons that the PRESOR scale was chosen over the cultural dimensions formed by Hofstede (2001) were argued; examples of the latter in other research were shown to be inconsistent and inconclusive in its directional impact, thus making theoretical predictions difficult. The use of PRESOR scale in other research was exemplified and seemed to have established the reliability of its measurement. The PRESOR scale was explained further in the introduction of the paper. Thirteen out of sixteen original items were selected and the authors justified this by stating that only these thirteen items had significant factor loadings in the Singhapakdi, Scott and Franke (1999:25) study. These items were grouped into two categories; the Stockholder and the Stakeholder views. The Stakeholder View reflects the importance of ethics and social responsibility to organisational survival and success, whilst the Stockholder view indicates that organisational success depends on more than just profitability and obligations to the stockholders (Axinn et al., 2004:104) In the methodology section, the Schwartz value instrument and a demographic questionnaire were mentioned as being used together with the PRESOR scale. There was little mention of the reasons the Schwartz scale was used and how it was applied. It was only later in the appendix that the items considered in the Schwartz scale was provided in details. A clearer explanation could have improved the clarity of the paper. The research design employed the use of two research instruments (PRESOR scale and Schwartz value instrument) as means for data collection. The sample of practising managers from the two different countries was given the same survey to complete, thus the responses could be compared on that basis. The results from the analyses were then compared against the hypotheses formed, affirming or not affirming the hypotheses. This process is typical of the deductive approach (Blaikie, 2007:70). 2.4 Data Collection The sample consisted of 311 practising managers, enrolled part time in selective MBA programmes in the U.S. and China. The participation was voluntary and the scales were completed as an in-class exercise. The authors acknowledged potential problems from this sample selection. The first is that, although the MBA programmes in these two countries appear to be comparable, the sample may have confounded the effects of national differences and MBA programme differences. Secondly, the sample was not randomly selected as the authors had asked their students to complete the scales in-class. The authors did not provide further justification for these two problems and thus this is believed to have weakened the external validity of this investigation (Bryman and Bell, 2007:204). Aside from this comment from the authors, there was very little mention of the validity of the measurement which makes it difficult to make further discussion on this. The basis of their selectivity and the criteria in which these programmes were said to be comparable, were also not provided in details. The details of its comparability may have helped clarify and strengthen the validity of the selection criteria, as well as making the paper more understandable. Considering the objectives of the research, in which the authors seem to be looking at making generalisations on the affect of personal values, there is a need to collect large quantities of data. The survey method seems to be appropriate as surveys are easy to distribute to large number of people and costs can be kept to a minimum (Bryman and Bell, 2007:195). This relates to external validity, which is â€Å"about generalisability of results beyond the focal study† (Easterby-Smith et al., 2008:87). In this paper, external validity was not discussed; however, it is likely that the results are meant to be applicable for the context of China and the U.S. only. The authors stated the limitation of which the participants can not be assumed as representative of the broader populations of managers in these two countries, due to the fact that the MBA programmes were selective in nature. The research took consideration of the possibility that the age and experience differences of their sample might affect the results, and thus these factors were examined for significance. The scale was translated to Mandarin Chinese and later back-translated with resolution of discrepancies, to take account of the language difference. These examples seem to reflect on the effort of the authors in ensuring that the results are not significantly affected by other variables. In order to test the dimensionality of the PRESOR scale, a principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation and Kaiser normalisation was applied. This is typical of a quantitative study where factor analysis is usually applied as part of the research design. In terms of research replication, this research had provided considerable amount of information which would possibly allow other researchers to perform similar research. The items from the two views (Stockholder and Stakeholder) of the PRESOR scale were provided in details. In addition, the authors also mentioned the calculation method used, such as the use of mean values and the Univariate Analysis of Covariance models (ANCOVA). The only exception would probably be the PRESOR scale itself, whereby the questions that were asked and the choice answers were not explicitly given, which might mean that future researchers might find it difficult to replicate the research and might even have to approach the authors or Singhapakdi who developed the scale. 2.5 Alternative Method The authors mentioned that more in-depth examination using qualitative design of investigation such as interviews would perhaps be more revealing. It is agreed that qualitative measure would allow insights into the importance of ethics to managers, and the various ethical issues that managers prioritise. The researchers are more likely to obtain a richer data of the decision-making process of managers, at the same time; they would be able to achieve the research objectives. The researchers can make use of semi-structured type interview which will allow better control of what questions need to be asked, and to ensure that the objectives of the interview are achieved as well (Bryman and Bell, 2007:474), if time and costs are constraints. There are also other alternatives methods to obtain qualitative data that would have fit this research, such as the use of focus groups. Focus group interviews allow researchers to observe the behaviour of the American and Chinese managers as they interact with each other. It would be possible to see the differences in reaction to ethical issues much more clearly, when these managers are given, for example, the same ethical dilemma, and they are required to rationalise the problem and come up with solutions. This method might be more useful than questionnaire surveys, particularly in that the values of the American and Chinese managers could be brought out through the way they respond and react to ethical problems, the problem-rationalisation process, and the degree of attention paid on a particular problem. Similar to the interview method, this would be considerably more costly to conduct, and it might even be more costly than doing interviews, however, the researchers would gain no t only in achieving the research objectives but they would also attain a better understanding of the effects of personal values in ethical decision-making. However, if the goal was only to establish that perception of CSR differs between diverse cultures, the research design would have fit the purpose. This is because the data collection strategy used (questionnaire survey), allowed the authors to obtain considerably response for generalisation. A questionnaire survey would also have been more cost-efficient and less time consuming, especially for cross-cultural studies. Chapter 3 Review of Qualitative Research paper 3.1 Research Objectives In this second paper, this qualitative study aims to make apparent the perceptions and views of the future scenarios from stakeholders within the garment industry in Hong Kong and Mainland China. The underlying intention was to seek consensus and common ground, on a local and regional level to help companies develop an appropriate CSR strategy, to improve the state of corporate social responsibility and in the long run, to achieve sustainability in the region. The main objective was stated as â€Å"by engaging with major stakeholders, to identify the local and regional supply chain stakeholders perceptions and expectations† (Tsoi, 2007:1). Typical of a qualitative study, generalisation is often not the objective of the study (Bryman and Bell, 2007:410). This is apparent from this study as the author had mentioned that the sample may not be sufficient for generalisation for the entire garment industry, however, it is â€Å"relevant to garment businesses involved in export-orientated activities† (Tsoi, 2007:1). Tsoi (2007) used an inductive approach to identify the perceptions of stakeholders by conducting interviews. 3.2 Epistemological and Ontological Assumptions Although the author did not indicate the philosophical assumptions behind this study, the author implied that by identifying the stakeholders perception, â€Å"the findings would help in building consensus, strengthening the implementation, and establishing future CSR framework†. This suggests that the author has an ontological position of constructionism, which asserts that social phenomena and their meanings are continually being accomplished by social actors, implying that there exists social interaction and that there is a constant state of revision of the social phenomena (Bryman and Bell, 2007:23). In this case study, the social reality of what is happening in the garment industry, in terms of its corporate social responsibility, is a social reality that was formed by the stakeholders. It suggests that the social phenomena (condition of CSR) can undergo changes, and that it is dependent on the activities of the social actors. The views of the social actors are thought to be indicative of the important issues in corporate social responsibility, within the garment industry. This form of research is consistent with the research paradigm of the interpretivist position, as the basis of the research is that the study of the phenomena requires an understanding of the social world that social actors have constructed and which they reproduced through their continuing activities (Blaikie, 2007:124). In this instance, the stakeholders are the social actors who will continually interpret and reinterpreting their social world which can be the garment industry. The social phenomenon that the author is investigating is the current state and the future of the corporate social responsibility in Hong Kong and Mainland China. The future conception of CSR in these two places is related to phenomenology, whereby, it concerns with the question of how individuals make sense of the world around them (Bryman and Bell, 2007:18). In this case, it can be viewed as the way stakeholders make sense of the state of corporate responsibility in the region. 3.3 Research Design The author relied on a qualitative method, specifically, the face-to-face semi-structured interview, which indicates the leanings of the author in â€Å"conducting a naturalistic inquiry in real-world rather than experimental or manipulated settings† (Ritchie and Lewis, 2003:4). For qualitative studies, semi-structured and unstructured interviews are commonly used as they provide rich, detailed answers and taps into the interviewees point of view (Bryman and Bell, 2007:474). As the focal source of data was the stakeholders themselves in this study, this seems to infer that the research design is based on the interpretivist view that the â€Å"social phenomena can only be understood and be investigated from the inside† (Blaikie, 2007:125). The author identified major stakeholders possibly with stakeholder theory, stating the assumption â€Å"that multinationals see stakeholder consultation and management as an important communication tool in identifying and interpreting the needs of salient stakeholders† and as such would enable â€Å"the development of a common language for CSR and subsequently the development of proactive CSR strategies†. This correlates with the stakeholder approach of Wheeler et al. (2003:19) who stated that â€Å"value creation at the highest level requires an ability to build value-based networks where all stakeholders see merit in their association with and support for a business†. In this instance, it is likely that the stakeholders were deemed to be important in the future direction of CSR in the region, and this was the reason that stakeholders were chosen as source of data. The author mentioned that these interviews conducted in 2004 and 2005 may no longer be relevant, since there were major developments in 2008. This might have made the interviews slightly outdated however; there should not be many changes to the overall aims of the stakeholders and thus the outcomes of this research would remain valid. However, as an alternative, the author could have applied longitudinal design which â€Å"represents a distinct form of research design than is typically used to map change in business and management research† (Bryman and Bell, 2007:60). The longitudinal design would not only serve the purpose of this study, but it would also allow insights into the factors that cause change to the perception. With this sample, it is possible to use cohort study, whereby â€Å"the cohort is made up of people who share a certain characteristics† (Bryman and Bell, 2007:61), since the stakeholders have a stake in the garment industry. However, longitudinal re search may require a lot more preparation, could be time-consuming and thus it could be more costly. 3.4 Data Collection With regards to the methodology, the interview questions that were used for this research was not provided. As this was a semi-structured interview, it would have been useful if the author had provided general information on how the questions were formed, and the structure of the interview questions as this would provide an indication of the depth of the interviews, and hence the validity of the research design. For the sample, 25 representatives from academia, the business organisations, the non-government organisations, trade association, and government officials were identified. The response rate was 84%, in which 21 out of a total of 25 representatives of these organisations agreed to be interviewed. It was mentioned that the reason for such a high response rate, was that the author had contacted the interviewees on a one-to-one basis. Furthermore, the interviewees were also guaranteed anonymity. The sample, thus, appears to be extensive and is representative of the various stakeholders that are vital in the garment industry. 3.5 Alternative Method The intention was that the â€Å"findings would help in building consensus, strengthening the implementation and establishing the future CSR framework† (Tsoi, 2007:1). The author might have meant that having collected all the different views from these stakeholders, the author would be able to determine the consensus of how CSR should be developed and how CSR should be like in the future. However, it is doubtful that a consensus could have been obtained using this method of analysis. The interviewees, although were representative of the garment industry, each one a vital stakeholder, there was no real interaction between these stakeholders, and thus, the consensus that is meant is only based on the researchers understanding from the interviewees responses. Stakeholders are thought to be able to reach a better compromise through discourse, with different sides arguing for the validity of their point as well as ensuring that the interests of the group or association that they re present are taken account of (Bryman and Bell, 2007:511). While it is understandable, that there is a strong possibility that it could be costly to get all the interviewees to sit together through a discourse, nevertheless there are alternatives which might be more useful for the purpose of this investigation, given that the objective is to reach a consensus amongst the stakeholders. With this reasoning, the research design could improve by firstly conveying the findings of the interviews to all of the stakeholders interviewed, and follow up with another interview to see if there were changes to their views. Alternatively, the author could use the method of focus group interviews. With this method, Merton et al. (1956) (in Bryman and Bell, 2007:511) stated that the â€Å"accent is upon interaction within the group and the joint construction of meaning†. Focus group interviews could provide a platform for the interviewees to interact and to establish a joint construction of what it means to strengthen CSR and also determine what future scenarios should and could be like. With regards to selecting a suitable size for the focus group, it is recommended by Bryman and Bell (2007:517) that the typical group size should be six to ten members, whilst Sekaran (2003:220) recommends a size of eight to twelve members. The reason that the focus group interview method was recommended was that the interviewees would be encouraged to express their opinions argumentatively, which would then allow the researcher to gauge the degree of importance of certain issues and how much flexibility the interv iewees might have to reach a compromise with others. There are of course possible pitfalls using the focus group method, in that some interviewees might be dominant over others, and thus the opinions of those less dominant might not be heard, but these effects can be reduced to a minimum level by having a good moderator (in Bryman and Bell, 2007:511). The one-to-one interview method could still be more advantageous compared with the focus group interview, as the time and monetary costs of conducting a one-to-one interview would probably be considerably less and thus be more manageable especially if there was only one researcher, as was with this case study. In this case study, it seemed that a quantitative design would actually be difficult to apply, and it would also be inappropriate for an investigation on the perception of CSR as a business concern. Taking the example of using a questionnaire survey with closed-ended questions, it is very likely that the respondents would answer that they are very concerned about CSR, as that might be perceived as the correct response, thus creating social desirability bias to the results. Furthermore, with a questionnaire survey, the researcher would not be able to pin-point all the various future scenarios for CSR in Hong Kong and Mainland China, even if it was possible, the list of future scenarios might be too long to be practically manageable. Another issue would be that in making assumptions of the future scenarios that are deemed significant to the stakeholders, it would be problematic as the researcher might risk missing out relevant information. Therefore, it would be difficult, from these r easons, that a quantitative design would not be suitable for such a case study. Chapter 4 Conclusions In summary, the two papers reflect significant differences in their research approach. This was seen through the objectives of the research, the underlying assumptions of the research philosophy and the conceptualisation of research design and the data collection. There is certainly much to learn from these two research papers, both had given valuable information on the differences between quantitative and qualitative methods, as well as offer guidance on the selection of research method and how to go about utilising these methods. The research designs, as shown in these papers, are dependent of the research objectives and the designs are also influenced by the epistemological and ontological assumptions made. Even though the philosophical positions of the researchers were not made explicit, however, the likely positions can be assumed. These papers have also shown that the advantages and the disadvantages of the different methods of investigation, and they need to be considered to e nsure that the best method is chosen for the purpose of the research. In these two papers, the method of investigation is distinct, one was a qualitative study and the other was a quantitative study, however, this does not necessarily mean that a mixed method of investigation can not be used. In fact, (Bryman and Bell, 2007:646) suggested that triangulation can be applied, in which â€Å"the results of an investigation employing a method associated with one research strategy are cross-checked against the results of using a method associated with the other research strategy†.

Pacemakers Allow Millions to Live Life to the Fullest :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Pacemakers Allow Millions to Live Life to the Fullest I always thought that pacemakers were for old people or people that had really serious heart conditions. My opinion of that drastically changed last summer after my then eighteen year old friend had to have one implanted. I never new how pacemakers worked or what they did, I just knew that you could not ride roller coasters if you have one. My fascination with pacemakers all started last summer. It was right after graduation and my friends and I were all enjoying the summer. Then during the early hours of June 4th I received the scariest call ever. My friend Mike called and said that Brian's heart stopped beating and he was being rushed to the hospital. I immediately threw on some shoes and headed out the door. The whole way to the hospital I kept thinking, what happened? Brian was one of the healthiest people that I know. He worked out a lot and always ate right. He was in perfect shape. When I reached the hospital I met up with Brian's family and our friends. No one knew what happened and even the doctors still weren't sure what caused Brian's heart to stop. We spent the whole night praying and waiting for a miracle. I remember the day like it was yesterday, we just had prom and graduation and then here Brian was lying in a hospital bed unconscious. I just couldn't understand, the doctors speculated that it might have been from alcohol or drugs but Brian would never do that. Then they thought that maybe he had a seizure caused by a brain aneurysm, but that still wasn't right. To this day we still do not know what caused his heart to stop. Anyways, the doctors thought that Brian should have a pacemaker/defibrillator implanted so if this scary event reoccurred again his heart would start automatically. I did not understand what a pacemaker was but I was for anything that would help prolong my best friend's life. The pacemaker was implanted a few days before Brian was supposed to leave the hospital and he returned home after just two days recovery. After that he took it easy for a few months, and then was back to his normal old self. I did not know what a pacemaker did until about a month ago when we had to choose a research topic. Pacemakers Allow Millions to Live Life to the Fullest :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers Pacemakers Allow Millions to Live Life to the Fullest I always thought that pacemakers were for old people or people that had really serious heart conditions. My opinion of that drastically changed last summer after my then eighteen year old friend had to have one implanted. I never new how pacemakers worked or what they did, I just knew that you could not ride roller coasters if you have one. My fascination with pacemakers all started last summer. It was right after graduation and my friends and I were all enjoying the summer. Then during the early hours of June 4th I received the scariest call ever. My friend Mike called and said that Brian's heart stopped beating and he was being rushed to the hospital. I immediately threw on some shoes and headed out the door. The whole way to the hospital I kept thinking, what happened? Brian was one of the healthiest people that I know. He worked out a lot and always ate right. He was in perfect shape. When I reached the hospital I met up with Brian's family and our friends. No one knew what happened and even the doctors still weren't sure what caused Brian's heart to stop. We spent the whole night praying and waiting for a miracle. I remember the day like it was yesterday, we just had prom and graduation and then here Brian was lying in a hospital bed unconscious. I just couldn't understand, the doctors speculated that it might have been from alcohol or drugs but Brian would never do that. Then they thought that maybe he had a seizure caused by a brain aneurysm, but that still wasn't right. To this day we still do not know what caused his heart to stop. Anyways, the doctors thought that Brian should have a pacemaker/defibrillator implanted so if this scary event reoccurred again his heart would start automatically. I did not understand what a pacemaker was but I was for anything that would help prolong my best friend's life. The pacemaker was implanted a few days before Brian was supposed to leave the hospital and he returned home after just two days recovery. After that he took it easy for a few months, and then was back to his normal old self. I did not know what a pacemaker did until about a month ago when we had to choose a research topic.

President Franklin Roosevelt’s Foreign Policies

Foreign policies, although sometimes similar, varies from administration to administration. The policy makers, who are normally the closest aids or sometimes-even confidants, tend to have tremendous influences on these guiding principles. The foreign policies of America have help shaped the world as it is today, whether by providing aids to countries that have no structural governments or by defending American interest abroad. An example of these policies is president Franklin Roosevelt’s quarantine speech, given on 5th October 1937. Adolf Hitler and the fascist Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini are irrefutably threatening the world’s peace. In an effort to protect the peace, President Roosevelt’s quarantine speech seems to be a devised policy that would counter such a threat. A major setback however is that the neutrality acts has been passed by congress, curtailing America’s capability of backing and or supporting nations with whom we empathize. Sources in the White House indicate that the president may find other ways of assisting friendly countries. In his speech, the president has articulated concerns about the agonies guiltless people face. Women and children are mostly susceptible to these bombings. Without the declaration of war, they are the primary casualties of war. Although collateral damage is inevitable, the suggestion by the president is that prevention can be achieved by mainly placing political and economic pressures on the aggressors. He said, â€Å"The one country that wants to be a power monger jeopardizes the peace of the other nations. However, the country, which respects the freedom of other nations, which exercises patience with consideration of the other countries, earns the longstanding mutual respect and the approval of others. † He concluded by stating that just as when a pandemic breaks out, the population approves the quarantine of the patients; the quarantine of discrimination and ruthlessness were going to be headstrong, it is necessary for the United States to stay away from war. In his words, the president alleged, â€Å"America hates war, American hopes for peace. Therefore America actively engages in the search for peace. † This speech coupled with the aggressiveness of Germany and her allies has aroused a surprisingly mixed reaction within the country, especially amongst the isolationists. Then again, it appears that the president does not have any particular programs or plans in mind to combat the rising issue at hand. In an effort to pressure the United States and reiterate the Open Door policy in China, a delegation was sent to a meeting with the 1922 signatories of the Nine-Power Treaty in Brussels. Meanwhile, the Japanese just seized the Chinese city of Shanghai and continue to penetrate deep into the country at the cost of 100,000 lives. As it stands, it is very likely that America will be going to war due to the Japanese bombings of the U. S. gunboat Panay on the Yangtze River in China while sailors were helping the evacuation of Americans from the embassy in Nanking. Again, America has escaped the tides of war as the Japanese conformed to American demands of apology and reparations. In the meantime, the imminence of war in Europe has driven the Roosevelt administration into seeking assistance for the British and French and still isolationists refute the idea of war. An example is William Borah, Senator of Idaho, who obstinately insists that his sources are more reliable than that of State Department, and according to them, war is unlikely. Despite all the efforts, the outbreak of war in Europe and the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor has led the United States to war with the belligerents.

Possessive Pronouns Formation and Usage

Possessive Pronouns Formation and Usage Possessive pronouns are used to show ownership of an item or an idea. Possessive pronouns are very similar to possessive adjectives and its easy to confuse the two. Here are some examples of possessive pronouns immediately followed by possessive adjectives that are different in structure, but similar in meaning. Possessive Pronouns Examples That dog is hers.That beautiful house on the hill is theirs.The two motorcycles parked over there are his. Possessive Adjective Examples Her dog is over there.Their house on the hill is beautiful.His two motorcycles are parked over there. The easiest way to make sure you are using a possessive pronoun is to notice the placement. Possessive pronouns are always placed at the end of a sentence. They are not placed directly before the noun they modify which is the case for other possessive forms. Possessive Pronoun Usage Possessive pronouns are used to indicate possession when pointing out something to someone. Sentences using possessive pronouns generally use other modifiers to point something out and claim ownership. Examples Whose car is that? Its mine. Its mine.Wheres their house? That house is theirs. Possessive pronouns  are only used when the object of possession (what is yours, hers, ours, etc.) is understood from the context. In other words, what is possessed is usually referred to in a previous statement. The possessive pronoun is then used to clarify to whom the object belongs. Here is a list of possessive pronouns. I - mineYou - yoursHe - hisShe - hersWe - oursYou - yoursThey - theirs Is this your lunch? - No, that one over there is mine.Whose tennis rackets are those? - Theyre yours!Whose house is it? - Its his.Do you know who that belongs to? - Its hers.This isnt your house. Its oursWhose cars are these? - Theyre yours.Whose dog is that? - Its theirs. Possessive nouns are also be used in the same manner as possessive pronouns when stating that something belongs to someone in particular. Examples Whose cell phone is that? - Its Johns.Who do these computers belong to? - Theyre our parents. Possessive Pronoun Checklist Possessive pronouns are used when the object of possession is understood from the contextPlace possessive pronouns directly at end of sentencesPossessive pronouns are very similar in usage to possessive adjectivesPossessive pronouns are used when the context is clear who is in possession of an objectNote the similarity in form between possessive pronouns and adjectives Use these resources for more detailed information on other individual possessive forms: Possessive Nouns - For example, Johns house, the bicycles color, etc.Possessive Adjectives - For example, our neighborhood, his niece, etc. This general guide to possessive forms quickly compares all three types of possessive forms.

Anti-social Behavior and Family Interaction Essay Example

Anti Anti-social Behavior and Family Interaction Paper Anti-social Behavior and Family Interaction Paper Anti-social behavioral patterns are sometimes associated not only with familial upbringing, but sometimes, such concept is also linked with biological intrinsic character (Siegel and Welsh, 2004 p.60). The theoretical frameworks of biological and social domain are primarily integrative and evidently in continuous progressive interactions along with other contributory domains, such as psychological, environmental, and intrinsic character ((Abbott, 2001 p.79; Vito et al., 2007 p.100). In terms of biological domain, the primary concept involves the physical morphology, and external-internal attributes of an individual. Such domain emphasizes on the characteristics present on the individual, which establish the unique capacity and traits that identifies the person’ intrinsic attributes. Social domain covers the integration of an individual with relationships, attachments, and commitments present in the societal functioning. In addition to social domain, the community is the prime environment and the fundamental constituents of this factor are the prime contributors that influence the individual’s social capacity (Abbott, 2001 p.79). By integrating the two proposed perspectives, the conceptual idea of biosocial theoretical framework forms as the integrative domain of both physical and communal attributes. Biosocial theory assumes that the probable cause of individual’s delinquency originates not only on the individual’s genetic make-up and personality traits. As for this theory, biological negates the concept that an individual initiating an anti-social behavior, which also requires environmental declaration or initiation, such as environmental stressors, familial or social strain, etc (Siegel, 2006 p.150). With the theory presented, anti-social behavior is justified to be innate and naturally present (Warren, 2000 p.132). The test measures implicated in the study is the validation and provision of support-based interlinking causalities that explains the theoretical contribution in anti-social behavior occurrences. With familial interaction and setting as the primary center, the possible occurrences are linked to such factors in order to explain the etiology of anti-social behavior. Scope and Limitation The study aims to integrate the theoretical framework and occurrence of anti-social behavior attributed through familial interaction. With the imposed primary goal, the study shall direct its overview in order to attest the probable links between the phenomena imposed and the theoretical theory covered, biosocial theory. The research shall utilize literature review that includes validated and well-supported previous research writings, which provides substantial backbone of the overall study discussion. With critical analysis and data interpretation of the data gathered, the study shall provide the overall conclusion that should satisfy the probabilities related to main goal of the research.

The Importance of Outside Classroom Activities in Promoting Oral Essay

The Importance of Outside Classroom Activities in Promoting Oral Fluency in an EFL Context - Essay Example Consequently, creating opportunities outside the classroom for students to speak English is an effective strategy in compensating for students’ limited use of the L2. Research studies have shown that external classroom activities have equal significance in enabling students learn English as a second language. In addition, it has been asserted that such activities provide a non-educational environment from which a student may feel free and comfortable to acquire new language skills. This study investigates the significance of outside classroom activities in promoting students’ oral proficiency. In addition, it reports on students’ perceptions of such activities. Fifteen participants from the American University of Kuwait took part in this study. Open-ended interviews were done to find out what the participants thought of these activities, and what they gained from them. Interview results show that students found outside classroom activities very effective in improving not only their oral fluency skills, but their confidence and critical thinking skills as well. The implications of this research study are for language practitioners and language programs in the EFL context to be aware of the benefits of incorporating outside classroom activities in language teaching. Approximations indicate that in the beginning of the 21st century, around 400-500 million English speakers existed [1]. Obviously, by now the number has dramatically increased. The reason for that is many countries have picked up English as the primary foreign language as the world continues to connect more and more. In these countries, it is estimated that there is 20-30% of the population that speaks English. Thus, the author notes that around 1.5 to 2 billion English speakers exist worldwide. The numbers are inclusive of native language speakers who use English as their first language, and non-native English speakers who use English as their secondary language. While studying English in

Select one skill from the Year 1 Essential Skill Clusters that you Essay

Select one skill from the Year 1 Essential Skill Clusters that you achieved in your first practice placement and had signed by y - Essay Example She also gave me pointers on how I could improve in my next placement. The mentor also provided feedback from the patients, and through such feedback, I found out that the patients liked me talking to them and smiling at them. In general therefore, I performed well. Part 1: Gibbs Reflective cycle Description (What happened?) The incident involved my clinical placement with a community hospital which houses 19 inpatient beds, an A & E Department, Physiotherapy, and X-Ray/Ultrasound facilities. Their services include rehabilitation for patients having gone through accidents or minor injuries with a team of professionals including doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and social workers/case managers. During this placement, I was able to apply various skills and take part in various nursing interventions. One of the activities I was able to participate in is the handover during multidisciplinary team meetings. The meeting comprised of various nurses and other healt h professionals caring for different patients. To protect patients’ confidentiality in accordance with the NMC Code of Conduct, patients’ consent for care were sought before any essential nursing services were offered (NMC Code of Conduct Domain 2.8). I administered care to patients in the ward, assisting in wound cleaning and vital signs monitoring. The handover multidisciplinary meetings were done weekly with nurses bringing all the folders for the patients in the bay and giving a handover to everyone attending the meeting. I participated in giving handovers to about two patients a week. Members of the team ask questions about the patients I would be handing over, and I would explain what I can about each patient. At times, my mentor would help me explain further about each patient. The patients’ attending physicians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurses, dieticians, and social workers were present in the meeting. I reported about the patientsâ₠¬â„¢ vital signs, oftentimes indicating possible changes and unstable levels for patients. I also expressed that some patients had a low threshold for pain. The Gibbs reflection style was used for this paper because it provides an orderly and detailed process of reflection. It also allows for an in-depth assessment of details and interventions used during the incident being evaluated. Feelings (What I was thinking and feeling) I felt like my contribution to the team was an important contribution and I was also assured with the fact that the other members of the team listened and welcomed my comments and contribution to the handover meetings. I also listened to them as they shared their expertise on patient care. At times however, I found the discussion intimidating because the members of the team are experts in their field. I felt however, that I needed to be more assertive during these discussions in order to ensure that my contributions to the discussion would be heard. Evaluation (What was good and bad about the incident) What was good about the incident was that it taught me that the contributions of the team in the care of a patient are effective means by which improved patient outcomes can be gained. By attending the handover multidisciplinary meetings, I was able to endorse the patient and communicate their essential needs based on my assessment. With the assistance of my mentor, I was also able to be effective during the handover meetings. What was bad about the experience was that there were