Abuse of the First Amendment Essay

I can’t take on the world. However, a lot of the comments in websites and blog houses about Actor/Artist Lance Henriksen are very inappropriate and untrue. The majority of the comments attack Lance not only as a human being but also as an actor down to his choice of movies or film roles. Some comments attack his physical appearance. Well, let see how you look when you reach 66 years old. How can you attack a person that you do not know nor met? Things are said such as Lance took this role because he must have needed the money and that is all. So what, why does it matter why Lance took the movie or project? Is that your business or is that while writing your comments you were not creative enough to come up with anything else to write. Lance believes in the roles that he chooses; however, for the amateurs there a lot things that are out of an actor’s control regarding the rest of the movie or film and supporting cast including the final project. The sad thing is this is being done by highly indexed internet sites that come up in the top 5 to 10 web searches regarding Lance Henriksen. These are â€Å"Super Fans† of the Genres doing this. The Webmasters and/or Blogmasters of these highly ranked sites have a responsibility to cut the unnecessary crap out of the comments appearing on their sites. I thought public â€Å"character assassination† was during elections. I do not need to list the sites. You know who you are. Why are you so cruel? Your comments are not reviews that a person can decide whether they want to watch or buy a DVD with Lance Henriksen in it. They are so full of â€Å"potshots† at Lance the person, that the reviews are useless as far as the movie or film. We complain about what is said by the media and on television and printed in our newspapers then we crucify our own Genre actors via the Internet and worst than the tabloids. Are being hypocrites okay if it is done on the Internet? Be a Responsible Blogger August 22, 2006, 20:36 Due to the recent events surrounding the stalking of Actor Colin Farrell, in our opinion Fans, Bloggers, Blogmasters, and Webmasters must use the data obtained about the person or persons in their website responsibly. Do not allow yourselves to get caught up in the â€Å"indexing† race trying to get your site indexed 1st, 2nd, or 3rd and/or the most popular by disclosing private information or data on your sites. We are responsible for the content on our websites. Therefore, if you have the â€Å"real† address of your celebrity and/or a picture of their homes do not post them on your sites. If you have their personal home telephone or cell number do not post that information. Do your part to protect your celebrity in the same manner you would want to be protected. Being the most popular website on the internet at the expense of subjecting a celebrity and/or any other â€Å"public† person to â€Å"stalkers† and/or other sick people that want to harm them is not worth it. And please do not post non-public private pictures of their children. If you have not been stalked you have no idea of the emotions involved in the ordeal. In addition, do not be naive. Celebrities and other â€Å"public† figures are not the most stalked group of people. We are. Yes, â€Å"Joe Blow† public. The only difference is that the â€Å"public† figure’s stalking becomes a news event. This incident with Actor Colin Farrell is very disturbing for our staff because we have member(s) that have been stalked and eventually attacked by the stalker. So again please, we urge you Fans, Bloggers, Blogmasters, and Webmasters to join our cause to protect each other and the people that are the subjects of our websites. Please join La Femme Nikita07 and Associates in protecting the private information of those mentioned above and all people. Thank you for your cooperation from the staff of La Femme Nikita07 and Associates!!!!!!!

Stanley Milgram experiment

Stanley Malaria experiment Could you deliver electroshocks to a person you do not know? In addition, having someone behind you coaxing you the whole way until you get to 450 volts? That was Stanley Amalgam's idea. He wanted to find out how obedient one could be if they were in a position to harm another human being with an administrator in the same room. The administrator would coax the men to administer electroshock to another human being, being unseen, until the learner stops screaming.How far could you go before topping yourself or killing another human being VIA electroshock? Summary of the study and how it was conducted In the sass's, Stanley Malaria conducted a study to see how far a person could go by shocking an unknown individual with heart problems. The study was to show if someone of authoritative position told an individual to deliver an electrical shock to another human being for being wrong on a question. Malaria put an ad into a newspaper that recruited close to 40 men and they were to be paid $4. 50 for their participation. The experiment was conducted in a laboratory at Yale University.There was the administrator, a teacher, and a learner. The teacher had an electroshock machine that went from 15 volts to 450 volts. When the teacher asked a question to the learner and the learner knew the answer there was to be no shock. When the learner got the question incorrect, the teacher would press the buttons in sequential order on the electroshock machine (which was already hooked up to the learner). This would then deliver a current of electroshock to the learner. This was to teach him no to get the questions incorrect. Each time the learner got the question wrong the voltage went up.The learner and teacher only saw each other once and that was before the test. The learner, after a few incorrect answers, started to kick, scream, and protesting the shocks that is being delivered to him. The teacher started to be concerned about the learner, but the adm inistrator would say, â€Å"Please continue† or â€Å"please go on†, â€Å"this experiment requires that you continue†, â€Å"It is absolutely essential that you continue†, muff have no other choice; you must go on. † (Fiske, 2010, Para. 50). What the teacher did not know was that the learner was not really being shocked.This was to see how far the teacher would go before calling t quits on the learner. The learner would be screaming and pleading for his life saying, â€Å"please no more, my heart cannot take it anymore, please stop. † After the 300- volt shock, the room went quite. The administrator told the teacher to take the silence as an incorrect answer and shock again. There still was no voice on the other side. The teacher fell silent and felt stressed and tension. An explanation of the study results: What happened? Were there any unexpected findings? What did the authors conclude? What did the results mean, and what are their implica tions?The results of he Amalgam's study was found to be shocking and appalling. â€Å"The core findings showed that 65% of participants progressed up the shock generator past Danger: Severe Shock to 450 volts labeled simply XX. Only 35% resisted† (Fiske, 2010, Para. 51). The breakdown of the 40 study participants, 26 delivered the maximum amount of shocks to the learner, while only 14 participants quit when the learner was screaming in pain. The majority of the teachers went to the maximum amount of voltage due to the administrator telling them to keep going with the experiment.There was not any unexpected finding with the Amalgam's experiment. However, the numbers for those who went all the way was extremely high. â€Å"Malaria later surveyed the participants and found that 84% were glad to have participated, while only 1% regretted their involvement† (Cherry, n. D. , Para. 10). Malaria concluded that people will comply with orders either out of fear or to cooperate e ven when they are scared or know better. Those who complied through the duration of the experiment struggled with power. Those who participated in the study felt coerced by the administrator. They felt guilt, remorse, and anxiety.If a person of power says meeting is okay, majority of individuals that will continue will be few, but the show will go on. The results from Amalgam's experiment meant that most individuals put into a stressful situation as so; they comply and obey with orders. The select few that did not comply, knew when it was time to stop. They had more of a conscious to stop then to â€Å"kill† a person by shocking them over questions. This study was all about power and obedience. Malaria expected most of the participants to stop when the learner was yelling and screaming in pain. However, that was not the case. After the study was over there was a debrief.The teacher finds out the learner is not injured. Most were relieved to find the learner alive and not hurt . The implications for the Amalgam's experiment are showing that of dangers and obedience. Amalgam's experiment is one of the most psychological studies. If the original variable is not the outcome, then it is time to take a step back and rulebook at the experiment. If the study was reproduced a second time and the same results occur, then that is the purpose of the study would be Justified. An explanation of how the concept situations applies to the study results Situations played a major role in the Amalgam's experiment.The circumstance that was around the teacher was the administrator that was in the same room as the teacher. The administrator was coxing the teacher to keep going even after the yells and screams for help. Most of the teachers went along with the plan even if personal ethics told them not to or to stop. This author believes that if there were not an administrator in the room with the teacher, they would not have gone as far as they did with the electroshock machin e. There were many mitigating circumstances as to why the teacher did not stop when they knew they should have.Do you think the study results might have been different if the participants were from a different cultural, ethnic, or gender group? How so? This author does not believe that the results would have differed if the participants were from different cultures, genders, or ethnic groups. This author saw an updated Amalgam's experiment with females and males and the females was Just as ruthless as the males were in 1960. This author believes that it does not matter where you are from or who you are, but rather what kind of conscious that individual has. Could you be cohered into shocking an individual who said he has a bad heart?That would stop many people, or would it? Do you think the results of the study are important and relevant to contemporary society? Explain This author believes that the results are important. This way when and if the study is conducted again, there is a basis to go by. Does this author believe the results are relevant to contemporary society? This author believes the results were relevant in sass's, but not today. Amalgam's views are out of today's ethical standards. Regardless if the learner was getting shocked or not, many questions still would surface. How would individuals act today?Would the number that takes it all the way be higher? Society would be interested, but not maybe people would report to the study. Conclusion The Malaria study did not go as planned and the results were unexpected. Malaria â€Å"The Malaria studies are a paradigm for understanding evil, but opinions differ as to whether the actual participants were necessarily behaving in an evil manner† (Fiske, 2010, Para. 63). Amalgam's experiment has become a topic in not only Psychology, but also other areas. His experiment has gone down in the books as one of the most studied topics.His experiment shows how obedience is dangerous in this case. The teach ers were being cohered by the administrator to keep going even while the learner was saying, â€Å"his heart hurt to stop. † Luckily, no one was harmed during this experiment and the individuals that went to 450-volts felt remorse.

Formalist Criticism on “Waiting on the Curb: Lynwood California, 1967”

Marquetta Brown Eng 241 J. Zeff Formalist Criticism The poem ‘Waiting oat the curb: Lynwood California, 1967 written by Deborah Escobedo is about a young girl named Debbie in Lynwood, California who is waiting on a friend at the curb. When first examining the title of the poem, I think of waiting on the curb as a sign of prostitution or hitchhiking. They way I imagine the scene of the poem is; a hot summer day in an urban area in Lynwood, California. I imagine Debbie’s father outside a small white house watering the lawn. In the poem the characters were Debbie, mother, father, neighbor, a friend, and America. Even though the friend and America didn’t have lines in the poem the still had an effect on how the poem was interpreted. When I analyze and picture Debbie’s father, I see an older, overweight, lower middle class gentleman. I see him standing on the front lawn watering the grass with a white T-shirt on and denim shorts on. The father seems to be a very relaxed individual. â€Å"His law, the one green he can count on. He can’t count /On his money, or his Dodgers slipping on the green/. By the author saying that he can’t count on his money shows that he may have some financial troubles. Also in examining those two lines of the poem about the father, they give more insight about the father’s possessions. The word his is capitalized when it refers to â€Å"His lawn†, but not when is refers to â€Å"his Dodgers†. While reviewing the personality of the father and his relationship with his daughter, â€Å"Maybe he could speak his mind about decency†. Ordinarily id a father had to question what his daughter was wearing he would have stopped her immediately. Instead of him stopping her and telling her to go change her clothes, he â€Å"†¦rolls the garden hose/Onto the sling of his arm. Debbie, where are you going/With no clothes on? † Debbie says, â€Å"Dad, this is how it is†. The dad doesn’t say or do anything. In conducting a character analysis of Debbie, she seems to be an older teenage. Debbie also appears to be a little bit rebellious. With no regard or respect for her father she dresses inappropriately and waits on the curb. â€Å"She thinks and spins the music of her time†. She is dressed in cut offs, â€Å"Cut too short†, and a gypsy blouse. It appears that she could be possibly day dreaming this event while she is waiting on the curb. The poet made the reader pay attention to the details of Debbie’s attire. By saying a gypsy blouse it makes the reader picture something seductive and showing skin and cleavage. The tone of the poem changes when â€Å"America is getting ready. † The author is taking about the people and the world around the characters in the poem, referring to the people as â€Å"America†. She then describes what America is doing around her. â€Å"America is shoveling ice cream into Tupperware bowls,/America is setting up trays in front of snowy TVs. † At this point in the poem she brings forth a reality. Debbie comes to a realization at this point as well. She begins to pull at her shorts that have risen up form being cut to short. I can picture Debbie looking at everything around her with the woman in curls yelling at her own old man then Debbie saying, â€Å"I gotta get outta here,/ It seems as if at this point she is unsatisfied with where she is at and the culminating events made her realize that this is not the life she wants. Overall the poem told a story. The author’s diction made the reader key into certain areas of the poem. The way the poem was presented on the page also had an effect on the way the poem was interpreted.

Evolution of Nursing Curriculum Essay

Institute of Protestant Deaconesses – Florence Nightingale trained to be a nurse. Two years later she was appointed resident lady superintendent of a hospital for invalid women in Harley Street, London. * 1860 – By the help of wealthy friends, Nightingale used the money to fund the Nightingale School and Home for Nurses at St. Thomas Hospital. * Ursuline Sisters of Quebec first attempt to train nurses in America who taught the Indian women to care for their sick. * Dr. Valentine Seaman introduced the first regular school for nurses. * The educational endeavour of Florence Nightingale and the Civil War had focused attention in the necessity for the nurses and importance of an educational system. * 1869 – Nursing education was placed under the control of medical profession. They proposed a school for training nurses in every large hospital. * In both England and America, the need for trained nurses was so great that schools of nursing relatively grew. * Adelaide Nutting – had been a catalytic agent in the separation of schools of nursing from hospital control. * Dr. Washburn and Burlingham – advocated raising the whole standard of nursing profession in the requirements of admission and stressed the cultural values. * 1894 – Nursing leaders stressed the importance of planning the entire educational program for the student rather than for the convenience of hospital services. * 1895 – Miss Mary Agnes Snively of Toronto presented a paper that emphasized the need for uniformity of education for nursing through a uniform matriculation examination for admission, a uniform length of program nursing through a uniform length of program of nursing education. * Miss Nutting presented an electrifying report at the 1896 convention which revealed that work hours per day could total 15hrs with 105hrs weekly; one lecture per week is given. * Miss Lucy Walker, who was a Superintendent of Nurses, gave a progress report on the acceptance of lengthening the program with shortening of the workday. * The first preliminary courses varied from a few classes to a planned program of six months. It included biological and social sciences and practical work in a mannequin called Mrs. Chase. * 1908 – The board had outlined specific requirements for schools of nursing. They were required to prove two years of study in medical nursing, surgical nursing (including gynecology), obstetrical nursing, pediatrics, nutrition and cookery, drugs and solution, dietetics, instruction in contagious nursing, ethics, emergencies, mental nursing, personal hygiene, and provide clinical experience in a hospital setting. * Schools that wished to continue this practice were required to extend their course of training to three years. Training schools had to be connected to a hospital or Sanitarium having no fewer than 25 beds, with the number of beds two to four times greater than the number of students. * 1909 – Plan for a university school of nursing was presented. * A change in title from pupil nurse to student of nursing. * Central Schools – had been successful in Europe; students received class instruction at one place at a university * 1915 – Only 10 schools had fulltime instructors. Superintendent of nurses did the most teaching and doctors taught anatomy. * 1923 – Yale University of Nursing and Western Reserve University of Nursing were established. * Public health was incorporated into the curriculum. * The degree of Bachelor of Science in Nursing was given to graduates from 1926 – 1936, the degree of Masters in Nursing was awarded until it closed in 1958. * 1925 – A committee sponsored by American Nurses’ Association undertook a five-year study of nursing and nurse training. * 1949 – The state board pool for nurses provided examination for practical nurses. * The first examination for Registered Nurses was given in 1904, with a battery of test questions designed to be a ‘severe’ test of practical and theoretical knowledge. * The Board minutes that the test involved the ‘care of febrile cases, of patients before and after operation, of the mother and new-born baby in normal and abnormal obstetrical cases, of treatment of emergencies, and knowledge of drugs with regard to toxicological symptoms, and treatment after poisonous doses. Male nurses will be examined on genitor-urinary work as a substitute for obstetrical cases’. * Today, the State Board for Nursing has 23 members, consisting of 17 RNs, two LPNs, and four public members. The Board functions as an advisory group to the Board of Regents. Its stated mission is ‘to protect the public by fostering high standards of professional licensure, practice and discipline.

Renewable Energy Essay

Green power, renewable energy, solar power, wind power, electric/hybrids. What is this? What can I do? Many may not know these terms, what they actually consist of, and how we can all do our part and help. What can any ordinary person do in our everyday lives to help care for Mother Earth? Renewable energy sources; solar, wind, and power these small changes can ensure a cleaner, safer and longer sustaining environment for our children’s grandchildren. Can renewables really be the way of the future? Some do agree that yes, it can. Solar power for instance, due to the fact that energy from the sun is clean, free, abundant, and infinitely renewable. It does not emit fumes, not dangerous to produce, and definitely does not need to be extracted at the expense of human, financial and environmental cost from below the surface of the ground. In the article, State Solar Plans Are As Big As All Outdoors states, â€Å"The expectation is that renewables will transform California’s electricity system,† says Terri O’Brien, who helps vet sites for new facilities for the California Energy Commission. The way to have solar power is provided through solar panels they can be placed on rooftops or buildings, on the sides or just on stand in an open area. When looking at Solar Thermal facilities to power cities with energy, like the one owned by Palo Alto based Ausra Inc, this is where the unsightly comes into play, rows of gigantic mirrors covering an area as big as 2 football fields. This poses a question of, â€Å"How can these solar panels work when the sun doesn’t shine?† No power can be generated and there’s no way to store. â€Å"Climate change is the greatest challenge that mankind has ever faced,† said Peter Darbee, President and Chief executive of PG & E and head of its paren t S.F. PG&E Corp. â€Å"It’s imperative to seek out the most cost effective solutions.† Cost effective possibly but at the price of wasted land. A second renewable source; wind power. A small town in Denmark known as, â€Å"renewable energy island.† It is the first of it is the first of its kind. Showing the world its positive prospects on one end, yet natures devastation on the other. We have all seen those big turbines way up in the hills, as a child I often wondered what they were but I remember thinking how big they were and just watching them spin in the wind. Wind power seems as genuine and legit as solar power, having as many advantages as disadvantages. Both are clean renewable energy sources, again neither are extracted from the earth, raw materials are free but neither solar nor wind power can generate enough electricity the way fossil fuels or nuclear power can. Just as the sun does not always shine for the panels, the wind will not always blow for the turbines. Unless you are from Samso AKA â€Å"renewable energy island† where in fact the wind off the Kattegat blows continuously. The town of Samso is more like a big family. It took the entire island in cooperation to achieve their status. Taking into consideration the pros and cons of wind powered turbines, where the ability to generate power to all the homes outweighed the environmental impact of the killing of birds and bats due to the turbines spinning. Mr Hermansen of Denmark’s, â€Å"renewable energy island,† stated that, â€Å"one reason to live here can be social relations,† he said, â€Å"This renewable energy project could be a new kind of social relation, and we used that.† They show that anyone can have wind power one does not need to be special, well educated, or rich to accomplish renewable energy, one just has to have the drive to make a difference. Lastly, electric vehicles, sounds interesting and fun as it rolls off your tongue. EV’s or not to be; once again it seems to be the question. The notion of EV’s has been brought back to the table, yet again. In 1976, Congress approved funding for â€Å"electric and hybrid† research. That same year Forbes reported that, â€Å"the electric cars rebirth is as sure as the need to end our dependence on imported oil.† EV’s have been around for some time now though personally never gave them a second thought, that is until I read the article The Great Electric Car Experiment by Daniel Yergin. Yergin discusses the need for EV’s to not only reduce pollution and to offset the carbon emissions. EV’s have come a long way since its first debut between 1996 & 1999 to today’s Nissan LEAF (Leading, Enviromentally friendly,  Affordable, Family car) batteries are smaller, cars are more compact, more miles to battery ratio, eye appealing, and co st friendly. Honestly I myself had been thinking of purchasing a Hybrid, rather than a EV due to same concerns many other folks have. Is it really affordable or too good to be true? How many miles can I drive before recharging? Where do I recharge? Will it just die and leave me stranded? All these questions are slowly being answered, but these questions and concerns will way heavy on whether how quickly EV’s will be accepted and learned as â€Å"the way to go.† By 2020 there will be more EV’s/Hybrids on the road. â€Å"An automobile revolution is coming, but it’s traveling in the slow lane.† I found Green Power to have many interesting articles. It was very eye opening. It has made me think about how I and family use energy. Turning out the light upon exiting a room, using energy efficient bulbs, buying energy star appliances – all of which we have done. My perspectives did indeed change a bit since reading more on renewable sources. If I could afford to I would install solar panels on my home yet I do not fully support solar farms or wind turbines, I definitely would not put a turbine near my home. I love nature too much and could not stand to see birds dying by flying into the turbines. Bottom line is we all need to do our part in helping save our earth. If I must sacrifice and by an EV, pay more in taxes, by better appliances and/or update my home. I would do so. I currently try to make little by little changes since every little bit counts for a better tomorrow. I’m happy to say that I’m pulling my own weight. Works Sited Kolbert, Elizabeth. â€Å"The Island In The Wind.† Article in Behrens, Laurence and Rosen, Leonard J. Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 12th Ed., Brief. New York: Longman, 2013. 514-520. Dickerson, Marla . â€Å"State Solar Plans Are as Big as All Outdoors.† Article in Behrens, Laurence and Rosen, Leonard J. Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 12th Ed., Brief. New York: Longman, 2013. 505-508. Yergin, Daniel. â€Å"The Great Electric Car Experiment.† Article in Behrens, Laurence and Rosen, Leonard J. Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 12th Ed., Brief. New York: Longman, 2013. 525-534. View as multi-pages

Legal Professionals Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Legal Professionals Report - Assignment Example Nancy B. Heller’s education can be traced back to 1978, when she graduated from the Indiana University, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Forensic Studies. Ms. Heller’s stint with the legal corridors is longstanding, given that in 1999, she became a Registered Paralegal. This admission into the Registered Paralegal came about as a result of Heller having passed the Paralegal Advanced Competency Test, which is carried out under the aegis of the National Federation for Paralegal Associations. From 1999 to 2011, Ms. Heller served as an Adjutant Professor at the Capital University School of Law Paralegal Program as a lecturer of Civil Litigation, Law and Ethics Office Practice and Trial Preparation and Practice. Particularly, Ms. Heller specializes in areas such as access, summation, accurint, E-discovery and PACER. According to Kirkwood (2009), it is important to note that the prerequisites that qualify the position that Ms. Heller presently occupies are not limited to the achievements discussed above. Particularly, Ms. Heller has played immense roles in community and professional initiatives. Ms. Heller served as: the Respite caregiver for the Hospice of Columbus (1994-2001); coordinator of the Walk for justice, the Legal Aid Society, Columbus, (1993-1997); the March of Dimes for Walk-America Participant and Coordinator (1985-97); the Volunteer, Greater Columbus Arts Council (1984-97); and the Trustee, Alpha Epsilon Phi Foundation (1995-7), among others. Alongside these educational achievements and illustrious professional experience, Ms. Heller in 2010 won the prestigious Ohio Jefferson Award for Public service. The Court-Appointed Special Advocates for Franklin County (CASA) is the organ that had nominated Ms. Heller, following Heller’s advocacy for neglected and abused children, and for her vehement support of the terminally ill, while working with Zusman Community Hospice. Prior to this, Ms. Heller had been named as being among the top 15 paralegals in America, in Lessons from Leading Paralegal Experts, 2008. The foregoing shows clearly that not only is Heller’s paralegal record impeccable, but also a seasoned one, spanning from as far back as 1978. Heller was able to ascend to her current position by the virtue of being a member of the Registered Paralegal (a qualification she has held since 1999), and her educational merit and experience in the field of law. At the moment, Ms. Heller is serving: in the Editorial Advisory Panel for the Legal Assistant Today (from 1999); as the Respite caregiver of the Zusman Community Hospice (since 2004); and as the court-appointed Guardian Ad Litem for the Court-Appointed Special Advocates for Franklin County (since 1994). Heller also serves as a litigation paralegal in the Columbus offices of Sater, Vorys, Pease LLP and Seymour. To this effect, she handles class and complex litigation issues such as toxic tort, products liability, employment and commercial cases. This mea ns that the responsibilities that Heller discharges are immense, cross-organizational and multiple. Kirkwood (2009) adds that one of the incidents that served as Heller’s source of challenge occurred when Nancy B. Heller and the Vorys Legal Counsel attempted to preside over matters relating to the Cleveland’

Global economics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Global economics - Research Paper Example Company obtains specialized services at low cost, which gives a competitive edge, and sufficient time to focus on the core business. If the money supply is greater than money demand, interest rate will decline and cause the increase in borrowing and spending by corporate and consumers. In this case demand will rise above the GDP rate and cause inflation. Increase in exports and decline in imports will result in boosting the value of GDP. Low value of currency together with lower interest rates will enhance consumer spending and thus lead to economic growth (Jacob, 2013). The depreciation of yen relative to the US currency has led to make the goods more affordable for US. With the low value of yen, Japan has produced goods and services at cost effective prices. Low prices have grasped the attention of most of the buyers in US, which results in increased production, in Japan. As a result, Japan has increased its exports and thus employment opportunities in the country. For instance, a low valued yen drives to decline the prices for Nissan car, hence attracting more American buyers than GM cars. Consequently, more Nissan cars are being produced, thus increasing the employment level in Japan and lowering employment in US (Ito, 1996). Valuation of the currency leads to lower the prices of import goods resulting in boosting the imports of the country. However, the products manufactured in US will become costly for foreign buyers, hence the exports will decrease. This trade deficit will cause to decrease the net exports of the country and contract the GDP (McConnell et al., 2010). The strong valuation of the currency will result in increasing the interest rates, and hence domestic as well as international investors will be more willing to investment in businesses. Businesses in the country will tend to grow more, leading to additional production activities and; therefore, increase income levels. Due

Employment At Will Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Employment At Will - Essay Example Many people including Werhane and Radin have contested EAW. Proponents of EAW agreement argue that it does not violate respect accorded to employees since it is a free will agreement (Allhoff, & Vaidya, 2008). However, EAW interferes with respect of human rights. For instance, an employee at free will contractual agreement will find it extremely difficult to fight for basic human rights or even responsibilities such as whistleblowing (Werhane and Radin, 2004; Repa, 2010).EAW poses a threat of violations of moral obligations for both parties. It is a moral obligation for the employer, for instance, to treat the employees with dignity when at work and during termination. Explanations for termination should be morally justified and explained on humane grounds to maintain respect (SAGE, 2011). The case of Pugh v. See’s Candies, Inc., demonstrates perfectly how respect can be absent even when there is free will (Miller, & Jentz, 2010).The list of reasons is endless. The same way em ployers value and respect corporate social responsibility so should they value employees in EAW contracts. Additionally, arbitrary financial and managerial actions are not endured, why should human resource actions be arbitrary? (Pozgar, 2010)ConclusionAlthough the employees act at free will on EAW contracts, good business ethics demand that they are treated in the humane way to prevent issues of ethical and moral concerns. Only then can it be claimed that respect has been accorded to the employee.

Business Innovation - Six Sigma program and Motorola Term Paper

Business Innovation - Six Sigma program and Motorola - Term Paper Example This process saves a great deal of time that is used to improve on design and general quality aspects of products. Introduction Motorola’s history is quite helpful for many businesses especially in the manufacturing sector. Its major contribution to this sector is the Six Sigma initiative in production where focus was shifted from measuring quality in percentages to parts per million. This idea stemmed from the realisation that the advancement in technology cannot stick with the conservative forms of measurement. Six Sigma was introduced to achieve the set quality goals so as to minimise chances of wastage in terms of resources and time. The company since the adoption of this strategy has saved its shareholders billions of dollars in terms of resources and time. The initiative has also enabled it to deliver high quality products to its consumers all over the world. Cell phone sales have shot up tremendously in the last decade and Motorola was well positioned in the 1990s to ca ter for the rising demand. For the initiative to work the company has to ensure that it changes its leadership and invest in rewarding innovation coupled with creating the right metrics. This paper will aim at discussing the circumstances that led to the innovation of Six Sigma in Motorola, how Six Sigma project was implemented at Motorola and the results achieved by the company after implementation. Company overview Motorola is one of the leading companies in the electronic communications business. It deals in designing and manufacturing cellular and cordless phones, broadband products and modems among other products. It ranks as the second largest producer of mobile phones behind Nokia. It has for a long time controlled about 17% of the entire world market in regards to mobile phones but leading in two-way radios (Pande, Neuman & Cavanagh, 2000). It has concentrated a great deal in wireless communication and internet related technology. The company further produces a wide range of products for use in the automotive industry together with computer and navigation. It is also important to appreciate that the company enjoys a bigger market outside the USA at almost 60%. Motorola’s glory can be attributed heavily on its quality products which in 1988 saw it receive Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. This award recognises businesses that act as role models for others in various areas of management and general operations. It is the Six Sigma initiative at Motorola that attracted this admiration. Motorola acted as the first company to incorporate this Six Sigma in its operations back in January 1987 and due to its almost-immediate success, many other companies followed suit. Before this initiative Motorola was experiencing one of the most turbulent times since it was Galvin Manufacturing Corporation in 1928 (Coronado & Jiju 2002). However, since February 2011 Motorola became two separate companies; Motorola Mobile and Motorola Mobility. Motorola and Six Sigma Before Motorola came up with the Six Sigma initiative, it was on its downward trend and it required an intensively innovative approach to the market. The competitive market arena had become too competitive for the company to rely on its traditional management practices and operational methods. The changes towards a fully-fledged Six Sigma project

The Lisbon Treaty and the Development of the European Union Essay

The Lisbon Treaty and the Development of the European Union - Essay Example As the discussion highlights the principal objective of the Lisbon Treaty is to make the EU a single legal entity. The other objectives of the Treaty are aimed at the protection of the environment and enhancing security to the energy sector. Under the principles laid down by the Lisbon Treaty, the Member States can leave the EU voluntarily. The Lisbon Treaty suggests an amendment procedure to the EU Treaties of the future; without having to convene a meeting of the Member States for that specific purpose. Moreover, it brings about new changes to the EU system. At the proposal stage itself, there was intense debate between the drafters of the Treaty. It makes the fundamental rights charter of the year 2000 legally binding. The Member States treated this charter as a political declaration in order to formulate the rights of EU citizens and to pronounce them with greater emphasis. The Lisbon Treaty renders this charter binding on all the Member States; and this charter consists of 54 ci vil, political, economic and social rights. All these rights are applicable to the citizens of Europe. In addition, residents in the EU are provided with the right to life, the right to marry, the right to strike and the right to conduct business within the EU.

Marketing Plan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing Plan - Research Paper Example he strengths component of the SWOT analysis it is the case that internal environment of Chick-Fil-a has a number of factors that could be considered beneficial. Firstly it is the case that the company is often perceived as having healthier options over other fast food companies, furthermore the company has a long history of innovation as they were one of the first innovators in the chicken sandwich format. There is often a sense of family oriented atmosphere in a typical Chick-Fil-A insofar as they present a fun image (By using cows in their advertising). In this regard if the company were to move forward with an internet cafà © aspect of their business it may be beneficial because they have been innovators in the past and the internet format may help add to the ‘Fun atmosphere they tend to present. In terms of the internal weaknesses of the company, as anybody who has eaten at the restaurant can identify, the menu options are restricted to chicken and when the company engages in a price war with a traditional hamburger company one could argue that the additional cost of adding internet could negatively affect the price point of their product offerings. In terms of external opportunities, the company leads the way with healthy fast food options, with a high degree of customer loyalty. This in turn can help the company if they choose to implement an internet cafà © function to their business model as it may help gain and retain new customers with a faster paced (Healthy lifestyle). Lastly the external threats to the company are that a number of other fast food chains offer similar menu items and already have the internet cafà © function. Furthermore by being closed on Sundays there is the potential that this could turn away customers who would desire a more entertaining internet experience in their free time. In terms of competition in the fast food sector and internet sector it is the case that according to openwifispots.com (2010) several other companies

To what extent are class, racial and gender inequalities inter-related Essay

To what extent are class, racial and gender inequalities inter-related (in the UK) - Essay Example Researching wealth enables us to move beyond the snapshot picture of short-term gendered economic inequality that we obtain when we analyze wages and onto exploring the longer term buildup of gendered economic inequities. In this way, the intensity of the economic disadvantage women face can be better revealed and its implications better analyzed. Gender is a key variable in the analysis of inequalities in wealth and is the focus of this article. Yet the sociological and economic literatures on womens and mens economic positions reveal an increasing focus on other, non-gendered, social differences. Paying more attention to these other social divisions’ means that we are able to develop a fuller understanding of the picture of economic advantage and disadvantage in contemporary society. In the 2002 special issue of Feminist Economics devoted to theorizing gender, caste, race, and class, Rose M. Brewer, Cecilia A. Conrad, and Mary C. King (2002, 6) lamented the fact that much of the research published in the journal has centered purely on gender and, in so doing, has neglected the ways in which gender is shaped by other divisions. Examining only what unites women and separates them from men passes over major, significant divisions such as race and class that have ramifications for understanding the experiences of different groups of women and men in society. Put simply, as bell hooks (2000: 19) asked in her well-known critique of the feminist call for equality with men: [S]ince men are not equal in a white, supremacist, patriarchal class structure, which men do women want to be equal to? The attention that is now being paid to class, race, and other divisions, alongside gender, reflects the impact of an increasingly sophisticated theorizing of social divisions that has raised two pertinent issues for our understanding of inequalities in society. First, one of the core characteristics of a

History of the Universe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History of the Universe - Essay Example c) Another hydrogen atom sits in the bound state characterized by the -0.38eV energy level. It subsequently absorbs a photon of energy 5eV. In one or two sentences describe what happens to the atom. When the -.38eV electron absorbed a 5eV photon, the electron would become unbound and the atom would ionize. d) In one or two sentences explain how the wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation corresponding to photons of visible light. Electromagnetic wavelength is inversely proportional to the photon energy emitted. When the energy is such that it falls between 656nm (red) and 410nm (violet), this is the visible spectrum. a) In one or two sentences explain whether the gravitational and electromagnetic forces between the two nuclei are attractive or repulsive. The gravitational force is attractive and the electromagnetic force is repulsive. b) If the nitrogen-16 nucleus is replaced by a second oxygen-16 nucleus explain in one or two sentences how the strength of each of the two forces discussed above would change if at all. Be as quantitative as you can with your answer. The gravitational force would remain the same due to the same atomic mass. The repulsive electromagnetic force would proportionally increase with the addition of a proton in the nucleus. c) State a way in which you could reduce the strength of the electromagnet... Be as quantitative as you can with your answer. The gravitational force would remain the same due to the same atomic mass. The repulsive electromagnetic force would proportionally increase with the addition of a proton in the nucleus. c) State a way in which you could reduce the strength of the electromagnetic force between the two oxygen-16 nuclei to zero but leave the strength of the gravitational force between the two nuclei virtually unchanged. Adding the 8 orbital electrons to the model would cancel the electromagnetic forces and would leave the gravitational attraction unchanged due to the electrons negligible mass. Question B3 a) Give the names of the types of object that represent the three possibilities that a star can become at the end of its life. A star may become a dwarf (White, brown,black), a super-nova, or collapse into a black hole. b) In no more than 100 words explain why massive stars come to an end of their lives and what happens to the star as the end point is reached. Massive stars burn their fuel more rapidly. As they continue their evolution, fusion produces heavier elements and each successive stage provides fuel for the next stage. As they reach their final stage with an iron core, the iron is too compact to fuse into heavier elements. Gravity overwhelms the equilibrium of the star causing it to collapse. The rapid contraction causes the star's core to rebound into a core-collapse supernova. c) In no more that 100 words explain why the way in which massive stars die is important for the chemical evolution of the universe. Massive stars fuse lighter elements into heavier elements such as helium, carbon,

Segmentation, Targeting & Positioning Case Study

Segmentation, Targeting & Positioning - Case Study Example Other criteria that will be considered is the frequency and sustainability of each market: while the need for ornamental art might be erratic, a long-term advertising campaign would provide a much more stable demand and is therefore a more profitable market. Related products can be grouped initially into â€Å"commercial† and â€Å"non-commercial.† Commercial products are mostly composed of advertising and similar artwork, which can be further broken up into long-term advertising campaigns, singular advertisements, and miscellaneous items. Non-commercial products would include decorative artwork and illustrated content. Products are defined mostly by the need for the products that are produced by the aforementioned artist. Purchasing habits, as dictated by influences such as socio-economic status, demographics, location, and other psychologically-influenced factors will also be taken into account. The commercial art would mostly be targeted at business and advertising agencies. As the artist in question has a degree, he is therefore more likely to be hired by an advertising agency or business for long-term campaigns. This makes long-term campaigns the most profitable market, as individual art for businesses can be sporadic. Also, singular advertisements are not so dependent on the stipulation that the artist has a degree, making it a less-profitable, though still primary, market. Ornamental and content-based artwork will be a secondary market. Ornamental artwork and content-based artwork can be sold to individuals. The price range required in order to make decorative artwork profitable as a primary limits the market to wealthier individuals, but as a secondary market, there is opportunity for smaller works to be offered to culturally-aware individuals throughout the upper- and middle-class. Also, there is significant competition in this field, which makes it a less profitable market. Content-based artwork, which includes web-based art

Aldi moves beyond competing on price Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Aldi moves beyond competing on price - Essay Example In the process they have also changed competitive environment. In the face of such changing economy supermarkets like ALDI should respond to its environment, and take strategic actions to not only sustain growth but also improve on its competitive position in the industry. The UK supermarket industry in 2008 accounted for retail sales of approximately  £124.1bn and performed well compared to other industries despite market gloom (Verdict 2009). This combined output has been generated by the various categories of supermarkets - large grocery retailers, regional retailers, fascia group, convenience stores, LADs (limited assortment discounters), frozen food retailers and specialist retailers (Verdict 2009). Despite its financial size, the supermarkets industry is driven by the major large grocery retailers which account for 85 percent of its sales and four dominant supermarkets (Competition Commission 2008). Although, ALDIs direct competitors are Lidl and Netto, it is also competing with the other categories of retailers. Considering this scenario, ALDI which is a LAD must consider its competitive environment in order to devise strategic plans for sustainable growth. To analyze the industry, Michael Porters (1985) Five Forces Model is being used to gauge the competitive environment. The Five Forces include buyers bargaining power; suppliers bargaining power, threats of substitutes; threats of new entrants; and the degree of rivalry among the firms. These shall be analyzed as follows: The supermarkets are the price-takers according to the Competition Commission Report (2008) which means that the consumers have to buy at the price set by the supermarkets. The supermarkets compete based on prices which although allow consumers a wide range of retailers to choose from but the nature of the product (food) allows them to be

Impact of Announcing Dividends on Shares Prices of Corporations Listed Dissertation

Impact of Announcing Dividends on Shares Prices of Corporations Listed in the Dubai Financial Market - Dissertation Example 1.2 Name and role of the researcher 1.3 Summary With the development of trade and business, the face of the financial markets has changed completely. Regulatory authorities of different countries have realized the increasing importance of business for economic developments. In this process, they strive to encourage the business environment through various means. In order to encourage industrialization within a country, a huge amount of investments is required. However, it is not always possible for the government to provide the entire capital for developing growth oriented economic structure. In this process, multiple financial markets play a very crucial role in shaping an economy. The primary objective of financial markets is to avail necessary capital for industrial development from different sources. Therefore, financial markets act a mediator that transforms the ideal and potential capital for productive purposes. Besley and Brigham have explained that the financial market helps to â€Å"facilitate flow of fund† from different sources, and in case of developed countries, â€Å"financial markets help efficiently allocate excess funds of savers to individuals and organisation in need of funds for investment or consumption† (Besley and Brigham, 2007, p.89). ... Among these, the financial market is the most prominent in terms of generating funds for public listed companies. The capital market helps to raise long term funds from different retail or institutional investors and the entire mechanism is technically processed though the stock exchanges. The capital markets deal in two sub markets i.e. stock market and bond market (CBL Economic Review, 2009). The investments transaction process between the investors and companies are done by the stock exchange and the stock prices are generally determined automatically based on the prevailing demand and supply. However, the stock prices remain for short run as demand and supply of stock is uncertain and tends to change every now and then (Gray, Cusatis and Woolridge, 2003, p.31). However, there are also other factors that influence the demand and supply of a stock. Basically, multiple internal factors like company performance, dividend, competition etc and external factors like inflation, market st ructure, economic cycle etc are responsible for influencing demand and supply (Khan and Zuberi, 1999, p.47). This research paper will attempt to analyse the role of dividend announcement influencing a stock price while focusing on the companies listed in the Dubai Financial market. Dividend is one of the internal factors that influence stock prices. In fact, when the managements of public listed companies announce the issue of dividends, the stock prices are influenced and there are other changes which can also be traced in relation to the stock. Dividend is â€Å"any distribution made by a company to its shareholders whether in money or other property† (CCH Editors, 2009, p.119).

Diploma in Ship Superintendancy Module 3 TMA Essay

Diploma in Ship Superintendancy Module 3 TMA - Essay Example This can be followed when there is enough Insurance for the ship and the cargo. I t is important to know to whom the insurance is named after and whether the insurance is assigned to a bank under a loan agreement. The extent of the insurance should be known for there may be uncovered items. Then there is Freight Management which is the provision of voyage orders and other information to enable the master to plan and undertake the voyage, of voyage estimates and accounts, the calculation of hire and freights, dispatch and demurrage and the arrangement of the correct collection and payment of all charter hire and freight monies. Fifth would be Accounting which is the accurate records of accounts. Sixth is Chartering which is the owner's instructions. Proper coordination with the owner, or a selected organization, is crucial to avoid mistakes. Next is Vessel Sales and Purchase. This is a major activity where the exchange of the purchase price with the deed of sale of the ship along with the physical asset. Eighth is Provisions and Bunkering. This is the negotiation for competitive prices for optimum quality for shipment. Then we have Operation, which includes voyage estimates, voyage instructions, appointment of agents and stevedores and the arrangements for surveying cargoes. ... Seaworthiness and cargoworthiness always go hand in hand. As an overview, seaworthiness is the shipowner's responsibility to see the ship is fit for travel and cargowothiness is the responsibility to make the cargo hulls safe for the cargo and the cargo safe for transport. Related directly as the shipowner's right to limit his liabilities, the concept is of seaworthiness is a very important in legal context. This is achieved by proper preparation at the start of the voyage. This means that the ship must be properly manned, equipped and supplied. The parts of the ship in which the good are carried must be fit and safe for receipt, carriage and preservation. At the event that cargo is not at par with the cargo owner's desires, the right to limit the liabilities can then be challenged at court. The concept of cargoworthiness relates as the consideration associated with fitness for purpose and condition. This is now the cargo owner's task to see that his products are properly transported. This is important for both the cargo and ship owner's because it will definitely limit future problems with substandard shipments. Furthermore, the cargo must be properly loaded, stowed, carried, discharged and delivered. This now is the mainly the responsibility of the cargo owner, although it does go hand in hand with the shipowner's task of keeping the ship seaworthy. Even if the ship is of perfect condition for cargo containment, without the proper handling and transport of the cargo to and from the vessel, it is still likely that the goods are to be damaged. 3. The process involved in amending (in 1995) the STCW convention and ensuring that it operates consistently and effectively Back in 1974 when the STCW convention was first introduced, it was

Mobile and Wireless Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mobile and Wireless Security - Essay Example and Dasgupta, P., 2003). An attacker can easily connect to the wireless network using wireless media and create a separate access point for provisioning of service to the network users. Users are forced to route traffic through the rogue access point where the attacker can either sniff information or even alter or destroy it (Godber, A. and Dasgupta, P., 2003). The attacker can attach viruses to downloads and infect the user devices. Thus the wireless networks are required to be secured from such attacks. A2. Increased usage of mobile devices by the work forces in corporate calls for implantation of security measures in wireless networks. The vulnerabilities of a wireless network are required to be overcome to prevent attacks in the form of eavesdropping, spoofing etc, resulting in loss or compromise of sensitive data. Thus there exists a requirement to formulate and implement a wireless security policy to disallow unauthorized access to the corporate networks using wireless media and allow only approved and authenticated users to be connected. IPsec VPN provides an easy and robust solution by incorporating tunneling, strong authentication and encryption procedures. The aim of the policy is to lay down standards for establishment of wireless connection from remote location to the XYZ corporate intranet. The policy also gives out detailed system requirements to be in place before the remote user is actually allowed access to the corporate resources. This remote access policy is designed to prevent damage to the corporate network or computer systems and to prevent compromise or loss of data. The policy details are as under:- The remote user shall connect using virtual private networking (VPN). VPN is a private network providing services to selected or authorized group. The network is 'virtual' as it builds on public physical networks by tunneling through it (Qu, Wie and Srinivas, S., 2002). VPN services are classified as LAN interconnect, dial-up and extranet (Venkateswaran, R., 2001). VPNs can be implemented at network or data link layer. Client Check The wireless network should be segregated from the intranet by employing a front-end firewall with the intranet. Firewall restricts broadcast traffic and saves STAs and APs from the intranet users. Anti-virus software must be installed and operational. Ensure that the client satisfies the set criteria else deny access or allow only limited access to the extent that he can access required software to meet the requirement. Connection Type. STAs should get connected to the corporate protected intranet through APs after IPsec VPN authentication (Weber, Chris and Bahadur, Gary, 2002) (For wireless IPsec VPN, the basic components are wireless clients or stations (STA) and a wireless access point (AP). APs act like hubs that connect to the STAs and provide pathway from wireless network to other existing network.). Authentication. IPsec authentication between STA and intranet should be done using Kerberos or client

Social Educational Theories Essay Example for Free

Social Educational Theories Essay Education plays a major role in any society. But the specifics involved in this role are still subject to debate. That is, the methods of teaching, the strategies of handling students, the style of managing schools, and the goals and standards of the educational system have been the subject of deliberation and reflection among educators, psychologists and social theorists. Educational systems have also changed numerous times throughout history and such changes are often the results of the emergence of social theories that influence the decisions of policy makers. In this research paper, four social theories will be examined: functionalism, Marxism, interpretivism, and post-modernism. These four social theories will be compared and their strengths and weaknesses will be discussed. In doing so, this paper will to what extent do these social theories explain the function of education in American society and how do these theories compare with the realist theory. What is functionalism? Functionalism is believed to have been developed by several philosophers in the nineteenth century but it was only during the early part of the twentieth century, the 1930s, did this social theory take official form in the United States through the work of Talcott Parsons. Unlike the earlier social theories that treat society as one vaguely defined system, functionalism boasts of focusing on the parts of the system and how these parts interact and influence each other. The parts have needs that the other parts can meet and this is why the parts exist in a state of cooperation. The system is then considered to be in equilibrium. However, the functionalists also recognize the changing nature of this system and that the parts adjust to these changes towards a new equilibrium (Parsons, 1951). Strengths and weaknesses. In the field of education, the major strengths of functionalism lies on the emphasis of interdependence and a path of evolutionary change that is not dramatic or chaotic. This is because the functionalists shun conflict and believed that any conflict can be avoided because each individual is influenced by the society’s norms. If an individual scorns these norms, there would be consequences such as social disapproval or even imprisonment. Unfortunately, despite the discouraging presence of these consequences, and based on the history of the world, the history of the American society, and of American education, conflict seemed to be significantly present. This made the tenets of functionalism naive and incomplete. Within the classroom, a functionalist teacher may induce the students to behave in an equilibrium-producing manner by emphasizing the classroom norms and the consequences that are given if such norms are ignored. Some of the consequences might be time-out, lower grades, suspension, and other sanctions. Again, similar to the greater society, the classroom society may have a few students who are not deterred by the consequences. This is not because the student intends to create conflict but because there might be some needs of the students that were not met. In the same way, there would be dissent and revolutions if social problems, such as poverty and tyranny, persist and come to a point when they become unbearable (Ballantine, 1997). Functionalism and education in an American society. Within the American society, functionalism might propose that the whole education system is entrusted with the responsibility of meeting one particular need of the society – to produce responsible and productive citizens. From one perspective, this functionalist role of the educational system may explain the function of education in America. This is because one of the purposes of the current NCLB or No Child Left Behind Act is to produce highly skilled citizens, who will be competitive in the global market (U.  S. Department of Education, 2004). Another perspective of functionalist that can describe the changes in the educational system in America is the concept of equilibrium. For example, the American society realizes that it needed to have better teachers and better students. The educational system responds by establishing standards and a more extensive evaluation procedure for school performance. Unfortunately, these two perspectives seem to be the only obvious connection between functionalism and education in a modern American society. Functionalism and realism. In the same manner, the aims of functionalist education doe not agree with the educational aims of realism, which is to produce perfection in an individual. Despite this difference in stated goals, functionalism and realism indirectly agree on some aspects of pedagogical methodology, such as the use of positive rewards. Functionalists espouse negative consequences for misbehavior while realists applaud positive rewards for admirable behavior (Merton, 1968). What is Marxism? Marxism is essentially a critical theory, which means that it seeks to reveal the negative and detrimental characteristics of an existing system. In this case, Marxism critiques capitalism. The major criticism is the way capitalist societies prey on the people who are stricken by poverty or possess vulnerabilities (Kellner, 1989). For example, capitalists praise the industrial revolution, which brought about rapid economic progress. The Marxists reveal the other side of industrial revolution that is unpleasant, which is the exploitation of children. Children, who may be as young as three years old, are allowed to work in factories (Cody, 2002). Strengths and weaknesses. In the field of education, the major strength of Marxism is the emphasis on teaching methods that encourage critical thinking. Marxists teacher engage in teaching approaches that develop collaboration and independence. Marxists teachers are critical of methods that only demand emulation and passive listening. Thus, some of the preferred methods of the Marxist approach to education are hands-on activities, cooperative learning, and constructivist methods (Kellner, 1989). However the social theory developed by Karl Marx often deludes clear understanding among philosophers, psychologists, and educators. This is because the terms used by Marxists are interpreted in a different way by the largely dominant capitalist society. And here lies the major weakness of Marxism. It cannot be completely understood and its tenets are viewed negatively by the society. Marxism and education in an American society. Politically, the American society is primarily against Marxism. It might be because America is a capitalist country or because Marxism is vaguely understood. In the area of education, however, the aim of Marxism to have students who are capable of thinking independently and critically agrees with the aim of many American teachers. There is a campaign towards the creation of questions that encourage critical and creative thinking. There is also an emphasis towards the creation of activities that encourage collaboration. But, the other Marxist educational aim, which is to produce individuals who will lead radical changes in the society, does not agree with the function of education in the modern American society. The American society may welcome critical-thinking individuals but these individuals must conform to well-established norms. Marxism and realism. Some aspects of Marxism agree with realism – especially about the view on knowledge. One of the pillars of realism, Francis Bacon, cautioned people to be aware of factors that prevent the acquisition of truth, such as limited experience, popularity, religion, and prejudice. Being cautious about these conditions equates to thinking critically. Another tenet of realism, which is espoused by Russell, states that education must lead towards the solutions of the ills that the society has. This can be translated into the radical changes that Marxists wanted. Unfortunately, Marxism is too radical for many realists and these two schools of thoughts are difficult to merge (Grabb, 1990). What is interpretivism? Interpretivism is one of the lesser-known social theories that emphasize the convergence of truth and perception. That is, the truth is similar to what is perceived. Since there might be different perceptions among individuals, these individuals must agree to one level of perception that is unanimously accepted. Once accepted, the common perception becomes a reality. Essentially, the reality that interpretivists create is based on the perceptions of the individuals. Due to this nature of reality, interpretivism can be perceived as a process rather than a theory. That is, in the field of social research, a society’s reality is obtained through interpretivism. And in the field of law, individuals must agree upon the interpretation of practices, statutes, and legal duties (Brink, 2001). These individuals, therefore, must have another basis for their agreement on interpretations. The basis is the set of norms and values of the society. Stated in this way, interpretivism can be deemed similar to functionalism, in which individuals or the parts of the society must conform to norms. And with regards to norms, both interpretivism and functionalism are opposed to Marxism. Strengths and weaknesses. In the field of education, the major strength of interpretivism is that it attempts to develop creativity in the learners, teachers, and education researchers. An object does not remain a simple object but takes on other forms. For example, a chair is no longer a simple chair but a place of rest, a symbol of sentimental moments, or a private corner. All these and more can be the forms of the chair. In this manner, the students not only develop creativity but a degree of open mindedness that will be useful in a global community (Vrasidas, 2001). Unfortunately, interpretivism lacks the structure that many educators wanted. This lack of structure is probably due to the history of interpretivism – which is a critical theory of positivism. Thus, Marxism and interpretivism have one thing in common – both are critical theories that offer a contradiction to an existing and dominant theory. Interpretivism and education in an American society. In the modern American society, interpretivism has been limited to the area of research. Due to this, it cannot be reliably utilized to explain the function of education in the American society. Except for the goal of producing creative thinkers, the interpretivists do not offer much detail or position regarding the teaching and learning processes. At the same time, there are tenets of interpretivism that contradicts the present educational system. For example, Interpretivists, due to their interpretation of reality, may not agree to the presence of standards and curriculum. They may also want to change the predominant methods of evaluation. Interpretivism and realism. The concept of reality between interpretivism and realism are conflicting. The reality of interpretivism is based on the perceptions of people whereas the reality of realism exists even without the presence of any person who can perceive such reality. Due to the opposing nature of reality, there would also be opposing perceptions about the nature of knowledge, which leads to differences in curriculum (Shinn, 2004). What is post-modernism? Similar to Marxism and interpretivism, post-modernism rose at the heels of a dominant existing theory. In this case, that theory was modernism. But, unlike the two previously described social theories, post-modernism adopts many of the tenets of modernism, which are futuristic in nature. Both modernism and post-modernism see a world that is not categorized by labels but fused. For example, in literature, there are no genres that separate poems and stories. But, there is no existing and recognized unity because both modernists and post-modernist realize the fragmented nature of the world. The difference between modernism and post-modernism is the attitude that the proponents and followers have towards this fragmentation and ambiguity. The modernists are saddened by it while the post-modernist embrace it. For example, post-modernist artists display their delight and fascination with chaos and disorganization (Heartfield, 2002). Strengths and weaknesses. In the field of education, the major strength of post-modernism is its ability to embrace and utilize the rapidly changing, chip-driven world. The teachers who are influenced by post-modernism will have the needed flexibility and adaptability to maintain and create direction for the students. For example, the meteoric rise of computers and other electronic gadgets might drag a teacher from his comfort zone and make him less effective. The post-modernist teacher would embrace the changes and will become computer savvy, along with his students. However, the post-modernist approach to education might endanger other aspects of the teaching and learning process. This is because the learning process needed structure and order – a concept that is not respected by post-modernist (Klages, 2007). Post-modernism and education in an American society. The theory of post-modernism might be used to explain the function of education in a modern American society, which is to help the learners adapt to their changing world. Obviously, the world perceived by the learner will change constantly and continuously. But, many of the educators and policy-makers in the American society will have second thoughts regarding this eager attitude towards change. Embracing the change might not be the best action to take. However, post-modernism wanted the students to think less of subject but more of purpose (Sarup, 1993). For example, the student must first determine his reasons why he must get a college degree. In this manner, post-modernism is aligned with the other social theories. However, post-modernism, at this moment, could not be utilized to fully explain the function of education in American society. Post-modernism and realism. Post-modernism, in the field of education, is not compatible with realism. This is because realism values the influence of science whereas post-modernism shins the importance of science. However, post-modernism embraces technological advances. These technological advances will not be possible without science. This attitude might lead to some compromise with the attitude of realists towards science. Realists believe that science will influence philosophies and post-modernists recognize the influence of changes. The function of education in the contemporary American society cannot be described fully by using only one social theory. A composite of these social theories must be used because the present American society has an eclectic view of the function of education.

Pollution and How It Affects Elements within an Environment Essay Example for Free

Pollution and How It Affects Elements within an Environment Essay The Earth is entirely surrounded by a blanket of air which is called the earth’s atmosphere. The atmosphere allows human, plants, and all the earth’s creatures big and small to exist. The atmosphere protects the earth and without it the heat from the sun would burn all that is exposed to its rays, and we could be frozen by the low temps at night. Gas, particulate matter, odors that have been introduced into the air by mankind or nature can destroy the natural balance, this is pollution. There are Primary pollutants and Secondary pollutants, which we will be covering in this presentation, when pollutants are introduced to/in the air, it travels very easily and spread as well, since we breathe in air, we cannot avoid these toxins or pollutants. The efforts on solutions to the problems regarding pollution has, and will continue to be an issue due to mankind disrespect towards mother-nature. We as human beings breathe in an estimated 20,000 liters of air each day meaning that the more polluted the air is, the more we in hale into our lungs the hazardous chemicals, in London of 1952, â€Å"The Smog Disaster†, claimed the lives of four- thousand people within a few days mainly due to the high levels of concentrations of pollution. In March of 2011, an earthquake in the sea of the coast of Japan also known as a â€Å"Tsunami†, the sea level rose and waters flooded the land damaging four of the six reactors in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, which can be located on the BBC website. The biggest lifetime risks were seen in humans exposed were in the infants, compared to children and the adults. Females who exposed to radiation from this incident which was found in a report that a four percent increase above the lifetime expectancy, were at risk of solid tumors and a six percent increase above that said to be expected of breast cancer. Men/male exposed to the radiation as infants were expected to have seven percent increased risk of leukemia above that expected on the normal population. The highest risk was noted in thyroid cancer, as for the infant girls, they were estimated to be up to seventy- percent than expected over a lifetime. † (BBC website: /news/health- 21614722). The World Health Organization (WHO) experts confirmed that there is a slight increased risk of different cancer types for those people who were exposed to the radiation, including people residing in this area and employees of the plant. Air pollutants come in the form of gases, particles, and chemicals released into the air, motor vehicles are a major air pollutant, the use of one full commuter bus is equivalent to forty cars driving through your neighborhood. Vehicle exhaust contributes to roughly sixty-percent of all carbon monoxide emissions (discharge) nationwide, and up to ninety-five percent in the cities. Air pollution may contribute to asthma and allergy by corrupting protective cells in the human body that tones down immune system reactions, the pollution components seem to also increase overactive immune warriors already linked to allergies that actually require no prompting. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are the product of burning of fuel in diesel engines, furnaces, wood fires, wildfires, and barbeque grills. A new study done by researchers found that children exposed to these high levels of PAHs had poor functioning T-regulatory cells (peacekeeper cells), which normally keeps immune –caused inflammation down. Kari Nadeau, a biochemist and physician at Stanford University, held a study on the effect of air pollution and these PAHs, she and some colleagues obtained blood samples, took in lung function readings, and recorded health information from 153 children at the age of four-teen in Fresno, CA. She sampled airborne PAHs to estimate rates of exposure due to Fresno’s high rate of air pollution levels. Kids with a high exposure made higher amounts of Immunoglobulin E and showed low rates of T regulatory cell function than those exposed to lower levels. It is said that air pollution may harm populations in ways so subtle and slow that it may have gone undetected, these reasons research is being done to determine the long-term effects of chronic exposure to low levels of pollution-what some may experience –as well as to determine the interaction between air pollutants in the body, nutrition (physical factor), stress, alcohol, smoking (tobacco), and medicines. It also has been linked to defects in birth, cancer, and genetic mutations. The Montreal Protocol of 1987required that developed nations signing the accord not to exceed 1986 CFC levels. Several more meetings were held from 1990 to 1997 to adopt agreements to hurry the phasing out of ozone-depleting substances. † Pollution is known to cause holes in the ozone layer in the atmosphere above Antarctica and the Artic. Depletion of the ozone layer can increase the amount of ultraviolet radiation reaching the earth, causing damage to crops and plants as well as causing sk in cancer and cataracts.

Importance Of Teacher Motivation Education Essay

Importance Of Teacher Motivation Education Essay A study of teachers motivation consists of two main themes. The first one identifies the different factors affecting teachers motivation, while the second aspect analyses how the school heads can impact on teachers motivation through their leadership. This chapter explains the importance of teacher motivation. The motivational factors for teachers, applying literature findings are reviewed. 2.2: Importance of teacher motivation Schools exist, primarily to educate children. It is for this purpose that teachers are employed in schools (Fiddler Atton, 1997). Teachers are, thus, the most important professionals for any nations future. However, without adequate support and resources, teachers will not be motivated although they may be highly qualified. It is sad to note that teachers, the most valuable human resource, are often neglected (Abdo, 2001). One should bear in mind that a nations strength depends on the high quality of its education system and the strength of such a system, in turn, relies on qualified and motivated teachers. Inspired and motivated are essential in providing quality education. Schools would definitely not survive without motivated and dedicated teachers. 2.3: Factors affecting teachers motivation Research (Eimers, 1997) has shown that teachers are influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Further studies on motivation for teaching distinguished between intrinsic, extrinsic and altruistic reasons for choosing the profession (Kyriacou Coulthard, 2000; Moran, Kilpatrick, Abbott, Dallat, McClune, 2001). Intrinsically motivated teachers are focused on teaching and the activity related to the job itself. The inherent satisfaction or the joy of teaching is viewed as the driving force. The extrinsically motivated teachers focus on the benefits of teaching, such as salary, vacations or other external rewards connected to the job. Finally, the altruistically motivated teacher views teaching as a socially worthwhile and important job, and has a desire to be part of young peoples growth and development. Barmby (2006, p. 253) extrapolated these findings and points out that teachers motivation is influenced less by externally initiated factors such as salary, educational policy and reform and conditions of service, than by those emanating from the intrinsic context within which they work. According to Hallinger and Heck (1998), school leaders can play a critical role in the success of educational institutions. To the extent that school leaders can control the outcomes of teachers efforts, they can influence the levels of motivation teachers experience (Silver, 1982). This can be through their influence on teachers morale and motivation. Studies have lent proof (Hallinger and Heck, 1998; Leithwood and Jantzi, 2005; Leithwood and Mascall, 2008) that School leadership affects the way teachers teach, and hence, impact directly on student performance. Since school leaders can, in one way or the other, affect the intrinsic factors listed, they, thus, play an extremely role in motivating teachers. Indeed, in an attempt to study teachers motivation, Pitre (2003) found significant relationship between school leadership and teacher motivation. A school head should not only be an effective leader, manager and counselor, but also an effective motivator. Motivated teachers are productive teachers (Osterloh, Bruno and Frost, 2001) as they have job satisfaction. School leaders should bear in mind that without these, educational programmes may be deeply weakened (Snowden and Gorton, 2002). This is supported by Browns study (2005), which found significant link between political, local and organisational factors and the use of incentives to motivate teachers in charter schools. Motivation was higher where more external incentives were provided. In fact, School leadership and Teacher Motivation are two things that are inextricably linked. 2.4 Importance of leadership in schools For much of the twentieth century, the role of the school head was that of manager, where he/she was expected to manage personnel and budget, while handling other operational issues (Usdan, McCloud, Podmostko, 2000). Studies on the topic suggest that in the past, principals were able to succeed, at least partially, by simply carrying out the directives of central administrators (Perez et al. 1999). Today, in a rapidly changing era of standards-based reform, as education moved into a new era of accountability, a different concept has emerged. According to Dussault and Barnett (1996), educational organisations are facing many challenges and this shift brings with it dramatic changes in what public education needs from principals. School principals must, therefore, enhance the quality of their services; they can no longer function simply as building managers, tasked with adhering to district rules, carrying out regulations and avoiding mistakes. Management by principals is no longer en ough to meet todays educational challenges (Mulford, 2003). Researchers (Dussault and Barnett, 1996) claim that the actual situations in schools call for improvement and educational leadership. As Cawelti (1984, p.3) stated: Continuing research on effective schools has verified the common sense observation that schools are rarely effective, in any sense of the word, unless the principal is a good leader . 2.4.1 School leadership and effective schools School leadership (Huber, 2004), indeed, has a pivotal role in contributing to effective schools. Gurr, Drysdale, and Mulford (2005) found in their case study research on Australian principals that the principal remains an important and significant figure in determining the success of a school (p. 548). Extensive empirical efforts have shown that leadership is a central factor for the quality and effectiveness of a school (Reynolds, 1976; Harris, 2005). The research results show that each and every successful school possesses a competent and sound school leadership. Research (Barber, 1995; Mortimore, Sammons, Stoll, Lewis and Ecob, 1988; Stoll and Fink, 1996) has shown that leadership, in fact, defines the success of a school. According to Leithwood, Day, Sammons, Hopkins and Harris (2006, p. 14-15), there is not a single documented case of a school successfully turning around its pupil achievement trajectory in the absence of talented leadership. In this line of thought, Leithwood, Louis, Anderson Wahlstrom (2004) claimed that while classroom instruction has the greatest impact on student achievement, leadership has the second greatest effect. The role of the school leader has to be seen in relationship to the context in which the school is operating. Schools are embedded in the education system and their local communities; leaders, therefore, have to react to, cope with and support the development of the community served by their respective schools. Huber (1997) firmly believes that school leaders matter, they are educationally-significant, school leaders do make a difference. Given the manifold tasks and responsibilities of school leadership, as well as the competencies required, school leaders may be regarded as superheroes. Their complex role can hardly be filled with traditional leadership concepts (Huber, 2004). Educational leaders are now confronted with an altogether new range of demands and challenges. They should bear in mind that their organisations have been set up to accomplish a specific social aim, shaping the society. The quality of education provided at school, therefore, determines the future society. Moreover, school leadership proved to be important for the learning environment for teachers in schools (James McCormick, 2009; Louis, Dretzke, Wahlstrom, 2010). 2.4.2 Successful and effective School leadership 2.4.2.1 Firm and purposeful leadership It has been proven that all aspects of the school rely on a proper School Leader (Stoll and Fink, 1996; Huber, 2004; Mortimore et al., 1988). However, both the School Leader and individual teachers are of utmost importance. Leithwood, in concert with others (Leithwood et al., 2004; Leithwood and Riehl, 2003; Leithwood et al., 2006), identified four broad categories of educational leadership, or core practices: setting directions; developing people; redesigning the organization; and managing the instructional program. At the same time, effective leaders know that the ability to lead and manage organisational change is critical for survival since the school environment is a dynamic one. School Leaders should incorporate the ability to deal with changes occurring in school system structure, especially when more responsibilities are being thrusted upon the shoulders of the School Leader by the educational system. According to Calabrese (2002) the prototype school leader in the 21st century is a change agent. They have a responsibility to lead change that results in more effective and efficient educational practices, in an environment that is increasingly political. Therefore, outstanding school heads should be proactive. They must make the change happen without alienating the teaching staffs. They should act as mediators between those resisting changes (Levine and Lezotte, 1990) and the change agents. Leaders, thus, got a key role in inducing others to adopt change in order to improve the organisational effectiveness. Hence, school leaders, are key to initiate and maintaining the school improvement process (Sammons et al., 1994c). Schools, expected to fulfill multi-dimensional functions, are affected by both internal and external environmental factors (Eres, 2011). School leaders can eliminate the negative effects of such factors. Thus, they need to be proactive, anticipating problems and should be prepared to counteract these efficiently and effectively. The role of the School Leader is not always clearly defined since leading and managing are two intermingling responsibilities. 2.4.3 School leadership and teachers motivation Leadership can be defined as the ability to enlist, mobilize and motivate others to apply their abilities and resources to a given cause (Eyal and Roth, 2010). This capacity is fundamental in the educational sphere. Very often, educators think in terms of motivating students to learn. Equally important, though, with respect to educational leadership is the motivation of teachers (Silver, 1982). According to Kocabas and Karakose (2002), teachers are responsible to their schools and the principals are in turn responsible for the proper administration of the school. Therefore, the main responsibility for motivating teachers falls to the school head. Along this line, Barker (2001) studied poor performers and effective principals and suggested that effective leaders indeed motivate the staff. He claimed that the latter should be there to enthuse and invigorate teachers rather than to shape them. Good leadership improves both teacher motivation and work settings. Further research by Kiziltepe (2006) found that the primary source of teachers de-motivation was the administration Though, the relationship between School leadership and Teacher Motivation have not directly been subject to much research, Brown and Hughes (2008) highlight the importance of exploring the different factors that motivate teachers, as society increasingly holds them accountable for student achievement. The relationship between school leadership and teacher motivation is related in the research literature to the attempt to better understand principals impact on school performance (Leithwood and Jantzi, 2005; Leithwood and Mascall, 2008; Supovitz, Sirinides and May, 2010). Thus teachers engagement and their motivation have been studied mostly as a mediating factor between school leadership and students learning (Hallinger and Heck, 1998). According to Sharpe, Klockow Martin (2002), the factors motivating teachers can vary from classroom to classroom, school to school, or district to district. If teachers are not motivated to teach, then the search for educational excellence will be ava il (Richardson, Short Prickett, 2003). 2.4.3.1: How can School leaders affect teachers motivation Several studies suggest that school leadership is second only to classroom teaching as an influence on student learning (Leithwood, Harris, Hopkins, 2008; Leithwood Jantzi, 2008) and that key to optimizing student learning is the influence exerted by school leaders on teacher motivation and commitment (Day, Stobart, Sammons, Kington, Gu, 2006; Leithwood Mascall, 2008). According to studies (Hallinger and Heck, 1996), school leadership affects students outcomes indirectly, by creating the conditions that support teachers ability to teach and students learning. Teachers motivation includes the expenditure of effort to achieve a goal (Martin, 2000). It is also about creating forces that power and drive their respective behaviours (Bursalioglu, 2002). Dull (1981) believes that school leaders could motivate teachers by improving a situation perceived to be difficult by an individual, thereby meeting needs. In addition, the school leader can also motivate teachers by providing adequate d riving forces to urge one into action (Genc, 1987). The human factor should not be ignored, the educational leader should strive in developing a physiological and psychological process which takes into account individual desires, goals, tendencies, behaviour, self-interest, preference, will-power and drive. He/she should be considerate, that is, consider both intrinsic and extrinsic forces that actuate, direct and maintain staff behaviours (Gursel, 1997). Motivating teachers also implies increasing the latters willingness to work and making them believe that they will satisfy their personal needs if they work efficiently in the school (Yuksel, 1998), by providing the appropriate conditions. Porter, Polikoff, Goldring, Murphy, Elliot and May (2010) claims that these conditions include high standards for student learning, rigorous curricula, quality instruction, a culture of learning and above all- professional behaviour. Indeed, scholarly writings have linked the above mentioned conditions with increased teacher motivation to exert extra effort in teaching (Geisel, Sleegers, Leithwood and Jantzi, 2003). They added that school leadership has a key role in ensuring these conditions at school. Geisel et al. (2003) also mentioned that schools are effective only when the whole school community work as a whole and not as fragmented units. Thus, the school leaders should not only occupy the authority position but should also be visible (Dinham, Cariney, Craigie and Wilson, 1995) in the institution, so as to be able to motivate their staffs. 2.4.3.1.1: Visible leadership Indeed, Dinham et al. (1995) found that secondary school principals responsibilities include being visible, maintaining contact with student groups, keeping open lines of communication with stakeholders, promoting a positive school climate, being aware and in control of all school issues, influencing the school tone, and fostering school pride. According to further studies (Huber, 1997), teachers recognize it is highly motivating when their school head is involved in the daily routine. The school leader, showing dedicated interest in what happens in the class itself, is much appreciated. Teachers have a high esteem for leaders knowing about the curriculum and who are actively involved in monitoring students progress. Robinson (2006) points out that school leaders who have subject specific knowledge will be more confident and successful in supporting improvement in teachers practice. No doubt, teachers find it highly motivating when the principal provides a variety of support, includi ng practical assistance and encouragement (Murphy, 1989). This involves frequent movement through the school, class visits as well as some informal exchange with the teaching staff (Teddlie et al., 1989). According to Scheerens (1992), this is one of the pillars of school leadership and such regular interactions could also help in assessing the ways teachers work. 2.4.1 Relationship between school leader and teachers Davis et al. (2002) argue that the relationship between school leaders and teachers is very important: the school leaders regard for others is, key, to motivating teachers. Being in charge of the school administration, school leaders have the greatest share in motivating teachers. According to Griffin (2010), relationships with administrators were rated as a highly motivating factor. This is supported by Asbill and Gonzalez (2000) who found a relationship between positive principal-teacher interactions and teacher job satisfaction. Egley (2003) found similar results and emphasized the importance of a supportive principal-teacher relationship. School leaders (Barnett and McCormick, 2003) must be able to create an environment conducive to the building of positivity, providing the platform for the staff to maintain good relations, so as to create a healthy environment, where all can grow adequately. Wallace (2010) further claimed that school leadership should also include some emotional dimension. She posited that school leaders who understand the emotional context in which they work will provide a more satisfying and effective work context for teachers. They highlighted that working in a classroom environment where there is administrative support enhances the element of respect. Indeed, interviews by Sederberg and Clark (1990) showed that teachers perceive respect as the most important incentive, followed by trust, optimism and intentionality. Further research (Geisel et al., 2003) has shown that certain methods adopted by the School leadership indeed impact on the level of teacher motivation, for instance, defining a clear vision and objectives. Shared vision and goals Scholars (Eyal and Roth, 2010; Barnett and McCormick, 2002) posited that vision potentially offers the greatest capacity to influence teachers motivation. Lashway (2000) added that school principals should ensure that this vision is relevant to the school context. The leaders vision must also be related to the existing needs and culture of the school (Keedy, 1991). In addition, it must be focused, consistent, at the same time, including short term as well as long term objectives (Geisel et al., 2003). These help define and promote high expectations; and they connect directly with teachers and the classroom. Barnett and McCormicks (2003) findings echoed the above researchers ideas and even extrapolated those- they concluded that teachers should, at all cost, share the schools vision. This is because vision provides personal goals for the teacher, a desire to see a change in the future. The staff should be able to connect to the vision when it is clearly defined, so that, their own personal objectives may sprout out from it. Their studies have shown that teachers are highly motivated when they build consensus on the aims and values of the school. In such cases, teachers can put these into practice through collaborative and consistent of working. Empirical evidence (Leithwood and Riehl, 2003; Ylimaki, 2006) proved that vision creates a sense of purpose that binds teachers together and propels them to fulfill their deepest aspirations and to reach ambitious goals. Indeed, Brewers rese arch (1993) showed that student achievement levels were higher in schools where the principal had hired like-minded teachers who shared the principals goals and who were able to implement effectively the principals vision. Other researchers (Lee and Smith, 1994) analyzed performance from 820 secondary schools and found that coherent, sustained, and focused reforms resulted in the best outcomes for students. Therefore, effective professional principals (Huber, 1997, 2004) should relentlessly work to improve achievement by focusing on defining SMART goals. However, scholars (Gagne and Deci, 2005; Sheldon, Turban, Brown, Barrick and Judge, 2003) claimed that presenting followers with a value-laden vision is not enough. Leading professional No doubt, implementing a vision is not instantaneous; it requires repeated cycles of reflection, evaluation, and response, and only the principal can sustain it (Lashway, 1997). Sheldon et al. (2003) posited that the leadership role played by the school principal is critical in ensuring the vision and mission is attained. Thus, principals need to wear many different hats during the school day. But, the most effective school principals are not only managers and disciplinarians but also instructional leaders for the school (Leithwood and Mascall, 2008). Their studies showed that an effective school leader is not merely a good administrator or manager, but also a leading professional- a transformational leader. According to Burns (1978) transformational leadership is the process in which leaders and their followers bring each other to a higher level of ethic and motivation. Todays schools, therefore, want not only visionary and professional leaders (Lashway, 2000), but transformational ones. Transformational Leadership and motivation Leithwood (1992) claimed that transformational leadership is, actually, the restructuring of the system in order for the mission and vision of people to be redefined. It also ensures that the staff identifies themselves with the goals of the organisation, together with enlisting the participation of the staffs by taking into consideration their opinion greatly provide the scope for motivation. Bass (1990) suggested that motivation is, in fact, a sub-dimension of transformational leadership. Other scholars (Simola, Barling and Turner, 2010; Park and Rainey, 2008) also concluded that motivation has been shown to be an inspiring component of such kind of leadership and these have shown a positive relationship between transformational leadership and motivation. Indeed, Bass and Avolio (1997) have argued that transformational leadership can produce extraordinary outcomes in terms of increased commitment to achieving group or organisational goals. Coupled with the above, Shamir, House and Arthur (1993), maintained that transformational leaders also foster intrinsic motivations related to self concept. Their theory of leadership asserted that charismatic leaders promote followers intrinsic motivation to act beyond their self-esteem, self value and social identification. Research has shown a positive relationship between transformational leadership and motivation. It has been proved that in an organisation with transformational leaders, there is higher productivity and that the employees are happier and there are fewer negative incidents (Robbins, 1996). Indeed, transformational Leadership plays an important role in developing self-motivation. Leaders increase their workers motivation through their behaviour (Bass, 1990, Greenberg and Baron, 2000). As the human relations and communicative skills of a transformational leader are developed, they are effective in persuading and directing their followers (Glad and Blanton, 1997). They also motivate followers to transcend their own immediate self-interest for the sake of the mission and vision of the organisation. The leader motivates followers to work for transcendental goals instead of immediate self-interest, for achievement and self-actualisation rather than safety and security (Murray Feitler, 1989, p. 3), and creates within followers a capacity to develop higher levels of commitment to organisational goals (Leithwood Jantzi, 2000). Followers confidence levels are raised and their needs broadened by the leader to support development to higher potential. Such total engagement (emotional, intellectual and moral) encourages followers to develop and perform beyond expectations (Bass, 1985; Burns, 1978). 2.3.5.1 Transformational and Transactional School leadership Basss model (1998) of transformational and transactional leadership has a number of important implications for the current reform movement in education. According to Bass and Avolio (1997), the transformational/transactional approach builds trust, respect, and a wish on the part of followers to work collectively toward the same desired future goals. This not only allows the transformational leader to operate effectively within the available context, but to change it, to make it more receptive to her or his own leadership orientation. Indeed, a positive relationship has been found (Howell and Hall- Merenda, 1999) between transformational leadership and a good rapport between the leader and follower. Applying this to schools, Avolio and Bass (1988) argue that although transactional and transformational leadership can represent two discrete forms of leadership, effective school principals exhibit characteristics of both by maintaining short-term endeavors through transactional leadership and by inciting change as a transformational leader. A number of studies emphasize the importance of transformative leadership for school principals (Fullan 1996; Hord 1992; Leithwood, Tomlinson Genge 1996; Wood 1998; Sergiovanni 1992; Conley 1997; Perez et al. 1999; Reed and Roberts 1998). Transformational school leadership and teacher motivation Contemporary middle school leaders have a vast array of responsibilities and are often characterized as those who should be transformational leaders (Sanzo et al., 2010). The challenges brought to schools by restructuring have been cited as reasons for advocating transformational leadership in schools. Such leadership embraces a postmodern way of thinking. It is argued that transformational leadership is well suited to the challenges of current school restructuring. It has the potential for building high levels of commitment (in teachers) to the complex and uncertain nature of the school reform agenda and for fostering growth in the capacities teachers must develop to respond positively to this agenda (Leithwood and Jantzi, 1997). Transformational leadership is seen to be sensitive to organisation building, developing shared vision, distributing leadership and building school culture necessary to current restructuring efforts in schools (Leithwood, Jantzi and Stainbach, 1999). Transformational School leadership: the four Is and teacher motivation Leithwood and Jantzi (1990) have defined transformational leadership based on schools. Transformational leadership dimensions, namely, idealized influence, inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation, were found to directly influence teachers amount of motivation (Geisel et al., 2003; Leithwood and Jantzi, 2005). These, in turn, had an indirect impact on students achievements and learning (Leithwood and Jantzi, 2005). Individualised attention-Teachers needs and expectations Individualised attention (Blasà © and Kirby, 2000) given to the staff, greatly adds up to teacher motivation. According to Blasà © and Kirby (2000), it is of upmost importance for leaders to identify teachers needs- the social needs should not be neglected (Bursalioglu, 2002), and their feelings about their jobs. School leaders have to be conscious of the fact that each person has different needs and, therefore, should be motivated accordingly. Weller (1982) added that the school principal should be sympathetic to the needs of their teachers. The leaders should be able to cater for the needs of each and every one. According to Adair (2002), a leader, who is not aware of these, and who does not display effort to fulfill these, will definitely face difficulties in motivating teachers. He added that only a well-informed leader can devise and implement effective strategies to assist teachers in their development, ensuring they perform their respective duties in an effective, enthusiast ic and motivated manner. Blasà ©, Derick and Stahth (1986) reported that principals initiating structure and displaying consideration were associated with more satisfying work conditions, higher job satisfaction, and less job stress. Staffs experience of job stress was seen as principals lack of consideration and was related to teacher dissatisfaction. It was found that teachers (Blasà © et al., 1986) are less likely to share their views and opinions, or trying to improve the conditions if they feel that their school heads are not enough caring. Blasà © (1986) put forward that the latter should strive to develop fruitful relationships with the teaching staff, fostering positive communication with and among teachers. It is only through these relationships that they can establish leader legitimacy and encouraged commitment. Teachers should feel that they form part of the school community and not simply as employees working in the school. The motivation for working with the subject matter in which teachers have their academic degree and the wish to teach it to others are important motivators for teachers both before and upon completion of the PGCE course (Roness Smith, 2009, 2010). Still, we find that the subject-matter interest is a salient and stable motivator among these Norwegian teachers, a finding which aligns with other international research (Kyriacou et al., 1999; Manuel Brindley, 2005; Manuel Hughes, 2006). A plausible reason for these results can be that when starting teacher education, the students regard themselves as subject-matter specialists. Idealised influence Idealised influence is the charismatic element of transformational leadership, in which leaders, become role models, who are admired, respected and emulated by their followers (Avolio and Bass, 2002; Bass, 1998; Bass and Avolio, 1994). As a result, followers demonstrate a high degree of trust in such leaders (Jung and Avolio, 2000). Researchers (Jung and Avolio, 2000) added that shared vision, is, an integral component of this idealized transformational role, inspiring acceptance through the alignment of goals. Principals must, therefore, be good role models supporting best practice (Colley, 2002). Inspirational motivation Leaders behave in ways that motivate and inspire those around them by providing meaning and challenge to their followers work (Avolio and Bass, 2002). According to Bass (1998), team spirit is aroused and followers show much enthusiasm. The transformational school leader (Barnett and McCormick, 2003) builds and sustains interactive communications with the teachers. For instance, inspirational talks and acting in ways that encourage enthusiasm. Principals inspire teachers to see an attractive future, while communicating expectations and demonstrating a commitment to goals and the shared vision. Research (Eyal and Roth, 2010) also proved that transformational school leaders can stimulate their teachers efforts to be innovative and creative. According to Tracey and Hinkin (1998), such influence motivates followers to show integrity in the form of ethical and moral conduct. This includes values and beliefs which emphasise the schools mission and embracing high morality. Another point to be noted is that teachers want to be fairly treated. Any discriminatory actions (Wevers, 2000) against them are negatively perceived and these impact heavily on their motivation level. Awamleh and Gardiner (1999) believe that school leaders should avoid the misuse of power for personal gains. School leaders should be seen trustworthy and competent by followers (Cheemers, 2001). So, it is important to have ethical school leaders. Intellectual Stimulation Studies (Reynolds, 1976; Mortimore et al., 1988;, Stoll and Fink, 1996) of Effective schools showed that, principals, considered innovation to be an integral part of the school. They encourage teachers to question existing assumptions and to reframe problems. They invite the teaching staff to approach old situations in new ways. Int