Ojt Report

History of PC Gilmore Fast-becoming one of today's leading computer distributors and systems integrators, PC Gilmore Computer Center, or PC Gilmore Corporation, boasts of the widest reliable brands of computer products and services of the highest quality at very low prices. In short, we are a virtual discount computer outlet store. Formed in 2001 under the original name West Avenue Computer Center, PC Gilmore started out as a computer-retailing business with a vision to deliver utmost customer satisfaction at competitive prices without compromising quality.As such, this immediately impacted on its clientele base and soon thereafter, the Company expanded operations by offering systems integration solutions and internet telephony as well. It eventually branched out to Metro Manila suburbs to meet its ever-rising customer demand. Despite the rapid pace in the information technology industry, PC Gilmore has managed to keep abreast of the competition. To date, the Company has five (5) sal es offices and service centers manned by dedicated and well-trained personnel to serve individuals, professionals, business offices, government entities, commercial establishments, schools and among others.These are located at: †¢PLATINUM †¢VMALL †¢CUBAO †¢WEST AVE †¢SM NORTH †¢CALOOCAN †¢HARRISON †¢MOA And because of the Company's â€Å"overachievement† since its formation only in 2001, PC Gilmore is very optimistic that it would soon be able to expand further its branch network operations within and outside Metro Manila and possibly in selected areas of Luzon. This is in line with our utmost commitment to reach out to our far-flung customers old and new.

Equality in Mare’s War Essay

Any normal grandmother would visit you with open arms, chocolate chip cookies, and comment on how amazing you look. However, in Mare’s War, by Tanita Davis, Mare is not your average grandma (unless you consider normal grandmas to wear auburn wigs, stiletto heels, and padded push up bras). Therefore, Mares granddaughters, Octavia and Tali, are dreading to accompany their 80 year old grandmother on a road trip across the country. As the three travel further into their journey, they begin to build a closer relationship and understand Mare’s past. Mare’s War was written in a particular fashion to express two different point of views. One is in the past representing Mare’s perspective, while the other is given from her 15 year-old granddaughter Octavia, during the present. Ultimately, both sides represent the struggle of equality: Mare’s battle of racism in the past, and Tali’s judgemental thoughts of her sister, today. In Mare’s War the 6888th battalion wasn’t the only battle Mare was fighting in, but also the battle of discrimination. Throughout the novel, prejudice between blacks and whites were clearly expressed during the 40’s. However, the most expressed struggle regarding equality is when Mare’s Army Corporation is stationed to another location. This new area yells out discrimination by having separate tables to eat at between blacks and whites and having separate water fountains. After vigorous training, all the black girls are lined up to get their drinks at the water fountain. Mare happens to notice the white fountain is empty. Although she knows it is wrong, Mare bravely stepped out of her line and goes straight to the white water fountain. After doing so, other black women decide, they too, would drink out of the white water fountain. This daring move made by Mare shows other black women that it is possible to express subtle ways of yearning for equality. Steps similar to this have shaped our generation today to have an equal foundation for any ethnicity or race. Fast forwarding to the future, 17 year-old Tali always finds a way to make Octavia feel worthless. When they were younger they had a close relationship with one another, but once Tali grew older she made her friends a priority and treated her sister like a stranger. This unfair rank between friends and family makes Octavia wistful for her sister to make her higher, or at least equal, to her friends. As the road trip continues to proceed, Octavia tries different ways for her sister to look highly of her. One night when Mare falls asleep in another room, Octavia agrees for Tali to put on makeup and dress her up for dinner. Although Octavia is a goody good, she plays it cool when Tali orders an alcoholic beverage. Although Tali is very judgemental, that night she looked at her sister highly and treated her equivalent to how she would treat her friends. From there on out Octavia and Tali began creating a connection as sisters. Whether it being a widespread problem like racism, or an individual conflict, Mare’s War presented how to deal with overcoming and expressing equality. Overall, this novel shares many life lessons and has a unique structure for portraying the past and the present.

CONTRACT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

CONTRACT - Essay Example The facts at hand clearly do not point to common mistake. The mistake that is relevant in respect of the facts is one whereby consent is negative because one party is under a mistake. As Professor Goodhart (1941) states ‘there is no breach of the law of contract which is more uncertain and difficult than that which is concerned with the effect of mistake on the formation of a contract’. In respect of the facts at hand the mistake that is relevant is the one of identity of the other contracting party. Generally the identity of the other party is immaterial. In respect of the claims of ES against the third party an action under tort can be brought about whereby the English Law principle of nemo dat quad non habet (you cannot give what you do not have) would apply and if the person who sold the goods to the third party does not own any right to them then such goods have to be returned. As far as ES and IE are concerned under contract if there has been an assumption of false identity then a claim of fraud can also be made against the rogue. Fraudulent misrepresentation in this respect would lead to the contract being held voidable. Thus if there has been a mistake as to identity of the person who was under such mistaken belief can argue that the contract b set aside on the basis that the contract was entered into on the basis of mistake and thus is void tthereby having no legal effects whatsoever. Thus mistake is a better option as compared to fraud (Lord Nicholls in Shogun Finance Ltd. v. Hudson 2. In respect of mistake as to identity there is necessity to distinguish between contracts that have been entered into orally and those that have been entered into in writing. After the decision of Shogun the courts have found that where the dealing between the parties is fact to fact, there is a presumption in law that the parties intend on dealing with each other. Thus mistake as to true name would not be a sufficient reason. In respect of contracts in writ ing, the names of the parties bear greater significance because of the need for certainty in respect of written contract. Thus Lord Nicholls in Shogun stated that ‘there is no magic attaching to a misrepresentation made in writing rather than by word of mouth’. The reason for the difference in oral and contracts in writing is because of the fact that the innocent party would be unaware of who is standing in front of him when entering into the contract orally. The courts have therefore been given authority to determine the intention of the parties based on the documents and without any presumptions to such intentional. An important decision in respect of written contracts is the House of Lords in Cundy v. Lindsay3 whereby a dishonest person by giving wrong address and name of company dealt with an innocent party. The court deciding in favour of the claimants stated the reasoning that the order form had been signed with incorrect name and the claimants were aware of the n ame of the firm and had the intention of dealing with them. However, the courts in King’s Norton Metal Co. v. Edridge Merrett and Co. Ltd.4 held that where letters had been sent by a rogue the claimant purported to deal with the person sending the letter and not the company. The main distinction between the two earlier cited authorities is that in the latter no

Review Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Review - Article Example Second, these knowledge variables affect the association between use of media and understanding of science and technology. The first hypothesis of the research states that after the controlling the demographic variables’ effect, viewing certain channels and television programs lead to developing reservations about science and technology. Second hypothesis states that viewing of television is on an average negatively associated with knowledge of science, which might reduce the reservations against the same. Thus in order to prove these hypotheses and answer the associated research questions, the data have been adopted from 1999 NSB Science and Engineering Indicators Survey in order to generate the media effects model. Findings reveal that the effects of media, like newspapers, general television, science magazines and science television all had comparatively smaller impact on reservations against science and technology than frequent viewing of television. The study finally refl ect that while certain television programs is merely meant for the entertainment, others related to science programs might have a positive impact on understanding of the same. However among the television viewers the popularity of science fictions, paranormal mystery programs are much more than the realistic scientific knowledge. The article is helpful as a research paper in more than one respect. First it helps in establishing the theories and some of the already established results. Secondly, during the primary survey the people were asked open-ended queries about the science magazines they read. Many responses related to art and literature or sports. The sample was shortened based upon the name of the magazines. Therefore, it is a good tool adopted for accuracy of the sample selection because this will automatically eliminate the people who hardly are aware of the

Managing Crisis and Risk Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managing Crisis and Risk - Coursework Example It is also for the effective and appropriate purchases and sales of the required financial assets. There are quite a number of techniques that are put into place for the modeling. Some of the measurers are the marketing risk, the historical simulation, the value at risk as well as extreme value theory. It is also important to highlight that a business should be guided appropriately with certain principles as well as theories for the successful operation of the business (Jacques, 2007). Just as the saying goes, for one to be successful; and rich, one must be ready to venture into a risky business. It is therefore of the fact that one bears all these risks in the action. It is important to highlight that risks are in segmented into different categories. These are credit risk, liquidity risks, Market risk as well as the operational risks (Jacques, 2011). These are risks that are anticipated in a financial institution or any business entity based on the credit transactions that occur or might have occurred during the moment of truth. It is important to highlight that for a credit transaction, it is important to consider the credit worthiness of the buyer, the financial status or position of the buyer, the frequency of the buyer purchasing firm the business entity, the credit worthiness of the buyer as well as the amount of stock that is available in the business entity. This helps the business people in evading certain risks after they become well equipped with the consumer knowledge. Under this category of risk, the following are the risks that form up this group: These are risks that are associated with the consumer either making a purchase or consuming the product or service or the consumer accessing some form of financial assistance. These in many cases are experienced in cases that the consumer thereby defaults in making payments. This thereby results into bad debts that would therefore force the financial managers or

A THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL EVALUATION OF THE LOGISTICAL PROCESSES AT Essay

A THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL EVALUATION OF THE LOGISTICAL PROCESSES AT TATE AND LYLE, SILVERTOWN - Essay Example 1998). Supply chain management (SCM) is the 21st century global operations strategy for achieving organizational competitiveness. Companies are attempting to find ways to improve their flexibility and responsiveness and in turn competitiveness by changing their operations strategy, methods and technologies that include the implementation of SCM paradigm and information technology (IT) (A. Gunasekaran, E.W.T. Ngai 2003). The industries in the 21st century are trying to improve their infrastructure in order to compete in the global market. The industries are adopting agile methods for the sake of fulfilment of market requirements. For achieving market goals industries are moving towards outsourcing virtual enterprises and resulting in the decentralization of their activities for getting maximum market benefits. So there is the need of a bridge, which may serve as an integrator between suppliers and partnering firms, in the domains of supply chains or logistics. The bridge which can fill the gap, between suppliers and partnering firms, is the domain of Information Technology. The integration of suppliers and partnering firms through Information Technology evolved the new approach known as Supply Chain Management. Supply Chain Management Systems or logistic systems are present everywhere and they are adopted by many industry champions or network leaders. In the beginning the interorganizational systems used by the industries were only able to support the automation of manual processes such as for managing orders and accounts. Then with the passage of time the addition of different powerful features, like information sharing, communication and collaboration, in the existing systems have made them more robust and beneficial for network leaders (Icasati - Johanson and Fleck 2003). There are round about 30,000 interorganizational systems which are being

Harvard Business Review Website Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Harvard Business Review Website - Essay Example Harvard Business Review Website The website provides an avenue where readers can access the articles on different business topics. Additionally, readers can follow their favorite topics on the platform quickly using the search button on the website. The online version of the Review provides readers and contributors with an interactive avenue. The users can interact with the contributors of specific articles by writing the reviews of the articles. On the other hand, the contributors can expound on particular aspects of their work to the readers through the comments and reviews section. The website allows users to access different numbers of articles based on their level of subscription. For example, new users on the site have access to only fifteen articles on monthly basis free of charge. Contrarily, subscribers to the website have unlimited access to various articles depending on their area of interest. The subscribers also have the freedom to comment on different articles by asking questions to the contributors. The Harvard Business Review website also allows users to specify the topics they can access. The specific content and updates on the website include sharing and saving capabilities, ability of following specific content and personalized recommendations. The site is designed to accommodate different devices such as tablets and mobile platforms, which provides users with a broad choice of reading platforms. The use of various devices allows users to access the website from various locations across the world.

Gender development in kids Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Gender development in kids - Research Paper Example â€Å"Gender focuses on whether an individual is male or female based on how a person acts. It is related to what people expect from women and men. Sex, on the other hand, is related to a person's body. It has to do with whether an individual is biologically male or female (Myers-Walls, 2010).† Very few cases of wrong sex identification have happened in the past. Meanwhile, the gender of a person can only be known by himself or by those close to him, and this does not need to be printed in any legal document. According to Oswalt (2008), â€Å"Kohlberg's theory of gender identity development describes how young children learn to understand their gender, and what being that gender means in their everyday life. Kohlberg theorized that there are 3 stages to this process. Initially, during the early preschool years (ages 3 to 4 years), young children engage in gender labeling. Young children can tell the difference between boys and girls, and will label people accordingly. However , these very young children still believe that gender can change and is not permanent.† Influences on Gender Development of Children Everyone is influenced by society. From the moment each one is exposed to others, he begins to think about how he should act around them in terms of words and characteristics. Another influence that society has on an individual is the development of his gender. Recent studies show that children of age five and up already have an idea of the gender that they belong in, and it is also during this time that they act out to be a boy or girl depending on what they think is appropriate (Gender and Child Development, n.d). Oswalt (2008) also says that â€Å"by age 5, children tend to play with ‘gender-specific’ toys†¦Young boys often play together in larger groups, while young girls tend to play more in pairs and smaller groups.† Some of the stereotypes that the community has are that a little girl should play with dolls and a l ittle boy with trucks or other â€Å"masculine† toys. This is in reference to the kind of personality that they need to develop: women being passionate and kind and men being aggressive and strong. The children themselves do not know this during their early days, but when they look up at their models (i.e. parents, guardians, media), they try to act out the role of the one that they consider to be the most similar to them. Little girls tend to take up the actions of their mother, while little boys tend to copy their fathers. Durso (2000) also states that â€Å"gender stability  is the realization that girls grown up to be women, that they don't grow penises and becomes men, and vice versa. Little boys realize that their penises will not fall off and that they won't grow a vagina and become a woman.† This trend is disrupted when parents do not give their children the right affection that they deserve. For example, a father who wants to have a son and is given a daught er instead would either feel indifferent towards the daughter, or raise her as he would his son. A daughter that is raised in a masculine role most

Hurricane Katrina Essay Example for Free

Hurricane Katrina Essay When an electrical power outage occurs from a storm, we are instructed to have flashlights, battery operated radios, a generator, survival gear, food, etc. But what happens when the power outage is long-term? What happens when the generator runs out of fuel and we can’t get more fuel? What happens when the batteries run down? For those who did not endure Hurricane Katrina, the consequences of loss of power combined with catastrophic flooding cannot even be imagined. The event of Katrina was not a mere inconvenience, it was a disaster of epic proportions. Much of the failure of first responders and ensuing rescue workers to operate efficiently was due to lost communications. Additionally, family members and friends could not find each other, nor could they find any information for quite a while. This particular storm was a nightmare for communications people as well as the victims. Simply the massive loss of power rendered the Gulf Coast without the basic tools to function. Today’s technology in communications is unparalleled and becoming even more sophisticated by the week; yet without power, even the most high-tech systems are useless (Donny Jackson, 12-01-2005). To review what happened during the storm that shattered communications networks, it is important to look at the emergency communications systems available and explain what failed and why. In the 35th largest city in the U. S. , how could so many people be suddenly disconnected? What happened to the cell phones, instant messaging, satellite technology, broadband, wireless and other forms of everyday communication that are largely taken for granted? Even in the horrendous disaster of 9/11, communication was still taking place. Even Hurricane Andrew didn’t knock all communications systems out. What was different about Hurricane Katrina? As Donny Jackson points out in Mobile Radio Technology (12-01-2005), all communications systems are designed with the notion that power is available. Backup generators and batteries are equipped to keep equipment running for a few hours at the most, which is usually ample time for the electrical grid to be back online to some capacity. In an earlier article by Donny Jackson (11-01-05), the floodwaters were to blame for most of the communications failures. The commander of police communications in New Orleans, Stephen J. Gordon, put it succinctly: â€Å"The wind was almost inconsequential†¦ It was the water that was the killer. † Herein was the problem: most wireless towers are designed to withstand hurricane force winds. The cell towers survived the winds, as in Florida’s hurricanes, but the power to drive the networks was knocked out by the unprecedented floodwaters in the city of New Orleans. There was also damage to a generator when flying debris punctured the radiator on the backup generator. When sudden damage of this type occurs, there is little that can be done to overcome the massive loss of communication. However, IT was still working, and emergency personnel were using the Internet to send out instant messages when all other communications failed. Of course, this was only possible with emergency power available until the fuel in the generators was gone. Since the roads were impassable and there was widespread damage to gas stations and roads to the gas stations, generator fuel swiftly dwindled. When communications are cut off to first responders in a disaster, chaos ensues as victims assume help is on the way and when it fails to arrive, the emotional aftermath is seen. First responders themselves are traumatized by being rendered almost as helpless as the victims they are hired to rescue and protect due to being cut off from each other. In the case of Katrina, it turned out that satellite and internet technology helped enormously in the days following the disaster, when families needed help finding each other and victims needed medical attention or evacuation. It seems that satellite technology had the edge over terrestrial communications systems, yet satellite communications are not yet sufficiently integrated into emergency communications networks, according to Satellite Industry Association (SIA) chairman Tony Trujillo (Peter Brown, 2006). Agreeing with this statement was the FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, stating that: If we learned anything from Hurricane Katrina, it is that we cannot rely solely on terrestrial communications (Brown). IT technology was utilized to patch together a system of tracking evacuees in the days following Hurricane Katrina. Several IT companies met two days after Katrina had struck and agreed to set aside competition and focus on helping the victims (Bart Perkins, 2005). Within five days, IT companies began executing networks for shelters, finding families, financial assistance and infrastructure. This mammoth effort was undertaken doing a lot with a little. Linking databases to larger organizations using what means were available was no small task, given that there was no power supply to speak of. In this case, the private sector possessed a greater ability to render assistance than the emergency or government agencies due to their skills and mobility. The Hurricane Katrina tragedy was ironic in that the entire world was more informed than the victims, evacuees and rescue workers regarding what was needed in the stricken areas, due to television, print and Internet media (Diane Mermigas, 2005). The observance of these phenomena has prompted the investigation into the further development of new bandwidth-rich services that go beyond media and entertainment and imbed themselves into emergency services. As a result of the losses and lack of preparedness in terms of emergency communications for a storm that was possible but not probable enough to prompt a major beefing up of communications networks, new measures are being taken to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. Flagler County in Florida is investing $10 million to install an 800 MHz radio system, which will suitably serve multiple channels of communications and heavy user traffic through one network (Michael Reed, 2005). New Orleans had an 800 MHz system, but it was knocked out by the floodwaters. However, the terrain of Flagler County is different and the county also has two satellite phones available as a backup. Satellite equipment works well as long as one has a clear view of the southern sky, but in a city or indoors, they are ineffective (Jackson, 11-01-2005). Two satellite phones may not seem like much, but the county can simultaneously call for help and stay in contact with emergency officials if need be. Moreover, where Flagler County’s radio signals currently fail in the western part of the county, the new 800 MHz system will enable signals to 95 percent of the county. In New Orleans, when the 800MHz equipment was rendered inoperable by the water, the statewide system was insufficient in dealing with the new traffic of users in the form of out-of-area emergency workers (Jackson, 11-01-2005). The resulting demand now is for redundant forms of connectivity, networks capable of re-routing traffic around the point of failure, better protection for equipment in terms of casings, and alternative power sources. In the works now are packets of emergency communications networks that operate on satellite technology and are able to seamlessly interface with terrestrial technology (Brown). One of the acknowledged problems with the communications infrastructure was that in the areas stricken by Katrina, these systems were not in place prior to the storm. Had they been strategically placed, response would have been more efficient and effective. One of the problems with first responders dealing with satellite equipment is the time; first responses are time-critical and while the team is trying to get to the victims, it is not likely that having to keep repositioning the receiver on a mobile satellite communication system would be an attractive idea. There are alternatives that had been considered dubious prior to Katrina, but are now gaining interest. One such communication network is being developed by Space Data, based in Arizona. Almost laughably simple, the Sky Site Network uses weather balloons to fly base systems up to heights of 65,000 to 100,000 feet above the earth (Jackson, 12-01-2005). This system could be deployed in advance of an oncoming hurricane or in the event of a disabled network. The balloons can remain aloft for about a day and are reusable when they fall to earth. Another possibility is a combination of solar, fuel cell and wind powering towers instead of terrestrial electricity. While this combination has largely been dismissed as environmentalism driven pseudo-science, one company has gained great interest after Katrina and has installed the towers at an airport in West Virginia to run the video surveillance cameras (Jackson, 12-01-2005). Knowing that it is only a matter of time before another disaster strikes, whether it is natural or man-made, it is prudent to shore up communications systems and develop different networks, both terrestrial and satellite, that can be compatible. Due to the human condition, it is more likely that such systems will be developed in the private sector focusing on entertainment or gaming rather than emergency preparedness. It seems that new technology becomes quickly taken for granted and integrated into daily life so much that many forget how to function without it. Yet designers and officials would do well to think outside the box by finding multiple purposes for such communications devices, in the event of an emergency. Past disasters such as the London transit bombings of July 2005, the tsunami in Indonesia in 2005 and now Hurricane Katrina have shown the value of videophones and camera equipped cell phones. Yet these devices require terrestrial networks to operate as well as electrical power to recharge them. While some small items such as cell phones, calculators, etc. are solar powered, the sun is not always reliable. Nothing is. This fact should demonstrate the importance of multiple power sources, both conventional and alternative, in order for equipment to function for extended periods of time even when the main power is disabled. In any emergency, effective communication is critical. Making communications networks better can be the difference between life and death in future disasters. Works Cited Brown, Peter J. â€Å"Crisis On The Gulf Coast: When Satellite Was The Only Game In Town. † Via Satellite 21. 1 (2006): 1. Jackson, Donny. â€Å"Without power, but not powerless. † Mobile Radio Technology 23 (12-01-2005).

Successful at College Essay Example for Free

Successful at College Essay Successful is achieving or having achieved success; having attained wealth, position, honors, or anything. College, it’s a big thing in a person’s life. It’s take a step into the real world. None is going to tell you what to do or how to do something in class. College students try to balances academic, work and social all at ones and it can be stressful. College is where one begins to find themselves and explore the world. It’s the start of where your life begins. The first step in being successful at college is being motivated. One needs to have a good mind if they want to success in college. No one can motivate you more about college then yourself. Remember you can’t just skip school or someone will tell you to go to class. You pay for your classes in college, so if you don’t go to class it’s none fault but your own. Also, college puts more responsibility on a student. Most students don’t tend to pick the right choice when it comes to college. They think their social life is more important than their academic. They think going to party and being popular is important than studying, getting a B.A. degree, and having the career of their dreams. The next step to be successful at college is having good habits and planning. Good habits in college would be having good study skills, attitude, test-taking skills, and listening skills. The biggest challenge that is different from high school and college would be that teachers in high school would teach, and in college the professors’ lecture. You have to prepare yourself because a professor can change a lesson plan if they want too. You should always look over at the syllabus to stay on track of what you’re doing in class. You should go over your notes, highlighting key material, and make sure you understand them. You should plan when you need to study and when you hang out and party with your friends. Putting your school work before everything else shows you being a successful student. In conclusion, being successful in college takes a lot of work. You have to put your mind to it and figure what is more important to you being successful and having a good grades and knowing you have a future or someone trying to fight their way, struggling and all stress out when they can get a B.A. degree and telling their parents that they wasted their money for college because they thought partying was more important than going to class and studying.

Leadership And Service Improvement Management Essay

Leadership And Service Improvement Management Essay The study of leaders and leadership has led to many competing theories which attempt to distill the essence of great leadership into its component parts, to allow others to acquire some of these attributes, and become more effective leaders. The very earliest theories on leadership tended to assume that leaders were born, and that leadership was not a skill, or set of skills that could be acquired. The overall impression was that Great Men had inherited leadership qualities from their ancestors, which would make them effective leaders when placed in positions of authority (Kirkpatrick and Locke 1991). This is not a very helpful way to look at leadership, and does nothing to assist students of leadership in their efforts to become better leaders themselves. It is not, though a great leap from identifying natural leaders to identifying which parts of their character or personality mark them out from others. This underpins the Trait theories of leadership. Trait theory was studied extensively in the mid part of the 20th Century, and had a wide range of results. Kirkpatrick and Locke (1991) explain that trait theory made no assumptions as to the origins of the traits studied, but simply highlighted the differences between leaders and non-leaders. In 1974, Stodgill published the results of his studies of leadership theory, and identified 22 traits and skills which are present to varying degrees in the individuals studied. This did not show how individuals could become better leaders, but, the identification of leadership as a skill has been vital in the subsequent development of leadership training. He himself ultimately concluded that A person does not become a leader by virtue of the possession of some combination of traits. (Stodgill 1948 cited in Levine 2008) McGregor (2005) looked at leadership behaviours as relating to underlying traits or world views. They examined the ways in which managers and leaders approached a task, and tried to understand the motivating factors. McGregror (1960) felt there were two major theories of human motivation which lay behind the actions of the leaders he studied. His theories were labelled X and Y. Theory X assumes that the average human being inherently dislikes work, and therefore must be coerced to perform at the required level. The motivating factors here are extrinsic. Theory Y assumes that work is a natural part of life, as much as is play or rest, and intrinsic motivation is key. This intrinsic motivation can be viewed as an expression of the Hierarchy of Needs (Maslow 1943) The work of McGregor informed the production of methods to map leadership behaviours. Blake and Mouton (1964) plotted concern for production against concern for people. This produces a helpful framework for mapping behaviours, but it is rather passive in form, and seems mainly useful for reflection or critique, to inform future endeavours. It does not necessarily inform leaders of what behaviour is best suited to the group they are working with at a particular time. Action centred leadership was proposed as a leadership model by Adair (1973). His time in the Army and work as a trainer at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst led him to develop a model that considers three domains; Task, Team and Individual. He argues that each domain requires the attention of a leader, but the relative importance of each will vary. The relationship of these domains is represented by a venn diagram: Task needs Team maintenance needs Individual needs This model then details the areas a leader should address in each domain: Task: Practical managerial concerns, for example creating a plan, monitoring performance Team: Facilitating group working by agreeing standards of behaviour, resolving group conflicts etc. Individual: Ensuring individuals are performing as well as possible by supporting through challenges, allocating work according to strengths etc. There is considerable overlap and interaction between each of these domains, and it is argued that attention to each domain is required for a balanced team. The key feature of this model which made such an impact was providing a practical framework which allowed leaders to combine some of the softer skills of leadership with more managerial traits of time management and task focus. Situational / Contingency Theories of Leadership The studies of leadership discussed above have all looked at leaders and leadership behaviour and described them, allowing leaders to analyse their behaviour. The theories above, over time have been developed to include a degree of dynamism, but were initially descriptive exercises. It was the recognition that there was not necessarily on right way of leading that prompted thinking about the possibility of adaptive styles of leadership (Schermerhorn 1997). The study of leadership in different situations and settings, and the observation that the most effective style of leadership changed with respect to situational variables led to situational leadership models. The earliest described was the Contingency Model (Fiedler 1964). This model relies on a self-rated scale to determine a preferred leadership style. Fiedler then studied working conditions, and described them through three variables: Leader-member relations how willing team members trust and will follow a leader Task structure: how well defined a task is, or if it follows a standard procedure Position Power: the extent of the rewards and punishments a leader has available. Through his studies, Fiedler constructed a visual guide to represent his findings about which type of leader was most effective given the situational variables. The model states that leaders with high LPC scores should work with teams where the situation is moderately favourable. The more task focused leaders will be more effective in situations which are either very favourable or unfavourable to the the leader. This model has been studied extensively and has received both criticism (Ashour 1973) support (Strube and Garcia 1981). A major source of controversy in this model is the LPC. One important point to note is that Fiedler felt leaders would find their behaviour difficult to alter, and organisations should therefore pick the correct leader for a given team. This is in contrast to other models which suggest leaders should be adaptable. The Hersey-Blanchard (1969) model of situational leadership looks at a different variable in the team context; the maturity of followers. The underlying assumption is that a leader should adopt a style of leadership which reflects the needs of the team. This is in direct contrast to Fiedlers (1964) assertion that organisations should pick leaders given the favourability of the situation. In this model, a two by two grid which is very similar to the Blake Mouton (1964) Managerial Grid, is used to describe four leadership styles: S1: Telling (low relationship, high task) S2: Selling (high relationship, high task) S3: Participating (high relationship, low task) S4: Delegating (low relationship, low task) There is an accompanying scale which rates the team a leader is concerned with: M1: Low competence, and low commitment M2: Low competence, and high commitment M3: High competence with low/variable commitment M4: High competence and high commitment The M score for maturity of the team members was developed over time, and was later divided to reflect job and psychological maturity (Hersey and Blanchard 1982). Job maturity is the ability or capacity to perform the task in hand. Psychological maturity indicates motivation. The model has received criticism from a theoretical standpoint, and from empirical research. Graeff (1983) claims that the maturity scale is invalid, as it classifies workers who have skill and are unmotivated (M3) as more mature than those who lack skill but are dedicated to a task(M2). He also argues that the additive nature of job and psychological maturity in the model is invalid. He supports this view by suggesting that in tasks where skill requirements are low, motivation has a much greater importance. One study into the model concluded that, because high follower maturity did not obviate the need for supervision, their results lent very little support to the model (Cairns et al 1998). This study though had methodological flaws, a skewed population, and did describe some support for aspect of the SLT model. The practical application of this model relies on the ability of the leader to determine the maturity of their followers, and reflect this in their leadership style. Perhaps the most important aspect of the model is the recognition that leadership styles are not fixed, and leaders can change their approach to suit a given team or individual. In modern healthcare settings, there has been a change in the nature of teams. There is no longer a stable, small, hierarchical team. Instead, teams form and disperse on an almost shift-by-shift basis. To lead effectively in this environment, it is necessary to be adaptable, and be able to support team members to realise their potential. The models described above illustrate that there is no one best way to lead a team. Instead, by appreciating the different situations, individuals and tasks involved, leaders stand a better chance of forming teams which can cope with the varying demands of the modern NHS. Perhaps Goleman (2000, p.4) has argued this most eloquently through his work which revealed that the most effective leaders do not rely on only one leadership style; they use them seamlessly and in different measure depending on the business situation. Service Improvement Methods: The literature describes a large number of service improvement methods which have been applied in some form to healthcare settings. Most service improvement methodologies that have been implemented in healthcare have been adopted from industry, where the driving force is to maximise profits for shareholders. The adoption of industrial techniques for service and quality improvement has often met with a degree of resistance from the medical profession (Moss and Garside 1995) and from the health sector as a whole. This has been attributed to the professional nature of healthcare, which involves large numbers of autonomous, independent practitioners who often place independence of clinical decision making at the heart of their operating values. (Degeling et al 2003) Recently though, there has been a recognition within the medical profession of the need to drive up standards in healthcare, and to focus on overall quality of care, rather than just direct clinical activity. Included in most definitions of quality is efficiency of healthcare delivery. This focus on efficiency is built on the growing recognition that publicly funded healthcare systems need to be accountable for the expenditure they make. (Donabedian 1988) It is in the context of increased demands for efficiency, increasing burden of chronic disease, and ever increasing expectations from the users of the health services that service improvement tools have started to be implemented on a wider scale than ever before. Systematic approaches to service improvement have been in existence for a long time. Taylor published his Principles of Scientific Management in 1911 after many years of employing what are now known as time and motion studies to various industrial processes. His approach was much criticised for giving too much power to managers, and its use was even banned by the American Senate in defence establishments for relying too heavily on command and control leadership (Mullins 2005a). However, his methods produced great improvements in efficiency, and he made an argument about systems which is still valid today: The remedy for this inefficiency lies in systematic management rather than in searching for some unusual or extraordinary man.(Taylor 1911) Total Quality Management This approach to systematic improvement was developed by Deming during his work with Japanese manufacturers in the aftermath of World War II. He was initially concerned with teaching statistical control methods to Japanese manufacturers to improve efficiency. However, he adjusted his teaching to focus on the process, rather than individual performance, and emphasised the need for good management and a collective push for optimisation. He published his recommendations for industry, government and education, which set out his 14 points for management in the seminal work Out of the Crisis (Deming 1986). TQM is more than a technique or set of tools for improvement, and can be described as a way of life for an organisation as a whole, committed to total customer satisfaction through a continuous process of improvement and involvement of people. (Mullins 2005b) TQM has been utilised in healthcare since the early 1990s, and aspects of it are increasingly being employed today. It is often the tools associated with the approach which are used, rather than the wholesale systems change originally described, and this lack of clarity regarding the true nature of what is called TQM has contributed to a lack of clear evidence of benefit. (Øvretveit and Gustafson 2002) Where the whole package of TQM has been implemented, results have been mixed, but there are numerous examples of where certain elements have shown benefit. The most commonly employed techniques derived from TQM are statistical control methods, and the PDSA cycle. Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) Alongside his work on TQM, Deming is credited as being one of the key proponents of the PDSA (or PDCA) cycle. This cycle of learning, implemented as a quality improvement tool had been taught by Shehwart (1939) whilst Deming was working with him. Deming took this knowledge to Japan and it formed part of his work on TQM (Hossain 2008). The cycle reflects Kolbs learning cycle (1973), and is a tool for testing changes, and reacting to the results. It can be seen as either a standalone tool for change, as part of a larger system of change, or as a key part of a philosophy for wide-scale change across an organisation.(Cleghorn and Headrick 1996) The PDSA cycle consists of four parts: Plan: The objective of the test must be defined, and a method of data collection must be incorporated. Do: The planned change to a process is carried out, with concurrent data collection Study: The data is analysed, compared with predicted outcomes, and a summary of learning is produced. Act: The conclusions from the data are utilised, and used to inform the next plan. The underlying rationale for the PDSA cycle lies in systems theory. Systems theory implies that small scale changes within a system can create large results. The PDSA cycle is useful for testing small changes, and reflecting on the effects before either applying them across a whole system, or making further changes (Berwick 1998). When linked together, PDSA cycles can be used to drive up quality. This approach of multiple linked cycles and this approach of multiple linked PDSA cycles is used in the Model for Improvement, the rapid cycle model of change, and the collaborative approach (Langley et al 2009, 1992; Institute for Healthcare Improvement 2003). In contrast with small PDSA schemes within a team or organisation, the collaborative approach uses multiple PDSA cycles within separate organisations, whilst aiming for improvement in a shared area of care: The PDSA model, when used within the model for improvement, or as a chain of cycles within a single team is a clear, simply understood, but powerful tool for implementing change, and improving quality. Its strength lies in its ability to be applied to small scale changes, but achieve significant results. From an organisational point of view, the relatively small amount of resource which is required to test each hypothesis makes this model very attractive. Processes can be studied with little disruption of everyday activity, and if the results are not favourable, learning can continue without significant loss to the organisation. In clinical processes, the PDSA cycle is an excellent tool for testing hypotheses, especially where evidence may be lacking and inaction seems inappropriate, but action without reflection sees un-wise (Berwick 1998) The smaller, more local focus of PDSA cycles, and small resource requirements make this model particularly accessible to staff of all levels, and as the engagement of frontline staff, and in particular doctors has been shown to be a key factor in the success of change in the healthcare setting, this is a major strength. (Greenhalgh et al 2004 and Øvretveit 2005) The incorporation of the PDSA cycle into wider schemes of change management brings additional complexity, and also invites additional problems. There have been varied results in the implementation of the collaborative approach within healthcare as a service improvement tool. Some studies report great success (Monteleoni and Clark 2004; Schonlau et al 2005) while others (Newton et al 2007) found that there were difficulties using the same model. The major difficulties identified were lack of adequate resources, the conceptual difficulties associated with the model, and poor leadership. A recent review concluded that there is currently no evidence about the long term results or cost effectiveness of collaboratives compared with other models. (Øvretveit 2002). Toyota Production System (TPS) / Lean One approach to service improvement which is being applied with growing enthusiasm within the NHS is Lean. Lean thinking and theory emerged from studies of the manufacturing processes at Toyota. The term was first used in the late 1980s and the approach grew in stature after the publication of The Machine that Changed the World (Womack et al 1990). Lean was not originally a single tool or approach, but instead was a philosophy to which all members of an organisation aligned themselves. This whole systems approach is probably now better recognised at the Toyota Production System (Liker 2003). The success of Lean/TPS has led to a proliferation of schemes which fall under the umbrella of Lean thinking but do not necessarily hold to the original principles. The TPS was developed in the 1950s in Japan, and was first published in English in 1977 by Sugimori et al. The system has been studied extensively, but many organisations, despite implementing the principles behind the TPS, have not achieved the efficiencies and quality that Toyota exhibit. (Spear and Bowen 1999). There have been many attempts to reduce the TPS to a method which can be applied in many settings, but as Sutherland and Bennett (2007) state, such a complex process cannot be adequately documented. They suggest that instead, to understand the system, one must learn from mentors, much like a child learns and forms habits from their parents. Liker (2003) sets out 14 principles of the TPS, but for the purposes of this assignment, three will be examined: 1. The thorough elimination of waste (muda) 2. Jidoka or the primacy of quality 3. Kaizen continuous incremental improvement Ohno (1988) identifies 7 wastes (muda) which should be eliminated from any system. These are: Overproduction production of more than is required for immediate use Delay / Waiting any delay between the end of one process, and the start of another. Unnecessary transportation of materials Overprocessing using more energy than required for a given process, or exceeding the agreed specification Excess inventory any raw materials or work in progress in excess of customer requirements. Motion any unnecessary movement of workers, eg. reaching / stretching. Defects any process or work that results in unacceptable goods These wastes have immediate equivalents in most healthcare settings, and underpin a lot of the efforts in healthcare which are labelled as Lean. From these definitions many techniques for identifying waste have been developed. The NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement (NHSIII) has developed a series of products known as the Productive Series which use the elimination of waste to improve healthcare. The tools used in the productive series are often taken directly from industry (NHSIII 2007), and include some elements which date back as far as the Scientific Methods described by Taylor (1911). Jidoka is defined by Toyota (2010) as automation with a human touch. When applied to a manufacturing context, this emerges as the principle that a process should continue unless a defect is noted. Once that defect has been detected, work should stop until the problem is solved. This principle ensures in manufacturing that if a machine or worker detects a problem, or a process issue, the line is stopped, a solution introduced and, vitally, incorporated into the standard workflow. In this way, the defect should not arise again. The early detection of defects on a production line, and the empowerment of workers to raise the alarm if defects occur also reduces waste. It is unfortunate that, although many principles of the TPS/Lean system are implemented in healthcare, it is often this concern for detecting problems and creating solutions which are incorporated into standard work which fails to be introduced. One reason cited for this area failing to be implemented is that clinical care c annot stop, in in this respect, clinicians feel methods for producing widgets cannot be applied to the art of healing (Wilson et al 2001). There are examples of where this concept has been introduced, into the healthcare environment, with clear evidence of improvements (Ballà © and Rà ©gnier 2007), but a recent paper argues that more could be done (Grout and Toussaint 2010) Kaizen is the culture of continuous, incremental improvements to a system (Imai 1986). This cultural philosophy of scientific experimentation, conducted at the lowest possible level in the organisation, is held up by Spear and Bowen (1999) as one of the key elements of the success of the TPS, and as a key stumbling block for others who seem unable to replicate Toyotas success. This philosophy, combined with other unwritten rules combine to create a community of scientists, who engage in experimentation to solve problems. These problems are often on a small scale, and the process closely follows the PDSA cycle. When this principle of widespread, incremental change is adopted across an organisation, with recognition of the value of tacit knowledge, it is possible for a learning organisation to emerge (Howells 1996). In conclusion, there are many approaches to leadership and service improvement which are being used in the healthcare setting today. Use of an adaptive model, which allows a leader to change management style depending on the team they are leading, and the task in hand, is most appropriate for leaders of modern medical teams, in a large part due to the very flexible nature of the teams involved. The application of industrial quality improvement techniques to healthcare has great potential, and successful trials have been conducted. However, a common feature discussed in analyses of obstacles to implementation is the engagement of medical professionals. Through the use of effective leadership, and engagement of these key stakeholders, it is possible to lay the foundations for a learning organisation. A learning culture which is open to the possibilities of change through quality improvement strategies will ultimately be the most fertile environment in which to implement change for a be tter quality of care.

Teaching as a Profession Essay -- essays papers

Teaching as a Profession Winston Churchill once said â€Å"Kites rise highest against the wind (1942).† Teachers must find enough determination to overcome the adversity, stress, and other factors that might be sending them the message to leave their job, and stick with it. A teaching profession has some positive benefits, but the negative aspects are enough to push people away from a career in this field. Looking in from the outside, a job as a teacher seems ideal. In what other profession do you have every weekend, holiday, and the whole summer off? This is enough to draw a lot of people to the job, but it is not glamorous enough to keep these new teachers around for long and this creates a shortage. There are many reasons causing this shortage of teachers. Among others, stress, lack of respect, and salary are what a lot of the fleeing teachers point to for their early departure from the field. This paper will describe what is going on now in the profession and what the future will bring for the fi eld of teaching. In 1685, St. John Baptist de la Salle originated the training of teachers in France (Columbia Encyclopedia). Teaching has kept growing ever since this time, spreading all across the world. In the colonial period in America, the only requirements for teaching in the lower schools were a modicum of learning and a willingness to work in what was then an ill-paid, low-prestige occupation (Columbia Encyclopedia). The teaching profession is still somewhat looked down on, but it keeps improving with the ever-changing technology. Why teachers are on their way out Teacher retention rates have been on a â€Å"see-saw† for a few years now. According to a survey conducted by National University, reductions in class size, ... ... 2003 from http://www.new-teacher.com/salary.html Potter, Patricia E., Swenk, Dr. Jean, Schrup, Dr. Marie, Smith, Hoyt, and Weekly, Sarah. (2001). The National University Teacher Retention and Attrition Survey. Retrieved March 6,2003, from http://www.nu.edu/newevent/teacher-retention-survey/pdf/teacher.pdf Bajunid, Ibrahim Ahmad. (2003, February 16). Redefining the Teaching Profession. New Straits Times-Management Times. Barry, Paul. (2003, January 16). Trainees Prepare to Take the Heat. Coventry Evening Telegraph. Education Week. (2003, February 21). Teaching as a Profession. American Education’s Online Newspaper. Retrieved April 28, 2003 from http://edweek.org The Associated Press. (2003, January 29). Report: Teacher Retention Biggest School Woe. Retrieved March 10,2003, from http://www.cnn.com/2003/education/01/029/teacher.shortage.ap

The First Person Narrative Wuthering Heights :: Free Essay Writer

The First Person Narrative Wuthering Heights In Emily Bronte's text Whuthering Heights there are various characters that exercise some form of narrative function and their roles interrelate with their versions of what happens. The novel in presented in the first person narrative throughout, with the bulk of the story being presented via three main characters; Lookwood, Nelly Dean and Isabella with other characters at time presenting there own small insights. The first-degree narrator in Emily Bronte's text Whuthering Heights is Lookwood. His voice is the first we hear from the outset of the novel and essentially the entire story consists of the contents of Lookwood's diary which e has compiled from various sources, including diary entries, the back of books, stories that Nelly Dean tells him and his own first hand experiences. Lockwood is described by Dr. Tony Miller in his tutorial on Whuthering Heights as "A complete outsider...The London man, vein, convinced of his own attractiveness, partronising to Nelly, he says 'Goodness, you are very clever for a servant!'" is essence Lookwood is portrayed as a fool and he has a very specific role to play in the text. Lookwood's primary function is to demonstrate how not to understand the extraordinary people and events in Whuthering Heights through bringing in his own assumptions about the inhabitants of Thrush Cross Grange and Whuthering Heights Lookwood fails to full understand these extremely complex characters. Look wood acts as a reminder of the specialness of the people that we meet throughout the progression of the story. Nelly Dean is the person through whom we hear the bulk of the story, she is telling Lockwood of her own experiences and the experiences of others, which

Plutonium and Internet Start-Up Company Essay

Plutonium and internet start-up company which was founded at the beginning of the technology boom was developing the technological systems necessary to support the rapidly expanding user base. Plutonium purchased an expensive and complex billing system to automate the billing of internet accounts using a credit card to integrate its system. Jonathan, the manager of operations department, was given the phony credit card to help fix corrupted accounts created by the launch and integration. Chris an employee of Plutonium, who very knowledgeable and trusted was given the phony credit card number. Chris was using the credit card to access websites that have pirated software and music. After an FBI investigation, Chris was warned and put into probation. Jonathan was asked to write a warning letter to Chris. Few months later, Jonathan noticed a change in Chris’s behavior. He was making unusual purchases, such as Palm Pilots, MP3 Players. The first element of the fraud triangle is pressure. Every fraud perpetrator faces some kind of perceived pressure. Most pressures involve a financial need, although nonfinancial pressures, such as the need to report financial results better than actual performance, frustration with work, or even a challenge to beat the system, can also motivate fraud. Financial pressures often motivate misappropriation frauds by employees. Common pressures such as living beyond one’s means, greed, high debt, unrecognized performance and inadequate pay could lead employees to fraud. Chris had several perceived pressures to commit fraud. He has a family to support and he earned minimal wages compared to other who has his skills. Chris could have a student loan and other debts he has to pay in addition to taking care of his family. That could have caused him a lot of pressure. The second element of the fraud triangle is perceived opportunity. â€Å"The opportunity to commit and conceal fraud when a company has unclear policies and procedures, fails to teach and stress corporate honesty, and fails to prosecute those who perpetrate fraud. † (Romney 129). The opportunity for fraud is created when employees are given access to records and valuable information. In the case of Chris, he had the opportunity to commit fraud because he has the expertise in technology. He has the phony credit card given to him by his manager and he was able to use that without the knowledge of his manager or co-workers. The third element of fraud triangle is rationalization. Rationalization allows perpetrators to justify their illegal behavior. For example, a fraudster can rationalize by saying, â€Å"I only took what they owed me. Or the rules do not apply to me†. Perpetrators rationalize that they are not being dishonest, that honesty is not required of them, or that they value what they take more than honesty and integrity. â€Å"Some perpetrators rationalize that they are not hurting a real person, but a faceless and nameless computer system or an impersonal company that will not miss the money. † (Romney 130). Christ could have thought that he was underpaid and by using these credit cards he was not hurting anyone. He might have also used the lack of underpayment as justification for the use of the company’s credit cards for personal gain.

Personality development Essay

Personality development can be described as the collection of a person’s behaviours, for example their thoughts, emotions and interactions with others. As such, researchers have often stressed the importance of social interactions and the environment on the development of personality. Bandura’s social-cognitive theory would describe the attainment of personality in terms of modelling, reinforcement and direct tuition. Particular emphasis is placed on modelling, whereby a person identifies with a ‘model’ and imitates their behaviour (and hence their personality traits). This may explain why siblings may have similar personalities, as they will have shared a common environment for a large part of their early lives. Support for modelling as an influence on behaviour comes from Bandura’s ‘Bobo doll’ studies, which found that children imitated the behaviour of an adult acting aggressively towards a doll. This demonstrates that reinforcement is not a necessary condition for personality development to take place, and is therefore an improvement on traditional learning theory. The process of modelling requires a number of cognitive factors to take place, but particularly important, according to Bandura, is motivation. This can take place by means of reinforcement or self-motivation, the latter having particular significance in personality development. Self-motivation covers a variety of self-evaluative cognitive processes, such as self-response (rewarding or punishing oneself for carrying out a behaviour) and self-efficacy (the perception of capability to carry out a behaviour). This holds particular imnportance in personality development as personality is, according to social learning theory, learnt as is any other behaviour, and traits such as social skills may be obtained by, for example, watching one’s parents socialise. If self-efficacy is low, the child may not imitate the behaviour, and as a result will have poor social skills as an adult. Feltz provides support for the importance of self-efficacy, finding that Russian athletes’ performance was improved when they saw videotapes of themselves that had been edited to make them seem better than they were. Further support is provided by Schunk, who found that American primary school children who were told that their peers had done well on a maths test proceeded to do better on it that those who were not told anything about their peers.

Jasper Jones Essay

In Craig Silveys outrageous novel Jasper Jones, the younger characters are faced with a loss of innocence. They have to find out the hard way the world is not what it’s portrayed to be. Throughout the novel the characters are dragged through violence, destruction and death and uncover the truth about mysteries and lies. Body Paragraph 1 Throughout the novel Charlie the protagonist, has lost most the innocence out of all the characters and has to learn to truth about a lot of things. Over the â€Å"hottest summer in Corrigan† Charlie is confronted about many truths including the truth behind the myth of Mad Jack Lionel and the truth behind his mother’s hurtful behaviour. However the truth that has the biggest impact on Charlie has to be the dark secret that jasper exposes Charlie to. Charlies visions of the world, his way of life are about to change forever. Charlie’s exposure to Laura’s suicide and the events leading up to it force him to confront the darkness in the world and as a result he loses his last shred of innocence. The truths Charlie comes to realise and the actions he takes are shown near the end of the novel when he says I â€Å"finally have the right words in me.† Body Paragraph 2 In the novel jasper is seen as an outcast by most of Corrigan, and is treated this way as well. Jasper has already matured to a certain point but there are still things that he hasn’t realised the truth about yet. Jasper has to overcome the truth about his mother and the truth about Mad Jack being his grandad and the truth behind Laura’s suicide. Laura’s suicide took Jaspers last bit of innocence from him he had to find out who committed this terrible crime and he wanted to bring them to justice. Jaspers mentality changes throughout the whole novel and when he finally admits Laura’s gone. Jasper decides to leave Corrigan for good and this is a sign of maturity. Body Paragraph 3 Jeffrey Is Charlies best friend and neighbour. Jeffery is Vietnamese living in the 1960s in an Australian town, and he has to grow up with adversity and  realisation of the truth that he is an outcast because of his race. Jeffery has quite a lot of maturing to do, supporting this is the extremely stupid conversations he and Charlie sometimes have. Jeffery has realised that it doesn’t matter what anyone says to him he had to believe in himself and Jeffery got his time to shine. He has come to realise the horrible truth that his family is not respected and is seen as a lower class of society and come to realise that whatever race you are dictates your â€Å" status † in the community. His mentality also changes throughout the entire novel. By the end of the novel he believes in himself and has earned his respect in the community. Body Paragraph 4 Eliza doesn’t really make an appearance in the novel until about halfway through, but by that time we are shown that Eliza is already quite matured and grown up. Eliza has to realise that her sister committed suicide to escape her violent father and Eliza come to the realise the truth about human nature that it isn’t all nice smiles and hellos people hurt other people on purpose just because they want to. Eliza shows just how grown up at the end of the novel when she sets her house on fire to try to escape from the harsh memories. Conclusion In conclusion all the characters in the novel were greatly affected by Laura’s death it lit a fuse that made the whole town explode into utter chaos and Jasper Charlie and Eliza were stuck In the middle of it. In addition all of the character had to grow up in their own way just to survive in this small outback town.

Dttls Assignment Essay

Unit 4: Theories and principles for planning and enabling learning In modern day teaching, the onus is shifting further and further away from teacher dictated methods of educational delivery, to methods that ensure the learner is placed at the heart of teaching, and every individual within the classroom is considered and catered for. Advances in technology available to teachers has contributed to a broadening of teaching styles, but this has mainly come about through the need to differentiate teaching more effectively and break down the barriers that exist between teacher and learner. Engaging every learner is a difficult task and requires the teacher to have a plethora of knowledge of teaching methods and theories. Learners may differ in terms of age, gender, ability level, communication skills, confidence, learning styles and many other factors. The job of the teacher is to ensure these factors do not hinder individual learning and that success and achievement within the group is widespread and at a high level. Planning and implementing learning is paramount to this process. To effectively plan and deliver to diverse and varied groups of students, teachers can draw upon a number of teaching theories and principles put forward by educational academics. Theories of teaching and behaviour are themselves, in general, varied and diverse in the way they approach the dissemination of learning and the bringing about of desired responses. Similarly, different theories of communication have been put forward that document methods through which we as teachers can effectively converse with our students. All of these theories can provide a vital insight or tool for teachers to improve their practice and ultimately promote inclusive learning for all students. Many examples of different teaching theories are evident across academic literature. Examples of these include Classical and Operant conditioning, Kolb’s learning cycle, Gagnes 9 events of instruction, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Knowles’ Pedagogical and Andragogical approaches. An example of a communication theory is Berne’s (1970) transactional analysis. It is concerned with ensuring that control and understanding occurs through ommunication between groups or individuals. Berne believes that transactional analysis represents â€Å"a theory of social intercourse and used it to help people understand and improve their behaviour towards others† (Huddleston & Unwin, 1997, p115). This theory also suggests that communicating effectively will directly impact on success, motivation work rate and b ehaviour through increased understanding of the nature and demands of a task or the content of the message itself that is being communicated. If we also also consider the effectiveness of communication in the classroom and relating theoretical concepts, i. e. ehaviourist and humanistic theories, these have some distinct differences which affect greatly the approaches and techniques adopted by teachers. Behaviourist theories suggest all behaviour is ‘learned’ or that these theories bring about a recognisable ‘change’ in behaviour (Armitage, 2003). Examples of Behavioural theorists include Pavlov (Classical conditioning), Thorndike (Operant conditioning), Skinner and in terms of early behaviourist studies, Watson. These theorists along with others have over the past 100 years put forward a number of different behaviourist theories that are concerned with changing or ‘conditioning’ behaviour. Classical conditioning was pioneered by Pavlov who looked at learning by association. His famous study involved the use of dogs as a medium to facilitate associative learning. Pavlov rang a bell every time a dog was to receive food, the presence of food elicited a saliva response from the dog, which over time it associated with the sound of the bell. After a period of time, the stimulus of food was no longer produced, but the dog continued to salivate at the sound of a bell, as it now ‘associated’ this behaviour with the onset of a meal. Classical conditioning essentially elicits a reflex and an association is formed (Artmitage, 2003; www. learning-theories. com). Operant conditioning is a theory put forward by Thorndike. This theory waits for a desired behaviour to occur and then rewards it. It builds somewhat on the work done by Watson regarding trial and error learning. Perhaps the most prominent or influential behaviourist work is that done by Skinner. Skinner adopted an operant approach to behaviourism and famously conducted experiment using rats in specially designed boxes. Skinner’s ideas revolved around the presence of a reinforcer to cause a desired behaviour to be repeated. This could be in the form of a primary reinforcer (a basic need like food) or a secondary reinforcer (such as money or praise). In the case of his rats, Skinner effectively trained them to pull certain levers to release food. Initially, the release was accidental but after a while, the rats learned to associate the arrival of food with the pressing of a lever. Skinners work revolved heavily around the need for reinforcement, reward, punishment and feedback. The scheduling and delivery of these things was also important to Skinner who suggested the timing of something like a reward was paramount to its success at brining about long term changes in behaviour. Similarly, he suggested giving punishment should occur immediately after the event in question and in a consistent manner. Also, it was skinner who introduced the concept of successive approximations – small steps towards a desired behaviour (Artmitage, 2003; www. learning-theories. com). Humanistic theories of learning are much more concerned with the individual themselves than the behaviour. Maslow identified a Hierarchy of Needs which he believed outlined the basic requirements of all individuals Figure 1 – Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (www. talkingtails. files. wordpress. com) Both humanistic and behaviourist theories have a huge application in the delivery of teaching and learning. In the curriculum area of Public Services, evidence of the use of both theories is apparent across different subject areas. Operant conditioning is embedded widely across public service lessons. This occurs on many occasions where praise is used within a fitness session to reinforce good performance. Primary reinforcers are also often used, for example, excellence certificates sometimes act as a tangible reward for students who perform well in strenuous task such as fitness testing. When coaching exercise techniques in the gym, classical conditioning is used to develop the desired response of good form. For example, when learning to perform a squat, the learner must bend their knees to a 90 degree angle. This is taught by putting a bench under the learner so that when they feel their posterior touch the surface of the bench they know to begin the upward phase of the lift. At the point of touch, they will be encouraged to reverse the process. Over time, the bench is removed from the lift but the learner still remembers the motion. Punishment is often used to discourage certain behaviour. For example, at South Devon College if a student is rude in a lesson they are given a set amount of press ups to do. Whilst punishment is deemed less effective than a positive reinforcement strategy, the section have a consistent and department wide policy towards distributing press ups which contributes to making this a more effective way to manipulate behaviour. Humanistic approaches such as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs are also evident within the curriculum, looking at developing individuals through agendas such as Every Child Matters and through the departmental tutorial process. The teamwork and overall nature of the course is also a particularly effective medium for learners to progress through the top two stages (esteem and self actualisation) of the hierarchy. Inclusive practice is something that all teachers are ultimately striving for. Within the curriculum, inclusive practice is complicated by the both theoretical and practical element of the subject area. A teacher must look to facilitate learning for those who are academically able, practically gifted and also attempt to integrate the study of theory and practical to enhance learning as a whole. Computer based learning, for example, is common place on all courses, and although often difficult to facilitate in all subjects, such as outdoor activities, the needs of the learner and future employer is paramount. The Uniformed Public Services today use computer systems, including email, online study, and specific service systems such as Wotan, on a regular basis and so it is vital that learners are prepared for this. This also helps out those learners who may struggle with putting pen to paper. Much of what the Public Services do is very practical and so as much as possible I try to embed a practical way of delivering the course specification. For example, team building activities using equipment outdoors. This enables some learners to shine as they are more practically minded. However, an indoor table top scenario does the same job, but gives learners with different learning styles chance to shine. Linking theory to practice is related to another teaching theory put forward by Kolb (1984). Kolb’s Learning Theory Kolb’s theory is ‘based on the assumption that people learn best by doing things then thinking about how they have done them, considering both the thoughts, feelings and perceptions which emerged during the experience’ (Harkin et al. 200, p42). This makes the process of learning more efficient, relevant and enjoyable. It also promotes inclusive practice with all three learning styles (Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic) being catered for effectively. The nature of our learners has a significant influence on the techniques and theories we implement in the preparation and delivery of lessons. In my own teaching practice, I have exposure to both adult and child groups. This difference in age groups has a big impact in how I teach and communicate with these groups. This is linked to Knowles’ (1970) theory of Pedagogy and Andragogy. These two states relate to the differences associated with teaching these varying groups. Effective communication is required throughout all levels of teaching. Transactional analysis is strongly linked to communicating and giving feedback and reflects the way we use our voice (in terms of tone, pitch, volume and content) to relay information to our students. The way this is done will affect whether a student understands a task and understands the nature and direction of the feedback. Within pastoral support mechanisms, teachers often undertake one on one tutorial discussions with students. Depending on the situation and the learner, the teacher may adopt one of the 3 ego states (Parent, Adult, and Child) in order to most effectively converse with the student. The ego state may also change over the course of the tutorial process as the teacher gets to know the learner more. Within the classroom, communicating with learners in the form of feedback allow them to understand if they are being successful or not achieving and what they can do to improve. As teachers, it is essential we have the ability to adopt the correct ego status for the situation but also to consciously manipulate the interaction of ego states between teacher and learner. Doing this involves manipulating our own tone of voice and delivery of information and also encouraging certain behaviours and attitudes amongst our students to allow them to best understand what is being said to them. In Public Services, when feeding back to a student on their performance in a practical session, a teacher may look to switch between the adult and parent ego states to best deliver positive and negative comments to a learner. Currently I teach a subject that is well within my comfort zone, particularly as a serving member of Her Majesty’s Forces, where I can relate much of my teaching to my current role. However, I am acutely aware of the need to teach and develop my own core skills in literacy, numeracy, language and ICT. To progress in a career in the Public services, it is vital that these core skills are maximised. As mentioned previously, the ICT is developing in all aspects of our lives and as a teacher, I feel this is an aspect where I maximise my potential. My own literacy and language is adequate for the subject matter that I teach, but would be limited I believe if I were to teach another core subject. My use of voice and body language overcomes many of my shortfalls when addressing learners but may not be appropriate in other subjects. Numeracy is my weakest area and as such my teaching reflects this. As a teaching group we play to our individual strengths and so the subjects that I teach have limited numeracy base. However, this is an area that I am conscious of and it does need to be addressed. As a teacher, I teach across a range of courses from Level 1 to Level 5 and with groups ranging from 15 years old to adult learners. This necessitates that I employ a range of teaching strategies and adopt a range of learning theories to best accommodate for all my students. I feel one of my particular strengths is my adaptability to work effectively with these diverse groups and adopt different ego states through which to control these groups and facilitate their learning. Sub consciously, I feel for a long time I have been utilising many of the learning theories discussed in this assignment, however through recent further study I now feel much more confident and able to take what I perceive to be the most advantageous parts of these learning theories and implement them in my classroom. I believe a further strength of mine is to bring about certain behaviours or encourage those that are most appropriate within the classroom. Using operant conditioning ideology, I am quick to recognise and praise desired behaviour but am careful how and how often I deliver this reinforcement. Although I understand the limitations of punishment, I believe it has a place in the classroom and feel I am fairly competent at being consistent and fair with punishments/press ups. Feedback from learners is clearly an essential medium to assess one own teaching. With my adult learners I widely adopt a andragogical approach, allowing them a lot of freedom to learn in their own way. This is effective but often leads to a lack of feedback from learners in terms of how they are progressing and learning. I feel I could improve by embedding some more formative assessment methods into my andragogical style of teaching to allow for freedom within learning, but also actually more feedback for me from learners. This will ultimately help me see how they are doing, and also how I am doing in terms of teaching. For future development, I believe it is essential for me to continue to develop my use of Kolb’s ideas integrating theory into practice. This is something I believe to be essential, especially given the more practical/kinaesthetic orientation of the learners who study upon the course on which I teach. I also feel that I could benefit from more in depth investigation into the Skinner’s schedule of reinforcement linked to operant conditioning. I feel I am good at giving constructive praise but could improve by really analysing how I give feedback, especially in terms of frequency.

Changes

Historians and cultural critics trace the post-modernist hip hop movement which pioneered sampling and graffiti art to the sasss, New York, a movement rooted in the black nationalism of the black panthers post civil rights movement (Price, 2006). Hip Hop has become a dominant global youth culture with music, art, fashion, films and Outpace an Icon within this culture a Black Elvis. Hip Hop has many different sub genres such as conscious, gangs, party rap and with emcees in the different genres according to their subject matter.The paper will explore Changes a conscious rap Eng that was recorded by Outpace in 1 992, at a time when African Americans were affected by the beating of Rodney King by Police Officers, which led to the Los Angels Riots of 1992 (Johnson, 2009). The environment was politically charged and conducive for a song chronicling that moment in history. What is interesting is that the song was posthumously released in 1998 on Tubas Greatest Hits album, two years after Outpace died of gunshots wounds on the 13th of September 1996 (Scott, 1997). Outpace Shakers music Is characterized by hard hitting hip hop beats sampled room different music genres and lyrics that criticize, the capitalist system that divides America into the haves and have-nots. The collective identity in Tubas music is identified In the struggle of the lower classes to find political, economic, social discourse In a capitalist society by chronicling from the perspective of a young black male growing up in post civil rights America.His work vocalizes the thoughts of the masses trapped within a modern slavery system (poverty and discrimination). The writers credited on the album sleeve are Shaker, T. , Evans, D. , Horns, B. ; Changes ample the beat and part of the chorus from Bruce Harmonys The way It is(1986) and appropriated It Into a Hip Hop political anthem. This part of the paper will delve into the psyche of the artist and explore the lyrics of Changes. ANALYZING OUTPACE When did I ever say I was a gangs rapper? Is Frank Sinatra a gangs singer?Is Steve Seal a gangs actor? What is that? Thats such a limited term. Maroon Brandon is not a gangs actor, hes an actor. Axle Rose and them are not gangs rock and rollers, thieve rock and rollers. So Im a rapper, this is what I do. Im an artist. And I AP about the oppressed taking back their place. I rap about fighting back. To me, my lyrics and my verses are about struggling and overcoming, you know (Shaker, 2003) Left: OPAC. 1996. All Eyes On Me (outpace. Com) Right: OPAC. 1995. Me against the World (outpace. Mom) Outpace Shakers controversial image drowned his work; the media at the time concentrated on what he did off record and forget that he was a brilliant rapper, lyricist and actor. He did cultivate the gangster image with Thug Life tattered across his abdomen and his persona as seen on the album cover of All eyes on me (1996) Is that of a gangs, The persona Is evident on him with the words Outlaw tattered on his lower arm, a panthers head on his upper arm with a miscreant intensity and 1 OFF on music videos, further reiterates that he is a gangs rapper.However on the cover of an earlier album Me against the world(1995) another side of the rapper is seen, with his back against a wall, he stares at the camera like a deer caught between two headlights. In interviews and talk shows when he takes off his mask, an intelligent, misunderstood, creative young man who wants to change the world with his music merges. Tyson (2002) in his explanation of Tubas dua l persona mentioned something very interesting that Tubas mother Affine was impregnated by one of two possible candidates, a revolutionary black panther by the name of Billy Garland and Legs a drug dealer.On the song Dear Mama he writes They say Im wrong and Im heartless, but all along I was looking for a father he was gone (1995) these lyrics give the assumption that he might have looked for a father within himself and thus created twin personae founded on the character of the two people he thought could e his father. Outpace created binary oppositions as creative mechanisms, the socially constructive poet vs.. The destructive street thug and he could write as well as speak from both alter egos.His conscious rapper ego tackled social issues such as racism, violence, drug abuse whilst his gangster rapper ego talked about selling drugs, perpetrating violence and called women derogatory names. To understand Just a little part of Tubas complex character, the following quotation by Carl Jung would give some insight. Such a man knows that whatever is wrong in the world is in myself, and if he only learns to deal with his own Shadow he has done something real for the world.He has succeeded in shouldering at least an infinitesimal part of the gigantic, unsolved social problems of our day. These problems are mostly so difficult because they are poisoned by mutual projections. How can anyone see straight when he does not even see himself and the darkness he unconsciously carries with him into all dealings? Nouns, 1938). The two images of Outpace show that instead of hiding his other self (the shadow) he consciously projected it and White toes (1997) that a misguided Outpace drew his masculine principles from Legs his father figure.Outpace Shaker was born on the 16th of June 1971; a month after his mother Affine Shaker was released from prison for her suspected part in the alleged Black Panther plot to bomb banks and department stores (White, 1997). In several songs and interviews Outpace has mentioned his birth and childhood as a miracle. l was born not to make it, but I did (Still I Rise, 1999) and on the last verse of Mama Just a Little Girl (Better Days, 2002) he philosophies You see you wouldnt ask why the rose hat grew from the concrete had damaged petals, on th e contrary, we would all celebrate its tenacity.We would all love its will to reach the sun. Well we are the roses, this is the concrete and these are my damaged petals He uses symbolic words to compare himself and his peers to that of beauty natured in an unnatural environment. This verse is a self reflective analysis of his impoverished childhood in socially depraved ghettos of America and by noting We are the roses he feels that any child that grows up in that environment and makes it however damaged they are should be celebrated.According to Goals (2007) in 1985 Outpace was enrolled at the prestigious Baltimore Schools of the Arts, where he learned how to act and he spent Outpace went through moral Juggling as a teenager, selling Drugs whilst writing poetry. His childhood experiences gave him the canon to be able to articulate social and political commentary easily identifiable with his audience. Tyson emphasis (2003) that Outpace believed in keeping it real a slang term defined on (revolutionary. Com) as try to benefit the environment and society that surrounds you a nd eventually serving humanity for the greater good.Outpace has achieved musical immortality with eight albums produced posthumously, an art center (task. Org) producing the next generation of thespians, dancers and poets and a Biopic on his life is currently in Production, written by Oscar nominated screenwriters Stephen J Revile and Chris Wilkinson (All, Nixon). In a recent Manage. Com article Revile had this to say about Outpace He was a really sensitive, very romantic talented young poet who also could sing, dance and act, but the realities [of the hip-hop record business] were that he had to create this persona of the gangster.He saw the contradiction between the musical persona of Thug Life and his essential nature as a gentle, sensitive person. And that was partly responsible for his murder. He was not a gangster, but the people around him were, and they saw he was going to leave, that they were going to lose him, and so I think they decided to kill him(Borders-Manner, 2011) CHANGES Changes portrays America from a critical non violent point of view, the view of a young black male living in the projects (Ghetto) committing crime as a survival necessity, whilst been abused by the system.Changes (Shaker, Evans Hornsby, 998) uses basic slang, repetition, melodic rhythm, the artist does not use profanity, the word Niger is used to make a racial statement not intimidate. Analysis of this song elicits reaction in the listener, a desire to become the Change that Outpace requires of his audience. Tubas ability to elicit this type of reaction can be attributed to the authority yet passionate sensitivity of his voice and the flow of his rap.The chorus uses the same melody as The Way it is with a slight change of chorus whereas the or iginal says, Some things will never change, Changes is changed to say, Things will never be the same. Elaborating that inequality will always be rooted in American society; the chorus is repeated to drum the message. The opening line to Changes l see no changes seems to be a modern reply to the original The way it is Bob Dylan The times they are changing(1964), which is considered the civil rights movement theme song.He then continues to show his frustration with his situation, which has not been changed by the I have a dream speech by DRP King Wake up in the morning and ask myself is life worth living should I blast myself, I am tired of en poor and even worse Im black, my stomach hurts so I am looking for purse to snatch, hes telling his audience that he is poor, black, hungry and faced with two choices either to kill himself or alleviate his economical situation by stealing. Cops give a damn about a negro, pull the trigger kill a Amiga hes a hero He uses the N words to emphasize how racist the police are and the reward for killing a black person. Give the crack to the kids who the hell cares, one less hungry mouth on watch me kill each other He paints an image of a big brother conspiracy of shipping rugs and guns into the Ghetto and then watching the fabric of black America dismantle with kids on crack, drug dealers killing each other, a genocidal way of easing the welfare system. Its time to fight back thats what Hue Said, 2 shots in the dark now Hues dead By mentioning Hue Newton founder of the Black Panthers, he acknowledges that Black militant mantra of fighting back the system with guns is wrong because you will be slain by a gun. Outpace then finds a socialist solution in how to beat the system and unify We can never go nowhere unless we share with each there, We goat start making changes, learn to see me as a brother instead of 2 distant strangers, thats how it is supposed to be.How can the Devil take a brother if hes close to me, Id love to go back to when we played as kids, but things changed, and thats the way it is He wants to go back to the innocents of childhood, not complicated by what Freud regards as the ID, however Outpace is resigned to the fact that even if he goes back to that moment, he cannot change Today because change will never happen. L see no changes all I see is racist faces, misplaced hate makes grace to races, We under, I wonder what it takes to make this one better place, lets erase the wasted Outpace is not talking about or to a specific race but to the people of America that racial hatred should not be tolerated but erased from society. Both Black and White is smoking crack tonight Drugs are not Just a black problem It anti a secret and dont conceal the fact the penitentiarys packed and its filled with blacks His observation is backed by Discard, Mouth and Andrews Of the 789,700 male inmates in 1992, 51 percent, or 401,700 were black and that is still a fact today.Although it seems heaven sent we anti ready, to see a black president, uh This line is prophetic in the sense that even though America now has a black President, but some quarters of society are still not ready to accept a Black President Some things will never change. Try to show another way, but you staying in the dope game. Now tells me whats a mother to do. Been real dont appeal to the brother in you.You goat operate the easy way In these lyrics hes now using Frauds structural model of the psyche, the mother is the Super Ego telling the impulsive child (the ID) hat look at another way to survive but morals do not appeal to the ID for it wants everything now and then when it gets satisfaction it shows off l made a G Today the super ego critics but you made it in a sleazy way, selling crack to the kids Finally the ego goes into defense mechanism Well hey, thats Just the way it is The third verse begins with Outpace talking instead of rapping so that everybody understands the clear message he conveys We goat make a change, Its time for us as a people to start making some changes. Lets change the way we eat, Lets change the way we live and lets change the way we treat each other. You see the old ways wasnt working so its on us to do what we goat do, to survive he is speaking to his generation, that the only way to change is complete transformation from the racial philosophies of old for the survival of the human race. Its war on the streets and war in the middle east, Instead of war on poverty they got war on drugs so the police can bother me, And I anti never did a crime I anti have to do. Outpace observes that whilst America concentrates on foreign wars in the Middle East, domestic street wars rage on. He problem poverty.

Finance Analysis of McDonalds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Finance Analysis of McDonalds - Essay Example D. Main products and services: McDonald's menu concentrates on five main ingredients: beef, chicken, bread, potatoes and milk, which account for 255 million of food expenditure. The company's main menu lists its basic food offering: the Big Mac, which still exists as a major seller; other standard product names come from the McDonald's convention of adding a 'Mc' to a particular item. So, a chicken sandwich becomes a 'McChicken' sandwich and chicken nuggets become chicken 'McNuggets'. This idea has been extended to their dessert range, with the creation of the 'McFlurry' ice cream5 (biz/ed, 1996-2008). E. Geographic area of operations: McDonald's is one of only a handful of brands that command instant recognition in virtually every country of the world. McDonald's began with one restaurant in the US in 1955 and today there are more than 26,500 restaurants in over 119 countries, serving around 39 million people every day - making McDonald's by far the largest food service company in the world6 (McDonalds). The business is managed as distinct geographic segments: United States; Europe; Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMEA); Latin America; and Canada. In addition, throughout this report we present a segment entitled "Corporate& Other" that includes corporate activities and non-McDonald's brands (e.g., Boston Market). The U.S. and Europe segments each account for approximately 35% of total revenues. France, Germany and the United Kingdom (U.K.), collectively, account for approximately 60% of Europe's revenues; and Australia, China and Japan (a 50%-owned affiliate accounted for under the equity method), collect ively, account for nearly 50% of APMEA's revenues. These six markets along with the U.S. and Canada are referred to as "major markets"... The paper describes the company's history from the beginning. It shows the full list of the products and services and gives the financial analysis of McDonalds. McDonalds is one of the world’s largest food chain and a key player in the restaurant industry. The company regards itself as the leading global food service retailer. The company has got over 30,000 restaurants all across the globe and is serving more than 47 million people in almost 121 countries each day. As part of this paper, the financial analysis of McDonalds has been carried out. The various financial aspects like the company’s sales and net profit, asset and capital structure, expense distribution have been observed and analyzed for a period starting from 2001 to 2006. Each of the above discussed calculation and analysis have been supported by a graphical representation. The overall performance of the company with respect to all these various calculations was very good except that there had been a dip in the overall sales of the company in the year 2002 which was eventually made up in the very next year. Also, ratio analysis of the firm has been done from diffe rent perspectives like liquidity, profitability, asset turnover, efficiency and market valuation etc, for two consecutive years i.e. 2005 and 2006. An important and yet notable figure with respect to the market valuation of the company is its price-earnings ration which actually exceeded the industry average in the year 2006 which clearly shows the efficiency of the firm in productive utilization of its resources.