The Yoshida Doctrine

Every foreign relation that a Nation-State enters is always self-serving. A country enters into an agreement with another for the purpose of achieving its national goals, and preserving its national security. When a country is in need of aid, whether in the economic or defense facet, the first option that that country would take is to enter into relations with other nations, and the first country on their list would be the United States. The United States has been the World Superpower since time immemorial, dominating the world in almost all aspects. Consequently, when countries are in need of aid, the US is their first option in mind to turn to. When Japan was grappled by the crippling effects of the Second World War, their intuition dictated for them to enter into foreign relations with the US – Thus, the Yoshida Doctrine was born. The doctrine was named after Yoshida Shigeru, a Japanese diplomat and politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1946 to 1947 and from 1948 to 1954, during the critical transition period after World War II (http://www. newworldencyclopedia. rg/entry/Yoshida_Shigeru). This paper aims to give an overview on the foreign relations of Japan on a global level focusing on the present time period. Times are changing in unimaginable ways. There have been great changes which can be viewed as positive or negative depending on whom the observer is; in this case, the relations between Japan and the US. What was once an acceptable agreement in the past may now be of little or no importance when applied to the present. Often times we hear the quote: â€Å"the only thing constant in the world is change. With this in mind, everything that a country would enter must be done with utmost clarity, and must take into consideration the circumstances of every case which may be applicable to it. The circumstances which may have warranted the application of the Yoshida Doctrine in the past may not anymore be applicable at present; thus, there would be a need to abolish or amend certain provisions of the aforementioned agreement for the proper application thereto. The Yoshida Doctrine was the product of an agreement between then Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida with the United States. The agreement was made to help Japan recover economically from the effects of the World War II. To be able to achieve this, Japan heavily relied on the United States for its military protection. This was the tactic seen by then Prime Minister Yoshida to alleviate the effects of the war and to help it recover as a nation economically. It can be said that the Yoshida Doctrine that Japan entered with the US was bilateral and asymmetrical. The doctrine was bilateral mainly because it was an agreement only between the US and Japan. Also, the doctrine was asymmetrical for the reason that the agreement was leaning more on the US’ benefit. At first glance, the doctrine truly is beneficial for Japan; however, in the long run, this benefit would be at the expense of Japanese national dignity. At the time of the Cold War, the doctrine dictates that the US will leave economic matters to the Japanese government. On the other hand, defense issues will be handled by the US. This would mean that the US would act in behalf of the Japanese military in handling Japanese defense. The military is an instrument of a state that holds the monopoly of the legitimate use of violence. The military is tasked to defend the nation-states’ people from internal and external threats, and to maintain peace and order. These are the traditional roles of the military. A state’s hold on its military is essential to its survival, and for the assurance of its sovereignty. If one is to be nuance about the situation concerning the Yoshida Doctrine that the US would handle matters on Japanese military on external defense, then this would mean that positions in the United Nations most especially the seats in the United Nations Security Council, the United States would as well hold. It is of utmost importance to point out that although I would like to prove that Japan could defend itself and stand on its own, it is still important for it to become a member of the United Nations Security Council. Being a member of the United Nations is crucial, since this international organization plays a huge role in fostering unity amongst the member countries. Japan is already a member of this prestigious organization and it should build on improving its relations with it. The United Nations was established in order to foster peace and unity among those countries who are parties to it. The United Nations does not seek to trample on the manner by which a country runs its government but aims for each of its country members to abide by its generally acceptable principles such as peacekeeping, humanitarian aid, and the like. As such, the members of the United Nations are in agreement that it is important to respect the rights of the different sovereignty that are part of it. This is important because it would give a sense of peace of mind to governments of the various member Nation-States since it knows that it has the freedom to govern its people without any outside influence, while at the same time knowing that it has alliances from other countries which would be of help when the need arises. There is no direct evidence that the United States benefited from the Yoshida Doctrine. But, a closer look into the agreement would reveal that the United States was able to influence Japan to a formidable extent. The United States has been touted as the most powerful country at present; consequently, every country would aspire to establish a relation with it, in one way or another. The presence of the United States military force in Japan gave the former the chance to control the latter by the mere presence that it has in their country. The Yoshida Doctrine has already served its purpose, and its dictate on the Japanese government at the present is no longer applicable. The doctrine’s purpose of giving Japan economic aid in exchange for handling the Japanese military has long since been able to establish itself. On the economic aspect, Japan is considered as one of the top countries in terms of economic growth. A country as rich as Japan has sufficient amount of resources needed to sustain its military workforce. At present,, It would be a very crucial decision to stray away from the Yoshida Doctrine since this may result to having a strained relation with the United States. However, it is still possible to enter into peaceful negotiations with countries to maintain their diplomacy with each other. At the present, Japan can now stand on its own both financially and on the level of security. This country has mastered economic policies with proofs from its domestic growth in colossal amounts.. Every government must have sufficient amount of income in order to support its needs such as education, livelihood, military, infrastructure and other relevant projects. The economic growth being enjoyed by Japan signals stability for their government. A crucial decision to remain free from the influence and dependence of the United States is a very difficult decision for Japan. However, these are risks that a government must be willing to take. The security force of any government should be taken seriously. The military is akin to the commander in chief of any organization. The military should pledge its loyalty to only one government otherwise, various problems and conflicts may arise. If the United States would continue to extend its aid to Japan pursuant to the Yoshida Doctrine, then I believe that the presence of the former in the latter country is there for the wrong reasons. This is where the argument becomes significant that an amendment of the doctrine is in order. The initial understanding of Japan and the United States is that the latter would extend its military service to the former to help it recover economically. I believe that this concern is no longer of issue at this day and age. The agreement should be rendered moot and academic. If Japan would still want to have the United States military force to be present in their country then a new agreement is in order, so that it would correspond to the present need thereof. As history would tell us, it is safe to say that too much alliance with a particular country affects the independence of that country. Whether the party concerned likes it or not, there will be decisions that it has to make in consideration of the country with whom it has an agreement with. This could adversely affect the foreign policy of that particular country to the prejudice of its constituents. It would be best for Japan to keep its alliance with the United States to a minimum and focus instead on its relations with, not only the United Nations, but more so, with all the other countries as well. It is better to maintain a good and harmonious relationship with the United Nations which is composed of several countries than to focus on enhancing its relations with a single country. The relationship of Japan and the United States could be eventually criticized to the prejudice of both countries. If Japan would continue its close relations on this intimate level with the United States it could be regarded as a country which would do everything and agree on anything that the latter agrees on. It is very important for any country to have independence and liberty free from any form of outside influence. I believe it would be best for Japan to nurture is relationship with other countries than to focus on the United States. For instance, Japan can improve its relations with countries with whom its relationship is not as strong as with the United States. Japan has a good head start, it is already a member of the United Nations and of the Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors or more commonly known as G-20. The G-20 is composed of 19 countries and of the European Union whose aim is to address global economic issues. The group is composed of, United Kingdom, China, Mexico, Argentina, Australia, France, Germany, these countries among others. The point of the matter is that Japan should improve its relations with these countries instead of merely being complacent with its relationship with the United States. Japan should nurture its relations with France, China, Mexico and other countries comprising G-20 as this would be of great and beneficial advantage for their country. Japan has already proven its loyalty to the United States, thus, it is now time for it to move on to other countries. Japan may instead work on enhancing its relations with its neighboring countries in order to work on more policies for their benefit. Every country needs to maintain diplomatic relations with every possible government in order to better achieve its goal. Further, it can also be argued that the resources of Japan should be shared not only with the United States but with all other countries that are desperately in need of it and vice versa. The United States should not only favor those countries with whom it is able to receive something but it should also strive to allocate its resources even to those with whom it is unable to gain in return. It may sound ideal; however, it only means being civil. It only means living under agreements where profit is not the main reason for living. On a political aspect, the Yoshida Doctrine was made during the time of then Prime Minister Yoshida. The factors by which Then Prime Minister Yoshida was surrounded with may no longer be applicable at this present time of Prime Minister Taro Aso. The situation of Japan during the post World War II period is entirely different than today. Through several years, Japan has evolved politically. When Japan was still on the verge of recovery from the effects of World War II, it needed to have an ally to be able to rise up again. As such, then Prime Minister Yoshida, entered into an agreement which was to be known as the Yoshida Doctrine with the United States. In 2009, many years after World War II, Japan is regarded as the third largest economy. Japan has gained this status after years of hard work. Japan is considered as technologically advanced and has been accepting more and more investments, making it economically self sufficient. Statistics show that it has 0% population below poverty line. The relation of its economic growth with its political aspect is important. A government that has a flourishing economy is self-sufficient, thus, its government is capable of standing on its own. Thus, the Yoshida Doctrine would no longer be applicable at this time. Although it can be argued that it would be very difficult to just suddenly nullify the Yoshida Doctrine since there is a risk of misinterpretation on the part of the United States. Such act would consequently invite questions regarding Japanese intentions or its loyalty, still, a thorough study of this matter is proper for the best interests of Japan. Prime Minister Aso is faced with different challenges that his leadership and term has to face. The leaders of any government should view every agreement on a long term basis. Any crucial agreements being made should be examined in the light of all factors such as economic, military, or political aspects. A leader must always bear in mind that he is merely the representative of the country that he represent, he does not occupy the position to establish personal or beneficial interests for his own agenda. Instead, the thinking should always be two steps ahead. There should be a projection of circumstances with a thorough analysis of every possible conflict that may arise as a result of any agreement or treaty. Any agreement that a country seeks to enter must not be for the benefit of the reigning political party or person occupying the highest position of the land. The underlying reasons for entering into any agreement must transcend the political interests of a particular party. With this, it can be said that a revision of the Yoshida Doctrine is in order so that it would be made to adapt to the present situation facing Japan. The Yoshida Doctrine affected Japan’s foreign policy post World War II to a great extent. Japan surrendered its military force to the United States since it wanted to rehabilitate its economy which was destroyed by the war. As a result, the United States was tasked to take control of the military defense of Japan. Up to this day, Japan has maintained strong ties with the United States. Japan took the risk of allowing the United States to take control of their security while it was busy with gathering resources for its economic recovery. This set-up has its consequences that are being felt even to this day. When Japan agreed to enter into an agreement with the United States it did not look far into the future since it was merely concerned with the situation, post World War II. There was lack of foresight in analyzing the future. The criticism that could be raised today is that, as a result of the Yoshida Doctrine, Japan now finds it hard to gain â€Å"independence† from the United States and to gain a representing seat at the United Nations Security Council. If the Yoshida Doctrine be not amended, Japan will forever bear the stigma of being an ally of the United States. Japan has surrendered a very powerful weapon to the United States that is their military force. It can be said, that this would also result to giving up a big chunk of their sovereignty and independence as a country. Japan must re-examine its position and its resources. It must look at the bigger picture and determine whether or not it is still profitable for it to maintain close ties on this level with the United States. Japan must have given itself options and widened its horizons by thinking twice when it surrendered its military force in favor of another country, in this case, the United States. If the situation would be taken from a bigger perspective, avoiding any myopic view of the matter, a problem could be detected. One aspect that we can see is that the Yoshida Doctrine does not support the resort to war as a means to resolve conflicts. On the other hand, the United States is known to be active in supporting its military workforce by engaging in war with other nations to eliminate terrorists. There seems to be a conflict of principles undertaken by these two countries who aim to work as one. When the need arises for Japan to follow United States orders on the military aspect, Japan would have no voice and would have to abide by the agreement that it has entered with the United States. Japan is therefore left with no voice, no autonomy and no independence to protect its own country through ways that it believes in. The amendment of the Yoshida Doctrine would not totally cut the ties of Japan from the United States. It merely seeks to place Japan on its proper place. The leaders of Japan should take this matter seriously if it does not want to be forever bound to the doctrine that should have long been amended. Too much of everything is bad. A middle ground should be established between the ties that bind Japan and the United States. There should be room left for the government officials of Japan to exercise its decision making when it comes to defending the security of their country. Japan may use the experiences that it has acquired from the United States during those times when the latter has extended its aid to the former. From here, Japan could form its own strategy, its own plan, a defense system that it can call its own, free from any influence by the United States. In this way, Japan would gain more respect from other countries and could set a good example for other nations, giving the idea that a strong nation can do anything on its own with a little help from others. If, after a thorough analysis of the situation, Japan believes that it is not ready to go on an all out independence from the United States, then it may enter into an agreement with the latter that would still give them enough freedom to decide on their own. The United States in this regard would merely be there to guide Japan, instead of totally taking away the military sovereignty and independence of the latter. I am of the opinion that the Yoshida Doctrine should be reshaped to be made more applicable at this present time. Japan has long been able to stand on its own and has since recovered from the crisis that it was faced with in the past which necessitated surrender of the military to the United States. Independence of any country, free from any external influence should be the guiding principles of any nation since it must learn how to stand on its own. It would not however hurt to seek help from another country but this does not mean that one should have total reliance thereto. Japan should begin to reexamine and delve deeper into its motive for its close alliance with the United States. The United States has its own concerns and issues to address independent of Japan. This means that the United States always has to look out for its country first and foremost without having to consider the stake that other allies have over it. Throughout the years from the 1970’ up to the present, many things have transpired. Japan has flourished economically, the United States became involved with defending its country by resorting to war, terrorism has become the major problem of the United States and so on. Japan should begin to take a different course from its overdependence with the United States, it should start taking the path that would give it more independence from the latter. To end my article, let me share with you a line that deserves to be pondered on: â€Å"Freedom is the emancipation from the arbitrary rule of other men. † This quote that was once uttered by Mortimer Adler fully encompasses the relationship that Japan has with the United States. If Japan puts its national sovereignty on its lists of priorities, then Japan must rethink its relationship with the United States, and think more than twice on their future transactions.

Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers Essay

Abstract This study explores teacher education programs and preservice teacher dispositions. The study examined the dispositions of two sections of a reading methods course populated by preservice teachers. A dispositions checklist was used to collect data in three phases and from two audiences. The findings of the study strongly suggest that preservice teachers have a positive view of their own dispositions as well as their peers’ dispositions. The study also shows that the perception of preservice teachers’ dispositions of themselves differ greatly from the perception of the instructor of the course. Implications from this study suggest further development of practices that surface disposition and strategic use of data to improve teacher dispositions within teacher education programs. Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 3 Introduction As the push for effective teachers persists, many teacher education programs, and professional development administrators are left speculating about the part dispositions perform in effective teaching. Johnson & Reinman (2007) sought to explore the definition of dispositions as teacher professional judgment and professional action in the moral/ethical domain of adult cognition. By assessing beginning teacher judgment both quantitatively and qualitatively, convergence between predicted and observed patterns was found in addition to congruence between teacher judgment and action. Based on the findings of convergence and congruence, implications for teacher education and development are made. They mirror what Jung (2009) found in the study of teacher technology. Jung studied technology teacher dispositions and found education significantly increased competence level and disposition measures. The study also found there are no statistically significant differences in technology proficiency level in terms of age or gender, female and older students should be strongly encouraged to use technology without fear of failure. Since the major difference in the technology disposition score was due to the male students’ stronger selfconfidence level toward technology, teacher educators should pay attention for female students to be more self-assured through repeated contact to the technology experience. Jung made the following recommendations: (1)The importance of technology should be stressed frequently and intensely throughout the curriculum. (2) Future teachers should see successful role models continuously for adopting technology. (3) Numerous technology literacy and integration classes, and other forms of technology education need to be included in the curriculum- to make them competent and perceive themselves technologically competent. (4) Future teachers Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 4  should be exposed to the experiences, which repeatedly connect the value of technology with their career, which enable them to see and to experience the value of using technology and living with technology, which let them frequently use technology for their learning, problem solving, and future instruction. Disparate to the literature on some dispositions, the dispositions cited in the teacher education literature (e. g. , INTASC) have almost no illuminating value and very little significance presently. This conclusion comes from an examination of the cited teacher dispositions in  terms of Underwood’s levels of meaning in the behavioral sciences and shows that these dispositional paradigms are little more than labels for particular behaviors. Although the construct, disposition, in teacher education may be redundant now, it is not entirely inadequate as it may provide a pilot hypothesis for further investigations (Murray, 2007; Windschitl, 2003). The implications from the previous studies provide the groundwork for exploring teacher dispositions. In order to effectively investigate this, a definition for dispositions by our governing bodies must be identified. â€Å"NCATE now defines Professional Dispositions as: Professional attitudes, values, and beliefs demonstrated through both verbal and non-verbal behaviors as educators interact with students, families, colleagues, and communities. These positive behaviors support student learning and development† (2007). Institutions take their own stab at defining dispositions in many ways. The National Association for the Education of Young Children states in order to enact and examine surface disposition: â€Å"All teaching staff evaluates and improve their own performance based on ongoing reflection and feedback from supervisors, peers and families. They add to their knowledge and increase their ability to put knowledge into practice. They develop an Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 5 annual individualized professional development plan with their supervisor and use it to inform their continuous professional development†. The National Association for the Education of Young Children also states that disposition is defined through: â€Å"All teaching staff continuously strengthening their leadership skills and relationships with others and works to improve the conditions of children and families within their programs, the local community or region, and beyond. Teaching staff participate in informal or formal ways in local, state, or regional public-awareness activities related to early care by joining groups, attending meetings, or sharing information with others both at and outside the program (2005)†. The University of West Georgia surfaces disposition through its conceptual framework. â€Å"The Conceptual Framework is the rationale and organizing principle that guides the curriculum for Developing Educators for School Improvement. The Conceptual Framework is grounded in research, knowledge, and experience that describe what undergraduate and graduate candidates should know and apply to foster transformational systemic change. Our Conceptual Framework incorporates the standards and principles established by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC), and Specialized Professional Associations (SPAs). The following beliefs give credence to our professional commitments—the 10 descriptors used to describe the qualities and dispositions that we feel educators must possess to positively impact school improvement—and provide further delineation of the Conceptual Framework: Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 6 1. Decision Makers: We believe that candidates should be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills when making decisions that will influence effective transformational systemic change. 2. Leaders: We believe that candidates should be able to demonstrate effective leadership skills to initiate and facilitate transformational systemic change. 3. Life Long Learners: We believe that candidates should seek continually to improve their knowledge, disposition, and skills to influence transformational systemic change. 4. Adaptive: We believe that candidates should be able to demonstrate flexibility and strategic planning appropriate to a wide variety of learners for effective transformational systemic change. 5. Collaborative: We believe that candidates should be able to develop skills to work effectively with various stakeholders involved in the educational process that will bring about transformational systemic change. 6. Culturally Sensitive: We believe that candidates should be able to develop awareness and understanding of individual and group differences when diagnosing and prescribing transformational systemic change. 7. Empathetic: We believe that candidates should be able to develop the sensitivity for individual, family, and institutional needs that will embrace transformational systemic change. 8. Knowledgeable: We believe that candidates should be able to demonstrate general knowledge inherent in a liberal arts curriculum, advanced knowledge in content areas, and specific knowledge in professional education for the implementation of transformational systemic change. Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 7 9. Proactive: We believe that candidates should be able to advocate for the removal of barriers that impede life long learning and hinder transformational systemic change. 10. Reflective: We believe that candidates should be able to demonstrate critical thinking skills in the diagnosis and prescription for transformational systemic change. According to Merriam-Webster (2010), disposition is defined as a â€Å"prevailing tendency, mood, or inclination b : temperamental makeup c : the tendency of something to act in a certain manner under given circumstances†. Katz (1985) defines disposition as â€Å"the notion of disposition was defined as an attributed characteristic of a teacher, one that summarizes the trend of a teacher’s actions in particular contexts† (p.301). Now that the definitions for this context have been identified, let us examine what the research says about them. What Does Research Say about Disposition? The arena of literature on dispositions in the field of teacher education is one of great concern. In light of the fact that our professional organizations and accrediting bodies are constructing disposition requirements for graduate and undergraduate levels, universities are now being required to provide concrete evidence as to how dispositions are being addressed. At the same time, teacher education programs are continuously providing opportunities for reflection in induction, courses, field and clinical placements. If we are considering reflection in action as Schon (1987) defines it, we must marry this concept with teaching dispositions. Within action, reflection has the ability to surface. This study seeks to examine this relationship within the coursework through three points of view: the students themselves, their view of each other and the instructor. In the context of this study, the researcher defines preservice teacher as â€Å"a teacher education student working to attain an. Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 8 undergraduate degree in education or initial certification after receiving a four-year degree in another field†. Disposition Origin â€Å"The study of dispositions had its roots in the 1960’s when Arthur W. Combs began a series of studies on the personal perceptions of effective helpers, which he called perceptual characteristics† (p. 96). Teacher education programs over the last 30 years have been implicit and explicit in including them in their conceptual frameworks. In issues of accreditation, dispositions play an important role in the making of teacher candidates. Similarly, Giovannelli (2003) stated that dispositions serve as an accurate measure of teacher effectiveness. On the other hand, Beyer (2002) stated that accreditation mandates, such as dispositions, emphasize a â€Å"technical-rational† approach to teaching and ignore â€Å"social, philosophical, and political understandings† needed by educators† (p. 96). The major teacher accrediting bodies have battled with this for a while now. McKnight (2006) states, â€Å"Where as before NCATE held college of education faculty accountable for proving each preservice teacher had mastered certain knowledge and skills, new policies and standards now dictate faculty must generate evidence as to whether the teacher candidate is the right sort of person† (p. 213). National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education has been criticized regarding the dispositions that are highlighted in its’ standards. They should be assessed at the college level, or taught in a manner that would guide the teacher candidate to alter his or her already established dispositions. Time and opportunity may be in question. There is also the concern of whether dispositions towards virtues such as social justice, caring and honesty, which NCATE standards present as attractive, will fall short of leaving a mark on teacher candidates. McKnight (2006) found, â€Å"These dispositions have been reinforced in the general process of schooling, as Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 9 part of the hidden curriculum and academic achievement discourse, according to those who analyze schooling from a critical lens (e. g. Bowers and Flinders 1990; Cherryholmes 1988; Doll 1993; Zeichner 1991, p.214)†. Presence of Dispositions In order to be aware of the facilitation of dispositions, preservice teachers must be open to interaction and experience in the learning and teaching environment. This would denote presence. Raider-Roth and Rodgers, (2006) defines this â€Å"engagement as ‘presence’- a state of alert awareness, receptivity and connectedness to the mental, emotional and physical workings of both the individual and the group in the context of their learning environments and the ability to respond with a considered and compassionate best next step † (p.266). The authors also hold that reflective teaching cannot be compacted to a set of behaviors or skills, but is a practice that requires presence. â€Å"It requires self-knowledge, trust, relationship and compassion† (p. 266). Research from past studies confirm that the relationship between teacher and student is a cornerstone in student achievement, motivation, engagement and in their ability to depend on what they know (Midgley & Urdan. , 2001; Pianta, 1999; Roeser Eccles & Sameroff. , 2000; Rodgers, in press; Raider-Roth, 2005a,b). This research illustrated that the quality of these relationships is not a light or surface factor of schooling; it is a critical feature of learning. What allows this relationship to burgeon is intricate and calls upon the mental, physical, emotive and related capital of the teacher†. If this is the case, preservice teachers must be prepared and primed for such a relationship. â€Å"Maxine Greene (1973), lifting the semantics of Merleau-Ponty, wrote on ‘wide-awakeness. ’ Through the act of reflection the human being confronts and becomes aware of ‘his relation to his surroundings, his manner of conducting himself with. Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 10 respect to things and other human beings, the changing perspectives through which the world presents itself to him† (p. 269). Teacher educators anticipate this permeating exchange in the classroom. Schulz (2003) and Heshusius (1995) illustrated a similar position when they articulated the power of listening. Schultz, categorized listening at the crux of what it is to teach, defined listening as â€Å"an active, rational, and interpretive process that is focused on creating meaning† (p. 118). As with other thinkers and practitioners mentioned here she saw the teacher’s job as one of attentiveness. Attending to students in this manner, implies becoming deeply engaged in understanding what a person has to say through words, gesture, and action. â€Å"Listening is fundamentally about being in relationship to other and through this relationship supporting change or transformation† (p. 270). Transmission of Dispositions Oftentimes, dispositions are aligned with skills. For example, critical-thinking skills include the ability to create justification for via analysis, evaluation, and interpretation in reasonable, effective, careful, and serious ways, but these skills are powerless if certain dispositions are not in place. Attending to concepts and enacting these skills requires openminded and prejudice-free dispositions. â€Å"Thinking skills rely on disposition to imply knowledge transfer within domains and the impetus to apply those skills (Harpern 1998; Wright 2002)†. There are multiple approaches to this. The author suggests: â€Å"Creating learning experiences for students that foster the development of dispositional commitments including incontrovertible and democratic rights of liberty, opportunity, and dissent, as well as freedoms of participation, inquiry, expression, and worship, are mush easier to prescribe than enact. Developing these dispositions is central to the charge Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 11 of democratic education: creating widening and enlarging experiences (Barton and Levstik, 2004; Dewey, 1916)†. Instead of attempting the edification of dispositions via transmission of instruction, learners can instead appropriately surface them habitually when students have continued exposure to various kinds of learning experiences Reinforcement of Dispositions Battalio and Morin (2004) share that teachers react to reinforcement similarly as students do. In this case, strategies that engage disposition need to be reinforced. A teacher who meets with accomplishment with a strategy will more than likely use the approach at another opportunity. If the success is a lasting one, then the teacher gets consistent confirmation about the usefulness of his or her practice. Regrettably, the reverse is also true. If a teacher uses a strategy that does not appear to operate, he or she is likely to employ the approach again. Achieving enduring change is often slow and seemingly unresponsive to initial positive interventions. Teachers need to be capable and ready to interpret preliminary intervention outcomes in the full framework of the student’s milieu while also resisting the temptation to follow subjective appraisals of the intervention’s effectiveness. The authors describe such teachers as having high personal teaching efficacy (PTE; Guskey & Passaro, 1994). This high personal teaching efficacy springs from a candidate who has the opportunity to explore and develop teacher dispositions for such behavior. Problem with Dispositions Due to concerns with the students’ communication to the instructor, and the nature of the language in that communication, the question of disposition arose. This is based on Schon’s definition of reflection in action. Reflection-in-action is defined by Schon (1987) as the ability of Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 12 professionals to ‘think about what they are doing while they are doing it’. Schon views this as a fundamental skill. He emphasizes that the only way to manage the ‘indeterminate zones of (professional) practice’ is through the ability to think on your feet, and put into operation previous experience to new situations. Students often equate a score on an assignment of project with a positive teaching disposition. This is not an automatic correlation and is often misinterpreted in various areas; student-instructor communications, classroom discussions, instructional conversations, group assignments, presentations, field placements and lesson planning; as well as the instructional environment at large. In this particular case, dispositions manifest themselves in all of the previously mentioned areas in this course. Because of a cohort of students in the first block of the program from the previous semester experienced major problems with maintaining the teacher dispositions as indicated by the College of Education’s Conceptual Framework, the instructor soon discovered that a more explicit system for aiding students in surfacing and monitoring their own dispositions was critical. The next semester the instructor taught the course and took a proactive approach to the situation. She instituted a simple instrument that served a three-pronged purpose: to engage students in assessing themselves, each other, and assisting the instructor in assessing the student’s disposition as well. The review of literature and the instructor’s concerns of developing the â€Å"whole† teacher raised an essential question. How and under what conditions do preservice teachers assess dispositions in terms of themselves, each other, and in the eyes of the instructor? Methodology Research Questions 1. To what degree do preservice teachers assess their own dispositions? Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 13 2. To what degree do preservice teachers assess the dispositions of their peers? 3. To what degree does the instructor assess the dispositions of the preservice teachers in the reading methods course? Population The sample consisted of forty-seven students enrolled in two sections of the reading methods course instituted in the first of four methods block courses in the undergraduate teacher education program at the university. There were forty-three females and four males. Thirty-six were early childhood education majors, eight were middle grades education majors and three were special education majors. The study was voluntary and this population, and its sequences through the methods course blocks, was appropriate for this study because this is the structured progression of the undergraduate teacher education program. Convenience sampling was utilized (Salkind & Rassmussen, 2007). Though convenience sampling has been stated in the literature not to be as strong a method as others, this method is essential to the study because of the nature of the candidates to this institution’s program. If these candidates are to continue in the program as a cohort, monitoring them will be essential to teacher quality and program expectations. Measurement Measures The Likert Scale is an ordered, one-dimensional scale from which respondents choose one option that that most appropriately supports their view. There are usually between four and seven options. An advantage is that questions used are usually simple to understand and show the way to consistent responses. A disadvantage is that limited options are presented; with which respondents may not completely agree. Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 14 Construction of measures The instrument was a 4-point likert scale with three major response categories: satisfactory, areas of concern, and not observed. With in the category of satisfactory were two response subcategories: exemplary performance and expected performance. Within the category of areas of concern was below expected performance. Finally, there was the category of not observed. This makes for four responses in total. Exemplary performance was rated as a three, expected performance was rated as a two and below expected performance was rated as a one. The dispositions being assessed were belonging, mastery, independence and generosity. Within the category of belonging were samples of descriptors. Descriptors included: relates easily, positively, and tactfully with others, is friendly, courteous, and professional; actively seeks opportunities for personal and professional growth; appropriate professional appearance and personal hygiene. Within the category of mastery were samples of descriptors. They were: demonstrates a commitment to continuous learning and reflection; exhibits an interest in and a commitment to teaching and learning; responds with a positive attitude when receiving feedback. Within the category of independence were samples of descriptors. Descriptors included: demonstrates initiative and positive attitude; is responsible, reliable, dependable, & well organized (meets deadlines, reliable, prompt, attends classes, appointments, meetings, etc. ), and demonstrates flexibility and adaptability. Within the category of generosity were samples of descriptors. They were willingly, actively and cooperatively participates in collaborative situations; shares ideas and concerns, and appreciates multiple perspectives. There was also an open-ended comments section for those responses that students felt were important to the survey but not included in the checklist (See Appendix A). Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 15 Procedures The instrument was administered twice to the students and completed once by the instructor. The students completed the checklist based on their observation of themselves at the middle of the semester. The students then completed the instrument anonymously on a group member at the end of the semester. Finally, the instructor completed the disposition checklist on all of the students at the end of the semester. Each checklist was submitted the day it was completed and all of the data were compiled ten days after the last checklist was collected. Though this was a mixed methods study, the research chose to address the quantitative aspect of the study at this time. Results The data was subject to descriptive statistical analysis, by way of percentages. Self-Reporting In the category of belonging disposition, all of the participants rated themselves as displaying satisfactory performance; with 39 (83%) reporting exemplary performance and 8 (17%) reporting expected performance. In the category of mastery disposition 27 (57%) of the participants rated themselves as exemplary performance, 17 (36%) reported expected performance, and a small percentage; 3 (7%) rated themselves an area of concern-below expected performance. In the category of the independence disposition, 100% rated themselves as satisfactory in the area with 25 (53%) of them rated as exemplary performance and 22 (47%) at expected performance. Finally, in the disposition of generosity, 39 (83%) of the participants rated themselves with an exemplary performance and with 8 (17%) of preservice teachers rated themselves with expected performance (See Appendix B, Table 1). Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 16 Figure 1. Number of Students 50 40 30 20 10 0 Exemplary Expected Below Expected Not Observed on gi ng M as te ry In de pe nd B el Peer Reporting In the category of belonging, 40 (85%) of the participants rated their classmates as exemplary performance with 5 (10%) of the students citing expected performance. Five percent of the participants rated their peers in the area of concern-below expected performance. In the category of mastery, 39 (83%) of the participants rated their peers at exemplary performance. Fifteen percent of participants rated their peers with expected performance and a small percentage of participants reported 1 (2%) of their peers at an area of concern-below expected performance. In the category of the independence, 39 (83%) of the participants rated each other with exemplary performance in this area. Of the preservice teachers, 5 (10%) were rated by their peers as meeting expected performance. Seven percent of the participants rated each other in the category of belowexpected performance. In the category of generosity, 41(86 %) of the participants rated each other with a score of exemplary performance. Seven percent of participants rated their peers with expected performance. Finally, 3 (7 %) of the participants rated their peers below expected performance (See Appendix B, Table 2). G en er os ity en ce Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 17 Figure 2. Number of Students 50 40 30 20 10 0 Exemplary Expected Below Expected Not Observed er y nd en ce gi n B el on. In de pe Instructor Reporting In the category of belonging, the instructor rated 12 (25%) of the participants as displaying exemplary performance. Fifty-seven percent of preservice teachers were rated as displaying expected performance. Seventeen percent of the participants were rated belowexpected performance. In the category of mastery, the instructor rated 7 (15%) of the participants as exemplary performance. Thirty-two percent were rated as expected performance and a smaller percentage; 25 (53%) of the participants were rated as below expected performance area of concern. In the category of independence, 9 (19%) of the students were rated as displaying exemplary performance. Twenty-five percent of participants were rated as having expected performance and 26 (55%) of the participants were rated as below expected performance. In the category of generosity, the instructor rated 7 (15%) of the participants as exemplary performance and 33 (70%) at expected performance. Fifteen percent of the participants were rated at area of concern-below expected performance (See Appendix B, Table 3). G en er os M as t ity g Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 18 Figure 3. Number of Students 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Exemplary Expected Below Expected Not Observed on gi ng M as te ry In de pe nd B el Figure 4. Comparison of Students’ Scores 3. 5 3 Mean Score 2. 5 2 1. 5 1 0. 5 0 1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 37 40 43 46 Number of Students Reported by instructor Reported by self Reported by peer Discussion This tool provided three views of major disposition categories. The most marked difference was between the instructors view of the participants’ disposition of independence (Figure 4). The discrepancy solicits questions about the definition of independence based on objectives and the context provided by the program’s conceptual framework. It is possible that the proactive descriptor could be part of this definition. G en er os ity en ce Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 19 Mastery was another disposition that elicited conversation and conflict. This, like independence, was controversial as well. Participants tended to view completing assignments as mastery whereas the instructor looked at issues of quality. Belonging was a disposition that was actually consistent across all three reporting groups. This disposition is critiqued because it sets the stage for collegiality; an essential part of teacher life. Generosity was also consistent across all three reporting groups. This disposition too, is critical for planting seeds of empathy; a descriptor in the university’s conceptual framework. As far as limitations are concerned, the research acknowledges a few of them. First of all, of the university’s descriptors are not discreetly measured or assessed. Secondly, the number of students is a relatively small number. Third, these students are in the first methods block of the teacher education program. The researcher questions what this data would reveal if the students were assessed towards the end of the program. Conclusion The study found a significant difference between the instructor’s view of the student’s disposition and their view of themselves. The research found this to be of importance and planned to examine this phenomenon qualitatively. Independence was the one disposition where students were actually aligned with the perception of that disposition with the instructor. Implications This small, yet informative study delineates three relatively important points. First, we must make the importance of dispositions explicit in each course, not just listed in the course objectives. It must be surfaced in the courses and monitored qualitatively and quantitatively. Secondly, we must teach students how to surface dispositions and understand the total Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 20 commitment associated with the conceptual frameworks of each institution’s teacher education program. Third and finally, we must continue to create and fine tune a more concise process for creating banks of comparative disposition data in our accreditation and institutional reports that inform a dynamic curriculum. As issues of teacher quality and student performance continue to avail, we must make the examination of the potential and power of disposition a part of the deliberate conversation. Disposition & Early Childhood Teachers 21 References Battalio, R. , Morin, J. (2004). Constructing Misbehavior: The Efficacy Connection in Responding to Misbehavior. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions. Vol. 6. 251-254. Barton, K. C. , and McCully, A. W. (2004). History, identity, and the school curriculum in Northern Ireland: An empirical study of secondary students’ ideas and perspectives. Journal of Curriculum Studies Vol. 37, 85-116. Beckham, L. ; Julian, K. ; Roberson, T. ; Whitsett, G. (2007). First Year Teachers’ Reported Levels of Functioning on Selected Professional Dispositions. Education. Vol. 128. 95102. Beyer, L. E. (2002). The politics of standardization: Teacher education in the USA. Journal of Education for Teaching, 28, 239-246 PD. Bowers, C. A. , & Flinders, David J. (1990). Responsive teaching: An ecological approach to classroom patterns f language, culture, and thought. New York: Teachers College Press. Cherryholmes, C.H. (1988). Power and criticism: Poststructural investigations in education. New York: Teachers College Press. Combs, A. W. ; Avilz, D. ; Purkey, W. (1971) Helping Relationships-Basic Concepts for the Helping Professions. Allyn and Bacon, Inc. Boston, MA. Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and education. New York: Free Press. Doll, W. B. (1993). A postmodern perspective on curriculum. New York: Teachers College Press. disposition. (2010). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved January 17, 2010, from http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/dis.

Coping with e-commerce (look at firm's distribution strategy in Essay

Coping with e-commerce (look at firm's distribution strategy in meeting delivery performance) - Essay Example To deliver aptly to all these customer sets, Amazon has put in place the largest warehouse and distribution systems for a e-commerce company in the world. Utilizing this extensive and efficient system, Amazon has bee able to improve its delivery performance optimally, even becoming a role model for other companies. â€Å"In the US, more and more traditional retailers are seeking to compete with the efficiency and shipping speed of online.† (Virtual Strategy 2011). E-Bay, which facilitates transactions between sellers and buyers of wide range of products, also exhibit good delivery performance, but not up to the levels of Amazon. However, lately it is trying to improve its delivery performance by adopting various measures. For example, for the sellers, who have optimum delivery performance or times, it offers financial discounts and better placements for their products. In addition, it also added shipment tracking codes, so as to prove that they have shipped the products on tim e. This way, e-Bay could match Amazon in delivery performance. "This is part of the whole picture of [eBay] getting more involved and more controlled like Amazon," (trendbird.biz). 2. B2B and B2C It becomes clear that the World Wide Web, unconstrained by the geographical territories and boundaries, allows the businesses to operate in a truly globalized scale. A business which not only takes orders for products online from its merchants or suppliers or the direct consumer customers, but also completes the transaction is a true example of B2B and B2C commerce. Business-to-business or â€Å"B2B† for short, is a term which is commonly used to explain the electronic form of business transactions that takes place between businesses (with minimum role for customers). B2B commerce website will serve as channels that will permit coordination between different businesses and outsourcing companies. Thus, the companies adopting this form or e-commerce will have online outlets, and throug h which they will prefer to deal with other companies only to sell their products and services, instead of directly offering it to the consumers. On the other hand, companies adopting Business to Consumer, or B2C for short, will put in place online portals, which offer products and services directly to the consumers. Many companies or retailers or online retailers all adopt this method, as they reach the product directly to the customer through their own network of supply chain and distribution centers. â€Å"B2C has grown to include services such as online banking, travel services, online auctions, health information and real estate sites† (Bajaj and Nag 2005). Apart from the basic difference in ‘end users’, the difference between B2B and B2C is B2B involves more long-term relationship than B2C, which is maximally one-off. That is, in the case of B2C, after the transaction is over, there may not be continual relationship, however in the case of B2B, the transact ions and relationship could continue for a longer time, if everything works out well. 3. Buy-side and Sell-side As stated by Chaffey (2002), â€Å"when evaluating the impact of e-commerce on an organisation, it is Instructive to identify opportunities; for buy-side and sell-side transactions". Only if those opportunities and the related challenges are identified, organizations can optimally tune its strategies and its organizational processes.

Henry David Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Henry David - Essay Example Thoreau is believed to have been one of the most influential icons of his times. Actually, leadership icons such as Martin Luther Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi were greatly inspired by Thoreau. Thoreau wrote many books in diverse fields. Particularly, he wrote on subjects that involved public oppression by oppressive leadership. Reforms and political courses were most of his favorite areas of writing. Thoreau was a diversified writer who wrote as a poet, author, critique, philosopher, naturalist, and realist. It is believed that his literary works totaled over 20 volumes and mainly consisted of poems, journals, and essays. In his late years, Thoreau became so interested in natural history and wrote most of his late writings through expedition narratives. Although he inspired many, he also got inspiration from Darwin and Bartram. One of his most widely read essay is called "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience." Thoreau is a figure to be emulated. He believed in a better and just society. Altho ugh he is criticized for promoting civil disobedience, he actually advocated for betterment of leadership rather than change (Thoreau

Observation report project on early childhood facility Research Paper

Observation report project on early childhood facility - Research Paper Example This child development center has about nineteen classrooms and is located on Main Base in building 10 across Sollars Elementary School and is open from 6:00 am to 6:30 am. For people who want to apply for child care, they have to fill a form called: DD Form 2606, the Department of Defense Child Development Program Request for Care Record The child development centre has certain goals like enhancing the social skills of the child, encouraging the child to think, reason, question and experiment, building physical and developmental skills etc. The child development center offers full hourly and day care for the children. The center based on the availability of program also provides special care to children who face physical or developmental challenges meeting the needs of the child with guidance from a therapist, physician, or other appropriate health professionals. Those who have children facing development, physical or other type of challenges need to bring a copy of their child†™s Individual Education Plan (IEP) or Individual Family Services Plan (IFSP). The accommodations provided to the physically or developmentally challenged child would be based on the child’s IEP or IFSP. The Child development center is open for all who arrive to Misawa air base on orders which includes military as well as DoD civilians. Child care’s fee is only totally based on family’s annual income. There are different categories and different price range for different children. There is a wait list also for child care which is dependent on child’s age; the longest waiting period is for the infants and toddlers child care, due to the ratio, and space allocated. In such cases, it is advisable to get onto the inbound wait list before arriving to Misawa in order to reduce the waiting period. The programs offered by the childhood center support the development of the child in all areas of child development as they are interrelated and very important. In th is center, each child’s unique experiences and interests as well as abilities and needs are given great respect. There are three types of child care services provided at the child development centre in Misawa: 1 Full day/week care: Those parents who are working and are busy and cannot look after their child for 5 to 10 hours a day apply for this type of care. 2 Hourly or drop-in care: This type of care service is based only if there is space availability and to avail this service the person must call in the morning to reserve a spot. 3 Part day enrichment: Parents of children from 3-5 ages who do not need a full-day service but have the desire to let their child participate in an early childhood program apply for this type of care. SUMMARY: This child development center provides quality care to the children enrolled at the centre. The caregivers at the center mingle well with all the children as they are warm, friendly and gentle. People with whom all children are comfortable due to their appropriate, nurturing manner towards the children. They understand what the child needs and helps them out in all possible ways and at the same time making sure that children don’t become too dependent on others. They even practice in front of children what they preach, for instance, the

Continuous Professional Development Portfolio Assignment

Continuous Professional Development Portfolio - Assignment Example 13). All resources needed to implement the activities outlined in the plan need to be well sourced. Commitment to the plan needs to be shown by the individual in order for professional and personal development opportunities to be realised. If by any chance, an individual is not committed to executing outlined development activities, improving his skills and knowledge is very difficult, and vice versa. In this report, I am going to outline my own personal and professional strengths and weaknesses, and strategies to improve them. I am an Omani by nationally, and was born in a place known as Sultanate of Oman. I am aged 30 years and married. I am a statistics specialist and teacher by profession. I have been very successful in my academic career. Currently, I am studying an English course at the University of Salford, United Kingdom. I have a bachelor degree in education and a third certificate secondary school certificate. I have been lucky to work in a number of schools that have been instrumental in my professional development. Having opportunities to exercise my personal skills and knowledge has played a significant role in the process of improving my competencies. My skills and knowledge in the education, statistics and administration field has played a significant role in enabling me secure various employment opportunities. In all my workplaces, I have always emerged as the best employee and leader. From 3rd November to present, I am employed as a Statistician at the ministry of civil service in Oman. My roles and duties are as outlined below; I have also had a good experience in managing workforce, working as an assistant human resource manager. I used to manage employees in a friendly manner, hence the reason why my team used to realise set goals and objectives within the set period of time. As a HR profession, my roles and responsibilities were; I have been able to gain a number of work skills in my career development and experience. Skills

Representation of women in Morrison's Song of Solomon and Butler's Essay

Representation of women in Morrison's Song of Solomon and Butler's Parable of the Sower - Essay Example The clear impression here is that women are fiercely dependent on men and have little to do once the men are at work and the children are at school. It is this setting that accentuates the individuality of the lead female protagonist once it becomes clear that she is anything but submissive. Although Song of Solomon is set in the 1950s through the 1960’s and Parable of the Sower is set somewhere into the future, women’s dependence on men is similarly exploited by Butler. Lauren Olamina who is only fifteen at the start of Butler’s novel observes the plight of three widowed women who live near her: Although Lauren goes on to note that the three women are now employed she adds that â€Å"they don’t earn much.† (Butler, p. 19) Clearly without their husbands the women are struggling to make ends meet. More importantly, Butler’s message is also one of feminie strength in the face of adversity. These women who were previously dependent on men for surival have found a way to survive that loss. Similarly, in Morrison’s Song of Solomon, Guitar’s grandmother finds a way to survive following her husband’s death. Like the three widows in Butler’s novel, Guitar’s grandmother is able to support her grandchildren. These women are different from Morrison’s Ryna, the male protagonist’s great grandmother who lost her mind after her husband left her with several children. There is no escaping the conclusion that women have a double burden in Morrison’s Song of Solomon. They are forced to endure the consequences of racism and at the same time are prisoners of the male quest for freedom and the resulting abandonment. Yet they are judged differently than men. In the example given where Ryna is abandoned by her husband, Ryna is marked as weak for suffering her breakdown and her husband is hailed as a hero despite abandoning his family. Pilate Dead is Morrison’s femlae protagonist whose remarkable

Sky broadband Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sky broadband - Essay Example In theory and practice, IMC strategies are aimed at combining or integrating the elements of the communication mix, such as advertising and public relations in order to create a balanced and consistent marketing communications message that strengthens the brand. IMC, if managed correctly gives an organization a competitive advantage because of its cost effectiveness and its ability to maximize the impact of its product and services development and the communication of the organization's messages within the marketplace (Ireland, 2002). There is no shared definition of integrated marketing communications in the scholarly literature, but the tenets of IMC have been adopted by businesses globally, and scholars do agree on the theoretical underpinnings of the IMC model (Kitchen, Schultz, Kim, Han, & Li, 2004). The literature offers some outlines for conceptual frameworks that can guide agencies and organisations to ensure an effective implementation of an integrated marketing communications program (Kitchen, Schultz, Kim, Han, & Li, 2004). According to Fitzpatrick (2005), "... According to Fitzpatrick (2005), "one of the defining features of IMC is that it uses all forms of communication and all sources of brand or company contacts as prospective message delivery channels. The ultimate goal is to influence buying behavior through directed persuasive communication targeted to a broad range of stakeholders that influence brand image and organizational reputation" (p.94). Scholars and practitioners of marketing communications believe that the increase in the number of communication channels, media fragmentation, segmentation of consumer preferences, sophistication of consumer databases and analysis, and importance of relationship building to strengthen brand image has forced institutions to consider and adopt a more sophisticated, strategic, and integrated marketing communications effort (Kitchen, Schultz, Kim, Han, & Li, 2004). Integrated marketing communications has evolved from a concept of bundling all of an institution's communications in order to speak with one voice, to a strategic management effort that utilizes detailed consumer information to develop relevant communication (Kim, Han, & Schultz, 2004). Kim, Han, and Schultz (2004) stress the need for organizations to speak to their consumers with an integrated approach because today's consumers are not dependent on organizations to provide them with information. Technology has helped to fragment the current media environment and to increase the speed of information gathering. The result is that consumers are able to integrate their product information consumption without the aid of the organization. In addition to message integration, effective IMC must be supported by marketing budgets and appropriate staffing, skills, and

Case Study- Kindle Essay Example for Free

Case Study- Kindle Essay This case study focuses on how Amazon has utilized digital technology to reach out to more customers as it realises the importance of convenience for its readers. Its product the Kindle is an e-reader that offers an alternative to hard copy books. The Kindle offers readers the mobility and efficiency when purchasing and reading books. Amazon has also furthered its opportunities by partnering with certain companies namely Apple, Penguin and Lonely Planet. Although the Kindle is the market leader in the e-book market, it has strong competitors i. e. IPad. Rather than viewing Apple as a competitor, Amazon took this opportunity to reach out to more of its customer base, namely through Apple users. By offering the free Kindle app to Apple and Android products, Amazon has widened its access to potential readers. Amazon has partnered with publishers Penguin and Lonely Planet who are vital suppliers to e-books. In order to appeal to readers, the Kindle has to offer its customers a variety of books to choose from. To do this they require digital books that can only be supplied in large quantities by big publishing companies who have a variety of books they’ve published and can offer to the Kindle. Thus by forming the right relationships with other businesses, Amazon has be able to position itself well in the e-book market and to penetrate into other digital markets too. By understanding the changing needs of the market, Amazon has identified the appropriate product that can satisfy its customers. Reading is a hobby for many people and many desire to do so but find it impractical carrying books around and find they have little time to read them. Thus by digitialising books, they have given customers the ability to read anywhere and everywhere. By offering the free app to smart phones, this is especially convenient as most people use smart phones every minute of every day and thus this encourages more people to read as they are now given a bookstore in their fingertips. Kindle now has further plans to expand its customer range by offering books of different languages. Thus this will enable millions of people in the world to gain access to virtual books in their hands without feeling the weight of them.

Euripedes Essay Example for Free

Euripedes Essay The beginnings of literature are sowed in myths. They reflect the preoccupations of the myths celebrate the primal human emotions like love, hate, sexual desires, reproduction and heroism, some others are equally horrendous dealing with some heinous crimes like murder and rape. No matter what aspect of life do they reflect it is their universality that makes them popular in different cultures and times? The myth of Inos is such an example. The legend of Inos dates back many centuries before Christ to ancient Rome and Greece. According to the legend, Inos, the daughter of Cadmus is married by Athama, King of pre historic Minyans in the ancient Boeotian city of Orchomenus. King Athama falls in love with the innocent beauty of Inos and neglects his own wife, Nephele, who disappears in anger. They have two sons, Laerchus and Melicertes . Inos also nurses Dionysus, thus incurs the wrath of Hera, the wife of Zeus. Inos is later driven mad and in her madness kills herself and her two sons. She is later worshipped by ancient Greeks as Leucothea, the White Goddess. The legend of Inos is found in different parts of world with slight variations. Euripides one of the great giants of Greek tragedy was perhaps the first who used the legend of Inos in his tragedy Medea, when he composed it in 480 B. C. His tragedy complemented to the myth of Inos so well it became more popularly known as the legend of Medea. While in love with Jason, Euripides’ Medea helps him steal the golden fleece from her father, King Aeechis of Colchis. Thus, betraying her own clan. She is later abandoned by her husband, who leaves her to marry Creusa, daughter of Creon, king of Corinth. In despair Medea kills herself and her two sons. She however, goes unpunished and escapes in the dragon chariot. She takes refuge with king Aegeus of Athens. She later marries Achilles in the underworld and becomes immortal. Medea therefore, becomes the heroin of the tragedy, whereas, its her husband who suffers for betraying his wife. The legend of Medea, represents the cultural conflicts, racism and gender prejudices working on the individual lives of the characters. The employment of these phenomena in the evolution and degeneration of the characters, makes the legend universal in its appeal. It is for this reason that even in the twentyfirst century, writers incorporated the myth in the modern characters as in Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys. Set between the characters of the Carribean and England, Wide Sargasso Sea emphsise the above mentioned phenomena working on its individual characters. The novel is written in the post modern post colonial settings. Immediately after the emancipation of the Carribean blacks. It narrates the story of Anoinette later renamed as Bertha, belonging to dominica, a city of British owned Jamaica. She is married to an English man. It is eventually this relationship that derives young and innocent Annoinette to a mad woman Bertha, who later on commits suicide. The story narrates how the cultural, racial and gender prejudices makes individuals vulnerable. The novel is often seen as an adaptation of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre written in 1886, with the same story outline, however, the real source dates back to the legend of Medea or more precisely the myth of Inos. Like medea, she marries a foreigner, and is later exploited by him for her racial inferiority and gender bias. Euripedes’ medea is an enchantress. Her weakness as a woman is exposed when exploited by her husband. She, however, comes out as a resolute and vindictive person. She is portrayed as strong and completely in control of her self. Till the end when she kills her kids, she is contemplative and logically derives herself to commit their murder. Whereas, Rhys’s Bertha is doomed to her madness by the social as well as biological factors. The novel seems more of an approach that how the social factors catalyses the biological deseases. Her death, however, gives her the same triumph that Medea enjoyed over her husband. For Rochester, she remained his property even in her madness. He says towards the end, â€Å"even though she is mad, she is mine†. This possessiveness is given away by her through her death. Just as Medea escapes unpunished in a dragon chariot before her husband’s eyes. It is interesting to note that how a twentyfirst century african woman writer incorporates the same myth used by the Greek tragedian of fifth century Before Christ. A deeper study regarding the history of the myth will unfold that how the myth of Inos undergoes different versions through out centuries and claims its authority in various cultures. After Euripedes, Publius Ovidius Naso, the Roman poet of 49 B. C. used the story in his own work which influenced Lucius Anneus Seneca the famous Hispano- Roman tragedian of 4 century B. C. at Corduba (Cordoba). Scholars believe that Seneca might have brought the original legend of Inos to Spain thorugh his own intellectual influence. However, the inscriptions on the stones at Maikop, 56 miles east of the Black Sea near Colchis, reveal the story of Jason and his Argonauts. According to the legend of Medea, Jason and his Argonauts travel to Colchis and it is there that he meets Medea. It seemed through the amazing discovery, that the whole legend or some parts of the legend might be true. The pheonicians of the 12th to 8th centuries before Christ, then present at colchis a region of the Western Georgian Socialist Soviet Republics, are supposed to transport the legend to Spain later when they themselves settled in the Iberian peninsula. It is through Spain that the legend passed on to Africa and from there to America along with slave trade. It is exceptionally popular with the Afro- Americans, who imagine her to be in real, wandering in dark forests and shrieking. Toni Morrison, another of the celebrated Afro- American writer draws a like wise figure of a phantom in her novel â€Å"Beloved†. In whatever version the legend of Medea appear, it projects very effectively the apparent triumph of the male sex over female, whereas, it is the weaker sex that despise the yolk of her stronger counter part and sets themselves free in the ultimate analysis. Therefore, the story becomes one of betrayal, vengeance and triumph. It is the ultimate triumph of the weak over the strong that the story remains a favourite with the writers and readers alike especially by the women writers in patriarchal societies.

Strategic Analysis Of Siemens Company Management Essay

Strategic Analysis Of Siemens Company Management Essay This essay will start with a brief description of Siemens, an introduction of its current mission statement and an evaluation of the key strategic issues/objectives which Siemens faced and are facing. The next part, two appropriate tools of analysis, PESTEL analysis of the external environment the organization faces, and Porters 5-Forces analysis of the competitive environment in which Siemens operates; a summary of its key strategic resources and competencies, and any resources that it lacks will follow these tow analysis. At last, SWOT analysis will be applied to describe and evaluate the strategic options for Siemens. Siemens is Europes largest engineering conglomerate.Siemens international headquarters are located in Berlin, Munich and Erlangen, Germany. Siemens is a diversified group, with business in information and communications, automation and control, power, transportation, medical and lighting businesses. The groups businesses have strong leadership in electronics and electrical engineering. Siemens has experienced significant restructuring in recent years, including divestments, acquisitions and reorganization of divisions. Siemens has three main business sectors: Industry, Energy and Healthcare and it has with a total of 15 divisions (Barclay, 2000). Worldwide Siemens and its subsidiaries employ approximately 420,800 people in nearly 190 countries and reported global revenue of 76.651 billion Euros as of 2009. Siemens AG is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, and has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since March 12, 2001. Mission and vision Highest performance with highest ethics that is the standard demanded by Siemens present president and CEO Peter LÃ ¶scher. Its mission is to find the best way of combining and developing our know-how and expertise, so that Siemens can profitably channel them into outstanding value for customers. It has three core values- Responsible: Committed to ethical and responsible actions Excellent: Achieving high performance and excellent results; Innovative: Being innovative to create sustainable value. Siemens Strategic profile Keeping Profitable and long-term growth is the business strategy of Siemens, which is direct and simple. Specifically, according to the report of Siemens AG, there is several important components Siemens strategy, which is showed in the table below. 2.jpg Source: http://www.siemens.com In summary, there are several key management strategies as following. Making better use of sustainability as an opportunity Siemens view sustainability as an important success factor. Sustainability serves as the basis for Siemens future business success and is a key pillar of Siemens corporate strategy. Siemens is in a strong position to meet tomorrow business challenges, so sustainability is very important. By concentrating its activities in the three Sectors Industry, Energy and Healthcare, Siemens has a setup that enables it to profit from four key megatrends demographic change, urbanization, climate change and globalization. And with the Siemens Environmental Portfolio, it has an exceptionally broad spectrum of products and solutions for environmental and climate protection (Barney, 1986). Whats more, sustainability is thought by Siemens to be closely linked to its values. In all its complexity, Siemens view sustainability as a contribution to a more equitable world economy and the provision of energy-efficient, durable products and solutions for Siemens customers. In Siemens sustainability is also the expression of a responsible employee culture and a sign of uncompromising compliance with laws and regulations. Diversity as a factor of success Siemens is promoting diversity in the management ranks of the company to a greater degree than ever before. Up to nowadays, Siemens has given diversity a permanent place in the corporate level strategy. In Siemens culture, in view of the shortage of highly qualified people and demographic changes, diversity is a prerequisite for Siemens long-term success. The supply of qualified technical people and managers in the industrialized world is growing ever tighter. That makes it even more important for Siemens to acquire talented people and to create an environment that allows them to take on key functions in all units of Siemens- irrespective of factors such as nationality, age, gender, origin or religion. In the year 2008, Siemens applied the strategy of diversity into organizational structure. Siemens created the position of Chief Diversity Officer and appointed Jill Lee, previously the Chief Financial Officer of Siemens China, to the new position. Armed with a comprehensive package of measures, Jill Lee would work in the coming years to meet an ambitious target: By 2011 Siemens wants to have dramatically expanded diversity among the members of its top management. Siemens wants to become the leader in diversity. Delivering breakthrough innovations, Innovation has always been one of the most important elements in Siemens business strategy. In Siemens culture, Innovations are thought to be able to help cut costs, increase sales and achieve higher earnings, and, those who fail to launch the right new product on the market at the right time will be punished more severely than ever before. Siemens intends to become a pioneer in diversity. While this is very important, Siemens to this day remains a very German and very centralized company. Competitors such as ABB are many years ahead in this respect as can be seen in various dimensions such as board structure, regional management or repartition of headquarter functions. Siemens intends to become a pioneer in diversity. While this is very important, Siemens to this day remains a very German and very centralized company. Competitors such as ABB are many years ahead in this respect as can be seen in various dimensions such as board structure, regional management or repartition of headquarter functions. Siemens intends to become a pioneer in diversity. While this is very important, Siemens to this day remains a very German and very centralized company. Competitors such as ABB are many years ahead in this respect as can be seen in various dimensions such as board structure, regional management or repartition of headquarter functions. Strategic analysis for Siemens Firstly, Porters five forces and PESTEL will be applied to evaluate the microenvironment of Siemens and a complete SWOT analysis will follow to assess he strategic options for Siemens. Porters five forces One of the most important division and product of Siemens is electrical equipment and so Porters five forces will be applied to assess electrical equipment industry together with Siemens. Porters five forces Degree of rivalry The degree of completion in this industry is pretty high and there are many big players in this market Bargaining power of customers The space for customers to bargain is limited as the products are highly specialized and buyers are always governments or big companies. Bargaining power of suppliers Suppliers who supply raw materials or parts to manufactures have little bargaining power Threat of new entrants: As the equipment is of high technology, in the early stage of this industry, the entrant barrier of this industry is high. Siemens and GE have dominated this industry for decades. Threat of substitutes However, with the popularity of new energy technologies, some small companies also entered this market with lower-cost technology and energy, so it is getting more and easier to find a substituted in some limited field in a small scale. Degree of rivalry: In this industry, Siemens competes with big players such as General Electric (GE) of Fairfield, Conn., and ABB of Switzerland. GE has a strong market position in this industry, while ABB has great advantages in power generation and transmission. The number of market players in this field is big and the degree of rivalry is high (Barney, 1995). Bargaining power of customers: In other industries, companies are liable to cut their prices as they compete for jobs. This is less likely to happen with industrial electrical equipment. These products are highly specialized and technical, making it difficult for customers to find comparable products at lower prices. And because these products have relatively few buyers, their prices are less likely to be pushed down by free-market forces. Bargaining power of suppliers: Companies that provide parts and materials to these firms have little negotiating power. The components used in these complex electrical systems have little value until theyre part of the finished product. Suppliers of the raw components are a dime a dozen and can easily be replaced. The complicated nature of this equipment would also make it difficult for suppliers to cut out the middlemen and sell directly to end customers. These suppliers usually lack the skill and sophistication to build these products. Threat of new entrants: Siemens and GE have dominated this industry for decades. To run with the big players, a new company would need a great deal of investment. The company needs to have very good credibility and connections of both established firms and governments. So the entrant barrier for this industry is high. Threat of substitutes: some new technologies from smaller companies, which focus on green energy, have posted threat to big companies that lacks a competing product. In solar equipment, for example, some smaller companies are becoming more viable as their technology becomes cheaper, while solar companies may soon have the strength to compete with traditional power source on price and performance, the threat from substitutes post pressure to supplier like Siemens. In summary, although the completion in this industry is fierce, the entrant barrier for new entrants is high, whats more, both customer and supplier have limited bargaining power. The pressure from small companies which focus on green energy keep increasing as they have advantages on price and cost. PESTEL analysis of the macro-environment The external environment for international business is always complicated and dynamic. The PESTEL analysis of the maco-environment of Siemens is based from two perspectives: one is that Siemens run its business in German and the other condition is that it runs its business internationally or in other destination countries. PESTEL analysis for Siemens Germany GLOBAL Political Germany government policy on subsidies; subsiding policies for German firms Different countries has different policies; the relationship between the government of destination country and German; degree of local governments intervention in the economy; the quality of service that local government provide to foreign firms; subsiding policies for domestic firms; tariff barrier of non-tariff barrier from destination country; the education of the workforce, the health of the nation and Economic The economy in Germany; the growth rate of German economy; interest rate; inflation rate; domestic competitors. Global financial crisis; Overseas economic growth; the structure of local economy; the quality of the infrastructure of the economy such as the transportation and electrical system; level of national income; interest rate; exchange rate; inflation rate; Market demand and segments for Siemens products; local and international competitors. Social Structure and size of population; Structure and size of population; Availability of local human resources; Migration flows; culture differences; brand image of Siemens in destination country Technological New technologies related with Siemens business in German; any technology that could reduce cost, improve quality or service and help marketing such as on-line technology. International technological breakthroughs; New technologies related with Siemens business in German; advantages and disadvantages of Siemens technologies when compared with international competitors; any technology that could reduce cost, improve quality or service and help marketing such as on-line technology. Environmental Weather and climate in German; hardware such as land available for Siemens business Global climate change; weather and climate in destination country; natural environment ; Legal Environment regulation; related laws in German. Related international and local laws and regulations. Political Political factors always have great impact over the maco-environment in which the business runs, so muti-national companies need to do research on political environment before their international marketing planning. Siemens is doing well in evaluating political risk before it enters a new market. It is lucky for it that Germen government has steady relationship with lots of countries. Siemens often need to evaluate the historical relationship between countries that would benefit or do harm to its business. The influence of communities or unions for trading is also in its consideration. For example, trade barrier is also implemented in different firms of local laws. If necessary, a report regarding the political risks needs to be completed before its international marketing (Bell, 2001). Economic The economic situation in destination countries, the impact of currency fluctuations on exchange rates, the development of local market, the local market structure (Barney, 1996), the local human resources and the predisposition of local consumers are all very important issues for Siemens to consider (Bierly,1996). The global economy just experienced the financial crisis; Siemens business in most countries also experienced a downturn. Another problem is that, together with the financial crisis is the tightened credit system for Siemens, which brought a lot of trouble to its business. The highlight is that some new markets such as the China market are still growing fast and these new markets provide good opportunities for Siemens revenue generation. From economic perspective, Siemens has got steady financial performance in the recent years. Social The cultural difference is often a tough problem that all the muti-national companies have met with (Choi, 2000) . Culture, religion and society are of great importance to us. Will and how the local cultural differences affect Siemens business should also be evaluated. One of Siemens strategies is Diversity as a factor of success. Siemens is promoting diversity in the management ranks of the company to a greater degree than ever before. In the year 2008, Siemens applied the strategy of diversity into organizational structure. Siemens created the position of Chief Diversity Officer. Besides, the brand image of Siemens is very good and also means high quality by many purchasers (Davenport, et, 2000), which is one of Siemens advantages from the social perspective. Technological Siemens still have great technological advantages in its professional fields and it is still holding an advanced position in the international competition. However, in some countries where governments are not willing to afford high cost of new equipments, some smaller companies gained advantages over Siemens. For example, smaller companies like First Solar (FSLR) are more viable than Siemens as their technology becomes cheaper. Environmental With increasing attention from all countries in the world on global warming and with greater environmental awareness, environment is becoming a significant issue for muti-national firms to consider (Michael, 2003). The growing desire to protect the environment is having a great impact the industry. More environmentally friendly products and processes are in urgent demand. All of these external factors can bring good business opportunities for Siemens. Legal The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive of the European Union (EU) makes producers of electrical and electronic goods financially responsible for specified collection, recycling, treatment and disposal of past and future covered products. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2006, which implement most aspects of the WEEE Directive, came into force in 2007 in most Europe countries. Several product divisions of Siemens are subject to the WEEE regulation (Hofee, 2003). SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses Big company scale and market share; Strong brand image; It has a lot of divisions; Steady financial performance. Strong RD capabilities Good at diversity Less innovative in the low-cost new technology Low in credit rating Weak in internal control Depend upon third party service providers for majority of its operational activities Opportunities Threats Increasing demand for environment friendly products Bankrupt of some local companies in other countries Joint venture with other big playes New regulation; Completion from new and smaller competitors; Unclear trend of global economy Strengths Siemens is a German engineering conglomerate with considerable scale and market share; Siemens is a diversified group, with business in information and communications, automation and control, power, transportation, medical and lighting businesses. It have strong brand image. The brand of Siemens has good global market penetration. The brand is always connected with products of high quality in a lot of markets. It has steady financial performance in recent years (Dess, 2008). Over the years, Siemens has delivered steady financial results. Siemens net profits have a similar trend in recent years. Steady financial performance enables Siemens to manage its operations well and also improve the financial flexibility in the next a few years. Siemens is famous for its Strong RD capabilities, which is also an important factor for its business success. Its research and development (RD) investment keeps increasing in recent years; the average number of employees engaged in RD also keeps increasing (Grant, 2008). The groups focus in RD facilitates development of new products and enhancements to existing products help in maintaining its strong market position and serving a new segment of customers. The global economy needs diversity. Siemens has given diversity a permanent place in the corporate level strategy. In Siemens culture, in view of the shortage of highly qualified people and demographic changes, diversity is a prerequisite for Siemens long-term success. Weakness Siemens is less innovative in the low-cost new technology. For example, smaller companies like First Solar (FSLR) are more viable than Siemens as their technology becomes cheaper, so Siemens now face the pressure from smaller companies. Siemens is low in credit rating. Siemenss credit ratings were downgraded by some major global rating agencies in the recent years, which is partly due to its capital structure (Hungenberg, 2008). In November 2007, Moodys Investors Service downgraded Siemens long-term corporate credit rating from Aa3 to A1.Its finance is not good at generating cash flow, therefore, Siemens ability to obtain new funding and investment from external investors may be negatively affected by its low credit rating. Its internal controlling mode is not as effective as expected. Some reviewers said Siemens disclosure controls and procedures have been not effective due to material weakness in its internal control. In the area of anti-corruption and financial report, Siemens got a lot of trouble due to its weakness in internal control. Siemens relied on third party service organizations for most of its operational activities. It buys third party services for manufacturing, assembling and testing its products, while these third parties always have kinds of tie ups with multiple companies. Any problems from these third parties could adversely affect the groups operations. Heavy dependence on third party reduces the groups control over its operation and business costs. The consistence of the products could not be guaranteed, either. Opportunities During the financial crisis, a lot of small companies went bankrupt, some companies are of great value to enhance Siemens competency. It is a good time to buy these companies with low cost. Ally with a strong player is a good way to share the resource and enhance the competency of both companies. For example, joint venture is a good way. Nokia and Siemens established a 50-50 joint venture in 2007. The joint venture is called Nokia Siemens Networks, which combined Nokias networks business and Siemens carrier related operations for fixed and mobile networks. This joint venture is expected to provide significant long term returns to both groups. As all the countries are caring more about the environment, There is a increasing demand for environment friendly products, which is related to several products line of Siemens. Threats The new regulation of producers of electrical and electronic goods financially responsible for specified collection, recycling, treatment and disposal of past and future covered products post sizeable costs and liabilities to Siemens. Small companies are gaining market share by their products with lower price, which make the competition more intense. The global economy has not fully recovered from the financial crisis, so the market has not fully recovered, either. Besides, the credit is still tight, and it is very difficult for Siemens to get new funding from external capital market.

Comparson Of Mouse And Trackbar :: essays research papers

Computers incorporate various pieces of equipment that allow the user to interact with the software. Since the idea of a Graphical User Interface (GUI) has been accepted, people rely on a mouse to move the "cursor" around the screen. Most of the time the "cursor" is simply an arrow that lets the user know where its position is on the screen. In addition to a mouse some people prefer trackballs. A mouse and a trackball can be contrasted in terms of their physical shape, logical functionality, and space consumption. A mouse and a trackball could be described as a total opposite in their physical shape. The mouse received its name because the cord resembles a tail and can move around the workspace in any direction. The mouse also has a ball inside that rolls along the workspace. An electronic connection is also built inside the mouse itself to get power through the mouse in order to run. On the other hand, a trackball is named that because the user is able to move the position of the cursor around the screen using a ball. The ball is located on the topside of the trackball and movement is performed with the thumb instead of the whole hand that is easier and it consumes less time than using the whole hand. Therefore, the mouse and the trackball are different in their shape but they both perform the same task. A trackball is stationary and therefore minimal; space is needed to allow movement while a mouse needs to move to perform its task. Both devices have buttons on the top, usually two or three depending on the manufacturer, that allows the user to select items on the screen, almost acting like an "enter" button. After having experience with both devices, I have found the trackball is the choice to make when purchasing a user interface device of this type. While mice are easier for the beginning user to control due to the fact that a hand is easier to move in any direction compared to a thumb, a trackball does not require total hand and arm movement to move the cursor around the screen. Instead the user’s hand can stay stationary and movement of the thumb is all that is needed to direct the cursor.