Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Stages In The Selling Process Marketing Essay

Stages In The Selling Process Marketing Essay A well known way to deal with understanding the phases of the selling procedure comprises of the six stages diagrammed in Exhibit 2.8: (1) prospecting for clients, (2) opening the relationâ ­ship, (3) qualifying the possibility, (4) introducing the business message, (5) bringing the deal to a close, and (6) overhauling the record. In spite of the fact that the selling procedure includes just a couple of particular advances, the particular exercises in-volved at each progression and the manner in which those exercises are completed can fluctuate significantly de-pending on the kind of deals position, for example, preacher versus exchange salesman, and on the organizations by and large selling and client relationship methodology. Therefore, an organizations deals program should consolidate account the executives approaches to control every salesman and guarantee that all selling endeavors are steady with the organizations showcasing and relationship procedure. We will look at the raã… Â £ionale and substance of record the executives approaches in more detail in Chapter 4. The accompanying conversation of the phases in the selling procedure likewise makes reference to a portion of the more typical record the board arrangements used to coordinate salesmen. Prospecting for Customers In numerous sorts of selling, prospecting for new clients is criticai. It can likewise be one of the most demoralizing parts of selling, particularly for starting sales reps. Prospecting efâ ­forts are regularly met with dismissal, and quick settlements are normally negligible. Neverthe-less, the capacity to reveal potenã… Â £ial new clients regularly isolates the fruitful from the ineffective sales rep. In some purchaser merchandise organizations, prospecting for new clients basically includes cold soliciting going from house to house thumping on entryways. Much of the time, however, the objective market is all the more barely characterized, and the sales rep must recognize prospects inside that target section. Salesmen utilize an assortment of data sources to recognize pertinent possibilities, including exchange affiliation and industry catalogs, phone indexes, other sales reps, different clients, providers, nonsales workers of the firm, and social and expert contacts. Selling is utilized by numerous organizations to discover possibilities. Outbound selling inâ ­volves calling potenã… Â £ial clients at their home or office, either to make a deal or to make an arrangement for a field delegate. Inbound selling, where forthcoming cus-tomers call a cost free number for more data, is likewise used to distinguish and qualify possibilities. At the point when possibilities call for more data about an item or administration, a repreâ ­sentative endeavors to decide the degree of intrigue and whether the possibility meets the companys capabilities for new clients. Assuming this is the case, data about the guest is given to the proper sales rep or territorial office. The Internet is additionally demonstrating a valuable innovation for creating prompts potenã… Â £ial new clients. While an expanding number of firms are requesting orders legitimately by means of a landing page on the Internet, many-especially those selling moderately complex merchandise or administrations utilize their Internet destinations essentially to give specialized item data to cusâ ­tomers or potenã… Â £ial clients. These organizations can have their sales reps follow up on techniâ ­cal requests from potenã… Â £ial new records with a more tradiã… Â £ional deals call.15 An organizations account the executives strategies should address how much accentuation sales reps should provide for prospecting for new clients as opposed to prospecting and adjusting existing acâ ­counts. The fitting approach relies upon the selling and client relationship procedure chose, the idea of its item, and the organizations clients. On the off chance that the organizations methodology is trans-actional, if the item is in the early on phase of its life cycle, in the event that it is an inconsistently bought tough great, or if the run of the mill client doesn't require a lot of administration after the deal, salesmen ought to commit substanã… Â £ial time to prospecting for new clients. This is the situation in ventures, for example, protection and private development. Such firms may plan their pay frameworks to compensate their sales reps all the more vigorously for making deals to new clients than for adjusting old ones, as we will find in Chapter 11. An organization that wants key associations will allot a particular sales rep to each acâ ­count. Firms with huge pieces of the overall industry or those that sell every now and again bought nondurable items or items that require substanã… Â £ial administration after the deal to ensure client sat-isfaction ought to receive an arrangement that urges salespeople to commit the majority of their endeavors to serâ ­vicing existing clients. Food makers that offer items to retail grocery stores and firms that produce segment parts and supplies for different makers fall into this cate-violent. Some enormous clients may require so much adjusting that a salesman is alloted to never really take into account that clients needs. In such conditions, firms have uncommon ized their business positions so a few delegates administration just existing records, while others invest all their energy prospecting for and opening associations with new clients. Opening the Relationship In the iniã… Â £ial way to deal with a forthcoming client, the salesman should attempt to open the relationship by achieving two things: (1) figure out who inside the association is probably going to have the best impact or power to iniã… Â £iate the buy procedure and who will at last buy the item, and (2) produce enough enthusiasm inside the firm to ob-tain the data expected to qualify the possibility as an advantageous potenã… Â £ial client. An authoritative purchasing community frequently comprises of people who assume various jobs in makâ ­ing the buy choice. In this way, it is significant for the sales rep to distinguish the key deci-sion producers, their wants, and their relative impact. Selling associations can plan arrangements to manage salesmen in moving toward prospecâ ­tive clients. At the point when the organizations item is economical and routinely bought, salespeoâ ­ple may be told to manage the buying office. For all the more in fact intricate and costly items, the agent may be asked to recognize and look for meetings with influencers and leaders in different funcã… Â £ional offices and at a few administrative levels. At the point when the buy choice is probably going to be intricate, including numerous individuals inside the clients association, the vender may embrace an arrangement of staggered or group selling. Qualifying the Prospect Before salesmen endeavor to set up an arrangement for a significant deals introduction or invest a lot of energy attempting to build up a relationship with a planned record, they should initially qualify the possibility to decide whether the person in question qualifies as a beneficial potenã… Â £ial client. In the event that the record doesn't qualify, the salesman can invest the energy better somewhere else. Capability is hard for some salesmen. It expects them to set aside their etemal good faith and make a target, practical judgment about the likelihood of making a prof-itable deal. As one power calls attention to, the capability procedure includes finding the a swers to three significant inquiries: Does the possibility have a requirement for my item or administration? Would i be able to make the individuals answerable for purchasing so mindful of that need that I can make a deal? Will the deal be beneficial to my company?16 To respond to such inquiries, the salesperson must find out about the possibilities activities, the sorts of items it makes, its clients, its rivals, and the presumable future interest for its items. Data likewise should be gotten concerning who the clients present sup-pincers are and whether any uncommon connections exist with those organizations that would make it hard for the possibility to change providers. At long last, the budgetary wellbeing and the credit rodent ing of the possibility ought to be checked. Since such huge numbers of various sorts of data are required, nonselling offices inside the organization, for example, the credit and assortments division frequently are engaged with the capability procedure when enormous buys are made. As often as possible, in any case, credit deâ ­partments don't get included until after the possibility has consented to purchase and rounded out a credit application. In these circumstances, organization arrangements ought to be detailed to control the salespersons judgment concerning whether a particular possibility qualifies as a client. These arrangements may speli out least satisfactory principles for such things as the possibilities yearly dollar estimation of buys in the item class or FICO assessment. Simi-larly, a few firms indicate a base request size to abstain from managing exceptionally little clients and to improve the proficiency of their request handling and transportation tasks. Issues re-lated to organizing clients are examined in C hapter 3. Introducing the Sales Message The business introduction is the center of the selling procedure. The salesman transmits informaâ ­tion about an item or administration and endeavors to convince the possibility to turn into a client. Making great introductions is a criticai part of the business work. Lamentably, numerous salesâ ­people don't play out this movement well indeed. Past examinations have found that 40 percent of buying specialists see the introductions they observer as not exactly great. In an ongoing sur-vey of buying officials, the accompanying five introduction related grievances were among the best 10 grumblings the directors had about the sales reps with whom they bargain: Running down contenders. Being excessively forceful or grating. Having deficient information on contenders items or administrations. Having lacking information on the customers business or association. Conveying poor presentations.17 One choice that must be made in getting ready for a successful deals pres

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Visual Literacy in Teaching and Learning Research Paper

Visual Literacy in Teaching and Learning - Research Paper Example It alludes to a gathering of vision skills which people create by observing and coordinating other tangible encounters simultaneously. Clearly, the improvement of these abilities is critical to ordinary human learning. In such manner, when these capabilities are created, they empower individuals who are outwardly educated to separate and decipher obvious activities, images, items, regardless of whether or regular or man-made, that they experience in their condition (Elkins, 2007). Through the inventive utilization of these abilities, individuals can speak with others viably. Research has demonstrated that the utilization of visuals in training improve figuring out how to a bigger degree. Legitimate use of visuals brings about a more prominent level of learning. This paper analyzes the utilization of visual education in the instructing and learning process as a contemporary issue in visual proficiency. Portrayal of visual proficiency in instructing and learning In the ongoing years, t here has been a colossal increment in the utilization of visual components in educating and learning processes.... Moreover, visuals, for example, illustrations, pictures and other visual techniques utilized today are intended to increment learners’ appreciation of abstract writings. Pictures, graphs, maps and outlines are among the normal visual apparatuses which are broadly utilized for viable learning. Through artistic creations, funny cartoons and making compositions, students can exhibit significant levels of perception and can interface visuals with writings (Bull and Anstey, 2006). Tattoos are additionally used to speak to different abstract characters. Legitimate consideration ought to consistently be taken while choosing a suitable visual instrument to utilize. Notwithstanding, inclination ought to be given to shading illustrations in that highly contrasting designs are liked. Film is additionally another viable type of visual guide utilized in instructing and learning. Visuals help understudies to center and have complete consideration to the photos and the going with words. Begi nning of visual proficiency in instructing and learning It is significant that in spite of the fact that there has been expanded mix of visual improvement in the instructive procedure in the ongoing years, the thought is certainly not another one. In this domain, the reconciliation of visual and verbal data is clear since the beginning. For example, famous instructors and rationalists of antiquated time unmistakably showed gratefulness for visual upgrades. Aristotle once noticed that it is difficult to think without picture (Bull and Anstey, 2006). A prestigious old painter, Leonardo da Vinci, as well, perceived the significance of visuals. He deciphered words from different perspectives into drawings (Bull and Anstey, 2006) Also, in sequential order characters started as pictures that delineated different implications. These images delineated man-made language without qualifications among pictures and words. It is as it were

Wednesday, August 12, 2020

Biography of Psychologist Lev Vygotsky

Biography of Psychologist Lev Vygotsky   More in Psychology History and Biographies Psychotherapy Basics Student Resources Theories Phobias Emotions Sleep and Dreaming In This Article Table of Contents Expand Early Life Career and Theories Contributions Vygotsky vs. Piaget Selected Publications Lev Vygotsky was a seminal Russian psychologist who is best known for his sociocultural theory. He believed that social interaction plays a critical role in childrens learning. Through such social interactions, children go through a continuous process of learning. Vygotsky noted, however, that culture profoundly influences this process. Imitation, guided learning, and collaborative learning all play a critical part in his theory. Vygotskys Early Life Lev Vygotsky was born  November 17,  1896, in Orsha, a city in the western region of the Russian Empire. He attended Moscow State University, where he graduated with a degree in law in 1917. He studied a range of topics while attending university, including sociology, linguistics, psychology, and philosophy. However, his formal work in psychology did not begin until 1924 when he attended the Institute of Psychology in Moscow. He completed a dissertation in 1925 on the psychology of art but was awarded his degree in absentia due to an acute tuberculosis relapse that left him incapacitated for a year. Following his illness, Vygotsky began researching topics such as language, attention, and memory with the help of students including Alexei Leontiev and Alexander Luria. Vygotskys Career and Theories Vygotsky was a prolific writer, publishing six books on psychology topics over a ten-year period. His interests were quite diverse but often centered on issues of child development and education. He also explored such subjects as the psychology of art and language development. The Zone of Proximal Development According to Vygotsky, the zone of proximal development is [The] distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem-solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers.â€"Lev Vygotsky,  Mind in Society,  1978 Essentially, this zone is the gap between what a child knows and what he does not yet know. The process of acquiring that information requires skills that a child does not yet possess or cannot do independently, but can do with the help of a more knowledgeable other. Parents and teachers can foster learning by providing educational opportunities that lie within a childs zone of proximal development. Kids can also learn a great deal from peers, so teachers can foster this process by pairing less skilled children with more knowledgeable classmates. How Vygotsky Defined the Zone of Proximal Development The More Knowledgeable Other Vygotsky conceived the more knowledgeable other as a person who has greater knowledge and skills than the learner. In many cases, this individual is an adult such as a parent or teacher. Kids also learn a great deal from their interactions with their peers, and children often pay even greater attention to what their friends and classmates know and are doing than they do to the adults in their life. No matter who serves as the more knowledgeable other, the key is that they provide the needed social instruction with the zone of proximal development when the learner is so sensitive to guidance. Children can observe and imitate or even receive guided instruction to acquire new knowledge and skills. Sociocultural Theory Lev Vygotsky also suggested that human development results from a dynamic interaction between individuals and society. Through this interaction, children learn gradually and continuously from parents and teachers. This learning, however, can vary from one culture to the next. Its important to note that Vygotskys theory emphasizes the dynamic nature of this interaction. Society doesnt just impact people; people also affect their society. Contributions to Psychology Vygotskys life was cut tragically short on June 11, 1934, when he died of tuberculosis at the age of 37. He is considered a formative thinker in psychology, and much of his work is still being discovered and explored today. While he was a contemporary of Skinner, Pavlov, Freud, and Piaget, his work never attained their level of eminence during his lifetime. Part of this was because the Communist Party often criticized his work in Russia, and so his writings were largely inaccessible to the Western world. His premature death at age 37 also contributed to his obscurity. Despite this, his work has continued to grow in influence since his death, particularly in the fields of developmental and educational psychology. It wasnt until the 1970s that Vygotskys theories became known in the West as new concepts and ideas were introduced in the fields of educational and developmental psychology. Since then, Vygotskys works have been translated and have become very influential, particularly in the area of education. In a ranking of eminent psychologists, Vygotsky was identified as the 83rd most frequently cited psychologist during the 20th century. Vygotsky vs. Piaget Piaget and Vygotsky were contemporaries, yet Vygotsky’s ideas never became as well-known until long after his death. While their ideas shared some similarities, there were some significant differences, including: Vygotsky did not break down development into a series of predetermined stages as Piaget did.Vygotsky stressed the important role that culture plays, suggesting cultural differences can have a dramatic effect on development. Piaget’s theory suggests that development is largely universal.Piaget’s theory focuses a great deal of attention on peer interaction while Vygotsky’s theory stresses the importance of more knowledgeable adults and peers.Vygotsky’s theory heavily stressed the role that language plays in development, something that Piaget largely ignored. In His Own Words Learning is more than the acquisition of the ability to think; it is the acquisition of many specialised abilities for thinking about a variety of things.â€"Lev Vygotsky, Mind in Society, 1978 Selected Publications Vygotsky LS. Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Cambridge: MA: Harvard University Press; 1978. Vygotsky LS. Thought and Language. Kozulin A, trans. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press; 1986. (Original work published in 1934) Vygotsky LS.  Thinking and Speech. Minick N, trans. New York: Plenum Press; 1987. If youre interested in reading some of Vygotskys works, many of his writings are available in full-text format at the Vygotsky Internet Archive.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

International Trade Is An Old Subject - 2086 Words

International trade is an old subject, but it continues to increase its relevance thanks to the intensification of links between countries. In fact, they are now more than ever interconnected through trade in goods and services, through cash flows and investments. These phenomena increase pervasively due to the growing trend toward globalization. Therefore, many theories, which highlight the gains from trade, were created and then developed and some of them are useful to explain the current international trade. The first developers, who laid the foundation for further and more recent theories about the importance of trade between nations, were classical economists: Adam Smith and David Ricardo. According to Salvatore (2012), Smith†¦show more content†¦According to his theory, â€Å"even if one nation is less efficient than the other nation in the production of both commodities, there is still a basis for mutual beneficial trade† (Salvatore, 2012, p.35). A country may be more efficient in the production of both goods, but it will still have a comparative advantage in the production of a single good, the one that uses resources in the most efficient way compared to alternative production (ibid). The mistake made by Ricardo was that his model revolved around the labour theory of value, which states that the relative prices of commodities are proportional to the amount of work incorporated into them (Bellino, 2012). This assumption is not reflected in real life, thus, the law of comparative advantage was redrafted by Haberler (Salvatore, 2012) in terms of opportunity cost. Accordingly, a country has a comparative advantage in the production of a good whether the opportunity cost of its production is lower than in the other country (Salvatore, 2012). This last notion is defined as the units of a good that a country has to give up in order to produce one additional unit of the other good (ibid). This concept is also called marginal rate of transformation, which is explained by the absolute value of the slope of the production possibility frontier (PPF) (ibid). In fact, this frontier symbolises the maximum amount of a commodity that can be supplied once it is decided the extent of the

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Understanding and Using Loops in Delphi Programming

The loop is a common element in all programming languages. Delphi has three control structures that execute blocks of code repeatedly: for, repeat ... until and while ... do. The FOR loop Suppose we need to repeat an operation a fixed number of times. // show 1,2,3,4,5 message boxesvar j: integer;beginfor j : 1 to 5 dobeginShowMessage(Box: IntToStr(j)) ;end;end; The value of a control variable (j), which is really just a counter, determines how many times a for statement runs. The keyword for sets up a counter. In the preceding example, the starting value for the counter is set to 1. The ending value is set to 5.When the for statement begins running the counter variable is set to the starting value. Delphi than checks whether the value for the counter is less than the ending value. If the value is greater, nothing is done (program execution jumps to the line of code immediately following the for loop code block). If the starting value is less than the ending value, the body of the loop is executed (here: the message box is displayed). Finally, Delphi adds 1 to the counter and starts the process again. Sometimes it is necessary to count backward. The downto keyword specifies that the value of a counter should be decremented by one each time the loop executes (it is not possible to specify an increment / decrement other than one). An example of a for loop that counts backward. var j: integer;beginfor j : 5 downto 1 dobeginShowMessage(T minus IntToStr(j) seconds) ;end;ShowMessage(For sequence executed!) ;end; Note: its important that you never change the value of the control variable in the middle of the loop. Doing so will cause errors. Nested FOR loops Writing a for loop within another for loop (nesting loops) is very useful when you want to fill / display data in a table or a grid. var k,j: integer;begin//this double loop is executed 4x416 timesfor k: 1 to 4 dofor j: 4 downto 1 doShowMessage(Box: IntToStr(k) , IntToStr(j)) ;end; The rule for nesting for-next loops is simple: the inner loop (j counter) must be completed before the next statement for the outer loop is encountered (k counter). We can have triply or quadruply nested loops, or even more. Note: Generally, the begin and end keywords are not strictly required, as you can see. If begin and end are not used, the statement immediately following the for statement is considered the body of the loop. The FOR-IN loop If you have Delphi 2005 or any newer version, you can use the new for-element-in-collection style iteration over containers. The following example demonstrates iteration over string expressions: for each char in string check if the character is either a or e or i. consts About Delphi Programming;varc : char;beginfor c in s dobeginif c in [a,e,i] thenbegin// do somethingend;end;end; The WHILE and REPEAT loops Sometimes we wont know exactly how many times a loop should cycle. What if we want to repeat an operation until we reach a specific goal? The most important difference between the while-do loop and the repeat-until loop is that the code of the repeat statement is always executed at least once. The general pattern when we write a repeat (and while) type of loop in Delphi is as follows: repeatbeginstatements;end;until condition true while condition true dobeginstatements;end; Here is the code to show 5 successive message boxes using repeat-until: varj: integer;beginj:0;repeatbeginj : j 1;ShowMessage(Box:IntToStr(j)) ;end;until j 5;end; As you can see, the repeat statement evaluates a condition at the end of the loop (therefore repeat loop is executed for sure at least once). The while statement, on the other hand, evaluates a condition at the beginning of the loop. Since the test is being done at the top, we will usually need to make sure that the condition makes sense before the loop is processed, if this is not true the compiler may decide to remove the loop from the code. var j: integer;beginj:0;while j 5 dobeginj:j1;ShowMessage(Box:IntToStr(j)) ;end;end; Break and Continue The Break and Continue procedures can be used to control the flow of repetitive statements: The Break procedure causes the flow of control to exit a for, while, or repeat statement and continue at the next statement following the loop statement. Continue allows the flow of control to proceed to the next iteration of repeating operation.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Film Analysis Essay on Crash (2004) Free Essays

The movie â€Å"Crash† – from director and producer Paul Haggis – pictures one day in the lives of various characters in Los Angeles, all of them from different social and racial backgrounds but nevertheless connected and intertwined throughout the story. The movie’s story is being told in a mostly chronological way, except that it puts one scene to the very beginning of the film and then cuts back to the day prior, indicated by the visual text â€Å"yesterday†. In this first sequence, detectives Graham Waters and his partner Ria have been rearended when they arrive at a crime scene, leading to a fight between Hispanic Ria and the accident responsible, furious Chinese Kim Lee, involving race-related insults towards each other. We will write a custom essay sample on Film Analysis Essay on Crash (2004) or any similar topic only for you Order Now Breaking through the temporal order and showing everything that has happened prior to this fight gives the explanation why Kim Lee is so furious and why she was in such a hurry, as her husband is in hospital for being run over by a car. This strategy of playing with the viewer’s opinion and sympathy about the single characters is one that is central for the movie. Therefore a lot of prejudices are implicitly and explicitly presented through the narrative and the movie’s surface. Anthony and Peter for example are being pictured as two young adolescents just leaving a diner and discussing the (non-)discriminating treatment of the waitress. In Anthony’s opinion even other black people are racist towards Afro-Americans and that white people are scared of them although they are not even dressed like â€Å"gang-bangers†. This gives the impression of young people being worried and angry about ungrounded racial discrimination. Then the dialogue suddenly changes, both of them pull a gun and they steal the car from Rick and Jean Cabot – the two white people they just accused of having prejudices about them – leaving the viewer with a sudden change in the characterization they were given before. The movie continues like this when it shows the Hispanic locksmith Daniel Ruiz – mean-looking, tattooed and with a shaved head. Jean Cabot’s assumption about him being a Gang member who will sell the keys to their house as soon as he is out the door is consistent with his outward appearance. It is not until later in the movie, when he arrives at home taking loving care of his daughter, that the first impression is negated and turned into the opposite. Most of the characters in Crash turn out to be different than the first picture that is drawn of them all the time turning the story towards unanticipated events and revealing important information bout character backgrounds. Beyond that, it is important mentioning the complex net of connections and entanglements that occur between the characters and their stories and events. There is Jean Corbet, accusing her locksmith Daniel Ruiz of being a gang member, whose daughter is almost shot by the Persian shop owner Farhad, whose daughter works in the mortuary where Detective Graham Waters dead brother is identified as Peter, who stole Jean Corbets car, making her change the locks in her house in the first place. This list of connections could be continued with for another while, as there are more characters involved with even more links between them. This motive of connection is also shown by the cuts from one scene to the next via an audible and/or a visual connection. For instance when Ria storms out of Graham Waters apartment and slams the door after her, the film cuts to Officer John Ryan lying in his bed – suddenly being woken up by his Crash – 2004 Identity and Diversity in American Film Miriam Keller – 05/30/2012 Miriam Keller – 05/30/2012 groaning father. To the viewer it looks like he is wakes up from the slamming door, although there is no diegetic connection. Another example is the cut from Anthony and Peter just having stolen the black navigator, to the crime scene of the shooting between two drivers. As the car with Anthony and Peter drives through the picture it cuts to a police car passing by in exactly the same camera-shot and revealing the crime scene behind it. Match-cuts like this are a reoccurring stylistic element, emphasizing the just specified net of entanglements. The central topic of racism and prejudices in the movie Crash is shown from various different angles, pointing at the complexity of this issue. It states that nothing and no one can be easily characterized and the importance of looking at the bigger picture instead of pigeonholing someone. All the different characters with their intertwined stories make it clear that everyone is connected and the range of influence of one person’s behavior is further than one would expect. How to cite Film Analysis Essay on Crash (2004), Essay examples

Sunday, May 3, 2020

Multinational Corporations and Global Justice †MyAssignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about the Multinational Corporations and Global Justice. Answer: Introduction The world has increasingly become smaller due to the globalization of companies seeking to tap into new markets and enhance their business fortunes. As a result, there is the movement of labor, knowledge, and technology across the globe to complement and meet the need of competent, innovative and skilled expertise from all walks of life. These movements take the role of ensuring that people come together and work collectively in a movement to achieve certain aspects that could not have been otherwise achieved when done individually. Increased globalization in the business world has necessitated companies to comply with standardized rules and regulations for various reasons anchored to its reputation and smooth operations. Compliance to ethical and human rights issues has become vital to organizations' operations and culture. This has, therefore, forced companies to re-align their core business activities to reflect ethical standards and human rights considerations. Those that disrespect the rules are automatically subjected to scrutiny from industry-peers, media, and the general public Besides, authorities have developed a significant interest in the human rights largely due to a wave of increased illegalities and unfair treatment of workers which includes the use of child labor, low wages, discrimination and unsafe working environment. Advocating for such rights at the individual level is difficult, and thus, the coming together helps to enhance and manage the aspects (Stark, 2010). Corporations have the mandate to enforce the universal human rights standards through systems and procedures laid in collaborations with their external stakeholders. To this effect, organizations have committed resources to align their organizational structures and processes to human rights dictates to enhance the reputation of the company and increased the probability to gain market share and acquire a competitive edge (Ronnegard, 2015). Further, in a bid to uphold the rights of its employees, the company achieves motivation and high productivity from its workers through some of the below-discussed practices. Impartiality and Fairness All staff ought to be subjected to equal standards of treatment without favoritism or discrimination. Practicing these ethical standards ensures the human rights to fair treatment is not interfered with in any way. This measure is vital to the organization's unity and morale towards a common goal and objective. Unfair and impartial treatment undermines the human rights, and people feel out of the place which affects their freedom (Valdman, 2009). Thus, every business organization is expected to consider this ethical aspect and ensure that it treats its employees fairly. Organizations practice transparency through sharing information openly within and without the company. Part of the information pertains the procurement activities of the organization, recruitment, and promotions. Nevertheless, confidential information of the company is reserved for security, competitive purposes and privacy of its employees. By being transparent, companies present an opportunity to the general to scrutinize and evaluate the dealings. The media also plays a watchdog role in examining corporate organizations and revealing any unethical conducts. Restricting people from accessing the organization's information hampers the rights of people (Scherer, 2015). Therefore, every business organization is expected to practice this ethical issue to ensure that all the stakeholders have information regarding the organization. Ethics demand for the organization to provide its employees with protective gears to prevent them against burns, cuts and other forms of injuries. This measure is consistent with the human rights to health and safety in a working environment. Every business organization must establish and understand all the safety issues that exist in every job position and put in place every required safety measures to ensure that employees are safe (Snyder, 2009). Some of these actions include the providing the workers with the necessary protective gear to enhance their safety. Every business organization must ensure that the employees are working in the safe and comfortable conditions. Preservation of employees privacy Telecommunication companies are at a high risk of violating the rights to privacy of their clients and workers due to pressure from authorities. Accessing of private information and tapping to the conversation of people is a massive breach of their security because it exposes the affected to fraudsters and cyber crimes. Such a case violates the privacy rights of people (Powell Zwolinski, 2012). Example, Internet companies including Google have resisted the pressure from security agencies to allow access to private data and information of its customers is thereby compromising their safety making them vulnerable (Zwolinski, 2007). Organizations have human resource management that endeavors to investigate into their employee's frustrations and addressing their concerns to achieve maximum productivity from their labor and equally sort their rights (Strudler, 2017). Further, it is through this functionality that the culture of ethics is cultivated in the organization through rules, regulations, and systems supporting standards best practices. This is critical in helping the companies grow to increase the productivity of people which in turn improves the profitability of the organization. The corporate social responsibility is practicing ethics, fairness, and generosity to both the internal and external stakeholders to the organization. Ethics demand the team to reciprocate for the hospitality of the host communities through rolling various projects including infrastructure, enlightening the locals on new issues including health and education. The company donates resources and knowledge to the host community in a bid to improve their quality of lives. This is a positive initiative that serves to empower the community both economically and socially which upholds their human rights in various quarters. The organization's corporate social responsibility does not only help the people and community outside but also brings many benefits to the company. These include its ability to bring about the business sustainability of the organization (Lee Kotler, 2013). Ethics demands organizations to conserve the environment and ensure depletion of natural resources does not happen. On this grounds, companies are forced to dispose waste responsibly and contain their emissions so that it does not cause health hazards to the local community. It is the interest of authorities to ensure its people are not harmed by activities of companies infringing on their health rights (Wettstein, 2009). Therefore, every business enterprise is expected to be an environmental steward and activities that can negatively affect the environment. Impediment to Ethical and Human Rights Considerations Business enterprises ought to analyze challenges obstructing the full and efficient implementation of the ethical regulations which is consequential to systematic human rights risks. Among the distracters to the achievement of ethics and human rights is the cost involved to roll-out these practices. Due to this, some companies have resolved to set up their operations in countries with cheap labor and lenient human rights laws, as a strategy to cut down costs (Werhane, Hartman, Archer, Englehard Pritchard, 2013). Companies bend toward respecting and practicing human rights to gain enhanced reputation and longevity of their businesses among other benefits. They learn in the length of time how to make human rights commitment their culture within their companies and in partnership with external stakeholders. Enterprises that excel at human rights implementation over time are then able to communicate their successes and gain trust with consumers and investors (Ellis, 2007). Also, firms that are ethical and respect human rights are highly attractive to skilled and competent professionals across the globe. Conclusion In conclusion, the presence of a clear guide and standards of human rights practice enables organizations to have a level field of business activities and prevent them from potential lawsuits that can potentially damage their reputation. Additionally, companies can organize cross-functional activities that involve the leadership of the organization from top to bottom which enhances free interaction and socialization of the employees. This is in a bid to break the barrier of superiority and promote the human rights to freedom of expression and socialization at free will. References Ellis, C. (2007). Telling secrets, revealing lives: Relational ethics in research with intimate others. Qualitative Inquiry, 13, 3-29. Lee, N. Kotler, P. (2013). Corporate social responsibility: doing the most good for your company and your cause Powell, B. Zwolinski, M (2012). "The Ethical and the Economic Case Against Sweatshop Labor: A Critical Assessment," Journal of Business Ethics, 107(4): 449-472. Ronnegard, D. (2015).The Fallacy of Corporate Moral Agency, New York: Springer. Scherer, A. (2015). "Can Hyper norms be Justified? Insights from the Discourse-Ethical Perspective", Business Ethics Quarterly, 25(4): 489516. Snyder, J. (2009). Whats the Matter with Price Gouging?,Business Ethics Quarterly, 19(2): 275293. Stark, A., (2010). "Business in Politics: Lobbying and the Corporate Campaign Contributions," in G.G. Brenkert and T.L. Beauchamp (eds.), Oxford Handbook of Business Ethics, New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 501532. Strudler, A. (2017). What to Do with Corporate Wealth?,Journal of Political Philosophy, (25)1: 108126. Valdman, M. (2009). "A Theory of Wrongful Exploitation," The Philosophers Imprint, 9(6) Werhane, P., Hartman, L., Archer, C., Englehardt, E. Pritchard, M. (2013).Obstacles to the Ethical Decision-Making: Mental Models, Milgram and the Problem of Obedience, New York: Cambridge University Press. Wettstein, F., (2009).Multinational Corporations and the Global Justice: Human Rights Obligations of a Quasi-Governmental Institution, Stanford, CA: Stanford Business Books. Zwolinski, M. (2007). "Sweatshops, Choice, and Exploitation," Business Ethics Quarterly, 17(4): 689727.

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

The Trial of Derek Bentley and Christopher Craig Essay Example

The Trial of Derek Bentley and Christopher Craig Paper I think the speech for the prosecution is effective because it in a way leads you to believe that Craig and Bentley are just as guilty as each other, which isnt necessarily true. The speech is cleverly written by having left out certain maybe even crucial pieces of information such as Bentleys mental age of 11, which means others can easily influence him such as Craig. I dont think this was pointed out as it could have been misunderstood as slightly justifying Bentleys actions, which wouldnt have been fair in court and also the police officers wouldnt have wanted any information to be said that may in any way work to Bentleys advantage as they believe he was definitely involved in the murder of their colleague. Based on the speech alone I get a clear impression about both defendants, Bentley and Craig. To me Bentley came across as a person with vicious intent due to the weapons he possessed and his later admittance to intending to break into the building and steal what he could. We will write a custom essay sample on The Trial of Derek Bentley and Christopher Craig specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Trial of Derek Bentley and Christopher Craig specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Trial of Derek Bentley and Christopher Craig specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The speech does imply Bentley being very involved in the shooting because he knew Craig had a gun but however still being a follower rather than a leader as he didnt actually carry out the shooting but played a big part by shouting Let him have it, Chris. This section of the speech containing information about this statement by Bentley I told the silly bugger not to use it Was not entirely fair because it says Completely contradicted by Bentleys earlier statement, Let him have it Chris which implies that he had meant for Craig too fire the gun. This however isnt the only explanation for Bentley shouting this phrase. He could have meant for Craig to let the officer have the gun but this isnt stated in the speech and so works against Bentley. My impression of Craig straight away is that he is in fact a weak person who couldnt face the punishment for his own wrong doing because when he realized he was going to be caught by the police he threw himself off the roof in an attempt to commit suicide and avoid sentencing. As the speech continues Craig comes across as a disrespectful and rude individual as it is stated that there was a lot of swearing and abusive language spoken or shouted by him at the police officers. Spiteful was also a word that sprang to mind about Craig where it goes on to say about him shooting at PC Harrison as he crept along. From the speech I learned that Craig and Bentley were 2 young males who had set out simply to break into Barlow Parker Confectioners but ended up in a gunfight on the roof involving 4 police officers, one of which (PC Miles) was killed. The idea of Bentley assisting Craig is sort of contradicted later because when Bentley is officially under arrest on the night of the shooting he was not physically being held by Sgt Fairfax and so had many opportunities to escape or sneak up on Fairfax to injure him, however Bentley did not even recognize these opportunities let alone use them. This taught me that Bentley must be unintelligent to say the least or maybe just scared but either way he didnt take the chance available to him, as he would have done if he had set out with intent to willfully injure or kill the PCs. Craig seems to be a trustworthy friend in the eyes of Bentley and he believes what Craig tells him. This is shown in the speech when it describes Sgt Fairfax and Bentley attempting and successfully getting themselves to the safety of a doorway and Bentley tells Sgt Fairfax Hell shoot you. Obviously Bentley really believed this and has faith in his friend to help him escape but also the thought doesnt cross his mind that Craig may even go to the extent of shooting at Bentley himself in attempt to injure Sgt Fairfax and assist his (Craigs) own get away. This again shows his character is easy to take advantage of. I also learnt a fair amount about the personality of Christopher Craig after reading the speech. He is a dominating male who is looked up to and respected by his peers, Bentley in particular. This is shown by the fact that Bentley even went with him that night to do something that he knew was wrong and wouldnt have dreamed of doing before he met Craig. Although Craig cannot read or write he is very clever in a tactical way with his actions, for instance he took advantage of Bentleys child likeness and silently persuaded him to carry defensive weapons by giving them to Bentley as a gift which he knew Bentley would treasure and carry with him in hope not to lose them. Near the end of the speech it is learned that Craigs actions were in fact a method for him to in a way pay back the police force for putting his brother in jail. These actions do however show loyalty and also bring out a slightly caring (for his brother), vulnerable side to Craig. Craig hides this side of his personality behind a wall of disrespectfulness which he shows in the next breath by swearing at the approaching Police Officer and saying he hoped he had killed the lot. After reading through the speech once I immediately felt no sympathy or compassion for either of the defendants, Craig and Bentley. However after re-reading the speech and looking deeper into some of the sections I began to feel sorry for both of them in a way but for different reasons. I felt Bentley had been used simply as an accomplice and back up for Craig whenever he needed it. This made me feel bad for Bentley because he really thought he had made a friend and didnt realize he had been used. The speech later quotes Bentley was himself armed to that extent and, therefore, prepared to use violence. Which in my opinion wasnt true. As both of the weapons were given to Bentley by Craig, I think it was another scheme of Craigs to make Bentley look as guilty if not more guilty than himself so maybe he wouldnt get as harshly punished. This remark is also working totally against Bentley in the way that he didnt and probably couldnt argue back because he was as afraid as an 11 year old would be, but again the jury didnt take this into account. Bentley seems to be a confused person that often cant get out the right words for what he wants to say and later ends up contradicting himself. This is shown in the section of the speech where it clarifies Bentleys statement. It is said that while in the police car on the way to the station Bentley said I knew he had a gun; but I didnt think he would use it. And in Bentleys actual statement he again admits to having knowledge of Craigs possession of the gun by saying I did not know he was going to use the gun. Near the end of the statement however, Bentley becomes confused and says I did not have a gun and I didnt know Chris had one until he shot Although Craig was very sneaky and mean in the way he manipulated Bentley I still felt sorry for him although in a different way. Th e first thing that makes me feel this way was Craigs loyalty to his brother. He must have known he would get into a lot of trouble by firing at a police officer but he obviously felt inclined to do so, so the police wouldnt get away with taking his brother away. There must have been great deal of devotion between the siblings for one to go to such extreme measures. I began to feel sad for Craig due to the fact he must have realized the force of his actions when it was too late to undo what had been done and he felt the need to attempt suicide to avoid punishment. I didnt feel sad because of Craigs injuries but because he stooped to the level of not being able to face the music for his own actions is a very sad act. Video Case As I inspected the video case to the film Let him have it the first thing I was drawn to looking at was the intriguing title. It is written in large basic, easy to read font and is very eye catching, as it is actually the headline of a newspaper used for the title. The fact that part of a newspaper is included on the case emphasizes the fact that the story is true and it involved real people. Again bringing in realism is the quote by Iris Bentley (Derek Bentleys Mum) saying I dont want revenge I just want justice. The font used for this quote is plain and bare so the right impression is given off. For example if the letters were all swirly and old fashioned it would suggest a fairy tale like story, which would be very misleading. The background of the case is black, which to me implied an eerie and tragic film. Positioned at the bottom of the front cover of the case is the image of Bentley and Craig both dressed in typical mob clothes for the time it was set. This tells you what the film is going to be about but doesnt give away too many details and therefore you are intrigued to watch it. The newspaper reviews are also excellent as they compliment the film and make you that little bit more curious about the storyline, The Independent The hanging. one of the most jolting scenes in British cinema This quote lets you know that the trial leads one of the defendants to be hung but doesnt hint to which one and so leaves it open to interest. The Mail Powerful Daily Mail Powerful and compelling Both of these two reviews tell you that the film is very powerful, but do they mean powerful in the way that it will leave an affect on you mentally for instance you may want to offer your support to families of the characters involved or powerful in another sense? The only way to find out is too watch it. The overall effect of the video case leads you to believe you are going to watch a crime film. This is highlighted in the image of Craig more than Bent ley due to his evil smile and the position he is holding a gun. The word murder is mentioned in the blurb which obviously also implies crime. The case is well set out as it gives enough information about the film to get you interested and intrigued but doesnt give too much away about the story or the characters too make it not worth watching. I think the case is well set out but however slightly misleading. The fact that Craig is holding a gun in the picture implies that the film is going to be a typical gangster movie involving a lot of gun fights maybe in bars where masses of people get killed which isnt the case in this film. I think this may have been done cleverly as too get a wider range of people interested in watching the film. Film- Let him have it I think the purpose of this film being made is to clear Bentleys name and highlight the familys suffering. I think this because although it is a film, which connects immediately with entertainment I dont think that was the main reason it was filmed. Using film is a clever way of making money because when a new film comes out lots of people tend to go to see it out of curiosity, especially if its true as the British nation is fairly nosey when it comes to other peoples business. However as the viewers get stuck into watching the film I think they would be, like me drawn into sympathizing towards the Bentley family and hoping no court trials in the future have the same outcome. Highlighting the familys suffering is another way of making sure history doesnt repeat itself because a wide range of people would have watched the film including some judges who obviously wouldnt want to wish that amount of suffering on anyone elses family unless it be necessary. As the film is based on a true story the detailed suffering would actually be closely related to what the family really went through I think this would make a fair amount of impact on different sets of people. For example other parents whose children had been tried at court who were found not guilty would be feel very thankful that their child and the rest of the family hadnt had to go through the traumatic experience like the Bentleys and therefore may be interested in helping to clear Bentleys name. Also parents whose offspring HAD been found guilty and had been executed would relate very closely to Bentleys family and probably would offer their support in clearing Bentley as they would know how they (the Bentleys) would be feeling. I think the film would appeal to more people than expected because after the film premiered there would be a lot of talk bout it, intriguing more people to go and watch it. A wide variety of people would probably be interested in the film anyway such as judges and lawyers and other people who attend court regularly as they would be concerned about how the trial went and how the outcome came about. People who enjoy gangster type movies would also be intrigued to watch it due to the video case and the picture on the front of two males wearing mob- like clothes, which implies gangster. Avid crime film watchers would also be drawn to this film again because of the video case picture containing a gun and the blurb mentioning a murder. Probably the film would interest a lot more people but in my opinion these are the main groups. At a first glance at the case the film didnt appeal to me at all because I hate crime and murder and anything vaguely associated including films. However after watching it I thought it was very interesting especially in the courtroom scenes, as I didnt know a lot about the way court was run before. Also I ended up feeling a lot of compassion towards Derek Bentley and his family and hope I never have to experience anything close to what they went through.

Friday, March 6, 2020

If Sentences for ESL Learners

If Sentences for ESL Learners English learners should learn if sentences, also known as conditional forms, in order to discuss various possibilities that are either realistic or imaginary. Follow the introduction below, you will find a grammar overview and explanation for each tense. Once you are familiar with these forms, use the referenced materials to practice and further your understanding of these forms. Teachers can print out the comprehension materials related to the materials, as well as the suggested lesson plans with point-by-point instructions on how to teach the conditional  forms in class. The Basics: What Are If Sentences? If sentences are used to discuss things that happen based on the condition that something else happens. There are three main types of if sentences. Use an if sentence in the first conditional to consider real, possible events in the present or future: If it rains, Ill take an umbrella. Use an if sentences in the second conditional to speculate about unreal, improbable events in the present moment or future: If I had a million dollars, Id buy a big house. An if sentence in the third conditional concerns imaginary (unreal) outcomes of past events: If he had spent more time studying, he would have passed the exam. If Sentence Forms Overview: If Sentence # 1 First Conditional If S present simple objects, S will verb objects- If the boys finish their homework early, they will play baseball. If Sentence # 2 Second Conditional If S past simple objects, S would verb objects- If he bought a new car, he would buy a Ford. If Sentence # 3 Third Conditional If S past perfect objects, S would have past participle objects- If she had seen him, she would have discussed the issues with him. Study If Sentences In Depth: Here is a detailed guide to all conditional forms with examples, important exceptions to the rules and a structured guide. The alternate guide provides options for advanced level learners. Finally, this guide to choosing between the first or second conditional provides further help on deciding whether to use the real or unreal conditional. Test Your Understanding of If Sentences: Once youve studied the rules - or if you already know the rules - test your knowledge: Conditional Forms Quiz For advanced level learners here is a reading dialogue comprehension exercise that focuses on using the third conditional. Teach a Lesson about If Sentences: This first and second conditional forms lesson employs reading comprehension about emergencies to help students discover and review the forms. Once students are comfortable with the form, they discuss other difficult or unusual situations using the first and second conditional This conditionals tic-tac-toe is a great game to help students review all three if sentence forms. Finally, here is a printable conditional form quiz to use in class. If Sentence Activities: Practice if sentences with grammar chants. Using chants, you and your classes can practice the structure so that it becomes natural and easy to remember.

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Strategic Marketing Plan for Java Sumatra Research Paper

Strategic Marketing Plan for Java Sumatra - Research Paper Example With the new production capacity, the company will extend its reach to include wholesalers in the United States who offer premium coffee variants and are looking to include an additional coffee roast in their product selection. This marketing plan examines the current market environment, internal SWOT analysis, competitive universe, company mission, marketing and financial objectives, target market, positioning and market research to determine the best layout for the marketing plan. In order to achieve the sales forecast from 2009 to 2011, a comprehensive advertising and communication plan has been developed, with the internet and print advertising used at the forefront of the marketing plan. Lastly, an implementation and evaluation process is proposed to manage and control the marketing plan. In the last six years, Java Sumatra has been focused on providing a differentiated product, which is premium grade Arabica beans or roasts from Sumatra, Indonesia. By keeping to this mission, the company has developed a circle of loyal customers who trust the quality of the product and who are satisfied with its customer service promise of prompt and timely product delivery. With the spread of coffee culture in the United States, most specialty roasters and wholesalers are constantly looking to include new and innovative coffee selections to their customers and Java Sumatra understands the need to work with these roasters in order to survive in this very fragmented market where quality control is lax. As a result, Java Sumatra has gained valuable insight into attributes that are important to specialty roasters when making a purchase, the first of which is a consistent supply of quality beans. In order to meet the demands of specialty roasters and wholesalers, Java Sumatra has planned to increase its production capacity to 80,000 metric tons by 2011. SWOT Analysis The following SWOT analysis captures the key strengths and weaknesses within Java Sumatra, and presents the opportunities and threats facing the company. Strengths Strong relationship with plantation owners in Sumatra. Strong relationship with specialty roasters as a reliable source of supply and consistent customer service levels. Efficient production process that keeps costs down while maintaining the quality of coffee beans. Weaknesses Dependence on a number of plantation owners restricts the supply of coffee beans and inhibits expansion plan. A limited marketing budget. Opportunities Greater awareness of this type of coffee selection provides for increase in demand for quality coffee beans. The increase in production capacity will reduce costs and allow for a competitive cost structure that rivals the bigger players in the

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

PTSD Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

PTSD - Research Paper Example The victims become hopeless and if the shock does not subside the victims get disturbed by painful memories. They feel that their normal status cannot be restored. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder usually occurs with battle scared military officers who go through a win or die battle. Many soldiers suffer from the disorder situations when they are fighting a losing battle. Traumatizing incidences such as bombast makes them scared. The soldiers get maimed while some die. The incidences and aftermath of the war have been the leading cause of the mental disorder. The disease is also prevalent in emergency care workers. Most of the emergency care workers who suffer the disorder are those who take care of the victims whose life is in danger. The death of the victims leaves shocking memories that they cannot forget. The medical officers who treat and take care of the victims of emergency events are also at risk of suffering from the disorder. Children are less likely to develop the disease than adults. They have weak memories, and they are less engaged in life-threatening events. The primary cause of Post-Traumatic Disorder among children is bullying. Bullying also affects adults. Individuals facing domestic violence are predisposed to the disorder. Disasters such as earthquakes and Tsunami results to the massive destruction. The victims of the disaster are traumatized. For many years terrorist attacks has been threatening peoples life. The effects of the attacks are unbearable and terrible. The disorder is prevalent among the people held hostages by terrorists. The torture the in the cells leaves the freed culprits traumatized. Drug abuse especially alcohol also co-occur with the mental disorder. Intake of narcotics hinders the recovery of the PTSD by medication. Alcohol abuse worsens the PSTD conditions (Krippner, 2012). Childhood neglect, kidnapping and sudden death of loved ones also put individuals at risk of gettin g the disorder. The police

Monday, January 27, 2020

Financial Management of Construction Accounting

Financial Management of Construction Accounting Questions: You are advising a client who is highly respected in the industry as visionary and entrepreneurial.   She is planning her next project, a mixed-use development (e.g. some residential units and two or three larger commercial buildings).   This is to be just outside a large city near you, where infrastructure/transport links are established and ready for the growth. She intends the commercial element to be attractive to large international businesses, perhaps as global or regional headquarters.   The local authorities are supportive of the development on the basis that your client has agreed to work with them to also develop a new hospital as part of the project. Write a letter of advice to the client outlining some options for funding the project, explaining why she should (or shouldnt) consider them as preferable.  Ã‚   If appropriate, you may suggest a combination of approaches. To: Subject: Project: I appreciate the opportunity to advise you regarding the available option for funding your project. I look forward to assisting you with this project and achieving your project objectives. I would like to draw your attention to the key financing options for the proposed project. It is important to remember that financing techniques/funding option constantly changed based on, for example, trends to equity participation by financiers as inflation of values occur, and also renewed interest in mortgages as property values fall. Therefore it is important to remember that a number of key decisions have to be made by those involved in arranging funding for this project. The Interest rates are likely to be lower on corporate borrowing than on project-based funding, this is mainly due to the broader basis of the security available in this option. Borrowing can also be in the form of an overdraft, loan or mortgage on the other hand, or by the issue of securities, such as a debenture or loan stock. These stocks or bonds can be tradable on the stock market. They normally tend to have a fixed rate of interest and fixed term of maturity which can at times be beneficial if the rates are to rise in the future. Banks may offer funding that are fixed or floating rates of interest for a specified period of time. The following facts are based on your written correspondence to me dated 12th June 2016. It is worth considering the answers to the questions below. What is to be the ratio of debt to equity in funding the project? Is the finance to be project based or is it to be corporate finance? What are the arrangements for refinancing the project? Will the debt be funded by traded securities or will it be a loan? What is the term of the loan or stock? What will be the security for loan stock or loan? Will a loan be fixed or floating rate? What will be the term of the loan? Other than that you have opportunity to deploy a consortium with a financial intuition.   These are named as joint ventures andsuch joint ventures arises when two or more parties act jointly to develop this mixed used development project. In these arrangements the participating institution will normally become the ultimate owner of the property. It is also worth noting here that joint ventures normally take the form of partnerships or joint venture (JV) companies. Highlighted below are some of the advantages of such JVs; Secure adequate finance, particularly equity; Can be   acquired expertise; Can be reduced risk of development; To enjoy off balance sheet financing, thereby reducing record debt; Meet the demands of foreign investors; I hope my advice has been beneficial to you in making a decision for funding your next project. I look forward to working with you on this project. Please do not hesitate to contact me anytime if you have any questions or require further advice. I look forward to hearing from you. Kind Regards, References Steven J. Peterson (2012). Construction accounting and financial management. 2nd ed. -: Pearson Education Inc. Danny Myers (2008). Construction Economics a new approach. 2nd ed. -: Taylor and Francis.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Importance of good leadership for a business Essay

Leadership is the process by which an individual influences, motivates and controls the behaviour of others towards a specific set of objectives. Leadership is the composite of abilities and characteristics of an individual leader of the environment in which he operates and of the relationship developed between the leader and the led. It is very important to have good leadership for a business to succeed as employees will only follow a good leader and respond positively towards their direction. A good leader will have ability to obtain the highest quality from subordinates that they have the capacity to render. True leadership is a positive force, based on cooperation and mutual trust. A poor leader will often fail to win over staff and have problems communicating with workers. Leadership style is the way a manager takes decisions and deals with the staff. An effective leadership style is one that best compliments the organizational environment, the task to be accomplished and the pe rsonal characteristics of the people involved. There are several types of leadership styles, which are autocratic, democratic, paternalistic and laissez-faire. Body: Explanation on Autocratic style, Democratic Style, Laissez-faire and paternalistic style. The autocratic Leaders is authoritarian and assume respect for all aspect of operation. Communication is one-way with little as no scope of feedback. With autocratic style, we can identify the dictators who demand total compliances from the work-force. He demotivate staff and create frustration and fears. The work group depend on the leader and will be unable to act independently. However, the autocratic style seems efficient and essential in some situation such as police force. There is clearly chain of command with no ambiguity and so autocratic leadership produces quick decision. The democratic leader seeks the opinion of subordinates before taking final decision. However, they retain ultimate responsibilities for decision making. It is especially appropriate where experience workers need to be fully involve in their work. Participation of subordinate’s results in improve decision making, higher moral and more motivated. But consultation is time consuming and may delay acti vities. There is always the danger of losing management control and attempt to evade responsibilities. Under  Laissez-faire style leadership, group members have total freedom. The leader set down all objectives and the subordinates have clear parameters within which they should work. Once objectives have been set, subordinates are left alone to achieve objectives. This style of leadership works fine when subordinates are willing and able to accept responsibility. Under such style of management, success depend on the competence and integrity of subordinates. But workers are motivated to work. A paternalistic management style is a form of management whereby managers pay more attention to the social aspects of their employees; they are concerned with keeping them happy and motivated, and act as a sort of father figure to the employees. In such a management style, decisions are made with the best interests of the workers at heart. Conclusion: Importance of leadership Leadership is therefore crucial in motivating and inspiring the workforce so that they perform the assign task willingly and in an efficient and effective manner. Thus leadership is concern of influencing others to achieve aims and objectives. Management and leadership skills are needed in every industry and every walk of life. It is essential therefore for new managers to be provided with opportunities to learn how to manage and lead people.

Friday, January 10, 2020

Hindu Religion

HINDU RELIGION Dennis E. Leber Axia College RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD (AXIA) HUM/130 NAOMI DOUMBIA AUG 14, 2007 The Hindu religion The Hindu religion is strongly dependent on the Hindu philosophy and in addition, has inculcated a lot of rituals and practices. The Hindu religion has 333 million gods; this is because the Hindu philosophy believes that every human being is God himself. This acceptance of the multiplicity of the Supreme Being in many forms is the hallmark of the Hindu religion. The Hindu religion is also very assimilative and has accepted many faiths into it. The Hindu religion also allows religious freedom and does not enforce the edicts of the religion on anyone. In fact, Hinduism teaches that a person, in order to attain liberation from the worldly bondage, must select the religion that he is comfortable in. Hence, it accepts the existence of all other religions as a means to realize God. The Hindu religion like other religions also believes in the battle between the good and the evil although at a lower level of existence. The religion preaches that man must advance himself through successive levels of knowledge in his quest for the final truth. Hence, the concept of the Devas, or the good deities and the Asuras, the demoniac characters are very important in the Hindu traditions. Many folklores revolve around the battles between the Devas and the Asuras. The important Godheads in the Hindu tradition are Brahma, Vishnu and Siva who correspond with the three ‘Gunas' or qualities of Satva (pureness), Rajas(action), and Tamas(darkness and inactivity). Man is a mixture of the three gunas and the inherent nature of a person will depend on the predominance of the three gunas in him. The Hindu Social Life The Hindu social life is caste based, which was originally devised for the division of labor. Hence the Hindu society has the Brahmins, the highest class who performs rituals and is supposed to be the most educated in terms of religion. Then comes the Kshatriyas who are the warrior and ruling class. Following them in importance comes the Vaishyas, who are the business class. Last comes the Shudras who serve the upper class. People who do not come in these four classes were previously classified as the untouchables who had to do menial jobs in the society and were looked down upon. Women were given important position in the family even though her importance in public affairs was greatly curtailed during the later years of Hindu history The Hindu way of life has many beliefs that were perhaps a means that offered social balance in the society. For example, the norm of sacrifice and the mandatory rules on feeding others helped to provide food for the needy. Similarly, the social practices were seen as the physical manifestations of the philosophical edicts that Hinduism preached. For example the practice of sacrifice to the fire is a physical manifestation of the philosophic ritual of giving up everything for the sake of understanding the truth. Similarly, the belief that the confluence of the three rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswathi is holy, is due to the Tantric belief that the meeting point of the three nerve centers in the body awakens the Kundalini, which is the seat of power in the human body. The desire for liberation from earthly existence Dharma is the duty that you have to fulfill in life through your placement. Karma states that you will reap what you sow. And the desire for liberation from earthly existence is achieved through the combination of the two aforementioned methods. Life & death has a cycle. The cycle is wrought with earthly pleasures & pain. Your intention is to be free from materialistic desires because they are temporary. Only the soul is eternal. So by meditating, fulfilling your duties, and by eventually ridding yourself of your karma; you are free to exist as soul and be one with the universe as opposed to continuing the cycle of birth & death. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Hindu drawn from Aug, 2007 Origin of Hinduism, About. com drawn from Aug 2007

Thursday, January 2, 2020

The Intergenerational Observation Scale - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 18 Words: 5254 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Sociology Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? Abstract Innovative intergenerational programs continue to grow in number and scope. The development of standardized evaluation instruments, however, lags behind, leaving many researchers and practitioners without tools to effectively assess their programs. Evaluation data often focus on outcomes without attention to the nature of the interactions between generations. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Intergenerational Observation Scale" essay for you Create order Understanding the process of intergenerational contact is central to understanding its outcomes. We developed the Intergenerational Observation Scale to assess the social interactions and affect of young and old participants during intergenerational activities. Our 3-step observer training process demonstrated good scale reliability. We present the process of developing the scale, achieving observer reliability, and next steps to continue exploring the scales utility across intergenerational populations and settings. KEY WORDS: evaluation, instrument development, intergenerational, programming Development of a standardized tool for intergenerational programming: The Intergenerational Observation Scale Providing opportunities for meaningful engagement to persons with dementia challenges family and professional caregivers alike. While some practitioners and researchers seek innovative means to support client well-being (e.g., Allen-Burge, Burgio, Bourgeois, Sims, Nunnikhoven, 2001; Orsulic-Jeras, Judge, Camp, 2000), many dementia care programs are characterized by extreme levels of inactivity (Ice, 2002), which may result from infantilization (Salari Rich, 2001) and can lead to agitation and depression and detract from well-being (Teri et al., 2003; Voelkl, 1986). Kitwood and Bredin (1992) emphasized caregivers responsibility for supporting the personhood of individuals with diminished capacity to do so for themselves. Personhood, or the dignity and respect owed to each individual, encompasses an individuals experiences, preferences and values. For many people, their social history involves significant time spent interacting with and c aring for children. Recently, care professionals have turned to intergenerational programming (IGP) as one therapeutic method to support personhood and well-being of persons with dementia (e.g., Camp et al., 1997; Jarrott Bruno, 2001). Though contact between young and old generations remains an integral part of most families (Eggebeen Davey, 1998), non-familial IGP remains a relatively new treatment milieu in elder care. IGP as a whole varies widely, depending on the populations involved, program objectives, and available resources. Interventions targeting children at risk for drug use (Taylor, LoSciuto, Fox, Hilbert, Sonkowsky, 1999), older adults needing employment (Larkin Newman, 2001), and foster care families needing community support (Eheart Hopping, 2001) have utilized intergenerational strategies to achieve program goals. Programs have employed IGP to promote positive affect and engagement of older adults (Xaverius Matthews, 2003), improved attitudes about aging among children (Middlecamp Gross, 2002), and greater sense of community among staff (Jarrott, Morris, Kemp, Stremmel, 2004). Despite the significant cognitive impairment of many elder care clients, practitioners have found elders experiences interacting with and caring for children so ingrained that they remain able to interact appropriately and positively with children until late in the progress of a dementing illness (Camp et al., 1997). The means of assessing IGP vary as much as the programs themselves. Researchers have utilized interviews (Jarrott Bruno, 2007), observational scales (Marx, Pannell, Papura-Gill, Cohen-Mansfield, 2004; Xaverius Matthews, 2003), attitudinal surveys (Jantz, Seefeldt, Galper, Serlock, 1977; Kocarnik Ponzetti, 1986), drawings (Lichtenstein, et al., 2001), and cognitive assessments (Newman, Karip, Faux, 1995) to evaluate the impact of IGP on one or more groups of participants. While the range of scales utilized is not inherently problema tic, the current state of intergenerational research tools requires significant improvement for several reasons. First, scales are often created for a single study without any report of psychometric properties (Kuehne, 2004). Consequently, researchers reinvent the wheel rather than use valid, reliable scales. Second, most scales assess the experiences of a single generation (e.g., Camp et al., 1997; Underwood Dorfman, 2006) although IGP should, by definition (Newman Smith, 1999), provide mutual benefit for young and old participants. Third, the developmental and disease characteristics of a large portion of IGP participants, pre-school age children and frail elders (e.g., Epstein Boisvert, 2006; Middlecamp Gross, 2002; Salari, 2002), limit the opportunity for valid self-report measures. Consequently, researchers often rely on proxy report and direct observation to tap participants experiences with IGP. A critical limitation of much IGP research lies in the black box that conceals the process of bringing young and old together. That is, assessments targeting the impact of IGP often neglect what actually transpired during the IGP. Useful process data will vary from project to project; it might detail the level of activity, the type of interpersonal interactions, the physical environment, facilitators behaviors, or the activitys age appropriateness. For example, Xaverius and Matthews (2003) assessed the impact of IGP involving fourth graders and senior center participants who met for six intergenerational activities. The authors described the theme and setting of activities where elderly participants engagement was coded. Data were not gathered regarding the nature of the activities or what happened when participants were engaged in the intergenerational activity (i.e., if they engaged with the activity materials, with an age peer, or with an intergenerational partner). In contrast, Taylor and colleagues (1999) reported on a senior mentoring pro gram targeting attitudes towards aging, drug use, and civic engagement of participating at-risk youth. The treatment group as a whole demonstrated improved attitudes towards school, civic engagement, aging, and resisting drug use compared to a control group. The authors also tapped into important process data by rating seniors intensity of involvement as a mentor. The researchers found a greater degree of attitudinal improvement among children whose senior mentors were more intensely involved with their student partners. Such studies exemplify the importance of capturing process as well as outcome data. The variety of populations and settings that avail themselves of IGP supports the study of multiple paths leading to positive outcomes. Most would agree that a one-size-fits-all model of IGP is impossible and inappropriate; however, identification of practices and processes that optimize outcomes improves the overall quality of IGP and enhances understanding of how IGP uniquel y meets individuals needs across the lifecourse. In turn, greater understanding of the processes by which positive IGP outcomes are achieved informs development of theory pertaining to intergenerational relationships. For example, while the contact theory (Allport, 1954) provides necessary conditions for achieving positive intergroup contact, Allport did not describe the processes by which these outcomes would be achieved (Pettigrew, 1998). The limitations of IGP and related research stem from the relative infancy of IGP research. Researchers have been studying IGP for only the last 30 years (e.g., Jantz, et al., 1977), yet they are trying to raise the field to match those of child and adult development. Practitioners are anxious to know how IGP affects the physical, cognitive, and mental health of participants, yet the more basic question about whether and how children and elders interact with each other during proscribed IGP remains largely unanswered. Before we can reliabl y draw conclusions about the effects of IGP on children and elderly participants, we must determine the nature of their time spent together. Kuehnes (2003) state of our art report on intergenerational research implored researchers to tap the experiences of young and old participants and to develop and disseminate standardized measures relevant to IGP. By addressing these points, researchers can better inform practitioners efforts and build a cohesive body of research. The scale described in the current paper addresses each of these recommendations. We sought to address the challenge of measuring the experiences of young and old IGP participants, focusing on frail elders and pre-school age children because they constitute a large portion of participants involved in IGP (Goyer Zuses, 1998). We conducted a three-phase study to develop an observational scale tapping the social behavior and affect of both young and old IGP participants. We turned to the child development literatu re, with its long history of observational research, for inspiration. Partens (1933) categories of childrens play behaviors appealed to us; they encompassed categories reflecting a continuum of social behaviors ranging from non-engagement to cooperative engagement. Rubin (2001) developed the Play Observation Scale, drawing on Partens work and childrens cognitive development research. The broad social behaviors of unoccupied, watching, solitary, parallel, and cooperative captured by the Play Observation Scale reflect behaviors of interest to practitioners working to support meaningful engagement among elders and children. For example, a code for unoccupied behavior is salient given the high rates of inactivity found at elder care programs (Ice, 2002) and the goal of utilizing intergenerational strategies to promote positive social engagement. Furthermore, our experiences with IGP (e.g., Gigliotti, Morris, Smock, Jarrott, Graham, 2005; Jarrott Bruno, 2003; Jarrott Bruno, 200 7; Jarrott, Gigliotti, Smock, 2006; Jarrott, Gladwell, Gigliotti, Papero 2004; Jarrott et al., 2004; Weintraub Killian, 2007) highlighted interaction as the central mechanism for achieving mutual benefit during IGP. Thus, a code for solitary behavior is relevant as it reflects engagement in a presented activity without social interaction. The first author used the original Play Observation Scale to observe elders during structured IGP (Gladwell Jarrott, 2003), determining that older adults engagement was greater during IGP than non-IGP. However, Gladwell and Jarrott found the scale cumbersome as they gathered salient data as well as information of little contemporary significance to IGP. Furthermore, they violated some of the scales specifications by utilizing the Play Observation Scale in a structured activity setting. We made several adaptations to Rubins Play Observation Scale for use with structured IGP (see Table 1 for descriptions of the scale categories).   First , Rubins social behavior categories included sub-categories indicative of cognitive development; however, given our emphasis on interactions irrespective of developmental abilities, we eliminated cognitive behaviors from our scale. Second, the Play Observation Scale was designed to be used during free play sessions where children self-initiate behaviors. However, intergenerational researchers have repeatedly emphasized the need for structure to optimize IGP (e.g., Camp et al., 1997; Jarrott, 2006; Xaverius Matthews, 2003), and so we developed the scale with planned IGP in mind. Finally, we expanded the IOS to distinguish between social behaviors with age peers and intergenerational partners (i.e., interactive peer versus interactive intergenerational). The first phase of the study involved qualitative observations of IGP conducted at a shared site intergenerational program serving frail elders and pre-school age children. The observations were then used to modify Rubins Play Observation Scale for use in a structured intergenerational setting. Phase two involved piloting the scale with two observers coding video of IGP and working with the second author to reach consensus and create a master coding scheme for the video sessions. In phase three, the scale was further modified and tested with a larger group of four observers coding video and live IGP. The current paper describes the three phases of the development and initial validation of the Intergenerational Observation Scale (IOS). While the IOS captures both behavior and affect of targeted child and elderly participants, the current paper focuses on social behaviors, which comprise the more complex sub-scale of the instrument. Method Participants Virginia Techs Neighbors Growing Together, is a shared site intergenerational program designed to improve the lives of people across the lifespan through intergenerational collaboration involving teaching, research, and outreach. Neighbors Growing Together includes two co-located programs: Adult Day Services and the Child Development Center for Learning and Research. Adult Day Services provides activities, care, and supervision daily to approximately 15 adults (50+ years old) with cognitive and/or physical impairments. The Child Development Center provides year-round, full-day care for 41 children ages 15 months to 5 years. Through daily programming designed to nurture development, enhance competencies, and facilitate positive social interactions between the generations, Neighbors Growing Together provides high quality services to children, older adults, and their families. Children from each of three classrooms have one to two weekly opportunities to join their elderly â€Å"neig hbors† for IGP, which typically involves three children and three older adults in a variety of activities, such as gardening, art, or sensory projects. Children and adults work together in a group facilitated by staff and students from the Child Development Center and Adult Day Services. Staff partners plan and implement activities that support an overarching goal of positive interactions. Activities further target developmental goals for both generations, such as fine motor skills or cooperation. Children and adults meet in a shared space adjoining the two programs. Child- and adult-sized chairs designed to put all participants at eye level and developmentally appropriate books and art materials are provided. Procedures Phase 1: Scale development In fall 2005, four research students gathered qualitative observations of IGP involving Adult Day Services participants and Child Development Center children. Observers attended different intergenerational sessions. Each week, observers had a distinct focus, starting with holistic observation to orient the observers to the setting and proceeding to target the environment, the participants, and the facilitators. Following their weekly observations, the observers and the first and second authors discussed the observational data, focusing on the interactions between participating children and elders and factors that influenced those interactions. After observing 3-5 intergenerational sessions apiece, observers read and reviewed the IOS scale and codebook developed by Gladwell and Jarrott (2003) and closely mirroring the Play Observation Scale developed by Rubin (2001). They discussed how well the categories applied to the intergenerational context they observed and how to modify the s cale to reflect the social behaviors critical to intergenerational interactions in planned activities. Through an iterative process, the first two authors used observers notes and conversations to modify the Play Observation Scale to capture data reflecting the interactive process of IGP. Based on the observations from Phase 1, we further developed and refined the IOS (see Table 1). The scale builds on earlier observational research (Rubin, 2001) by coding participants behavior and affect and the affect of intergenerational partners with whom a target participant interacts.   The IOS was developed for live coding. It captures observations for the duration of an intergenerational activity, which tends to last 15-30 minutes. Each observer identifies 4-5 participants for observation and watches them for 1-2 minutes to become familiar with the participants behaviors before beginning to record data. He or she codes a participant for one 15-second interval, then codes the next pa rticipant for 15 seconds, followed by the third participant, etc. After the last participant is coded, the observer cycles back to begin observing participant one again. All observers in a session start coding when the facilitators begin the activity and end when the activity completes. When coding, if a behavior occurs for the majority of the coding interval, it is coded as the predominant behavior. When multiple behaviors are observed for equal intervals during a 15-second coding episode, we use the following hierarchy to code the predominant behavior most indicative of intergenerational interactions: Interactive Intergenerational, Parallel Intergenerational, Interactive Peer, Parallel Peer, Staff, Watching, Solitary, and Unoccupied. Phase 2: Establishment of reliability Video coding of the observations was introduced during Phase 2 of scale development because learning the IOS through the use of video has several advantages. When first learning the scale, observers watched a 15-second interval repeatedly to better understand the IOS behavioral scoring. The video coding procedure allowed observers to review their coding with the second author, who is experienced in observational coding. Weekly meetings were held during which observers coding was reviewed and discussed until observers reached a consensus on what behaviors constituted the IOS categories. Weekly review helped observers achieve acceptable reliability in assigning predominant codes to participants social behaviors. The video procedure enabled us to refine the IOS manual. The video coding process began with two observers who both had experience with live coding during IGP. After studying the manual, observers filmed three weekly sessions of planned IGP between the elders and each of the three classrooms of children (one session per classroom per week). The procedure for using video to establish acceptable reliability was completed in three steps. First, observers independently coded sessions in 15-second intervals and re-watched these as many times as necessary to determine the predominant social behavior. In the second step, observers more closely approximated live coding by watching the 15-second intervals on video only once to code the predominant social behavior.   In the third step, observers coded live sessions (scoring participant behaviors individually but observing the same participants at the same intervals) and filmed the activities, which allowed observers to review their coding at the weekly meetings and resolve discrepancies. Based on the consensus between the two coders and the expert coder, master coding sheets were developed indicating agreement on the predominant behavior for each 15-second interval of the coded sessions. Before ob servers could proceed to the next step in the training process, they had to achieve acceptable inter-rater reliability measured by Cohens kappa. A kappa score of .60 or higher was considered acceptable (Cohen, 1960). The kappa scores for the two observers in Phase 2 were .67 for the first step, .85 for the second step, and .81 for the live coding in the third step. Replication of reliability In Phase 3, we used the IOS video coding procedure to train four new observers. In addition to establishing that the video coding procedure would work with observers new to the IOS, we wanted to determine the amount of training necessary to achieve acceptable reliability with our 3-step process. The observers started with an introductory period where they read the manual and watched live IGP to observe the range of behaviors common to IGP. Observers attended weekly meetings where they watched IGP videos and received instruction on using the IOS. The introductory period lasted approximately 3 weeks or until observers felt comfortable with the coding, which was an additional 2 weeks for one of the observers. After the introductory period, the observers started on step 1 in the video coding procedure. Each step lasted approximately 4 weeks. At the weekly coding meetings, observers reviewed any discrepancies between their coding and the master codes determined in Phase 2. Once t he observers achieved acceptable reliability in step 1, they moved on to step 2. Coding pairs were formed, and they coded live IGP during step 3, achieving acceptable kappas of .92, .69, and .75. Discussion In the current paper, we discuss the development of the IOS, a scale designed to measure young and old participants social interaction and affect during IGP.   In developing the IOS, we began with qualitative observations of IGP to refine a well-established child development observational scale (Rubin, 2001). We modified the scale for observations of elder and child participants in a typical range of intergenerational programs.   Based on two groups of observers, we present a system for training individuals to use the scale and establish inter-rater reliability.   Currently, the use of standardized measure within the field of IGP research is extremely limited, and our goal is to develop a scale to address this need. The IOS addresses several of Kuehnes (2003) recommendations for advancing   intergenerational research and evaluation.   First, the IOS is grounded in theory that shaped our view of positive IGP outcomes. Personhood theory (Kitwood Bredin, 1992) leads us to intergenerational relationships as a once common source of positive social interaction for many elders that can continue to support their well-being in late life. Contact theory (Allport, 1954; Pettigrew Tropp, 2000) elucidates necessary conditions for positive intergroup exchange, such as that between youth and elders. The conditions of cooperation and shared goals inform our expectation that the central mechanism of effective IGP is positive intergenerational interactions. The IOS captures the level of interactive behaviors between generations, thus reflecting the presence or absence of cooperation and shared goals of participants. Second, we draw from standardized measures of social interaction, namely the work of Parten (1933) and Rubin (2001).   Working from their concepts, we qualitatively looked at the behaviors seen during IGP.   We then refined the social behaviors described within Rubins scale to fit an intergenerational population and to capture levels o f social engagement or interaction during IGP.   Third, we steer away from the over-reliance on attitudinal measures, moving instead to behavioral and affective outcomes of IGP. Fourth, by taking steps to develop a standardized scale, we contribute to the research tools available to IGP researchers, which increases the capacity to compare outcomes across studies, thus advancing the collective understanding of IGP. Our results establish the IOS as a replicable measure of social interactions during IGP.   The three-step process we used to achieve acceptable inter-rater reliability proved effective with two groups of observers. The process allows observers to develop a thorough understanding of the social behaviors in the IOS. Observers coding is checked against the master coding scheme to insure observers accuracy coding observed behaviors.   The master coding scheme allows for faster, more accurate training on the use of the IOS. Now that we have developed a successful p rocess for training observers to use the IOS and achieve acceptable inter-rater, observers could be trained relatively quickly, most likely within four to eight weeks. A reliable, quick training method will allow data collection to begin at an earlier date and will allow more researchers to use the scale with confidence. An important strength of the IOS is its utility with both generations of IGP participants. Most research on individual outcomes of IGP participation focuses on one generation or the other (e.g., Middlecamp Gross 2002), neglecting the experiences of the other generation. When researchers do evaluate both age groups, they typically use non-parallel measures because parallel scales for disparate age groups rarely exist.   Not only will the IOS allow for standardized data collection across sites; it enables standardized data collection across generations. We expect the IOS to yield valuable process and outcome data for practitioners and researchers. Con sidering first the IOS as a source of outcome data, a program introducing or modifying an IGP could, for example, use IOS data to determine the affect and social behavior of participants during IGP with a goal of achieving high levels of positive affect, increasing intergenerational interaction, and reducing inactivity. In regards to process data, the IOS can be used in conjunction with salient outcome measures (e.g., depression or attitudes towards aging) to help interpret the effects of IGP (another recommendation by Kuehne, 2003). In asserting that IGP positively affects (or does not affect) targeted outcomes, researchers analyses would be strengthened by including data on the level of intergenerational interaction and affect that transpired among participants. For example, Seefeldt (1987) reported that children who participated in regular intergenerational visits to a nursing home had worse attitudes about aging than children who did not.   These findings would have been more easily interpreted if they incorporated process data such as the affect and level of interaction between children and elders.   Because these data were not included in the analyses, readers are left to speculate whether all IGP involving nursing home residents would negatively affect childrens attitudes or if the nature of the IGP in that study contributed to the negative outcomes. Seefeldt described IGP that yielded little support for intergenerational interaction (i.e., children performing in the center of the room, surrounded by the elders). She also indicated that elders were largely non-responsive to the children, suggesting that the negative outcomes may have been due to the nature of the IGP. While IGP professionals advocate standards of IGP practice (Epstein Boisvert, 2006; Rosebrook Larkin, 2003), significant variability on dimensions of IGP likely affects targeted outcomes and should be assessed. By capturing data that reflect the process of connecting generations, the IOS promotes understanding of why IGP succeeds or fails. As outlined above, the IOS provides many benefits for IGP research and evaluation. Our next step in establishing the scales value and utility to the intergenerational field entails establishing the reliability for coding occurrence of behaviors and predominance and occurrence of affect. Second, we plan to use a variety of means to establish validity, including video training to address substantive validity, expert panels to assess content validity, and statistical modeling of IOS data and related measures to determine convergent or divergent validity. Third, the scale was developed within the Neighbors Growing Together shared site intergenerational program, which involves structured programming between preschoolers and frail older adults. Generalizability is a critical indicator of validity and depends on the scales utility across intergenerational sites, populations, and programmatic approaches. Fourth, the behavior c ategory codes are developmentally salient for pre-school age children and frail elders; we need to determine if the categories will be equally informative when applied to older children and well elders. Finally, the scale should be tested across cultures to support Kuehnes (2003) recommendation to take a more global view of IGP innovation. Initial indicators reveal that the IOS could become a useful tool to researchers and practitioners alike. As they seek to develop, improve, and sustain IGP while linking programming data to instrumental outcomes of interest to practitioners and funders, the availability of a standardized scale appropriate for use with young and old will prove invaluable. At a time characterized by tremendous creative energy and innovation in the intergenerational field, the IOS can capture the essence of IGP as practitioners support meaningful outcomes through intergenerational relationships. References Allen-Burge, R., Burgio, L. D., Bourgeois, M. S., Sims, R., Nunnikhoven, J. (2001). Increasing communication among nursing home residents.   Journal of Clinical Geropsychology, 7, 213-230. Allport, G. W. (1954). The nature of prejudice. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Camp, C. J., Judge, K. S., Bye, C. A., Fox, K. M., Bowden, J., Bell, M., et al.. (1997). An intergenerational program for persons with dementia using Montessori methods. The Gerontologist, 37, 688-692. Cohen, J. (1960). 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Salari, S., Rich, M.   (2001).   Social and environmental infantilization of aged persons: Observations in two adult day care centers.   International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 52, 115-134. Seefeldt, C. (1987). The effects of preschoolers visits to a nursing home. The Gerontologist, 27, 228-232. Taylor, A. S., LoSciuto, L., Fox, M., Hilbert, S. M., Sonkowsky, M. (1999). The mentoring factor: Evaluation of the Across Ages intergenerational approach to drug abuse prevention. Child Youth Services, 20, 77-99. Teri, L., Gibbons, L. E., McCurry, S. M., Logsdon, R. G., Buchner, D. M., Barlow, W. E., et al., (2003). Exercise plus behavioral management in patients with Alzheimers disease: A randomized controlled trial. JAMA, 290, 2015-2022. Underwood, H. L., Dorfman, L. T. (2006). A view from the other side: Elders reactions to intergenerational Service-Learning. Journal of Intergenerational Learning, 4(2), 43-60. Voelkl, J. E. (1986). Effects of institutionalization upon residents of extended care facilities. Activities, Adaptation, and Aging, 8, 37-46. Weintraub, A.P.C., Killian, T. S.,(2007). Intergenerational programming: Older persons perceptions of its impact. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 26, 370-384 Xaverius, P. K., Matthews, R. M. (2003). Evaluating the impact of intergenerational activities on elders engagement and expressiveness levels in two settings. Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 1(4), 53-70. Table 1 Description of categories in the Intergenerational Observation Scale (IOS) Behavior Description Interactive Intergenerational To interact with a member of the other generation of participants, usually with a common goal or purpose. Parallel Intergenerational To engage in a similar activity beside (but not with) IG others, while acknowledging intergenerational partner(s). Interactive Peer To interact with a participant from the targets program, usually with a common goal or purpose. Parallel Peer To engage in a similar activity beside (but not with) program peers, while acknowledging peers. Staff Interactive or parallel behavior with a staff member from either program w/o peer or intergenerational behavior. Watching To watch (or listen to) the activities of others. Solitary To engage in an activity alone without acknowledgment of or interaction with others. Unoccupied Lack of goal or focus, includes repetitive, self-stimulating behavior.