Essay on The Importance of Technology Education in Schools

The Importance of Technology Education in Schools The education world has been greatly influenced by rapidly changing technology and the increasing availability of information. Schools have advanced by leaps and bounds when it comes to incorporating technology into the learning environment, however, many more advances need to be made. In all areas of the country, educators are trying to help students keep up with technology, but there are more changes that are essential for preparing the next generation for the future. By increasing computer usage by students, installing classroom Internet access and providing instructional classes dedicated to software and hardware education, schools have tried to provide an up-to-date†¦show more content†¦Being proficient in using technology will be a prerequisite for almost any employment for younger students. It is the school’s job to prepare many of these kids for employment, and that is especially true for the lower socioeconomic areas where students with computers at home are rare. Eisenberg and Johnson describe this basic skills education as the â€Å"laundry list† approach to computer education. By ‘list† they mean isolated skills, such as word processing, or searching the Internet. â€Å"Students need to be able to use computers and other technology flexibly, creatively and purposefully. All learners should be able to recognize what they need to accomplish, determine whether a computer will help them to do so, and then be able to use the computer as part of the process of accomplishing their task.†1 Educators must also help students to become technologically flexible. One of the largest problem that I see almost everyday is a computer user’s unwillingness to try new or upgraded software. Many people get use to using certain programs and getting them to try new versions or different manufacturers’ products is nearly impossible. Students these days must be able to shorten the learning curve on new software, and be comfortable in exploring unfamiliar programs. The same could also be said for exploring computer hardware. In the town of Claremont, New Hampshire, students are given the opportunity to explore the guts of aShow MoreRelatedAs Some Schools Plunge Into Technology, Poor Schools Are1257 Words   |  6 PagesAs some schools plunge into technology, poor schools are left behind. (2012, January 24). Retrieved March 10, 2017. In this article, the authors indicate that students in high-poverty schools lack education because of the absence of technology in the schools. They explained that students who do not have the experience with technology fall behind academically compared to wealthier students. They discussed the importance of technology for the students’ learning and they believe that without technologyRead MoreTechnology In The Classroom1000 Words   |  4 Pages The school district that I currently teach in is a small rural school district in eastern Colorado. Students are performing below state standard expectations on standardized test scores. Many teachers in the district do not use technology in their classrooms. Many teachers are older teachers who have been in the district for several years and teach the same way they did when they first started teaching. I am part of the district’s technology committee. It is a widely held belief thatRead MoreThe Importance of Tec hnology1118 Words   |  5 PagesAccording to Vikram (7), technology refers the application of scientific knowledge and skills for practical purposes in diverse fields such as industries, education, and agriculture among other fields. Technology is therefore an organized knowledge for practical purposes in human day to day life. The fundamental purpose of every human life is to increase standards of living, improve the quality of his life and to always have a greater satisfaction in life (Vikram 8). These fundamental purposes canRead More Technology Needs in the Special Education Secondary Classroom1370 Words   |  6 Pages In secondary school settings the use of technology within the special education classroom is lacking. Special education class rooms and resource settings utilize only the basic, out of date technology that has been in use for many years. Typically the only available technology made available to special education or resource settings are the overhead projector, television, and tape recorder. According to the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (2009), seventy-five percent of students withRead MoreThe Impact Of Computer Science Education On The Curriculum1017 Words   |  5 PagesAtchison, Williams F.. â€Å"The impact of computer science education on the curriculum†. T he Mathematics Teacher 66.1 (1973): 7–83. Computer science promotes a meaningful life. Computer science means the principles and use of computer. It not only limits there because computer science defines mathematics everyday life. The author argues the effect of computer science at all over our curriculum in high school. This is important because computer science compels students to create problem to solving thusRead MoreComputer Science Is A Meaningful Life999 Words   |  4 Pageshigh school. This is important because computer science compels students to create problem to solving thus engage them more into work, especially mathematics. Computer science motivates work in mathematics as it relates to each other. It is a program moved down from Graduate to bachelors because it creates a better understanding of applications and critical thinking. As the world of technology grows, the importance of computer science also expands. A lot of students drop out of high school becauseRead More Technology in the Mathematics Classroom Essay1115 Words   |  5 Pages Technology in the Mathematics Classroom In today’s society, technology is advancing at such a rate that on can hardly stay ahead. Technology surrounds every person in civilization. To not use the technology that is readily available would be absurd. The same idea applies to technology in the classroom. Calculators, in particular, are becoming more readily available in the classroom, but technology should not stop there. Many inspiring computers programs, such as Geometer’s Sketchpad, Read MoreMath 106 And Its Effect On Students1268 Words   |  6 Pagescomprehend and solve the problem. Math 106 teaches future educators the importance of positive teacher feedback, peer input and modeling, and providing various methods to teach or practice the same material. All students are different: race, socioeconomic status, religion, ethnicity, culture, beliefs etc. Therefore, it is essential for teachers to show no bias and provide every student an equal opportunity to succeed. In Education 204, stereotypes in the classroom where addressed heavenly. We learnedRead MoreThe Impact Of Technology On The Classroom1332 Words   |  6 Pageswork, and school. The largest factor of change seems to be the rate at which technology is being developed and is becoming a part of our everyday life. One of the largest arguments with the advancing technology is whether or not it’s good for teaching and learning purposes in the classroom. From email to online classes, computers are defiantly manipulating our lives, and can enhance learning in the classroom in various ways. The growing popularity of technology emphasizes the importance for studentsRead More The Positive Impact of Technology on Education Essay689 Words   |  3 PagesThe Positive Impact of T echnology on Education Today, technology is found everywhere in education.There are computers in many of the classrooms and schools contain computer labs, or at least numerous computers in the library available to students. In my paper, I want to discuss some of the positive and negative effects that technology has on education. Throughout my schooling, I’ve seen technology go through different stages of importance in education.When I was in elementary, I remember

Vikings Art and Culture Free Essays

The Vikings Art and Culture At first thought of the Vikings, the comic strip â€Å"Hagar the Horrible† comes to mind. As this is probably not a good basis for reference, it still can give slight glimpse, if not a distorted one, of the Viking culture. As for Viking art, a more in depth search must be done, for â€Å"Hagar† was unfortunately not actually made by the Vikings. We will write a custom essay sample on Vikings Art and Culture or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Viking culture was a primitive one of agriculture, hunting, and fishing. Families lived on farms together and were a tight knit labor force. During sowing time, the men would all work together from before dawn until after dark to tend to the field, and the women would work on providing the daily necessities, such as food, clothes, and cleaning. The wife would also occasionally help in the fields, and the children would start helping out from a very young age doing their respective duties. There were less than five months of growing season in their northern climate, so the Viking husband of the farm would plant the crops and then look toward the sea. He would head out with his neighbors for a pleasant summer of pillaging in the south. Then, he would return in the fall in time for the harvest. His wife would control all affairs of the household until he returned. If he should not return due to an unfortunate accident, his wife would inherit the land, business, and any other wealth. The eldest son of the family would take over the family farm, and the younger sons would go out to find their own careers as they became of age, possibly Vikings. Family was very important to the Viking people; it was a powerful unit of protection. Much like today, families provided support and assistance, and it was to their family that a person owed their obligation. A close family bond is evident as husbands, wives, and children would erect runes in honor of each other; husbands to their wives, wives to their husbands, and children to their parents. Runes were decorated monuments with inscriptions and verses for their deceased family, much as a tombstone would be now, and were often placed in public places so that they would be seen. They also normally lived as a nucleic family, much like today, with the mother, father, and the children in the household. It was fairly uncommon to have extended family such as grandparents to live with them; most likely, because it was rare to live past the age of forty and most people did not enter the role of grandparent. As much as the Vikings were known as looters and pillagers, they were also formidable merchants. Many of their journeys were commercial and put them in contact with the farthest reaches of the world. Trade became a very important part of their culture. While there are many stereotypes of the Viking people, such as dirty, smelly, illiterate, drunkard savages most are probably misconceptions. While they probably were dirty and smelly after sailing across the sea and maybe did not bathe that often because of the cold weather, one can assume that it was for a purpose rather than just being ignorant. The notion that they were illiterate is wrong; they simply had their own writing system with an alphabet called runic. The letters were mostly made up of vertical and diagonal lines, which made them suitable for carving into wood. As far as the drunkard part, that is most likely the truest stereotype of them all. It is believed that the Vikings were very heavy drinkers. They would drink ale and mead, which is also called honey wine and made from fermented honey. Wine was something that was part of their trade voyages, as grapes did not grow in the cold Scandinavian climate. It is true that the Vikings pillaged many towns and killed many innocent people who came in their path, and while it was terrible, this description is coming from the people who were attacked and showing them in their worst light. In reality, a Viking was only a Viking while at sea, once he returned home there was no more pillaging. It was back to the farm, the family, and normal everyday life. So, were they savages? Yes, to certain people they were, but to others, no. The art of the Vikings was not really art in the sense of the word. There was no art for art sake; it was mostly applied art. Their skills were used to decorate items of daily use. Weapons and ships were intricately decorated, as were drinking vessels, runes, and jewelry. This proved their affinity for showing off their wealth and rank with whatever their possessions were. Most of the art that has survived is made of metal even though most commonly leather, wood, and bone were used. Their art was not naturalistic, but instead abstract. A common theme art was distorted and disfigured animals. Animals were a dominant subject, as they seemed to have an endless devotion to them as a source of inspiration. The gripping beast is one motif that started in the Broa Style; it is a strong, muscular animal that is shown full face with its paws gripping either itself or another nimal. The gripping beast is shown on the Oseberg ship along with two other animal motifs, S-shaped animals with ribbon-like bodies, and semi-naturalistic animals and birds. Being confronted with these images, one could not but be in awe of the energy of the decoration. Many different styles of Viking art have been identified, but no new style can be said to mark the beginning of the Vikin g age in Scandinavia, they grew out of the art styles of earlier centuries, the first being the Broa style, followed by the Borre, then the Jellinge, Mammen, Ringerike, and finally the Urnes. The styles all vary slightly, but still keep with the distorted animal theme. The art of the Viking age influenced many different cultures because of their worldly travels, and they have influenced our culture in a way that we may never comprehend. They have intertwined themselves into the fabric of so many different cultures, that many of us could be part Viking. How to cite Vikings Art and Culture, Papers

Personality Type and Leadership Approach

Question: Describe about the Personality Type and Leadership Approach and Journal of Leadership Education ? Answer: Interpersonal skills are the ability to have deep understanding and knowledge on your feelings and the ability to show self- understanding and awareness. Enhancing of social skills occurs once you understand yourself and the person you interact with (Olaniyi, 2012). Their main concern is maintenance, initiating and building of relationships with other people who are different from you. This difference among other thing may include age, social class, ethnic group or race and gender. Enhanced managerial performance is by maintenance of interpersonal skills with employees. They are able to relate with those in management enhancing communication that increases productivity of the company since it promotes good team working spirit, mutual understanding of each others expectations and respecting other views, thus using your diversity as strength rather than a thing that sets you apart (Adams, 2009). They are measurable and give predictions of positive occupational outcomes. It also relates to competence and performance that lead to success in the end. They consist of four areas. In the first instance, you put yourself in the other persons shoes to understand how that person feels when faced with a situation. This enables you to be able to know how to communicate with him without raising his emotions or eyebrows which in many instances may lead to conflicting views between you. This includes seeing a situation just as the other person would and their expectations (Lievens, 2013). The first person takes up the other persons role putting their views and opinion into consideration. In the second category, a person gets it right when they anticipate the others expectations and are able to interpret them correcting and acting in a way that meets that persons expectations in a satisfactory manner. A skill focuses on the accuracy of understanding another persons perceptions to enable you meet the expectations of eth person. There is a relationship between social experience a nd the cognitive ability. The third category includes incorporation of information on others expectations into their behavior which require the recipient person to first interpret it correctly and align his behavior and actions to that of the other party. Finally, one needs to have self-control to be able to handle his emotion to and maintain focus in the others expectations to avoid simply reacting to another persons viewpoint disproportionately without understanding what that person is trying to say in the first place. Listening skills are the way that we interpret verbal and non-verbal cues from others since after all without proper listening skills you would not be able to hear what the person is saying nor fully comprehend what he means which is the basis for providing an appropriate response to the demands of that person in a way that would be satisfactory to both parties (B.A et al., 2015). They should show attentiveness using non-verbal cues including nodding of the head so show to the other party that you are engaged in the conversation to avoid that party feeling that you are not interested in the discussion which is likely going to upset him or for him to think that you are being disrespectful. Non-verbal communication skil ls include the body language that is in use during communication. The decision making skills involve exploration and analyzing the options when faced with a situation that needs acknowledgement. It is essential for managers to have these skills for ease in management. With negotiation and problem solving skills, managers work in unison with others to find an agreeable outcome (HRM: Launchpad to top management?, 2003). It is also easy for them to analyze, identify and solve problems that come up in their workplaces. As a manager, once you understand yourself better it gets easier to understand other people. Managers think through issues thoroughly to avoid mistakes and self-awareness and interpersonal skills help in this. Those with these skills have intuitive ability. They also leave open options for inclusion in making changes especially when in involves colleagues or subordinates whom these changes may affect. They make consideration of other peoples opinions in decision making at the workplace enhancing satisfaction for all the parties involved but also help boost the quality of decisions which when being implemented all those who participated in making it will feel that they share part of the ownership of it (Sels et al., 2006). Personal Reflection: A reflection on my training skills after the exercise also helped me in mapping the level of my interpersonal skills as well considering that I have always been quite in y corner during lessons. In the workshop, I advocated and introduced the transformation of relations between staff into natural ones that are more inclined to the informal side. Smooth relations make people more willing to express their opinions and thus giving management feedback. Such information helps the leadership in improving the working environment and developing business strategies that augur well with the staff hence the importance of good communication skills for management. The result is a dedicated team willing to achieve better organizational performance in terms of outputs and returns (Conroy, 2009). Nonetheless, I realized that my interpersonal skills need improvement and harnessing if I am to maximize this leadership potential. Leadership theories are useful in influencing practice by suggesting new w ays of perceiving and managing events better. The Trait Theory applies because belief is that the natural leadership qualities are god-given to certain individuals who exhibit those skills involuntarily in all spheres of their daily lives. In the interview practice, I learnt that to be a desirable manager, I must portray desirable traits and character so that the signal or image I portray leaves a lasting positive impression of the firm that I represent because such an image gives the interviewee a picture of what culture the company nurtures (Holmberg and Tyrstrup, 2010). Upon reflection, I realized that just like institutions/firms, individuals also have strengths and weaknesses. For organization, there is always a social perspective, and interactions are inevitable in everyday businesses. Thus, the observation is that an effective leadership takes into account the dynamics of relations so that employer-employee negotiations dont end at interviews, but go on during the work to ensure fluidity and better understanding among colleagues to yield better performance. Leadership and negotiation is not just about commanding, controlling, directing and managing employees as a pure management world. There is the aspect of relationships between colleague and from personal reflections; this only proves that the social nature of people is vital in any setting (De Luca and Nawab, 2011). From the reflection it is clear that leadership approaches prove to be effective model as it focuses upon the attributes of leaders with work methods. Any leadership style refers to the combination of features as well as skills to be used in interacting with people. However, theories attempt in identifying as well as arranging the general approaches to be used by leaders in achieving goals. These approaches are based upon the assumptions of a leader regarding motivating people to attain goals. The theories attempt to identify several methods that leaders may use in impacting upon goal achievement. These are theory-based with leaders abilities in determining the motivation factors for members and approaches that meet objectives. On the delivery of training, the workshop was quite busy as it involved a lot on contemporary development and measurement of sustainable integrated strategies (de Vries, 2008). During the workshop, I delivered training on communication skills because I find it to be an integral item in interview, negotiation and even training itself. After the workshop, one of the trainees thanked me on the basis that such a workshop on communication skills helps identify some blurred areas that he did not previously consider important but now realizes that communication skills are not only important at school/work but its the life-line of valuable relationships (Holsbrink-Engels, 2000). The sessions highlighted on availability of the external environmental aspects which influence upon the development of management skills, the distinction amidst the approaches like coaching as well as mentoring that effectively develops management competencies, thereby understanding systematic approaches of recruitment, selection and retaining of staffs, including several other functionalities of organizational management (Germain, 2012). I had received significant learning related to the need for practicing high-performing cultures within workplace, some effective ways of achieving performance among teams with elimination of barriers within employee engagement, and even emphasized upon key approaches in enhancing individual performance and commitment from organizational employees in the organization. The session imparted experience of practicing essential managerial characteristics to conduct professional practices. The session enabled me to think independently, innovatively and cre atively with engagement into the innovative areas of investigation. As referred to the concept of leadership, different leaders are said to play different leadership responsibilities, depending upon the situational circumstances. A business leader uses key leadership skills of gaining trust, respect and commitment of team members. An effective leader provides enhanced encouragement to his members in achieving desired organizational objectives. Such cases may be reflected in case of situational leadership style that benefits business firms (Holsbrink-Engels, 2000). Different leadership styles have been emerging, each based on specific beliefs, attitudes, values, preferences of members. Mentioning some of the most effective leaders of business environment, Bill Clinton, Winston Churchill, Adolf Hitler and Mother Teresa are worth mentioning. All these renowned personalities possessed charismatic leadership. It is one the latest styles in leadership whereby the leader uses his charm to inspire his followers. These leaders show increasing concern for people and address to needs of all people (Beenen, Pichler and Rubin, 2014). The charismatic leaders create quite comfortable as well as friendly environment for all followers by paying great attention to their ideas and making them feel empowered in playing a significant role in decision-making. This charismatic leadership style may appear similar to transformational leadership style, where the leader imparts greater doses of encouragement to his members and acts very energetically to drive others in the forward direction. However, these leaders often tend to rely on themselves than in others and their members (Gnambs and Batinic, 2012). This phenomenon may create a risk that a project or even the whole firm may collapse once the leader quits. Here, the team members perceive success in the eyes of their members and also tie success with the presence of their leaders. Thus, charismatic leadership carries greater responsibilities and also requires strengthened commitment from the leaders. Another mentionable leadership style is that of situational leadership. Here, three factors are said to influence the decisions and these are the capability of followers, the situation and the capability of a leader (Sengupta and Sengupta, 2011). A leader is said to accommodate to whatever limitations laid out to him by his members and even the situation. Adaptability to any situation is the buzzword here. These leaders behave dynamically to situations they are faced with. An instance of an individual who possessed this kind of leadership is Dwight Eisenhower (Ghamrawi, 2013). Leaders who follow situational leadership are said to practice approaches that would provide solution to the given situations only. These leaders are more concerned about solving issues at the present situations only and adopt approaches that would support the ongoing situations. This is a more preferred leadership style since the best solutions and resolution can be expected out of this. This kind of leaders u nderstands the situational needs better with more effective solutions (Tsai and Yen, 2013). Another key leadership style is that of transformational leadership. These leaders are said to lead their team members by motivating the members (Groves, 2006). The leaders appeal to all their followers morale as well as ideals to encourage them to accomplish their jobs. Generally, these leaders are said to empower the members by using own beliefs as well as personal strengths. Transformational leaders are best suited to any organization as they inspire their team members in some or the other ways (Carson et al., 2010). Some personalities who have been considered to be transformational leaders are Walt Disney and Martin Luther King Jn. An individual possessing transformational leadership attribute considered an effective leader who promotes employees with shared leadership vision of future. They are increasingly visible with effectively communicating with team members. They hardly leads from the forefront rather delegate key responsibilities to team members. Thus, this transformation al leadership style refers to the dominant leadership style for leading a group of members. While the approach is highly effective in the business, no best way of managing all situations exists (Beenen, Pichler and Rubin, 2014). For selecting the most appropriate leadership approach in an organization, a leader needs to consider all available skills and experience of organizational members, along with the organizational environment to practice preferred natural style. A capable leader is one who switches between suitable leadership styles depending on the kind of jobs to be dealt with. This is basically referred to as situational leadership which is the best leadership practice. For instance, a manager of a factory provides training to machine operatives using bureaucratic style to ensure they know the process to attain appropriate quality standards of product including workplace security (Turcksin, Bernardini and Macharis, 2011). The same manager may adopt participative leadership style. Thus within any leadership style, it is important for leaders to understand the needs of team members with organizational situation to lead the group towards success. The leader needs to promote members for accomplishing ta sks or objectives. Personal Reflection: With reference to the learning sessions related to working as team and leading organizational members, it has been my personal view that the session proved to be highly effective to attain its key objective of persuading us to make us understand keenly regarding the importance of management skills particularly people management skills. This is greatly needed by all managers so as to deal with members effectively and develop potential teams that are supportive as well as coordinated efficiently (Weldon and Chow, 2005). This learning session on leadership was greatly beneficial as provided me with the knowledge of what management is all about. Previously management was considered to be just a field to ensure arrangement of organizational resources towards leading the final productivity and profit. Now that I know that management is much more than that. It is about the most essential organizational workforce as well as emphasis on making people capable of performing effectively with com bined manner for developing strengths. This causes the concept of management to be quite critical. I gained from the session some information to support entire life in building essential managerial skills to help me growing up to a person. Being a peoples manager and developing supportive teams within organization to lead within the competitive environment is what I have gained from the session. The session reflected that a manager is largely responsible for leading his team members. Teams are said to play significant role within organizational deliverance. I found the session to be extremely useful as well as resourceful since the session imparted with useful has learning. It highlighted the differences amidst team members as well as groups with the approaches for effective team development. I have received increased knowledge regarding managing diverse teams within the organization. It also explained me the factors which specifically inhibit the designing, establishment and delivery of management skills (Weldon and Chow, 2005). I have well understood the legal or ethical rationale needed for a systematic approach in adopting employee management approaches. I have learnt that teams comprise of individuals having similar interests as well as complementary skills. Teams need to work collaboratively to achieve goals. It has been emphasized that tasks cannot be accomplished wit hout support from team members. It is even reflective that teams must respond to organizational challenges set by management, where management is said to set the goals. I have gathered increased control on achieving the objectives (Bubas, 2001). The session provided me the knowledge to consider teams to be important performance units possessed by organizations for accomplishing objectives. This is useful for my personal learning since it enables me to act appropriately within organizational context. The knowledge ensures that I develop required attributes of an effective team player before practicing in professional front. It is important to identify team roles so as to enhance self-awareness and personal effectiveness. It would enable fostering mutual trust or understanding among members. It would enable me to improve my strategies of selecting potential teams as well as building concrete teams. The session that focused on leadership theories enabled me to have proper understanding about the most essential requisites of an effective leader. The session enabled me to think independently, innovatively and creatively with engagement into the innovative areas of investigation. This learning session on leadership was greatly beneficial as provided me with the knowledge of what management is all about. Previously management was considered to be just a field to ensure arrangement of organizational resources towards leading the final productivity and profit (Weldon and Chow, 2005). The sessions highlighted on the existence of the external environmental aspects which influence upon the development of management skills, the distinction amidst the approaches like coaching as well as mentoring that effectively develops management competencies, thereby understanding systematic approaches of recruitment, selection and retaining of staffs, including several other functionalities of organizational management. Personal Development in Leadership: Strengths One of the mentionable strengths that I possess as a leader is self-confidence. This is created by mastering skills as well as situations. Confidence may be improved by being well aware of the things that I have already achieved. Another personal strength is possessing positive outlook as well as attitude. This is related to potential leadership. Positivity is essential to maintain a sense of balance in life and manage problem situations capably. The positive individuals are ones who approach all situations quite realistically and make required changes to mitigate any issue. As a leader I possess the strength of emotional intelligence. This enables an individual to act as per the situation and also practice empathic listening (Facilitating knowledge management strategies through IT and HRM, 2010). Weaknesses With personal reflection it has been clear to me that I need to make more efforts in encouraging employees and members to participate in important decision-making processes. This would not only provide me with better exposure to leadership qualities but also allow me to work diligently to achieve organizational objectives. Again I need to pursue strong and cordial relationship with my team members. This would make many tough situations easy to handle. References Holsbrink-Engels, G. (2000). Designing role-plays for interpersonal skills training.Performance Improvement, 39(9), pp.32-39. HRM: Launchpad to top management?. (2003).Business Horizons, 46(5), pp.1-2. Italy's ageing workforce: Improving HRM practices can prevent skills shortages. (2012).Development and Learning in Organizations, 26(3), pp.22-24. Johnson, C. (2009). Introducing Followership into the Leadership Classroom.Journal of Leadership Education, 8(2), pp.20-31. Lievens, F. (2013). Adjusting medical school admission: assessing interpersonal skills using situational judgement tests.Medical Education, 47(2), pp.182-189. Olaniyi, I. (2012). Gender Differences in Entrepreneurial Skills Acquisition: An Analysis of Informal Institutional Factors.IOSR Journal of Business and Management, 2(6), pp.24-26. Sels, L., De Winne, S., Delmotte, J., Maes, J., Faems, D. and Forrier, A. (2006). Linking HRM and Small Business Performance: An Examination of the Impact of HRM Intensity on the Productivity and Financial Performance of Small Businesses.Small Bus Econ, 26(1), pp.83-101. Sengupta, D. and Sengupta, D. (2011). Organizational Innovation: Imperative for Business Sustainability.IJAR, 3(12), pp.307-309. Shapira-Lishchinsky, O. (2014). Simulation-based constructivist approach for education leaders.Educational Management Administration Leadership. Tsai, P. and Yen, Y. (2013). Development of institutional downsizing theory: evidence from the MNC downsizing strategy and HRM practices in Taiwan.Total Quality Management Business Excellence, 26(3-4), pp.248-262. Turcksin, L., Bernardini, A. and Macharis, C. (2011). A combined AHP-PROMETHEE approach for selecting the most appropriate policy scenario to stimulate a clean vehicle fleet.Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 20, pp.954-965. Weldon, E. and Chow, M. (2005). A question of leadership: Are Western leadership development approaches appropriate in China, or might a Chinese approach be more effective?.Leadership in Action, 25(5), pp.12-13.

How does Zeffirelli portray the characters of Gertrude and Ophelia Essay Example

How does Zeffirelli portray the characters of Gertrude and Ophelia? Paper Franco Zeffirellis 1990 production of Hamlet has Glenn Close and Helena Bonham Carter cast as Queen Gertrude and Ophelia respectively. He has the luxury over a stage production of being able to add scenery, mood and vibrant close up of character to his film. These added advantages allow us to examine the players in a closer, more intimate way and so we can look at the figures of Queen Gertrude and Ophelia with different perspective. Right from the start the audience most definitely depicts Gertrude as the queen and the primary female of the cast, however there is no malice or grim intention portrayed. We open the film feeling sorry for her at her husbands funeral yet the speed of her re-marriage makes us question her morality and quality. The audience is made to question her character by her physical nature both with Claudius and Hamlet, particularly with Hamlet. Their relationship is portrayed as intensely Freudian, from the very beginning with Gertrude constantly touching Hamlet. Zeffirelli dresses Gertrude in a gown with a simple pale design yet trimmed with gold and subtle jewellery and her hair is worn like a regal crown, always perfect and obviously made by attendants. Herein we see her position but unlike other plays her queenly status is not overbearing. Zeffirelli quite obviously dressing Gertrude in red, a colour of passion; giving further indication of her warm, sexual and vibrant nature as well as an insight into her mentality. Gertrude is almost a victim of her own appetite and she is not very logical and this is strongly portrayed throughout the film. This is particularly prominent when Gertrude agrees to using Ophelia as bate to steak out Hamlet and tolerates Ophelia being humiliated; one could argue this is Gertrudes fatal flaw, her passivity. We will write a custom essay sample on How does Zeffirelli portray the characters of Gertrude and Ophelia? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on How does Zeffirelli portray the characters of Gertrude and Ophelia? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on How does Zeffirelli portray the characters of Gertrude and Ophelia? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Both her passivity and her innocence are illustrated when the players perform Claudiuss poisoning of Hamlet senior and Gertrude does not see the parallel between the play and her own situation. This is once again reinforced in the closet scene, bloody deed? Almost as bad, good mother, as kill a king and marry with his brother, this signals not only her own innocence of the deed but indicates her feeble and defenceless character to the audience. We see Gertrudes true vulnerability and openness when Hamlet kills Polonius and confesses all to the Queen, in reference to Claudiuss treachery. Her face is open and shocked and her look is of complete surprise telling us of her innocence in the Kings death. Also, in this scene we see her true love for her son. Zeffirelli has chosen to portray this scene between Hamlet and Gertrude as passionate and intimate, giving the scene Freudian overtones. Zeffirelli readily embraces the Freudian concept of the Oedipus complex. When Hamlet confronts Gertrude, a passionate kiss is followed by what appears to be simulated sex, Zeffirelli portraying Gertrude as intensely sexual and once again a victim of her own appetite. By the end of the scene, a new intimacy is established between Gertrude and Hamlet, which carries them into the final stages of the tragedy. From here on, Gertrude dresses and behaves more like a nun throughout the film and is very obedient to Hamlet; establishing a new dimension to her relationship with Hamlet. She is more nervous and considerably less sexual and looks almost mad and at times unhinged. Once again we are compelled to feel remorse for her as she says goodbye to Hamlet as he departs for England. Glenn Close, like Helena Bonham-Carter, has been very well cast in her role. Zeffirelli has her hold Queen Gertrude with regality throughout; this is highlighted when she hears of Ophelias death and the look of an almost motherly loss at Ophelias graveside. Her entrance at the duel is most regal, trumpets play and her ladies in waiting carry a long train. Her look is of pure love and hope for her son Hamlet. However, seated on her throne in colours of grey and pale blue she almost seems like a statue against the grey stone backdrop. The duelling scene is not meant to be rich and colourful yet cast in shades of dowdiness. However, Hamlets jesting brings laughter to the Queens face yet it is in this moment when Gertrude is at her happiest that tragedy is close on hand. Zeffirellis use of close up on Gertrudes distress as the King looks knowingly on is terrible. A mistake of drinking the poison is not lost on Gertrude and we are given the look that says she realises what has happened and in that instant she realises all that Hamlet has said about Claudius is true. Gertrude has been psychologically and morally poisoned as well as physically poisoned. Zeffirelli highlights the hopelessness of this moment more by allowing the duel to continue and so Hamlets loss gathers pace while he knows nothing of it. Ophelia on the other hand, is passive almost to the point of non-existence as an independent consciousness and is to some extent, amore extreme version of Gertrude. The only time she speaks to the King and Queen is when she is mad. This makes it very difficult for Zeffrelli to inject any suggestion of irony or defiance into the few words Ophelia exchanges with her Laertes, Polonius or Hamlet. However, Helena Bonham-Carter exploits this passivity to provoke responses from other characters and the audience. Ophelias beauty is portrayed with no frills or fancy accoutrements. She is dressed very plainly in a simple virginal white pinafore. Her lack of jewellery and ornate trappings show a truth and honesty. She appears a helpless, almost childlike, pawn for her forceful father; she is the victim of her foolish father. She is seen as a possession by her father, I have a daughter- have while she is mine- who in her duty and obedience, Zeffrelli mark and is treated as simply that. She is pushed and pulled about by Polonius and Laertes, it is her obedience to the men in her life that is her fatal flaw. Ophelia is used as bate by Gertrude, Claudius and most importantly her father. She is used to trap Hamlet and in return is mocked and forced to pretend she has no voice. Zeffrellis primary intention for Ophelia is to suffer and die. The scene as the play within the plays beginning highlights the physical differences between Ophelia and Gertrude. The green is lavishly decorated whilst Ophelia, with Hamlets head in her lap, looks as plain, yet retains her simple beauty. Zeffrelli has chosen well in casting Helena Bonham Carter as Ophelia as her large brown eyes tell more then she says. After the Kings play when Hamlet wishes her to a nunnery, Get thee to a nunnery, her nervous eyes tell of her shock and confusion. Ophelia is trying to make sense of it all, but finds it very difficult because Hamlet is acting towards his mother as well; Ophelia cannot keep up with all the changes. Ophelia is used again; she is taunted and mocked as happened so often. Zeffrelli portrays her as on the edge, conventional womanhood. After her fathers death, Ophelia seems to descend into madness. Her dress and appearance are dishevelled and unkempt yet tragically she is still beautiful. We feel sorry for Ophelia and her loneliness, divided from herself and her fair judgement. Ophelias grief is infectious and with Zeffrellis use of dour music her mood is shared by us the viewer. Her loss of sanity makes her seem like a helpless child and we fear her impending suicide before we know of it. During the time before her death Ophelia reveals thought, which would have been most definitely introspective, if she were not going mad. Once she is mad she becomes free and reveals what she really thinks and feels. She behaves in an intensely sexual way towards the sentry reveals thought and feelings that would have be suppressed by her father and brother. Ophelia achieves ultimate passivity and paradoxically a new kind of power, first in her distraction, then in the brook and finally in her coffin. Her incapacity which has been a theme modulates into madness presented as plaintive songs and pretty nonsense. This, together with Gertrudes stylised presentation of her death, offers decoration in place of any attempt at psychological elaboration. Her madness is less real than Hamlets confused states of mind because it is so tidy, unproblematic and unthreatening. Zeffrelli does well not to dwell on the act of her suicide as a film production might but leaves the sad tragedy of it to our imagination, which only heightens our sense of loss for Ophelia. Ophelia is presented by Zeffrelli as someone with no point of view I do not know my lord what I should think, there is not even a gesture of struggle. Zeffrelli chooses not to develop her character to any great extent and allows the audience to develop their own understanding. To conclude, our final image of both women is when they are lying dead. We are made to feel great sorrow and pity for them both. Zeffirelli has Ophelia laying with dignity at her graveside in white linen and flowers on an overcast, breezy day whilst Gertrude is left prone and splayed on the cold concrete steps within the castle. His portrayal of both characters leaves us feeling great sadness for them in equal measure whilst never once feeling any malice towards them.

Battle of Marathon in the Persian Wars

Battle of Marathon in the Persian Wars The Battle of Marathon was fought during the Persian Wars (498 BC–448 BC) between Greece and the Persian Empire. Date Using a proleptic Julian calendar, it is believed that the Battle of Marathon was fought on either August or September 12, 490 BC. Armies Commanders Greeks MilitiadesCallimachusArimnestusapprox. 8,000-10,000 men Persians DatisArtaphernes20,000-60,000 men Background In the wake of the Ionian Revolt (499 BC-494 BC), the emperor of the Persian Empire, Darius I, dispatched an army to Greece to punish those city-states that had aided the rebels. Led by Mardonius, this force succeeded in subjugating Thrace and Macedonia in 492 BC. Moving south towards Greece, Mardonius fleet was wrecked off Cape Athos during a massive storm. Losing 300 ships and 20,000 men in the disaster, Mardonius elected to withdraw back towards Asia. Displeased with Mardonius failure, Darius began planning a second expedition for 490 BC after learning of political instability in Athens. Conceived as a purely maritime enterprise, Darius assigned command of the expedition to the Median admiral Datis and the son of the satrap of Sardis, Artaphernes. Sailing with orders to attack Eretria and Athens, the fleet succeeded in sacking and burning their first objective. Moving south, the Persians landed near Marathon, approximately 25 miles north of Athens. Responding to the impending crisis, Athens raised around 9,000 hoplites and dispatched them to Marathon where they blocked the exits from the nearby plain and prevented the enemy from moving inland. They were joined by 1,000 Plataeans and assistance was requested from Sparta. Encamping on the edge of the Plain of Marathon, the Greeks faced a Persian force numbering between 20-60,000. Enveloping the Enemy For five days the armies squared off with little movement. For the Greeks, this inactivity was largely due to a fear of being attacked by the Persian cavalry as they crossed the plain. Finally, the Greek commander, Miltiades, elected to attack after receiving favorable omens. Some sources also indicate that Militiades had learned from Persian deserters that the cavalry was away from the field. Forming his men, Militiades reinforced his wings by weakening his center. This saw the center reduced to ranks four deep while the wings featured men eight deep. This may have been due to the Persians tendency to place inferior troops on their flanks. Moving a brisk pace, possibly a run, the Greeks advanced across the plain towards the Persian camp. Surprised by the Greeks audacity, the Persians rushed to form their lines and inflict damage on the enemy with their archers and slingers. As the armies clashed, the thinner Greek center was quickly pushed back. The historian Herodotus reports that their retreat was disciplined and organized. Pursuing the Greek center, the Persians quickly found themselves flanked on both sides by Militiades strengthened wings which had routed their opposite numbers. Having caught the enemy in a double envelopment, the Greeks began to inflict heavy casualties on the lightly armored Persians. As panic spread in the Persian ranks, their lines began to break and they fled back to their ships. Pursuing the enemy, the Greeks were slowed by their heavy armor, but still managed to capture seven Persian ships. Aftermath Casualties for the Battle of Marathon are generally listed as 203 Greek dead and 6,400 for the Persians. As with most battles from this period, these numbers are suspect. Defeated, the Persians departed from the area and sailed south to attack Athens directly.   Anticipating this, Militiades quickly returned the bulk of the army to the city. Seeing that the opportunity to strike the previously lightly-defended city had passed, the Persians withdrew back to Asia. The Battle of Marathon was the first major victory for the Greeks over the Persians and gave them confidence that they could be defeated. Ten years later the Persians returned and won a victory at Thermopylae before being defeated by the Greeks at Salamis. The Battle of Marathon also gave rise to the legend that the Athenian herald Pheidippides ran from the battlefield to Athens to announce the Greek victory before dropping dead. This legendary run is the basis for the modern track and field event. Herodotus contradicts this legend and states that Pheidippides ran from Athens to Sparta to seek aid before the battle. Selected Sources Battle of MarathonPersian Wars: Battle of Marathon

Strategies and International Business in IKEA Comapany Essay

Strategies and International Business in IKEA Comapany - Essay Example To begin with, the company lowered the prices of its goods and services in the home country and in the global market (Coe, 2009). This factor made it attract more customers from the competitors. Consumers are sensitive to prices and any slight difference would make them shift and enjoy the relatively lower prices. Because of the higher priced competitors’ products, IKEA managed to record increase in their customer base. Secondly, IKEA engaged in continuous designing of their products to improve their quality and preference. They also engaged in continuous introduction of new innovative products. Moreover, the company used the trademark to protect its goods from being counterfeited by the competitors. Trademark would also make IKEA products be distinct from those of the competitor's top help avoid confusion and to help in developing a brand (IKEA, 2010). In addition, IKEA opened their retail stores in the countries in which it operated to increase the availability of its products and to ensure customers get the direct attention from their agents (IKEA, n.d.). The opening of stores abroad would also ensure that the different customers’ demands are integrated into the production of the company’s goods. IKEA strength is gained from the variety of products it offers and the low prices it offers for their products. Through this, it reduced the costs through lowering storage space and reduced labor cost. The opening of the retails in Germany, Switzerland and US further made IKEA enjoy the wide market coverage and smooth its sales in case the product performance is not good in some of the geographical coverage. However, IKEA suffers from the problem of controlling quality in the global market without hiking the prices of their products (Coe, 2009). To sell their products at low prices mean that IKEA has to sacrifice the profit margin. The environmental regulation further poses a threat to the company since the materials used in manufacturing their furniture requires destruction of trees hence a potential threat. Several reasons prompted IKEA chose Switzerland as the first country to internationalize.  

It has been said that modern developments such as ABC are sometimes Essay - 1

It has been said that modern developments such as ABC are sometimes implemented because they are fashionable and not because they provide extra information to management. (Discuss the above statement) - Essay Example Job costing is another modern development, where the management gets information concerning the costs for each job order, their specifications and scope. Contract costing is yet another development that provides the management with information concerning heavy expenditure which takes a long period of time (Brimson, J. A. 1991). Historically, most of the companies placed their focus on the creation of value rather than investing in assets and organization. The dramatic development of companies led to the realization of the need to have practical accounting systems. The development of the ABC system has led to a positive change in productivity by espousing the identification of inefficient products, the allocation of more profits on resources, and cost reduction (Gosselin, M. 2005). However, most firms are experiencing problems ascribed to the implementation of ABC and in extreme cases; the implementation of the system fails to work out. For instance, in highly developed countries, some of the companies fail to grow and became stagnant owing to the use of ABC. Most companies that carry out a cost-benefit analysis on the use of ABC discontinue the implementation of the system since it is costly. The management should get constant updates on a company’s cost performance (Grieco, P. L., & Pilachowski, M. 1995). In using ABC system, some of the overhead costs are difficult to separate and the allocation of the cost on a product unit poses difficulties. An example of such an overhead cost is the Chief Executive Officer’s salary; this does not provide the management with appropriate reports on costs (Hansen, D. R., & Mowen, M. M. 2000). The ABC method allocates business costs to its products on a proportionate basis or based on assumptions. This translates into the generation of inaccurate reports on costs by the management. Affording the management accurate information