Goal Directed Nursing A Personal Framework - 627 Words

Philosophy and Approach I believe that nursing is based on communications and interactions between the nurse and patient. The goal of nursing according to King is to help individuals and groups attain, maintain, and restore health, or if that is not possible, then to die with dignity (McEwen Willis, 2014). King’s theory of goal attainment focuses on concepts of perception, interaction, transaction, stress, communication and the nursing metaparadigm (King, 2007). With this theory as a model for nursing, I practice within these concepts by interacting and communicating with my patient, interacting and reacting to the patient based on their perception of the event, communicating knowledge of actions needed to attain health goals, and interacting and reacting to internal and external stressors of the patient and focus on setting goals based on the decisions made by the patient. The theory is based on interactions that lead to goals that lead to attained goals, or outcomes and ou tcomes reflect effective nursing care (King, 1997). This theory is helpful to me by identifying key concepts to guide my practice and my interaction with patients to help them identify and achieve the best outcomes possible. A possible short-coming of the theory may be that the theory identifies individuals as social beings who are rational and unfortunately this is not always the case. Often times, especially in emergency care, you encounter patients and families who are not rational, this mayShow MoreRelatedBiography Of Dr. Imogene M. King Essay1185 Words   |  5 Pagesescape her life in small town she accepted her Uncle’s offer to study nursing. Where she never thought, would lead her to become one of the Pioneers and most sought Nurse Theorist. She received her nursing degree from St. John’s Hospital of Nursing St. Louis, Missouri in 1945, BS Nursing Education with minors in Philosophy and Chemistry from St. John’s Hospital of Nursing St. Louis, Missouri in 1948, Master of Science Nursing from St. John’s University in 1957, Doctorate in Education from TeachersRead MoreThe Theory of Goal Attainment by Imogene King1861 Words   |  7 PagesKing is a nationally recognized theorist, leader and educator. She developed the Theory of Goal Attainment while trying to outline content for a new graduate program. It has become the basis for establishing health care goals for patients and directing patient care. The theory of goal attainment identifies three levels found in the environment: personal, interactional and social. The primary level is the personal system level where the care of the patient is the main focus. The second level is the interactionalRead MorePersonal Statement : Professional Nursing Career1064 Words   |  5 PagesScholarly Paper #1 Personal Meta-paradigm Charlotte Strawser NURS 603 University of Southern Indiana Professor Cynthia Cuson January 26, 2017 This paper aims to describing personal meta-paradigm in this author’s professional nursing career relating to a theoretical framework. Nursing is made up of several theories that help guide the nursing practice in delivering care. The theories help guide nursing research in creating a strong profession in healthcare. These theories help the nurseRead MoreErnestine Wiedenbach1672 Words   |  7 PagesCollege in 1922, an R.N. from Johns Hopkins Hospital school of nursing in 1925, a Master of Arts from Teachers College, Columbia Universiy in 1934, and a certificate in Nurse Midwifery from the Maternity Center Association School for NurseMidwives in New York in 1946 where she taught until 1951. In 1952, Wiedenbach joined the staff of Yale where she taught as an instructor of maternity nursing. Named an assistant professor of obstetrics nursing in 1954, and an associate professor of the newly developedRead MoreNursing Philosophy1001 Words   |  5 PagesNURSING PHILOSOPHY, 1 NURSING PHILOSOPHY NURSING PHILOSOPHY, 2 Nursing philosophy Definitions Philosophy Philosophies encompass a multitude of value statements and beliefs. Philosophies are based on knowledge derived from reality, personal values, existence, reasoning, and relevant presentation of concepts. According to Alligood (2014), they address concepts such as person, environment, health, and nursing. Philosophies are derived from different theoreticalRead MorePersonal Leadership And Philosophy Style1574 Words   |  7 PagesPersonal Leadership and Philosophy Style Four years ago I wrote my first â€Å"Personal Philosophy of Leadership† paper. The personal leadership style I identified with, at that time, was the democratic style. I had chosen this style of leadership because of the teamwork, constructive criticism, motivation, good communication, dedication, and good attitude attributes of the democratic style. Four years later, being present time, I have learned and experienced a great deal more about leadership stylesRead MoreAnalysis of Ernestine Wiedenbachs Nursing Theory777 Words   |  3 PagesErnestine Wiedenbach in nursing theory The nursing theory is a term used to refer to the body of knowledge used for the support of the nursing practice. It is a framework that is designed for the organization of knowledge and gives an explanation to phenomena in nursing at a level that is specific and more concrete. Most of the nursing theories were generated over 20 years ago with contributions from major theorists.one of the theorists is Ernestine Wiedenbach who contributed majorly towards theRead MoreWhat Is The Process Of Positive Innovation966 Words   |  4 Pagesclinical setting ranging from the complexities of a human beings, family dynamics, poor communication, chaotic work environments, demanding work-load, with a goal set in mind: patient-centered care (Blosky Spegman, 2015). A series of non-nursing theories have identified measures to create a positive working environment related to nursing care in essence to providing safe, effective, quality care. However, how can leaders take time and effort to make chan ges towards positive innovations while yieldRead MoreThe Benefits Of Active Learning And Student Centered Teaching Strategies Improve Motivation And Performance Among Nursing Students1173 Words   |  5 PagesStrategies to Increase Nursing Student Motivation â€Å"Passive recipients of face-to-face instructor designed and led classes† was how traditional education students were viewed (McGarry, Theobald, Lewis, Coyer, 2015, p. 967). The researchers understood the challenges nurse educators faced in engaging students and cultivating new nursing graduates with skills benefitting societal and professional sustainability. The aim of this paper is to determine by integrative review whether active learning andRead MoreAfaf Ibrahim Meleis Theories of Nursing1538 Words   |  6 PagesEgyptian-American nursing educator and scientist. The main focus of her scholarship was global health, international and immigrant health, womens health and theoretical development of the nursing discipline. The main focus of her teaching is on the structure and organization of nursing knowledge, international nursing and transitions and health. She defined nursing as being concerned with experiences and process of human beings who are undergoing transiti ons. Therefore her definition of nursing is the facilitation

The Issue Of Disciplinary Infractions For High School...

On Monday, February 29, 2016, I interviewed Dr. K. Wallace, District Administrator for Jefferson County Public School District. The interview was on the topic of ethical fairness in education. Dr. Wallace discussed the issue of disciplinary infractions for high school students. He pointed out that bullying and acts of violence are becoming a major problem for administrators. According to Dr. Wallace, administrators must learn how to strike a balance in respecting the rights of children and eradicating acts of bullying and violence. According to Dr. Wallace, two students at Jefferson County High School were scheduled a due process hearing for bullying. He revealed that the two students had made threats on social media and brought weapons to school. However, the two students alleged that they were the ones being bullied and only brought the weapons to protect themselves from a gang of girls and their parents. The two young ladies are academic scholars and have no prior disciplinary history. Dr. Wallace maintained that there is a need to adopt common sense policies that adequately address bullying and consequences for it. He contended that all stakeholders must be held accountable in order to eliminate this issue. Dr. Wallace suggested that school district personnel receive professional development on properly handling acts of violence and bullying. He also noted that school leaders must provide their staff with the tools and resources to identify and address bullying. HeShow MoreRelatedSchool Administrator Acting An Ethical And Fair Manner895 Words   |  4 Pagesdesigned to address an issue related to a school administrator acting in an ethical and fair manner. For the sake of maintaining confidentiality in this report, I will use a false name for the school administrator. I will also use a false school district. However, the policies outlined in the report are directly from the state and school district. Interview On Monday, February 29, 2016, I interviewed Dr. K. Wallace, District Administrator for Millbrook Public School District. The interviewRead MoreThe Impact Of School Policies And Analysis Strategies1177 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"During the last twenty years, schools across the nation have dropped their values for suspending and expelling students. The subsequent trends in punitive policy enforcement are conspicuous in a great number of states. â€Å"The national number of suspensions has increased from approximately 1.7 million in 1974 to more than 3.3 million in 2006. More recently, during the 2009–2010 school year, a reported 3,081,240.55 children were suspended at least once. With reference to expulsions nationally, in 2006Read MoreCreating A Safer And More Productive School Environment For All Students1605 Words   |  7 PagesCreating a safer and more productive school environment for all students begins with the leadership of administration to create and take a p roactive role in preventing problem behaviors before they manifest. The students and staff of any middle school certainly face challenges every single day that are never the same, but being able to address similar undesirable behaviors, why they occur, when they occur, and the how they are able to occur is analysis that must be done by all teacher and leadershipRead MoreTougher School Safe And Free Of Disruptions From Learning2356 Words   |  10 PagesDisciplinary actions are meant to keep schools safe and free of disruptions from learning. However, schools have adopted harsh zero tolerance policies that result in high numbers of out of school suspensions, expulsions and arrests. A zero tolerance policy is a policy of penalties and punishments for behavioral or code of conduct infractions. The numbers are much greater for Black students. Black students are suspended and expelled at a rate three times greater than White students. On average, 16%Read MoreThe Negative Consequences o f Discipline1836 Words   |  7 PagesOne of the fundamental responsibilities of schools is to keep its students and teachers safe from harm and violence. Over the years, this has meant applying zero tolerance policies, which have encouraged and led to overcriminalization and the over-intervention of the juvenile justice system. This correlation between zero tolerance measures and the justice system has been termed â€Å"school-to-prison-pipeline†. Zero tolerance has, for the most part, worked; but do we like how it has worked? Although thisRead MoreRacial Disparities Of Black Students1542 Words   |  7 PagesFor decades there has been research conducted on the racial disproportion of black student’s suspension in schools compared to white students (Skiba et al., 2000; Skiba et al., 2002; Wald and Losen, 2003; Welsh and Payne, 2010; Kinsler, 2011; Wright et al., 2014). Recently, the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (2014) study revealed that black stu dents were three times more likely to be suspend and 3.5 times more likely than their white peers to be expelled. In the studies conductedRead MoreEveryday Students Of Color Are Denied Their Right To A1640 Words   |  7 PagesEveryday students of color are denied their right to a full education due to schools’ harsh disciplinary actions, such as out of school suspension and expulsions. Schools have a responsibility to keep students safe and provide a disciplined learning environment. There is no argument against this, however the methods utilized to provide a safe climate defy this common sense. More specifically, zero tolerance policies, which require students to be punished consistently and severely in a punitive natureRead MoreFairness of Disciplinary Actions in Schools1881 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Schools around the country are having problems in a way that may sound surprising. There are districts calling into question the fairness of disciplinary actions taking place in their schools. Most recently, area Wichita schools have presented data that shows that African American children, who make up only a fraction of students compared to Caucasian children who hold the majority, are disproportionately more likely to be punished for both minor and severe infractions. Southeast High SchoolRead MoreThe Effects Of Tolerance On Schools And Schools924 Words   |  4 Pageslevels, affect our schools and students every day and constitute the foundation of educational standards in North American schools; to say that students are unaffected on a micro level would be dismissive, ignorant, and narrow minded. Additionally, disregarding existing policies and practices in educational institutions and their potential interactions and effects with new policies and practices would be a grievous o versight in the decision-making process. Zero tolerance in schools was initially definedRead MoreSummary Of The Miniseries Of Roots By Tracie R. Porter987 Words   |  4 Pagesnor enslaved! Unfortunately, in a subtle way, legalized slavery is rearing its ugly head in the United States. After reading this article, by Tracie R. Porter, â€Å"The school-to-Prison Pipeline: The Business Side of Incarcerating, Not Educating, Students in Public Schools,† She produced brilliant research and data as evidence of this issue, and the purpose of this piece was to inform. After reading her argument; I concluded that we were very wrong and naive to believe that we could not be enslaved. This

Teaching English Language in Saudi Arabia Through Multi Media

Question: Describe about the Teaching English Language in Saudi Arabia Through Multi Media. Answer: Introduction Background of the Study The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia relies heavily on the official language- Arabic (Alrashidi Phan, 2015). English is not a neutral language and is often a debatable topic. It is true that there is an increase in the use of English in Saudi Arabia;however, the language still faces stiff resistance in the country (Alrashidi Phan, 2015). The language has been questioned regarding its validity and its contribution to the traditional practices of the country. There is limited use of the information technology in the academics (Alwagait, Shahzad Alim, 2015). The teachers are not teaching and practicing the multimedia tools to impart the English language.There is also less acceptability of the English medium of education. Problem statement The teachers in the public schools of Saudi Arabia are inclined towards the traditional methods of the education and pay least attention to the adoption of the multimedia tools in the classrooms (Hammond Gamlo, 2015). They are not well trained in the digital modes of education and often lack modern technology in the classrooms (Hammond Gamlo, 2015). They are not aware of the multimedia tools that can be used effectively in the teaching process (Alghamdi Higgins, 2015). The teachers also engage in using Arabic as the primary instruction language. This creates an over dependency on the local language and creates a resistance for the English language, which is a global language. This derives the students from gaining premium quality education. Research Objectives It is important to use English as a mode of communication in the educational institutions rather than simply teaching English language as a subject. It would improve the critical thinking capabilities of the student. This research aims to identify the importance of English language for the better future of the students. It also explores the utility of the multimedia tools in delivering education in Saudi Arabia. Aims of the study The aim of this research is to analyze the importance of adopting English medium of instruction in Saudi Arabia schools and the benefits of using digital tools in the classrooms. 2: Literature Review Educational System of Saudi Arabia The formation of Saudi Arabia in 1932, witnessed limited educational opportunities to few citizens in Islamic schools (Bowen, 2014). This trend has certainly changed today as there are more education opportunities for the Saudi citizens ranging from the primary education to the postgraduate education (Bowen, 2014). The education system is under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Education (Smith Abouammoh, 2013). There is presence of the private schools as well as state sponsored schools known as Kingdom Schools (Smith Abouammoh, 2013). The teachers in the Kingdom Schools teach by memorization and rote with little emphasis on the critical thinking skills or the problem solving abilities (Palmer, 2015). There are certain classrooms issues related to personal accountability, student time management, prior educational expenses of the students and mismatched cultural expectations. Challenges of using multimedia tools in education Saudi Arabia faces several challenges in the implementation of the multimedia tools in the education sector. There is lack of professional development of the teachers who are not prepared for the integration of the digital tools in the classroom (Al-Asmari Rabb Khan, 2014). There is non-availability of the multimedia tools in the educational institutions with insufficient funds being allocated for this purpose (Al-Asmari Rabb Khan, 2014). The second challenge consists of a high level of resistance from the teaching faculty and the students. They are not eager to move out of their comfort zone gained in the conventional teaching methods (Al-Asmari Rabb Khan, 2014). The teachers often view the use of the multimedia tools outside the purview of their job descriptions. The multimedia educational tools are often viewed as informal learning methods which is believed to dilute the actual meaning of education (Al-Asmari Rabb Khan, 2014). There is lack of awareness regarding the multimedi a tools which has made it less popular in academic context. Need for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the most traditional yet the richest state of the Gulf countries (Niblock, 2015). It provides one of the highest paying EFL teaching jobs in the world. The schools in Saudi Arabia lack good teachers who are able to give instructions to the students in English. English is a global language which is well recognized all over the world. It is a foreign language for the Saudi students; however, they must master it in order to have bright career prospects (Niblock, 2015). The students have realized the importance of English for securing high paying jobs in the future (Al Malihi, 2015). It is important to incorporate English in the school or college curriculum. The government of Saudi Arabia has encouraged their students as well as teachers to study in foreign countries such as UK, Australia and USA so that they can learn English language (Olson, 2016). This would make the students comfortable in the language without having to attend additional courses involvi ng considerable amount of finances and time (Al Malihi, 2015). The impact of globalization has led the students to communicate fluently in the English language. Reasons for using digital tools in classroom The digital tools such as multimedia tools are highly effective in providing project based learning to the students. There are several multimedia tools that can be used in teaching such as power point presentation, videos, flash animations, audio tools, e-learning software, overhead projectors and others (Vaughan, 2014).These tools help the student to form a constructive learning environment in which they can retain their knowledge in a better way. The multimedia tools are useful in designing a project that depends solely on the information technology tools (Al-Asmari Rabb Khan, 2014). The multimedia tools allow the students to perform critical analysis on various topics. They can access a variety of information from the online sources and interpret the necessary information. The multimedia tools in delivering English language helps the students to gain a practical learning as they engage in the learning process themselves rather than merely adopting an authors work (Vaughan, 2014). These tools induce reflective thinking capabilities in the students which is very important for their future (Vaughan, 2014). The multimedia tools help the students to retain information for a longer period of time (Vaughan, 2014). The students can learn at their own convenient time and own pace. The technology allows the students to accomplish their goals in a better way (Vaughan, 2014). The integration of the various multimedia tools in imparting English language allows the student to learn complicated concepts in short span of time. Effect of multimedia tools on English learning outcomes Therole of multimedia tools is immense in order to fulfill the academic needs of the students. It is important in the English learning outcomes in the classrooms (Liu Long, 2014). The multimedia systems offer a potential avenue for it enhancing the understanding of the students in a foreign language (Liu Long, 2014). It creates an optimum learning environment in the classroom through the use of multimedia technologies. The multimedia teaching system is a combination of the interactive as well as instructive multimedia systems as it can integrate the audiovisual systems with the actual course materials (Liu Long, 2014). There are innovative features in the multimedia teaching methods such as use of authentic course materials, instant feedback, learner control, graphical illustrations and pictorial depiction of the key concepts (Liu Long, 2014). These components help the students to grasp the English language in a better way. They can understand the practical implementation of the English language (Liu Long, 2014). They can also understand the English Grammar like tenses, subject verb agreement, numbers and others so that they can understand the fundamental concepts of the English language (Liu Long, 2014). 3: Research Methodology Research Process The researcher would follow a series of steps in formulating this research (Pickard, 2012). The first step involves the identification of the problem, review of the appropriate literature, clarification of the problem, definition of the key concepts related to the topic, definition of the population, development of the plan, collection of the data and the analysis of the data (Pickard, 2012). The researcher would also ensure that the study is conducted in an ethical manner. Data Collection Process This study involves the collection of both qualitative as well as quantitative data (Punch, 2013). The researcher chose a sample of 70 undergraduate as well as post graduate students and 70 high school students from various academic institutions located in Saudi Arabia and collected quantitative data from them. A close ended questionnaire is to be created and the respondents would be asked to answer them one by one. The researcher should also engage in qualitative research by choosing 10 teaching faculty in the educational institutions in Saudi Arabia. They would be exposed to an interview process and open ended questionnaires (comprising of 10 questions) that focus on the key concepts of the topic such as role of multimedia in teaching and comfort level for imparting EFL classes (Punch, 2013). Research Outcomes The researcher presents some real facts regarding the teaching of the English language through the use of multimedia tools. It demonstrates the attitude of the teachers regarding the adoption of the multimedia tools as well as the implementation of English language in schools. The research must fulfill the objectives of the research objectives. It would help the researcher to derive useful facts about the research topic. Data Analysis The data collected would be analyzed in order to gain in-depth analysis of the topic (Abbott, 2014). The exploratory data analysis is performed by using a statistical tool known as SPSS and the Microsoft Excel (Abbott, 2014). The correlation and frequency distribution analysis is also done on the collected data. Sampling method The sampling method would be used by the researchers to select the necessary respondents for the purpose of conducting research on a particular topic. In this research, the researcher would use the stratified sampling method which is used in the probability sampling (Levy Lemeshow, 2013). The population is segregated into groups based on their occupation. The two main groups are the students and the teachers (Levy Lemeshow, 2013). The study would be done on these two groups in order to measure the impact of the key variables (English teaching methods and role of multimedia). Limitations of the Study There are certain limitations in this study which may impact the research outcomes. The research is performed in the educational institutes of Saudi Arabia; hence the results may not be applicable for the non-Saudi educational institutions. The second limitation includes the lack of previous research on the subject domain. The sample size is not so large which provides a limiting knowledge regarding the research topic. There may be cultural bias of the researcher as he may not be familiar with the educational system of Saudi Arabia. Ethical considerations The researcher must ensure that the participants are not forced while undertaking the research. The teachers and the students voluntarily must participate in the research and gave their responses from their real life experiences. The researcher should not engage in dishonest means of data collection and collect truthful data only. The data analysis would be done in an ethical manner with true representation of the collected data. There would not be any manipulations involved with the collected data. The researcher is honest in his ways of data analysis means. References Abbott, M. L. (2014).Understanding educational statistics using Microsoft Excel and SPSS. John Wiley Sons. Al Malihi, J. F. (2015). Saudi EFL Teachers' Readiness and Perceptions of Young Learners Teaching at Elementary Schools.English Language Teaching,8(2), 86. Al-Asmari, A. M., Rabb Khan, M. S. (2014). E-learning in Saudi Arabia: Past, present and future.Near and Middle Eastern Journal of Research in Education, 2. Alghamdi, A., Higgins, S. (2015). Investigating how teachers in primary schools in Saudi Arabia were trained to use interactive whiteboards and what their training needs were.International Journal of Technical Research and Applications, Special Issue,30, 1-10. Alrashidi, O., Phan, H. (2015). Education context and English teaching and learning in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: An overview.English Language Teaching,8(5), 33. Alwagait, E., Shahzad, B., Alim, S. (2015). Impact of social media usage on students academic performance in Saudi Arabia.Computers in Human Behavior,51, 1092-1097. Bowen, W. H. (2014).The History of Saudi Arabia. ABC-CLIO. Hammond, M., Gamlo, N. H. (2015). How and why do language teachers use ICT in a University in Saudi Arabia?.Proceedings of Global Learn 2015, 248-257. Levy, P. S., Lemeshow, S. (2013).Sampling of populations: methods and applications. John Wiley Sons. Liu, C., Long, F. (2014, January). The Discussion of Traditional Teaching and Multimedia Teaching Approach in College English Teaching. In2014 International Conference on Management, Education and Social Science (ICMESS 2014). Atlantis Press. Niblock, T. (Ed.). (2015).State, Society and Economy in Saudi Arabia (RLE Saudi Arabia)(Vol. 6). Routledge. Olson, M. R. (2016). Issues and Trends of International Students in the United States.Issues,4(1). Palmer, B. M. W. (2015). Understanding cultural conflict in EFL classrooms in the UAE.Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics,1(2), 77-95. Pickard, A. (2012).Research methods in information. Facet publishing. Punch, K. F. (2013).Introduction to social research: Quantitative and qualitative approaches. Sage. Smith, L., Abouammoh, A. (2013).Higher Education in Saudi Arabia. London: Springer. Vaughan, T. (2014).Multimedia: making it work. Tata McGraw-Hill Education.

Internet Marketing free essay sample

The internet has become a key factor in the success of a lot of businesses in recent years. In the following assignment I am going to explain how internet marketing has made Tesco’s business more efficient, effective and successful. Efficient; Definition; Efficiency is the comparison of what is actually produced or performed by the business with what can actually be achieved with the same consumption of resources (money, time, labour, etc. ). By removing the distributor or wholesaler businesses like Tesco are â€Å"cutting out the middleman† which allows Tesco to work with customers directly from the internet. Opportunities to increase sales from existing customers; Tesco realise that there are opportunities to increase sales from customers that are already shopping with their organisation, they can do so by promoting new products into new markets or improving sales within the markets they already serve. Opportunities to monitor Competitor activity; Tesco can use the internet to monitor competitors activity, these competitors include, Asda and Marks amp; Spensors, Tesco can view their competitors website and see what changes they have made to gain the interest of the customers and what products and services they are offering bargains for. We will write a custom essay sample on Internet Marketing or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Opportunities to buy online promotion; Businesses can pay for search engine advertising which means that their company logo will appear as soon as the user searches for a relevant search to the business. Reduces cost; By using the internet and setting up a website, Tesco saves its company valuable funds on advertising as setting up a website is very cost effective. Reduces waste; As Tesco will not need as many outlets, they will not be producing unnecessary high amounts of waste from the organisations. Reduces the number of stores required by the business; By setting up a website Tesco don’t need to invest money into building new stores as the internet allows their products to be purchased, viewed and delivered globally. Eliminates the risk of bad debt; When customers purchase from Tesco online, they must first pay for the product before the transaction is made, this lowers the risk of debt Tesco. 24/7 availability; Tesco’s website means that customers can view their products and services on offer at any time of the day/month/year, which will prove to be convenient for customers who have responsibilities and cannot shop during shop opening times. + Effective; Definition; Effectiveness is considered when measuring the degree to which objectives are achieved and the extent to which targeted problems are solved. In contrast to efficiency, effectiveness is determined without reference to costs and, whereas efficiency means doing the thing right, effectiveness means doing the right thing. Widens target audience; Tescos website is viewable by any person that can access the internet, which means that their target audience will grow by a huge proportion. Allows the business to gather customer research; Tesco can gather information from customers that visit or shop from their website, they can gather information like contact details from surveys and they can contact the customer via e-mail or telephone to formally tell them about offers on products and services. Ability to respond to customer enquires/orders quickly; Tesco have a â€Å"contact us† section on their page which means that customers can find contact details instantly to get in touch with the business if they have any inquires. Ability to process orders 24/7; Having a website means that Tesco can make a transaction with customers at any time of the day, on any day of the year. More cost effective promotion; Tesco can use their website to promote products and services as detailed as they can, by putting up pictures and information about the product the customer has all they need to know before purchasing, this is a much more cost effective way of promoting. Successful; Definition; Success is considered with the achievement of an action within a specified period of time or within a specified parameter. Success can also mean completing an objective or reaching a goal. Success can be expanded to encompass an entire project or be restricted to a single component of a project or task. Helps business survive in an economic downturn; Businesses that are affected by recession may have to close stores and lay off staff but are still able to operate via their website. Compete better with competitors; The internet allows businesses like Tesco to compete better with its competitors, as the competitors allow anybody to view their website, Tesco can take advantage and monitor competitors success. Global audience; Having a website means that anyone can view your website from anywhere in the world at anytime, this helps businesses like Tesco try and attract new customers. Small businesses can compete equally with larger businesses; Small businesses starting off are given the punchers chance when they create a website, if there was no internet customers would probably follow the bigger more successful buildings and businesses. Internet Marketing free essay sample This is perhaps the biggest threat gained from the internet as standardised products have become easier to compare throughout online intermediaries like kelkoo(Chaffney 2006) However business have to view it as an opportunity rather than a threat. (Chaffney 2006)states the bargaining power of its suppliers is reduced since there is a wider choice and increased commoditisation due to e-procurement and e-marketplace. Companies can demand that supplier uses â€Å"Internet use of electronic data interchange†(Strauss et al 2006), in order to increase supply chain sufficiency and reduce costs. Substitution is on the increase since digital products can be introduced faster making it a steady threat as consumers have broader choices online. The replacing of online channels mean existing services are now on the net, I. e. online banking. The barriers to entry have declined, enabling new competitors that have previously required a high street presence to trade online, along with foreign competitors. All these factors must be monitored to avoid deterioration of market share. We will write a custom essay sample on Internet Marketing or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The microenvironment is defined as â€Å"all stakeholder, organizations, and forces external to the organisation†(Strauss,2006) . Social Factors are one of the key trends effecting businesses, to date a vast majority of the population obtain access to the internet, however firms need to take into account when forecasting future demands that groups do not wish to have access and the shortage of demand for online services. Moreover firms need to think how to avoid social exclusion (Chaffney 2006) defined as social exclusion as part of society that is excluded from the facilities available to the remainder and so becomes isolated (Strauss, 2006) Digital inequality matters due to those without access and skills are loosing out on the benefits of the digital world and research shows a clear correlation between social and digital exclusion.

CONSTELLATIONS Essays - Constellations, Scorpius, Zodiac, Orion

CONSTELLATIONS Essays - Constellations, Scorpius, Zodiac, Orion CONSTELLATIONS Constellations are groupings of the brighter visible stars in the night sky. Many of these groupings are based on imaginary figures that are seen on the inner surface of a huge sphere surrounding the earth. They divide the celestial sphere into 88 constellations, 47 of which date from ancient times and were listed by the astronomer Ptolemy. The boundaries are often complex. But all segments of the boundaries lie ease-west and north-south on the celestial sphere. Constellations are used today to show general directions in the sky. The constellations may be divided into three groups: (1) the equatorial constellations, which lie on each side of the celestial equator, the projection onto the sky of the earth's equator; (2) the north circumpolar constellations, which never set for observers at northern mid-latitudes; and (3) the south circumpolar constellations, which never set for observers at southern mid-latitudes. The zodiac, widely used in astrology, consists of 12 constellations through which the orbital motion. The suns yearly path is called the ecliptic. The times when given constellations rise and set depends on the time of year and on the observers position on the earths surface. Constellations also slowly shift on the celestial sphere's coordinates because of the precession of the equinoxes and other movements.. The star Patterns themselves slowly change because of the relative motions of the stars, but such changes are observable only over immense periods of time. Some constellations are the Ara{Altar), Aries(Ram), auriga(Charioteer), Andromeda, Canas Venatici(Hunting Dogs), Canas Major( Big Dog), Canas Minor(Small Dog), Capricornus(Sea Goat), Carina(Keel), Centaurus(Centaur), Columba(dove) Scorpius(Scorpion). Those are just a few of the many constellations up in the sky. One of the 12 original constellations of the zodiacthe band of constellations that lies along the ecliptic, the apparent yearly path of the sun across the sky. Scorpius is visible in the southern hemisphere and up the mid-latitudes of the northern hemisphere, where it appears low on the southern horizon. At a 10:00 PM observation of the sky, Scorpius first rises in the east in May, reaches its greatest height in early July, and drops below the western horizon in late August. Scorpius actually resembles a scorpion, but it has also been described as a kite. Bright stars outline a triangular head and trace the constellation's long, curled tail. Scorpius spans an exceptionally dense region of the Milky Way and is a rewarding subject for an observation. Its stars clusters are particularly noteworthy, and some can be seen without a telescope. Scorpius appears in many legends, particularly those involving the great hunter Orion. In one tale, the Earth sent the scorpion to sting Orion, who had boasted that he could kill and beast. The scorpion did not manage to kill him, but Orion fled and dove into the sea. In another story, the Greek god Apollo sent the scorpion to chase Orion into the sea, as part of plot to keep Orion from Apollo's sister, The goddess Artemis. Legends such as these explained why the constellation Orion sinks below the horizon just as the Scorpius appears. The star Antares, a red supergiant, is usually considered the heart of the scorpion. The Greeks named in Antares, meaning "rival to Mars," probably because the planet has a similar red hue. It is estimated to be 400 times the diameter of the sun and 9,000 times more luminous. About halfway down the scorpion's tail lies a region sometimes called the Table of Scorpius, which is unusually rich in stellar objects. The double stars Zeta Scorpii 1 and 2 can be identified with the unaided eye in the table. The scorpions stinger is called Shaula.

Eulogy Examples and Definition

Eulogy Examples and Definition From the Greek word, praise, a eulogy is a formal expression of praise for someone who has recently died. Although eulogies are traditionally regarded as a form of epideictic rhetoric, on occasion they may also serve a deliberative function.   Examples of a Eulogy It is hard to eulogize any manto capture in words, not just the facts and the dates that make a life, but the essential truth of a person: their private joys and sorrows, the quiet moments and unique qualities that illuminate someone’s soul. (President Barack Obama, speech at the memorial service for former South African president Nelson Mandela, December 10, 2013) Ted Kennedys Eulogy for His Brother Robert My brother need not be idealized, or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life; to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it. Those of us who loved him and who take him to his rest today, pray that what he was to us and what he wished for others will some day come to pass for all the world. As he said many times, in many parts of this nation, to those he touched and who sought to touch him: Some men see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say why not. (Edward Kennedy, service for Robert Kennedy, June 8, 1968) Deliberative Eulogies In their discussion of generic hybrids, [K.M.] Jamieson and [K.K.] Campbell ([Quarterly Journal of Speech,] 1982) focused on the introduction of deliberative appeals in a ceremonial eulogya deliberative eulogy. Such hybrids, they suggested, are most common in the cases of well-known public figures but are not necessarily restricted to these cases. When a small child falls victim to gang violence, the priest or minister may use the occasion of the funeral eulogy to encourage public policy changes designed to stem the tide of urban decay. Eulogies also may be fused with other genres. (James Jasinski, Sourcebook on Rhetoric. Sage, 2001) Dr. Kings Eulogy for the Victims of the Birmingham Church Bombing This afternoon we gather in the quiet of this sanctuary to pay our last tribute of respect to these beautiful children of God. They entered the stage of history just a few years ago, and in the brief years that they were privileged to act on this mortal stage, they played their parts exceedingly well. Now the curtain falls; they move through the exit; the drama of their earthly life comes to a close. They are now committed back to that eternity from which they came. These children- unoffending, innocent, and beautiful- were the victims of one of the most vicious and tragic crimes ever perpetrated against humanity. . . . And yet they died nobly. They are the martyred heroines of a holy crusade for freedom and human dignity. And so this afternoon in a real sense they have something to say to each of us in their death. They have something to say to every minister of the gospel who has remained silent behind the safe security of stained-glass windows. They have something to say to every politician who has fed his constituents with the stale bread of hatred and the spoiled meat of racism. They have something to say to a federal government that has compromised with the undemocratic practices of southern Dixiecrats and the blatant hypocrisy of right-wing northern Republicans. They have something to say to every Negro who has passively accepted the evil system of segregation and who has stood on the sidelines in a mighty struggle for justice. They say to each of us, black and white alike, that we must substitute courage for caution. They say to us that we must be concerned not merely about who murdered them , but about the system, the way of life, the philosophy which produced the murderers. Their death says to us that we must work passionately and unrelentingly for the realization of the American dream. . . .(Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., from his eulogy for the young victims of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church Bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, Sep. 18, 1963) Using Humor: John Cleeses Eulogy for Graham Chapman Graham Chapman, the co-author of the Parrot Sketch, is no more. He has ceased to be. Bereft of life, he rests in peace. Hes kicked the bucket, hopped the twig, bit the dust, snuffed it, breathed his last, and gone to meet the great Head of Light Entertainment in the sky. And I guess that were all thinking how sad it is that a man of such talent, of such capability for kindness, of such unusual intelligence, should now so suddenly be spirited away at the age of only 48, before hed achieved many of the things of which he was capable, and before hed had enough fun. Well, I feel that I should say: nonsense. Good riddance to him, the freeloading bastard, I hope he fries. And the reason I feel I should say this is he would never forgive me if I didnt, if I threw away this glorious opportunity to shock you all on his behalf. Anything for him but mindless good taste. (John Cleese, Dec. 6, 1989) Jack Handeys Eulogy for Himself We are gathered here, way far in the future, for the funeral of Jack Handey, the world’s oldest man. He died suddenly in bed, according to his wife, Miss France. No one is really sure how old Jack was, but some think he may have been born as long ago as the twentieth century. He passed away after a long, courageous battle with honky-tonkin’ and alley-cattin’. . . As hard as it is to believe, he never sold a single painting during his lifetime, or even painted one. Some of the greatest advances in architecture, medicine, and theatre were not opposed by him, and he did little to sabotage them. . . . Generous even with his organs, he has asked that his eyes be donated to a blind person. Also his glasses. His skeleton, equipped with a spring that will suddenly propel it to a full standing position, will be used to educate kindergartners. . . . So let us celebrate his death, and not mourn. However, those who appear to be a little too happy will be asked to leave. (Jack Handey, How I Want to Be Remembered. The New Yorker, March 31, 2008)

Recent trends in top tier banks in U.S., Europe, Asia, or Latin Term Paper

Recent trends in top tier banks in U.S., Europe, Asia, or Latin America - finance - Term Paper Example such as money transfers, payroll services, bank reconcilement, credit services such as asset based financing, lines of credit, commercial loans, or commercial real estate loans, deposit services such as checking or savings account services and foreign exchange. The latter involves services such as securitization, financing of mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, underwriting of shares, private placements of equity shares and debt securities with the investing institutions. These two services which were specialized by two distinct set of bankers are now being increasingly converged to be undertaken by same banks in view of deregulation of the financial sector. The banks have also started entering into insurance businesses. These changes have catapulted the banks to become an important and integral part of global business environment (Trends in the banking industry). In this context, this paper seeks to trace the recent trends in top tier banks in the U.S. and other countries in re spect of products, competition and global advancement. Since World War II through1970, there had been not many bank failures as it used to be a stable business. There were just ten bank failures in the U.S during the postwar period. It was only after deregulation, and liberalization identified as the catalysts for competition and growth, bank failures began to raise during 1980s and 1990s. Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (2004) and other studies of Blommestein and Lange (1993) and Blommestein (1997) provide a thorough analysis of bank failures in the U.S., Japan, Europe and others. Figure 1 showing the trend of banking failures during the period from 1934-2003 is clearly illustrative of this. The deregulation and liberalization has resulted in consolidation of banking industry during the last twenty five years. In the U.S. alone, the number of commercial banks which was 13,000 in 1980 has come down to 7,600 as in 2005. The last two decades have been characterized by

Gender differences in entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Gender differences in entrepreneurship - Essay Example Men expect women to put family handling as their top priority and preference. However, gradually women are combating this prevalence of bigotry in the society created by their counterparts. Many studies show that level of women entrepreneurship is less than men’s in many countries, however, there is a high rate of women entrepreneurship where women have no alternatives to earn for a living. Many researches and studies conducted portray that women enter into entrepreneurship as a necessity and not responding to opportunities. Entrepreneurship is a mean to culminate the skills and potential which women possess, and also it can bring forward to the world’s attention that women do not harbor less potential or competition, instead they may create healthy competition for the men too and result in economic prosperity. Entrepreneurship was once a kingdom ruled by men, but it seems that women are pacing into this kingdom too. Ayala Malach Pines, Miri Lerner, Dafna Schwartz, (2010) "Gender differences in entrepreneurship: Equality, diversity and inclusion in times of global crisis", Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, Vol. 29 Iss: 2, pp.186 -

Eurotechnologies Inc Essay Example for Free

Eurotechnologies Inc Essay BATNA: The city of Tamarack will give a 25% tax incentive to Twin Lakes Mining Company if the company agrees to construct paved roads and restore the consumed mines area. The city of Tamarack will agree to maintain the roads during the winter season. | Reservation: The city of Tamarack will construct pave roads if Twin Lakes Mining Company agrees to maintain the roads and restore the tourist areas. | Walk away: Construction of dirt roads and restoration of the land near the tourist locations. | 2. On behalf of the city of Tamarack, I would like to negotiate a solution to find a common ground on which we can agree on how the roads will be paved, who will maintain the roads, who will restore the consumed mines and a potential tax break for Twin Lakes Mining Company. 3.company Twin lakes mining companyï ¼Ë†hereafter known as companyï ¼â€°makes significant contribution to tamarackï ¼Å'Minnesota—employing 60% of residentï ¼Å'providing 33% of the city realestate tax base—and is considered an integral entity to the town’s longevity.The city needs Twin Lakes Mining Company to maintain the Current city of tamarack . 4. Government Twin Lakes Mining Company’s operates on a zero deficit city of tamarack nnum decree. Lake mining company has directly caused some problemsï ¼Å'such as the need for improvement concerning water qualityï ¼Å'air qualityï ¼Å'and effluvia and pollution management。The city also relies upon the heave property economiy to provide economicï ¼Å'culture and recreation services to the government community。Twin Lakes Mining Company does not lead the city of tamarack to continue operation in other locations improvement as a corporate entity. 5. Company Our company recognizes the urgency from the city to deal with water qualityï ¼Å'air quality and road maintenanceï ¼Å'escalating demands ï ¼Å'and the overall  climate of the industry accompanied by the financial limitations placed by city of tamarack office。Based on this knowledgeï ¼Å'the following lists embody the issue and objectives to be addressed during the negotiation period。 Issue ï ¼Å¡ Our company treatment plan——the city economy projected growth over the next few years will require an additional water sourceï ¼Å'company must address clean up issue for basic requirement and co-existence with city。 Bond issue——assuming ï ¼Å¸Ã¯ ¼Å¸Million bond would tie company to city Taxes——company is paying too much in taxesï ¼Å'considering them unfair in structure and amountï ¼Å'and is unacceptable Road —Construct paved roads with funds from Twin Lakes Mining Company and restore land near tourist resort areas. | Target: A 25% tax break for Twin Lakes Mining Company in exchange for paved roads and restoring land near tourist areas. |—

World Today :: essays papers

World Today The world today, more than ever, is a steadly shrinking planet, as new technology allows us to cross boundaries and attempt feats that were once only dreams of science fiction novelists. Yet, even as progress roots out old ways of life, and new technology makes obsolete time honored traditions, we never lose sight of the rich cultures to which our earth is home. Even today, the world is still a colorful and vibrant place, filled with a myriad of exotic cultures, each with its own unique and enthralling history and traditions. It is this increasing charm and fascination with the ancient that invariably draws the curiosity of outsiders. This fact has even permeated itself throughout my life. No matter where I go and wherever I end up, there is always some measure of curiosity concerning the other hemisphere of the world. Before and especially following any significant trip, I repeatedly face the same line of inquiry, â€Å"What is the Middle East like?†. To this question I have often respond with a casual and simple answer, â€Å"It’s okay†. Upon my return from the Middle East this past summer however, I began to feel this response horriblyinsufficient, and I decided to contemplate a more meaningful answer. I quickly came across amental block as I started thinking to myself, how could I ever possibly convey the sights, the sounds and the feelings of this region, so vibrant and culturally rich, to anyone who has not had the fortune to see it for themselves? Despite these difficulties, I began to draft my thoughts. In an attempt to bring in perspective the rich and inspiring heritage of the region, I progressively began to picture my most recent vacation to Arabia, and letting my memories take charge, I began describing to the best of my ability t he highlights of my trip. Dawn crept up sluggishly the day I arrived in Saudi Arabia after my twenty-eight hour flight. After fighting, unsuccessfuly, for a few hours of some much needed sleep, I was just about to drift into doze off when the nearby mu’athin announced the dawn prayer, calling all faithful Muslims to their morning religious duty. Trying to turn over and sleep after an exhausting trip, I found my efforts compromised by the piercing bright desert sun that now edged over the horizon. Rousing myself from bed, I readied myself for the coming day, planing and imagining what each successive day would bring. Reintroducing myself to familiar sights, I noticed the same young boys from so

Characterization in the Dentist

Characterization in â€Å"The Dentist† from The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien Name Course January 19, 2012 Instructor Characterization in â€Å"The Dentist† from The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien In â€Å"The Dentist† from The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien begins by telling a story of a character, Curt Lemon, whom O’Brien was not particularly fond of and whose death was not easy to mourn. O’Brien tells a story of Curt Lemon as to avoid sentimentalism. The setting takes place along the South China Sea, in which the men of the platoon are working in an area of operations called the Rocket Pocket. This story of Curt Lemon begins by telling of a visit by an Army dentist who was flown in to examine the men’s teeth and perform minor repairs. O’Brien describes Lemon as tense in this moment, at which point Lemon explains to the men of the platoon that his experiences with dentists in the past have not been pleasant and now he refuses to let anyone mess with his teeth. When he is called in to get his teeth checked, he faints. But later he returns and tells the dentist that he has a severe toothache and insists that it be pulled immediately. Although the dentist finds no problems with Curt Lemon’s tooth, he obliges. It is ironic that Curt Lemon is killed at the Rocket Pocket by a grenade that he was playing catch with, just after he is reassured of his bravery by facing his fear and having his tooth pulled. It is ironic because Lemon is severely afraid of something as typically harmless as a checkup by a dentist, yet completely disregards the potential harm of playing catch with a deadly weapon. The tone is that of an introspective story of memory, as shown through this story of his remembrance of Curt Lemon and the Army dentist as well as the way in which he speaks of Lemon’s experiences with dentists in his past. I believe O’Brien chooses this particular story of Curt and the dentist because it is one of general fondness, which is in line with the tone of the story. This story is somewhat humorous and ironic and these are the types of sentimentalisms that typically remain in one’s introspective memory for a lifetime. The general themes in this story appear to portray the weight of one’s emotional as well as physical burdens. There also seems to be a theme of motivation through a fear of shame, as shown by Curt’s fear of the dentist, which he is ashamed of, which then motivates him to prove his bravery. The Dentist† appears to illustrate physical suffering as an easier burden than that of emotional or mental suffering. The greatest enemy of these soldiers was that which was unknown. Curt Lemon gets his tooth pulled in an attempt appear brave to his platoon and perhaps to be acquainted with the feeling of suffering. Through the act of experiencing this pain and becoming acquainted with this suffering, Curt Lemon’s mind is eased of the anticipation and fear of the unknown suffering he might endure in war. This appears to be an insignificant triumph, but in reality is necessary amid the chaos of war.

A Day in the Life of a Dog

The room felt airy as I woke up in my bed with my duvet wrapped around me. The atmosphere seemed damp and dull; perhaps my Central heating was on the blink again. I stretched and rose from the warm comfort of my bed and slide of my fluffy purple slippers and slowly, shivering walked over to my wardrobe and opened the creaking door and put on my cold but yet soft dressing gown. The radiator was rumbling and as I touched it my hand went numb with the coldness, it wasn't working again. As I turned away from the radiator and headed towards the door to check my thermostat, I tripped up on a book that was on the floor and it my head on the side of my desk. I began to tremble and shake and I had a numb feeling and images of all kinds of dogs in all shapes and sizes, eating, sleeping, and barking appeared in my head. I was scared infact terrified, Why did I have visions of dogs? Why was I imagining myself as a dog? After what seemed like ages, I tried to pick myself up off the carpet, I couldn't. I suddenly realised that I wasn't human anymore. I had four legs, a soft fur coat and I couldn't talk, all I could do was yap and bark. I was frightened. I nervously took a step and my paws pounded to the floor. Why was I a dog? How was I going to cope? What would my family think? I felt odd but I knew that underneath this fur coat and dumb looking face I was still the same person I had been before I turned into a dog. I shook my coat and cleaned it. It was quite an exciting but yet terrifying experience. My sense of smell had grown stronger. I could smell the stench of sweaty socks. I plodded out of my cold bedroom and down the stairs. My paws were cold because the carpet was damp. As I entered the bathroom I saw my reflection in the mirror, it horrified me. I was a little black dog with long, curly haired ears, short stocky legs, a plump elly, deep dark eyes that sparkled in the sunlight and a wet black nose. I was quite pleased with the way I looked, so off I trotted round the house. My tongue was hanging out of my mouth and I was breathing heavily because I was in need of a drink. It was scary because how was I going to adapt to life as a dog. I didn't know how I was going to get a drink or food. The house smelt of curry and garlic from my tea the night before and cigarette smoke lingered in the air. Flowers in the hall made me sneeze. I jumped up onto the settee and looked outside, how I longed for a rink and something to eat. I could feel a breeze coming from the conservatory, the draft was sending chills down my back and my little black hairs were standing on edge. As I wandered into the conservatory I realised the lower window was open at a jar, so I stood back and remembered what I'd seen other dogs do and decided to try leaping, but as I ran and leaped I crashed into the wall. My nose hit the wall and my back legs collapsed beneath me. I lifted my belly and legs off the floor and gave it another go, this time succeeding. I landed on a wet, paved path that wasn't soft on my ensitive paws. I wasn't use to my strong sense of smell and my sensitive fur coat. Dozens of smells hit me. I could smell different types of food, cats, other dogs, birds and human smells. I drank murky water from the path. It was cold and tasted of chlorine. Leaves rustled underneath my feet. I wanted to explore because I didn't know how long I was going to stay as a dog. Firstly though I needed some food. I remembered my little sister putting some nuts and stale bread out for the birds about two or three days ago. I hooked onto the scent that led me to the greenhouse and here it was stale but now soggy bread and a few crumpled nuts. I bolted that down and ran off to the front gate, which was open. Out I wandered onto the pavement. I could hear lots of noises, children screaming, the traffic zooming by and the wind howling round my body. I could smell other dogs and the horrible shabby cat that lived next door; it had one bad eye that use to stare and weep. I wandered off in the direction of the park, passing lots of children whose feet pounded past my body. Some stopped to pat me, roughly grabbing at my coat and others pointed. Was I really that fascinating? I must have looked like a rough, homeless dog that smelt of nasty uncleanliness smells but I didn't care I just wanted to explore. I wandered out in front of traffic which swerved to dodge me and people were cursing at me but I acted all innocently after all to them I was some dumb dog that didn't understand them. As I got closer to the park I could hear other dogs barking and their owners shouting their names. I had no one to look out for me, no ball to play with, no treats to have when I had obeyed them and no one to love me. So I wandered about the park aimlessly sniffing at the other ogs around me, rubbing at their owners legs in the hope that they'd give me some food or affection. After chasing other dogs balls and getting shouted at off their owners I headed for the duck pond. As I drew nearer I could hear all the ducks quacking and I could smell the fishy scent. I got so excited I jumped into the duck pond and tried to catch the ducks but they started flapping their wings and quacking loudly and swam off faster than I could catch them. I felt soggy and wet and on my coat a horrible ponging smell leached. I got out of the pond and shook my coat. I was trembling now with oldness. Mud stuck to my paws, I could feel leaves sticking to my wet smelling coat and I probably looked like a disowned badly behaved dog, well infact I was one, so I decided to head home. I picked up my home scent half way back up the road and followed it to my front door and suddenly there was a shout and a bang and I turned over and realised I had just been dreaming and my little sister had just woke me up. I tried to settle back down in my bed and go back to my dream but it was no use, it had gone. It hadn't been real, it was a dream and not a reality but I was keeping that experience to myself!

6 Methods for Teaching Money Counting Skills

6 Methods for Teaching Money Counting Skills Counting money is a critical functional skill for all students. For children with learning disabilities but average intelligence, money not only gives them access to things they want to purchase, but it also builds a foundation for understanding the base ten systems of numeration. This will help with them learn decimals, percents, the metric system, and other skills that are vital for science, technology, and the social sciences. For students with intellectual disabilities and lower functionality, counting money is one of the skills they will need for self-determination and for the opportunity to live independently in the community. Like all skills, counting and using money needs to be scaffolded,  building on strengths and teaching the baby steps that will lead to independence. Coin Recognition Before students can count coins, they have to be able to correctly identify the most common denominations: pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. For low-function students, this may be a long but worthwhile process. Do not use fake plastic coins for low-functioning students with intellectual or developmental disabilities. They need to generalize coin use to the real world, and the plastic coins do not feel, smell, or even look like the real thing. Depending on the students level, approaches include: Discrete trial training:  Present only two coins at a time. Ask and reinforce correct responses, i.e. Give me a penny, Give me a nickel, Give me a penny, etc.Use errorless teaching: Point to the correct coin if the student picks up the wrong coin or seems to waffle. Collect data and dont introduce a new coin until the child is at least 80 percent accuracy.Coin sorting: After the child has succeeded with discrete trial training, or if the child quickly seems to be distinguishing the coins, you can give them practice by sorting coins. Place a cup for each denomination, and place the mixed coins on the table in front of the child. If the child recognizes numbers, put the coin value on the outside of the cup, or place one of the coins in the cup.Matching coins: A variation of sorting coins is to match them to the values on a cardstock mat. You could add a picture if it helps. Counting Coins The goal is to help your students learn to count coins. Counting money requires understanding the base ten math system and strong skip counting skills. Activities with a hundred chart will help build these skills. The hundred chart can also be used to help teach counting money as well. Money should begin with a single denomination, ideally pennies. Counting pennies could easily accompany learning to count, as well as introducing the cents sign. Then, move on to nickels and dimes, followed by quarters. Number lines and hundred chart:  Make paper number lines to one hundred or hundred charts. When counting nickels, have the students highlight the fives and write the fives (if they are not on the number line). Give students nickels and have them place the nickels on the fives and recite out loud. Placing the coins and reciting out loud make this a multi-sensory unit. Do the same with counting dimes.Giant number line: This activity ramps up the multisensory element of money and skip counting. Paint a giant number line (or get parent volunteers) on a paved portion of the playground or school courtyard, with the numbers one foot apart. Have individual children walk the number line and count the nickels, or get giant nickels from a bulletin board set and have different students stand at different points to count off by fives.Coin templates: Create counting templates by cutting out facsimile coins and pasting them on five-inch by eight-inch file cards (or any size you find most manageab le). Write the value on the card (front for low-functioning children, on the back as a self-correcting activity). Give students nickels, dimes, or quarters and have them count them out. This is an especially useful technique for teaching quarters. You need only make one card with four quarters and the numbers 25, 50, 75, and 100. They can count multiple quarters in rows.

Jimmy Hoffa, Legendary Teamsters Boss

Jimmy Hoffa, Legendary Teamsters Boss Jimmy Hoffa was the controversial boss of the Teamsters Union when he became nationally famous for sparring with John and Robert Kennedy during televised Senate hearings in the late 1950s. He was always rumored to have substantial organized crime connections, and eventually served a sentence in federal prison. When Hoffa first became famous, he projected an aura of a tough guy who was fighting for the little guy. And he did get better deals for the truck drivers who belonged to the Teamsters. But rumors about his links to the mob always overshadowed whatever legitimate accomplishments he had as a labor leader. One day in 1975, a few years after his release from prison, Hoffa went out to lunch and disappeared. At the time it was widely believed he was planning a return to active involvement in the Teamsters, and it was widely assumed that he was the victim of a gangland execution. The search for Jimmy Hoffa became a national sensation and searches for his body have periodically popped up in the news ever since. The mystery about his whereabouts spawned countless conspiracy theories, bad jokes, and enduring urban legends. Early Life James Riddle Hoffa was born in Brazil, Indiana, on February 14, 1913. His father, who labored in the coal industry, died of a related respiratory disease when Hoffa was a child. His mother and Hoffas three siblings lived in relative poverty, and as a teenager Hoffa left school to take a job as a freight worker for the Kroger grocery store chain. In Hoffas early union days he showed a talent for exploiting an opponents weakness. While still a teenager, Hoffa called a strike just as trucks carrying strawberries arrived at a grocery warehouse. Knowing the strawberries wouldnt keep for long, the store had no choice but to negotiate on Hoffas terms. Rise to Prominence The group Hoffa represented, known locally as the Strawberry Boys, joined a Teamsters local, which later merged with other Teamsters groups. Under Hoffas leadership, the local grew from a few dozen members to more than 5,000. In 1932, Hoffa moved to Detroit, along with some friends who worked with him at Krogers, to take a position with Teamsters locals in Detroit. In the labor unrest during the Great Depression, union organizers were targeted for violence by company goons. Hoffa was attacked and beaten, by his count, 24 times. Hoffa picked up a reputation as someone who wouldnt be intimidated. In the early 1940s  Hoffa began to establish links with organized crime. In one incident, he enlisted Detroit gangsters to  run off a rival union from the Congress of Industrial Organizations. Hoffas connections with mobsters made sense. The mob protected Hoffa, and the implicit threat of violence meant his words carried serious weight. In return, Hoffas power in the union locals let mobsters intimidate local business owners. If they didnt pay tribute, the truckers who made deliveries could go out on strike and bring business to a standstill. Connections with mobsters became even more important as the Teamsters amassed a vast amount of money from dues and payments into pension funds. That cash could finance mob ventures, such as the building of casino hotels in Las Vegas. The Teamsters, with Hoffas help, became a piggy bank for organized crime families. Sparring With the Kennedys Hoffas power within the Teamsters grew in the early 1950s. He became the unions top negotiator in 20 states, where he famously fought for the rights of the truck drivers he represented. The rank and file workers came to love Hoffa, often clamoring to shake his hand at union conventions. In speeches delivered in a gravelly voice, Hoffa projected a tough guy persona. In 1957, a powerful U.S. Senate committee investigating labor racketeering began to hold hearings focused on the Teamsters. Jimmy Hoffa came up against the Kennedy brothers, Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts, and his younger brother Robert F. Kennedy, a counsel to the committee. In dramatic hearings, Hoffa tangled with the senators, parrying their questions with streetwise quips.  And nobody could miss  the particular dislike Robert Kennedy and Jimmy Hoffa had for each other. When Robert Kennedy became attorney general in his brothers administration, one of his priorities was to put Jimmy Hoffa behind bars. A federal case against Hoffa finally did convict him in 1964. After a series of appeals, Hoffa began serving a federal prison sentence in March 1967.   Pardon and Attempted Comeback In December 1971, President Richard Nixon commuted Hoffas sentence and he was released from prison. The Nixon administration included a provision with the commutation that he not become involved with union activity until 1980. By 1975, Hoffa was  rumored to be exerting influence within the Teamsters while officially having no involvement. He told associates, and even a few journalists, that he was going to get even with those in the union and the mob who had betrayed him and helped send him to prison. On July 30, 1975, Hoffa  told family members he was going to meet someone for lunch at a restaurant in suburban Detroit. He never returned from his lunch date, and he was never seen or heard from again. His disappearance quickly became a major news story across America. The FBI and local authorities chased down countless tips, but actual clues were scant. Hoffa had vanished, and was widely assumed to have been the victim of a mob hit. Disappearance As a peculiar coda to such a tumultuous life, Hoffa became eternally famous. Every few years another theory of his murder would emerge. And periodically the FBI would receive a tip from mob informant and send crews to dig up backyards or remote fields. One supposed tip from a mobster grew into a classic urban legend: Hoffas body was rumored to be buried under the end zone of Giants Stadium, which had been built in the New Jersey Meadowlands at roughly the time Hoffa had disappeared. Comedians told jokes playing on Hoffas disappearance for years. According to a New York Giants fan site, sportscaster Marv Albert, while broadcasting a Giants game, said a team was kicking toward the Hoffa end of the stadium. For the record, the stadium was demolished in 2010, and no trace of Jimmy Hoffa was discovered under the end zones.

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Enterprise Target Status - Research Paper Example The implementation of internal network is also hidden behind routers. All firewall's and routers have also been protected with passwords only known to employee from network administration department (Lammle, 2007). Network desired status There is a need to ensure that the software that is being adopted is shared amongst the various departments. . ERP handles all the activities that are done in the human resource department using integrated software. Its primary function is to enable the exchange of information between all the sections in the department. It also gives an opportunity to the employees to check their status concerning payment, personal information, tax information and employment data. More so, the system has a user friendly interface which enables the user to complete the intended task with a lot of simplicity. In addition, the system is able to track all the details about the employee’s vacation automatically using a project planner (Porter, 2010). The role that is played by a good network in the company cannot be underrated since without it, different computers that support the system cannot communicate with each other and with the database server. There are three network components that are used to automate a business. These are the network operating system, the physical connection and the application components (Ross, Weill, & Robertson, 2006). Network operating system is the suitable operating protocol that facilitates communication. The sending and receiving of information is made possible by the NOS. It is the software that manages the exchange of data between the client computer and the server. The ability of the server to accommodate large number of client computers and enable them to exchange data and information is due to the presence of suitable NOS (Saha, 2007). The network operating system that is used in the in the department uses TCP/IP (transfer control protocol/internet protocol). The most common NOS are UNIX, Windows NT se rver, Linux, and OS WARP server. One issue that has been problematic for most business organizations is the creation and maintenance of enterprise-wide technology architecture. This case is currently seen in most organizations that have been analyzed before. When middleware options began to proliferate so did companies in their use of web technologies with integrated systems. However, creating web instituted e-business systems that respond to this challenge are complex. This means that companies have to struggle to integrate diverse and unique databases and applications that are developed in diverse languages. This means that the organization had to acquire diverse middleware systems. This will be done to respond to enterprise application integration as a major challenge in its enterprise architecture process (Porter, 1985). The organizations will have to establish and maintain a neutral ground with respect to the nature if technology architecture that is compatible to enterprise-wi de technology architecture. It embraces all information technology issues in the organization, which encompasses technical, informational, application and infrastructural architecture. This is the reason why the companies will have to adopt common object request broker architecture (CORBA) to integrate different languages in an intermediary (Buchanan, 2002). In conclusion, enterprise architecture helps companies or business organizations become effective with the use of information techn

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Should the Government Bail out the Auto Industry - Essay Example Further, US automobile industry is dominated by three major players namely Chrysler, General Motors and Ford. However, from the year 2003, the scenario in the U.S. automobile industry has dramatically transformed. At present, the lion’s share of cars sold in the U.S market were either assembled or manufactured by foreign manufacturers at their new North American manufacturing units which is famously known as â€Å"transplant facilities† or imported. Due to cut throat competition, the big three U.S. auto majors now have to concentrate only in light trucks manufacturing and even there, they are being encountered by competition from foreign manufacturers. Since 1980, on financial ground, the major three big players of U.S.A have laid off more than 600,000 jobs. Michigan has been the worst affected state since more than 100,000 individuals have lost their jobs in the automobile industry since 1980. It is to be noted that in 1980, Regan administration had been urged to negotiate quotas on imports from Japan. Nonetheless, by and large U.S deficit in automotive trade deficit in automotive commerce had enlarged from $ 10 billion in 1979 to in excess of $150 billion per annum in 2000 despite of high quantum of inward remittances by foreign automobile manufacturers and a fall in the imports as foreign model cars have been manufactured at transplant assembly facilities in U.S.A itself. In 1980, U.S. had framed policies intended at demanding foreign automobile manufactures operating from America to manufacture more of the model of cars that they sell to America and some other policies intended at increasing awareness of consumers about imported vehicles and automobile parts, like the American Automobile Labeling Act, seem to have had no effect on t he increase of this sector’s trade deficit. In 2004, the trade deficit with the Japan was more than $48 billion and the U.S exports to Japan were just $ 2 billion Further, U.S.A trade deficit with Korea

Trends: The Labour Market In Oman

Trends: The Labour Market In Oman Introduction This paper presents an analysis of the following within the working context of the author who is working as External Relations Manager for Bank Muscat, in the Banks Head Office in Muscat. Main issues and trends in the labour market in Oman that impact the key competences of the organisation Bank Muscat, Oman An Evaluation of the Strategic approaches to HRM that can improve organisational performance Organisations approaches to HRM toward Talent Management After the analysis and evaluation of the above HRM issues and approaches, this report concludes with some recommendations for improving the performance in Bank Muscat, where the author is working as its External Relations Manager. Issues and Trends in the Labour Market in Oman Labour market issues and trends are driven by labour market structure and labour diversity (Schuler Jackson, 2007). The labour market in Oman is composed of indigenous Omani workers and expatriate workers (Al-Lamki, 2005) who have different national cultures (with different ethnicities) which give rise to labour diversity (Triandis et al, 1994) as well. Like its member countries of the GCC-Gulf Cooperation Council, Omans labour market is tight which always poses recruitment difficulties (Metcalfe, 2007). The GCC Gulf Cooperation Council countries (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, the UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar) do not have sufficient indigenous skilled work force  [1]  as a result of which the GCC countries had been relying very heavily on imported work force for their economic development. According to the World Tribune report  [2]  , Omans expatriate work force constitutes a majority of 54% of the total work force in the country. As per the recent statistics published by the Ministry of National Economy (2009), Oman, the expatriate population stood at 900,248 against the Omani population of 1,967,180 at mid year 2008. In other words, these statistics indicate that from only a third of the nations population the expatriates occupy a high 54% of the labour market in Oman. In consequence of the above, the Government of Oman has been implementing its Omanisation Policy vigorously since the start of year 2009 (although the Governments Omanisation Policy has been active in the country since 1988 when it was introduced by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said through the Ministry of Civil Services to replace the expatriate work force with local Omani work force) in the private sector. This is due to the fact that the Governments implementation of its Omanisation Policy has been successful so far only in the Omani public sector and not in the private sector as the sector still relies heavily on the expatriate work force (Table 1). Nonetheless the banking sector in Oman is an exception to the poor Omanisation in the private sector (Al-Lamki, 2005). Table 1: Employment of Omanis in the Private Sector  [3]   Currently there are 17 commercial banks, including Bank Muscat, in Oman. Bank Muscat is the largest and leading commercial bank in Oman  [4]  . Bank Muscat has been continuously striving to improve its human resources to enhance its operations as well as to contribute to the further development of national human resources. Currently, Bank Muscat has a very high 92% Omanisation rate which has earned the Bank the prestigious GCC-Level Achievement in Nationalisation of Human Resources in November 2009  [5]  . The Bank also continues to be a heavy investor in information technology to keep itself on top of the competition. Bank Muscat has won for the ninth consecutive year in 2009 the Best Consumer Internet Bank award from the prestigious Global Finance. Service sector organisations are labour intensive and in consequence the human resources represent a substantial portion of the overall operating cost of the service organisation (Massey, 1994). Also human resources cost continues to be one of the most difficult expenses to control in organisations yet it is the critical most factor that affects organisational performance (Pfeffer, 1998). These views apply very well to Bank Muscat also. Being an operator in the services sector where in the customers and the employees engage in direct contact (Schneider et al, 1980), and driven to be more cautious in conducting its daily business due to the current global economic crisis, Bank Muscats major focus of its HRM practice is directed at enhancing customer services through effective customisation of banking products and efficient delivery of quality banking services in a cost-effective way. It would be pertinent here to mention Bank Muscats Mission and its Quality Policy. Bank Muscats Mission Statement Quality Policy Bank Muscats Mission Statement is effectively combined with its Vision Statement which states that, Over one million satisfied customers by 2010 through continuous enhancement of stakeholder value  [6]  . And Bank Muscats Quality Policy Statement states, Our Quality Policy is to achieve and sustain a reputation for quality in the national and international markets by offering products and services that exceed the requirements of our customers. We strive to remain the bank of first choice in all our product and services  [7]  . Accordingly, Bank Muscats strategic emphasis is on building further its sources of competitive advantage which are strong community of satisfied customers and quality offerings of banking products and services. Further the financial services market in Oman (Bank Muscat competes directly with HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank, Oman International Bank, National Bank of Oman, Bank Dhofar, Bank Saderat Iran, and Bank Sohar) is becoming relatively more competitive than the financials services market in the neigbouring Qatar. Currently Bank Muscat runs 125 branches, operates 362 ATMs and 112 CDMs, and 4,200 PoS terminals throughout Oman. And another 3 more branches are going to be opened soon in the other cities of Oman, namely, Sohar, Salalah, and Sur. Human Resource Investment Bank Muscat considers its investment in its human resources as the most valuable asset which forms the basis for the Banks operations. In as much as the Banks human resources contain highly-skilled and experienced people, it also has newly recruited staffs that are relatively low-skilled as they are fresh University Graduates. Human resource movements are caused by recruitments and exits. Since bulk of Bank Muscats operations occur in the Banks retail branches, from time to time Bank Muscat recruits new Omani staffs in order to meet its human resource requirements, based on its formal recruitment and selection policies, at its new branches. There are no effects on the movements in the Banks human resources due to employee leaving. For instance, the employee turnover rate at the end of 2009 was 0% for the third consecutive time, as there were no exits due to resignation, retirement, or termination. For senior positions at the branches staffs are appointed through internal recruitment job promotions (e.g. Assistant Manager to Branch Manager) and the resultant vacancies are filled through the recruitment of new Omani staffs. Competence and Training and Development In view of the above Bank Muscat requires its new staffs with low-skills (who are currently filling in the first-line staffs mostly in the clerical cadre) to upgrade their skills. Acquisitions of higher level skills by these staffs would help the Bank to provide its quality-integrated services to its customers much more vigorously in the pursuit of its strategic mission and vision through a high quality services strategy and at the same time complying with the Governments Omanisation targets. Accordingly, the present HR competence needs of Bank Muscat are derived from the necessity to up skilling its young Omani staffs within the Banks need to maintain competitive advantage against the ongoing rapid changes in the business environment in Oman. To this end the Bank Muscats HR goals are currently focussed in training and development: To reduce skills shortages in the area of complex tasks To Encourage learning to acquire Bank specific-business knowledge for obtaining higher efficiency as well as to cope with changes To provide opportunities for personal and professional development and career growth To forge long term employment tenure on the basis of competence and skills-advancement (through higher/professional education) for entry-level staffs. Strategic Approaches to HRM for Improving Organisational Performance In todays rapidly changing competitive business environment, human resource management is being increasingly considered as a critical part of the strategic management (Sheehan, 2005; Schuler Jackson, 2007) and in consequence Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) as a field in itself has been increasingly applied since the 80s as part of management practice (Becker Huselid, 2006). According to Tichy et al (1982) the strategic approach to HRM is known as Strategic Human Resource Management. The strategic alignment of HRM with the organisations business strategies would contribute to enhanced organisational performance (ibid). Strategic Human Resource Management is defined by Ulrich (1997, p.89) as, the process of linking HR practices to business strategy. The outcome of the application of strategic human resource management is HR Strategy: the mission, vision, and priorities of the HR function (ibid, p.190). Managers can contribute more in the form of value-addition to the firm through the strategic use of their human resource competencies (Mullins, 2007). A strategic approach to HRM for improving organisational performance would demand the matching of the needs and talents of people with that of the organisations objectives (ibid). In other words, a competency-based HRM system can provide an organisation to sustain as well as develop its peoples competencies for the organisations future success. Four-task Model of HRM Schuler et al (2001, p.115), through their Four-task Model of HRM, assert that a strategic approach to HRM would contribute to the development of an effective HR plan which would help improve organisation performance by carrying out effectively the following four core HR activities: The organisation maintains the right number of people Employees are equipped with the right work knowledge and job skills for rendering efficient and effective performance (competence) Employee relationships and behaviour are consistent with the culture and values of the organisation. Employees are motivated adequately to meet the organisations needs. When these core activities are effectively carried out the resulting changes in the human resources in the form of employee attitudes and behaviours within a right organisational climate should lead the organisations successful performance (Bowen Ostroff, 2004). For instance these four core activities can help an organisation to create cultures that maintain its unique competencies, promote social relationships built on mutual trust, knowledge sharing, and teamwork (Schuler Jackson, 2007). Together these imply that an organisation which develops employees to acquire better work skills, become more knowledgeable, and achieve higher competencies would be able to effectively promote improved organisational performance. High Performance Work Practices (HPWPs) A key approach to SHRM is high performance work practices (Huselid, 1995). HPWPs are considered by researchers to produce positive effects on an organisations financial and business performance (Appelbaum et al, 2000; Schuler Jackson, 2007). When individuals are provided with the right environment and collaborative team work with adequate job discretion it is highly likely that they would produce high individual performances which collectively would lead to accomplishing a successful organisational performance (Becker Huselid, 2006). In order to do this the management of the organisation should use high performance work practices (Huselid, 1995). In other words use of high performance work practices would impact positively on both individual performance and organisational performance. HPWPs include employee empowerment, employee training, and teamwork (ibid) and talent management and staff retention (Huselid et al, 2005). Likewise high performance HR practices that includes a rigorous selection of staffs and robust training and development systems to increase employee ability levels and skills, supported by comprehensive incentive schemes to motivate employees, and empowering employees, have positive impact on employee productivity and organisational performance (Appelbaum et al, 2000). These HPWPs can lead an organisation to the development of skilled employees who actively engage in producing successful behaviours for the organisation which thus form a key source of competitive advantage to generate mutually beneficial outcomes to obtain higher organisational operating performances (Schuler Jackson, 2007). HPWPs lead to the achievement of these favourable organisational operating performances through the improved social structure within the organisation that greatly assist in better communication and higher cooperation among the work force (Appelbaum et al, 2000). Employee empowerment today is considered as part of talent management (Bux Tay, 2010). Hence, these two key HR practices that are in use at Bank Muscat have been discussed: in the next section 2.2.1, namely, employee empowerment; and talent management, including employee empowerment in Bank Muscat have been discussed in section 3 later. Employee Empowerment Only when individuals are empowered and made to get involved they can become an organisations most valued employees as a consequence of which they would become the right people who can offer value creation both for the organisation and its customers (Sarkar, 2009). Mullins (2007, p.702) defines employee empowerment as, allowing employees greater freedom, autonomy and self-control over their work, and responsibility for decision-making. According to Spreitzer (1995), employee empowerment is a motivational factor that embeds: employee competences and consistent behaviour and ability to initiate and regulate actions, which collectively influences operating performances in the organisation. The concept of employee empowerment is about leaders giving up their control in order to get the desired results for the organisation (Gretton, 1995 in Mullins, 2007). This is supported by Spreitzer (1995) who states that leaders can become more effective if only they can give up their power, but retain responsibility, to their staffs and teams. An effective management of employee empowerment is capable of producing a large number of benefits to an organisation from the top level to the bottom level (Mullins, 2007). By empowering its employees an organisation can improve both the individual ability and the organisational ability to perform successfully (ibid). Further, employee empowerment can be used as a successful organisational tool to raise employee productivity and profits (ibid). Likewise, empowerment facilitates employees to become innovative and render good performance since conflicts can be greatly avoided and more cooperation can be obtained (Spreitzer, 1995). Appelbaum et al (2000) suggest that empowerment enables greater utilisation of employee knowledge, abilities, and skills which in turn makes them cooperate more in the form of teamwork (Spreitzer, 1995). In many organisations HR role is restricted to routine tasks like hiring and firing, implementing the decisions made by others on pay and benefits (Frost et al, 2002). However, if the HR managers are empowered, then they would be engaged in much deeper aspects of recruitment, selection, and retention, employee training and development and focus strongly on workplace diversity which can contribute to increasing their competence and encourage them to empower their staffs in order to enhance the business and financial performance (ibid). Approaches to Talent Management It would be useful to understand the meaning behind two key words: Talent and Talent Management. CIPD of the UK provides two critical definitions on Talent and Talent Management as follows  [8]  : Talent Talent consists of those individuals who can make a difference to organisational performance, either through their immediate contribution or in the longer-term by demonstrating the highest levels of potential. Talent Management Talent management is the systematic attraction, identification, development, engagement/ retention and deployment of those individuals who are of particular value to an organisation, either in view of their high potential for the future or because they are fulfilling business/operation-critical roles. As discussed earlier, Bank Muscat operates in the services sector and by nature is a labour intensive Company whose main objective of running its banking operations is to provide high-quality customer services in banking and finance. And in this pursuit the role of the Banks people is critical in adding value not only to the customer services they render but also add value to Bank Muscat, thus eventually adding value to the Banks stakeholders. In view of the above and given the diversity of the work force of Bank Muscat, talent management at the Bank would have implications for recruitment and selection of competent staffs and staff retention. Further in terms of succession planning the Bank also has a need to mentor/coach future leaders/managers for Bank Muscat. Figure 1 illustrates the Talent Management framework at Bank Muscat which has been reproduced from the talent management framework supported by the Government of Australia for managing skill shortages  [9]  . Accordingly the following HR activities will be discussed here: Staff Recruitment and Selection Strategic Human Resource Development Mentoring Staff Retention. In addition to the above employee empowerment in Bank Muscat has been discussed as part of the Companys talent management practice under the heading Strategic Human Resource Development. Figure 1: Talent Management Framework The major recruitment and selection objective of Bank Muscat is to attract and retain and thus have the right people with core competencies to enable the Bank to continue to maintain its competitive advantage as a the countrys leading bank in terms of profits, net assets, and up to date IT infrastructure. According to Pollitt (2004, p.24) the following are the core competencies expected from the workers by organisations world wide. These are: Well developed leadership skills, The ability to shift attitudes and behaviors, The capacity to exert effective influence and work through others, The talent for successful partnership working and, most importantly, having the potential to adapt quickly to internal and external change, and To get that change owned and embedded in an organization. Given the low level availability of talent with the above core competencies recruiting right people now is much harder for organisations (ibid). This is particularly true in the case of Bank Muscat which requires people with the above skills and consequential difficulties in finding and recruiting such talent within the tight labour market in Oman. Main (2008) asserts that retaining highly skilled staff is a better option than recruiting new talent as recruiting would not only be an expensive option but also would be time-consuming in the present economic conditions, which applies to Bank Muscat as well though staff recruitment and selection process cannot be ignored. Staff Recruitment and Selection As mentioned earlier the labour market in Oman is differentiated in terms of the composition of the workforce (indigenous workers and expatriate workers). Further Oman has a tight labour market (like its other GCC member nations) which makes recruitment and staffing of employees extremely difficult due to the domestic shortage of skilled people on the one hand and the available young work force lack work experience and the required job skills. In the current economic downturn more and more employers are driven by the need to attract and retain workers with high skills and competencies to improve their organisational performances (Lunau, 2009). Many firms in Oman are experiencing low business and Bank Muscat is no exception which is indicated by a 21% drop in its annual profits for 2010 at OR73.7 million (about USD191.4 million)  [10]  . Nonetheless, aided by its human resource planning the Bank is on the look out for new workers to meet its staffing requirements for succession planning as well as its ongoing retail branch expansions. Without clear job descriptions any recruitment and selection process would be a failure (Frost et al, 2005). For example, the recruitment and selection process in some of the Omani public sector undertakings were criticised by the State Audit institution of Oman. The key to Bank Muscats recruitment and selection process is the use of clear job descriptions for recruiting the right people. Further since competence is considered as the critical element of Bank Muscats HR practices, priority is given to internal recruitment through promotions which actually helps the team members to work with maximum initiatives, increased expectations, and higher motivation. Strategic Human Resource Development (SHRD) Incorporating the core competencies of human resources and relating them for improving organisational performance is the purpose of strategic human resource development (Bratton Gold, 2007). When strategic human resource development is aligned the corporate strategies of the organisation it can lead to the creation of organisation-specific knowledge and skills (Garavan et al, 2007) which will also help build the core competencies of human resources. An effective recruitment and selection process should complement and support the training and development process (Boxall Purcell, 2003 in Bratton Gold, 2007). Accordingly, Bank Muscats recruitment and selection process is complemented by its training and development process which primarily focuses on building strong customer relationships. Training for Skill and Competence Development at Bank Muscat For this purpose, the Bank has been operating successfully its own Management Development Centre since year 2005 as part of its SHRD. Each training programme at the Centre is driven by the HR Departments training needs assessment exercise. This internal training and development Centre handles the training of the low-skilled employees on one end and high-skill positions on the other end. Training is imparted by training consultants from Dubai, London, and Australia who are supported by 3 full-time professional trainers of the Centre. The Centres training emphasis is based on self learning and Job-integrated learning. And the taught instructions along with the workshop learning programmes are delivered by the trainers who interact freely on a dialogue-basis rather than on a monologue-basis, encourage the trainees to participate more actively in the training and development process. The newly recruited low-skilled employees undergo a short and vigorous training to skill them for their current jobs. Likewise, mid-level skilled employees are trained on a regular basis to develop their current skills to high skills. In other words, both these skill groups receive training for advancing their careers within Bank Muscat. As for junior executive positions customised training programmes are provided at the Banks cost through the College of Banking and Financial Studies (CBFS), Muscat. These training programmes are revised from time to time to keep them up to date in terms of relevance to meet Bank Muscats HR needs. To ensure this the Banks HR Director and the College engage in the course revisions. Additionally, for senior executive positions Bank Muscat provides fully funded educational support for the MBA programmes from the UK. However, it is left to the choice of the individual staffs to pursue the MBA programmes. Nonetheless, employees from all the three skill-level categories receive full career guidance from the Management Development Centres Career Counsellor. Performance Appraisals in Bank Muscat Staff progress and promotion are based on formal performance appraisals in Bank Muscat. Performance appraisals are carried out mainly by the branch managers and within the Banks Head Office they are carried out by the departmental managers (e.g. Manager SME Department). Informational inputs to the branch and the departmental managers for these performance appraisals come through the 360 degree feedback process (including customer complaints). Employees of Bank Muscat are expected to have knowledge and understanding of the banking products. Therefore, performance of employees in the Bank is measured on the basis of their sales performances in the branches i.e. sale of the banking products (housing and auto loans, special savings accounts, fixed deposit schemes, Bank Muscat Credit Cards, etc). Once the performance appraisal process is completed the concerned managers and their staffs meet to discuss poor performance issues and commendations. This dialogue is facilitated by the open communication (which is continuously kept alive due to the employee empowerment practice in Bank Muscat). To the knowledge of this author the follow-up to poor performances resulted in the issues being solved rather than the same employee being found fault with, in terms of poor performance, again. Accordingly, none of the Banks employees has ever been reprimanded or were subject to any disciplinary actions by the Banks superiors. Employee Empowerment in Bank Muscat As discussed under section 2.2.1 earlier, employee empowerment is part of the talent management practice in Bank Muscat. Employee empowerment in Bank Muscat is carried out through: A simple 15 minutes briefing before the opening hours of the Bank on each first day of the week (which in Oman is Sunday for the Banks only) by the heads of the divisions/Branch Managers with their respective staffs. Direct communications in the form of intra-mail to the staffs from their bosses. Introduction of team-based work groups across SME Banking, Housing Loan, and Auto Loans that are linked with group bonus schemes for the team members. Active encouragement by departmental managers to engage their team members in planning and decision making relating to customer service issues and issues relating to operations. Above all the HR Executives directly report to the Banks CEO. By empowering its employees through delegation their productivity (faster processing of customer services) Bank Muscat has been able to keep its profitability up even in the current recessionary time. Mentoring A key strategy in the talent management is to put together the employees and their mentors to transfer the mentors skills, experience, and work behaviours to up-skill employee competencies in order obtain higher-levels of organisational performance (Murray, 2001). The purpose of mentoring process is to transfer professional, technical, and generic skills to people who will continue working in the organisation (ibid). In other words the mentoring process would help employees to stay with the organisation and thus ensure not only in retaining their talent but also help the organisation in its succession planning (ibid; Main, 2008). For example, banking companies stand to benefit from the mentoring process in the form of decreasing time needed to master customer service skills (Murray, 2001, p.36). Bank Muscats major objective is to capture key organisational knowledge from its senior leaders who are approaching their retirement and ensure knowledge-sharing among all its staffs. Based on the outline provided by Murray (2001, p.36) the other objectives of Bank Muscats mentoring process are: To improve retention by making our experienced and skilled people feel more valued To improve results-profit or other-with people who are more competent, confident, experienced, and motivated To ensure representation of diverse groups at all levels of the organization To enable our people to learn to work with others with different education, ages, cultures, physical abilities, etc. To improve communication across functional and divisional lines. Bank Muscat applies this to its staffs at all levels i.e. from new workers to newly promoted Managers. In particular the following details the formal mentoring process at Bank Muscat: Each newly promoted Manager will be paired with a mentor. New young recruits and those who are in their early career stages are paired with senior staff members for ensuring their training and retention. Senior members of the staff are to identify leadership and managerial talent and coach them to excel in their present and future work. Special rewards are given to managers whose mentoring leads to staff retention (over a 5-year minimum period). During the last 3 years the top management carried out 4 promotions among assistant branch managers and 3 promotions among branch supervisors among the branches in the Muscat area. Staff Retention The noted management consultancy company, McKinsey Company recommends the creation of Employee Value Proposition (EVP) as a strong means to retain talent in organisations (Brannick, 2001). Four elements make up the EVP (ibid, p.30): Great Company Company and its people care mutually for each other. Employees have pride in working for the company. Great Job Employees feel that their work is highly valued and their talents and achievements are duly recognised by their company. Great Leaders People who provide