Survey of job Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Survey of job - Assignment Example They cited large pay and stability of income in choosing a job in the private sector as well as the training they could get from it in addition to their education. They also cited doing what they would like to do and have professional satisfaction. They cited that the prestige in working in their home country lies in the corporate world and business. Most works first in the corporate world to get an experience and feel of the business world then put up their own business. Business is also perceived well in their culture and is desired by many to be the road towards financial success and being in control of their time (that is, they do not have to wake early morning to go work and experience the heavy Manila traffic). Regarding working in the government, they were asked if it is possible to get jobs in the government even if you are from a middle-class family. They said yes for as long as the prospective applicant is well connected. They mentioned that while there are some middle class background Filipinos can get into the government with their own merits, most still depends on one’s connections. If one has connections either from relatives, family friendship or political patrons it is almost certain that one can get into the government. Most of them frown on working for the government because government is generally perceived to be corrupt and incompetent. There is prestige in working for government in their home country. They also worry that their education may become useless because of the bureaucracy. The backgrounds of the respondents vary with some taking business administration, some in line with education and engineering. In their culture, most honest jobs in the corporate and business world is respected and has prestige if one is good at it. They generally strive for jobs that they believe they like with all of the jobs including law, business, education and corporate having the same level of

Little Albert and David Reimer: Ethical Analysis

Little Albert and David Reimer: Ethical Analysis Ethics Essay Introduction All psychological studies focusing on human being needs to obtain ethical approval by the Psychology Research Ethics Committee. Psychologist wishing to conduct a research/study must first submit a filled in form of psychology ethics committee application cover page, write up a detail proposal describing the research process and attach any supporting documents. These steps are compulsory prior to research in order to protect participants from inhumane harm. Due to past examples of highly unethical research like the â€Å"Little Albert† experiment and â€Å"David Reimer† experiment, it has triggered psychological societies to issue a code of ethics in psychology which provides ethical guidelines for researchers. The code of ethics includes informed consent, voluntary participation, right to withdraw, accurate reporting, do no harm, debriefing and desensitisation. Experiment 1 – Unethical Reasons The first example of past research that would be considered unethical by today’s guidelines is the â€Å"Little Albert† experiment. The experiment is conducted in 1920 at John’s Hopkins University by behavioural psychologist John B. Watson and his assistant. The purpose of the experiment was to investigate whether fear is something born with or can be learned due to exposure of environmental influences; and if phobia can be developed by classical conditioning. The participant was 9 month old infant, Little Albert. In the experiment, Little Albert was first exposed to various white or furry objects and happenings that usually cause fear. Next, a white lab rat was given to Albert and he showed no fear. Watson then made loud banging sounds behind Albert’s back every time he touched the rat – Little Albert cried. He became upset when he was exposed to the white rat again as he linked the rat with the banging noise produced. First of all, the experiment has breached the â€Å"do no harm† guideline as Little Albert was not protected from psychological harm – the main purpose of the experiment is to test if fear can be developed by classical conditioning. Also, Watson knew that there will be not be sufficient time left to treat any possible fears/harms caused. Secondly, the â€Å"voluntary participation† guideline is breached as Little Albert did not volunteer for the study, he is too young. Little Albert was chosen from the hospital where his mother worked as a wet nurse. She is financially dependent on the hospital for income and feared that she would lose her job if she disagreed Little Albert’s participation. In addition, she received $1 for Little Albert’s participation in the experiment. In a way, she was forced to agree for participation in order to keep her job and due to aid in financial struggles. Thirdly, the â€Å"informed consent† guideline is breached as his mother was never informed about the procedure, the pros cons and withdrawal rights of the experiment. Lastly, the â€Å"desensitisation and debriefing† guideline is breached as there was no removal of ill effects and Little Albert was never treated for his fears as he left the hospital right after the experiment ended. As a result, Little Albert developed fears towards anything that was white fluffy and grown up having a phobia of dogs. Improvements There are guidelines to ensure that the â€Å"Little Albert† experiment could be run ethically. Firstly, the do no harm and desensitisation guideline could be linked together. Watson should have suggested treatment plans to help remove the harm and cause of fear of Little Albert. This is extremely crucial in protecting the participants from future psychological problems that may have a significant impact on their lives. Secondly, Watson should have chosen other babies who didn’t have parents who worked in that hospital, so that they do not feel pressured to accept the request. Also, Watson should not use money to gain agreement for participation. Lastly, Watson should have properly inform Little Albert’s mom about the experiment procedure and make it clear that he had the right to withdraw from the experiment at any time without any problems caused. Experiment 2 – Unethical The second example of past research that would be considered unethical by today’s guidelines is the â€Å"David Reimer† experiment. The experiment is conducted in 1965 at John’s Hopkins Hospital by sexologist Dr Money. The purpose of the experiment was to prove that nurture, instead of nature determines gender identity and sexual orientation. The participant was 22 month old baby, David Reimer. In the experiment, the baby underwent a sex re–assignment surgery where his testes were surgically removed. David (now Brenda) changed his name and was brought up as a female. The plan failed when his family finally revealed her original gender at age 15. First of all, the experiment has breached the â€Å"do no harm† guideline as David Reimer experienced severe psychological harm – he committed suicide at age 38. Also, the experiment has indirectly caused harm to his family: his mom was suicidal, his dad was alcoholic and his twin brother was severely depressed committed suicide at the end. Secondly, the â€Å"voluntary participation† guideline is breached as David Reimer did not volunteer for the study, his parents were equally horrified by the suggestion of a sex change, but eventually agreed to the procedure. Little did they know Dr Money’s real intention – to use David to prove his â€Å"theory of gender neutrality†, which states that gender can be trained by being brought up in an appropriate environment. Thirdly, the â€Å"informed consent† guideline is breached as his parents were not properly informed of the experiment. They were not told what was going on during the kidsâ€⠄¢ yearly meetings with Dr Money. Fourthly, the â€Å"accurate reporting† guideline is breached. Dr Money wrote a report on his study and claimed that the experiment was a huge success and that his theory is supported, which greatly contradicts the data from previous reports. It is clear that the Reimer family were having huge psychological issues – David wasn’t living up to his role as Dr Money had described in his report. Dr Money has falsified the outcome of the experiment. Lastly, the â€Å"withdrawal rights† is breached as David and his twin brother Brian were forced to travel to Baltimore for yearly meetings with Dr Money until they refused (not because they had the right to withdraw, but because they were too frightened to see him) Improvements There are guidelines to ensure that the â€Å"David Reimer† experiment could be run ethically. Firstly, Dr Money should have suggested a psychiatrist to evaluate David and provide counselling treatment to aid in his acceptance of his true gender. Dr Money should have suggested treatment centres for the Reimer family to visit to remove all negative effects caused by the hidden truth of David’s real gender. Secondly, Dr Money should have debrief the Reimer family of his real intentions of using David as an experimental object is due to selfishness, instead of persuading them to believe that a sex change is indeed the best advice that Dr Money can give. Thirdly, Dr Money should have informed David’s parents of what he did during the yearly meetings. In those meetings, he frightened the twins by using disgusting and inappropriate ways to make a clear cut difference between feminine and masculine. He made David and his twin perform sexual acts and took photos of them naked. Lastly, Dr Money should have accurately report his experiment results. Many textbooks were re-written just to publish his theory that he stated as supported, which in reality just clearly contradicts the whole experiment result when David committed suicide due to depression. Conclusion All in all, when there weren’t any ethical guidelines in the past, unethical experiments can be conducted by psychologists for selfish and illegitimate reasons. It is due to such unethical experiments that urged psychological societies to issue a code of ethics in order to protect the participants from inhumane harm. All psychologist have to strictly follow the guidelines in order to obtain approval to conduct their intended experiment. Due to the lack of guidelines in the past, Little Albert was psychologically harmed that he developed a phobia which was not treated. David Reimer was also psychologically harmed as he was not informed of his original gender until 15 years later where his whole family broke down psychologically. Previously, â€Å"she† was so confused and was often teased about her questionable gender identity, which also impacted on her self-esteem. In reality, both experiments could be run ethically even if a code of ethics was not issued in the early days. However, this is dependent on the degree of common sense and humaneness the psychologist designs the experiment. Referencing Introduces the reader to the fact that psychological research today must follow ethical guidelines. Briefly states what these guidelines are. Explains that there are examples of past research that would breach today’s guidelines. Describes an example of past research that would be considered unethical by today’s guidelines. Explains why it would be classed as unethical i.e. which guidelines are breached and how. Makes specific suggestions as to how the research could be run ethically. If this is not possible, then argues why not. Describes a second example of past research that would be considered unethical by today’s guidelines.. Explains why it would be classed as unethical i.e. which guidelines are breached and how. Makes specific suggestions as to how the second example of research could be run ethically. If this is not possible, then argues why not. Sums up main points of the essay (does not introduce any new information or ideas). Harvard in-text referencing and a full reference list is essential

Pedogenesis in Western Washington and Northern Alaska: A Comparison of

Pedogenesis in Western Washington and Northern Alaska: A Comparison of the Primary Factors Introduction: Pedology is partially based on the established principle that soil changes are directly correlated to specific biotic communities and regional climatic patterns. From this principle questions have arisen as to why the Arctic tundra that lies above the treeline in Alaska displays similar chemical characteristics to that of the well-developed Podzols and Spodosols found in the coniferous forests of Washington. The Podzols and Spodsols of these coniferous forests are defined by their cool and humid regional climates and by the acidic parent material from which they formed. Recent studies indicate that the E and Bs horizons that define the temperate forest soils are also found above the treeline in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Siberia (Ugolini, Stoner, & Marret, 1987). What role does biota play in the current soil formation for each of the sites? Why do the similarities exist between the sites despite differences in climate and vegetation? What other factors consistently influence the soil properties? The purpose of my paper is to address the question of which soil forming factors have the greatest effect on the similar and distinct characteristics of the two geographic locations. Podzolization: Pedogenic Change in Alaska and Washington Chemical analyses of temperate forest soils in the Pacific Northwest have been collected to examine soil forming trends (Ugolini, Stoner, & Marret, 1987). Such data allows us to compare various ecosystems and their characteristic pedological processes. Ugolini et al 1987 show how the soil solution analysis allows us to see ". . . a simple two-compartment system" (p.91). The first ... ...d processes, principles, and knowledge necessary to further our understanding of modern pedogenesis as an important part of soil science. References Cited: Birkland, Peter, 1984, Soils and Geomorphology: New York, Oxford University Press, 372 p. Marret D.J., Stoner M.G., & F.C. Ugolini, August 1987, "Arctic Pedogenesis: 1. Evidence for Contemporary Podzolization." Soil Science, 144, p.90-100. Schlichte, A.K., & F.C. Ugolini, May 4, 1973, "The Effect of Holocene Environmental Changes on Selected Western Washington Soils," Soil Science, 116, p.218-227. Sletten, Ronald, & F.C. Ugolini, January 1991, "The Role of Proton Donors in Pedogenesis as Revealed by Soil Solution Studies." Soil Science,151, p.59-72. Stoner, M.G., & F.C. Ugolini, January 1968, "Arctic Pedogenesis: 2. Threshold-Controlled Subsurface Leaching Episodes." Soil Science, 145, p.46-50.

Rhetorical analysis of “Migration on Ice” Essay

â€Å"Migration, on Ice: How Globalization Kills Chickens for Their Parts† is an article that was written by Malia Wollan, a regular contributor to that New York Times. The article was originally published in an issue of a magazine called Meatpaper, a magazine devoted to discussing the policies, ethics and other issues that surround meat. Although Ms. Wollan does not have a direct call to action in the article, it’s argument is that globalization of the meat industry has a lot of ill effects on the people on the receiving end, in addition to it’s obvious benefit of cheap meat. The article uses the persuasive tactics of ethos, logos and pathos throughout in order to establish credibility with the reader and direct them to the conclusion that she wants. The author uses Ethos effectively throughout the article. There was obviously a lot of research done about the topic, including personal interviews and statistical analysis. She wants the reader to think the globalization of the meat industry is essentially unethical. She writes, â€Å"In a country where more than 30 percent of the population lives in poverty, cheap protein is both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, it provides affordable nutrition. On the other, it eliminates livelihoods.† I think that this quote appeals to the ethics of the reader and provides them with some form of proof that this practice should change. She also interviews chicken farmers in Ghana whose lives have been ruined by this importation of chicken, further appealing to the ethical side of the reader. Overall, Ms. Wollan seems to be making a fair request in the article. It appears that she is very knowledgeable about the subject and that she is a trusted source and isn’t trying to misl ead the reader.

Six Sigma for Sustainability in Multinational Organizations

Six Sigma For Sustainability In Multinational Organizations Journal of Business Case Studies – May/June 2011 Volume 7, Number 3 Six Sigma For Sustainability In Multinational Organizations Abdullah AlSagheer, Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University, Dubai UAE ABSTRACT The Six Sigma model provides various kinds of sustainability to companies in terms of quality enhancement, zero defect level, market share enhancement, optimal production level and financial returns. Multinational companies are more orientated toward impl ementation of Six Sigma than small scale locally held companies.Numerous larger companies have so far implemented Six Sigma including 3M, Caterpillar, Merrill Lynch, Bank of America, Amazon. com, DHL, SGL group, Dell, Ford Motor Company, DuPont, McGraw Hi ll Companies and HSBC group. Implementation of Six Sigma requires considerable cost and effort in terms of human resource training and reformulation of business processes. This study is an attempt to find what kind of sustainability motivates multinational companies to invest in Six Sigma. Sustainability identified includes social sustainability, environmental sustainability, and economic sustainability.With the aid of interviews, a constant comparison study is conducted in order to find the most preva lent type of sustainability offered by Six Sigma. A sample is drawn from multinational companies which have already implemented Six Sigma in their operations. The findings suggest that multinational companies implement Six Sigma in order to attain econom ic sustainability through various means such as market share, customer base, and social sustainability. Keywords: Six Sigma; sustainability; multinationals; economic sustainability; zero defect level; financial sustainabilityINTRODUCTION T he world is witnessing a reformed shape of business, an approach more focused on quality and customer care. The traditional concept of supplier orientation has shifted to customer orientation and traditional mean ing of quality has also changed. Quality management, total quality management, zero defect level, lean management, continuous improvement and Six Sigma have evolved over the period of time to meet quality requirements of customers. Each having a slighter different and updated focus of quality, Six S igma is the most advance approach.Six Sigma is a quality management initiative that takes the methodological approach based on data attempting to eliminate the defects to minimize standard deviation to desired level of quality (Six Sigma, 2010). The study is focused to find sustainability that Six Sigma brings in multinationals. Small businesses, due to their small scale and low organized processes confront difficulties while implementing six sigma processes. Present study finds the sustainability that six sigma provides to larger multinational organizations in terms of society, environment and financial return.Background Of Study Initiated by Motorola, Six Sigma has largely been adopted by number of multinational, larger scale companies. A few to mentioned includes 3M, Merrill Lynch, Bank of America, Amazon. com, DHL, SGL group, Dell, Ford Motor company, DuPont, McGraw Hill Companies, HSBC group, United States Army and many others (Gupta, 2005). It is pertinent to notice that mostly multinational an d larger companies have adopted Six Sigma (Wiele, Iwaarden and Power, 2010).Literature and actual implementation of Six Sigma largely reflects the fact that multinational companies are more inclined towards adoption of Six Sigma as it produces multifacete d sustainability. Core reasons of this adoption is that multinational afford higher cost of training, higher technical expertise requirement and more advance processes (Gupta, 2005).  © 2011 The Clute Institute 7 Journal of Business Case Studies – May/June 2011 Volume 7, Number 3 Statement Of The Research ProblemMultinational organizations adopts six sigma as it offer them sustainability and diversity however , it is important to learn what type of sustainability does six sigma provide to the companies. The core research question to be addressed is what kind of sustainability is largely provided by S ix Sigma in multinational companies. The core question is supported by several secondary questions such as is it in terms of financial success, corporate social responsibility, market share or business? s repute for best practices? Does the core objective of Six Sigma is to bring financial success?How companies define sustainability and what do they want to achieve through Six Sigma? Purpose And Significance Of The Study The study is aimed to drill down into concept of sustainability provided by Six Sig ma. It is important to learn how quality management and advanced quality approaches are helping companies to improve their performance and efficiency. The study is a guideline for companies that have not ventured for Six Sigma. Many multinational companies such as IBM, Microsoft and Royal Dut ch Shell are using their customized quality approach (Schwandt and Marquardt, 2000).The study will ardently provide a basis of comparison between Six Sigma companies and customized quality approaches for future researc h. Moreover, it is significant from Six Sigma companies view point by looking into possible sustainability that Six Sigma can add to their businesses. Review Of The Literature A wide variety of literature is present which draws on Six Sigma, sustainabil ity and sustainability brought by Six Sigma in multinational companies in different perspectives. Six Sigma has a history of twenty four years and theorists have widely discussed its different aspects.The literature initially defines how Six Sigma works f or multinational companies and what the term sustainability ideally reflects. In later part, the literature reviews the sustainability actually brought by Six Sigma in companies and the core aim of adopting Six Sigma in different companies. Six Sigma For Quality Manag ement Six Sigma is highly effective implementation of proven quality principles and techniques. The approach works for virtually error free business performance. In Six Sigma, the company? s performance is measured by the sigma level of businesses process (Pyzdek and Keller, 2009).An approach focused on establishing world class performance bench marks provides road map for attaining zero error level. Apparently Six Sigma is associated with the enhancing quality of good and services, nevertheless, it brings efficiency and effectiveness in processes throughout the organization (Truscott, 2003). Six Sigma approach marvelously improves quality as it objectively looks into quality measurement. Henderson and Evans (2000) McCarty and Fisher (2007) stated that Six Sigma make measurement possible through its multi dimensional statistical model.The model is primarily focused on three aspects i -e sigma statistics, sigma measure and performance benchmark however no element specifically identif ies the le vel of sustainability (Truscott, 2009). Turscott (2009) further exemplifies the Six Sigma implementation by looking at following daily life examples: Process sigma value 2 3 4 5 6 Source: Truscott (2009) 8 Table 1: Six Sigma Implementation from Daily Life Expectation of Time without electricity 207 h 45 h 4h 9 min 8 sec Aircraft accidents 8 per 10 flights 24 per 100 flights 25 per 1000 flights 9 per 10,000 flights 12 per million flights 2011 The Clute Institute Journal of Business Case Studies – May/June 2011 Volume 7, Number 3 Six Sigma works on principles of continuous improvement; Coronado and Antony (2002) resembles the Six Sigma as a loop which begins with defining the goals of improvement activity i -e benchmarking of quality services and leads to measuring of existing syste m. In Six Sigma, measuring the existing system is often termed as gap analysis (Antony, 2006). The next component of Six Sigma loop works with identifying the ways to remove the gap and i mproving the present system (Thareja, 2006).If Six Sigma loop stops at continuous improvement, it will more likely consider as total quality management (Khan, 2003). Sustainability The other core element of Six Sigma implementation is the sustainability which it brings to the organization. Generally understanding sustainability, sustainability is best defined by world commission on environment and development (1987) stating that sustainable development is development that meets the need of present without compromising the ability of future generation to meet their own n eeds.Fricker (1998) defined sustainability as vision of future that provides a road map while focusing on certain set of ethical and moral values which may guide the actions of an entity. Looking sustainability in details, it mainly focuses on three aspec ts i-e economic growth, social progress and environmental protection (Munier, 2006). Sustainability involves people, capital resources, natural resources, environme nt and institution. Fricker (1998) further added that sustainability is not merely an end result of processes rather it continuous seeking of quality behavior.An organization is said to be sustainable if its people are willing to bring a change and embrace the change ultimately leading toward sustainable organizational design (Shrivastava and Director, 1995). In an organizational perspective particularly, sustainability refers to the value addition from Six Sigma. The dimension of sustainability includes variation elimination, control on new processes, statistical controls, reduced complexity, precision, accuracy and effectiveness in business process (Giardina, 2006).An addition in traditional Six Sigma is lean Six Sigma which primarily focuses on improved process flow (Reiling, 2008). Due to difference of focus, the perspective for sustainability also varies. In Six Sigma, the sustainability refers to utmost standardization with zero defects whereas lean Six Sigma emphasize sustain ability as identification of value, defining value stream, determining flow, defining pull and improving process in every business function such as marketing, finance and management (Taghizadegan, 2006). Sustainability Achieved Through Six SigmaMultinational companies have adopted Six Sigma for variety of purposes however, the core goal was to attain financial sustainability through improved processes and better work flow (Poudlove, Moxham and Boaden, 2008) however, the financial success is achieved through multidimensional quality improvements (Mahadevan, 2010). General Motors reduced its disposal costs by $12 million through kanban system; an integral part of Six Sigma. Similar to this, Robins Air Force Base, C -130 paint shop reduced tools material and equipment by 39% and $373,800 in direct operating savings (Giardina, 2006). M was among few companies which initiated to adopt Six Sigma. 3M upgraded to lean Six Sigma and its purpose was to attain environmental stability. The comp any is pioneer in use of lean Six Sigma methods and tools to improve operations and quality. In first step, the company trained it s 100,000 employees for Six Sigma in order to attain the operational sustainability. 3M achieved multi facet results such as improvement in energy efficiency from 20% to 27% and reduction in waste index to net sales from 25% to 30%.All these achievements are aimed toward attaining environmental sustainability and operational sustainability. Till 2005, savings from the lean Six Sigma project was amounted to $1 billion which was made possible by reducing pollution, improving workflow, equipment redesign, process ramification and product reformulation (3M Lean Six-Sigma and Sustainability, 2010). Byrne (2007) also asserts that companies implement Six Sigma to drive the innovation. The first five years of lean Six Sigma helped many companies to improve their results such as attained by Caterpillar.Weber (2004) also quotes Caterpillar as achiever from Six Sig ma. In September 2004, Caterpillar was $20 billion Company and Caterpillar was aimed to increase the revenues by $10 billion in first decade of lean Six Sigma implementation. Weber (2004) contrasts with Byrne (2007) in the context that caterpillar wanted to attain the innovation  © 2011 The Clute Institute 9 Journal of Business Case Studies – May/June 2011 Volume 7, Number 3 sustainability. According to Weber (2004), caterpillar was focused on achieving financial stability. The company? top management has highlighted that Caterpillar management such as CEO has claimed that Six Sigma was the important contribution toward increase in sales of caterpillar. Six Sigma is also driving the continuous improvement culture in the company and business is gaining efficiency in all respects (Weber, 2004). Hilton (2008) identifies several companies such as Motorola, General Electric, Dell Computer, Dow Chemicals, Wal-Mart and Honeywell who implemented Six Sigma and attained measurable re sults. General electric saved $8 billion after mplementing Six Sigma in three years and Wall -Marts is looking for savings of $1 billion from lean Six Sigma (Leahy, 2000). RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Study Design Decision to implement of Six Sigma comes from organizational leaders. Since every organization is unique and has its own requirements, therefore company? s internal management can determine the potential benefits to be achieved by the Six Sigma (Bertels, Rath & Strong, 2003). Defining objectives for the company and preparing employees to accept change occurred through Six Sigma is responsibility of top management and leaders.According to Pande (2003), Six Sigma lies in the vision of top management and only they can decide what sustainability they want from Six Sigma. On these grounds, the study seeks direct interaction with top management about sustainability desired from Six Sigma. The survey method provides researcher with an ease of open communication and allows sharing of idea s and thoughts. Surveys are considered best when opinion and ideas of people are important in shaping a conclusion (Groves, Fowler, Couper, Lepkowski and Eleanor, 2009). The study adopted cross section survey method as its core research methodology.In survey, interview tool was used to collect data directly from top management of multinational companies. Cross sectional survey are used to collect information at a single point in time and helps to establish the relationship between two entities (Babbie, 1990). Brief structured interviews were conduct ed to collect the data from participants. Participants Participants were selected using purposive sampling. Purposive sampling provides an opportunity to select participants on a specific criterion which fits to the purpose of study (Teddlie and Tashakkori, 2009).For present study, interviewees were selected on number of criteria such as listed below: ? ? ? The participants belong to a multinational company which has already implemented Six Sigma. The participant works on multinational on any key managerial position directly associated with decision making. Such participants include chief operating officers, chief executive officers, senior finance managers, chief information manager, information technology head, information technology specialist and senior management.Participant has been working in the organization before the Six Sigma was implemented in the company. Data Collection And Data Analysis Since it was difficult to visit such participants personally due to geographical constraints, int erviews were conducted on telephone where personal visit was not possible. After getting the list of multinational companies who have implemented the Six Sigma, the information tentative participants were collected using official websites and Chamber of Commerce websites. The contact information, permission and appointment for an interview were also obtained via telephone.The interviews could not be recorded as permission was not granted however; notes were taken during the interview and were later converted into text manually. The text was later analyzed using software Weft QDA and patterns were obtained. Constant comparison approach was used to compare the interview transcript and to obtain the patterns. According to Glaser and Strauss (1967), constant c omparison approach helps to develop a 10  © 2011 The Clute Institute Journal of Business Case Studies – May/June 2011 Volume 7, Number 3 theory about the phenomenon.The constant comparison is made through development of codes and subsequently, a theory is developed. The interviews were structured and comprised of 15 -20 twenty minute each. In all, forty two participants from different companies were interviewed. The participants includes senior finance managers, chief executive officers, IT managers, chief operating officers and in some cases directors of companies also. The participants companies include Maple Lead Foods, Pakistan Intern ational Airlines, Pakistan State Oil, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Deere and Company, Bank of Montreal, McGraw Hill Companies and Vodafone.Findings And Analysis Telephonic and face to face interviews were conducted to collect the data from participants. In all forty two participants were interviewed which included executives and managers. The stratification of participants on basis of their designation is provided below: Senior Finance Managers Chief Executive Officers IT Managers Chief Operating Officers Directors Total Table 2: Stratification of Participants on Designation Participants 12 7 14 5 4 42 %age Participation 29% 17% 33% 12% 10% 100% The interviews were brief and structured (Appendix A).Primarily the interviews were focused to know what type of sustainability motivates the multinational companies to invest in Six Sigma. Using the constant comparison approach, the interviews text was a nalyzed for patterns. Two level coding was performed using Weft QDA as the pu rpose was to find which type of sustainability is acquired through Six Sigma. Several codes were found which were emerged. Redundant codes were merged to derive constant flow of i nformation. Primary and secondary research questions are addressed through several themes discussed heere Core Objective Of Six SigmaSecondary research questions inquiring core objectives of Six Sigma were addressed through themes such as competition, zero defect level and financial success. As reflected by most of the, Six Sigma is implemented to stay competitive with other companies. Participants concluded that multinational companies needs to build corporate repute which increases their market share and Six Sigma is nowadays used as tool to reflect that company is taking endeavors for improving quality. This at first hands improves the competitive position of the company.Regional Finance Manager of Vodafone asserted that â€Å"The impacts of Six Sigma are long term and may be seen afterwards however; t he company instantly start attaining repute after implementation of advance quality model †. COO of Maple Lead Foods was also of the view that â€Å"To remain competitive in market, continuous improvement in every aspect is necessary. Six-Sigma is also aimed to help us in enhancement in our market image in eyes of competitors† Vice President (Finance) of Bank of Montreal endorsed the same by stating â€Å"Other larger banks have already implemented similar models which has raised customers’ expectation.We are aimed to attain better market position by implementing an optimal service quality model†. Second prevailing theme for core objectives of Six Sigma was quality improvement. â€Å" Six-Sigma really helps to improve quality, we can see the difference. Processes are now more efficient and speedy† stated by IT manager of Starwood Hotels. CEO of Pakistan International Airlines asserted that â€Å"The model has helped to stay efficient and had reduce d our effort in day to day activities. We are now more competent for offering quality solutions to our passengers and to our suppliers†.COO of Pakistan State Oil stated the fact â€Å"Six Sigma has reduce our effective time to market and we had a desire to attain so from this model implementa tion†.  © 2011 The Clute Institute 11 Journal of Business Case Studies – May/June 2011 Volume 7, Number 3 Third objective as extracted from most of interviews was the ability of Six Sigma to improve financial position of the company. It is evolved from the interviews that almost all companies are highly profit oriented and Six Sigma is adopted as a tool to attain financial success. Most of the company? executives reflected that Six Sigma is not merely adopted for financial success however, the responses can be considered as attempt to act in socially desirable manner. Executives of large multinational companies may not always admit that their specific endeavor is merely fo r profits. Reflection about company? s high concern toward profits can harm its repute as socially responsible company (Stocke, 2003). CEO of Pakistan State Oil endorsed that † We understand Six-Sigma reduces material wastage and improves supply chain activities.Ultimately, it leads to overall cost reduction† . COO of Maple Leaf Foods also asserted that â€Å"Six-Sigma do cost to use however, we expect a positive return in terms of market repute ultimately translated in financial success†. Senior Vice President (Finance) of Deere and Company stated, â€Å"It is important to look all projects from financial perspective. We considered the cost and benefit analysis of Six Sigma as fundamental step for deciding on the project†. How Companies Understand Sustainability Secondary question pertaining to sustainability was explained with themes uch as financial stability, improvement in quality, optimal productivity, social responsibility, environmental protection a nd value addition to the company. The most prevalent theme emerged for sustainability is financial success and optimal productivity. As reflected by all participants, the primary meaning of sustainability is financial success and optimal produc tion with minimum defects. Multinational companies consider financial success as the foremost sustainability to be achieved through zero defect level.In opinion of CEO of Pakistan International Airline â€Å"A company can only be socially responsible when it is financial sustainable. For me, sustainability is the financial success which enables PIA to be sustainable in other areas too†. IT Manager of McGraw Hill Companies highlighted the fact that â€Å"when I think of sustainability, I think of higher financial return earned on investments of shareholders. Finance manger of John Deer and Company however, considered value addition as true sustainability by stating â€Å"We are sustainable when our products are able to generate value for our company†.Endorsed by director of Starwood Hotels, â€Å"We are sustainable when are able to offer highest with the lowest sources, this means Starwood is sustainable in terms of services and in its corporate framework†. The other prevalent theme about sustainability was environmental protection and corporate social responsibility. Director of Deere and Company defined sustainability as â€Å" We are sustainable when we are harmless to society and its stakeholders†. IT manager of Bank of Montreal highlighted the same fact â€Å"Sustainability is an attempt to be productive for the society and for its members†. Sustainability Attained Through Six SigmaThe literal meaning of sustainability identified by participants is different from the sustainability desired to be attained through Six Sigma. While analyzing the interviews, the most prevalent theme of sustainability attained through Six Sigma was zero defect level, optimal production and financial su ccess. The primary research questions of study i-e what kind of sustainability is largely provided by Six Sigma in multinational companies. The multinational companies mostly reflected that Six Sigma has helped them in improving production and services ultimately translated into financial success.The primary research question was aimed to find what kind of sustainability has actually been provided by implementing Six Sigma. This has further been identified by secondary research question about core aim of Six Sigma and understanding of sustainability by multinational companies. â€Å"Six Sigma has helped us achieve financial success† identified by CEO of Deere and Company. Further elaborated by CEO of Deere and Company, Six Sigma has helped us in improving human resource functions, customer services and low cost.Ultimately, all these types of sustainability are translated into financial success. â€Å"Our employee satisfaction has increases which have helped to reduce materia l wastage and become process efficient. Reduced employee turnover and reduced manufacturing cost. Due to Six -Sigma implementation has considerably helped out to increase financial viability†. Finance Manger of Vodafone highlights the sustainability achieved through implementation of Six Sigma â€Å"Vodafone market share has increased as well as its financial returns.Six-Sigma has offered us financial sustainability as well as market sustainability†. 12  © 2011 The Clute Institute Journal of Business Case Studies – May/June 2011 Volume 7, Number 3 As revealed in the present study, Six Sigma sustainability bears a multifaceted concept for organizations. Sustainability is primarily offered by Six Sigma however, every company takes the Six Sigma fr om a different perspective. It is not only the perspective which differs, rather the organizations adopts several ways to reach to a single sustainable point which is common in all organizations.Organizations? understan ding of sustainability is contrasting with the requirements of Commission on Environment and Development (1987) definition of sustainability. Multinational organizations are working for material sustainability instead of focusing on developing sustainability for creating conductive environment for future changes (Ethier, 1986). Sustainability as defined by Shrivastava and Director (1995) has not been addressed by multinational companies in its fullest. Multinational organizations? ore aim to adopt Six Sigma was either to remain competitive with the other companies or to attain zero defect level along with financial sustainability. In addition, the sustainability is taken by multinational companies in terms of effectiveness in business process which are capable enough to be translated into fi nancial success (Giardina, 2006). The concept of Giardina (2006) and Taghizadegan (2006) are closely aligned and both fit to the present understanding of organizational sustainability to be achi eved through Six Sigma.Sustainability as identified by organizations holds multiple meaning and multinational organization use Six Sigma to escalate from one sustainability to other such as optimal production to higher market share and ultimately into financial success (Muneir 2006). Actual sustainability as reflected by 3M experience and Robins Air Force Base attained financial sustainability through Six Sigma. 3M saved $1 billion by implementing Six Sigma by the way of product reformulation, process ramification and equipment redesign (Giardina, 2006).Amalgamating secondary and prime research question about sustainability provided by Six Sigma, it is evident from the study that multinational companies are more concerned with multidimensional sustainability however; the financial sustainability is mostly desired sustainability. Multinational companies are focused on achieving financial stability using different sustainability routes such as value addition, process improvement, huma n resource process improvement and market sustainability. The financial sustainabili ty is the ultimate goal however, achieved through various type of sustainability.SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Six Sigma is a multidimensional approach for improving process efficiency and attaining sustainability. Six Sigma has traditionally been adopted by multinational companies due to several reasons such as higher concern for quality, higher availability to resources and competitive business environment. Initially Six Sigma was introduced by Motorola however; soon it became an advance model for improvi ng quality. Larger companies such as 3M, Deere and Company, Caterpillar, Bank of America and McGraw Hill Companies are already sustainability through Six Sigma.The study has an aim to find what kind of sustainability is being obtained by implementation of Six Sigma. Several theorists have identified several types of sustainability few including process improvement, financial sustainability, market shar e, value addition, corporate reputation – all broadly covered under social repute, environment protection and economic growth. The study directly interacts with participants and adopts qualitative research methodology to address the subject matter. Under qualitative study, survey design and interview tools are used for making constant comparison analysis of all interviews.With constant comparison, several themes were emerged to address the primary and secondary research question. Primarily, Six Sigma is multifaceted and holds several aspects variably been considered by multinational companies. Organizations are less concerned with environment protection, moderately concerned with social repute such as competitive position in eyes o f competitors and highly concerned with economic growth. The economic growth widely covers financial returns attained through different routes such as increase in market share, economies of scale production, minimum input cost and low employee turn over.Mu ltinational companies? ultimate objective is to increase financial returns by identifying market share increase, customer base enhancement, zero defect level and competition as secondary objectives. For multinational companies, aim and sustainability of Si x Sigma varies as most of companies considers Six Sigma as a way to meet competition however, sustainability is associated with financial success. The combination of sustainability and Six Sigma ultimately translated into sustainable financial return which helps the company to increase its market competitiveness.  © 2011 The Clute Institute 13Journal of Business Case Studies – May/June 2011 Volume 7, Number 3 Implications For Future Research Six Sigma is not a new issue nevertheless; the issue has mainly been addressed by developed counties. Mostly, the organizations that have implemented Six Sigma belong to developed nations. In few cases, companies of small underdeveloped countries have implemented Six Sigma and have reaped significant benefits from implementation of Six Sigma. The study identifies such companies and reflects on sustainability provided such as financial returns; markets share increase, environmental protection, zero defect level and o thers.In this way, it is a guide for small companies which have still not implemented Six Sigma considering it as an expensive way to quality. The study provides a guide to companies about the benefits attained through Six Sigma and serve as guidelines for companies who have not yet implemented Six Sigma. Present study is an initial research on sustainability provided to multinational companies. The study is under limited scope as it collects data from CEOs of only few companies. A large number of compa nies and their top executives are still untapped to describe several types of sustainability provided.In addition to this, sustainability with respect to industry and type of business can also be identified to customize the Six Sigma for speci fic businesses. The study is a subject measurement of sustainability generally drawn on all type nevertheless, leaving a significant margin to calculate financial sustainability provided to these companies. The study is a base for future studies as first step of id entification of top most sustainability provided by Six Sigma has been completed.The base study can be utilized for identification and statically measurement of market, financial, environmental and social sustainability provided. In addition, a comparison can be made between multinational and domestic or small vs. larger scale companies for the financial return improvement or customer base enhancement. AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY Dr. Abdullah AlSagheer is an Assistant Professor of Management at the e -School of Quality and Business Management at the Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University. He is teaching undergraduate courses level such as TQM Implementation, Capstone Project.In addition, he is teaching graduate courses level such as Strat egic Management of Innovation and Technological change. Dr. AlSagheer has PhD in Education and Human Resource Studies specialized in Interdisciplinary Studies (Industrial and Human Recourse Management Engineering) and M. Ed Education and Human Resource Studies specialized in Interdisciplinary Studies (Industrial and Human Recourse Management Engineering) from Colorado State University (CSU). He received Master of Science in Electrical Engineering specialized in Integrated Systems & Strategic Project Management.His undergraduate degrees wer e Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering and a double major in Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from California State University Long Beach (CSULB). Dr. AlSagheer research focuses in strategic management, capstone courses, entrepreneurship and leadership, total quality management, ergonomics and human factor engineering, curriculum development, human resource management, management training, teamwork, innovation strategies, engin eering management, and industrial engineering. REFERENCES 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 14 3M Lean Six Sigma and Sustainability. 2010.United Stated Environmental Protection Agency. Available [Online] http://www. epa. gov/lean/studies/3m. htm [Accessed December 08, 2010]. Antony, J. 2006. „Six sigma for service processes? , Business Process Management Journal, Vol. 12 No. 2, pp. 234 – 248 Babbie, E. 1990. Survey research methods. Wadsworth Pub. Co. Bertels, T. , Rath & Strong. 2003. Rath & Strong's six sigma leadership handbo ok. John Wiley and Sons. Byrne, G. , Lubowe, F. , and Blitz, A. 2007. „Using a Lean Six Sigma approach to drive innovation? , Strategy & Leadership, Vol. 35 No. 2, pp. 5 – 10 Coronado, R. B. and Antony, J. 2002. Critical success factors for the successful im plementation of six sigma projects in organizations? , The TQM Magazine, Vol. 14 No. 2, pp 92 – 99 Ethier, W. 1986. „The Multinational Firm? , The Quarterly Journal of Economics , Vol 101 No. 4, pp- 805834  © 2011 The Clute Institute Journal of Business Case Studies – May/June 2011 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. Volume 7, Number 3 Fricker, A. 1998. „Measuring up to sustainability? , Futures, Vol 30 No. 4. pp-367-3 Giardina, A. 2006. Sustainability and Lean Six Sigma. Available [Online] http://proceedings. dia. org/JSEM2006/Wednesday/Giardina. pdf [Accessed December 10, 2010]. Gupta, P. 2005. The Six Sigma performance handbook: a statistical guide to optimizing results, McGraw Hill Professional, pp- 15-19 Glaser, B. G. , & Strauss, A. L. 1967. The discovery of grounded th eory: Strategies for qualitative research. Chicago: Aldine Groves, R. , Fowler, F. , Couper, M. , Lepkowski, K. , and Singer, E. 2009. Survey methodology: Volume 561 of Wiley series in survey methodology. John Wiley and Sons. Henderson, K. H. and Evans, J. R. 2000, „Successful implementation of six s igma: benchmarking General Electric company? Benchmarking: An International Journal, Vol. 7 No. 4, pp 260– 281 Hilton, H. 2008. Managerial Accounting, 7th ed. Tata McGraw-Hil. Khan, J. 2003. „Impact of total quality management on productivity? , The TQM Magazine, Vol. 15 No. 6, pp. 374 – 380 Leahy, T. 2000. „In search of perfection with Six Sigma? , Business Finance, Vol. 5 No. 1, pp -72-74. Mahadevan, B. 2010. Operations Management: Theory and Practice. Pearson Ed ucation India. McCarty, T. , and Fisher, K. 2007. „Six sigma: it is not what you think? , Journal of Corporate Real Estate, Vol. 9 No. 3, pp. 187 – 196 Munier, N. 2006.Introduction to Sustainability: Road to a Better Future, Springer, pp -10-15 Our Common Future: Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development, Our Common Future, Chapter 2: Towards Sustainable Development. 1987. UN Documents. Available [Online] on http://www. un-documents. net/ocf-02. htm [Accessed Nove mber 28, 2010]. Pande, K. 2003. The Six Sigma Way. Tata McGraw-Hill. Proudlove, N. , Moxham, C. , and Boaden, R. 2008. „Lessons for Lean in Healthcare from Using Six Sigma in the NHS,? Public Money & Management, Vol. 28 No. 1, pp. 27-34, Pyzdek, T. , and Keller, P. 2009.The Six Sigma handbook: a complete guide for green belts, black belts, and managers at all levels, McGraw Hill Professional, pp -34-38 Reiling, J. 2008. Lean Versus Six Sigma: What's the Controversy? What the Differ ence? Available [Online] http://www. articlesbase. com/business-articles/lean-versus-six-sigma-whats-the-controversy-whatthe-difference-595677. html#ixzz17Y3zDWRW [Accessed December 20, 2010]. Schwandt, D. , and Marquardt, M. 2000. Organizational learning: from world -class theories to global best practices, St. Lucie Press, pp-120-31 Six Sigma. 2010 Available [Online] on http://www. managementhelp. rg/quality/sixsigma/six-sigma. htm [Accessed November 27, 2010]. Shrivastava, P. , and Director, S. 1 995. „Creating sustainable corporations? , Business Strategy and the Environment, Vol. 4 No. 3, pp-154–165. Stocke, V. 2001. Socially desirable response behavior as rational choice: the case of attitudes towards foreigners. Sonderforschungsbereich. Taghizadegan, S. 2006. Essentials of lean Six Sigma. Butterworth -Heineman. Teddlie, C. , and Tashakkori, A. 2009. Foundations of mixed methods research: integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches in the social and behavioral scie nces. SAGE Publications Inc. Thareja P, 2006. A Total Quality Organization through People; Part 5, People as Change Agents? , Foundry, A Journal of Progressive Metal Casters, Vol. 18 No. 5, Sept/Oct. Truscott, W. 2003. Six sigma: continual improvement fo r business: a practical guide Referex Engineering, Butterworth-Heinemann, pp-15-35 Wiele, T. , Iwaarden, J. , and Power, D. 2010. „Six Sigma implementation in Ireland: the role of multinational firms? , International Journal of Qualit y & Reliability Management, Vol. 27 No. 9, pp- 1054 – 66.  © 2011 The Clute Institute 15 Journal of Business Case Studies – May/June 2011 Volume 7, Number 3 NOTES 16  © 2011 The Clute Institute

Free Essays on Alex Jordan

TABLE OF CONTENTS†¦ INTRODUCTION3 THE INFINITY ROOM3 THE GATE HOUSE4 THE GARDEN ROOM5 THE ART AND MUSIC ROOM5 THE MILL HOUSE6 THE HOUSE ON THE ROCK CAROUSEL6 CONCLUSION7 WORKS CITED8 INDEX9 Introduction Alex Jordan was truly a unique man with a clear vision and dream. During the 1940’s in Wisconsin’s very own Wyoming Valley Alex Jordan, a known visionary discovered a sixty-foot sandstone chimney rock, which was called Deer Shelter Rock. Alex Jordan, wanting a secluded retreat for him, decided to build a house on top of Deer Shelter Rock. This retreat is now known all over the world as The House on the Rock. Jordan’s retreat was never intended to become a tourist attraction, however soon after construction was completed people from all over the world flooded to catch a glimpse at the architectural wonder. Jordan soon found it necessary to charge an admission for all whom wished to see the retreat due to the large amount of people who came from all over the world just to see what they had been hearing so much about. It was then that Jordan decided that he wanted to entertain visitors with his architectural wonder. Jordan was not only an architect; he was also a gr eat collector. He was a collector who dreamt of creating something so much more than a museum. He wanted something more interactive, livelier, and more magical to house his growing museum quality collections. The original House on the Rock had fourteen rooms, and it is now an extraordinary complex of rooms, streets, buildings, and gardens, which covers over two hundred acres. This report will cover some of the main parts of the house. Some parts are original, while other parts have been added on throughout the years. The Infinity Room Alex Jordan had been planning the Infinity Room for forty years before the construction of it began in 1984. Jordan’s original plans had the Infinity Room beaming made out of wood and extending out approximat... Free Essays on Alex Jordan Free Essays on Alex Jordan TABLE OF CONTENTS†¦ INTRODUCTION 3 THE INFINITY ROOM 3 THE GATE HOUSE 4 THE GARDEN ROOM 5 THE ART AND MUSIC ROOM 5 THE MILL HOUSE 6 THE HOUSE ON THE ROCK CAROUSEL 6 CONCLUSION 7 WORKS CITED 8 INDEX 9 Introduction Alex Jordan was truly a unique man with a clear vision and dream. During the 1940’s in Wisconsin’s very own Wyoming Valley Alex Jordan, a known visionary discovered a sixty-foot sandstone chimney rock, which was called Deer Shelter Rock. Alex Jordan, wanting a secluded retreat for him, decided to build a house on top of Deer Shelter Rock. This retreat is now known all over the world as The House on the Rock. Jordan’s retreat was never intended to become a tourist attraction, however soon after construction was completed people from all over the world flooded to catch a glimpse at the architectural wonder. Jordan soon found it necessary to charge an admission for all whom wished to see the retreat due to the large amount of people who came from all over the world just to see what they had been hearing so much about. It was then that Jordan decided that he wanted to entertain visitors with his architectural wonder. Jordan was not only an architect; he was also a gr eat collector. He was a collector who dreamt of creating something so much more than a museum. He wanted something more interactive, livelier, and more magical to house his growing museum quality collections. The original House on the Rock had fourteen rooms, and it is now an extraordinary complex of rooms, streets, buildings, and gardens, which covers over two hundred acres. This report will cover some of the main parts of the house. Some parts are original, while other parts have been added on throughout the years. The Infinity Room Alex Jordan had been planning the Infinity Room for forty years before the construction of it began in 1984. Jordan’s original plans had the Infinity Room beaming made out of wood and extending out approximat...

Explore Earning an Ed.D Degree

Explore Earning an Ed.D Degree If youre looking into graduate school programs, you are probably inundated with seeing a ton of acronyms. In the educational field, you may have seen the Ed.D. degree referenced. What is an Ed.D. degree? How is it different or is it at all from that of earning a Ph.D. in education? Is one degree better than the other? How can you tell which graduate degree to pursue? The Ed.D. is a doctoral degree in education. Similar to the Ph.D., doctor of philosophy that is awarded in all disciplines, the Ed.D. entails several years of study and the completion of doctoral (and sometimes masters) comprehensive exams as well as a dissertation. Although students of education may seek either the Ph.D. or Ed.D., the Ed.D. is thought to be a  specialized degree in education, entailing applied and professional training comparable to that of the Juris Doctor, or J.D. degree, which is for the legal field. How To Use an Ed.D. Degree Students who choose to pursue an Ed.D. degree can do so for careers in counseling, curriculum development, teaching, school administration, education policy, technology, higher education, or human resources leadership. Upon earning this degree, a person could be a professor or lecturer at a university. Graduates can also pursue work as a school principal or superintendent. Ed.D. vs. Ph.D.: Which One is Better? There has been some debate regarding which degree is better. The Ph.D. is more theoretical and research-based, so it prepares people for careers in the academic arena. The Ed.D., on the other hand, prepares students for careers that solve educational problems. Differences between the two are actually quite minimal. One assessment found that  Ph.D. dissertations contained more multivariate statistics, had wider generalizability and were more prevalent in certain areas of concentration, while Ed.D. dissertations contained more survey research and were most prevalent in educational administration research.   A New Ed.D. On the Way? The degree itself is still at the center of many controversies.   Some people in America say that the programs need to be reformed. They have suggested creating a new doctorate degree for practicing education for people who wish to become  for principals, superintendents, policy coordinators, curriculum specialists, teacher educators, program evaluators, and the like. Then the Ph.D. would be more focused on academia, research, and theory in general. Some experts and scholars say that the difference between the Ed.D. and Ph.D. would then be similar to the difference between having a Ph.D. in biomedicine and becoming a practicing doctor or M.D. One suggestion for the new name of the reformed  degree could be known as the Professional Practice Doctorate (P.P.D.), or it might retain the old name of Ed.D. but be more focused on this distinction.

Every AP Environmental Science Practice Test Available

Every AP Environmental Science Practice Test Available SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you preparing for the Environmental Science AP exam? One of the best ways to study for the test and figure out how well you’re doing is to take practice tests.Taking practice tests lets you see what kind of questions you’ll be asked on the exam, and they can help you figure out which subjects or types of questions you struggle with and need to review more.Finding practice tests can be time-consuming, and, unfortunately, not all practice tests are created equally. Luckily, we’re here to help. In this guide, I’ll provide links to all theAP Environmental Science practice tests available, point out which ones are the highest quality, and explain how you should be using them. Official AP Environmental Science Practice Exams Official practice materials, those developed by the College Board, are the best to use when preparing for an AP exam.This is because, since the practice materials are created by the same organization that develops the real AP test, you can be sure they’ll accurately represent the test and give you the best idea of what the real AP exam will cover. Unfortunately, the College Board doesn’t often like to release a ton of practice material, particularly multiple-choice questions (because they often reuse these for multiple exams). However, there are still official review materialsyou can use which I've separated into three categories. Complete Exams The College Board has released one completeAP Environmental Science practice test, from 1998. Complete 1998 AP Environmental Science exam This test is not super recent, but becauseAP Enviro hasn’t undergone any significant changes since then, it’s still useful and will give you a great idea of what the real exam will be like. This test also contains answers to all the questions, as well as scoring guidelines and sample responses for the free-response questions. Be aware though that, although the questions are still similar, grading guidelines have changed. As a result, the College Board has released a document with updated scoring guidelines for the free-response questions so you can get a more accurate idea of how questions are scored and what your rough score on the exam would be. Multiple-Choice Questions Besides the single complete released practice test, the only place to find official multiple-choice questions for AP Environmental Science is in the Course Description for the class. Beginning on page 12 of the document, you’ll find 17 multiple-choice questions. While this isn’t anywhere close to what you’ll see on the real exam (the actual AP test will have 100 questions), it’ll give you an idea of the topics the exam will cover and how questions will be worded. Free-Response Questions Luckily, there are tons of official free-response questions available for you to study and practice with. The College Board has released previous free-response questions from 1999-2017. Free-response questions 1999-2017 With four free-response questions included on the test each year, that means you have access to 68 official free-response questions! These questions each include scoring guidelines and sample responses so you can get an idea of what the graders were looking for. Possible Other Source: Your Teacher Your AP Environmental Science teacher may also have access to some additional official practice questions that you can use. Teachers are sometimes able to purchase official practice questions from the College Board which students don’t have access to. Now, your teacher may have chosen not to do this, or they may be saving those questions for class exams, but if you’re looking for more official practice materials, you may want to take a chance and ask them. Official practice tests won't come with a seal, but you can be sure they're the highest-qualitypracticematerials out there. Free Unofficial AP Environmental Science Practice Tests You have to be a bit warier when using unofficial practice materials because some of them don’t do a very good job of replicating what topics the AP test covers or how they word their questions. However, there are many that can still be very helpful. For each of the resources below, I’ll explain what material they include and how closely it matches the real AP Environmental Science exam. Barron’s Barron’s has created a high-quality, complete practice exam (with 100 multiple-choice and four free-response questions, just like the actual AP test). This test does a good job of replicating actual AP questions, and it also includes in-depth answer explanations for each question, including sample responses for free-response questions. You can take the test in timed or untimed mode.This is a particularly helpful resource that you should use wisely. (See below for how you should be using this and other resources.) Varsity Tutors Varsity Tutors has a complete multiple-choice section (100 questions). The test is timed and automatically graded for you. While it doesn’t include free-response questions, themultiple-choice questions are similar to those you’ll see on the AP exam.You can combine these questions with a set of official free-response questions and made a complete practice test. If you’d like to practice a specific topic, they also have 148 practice quizzes of varying difficulty for AP Environmental Science, however; the topics are broken down into such specific categories that many quizzes have only 1-2 questions, which can make it tedious to move from one very short quiz to the next.The quizzes can be helpful for more focused studying, but, in general, the complete diagnostic test is the best resource from this site. McGraw-Hill McGraw-Hill offers a 25-question AP Environmental Science practice quiz. This is shorter than many other practice questions and, additionally, the quiz is also untimed. However, the questions are generally well-written, so it’s still a good resource to use. Environmental Science Textbook Quizzes This site includes 20-question quizzes for each of the 25 chapters of the Environmental Science textbook chapters. To select a quiz, choose a chapter from the left-hand side of the page, then choose â€Å"Practice Quiz† on the new page.These quizzes are fairly surface-level, but they can help you study specific topics or prepare for in-class exams, even if you don’t use Environmental Science as your textbook.One frustrating thing is that you’ll have to click on each chapter individually to see what areasit covers if you’re looking to study a particular topic. ProProfs This is an -question multiple-choice quiz. This is quite a short quiz and, strangely, it provides definitions for some keywords you should already know, but it might be helpful if you want a quick study session. High School Test Prep This quiz contains 15 multiple-choice questions. Like ProProfs, its questions are more basic than the majority of those on the actual AP exam will be, but you still may find it useful to try out. Paid Unofficial AP Environmental Science Practice Tests These next resources will cost you a bit of money to use. Shmoop For people who pay its subscription free, Shmoop offers three full-length AP Environmental Science exams as well as a diagnostic test.Paying Shmoop’s fee of $24.68 a month gets you access to these practice tests as well as practice material for a wide variety of other tests forthe ACT, SAT, and other AP exams. Albert Albert has multiple-choice quizzes for each of the seven main ideas of the course. The quizzes are categorized by difficulty, are not timed, and will immediately let you know if you have answered correctly.While some of the questions are free (you'll need to set up an account), you won’t be able to see what the correct answer is if you answered incorrectly or answer any hard-level difficulty questions unless you pay $25 for full access. Full access gives you access to over 200 multiple-choice questions. As a whole, I found these questions to be more basic than actual AP questions.They focused primarily on definitions and basic factsand didn’t emphasize making connections between different topics as much as the real exam does. Review Books Another place to find practice tests is in AP Environmental Science Review books. Most review books contain 1-2 practice tests. These exams can vary in terms of quality, but, in general, Princeton Review and Barron’s are pretty safe bets when it comes to quality. Before you purchase a review book, you should read reviews online or ask students who have previously used the book how well they felt it prepared them for the exam. How to Use AP Environmental Science Practice Tests Now that you know where to find all those practice tests, how should you use them? Taking random tests haphazardly won’t improve your score much, if at all, so follow these guidelines to know which practice materials you should usewhen. First Semester First semester, you’re still learning most of the content you need to know for the exam, so taking a full-length practice exam won’t be very helpful because your score will likely be low since you haven’t covered certain topics yet. During this semester, focus on taking official free-response questions (you can look through them to find ones that focus on information you’ve already covered) and unofficial quizzes that focus on specific content areas (the Environmental Science and Albert quizzes are good places to start). Be sure to start your studying early (by the middle of first semester) and regularly review throughout the year. Doing regular review will help you stay on top of the material, be prepared for class exams, and make reviewing for the final AP test much less overwhelming in the spring.You may also want to consider buying a review book this semester; many of them have practice questions after each chapter so you can see how well you’ve learned the material. Second Semester Second semester is when you should begin really focusing on preparing for the AP exam.At this point, you should have learned the majority of information you need to know for the exam, so you can begin taking full-length practice tests. I recommended beginning with the Barron’s practice test. Take this test under realistic testing conditions (timed and in a quiet room). After you’ve completed it, review how well you did (follow their guidelines for grading your free-response questions). Your score on this test will help you know how well you’re doing and how much studying you need in order to meet your target score. If you’re close to the score you want, you may only need to do light review, but if you’re two points away or more, you’ll likely have to put in some significant time to meet your goal. After taking and scoring your first full-length practice test, look to see where you got questions wrong. The primary reason for taking practice tests is to find where your weaknesses are and then improve in those areas. Don’t just immediately move on to your next practice test, spend time strengthening areas you need to improve on. Perhaps you need to learn how to complete your essays faster, or you realized you really don’t know anything about the nitrogen cycle. Get these gaps taken care of before you take another practice test, otherwise; you won’t see your scores improve.After you feel you’ve reviewed sufficiently, take another practice exam, either the official released test or Varsity Tutors’ multiple-choice section with official free-response questions added to it. Here’s a brief recap of the process you should be following: Take and score your first practice exam (4 hours) Evaluate your mistakes (1.5 hours) Improve your weak areas by doing focused content study and completing practice problems (2.5 hours) Take and score a second practice exam (4 hours) Repeat the steps above as often as you need to in order to make sure you’ve eliminated all your weaknesses for the AP exam and are ready when it comes time to test day. Conclusion AP Environmental Science has the lowest average AP score of any exam. If you want to beat the odds, taking practice tests is one of the best ways to improve your chances of earning a high score.While official practice materials give you the most accurate idea of what will be on the real AP exam, there are high-quality unofficial practice tests out there as well. During your first semester in the class, you should use practice tests to get yourself familiar with the free-response questions and solidify your knowledge of specific topic areas.Second semester is when you can begin taking full-length practice exams toget an idea of how well you’re doing and where you need to improve. What's Next? The free-response sectionistypically the hardest part of the AP Enviro exam. Check outthis guide to learn more about what it'llcover and how to get a high score. Need help starting or continuing your review for AP Enviro? We have acomplete guide to reviewing for the AP Environmental Science exam that'll walk you through each step you need to follow. Wondering which other AP classes you should be taking? Learn how to plan out your futureAP classesby reading this guide. 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Marketing Strategy and Success of Nokia Term Paper

Marketing Strategy and Success of Nokia - Term Paper Example The Finnish company Nokia has gone through significant transformational changes since its inception over 150 years ago. Growing from a small company to a mobile phone manufacturing giant that is today, Nokia has had difficulties in its growth process. Venturing into different industries, Nokia has over time managed to survive through the years. The company has engaged in businesses such as rubber boots manufacturing, car tires manufacturing, and even TV sets (Harms, et al p. 132). Over time, Nokia has grown to become the biggest cell phone manufacturing company it is today connecting over 1.3 billion people globally through its handsets and the recently launched smartphones (Stole 2006, p. 6). Â  The company sells its products in about 150 countries globally and directly employs about 101,982 people in about 120 countries. Despite the company’s success in the cell phone business and its market leadership, it is fast losing to other more innovative and competitive companies su ch as Samsung and Apple. According to Williamson (2012, n.p.) in some of the traditionally markets known as Nokia’s dominant markets such as Europe, its own home country, the company is fast losing to its biggest rival Samsung. The loss of the smartphone business for the company has contributed to the slump in the company’s revenues. The company’s recent reduction in its profitability and revenues can attest to this trend in business (Chikezie 2011, p. 6). In an effort to win back its lost market share, Nokia in 2011 got into a partnership with Microsoft in order to manufacture smartphones running on a windows operating system (Wingfield 2013, web). However, the deal did not pay off much, as Microsoft finally acquired Nokia, hence taking over the business as part of a Microsoft business. This is in a bid to help the company regain its market through different management. However, this proves unlikely, if Nokia’s strategy does not focus on low-end phones.à ‚  

Self-awareness Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Self-awareness - Personal Statement Example This exposure to different countries, cultures and languages made me appreciate the diversity that the world has to offer. As a result I am able to speak, although not as fluently as English, a number of influential languages for example French, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic and a bit of Zulu. In travelling one comes across other people’s beliefs and traditions some of which seem primitive to the western world standards while others seem quite sophisticated. At times one is led to question their own beliefs on whether they are strong enough or even superior to others. As a Christian, meeting strong believers in Islam always felt like we were in completely different worlds based on the outlook that these religions give to followers regarding the world around us. It is also through travelling and interacting with different people that one best notices their biases and fears. Before the family started going on international vacations, it was hard to comprehend the fact that other coun tries especially in the third and second worlds could be beautiful or enjoyable to live in. It was a big shock to realise that some African countries and others in Asia are quite beautiful and people there treat visitors with utmost respect and dignity. I would be biased on products manufactured from these countries but I realised that theirs are not as chemically produced as ours are. Agricultural products for example from Asia and Africa tend to be sweeter and more natural as farmers use minimum technology and few chemicals like fertilizers and pesticides. Some of my fears are centred on a variety of animals. Coming into contact with anything that has wings or scales can make me have a heart attack. It is ironical that I love turkey and chicken meat more than I do beef or pork. I also love to watch birds fly but I would flee if one came near while the same case applies to reptiles mostly snakes and African crocodiles. Above all fears is the fear to wrong others intentionally. I ha ve grown in a family where respect for one another was highly valued. Fearing to hurt others automatically leads to respect to people and humanity in general. I believe in Santa which is one myth that I have held on since childhood. Morality is another key aspect that my family instilled in us. Due to the strong attachment with the church, I have maintained high moral values. I have also come to appreciate that material wealth or ones socioeconomic status is not as important as self respect and respect for others. Being an American I have strong affiliation to American culture which revolves around respect for our country and, although not in line with the former, occasionally dropping at a fast food restaurant for a burger. As a result of the realisation that happiness does not emanate from material wealth I now cherish more the impact of my actions on others than on myself. In this regard money earned takes a backseat and at the end of the day the issue is always how positive and beneficial my actions were. Turning the world into a better place to live in for all humanity is my lifelong goal. I believe that to make the world a better place everyone must first of all make responsible choices in their lives and take full consequences for their actions. Although some issues like abortion are controversial it is good to have a definite stance on them from a morality standpoint. The world is a harsh place to live in and no one gets away with wrongs committed

Business Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Business Economics - Essay Example Wessels however points out that this does not necessarily mean that the citizens of the US have better living standard than their counterparts in the UK. (21). GDP therefore cannot be used as the sole factor in measuring the living standards of the citizens of a country. However chances are that a country with a high GDP has a better standard of living than that with a low GDP. So what encompasses GDP' Well there are a number of components which when added together make up the GDP of a country. According to Sowell, they include Consumption which is denoted by letter C, Investment which is denoted by letter I, spending by government and finally exports and imports denoted by letter X and M respectively. Consumption refers to all the money spent by citizens of a country in buying goods and services which they expect will satisfy their needs. This includes money spent on food, purchase of new clothes as well as entertainment. (50-51) Sowell further notes that spending by the government is another component of the GDP. For example the UK government spends money to buy new military equipment and also pay its workers. (70).This expenditure is also part of the country's GDP. Investments into an economy are also used in calculation of the Gross Domestic Product. ... To get the accurate value of GDP economist add the value of all goods produced in a country and then subtract the value of all goods which are imported. The total components of GDP is expressed mathematically as Y=C+I+G+(X-M). (Sowell 80-81) Wessels notes that measuring GDP is critical if economists are to determine the rate of growth of an economy. "In measuring GDP economists use two major methods, the expenditure method and the income approach". (qtd.in Wessels 71). The expenditure approach involves adding the total amount of money spent on final goods. In this case, GDP equals C+I+G+ (NX) where NX represents gross exports. The income approach involves adding all the income received by citizens of a country either through compensation, income from rental property, and profits of corporate organizations. Mathematically this can be expressed as GDP= Employee Compensation+Rental Income+Corporate Profits+Net Interest+Proprietor profits. UK GDP Figure for the year 2009 The GDP of the UK is estimated to be worth '315.5billion. What does this mean' The figure indicated above means that the total value of all goods produced in the UK in the 2008 to 2009 financial year amounts to '315.5 billion. This makes it the sixth largest economy in the world and third largest in Europe. How well did the GDP grow in 2009' In measuring the GDP of an economy, economists divide a given year into quarters. The growth of the economy in each quarter is measured and then a comparison is made with the previous quarter so as to note the difference which constitutes actual growth.(Wessels 55). For instance in the UK economy, GDP fell by 0.4% in the third quarter of 2009. In the second quarter of the same year GDP declined by a value of 0.6%. In

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

Assignment - Essay Example The Domain supports any video input, be it USB 1.0 and 2.0 or Window DirectX (WiredRed 2008). (iii) Strategic current and feasible domain definition: The domain supports enhanced definitions of 720P or higher resolution but lower than HD frame rates. For instance, Logitech Fusion and Ultra Vision are two popular examples that produce surprising high-resolution images wonderfully at fine business-class rates (WiredRed 2008). (i) User perceived values: The User perceived values for the domain include easy installation, best multiparty video and audio quality, real-time PowerPoint sharing, the fastest desktop sharing and proxy friendly remote controls, real-time presenter’s controls, record and playback, secure web conferencing and true web administration and management (WiredRed 2008). (ii) The domain is currently based in countries in Nigeria and Malaysia (Sarawak) with its product range across other locations in the countries. In education, the software has been used in Kent College, where students could cheaply discuss with their off-site teachers (WiredRed 2006). (iii) The products are Windows compatible: this means that the User can use any USB 2.0 web cam. Also, it works well with any S-video as an out cable mated to a Windows compatible video capture card (WiredRed 2008) (iv) The users could move from one product to the other in the domain. This explains interconnectivity among the product range. And this would facilitate multiple functionalities that would be cost-efficient (Gough & Rosenfield 2006). (i) Some of the products in the domain help to facilitate quick and clear video conferencing, but some constraints arise as a result of product’s components, compatibilities and programming context. For example, a product that is Windows compatible has problems working perfectly with non-Windows operating systems. And different programming procedures used in producing the software/solutions constitute a

Final project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Final project - Essay Example The following essay outlines the different programs that the police will lead the youth in the creation of a clean environment as well as the creation of a healthy relationship. The program outlines different goals with their composite objectives and the time frames between every act. The program is set to take a total of seven days. The social; activities will take at least three to four hours a day. In other scenarios, the time, may extend or be shorter depending on the objective of each day. The program is set to take place either in the afternoon or the weekdays and take place in the midmorning hours during the weekends. Extensions of the time frame are dependent on exogenous variables. The variables include the weather conditions; the amount of work constitutes the seven days. In addition, the time frame is subject to additional activities that include recreational activities. The recreational activities may be after the clean up or ion other instances, single and simpler activities may take place after the cleanup activities. The recreational activities will help in the creation of more time for interaction through sports and other mutual activities. The program is set take part in the major social facilities. The facilities include the playing fields that are around the area. The fields will hold the events that constitute the competitions. Other tasks will take place in indoor facilities that are also for social work. If need arises, the police may use their fields to host activities such as the martial arts. The cleanup tasks will take place in the streets in which the community inhabits. However, the cleanup is a tedious work activity and will thus include even the other members of the societies who are not necessarily in the program. The main activity in the particular PAL activity is the cleanup of the streets. However, the program is set tom incorporate more recreational activities. Some of

Breeze of Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Breeze of Change - Essay Example I knew I had to start working towards achieving my dreams. I did not want to be caught up by death before realizing my full potential. I needed to travel the world and learn about other people. I always felt that the future was in the air. Everywhere I went, I would feel the future blowing in the wind of change. I had many things I wanted to change in my life and those of others. I hoped to see a world where people respected each other’s culture. I wanted a world where people appreciated and celebrated their diversity. Even up to today, I have always had the passion to learn other people culture, and I am glad I have partially done so. Because I believe this will enable me, understand and appreciate others. Early years were characterized by numerous trips to different countries. In every trip, I learned something that changed my life. My trips outside the United States helped me understand other people’s culture. I learned to accept other people’s point of views no matter how much they differed they were from my own. When I visited Baha’i Temple in Wilmette in Illinois, I realized the significance of religion. Since I value my own religion and I promised myself to appreciate other people’s culture and religion. This was reinforced when I attended a Catholic-sponsored high school, which made me realize that Catholics are very receptive of other religions. The experience changed my life and I wanted to be receptive to other people’s culture, and opinions. Attending college enabled me to meet people from different places. I learned the dynamics of socialization. A chance to be in the army strengthened me physically and mentally. I realized that every experience was a lesson for me. Death has always scared me in some way. When my 14-year old cousin and my great uncle died on the same day, I realized how death could cut short our ambitions. It was traumatizing to see someone die at such an early age. I decided to live each d ay to the full and always do my best. When I completed a Bachelor’s degree in Art and History, I was excited. Nevertheless, I knew I had to find a job. The job searching process turned out to be tougher than I thought. My parents were there for me, and they taught me the importance of being there for others. However, I ended up deciding on doing volunteer work. It was an opportunity to touch other people’s lives. During my volunteer at Navajo Reservation, I realized of the sufferings that American Indians go through. During my work, I learned that no amount of textbook learning could teach us about new and unknown cultures. Working with people from diverse culture taught me how to deal with others. I was glad I took the opportunity to help them. My international trip to Mexico, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, North, and South Carolina helped me realize how rampant racism and bigotry were. People still judged others in terms of their culture. When I moved to Albuquerque in New Mexico, I was prepared for what lay ahead.  

Final project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Final project - Essay Example The following essay outlines the different programs that the police will lead the youth in the creation of a clean environment as well as the creation of a healthy relationship. The program outlines different goals with their composite objectives and the time frames between every act. The program is set to take a total of seven days. The social; activities will take at least three to four hours a day. In other scenarios, the time, may extend or be shorter depending on the objective of each day. The program is set to take place either in the afternoon or the weekdays and take place in the midmorning hours during the weekends. Extensions of the time frame are dependent on exogenous variables. The variables include the weather conditions; the amount of work constitutes the seven days. In addition, the time frame is subject to additional activities that include recreational activities. The recreational activities may be after the clean up or ion other instances, single and simpler activities may take place after the cleanup activities. The recreational activities will help in the creation of more time for interaction through sports and other mutual activities. The program is set take part in the major social facilities. The facilities include the playing fields that are around the area. The fields will hold the events that constitute the competitions. Other tasks will take place in indoor facilities that are also for social work. If need arises, the police may use their fields to host activities such as the martial arts. The cleanup tasks will take place in the streets in which the community inhabits. However, the cleanup is a tedious work activity and will thus include even the other members of the societies who are not necessarily in the program. The main activity in the particular PAL activity is the cleanup of the streets. However, the program is set tom incorporate more recreational activities. Some of

Health Promotion Plan on Substance Abuse Assignment

Health Promotion Plan on Substance Abuse - Assignment Example The selected population stratum for this teaching program is teenage school students within the age limit of 13-14 years. This segment is particularly selected because researches have shown that substance abuse usually begins in early teenage life due to various factors and not only affects the quality of present life by causing physical and mental distress but also leads to alcoholism and drug addiction later. Literature Review Alcoholism and drug addiction is an increasing problem in adolescents these days. Various researches conducted have shown an increasing trend in the consumption of sentence abuse. Where there are various factors identified for this increased pattern of consumption, one of them was found to be unsupervised teenage life in which substance abuse leads to addiction in later part of life. According to researches conducted by Changalwa et al. (2012), Bahr and Hoffman (2012) and, Peckham and Morgan-Lopez (2007), there is a direct link between parenting styles and su bstance abuse in teenagers and adolescents. Teenagers with unhealthy or strained bonding with their parents and guardians tend to develop inclination towards substance abuse during their teenage life which leads to addiction in future. ... ces of them drinking excessively later in life.† Hence, children with their parents having authoritative parenting style tend to develop healthy personalities since this parenting style is a combination of love, independence and supervision allowing children to make decisions (shunning rebellion resulting substance abuse) but with necessary guidance (which allows teenagers to be aware of what is harmful for them and do not give them over-independence). Therefore, child’s desires are well-respected but with necessary controls imposed. According to American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (2011), â€Å"The most commonly used illegal drugs are marijuana (pot), stimulants (cocaine, crack, and speed), LSD, PCP, opiates, heroin, and designer drugs (Ecstasy).   The use of illegal drugs is increasing, especially among young teens.   The average age of first marijuana use is 14, and alcohol use can start before age 12.   The use of marijuana and alcohol in high school has become common†. It is important to note that drugs and alcohol are not easily accessible commodities. Therefore, for teenagers to have access to them means getting involved in criminal activities or being present in an environment which is harmful for their cognitive growth. According to researches of Baumrind (1991) and Njenga (2005), environment and inheritance are the two decisive factors which instigate substance abuse in teenagers. For an environment, current family setup, daily settings including academic setup and playgrounds, cultural forces and peer pressure are the basic elements which have direct impact on the teenagers and adolescents. On the other hand, hereditary traits also play a vital role in inducing substance abuse even if the environment is healthy enough. Various researches

Developing Self-Assessment Skills in Nursing

Developing Self-Assessment Skills in Nursing Self-assessment is the way in which individuals reflect on past experiences and events in order to facilitate learning, and to develop and maintain skills and knowledge, in order to evaluate whether individual competencies are compliant with relevant codes of conduct by profession. Models within the literature on the process of self-assessment also use the term ‘reflection’ to describe such activity, whereby self-assessment / reflection method is seen to involve ‘returning to an experience, describing it and attending to thoughts and feelings.’ (Platzer, Blake Snelling, 1997;193) For nursing and other healthcare professionals (HCPs) in particular, self-assessment is a medium in which theory can be assessed during practice, and to tap into the personal knowledge resource of HCP’s ‘embedded in the practices and know how of expert clinicians. (Brenner, 1984;4) The cognitive processes involved within self-assessment activity are described within the literature as complex, involving high order cognitive capacities; making influences, generalizations; memory, analogies; emotional evaluation and problem solving (Moore, 1998). Analysing ones performance is thus described in terms of a professional development tool, whereby gaps in knowledge as well as areas of expertise may be identified, and form the focus of further training, and/or activities at work in line with Department of Health initiatives for continuing professional development. Self-assessment within clinical practice for nurses thus needs to be taught and coached, and may occur in a number of ways. Models of reflection and self-assessment documented describe the need for use of written records of practice within self-assessment, such as through reflective diaries (Platzer, Blake Snelling, 1997) which can be used as the basis for discussion during group-working projects and in one-to-one coaching sessions between mentors and student nurses for example. The use of reflection through self-assessment has been suggested as particularly relevant to nurses due to the nature of their work – the need to respond to individual requirements and needs of patients, and to avoid rigid routines of caring acts that can lead to performing duties on ‘autopilot’ (Cox, 1994) Self-assessment is thus suggested to prevent complacency or caring through pattern / ritual from occurring, by reflecting on ones practices to allow nurses to provide individualized patient care. Self-assessment practices may be taken by nurses during a number of reflection opportunties; critical incident techniques (Clamp, 1980; Flannagan, 1954) reviews of case studies and personal experiences or practice reviews (Wilshaw Bohannan, 2003) The reflection process thus enables learning for nurses through initiating discussion and thought in regards to comparing actions taken against suggested best practice. Self-assessment is becoming increasingly incorporated learning programmes for nurses, as well as receiving focus throughout careers in order to enable continuing professional development. Self-assessment of ones own competencies are thus predominantly portrayed in a positive light and emphasis given to associated advantages. One of the major benefits of incorporating self-assessment into both education and professional development, is the way in which theory and learning can be translated into more applied methods, and by increasing the relevance of taught theory, help students and new nurses to apply what they have learnt in the classroom into their patient care through evaluating learning in the context of their own experiences. Reflection and self-assessment throughout a career can also allow nurses to develop this initial knowledge base by incorporating future experiences to widen personal knowledge resource to continue to grow professionally. Benefits of the use of self-assessments can also be seen in the way in which they can allow more accurate evaluation of the training programmes used to educate nurses. Research indicates that the commonly used questionnaire technique to investigate students perceptions and evaluations of training can be influenced by a range of external factors that often make such ratings highly unreliable; like / dislike of the tutor, and the aesthetics of the learning environment are two such factors (Hicks Henessey, 2001), and are thus likely to contribute little to analyzing the true efficacy of the training undergone. Considerations should however be taken when using self-assessment for a number of reasons. Firstly the depth of evaluation and use of reflections will depend on the level of importance that an individual will place on their own knowledge and assessment abilities. It has been reported that many HCPs place little value on their own personal knowledge favoring only research based knowledge – thus underutilizing their own resource (Platzer, Blake Snelling, 1997) and so may subsequently place little value or effort into the process of self-assessment meaning learning outcome will be limited. The reliability of the cognitions underlying self-assessment techniques can also put into question the usefulness of the results for learning – memory for recounting events can be affected by anxiety (Newell, 1992), whilst others may feel under scrutiny and look to justify or rationalise actions (Wilshaw Bohannan, 2003) rather than reflect and learn from outcomes. This highlights the w ay in which self-assessment is only truly useable in environments that are not operating within a blame culture where personal evaluation would otherwise be inhibited. Lastly it is also reported that the coaching experience and ability of mentors to teach self-assessment techniques exerts a strong influence on the outcome in ability to complete self-assessment tasks for their students, and therefore the ability of coaches will have a positive or negative impact for students (Arvidsson,2005) The Nursing and Midwifery Council(NMC) openly supports the use of a self-assessment system as a means for nurses to identify ‘shortfalls’ in their skills, by rating their own performance. Self-assessment should be thus used to identify gaps in nurse’s abilities and so highlight key training needs, acting in what the NMC call an ‘early warning system’ capacity against poor standards (Duffin, 2004). Although not compulsory, self-assessment is seen as a way for nurses to contemplate critical areas within their clinical environment (information for clients on treatment, nurse/client relationships professional accountability: Duffin, 2004) that staff shortages and time pressures may otherwise push to the sideline, with the assessment of these factors proposed to help nurses to work within the NMC Code of Professional Conduct, and protect staff against misconduct charges, by providing a practical route of translating codes of contact guidelines into action s and evaluating the effectiveness of these actions. The use of self-assessment procedures with nurses is already covered in some detail within learning and training courses for those new to the profession of nursing. In early training, mentors are used to facilitate the start of a journey of growth from knowledge (Price, 2005), through the ability to reflect on ones own actions, and feelings towards those experiences individually or in group work during nursing education (Platzer, Blake Snelling 1997) Self-assessment as a tool for learning is also actively encouraged within the continuing professional development initiatives set by the Department of Health which now stipulates the need for post-basic education for all HCP’s, and from the NMC’s own code of conduct which places great importance on the identification of skill-shortfalls through self-assessment alongside other identification means, in order to ensure patients are receiving the best care possible, from skilled and well trained nursing professionals. REFERENCES Arvidsson, B (2005) ‘Factors influencing nurse supervisor competence: a critical incident analysis study’ Journal of Nursing Management Vol. 13, 3 Clamp, C (1980) ‘Learning through critical incidents’ Nursing Times 1755-1758 Crawford, M (1998) ‘Development through self-assessment: strategies used during clinical nursing placements’ Journal of Advanced Nursing Vol. 27, 1 Duffin, C (2004) NMC system to give early warning of skills shortfall’ Nursing Standard Vol. 19, 5 p7 Flannagan, (1954) cited in Wilshaw, G Bohannon, N (2003) ‘Reflective practice and team teaching in mental health care.’ Nursing Standard Vol. 17, 50 p33-37 Hek, G ‘Developing self evaluation skills: a pragmatic research-based approach for complex areas of nursing’ Nurse Researcher Vol.11, 2 p73-82 Hicks, C Hennessy, D (2001) ‘An alternative technique for evaluating the effectiveness of continuing professional development courses for healthcare professionals: a pilot study with practice nurses’ Journal of Nursing Management Vol. 9 p39-49 Moore, P (1998) ‘Development of professional practice research training fellowships: occasional papers’ Health Professions Wales Morrison, J (2005) ‘ABC of learning and teaching in medicine’ British Medical Journal 326 (7385) p385-387 Newell (1992) cited in Platzer, H. Blake, D Snelling, J (1997) ‘A review of research into the use of groups and discussion to promote reflective practice in nursing’ Research in compulsory Education Vol. 2, 2 Platzer, H. Blake, D Snelling, J (1997) ‘A review of research into the use of groups and discussion to promote reflective practice in nursing’ Research in compulsory Education Vol. 2, 2 Price, B (2005) ‘Self-assessment and reflection in nurse education’ Nursing Standard Vol. 19, 29 p33-37 Wilshaw, G Bohannon, N (2003) ‘Reflective practice and team teaching in mental health care.’ Nursing Standard Vol. 17, 50 p33-37