Story of Joe Odd Interpretation essays

Story of Joe Odd Interpretation essays This is the story of Joe Odd, written by a mentally ill patient in a secure mental asylum. It is possible to pick out several psychological themes, these of which I intend to assess. The story of Joe Odd is clearly a case of social In and Out groups, where in society groups emerge where people have more influence than others. Clear evidence from the text proves my statement: People who lived in the boxes thought Joe was very strange because they all watched television. At first they said, ...why dont you live in a house like us? but Joe didnt want to. So they broke his windows and made up bad stories about him We can learn from this extract above that there is an element of labeling, and the fact that poor Joe Odd once labeled, is prone to increased labeling. Labeling is a very powerful which tends to stick to that person it has been attached (unless he/she adapts to the social norms which society labeled that person with.) Then another social worker wrote a report about how Joe had lived in a hut with the door and windows barred up. So the doctor hung another label round his neck saying Persecution Complex...and gave him some pills because they made him feel better, Joe didnt like the pills because they made him feel strange, and he wouldnt take them, so the doctor hunt an Unco-operative label round his neck. From this extract we can assume that Joe Odd thought negative of himself due to the excess labeling, and ended up believe himself as a stereotypical being. One night he thought he heard a voice in his head saying, ...come with me. I know a beautiful place, come with me... I cant. Im very ill; cant you see all these labels round my neck? (Joe Odd) Joe Odd believed himself to be out of ...

History of the X-Ray

History of the X-Ray All light and radio waves belong to the electromagnetic spectrum and are all considered different types of electromagnetic waves, including: microwaves and infrared bands whose waves are longer than those of visible light (between radio and the visible)and UV, EUV, X-rays, and g-rays (gamma rays) with shorter wavelengths. The electromagnetic nature of x-rays became evident when it was found that crystals bent their path in the same way as gratings bent visible light: the orderly rows of atoms in the crystal acted like the grooves of a grating. Medical X-rays X-rays are capable of penetrating some thickness of matter. Medical x-rays are produced by letting a stream of fast electrons come to a sudden stop at a metal plate; it is believed that X-rays emitted by the Sun or stars also come from fast electrons. The images produced by X-rays are due to the different absorption rates of different tissues. Calcium in bones absorbs X-rays the most, so bones look white on a film recording of the X-ray image, called a radiograph. Fat and other soft tissues absorb less and look gray. Air absorbs the least, so lungs look black on a radiograph. Wilhelm Conrad Rà ¶ntgen - First X-ray On 8 Nov 1895, Wilhelm Conrad Rà ¶ntgen (accidentally) discovered an image cast from his cathode ray generator, projected far beyond the possible range of the cathode rays (now known as an electron beam). Further investigation showed that the rays were generated at the point of contact of the cathode ray beam on the interior of the vacuum tube, that they were not deflected by magnetic fields, and they penetrated many kinds of matter. A week after his discovery, Rontgen took an X-ray photograph of his wifes hand which clearly revealed her wedding ring and her bones. The photograph electrified the general public and aroused great scientific interest in the new form of radiation. Rà ¶ntgen named the new form of radiation X-radiation (X standing for Unknown). Hence the term X-rays (also referred as Rà ¶ntgen rays, though this term is unusual outside of Germany). William Coolidge X-Ray Tube William Coolidge invented the X-ray tube popularly called the Coolidge tube. His invention revolutionized the generation of X-rays and is the model upon which all X-ray tubes for medical applications are based. Other inventions of Coolidge: invention of ductile tungsten A breakthrough in tungsten applications was made by W. D. Coolidge in 1903. Coolidge succeeded in preparing a ductile tungsten wire by doping tungsten oxide before reduction. The resulting metal powder was pressed, sintered and forged to thin rods. A Very thin wire was then drawn from these rods. This was the beginning of tungsten powder metallurgy, which was instrumental in the rapid development of the lamp industry - International Tungsten Industry Association (ITIA) A computed tomography scan or CAT-scan uses  X-rays  to create images of the body.  However, a radiograph (x-ray) and a  CAT-scan  show different types of information. An x-ray is a two-dimensional picture and a CAT-scan is three-dimensional. By imaging and looking at several three-dimensional slices of a body (like slices of bread) a doctor could not only tell if a tumor is  present but roughly how deep it is in the body. These slices are no less than 3-5 mm apart. The newer spiral (also called helical) CAT-scan takes continuous pictures of the body in a spiral  motion so that there are no gaps in the pictures collected. A CAT-scan can be three dimensional because the information about how much of the X-rays are passing through a body is collected not just on a flat piece of film, but on a computer. The data from a CAT-scan can then be computer-enhanced to be more sensitive than a plain radiograph. Inventor of the Cat-scan Robert Ledley was the inventor of CAT-Scans a diagnostic x-Ray system. Robert Ledley was granted patent #3,922,552 on November 25th in 1975 for a diagnostic X-ray systems also known as CAT-Scans.

Examining the Effectiveness of Self Directed Work Teams Assignment

Examining the Effectiveness of Self Directed Work Teams - Assignment Example In our day to day life, we undergo several tasks. We plan our task and try to implement it in an efficient manner. Thus we take several important decisions every day. But, what about our status while at our workplace? Do we have enough freedom to take our own decision there? Such questions have paved way for the development of â€Å"Self-directed work teams†. Wherever we go, whatever we do, we do in a team. Working in a team is basically built in with us. But still, there are certain important strategies which influence the rise or fall of a team.  The team, by itself, is a powerful force. A team behaves in a peculiar manner which moves toward a specific goal. The performance output given by a team is always ahead of that given by an individual. Generally, a team comprises of many people focussing on a specified target. The individuals in a team will be having individual skills. Thus a team is a collection of strengths and a good range of abilities. Because of this reason, i n a team, for every situation, there will be at least a person who can deal with it. Also in team flaws or pitfalls can easily be spotted and corrected. As there are many persons focussing on the same target they will be very cautious about every move and hence the mistake done by an individual will be easily found by another one. (Scholtes et al. 2003, 1) In an efficient team, the ultimate responsibility is rested on everyone’s shoulder. And the team is structured in such a way that whoever having strength in a specified area takes more responsibility in that area. One more interesting fact about a team is â€Å"Motivation†. A powerful motivating force is created amidst a good team. It never let its teammates go down. Also, it makes the team members feel proud to be a part of such a team. (West 2002, 9) Teams, also have another face for it. That is â€Å"Team conflict†. Conflicts are often mistaken within a team which is a bitter fact to be accepted. But confli cts too could turn desirable, provided the team members look into conflict as an outcome of indifference in their thoughts or views.     Ã‚  

How has the UK retail sector adapted to recent changes in the economic Dissertation

How has the UK retail sector adapted to recent changes in the economic climate effectively - Dissertation Example co’s different sections 39 Figure 3: Reason of attraction of customers of Tesco 40 Figure 4: Responses regarding Tesco being the best in price, quality & service 41 Figure 5: Percentages of respondents choosing M&S different sections 42 Figure 6: Reason of attraction of M&S customers 43 Figure 7: Responses regarding M&S being best in price, quality & service 44 Abstract: It has been found that despite the fact that the UK population is only 1% of the population of the globe; the United Kingdom took fourth place in the world trade (Allen, 2010).  Mechanical engineering and transport, manufactured goods and chemicals are the main exports of Great Britain. Starting from the 70's, oil production not only has reduced imports of petroleum products, but also brought substantial gains in trade.  British Petroleum is the largest industrial corporation and the UK ranks second in Europe.  Britain provides 10% of world exports of services - banking, insurance, brokerage, advisory, a s well as in computer programming. Retail sales index characterizes the strength of consumer demand; its growth indicates an increase in the production of goods, strengthening the economy and currency. Published in the 13th day of the month has an impact on the market in the medium and long term.  This indicator is the most informative and does not include the number of cars sold, since this value is very volatile.  There is a seasonal dependence, as described by Craig Emerson (2008). Chapter 1: Introduction: 1.1 Background: The economic cycle or business cycle faces different phases that include slump, recession, recover and boom. During the last decade, the world witnessed turmoil in global market in the form of financial crisis that resulted in adverse impacts on almost every country of the world.... The economic cycle or business cycle faces different phases that include slump, recession, recover and boom. During the last decade, the world witnessed turmoil in global market in the form of financial crisis that resulted in adverse impacts on almost every country of the world. Companies face different market circumstances in different phases and they react accordingly, In order to retain their positions in the market, they have to adopt different strategies so that they are able to generate enough revenue. The global downturn during 2008-2009 is one of the worst recessions faced by the world economy. All the developed western countries like US, UK, France etc were badly hit by the global meltdown. Many companies of these developed nations were unable to cope up with the recession despite adopting different strategies and finally went bankrupt or were acquired by other companies. Lehman Brothers, Washington Mutual, Barnsley Building Society, Alliance & Leicester and Bear Stearns etc to name a few. Generally, a huge number of financial markets are still coping with the effects of financial crisis. Particularly, governments have played a significant role in supporting its financial markets to survive in midst of such financial crisis. In the British economy, retail sector enjoys noteworthy importance due to its contribution in GDP of the country.

The Role of Media on Emergency Contraception Essay Example for Free

The Role of Media on Emergency Contraception Essay The purpose of this paper is to examine the role media has played in shaping public perception of emergency contraception. Some of the major issues found in the key findings of empirical studies and current cognition, and the relevance for everyday life will all be discussed. Media such as news and internet represent the most easily remediable influence on people and their views even down to their sexual attitudes and behaviors. â€Å"In 1922, Lippmann argued that mass communication could become the basis for people’s views of the world† (Perse, 2001). After much empirical research, ninety years later there is no disbelief that the media can be very influential on many issues. The media has influenced popular opinion in many controversial matters and one of the most controversial is emergency contraception. What has been the role of the media in shaping public perception of emergency contraception? That very question is what this paper will address. Before examining the role media has played on the public’s perception it is important that a general understanding about what emergency contraception is be established. Emergency contraception (EC) or the morning after pill is a contraception that prevents pregnancy after unprotected sexual intercourse due to contraception failure, non-use or rape. EC may work in two ways: 1) by inhibiting ovulation or 2) by preventing the implantation of a fertilized egg in the uterus; however, it cannot work if you’re already pregnant. EC is not an abortion pill. Furthermore, use of EC can reduce the risk of unintended pregnancy by up to 75%-89% if taken within 72 hours after unprotected intercourse or ontraception failure. According to the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP) â€Å"unintended pregnancy continues to be a major public health issue in the United States. † Out of the 6-million pregnancies in the United States each year about one-half are unintended. (See Figure 1) Figure [ 1 ] Annual Pattern of Pregnancies in the United States: Intended versus unintended (6. 3million pregnancies totals). Data Source: Association of Re productive Health Professionals October 16, 2012. After several years of petitioning by various officialdoms the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finally approved EC for over the counter (OTC) sale to women 17 years of age and older in 2009. However, recent research has shown that EC seems to be underused. Whereas access to EC has been improved â€Å"its success is linked to the dissemination of accurate information about EC via trusted informational sources, such as family, friends, healthcare providers, and the media† (Vahratian, Patel, Wolff, Xiao, 2008). Today information is gained from many different sources types, news stories which are ranked second according to how reliable they are generally perceived to be, the Internet and television; but not all sources convey accurate information. In 2010 the World Health Organization (WHO) put out an official report discussing the effects of media’s coverage on emergency contraception. According to the authors muck raking news analysis was most likely connected to why use of EC pills were still low and pregnancy rates still high. The WHO listed BBC as one of the news organizations inaccurately reporting on EC. Reports that â€Å"regular usage of emergency contraception may cause infertility and in some instances increase the risk of cancer† (Westley Glasier 2010) had only alarmed women and may have kept some from using the method when they needed it most. Sometimes these stories are picked up by Internet bloggers, reporters etc. and circulated like an illness. Today, the echo chamber that is the Internet can quickly spread and amplify media stories, particularly if they are sensational. An e-mail circulating for several years describes a true story of a woman who died of a stroke while on hormonal birth control; recently, this story morphed and now states the cause of death continuously taking the morning-after pill (Westley et al. , 2010). Stories such as that are then picked up by the populist and the disease of misinformation continues. Stretching half-truths to the point where people believe them . Education on EC continues to be very important aspect on perception and use. However, even in places where knowledge of EC is higher like in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, use stayed low. A big reason for this is that education on fertility, contraception and pregnancy risk is poor. Further compounded by factually incorrect media coverage, which Westley et al. considered to be motivated by concerns over sexual irresponsibility, and was hidden behind false scientific validation. Given that EC is now accessible OTC in the US to women who meet the age limit, proper public health messages should be established to increase women’s awareness of, dismiss myths about, and encourage correct use of emergency contraception as an instrument to help avoid unintended pregnancy and birth. â€Å"Accurate media coverage has played an important role in spreading the news about health risks, healthy behaviors and new products; sensationalist and frightening coverage can have the opposite effect†( Westley Glasier 2010), hence the significance of factual information. Subsequently media coverage that paints a negative light with inaccurate information has given sensationalists with an agenda fuel against EC use. This is often seen from politicians, religious groups and other activist. Essentially the right for a woman to choose has been tossed in the political ring. Thus the media jumps all over it playing it up. Some of these individuals believe that because EC pills may work by stopping the implantation of a fertilized egg in the uterus, that this is abortion. â€Å"The moral equivalent of homicide,† as Dr. Donna Harrison, is quoted, the director of research for the American Association of Pro-life Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Republican Party Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum have also made similar statements recently calling EC â€Å"abortive pills. † However, according to an article published recently in the New York Times theses qualms maybe unfounded. â€Å"It turns out that the politically charged debate over morning-after pills and abortion, a divisive issue in this election year, is probably rooted in outdated or incorrect scientific guesses about how the pills work† (Belluck, New York Times, 2012). It maybe that package labeling is the root to the fertilized egg debate. Leading scientists are saying that studies have not proven that EC pills inhibit fertilized eggs from implanting in the uterus. Rather they postpone ovulation, release of eggs from ovaries that happens before eggs are fertilized, and others â€Å"thicken cervical mucus so sperm have trouble swimming† (Belluck, New York Times, 2012). Obviously there is a need to re-educate policy makers (who hold women reproductive rights in their hands) on EC and advance their knowledge about EC. In addition, it’s also been reported that EC has slashed abortion rates but James Trussell, a Princeton population researcher said â€Å"The impact is still too small, considering that each year million American women have unintended pregnancies more than a million of which end in abortions† (Health Study, 2002). There were 47,000 fewer abortions that can be explained by the growth in EC use from 1994 to 2000 a forty-three percent drop. Figure 2 shows nationwide, the number of abortions. Similarly, the abortion rate declined 29 percent over the same period, from 27. 4 per 1,000 women aged 15-44 to 19. 4 per 1,000. Figure [ 2 ] Data Source: Ms. Magazine. com October 16, 2012 The chief concern in all of this and the relevance for everyday life is the health issues linked to unintended pregnancy. Now a common problem in the US approximately 1 in 20 women between the ages of 15 and 44 reported an unintended pregnancy in 2001. This epidemic of unintended pregnancy can have negative health repercussions for both the newborn and mother. Unintended pregnancy has been associated with delays in obtaining early prenatal care (sometimes connected with delays in pregnancy recognition) and delays in curtailing or ceasing tobacco and alcohol use, all of which can adversely affect fetal development. Women who have an unintended pregnancy are less likely to take vitamins and, consequently, have an increased risk of a neural tube defect in the fetus. Infants born to women who had not intended the pregnancy are more likely to be of low birth weight, premature and/or small for gestational age. In addition, there is some evidence that unintended pregnancy is associated with child abuse and neglect suggesting that unintended pregnancy can have long-term adverse health implications for the infant† (Goldsmith, 2008). Conclusions There is hardly any question if media influences not only views but behaviors of people. However, sometimes those influences may be factor on half-truths and misconceptions. Success or failure depends on the information received. Even though EC has been approved by the FDA research has still shown an under usage, and no expected impact on unintended pregnancy. According to WHO inaccurate muck raking reports are linked to why usage of EC is low. The Internet is also a place where misinformation is widely spread. Sensationalist, politicians and religious groups follow the misinformation as a platform to the agendas. This is hidden behind false scientific justification, and powered by the want to control a woman’s choice to reproductive health. While countering every health-related rumor on the Internet and inaccurate story in local newspapers and magazines is surely a fools errand, it is increasingly important to be ready with the facts when reporters, community members and patients voice concerns† (Westley et al. , 2010). It is important that accurate media coverage is conveyed not to ward off women if they are in need of EC. There are times and situations as rape or incest where access to EC can be better than the alternatives such as abortion. In addition, the general public must be informed of the attributes, side effects, and availability of EC. Based upon my research I found that EC maybe an underutilized resource because the big impression media leaves on people and their views. Lack of knowledge about EC continues to be a barrier to its use. It is my personal opinion that use and access to EC is better than the alternative of unintended pregnancies. Many people have their opinion on this matter case in point one I don’t agree with that of Richard Mourdock. Quote: â€Å"I’ve struggled with it myself for a long time, but I came to realize that life is that gift from God. And even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen† he says that he struggled with this issue, but he really has not, and never will. Policy makers who have never struggled to keep a rapist from violating their body, nor will ever grapple with the decision to end a pregnancy should not be the one deciding what should happen as a next step.

The Versailles Treaty :: European Europe History

The Versailles Treaty The Treaty of Versailles was intended to be a peace agreement between the Allies and the Germans. Versailles created political discontent and economic chaos 1in Germany. The Peace Treaty of Versailles represented the results of hostility and revenge and opened the door for a dictator and World War II. November 11, 1918 marked the end of the first World War. Germany had surrendered and signed an armistice agreement. The task of forming a peace agreement was now in the hands of the Allies. In December of 1918, the Allies met in Versailles to start on the peace settlement.2 The main countries and their respective representatives were: The United States, Woodrow Wilson; Great Britain, David Lloyd George; and France, George Clemenceau. "At first, it had seemed the task of making peace would be easy".3 However, once the process started, the Allies found they had conflicting ideas and motives surrounding the reparations and wording of the Treaty of Versailles. It seemed the Allies had now found themselves engaged in another battle. Woodrow Wilson (1856 - 1924), the twenty-eighth President of the United States (1913 --1921).4 In August of 1914, when World War I began, there was no question that the United States would remain neutral. "Wilson didn't want to enter the European War or any other war for that matter".5 However, as the war continued, it became increasingly obvious that the United States could no longer 'sit on the sidelines'. German submarines had sunk American tankers and the British liner, 'Lusitania', in May 1915, killing almost twelve hundred people, including 128 Americans.6 This convinced Wilson to enter World War I, on the allied side. As the war continued, Wilson outlined his peace program, which was centered around fourteen main points. "They (fourteen points) were direct and simple: a demand that future agreements be open covenants of peace, openly arrived at; an insistence upon absolute freedom of the seas; and, as the fourteenth point, the formation of a general associat! ion of nations."7 The fourteen points gave people a hope of peace and lay the groundwork for the armistice that Germany ultimately signed in November 1918. Although the United States was instrumental in ending the war, Wilson was still more interested in a "peace without victors"8 than annexing German colonies or reparations (payment for war damages). However, as the Allies began discussions of the peace treaty, the European allies rejected Wilson's idealism and reasoning.

Case 5 consumer trends

In today’s world of rapidly changing consumer trends, it is only wise that companies try to keep up with these changes so as to remain in business. This is largely because the consumer is becoming more concerned with the products they consume e. g. effects of high calories. The analysis of the following case study affirms this change in consumer trends. 1. Consumer trends The changing consumer tastes is one of the driving forces behind product innovation. This is epitomized by the recent consumer trends like low ‘carb’ and going ‘green’.Trends like these have forced companies to come up with products/processes that meet consumer demands. Like the dot com craze of late 1990s, the low carb and environment awareness are largely fuelled by customer awareness. These trends are usually force companies to align their products with the changing preferences. And is rightly so because companies that defy these trends may suffer drop in revenues. An example is t he American carmakers that belatedly adopted hybrid technology when their Japanese counterparts were already benefiting from the technology.Such trends lead to the market flooding with similar companies has witnessed with the dot com bubble although the low carb and environmental preservation trends may persist because of the awareness of effects of high carbohydrates and environmental pollution. Most of the internet companies collapsed (Cable World 2001). 2. Threat to entrepreneurs The entry of industry giants like Dell and Gateway companies into the computer recycling business with present problems to Stampp Corbin in the sense that he might lack used computers to resale. Legislations may also be passed that does not allow the resale and disposal of used computers.Such laws may require that computers of a certain age cannot be resold. Laws governing electronic waste from computers can substantially affect the business. The recycling of the computers by manufacturers can lead to ch eaper production of new computers such that entrepreneurs like Stampp Corbin may lack the market for the used computers. The sensitive information in the used computers may also pose a serious threat of lawsuits if it accidentally falls in the wrong hands. The software used to delete this information may not be effective in the long run with the development of new technologies that could hold data permanently.All the above factors can affect Corbin’s business severely. 3. Competitive advantage Retro Box Company is one of the pioneers of the electronic recycling business and therefore the existence in the market for a long time leads to the company developing good business relations with the suppliers and customers also thus ensuring constant supply and availability of the market. Another advantage is the ability of Retro Box to safeguard itself from lawsuits that may result from leaked information. The company has done this by developing tailor made software that can erase su ch data completely.4. Protection from changing consumer preferences and laws One of the important factors that companies can do to avoid loss of business due to changing consumer preference is through innovation and anticipating future needs of consumers. Thereby the new product development will be guided by future consumer needs and expectations (PRNewswire 2008). The company also need to be aware of the effects that their products have on the environment and hence come up with innovative ways of dealing with there effects thus avoiding the need of regulations through laws which can be costly in the long run.Conclusion It is therefore paramount that companies embrace consumer trends through anticipating their needs and thus coming up with innovative products that keep up with changing preferences. References: Cable World (2001). MSO defies dot-com trend-Against the Grain. Retrieved on 30/4/2008 from http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m0DIZ/is_/ai_80191576 PRNewswire (2008). Foo d marketers challenged to meet consumer tastes in 2008. Retrieved on 30/4/2008 from http://www. reuters. com/article/pressRelease/idUS187846+29-Jan-2008+PRN20080129

Ibm Human Resources

1. Introduction IBM is one of the most successful technology and consulting companies in the world. In 2012, its brand name is in second place in international brand equity rankings, just behind Coca Cola. With its 433,362 employees it is operating in 170 countries and able to generate profit of $15. 85 billion per year. The company itself has been founded in 1911 trough a merger of three technology companies. In 1924, the company’s name was changed to International Business Machines, abbreviated to IBM.Initially, the company was engaged in tabulating equipment and data management and later on was able built a strong market position in the computer and semiconductor production. The IBM PC, introduced in 1981, was one of the company’s major successes. In the 1990s, however, the enterprise experienced stagnating earnings from its operations and therefore developed a transformation strategy. From 2000 onwards, IBM changed its business model towards technology services and consulting. This shift has enabled IBM to achieve a rise of EPS from $3. 32 to $13. 44 in 2011.Simultaneously to this strategic shift, IBM has also changed its international structure and moved from a multinational to an integrated enterprise, thereby saving $6 billion. This paper will analyze the HRM implications of this strategic shift. For this purpose, it will first elaborate on the business model and the strategic focus of the company. Second, it will consider the strategic HRM focus and the general blueprint that IBM has developed for its workforce. Third, it will outline a variety of HRM practices in the fields of knowledge management, compensation and HRM effectiveness. . IBM Business Model 2. 1 Customer Value Proposition At the core of its business stands IBM’s desire to help clients to become more innovative, efficient and competitive through the application of business insights and IT solutions (10 K-filing 2011). The company’s regular clientele mainly consi sts of institutions, both in the commercial as well as in the governmental and educational sector. IBM offers hardware, software and service integrated solutions (KM Worlds, 2011) that support the client to deepen the knowledge about his business through the smart use of information technology.This knowledge enhancement creates value by reducing the operational costs and presenting further revenue opportunities for the client on the one hand, and ensuring superior financial results to IBM’s shareholders on the other hand. 2. 2 Key Resources In general, IBM's key resources consist of intangible assets rather than tangible products, processes or manufacturing capabilities. Its human capital pool and research and development capabilities can be considered as the by far most important of these intangible assets.Concerning the human capital pool, IBM employs 433,362 high-skilled people, thereby being the world's second largest employer, behind Wal-Mart Stores (2,200,000) and even before McDonald’s (420,000) and Hewlett-Packard (349,000) (Fortune, 2011). IBM's workforce has steadily increased in recent years with growth rates of 6,8% in 2010 and 1,5% in 2011 and the firm invests heavily in the development and compensation of its workforce. Since 2002, it has paid over $100 billion in non-salary benefits to its employees.However, in the following years, crowd sourcing could lead to IBM drastically downsizing its workforce and utilizing subcontractors for the work currently performed within IBM. Its permanent workforce could shrink by more than 75% of its current state as a result of the HR transformation process. IBM’s second major assets are its R capabilities. Alone since the year 2000, IBM has invested $70 billion into research and development and has created 10 global research labs. These major investments paid off in 47,000 patents that IBM could generate within the last 10 years.Roughly 70% of these patents were issued for IBM's software an d service. For the major pillars of its current 2015 strategy, Business Analytics and Cloud, IBM employs 400 and 1000 researchers respectively. The IBM computer Watson, a learning system generating answers in normal language, is one of the major breakthroughs of IBM's R investments. Further, research and development was conducted in the field of nanotechnology, systems, analytics as well as the cloud. In general, R investments are concentrated around high-value, high-growth opportunities in order to sustain IBM's technology leadership position.Not only enable the R&D invests IBM to accumulate a great amount of knowledge about state-of-the-art technology and define new technology; due to its history, it also holds huge knowledge about storage capacities, computing power and semiconductors, as IBM’s business was formerly centered on computer production. Furthermore, since its foundation in 1911, IBM has created unique relationships with its clients and knowledge of the markets and has therefore gained strength in the field of Sales and Distribution.This strength exhibits all characteristics that a resource needs to provide a sustainable competitive advantage: They are valuable, rare and costly to imitate due to high path dependency. IBM operates in 170 countries with the G7 countries and a number of developed countries as its major markets. IBM’s brand name is also a major asset of the company. In current reports, IBM ranks second just behind Coca Cola and possesses aggregated brand equity of $69. 905 billion in 2011. This strong brand equity contributes to the relationship and the trust clients have towards IBM. . 3 Key Processes IBM utilizes the above-mentioned assets to operate in five segments, namely the Global Technology Services (GTS), Global Business Services (GBS), Software, Systems and Technology (ST) and Global Financing (GF). The GTS division deals with providing IT infrastructure services along four major dimensions, namely strategic o utsourcing services, Global Process Services, Integrated Technology Services and Maintenance. These services range from consulting on IT projects to the development of a complete IT infrastructure for a company.Within the GBS division, IBM employs the IBM software in order to consult its clients in strategy, process and technology questions. It entails a broad range of services, from Strategy & Change over Supply Chain Management, Customer Relationship Management to IT-services. By offering such a huge product portfolio, IBM is able to cover the complete value chain of its clients and provide all-integrated services for them. Whereas the former division deals with the applicability of the software, the Software Division itself is devoted to the development and writing of the IBM software.Particularly in this field, IBM employs its complete human capital and R&D capabilities, formerly explained under the key resources. The salient software that enables IBM’s clients to integra te processes, communication and logistics within their companies are Lotus Software, Rational Software, Tivoli Software and Security System Software. The Systems and Technology division takes advantages of IBM’s knowledge about computing power and provides clients with the opportunity to employ huge storage capabilities and computing power. Similarly, it assists clients with the latest semiconductor technology, product and packaging solutions.In contrast to the other four segments, the Global Financing division is not engaged in primary software development and client consulting, but rather acts as IBM’s bank. It offers financial instruments to the firm’s clients to facilitate the purchase and licensing fees for IBM’s products. Besides these segments and on the operations side, IBM uses its R&D capabilities to identify new market trends and continuously innovate. To support innovation, IBM heavily engages in the acquisition of companies that possess uniqu e technological skills. In 2011 alone, the company paid $1. billion for acquisition and plans to expand its acquisition to a total amount of $20 billion by 2015. What can be considered as one of the major efforts of the last year is the vertical and horizontal integration of IBM’s operations. These efforts are part of the enterprise transformation strategy aiming to make IBM the premier globally integrated company. For the vertical integration, the company attempts to control the whole value chain of its product. It has therefore invested in advanced semiconductor manufacturing in Fishkill, New York, and a global delivery centre in Columbia, Missouri.Roughly $35 billion are spent through the supply chain in an effort to procure materials and services globally. For the horizontal integration, IBM currently integrates its nationally fragmented units and has realized gains of $6 billion over the last years through increased productivity. 2. 4 Profit Formula The profit IBM is ext racting from its operations can be considered along three dimensions, namely along the segments, the actual products and the markets. Concerning the segments, Software, although not the biggest revenue driver (23,49% of total revenue), generates $14. 07 billion of profit margin and thereby accounts for 43,68% of the company’s profit. The reason is its high margin of 88,5%. GTS, Systems and Technology and GBS are following with 28,31%, 14,95% and 10,99% respectively. Global Financing falls behind and only constitutes 2,07% of profits. Value is created to the client through hardware/financing, services and Software at IBM. Over the last decade, Hardware/Financing has sharply lost importance and today only accounts for 16% of segment profit ($3. 6 billion) compared to 41% for services ($9. 3 billion) and 44% for software ($10. 0 billion).The traditional G7 countries and other developed countries are still the most important revenue and profit drivers. New growth markets currentl y account for only 22% of geographic revenue. However, the portion is rising and is expected to be 30% by 2015. In terms of overall profit growth, the growth markets ($1. 9 billion) – namely BRIC countries, but also Africa and Latin America – are only close behind the major markets ($2. 2 billion). To sum it up, software sales and licensing as well as operations in the major markets are the greatest profit drivers with the growth markets steadily increasing. . 5 Challenges and Opportunities Before IBM engaged in its transformation in 2000, it had mainly focused on computer and semiconductor production. Business and Technology services only constituted a minor part of the strategy. Since 2000, the company has sharply expanded its technology services and nowadays builds its business model around these services. In 2011, 85% of its pretax income came from software and services compared to 65% in 2000. Especially in recent years, a significant amount of new technologies ha s evolved.Cloud Computing, Information Management Systems and Open Source are only some examples of these new trends. As IBM fundamentally relies on anticipating trends and utilizing newest technology to deliver value to its clients, these trends exposes IBM to unique opportunities and challenges in adopting them. Simultaneously, the major G8 countries, which were and currently are IBM’s main revenue drivers, have stagnated in the last years. In contrast, nearly 40 growing countries grew at double-digit numbers in recent years.These emerging markets will be responsible for 60% of global GDP growth in the upcoming years. But not only do the BRIC countries account for this number, but other emerging markets as well. IBM estimates that 60% of growth markets revenue is earned outside the BRIC countries. As these countries are still at the elementary stage of their technology revolution, they become opportunities for technology companies currently operating in mature markets. 2. 6 Strategy In effort to address these challenges, IBM has developed a four-pillar strategy laid down in its 2015 roadmap.The first three pillars refer to new technology trends that IBM is responding to, namely Cloud Computing, Business Analytics and Smarter Planet. The Cloud refers to IBM’s engagement in creating the enterprise cloud. Only from 2010 to 2011, it has been able to more than triple its cloud revenue. Currently, 1 million enterprise users are active in the cloud, enabling IBM to analyze $100 billion in commerce transaction each year. Similarly, business analytics enable the clients to analyze and mine data and realize relationships concerning their respective customers preference and patients outcome.Almost 9000 consultants are employed by IBM to deliver a revenue increase of 16% from 2010 to 2011. Whereas the former two services are targeted at commercial clients, Smarter Planet enables governmental institutions to operate more efficiently. IBM classifies these se rvices as the â€Å"infusion of digital intelligence into the world’s systems† (annual report IBM, 2011). In 2000 cities, the company is engaged in developing Smarter Law Enforcements, Smarter Water and Sewer Systems and Smarter Transportation, as well as further services.Also in this segment, IBM is reporting a rapid growth of almost 50% compared to 2010. The last pillar of the strategy addresses the emerging markets. In 2012, IBM operates in 170 countries. The emerging countries are becoming increasingly important and currently contribute 22% to its geographic revenue. Until 2015, the company aims to increase this percentage to 30% and has recently invested in 100 of these new markets, among them China, Brazil and Africa. 3. Strategic International Human Resource ManagementFor some time now, IBM is undergoing a transition from a multinational orientation to a globally integrated organizational structure. In the old model, every country unit followed its own policies, procedures and processes. Thus, high inefficiency and redundancy was present in the organization. In 2003, Randy MacDonald, the senior vice president of human resources at IBM, and Sam Palmisano, IBM’s CEO at the time, recognized the need to shift from a product to a process driven organizational model, and thus become more globally integrated.This shift became necessary because the organization had to react to the increasing globalization of its supply chain. This change in the company’s orientation also implies a change in the importance of the firm’s HR function and the role of strategic international HRM (SIHRM). Taylor, Beechler, and Napier (1996) define SIHRM as â€Å"the general philosophy or approach taken by top management of the MNC in the design of its overall IHRM approach†. Therefore, IBM had to make sure there was a good fit of the firm’s new strategy with its overall goals. Taylor et al. 1996) pointed out the tension that exists in strategic international HRM between the concepts of integration and differentiation. Integration is described as the need for interunit linkages, which implies some form of overall company strategy that unites all individual country units. Differentiation on the other hand is necessary for successfully operating in the local environment, thus it means adapting the product or service to the specific local needs and requirements. Taylor et al. (1996) identified three generic orientations, which they call the adaptive, exportive, and integrative orientations.A company that focuses on the adaptive view is emphasizing the need to differentiate, and therefore tries to adapt to the local environment. There is little or no interunit exchange of ideas on HRM policies and practices, so the units work rather autonomous. The second approach is exportive, which means that the parent company transfers the parent firm’s HRM system to all its affiliates, which leads to high internal consiste ncy. The integrative orientation is a combination of both the adaptive and the exportive view, and thus tries to balance the dual need for integration and differentiation.IBM initially believed that the firm’s HRM practices are context generalizable, and followed a rather exportive orientation in the past. However, the shift from a product to a process view and the increasing need for global integration also required changing the firm’s orientation in order to build an integrative SIHRM model. The new objective of the HR department therefore was to place business functions where they are best located and allocate the right people to the right job at the right time. The program that is supposed to facilitate this process is called the IBM Workforce Management Initiative (WMI).The aim is to build a HR and talent management system that will enable the effective and smooth management of human resources across the various business units (IBM Case Study, 2010). Randy MacDona ld started the HR reorganization process by separating core from noncore, back office tasks (IBM website, 2010). The idea behind this process was to enable HR professionals to focus on core activities that are value adding for the business, such as designing policy and internal business consulting. The noncore administrative services are now being performed by the IBM Managed Business Process Services (MBPS).This centralization helped to create a global system that enables IBM to manage international projects globally and allows the HR department to implement changes throughout the organization much quicker and more homogeneously than it was possible in the past. Nowadays, country and regional HR managers at IBM both work together in order to adapt to local needs, while still keeping it in line with the overall company strategy. On the other hand, administrative roles are standardized and are being done by global employee service centers, which is also more useful for managing inter national assignments and employee records.This way, HR professionals are able to focus on core activities such as talent management and are able to make use of synergies by exchanging ideas on best practices throughout the organization. Farndale et al. (2010) have studied the various structures and roles of HR departments in multinational corporations through the use of case studies on 16 MNCs, amongst which has also been IBM. The researchers describe IBM’s transition from a HQ-dependent to â€Å"a more interdependent transnational orientation† (Farndale et al. , 2010), which is in line with the integrative orientation described by Taylor et al. (1996).Interdependence as a mixed approach is a much more complex relationship than the pure models of independence or dependence on the firm’s headquarter, and therefore formal control mechanisms become less useful. The researchers suggest the use of informal mechanism, for example the creation of a strong company cultu re and company-wide knowledge management. IBM recognized the need for more integration and interdependence, and starts to give more autonomy to local businesses and therefore more possibilities to adapt to local needs. Rather than giving orders that have to be obeyed, the parent company’s HR department develops broader principles.The local units then are able to apply these guidelines, as they deem right. 4. Blueprint Among the several blueprints Baron and Hannan (2002) propose, in the opinion of the authors of this article, IBM used to follow a commitment blueprint until around 2000, primarily because of its focus on attracting people based on their personal belonging and identification with the company. IBM selected people based on values and cultural fit and has been known as a place that was committed to its employees. It has been awarded as one of the best companies for workingwomen and used to have a â€Å"no layoff† policy until the 21st century (Boudreau, 2010) .IBM was able to build a reputation as an employer with enlightened human resource practices and was therefore able to attract talented young people with the right fit between personal and organizational values. The shift from a product based company to a solution based company in the year 2000, however, also forced IBM to change its HRM blueprint to the star blueprint in order to be more in line with the new direction and strategy of the company. Among other things, the proposal to reduce IBM’s workforce by 299,000 workers made clear that a commitment blueprint is not feasible anymore.Even though IBM plans to re-hire those workers as partners, a committed workforce as it used to be cannot be expected in the future. IBM now focuses on attracting the most talented workers with long-term potential, that can be trained and developed to current and future needs (Boudreau, 2010). Moreover, due to IBM’s consultancy work, IBM provides challenging and interesting work for its current and prospective employees. All these findings are in line with the star blueprint proposed by Baron and Hannan (2002).Despite the fact, that changing the blueprint of a company is accompanied by a negative effect on organizational performance (Baron & Hannan, 2002). Earnings per share rose sharply after the change in IBM’s blueprint. Moreover, financial performance and pre tax income increased from 2000 until 2010 (IBM, 2011). All in all, it is reasonable to say that IBM successfully changed its blueprint from commitment to star. 5. Knowledge Management at IBM It becomes obvious from the above discussion that IBM critically relies on its human capital pool and its research and development capabilities.In order to exploit these intangible assets, knowledge management is essential to the company’s success. â€Å"IBM [†¦] requires true enterprise-wide knowledge exchange and collaboration†, as KMWorlds puts it, one of the most advanced evaluators of cor porate knowledge management. In 2005, IBM has been awarded the KMWorld’s reality price for its efforts towards knowledge management since 1994. Parallel to Hansen et al. (2005), IBM’s efforts towards knowledge management will be considered along two lines: within-team networks and intersubsidiary networks.Concerning the first aspect, the company has launched a number of tools and collaboration platforms that enable teams to effectively cooperate and exchange knowledge. Among the most salient of these initiatives are the Collaboration Central, Bluepages and Xtreme leverage. Whereas Collaboration Central is a company-wide portal providing remote teams with currently 50,000 online team rooms to share information and work collaboratively, Xtreme leverage is a tool providing software sellers with access to intellectual capital, expertise locations and community facilities for IBM’s global software brand.Concerning intersubsidiary networks (ISN), KnowledgeView, the wo rldwide asset Reuse Program, Bluepages and Jams are excellent examples of IBM’s knowledge management. To provide a summary of these tools, KnowledgeView is a knowledge-sharing centre targeting Business Consulting Services and enables exchange of information and experience among all consulting units. In contrast to the general nature of the information, specific business success stories are entered into the worldwide asset Reuse Program and are accessible to all employees.Bluepages offer an opportunity to search for personal profiles throughout the company supporting the employees to find a group of experts to work on a specific business solution. Lastly, Jams aggregates information on specific business topics. Besides these major initiatives, IBM has heavily invested into wikis, called QED wiki, and Dogear, a social bookmarking system. All these ISNs increase the â€Å"knowledge sought† (Hansen et al. , 2005) by employees at IBM.Similarly, the opportunity not only to e xchange explicit, but also tacit knowledge through personal meetings enabled by Bluepages sharply decreased knowledge transfer costs (Hansen et al. ). To coordinate all these networks, the enterprise has established â€Å"IBM collaboration and knowledge†. This department led by Karen Ughetta consists of 10 employees continuously aiming to find new ways, in which knowledge can be transferred within the company. Collins et al. (2006) argue that such efforts improve the social climate of a company and via increased knowledge exchange and collaboration lead to superior financial results.These argumentations seem appropriate when considering IBM. Only to provide some examples, the Worldwide Asset Reuse Program has led to $81 million in cost savings and a $63 million increase in asset revenue as well as a $2. 6 billion increase in service revenue. Xtreme leverage has enabled employees to reduce the finding time for experts from 1 week to 8 hours and therefore opportunity cost savin gs of $50 million. And KnowledgeViews lead to the faster exchange of knowledge and consequently saved $42 million in opportunity costs. 6. Actions and Interest AlignmentThe concept of action alignment is defined as the alignment of employee actions with the objectives of a firm’s strategy. Aligned actions therefore, are not part of the routine job, but rather the ability and capability to understand the big picture of the company and its environment and contributing to the attainment of firm goals (Colvin & Boswell, 2007). To achieve action alignment, employees need to have the awareness of the firm's strategic objectives and a shared mindset towards it. According to Colvin and Boswell (2007), specific strategies need specific employee capabilities.IBM tries to achieve this by either hiring the right employees through assessment centers, talent forums or firm acquisitions or by training and developing existing employees to obtain the capabilities needed to attain IBM’s strategic goals. At IBM China, for example, training and development consists of cross-cultural mentoring programs, individual development programs and management training. Moreover, IBM makes use of several online training programs, including a global campus, which gives employees the opportunity to choose among different online classes.In the year 2008, IBM spent about $1700 per employee to ensure that workers have all required capabilities (IBM. com, 2012). In addition to capabilities, employees also need to have the opportunity to apply their knowledge and capabilities (Colvin & Boswell, 2007). IBM achieves this by empowering employees and giving them a say with regard to value formulation and feedback rounds. The â€Å"Your IBM† program is aimed at new employees and tries to spread the history, values and goals of IBM in order to create a shared mindset among all employees, ensuring that every employee has the opportunity to contribute to the firms well-being (IBM. om, 2012). However, without interest alignment, action alignment, in form of capabilities and opportunities, will not realize its full potential. Colvin and Boswell (2007) define interest alignment as the set of extrinsic and intrinsic benefits that employees derive from their work and employment. Extrinsic benefits mainly consist of compensation, but also include employment security and opportunities for career advancement. Intrinsic benefits, on the other hand, include the employee’s belief in the organization’s strategy it is seeking to achieve.By reason of IBM’s 100th anniversary, IBM recently issued a one-time equity grant to nearly 400,000 non-managerial employees to recognize the commitment of its workforce and therefore increase the extrinsic benefits of its employees (IBM. com, 2012). IBM also uses profit sharing and pays bonuses to non-managerial employees. Software engineers and IT specialists derive around 3% of their total salary from profit sharing and bonuses. On the contrary, jobs like computer programmers and computer system analysts do not derive any compensation in form of profit sharing or bonuses except the one-time equity grant mentioned earlier.All those compensation packages are in line with the reasoning of Colvin and Boswell (2007) about how to align employees’ interest with the organization. In addition to compensation, employment security is also part of the extrinsic benefits. Peacock (2010) notes that IBM wants to reduce its workforce from around 399,000 permanent employees to 100,000 by 2017 to complete their HR transformation. This move is grounded on IBM’s overall transformation from a product-based firm to a solution-based firm, which requires more global flexibility (Boudreau, 2010).Even tough, IBM would re-hire the 299,000 workers as contractors, this still does not assure the same employment security as permanent employment. In this regard, IBM is not in line with the reasoning of Colvin and B oswell (2007) and would to some extent decrease the extrinsic benefits to employees. Contrary to that, Noe et al. (2010) state that employees these days know that companies cannot provide the same employment security they used to provide. Employees rather desire employability, i. e. they want the company to provide training and development to help ensure that they can find other employment opportunities in case of lay-offs.IBM training and development practices are consistent with the concept of employability and it can be assumed that although IBM cannot ensure employment security, the training they offer gives their employees the security of employability. On top of compensation and employability, IBM offers wide arrays of medical benefits to its employees. These practices not only increase the extrinsic benefits, but also increase the intrinsic benefits in form of lifting IBM’s image. Colvin and Boswell (2007) state that intrinsic benefits increase when employees perceive that the organization has an image, which reflects their own personal social identity.By promoting education in weak communities, by being environmental friendly and by offering health care plans to its employees, IBM does lots of things to ensure that its image is consistent with the social identity of its employees (IBM Corporate Responsibility Summary, 2010). All in all, based on the evidence in the discussion above, it is reasonable to assume that action alignment and interest alignment between IBM and its employees is rather high. The preceding discussion mainly describes the alignment between IBM and its non-executive employees.In the proceeding section, this paper now analyses the compensation package of IBM’s executives with the help of Stroh et al. ’s (1996) determinants of variable pay. Stroh et al. found that managers in highly programmable jobs will receive a lower proportion of their compensation in the form of variable pay than managers in less programmab le jobs, whereas managers in highly turbulent organizations will receive a higher proportion of their compensation in the firm of variable pay than managers in more stable organizations.Moreover, there is evidence that managers in organizations with human resource policies that encourage long-term relationships will receive a smaller proportion of their salary in form of variable pay than managers in organizations without such policies. In the case of IBM, one can say that due to nearly 100 acquisitions made by IBM (IBM. com, 2012) and the turbulent environment IBM is operating in, organizational turbulence is rather high.Managers’ task programmability can be regarded as low since IBM offers most of its solution in form of consultancy. Lastly, based on the fact that IBM wants to be more flexible and therefore needs to cut its workforce by 299,000 workers, it is reasonable to assume that IBM human resource policies do not encourage long-term relationships. Taken everything tog ether, one would expect a large proportion of total managerial compensation to be variable in form of bonuses, profit sharing and stock-grants.Appendix 1 shows that in 2011, IBM’s CEO and Chairman Palmisano received 92% of his total compensation in form of variable pay (29% annual incentives and 63% performance share) and IBM’s Vice Presidents received 87% of their total compensation in form of variable pay (20% annual incentives and 67% performance share). Overall, this is consistent with the findings of Stroh et al. (1996). 7. The use of HR Measures and Indicators It is important for HR departments to track how effectively and efficiently their practices and programs have been implemented throughout the organization.This helps them to justify their existence, since â€Å"HR departments are increasingly expected to operate as a business within a business† (Ulrich, Younger, & Brockbank, 2008). By measuring the impact of HR practices, the firm is also able to rec ognize deficits and counteract them. The shift within the HR profession towards a focus on strategic HR also implies the assumption that certain HR practices have an influence on overall firm performance (Huselid, Yackson, & Schuler, 1997), and therefore might even be a source of competitive advantage to the firm. Ulrich et al. 2008) recommend to not only base the evaluation on traditional measures such as the cost and benefits of certain activities, but instead to judge the performance of the HR activities based on the impact they have on overall firm strategy. In recent years IBM has undergone a transformation from a traditional multinational enterprise to a more flexible and global structure, which IBM calls a globally integrated enterprise (GIE). The company therefore needs to develop a diverse workforce with a global mindset, which is supported by common corporate values.For a GIE to be successful it is necessary to have a collaborative environment that takes multiple diverse v iews into account, as well as a less hierarchical and more flexible organizational structure. IBM does this by employing employees at all career stages and let them participate in the decision making process. An example of this employee involvement was a global online â€Å"jam†, where the employees themselves discussed about the company culture and developed specific corporate values (IBM, 2010) as well as skills required to work successfully in a GIE.The HR team should identify some measures to determine the success of the implementation of this new corporate identity. It is important to assess the skill development and improvements in relevant employee competencies over time and measure improvements in employee satisfaction, which could be done through frequent and extensive employee feedback. The HR department also recognized that in order to put these new global skills and views into action, employees needed â€Å"exposure to a wider range of global experiences† ( IBM, 2010). This would be especially valuable if it happens earlier in the careers.IBM developed a global mobility and international assignment framework, which offers specific programs and online tools to facilitate this globalization process. In order to assess the impact of this new framework, IBM should track the number of participants in these global experience projects, the number of available places for such projects, and the retention rate of former expatriates. Corporate HR departments frequently face the threat of the not-invented-here syndrome, as local units might feel overwhelmed by orders from outside.In order to prevent this reluctance, the HR department at IBM has created an integrative approach that fits to the strategic HRM perspective the company has taken on in recent years. The HR department takes all sorts of sources into account, such as corporate HR professionals, regional managers and general staff members. 8. Conclusion In recent years IBM recognized the ne ed to shift from a product view to a process oriented view, which includes a focus on providing services and solutions. This shift was necessary due to the increasing globalization and the stagnating computer market.The shift in IBM’s business view also required a change in IBM’s perception of its HR department. It is not longer seen as a mere department that supports business by executing traditional HR tasks such as selection, training, and reward, but has become a strategic part of the company. IBM has moved from an international organizational structure to a globally integrated company, and the HR department successfully developed a framework that facilitates the collaboration of corporate as well as regional and country-based HR teams, in order to guarantee a consistent company culture and create a globally integrated enterprise.This point of view is also reflected by IBM’s change from a commitment to a star blueprint. IBM now provides interesting and chall enging work for its employees and is more focused on selecting talented employees with a long-term potential than on employees with the best values and cultural fit. IBM’s HR department should make use of specific measures to track the effects that its operations have and justify any efforts with regard to creating a integrative, global workforce for the company in the future.

7 Reasons Why Teaching is Challenging and Hard

7 Reasons Why Teaching is Challenging and Hard Teaching is one of the most rewarding professions in that it gives you an opportunity to make an impact on a future generation.  It is also extremely difficult and draining- no one with actual teaching experience would tell you otherwise. Being a teacher takes patience, dedication, passion, and the ability to do more with less. It is a treacherous journey often filled with just as many valleys as there are mountains.  Those committed to the profession do so simply because they want to be difference makers.  The following seven factors are some broader issues that make teaching challenging and hard. Disruptive Environment Disruptions occur in many external and internal forms.  Students and teachers have lives outside the walls of the school. Situations commonly occur that serve as a distraction.  These external obstacles are often difficult and sometimes nearly impossible to ignore and overcome.  Internally, issues such as student discipline problems, student assemblies, extra-curricular activities, and even announcements interrupt the flow of the school day.   These are only some of the many issues that serve as a disruption for teachers and students. The fact is that any disruption will take away valuable instructional time and negatively impact student learning in some form.  Teachers must be adept at handling disruptions quickly and getting their students back on task as soon as possible. Expectations In Flux The rules of teaching are constantly changing.  In some aspects, this is good while occasionally it may also be bad.  Teaching is not immune to fads.  The next great thing will be introduced tomorrow and obsolete by weeks’ end.  It is an ever revolving door for teachers.  When things are always changing, you leave very little room for any stability. This lack of stability creates nervousness, uncertainty, and an assurance that our students are being cheated in some aspect of their education.  Education requires stability to maximize effectiveness. Our teachers and our students would benefit from it greatly.  Sadly, we live in a time of flux. Teachers must find a way to bring some stability to the classroom to give their students an opportunity to be successful. Finding Balance There is a perception that teachers only work from 8-3 each day.  This is the time they actually spend with their students. Any teacher will tell you that this only represents a portion of what is required of them.  Teachers often arrive early and stay late. They must grade and record papers, collaborate with other teachers, plan and prepare for the next day’s activities or lessons, attend faculty or committee meetings, clean and organize their classrooms, and communicate with family members. Many teachers continue to work on these things even after they go home.  It can be difficult to find a balance between their personal life and their professional life. Great teachers invest a tremendous amount of time outside of the time spent with their students. They understand that all these things have a significant impact on student learning. However, teachers must commit to stepping away from their teaching responsibilities from time to time so that their personal life does not suffer in some aspect. Individuality of Students Every student is different. They have their own unique personalities, interests, abilities, and needs. Gauging these differences can be extremely difficult.  In the past, teachers have taught to the middle of their class. This practice did a disservice to those students with higher and lower abilities.  Most teachers now find a way to differentiate and accommodate every student according to their own individual needs. Doing so benefits the students, but it comes at a price for the teacher.  It is a difficult and time-consuming task.  Teachers must be adept at utilizing data and observations, finding the appropriate resources, and meeting every student where they are. Lack of Resources School funding impacts students learning in several areas. Underfunded schools have overcrowded classrooms and outdated technology and textbooks.  They are understaffed with many administrators and teachers taking on dual roles to save money.  Programs that may benefit students, but are not required are the first to be cut.  Students lose out on opportunities when schools are underfunded. Teachers must become adept at doing more with less. Most teachers unselfishly spend hundreds of dollars out of their own pockets to purchase supplies and materials for their classrooms.  A teacher’s effectiveness cannot help but be limited when they are not afforded the necessary resources to do their job effectively. Time Is Limited A teacher’s time is precious.  As alluded to above, there is a difference between the time we spend with the students and the time we spend preparing for our students. Neither is sufficient.  Teachers must maximize the time they have with their students.  Every minute with them should matter.  One of the hardest aspects of teaching is that you only have them for a short period of time to prepare them for the next level.  You do the best you can when you have them, but in the scope of things, you have only a small amount to give them what they need.  No teacher feels like they ever have enough time to accomplish everything that they needed or wanted to. Varying Levels of Parental Involvement Parental involvement is one of the greatest indicators of academic success for students. Those students whose parents teach their children from an early age that learning is valuable and stay involved throughout school give their children a greater opportunity to be successful.  Most parents want what is best for their children, but they may not know how to be involved with their child’s education. This is another obstacle that teachers must hurdle.  Teachers must take an active role in giving parents the opportunity to be involved. They must be direct with parents and engage them in discussions about the role they play in their child’s education.  Furthermore, they must give them the opportunity to be involved on a regular basis.

Learn How to Use the French Preposition Par

Learn How to Use the French Preposition Par The French preposition par means through, by, or per in English. It is used to indicate the manner in which something is done, the reason behind an event, the direction something moves, or the amount of something per some unit of measurement. In everyday conversation, you might use par when giving directions to someone or to describe how an event occurred. Examples of Par Je suis sortie par la porte.I left through/by the door.Jai appris la verità © par hasard.I learned the truth by accident.Il la obtenu par la force.He obtained it by force.Je lai envoyà © par la poste.I sent it through the mail.Il a jetà © les dà ©chets par la fenà ªtre.He threw the garbage though/out the window.Il gagne 500 euros par semaine.He earns 500 euros per week.Par is often used to introduce the agent in the passive voice:Ce livre, à ©crit par Voltaire...This book, written by Voltaire...La tasse a à ©tà © cassà ©e par un chien.The cup was broken by a dog. Verbs With Par As with prepositions in English, there are some instances when a verb will also require using par in sentence construction. Some of the most common French verbs are: arriver  par  Ã‚  Ã‚  to succeed through/bycommencer  par  Ã‚  infinitive  Ã‚  Ã‚  to  begin by ___-ingfaire  par  (la pitià ©,  lamour)  Ã‚  Ã‚  to do out of (pity, love)finir  par   infinitive  Ã‚  Ã‚  to end up ___-ing / to finally do somethinghabiter  par  ici  Ã‚  Ã‚  to live around herejurer  par  Ã‚  Ã‚  to swear byobtenir  quelque  chose par  Ã‚  Ã‚  to obtain something byprendre  quelquun  par  (la main)  Ã‚  Ã‚  to take someone by (the hand)ressembler  par  Ã‚  Ã‚  to resemble due tosortir  par  (la fenà ªtre)  Ã‚  Ã‚  to leave by (the window)venir  par  (la cà ´te)  Ã‚  Ã‚  to come along/by (the coast)

Scoring Cyber Competitions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 130

Scoring Cyber Competitions - Essay Example Since it is an online activity, there needs to be an automated scoring machine which can be manipulated to generate and maintain scores to the competing teams. In fact, some competitions might require the use of certain services such as web, email, and database each of which plays an integral role in determining the success of the competition (Cashell, et al., 2004). Each of these machines should always be made available and actively maintained throughout the competition. Besides, I would like to recommend that competitors should be equipped with both offensive and defensive skills. Offensive skills can be crucial in launching an attack and allowing access to the vulnerabilities. On the other hand, defensive skills can be of much value especially when eliminating the vulnerabilities and building one’s own network before defending it (Loguidice & Barton, 2014). Lastly, the cyber competition should involve the use of rewards. The machine chosen should be in proper condition to help in awarding and deducting points from the competitors depending on the level of their performance. Points should be added if the competitor complies with all the rules and manages to carry out a successful defense, attack, and injections in line with the competition. Otherwise, points might be lost if they fail to do so or intentionally interrupt the scoring system.

Kate Chopin Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Kate Chopin - Research Paper Example On the rare occasion when one 'woke up' from her enforced dullness, she was either reduced in social status, ruined forever, or killed by the restrictions keeping her from remaining fully awake. These are the issues Chopin explores in her work, reminding us, even now, of the need to protect women's rights and freedoms. Awakening the Female in Kate Chopin’s Works Perhaps the greatest single characteristic of the Victorian age was its nature as an era full of strong contradictions. These contradictions are often captured in the works of female writers working during this time period. As the greater world of farm and commerce changed around them, women as a gender began to question their expected roles in society and began demanding more opportunities available for personal fulfillment. This wasn't simply a selfish desire to follow their own dreams, although this was a factor. It was also a recognition of the fact that many women found it necessary to have more options open to th em for self-support and for the greater welfare of their families. Although women throughout time had found various ways to make it on their own, it was rarely possible for them to attain both material comfort and personal independence without the interference of a man. These are issues that figure prominently in women's writing of the time, such as in the work of Kate Chopin. Within her short stories and novels, Chopin reveals deep meaning and strong feminism embedded within the text due to her careful use of perspective and imagery. Her talent enables her to ‘paint a picture’ of life as it was experienced in that moment. Her stories gain their strength by focusing on key elements of the environment in which the characters move and through the special attention she gives to just how the story should be told. Her style enables the reader to experience the various constraining forces, both material and psychological, that were experienced by women of her time and illustr ates why they would want to escape from it. These ideas are easily discovered in a comparison among some of Chopin's short stories, such as â€Å"The Story of an Hour† and "The Storm," and her novel Awakening as the women experience an awakening to their own long-hidden inner nature. The possibility that one can actually awake to a hidden inner self is the primary action of many of Chopin's works and can be easily found in her short short story "The Story of an Hour." The story begins with the introduction of a frail woman later discovered to be named Louise. Louise is sitting in her home's living room being told by her sister and a close family friend of the sudden death of her husband during a railroad accident. â€Å"She wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment, in her sister’s arms† (Chopin 199). Following her somewhat alarming outburst, Louise closes herself in her upstairs bedroom and sits in another chair looking out the window as she considers her new position as a widow. Her feelings toward her husband are revealed in this scene to have been strangely ambivalent: â€Å"And yet she had loved him – sometimes. Often she had not. What did it matter?† (Chopin 201). The horror of her emptiness as a married woman is clearly expressed in her nearly emotionless assessment of what she’s lost in conjunction with her dawning realization that she is finally free to follow her own idea of happiness: â€Å"