Argumentative Essay In Favor of Euthanasia Essay

â€Å"Euthanasia is the administration of a lethal agent by another person to a patient for the purpose of relieving the patient’s intolerable and incurable suffering†. When we talk about euthanasia it is meant as a means to help someone to achieve a good death. The majority of those who seek euthanasia are terminally ill and do not have any other options. Either they stay alive and suffer from the severe pain, the symptoms, and the side effects like bedsores, or they decide to end their agony and choose the only other alternative. Unlike what some people think, euthanasia is used as a last resort and is only meant for people who face an imminent death. It is not meant â€Å"to kill†, but to help the dying die with dignity. Given that everyone has the right to die with dignity, as soon as the suffering comes to a decision to shorten his or her last days or weeks in order to end the unbearable pain, the society should accept it and do everything in their power to make it possible. Euthanasia is considered accepted among its supporters only if the following ethical guidelines are met. The person must be an adult in a rational state of mind, whose terminal suffering happens to be unbearable despite the best medical efforts. Secondly, the person must have clearly made a considered decision. As Timothy M. Quill illustrates in his essay â€Å"Death and Dignity† Diane, a woman diagnosed with terminal leukemia, her husband, and her son talked about her disease and the options including treatment extensively; however, â€Å"She remained very clear about her wish not to undergo chemotherapy and to live whatever time she had left outside the hospital†. An individual can express his or her preferences about healthcare at the end of life, for example by writing a living will, or even, in today’s more open and tolerant society, freely discuss the option of euthanasia with a health-care professional or a family member. Timothy M. Quill notes in the same essay Diane’s wish to die, once she â€Å"lost control of herself and her dignity†. She discussed this wish with her family and her doctor and asked them for their help and support. They were not happy about this, but they agreed to respect her choice, and that is what they did. Her doctor had regular meetings with her and talked to her about â€Å"the philosophy of comfort care†, but also about the â€Å"Hemlock Society†. As her condition worsened, she called up her closest friends including her doctor and said goodbye to them. Two days later she  asked her husband and her son to leave her alone for an hour after saying goodbye to them. After an hour, they found her dead â€Å"covered by her favorite shawl†. Euthanasia should not be carried out at the first knowledge of a life-threatening illness, and the individual must seek reasonable medical help to cure or at least slow down the progress of the terminal dise ase. Life is precious and is also worth a fight. Euthanasia is only an option when the fight is hopeless and the agony unbearable. However, once the decision is made, the treating physician must be informed and his or her response should be considered. It is always possible, that the diagnosis has been misheard or misunderstood; furthermore, the individual’s decision could have been triggered by major depression or any other curable mental illness. I think everyone would agree that each physician confronted with a patient seeking help to commit suicide should involve psychiatric consultation in order to rule out major depression before euthanasia should even be considered. After excluding any form of a treatable illness, it should be the physician’s choice whether or not to assist the patient to commit suicide. Under normal circumstances we do not have the right to kill or to let someone die, but there are some exceptions to this rule. A physician is permitted to withhold treatment and let the patient die, if it is so desired by the patient or a legal representative. However, if the same person under the same circumstances wishes to be helped directly in order to end his or her suffering, the physician is not allowed to assist this person put an end to his or her life. According to the American Medical Association â€Å"The physician who performs euthanasia assumes unique responsibility for the act of ending the patient’s life†. On the other hand the AMA also states â€Å"Physicians have an obligation to relieve pain and suffering and to promote the dignity and autonomy of dying patients in their care. This includes providing effective palliative treatment even though it may foreseeably hasten death.†The above statement shows us that AMA prohibits active euthanasia, â€Å"the administration of a lethal agent by another person to a patient for the purpose of relieving the patient’s intolerable and incurable suffering.†, yet allows passive euthanasia, â€Å"at least in some cases, to  withhold treatment and allow a patient to die†. James Rachels argues for why physicians should place passive euthanasia in the same category as active euthanasia. First, techniques of passive euthanasia extend the suffering of the patient, because it takes longer to passively allow the patient to die than it would if active measures were taken. Second, Rachels argues that passive euthanasia encourages the physician to make decisions on irrelevant grounds. For example, children born with Down’s syndrome often have correctable congenital defects, but sometimes the parents refuse the surgery, because they do not want a child with Down’s syndrome; therefore, they let the infant die. Rachels’ example might be a little extreme, but if we really want to be honest with ourselves, we should recognize that active euthanasia seems to be more humane in some cases than passive euthanasia. Advances in medical technology brought about a number of miracles to keep us healthy and to help us live longer; however, modern medicine has not entirely solved the problem of terminal illness and pain. It has even contributed to the complication of the decisions we might be confronted with towards the end of our life, or the life of a loved one. We are going to face life-and-death decisions, we should always choose life over death when life is truly possible, but tragic circumstances can make the afterlife a better life for some people. Euthanasia is an option not a destination. After all â€Å"No one wants to live to be one hundred, until you ask the man who is ninety-nine.† Reference pagehttp://www.starcourse.org/euthanasia.htmhttp://www.togopeacefully.com/http://www.missouri.edu/~philwb/Quill.HTMTimothy E. Quill, M.D. Death and DignityA Case of Individualized Decision MakingPrinted in The New England Journal of Medicine,March 7, 1991, Vol. 324, No. 10, pp 691-694. http://www.banned-books.com/truth-seeker/1994archive/121_5/ts215n.htmlDeath and Dignity: Making Choices and Taking Charge by Timothy E. Quill. W.W. Norton & Company, New York.  ©1993The American Medical Associationhttp://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/8458.htmlhttp://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/8457.htmlhttp://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/8459.htmlJames Rachels : Active and Passive

Economics Essay

Economics is regarded as one of the earliest and arguably most essential of the social sciences. While not exactly a science as the term science is widely known as today, there are similarities that allow for its classification as a social science. One of these similarities lies in the roles that economists play as social advisors vis-a-vis the role of scientists. As a policy advisor, an economist is expected to make reliable predictions and forecasts with regard to the policies to be instituted. Since the expectation is that of reliability, there is a large amount of precision required which is similar to that of the scientific method employed by scientists. The use of the null and test hypothesis as a scientists has an application for policy advisors in coming up with these forecasts. No policy advisor can make any suggestion without any empirical data or figures in the same way that no scientist will present a dissertation without any evidence. While these may make the roles as policy advisors and scientists similar to a certain extent, there are also differences depending on the situation the economist is placed in. As a policy advisor, an economist is expected to present reliable information in order to aid in the formulation and implementation of policies, while these may have a certain amount of scientific evidence (so to speak), there is a certain reality check which takes place that demands that the economist take the most viable option. The most scientifically correct approach may not always be the most viable option and this is what an economist must deal with when taking on the role of a policy advisor as opposed to when an economist takes on the role of a scientist in policy making, which more often than not entails that only the facts be presented in a scholarly manner without particular attention to its viability under different constraints.

Hewlett Packard Case #2

2. What do you think of the way the team set out to find a market for the Kittyhawk? What correct turns and what wrong turns did they make? When setting out to find a market for Kittyhawk, there were several correct and incorrect decisions that the DMD division made that greatly affected their product and its future effectiveness. They initially went about it the right way by researching the electronics industry and the several companies within the industry that might want their new product. They also spent time analyzing HP’s future product plans and how they aligned with that of Kittyhawk’s.They looked into businesses where their innovative and disruptive product may have a greater demand and be better able to quickly incorporate their product, such as the mobile and gaming markets. The DMD division made the mistake of not waiting for the market to develop before mass producing their product. Existing customers tend to be hesitant when moving away from products that t hey have already invested in and move towards a disruptive technology. Many customers may not even have the resources or capabilities to use HP’s new product.DMD should have given time for customers to become aware of their innovative product before jumping to conclusions of future demand trends. One way to initially see how customers would react to Kittyhawk would have been to do beta and end user testing before establishing a permanent market. Also, the company hired a market research firm specializing in high-tech markets to help them segment the market, but since Kittyhawk was so innovative, the research was almost useless because there were no reliable leads or demands from customers.At the Computer Electronics Show, HP did not capitalize on the immediate market need set forth by Nintendo, who wanted their product for $50. This went against DMD’s original purpose of the project which was to create a cheap, small disk drive, which was exactly what Nintendo wanted. Instead, they chose to go into the PDA market, which was stated to have technical issues and an uncertain future. This was an unnecessary risk taken by HP.At the show, they bypassed the desktop and notebook computer sections, which were established markets that could have taken advantage of Kittyhawk. Although searching for a â€Å"new hill† to establish their market is a good idea to get a first-mover advantage, there are high demand risks when focusing solely on unproven markets. Instead of focusing on such unproven markets, DMD should have created their product so it could be variable enough to adjust to different consumer needs, which would attract a much wider market.DMD made the mistake of setting forth goals for Kittyhawk before assessing the market. These goals were not only unreasonable, but they created a lot of pressure on the engineering staff. They set forth a strict deadline of introducing the Kittyhawk in 12 months and breaking even in profits in 36 months. Alt hough this is a good idea to motivate your engineers to beat the competition and achieve a first-mover advantage, the engineers instead sacrificed aspects of the product that were critical to its success and were part of the original goal.In order to lower the price of the product as much as possible to satisfy customers, they sacrificed some of the promised capabilities that set the product apart from the competition. Although there is definitely an innovation and price tradeoff, when HP refused to sell Kittyhawk for less than $130, it was a clear indication of how they had moved so far away from their original goal of creating a visionary product and were mainly focused on just creating profits.

Film Adaptations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Film Adaptations - Essay Example It is no surprise that a film adaptation of a literary work has some differences from the way it is delivered in the book and this is due to a number of factors: collaboration of ideas, different perspectives, artistic direction, etc. Although a direct translation of a literary work may not really work with a film adaptation, the literary essence of it should be captured. This paper scrutinizes a film adaptation of the literary work of Tobias Wolff, This Boy’s Life, based on his memoirs of his youth. This tackles the important parts of the literary work and examines whether it is portrayed in the film the way it should be delivered. The Bond of a Mother and Son This Boy’s Life is the author’s recollection of his youth. It is a book written in 1989 and adapted in film under Warner Brothers Picture. Tobias Wolff, or better known as Jack in both the book and the film, has an incredible bonding with his mother, Rosemary. His relationship with his mother is shown bril liantly in the film, although, his mother’s name in the book is different in the Last Name 3 film, which is Caroline. In the book, both Jack and his mother travel quite a lot due to his mother’s search for a better life for the both of them. Being left by his father, Jack, together with his mother, struggles hard in order to put an end to their unhappiness and money issues. At the onset of the film, Jack and his mother are in search of uranium, heading towards Salt Lake in their Nash. This scene is an important part in establishing the kind of relationship the two has, which is very well portrayed in the film. In the book, Chapters One and Two of Part I, it is explained that Jack’s travelling with his mother gives him an early exposure to the realities of life, which becomes the foundation of his aspirations to give his mother a good life and put an end their misery, (Wolff, Part I Chapters One and Two) which is delivered well in the film through its wonderful d irection. Father Figure In both the film and the book, it is evident that Jack has terrible father figures. Roy, for instance, is a boyfriend of his mother who follows her from Florida to Utah and tries to get her by befriending Jack. He gives Jack a Winchester 22 rifle as a gift and takes Jack to spy on his mom at work. He makes it seem like a game and through this; he is able to get Jack’s friendship. In the scene where Jack is playing with his new gift from Roy, the rifle, he hears the creaking of the bed in the other room, realizing that Roy and his mother are making out. The musical scoring supports Jack’s realization that Roy only tries to befriend him to get to his mother without having to narrate his thoughts unlike in the book. Although in the film, some scenes like the ‘spying’ and other not-so-major things Roy does in the book are not seen. Overall, the film still does a great portrayal of a terrible father figure in Roy. Immediately after that, they leave Utah for Seattle to Last Name 4 escape Roy. The film is able to adapt well from the book in portraying an image of a mother who is always ready to fall for a relationship for the sake of giving her son a father figure he needs. She falls for the gifts and the company a man gives to her son but when she notices that it is all just to get her, she immediately escapes. â€Å"My mom had her own way of solving problems, she left them behind. That’s what she did with the Nash. She just left it there.† (Wolff, Part I Chapter Two) In the film, Jack’s mother throws the uranium detector in the trash right after she talks to a man who tells her that there is no uranium in Salt Lake. The arrival of Dwight, Jack’s new father figure whom his mother eventually gets married with, is an interesting event in both the book and

Vermont's Women Organizations and Training Programs Essay

Vermont's Women Organizations and Training Programs - Essay Example This has helped establish the causes of discrimination against women and hence address this issue and help women achieve their political ambition (Goleman 5). The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan league established in 1920 by Carrie Chapman, which does not fund or compete against political parties or candidates. However, the league believes in a representative government and the freedom of individuals as stipulated in the constitution. They also believe that a democratic government highly depends on well-informed citizens and citizen’s involvement. This has encouraged democracy and hence allowing women to gain a political advantage (Goleman 7). The Women’s Leadership Circles of Vermont is a circle of 10-12 women leaders originating from a particular region. Vermont Women’s Leadership Circle was founded by Kerry Secrest of Watershed Coaching, LLC in 2011 (Marla & Kerry 1). It offers influential women the space, support, and tools to lead with precision and self-confidence. The program was formed to cater for the needs of women in leadership positions across all sectors of the economy. Those who participate have a clear vision that drives them toward personal and professional achievement. This helps the women grow in their roles as change-makers. Through these initiatives, the various organizations and groups have been able to help women achieve political mileage. This is because women become more empowered and feel more confident to go for political

Sociological Imagination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sociological Imagination - Essay Example According to Robert Weiss, there are two types of loneliness. In social isolation, a person feels deprived of a network of friends or relatives; in emotional isolation, a person feels deprived of a single, intense relationship. These two kinds of loneliness share a common emotional core, and there is some debate about how clearly they can be distinguished (Russell et al., 1984). Either one can be momentary or a long-lasting characteristic of the individual. Emotional Isolation often strikes the war veterans at the same time as social anxiety and depression. Like social anxiety, emotional isolation and depression are characterized by the deliberating pattern of social interaction. Social anxiety comes in two varieties. The state of social anxiety is a momentary experience that flares up at a certain time or in a certain place, and then passes. The trait of social anxiety is more enduring: a characteristic of certain individuals that persists over time and across situations. For those chronically afflicted, their anxiety locks them into increasingly unpleasant social interactions. Such individuals tend to reject other people, perhaps because they fear being rejected themselves. They are withdrawn and ineffective in social interactions, perhaps because they perceive negative reactions even where there are none. In fact, however, other people often do react negatively to interactions with socially anxious individuals. Feelings of social discomfort can arise from a number of sources. They can be a learned reaction of to unpleasant encounters, as social problems in the past contribute to social anxiety about the future. That is why, it has often been seen that war veterans usually suffer anxiety. Depression: Depression is a psychological disorder characterized by negative moods, low esteem, pessimism, lack of initiative, and slowed thought process. Although there are numerous influences on depression, social psychologists have paid particular attention to the role of cognitive factors. Researchers believed that depression is caused due to the exposure to uncontrollable, aversive stimulation. They proposed that organisms exposed to an uncontrollable event learn something- namely that control is not possible. Faced with this knowledge, they stop trying to exert control even in a different situation. That is the case of war veterans. They have seen too much cruelty, huge toll of human lives, immense loss of property and resources, heinous and inhuman war crimes; and above-all the aftermath-miseries, diseases and moral decay, over which they have no control whatsoever. This feeling of

Rodriguez Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Rodriguez Assignment - Essay Example I noted that during the collection of relevant materials one needs to be careful because not all library material is credible. Some of the materials I received contained contradicting information and I thus needed to sort out and use those that contained accurate information. I acknowledge the importance of taking notes while completing an assignment. Taking notes is important because it guides the person completing an assignment to organize points in terms of their significance and relevance in answering the assignment question. After sorting out the points in order of their significance to the assignment it is important to formulate an outline that will assist in answering the questions in the assignment. Before making the final copy for marking, it is important to make a rough draft where changes can be made. In making the rough draft, Bean’s concepts of integrating ideas from various sources and readings come into play. One needs to read widely, recall the ideas from various sources and blend them to make one complete and quality assignment (Bean et al). I noted that completion of assignments requires adequate preparation time and should not be done in a

Effectiveness of sc 4-k program by county Research Paper

Effectiveness of sc 4-k program by county - Research Paper Example Despite of being costly the 4K kindergarten drawing away big amount of state fund it has several advantages. The more the money spends in the program, the better the outcomes for the children. Learners who go through this form of kindergarten education tend to perform better in their both elementary and secondary level of education1. This implies that this program has much impact on learning in south Caroline. This is because it prepares the learners adequately for further education. INTRODUCTION 4K kindergarten program in South Carolina was an implemented plan for the children with the age of four years. This program was implemented by Sc general assembly. The registration of the children was free to the children who were trusted to do well in various districts of South Carolina. On top of the offering the country’s public school districts in the beginning offer guardian the chance to enroll their children with more than a hundred private and public preschool providers in the country. In this program for a child to qualify, he/she must have the age of four years, clear with free or decreased price. He or she must live in the following district in the Country, Sumter, Union, Saluda, Marion, Lee, Saluda, Florence, and Dillon among many more. This program would be extended to a full day kindergarten country wide. The total cost of the implementation of the program was a hundred million dollars upon estimation. However, this amount is only enough for one year. In the year 2010-2011, an estimated amount of $94.2 million from public money and $35. 6 million from the state was injected in the program. The program is also facilitated by the district’ parents as well as by teachers in the (P.A.T) program. This is operated through the office of parenting and family services. It hires a full time parent educator and part time parent educators in partnership with Lexington country first steps. This program seems helpful to the child’s education, throu gh enhancing and encouraging education to the young toddlers the state is not able to cater for all the districts in the country. Due to this short coming, some districts in South Carolina have been left without the benefit. This means that they are lagging behind with the old fashion of education of plain elementally education or the primary schools. More benefits have been noted since the year 2006 which has been originating from the implemented program of 4K kindergarten. These benefits are discussed by the following essay. Research aims and objectives The main purpose of this study is to find out whether the implementation of the four-year-kindergarten program in schools can have any effect of the performance of students. The specific area of research is to find out whether the South Carolina elementary schools in school districts that have implemented the â€Å"4k† kindergarten perform better than the South Carolina elementary schools that have not implemented the progra m. The research question â€Å"Do South Carolina elementary schools in school districts that have implemented the â€Å"4k† kindergarten program perform better than those South Carolina elementary schools who have not received funding to implement this program? Literature review The 4k program is very vital for children development and success in academics. Different researches have documented the benefits of an early learning program for young children, the society and the community in large. According to these researches, it is very evident that nurturing environments with the best

Salary Negotiation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Salary Negotiation - Essay Example The service of professionals has a market value that is measured based on the median pay of professionals with similar educational and professional background which is a baseline that helps a person determining how much labor of a person is worth. This essay discusses various strategies a professional can utilize in the middle of a salary negotiation and analysis the scenario of the person with a salary demand with counter move of the firm mentioning a specific budget for the position which is lower than the professional’s minimum salary demand. The salary negotiation scenario has many alternative solutions the person can choose to gain an upper hand and maximize the salary offer from the employer. The first argument that must be brought to the negotiating table is the employer’s improper conduct of setting up an interview with full knowledge of the minimum salary requirements to then bring a wild card of an alleged company budget for the position. The time of a person is worth money, the interviewee’s time is subject to the economic law of opportunity cost which stipulates that the value of a person’s time can be measured by comparing what the person could be earning if he were doing something else (Varian, 2003). There are online sources that allow a person to determine their market value based on multiple variables such as experience, education and geography. The website Salary.com provides in depth free reports about thousands of job profiles. For example an accountant with cero to two years of experience is categorized an Accountant I; this category for professionals living in the state of Florida has an average salary of approximately $37,000 per year (Salary.com, 2008). In the salary negotiation scenario the person with the salary demand should have based his initial minimum requirements on the median salary for his profession based on a verifiable source. When the company came with the salary

The Scientific Method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Scientific Method - Essay Example The message seemed to shift from â€Å"don’t drink alcohol† to â€Å"if you drink, drink in moderation†. More scientific study actually found that consuming some sorts of alcohol in moderation, such as one glass of wine per day, actually had healthy benefits for the heart. Now the message changed to â€Å"drinking certain types of alcohol in moderation can actually be good for you.† The most recent studies seem to now indicate that the consumption of alcohol is irrelevant to good heart health. The grapes provide the real benefit, not the alcohol; so drinking a small amount of grape juice can render the same beneficial effects as a glass of wine. These ever-changing messages we get about the consumption of alcohol and how it relates to human health is a good example of what science can and can not do. Following the scientific method is a great way to systematically answer scientific questions. But Science cannot provide the whole picture just from one exper iment. Multiple researchers and experiments need to be conducted to constantly add to our body of knowledge. Eventually, some things may become accepted as proof of one concept or another, but using the scientific method is no guarantee that causality or truth can be established.

Analysis of Kingfisher. Essay Example for Free

Analysis of Kingfisher. Essay Introduction: Kingfisher Airline is a private airline based in Bangalore, India. The airlines owned by Vijay Mallya of United Beverages Group. Kingfisher Airlines started its operations on May 9, 2005 with a fleet of 4 Airbus A320 aircrafts. The airline currently operates on domestic routes. The destinations covered by Kingfisher Airlines are Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Goa, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Cochin, Guwahati, Kolkata, Pune, Agartala, Dibrugarh, Mangalore and Jaipur. In a short span of time Kingfisher Airline has carved a niche for itself. The airline offers several unique services to its customers. These include: personal valet at the airport to assist in baggage handling and boarding, accompanied with refreshments and music at the airport, audio and video on-demand, with extra-wide personalized screens in the aircraft and three-course gourmet cuisine. Kingfisher is one of only 6 airlines in the world to have a 5 star rating from Sky tax, along with Asian Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airways. In a short span of time Kingfisher Airline has carved a niche for itself. The airline offers several unique services to its customers. These include personal valet at the airport to assist in baggage handling and boarding, exclusive lounges with private space, accompanied with refreshments and music at the airport, audio and video on-demand, with extra-wide personalized screens in the aircraft, sleeper seats with extendable footrests, and three-course gourmet cuisine. HISTORY Kingfisher Airlines is a subsidiary of the UB Group, one of the largest beverage companies in the world. The branding of the airline is linked to that of Kingfisher Beer, India’s largest brewery. The airline, which is headed by the charismatic Dr Vijay Mallya, took to the skies in May 2005, and attracted attention for its high quality product with personal in flight entertainment in every seat; custom interior designs for each aircraft; valet assistance at airports and complimentary hot food and beverages. The airline initially operated a single class service but subsequently introduced a highly acclaimed First Class, allowing it to compete with Jet Airways for the high yield corporate market. In addition to its A320 family aircraft used on domestic routes, Kingfisher Airlines also operates ATR-72 turboprops on regional sectors. Under current Indian regulations, which require airlines to operate 5 years domestic service before being granted international rights, Kingfisher will not be permitted to operate overseas until 2010. However, the airline has very clear international ambitions, with an order book for 45 wide body aircraft, including A330s, A340s, A350s and A380s. In just over two years, Kingfisher Airlines has achieved a market share of 10% and has one of the most aggressive expansion plans of all Indian carriers during 2007. In Jun-07, it dramatically increased its influence in the market with the acquisition of a 26% shareholding in India’s largest LCC, Air Deccan, for approximately USD130 million, and an open offer for a further 20%. Through schedule coordination and joint operations in ground handling, training, and maintenance, the carriers are projecting annual cost savings of over USD70 million. There will also be greater coordination between the two brands, with Air Deccan to adopt the Kingfisher image in its logo and to switch to a red, rather than a blue color scheme. The combined Kingfisher/Deccan group has a market share of just over 30% and a product range spanning from the price-sensitive, first-time flyer, to the high yield business traveler, making I tone of the key pillars of the airline industry. The airline which started its operation on 9th May 2005, following the lease of 4 Airbus A320 aircraft. As of July 2007, Kingfisher operates only on domestic routes; however it has announced plans to start flights to the USA with Airbus A380 aircraft. The airline is  owned by the United Beverages Group under the leadership of Vijay Mallya (which also owns the popular Indian beer of the same name). The airline promises to suit the needs of air travelers and to provide reasonable air fares. Kingfisher Airlines main luxury component is its In-Flight Entertainment System, a first among Indian airlines. The airliners in-flight Mobile Phone and Internet Services will be provided by On Air starting 2008 for long haul flights. VISION â€Å"The Kingfisher Airlines family will consistently deliver a safe, value-based and enjoyable travel experience to all our guests.† VALUES  Safety  This is our overriding value. In our line of business, there is no compromise. Service  We are all in the hospitality business; we must always seek to serve our guests and gain their trust, goodwill and loyalty. Happiness  We seek to build an organization with people who choose to be happy, and will Endeavour to influence our guests and co-workers to be happy too. Teamwork  We will succeed or fail as a team. Each one of us must respect our colleagues regardless of their rank, and we must work together to ensure our mutual success. Accountability  Each one of us will be held accountable for the successful execution of our duties, commitments and obligations, and we will strive to lead by example. MISSION Kingfisher Airlines will have Fly the Good Times approach and this will reflect in the experience we will offer to passengers. SERVICES DOMESTIC Kingfisher First The domestic Kingfisher First seats have a 48 inch seat pitch and a 126 degree seat recline. There are laptop and mobile phone chargers on every seat. Passengers can avail of the latest international newspapers and magazines. There is also a steam ironing service on board Kingfisher First cabins. Every seat is equipped with a personalized IFE system with AVOD which offers a wide range of Hollywood and Bollywood movies, English and  Hindi TV programmers’, 16 live TV channels and 10 channels of Kingfisher Radio. Passengers also get BOSE noise cancellation headphones. Domestic Kingfisher First is only available on selected Airbus A320 family aircraft. Kingfisher Class The domestic Kingfisher Class has 32-34 inch seat pitch.  Every seat is equipped with personal IFE systems with AVOD on-board the Airbus A320 family aircraft. As in Kingfisher First, passengers can access movies, English and Hindi TV programmers’, a few live TV channels powered by Dish TV, and Kingfisher Radio. The screen is controlled by a controller-console on the seat armrest. Ear cup headphones are provided free of cost to all passengers. The default channel shows, alternating every few seconds, the aero plane’s ground speed, outside temperature, altitude, distance and time to destination, the position of the aircraft on a graphical map, and one or more advertisements. Passengers are served meals on most flights. Before take-off, passengers are served bottled lemonade. Economy class meal on-board a Kingfisher Airlines domestic flight. Kingfisher Red After Kingfisher Airlines acquired Air Deccan, its name was changed to Simplify Deccan and subsequently to Kingfisher Red. Kingfisher Red is Kingfisher Airlines low-cost class on domestic routes. A special edition of Cine Blitz magazine is the only reading material provided. Kingfisher Airlines is the first airline in India to extend its King Club frequent flyer program to its low-cost carrier as well. Passengers can earn King Miles even when they fly Kingfisher Red, which they can redeem for free tickets to travel on Kingfisher Airlines or partner airlines. INTERNATIONAL Kingfisher First The international Kingfisher First has full flat-bed seats with a 180 degree recline, with a seat pitch of 78 inches, and a seat width of 20-24.54 inches.[32] Passengers are given Merino wool blankets, a Salvatore Ferragamo toiletry kit, a pyjama to change into, five-course meals and alcoholic beverages. Also available are in-seat massagers, chargers and USB connectors. Every Kingfisher First seat has a 17 inch widescreen personal television with AVOD touch screen controls and offers 357 hours of programming content spread over 36 channels, including Hollywood and Bollywood movies along with 16 channels of live TV, so passengers can watch their favorite TV programmers’ live. There is also a collection of interactive games, a jukebox with customizable playlists and Kingfisher Radio. Passengers are given BOSE noise cancellation headphones. The service on board the Kingfisher First cabins includes a social area comprising a full-fledged bar staffed with a bartender, a break-out seating area just nearby fitted with two couches and bar stools, a full-fledged chef on board the aircraft and any-time dining. A turn-down service includes the conversion of the seat into a fully flat bed and an air-hostess making the bed when the passenger is ready to sleep. Both Kingfisher First and Kingfisher classes feature mood lighting on the Airbus A330-200 with light schemes corresponding to the time of day and flight position. Kingfisher Class  The international Kingfisher Class seats offer a seat pitch of 34 inches, a seat width of 18 inches and a seat recline of 25 degrees (6 inches). Passengers get full length modacrylic blankets, full size pillows and meals. Each Kingfisher Class seat has a 10.6 inch widescreen personal television with AVOD touch screen controls. The IFE is similar to that of the international Kingfisher First class. It can also be controlled by a detachable remote-control console fitted in the armrest. This device can be used to control the IFE, reading-lights, play games and even has a credit-card swipe for shopping on Kingfishers Air Boutique. It also has a facility for sending text-messages, though the service isnt provided by Kingfisher. CARGO Kingfisher Xpress Kingfisher Xpress is a new Door-to-Door cargo delivery service from Kingfisher Airlines. Kingfisher Xpress same day service will be Indias  first and only same day delivery by air service. In-flight entertainment Kingfishers IFE system is the Thales Top Series i3000/i4000 on-board the Airbus A320 family aircraft, and Thales Top Series i5000 on-board the Airbus A330 family aircraft provided by the France-based Thales Group. Kingfisher was the first Indian airline to have in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems on every seat even on domestic flights. All passengers were given a welcome kit consisting of goodies such as a pen, facial tissue and headphones to use with the IFE system. Now, passengers of Kingfisher class are not given welcome kits but, as mentioned earlier, a complimentary bottle of lemonade and earphones for use with the IFE are still given. The in flight magazines are special editions of magazines owned by Mallyas media publishing house (VJM Media) viz. Hi! Blitz for domestic flights and Hi! Living for international flights. Initially, passengers were able to watch only recorded TV programming on the IFE system, but later an alliance was formed with Dish TV to provide live TV in-flight.[34] And in a marked departure from tradition, Kingfisher Airlines decided to have an on-screen safety demonstration using the IFE system; however the conventional safety briefing by the flight attendants still exists on many flights. King Club The Frequent-flyer program of Kingfisher Airlines is called the King Club in which members earn King Miles every time they fly with Kingfisher or its partner airlines, hotels, car rental, finance and lifestyle businesses. There are four levels in the scheme: Red, Silver, Gold and Platinum levels. Members can redeem points for over a number of schemes. Platinum, Gold and Silver members enjoy access to the Kingfisher Lounge, priority check-in, excess baggage allowance, bonus miles, and 3 Kingfisher First upgrade vouchers for Gold membership. Platinum members get 5 upgrade vouchers. Kingfisher Lounge Kingfisher Lounges are offered to Kingfisher First passengers, along with King Club Silver and King Club Gold members. Lounges are located in: Bangalore International Airport Chennai International Airport  Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (Mumbai) Cochin International Airport (Kochi) Indira Gandhi International Airport (Delhi) London Heathrow Airport Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport (Kolkata) Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (Hyderabad) However, note that the airline has suspended operation in London, Kochi, Kolkata and Hyderabad. AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS Kingfisher Airlines frequent flyer programme, King Club has won Top Honors at the 21st Annual Freddie Awards in the Japan, Pacific, Asia and Australia region. King Club has won the Freddie Awards 2008 in the following categories: Best Bonus Promotion Best Customer Service Best Member Communications (First Runner-up) Best Award Redemption (First Runner-up) Best Elite Level (Second Runner-up) Best Website (Second Runner-up) Program of the Year (Second Runner-up) Kingfisher Airlines has received three global awards at the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2010 Named Best Airline In India / Central Asia; Best Cabin Crew – Central Asia. Kingfisher RED named Best Low Cost Airline in India / Central Asia. NDTV Profit Business Leadership Award for Aviation. Indias only 5 Star airline, rated by Skytrax and 6th airline in the world. Rated Indias Second Buzziest Brand 2008 by The Brand Reporter. Ranked amongst Indias Top Service Brands of 2008 by Pitch Magazine. Voted as Indias Favorite Airline. Rated as Asia Pacifics Top Airline Brand. Brand Leadership Award. Economic Times Avaya Award 2006 for Excellence in Customer Responsiveness. Indias No. 1 Airline in customer satisfaction by Business World. Rated  amongst Indias most respected companies by Business World. Rated amongst Indias 25 Innovative Companies by Plan man Media in 2006. The Best Airline and Indias Favorite Carrier in a Survey conducted by IMB for The Times of India. Best New Domestic Airline for Excellent Services and Cuisine by Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA). Service Excellence 2005-2006 for a New Airline by Skytrax. Ranked third in the survey on Indias Most Successful Brand launch of 2005 under the Brand Derby Survey conducted by Business Standard. Busiest Brands of 2005 by agency fans and The Brand Reporter. Rated amongst the Top Ten Internet Advertisers by Yahoo. Rated amongst the top ten in the Best Television Commercial Jingles by NDTV. Best New Airline of the Year Award for 2005 by Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) Award in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East region. Listed in the top 100 most trusted brand in The Brand Trust Report. POLITICAL FACTORS 1) Open sky policy 2) FDI limits: 100% for Greenfield airports 74% for the existing airports 100% through special permission 49% for airlines ECONOMICAL FACTORS 1) Contribution to the Indian economy. 2) Rising cost of fuel. 3) Investment in the sector of aviation. 4) The growth of the middle income group family affects the aviation sector. SOCIAL FACTORS 1) Development of cities leads to better services and airports. 2) Employment opportunities. 3) Safety regulations. 4) The status symbol attached to a plane travel. TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS 1) The growth of e-commerce and e-ticketing. 2) Satellite based navigation system. 3) Modernisation and privatisation of the airports. 4) Developing green field airports with private sector for example in Bangalore the airport corporation limited. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS 1) The increase in the global warming. 2) The sudden and unexpected behavior of the atmosphere and the dependency on whether. 3) Shortage of the infrastructural capacity 4) Tourism saturation. LEGAL FACTORS 1) FDI limits 2) Bilateral treaties 3) Airlines acquisitions and the leasing cost. STRENGTHS Strong brand value and reputation in the minds of customers. Quality of the service. Route rationalization. First airline to have a new fleet of airbuses. Quality and continuous innovation. WEAKNESSES Still a not in profit organization. High ticket pricing. Facing a tough competition from competitors. OPPORTUNITIES The expanding tourism industry. The non penetrated domestic market. International market. Untapped air cargo market. THREATS Competitors Infrastructure issues. Fuel price hike. Tourism saturation Economic slowdown. Promotions and sponsorship declining. STP ANALYSIS SEGMENTATION Geographic Region Density Social Classes Income Level TARGETING Kingfisher First company executives Kingfisher Class lower middle, upper middle, lower upper segment POSITIONING Lifestyle Benefits Quality P’s PRODUCT Fleet Size Aircrafts International Foray PROMOTIONS Advertisements Magazine and Newspaper ads Exposure at non-corporate event Participation in International Air shows Endorsing celebrities like Katrina Kaif and Yana Gupta PRICE Dynamic pricing model Multiple fare levels Uniform rules No hidden restrictions. Pricing model 8 different levels Discounts provided from time to time PEOPLE Backbone of the brand Extensive trainings Hospitality industry and consider their customer as guests Interpersonal skills, aptitude, and service knowledge PLACE Online Booking www.flykingfisher.com Online Booking Yatra.com, MakeMyTrip.com, ezeego1.com Credit Cards Debit Cards Payment SMS / Call Outlets in every major city and at every airport across the country PHYSICAL EVIDENCE Personal valets Exclusive lounge space Hi! Blitz Gourmet cuisine world class cabin crew 5 trendy video- Fun TV; 10 music stations -Kingfisher Radio PROCESS Booking the ticket online booking or tele-booking or from any of the kingfisher outlet COMPETITORS Company Sales (Rs.Million) Current Price Change (%) P/E Ratio Market Cap.(Rs.Million) 52-Week High/Low Jet Airways (I) 127768.30 305.85 6.38 0.00 26405.26 518/167 Spice Jet 28795.08 29.50 8.66 0.00 14288.32 43/15 Kingfisher Airlines 62333.79 12.95 2.78 0.00 8747.08 44/13 Global Vectra Helico 2315.75 9.70 -0.10 0.00 135.80 26/9 Jagson Airlines 97.25 4.10 2.50 0.00 82.69 10/3 MARKET SHARE PROFIT LOSS STATEMENT Mar11 Mar10 Mar09 Mar08 Jun07 12 Months 12 Months 12 Months 12 Months 12 Months INCOME: Sales Turnover 6,233.38 5,067.92 5,269.17 1,456.28 1,800.21 Excise Duty 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 NET SALES 6,233.38 5,067.92 5,269.17 1,456.28 1,800.21 Other Income 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 TOTAL INCOME 6,422.58 5,140.00 5,863.60 1,504.92 1,830.19 EXPENDITURE: Manufacturing Expenses 3,466.83 2,911.81 3,715.47 1,297.51 1,597.06 Material Consumed 56.69 40.89 51.19 43.79 45.94 Personal Expenses 680.54 689.38 825.42 244.96 247.72 Selling Expenses 659.07 687.02 683.82 85.00 17.90 Administrative Expenses 426.21 418.41 546.47 110.20 154.00 Expenses Capitalised 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Provisions Made 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 TOTAL EXPENDITURE 5,289.34 4,747.51 5,822.36 1,781.46 2,062.61 Operating Profit 944.04 320.41 -553.19 -325.17 -262.40 EBITDA 1,133.24 392.49 41.24 -276.54 -232.42 Depreciation 203.02 162.80 133.20 18.28 17.67 Other Write-offs 38.01 54.49 38.39 18.31 26.25 EBIT 892.20 175.20 -130.35 -313.13 -276.34 Interest 2,340.32 2,245.59 2,029.33 434.44 466.05 EBT -1,448.12 -2,070.39 -2,159.68 -747.57 -742.39 Taxes -455.35 -700.00 -546.38 -494.45 3.40 Profit and Loss for the Year -992.76 -1,370.39 -1,613.30 -253.12 -745.79 Non Recurring Items -107.62 -405.38 4.47 64.98 312.12 Other Non Cash Adjustments 72.99 31.28 0.00 -0.9 14.09 Other Adjustments 0.00 97.27 0.00 0.97 0.00 REPORTED PAT -1,027.40 -1,647.22 -1,608.83 -188.14 -419.58 KEY ITEMS Preference Dividend 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Equity Dividend 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Equity Dividend (%) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Shares in Issue (Lakhs) 4,977.79 2,659.09 2,659.09 1,357.99 1,354.70 EPS Annualised (Rs) -20.64 -61.95 -60.50 -18.47 -30.97 CASHFLOW STATEMENT Particulars Mar11 Mar10 Mar09 Mar08 Jun07 Profit Before Tax -1,520.78 -2,417.92 -2,155.21 -682.59 -416.18 Net Cash Flows from Operating Activity -2.23 -1,665.09 -645.78 -541.52 -552.58 Net Cash Used in Investing Activity 38.05 235.13 206.63 13.82 119.48 Net Cash Used in Financing Activity -81.72 1,464.55 290.11 -9.23 993.68 Net Inc/Dec in Cash and Cash Equivalent -45.90 34.60 -149.04 -536.93 560.57 Cash and Cash Equivalent Beginning of the Year 206.47 171.87 320.91 817.05 256.47 Cash and Equivalent End of the Year 160.57 206.47 171.87 280.12 817.05 BALANCE SHEET Particulars Mar11 Mar10 Mar09 Mar08 Jun07 Liabilities 12 Months 12 Months 12 Months 12 Months 12 Months Share Capital 1,053.83 370.39 371.02 145.89 135.47 Reserves Surplus -4,005.02 -4,268.84 -2,496.36 52.99 249.23 Net Worth -2,951.19 -3,898.45 -2,125.35 198.87 384.70 Secured Loans 5,184.53 4,842.43 2,622.52 592.38 716.71 Unsecured Loans 1,872.55 3,080.17 3,043.04 342.00 200.00 TOTAL LIABILITIES 4,105.88 4,024.15 3,540.21 1,133.26 1,301.41 Assets Gross Block 2,254.26 2,048.14 1,891.80 322.33 340.77 (-) Acc. Depreciation 682.37 493.62 316.29 43.55 33.74 Net Block 1,571.89 1,554.51 1,575.52 278.78 307.03 Capital Work in Progress. 673.35 980.60 1,630.95 346.25 357.62 Investments. 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.00 0.41 Inventories 187.65 164.88 147.25 48.64 61.62 Sundry Debtors 440.53 322.49 229.84 27.16 35.24 Cash And Bank 252.36 206.47 171.87 280.12 817.05 Loans And Advances 5,380.19 4,604.31 3,640.42 832.48 149.76 Total Current Assets 6,260.73 5,298.13 4,189.37 1,188.41 1,063.68 Current Liabilities 4,463.86 3,908.03 3,814.63 687.31 449.15 Provisions 62.11 46.77 45.55 9.52 6.94 Total Current Liabilities 4,525.97 3,954.80 3,860.18 696.83 456.09 NET CURRENT ASSETS 1,734.76 1,343.34 329.19 491.58 607.59 Misc. Expenses 125.84 145.64 4.51 16.64 28.75 TOTAL ASSETS (A+B+C+D+E) 4,105.88 4,024.15 3,540.21 1,133.26 1,301.41 FUTURE STRATEGIES Market Penetration Can tie up with Corporate and Government Companies by Providing Unique Travel Solutions for Professional and Personal Use. Can implement programs implemented by South West Airlines to penetrate market. Product Development Seek additional distribution channels such as more tie ups and Collaboration. Collaboration with international carriers, bilateral discussions over seats and code sharing between the carriers. Market Development Special offerings for first time fliers. Try to find out new customer group such as old-retired persons. Diversification Can enter into other Transport Services like Bus Services between Major Cities and Other Services. PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION Current Indian scenario : Air travel For majority of people preference-No frills – low cost airlines Kingfisher competing with both the â€Å"no frills low cost† airlines as well as those with frills. Three unique classes of service :– Kingfisher First (Business class) Kingfisher Class (Premium economy) Kingfisher Red (Low fare) Current segmentation based on social class income level Social classes: which use full carrier services and those which use first class services of the railways Income level : Low cost carrier for those who travel by first class railway Problem with positioning Brand relates to Lifestyle RECOMMENDATIONS Needs to change brand perception Currently perceived as Lifestyle slogan Red color of crew :Reflects Royalty Over dependence on brand image of Mr. Mallaya Jet airways : Reflects professionalism Advertisement reflecting Value for Money Gain operational efficiencies through alliances as with Jet Airways Leverage Upon: New fleet, Unmatched flight service Innovative ideas-LIVE TV with 16 channels Air Boutique, in Kingfisher Airlines A joint promotion, i.e. using MakeMyTrip services and flying Kingfisher Airlines. By partnering with Kingfisher Airlines, further convenience in travel is offered at no extra cost- Added value Fleet size expansion SUGGESTION Reduce the labor cost Simplify the flight operations Offer more transparent pricing Get smart on fuel The process of acquiring spice jet if complete would make kingfisher the largest player in the aviation industry Different modes of pricing should be taken care of. CONCLUSION After doing a study of this project representing on Kingfisher Airlines, I have come to a conclusion that Kingfisher Airlines is one of the largest and most widespread airlines of the country providing its services not only in India as well as outside India also. It has alliance with many other airlines in this sector. Kingfisher Airlines offers world class services to the customer at a nominal rate. The national carrier takes immense pride in having successfully played a pivotal role in making various facets of India popular with the people of the world and acting as the country’s cultural ambassador. The airline uses the services of one of the advanced plans been operated in the world. To sum up I would like to say that Kingfisher Airlines is serving its customer in an appreciated way and going to be in the list of best services providers in coming years.

Behavior of Gases Essay Example for Free

Behavior of Gases Essay Introduction: In this experiment, the problem trying to be solved is what gas laws are being used when the pressure, temperature, and volume are being measured. The three gas laws are Boyle’s Law, Charle’s Law, and Gay-Lussac’s Law. The Boyle’s Law is when volume and pressure are being compared. Pressure and volume are inversely proportional, because when pressure goes up, volume goes down. The Charle’s Law is when volume and temperature are compared. Volume and temperature are also inversely proportional as well. Lastly, Gay-Lussac’s Law is when pressure and temperature are compared. Pressure and temperature are directly proportional; therefore when pressure goes up, temperature also goes up. The formulas are as follows: Boyle’s Law: P2 P1 = P2 V2 Charle’s Law: V1/T1 = V2/T2 Gay-Lussac’s Law: P1/T1 = P2/T2 Hypothesis: If volume, temperature, and pressure are measured, they will follow the laws and fit under Boyle’s, Charle’s, or Gay-Lussac’s law. Expected Results: It should be expected that when volume and pressure are measured, pressure will go up and volume will go down. When volume and temperature are compared, volume will go up and temperature will go down. Lastly, when pressure andtemperature are measured, pressure will go up as temperature goes up. Experimental Procedure: Part I Connect a 20mL syringe to a LabQuest Select: File New Then, Mode: Change to Events with Entry Next, Enter Name as Volume Enter Units as mL Select OK Start at 10mL on the syringe and wait for the reading to Select Keep Keep at least 6 data points (any of your choice) Only pull the syringe out (making the mL readings higher each time) Stop the Data Collection and view the graph and points Record Part II Place an Erlenmeyer flask in a beaker big enough to fit the flask Connect a temperature apparatus to the Lab Quest and place probe in beaker Then connect the pressure tube to the Lab Quest in channel 2 and connect the other end of the tube with the rubber stopper to the Erlenmeyer flask Select: File New Then Mode: Change to Selected Events Exit In sensors menu, change units to Kelvin Tap graph X-axis: chose temperature Place faucet, room temperature water in the beaker Select Keep Place ice in the beaker Select Keep Place room temperature water in the beaker again and place on a hot plate Wait for the water to boil Place temperature probe and Erlenmeyer flask back in beaker Select Keep Record result from graph and chart Results: VOLUME (mL) PRESSURE 10 103. 27 12 87. 6 14 76. 14 16 67. 5 18 60. 96 20 55. 15 This data and chart is comparing volume and pressure. The graph represents the Boyle’s Law because as the pressure is going up the volume is going down. TYPE OF WATER TEMPERATURE (K) PRESSURE Normal 102. 8 295 Ice 98. 29 275. 4 Boiling 122. 31 357. 4 This data and chart is comparing temperature and pressure. The graph represents Gay-Lussac’s Law because as temperature goes up, pressure goes up as well. Discussion: This experiment went extremely smooth. The data was easy to collect as long as you kept the Lab Quest and tools stable to ensure for accurate readings for temperature, pressure, and volume. The graphs and data easily coincided correctly with the theories of the gas laws, as was shown accessibly once the graphs were made. Although the data coincided with the theories correctly, the temperature readings for freezing and boiling may have not been completely accurate because the temperatures of the water was not measured accurately for correct boiling and freezing temperatures, but recorded solely for the theories and to prove them. Overall, the experiment held up well and the hypothesis and theories were proven to be correct.

Literature Review on Attitudes to Mental Health

Literature Review on Attitudes to Mental Health Researching the literature on attitudes to mental health revealed interesting themes. Many papers focused on the historical views towards mental health or explained how stigma arises and affects those suffering from mental illness. Differences in attitudes towards those suffering from mental health issues were the focus among many more of these papers; including age, country, and religious differences. Finally, research has been carried out to assess the efforts of interventions that could be or have been made to reduce the stigma mental illness sufferers receive. Historically, attitudes to mental illness were overwhelmingly poor. It was believed that mental illness was caused by evil spirits or an imbalance of humours in the body; these views lead to highly stigmatic beliefs, (Hinshaw Stier, 2008). The process of stigmatic belief development involves identifying an individual with a mental disorder through cues, applying stereotypes based on those cues, and then acting in a prejudiced way, (Bulanda, Bruhn, Byro-Johnson, Zentmyer, 2014). (Fein Spencer, 1997) offer an explanation as to why this development occurs. From a social psychological standpoint, outgroup discrimination arises when an individual of one group (ingroup) distinguishes a member of another group (outgroup) as different from themselves. Thus a sufferer of mental illness may be viewed as ‘different’ and so belonging to an ‘outgroup’, encouraging prejudice. Additionally, discrimination towards an outgroup member has the potential for self-esteem enha ncement of the observer, as they discern the stigmatised outgroup member (i.e. an individual with a mental health issue) as relatively lower in social status than themselves. (Hinshaw Stier, 2008) also propose the evolutionary perspective, as it is suggested that isolating sufferers of a mental illness may give a survival advantage, as those with mental disorders may pose a threat to others. In an effort to combat stigma, it had been proposed that the public should be educated on mental health matters. (Weiner, Perry, Magnusson, 1988) explain ‘Attribution theory’, whereby when negative behaviours are attributed to an individual, blame and stigma follow, but when these behaviours are attributed to a non-controllable force (such as a medical condition) it results in less blame and more acceptance and empathy. However, this theory may be criticised for lack of application. Viewing issues this way doesn’t stop racism, as skin colour is a non-controllable factor yet still is criticised; it doesn’t reduce fear people may have surrounding mental disorders; it does not rule out incorrect accusations of causation such as demon possession or weak personality (uncontrollable factors); and it doesn’t stop people viewing those with mental disorders as inferior. (Brockington, Hall, Levings, Murphy, 1993) highlight how viewing a mental illness as a à ¢â‚¬Ëœbrain disorder’ indirectly fosters a â€Å"Benevolence Stigma†, in which individuals believe those with mental illnesses may never recover and will lead unproductive lives as a result, or views them patronisingly as innocent children that must be constantly looked after by a parental figure. This distinguishes those with mental illness as different, or ‘less human’ often provoking harsher prejudicial behaviour though reducing blame, (Mehta Farina, 1997), and can exacerbate fear, (Read Law, 1999). Even those associated with an individual with a mental disorder such as friends and family can experience rejection or distancing by a ‘Courtesy Stigma’, as well as mental health professionals due to their connection to â€Å"weak† or â€Å"blameworthy† patients, leading to a lack of funding and thus a lower wage, (Goffman, 2009). The media depict mental illnesses negatively approximately 77% of the time over emphasising and over representing a minority of mental illness cases, promoting harmful stereotypes such as dangerousness and violence. It could be due to this over representation of rare cases of mental disorders that people generally delay professional help as they do not recognise that they may have a mental illness; they may normalise it by attribution to everyday stresses and believe they should deal with it on their own, as modern society has a higher tolerance of stress, (Jorm, 2012). This could explain the underutilisation of mental health services. Alternatively, stigma could be the reason for this lack of use, as the quantity of prescriptions for antidepressant medication have risen since the 1980’s, (Mackenzie, Erickson, Deane, Wright, 2014) despite attitudes towards help-seeking have become increasingly negative. Self-enrolment in psychotherapy for depression has decreased by 28% in th e last 20 years, potentially because most adults do not believe it is an effective treatment, (Jorm Wright, 2007; Mackenzie et al., 2014). Due to public education enforcing that mental illness is biological, the desire for medicinal treatments has increased. It could be argued that because dependence on drugs is viewed negatively it contributes to the sigma surrounding mental health, as 1 in 4 Americans believe psychiatric mediations are harmful, (Jorm Wright, 2007; Mackenzie et al., 2014). Stigma harshly affects those suffering from mental illness, causing lowered self–esteem and reduced chances for social interaction, due to isolation, distancing and exclusion, (Bulanda et al., 2014). Sufferers of mental health issues may also experience fewer job opportunities, (Hansson, Jormfeldt, Svedberg, Svensson, 2013), as evidenced by low levels of employment among those with mental illness; decreased life opportunities; loss of independence; and insurance disparities among those with mental illness and those with physical illness, leaving many unable to afford treatment, (Hinshaw Stier, 2008). It has been noted that reduction in self-worth among those experiencing stigma is not inevitable, as many racial minorities continue to have positive self-esteems despite the racism they face, but it should be remembered that the symptoms of many mental health issues such as depression or eating disorders include pessimism, despair and low self-worth, resulting in the internalis ation of the prejudicial messages they receive. Furthermore, mental illness sufferers may worry about monitoring their symptoms so as not to reveal they have a mental disorder due to the pressure in society to conform, causing more distress, (Hinshaw Stier, 2008). Cultural background has an effect on attitudes to mental health issues. Research in Japan revealed that mental illness is viewed as a weakness rather than a sickness, particularly for the mental disorder social phobia, while depression and schizophrenia were viewed as dangerous disorders (Ando, Yamaguchi, Aoki, Thornicroft, 2013; Yoshioka, Reavley, MacKinnon, Jorm, 2014). This data was compared against Australian attitudes, and while these opinions were present, were less prevalent. This could be because Australians are more exposed to mental illness as there is a high institutionalisation rate in Japan for those with mental disorders, reducing the chance for social interaction, (Ando et al., 2013), or rather that Japanese respondents were less likely to answer in a socially desirable way, (Yoshioka et al., 2014). In low income countries such as Senegal, the health system is more directed towards communicable diseases and so mental health is a low priority, (Monteiro, Ndiaye, Blana s, Ba, 2014). Due to this, most Senegalese health care providers have no training on mental health issues, resulting in stigmatic beliefs among these health workers, such as describing those suffering from mental illness as â€Å"crazy†, or as having been influenced by sorcery, (Monteiro et al., 2014). Research carried out by (Coppens et al., 2013) in Europe, discovered schizophrenia to be the most negatively viewed mental disorder. Hungarian respondents were least willing to seek help for mental health issues and were least favourable towards depression, with 60% claiming you could â€Å"snap out of it†, and 76% viewing it as a weakness, as German respondents reported they would avoid people with depression so they do not become depressed themselves, and would not vote for a politican who suffers from depression. In contrast, Irish respondents were the most favourable towards depression and 19% viewed mental health services and professional help as valuable, as the P ortuguese were the most willing to seek help. All four countries reported that if they had a mental disorder they would keep it a secret, and reported the perceived stigma of others as higher than their own personal stigma, with Germany reporting the highest perceived stigma. (Crisp, Gelder, Rix, Meltzer, Rowlands, 2000)’s research in Great Britain showed prevalent negative opinions also, including an over generalisation of stereotypes, such as thinking those with depression are ‘dangerous’; potentially indicative of lack of knowledge of the disorder, and trivialising conditions such as eating disorders which were viewed as â€Å"self-inflicted† and could be quickly recovered from. Age also plays a role in the changes of attitudes towards mental illness. Discrimination is highest among the youth which can be a barrier to seeking treatment because of embarrassment, despite the high prevalence of mental disorders in adolescents due to the onset of these illnesses during puberty, (Yoshioka et al., 2014). Stigmatic beliefs have been shown to decrease with age, including views of mental illnesses being weaknesses not sicknesses, however in Japan stigma increases with age, (Ando et al., 2013; Jorm Wright, 2008; Tanaka, Inadomi, Kikuchi, Ohta, 2004). Older men are among those at the highest risk of not getting treatment as they are most negative towards help seeking, (Coppens et al., 2013). Religion also can dramatically change attitudes to mental health issues. Many health care professionals undervalue the importance of religion, although people are more likely to seek help for mental distress from their religious leaders than any health care professional, (Bergin, 1983; Chalfant et al., 1990). However, when professionals do see significance in religion, it is viewed negatively. This could be due to the knowledge of negative encounters experienced by those who sought aid from religious leaders. (Stanford, 2007) studied American Christians and discovered that 30% of adults seeking help from their church for mental health issues experienced negative relations, as often the clergy viewed mental illness as the work of demons, sin or lack of faith, and would exclude members with mental disorders from the church. Women in particular are more likely to have their mental disorders dismissed and told not to take prescription medication (Mansfield, Mitchell, King, 2002; Stanfor d, 2007). (Cinnirella Loewenthal, 1999) carried out research among other religions in Britain, including Pakistani Muslim, Indian Hindu, Orthodox Jew and Afro Caribbean Christian. All respondents from these religious groups testified to a fear of being misunderstood by outgroup health professionals or potential racism. Among all religious groups, depression is seen as impossible in the truly religious individual, and a devout person should not consult professionals without prior confirmation from their religious leaders as it may lead to immoral practices. However, it should be noted that stigmatic beliefs though prevalent among the extrinsically motivated religious individuals, are not found among the intrinsically motivated, (Allport Ross, 1967). Multiple studies have demonstrated efforts to reduce stigma. (Ando et al., 2013) highlights how contact with those who suffer from mental disorders can reduce stigma, however only in adults, as when adolescents meet an individual with mental illness who presents typical behaviour it can reinforce negative stereotypes. The World Psychiatric Association ran a global program for the last 10 years with over 200 interventions in 20 countries to battle the stigma surrounding schizophrenia, (Sartorius Schulze, 2005; Stuart, 2008), however only 19 intervention results have been published. In order for an effective change in attitudes to mental health, a real commitment must be made to follow through with results in the long term. A single mental illness was chosen to combat stigma in order to have a clear focus, however all sufferers of all mental disorders live with negative attitudes and thus it should be a goal to reduce stigma for all mental health issues. (Jorm Wright, 2008)’s campaign to raise awareness in Australian youths and their parents proved to be effective in reducing the belief that a person with mental illness is weak not sick. They advise that in order to influence a change in attitudes of young people, parents should be a potential target to educate. A social media intervention in Canada 2012 carried out by (Livingston, Cianfrone, Korf-Uzan, Coniglio, 2014) proved to be effective in raising awareness of mental health issues, but it did not improve attitudes, and appeared to have no lasting effect. These researchers highlighted that of 22 interventions they researched, the longest follow up period was 9 months, and so they sought to ensure a long term effect of reduction in stigma by repeating this study with a follow up period of 1 year. Stigma did reduce, as exposure and awareness increased. An extensive review of all the research on intervention is needed in order to assess which are successful mechanisms of change and can affect long term attitudes, (Heijnders Van Der Meij, 2006). As previously mentioned, biological facts alone can encourage stigma, and so (Morrison, 1980) encourages the psychosocial explanation which focuses on environmental stresses and trauma, which can make mental illness more relatable as everyone can understand these life events, (Read Law, 1999). Thus a multidimensional approach appears to be most effective. In conclusion, attitudes to mental health persist to be negative across many cultures, religions and age brackets. Focusing on specific countries, cultural backgrounds, or religions, and tailoring interventions could prove to be useful in reducing stigmatic beliefs. Furthermore, it is clear more support is needed for those with mental health issues, and so future research could focus on the effectiveness of fundraising activities to support mental health research and mental health workers, as well as the willingness for those suffering from mental illness to receive support and help in light of the stigma they encounter. It would be interesting to discover if a reduction in stigma would encourage those facing mental health issues to seek help when they otherwise would not.

Disneylands Fiftieth Anniversary :: essays research papers

Over the past fifty years, the Walt Disney Company has proven itself over and over again to the world. The Walt Disney Company as a whole consists of over twenty smaller companies: ABC, Miramax Films, and ESPN to name a few. Within the past half century the Disney Company has built eleven theme parks, three water parks, and countless resorts and hotels as well as a cruise line which cover the globe. Expanding from Anaheim, California to Hong Kong and Tokyo, the Disney theme park line expounds the globe. But let Walt Disney’s original â€Å"Magic Kingdom† not be forgotten as the globe celebrates the â€Å"Happiest Homecoming on Earth. Fifty years ago, Disneyland, the â€Å"happiest place on earth† opened to the public. But this dream was no snap of the fingers, no, it took years of hard work and money. Walt Disney, a man from the small town of Marceline, Missouri, had a dream. He wanted a place where both the typical American family could spend a day together in a clean environment and also that they may have some form of entertainment while they were together. Walt was already an accomplished filmmaker and had the funds he needed, of course not all of the funds. His proposed idea was no more than a small park right across the road from the Disney Studios in Burbank that consisted of no more than a train ride and a carousel. This was far from what Disneyland initially became but nonetheless, it was a start, and a start is all that Disney needed. Work began. Walt Disney’s dream had begun. One-hundred sixty acres of citrus trees had been cleared and several houses torn down in what would soon be the site of Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Work was long and difficult in the hot California sun making construction take a lot longer than expected. Unlike Walt’s other project in Florida, which would not come until much later, the Disneyland project was by no means a secret. The ABC television company made a deal with Disney to allow Disney to produce a weekly show that was â€Å"coincidentally† titled Disneyland and â€Å"coincidentally† had Walt as the host. Walt saw television as an open market to promote movies or in this case, Disneyland. Disneyland the show was fairly cheap to make and produce as Disney already had the film equipment necessary for filming.

The Fifth Discipline Essay -- Essays Papers

The Fifth Discipline Chapter 11 of Peter Senge's book, The Fifth Discipline, talks about the idea of Shared Vision, and how this concept has transformed organizations, and individuals working for them, into a cohesive unit of long-term innovative achievement. Having and transmitting a successful "shared vision" requires true "buy-in" on the part of the employees and the organization as a whole, and must foster genuine commitment and active enrollment in order to bring that organizational vision to a personal level. For shared vision to become a product of personal vision, each individual must "feel it", and be able to see how this vision can be articulated to promote the long-term interests of the company's success, and position in the larger scheme of things. This road to the end result is usually not mapped out or even guaranteed, and the creative tension this inspires, through personal commitment and dedication, is the fire it produces form it's visionary fuel. The most current example of this that I have witnessed is the remarkable performance of the '98 World Championship Denver Broncos. So far they are undefeated this season and give no indication of letting up as the make their way into the history record books of the NFL. They were 11 and 0, Eleven wins and no losses, going into last night's game against the San Diego Chargers here at home and although nobody here wanted to see it happen, they defeated the Chargers 31-16, extending their perfe...

Anatomy of a Research Paper -- essays research papers

Wodge: A Definition "I don't want a great wodge of prose, but about double what we have at present." (Ezra Pound, 1913) The word wodge, whose meaning can be surmised from its heavy, lumpish sound, is not particularly common in American usage. It is, however, a wonderful word that ought to be given more recognition. It offers a more vivid description than its synonyms, for example, blob, cluster, or clump. A highly descriptive word, wodge is developed from a combination of the words wad and wedge, the sound of which evokes images of weight and sedentariness. The word wodge has sprung from a combination of two other words, wad and wedge, but is vastly more entertaining than either. A wedge is generally two principal faces of hard material meeting at an acute angle to be used for raising, holding, or splitting an object; or also to squish or cram oneself or another object into an ill-fitting space in the manner of a wedge. A wad, on the other hand, is a small lump, mass, ball, roll, or bundle of some matter, usually soft or fibrous, i.e., cotton, wool, straw, cloth, paper, or money. Wodge embodies both of these concepts. Resting somewhere between wedge, which has a more mathematical, precise, and triangular meaning, and wad, which is crumpled, disorderly, and usually made of paper, wodge seems to be lumpy, u...

Procurement & Resource Based View

Procurement is An Integral Part of Resource- ­ Based View of An Organization Phuong Duong University College Dublin (12251697) 4112 words ABSTRACT Procurement has become an increasingly widespread practice among organizations and is today of strategic importance that attract great interest from scholars in the literature. The primary purpose of the paper is to contribute with a review of leading studies that analyze procurement from the resource- ­? based view of the organization. The paper begins by setting out the business environment of procurement and then presents the development and propensity of procurement.This is followed by a review of principal works and differences of perspectives of resource- ­? based view. The next section contains an analysis of the relationship between procurement and resource- ­? based theory and discusses empirical works on outsourcing that address outsourcing from the resource- ­? based view. The studies are classified into two categories : those studying the propensity to procure and those studying the relationship between procurement decision and firm’s performance. Finally, some insights are put together to assess the outsourcing decision influenced by resource- ­? based view with the im of contributing to a better understanding of outsourcing and its role from the perspective of resource- ­? based view of an organization. 1. Procurement and the propensity to procure in modern business context Procurement, or in other words, â€Å"sourcing†, for years has become â€Å"a financial material, but strategically peripheral, corporate function† of an organization (Gottfredson et al. , 2005). In the literature, procurement becomes a key component and is of major strategic importance to many organizations (Humphreys et al. , 1998, Paulraj et al. , 2006). Recent decades have witnessed significant changes in acro- ­? economic trends that direct business environment. These changes have been driven by increased globalization, technology innovation, changing consumer behaviours, and consequently, a shift toward procurement and outsourcing (Giunipero et al. , 2005, Giunipero et al. , 2006, Zheng et al. , 2007). Gottfredson et al. (2005) argued that globalization, accompanied by technological advances, is causing the core of competition to change. These days, the ownership of capabilities of an organization is not as important as its ability to govern and take advantage of critical capabilities, whether or not they are he organization’s assets. Procurement is developing so sophisticatedly that even core functions such as engineering, R&D, manufacturing and marketing can be outsourced. That, according to Gottfredson et al. (2005), in turn, is changing the way the firms think about their organizations, their core values and their competitive abilities. The author also revealed that an emphasis on capability sourcing could result in an organization’s better strategic p osition by reducing costs, streamlining the company, and enhancing quality. Critical functions provided by more qualified partners usually allow organizations to mprove their core capabilities that help them take the lead in their industries. With the business world changing everyday, the propensity to procure becomes prominent than ever. Nowadays procurement is not only practiced by companies in the technology industries but also spread to multiple businesses such as supply chain, manufacturing, services and so forth. It is recognized that not passive cost- ­? focused, but proactive value- ­? focused procurement strategies are a means of achieving competitive advantage and integral to long- ­? term organizational strategy (Leseure et al. , 2005, Mehra and Inman, 2004,Noonan and Wallace, 2004). In a study of the impact of procurement or purchasing on supply integration and performance, Paulraj et al. (2006) also concluded that: (1) a more strategic purchasing function leads to better supply integration; (2) managers must comprehend the importance of purchasing in incorporating buyer- ­? supplier by focusing on â€Å"process, relational, information, and cross- ­? organisational teams†; (3) strategic procurement can create a win- ­? win situation for both buyer and supplier. Taking these into account, it is undeniable that there is a tendency to procure or outsource among organizations.To assist with procurement decision making, Gottfredson et al. (2005) developed a sourcing opportunities map like Figure 1 to help companies judge the relative merits of their outsourcing possibilities. The vertical dimension of the exhibit â€Å"measures how proprietary a process or function is† while the horizontal axis indicates the degree of commonality, both within and outside the company’s industry. The author found that capabilities locating in the upper right portion of the map are potential candidates for procurement. Once capabilities pr omising strong candidates for alternative sourcing are discovered, the ompany needs to figure out how to source them. In this stage, cost and quality requirements should be taken into account to detect key capability gaps to be filled and top- ­? performing competitors or suppliers to partner with. To address these issues, another assessment map has been introduced, again by Gottfredson et al. (2005) as described in the Figure 2 below. Figure 1 What should you outsource? Source: Adapted from (Gottfredson et al. , 2005). Figure 2 How strong are your capabilities? Source: Adapted from (Gottfredson et al. , 2005) The author explained that the position of capabilities on this grid eterminates suitable goals for an outsourcing relationship. Specifically, functions that fall in the upper left should be outsourced to low- ­? cost providers regardless of reduction in quality, while those falling in the lower left require outsourcing partners that can both reduce costs and improve qualit y. 2. Resource- ­based view In the opinion of Mol (2003), resource- ­? based view has today become the domineering perspective of analyzing corporation strategy. However, this concept has been perceived and developed by different scholars in the literature. Porter (1985) suggested a firm’s competitive position an be analyzed by looking at industry structure and the role of internal decision making was overlooked. This theory contradicts itself with earlier strategic management arguments which highlighted both internal and external factors (Skinner, 1969, Ansoff, 1965) and therefore several scholars such as Barney (1991), Amit and Schoemaker (2006), and Peteraf (2006) felt a different perspective and went on developing the resource- ­? based view based on the researches of Coase (1937) and Wernerfelt (1984). In an effort to stress the significance of managerial choice and internal factors, Barney (1991) concluded that he resource- ­? based view â€Å"examines the link between a firm’s characteristics and performance† by investigating varied resources within the firm. By the nature of its activities, procurement management is subject to obtaining inputs from outside partners in the organization’s environment (Mol, 2003). According to Wernerfelt (1984), resource- ­? based approach â€Å"views the firm as a historically determined collection of assets or resources which are tied semi- ­? permanently to the firm’s management†. Lockett and Thompson (2001) criticized that resource- ­? based view is sometimes used to distinguish â€Å"appropriate esources, such as physical capital or brand names, from less tangible assets, such as organizational routines and capabilities†. Appropriate resources can be seen as assets utilized as appropriate over a specific period, while dynamic resources may lie in capabilities that form additional opportunities over time. The crucial requirements of resource- ­? based vi ew are that relevant resources, regardless of their nature, are specific to the firm and not easy to be imitated by rivals (Barney, 1991). It was noted by Lockett and Thompson (2001) that resource- ­? based view is implied in the sense that each firm’s pportunity set is exclusive and a product of the resources is obtained from its past experience. â€Å"Therefore, it follows that decisions about the appropriate boundaries of a firm’s activities should reflect its existing resource bundle. If firms face a similar external environment, in the sense of similar product and factor markets, the resource- ­? based view suggests that those firms with a similar initial resource endowment should display similar ceteris paribus patterns of behavior and performance†. 3. Procurement is an integral part of resource–based view of an organization Procurement and resource- ­based iew Procurement, or in many context, usually referred to as â€Å"outsourcing†, is defined as â€Å" astrategic decision that entails the external contracting of determined non- ­? strategic activities or business processes necessary for the manufacture of goods or the provision of services by means of agreements or contracts with higher capability firms to undertake those activities or business processes, with the aim of improving competitive advantage† (Espino Rodriguez and Padron Robaina, 2006). According to resource- ­? based view, resources can be exploited by means of contracts (Barney, 1999, Gainey and Klaas, 2003,Grant, 1991) and this perspective can be used as a framework to help organizations decide which activities should be outsourced and which to perform in- ­? house. In this regard, one of the dominant frameworks that explain the propensity of procurement is core competences approach (Gilley and Rasheed, 2000, Teng et al. , 2007). Based on this approach, a firm should invest in activities generating core capabilities and outsource the rest (Prahalad, 1990, Hilmer and Quinn, 1994), regarding that the former activities are those providing the firm’s growth and development (Peteraf, 2006). It is pointed out by Prahalad 1990) that a firm can perform better by focusing on those resources generating the core competences. According to the author, short- ­? term success results from the price and the attributes of the products, while long- ­? term competitive advantages lie on the core capabilities, which derives from the firm’s collective learning. Strategic outsourcing, based on resources and capabilities, signifies a deep understanding of the core competences, which assist organizations to build their long- ­? term competitiveness (Bettis et al. , 1992). Espino Rodriguez and Padron Robaina (2006) concluded that the resource ased view helps to distinguish the core competences and provides knowledge (Hilmer and Quinn, 1994) about which activities to perform with internal resources and which to procu re, â€Å"determining that the possession of some resources and capabilities is what defines what the firm itself will do and what it will obtain from third parties†. In order to explain the integral part that procurement plays from resource- ­? based view, it is important to look into the framework developed by Grant (1991), in which a firm’s resources and capabilities are the main considerations in formulating strategies. In this framework or strategy formulation, five stages were established to associate strategy, competitive advantage and resources and capabilities. Among these five stages, the last one refers to â€Å"identifying the resource gaps which need to be filled and invest in replenishing, augmenting and upgrading the firm’s resource base† where there is a place for procurement. This is demonstrated in Figure 3 as below. Grant (1991) believes that regarding the lack of firm’s resources and capabilities, the firm needs to decide betw een developing resources in- ­? house and outsourcing resources from the third parties. Hence, in order to

Relationship Between Teacher And Students

Similarly harmonizing to Moloi et Al. ( as cited in Mtika & A ; Gates, 2010 ) , group work is one of the schemes that can be utile in student-centered attacks. It does non merely assist pupils to discourse and portion thoughts with each other, but it besides helps to better pupils ‘ apprehension of some constructs and develop their communicating accomplishments. In the student-centered schoolroom, the instructor has to believe of pupils ‘ demands and the schoolroom is considered as a topographic point where pupils work together, in groups and as persons by promoting them to take portion in the acquisition procedure all the clip ( Jones, 2007 ) . In the student-centered schoolroom, the instructor should cognize about their pupils ‘ background. Teachers should see what they may cognize or make non cognize about their pupils because it helps to make the schoolroom conditions that are antiphonal to the larning demands of the pupils ( Hodson, 2002 ) . Furthermore, in soc ietal constructivist classrooms the relationship between instructor and pupils are much more dynamically involved, so that the instructor ‘s function is much more demanding to let and actively promote acknowledgment, rating, and Reconstruction ( Gunstone and Northfield every bit cited in Hand et al. , 1997 ) . A A A A A The size for effectual student-centered schoolrooms can be organized into big group ( category with 25-30 pupils ) , average size ( 5-8 pupils ) , little group ( 3-5 pupils ) , pair group ( 2 pupils ) and a instructor and a pupil ( merely in particular status ) ( MoEYS, 2002a ) . Furthermore, schoolroom agreements, particularly classroom infinite and resources like chairs and tabular arraies for big group activities are besides of import because appropriate resources helps to back up the effectivity and efficiency of direction to the pupils.2. 4 Definition of the Student-Centered Approaches to LearningA A A A A A The footings â€Å" student-centered attacks † A and â€Å" learner-centered attacks † A to larning are the same and whilst some articles used the term student-centered attacks and other articles used the term learner-centered attacks, the two footings were used interchangeably. Both footings focus on the demands of pupils who as scholars are actively involved in the acquisition procedure ( Utecht, 2003 ) . The term â€Å" student-centered attacks † is used in this survey because this term is officially applied in Kampuchean course of study and ministry educational literature. Furthermore, the student-centered attacks are broader for illustration, a pupil can be defined as scholar, but a scholar may non be defined as pupil. For illustration, a adult male wants to cognize about the educational jurisprudence in Cambodia, so the adult male can travel to library or seek in the MoEYS web site to read and larn about the jurisprudence. The adult male therefore is non a pupil, but he is a scholar. A A A A A A The student-centered attacks to larning are defined as learning methodological analysiss associated with an attack to larning where pupils are the chief characters in the acquisition procedure, and actively larn in a socially synergistic manner ( Brush & A ; Saye, 2000 ) . The student-centered attacks are designed to help pupils to larn best from meaningful life experiences, societal interactions, and scientific experimentation ( Pedersen & A ; Liu, 2003 ) . A A A A A A The student-centered attacks to larning focal point on single pupil ‘s demands and growing, because these attacks are intended to develop the potency of every single pupil and promote their personal growing and involvements ( Morris, 1996 ) . The student-centered attacks are besides considered effectual options to the traditional teacher-centered attacks. Similarly harmonizing to Courtney ( 2008 ) , it looks really different from the traditional didactic instruction methods that are widely applied in Cambodia. These traditional instruction methods depend on the direct direction of the instructor and verbal and written repeat with small accent on understanding but strong accent on memory and callback. Kember ( as cited in O'Neill & A ; McMahon, 2005 ) and Hirumi ( 2002 ) stated the student-centered attacks are in contrast to the traditional teacher-centered attacks. In the teacher-centered attacks, instructors are at the centre of the acquisition and learning procedu re and supply direction to pupils ; the pupils are the empty vass into which the instructor pours their cognition. This position contrasts aggressively to that of constructivist theory where we see that pupils are cardinal to the acquisition procedure, they are non viewed as empty vass but instead actively take part in doing cognition by believing and work outing jobs for themselves, and developing their self-pride that is indispensable for larning and decision-making throughout life ( American Psychological Association, 1993 ; Hirumi, 2002 ; MoEYS, 2005 ) . A A A A A A The nucleus rule of the student-centered acquisition attacks is that pupils have different abilities, demands, and involvements for how they learn, and they construct cognition and significance and learn in different ways ( Brady, 2006 ; Murdoch & A ; Wilson, 2008 ; Hirumi, 2002 ) . The American Psychological Association ( 1993 ) stated that pupils have assorted capablenesss and involvements for acquisition. â€Å" Persons are born with and develop alone capablenesss and endowments and have acquired through acquisition and societal socialization different penchants for how they like to larn and the gait at which they learn † ( American Psychological Association, 1993, p. 9 ) . Harmonizing to Meyer & A ; Jones ( as cited in Hirumi, 2002 ) , in the category pupils talk, listen, write, read, and reflect on content, thoughts, issues, and concerns in order to build their ain significance. â€Å" In student-centered environments, scholars are given direct entree to the knowledge-base and work separately and in little groups to work out reliable jobs ( Hirumi, 2002, p. 506 ) . Similarly, harmonizing to Jones ( 2007 ) , a student-centered category is a topographic point where pupils ‘ demands are considered, as a group and as persons, and pupils are encouraged to take part in the acquisition procedure all the clip. At different times, pupils may work entirely, in braces, or in groups. A A A A A A As a theory of epistemology, constructivism proposes that pupils bring their existing experiences and beliefs, every bit good as universe positions and their cultural histories, into the acquisition procedure when they internally build cognition by interacting with the environment ( Yilmaz, 2008 ) . Constructivism is considered as a procedure that pupils actively construct their cognition upon cognition that they already have ( Motschnig-Pitrik & A ; Holzinger, 2002 ) . Social constructivist, Vygotsky believed that â€Å" acquisition is a societal procedure in which scholars developed understanding through interaction with the environment around them † ( Brush & A ; Saye, 2000, p. 5 ) . Harmonizing to Jonassen ; Duffy & A ; Jonassen ( as cited in Brush & A ; Saye, 2000 ) , the demand for more student-centered acquisition activities have been promoted by the protagonists of the constructivist epistemology of acquisition. A A A A A A In short, the cardinal features of the student-centered attacks to larning stress students'A anterior cognition and experience, developing Bloom Taxonomy believing accomplishments, particularly critical thought and job resolution, researching single acquisition demands and involvements, advancing active pupil engagement, and developing motive for life-long acquisition ( American Psychological Association, 1993 ; Brush & A ; Saye, 2000 ; Hirumi, 2002 ; Mtika & A ; Gates, 2010 ) . However, there is no individual scheme that helps pupils to hold effectual larning all the clip and there is no learning scheme that is better than others in every circumstance. Each learning scheme has its strength and failing, so instructors need to do determinations and chose instruction schemes that help their pupils to accomplish the acquisition results ( Killen, 2003 ) . Similarly harmonizing to Hab & A ; Em ( 2003 ) , to take and efficaciously use a instruction scheme the instructor has to judge many times because choosing an appropriate instruction scheme is based on the determination whether we provide knowledge to pupils through direct direction ( teacher-centered attacks ) or indirect facilitation ( student-centered attacks ) .2. 5 Student-Centered Learning as Adopted by the Kampuchean Ministry of EducationA A A A A A 2.5.1 Vision of acquisition and instructionA A A A A A Learning has many manners such as acquisition by seeing, listening, composing, reading, watching telecasting, self-experiment, pattern, believing, playing games, analyze circuits and so on. These manners of larning supply cognition to the scholars. However different larning can hold different consequence. Learners may bring forth different larning results with a different acquisition manner to another pupil ( MoEYS, 2002b ) . For illustration, those who learn by listening will bury all or retrieve a small after several yearss. Those who merely stand and see people swimming can non swim, but if th ey learn to swim themselves, they can swim efficaciously. Peoples hence can make something when they involve themselves. Harmonizing to Confucianism, it is believed that â€Å" If you tell me, I will bury. If you show me, I may retrieve. But if you involve me, I can make and understand † ( MoEYS, 2008 ) . A A A A A A The Kampuchean authorities ‘s vision of the intents for acquisition and instruction functions has bit by bit changed between societies and from one a period of clip to another ( MoEYS, 2002a ) . Previous learning methods considered effectual and appropriate was when instructors were considered to be the cognition suppliers. Teachers provided cognition and told pupils, and pupils listened to instructors and followed instructors without developing their ain thoughts or understanding. In this context instructors had the power because they had the cognition that pupils needed to be able to come on through the instruction system. This vision was later officially abandoned because the acquisition results were considered unsuitable to both the demands of the state for skilled minds and they compared ill to the wider international educational context. A A A A A A In the undermentioned period, another new learning method was integrated called ‘question and reply ‘ method. The instructor raised inquiries and the pupils answered. This method was adopted in the belief that it would convey better consequences for pupils. The inquiry and reply method was subsequently changed and reformed to what was known as the ‘active method ‘because this method required much relationship between instructor and pupils. For the last vision, it was believed that creative activity merely relationship between instructor and pupils was non plenty. To hold better consequence for pupils, relationship between pupils and pupils must be created in the instruction and acquisition procedure. Teachers have to fix pupils to work in groups, so pupils can interchange their thoughts, work hand in glove, and assist each other in larning. This last vision is a really of import portion of student-centered attacks ( Hab & A ; Em, 2003 ; Inspector, 2002 ; Ung, 2008 ) . These attacks to larning and learning shifted the power repositing of the instructor from one who held all the cognition to a more equal one where instructors spouse with, sometimes lead, their pupils into new understanding and cognition.A A A A A A 2.5.2 Principle and theoryA A A A A A Theories that are applied and relevant to learning and larning in the current Kampuchean school system are: Learning is making new cognition Learning is interchanging experience ( Inspector, 2002 ) A A A A A A The theories of larning above are besides clearly identifiable as constructs of constructivism. Although constructivism is non a theory of acquisition, the rules have been applied by many pedagogues in instruction and acquisition, particularly, but non merely, in scientific discipline instruction ( Han et al. , 1997 ; Yilmaz, 2008 ) . Constructivism emphasizes that cognition and significance are constructed by the human head ; in consequence scholars create links between their bing cognition and new experience and do new cognition constructions and significance ( Yilmaz, 2008 ) . A A A A A A The function of instructors and pupils are changed by the acceptance of the student-centered attacks to larning. Students are given greater duty for their acquisition and the instructors ‘ functions change where they become more coordinators or facilitators of the acquisition experiences. Students are encouraged to research the cognition by themselves and with other scholars and the instructors help the acquisition procedure by demoing pupils waies of cognition. In this new function in the schoolroom, the instructors become portion of the acquisition procedure and acts as a usher and a resource for the pupils ( Utecht, 2003 ) . Furthermore, the importance of school is to supply multiple chances to pupils to make cognition and understanding by themselves through research, existent experience and work outing jobs.