Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Gender Inequality And The Workplace - 1630 Words

INTRODUCTION While over time women have seen gains in educational attainment, labor force participation, and individual economic well-being, there still exists substantial differences in economic and material hardship between women and men[1] (Baunach, 2002; Isaac, Kaatz, Carnes, 2012; Levy Temin, 2007). There is substantial research on the role of sex segregation in the workforce, the gender wage gap, the glass ceiling and the differences in median earnings for men and women (England, 2010; England Folbre, 2003). Gender inequities and the economic experiences of women and men continue to be present in the life course as individuals enter senior age (Sullivan Meschede, 2016). Senior women are more likely to live in poverty than†¦show more content†¦What is unknown is whether the gender differences in food security and food security coping strategies continued as Americans age, in the same way gendered differences in the labor market and economic well-being continue into senior age. There is limited literature on senior food insecurity and an even smaller body of literature on the relationship to gender and senior food insecurity. There has been a steady growth in food insecurity among seniors. From 2003 to 2013 the rate of seniors experiencing the threat of hunger (marginally food insecure) has nearly doubled. In 2013, nearly half of those 65 and older who lived below the poverty rate faced the threat of hunger (AbuSabha et al., 2011; Ziliak Gundersen, 2014). Food insecurity among seniors will continue to grow, as the senior population becomes more diverse, there is an increase in the numbers of individuals who have higher risks of food insecurity, including racial and ethnic minorities (Ortman Velkoff, 2014; Ziliak Gundersen, 2013, 2014). The senior population continues to grow in sheer numbers and will become part of a larger proportion in the United States, thus it is important to better understand differences in senior subpopulations. This paper is exploratory in nature and will answer two researchShow MoreRelatedWorkplace Inequality And Gender Inequality1678 Words   |  7 PagesWorkplace Inequality Brittany N. Shipley Central Penn College Abstract As you are reading you will be informed of the many factors that can contribute to workplace inequality. Three factors associated with workplace would include (1) the individuals gender can determine compensation (2) the race or ethnicity of an individual (3) the age of the individuals. All such factors contribute to the issues of workplace inequality, not only in gender but race and age as well. Keywords: Compensation, jobRead MoreGender Inequality Of The Workplace1255 Words   |  6 Pages Fact or Fiction: Gender Inequality in the Workplace Will respect resolve the gender inequality issue in the workplace? While there s always going to be a person who craves more money because greed is a major factor in why respect is in decline in the workplace. Gender inequality is prevalent in the workplace, but we can bridge the gap if more people had respect for their counterparts. Enforcing this amongst employees will cut down on discrimination lawsuit cases and these companies can growRead MoreGender Inequalities in the Workplace1963 Words   |  8 Pages‘Describe and analyse gender inequalities in the workplace?’ Gender inequalities in the workplace have been an ongoing issue for many years, which has mainly been central to women in the workplace, as senior management has prioritised men over women. This has made it very difficult for women to work their way up to management as women are considered to be incompetent compared to the men in the workplace. The wage gap between men and women has raised much debate, as men are generally more likelyRead MoreGender Inequality And The Workplace Essay1344 Words   |  6 PagesGender inequality or also known as gender stratification, is the unequal distribution of a society’s wealth, power, and privilege between females and males. (Scott and Schwartz, 2000). Even though gender equality in the workplace has improved substantially in the US since 1979 especially when women started representing an increasingly larger share of the total workforce and earning about 62 percent as much as men, the women s average pay continues to be lower than thatRead MoreGender Inequality Within The Workplace Essay1209 Words   |  5 PagesGender Inequality in the Workplace The generation now has made it easier to equalize men and women but there is still a substantial amount of places where gender inequality is still happening in the workplace and where females still face discrimination. Women are often discriminated in the workplace and are usually not promoted as quickly as men are and they also receive less pay. History shows that women have not always been defined as property and thought of as second class citizens. But inRead MoreEssay on Gender Inequality in the Workplace1247 Words   |  5 Pagesexperienced a historic situation of inequality in the social as well as professional aspects. Women were normally the ones that would take care of children, do the chores in the house, and in rural areas; they would work in the field with the rest of the family. However, today’s women have become more self-sufficient and independent from the predominant male figure within every historical family. Gender inequality in the workplace is becoming l ess common; yet, gender is a factor that affects men andRead MoreGender Inequality During The Workplace1613 Words   |  7 PagesGender Inequality in the Workplace It was the holiday season and the workers were vigorously working to receive that desperately needed bonus. The day before the holiday break, the workers were eagerly lined up to receive their checks along with their bonuses. After receiving their checks, Susan got a glimpse of Christopher’s check and she noticed how she was paid far less than him even though they both had the same position and worked the same amount of hours. Throughout various aspects of societyRead MoreWorkplace Gender Inequality Essay1615 Words   |  7 PagesWorkplace Gender Inequality Gender inequality is currently a hot topic in our society. From education, to the entertainment industry, and more importantly, our daily lives, gender inequality has created a powerful divide between females and males with the seemingly same qualifications and background. The same trend follows in the workplace, females are less likely to hold positions of authority compared to their equivalent male counterparts. This is a key contributor to the lack of gender equalityRead MoreGender Inequality Within The Workplace1379 Words   |  6 Pages  Gender inequality refers to unequal treatment or perceptions of individuals based on their gender. It arises from differences in socially constructed gender roles as well as biologically through chromosomes, brain structure, and hormonal differences. There is a natural difference also in the relative physical strengths of the sexes. In the workplace Income disparities linked to job stratification Wage discrimination exists when workers are equally qualified and perform the same work butRead MoreGender Inequality During The Workplace1609 Words   |  7 PagesGender Inequality in the Workplace Times have changed; western women have more influence in the workplace than ever before in history. Today women make up 19% of Congress, almost double the share from 20 years ago. Five percent of women are now serving as CEOs of Fortune 500 companies (Pew Research â€Å"Women in Leadership). Approximately 65 percent of women work in high paying careers, triple that of 40 years ago. The gender gap in salary is also less than it was decades ago. In spite of these advances

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Long Distance Relationship And How To Make It Work Essay

Long Distance Relationship and How To Make It Work Dear Love Lady, nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;I have a love problem and I dont know what to do. I am a freshman in college and so is my boyfriend. We have been together since our senior year in high school, and we are very much in love. But, since weve been at college, we have developed a problem. We dont see each other from month to month. You see, we go to colleges in completely different states. We have always lived on the same street, but now we are so far apart. I dont even know if it will work, or better yet how to make it work. Any advice? Sad and In Love, Atlanta, GA Dear Sad and In Love, nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Well, it sounds as if you have a great thing if you†¦show more content†¦I would pretend that it was my boyfriend doing it and then I would think of how I would feel if he did it. If you would get upset about it, than 10 times out of 10 so would he. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;There has to be trust in every important relationship, a relationship wont last if there are doubts on either end. Always trust that your boyfriend is being honest with you and always be honest with him. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The next thing a long-distance relationship needs is communication. Good communication is a MUST! You and your boyfriend have to have open lines of communication. If something is bothering one of you, you must tell the other how you are feeling. If you dont be open the other will never know what you are thinking or if there is a problem. Unless of course you can read minds. Just kidding! There shouldnt be secrets kept from one another and if there are open communication lines, it will avoid any types of problems. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Another aspect of communication that is important is expressing your feelings. If you are missing your boyfriend a lot one day, tell him. It will make him feel good to know that you are thinking of him and need him. By expressing your feelings, it will keep the relationship open and honest. And also add a little excitement for the next time you get to see eachShow MoreRelatedA Long Distance Relationship Is A Thought That Makes Most Couples Cringe1440 Words   |  6 PagesA long distance relationship is a thought that makes most couples cringe. The thought of being miles upon miles away is something that can make people question the strength of their relationship. However, this trend of long distance is something that is becoming more and more common with the advancement of technology such as video chatting sources like Facetime or Skype. This trend is something I’ve personally noticed many college students, especially freshmen, experiencing. They have their highRead MoreThe Problems Of Long Distance Relationships748 Words   |  3 PagesLong distance relationships occur because a person is away from his or her significant other for a length of time. According to Lisa McKay, previously tried solutions for long distance relationships are Skype dates and good communication. Long distance relationships are a large problem throughout the United States with a significant failure rate, but the relationships succeed if each person in the relationship is willing to make the relationship work until the two reunite. In the United States aloneRead MoreLong Distance Relationships1595 Words   |  7 PagesLong Distance Relationships – Modern Media LuvDaSun Res/110 August 18, 2010 Christopher Benedetti Abstract Long distance relationships are no longer a thing of the past. Modern technology has made it viable for partners to stay constantly in touch during a 24-hour period. A review of five peer-reviewed journals provides a variety of perspectives of long distance relationships. The articles focus on the positive and negative aspects of Long Distance Relationships. Weaknesses, strengths and differencesRead MoreYoung Adults in Long Distance Relationships929 Words   |  4 Pagescommon occurrences during those high school years. High school relationships are essentially the beginning of a teenager’s dating career; dating helps young adults develop their emotions and temperament while being with a significant other. In a way dating prepares students for the real world that they will soon have to endure. For teens in high school, the most complicated relationships are long distance ones. Long distance relationships are a difficult task to handle, with each individual willingRead MoreT he Communication Behavior Of Long Distance Relationships Essay926 Words   |  4 Pagesthe communication behavior in long distance relationships. This paper will examine the behavior of how couples sustain their relationship being in long distance relationships and long distance relationships in military separation. How do females in the military maintain long distance relationships? Crystal Jiang, L., Hancock, J. T. (2013). Absence makes the communication grow fonder: geographic separation, interpersonal media, and intimacy in dating relationships. Journal Of CommunicationRead MoreBenefits Of Long Distance Relationships1728 Words   |  7 PagesGoing Long As of this year, 14 million couples in the U.S. consider themselves to be in a long distance relationship (Guldner). There are many reasons a couple might opt to go long distance, such as military service, career goals, education choices, incarceration, and familial decisions. While the commonly held belief about long distance relationships is that they tend to be much more difficult to maintain and will likely fail within a short amount of time; that is not always the case. RatherRead MoreGoing the Distance: Long Distance Relationships in College Essay1359 Words   |  6 Pages â€Å"Long-distance relationships in college.† Does that sound frightening, or does it sound like a poorly stated joke? Many people believe that long distance relationships are the sole thing that you do not get yourself into when going off to college. You choose your university, you choose your sorority or fraternity, you choose your classes, and you chose your major, but whatever you do, you should never choose to be in a long-distance relationship when heading off to pursue higher education. For manyRead MoreThe Sensible Thing By F. Scott Fitzgerald963 Words   |  4 Pagesknow how to love someone. In the short story, â€Å"The Sensible Thing† by F. Scott Fitzgerald states that in reality, love is not romantic and it does not last long easily when distance and money are issues. A long-distance relationship is more difficult than people’s expectation. People think a long-distance relationship can be easy and strong if two people love each other, but this idea is not quite true. In the short story, the protagonist George O’Kelly is an insurance clerk who works in NewRead MoreIPC Case Study : Long Distance Relationships1382 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction The case study that I analyzed was â€Å"IPC Case 29 _Long Distance Relationships† Synopsis The main characters were Lindsay, Lance, and Ron within the minor characters being Jerrie and Toni. Lindsay and Lance are brother and sister that are attending the same college with Lindsay being a freshman and Lance being a Junior. Lindsay is currently in a long-distance relationship (LDR) with Ron, who is at Purdue University, which is 450 miles away. Lance has two short term girlfriends duringRead MoreThe Application / Device / Product1112 Words   |  5 PagesThe Application/ Device/ Product Rather than long distance relationship applications such as Between and Couple that have narrow focuses on how to strengthen relationships, Tandem introduces a wide variety of features. Tandem includes functions that are nonexistent on other similar applications. This application consists of every feature one could possibly want to bolster a long distance relationship, all in one location. The first feature Tandem offers is a calendar component. This feature allows

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Comparing Love and Acceptance in I Stand Here Iron Essay Example For Students

Comparing Love and Acceptance in I Stand Here Iron Essay ing and Everyday Use comparison compare contrast essaysLove and Acceptance in I Stand Here Ironing and Everyday Use Tillie Olsens I Stand Here Ironing, and Alice Walkers Everyday Use, both address the issue of a mothers guilt over how her children turn out. Both mothers blamed themselves for their daughters problems. While I Stand Here Ironing is obviously about the mousy daughter, in Everyday Use this is camouflaged by the fact most of the action and dialog involves the mother and older sister Dee. Neither does the mother in Everyday Use say outright that she feels guilty, but we catch a glimpse of it when Dee is trying very hard to claim the handmade quilts. The mother says she did something she had never done before, hugged Maggie to me, then took the quilts from Dee and gave them to Maggie. In I Stand Here Ironing the mother tells us she feels guilty for the way her daughter Emily is, for the things she (the mother) did and did not do. The mothers neighbor even tells her she should smile at Emily more when you look at her. Again towards the end of the story Emilys mother admits my wisdom came too late. The mothers unknowingly gave Emily and Maggie second best. Both mothers compare their two daughters to each other. In Everyday Use the mother tells us that Dee is lighter than Maggie, with nicer hair and a fuller figure. She Fahning -2-speaks of the fire that burned and scarred Maggie. She tells us how Maggie is not bright, how she shuffles when she walks. Comparing her with Dee whose feet vwere always neat-looking, as if God himself had shaped them. We also learn of Dees style and the way she awes the other girls at school with it. The mother in I Stand Here Ironing speaks of Susan, quick and articulate and assured, everything in appearance and manner Emily was not. Emily thin and dark and foreign-looking at a time when every little girl was supposed to look or thought she should look a chubby blonde replica of Shirley Temple. Like Dee, Emily had a physical limitation also. Hers was asthma. Both Emily and Maggie show resentment towards their sisters. The sisters who God rewarded with good looks and poise. Emilys mother points out the poisonous feeling between the sisters, feelings she contributed to by her inability to balance the hurts and needs of the two. In Everyday Use we see Maggie eying her sister with a mixture of envy and awe. She thinks her sister has held life always in the palm of one hand, that no is a word the world would never say to her. Maggies mother seems to have reinforced this by being unable to say no to Dee also. This is what makes the point in the story when she finally does say no (regarding the quilts) such an important moment in Maggies life. The attitude of the mothers towards the polished daughters borders on contempt. I believe this is more evident in Everyday Use, demonstrated by the dream of the TV show. Also the description of Dee reading to them, burned us with a lot of knowledge we Fahning -3-didnt necessarily need to know, and again when she shoved us away like dimwits. Its also pointed out that Dee and Susan are self-centered and selfish while Maggie and Emily are caring and giving. I think in the end both of the mothers realize their daughters are okay the way they are. They come to accept their daughters limitations and cherish their quiet gifts. .uaf9c075abbe8c1a954d683e4b7c6aa6f , .uaf9c075abbe8c1a954d683e4b7c6aa6f .postImageUrl , .uaf9c075abbe8c1a954d683e4b7c6aa6f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uaf9c075abbe8c1a954d683e4b7c6aa6f , .uaf9c075abbe8c1a954d683e4b7c6aa6f:hover , .uaf9c075abbe8c1a954d683e4b7c6aa6f:visited , .uaf9c075abbe8c1a954d683e4b7c6aa6f:active { border:0!important; } .uaf9c075abbe8c1a954d683e4b7c6aa6f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uaf9c075abbe8c1a954d683e4b7c6aa6f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uaf9c075abbe8c1a954d683e4b7c6aa6f:active , .uaf9c075abbe8c1a954d683e4b7c6aa6f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uaf9c075abbe8c1a954d683e4b7c6aa6f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uaf9c075abbe8c1a954d683e4b7c6aa6f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uaf9c075abbe8c1a954d683e4b7c6aa6f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uaf9c075abbe8c1a954d683e4b7c6aa6f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uaf9c075abbe8c1a954d683e4b7c6aa6f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uaf9c075abbe8c1a954d683e4b7c6aa6f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uaf9c075abbe8c1a954d683e4b7c6aa6f .uaf9c075abbe8c1a954d683e4b7c6aa6f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uaf9c075abbe8c1a954d683e4b7c6aa6f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Candide: Optimism Essay Not everyone can be polished and successful in worldly ways. Maybe thats why Maggie was smiling in the end, her mother finally accepted her as is.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Worlds Fair Crystla Palace Essays - Exhibitions, Worlds Fair

World's Fair Crystla Palace During the 1800's Great Britain's empire stretched around the world, and with raw materials easily available to them this way, they inevitably began refining and manufacturing all stages of many new machines and other goods, distributing locally and globally. However, despite being the central ?workshop of the world,' Britain was not producing the highest quality of merchandise. When comparing factory-made products made in England to surrounding countries, most notably France, those products could not compare as far as craftsmanship and sometimes, simply innovation. It was suggested by Cole and supported by Prince Albert that England host a sort of free-for-all technological exposition to bring in outside crafts into the country. These planners supported free trade, thinking that if local business was exposed to foreign-made goods, they could incorporate those new ideas into their own goods, increasing their worth. Though originally intending to invite only neighboring countries to this exposition, the plan soon escalated to include the global environment. As organization and sponsorship was planned out, the matter of where to host such a large and ongoing event arose. Ideally, it was to take place in London, to sort of show off the best of the country and impress in-coming visitors. The problem was that London was already built up and filled in, and little open space remained for the needed time period. It was decided soon that a portion of Hyde Park would provide the needed location, so it looked as though the problem of a site had been solved. However, there were many opposers to the plan. In general, foreign imports coming in such great quantities could undermine British industry. More specifically, the site itself was questioned. Though the park offered enough space, the British were very protective of their parks, and thought that the fair would lower property values of the highest portion of town, as well as permanently ?disfigure? the natural area. Amongst the criticisms, the committee still had to plan a structure to hold the event. Most ideas involved a long, one-story building made of brick. The problem was that it looked far too solid and difficult to remove later - not to mention that it probably could not be built in time. Further debate and redraftings didn't help speed the project along, either. Paxton submitted his idea late in the game, but was almost instantly adopted. It was so cost-effective, the fair's planning committee had to accept his proposal. The overall design resembled a greenhouse, as he had grown up planning gardens. This was the first building to use glass as a primary material, and while it solved the concern of proper lighting needed, it was a bit of surprise to most people because it was considered unsafe. Plus, a tax had recently been placed on the material, so the amounts needed were questionable. However, the plan was embraced by the contractors, mostly on the merit that the sections of the building were all pre-fabricated modules, able to be built anywhere. Then, the portions would be shipped to the park's site and installed to the base already formed there. The speed of the erection amazed many people. Paxton wanted people to even let people in free once the exposition officially opened, but these idea was not even considered by anyone but him. He valued invention over beauty, but tried to show that invention could even redefine aesthetics. The plan apparently worked, and the media dubbed the building, ?The Crystal Palace.? Arts and Painting

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

APA Referencing †Citing a Newspaper Article

APA Referencing – Citing a Newspaper Article APA Referencing – Citing a Newspaper Article If you’ve been at college for a while, you might already be pretty good when it comes to citing sources. Maybe you know all about referencing books and academic journals. But have you given much thought to newspaper articles? OK, you’re not likely to cite a National Enquirer article called â€Å"BILL CLINTON CONFESSION: I HUNTED ALIENS† in a serious paper about astrobiology. Seems completely legit to us. But discussing politics, culture or social trends can require referring to current events, which usually means citing a newspaper. In today’s blog post, we explain exactly how to do this using APA referencing. In-Text Citations APA conventions for citing a newspaper article are similar to those used for other sources, with the author’s name and year of publication given in parentheses. If directly quoting an article from a print edition of a newspaper (they’re still a thing, you know), you should give page numbers, too: The Guardian reported the plan to secede â€Å"with or without the approval of Madrid† (Jones, 2016, p. 12). If the author is named in the text, simply give the year of publication immediately afterwards and any relevant page numbers after the quoted text: According to Sam Jones (2016), Catalonia is â€Å"is preparing to defy Spain’s constitutional court† (p. 11). If no author is named for an article, APA suggests including a shortened version of the article title in citations instead: Anne Bancroft was reported to sometimes burp in public (â€Å"I’m A Slob,† 1964). Yes, that last one was a genuine story. Although only insofar as anything in the National Enquirer can ever really be called â€Å"a genuine story.† It seems more plausible than the alien thing, at least. Reference List: Print Articles When an article is cited from a print edition of a newspaper the information to include in your reference list is: Author name and initial(s). (Year, month and day published). Article title. Newspaper, page numbers. For the Guardian article cited above, this would appear as follows: Jones, S. (2016, July 27). Catalonia tells Spain it will push for secession with or without assent. The Guardian, pp. 11-13. If no author is named, the full title of the article is used in its place: I’m a slob: I burp and slurp in public. (1964, December 20). National Enquirer, pp. 1-3. We promise that’s the last time we’ll mention the National Enquirer. Reference List: Online Articles The only difference when referencing the online version of a newspaper article is that you need to give the URL rather than page numbers: Author name(s) and initial(s). (Year, month and day published). Article title. Newspaper. Retrieved from URL The online version of the Guardian article above would therefore appear as: Jones, S. (2016, July 27). Catalonia tells Spain it will push for secession with or without assent. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/27/catalonia-independence-spain-democratic-mandate

Friday, November 22, 2019

Pochteca - Elite Long Distance Traders of Mesoamerica

Pochteca - Elite Long Distance Traders of Mesoamerica The Pochteca (pronounced pohsh-TAY-kah) were long-distance, professional Aztec merchants and traders who provided the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan and other major Aztec city-states with luxury and exotic items from faraway lands. The pochteca also worked as information agents for the Aztec empire, keeping tabs on their far-flung client states and uneasy neighbors such as Tlaxcallan. Long Distance Trade in Mesoamerica The Aztec pochteca were not the only merchants in Mesoamerica: there were many regional-based commercial actors who distributed fish, maize, chile and cotton; their activities provided the backbone of the economic society in the regions. The pochteca were a special guild of these merchants, based in the valley of Mexico, who traded in exotic goods throughout Mesoamerica and acted as a social and economic connection between the various regions. They interacted with the regional merchants, who in turn acted as middlemen for the pochtecas wider networks. Pochteca is sometimes used as a generic word for all Mesoamerican long-distance traders; but the word is a Nahua (Aztec) word, and we know much more about the Aztec pochteca because we have written recordsthe codexessupporting their history. Long distance trade began in Mesoamerica at least as long ago as the Formative period (2500-900 BC), in societies such as the Olmec; and the classic period Maya. Long distance traders in Maya communities were called ppolom; compared to the Aztec pochteca, the ppolom were loosely confederated and did not join guilds. Pochteca Social Organization The pochteca held a special status in Aztec society. They were not nobles, but their position was higher than any other non-noble person. They were organized into guilds and lived in their own neighborhoods in the capital cities. The guilds were restricted, highly controlled and hereditary. They kept their trade secrets about routes, exotic goods sources and connections across the region restricted to the guild membership. Only a few cities in the Aztec empire could claim to have a leader of a pochteca guild in residence. The pochteca had special ceremonies, laws and their own god, Yacatecuhtli (pronounced ya-ka-tay-coo-tli), who was the patron of commerce. Even if their position provided them with wealth and prestige, the Pochteca were not allowed to show it in public, in order not to offend the nobles. However, they could invest their wealth in the ceremonies for their patron god, organizing rich feasts and carrying out sophisticated rituals. Evidence of the effects of long distance trade by pochteca is found at Paquime (Casas Grandes) in Northern Mexico, where trade in exotic birds such as scarlet macaws  and quetzal birds, marine shell and polychrome pottery was based, and extended into societies of New Mexico and Arizona. Scholars such as Jacob van Etten have suggested the pochteca traders are responsible for the diversity of precolumbian maize, transporting seeds throughout the region. The Pochteca and the Aztec Empire The pochteca had the freedom to travel all over the empire even in lands not subjected to the Mexica emperor. That put them in a terrific position to work as spies or informants for the Aztec state. This also meant that political elites deeply mistrusted the pochteca, who wielded their economic prowess to establish and guard their trade routes and secrets. In order to obtain precious and exotic items such as jaguar pelts, jade, quetzal plumes, cocoa, and metals, pochteca had special permission to travel across foreign lands and were often escorted by armies along with servants and carriers. They were also trained as warriors since they often suffered attacks from the population who saw in the Pochteca another aspect of the yoke of the Aztec empire. Sources This glossary entry is a part of the About.com guide to the Aztec Civilization and the Dictionary of Archaeology. Berdan FF. 1980. Aztec Merchants and Markets: Local-Level Economic Activity in a Non-Industrial Empire. Mexicon 2(3):37-41. Drennan RD. 1984. Long-distance movement of goods in the Mesoamerican formative and classic. American Antiquity 49(1):27-43. Grimstead DN, Pailes MC, Dungan KA, Dettman DL, Tagà ¼eà ±a NM, and Clark AE. 2013. Identifying the origin of southwestern shell: a geochemical application to Mogollon Rim archaeomolluscs. American Antiquity 78(4):640-661. Malville NJ. 2001. Long distance transport of bulk goods in the pre-hispanic American southwest. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 20(2):230-443. Oka R, and Kusimba CM. 2008. The Archaeology of Trading Systems, Part 1: Towards a New Trade Synthesis. Journal of Archaeological Research 16(4):339-395. Somerville AD, Nelson BA, and Knudson KJ. 2010. Isotopic investigation of pre-Hispanic macaw breeding in Northwest Mexico. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 29(1):125-135. van Etten J. 2006. Molding maize: the shaping of a crop diversity landscape in the western highlands of Guatemala. Journal of Historical Geography 32(4):689-711. Whalen M. 2013. Wealth, Status, Ritual, and Marine Shell at Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico. American Antiquity 78(4):624-639. Whalen ME, and Minnis PE. 2003. The Local and the Distant in the Origin of Casas Grandes, Chichuahua, Mexico. American Antiquity 68(2):314-332. White NM, and Weinstein RA. 2008. The Mexican Connection and the Far West of the U.S. Southeast. American Antiquity 73(2):227-278. Updated by K. Kris Hirst

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Work in a Team and Self-managed Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Work in a Team and Self-managed - Essay Example Group members play many roles within a group. First, are the tasks or functional roles. These roles see the project sail through the initial stages up to the action. These include numerous roles such as initiator role that a member proposes original ideas to approach a problem. Information seeker and giver is a role that involves seeking expert information about the issue and providing information to the team. Coordinator role that includes putting together ideas and showing their relationship to make them cohesive. The recorder role involves acting as a secretary to the team. Secondly are the social or maintenance roles. These roles positively create cohesion among the team members. Examples of these roles include harmonizer role that involves uniting the members in cases of differences. The energizer role involves supporting and praising members to create a positive attitude in them, the observer role that includes giving feedback of the team progress.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Differences Between Islamic Bank and Conventional Essay

Differences Between Islamic Bank and Conventional - Essay Example nterest (riba) in the transactions, avoiding economic transactions that involve oppression (zulm), and the introduction of an Islamic tax known as zakat (Fahim & Mario 2010, p. 92). Under conventional banking, the danger of insolvency is lower as compared to Islamic banking. Fluctuations in the income of a conventional bank are passed on to depositors as fluctuating payments. On the contrary, losses incurred in Islamic banking do not affect the account holders. As such, Islamic banks may suffer the losses rather than passing on the losses to the customers. In conventional banks, the major aim to protect against possible risks and losses that may emanate from investments. Therefore, depositors choose to invest their funds in banks that have high returns. On the other hand, depositors in Islamic banks do not look for banks that have high rates of return since the sole aim is not to make high profits (Visser 2009, p. 140). In conventional banking, transactions are shaped by the limits in applying usury prohibition. This ensures separation of the banks from the risks associated with the activities of the customers. On the other hand, in Islamic banking, a system based on the participation of the creditors in the risks and profit replaces the interest-based system (Fahim & Mario 2010, p. 91). The interest earned in conventional banking is based on the fact that the lender ought to get a fixed return on the investment, regardless whether the venture of the borrower succeeded or did not succeed. On the other hand, Islamic banking prohibits the presence of predetermined return, although it recognizes the legitimacy of profit sharing. Conventional banking operates for the own interests of the bank; thus, the bank does not make efforts to make sure that there is growth with equity. On the contrary, Islamic banking gives a lot of importance to the interest of the public. Thus, it aims at ensuring that there is growth with equity. In conventional banking, commercial banks

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Ethics in public ad Essay Example for Free

Ethics in public ad Essay Since the 1970s there has been a great deal of change associated with the implementation of administrative ethics. These changes have been promoted and motivated by the concept of public administration in the new era. An important position is given to the concept of ethical issues in today’s civil governance. There has been a great deal of research associated with this concept which has been supported by translation of evidences and theories into practice across different continents. Frederickson and Ghere (2005) address both the managerial and individual/moral dimensions of ethical behavior as well as new challenges to administrative ethics posed by globalization. As promoted by Cooper (2001) ethics in public administration is not a transient concept but has proven to be an approach which has shown a great deal of sustainability which is fundamental to the area of public administration. Public administration has certain issues with regard to ethics implementation and finds it troublesome to come to terms with them. One reason for this is because ethics is embedded in an intellectual framework. This framework is based on stable institutional as well as role relationship levels, among both public employees as well as the organization. According to the views of a number of researchers (Bang and Sorensen, 1999; Keast et al., 2004; Rhodes, 1996; Sorensen, 2002, 2006; Sorensen and Torfing, 2004; Stoker, 1998), current government perspectives believe that clarity and stability at these levels would be problematic. Despite the increasing number of studies that have focused on the importance of administrative ethics, there has been very little effort spent on identifying what is exactly the crux of ethics in administration (Cooper, 2004). This lack of directed research in the dynamics of operations with regards to ethics in public administration along with constant changes in the principles and policies associated with administrative ethics need to be examined. These developments have raised new topics for concern in this field. One example which can be cited at this juncture is the emergence of the concept of egovernance which would require the identification of a whole new paradigm of ethics in public administration.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Another Voice In Frankenstein :: essays research papers

There are many varied interpretations of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in the study of literature. In fact, most critics have, if not opposing, somewhat contrasted views on the novel. However, a popular perception of the novel seems to be one in which Shelley is said to be representing her own views through the voice of the monster created by Victor Frankenstein. But what exactly are Shelley’s views? So many have taken apart this novel, analyzing it beyond all bounds, and yet it still remains a puzzle to most, as to what message Shelley tries to give to the reader. Perhaps this quandary is the direct result of this over-analysis. What if we are looking too carefully? If we were to take a step back, we should see that Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is nothing more than the not uncommon story of the average teenager.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This isn’t to say that the novel is not a work of art, rather, it is quite possibly the best prose ever written by an eighteen year-old. But the fact of the matter remains. Mary Shelley was eighteen going on nineteen when she wrote Frankenstein. Taking this into account, it becomes more apparent that Shelley was not commenting on social aspects of her time or the feminist movement that her mother helped create, rather, she was simply expressing her feelings as a teenager, as so many of us need to do. These feelings of isolation, separation, and being misunderstood, all of which are not uncommon to many teens, are in fact the same as those experienced by the monster in Frankenstein. In this way, the monster most likely is a representation of Mary Shelley.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Almost all of us can relate to a time in our lives when we were young, and misunderstood by our parents. Almost all of us have had an experience where we had done something wrong and during the process of being berated by our parents, tried to convince them that they were wrong, instead. This point is universal to all teenagers and apparently it was to Mary Shelley as well, when we observe the following passage: Be calm! I entreat you to hear me, before you give vent to your hatred on my devoted head. Have I not suffered enough, that you seek to increase my misery? Life, although it may only be an accumulation of anguish, is dear to me, and I will defend it.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Business Ethics Comprises

NOTE: 1. CASE 2, p316~3241. Business ethics comprisesA) the laws and regulations that guide behavior in the world of business.B) the morals, values, and customs that guide behavior in general.C) the principles and standards that guide behavior in the world of business.D) the obligations businesses assume to maximize their positive impact and minimize their negative impact on stakeholders.E) the morals, values, and customs that parents teach their children.2. Social responsibility isA) an organization's obligation to maximize its positive effects and minimize its negative effects on stakeholders.B) principles and standards that guide behavior in the world of business.C) a business's responsibility not to pollute the environment.D) a business's responsibility to manufacture products that function properly without harming consumers.E) charitable contributions made by a business to enhance its image.3. Which of the following is not one of the rights spelled out by John F.Kennedy in his C onsumers' Bill of Rights? .A) The right to chooseB) The right to safetyC) The right to be informedD) The right to be ethicalE) The right to be heard4. Business ethics was acknowledged as a field of study by business academics and practitioners in the .A) 1990s.B) 1980s.C) 1970s.D) 1960s.E) years prior to 1960.5. Which statement best describes the evolution of business ethics?A) From a field of study to theological discussion to recognition of social issuesB) From recognition of social issues to a field of study to theological discussionC) From a field of study to recognition of social issues to theological discussionD) From recognition of social issues to theological discussion to a field of studyE) From theological discussion to recognition of social issues to a field of study6. Before the 1960s, ethical issues related to business were often discussedA) theologically.B) economically.C) politically.D) sociologically.E) psychologically.7. The study of business ethics is important to better understand all of the following exceptA) that a person's own moral philosophies and decision-making experiences may not be sufficient to guide him or her in the business world.B) how and why people make ethical or unethical decisions.C) how to cope with conflicts between a person's own values and those of the organization in which he or she works.D) that business ethics is merely an extension of an individual's own personal ethics.E) how to identify ethical issues that arise in the business world.8. Individuals' personal ethics play a major role in the evaluation of business decisions only when their preferences or valuesA) differ from those of their employer.B) influence their performance in the workplace.C) are unethical.D) are ethical.E) result in negative publicity for their employer.9. The ability of a business organization to achieve its business goals is directly affected by whether its behavior is judged to be right or wrong byA) society.B) its union members.C) its em ployees.D) Congress.E) its competitors.10. An individual with acceptable personal ethics may not be able to handle complex business ethical issues if the individual hasA) family concerns.B) an unethical boss.C) limited business experience.D) financial concerns.E) a marketing background.11. The study of business ethics in North America has evolved through _____ distinct stages.A) fiveB) fourC) threeD) tenE) nine12. Business professors began to teach and write about social responsibility during theA) 1960s.B) 1970s.C) 1980s.D) 1990s.E) 2000s.13. To be successful, relationships with investors must rest on dependability, _____, and commitment.A) ProfitsB) DividendsC) TrustD) ConfidenceE) codes of ethics14. Recently, what type of unethical behavior within business has resulted in a significant reduction of trust among the general public?A) Accounting fraudB) Environmentally unsafe practicesC) Employee discrimination and harassmentD) Defective productsE) Bribery15. Which of the following is not one of the rewards for being ethical and socially responsible in business?A) Greater employee commitmentB) Greater employee turnoverC) Improved customer trust and satisfactionD) Increased investor willingness to entrust fundsE) Better financial performance16. Employees' perceptions of their firm as having an ethical climate lead toA) lack of focus on goals.B) negative performance.C) social responsibility.D) improved relationships with competitors.E) performance-enhancing outcomes.17. When employees see honesty, respect, and trust applied frequently in the workplace, theyA) feel less pressure to compromise ethical standards.B) observe less misconduct.C) are more satisfied with their organizations overall.D) feel more valued as employees.E) All of these18. Investors are concerned about business ethics because they know that misconduct canA) foster stability.B) improve employee commitment.C) improve customer loyalty.D) lower stock prices.E) raise stock prices.19. Most strong org anizational climates focus on the core value of placing ________ interests first.A) customers'B) employees'C) stockholders'D) suppliers'E) distributors'Ans:  Ã‚  A Format:  Ã‚  Multiple  Choice Page:  Ã‚  21 20. In the history of business ethics, the 1990s can best be described as a time when business ethics wasA) formalized.B) consolidated.C) institutionalized.D) popularized.E) marginalized.21. An ethical issue is a problem, situation, or opportunityA) that harms consumers.B) that harms the environment.C) that requires society to choose among several actions that must be evaluated as right or wrong.D) that requires an individual, group, or organization to choose among several actions that must be evaluated as ethical or unethical.E) that requires an individual, group, or organization to choose between harming consumers or the environment and earning more profits.22. Ethical issues in business are defined byA) customers.B) government regulators.C) employees.D) shareholders.E) stakeholders.23. Which of the following statements about stakeholders is correct?A) None of the external stakeholders are primary stakeholders.B) External stakeholders cannot be primary stakeholders.C) All internal stakeholders are primary stakeholders.D) Coop stakeholders cannot be secondary.E) Secondary stakeholders can be tertiary.24. Which of the following does not represent the set of primary stakeholders of a business?A) Employees, customers, and investorsB) Shareholders, the community, and the mediaC) Customers, investors, and governmentD) Employees, investors, and shareholdersE) The community, employees, and government25. The primary responsibility of ensuring that ethical, legal, and social standards are adhered to within a business rests withA) the investors.B) the government.C) the management board.D) the employees.E) the customers.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Warren Buffet Case Study

The case study â€Å"Warren E. Buffet, 2005† produced by Darden Business Publishing provides tremendous insight into the investing and management style of legendary entrepreneur Warren Buffet. A clear examination and exploration of this case study provides a brilliant analysis and insight into how Buffet explores his investing and management philosophy in relation to companies such as Berkshire Hathaway and MidAmerican Energy Holding. A summary of the case study is as follows: Warren Buffet remains the most successful entrepreneur in recent history.His net worth is in the range of $44 billion and it is the result of tireless hard work into making right investment decisions. This is typified by his management of Berkshire Hathaway which turned out to be significantly successful despite many misgivings by naysayers that did not believe it would be a viable acquisition. The wise choice of Buffet’s involvement in Berkshire Hathaway is evidenced by the amazing growth of the company over a three decade period. The stock was of minor value in 1977 and in recent years it has grown enormously.The holdings of Berkshire Hathaway have also grown significantly making it a company to truly keep an eye on. Buffet’s success with this company can be considered the model method in which all companies should be managed. The success of this company represents Buffet’s overall investing philosophy. Such a philosophy entails seeking out undervalued stock that has great potential to grow. This philosophy is based on a number of theories which including examining economic reality as opposed to accounting reality; realizing time is the most important assetWarren Buffet Case Study – 2 associated with any stock venture; keeping an eye on the cost of lost opportunities; measuring performance by a gain in intrinsic value and not accounting profits; examine risk; diversify holdings; avoid emotions and hunches in investing; understand the alignment of agent s and owners. Many may such approaches are overly simple. To a degree, they are. However, they are also very effective as the article never fails to point out. Such a process is further illustrated in examples present in various other Buffet ventures detailed in the article.Hypothetical ventures are presented in order to illustrate the investing, management, and psychological strategies and methods that Buffet is known to employ. Balance sheets from MidAmerican Energy Holdings are offered. This provides a clear examination of what such a company holds and how it needs to perform in order to succeed. The Buffet paradigm is examined in light of the information presented on the balance sheets. To great interest, the Buffet Acquisition Criteria Sheet is included in the paperwork used to illustrate the various steps in the process.What makes this further interesting is that it provides a unique psychological insight into the way in which Buffet operates. As odd as it may sound, the acqui sition gives insight into the moral grounding of Buffet. He seems to be an individual that runs an honest and legitimate business. Such an approach helped Buffet’s success quite significantly. Consider it a model all entrepreneurs should follow. Warren Buffet Case Study – 3 II. ) Relation to Class Material The internal business analysis of the case study relates in many ways to material that was presented in the class.A brief overview of components of the case is presented in this section. Analysis will follow in the third section. Two of the major areas covered in class as they relate to a business are profitability and long term planning. This becomes evident in the case study through exploring the general steps that Buffet takes with all of his business ventures. (Although in this case, we are looking mainly at Berkshire Hathaway and MidAmerican Energy Holdings. In terms of profitability, there is a desire to succeed via a long term strategy as opposed to any short term market gains. Or, more accurately, any potential perceived gains.The hypothetical present in exhibit 4 covers the notion that a company will not pay dividends on profits. Rather, it will opt to reinvest the dividends. Commonly, many businesses will look towards the payout of dividends as financially attractive. However, by reinvesting the dividends, it becomes much more likely that the long term success and growth of the business can be more effectively maintained. This is because adequate cash reserves are ‘pumped’ into the business for those cycles where losses may be inherent. Additionally, the growth of the company is promoted which may potentially increase its overall value.This, in turn, raises the potential for increased and enhanced profitability as a result. This would be considered among the approach that follows â€Å"investing activities† plans. Such an approach may be Warren Buffet Case Study – 4 frowned upon by some but it does possess g reat benefits as evidenced by the Buffet approach. Ultimately, to launch any reliable venture designed for long term impact, there needs to be a clear understanding of the value of the firm. This requires an analysts approach to what would be the best way to approach the operations of the business as they relate to future investing.There can be both insider and outsider investing analysis employed. In the case study, you could say that an insider perspective is employed since the Buffet model for investing and managing is employed and not particularly deviated from in any manner. This was, ultimately, a positive decision in the realm of Berkshire Hathaway since the company proved to be stunningly profitable beyond most expectations. In order to truly gain an insight into the Buffet methodology (and any venture for that matter), one needs to gain a proper and effective insight into the financial statements.From this, a better and more logical understanding of the business might be pr ocured. When one examines the holdings of Warren Buffet, a greater insight into his investment and managerial process is revealed. While we do not see a complete and total insight into the strategies he follows, we can see an overview of where his interests are and how he seeks to diversify his holdings. That alone opens the door for a greater understanding of the overall process that is at work. III. ) Critique of the Case Warren Buffet Case Study – 5 This particular case does have a great many merits to it.It truly does give a valuable insight into the internal process that is employed to effectively run a business venture. When one takes into consideration that great success Warren Buffet has had over the years, it would be safe to say that understanding his methodologies can prove helpful. This is illustrated through an analysis of the internal operational methodologies of how Buffet handles his managerial acumen. Unfortunately, we do not see much new in the case study an d that can be problematic. But, the case study does present a detailed insight into some of the more commonly known motivations Buffet employs.It is also important to point out that no one can completely duplicate the processes that Buffet follows. Not everyone is Warren Buffet and the need to tailor various components to suit one’s own needs is certainly advised. That said, the material presented in the case study does present the valuable and viable ‘food for thought’ that budding entrepreneurs will find of great value. But, unfortunately, not much new ground is detailed in the case study. The case study gains much merit by detailing the many facets of the Buffet approach. The material is presented in a logical and orderly fashion that makes it very easy to comprehend.The problem with such a presentation, however, is that there is a slight inference that one should follow the Buffet approach to investing and managing without deviating from it. This can be an ab surd notion if followed to the extreme. Different investors will have different styles of investing. Different companies come with different levels of complexity. Political, economic, and even environmental factors all come into Buffet Case Study – 6 play and these can have significant impact on the way in which a managerial process is undertaken. The case model also follows a concept of low risk.This is not to say that there is a decided warning against taking any risk. However, it would be very safe to say the theories presented and discussed in the case study provide an insight into a very Warren conservative investment and management strategy. Again, this is not an inherently bad approach. Many entrepreneurs are better suited to such an approach. But, not everyone is. Those looking for riskier and more volatile ventures would probably be better served examining case studies that are closer to their own individual styles and paradigms.This is not to say one approach is bet ter than the other. They are different approaches and one need to look towards those methods that are a better match. Overall, the case study can be considered an excellent and effective one that provides the proper look into the way in which Warren Buffet operates. (The case study is not presented in a cursory manner. Overly brief analysis can lead to inaccurate conclusions which would undermine the overall value of the case study) The clarity of the presentations allows for a deeper insight into the entrepreneur’s methodologies.Such methodologies are finely detailed in a series of financial analysis tables, charts, and hypothetical scenarios that further promote a better understanding of Buffet’s ventures. Considering the somewhat complex nature of Buffet’s holdings, the clarity of the organization deserves many accolades. Furthermore, the case study may be dated for the year â€Å"2005† but it will have timeless value since its presentation into a simp le – yet effective – strategy is so well thought out and detailed. Consider that among the greatest merits of the case study overall. Reference Darden Business Publishing. â€Å"Warren E. Buffet, 2005. † University of Virginia.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

The Industry Partnership Office of National University-Manila Essays

The Industry Partnership Office of National University-Manila Essays The Industry Partnership Office of National University-Manila Essay The Industry Partnership Office of National University-Manila Essay We appreciate your trust and may we therefore, make a follow-up support for clear details of our cause. Thus, may we endorse to your good Office three of our applying students, GLYNN B. TING, KATE R. EVANGELISTA and CHRIS JESUS G. PAGADDU for your internship accommodation with their corresponding schedule details. Total Hours to Obtain 240 hours Date of Affectivity : OJT Period starts November 18 until 1st week of February Rendered Days Time : Monday to Friday (except on a Wednesday) 8 PM- 4:00 PM Please fill-up our evaluation sheet enclosed herewith which we shall collect a week before the OJT period ends for documentation reports and file purposes. Sincerely, DULCE D. GARCIA Head, Industry Partnership Office Head, Alumni Affairs External Relations Office This Institution Dear Sir/Maam: Greetings from National U. The Industry Partnership Office of National University-Manila promotes the growth and success of the students by providing them the opportunity to achieve competency in the core discipline of their courses and by encouraging them to obtain practical experience through internship and on-the-Job training towards possible Job placement as well. We recognize that maintaining strong relationships through internships provide our students with wide variety of activities that offer exposure to he current application tools and techniques at a workplace. In this regard, we are requesting your reputable company to accommodate our students as interns or who may already be considered for Job placement. Thus, details of the schedule shall follow for your conformity and for the formal endorsement of our intern(s). We are looking forward to a fruitful partnership with you. Thank you so much. Sincerely, Stephanie Garcia Head, Industry Partnership Alumni Affairs

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

T Dinosaur Extinction Event

The K/T Dinosaur Extinction Event About 65 and a half million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous period, dinosaurs, the largest, most fearsome creatures ever to rule the planet, died off in vast quantities, along with their cousins, the pterosaurs, and marine reptiles. Although this mass extinction didnt happen literally overnight, in evolutionary terms, it may as well have - within a few thousand years of whatever catastrophe caused their demise, the dinosaurs had been wiped off the face of the Earth. The Cretaceous-Tertiary Extinction Event - or K/T Extinction Event, as its known in scientific shorthand - has spawned a variety of less-than-convincing theories. Up until a few decades ago, paleontologists, climatologists, and assorted cranks blamed everything from epidemic disease to lemming-like suicides to intervention by aliens. That all changed, though, when the Cuban-born physicist Luis Alvarez had an inspired hunch. Did a Meteor Impact Cause the Extinction of the Dinosaurs? In 1980, Alvarez - along with his physicist son, Walter- put forth a startling hypothesis about the K/T Extinction Event. Along with other researchers, the Alvarezes had been investigating sediments laid down all over the world around the time of the K/T boundary 65 million years ago (its generally a straightforward matter to match geologic strata - layers of sediment in rock formations, river beds, etc. - with specific epochs in geologic history, especially in areas of the world where these sediments accumulate in roughly linear fashion). These scientists discovered that the sediments laid down at the K/T boundary were unusually rich in the element iridium. In normal conditions, iridium is extremely rare, leading the Alvarezes to conclude that the Earth was struck 65 million years ago by an iridium-rich meteorite or comet. The iridium residue from the impact object, along with millions of tons of debris from the impact crater, would have quickly spread all over the globe; the massive amounts of dust blotted out the sun, and thus killed the vegetation eaten by herbivorous dinosaurs, the disappearance of which caused the starvation of carnivorous dinosaurs. (Presumably, a similar chain of events led to the extinction of ocean-dwelling mosasaurs and giant pterosaurs like Quetzalcoatlus.) Where Is the K/T Impact Crater? Its one thing to propose a massive meteor impact as the cause of the K/T Extinction, but its quite another to adduce the necessary proof for such a bold hypothesis. The next challenge the Alvarezes faced was to identify the responsible astronomical object, as well as its signature impact crater - not as easy a matter as you might think  since the Earths surface is geologically active and tends to erase evidence of even large meteorite impacts over the course of millions of years. Amazingly, a few years after the Alvarezes published their theory, investigators found the buried remains of a huge crater in the region of Chicxulub, on Mexicos Mayan peninsula. Analysis of its sediments demonstrated that this gigantic (over 100 miles in diameter) crater had been created 65 million years ago - and was clearly caused by an astronomical object, either a comet or a meteor, sufficiently large (anywhere from six to nine miles wide) to occasion the extinction of the dinosaurs. In fact, the size of the crater closely matched the rough estimate proposed by the Alvarezes in their original paper! Was the K/T Impact the Only Factor in Dinosaur Extinction? Today, most paleontologists agree that the K/T meteorite (or comet) was the prime cause of the extinction of the dinosaurs - and in 2010, an international panel of experts endorsed this conclusion after re-examining massive amounts of evidence. However, this doesnt mean there couldnt have been aggravating circumstances: for instance, its possible that the impact was roughly concurrent with an extended period of volcanic activity on the Indian subcontinent, which would have further polluted the atmosphere, or that dinosaurs were dwindling in diversity and ripe for extinction (by the end of the Cretaceous period, there was less variety among dinosaurs than at earlier times in the Mesozoic Era). Its also important to remember that the K/T Extinction Event wasnt the only such catastrophe in the history of life on Earth - or even the worst, statistically speaking. For example, the end of the Permian period, 250 million years ago, witnessed the Permian-Triassic Extinction Event, a still-mysterious global catastrophe in which over 70 percent of land-dwelling animals and a whopping 95 percent of marine animals went kaput. Ironically, it was this extinction that cleared the field for the rise of the dinosaurs toward the end of the Triassic period - after which they managed to hold the world stage for a whopping 150 million years, until that unfortunate visit from the Chicxulub comet.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Positive effects for expressing respects for others ideas at workplace Essay

Positive effects for expressing respects for others ideas at workplace - Essay Example In the long run, most organizations such as the business oriented ones have looked forward to adjustments that enable them to keep abreast and meet expectations. Organizations are currently going extra miles to look to various techniques that are suited to functioning effectively. It is for this reason that current organizations are giving considerations to social intelligence. It has now been accepted beyond reproach that human behaviors can have far reaching impacts on the effectiveness of Organizations. One of the aspects of human behavior is respect for other people and their ideas in the workplace. Respect has been defined as giving considerations to oneself and to others. Respect entails giving consideration to the privacy of other people, their viewpoints, and personality and physical abilities. It is often the order that respecting other people begins with the acceptance that they deserve to be respected by others. However, many at times, the concept of respect at the workpla ce has been misunderstood or even manipulated for different purposes. This paper is aimed at reconstructing the definition of respect, as well as pointing out its pivotal elements and position to workplace environments. The topic is related to foundational leadership in the sense that it is an element that characterizes the behaviors of the organization. This topic is related to social intelligence in the sense it addresses an element (respect) that people need inter-relate in harmony. Social intelligence is understood as the ability of a person to get along with other well, in terms of human relationship (Kihlstrom & Cantor, 2007). In this regard, respecting the ideas of other people at the workplace can be considered as one of the dimensions of the social intelligence. Results There is a set of four social intelligence principles that could be utilized in approaching the subject of respect at the workplace. The first principle is humanization. The humanization social intelligence principle rules that it is crucial to recognize the humanity of other people. Such a form of understanding is considered to be undisputable in theoretical sense, yet is has often been overlooked in the daily practices. Perceiving other people as those with equal capabilities, anxieties, hopes and aspirations is considered as one of the crucial conditions for ensuring that respect is accorded in the workplaces. Another principle is that of unique perspective. This acknowledges the autonomy of every person; that every person has a unique perspective regarding the events that surround them. Such a perspective is a derivative of the personal experiences with the environment, including nature and nurture. The third principle is that the unconscious brains dominate the human mind. Human beings often guided by prior experiences and the frame of the things they expect are a subject of the prior experiences. This means that some of human behaviors are executed unconsciously. The fourth princ iple is socialization. Socialization is often perceived as the process where human behaviors are learned (Walumbwa & Christensen, 2012). People who are limited in terms of the skills of socialization often find it difficult to get along with other people. Lack of respect to other people’s ideas in the workplace arises because of limited exercising these principles. In this regard, it is imperative that when assessing the subject of whether workplace is characterized by respect, one should seek to know whether other

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Researching Politics and International Relations Essay

Researching Politics and International Relations - Essay Example 11) The idea is that politics is abstract in its character, with its ideologies and values, and could not be perceived by the senses. The positivist school identified this as the most important criterion in order for a field to be considered factual and, hence, measured, examined and analyzed scientifically. In addition, along with the abstract concepts such as aesthetics, political theory was relegated to the mere declarations of conflicting preferences and opinions. This perspective, however, changed with the emergence of behaviorism. Here, political science under the wider coverage of social science became scientific because of the systematic introduction of quantitative methods of analysis as the supreme methods of inquiry as well as displacement of the normative frameworks of political theorists by the development of the empirical theory. (Held, p. 13) One of the most important arguments behind this school is the Aristotelian thought that man is a social being and human activity is carried on in a social and political setting. Political science, hence, studies, â€Å"inter alia, the chief theatre in which good men must act out their lives; and in determining the design of the theatre it will of necessity take an interest in, and sets limit upon, the type of drama which may be played out there.† (Aristotle et al. p. xvii) In this regard, Held also cited the arguments of figures like Thomas Kuhn, Imre Lakatos and Mary Hesse who stressed that science, as a form of human activity itself, is inescapably an interpretative endeavor, involving problems of meaning, communication and translations – variables that political science also covers. (p. 13) Finally, one turns to Lyotard’s (1984) criteria in order for politics to be considered as scientific. For him, science is a subset of learning and that it is composed of denotative statements and imposes two supplementary conditions on their

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Sales management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Sales management - Assignment Example Effective personal selling will help to enhance the value of We-Print in the mind of consumers.1 Personal selling techniques will facilitate the company to reach maximum numbers of customers in its target market segment within a short span of time. For acquiring the business market of UK the company should implement industrial selling. This personal selling technique of We-Print will involve in selling of large printing machineries to different companies and industries. With the help of well educated and trained sales person We-Print should implement this sales strategy. These sales persons will provide assistance and information to the companies in regards to We-Print’s printing machines. We-Print needs to create demand for its products in the market of UK. For this reason the company should implement missionary selling technique. In this technique sales person will visit different retail stores and dealers and will give detailed information about We-Print products. This will make them aware of the company’s products and will encourage them to attract customers. With the help of this technique the company will be able to place its products in different retail stores of UK. We-Print needs to implement trade selling technique by maintaining regular contacts with wholesalers and retailers. Strong personal contact with them will help the company to build good relationship. As a result the products of We-Print will reach to its customers easily. Implementing this technique effectively will facilitate the company to receive bulk orders from wholesalers. We-Print needs to place good sales person in different retail stores where the company will display its products. This retail selling technique will facilitate the company to directly deal with the customers. By making strong communication with customers, the sales persons will able to know the needs and requirements of its customers in more details and according to that the

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Methods Of Data Collection For Primary Data

Methods Of Data Collection For Primary Data Once the researcher has determined his research objective, research question, and the corresponding hypothesis for his research project, what he needs to do now is to collect the required data. Data is information from sample that the researcher would analyse in order to meet his research objective, facilitate his research question, and prove his research hypothesis. For example, the data or information about customers are gender, age, qualification, marital status, number of kids, monthly income, brand of car, type of house, religion, hobby, sports, leisure activities, credit cards, golf membership etc. Figure 5.1: Methods of data collection (primary data) Method for Collecting Primary Data Survey Method Observation Method Face-to-Face Interview Telephone Interview Computerised Questionnaires Direct Observation Mechanical Observation Content Analysis Personal Interview Mail Survey Self-Administered Questionnaires Actually, what variable to include in the study depends on your research objectives, research questions, and the corresponding research hypotheses. The researcher should always refer to the three elements above when determining what data to collect in order to avoid collecting the unnecessary data, or worse, not collecting the required data. Based on Figure 6.1, the method of data collection can be classified into survey methods and observation methods. A) Survey method According to Zikmund, Babin, Carr and Griffin (2010), survey is a research technique in which a sample is interviewed in some form or the behaviour of respondents is observed and described in some way. In survey method, questionnaires are given to respondents to elicit information for the study. Respondents are asked the questions based on the information needed by the study. The questions may be asked in the verbal forms (interview), writing (mail questionnaire), or through computer (internet or e-mail). Several advantages are Quick Efficient Inexpensive Accurate means of assessing information about a population B) Types of survey methods i) Personal interview: face to face communication in which an interviewer asks respondents to answer questions (Zikmund, Babin, Carr and Griffin (2010). Face to face interview In the face-to-face interview (sometimes called personal interview), the researcher will prepare the questions to be asked during the interview with respondents. Each question represents the variable that the researcher wants to obtain its data. The questionnaires cover all variables required from a respondent. Before the interview begins, the researcher would explain the objective of research, ask for cooperation, and give assurance that the response given is only for research purpose and the information is treated with confidential. This is important since personal data is confidential, and no one will reveal his personal information if the confidentiality is not assured. The interviewer should posses good personality so that the interview session proceeds smoothly and in a friendly atmosphere. During the interview, the interviewer will read the question and record the response. Personal interviews may be conducted at the respondents home, offices, or anywhere. Below are the common examples of places which are basically used to conduct the interview. Door-to-door Interview Door-to-door interview refers to the interview in which the respondents are interviewed face-to-face in their homes. The major advantage of this interview is high participation rate, but the disadvantage is high cost. Mall Intercept Interview Mall intercept interview refers to the personal interviews conducted in shopping malls. Interviewers typically intercept shoppers at a central point normally at the entrance to the mall. The advantage of this method is low cost since no travel required to the respondents home. Mall intercept interview is appropriate when the respondents need to see, touch, or taste the product before they can provide meaningful information. Computer-Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) This interview uses a computer to get the information from the respondents using several user-friendly electronic packages to design questions easier for the respondent to understand. However, this method is classified as personal interview technique because an interviewer is usually present to serve as a host and to guide the respondents. CAPI is normally used to collect data at shopping malls, product clinics, conferences, and trade shows. Advantages of face-to-face interview Higher response rate. With proper plan and approach, the respondents will not turn down the request for an interview. The interviewer must be friendly and creative in getting cooperation from respondents. The interview method normally achieves a response rate of more than 70%. Data more accurate. The face-to-face meeting allows the interviewer to clarify terms or anything which might confuse the respondents. Once the respondent understands the question, he will provide an accurate response. The interviewer can note specific reactions by respondents during interview. The physical reaction and facial expression by respondent can tell whether he is providing accurate responses or not. The interviewer can also note the physical environment surrounding the interview such as the respondents office, the house, the dress etc that should tally with his response. People will usually respond with good gesture and provide accurate responses when approached in person. The Malay culture of not saying no still holds true when someone comes to the door with polite and peaceful manner. An experienced interviewer can sense out if the respondent is trying to hide some information. In this case, he will use his creativity to clarify the intention or terminate the interview. Disadvantages of face-to-face interview High cost. Interviewers must be given specific training on methods such as the art of making personal approach, the art of asking questions, the art of requesting cooperation etc, which is expensive and time consuming. The interviewer must be confident enough to work on his own. At the same time, the daily allowance for travelling, food, lodging etc is very high. Incomplete response. Any small mistake by interviewer can cause error in the response. The mistake such as using a wrong approach, bad facial expression, coming at the wrong time, not sensitive to certain issue in the conversation sometimes could hinder respondents from giving truthful response. Error in recording. This happens especially when the interview session is in a hurry due to time constrain on part of respondents. The interviewer who needs to read the question and record the response quickly and simultaneously is prone to making mistakes. Require close supervision. The interviewers work should be supervised closely to avoid interviewer cheating. Sometimes, due to many reasons such as time constraint, respondent is difficult to contact or the respondent is not available during appointment time, the interviewer will fill the response on his own. Telephone interview Sometime it is possible to collect data through telephone conversation. This method is possible if the researcher has complete directory of telephone numbers of population under study. If the respondents are government officers, employees of private firm, professional people such as doctors, lawyers, accountants etc, then the researcher have the option of using this method. Traditional Telephone Interview In traditional telephone interview, respondents are called through the telephone and the interviewer will ask a series of questions and record the responses. Respondents are more willing to provide detailed and reliable information on a variety of personal topics over the telephone than with personal interviews. Computer Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI) CATI uses a computerized questionnaire administered to respondents over the telephone. The interviewer would contact respondents over the telephone, read questions posed on the computer screen, and record the respondents answers directly into the computer memory bank. The computer systematically guides the interviewer and checks the responses for appropriateness and consistency. Advantages of telephone interview Less expensive compared to the face-to-face interview. The financial cost for travelling, lodging, and outstation allowance is not involved. Less time consuming. The number of respondents interviewed through telephone in one day is much higher than the number interviewed through face to face. Easy monitoring. The researcher can monitor the interviewers work more easily since he can check the telephone numbers of respondents and the time called. Disadvantages of telephone interview Lower response rate. The rate of response is lower since the respondents can just hang-up the call when he realised it is time consuming, or unsure of the confidentiality of the conversation. Fewer questions could be asked. Usually the conversation through the telephone cannot take long especially when the topic of discussion is not interesting, especially for the respondent since he has no particular interest in it. Difficult to get good cooperation. Conversation through the phone is not convincing enough especially when trying to get cooperation from the respondent. It is difficult to convince someone when they cannot see you in person, your facial expression, you body gesture etc. 2) Self-administered questionnaire In this technique, the researcher distributes questionnaires to respondents personally, through mail service, by inserting in the newspapers, or by sending to the email address. The difference between self-administered questionnaires compared to personal interview is in the self-administered questionnaire, the respondents make an effort to read and respond to the questions. However, the effectiveness of self-administered questionnaire will depend on the efficiency of the written words rather than the soft skill of interviewers. Mail Survey A mail survey is a self-administered questionnaire sent to pre-selected respondents through the mail. Basically, a mail interview package consists of the outgoing envelope, cover letter, questionnaire, return envelope, and possibly an incentive. Mail Panel A mail panel consists of a large, nationally representative sample of households that have agreed to participate in periodic mail questionnaires and product tests. The data on the panel members is updated every year and households are compensated with various incentives. Mail panel is appropriate for longitudinal design studies which allow obtaining information from the same respondents repeatedly. Advantages of mail survey Low cost. No interviewer bias Disadvantages of mail survey Low response rate Slow data collection speed Structured questionnaires One of the most popular methods of collecting research data is through the structured questionnaire. These questionnaires are self-explained and self-administered. In using this method, the researcher designs carefully a series of questions that cover the variables of interest in the study such as the respondents demographic background, their opinions concerning certain issues, their perception concerning certain service performance, and their intentions to do in the future etc. Structured refers to the degree of standardization imposed in the process of data collection (questionnaires). In other words, the researcher arranges the questions properly on a paper together with the cover letter to explain the purpose of data collection, the instruction to the respondents on how to respond to the questions, and the assurance of confidentiality of information provided. Advantages of a questionnaire Lowest cost incurred. The cost is low due to no interview, no training of interviewers, no travelling, no lodging allowance involved. No monitoring cost incurred. Usually the sending of questionnaires and receipt of responses from respondents are done by the researcher himself. More respondents and wider area can be covered. The researchers can send his questionnaires to as many respondents as he likes since the cost for each respondent is very small. Response more accurate. Since there is no influence, no gesture, no facial expression, and no interruption from the interviewer, the respondents can answer the questions at his own convenience. This manner will assure the accuracy of responses. Disadvantages of a questionnaire The poor rate of response from respondents. Since the researcher does not have gestures or face-to-face contact with respondents, the respondents can just throw away the questionnaires. In this method, the researcher should make a regular follow up contact with respondents using letter or telephone call. Usually the researcher would call the respondents earlier to inform them that he is sending a questionnaire to obtain data for his specific objective. The call is made as a gesture in order to obtain good cooperation from respondents. Once the respondent has difficulty regarding certain terms or questions in the questionnaire, he will not bother completing the remaining questions since nobody is available to explain. Sometimes the respondents simply send back the incomplete response. There is no assurance that the person who responds to the questionnaire is the intended respondent or the legitimate respondent. This matter will result in sample not being representative of the population. Private agents who conduct surveys found that people are more likely to respond to mail questionnaire that has professional appearance and come together with attractive prizes such as lucky draws for the respondents who send the completed questionnaire in time. Some questionnaires obtain good responses from respondents especially the questionnaire that comes together with the warranty cards when customers purchase certain products. Customers will have to answer series of questions on the warranty cards before sending back to the manufacturer for product warranty. Computerised questionnaire Internet survey Lately, the internet poll has become one of the popular methods to obtain information from the public especially their opinion concerning certain issue of public interest. In internet survey, the researcher brings an issue to attention and requests the opinion from the public. The public can respond by voting the statement that closely resembles their opinion. At the same time they can view the current standing in term of the most popular opinion and the corresponding vote obtained. Internet survey appears when a computer user is asked to go to a particular Web site location and answer the series of questions displayed in the website. In this technique, the respondents are not selected using specific technique but those who visit the Web site where the survey is posted are invited to participate in the survey. 2. E-mail survey In the e-mail survey, questionnaires are sent out to the respondents directly through their e-mail address. The respondents would reply the email by providing their response to each item on the questionnaire. The professional market research groups are using the internet to send their questionnaires to the respondents email. The respondents would complete their respective questionnaires and also return through the internet to the researchers e-mail address. Normally, these research agencies would provide certain rewards in terms of discount coupons etc in order to encourage the respondents to participate in the study. Advantages of computerised questionnaire Low cost. Very high data collection speed. Non interviewer bias Disadvantages of computerised questionnaire Very low response rate Low control of data collection method B) The observation methods According to Zikmund, Babin, Carr and Griffin (2010), observation is the systematic process of recording the behavioural patterns of people, objects and occurrences as they are witnessed. Several types of observation methods are: Direct observation In this method, the researcher will identify his respondents and records the required data based on what he observes. This method is suitable for a research to study the behaviour of respondents. For example, the research is carried out to identify how car drivers behave on the road during traffic jam. In his observation, the researcher will record the type of drivers who follow the traffic rules properly, and the type of drivers who choose to ignore rules such as queue jumping or overtaking using emergency lanes. The researcher may also be interested to know the types of vehicles (motorcycles, cars, buses, and lorries) which always ignore traffic rules during traffic jams. Another area where this method is suitable is to observe customers behaviour in the supermarket. In the market research study for example, the researcher is interested to know how customers make decisions in choosing which shampoo to buy. The researcher will stand in the area where hundreds of shampoos of differen t brands are placed on the rack. He will record how the customers choose the shampoo. Most probably some customers have decided earlier which brand to buy; some customers will compare prices, packaging, and even the smells before buying the shampoo. The researcher will record specific characteristics of customers who prefer certain brands of shampoo etc. Advantages of direct observation The data obtained reflect the actual behaviour of respondents. The respondents will tend to hide their actual behaviour when approached in person or when answering the questionnaires. The researcher gets a clearer picture and a better feeling of the situations for his study. Hence, he will be in a better position to make a proper recommendation regarding the underlying phenomena in the study. Disadvantages of direct observation The respondent will not act his normal behaviour if he knows that he is being observed. The data collection process is cumbersome and tedious. Mechanical observation Sometimes certain mechanical devices such as video cameras, rather than human observers to observe are used and record customer behaviours. The devices do not require the respondents direct participation in the study but they will capture the respondents behaviour for analysis. The early application of this technique is in a study to determine the level of comfort among train passengers by taping or recording how they sat and moved in their seats. Advantages of mechanical observation It offers high disguise by using the hidden camera. However, other mechanical device such as the use of psycho galvanometers is very difficult to disguise. Low observation bias since mechanical observation involves the non-human observer. Disadvantages of mechanical observation Low ability to observe in a natural setting. However, it depends on the mechanical tools used in the observation. The degree is low when using psycho galvanometer but high if using turnstiles. Less flexible. Content analysis Content analysis is usually used to study communication rather than behaviour, or physical objects. It is defined as the objective, systematic, and quantitative description of the manifest content of a communication. Content analysis obtains data by observing and analyzing the contents or messages of advertisements, newspaper articles, television programs, etc. It involves analysis as well as observation which systematically analyze peoples communication to identify the specific information contents and other characteristics such as words, characters (individuals or objects), themes (propositions), space and time measures (length or duration of the message), or topics (subject of the message). Advantages of content analysis High degree of disguise since the data is collected over the situation to be observed. High degree of observation specification and measurement. Disadvantages of content analysis Low ability to observe in natural setting because observation takes place after the behaviour has occurred. Potential of observation bias because human observer is involved in data collection process. 5.3 Factors determining choice of survey methods. Selecting the type of survey you are going to use is one of the most critical decisions in many social research contexts. Youll see that there are very few simple rules that will make the decision for you you have to use your judgment to balance the advantages and disadvantages of different survey types. There are several factors needs to be considered: Population issues The first set of considerations has to do with the population and its accessibility. Can the population be specified? For some populations, you have a complete listing of the units that will be sampled. For others, such a list is difficult or impossible to compile. For instance, there are complete listings of registered voters or person with active drivers licenses. But no one keeps a complete list of homeless people. If you are doing a study that requires input from homeless persons, you are very likely going to need to go and find the respondents personally. In such contexts, you can pretty much rule out the idea of mail surveys or telephone interviews. Is the population literate? Questionnaires require that your respondents can read. While this might seem initially like a reasonable assumption for many adult populations, we know from recent research that the instance of adult illiteracy is alarmingly high. And, even if your respondents can read to some degree, your questionnaire may contain difficult or technical vocabulary. Clearly, there are some populations that you would expect to be illiterate. Young children would not be good targets for questionnaires Are there language issues? We live in a multilingual world. Virtually every society has members who speak other than the predominant language. Can you produce multiple versions of your questionnaire? For mail instruments, can you know in advance the language your respondent speaks, or do you send multiple translations of your instrument? Can you be confident that important connotations in your instrument are not culturally specific? Could some of the important nuances get lost in the process of translating your questions? Will the population cooperate? People who do research on immigration issues have a difficult methodological problem. They often need to speak with undocumented immigrants or people who may be able to identify others who are. Why would we expect those respondents to cooperate? Although the researcher may mean no harm, the respondents are at considerable risk legally if information they divulge should get into the hand of the authorities. The same can be said for any target group that is engaging in illegal or unpopular activities. What are the geographic restrictions? Is your population of interest dispersed over too broad a geographic range for you to study feasibly with a personal interview? It may be possible for you to send a mail instrument to a nationwide sample. You may be able to conduct phone interviews with them. But it will almost certainly be less feasible to do research that requires interviewers to visit directly with respondents if they are widely dispersed Sampling issues The sample is the actual group you will have to contact in some way. There are several important sampling issues you need to consider when doing survey research. What data is available? What information do you have about your sample? Do you know their current addresses? Do you have their current phone numbers? Do you have an up to date contact lists? Can these respondents be found? Can your respondents be located? Some people are very busy. Some travel a lot. Some work the night shift. Even if you have an accurate phone or address, you may not be able to locate or make contact with your sample. Who is the respondent? Who is the respondent in your study? Lets say you draw a sample of households in a small city. A household is not a respondent. Do you want to interview a specific individual? Do you want to talk only to the head of household (and how is that person defined)? Are you willing to talk to any member of the household? Do you state that you will speak to the first adult member of the household who opens the door? What if that person is unwilling to be interviewed but someone else in the house is willing? Can all members of population be sampled? If you have an incomplete list of the population (i.e., sampling frame) you may not be able to sample every member of the population. Lists of various groups are extremely hard to keep up to date. People move or change their names. Even though they are on your sampling frame listing, you may not be able to get to them. And, its possible they are not even on the list. Are response rates likely to be a problem? Even if you are able to solve all of the other population and sampling problems, you still have to deal with the issue of response rates. Some members of your sample will simply refuse to respond. Others have the best of intentions, but cant seem to find the time to send in your questionnaire by the due date. Still others misplace the instrument or forget about the appointment for an interview. Low response rates are among the most difficult of problems in survey research. They can ruin an otherwise well-designed survey effort Question issues Sometimes the nature of what you want to ask respondents will determine the type of survey you select. What types of questions can be asked? Are you going to be asking personal questions? Are you going to need to get lots of detail in the responses? Can you anticipate the most frequent or important types of responses and develop reasonable closed-ended questions? How complex will the questions be? Sometimes you are dealing with a complex subject or topic. The questions you want to ask are going to have multiple parts. You may need to branch to sub-questions. Will the screening of questions be needed? A screening question may be needed to determine whether the respondent is qualified to answer your question of interest. For instance, you wouldnt want to ask someone their opinions about a specific computer program without first screening them to find out whether they have any experience using the program. Sometimes you have to screen on several variables (e.g., age, gender, experience). The more complicated the screening, the less likely it is that you can rely on paper-and-pencil instruments without confusing the respondent. Can question sequence be controlled? Is your survey one where you can construct in advance a reasonable sequence of questions? Or, are you doing an initial exploratory study where you may need to ask lots of follow-up questions that you cant easily anticipate? Will lengthy questions be asked? If your subject matter is complicated, you may need to give the respondent some detailed background for a question. Can you reasonably expect your respondent to sit still long enough in a phone interview to ask your question? Will long response scales be used? If you are asking people about the different computer equipment they use, you may have to have a lengthy response list (CD-ROM drive, floppy drive, mouse, touch pad, modem, network connection, external speakers, etc.). Clearly, it may be difficult to ask about each of these in a short phone interview. Content issues The content of your study can also pose challenges for the different survey types you might utilize. Can the respondents be expected to know about the issue? If the respondent does not keep up with the news (e.g., by reading the newspaper, watching television news, or talking with others), they may not even know about the news issue you want to ask them about. Or, if you want to do a study of family finances and you are talking to the spouse who doesnt pay the bills on a regular basis, they may not have the information to answer your questions. Will respondent need to consult records? Even if the respondent understands what youre asking about, you may need to allow them to consult their records in order to get an accurate answer. For instance, if you ask them how much money they spent on food in the past month, they may need to look up their personal check and credit card records. In this case, you dont want to be involved in an interview where they would have to go look things up while they keep you waiting (they wouldnt be comfortable with that). Bias issues People come to the research endeavor with their own sets of biases and prejudices. Sometimes, these biases will be less of a problem with certain types of survey approaches. Can social desirability be avoided? Respondents generally want to look good in the eyes of others. None of us likes to look like we dont know an answer. We dont want to say anything that would be embarrassing. If you ask people about information that may put them in this kind of position, they may not tell you the truth, or they may spin the response so that it makes them look better. This may be more of a problem in an interview situation where they are face-to face or on the phone with a live interviewer. Can interviewer distortion and subversion be controlled? Interviewers may distort an interview as well. They may not ask questions that make them uncomfortable. They may not listen carefully to respondents on topics for which they have strong opinions. They may make the judgment that they already know what the respondent would say to a question based on their prior responses, even though that may not be true. Can false respondents be avoided? With mail surveys it may be difficult to know who actually responded. Did the head of household complete the survey or someone else? Did the CEO actually give the responses or instead pass the task off to a subordinate? Is the person youre speaking with on the phone actually who they say they are? At least with personal interviews, you have a reasonable chance of knowing who you are speaking with. In mail surveys or phone interviews, this may not be the case. vi) Administrative issues Last, but certainly not least, you have to consider the feasibility of the survey method for your study. costs Cost is often the major determining factor in selecting survey type. You might prefer to do personal inter