The Vampire Diaries: Dark Reunion Chapter One

â€Å"Things can be just like they were before,† said Caroline warmly, reaching out to squeeze Bonnie's hand. But it wasn't true. Nothing could ever be the way it had been before Elena died. Nothing. And Bonnie had serious misgivings about this party Caroline was trying to set up. A vague nagging in the pit of her stomach told her that for some reason it was a very, very bad idea. â€Å"Meredith's birthday is already over,† she pointed out. â€Å"It was last Saturday.† â€Å"But she didn't have a party, not a real party like this one. We've got all night; my parents won't be back until Sunday morning. Come on, Bonnie-just think how surprised she'll be.† Oh, she'll be surprised, all right, thought Bonnie. So surprised she just might kill me afterward. â€Å"Look, Caroline, the reason Meredith didn't have a big party is that she still doesn't feel much like celebrating. It seems-disrespectful, somehow-â€Å" â€Å"But that's wrong. Elena would want us to have a good time, you know she would. She loved parties. And she'd hate to see us sitting around and crying over her six months after she's gone.† Caroline leaned forward, her normally feline green eyes earnest and compelling. There was no artifice in them now, none of Caroline's usual nasty manipulation. Bonnie could tell she really meant it. â€Å"I want us to be friends again the way we used to be,† Caroline said. â€Å"We always used to celebrate our birthdays together, just the four of us, remember? And remember how the guys would always try to crash our parties? I wonder if they'll try this year.† Bonnie felt control of the situation slipping away from her. This is a bad idea, this is a very bad idea, she thought. But Caroline was going on, looking dreamy and almost romantic as she talked about the good old days. Bonnie didn't have the heart to tell her that the good old days were as dead as disco. â€Å"But there aren't even four of us anymore. Three doesn't make much of a party,† she protested feebly when she could get a word in. â€Å"I'm going to invite Sue Carson, too. Meredith gets along with her, doesn't she?† Bonnie had to admit Meredith did; everyone got along with Sue. But even so, Caroline had to understand that things couldn't be the way they had been before. You couldn't just substitute Sue Carson for Elena and say, There, everything is fixed now. But how do I explain that to Caroline? Bonnie thought. Suddenly she knew. â€Å"Let's invite Vickie Bennett,† she said. Caroline stared. â€Å"Vickie Bennett? You must be joking. Invite that bizarre little drip who undressed in front of half the school? After everything that happened?† Caroline stared. â€Å"Vickie Bennett? You must be joking. Invite that bizarre little drip who undressed in front of half the school? After everything that happened?† For a moment Caroline looked helplessly frustrated. Bonnie thrust her chin out, put her hands on her hips, and waited. Finally Caroline sighed. â€Å"All right; you win. I'll invite her. But you have to take care of getting Meredith to my house Saturday night. And Bonnie-make sure she doesn't have any idea what's going on. I really want this to be a surprise.† â€Å"Oh, it will be,† Bonnie said grimly. She was unprepared for the sudden light in Caroline's face or the impulsive warmth of Caroline's hug. â€Å"I'm so glad you're seeing things my way,† Caroline said. â€Å"And it'll be so good for us all to be together again.† She doesn't understand a thing, Bonnie realized, dazed, as Caroline walked off. What do I have to do to explain to her? Sock her? And then: Oh, God, now I have to tell Meredith. But by the end of the day she decided that maybe Meredith didn't need to be told. Caroline wanted Meredith surprised; well, maybe Bonnie should deliver Meredith surprised. That way at least Meredith wouldn't have to worry about it beforehand. Yes, Bonnie concluded, it was probably kindest to not tell Meredith anything. And who knows, she wrote in her journal Friday night. Maybe I'm being too hard on Caroline. Maybe she's really sorry about all the things she did to us, like trying to humiliate Elena in front of the whole town and trying to get Stefan put away for murder. Maybe Caroline's matured since then and learned to think about somebody besides herself. Maybe we'll actually have a good time at her party. And maybe aliens will kidnap me before tomorrow afternoon, she thought as she closed the diary. She could only hope. The diary was an inexpensive drugstore blank book, with a pattern of tiny flowers on the cover. She'd only started keeping it since Elena had died, but she'd already become slightly addicted to it. It was the one place she could say anything she wanted without people looking shocked and saying, â€Å"Bonnie McCullough!† or â€Å"Oh, Bonnie.† She was still thinking about Elena as she turned off the light and crawled under the covers. She was sitting on lush, manicured grass that spread as far as she could see in all directions. The sky was a flawless blue, the air was warm and scented. Birds were singing. â€Å"I'm so glad you could come,† Elena said. â€Å"Oh-yes,† said Bonnie. â€Å"Well, naturally, so am I. Of course.† She looked around again, then hastily back at Elena. â€Å"More tea?† There was a teacup in Bonnie's hand, thin and fragile as eggshell. â€Å"Oh-sure. Thanks.† Elena was wearing an eighteenth-century dress of gauzy white muslin, which clung to her, showing how slender she was. She poured the tea precisely, without spilling a drop. â€Å"Would you like a mouse?† â€Å"A what?† â€Å"I said, would you like a sandwich with your tea?† â€Å"Oh. A sandwich. Yeah. Great.† It was thinly sliced cucumber with mayonnaise on a dainty square of white bread. Without the crust. The whole scene was as sparkly and beautiful as a picture by Seurat. Warm Springs, that's where we are. The old picnic place, Bonnie thought. But surely we've got more important things to discuss than tea. â€Å"Who does your hair these days?† she asked. Elena never had been able to do it herself. â€Å"Do you like it?† Elena put a hand up to the silky, pale gold mass piled at the back of her neck. â€Å"It's perfect,† said Bonnie, sounding for all the world like her mother at a Daughters of the American Revolution dinner party. â€Å"Well, hair is important, you know,† Elena said. Her eyes glowed a deeper blue than the sky, lapis lazuli blue. Bonnie touched her own springy red curls self-consciously. â€Å"Of course, blood is important too,† Elena said. â€Å"Blood? Oh-yes, of course,† said Bonnie, flustered. She had no idea what Elena was talking about, and she felt as if she were walking on a tightrope over alligators. â€Å"Yes, blood's important, all right,† she agreed weakly. â€Å"Another sandwich?† â€Å"Thanks.† It was cheese and tomato. Elena selected one for herself and bit into it delicately. Bonnie watched her, feeling uneasiness grow by the minute inside her, and then- And then she saw the mud oozing out of the edges of the sandwich. â€Å"What-what's that?† Terror made her voice shrill. For the first time, the dream seemed like a dream, and she found that she couldn't move, could only gasp and stare. A thick glob of the brown stuff fell off Elena's sandwich onto the checkered tablecloth. It was mud, all right. â€Å"Elena†¦ Elena, what-â€Å" The air was no longer warm and scented; it was hot and sickly sweet with the odor of rotting garbage. There were black pits in the green grass, which wasn't manicured after all but wild and overgrown. This wasn't Warm Springs. She was in the old graveyard; how could she not have realized that? Only these graves were fresh. â€Å"Another mouse?† Elena said, and giggled obscenely. Bonnie looked down at the half-eaten sandwich she was holding and screamed. Dangling from one end was a ropy brown tail. She threw it as hard as she could against a headstone, where it hit with a wet slap. Then she stood, stomach heaving, scrubbing her fingers frantically against her jeans. â€Å"You can't leave yet. The company is just arriving.† Elena's face was changing; she had already lost her hair, and her skin was turning gray and leathery. Things were moving in the plate of sandwiches and the freshly dug pits. Bonnie didn't want to see any of them; she thought she would go mad if she did. â€Å"You're not Elena!† she screamed, and ran. The wind blew her hair into her eyes and she couldn't see. Her pursuer was behind her; she could feel it right behind her. Get to the bridge, she thought, and then she ran into something. â€Å"I've been waiting for you,† said the thing in Elena's dress, the gray skeletal thing with long, twisted teeth. â€Å"Listen to me, Bonnie.† It held her with terrible strength. â€Å"You're not Elena! You're not Elena!† â€Å"Listen to me, Bonnie!† It was Elena's voice, Elena's real voice, not obscenely amused nor thick and ugly, but urgent. It came from somewhere behind Bonnie and it swept through the dream like a fresh, cold wind. â€Å"Bonnie, listen quickly-â€Å" Things were melting. The bony hands on Bonnie's arms, the crawling graveyard, the rancid hot air. For a moment Elena's voice was clear, but it was broken up like a bad long-dis-tance connection. â€Å"†¦ He's twisting things, changing them. I'm not as strong as he is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bonnie missed some words. â€Å"†¦ but this is important. You have to find†¦ right now.† Her voice was fading. â€Å"Elena, I can't hear you! Elena!† â€Å"†¦ an easy spell, only two ingredients, the ones I told you already†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Elena!† Bonnie was still shouting as she sat bolt upright in bed.

English Is Important for Our Daily Life Essay

As we all know, English is the one of important language in this world. If we cannot speak English even a little bit, we are called as a very poor in this community. We also cannot improve our life if we worst in English. We will feel loser if we in the group that use English as a medium to speak. According to the research that have been made by the group of University Malay, 70% of undergraduate student especially Malay student are not use English as a medium to speak. It’s show that most of the student do not want to use English as a main language in their life. People always said that we must use our country language so that it indicate we love our country. The statement is not fault but we also must learn English for our future life such as to find a job, to communicate with foreigner, easy to understand if we find information through online and easy for student to survive in university life because most of the university in Malaysia use English as a medium to speak. One of the reason why we must learn English in our daily life is English is important to get a job. In this era, many people are jobless even though they have a degree. It is because they do not have a soft skill. Even though we got the best result in examination but we cannot speak in English, it is hard for us to find a job. Example is, if we want to work with a giant company such as Petronas, Sime Darby, Schlumberger and etc we need to face many process. One of the process is interview. Interview is one of the important process for us to face if we want to work with a giant company. Many giant company have a francais at the other country. So, they use international language that is English as a medium to communicate among the others. Therefore, they must do an interview in English to find an employee. If we have a soft skill like can speak fluently in English, the company will not hesitate to take us as one of their employee.

Case Study Of Child Abuse Counselling

In order to arrange initial meetings with the clients certain steps have to be considered:- The collection and the storage of the data should comply with the established legislation of privacy and confidentiality. Before the collection of the information, consents should be taken from the clients and they should be informed about the reasons for the interviews (Mealer & Jones, 2014). According to the Privacy Act, an individual’s consent is required before collecting any information ("Privacy law| Office of the Australian Information Commissioner - OAIC", 2018).   All the pros and the cons of the interview and the reason behind the conduction of the interview should be informed off. One of the ethical dilemmas that can arise is that all the information will be obtained without letting the McLeod’s know anything. Hence a client might find him or her getting into their personal matter. Hence, the neighbors should also be informed about the norms about child abuse and the consequences and the anonymity of the respondants has to be maintained. Disclosure of any s ources of information to the McLeod’s regarding their neighbor’s is strictly prohibited as per the law. Questions that may involve deception and unusual psychological stresses should be avoided (Mealer & Jones, 2014). Goldman, J. D., & Grimbeek, P. (2015). Preservice teachers’ sources of information on mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse.  Journal of child sexual abuse,  24(3), 238-258. Graycar, R. (2012). Family law reform in Australia, or frozen chooks revisited again?.  Theoretical Inquiries in Law,  13(1), 241-269. Mealer, M., & Jones, J. (2014). Methodological and ethical issues related to qualitative telephone interviews on sensitive topics.  Nurse Researcher (2014+),  21(4), 32. Parkinson, P. (2013). The idea of family relationship centres in Australia.  Family Court Review,  51(2), 195-213. Privacy law| Office of the Australian Information Commissioner - OAIC. (2018).  Oaic.gov.au.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Retrieved 11 February 2018, from https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy-law/ Rogers, A., & Pilgrim, D. (2014).  A sociology of mental health and illness. McGraw-Hill Education (UK).

Russian Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Russian Politics - Essay Example The implication of this is that previously, the citizens would not be allowed to take sides in any political contest and those who involved themselves in political contests were meted with harsh penalties; however, there has been a transition that was brought about by the collapse of the formers Soviet Union. Though the democracy in Russia cannot be said to be perfect, it is worth analyzing as the regime has tried to bring some democratic ideals in the Russian society as opposed to the prevailing conditions in Russian politics in the 1980s at the peak of Soviet rule (Hancock et al, 2012). Since 1991 under Boris Yeltsin, Russia, Russia has undergone numerous changes in its politics that had an effect of improving the economic and social aspects of the citizens in Russia. The reforms that were carried by President Boris Yeltsin are a continuation of those that were initiated during the Soviet Union leader under Mikhail Gorbachev. Russia under President Putin The current regime in Russi a under the strong leadership under President Putin’s United Russian Party cannot be described as a democracy despite the citizens of Russia being allowed to participate in democratic elections. ... The democratic process in Russian elections is also subverted through the offering of financial aid and support to largely unpopular candidates fronted by the regime. The Russian elections of political leaders has been proved to be unfair as there have been rampant falsification and improprieties of the elections whereby officials close to the regime disqualify competitors on unwarranted technicalities as well as using state resources to campaign for political posts. The regime has also broken the law by breaking the laws that control election campaign spending. At the election campaigns of 2007-2008, Putin and his supporters played politics of incrimination of the liberal opposition as plotters of the fall of Russia through the help of external forces. Putin claimed that the opposition had learnt from external western players on organizing revolutions and that they had been trained in those countries to do the same in Russia. He also claimed that the opposition forces were funded by foreign missions. President Putin also employs propaganda through the control of the Russian information space where the conspiracy theory is put into great use to win elections and support. Hancock et al, state that after 2011, Russia adopted a new sense of politics in the wake of the protests occasioned by the society’s tedium with tolerance for oppressions and uncompetitive elections of the previous decade. The climax of the society’s frustrations reached its climax when thousands took to the streets to find expression for their anger following the State Duma election that was marred with election fraud. This protest movement continued persistently throughout 2012, as the regime experienced an extraordinary wave of mass protests in cities

Economic Growth and Economic Fluctuations Essay

Economic Growth and Economic Fluctuations - Essay Example The economic theories and models examined would be the Solow Model, the human capital theory and screening model. The effects of governmental policies on the openness of the economy will also be examined here. The data given will serve as guiding force in the determination of the ability of our study country to achieve rapid short-term economic growth and long-term sustenance of a steady rate of growth. When charged with the responsibility of determining the best policy to foster long-term economic growth, it is vital to analyze many economic factors and trends. These factors include the impact of productivity, savings and depreciation on the economy as well as the economy's ability to sustain long-term growth under the given circumstances. In so doing, the Solow Model can serve as a general guidance in determining whether an economy can sustain long-term growth given the present combination of factors. In order to examine this it is vital to offer an operational definition of Solow's model. Solow's model is a model the increase in the capacity of a country's economy to produce goods and services over time. This increase theoretically implies that the well-being of the citizens will improve over time. According to Solow the increase can be determined utilizing a formula whereby the GDP is determined by combinations of inputs. Solow simplifies this very intricate function by presumi ng certain factors are held constant. One of the most fundamental simplifications is the assumption that a single good is produced by the economy in question. In so doing, the GDP is greatly simplified and its implications are clearly depicted. The other assumptions of the Solow model include the assumption that all data is collected on a time continuum, a single good is produced with a constant technology, there is no governmental or international trade, all factors of production are utilized to their full capacity, the growth within the labor force is constant. Utilizing the relationship existent between the savings and the investment and extending the Solow model further, we can assume that the depreciation rate, the amount of capital depreciation and the change in capital over time are held constant. The implications of this are such that in the long-run, we are able to yield a production function whereby Y = AF(K, L). Essentially, it establishes a relationship between capital stock and the economic output. Taking this one step further and assuming that labor input is held constant and there is a positive correlation between changes in capital and output we can see that in time additions to capital stock will yield additions in output. This relationship can be expressed in terms of labor and economic output. In so doing, we can determine the economic output for each individual in the society. The pertinent equation is y=Y/L and can be graphically depicted as follows: The Impact of Savings Rate on Long-term Economic Growth After having examined the production function, we need to examine a prudent question-Is it possible for our country of study to catch up with richer countries and at what rate will it occur In examining that question, we need to realize that according

Universal Child Care Tax Benefit Reform in Canada Assignment

Universal Child Care Tax Benefit Reform in Canada - Assignment Example This essay elucidates on the tax reform nuances, regarding increase of childcare tax benefit in Canada. This enhanced child benefits structure aims towards replacing the preceding Child Tax Credit benefits. There has been some sort of controversy regarding the eligibility of the child tax benefits. The basic guideline is that, that the major beneficiaries should be families with the minor children. To qualify for this, there has to be the aspect of completing a specified Application form. Completion of that form ensures that all the records are safely kept for the sake of subsequent analysis For the past decade, international organizations and industrialized countries have shown increased interest with regards to government involvements in child care. The concept behind this fact is that; that there is a general consideration of subsidizing child care programs. This tax measure often affects the entire citizens. However, most empirical studies put greater focus on the preschool children and the systems of the means-tested transfers. Based on the investigation, regarding the effects of the Canadian child care universal reforms on the parent’s participation in labor force; it worked towards shedding some light since a group with younger children had varying responses from their counterparts who had older children. it can be concluded that this tax measure tend promote some sense of horizontal equality in one way or the other. This mainly occurs when it comes to the gender-based issues

Personal Ethics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal Ethics - Research Paper Example Acculturation forms a key component when studying the ethical aspects of a certain group of people such as the Hispanics. It is described as cultural modification usually among individuals, group of people in terms of borrowing, adaption and the merging of different cultures resulting from prolonged contacts (Noble, 1991). The underlying precept of ethical competence entails valuing and respecting the various differences in practice among cultural consumers. Originating from several groups, the Hispanics have differing, economical, physical and social attributes that are likely to make them posses varying ethics. They share values that are Hispanic in nature integrated with indigenous cultures and languages. In the United States, some groups have clung to their traditional rituals and language. Under Hispanic ethics, the mother is responsible for family and home while the man is regarded as family head. Within a family and to the community, the children have moral responsibility that entails good manners, respect for the elderly and authority. It should be noted that the Hispanics take great value in preserving their traditional language through education. Formal tendency is a common practice among the Hispanics. They highly regard firm handshake as an expression of greetings. This is also applicable when leave taking. The Hispanics men and women always give a light peck on the cheek or a hug as a way of greeting to their friends and loved ones. The traditional language expresses both non-formal and formal ways of addressing people. This includes the use of titles to show respect or use of some pronouns to issue polite commands. Gestures and body language are important conversation gestures as they enable one to better convey his points. Emphasis is given on appearance and looks as a connotation of dignity, honor and pride. Hispanics wear special attires when attending parties, church, work and other social gatherings. It has been documented that they are flexi ble and relaxed when it comes to punctuality and keeping of time than other groups in the United States. They have a tendency to avoid public speaking which has been attributed to their foreign accent. Every individual operates within a given confinement of ethical system. From my background, ethics are derived from diverse cultural practices within the community. Culture to do with family values, work rules and finding solutions for disputes form the underlying ethical systems we subscribe to. The primary principles of these ethics are to foster cordial relationships when interacting with other individuals or group of people. The school, family and the religious institution I attended shaped my ethics especially the mode of dressing.However, this changed with time after being able to go through school into the corporate world. The numerous evening’s parties made me change my dressing styles to more short dresses which showed most parts of the body. Personal ethics play a sig nificant role especially at the work place. As a customer relations manager, the choice of dress communicates a lot about my personality. Too long dresses or too short dresses may not reflect well with the diverse groups of the clients who are of different age groups. Greetings play a critical role with clients since its one of the best ways to begin negotiation which then translates to a business deal sealed. Ethics are vital in every organization. It enables acceptable relationships and

Discuss strengths and weaknesses of group decision making Essay

Discuss strengths and weaknesses of group decision making - Essay Example Also, the group can also compel a person to be more open-minded when considering ideas that he may not accept in the beginning. People who were actively involved in the decision making process are more committed in making sure to implement the solutions agreed upon by the team. Group decision making is an important part in increasing the output and the profits of a business. It motivates employees to be more involved in their work and so increase their effectiveness in doing their jobs. It is also easier to measure the results of an agreed solution and the related performance of the people involved in the problem solving discussion. Because they feel they own the agreed solution, they are bound to use all their innate abilities to make sure that the solution will work. Their sense of ownership and responsibility towards the project will develop their leadership to the benefit of the organization. However, group problem solving can be disadvantageous in some cases. First of all, it ne eds more time than an individual deciding for himself. Opinions and ideas from each member of the group have to considered before the group can reach an agreement.

Brave New World And White Noise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Brave New World And White Noise - Essay Example The authors show how technology has formulated men’s lives and ways of living and how this has influenced their emotions and finally the outcome of their relationships. Whereas Brave New World is a landmark fictional work of the modern literature. DeLillo has been awarded multiple accolades for his ‘breakout’ work White Noise including the National Book Award in 1985. In contrast, Brave New World was published in 1932 where Huxley seems to prophesize and communicate the major struggles which dominated modern life along with the arms race that so powerfully underlines the role of modern technology in today’s world. Brave New World is a fictional novel belonging to the utopian literature genre, where the society essentially portrayed is called dystopia (the opposite of utopia) where things go badly awry. It is a parody of Well’s idealistic work Men Like Gods. As the name suggests, the setting is an imaginary society that is organized or synchronized to create an ideal conditions for human beings by scientifically orchestrating the near robot like individuals who are devoid of pain, hatred, neglect, and every other evils in the world. It is a bitterly satiric novel that was written to portray the horrors that engulf a planned totalitarian society, where the individual loses the all subtle human emotions including the sense of love in the above process. On the other hand, White Noise is set in the 1980’s with a small American town as the main backdrop. This is not a fictional state of a speculation but records the real society in the time where the individuals try to decipher the meaning of truth, that is, death in this case. The backdrop is also the age of the 80’s, which as per DeLillo’s interpretation is an age obsessed by media and where the key drivers of the society are rampant material consumption and putting up a facade to get a position of distinction in the society. In fact mass communication tools co uld be most indispensable to democracy and most abusive in the hands of a dictator. In his novel, Huxley portrays individual images of the character but they tend to take a back seat to the overall horror of a fictitious totalitarian society where the interest of the state takes precedence over the likes, opinions and thoughts of the individual characters. In such a society all the components of a press is usually controlled by the Elite and serve a purpose which is bigger and irrelevant to a common individual. In novel, the author caustically portraits the stability in the society where the individuals are programmed to be devoid of subtle human emotions that essentially gives rise to a sense of pain. The usage of ‘genetic engineering’ and ‘conditioning’ are shown as a technique to illustrate everybody is satisfied with their living. Here science is used for furthering technology, the State talks about scientific progress, what it essentially means is furt hering of technology, not in increase in horizon of scientific understanding through exploration and experimentation. In contrast in White Noise, the technology proves to be universal in its occurrence where it is both threatening and uplifting at the same time. All through the novel, technology becomes inextricably a part of the quality of regular life as are the human characters themselves. DeLillo’s narrative seamlessly weaves between the sounds of mechanical and human sounds that

History of education Essay Example for Free

History of education Essay John Gatto is a New York City seventh grade teacher with remarkable accolades. Because of his impressive accolades as a teacher and citizen, his words are not taken lightly. As a result of his spotlight, he has come up with a list of seven lessons that no syllabus will ever include, but Gatto insists that they form the core of our educational curriculum today. While he does not agree with the lessons himself, they are being taught nationwide and he insists â€Å"that schools have traded their educational function for one of social coordination†(Gatto 1). First, Mr. Gatto explains that he teaches confusion. That is, he teaches the idea of un-relating everything and making disconnections or teaching too much all at one time. He states â€Å"educators persist in the idea that it is better to leave school with a tool kit of superficial jargon derived from economics, sociology, math, sociology, and natural science, rather than one genuine enthusiasm†(Gatto 2). Rather than studying one or two genuine passions, students are trained to attempt to learn them all even if they don’t care for the subject. Next, Mr. Gatto teaches the lesson of class position. Rather than attempting to move up or down to an easier or harder class, the student must learn that they are in that class for a reason and they must like that position. Gatto explains that, â€Å"[his] job is to make students like being locked together with children who bear numbers like their own†(1). He claims that he never lies to students outright, but has come to learn that truth and teaching are incompatible. The third lesson taught is indifference. Instead of caring about anything too much, Gatto emphasizes that â€Å"nothing important is ever finished in my class†(Gatto 2). Students are taught that nothing really matters. Students in his class must drop everything they are doing once the bell rings, no matter the importance. Pupils live life on the installment plan and must learn to turn on and off like switches. The fourth and fifth lessons taught are emotional and intellectual dependency. Instead of thinking and acting on their own, students are drilled to believe that what they think and do is up to the teacher. The one in charge must first OK simple tasks like going to the bathroom or speaking in class. In addition, they learn that good people let experts tell them what to do. The sixth lesson is provisional self-esteem or the idea that people â€Å"must be told what they are worth†(2). If not, they will rebel against the system and cause utter chaos. Finally, it is taught that you cannot hide. He asserts that â€Å"students are encouraged to tattle on each other† (Gatto 3). Wherever you go there is a big brother watching you and you are never completely alone. Without it, children would learn unauthorized ways. These seven lessons are being taught to the majority of students across The United States of America. While some teachers, such as John Gatto, do acknowledge the fact that the system is flawed, the vast majority do not. Gatto argues that this national curriculum â€Å"produces physical, moral, and intellectual paralysis† (Gatto 4). Instead of instructing how to use your brain to it’s full potential and think critically, our system ensure that children will never grow up fully human. This system is certainly flawed and may seem impossible to recreate, but with enough backing and support a change can be made to restore the educational system. Works Cited Gatto, John T. A Few Lessons They Wont Forget. The Sun May 1991: 1-5. Print.

International Cartel Of The Airline Industry Economics Essay

International Cartel Of The Airline Industry Economics Essay In laymans term cartel is an agreement between rival businesses or firms on not to compete with each other. They are kept classified and discussions take place informally. The most common aspect of cartelisation is price fixing. The other aspects are limiting productivity, hoarding, bid rigging, output levels etc. In economics terminology, cartel usually happens in an Oligopolistic environment especially in Collusive Oligopoly. Oligopoly refers to an industry environment where few firms dominate and recognise the rivalry and interdependence of each other. For every action taken by a firm there will be counter strategies by the other. Cartels generally operate in Collusive Oligopoly. In non collusive oligopoly a firm when devising strategies will use random or planned guesswork and calculations to handle reactions from rivals and consumers whereas in collusive oligopoly it is centrally commanded by a group of firms. OPEC is one of the best known examples of all cartels. They determine the costs for aircraft turbine fuel and other aircraft fuel essentials which are then transferred to the airline industry which then affects the end user. Cartels act as single firms to maximise profits. Paradox is the most common one word description by economists for the aviation industry. Ever since the advent of aviation it has always seen continuous and rapid growth in demand for services. Any business or industry will do their best to make hay when sun shines, however the airlines has always been marginally profitable. The low cost carriers, on the other hand, with a shaky start in the beginning seemed economically profitable as compared to the regular service providers. No- frills strategy is to deliver the core product. The core product for airlines would be to transport passengers from A to B. No major focus is laid on delicious food, seats that would normally come with a full serviced flight. The European airline industry is more popular with low cost brand names like Easyjet and Ryanair. The discussion further, is about a cartel that has been in operation in the no-frills European airline sector for the past 5 years. The objective is to discuss the factors that will end collusion amongst the members and to evaluate strategies that will keep the cartel from breaking apart. People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices or would be consistent with liberty and justice. Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations, 1776 Cartel operations are always known to be short lived. The ever present incentive to cheat amongst the members of a cartel has always lead to withdrawal for firms, and eventually disbanding the cartel. Individual firms or oligopolist, in collusion will always have desire to cut down price or sell more than what the cartel has agreed. No frills airline have short haul flights and always had one class of service unless a flight more than two hours long may have two or more class of service. On a single class of service, cartel members may decide to have a standard price with minor disparities depending on whether the flight is at off peak or peak hours of service. At seasonal periods the unexpected huge rush may favour a particular airline that has better scheduling. This may incite or tempt the other competitors to join in the foray breaking all the informal agreements. This would be done by assessing past experience of company or could possibly be the counter measure for surprises thrown by cartel members. This would also lead to price discrimination for the consumer since a particular route frequented by several no-frills carriers are being charged exorbitantly high and vary from one service provider to another. And those airlines predicting misfortune that they have to fly empty seats may drop the prices all together ensuring marginal revenue resulting in further price conflict among cartel members. In an oligopolistic environment, few no-frills airlines that are not dominant will be a price taker because of small fleet size and low passenger load factor it will not have any major contributions to a particular routing. Reasons could vary from off peak routing to poor scheduling of flights. Even if it did make any kinds of additional revenue it will only equate to marginal revenue. This could lead for a smaller airline to pull out from the cartel. Game theory is sort of an umbrella or unified field theory for the rational side of social science, where social is interpreted broadly, to include human as well as non-human players. (Aumann 1987) The objective of game theory is to give everybody in the cartel equilibrium. It provides strategies for airlines from the host of options available to make the right choice for the optimum outcome. However, it can be highly unpredictable if an airline adopts a completely different strategy. This would jeopardise the entire decision making for the businesses and hence the cartel. In a cartel, at least one or two airlines will have better standing in terms of fleet size, support functions like baggage, ramp handlers etc and other such necessities to run an airline business. Big carriers like Ryanair will be able to get ground support services at cheaper prices since they provide larger contracts. In the event of a recession, established firms will try adopting one policy option or its dominant strategy that will be best suited for them against the interest of the cartel. They are able to do this because of the strong support units from vendors which allow them stay afloat with marginal revenue. Equilibrium for cartel firms will only emerge when all airline companies are happy with their present strategies based on what their rivals have adopted. For Airline industry profits have always been seasonal. This makes the predicting the markets continuously unstable. Cartels fear the potential entrance of new firms eating into the market share. There is a huge demand in the airlines industry which invites new players in the market. To avoid any further competition established firms or airlines would increase their fares to the highest price. This strategy, they believe, can charge their passengers without inducing new firms in to the competition. However, smaller players in the cartel are also at the receiving end of such a strategy. Other factors that also lead to the disintegration of cartel are low demand, competition outside the cartel, diversification into a full service or charter service, government or legislative restrictions etc. Government restrictions appear when low cost carriers may involve operations in more than one country. Weather is also one of the factors that may contribute for firm to break away from a cartel. The recent ash cloud crisis in the European aerospace resulted in $ 1.8 billion loss in revenue by the European carriers. This would mean a big impact for small carriers in the no-frills sector. The best interest for all players in a cartel is to remain in collusion. When they come together they will be able to maximise their profits in aviation industry. Cartels are able to last long provided they are effective enough. Collusion will be effective when there are few players in the market. Fewer airlines mean they can co-ordinate very well and reduce the level of uncertainty. The rivals in cartel will not have to worry about any surprises strategies by rest. They will be able to monitor each other very well since they share same airports. The ground staff is outsourced and most airlines will have the same vendor. The flight operations, scheduling will all be on the lines of the agreement. Collusion with fewer members will help them agree on price, market share, sales promotion and expenditure. Fewer firms also mean larger market share and high individual pay-offs. However if the cartel players are unable to restrict entry of new players the market share for individual players are reduced and cheating is back on everyone ones mind. Airlines industry does not always have a stable demand year round. The cartel industry needs to strategies operations in consultation with all cartel members on flight operations during poor demand. This would help all airline members to reorganise and replan, not just with better flight scheduling but also concentrating on other aspects like aircraft maintenance, crew trainings, product improvisation etc. The objective for firms to form a cartel is to limit competition and increase profits. Airlines would need to set a monopolistic agenda by restricting output and increasing price. They may set fewer flights in a particular sector and raise fares. This would help all cartel members maximise profits. Cartel members should operate the industry in equilibrium. Equilibrium must help the airliners increase fares among the profitable routes and at the same time allocating less profiting sector among all players fairly. It should also provide a methodology or mechanism to distribute the less profitable routes amongst all players. No-frills airlines may introduce an incentive structure that may reward based on monitoring each airline for their operations based on the agreed rules. They may also penalise to prevent any kind of cheating. Repeated interaction by the no-frills players for future collusive benefits may also deter cheating. Every cartel will have a major player. Major players in no-frills airline business like Ryanair are able to command a price because of the dominant position in the no-frills sector. This makes Ryanair the price leader in the sector. Collusion may take place informally by smaller players recognising the fares setters in the industry and will act as followers. This may help smaller airlines maximise their profits since they can be assured the fare hike is in line with the industry standards and justified. Cartels may also collude together and raise ticket fares simultaneously. Such a phenomenon is common in the fuel industry and also difficult to distinguish. At times a smaller airline may also be known to have good knowledge on pricing trends in the industry they will also be followed by other cartel members. It is known as barometric price leadership. Organisational mechanisms or structures can also be introduced in a cartel. The structure would be like those of any organisation. The mechanism should incorporate external fluctuations like environment, government restrictions, fuel prices etc. For no-frills sector costs need to be kept very low. Environment and fuel hikes leave major impact on revenue. The mechanisms could involve negotiations on cost of fuel which could be provided at subsidised rates to every airliner. No-frills airlines need to make significant investment in the development of organisational mechanisms and organisational skills so that it makes cheating a secondary issue and is deemed inappropriate future action by the members. Research says that some cartels last on an average of 5 years. However, variance in the duration is high for several other cartels. The no-frills airline cartels need to address problems of co-ordination, cheating and entry. Cartels that are able to introduce organisational mechanisms among the members are able to progress as successfully.

Surgical Treatment For Morbid Obesity Essay -- Overweight Obese Resear

According to the World Health Organization, globally there are now more than 1 billion overweight adults, and at least 300 million of them are obese. During the last 40 years, obesity has reached epidemic proportions. There are more obese people each year, and the severity is increasing. In the United States alone, 300,000 deaths are associated with obesity. Thesis: Many obese people fail diet after diet. For them, bariatric surgery is an option even though risks are involved (Flancbaum, et al. 7; Goodman par 3; â€Å"The Weight† par 2). Overview   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Obesity is climbing the charts as being a major killer of our population. This paper informs the reader on how bariatric surgery treats the severely obese. Focus is given on who should have bariatric surgery, how the surgery works, risks of bariatric surgery, and what the patient can expect. Bariatric surgery is reserved for people who have been unable to lose weight on professionally managed weight-loss programs and those with obesity-related conditions such as diabetes, or the risk of them. When surgery is an option for weight loss   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The best candidates for bariatric surgery are patients who have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater, or 35 or greater and associated obesity-related conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and sleep apnea (see figure 1.1, pg 8 & table 1, pg 6). In terms of pounds, qualifying for surgery estimates to being 100 pounds above ideal body weight. A patient must have also gone through some sort of organized weight loss program in the past, and failed to maintain weight loss (Flancbaum, et al.15). How surgery promotes weight loss Gastrointestinal surgery for obesity, also called bariatric surgery, alters the digestive process. The operations promote weight loss by closing off parts of the stomach to make it smaller. These procedures are referred to as restrictive procedures because they cut down on the amount of food the stomach can hold. These types of procedures are less common due to the complications involved (Flancbaum, et al. 27, 52). The most popular operations combine stomach restriction with a partial bypass of the small intestine. These procedures create a direct connection from the stomach to the lower segment of the small intestine, literally bypassing portions of the digestive tract that absorb calories and nutrients. These are known as malabsorp... ... relation to BMI* BMI  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Obesity Category  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Health Risks Without Medical Problems  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Health Risks With Medical Problems Below 19  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Underweight  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Slight  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Minimal 19-24  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Normal  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  None  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Minimal 25-29  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Overweight  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Minimal  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Moderate 30-34  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Obese  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Moderate  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  High 35-39  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Severely Obese  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  High  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Very High 40-49  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Morbidly Obese  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Very High  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Extreme 50+  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Super Obese  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Extreme  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Very Extreme * Classification based upon World Health Organization; see The Doctor’s Guide to Weight loss Surgery. Table 2: Weight Loss Surgery on Obesity-Related Conditions Condition  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Improved  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Completely Resolved Type II diabetes  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  93 percent  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  89 percent Hypertension  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  90 percent  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  66 percent Abnormal blood lipids  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  85 percent  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  70 percent Sleep apnea  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  72 percent  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  40 percent See The Doctor’s Guide to Weight Loss Surgery. Table 3: Complications after Weight Loss Surgery   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  RYGB  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  VBG Protein-calorie malnutrition  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  0 Micronutrient & vitamin deficiency  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  10-20 percent  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Flancbaum L, Belsley S, Drake V, Colarusso T, Tayler E J Gastrointest Surg. 2006 Jul-Aug; 10(7):1033-7.

The Digital Divide Essay -- Technology Society

The Digital Divide A new generation is forming the way its members will be written into history books. These are the members of the digital culture, a lifestyle relying on the use of technology and the Internet as a tool of communication and information-sharing. Nevertheless, as with the generations of the past, some individuals are not participating in this new cultural experience. It is common knowledge that some citizens do not use the Internet. Many do not use the Internet simply due to economic or social restrictions that prevent them from easily accessing the technology. However, what is not as common is why some members of our society are even choosing not to use the Internet. â€Å"Access, Civic Involvement, and Social Interaction† from the American Behavioral Scientist compare users and nonusers of the Internet across the United States: â€Å"8% were dropouts in 1995, 11% in 1996, 10% in 1997, and 11.5% in 2000† (Katz et al., Access 411). http://www.sci ls.rutgers.edu/~jimkatz/publications.htm No matter how small the statistic is, a choice not to use the Internet must have legitimate reasons and may result in conflicting effects. However, while it shows the amount of never users to be shrinking, the amount of former users is growing, implying that some people are already logging off the Internet while most are logging on. A lack of participation in the digital culture could have an effect on society, including both those who use the Internet, and those who do not. It is possible that either users or nonusers could have an advantage in the end due to their choice. Although the numbers are a minority, the nonusers must be analyzed and predictions need to be made about the reasons and effects of not... ...aythornthwaite, Caroline. â€Å"The Internet in Everyday Life.† American Behavioral Scientist. Vol. 45 No. 3, November 2001 363-382. Katz, James, and Philip Aspden. Communications of the ACM. Vol. 40 No. 4. April 1997. Katz, James, Ronald Rice, and Philip Aspden. â€Å"Access, Civic Involvement, and Social Interaction.† American Behavioral Scientist. Vol. 45 No. 3, November 2001 405-419 National Telecommunications and Information Administration. â€Å"A NATION ONLINE: How Americans Are Expanding Their Use Of The Internet.† September 2001. 21 February 2003 http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/dn/html/Chapter8.htm Sources Consulted www.icdri.org/technology/ indexbp.htm www.foreignpolicy.com/issue_janfeb_2002/ digital_divide.html www.cliffsnotes.com/internet/ www.tpj.org/reports/luddites02/ luddites02.jpg www.executive.govt.nz/minister/ maharey/divide/01-01.htm

Formalistic Approach to Corona :: Corona Essays

Formalistic Approach to Corona The formalistic approach allows the reader to look at a literary piece, and critique it according to its form, point of view, style, imagery, atmosphere, theme, and word choice. The formalistic views on form, allow us to look at the essential structure of the story. Stories such as Corona by Samuel Ray Delany show the aspects of a formalistic literary piece. The specific word choice that the author uses is very obvious right from the beginning. The choice of words that are used in the opening sentences imply that the narrator does not have a high level of education, if any education at all. Then as the story progresses and more characters come into play, the narrator's language level became much more advanced. (English 102 L class lecture, January 24 2001) Words such as integration, trapezoid, and even the discussion of Lee's work on an algebraic problem show that her side is much more educated then Buddy's. (Stories, 344-345) Compared to the language at the beginning of the story when Buddy is introduced, Lee's side shows a much more complex style. This allows the reader to lead into realizing what the comparisons of the two character's lifestyles are. A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature, page 89, states that "Failure to note point of view as an aspect of form will result in a misreading or in an inadequate reading of the work." The way each of these characters are stated in the story is the narrators point of view. This is the author's way of making the differences between the two seem very obvious to the reader. The points of view make the form of the literary work stay together, plus stay consistent. If the author does decide to shift points of view, it is to achieve different effects at a specific time. (HCAL, 89) Delany uses this effect starting on page 347. As Lee begins to talk of her latest struggle, the story line quickly switches to Buddy and then back to Lee. The switching also relates to the form of the story, which is the most important aspect of the Formalistic literary approach. "Indeed, the fragmentation of story line and of time line in modern fiction and in some absurdist drama is a major formalistic device used not only to generate within the reader the sense of the immediacy and even the chaos of experience but also to present the philosophical notion of non-meaning and nihilism.

Transitional Leadership

Transition Leadership: Managing Change In Your Organization in today’s deregulating and increasingly competitive business environment, organizational change is becoming inevitable. Today’s successful organizations are experiencing transitions in the areas of technology, process re engineering, mergers, and organizational restructuring in order to remain competitive. However, although these areas impact employees at all levels of the company, senior management often overlooks this fact.Therefore, it is imperative that company management understands the impact of organizational change on employees and manages these effects accordingly. By doing so, organizational leaders minimize the negative impact change has on productivity and performance. This paper will focus on the activity of successfully leading employees through significant changes brought about by new technologies and process changes and will focus on three areas of transition leadership. First, the discussion c onveys the impact that change has on an organization’s employees.Second, an overview and discussion of transition leadership and its role in managing organizational change is given. Finally, ways to effectively manage employees through these reactions to change is presented. By understanding the elements of organizational change and its impact on employees as well as the appropriate ways of managing people through these revolutions, organizational leaders will be better prepared to address the challenges that are inherent in major business transitions. The Impact of Change on People Frequently, information technology professionals overlook the impacts of technology changes on people.Almost any change to technology will have an impact on business processes, which will directly impact the day-to-day jobs of individual employees. As a result, changes to technology require attention to the impacts that they have on both process and people. The practice of Organizational Change Ma nagement (OCM) focuses on ensuring that the people side of change is addressed appropriately. OCM is the process of aligning the organization’s people and culture with changes in business strategy, organizational structure, technology, and business processes.OCM is important because, at the most rudimentary level, all change involves some degree of loss whether it is loss of stability, loss of expertise, loss of relationships, or loss of understanding. People often try to avoid the experience of loss by resisting change. Resistance can come in different forms and be expressed with different emotions such as anger, frustration, fear, etc. Due to the tendency for change to elicit an emotional response, any large-scale change initiative will likely remove the employees’ focus from the business to transition-related issues.This shift in focus will likely disrupt the productivity of the business. Many technology implementation/business process redesign efforts fail because they overlook the impacts that change will have on the people in the organization. An organization that ignores the importance of OCM could experience the following risks: increased resistance to new technology, decreased quality and customer service, high turnover and absenteeism, difficulty recruiting and retaining high performers, and damaged internal and external brand equity.On the other hand, an organization that implements a technology/business process transformation with integrated OCM will experience the following benefits: realization of the business transformation objectives, higher return on technology investments, retention of high performers, maintained and improved productivity, improved employee satisfaction and morale, and increased discretionary effort. Transition Leadership Given the impact that change has on employees, it is clear that managers must learn to proactively manage employees through the many changes that are inherent in most organizations.In geospatia l environments, managers and other key stakeholders often focus on technological and process changes that will make their businesses competitive in the 21st century. These issues are important, but the changes ultimately will not be implemented successfully without the cooperation of employees. Only through effective transition leadership are employees able to effectively cope with and accept the changes they are presented with. Ten Characteristics of Effective Transition Leaders The role of transition leader is an often overlooked but important aspect of management.There are several characteristics that make up a good transition leader. Here we identify the main characteristics that are needed in a successful transition leader. In general, there are 10 characteristics of effective transition leaders: †¢ Gains support from and confidence of others. Change is not accepted and work cannot be done without the buy-in of key stakeholders. For this reason, it is imperative that trans ition leaders gain the support and confidence of other key employees in the organization. †¢ Listens and collaborates effectively.No matter how good a manager is, people will not follow without a sense of ownership in the organization. One of the key ways to secure this ownership and trust in employees is through listening and collaboration. †¢ Takes accountability. As with any effective manager, successful transition leaders take accountability for their own work as well as that of the entire organization that he or she manages. †¢ Provides constructive feedback to others. Transition leaders also provide constructive feedback to employees and colleagues. This type of feedback enables employees to be more effective in adapting to and accepting change. Builds relationships with customers, peers, and project team members. Effective transition leaders are also successful in building relationships with customers, peers, and project members. This alliance building enables leaders to effectively delegate and gain the buy-in from key resources, which further enables change within the organization. †¢ Inspires and motivates. In order to manage change effectively in the organization, transition leaders need to have inspired employees and stakeholders. †¢ Communicates openly, early, and often.Since change is such a complex and fearsome idea for most people, it is important for transition leaders to open the flow of communication. This holds true on a day-to-day basis as well (and especially) during times of change. †¢ Provides clear direction. In order for the organization to get to where it needs to be, employees and stakeholders have to understand where they are and where the organization is going. With this in mind, transition leaders need to clearly communicate the organization’s vision and goals to stakeholders and clarify individual roles and responsibilities within that context. †¢ Models the way for the team.Successful t ransition leaders do more than just delegate work and build relationships. They also lead by example in order to build credibility and trust. †¢ Creates opportunities for small wins. The change involved in large scale and complex IT implementations often appears insurmountable to employees. Therefore, it is important to frequently reward and recognize team members to help boost morale and to keep change initiatives from failing due to a burned-out staff. These 10 characteristics of a good transition leader ensure that change is implemented successfully and that major obstacles and resistances to change are minimized.The Roles of Transition Leaders In addition to these characteristics, transition leaders must play a number of roles in order for organizational changes to be successful. Since transition leaders are responsible for directly influencing the outcome of IT and process change implementations, successful change requires that transition leaders assume different roles. In general, transition leaders have four primary roles: catalyst, system and process helper, solution giver/gatherer, and resource linker. The first and arguably the most difficult role that a transition leader faces is that of Catalyst.While many organizations are content with the status quo, it is the transition leader’s responsibility to create and communicate the need for change within the business. This involves instilling a sense of urgency and purpose for the change and overcoming organizational inertia. In addition, this role entails acknowledging areas of resistance and addressing them appropriately. Change will not happen successfully if key stakeholders do not realize and understand the need for change, and it is the responsibility of transition leaders to make this need evident.The second role of a transition leader is that of a System and Process Helper. Once the need for change has been recognized by the organization and change initiatives are created, it is the t ransition leader’s responsibility to ensure that the organization is assimilated into the process and IT changes that ensue. This involves understanding the process and IT changes, the impact these changes have on jobs and policies, and effectively communicating these changes to the individuals impacted. The tasks performed by the System and Process Helper helps permeate the required change throughout the organization.The third role that a transition leader plays is that of Solution Giver and Gatherer. This role is needed to identify and resolve issues that may hinder the success of the implemented change. In particular, the Solution Giver and Gatherer will promote the use of an issues resolution mechanism, provide solutions that benefit the entire organization, and assist in the development and implementation of solutions. In addition, an important element is the need for leaders to listen to suggestions and provide feedback and recognition when appropriate.As discussed abov e, effective transition leaders communicate, provide feedback, and celebrate small wins, which is important to inspiring and motivating project teams. The final role of a successful transition leader is that of Resource Linker. This role involves the more traditional management like delegating tasks, and most experienced managers are capable in this arena. In short, the Resource Linker brings people and resources together, recognizes resource constraints, leverages skills and resources across site locations, and acts as a communications link between resources.This role is important, but it is the three roles described above that most managers overlook when implementing change initiatives. How To Manage People Through Change When incorporating change in an organization, it is useful for transition leaders to understand how change impacts people and how to minimize the negative reactions to change. All successful change initiatives follow a similar pattern or sequence. The first step consists of â€Å"unfreezing† the current way of doing things. This is the phase in the project where the burning platform for change is realized and the vision for a new way of operating is created.The second phase of change begins when it is time to begin energizing the workforce by involving more and more people in the change process so as to begin building ownership over the final outcome. This is also the point where it is critical to identify and secure early project wins. Ensuring that the right resources are provided for achieving early milestones will ensure that the project is perceived as a success. The third phase of the change process consists of building the infrastructure (i. e. , job and organization designs) required to make the change successful.For example, if the technology changes are intended to automate processes that were previously done manually, changes to job designs will be required. The final phase consists of a series of activities aimed at measu ring results and identifying lingering gaps and issues that need to be addressed in order to achieve the project’s intended benefits. While the above phases outline the sequence that change initiatives normally follow, there are three corresponding phases that describe the psychological experiences that people have when affected by change. These come from William Bridges’ book Managing Transitions (1991).The first phase is called â€Å"Letting Go. † This is the time when employees will begin to understand that things are changing, and that in the near future they will be challenged with letting go of the old way of doing things. This may include letting go of old ways of working, relationships, feelings of competence, etc. The second psychological phase, the â€Å"Neutral Zone† is the difficult period when the work is done to implement change and the transition from the old way to the new way begins. Trying to handle implementation and balance the transit ions may make this period the most difficult period of change to manage.The last psychological phase is what Bridges refers to as the â€Å"New Beginning. † This occurs when changes have been fully implemented and expectations for people to change the way they work are realized. Each of the phases described above consist of many people-related challenges, and there are many specific strategies for helping to manage people through these phases. Some of the important critical success factors for managing change are the following: †¢ Identify potential barriers or risk factors that will inhibit success, and create action plans to address them appropriately. Use written and face-to-face communication to help people understand the what, why, and how of change. †¢ Identify opportunities to involve large numbers of employees in the change process; research shows that there is a correlation between involvement and commitment. †¢ Seek to understand and manage individual and team level resistance.†¢ Listen to your employees, acknowledge their losses, show empathy, strive to reduce their stress levels. †¢ Recognize and reward behaviors that support achievement of intended goals. †¢ Systematically analyze the impacts change will have on corporate policies, individual jobs, and organizational structure. Ensure that employees receive sufficient training and the other on-the-job resources necessary to raise people’s level of confidence. By addressing and incorporating these success factors into their management toolkits, effective transition leaders greatly increase the likelihood that their change initiatives will be successful. Conclusion Transition leadership, while often viewed as a â€Å"soft† or â€Å"touchy feely† issue not appropriate to geospatial managers, is clearly a relevant and critical issue to managing the changes that are inherent in organizations today.Even the most robust GIS package with the highes t benefits potential is meaningless if employees and key stakeholders do not effectively accept and adapt the changes to their everyday lives. By embracing the understanding of the impact that change has on employees, the role of transition leaders, and how to manage employees through change, managers will ensure that the changes stick and the anticipated benefits are realized.

Comparison between five process models of software engineering Essay

IJCSI International Journal of Computer Science Issues, Vol. 7, Issue 5, September 2010 ISSN (Online): 1694-0814 www.IJCSI.org A Comparison Between Five Models Of Software Engineering Nabil Mohammed Ali Munassar1 and A. Govardhan2 1 Ph.D Student of Computer Science & Engineering Jawahrlal Nehru Technological University Kuktapally, Hyderabad- 500 085, Andhra Pradesh, India 2 Professor of Computer Science & Engineering Principal JNTUH of Engineering College, Jagityal, Karimnagar (Dt), A.P., India Abstract This research deals with a vital and important issue in computer world. It is concerned with the software management processes that examine the area of software development through the  development models, which are known as software development  life cycle. It represents five of the development models namely, waterfall, Iteration, V-shaped, spiral and Extreme programming. These models have advantages and disadvantages as well. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to represent different models of software development and make a  comparison between them to show the features and defects of each model. Keywords: Software Management Processes, Software  Development, Development Models, Software Development Life  Cycle, Comparison between five models of Software Engineering. increased recently which results in the difficulty of  enumerating such companies. During the previous four  decades, software has been developed from a tool used for  analyzing information or solving a problem to a product in  itself. However, the early programming stages have  created a number of problems turning software an  obstacle to software development particularly those  relying on computers. Software consists of documents and  programs that contain a collection that has been  established to be a part of software engineering  procedures. Moreover, the aim of software engineering is  to create a suitable work that construct programs of high  quality. 1. Introduction Computer Science No one can deny the importance of computer in our life,  especially during the present time. In fact, computer has  become indispensible in today’s life as it is used in many  fields of life such as industry, medicine, commerce,  education and even agriculture. It has become an  important element in the industry and technology of  advanced as well as developing countries. Now a days,  organizations become more dependent on computer in  their works as a result of computer technology. Computer  is considered a time- saving device and its progress helps  in executing complex, long, repeated processes in a very  short time with a high speed. In addition to using  computer for work, people use it for fun and  entertainment. Noticeably, the number of companies thatproduce software programs for the purpose of facilitating  works of offices, administrations, banks, etc, has Theories Computer Function Client Problems The Software engineering Tools and techniques to solve problems Fig. 1 Explanation of software engineering conception. IJCSI International Journal of Computer Science Issues, Vol. 7, Issue 5, September 2010 ISSN (Online): 1694-0814 www.IJCSI.org 95 2. Software Process Models concern. A software process model is an abstract representation of a process. It presents a description of a process from some particular perspective as: The pure waterfall lifecycle consists of several nonoverlapping stages, as shown in the following figure. The model begins with establishing system requirements and  software requirements and continues with architectural  design, detailed design, coding, testing, and maintenance. The waterfall model serves as a baseline for many other  lifecycle models. 1. 2. 3. 4. Specification. Design. Validation. Evolution. General Software Process Models are 1. Waterfall model: Separate and distinct phases of specification and development. 2. Prototype model. 3. Rapid application development model (RAD). 4. Evolutionary development: Specification, development and validation are interleaved. 5. Incremental model. 6. Iterative model. 7. Spiral model. 8. Component-based software engineering : The system is assembled from existing components. System Requirements Software Requirements Architectural Design Detailed Design Coding There are many variants of these models e.g. formal development where a waterfall-like process is used, but the specification is formal that is refined through several stages to an implementable design[1]. Testing Maintenance Fig. 2 Waterfall Model[4]. 3. Five Models A Programming process model is an abstract representation to describe the process from a particular perspective. There are numbers of general models for software processes, like: Waterfall model, Evolutionary development, Formal systems development and Reusebased development, etc. This research will view the following five models : 1. Waterfall model. 2. Iteration model. 3. V-shaped model. 4. Spiral model. 5. Extreme model. These models are chosen because their features correspond to most software development programs. Requirements Definition System and Software Design Implementation and Unit Testing Integration and System Testing 3.1 The Waterfall Model The waterfall model is the classical model of software  engineering. This model is one of the oldest models and is  widely used in government projects and in many major  companies. As this model emphasizes planning in early  stages, it ensures design flaws before they develop. In  addition, its intensive document and planning make it  work well for projects in which quality control is a major Operation and Maintenance Fig. 3 Waterfall model[2]. The following list details the steps for using the waterfall IJCSI International Journal of Computer Science Issues, Vol. 7, Issue 5, September 2010 ISSN (Online): 1694-0814 www.IJCSI.org model: 1 System requirements: Establishes the components  for building the system, including the hardware  requirements, software tools, and other necessary  components. Examples include decisions on  hardware, such as plug-in boards (number of  channels, acquisition speed, and so on), and decisions  on external pieces of software, such as databases or  libraries. 2 3 Software requirements: Establishes the expectations  for software functionality and identifies which system  requirements the software affects. Requirements  analysis includes determining interaction needed with  other applications and databases, performance  requirements, user interface requirements, and so on. Architectural design: Determines the software  framework of a system to meet the specific  requirements. This design defines the major  components and the interaction of those components,  but it does not define the structure of each  component. The external interfaces and tools used in  the project can be determined by the designer. 4 Detailed design: Examines the software components  defined in the architectural design stage and produces  a specification for how each component is  implemented. 5 Coding: Implements specification. 6 7 the detailed starting coding. There is no overlap between stages. In  real-world development, however, one can discover issues  during the design or coding stages that point out errors or gaps in the requirements. The waterfall method does not prohibit returning to an  earlier phase, for example, returning from the design phase  to the requirements phase. However, this involves costly  rework. Each completed phase requires formal review and  extensive documentation development. Thus, oversights  made in the requirements phase are expensive to correct  later. Because the actual development comes late in the process,  one does not see results for a long time. This delay can be  disconcerting to management and customers. Many people  also think that the amount of documentation is excessive  and inflexible. Although the waterfall model has  instructive because it emphasizes  project development. Even if one  model, he must consider each of  relationship to his own project [4]. ï‚ · 1. 2. 3. design Testing: Determines whether the software meets the  specified requirements and finds any errors present in  the code. Maintenance: Addresses problems and enhancement  requests after the software releases. In some organizations, a change control board maintains  the quality of the product by reviewing each change made  in the maintenance stage. Consider applying the full  waterfall development cycle model when correcting  problems or implementing these enhancement requests. In each stage, documents that explain the objectives and  describe the requirements for that phase are created. At the end of each stage, a review to determine whether the  project can proceed to the next stage is held. Your  prototyping can also be incorporated into any stage from  the architectural design and after. Many people believe that this model cannot be applied to  all situations. For example, with the pure waterfall model,  the requirements must be stated before beginning the  design, and the complete design must be stated before 96 4. 5. 6. ï‚ · 1. 2. 4. 5. 6. 7. ï‚ · its weaknesses, it is  important stages of  does not apply this  these stages and its Advantages : Easy to understand and implement. Widely used and known (in theory!). Reinforces good habits: define-before- design, design-before-code. Identifies deliverables and milestones. Document driven, URD, SRD, †¦ etc. Published documentation standards, e.g. PSS-05. Works well on mature products and weak teams. Disadvantages : Idealized, doesn’t match reality well. Doesn’t reflect iterative nature of exploratory development. 3. Unrealistic to expect accurate requirements so early in project. Software is delivered late in project, delays discovery of serious errors. Difficult to integrate risk management. Difficult and expensive to make changes to documents, †swimming upstream†. Significant administrative overhead, costly for small teams and projects [6]. Pure Waterfall This is the classical system development model. It consists of discontinuous phases: 1. 2. 3. Concept. Requirements. Architectural design. IJCSI International Journal of Computer Science Issues, Vol. 7, Issue 5, September 2010 ISSN (Online): 1694-0814 www.IJCSI.org 4. 5. 6. Detailed design. Coding and development. Testing and implementation. Table 1: Strengths & Weaknesses of Pure Waterfall Strengths ï‚ · ï‚ · Minimizes planning  overhead since it can be done up front.  Structure minimizes  wasted effort, so it  works well for  technically weak or  inexperienced staff. Risk reduction spirals can be added to the top of the  waterfall to reduce risks prior to the waterfall phases. The waterfall can be further modified using options such as  prototyping, JADs or CRC sessions or other methods of  requirements gathering done in overlapping phases [5]. Weaknesses 3.2 Iterative Development ï‚ · Inflexible ï‚ · Only the final phase  produces a nondocumentation  deliverable. ï‚ · Backing up to address mistakes is difficult. The problems with the Waterfall Model created a demand  for a new method of developing systems which could  provide faster results, require less up-front information,  and offer greater flexibility. With Iterative Development,  the project is divided into small parts. This allows the  development team to demonstrate results earlier on in the  process and obtain valuable feedback from system users. Often, each iteration is actually a mini-Waterfall process  with the feedback from one phase providing vital  information for the design of the next phase. In a variation of this model, the software products, which are produced  at the end of each step (or series of steps), can go into  production immediately as incremental releases. ï‚ · Pure Waterfall Summary The pure waterfall model performs well for products with  clearly understood requirements or when working with  well understood technical tools, architectures and  infrastructures. Its weaknesses frequently make it  inadvisable when rapid development is needed. In those  cases, modified models may be more effective. ï‚ · 97 Modified Waterfall The modified waterfall uses the same phases as the pure  waterfall, but is not based on a discontinuous basis. This  enables the phases to overlap when needed. The pure  waterfall can also split into subprojects at an appropriate  phase (such as after the architectural design or detailed design). Table 2: Strengths & Weaknesses of Modified Waterfall Strengths ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · More flexible than the  pure waterfall model. If there is personnel  continuity between the  phases, documentation  can be substantially reduced.  Implementation of easy  areas does not need to  wait for the hard ones. Weaknesses ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · Modified Waterfall Summary Milestones are more  ambiguous than the  pure waterfall. Activities performed  in parallel are subject  to miscommunication  and mistaken  assumptions. Unforeseen  interdependencies can  create problems. Fig. 4 Iterative Development. 3.3 V-Shaped Model Just like the waterfall model, the V-Shaped life cycle is a  sequential path of execution of processes. Each phase  must be completed before the next phase begins. Testing  is emphasized in this model more than the waterfall  model. The testing procedures are developed early in the  life cycle before any coding is done, during each of the  phases preceding implementation. Requirements begin the  life cycle model just like the waterfall model. Before IJCSI International Journal of Computer Science Issues, Vol. 7, Issue 5, September 2010 ISSN (Online): 1694-0814 www.IJCSI.org development is started, a system test plan is created. The test plan focuses on meeting the functionality specified in requirements gathering. 98 Requirements The high-level design phase focuses on system  architecture and design. An integration test plan is created in this phase in order to test the pieces of the software  systems ability to work together. However, the low-level  design phase lies where the actual software components  are designed, and unit tests are created in this phase as  well. System Test Planning High Level Design Low Level Design The implementation phase is, again, where all coding  takes place. Once coding is complete, the path of  execution continues up the right side of the V where the  test plans developed earlier are now put to use. ï‚ · Simple and easy to use. Each phase has specific deliverables. Higher chance of success over the waterfall model  due to the early development of test plans during the  life cycle. Works well for small projects where requirements are  easily understood. Unit Test Planning Integration Testing Unit Testing Implementation Advantages 1. 2. 3. Integration Test Planning System Testing 4. Fig. 6 V-Shaped Life Cycle Model[7]. 3.4 Spiral Model The spiral model is similar to the incremental model, with  more emphases placed on risk analysis. The spiral model  has four phases: Planning, Risk Analysis, Engineering and  Evaluation. A software project repeatedly passes through  these phases in iterations (called Spirals in this  model). The baseline spiral, starting in the planning  phase, requirements are gathered and risk is  assessed. Each subsequent spiral builds on the baseline  spiral. Requirements are gathered during the planning  phase. In the risk analysis phase, a process is undertaken  to identify risk and alternate solutions. A prototype is  produced at the end of the risk analysis phase. Software is  produced in the engineering phase, along with testing at  the end of the phase. The evaluation phase allows the  customer to evaluate the output of the project to date  before the project continues to the next spiral. In the spiral model, the angular component represents  progress, and the radius of the spiral represents cost. Fig. 5 V-Model [3] ï‚ · Disadvantages 1. 2. Very rigid like the waterfall model. Little flexibility and adjusting scope is difficult and  expensive.  Software is developed during the implementation phase,  so no early prototypes of the software are produced. This Model does not provide a clear path for problems  found during testing phases [7]. 3. 4. ï‚ · 1. 2. 3. Advantages High amount of risk analysis. Good for large and mission-critical projects. Software is produced early in the software life cycle. ï‚ · 1. 2. 3. Disadvantages Can be a costly model to use. Risk analysis requires highly specific expertise. Project’s success is highly dependent on the risk  analysis phase. Doesn’t work well for smaller projects [7]. 4. IJCSI International Journal of Computer Science Issues, Vol. 7, Issue 5, September 2010 ISSN (Online): 1694-0814 www.IJCSI.org ï‚ · 1. Spiral model sectors Objective setting :Specific objectives for the phase are identified. 2. Risk assessment and reduction: Risks are assessed and activities are put in place to reduce the key risks. 3. Development and validation: A development model for the system is chosen which can be any of the general models. 4. Planning: The project is reviewed and the next phase of the spiral is planned [1]. 99 under which the system would produce win-lose or loselose outcomes for some stakeholders. 3. Identify and Evaluate Alternatives: Solicit  suggestions from stakeholders, evaluate them with respect  to stakeholders’ win conditions, synthesize and negotiate  candidate win-win alternatives, analyze, assess, resolve  win-lose or lose-lose risks, record commitments and areas  to be left flexible in the project’s design record and life  cycle plans. 4. Cycle through the Spiral: Elaborate the win conditions  evaluate and screen alternatives, resolve risks, accumulate  appropriate commitments, and develop and execute  downstream plans [8]. 3.5 Extreme Programming An approach to development, based on the development  and delivery of very small increments of functionality. It  relies on constant code improvement, user involvement in  the development team and pair wise programming . It can  be difficult to keep the interest of customers who are  involved in the process. Team members may be unsuited  to the intense involvement that characterizes agile  methods. Prioritizing changes can be difficult where there  are multiple stakeholders. Maintaining simplicity requires  extra work. Contracts may be a problem as with other  approaches to iterative development. Fig. 7 Spiral Model of the Software Process[1]. ï‚ · WinWin Spiral Model The original spiral model [Boehm 88] began each cycle of  the spiral by performing the next level of elaboration of  the prospective system’s objectives, constraints and  alternatives. A primary difficulty in applying the spiral  model has been the lack of explicit process guidance in  determining these objectives, constraints, and alternatives. The Win-Win Spiral Model [Boehm 94] uses the theory  W (win-win) approach [Boehm 89b] to converge on a  system’s next-level objectives, constraints, and  alternatives. This Theory W approach involves identifying  the system’s stakeholders and their win conditions, and  using negotiation processes to determine a mutually  satisfactory set of objectives, constraints, and alternatives for the stakeholders. In particular, as illustrated in the  figure, the nine-step Theory W process translates into the  following spiral model extensions: 1. Determine Objectives: Identify the system life-cycle  stakeholders and their win conditions and establish initial  system boundaries and external interfaces. 2. Determine Constraints: Determine the conditions Fig. 8 The XP Release Cycle ï‚ · Extreme Programming Practices Incremental planning: Requirements are recorded on Story Cards and the Stories to be included in a release are determined by the time available and their relative priority. The developers break these stories into development â€Å"Tasks†. Small Releases: The minimal useful set of functionality that provides business value is developed first. Releases of the system are frequent and incrementally add functionality to the first release. IJCSI International Journal of Computer Science Issues, Vol. 7, Issue 5, September 2010 ISSN (Online): 1694-0814 www.IJCSI.org Simple Design: Enough design is carried out to meet the  current requirements and no more. Test first development: An automated unit test  framework is used to write tests for a new piece of  functionality before functionality itself is implemented.  Refactoring: All developers are expected to re-factor the  code continuously as soon as possible code improvements  are found. This keeps the code simple and maintainable.  Pair Programming: Developers work in pairs, checking  each other’s work and providing support to do a good job.  Collective Ownership: The pairs of developers work on  all areas of the system, so that no islands of expertise  develop and all the developers own all the code. Anyone  can change anything. Continuous Integration: As soon as work on a task is  complete, it is integrated into the whole system. After any  such integration, all the unit tests in the system must pass. Sustainable pace: Large amounts of over-time are not  considered acceptable as the net effect is often to reduce  code quality and medium term productivity.  On-site Customer: A representative of the end-user of the  system (the Customer) should be available full time for the  use of the XP team. In an extreme programming process,  the customer is a member of the development team and is  responsible for bringing system requirements to the team  for implementation. ï‚ · 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. XP and agile principles Incremental development is supported through small,  frequent system releases. Customer involvement means full-time customer  engagement with the team. People not process through pair programming,  collective ownership and a process that avoids long working hours. Change supported through regular system releases.  Maintaining simplicity through constant refactoring of  code [1]. ï‚ · 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Advantages Lightweight methods suit small-medium size projects. Produces good team cohesion. Emphasises final product. Iterative. Test based approach to requirements and quality assurance. ï‚ · 1. Disadvantages Difficult to scale up to large projects where documentation is essential. Needs experience and skill if not to degenerate into code-and-fix. Programming pairs is costly. 2. 3. 4. 100 Test case construction is a difficult and specialized skill [6]. 4. Conclusion and Future Work After completing this research , it is concluded that : 1. There are many existing models for developing systems for different sizes of projects and requirements. 2. These models were established between 1970 and 1999. 3. Waterfall model and spiral model are used commonly in developing systems. 4. Each model has advantages and disadvantages for the development of systems , so each model tries to eliminate the disadvantages of the previous model Finally, some topics can be suggested for future works: 1. 2. 3. Suggesting a model to simulate advantages that are found in different models to software process management. Making a comparison between the suggested model and the previous software processes management models. Applying the suggested model to many projects to ensure of its suitability and documentation to explain its mechanical work. REFERENCES [1] Ian Sommerville, â€Å"Software Engineering†, Addison Wesley, 7th edition, 2004. [2] CTG. MFA – 003, â€Å"A Survey of System Development Process Models†, Models for Action Project: Developing Practical Approaches to Electronic Records Management and Preservation, Center for Technology in Government University at Albany / Suny,1998 . [3] Steve Easterbrook, â€Å"Software Lifecycles†, University of Toronto Department of Computer Science, 2001. [4] National Instruments Corporation, â€Å"Lifecycle Models†, 2006 , http://zone.ni.com. [5] JJ Kuhl, â€Å"Project Lifecycle Models: How They Differ and When to Use Them†,2002 www.businessesolutions.com. [6] Karlm, â€Å"Software Lifecycle Models’, KTH,2006 . [7] Rlewallen, â€Å"Software Development Life Cycle Models†, 2005 ,http://codebeter.com. [8] Barry Boehm, â€Å"Spiral Development: Experience, Principles, and Refinements†, edited by Wilfred J. Hansen, 2000 . Nabil Mohammed Ali Munassar was born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in 1978. He studied Computer Science at University of Science and Technology, Yemen from 1997 to 2001. In 2001 he IJCSI International Journal of Computer Science Issues, Vol. 7, Issue 5, September 2010 ISSN (Online): 1694-0814 www.IJCSI.org received the Bachelor degree. He studied Master of Information Technology at Arab Academic, Yemen, from 2004 to 2007. Now rd he Ph.D. Student 3 year of CSE at Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU), Hyderabad, A. P., India. He is working as Associate Professor in Computer Science & Engineering College in University Of Science and Technology, Yemen. His area of interest include Software Engineering, System Analysis and Design, Databases and Object Oriented Technologies. Dr.A.Govardhan: received Ph.D. degree in Computer Science and Engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in 2003, M.Tech. from Jawaharlal Nehru University in 1994 and B.E. from Osmania University in 1992. He is Working as a Principal of Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Jagitial. He has published around 108 papers in various national and international Journals/conferences. His research of interest includes Databases, Data Warehousing & Mining, Information Retrieval, Computer Networks, Image Processing, Software Engineering, Search Engines and Object Oriented Technologies. 101

Best Sample Size for Dissertations

Survey is now a basic tool in social sciences and in some fields of specialization which reliance is from the sampling procedures. Little or unacceptable knowledge will be gained if the sample size is poorly designed and executed: no matter how good the questions are and no matter how impressive the analysis is (Kalton, 1987, p. 4). The important question of how to determine the size of the sample is vital for estimating the parameters (Singh and Chaudhary, 1986, p. 38). Our common sense would suggest that a large sample size will be better than a small one since an increase in sample size will decrease the sampling error. This is not always the case because, for example, having a large sample size with a sampling frame with very similar types of respondents will just be a waste of time. Determining the best sample size will thus depend on the compromise of practical constraints (i. e. money, time, ethical issues) and theoretical considerations. For the simplicity of analysis, given that there are no practical constraints, the following are the rule of thumb: 1. ) If the population is about 50 or less, it is best to sample the whole population; 2. If you have to sample a population of 50 or more, then try to sample around 30 and 3. ) If you will be using stratified sampling, aim to have at least five sampling units from each stratum or category (White, 2002, p. 65-66). With the load of work dissertation requires researchers can not help but to consider the practical constraints. The credibility of the study can thus be sacrificed so it must be the goal of the researcher to find ways to maintain credibi lity while considering constraints. Researcher bias is another issue that may hinder the determination and use of sample size because unless it is a purposive sampling, samples should represent the whole population as much as possible. For example, a bias researcher will decide a sample size that is easy for him to gather and that is fit for his/her desired results. There can never be a perfect or right sample size but there is always a best sample size depending on the nature of your study and on the given population.

Emo Subculture

The Sensitive Subculture A skinny white boy dressed with long black hair, a tight-fitting vintage t-shirt, a pair of torn black skinny jeans and checkerboard converse sneakers walks on stage, strums his skull-covered guitar and sings. Emo is a subculture that heavily relies on emotion, mostly sadness and depression, and takes the emotions to an extreme; emo is short for emotional hardcore. The people in the emo subculture focus on emotion because they do not want to conform to the laid-back popular culture.They express their emotion through a unique music genre, fashion, and a melodramatic attitude in order to distance themselves from the common pop culture. The emo subculture originated from a style of music that mainly focuses on expressing man’s emotions through lyrics about love, anger, and hurt. The music genre conveys women as sexual muses, victimizing the man. While the music of the pop culture welcomes and encourages women sexuality, emo music has made women the origin of emotional pain for men, depicting them as â€Å"heartbreakers. † The music also creates messages about emos feeling isolated.For instance, the image of the album cover for the emo band, silverstein, shows a boy with long hair, wearing tight jeans, sitting alone, and weeping. In their album, Silverstein sings about, love, anger, hurt, and isolation, so the album cover reflects what the music in the album is about. Along with love, anger and hurt, emo music also sings about violence. Blood, kill, dead, hate, and pain are some common lyrics that are used in emo music and are usually directly related to women. The lyrics suggest that women cause pain for men; however, in the common pop culture, men are the ones who are inflicting pain on women.The emo subculture breaks away from this by reversing it. This rebellion is expressed through the emotional music and lyrics of the emo subculture. Along with music, the emo subculture expresses their emotion through a unique recessive fashion. The typical emo fashion consists of skinny jeans, tight t-shirts, zip-up hooded jackets, studded belts, converse or skate shoes, black nail polish, eye liner on both genders, and the notorious emo hairstyle. The typical hairstyle is comprised of long, straightened, black bangs brushed to one side of the face covering one or both eyes.In the second image, the boy’s thick black hair is covering both of his eyes completely. The way his hair covers his eyes, shared with the black shirt signifies how he wants to be secluded, and concealed in the dark. He does not want to see others and does not want others to see him. While the dress of pop culture is very brand driven, baggier, and represents how the culture is open, the slim fitted clothing the emos wear shows how they keep to themselves, focus on themselves, and worry about themselves in order to remain distant from the mainstream fashion.One cannot identify someone as being in a subculture just because of his or her f ashion or musical tastes; the attitude of a person must also be considered. The attitude of the emo subculture can be described as shy, quiet, sensitive, glum, mysterious, self-pitying, and introverted. A typical emo teenager in high school usually sits alone in the corner of the class, keeps to himself, and almost always looks depressed; If he is found with other people, it will usually be with other emos. The subculture has a unique attitude towards life as well.Emos feel that no one accepts them, so they outcast themselves, and view the world around them in a more emotional way. For example, if a common teenager was rejected by a group of people playing basketball because there was already even teams, he would pay casually accept it, and go on with his day. But, if an emo teenager was rejected, he would he would take it personally by assuming it was because they do not socially accept him. Emos tend to over exaggerate the emotions that one might usually feel.They express these em otions through the attitude they have towards life and everyday experiences in order to break away from the pop culture. The emo subculture uses intense emotion to rebel against the common pop culture by over exaggerating the simple emotions one feels in everyday life, showing how they want to be recluse by the way they dress, and singing lyrics of strong emotion. On the stage, the vocalist cries as he sings lyrics of how the woman he loved has left him feeling heartbroken and isolated. Emo Subculture The Emo subculture consists of two distinct groups. The Emo Subculture The term â€Å"Emo† that is now applied to individuals originated as short hand for â€Å"Emotional music† Traditional Emo Sub-Culture This â€Å"emotional music† draws from a broad range of contemporary genres linked with the common consistent themes of emotionally vivid views often associated with adolescence. For many youths of the mid-80s this music functioned as a safe-haven for emotional expression.Over time a subculture was formed around this mutual appreciation and in turn became a safe-haven where youths could freely express themselves while facilitating social interactions and identity formation for these introspective people. From this sprang the Emo subculture that rejected the mainstream in favor of independent performances. Additionally this culture allowed individuals to express their societal views with like minded people, creating the activist stance they are known for today.A s the popularity of the Emo movement grew it became much more accessible to the mainstream industry. Modern Emo Subculture As a result a re-invention of the music and culture was spawned and became the Modern Emo Subculture. While sharing many traits with the traditional Emo this new subculture embraced the mainstream direction of the Emo-music. In time the modern Emo would drift further from it's origins and the previously extreme individualism and non-conformist outlook was replaced with the familiar features of a Trend.This change in outlook paved the way for the signature style Emos are known for today as fans of popular Emo bands began to emulate their idols in both dress and style. The modern day Emo has ironically become heavily influenced by mainstream media and popular figures Emo Influences The Seven P's Marketing to Emos The product we are offering is a clothing range suited to the Emo culture.Product Our product will be differentiated from our competitors in a variety of ways. Our primary method of differentiation will be through the careful establishment of specific product affiliation to key Emo cultural figures and rallying points. We have targeted our approach in this manner to make efficient use of the insular nature of this subculture, making endorsements and sponsorships significantly more effective then those of more traditional consumer bases.The products we offer will also be recognised and differentiated by design. Our products will incorporate patches and logos with popular political, socio-economic and human interest messages much in the same way that many other clothing lines promote bands and groups. It is our belief that the Emo subculture will respond well to the clothing styles with which they are familiar, coupled with the opportunity to express their beliefs and individualism.The price management of the product will be integral to the success of this project Price Entering the Market Place We plan to enter the market in a less t raditional manner in order to take advantage of The Emo's specific traits In the initial stages of our entry to the market we will be undertaking projects to distribute our products at Indie rock music festivals. In particular targeting specific â€Å"up and coming† independent bands and groups Through this we believe we will be able to achieve some portion of the fans devotion to these groups securing customer loyalty while simultaneously achieving our primary goal of brand affiliation.In tandem with this approach we will be selling our products in our own online stores Only after completing our initial placement will our products be offered in retail stores We make this decision with the belief that this approach will generate a sense of exclusivity and hype within the Emo subculture to appeal to the individual nature of our consumer base We are confident that this can be facilitated through the use of social networking sites, in which the Emo subculture is highly active.Pr omotion is one of the cornerstones of our product implementation plan Promotion In addition to this our clothing range will not be separated into the traditional men's and women's categories. Instead we will offer a single androgynous clothing line to match the style and needs of our consumer base. To further facilitate the individuality of the Emo subculture our online stores will allow customers semi-custom design of their purchase through a set selection of logos and logo locations.Allowing customers to choose which message is displayed on what part of their clothing. E. g. A customer may choose to display a pro-vegan logo on the left shoulder or the right breast pocket. We shall be undertaking a number of promotional activities in order to achieve our brand recognition and product affiliation goals. As mentioned in previous sections it is our primary goal to affiliate our products with popular Emo bands and figures, such as Avenged Sevenfold and My Chemical Romance, as well as w ith key concepts and issues important to the Emo subculture.We can achieve this through advertisement at popular concerts either including the acts directly or through banners and posters Additionally we will be hosting giveaway events at concerts with free t-shirts, jackets and other clothing in order to further promote our brand image within the Emo subculture It is also our intention to host sales stalls at charity events with partial proceeds of these sales being donated to the charity in question.Many charity events are popular within the Emo subculture and this is an important opportunity for our corporation to further its image of sharing the same fundamental values as our consumer base. Of course we will also be implementing advertisement activities though social media such as Facebook and Blogging sites. The Emo culture has an active presence on these sites and it represents a cost effective process of engaging our target market.In our dealings with a characteristically exp ressive consumer base it is important to ensure enjoyable interactions People By distributing our products through popular Emo retail stores such as we will be ensuring that the staff will be able to relate to the customer This is important within the Emo culture as fashion is treated as a social statement As we will also be selling our products at concerts, music festivals and charity events, it is imperative we employ staff that can understand and relate to the Emo culture.This has the added benefit of requiring less training for these low level retail positions It is important to make the purchasing process an enjoyable experience Process This is especially true when dealing with such a close-knit and outspoken community. With such specialist products word of mouth could make or break.In order to achieve this we will be focusing on our employees being capable of rapport with the customer and individual opinion on choices as well as the implementation of our online customisation o ptions Emos are characterised as creative and expressive, it is our belief that these customisation options and the ability to discuss their choices with like minded individuals will greatly enhance their experience.Depending upon the success of the customisation function we may implement a custom order system for the independent retailers Physical Evidence Cost plus pricing strategy will be used to target segment with high disposable income Through analysis of the physical evidence we will be able to determine the suitability of our product range Joey Keifouz Ronald Mills Peter Whitehead The Emo Tribe Factors which increase subculture influence Emos and the Macro-environment Demographic environment †¢Increasing diversity: the population in Australia s becoming more ethnically diverse, which increases international exposure through personal relationships. Economic environment †¢Increases in consumer spending: Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 2. 5% over the previous yea r, which translates to an increase in total spending of the same amount. Natural environment †¢Environmental sustainability: Our product will be developed using environmentally sustainable resources.Technological environment †¢Manufacturing innovation: technology is constantly increasing manufacturing capabilities and reducing production costs †¢Social media: The advent of social media has increased advertising exposure for many subcultures including Emo. Political and social environment †¢Increased ethical and social responsibility: product designs are politically influenced and promote messages of responsibility.Factors which decrease subculture influence Emos and the Macro-environment Cultural environment †¢View of nature: the increasing amount of the population which believes in natural responsibility will increase the popularity of our product range. Demographic environment †¢Changing age structure: the average age of the Australian population is s lowly increasing. The Emo subculture is traditionally comprised of older teens and young adults. This will decrease the available market. Demographic environment (cont. ) †¢Geographical population shifts: populations are moving away from capital cities.This not only decreases exposure to Emo subculture, but also decreases advertising effectiveness. Demographic environment (cont. ) †¢More professional population: The rise of professionalism is likely to reduce the popularity of Emo subculture. Economic environment †¢Changes in consumer spending patterns: retail sales have decreased for 2012, eg. From June sales have dropped by 0. 8% Natural environment †¢Environmental disasters: There is always possibilities of natural disasters such as fire and flood which could damage manufacturing capabilities.Political and social environment †¢Changes in legislation: increasing legal restrictions may influence our products. Eg, legislation which bans public political stat ements would cause a sharp decrease in sales. Sales data will be collected from retail and online stores Analysis also reveals success rate of marketing strategies towards Emo segment Online â€Å"secret shopper† to obtain consumer perspective on our product range As a subculture based upon a musical genre the â€Å"non-conformist† Emo may indeed be more heavily influenced then thers Influences upon the Modern Day Emo are not limited to that of high profile bands and celebrities In today's society the Emo is easily recognised by their dark fitted clothing, distinctive hairstyles and overall androgynous approach to fashion. Due to the interconnection of the subculture Emos receive significant influence from their peers resulting in partial feedback causing core issues to self maintain within the society Of this group of peers some Emos have themselves achieved semi-celebrity status as bloggers and rallying points for the Emo subculture