Erosion Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Erosion - Lab Report Example For instance, a young school aged boy did an experiment in his own backyard, right in the middle of the garden. He packed a mound of dirt, and his plan was to measure the affects of erosion over a twelve week period, caused by elements of the weather-the wind and the rain. When his experiment began, the mound of dirt was 42 inches wide and 19 and inches tall. The second week, the dirt mound had spread more than 2 inches outward and dropped approximately 3 inches. Each week, measurements were taken and the data was charted. Unfortunately, the experiment was never finished because it was wrecked (Riordin). Nevertheless, it showed how the elements of the weather can have a great affect on bare soiled mounds, such as the one that was constructed in the Riordin's garden. On a larger and more professional scale than that of a school boy, scientific researchers across the United States experimented with erosion. Their reason for doing so is because they wanted to understand how erosion affected different types of soil in an effort to improve agriculture. In this instance, they wanted to figure out how to best deal with the effects of erosion, while conserving water and soil at the same time. From this in depth experimentation, The Universal Soil Loss Equation was developed, which is considered by those in the field of agriculture to be one of the greatest developments in history, as it concerns the conservation of soil and water (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2009). Research began in central Utah in the year 1912 on land that was overgrazed and no longer fit for use at the time. A.W. Sampson and Associates were the ones who conducted experiments during this time and at this location. In 1917, field erosion plot research was conducted in Missouri by M. F. Miller and his other colleagues. In 1929, congress provided $160,000 of funding to erosion research, as a result of the severe drought that was faced, as well as the Dust Bowl storms that took place. As resource continued, the equation was perfected, and so were water and soil conservation methods. Today, software has been designed from this exact equation that is in use by the Department of Agriculture, as well as commercial farmers (U.S. department of Agriculture, 2009) Because we are working with stiff time constraints, we will not be able to conduct such long and drawn out experiments. We must experiment with erosion on a smaller time scale, and the experiment must take place in an environment that we can easily control. The experiment that is being conducted in this case will consist of three dirt mounds, ten inches high, that are built upon a tray lined with paper, all of them constructed differently. One dirt mound will consist of dirt that is packed together to form a sort-of mountain. The sides will be steep, and the top will be flat. The second mound will be constructed exactly the same; however, there will be a flat layer of pottery clay on top of the flat part of the mound. The third mound will be constructed in the same fashion as the other two, but this one will have grass seed planted on it. The seed will be planted on top, as well as on all sides. The dirt is to be a bit wet, but not too wet, so as to be able to properly form the mound s. All three of the mounds will be kept near a sunny window to simulate the environment of nature outdoors, as this type of environment is realistic, as it will enable the grass to grow and the artificial rain to dry up. Once all mounds are formed and the experiment

The Bretton Woods System Essay Example for Free

The Bretton Woods System Essay The Bretton Woods System (BWS) was implemented in 1946 under the Bretton Woods Agreement, each government obliged to maintain a fixed exchange rate for its currency vis-Ã  -vis the dollar or gold. As one ounce of gold was set equal to $35, fixing a currency’s gold price was equivalent to setting its exchange rate relative to the dollar. The fixed exchange rates were maintained by official intervention in the foreign exchange markets. This intervention was about purchases and sales of dollars by foreign central banks against their own currencies whenever the supply and demand conditions in the market deviate from the agreed on par values. Any dollars acquired by the monetary authorities in the process of an intervention could then be exchanged for gold at the U.S Treasury. In principle, the stability of exchange rates removed uncertainty from international trade and investment transactions. Normally, if a country followed its own policies leading to a higher inflation rate than its trading partners would experience a balance of payments deficit as its good became more expensive, which means its exports will decrease. A deficit has consequences, an increase in the supply of the deficit country’s currency on the foreign exchange markets. The excess supply would demoralize the exchange value of the currency of that country, forcing its authorities to intervene. The nation would be required to buy with its reserves the excess supply of its own currency, in order to reduce the domestic money supply. In addition, as the country’s reserves were depleted, the authorities would be forced to change economic policies to eliminate the source of deficit. The reduction in the money supply and the adoption of restrictive policies would reduce the country’s inflation. Basically, Bretton Woods was a fixed exchange rate system in name only. With 21 major industrial countries, only the U.S and Japan had no change in par value between 1946 and 1971. From the 21 countries, 12 devalued their currencies more than 30% against the dollar, four had revaluations, and four others were floating their currencies till the end of the system. On mid-1971, the president Richard Nixon was obliged to devalue the dollar to deal with America’s emerging trade deficit. The two reasons for the collapse of (BWS) are, inflation in U.S, they financed the escalating war in Vietnam, so they were printing money instead of raising taxes. Another reason is that West Germany, Japan, and Switzerland refused to accept the inflation because a new fixed exchange rate with the dollar will be imposed on them. Thus, the dollar depreciated sharply relative to the currencies of those three countries.

The Significance of the Host/Guest Relationship in The Odyssey Essay

The Odyssey is an epic poem attributed to the now-famous Greek poet, Homer, written approximately in the early sixth century B.C.E. The poem shares the tale of the wily adventuring solider, Odysseus', return from the Trojan war to his wife and home in Ithaca. The poem details his misadventures, the efforts of his son, Telemachus, to find him, and revenge on his wife's suitors. While many themes run through this poem, the most prevalent is that of hospitality. The Host-Guest relationship is significant in the Odyssey as it acts as one of the main thematic devices used by Homer and examples of good hospitality versus bad hospitality and their results serve as the main plot elements throughout the tale. The Host/Guest relationship, also known as the Guest-Friendship relationship was a complex relationship based on a series of ambiguous hospitality laws. "Guest-friend."..is the English rendition of the Greek xenos ...The same Greek word meant `stranger', `foreigner', and sometimes `host', a confusion symbolic of the ambivalence which characterized all dealings with the stranger in the archaic world." The system itself involved a few rituals. The host was not to ask the identity of the guest until after they have eaten, bathed, rested and/or received gifts of monetary value. The gifts varied depending on the seeming status of the guest. Lower class guests received only food, while higher classes received anything from jewels, to weapons to livestock. The Host/Guest relationship is one of the main virtues of the Homeric Greeks. It served as "the alternative to marriage in forging bonds between rulers; and there could have been no more dramatic test of its value in holding the network of relationships together than just such a cr... ... of either guest, nor host, the system of hospitality served as stability and protection in a time of suspicion and danger. Bibliography Beer, Josh, PhD. Lecture: Epic, Carleton University: Classics 2009, September 24th 2003. Beer, Josh, PhD. Lecture: The Odyssey, Carleton University: Classics 2009, October 29th 2003. Beer, Josh, PhD. Lecture: The Odyssey, Carleton University: Classics 2009, November 5th 2003. Finley, M. I. The World of Odysseus. Revised. Middlesex: Penguin Books Ltd., 1967. Homer. The Odyssey. Walter Shewring, translator. New York: Oxford University Press, 1980. Lang, Andrew. The World of Homer. London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1910. Seymour, Thomas Day. Life in the Homeric Age. New York: Biblo and Tannen, 1963. Stagakis, George. Studies in the Homeric Society Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner Verlag GMBH., 1975.

Pakistan-Vietnam Comparison Essay

Introduction Vietnam and Pakistan are two different nations displaying a broad spectrum of cultural values that these nations observe in their politics, economics, social and environmental domains. My study gave me an opportunity to learn about cultural comparisons between the two countries on a macro level which involve not only contrasts but incredible similarities and eventually how these 2 different societies have come out in past 50 years merely due to their cultures, behaviours and actions taken. Culture is one of the key Performance Indicator that builds up a country and displays the frame of mind of the respective nation. The Colonial Occupation & Cold War Era Pakistan and Vietnam share a similar background of colonial occupation. Pakistan appeared on the map of the world in 1947 after a long struggle against the British Occupation and then as a result of Sub-continent partition. The British had left behind a system which was later embraced by both Pakistan and India especially in the area of politics and education. As elaborated by (Marilyn. B. Young,2002), Vietnam was once a French Colony from 1861 till 1954. In contrast to Pakistan, The French colonial system had less impact on the Vietnamese society since before the French, Vietnam had been under strong influence of China therefore the Vietnamese culture has deep connections with the Chinese culture. Even during French occupation, China continued to have influences and links in Northern Vietnam. It was not surprising that Vietnam later emerged as a communist state. (Marilyn. B. Young,2002) explains Vietnam War as one of the most prominent cold war that started in 1963 when Ngo Dinh Diem was assassinated in South Vietnam and National Liberation Front (NLF) started to operate in that region. NLF was strongly supported by North Vietnam establishment. This movement sparked the attention of the United States and then began the infamous involvement of the US army that resulted in 2 million Vietnamese causalities. During this phase Vietnam was in complete disorder and civil unrest was observed in the most hideous form. The war left the nation with horrifying memories and shattered economy. Pakistan though has not faced Cold War directly like Vietnam but it had a major impact on its society due to the Afghanistan Cold War which erupted as a result of Russian assault. Millions of Afghan Refugees flocked to Pakistan for shelter along with some undesirable elements that infiltrated which brought drugs and weapons into the country. By the end of Cold War and Taliban taking over Afghanistan, Pakistani nation was left with bigger challenges to face, both political and economic in nature. Most of the Afghan Refugees didn’t leave but they contributed in country’s economy by establishing businesses in the textile & transportation industry. In Pakistan around 1. 5 million Afghanis are living adding diversity in Pakistan’s cultural scene. It is very interesting to see how involvement of other nations like stated above can impact a country’s various cultural domains which we will discuss in following topics 1) Politics 2) Economy, and 3) Other Cultural Aspects. Politics One of the elements that Pakistan adopted from British colonial was the ‘Parliamentarian’ system. The system however is extremely mutated where power is concentrated at the Federal level and is centralized. Provisional autonomy is inadequate when it comes to distribution of wealth & natural resources with no accountability. The power distance has created an imbalance in the society and among the provinces which has given rise to biased approach by the people to support and elect parties that speak their language and belong to their provinces with a belief that if they elect politicians in the Federal government from their own region, they will get the due attention to the problems in their area. This has given rise to multiple regional political parties. The Politicians exploit the regional associations of the people who are divided based on ethnic background and language. All parties in Pakistan belong to elite families which continue to elect their own family members within the party without consultation with rest of the party members. High Collectivism is observed among the elite and the ruling groups to support common interests. The society shows high individualism by mostly supporting individuals of the political parties based on their regional or language affiliations. In contrast, the society shows high collectivism on religious matters and other national issues like Kashmir whereby society unites for the cause irrespective of race, language or ethnicity. The Political System failed miserably due to frequent intervention of the Military and mainly due to the feudalistic attitudes of the politicians and government. On top of this bureaucracy is working for the welfare of the elite rather than the people of Pakistan. There is a culture to suppress the under-paid subordinate to get work done by fair or unfair means. This has given rise to corruption throughout the Government & Institutions. Consultation is a far cry when it comes to making decisions on any level. (Wikipedia, 2009) explains Vietnam’s Governing Model which is centralised but is based on a single-party constitution over 58 provinces. The single party is the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV); clearly the Chinese influence has seeped into the Vietnamese Political structure as well. Non party independent candidates are allowed to contest elections. But CPV holds absolute power, an authoritarian regime (Tuong-Vu, 2009) argues, on state level which controls the workings of parliamentary, executive and judicial domains. The party agenda is established by the Politburo which is a 14 member party policy making committee. The President, Prime Minister and General Secretary are members of the Politburo. In contrast to Pakistan, President holds more power as compared to the Prime Minister. For example, in Pakistan the PM has the power to appoint the Army Chief while in Vietnam this decision lies with the President, the Pakistan National Assembly consist of members from multiple parties while majority in Vietnam National Assembly members belong to the CPV etc. In another contrast, there is no visibility of actual opposition party in the Vietnam which has curbed accountability of the ruling party & government officials augmenting corruption. High Collectivism of the CPV is seen in running the country’s political, judicial and economic streams. Same is observed in Pakistan’s government framework. A great positive advancement and signs of individualism for Pakistan in past few years is the independent media and up-rise of the civil society for an independent Judiciary. The media is getting stronger and freedom of speech is on the rise.

US Current Account Deficit

According to Peterson Institute for International Economics, the Current Account Deficit of the United States is now at the highest point it has ever reached, nearing $800 billion. This situation is not financially sustainable because in accounting terms it demands that the US economy must import about $4 billion every working day to offset the deficit. The deficit is definitely a problem for the economy because it has to be addressed both economically and politically.The two factors, economics and politics go hand in hand and the relationship between the two factors is directly proportional meaning that when politics are generally tranquil, the economy grows and vice versa. To be able to address the deficit a combination of well orchestrated measures must be taken thus: – i) The first measure is rather obvious and it dictates a sizable reduction in the US budget expenditure.Money guzzlers like the protracted wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have to be contained. ii) The second me asure is an expansion of demand for domestic US products in other economies particularly other major economies for faster results. Along with this expansion, the US has to reduce its dependence on imports particularly oil whose price fluctuations have a negative effect on the US economy. iii) The third measure is a technical gradual and substantial realignment of currency exchange rates.A cheaper dollar would stimulate exports which would in turn earn the US the much needed foreign exchange. One handicap with this measure is that other major economies like China and the Oil Producing States have to allow the dollar to fall further against their currencies an act which is not probable. This is because of the less than amiable relations between the US and the other economies. Simply put, these nations might not be very willing to bail the US out.

The eNotes Blog For Students eNotes Intern Spills on the Other Ways to Prepare forCollege

For Students Intern Spills on the Other Ways to Prepare forCollege Your teachers and counselors may have all of your academic college-prep under control (or if not, is here to help), but we at know that theres a lot more to the adjustment of going off to university than pure schooling. Most of you will be moving away from home, and aside from the stress of taking your first midterms or deciding your major, youll have to deal with the daunting, albeit exciting, life change of surviving on your own for the first time. The thing is, a young mind isnt going to be able to function on a diet of MSG or amongst that mounting pile of laundry you double up as a bean bag. With that in mind we asked our intern, fresh out of UCLA, for some sound advice on how to survive and thrive in your first year.  Whether youre spending your last summer before becoming an undergraduate or youre several years into the college system (its not too late!), youll probably want to follow these useful tips: Learn basic life skills If you haven’t learned how to perform basic tasks like laundry and cooking, do it now. You would be amazed at the sheer numbers of kids who come to college and end up with a load of pink underwear because no one told them not to wash reds and whites together. And then there are those who rely on Febreze alone to do the job, but I wont go there Dont become a social pariah in your pink pants or smelly shirtsdo your laundry people! Learning how to cook may not seem important if you’re moving into a dorm, but once you decide you’re sick of living in a closet and sharing a bathroom with fifty other people, it will be nice to not have to survive off ramen and Marie Callenders pot pies. Watch your mom or dad. Give yourself that edge so you know how to function as an adult while others flounder around you. Trust me, beans on toast is not date night material. Keep to a schedule An 8 AM class may seem like nothing when you sign up for it. You’ll think to yourself that you did it every day in high school, that it won’t be a problem to do it again in college. However, there are a few factors that change this radically. First, most college classes do not require attendance. It is much easier to justify skipping class when you’re tired from studying (or partying) the night before and you know your professor won’t notice whether you’re there or not. Secondly, your parents won’t be around to make sure you’re out of bed and getting ready. If you’re lucky and you have a considerate roommate, they might wake you up if they notice you’re oversleeping, but that is extremely unlikely, as they will have their own schedule, their own problems, and their own Harry Potter FanLit following to worry about. Keeping a schedule over the summer means that you won’t have to readjust to waking up before noon and doing something other than playing video games in your underwear all day. You can still relax, but at the same time, try to wake up early and go for a bike ride or read a book. You’ll benefit from it later on. Attend orientation If your college offers an orientation program, attend it, whether it is mandatory or not. It will help you prepare for classes, get you familiar with the campus, and introduce you to fellow freshmen. Even if you have friends attending the same college as you, it can’t hurt to make some new friends before you plunge into the deep end in the fall. It’s also nice to revisit the campus in full knowledge that you will be going there in a couple of short months. It’s a good feeling. Orientation helps because, when fall rolls around, you won’t be feeling quite so out of your depth. Take a tour of your campus and housing If possible, taking tours and seeing where you will be going to classes and where you will be living helps out a lot. It will also assuage some of your parents’ fears. Again, it’s all about familiarization; it’s hard enough to adjust to a completely new lifestyle. If you already have some idea of how to get around campus without getting lost you’ll feel a lot more comfortable. In addition, touring the dorms will let you know just how small a space you will be living in, and maybe it’s not such a good idea to bring your giant flatscreen or your entire collection of books. Participate in social media sites belonging to your school I just graduated from UCLA, and I can easily name, off the top of my head, at least five websites actively used by a large portion of the student population that bring us closer together as a community. Some are informative, some are entertaining, and others are bizarre. Look into what your college’s online community is like; reddit.com is host to many lively college boards and may be a good place to start seeing what the people on campus are like. You might even find a place where you can ask any questions you might have, and get more advice that is specific to the college you will be attending. Connect with the students themselves; knowing the inside information on which dining hall to avoid, which professor is most likely to offer extra credit, or the best places to study on campus, is invaluable. Exercise The Freshman Fifteen is not a myth! Dining halls are enticingly convenient and often all-you-can-eat. Sometimes, it’s just easier to grab a basket of fries rather than assembling a salad of questionable freshness. Establish good habits now, rather than suffering later on. Want a dining commons trick? Mine offered grilled chicken breast sandwiches at one station, complete with sugary  barbecue  sauce and onion rings. Nice for a cheat day, sure, but not for everyday. One trick I learned was to ask one of the cafeteria servers for the chicken breast only. This I chopped up and mixed in with a salad from the greens station. Its a fact of college life that youll sometimes have to get creative with your DC food if you want to eat well. Most universities also hold intramural sports leagues every quarter. These are designed to be fun and a little bit silly (popular ones include indoor soccer, extreme frisbee, inner-tube water polo, and yes, even quidditch) but will help you work up a sweat nonetheless. Theyre also one of the best ways I know to meet new people and bond with your fellow dorm mates.

Parental Substance Abuse essays

Parental Substance Abuse essays The Social influence that is most significant was when growing up as a child; I was exposed to parental substance abuse. By the time I turned ten, my mother was addicted to crack. Before I turned twelve, my mother had a little brother that I had to take care of. As a result, I had to grow up at an early age. I was deprived of my childhood because I had to raise myself as well as my brother. For example, instead of playing hop scotch and double-dutch, I became the responsible child for the environment that I was in. I would direct my brother in the room and close the door because my mother was under the influence, and I did not want my brother to have to endure that. I would ensure that my brother completed his homework. I fed him, instructed him to take a bath, put his night clothes on and then go to bed. This routine became the norms (Myers 2013) for this twelve year old little girl who had a flow chart across her bed room wall marking down what she needed to do. I assumed a lot of responsibility because I needed some type of structure. In addition, I was very frightened for me and my brothers well being, because of the concern that I had pertaining to my mother dying as a result of her addiction to crack. In my eyes, my mother wanted to be drug addict and not a mother to her children. As a result, I adopted dual attitude system.(Myers 2013) The conflict of my attitudes was I disliked my mother because of her addiction, but because she is my mother, I had to respected her enough not to tell her how I really felt. As a result, my social life was limited because I conjured up a low self esteem. (Myers 2013) I avoided bringing home friends or going out in public with my mother. I avoided making friends out of the profound fear of what other parents would say about troubled families. Consequently, learned helplessness (Myers 2013) kicked in because I did not understand my mothers mood and behavior was determined by th...

How to Write an A+ Argumentative Essay

How to Write an A+ Argumentative Essay SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You'll no doubt have to write a number of argumentative essays in both high school and college, but what, exactly, is an argumentative essay and how do you write the best one possible? Let's take a look. A great argumentative essay always combines the same basic elements: approaching an argument from a rational perspective, researching sources, supporting your claims using facts rather than opinion, and articulating your reasoning into the most cogent and reasoned points. Argumentative essays are great building blocks for all sorts of research and rhetoric, so your teachers will expect you to master the technique before long. But if this sounds daunting, never fear! We’ll show how an argumentative essay differs from other kinds of papers, how to research and write them, how to pick an argumentative essay topic, and where to find example essays. So let's get started. What Is an Argumentative Essay? How Is it Different from Other Kinds of Essays? There are two basic requirements for any and all essays: to state a claim (a thesis statement) and to support that claim with evidence. Though every essay is founded on these two ideas, there are several different types of essays, differentiated by the style of the writing, how the writer presents the thesis, and the types of evidence used to support the thesis statement. Essays can be roughly divided into four different types: #1: Argumentative#2: Persuasive#3: Expository#4: Analytical So let’s look at each type and what the differences are between them before we focus the rest of our time to argumentative essays. Argumentative Essay Argumentative essays are what this article is all about, so let's talk about them first. An argumentative essay attempts to convince a reader to agree with a particular argument (the writer's thesis statement). The writer takes a firm stand one way or another on a topic and then uses hard evidence to support that stance. An argumentative essay seeks to prove to the reader that one argument- the writer's argument- is the factually and logically correct one. This means that an argumentative essay must use only evidence-based support to back up a claim, rather than emotional or philosophical reasoning (which is often allowed in other types of essays). Thus, an argumentative essay has a burden of substantiated proof and sources, whereas some other types of essays (namely persuasive essays) do not. You can write an argumentative essay on any topic, so long as there's room for argument. Generally, you can use the same topics for both a persuasive essay or an argumentative one, so long as you support the argumentative essay with hard evidence. Example topics of an argumentative essay: â€Å"Should farmers be allowed to shoot wolves if those wolves injure or kill farm animals?† â€Å"Should the drinking age be lowered in the United States?† â€Å"Are alternatives to democracy effective and/or feasible to implement?† The next three types of essays are not argumentative essays, but you may have written them in school. We're going to cover them so you know what not to do for your argumentative essay. Persuasive Essay Persuasive essays are similar to argumentative essays, so it can be easy to get them confused. But knowing what makes an argumentative essay different than a persuasive essay can often mean the difference between an excellent grade and an average one. Persuasive essays seek to persuade a reader to agree with the point of view of the writer, whether that point of view is based on factual evidence or not. The writer has much more flexibility in the evidence they can use, with the ability to use moral, cultural, or opinion-based reasoning as well as factual reasoning to persuade the reader to agree the writer’s side of a given issue. Instead of being forced to use â€Å"pure† reason as one would in an argumentative essay, the writer of a persuasive essay can manipulate or appeal to the reader’s emotions. So long as the writer attempts to steer the readers into agreeing with the thesis statement, the writer doesn’t necessarily need hard evidence in favor of the argument. Often, you can use the same topics for both a persuasive essay or an argumentative one- the difference is all in the approach and the evidence you present. Example topics of a persuasive essay: â€Å"Should children be responsible for their parents’ debts?† â€Å"Should cheating on a test be automatic grounds for expulsion?† â€Å"How much should sports leagues be held accountable for player injuries and the long-term consequences of those injuries?† Expository Essay An expository essay is typically a short essay in which the writer explains an idea, issue, or theme, or discusses the history of a person, place, or idea. This is typically a fact-forward essay with little argument or opinion one way or the other. Example topics of an expository essay: â€Å"The History of the Philadelphia Liberty Bell† â€Å"The Reasons I Always Wanted to be a Doctor† â€Å"The Meaning Behind the Colloquialism ‘People in Glass Houses Shouldn’t Throw Stones’† Analytical Essay An analytical essay seeks to delve into the deeper meaning of a text or work of art, or unpack a complicated idea. These kinds of essays closely interpret a source and look into its meaning by analyzing it at both a macro and micro level. This type of analysis can be augmented by historical context or other expert or widely-regarded opinions on the subject, but is mainly supported directly through the original source (the piece or art or text being analyzed). Example topics of an analytical essay: â€Å"Victory Gin in Place of Water: The Symbolism Behind Gin as the Only Potable Substance in George Orwell's 1984† â€Å"Amarna Period Art: The Meaning Behind the Shift from Rigid to Fluid Poses† â€Å"Adultery During WWII, as Told Through a Series of Letters to and from Soldiers† There are many different types of essay and, over time, you'll be able to master them all. A Typical Argumentative Essay Assignment The average argumentative essay is between three to five pages, and will require at least three or four separate sources with which to back your claims. As for the essay topic, you'll most often be asked to write an argumentative essay in an English class on a â€Å"general† topic of your choice, ranging the gamut from science, to history, to literature. But while the topics of an argumentative essay can span several different fields, the structure of an argumentative essay is always the same: you must support a claim- a claim that can reasonably have multiple sides- using multiple sources and using a standard essay format (which we'll talk about later on). This is why many argumentative essay topics begin with the word â€Å"should,† as in: â€Å"Should all students be required to learn chemistry in high school?† â€Å"Should children be required to learn a second language?† â€Å"Should schools or governments be allowed to ban books?† These topics all have at least two sides of the argument: Yes or no. And you must support the side you choose with evidence as to why your side is the correct one. But there are also plenty of other ways to frame an argumentative essay as well: â€Å"Does using social media do more to benefit or harm people?† â€Å"Does the legal status of artwork or its creators- graffiti and vandalism, pirated media, a creator who’s in jail- have an impact on the art itself?† â€Å"Is or should anyone ever be ‘above the law?’† Though these are worded differently than the first three, you're still essentially forced to pick between two sides of an issue: yes or no, for or against, benefit or detriment. Though your argument might not fall entirely into one side of the divide or another- for instance, you could claim that social media has positively impacted some aspects of modern life while being a detriment to others- your essay should still support one side of the argument above all. Your final stance would be that overall, social media is beneficial or overall, social media is harmful. If your argument is one that is mostly text-based or backed by a single source (e.g., â€Å"How does Salinger show that Holden Caulfield is an unreliable narrator?† or â€Å"Does Gatsby personify the American Dream?†), then it’s an analytical essay, rather than an argumentative essay. An argumentative essay will always be focused on more general topics so that you can use multiple sources to back up your claims. Good Argumentative Essay Topics So you know the basic idea behind an argumentative essay, but what topic should you write about? Again, almost always, you'll be asked to write an argumentative essay on a free topic of your choice, or you'll be asked to select between a few given topics. If you're given complete free reign of topics, then it'll be up to you to find an essay topic that no only appeals to you, but that you can turn into an A+ argumentative essay. What makes a â€Å"good† argumentative essay topic depends on both the subject matter and your personal interest- it can be hard to give your best effort on something that bores you to tears! But it can also be near impossible to write an argumentative essay on a topic that has no room for debate. As we said earlier, a good argumentative essay topic will be one that has the potential to reasonably go in at least two directions- for or against, yes or no, and why. For example, it’s pretty hard to write an argumentative essay on whether or not people should be allowed to murder one another- not a whole lot of debate there for most people!- but writing an essay for or against the death penalty has a lot more wiggle room for evidence and argument. A good topic is also one that can be substantiated through hard evidence and relevant sources. So be sure to pick a topic that other people have studied (or at least studied elements of) so that you can use their data in your argument. For example, if you’re arguing that it should be mandatory for all middle school children to play a sport, you might have to apply smaller scientific data points to the larger picture you're trying to justify. There are probably several studies you could cite on the benefits of physical activity and the positive effect structure and teamwork has on young minds, but there's probably no study you could use where a group of scientists put all middle-schoolers in one jurisdiction into a mandatory sports program (since that’s probably never happened). So long as your evidence is relevant to your point and you can extrapolate from it to form a larger whole, you can use it as a part of your resource material. And if you need ideas on where to get started, or just want to see sample argumentative essay topics, then check out these links for hundreds of potential argumentative essay topics. 101 Persuasive (or Argumentative) Essay and Speech Topics 301 Prompts for Argumentative Writing Top 50 Ideas for Argumentative/Persuasive Essay Writing [Note: some of these say "persuasive essay topics," but just remember that the same topic can often be used for both a persuasive essay and an argumentative essay; the difference is in your writing style and the evidence you use to support your claims.] KO! Find that one argumentative essay topic you can absolutely conquer. Argumentative Essay Format Argumentative Essays are composed of four main elements: A position (your argument) Your reasons Supporting evidence for those reasons (from reliable sources) Counterargument(s) (possible opposing arguments and reasons why those arguments are incorrect) If you’re familiar with essay writing in general, then you’re also probably familiar with the five paragraph essay structure. This structure is a simple tool to show how one outlines an essay and breaks it down into its component parts, although it can be expanded into as many paragraphs as you want beyond the core five. The standard argumentative essay is often 3-5 pages, which will usually mean a lot more than five paragraphs, but your overall structure will look the same as a much shorter essay. An argumentative essay at its simplest structure will look like: Paragraph 1: Intro Set up the story/problem/issue Thesis/claim Paragraph 2: Support Reason #1 claim is correct Supporting evidence with sources Paragraph 3: Support Reason #2 claim is correct Supporting evidence with sources Paragraph 4: Counterargument Explanation of argument for the other side Refutation of opposing argument with supporting evidence Paragraph 5: Conclusion Re-state claim Sum up reasons and support of claim from the essay to prove claim is correct Now let’s unpack each of these paragraph types to see how they work (with examples!), what goes into them, and why. Paragraph 1- Set Up and Claim Your first task is to introduce the reader to the topic at hand so they’ll be prepared for your claim. Give a little background information, set the scene, and give the reader some stakes so that they care about the issue you're going to discuss. Next, you absolutely must have a position on an argument and make that position clear to the readers. It’s not an argumentative essay unless you’re arguing for a specific claim, and this claim will be your thesis statement. Your thesis CANNOT be a mere statement of fact (e.g., â€Å"Washington DC is the capital of the United States†). Your thesis must instead be an opinion which can be backed up with evidence and has the potential to be argued against (e.g., â€Å"New York should be the capital of the United States†). Paragraphs 2 and 3- Your Evidence These are your body paragraphs in which you give the reasons why your argument is the best one and back up this reasoning with concrete evidence. The argument supporting the thesis of an argumentative essay should be one that can be supported by facts and evidence, rather than personal opinion or cultural or religious mores. For example, if you’re arguing that New York should be the new capital of the US, you would have to back up that fact by discussing the factual contrasts between New York and DC in terms of location, population, revenue, and laws. You would then have to talk about the precedents for what makes for a good capital city and why New York fits the bill more than DC does. Your argument can’t simply be that a lot of people think New York is the best city ever and that you agree. In addition to using concrete evidence, you always want to keep the tone of your essay passionate, but impersonal. Even though you’re writing your argument from a single opinion, don’t use first person language- â€Å"I think,† â€Å"I feel,† â€Å"I believe,†- to present your claims. Doing so is repetitive, since by writing the essay you’re already telling the audience what you feel, and using first person language weakens your writing voice. For example, â€Å"I think that Washington DC is no longer suited to be the capital city of the United States.† Versus, â€Å"Washington DC is no longer suited to be the capital city of the United States.† The second statement sounds far stronger and more analytical. Paragraph 4- Argument for the Other Side and Refutation Even without a counter argument, you can make a pretty persuasive claim, but a counterargument will round out your essay into one that is much more persuasive and substantial. By anticipating an argument against your claim and taking the initiative to counter it, you’re allowing yourself to get ahead of the game. This way, you show that you’ve given great thought to all sides of the issue before choosing your position, and you demonstrate in multiple ways how yours is the more reasoned and supported side. Paragraph 5- Conclusion This paragraph is where you re-state your argument and summarize why it’s the best claim. Briefly touch on your supporting evidence and voila! A finished argumentative essay. Your essay should have just as awesome a skeleton as this plesiosaur does. (In other words: a ridiculously awesome skeleton) Argumentative Essay Example: 5-Paragraph Style It always helps to have an example to learn from. I've written a full 5-paragraph argumentative essay here. Look at how I state my thesis in paragraph 1, give supporting evidence in paragraphs 2 and 3, address a counterargument in paragraph 4, and conclude in paragraph 5. Topic: Is it possible to maintain conflicting loyalties? Paragraph 1 It is almost impossible to go through life without encountering a situation where your loyalties to different people or causes come into conflict with each other. Maybe you have a loving relationship with your sister, but she disagrees with your decision to join the army, or you find yourself torn between your cultural beliefs and your scientific ones. These conflicting loyalties can often be maintained for a time, but as examples from both history and psychological theory illustrate, sooner or later, people have to make a choice between competing loyalties, as no one can maintain a conflicting loyalty or belief system forever. The first two sentences set the scene and give some hypothetical examples and stakes for the reader to care about. The third sentence finishes off the intro with the thesis statement, making very clear how the author stands on the issue ("people have to make a choice between competing loyalties, as no one can maintain a conflicting loyalty or belief system forever.") Paragraphs 2 and 3 Psychological theory states that human beings are not equipped to maintain conflicting loyalties indefinitely and that attempting to do so leads to a state called â€Å"cognitive dissonance.† Cognitive dissonance theory is the psychological idea that people undergo tremendous mental stress or anxiety when holding contradictory beliefs, values, or loyalties (Festinger, 1957). Even if human beings initially hold a conflicting loyalty, they will do their best to find a mental equilibrium by making a choice between those loyalties- stay stalwart to a belief system or change their beliefs. One of the earliest formal examples of cognitive dissonance theory comes from Leon Festinger’s When Prophesy Fails. Members of an apocalyptic cult are told that the end of the world will occur on a specific date and that they alone will be spared the Earth’s destruction. When that day comes and goes with no apocalypse, the cult members face a cognitive dissonance between what they s ee and what they’ve been led to believe (Festinger, 1956). Some choose to believe that the cult's beliefs are still correct, but that the Earth was simply spared from destruction by mercy, while others choose to believe that they were lied to and that the cult was fraudulent all along. Both beliefs cannot be correct at the same time, and so the cult members are forced to make their choice. But even when conflicting loyalties can lead to potentially physical, rather than just mental, consequences, people will always make a choice to fall on one side or other of a dividing line. Take, for instance, Nicolaus Copernicus, a man born and raised in Catholic Poland (and educated in Catholic Italy). Though the Catholic church dictated specific scientific teachings, Copernicus' loyalty to his own observations and scientific evidence won out over his loyalty to his country’s government and belief system. When he published his heliocentric model of the solar systemin opposition to the geocentric model that had been widely accepted for hundreds of years (Hannam, 2011) Copernicus was making a choice between his loyalties. In an attempt to maintain his fealty both to the established system and to what he believed, he sat on his findings for a number of years (Fantoli, 1994). But, ultimately, Copernicus made the choice to side with his beliefs and observations above all and pub lished his work for the world to see (even though, in doing so, he risked both his reputation and personal freedoms). These two paragraphs provide the reasons why the author supports the main argument and uses substantiated sources to back those reasons. The paragraph on cognitive dissonance theory gives both broad supporting evidence and more narrow, detailed supporting evidence to show why the thesis statement is correct not just anecdotally but also scientifically and psychologically. First, we see why people in general have a difficult time accepting conflicting loyalties and desires and then how this applies to individuals through the example of the cult members from the Dr. Festinger's research. The next paragraph continues to use more detailed examples from history to provide further evidence of why the thesis that people cannot indefinitely maintain conflicting loyalties is true. Paragraph 4 Some will claim that it is possible to maintain conflicting beliefs or loyalties permanently, but this is often more a matter of people deluding themselves and still making a choice for one side or the other, rather than truly maintaining loyalty to both sides equally. For example, Lancelot du Lac typifies a person who claims to maintain a balanced loyalty between to two parties, but his attempt to do so fails (as all attempts to permanently maintain conflicting loyalties must). Lancelot tells himself and others that he is equally devoted to both King Arthur and his court and to being Queen Guinevere’s knight (Malory, 2008). But he can neither be in two places at once to protect both the king and queen, nor can he help but let his romantic feelings for the queen to interfere with his duties to the king and the kingdom. Ultimately, he and Queen Guinevere give into their feelings for one another and Lancelot- though he denies it- chooses his loyalty to her over his loyalty to Ar thur. This decision plunges the kingdom into a civil war, ages Lancelot prematurely, and ultimately leads to Camelot’s ruin (Raabe, 1987). Though Lancelot claimed to have been loyal to both the king and the queen, this loyalty was ultimately in conflict, and he could not maintain it. Here we have the acknowledgement of a potential counter-argument and the evidence as to why it isn't true. The argument is that some people (or literary characters) have asserted that they give equal weight to their conflicting loyalties. The refutation is that, though some may claim to be able to maintain conflicting loyalties, they're either lying to others or deceiving themselves. The paragraph shows why this is true by providing an example of this in action. Paragraph 5 Whether it be through literature or history, time and time again, people demonstrate the challenges of trying to manage conflicting loyalties and the inevitable consequences of doing so. Though belief systems are malleable and will often change over time, it is not possible to maintain two mutually exclusive loyalties or beliefs at once. In the end, people always make a choice, and loyalty for one party or one side of an issue will always trump loyalty to the other. The concluding paragraph summarizes the essay, touches on the evidence presented, and re-states the thesis statement. How to Write an Argumentative Essay: 8 Steps Writing the best argumentative essay is all about the preparation, so let's talk steps: #1: Preliminary Research If you have the option to pick your own argumentative essay topic (which you most likely will), then choose one or two topics you find the most intriguing or that you have a vested interest in and do some preliminary research on both sides of the debate. Do an open internet search just to see what the general chatter is on the topic and what the research trends are. Did your preliminary reading influence you to pick a side or change your side? Without diving into all the scholarly articles at length, do you believe there’s enough evidence to support your claim? Have there been scientific studies? Experiments? Does a noted scholar in the field agree with you? If not, you may need to pick another topic or side of the argument to support. #2: Pick Your Side and Form Your Thesis Now's the time to pick the side of the argument you feel you can support the best and summarize your main point into your thesis statement. Your thesis will be the basis of your entire essay, so make sure you know which side you’re on, that you’ve stated it clearly, and that you stick by your argument throughout the entire essay. #3: Heavy-Duty Research Time You’ve taken a gander at what the internet at large has to say on your argument, but now’s the time to actually read those sources and take notes. Check scholarly journals online at Google Scholar, the Directory of Open Access Journals, or JStor. You can also search individual university or school libraries and websites to see what kinds of academic articles you can access for free. Keep track of your important quotes and page numbers and put them somewhere that’s easy to find later. And don’t forget to check your school or local libraries as well! #4: Outline Follow the five-paragraph outline structure from the previous section. Fill in your topic, your reasons, and your supporting evidence into each of the categories. Before you begin to flesh out the essay, take a look at what you’ve got. Is your thesis statement in the first paragraph? Is it clear? Is your argument logical? Does your supporting evidence support your reasoning? By outlining your essay, you streamline your process and take care of any logic gaps before you dive headfirst into the writing. This will save you a lot of grief later on if you need to change your sources or your structure, so don’t get too trigger-happy and skip this step. #5: Draft Now that you’ve laid out exactly what you’ll need for your essay and where, it’s time to fill in all the gaps by writing it out. Take it one step at a time and expand your ideas into complete sentences and substantiated claims. It may feel daunting to turn an outline into a complete draft, but just remember that you’ve already laid out all the groundwork; now you’re just filling in the gaps. #6: Edit If you have the time before deadline, give yourself a day or two (or even just an hour!) away from your essay. Looking it over with fresh eyes will allow you to see errors, both minor and major, that you likely would have missed had you tried to edit when it was still raw. Take a first pass over the entire essay and try your best to ignore any minor spelling or grammar mistakes- you’re just looking at the big picture right now. Does it make sense as a whole? Did the essay succeed in making an argument and backing that argument up logically? (Do you feel persuaded?) If not, go back and make notes so that you can fix it for your final draft. Once you’ve made your revisions to the overall structure, mark all your small errors and grammar problems so you can fix them in the next draft. #7: Final Draft Use the notes you made on the rough draft and go in and hack and smooth away until you’re satisfied with the final result. A checklist for your final draft: Formatting is correct according to your teacher’s standards No errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation Essay is the right length and size for the assignment The argument is present, consistent, and concise Each reason is supported by relevant evidence The essay makes sense overall #8: Celebrate! Once you’ve brought that final draft to a perfect polish and turned in your assignment, you’re done! Go you! Be prepared and â™ ª you'll never go hungry again â™ ª, *cough*, or struggle with your argumentative essay-writing again. (Walt Disney Studios) Good Examples of Argumentative Essays Online Theory is all well and good, but examples are key. Just to get you started on what a fully-fleshed out argumentative essay looks like, let's see some examples in action. Check out these two argumentative essay examples on the use of landmines and freons (and note the excellent use of concrete sources to back up their arguments!). The Use of Landmines A Shattered Sky The Take-Aways: Keys to Writing an Argumentative Essay At first, writing an argumentative essay may seem like a monstrous hurdle to overcome, but with the proper preparation and understanding, you'll be able to knock yours out of the park. Remember the differences between a persuasive essay and an argumentative one, make sure your thesis is clear, and double-check that your supporting evidence is both relevant to your point and well-sourced. Pick your topic, do your research, make your outline, and fill in the gaps. Before you know it, you'll have yourself an A+ argumentative essay there, my friend.

Environmental Scan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Environmental Scan - Research Paper Example While the internal business environment refers to the factors affecting the business from within, the global environment describes factors in the business external or macro environment (Holman 23). The business macro environment describes factors like competition, clients, industries, market, companies and even clients. In the light of these, business environmental scanning in business can be described as the study and prospective intepretation of the factors influencing business performance. Some of these factors include economic, technological, social and political, including the trends that power businesses, industries and markets in entirety. At Coinstar Company, the process of environmental scanning should include such factors as emerging issues, trends as well as expectations of the various interest parties in the business. Issues, as featured in environmental scanning, often refers to the forerunners of particular business trend breakers. Business environment analysis enables businesses categorize different factors as threats or opportunities, thereby devising strategies that enable them navigate the journey in their environment. The following are examples of elements that can be opportunities or threats to at Coinstar, depedning on how the company appraoches it Social trends: Social trends in business refers to activities that are participated in by the business in the course of its operations. These trends include marketing, supply chain management and cultural aspects. Social trends can be business opportunities depending on how the business reacts to it (Diven and Mark 57). For instance, when a business decides to change its marketing patterns and supply chains to feature various innovations and technological advancements, the development can be an opportunity to the business Technological developments: Technology is a significant factor in modern business, in the face of globalization and increasing

Looking exercise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Looking exercise - Essay Example In gatherings where the people went out to make merry, people would always remember him and wish that he was there as he was a perfect host for such events. In his conversations with the visitors that came to see him in his deathbed, he seems to be a man who has resigned to his fate. He also seems to expect that the worst would eventually come to him for the wrong that he had done. However, the people around him including his parents do not have an idea as to why he is ailing as the doctors cannot seem to find out what he is suffering from. To a large extent, kashiwagi was a leader who was hailed for all the good that he had done. Even his brothers regarded him as more of a father than a brother. His mother on the other hand is very fixated with her son to the point that she feels she would not have anything more to live for once he is gone. His wife, although aggrieved by the betrayal she suffered under him is at first reluctant to communicate with him but later softens her stand and writes him back. The saga that has led to the rift between Kashiwagi and his wife is only known by a small number of people. The rest of the society thinks that Kashiwagi was bewitched by a woman that he had been involved with but none can attest to that. Here, the gods seemed resigned to punishing Kashiwagi for the wrongs that he had committed and the price he paid was his life. By sleeping with another man’s wife, his sister in law, did he deserve death? Was this betrayal deserving of death? Certainly, it seems that Kashiwagi bore the blunt for his actions. His partner by whom he sires a son suffers a brief bout but nothing too serious to cost her life. Only she and her husband seem to be aware that the child was Kashiwagi’s. Her husband even prayed that the baby born be a girl instead of a boy so that the resemblance to Kashiwagi is masked. The hypothesis here is that mistakes done out of vanity

Information Assurance and Governance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Information Assurance and Governance - Essay Example IT governance system established in many organisations is incongruent as it has been designed in several different patches of problem solving mechanisms. The designing activity of the governance system reduces the synergy level and limits the opportunities for strategic impact from IT. In order to deal with the issue it is important for the management of the organisation to design the IT governance procedure according to the goals and objectives of the organisation. The notion requires the management of the organisation to actively play part in the procedure. Without the proper support of the management the successful designing and implementation process of IT governance cannot be undertaken. Although it is not possible to actively redesign the overall governance mechanism but it is important to undertake mechanism reviews on regular basis. The Burton report recommends undertaking assessment of IT governance system on regular basis in order to implement security improvement processes at MOD. The report is full of recommendations for the change in the governance structure at MOD regarding the security of the IT infrastructure. It is also important to undertake change in the behaviour of the employees at the organisation according to the change in governance. The redesign in the governance system will although take some time but its effective implementation will lead to the final objective of making the security of data foul proof. The report has recommended a change in the organisation perspective according to the direction in which the IT governance system is redesigned. Failure to do so will stultify the whole change process. The Burton report also suggests training and education all across the organisation. Burton suggested reviewing all the current training on Data Protection and Information Management, and identifying the uptake by the relevant post-holders, in order to determine future training needs. The involvement of the senior management of the

Motivation and Teams Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Motivation and Teams Case Study - Essay Example Abraham Maslow argued that unsatisfied needs motivate employees to meet their needs in order to feel satisfied. The various needs include physiological needs (bonuses), security needs (job security), belongingness needs (group cohesiveness), esteem needs (promotion to senior positions), and self-actualization needs (responsibility for profitability (Fargus, 2000). After satisfaction of the physiological needs, the employee’s demand moves to security until the next higher level. For example, an employee satisfies his physiological needs such as water, food, and clothing. After the satisfaction is met, the employee feels motivated and proceeds to satisfy the next needs. Expectancy theory explains that work motivation is a function of an employee’s belief. The managers encourage employees to believe that if they sacrifice and work hard, they will succeed. For example, an office messenger believes that he will receive reward if he performs, which is fuelled by the belief th at working hard leads to high job performance (Fargus, 2000). Goal setting theory illustrates that managers should establish goals for their employee’s, which will find use in assessing their performance. For instance, a manager who tells his staff that they have two weeks to finish processing some work motivates the employees to work harder before the expiry of that date in order to attain their objectives. Equity theory argues that employees are motivated to achieve goals after believing that they will remain rewarded fairly for their efforts. For example, two personnel working together perform effectively when their salary output is similar. Job enrichment theory illustrates that the best way to motivate employees is to raise their responsibility over the way they function (Fargus, 2000). For instance, a subordinate staff having several responsibilities has great autonomy; hence, feeling satisfied. Finally, management

Congressional debates over budgets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Congressional debates over budgets - Essay Example Many Americans are beginning to get weary with the inability of Democratic and Republican parties to agree upon anything. It has gotten to a point where it is becoming astoundingly obvious that the two sides are determined to disagree with each other on purpose. This, of course, results in nothing getting done and little being accomplished. Unfortunately it can be rather difficult to really get a straight answer from political circles. The Republicans blame the Democrats who are intentionally â€Å"shooting down† their attempts at passing a budget. In fact, the Republican-Controlled House in 2011-2012 did submit a potential budget; however, because both houses must submit versions and the work to compromise to reach a final product. The Democratic-controlled Senate did not follow through with their part of the process, which meant another spring without a proper budget for the American government (Bremmer). There are many voices in Washington saying that a budget is not necessary, regardless of the fact that the Senate is legally obligated to produce one; however, failure to comply with that law, apparently, carries no legal consequences (Weiner 1). In the end, without a working budget the government keeps granting itself reprieves and extensions that do nothing to solve the problems in this country. It is treme ndously irresponsible and short-sighted to believe that the country can continue to spend when it sees fit when no budgeting has been put in place. It is a very bad idea and will no doubt continue to contribute to further problems in this country. Corker, Bob. "Bob Corker says Senate has not passed a budget in more than three years." PolitoFact. News Sentinel, 22 Dec 2012. Web. 23 Sep 2013. . Weiner , Rachel. "Why Senate Democrats haven’t passed a budge."

Motivation and Teams Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Motivation and Teams Case Study - Essay Example Abraham Maslow argued that unsatisfied needs motivate employees to meet their needs in order to feel satisfied. The various needs include physiological needs (bonuses), security needs (job security), belongingness needs (group cohesiveness), esteem needs (promotion to senior positions), and self-actualization needs (responsibility for profitability (Fargus, 2000). After satisfaction of the physiological needs, the employee’s demand moves to security until the next higher level. For example, an employee satisfies his physiological needs such as water, food, and clothing. After the satisfaction is met, the employee feels motivated and proceeds to satisfy the next needs. Expectancy theory explains that work motivation is a function of an employee’s belief. The managers encourage employees to believe that if they sacrifice and work hard, they will succeed. For example, an office messenger believes that he will receive reward if he performs, which is fuelled by the belief th at working hard leads to high job performance (Fargus, 2000). Goal setting theory illustrates that managers should establish goals for their employee’s, which will find use in assessing their performance. For instance, a manager who tells his staff that they have two weeks to finish processing some work motivates the employees to work harder before the expiry of that date in order to attain their objectives. Equity theory argues that employees are motivated to achieve goals after believing that they will remain rewarded fairly for their efforts. For example, two personnel working together perform effectively when their salary output is similar. Job enrichment theory illustrates that the best way to motivate employees is to raise their responsibility over the way they function (Fargus, 2000). For instance, a subordinate staff having several responsibilities has great autonomy; hence, feeling satisfied. Finally, management

Community and public health nursing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Community and public health nursing - Case Study Example Apparently, the prevalence rates increases with age where U.S children aged between 15 and 17 years recorded the highest prevalence rate of 16.5 %. However, the highest prevalence rate in DC manifests among children aged between 5 and 9 years who had 21.6 %. Subject to these prevalence rates, I would target U.S children in the age group 15-17 for intervention since the condition is most common in this age group. The age group has the highest prevalence percent, 16.5 % in U.S. In DC, I would target children in the age group 5-9 for intervention. The age group has the highest prevalence percent, 21.6 % in DC. These interventions will reduce Asthma mortality rate among children. Moreover, subject to these prevalence rates, I would target black children in America and DC for intervention since the condition is most common in this race. The race has the highest prevalence percent, 21.0 % in U.S, and 20.4 % in DC. Indeed, the prevalence rate is higher among African Americans compared to whites and others. The intervention will reduce Asthma mortality rate among black

Hershey Chocolate Essay Example for Free

Hershey Chocolate Essay When many people around the world think about chocolate they think about the most popular producer of sweets, Hershey’s Chocolate. The company began in early 1894 by a persistent man named Milton Hershey (Hinkle). Milton Hershey was born in Derry Church, PA on September 13, 1857. As a child Hershey and his parents, Henry Hershey and Fannie Hershey, relocated many time. Hershey went to seven schools within eight years and by the fourth grade he was taken out to work with a printer as an apprentice. In 1872 Hershey left the printers shop to work in a confectioners shop near Lancaster, PA. Not long after Hershey discovered an interest in candy making and selling. Four years later he opened a candy shop, but unfortunately competition got the better of his shop and closed in 1882. Hershey then moved to Denver, Colorado to work for a manufacturer of caramel. There he learned that good fresh milk can make candy taste better and sell better. Finally in 1894, Milton Hershey started the Hershey’s Chocolate Company (Hinkle). Hershey’s Chocolate first sold â€Å"caramels with chocolate coatings, along with breakfast cocoa, sweet chocolate, baking chocolate, and novelty chocolate candies† (Hinkle). In 1900 Hershey’s start manufacturing the first original Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bars, started construction on a factory in his home town of Derry Church, Pennsylvania, and because of the dairy farms producing milk rapidly, Hershey did the same (Hinkle). Selling his chocolate for 5 cents a bar, Hershey became wealthy very quick (Lancto). Hershey’s also released there Chocolate kisses, Almond chocolate, and Mr. Good bars (Hinkle). Milton Hershey believed that the money he had made with his chocolate should be used to help others instead of keeping it to himself (Lancto). Hershey started making the town of Derry Church, where his factory was located, more exciting and enjoyable (Lancto). He gave low cost housing for his workers, built fire stations, schools, churches, gold courses, and even a zoo (Lancto)! In 1910, Hershey created a school and establishment for less fortunate, orphaned boys. The school was taught the youth important stills for life and for success. Milton’s reason is so children wouldn’t have the life style he had, always moving and not having a proper education. The school property eventually grew big with every student that attended, including girls, from 500 acres to 2,500 acres by 1976 (Lancto). By the year 1937, the U. S. government had an idea of a chocolate bar that could with stand temperatures of 120 degrees and packed with energy for American troop who were out in the field and so Hershey’s decided to make it happen (Lancto). Rations D bars were then mass produced and sent to over 100,000 troops a day (Lancto). â€Å"For four years, Hersheys Ration D bars were produced around the clock, seven days a week, for a total of one billion rations† (Lancto). Milton Hershey died while sleeping on October 13, 1945, shortly after retiring (Adams). Today, Hershey’s Chocolate Company is still manufacturing chocolate sweets making billions of dollars a year, selling Hershey’s milk chocolate bars, MM’s, Reese’s Peanut butter cups, Hershey kisses, and many verities of products created over the years, using different commercials for each product, like the talking MM’s or how Charlie Armstrong dominoed his Reese’s so he would catch and eat one in the end. Hershey’s Chocolate is everyone’s favorite chocolate, so don’t expect it to disappear so quickly. Work Cited Hinkle, Samuel, Hershey, 1964; Shippen, Katherine B. , and Paul A. W. Wallace, Biography of Milton S. Hershey, 1959; Snavely, Joseph, An Intimate Story of Milton S. Hershey,1957. Lancto, Craig. Milton Hershey: Americas chocolatier. World I. 01 May. 2003: 269. eLibrary. Web. 28 Feb. 2012. Adams, Susan. Sugar Daddy. Forbes Magazine. 09 Jan. 2006: 141. eLibrary. Web. 28 Feb. 2012.

The memory worksheet

The memory worksheet Using the text, Cognition: The Thinking Animal, the University Library, the Internet, and/or other resources, answer the following questions. Your response to each question should be at least 150 words in length. What is primary memory? What are the characteristics of primary memory? Primary memory is working memory, which is processes work from images within the memory. Primary memory is the decision-making and awareness part of short-term memory concerned with the temporary incorporation, processing, removal, and recovery of information. Primary memory retrieves information from short-term memory, the environment to possibly be kept later in secondary memory. The characteristics of primary memory tasks involve the active handling or monitoring of behaviors or information. Additionally, primary memory is essentially different from secondary memory. The characteristics include forgetting (how this occurs), memory representation, storage of information (how much), processing of acoustic information (phonological loop), processing of visual information and how decisions are made. Primary memory theories exist both regarding the theoretical structure of working memory and the role of specific parts of the brain involved in working memory. Furthermore, research identifies that the frontal cortex, parietal cortex, anterior cingulate, and parts of the basal ganglia are crucial for working memory function. Working memory is generally considered to have limited capacity. What is the process of memory from perception to retrieval? What happens when the process is compromised? The process of memory from perception to retrieval is the sorting of all information by the brain into short-term or long-term memory. Additionally, the brain will discard the information if the information is not needed. Our short-term memory allows an individual to hold on to information that is needed during a precise moment and then the brain discards it. Short-term memory stores small amounts of information. Some information can be moved from short-term memory to long-term memory by encoding. Then the brain consolidates the information by linking the new memory to any current memory. There are three ways of measuring memory retrieval that differ from one another. They are the recall method, the recollection memory, the recognition method, and relearning method. When the process is compromised it causes a person to only recall certain portions of the information that is trying to be retrieved, but not the exact information needed. This is known as the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon. Is it possible for memory retrieval to be unr eliable? Why or why not? What factors may affect the reliability of ones memory? Yes it is possible for memory retrieval to be unreliable because of inaccurate recall due to the environment, prior memories of the individual or biased questions. For example, eyewitness testimony given by an individual that witnessed a crime first hand. The questions that are asked by a police officer or lawyer in reference to the crime, these questions can contain cues that might influence the individuals memory retrieval. Another factor that can affect the reliability of a memory is bias. Some factors that affect the reliability of an individuals memory are being tired, stress, emotions, or under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the incident

Current Research Investigations of Corollary Discharge :: Biology Medicine Research Papers

Current Research Investigations of Corollary Discharge Corollary discharge assists both human and non-human animals distinguish between self-generated (internal) and external motor responses. By sending signals which report important information about movement commands and intension animals are able to accurately produce motor sequences with ease and coordination. When a motor command initiates an electric organ discharge, the signal transmits important information to the brain which serves as a feed-back mechanisms which assist with self-monitoring; this is formally defined as corollary discharge(6). Although the corollary discharge system is one of the most important systems which animals possess for the control and detection of motor movements, its specific neurological mapping is largely unknown. Many studies which investigate the specific nature of corollary discharge focus on either auditory or visual sensory perception. Current investigations of corollary discharge are commonly associated with the use non-human primates and humans who suffer from Schizophrenia. By using non-human primates for the investigation of the neuronal network of the corollary discharge system both invasive and non-invasive investigation may be explored. In addition, investigating Schizophrenics who suffer from auditory hallucinations, the inability to differentiate between spoken and thought speech (1), may also significantly contribute to the advancement and increased understandings of the corollary discharge systems. Sommer et. al., proposed a neuronal pathway for corollary discharge in non-human primates. He suggested that this pathway extends from the brainstem to the frontal cortex. Within the pathway the brain was to initiate movement as well as supply internal information which was then used by sensory systems to adjust for resultant changes(5). These adjustments were said to occur within the peripheral receptors and motor planning systems which would then prepare the body for future movements(5). Corollary discharge signals in Sommer's study were identified as movement related activity which projected upstream (up the spinal cord) away from motor neurons, transmitting information but not causing any actual movement (4). By measuring the neuronal firing of the superior colliculus in the frontal cortex during normal and stimulated saccade movements of the eye, Sommer measured the corollary discharge signals in monkeys. The results of Sommer's study suggested that non-human primates did i n fact transmit corollary discharge signals during eye saccades which was suggestive of a brainstem to frontal cortex pathway for transmission. While Sommer's study provided novel and interesting ideas in regard to the specific pathway of corollary discharge, it focused largely of saccadic eye movements in non-human primates.

The Kite Runner Redemption

What is the worst thing you have done to a friend or family member? Have you lied to them? Stolen from them? After the dreadful deed, did they forgive you? More importantly, did you forgive yourself? Regret and redemption are very important themes in the book The Kite Runner. Having regret for something can affect your whole life, as seen with the character, Amir. Through the development of Amir and his childhood friend, Hassan, Amir has to live with his regret and hope for redemption for the rest of his life. From the beginning of the story The Kite Runner, it is apparent that Amir did something wrong from the very first page. Amir says, â€Å"Standing in the kitchen with the receiver to my ear, I knew it wasn’t just Rahim Khan on the line. It was my past of unatoned sins. † (1). The reader understands that Amir had done something wrong in the winter of 1975. Later, we figure out what this â€Å"something† was; he watched Hassan get raped. It was after Amir had just won his kite race and Hassan had gone to fetch the winning kite. He then came across the bullies of the neighborhood: Assef, Kamal, and Wali. Assef tried to take the kite, but like a loyal friend, Hassan would not let him. Assef then let Hassan keep the kite, but only to pay the price of being raped. Amir stood behind a wall and watched it all happen without saying one word. This is probably one of the most important scenes in the whole book; Amir’s actions from this shaped how he grew up and lived the rest of his life with regret. After Amir watched Hassan get raped, nothing was the same. He was filled with guilt and regret. He felt like a coward. â€Å"I ran because I was a coward. I was afraid of Assef and what he would do to me. I was afraid of getting hurt. † (77). He could not turn and help his friend because he was scared, and he wanted the approval of his father for once; he thought bringing home the kite would win Baba over. Little did he know that he ruined the rest of his life by doing this. Amir was filled with such regret that he had to get rid of Hassan one way or another. He could not stand the secret that he had from that night and wanted the pain to go away. Amir changed his and Hassan’s relationship that night. Even after Amir framed Hassan and got him to leave, Amir’s guilt did not go away and he was forever regretting all the decisions he had been making up to this point. Amir and Baba ended up going to America to try to get away from their past and get the redemption they both were longing for. After living life in America, Amir received a phone call from his old friend, Rahim Khan. Rahim Khan had been looking for some redemption of his own because he had been keeping a secret from Amir his whole life; Hassan was actually Baba’s son and Amir’s half brother. Hassan had died and Rahim wanted Amir to retrieve Hassan’s son, Sohrab. Amir still carried around the guilt from the winter of 1975 and decided this was his chance to redeem himself. As Rahim Khan said, â€Å"There was a way to be good again. † (2). This was Amir’s way to be good again. Amir had been looking for redemption his whole life. Retrieving Sohrab would rid himself of this. Amir also outstepped his coward personality when he was faced to a battle with Assef. This part of the book was one of the other most important scenes. Amir came out with Sohrab and he finally got the redemption that he was seeking for since the day he watched Hassan get raped. Throughout the book there were many examples of redemption. It mostly occurred in Amir as we saw his relationship with Hassan grow throughout the book. Amir had such guilt that he had to drive Hassan away; this proved how much of a coward he really was. After that day, he always carried around the guilt of betraying his friend and finally absolved himself by finding his redemption when retrieving Sohrab. Even though his decision of being a coward affected his life miserably, it still shaped him into the man that he was at the end of the book. Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. New York: Riverhead Books, 2003.

Research proposal and literature review

Abstract This research proposal consists of several parts that provide a relevant direction for the development of a research project on the topic of talent management and knowledge management in contemporary organisations. The first part introduces the mentioned topic by providing adequate background details that aim at exploring the direct link between talent management and knowledge management initiatives used by companies. The second part is the literature review consisting of solid evidence obtained from management literature. The third part of the proposal includes the proposed research methodology, which is quantitative in nature, as the selected data collection method is survey. Advantages and disadvantages of this type of research methodology are clearly outlined along with the suggested model of data analysis. Part 1: Introduction and Background The present study intends to explore the close relationship between talent management and knowledge management as related to the constantly developing HR field. It is important to understand how the implementation of knowledge management activities can contribute to better functioning of modern organisations especially in terms of talent management procedures and reinforcing the potential of employees (Arthur, 2012). It can be indicated that the combination of talent management and knowledge management is beneficial for the operations present at companies (Aiman-Smith et al., 2006; Analoui, 2007). Talent management has been found useful to motivate employees to demonstrate their skills, as this would be possible through raising awareness about the importance of knowledge management. Different knowledge management concepts can be identified as directly related to talent management initiatives in organisations (Analoui, 2007). Such concepts are related to recognising the potential of k nowledge employees, presenting adequate orientation to create and share knowledge as well as demonstrate activities pertaining to the retention of solid knowledge. For that reason, the purpose of the study is to demonstrate the relationship between talent management and knowledge management. This issue has been adequately explored in the literature in an attempt to find out essential aspects pertaining to each of the two concepts (Armstrong, 2007). Yet it is expected that the present study can provide significant insights into different methods and strategies that relate to using the advantages of talent management and knowledge management in practice (Ingham, 2006). Three main research questions are identified for the present study: Research Question 1: What is the relationship between talent management and knowledge management in the context of contemporary organisations? Research Question 2: How can knowledge management contribute to extending the impact of talent management initiatives across organisations? Research Question 3: How can organisations improve the aspect of learning among employees as well as empower them? Such research questions are considered helpful and thus will be covered in the study by providing adequate answers. Specific objectives are identified for the study: To assess and enhance the impact of both talent management and knowledge management initiatives across organisations; To determine employee contribution and attitude towards the functioning of the organisation and outline of specific strategic goals; To include a series of recommendations on how the relationship between talent management and knowledge management can be enhanced to achieve optimal results Part 2: Literature ReviewIntroductionThis section of the study outlines major points related to the connection between talent management and knowledge management as outlined in the literature. The introduction of knowledge management programs is found beneficial to develop and enhance mechanisms of talent management initiatives. This in turn will result in more empowered employees who tend to be more satisfied with their job and thus more productive in the long term. A substantial part of the literature review section refers to exploring the link between talent management and knowled ge management. The emphasis is on the attitude demonstrated by employees regarding the combination of these two essential concepts of the HR field.The Link between Talent Management and Knowledge ManagementIt has been argued that talent management is mostly associated with enhancing the potential of new employees as well as recruiting and retaining existing ones. In the process of retaining employees, the focus is on the most competent and qualified workers in the organisation. Other elements emphasised by talent management include educational and training opportunities, progression planning, and organisational expansion (De Wit and Meyer, 2005). The benefits of talent management have been recognised in the literature (Aiman-Smith et al., 2006). Such an activity is subject to control by the HR department. Researchers have focused on the optimal ways that can be used to expand the skills of their employees, which would be possible through the development of relevant strategic objecti ves (Analoui, 2007). Organisations should be adequately prepared to correspond to any changes or aspects of financial performance. The contribution of talented employees should be considered in the process of organising adequate talent management and knowledge management initiatives. In addition, researchers have argued that the interrelation of knowledge management and talent management is mostly maintained for the accomplishment of particular strategic goals (Aiman-Smith et al., 2006). As a specific area in the HR field, talent management requires significant attention in order to utilise the optimal potential of employees in the workplace. On the other hand, knowledge management has been perceived as introducing regulatory mechanisms that can facilitate or motivate employees to achieve their full potential. This can be done through the creation, accumulation and application of solid knowledge mechanisms in the organisational context (Aiman-Smith et al., 2006; De Wit and Meyer, 2005). It has been identified that knowledge connection management is a specific field within the broad domain of knowledge management, as it has been considered such differentiation is important to expand the knowledge in modern organisations. The focus of employee performance has been emphasised in the literature especially in a direction of recruiting talented employees and advancing the possibilities of information technology (Evans et al., 2007). As a result, companies would be able to use and share knowledge in an efficient manner. The idea is to enhance organisational performance at all possible levels (Haesli and Boxall, 2005). The effective execution of talent management and knowledge management in organisations requires an adequately constructed process, which is related with the identification of talented employees, creating solid knowledge base, and sharing such knowledge efficiently. In addition, it is important to motivate employees to practice such knowledge in the best possible manner by demonstrating creativity and innovation. According to research, knowledge management mechanisms can be rather effective if they are combined with models of talent management and thus focused on the capabilities and structure of organisations (Green, 2000). It can be argued that knowledge management mostly relates to essential aspects of technology development and organisation, with the utmost goal to create adequate knowledge procedures across organisations. It is significant to note that successful knowledge management can be achieved if companies ensure efforts to combine these two areas of the HR field (Frank and Taylor, 2004). Knowledge management application can help organisations manage their knowledge base properly, while talent management application can reinforce the talent of employees and supervise them accordingly (Evans et al., 2007). In this context, it is important to differentiate some of the most viable knowledge management competencies to include dimensions of organisational behaviour, structure and empowerment of knowledgeable employees.Knowledge Management and Organisational CapabilitiesKnowledge management is a dynamic area of the HR field pertaining to the identification of essential capabilities and dimensions of organisational performance (Frank and Taylor, 2004; Green, 2000). The most relevant idea is to generate knowledge principles continuously, which would contribute to better functioning of organisations. The HR department is usually responsible for raising awareness regarding the importance of knowledge management and knowledge creation at all levels of the organisation (Evans et al., 2007). Therefore, it would be possible to identify knowledge management mechanisms as rather structured in nature as well as controlled by managers with the purpose to manage and control knowledge effectively. The process of accepting certain knowledge forms may be challenging, but the combination of knowledge management and talent management can significantly facilitate the performance of organisations (Evans et al., 2007). Knowledge management indicates the necessity to ensure constant reinforcement of certain HRM activities. Researchers have argued about the importance of measuring the performance of each employee especially through feedback, which has been found effective not only for the organisation but also for the professional development of employees (Frank and Taylor, 2004). In terms of performance, it has become important to implement a relevant strategy and present a strong vision; hence, companies are expected to introduce clear strategic goals for future initiatives that can combine successfully talent management and knowledge management. As a result, this would improve both the external and internal capabilities of the organisation, as shown in the literature (Green, 2000). However, short-term and past-oriented financial pointers cannot become distinctive indicators that can appraise the overall company’s performance anymore. In this context, intangible assets such as knowledge management and talent management rather than tangible financial assets are a measure of a company’s strategic value (Smart, 1999). As a result, knowledge management has emerged as a quite important branch of management in the sense of developing intangible asset monitor systems to evaluate performance indicators of the workforce as well as provide certain details about financial performance (Sewell, 2005). The intangible asset monitor is a system consisting of performance pointers that can link such intangible assets in a relevant manner. Moreover, the classification of intellectual capital has become a priority to many organisations in an attempt to enhance their internal structure and acceptance of certain criteria for employee performance, which may contribute to extensive growth (Frank and Taylor, 2004). For that reason, researchers have proposed the implementation of Benefit Cost Analysis (BCA) emerging as a strategic management parameter that includes both financial pointers and nonfinancial indicators (Green, 2000; Sewell, 2005). Such a strategic learning system is able to modify a particular business theory through the implementation of strict monitoring mechanisms. The goal is to assess an organisation’s knowledge management and talent management initiatives. At the same time, knowledge management emerges with significant objectives related to the improvement of all parameters of organisational knowledge, introduction of innovative mechanisms that support knowledge and motivation of employees (Evans et al., 2007). The combination of knowledge management and talent management activities is useful for enhancing organisations to achieve essential strategic objectives through a clearly defined path of possibilities (Redman and Wilkinson, 2006). Yet, it can be indicated that knowledge management has not significantly contributed to the actual organisational performance. Its combination with talent management activities has been found a preferable option to enhance organisational performance (Green, 2000). The cost-effective parameters of such a combination of activities should be considered as well. Researchers have indicated that the BCA can realistically measure knowledge management and talent management performance through the method of cost analysis (Nonaka, 1994). In this sense, knowledge management refers to an entire philosophy of training employees in order to enhance their collaboration and integration within the organisation. Therefore, researchers have suggested the method of knowledge management scorecard (KMSC) as a relevant way to evaluate performance through the lens of knowledge management (Evans et al., 2007).Effective Combination of Talent Management and Knowledge ManagementThe conceptualisation of the link between talent management and knowledge management is required in order to expand the potential of employees to bring greater value to the organisation. Talent management has been found important in eliciting a sufficient amount of intellectual knowledge (Nonaka, 1994). In addition, the notion of talent management clearly adheres to the principles outlined b y strategic management. It aims to strengthen the dimensions of knowledge in organisations through the identification and reinforcement of talented employees, as the leading point made in the literature is that once these employees have been recognised, they should be retained in the long term (Sewell, 2005). The concept of talent management also refers to the affective domain of the HR department especially in terms of facilitating a proper vision for emotional intelligence. Various examples can be also found in relation to how talent management and knowledge management can be adequately combined to create the south positive impact and retain qualified and experienced employees in the long run (Sewell, 2005). It appears that there are plenty of successful companies that have demonstrated their aim to combine these two branches of management in an effective way. For instance, Igus, which is a leading manufacturer of energy systems in Germany, is a clear example of such successful organisations (Igus Official Website, 2014). The company is noted for its commitment to arranging all aspects of management in a clear and efficient way by reinforcing the potential of employees so that they can contribute to optimal organisational performance.ConclusionIt has been argued that the necessity of including both talent management and knowledge management in contemporary organisations can contribute to improved performance, productivity and adequate employer-employee relationships. The focus is on the formation and implementation of a clear HR strategy for organisations to operate in particular markets or industry sectors (Green, 2000). As illustrated in the literature review, the concept of combining talent management and knowledge management has been subject to extensive discussions among management scholars. It has been identified that both systems should be carefully considered upon the implementation of a particular organisational strategy. Scholars have focused on the necessity to direct the HR department in a proper direction by taking advantage of the strong aspects of both talent management and knowledge management (Evans et al., 2007). Yet, greater emphasis is put on exploring the effects of different knowledge management frameworks that could further lead to the accomplishment of various strategic management goals. This literature review also emphasised that the combination of talent management and knowledge management initiatives is associated with rather positive effects on employee performance and productivity as well as job motivation. The adoption of a positive attitude among employees is a clear sign of the effectiveness of the mentioned combination of management approaches. An extensive focus on the talent management and knowledge management initiative has been outlined in the research literature. Despite the usefulness of training and development programs, the mentioned initiative has been considered more important in relation to specifying long-term implications. In addition, different recommendations have been introduced of how to expand the positive effect of talent management and knowledge management activities in today’s organisations (Evans et al., 2007). The improvement of organisational control mechanisms has been extensively discussed in the literature. As a result, researchers have indicated the importance of extending employee learning and empowering them to succeed as professionals in a particular area of expertise (Green, 2000). Therefore, the presented literature review fulfilled the objective of enabling individuals to understand the complexity of the talent management and knowledge management initiative. Part 3: Research Methodology Prior to proposing the most viable research method to be used in this study, it is important to clarify that focusing on research philosophy is inseparable part of the entire research process. Quantitative research methodology is considered most appropriate to answer the presented research questions and achieve the stated objectives. In this way, the researcher needs to focus on collecting a substantial amount of numerical information that would be sufficient to explain particular research phenomena (Balnaves and Caputi, 2001). In terms of presenting a clear paradigm of research philosophy, the emphasis is on the use of positivist research philosophy, in the sense of providing an adequate explanation for human behavioural patterns from the perspective of cause and effect. The social environment has been identified as an optimal place to collect the information necessary for presenting research findings (Nonaka, 1994). Moreover, the possibility to achieve a high level of generalisabil ity of findings is a relevant way to ensure greater objectivity of the obtained information. to generalise the findings to the wider population.Advantages and Limitations of Quantitative Research MethodologyThe basic aspect underlying the specificity of quantitative method is its focus on retrieving sufficient numerical information, which would allow the researcher to conduct an in-depth statistical analysis (Balnaves and Caputi, 2001). The retrieval of quantitative data is statistically dominated and thus emerges with substantial accuracy considering that it is not open to various interpretations as in qualitative research design. One of the benefits of adopting quantitative research methodology is that it contributes to the easy collection of data, as it can be visually presented with charts and figures. Another benefit of this type of methodology is associated with the possibility to carry out a research at a large scale due to inclusion of extensive statistical details (Green, 2 000). A disadvantage of the research method selected for this study is that it may represent a rather costly option compared to qualitative research design (Vogt, 2006). A second disadvantage of quantitative research methodology relates to changing numbers as a result of specific operations and calculations, as this may have a negative impact on the overall results obtained in the study (Nonaka, 1994).Sampling ProcedureThe sampling procedure used to construct a relevant sample of participants is random sampling, which refers to selecting individuals on a random principle (Balnaves and Caputi, 2001). There is a sense of unpredictability associated with this sampling procedure, as the intention of the researcher is to ensure optimal objectivity of results. It can be stated that all people from a particular segment have the equal chance to participate in the study. The simple technique pertaining to random sampling is the availability of random number tables, which serve a notification purpose in the sense of informing the researcher to select study subjects at a particular defined period and thus participants are generated on a random principle (Vogt, 2006). However, it should be noted that the use of randomisation devices may be also considered in this study, as it has been found to produce effective results in terms of avoiding bias in research (Maxim, 1999). The application of random sampling is a proper way to produce legitimate results as well as adequate findings and implications for long-term practice. It is important to indicate that the results obtained from randomly selected participants are perceived as credible and accurate and thus such a sampling technique should be preferred in the research process (Balnaves and Caputi, 2001). However, there is a significant challenge associated with the selected sampling technique. It obviously cannot include all representatives of the general population, which may result in the formation of sampling errors. There is an aspect of uncertainty, but this usually emerges with any method and thus the researcher should be prepared to address similar concerns (Maxim, 1999). In order to accomplish the research objectives outlined in this study, the researcher considers the formation of a sample that consists of 250 senior managers employed in a UK based financial institution.ValidityThe aspect of internal validity is important in research, as it relates to evaluating whether the study can assess what it was initially outlined. In addition, validit y refers to determining whether the obtained results can be considered truthful. There is also an aspect of external validity, which is associated with achieving a high level of comprehensive research results in the sense that they find a broad application in various research settings (Vogt, 2006). Thus, it is assumed that the present study has an adequately high level of internal validity because of the lack of insufficient knowledge on the topic or improperly introduced arguments. However, it should be considered that data insufficiency may pose a significant risk to ensuring validity of data. It is important to avoid situations leading to the generation of low internal validity from research findings (Carmines and Zeller, 1980). In addition, certain instrumentation issues in relation to the data collection tool may create additional challenges in the process of ensuring internal validity. The possibility to generate invalid scores is also clear and similar situations should be apparently decreased in the organisational context. The issue of order unfairness is a concern which is also considered in the present study, as the focus is on the order of particular involvement conditions that should not be removed from the precise effect of those conditions (Carmines and Zeller, 1980). Other threats considered in the present research include particular errors in statistical analysis testing, improperly constructed correlations and the emergence of causal errors, which are most likely to appear in the data analysis process. In terms of exploring the dimensions of external validity, it is important to consider its important role in determining outcomes in quantitative research. External validity refers to drawing more general inferences in relation to the collection of data among participants. Specific time periods and settings are important in determining the study results, b ut there are problems in relation to external validity that should be adequately considered. The major problematic issue is related to survey population, which is followed by time and attempts to ensure a sufficient level of environmental validity (Balnaves and Caputi, 2001). In terms of testing survey population validity, the researcher is concerned with the idea of whether specific inferences can be obtained from a particular population segment. In case bias is demonstrated throughout the research process, it is clear that external validity is subjected to substantial threat. Furthermore, in case the sample size is considered insufficient or lacking characteristics of randomness, it may appear that the respective calculations are irrelevant. The process of achieving greater generalisation of results to the wider population may be problematic. The concept of time validity may emerge in order to demonstrate the degree to which obtained research findings can be comprehensive as related to other time periods (Carmines and Zeller, 1980). There may be certain changes occurring in the connection between variables, implying that the perceived level of time validity in this case would be rather low. The notion of environmental validity shows that the retrieved results can be comprehensive across a variety of settings. Despite the assumed high reliability and accuracy of the selected research methodology, it should be noted that achieving proper international generalisability may be a problem especially when it refers to small surveys and case studies (Carmines and Zeller, 1980). In conclusion, it can be argued that the notions of validity and reliability are more applicable to quantitative research than qualitative research. Part 4: Data Analysis The process of conducting an in-depth data analysis is fundamental to achieve the research objectives of the study. Considering that the proposed data collection tool is survey is important to implement statistical analysis, which is properly constructed. Yet, it should be considered that the researcher may provide various alternative ideas in terms of analysing the information obtained from research participants (Vogt, 2006). It is important to adhere to a properly constructed strategy of data analysis considering that extensive knowledge of working with survey data is essential throughout all stages of the data analysis process. There are different paths of analysis that can be followed by the researcher in this study, as the most important aspect is to recognise the specific audience and research objectives, and thus the implementation of an appropriate analysis tool to interpret the data would be possible (Maxim, 1999). The initial stage of data analysis is represented by Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA), which indicates that the researcher initially looks into the data set in order to determine specific categories that will be later grouped for analysis. It is a preliminary form of data analysis (Vogt, 2006), but the essential part of the process is to derive the main findings from the collected survey data. It is important to make sure at this stage that analysis files are adequately consistent with one another because the issue of data analysis inconsistencies may be quite problematic in the long term (Maxim, 1999). It is also important to mention that the survey results can be analysed with specific software applications, which are intended for similar purposes. Other basic aspects to be considered during the data analysis process include filtering, comparing and showing rules as well as using saved views of the data set. 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Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishing. De Wit, B. and Meyer, R. (2005). Strategy Synthesis. London: Thomson Learning. Evans, W. R., Novicevic, M. M., and Davis, W. D. (2007). ‘Resource-Based Foundations of Strategic Human Resource Management: A Review and Extension’. International Journal of Learning and Intellectual Capital, vol. 4(1-2), pp. 75-91. Frank, F. D. and Taylor, C. R. (2004). ‘Talent Management: Trends That Will Shape the Future’. Human Resource Planning, vol. 27(1), pp. 33-41. Green, M. (2000). ‘Beware and Prepare: The Government Workforce of the Future’. Public Personnel Management, vol. 29(4), pp. 435-443. Haesli, A. and Boxall, P. (2005). ‘When Knowledge Management Meets HR Strategy: An Exploration of Personalization-Retention and Codification-Recruitment Configurations’. International Journal of Human Resource Management, vol. 16(11), pp. 1955-1975. Igus Official Website (2014). About Igus [online]. Available at: http://www.igus.com/AboutIgus [Accessed on: 20 Oct. 2014]. Ingham, J. (2006). ‘Closing the Talent Management Gap’. Strategic HR Review, vol. 5(3), pp. 20-23. Maxim, P. S. (1999). Quantitative Research Methods in the Social Sciences. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Nonaka, I. (1994). ‘A Dynamic Theory of Organizational Knowledge Creation’. Organization Science, vol. 5(1), pp. 14-37. Redman, T. and Wilkinson, A. (2006). Contemporary Human Resource Management-Text and Cases. Harlow: Pearson Education. Sewell, G. (2005). ‘Nice WorkRethinking Managerial Control in an Era of Knowledge Work’. Organization, vol. 12(5), pp. 685-704. Smart, B. D. (1999). Top Grading: How Leading Companies Win by Hiring, Coaching, and Keeping the Best People. Paramus: Prentice Hall Press. Vogt, W. P. (2006). Quantitative Research Methods for Professionals in Education and Other Fields. New York: Allyn & Bacon.