Positioning of Absolut Vodka

Absolut Positioning. This report will describe the concept of positioning, effective positioning and its relation to segmentation. It will analyse the positioning of Absolut vodka in its market share. In this report the relevant positioning criteria will be identified and appropriate positioning maps to support the analysis will be used. In addition, suggestions on how to improve and develop the Absolut’s positioning will be given as well. In order to apply the relevant academic theory to the positioning of Absolut Vodka brand the definition and idea of positioning concept needs to be identified.Adcock, Halborg and Ross (2001) provide the positioning definition made by Ries and Trout that say that it is ‘what happens in the mind of customers. ’ Brassington and Pettitt (2003) write that positioning ‘means thinking about a product in the context of the competitive space it occupies in its market, defined in terms of attributes that matter to the target market. ’ It is possible to state that positioning is the identification of position of certain brand and its total image among different other brands in the minds of target audience.Positioning includes the evaluation of competitive advantages and brand’s niche. The main purpose of  positioning  is to achieve  sustainable  view in  the minds of  consumers about the brand  as the best  one in particular sphere. It is known that all offered services and products are taking their place with main goal to satisfy customer’s wants and needs. Consequently, in case with effective positioning goods and services have to ‘promise the benefit the customer will receive, create the expectation, and offer a solution to the customer’s problem’, according to http://www. marketing91. com.Effective positioning needs to be unique and realistic, it has to be related to current position, should be long term and yet updated and improved during the time pe riod. Also, product needs to be in the mind of customers’. According to Wind (1980), there are six principles for product positioning. Firstly, positioning can be based on product one and only feature. Also, positioning may be related to product’s benefit that may satisfy consumer’s wants and needs. Besides, positioning can be based according to usage and/or occasion. Additionally, products can be based on competitors and on product class.Another principle that company can use to position product is to base it on user category. Segmentation In order to run business successfully it is essential to understand the concept of market segmentation. Backer (2003) argues that ‘positioning is easy. Market segmentation is difficult. Positioning problems stem from poor segmentation’. Company needs to work only with segment that has been chosen. Absolut Facts (Appendix 1) Speaking about Absolut Vodka, the first question that comes up is: â€Å"Why such unsophi sticated drink has become so successful and popular? when Russian vodka was the most recognised product, occupying the whole niche in industry, when Absolut’s bottleneck was too short for barman to handle and the whole bottle caused the negative associations with pharmacy jars. The answer to the question is: an excellent positioning strategies and advertising actions. Position Absolut possess itself as premium vodka that is not just an alcoholic drink, but lifestyle. It is shown as a beverage for the sophisticated and upper-end people; it is ‘for status buyers who are not open to snob appeal, but open to wit’. Absolut targets people ‘under 35’, those who are ‘ferociously hip’.Absolut has created the conditions, when people are ready to pay premium price (price is 15% higher than most expensive vodka brands) to join the ‘bohemian’ coterie that appreciates the high quality vodka. Due to great positioning and advertising action s the brand itself is now associated with art, music and singers, luxurious clubs that represent the Absolut diction. ‘Once marketers identify the position they would like to occupy in the market, they design a unique marketing mix that will support that position by reaching that target market and meeting its needs’ –Bovee, Houston, Thill (1995).The combination of promotion, product, price and place will assist in the brand’s positioning in order to distinguish it from competitive companies. Marketing mix in case with Absolut: Promotion is the ‘business of communicating with customers’ – The Times 100. In order to promote the brand Absolut releases the limited bottle editions, creative ads etc. Product One of the famous brand’s features is bottle’s shape that is shown in creative, humorous and trendy manner. Also, there is much attention paid to Sweden culture, history and background of vodka.Additionally, there is no doub t that company emphasises on quality of Absolut using high technologies, sources and products in order to maintain its status of super premium spirit. Price As it was mentioned, price is very high compared to other vodka manufacturers. However, Absolut is targeting the certain segment of people that are willing and ready to pay more for status drink. Place The Times 100 explains that ‘place is concerned with various methods of transporting and storing goods, and then making them available for the customer. Getting the right product to the right place at the right time involves the distribution system. According to www. absolut. com there are famous Ice bars in London, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Tokyo under Absolut brand. This fact again supports the idea that Absolut is not a drink but lifestyle. Positioning map ‘Once the positioning has been completed for all the relevant attributes, it is useful to be able to visualise the complete picture graphically, by creating a per ceptual map of the market’ as Brassington and Pettitt (2003) explain. Using http://oliver. efri. hr/~medmark/dokumenti/absolute_vodka. pdf and Mintel’s Vodka – UK – March 2009 report the positioning map for vodka brands may be structured as following:Platinum vodka – the price is higher than ? 40 for 70cl (Mintel) Super premium vodka – is ? 25 or more for 70cl (Mintel) Premium – ? 14. 94-? 24. 99 for 70cl (Mintel) Own-label – ? 4. 82-? 21. 83 according to http://www. supermarketownbrandguide. co. uk Mintel provides the diagram (Appendix 2) that shows the UK market share of vodka, 2008. According to that, it is possible to state that Absolut competes with Smirnoff Red which ‘in the UK is the brand leader ‘the sophisticated one’ the establishment’ – Adcock, Halborg, Ross (2001). Smirnoff is less expensive and yet quality (around ? 1 per bottle) and is famous because of its ‘Russia-nessâ€⠄¢ (however, it is known Smirnoff comes from Connecticut, USA). Suggestions For Absolut it is important to continue its development researching its competitors and stick with its target market. Company has to be very sensitive to its customers’ demand changes and actions of competitors (direct and potential) – their profitability, weaknesses and strengths. Absoult needs to understand and know competitors as much as it is possible. Company ‘should not be surprised if it falls to stay ahead’ as Backer (2003) states. BibliographyAdcock, D, Halborg, A, Ross, C (2001). Marketing principles and practice. 4th ed. Essex: Financial Times Management. p172-177. Backer, M (2003). The Marketing Book. 5th ed. Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann. p106. Brassington, F, Pettitt, S (2003). Principles of Marketing. Essex: Financial Times. p116-197. Courtland, B, Houston, M, Thill, J (1995). Marketing. 2nd ed. NY: McGraw-Hill. p202 Kotler, P, G Armstrong, J Saunders and V Wong, 199 9, Principles of Marketing, second European edition, (Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall) Wind, Y, 1980, Going to Market: new twists for some old tricks, Wharton Magazine, 4Absolut. (2012). Absolut Vodka. Available: www. absolut. com. Last accessed 16th Apr 2012. Bhasin, H. (2010). Effective positioning. Available: http://www. marketing91. com/effective-positioning/. Last accessed 15th Apr 2012. Oliver, E. (2010). Absolut Vodka. Available: http://oliver. efri. hr/~medmark/dokumenti/absolute_vodka. pdf. Last accessed 16th Apr 2012. Supermarket own brand guide. (2012). Spirits. Available: http://www. supermarketownbrandguide. co. uk/search. php? SearchString=vodka;Search. x=69;Search. y=18;score;price=0;pricevalue=0. 0;table=spirits. The Times 100 ; Wilson and Wilson Publishing Ltd. (2011). Marketing mix. Available: http://businesscasestudies. co. uk/business-theory/marketing/marketing-mix-price-place-promotion-product. html#ixzz1s6QeVriC. Last accessed 15th Apr 2012. Mintel Vodka, UK, March (2009). Vodka – can fashion last forever. [Online] Available at: http://academic. mintel. com/sinatra/oxygen_academic/search_results/show;/display/id=393884 [Accessed: April 2012]. White Spirits and RTDs, UK, March (2011). Competitive Context. [Online]. Available at: http://academic. mintel. om/sinatra/oxygen_academic/search_results/show;/display/id=545336/display/id=569847 [Accessed: April 2012]. Appendices 1. ABSOLUT VODKA, introduced in the US in 1979, is the fourth largest international premium spirit in the world and is available in more than 150 markets. ABSOLUT VODKA is the number two brand of premium vodka worldwide. (Source: Impact International) Since its launch in 1979, ABSOLUT VODKA has achieved significant worldwide sales growth, from 10,000 nine-liter cases (90,000 liters) to 11. 0 million nine-liter cases in 2010 (99. 0 millions of liters).Every bottle of ABSOLUTVODKA is produced in Ahus, in southern Sweden. ABSOLUT VODKA is produced from winter wheat, a hardy wheat grain that gives ABSOLUT VODKA its smooth grain character. Every year approximately 80,000 tons are used to produce ABSOLUT VODKA. Over one kilo (two pounds) of grain is used for every one-liter bottle. ABSOLUT VODKA uses a unique process called continuous distillation, introduced in the nineteenth century by ‘‘The Vodka King’’, Lars Olsson Smith. ABSOLUT VODKA is distilled hundreds of times until all impurities have been removed 2.

Essay on Journeys Essay

A journey is a path of hardship which leads an individual to accept the past and move towards the future. This concept is embodied through the play ‘Away’, by Michael Gow, which explores the spiritual journey of characters through the transition of a physical journey. This idea of a physical journey provoking a spiritual change is portrayed through the poem ‘I wandered lonely as a cloud’ by William Wordsworth and â€Å"Running out of time† by anonymous. Each respective composer conveys their interpretation of journeys, evident through Gow’s characters of Coral and Tom, introducing the theme of acceptance. A journey is a process which allows an individual to experience hardships and difficulties, leading to the theme of acceptance. This theme has been demonstrated through the character of Coral, the mother of a fallen son in war, resulting in her depression and isolation. The events experienced through Corals physical and inner journey is therapeutic by which her understanding of acceptance is shaped. Corals inner journey is evidently overcome in Act 5, scene 1, which reveals Corals renounced sense of understanding and acceptance as she, â€Å"Lifts out a handful of shells† (Page 56). The significance is placed on Coral physically letting go of the sea shells. This action symbolises her ability to ‘let go’ of the skeletons of her past, representing her deceased son. Gow also utilises the symbolism of shells to demonstrate the significance of acceptance towards an individual’s wellbeing. This connotes to the idea of change and allows the audience to understand Corals experiences of struggle and strength to accept the past. The idea of acceptance and moving on is further portrayed when Coral and Roy leave the shells behind them. The perception of change is further reinforced through the following stage direction in Act 5, scene 1, and â€Å"Coral comes in carrying her hat upside down† (Page 65). Corals hat being flipped conveys how there is no need for disguising herself from the world anymore, depicting the composer’s purpose of illustrating the inner journey undertaken by the experiences of Coral. Contrastingly, the idea of self-acceptance is often challenged when an individual embarks on a journey, clearly evident throughout the poem, â€Å"I wandered lonely as a cloud†, by William Wordsworth. Through this physical ourney, an inner journey of self-isolation is apparent. The persona’s failure to move on from his solitude is reflected through his inner thoughts and perceptions, evident through who perceives, â€Å"A crowd/ a host of golden daffodils†. Wordsworth personifies a crowd of people to that of daffodils to create a sense of curiosity and interest within the reader. The poet further communicates the persona’s solitude through the lines, â€Å"I wandered lonely as a cloud†. This simile is emphasized through the use of repetition in the title and the first line, to identify the personas lonely nature which highlights both his physical and inner journey. Towards the end of the poem, the personas earlier solitude is now blissful solitudness. Correspondently, the play ‘Away’ by Gow highlights how each character undergoes a journey of self-discovery, hardship, bonding and overcoming the dealings of reality. The inner journey of Corals solitude and depression creates a connection with the persona in the poem, â€Å"I wandered lonely as a cloud†, allowing both composers to effectively portray similar ideas involving concepts of journeys. The concept of journeys can be portrayed when a individual fails to accept the past and move on. Ideas of acceptance are reinforced through the character of Tom in the dramatic play ‘Away’. Tom is a 14 year-old school boy who struggles with his inner journey, as he finds it difficult to accept the fact that he has terminal cancer, he does not have long to live. By Tom covering up his illness and isolating himself from others, it is immediately evident that he does not accept his current situation. As the play progresses however, the theme of acceptance begins to unfold. Tom finally realises the reality of his illness and through the help of Meg, accepts his current situation. His acceptance is clearly demonstrated in Act 3, scene 5 where, after the storm, Tom wears a Hawaiian shirt at the beach, â€Å"Tom is wearing board shorts and a Hawaiian shirt† (Page 41). This stage direction symbolises a new beginning of change for Tom and his parents. Through Tom wearing a ‘colourful’ shirt on the beach, it is evident that he is finally overcoming his barrier of fear and isolation. The imagery of colours conveys that the storm has passed and things have gotten brighter and better. Through costume and colour, it is undeniable that acceptance is formed. This allows the audience to effectively identify a change in Tom’s journey of acceptance. The composer’s purpose of conveying the theme of acceptance is shaped through the character of Tom. The inner thoughts and perceptions of an individual begin to unfold when the theme of acceptance is evident. The concept of acceptance is evident throughout the poem, â€Å"Running out of time† composed by anonymous. The composer demonstrates towards the reader, the persona’s inability to move on and accept current situations, reinforced in the following line, â€Å"While still more and more pain inside†. The composer utilises repetition to further highlight and suggest that the persona is attempting to mask his depression and melancholy attitude.. Through this, it is clear that the persona is undergoing some form of an inner journey of self-isolation. The persona’s inner journey is further depicted through the gloomy tone created by the composer. Keep hiding behind the smile, pretending to be happy†. The use of the depressing tone symbolises the way Tom is not accepting the dealings of reality and that he is going to die. Tom is disguising himself and hiding away the truth from others, further relating back to how the persona is covering up his illness. The composer of â€Å"Running out of time† creates a connection with the character of Tom and the persona, further illustrating how an individual’s inner thoughts may shape the ability to accept the present.

All-in-One Computer Security Systems Essay

All-in-one Computer Security Systems CIS/105 Some of the different programs that I choose to use as all-in-one security that has total protection are Norton Internet Security and McAfee has an exclusive active protection technology that analyzes and blocks threats in milliseconds. McAfee can immediately detect and remove viruses, even root kits, adware, spyware, and blocks. McAfee has a two-way firewall which blocks outsiders from hacking into your PC. The program also contains other features including ways to better the health of your PC. Norton Internet Security plus 360 versions 4. 0 warns you of dangerous downloads before you install and run them on your computer. Norton Internet Security has an extra layer of protection that detects viruses, spyware, Trojans and other threats. In addition Norton 360 4. 0 identifies applications that are impacting the performance of your PC. Using an all-in-one computer security protects your CPU from hijackers, identity theft, spyware, and virus. In addition using a security all in one center generally protects the user computer on its own. This keeps your system and all your information safe from others. There are some security programs which protect as well such as Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, Anti-Spam, Anti-Root kit, Identity Protection, Link Scanner Active Surf, Link Scanner Search, Web Protection & Firewall, and Sophisticated threat detection. Using an all-in-one security system is effective because the programs are not conflicting with each other; instead they all work together within one system. An all-in-one security system will use less running memory than several security systems running parallel to each other. All-in-one security system is effective in many elements such physically secured security appliance, content discrimination, quick recovery from failure, highly configurable logging and notification, simplicity, high uptime, economy secure connections, well-conceived security system policies, scalability, distributed architecture, of IP addresses, secure remote management and communication, authentication, virtual private networking, and summarize and report network activity. What the all in one computer security systems protect against is with spyware, virus, identity theft, and hijackers. The all in one computer security systems block the threats from getting onto your computer as long as it is running at all times. References McAfee. McAfee Total Protection 2010. Retrieved from. http://download. mcafee. com/products/manuals/en-us/mtp_datasheet_2010. pdf Norton by Symantec. Top-ranked Protection. Norton 360â„ ¢ Version 6. 0. Retrieved from. http://us. norton. com/360 Internet Security Handbook. What Makes a Good Network Security System and effective security system. Retrieved from. http://www. watchguard. com/help/lss/41/handbook/need_fo3. htm

The Five Messages Leaders Must Manage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Five Messages Leaders Must Manage - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that if you ask the average population to explain what qualities make a good leader or a good manager, you would probably get many similar answers. Several attributes can contribute to a good leader in management positions, such as those leaders who have the full support and respect of their employees while realizing goal-oriented results. In some organizations, managers may burden their subordinates to achieve the desired goals and build a positive image in the eyes of their superiors and co-workers. However, they may do so by imposing a sense of fear for failure or extremely stressful expectations upon those working for them. An employee may not be motivated by a positive reinforcement in the workplace, but rather by a â€Å"looming† fear that his or her job may be at risk if a manager’s expectations are not met. On the other hand, individuals who are gifted leaders can motivate individuals without intimidating them, but the y may fall short of the corporate expectations as managers. In other words, some managers may be terrible leaders and some leaders make for very poor managers. Therefore, employees that combine the attributes of the skilled leaders and managers are valuable assets to their organization as they put their teams on the right track to support the organization’s overall goals. Honesty, humility, logic, confidence, compassion, ethics, morality, and a sense of humor are just a few of the attributes that may be sought out in a good leader and manager.... I believe â€Å"the list of messages to leaders† to be endless, and may not be encompassed in Hamm’s five messages nor in the following four messages that I suggest. 1. Do not just be proactive†¦be interactive Unintentionally, some managers may lean toward imposing their individual perspectives and ideas upon their teams. They may eagerly explain the preferred course of action their employees should implement without allowing for further discussions. Such managers may have genuine and viable ideas; however, other team members should be equally motivated to participate and contribute their ideas rather than acting as mere instruments. The manager being completely interactive within her team says a great deal about the quality of her leadership. (Prive, 2012) As we have discussed in the class, interactions and consequent conflicts are naturally occurring and necessary to spur teams’ synergy and collaborative efficiency. 2. Appreciate that â€Å"Teams† a re the sum of their parts†¦ For a manager that is not interactive, it is easier to think of the team members as single merged entities. They are identifiable to the manager by department names or team titles, not as skilled individuals forming a cohesive group dynamics. This may drive team members to feel as expendable as machine parts, and consequently not take individual pride in their work. A good leader takes the time to regularly review the people that contribute to the business’s success. Recognizing the names of the individuals and the jobs they perform make employees feel appreciated. Furthermore, acknowledging the quality of employees’ work makes them feel uniquely important and needed. (Makovsky, 2012)

Hi Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hi - Assignment Example However, this does not support the argument that love is merely an addiction. The philosophical definition is that love is basically an intimate relationship which is based on honesty and sharing. On the other hand, any addiction is contrary to this intimacy involved in love. An addiction basically nullifies the possibility of knowing oneself. In other terms, an addict will not be in a position to know himself or herself. Without knowing oneself true love is impossible. Thus true love is not an addiction. Studies have suggested peculiar nuero transmissions in ventral pigmental area and Protrate Nucleus of the brains of lovers where Dopomine is produced. This hormone and its effects is related with the past experiences and present environment. This is where taking your loved one for a date in a park or to any place with appropriate ambience influences the relationship. The nuero transmissions are affected by these interactions causing the brain to respond accordingly. However, if these hormones act so that one losses one’s sense of identity and personal power, it turns to be love addiction. The responses that regulate the nuero transmissions will determine whether love turns to addiction. In other words, factors like taking your loved one for an exciting date would act as the external catalysts for these nuero

News Literacy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

News Literacy - Research Paper Example Obviously, these distinct categories all set out with a different purpose, and if one is not careful, he or she will be caught in the Net of deception and fall prey to manipulative tactics that vie to gain one’s allegiance or financial support. In order to demonstrate this modern-day dilemma, three apparent news articles will be examined to see if they pass the test as being news ? or drift into another neighborhood. The three stories ? one about an up-and-coming hypnotist weight-loss doctor, another about a new canned chicken product fighting food poisoning, and the last about a dog strangely contracting a horse disease – all have the initial presentations of legitimate news stories, but once one digs deeper and measures them with the tools of a savvy journalist, only one comes out passing for authentic news. Because news today covers such a wide range of topics, it is often easy for some articles to blur the lines as to what information neighborhood one is actually in , but fortunately, the discerning reader can always fall back on a GPS system, if you will, to find out where one really is. Let us begin with an article titled â€Å"You’re getting sleepy†¦ and thinner†¦Ã¢â‚¬  out of Toowoomba’s Style Magazine. ... After diligently trying to disarm readers from believing that she is trying to promote the hypnotist, Tony Kyprios, she spends the entire article lauding the advancement and success of the lap-band surgery procedure, while commending the innovator’s heart to help others. This presentation immediately shoots up red flags for the cautious reader, and the story content, which only divulges the positive side of the procedure, makes one even more wary of the author’s intent. The slant, or story angle, definitely pushes the reader into embracing the hypnotist as an ambitious and benevolent out-of-the-box thinker whose medical practice is worthy of the readers’ support. After all is said and done, one remains skeptical as to whether this piece was set out to merely inform the audience, as a genuine news story should. One reason is that it lacks verification, as there are no reported studies proving the procedure’s success ? only unverified percentages of supposed success rates from abroad. With regards to independence, one cannot draw any apparent ties between the magazine and the practitioner, but a skeptic may argue that Kyprios either had a friendly contact at the magazine, or gave it some incentive to publicize his efforts. In lieu of accountability, the journalist has the credentials of a credible member of the media, but because of the one-sided reporting on the hypnotist and procedure – not mentioning any drawbacks, apprehensions, or failures – the reporting has all the signs of being biased. When walking past the six different information neighborhoods, one would clearly bypass putting this story in the â€Å"news† locale, but rather the â€Å"publicity† zone, as its intent is to enhance an image, rather than to inform; its client is a personality

Critically analyse the concept of fair and equitable treatment in Essay - 1

Critically analyse the concept of fair and equitable treatment in investment treaties, taking into account recent investment - Essay Example CMS Gas Transmission Company v. Republic of Argentina, Violation of FET provisions, ICSID Case No. ARB/01/8 (Adopted May 25 2005). Eureko B.V. v. Republic of Poland Eureko B.V. v. Republic of Poland, violation of FET provisions, ICSID Case No. ARB/02/17, (Adopted August 19 2005). Jan de Nul N.V. and Dredging International N.V. v. Arab Republic of Egypt, violation of FET principles, ICSID Case No. ARB/04/13) (Decision on Jurisdiction, June 16, 2006). LG&E Energy Corp., LG&E Capital Corp., LG&E International Inc. v. Argentine Republic, ICSID Case No. ARB/. 02/1, Emphasis on the obligation of transparency (Decision on Liability, Oct 3, 2006). Loewen Group, Inc. and Raymond L. Loewen v. United States of America, violation of FET provisions, ICSID Case No. ARB (AF)/98/3, (Awarded on Award of June 26, 2003). Metalpar S.A. and Buen Aire S.A. v. Republic of Argentina, violation of FET provisions, ICSID Case No. ARB/03/5, (Awarded on April 27, 2006). MTD Equity Sdn. Bhd. and MTD Chile S.A. v. Republic of Chile, violation of FET provisions, ICSID Case No. ARB/07/27, (Awarded on Mar 21, 2007). Parkerings-Compagniet AS v. Republic of Lithuania, violation of FET provisions, ICSID Arbitration Case No. ARB/05/8, (Awarded on September 11, 2007). PSEG Global Inc. and Konya Ilgin Elektrik Uretim v. Ticaret Limited Sirketi v. Republic of Turkey, obligation on transparency on FET provisions, ICSID Case No. ... v. United Mexican States, rule of law under FET provisions, ICSID Case No. ARB (AF)/00/3, (Awarded on June 2, 2007). NAFTA –UNCITRAL Cases Alex Genin, Eastern Credit Limited, Inc. and A.S. Baltoil v. Republic of Estonia, violation of FET provisions, Case No. ARB/99/2, (Awarded on June 25, 2001). S.D. Myers, Inc. v. The Government of Canada, Chapter 11-NAFTA ARBITRAL TRIBUNAL/ UNCITRAL RULES, (Awarded on November 26, 2002). UNCITRAL (UNITED NATIONS COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE LAW GAMI Investments, Inc. v. The United Mexican States, UNCITRAL, (Final Award November 12, 2004). International Thunderbird Gaming Corporation v The United Mexican States, violation of FET principles ,UNICITRAL ( NAFTA), ( Final Award January 26,2006). Occidental Exploration and Production Co. v. Republic of Ecuador, violation of FET provisions, UN 3467, (Final Award July 1, 2004). Pope & Talbot v. Canada, violation of FET provisions, UNCITRAL (NAFTA) (Award on Merits of Phase 2 of April 10, 2001). Ronald S. Lauder v. Czech Republic, violation of FET provisions, UNCITRAL, (Final Award of 3 September 2001). Saluka Investments BV v. The Czech Republic, violation of FET Provisions, UNCITRAL Rules; IIC 211 (2006); 4P 116/2006 (Award on September 7, 2006). INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE (ICJ) Elettronica Sicula S.p.A. (ELSI) (US v. Italy), violation of FET provisions, ICJ Rep.15, 94-95, 28, ILM 1109 (1989), (Final Award n July 20, 1989). List of Treaties and Conventions â€Å"Convention on the Protection of Foreign Property of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).† (Adopted 1995 entered into force 1997). â€Å"North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)† (Entered in to force from 1 January 1994). Abs /Shawcross Draft of 1967 (adopted 1959 entered into

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 129

Discussion - Essay Example First, Agile is found to be simpler and easier to follow. The phases of envision, speculate, explore, adapt and close flow better in a management process. This is different in the triangle where interconnection of tasks may result in complexities. Secondly, the triangle represents a correlation between time, cost and output as opposed to the Agile Framework which is more of a process-based framework. As opposed to the Waterfall framework, Agile defines the requirements throughout the project and hence the framework is more flexible. This means that it allows change in strategy as the project continues. Further, return on investment and avoidance of risk can be continuously monitored in the Agile Framework allowing easier control of the results. Although the Waterfall Triangle deals directly with the costs and outcomes from the beginning, it is not flexible to change. Agile Framework can be easily used in individual projects. This is because it is easy to use and follow. In addition, the constant feedback from the framework helps n making changes and controlling the outcome from within. The ease of use saves time and allow the project managers to manage

What Role does Bundle Sheaths Play in C4 Plants Essay

What Role does Bundle Sheaths Play in C4 Plants - Essay Example Bundle sheath cells are the major site of refixation of the CO2 and C4 acid decarboxylation. The mesophyll cells also concentrate the CO2 and send it to the bundle sheath cells. NADP-malic enzyme (NADP-ME) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK) are expressed in the bundle sheath cells of the C4 plants. They are the major enzymes responsible for the refixation of the CO2 from the C4 acid. (Nomura et al. 2005). In C4 leaves, each vein is surrounded by a ring of the bundle sheath cells surrounded again by the mesophyll cells. These bundle sheaths have the chloroplasts arranged centrifugally with the large starch granules and unstacked thylakoid membranes. In the bundle sheath cells ribulose-1,5-bis-phosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) enzyme accumulates extensively. The specific enzyme activity can be easily determined by using the non aqueous fractionation techniques and pulse labeling techniques. (Majeran et al. 2005).

Interplay of Bilbo's Tookish and Baggins sides in J.R.R Tolkein's 'The Essay

Interplay of Bilbo's Tookish and Baggins sides in J.R.R Tolkein's 'The Hobbit' - Essay Example Bilbo Baggins, the protagonist, is a timid hobbit who although a good man from inside is prone to living the life that he has always led. He doesn’t leave his home even though he has a ‘Tookish’ adventurous enigma in his blood from his mother’s side. It seems as though the Baggins side (His father’s), overwhelms his personality more than anything else. At the beginning, he is seen to be kind and serene, living in the nobility of his name in his home town and drinking tea like the old English. However, after he is set on the adventure at the persistence of Gandalf the Wizard, probably the friend he admires the most, that he lets other aspects intercept his usually peace and quiet loving nature. At the end though after the battle and when he sees the familiarity of home, he feels at peace again and does not want to go away from it for a long time. He lives in the stories and even though the days seem long to him because he has, after all, made the most exciting journey that settling would be hard after that. Still, it is very clear that he has embraced his Tookish side and is very confident about himself. The conflicts that he was facing early on and during the middle of his journey is nonexistent the heroism he had portrayed at circumstances forth facilitates the better understanding and self-reliance he has now. He does not possess a dual personality; he just had not experienced the many talents and hidden courage he had. They were explored only because Gandalf had faith in his little friend. The transformation he faced from start to end is just learning and molding of character because he still is the same Bilbo Baggins.

Pidgins and Creoles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pidgins and Creoles - Essay Example One important point raised is the language age. The creole language which can be termed as the mother of languages as that is where language originated from has been in existence for centuries and hence it is considered as old language. The rest of the languages have recently been created and they keep on evolving as time goes by. They can therefore not be categorized the same as the Creole language. The more recent the language evolved, the younger it is. The other issue raised is about the evolution of languages from simple to more complicated ones. The creole language was very simple in terms of grammar and writing but as it evolved, it became much more complicated as well as organized. This is an indication that evolution of language can be equated to evolution of organisms which as they evolve become much more organized and less simple to understand as well as write (DeGraff, 2001). The article was indeed an education lesson for me. I had very little prior knowledge of the creol es and more so their huge input in language. My understanding was based on the literature that their language has simple grammar and issue that still remained under debate from linguists but none offered elaborate explanations about them. I am now in a better position having understood about the how the Creoles’ language simplicity and its maintenance of origin has made it a highly researched and subject of reference in as far as evolution of language is concerned. I am able to understand that the fact that their language has not undergone.

Lenins View of Economic Policies in Russia Essay Example for Free

Lenins View of Economic Policies in Russia Essay Lenins view of economic polices in Russia between 1917 and 1923 was shaped by the factors of War Communism, and the New Economic Plan (NEP). Lenin realized that to have a successful economy and to keep the idea of equality in Communism there had to be a compromise; there needed to be a balance of state control and individual incentive for the economy to prosper. Through the failure of War Communism and the success of the economy and the drift away from Communism with the NEP; Lenin learned the dos and donts of a successful economy. Lenin described what the country needed to do to have a successful economy, he said, We have found that a degree of private commercial interest, with state supervision and control of that interest, is all we actually need (doc. 5). This shows how both War Communism and the NEP were factors that shaped Lenins compromising idea of what a economy needed to be successful. The War Communism policy was adopted to keep the Red Army supplied. During War Communism the government took control of industry, and told factories what to produce; and the government would take any grain that was produced by the farmers. The Cheka would steel the grain that the farmers produced, this made the farmers angry and they no longer had any incentive to grow crops because the crops would just be taken away from them. Also money became worthless, wages were paid in food or other goods, and many people bartered goods instead of using money. The situation for the farmers and the peasants got worse. By 1921 Russias economy was shattered. Industrial production had drastically decreased; and the cities were in chaos. Agriculture had been demolished. War Communism was put in affect to increase the productivity of both industrial goods and food, but the workers and farmers saw no point in putting in the effort if in the end it would be taken away from them. War Communism led to the destruction of the economy of Russia. Lenin finally admitted that War Communism was a mistake, he said, The small farmer needs a spur, and incentive that accords with his condition We are very much to blame for having gone to far; we overdid the nationalization of industry and trade, clamping down on the local exchange of commodities. Was that a mistake? It certainly was. (doc. 4) This quote is an example of how Lenin realized that he had made a mistake and this quote also shows that Lenin understands that the workers and farmers need an incentive to work; with an incentive the economy will grow. Lenins view of economic policies was greatly influenced by the failure of War Communism, and by the failure he was able to figure out another system that would revive Russias economy. Lenin realized that to have a successful economy the people have to have the incentive to work. Lenin also knew that if he did not improve the economic state of Russia that the Communists would not survive; War Communism took the safety net away from the Communists. Lenin had to act quickly to figure out another policy that would make the people want to work, and to revive the economy. In 1921 the NEP was created to fix the economy. Lenin created this new policy to try to burst the morale of the people and make them want to produce more grain or products. The transition form War Communism to the NEP was drastic, the people had to change there lives to fit this new, more capitalists society. Though the change to a more capitalist economy, the NEP was successful in jump starting the farming production, for example. Lenin says, Release of [surplus goods] into circulation would stimulate small farming, which is in terrible state (doc. 4) This is a great example of how Lenin realizes why he needs to change from the War Communism to the NEP, for a least one reason to increase the amount of grain produced. The creation of the NEP changed many laws that were once holding Russias economy back. Grain requisitioning was stopped. Grain was no longer taken from the peasants. Also traders could buy and sell goods, which was illegal during War Communism. Smaller factories were returned to their former owners; and they were allowed to sell the goods they made and make a profit from them. Finally larger industries like coal and steel remained under state control; but some larger factories were able to sell their products. These were some of the main differences between War Communism and NEP. During the NEP the economy prospered, because people were now allowed to keep some of the goods they made and then sell them for their own profit. This made the people want to produce more so they could have more for their family. Lenin described some of the good affects that the NEP had, he said, We have achieved much with our requisitioning system. Our food policy has made it possible in the second year to acquire three times as much grain as in the first. (doc. 2) Lenin was talking about the great increase in the production of grain, this great increase was directly related to the NEP; because the peasants could keep some of the grain they made which gave them an incentive to work hard. Communists were angry because they saw the country returning to capitalism. They did not like the fact that bosses of factories called kulacks could hire men to work for them. Also Communists disliked the Nepmen, because they made a high profit by buying goods cheaply and then selling them for more. Though the NEP revived the economy, people, especially peasants were unhappy with the new capitalist society. Lenins view of economic policies was changed through the NEP, he knew that people need the incentive to work, but he also knew he could not give the people to much economic freedom; the idea of balancing the policy of War Communism and NEP was Lenins final view of how to keep the people happy and to sustain a great economy.

Holistic View Of The Bilingual Person English Language Essay

Holistic View Of The Bilingual Person English Language Essay The term bilingual in the psycholinguistic literature does not only apply to people who speak two languages equally well because they were exposed constantly to two different languages maybe due to their parents two different native languages. However Bilingualism refers to the regular use of two (or more) languages, and bilinguals are those people who need and use two (or more) languages in their everyday lives. (Grosjean, 1992, pp. 51). This represents a holistic view of the bilingual person as a competent and complete communicator, on the other hand though a bilingual person is surely not the result of the sum of two monolinguals. As early as 1968, Macnamara, Krauthammer and Bolgar wrote: Within certain limits à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, all bilinguals manage to keep their languages distinct and can switch from one to the other. It follows that to some extent bilinguals experience their languages as psychologically distinct systems, and that they have some device to control which one is used at any particular time. However, fluent bilinguals are capable of switching between their two languages, when for example a third person who can speak only one of the two languages is pulled in a conversation or when the topic of the discussion strongly asks for the use of both languages at the same time. To clarify this point, consider this situation described by Judith Kroll You are sitting at a cafà © or at the airport when you overhear a conversation in English that suddenly switches to another language and then back to English. If you are a monolingual speaker of English, you may notice the mixture of languages without realizing that you have listened to an impressive cognitive accomplishment by the speaker. This exceptional achievement is instead a rather common feature of bilinguals language use in which words of two languages mix together in a coherent and meaningful conversation .. In this sense, a bilingual changes the linguistic form, without alterating the substantial meaning byusing a word which may address the sense of a discourse in a better or stronger way like choosing between synonyms with the same language (Sridhar Sridhar, 1980). Yet when the same bilinguals speak to a monolingual they rarely use or switch to an alternative language in order to prevent the monoli ngual speaker from not understanding. These different circumstances and a variety of other situation where this capability arises leads to question of how the information to be processed or expressed is bound to the activation or articulation of a corresponding word or phrase in the appropriate language. On one hand, for a person repeatedly coping with language switches within the conversation, these apparently strange words come unexpectedly and may perhaps be more difficult to process than their within-language counterparts. On the other hand for a bilingual who has to choose in which language to speak, the process of finding the right word in the right context, which French and Jacquet (2004) refer to as lexical access may result extremely complex , as in addition to the activation of words in one language other than the target, other parole (words) in the other language might be active as well.,. Thus, the simultaneous activation of the two lexico-semantic represenations of a bilingual might address different answers paralleled with the specific processing modality, word recognition or production, driven by the context. In word recognition, language membership is passively conveyed to a person by the orthographical or phonological characteristics of the word (). However, in word production, the speaker actively and intentionally decides which language to use. Therefore, the speaker can exert some control on lexical forms and choose the target which best fits the communicative context among a set of activated representations. We do not claim that the mechanisms and neural dynamics recruited for lexical access are necessarily different in recognition and production, but rather that the processes involved in each may be at least partially different. The aim of this project will be first to trace the effects of a language switch on models of both language production and language comprehension and second to identify the neural correlates of language switching and the impact a switch may have on the cognitive processes which rule lexical access in order to produce or recognize a word. Bilingualism and language comprehension Language comprehension has been investigated in bilingual populations mainly through tasks in which bilinguals are substantially asked to respond to written words in one or both of their languages. In such visual word identification tasks, the language switch is driven by the upcoming stimuli in input, while the output is executed by button press driven by a binary decision. A large number of studies have addressed bilinguals performance in comprehension tasks through both within-language and cross-language tasks such as lexical decision (e.g., Dijkstra, Van Jaarsveld Ten Brinke, 1998; Dijkstra, Grainger, Van Heuven, 1999; von Studnitz Green, 2002), language decision, and categorisation tasks (e.g., Dufour Kroll, 1995; Grainger Frenck-Mestre, 1998). Initial studies revealed, for example, that when bilinguals were asked to read language-mixed passages, their performance suffered compared to reading single-language passages (Macnamara Kushnir, 1971). In lexical decision, responses to words where a switch in language occurs were slower than those to a trial nested in a sequence of words from same language s (Thomas Allport, 1995; Von Studnitz Green, 1997). Ability to recognize words in one language seems to be influenced by the language memebership of the word immediately preceding (the basic language priming effect) (Grainger Beauvillain, 1988; Grainger ORegan, 1992) even in lists of unrelated words. Fluent bilinguals seem to comfortably manage whichever language they are requested to use, however in all of the contexts mentioned just above a language switch during comprehension hurts their performance. This evidence suggests that even when bilinguals read (e.g., Dijkstra, 2005) or hear (e.g., Marian Spivey, 2003) one langua ge alone, both languages are still active. Thus, a crucial point here is to establish if and to what extent the other language is still there when bilinguals use one language alone. One way of testing this hypotheisis is to isolate ambiguous features of the bilinguals two languages , meaning to use words that partially overlap or are totally shared in both languages. When two languages share the same alphabet, we may find words called cognates that look or sound the same and mean the same thing as well. For example, In French and Italian, the words balla and balle are almost spelled identically and have the same meaning and. If bilinguals are really capable of shutting down one language and dress as monolinguals, then performance on these special words (cognates) should not differ from that on distinctive and unambiguous words. If the other language results not to be in standby but always on, then bilinguals should perform differently from monolinguals which in a lexical decision ta sk will need to match the target with only one possible candidate instead of two A cognate benefit on performance has been demonstrated across a variety of tasks (De Groot and Poot, 1997; Van Hell De Groot, 1998a; Van Hell and Dijkstra, 2002;), providing substantial evidence that cognates are represented or processed differently from non-cognate translation equivalent words in the second language. Cognates and non-cognates also show different priming effects: in one of the earliest explorations of the effects of cognates, De Groot and Nas (1991) found cross-language repetition priming for both cognates and non-cognates, but associative priming only for cognates. Given such evidence they reached three conclusions: (1) the representations of both cognate and non-cognate translations at the lexical level of representation are connected; (2) cognate translations share a representation at the conceptual level while (3) non-cognate translation equivalents are represented in separate conc ept nodes. De Groot and colleagues model of cognate representation has continued to develop, but it remains firmly based on the principle that cognates representations in the two languages are shared, or overlapping, more than those of non-cognates. In terms of distributed representations, Van Hell and De Groot (1998) describe the notion of overlap as the patterns of activation for a cognate word and its translation being similar to one another, whereas the patterns of activation for a non-cognate word and its translation may have very little in common. The more features are shared between words, the smaller the lexical distance between their corresponding patterns of activation. In addition, the cognate effect was found not to be restricted only to conditions where stimuli are presented in written form. Costa, Caramazza, and Sebastià ¡n-Gallà ©s (2000), for example, found that bilinguals named pictures with cognate names more quickly than pictures with non-cognate names, while monolinguals showed no difference on the same set of pictures. This confirms that the cognate benefit is not solely due to orthographic overlap in the presented stimuli. Many studies have took advantage of these special properties of cognate words in order to determine how this linguistic ambiguity impacts on bilinguals ability to understand these words in only one of their two languages. Evidence stemming from all these studies strongly supports the idea that the language not in use may be in a sort of sleeping mode and anyway exerts an influence on the bilinguals lexico-semantic system even when a task tunes it to the other language. When cross-language form and meaning converge, bilingual performance is typically facilitated; when cross-language form and meaning conflict, bilingual performance is often hindered, in that it is slower and more likely to be error prone (Dijkstra, 2005). These cross-language effects will likely occur especially in the case of a second less dominant language given that most of time both languages will never be equally strong. Furthermore in conditions where a change in language occurs, the cross-linguistic influence of one language on the other will directly affect the processing of words in either one of the two languages. However it is a point of some controversy in the literature whether the costs associated with switching between languages might be somehow modulated by language specific or ambiguous cues. The Bilingual Interactive Activation model (BIA) and language switching Dijkstra and van Heuven (1998) have proposed a model for word recognition in bilinguals (BIA, the Bilingual Interactive Activation model) in which they try to account for the interaction between active word candidates in both languages. Novel to the BIA model is the use of language nodes. When the BIA model encounters a string of letters, the specific visual features of each at a particular letter position excite letters in the system with corresponding features while different letters are inhibited . Activation in turn from letters is driven to words in both languages where each letter figures in the determined position, while all other words are inhibited. At the word level, language membership will not affect inhibition as all words inhibit each other. Activation thriving from word nodes in the same language is carried on to the corresponding language nodes which store activation from words with a specific language tag, and in turn spread, through a feedback mechanism, inhibition to all word nodes in the other language. Furthermore, these language nodes can be pre-activated reflecting a particular task and this device allows the asymmetric inhibition of words in the two languages; word forms in L1, for instance, can be more inhibited than word forms in L2. The effects of language switching can be explained in this framework through a mechanism which allows lexical activation to flow from one trial over to the next. The BIA hypothesizes that activation of a specific language node paralleled with the presentation of a word in that particular language will not completely decay and fall beneath threshold, therefore when the next item comes up in the other language the corresponding word unit will be partially inhibited. According to this model any cost relative to switching will fall close to zero if the input carries orthographic features unique to a language. Only one or a few word units in that particular language will be active and any advantage or disadvant age held by similar cross-linguistic representations (i.e. as in the case of cognates) of the previous trial will fade out. This model shows that language switching may be a function of the task situation, the nature of stimulus material, as well as the expertise of the bilingual. Figure 1. The Bilingual Interactive Activation (BIA) model for bilingual word recognition. Arrowheads indicate excitatory connections; black filled circles indicate inhibitory connections. (Dijkstra van Heuven, 1998) 4.4 The effects of context information and the BIA+ Model Language is a single word, however in its everyday use it implies the use of a set of multiple words to express meaning. It is possible therefore that evidence for cross-language activity stems from the decontextualized nature of word recognition tasks commonly employed to investigate the bilinguals two languages. In the context of a conversation or while we read a passage in one language rather than the other cues which shift the balance of activity in favour of the intended language should be conveyed to a mechanism which could virtually switch off the other language. This indeed does not seem to be the case as recent evidence from a number of studies suggest that contextual cues per se are not able to turn completely down the activity of the language not in use. On one hand we would have intuitively predicted that the frame provided by a stringent linguistic context should reduce the number of viable language interpretations. On the other hand, these findings justify the ease of language switching and the relatively low cost it entails in terms of processing resources (e.g., Moreno, Federmeier, Kutas, 2002). However, a point of some controversy remains and namely the relationship between the word identification system and the linguistic context (as a sentence) or the non-linguistic context information determined in an experimental framework by the task demands (i.e. the participants expectations determined by the instructions). One option is that after the initial stages of lexical processing, information of both types (linguistic and context) may exert an influence on the activation level of forms in the target and non-target language. For instance, context information could inhibit lexical candidates or lemmas in the irrelevant language (BIA model by Dijkstra et al., 1998; IC model by Green, 1986, 1998) or just modulate of the activation level of lexical candidates in each language (Grosjean, 1997). A second option is that non-linguistic context information does not directly influence the activity in the identification system itself, but affects decision criteria only.. The BIA+ model postulates the existence of two distinct systems: a word identification system and a task/decision system. Linguistic information conveyed by a sequence of words in in a sentence context may modulate the word identification system, while non-linguistic context information (e.g., participants expectations and strategies) affects parameter settings in the task/decision system.. However, the model clearly states that the task/decision system and sources of non-linguistic information do not affect the lexical activation levels within the word identification system itself. Therefore while performing in a task (such as lexical decision) an early preconscious, automatic level of processing thriving from activity within the word identification system may be followed by an attention-sensitive level in which lexical forms are selected through a task/decision system with reference to different contextual factors and bound to a specific response relevant to the task at hand (cf. Altenberg and C airns, 1983, p. 187; Dupoux and Mehler, 1992; Balota, Paul and Spieler, 1999). The task schema, which is set up during the practice set or retrieved from memory, designates the algorithm which selects the cognitive processing steps necessary to perform the specific task (Green, 1986, 1998; Norman and Shallice, 1986). The decision mechanism is incorporated in the task schema and monitors continuously the activation level of candidates in the identification system by weighting the different levels of activation of targets with respect to each other within the identification system in order to arrive at an output in terms of response. The decision relies upon a lexical selection mechanism, which triggers depending on the breaking of an activation threshold for a lexical candidate. In other words, the identification and task/decision systems, though interconnected, may be partially independent. The two systems use their own criteria for action triggering (i.e., lexical selection and res ponse selection/execution). The identification system is assumed to recognize a word and is able to select a single lexical candidate with a good degree of certainty) when the system reaches a fair stability. The task/decision system triggers a response when its own criteria are met, some of which ruled by lexical activation, while others driven by a tendency towards optimization in terms of how activated and selected representations in the identification system are linked to possible responses. For instance, in lexical decision the input letter string conveys activity to orthographic, semantic and phonological codes, all of which could allow a discrimination of word and non-word input. However, when participants are asked to make a language decision in the sense to press one button if a presented item belongs to one language (e.g., English) and another button if it belongs to another language (e.g., Dutch) only those codes which facilitate the retrieval of language membership infor mation (language tags) are able to address a correct response. Thus, different schemas underlie different tasks, although one task may obey to different schemas. The schema might capture and use information from different sources in parallel, but presently available evidence suggests that orthographic representations play a major role (Pexman and Lupker, 2001). A number of recent experiments have addressed the predictions stemming from the BIA+ model by asking whether the parallel activity of the two languages can be reduced or eliminated when language ambiguous words that produce cross-language effects out of context, are placed in sentence context (e.g., Elston-Gà ¼ttler, Gunter, Kotz, 2005; Schwartz Kroll, 2006;Van Hell,1998). Schwartz, Kroll, and Diaz (2007) showed that when bilinguals are asked to name a cognate like radio in isolation, they are faster relative to controls if there is both orthographical and phonological overlap across the two languages. However, when they read highly constrained sentences the processing advantage for cognates disappeared while in sentences with a lower closure probability, an advantage for cognates remained, suggesting that knowing the language in which you are reading does not switch off the unintended language. This last assumption leads to the question of whether the decision criteria in a language switching task is affected when cognates are involved considering that the activation threshold for lexical candidates will be broken not as quickly. According to the BIA+ model, the similarity of the input word to the internal lexical representations establishes their activation level. Therefore the larger the overlap between the input string and a representation in the mental lexicon, the more the internal representation is activated. In the case of two languages with alphabetical writing systems, the number of activated orthographic candidates is determined by factors such as the neighbourhood density and frequency of the target word and its within- and between-language neighbours and not by the words language membership. However, If the two input codes specific to each language are different (e.g., letter sets), the activated set of neighbours may become much smaller. Figure 2. The BIA+ model for bilingual word recognition. Arrows indicate activation flows between representational pools. Inhibitory connections within pools are omitted. Language nodes could instead be attached to lemma representations between word form and meaning representations. Non-linguistic context only affects the task schema level. (Dijkstra Van Heuven The architecture of the bilingual word recognition sysytem, Bilingualism:Language and Cognition, 5, 2002 )

Facility Operations

Facility Operations Introduction Facility Operations is a discipline of management devoted to provide care, maintenance, development of skills to facility the daily operations public, hospitality, educational and leisure venues. The activities of facility operations include from very basic activity like cleaning to a high skilled and technical jobs like maintenance of air conditioning system. It is the duty of facility operations team to coordinate with the organisation management to oversee the cost effective, safe, secure and environment friendly maintenance of the organisational assets and long term care and preservation of those assets value. The goal of facility operation management is to provide â€Å"end user† satisfaction, and also considered as the success criteria for the evaluation of facility operation team. In this assignment the requirement is to assess the responsibilities of facilities manger in an organisation like hospital, hotel, educational institution or super market etc, what are the legal, health and safety obligations in performing the duties as facilities manger, identification of the strengths in current facilities operations and what are the weak areas to be addressed in the current business and in the new establishment which the management is planning to start. The organisation I have chosen to complete the assignment task is â€Å"Serena Hotels, Islamabad Pakistan†. Serena Hotel The Islamabad Serena Hotel is at a very prominent location at the door step of Margalla hills on fourteen acres of areas with beautiful gardens and near the Rawal Lake in the young and dynamic city of Pakistan â€Å"the Islamabad†, one of the natural beautiful cities of the world. The architectural and interior structure of the hotel is a good combination of the heritage of Pakistani culture equipped with the latest technology. The hotel is having nine cuisine restaurant and roof top swimming pool, providing all the luxury facilities and health clubs. The Serena Hotel Islamabad contain 387 rooms including suite with function halls to accommodate about five thousand people, and all other facilities that of a five star hotel. What is Facilities Operations Facilities operations and maintenance encompasses all that broad spectrum of services required to assure the built environment will perform thefunctionsfor which a facility was designed and constructed. Operations and maintenance typically includes the day-to-day activities necessary for the building and its systems and equipment to perform their intended function. In broad perspective the facility operation is merged with maintenance known as Operations and Maintenance (O M) because facilities cant be provided efficiently without it is properly maintained, therefore these two terms are discussed as one term (Facilities Operation and Maintenance). Facilities Operations at Serena As a five star hotel the Serena Hotel provide all the services to their customers to keep them satisfied and accomplish the organisational goals and objectives. To have good services they have a very structured Facilities Operations and Maintenance system, which involve all the dimensions of facility operations. Some of the major operations of this department in Serena Hotel Islamabad are following. Building Maintenance As described above that Serena is having a very good looking prominent building at a very attract full and expensive location at the city, so the hotel management is very much focused about the maintenance of the building, as this is the main resource of the business. Catering As Serena is having nine restaurants within the complex, each restaurant offer different meals, like South Asian, African and Arabian foods, so this area of the business is also included in the work duties of the facility operational staff. Cleaning Is the one of the core functionality of the operational staff and support staff at every organization, at Serena Hotel this is a separate department for cleaning the hotel premises, the cleaning staff is 24/7 on duty to provide clean and neat environment at hotel. Consultancy continuous improvement Continuous improvement is a very significant area of facilities operations, so at Serena there is proper system of consulting for the operational staff and very structured program for continuous improvement. Gardens Maintenance At Serena there are multiple gardens with beautiful plants and flowers, to maintain the beauty of these gardens there is a well trained team to take care. Procurement Is a key activity in facilities operations, to procure all the requirements of the hotel, maintain sufficient stock of all required items and remain in contact with supplier to have on time delivery of the required items. Projects relocation Facility Operations and Maintenance also look at the areas which need immediate focus and also plain the long terms goals of their department. They start new projects and relocation of current projects like outsourcing some operations of the hotel. Mechanical Electrical Services Mechanical and Electrical services are also the responsibility of families operation management staff, to look after the machineries and electrical devices and supply there is a trained staff available at Serena. Security Services To provide security to customers and staff members the security services are outsourced by Serena, private company guards remain at duty all the time, while there is a latest setup of CCTV which remains in operation all the time to keep eye on any suspected terrorist activity. Waste environmental management To keep environment clean is a very big issue in todays world, so to properly dispose the wastes and remain the hotel environment clean there is a team of cleaners who work on disposing the wastages of the hotel, clean the rooms, gardens and corridors, kitchen and other premises of the hotel. Responsibilities as Facility Manager As facility management is a very vast field, and a diverse range of specialism and responsibilities in different combinations, depending on organizational structure. Facilities managers are involved in both strategic planning and day-to-day operations, particularly in relation to buildings and premises. Some of the main responsibilities and duties of Facility Manger at Serena Hotel Islamabad are stated below Skillful management of administrative activities like procurement, purchase of equipments, housekeeping, safety and health, security, employee induction etc. Maintaining monthly reports for the expenses incurred for maintaining office infrastructure and facilities. Monitoring of budget and cost controlling Provide assistance in project management and cost optimization Managing repair, maintenance replacement of office equipments, appliances, furniture, furnishings, vehicles, building etc. Purchase and implementation of security tools and surveillance cameras. Event Management, organizing meetings, conferences, making travel arrangements and hotel reservations for guests foreign delegates. Acting as info-hub for providing administration related information and supervising administrative activities like general admin, verification of stationery stock, petty cash, courier, florist, pest control, housekeeping, etc. Arranging for relocation of employees from different parts of country which includes arrangement for their home and family related needs such as school admission, transportation and taking care of their household requirements. Arranging accommodation for onsite employees by co-ordination with various companies providing accommodations and to continuously improve the quality of services. Legal, Health and Safety (H S) Obligations Anobligationis a requirement to take some course of action, whetherlegalormoral, so at Serena Hotel there is a proper system of carrying out care of legal, health and safety obligations. It is the responsibility of the organization management and Facility Manager to ensure the health and safety of their employee during their work. Facility Mangers responsibility also include to do risk assessment and analysis, purchasing compulsory employers liability insurance if they dont already have it, ensuring equipment is fit for its purpose, testing, certifying and maintaining electrical equipment, ensuring computers can be used comfortably and easily, making sure the availability of first aid boxes are easily accessible locations at work premises, avoiding the use of trailing electricity cables to reduce the risk of fire and electric shocks, ensuring staff are suitably trained to work safely, keeping records of, and if necessary reporting,any serious accidents, illnesses or injuries experien ced by hotel workers. At Islamabad Serena Hotel to provide the basic healthcare treatments there is a dispensary working round the clock with qualified doctor and other paramedic staff, the hotel has its own ambulance service to shift any casualties to hospitals in case of emergency. Health and Safety at Serena At work place the health and safety obligation is to keep your employees and yourself safe from all of the emergencies like fire, any terrorist activity and safety during work. At Serena Hotel employees of facility staff and operational staff are advised to Follow the instruction given by facility manger regarding health and safety Get trained about using personal protective equipments Not willfully or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything provided for workplace health and safety at the workplace. The manger ensures that the workplace is safe and employee; customers can visit the hotel without any risk. the workplace is safe and without risk of illness or injury from any plant or substance used properly in the course of work The environment of the workplace must be such that it does not put the health of the workpeople at risk. Perform the risk assessment activities to minimize the risk involved in health and safety at the work environment. The facility manger continuously monitors and reviews the health and safety standards at the hotel. Constantly the activates of Safety sampling is done which involves inspecting the whole work area but looking only for particular types of hazard i.e. the sample, and Safety audits which Endeavour to obtain a numerical measure of the number of examples of each hazard found. A key element in achieving and maintaining high levels of safety is knowledge of the hazards, their effects and the techniques to avoid or ameliorate those effects. So at Serena the facility management team and co workers are constantly updated with latest tools and trainings to enhance their skills and capabilities. Administrative Systems at Serena There are two types of administrative computer systems operational at Serena Islamabad. The first one is Management Information System (MIS) and the second one is Security system. Management Information system is a big software system having different modules for each and every department; it includes modules like from room reservation to bill calculations, and dividing staff duties to procurement, recruitment and selection. All the management related activities are done through this software system at Serena. How can Serena improve the Facilities Operations As far as Serena is the best in providing facilities operations at their premises as compare to other competitors at hotels market, but I will suggest Serena that they is possibilities of improvement, as Facility Manager at Serena I will suggest the administration to take the following steps in order to improve the standard of facilities operations. At Serena Hotel there is a computerized system which I will suggest to improve it to Computerized Maintenance System (CMS). Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) enable the facility manager, subordinates and customers to track the status of maintenance work on their assets and the associated costs of that work. CMMS are utilized by facilities maintenance organizations to record, manage and communicate their day-to-day operations. The system can provide reports to use in managing the organizations resources, preparing facilitieskey performance indicators (KPIs)/metrics to use in evaluating the effectiveness of the current operations and for making organizational and personnel decisions. In todays maintenance world the CMMS is an essential tool for the modern facilities maintenance organization. I will suggest the administration to keeping in mind the current security situations at Pakistan, instead of having own guards, outsource the security, and also apply to the Govt of Pakistan to provide security commandos during the stay of elite in the hotel. The HR department is required to consult the facility manager in hiring the facility staff and operation staff. The facility manger is required to clearly identify the job descriptions and responsibilities of all manger and staff members in order to streamline the process, and provide the best facilities at the hotel customers and staff. Conclusion Facility managementis aninterdisciplinaryfield primarily devoted to the maintenance and care of commercial or institutional buildings, such ashotels,resorts,schools,office complexes,sports arenasorconvention centers. Duties may include the care ofair conditioning,electric power,plumbingandlightingsystems;cleaning;decoration;groundskeepingandsecurity. Some or all of these duties can be assisted by computer programs. These duties can be thought of as non-core or support services, because they are not the primary business (taken in the broadest sense of the word) of the owner organization. At Serena Hotel Islamabad the Facility Manger and Management of the hotel is very much focused about the facilities operations and maintenance. But some recommendations are provided for the management of the hotel to improve the facilities operations at Serena hotel. References http://www.facilities-management-companies.co.uk/index.php/types-of-facilities-management/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facility_management http://www.wbdg.org/om/om.php http://www.serenahotels.com/serenaislamabad/default-en.html http://www.citehr.com/99200-admin-facility-management-responsibilities.html http://www.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/facilities_manager_job_description.jsp http://www.healthandsafety.co.uk/emplyr.htm http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?r.s=scr.l1=1073858799r.lc=enr.l3=1074402501r.l2=1074402480r.i=1074403745type=RESOURCESitemId=1074403738r.t=RESOURCESlang=_w http://www.deir.qld.gov.au/workplace/rights/yourobligation/who/index.htm

The Pecan Tree Report Essay -- Farming

The Pecan tree is a native tree to North America. When early European settlers traveled across the sea to settle in the New World, they found pecan trees located in numerous places in this new land. Since then, the pecan tree has become one of the most important orchard species in terms of acreage. Indians began using pecans almost 8000 years ago in what is now Texas. The first budded pecan trees were produced in Louisiana in the mid-1800s and orchards have been established throughout the Southern states. The first recorded shipment of pecans to England was documented in 1761, by Spanish and European explorers (Anderson and Crocker, 2004). In 1917, a commercial shipment of pecans came out of Georgia and since then, Georgia has been the leading producer of pecans. Although Georgia is the leading producer, in some years collections of pecans from wild trees in Oklahoma and Texas surpass the production in Georgia. The life cycle of a pecan tree has four main components: germination, rooting, sprouting and lifespan and reproduction. The many different elements of the pecan tree life cycle contribute to the growth and development of the pecan trees we see today. The life cycle of a pecan tree has many different elements. The cycle begins with the spreading and germination of seeds. Mature pecan trees produce and drop thousands of seeds to the ground during the fall season. Dispersal of these seeds may be through the water, wind or animals but wind will end up pollinating the seeds. Pecan tree seeds lay dormant throughout the winter and will begin the growth process in the spring. The seeds require an adequate amount of warmth and rain throughout the winter and early spring months. Once the germination process has finished, the seed... ...l, Ted E., and Bruce W. Wood. "Movement of adult pecan weevils Curculio caryae within pecan orchards." Agricultural & Forest Entomology 10, no. 4 (November 2008): 363-373. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed April 18, 2012). Anderson, P.C., and T.E. Crocker. "The Pecan Tree." Solutions for Your Life: University of Florida IFAS Extension (2004). Web. 18 Apr. 2012. Christman, Steve. "Floridata: Carya Illinoinensis." FLORIDATA. Floridata.com LC, 30 Aug. 2000. Web. 18 Apr. 2012. http://www.floridata.com/ref/c/cary_ill.cfm. Wells, Lenny. "Nutritional, Environmental, and Cultural Disorders of Pecan." The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension (2010): 1-12. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. Ree, Bill. "Pecan Insect Pests." Pecan Kernel. Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. http://pecankernel.tamu.edu/pecan_insects/pests/index.html.

The Path to the Chromosome Theory of Heredity :: History Science Biology Essays

The Path to the Chromosome Theory of Heredity The notion of the chromosome theory of heredity is very important to the understanding of evolution and genetics. There were many ideas, some correct and others not, which influenced the revolutionary discovery of chromosomal heredity. The main stones in the path to the chromosomal theory are the pangenesis hypothesis, the germ-plasm theory, and Mendel’s Laws. Pangenesis Lamarck expressed the idea that by simply using or not using certain organs they may be developed or atrophied and their offspring can then inherit these acquired characteristics. (Milner p. 375, 1993) It should be noted that this theory was not widely accepted largely due to the fact that the French word that Lamarck used in the sense of â€Å"must† was translated as â€Å"wants to,† which makes it sound as though the organism decides to change its body. Furthermore, Lamarck provided no mechanism by which this could take place. (www.ridgenet.net/do_while/sage/v1i8f.htm) Darwin was the one to give a mechanism for Lamarck’s idea. This mechanism is known as pangenesis. Darwin’s ideas of evolution were well founded in the beginning; however, as his theory progressed he reverted to Lamarckian thought to explain his observations. To begin his theory he started with the observations that there is variation in offspring. He wrote, â€Å"no one supposes that all the individuals of the same species inhabiting the same confined locality, are cast of the same mold†¦I am convinced that the most experienced naturalist would be surprised at the number of the cases of variability†¦as I have collected† (Chapter 2 of Origin of Species). He sees that there is a struggle for existence saying, â€Å"as more individuals are produced than can possibly survive, there must in every case be a struggle for existence† (Chapter 3 of Origin of Species). Finally, Darwin recognized that there is a survival of the fittest in that the organisms with the best variations for the continuance of the species live and those with variations that are n ot as useful to the continuation of the species die (Chapter 4 of Origin of Species). Darwin begins to diverge into Lamarckian thought at this point. Darwin wrote that, â€Å" slightly different changes in the conditions of life add to the vigor and fertility of all organic beings†¦the crossing of forms which have been exposed to slightly different conditions of life or which have varied, favours the size, vigor, and fertility of their offspring† (Chapter 9 of Origin of Species).

Yu Dafu Sinking

Yu Dafu: ‘Sinking' Commentary Yu Dafu's ‘Sinking' was one of the most prominent pieces among the literary canon of the May Fourth Movement, as it gives an interesting portrayal of the Chinese diaspora following the nation's occupation by foreign powers. The story depicts the life of a Chinese student who is pursuing medicinal studies in Japan, but finds himself captivated by Western romantic poetry so as to temporarily escape from his disheartened experience as an individual deemed as inferior by the Japanese.The protagonist seems to greatly struggle with his thoughts on nationalism, and this is evident when he sleeps with a Japanese woman and consequently feels insignificant and ashamed. Thus, this is symbolic of China failing to effectively resist the influence of foreign powers. It is also worth noting that Japan was quite a common location for many scholars because of its relatively short distance from their homeland, economical tuition fees, and the fact that there w ere a greater number of schools open to Chinese students compared to that of America or Europe.Furthermore, many Chinese saw Japan as a land where the advanced Western technology and philosophy had been successfully integrated with its native culture. In a sense, this also serves to be a paradox, for while the Chinese might have looked up to Japan as a prime example of an Asian nation that had successfully modernized according to the Western standard, it is at the same the cause of their national humiliation. Yu Dafu also recalls to his audience the striking contrast of when China had once been the leading example of a nation and Japan had been its follower.

Problems that sikhs face practicing their religion in Britain today Essay

Sikhism was born in the Punjab area of Asia which falls into present day states as India and Pakistan the main religions of that time were Hinduism and Islam. The Sikh faith began around 500 years ago (1500 CE) when Guru Nanak started preaching a faith that was quite distinct from Hinduism and Islam. Nine gurus followed Guru Nanak and developed faith over the next centuries. Sikhism is the youngest of the six world faiths and is the second smallest of all. Sikhism was formed from Hinduism and Islam. Sikhs follow the teachings of the 10 Gurus, The Gurus (meaning religious leader) are not worshipped. Their teachings are recorded in the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book. The 2001 census recorded 336,000 Sikhs living in Britain. Britain is becoming more and more multicultural and there are more Sikhs now than ever before. As Britain is predominantly Christian, many Sikhs face difficulties in practising their faith. Like some other religions, Sikhs are often discriminated against in Britain today. The war on Iraq brings with it an increase in hostility towards those who wear turbans making it hard for some Sikhs to show pride in their religious clothing. The turban has become an important symbol of the Sikh faith. Most Sikh men wear a turban as well as some Sikh women. Sikhs may experience slurs, isolation, hostility and sometimes even assaults just because of their appearance. Many British people are racists and are unable to accept anybody who are of a different race, this must make it very hard for Sikhs to feel normal and at ease in the place that they live. Some Sikh traditions include not cutting your hair and using tobacco. Sikhs don’t cut their hair because they believe God created you with hair so that is the way he must want you to look. In Britain some people may associate very long with being dirty and/or untidy, and this could also lead to more discrimination against the Sikhs. Male Sikhs wear turbans to cover their hair which can cause problems with certain types of jobs. Due to health and safety you have to wear a helmet/hard hat on a construction/building site. If you’re a Sikh, you are not allowed to take off your turban and the helmet won’t fit over the top of it therefore any strict Sikhs will not become builders or anything associated with construction/building sites. In older times bus conductors were made to wear caps whilst working. Men with turbans were not able to wear this hat so they were not allowed to become bus conductors. Officers in the police force are also required to wear a cap/hat whilst working. Sikhs have been turned down due to refusing to take off their turbans so that they can work as a police officer. The UK Police have spent one hundred thousand pounds trying to adapt a hat that will fit over the Sikh turban. Until then Sikhs are not allowed to join the force unless they are willing to take off their turbans. Schools in Britain teach very little on Sikhism today. The ‘network of Sikh orginisations’ expressed the views of the Sikh community that teaching of Sikhism is being pushed out even in schools where the majority of the population are Sikhs. Apart from a handful of schools there is little provision for pupils to undertake any qualifications in Sikh religious studies. There are many sport professions that Sikhs are unable to take part in such as swimming and football. As a lot of Britain are sport fanatics this must be hard for Sikhs as they cannot take part in any of it. The law has been lifted against helmets for Sikh motorcyclists, so that they can now ride bikes with just a turban on. Many Sikhs are vegetarians. This could be quite difficult in certain situations such as children in school or certain restaurants. Those who are not vegetarians will only eat meat where the animal has been killed in a certain way, unless the Sikhs know that the animal was killed correctly then they will not eat the meat. Eating in restaurants would be tricky because they’re unlikely to have killed their meat in the way Sikhs require. Sikh men and women who are full members of their religion (Khalsa) wear the five K’s. These represent the five articles of faith which distinguish individuals as Sikhs. The five K’s described under Khalsa are KESH, KANGHA, KARA, KIRPAN and KACHERA. The Khalsa was a brotherhood of fighters who would dedicate themselves to the Sikh cause and were given certain distinctive features to identify them as Sikhs. There are five of these features, which Khalsa Sikhs wear today. They are: KESH OR KESHAS: long hair usually worn under the turban to symbolise holiness. KANGA: small wooden comb to keep the hair tidy and symbolise purity. KARA: steel bracelet/bangle worn on the right wrist to protect the sword arm and symbolises eternity. KIRPAN: a small sword symbolising readiness to fight oppression. KACHA or KACHERA: shorts worn as an under garment, to symbolise modesty and sexual restraint. In Britain it is illegal to carry the kirpan identical to the original in public as it is seen as dangerous. However the ‘criminal justice act’ (1996) allows anyone to carry a blade exceeding the length of 3 inches for religious, cultural or work related reasons. The 2003 discrimination act safeguards the Sikhs to carry a kirpan. Some Sikhs wear a necklace that contains charms of the kanga and kirpan so that they do not look threatening. There is a case of a girl from South Wales who was suspended from school for refusing to remove her Kara. The school claimed that her bracelet was against school rules which were set a long time ago. The girl refused to take off her kara as she was proud to wear it because it reflected which religion she was part of. The school was taken to court over the suspension and was declared guilty of indirect discrimination. Sikh temples are known as Gurdwaras. There are not many Gurdwaras in Britain where Sikhs can go to worship. This is a difficulty for the Sikhs to practice their faith as in India part of a Sikhs ritual would include attending the Gurdwara. Religious festivals such as maghi and diwali may not be attented by certain Sikhs due to work. Some jobs may not offer them the time off as Britain is more Christianity orientated with time off for Christmas and easter etc. In Conclusion I think that being a Sikh in Britain must be difficult and hard to practice and will take some getting used to. Those who were born in Britain will not know any different anyway so they will be well adapted to the way in which they live. I think it is probably very hard for those who have emigrated from Asia to adapt to a new way of living.

Nonverbal Communication

Introduction The saying goes, â€Å"Look into a person’s eyes, and you will see their soul. † But what is it about the eyes that hold so much? Why do the eyes embrace so much emotion, so many feelings? The eyes, along with other body aspects, are able to communicate to people in ways our words cannot, for â€Å"eye contact is an invitation to communicate. If you look directly into a person’s eyes, [†¦] they will respond in some manner† (Andersen, 2004).Albert Mehrabian (1967) stated that 55% of communication is body language, 38% of communication is tonality, and 7% of communication is the actual words that are spoken (Misunderstanding Section, line 2). Altogether, 93% of communication is unspoken words – what we use to give or withhold meaning from our words. Communication is a complicated, ongoing process of sending and receiving messages. These messages provide both implicit and explicit interpretations depending on the synchrony between the spoken word and the body language associated with it.Body language is defined as â€Å"the gestures, movements, and mannerisms by which a person or animal communicates with others† (Merriam-Webster, 2011). Knowing 93% of communication lies in unspoken word, teachers must put forth an effort to communicate through their actions and tone of voice, â€Å"Teachers should be aware of nonverbal communication in the classroom for two basic reasons: to become better receivers of students' messages and to gain the ability to send positive signals that reinforce students' learning while simultaneously becoming more skilled at avoiding negative signals that stifle their learning† (Miller, 2005).Teachers need to be more concerned about their teaching-learning situations because â€Å"the pattern of behavior of the teacher affects the pattern of behavior of the learner† (Clark, 1978). With this, teachers must focus on changing the learner’s behavior by changing their own behavior. By paying attention to nonverbal communication, teachers can better manage their classroom and the learners in that environment. One major aspect of body language is eye contact, â€Å"When you fail to make eye contact with someone, you are treating her or him as a nonperson and inviting that person to  not  communicate† (Andersen, 2004, p. 6). Teachers know that students respond to how they treat them. Therefore, when they choose to interact with them, they can help regulate behaviors by maintaining eye contact. In fact, eye contact from the teacher is the most important nonverbal behavior, for â€Å"eye contact shows confidence, controls classroom interaction, and enables teachers to read the body language of their students. [†¦] Increasing [†¦] eye contact dramatically improves motivation in the learning process† (Andersen, 2004, p. 42). Review of Literature In 1507, Leonardo da Vinci revealed his now legendary painting  Mona Lisa.Sent ence and Verbal CommunicationStudied by many and known by all, this painting was the first study to look at body language. It intrigues so many people because the painting is so complex, just like body language. The most interesting aspect of this painting is Mona’s smile. This smile portrays more than just one emotion. In addition, Mona’s gaze follows the viewer no matter the angle she is viewed from. There are many meanings and emotions hidden in this picture and that is why it arguably is the best-known painting in the world (Riding, 2005, lines 4-6).In his book,  The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, Charles Darwin (1872) looked at how our emotions express our feelings and thoughts. Through his many studies, Darwin was able to prove that our expressions of emotions portray more than words. Darwin studied the eyes, nose, arms, voice, and many other body features in order to verify a correlation between body language and others’ perceptions. Oft en, our facial features correlate with our tone of voice in order to express a certain feeling, â€Å"The pitch of the voice bears some relation to certain states of feeling is tolerably clear† (Darwin, 1872, p. 03). This being true, one can easily sense another’s emotion, such as high spirits, by simply focusing on the unspoken word: A [person] in high spirits, though [he/she] may not actually smile, commonly exhibits some tendency to the retraction of the corners of his mouth. From the excitement of pleasure, the circulation becomes more rapid; the eyes are bright, and the colour of the face rises. The brain, being stimulated by the increased flow of blood, reacts on the mental powers; lively ideas pass still more rapidly through the mind, and the affections are warmed (Darwin, 1872, p. 696-697).Darwin claims that our emotions are intricately intertwined with our whole body. Our emotions, mind, and body work as one to send signals to other people. People use body lan guage to help drive interaction and keep others engaged. But what happens when our body language is not the same â€Å"language† as someone from another country? This poses a problem not only in society but in classrooms as well. Teachers are being asked more and more to create an atmosphere of inclusivity in order to accommodate for diverse populations including gender, ethnicity, religion, and ability. Debra Pitton et. al. 1993) stated teachers have a responsibility to provide the best possible educational experience day to day and this experience must include body language for many reasons: By incorporating the study of nonverbal messages into pre-service studies, teachers will more readily be able to help students become cognizant of culture, ethnicity, and gender as important variables in everyday life. This will also help students, as they will benefit from an increased appreciation of diversity when they assume their future roles as parents, teachers, community leaders , co-workers, employers, and citizens.An inclusive education should facilitate the changes in climate necessary to ensure ongoing change, and knowledge of culturally specific nonverbal communication patterns can enhance this process (p. 2). Teachers’ goals are to help their students be active participants in their community and in society. In order to do so, students must be able to understand verbal and nonverbal communication signals as they relate from one person and one context to the next. Nonverbal relates to the unspoken word and a means to send messages that are â€Å"not sanctioned for verbal delivery by our culture† (Wiemann, 1975).As humans, we have a particular strength to respond quickly and unconsciously pick up clues to other’s nonverbal behavior so that we can respond and react; however, we are culture-bound in what we see and can interpret those behaviors incorrectly depending on our background and experiences (Cohen, 1971). Nonverbal behavior i s difficult to control or to censor. Nonverbal behavior comes naturally to an individual based on true emotions, feelings, and culture – it is less likely to be deceptive as verbal communication can be (Galloway, 1993).With this, there seems to be a necessity for teachers to have complete control over their nonverbal behaviors in order to communicate to their students effectively. Students read more from their teacher’s body language than they do their actual words. In fact, most teachers â€Å"are not aware of the ways in which they transmit nonverbal messages to pupils. Classroom culture has its own nonverbal language and pupils absorb its nuances along with the spoken language† (Spanjer, 1972). Peter Andersen (2004) claims immediacy behaviors, hich â€Å"signal approach and availability, and send warm, stimulating messages to other people,† help teachers develop a positive relationship with their students. Some immediacy behaviors include touching, smi ling, nodding, facing others, showing relaxation, leaning toward others, and synchronizing our conversations; however, in the classroom, the most important immediacy behavior is eye contact, â€Å"Teacher eye contact shows confidence, controls classroom interaction, and enables teachers to read the body language of their students† (Andersen, 2004).Being able to read body language gives teachers an advantage at recognizing their students’ true emotions, enabling the teacher to be more effective on a minute-to-minute basis. By increasing immediacy behaviors, students’ motivation in the learning process dramatically improves (Andersen, 2004). Teachers need to be aware of immediacy behaviors, such as eye contact, in order to help their students’ succeed in the classroom and, ultimately, outside of the classroom. When it comes to motivating students to complete their work, nonverbal behavior is a prime factor in teacher effectiveness. Research studies [across K-college] found that learners at all levels reacted more favorably to teachers who used nonverbal immediacy cues. [†¦] Increasing immediacy behaviors dramatically improves students’ motivation† (Goman, 2008). Andersen (2004) concluded people trust body language over the spoken word (p. 14).People trust body language because it is spontaneous, multi-channeled, and possesses redundant qualities that make it very hard to completely fake (Andersen, 2004). This is applied in classrooms as well. Students rely on the teacher’s body language in order to interpret the meaning of their words; however, teachers are not well educated in the area of body language. No prerequisite courses are offered to teachers during their undergraduate/graduate years that help prepare them in nonverbal communication because it is still a largely unexplored area (Ligons, 1973).Teachers must be aware of nonverbal communication in their classrooms because â€Å"nonverbal communication i s the medium through which relationships are maintained, regulated, and guided within culturally-prescribed patterns† (Grove, 1976). Focusing on professional success in the classroom is crucial, especially at a changing time in education’s history with the passing of the Budget Bill by Governor Walker, â€Å"At a time when it is widely recognized that professional success is achieved with or through other people, the power of, nd the need for, good interpersonal skills couldn’t be greater† (Goman, 2008). Method The examination underlying this paper is a better understanding of how adverse nonverbal behavior (in relation to the spoken word) will, ultimately, negatively impact students emotionally, behaviorally, and academically that teachers find as â€Å"problem students,† â€Å"different,† and/or â€Å"difficult. This investigation began with the articleThe Nonverbal Advantage  (Goman, 2008) and the evidence of increasing student motivati on and success in the classroom by changing behavior. Understanding the importance of body language in the classroom setting provided a pathway of inquiry related to immediacy behaviors, student motivation/success, and the classroom teacher of the 21st  century. This included reviewing research and articles from different time periods, even dating back to the late 19th  century.The information gathered proved the lack of current research existing in relation to nonverbal communication in a classroom setting; however, after reading multiple examples that verify the significance body language has in relation to student achievement, information regarding nonverbal behavior and its correlation to student motivation and achievement is imperative to know in order to progress not only certain classrooms but also schools as a whole.A short survey of nine multiple choice questions and one open-ended question (optional to answer) focused on teachers’ views of nonverbal behavior in the profession of teaching and working with children. The survey also provided information regarding their awareness of their own nonverbal behavior along with their thoughts on the ability to change their nonverbal behavior.The purpose of this research was to aid in providing valuable information to serve as a guide for teachers and administrators on how to change their behavior in order to change their students’ behavior and, ultimately, improve student achievement and motivation as well as schools’ success. Nonverbal communication pertains to the course of communication that involves the transfer and receipt of messages that are not related to the use of words (Knapp and Hall, 2007).   The messages transferred to the listener are generally associated with body language, as well as gestures, posture, external appearance or clothing, facial manifestations and even hairstyles.   Nonverbal communication is thus strongly influenced by visual messages which symbolize particular meanings to the listener.   Other paralanguage forms of nonverbal communication include the quality of the speaker’s voice and his style of speaking.   It should be noted that any features related to stress and rhythm of the speaker’s voice may also influence how a listener receives a speaker’s message. In the workplace, nonverbal communications play an important role in the interactions among co-workers, as well as the interrelationship between supervisor and his subordinate.   It is well known that the employees at a workplace need to work together and cooperate in order to achieve the status of a productive company.   Cooperation and harmony are thus closely related to the trust and confidence of each employee to himself and to his co-workers and these factors are often influenced by both verbal and nonverbal communications among individuals in the workplace (Ottenheimer, 2007). It should be understood that even if the right phrases and words were expressed by an individual, the actual message of the spoken words and sentences are often changed by the accompanying nonverbal signals that the speaker is showing to the listener.   These nonverbal signs may or may not be consciously being shown yet it is a fact that these nonverbal signs often modify the message that is sent out to the listener. a)   In a meeting at my workplace, our supervisor was suggesting some changes to the organization and functioning of our small company.   Changes in our company are not a common occurrence, hence there was some shock among the members of the workplace as soon as the supervisor mentioned about the plan of modifying particular functions of specific members of the office.   I noticed that our supervisor was a bit uptight while he was proceeding to describe the changes that he would implement at the workplace. His voice was a bit hard and had a lower tone, which I usually do not hear during regular peaceful workdays.   In addition, the supervisor was sweating in his forehead hence this gave me two impressions.   Firstly, he was nervous, possibly because he knew that the topic he was discussing with the members of the workforce was not the best topic to talk about.   Secondly, I felt that our supervisor was not sure about his plan and he just wants to try out this new plan in order to determine whether this plan is indeed the right action to perform in order to solve the problem.   On the other hand, my co-workers were quiet while listening to our supervisor and there was not a single smile or voice from my co-workers. b)   When our supervisor finished explaining his plan of changing specific functions of particular individuals in our workplace, there were contradictions that came from some members of the office.   One co-worker asked why our supervisor came up with this plan. However, I also noticed that this particular co-worker gave out his question with a low voice, too, just the same as our supervisor and this low voice made me feel that our co-worker was not pleased and was actually upset over the changes that the supervisor was planning to implement.   At this point, the supervisor tried to explain his side of the plan with a normal pitched voice and this made our co-worker listen and understand why such changes would be implemented in our workplace, and that is to increase the sales of the company. c)   Nonverbal communications strongly influence the success or failure of communications because it provides additional senses and emotions to the messages that are being exchanged between individuals, including the sense of sight and even sound (Hargie and Dickson, 2004).   For example, it is easier to talk to a person who speaks in a soft voice than deal with a person who speaks with a very loud voice. d)   The use words in communication often involves meanings hence individuals should be careful with their choice of words because there a certain words that are linked to denotations or connotations.   For example, if a co-worker calls a female co-worker a queen, this may either mean that she is very productive and knowledgeable at work, or this may mean that she is only good for bossing people around.   Hence the use of words may be tricky and an individual should be cautious when describing specific individuals and issues at the workplace. e)   An effective listening technique that may be employed by a manager is to carry an attentive facial expression while hearing out a subordinate’s message.   In addition, a manager may also try to nod to the employee every now and then, in order to let the employee feel that he is welcome to express his ideas and concerns to his supervisor.   The nodding of the manager does not mean that he agrees to everything that the subordinate says, but it means that he is listening to what the subordinate is saying. Conclusion:   Nonverbal communication is generally associated with body language, gestures and posture as well as paralanguage forms that influence the success or failure of exchanges between individuals because it provides additional senses and emotions to the messages that are being sent out to other individuals.   Nonverbal communications play an important role in the interactions among co-workers, as well as the interrelationship between supervisor and his subordinate because it positive communications promote cooperation and harmony between individuals. Reference Hargie O and Dickson D   (2004): Skilled interpersonal communication: Research, theory and practice. Hove: Routledge Publishers. Knapp ML and Hall JA (2007): Nonverbal communication in human interaction, 5th ed. Wadsworth: Thomas Learning. Ottenheimer HJ (2007):   The anthropology of language: An introduction to linguistic anthropology, Kansas State: Thomson Wadsworth.                         Nonverbal Communication Nonverbal communication is a very large part of human communication behavior. The types of nonverbal communication can range from a simple smile to an obvious avoidance of eye contact, but each behavior carries a direct message that can be understood by all the individuals in a public communication situation. Nonverbal communication, for use in this analysis, is defined by Canary and Dindia (1998) as the form of communication that does not include words; messages expressed by nonlinguistic means, people s actions or attributes, including their use of objects, sounds, time and space, that have socially shared significance and stimulate meaning in others (Canary &Dindia, 1998). Nonverbal communication plays a role in all communication: it is impossible to communicate without sending out nonverbal clues. These clues help others determine the truth behind one’s words and their true feelings. Nonverbal communication is a powerful form of communication in that it expresses and reveals attitudes and attributes that may not be expressed by the words spoken. Through my own observation of a public communication situation, a set of rules for nonverbal communication for that situation was determined, yet it varied according to age and gender. Nonverbal communication rules may differ according to the situation.Sentence and Verbal Communication An individuals actions are different when riding on the subway than their actions when getting acquainted at the local pub. Actions when riding in an elevator may be perceived very differently when doing business at a post office. This analysis does not assume or argue that the rules for nonverbal communication are the same for every public communication situation. Rather, each situation has its own set of rules for nonverbal behavior, and the observation and experience of each situation determines its set of rules. Nonverbal communication pertains to the course of communication that involves the transfer and receipt of messages that are not related to the use of words (Knapp and Hall, 2007).   The messages transferred to the listener are generally associated with body language, as well as gestures, posture, external appearance or clothing, facial manifestations and even hairstyles.   Nonverbal communication is thus strongly influenced by visual messages which symbolize particular meanings to the listener.   Other paralanguage forms of nonverbal communication include the quality of the speaker’s voice and his style of speaking.   It should be noted that any features related to stress and rhythm of the speaker’s voice may also influence how a listener receives a speaker’s message. In the workplace, nonverbal communications play an important role in the interactions among co-workers, as well as the interrelationship between supervisor and his subordinate.   It is well known that the employees at a workplace need to work together and cooperate in order to achieve the status of a productive company.   Cooperation and harmony are thus closely related to the trust and confidence of each employee to himself and to his co-workers and these factors are often influenced by both verbal and nonverbal communications among individuals in the workplace (Ottenheimer, 2007). It should be understood that even if the right phrases and words were expressed by an individual, the actual message of the spoken words and sentences are often changed by the accompanying nonverbal signals that the speaker is showing to the listener.   These nonverbal signs may or may not be consciously being shown yet it is a fact that these nonverbal signs often modify the message that is sent out to the listener. a)   In a meeting at my workplace, our supervisor was suggesting some changes to the organization and functioning of our small company.   Changes in our company are not a common occurrence, hence there was some shock among the members of the workplace as soon as the supervisor mentioned about the plan of modifying particular functions of specific members of the office.   I noticed that our supervisor was a bit uptight while he was proceeding to describe the changes that he would implement at the workplace. His voice was a bit hard and had a lower tone, which I usually do not hear during regular peaceful workdays.   In addition, the supervisor was sweating in his forehead hence this gave me two impressions.   Firstly, he was nervous, possibly because he knew that the topic he was discussing with the members of the workforce was not the best topic to talk about.   Secondly, I felt that our supervisor was not sure about his plan and he just wants to try out this new plan in order to determine whether this plan is indeed the right action to perform in order to solve the problem.   On the other hand, my co-workers were quiet while listening to our supervisor and there was not a single smile or voice from my co-workers. b)   When our supervisor finished explaining his plan of changing specific functions of particular individuals in our workplace, there were contradictions that came from some members of the office.   One co-worker asked why our supervisor came up with this plan. However, I also noticed that this particular co-worker gave out his question with a low voice, too, just the same as our supervisor and this low voice made me feel that our co-worker was not pleased and was actually upset over the changes that the supervisor was planning to implement.   At this point, the supervisor tried to explain his side of the plan with a normal pitched voice and this made our co-worker listen and understand why such changes would be implemented in our workplace, and that is to increase the sales of the company. c)   Nonverbal communications strongly influence the success or failure of communications because it provides additional senses and emotions to the messages that are being exchanged between individuals, including the sense of sight and even sound (Hargie and Dickson, 2004).   For example, it is easier to talk to a person who speaks in a soft voice than deal with a person who speaks with a very loud voice. d)   The use words in communication often involves meanings hence individuals should be careful with their choice of words because there a certain words that are linked to denotations or connotations.   For example, if a co-worker calls a female co-worker a queen, this may either mean that she is very productive and knowledgeable at work, or this may mean that she is only good for bossing people around.   Hence the use of words may be tricky and an individual should be cautious when describing specific individuals and issues at the workplace. e)   An effective listening technique that may be employed by a manager is to carry an attentive facial expression while hearing out a subordinate’s message.   In addition, a manager may also try to nod to the employee every now and then, in order to let the employee feel that he is welcome to express his ideas and concerns to his supervisor.   The nodding of the manager does not mean that he agrees to everything that the subordinate says, but it means that he is listening to what the subordinate is saying. Conclusion:   Nonverbal communication is generally associated with body language, gestures and posture as well as paralanguage forms that influence the success or failure of exchanges between individuals because it provides additional senses and emotions to the messages that are being sent out to other individuals.   Nonverbal communications play an important role in the interactions among co-workers, as well as the interrelationship between supervisor and his subordinate because it positive communications promote cooperation and harmony between individuals. Reference Hargie O and Dickson D   (2004): Skilled interpersonal communication: Research, theory and practice. Hove: Routledge Publishers. Knapp ML and Hall JA (2007): Nonverbal communication in human interaction, 5th ed. Wadsworth: Thomas Learning. Ottenheimer HJ (2007):   The anthropology of language: An introduction to linguistic anthropology, Kansas State: Thomson Wadsworth.                         Nonverbal Communication Introduction The saying goes, â€Å"Look into a person’s eyes, and you will see their soul. † But what is it about the eyes that hold so much? Why do the eyes embrace so much emotion, so many feelings? The eyes, along with other body aspects, are able to communicate to people in ways our words cannot, for â€Å"eye contact is an invitation to communicate. If you look directly into a person’s eyes, [†¦] they will respond in some manner† (Andersen, 2004).Albert Mehrabian (1967) stated that 55% of communication is body language, 38% of communication is tonality, and 7% of communication is the actual words that are spoken (Misunderstanding Section, line 2). Altogether, 93% of communication is unspoken words – what we use to give or withhold meaning from our words. Communication is a complicated, ongoing process of sending and receiving messages. These messages provide both implicit and explicit interpretations depending on the synchrony between the spoken word and the body language associated with it.Body language is defined as â€Å"the gestures, movements, and mannerisms by which a person or animal communicates with others† (Merriam-Webster, 2011). Knowing 93% of communication lies in unspoken word, teachers must put forth an effort to communicate through their actions and tone of voice, â€Å"Teachers should be aware of nonverbal communication in the classroom for two basic reasons: to become better receivers of students' messages and to gain the ability to send positive signals that reinforce students' learning while simultaneously becoming more skilled at avoiding negative signals that stifle their learning† (Miller, 2005).Teachers need to be more concerned about their teaching-learning situations because â€Å"the pattern of behavior of the teacher affects the pattern of behavior of the learner† (Clark, 1978). With this, teachers must focus on changing the learner’s behavior by changing their own behavior. By paying attention to nonverbal communication, teachers can better manage their classroom and the learners in that environment. One major aspect of body language is eye contact, â€Å"When you fail to make eye contact with someone, you are treating her or him as a nonperson and inviting that person to  not  communicate† (Andersen, 2004, p. 6). Teachers know that students respond to how they treat them. Therefore, when they choose to interact with them, they can help regulate behaviors by maintaining eye contact. In fact, eye contact from the teacher is the most important nonverbal behavior, for â€Å"eye contact shows confidence, controls classroom interaction, and enables teachers to read the body language of their students. [†¦] Increasing [†¦] eye contact dramatically improves motivation in the learning process† (Andersen, 2004, p. 42). Review of Literature In 1507, Leonardo da Vinci revealed his now legendary painting  Mona Lisa.Sent ence and Verbal CommunicationStudied by many and known by all, this painting was the first study to look at body language. It intrigues so many people because the painting is so complex, just like body language. The most interesting aspect of this painting is Mona’s smile. This smile portrays more than just one emotion. In addition, Mona’s gaze follows the viewer no matter the angle she is viewed from. There are many meanings and emotions hidden in this picture and that is why it arguably is the best-known painting in the world (Riding, 2005, lines 4-6).In his book,  The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, Charles Darwin (1872) looked at how our emotions express our feelings and thoughts. Through his many studies, Darwin was able to prove that our expressions of emotions portray more than words. Darwin studied the eyes, nose, arms, voice, and many other body features in order to verify a correlation between body language and others’ perceptions. Oft en, our facial features correlate with our tone of voice in order to express a certain feeling, â€Å"The pitch of the voice bears some relation to certain states of feeling is tolerably clear† (Darwin, 1872, p. 03). This being true, one can easily sense another’s emotion, such as high spirits, by simply focusing on the unspoken word: A [person] in high spirits, though [he/she] may not actually smile, commonly exhibits some tendency to the retraction of the corners of his mouth. From the excitement of pleasure, the circulation becomes more rapid; the eyes are bright, and the colour of the face rises. The brain, being stimulated by the increased flow of blood, reacts on the mental powers; lively ideas pass still more rapidly through the mind, and the affections are warmed (Darwin, 1872, p. 696-697).Darwin claims that our emotions are intricately intertwined with our whole body. Our emotions, mind, and body work as one to send signals to other people. People use body lan guage to help drive interaction and keep others engaged. But what happens when our body language is not the same â€Å"language† as someone from another country? This poses a problem not only in society but in classrooms as well. Teachers are being asked more and more to create an atmosphere of inclusivity in order to accommodate for diverse populations including gender, ethnicity, religion, and ability. Debra Pitton et. al. 1993) stated teachers have a responsibility to provide the best possible educational experience day to day and this experience must include body language for many reasons: By incorporating the study of nonverbal messages into pre-service studies, teachers will more readily be able to help students become cognizant of culture, ethnicity, and gender as important variables in everyday life. This will also help students, as they will benefit from an increased appreciation of diversity when they assume their future roles as parents, teachers, community leaders , co-workers, employers, and citizens.An inclusive education should facilitate the changes in climate necessary to ensure ongoing change, and knowledge of culturally specific nonverbal communication patterns can enhance this process (p. 2). Teachers’ goals are to help their students be active participants in their community and in society. In order to do so, students must be able to understand verbal and nonverbal communication signals as they relate from one person and one context to the next. Nonverbal relates to the unspoken word and a means to send messages that are â€Å"not sanctioned for verbal delivery by our culture† (Wiemann, 1975).As humans, we have a particular strength to respond quickly and unconsciously pick up clues to other’s nonverbal behavior so that we can respond and react; however, we are culture-bound in what we see and can interpret those behaviors incorrectly depending on our background and experiences (Cohen, 1971). Nonverbal behavior i s difficult to control or to censor. Nonverbal behavior comes naturally to an individual based on true emotions, feelings, and culture – it is less likely to be deceptive as verbal communication can be (Galloway, 1993).With this, there seems to be a necessity for teachers to have complete control over their nonverbal behaviors in order to communicate to their students effectively. Students read more from their teacher’s body language than they do their actual words. In fact, most teachers â€Å"are not aware of the ways in which they transmit nonverbal messages to pupils. Classroom culture has its own nonverbal language and pupils absorb its nuances along with the spoken language† (Spanjer, 1972). Peter Andersen (2004) claims immediacy behaviors, hich â€Å"signal approach and availability, and send warm, stimulating messages to other people,† help teachers develop a positive relationship with their students. Some immediacy behaviors include touching, smi ling, nodding, facing others, showing relaxation, leaning toward others, and synchronizing our conversations; however, in the classroom, the most important immediacy behavior is eye contact, â€Å"Teacher eye contact shows confidence, controls classroom interaction, and enables teachers to read the body language of their students† (Andersen, 2004).Being able to read body language gives teachers an advantage at recognizing their students’ true emotions, enabling the teacher to be more effective on a minute-to-minute basis. By increasing immediacy behaviors, students’ motivation in the learning process dramatically improves (Andersen, 2004). Teachers need to be aware of immediacy behaviors, such as eye contact, in order to help their students’ succeed in the classroom and, ultimately, outside of the classroom. When it comes to motivating students to complete their work, nonverbal behavior is a prime factor in teacher effectiveness. Research studies [across K-college] found that learners at all levels reacted more favorably to teachers who used nonverbal immediacy cues. [†¦] Increasing immediacy behaviors dramatically improves students’ motivation† (Goman, 2008). Andersen (2004) concluded people trust body language over the spoken word (p. 14).People trust body language because it is spontaneous, multi-channeled, and possesses redundant qualities that make it very hard to completely fake (Andersen, 2004). This is applied in classrooms as well. Students rely on the teacher’s body language in order to interpret the meaning of their words; however, teachers are not well educated in the area of body language. No prerequisite courses are offered to teachers during their undergraduate/graduate years that help prepare them in nonverbal communication because it is still a largely unexplored area (Ligons, 1973).Teachers must be aware of nonverbal communication in their classrooms because â€Å"nonverbal communication i s the medium through which relationships are maintained, regulated, and guided within culturally-prescribed patterns† (Grove, 1976). Focusing on professional success in the classroom is crucial, especially at a changing time in education’s history with the passing of the Budget Bill by Governor Walker, â€Å"At a time when it is widely recognized that professional success is achieved with or through other people, the power of, nd the need for, good interpersonal skills couldn’t be greater† (Goman, 2008). Method The examination underlying this paper is a better understanding of how adverse nonverbal behavior (in relation to the spoken word) will, ultimately, negatively impact students emotionally, behaviorally, and academically that teachers find as â€Å"problem students,† â€Å"different,† and/or â€Å"difficult. This investigation began with the articleThe Nonverbal Advantage  (Goman, 2008) and the evidence of increasing student motivati on and success in the classroom by changing behavior. Understanding the importance of body language in the classroom setting provided a pathway of inquiry related to immediacy behaviors, student motivation/success, and the classroom teacher of the 21st  century. This included reviewing research and articles from different time periods, even dating back to the late 19th  century.The information gathered proved the lack of current research existing in relation to nonverbal communication in a classroom setting; however, after reading multiple examples that verify the significance body language has in relation to student achievement, information regarding nonverbal behavior and its correlation to student motivation and achievement is imperative to know in order to progress not only certain classrooms but also schools as a whole.A short survey of nine multiple choice questions and one open-ended question (optional to answer) focused on teachers’ views of nonverbal behavior in the profession of teaching and working with children. The survey also provided information regarding their awareness of their own nonverbal behavior along with their thoughts on the ability to change their nonverbal behavior.The purpose of this research was to aid in providing valuable information to serve as a guide for teachers and administrators on how to change their behavior in order to change their students’ behavior and, ultimately, improve student achievement and motivation as well as schools’ success.